{"data": [{"title": "Escape room fire: Poland closes 13 venues after five teenagers die", "date": "7 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thirteen escape rooms have been closed in Poland after a fire in one of the venues killed five teenage girls. An owner of the facility has been charged with creating a fire hazard that led to the blaze on Friday. The girls died after the fire broke out while they were playing in a room at a venue in the northern city of Koszalin. In the game popular around the world, players are locked in a room and given a set amount of time to solve a series of riddles to get out. The venue owner, who was arrested on Sunday, has been charged with \"creating the danger of a fire in the escape room and with unintentionally causing the death of people in a fire\", a spokesman for the Koszalin district prosecutor is quoted as saying by the Polish PAP news agency. The man also neglected to ensure that the room had escape routes, he said. The accused man has denied any negligence or wrongdoing, his lawyers say. A 25-year-old man was also seriously injured in the blaze which started at around 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Friday. Leaking gas cylinders are believed to have caused the blaze in the small room which measured 7.3 sq m (78 sq ft). The girls, all aged 15, were visiting the attraction in Koszalin to celebrate a birthday. Participants are generally locked in a room and must solve a series of puzzles in order to get out. The industry has grown rapidly in recent years. Escape games are thought to have begun in Japan about a decade ago, and one in Hungary, which opened in 2011, is believed to have been the first in Europe. Budapest is one of the world's hubs for the genre, and it is estimated there are around 1,000 in Poland. In the UK, the number of escape rooms soared from just seven in 2013 to more than 1,000 as of last year. The authorities have ordered that all escape rooms around the country now be checked to ensure they meet safety standards. Firefighters inspected nearly 200 facilities across Poland over the weekend. They said more than 100 were found to be unsafe and 13 were immediately shut down. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki vowed on Sunday to close escape rooms that failed to meet safety standards. He also announced a review of more than 1,000 escape rooms or related facilities in Poland to determine whether new regulations were needed. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said on Sunday Poland would impose harsh fines and sanctions on business owners whose premises did not comply with health and safety standards. He also urged parents to report potential safety violations at venues. Leaking gas cylinders used to heat the building started a fire in the adjacent waiting room, a prosecutor said. Flames and toxic smoke spread quickly, and firefighters - responding to an emergency call - used specialised equipment to break in, but it was already too late. The teenagers are believed to have died of asphyxiation. Their funerals are due to be held on Thursday. Polish President Andrzej Duda said the fire was an \"appalling tragedy\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1228, "answer_end": 1741, "text": "Participants are generally locked in a room and must solve a series of puzzles in order to get out. The industry has grown rapidly in recent years. Escape games are thought to have begun in Japan about a decade ago, and one in Hungary, which opened in 2011, is believed to have been the first in Europe. Budapest is one of the world's hubs for the genre, and it is estimated there are around 1,000 in Poland. In the UK, the number of escape rooms soared from just seven in 2013 to more than 1,000 as of last year."}], "question": "What are escape rooms?", "id": "0_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2528, "answer_end": 2976, "text": "Leaking gas cylinders used to heat the building started a fire in the adjacent waiting room, a prosecutor said. Flames and toxic smoke spread quickly, and firefighters - responding to an emergency call - used specialised equipment to break in, but it was already too late. The teenagers are believed to have died of asphyxiation. Their funerals are due to be held on Thursday. Polish President Andrzej Duda said the fire was an \"appalling tragedy\"."}], "question": "What is thought to have happened?", "id": "0_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Jeopardy: How a pro gambler 'cracked' a US game show", "date": "30 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jeopardy - the iconic US trivia game show where contestants must answer clues \"in the form of a question\" - has never come across a contestant quite like professional gambler James Holzhauer in the decades it has been on air, writes Jonathan Berr. Not only has Mr Holzhauer become only the second contestant in the show's history to earn more than $1m (PS773,000) in one go, he has also hit the milestone over his multi-game spree faster than anyone in the show's history. No one has come close to catching the Las Vegas sports bettor, who has been training for years for his moment in the spotlight. \"I've thought seriously about how to approach a potential Jeopardy appearance since 2012,\" Mr Holzhauer told BBC News in an email during his winning streak. \"I did look into some statistics on how to best approach the game board, and that played a part in my strategy,\" adds Mr Holzhauer, who holds a mathematics degree from the University of Illinois and prepared for the game's more esoteric categories by reading children's books. Mr Holzhauer has been impressing fans and former players since 4 April with his calm demeanour and cat-like reflexes as he buzzes in with correct responses on 607 questions to clues from categories that range from the serious, like History, to the whimsical, like Occupational Verbs. Most Jeopardy players focus on any particular category by solving the easy clues first, then work their way to the higher-value difficult ones. Mr Holzhauer takes the opposite approach. His technique of targeting the \"expensive\" difficult clues first (as opposed to progressing from easy to hard) has triggered complaints from detractors who say it ruins the flow of the game, but praise from others who say he has \"cracked the Jeopardy code\". He also has made hefty bets on \"Daily Double\" questions where players can risk as much as their entire score in one answer (a so-called \"true daily double\") - but rarely do. This strategy of bouncing around the board - seemingly at random - in hunt for the \"Daily Double\" prizes is named the \"Forrest Bounce\" after former contestant Chuck Forrest. But unlike his predecessors, Mr Holzhauer is willing to risk far more money. Fivethirtyeight.com, a website dedicated to odds and polls, has dubbed Mr Holzhauer \"the man who solved Jeopardy\". According to the website, Mr Holzhauer has wagered $25,000 twice on Daily Doubles, topping the previous record of $19,000 for these types of bets. He also places heavy wagers on the show's climactic final question dubbed \"Final Jeopardy\". Jeopardy's staff, including long-time host Alex Trebek, reportedly are not fans of the \"Forrest Bounce\", arguing that it disrupts the natural order of the show. But regardless of how he picks his questions, he still must buzz in first - and most importantly - give the correct answers. One thing that future contestants will not be able to copy from Mr Holzhauer are his shout-outs to friends and family during Final Jeopardy, a practice that the show's producers no longer allow, according to an announcement he made on his Facebook page. Though Jeopardy is a battle of wits, it can be physically and mentally gruelling since producers tape five episodes at a time, according to Brad Rutter, whose $4.8m in winnings over 14 years is the most of any Jeopardy player. \"You can study some stuff, but it's not like there is any real canon of knowledge that you can sit down and memorise,\" he told BBC News. \"You have to have a brain that works that way and pick it up over the years. \"There are a few things that come up all of the time like presidents and world capitals and Shakespeare that you would be well served to study before going on,\" he advises. Washington Post Columnist Norman Chad has likened Mr Holzhauer's dominance to \"the most fearsome, dominant individual-sport athletes of the past couple of generations such as boxer Mike Tyson, swimmer Michael Phelps and tennis player Serena Williams\". Ken Jennings, whose own winning streak captured audience imaginations in 2004, tweeted: \"This is absolutely insane. I've always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy wagering this way who had the skills to back it up.\" Jeopardy trivia facts - The 35th season premiered in September 2018 - Holds the Guinness world record for most Emmy awards (34) won by a game show - The only other contestant to top $1m in one go was Ken Jennings, whose 74-game winning streak yielded $2,520,700 Not everyone is a Holzhauer supporter. He has become a sensation on social media where some Twitter users are debating his skill, and even calling for him to run for president. TV critics and Jeopardy fans are split on whether his success is thrilling or boring. In a recent, column in Variety, TV critic Daniel D'Addario argued that Mr Holzhauer's achievement was \"a thrilling achievement and deadly dull television\". Andy Saunders, who operates the independent site called The Jeopardy Fan, argues that Mr Holzhauer is good for the game and is making it even more exciting. \"There will be people who will try to emulate him,\" Mr Saunders hopes. Though Jeopardy is hugely popular, its history was rocky. The show survived two cancellations. After current host Alex Trebek was hired in 1984, the \"cerebral\" test of wits wasn't an easy sell and producers resisted pressure to dumb the show down. Data from Nielsen, cited by AdAge, indicates that an average of 10.3 million viewers tuned in during the first 12 days of Mr Holzhauer's run. The show is now considered so iconic that its host's recent announcement of his cancer diagnosis was national news. \"I wouldn't say anything about Jeopardy has surprised me, other than Alex Trebek continuing to show up to work during his chemotherapy,\" Mr Holzhauer wrote in an email to the BBC. \"What a consummate professional.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3082, "answer_end": 4163, "text": "Though Jeopardy is a battle of wits, it can be physically and mentally gruelling since producers tape five episodes at a time, according to Brad Rutter, whose $4.8m in winnings over 14 years is the most of any Jeopardy player. \"You can study some stuff, but it's not like there is any real canon of knowledge that you can sit down and memorise,\" he told BBC News. \"You have to have a brain that works that way and pick it up over the years. \"There are a few things that come up all of the time like presidents and world capitals and Shakespeare that you would be well served to study before going on,\" he advises. Washington Post Columnist Norman Chad has likened Mr Holzhauer's dominance to \"the most fearsome, dominant individual-sport athletes of the past couple of generations such as boxer Mike Tyson, swimmer Michael Phelps and tennis player Serena Williams\". Ken Jennings, whose own winning streak captured audience imaginations in 2004, tweeted: \"This is absolutely insane. I've always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy wagering this way who had the skills to back it up.\""}], "question": "Is the strategy paying off?", "id": "1_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4426, "answer_end": 5320, "text": "Not everyone is a Holzhauer supporter. He has become a sensation on social media where some Twitter users are debating his skill, and even calling for him to run for president. TV critics and Jeopardy fans are split on whether his success is thrilling or boring. In a recent, column in Variety, TV critic Daniel D'Addario argued that Mr Holzhauer's achievement was \"a thrilling achievement and deadly dull television\". Andy Saunders, who operates the independent site called The Jeopardy Fan, argues that Mr Holzhauer is good for the game and is making it even more exciting. \"There will be people who will try to emulate him,\" Mr Saunders hopes. Though Jeopardy is hugely popular, its history was rocky. The show survived two cancellations. After current host Alex Trebek was hired in 1984, the \"cerebral\" test of wits wasn't an easy sell and producers resisted pressure to dumb the show down."}], "question": "But is it good TV?", "id": "1_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Bangladesh protests: How a traffic accident stopped a city of 18 million", "date": "6 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "For more than a week, Bangladesh has been gripped by mass protests triggered by the death of two children in a traffic accident. The demonstrators, overwhelmingly young people, are demanding that the government take action to improve road safety. The movement has developed into a major standoff, and there have been scenes of violence in the streets of the capital, Dhaka, home to 18 million people. Here is how the story unfolded. On 29 July, two schoolchildren in Dhaka - a boy and a girl - were run over and killed by a speeding bus. The driver is thought to have lost control of the vehicle while racing another bus to pick up passengers. The accident might have passed as an everyday occurrence in a city with notoriously dangerous traffic and in a country where more than 4,000 pedestrians were killed in road accidents last year. But instead, it first triggered widespread anger on social media and then led to a wave of student protests. Tens of thousands of schoolchildren took to the streets of Dhaka, blocking roads and intersections, leading to deadlock in the city. The protesters stopped trucks, buses and cars, demanding to see the licenses of drivers and check if vehicles were in roadworthy conditions. \"All we want is corruption to be gone and driving licences to stop being handed out like candy,\" one 17-year-old told the BBC. The protests, rare for Bangladesh, continued for days with thousands of pupils and students essentially bringing the capital to a standstill. Bus services in the city and on routes to elsewhere in the country were cancelled. Since Saturday, police have reportedly used tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring scores of the teenagers - although the authorities initially denied this. There also have been clashes between the protesters and pro-government groups, reportedly members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), a student organisation linked to the ruling Awami League party. On Monday, violence continued as police clashed with university students on campuses and in residential areas. A doctor at a local hospital told newspaper The Daily Star that at least 40 people, mostly students, were being treated. The BCL have also been blamed for attacks on journalists - including the destruction of phones and cameras - which the Daily Star, in an editorial, called a \"reprehensible violation\" of press freedom. A number of journalists have reported being beaten while covering the protests, including a photojournalist for the Associated Press. A female reporter said she was threatened and physically assaulted by a mob of alleged BCL men, even after agreeing to delete footage she had recorded of them. \"They kept saying that if they found I didn't delete it, 'you're done... no-one can save you',\" the woman told the BBC, wishing to remain anonymous. \"There's now fear that those speaking to international media are being targeted.\" Prominent activist and renowned photographer Shahidul Alam was charged on Monday with spreading propaganda and false information on social media after commenting on the protests on Facebook. His detention came hours after he had strongly criticised the government's handling of the demonstrations in a television interview with Al Jazeera. Rights group Amnesty International called for his immediate release and a stop to the government's \"violent crackdown\" on \"overwhelmingly peaceful student protesters\". Amid the violence, armed men attacked a convoy of cars carrying the US ambassador on Saturday night. With the protest movement almost entirely driven by young people, its unsurprising that social media has played a key role, in both spreading the initial news about the two killed as well as in organising the demonstrations. Users are widely expressing their shock and disbelief at the heavy-handed response but insist they will continue taking to the streets. Activists have also taken to social media in droves to call on local and international media organisations to cover the story. The government has promised to consider road safety reforms to address the students' concerns and on Monday the cabinet approved a new Road Transport Act that has been in the pipeline for some time. It is also reportedly considering the death penalty for deliberate road deaths in a bid to appease protesters. But officials have made it clear they want the protests - which have embarrassed the government of Sheikh Hasina - to end immediately. The government blocked 3G and 4G internet services for a period on Saturday evening - disrupting protesters' efforts to organise and share their actions. Ms Hasina on Sunday urged the students to go home. Her Awami League party has also defended the actions of party activists accused of violence. \"Will we kiss them if they advance towards Awami League office?\" general secretary Obaidul Quader said. The United Nations said it was concerned for the safety of the young people caught up in the protests. \"We are deeply concerned about the reports of violence and call on all for calm,\" the UN resident coordinator Bangladesh Mia Seppo said. The US embassy in Bangladesh has also criticised the police response to the protests in a strongly-worded statement.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 433, "answer_end": 1347, "text": "On 29 July, two schoolchildren in Dhaka - a boy and a girl - were run over and killed by a speeding bus. The driver is thought to have lost control of the vehicle while racing another bus to pick up passengers. The accident might have passed as an everyday occurrence in a city with notoriously dangerous traffic and in a country where more than 4,000 pedestrians were killed in road accidents last year. But instead, it first triggered widespread anger on social media and then led to a wave of student protests. Tens of thousands of schoolchildren took to the streets of Dhaka, blocking roads and intersections, leading to deadlock in the city. The protesters stopped trucks, buses and cars, demanding to see the licenses of drivers and check if vehicles were in roadworthy conditions. \"All we want is corruption to be gone and driving licences to stop being handed out like candy,\" one 17-year-old told the BBC."}], "question": "What sparked the first protest?", "id": "2_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1348, "answer_end": 3497, "text": "The protests, rare for Bangladesh, continued for days with thousands of pupils and students essentially bringing the capital to a standstill. Bus services in the city and on routes to elsewhere in the country were cancelled. Since Saturday, police have reportedly used tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring scores of the teenagers - although the authorities initially denied this. There also have been clashes between the protesters and pro-government groups, reportedly members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), a student organisation linked to the ruling Awami League party. On Monday, violence continued as police clashed with university students on campuses and in residential areas. A doctor at a local hospital told newspaper The Daily Star that at least 40 people, mostly students, were being treated. The BCL have also been blamed for attacks on journalists - including the destruction of phones and cameras - which the Daily Star, in an editorial, called a \"reprehensible violation\" of press freedom. A number of journalists have reported being beaten while covering the protests, including a photojournalist for the Associated Press. A female reporter said she was threatened and physically assaulted by a mob of alleged BCL men, even after agreeing to delete footage she had recorded of them. \"They kept saying that if they found I didn't delete it, 'you're done... no-one can save you',\" the woman told the BBC, wishing to remain anonymous. \"There's now fear that those speaking to international media are being targeted.\" Prominent activist and renowned photographer Shahidul Alam was charged on Monday with spreading propaganda and false information on social media after commenting on the protests on Facebook. His detention came hours after he had strongly criticised the government's handling of the demonstrations in a television interview with Al Jazeera. Rights group Amnesty International called for his immediate release and a stop to the government's \"violent crackdown\" on \"overwhelmingly peaceful student protesters\". Amid the violence, armed men attacked a convoy of cars carrying the US ambassador on Saturday night."}], "question": "How did things turn violent?", "id": "2_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3498, "answer_end": 3985, "text": "With the protest movement almost entirely driven by young people, its unsurprising that social media has played a key role, in both spreading the initial news about the two killed as well as in organising the demonstrations. Users are widely expressing their shock and disbelief at the heavy-handed response but insist they will continue taking to the streets. Activists have also taken to social media in droves to call on local and international media organisations to cover the story."}], "question": "How have the students organised themselves?", "id": "2_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3986, "answer_end": 5189, "text": "The government has promised to consider road safety reforms to address the students' concerns and on Monday the cabinet approved a new Road Transport Act that has been in the pipeline for some time. It is also reportedly considering the death penalty for deliberate road deaths in a bid to appease protesters. But officials have made it clear they want the protests - which have embarrassed the government of Sheikh Hasina - to end immediately. The government blocked 3G and 4G internet services for a period on Saturday evening - disrupting protesters' efforts to organise and share their actions. Ms Hasina on Sunday urged the students to go home. Her Awami League party has also defended the actions of party activists accused of violence. \"Will we kiss them if they advance towards Awami League office?\" general secretary Obaidul Quader said. The United Nations said it was concerned for the safety of the young people caught up in the protests. \"We are deeply concerned about the reports of violence and call on all for calm,\" the UN resident coordinator Bangladesh Mia Seppo said. The US embassy in Bangladesh has also criticised the police response to the protests in a strongly-worded statement."}], "question": "What's been the response?", "id": "2_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Tate Modern's Turbine Hall turns into a giant adult playground", "date": "2 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Danish art trio Superflex, known for their playful and political large-scale works, have turned their attention to the huge space that is the Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern. Here are nine things you need to know about the artists and their latest commission. Founded by artists Bjornstjerne Christiansen, Jakob Fenger and Rasmus Nielsen in the early 90s, the group have become known for their huge public commissions. These include Superkilen, an eclectic public park in Copenhagen, and Hospital Equipment, a functioning operating theatre created as part of a Swiss exhibition. They later flew it from the gallery to a hospital in Syria. The group's work frequently focuses on political activism. The Turbine Hall project returns to the park theme - there are swings everywhere. But these are not just any old swings. These are three-seater swings! As Fenger explains: \"It creates opportunities when you do things together. Most things are done collectively. The world is full of too many single swings.\" Christiansen agrees: \"We want people sitting next to each other who wouldn't normally do unless they were on public transport.\" The three artists have split the Turbine space into - guess what? - three sections. There's the sloping section with a huge pendulum hanging over a plush stripy carpet, the \"playground\" area with swings and orange metal bars hanging overhead, and a small \"factory\" where the swings are created. The threesome have strong feelings on working together. \"We don't believe there is such a thing as an individual artist, it is a construct. You cannot walk alone,\" says Nielsen. This is the first time a Turbine Hall exhibition will extend beyond the gallery's boundaries to the outside world. Superflex have installed a \"bank of opportunity\" just outside the gallery where members of the public can propose sites in London and beyond for the site of the next swing. The aim, says Christiansen, \"is to try to make connections that are not natural, for example, a swing placed across a fence between a social housing estate and a bank\". He adds: \"It opens up a different way to think about your neighbour.\" The guys have a bit of a thing about currency, having previously designed an image of a euro coin in 2012 in response to the Greek financial crisis. This time, the striped carpet underneath the pendulum represents the British pound. \"We've extracted colours from the notes,\" Nielsen says. Many artists deliberately don't explain their work - but these guys are happy to tell all. For those of you who don't just want to have fun playing on the swings, the pendulum represents apathy. \"It feels like we're living in the last couple of hours of the Titanic,\" Nielsen explains. \"It's as if we've got a little bit hypnotised by global capitalism.\" In contrast, the swings are about eschewing apathy in favour of collective action and the factory element was inspired by Tate Modern's original industrial use as a power station. So now you know. The floor is made from organic cork to feel like \"a walk in the forest\", says Christiansen. And an added bonus - it smells like a walk in the forest, too! Superflex's next project is equally exciting - they are going to be expedition leaders on a ship where they will be curating works on board. And there's more - the threesome are planning to go deep diving in the ocean and are \"working with people who make underwater robots\". Superflex's One Two Three Swing! opens on Tuesday 3 October at Tate Modern in London and runs until 2 April 2018. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 265, "answer_end": 702, "text": "Founded by artists Bjornstjerne Christiansen, Jakob Fenger and Rasmus Nielsen in the early 90s, the group have become known for their huge public commissions. These include Superkilen, an eclectic public park in Copenhagen, and Hospital Equipment, a functioning operating theatre created as part of a Swiss exhibition. They later flew it from the gallery to a hospital in Syria. The group's work frequently focuses on political activism."}], "question": "1) Who are Superflex?", "id": "3_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: 'Surge' in searches on Irish passports, says Google", "date": "24 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Google has said there was a dramatic spike in searches for Irish passport applications as news of the UK's decision to leave the EU broke. The overwhelming majority of the searches came from Northern Ireland. The search giant also reported more searches for \"what happens if we leave the EU\" around midnight on 23 June and for other phrases such as \"British independence day\" and \"Norway EU\" . One expert cautioned that the data does not reveal actual volumes of searches. On the financial implications, Google Trends said it had recorded the highest-ever search interest in sterling. During the early hours of the morning, the pound fell by more than 10% - to a level not seen since 1985 - before slightly rebounding. And there was a spike in searches for \"Move to Gibraltar\" - from London users - after the EU referendum polls closed. Tobias Preis, at Warwick Business School, cautioned that search data should be interpreted with special care as only relative figures are known, so spikes in some specific activity could be caused by a small number of people. Prof Preis added that the phrase \"David Cameron\" vastly outperformed searches relating to Irish passports and \"what happens if we leave the EU\" between the hours of 04:00 and 06:00 BST. \"It could be the case, for example, that people supporting or opposing the idea of leaving the EU are trying to understand the position of the other party,\" he also told the BBC. \"It's pretty unlikely that all those people who are searching for answers will up sticks and move,\" added Jonathan Freeman, director of digital consumer insights firm i2 Media Research. \"Certainly a lot of people were pretty shocked, it was very close - people would have just been wanting to find as much information as they could,\" Mr Freeman - who is also a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London - told the BBC. Although it might not immediately be obvious, Google Trends graphs do not track the absolute volume of searches over time. Instead, they give an indication of relative search popularity. \"To do this, each data point is divided by the total searches of the geography and time range it represents, to compare relative popularity,\" explains Google on the Trends website. \"The resulting numbers are then scaled to a range of 0 to 100.\" For example, the firm adds, users in Fiji and Canada could have the same value for a given search term if they're equally likely to look for it during the same period - regardless of the actual number of searches made.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1854, "answer_end": 2504, "text": "Although it might not immediately be obvious, Google Trends graphs do not track the absolute volume of searches over time. Instead, they give an indication of relative search popularity. \"To do this, each data point is divided by the total searches of the geography and time range it represents, to compare relative popularity,\" explains Google on the Trends website. \"The resulting numbers are then scaled to a range of 0 to 100.\" For example, the firm adds, users in Fiji and Canada could have the same value for a given search term if they're equally likely to look for it during the same period - regardless of the actual number of searches made."}], "question": "How is Google Trends data calculated?", "id": "4_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump hosts victims of undocumented migrants amid family separations row", "date": "23 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has hosted the relatives of victims killed by illegal immigrants amid outrage over the separation of migrant families. \"Your loved ones have not died in vain,\" he told the group of so-called Angel Families at the White House. Mr Trump has faced global condemnation for the US immigration policy that has seen more than 2,000 migrant children stripped from their families. He bowed to public pressure and reversed the policy earlier this week. The president signed an executive order on Wednesday to stop undocumented immigrant children being detained separately from their parents after they have illegally entered the country. But the administration's \"zero-tolerance\" policy of criminally prosecuting anyone who crosses the border illegally remains in place. \"These are the American citizens permanently separated from their loved ones,\" Mr Trump said on Friday, before introducing family members of victims. \"I cannot imagine it being any worse, but we promise to act with strength and resolve. \"We'll not rest until our border is secure, our citizens are safe and we end this immigration crisis once and for all,\" the president added. Laura Wilkerson, whose son was killed in 2010 by an undocumented immigrant, told audience members: \"None of our kids had a minute to say goodbye. We weren't lucky enough to be separated for five days or 10 days. \"We were separated permanently.\" In 2017, Gallup polls showed that almost half of Americans believe that immigrants raise crime rates. Yet many studies have found that the reverse is actually true. Native-born Americans are more likely to commit a crime than immigrants, and more likely to be incarcerated. One study spanning four decades compared immigration rates with crime rates. The researchers found that immigration appeared to be linked to decreases in violent crimes like murder, or property crime such as burglaries. \"The results show that immigration does not increase assaults and - in fact, robberies, burglaries, larceny, and murder are lower in places where immigration levels are higher,\" said the paper's lead author, Robert Adelman. A 2017 study by the Cato Institute found that the incarceration rate for native-born Americans was 1.53%, compared to 0.85% for undocumented immigrants and 0.47% for legal immigrants. Approximately 2,300 migrant children have been removed from their families since Mr Trump's \"zero-tolerance\" policy began in May, and housed in detention centres run by the Department of Health and Human Services. Some shelters, including three in Texas, house so-called \"tender age\" children, who are under five years old. About 500 children have been reunited with their families since May, a Homeland Security official said on Thursday. But it is unclear how the remaining families affected will be reunited. Images of children in metal cages, and audio of young migrants crying out for their parents, sparked protests and drew international condemnation from world leaders and organisations. Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington After a week on his heels, Donald Trump has begun his counterattack. On Friday morning, the president tweeted about the \"phony stories of sadness and grief\" coming from the US-Mexico border - a clear attempt to undermine media reports of traumatised undocumented immigrant families separated by US officials. On Friday afternoon, the president stood alongside relatives of those killed by undocumented immigrants. These were the stories the media ignores, he said. These were families that had been \"permanently separated\". He cited raw numbers of murders, rapes and robberies committed, and dismissed statistics that show foreign born in the US commit crimes at a lower rate than the general population. \"You hear that they're better people than our citizens,\" Mr Trump said. \"It's not true.\" After spending the early part of the week insisting on the need for congressional immigration action, by Friday he had abandoned those efforts - tweeting that Republicans were \"wasting their time\" - and is girding for mid-term warfare. The president's political strategy appears to be to rally his base with tales of lawlessness and rampage. He's made economic arguments against immigration in the past, about stolen jobs and strained social services, but now he is focused on fear. Republicans in the House of Representatives have scrambled this week to drum up enough support for a \"compromise\" immigration bill addressing the crisis. But the bill was delayed to Friday before being pushed back to next week. Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump tweeted that congressional Republicans \"should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1410, "answer_end": 2311, "text": "In 2017, Gallup polls showed that almost half of Americans believe that immigrants raise crime rates. Yet many studies have found that the reverse is actually true. Native-born Americans are more likely to commit a crime than immigrants, and more likely to be incarcerated. One study spanning four decades compared immigration rates with crime rates. The researchers found that immigration appeared to be linked to decreases in violent crimes like murder, or property crime such as burglaries. \"The results show that immigration does not increase assaults and - in fact, robberies, burglaries, larceny, and murder are lower in places where immigration levels are higher,\" said the paper's lead author, Robert Adelman. A 2017 study by the Cato Institute found that the incarceration rate for native-born Americans was 1.53%, compared to 0.85% for undocumented immigrants and 0.47% for legal immigrants."}], "question": "Are immigrants more likely to commit crimes?", "id": "5_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US quits 'biased' UN human rights council", "date": "20 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has pulled out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling it a \"cesspool of political bias\". Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the UN, said it was a \"hypocritical\" body that \"makes a mockery of human rights\". Formed in 2006, the Geneva-based council has faced criticism in the past for allowing member countries with questionable human rights records. But activists said the US move could hurt efforts to monitor and address human rights abuses around the world. Announcing the decision to quit the council, Ms Haley described the council as a \"hypocritical and self-serving organisation\" that displayed \"unending hostility towards Israel\". She was speaking alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who denounced the council as \"a protector of human rights abusers\". The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres responded to the US decision to quit the council by saying he would have \"much preferred\" the US to remain a member. The UN's human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein called the US withdrawal \"disappointing, if not really surprising, news\". Israel, meanwhile, praised the decision. Analysis by Nada Tawfik, BBC News, New York This is just the latest rejection of multilateralism by the Trump administration, and will likely unsettle those who look to the United States to protect and promote human rights around the world. The United States has always had a conflicting relationship with the UN Human Rights Council. The Bush Administration decided to boycott the council when it was created in 2006 for many of the same reasons cited by the Trump administration. The then UN ambassador was John Bolton - who is currently President Trump's national security adviser and a strong critic of the UN. It wasn't until years later, in 2009, that the United States re-joined under the Obama administration. Many allies have tried to convince the United States to remain in the council. Even many who agree with Washington's long standing criticisms of the body believe the United States should actively work to reform it from within, rather than disengaging. The UN set up the council in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, which faced widespread criticism for letting countries with poor human rights records become members. A group of 47 elected countries from different global regions serve for three-year terms on the council. The UNHRC meets three times a year, and reviews the human rights records of all UN members in a special process the council says gives countries the chance to say what they have done to improve human rights, known as the Universal Periodic Review. The council also sends out independent experts and has set up commissions of inquiry to report on human rights violations in countries including Syria, North Korea, Burundi, Myanmar and South Sudan. The decision to leave the body follows years of US criticism. The country initially refused to join the council in 2006, arguing that, like the old commission, the UNHRC had admitted nations with questionable human rights records. It only joined in 2009 under President Barack Obama, and won re-election to the council in 2012. But human rights groups voiced fresh complaints about the body in 2013, after China, Russia, Saudia Arabia, Algeria and Vietnam were elected members. This followed Israel's unprecedented boycott of one of the council's reviews, alleging unfair criticism from the body. Last year, Nikki Haley told the council it was \"hard to accept\" that resolutions had been passed against Israel yet none had been considered for Venezuela, where dozens of protesters had been killed during political turmoil. Israel is the only country that is subject to a permanent standing agenda item, meaning its treatment of the Palestinians is regularly scrutinised. On Tuesday, despite her harsh words for the UNHRC, Ms Haley said she wanted \"to make it crystal clear that this step is not a retreat from our human rights commitments\". Some countries and diplomats were quick to express disappointment about the US withdrawal. The UNHRC's current president, Slovenian ambassador Vojislav Suc, said the body was the only one \"responding to human rights issues and situations worldwide\". After the US decision to quit, he said, \"it is essential that we uphold a strong and vibrant council\". UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the decision was \"regrettable\", arguing that while reforms are needed, the UNHRC is \"crucial to holding states to account\". The US withdrawal follows controversy over President Trump's decision to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without raising human rights concerns. It also comes amid intense criticism of the Trump administration's policy of separating child migrants from their parents at the US-Mexico border. The UN human rights commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called the policy \"unconscionable\". A number of groups criticised the move, with the American Civil Liberties Union saying the Trump administration was leading a \"concerted, aggressive effort to violate basic human rights\". The New York-based group Human Rights Watch called President Trump's human rights policy \"one-dimensional\". But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to support the measure, posting a number of tweets praising the country's \"courageous decision\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2076, "answer_end": 2809, "text": "The UN set up the council in 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights, which faced widespread criticism for letting countries with poor human rights records become members. A group of 47 elected countries from different global regions serve for three-year terms on the council. The UNHRC meets three times a year, and reviews the human rights records of all UN members in a special process the council says gives countries the chance to say what they have done to improve human rights, known as the Universal Periodic Review. The council also sends out independent experts and has set up commissions of inquiry to report on human rights violations in countries including Syria, North Korea, Burundi, Myanmar and South Sudan."}], "question": "What is the UN Human Rights Council?", "id": "6_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2810, "answer_end": 3949, "text": "The decision to leave the body follows years of US criticism. The country initially refused to join the council in 2006, arguing that, like the old commission, the UNHRC had admitted nations with questionable human rights records. It only joined in 2009 under President Barack Obama, and won re-election to the council in 2012. But human rights groups voiced fresh complaints about the body in 2013, after China, Russia, Saudia Arabia, Algeria and Vietnam were elected members. This followed Israel's unprecedented boycott of one of the council's reviews, alleging unfair criticism from the body. Last year, Nikki Haley told the council it was \"hard to accept\" that resolutions had been passed against Israel yet none had been considered for Venezuela, where dozens of protesters had been killed during political turmoil. Israel is the only country that is subject to a permanent standing agenda item, meaning its treatment of the Palestinians is regularly scrutinised. On Tuesday, despite her harsh words for the UNHRC, Ms Haley said she wanted \"to make it crystal clear that this step is not a retreat from our human rights commitments\"."}], "question": "Why has the US decided to quit?", "id": "6_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3950, "answer_end": 5317, "text": "Some countries and diplomats were quick to express disappointment about the US withdrawal. The UNHRC's current president, Slovenian ambassador Vojislav Suc, said the body was the only one \"responding to human rights issues and situations worldwide\". After the US decision to quit, he said, \"it is essential that we uphold a strong and vibrant council\". UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the decision was \"regrettable\", arguing that while reforms are needed, the UNHRC is \"crucial to holding states to account\". The US withdrawal follows controversy over President Trump's decision to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without raising human rights concerns. It also comes amid intense criticism of the Trump administration's policy of separating child migrants from their parents at the US-Mexico border. The UN human rights commissioner, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called the policy \"unconscionable\". A number of groups criticised the move, with the American Civil Liberties Union saying the Trump administration was leading a \"concerted, aggressive effort to violate basic human rights\". The New York-based group Human Rights Watch called President Trump's human rights policy \"one-dimensional\". But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to support the measure, posting a number of tweets praising the country's \"courageous decision\"."}], "question": "What's been the reaction?", "id": "6_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Irish election: Spoiled ballots and lost rings among sights at count centres", "date": "27 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Election counts are often long and arduous, but in between hours of waiting for the results of the Republic of Ireland's general election, there have been some amusing sights at the count centres. In County Wicklow, count staff came to the rescue of a woman who lost her eternity ring while voting. As the Irish Times reported, the silver eternity ring slipped off her finger as she voted at Templerainey National School on Friday evening. The presiding officer at the count, Jacqueline Donnelly, told the newspaper that the diamond-studded ring was found on Saturday as ballot staff opened boxes and spotted something sparkling. She said the woman had been \"a bit embarrassed at the time\", but that staff took her phone number and called her to give her the good news of its reappearance. Meanwhile, one person swapped the Oscars in Hollywood for a count centre in County Cavan in order to support a politician. Eamon Farrell, the brother of actor Colin Farrell, had a ticket for the star-studded ceremony but decided instead to travel to the count centre in order to show his backing to Arts Minister Heather Humphries. Creative voters Despite millions of votes being cast in the election, there were plenty of rejected ballot papers too - and some people got creative with their attempts to spoil their votes. One voter in the Dublin West constituency decided not to vote for any of the official candidates. Instead they opted to create their own - making the world featherweight champion UFC fighter, and Dubliner, Conor McGregor their number one. The problem of spoiled votes led to delays in the first counts being announced in several of the constituencies, including Donegal, Sligo-Leitrim and Cavan-Monaghan. This year saw the start of newly-implemented boundary changes to a number of constituencies in the Republic of Ireland. The boundary redrawing meant West Cavan, which was previously in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, moved into Sligo-Leitrim. However, the Anglo-Celt newspaper reported that some voters had taken to an apparent protest against the changes. They spoiled their ballot papers by writing 'I live in Cavan' the whole way down the column where voters are supposed to write their preferences. Counting is expected to continue over the weekend, but no doubt there will be plenty more amusing and strange sights at the count centres before the event is over.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1552, "answer_end": 2385, "text": "The problem of spoiled votes led to delays in the first counts being announced in several of the constituencies, including Donegal, Sligo-Leitrim and Cavan-Monaghan. This year saw the start of newly-implemented boundary changes to a number of constituencies in the Republic of Ireland. The boundary redrawing meant West Cavan, which was previously in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, moved into Sligo-Leitrim. However, the Anglo-Celt newspaper reported that some voters had taken to an apparent protest against the changes. They spoiled their ballot papers by writing 'I live in Cavan' the whole way down the column where voters are supposed to write their preferences. Counting is expected to continue over the weekend, but no doubt there will be plenty more amusing and strange sights at the count centres before the event is over."}], "question": "Ballot protest?", "id": "7_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: What would 'no deal' look like?", "date": "14 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "There's a lot of discussion at the moment about a 'no deal' Brexit. What does that actually mean? It seems to mean slightly different things to different people. But in the current context it basically means that there would be no formal agreement reached during the negotiations between the UK and the EU, which are taking place under the terms of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. These are the negotiations that are led by David Davis for the UK and Michel Barnier for the EU - the fifth round of talks is being held in Brussels this week. Even if there is no deal under Article 50, there would still have to be some kind of formal relationship between the UK and the EU in the long term - for trade, security and every other aspect of bilateral ties. But if the Article 50 process fails there is very little time to work on alternative strategies before  Brexit in March 2019. This is an important question because the timing is critical. One scenario, being pushed by some Eurosceptic Conservative MPs, is that if the current negotiations make no progress - and the EU refuses to move on to talk about a future trade deal - the UK should announce that it will pursue a 'no deal' Brexit instead. Leave supporters believe that would free the UK from all EU structures in one fell swoop. If such a decision were to be made in, say, March 2018 there would still be a year before the UK is due to leave the EU. That's very little time to prepare for such a massive change, but it would be better than nothing. A more worrying scenario for many business leaders, and millions of citizens who are caught up in the Brexit process, is that something could go wrong at the very last minute - perhaps a deal that has been tentatively agreed but is subsequently rejected by one side or the other. Then the UK could crash out of the EU with neither side fully prepared for the consequences. This is the 'cliff edge' that gives many people in business and politics sleepless nights - a chaotic Brexit that would benefit no one. Yes they are - on both sides of the Channel. The UK government has been careful to say that it is not seeking a 'no deal' outcome, but that it has to be prepared for all eventualities. The Prime Minister has tried to move away from an emphasis on her initial message that \"no deal is better than a bad deal\" - but when pushed she continues to defend that stance. So there is a combination here of prudent planning behind the scenes, and public statements which aim to have an impact on the negotiations - trying to hurry things up by warning of possible alternatives. For the EU, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has been very clear, arguing that no deal would be the worst deal of all. \"A no-deal scenario would be bad for everyone,\" he said earlier this year, \"but above all for the UK.\" Contingency planning is also happening elsewhere in the EU, though - within both governments and the business community. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) said last week that it was setting up a task force of major companies to make provisions for the \"serious case of a very hard exit.\" Anything else, it said, would be naive. If the two-year Article 50 process came to an end with no agreement, the UK would leave the EU on 29 March 2019 with no deal in place. Again, much would then depend on how long both sides have had to prepare for this. The consequences of 'no deal' would affect almost every aspect of life, and it is impossible to say exactly how events would unfold.  But here are a few examples: Money: With no agreement in place, according to a House of Lords report there would be no legal obligation for the UK to make any payment as part of a financial settlement. That would leave a huge hole in the EU budget. It would save the UK money in this instance, but it would antagonise the rest of the EU and further sour relations. Legal action, possibly via the International Court of Justice in The Hague, could not be ruled out. Citizens: Without a deal or other residency rights, the entitlement of EU nationals to reside in the UK, or of UK nationals to reside elsewhere in the EU, could technically disappear overnight. In theory, they could become third country nationals, subject to domestic immigration rules. Given the fact that this would affect more than three million EU citizens in the UK, and nearly a million UK citizens in the EU, it could well be that individual EU countries would try to strike deals with the UK to guarantee citizens' rights. Common sense should prevail, but that cannot be guaranteed. Trade: With no new trade agreement with the EU, the rules of the World Trade Organisation would apply. Tariffs would be imposed on goods that the UK sends to the EU, and on goods the EU sends to the UK. It would not be the frictionless trade - certainly to begin with - that the government hopes to promote. Tariffs on many industrial products would be 2-3%, but on cars they would be 10% and on many agricultural products between 20% and 40%. The trade in services would also suffer if nothing was agreed in advance. Under a pure 'no deal' scenario, businesses would lose their passporting rights, which allow them to sell their services across the EU without having to obtain licences in each individual country. The financial services industry would be particularly vulnerable, and it accounts for a significant slice of the UK economy. Again it is worth emphasising that all these restrictions would apply to EU businesses wanting to trade in the UK as well. 'No deal' is not a one-way street. Without any deal, and with no transition period negotiated, the UK would be free to sign trade agreements around the world as soon as it could finalise them. How might it try to go about this? There are a few pointers here. Customs: A government White Paper on customs, published yesterday, sets out options for a 'no deal' scenario in more detail. A customs bill will make provision for the UK to establish a stand-alone customs regime from day one, applying the same duties to every country with which it has no special deal. Traders would need to present goods to HM Revenue and Customs \"inland as much as possible\" to avoid congestion at ports, and consignments would need to be pre-notified to customs authorities, to try to ensure that trade continues to flow as seamlessly as possible. The White Paper promises to minimise disruption for business and travellers - but to give some idea of the scale of the challenge, HMRC estimates that about 130,000 businesses that export to the EU would be dealing with customs for the first time. 'No deal' is not the government's preferred option; and the detail in the customs paper hints at how disruptive it could be. The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would, in particular, be a huge concern, with serious ramifications for the Northern Ireland peace process. Regulations: With no deal of any kind in place, the UK would suddenly cease to be a member of dozens of regulatory agencies that govern many aspects of daily life. In time, it would need to replace all of them with agencies of its own. Thousands of new employees would need to be recruited and trained - a process which should have already started if there were to be any chance of it being completed before Brexit. EU bodies that regulate the aviation industry and the pharmaceutical industry are often cited as prime examples. One of the main concerns associated with a 'cliff edge' Brexit is that there would be no time to put new measures in place, even if plenty of contingency planning had been done. In theory - under a worst case scenario - that could mean that planes would be grounded temporarily, and drugs could not be imported. But again, the hope would be that common sense would prevail, and that some kind of interim arrangements would be made to keep things moving. It would be in the interests of neither the UK nor the EU for chaos to ensue. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 880, "answer_end": 2017, "text": "This is an important question because the timing is critical. One scenario, being pushed by some Eurosceptic Conservative MPs, is that if the current negotiations make no progress - and the EU refuses to move on to talk about a future trade deal - the UK should announce that it will pursue a 'no deal' Brexit instead. Leave supporters believe that would free the UK from all EU structures in one fell swoop. If such a decision were to be made in, say, March 2018 there would still be a year before the UK is due to leave the EU. That's very little time to prepare for such a massive change, but it would be better than nothing. A more worrying scenario for many business leaders, and millions of citizens who are caught up in the Brexit process, is that something could go wrong at the very last minute - perhaps a deal that has been tentatively agreed but is subsequently rejected by one side or the other. Then the UK could crash out of the EU with neither side fully prepared for the consequences. This is the 'cliff edge' that gives many people in business and politics sleepless nights - a chaotic Brexit that would benefit no one."}], "question": "When would we know if there was going to be a 'no deal' Brexit?", "id": "8_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2018, "answer_end": 3160, "text": "Yes they are - on both sides of the Channel. The UK government has been careful to say that it is not seeking a 'no deal' outcome, but that it has to be prepared for all eventualities. The Prime Minister has tried to move away from an emphasis on her initial message that \"no deal is better than a bad deal\" - but when pushed she continues to defend that stance. So there is a combination here of prudent planning behind the scenes, and public statements which aim to have an impact on the negotiations - trying to hurry things up by warning of possible alternatives. For the EU, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk has been very clear, arguing that no deal would be the worst deal of all. \"A no-deal scenario would be bad for everyone,\" he said earlier this year, \"but above all for the UK.\" Contingency planning is also happening elsewhere in the EU, though - within both governments and the business community. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) said last week that it was setting up a task force of major companies to make provisions for the \"serious case of a very hard exit.\" Anything else, it said, would be naive."}], "question": "Are preparations for 'no deal' already taking place?", "id": "8_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3161, "answer_end": 7965, "text": "If the two-year Article 50 process came to an end with no agreement, the UK would leave the EU on 29 March 2019 with no deal in place. Again, much would then depend on how long both sides have had to prepare for this. The consequences of 'no deal' would affect almost every aspect of life, and it is impossible to say exactly how events would unfold.  But here are a few examples: Money: With no agreement in place, according to a House of Lords report there would be no legal obligation for the UK to make any payment as part of a financial settlement. That would leave a huge hole in the EU budget. It would save the UK money in this instance, but it would antagonise the rest of the EU and further sour relations. Legal action, possibly via the International Court of Justice in The Hague, could not be ruled out. Citizens: Without a deal or other residency rights, the entitlement of EU nationals to reside in the UK, or of UK nationals to reside elsewhere in the EU, could technically disappear overnight. In theory, they could become third country nationals, subject to domestic immigration rules. Given the fact that this would affect more than three million EU citizens in the UK, and nearly a million UK citizens in the EU, it could well be that individual EU countries would try to strike deals with the UK to guarantee citizens' rights. Common sense should prevail, but that cannot be guaranteed. Trade: With no new trade agreement with the EU, the rules of the World Trade Organisation would apply. Tariffs would be imposed on goods that the UK sends to the EU, and on goods the EU sends to the UK. It would not be the frictionless trade - certainly to begin with - that the government hopes to promote. Tariffs on many industrial products would be 2-3%, but on cars they would be 10% and on many agricultural products between 20% and 40%. The trade in services would also suffer if nothing was agreed in advance. Under a pure 'no deal' scenario, businesses would lose their passporting rights, which allow them to sell their services across the EU without having to obtain licences in each individual country. The financial services industry would be particularly vulnerable, and it accounts for a significant slice of the UK economy. Again it is worth emphasising that all these restrictions would apply to EU businesses wanting to trade in the UK as well. 'No deal' is not a one-way street. Without any deal, and with no transition period negotiated, the UK would be free to sign trade agreements around the world as soon as it could finalise them. How might it try to go about this? There are a few pointers here. Customs: A government White Paper on customs, published yesterday, sets out options for a 'no deal' scenario in more detail. A customs bill will make provision for the UK to establish a stand-alone customs regime from day one, applying the same duties to every country with which it has no special deal. Traders would need to present goods to HM Revenue and Customs \"inland as much as possible\" to avoid congestion at ports, and consignments would need to be pre-notified to customs authorities, to try to ensure that trade continues to flow as seamlessly as possible. The White Paper promises to minimise disruption for business and travellers - but to give some idea of the scale of the challenge, HMRC estimates that about 130,000 businesses that export to the EU would be dealing with customs for the first time. 'No deal' is not the government's preferred option; and the detail in the customs paper hints at how disruptive it could be. The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would, in particular, be a huge concern, with serious ramifications for the Northern Ireland peace process. Regulations: With no deal of any kind in place, the UK would suddenly cease to be a member of dozens of regulatory agencies that govern many aspects of daily life. In time, it would need to replace all of them with agencies of its own. Thousands of new employees would need to be recruited and trained - a process which should have already started if there were to be any chance of it being completed before Brexit. EU bodies that regulate the aviation industry and the pharmaceutical industry are often cited as prime examples. One of the main concerns associated with a 'cliff edge' Brexit is that there would be no time to put new measures in place, even if plenty of contingency planning had been done. In theory - under a worst case scenario - that could mean that planes would be grounded temporarily, and drugs could not be imported. But again, the hope would be that common sense would prevail, and that some kind of interim arrangements would be made to keep things moving. It would be in the interests of neither the UK nor the EU for chaos to ensue."}], "question": "What would 'no deal' mean in practice?", "id": "8_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela moves to defuse Supreme Court powers dispute", "date": "1 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Venezuela's authorities have urged the Supreme Court to reconsider a ruling stripping congress of its powers, which critics have called a \"coup\". Speaking after a high-level meeting called to discuss the move, the vice-president said the review was needed \"to maintain institutional stability\". President Nicolas Maduro said the conflict between the Supreme Court and the legislature had been resolved. But the opposition, which dominates congress, dismissed the announcement. \"This tactical retreat does not solve the underlying problem,\" senior opposition leader Freddy Guevara tweeted (in Spanish). He called on supporters to \"continue the fight for freedom\" and hold a new protest in the capital Caracas on Saturday. Wednesday's decision by the Supreme Court to take over the legislature's role sparked days of demonstrations. On Friday chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega, an ally of President Nicolas Maduro, was the first high-ranking official to criticise the judges. Speaking live on TV, she expressed \"great concern\" about a measure which she said violated the constitution. Promising dialogue to end the crisis, Mr Maduro convened a late-night meeting of the state security council. Afterwards Vice-President Tareck El Aissami said: \"We urge the Supreme Court to review the decisions... in order to maintain institutional stability and the balance of powers.\" Mr Maduro said: \"This controversy has been overcome, showing the power of dialogue.\" On Wednesday the Supreme Court seized power from the National Assembly, allowing it to write laws itself. The court accused lawmakers of \"contempt\" after allegations of irregularities by three opposition lawmakers during the 2015 elections. It did not indicate if or when it might hand power back. The court had previously backed the leftist president in his ongoing struggles with the legislature - on Tuesday removing parliamentary immunity from the assembly's members. There has been widespread international condemnation, with the Organisation of American States (OAS) calling it the \"final blow to democracy\" in Venezuela. Tensions have been high because the country has been engulfed in a severe economic crisis. It has the world's highest inflation rate, which the International Monetary Fund predicts could reach 1,660% next year. Long queues, power cuts and shortages of basic goods are common. The government and opposition blame each other for the country's problems, made worse by the falling prices of oil, Venezuela's main export product. President Maduro has become increasingly unpopular, and the opposition has called for his removal from office and fresh elections.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1450, "answer_end": 2077, "text": "On Wednesday the Supreme Court seized power from the National Assembly, allowing it to write laws itself. The court accused lawmakers of \"contempt\" after allegations of irregularities by three opposition lawmakers during the 2015 elections. It did not indicate if or when it might hand power back. The court had previously backed the leftist president in his ongoing struggles with the legislature - on Tuesday removing parliamentary immunity from the assembly's members. There has been widespread international condemnation, with the Organisation of American States (OAS) calling it the \"final blow to democracy\" in Venezuela."}], "question": "How did the dispute start?", "id": "9_0"}]}]}, {"title": "London shootings: Boy, 16, dies after second fatal attack", "date": "4 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A 16-year-old boy found with bullet wounds within an hour of another fatal shooting in London has died. Amaan Shakoor, from Leyton, was left critically ill after he was shot in the face in Walthamstow on Monday. A 15-year-old boy was also injured. His death follows that of a 17-year-old girl, named locally as Tanesha Melbourne, who was killed in Tottenham. The killings, which police say are not linked, take the number of murders in the capital this year to 48. Amaan died in hospital at 17:45 BST on Tuesday with his next of kin at his side, becoming the youngest murder victim to die in London this year. The 15-year-old boy who was stabbed in the same attack has been released from hospital. Amaan was shot in a case of \"mistaken identity\", a family friend said. Speaking outside the scene of the shooting at Walthamstow Leisure Centre, Osman, 32, said Amaan had \"got caught up\" in \"gang wars\" in the area. Another friend, who did not want to give his name, told the BBC he no longer feels safe in the area. He said: \"There's nothing to do for the youths. It's getting out of control. \"The youth centre's football pitches are the one place people can come to get away from whatever they're getting away from.\" Extra police are on the streets of Walthamstow and officers said they were using stop-and-search powers to seize weapons. DCI Gary Holmes said: \"This is a tragic murder of a young man which has shocked the local community and the rest of London.\" David Rhodes, BBC England Data Unit Overall, recorded gun crime in London is down by a third over 10 years. Yet the latest available figures, for 2016-17, showed an increase. There were 2,136 firearms offences recorded by the Metropolitan Police, a rise of 580 in a year. Across England and Wales the number of people dying due to injuries from firearms is also down significantly compared with a decade ago, although the most recent figures show a rise. There were 32 homicides involving guns in 2016-17, compared with 53 in 2007-08. Yet the number of people dying has risen every year for the past three years. Tanesha, whose name has not been officially confirmed, was pronounced dead at 22:43 on Monday after a drive-by shooting in Chalgrove Road near Northumberland Park, Tottenham. Her death came as police were already at the scene two miles away in Markhouse Road, Walthamstow, after being called at about 22:00. There have been no arrests in either investigation. Acting Det Ch Insp Glenn Butler, who is investigating the Walthamstow shooting, said: \"I fully appreciate the alarm, shock and revulsion caused by this murder and other fatal shootings we have seen across London over the last few months. \"We are doing everything we can to identify the culprits and bring them to justice.\" He added \"the recovery of local CCTV footage is in hand and my officers will be knocking on doors\". Acting Ch Supt Tania Coulson said officers had met community leaders about the murder investigation. \"Section 60 - an intelligence-led pre-authorised power to stop and search - has been continually reviewed and put in place since the evening of Monday 2 April,\" she said. \"My officers have been on the streets using this power really effectively, seizing knives, stopping cars of young men carrying weapons and making arrests. That will continue... if necessary.\" Greg McKenzie, BBC London The police tents and forensic officers who were outside Walthamstow Leisure Centre yesterday have gone but there are remnants of police tape around the area. Flowers and tributes have been laid near the site where 16-year-old Amaan was shot.  One card simply reads: \"I'm so sorry this has happened to you.\" One resident described him as \"a beautiful young boy\". Another local resident said the increasing number of murders which have happened in the area was worrying. \"It's getting out of control. It used to feel like a safe neighbourhood but everything has changed,\" he said. London's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden described the murders as \"truly shocking and worrying\" and said City Hall was \"prioritising tackling this violence\". \"We're not pretending there isn't a problem in London but we will get on top of it,\" she said. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott warned against the use of random stop and search tactics, saying it \"poisoned relationships\" between police and the community. Speaking to the BBC, the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP suggested lessons could be learned from how Scotland dealt with knife crime. \"They implemented a public health approach to knife crime - where police worked with education and other parts of the state, and last year... there were no deaths from knife crime in Scotland,\" she said. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn called for an end to cuts in police budgets. He said: \"We need to make sure there's complete prosecution for anyone holding a weapon; but also much better police and community support arrangements and no longer cuts in London's policing.\" A Home Office spokesman said: \"There can be no place in our society for violent crime. The government is determined to do everything it can to break the cycle. \"We have already consulted on new laws on offensive and dangerous weapons, including banning online stores from delivering knives to residential addresses and making it an offence to possess certain weapons in private.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1463, "answer_end": 2075, "text": "David Rhodes, BBC England Data Unit Overall, recorded gun crime in London is down by a third over 10 years. Yet the latest available figures, for 2016-17, showed an increase. There were 2,136 firearms offences recorded by the Metropolitan Police, a rise of 580 in a year. Across England and Wales the number of people dying due to injuries from firearms is also down significantly compared with a decade ago, although the most recent figures show a rise. There were 32 homicides involving guns in 2016-17, compared with 53 in 2007-08. Yet the number of people dying has risen every year for the past three years."}], "question": "Is gun crime getting worse?", "id": "10_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US mid-terms: How closely does Congress reflect the US population?", "date": "3 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In the mid-term elections on 6 November, Americans will elect the entire House of Representatives of 435 members, and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. These two bodies, the House and the Senate, make up the US Congress. Currently 80% of these seats are occupied by white politicians, both male and female. According to census data, this group makes up just over 60% of the total US population. Women, although half the US population, make up around 20% of those elected. The largest minority ethnic groups - Hispanic, Asian and African Americans - are also significantly under-represented in Congress. These figures are derived from profile data collected by the US Congressional Research Council and show the current participation of different population groups. Looking back over the past few decades, it's clear that participation for all these groups is on the rise, with a noticeably rapid increase in the participation of women over the past two decades. The rise in minority representation has been slower, although over the past five years there has been a significant rise in the number of Hispanic Americans elected to Congress. For both ethnic minorities and for women, representation in elected government has often been historically associated with granting these groups the right to vote, or the changing of electoral laws to make it easier to participate. Today there are 45 Hispanic Americans and 48 African Americans serving in Congress. When Barack Obama was elected to the Senate, he was only the fifth African American senator. In 1992, there was a significant increase in participation, with 54 women elected to Congress, a 69% jump over the previous term. At 107, the total number of women serving today is far fewer than if they were fully represented as a proportion of the total population. For the 2018 mid-term elections, an unprecedented number of women are standing, with more than 250 in the running for Congressional office following the selection of candidates in the primaries. First brought into legislation in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson, the Voting Rights Act and its many subsequent amendments have sought to end discriminatory voting practices across the United States, and there has been a significant increase in African American participation since then. Prior to this, there were many examples of historical barriers to participation, restricting minority candidates from standing for election or restricting voting rights for specific minorities. All-white primary elections were one method used in the early 20th Century by the Democratic Party in the southern US, to restrict largely African American and Hispanic candidates from participation - limitations which continued until the 1940s. And it wasn't until 1975 that amendments to the Voting Rights Act made it a requirement that voting material be offered in a minority language if required by 5% of the voting population in an area. This was particularly important for the participation of the Spanish-speaking community, and therefore the success of Hispanic candidates in elections. The issue of barriers to voter registration for minority groups continues to be a highly contentious issue. For the Asian American community, voting only came with changes to the Immigration Act in 1952, which allowed Asians citizenship rights - including the right to vote - for the first time. There are currently 16 Asians (including Indian and Pacific Islanders) in Congress. In this year's mid-term elections there are more than 60 Asian Americans running for Congress, with many more running at governor, state and local levels. The Native American community was not granted citizenship of the United States until 1924. However, even then, not all were allowed to vote, because many states made laws denying Native Americans that right. It was another 40 years before every state agreed - New Mexico being the last, in 1962. The Congressional Research Service reports at least 14 people of Native American descent have served in Congress, including two current House representatives - Tom Cole, of the Chickasaw tribe in Oklahoma, and Markwayne Mullin, of the Cherokee tribe, also in Oklahoma. It's certainly true that women, Hispanic, Asian and African Americans are increasingly represented in Congress. However, the make-up of the US legislature still fails to reflect America's population as a whole. As for the increasing diversity of candidates seeking office, this is harder to measure, but there are clear indications that a greater number of women and minority groups are standing for election, even if many ultimately fail to win office. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4196, "answer_end": 4649, "text": "It's certainly true that women, Hispanic, Asian and African Americans are increasingly represented in Congress. However, the make-up of the US legislature still fails to reflect America's population as a whole. As for the increasing diversity of candidates seeking office, this is harder to measure, but there are clear indications that a greater number of women and minority groups are standing for election, even if many ultimately fail to win office."}], "question": "Will 2018 break new ground?", "id": "11_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Can UK be China's best partner in the West?", "date": "23 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Many governments hedge on China. Who, after all, can predict what is going to happen in such a vast and complicated country as it endures the birth pains of modernity and attempts to marry markets with one-party rule and find a fitting place in the international order? So from Washington to Tokyo, Berlin to Singapore, governments hedge, hoping for the best in China but preparing for outcomes less than the best. Not the British government. Not any more. Chancellor George Osborne said he rejects such thinking. Britain wants to be China's \"best partner in the west\". \"We want a golden relationship with China that will help foster a golden decade for this country.\" The tone is particularly striking when set against the blunt language coming from Washington in the lead-up to President Xi Jinping's US state visit this week. Of China's record on cyber hacking, US President Barack Obama said: \"There comes a point at which we consider this a core national security threat. We can choose to make this an area of competition, which I guarantee you we'll win if we have to.\" The strategy of engagement with China has lasted through eight presidents since Richard Nixon in 1971. But it is now under intense scrutiny across the board, with companies complaining that they are being squeezed out of Chinese markets and Republican presidential candidates railing against China for trying to \"steal American jobs\" and \"undermine US interests\". Washington has noticed the difference in tone. When Mr Osborne rushed to sign the UK up as a founder member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, unnamed American officials complained of London's \"constant accommodation\" of Beijing. This month, the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Department directed all media outlets to \"promote the discourse on China's bright economic future and the superiority of China's system\". Mr Osborne has helped by giving Beijing face, at least on the first part. \"The growth in the Chinese economy will be more than the entire British economy at least in the coming five years. \"Even as China's growth slows, it will continue to be a powerhouse for the global economy. There will be many new opportunities for the UK.\" All of this is true of course. But it is not a complete picture. For all its great strengths and magnificent achievements, China's economy remains very complicated with contradictory government impulses to liberate and to control. As for the spin on the superiority of the Chinese system, until recently, Mr Osborne's hosts needed no reassurance from foreigners on that score. Having weathered the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the global financial crisis a decade later, they prided themselves on a reputation for unshakable confidence and competence. China, it seemed, had miraculously avoided the cyclical economic and electoral shocks to which more earthbound economies were vulnerable. But after this summer's carnage on the stock market and mishandled currency devaluation, that particular China dream is fading. The painful growth slowdown Beijing has long warned of, is upon it and in some ways worse than it feared. So China's leaders look mortal and their system less superior. While the Chinese economy is still upbeat about all the positive things Mr Osborne has talked about on his trip, it is still a middle income country with fragile economic institutions, unaccountable politics and protected markets. Even some of the long-promised reform agenda is looking vulnerable. But Mr Osborne's determination not to hedge on any of this has produced some striking outcomes which set the UK apart from its European and American allies. It is unimaginable, for example, that the United States would consider letting China design, build and operate a nuclear power station on US soil. The UK will be the first Western government to do so. Quite apart from the safety questions, Washington would have national security objections about involving China in its critical national infrastructure. Of course, the United States and China are strategic rivals in Asia in a way which Britain and China are not. But until recently, Britain's intelligence agency MI5 was complaining loudly of Chinese attempts \"to steal our sensitive technology on civilian and military projects\". Of course, China has its own security concerns. In the wake of the Snowden revelations of massive American surveillance programmes, China began work to remove its dependence on foreign telecoms technology and new national security legislation is likely to make it even harder for outsiders in sectors with a security dimension. And on China's definition of national security, that means many of the most profitable and fast growing parts of the economy. What's more, Beijing would not consider allowing another country to build a nuclear power station or any other key infrastructure on Chinese territory. And Britain is currently barred from sectors where it is strong, like financial services, IT, media and healthcare. All of which will make it hard for Mr Osborne to reach his goal is to make China Britain's second largest trading partner by the end of the decade. And meanwhile the process of trying will close down other aspects of UK China policy. Put simply, there can be no stellar exports and no \"golden era\" if senior members of the British government do things which irritate Beijing. So do not expect to see the Dalai Lama in Downing St between now and 2020. And do not expect to hear a robust defence of the political rights of Hong Kong's citizens from London.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1440, "answer_end": 2904, "text": "Washington has noticed the difference in tone. When Mr Osborne rushed to sign the UK up as a founder member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, unnamed American officials complained of London's \"constant accommodation\" of Beijing. This month, the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Department directed all media outlets to \"promote the discourse on China's bright economic future and the superiority of China's system\". Mr Osborne has helped by giving Beijing face, at least on the first part. \"The growth in the Chinese economy will be more than the entire British economy at least in the coming five years. \"Even as China's growth slows, it will continue to be a powerhouse for the global economy. There will be many new opportunities for the UK.\" All of this is true of course. But it is not a complete picture. For all its great strengths and magnificent achievements, China's economy remains very complicated with contradictory government impulses to liberate and to control. As for the spin on the superiority of the Chinese system, until recently, Mr Osborne's hosts needed no reassurance from foreigners on that score. Having weathered the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the global financial crisis a decade later, they prided themselves on a reputation for unshakable confidence and competence. China, it seemed, had miraculously avoided the cyclical economic and electoral shocks to which more earthbound economies were vulnerable."}], "question": "'Constant accommodation' of Beijing?", "id": "12_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2905, "answer_end": 4121, "text": "But after this summer's carnage on the stock market and mishandled currency devaluation, that particular China dream is fading. The painful growth slowdown Beijing has long warned of, is upon it and in some ways worse than it feared. So China's leaders look mortal and their system less superior. While the Chinese economy is still upbeat about all the positive things Mr Osborne has talked about on his trip, it is still a middle income country with fragile economic institutions, unaccountable politics and protected markets. Even some of the long-promised reform agenda is looking vulnerable. But Mr Osborne's determination not to hedge on any of this has produced some striking outcomes which set the UK apart from its European and American allies. It is unimaginable, for example, that the United States would consider letting China design, build and operate a nuclear power station on US soil. The UK will be the first Western government to do so. Quite apart from the safety questions, Washington would have national security objections about involving China in its critical national infrastructure. Of course, the United States and China are strategic rivals in Asia in a way which Britain and China are not."}], "question": "The fading Chinese dream?", "id": "12_1"}]}]}, {"title": "What the Baftas tell us about the Oscar race", "date": "19 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sunday's Bafta Film Awards saw Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri beat The Shape of Water to the best film prize. The two go head to head again at the Academy Awards on 4 March. Will Three Billboards triumph once more, or will it be the turn of Guillermo del Toro's film to shine? Here's our take on how things are looking as we near the business end of the current film awards season. Absolutely not. The Baftas and the Oscars haven't agreed on best picture since 12 Years a Slave in 2014. One possible reason for this is the different way the organisations vote. Bafta operates a first-past-the-post system where the film with the most votes wins. But the Oscars use a more complicated preferential ballot where second, third and so on preferences can be taken into account. The Academy's system is more likely to reward consensus rather than passion. What's more, Three Billboards has experienced something of a backlash in the US which, in a very open race, could harm its chances against Dunkirk, Get Out, The Shape of Water and others. The four films that lost on Sunday - Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk and The Shape of Water - have clearly had their chances dented. In the cases of Darkest Hour and Dunkirk, those dents are pretty big. If British-themed films can't win on their home territory, how likely are they to triumph in LA? Yet all of this could help a film like Get Out. It didn't get a Bafta nomination, so hasn't been damaged by not winning. What it does have is a huge amount of momentum in the US. The make-up of the American Academy is slowly changing, with more women and people from ethnic minorities joining its membership. Around a fifth of that membership only joined in the last two years, and these new voters could make the difference. Back in 2014, two performances from Dallas Buyers Club won almost every prize going. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both went on to win the Oscars for best actor and supporting actor. One of the only dissenting groups was Bafta, where the pair didn't win. In fact, they weren't even nominated. In 2018 things are very different. The Critics' Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild awards, Golden Globes and Bafta Film awards have all honoured the same four performers, a level of consensus that hasn't been seen in recent years. It would therefore be a major shock if Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell didn't all win at the Oscars. And any hopes for Sally Hawkins and Lesley Manville again must have been diminished by the fact they couldn't pull off a win on home soil. It's hard to say, apart from the fact that Britain's Christopher Nolan looks likely to be waiting a while longer for a best director Oscar after losing to Guillermo del Toro in London. Still, Dunkirk's win in the best sound category could point to it picking up at least one of the two sound prizes at the Academy Awards. Sometimes, Bafta can also flag up an unexpected win at the Oscars. Hacksaw Ridge won best editing at the Baftas in 2017 and went on to win the equivalent Oscar. That might bode well for Edgar Wright's Baby Driver after its win in that category on Sunday. There's no comparable category at the Oscars. He is up for best actor (as he was at the Baftas), but because of the Oldman juggernaut he's not expected to win. Still, because of the momentum behind Get Out (not to mention a great performance in Black Panther), Kaluuya is being seen on both sides of the Atlantic as the most exciting on-screen talent to come out of awards season. This is despite the fact he's been producing great, if less high-profile, work for years in everything from TV's Black Mirror to the London stage. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 393, "answer_end": 1048, "text": "Absolutely not. The Baftas and the Oscars haven't agreed on best picture since 12 Years a Slave in 2014. One possible reason for this is the different way the organisations vote. Bafta operates a first-past-the-post system where the film with the most votes wins. But the Oscars use a more complicated preferential ballot where second, third and so on preferences can be taken into account. The Academy's system is more likely to reward consensus rather than passion. What's more, Three Billboards has experienced something of a backlash in the US which, in a very open race, could harm its chances against Dunkirk, Get Out, The Shape of Water and others."}], "question": "Does Three Billboards' Bafta win mean the Oscar's in the bag?", "id": "13_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1049, "answer_end": 1786, "text": "The four films that lost on Sunday - Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk and The Shape of Water - have clearly had their chances dented. In the cases of Darkest Hour and Dunkirk, those dents are pretty big. If British-themed films can't win on their home territory, how likely are they to triumph in LA? Yet all of this could help a film like Get Out. It didn't get a Bafta nomination, so hasn't been damaged by not winning. What it does have is a huge amount of momentum in the US. The make-up of the American Academy is slowly changing, with more women and people from ethnic minorities joining its membership. Around a fifth of that membership only joined in the last two years, and these new voters could make the difference."}], "question": "What can the Baftas tell us about the best picture Oscar race?", "id": "13_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1787, "answer_end": 2604, "text": "Back in 2014, two performances from Dallas Buyers Club won almost every prize going. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto both went on to win the Oscars for best actor and supporting actor. One of the only dissenting groups was Bafta, where the pair didn't win. In fact, they weren't even nominated. In 2018 things are very different. The Critics' Choice Awards, Screen Actors Guild awards, Golden Globes and Bafta Film awards have all honoured the same four performers, a level of consensus that hasn't been seen in recent years. It would therefore be a major shock if Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell didn't all win at the Oscars. And any hopes for Sally Hawkins and Lesley Manville again must have been diminished by the fact they couldn't pull off a win on home soil."}], "question": "What about the acting categories?", "id": "13_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2605, "answer_end": 3181, "text": "It's hard to say, apart from the fact that Britain's Christopher Nolan looks likely to be waiting a while longer for a best director Oscar after losing to Guillermo del Toro in London. Still, Dunkirk's win in the best sound category could point to it picking up at least one of the two sound prizes at the Academy Awards. Sometimes, Bafta can also flag up an unexpected win at the Oscars. Hacksaw Ridge won best editing at the Baftas in 2017 and went on to win the equivalent Oscar. That might bode well for Edgar Wright's Baby Driver after its win in that category on Sunday."}], "question": "What about the other categories?", "id": "13_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3182, "answer_end": 3709, "text": "There's no comparable category at the Oscars. He is up for best actor (as he was at the Baftas), but because of the Oldman juggernaut he's not expected to win. Still, because of the momentum behind Get Out (not to mention a great performance in Black Panther), Kaluuya is being seen on both sides of the Atlantic as the most exciting on-screen talent to come out of awards season. This is despite the fact he's been producing great, if less high-profile, work for years in everything from TV's Black Mirror to the London stage."}], "question": "Is there any significance to Daniel Kaluuya's Rising Star win?", "id": "13_4"}]}]}, {"title": "How the VBS 'bank heist' sparked a parliamentary brawl in South Africa", "date": "7 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A spectacular $130m (PS100m) \"heist\" at a bank in South Africa has provoked a furious political storm, revealing how deeply corruption is now entrenched in local government and beyond, and showing how hard it may be for President Cyril Ramaphosa's government to root out the graft and mismanagement that flourished under his predecessor Jacob Zuma. The losses at VBS are relatively small compared to some of the more outlandish corruption scandals already buffeting South Africa. However, the story of the bank's alleged looting and destruction involves such a wide cast of villains and victims that it has the makings of an era-defining outrage - the scam that stretched from impoverished rural villages all the way to the upper echelons of government, and which now explains the perilous fragility of a nation's institutions. \"Corrupt and rotten to the core,\" concluded Terry Motau, the lawyer appointed by the central bank to investigate VBS. He called his explosive report \"The Great Bank Heist.\" And the political fall-out has been huge, drawing in the governing African National Congress (ANC) and the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). In parliament on Tuesday, the chief whip of the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), John Steenhuisen, accused members EFF members of being \"VBS looters\". EFF lawmakers reacted angrily, calling him a \"white racist\". A brawl quickly followed. For many years, VBS was a distinctly modest entity - a mutual bank, largely owned by its depositors, that helped rural communities, living on land owned by tribal chiefs, to secure mortgages or save for family funerals. Almost no-one outside the northern province of Limpopo had even heard of it. But with staggering speed, VBS was allegedly transformed into a slush fund for corrupt politicians, local government leaders and their business cronies, by way of a breathtakingly elaborate and cynical pyramid scheme. The bank's owners are accused of bribing local officials in some of South Africa's poorest and most dysfunctional municipalities - persuading them to divert, or to pretend to divert, their budgets into VBS's coffers in return for cash and gifts. They deny the allegation. \"These people were stealing from their next-door neighbours - aunties, grannies. There is real anger about this. People want to see those people punished,\" said David Lewis of Corruption Watch. It was only once VBS was put under the control of  South Africa's central bank in August that investigators discovered the full extent of the alleged looting and political intrigue. A total of 53 individuals and businesses have since been implicated in the destruction of a bank that had, for years, proudly boasted of its disruptive credentials as a black-owned business seeking to support \"radical economic transformation\" in an industry it claimed was still dominated by white capital. The \"Heist\" report lays most of the blame for VBS's collapse on the bank's leadership. Its chairman, Tshifhiwa Matodzi is accused of masterminding the alleged looting, with the support of a team of highly qualified accountants and lawyers, and a dizzying network of apparently fraudulent shell companies and subcontractors. But from the moment the authorities began to question VBS's actions and its liquidity, the bank insisted that it did not do anything wrong and painted itself as a victim of racism. \"Our greatest sin... was running a successful black bank,\" wrote Mr Matodzi in a furious open letter to the central bank earlier this year. He said the bank's dreams of \"radical economic transformation\" were falling victim to an elaborate conspiracy led by a white-dominated banking sector \"which does not tolerate growing black banks and black excellence.\" South Africa is still wrestling with the economic legacies of the racial system of apartheid and with the merits of black-empowerment schemes designed to correct decades of discrimination. However, VBS's claims were swiftly condemned by a range of South Africans. \"There is nothing black about this. This is criminality,\" said deputy finance minister Mondli Gungubele. \"The looters have been using that phrase - radical economic transformation - as a pretext for years,\" said political analyst Prince Mashele dismissively. Every year South African municipalities lose, steal, or otherwise fail to account for about $2bn worth of public funds. A staggering sum. It is, surely, no coincidence that the municipalities which agreed to cooperate with VBS were among the poorest and most dysfunctional in the country. The \"Heist\" report quotes an alleged WhatsApp conversation that reveals the way VBS allegedly dangled cash in front of municipal officials to buy their loyalty. \"We gave her 300k [$21,500] and she cried... We said we will consult with you and will sort her out,\" a middleman allegedly texted to the bank's chairman, in reference to a local mayor who apparently felt she wasn't getting a big enough \"Christmas\" present from VBS. \"Go ahead... but she must know the formula,\" Mr Matodzi allegedly replied. Mr Matodzi has denied the allegations against him, describing the report as \"not balanced.\" South Africa's banking regulators have since announced that the 14 municipalities that invested about $113m in VBS are unlikely to receive a bail-out or compensation, leaving their struggling communities to bear the brunt of their leaders' alleged corruption. The African National Congress (ANC), which has governed South Africa since the advent of democracy in 1994, has tried to distance itself from VBS's troubles, condemning all those involved and ordering prompt disciplinary inquiries within the party. But, as with so many other high-profile investigations, it is struggling to convince the public that its own reputation is not on trial in the VBS scandal. \"We all agree this never should have happened,\" said the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zweli Mkhize, strongly condemning \"the wanton fraud displayed in this saga\". But the suspicion - fleshed out by recent newspaper reports - is that some of the money looted from VBS made its way into the ANC's coffers. \"There is a toxic interplay between party and state. If the ANC doesn't move quickly and really come down on these guys I think it will cost them hugely at elections,\" said Corruption Watch's David Lewis. \"The bloodsucking leeches and parasites that have fed off the savings of some of our country's poorest citizens must be held accountable,\" said DA MP Kevin Mileham. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has gained a small, but growing following in South Africa by lashing out at the corruption of the Zuma era. But in parliament recently, the party's deputy leader suffered the humiliation of having his own anti-corruption catchphrase - so often spat out against former President Zuma - directed back at him. \"Pay back the money!\" MPs from a range of parties shouted, gleefully, at the EFF's Floyd Shivambu. He has dismissed the allegations, saying at a press conference that it was \"pure insanity\" to claim he got money from VBS. Mr Shivambu and his boss, EFF leader Julius Malema, both come from Limpopo province, where VBS operated. Although neither man has been directly implicated in the \"Heist,\" Mr Shivambu's brother Brian, who worked within the EFF, is named as the alleged recipient of about $1.1m for one year's consultancy work. Brian Shivambu has denied receiving any money from VBS. The EFF has also denied any corruption, but questions remain about unconfirmed payments into its accounts. Many observers also wonder why, as VBS was sinking into trouble, the party went out of its way to defend the bank and to attack those involved in trying to regulate it. A pattern has emerged in recent South African corruption scandals, and VBS is no exception. When large, seemingly reputable organisations start to go rotten, they look to prestigious international companies - particularly auditors - to shore up their credibility and, on occasion, to provide direct help in covering up or facilitating their crimes. The list of foreign companies that have been forced to apologize for wrongdoingin various scandals range from SAP, to McKinsey, KPMG and Bell Pottinger. In this case, KPMG has once again hit the headlines after their lead auditor was condemned in the \"Heist\" report for accepting a lucrative fee but then failing to spot, or report, VBS's looming liquidity crisis. VBS \"is corrupt and rotten to the core. Indeed, there is hardly a person in its employ in any position of authority who is not, in some way or other, complicit,\" said the report, recommending that KPMG pay damages for its role. KPMG has removed one partner implicated in the VBS scandal and has promised to cooperate with any investigations. In a statement, the firm said it had \"already taken many steps\" to deal with the issue and it welcomes the \"independent scrutiny\" of the regulatory board for auditors. Up to this point, VBS's behaviour could be seen as a localised, provincial, containable scandal. But in truth, it wasn't - or rather, the bank had ambitions far beyond Limpopo. \"The Heist\" report spells out in great detail how VBS sought to tap into some of the biggest pots of public money in the country, and came alarmingly close to succeeding. South Africa's Public Investment Corporation (PIC) controls some $143bn in state pensions and other social funds. The report shows how VBS allegedly bribed two senior PIC officials in order to gain access to loans that promptly vanished from the bank's fraudulent books and were instead handed out in new bribes. The full extent of the PIC's alleged involvement and exposure has yet to be revealed. Meanwhile VBS went after South Africa's giant railway utility, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). And it is here that the process becomes explicitly linked to national politics, and to a furious power struggle between factions within the ANC. VBS sought, the report alleges, about $70m in deposits from Prasa, and allegedly began smoothing the path with bribes to union officials and others. But it seems there was one, crucial, factor which would determine the scheme's success - the result of an ANC leadership battle, which VBS hoped would be won by Mr  Zuma's preferred candidate. When, instead, Mr Ramaphosa won an election in December to lead the party and, later, the nation, the attempt to lure Prasa into VBS's alleged scam apparently stalled. It was, curiously, a personal loan to the former president that first put VBS in the headlines back in 2016. Mr Zuma, who has repeatedly denied corruption allegations, was still president at the time, and in need of money to reimburse the state for funds illegally spent on refurbishing his private Nkandla homestead. VBS stepped out of the shadows with a home loan of about $550,000. That loan, it is alleged, was a turning point for VBS, signalling its willingness to be drawn into the ANC's national power struggles - between Mr Zuma, and the man who would soon replace him, Mr Ramaphosa. The report details how VBS money was allegedly paid to Mr Zuma's own family foundation. Perhaps significantly, the bank's subsequent claim that it was trying to promote \"radical economic transformation\" was a phrase lifted straight from Mr Zuma's own increasingly populist rhetoric, as he sought to prevent Mr Ramaphosa's faction from gaining power. Perhaps there are some silver linings to this sleazy tale. For a while, it looked as though thousands of rural investors - who angrily besieged VBS branches in Limpopo fearing that the money they had saved for mortgages and funerals - would lose everything when the bank went into administration. Instead, the authorities have stepped in, promising to guarantee individual savings of up to $7,000. You may also be interested in: More broadly, it is important to note that South Africa's regulatory authorities did do their job. They took control of VBS, investigated it, and are now likely to see their conclusions form the basis for a string of criminal trials against those allegedly involved in the looting. Something similar happened at Prasa, where a courageous official refused to go along with alleged \"political\" plans to funnel cash into VBS. So, the system still works. Up to a point.  But it will require a sustained, collective effort, over many years to end corruption in South Africa.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4252, "answer_end": 5395, "text": "Every year South African municipalities lose, steal, or otherwise fail to account for about $2bn worth of public funds. A staggering sum. It is, surely, no coincidence that the municipalities which agreed to cooperate with VBS were among the poorest and most dysfunctional in the country. The \"Heist\" report quotes an alleged WhatsApp conversation that reveals the way VBS allegedly dangled cash in front of municipal officials to buy their loyalty. \"We gave her 300k [$21,500] and she cried... We said we will consult with you and will sort her out,\" a middleman allegedly texted to the bank's chairman, in reference to a local mayor who apparently felt she wasn't getting a big enough \"Christmas\" present from VBS. \"Go ahead... but she must know the formula,\" Mr Matodzi allegedly replied. Mr Matodzi has denied the allegations against him, describing the report as \"not balanced.\" South Africa's banking regulators have since announced that the 14 municipalities that invested about $113m in VBS are unlikely to receive a bail-out or compensation, leaving their struggling communities to bear the brunt of their leaders' alleged corruption."}], "question": "How did the alleged scam work?", "id": "14_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5396, "answer_end": 6506, "text": "The African National Congress (ANC), which has governed South Africa since the advent of democracy in 1994, has tried to distance itself from VBS's troubles, condemning all those involved and ordering prompt disciplinary inquiries within the party. But, as with so many other high-profile investigations, it is struggling to convince the public that its own reputation is not on trial in the VBS scandal. \"We all agree this never should have happened,\" said the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zweli Mkhize, strongly condemning \"the wanton fraud displayed in this saga\". But the suspicion - fleshed out by recent newspaper reports - is that some of the money looted from VBS made its way into the ANC's coffers. \"There is a toxic interplay between party and state. If the ANC doesn't move quickly and really come down on these guys I think it will cost them hugely at elections,\" said Corruption Watch's David Lewis. \"The bloodsucking leeches and parasites that have fed off the savings of some of our country's poorest citizens must be held accountable,\" said DA MP Kevin Mileham."}], "question": "What has been the governing party's response?", "id": "14_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8937, "answer_end": 10448, "text": "Up to this point, VBS's behaviour could be seen as a localised, provincial, containable scandal. But in truth, it wasn't - or rather, the bank had ambitions far beyond Limpopo. \"The Heist\" report spells out in great detail how VBS sought to tap into some of the biggest pots of public money in the country, and came alarmingly close to succeeding. South Africa's Public Investment Corporation (PIC) controls some $143bn in state pensions and other social funds. The report shows how VBS allegedly bribed two senior PIC officials in order to gain access to loans that promptly vanished from the bank's fraudulent books and were instead handed out in new bribes. The full extent of the PIC's alleged involvement and exposure has yet to be revealed. Meanwhile VBS went after South Africa's giant railway utility, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). And it is here that the process becomes explicitly linked to national politics, and to a furious power struggle between factions within the ANC. VBS sought, the report alleges, about $70m in deposits from Prasa, and allegedly began smoothing the path with bribes to union officials and others. But it seems there was one, crucial, factor which would determine the scheme's success - the result of an ANC leadership battle, which VBS hoped would be won by Mr  Zuma's preferred candidate. When, instead, Mr Ramaphosa won an election in December to lead the party and, later, the nation, the attempt to lure Prasa into VBS's alleged scam apparently stalled."}], "question": "Were there bigger fish?", "id": "14_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 10449, "answer_end": 11788, "text": "It was, curiously, a personal loan to the former president that first put VBS in the headlines back in 2016. Mr Zuma, who has repeatedly denied corruption allegations, was still president at the time, and in need of money to reimburse the state for funds illegally spent on refurbishing his private Nkandla homestead. VBS stepped out of the shadows with a home loan of about $550,000. That loan, it is alleged, was a turning point for VBS, signalling its willingness to be drawn into the ANC's national power struggles - between Mr Zuma, and the man who would soon replace him, Mr Ramaphosa. The report details how VBS money was allegedly paid to Mr Zuma's own family foundation. Perhaps significantly, the bank's subsequent claim that it was trying to promote \"radical economic transformation\" was a phrase lifted straight from Mr Zuma's own increasingly populist rhetoric, as he sought to prevent Mr Ramaphosa's faction from gaining power. Perhaps there are some silver linings to this sleazy tale. For a while, it looked as though thousands of rural investors - who angrily besieged VBS branches in Limpopo fearing that the money they had saved for mortgages and funerals - would lose everything when the bank went into administration. Instead, the authorities have stepped in, promising to guarantee individual savings of up to $7,000."}], "question": "How did the scandal come to light?", "id": "14_3"}]}]}, {"title": "EU-Japan trade: Five things about the world's biggest deal", "date": "1 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Cheaper wine and cheese for Japan, cheaper cars for the EU - part of what the EU-Japan trade deal, now in force, means. The world's biggest such deal, it covers nearly a third of global GDP and 635 million people. However there are warnings that the UK could lose its benefits if it leaves the EU without an agreement. It comes as a trade war rages between the US and China, who have slapped tariffs on each others' products. The EU's Jean-Claude Juncker said the pact, which took years to agree, was about \"values and principles\". Here are five things about the deal: The deal's headline is about scrapping duties on 97% and 99% of Japanese and European imports respectively. Dairy and other food products are among the EU's biggest exports to Japan and the progressive reduction of nearly EUR1bn ($1.1bn; PS0.9bn) of tariffs - nearly 40% on beef, up to 30% on chocolate, 15% on wine and up to 40% on cheese - could boost exports and create jobs. Going the other way, the EU will reduce the 10% duties on car imports to zero by 2027. Japan's government estimates it could increase GDP by 1%. However, the deal also provides better access for services firms, allowing them to bid for more public contracts. European service exports to Japan are currently worth EUR28bn a year. The EU says firms selling business, financial, telecoms, transport and distribution services stand to benefit most. Japan has not historically been that active in free trade talks internationally - but that has now changed. It led negotiations to salvage a Pacific trade deal - the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP - after the US pulled out. CPTPP came into force earlier this year and slashes tariffs between 11 states - Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam - with 500 million inhabitants. That and its EU deal mean 2019 has already seen Japan enter a free trade sphere of a billion people. Last year Jun Yamazaki, Japan's ambassador to Singapore, told the BBC what was behind Japan's new approach. \"Our country does not produce natural resources. Our strength is that we have people - a quite well-educated population that is fairly diligent in doing things,\" he said. \"And in order to utilise that asset, we do have to have interaction with the outside world, and that definitely means free trade, and creating a more liberalised investment climate.\" The prospects for British exporters are much less certain. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal at the end of March it will fall out of the new free trade area. If it agrees a deal, it is set to remain in the EU-Japan trade deal during the Brexit transition period. Japan's government has promised to negotiate an ambitious new free trade deal with London - but only once the future relationship between Britain and the EU is fixed. The UK's Department for International Trade has said the EU-Japan trade deal would increase UK GDP by up to PS3bn \"in the longer term\". Trade Secretary Liam Fox says he wants to use the deal as the basis for a \"new, even stronger partnership after we leave the EU\". The deal is the first struck by the EU to include a specific provision on the Paris climate agreement, which - until the US announced its intention to withdraw - united the world in a single agreement to prevent global warming by reducing emissions. The EU and Japan have agreed that trade could make a \"positive contribution\" in the fight against rising temperatures. Last February EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said a reference to the Paris deal would be required in all new trade deals. However some campaigners have questioned whether the EU would be willing to risk trade by insisting on compliance. In December a report from the Institute of International and European Affairs said that the US withdrawal had created political cover for others to go slow on their commitments. As Japan, Europe and Pacific-bordering nations dismantle tariffs, the world's two biggest economies are busy putting them up. The US has slapped tariffs on $250bn of imports from China and is threatening to increase most of them from 10% to 25%, while China has put tariffs on $110bn of imports from the US. But their companies could lose out in other markets too. US beef may lose some appeal in Japan now that European beef is cheaper, while US cars may become less competitive in CPTPP nations where Japanese cars have become cheaper. China meanwhile could see production in some areas such as garments move to CPTPP countries to benefit from lower duties, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. Japan is about to begin negotiations with the US towards a bilateral trade deal. Negotiations between the EU and the US have stalled while talks between China, Japan and South Korea over a trade deal have not yet resulted in agreement.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3946, "answer_end": 4875, "text": "As Japan, Europe and Pacific-bordering nations dismantle tariffs, the world's two biggest economies are busy putting them up. The US has slapped tariffs on $250bn of imports from China and is threatening to increase most of them from 10% to 25%, while China has put tariffs on $110bn of imports from the US. But their companies could lose out in other markets too. US beef may lose some appeal in Japan now that European beef is cheaper, while US cars may become less competitive in CPTPP nations where Japanese cars have become cheaper. China meanwhile could see production in some areas such as garments move to CPTPP countries to benefit from lower duties, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. Japan is about to begin negotiations with the US towards a bilateral trade deal. Negotiations between the EU and the US have stalled while talks between China, Japan and South Korea over a trade deal have not yet resulted in agreement."}], "question": "5) Where does it leave the US and China?", "id": "15_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Boeing expects 737 Max to fly again by New Year", "date": "23 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boeing has said it expects its troubled 737 Max aircraft to return to the skies before the end of the year. The jet was grounded after two fatal crashes, including last year's Lion Air disaster which killed 189 people. Just hours after Indonesian investigators blamed mechanical and design problems for the crash, Boeing said it had developed software updates. The investigators focused on a system used to improve handling and prevent stalling on the Boeing 737 Max. The official report by the Indonesian authorities into the disaster, which occurred 13 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on 29 October 2018, is expected to be published on Friday. But on Wednesday, the authorities informed the victims' families of the findings. Boeing did not comment ahead of formal publication of the report. But according to the information provided to the families, mechanical and design problems with the flight control system were among the causes of the crash. The report highlighted issues with the MCAS (Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System), which was designed to make the aircraft easier to fly. Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee told families that MCAS would be a \"contributing factor\". According to reports, families have been told that there were incorrect assumptions about how the MCAS control system would behave and that the \"deficiencies\" had been highlighted during training. Slides from the briefing to the families showed that there was a lack of documentation about how a \"stick shaker\" - warning pilots of a loss of lift - would work. Reuters reported that a \"stick shaker\" was warning of a stall throughout the 13 minutes the plane was in air, with investigators believing this was based on erroneous data on its angle to the oncoming air. \"During the design and certification of the [737 Max], assumptions were made about pilot response to malfunctions which, even though consistent with current industry guidelines, turned out to be incorrect,\" the report said, according to AFP. The report found the system relied on a sole sensor for inputs and that a replaced sensor had been \"miscalibrated\" during an earlier repair. The planes were grounded after an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019, which took the death toll to 346 people. Boeing said on Wednesday it was working with regulators to return the jet to service. \"Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 Max, and we're making steady progress,\" Boeing boss Dennis Muilenburg said. The firm said it had also developed a training update and that it expected regulators to allow the planes to take off again before the beginning of 2020. \"We've also taken action to further sharpen our company's focus on product and services safety, and we continue to deliver on customer commitments and capture new opportunities, with our values of safety, quality and integrity always at the forefront,\" Mr Muilenburg said. The grounding of the 737 Max hurt the planemaker's financial results in the third quarter. Profits more than halved to $895m (PS694m) and the firm said it would cut production of its 787 Dreamliner, blaming trade uncertainties. Mr Muilenberg was stripped of his title as chairman by the board earlier this month, but remains as chief executive. On Tuesday, Boeing ousted Kevin McAllister, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, becoming the most senior official to leave since the two crashes. Mr Muilenburg is under pressure to explain what the company knew about issues with the 737 Max. Questions about how much Boeing knew about problems with the 737 Max have been raised since Boeing provided documents to US lawmakers that showed employees had exchanged instant messages about issues with MCAS as it was being certified in 2016. A pilot wrote that he had run into unexpected trouble during tests, saying he \"basically lied to the regulators [unknowingly]\". The documents were provided ahead of Mr Muilenburg's appearance before Congress next week. The testimony from relatives of those on board Lion Air flight 610 raises yet more uncomfortable questions about the design of the 737 Max. And the focus remains on the aircraft's new flight control system, known as MCAS, which erroneously pushed the plane into a nosedive. The notion that assumptions made by Boeing and the regulators who signed the aircraft off about how that system would perform and how pilots would react to it were \"incorrect\" suggests something went badly wrong. Every air crash is a chain of events and according to the families, the actions of the pilots were also a factor. But the vulnerability of the MCAS system, which previously relied on data from one single sensor, is again in the spotlight. The departure of Kevin McAllister, who ran Boeing's commercial planes division, speaks of the wider fallout. The fundamental question belying everything is: why was more drastic action not taken after the Lion Air crash before a second accident killed another 157 people and grounded the plane worldwide?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 468, "answer_end": 1104, "text": "The official report by the Indonesian authorities into the disaster, which occurred 13 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on 29 October 2018, is expected to be published on Friday. But on Wednesday, the authorities informed the victims' families of the findings. Boeing did not comment ahead of formal publication of the report. But according to the information provided to the families, mechanical and design problems with the flight control system were among the causes of the crash. The report highlighted issues with the MCAS (Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System), which was designed to make the aircraft easier to fly."}], "question": "Why did the Lion Air plane crash?", "id": "16_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1105, "answer_end": 2164, "text": "Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee told families that MCAS would be a \"contributing factor\". According to reports, families have been told that there were incorrect assumptions about how the MCAS control system would behave and that the \"deficiencies\" had been highlighted during training. Slides from the briefing to the families showed that there was a lack of documentation about how a \"stick shaker\" - warning pilots of a loss of lift - would work. Reuters reported that a \"stick shaker\" was warning of a stall throughout the 13 minutes the plane was in air, with investigators believing this was based on erroneous data on its angle to the oncoming air. \"During the design and certification of the [737 Max], assumptions were made about pilot response to malfunctions which, even though consistent with current industry guidelines, turned out to be incorrect,\" the report said, according to AFP. The report found the system relied on a sole sensor for inputs and that a replaced sensor had been \"miscalibrated\" during an earlier repair."}], "question": "What did it say about the MCAS?", "id": "16_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2165, "answer_end": 2932, "text": "The planes were grounded after an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019, which took the death toll to 346 people. Boeing said on Wednesday it was working with regulators to return the jet to service. \"Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 Max, and we're making steady progress,\" Boeing boss Dennis Muilenburg said. The firm said it had also developed a training update and that it expected regulators to allow the planes to take off again before the beginning of 2020. \"We've also taken action to further sharpen our company's focus on product and services safety, and we continue to deliver on customer commitments and capture new opportunities, with our values of safety, quality and integrity always at the forefront,\" Mr Muilenburg said."}], "question": "When will the 737 Max fly again?", "id": "16_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2933, "answer_end": 3435, "text": "The grounding of the 737 Max hurt the planemaker's financial results in the third quarter. Profits more than halved to $895m (PS694m) and the firm said it would cut production of its 787 Dreamliner, blaming trade uncertainties. Mr Muilenberg was stripped of his title as chairman by the board earlier this month, but remains as chief executive. On Tuesday, Boeing ousted Kevin McAllister, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, becoming the most senior official to leave since the two crashes."}], "question": "What has it meant for Boeing?", "id": "16_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3436, "answer_end": 3995, "text": "Mr Muilenburg is under pressure to explain what the company knew about issues with the 737 Max. Questions about how much Boeing knew about problems with the 737 Max have been raised since Boeing provided documents to US lawmakers that showed employees had exchanged instant messages about issues with MCAS as it was being certified in 2016. A pilot wrote that he had run into unexpected trouble during tests, saying he \"basically lied to the regulators [unknowingly]\". The documents were provided ahead of Mr Muilenburg's appearance before Congress next week."}], "question": "When did Boeing know about the problem?", "id": "16_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3996, "answer_end": 5026, "text": "The testimony from relatives of those on board Lion Air flight 610 raises yet more uncomfortable questions about the design of the 737 Max. And the focus remains on the aircraft's new flight control system, known as MCAS, which erroneously pushed the plane into a nosedive. The notion that assumptions made by Boeing and the regulators who signed the aircraft off about how that system would perform and how pilots would react to it were \"incorrect\" suggests something went badly wrong. Every air crash is a chain of events and according to the families, the actions of the pilots were also a factor. But the vulnerability of the MCAS system, which previously relied on data from one single sensor, is again in the spotlight. The departure of Kevin McAllister, who ran Boeing's commercial planes division, speaks of the wider fallout. The fundamental question belying everything is: why was more drastic action not taken after the Lion Air crash before a second accident killed another 157 people and grounded the plane worldwide?"}], "question": "Why was not more drastic action taken?", "id": "16_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Amazon fires: The tragedy of the couple who died protecting their home", "date": "30 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The home of Eidi Rodrigues and her husband Romildo - a wooden shack with a thatched roof - now lies in ruins. It was their first house, and it made them proud. The couple lived in Machadinho D'Oeste, a rural village in the Amazon state of Rondonia in north-west Brazil. It is a region marred by land disputes, and among communities in Machadinho D'Oeste, it is common practice to clear land for pastures and crops. Fires had been a constant concern for the couple, who feared that those started by their neighbours could spread to their backyard, especially during periods of drought. On 13 August, Eidi and Romildo's worst fears were realised. The couple died while trying to protect their home, unable to escape when the flames got out of control. \"People use fire to clear the land in this region, but on that day it was very windy. The fire spread too quickly and didn't give them time to run away,\" Jeigislaine Carvalho, one of Eidi's daughters, told the BBC. A large number of fires are ravaging parts of the Amazon, a tropical rainforest that spans much of Brazil and other South American countries. Satellite data shows a huge increase in fires burning in the Brazilian Amazon in particular. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) says 87,257 fires have been recorded so far in the country this year, a 76% increase on 2018. In Rondonia state alone, there have been more than 6,500 fires so far, a rise of 146% on 2018, Inpe data show. The extent of the fires has caused concern and outrage across the globe, with world leaders calling on Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro to take action. French President Emmanuel Macron has described the steep rise in fires as an \"international crisis\" which critics have blamed on Mr Bolsonaro's anti-environmental rhetoric and soft stance on deforestation violations. An aid package worth $22m (PS18m), offered by countries in the G7, has been rejected by Brazil's government. Brazilian ministers said the money was not needed and they accused foreign powers of wanting control of the Amazon. Eidi and Romildo saved their earnings for more than 10 years to purchase the land where they built their house. Neighbours told the police the couple had avoided leaving their property, even during intense fires. Like many other farmers in the region, they used firebreaks - gaps in vegetation which act as barriers to stop or at least to slow down the progress of wildfires. \"People do whatever they can to avoid losing the very little they own,\" detective Celso Kondageski said. The rural village where Eidi and Romildo lived is located 350km (217 miles) south of Rondonia's capital, Porto Velho. It is a deforested part of the state, which means fires travel faster. On 13 August, locals shared videos showing huge flames engulfing the area. Jeigislaine, Eidi's daughter, said her mother and stepfather had tried to save the roof tiles they had recently purchased for home renovations. \"The neighbours told me that they were taking the material to a more remote area so that it would not burn,\" she said. Fire was approaching the back of the property, which gave Eidi and Romildo an escape route from the front of the house, witnesses told the police. But suddenly they were cornered by another fire coming from the front. According to local reports, the fires in Machadinho D'Oeste consumed an area spanning more than 106 acres (0.42 sq km). Eidi and Ronildo's house was destroyed along with two other properties. One witness told the BBC that, fearful of receiving a fine for deforestation, people were reluctant to summon the fire brigade when the flames started getting out of control. \"The fire only stopped after it destroyed all the vegetation around. It was very strong and I guess even the firefighters would have struggled to control it,\" said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous. It was only on 14 August - a day after the flames ripped through Eidi and Ronildo's house - that the fire service turned up. They found the charred bodies of Eidi and Romildo around 100m (328ft) away from where their house once stood. The police believe they died of carbon monoxide inhalation. Eidi and Romildo were the only fatalities. The other neighbours managed to escape, and one of the homes wrecked by the flames was empty that day. Police are trying to determine how the fire started. \"The fire is an environmental crime. People responsible for it could also be charged with manslaughter,\" detective Celso Kondagesk said. \"Someone who starts a fire in an area like that should be aware that it can kill someone.\" Eidi's daughter says she wants justice. \"This is irresponsible and it killed two people. Whoever did this has to pay,\" she said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 965, "answer_end": 2053, "text": "A large number of fires are ravaging parts of the Amazon, a tropical rainforest that spans much of Brazil and other South American countries. Satellite data shows a huge increase in fires burning in the Brazilian Amazon in particular. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) says 87,257 fires have been recorded so far in the country this year, a 76% increase on 2018. In Rondonia state alone, there have been more than 6,500 fires so far, a rise of 146% on 2018, Inpe data show. The extent of the fires has caused concern and outrage across the globe, with world leaders calling on Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro to take action. French President Emmanuel Macron has described the steep rise in fires as an \"international crisis\" which critics have blamed on Mr Bolsonaro's anti-environmental rhetoric and soft stance on deforestation violations. An aid package worth $22m (PS18m), offered by countries in the G7, has been rejected by Brazil's government. Brazilian ministers said the money was not needed and they accused foreign powers of wanting control of the Amazon."}], "question": "What is happening in the Amazon?", "id": "17_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe sanctions: Who is being targeted?", "date": "25 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Friday is a public holiday in Zimbabwe to mark a day of protest against sanctions which the government blames for the country's economic problems. Southern African countries have joined calls from the Zimbabwe government for the sanctions to be lifted, saying they're damaging the region's economy. So why are sanctions in place and what impact are they having? The United States and the European Union (EU) have both maintained sanctions, citing a lack of progress in democratic and human rights reforms as well as restrictions on press freedoms. They target both specific individuals and companies. United States financial and travel restrictions currently apply to 85 individuals, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa. There are also 56 companies or organisations facing restrictions. \"We have sanctions against certain individuals and certain corporations... not against the country of Zimbabwe. There is nothing to stop US businesses from investing in Zimbabwe, from going to Zimbabwe,\" says US Assistant Secretary of State on African Affairs Tibor Nagy. Washington says the economic impact is mostly on farms and companies owned by these designated individuals. The US also imposed a ban on arms exports to Zimbabwe. EU sanctions also target specific individuals both within the Zimbabwean government and associated with it. Travel restrictions and a freeze on assets have been imposed, along with the sale of military hardware and equipment which might be used for internal repression. Originally imposed during the era of former President Robert Mugabe, these sanctions were reviewed earlier this year and have been extended until February 2020. The EU says these restrictions have no impact on the economy of the country. Zimbabwe's economy has faced deep economic crises over the past few years with periods of hyperinflation rendering the local currency worthless. Once again this year Zimbabwe has been reeling from high levels of inflation as well as severe shortages of fuel, power and water. Recent economic data suggests Zimbabwe's economy has recently been shrinking as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, the average economic output per person. The government of Zimbabwe has regularly blamed the dire economic performance on sanctions, and its neighbours in the southern African region are concerned about the impact Zimbabwe's worsening economic crisis is having on the region. But there's little evidence to suggest that US and EU sanctions are responsible for Zimbabwe's troubles. The US blame the crisis on what an official described as \"catastrophic mismanagement\" of the economy. The EU also points to economic policies, a poorly carried out land reforms programme, drought and the HIV/Aids pandemic. Data from 1980 to 2015 shows no evidence sanctions had a negative effect on formal employment and poverty, says Carren Pindiriri, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Zimbabwe. For its part, the Zimbabwean government argues that sanctions have cost billions of dollars. \"You can't say sanctions are targeted when you specify 56 of the biggest companies in Zimbabwe. What is left?\" Zimbabwe's permanent secretary for information Nick Mangwana says. When Mr Mugabe was forced from office in 2017, two UN human rights experts supported calls for the lifting of sanctions. They said the measures could not be said to be \"limited\" or \"targeted\", as the people and companies affected represented the vast majority of the economy. \"Zimbabwe's economy is heavily concentrated in particular sectors, and sanctions on only a few people or companies can have a devastating impact.\" Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2182, "answer_end": 3635, "text": "The government of Zimbabwe has regularly blamed the dire economic performance on sanctions, and its neighbours in the southern African region are concerned about the impact Zimbabwe's worsening economic crisis is having on the region. But there's little evidence to suggest that US and EU sanctions are responsible for Zimbabwe's troubles. The US blame the crisis on what an official described as \"catastrophic mismanagement\" of the economy. The EU also points to economic policies, a poorly carried out land reforms programme, drought and the HIV/Aids pandemic. Data from 1980 to 2015 shows no evidence sanctions had a negative effect on formal employment and poverty, says Carren Pindiriri, a lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Zimbabwe. For its part, the Zimbabwean government argues that sanctions have cost billions of dollars. \"You can't say sanctions are targeted when you specify 56 of the biggest companies in Zimbabwe. What is left?\" Zimbabwe's permanent secretary for information Nick Mangwana says. When Mr Mugabe was forced from office in 2017, two UN human rights experts supported calls for the lifting of sanctions. They said the measures could not be said to be \"limited\" or \"targeted\", as the people and companies affected represented the vast majority of the economy. \"Zimbabwe's economy is heavily concentrated in particular sectors, and sanctions on only a few people or companies can have a devastating impact.\""}], "question": "Are sanctions to blame?", "id": "18_0"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: A simple guide to the Green Party", "date": "20 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Green Party of England and Wales primarily exists to champion environmental causes but is keen not to be seen as a single-issue campaign party and has policies in all areas. There are separate Green parties in Scotland and in Northern Ireland. For many years, the Greens did not have a leader, just \"principal speakers\", to distance themselves from the traditional Westminster power structures. Now they have two leaders - Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley. Blues musician Mr Bartley has held the leadership role for longer - having also split duties with Caroline Lucas from 2016 to 2018. He worked on former Conservative Prime Minister John Major's leadership campaign in 1995 and has previously appeared on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day. London Assembly member Ms Berry replaced Ms Lucas last year. She is also the party's candidate in the London mayoral elections next year - her third attempt at landing the role, having most recently finished third in 2016. The Greens are not expected to be the outright winners in the forthcoming election - having taken 1.6% of the total vote last time round in 2017. They had one MP in the last Parliament, Caroline Lucas. However, the party had its most successful European election earlier this year, when it increased its number of MEPs from three to seven. The party is planning to enter candidates in 497 of the 650 constituencies. The party published its manifesto called If Not Now, When? on 19 November. It sets out the polices the party aims to introduce, should it win the election. Here are five policies that featured in it: - Invest PS100bn a year to reach net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2030 - Pursue a \"green new deal\" including a structural transformation of the way the economy works - Increase funding for the NHS by at least PS6bn per year, until 2030 - Oppose Brexit and hold another referendum on membership and will campaign to Remain in that vote - Abolish university tuition fees and write off existing student debt The Green Party supports having another referendum on EU membership, in which it says it will back Remain. It has struck a deal with other pro-Remain parties - the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru - not to compete against each other in dozens of seats. The Greens hope this will help deliver the highest number of pro-Remain MPs to Parliament. The Greens describe themselves as a party of \"social and environmental justice\". Climate change, workers' rights, animal rights and electoral reform are issues which often feature high on the party's agenda. According to the most recent figures, in July, the Green Party has 48,500 members. It began life in the mid-1970s as the Ecology Party, which had its roots in campaigns to protect the environment. The Green Party came into being in 1985, however, it would take another 25 years before it was represented in the Commons, when Ms Lucas won the seat of Brighton Pavilion. It has expanded its policy proposals beyond purely environmental issues over the years in an attempt to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. Correction 22 November 2019: An earlier version of this article described the 497 candidates the Green Party plans to enter in the election as \"more than ever before\". However, the party fielded more candidates in the 2015 general election. This statement has been removed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 248, "answer_end": 969, "text": "For many years, the Greens did not have a leader, just \"principal speakers\", to distance themselves from the traditional Westminster power structures. Now they have two leaders - Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley. Blues musician Mr Bartley has held the leadership role for longer - having also split duties with Caroline Lucas from 2016 to 2018. He worked on former Conservative Prime Minister John Major's leadership campaign in 1995 and has previously appeared on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day. London Assembly member Ms Berry replaced Ms Lucas last year. She is also the party's candidate in the London mayoral elections next year - her third attempt at landing the role, having most recently finished third in 2016."}], "question": "Who is the leader?", "id": "19_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1997, "answer_end": 2341, "text": "The Green Party supports having another referendum on EU membership, in which it says it will back Remain. It has struck a deal with other pro-Remain parties - the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru - not to compete against each other in dozens of seats. The Greens hope this will help deliver the highest number of pro-Remain MPs to Parliament."}], "question": "Where does it stand on Brexit?", "id": "19_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2342, "answer_end": 2549, "text": "The Greens describe themselves as a party of \"social and environmental justice\". Climate change, workers' rights, animal rights and electoral reform are issues which often feature high on the party's agenda."}], "question": "What else does it stand for?", "id": "19_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2550, "answer_end": 2632, "text": "According to the most recent figures, in July, the Green Party has 48,500 members."}], "question": "How many members does it have?", "id": "19_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2633, "answer_end": 3062, "text": "It began life in the mid-1970s as the Ecology Party, which had its roots in campaigns to protect the environment. The Green Party came into being in 1985, however, it would take another 25 years before it was represented in the Commons, when Ms Lucas won the seat of Brighton Pavilion. It has expanded its policy proposals beyond purely environmental issues over the years in an attempt to appeal to a broader spectrum of voters."}], "question": "What is the Green Party's history?", "id": "19_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3063, "answer_end": 3336, "text": "Correction 22 November 2019: An earlier version of this article described the 497 candidates the Green Party plans to enter in the election as \"more than ever before\". However, the party fielded more candidates in the 2015 general election. This statement has been removed."}], "question": "What about the other parties?", "id": "19_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Are we addicted to technology?", "date": "31 August 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Just five minutes after meeting sleep and energy expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan in her central London clinic, she delivers some bad news. \"You've got the classic pattern of someone who's in a fatigue cycle,\" she says. \"You're running on survival energy. Your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive. I would guess you feel pretty shattered mid-afternoon which would mean you are running on adrenalin, noradrenalin, cortisol.\" I'm turning into a dopamine junkie - the brain chemical associated with pleasure that is released when we are stimulated, whether that is by food, sex, excitement... or screen time. It sounds convincing. Or am I being blinded by pseudo-science? Dr Ramlakhan works at the privately run Nightingale Hospital, and is a member of its technology addiction treatment team. Surely tiredness is a by-product of a busy modern life - children, work, hobbies etc - rather than that relaxing time spent watching Netflix in bed? \"The thing many of my patients have in common is the fact that they are in front of screens all the time. Even when they try to sleep at night. It has become so pervasive,\" she says. \"They go to bed but can't sleep, or fall asleep exhausted and wake up tired. People started telling me they couldn't switch their brains off.\" One patient was suspended from work after sending an inappropriate email to a client in the early hours of the morning, she adds. \"When we unpicked the story we realised he was spending more time at work and finding it more difficult to switch off.\" He is now on the road to recovery - and hopes to return to his job. Another recent patient was a 17-year-old who had suffered a seizure. It turned out he was up all night playing computer games. Tech-related burnout is also common in people with certain personality traits, Dr Ramlakhan continues. \"Are you a perfectionist? Are you a control freak? Do you grind your teeth at night? \"That's an A-type personality - they are driven, competitive, aggressive, run on imperatives - have to, must do, should do,\" she says. \"They are likely to find themselves unable to switch off, they can't relax, if they do they crash into exhaustion. \"Even if they are watching TV they have multi screens. It's a level of hyperactivity driven by a fear of not being in control.\" I suggest that perhaps they just want to multi-task. \"It's the accessibility, the sensory experience of swiping that screen, the instant gratification... there is something quite pleasurable about that,\" she counters. \"Our generation hasn't got the hang of how to respond to it so we respond very reactively. \"For a lot of people it's the lack of offline time which causes hyper-arousal of the brain. People walk about in a state of distractibility.\" Author and psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair also thinks multi-tasking - or multi-screening - is a dangerous game, especially for children. - Have \"electronic sundowns\" - pull back from technology in the hour before you go to bed. Read books but not e-books - Keep your clock turned away from you at night and don't use your phone as an alarm clock - Re energise: eat breakfast - or at least something small - within 30 minutes of getting up and before drinking any caffeine - Start hydrating. Drink two litres of water a day at least \"We see a decrease in memory, a decline in grades, they're not developing the part of their brain that's a muscle that needs to be developed for singular focus,\" she told the BBC. \"It seems to decline the more people do split screening.\" The Steiner-Waldorf School philosophy actively discourages any screen time at all for under-12s, and British health watchdog NICE guidelines suggest a limit of two hours of screen time a day for adults and children, although this is more in order to increase physical activity. \"It takes us decades to adjust to new technology,\" says Dave Coplin, Microsoft's curiously titled chief envisioner. \"Technology is a wonderful thing if we use it properly - and we need to use it properly.\" It is the current generation, those of us who remember life before the internet, for whom the draw to technology is irresistible, agrees Dr Ramlakhan. She says her 11-year-old daughter is already \"bored\" by Facebook and suggests I ask my four-year-old son to collect up the family gadgets as he will find it far easier than me to initiate switch-off. \"Up-and-coming digital natives will be more discerning than us,\" she explains. \"We're still in the 'Ooh, isn't it wonderful?' phase of technology, we are still excited by it. Our generation hasn't got the hang of how to respond to it so we respond very reactively.\" After a few days of following Dr Ramlakhan's advice I have to admit that I do feel better. I am definitely sleeping more and despite medics disagreeing over whether drinking extra water is actually beneficial, it does seem to make me feel more alert. Of course, it could well be a placebo effect - I know what I'm doing is supposed to be improving my wellbeing. At the Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire, where the phone reception is terrible but it still costs PS5 to charge your mobile, I meet Dr David Cox, a former Accident and Emergency doctor who is now chief medical officer at subscription-based meditation app Mindfulness. He echoes Dr Ramlakhan's words. \"I don't believe we can be engaging with something to this extent and for it not to be having an effect on our brains,\" he says. \"The reason we are feeling stressed about all this stuff is that our brains aren't used to doing what we are asking them to do. \"Our brains are very good at adapting and they will continue to do that.\" So how is the next generation shaping up? A recent study by the London School of Economics suggested that in schools which banned mobile phones, children's test scores increased by more than 6%. I pay a visit to my son's former pre-school, Wildflowers, in Hampshire - a forest school where there are no screens and outdoor play is non-negotiable, rain or shine. Head teacher Helena Nilsson says children are like \"bees to a honeypot\" if she gets out her laptop but without the distraction they engage in much more creative play. The little ones, however, seem less convinced about the benefits of their enforced digital detox. \"Do you think we should have a computer, tablet or TV at Wildflowers?\" she asks. \"YES!\" chorus the enthusiastic under-fives unanimously. Listen to the Business Daily report on tech addiction, from the BBC World Service", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4968, "answer_end": 5600, "text": "At the Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire, where the phone reception is terrible but it still costs PS5 to charge your mobile, I meet Dr David Cox, a former Accident and Emergency doctor who is now chief medical officer at subscription-based meditation app Mindfulness. He echoes Dr Ramlakhan's words. \"I don't believe we can be engaging with something to this extent and for it not to be having an effect on our brains,\" he says. \"The reason we are feeling stressed about all this stuff is that our brains aren't used to doing what we are asking them to do. \"Our brains are very good at adapting and they will continue to do that.\""}], "question": "Is the physiology sound?", "id": "20_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Oil prices soar after attacks on Saudi facilities", "date": "17 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Oil prices ended nearly 15% higher on Monday, with the Brent benchmark seeing its biggest jump in about 30 years. The rise came after two attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities on Saturday knocked out about 5% of global supply. Brent crude initially surged 20% at the start of trading, but eased back to end at $69 a barrel, up 14.6%. US oil prices finished up 14.7%, the biggest jump since 2008. Prices fell back after President Donald Trump vowed to release US reserves. The strike, which the US blames on Iran, has sparked fears of increased risk to energy supplies in the region. However, prices remain below Brent's 12-month high of $86.29 a barrel seen last October, when West Texas Intermediate also climbed to more than $76 a barrel. The drone attacks on plants in the heartland of Saudi Arabia's oil industry hit the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility as well as a nearby oil field, both of which are operated by energy giant Aramco. Together they account for about 50% of Saudi Arabia's oil output, or 5% of daily global oil production. It could take weeks before the facilities are fully back on line. Aneeka Gupta, commodities strategist at the fund manager Wisdom Tree, said that higher oil prices would not have an immediate impact on consumers as they \"could take a bit of time of feed through\". However, she says that if the outage lasts for more than six weeks, oil prices could hit \"north of\" $75 a barrel. Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group and a former energy adviser in George W. Bush's administration, told the BBC: \"I think it's going to last.  As long as the United States and Saudi Arabia on one hand and Iran on the other remain in this escalatory conflict then we're going to build in a risk premium because it's getting very serious.\" US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Tehran was behind the attacks. Iran accused the US of \"deceit.\" Later, Mr Trump said in a tweet the US knew who the culprit was and was \"locked and loaded\" but waiting to hear from the Saudis about how they wanted to proceed. In another tweet he said there was \"plenty of oil!\". The Saudis have provided little detail about the attacks, apart from saying there were no casualties, but have given a few more indications about oil production. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said some of the fall in production would be made up by tapping huge storage facilities. The kingdom is the world's biggest oil exporter, shipping more than seven million barrels daily. Saudi stocks stood at 188 million barrels in June, according to official data. \"Saudi authorities have claimed to control the fires, but this falls far short of extinguishing them,\" said Abhishek Kumar, head of analytics at Interfax Energy in London. \"The damage to facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais appears to be extensive, and it may be weeks before oil supplies are normalised.\" However, Jeffery Halley, senior market analyst at Oanda, said the disruption would not affect crude supplies in the near-term. \"There's enough capacity in storage to meet the shortfall in the short-term.\" Drivers will not immediately see an increase at the pump, according to international energy policy expert Prof Nick Butler. \"The direct impact of the attacks could be short-lived,\" he said. \"The market has adjusted without blinking over the last two years to the loss for political reasons of over two millions barrels a day of production from Venezuela and Iran.\" In the UK, 40% of the price of a litre of petrol is made up of oil, fuel production and profit. The rest is tax. \"There are currently savings in the wholesale price that have only just started to be passed on to drivers by retailers,\" says Simon Williams from the RAC. \"Many retailers cut their prices by 3p on Friday and we believe that average prices were six pence too high before that, so the impact of these fires may not be too great.\" But Mr Halley said that global fuel prices are likely to increase: \"You'll see price hikes in gasoline all over world. Consumers will first notice it quite quickly in higher petrol prices.\" He also warned to \"watch airline fuel surcharges\" which could also rise, depending on an airline's fuel price hedging policies. The US held 644.8 million barrels of oil in storage as of 6 September, according to the Department of Energy. The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve keeps the oil in underground salt caverns across four sites in Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The cylindrical caverns are typically 200 foot in diameter and 2,000 foot high, and in total they can store up to 727 million barrels of oil. The US also has around 416.1 million barrels of oil in commercial storage held by the likes of oil producers and refineries, based on data from the US Energy Information Administration. In Saudi Arabia, oil production has plunged by 5.7 million barrels a day because of the attacks. It has around 188 million barrels of oil in reserve, according to energy consultancy the Rapidan Energy Group.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2109, "answer_end": 3086, "text": "The Saudis have provided little detail about the attacks, apart from saying there were no casualties, but have given a few more indications about oil production. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said some of the fall in production would be made up by tapping huge storage facilities. The kingdom is the world's biggest oil exporter, shipping more than seven million barrels daily. Saudi stocks stood at 188 million barrels in June, according to official data. \"Saudi authorities have claimed to control the fires, but this falls far short of extinguishing them,\" said Abhishek Kumar, head of analytics at Interfax Energy in London. \"The damage to facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais appears to be extensive, and it may be weeks before oil supplies are normalised.\" However, Jeffery Halley, senior market analyst at Oanda, said the disruption would not affect crude supplies in the near-term. \"There's enough capacity in storage to meet the shortfall in the short-term.\""}], "question": "What will be the impact on oil supplies?", "id": "21_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3087, "answer_end": 4211, "text": "Drivers will not immediately see an increase at the pump, according to international energy policy expert Prof Nick Butler. \"The direct impact of the attacks could be short-lived,\" he said. \"The market has adjusted without blinking over the last two years to the loss for political reasons of over two millions barrels a day of production from Venezuela and Iran.\" In the UK, 40% of the price of a litre of petrol is made up of oil, fuel production and profit. The rest is tax. \"There are currently savings in the wholesale price that have only just started to be passed on to drivers by retailers,\" says Simon Williams from the RAC. \"Many retailers cut their prices by 3p on Friday and we believe that average prices were six pence too high before that, so the impact of these fires may not be too great.\" But Mr Halley said that global fuel prices are likely to increase: \"You'll see price hikes in gasoline all over world. Consumers will first notice it quite quickly in higher petrol prices.\" He also warned to \"watch airline fuel surcharges\" which could also rise, depending on an airline's fuel price hedging policies."}], "question": "Will petrol prices rise?", "id": "21_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4212, "answer_end": 5007, "text": "The US held 644.8 million barrels of oil in storage as of 6 September, according to the Department of Energy. The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve keeps the oil in underground salt caverns across four sites in Texas and Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The cylindrical caverns are typically 200 foot in diameter and 2,000 foot high, and in total they can store up to 727 million barrels of oil. The US also has around 416.1 million barrels of oil in commercial storage held by the likes of oil producers and refineries, based on data from the US Energy Information Administration. In Saudi Arabia, oil production has plunged by 5.7 million barrels a day because of the attacks. It has around 188 million barrels of oil in reserve, according to energy consultancy the Rapidan Energy Group."}], "question": "How much oil is held in reserve?", "id": "21_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Xi Jinping says Taiwan 'must and will be' reunited with China", "date": "2 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the people of Taiwan to accept it \"must and will be\" reunited with China. In a speech marking 40 years since the start of improving ties, he reiterated Beijing's call for peaceful unification on a one-country-two-systems basis. However, he also warned that China reserved the right to use force. While Taiwan is self-governed and de facto independent, it has never formally declared independence from the mainland. Beijing considers the island to be a breakaway province and Mr Xi's comments are in line with China's long-standing policy towards reunification. But on Wednesday, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said the island would never accept reunification with China under the terms offered by Beijing. \"I want to reiterate that Taiwan will never accept 'one country, two systems'. The vast majority of Taiwanese public opinion also resolutely opposes 'one country, two systems', and this is also the 'Taiwan consensus'.\" Under the \"one country, two systems\" formula, Taiwan would have the right to run its own affairs; a similar arrangement is used in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected - however, there are widespread concerns in the territory that those freedoms are gradually being eroded. In his speech on Wednesday, Mr Xi said both sides were part of the same Chinese family and that Taiwanese independence was \"an adverse current from history and a dead end\". Taiwanese people \"must understand that independence will only bring hardship,\" Mr Xi said, adding Beijing would never tolerate any form of activity promoting Taiwanese independence. Instead, unification was \"an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people\", he argued. He also stressed that relations with Taiwan were \"part of China's domestic politics\" and that \"foreign interference is intolerable\". Beijing \"reserves the option of taking all necessary measures\" against outside forces that interfere with peaceful reunification and Taiwanese separatist activities. In a new year's speech on Tuesday, Ms Tsai said China must use peaceful means to resolve its differences with Taiwan and respect its democratic values. \"I would like to call on China to face squarely the reality of the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan,\" Ms Tsai said, referring to the island's formal name. China should \"respect the insistence of 23 million people on freedom and democracy, and must use peaceful, on parity means to handle our differences\", she added. In November, Ms Tsai's political party saw a heavy setback in regional elections perceived by Beijing as a blow to her separatist stance. Analysis by John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing The Chinese Communist Party has long spoken about unification as a matter of destiny. But President Xi is arguably the most powerful leader since Mao - now unconstrained by presidential term limits - and one who has personalised, like no other, the project for \"national rejuvenation\". So should we pay more heed when the threat to retake Taiwan by force if necessary comes from his lips? China may be a rising military superpower, but sending an invading army across the choppy, well-defended waters of the Taiwan strait would still be a huge military gamble, with success far from guaranteed. Beyond the slightly more strident tone, Mr Xi's speech does not appear to signal any dramatic change in those calculations, especially when you take into account the more conciliatory passages offering a further strengthening of trade links. If there is to be any warfare, it is likely to be of the cyber kind; China is reported to be stepping up its efforts to influence Taiwan's elections to hurt the prospects of independence-leaning parties and politicians. The hope has long been that it will be China's growing economic might, not military force, that will eventually pull Taiwan into its embrace. Taiwan is a self-governed democracy and for all practical purposes has acted as an independent nation since 1949, when China's nationalist government was defeated by communist forces and fled there from the mainland. China however considers the island to be a breakaway province - not a country in its own right - which will one day be fully reunited with the mainland. In recent years, Beijing has become increasingly assertive over its claims and what it says is a key question of national sovereignty. China, for instance, insists that other countries can only have diplomatic ties with China or Taiwan, not both. Beijing has won over more and more of Taipei's few international allies to cut diplomatic ties with the island and establish relations with China instead. Last year, it also forced foreign airlines and hotels to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2088, "answer_end": 2706, "text": "In a new year's speech on Tuesday, Ms Tsai said China must use peaceful means to resolve its differences with Taiwan and respect its democratic values. \"I would like to call on China to face squarely the reality of the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan,\" Ms Tsai said, referring to the island's formal name. China should \"respect the insistence of 23 million people on freedom and democracy, and must use peaceful, on parity means to handle our differences\", she added. In November, Ms Tsai's political party saw a heavy setback in regional elections perceived by Beijing as a blow to her separatist stance."}], "question": "What is the view in Taiwan?", "id": "22_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2707, "answer_end": 3950, "text": "Analysis by John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing The Chinese Communist Party has long spoken about unification as a matter of destiny. But President Xi is arguably the most powerful leader since Mao - now unconstrained by presidential term limits - and one who has personalised, like no other, the project for \"national rejuvenation\". So should we pay more heed when the threat to retake Taiwan by force if necessary comes from his lips? China may be a rising military superpower, but sending an invading army across the choppy, well-defended waters of the Taiwan strait would still be a huge military gamble, with success far from guaranteed. Beyond the slightly more strident tone, Mr Xi's speech does not appear to signal any dramatic change in those calculations, especially when you take into account the more conciliatory passages offering a further strengthening of trade links. If there is to be any warfare, it is likely to be of the cyber kind; China is reported to be stepping up its efforts to influence Taiwan's elections to hurt the prospects of independence-leaning parties and politicians. The hope has long been that it will be China's growing economic might, not military force, that will eventually pull Taiwan into its embrace."}], "question": "How serious is China's threat?", "id": "22_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3951, "answer_end": 4827, "text": "Taiwan is a self-governed democracy and for all practical purposes has acted as an independent nation since 1949, when China's nationalist government was defeated by communist forces and fled there from the mainland. China however considers the island to be a breakaway province - not a country in its own right - which will one day be fully reunited with the mainland. In recent years, Beijing has become increasingly assertive over its claims and what it says is a key question of national sovereignty. China, for instance, insists that other countries can only have diplomatic ties with China or Taiwan, not both. Beijing has won over more and more of Taipei's few international allies to cut diplomatic ties with the island and establish relations with China instead. Last year, it also forced foreign airlines and hotels to list Taiwan as part of China on their websites."}], "question": "Why is this so contentious?", "id": "22_2"}]}]}, {"title": "UK shipyards: Five frigates at centre of new strategy", "date": "6 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A new national shipbuilding strategy intended to benefit UK shipyards is being unveiled by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon. The government plans to buy at least five frigates, and share the work between shipyards around the UK. The first batch of new Type 31e frigates will bolster a depleted Royal Navy fleet, but it is hoped future ships will be bought by foreign navies. It comes as the Ministry of Defence aims to save billions of pounds. The new frigates would be built across different shipyards, but assembled at a central site, and ready for service by 2023. Their cost would be capped at PS250m each. By Jonathan Beale, BBC defence correspondent The strategy has been called \"ambitious\" and with reason. Will there be enough work to sustain several shipyards in the UK? Will there really be demand from abroad for British-designed warships? And can you really build a frigate for just PS250m? Defence doesn't have a great record of keeping costs under control. And that highlights a larger problem. The MoD's budget is once again in crisis. It's equipment programme has become more expensive because of a fall in the pound. It still has to find tens of billions of pounds in \"efficiency savings\". And all three services are struggling to recruit and retain key personnel. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon boasts of a growing defence budget. But the sums still don't add up. To balance the books, the MoD will need to make another round of painful defence cuts. Sir Michael told BBC Breakfast this was a \"huge opportunity\" for UK shipyards which could bid for these \"big contracts\" next year, with building expected to start the following year. \"It's a great day for the Royal Navy.\" The navy currently uses Type 23 frigates, which would be slowly phased out, added Sir Michael. They are to be replaced by eight Type 26 frigates, which are being built in Glasgow, and five of the smaller Type 31e frigates. He acknowledged previous warships had been over-budget and delivered late. But he insisted that the new approach of fixing the price at the start, as recommended by industrialist Sir John Parker in his 2016 shipbuilding review, would allow them to take advantage of the \"renaissance\" in shipbuilding. \"We have to get back to making things,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said the defence budget would increase from PS36bn this year to PS37bn next year. \"I'm determined our armed forces will have the new equipment they need,\" he added. Scottish National Party defence spokesman Stewart McDonald said the plans had \"nothing to do with ambition\". \"It is all about squeezing costs to the bone and cutting corners, and still leaves real uncertainties for the future for workers at Scottish shipyards and the communities that depend on them.\" GMB, the union for workers in the shipbuilding industry, said it would watch the government closely to see whether it \"backs its warm words with deeds\" to protect the UK's shipbuilding future. \"Without a clear commitment from government, it will be foreign competitors who will benefit from vital work that should be taking place in UK yards,\" GMB national officer Ross Murdoch warned.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 615, "answer_end": 1478, "text": "By Jonathan Beale, BBC defence correspondent The strategy has been called \"ambitious\" and with reason. Will there be enough work to sustain several shipyards in the UK? Will there really be demand from abroad for British-designed warships? And can you really build a frigate for just PS250m? Defence doesn't have a great record of keeping costs under control. And that highlights a larger problem. The MoD's budget is once again in crisis. It's equipment programme has become more expensive because of a fall in the pound. It still has to find tens of billions of pounds in \"efficiency savings\". And all three services are struggling to recruit and retain key personnel. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon boasts of a growing defence budget. But the sums still don't add up. To balance the books, the MoD will need to make another round of painful defence cuts."}], "question": "Analysis: Will the plan work?", "id": "23_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why has an Indian state imposed a 'fat tax'?", "date": "13 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Kerala is the first state in India to introduce a \"fat tax\" on burgers, pizzas, doughnuts and tacos served in branded restaurants. The recently-elected Communist government says the 14.5% tax is aimed at making people more conscious about food choices and curbing obesity. \"This is more of a preventive measure as Kerala's food habits are changing dramatically. People are eating a lot of junk food and rejecting traditional food,\" says Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. Kerala has the most number of people suffering from obesity after the northern state of Punjab in India, according to a national family health survey. With increasing affluence, lifestyle diseases are on the rise and the government aims to check this with the fat tax. But the southern state is a relatively new stop for global fast food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's and KFC. McDonald's, the world's biggest fast food chain, has only seven restaurants in Kerala and Burger King just launched its first outlet in Kochi a few weeks ago. While Burger King didn't want to comment on how this newly imposed tax will affect it, an official statement from McDonald's said the company would be studying the details of the proposal. Local cafe owners though are more vocal about the proposed tax. Isaac Alexander, owner of a popular cafe in Kochi, says the \"ambit of taxation is very narrow\". \"A lot of local food is more fatty and unhealthy. I don't think the tax is a bad thing but it has to be comprehensive and acceptable to all the stakeholders,\" says Mr Alexander. \"Otherwise it is discriminatory. Just because you serve pizza and burger doesn't mean other people are serving healthy food.\" This is a sentiment echoed by Annie Joseph, a self-professed fast food enthusiast. \"We already pay a number of taxes. This [fat tax] will just add to that. Instead the government should promote health food and bring down their prices,\" she says. But the government isn't unduly worried about the criticism and says it is targeting only the \"elite section of the society\" with this tax and that its main aim is to improve public health and get people thinking on what they eat. Levying taxes on high calorie food items and drinks is one way to rein in consumption. Denmark introduced a fat tax in 2011 but repealed it by 2013 when it found consumers shopping across the border for high fat goods. Hungary taxes foods high in sugar, salt and fat. Mexico taxes sugary drinks, breakfast cereals and sweets. In the US, battles are being fought over taxes on sugary drinks. Philadelphia became the first major city in the US to introduce a soda tax. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has plans to impose the tax on more food items, including refined flour goods and sugary drinks in the near future. \"The fight against fat has just begun,\" says minister Thomas Isaac. Supriya Menon is an independent journalist based in Kerala", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 737, "answer_end": 1918, "text": "But the southern state is a relatively new stop for global fast food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's and KFC. McDonald's, the world's biggest fast food chain, has only seven restaurants in Kerala and Burger King just launched its first outlet in Kochi a few weeks ago. While Burger King didn't want to comment on how this newly imposed tax will affect it, an official statement from McDonald's said the company would be studying the details of the proposal. Local cafe owners though are more vocal about the proposed tax. Isaac Alexander, owner of a popular cafe in Kochi, says the \"ambit of taxation is very narrow\". \"A lot of local food is more fatty and unhealthy. I don't think the tax is a bad thing but it has to be comprehensive and acceptable to all the stakeholders,\" says Mr Alexander. \"Otherwise it is discriminatory. Just because you serve pizza and burger doesn't mean other people are serving healthy food.\" This is a sentiment echoed by Annie Joseph, a self-professed fast food enthusiast. \"We already pay a number of taxes. This [fat tax] will just add to that. Instead the government should promote health food and bring down their prices,\" she says."}], "question": "Discriminatory?", "id": "24_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Paul Pogba: How much of the Man Utd player can the poorest Italians buy?", "date": "9 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "After weeks of speculation, French footballer Paul Pogba has completed a world record transfer to Manchester United from Italian club Juventus. The initial fee for the 23-year-old is EUR105m (PS89m; $116m), but the figure will rise depending on his success. The figure stands in stark contrast to other newly-released statistics in Italy. According to the statistical body Instat, the number of people living in absolutely poverty in Italy has risen to its highest point since 2005, with 7.6% of the population affected. The figures, released last month, showed that 4.6 million people were now unable to afford goods and services \"essential to avoid grave forms of social exclusion\". Italian media said some of the change could be attributed to migrant families, almost a third of whom live in absolute poverty. More than 153,000 migrants arrived in Italy last year. Back in 1992, when AC Milan broke the world transfer record to sign Gianluigi Lentini, the Vatican condemned the PS13m fee, calling it \"an offence to the dignity of work\". There's been no comment from the Vatican this time around. We broke down Italy's poverty levels relative to the cost of Pogba. - If you were single, aged between 18 and 59 and living in a village in Sardinia, you would count as poor on an income of EUR552.39 a month, meaning you would have to work for 15,840 years to afford Pogba - If you were older than 75, single, and lived in a medium-sized town in northern Italy, you would count as poor on EUR708.18 a month - and have to work for 12,355 years to afford Pogba - If you were a family of two adults and two children aged between four and 10, and lived in Rome, you would count as poor if you had a joint monthly income of EUR1,471.45 - meaning you would have to work for 5,946 years to buy a French footballer in his prime - If you were an elderly couple living in a village in southern Italy, you would be considered poor on an income of EUR686.46 a month - you would both have to work for 12,747 years to buy yourself a Pogba Pogba's salary at Old Trafford has not been publicised, but it is believed to be about EUR12m a year. When the poverty figures were released last month, Massimiliano Dona, secretary of the National Consumers' Union, called them \"a national disgrace\" which showed the government had \"not done anything to reduce inequalities and help those most in need\", La Repubblica reported. Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told the Ansa news agency the government was committed to bringing more people out of poverty, but it faced the worst financial situation in 20 years. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was appointed in 2014 after a promise to bring life back into the economy, but little improvement has been seen. He is also facing pressure over a referendum he has called for later this year to cut the powers of the Italian Senate as part of a series of planned constitutional reforms. Mr Renzi has promised to resign if he loses the vote.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1099, "answer_end": 2956, "text": "We broke down Italy's poverty levels relative to the cost of Pogba. - If you were single, aged between 18 and 59 and living in a village in Sardinia, you would count as poor on an income of EUR552.39 a month, meaning you would have to work for 15,840 years to afford Pogba - If you were older than 75, single, and lived in a medium-sized town in northern Italy, you would count as poor on EUR708.18 a month - and have to work for 12,355 years to afford Pogba - If you were a family of two adults and two children aged between four and 10, and lived in Rome, you would count as poor if you had a joint monthly income of EUR1,471.45 - meaning you would have to work for 5,946 years to buy a French footballer in his prime - If you were an elderly couple living in a village in southern Italy, you would be considered poor on an income of EUR686.46 a month - you would both have to work for 12,747 years to buy yourself a Pogba Pogba's salary at Old Trafford has not been publicised, but it is believed to be about EUR12m a year. When the poverty figures were released last month, Massimiliano Dona, secretary of the National Consumers' Union, called them \"a national disgrace\" which showed the government had \"not done anything to reduce inequalities and help those most in need\", La Repubblica reported. Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told the Ansa news agency the government was committed to bringing more people out of poverty, but it faced the worst financial situation in 20 years. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was appointed in 2014 after a promise to bring life back into the economy, but little improvement has been seen. He is also facing pressure over a referendum he has called for later this year to cut the powers of the Italian Senate as part of a series of planned constitutional reforms. Mr Renzi has promised to resign if he loses the vote."}], "question": "So how poor is poor?", "id": "25_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran plane crash: Western powers suggest missile downed jet", "date": "10 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Evidence suggests an Iranian missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed near Tehran, possibly in error, Western leaders say. Canada and the UK called for a full and thorough investigation into the crash, which killed all 176 people on board. Iran's civil aviation chief, however, said he was \"certain\" that the plane was not hit by a missile. The crash came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq. US media have speculated that the timing of the crash suggests the plane may have been mistaken for a US warplane as Iran prepared for possible US retaliation for the strikes. Victims included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians as well as nationals from Sweden, the UK, Afghanistan and Germany. CBS News quoted US intelligence sources as saying a satellite detected infrared \"blips\" of two missile launches, followed by another blip of an explosion. Meanwhile, Newsweek quoted a Pentagon and senior US intelligence officials, as well as an Iraqi intelligence official, as saying they believed Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 was hit by a Russian-made Tor missile. Video obtained by the New York Times appeared to show a missile streaking across the night sky over Tehran and then exploding on contact with a plane. About 10 seconds later a loud explosion is heard on the ground. The plane, ablaze, continues to fly. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had \"suspicions\" about what happened to the plane. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western countries to share their information about the crash. Amid tensions heightened by the US killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on 3 January, Iran initially said it would not hand over the recovered black box flight recorders to Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, or to the US. However, an Iranian official later told Reuters the US had been formally invited to take part in the investigation, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it had assigned an investigator. Boeing said it would support the NTSB in the inquiry, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it had also been invited to the accident site by Tehran. Under global aviation rules Iran has the right to lead the investigation, but manufacturers are typically involved. Iranian TV pictures later in the day showed the crash site being bulldozed. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received intelligence from multiple sources indicating that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it was possible that this was unintentional. \"This reinforces the need for a thorough investigation,\" he said. \"Canadians have questions and they deserve answers.\" But he said it was too early to apportion blame or draw any conclusions, and refused to go into detail about the evidence. The Canadians on the flight were expecting to fly on to Toronto from Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Mr Trudeau's words and said Britain was working closely with Canada and other international partners affected by the crash. Speaking in Canada, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said British nationals were advised not to travel to Iran, \"given the body of information that UIA Flight 752 was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, and the heightened tensions\". Newsweek quoted sources as saying that Iran's anti-aircraft systems were probably active following its attacks on the US airbases. Two Pentagon officials had assessed that the incident was accidental, Newsweek added. Earlier on Thursday, Oleksiy Danylov, the secretary of Ukraine's security and defence council, said in a Facebook post (in Ukrainian) that a Tor missile strike was one of four possible causes being considered: The others are: - A mid-air collision with a drone or other flying object - Engine destruction/explosion due to technical reasons - An explosion inside the plane as a result of a terror attack Mr Danylov said Ukrainian investigators, who are already in Iran, would include experts who worked on the investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine. At a news conference on Friday, Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh repeated his view that a missile was not the cause of the crash. \"The thing that is clear to us and that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile,\" he told reporters. \"As I said last night, this plane for more than one and a half minutes was on fire and was in the air and the location shows that the pilot was attempting to return.\" On Friday, government spokesman Ali Rabiei described the reports of a missile strike as \"psychological warfare\". A pattern of disturbing indications is emerging suggesting that Flight PS752 may well have been shot down by mistake by Iran's own air defences. While it is not unprecedented for air defence systems in conflict zones to shoot down airliners, this would be an extraordinary error. The aircraft had only just taken off from an international airport; it was a scheduled flight; and it should easily have been recognisable. However, precisely what the operators of the Russian-supplied, Soviet-era Tor - or SA-15/Gauntlet system as it is known by Nato - would have seen is unclear. All this is hugely embarrassing for the Iranian authorities and is only going to complicate the politics involved in getting to the bottom of this tragedy. Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv had 167 passengers and nine Ukrainian crew on board. There was good visibility when the plane went down near Iran's capital, according to the Flightradar24 aviation website. Officials from the airline said the crew were experienced. Iran's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian. That would suggest that 65 of the foreign nationals had dual nationalities. The Ukrainian airline gave a helpline number for further information about passengers: +38-044-581-50-19.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1620, "answer_end": 2418, "text": "Amid tensions heightened by the US killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on 3 January, Iran initially said it would not hand over the recovered black box flight recorders to Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, or to the US. However, an Iranian official later told Reuters the US had been formally invited to take part in the investigation, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it had assigned an investigator. Boeing said it would support the NTSB in the inquiry, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it had also been invited to the accident site by Tehran. Under global aviation rules Iran has the right to lead the investigation, but manufacturers are typically involved. Iranian TV pictures later in the day showed the crash site being bulldozed."}], "question": "Who will investigate?", "id": "26_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2419, "answer_end": 4189, "text": "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received intelligence from multiple sources indicating that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it was possible that this was unintentional. \"This reinforces the need for a thorough investigation,\" he said. \"Canadians have questions and they deserve answers.\" But he said it was too early to apportion blame or draw any conclusions, and refused to go into detail about the evidence. The Canadians on the flight were expecting to fly on to Toronto from Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Mr Trudeau's words and said Britain was working closely with Canada and other international partners affected by the crash. Speaking in Canada, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said British nationals were advised not to travel to Iran, \"given the body of information that UIA Flight 752 was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, and the heightened tensions\". Newsweek quoted sources as saying that Iran's anti-aircraft systems were probably active following its attacks on the US airbases. Two Pentagon officials had assessed that the incident was accidental, Newsweek added. Earlier on Thursday, Oleksiy Danylov, the secretary of Ukraine's security and defence council, said in a Facebook post (in Ukrainian) that a Tor missile strike was one of four possible causes being considered: The others are: - A mid-air collision with a drone or other flying object - Engine destruction/explosion due to technical reasons - An explosion inside the plane as a result of a terror attack Mr Danylov said Ukrainian investigators, who are already in Iran, would include experts who worked on the investigation into the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine."}], "question": "What's been said about the possible missile strike?", "id": "26_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4190, "answer_end": 4759, "text": "At a news conference on Friday, Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh repeated his view that a missile was not the cause of the crash. \"The thing that is clear to us and that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile,\" he told reporters. \"As I said last night, this plane for more than one and a half minutes was on fire and was in the air and the location shows that the pilot was attempting to return.\" On Friday, government spokesman Ali Rabiei described the reports of a missile strike as \"psychological warfare\"."}], "question": "What does Iran say?", "id": "26_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5494, "answer_end": 6034, "text": "Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv had 167 passengers and nine Ukrainian crew on board. There was good visibility when the plane went down near Iran's capital, according to the Flightradar24 aviation website. Officials from the airline said the crew were experienced. Iran's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian. That would suggest that 65 of the foreign nationals had dual nationalities. The Ukrainian airline gave a helpline number for further information about passengers: +38-044-581-50-19."}], "question": "What do we know?", "id": "26_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Snow emergency in US city Erie after huge storm", "date": "27 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A record-breaking snowfall of more than 60 inches (150 cm) has hit the Pennsylvanian city of Erie over the Christmas period, with even more said to be on the way. The city has declared a citywide emergency as a result of the storm, which began on Sunday. New York, northern Ohio and northern Michigan are also heavily hit. Forecasters say the extreme weather is caused by very cold air passing over the unfrozen Great Lakes. \"We're used to snow, don't get me wrong,\" Erie's mayor, Joe Sinnott, told the New York Times. \"But this amount, trying to deal with this, is very atypical.\" Police in Pennsylvania warned motorists that \"roads are dangerous and impassable\", with a number of closures reported. In neighbouring Ohio, North Kingsville piled up 18.5 inches of snow in just 12 hours, according to the Weather Channel. In fact, a number of them were. The National Weather Center said that Christmas Day in Erie brought a new all-time high for any single day (34in), beating the previous record set in 1956 (22in). Pennsylvania's two-day snowfall record from 1944 was also shattered. A number of cars and homes were buried in snow, with some residents having to shovel their way out. Shops and childcare centres were closed. Some flights to and from Erie International airport were cancelled. The airport has seen 63.8in of snow since Christmas Eve, according to the National Weather Center. Meanwhile, social media users have been publishing pictures from across the Great Lakes region.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 821, "answer_end": 1084, "text": "In fact, a number of them were. The National Weather Center said that Christmas Day in Erie brought a new all-time high for any single day (34in), beating the previous record set in 1956 (22in). Pennsylvania's two-day snowfall record from 1944 was also shattered."}], "question": "So, what snow records were smashed?", "id": "27_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1085, "answer_end": 1488, "text": "A number of cars and homes were buried in snow, with some residents having to shovel their way out. Shops and childcare centres were closed. Some flights to and from Erie International airport were cancelled. The airport has seen 63.8in of snow since Christmas Eve, according to the National Weather Center. Meanwhile, social media users have been publishing pictures from across the Great Lakes region."}], "question": "How are local residents affected?", "id": "27_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Supreme Court: Ex-PM's lawyer argues against prorogation", "date": "19 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson suspended Parliament to stop MPs \"interfering\" in Brexit, said the lawyer of former PM Sir John Major. The three-day Supreme Court hearing on whether the decision to prorogue was unlawful has finished its final day. The President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, said the justices would announce a decision early next week. The government argues prorogation is not a matter for the courts, but critics say the PM is trying to stop MPs scrutinising Brexit policy. In July, Sir John said he would be prepared to seek a judicial review if the new PM attempted to suspend Parliament. He later joined the case brought by campaigner Gina Miller to avoid \"taking up the court's time\". In a submission to the court, the government said that if judges ruled against the PM, it would \"still either be open or not open to the prime minister to consider a further prorogation\". When asked if he would prorogue Parliament again, the prime minister said he would \"wait to see what transpires\". It feels like we are completely through the looking glass. We have a prime minister who stands accused of misleading the monarch and undermining Parliament. Coming to assist the case against the current prime minister, the former Conservative Prime Minister Sir John Major. In very bold and strong terms he is accusing Boris Johnson of having misled the Queen and suggesting his true purpose was entirely political, in the sense that he wished to shut down debate in Parliament. There was much criticism that there hasn't been a witness statement from the government setting out the true reasons for prorogation. Sir John's lawyer Lord Garnier said the ex-prime minister did not \"believe the documents given to the court provide the true reason for prorogation\" and that \"it would be justifiable for the court to infer his true intentions\". He is basically saying: \"Look at the evidence. It is extraordinarily sketchy. Draw your own conclusion.\" Summing up for the government, Lord Keen QC continued to argue that the suspension of Parliament was a political matter. He told the panel of 11 justices that prorogation was \"forbidden territory, which is a matter between the executive and Parliament\", and MPs \"had the tools\" to change the law if they did not like it. Lord Keen added: \"How in the context of that political minefield is the court to opine on the issue of purpose or improper purpose [of prorogation], legitimate purpose or illegitimate purpose... how are these concepts to be defined or applied? \"The applicants are inviting the justices into forbidden territory and an ill-defined minefield, and the courts are not properly equipped to [deal with it].\" But Lord Pannick QC summed up his case against suspending Parliament by saying the scrutiny of MPs in the run-up to the Brexit deadline at the end of October was \"of vital importance\". He said that the length of the prorogation \"was motivated, or at least strongly influenced\" by Mr Johnson's belief that Parliament was \"a threat to the implementation of his policies\". The crossbench peer called for the judges - if they ruled against the government - to \"make a declaration that the prime minister's advice to the Queen [to prorogue Parliament] was unlawful and to make a declaration as soon as possible\". And, if that declaration was made, that Mr Johnson recalls Parliament next week. Speaking on behalf of Sir John, Lord Garnier QC said there was evidence that the decision to suspend Parliament was \"motivated by a desire to prevent Parliament interfering with the prime minister's policies during that period\". He argued that prorogation did not just stop MPs from sitting in the House of Commons, but prevented it from carrying out other functions such as putting questions to ministers. The court began hearing submissions on behalf of the Scottish government at 10:30 BST, followed by lawyers for the Northern Ireland victims' campaigner Raymond McCord and then the Welsh government. The Scottish government's Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC said prorogation was taking place at a \"time-critical period\" when the government's decisions would be \"monumental\". He said any decision to prorogue had to have \"cogent justification\". In a written submission, the Scottish government said prorogation would have a \"profoundly intrusive effect\" on Parliament. Ronan Lavery QC, representing Mr McCord, urged the court to look at the impact prorogation would have on Northern Ireland. He said it was designed to \"run down the clock\" towards a no-deal Brexit which would lead to \"the erection of the border\" on the island of Ireland. Supreme Court president Lady Hale said the court was \"solely concerned\" with the lawfulnesss of the prime minister's decision to prorogue Parliament, not arguments about the nature of Brexit. Another justice, Lord Wilson, later warned Mr Lavery not to \"abuse our politeness or Lady Hale's patience\" by making arguments about Brexit. In a written submission, shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti said if the government's power to prorogue Parliament were left \"unchecked\" MPs would be \"deprived\" of the ability to \"perform their constitutional function\". The Supreme Court is hearing two appeals. The first is led by businesswoman Ms Miller who is appealing against the English High Court's decision to throw out a challenge to prorogation. The judges said the decision to suspend Parliament was \"not a matter\" for the judiciary. The second comes from the government who are appealing against Scotland's Court of Session ruling that prorogation was \"unlawful\" and used to \"stymie\" Parliament. This challenge against the government was brought by 75 parliamentarians including the SNP MP Joanna Cherry. Arguing on behalf of Ms Miller on the first day, Lord Pannick QC said there was \"strong evidence\" the PM wanted to \"silence\" Parliament. However government lawyer Lord Keen QC argued that previous governments had prorogued Parliament to \"pursue a particular political objective\" and they were \"entitled to do so\". On the second day the court heard from government lawyer Sir James Eadie QC who said the issue was not a matter for the courts. He also argued that suspension had not silenced MPs because they had already managed to pass a bill blocking a no-deal Brexit, despite the prorogation dates. In the afternoon session, Aidan O'Neil QC said the decision had been carried out \"in bad faith\", and \"for an improper purpose\". Lady Hale said the judgement would be delivered early next week. One senior government source told the BBC's political editor No 10 believed the Supreme Court would judge that prorogation was a matter for the courts and would \"fire warning shots about how a government should not use this to close Parliament illegitimately\". However, Laura Kuenssberg said according to the source, No 10 did not believe the court would unravel their plan for a Queen's Speech next month.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1940, "answer_end": 5155, "text": "Summing up for the government, Lord Keen QC continued to argue that the suspension of Parliament was a political matter. He told the panel of 11 justices that prorogation was \"forbidden territory, which is a matter between the executive and Parliament\", and MPs \"had the tools\" to change the law if they did not like it. Lord Keen added: \"How in the context of that political minefield is the court to opine on the issue of purpose or improper purpose [of prorogation], legitimate purpose or illegitimate purpose... how are these concepts to be defined or applied? \"The applicants are inviting the justices into forbidden territory and an ill-defined minefield, and the courts are not properly equipped to [deal with it].\" But Lord Pannick QC summed up his case against suspending Parliament by saying the scrutiny of MPs in the run-up to the Brexit deadline at the end of October was \"of vital importance\". He said that the length of the prorogation \"was motivated, or at least strongly influenced\" by Mr Johnson's belief that Parliament was \"a threat to the implementation of his policies\". The crossbench peer called for the judges - if they ruled against the government - to \"make a declaration that the prime minister's advice to the Queen [to prorogue Parliament] was unlawful and to make a declaration as soon as possible\". And, if that declaration was made, that Mr Johnson recalls Parliament next week. Speaking on behalf of Sir John, Lord Garnier QC said there was evidence that the decision to suspend Parliament was \"motivated by a desire to prevent Parliament interfering with the prime minister's policies during that period\". He argued that prorogation did not just stop MPs from sitting in the House of Commons, but prevented it from carrying out other functions such as putting questions to ministers. The court began hearing submissions on behalf of the Scottish government at 10:30 BST, followed by lawyers for the Northern Ireland victims' campaigner Raymond McCord and then the Welsh government. The Scottish government's Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC said prorogation was taking place at a \"time-critical period\" when the government's decisions would be \"monumental\". He said any decision to prorogue had to have \"cogent justification\". In a written submission, the Scottish government said prorogation would have a \"profoundly intrusive effect\" on Parliament. Ronan Lavery QC, representing Mr McCord, urged the court to look at the impact prorogation would have on Northern Ireland. He said it was designed to \"run down the clock\" towards a no-deal Brexit which would lead to \"the erection of the border\" on the island of Ireland. Supreme Court president Lady Hale said the court was \"solely concerned\" with the lawfulnesss of the prime minister's decision to prorogue Parliament, not arguments about the nature of Brexit. Another justice, Lord Wilson, later warned Mr Lavery not to \"abuse our politeness or Lady Hale's patience\" by making arguments about Brexit. In a written submission, shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti said if the government's power to prorogue Parliament were left \"unchecked\" MPs would be \"deprived\" of the ability to \"perform their constitutional function\"."}], "question": "What happened today?", "id": "28_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5156, "answer_end": 5702, "text": "The Supreme Court is hearing two appeals. The first is led by businesswoman Ms Miller who is appealing against the English High Court's decision to throw out a challenge to prorogation. The judges said the decision to suspend Parliament was \"not a matter\" for the judiciary. The second comes from the government who are appealing against Scotland's Court of Session ruling that prorogation was \"unlawful\" and used to \"stymie\" Parliament. This challenge against the government was brought by 75 parliamentarians including the SNP MP Joanna Cherry."}], "question": "What is the court considering?", "id": "28_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5703, "answer_end": 6430, "text": "Arguing on behalf of Ms Miller on the first day, Lord Pannick QC said there was \"strong evidence\" the PM wanted to \"silence\" Parliament. However government lawyer Lord Keen QC argued that previous governments had prorogued Parliament to \"pursue a particular political objective\" and they were \"entitled to do so\". On the second day the court heard from government lawyer Sir James Eadie QC who said the issue was not a matter for the courts. He also argued that suspension had not silenced MPs because they had already managed to pass a bill blocking a no-deal Brexit, despite the prorogation dates. In the afternoon session, Aidan O'Neil QC said the decision had been carried out \"in bad faith\", and \"for an improper purpose\"."}], "question": "What has happened so far?", "id": "28_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6431, "answer_end": 6902, "text": "Lady Hale said the judgement would be delivered early next week. One senior government source told the BBC's political editor No 10 believed the Supreme Court would judge that prorogation was a matter for the courts and would \"fire warning shots about how a government should not use this to close Parliament illegitimately\". However, Laura Kuenssberg said according to the source, No 10 did not believe the court would unravel their plan for a Queen's Speech next month."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "28_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sakhalin memories: Japanese stranded by war in the USSR", "date": "3 August 2011", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"My mother always said she wanted her children to return and live in Japan,\" says 61-year-old Fumiko Furihato, whose family was stranded in Soviet territory at the end of World War II. Ms Furihato, who now lives in the Japanese city of Sapporo, cannot talk about her father and mother without bursting into tears. She spent most of her life living on Sakhalin - a 1,000km-long (600 miles) island that Japan ceded to the Soviet Union after the war. The southern half of the island was part of Japan from 1905 to 1945, a thriving outpost of the empire, and home to hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Ms Furihato's father Tosikatsu worked on a lighthouse on Sakhalin. When Soviet troops invaded in August 1945, her father had to stay behind because of his work, and the family missed the last boat out. \"My father was in complete shock at first,\" says Ms Furihato, sobbing while she speaks. \"He obviously missed Japan a lot. He was always listening to Japanese radio and I could see tears in his eyes. But I felt particularly sorry for my mother, who had to bring up eight children and didn't even have enough time to learn Russian.\" As the Soviet Union consolidated its control on Sakhalin in the late 1940s, life was extremely difficult for the Japanese citizens left behind. The Furihato family lived in one room in an old barracks. Occasionally, by agreement, the Japanese government would send a ship to collect some stranded citizens, but the Furihatos were often unaware of the sailings. On one occasion they did hear about a boat, but one of the children had a badly broken leg and could not travel. Ms Furihato's mother, Yo, decided that all the family should stay behind. \"My mother once told me when I was an adult how sorry she was that we weren't able to return to the land of our ancestors, and had to grow up in Sakhalin,\" says Ms Furihato. When the Soviet Union collapsed, she did return to Japan. She now lives with her Ukrainian husband and their two daughters in a small subsidised flat in Sapporo, the main city on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. At the nearest point Hokkaido and Sakhalin are only 40km apart, but she has never been back to the island where she was brought up. Sakhalin is no longer a flashpoint in Russia-Japan relations, but the two countries are still locked in a poisonous dispute over some of the islands in the nearby Kuril chain. Sakhalin's prospects have been severely hampered by the row. Transport links between Japan and Sakhalin are few - just two flights and two ferries a week in summer. And trade in the area is limited - consisting mostly of natural gas going from Russia to Japan, and old ships piled high with used cars going in the other direction. The ferry journey across the La Perouse strait takes about five hours - from a neat small Japanese port in Hokkaido to a run-down Russian facility where the remains of the once-thriving fishing fleet lie rusting in the shallows. Between 1905 and 1945, the Japanese invested heavily in southern Sakhalin, which they called Karafuto. They built railways and factories including a big pulp and paper plant. But apart from the narrow-gauge railway track, there is little evidence left of their presence. The only significant Japanese building remaining in the island's capital Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is now the regional museum. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, with a population of about 180,000, is the biggest city on Sakhalin. An eight-hour flight from Moscow, it is a typical Soviet city, with a few wide avenues and hundreds of residential blocks packed with claustrophobic flats. The infrastructure looks poor, and there is little hint of the gas wealth offshore. The city feels completely Russian, though the damp Pacific climate and the lush foliage on Sakhalin feel like Asia. Outside the city much of Sakhalin is untouched forest under grey clouds. In summer the rivers teem with salmon returning to spawn. If World War II had ended a few weeks earlier, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk could well have been a shiny bustling Japanese metropolis today, and southern Sakhalin would be criss-crossed with modern railways and roads. Although those developments never took place, the story of the Japanese on the island continues. Some of those left behind when Japan's imperial army withdrew still live on Sakhalin. Yelena Kon, 67, is the director of Furusato, a Japanese restaurant in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It is one of the new Japanese-owned businesses that are starting to open once more on Sakhalin. Her mother had moved to Sakhalin in the 1930s and married a Korean. He was not welcome in Japan when the war ended, so they stayed and became Soviet citizens. If they had thought he was safe on Sakhalin, they were wrong. In 1946 he was detained and taken to the Gulag in Siberia where he stayed until he was released in 1953. Ms Kon still remembers it vividly: \"At school I really suffered because my mother was Japanese and my father was a political prisoner.\" Her uncle came over from Japan to take the family home, but she refused to leave because her husband was still being held in Siberia. \"My mother once told me we would have had a very different life if we had left when my father was in prison. It was very hard for her to survive with three children to feed,\" she says. She has never told her story before. \"I never thought I would tell these secrets about my family. I was scared. All my life I was just very scared.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2197, "answer_end": 4104, "text": "Sakhalin is no longer a flashpoint in Russia-Japan relations, but the two countries are still locked in a poisonous dispute over some of the islands in the nearby Kuril chain. Sakhalin's prospects have been severely hampered by the row. Transport links between Japan and Sakhalin are few - just two flights and two ferries a week in summer. And trade in the area is limited - consisting mostly of natural gas going from Russia to Japan, and old ships piled high with used cars going in the other direction. The ferry journey across the La Perouse strait takes about five hours - from a neat small Japanese port in Hokkaido to a run-down Russian facility where the remains of the once-thriving fishing fleet lie rusting in the shallows. Between 1905 and 1945, the Japanese invested heavily in southern Sakhalin, which they called Karafuto. They built railways and factories including a big pulp and paper plant. But apart from the narrow-gauge railway track, there is little evidence left of their presence. The only significant Japanese building remaining in the island's capital Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is now the regional museum. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, with a population of about 180,000, is the biggest city on Sakhalin. An eight-hour flight from Moscow, it is a typical Soviet city, with a few wide avenues and hundreds of residential blocks packed with claustrophobic flats. The infrastructure looks poor, and there is little hint of the gas wealth offshore. The city feels completely Russian, though the damp Pacific climate and the lush foliage on Sakhalin feel like Asia. Outside the city much of Sakhalin is untouched forest under grey clouds. In summer the rivers teem with salmon returning to spawn. If World War II had ended a few weeks earlier, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk could well have been a shiny bustling Japanese metropolis today, and southern Sakhalin would be criss-crossed with modern railways and roads."}], "question": "Bright future denied?", "id": "29_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia fires: PM admits mistakes in handling of crisis", "date": "12 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has expressed regret over his handling of the bushfire crisis ravaging the country. The PM has faced mounting criticism over his government's response to the bushfires and its climate policy. Since September, bushfires have killed at least 28 people and destroyed thousands of homes. On Sunday, Mr Morrison conceded there were \"things I could have handled on the ground much better\". In recent weeks, Mr Morrison has been heckled by locals when visiting fire-hit communities in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, where the worst blazes are concentrated. In the town of Cobargo in New South Wales, one woman demanded more resources for the fire service, while others called Mr Morrison an \"idiot\" and said \"you won't be getting any votes down here\". \"These are sensitive environments, they are very emotional environments,\" Mr Morrison said in a TV interview with ABC. \"Prime ministers are flesh and blood too in how they engage with these people.\" Acknowledging the pressure fire services were facing, Mr Morrison said there was a \"new appetite\" for the government to take a more direct role in responding to the disaster. The PM said he would seek a royal commission review - a type of public inquiry - into the country's response to the bushfire crisis. Last month, Mr Morrison was criticised for going on holiday to Hawaii as the bushfire crisis worsened. The rising public anger at his absence eventually forced him to cut that trip short. Mr Morrison's government has been accused of not doing enough to address climate change, which experts say could increase the intensity, frequency and scale of bushfires. But in the interview, the PM defended his government's approach, which he said took into account the effect of climate change on the bushfires. \"We're living in longer, hotter, drier summers,\" the PM said. \"This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate.\" Pressed on his plan to reduce carbon emissions, Mr Morrison insisted his government was on track to \"meet and beat\" its targets. Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has pledged to cut emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. However, Mr Morrison said a \"global solution\" was needed to tackle climate change. Tens of thousands of people across Australia took part in climate change protests on Friday. In cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, demonstrators turned out to press Mr Morrison's government to make a quick transition away from fossil fuels. Bushfire conditions eased on Saturday, giving firefighters temporary respite in areas where blazes are still raging. But with more hot weather expected next week, the risk was far from over, authorities warned. Authorities have warned that the huge fires, spurred by high temperatures, wind and a three-year-drought, will persist until there is substantial rainfall. More than 123 fires are still burning across New South Wales, with 50 said to be uncontained. According to NSW Rural Fire Service, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed so far during this fire season. In Victoria, there were 32 bushfire warnings in place as of Saturday. A firefighter died while tackling a blaze in the state on Saturday, bringing the death toll from this season's bushfires to 28.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1495, "answer_end": 2523, "text": "Mr Morrison's government has been accused of not doing enough to address climate change, which experts say could increase the intensity, frequency and scale of bushfires. But in the interview, the PM defended his government's approach, which he said took into account the effect of climate change on the bushfires. \"We're living in longer, hotter, drier summers,\" the PM said. \"This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate.\" Pressed on his plan to reduce carbon emissions, Mr Morrison insisted his government was on track to \"meet and beat\" its targets. Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has pledged to cut emissions by 26% to 28% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. However, Mr Morrison said a \"global solution\" was needed to tackle climate change. Tens of thousands of people across Australia took part in climate change protests on Friday. In cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, demonstrators turned out to press Mr Morrison's government to make a quick transition away from fossil fuels."}], "question": "What did the PM say about climate change?", "id": "30_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2524, "answer_end": 3293, "text": "Bushfire conditions eased on Saturday, giving firefighters temporary respite in areas where blazes are still raging. But with more hot weather expected next week, the risk was far from over, authorities warned. Authorities have warned that the huge fires, spurred by high temperatures, wind and a three-year-drought, will persist until there is substantial rainfall. More than 123 fires are still burning across New South Wales, with 50 said to be uncontained. According to NSW Rural Fire Service, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed so far during this fire season. In Victoria, there were 32 bushfire warnings in place as of Saturday. A firefighter died while tackling a blaze in the state on Saturday, bringing the death toll from this season's bushfires to 28."}], "question": "What is the current situation with the fires?", "id": "30_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Watchdog calls on Ryanair to compensate customers", "date": "26 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has called on Ryanair to compensate passengers affected by staff strikes this week. The CAA argued Ryanair was bound by EU law, but the airline said it would reject any claims. Ryanair has cancelled 150, or about 6% of its 2,400 scheduled flights this Friday. The airline said this was due to strikes in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany. About 24,000 customers have been affected, a Ryanair spokeswoman said. Under EU Regulation 261, travellers are entitled to a refund or new flight if their trip is cancelled. Compensation of between EUR125 (PS110) and EUR600 (PS540) can also be claimed if a flight is cancelled within 14 days of departure and if this is deemed to be the airline's fault. This includes staff strikes. But airlines can refuse to pay out for \"extraordinary circumstances\" including bad weather or strikes by air traffic controllers. The CAA said Ryanair should pay compensation because the strikes were being held by Ryanair staff, making the airline legally liable. However, Ryanair said this week's strikes had been spurred by \"competitor airline crew, unions and lobby groups\" and thereby count as \"extraordinary circumstances\". \"No compensation is payable to customers when the delay/cancellation is beyond the airline's control,\" Ryanair said in a statement. \"In recent years during which there were over 15 days of pilot and cabin crew strikes in Germany, Lufthansa was not required to pay EU261 compensation. Similarly, the UK CAA should also explain why it took no action against BA during last year's cabin crew strikes.\" Many passengers have voiced their concerns on social media after Ryanair announced the cancellations earlier this week. Airlines must provide food and drink (or vouchers for them) for anyone delayed more than two hours or a short-haul flight, three hours on a medium haul or four hours on long haul. If delayed overnight, travellers are entitled to accommodation and the airline must provide transport to and from it. Additionally, airlines may reimburse the cost of any relevant phone calls made due to the delay. However \"consequential losses\" such as for pre-paid accommodation are not covered. \"If Ryanair say no, it's not the end of the line for passengers,\" says Megan French of MoneySavingExpert. Both she and the CAA recommend travellers take their case to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler, if their initial claim for compensation is rejected. During strikes by Ryanair staff earlier this year, Aviation ADR said it had ruled in favour of passengers for every complaint.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1724, "answer_end": 2201, "text": "Airlines must provide food and drink (or vouchers for them) for anyone delayed more than two hours or a short-haul flight, three hours on a medium haul or four hours on long haul. If delayed overnight, travellers are entitled to accommodation and the airline must provide transport to and from it. Additionally, airlines may reimburse the cost of any relevant phone calls made due to the delay. However \"consequential losses\" such as for pre-paid accommodation are not covered."}], "question": "Can passengers claim for any other costs?", "id": "31_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2202, "answer_end": 2604, "text": "\"If Ryanair say no, it's not the end of the line for passengers,\" says Megan French of MoneySavingExpert. Both she and the CAA recommend travellers take their case to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler, if their initial claim for compensation is rejected. During strikes by Ryanair staff earlier this year, Aviation ADR said it had ruled in favour of passengers for every complaint."}], "question": "Will a compensation claim be successful?", "id": "31_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Jerusalem: Opposition to mooted Trump Israel announcement grows", "date": "4 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Opposition is growing in the Arab and wider Muslim world as Donald Trump is expected to announce US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Reports say the president will make the statement this week but will further delay acting on a campaign pledge to move the US embassy to the city. The head of the Arab League, Turkey, Jordan and the Palestinian leader have warned of consequences of the move. The city's fate is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Arabs. The Israeli government has not publicly commented on the anticipated announcement by Mr Trump. A deadline for Donald Trump to sign a waiver delaying the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem expires on Monday. Every president, including Mr Trump, has signed the waiver every six months since US Congress passed an act in 1995 calling for the embassy to be moved. Mr Trump repeatedly pledged during his election campaign to move the embassy, and while he has said it was still his intention, he has not yet done so. There are signs however he will make a statement on Wednesday announcing Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel while holding off moving the embassy. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, who are backed by the rest of the Arab and wider Islamic world. The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem. Israel occupied the area in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries, including Israel's closest ally the US, maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital. Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. If the US recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, it will put it out-of-step with the rest of the international community and reinforce Israel's position that settlements in the east are valid Israeli communities. It would also raise a question over how the US will treat resolutions dealing with East Jerusalem at the UN. The US has a power of veto and could use this to block future motions critical of Israeli policy in the east. There is growing anger towards Washington among its allies in the Middle East. Jordan, the custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, has warned of \"grave consequences\" if Donald Trump goes ahead, and has called for an emergency meeting of key regional and Islamic blocs the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to discuss the issue. Arab League chief Abul Gheit warned such a move would \"nourish fanaticism and violence\". Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag described it as a \"major catastrophe\" which would \"completely destroy the fragile peace process\" and lead to new conflicts. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has contacted world leaders urging them to intervene, saying \"such a US decision would destroy the peace process and drag the region into further instability\". The US has brokered decades of on-off peace talks, and the Trump administration is formulating fresh peace proposals - but recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would compromise Washington's neutrality in the eyes of the Palestinians. It remains uncertain though whether the president will recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. The White House has neither confirmed nor denied his intention, and in a rare public speech on Sunday his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner refused to be drawn on the issue. \"The president is going to make his decision and he's still looking at a lot of different facts,\" he told the Saban Forum in Washington. \"When he makes his decision he'll be the one to want to tell you, not me,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1189, "answer_end": 2586, "text": "The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, who are backed by the rest of the Arab and wider Islamic world. The city is home to key religious sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, especially in East Jerusalem. Israel occupied the area in the 1967 Middle East war and regards the entire city as its indivisible capital. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries, including Israel's closest ally the US, maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital. Since 1967, Israel has built a dozen settlements, home to about 200,000 Jews, in East Jerusalem. These are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. If the US recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, it will put it out-of-step with the rest of the international community and reinforce Israel's position that settlements in the east are valid Israeli communities. It would also raise a question over how the US will treat resolutions dealing with East Jerusalem at the UN. The US has a power of veto and could use this to block future motions critical of Israeli policy in the east."}], "question": "What's so contentious about the move?", "id": "32_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2587, "answer_end": 3636, "text": "There is growing anger towards Washington among its allies in the Middle East. Jordan, the custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, has warned of \"grave consequences\" if Donald Trump goes ahead, and has called for an emergency meeting of key regional and Islamic blocs the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to discuss the issue. Arab League chief Abul Gheit warned such a move would \"nourish fanaticism and violence\". Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag described it as a \"major catastrophe\" which would \"completely destroy the fragile peace process\" and lead to new conflicts. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has contacted world leaders urging them to intervene, saying \"such a US decision would destroy the peace process and drag the region into further instability\". The US has brokered decades of on-off peace talks, and the Trump administration is formulating fresh peace proposals - but recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would compromise Washington's neutrality in the eyes of the Palestinians."}], "question": "What has been the international reaction?", "id": "32_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3637, "answer_end": 4135, "text": "It remains uncertain though whether the president will recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. The White House has neither confirmed nor denied his intention, and in a rare public speech on Sunday his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner refused to be drawn on the issue. \"The president is going to make his decision and he's still looking at a lot of different facts,\" he told the Saban Forum in Washington. \"When he makes his decision he'll be the one to want to tell you, not me,\" he said."}], "question": "Will Donald Trump definitely make the announcement?", "id": "32_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US notifies UN of Paris climate deal pullout", "date": "5 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Trump administration has issued its first written notification that the US intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. But in the notice to the United Nations the US state department said Washington would remain in the talks process. President Donald Trump drew international condemnation in June when he first announced the US intention to withdraw. He said the deal \"punished\" the US and would cost millions of American jobs. Friday's announcement is seen as largely symbolic as no nation seeking to leave the pact can officially announce an intention to withdraw until 4 November 2019. The process of leaving then takes another year, meaning it would not be complete until just weeks after the US presidential election in 2020. Any new US president could then decide to rejoin the agreement. \"Today, the United States submitted a communication to the United Nations in its capacity as depositary for the Paris Agreement regarding the US intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as it is eligible to do so,\" the US statement read. \"The United States will continue to participate in international climate change negotiations and meetings... to protect US interests and ensure all future policy options remain open to the administration.\" In June, Mr Trump indicated he was open to another climate deal \"on terms that are fair to the United States\". However, key signatories to the accord quickly ruled that out. The Paris Agreement took decades to finalise. The US stance on climate change also caused divisions at the G20 summit in Germany last month. A joint summit statement said it \"took note of the decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the Paris Agreement\". However, leaders of the other G20 members agreed the accord was \"irreversible\". Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry, transportation, agriculture and other areas into the atmosphere. The Paris accord aims to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions. Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up. Countries agreed to: - Keep global temperatures \"well below\" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and \"endeavour to limit\" them even more, to 1.5C - Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100 - Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge - Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing \"climate finance\" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says the world's average temperature has risen by about 0.8C since 1880, two-thirds of that since 1975. US think tank Climate Interactive predicts that if all nations fully achieve their Paris pledges, the average global surface temperature rise by 2100 will be 3.3C, or 3.6C without the US.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1795, "answer_end": 3021, "text": "Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry, transportation, agriculture and other areas into the atmosphere. The Paris accord aims to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions. Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign up. Countries agreed to: - Keep global temperatures \"well below\" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and \"endeavour to limit\" them even more, to 1.5C - Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100 - Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge - Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing \"climate finance\" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies says the world's average temperature has risen by about 0.8C since 1880, two-thirds of that since 1975. US think tank Climate Interactive predicts that if all nations fully achieve their Paris pledges, the average global surface temperature rise by 2100 will be 3.3C, or 3.6C without the US."}], "question": "What was agreed in Paris?", "id": "33_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump: Republican donors the Koch brothers 'a total joke'", "date": "31 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has launched a stinging attack on Republican mega-donors Charles and David Koch, labelling them a \"total joke\". His tweets come after a spokesman for the brothers' network accused the White House of stoking divisiveness. Mr Trump said on Tuesday he has \"beaten them [the Kochs] at every turn\". On Monday, the Koch network caused a stir by refusing to back a Republican candidate in North Dakota, which voted overwhelmingly for Mr Trump. Americans For Prosperity, the political and policy arm of the Koch network, declined to support congressman Kevin Cramer's bid to unseat politically vulnerable Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp. The organisation cited Mr Cramer's support for a mammoth congressional spending bill this year and his failure to challenge White House policy on trade and global duties. At a gathering of the Koch-backed Seminar Network over the weekend in Colorado Springs, its co-chairman Brian Hooks lamented the \"tremendous lack of leadership\" in Washington. He said the \"divisiveness of this White House is causing long-term damage\". Charles Koch himself stopped short of blaming the president for the partisan rancour. \"We've had divisiveness long before Trump became president and we'll have it long after he's no longer president,\" the billionaire industrialist told reporters. \"I'm into hating the sin, not the sinner.\" Donors at the conference indicated they would spend as much as $400m (PS304m) on the US mid-term elections this November. Relations have been fraying between the Republican president and the Kochs recently. Last month they launched a multi-million dollar campaign against his trade tariffs. Three political groups backed by the brothers said they would use advertising, lobbying and grassroots campaigns to push the benefits of free trade. The Kochs refused to endorse Mr Trump's presidential campaign in 2016, but after he won they found common ground, especially on tax cuts. Their company, Koch Industries, is the second largest privately owned business in the US and has interests ranging from pipelines to paper towels. According to Forbes Magazine, the men are worth about $60bn (PS45bn) each, and are tied for eighth richest man in the US. According to the Koch Industries website, they have more than 120,000 employees between all their businesses and subsidiaries. They have previously put money into groups denying that climate change is primarily driven by humans and attacking unions and workers' rights. They have also pushed for criminal justice reform and made large donations to the American Civil Liberties Union. Last month, the company was told that David Koch, 78, was stepping down because of his deteriorating health.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1949, "answer_end": 2710, "text": "Their company, Koch Industries, is the second largest privately owned business in the US and has interests ranging from pipelines to paper towels. According to Forbes Magazine, the men are worth about $60bn (PS45bn) each, and are tied for eighth richest man in the US. According to the Koch Industries website, they have more than 120,000 employees between all their businesses and subsidiaries. They have previously put money into groups denying that climate change is primarily driven by humans and attacking unions and workers' rights. They have also pushed for criminal justice reform and made large donations to the American Civil Liberties Union. Last month, the company was told that David Koch, 78, was stepping down because of his deteriorating health."}], "question": "Who are the Koch brothers?", "id": "34_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria chemical 'attack': Russia faces fury at UN Security Council", "date": "5 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russia has been sharply criticised by other world powers at the UN Security Council in New York over the chemical weapons deaths in northern Syria. Moscow's suggestions that civilians were poisoned by rebel weapons on the ground have been widely rejected. The UK's foreign secretary, a rebel commander and a weapons expert all said evidence pointed to an attack by the Syrian government, Russia's ally. International donors have pledged $6bn (PS4.8bn) in aid for Syria this year. Seventy donor nations discussed aid efforts in the war-ravaged country in the Belgian capital, Brussels. What we know Could there be \"no-fly\" zones at last? Images of dead children spread over social media According to UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 20 children and 52 adults were killed in the chemical incident in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib province, on Tuesday. Footage following the incident shows civilians, many of them children, choking and foaming at the mouth. Witnesses say clinics treating the injured were then targeted by air strikes. - Aftermath of attack in pictures (Warning: graphic images) Some of the victims were treated across the border in Turkey. One woman in hospital said: \"We were affected by the gas. We couldn't stand up. I felt dizzy and sick. I suffer from shortness of breath. I couldn't breathe.\" The World Health Organization said some of the victims had symptoms consistent with exposure to nerve agents. A team from medical charity MSF treating victims in Idlib found patients' symptoms were \"consistent with exposure to a neurotoxic agent such as sarin gas\", the charity said in a statement. Sonia Khush, Syria director of the charity Save the Children, said victims had travelled far and wide to get treatment, making it difficult to estimate how many had been affected. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies its forces launched a chemical weapons attack. Russia has acknowledged that Syrian planes did attack Khan Sheikhoun but says the aircraft struck a depot producing chemical weapons, for use by militants in Iraq. \"Yesterday [Tuesday], from 11:30am to 12:30pm local time, Syrian aviation made a strike on a large terrorist ammunition depot and a concentration of military hardware in the eastern outskirts of Khan Sheikhoun town,\" Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konoshenkov said. \"On the territory of the depot there were workshops which produced chemical warfare munitions.\" Matthew Rycroft, the UK's ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council that Mr Assad had \"humiliated\" Russia by \"making a mockery\" of the peace process it had brokered with some rebel groups. \"What is your plan?\" he asked. \"What is your plan to stop these horrific senseless attacks? We had a plan and we had the support and you rejected it to protect Assad.\" Russia and China have blocked attempts to impose sanctions on Syria. Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, hit back by accusing the UK of being \"obsessed\" with overthrowing President Assad instead of seeking peace. He said his country - which can veto any UN Security Council resolution - saw no need for a new resolution and called for a \"full, objective\" international investigation. Much of the video evidence of the attack had, he argued, been \"staged\". The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Syrian chemical attacks would continue if nothing was done. \"Time and time again Russia uses the same false narrative to deflect attention from their ally in Damascus,\" she said. Hinting at possible unilateral action by the US, she added: \"When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action.\" French UN envoy Francois Delattre blamed the Assad government for the attack, accusing it of \"destructive madness\". He said the world needed an \"America that is seriously committed to a solution in Syria\". Hasan Haj Ali, commander of the Free Idlib Army rebel group, told Reuters news agency: \"Everyone saw the plane while it was bombing with gas.\" Local journalists say there are no military positions in the town itself but an array of broadly aligned rebel groups controlling the area surrounding it. Critics of the Russian statement say reports of the release of gas came hours before the times stated by Mr Konoshenkov. Is Trump partly to blame? US blames Assad over 'chemical attack' A chemical weapons expert, Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, told the BBC that the Russian version of events was \"pretty fanciful\". The idea that a nerve gas like Sarin could spread after a weapons manufacturing process had been bombed was \"unsustainable\", he added. US President Donald Trump called the deaths a \"terrible affront to humanity\". The Syrian government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with Sarin at Ghouta. President Assad denied the charge, blaming rebel fighters, but he did subsequently agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal. Despite that, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has continued to document the use of toxic chemicals in attacks in Syria. More than 250,000 people have been killed and, after more than six years, no political solution to the fighting is in sight. Nearly five million Syrians have fled the country and more than six million are internally displaced, the UN says. \"This is the most complex and the most violent conflict in our times,\" EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said at the conference in Brussels. Why is there a war in Syria?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 686, "answer_end": 1818, "text": "According to UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 20 children and 52 adults were killed in the chemical incident in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib province, on Tuesday. Footage following the incident shows civilians, many of them children, choking and foaming at the mouth. Witnesses say clinics treating the injured were then targeted by air strikes. - Aftermath of attack in pictures (Warning: graphic images) Some of the victims were treated across the border in Turkey. One woman in hospital said: \"We were affected by the gas. We couldn't stand up. I felt dizzy and sick. I suffer from shortness of breath. I couldn't breathe.\" The World Health Organization said some of the victims had symptoms consistent with exposure to nerve agents. A team from medical charity MSF treating victims in Idlib found patients' symptoms were \"consistent with exposure to a neurotoxic agent such as sarin gas\", the charity said in a statement. Sonia Khush, Syria director of the charity Save the Children, said victims had travelled far and wide to get treatment, making it difficult to estimate how many had been affected."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "35_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1819, "answer_end": 2458, "text": "The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denies its forces launched a chemical weapons attack. Russia has acknowledged that Syrian planes did attack Khan Sheikhoun but says the aircraft struck a depot producing chemical weapons, for use by militants in Iraq. \"Yesterday [Tuesday], from 11:30am to 12:30pm local time, Syrian aviation made a strike on a large terrorist ammunition depot and a concentration of military hardware in the eastern outskirts of Khan Sheikhoun town,\" Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konoshenkov said. \"On the territory of the depot there were workshops which produced chemical warfare munitions.\""}], "question": "What do the Russians say?", "id": "35_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2459, "answer_end": 3953, "text": "Matthew Rycroft, the UK's ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council that Mr Assad had \"humiliated\" Russia by \"making a mockery\" of the peace process it had brokered with some rebel groups. \"What is your plan?\" he asked. \"What is your plan to stop these horrific senseless attacks? We had a plan and we had the support and you rejected it to protect Assad.\" Russia and China have blocked attempts to impose sanctions on Syria. Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, hit back by accusing the UK of being \"obsessed\" with overthrowing President Assad instead of seeking peace. He said his country - which can veto any UN Security Council resolution - saw no need for a new resolution and called for a \"full, objective\" international investigation. Much of the video evidence of the attack had, he argued, been \"staged\". The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Syrian chemical attacks would continue if nothing was done. \"Time and time again Russia uses the same false narrative to deflect attention from their ally in Damascus,\" she said. Hinting at possible unilateral action by the US, she added: \"When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action.\" French UN envoy Francois Delattre blamed the Assad government for the attack, accusing it of \"destructive madness\". He said the world needed an \"America that is seriously committed to a solution in Syria\"."}], "question": "What did they say at the UN?", "id": "35_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3954, "answer_end": 4778, "text": "Hasan Haj Ali, commander of the Free Idlib Army rebel group, told Reuters news agency: \"Everyone saw the plane while it was bombing with gas.\" Local journalists say there are no military positions in the town itself but an array of broadly aligned rebel groups controlling the area surrounding it. Critics of the Russian statement say reports of the release of gas came hours before the times stated by Mr Konoshenkov. Is Trump partly to blame? US blames Assad over 'chemical attack' A chemical weapons expert, Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, told the BBC that the Russian version of events was \"pretty fanciful\". The idea that a nerve gas like Sarin could spread after a weapons manufacturing process had been bombed was \"unsustainable\", he added. US President Donald Trump called the deaths a \"terrible affront to humanity\"."}], "question": "What do others say to the Russian version?", "id": "35_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4779, "answer_end": 5148, "text": "The Syrian government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with Sarin at Ghouta. President Assad denied the charge, blaming rebel fighters, but he did subsequently agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal. Despite that, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has continued to document the use of toxic chemicals in attacks in Syria."}], "question": "Has Assad used chemical weapons before?", "id": "35_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5149, "answer_end": 5567, "text": "More than 250,000 people have been killed and, after more than six years, no political solution to the fighting is in sight. Nearly five million Syrians have fled the country and more than six million are internally displaced, the UN says. \"This is the most complex and the most violent conflict in our times,\" EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said at the conference in Brussels. Why is there a war in Syria?"}], "question": "How bloody is Syria's civil war?", "id": "35_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: France offers to mediate between Turkey and Kurds", "date": "30 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France has offered to mediate in the conflict in northern Syria, where Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish fighters in January. Ankara is battling to drive out the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The French offer was swiftly dismissed by a Turkish presidential spokesman. Ibrahim Kalin said countries should instead take a \"clear stance against all types of terrorism\". Separately on Friday, Turkey said five soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an attack by the PKK in the south-eastern province of Siirt. The attack, the deadliest by the PKK for months, is likely to be in revenge for Turkey's offensive in northern Syria, BBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen reports. President Emmanuel Macron had met members of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including the YPG and expressed hopes for dialogue between Turkey and the militia. His office said he had \"paid tribute to the sacrifices and the determining role\" of the SDF in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. The SDF is a key US ally in the fight against IS and the Kurdish YPG forms a core part of it. France and the US have given the militia weapons and training to support its battle against IS. The US also backs the YPG's assertion that it has no direct organisational links to the PKK, which Turkey calls a terror group. The president said France would support the \"stabilisation\" of the security zone in north-east Syria to stop IS regaining strength. Kurdish officials said Mr Macron had committed himself to sending more troops to the area but Paris declined to comment on that. France has suffered a series of deadly terror attacks claimed by IS in recent years, including the Paris attacks which killed 130 people in 2015. A week ago an IS sympathiser killed three people in a rampage in southern France, including a police officer who died after swapping places with a hostage. Mr Kalin replied on Twitter, restating the Turkish position that the PKK and YPG were trying to legitimise themselves under the SDF. He wrote: \"We reject any efforts to promote 'dialogue', 'contact' or 'mediation' between Turkey and those terrorist organisations.\" He said \"friendly countries\" should not \"legitimise the structure of terror\". Earlier this month Turkey ousted Kurdish fighters from the Syrian-Kurdish city of Afrin. Activists said 280 civilians had been killed, although this was denied by Ankara. As many as a quarter of a million civilians are said to have fled the city. Turkey has since threatened to attack the SDF-controlled town of Manbij, which was taken from IS in 2016 - and where the US has stationed troops. The Turkish national security council issued an ultimatum on Wednesday, saying it would act if Kurdish fighters did not leave immediately. Sebastian Usher, Middle East Editor for the BBC World Service, says the US dimension to the conflict does not appear to have been resolved as yet. There is no sign that American troops have pulled back from Manbij, where they helped the SDF in its successful campaign against IS, our correspondent reports.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 1962, "text": "President Emmanuel Macron had met members of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including the YPG and expressed hopes for dialogue between Turkey and the militia. His office said he had \"paid tribute to the sacrifices and the determining role\" of the SDF in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group. The SDF is a key US ally in the fight against IS and the Kurdish YPG forms a core part of it. France and the US have given the militia weapons and training to support its battle against IS. The US also backs the YPG's assertion that it has no direct organisational links to the PKK, which Turkey calls a terror group. The president said France would support the \"stabilisation\" of the security zone in north-east Syria to stop IS regaining strength. Kurdish officials said Mr Macron had committed himself to sending more troops to the area but Paris declined to comment on that. France has suffered a series of deadly terror attacks claimed by IS in recent years, including the Paris attacks which killed 130 people in 2015. A week ago an IS sympathiser killed three people in a rampage in southern France, including a police officer who died after swapping places with a hostage."}], "question": "What's behind the French offer?", "id": "36_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1963, "answer_end": 2305, "text": "Mr Kalin replied on Twitter, restating the Turkish position that the PKK and YPG were trying to legitimise themselves under the SDF. He wrote: \"We reject any efforts to promote 'dialogue', 'contact' or 'mediation' between Turkey and those terrorist organisations.\" He said \"friendly countries\" should not \"legitimise the structure of terror\"."}], "question": "What was Turkey's response?", "id": "36_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2306, "answer_end": 3144, "text": "Earlier this month Turkey ousted Kurdish fighters from the Syrian-Kurdish city of Afrin. Activists said 280 civilians had been killed, although this was denied by Ankara. As many as a quarter of a million civilians are said to have fled the city. Turkey has since threatened to attack the SDF-controlled town of Manbij, which was taken from IS in 2016 - and where the US has stationed troops. The Turkish national security council issued an ultimatum on Wednesday, saying it would act if Kurdish fighters did not leave immediately. Sebastian Usher, Middle East Editor for the BBC World Service, says the US dimension to the conflict does not appear to have been resolved as yet. There is no sign that American troops have pulled back from Manbij, where they helped the SDF in its successful campaign against IS, our correspondent reports."}], "question": "How dangerous is the conflict in northern Syria?", "id": "36_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Frank Sidebottom and the man behind the mask", "date": "24 April 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Cult comic character Frank Sidebottom has inspired a film starring Michael Fassbender, while a documentary and biography are also in the works. Four years after his creator Chris Sievey died, why is Frank's legend growing and who was the man behind the mask? The giant home-made head. The ridiculously nasal Mancunian voice. The anarchic and absurd humour. The deliberately naff pop songs. That was Frank Sidebottom. He was an unmistakable and irrepressible creation who found a following in the 1980s and '90s on late-night student telly and Saturday morning children's shows, as well as on the comedy circuit. He was a strange mixture of eccentric comedy creation, surreal performance artist and cartoon character come to life. While he attracted a devoted following, he was destined to remain a cult concern. So it is stranger still that he should have inspired a film featuring Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal, which gets its UK premiere at the Sundance London film festival on Friday. The film, titled Frank, was co-written by journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson, who spent three years playing keyboards in Sidebottom's Oh Blimey Big Band in the late 1980s. In his movie, Fassbender plays a musician called Frank who wears an oversized comic-book head. That, however, is where the similarities with the original Frank Sidebottom end. In the film, the title character is a misunderstood musical genius as opposed to a purveyor of Bontempi-swing novelty pop songs. The Frank of the film hails from Bluff, Kansas, rather than Sidebottom's native Timperley, Greater Manchester. He also has a disconcertingly deep voice. Ronson changed the character because he did not want to make a straightforward biopic of Sidebottom and his creator.  Chris Sievey, who was consulted before his death in 2010, did not want that either. Sievey guarded his true identity and was worried that, in a straight biopic, \"the reality of Chris would somehow undermine the mystery of Frank\", Ronson says. So the writer kept the name and the head but fictionalised the rest. However, Sievey's real story is arguably more interesting than the version that is about to hit the big screen. Before Frank Sidebottom was born, Sievey was desperate to make it as a musician. Aged 15, he hitch-hiked from Manchester to the Apple Records headquarters in London with his brother and staged a sit-in before engineers eventually let them record a session. With his post-punk band The Freshies, Sievey was on the fringe of the late-1970s Manchester scene. \"He was just a really nice, amiable chap,\" remembers Mick Middles, who wrote for music magazine Sounds and is now writing a biography titled Out Of His Head. \"All the other Manchester musicians were very competitive and he didn't seem to be. He was just nice to be around.\" Sievey wrote countless letters to record companies and got countless rejection letters in return. Undeterred, he set up his own label. But the closest they got to the charts was number 54 in 1981. After The Freshies split, Sievey kept making music while also experimenting with the newfangled art of computer programming. In 1983, he released the solo single Camouflage. On the B-side was the audio data for \"the world's first computer promo\", a music video created entirely using the Sinclair's blocky graphics. But his music career was going nowhere. Sievey was an all-round, restless creative spirit and in the early 1980s Frank Sidebottom started to take shape. \"I think he tried every which way to be successful, and for whatever reason it just wasn't happening,\" says David Arnold, Sievey's road manager for the last five years of his life. \"I think he got to a point where he thought, 'Shove it. I'm just going to do something that entertains me.' Fortunately he came up with the Frank thing and people liked it.\" Arnold is now working with director Steve Sullivan on a documentary about Sievey titled Being Frank. Frank took off, appearing on Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, children's TV programme No 73, Anthony H Wilson's Channel 4 game show Remote Control and slots on BBC Radios 2 and 5. He supported boy band Bros at Wembley Stadium in 1989 (disastrously by all accounts) and reached the peak of his fame with his own TV series, Frank Sidebottom's Fantastic Shed Show, on ITV in 1992. Sievey was deadly serious about staying in character as Frank Sidebottom when he was wearing the fake head. \"If he had the head on and you called him Chris, he would just ignore you,\" says Arnold. \"I think he went above and beyond the call of duty with that. \"Everything would change - his body language, the way he sat, the way he moved, the way he talked. You were with another person. \"It didn't matter whether there was just one person there or five people or 500 people. When the head was on, you were in Frank's company. Chris was gone.\" When his drawings, models and animations went on exhibition at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London in 2007, Sidebottom turned up to the opening. \"He splashed paint all over the walls at this opening,\" Middles says. \"The people running it ran up to Chris afterwards and said, 'Why the hell did you do that?' \"He said, 'What are you asking me for? It was Frank.' That was how he lived his life. \"He used to write letters from Chris to Frank. He had two sets of handwriting. And he'd post them. Things like that he'd do all the time.\" So to what extent was Frank Sidebottom just an act, a part Chris was playing? Or did it become an alter ego, a completely different persona? \"You've got to be careful not to psychoanalyse him too much because it might be wrong,\" Jon Ronson cautions. \"But my feeling is that if Chris was incredibly chaotic and Frank was incredibly innocent, there's got to be a reason for that, right? \"And to encase yourself in this fake head... there has to be a reason. It was safer. Frank was a calmer, safer place to be than Chris.\" David Arnold describes Chris and Frank as two separate identities. He says: \"I think they were two different people with some interests that crossed over - namely The Beatles and Thunderbirds. \"In some ways they were polar opposites, in that Frank was very childlike, very innocent. Chris was very the much rock'n'roll lifestyle, let's say.\" Sievey's \"rock'n'roll\" exploits were  a world away from Sidebottom's innocent life. Mick Middles describes how Sievey \"did the whole drink and drugs thing as much as any rock star you could think of\". While Frank Sidebottom was enjoying his mid-1990s heyday, a remarkable cast of Sidebottom sidekicks began to overshadow him in the limelight. Sievey had asked his brother-in-law's friend Caroline Aherne to voice the part of Frank's neighbour Mrs Merton for a radio show. Mrs Merton went on to get her own TV show before Aherne achieved comic greatness with The Royle Family. Chris Evans, who was a driver for Chris/Frank, became a household name as a DJ and TV host. Ronson found success as a writer and presenter, while Mark Radcliffe - another band member - is now a BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music host. \"He did become a little bit embittered, naturally, I think,\" Middles suggests. Sievey was too undisciplined to build on his success, Ronson believes. \"Because he was quite chaotic he didn't see things through to the end,\" he says. \"Somebody like Caroline Aherne was really focused. She would work at Mrs Merton or The Royle Family until it was brilliant. \"Chris was more chaotic and scatterbrained and was just a twig in the tidal wave of whatever was happening that day. I think that was ultimately to the detriment of his art.\" Sievey put Sidebottom into retirement after his fortunes dwindled in the late 1990s and began working as an animator on children's shows like Pingu and Bob the Builder. But the giant head came back off the shelf in 2005. \"He couldn't get rid of him,\" Mick Middles says. \"I think Chris resented Frank because Frank just kept coming back. \"Chris wanted to do other things. He wanted to make films and do lots of other stuff but eventually he had to go back to Frank because Frank was the only way of making a decent living. \"The story's quite sad towards the end, not just with his illness but because he was drinking and doing everything heavily.\" Sievey died of cancer in June 2010. He left behind three children and an ex-wife. Reckless with money, Sievey was virtually penniless when he died. When word got around that he was to have a pauper's funeral, Sidebottom's army of fans mobilised to raise PS15,000 in 24 hours. Their devotion continued with campaigns to raise a slightly surreal statue of Sidebottom in leafy Timperley and to fund the Being Frank documentary. Today, fans and friends insist Sidebottom was more than just a novelty entertainer. Steve Sullivan says he sees Sievey and his creation as \"a performance artist, or as a work of art\", while Mick Middles describes him as an outsider artist. After Sievey died, Mark Radcliffe said he was \"one of the very few people I met whom I would call a genius\". Jon Ronson agrees. \"It's certainly how I saw him back when I was plucked from obscurity to join a band,\" he says. \"I thought I was in the presence of genius.\" Frank screens at the Sundance London film festival on 25 and 27 April and will be released in the UK on 9 May. Being Frank and Out Of His Head are due out later this year. Jon Ronson's book Frank: The True Story That Inspired The Movie is out now.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 8325, "answer_end": 9423, "text": "Reckless with money, Sievey was virtually penniless when he died. When word got around that he was to have a pauper's funeral, Sidebottom's army of fans mobilised to raise PS15,000 in 24 hours. Their devotion continued with campaigns to raise a slightly surreal statue of Sidebottom in leafy Timperley and to fund the Being Frank documentary. Today, fans and friends insist Sidebottom was more than just a novelty entertainer. Steve Sullivan says he sees Sievey and his creation as \"a performance artist, or as a work of art\", while Mick Middles describes him as an outsider artist. After Sievey died, Mark Radcliffe said he was \"one of the very few people I met whom I would call a genius\". Jon Ronson agrees. \"It's certainly how I saw him back when I was plucked from obscurity to join a band,\" he says. \"I thought I was in the presence of genius.\" Frank screens at the Sundance London film festival on 25 and 27 April and will be released in the UK on 9 May. Being Frank and Out Of His Head are due out later this year. Jon Ronson's book Frank: The True Story That Inspired The Movie is out now."}], "question": "Novelty act or genius?", "id": "37_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Taliban officials 'in talks with Afghan government', US says", "date": "31 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Taliban have held secret meetings with Afghan officials to discuss a ceasefire, the US military says. The US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Nicholson, said the talks also involved foreign governments and international organisations. However, the Taliban has rejected this as a \"false claim\". The Taliban have generally refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, insisting instead on discussions with the US. In recent months, violence has continued with mounting casualties on both sides. On Wednesday, the militants launched an attack on the interior ministry in Kabul, demonstrating their ability to carry out strikes in the capital. The insurgents also said they carried out another attack on a police station, in the capital of Logar province. The US, meanwhile, confirmed strikes against the insurgents in Helmand province with \"more than 50 casualties\". Speaking on Thursday, Gen Nicholson said violence and progress could coexist, and compared the situation to Colombia - where a 50-year civil war led to a peace treaty. He would not identify the figures involved in the negotiations, except to say that they included mid- and senior-level Taliban officials. However, the Taliban rejected the claims, saying the group did not \"want to waste time in the name of talks\" with the Afghan government \"in the presence of the occupying forces\". Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has previously proposed negotiations with the Taliban, saying they could be recognised as a political party if they accepted a ceasefire and recognised the country's constitution. Dawood Azami, BBC World Service The Taliban have shown an openness to talks in the past, suggesting that, in addition to the armed struggle, negotiations were a \"legitimate\" way of achieving their main objective: an end to what they call the \"occupation by foreign forces\". But the Taliban have always insisted that any initial talks would only be with the US, whom they consider the main party in the conflict. The group views the Afghan government as weak, divided and unable to make decisions on big issues, including the full withdrawal of US/Nato forces, releasing their prisoners and the removal of Taliban officials' names from sanctions lists. On the other hand, the US insists that the Taliban must talk to the Afghan government. US officials say that the war in Afghanistan is primarily between the two Afghan sides, and that the US cannot substitute for direct negotiations between the ruling government in Kabul and the Taliban. But the war between the Taliban and the Afghan and US/Nato forces is currently intensifying, with both sides trying to get the upper hand. The stalemate doesn't seem to be breaking in either party's favour. Taliban insurgents control more territory in the country than at any time since foreign combat troops left in 2014, BBC research published in January showed. It is estimated that about 15 million people - half the population - are living in areas that are either controlled by the Taliban or where the Taliban are openly present and regularly mount attacks. Attacks in recent months claimed by either Taliban or Islamic State fighters have killed scores in Kabul and elsewhere, demonstrating the Taliban's capability to carry out strikes even in the heart of the country's capital. The hardline Islamic Taliban movement swept to power in Afghanistan in 1996 after the civil war that followed the Soviet-Afghan war, and were ousted by the US-led invasion five years later. In power, they imposed a brutal version of Sharia law, such as public executions and amputations, and banned women from public life. Men had to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka; television, music and cinema were banned. They sheltered al-Qaeda leaders before and after being ousted - since then they have fought a bloody insurgency which continues today. In 2016, Afghan civilian casualties hit a new high - a rise attributed by the UN largely to the Taliban.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3299, "answer_end": 3972, "text": "The hardline Islamic Taliban movement swept to power in Afghanistan in 1996 after the civil war that followed the Soviet-Afghan war, and were ousted by the US-led invasion five years later. In power, they imposed a brutal version of Sharia law, such as public executions and amputations, and banned women from public life. Men had to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka; television, music and cinema were banned. They sheltered al-Qaeda leaders before and after being ousted - since then they have fought a bloody insurgency which continues today. In 2016, Afghan civilian casualties hit a new high - a rise attributed by the UN largely to the Taliban."}], "question": "Who are the Taliban?", "id": "38_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Zika outbreak: What you need to know", "date": "31 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency. The infection has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains. Some areas have declared a state of emergency, doctors have described it as \"a pandemic in progress\" and some are even advising women in affected countries to delay getting pregnant. But there is much we do not know. Deaths are rare and only one-in-five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. These include: - mild fever - conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes) - headache - joint pain - a rash A rare nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, that can cause temporary paralysis has been linked to the infection. There is no vaccine or drug treatment so patients are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids. But the biggest concern is the impact it could have on babies developing in the womb and the surge in microcephaly. It is when a baby is born with an abnormally small head, as their brain has not developed properly. The severity varies, but it can be deadly if the brain is so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate the functions vital to life. Children that do survive face intellectual disability and development delays. It can be caused by infections such as rubella, substance abuse during pregnancy or genetic abnormalities. Case study: 'It's not the end of the world' The WHO says there is \"scientific consensus\" that Zika causes microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome. Some babies who died had the virus in their brain and it has been detected in placenta and amniotic fluid too. Some governments have advised women to delay getting pregnant until more is known. Experts now believe Zika is linked to a broader set of complications in pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and eye problems. The US Centres for Disease Control says Zika lingers in the blood for about a week and can be spread by sexual intercourse. \"The virus will not cause infections in a baby that is conceived after the virus is cleared from the blood,\" it says. \"There is currently no evidence that Zika-virus infection poses a risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.\" The WHO advises couples practice safer sex or abstain for at least eight weeks if they are returning from Zika-affected areas. If the man in the couple planning a pregnancy develops Zika symptoms, then this period of abstinence or safe sex should be extended to six months. The WHO is worried that Zika is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences. Declaring Zika as a \"public health emergency of international concern\" singles the disease out as a serious global threat. It puts it in the same category of importance as Ebola. Unlike Ebola, where the focus was on boots on the ground, with Zika the attention will be on understanding the link with microcephaly. The WHO will co-ordinate countries' health agencies to conduct trials to determine the risk. It will also encourage efforts to stop the mosquito that spreads the disease as well as finding a treatment or a vaccine to stop the virus. The work will depend on money donated by countries. It was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. The first human case was detected in Nigeria in 1954 and there have been further outbreaks in Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Most were small and Zika has not previously been considered a major threat to human health. But in May 2015 it was reported in Brazil and has since spread rapidly. \"Its current explosive pandemic re-emergence is, therefore, truly remarkable,\" the US National Institutes of Health said. It is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. They are the same insects that spread dengue and chikungunya virus. They are found throughout the Americas except for Canada and Chile where it is too cold for them to survive, and across Asia. And, unlike the mosquitoes that spread malaria, they are mostly active during the day, so bed nets offer limited protection. If they drink the blood of an infected person they can then infect subsequent people they bite. The WHO says sexual transmission is also possible. The best evidence so far suggests that people can spread the virus via mosquitoes for a week after being infected. In semen it may persist for two weeks. Countries have advised safe sex and a ban on blood donations for a month after just visiting such countries and for longer if they developed symptoms. As there is no treatment, the only option is to reduce the risk of being bitten. Health officials advise people to: - use insect repellents - cover up with long-sleeved clothes - keep windows and doors closed The mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so people are also being told to empty buckets and flower pots. The US Centers for Disease Control has advised pregnant women not to travel to affected areas. Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro has said a new testing kit is being developed to identify infections quickly. He also said more money was being put into the development of a vaccine. Some scientists are also trialling the use of genetically modified sterile mosquitoes that appear to reduce mosquito populations by 90%. Meanwhile, efforts are under way to kill the mosquitoes with insecticide. US experts from the National Institutes of Health say trials of a Zika vaccine will likely start in September this year. Depending on the results, larger trials could begin at the start of 2017. \"The very, very best scenario\" would be a vaccine ready for the general public by the beginning of 2018, they say.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 401, "answer_end": 920, "text": "Deaths are rare and only one-in-five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. These include: - mild fever - conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes) - headache - joint pain - a rash A rare nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, that can cause temporary paralysis has been linked to the infection. There is no vaccine or drug treatment so patients are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids. But the biggest concern is the impact it could have on babies developing in the womb and the surge in microcephaly."}], "question": "What are the symptoms of Zika?", "id": "39_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 921, "answer_end": 1600, "text": "It is when a baby is born with an abnormally small head, as their brain has not developed properly. The severity varies, but it can be deadly if the brain is so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate the functions vital to life. Children that do survive face intellectual disability and development delays. It can be caused by infections such as rubella, substance abuse during pregnancy or genetic abnormalities. Case study: 'It's not the end of the world' The WHO says there is \"scientific consensus\" that Zika causes microcephaly as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome. Some babies who died had the virus in their brain and it has been detected in placenta and amniotic fluid too."}], "question": "What is microcephaly?", "id": "39_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1601, "answer_end": 2463, "text": "Some governments have advised women to delay getting pregnant until more is known. Experts now believe Zika is linked to a broader set of complications in pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and eye problems. The US Centres for Disease Control says Zika lingers in the blood for about a week and can be spread by sexual intercourse. \"The virus will not cause infections in a baby that is conceived after the virus is cleared from the blood,\" it says. \"There is currently no evidence that Zika-virus infection poses a risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.\" The WHO advises couples practice safer sex or abstain for at least eight weeks if they are returning from Zika-affected areas. If the man in the couple planning a pregnancy develops Zika symptoms, then this period of abstinence or safe sex should be extended to six months."}], "question": "Is it safe to try for a baby?", "id": "39_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2464, "answer_end": 3149, "text": "The WHO is worried that Zika is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences. Declaring Zika as a \"public health emergency of international concern\" singles the disease out as a serious global threat. It puts it in the same category of importance as Ebola. Unlike Ebola, where the focus was on boots on the ground, with Zika the attention will be on understanding the link with microcephaly. The WHO will co-ordinate countries' health agencies to conduct trials to determine the risk. It will also encourage efforts to stop the mosquito that spreads the disease as well as finding a treatment or a vaccine to stop the virus. The work will depend on money donated by countries."}], "question": "Why is it a public health emergency?", "id": "39_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3150, "answer_end": 3632, "text": "It was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. The first human case was detected in Nigeria in 1954 and there have been further outbreaks in Africa, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Most were small and Zika has not previously been considered a major threat to human health. But in May 2015 it was reported in Brazil and has since spread rapidly. \"Its current explosive pandemic re-emergence is, therefore, truly remarkable,\" the US National Institutes of Health said."}], "question": "Where did Zika come from?", "id": "39_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3633, "answer_end": 4132, "text": "It is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. They are the same insects that spread dengue and chikungunya virus. They are found throughout the Americas except for Canada and Chile where it is too cold for them to survive, and across Asia. And, unlike the mosquitoes that spread malaria, they are mostly active during the day, so bed nets offer limited protection. If they drink the blood of an infected person they can then infect subsequent people they bite. The WHO says sexual transmission is also possible."}], "question": "How does it spread?", "id": "39_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4133, "answer_end": 4437, "text": "The best evidence so far suggests that people can spread the virus via mosquitoes for a week after being infected. In semen it may persist for two weeks. Countries have advised safe sex and a ban on blood donations for a month after just visiting such countries and for longer if they developed symptoms."}], "question": "How long are people infectious?", "id": "39_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4438, "answer_end": 4854, "text": "As there is no treatment, the only option is to reduce the risk of being bitten. Health officials advise people to: - use insect repellents - cover up with long-sleeved clothes - keep windows and doors closed The mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so people are also being told to empty buckets and flower pots. The US Centers for Disease Control has advised pregnant women not to travel to affected areas."}], "question": "What can people do?", "id": "39_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4855, "answer_end": 5257, "text": "Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro has said a new testing kit is being developed to identify infections quickly. He also said more money was being put into the development of a vaccine. Some scientists are also trialling the use of genetically modified sterile mosquitoes that appear to reduce mosquito populations by 90%. Meanwhile, efforts are under way to kill the mosquitoes with insecticide."}], "question": "What is being done?", "id": "39_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Young carers: 'I was tired when I was at school'", "date": "6 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"Mum was too poorly to get out of bed some days, so me and my big sister would do things around the house and look after the babies,\" says Maisy, 11. \"We made meals in the slow cooker so we'd have something to eat when we got back from school. \"We'd bath the babies and put them to bed, change their nappies.\" Maisy and her sister, who help look after their three younger siblings, are young carers who the charity Barnardo's says are being let down by schools. In a survey of 808 teaching professionals, Barnardo's found 34% thought there were young carers at their school who were not sufficiently supported. And 29% of those polled said they didn't think their school had any particular ways of supporting young carers. The charity says schools must do more to support young carers. \"I didn't tell any of my friends at school - it was no-one else's business,\" says Maisy. \"I was tired when I was at school but I knew what needed to be done so I got on and did it.\" Her mother, Lindsey, who has been diagnosed with heart failure, says: \"My girls were brilliant - making packed lunches, bathing the babies, helping me with my medication. \"I found myself crying a lot, I felt very low because I couldn't do the things for them that I wanted to as a mum. \"I felt proud that they knew what to do and stepped up but found it really hard to let them do the jobs that I felt I should be doing. I felt I'd let them down as a mum.\" The family is now receiving help through Barnardo's action with young carers scheme. The charity fears too many children are having their futures held back because of their caring duties. It says young carers carry out tasks such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, as well as providing intimate personal care, administering drugs and taking care of household finances. Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan says it's not acceptable that children are \"having to sacrifice their futures to care for the ones they love\". \"A quarter of the children supported by Barnardo's young carers' services are carrying out more than 30 hours a week of caring - that's the equivalent of a full-time job. \"It's clear from our research that there is a lack of awareness among teachers that needs urgently addressing. \"Schools need to take more responsibility to make sure young carers are properly supported.\" Schools say it can often be very difficult for them to pick up on the signs that a child might also be a carer. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: \"For schools to support young carers effectively they need to be aware of their circumstances, which are often extremely challenging. \"These families can be some of the most isolated from the wider school community, making it harder to pick up the warning signs in the playground or at parents' evenings, for example.\" Mr Whiteman said automatically registering children who are entitled to extra funding under the pupil premium scheme would potentially help young carers, who may also be in households on low incomes. \"This funding is specifically targeted at students who face challenges not unlike those faced by young carers. \"They should get this support automatically, particularly as the person they are caring for may not be able to apply for the money themselves. \"The additional funding would help schools to properly resource the ways in which they can identify and help young carers.\" The Department for Education says it recognises the contribution young carers make. Children and Families Minister Robert Goodwill said: \"We know that schools play a very important part in identifying pupils who are young carers and offering them appropriate support. \"We have worked with the Children's Society and the Carers Trust since 2011 to share existing tools and good practice, supporting local authorities to work collaboratively with schools to better identify and support young carers and their families. \"The joint Carers Trust and Children's Society young carers in schools programme is important to help identify young carers among teachers, non-teaching staff and school nurses to ensure that individuals get the support they need and are able to live a full life beyond their caring responsibilities.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1510, "answer_end": 2317, "text": "The charity fears too many children are having their futures held back because of their caring duties. It says young carers carry out tasks such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, as well as providing intimate personal care, administering drugs and taking care of household finances. Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan says it's not acceptable that children are \"having to sacrifice their futures to care for the ones they love\". \"A quarter of the children supported by Barnardo's young carers' services are carrying out more than 30 hours a week of caring - that's the equivalent of a full-time job. \"It's clear from our research that there is a lack of awareness among teachers that needs urgently addressing. \"Schools need to take more responsibility to make sure young carers are properly supported.\""}], "question": "Why is the charity concerned?", "id": "40_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2318, "answer_end": 4230, "text": "Schools say it can often be very difficult for them to pick up on the signs that a child might also be a carer. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: \"For schools to support young carers effectively they need to be aware of their circumstances, which are often extremely challenging. \"These families can be some of the most isolated from the wider school community, making it harder to pick up the warning signs in the playground or at parents' evenings, for example.\" Mr Whiteman said automatically registering children who are entitled to extra funding under the pupil premium scheme would potentially help young carers, who may also be in households on low incomes. \"This funding is specifically targeted at students who face challenges not unlike those faced by young carers. \"They should get this support automatically, particularly as the person they are caring for may not be able to apply for the money themselves. \"The additional funding would help schools to properly resource the ways in which they can identify and help young carers.\" The Department for Education says it recognises the contribution young carers make. Children and Families Minister Robert Goodwill said: \"We know that schools play a very important part in identifying pupils who are young carers and offering them appropriate support. \"We have worked with the Children's Society and the Carers Trust since 2011 to share existing tools and good practice, supporting local authorities to work collaboratively with schools to better identify and support young carers and their families. \"The joint Carers Trust and Children's Society young carers in schools programme is important to help identify young carers among teachers, non-teaching staff and school nurses to ensure that individuals get the support they need and are able to live a full life beyond their caring responsibilities.\""}], "question": "What do teachers say about this?", "id": "40_1"}]}]}, {"title": "New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern's 'first gent' on his 'surreal' new life", "date": "7 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The partner of New Zealand's new Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said his life has become \"surreal\" since she took office last month. Clarke Gayford is known in the country's press as the \"first gent\". He said he \"was shaking uncontrollably\" as September's election results came in, and wrote about the couple's cat nearly derailing Ms Ardern's first call with US President Donald Trump. Ms Ardern, of the Labour party, is the country's youngest female leader. At 37 she is its youngest prime minister since 1856. Writing for New Zealand's The Spinoff, Mr Gayford - who presents a TV show about fishing - said that his style has changed as a result of his partner taking office. \"It's hard not to notice when your partner suddenly has three suited, handsome, well-trained (and groomed) men following her every move... I didn't even own a proper suit, although I have since remedied this,\" he said. He said his partner ordered a takeaway curry on their first night in the prime minister's residence, but it never arrived because \"they had assumed it was a prank call\". Referring to the uncertainty surrounding Ms Ardern's ascent, \"With no prior heads-up, we all learnt our fate along with the rest of [the country] via television that evening,\" the television presenter said. \"I tried to document the moment on camera but the adrenaline flowed so freely that I was shaking uncontrollably.\" He said that Ms Ardern's first call with US President Trump was nearly interrupted by their cat. Paddles \"leapt up on the chair next to Jacinda and began announcing her very squawky arrival\". The cat has now become an international sensation. \"A friend has just sent me an article about my cat in a Danish newspaper,\" Mr Gayford wrote. And a colleague turned up to the moment wearing jandals - that's a New Zealand word for what are known as flip flops in the UK, and thongs in Australia. Despite the fact that his partner is now the prime minister, Mr Gayford intends to \"keep life as normal as possible for us both\", although he said recent weeks have been \"surreal\". Earlier on this year, the partner of Luxembourg's prime minister, Xavier Bettel, was omitted from an official photograph of the spouses of Nato leaders at a summit in Brussels. The former Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard was asked by a radio presenter if her hairdresser partner was gay. Joachim Sauer, Angela Merkel's husband, is a quantum chemistry professor and makes few public appearances. Philip May, the husband of UK Prime Minister Theresa May, is an investment manager. He has often avoided making public statements, but he did accompany her for a joint interview on The One Show during the 2017 general election.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2063, "answer_end": 2693, "text": "Earlier on this year, the partner of Luxembourg's prime minister, Xavier Bettel, was omitted from an official photograph of the spouses of Nato leaders at a summit in Brussels. The former Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard was asked by a radio presenter if her hairdresser partner was gay. Joachim Sauer, Angela Merkel's husband, is a quantum chemistry professor and makes few public appearances. Philip May, the husband of UK Prime Minister Theresa May, is an investment manager. He has often avoided making public statements, but he did accompany her for a joint interview on The One Show during the 2017 general election."}], "question": "How have other male 'first partners' been perceived?", "id": "41_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Chancellor Philip Hammond's visit to China not going ahead", "date": "16 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A visit to China by Chancellor Phillip Hammond has been called off amid reports a speech by the UK's defence secretary angered Beijing. There were plans for trade talks between Mr Hammond and senior Chinese government figures during the brief visit next week. Earlier this week, Gavin Williamson had indicated the UK's intention to send an aircraft carrier to the Pacific. An MoD source has denied the visit was scrapped because of the speech. A Treasury spokesperson said: \"No trip was ever announced or confirmed.\" In the speech, Mr Williamson announced the HMS Queen Elizabeth would be deployed to the region, as well as the Middle East and the Mediterranean, on its maiden voyage. China is currently involved in a dispute over territorial claims in the Pacific. Six countries have competing claims over the South China Sea islands. Mr Williamson also said that China was \"developing its modern military capability and its commercial power\". Unconfirmed newspaper reports claimed the Chinese government was unhappy about the speech. But an MoD source told BBC political correspondent Ben Wright it was not the case that the speech had led to the visit being cancelled. The speech was seen and cleared by both Number 10 and the Treasury, the source said. BBC political correspondent Jonathan Blake said Mr Williamson's comments had \"raised eyebrows\". \"While a source has told me that no final decision has been taken on this visit, it does seem clear, at least from the Chinese side, that it is not going to happen for now,\" our correspondent added. Meanwhile, former Chancellor George Osborne said he found it \"very difficult\" to work out the UK government's policy on China. He told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster: \"You've got the defence secretary engaging in gunboat diplomacy of a quite old-fashioned kind. \"At the same time as the chancellor of the exchequer and the foreign secretary are going around saying they want a close economic partnership with China. \"Ultimately it's the responsibility of Theresa May to sort this out. At the moment it looks all at sea.\" Prime Minister Theresa May visited China for three days last year in a bid to boost trade and investment. Ahead of the trip, she said her visit would \"intensify the golden era in UK-China relations\". Speaking at the time, she said she expected China to play a \"huge role\" in the economic development which is why she would be \"deepening co-operation with China on key global and economic issues.\" UK trade with China has increased dramatically in recent years. The government will be hoping to build on that rise after Brexit when the UK will look to complete more bilateral trade deals. In 2018, China was the UK's fourth largest trading partner behind Germany, the US and the Netherlands, according to HMRC figures for imports and exports. UK-China trade was worth PS63.4bn. The UK ran a trade deficit of PS21.8bn with the country last year. Imports from China were worth PS42.6bn, whereas exports, largely made up from car sales, were worth PS20.8bn. Thames Water, Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Scottish flight comparison site Skyscanner, Pizza Express and West Bromwich Albion FC are among those to have recently received investment from Chinese companies and entrepreneurs. But growth in China's economy is slowing. Official figures released last month showed its economy expanded at its slowest rate (6.6%) since 1990, while car sales in the country fell by 6% in 2018 - the first fall in two decades. The rate of expansion has raised worries about the potential knock-on effect on the global economy. Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years. Six countries have competing claims over the territory: China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. They dispute who owns ocean areas, and two island chains - the Paracels and the Spratlys. It is possible the largely uninhabited islands may have reserves of natural resources around them and the sea is also a major shipping route and home to fishing grounds that supply the livelihoods of people across the region.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2473, "answer_end": 3590, "text": "UK trade with China has increased dramatically in recent years. The government will be hoping to build on that rise after Brexit when the UK will look to complete more bilateral trade deals. In 2018, China was the UK's fourth largest trading partner behind Germany, the US and the Netherlands, according to HMRC figures for imports and exports. UK-China trade was worth PS63.4bn. The UK ran a trade deficit of PS21.8bn with the country last year. Imports from China were worth PS42.6bn, whereas exports, largely made up from car sales, were worth PS20.8bn. Thames Water, Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Scottish flight comparison site Skyscanner, Pizza Express and West Bromwich Albion FC are among those to have recently received investment from Chinese companies and entrepreneurs. But growth in China's economy is slowing. Official figures released last month showed its economy expanded at its slowest rate (6.6%) since 1990, while car sales in the country fell by 6% in 2018 - the first fall in two decades. The rate of expansion has raised worries about the potential knock-on effect on the global economy."}], "question": "How important is China to the UK's economy?", "id": "42_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3591, "answer_end": 4159, "text": "Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years. Six countries have competing claims over the territory: China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. They dispute who owns ocean areas, and two island chains - the Paracels and the Spratlys. It is possible the largely uninhabited islands may have reserves of natural resources around them and the sea is also a major shipping route and home to fishing grounds that supply the livelihoods of people across the region."}], "question": "Why is the South China Sea contentious?", "id": "42_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Google Stadia launch date and games revealed", "date": "6 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Google has revealed more details about its new video gaming platform, Stadia, which was first announced in March. Stadia is a cloud gaming platform - so instead of buying a games console, discs and downloads, players can stream games over the internet. The service will launch in November with a limited edition starter pack for early adopters. Studios such as EA and Bethesda will provide games but big developers, such as Epic Games, are still missing. Stadia games will run on servers at Google data centres around the world, with the video footage streamed to a TV. The company says that will give gamers over 10 teraflops of graphics processing - more than Xbox One and PS4 combined. But it remains to be seen how well it will work in the real world. Google has not let the BBC try Stadia yet. It is showing the service to journalists at the E3 gaming show in June. Google says that to stream games in ultra-high definition 4K, players will need an internet connection that can deliver download speeds of 35Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps. The company recommends a speed of at least 10Mbps to stream games in a lower resolution. For comparison, Sony's PlayStation Now cloud gaming service requires 5Mbps to stream games in 720p resolution. The only way to try Stadia when it launches in November is with the starter pack, which will cost PS119 or $129 in the US. It includes a dark blue Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra TV stick and a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. That subscription lets players stream games from the included library in 4K. But not all the games on Stadia will be included in the subscription streaming library. Some of the most recent titles will have to be purchased separately. From 2020, the company will offer the controllers separately for PS59, and a Stadia Pro subscription for PS8.99 a month. Players who choose not to subscribe will be able to buy individual games but will be limited to streaming in high definition rather than 4K. Google says there will be at least 30 games at launch, from big studios such as Bethesda, EA Games, Rockstar, Sega, Square Enix, Warner Bros and Ubisoft. Some of the big titles include Doom, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XV, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Tom Clancy's The Division 2. However, some big studios such as Activision Blizzard, which makes Overwatch, and Epic Games, which makes Fortnite, are not on board yet. That means some of the world's most popular games are missing from Stadia at the moment. \"Major exclusives will be key to driving consumer awareness of and desire to adopt cloud gaming services,\" said Piers Harding-Rolls from the IHS Markit consultancy. \"With the selection of content on offer, Google has not yet demonstrated that it will be better placed to engage gamers than the established console and PC storefronts.\" Low latency is very important to make gaming smooth and responsive. How are you achieving low latency? Well, we did a very successful test of our technology back in October, testing one of the most advanced and sophisticated games that we could make available at the time, which was Assassin's Creed Odyssey. We're building our physical data centres as close to the population as we can, so we reduce the impact of latency. And we are putting some very custom technology that we have designed in the data centre to compress data - but do it in a way that gives an incredible quality and experience. Are you nervous going up against Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo? No, it's exciting. I mean, we wouldn't be here without the work and an incredible success of other platforms that have come before us. But we want to take the industry to the next level, we want to make gaming available for the widest number of people possible, and to bring gaming experiences to people who wouldn't normally be able to get the latest hardware in their home. And that's an exciting prospect. We won't do it overnight. But we're very, very dedicated to this. Google has a habit of getting bored of a service or, if it's not doing too well, just switching it off. Can you assure people that if they spend money on Stadia games, they are still going to have access to them in the coming years? I completely understand the question. I think there's a couple of things I would answer to that. One is our commitment to this business is extraordinary. If you look at the list of games, and crucially, the list of game companies that are backing Stadia, you can see the level of interest and support. Google is committed to this for the long term, we have made very significant financial investments in this. And we have an incredibly dedicated team who is helping to make Stadia reality. Is the move from everybody having a console in the house to us playing on supercharged Google data centres going to be more energy efficient? All of Google's data centres are powered by matching green energy. Not every single data centre is using green energy at the moment but we balance every watt that we put into a data centre with the equivalent green energy generation elsewhere in the world. So we're committed to green energy and have publicly committed to this over a number of years. You're taking on some giants in the industry. What for you will success look like a year or two down the road? Very simply, happy gamers - people who love playing on Stadia, who bring their friends and have a great experience and start to feel what it's like to get rid of that old bit of hardware in your home and just be playing the latest, greatest games without any of the administration that comes with playing games today.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 455, "answer_end": 1244, "text": "Stadia games will run on servers at Google data centres around the world, with the video footage streamed to a TV. The company says that will give gamers over 10 teraflops of graphics processing - more than Xbox One and PS4 combined. But it remains to be seen how well it will work in the real world. Google has not let the BBC try Stadia yet. It is showing the service to journalists at the E3 gaming show in June. Google says that to stream games in ultra-high definition 4K, players will need an internet connection that can deliver download speeds of 35Mbps and upload speeds of 1Mbps. The company recommends a speed of at least 10Mbps to stream games in a lower resolution. For comparison, Sony's PlayStation Now cloud gaming service requires 5Mbps to stream games in 720p resolution."}], "question": "How will Stadia work?", "id": "43_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1245, "answer_end": 1980, "text": "The only way to try Stadia when it launches in November is with the starter pack, which will cost PS119 or $129 in the US. It includes a dark blue Stadia controller, a Chromecast Ultra TV stick and a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. That subscription lets players stream games from the included library in 4K. But not all the games on Stadia will be included in the subscription streaming library. Some of the most recent titles will have to be purchased separately. From 2020, the company will offer the controllers separately for PS59, and a Stadia Pro subscription for PS8.99 a month. Players who choose not to subscribe will be able to buy individual games but will be limited to streaming in high definition rather than 4K."}], "question": "How much will it cost?", "id": "43_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1981, "answer_end": 2846, "text": "Google says there will be at least 30 games at launch, from big studios such as Bethesda, EA Games, Rockstar, Sega, Square Enix, Warner Bros and Ubisoft. Some of the big titles include Doom, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XV, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Tom Clancy's The Division 2. However, some big studios such as Activision Blizzard, which makes Overwatch, and Epic Games, which makes Fortnite, are not on board yet. That means some of the world's most popular games are missing from Stadia at the moment. \"Major exclusives will be key to driving consumer awareness of and desire to adopt cloud gaming services,\" said Piers Harding-Rolls from the IHS Markit consultancy. \"With the selection of content on offer, Google has not yet demonstrated that it will be better placed to engage gamers than the established console and PC storefronts.\""}], "question": "What games will be available?", "id": "43_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Kirkuk: Iraqi forces seize largest oilfields near city", "date": "17 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iraqi government forces have taken control of the two largest oilfields near the disputed city of Kirkuk after Kurdish forces left the area. Iraqi troops began a takeover of Kirkuk on Monday. The actions come three weeks after a Kurdish referendum on independence, which was declared illegitimate by the central Iraqi government. Voters in the Kurdish autonomous region and Kurdish-held areas overwhelmingly backed secession. On Tuesday, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani released a statement calling for peace and pledging to keep working towards independence. \"The loud voices you raised for the independence of Kurdistan, which you sent to all nations and world countries, will not be wasted now or ever,\" he said, according to Irbil-based Rudaw news site. He also blamed the loss of Kirkuk on internal disputes between Kurdish politicians. The speed with which Iraqi forces reached the centre of Kirkuk has led the two main armed Kurdish parties to accuse each other of \"betrayal\". Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the latest operation was necessary to \"protect the unity of the country\", having previously denounced the referendum as unconstitutional. By Orla Guerin, BBC News, Kirkuk A large statute of a Peshmerga fighter still looms over the entrance to Kirkuk, but otherwise there's little sign left of Kurdish control. Iraqi forces are now firmly in command, manning new checkpoints on the road to the city. The city was peaceful but Kurdish areas looked like a ghost town, with shops and homes sealed shut. The thousands who fled the Iraqi advance have not rushed back. The few people we found on the streets spoke of uncertainty, and loss. Some were angry at Peshmerga fighters for not defending the city. Others blamed the Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, for triggering the Iraqi takeover with last month's independence vote. A large poster of President Barzani has been damaged by fire. Locals told us Shia militia, officially controlled by Baghdad, set it alight when they entered the city. The burnt portrait is a potent symbol of his loss of authority here. Kirkuk is an oil-rich province and its oilfields are vital to the Kurdish economy. It lies outside the official Kurdistan region and is claimed by both the Kurds and the central government. It is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but its provincial capital also has large Arab and Turkmen populations. Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when Islamic State (IS) group militants swept across northern Iraq and the Iraqi army collapsed. On Tuesday, Iraqi forces captured the Bai Hassan and Avana oilfields run by state-owned North Oil Company, north of Kirkuk. A day earlier, troops had captured other key military bases and other oilfields, as well as the governor's office. Forces pulled down the Kurdish flag, which had been flying alongside the Iraqi national flag, reports said. Kurdish forces have also left an area on the border with Iran, reports say. Iraqi troops are also preparing to take control of the Khanaqin area, where a small oilfield is located, security sources were quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. Meanwhile, a Yazidi militia retook the town of Sinjar, in the northern Nineveh province, without violence. Peshmerga forces had established control over Sinjar while battling IS. The town was the site of one of the group's worst atrocities, when thousands of Yazidis were killed and enslaved after the jihadists seized control in 2014. The United States said it was \"very concerned\" by reports of violence around Kirkuk and urged \"calm\". The Peshmerga General Command, which is led by President Massoud Barzani of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), accused officials from the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of aiding \"the plot against the people of Kurdistan\". The PUK denied being part of ordering any withdrawal, saying dozens of their fighters had been killed and hurt, but noted \"not even one KDP Peshmerga has been martyred as of yet in the fighting in Kirkuk\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2082, "answer_end": 2900, "text": "Kirkuk is an oil-rich province and its oilfields are vital to the Kurdish economy. It lies outside the official Kurdistan region and is claimed by both the Kurds and the central government. It is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but its provincial capital also has large Arab and Turkmen populations. Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when Islamic State (IS) group militants swept across northern Iraq and the Iraqi army collapsed. On Tuesday, Iraqi forces captured the Bai Hassan and Avana oilfields run by state-owned North Oil Company, north of Kirkuk. A day earlier, troops had captured other key military bases and other oilfields, as well as the governor's office. Forces pulled down the Kurdish flag, which had been flying alongside the Iraqi national flag, reports said."}], "question": "Why is Kirkuk at the heart of this crisis?", "id": "44_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sirhan Sirhan: Robert F Kennedy's assassin stabbed in prison", "date": "31 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Robert F Kennedy, has been stabbed at a California prison, US media reports say. Authorities said a stabbing happened at a prison near San Diego on Friday afternoon. In a statement, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said \"officers responded quickly\" to the attack. The victim, whose condition is stable, was not named in the statement. But citing unnamed law enforcement sources, multiple US media reports have identified 75-year-old Sirhan as the victim. Sirhan is serving a life sentence at the Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility, where the stabbing took place. The suspected attacker, a fellow inmate, has been placed in isolation, according to TMZ, which first reported the assault. The motive for the attack, which is under investigation, has not been revealed by officials. Sirhan was convicted of murdering presidential hopeful Kennedy, who he shot three times at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. Kennedy was shot in the kitchen of the hotel, shortly after declaring victory in California's Democratic presidential primary to cheering crowds. The New York senator, brother of former Democratic president John F Kennedy, died in hospital 24 hours later. He was later buried at Arlington Cemetery, near his brother John, who was assassinated in 1963. At his trial in 1969, Sirhan was originally sentenced to death. Three years later, however, his sentence was commuted to life in prison when California briefly outlawed capital punishment. A Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, Sirhan has claimed he has no recollection of shooting Kennedy. In a TV interview, Sirhan said he felt betrayed by Kennedy's support for Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 861, "answer_end": 1755, "text": "Sirhan was convicted of murdering presidential hopeful Kennedy, who he shot three times at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. Kennedy was shot in the kitchen of the hotel, shortly after declaring victory in California's Democratic presidential primary to cheering crowds. The New York senator, brother of former Democratic president John F Kennedy, died in hospital 24 hours later. He was later buried at Arlington Cemetery, near his brother John, who was assassinated in 1963. At his trial in 1969, Sirhan was originally sentenced to death. Three years later, however, his sentence was commuted to life in prison when California briefly outlawed capital punishment. A Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, Sirhan has claimed he has no recollection of shooting Kennedy. In a TV interview, Sirhan said he felt betrayed by Kennedy's support for Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War."}], "question": "Who is Sirhan Sirhan?", "id": "45_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US election 2020: Joe Biden launches presidential bid, joining crowded field", "date": "25 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former US Vice-President Joe Biden has declared a presidential bid, putting an end to months of speculation. In a video announcement, Mr Biden argued that the \"core values of the nation... our very democracy, everything that has made America America, is at stake\". The 76-year-old, who has already run twice for the presidency, enters a crowded race for the 2020 Democratic nomination. He is up against 19 other hopefuls. They include Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders. Mr Biden, who served as President Barack Obama's deputy for two terms, recalled President Donald Trump's much-criticised remark that there were \"very fine people on both sides\" of the deadly Charlottesville white nationalist riots of 2017. \"With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,\" Mr Biden said. \"I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.\" A spokesman for Mr Obama said selecting Mr Biden as his running mate \"was one of the best decisions he ever made\" and the two had \"forged a special bond\", but the former president notably stopped short of an endorsement. A source familiar with Mr Obama's thinking said the former president believed \"a robust primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better general election candidate, but a better president, too\". Mr Biden, asked by reporters in Delaware why Mr Obama had not endorsed him, replied: \"I asked President Obama not to endorse and he doesn't want to... whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.\" President Trump tweeted: \"Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign.\" He is the most experienced of the Democratic candidates. A six-term senator, he ran twice unsuccessfully for president - in 1988 and 2008. Mr Biden was tipped to run for president again in 2016, the year Mr Trump was elected, but ruled himself out after the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau Biden, from a brain tumour. He has enjoyed relative popularity among Democrats in recent years, consistently leading every national poll of the Democratic primary tracked by the website RealClearPolitics. Mr Biden is also betting on having the strongest appeal of the Democratic candidates across America's Midwest, where many low-income voters have abandoned the party in recent years in favour of Mr Trump. But the former vice-president has been forced to address claims he inappropriately invaded the personal space of women. He apologised, saying: \"The boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. I understand it and I'll be much more mindful.\" Joe Biden enters the Democratic presidential contest as a front-runner, if not the front-runner, with huge name recognition and the potential to raise vast amounts of campaign donations. Of course, so did Hillary Clinton in 2015 - and we all know how that turned out. Like the former secretary of state, Mr Biden in his launch video seems to be defining himself as much by who he isn't - Donald Trump - as what he wants to do. It was an oft-criticised strategy for Mrs Clinton in 2016, and also like Mrs Clinton, his lengthy time in the public eye is likely to be picked apart by opponents. The former vice-president has a lot going for him. He also has a lot going against him. The durability of his campaign is one of the big questions hovering over the Democratic race. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr was born on 20 November 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, one of four children in an Irish-Catholic family. In 1972, Mr Biden was elected to the US Senate at the age of 29, and took office a few weeks later when he turned 30 - the minimum age to enter the Senate. Just before he took office, he was devastated by tragedy: his wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash. Mr Biden first ran for the presidency in the 1988 election, but he withdrew after admitting that he had plagiarised a speech by Neil Kinnock, the leader of the Labour Party in the UK at the time. After that bid he spent time rising through the Senate ranks, eventually becoming chairman of the judiciary and foreign relations committees. In 2008 he ran for president again, but failed to gain the political traction he needed and dropped out again. Instead, he joined the Obama ticket.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 496, "answer_end": 1216, "text": "Mr Biden, who served as President Barack Obama's deputy for two terms, recalled President Donald Trump's much-criticised remark that there were \"very fine people on both sides\" of the deadly Charlottesville white nationalist riots of 2017. \"With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,\" Mr Biden said. \"I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.\""}], "question": "What else did he say?", "id": "46_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1217, "answer_end": 2003, "text": "A spokesman for Mr Obama said selecting Mr Biden as his running mate \"was one of the best decisions he ever made\" and the two had \"forged a special bond\", but the former president notably stopped short of an endorsement. A source familiar with Mr Obama's thinking said the former president believed \"a robust primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better general election candidate, but a better president, too\". Mr Biden, asked by reporters in Delaware why Mr Obama had not endorsed him, replied: \"I asked President Obama not to endorse and he doesn't want to... whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.\" President Trump tweeted: \"Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign.\""}], "question": "What reaction has there been?", "id": "46_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2004, "answer_end": 2958, "text": "He is the most experienced of the Democratic candidates. A six-term senator, he ran twice unsuccessfully for president - in 1988 and 2008. Mr Biden was tipped to run for president again in 2016, the year Mr Trump was elected, but ruled himself out after the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau Biden, from a brain tumour. He has enjoyed relative popularity among Democrats in recent years, consistently leading every national poll of the Democratic primary tracked by the website RealClearPolitics. Mr Biden is also betting on having the strongest appeal of the Democratic candidates across America's Midwest, where many low-income voters have abandoned the party in recent years in favour of Mr Trump. But the former vice-president has been forced to address claims he inappropriately invaded the personal space of women. He apologised, saying: \"The boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. I understand it and I'll be much more mindful.\""}], "question": "What are Mr Biden's prospects?", "id": "46_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3732, "answer_end": 4633, "text": "Joseph Robinette Biden Jr was born on 20 November 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, one of four children in an Irish-Catholic family. In 1972, Mr Biden was elected to the US Senate at the age of 29, and took office a few weeks later when he turned 30 - the minimum age to enter the Senate. Just before he took office, he was devastated by tragedy: his wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash. Mr Biden first ran for the presidency in the 1988 election, but he withdrew after admitting that he had plagiarised a speech by Neil Kinnock, the leader of the Labour Party in the UK at the time. After that bid he spent time rising through the Senate ranks, eventually becoming chairman of the judiciary and foreign relations committees. In 2008 he ran for president again, but failed to gain the political traction he needed and dropped out again. Instead, he joined the Obama ticket."}], "question": "Who is Joe Biden?", "id": "46_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Indonesia election: Joko Widodo re-elected as president", "date": "21 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Joko Widodo has been re-elected as Indonesia's president after last month's vote, beating former general Prabowo Subianto. The result was released a day ahead of schedule in the early hours of Tuesday, amid fears of unrest. Around 32,000 security personnel were deployed across the capital Jakarta, AFP news agency reports. Mr Prabowo rejected the result and said he would pursue \"legal avenues\", but urged his supporters to stay calm. Ahead of the final tally he had alleged \"widespread cheating\" and warned of potential street protests. In 2014 Mr Prabowo challenged an election defeat by Mr Widodo in Indonesia's constitutional court, but lost. The latest vote followed a bitter campaign in which religion played a key role, but independent observers have said it was free and fair. Mr Widodo won 55.5% of the vote to Mr Prabowo's 44.5%, the election commission said. More than 192 million people were eligible to vote in the 17 April poll, choosing 20,000 local and national lawmakers. Azis Subekti, a witness from the retired general's campaign team, refused to sign the results. \"We won't give up in the face of this injustice, cheating, lies, and these actions against democracy,\" he said. Authorities have appealed for calm and increased security measures in a bid to manage tensions. Security personnel have been stationed in front of the election commission's office, backed by razor wire and water cannon. On Friday police said they had arrested dozens of suspected terrorists with links to Islamic State (IS), some of whom had allegedly planned to bomb political rallies when the vote result was released. The same day, the US embassy issued a travel warning advising its citizens in Indonesia to avoid demonstrations and political gatherings. The two rival election campaigns focused on the economy, infrastructure and corruption. Religion was also a core issue. Though Indonesia has no official state religion and the right to practise other faiths is enshrined in the constitution, some 80% of the country is Muslim. Conservative Muslim groups have grown increasingly vocal in recent years, and observers say the presidential candidates both sought to tout their Islamic credentials. Mr Widodo, himself a religious moderate, picked powerful cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate, while Mr Prabowo promised to protect Islamic leaders and increase funding for religious schools. In 2016, Jakarta's Chinese-Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama - known as Ahok - was accused by hardliners of blasphemy against Islam. After mass rallies in the streets, he was imprisoned for two years. Though 80% of the country is Muslim, Indonesia has no official state religion and the right to practise other faiths is enshrined in the constitution. Joko Widodo has been president since 2014 when he also beat Mr Prabowo in a hotly-contested vote. The 57-year old comes from humble beginnings and has focused his campaigns very much around his image as a \"man of the people\". He first came to international prominence by becoming governor of Jakarta in 2012. Under his presidency, Indonesia's economy has grown steadily. Yet he has disappointed some supporters by abandoning campaign promises to resolve human rights violations. He has also courted massive Chinese infrastructure investment, which some in the country view as controversial. His political rival, Mr Prabowo, 67, is closely associated with Indonesia's traditional political elite. He was previously married to the daughter of former dictator General Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 30 years. Mr Prabowo has been accused of complicity in human rights abuses committed under Gen Suharto, but has maintained his innocence. Despite his background, during the campaign he sought to distance himself from the political class and railed against the \"evil elites in Jakarta\". He promised to review all Chinese investment projects in Indonesia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1756, "answer_end": 2752, "text": "The two rival election campaigns focused on the economy, infrastructure and corruption. Religion was also a core issue. Though Indonesia has no official state religion and the right to practise other faiths is enshrined in the constitution, some 80% of the country is Muslim. Conservative Muslim groups have grown increasingly vocal in recent years, and observers say the presidential candidates both sought to tout their Islamic credentials. Mr Widodo, himself a religious moderate, picked powerful cleric Ma'ruf Amin as his running mate, while Mr Prabowo promised to protect Islamic leaders and increase funding for religious schools. In 2016, Jakarta's Chinese-Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama - known as Ahok - was accused by hardliners of blasphemy against Islam. After mass rallies in the streets, he was imprisoned for two years. Though 80% of the country is Muslim, Indonesia has no official state religion and the right to practise other faiths is enshrined in the constitution."}], "question": "What were the election issues?", "id": "47_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2753, "answer_end": 3922, "text": "Joko Widodo has been president since 2014 when he also beat Mr Prabowo in a hotly-contested vote. The 57-year old comes from humble beginnings and has focused his campaigns very much around his image as a \"man of the people\". He first came to international prominence by becoming governor of Jakarta in 2012. Under his presidency, Indonesia's economy has grown steadily. Yet he has disappointed some supporters by abandoning campaign promises to resolve human rights violations. He has also courted massive Chinese infrastructure investment, which some in the country view as controversial. His political rival, Mr Prabowo, 67, is closely associated with Indonesia's traditional political elite. He was previously married to the daughter of former dictator General Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for 30 years. Mr Prabowo has been accused of complicity in human rights abuses committed under Gen Suharto, but has maintained his innocence. Despite his background, during the campaign he sought to distance himself from the political class and railed against the \"evil elites in Jakarta\". He promised to review all Chinese investment projects in Indonesia."}], "question": "Who is the re-elected president?", "id": "47_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: How many people seek asylum in the UK?", "date": "31 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 230 people have attempted to cross the English Channel in small boats since November, according to a tally being kept by BBC News. Home Secretary Sajid Javid has declared the crossings \"a major incident\". Mr Javid said that while the UK had \"obligations to genuine asylum seekers which we will uphold, we will not stand by and allow reckless criminals to take advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in our global society\". So how many of those who've crossed the Channel in recent weeks are claiming asylum? The Home Office declined to give details. But if all of them did so, it would be equivalent to the number of people who claim asylum in the UK every three days. In 2017, there were 26,350 applications for asylum made in the UK. This compares with 198,255 applications for asylum made in Germany, 126,550 in Italy and 91,070 in France over the same period. In total in the UK, there were 21,290 decisions made with 31.8% gaining some form of protection. The UK grants \"refugee status\" to those who are unable to live in their own country for fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or other factors such as sexual orientation.  A successful application usually allows someone leave to remain for five years with the opportunity after that to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Data on how migrants arrive in the UK is not readily available, but a report by the Migration Advisory Committee released in May 2018 provides estimates for \"clandestine entries\". These include those arriving by boat, but also those who stow away on ferries and lorries. In 2016-17 the figure was estimated to be 2,366, decreasing to 1,832 in 2017-18. The report does not say what proportion of these people went on to seek asylum. The largest group seeking asylum in the UK last year was from Iran, which is where many of the groups crossing the channel recently are reported to have come from. Of the 2,690 seeking asylum, 47% were granted it based on the initial decision - higher than average for asylum seekers as a whole. These statistics cover cases in which decisions are made. The rest are counted as \"pending\". At the end of last year, there were 24,557 people waiting for an asylum decision of whom 42% had been waiting more than six months, which is the Home Office's target for initial rulings to be made. Those decisions may then be challenged in court, and the majority of those who are initially unsuccessful go down this route. Of the 14,149 appeals determined in 2017, 5,022 - a third - were allowed, in effect overturning the Home Office's initial decision. 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, 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. What do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 688, "answer_end": 1775, "text": "In 2017, there were 26,350 applications for asylum made in the UK. This compares with 198,255 applications for asylum made in Germany, 126,550 in Italy and 91,070 in France over the same period. In total in the UK, there were 21,290 decisions made with 31.8% gaining some form of protection. The UK grants \"refugee status\" to those who are unable to live in their own country for fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or other factors such as sexual orientation.  A successful application usually allows someone leave to remain for five years with the opportunity after that to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Data on how migrants arrive in the UK is not readily available, but a report by the Migration Advisory Committee released in May 2018 provides estimates for \"clandestine entries\". These include those arriving by boat, but also those who stow away on ferries and lorries. In 2016-17 the figure was estimated to be 2,366, decreasing to 1,832 in 2017-18. The report does not say what proportion of these people went on to seek asylum."}], "question": "How many asylum seekers are there?", "id": "48_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1776, "answer_end": 2986, "text": "The largest group seeking asylum in the UK last year was from Iran, which is where many of the groups crossing the channel recently are reported to have come from. Of the 2,690 seeking asylum, 47% were granted it based on the initial decision - higher than average for asylum seekers as a whole. These statistics cover cases in which decisions are made. The rest are counted as \"pending\". At the end of last year, there were 24,557 people waiting for an asylum decision of whom 42% had been waiting more than six months, which is the Home Office's target for initial rulings to be made. Those decisions may then be challenged in court, and the majority of those who are initially unsuccessful go down this route. Of the 14,149 appeals determined in 2017, 5,022 - a third - were allowed, in effect overturning the Home Office's initial decision. 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, 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."}], "question": "Where do asylum seekers come from?", "id": "48_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Flights resume amid new security measures", "date": "14 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hong Kong airport has resumed operations after a night of chaos which saw protesters clash with riot police. Hundreds of flights were cancelled on Tuesday after protesters flooded the terminal buildings. Early on Wednesday flights appeared to be running as scheduled, though some still remained delayed or cancelled. After days of disruptions, the Airport Authority said it had obtained a temporary injunction banning protesters from entering certain areas. It said in a statement that people would be \"restrained from attending or participating in any demonstration or protest... in the airport other than in the area designated by the Airport Authority\". Additional security measures have been put in place restricting access to the terminal - with only staff and passengers with valid boarding passes allowed in. Hong Kong is in its tenth week of anti-government protests. The airport, one of the world's busiest, has been the site of daily protests since last Friday but they had been mostly peaceful. On Tuesday, protesters blocked travellers from accessing flights, using luggage trolleys to build barriers, and staging a mass sit-down. Some protesters held signs apologising to passengers for the inconvenience caused by their demonstrations. However, things escalated when one man was set upon by protesters reportedly because they thought he was an undercover police officer. Police, wearing riot gear and brandishing truncheons, later arrived at the airport and clashed with protesters. In one video, a policeman is seen frantically drawing his gun on protesters after being attacked with his own truncheon for manhandling a woman. Hong Kong police said the officer's life was \"under great danger\" and insisted he only drew his gun \"out of emergency and necessity\" and \"exercised great restraint\". Protesters had boxed him into a corner after prying the baton from his hands during a violent skirmish. After collapsing to the ground, the policeman was eventually dragged to safety by his fellow officers. At least two other men, also suspected of being police officers, were also confronted by protesters. One was held for several hours and his hands zip-tied. Paramedics were initially blocked from evacuating the man, even as he appeared to lose consciousness. The actions came after Hong Kong police admitted on Monday that disguised officers were being planted among anti-government protesters. The editor of Chinese state media outlet the Global Times later said one of the men attacked was a reporter from the outlet. The BBC's Asia-Pacific editor Michael Bristow says Chinese censors are allowing a video of the reporter's ordeal to be shared in mainland China, where news of the Hong Kong demonstrations is strictly controlled. On Wednesday, police likened the treatment of the men to \"torture\" and said they had arrested five men. Overnight, protest groups issued online apologies for the violence, saying they were \"scared\" and appealed for help. Some also handed out apology leaflets and chocolate to people arriving at the airport's train station. Separately, the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific airline has fired two pilots for protesting after China demanded that they suspend personnel involved in the demonstrations. By Pody Lui, BBC Chinese service, Hong Kong \"Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong\" could be heard clearly in the arrival hall on Tuesday. Protesters were handing out posters to arriving tourists about what had happened in the past two months in Hong Kong, particularly an incident that happened on Sunday in a police dispersal action. A female protester was shot in the eye by police with a bean bag projectile. Occasionally, there were \"mini-parliaments\", where hundreds of protesters gathered and discussed what was next and how to encounter some possible scenarios in a peaceful manner. Everybody got their say as long as they raised their hand. Tourists undoubtedly were affected as they were not able to get into the security check area. Some cried, some chose to sleep through it. But some protesters offered to help them, including looking for accommodation, offering free food and drinks, and certainly apologising to them. The Hong Kong government has condemned the violence at the airport, saying it would take action against those found responsible. In a statement on Wednesday, it called the \"violent acts... outrageous\" and said that they had \"overstepped the bottom line of a civilised society\". It added that the police would take \"relentless enforcement action to bring the persons involved to justice\". China's Hong Kong affairs office condemned on Wednesday what it called \"near-terrorist acts\" at the airport. Anti-government protests started in June in response to a proposed extradition bill, which has now been suspended, but have evolved into a more demanding pro-democracy movement. They are being fuelled by fears that the freedoms Hong Kong enjoys as a special administrative region of China are being eroded. Are you at the airport? Have you been affected by recent events? If it's safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Or upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 876, "answer_end": 3241, "text": "The airport, one of the world's busiest, has been the site of daily protests since last Friday but they had been mostly peaceful. On Tuesday, protesters blocked travellers from accessing flights, using luggage trolleys to build barriers, and staging a mass sit-down. Some protesters held signs apologising to passengers for the inconvenience caused by their demonstrations. However, things escalated when one man was set upon by protesters reportedly because they thought he was an undercover police officer. Police, wearing riot gear and brandishing truncheons, later arrived at the airport and clashed with protesters. In one video, a policeman is seen frantically drawing his gun on protesters after being attacked with his own truncheon for manhandling a woman. Hong Kong police said the officer's life was \"under great danger\" and insisted he only drew his gun \"out of emergency and necessity\" and \"exercised great restraint\". Protesters had boxed him into a corner after prying the baton from his hands during a violent skirmish. After collapsing to the ground, the policeman was eventually dragged to safety by his fellow officers. At least two other men, also suspected of being police officers, were also confronted by protesters. One was held for several hours and his hands zip-tied. Paramedics were initially blocked from evacuating the man, even as he appeared to lose consciousness. The actions came after Hong Kong police admitted on Monday that disguised officers were being planted among anti-government protesters. The editor of Chinese state media outlet the Global Times later said one of the men attacked was a reporter from the outlet. The BBC's Asia-Pacific editor Michael Bristow says Chinese censors are allowing a video of the reporter's ordeal to be shared in mainland China, where news of the Hong Kong demonstrations is strictly controlled. On Wednesday, police likened the treatment of the men to \"torture\" and said they had arrested five men. Overnight, protest groups issued online apologies for the violence, saying they were \"scared\" and appealed for help. Some also handed out apology leaflets and chocolate to people arriving at the airport's train station. Separately, the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific airline has fired two pilots for protesting after China demanded that they suspend personnel involved in the demonstrations."}], "question": "What happened at the airport on Tuesday?", "id": "49_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4177, "answer_end": 4980, "text": "The Hong Kong government has condemned the violence at the airport, saying it would take action against those found responsible. In a statement on Wednesday, it called the \"violent acts... outrageous\" and said that they had \"overstepped the bottom line of a civilised society\". It added that the police would take \"relentless enforcement action to bring the persons involved to justice\". China's Hong Kong affairs office condemned on Wednesday what it called \"near-terrorist acts\" at the airport. Anti-government protests started in June in response to a proposed extradition bill, which has now been suspended, but have evolved into a more demanding pro-democracy movement. They are being fuelled by fears that the freedoms Hong Kong enjoys as a special administrative region of China are being eroded."}], "question": "What has the government said?", "id": "49_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Toilet tech proves that where there's muck there's brass", "date": "26 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nearly a third of the world's population still has no access to safe, hygienic sanitation. This means they have to go the toilet out in the open - in the bush, fields or forests. This leads to about 700,000 deaths each year from related diseases, says the World Bank, and stops children getting a proper education. \"Sanitation lies at the root of many other development challenges, as poor sanitation impacts public health, education, and the environment,\" says Jyoti Shukla, senior manager of the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). So what are the technology innovations helping to address this issue, and is the private sector better placed than the public sector to implement these solutions? One of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals is to make universal access to safe sanitation and water a reality by 2030. \"The stakes are high: stunting and malnutrition are directly related to poor sanitation; quality of learning and productivity is affected by sanitation; and dignity and empowerment of women and girls is influenced by how we deliver sanitation,\" says Ms Shukla. But many in the private tech sector believe this cannot be achieved without their help. For example, Kenya-based Sanivation is on a mission to make toilets \"cool\", according to chief executive Andrew Foote. His firm has come up with a way of transforming human waste into energy briquettes. The company provides hygienic toilet units to households in slums and refugee camps. The waste is collected once a week and taken away to be treated and transformed into charcoal at a special facility. Sanivation sells this back to communities as a source of energy that is safer to burn than traditional charcoal. At the processing plant, the waste is put into solar concentrators, which focus energy from the sun to heat the waste to temperatures over 70C (158F) for many hours. This deactivates pathogens, and renders the waste safe for reuse. The treated waste is then mixed with biomass agricultural residue - rice husks, flower stems, corn cobs, and the like - which has also been heated and ground into charcoal dust. The two waste streams are then combined and compressed into charcoal blocks. \"Simply to achieve universal sanitation, toilets will have to mimic the adoption rates of cell phones, says Mr Foote. \"One of my favourite parts of my job is thinking: How do I make toilets as cool as cell phones?\" The private sector treats sanitation as a business opportunity and this is potentially more effective than aid-based hand-outs, Mr Foote believes. Another firm adopting the private sector model is Kenya's Sanergy, It installs what it calls Fresh Life Toilets in informal settlements, and sells them - at cost - to local entrepreneurs who create mini-businesses out of each toilet. Fresh Life Operators charge a nominal fee per use of their toilet, but over the year end up making a tidy living. They often hire toilet attendants, and run their unit as a business. Sanergy removes the waste from the units, treats it, and sells by-products to the agricultural sector. The company has to date installed 781 Fresh Life Toilets run by 387 operators in eight settlements around Nairobi. Sanergy says it collects nine tonnes of waste a day. \"Investment in private sector sanitation solutions allows for innovation that can't be undertaken in the more risk-averse public sector,\" says Medora Brown, Sanergy's communications manager. In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional sewered sanitation systems cost about $56 per capita, whereas Sanergy's model costs $7 per capita, says Ms Brown. And that's one of the main barriers blocking faster adoption of more effective, life-saving sanitation systems - cost and the difficulties of implementing them at scale. The Gates Foundation's Reinvent the Toilet competition, launched in 2011, has come up with 24 different types of innovative toilet technologies aiming to transform waste into either clean water or energy. Technology of Business has reported on some of the more promising ideas before. In 2012, Dr Michael Hoffmann, professor of environment science and engineering at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), was awarded $100,000 (PS70,000) by the Foundation for his team's solar-powered loo. It uses an electrochemical reactor to break down human waste into fertiliser and hydrogen gas, which can then be stored in electric fuel cells. The treated water can be reused to flush the loo or irrigate crops. A panel of photovoltaic cells captures light and converts it into electricity stored in rechargeable batteries. One day's light can produce enough power to run the entire electrochemical sanitation system night and day. Another promising idea came from the University of Loughborough, which designed a toilet that brings the waste to a high enough pressure and temperature to kill all the pathogens, while releasing a lot of the energy in the process as heat. This heat can then be captured and used to help power the next processing cycle. But a Gates Foundation spokesman, admits that bringing such hi-tech innovations to fruition is hugely difficult in developing countries without established sewerage systems or skilled maintenance people. Three years after winning their prizes, the CalTech and Loughborough ideas are still being tested and evaluated. \"By this time next year, we will have valuable test data and user feedback on these designs, and we expect we will have commercial partners building launch plans for the first wave of Reinvented Toilets,\" the spokesman says. The problem is that while such innovations are tested, more people are dying from diseases associated with poor sanitation. And the problem is likely to get worse. \"Lots of progress is being made,\" says Sanivation's Mr Foote. \"The bad news is that with rates of urbanisation and population growth, despite the efforts of many actors, the number of people lacking access to sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa and in urban areas has actually been increasing in the last 10 years.\" Technology can only do so much. Solving the world's deadly sanitation problem will take a concerted effort from all sectors working together. Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5011, "answer_end": 6171, "text": "But a Gates Foundation spokesman, admits that bringing such hi-tech innovations to fruition is hugely difficult in developing countries without established sewerage systems or skilled maintenance people. Three years after winning their prizes, the CalTech and Loughborough ideas are still being tested and evaluated. \"By this time next year, we will have valuable test data and user feedback on these designs, and we expect we will have commercial partners building launch plans for the first wave of Reinvented Toilets,\" the spokesman says. The problem is that while such innovations are tested, more people are dying from diseases associated with poor sanitation. And the problem is likely to get worse. \"Lots of progress is being made,\" says Sanivation's Mr Foote. \"The bad news is that with rates of urbanisation and population growth, despite the efforts of many actors, the number of people lacking access to sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa and in urban areas has actually been increasing in the last 10 years.\" Technology can only do so much. Solving the world's deadly sanitation problem will take a concerted effort from all sectors working together."}], "question": "Innovation lag?", "id": "50_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russian Zapad military exercise in Belarus raises tension", "date": "11 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is being billed as a military exercise, but when Russian and Belarusian forces start Zapad-2017 this week, many neighbouring countries will be looking on nervously. Zapad-2017 (\"West-2017\") is a joint strategic-level exercise involving Russian and Belarusian military forces, expected to begin on 14 September in Russia's western military district Kaliningrad, and across Belarus. It is scheduled to last about a week, but may well go on for longer. The exercise is part of a four-year rolling cycle of manoeuvres that focus each year on one broad region or \"front\" (\"West\", \"Eastern\", \"Central\" or \"Caucasus\"). This year's Zapad exercise though is drawing much greater attention than did its predecessor in 2013. The context has changed significantly. Russia has seized and annexed Crimea; it has supported a separatist war in eastern Ukraine with weaponry, training and, for periods, its own combat units. Russia is thus seen by several Nato countries as much more threatening. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has described Russia's build-up for the exercise as \"preparations for an offensive war on a continental scale\". Ukrainian border defences, he said, are being bolstered. He also pointed to the fact that in his view, Russia has form here, using the pretext of an exercise to mobilise and position forces to conduct offensive operations. President Poroshenko said he could not rule out the possibility that the drill \"may be used as a smokescreen to create new Russian army assault groups to invade Ukrainian territory\". Nato watchers and insiders do not necessarily share this concern about an all-out invasion of Ukraine. Russia expert Keir Giles, a fellow at Chatham House think tank, acknowledges that \"previous Russian exercises on this scale have prepositioned troops for undertaking military operations, against Georgia in 2008 and against Ukraine in 2014\". However, he says, \"both of those moves were precipitated by an immediate political crisis - currently absent in Europe. \"And there have been plenty of other major Russian exercises in between,\" he says, \"which did not end up with somebody getting invaded\". US backs Baltics against Russia 'threat' Nato fears fast-moving Russian troops Eastern Ukraine: A new, bloody chapter Russia's information warfare in Europe Nonetheless, the fear of a resurgent and more aggressive Russia is real enough. That is why, over the past year, Nato has sent small multi-national units to Poland and to each of the three Baltic republics to underline its deterrent message. And that is why this year's war games will be watched so closely. Just how closely is a contentious issue. Russia, unlike Belarus, has been far more reluctant to invite Western observers in any number. This despite the fact that, as a member of the OSCE international security body, it is obliged to send out broad invitations if an exercise numbers more than 13,000 troops. Mr Giles notes that, while Russia may be \"content to see Europe alarmed at the prospect of Moscow throwing its military weight around\", Belarus seeks instead to calm the situation. The siting of the exercise in ranges across the middle of the country - not near the Polish and Lithuanian borders - was a deliberate policy decision intended to reduce the chances of misinterpretation, or incidents when Russian troops and aircraft come close to Nato borders. Belarus has been much more open towards international observers. Clearly satellites, airborne radars and other national intelligence collection measures will be used by Nato countries. In addition, efforts are under way to mobilise concerned citizens in Belarus to observe military movements in their area and post them online for the benefit of non-government, open-source analysts and experts. So just how big is this exercise and what will Western analysts and observers be watching for? Here assessments differ widely. The Russians say some 12,700 troops will be involved in total, including a significant contingent from Belarus. (Notice this takes it below the 13,000 OSCE threshold.) Western experts watching the preparations, especially the marshalling of railway flat-cars - the main way of moving heavy armoured formations to the exercise areas - say it will be considerably more. Some estimates suggest that up to 80,000 troops could be involved, but since there are a range of drills, exercises and spot mobilisations it is hard to be precise about numbers. Russia will be testing its capacity to contain and respond to some form of outside aggression and will be deploying units from different services: heavy armour; airborne troops; \"spetsnaz\" elite reconnaissance teams; and electronic warfare specialists. The Baltic Fleet will be involved, as will units from the 14th Corps based in Kaliningrad. One point of interest may be the part played at the tactical and strategic levels of \"information operations troops\" - a relatively new formation in the Russian order of battle. Indeed, while there may be much to learn about Russia's use of artillery, its capability in electronic warfare (already manifest in the fighting in Ukraine) and the growing importance of precision-guided munitions in Russia's thinking, it may be this information aspect that is most important. For beyond the troop movements, Zapad-2017 is part of a wider propaganda effort to influence and shape opinion in the West. The US analyst Michael Kofman in a fascinating piece on the War on the Rocks website, describes Zapad as \"a good window into the Russian mindset. \"For all the modernisation and transformation of the Russian armed forces,\" he writes, \"in reality the Russian leadership is probably still afraid: afraid the United States will try to make a bid for Belarus, afraid of American technological and economic superiority, afraid the US seeks regime change in Moscow, and afraid Washington desires the complete fragmentation of Russian influence in its near abroad, or even worse, Russia itself.\" \"Zapad,\" he argues, \"is the most coherent manifestation of these fears, and a threat from Moscow to the United States about what it might do if the worst should come to pass.\" And what of those lingering fears in some quarters that this could be much more than just an exercise? Mr Giles remains unconvinced by much of the media hyperbole surrounding Zapad. But he has this caution: \"The time to watch troop deployments most closely,\" he says, \"is likely to be after the exercise proper has ended.\" The final day of Zapad is 20 September but, he notes, \"Russian troops are only scheduled to leave Belarus by 30 September - after the observers have departed, and when the media interest will have died down. That will be the time to decide whether Zapad this year has in fact passed off peacefully.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3767, "answer_end": 5380, "text": "So just how big is this exercise and what will Western analysts and observers be watching for? Here assessments differ widely. The Russians say some 12,700 troops will be involved in total, including a significant contingent from Belarus. (Notice this takes it below the 13,000 OSCE threshold.) Western experts watching the preparations, especially the marshalling of railway flat-cars - the main way of moving heavy armoured formations to the exercise areas - say it will be considerably more. Some estimates suggest that up to 80,000 troops could be involved, but since there are a range of drills, exercises and spot mobilisations it is hard to be precise about numbers. Russia will be testing its capacity to contain and respond to some form of outside aggression and will be deploying units from different services: heavy armour; airborne troops; \"spetsnaz\" elite reconnaissance teams; and electronic warfare specialists. The Baltic Fleet will be involved, as will units from the 14th Corps based in Kaliningrad. One point of interest may be the part played at the tactical and strategic levels of \"information operations troops\" - a relatively new formation in the Russian order of battle. Indeed, while there may be much to learn about Russia's use of artillery, its capability in electronic warfare (already manifest in the fighting in Ukraine) and the growing importance of precision-guided munitions in Russia's thinking, it may be this information aspect that is most important. For beyond the troop movements, Zapad-2017 is part of a wider propaganda effort to influence and shape opinion in the West."}], "question": "How many troops?", "id": "51_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russian spy: Yulia Skripal discharged from hospital", "date": "10 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Yulia Skripal, the poisoned daughter of Russian ex-spy Sergei, has been discharged from hospital. The 33-year-old left Salisbury District Hospital on Monday and has been taken to a secure location. The hospital said: \"This is not the end of her treatment but marks a significant milestone.\" Her 66-year-old father remains in hospital and is \"recovering more slowly than Yulia\". Doctors hope he will be discharged \"in due course\". The pair were taken to hospital on 4 March after being exposed to the toxic nerve agent Novichok. The father and daughter were found slumped on a park bench in the centre of Salisbury. Wiltshire Police Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who attended the scene, was also treated in hospital after being exposed to the nerve agent, but has since been discharged. A statement from Ms Skripal released through the Metropolitan Police last week said her \"strength is growing daily\". Mr Skripal remains at Salisbury District Hospital but is no longer in a critical condition. Medical director Dr Christine Blanshard said he has made \"good progress\", adding: \"Although he's recovering more slowly than Yulia we hope he too will be able to leave hospital in due course.\" The government says Russia was behind the poisoning, and Prime Minister Theresa May said Moscow was \"culpable\" for the attack. But the Russian government denied any involvement and has accused the British of inventing a \"fake story\". According to the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner, Whitehall officials have compiled a list of 26 alternative explanations for the attack that have been put forward by Russia's government and media. So far they have attached blame to Ms Skripal's mother-in-law, Theresa May, and a drone, among others. Meanwhile, Mrs May welcomed the news of Ms Skripal's discharge from hospital and wished her the best for her recovery. The Russian Embassy congratulated Ms Skripal but said: \"We need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will.\" Responding to a Sunday Times report that the Skripals could relocate and be offered new identities, the embassy said it would view any possible resettlement as an \"abduction\". On Sunday the Anglican Bishop of Salisbury will host a \"service of cleansing and celebration\" for the attack victims at St Thomas' Church, less than 200m from where the Skripals were found. It will be followed by a procession near to the bench where they became ill. Police said the pair first came into contact with the nerve agent at their home. The BBC's health and science correspondent James Gallagher said Novichok prevents enzymes called acetylcholinesterase from functioning normally at nerve junctions, including those required to keep the heart beating. He said: \"But over time, the nerve agent is metabolised and excreted by the body and new acetylcholinesterase is made. \"The question is whether doctors can keep patients alive long enough for that to happen.\" BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said the highest concentration was found on the Skripals' front door handle. Traces of Novichok were also found at the Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury, where the Skripals spent the afternoon. Zizzi, the Mill, the Maltings shopping centre and the Skripals' home remain cordoned off, Wiltshire Police said. Investigators identified 131 people who had potentially been in contact with the nerve agent, and up to 500 people who visited the pub or the restaurant were told to wash their clothes and possessions. By BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner Unseen by the public, Yulia Skripal was discreetly discharged from hospital in Salisbury last night, hours ahead of this morning's announcement. She is understood to have been taken to a secure location somewhere in Britain while discussions take place over her future safety and protection. For the UK government this could prove to be a delicate diplomatic problem. She is a Russian citizen and Moscow has been pressing for consular access. But it is by no means clear where she will want to settle given her narrow escape from death in this failed assassination attempt on her and her father, Sergei. Whitehall officials say reports that the Skripals are to be given a new identity in the US are premature. Samples of the nerve agent have been tested by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down in Wiltshire, in an attempt to verify its source. Its head said the precise source of the nerve agent had not been verified, but it was likely to have been deployed by a \"state actor\". A diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West has followed, with more than 20 countries expelling Russian envoys in solidarity with the UK. Russia's request for a new, joint investigation was voted down at the international chemical weapons watchdog at The Hague on 4 April. Mr Skripal is a retired military intelligence officer who was convicted of passing the identities of Russian intelligence agents working undercover in Europe to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. He was jailed for 13 years by Russia in 2006, but was released in 2010 as part of an exchange for 10 Russian spies arrested by the FBI. Ms Skripal regularly travelled between the UK and Moscow, and had returned from Russia the day before the pair were poisoned. After Ms Skripal was discharged, her cousin, Viktoria Skripal, told Russian news agency Interfax that Ms Skripal planned to ask for political asylum during a press conference - although she does not know in which country. Viktoria Skripal has been refused a UK visa to visit her relatives. The Home Office said the application did not comply with immigration rules, but a government source told the BBC it appears Russia is \"trying to use Viktoria as a pawn\". Viktoria later told the BBC she did not have enough money in her bank account to satisfy the visa requirements.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3491, "answer_end": 4244, "text": "By BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner Unseen by the public, Yulia Skripal was discreetly discharged from hospital in Salisbury last night, hours ahead of this morning's announcement. She is understood to have been taken to a secure location somewhere in Britain while discussions take place over her future safety and protection. For the UK government this could prove to be a delicate diplomatic problem. She is a Russian citizen and Moscow has been pressing for consular access. But it is by no means clear where she will want to settle given her narrow escape from death in this failed assassination attempt on her and her father, Sergei. Whitehall officials say reports that the Skripals are to be given a new identity in the US are premature."}], "question": "Analysis: Will Russia get access to Yulia Skripal?", "id": "52_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka attacks: What led to carnage?", "date": "23 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sri Lanka is in a state of shock and confusion, trying to understand how a little-known Islamist group may have unleashed the wave of co-ordinated suicide bombings that resulted in the Easter Sunday carnage - the worst since the end of the civil war a decade ago. The South Asian island nation has experience of such attacks - suicide bombers were used by Tamil Tiger rebels during the civil war. But the ruthlessness of the new atrocities has stunned the nation anew. Eventually the government spokesman, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, came out and blamed National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), a home-grown Islamist group, for the bombings. \"There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded,\" he told reporters on Monday. That might go some way to explaining how a group that has been blamed for promoting hate speech may now have been able to scale up its capacity so monumentally. On Tuesday, however, the Islamic State (IS) group said its militants had carried out the attacks. It published a video of eight men the group claimed were behind the attacks. The IS claim should be treated cautiously. It is not clear whether these men were trained by the group or simply inspired by IS ideology. The manner in which NTJ was identified was circuitous. The prime minister said there had been warnings made to officials that hadn't been shared with the cabinet. He said only the president would get such briefings, even though it is not clear if he personally did in this instance. This is not an insignificant statement from a prime minister who was at loggerheads with the president for much of the past year. Many are drawing a conclusion about how political discord can have serious consequences - as well as undermining trust in the messages being put out. If the suicide bombers were local Sri Lankan Muslims, as stated by the government, then it is a colossal failure by the intelligence agencies. Information is also now emerging in the US media that the Sri Lankan government may also have had warnings from US and Indian intelligence about a possible threat. \"Our understanding is that [the warning] was correctly circulated among security and police,\" Shiral Lakthilaka, a senior adviser to President Maithripala Sirisena, said. The Sri Lankan president, who oversees security forces, has now set up a committee to find out what went wrong. Sri Lankan intelligence was credited with foiling several suicide attacks by the Tamil Tiger rebels at the height of the civil war and for penetrating a well-knit and ruthless Tamil Tiger organisation. While this is clearly a security and political failure, there are also questions about the nature of communal strife in Sri Lanka's more recent history. During the civil war, Muslims were also targeted by Tamil Tiger rebels and suffered at their hands. But Muslim community leaders say successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to restore confidence among young Muslims following more recent attacks by some members of the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community. One of the worst incidents was in the town of Digana in central Sri Lanka where one person died when a Sinhalese mob attacked Muslim shops and mosques in March last year. \"After Digana quite a few Muslims lost faith in the government to provide them security. Some of them got the idea that they can defend themselves,\" says Hilmy Ahamed, vice-president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Council. The attacks and what the youths perceived as the lack of action by the government may have led some of them towards groups like NTJ. Some of the radicals were blamed for damaging Buddhist statues in recent years and their leader was arrested last year for offending religious sentiments. He later apologised for offending the sentiments of the Buddhist Sinhalese. Now it is widely believed a new group emerged a few years ago under the leadership of Zaharan Hashim, a radical Muslim preacher from eastern Sri Lanka. Mr Hashim posted several videos on social media purportedly promoting hatred against non-Muslims. Most of his videos are in the Tamil language. His teachings are said to have attracted several Muslim youths. \"This man was preaching hate with lots of YouTube videos on social media posts. Some of us reported him to the national intelligence services. Once about three years ago and once in January this year,\" says Mr Ahamed. He added that  security services did not take any action against Mr Hashim. Reports say the preacher was one of the suicide bombers though it's yet to be confirmed. Muslim community leaders say a few youths went to Syria to join IS, and some of them were killed in fighting there. It's important not to overstate this, though, and a former senior military officer Maj Gen (Retired) GA Chandrasiri says \"we have very cordial relationship with the Muslims. Most Muslims are not with these people. They are peace loving people\". There are no reports so far of a high number of jihadists returning to Sri Lanka. But even if a select few jihadists are angry with the majority, why were Christians targeted? In the complex cocktail of Sri Lanka's religious and ethnic tensions, Christians are almost unique for not perpetrating any kind of violence on behalf of their community. After all, it is a religion that crosses ethnic lines. I covered the Sri Lankan civil war for years and reported on many Tamil Tiger suicide attacks. It took years for the group to be able to learn to detonate such devices. So it is intriguing that a lesser-known Islamist group, with a few home-grown radicals, could carry out six - some say even seven - suicide attacks with such pinpoint precision and devastation. None of them failed. Even though connections with global jihadist groups are unclear, the choice of major luxury hotels and Christians as a target - in addition to the sophistication of the operation - makes it plausible that local radicalism has come under the influence of global jihadist networks.  It would be a tried and tested pattern in global attacks. During the Sri Lankan civil war foreign tourists were spared and attacks on outsiders were rare. In the latest bombings, many foreigners were killed and this has raised the spectre of links with al-Qaeda or IS. \"For this type of operation you need lots of assistance from outside. You need finances, training and technique for this kind of work. You can't do these things alone. May be there was some help from outside,\" Gen Chandrasiri said. Violence is not new to Sri Lanka. It went through turbulent times during a left-wing insurrection in the 1970s followed by a nearly three-decade bloody war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. Tens of thousands of people were killed. But the ruthlessness and sophistication of the latest atrocities indicate that it will be challenge for the Sri Lankan security forces to deal with those behind the bombings. The last thing the Sri Lankan public wants is more violence and recrimination.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5312, "answer_end": 6957, "text": "I covered the Sri Lankan civil war for years and reported on many Tamil Tiger suicide attacks. It took years for the group to be able to learn to detonate such devices. So it is intriguing that a lesser-known Islamist group, with a few home-grown radicals, could carry out six - some say even seven - suicide attacks with such pinpoint precision and devastation. None of them failed. Even though connections with global jihadist groups are unclear, the choice of major luxury hotels and Christians as a target - in addition to the sophistication of the operation - makes it plausible that local radicalism has come under the influence of global jihadist networks.  It would be a tried and tested pattern in global attacks. During the Sri Lankan civil war foreign tourists were spared and attacks on outsiders were rare. In the latest bombings, many foreigners were killed and this has raised the spectre of links with al-Qaeda or IS. \"For this type of operation you need lots of assistance from outside. You need finances, training and technique for this kind of work. You can't do these things alone. May be there was some help from outside,\" Gen Chandrasiri said. Violence is not new to Sri Lanka. It went through turbulent times during a left-wing insurrection in the 1970s followed by a nearly three-decade bloody war with the Tamil Tiger rebels. Tens of thousands of people were killed. But the ruthlessness and sophistication of the latest atrocities indicate that it will be challenge for the Sri Lankan security forces to deal with those behind the bombings. The last thing the Sri Lankan public wants is more violence and recrimination."}], "question": "Global dimension?", "id": "53_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Harry and Meghan: How much privacy can they expect in Canada?", "date": "23 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Within hours of Prince Harry arriving in Canada to join his wife for the start of a new life away from royal duties, the couple issued a legal warning about media intrusion. Pictures of Meghan walking her dogs while carrying her son Archie in a baby sling were published in newspapers and on websites. Lawyers said they were taken without her consent, by photographers hiding in bushes. The couple say they want a different relationship with the media now they've stepped back from their life as senior royals. But have the rules changed? And what can they expect now that they've left the UK? Not much, according to Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer and editor of Majesty Magazine. She says she's surprised the couple weren't expecting the paparazzi to follow them to Canada. \"Of course the safest place for Harry and Meghan to be is in the UK,\" she told Radio 4's PM programme. \"They haven't been papped once since their marriage, and if they have been, no pictures have been printed. \"Those rules don't apply in Canada. The paps can come from all over the world and lie in wait for them.\" The couple are believed to be alarmed by press activity near their current base on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Their lawyers say there have been attempts to photograph inside their home using long-range lenses and they accuse the paparazzi of being camped outside the property. PR and media expert Rebecca May says that without the long-standing \"gentleman's\" agreement between the Palace and the UK media to avoid using paparazzi photos, Harry and Meghan \"will have to navigate their way through this new world without that protection\". The CHEK news service, based in Vancouver Island, was one of the outlets which decided not to use the photo - taken in Horth Hill Regional Park - that prompted the legal warning. Its news editor, Scott Fee, says he spoke to the photographer responsible who defended it, saying it was taken on public property. He told BBC Breakfast: \"That's [the photographer's] version. He said Meghan didn't hide from the shot, she gave me a smile, she didn't prevent it from happening - those are his words. If that's how it played out - it's hard to say.\" Mr Fee says his publication chose not to use the pictures, which appeared on the front page of the Sun, because they had to listen to their audience, who tend to be really protective of the couple. He adds: \"We do want to respect what the couple are saying as well. We're not looking to be intrusive, we're not looking to stalk the couple.\" However, he does acknowledge that his organisation will be closely following the  story as it \"unfolds in our own backyard\". Prince Harry has long had an uneasy relationship with the media, having grown up aware of the impact the intense media interest had on the life of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes. The prince has often compared his wife's experiences of the press with those of his late mother. In 2016, Prince Harry attacked the media for subjecting Meghan - then his girlfriend - to a \"wave of abuse and harassment\". Last year, Harry accepted damages and an apology from a news agency which used a helicopter to take photographs of the inside of his home in the Cotswolds. The duchess is currently suing the Mail on Sunday over publishing one of her private letters to her father, Thomas Markle, accusing the paper of misusing her private information, breaching copyright and selective editing. Days after confirming his wife's legal case, the duke announced he would take legal action against the owners of the Sun, the defunct News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, in relation to alleged phone-hacking. In his statement last October, the prince singled out Britain's tabloid newspapers, saying that they had ruined his mother's life and he wouldn't let them ruin his wife's. BBC media editor Amol Rajan says the way to stay out of the media is not to be too interesting, adding that recent events have, ironically, seen interest in the Sussexes \"radically increase\". He says: \"If you want to stay out of the media, it's not about where you are, it's about who you are and what you do. \"There is something desperately sad for the couple in the fact that, even in North America, you cannot get away from scrutiny - given that every passer-by has a smartphone.\" Under their new arrangement with the royal family, Harry and Meghan will stop receiving public funds for royal duties. However, the couple will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations, while they have previously said they plan to launch a new \"charitable entity\". PR and media expert Rebecca May says it is crucial that the couple's advisers \"guide them through this new maze and keep Canada's press on side to help with this transition period\". She says: \"After all, to raise awareness for their charities and causes they need the media to spread the word. Therefore the key is to set boundaries and stick to them. \"Be up front and open with the press and they will be respectful if they know what rules you play by.\" She anticipates \"a bumpy ride\" for at least the next 12 months for the couple, adding that it will also very much depend on their next career moves. \"Inevitably, I don't see their move to Canada helping them stay out of the media spotlight in the short to medium term, however, in the long term it could be a good move for them.\" Newspapers have claimed that Harry appeared to tout Meghan for voiceover work with Disney at the Lion King premiere in July. The couple have previously looked to capitalise on the Sussex Royal brand - lodging an application to trademark the name in June last year, covering items such as books, calendars, clothing, charitable fundraising and campaigning. It raised the possibility of Prince Harry and Meghan launching their own lines of products, from beauty to clothing - however the agreement with the Queen has cast doubt on that idea. A brand incorporating the word \"royal\" may not be compatible with their agreement to step back from royal duties. In the UK, you can generally take pictures of people in public spaces without permission. But there could be circumstances where it is not allowed, for example if the person was in an area where they reasonably expected privacy or your actions amounted to harassment. Canadian privacy laws are similar to those in the UK, but there are also provincial statutes in Canada. In the province of British Columbia, where Prince Harry and Meghan are staying, a separate Privacy Act is in force. In a public place, there may be a limited expectation of privacy under certain circumstances. Canadian media lawyer Dan Burnett has worked on a number of privacy cases in the province and says the key question for the courts is whether there is \"a reasonable expectation of privacy\". He says: \"Factors such as children and surreptitious photography would be important considerations supporting the potential claim in Meghan's case. \"The fact it was in a public place would lean the other way, but if the photographers were hiding, that suggests they knew she considered it a safe, private space at the time.\" However, there is still a public interest exemption in Canada which could be used by journalists and photographers in some cases. A court considering a case would also have to take freedom of the press into account. The privacy laws in Canada haven't been as stringently tested as in the UK - with there being less of a paparazzi culture - so it is unclear what scenarios would amount to an invasion of privacy. In the UK, privacy rights began to change with the passage of the Human Rights Act in 1998, which introduced a right to \"respect for private and family life\". The result has been a series of rulings against the media, such as Max Mosley who successfully sued the News of the World for breach of privacy, after it had published pictures of him with five prostitutes. Sir Cliff Richard used the same privacy law in 2018 to win his case against the BBC, which had showed helicopter footage of a police raid on his home. Rebecca May says Prince Harry and Meghan's move to Canada is drawing press attention from \"all across the globe\" and exclusive paparazzi photos could be \"worth hundreds of thousands of pounds\". She says: \"There are extreme lengths photographers may go to to get 'the photo'. You can expect bidding wars for exclusive images.\" Press intrusion is not a new problem for the royals, as Meghan's sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, would testify. In 2017, Catherine was awarded PS92,000 in damages after a French magazine printed topless pictures of her in 2012. At the time of the judgement, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said the guilty verdict was not a surprise, adding \"it's almost a game these magazines play\". He said: \"They get the fines but they think it's worth it - they get the extra sales from the photographs they publish.\" And the paparazzi have also targeted the royals' children. In 2015, Kensington Palace issued an appeal to world media not to publish unauthorised images of two-year-old Prince George. The palace said some paparazzi had gone to \"extreme lengths\" to take pictures and \"a line has been crossed\". A small number of media organisations, mostly in Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and the US, had published photos of Prince George in \"unacceptable circumstances\", it said. However the palace said the \"vast majority\" - and all UK publications - had refused.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 594, "answer_end": 2646, "text": "Not much, according to Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer and editor of Majesty Magazine. She says she's surprised the couple weren't expecting the paparazzi to follow them to Canada. \"Of course the safest place for Harry and Meghan to be is in the UK,\" she told Radio 4's PM programme. \"They haven't been papped once since their marriage, and if they have been, no pictures have been printed. \"Those rules don't apply in Canada. The paps can come from all over the world and lie in wait for them.\" The couple are believed to be alarmed by press activity near their current base on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Their lawyers say there have been attempts to photograph inside their home using long-range lenses and they accuse the paparazzi of being camped outside the property. PR and media expert Rebecca May says that without the long-standing \"gentleman's\" agreement between the Palace and the UK media to avoid using paparazzi photos, Harry and Meghan \"will have to navigate their way through this new world without that protection\". The CHEK news service, based in Vancouver Island, was one of the outlets which decided not to use the photo - taken in Horth Hill Regional Park - that prompted the legal warning. Its news editor, Scott Fee, says he spoke to the photographer responsible who defended it, saying it was taken on public property. He told BBC Breakfast: \"That's [the photographer's] version. He said Meghan didn't hide from the shot, she gave me a smile, she didn't prevent it from happening - those are his words. If that's how it played out - it's hard to say.\" Mr Fee says his publication chose not to use the pictures, which appeared on the front page of the Sun, because they had to listen to their audience, who tend to be really protective of the couple. He adds: \"We do want to respect what the couple are saying as well. We're not looking to be intrusive, we're not looking to stalk the couple.\" However, he does acknowledge that his organisation will be closely following the  story as it \"unfolds in our own backyard\"."}], "question": "How much privacy can the couple expect?", "id": "54_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2647, "answer_end": 4388, "text": "Prince Harry has long had an uneasy relationship with the media, having grown up aware of the impact the intense media interest had on the life of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. She died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi on motorbikes. The prince has often compared his wife's experiences of the press with those of his late mother. In 2016, Prince Harry attacked the media for subjecting Meghan - then his girlfriend - to a \"wave of abuse and harassment\". Last year, Harry accepted damages and an apology from a news agency which used a helicopter to take photographs of the inside of his home in the Cotswolds. The duchess is currently suing the Mail on Sunday over publishing one of her private letters to her father, Thomas Markle, accusing the paper of misusing her private information, breaching copyright and selective editing. Days after confirming his wife's legal case, the duke announced he would take legal action against the owners of the Sun, the defunct News of the World, and the Daily Mirror, in relation to alleged phone-hacking. In his statement last October, the prince singled out Britain's tabloid newspapers, saying that they had ruined his mother's life and he wouldn't let them ruin his wife's. BBC media editor Amol Rajan says the way to stay out of the media is not to be too interesting, adding that recent events have, ironically, seen interest in the Sussexes \"radically increase\". He says: \"If you want to stay out of the media, it's not about where you are, it's about who you are and what you do. \"There is something desperately sad for the couple in the fact that, even in North America, you cannot get away from scrutiny - given that every passer-by has a smartphone.\""}], "question": "What's the couple's relationship with the media?", "id": "54_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4389, "answer_end": 6114, "text": "Under their new arrangement with the royal family, Harry and Meghan will stop receiving public funds for royal duties. However, the couple will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations, while they have previously said they plan to launch a new \"charitable entity\". PR and media expert Rebecca May says it is crucial that the couple's advisers \"guide them through this new maze and keep Canada's press on side to help with this transition period\". She says: \"After all, to raise awareness for their charities and causes they need the media to spread the word. Therefore the key is to set boundaries and stick to them. \"Be up front and open with the press and they will be respectful if they know what rules you play by.\" She anticipates \"a bumpy ride\" for at least the next 12 months for the couple, adding that it will also very much depend on their next career moves. \"Inevitably, I don't see their move to Canada helping them stay out of the media spotlight in the short to medium term, however, in the long term it could be a good move for them.\" Newspapers have claimed that Harry appeared to tout Meghan for voiceover work with Disney at the Lion King premiere in July. The couple have previously looked to capitalise on the Sussex Royal brand - lodging an application to trademark the name in June last year, covering items such as books, calendars, clothing, charitable fundraising and campaigning. It raised the possibility of Prince Harry and Meghan launching their own lines of products, from beauty to clothing - however the agreement with the Queen has cast doubt on that idea. A brand incorporating the word \"royal\" may not be compatible with their agreement to step back from royal duties."}], "question": "Don't the couple need publicity for their careers?", "id": "54_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6115, "answer_end": 8140, "text": "In the UK, you can generally take pictures of people in public spaces without permission. But there could be circumstances where it is not allowed, for example if the person was in an area where they reasonably expected privacy or your actions amounted to harassment. Canadian privacy laws are similar to those in the UK, but there are also provincial statutes in Canada. In the province of British Columbia, where Prince Harry and Meghan are staying, a separate Privacy Act is in force. In a public place, there may be a limited expectation of privacy under certain circumstances. Canadian media lawyer Dan Burnett has worked on a number of privacy cases in the province and says the key question for the courts is whether there is \"a reasonable expectation of privacy\". He says: \"Factors such as children and surreptitious photography would be important considerations supporting the potential claim in Meghan's case. \"The fact it was in a public place would lean the other way, but if the photographers were hiding, that suggests they knew she considered it a safe, private space at the time.\" However, there is still a public interest exemption in Canada which could be used by journalists and photographers in some cases. A court considering a case would also have to take freedom of the press into account. The privacy laws in Canada haven't been as stringently tested as in the UK - with there being less of a paparazzi culture - so it is unclear what scenarios would amount to an invasion of privacy. In the UK, privacy rights began to change with the passage of the Human Rights Act in 1998, which introduced a right to \"respect for private and family life\". The result has been a series of rulings against the media, such as Max Mosley who successfully sued the News of the World for breach of privacy, after it had published pictures of him with five prostitutes. Sir Cliff Richard used the same privacy law in 2018 to win his case against the BBC, which had showed helicopter footage of a police raid on his home."}], "question": "How does the law in the UK compare to Canada?", "id": "54_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8141, "answer_end": 9546, "text": "Rebecca May says Prince Harry and Meghan's move to Canada is drawing press attention from \"all across the globe\" and exclusive paparazzi photos could be \"worth hundreds of thousands of pounds\". She says: \"There are extreme lengths photographers may go to to get 'the photo'. You can expect bidding wars for exclusive images.\" Press intrusion is not a new problem for the royals, as Meghan's sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, would testify. In 2017, Catherine was awarded PS92,000 in damages after a French magazine printed topless pictures of her in 2012. At the time of the judgement, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said the guilty verdict was not a surprise, adding \"it's almost a game these magazines play\". He said: \"They get the fines but they think it's worth it - they get the extra sales from the photographs they publish.\" And the paparazzi have also targeted the royals' children. In 2015, Kensington Palace issued an appeal to world media not to publish unauthorised images of two-year-old Prince George. The palace said some paparazzi had gone to \"extreme lengths\" to take pictures and \"a line has been crossed\". A small number of media organisations, mostly in Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand and the US, had published photos of Prince George in \"unacceptable circumstances\", it said. However the palace said the \"vast majority\" - and all UK publications - had refused."}], "question": "What is the global interest in royal pictures?", "id": "54_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey referendum grants President Erdogan sweeping new powers", "date": "16 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has narrowly won a referendum to expand presidential powers, which could keep him in office until 2029. With 99.45% of ballots counted, the \"Yes\" campaign had won 51.37% and \"No\" 48.63%, and the electoral board called victory for \"Yes\". Erdogan supporters say replacing the parliamentary system with an executive presidency will modernise the country. Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results. The Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded a recount of 60% of votes. They criticised a decision to accept unstamped ballot papers as valid unless proven otherwise. As jubilant Erdogan supporters rallied in the big cities, pots and pans were banged in Istanbul by opponents of the referendum, in a traditional form of protest. Three people were shot dead near a polling station in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir, reportedly during a dispute over how they were voting. The European Commission called on the Turkish authorities in a statement to \"seek the broadest possible national consensus\" when implementing the constitutional reforms. They are rejoicing into the night here outside the headquarters of the governing AK party (AKP), confident in the victory claimed by President Erdogan. He and his government say more than 51% of voters have backed the constitutional reform but the opposition has cried foul, claiming massive irregularities over invalid votes and vowing to challenge the result at the supreme electoral board. Mr Erdogan said the clear victory needed to be respected. In a typically rabble-rousing speech, he proposed another referendum on reinstating the death penalty, which would end Turkey's EU negotiations. But this has not been the resounding win he wanted and doubts will linger over its legitimacy. It was hoped this vote might bring Turkey stability but that still seems some way off. \"Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision,\" Mr Erdogan told a briefing at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. \"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history.\" He called on everyone to respect the outcome of the vote. The president also said the country could hold a referendum on bringing back the death penalty. He usually gives triumphant balcony speeches, the BBC's Mark Lowen notes, but this was a muted indoors address. Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak admitted the \"Yes\" vote had been lower than expected. The draft states that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on 3 November 2019. The president will have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms. - The president will be able to directly appoint top public officials, including ministers - He will also be able to assign one or several vice-presidents - The job of prime minister, currently held by Binali Yildirim, will be scrapped - The president will have power to intervene in the judiciary, which Mr Erdogan has accused of being influenced by Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based preacher he blames for the failed coup in July - The president will decide whether or not impose a state of emergency Mr Erdogan says the changes are needed to address Turkey's security challenges nine months after an attempted coup, and to avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past. The new system, he argues, will resemble those in France and the US and will bring calm in a time of turmoil marked by a Kurdish insurgency, Islamist militancy and conflict in neighbouring Syria, which has led to a huge refugee influx. Critics of the changes fear the move will make the president's position too powerful, arguing that it amounts to one-man rule, without the checks and balances of other presidential systems such as those in France and the US. They say his ability to retain ties to a political party - Mr Erdogan could resume leadership of the AKP he co-founded - will end any chance of impartiality. CHP deputy leader Erdal Aksunger said he believed there had been irregularities in the count: \"Many illegal acts are being carried out in favour of the 'Yes' campaign right now. \"There is the state on one side and people on the other. 'No' will win in the end. Everybody will see that.\" The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) also challenged the vote. Critics abroad fear Erdogan's reach The day a Turkish writer's life changed Many Turks already fear growing authoritarianism in their country, where tens of thousands of people have been arrested, and at least 100,000 sacked or suspended from their jobs, since a coup attempt last July. The campaign unfolded under a state of emergency imposed in the wake of the failed coup. Mr Erdogan assumed the presidency, meant to be a largely ceremonial position, in 2014 after more than a decade as prime minister. Under his rule, the middle class has ballooned and infrastructure has been modernised, while religious Turks have been empowered. Relations with the EU, meanwhile, have deteriorated. Mr Erdogan sparred bitterly with European governments who banned rallies by his ministers in their countries during the referendum campaign. He called the bans \"Nazi acts\". Turkey's dominant president The ultranationalists who could sway Erdogan Are you Turkish? What is your reaction to this result? You can share your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1895, "answer_end": 2457, "text": "\"Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision,\" Mr Erdogan told a briefing at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. \"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history.\" He called on everyone to respect the outcome of the vote. The president also said the country could hold a referendum on bringing back the death penalty. He usually gives triumphant balcony speeches, the BBC's Mark Lowen notes, but this was a muted indoors address. Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak admitted the \"Yes\" vote had been lower than expected."}], "question": "Death penalty next?", "id": "55_0"}]}]}, {"title": "NHS told to ditch 'outdated' pagers", "date": "23 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The NHS has been told to stop using pagers for communications by 2021, in order to save money. The health service still uses about 130,000 pagers, which is about 10% of the total left in use globally. They cost the NHS about PS6.6m a year. Health Secretary Matt Hancock called them \"outdated\" and said he wanted to rid the NHS of \"archaic technology like pagers and fax machines\". However, many in the medical industry say that pagers are quick and reliable. Doctors say they are useful in emergencies, and proposed replacements have their own shortcomings. The pagers used in the NHS today are mostly one-way communication devices that can receive short messages but cannot send replies. To send a message, staff call either an automated phone line or speak to a dedicated operator. The recipient's pager will beep and display the message or a phone number to call. In order to call back, the recipient must use a mobile phone or find a landline. Pagers were widely used in the 1980s, before mobile phones and two-way SMS text messages became more popular. Vodafone ended its national pager service in March 2018. Capita's PageOne is the last remaining national pager network left in the UK, which the government suggests has led to increased costs. One doctor told the BBC that the pager system is useful in emergencies, for example if a patient goes into cardiac arrest in a hospital. Sending an alert to several members of the cardiac arrest team can take less than a minute, which is critical in an emergency situation. The pager network uses its own transmitters and frequencies that penetrate buildings well, so coverage is excellent and messages are typically delivered reliably and quickly. Mr Hancock said \"email and mobile phones\" were a \"more secure, quicker and cheaper way to communicate\". \"We have to get the basics right, like having computers that work and getting rid of archaic technology like pagers and fax machines,\" he said. In 2017, the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust ran a trial and replaced its pagers with an app called Medic Bleep. The app let staff message and call one another, individually or in groups, and worked on phones, tablets and desktop computers. The Department of Health and Social Care described it as \"similar to WhatsApp\" but with enhanced security, and said it had saved doctors time. The Trust is now \"weeks away\" from removing non-emergency pagers at its main hospital. However, critics warn: - mobile phone and wi-fi coverage in hospitals is patchy and there are often \"dead spots\" - web-based messaging services can experience delays and back-logs of messages - mobile networks can experience slow-downs or unavailability - mobile phones could interfere with hospital equipment - while the pager system is old, it is quick and reliable and does the job NHS trusts will be allowed to keep some pagers for emergency situations, for example if the wi-fi or mobile networks went offline. An investigation in 2018 found that the NHS was still sending documents from around 9,000 fax machines, which Mr Hancock also hopes to phase out.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 558, "answer_end": 1250, "text": "The pagers used in the NHS today are mostly one-way communication devices that can receive short messages but cannot send replies. To send a message, staff call either an automated phone line or speak to a dedicated operator. The recipient's pager will beep and display the message or a phone number to call. In order to call back, the recipient must use a mobile phone or find a landline. Pagers were widely used in the 1980s, before mobile phones and two-way SMS text messages became more popular. Vodafone ended its national pager service in March 2018. Capita's PageOne is the last remaining national pager network left in the UK, which the government suggests has led to increased costs."}], "question": "How do pagers work?", "id": "56_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1251, "answer_end": 1699, "text": "One doctor told the BBC that the pager system is useful in emergencies, for example if a patient goes into cardiac arrest in a hospital. Sending an alert to several members of the cardiac arrest team can take less than a minute, which is critical in an emergency situation. The pager network uses its own transmitters and frequencies that penetrate buildings well, so coverage is excellent and messages are typically delivered reliably and quickly."}], "question": "Why does the NHS still use pagers?", "id": "56_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1700, "answer_end": 3082, "text": "Mr Hancock said \"email and mobile phones\" were a \"more secure, quicker and cheaper way to communicate\". \"We have to get the basics right, like having computers that work and getting rid of archaic technology like pagers and fax machines,\" he said. In 2017, the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust ran a trial and replaced its pagers with an app called Medic Bleep. The app let staff message and call one another, individually or in groups, and worked on phones, tablets and desktop computers. The Department of Health and Social Care described it as \"similar to WhatsApp\" but with enhanced security, and said it had saved doctors time. The Trust is now \"weeks away\" from removing non-emergency pagers at its main hospital. However, critics warn: - mobile phone and wi-fi coverage in hospitals is patchy and there are often \"dead spots\" - web-based messaging services can experience delays and back-logs of messages - mobile networks can experience slow-downs or unavailability - mobile phones could interfere with hospital equipment - while the pager system is old, it is quick and reliable and does the job NHS trusts will be allowed to keep some pagers for emergency situations, for example if the wi-fi or mobile networks went offline. An investigation in 2018 found that the NHS was still sending documents from around 9,000 fax machines, which Mr Hancock also hopes to phase out."}], "question": "What is going to replace them?", "id": "56_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Wall: Headless body identified as missing journalist", "date": "23 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A headless torso found in waters off Denmark has been identified as missing Swedish journalist Kim Wall, Danish police say. DNA from the torso matched that from Ms Wall's hairbrush and toothbrush. Chief investigator Jens Moller Jensen said that the torso had been weighted down with metal in an apparent attempt to stop it floating. Ms Wall was last seen alive on 10 August as she departed on a submarine trip with inventor Peter Madsen. The submarine sank hours after the search for Ms Wall began, after her partner reported that she had not returned from the trip. Mr Madsen, who designed and built the submarine, was charged with negligent manslaughter and is in detention. He initially said he had dropped her off safely near Copenhagen, but has since said she died in an accident and that he had \"buried\" her at sea. Danish police believe the 40-tonne submarine was deliberately sunk by Mr Madsen. Traces of blood have been found inside the submarine, and they also match Ms Wall. The remains were found on a beach south of Copenhagen on Monday. Mr Jensen would not comment on the cause of death but said forensic investigations were still being carried out and police were looking for the rest of her body. As well as the metal attached to the torso, Mr Jensen said the remains were mutilated in what appeared to be an attempt to ensure that decomposition gases passed out of the body, to make it less likely to float. Kim Wall's mother Ingrid wrote of the family's \"boundless sorrow\" at the news that her daughter's remains had been found. \"During the horrendous days since Kim disappeared, we have received countless examples of how loved and appreciated she was, as a person and as a friend, as well as a professional journalist,\" Ingrid Wall said in a family statement released on Facebook. \"From all corners of the world we have received testimony to how she was able to be a person who made a difference.\" Ms Wall, 30, was reported missing by her boyfriend in the early hours of 11 August, after she failed to return from the trip on Peter Madsen's homemade submarine, the Nautilus. A freelance journalist who had written for the Guardian, New York Times and South China Morning Post, she is said to have been researching a feature about the inventor and the Nautilus, which he built in 2008 with crowdfunding. Emergency services scoured the area of sea to the east of Copenhagen and the submarine was eventually spotted from a lighthouse south of the Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Within 30 minutes, the vessel had sunk and Mr Madsen had to be rescued. For 10 days, the search for the journalist continued. A torso was found by a passing cyclist on a beach near Koge Bay on Monday. Police said the next day that the arms, legs and head had been deliberately cut off. They finally confirmed it was Kim Wall in a tweet early on Wednesday. Mr Madsen's lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, said the news that the torso was Ms Wall did not change her client's position, that the journalist had died in an accident. He was \"very relieved\" the torso had been identified, she told Danish media. \"He wants nothing else than for this case to be cleared up.\" Peter Madsen pleaded not guilty in a closed-door judicial hearing earlier this month. Copenhagen police are re-examining old cases, as is standard in such investigations, according to the chief prosecutor, including the death of a 22-year-old Japanese woman, whose torso was found in Copenhagen harbour in 1986. That case has never been solved.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1918, "answer_end": 3510, "text": "Ms Wall, 30, was reported missing by her boyfriend in the early hours of 11 August, after she failed to return from the trip on Peter Madsen's homemade submarine, the Nautilus. A freelance journalist who had written for the Guardian, New York Times and South China Morning Post, she is said to have been researching a feature about the inventor and the Nautilus, which he built in 2008 with crowdfunding. Emergency services scoured the area of sea to the east of Copenhagen and the submarine was eventually spotted from a lighthouse south of the Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Within 30 minutes, the vessel had sunk and Mr Madsen had to be rescued. For 10 days, the search for the journalist continued. A torso was found by a passing cyclist on a beach near Koge Bay on Monday. Police said the next day that the arms, legs and head had been deliberately cut off. They finally confirmed it was Kim Wall in a tweet early on Wednesday. Mr Madsen's lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, said the news that the torso was Ms Wall did not change her client's position, that the journalist had died in an accident. He was \"very relieved\" the torso had been identified, she told Danish media. \"He wants nothing else than for this case to be cleared up.\" Peter Madsen pleaded not guilty in a closed-door judicial hearing earlier this month. Copenhagen police are re-examining old cases, as is standard in such investigations, according to the chief prosecutor, including the death of a 22-year-old Japanese woman, whose torso was found in Copenhagen harbour in 1986. That case has never been solved."}], "question": "What happened to Kim Wall?", "id": "57_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US shutdown: Canadian air traffic controllers send pizza to US workers", "date": "14 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Air traffic controllers in Canada are sending hundreds of pizzas to their US counterparts who are working through the federal government shutdown. A collection started by employees had blossomed into an industry-wide show of solidarity, the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association told the BBC. The partial government shutdown - now in its 24th day - has become the longest in US history. It has affected 800,000 public workers and closed many government offices. Air traffic controllers are among about 450,000 employees who are unable to suspend their work or take up another job, and so continue to work without pay. By Sunday afternoon, more than 300 pizzas had been delivered to 49 control centres across the US, estimated Peter Duffy, the president of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association. \"It was a true grassroots movement,\" Mr Duffy said, explaining that the initiative started with a few Canadian controllers wanting to show their colleagues across the border in Anchorage, Alaska, that they were thinking of them. \"They talk to those people daily on the phone... so they consider them co-workers and they said, hey, let's send them some pizza.\" Since the first delivery last week, the gesture has spread nationwide, Mr Duffy said. \"We have had one individual who donated C$500 (PS377) and said 'find as many places as you can that need some pizza'.\" He said Canadians would continue to support their American counterparts and join their calls for the shutdown to end as soon as possible. President Trump is refusing to approve a budget unless it includes funds for a wall along the Mexican border. Democrats have rejected his request for $5.7bn (PS4.5bn). About a quarter of the federal government is still out of operation until a spending plan is agreed. On Friday, the affected federal workers - including prison guards, airport staff and FBI agents - missed their first salaries of the year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1508, "answer_end": 1915, "text": "President Trump is refusing to approve a budget unless it includes funds for a wall along the Mexican border. Democrats have rejected his request for $5.7bn (PS4.5bn). About a quarter of the federal government is still out of operation until a spending plan is agreed. On Friday, the affected federal workers - including prison guards, airport staff and FBI agents - missed their first salaries of the year."}], "question": "Why is there a shutdown?", "id": "58_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mark Sanford: Trump lashes out at latest Republican challenger", "date": "9 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump has lashed out at Mark Sanford, the latest Republican to challenge the US president in the party's primary contest. Mr Trump described Mr Sanford, a former South Carolina governor, and two other hopefuls as \"badly failed candidates\". The president also mentioned Mr Sanford's extramarital affair with an Argentine woman in 2009. Analysts do not expect Mr Trump's challengers to succeed in wrestling the Republican mantle from him. No sitting president in the modern era has lost the race to be nominee for their own party, and Mr Trump remains very popular with Republicans. In April, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld became the first person to challenge Mr Trump. He was followed by conservative radio host and former lawmaker Joe Walsh at the end of August. Mr Walsh has described President Trump as a \"narcissist\". The Republican National Convention, at which the nominee will be formally chosen, will take place in late August 2020 after a series of state primary elections and party caucuses. But some state Republican parties, including in South Carolina, have decided not to hold primaries in 2020 - to clear the path for Mr Trump and save money. In a series of tweets, Mr Trump recalled the scandal in June 2009 when Mr Sanford went missing for several days, with his staff telling reporters he had gone to hike the Appalachian Trail. Mr Sanford later admitted he had instead gone to Argentina to see his mistress. Mr Trump described Mr Sanford's mistress as his \"flaming dancer friend\". It is unclear why he used these words, but this could be a reference to media reports that Mr Sanford first met the Argentine woman at an open-air dance. Mr Trump also said his three potential rivals were \"stooges, all badly failed candidates\". Mr Sanford, aged 59, announced that he would challenge Mr Trump during an interview with Fox News on Sunday. \"I think we need to have a conversation on what it means to be a Republican. I think that as a Republican party we have lost our way,\" Mr Sanford said. \"We have lost our way on debts and deficits and spending... The president has called himself the king of debt, has a familiarity and comfort level with debt that I think is ultimately leading us in the wrong direction.\" Mr Sanford is expected to centre his campaign on cutting government debt and spending. Donald Trump now has three official challengers for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. That is remarkable, given the president's current popularity within the party. And even though none of the candidates appears to pose a serious threat to the president, it could be a sign of trouble ahead. Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan all were able to cruise to their party's nomination in their successful re-election bids without even token opposition. George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter both faced strong challenges - and subsequently lost in the general election. A primary challenge to an incumbent president can expose weaknesses and distract from general-election preparations. While the president's campaign team will surely grind along, Mr Trump may find it difficult to resist mixing it up with his intra-party opponents - even if denying them attention is the strategically better move. While the president likes to boast of his high approval ratings among Republicans, the mere presence of these challenges indicates that there is at least some dissention in the ranks. That's nothing new, and Mr Trump surmounted greater unrest in 2016. But if 2020 is a close contest, even small cracks in the foundation could prove decisive. He first served in Congress in 1995, representing South Carolina's first congressional district. He later served as the state's governor for two terms from 2003-2011. He then returned to the House in 2013. Mr Sanford criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential election but ultimately supported him. However, he would become one of his toughest Republican critics in Congress when Mr Trump took office. That stance cost him the Republican primary when his seat was up for re-election last year. He was beaten by a pro-Trump challenger who went on to lose the election to her Democratic opponent. Election day is still more than a year away but the race to become the Democratic challenger to Mr Trump is already well under way. Find out who is already running and who might join them.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1174, "answer_end": 1760, "text": "In a series of tweets, Mr Trump recalled the scandal in June 2009 when Mr Sanford went missing for several days, with his staff telling reporters he had gone to hike the Appalachian Trail. Mr Sanford later admitted he had instead gone to Argentina to see his mistress. Mr Trump described Mr Sanford's mistress as his \"flaming dancer friend\". It is unclear why he used these words, but this could be a reference to media reports that Mr Sanford first met the Argentine woman at an open-air dance. Mr Trump also said his three potential rivals were \"stooges, all badly failed candidates\"."}], "question": "What did President Trump say?", "id": "59_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1761, "answer_end": 2328, "text": "Mr Sanford, aged 59, announced that he would challenge Mr Trump during an interview with Fox News on Sunday. \"I think we need to have a conversation on what it means to be a Republican. I think that as a Republican party we have lost our way,\" Mr Sanford said. \"We have lost our way on debts and deficits and spending... The president has called himself the king of debt, has a familiarity and comfort level with debt that I think is ultimately leading us in the wrong direction.\" Mr Sanford is expected to centre his campaign on cutting government debt and spending."}], "question": "What about Mr Sanford's decision to run?", "id": "59_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3594, "answer_end": 4194, "text": "He first served in Congress in 1995, representing South Carolina's first congressional district. He later served as the state's governor for two terms from 2003-2011. He then returned to the House in 2013. Mr Sanford criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential election but ultimately supported him. However, he would become one of his toughest Republican critics in Congress when Mr Trump took office. That stance cost him the Republican primary when his seat was up for re-election last year. He was beaten by a pro-Trump challenger who went on to lose the election to her Democratic opponent."}], "question": "Who is Mark Sanford?", "id": "59_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4195, "answer_end": 4383, "text": "Election day is still more than a year away but the race to become the Democratic challenger to Mr Trump is already well under way. Find out who is already running and who might join them."}], "question": "Who will take on Trump in 2020?", "id": "59_3"}]}]}, {"title": "How tech took the bite out of France's rail strikes", "date": "16 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Twice in recent weeks the BBC in Paris has arranged to film \"commuter hell\" during France's recurrent rail strikes. Twice we have been confounded. Our first subject phoned the evening before to say that her university exam - the one for which she had been planning to get up at crack of dawn - had been pushed back till lunchtime. So there was no need to battle her way through the morning rush hour. Then another young woman, from the outer Paris suburbs, said that on consulting the website of French rail company SNCF it appeared that one in two trains would in fact be running, so she doubted the situation would be particularly serious or \"visual\". She said later it was just as well we had not gone to film the \"chaos\".  There had been less discomfort on that strike day than on previous normal ones. There are many whose lives are seriously inconvenienced by the rail workers' strikes, now into their seventh week. Workers are fighting the opening up of state railways to competition and the phasing out of generous contracts that include early retirement and automatic pay rises. The aim is to open up the state railways to competition from 2023, in line with EU requirements. SNCF has EUR46.6bn ($57.5bn; PS40bn) of debt. Worst off are people with fixed working hours and low wages - shop-staff or nurses - who for financial reasons have made their homes well away from Paris, and who have no choice but to fight their way in for the seven o'clock start. But as the dispute drags towards its third month, what is perhaps more noteworthy is what is not happening. There are not the familiar scenes of passenger mayhem; there are not the warnings from business of collapsing profits; there are none of the \"France grinds to a halt\" genre of newspaper headlines. In fact the strikes, which take place two days out of every five, are now consigned to the inside pages. They have been internalised. People are coping. Read more on France: The comparison with big French rail strikes from the past is unavoidable, and leads to the obvious question. The answer is: information. The mass rollout of personalised computing and mobiles in the last 10 or 15 years has totally changed the dynamic of what could otherwise have been a crippling economic blow. First of all, the SNCF, via its website, is now able to give out detailed and in general accurate predictions of which trains will be running and when. Anyone liable to be affected by the strike has developed the reflex of consulting the SNCF app on their phone, and changing plans accordingly. In this the state rail company has been helped by the law, and by the unions. The law requires strikers to declare themselves two days in advance, which gives the SNCF time to prepare. And the unions, for reasons of their own, announced from the start the full three-month schedule of stoppages. This has given companies and their staff all the warning they need to arrange their affairs around days when the trains are running normally. The free flow of information between people also means that plans can be changed right to the last minute through their smartphones. Meetings (or exams) can be reorganised for later in the day, simply by a group email. In the past, 20 extra people would have crammed on to the only train from Sartrouville, because they would have been worried about missing the nine o'clock training session at La Defense. Now they can all be told it has been held back until the afternoon. Or they can work from home. So-called teletravail (home-working) is already being encouraged by the French government, and the strike is an added incentive. According to Benedicte Ravache, who heads the National Association of Human Resources Directors: \"A lot of big companies already have home-working agreements with staff, and others are considering them. The strike may be a chance for them to try it out.\" Social networking and the gig economy have also hastened the development of carpooling - commercial or voluntary - which is another means by which people have avoided the worst effects of the strike. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the industrial action, what is undeniable is that the social and working context this strike is very different from what has gone before. A well-followed rail stoppage may not have entirely lost its power to inconvenience, but it is not the force that it was.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2052, "answer_end": 4373, "text": "The answer is: information. The mass rollout of personalised computing and mobiles in the last 10 or 15 years has totally changed the dynamic of what could otherwise have been a crippling economic blow. First of all, the SNCF, via its website, is now able to give out detailed and in general accurate predictions of which trains will be running and when. Anyone liable to be affected by the strike has developed the reflex of consulting the SNCF app on their phone, and changing plans accordingly. In this the state rail company has been helped by the law, and by the unions. The law requires strikers to declare themselves two days in advance, which gives the SNCF time to prepare. And the unions, for reasons of their own, announced from the start the full three-month schedule of stoppages. This has given companies and their staff all the warning they need to arrange their affairs around days when the trains are running normally. The free flow of information between people also means that plans can be changed right to the last minute through their smartphones. Meetings (or exams) can be reorganised for later in the day, simply by a group email. In the past, 20 extra people would have crammed on to the only train from Sartrouville, because they would have been worried about missing the nine o'clock training session at La Defense. Now they can all be told it has been held back until the afternoon. Or they can work from home. So-called teletravail (home-working) is already being encouraged by the French government, and the strike is an added incentive. According to Benedicte Ravache, who heads the National Association of Human Resources Directors: \"A lot of big companies already have home-working agreements with staff, and others are considering them. The strike may be a chance for them to try it out.\" Social networking and the gig economy have also hastened the development of carpooling - commercial or voluntary - which is another means by which people have avoided the worst effects of the strike. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the industrial action, what is undeniable is that the social and working context this strike is very different from what has gone before. A well-followed rail stoppage may not have entirely lost its power to inconvenience, but it is not the force that it was."}], "question": "What is different?", "id": "60_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Argentina: Catholic priests jailed for abusing deaf children", "date": "25 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A court in Argentina has sentenced two Roman Catholic priests to more than 40 years in prison for sexually abusing deaf children at a church school. Horacio Corbacho and Nicola Corradi, as well as a gardener, were found guilty of rape and abuse at the school in Mendoza province from 2004 to 2016. Several victims were in court to see sentence passed on Monday. The case has shocked Argentina, Pope Francis' homeland, with many accusing the Church of acting too slowly. The Catholic Church has faced an avalanche of child sexual abuse accusations around the world in the last few decades. On Monday, the court in the provincial capital Mendoza sentenced Argentine priest Corbacho to 45 years in prison. The 59 year old was found guilty of sexually abusing children at the Instituto Antonio Provolo de Mendoz a in the city of Lujan de Cuyo. Corradi, an 83-year-old Italian national, was given a 42-year sentence. He had been investigated for abuses at the institute's school in Verona, Italy, in the 1970s, but was never charged. Armando Gomez, the gardener at the Lujan de Cuyo school was jailed for 18 years. The sentences cannot be appealed against. None of the defendants made any comment after the sentences were read out. Some of the victims' mothers present in the courtroom were seen crying and hugging each other. Meanwhile, a crowd of mainly young people cheered the verdicts outside the court. \"You have no idea how important this is for us, and for the world,\" factory worker Ariel Lizarraga, the father of one of the victims, was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. \"The church has been trying to hide these abuses. But these priests raped and abused our children. Our deaf children! Today, the taboo against accusing priests stops here,\" he said. Analysis by BBC's Candace Piette The verdict in this case is the latest stain on the Roman Catholic Church's handling of sex abuse cases across the globe. The case has horrified people in Argentina, where dozens of cases of abuse in the Catholic church have come to light in recent years. The Mendoza victims told how, as children, they had been forbidden from using sign language so they could not communicate what was being done to them. The court heard how victims were raped. Many Argentines are asking why it took the police and the justice system - not the Catholic Church - to close down the school and prevent the abusers from having access to their victims.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 589, "answer_end": 1151, "text": "On Monday, the court in the provincial capital Mendoza sentenced Argentine priest Corbacho to 45 years in prison. The 59 year old was found guilty of sexually abusing children at the Instituto Antonio Provolo de Mendoz a in the city of Lujan de Cuyo. Corradi, an 83-year-old Italian national, was given a 42-year sentence. He had been investigated for abuses at the institute's school in Verona, Italy, in the 1970s, but was never charged. Armando Gomez, the gardener at the Lujan de Cuyo school was jailed for 18 years. The sentences cannot be appealed against."}], "question": "What was the court's finding?", "id": "61_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1152, "answer_end": 1764, "text": "None of the defendants made any comment after the sentences were read out. Some of the victims' mothers present in the courtroom were seen crying and hugging each other. Meanwhile, a crowd of mainly young people cheered the verdicts outside the court. \"You have no idea how important this is for us, and for the world,\" factory worker Ariel Lizarraga, the father of one of the victims, was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. \"The church has been trying to hide these abuses. But these priests raped and abused our children. Our deaf children! Today, the taboo against accusing priests stops here,\" he said."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "61_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Snap, swipe, like: The mobile future of fashion retail", "date": "24 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "We use smartphone swipe technology to find a date on Tinder, so can we use it to find the perfect outfit as well? Tech firm Bijou Commerce believes so. Its platform enables fashion and beauty apps to offer single-image browsing - customers can swipe right if they like a product, and left if they don't. Working with retail companies like Nobody's Child, Bijou is on a mission to make fashion shopping simpler and more engaging for customers. \"Most retailers' apps and mobile sites put between four and 12 products on a single screen,\" chief executive Beth Wond tells the BBC. \"These images look small on most mobile phones, meaning individual products struggle to stand out.\" She also believes retailers should understand that this Tinder-style swipe technology isn't just a gimmick. \"For fashion brands the biggest asset is your image, so single-image browsing is crucial,\" she says. This is just one example of how fashion retailers are responding to the new world of smartphones and social media. How about \"liking\" your way to an outfit choice? Charese Embree co-founded a US-born site and app called Fynd, a fashion search engine that lets shoppers \"like\" their way to the look they want. Say you search for \"cocktail dresses\" and a wide selection comes up, you can home in on the style and colour you're after by clicking the heart icon on the ones you like. An algorithm narrows down the search for you based on your preferences - \"speed dating for dresses\" as the website describes it. \"The like button works because of our familiarity with it,\" says Ms Embree. \"Our concept is just an extension of your Facebook or Instagram page, but helps you find that perfect outfit you've been looking for.\" Fynd works with department stores such as Bloomingdales to give them the ability to showcase their wares. \"We enable retailers to reach social media-savvy consumers much quicker than they can do in store,\" she says. Tammy Smulders, managing director of online fashion platform Luxhub, believes smartphones have made us into impatient buyers. \"We are seeing a shift. It's not that people are more demanding, it's just that the norm is to have everything in an instant,\" she says. There has also been a shift from fashion bloggers not just talking about clothes on social media but also giving followers a chance to buy the outfits instantly. Platforms such as Like To Know It link fashion bloggers' Instagram accounts directly with retailers, so you can shop for the outfits and accessories in the posts you \"like\". Luxury fashion group Yoox Net-a-Porter went one step further by creating their own social media app called The Net Set. \"The rise of social media and style blogs has shown that people around the world are inspired by each other's style so The Net Set instantly links consumers, designers and brands in real time,\" says Alex Alexander, Net-a-Porter's chief information officer. Watchable social content, such as YouTube, hasn't been forgotten either. Very, the online clothing brand, teamed up with rappers Rizzle Kicks and former girl band member Rochelle Humes to create the world's first \"shoppable\" music video. The music video allowed viewers to click on any item they liked, from the clothes to home wear, and buy it immediately, using Google's TrueView \"shoppable ad\" functionality. Jodie Butt at Cake PR, who helped create the video, says: \"Today's consumers are digital natives, socially hungry and brand savvy. \"Content is a huge part of their everyday life, but they're are spoilt for choice - which means if a brand can't capture their attention quickly they'll lose them in one click.\" The content helped Very take PS1.4m in sales as people switched from viewers to shoppers. And Tammy Smulders believes this is the way we're heading. \"We are moving into a more interactive, real-time way of purchasing goods,\" she says. \"Whether that's taking a picture and purchasing a designer dress at a fashion show or just a cute top we've seen someone wearing on the bus. It's all going to be at our fingertips.\" For example, fashion shopping app Goxip in Hong Kong lets fans point their phones at celebrities and buy what they're wearing. And the UK's Snap Fashion works much the same way - using image recognition software to match up photos you take with the same or similar clothes online or in a high street store near you. Augmented reality firm Blippar already enables you to point your cameraphone at something and receive information about it. Now it has teamed up with card payments giant Visa and designer Henry Holland to develop the first \"instant buy\" fashion show. But if the fashion industry is being taken over by the smartphone, where does this leave the high street? Most young shoppers now take their smartphones with them and many use them in-store to research products and compare prices online. Simon Richards, partnership director at Blippar, says his firm is working with a number of high street stores to take this element of the app further. \"We want to help the high street grow by bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds and making consumers better informed about the things they see around them.\" \"By making consumers more knowledgeable about a certain product, such as colour variations, or giving product reviews, it will help the consumer gain more knowledge of the brand or the designer's inspiration behind the collection.\" Retailers also gain access to useful data about what their customers are looking at in-store, enabling them to improve stock choices and product placement. Fashion and phones would appear to be a match made in heaven. Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter Click here for more Technology of Business features", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4603, "answer_end": 5616, "text": "But if the fashion industry is being taken over by the smartphone, where does this leave the high street? Most young shoppers now take their smartphones with them and many use them in-store to research products and compare prices online. Simon Richards, partnership director at Blippar, says his firm is working with a number of high street stores to take this element of the app further. \"We want to help the high street grow by bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds and making consumers better informed about the things they see around them.\" \"By making consumers more knowledgeable about a certain product, such as colour variations, or giving product reviews, it will help the consumer gain more knowledge of the brand or the designer's inspiration behind the collection.\" Retailers also gain access to useful data about what their customers are looking at in-store, enabling them to improve stock choices and product placement. Fashion and phones would appear to be a match made in heaven."}], "question": "High street hang up?", "id": "62_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Commonwealth Bank admits failures in money laundering case", "date": "14 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia's biggest bank has admitted it was late to disclose more than 53,000 transactions that allegedly breached anti-money laundering laws. In August, the nation's financial intelligence agency launched court action against the Commonwealth Bank over claims it had failed to refer the transactions, made through smart ATMs. On Wednesday, the bank acknowledged some failures. However, it denied 102 claims relating to its reporting and due diligence. The bank argued its failures on 53,506 transactions \"resulted from the same systems-related error\", and should not be treated separately. It also acknowledged it had failed to meet risk assessment standards for its intelligent deposit machines (IDMs). The bank could face multi-million dollar penalties under laws designed to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing. Last month, the Australian government announced a royal commission inquiry into the country's banking and financial sector. The Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac) has accused the bank of failing to disclose 53,506 cash transactions that exceeded a A$10,000 (PS5,700; $7,600) limit. The transactions were made through IDMs between November 2012 and September 2015. The machines were allegedly used by criminal syndicates to launder money, because they allow anonymous cash deposits. Bank chiefs have attributed the oversight to a coding error and said the bank was unaware of the breaches until 2015.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 954, "answer_end": 1456, "text": "The Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac) has accused the bank of failing to disclose 53,506 cash transactions that exceeded a A$10,000 (PS5,700; $7,600) limit. The transactions were made through IDMs between November 2012 and September 2015. The machines were allegedly used by criminal syndicates to launder money, because they allow anonymous cash deposits. Bank chiefs have attributed the oversight to a coding error and said the bank was unaware of the breaches until 2015."}], "question": "What are the allegations?", "id": "63_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil justice minister Sergio Moro denies conspiring against Lula", "date": "11 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brazil's Justice Minister, Sergio Moro, has denied claims he conspired to keep leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva out of the 2018 election. The Intercept news site published what it says are messages sent by Mr Moro while he was presiding over Brazil's biggest corruption investigation. The \"Car Wash\" inquiry led to dozens of businessmen and politicians being imprisoned, including Lula. Mr Moro has accused The Intercept of obtaining the messages illegally. Lula, the 73-year-old who led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, has denied all of the corruption charges against him and says they are politically motivated. The Intercept published excerpts of the messages on Sunday, saying they had been sent on the encrypted messaging app Telegram during the five-year inquiry. They were leaked by an anonymous source, the site added. In the messages, Mr Moro - then a judge - appeared to make suggestions to prosecutors about the pace, focus and order of the anti-corruption investigations. \"With these actions, Moro grossly overstepped the ethical lines that define the role of a judge,\" the report said. \"In Brazil, as in the United States, judges are required to be impartial and neutral, and are barred from secretly collaborating with one side in a case.\" The site also said this was just the beginning of the story - that the excerpts were a small part of a \"large trove\" of leaked messages between Mr Moro and anti-corruption prosecutors. In a statement released on Monday, Mr Moro criticised The Intercept for not naming their source, \"the person responsible for the criminal invasion of the prosecutors' cell phones\". He also denied improper conduct, saying there was \"no sign of any abnormality or directing of actions as a magistrate\", and said the messages had been \"taken out of context\". The team of federal prosecutors behind Operation Car Wash also released statements saying they had acted properly throughout, Reuters news agency reports.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 626, "answer_end": 1450, "text": "The Intercept published excerpts of the messages on Sunday, saying they had been sent on the encrypted messaging app Telegram during the five-year inquiry. They were leaked by an anonymous source, the site added. In the messages, Mr Moro - then a judge - appeared to make suggestions to prosecutors about the pace, focus and order of the anti-corruption investigations. \"With these actions, Moro grossly overstepped the ethical lines that define the role of a judge,\" the report said. \"In Brazil, as in the United States, judges are required to be impartial and neutral, and are barred from secretly collaborating with one side in a case.\" The site also said this was just the beginning of the story - that the excerpts were a small part of a \"large trove\" of leaked messages between Mr Moro and anti-corruption prosecutors."}], "question": "What was in the leak?", "id": "64_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1451, "answer_end": 1961, "text": "In a statement released on Monday, Mr Moro criticised The Intercept for not naming their source, \"the person responsible for the criminal invasion of the prosecutors' cell phones\". He also denied improper conduct, saying there was \"no sign of any abnormality or directing of actions as a magistrate\", and said the messages had been \"taken out of context\". The team of federal prosecutors behind Operation Car Wash also released statements saying they had acted properly throughout, Reuters news agency reports."}], "question": "What has Sergio Moro said?", "id": "64_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why India wants to break its decades-old nuclear pledge", "date": "22 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's defence minister recently suggested that the country may re-evaluate its \"no first use of nuclear weapons\" doctrine, raising the stakes at a time of high tension with its nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan. Analysts Christopher Clary and Vipin Narang examine the implications for peace and security in South Asia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently reaffirmed a long-standing tenet of India's nuclear weapons doctrine: that it would not be the first to use the devastating weapons in a conflict. But he subsequently questioned how much longer that commitment would remain. He told the media that while India had \"strictly adhered to\" the doctrine thus far \"what happens in future depends on the circumstances\". He was signalling that India's \"no first use\" commitment is neither absolute nor permanent, and implying that in a conflict, nothing would compel India to abide by it. His statement came after India revoked the special constitutional status of the part of Kashmir it controls - prompting a furious reaction from Pakistan, which, like India, claims the entire territory. These were not off-the-cuff remarks. Mr Singh was speaking at Pokhran, the site of India's nuclear weapons tests in the late 1990s. He tweeted the seemingly scripted remark from his official account and the government's Press Information Bureau put out a press release quoting the statement. As such, it was the most official signal to date that India's \"no first use\" doctrine might give way to something more ambiguous. The implication was that one day India might decide that it would have to use nuclear weapons first to safeguard its security. During the Cold War, the US, the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom all reserved the right to use nuclear weapons first in a severe conflict. There were two classical scenarios for first use: (1) that a country in danger of conventional military defeat on the battlefield would employ so-called tactical nuclear weapons against adversary military forces to forestall that defeat, or (2) that a country fearing an adversary would attack it with nuclear weapons would pre-empt that attack with a nuclear first strike designed to destroy as much of the adversary's nuclear arsenal as possible. When India announced its nuclear status with weapons tests in 1998, it rejected the idea of \"nuclear war fighting\". It would design its nuclear forces for \"retaliation only\" and as a consequence, it said, it could have a more limited arsenal. India joined China in offering a no first use doctrine. When China first tested nuclear weapons in 1964, it declared it would \"never at any time and under any circumstances be the first to use nuclear weapons\". The fact that India never fully believed China's commitment was one ironic reason behind India's own decision to overtly test nuclear weapons in 1998. Except for China, no other country besides India currently offers a no first use declaration. North Korea at one point floated one, but few believed it, given that Pyongyang's stated motivation to pursue nuclear weapons included defeating a combined South Korean and American invasion through nuclear first use. While periodically the US has considered the wisdom of a no first use pledge as a means to lower Russian and Chinese fears in a hypothetical crisis, and as part of a general commitment to reducing the political salience of nuclear weapons, it has refused to do so to date. India's most likely adversary, Pakistan, explicitly preserves the right to use nuclear weapons first. It has threatened to use battlefield nuclear weapons to forestall a conventional military defeat at the hands of the Indian army - a deterrent threat that has so far constrained India's ability to retaliate to a stream of terrorist and militant violence in India that Delhi has blamed on Islamabad. Mr Singh's statement was hardly the first sign of internal debate about the wisdom of the two decade-old policy, but coming from a sitting defence minister it was the most authoritative signal to date. Shortly after India tested nuclear weapons in May 1998, senior Indian officials declared India would follow a no-first-use doctrine. In 2003, India revised that commitment in releasing a revised official doctrine that explicitly maintained the option to retaliate with nuclear weapons in the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack. While many noted that India's move to \"no first use of weapons of mass destruction\" was a less expansive commitment than it had originally made, it was not regarded as a major shift. In 2016, India's then-defence minister Manohar Parrikar wondered why India should \"bind\" itself by declaring no-first-use. Better, Mr Parrikar argued, for adversaries not to know what India might do, though he subsequently clarified that these were only his personal views.  Mr Singh, by contrast, has made no such clarification. Meanwhile, India began developing the technological elements that might make first use attractive as a means to disarm an adversary. In 1998, India had only a handful of ballistic missiles, limited intelligence capabilities, and a modest set of precise conventional air-dropped munitions. Today, it has a much wider array of ballistic and cruise missiles, several space-based imagery satellites as well as similar sensors aboard manned and unmanned aircraft, and a growing range of precision-guided munitions, many of them capable of being launched at targets some distance away. Additionally, India has invested in developing indigenous ballistic missile defences and acquiring expensive Russian- and Israeli-origin missile defence systems, which could theoretically be used to intercept any \"residual\" forces that the pre-emptive first strike failed to destroy. While unlikely, it is no longer impossible to imagine a leader in Delhi concluding that with concerted effort, India might be able to pre-empt any first strike by an adversary and meaningfully limit the damage to Indian cities by doing so. Mr Singh stressed that \"India attaining the status of a responsible nuclear nation is a matter of national pride\". Part of that reputation was built through careful messaging about Indian restraint and the choices it could have taken but did not. Now critics, such as retired Lt Gen Prakash Menon, argue that abandoning that high-ground \"taints India's image as a responsible nuclear power\". The Pakistani state, somewhat unhinged in recent rhetoric emanating from the office of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has taken to questioning \"the safety and security of India's nuclear arsenal in the control of the fascist, racist Hindu supremacist [Prime Minister] Modi\". The real impact of India's eroding no first use pledge will not be in the realm of symbolism or rhetoric, however. Rather, it will be in Pakistan's material response. Pakistan's nuclear stewards have stressed privately in the last week that they never believed India anyway - but this rhetoric shift, combined with growing Indian capabilities, will heighten Pakistani interest in making more nuclear weapons, dispersing them in a crisis, and using those weapons before India can destroy them on the ground. The nuclear option will be on the table much quicker during a time of crisis, and Pakistan's peacetime posture may have to be prepared for more rapid use. The net effect on safety and security, accidents and potential misunderstandings will not be clearly understood for some time, but it's likely that South Asia will be unable to fully avoid the costly and dangerous arms races that characterised the Cold War competition. Christopher Clary is an assistant professor of political science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Vipin Narang is an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of MIT's Security Studies Program.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1641, "answer_end": 3832, "text": "During the Cold War, the US, the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom all reserved the right to use nuclear weapons first in a severe conflict. There were two classical scenarios for first use: (1) that a country in danger of conventional military defeat on the battlefield would employ so-called tactical nuclear weapons against adversary military forces to forestall that defeat, or (2) that a country fearing an adversary would attack it with nuclear weapons would pre-empt that attack with a nuclear first strike designed to destroy as much of the adversary's nuclear arsenal as possible. When India announced its nuclear status with weapons tests in 1998, it rejected the idea of \"nuclear war fighting\". It would design its nuclear forces for \"retaliation only\" and as a consequence, it said, it could have a more limited arsenal. India joined China in offering a no first use doctrine. When China first tested nuclear weapons in 1964, it declared it would \"never at any time and under any circumstances be the first to use nuclear weapons\". The fact that India never fully believed China's commitment was one ironic reason behind India's own decision to overtly test nuclear weapons in 1998. Except for China, no other country besides India currently offers a no first use declaration. North Korea at one point floated one, but few believed it, given that Pyongyang's stated motivation to pursue nuclear weapons included defeating a combined South Korean and American invasion through nuclear first use. While periodically the US has considered the wisdom of a no first use pledge as a means to lower Russian and Chinese fears in a hypothetical crisis, and as part of a general commitment to reducing the political salience of nuclear weapons, it has refused to do so to date. India's most likely adversary, Pakistan, explicitly preserves the right to use nuclear weapons first. It has threatened to use battlefield nuclear weapons to forestall a conventional military defeat at the hands of the Indian army - a deterrent threat that has so far constrained India's ability to retaliate to a stream of terrorist and militant violence in India that Delhi has blamed on Islamabad."}], "question": "What is the 'no first use' doctrine?", "id": "65_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3833, "answer_end": 5993, "text": "Mr Singh's statement was hardly the first sign of internal debate about the wisdom of the two decade-old policy, but coming from a sitting defence minister it was the most authoritative signal to date. Shortly after India tested nuclear weapons in May 1998, senior Indian officials declared India would follow a no-first-use doctrine. In 2003, India revised that commitment in releasing a revised official doctrine that explicitly maintained the option to retaliate with nuclear weapons in the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack. While many noted that India's move to \"no first use of weapons of mass destruction\" was a less expansive commitment than it had originally made, it was not regarded as a major shift. In 2016, India's then-defence minister Manohar Parrikar wondered why India should \"bind\" itself by declaring no-first-use. Better, Mr Parrikar argued, for adversaries not to know what India might do, though he subsequently clarified that these were only his personal views.  Mr Singh, by contrast, has made no such clarification. Meanwhile, India began developing the technological elements that might make first use attractive as a means to disarm an adversary. In 1998, India had only a handful of ballistic missiles, limited intelligence capabilities, and a modest set of precise conventional air-dropped munitions. Today, it has a much wider array of ballistic and cruise missiles, several space-based imagery satellites as well as similar sensors aboard manned and unmanned aircraft, and a growing range of precision-guided munitions, many of them capable of being launched at targets some distance away. Additionally, India has invested in developing indigenous ballistic missile defences and acquiring expensive Russian- and Israeli-origin missile defence systems, which could theoretically be used to intercept any \"residual\" forces that the pre-emptive first strike failed to destroy. While unlikely, it is no longer impossible to imagine a leader in Delhi concluding that with concerted effort, India might be able to pre-empt any first strike by an adversary and meaningfully limit the damage to Indian cities by doing so."}], "question": "Why is India reconsidering no first use now?", "id": "65_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5994, "answer_end": 7865, "text": "Mr Singh stressed that \"India attaining the status of a responsible nuclear nation is a matter of national pride\". Part of that reputation was built through careful messaging about Indian restraint and the choices it could have taken but did not. Now critics, such as retired Lt Gen Prakash Menon, argue that abandoning that high-ground \"taints India's image as a responsible nuclear power\". The Pakistani state, somewhat unhinged in recent rhetoric emanating from the office of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has taken to questioning \"the safety and security of India's nuclear arsenal in the control of the fascist, racist Hindu supremacist [Prime Minister] Modi\". The real impact of India's eroding no first use pledge will not be in the realm of symbolism or rhetoric, however. Rather, it will be in Pakistan's material response. Pakistan's nuclear stewards have stressed privately in the last week that they never believed India anyway - but this rhetoric shift, combined with growing Indian capabilities, will heighten Pakistani interest in making more nuclear weapons, dispersing them in a crisis, and using those weapons before India can destroy them on the ground. The nuclear option will be on the table much quicker during a time of crisis, and Pakistan's peacetime posture may have to be prepared for more rapid use. The net effect on safety and security, accidents and potential misunderstandings will not be clearly understood for some time, but it's likely that South Asia will be unable to fully avoid the costly and dangerous arms races that characterised the Cold War competition. Christopher Clary is an assistant professor of political science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Vipin Narang is an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of MIT's Security Studies Program."}], "question": "Why does this matter?", "id": "65_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years", "date": "1 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A small fleet of whaling vessels have caught their first whales in Japan's first commercial hunt in decades, in defiance of international criticism. The whaling ships have a permit to catch 227 minke, Bryde's and sei whales this year in Japanese waters. Japan's last commercial hunt was in 1986, but it has continued whaling for what it says are research purposes. It has now withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) so is no longer subject to its rules. IWC members had agreed to an effective ban on whale hunting, but Japan has long argued it is possible to hunt whales in a sustainable way. The fisheries ministry has set a kill cap for the season of 52 minke, 150 Bryde's and 25 sei whales - a total of 227 animals. Last year's catch quota, under its scientific programme - which Japan said aimed to gather population data - was 333 whales. \"The resumption of commercial whaling has been an ardent wish for whalers across the country,\" the head of the agency, Shigeto Hase, said at a departure ceremony in northern Kushiro for the small fleet. He said the resumption of whaling would ensure \"the culture and way of life will be passed on to the next generation.\" \"My heart is overflowing with happiness, and I'm deeply moved,\" said Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association. \"People have hunted whales for more than 400 years in my hometown.\" \"I'm a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling,\" one whaler told AFP news agency before setting sail. \"I don't think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more. I want more people try to taste it at least once.\" According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, minke and Bryde's whale are not endangered. Sei whale are classified as endangered, but their numbers are increasing. Conservationist groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd remain critical of Japan's resumption of whaling, but say there are no concrete plans for action against the country. \"This is a sad day for whale protection globally,\" said Nicola Beynon of Humane Society International, accusing Japan of beginning a \"new and shocking era of pirate whaling\". Japan \"is out of step with the international community\", Sam Annesley, executive director at Greenpeace Japan, said in a statement when Tokyo announced its whaling plans last year. Like other whaling nations, Japan argues hunting and eating whales are part of its culture. A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries but consumption only became widespread after World War Two when other food was scarce. Whales were brought to the brink of extinction by hunting in the 19th and early 20th Century. In 1986, all IWC members agreed to a hunting moratorium to allow whale numbers to recover. Whaling countries - like Japan, Norway and Iceland - assumed the moratorium would be temporary until everyone could agree on sustainable quotas. Instead it became a quasi-permanent ban. Since 1987, Japan has killed between 200 and 1,200 whales each year under an exemption to the ban allowing scientific research. Critics say this was just a cover so Japan could hunt whales for food, as the meat from the whales killed for research usually did end up for sale. In 2018, Japan tried one last time to convince the IWC to allow whaling under sustainable quotas, but failed. So it left the body, effective from July 2019.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2576, "answer_end": 3379, "text": "Whales were brought to the brink of extinction by hunting in the 19th and early 20th Century. In 1986, all IWC members agreed to a hunting moratorium to allow whale numbers to recover. Whaling countries - like Japan, Norway and Iceland - assumed the moratorium would be temporary until everyone could agree on sustainable quotas. Instead it became a quasi-permanent ban. Since 1987, Japan has killed between 200 and 1,200 whales each year under an exemption to the ban allowing scientific research. Critics say this was just a cover so Japan could hunt whales for food, as the meat from the whales killed for research usually did end up for sale. In 2018, Japan tried one last time to convince the IWC to allow whaling under sustainable quotas, but failed. So it left the body, effective from July 2019."}], "question": "Didn't Japan kill whales all along?", "id": "66_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Prince Philip, 97, gives up driving licence", "date": "9 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Duke of Edinburgh is to voluntarily give up his driving licence, Buckingham Palace has said. It comes after the 97-year-old duke apologised over a car crash near the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, in which his Land Rover Freelander landed on its side after a collision with a Kia. Two days later Norfolk Police gave him \"suitable words of advice\" after he was pictured driving without a seat belt. Buckingham Palace said that he surrendered his licence on Saturday. In a statement, the palace said: \"After careful consideration the Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence.\" Norfolk Police confirmed that the duke had surrendered his licence to officers and it would now be returned to the DVLA. The investigation file for the collision has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, which said it would take the latest development into account. BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond, said the decision to give up his licence was entirely down to the duke, according to Buckingham Palace. \"The duke is reported to have acknowledged that the collision last month was his fault,\" he said. \"There was a fair deal of criticism of his decision to drive just two days after the crash.  Now he has chosen to give up some of his independence and will have a driver from this point on.\" The duke wrote to a woman injured in the crash, which happened on 17 January on the A149 near the Queen's country estate. He escaped injury, but Emma Fairweather, a passenger in the Kia, broke her wrist. The Kia was carrying three people, including a nine-month-old baby boy, his mother who was driving and Ms Fairweather, 46. In the letter to Ms Fairweather, dated 21 January and reproduced by the Sunday Mirror, the duke acknowledged the \"very distressing experience\". \"I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident,\" he wrote, on Sandringham House headed paper. \"The sun was shining low over the main road. In normal conditions I would have no difficulty in seeing traffic coming... but I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences.\" Ms Fairweather had previously criticised the duke for a lack of communication following the crash. The mother-of-two told the Sunday Mirror: \"I thought it was really nice that he signed off as 'Philip' and not the formal title. I was pleasantly surprised because of the personalised nature.\" After the crash, Royal biographer Hugo Vickers told BBC News: \"Any kind of car accident at the age of 97 is likely to produce shock. \"Some years ago he gave up flying planes long before he needed to because he was scared that if something happened there would be a lot of criticism. \"You know, why was he, at the age of 55, still flying a plane when he should have retired at 48 or something like that. \"So he does listen to these things - he's very, very sensible.\" There is no legal age at which motorists must stop driving, however doctors can advise drivers to give up their entitlements. If a motorist has a medical condition which affects their driving, it may mean they have to give up their licence until they can meet the medical standards to drive again. If a driver decides to surrender their licence, or they are advised to do so by a doctor, they must write a letter to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), accompanied by the existing licence, or a good excuse for not enclosing it. In 2016, the duke famously drove the Obamas when the then US president and First Lady visited Windsor. Prince Philip retired from public life in August 2017 having spent decades supporting the Queen and attending events for his own charities and organisations. Buckingham Palace calculated he had completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952. Since retiring from official solo duties, he has appeared in public alongside the Queen and other members of the Royal Family at events and church services.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2909, "answer_end": 3448, "text": "There is no legal age at which motorists must stop driving, however doctors can advise drivers to give up their entitlements. If a motorist has a medical condition which affects their driving, it may mean they have to give up their licence until they can meet the medical standards to drive again. If a driver decides to surrender their licence, or they are advised to do so by a doctor, they must write a letter to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), accompanied by the existing licence, or a good excuse for not enclosing it."}], "question": "What happens when you surrender your driving licence?", "id": "67_0"}]}]}, {"title": "New York helicopter crash: Pilot killed in skyscraper collision", "date": "11 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The pilot of a helicopter has died after it crash landed on top of a skyscraper in Manhattan. The helicopter burst into flames on hitting the AXA Equitable Center, but there were no other casualties. The pilot has been identified as Tim McCormack, a veteran aviator. An investigation is under way. Eyewitnesses said the building shook with the impact and they were reminded of the plane attacks on the city in September 2001. Officials quickly ruled out any terrorist element to the crash. It occurred on a rainy and foggy Monday afternoon at 787 Seventh Avenue, just north of Times Square. The twin-engine Agusta A109E, carrying only the pilot, had taken off from a heliport on Manhattan's east side at 13:32 local time. It was reportedly heading to Linden Airport in New Jersey. Eleven minutes later it plunged into the top of the 54-storey office building, in what was described as a forced or emergency landing. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the helicopter was \"pretty obliterated... it was obviously a very hard hit\". National Transportation Safety Board officials will be looking into why the helicopter, which officials said was engaged in \"executive travel\", was flying in such poor weather. Mr de Blasio said it was \"an unusual situation for sure\", and the helicopter would have needed special permits from LaGuardia Airport in the New York City borough of Queens. The Federal Aviation Administration said its controllers would not have been handling the flight. The building is about half a mile from Trump Tower, and airspace has been under flight restrictions since that building's owner Donald Trump became president. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said: \"If you're a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), right, from 9/11. And I remember that morning all too well. \"So as soon as you hear an aircraft hit a building, I think my mind goes where every New Yorker's mind goes.\" President Trump said the crash was \"a big tragedy\" and \"a very sad event\". Eyewitness Nicolas Estevez told Reuters he \"saw the explosion and the smoke coming out\" and it had reminded him of 9/11. A 12in (30cm) piece of metal landed on the pavement just feet away, he said. Michaela Dudley, of Hoboken, New Jersey, who works in the building, described feeling \"a small tremor\". \"I started hearing the blare of sirens and knew something bad had happened,\" the 30-year-old lawyer said. \"There was an announcement for us to leave the building. I grabbed my backpack and cellphone. The stairwell was packed with people trying to get out and so it was a really slow process. We didn't know what was happening so people were getting a bit panicky.\" Tim McCormack was described as a highly trained, veteran pilot who was also a volunteer firefighter. ABC News carried a statement it said had been sent on behalf of the McCormack family, which read: \"Our family lost a great man today when my brother lost his life doing his job. He was a caring and compassionate man who put others first over himself.\" It said he had landed on the roof \"so that it didn't impact anyone else's life except his own. My brother was a true hero\". Some US media have said Mr McCormack was also involved in setting down a helicopter safely after a bird strike in 2014. American Continental Properties, which the helicopter is registered to, said it mourned the loss of Tim McCormack \"who has flown for us for the past five years. Our hearts are with his family and friends\". Paul Dudley, Linden Airport manager, said the pilot had \"tremendous local knowledge, having flown in this area for many years... Something must have happened to overwhelm him.\" The East Clinton Fire Department said Mr McCormack was \"a dedicated, highly professional and extremely well-trained firefighter. Tim's technical knowledge and ability to command an emergency were exceptional.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 490, "answer_end": 1032, "text": "It occurred on a rainy and foggy Monday afternoon at 787 Seventh Avenue, just north of Times Square. The twin-engine Agusta A109E, carrying only the pilot, had taken off from a heliport on Manhattan's east side at 13:32 local time. It was reportedly heading to Linden Airport in New Jersey. Eleven minutes later it plunged into the top of the 54-storey office building, in what was described as a forced or emergency landing. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the helicopter was \"pretty obliterated... it was obviously a very hard hit\"."}], "question": "How did the crash happen?", "id": "68_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1033, "answer_end": 1640, "text": "National Transportation Safety Board officials will be looking into why the helicopter, which officials said was engaged in \"executive travel\", was flying in such poor weather. Mr de Blasio said it was \"an unusual situation for sure\", and the helicopter would have needed special permits from LaGuardia Airport in the New York City borough of Queens. The Federal Aviation Administration said its controllers would not have been handling the flight. The building is about half a mile from Trump Tower, and airspace has been under flight restrictions since that building's owner Donald Trump became president."}], "question": "What will the investigation look into?", "id": "68_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1641, "answer_end": 2679, "text": "New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said: \"If you're a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), right, from 9/11. And I remember that morning all too well. \"So as soon as you hear an aircraft hit a building, I think my mind goes where every New Yorker's mind goes.\" President Trump said the crash was \"a big tragedy\" and \"a very sad event\". Eyewitness Nicolas Estevez told Reuters he \"saw the explosion and the smoke coming out\" and it had reminded him of 9/11. A 12in (30cm) piece of metal landed on the pavement just feet away, he said. Michaela Dudley, of Hoboken, New Jersey, who works in the building, described feeling \"a small tremor\". \"I started hearing the blare of sirens and knew something bad had happened,\" the 30-year-old lawyer said. \"There was an announcement for us to leave the building. I grabbed my backpack and cellphone. The stairwell was packed with people trying to get out and so it was a really slow process. We didn't know what was happening so people were getting a bit panicky.\""}], "question": "How did people react?", "id": "68_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2680, "answer_end": 3869, "text": "Tim McCormack was described as a highly trained, veteran pilot who was also a volunteer firefighter. ABC News carried a statement it said had been sent on behalf of the McCormack family, which read: \"Our family lost a great man today when my brother lost his life doing his job. He was a caring and compassionate man who put others first over himself.\" It said he had landed on the roof \"so that it didn't impact anyone else's life except his own. My brother was a true hero\". Some US media have said Mr McCormack was also involved in setting down a helicopter safely after a bird strike in 2014. American Continental Properties, which the helicopter is registered to, said it mourned the loss of Tim McCormack \"who has flown for us for the past five years. Our hearts are with his family and friends\". Paul Dudley, Linden Airport manager, said the pilot had \"tremendous local knowledge, having flown in this area for many years... Something must have happened to overwhelm him.\" The East Clinton Fire Department said Mr McCormack was \"a dedicated, highly professional and extremely well-trained firefighter. Tim's technical knowledge and ability to command an emergency were exceptional.\""}], "question": "Who was the pilot?", "id": "68_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Balakot: Indian air strikes target militants in Pakistan", "date": "26 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India says it launched air strikes against militants in Pakistani territory, in a major escalation of tensions between the two countries. The government said strikes targeted a training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group in Balakot. Pakistan said its jets had forced back the Indian planes and denied there were any casualties. Relations between the countries were strained by a militant attack on Indian troops in Kashmir earlier this month. India accuses Pakistan of allowing militant groups to operate on its territory and says Pakistani security agencies played a role in the suicide attack on 14 February, which was claimed by JeM and killed 40 Indian troops. Pakistan denies any role and says it does not provide safe haven to militants. Balakot is in Pakistan's north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Residents there told BBC Urdu they were woken by loud explosions. Pakistan condemned the strike and said it would respond \"at the time and place of its choosing\". The strikes are the first launched across the line of control - the de facto border that divides India-administered Kashmir from Pakistan-administered Kashmir - since a war between the two countries in 1971. Both India and Pakistan claim all of Muslim-majority Kashmir, but control only parts of it. The nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars and a limited conflict since independence from Britain in 1947 - and all but one were over Kashmir. Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told a news conference that the strikes had killed a \"large number\" of militants, including commanders, and had avoided civilian casualties. \"Credible intel [intelligence] was received that JeM was planning more suicide attacks in India. In the face of imminent danger, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary,\" he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not directly mention the air strikes when he addressed a political rally in Rajasthan later on Tuesday but he told cheering crowds: \"I understand your enthusiasm and your energy. Today is a day we bow before our heroes.\" India is due to hold elections by the end of May. In Srinagar city, in Indian-administered Kashmir, residents expressed concerns over the spike in tensions. \"Whatever is happening between these two hostile neighbours, it's us who are in the middle of this war theatre,\" Shabir Aakhoon, a banker, said. Local reporter Sameer Yasir says a heavy military build-up in the past three days has caused panic. Anticipating full-scale war, civilians have stockpiled food and crowded petrol pumps, triggering traffic jams in many places, he adds. Pakistan's army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said the strikes caused no casualties. He tweeted that Pakistani jets were scrambled and forced the Indian planes to make a \"hasty withdrawal\", dropping their payload in an open area. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan later convened an urgent meeting of national security chiefs and condemned \"irresponsible Indian policy\". \"Once again [the] Indian government has resorted to a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim,\" a statement issued after the meeting said. \"This action has been done for domestic consumption, being in an election environment, putting regional peace and stability at grave risk.\" Mr Khan has summoned a special meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) - the body that oversees Pakistan's nuclear arsenal - to take place on Wednesday, officials said. Analysis by M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad The Indian air strikes that hit a target inside Pakistani territory have taken tensions to a dangerous level. In September 2016, an attack on an Indian army base in Uri created a similar situation when Delhi decided to respond with so-called \"surgical strikes\". India's claims that they airdropped special forces to destroy militant camps on the Pakistani side of Kashmir were found to be largely exaggerated, but Indian troops did cross at several points along the Line of Control (LoC), inflicting some casualties on Pakistani forces. This time they have hit a target across the international border, inside Pakistani territory, at a location where a training camp of Kashmiri militants is known to have existed for several years. Pakistan's military has cordoned off the area and not even the local police are allowed in, so it will be some time before details of the attack become known. Also, Pakistani officials have been underplaying the severity of the incident by describing it as a strike \"across the LoC\", not one across the international border. Pakistan has vowed to respond but this may not go beyond diplomatic measures. However, as some observers point out, there may be punitive attacks by militants against Indian forces in Kashmir \"at an appropriate time\". October 1947: First war between India and Pakistan over Kashmir just two months after they become independent nations. August 1965: The neighbours fight another brief war over Kashmir. December 1971: India supports East Pakistan's bid to become independent. The Indian air force conducts bombing raids inside Pakistan. The war ends with the creation of Bangladesh. May 1999: Pakistani soldiers and militants occupy Indian military posts in Kargil mountains. India launches air and ground strikes and the intruders are pushed back. October 2001: A devastating attack on the state assembly in Indian-administered Kashmir kills 38. Two months later, an attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi leaves 14 dead. November 2008: Co-ordinated attacks on Mumbai's main railway station, luxury hotels and a Jewish cultural centre kill 166 people. India blames Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba. January 2016: Four-day attack on Indian air base in Pathankot leaves seven Indian soldiers and six militants dead. 18 September 2016: Attack on army base in Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir kills 19 soldiers. 30 September 2016: India says it carried \"surgical strikes\" on militants in Pakistani Kashmir. Islamabad denies strikes took place.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1430, "answer_end": 2596, "text": "Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told a news conference that the strikes had killed a \"large number\" of militants, including commanders, and had avoided civilian casualties. \"Credible intel [intelligence] was received that JeM was planning more suicide attacks in India. In the face of imminent danger, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary,\" he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not directly mention the air strikes when he addressed a political rally in Rajasthan later on Tuesday but he told cheering crowds: \"I understand your enthusiasm and your energy. Today is a day we bow before our heroes.\" India is due to hold elections by the end of May. In Srinagar city, in Indian-administered Kashmir, residents expressed concerns over the spike in tensions. \"Whatever is happening between these two hostile neighbours, it's us who are in the middle of this war theatre,\" Shabir Aakhoon, a banker, said. Local reporter Sameer Yasir says a heavy military build-up in the past three days has caused panic. Anticipating full-scale war, civilians have stockpiled food and crowded petrol pumps, triggering traffic jams in many places, he adds."}], "question": "What does India say happened?", "id": "69_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2597, "answer_end": 3435, "text": "Pakistan's army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said the strikes caused no casualties. He tweeted that Pakistani jets were scrambled and forced the Indian planes to make a \"hasty withdrawal\", dropping their payload in an open area. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan later convened an urgent meeting of national security chiefs and condemned \"irresponsible Indian policy\". \"Once again [the] Indian government has resorted to a self-serving, reckless and fictitious claim,\" a statement issued after the meeting said. \"This action has been done for domestic consumption, being in an election environment, putting regional peace and stability at grave risk.\" Mr Khan has summoned a special meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA) - the body that oversees Pakistan's nuclear arsenal - to take place on Wednesday, officials said."}], "question": "How has Pakistan responded?", "id": "69_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Is blockchain living up to the hype?", "date": "23 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As we approach Bitcoin's 10th anniversary at the end of this month, we ask whether blockchain - the technology underpinning the cryptocurrency - is fulfilling its promise, or a tech still looking for a better reason to exist. There have been some very grandiose claims made about blockchain. Some say it could help solve the Irish border issue currently bedevilling Brexit negotiations, or enable people to find love, or even end world poverty. A daily barrage of press releases claim it will \"revolutionise\" business. But what's the reality? Well, let's start with the basics. At its heart, blockchain is a relatively straightforward concept. It is a ledger of blocks of information, such as transactions or agreements, that are stored across a network of computers. This information is stored chronologically, can be viewed by a community of users, and is not usually managed by a central authority such as a bank or a government. Once published, the information in a certain block can't be changed. If people try to tamper with that information, it becomes obvious. This is a powerful concept. Ten years ago, blockchain was combined with other technologies to create cryptocurrencies, and the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency was Bitcoin. David Gerard, author of Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain, blames the hype on the cryptocurrency gold rush that has seen billions flow into the hundreds of digital currencies now on the market. \"The reason people followed this stuff is because of the promise that you can get rich for free. That's a very powerful promise,\" he says. \"This is why we have Bitcoin mining wasting a whole country's electricity.\" Tech vendors and consultants have fanned the flames, trying to cash in on the mania, Mr Gerard believes. \"It's magic beans,\" he says. \"But it turns out magic doesn't happen. \"All the people selling magical flying unicorn ponies, and writing in detail about the measurements of the wing feathers, are ignoring that unicorns don't exist.\" The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (Nist) warned in a recent paper, that: \"There is hype around the use of blockchain technology, yet the technology is not well understood. \"It is not magical; it will not solve all problems. As with all new technology, there is a tendency to want to apply it to every sector in every way imaginable.\" Gartner analyst Rajesh Kandaswamy says that even though speculators mostly see blockchain as \"a mechanism to make money, that doesn't invalidate the technology\". The ability for two parties to interact without a middleman is a \"fascinating concept\". Smart contracts - self-executing agreements between buyers and sellers recorded on a blockchain - are \"really powerful\", he says, as is the idea of a decentralised digital identity. It would mean that rather than storing personal details with one firm such as Facebook, users would be able to store their encrypted details over a network. \"There are so many possibilities. We haven't even scratched the surface yet,\" Mr Kandaswamy adds. Few firms have fully embraced blockchain, according to consultancy Capgemini. In a recent survey of firms looking to use the tech, 3% had large-scale use, 10% were piloting it, while 87% had only tested blockchain proofs of concept. Perhaps the best-known start-up using it is Ripple, the payment settling system and currency exchange proving popular with financial institutions around the world, including Bank of America and Santander. And there is a lot of interest among the very biggest companies. More Technology of Business For example, IBM is working with US retail giant Walmart to track food through its global supply chain, and with shipping company Maersk on developing a platform for the container shipping industry. \"We're still in the early days in terms of technology,\" admits Marie Wieck, general manager for IBM Blockchain. While some firms are still what IBM would describe as \"blockchain tourists\", and are not completely sure how they can use the technology, others are further advanced in their plans, she says. The firm is also looking at how blockchain can be used in trade finance and banking. There is also huge interest in the tech in Asia, says Mr Kandaswamy. Chinese retail giant Alibaba is using blockchain with its subsidiary payment platform Alipay, while fellow e-commerce titan JD.com is selling blockchain services to other firms. And media conglomerate Tencent was part of a group that set up a blockchain security alliance, according to the China News Service. Blockchain is quite slow and energy hungry, critics say, making it difficult to scale up. And its distributed, uneditable, anonymous nature seems to create as many problems as it seeks to solve. \"Peer-to-peer transfer systems that cut out middlemen were born from libertarianism, and are almost anarchic in their nature,\" says Robert Zapfel, technical director of iov42, a platform aiming to \"deliver on the promise of blockchain\" by making all the competing technologies interoperable. \"You don't know what will happen to them tomorrow. And who serves the 98% in the middle?\" But mostly the scepticism is born from a \"disconnect between the hype and the reality\" of a tech still in its very early stages, says Mr Kandaswamy. \"The claim is that it is transforming industry. It is not. It's another way to sell new services that vendors are pushing a lot,\" he says. But \"blockchain has a lot of believers\". - Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter and Facebook", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 578, "answer_end": 1246, "text": "At its heart, blockchain is a relatively straightforward concept. It is a ledger of blocks of information, such as transactions or agreements, that are stored across a network of computers. This information is stored chronologically, can be viewed by a community of users, and is not usually managed by a central authority such as a bank or a government. Once published, the information in a certain block can't be changed. If people try to tamper with that information, it becomes obvious. This is a powerful concept. Ten years ago, blockchain was combined with other technologies to create cryptocurrencies, and the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency was Bitcoin."}], "question": "What is blockchain?", "id": "70_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1247, "answer_end": 2345, "text": "David Gerard, author of Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain, blames the hype on the cryptocurrency gold rush that has seen billions flow into the hundreds of digital currencies now on the market. \"The reason people followed this stuff is because of the promise that you can get rich for free. That's a very powerful promise,\" he says. \"This is why we have Bitcoin mining wasting a whole country's electricity.\" Tech vendors and consultants have fanned the flames, trying to cash in on the mania, Mr Gerard believes. \"It's magic beans,\" he says. \"But it turns out magic doesn't happen. \"All the people selling magical flying unicorn ponies, and writing in detail about the measurements of the wing feathers, are ignoring that unicorns don't exist.\" The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (Nist) warned in a recent paper, that: \"There is hype around the use of blockchain technology, yet the technology is not well understood. \"It is not magical; it will not solve all problems. As with all new technology, there is a tendency to want to apply it to every sector in every way imaginable.\""}], "question": "So why all the hype?", "id": "70_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2346, "answer_end": 3032, "text": "Gartner analyst Rajesh Kandaswamy says that even though speculators mostly see blockchain as \"a mechanism to make money, that doesn't invalidate the technology\". The ability for two parties to interact without a middleman is a \"fascinating concept\". Smart contracts - self-executing agreements between buyers and sellers recorded on a blockchain - are \"really powerful\", he says, as is the idea of a decentralised digital identity. It would mean that rather than storing personal details with one firm such as Facebook, users would be able to store their encrypted details over a network. \"There are so many possibilities. We haven't even scratched the surface yet,\" Mr Kandaswamy adds."}], "question": "How can blockchain be used?", "id": "70_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3033, "answer_end": 3535, "text": "Few firms have fully embraced blockchain, according to consultancy Capgemini. In a recent survey of firms looking to use the tech, 3% had large-scale use, 10% were piloting it, while 87% had only tested blockchain proofs of concept. Perhaps the best-known start-up using it is Ripple, the payment settling system and currency exchange proving popular with financial institutions around the world, including Bank of America and Santander. And there is a lot of interest among the very biggest companies."}], "question": "Who is using it then?", "id": "70_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Tragically Hip: About a third of Canadians watch farewell concert", "date": "22 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "About one in three Canadians tuned in for the Tragically Hip's poignant show in the band's hometown of Kingston, Ontario. The sold-out gig drew 11.7m people, according to broadcaster CBC. It makes it one of the country's most watched events, behind the 16.6m viewers who watched men's gold-medal hockey at the 2010 Olympics. The tour was announced after lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in May. An average of four million viewers watched the Tragically Hip, known as the most Canadian band in the world, on television or via livestreaming, according to Canada's national broadcaster CBC. Some of the largest TV audiences in Canada include: - 16.6m - Canada beats USA at ice-hockey in 2010 Winter Olympics - 11.7m - Tragically Hip concert in Ontario, 2016 - 10.5m - Canada beats USA in 2002 Games - 5.2m - British royal wedding, 2011 The network cut away from the Olympic coverage in Rio to air the nearly three-hour television broadcast on Saturday. About 5.2m tuned in for the British royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. Mr Downie and bandmates Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay kicked off the Man Machine Poem 15-stop tour in Victoria on 22 July. Saturday's final concert, at the Rogers K-Rock Centre, sold out in minutes. Formed in the 1980s, the blues and rock band penned lyrics which explicitly referenced Canadian life, with a small-town charm that won the country over. They started as a college band working the local circuit and then took off, but their success across 14 albums was mostly confined to within Canada. Known simply as The Hip to many Canadians, their songs became part of a national identity.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1307, "answer_end": 1699, "text": "Formed in the 1980s, the blues and rock band penned lyrics which explicitly referenced Canadian life, with a small-town charm that won the country over. They started as a college band working the local circuit and then took off, but their success across 14 albums was mostly confined to within Canada. Known simply as The Hip to many Canadians, their songs became part of a national identity."}], "question": "Who are The Tragically Hip?", "id": "71_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim-Putin: North Korean and Russian leaders to meet for first time", "date": "24 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia for his first ever talks with Vladimir Putin. The meeting in the Pacific port of Vladivostok comes soon after the collapse of the Trump-Kim talks in Hanoi. The international stand-off over Pyongyang's nuclear programme is top of the list of issues to discuss, but both sides are bringing very different agendas to the table. The Soviet Union was a major ally of North Korea, offering economic co-operation, cultural exchanges and aid. It also provided North Korea with its initial nuclear know-how. But since the collapse of the Iron Curtain the relationship has suffered. With weakened ideological ties there was no reason for special treatment and support. And as a regular trading partner, North Korea was not very attractive to Russia, as it was unable to pay international market prices. Since Russia's gradual estrangement from the West since the early 2000s, relations have picked up somewhat. Moscow has found itself backing countries \"based on the old logic that my enemy's enemy is my friend,\" explains Professor Andrei Lankov of Seoul's Kookmin University. The last North Korea-Russia bilateral meeting was in 2011, when then president Dmitry Medvedev met Mr Kim's father, Kim Jong-il. Their relationship makes sense geographically - they share a short border not far from the important Russian port city of Vladivostok, where the two leaders are widely expected to meet. According to Russia's foreign ministry, there are also some 8,000 North Korean migrant labourers working in Russia, sending vital revenue back home. Other estimates put that number much higher. Under the current UN sanctions, all of these workers will have to be sent home by the end of the year. The Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapsed without any agreement or progress on North Korea's nuclear programme. It's an outcome the North Korean leadership had not expected. It had hoped to agree a compromise which would see some easing of the international sanctions which are damaging its economy. \"International sanctions are beginning to take effect and without a change in the US position, it's very unlikely North Korea will be able to get sanctions relief and pick up trade with the outside world,\" says Prof Lankov. So North Korea needs to contact everyone who might be helpful in achieving that goal. Anything from real progress to even symbolic diplomatic assistance would be useful to Pyongyang. Alexey Muraviev, associate professor at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, says North Korea has to show the US \"they're not in isolation\". \"If they can show that major powers are still backing them up, this will give them additional bargaining power to talk to the US and China.\" So Russia is an attractive option. \"Mr Kim needs to be given full credit,\" Mr Muraviev says. \"He is quite skilful in playing high-stakes diplomacy for North Korea's economic interest - and for the survival of his own regime.\" Courting other dialogue partners goes in tandem with renewed missile activity to pressure Washington back to the negotiating table. \"North Korea's strategy always has been walking a tight-rope between the conflicts of the world powers and getting concessions that way,\" Park Young-ja, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told BBC Korean. \"So meeting with Russia could be a card it can play against China and the US.\" President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin was somewhat sidelined. So after the failure of the Hanoi talks, a meeting with Kim Jong-un is a good opportunity for Mr Putin to put Moscow back on the playing field. Like the US and China, Russia is uncomfortable with North Korea being a nuclear state and in the early 2000s was part of the ill-fated six-party talks after Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But unlike Washington, Moscow wants to accept the status quo: denuclearisation is seen as an unrealistic goal so the Kremlin instead wants talks with Pyongyang aimed at stabilising the situation. Russia's involvement is also a matter of prestige and reputation. Regardless of how the US-North Korea relations will pan out, Russia is keen on being involved at least at some level. If Mr Putin manages to have at least some say in the situation, he can show that Russia is still present in the region. And if the Kremlin was to contribute in a meaningful way to solving the North Korea situation, even better. By most estimates, there won't be any major agreement or deals struck between the two countries. Aside from getting some international recognition and leverage for future talks with Washington, North Korea is primarily interested in money. \"The country's economic situation is bad and Pyongyang desperately wants a relaxation in the sanctions so regular trade can pick up,\" says Mr Lankov. \"It also wants free money in the form of aid.\" Yet neither is likely to be forthcoming from Moscow. The overwhelming sense in Moscow remains that Pyongyang is an unreliable and unmanageable state it will not spend a lot of money on, Mr Lankov says. And money is what North Korea needs most. \"I don't think North Korea can get much from Russia,\" Lee Jai-chun, a former South Korean ambassador to Russia, told BBC Korean. \"The Russian economy is in a difficult situation after the sanctions over Crimea. The meeting would be a gesture to the Trump administration, and to South Korea.\" A meeting will also have domestic implications, he says. \"North Korea's citizens know that the summit with US was a failure so the meeting with Russia could be a 'show' to the North Korean people.\" In terms of economic ties, Russia is bound by UN Security Council sanctions. \"It will not officially violate those sanctions,\" Mr Lankov says. \"At best Moscow might turn a blind eye to some minor sanctions violations.\" Open violations seen as sanctioned by the Kremlin would only hurt Russia's interests with very little in return: North Korea is not a relevant export market for Russia. And in turn, North Korea has no major products useful for Russia. \"So at most, there will be some small symbolic aid promises,\" suggests Mr Lankov, \"and a lot of words with very little action\". \"Moscow is wary of spending money on a country that's seen as extremely unreliable, especially at a time when Russia itself is suffering from international sanctions.\" So in the end, Russia might be merely another voice urging North Korea against escalating tensions while Kim Jong-un will hope the meeting might put him in a better bargaining position to deal with Washington.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 379, "answer_end": 1733, "text": "The Soviet Union was a major ally of North Korea, offering economic co-operation, cultural exchanges and aid. It also provided North Korea with its initial nuclear know-how. But since the collapse of the Iron Curtain the relationship has suffered. With weakened ideological ties there was no reason for special treatment and support. And as a regular trading partner, North Korea was not very attractive to Russia, as it was unable to pay international market prices. Since Russia's gradual estrangement from the West since the early 2000s, relations have picked up somewhat. Moscow has found itself backing countries \"based on the old logic that my enemy's enemy is my friend,\" explains Professor Andrei Lankov of Seoul's Kookmin University. The last North Korea-Russia bilateral meeting was in 2011, when then president Dmitry Medvedev met Mr Kim's father, Kim Jong-il. Their relationship makes sense geographically - they share a short border not far from the important Russian port city of Vladivostok, where the two leaders are widely expected to meet. According to Russia's foreign ministry, there are also some 8,000 North Korean migrant labourers working in Russia, sending vital revenue back home. Other estimates put that number much higher. Under the current UN sanctions, all of these workers will have to be sent home by the end of the year."}], "question": "How much influence does Moscow have over North Korea?", "id": "72_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1734, "answer_end": 3428, "text": "The Hanoi summit between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapsed without any agreement or progress on North Korea's nuclear programme. It's an outcome the North Korean leadership had not expected. It had hoped to agree a compromise which would see some easing of the international sanctions which are damaging its economy. \"International sanctions are beginning to take effect and without a change in the US position, it's very unlikely North Korea will be able to get sanctions relief and pick up trade with the outside world,\" says Prof Lankov. So North Korea needs to contact everyone who might be helpful in achieving that goal. Anything from real progress to even symbolic diplomatic assistance would be useful to Pyongyang. Alexey Muraviev, associate professor at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, says North Korea has to show the US \"they're not in isolation\". \"If they can show that major powers are still backing them up, this will give them additional bargaining power to talk to the US and China.\" So Russia is an attractive option. \"Mr Kim needs to be given full credit,\" Mr Muraviev says. \"He is quite skilful in playing high-stakes diplomacy for North Korea's economic interest - and for the survival of his own regime.\" Courting other dialogue partners goes in tandem with renewed missile activity to pressure Washington back to the negotiating table. \"North Korea's strategy always has been walking a tight-rope between the conflicts of the world powers and getting concessions that way,\" Park Young-ja, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told BBC Korean. \"So meeting with Russia could be a card it can play against China and the US.\""}], "question": "What does North Korea want?", "id": "72_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3429, "answer_end": 3584, "text": "President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin was somewhat sidelined."}], "question": "What does Moscow want?", "id": "72_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4556, "answer_end": 6686, "text": "By most estimates, there won't be any major agreement or deals struck between the two countries. Aside from getting some international recognition and leverage for future talks with Washington, North Korea is primarily interested in money. \"The country's economic situation is bad and Pyongyang desperately wants a relaxation in the sanctions so regular trade can pick up,\" says Mr Lankov. \"It also wants free money in the form of aid.\" Yet neither is likely to be forthcoming from Moscow. The overwhelming sense in Moscow remains that Pyongyang is an unreliable and unmanageable state it will not spend a lot of money on, Mr Lankov says. And money is what North Korea needs most. \"I don't think North Korea can get much from Russia,\" Lee Jai-chun, a former South Korean ambassador to Russia, told BBC Korean. \"The Russian economy is in a difficult situation after the sanctions over Crimea. The meeting would be a gesture to the Trump administration, and to South Korea.\" A meeting will also have domestic implications, he says. \"North Korea's citizens know that the summit with US was a failure so the meeting with Russia could be a 'show' to the North Korean people.\" In terms of economic ties, Russia is bound by UN Security Council sanctions. \"It will not officially violate those sanctions,\" Mr Lankov says. \"At best Moscow might turn a blind eye to some minor sanctions violations.\" Open violations seen as sanctioned by the Kremlin would only hurt Russia's interests with very little in return: North Korea is not a relevant export market for Russia. And in turn, North Korea has no major products useful for Russia. \"So at most, there will be some small symbolic aid promises,\" suggests Mr Lankov, \"and a lot of words with very little action\". \"Moscow is wary of spending money on a country that's seen as extremely unreliable, especially at a time when Russia itself is suffering from international sanctions.\" So in the end, Russia might be merely another voice urging North Korea against escalating tensions while Kim Jong-un will hope the meeting might put him in a better bargaining position to deal with Washington."}], "question": "What's the likely outcome of the talks?", "id": "72_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Harvey Weinstein case: What next after criminal charges filed", "date": "10 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 80 women - including some of the most famous actresses in Hollywood - have accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of varying degrees of sexual misconduct going back decades. He is currently facing criminal charges on five counts of sexual abuse, including rape, relating to two accusers - charges he denies. He also faces a number of civil cases, including one brought by the actress Ashley Judd, one of his earliest accusers. Mr Weinstein has admitted in the past that his behaviour has \"caused a lot of pain\", but denies any non-consensual sex and has described many allegations against him as \"patently false\". So what's going on with his legal cases? Mr Weinstein is due to go on trial in New York later this year on five charges of sexually assaulting two women. He is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on one of the women in July 2006, and of raping the other woman in March 2013. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. The 66-year-old was arrested and charged in May 2018 in what New York City Police Department said had been a \"joint investigation between the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney\". He formally pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2018 in New York's Supreme Court. He has been released on $1m (PS751,000) bail, and has agreed to surrender his passport and wear a GPS tracker. Over the last few months, at the various pre-trial hearings, Mr Weinstein's lawyers have raised doubts about the police investigation, portraying it as chaotic and poorly managed. In August, they released dozens of \"warm\" emails they say Mr Weinstein received from one of his accusers after an alleged rape. One sex assault charge, brought by actress Lucia Evans, was thrown out in October after a police officer allegedly interfered with a witness. But an attempt by the defence team to have all the charges thrown out was rejected by a judge in December. Mr Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, is no stranger to high-profile cases involving sexual allegations against powerful men. He successfully defended the former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, by attacking the credibility of the accuser - a not uncommon strategy in so-called \"he said-she said\" cases, where it boils down to one person's word against another's. Ashley Judd was one of the first women in Hollywood to accuse Mr Weinstein of sexual misconduct in a series of articles which appeared in the New York Times and The New Yorker magazine in October 2017. She launched a civil lawsuit in April 2018 after Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said he had been considering Ms Judd for a part in the hit 2002 film when he was warned by Mr Weinstein that she was a \"nightmare\" to work with. Mr Weinstein has insisted he played no role in Mr Jackson's casting and denied trying to derail Ms Judd's career. But she alleges in her lawsuit that he \"cornered her in a hotel room in 1997 under the guise of discussing business\", and when she rejected his advances he retaliated by making \"baseless smears\" to Mr Jackson that meant she lost the part. A Los Angeles judge in January 2019 dismissed her claim for sexual harassment, saying it fell outside the scope of the law under which she brought it, but that she could continue with her claim of defamation. It is possible he could face further criminal charges. At the time of his arrest, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said its inquiry was ongoing. Police in California and the UK are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, which could produce fresh charges. London's Metropolitan Police said Mr Weinstein had been accused of assaulting three women in separate incidents in the late 1980s, 1992, 2010, 2011 and 2015. But many of the allegations made against him are too old under the law to be the basis for a criminal charge. However, as in the case of Ashley Judd, he is facing a number of civil complaints. In November, legal documents produced as part of a class-action lawsuit brought by nine women included an allegation that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old Polish model in 2002. Mr Brafman called the allegations in the lawsuit \"preposterous\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 663, "answer_end": 2299, "text": "Mr Weinstein is due to go on trial in New York later this year on five charges of sexually assaulting two women. He is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on one of the women in July 2006, and of raping the other woman in March 2013. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. The 66-year-old was arrested and charged in May 2018 in what New York City Police Department said had been a \"joint investigation between the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney\". He formally pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2018 in New York's Supreme Court. He has been released on $1m (PS751,000) bail, and has agreed to surrender his passport and wear a GPS tracker. Over the last few months, at the various pre-trial hearings, Mr Weinstein's lawyers have raised doubts about the police investigation, portraying it as chaotic and poorly managed. In August, they released dozens of \"warm\" emails they say Mr Weinstein received from one of his accusers after an alleged rape. One sex assault charge, brought by actress Lucia Evans, was thrown out in October after a police officer allegedly interfered with a witness. But an attempt by the defence team to have all the charges thrown out was rejected by a judge in December. Mr Weinstein's lawyer, Ben Brafman, is no stranger to high-profile cases involving sexual allegations against powerful men. He successfully defended the former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, by attacking the credibility of the accuser - a not uncommon strategy in so-called \"he said-she said\" cases, where it boils down to one person's word against another's."}], "question": "What about the criminal charges?", "id": "73_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2300, "answer_end": 3298, "text": "Ashley Judd was one of the first women in Hollywood to accuse Mr Weinstein of sexual misconduct in a series of articles which appeared in the New York Times and The New Yorker magazine in October 2017. She launched a civil lawsuit in April 2018 after Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said he had been considering Ms Judd for a part in the hit 2002 film when he was warned by Mr Weinstein that she was a \"nightmare\" to work with. Mr Weinstein has insisted he played no role in Mr Jackson's casting and denied trying to derail Ms Judd's career. But she alleges in her lawsuit that he \"cornered her in a hotel room in 1997 under the guise of discussing business\", and when she rejected his advances he retaliated by making \"baseless smears\" to Mr Jackson that meant she lost the part. A Los Angeles judge in January 2019 dismissed her claim for sexual harassment, saying it fell outside the scope of the law under which she brought it, but that she could continue with her claim of defamation."}], "question": "What about Ashley Judd's legal action?", "id": "73_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3299, "answer_end": 4166, "text": "It is possible he could face further criminal charges. At the time of his arrest, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said its inquiry was ongoing. Police in California and the UK are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct, which could produce fresh charges. London's Metropolitan Police said Mr Weinstein had been accused of assaulting three women in separate incidents in the late 1980s, 1992, 2010, 2011 and 2015. But many of the allegations made against him are too old under the law to be the basis for a criminal charge. However, as in the case of Ashley Judd, he is facing a number of civil complaints. In November, legal documents produced as part of a class-action lawsuit brought by nine women included an allegation that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old Polish model in 2002. Mr Brafman called the allegations in the lawsuit \"preposterous\"."}], "question": "Could Weinstein face further charges?", "id": "73_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What happens to lone child migrants?", "date": "15 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A former soldier caught trying to smuggle an Afghan child into the UK has been given a suspended fine by a court in France. The four-year-old girl is just one of many migrant children who have attempted to, or been coerced into, crossing into the UK, and the number arriving is on the rise. But what happens to them once they reach these shores? And can the system cope? \"My aunty told me: 'Don't ask anything. These people will take you through.' So I didn't ask anything. I just followed.' In 2011, 16-year-old Makdes was given instructions by her aunt to follow so-called \"agents\" - or people smugglers - who would help her flee Eritrea, in east Africa, for the UK. This same aunt had already bailed her out of prison, where she had been jailed along with her father for opposing the current government. Makdes eventually ended up at Calais's so-called \"jungle\" - the refugee camp on the edge of the French port where thousands of migrants live. Once in Calais she was handed over to another smuggler who arranged for her to be transported to England in the back of a lorry. Makdes' journey to the UK is just one of many made by lone migrant children, and the number arriving is on the increase. The latest Home Office figures suggest there were 2,654 asylum applications in the UK for lone migrant children in the year ending September 2015 - an increase of 50% on the year before. Under the Children Act 1989, it is a council's legal responsibility to care for unaccompanied children who arrive in their local authority area. For some councils, this has presented a particular challenge. Kent County Council is currently looking after 932 unaccompanied migrant children - the largest number among councils in the UK and an increase from 220 in March 2014. The county council recently claimed the \"unprecedented\" influx was having a negative impact on \"citizen\" children in its care, and, to accommodate the rise in entrants, buildings have had to be reopened, and some young migrants have been placed out of the county, as far away as Herefordshire. According to Peter Oakford, cabinet member for specialist children's services at Kent County Council, the government reimburses the county council for some of the costs involved in looking after the lone migrant children but, he says, there is still a shortfall. \"Our shortfall was running at PS7.5m and is now down to PS2.5m,\" he said. Mr Oakford says the county council wants the government to introduce a national dispersal scheme, so that when the lone migrant children arrive, they are shared out across the UK. Another council dealing with a relatively large number of children seeking asylum is Croydon, in south London, where latest figures show the council has 451 unaccompanied children in its care. Similarly to Kent, the majority of lone children seeking asylum in Croydon are males aged 16 or 17. Unaccompanied children under the age of 16 are generally placed in foster care by the local council. For those who are 16 or 17 at the time of arrival, some may be placed in foster care but others, like Makdes, are placed in semi-independent accommodation. \"My first few weeks were so hard,\" Makdes said. \"I was just sitting in the house and didn't have anyone at the start to show me where anything was, where to get food. It was really lonely. There was no-one to talk to.\" When she arrived in England from Calais, she says the asylum process was \"horrible\". \"It was so hard. I was so nervous. The lady interviewing me said I was 18, and I was trying to tell her I was 16. I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to argue with her.\" For those applying for asylum as children, one of the main issues is age disputes, says Kamena Dorling, head of policy at Coram Children's legal centre. In the year ending September 2015, 590 asylum applicants had their age disputed and there were 574 recorded as having an age assessment. According to the Home Office, there is no single technique to determine an applicant's age. \"Many children arrive without documentation to prove how old they are and have their age questioned by the Home Office and/or local authority,\" says Ms Dorling. \"These cases can be long and costly, during which time the child involved often doesn't receive the support they need.\" Home Office figures state that in the year up to September, 65% of applicants who underwent an age assessment had a date of birth suggesting they were over 18. For those who are accepted as minors, the next step is going through the asylum process. Refugee Council figures show that in the first quarter of 2015, 181 UASC (Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children) leave grants were handed out to unaccompanied children compared to 98 grants of refugee status, 18 grants of discretionary leave, and 1 grant of humanitarian protection. Ms Dorling says most children are not granted refugee status but instead are given UASC grants, which are a temporary measure that protect minors until they are 17-and-a-half. Many, she adds, then \"find themselves facing removal from the UK once they turn 18\". According to Rebecca Griffiths, who works with trafficked children at Barnardo's, the majority of trafficked minors they deal with are those who have come to the UK unaccompanied and seeking asylum. \"A lot of the children we have dealt with have experienced loss and grief. We've dealt with children who have seen close family members who have drowned in the boats going across the waters to Greece - that's not an unfamiliar story. \"There's also the culture shock and language barriers. They're essentially isolated. It makes it very difficult to build trust. \"They're some of the most vulnerable children in this country.\" Recruiting foster carers to meet the needs of such children can, says Kevin Williams, CEO of Fostering Network, be a \"challenge\". \"The number of young people in the care system is increasing and the vast majority are in foster care,\" he told the BBC. The Fostering Network says there is an urgent need for more foster homes in the UK, and figures released this month estimate over 9,000 more will be needed during 2016. \"Generally, the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will have suffered some trauma or loss so it's about getting foster carers who understand loss, and making sure they are the right cultural and language fit. \"We think if the government are to commit to taking in more lone asylum seekers, they need to make sure resources are in place to meet that challenge,\" said Mr Williams. For the young migrants already here, everyday life in a new country can be daunting. 18-year-old Jetmir, who sought asylum as a minor in the UK from Albania, expresses his uncertainty best through his poetry: \"This is another different country with a different way. I don't know where to go or even what to say. \"I've left my family and my home, I had to make a trip and I have done it alone. I didn't want to leave but people sometimes don't have a choice. The only thing I have is myself and my voice. \"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2865, "answer_end": 4422, "text": "Unaccompanied children under the age of 16 are generally placed in foster care by the local council. For those who are 16 or 17 at the time of arrival, some may be placed in foster care but others, like Makdes, are placed in semi-independent accommodation. \"My first few weeks were so hard,\" Makdes said. \"I was just sitting in the house and didn't have anyone at the start to show me where anything was, where to get food. It was really lonely. There was no-one to talk to.\" When she arrived in England from Calais, she says the asylum process was \"horrible\". \"It was so hard. I was so nervous. The lady interviewing me said I was 18, and I was trying to tell her I was 16. I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to argue with her.\" For those applying for asylum as children, one of the main issues is age disputes, says Kamena Dorling, head of policy at Coram Children's legal centre. In the year ending September 2015, 590 asylum applicants had their age disputed and there were 574 recorded as having an age assessment. According to the Home Office, there is no single technique to determine an applicant's age. \"Many children arrive without documentation to prove how old they are and have their age questioned by the Home Office and/or local authority,\" says Ms Dorling. \"These cases can be long and costly, during which time the child involved often doesn't receive the support they need.\" Home Office figures state that in the year up to September, 65% of applicants who underwent an age assessment had a date of birth suggesting they were over 18."}], "question": "What happens?", "id": "74_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump threatens to stop aid to Palestinians", "date": "26 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has threatened to halt aid to the Palestinians if they do not agree to take part in peace talks. The state department confirmed he was talking about aid for economic and security assistance. Mr Trump accused the Palestinians of \"disrespecting\" the US, and said: \"Why should we do something for them when they do nothing for us?\" The Palestinians have rejected the US as a neutral broker in peace talks. They are furious at Washington's controversial decision in December to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Former Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said of the US president's latest comments: \"Trump could buy many things with his money, but he won't be able to buy the dignity of our nation.\" Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, Mr Trump said the US gives the Palestinians \"hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and support\" a year. He chastised the Palestinian leadership for \"disrespecting... our great Vice-President\" Mike Pence by refusing to meet with him in the region earlier in the week. And he said he was the first US president to link the issue of aid funding to the peace process. \"That money is on the table and it's not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace,\" he said, sitting beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. \"I can tell you that Israel does want to make peace and they're [the Palestinians] going to have to want to make peace too or we're going to have nothing to do with it any longer.\" The US announced earlier this month that it was withholding more than half of a tranche of funding for the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, amounting to about $65m (PS46m). But the US state department later confirmed this was not the aid Mr Trump was referring too. He was instead talking about bilateral funding for economic support and some security training. US bilateral aid to the Palestinians amounted to $260m in 2016. By contrast, Israel receives more than $3bn in military aid per year from the US. Barbara Plett Usher, BBC News, State Department Correspondent This seems to be the first time the White House has used aid as a bargaining chip to try to force the Palestinians to negotiate peace. It's one way to \"shake things up\" in hopes of getting people \"back to the table,\" according to the state department spokesperson Heather Nauert. There would be at least a tremor if the US withheld the bilateral aid. Most of it goes to economic development projects, though some is also used to train security forces. But the practical outcome of Mr Trump's statement might be limited. Israel needs the PA to run the occupied territories and may counsel against weakening it. Politically this has made the Palestinians even more adamant about rejecting sole US leadership of any peace talks. Mr Trump's manoeuvre has also underscored the failure of President Mahmoud Abbas, who staked everything on the US-led process and now might have less than nothing to show for it. Perhaps this will be what it takes to \"shake up\" the ossified Palestinian leadership. The US president said his administration had a \"proposal for peace\" that was \"a great proposal for the Palestinians\" and suggested Israel was prepared to make some concessions. \"You won one point,\" he said to Mr Netanyahu, referring to Jerusalem, \"and you'll give up some points later on in the negotiation, if it ever takes place.\" But he added: \"I don't know that they [peace talks] will ever take place.\" The last round of on-off peace talks between the two sides collapsed amid acrimony in April 2014. Mr Trump stood by his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital - a move that broke with decades of a US policy of neutrality on the issue and put it out of step with the rest of the international community. He told Mr Netanyahu: \"Israel has always supported the United States so what I did with Jerusalem was my honour.\" And he reiterated his view that by taking \"Jerusalem off the [negotiating] table... we don't have to talk about it any more\" - suggesting it could move forward the peace process. \"They [the Palestinians] never got past Jerusalem,\" he said. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel regards Jerusalem as its \"eternal and undivided\" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state. The Palestinian ambassador to the US said they were not being \"disrespectful of anybody... we were just respectful of our rights and defending our internationally endorsed rights\". Dr Husam Zomlot admitted that the lack of US aid would \"directly affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent, vulnerable people all over the region\". But, he told the BBC, \"financial pressure for coercive political agendas does not work.. especially when our position is supported by the international community\". He said Mr Trump had not just \"taken Jerusalem off the table, he has taken the table altogether\". He called for an international table \"that can actually deliver us where we want to go\". Mr Abbas has dismissed previous threats by Mr Trump to cut US aid as \"blackmail\". He has also said he would not accept any peace plan proposed by the US. Prime Minister Netanyahu was effusive in his praise of Mr Trump over his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. \"By recognising history, you've made history, and we will always remember that,\" he told the US president. He later told a meeting at Davos that \"under any peace agreement the capital of Israel will continue to be in Jerusalem\". He also said that \"the Palestinians should have all the power to govern themselves but none of the power to threaten us\". \"In any political arrangement the Jews must retain security control in the area, because otherwise you'll have [the Islamic State group] ... We have a mosaic of failed states in the Middle East, and we don't want another one,\" he continued. Find more on this story here:", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 733, "answer_end": 2023, "text": "Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, Mr Trump said the US gives the Palestinians \"hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and support\" a year. He chastised the Palestinian leadership for \"disrespecting... our great Vice-President\" Mike Pence by refusing to meet with him in the region earlier in the week. And he said he was the first US president to link the issue of aid funding to the peace process. \"That money is on the table and it's not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace,\" he said, sitting beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. \"I can tell you that Israel does want to make peace and they're [the Palestinians] going to have to want to make peace too or we're going to have nothing to do with it any longer.\" The US announced earlier this month that it was withholding more than half of a tranche of funding for the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, amounting to about $65m (PS46m). But the US state department later confirmed this was not the aid Mr Trump was referring too. He was instead talking about bilateral funding for economic support and some security training. US bilateral aid to the Palestinians amounted to $260m in 2016. By contrast, Israel receives more than $3bn in military aid per year from the US."}], "question": "Why the focus on Palestinian aid?", "id": "75_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3077, "answer_end": 3582, "text": "The US president said his administration had a \"proposal for peace\" that was \"a great proposal for the Palestinians\" and suggested Israel was prepared to make some concessions. \"You won one point,\" he said to Mr Netanyahu, referring to Jerusalem, \"and you'll give up some points later on in the negotiation, if it ever takes place.\" But he added: \"I don't know that they [peace talks] will ever take place.\" The last round of on-off peace talks between the two sides collapsed amid acrimony in April 2014."}], "question": "What about the peace process?", "id": "75_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3583, "answer_end": 4427, "text": "Mr Trump stood by his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital - a move that broke with decades of a US policy of neutrality on the issue and put it out of step with the rest of the international community. He told Mr Netanyahu: \"Israel has always supported the United States so what I did with Jerusalem was my honour.\" And he reiterated his view that by taking \"Jerusalem off the [negotiating] table... we don't have to talk about it any more\" - suggesting it could move forward the peace process. \"They [the Palestinians] never got past Jerusalem,\" he said. The status of Jerusalem goes to the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel regards Jerusalem as its \"eternal and undivided\" capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem - occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war - as the capital of a future state."}], "question": "What did Trump say about Jerusalem?", "id": "75_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4428, "answer_end": 5278, "text": "The Palestinian ambassador to the US said they were not being \"disrespectful of anybody... we were just respectful of our rights and defending our internationally endorsed rights\". Dr Husam Zomlot admitted that the lack of US aid would \"directly affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent, vulnerable people all over the region\". But, he told the BBC, \"financial pressure for coercive political agendas does not work.. especially when our position is supported by the international community\". He said Mr Trump had not just \"taken Jerusalem off the table, he has taken the table altogether\". He called for an international table \"that can actually deliver us where we want to go\". Mr Abbas has dismissed previous threats by Mr Trump to cut US aid as \"blackmail\". He has also said he would not accept any peace plan proposed by the US."}], "question": "What do the Palestinians say?", "id": "75_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5279, "answer_end": 5996, "text": "Prime Minister Netanyahu was effusive in his praise of Mr Trump over his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. \"By recognising history, you've made history, and we will always remember that,\" he told the US president. He later told a meeting at Davos that \"under any peace agreement the capital of Israel will continue to be in Jerusalem\". He also said that \"the Palestinians should have all the power to govern themselves but none of the power to threaten us\". \"In any political arrangement the Jews must retain security control in the area, because otherwise you'll have [the Islamic State group] ... We have a mosaic of failed states in the Middle East, and we don't want another one,\" he continued."}], "question": "What does Israel say?", "id": "75_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe elections: What happened to Mugabe's land reforms?", "date": "26 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Zimbabweans will vote in the country's first presidential election since Robert Mugabe stepped down after more than 30 years in office. In the past few decades, the southern African country has gone from being one of the brightest economies in the region to one of the weakest. This dramatic reversal of fortunes has been blamed on a controversial policy introduced by Mr Mugabe in 2000 that led to the seizure of white-owned farms, transferring them to black Zimbabwean ownership. It was a popular policy among President Mugabe's supporters, who saw it as addressing the wrongs of British colonial rule, which had favoured land ownership by white settlers. But according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), this programme saw agricultural production plummet and productivity decline. Both the leading candidates for the presidency have promised a reversal in the country's economic fortunes. The current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, of Zanu-PF, had been Mr Mugabe's deputy and assumed office following a brief military intervention last November, which saw the downfall of Mr Mugabe. Mr Mnangagwa is one of the two leading candidates in the forthcoming election. On the campaign trail, he has paid lip-service to the land reforms, saying they are \"irreversible\" - but since he took office, there have already been signs of changes to the landmark policy. Some white farmers have been allowed to return and compensation for those displaced has also been suggested. During his campaign, there has been a clear admission of the economic failures of the land reforms from Mr Mnangagwa. He told the Daily News of Zimbabwe: \"The critical thing is that during land reform, productivity collapsed totally, we moved from self-sufficiency to an insecure nation. \"We began importing - we became a beggar.\" His main rival for the presidency, Nelson Chamisa, of the opposition MDC party, has also supported continued land reform but hinted at changes. He told the Daily News: \"All of you who got land under the land reform programme should not worry that we will take your farms.\" But, on Twitter, he has also said that there is a place for white farmers to return to the land. \"We are in agreement that skilled white farmers must be put back to work - but they must be allocated available land without reversing the land reform,\" he tweeted. Ahead of polling day, with improving the economy at the heart of both candidates' election promises, Reality Check looks at whether land reform has been the economic disaster its critics claim or whether there has been an economic upside? In 1980, Zimbabwe gained independence from white-minority rule. At that time, most of the country's arable land was owned by some 4,000 white farmers. Land reform has historically focused on redistributing land owned by white to black farmers, to correct what the post-independence leadership said were colonial wrongs of the past. The initial policy of shifting land was focused on \"willing seller, willing buyer\". However, up until 2000 the pace of land redistribution was slow. Mr Mugabe was also under political pressure after losing a referendum in which he had hoped to gain popular support for a policy permitting the government to forcibly remove land from white farmers. Following this, and with Mr Mugabe's support, a mix of government forces and vigilante groups began forcibly taking over white-owned land. It proved a controversial move, receiving international condemnation. Initially, there was a rapid decline in agricultural output. The Financial Times wrote: \"Farm production collapsed and by 2008 output volumes were two-thirds below their peak levels in 2000.\" There was also a disastrous period of hyperinflation, which peaked in 2008. Officials gave up measuring the figure when it reached 80,000,000,000% in November of that year. Between 2000 and 2009, agricultural revenue declined by $12bn, according to the commercial farmers' union. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, the value of Zimbabwe's food exports have fallen since 2000, whereas food imports have grown significantly. However, after initial declines in production, some point to a recovery in Zimbabwe's second most valuable export - tobacco. Sales reached record levels this year, according to government data. The industry was predominantly white-owned but now thousands of black farmers grow tobacco. The FAO data shows that there has been a recovery in tobacco production and the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board, which represents the industry, says the number of tobacco growers has been increasing since 2006. Export sales of tobacco - mainly to China - were worth about $900m (PS685m) in 2017. Ian Scoones, a development economist based at Sussex University, said tobacco was being produced by thousands of smallholders, not a few large-scale farms as before, as a result of the land reforms. He said: \"Smallholder production has been remarkably resilient, increasing over time as people invested in land.\" Mr Scoones has studied the progress of some farms since the land reforms kicked in and has found pockets of success elsewhere too - in the production of certain small grains, for example. And Joseph Hanlon, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, points to the bumper crop of maize in 2017, which he said had been the highest in two decades. There are clear signs of recovery in some sectors of Zimbabwe's economy, although unemployment remains high. Both candidates have recognised shortcomings in the land reform programme and sought to assure Zimbabweans that their policies will put the country back on a better economic footing. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 899, "answer_end": 2577, "text": "The current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, of Zanu-PF, had been Mr Mugabe's deputy and assumed office following a brief military intervention last November, which saw the downfall of Mr Mugabe. Mr Mnangagwa is one of the two leading candidates in the forthcoming election. On the campaign trail, he has paid lip-service to the land reforms, saying they are \"irreversible\" - but since he took office, there have already been signs of changes to the landmark policy. Some white farmers have been allowed to return and compensation for those displaced has also been suggested. During his campaign, there has been a clear admission of the economic failures of the land reforms from Mr Mnangagwa. He told the Daily News of Zimbabwe: \"The critical thing is that during land reform, productivity collapsed totally, we moved from self-sufficiency to an insecure nation. \"We began importing - we became a beggar.\" His main rival for the presidency, Nelson Chamisa, of the opposition MDC party, has also supported continued land reform but hinted at changes. He told the Daily News: \"All of you who got land under the land reform programme should not worry that we will take your farms.\" But, on Twitter, he has also said that there is a place for white farmers to return to the land. \"We are in agreement that skilled white farmers must be put back to work - but they must be allocated available land without reversing the land reform,\" he tweeted. Ahead of polling day, with improving the economy at the heart of both candidates' election promises, Reality Check looks at whether land reform has been the economic disaster its critics claim or whether there has been an economic upside?"}], "question": "What do the candidates say?", "id": "76_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2578, "answer_end": 3466, "text": "In 1980, Zimbabwe gained independence from white-minority rule. At that time, most of the country's arable land was owned by some 4,000 white farmers. Land reform has historically focused on redistributing land owned by white to black farmers, to correct what the post-independence leadership said were colonial wrongs of the past. The initial policy of shifting land was focused on \"willing seller, willing buyer\". However, up until 2000 the pace of land redistribution was slow. Mr Mugabe was also under political pressure after losing a referendum in which he had hoped to gain popular support for a policy permitting the government to forcibly remove land from white farmers. Following this, and with Mr Mugabe's support, a mix of government forces and vigilante groups began forcibly taking over white-owned land. It proved a controversial move, receiving international condemnation."}], "question": "So what is land reform policy?", "id": "76_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3467, "answer_end": 4103, "text": "Initially, there was a rapid decline in agricultural output. The Financial Times wrote: \"Farm production collapsed and by 2008 output volumes were two-thirds below their peak levels in 2000.\" There was also a disastrous period of hyperinflation, which peaked in 2008. Officials gave up measuring the figure when it reached 80,000,000,000% in November of that year. Between 2000 and 2009, agricultural revenue declined by $12bn, according to the commercial farmers' union. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, the value of Zimbabwe's food exports have fallen since 2000, whereas food imports have grown significantly."}], "question": "How did it affect the economy?", "id": "76_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan detains relatives of JeM militant leader after Kashmir attack", "date": "6 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistan has detained dozens of suspected militants following the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which sparked a crisis with India. They include the brother and another relative of Masood Azhar, the founder of the group that claimed the attack. Pakistan, which has been under international pressure to crack down on militancy, said 44 suspected militants are in \"preventative detention\". Many feared the escalation of tensions could trigger a dangerous conflict. It began on 14 February when a suicide bomber killed more than 40 Indian soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) said it carried out the attack - the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. On 26 February, India retaliated by carrying out air strikes on what it said was a JeM militant camp in Pakistan. Pakistan - which denies any involvement in the 14 February attack - said it had no choice but to respond and the day after the strike, a dogfight between the sides led to an Indian fighter jet being shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The fighter pilot, who was captured by Pakistan, was released on 1 March and arrived in India, where he has been hailed as a hero. The countries have retreated from the brink of further confrontation since then, but angry rhetoric has persisted. Indian politicians have hailed their strikes as successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given rousing speeches at rallies, positioning himself as the protector of the country's borders. But new satellite images have raised questions over India's claim to have demolished JeM training camps in Pakistan. Images released by US firm Planet Labs appear to show a religious school run by JeM to be standing - even after the strike. Whether or not it is in fact linked to the militants cannot be independently verified, but the images show the site that India said it hit. Addressing the militant detentions, Pakistan's Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan told the BBC that if investigators find \"evidence against them, they will be proceeded against,\" and if not they will be set free. JeM is designated a terror organisation by India and the UN, as well as the UK and the US. At least some of those held are thought to be named in an Indian dossier handed to the Pakistani authorities investigating last month's attack. The whereabouts of Masood Azhar, the JeM leader remains unclear. Analysts are also sceptical over whether these arrests will be an effective measure, as they were not accompanied by any investigation or signs of a serious crackdown on suspected militants. Some critics suggest the move is a symbolic gesture meant to defuse mounting international pressure. In the past suspected militants have circumvented attempts to rein them in. India accuses Pakistan of allowing militant groups to operate on its territory and says Pakistani security agencies played a role in the Kashmir attack  -these are allegations Pakistan has consistently denied.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 471, "answer_end": 1911, "text": "It began on 14 February when a suicide bomber killed more than 40 Indian soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) said it carried out the attack - the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. On 26 February, India retaliated by carrying out air strikes on what it said was a JeM militant camp in Pakistan. Pakistan - which denies any involvement in the 14 February attack - said it had no choice but to respond and the day after the strike, a dogfight between the sides led to an Indian fighter jet being shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The fighter pilot, who was captured by Pakistan, was released on 1 March and arrived in India, where he has been hailed as a hero. The countries have retreated from the brink of further confrontation since then, but angry rhetoric has persisted. Indian politicians have hailed their strikes as successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given rousing speeches at rallies, positioning himself as the protector of the country's borders. But new satellite images have raised questions over India's claim to have demolished JeM training camps in Pakistan. Images released by US firm Planet Labs appear to show a religious school run by JeM to be standing - even after the strike. Whether or not it is in fact linked to the militants cannot be independently verified, but the images show the site that India said it hit."}], "question": "How did the latest tensions unfold?", "id": "77_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1912, "answer_end": 3004, "text": "Addressing the militant detentions, Pakistan's Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan told the BBC that if investigators find \"evidence against them, they will be proceeded against,\" and if not they will be set free. JeM is designated a terror organisation by India and the UN, as well as the UK and the US. At least some of those held are thought to be named in an Indian dossier handed to the Pakistani authorities investigating last month's attack. The whereabouts of Masood Azhar, the JeM leader remains unclear. Analysts are also sceptical over whether these arrests will be an effective measure, as they were not accompanied by any investigation or signs of a serious crackdown on suspected militants. Some critics suggest the move is a symbolic gesture meant to defuse mounting international pressure. In the past suspected militants have circumvented attempts to rein them in. India accuses Pakistan of allowing militant groups to operate on its territory and says Pakistani security agencies played a role in the Kashmir attack  -these are allegations Pakistan has consistently denied."}], "question": "What does Pakistan's latest move mean?", "id": "77_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Will digital tech tear up the paper concert ticket?", "date": "23 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "You can check in at the airport and the cinema using a smartphone these days, but live music gigs have stubbornly clung on to the paper ticket. More than 140 million tickets to live music events are sold each year, according to music listings site Pollstar, in an industry worth more than $10bn (PS6.5bn). And the vast majority of these will be physical print-outs, even if they are bought online. But two UK start-ups are hoping to bring gigs screaming and kicking into the paperless age. One of them, Dice, has developed a free app that allows users to browse upcoming gigs from a curated list. When you buy a ticket it is stored in a virtual wallet on your phone. For smaller gigs, your name on an animated strip is enough to gain entrance. For larger gigs, you'll get a unique QR (Quick Response) code that can be scanned quickly by a reader. Dice sends its own representatives with a bespoke app for reading the QR codes - and emergency phone chargers. \"If I was going to see the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park then maybe I'd want to keep the ticket, but not tonight,\" confides one dedicated live music fan before a Ghost Culture gig. He got into the Corsica Studios venue in south London by simply flashing an app on his phone to the man on the door. \"Young people don't have printers, they don't have email addresses, to print a ticket is a huge hassle for them,\" shouts Jen Long, music editor at Dice, as the support act warms up behind her. \"Everyone just does everything on their phone.\" Una, another music ticket start-up, is taking a different approach. It provides users with a plastic membership card with embedded chips, to be scanned at venues. The card works in conjunction with a user's online account and can also be used for cashless payments. \"If you are selling tickets for a major event like Glastonbury or Wembley you can't expect everyone to have Android or iOS,\" says Amar Chauhan of Una Tickets, which will launch in November. Una members pay a small membership charge, then a standard booking fee per ticket in return for the convenience of paperless, hassle-free gig-going. Members can transfer tickets to other members, but only at their face value. Dice is trying to win market share by selling tickets at face value with no booking fee on top. It hopes to make money from merchandising and \"added value\" services. Dice and Una believe their digital ticketing systems can defeat the endemic - and perfectly legal - practice of ticket touting. Traditionally this involves men with booming voices outside gigs offering to buy or sell tickets at more than their face value. Often, these tickets are fake. There's also a thriving secondary market online, with sites like Stubhub (owned by eBay); Viagogo;  Seatwave and GetMeIn (both owned by Ticketmaster), dominating the scene. There are even software bots that \"scrape\" ticketing sites, snapping up tickets as soon as they are released. This means many places at concerts are left unfilled - with true fans priced out. The government is currently reviewing the secondary ticketing market, following this year's Consumer Rights Act. These start-ups may have developed innovative technology, but can they get it past the door? There is a huge obstacle in their way, and it's called Ticketmaster, the largest ticket seller in the world. It is owned by Live Nation, one of the world's biggest music concert and festival operators. Many large venues have contracts with Ticketmaster, meaning they must sell an agreed allocation of tickets through the operator. And these venues operate a barcode system owned by Ticketmaster. Songkick - a successful digital start-up that began as an alert system for fans about upcoming gigs, but now sells tickets, too - works within the constraints of the Ticketmaster system. Checking into a gig is not like checking into a flight, explains Songkick's co-founder, Ian Hogarth. \"I've worked on the door and it's a question of scale. You don't want people fiddling on their phones. When you've got thousands of people trying to get into a venue in the space of an hour, a paper ticket is crude but efficient. \"Any mobile technology needs to do at least as well.\" There is an industry-standard technology for flight check-ins, he adds - something the live music industry lacks. The BBC wanted to talk to Ticketmaster UK about its vision for smartphone ticketing, but the firm declined to contribute. With such a powerful incumbent dominating the market, do Una and Dice really stand a chance? Nearly 27 million tickets are sold annually for live music events in the UK, generating PS1.3bn, according to the latest figures from UK Music and Oxford Economics. So perhaps a tiny slice of a big pie is still worth having. But some observers remain sceptical that mobile ticketing is about to sweep the industry. After all, just 28% of gig-goers used smartphones to purchase tickets last year, according to a poll by Mintel. This might suggest relatively few of us are ready to switch to mobile-only tickets just yet. \"Nobody is brave enough to make mobile the only way to get into a gig so far,\" says Chris Cooke, business editor of industry newsletter, Complete Music Update. \"Companies like Dice and Una are primarily pitching to the grassroots and early adopters at the moment.\" The paper ticket, it seems, still has a powerful hold over us. \"There is nothing that can evoke such a sense of nostalgia as the feel, the touch and even the smell of an aged ticket with its creases, tears, stains and fading,\" says music memorabilia connoisseur, Peter Ellis, who has been collecting paper tickets for most of his adult life. \"It is a fond and permanent memento of a special, intimate and shared memory.\" Providers of digital gig tickets have their work cut out. Follow Dougal Shaw and Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4405, "answer_end": 5761, "text": "With such a powerful incumbent dominating the market, do Una and Dice really stand a chance? Nearly 27 million tickets are sold annually for live music events in the UK, generating PS1.3bn, according to the latest figures from UK Music and Oxford Economics. So perhaps a tiny slice of a big pie is still worth having. But some observers remain sceptical that mobile ticketing is about to sweep the industry. After all, just 28% of gig-goers used smartphones to purchase tickets last year, according to a poll by Mintel. This might suggest relatively few of us are ready to switch to mobile-only tickets just yet. \"Nobody is brave enough to make mobile the only way to get into a gig so far,\" says Chris Cooke, business editor of industry newsletter, Complete Music Update. \"Companies like Dice and Una are primarily pitching to the grassroots and early adopters at the moment.\" The paper ticket, it seems, still has a powerful hold over us. \"There is nothing that can evoke such a sense of nostalgia as the feel, the touch and even the smell of an aged ticket with its creases, tears, stains and fading,\" says music memorabilia connoisseur, Peter Ellis, who has been collecting paper tickets for most of his adult life. \"It is a fond and permanent memento of a special, intimate and shared memory.\" Providers of digital gig tickets have their work cut out."}], "question": "Striking it rich?", "id": "78_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Christchurch shootings: New Zealand MPs vote to change gun laws", "date": "10 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New Zealand's parliament has voted to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons following the Christchurch attacks. The gun reform bill passed 119-1 after the final reading in parliament. It is expected to become law within the next few days after receiving royal assent from the governor general. PM Jacinda Ardern announced changes to the law after 50 people were killed last month by a suspected lone gunman at two mosques in Christchurch. Holding back tears, she told parliament on Wednesday that MPs were there \"because of the victims and families\". She said that when she had visited the injured in hospital none of them had had just one gunshot wound. \"They will carry disabilities for a lifetime and that's before you consider the psychological impact,\" she said. \"These weapons were designed to kill, and they were designed to maim and that is what they did on the 15th of March.\" Australian Brenton Tarrant, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, faces 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges. The new rules make changes to 1983 gun laws which have been the subject of several reform attempts. They prohibit military-style semi-automatic weapons and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms. The gunman, armed with semi-automatic rifles including an AR-15, is believed to have modified his weapons with high-capacity magazines so they could hold more bullets. The magazine is the part of the gun which stores ammunition. Those breaking the new laws will face between two and ten years in jail. An amnesty will be in place until the end of September. David Seymour, leader of the ACT party, was the only MP to come out against the bill, although he did not oppose the proposed changes to gun laws. He said the bill was \"not an attempt to improve public safety\" but \"an exercise in political theatre\". He said he believed the rush to put the bill through the house had made the law worse than doing nothing. Jacinda Ardern said parliament was \"almost entirely united\". \"I cannot imagine circumstances where that is more necessary than it is now,\" she added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1012, "answer_end": 1581, "text": "The new rules make changes to 1983 gun laws which have been the subject of several reform attempts. They prohibit military-style semi-automatic weapons and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms. The gunman, armed with semi-automatic rifles including an AR-15, is believed to have modified his weapons with high-capacity magazines so they could hold more bullets. The magazine is the part of the gun which stores ammunition. Those breaking the new laws will face between two and ten years in jail. An amnesty will be in place until the end of September."}], "question": "What will change?", "id": "79_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Letter from Africa: Is Kenya building bridges to nowhere?", "date": "2 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African writers, journalist Waihiga Mwaura asks whether Kenya's divides can ever be bridged. Twenty-one months ago, Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga and his bitter rival President Uhuru Kenyatta kissed and made up - metaphorically. In fact they shook hands for the cameras - in what became known as \"the Handshake\". It ended months of tensions following disputed elections, which always tend to be highly divisive and deadly in Kenya. The two leaders agreed to put together a team to find a way to end such instability. This taskforce, known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), was to look at nine issues - including ethnic antagonism, corruption and devolution - thought to be among the greatest challenges since the country became independent in 1963. After 18 months travelling around the East African nation, the BBI has just delivered its finding - to much fanfare. Mr Odinga told those gathered for the launch that before the process began, the nation had been on the \"brink of a precipice\". The president added: \"We were not in a good place as a country. We were divided. There were no-go zones for certain communities.\" The pair were unified in embracing the BBI's recommendations. Some of the key proposals include: - Introducing the position of a prime minister as a way to dilute power - Giving Kenya's 47 counties bigger budgets to implement development schemes - Making the cabinet leaner and more representative of the nation - Giving corruption scam whistleblowers 5% of any funds recovered. Another suggestion in the 156-page report is to introduce parenting classes \"for all new parents so that they know how to properly instruct, correct, rebuke, and support their children\". You may also be interested in: Some have hailed the report as unifying, comprehensive and the beginning of the process of rebuilding the nation. They also applaud the taskforce for not substantially increasing the tax burden on Kenyans by introducing many constitutional posts as had been rumoured would happen. But the document is also facing its fair share of opposition. Some critics say that in the aftermath of the 2007 election, there were various reports and committees that looked into the causes of the violence that pointed to irregular land allocation and various economic crimes and human rights abuses. Why not dust down those files instead of spending money on a report, which, according to MP Patrick Munene, cost 10bn Kenyan shillings ($97.5m; PS75.5m) to produce. The report comes at a time when the government is facing a financial squeeze - as the finance minister has put in place austerity measures to contain spending. I was particularly struck by the sentiments of one security guard on the day the report was released. He asked me about its content and I gave him a brief summary. He then complained that what he had heard so far did not in any way address his current challenge - long working hours (usually 12-hour shifts, six days a week) with little pay. In a job where the minimum monthly wage of $131 is rarely honoured and where you are penalised for being off-duty even if you are sick, he had hoped that the report would address his working conditions and those of thousands of his colleagues in the security sector. The congratulatory conviviality of the official launch left one wondering about the state of democracy in Kenya. The president appeared to be more in tune with Mr Odinga than members of his own party - making several question again whether Kenya's opposition has lost its voice. In a year of numerous revelations regarding corruption in the public service the opposition, since the historic handshake, seems to have neglected its whistleblower function. For example, it has remained strangely quiet on scandals like that uncovered by the central bank governor, who accused former treasury officials of using \"abracadabra\" conjuring tricks to distort budget figures. When the chief justice accused the executive arm of government earlier this month of trying to deliberately \"cripple the judiciary\" through budget cuts, the silence from the opposition benches was deafening. At a time when the national blood blank is running short of blood - with allegations that blood is being sold on the side, politicians seem unmoved to investigate. The BBI recommendations have a long way to go before they are adopted - and may even have to go to a referendum if the constitution is changed. But for the \"wananchi\" - the Swahili term for ordinary citizens - the process is symptomatic of a political class unwilling to cross a bridge from their side of privilege to see how people are struggling on the other side. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3286, "answer_end": 4690, "text": "The congratulatory conviviality of the official launch left one wondering about the state of democracy in Kenya. The president appeared to be more in tune with Mr Odinga than members of his own party - making several question again whether Kenya's opposition has lost its voice. In a year of numerous revelations regarding corruption in the public service the opposition, since the historic handshake, seems to have neglected its whistleblower function. For example, it has remained strangely quiet on scandals like that uncovered by the central bank governor, who accused former treasury officials of using \"abracadabra\" conjuring tricks to distort budget figures. When the chief justice accused the executive arm of government earlier this month of trying to deliberately \"cripple the judiciary\" through budget cuts, the silence from the opposition benches was deafening. At a time when the national blood blank is running short of blood - with allegations that blood is being sold on the side, politicians seem unmoved to investigate. The BBI recommendations have a long way to go before they are adopted - and may even have to go to a referendum if the constitution is changed. But for the \"wananchi\" - the Swahili term for ordinary citizens - the process is symptomatic of a political class unwilling to cross a bridge from their side of privilege to see how people are struggling on the other side."}], "question": "What about the opposition?", "id": "80_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What next for Islamic State in Libya after Sirte?", "date": "27 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Militants of so-called Islamic State (IS) are on the verge of being ousted completely from their stronghold in Libya's central coastal city of Sirte. Militia groups aligned to the UN-brokered Libyan Government of National Accord launched an operation in May to rid Sirte of IS and regain control of the city. The battle to expel the jihadists has achieved more success recently with the help of US air strikes. It has damaged the jihadists, but does not spell the end for their presence in the country. Losing Sirte is a blow to the group's image. In its propaganda, IS had repeatedly portrayed the city, close to western Europe, as a key position outside of its main areas of operation in Iraq and Syria. IS turned key buildings in Sirte into its own institutions and prisons, and used the local radio station to air its propaganda. The city, which was the birthplace of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, also brought IS close to Libya's oil-rich area. No, but it is still present elsewhere in the country. Its militants have long been fighting other forces in pockets of Libya's second city, Benghazi, and have recently launched several attacks on its western outskirts. IS took complete control of Sirte in June 2015 after it was pushed out of its initial stronghold of Derna in Libya's far east by rival militias aligned with al-Qaeda There are no reliable figures about the number of IS militants in Libya but it is estimated that the group has about 5,000 fighters in the country, many of who were thought to have been deployed in Sirte. Caught on the back foot, the group may initially dissolve into desert areas and revert to earlier tactics. Before it lost Derna, the group made its presence felt elsewhere in Libya by carrying out repeated bombings in the key cities of Tripoli and Benghazi, as well as of oil installations partly run by Western companies. And now, putting up resistance as it loses the battle in Sirte, IS has again been employing suicide bombings as a means of attack. Some believe IS fighters might flee to remote areas in the south. If they choose this route, they could head for the Sahel-Sahara area, where other jihadists are present and operate relatively freely. Libya's importance to IS means that the militants may eventually regroup and emerge in another part of the country, seeking to take land that they can then showcase as a major gain. Bani Walid, another former Gaddafi bastion, is one option for IS fighters. Local media recently indicated that air strikes hit a road in the city's south-east, which reports said were \"often used\" by IS fighters. The militants may seek to boost their forces in and around Benghazi. Or they may head towards Sabratha in the west, where they used to run a large training camp. This site might not hold much appeal, however, as it was the target of a US air strike in February. Another option is Ajdabiya, which lies between Sirte and Benghazi, where they previously had a presence. There, however, they would have to confront al-Qaeda-linked rivals and the Libyan National Army of the Tobruk-based parliament. But while the group might want to seize territory, it may struggle achieve this in the face of mounting pressure and US air strikes. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 503, "answer_end": 950, "text": "Losing Sirte is a blow to the group's image. In its propaganda, IS had repeatedly portrayed the city, close to western Europe, as a key position outside of its main areas of operation in Iraq and Syria. IS turned key buildings in Sirte into its own institutions and prisons, and used the local radio station to air its propaganda. The city, which was the birthplace of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, also brought IS close to Libya's oil-rich area."}], "question": "Why is losing Sirte significant?", "id": "81_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1336, "answer_end": 1540, "text": "There are no reliable figures about the number of IS militants in Libya but it is estimated that the group has about 5,000 fighters in the country, many of who were thought to have been deployed in Sirte."}], "question": "How many IS militants are there in Libya?", "id": "81_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1541, "answer_end": 1994, "text": "Caught on the back foot, the group may initially dissolve into desert areas and revert to earlier tactics. Before it lost Derna, the group made its presence felt elsewhere in Libya by carrying out repeated bombings in the key cities of Tripoli and Benghazi, as well as of oil installations partly run by Western companies. And now, putting up resistance as it loses the battle in Sirte, IS has again been employing suicide bombings as a means of attack."}], "question": "What might IS do now?", "id": "81_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1995, "answer_end": 3368, "text": "Some believe IS fighters might flee to remote areas in the south. If they choose this route, they could head for the Sahel-Sahara area, where other jihadists are present and operate relatively freely. Libya's importance to IS means that the militants may eventually regroup and emerge in another part of the country, seeking to take land that they can then showcase as a major gain. Bani Walid, another former Gaddafi bastion, is one option for IS fighters. Local media recently indicated that air strikes hit a road in the city's south-east, which reports said were \"often used\" by IS fighters. The militants may seek to boost their forces in and around Benghazi. Or they may head towards Sabratha in the west, where they used to run a large training camp. This site might not hold much appeal, however, as it was the target of a US air strike in February. Another option is Ajdabiya, which lies between Sirte and Benghazi, where they previously had a presence. There, however, they would have to confront al-Qaeda-linked rivals and the Libyan National Army of the Tobruk-based parliament. But while the group might want to seize territory, it may struggle achieve this in the face of mounting pressure and US air strikes. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "Where might they go next?", "id": "81_3"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Labour launches 'regional manifestos' in England", "date": "29 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Labour has promised an \"investment blitz\" across England to bring \"wealth, power and prosperity\" to communities. The party launched regional manifestos for each part of the country on Friday, including pledges on transport, housing and jobs. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the announcement would \"bring our country back together\". But Tory minister Jake Berry said it was \"a clear distraction from Corbyn's failure to set out a Brexit plan\". Launching the manifestos in the East Midlands, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the plans would \"make sure we deal with the climate crisis\", but \"harness opportunities at the same time\". Each manifesto outlines plans for individual regions, with most of the pledges to be paid for by Labour's PS250bn Green Transformation Fund - a pot of money raised through borrowing it promises to spend on projects to improve sustainability. The pledges include a number of transport projects, such as: - Northern Powerhouse Rail - improving connections between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, and Newcastle, and cutting journey times - Investment in the Midlands Mainline railway - Electrification of lines around Bristol Temple Meads Labour also said the fund would create one million green jobs across the UK, if it wins the general election on 12 December. In the regional manifestos, a number of new announcements to move towards that goal have been confirmed, including: - Three new steel recycling plants in Redcar, Workington and Corby, which Labour says will create more than 1,000 jobs in each town - Nine plastics remanufacture and recycling sites - one for each region - Three electric vehicle battery plants in Stoke, Swindon and South Wales - creating 5,000 jobs in each location - Investment in green energy manufacturing supply chains for eight ports Mr McDonnell said: \"Britain is one of the most unequal countries in Europe, but under Labour that will change. \"Labour will govern for the whole of Britain, handing wealth and power back to every community and giving everyone a better life... rebuilding our public services and kick-starting a green industrial revolution that will bring prosperity to every region while tackling the climate and environmental emergency head on.\" He added: \"We're investing in our collective future and your family's future to get the economy moving again in every part of Britain, with new industries, better, well paid jobs and communities we can all be proud of.\" By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker Labour has an issue with supporters, or potential supporters, who voted Leave and don't care for the party's plans for a Brexit renegotiation and another referendum. Some of the party's specific investment proposals do mention places where there was a pro-Brexit vote. All three of the proposed steel recycling plants, for example, are in Leave-voting areas. There is also some overlap between the Leave vote and some of the ports mentioned for investment and two of three electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations. But then this is a programme intended to help English regions outside London and, as the Conservatives pointed out in their response to Labour's statement, all of them voted Leave. So a substantial overlap is perhaps inevitable. And the rail plans revealed by Labour have something for some of the Remain voting cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol. The BBC's Reality Check team said delivering all of the projects on Labour's list would be a challenge, and it was not clear what role the private sector would play in their schemes. But Jake Berry - the government's minister for the Northern Powerhouse - criticised the plans, saying: \"Every region in England outside of London voted to leave the European Union. \"If Corbyn's Labour want to deliver for the people who live there, he should start with that.\" The Conservatives have announced a PS3.6bn Towns Fund, promising to improve transport links and boost broadband connectivity. They have also promised to give more funding to local combined authorities to improve bus and train services, put PS500m into reversing cuts to the railway network made in the 1960s by Dr Richard Beeching - which affected smaller towns and villages - and a PS350m fund for improving cycling infrastructure. The Liberal Democrats have also made pledges on transport, promising to freeze peak time and season ticket train fares, and to complete the HS2 rail project. The SNP want more powers devolved to Scotland, including on transport, work and welfare. And the Brexit Party has promised free broadband in deprived regions and to scrap HS2.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2470, "answer_end": 3403, "text": "By BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker Labour has an issue with supporters, or potential supporters, who voted Leave and don't care for the party's plans for a Brexit renegotiation and another referendum. Some of the party's specific investment proposals do mention places where there was a pro-Brexit vote. All three of the proposed steel recycling plants, for example, are in Leave-voting areas. There is also some overlap between the Leave vote and some of the ports mentioned for investment and two of three electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations. But then this is a programme intended to help English regions outside London and, as the Conservatives pointed out in their response to Labour's statement, all of them voted Leave. So a substantial overlap is perhaps inevitable. And the rail plans revealed by Labour have something for some of the Remain voting cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol."}], "question": "Are Labour targeting Leave-voting areas?", "id": "82_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Etihad Airways: Is plastic-free flying the future?", "date": "23 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Attention has turned in recent months to how much plastic can be found in our oceans - but what about the plastic in our skies? The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways recently revealed that it uses some 27 million single-use plastic coffee cup lids every year. That revelation was enough to encourage Etihad to take action and, on 22 April, it became the first major airline to make a long haul flight with no single-use plastics on board. To achieve this feat - which coincided with World Earth Day - it needed to replace no less than 95 different single-use plastic items. Among the replacements were edible wafer coffee cups and blankets made from recycled plastic bottles. Where suitable replacements could not be sourced, the items were not loaded. \"There is a growing concern globally about the overuse of plastics, which can take thousands of years to decompose,\" Tony Douglas, the group's chief executive, explained. \"We discovered we could remove 27 million single-use plastic lids from our in-flight service a year and, as a leading airline, it's our responsibility to act on this, to challenge industry standards and work with suppliers who provide lower impact alternatives.\" So are we looking at a future of air travel without disposable plastic? Or is this a one-off publicity stunt? \"Anything that reduces the impact of air travel on the planet has to be welcomed, and Etihad is making a bold move in the right direction,\" Simon Calder, senior travel editor at The Independent, told the BBC. However, Mr Calder had reservations about how seriously both airlines and customers are about reducing the impact that flying has on the environment. \"Airlines like to stage publicity stunts to try to emphasise their green credentials,\" he said. \"But if airlines - and travellers - were really serious, they would not, respectively, supply or demand extremely luxurious on board products.\" Mr Calder pointed to \"The Residence\" - a three-room \"suite in the sky\" offered by Etihad that comes complete with butler service - as one of the most harmful services offered by airlines. Etihad says it is committed to improving its environmental policies beyond the Earth Day flight, pledging to reduce single-use plastic usage by 80% across the entire organisation by the end of 2022. But Mr Calder said that the aviation industry and its customers still had a long way to go on all matters \"green\". \"And while I would love to think that air passengers seek out the lowest-impact aircraft and airlines, the evidence is that they don't - otherwise British Airways would not be keeping on its 25-year-old fleet of gas-guzzling Boeing 747s,\" Mr Calder added. \"BA has the highest number of any airline, and intends to keep flying them until the end of 2022.\" Despite Etihad being the first major name to scrap single-use plastic for a long-haul flight, Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter airline, was the first to fly plastic-free in December. Ryanair has also pledged to scrap single-use plastic by 2023 and hopes to gain the title of \"the greenest airline\", while Alaska Airlines has stopped using plastic straws. Julian Kirby, a lead campaigner on plastics for Friends of the Earth, said that while plastic reduction by big businesses should be welcomed, there should be greater efforts made. \"Plastic pollution has an enormous impact on our environment and wildlife, so every company should be taking steps to pull the plug on non-essential single-use plastic,\" Mr Kirby told the BBC. \"If Etihad Airways can fly without single-use plastics on Earth Day - why can't it do so every day?\" he said. Mr Kirby pointed out that plastic consumption was fairly low down on the environmental problems the aviation industry is causing. \"Of course aviation's main impact isn't plastic pollution - it's climate change,\" he added. \"If planes continue to pump more pollution into our atmosphere the world will struggle to prevent catastrophic climate change.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1184, "answer_end": 3100, "text": "So are we looking at a future of air travel without disposable plastic? Or is this a one-off publicity stunt? \"Anything that reduces the impact of air travel on the planet has to be welcomed, and Etihad is making a bold move in the right direction,\" Simon Calder, senior travel editor at The Independent, told the BBC. However, Mr Calder had reservations about how seriously both airlines and customers are about reducing the impact that flying has on the environment. \"Airlines like to stage publicity stunts to try to emphasise their green credentials,\" he said. \"But if airlines - and travellers - were really serious, they would not, respectively, supply or demand extremely luxurious on board products.\" Mr Calder pointed to \"The Residence\" - a three-room \"suite in the sky\" offered by Etihad that comes complete with butler service - as one of the most harmful services offered by airlines. Etihad says it is committed to improving its environmental policies beyond the Earth Day flight, pledging to reduce single-use plastic usage by 80% across the entire organisation by the end of 2022. But Mr Calder said that the aviation industry and its customers still had a long way to go on all matters \"green\". \"And while I would love to think that air passengers seek out the lowest-impact aircraft and airlines, the evidence is that they don't - otherwise British Airways would not be keeping on its 25-year-old fleet of gas-guzzling Boeing 747s,\" Mr Calder added. \"BA has the highest number of any airline, and intends to keep flying them until the end of 2022.\" Despite Etihad being the first major name to scrap single-use plastic for a long-haul flight, Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter airline, was the first to fly plastic-free in December. Ryanair has also pledged to scrap single-use plastic by 2023 and hopes to gain the title of \"the greenest airline\", while Alaska Airlines has stopped using plastic straws."}], "question": "The future - or a publicity stunt?", "id": "83_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nordic skiing: Blood doping scandal rocks sport as five athletes arrested", "date": "2 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The skiing world is embroiled in a \"blood doping\" scandal after leaked footage showed a skier giving himself an alleged blood transfusion. Austrian cross-country skier Max Hauke was as one of five athletes arrested in Seefeld, Austria, which is hosting the Nordic World Ski Championships. Blood doping involves re-injecting an athlete's own blood to boost red-blood cell concentration. The arrests have sent shockwaves through the skiing world. A police officer is also reportedly facing investigation for passing the video of Mr Hauke to the press. Here's what you need to know. Blood doping refers to various techniques used to boost the concentration of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, which can improve athletic performance. Mr Hauke was allegedly using a transfusion - where an athlete's own blood is taken out before an event and re-injected during competition, boosting the red-blood cell count. That allows the blood to transport more oxygen to the muscles, increasing an athlete's stamina. The three most common substances and methods of blood doping are synthetic oxygen carriers, blood transfusions, and erythropoietin (EPO). All three are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). EPO is a hormone that is produced naturally in the body and stimulates red blood cell production. Abusing it carries health risks because it thickens the blood, leading to an increased risk of fatal blood clots, heart disease, and strokes. Some readers may find the clip difficult to watch. In the video, Mr Hauke is seen sitting on a sofa moments after police entered the room. He appears to be mid-transfusion. The video was reportedly filmed by a police officer, who later leaked it to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Mr Hauke has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. In total nine people were arrested in a series of raids on 16 properties, carried out by 120 officers from both German and Austrian police, in what has now been dubbed \"Operation Bloodletting\". Nine of the raided properties were in Erfurt, Germany, where officers allegedly found a blood doping laboratory. One Kazakh, two Estonian and two Austrian athletes were detained. Among them were Mr Hauke, an Olympic skier who represented his country in Sochi in 2014, and fellow Austrian skier Dominik Baldauf. The two Estonian athletes - Karel Tammjarv and Andreas Veerpalu - were both released on Thursday evening, while Mr Baldauf, Mr Hauke, and Kazakh skier Alexey Poltoranin were freed earlier in the day. A 40-year-old sports doctor, named only as \"Mark S\", has also been arrested. He is believed to be a central figure in the doping ring. Plus, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported that the police officer who had leaked the video of Mr Hauke was now being investigated as well, and could face disciplinary and criminal proceedings for giving the clip to the press. The unnamed officer was also apparently let go from his post \"with immediate effect\". In a press conference on Friday, Mr Tammjarv admitted he had started seeing his doping doctor back in 2016. \"I made that decision myself that I wanted to get help in the form of blood doping,\" Mr Tammjarv said, adding that he had first withdrawn blood that summer, and had completed his first transfusion during the Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, the following year. Innsbruck regional prosecutor Hansjorg Mayr said in a statement that Mr Baldauf, Mr Hauke and Mr Poltoranin had also \"admitted to using blood doping and gave comprehensive and in-depth information to investigators\". Trond Nystad, the Austrian team coach, has quit his job - with effect from the end of the championship on Sunday. He told Norwegian outlet VG he had made the decision after watching the leaked footage of Mr Hauke's blood doping, which reportedly made him feel so sick that he physically threw up. He said he now had \"no desire to work with the Austrian ski club anymore\". But he said he had had no idea about the doping before this week: \"If I had [had suspicions], I'd have reported it. I have zero tolerance for doping.\" Like Mr Nystad, Mr Hauke's British training partner Andrew Young said he had felt physically sick watching the video. \"I'm getting nauseous. It's disgusting to look at,\" he told NRK. Other skiers were similarly shocked by the allegations. Andrew Musgrave, a Scottish skier who had hit a personal best in Seefeld on Wednesday, said the news had overshadowed one of his \"best ever classic races\". And GB Snowsport's chief executive Vicky Gosling said it was \"extremely disappointing\", and a sign that \"doping remains a serious issue in elite sport\". \"The athletes and staff on the cross-country skiing World Cup circuit all know each other very well so today's news has been both shocking and disappointing,\" she said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 580, "answer_end": 1438, "text": "Blood doping refers to various techniques used to boost the concentration of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, which can improve athletic performance. Mr Hauke was allegedly using a transfusion - where an athlete's own blood is taken out before an event and re-injected during competition, boosting the red-blood cell count. That allows the blood to transport more oxygen to the muscles, increasing an athlete's stamina. The three most common substances and methods of blood doping are synthetic oxygen carriers, blood transfusions, and erythropoietin (EPO). All three are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). EPO is a hormone that is produced naturally in the body and stimulates red blood cell production. Abusing it carries health risks because it thickens the blood, leading to an increased risk of fatal blood clots, heart disease, and strokes."}], "question": "What is 'blood doping'?", "id": "84_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1439, "answer_end": 1775, "text": "Some readers may find the clip difficult to watch. In the video, Mr Hauke is seen sitting on a sofa moments after police entered the room. He appears to be mid-transfusion. The video was reportedly filmed by a police officer, who later leaked it to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Mr Hauke has yet to respond publicly to the allegations."}], "question": "What does the video of Max Hauke show?", "id": "84_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1776, "answer_end": 2925, "text": "In total nine people were arrested in a series of raids on 16 properties, carried out by 120 officers from both German and Austrian police, in what has now been dubbed \"Operation Bloodletting\". Nine of the raided properties were in Erfurt, Germany, where officers allegedly found a blood doping laboratory. One Kazakh, two Estonian and two Austrian athletes were detained. Among them were Mr Hauke, an Olympic skier who represented his country in Sochi in 2014, and fellow Austrian skier Dominik Baldauf. The two Estonian athletes - Karel Tammjarv and Andreas Veerpalu - were both released on Thursday evening, while Mr Baldauf, Mr Hauke, and Kazakh skier Alexey Poltoranin were freed earlier in the day. A 40-year-old sports doctor, named only as \"Mark S\", has also been arrested. He is believed to be a central figure in the doping ring. Plus, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported that the police officer who had leaked the video of Mr Hauke was now being investigated as well, and could face disciplinary and criminal proceedings for giving the clip to the press. The unnamed officer was also apparently let go from his post \"with immediate effect\"."}], "question": "Who's been arrested?", "id": "84_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2926, "answer_end": 3527, "text": "In a press conference on Friday, Mr Tammjarv admitted he had started seeing his doping doctor back in 2016. \"I made that decision myself that I wanted to get help in the form of blood doping,\" Mr Tammjarv said, adding that he had first withdrawn blood that summer, and had completed his first transfusion during the Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, the following year. Innsbruck regional prosecutor Hansjorg Mayr said in a statement that Mr Baldauf, Mr Hauke and Mr Poltoranin had also \"admitted to using blood doping and gave comprehensive and in-depth information to investigators\"."}], "question": "Has anyone confessed?", "id": "84_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3528, "answer_end": 4050, "text": "Trond Nystad, the Austrian team coach, has quit his job - with effect from the end of the championship on Sunday. He told Norwegian outlet VG he had made the decision after watching the leaked footage of Mr Hauke's blood doping, which reportedly made him feel so sick that he physically threw up. He said he now had \"no desire to work with the Austrian ski club anymore\". But he said he had had no idea about the doping before this week: \"If I had [had suspicions], I'd have reported it. I have zero tolerance for doping.\""}], "question": "What about resignations?", "id": "84_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4051, "answer_end": 4767, "text": "Like Mr Nystad, Mr Hauke's British training partner Andrew Young said he had felt physically sick watching the video. \"I'm getting nauseous. It's disgusting to look at,\" he told NRK. Other skiers were similarly shocked by the allegations. Andrew Musgrave, a Scottish skier who had hit a personal best in Seefeld on Wednesday, said the news had overshadowed one of his \"best ever classic races\". And GB Snowsport's chief executive Vicky Gosling said it was \"extremely disappointing\", and a sign that \"doping remains a serious issue in elite sport\". \"The athletes and staff on the cross-country skiing World Cup circuit all know each other very well so today's news has been both shocking and disappointing,\" she said."}], "question": "How has the rest of the skiing world reacted?", "id": "84_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Calais migrants: Five shot in mass brawl", "date": "2 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least five migrants have been shot during a mass brawl between Afghans and Eritreans in the French port city of Calais, local officials say. A 37-year-old Afghan man is suspected of firing shots at a queue for food handouts. Four Eritreans aged between 16 to 18 are in a critical condition. Hundreds of migrants have converged on the area in an attempt to cross the Channel to the UK. A sprawling camp known as the \"Jungle\" was dismantled near Calais in 2016. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the violence had reached a new level and accused gangs that try to smuggle migrants to the UK of instigating the violence. This is the worst outbreak of violence between migrants in Calais for months, and the use of firearms is a worrying escalation of the tensions, the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris reports. The cause is not yet clear but an initial fight on the city's southern outskirts broke out on Thursday afternoon, where migrants had been queuing for food handouts. Around 100 Eritreans and some 30 Afghans were caught up in the violence, which lasted almost two hours after the shots were fired. The four critically injured were shot in the neck, chest, abdomen and spine, AFP news agency reported. A second melee erupted shortly afterwards at an industrial site around 5km (three miles) away, when between 150 and 200 Eritreans armed with iron rods and sticks clashed with about 20 Afghans, the local prefecture said. Later in the afternoon further violence broke out at a food distribution point in an area of Calais not far from the site of the old \"Jungle\" camp. Security forces were sent to the area and there were no reports of incidents during the night. In total, 22 people were injured, including some with stab wounds, AFP added. Visiting Calais, Mr Collomb added: \"There's been an escalation of violence that has become unbearable for both the people of Calais and the migrants\". The government would take control of food distribution, currently done by charities, with those groups working in association with authorities, he said. Though the \"Jungle\" camp was demolished in 2016, hundreds of migrants are still living rough in the nearby woods, hoping to reach the UK. Many are young men. Local charities put the number of such migrants living in Calais at around 800, while the authorities say there are between 550 and 600. Mr Collomb urged migrants not to head to Calais if they wanted to try to get to the UK, saying their attempts from there - often trying to hide themselves in lorries - would be unsuccessful. The Calais \"Jungle\" became the French symbol of the European migrant crisis, and some 7,000 people - most from the Middle East and Africa - were living there before the area was cleared. Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May signed a treaty to speed up the processing of migrants in Calais. Mr Macron has said that France will not allow a new migrant camp to be set up in Calais, and French police have been accused of brutality by some activists. He is expected to unveil a new migrant policy next month, which will include speeding up the application process for asylum seekers and faster removal of those who fail to be accepted. Charities and some of the president's allies have accused the government of taking a hard line on immigration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 811, "answer_end": 2054, "text": "The cause is not yet clear but an initial fight on the city's southern outskirts broke out on Thursday afternoon, where migrants had been queuing for food handouts. Around 100 Eritreans and some 30 Afghans were caught up in the violence, which lasted almost two hours after the shots were fired. The four critically injured were shot in the neck, chest, abdomen and spine, AFP news agency reported. A second melee erupted shortly afterwards at an industrial site around 5km (three miles) away, when between 150 and 200 Eritreans armed with iron rods and sticks clashed with about 20 Afghans, the local prefecture said. Later in the afternoon further violence broke out at a food distribution point in an area of Calais not far from the site of the old \"Jungle\" camp. Security forces were sent to the area and there were no reports of incidents during the night. In total, 22 people were injured, including some with stab wounds, AFP added. Visiting Calais, Mr Collomb added: \"There's been an escalation of violence that has become unbearable for both the people of Calais and the migrants\". The government would take control of food distribution, currently done by charities, with those groups working in association with authorities, he said."}], "question": "How did the violence unfold?", "id": "85_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2055, "answer_end": 3326, "text": "Though the \"Jungle\" camp was demolished in 2016, hundreds of migrants are still living rough in the nearby woods, hoping to reach the UK. Many are young men. Local charities put the number of such migrants living in Calais at around 800, while the authorities say there are between 550 and 600. Mr Collomb urged migrants not to head to Calais if they wanted to try to get to the UK, saying their attempts from there - often trying to hide themselves in lorries - would be unsuccessful. The Calais \"Jungle\" became the French symbol of the European migrant crisis, and some 7,000 people - most from the Middle East and Africa - were living there before the area was cleared. Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May signed a treaty to speed up the processing of migrants in Calais. Mr Macron has said that France will not allow a new migrant camp to be set up in Calais, and French police have been accused of brutality by some activists. He is expected to unveil a new migrant policy next month, which will include speeding up the application process for asylum seekers and faster removal of those who fail to be accepted. Charities and some of the president's allies have accused the government of taking a hard line on immigration."}], "question": "Why are the migrants there?", "id": "85_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Coffee: Who grows, drinks and pays the most?", "date": "13 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "How do you like your coffee in the morning? From an Italian espresso to the Vietnamese ca phe trung, made with egg yolks and condensed milk, a lot depends on where you wake up. More people are drinking more coffee than ever before, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. So which nation produces the most beans needed for our caffeine fix? Who drinks the most coffee, and where do people buy it? Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, and it is produced in more than 50 countries. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer. In 2017-18, the country produced more than 51 million bags of beans. The world's second largest producer is Vietnam. India, which is also one of the world's largest tea producers, produced 5.8 million 60kg bags of coffee in 2017-18, with neighbouring Sri Lanka producing 33,000. Some much smaller countries are key producers. Honduras, for example, produced more than 8.3 million bags of coffee last year, and it is one of the country's top exports. According to the Fairtrade Foundation, more than 125 million people around the world depend on coffee for their livelihoods, with around 25 million smallholder farms producing 80% of the world's coffee. Fairtrade coffee means consumers can trace their coffee beans to find out exactly where they came from, and farmers are guaranteed a minimum price for their coffee. Fairtrade coffee farmers produce an estimated 560,900 tonnes of coffee a year - that's enough to make more than 58.9 billion single espressos. Some academics argue that the scheme is expensive for farmers to join, and that could offset potential benefits. Encouraging coffee production with a cash incentive could also lead to too much coffee being produced, driving down prices. However, Louisa Cox, director of impact at the Fairtrade Foundation, said that being fairtrade-certified also means that farmers can access training, safety equipment and protection. Although there are more than 100 different coffee species, the most widely produced and sold are Arabica and Robusta. When it comes to coffee consumption, only two nations top more than 10kg per person per year - Finland and Sweden, according to statistics from the International Coffee Organization. The Finnish drink the most coffee every year, at 12.5kg each. Nordic countries also make up the rest of the top five, perhaps needing a cup to get through the cold days. The world's top 10 coffee consuming nations are in Europe, whereas most of the largest coffee producers are in developing countries with the right weather to grow coffee. The ideal conditions for growing coffee plants is found in the \"bean belt\" either side of the equator -  between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer (23 degrees North to 23 degrees South). Neither the US nor the UK makes the list of the top 20 coffee consumers, falling behind the likes of Croatia, France and Lithuania. The coffee supply chain is complex. Beans pass hands from growers to traders, processors to exporters, and finally from roasters to retailers. So a shift in the price of coffee can have big consequences on prices for farmers, producers and customers. According to the International Coffee Organization, UK customers paid more than any others in 2016 -  $16.29 (PS11.45) per pound of soluble coffee. This was followed by Malta at $13.33 (PS9.37) and Italy at $7.45 (PS5.24) per pound of roasted coffee. Polish coffee-lovers paid the least for their daily fix of caffeine, at $3.17 (PS2.23). Grabbing a cup of coffee on the way to the office has become a daily ritual for many workers around the world. According to research group Allegra Strategies, there were more than 22,700 branded coffee shops in Europe in 2017, and more than 27,900 in the United States. Seattle-based coffee company Starbucks comes out on top in the US with more than 13,500 outlets. Costa Coffee is the largest chain in Europe, with 2,755 coffee shops, followed by Starbucks with 2,406. Although traditionally known as a nation of tea drinkers, the UK was home to 7,421 branded coffee shops in 2017. The number of outlets in the UK grew by 643 last year, the biggest expansion in Europe. Coffee connoisseurs might pride themselves on their ability to drink the strong stuff, but the most popular coffee drinks purchased in the UK are milk-based. Lattes were the most popular coffee product purchased in the UK, with more than 930 million sold in the year to 25 February 2018. Cappuccinos followed at 800 million, according to market researcher Kantar Worldpanel. Flat whites are growing in popularity, with spend on the smooth coffee drinks increasing by 56% from February 2017 to 2018. In total, people spent PS6.3bn ($8.97bn) on coffee in the year to 25 February 2018. Dwarfing the spend on tea in the UK in 2017 at just PS1.5bn ($2.1bn), it seems that coffee culture is here to stay.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2056, "answer_end": 2900, "text": "When it comes to coffee consumption, only two nations top more than 10kg per person per year - Finland and Sweden, according to statistics from the International Coffee Organization. The Finnish drink the most coffee every year, at 12.5kg each. Nordic countries also make up the rest of the top five, perhaps needing a cup to get through the cold days. The world's top 10 coffee consuming nations are in Europe, whereas most of the largest coffee producers are in developing countries with the right weather to grow coffee. The ideal conditions for growing coffee plants is found in the \"bean belt\" either side of the equator -  between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer (23 degrees North to 23 degrees South). Neither the US nor the UK makes the list of the top 20 coffee consumers, falling behind the likes of Croatia, France and Lithuania."}], "question": "2. Who drinks the most?", "id": "86_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2901, "answer_end": 3490, "text": "The coffee supply chain is complex. Beans pass hands from growers to traders, processors to exporters, and finally from roasters to retailers. So a shift in the price of coffee can have big consequences on prices for farmers, producers and customers. According to the International Coffee Organization, UK customers paid more than any others in 2016 -  $16.29 (PS11.45) per pound of soluble coffee. This was followed by Malta at $13.33 (PS9.37) and Italy at $7.45 (PS5.24) per pound of roasted coffee. Polish coffee-lovers paid the least for their daily fix of caffeine, at $3.17 (PS2.23)."}], "question": "3. Who pays the most?", "id": "86_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change 'may curb growth in UK flying'", "date": "11 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Concerns over climate change might restrict the growth of flying in the UK, the government has admitted. The advisory Committee on Climate Change (CCC) recently said the UK's planned increase in aviation would need to be curbed to restrict CO2. Now a senior civil servant has told a green group that means ministers may have to review aviation strategy. The group says climate concern is so high the decision on Heathrow expansion should be brought back to Parliament. The Department for Transport defended the proposed Heathrow expansion, saying it would \"provide a massive economic boost to businesses and communities\" across the UK, all at \"no cost to the taxpayer and within our environmental obligations\". It is a crucial time for flying, with policy on aviation right up to 2050 currently out for consultation. When the government first laid out proposals for increasing aviation, the UK had an overall target of cutting CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. But the CCC recently raised the bar of ambition in recommending that Britain should adopt a target of net zero emissions. That will mean compensating for any greenhouse gases by either capturing the CO2 and storing it, or planting more trees. Under the previous 80% scenario, aviation had a privileged position. Its expansion would be counter-balanced by additional CO2 cuts in other sectors, like industry. The CCC makes it clear this is not an option in a zero-carbon Britain. It says people will continue flying using fuels made from waste, or - in the long-term - electricity. But crucially, the growth in aviation must be constrained. The CCC will make further recommendations on this issue in the coming months. In a letter to a tiny pressure group Plan B, the Department for Transport (DfT) aviation head Caroline Low said: \"It may be necessary to consider the CCC's recommended policy approach for aviation.\" This may sound like a cautious civil servant covering bases, but for Plan B it is an admission that the DfT will have to confront the notion that concerns over climate change may outweigh people's desire to fly more. Tim Crosland from Plan B told BBC News: \"We're pleased to see the government is taking seriously our request to review the expansion of Heathrow. \"Since the (Heathrow) proposal was approved there have been developments of immense significance. \"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report spelling out the dire consequences of exceeding 1.5C average global warming; Parliament's recognition of a state of climate and ecological emergency; and the CCC's advice that it is 'necessary' for the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050,\" Mr Crosland said. \"The government can either take the necessary action to avoid climate breakdown or it can stick to 'business as usual' and expand aviation, the most polluting mode of transport. \"But it can't have it both ways.\" Mr Crosland noted that the Scottish government said this week it would review its support for Heathrow in the light of the CCC's net zero report. And he called for Heathrow expansion to be brought back to Parliament. In response, the DfT said: \"We take our commitment to the environment very seriously and we will give careful consideration to the net zero report. \"No decision has been taken to review the Airports National Policy Statement, however we are legally obliged to consider requests like this one.\" Prof Kevin Anderson, from Manchester University, told BBC News that curbing the growth in aviation would be politically possible because, in his opinion, most flights are taken by the rich. Follow Roger on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 711, "answer_end": 1537, "text": "It is a crucial time for flying, with policy on aviation right up to 2050 currently out for consultation. When the government first laid out proposals for increasing aviation, the UK had an overall target of cutting CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. But the CCC recently raised the bar of ambition in recommending that Britain should adopt a target of net zero emissions. That will mean compensating for any greenhouse gases by either capturing the CO2 and storing it, or planting more trees. Under the previous 80% scenario, aviation had a privileged position. Its expansion would be counter-balanced by additional CO2 cuts in other sectors, like industry. The CCC makes it clear this is not an option in a zero-carbon Britain. It says people will continue flying using fuels made from waste, or - in the long-term - electricity."}], "question": "Why should the policy change?", "id": "87_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Monsey stabbing: Journals of attacker 'referenced Jews'", "date": "30 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The man suspected of stabbing five people at a rabbi's house in New York state on Saturday kept journals which included references to Jews and anti-Semitism, authorities said. Federal prosecutors have filed hate crime charges against Grafton Thomas over the attack. The filing says his journals included drawings of the Star of David. His internet search history also included questions such as \"why did Hitler hate the Jews\", it said. Grafton Thomas's attorney pointed to his client's history of mental health problems, and said there is no evidence the attack was driven by anti-Semitism. There has been an increase in police patrols around Jewish neighbourhoods and synagogues following the attack. The criminal complaint said agents recovered journals from the suspect's home in Greenwood Lake, New York, including comments such as \"why [people] mourned for anti-Semitism when there is Semitic genocide\". It says the 37-year-old also used his phone to search for \"why did Hitler hate the Jews\" on four occasions. \"German Jewish Temples near me\" and \"prominent companies founded by Jews in America\" were also searched, along with other references to \"Nazi culture\" and swastikas. On Saturday, Grafton Thomas accessed an article about an increase in police presence in New York after possible anti-Semitic attacks. He is expected to appear in federal court on Monday to face five counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by attempting to kill with a dangerous weapon and causing injuries. Michael Sussman, Thomas's lawyer, told a press conference on Monday that he had requested a full mental health evaluation. \"We were able this morning to... review scores of papers which frankly show the ramblings of a disturbed individual, but there is no suggestion in any of those ramblings... of an anti-Semitic motive,\" he told reporters. A man brandishing a machete on Saturday attacked a Hanukkah celebration at the rabbi's property in Monsey - an area with a large population of ultra-Orthodox Jews. Rabbi Yisroel Kahan, who was in the house at the time, described the moment the attack began. \"He pushed his way in, slammed the door shut and said 'none of you getting out of here' - something to that effect, nobody's leaving - and pulls out a machete and unsheathes it and starts doing the unthinkable,\" he said. Thomas was detained soon after and charged with attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty, and is being held in jail with his bail set at $5m (PS3.8m). State Governor Andrew Cuomo described the attack as \"domestic terrorism\", while President Donald Trump said the attack was \"horrific\". \"We must all come together to fight, confront and eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism,\" the president said. On Friday, New York city police's hate crimes unit said it was investigating eight anti-Semitic incidents reported since 13 December. They included a threat by a man who walked into an Orthodox Jewish community organisation's headquarters in Brooklyn and threatened to shoot someone. In another incident a 30-year-old woman reportedly slapped three women in the face. New York Police Department commissioner Dermot Shea has said hate crimes in New York City are up 22% this year. \"You see a swastika being drawn, you see a brick being thrown through a window, you see a woman walking down the street with her kids and having her wig ripped off,\" he said. In April a gunman killed a woman and wounded three people at a synagogue in San Diego. That attack came exactly six months after the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history, when a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 702, "answer_end": 1510, "text": "The criminal complaint said agents recovered journals from the suspect's home in Greenwood Lake, New York, including comments such as \"why [people] mourned for anti-Semitism when there is Semitic genocide\". It says the 37-year-old also used his phone to search for \"why did Hitler hate the Jews\" on four occasions. \"German Jewish Temples near me\" and \"prominent companies founded by Jews in America\" were also searched, along with other references to \"Nazi culture\" and swastikas. On Saturday, Grafton Thomas accessed an article about an increase in police presence in New York after possible anti-Semitic attacks. He is expected to appear in federal court on Monday to face five counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by attempting to kill with a dangerous weapon and causing injuries."}], "question": "What was found in the journals?", "id": "88_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1511, "answer_end": 1853, "text": "Michael Sussman, Thomas's lawyer, told a press conference on Monday that he had requested a full mental health evaluation. \"We were able this morning to... review scores of papers which frankly show the ramblings of a disturbed individual, but there is no suggestion in any of those ramblings... of an anti-Semitic motive,\" he told reporters."}], "question": "What did his lawyer say?", "id": "88_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2734, "answer_end": 3647, "text": "On Friday, New York city police's hate crimes unit said it was investigating eight anti-Semitic incidents reported since 13 December. They included a threat by a man who walked into an Orthodox Jewish community organisation's headquarters in Brooklyn and threatened to shoot someone. In another incident a 30-year-old woman reportedly slapped three women in the face. New York Police Department commissioner Dermot Shea has said hate crimes in New York City are up 22% this year. \"You see a swastika being drawn, you see a brick being thrown through a window, you see a woman walking down the street with her kids and having her wig ripped off,\" he said. In April a gunman killed a woman and wounded three people at a synagogue in San Diego. That attack came exactly six months after the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history, when a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh."}], "question": "Are anti-Semitic attacks on the rise in the US?", "id": "88_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey's Erdogan condemns 'shameful' US over detained pastor", "date": "11 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the US of trying to \"bring Turkey to its knees through threats over a pastor\". The US has demanded the release of Andrew Brunson and on Friday doubled tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. The diplomatic spat sent the lira down 16% against the dollar on Friday. Mr Erdogan also wrote in the New York Times that unless the US changed course, Turkey would look for new friends and allies. Turkey has detained Mr Brunson for nearly two years, accusing him of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party and the Gulenist movement, which Turkey blames for a failed coup in 2016. But the pastor is only one of a number of issues dividing the two Nato allies, including policy on Syria and Mr Erdogan's growing ties with Russia. He was speaking at a rally in the Black Sea town of Unye. He said: \"It is wrong to dare bring Turkey to its knees through threats over a pastor. I am calling on those in America again. Shame on you, shame on you. You are exchanging your strategic partner in Nato for a priest. You can never bring this nation in line with the language of threats. \"We have not made concessions on justice so far, and we will never make any.\" Turning to the economic effects of the diplomatic row, Mr Erdogan said: \"If they have the dollar, we have Allah.\" He added: \"If there are dollars under your pillow, take these out. If there are euros, take these out. Immediately give these to the banks and convert to Turkish lira and by doing this, we fight this war of independence.\" Mr Erdogan said the US had \"repeatedly and consistently failed to understand and respect the Turkish people's concerns\". He added: \"Unless the United States starts respecting Turkey's sovereignty and proves that it understands the dangers that our nation faces, our partnership could be in jeopardy.\" Mr Erdogan said although the nations had been allies for decades, Turkey \"now has alternatives\". \"Failure to reverse this trend of unilateralism and disrespect will require us to start looking for new friends and allies.\" He also condemned as \"unacceptable, irrational and ultimately detrimental\", the sanctions imposed by the US on several Turkish cabinet members over the Brunson issue. There are quite a few, a number of them addressed by Mr Erdogan in the New York Times. He is clearly angry that the US has not taken more action against the Gulenist movement and what he said was a failure \"to unequivocally condemn\" the 2016 coup attempt. The US has refused to extradite Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania. US support for Kurdish rebel groups fighting Islamic State fighters in northern Syria. is another major difficulty, given Turkey's battle against a Kurdish insurgency in its own country. On Friday Turkey made it clear Mr Erdogan had spoken on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latest US tariffs, with the two men \"expressing pleasure\" that relations were progressing \"positively\". It's an awkward triangle, given that Turkey is a Nato member, Russia is Nato's number one threat and the organisation is obliged to defend any member that is attacked. Nato uses the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to fight against IS and there has been some domestic pressure on Mr Erdogan to close it. President Donald Trump doubled US tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium, saying \"US relations with Turkey are not good at this time\". The reaction from global currency markets caused the euro to slump to a 13-month low and pushed the dollar to a one-year high. American evangelicals have pressed Mr Trump for action on Pastor Brunson, who was held in prison for almost two years but was recently moved to house arrest. Turkey has also been hit by US sanctions on Iran, given that half of Turkey's oil imports come from Iran.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 777, "answer_end": 1537, "text": "He was speaking at a rally in the Black Sea town of Unye. He said: \"It is wrong to dare bring Turkey to its knees through threats over a pastor. I am calling on those in America again. Shame on you, shame on you. You are exchanging your strategic partner in Nato for a priest. You can never bring this nation in line with the language of threats. \"We have not made concessions on justice so far, and we will never make any.\" Turning to the economic effects of the diplomatic row, Mr Erdogan said: \"If they have the dollar, we have Allah.\" He added: \"If there are dollars under your pillow, take these out. If there are euros, take these out. Immediately give these to the banks and convert to Turkish lira and by doing this, we fight this war of independence.\""}], "question": "What are Mr Erdogan's latest comments?", "id": "89_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1538, "answer_end": 2227, "text": "Mr Erdogan said the US had \"repeatedly and consistently failed to understand and respect the Turkish people's concerns\". He added: \"Unless the United States starts respecting Turkey's sovereignty and proves that it understands the dangers that our nation faces, our partnership could be in jeopardy.\" Mr Erdogan said although the nations had been allies for decades, Turkey \"now has alternatives\". \"Failure to reverse this trend of unilateralism and disrespect will require us to start looking for new friends and allies.\" He also condemned as \"unacceptable, irrational and ultimately detrimental\", the sanctions imposed by the US on several Turkish cabinet members over the Brunson issue."}], "question": "And in the New York Times?", "id": "89_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2228, "answer_end": 3263, "text": "There are quite a few, a number of them addressed by Mr Erdogan in the New York Times. He is clearly angry that the US has not taken more action against the Gulenist movement and what he said was a failure \"to unequivocally condemn\" the 2016 coup attempt. The US has refused to extradite Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania. US support for Kurdish rebel groups fighting Islamic State fighters in northern Syria. is another major difficulty, given Turkey's battle against a Kurdish insurgency in its own country. On Friday Turkey made it clear Mr Erdogan had spoken on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latest US tariffs, with the two men \"expressing pleasure\" that relations were progressing \"positively\". It's an awkward triangle, given that Turkey is a Nato member, Russia is Nato's number one threat and the organisation is obliged to defend any member that is attacked. Nato uses the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to fight against IS and there has been some domestic pressure on Mr Erdogan to close it."}], "question": "What are the other issues of disagreement?", "id": "89_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3264, "answer_end": 3789, "text": "President Donald Trump doubled US tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium, saying \"US relations with Turkey are not good at this time\". The reaction from global currency markets caused the euro to slump to a 13-month low and pushed the dollar to a one-year high. American evangelicals have pressed Mr Trump for action on Pastor Brunson, who was held in prison for almost two years but was recently moved to house arrest. Turkey has also been hit by US sanctions on Iran, given that half of Turkey's oil imports come from Iran."}], "question": "What were the latest US measures?", "id": "89_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Tens of thousands again turn out", "date": "14 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tens of thousands have again taken to the streets of Hong Kong as weeks of anti-government unrest show no sign of stopping. There were violent clashes between police and a small number of demonstrators in Sha Tin. The protests were sparked by a proposed extradition bill which would allow people to be sent to China for trial. But they now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns Hong Kong's freedoms are being eroded. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is part of China but run under a \"one country, two systems\" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a separate legal system, compared to mainland China. The Financial Times cited sources as saying Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, had offered to resign several times over the the protests but China refused to let her. China insists she must \"stay to clean up the mess she created\", one of those quoted said. Some of those in Sha Tin repeated calls for Ms Lam to stand down while others carried banners demanding independence for the region. \"I'm not tired of the protests yet, we need to fight for our rights,\" one 25-year-old protester told the South China Morning Post. Police pepper-sprayed a number of demonstrators who had broken away from the official route. A stand-off developed when masked protesters built barricades. Another rally saw journalists march against what they say is the police mistreatment of reporters. It follows a march on Saturday against Hong Kong goods being smuggled into mainland China. Demonstrators turned out in Sheung Shui, a town near the border with China popular with mainland tourists. Traders use Sheung Shui to buy goods and sell them at inflated prices over the border, but locals have complained the influx of visitors has driven up prices, put pressure on services and changed the character of the area. The protests on Saturday were mostly peaceful, but police later charged protesters with batons, shields and pepper spray and were met with metal poles and other projectiles. Critics of the extradition bill said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who speak out against the Chinese government. After huge protests, Carrie Lam said the bill was \"dead\" but stopped short of formally withdrawing it. This was not enough for protesters, who have vowed to keep up the pressure on the government and revived other demands, such as for universal suffrage. Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive, is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee - a mostly pro-Beijing body chosen by just 6% of eligible voters. The BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell says that given that Beijing is likely to oppose genuine elections it is difficult to see an end to the crisis.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 923, "answer_end": 2036, "text": "Some of those in Sha Tin repeated calls for Ms Lam to stand down while others carried banners demanding independence for the region. \"I'm not tired of the protests yet, we need to fight for our rights,\" one 25-year-old protester told the South China Morning Post. Police pepper-sprayed a number of demonstrators who had broken away from the official route. A stand-off developed when masked protesters built barricades. Another rally saw journalists march against what they say is the police mistreatment of reporters. It follows a march on Saturday against Hong Kong goods being smuggled into mainland China. Demonstrators turned out in Sheung Shui, a town near the border with China popular with mainland tourists. Traders use Sheung Shui to buy goods and sell them at inflated prices over the border, but locals have complained the influx of visitors has driven up prices, put pressure on services and changed the character of the area. The protests on Saturday were mostly peaceful, but police later charged protesters with batons, shields and pepper spray and were met with metal poles and other projectiles."}], "question": "What happened at the protests?", "id": "90_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2037, "answer_end": 2785, "text": "Critics of the extradition bill said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who speak out against the Chinese government. After huge protests, Carrie Lam said the bill was \"dead\" but stopped short of formally withdrawing it. This was not enough for protesters, who have vowed to keep up the pressure on the government and revived other demands, such as for universal suffrage. Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive, is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee - a mostly pro-Beijing body chosen by just 6% of eligible voters. The BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell says that given that Beijing is likely to oppose genuine elections it is difficult to see an end to the crisis."}], "question": "What do the protesters want?", "id": "90_1"}]}]}, {"title": "China Uighurs: Beijing denies detaining one million", "date": "13 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has said reports it is holding a million Muslim Uighurs in detention in Xinjiang are \"completely untrue\". Uighurs enjoyed full rights but \"those deceived by religious extremism... shall be assisted by resettlement and re-education\", officials said. The rare admission from Beijing - at a UN meeting in Geneva - came in response to concerns that the region \"resembles a massive internment camp\". Xinjiang has seen intermittent violence - followed by crackdowns - for years. China accuses Islamist militants and separatists of orchestrating the trouble. China has sent a 50-strong delegation to the two-day meeting of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. On Friday, committee member Gay McDougall said she was concerned by reports that Beijing had \"turned the Uighur autonomous region into something that resembles a massive internment camp\". In his response, Hu Lianhe, deputy director of China's United Front Work Department of the Communist Party Central Committee, said: \"Xinjiang citizens, including the Uighurs, enjoy equal freedom and rights.\" \"The argument that one million Uighurs are detained in re-education centres is completely untrue,\" he added, before admitting the existence of resettlement or re-education programmes. Correspondents say it is unusual for China to give public explanations about how it deals with the situation in Xinjiang. Meanwhile the state-run English-language Global Times newspaper defended tough security measures in the region, which it said had prevented it from turning into \"China's Syria\" or \"China's Libya\". \"The turnaround in Xinjiang's security situation has avoided a great tragedy and saved countless lives,\" it said in an editorial. However, Ms McDougall sought further clarification. \"You said I was false on the million, well, how many were there? Please tell me. And what were the laws on which they were detained?\" And she went on inquiring how many people were undergoing re-education. The Uighurs are a Muslim ethnic minority mostly based in China's Xinjiang province. They make up around 45% of the population there. Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south. Reports that more and more Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are being detained in Xinjiang have been circulating for some months. Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have submitted reports to the UN committee documenting claims of mass imprisonment, in camps where inmates are forced to swear loyalty to China's President Xi Jinping. The World Uyghur Congress said in its report that detainees are held indefinitely without charge, and forced to shout Communist Party slogans. It said they were poorly fed, and reports of torture were widespread. Most inmates have never been charged with a crime, it is claimed, and do not receive legal representation. China is said to carry out the detentions under the guise of combating religious extremism. The session on Friday coincided with a day of worsening religious tensions elsewhere in China. In the north-western Ningxia region, hundreds of Muslims engaged in a standoff with authorities to prevent their mosque from being demolished. Officials said the newly-built Weizhou Grand Mosque had not been given proper building permits. However, human rights groups say there is increasing official hostility towards Muslims in China, where religious activities remain tightly controlled by the government.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 558, "answer_end": 1970, "text": "China has sent a 50-strong delegation to the two-day meeting of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. On Friday, committee member Gay McDougall said she was concerned by reports that Beijing had \"turned the Uighur autonomous region into something that resembles a massive internment camp\". In his response, Hu Lianhe, deputy director of China's United Front Work Department of the Communist Party Central Committee, said: \"Xinjiang citizens, including the Uighurs, enjoy equal freedom and rights.\" \"The argument that one million Uighurs are detained in re-education centres is completely untrue,\" he added, before admitting the existence of resettlement or re-education programmes. Correspondents say it is unusual for China to give public explanations about how it deals with the situation in Xinjiang. Meanwhile the state-run English-language Global Times newspaper defended tough security measures in the region, which it said had prevented it from turning into \"China's Syria\" or \"China's Libya\". \"The turnaround in Xinjiang's security situation has avoided a great tragedy and saved countless lives,\" it said in an editorial. However, Ms McDougall sought further clarification. \"You said I was false on the million, well, how many were there? Please tell me. And what were the laws on which they were detained?\" And she went on inquiring how many people were undergoing re-education."}], "question": "What did China admit to?", "id": "91_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The world's first family to live in a 3D-printed home", "date": "6 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A family in France has become the first in the world to move into a 3D-printed house. The four-bedroom property is a prototype for bigger projects aiming to make housebuilding quicker and cheaper. Could it cause a shift in the building industry? With curved walls designed to reduce the effects of humidity and digital controls for disabled people, this house could be an expensive realisation of an architect's vision. But having taken 54 hours to print - with four more months for contractors to add in things such as windows, doors and the roof - its cost of around PS176,000 to build makes it 20% cheaper than an identical construction using more traditional solutions. The team now believe they could print the same house again in only 33 hours. The 95m (1022ft) square house - built for a family of five with four bedrooms and a big central space in Nantes - is a collaboration between the city council, a housing association and University of Nantes. Francky Trichet, the council's lead on technology and innovation, says the purpose of the project was to see whether this type of construction could become mainstream for housing, and whether its principles could be applied to other communal buildings, such as sports halls. He believes the process will disrupt the construction industry. \"For 2,000 years there hasn't been a change in the paradigm of the construction process. We wanted to sweep this whole construction process away,\" he says. \"That's why I'm saying that we're at the start of a story. We've just written, 'Once upon a time'.\" Now, he says, their work will \"force\" private companies to \"take the pen\" and continue the narrative. The house has been built in a deprived neighbourhood in the north of the town and was partly funded by the council. Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, were the lucky ones chosen to live there. \"It's a big honour to be a part of this project,\" says Nordine. \"We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it's a big change for us. \"It's really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house.\" The house is designed in a studio by a team of architects and scientists, then programmed into a 3D printer. The printer is then brought to the site of the home. It works by printing in layers from the floor upwards. Each wall consists of two layers of the insulator polyurethane, with a space in-between which is filled with cement. This creates a thick, insulated, fully-durable wall. The windows, doors, and roof are then fitted. And, voila, you have a home. The house was the brainchild of Benoit Furet, who heads up the project at University of Nantes. He thinks that in five years they will reduce the cost of the construction of such houses by 25% while adhering to building regulations, and by 40% in 10 to 15 years. This is partly because of the technology becoming more refined and cheaper to develop and partly because of economies of scale as more houses are built. Printing, he adds, also allows architects to be far more creative with the shapes of the houses they are building. For example, the house in Nantes was built to curve around the 100-year-old protected trees on the plot. The curve also improves the home's air circulation, reducing potential humidity and improving thermal resistance. The building in Nantes was also designed for disabled people, with wheelchair access and the ability for everything to be controlled from a smartphone. It is also more environmentally-friendly than traditional construction, as there is no waste. Mr Furet's dream is now to create a suburban neighbourhood with the same building principles. He says he is currently working on a project in the north of Paris to print 18 houses. He is also working on a large commercial building which will measure 700 metres square, he adds. \"Social housing is something that touches me personally,\" Mr Furet says. \"I was born in a working-class town. \"I lived in a little house. My parents - who are very old now - still live in the same house. \"The street is a row of little houses, one next to the other, all identical. \"And here I wanted to create a house that is social housing, but with much more modern architecture.\" Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2136, "answer_end": 2597, "text": "The house is designed in a studio by a team of architects and scientists, then programmed into a 3D printer. The printer is then brought to the site of the home. It works by printing in layers from the floor upwards. Each wall consists of two layers of the insulator polyurethane, with a space in-between which is filled with cement. This creates a thick, insulated, fully-durable wall. The windows, doors, and roof are then fitted. And, voila, you have a home."}], "question": "How does it work?", "id": "92_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia's Alvaro Uribe steps down to face charges", "date": "26 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Colombia's powerful former President Alvaro Uribe has resigned his Senate seat to face a bribery and fraud investigation in the Supreme Court. He is seen as the power behind the country's incoming President, Ivan Duque, who is due to take office in August. Mr Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010, faces charges of making false accusations and witness tampering. It is the first time a Colombian court has asked an ex-president to testify. Alvaro Uribe's exit from the Senate removes a vocal critic of the peace deal signed with the Farc rebels in 2016, which ended more than 50 years of armed conflict. His eight-year presidency was marked by his hard-line stance against the guerillas, who killed his father in 1983. Mr Aribe has always called for tougher treatment for former Farc rebels in the courts. In a Tweet on Tuesday, Mr Uribe said he felt \"morally impeded to be a senator\" and explained that he was resigning to ensure that \"my defence does not interfere with the work of the Senate\". However, his decision has prompted press speculation about his real reasons for leaving office. In Colombia, the Supreme Court is in charge of investigations against elected officials, while ordinary citizens are investigated by the Prosecutor General's Office. According to his critics, Mr Uribe's resignation will help him to avoid being called before the Supreme Court. The cases against him are likely to be transferred to Colombia's notoriously corrupt and inefficient Public Prosecution Service. Why is Mr Uribe being investigated? The case that led to the Supreme Court investigation began in 2012, when the former president accused leftwing lawmaker Ivan Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to link him to right-wing paramilitary groups. But the Supreme Court dismissed the charges against Mr Cepeda and said that it appeared Mr Uribe had threatened witnesses. Mr Cepeda hailed the Supreme Court's decision to press charges against Mr Uribe as a historical milestone. \"Uribe was considered untouchable and all powerful until yesterday. This marks a very important precedent,\" he said. Alvaro Uribe and his family have long been accused of paramilitary involvement but previous investigations have not borne fruit. The family has denied all links. Mr Uribe's brother, Santiago, is currently awaiting trial for allegedly running a paramilitary group known as the Twelve Apostles. Paramilitary groups in Colombia were originally funded by landowners to protect them from left-wing rebel groups such as the Farc. However, they later became feared death squads linked to rural massacres, drug trafficking and sexual violence.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 812, "answer_end": 2626, "text": "In a Tweet on Tuesday, Mr Uribe said he felt \"morally impeded to be a senator\" and explained that he was resigning to ensure that \"my defence does not interfere with the work of the Senate\". However, his decision has prompted press speculation about his real reasons for leaving office. In Colombia, the Supreme Court is in charge of investigations against elected officials, while ordinary citizens are investigated by the Prosecutor General's Office. According to his critics, Mr Uribe's resignation will help him to avoid being called before the Supreme Court. The cases against him are likely to be transferred to Colombia's notoriously corrupt and inefficient Public Prosecution Service. Why is Mr Uribe being investigated? The case that led to the Supreme Court investigation began in 2012, when the former president accused leftwing lawmaker Ivan Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to link him to right-wing paramilitary groups. But the Supreme Court dismissed the charges against Mr Cepeda and said that it appeared Mr Uribe had threatened witnesses. Mr Cepeda hailed the Supreme Court's decision to press charges against Mr Uribe as a historical milestone. \"Uribe was considered untouchable and all powerful until yesterday. This marks a very important precedent,\" he said. Alvaro Uribe and his family have long been accused of paramilitary involvement but previous investigations have not borne fruit. The family has denied all links. Mr Uribe's brother, Santiago, is currently awaiting trial for allegedly running a paramilitary group known as the Twelve Apostles. Paramilitary groups in Colombia were originally funded by landowners to protect them from left-wing rebel groups such as the Farc. However, they later became feared death squads linked to rural massacres, drug trafficking and sexual violence."}], "question": "Why did Mr Uribe resign?", "id": "93_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pluto: What have we learned so far?", "date": "15 July 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Now that the New Horizons probe has successfully flown past Pluto and confirmed to Nasa that it is all in one piece, researchers can look forward to a \"waterfall\" of images and data from the strange, distant world over the next 16 months. But even though just a couple of pictures from the dwarf planet have been released so far, scientists are learning more from these than they have in years of attempted observations by telescope. For 60 years scientists have known that there was a bright mass on Pluto, but it was only through the increased resolution provided by the cameras on board New Horizons that detailed its distinctive heart shape. The shape, instantly beloved on social media, is believed to have been caused by an impact at some point in history. One side of the heart is smoother than the other. Researchers believe the crater is filled with frozen gases from the atmosphere - namely nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. However a false coloured photo from Pluto released by Nasa indicates that the heart is actually broken in two. The colours show different chemical signatures in the image. On the left it is a type of beige while on the right is a mosaic of blue, these indicate that the two parts had different geologic or tectonic origins. The initial image released by Nasa had a reddish hue, something that scientists have long known. It's very different from the other red planet, Mars, in that the colour of the more distant, tiny world is likely caused by hydrocarbon molecules called tholins, that are formed when solar ultraviolet light and cosmic rays interact with methane in Pluto's atmosphere and on its surface. \"Pluto's reddening process occurs even on the night side where there's no sunlight, and in the depths of winter when the sun remains below the horizon for decades at a time,\" according to New Horizons co-investigator Michael Summers. New Horizons has provided more accurate information on the size and scope of Pluto. It's a little bigger than expected, about 80km wider than previous predictions, making it around two thirds the size of our moon. The increased dimensions mean that Pluto is likely to be made of less rock and more ice beneath its surface according to members of the mission team. The reclassification means that Pluto is now officially bigger than Eris, one of hundreds of thousands of mini-planets and comet-like objects circling beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper Belt. The relative lack of impact craters on Pluto suggested by the first image could be an indication that the surface of the dwarf planet is renewing, either by geological or atmospheric activity, such as erosion. Mission chief Alan Stern says there is evidence of \"surface activity\" on Pluto, a tantalising hint of earth-like tectonics \"in its past or even its present\". Nasa have dubbed one of the strange, darker regions of Pluto the \"whale\". Researchers say it is unusual to have contrasting bright and dark surfaces on objects in our Solar System, reflecting the fact that Pluto is far more complex than previously thought. Surface temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold, ranging from -172 to -238 degrees C depending on where it is on its 248 year orbit of the Sun. Since it passed the closest point to our star back in 1989, experts assumed that after that the dwarf planet started cooling. Some computer models even predicted that the atmosphere would have fallen as snow and disappeared. That hasn't happened. But the New Horizons Principal Investigator agrees that snow does likely fall on the distant body. \"Pluto has strong atmospheric cycles, it snows on the surface, the snows sublimate and go back into the atmosphere each 248 year orbit,\" said Alan Stern. Little light has so far been shed on the moons of Pluto but the coloured image released yesterday indicates that Charon, the biggest, is covered with red material around its pole. Scientists believe that this stuff may be tholins that have escaped from Pluto's atmosphere. Experts believe that the mottled colours at lower latitudes point to a diversity of terrains on Charon. So far little detail has emerged about the other moons of Pluto except more accurate measurements of their size. Very slowly indeed. At a distance of 5bn kilometres from Earth and with a radio transmitter that can only output 12 watts, that means New Horizons is signalling across the Solar System with the equivalent power of a small LED bulb. The transfer rate is achingly slow, around 1kb per second - if things go really well it can reach a dizzying 4kb. That's slow even by 1980s standards. All this means that a black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit. Even if massively compressed it would still take around 20 minutes. As Nasa is handling communications to several other missions at one time, it means that New Horizons has to wait in the queue for access to the Deep Space Network, the radio telescopes that communicate with distant probes. Getting all the data from the brief flypast of Pluto will take almost 16 months.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1263, "answer_end": 1880, "text": "The initial image released by Nasa had a reddish hue, something that scientists have long known. It's very different from the other red planet, Mars, in that the colour of the more distant, tiny world is likely caused by hydrocarbon molecules called tholins, that are formed when solar ultraviolet light and cosmic rays interact with methane in Pluto's atmosphere and on its surface. \"Pluto's reddening process occurs even on the night side where there's no sunlight, and in the depths of winter when the sun remains below the horizon for decades at a time,\" according to New Horizons co-investigator Michael Summers."}], "question": "Is Pluto another red planet?", "id": "94_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1881, "answer_end": 2446, "text": "New Horizons has provided more accurate information on the size and scope of Pluto. It's a little bigger than expected, about 80km wider than previous predictions, making it around two thirds the size of our moon. The increased dimensions mean that Pluto is likely to be made of less rock and more ice beneath its surface according to members of the mission team. The reclassification means that Pluto is now officially bigger than Eris, one of hundreds of thousands of mini-planets and comet-like objects circling beyond Neptune in a region called the Kuiper Belt."}], "question": "Does Pluto's size matter?", "id": "94_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2447, "answer_end": 3071, "text": "The relative lack of impact craters on Pluto suggested by the first image could be an indication that the surface of the dwarf planet is renewing, either by geological or atmospheric activity, such as erosion. Mission chief Alan Stern says there is evidence of \"surface activity\" on Pluto, a tantalising hint of earth-like tectonics \"in its past or even its present\". Nasa have dubbed one of the strange, darker regions of Pluto the \"whale\". Researchers say it is unusual to have contrasting bright and dark surfaces on objects in our Solar System, reflecting the fact that Pluto is far more complex than previously thought."}], "question": "Is Pluto geologically active?", "id": "94_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3072, "answer_end": 3716, "text": "Surface temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold, ranging from -172 to -238 degrees C depending on where it is on its 248 year orbit of the Sun. Since it passed the closest point to our star back in 1989, experts assumed that after that the dwarf planet started cooling. Some computer models even predicted that the atmosphere would have fallen as snow and disappeared. That hasn't happened. But the New Horizons Principal Investigator agrees that snow does likely fall on the distant body. \"Pluto has strong atmospheric cycles, it snows on the surface, the snows sublimate and go back into the atmosphere each 248 year orbit,\" said Alan Stern."}], "question": "What's the weather like?", "id": "94_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3717, "answer_end": 4206, "text": "Little light has so far been shed on the moons of Pluto but the coloured image released yesterday indicates that Charon, the biggest, is covered with red material around its pole. Scientists believe that this stuff may be tholins that have escaped from Pluto's atmosphere. Experts believe that the mottled colours at lower latitudes point to a diversity of terrains on Charon. So far little detail has emerged about the other moons of Pluto except more accurate measurements of their size."}], "question": "What about the five moons?", "id": "94_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4207, "answer_end": 5057, "text": "Very slowly indeed. At a distance of 5bn kilometres from Earth and with a radio transmitter that can only output 12 watts, that means New Horizons is signalling across the Solar System with the equivalent power of a small LED bulb. The transfer rate is achingly slow, around 1kb per second - if things go really well it can reach a dizzying 4kb. That's slow even by 1980s standards. All this means that a black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit. Even if massively compressed it would still take around 20 minutes. As Nasa is handling communications to several other missions at one time, it means that New Horizons has to wait in the queue for access to the Deep Space Network, the radio telescopes that communicate with distant probes. Getting all the data from the brief flypast of Pluto will take almost 16 months."}], "question": "How are the images and data being transmitted to Earth?", "id": "94_5"}]}]}, {"title": "How good is Tibet's Beijing-backed search engine?", "date": "24 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "This week saw the launch of the very first search engine in the Tibetan language. Yongzim, backed by the Chinese authorities, claims to be better at handling complex searches involving several words in the language than any alternative. But a spokesman for the government in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration, told the BBC it could also be used as a \"platform to promote propaganda to legitimise the illegal occupation of Tibet\". Tibet is governed as an autonomous region of China. Beijing claims a centuries-old sovereignty over the Himalayan region, yet the allegiances of many Tibetans lie with the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, seen by China as a separatist threat. Exile groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the world accuse Beijing of suppressing the region's culture and tradition with the Tibetan language being a big part of it. Both Google - which is blocked in China and therefore also in Tibet - and the Chinese search engine Baidu can also carry out searches in Tibetan. But Yongzim is entirely in Tibetan, including all the elements of its interface - and in that respect it is indeed a first. Its name translates as \"master\" or \"teacher\". According to Chinese state media, the service will promote the Tibetan language and provide a dedicated platform for Tibetan-language websites. \"[It will] meet the growing needs of the Tibetan-speaking population and facilitate the building of Tibetan digital archives and the expansion of databases in the Tibetan language,\" an official said. Kyinzom Dhongdue, of the Australia Tibet Council, told the BBC she welcomed the initiative as a \"positive step towards popularising the use of the Tibetan language\" but cautioned it could become a \"propaganda tool\" for Beijing. Aynne Kokas, an expert on Chinese media at the University of Virginia in the US, also described it as being a \"major technological advancement\" that could be useful for \"non-sensitive queries\". But she said it would also \"make it easier to redirect web traffic\" to sites that tallied with the Chinese government's views. The Free Tibet movement noted that the effort marked a change of policy. \"After decades of effectively suppressing the Tibetan language, China now puts emphasis on being seen to support it,\" spokesman Alistair Currie told the BBC. \"As with everything in Tibet, language is tainted with political connotations, and Beijing wants to control any development rather than permit it.\" A simple picture search for the term Dalai Lama - the spiritual and former political leader of Tibet who fled the country after China took control of the territory in 1950 - is revealing. Yongzim brings up only a single result, unlike Google, which produces dozens of photos. \"As we have already seen with Baidu, though the site is highly functional, the more centralisation there is of search, the easier it is to block specific terms,\" Ms Kokas told the BBC. Even so, many \"young, educated, online-savvy Tibetans inside Tibet have welcomed\" the new search engine in their own language, said Ms Dhongdue. \"[Yet] this can also be seen as the Chinese government trying to win the hearts of the educated elites in Tibet,\" she said. \"In recent years, a growing number of the educated youth in Tibet has expressed their criticism of China's policies in Tibet through blogs, art and music.\" With the internet becoming ever more widely accessible in Tibet, the number of websites in the region's language has steadily been on the rise, including blogs and social media. Accordingly, Chinese authorities have paid close attention to the content being published. Any websites producing content that Beijing does not like, run the risk of getting shut down and the people behind them face punishment or jail. China already operates what is often described as a \"Great Firewall\", which keeps its citizens from accessing websites Beijing deems to be undesirable or likely to undermine its political and economic goals. Within that context, it is little wonder that Yongzim is seen by many as a further attempt to control and influence what its citizens do on the net.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2464, "answer_end": 4120, "text": "A simple picture search for the term Dalai Lama - the spiritual and former political leader of Tibet who fled the country after China took control of the territory in 1950 - is revealing. Yongzim brings up only a single result, unlike Google, which produces dozens of photos. \"As we have already seen with Baidu, though the site is highly functional, the more centralisation there is of search, the easier it is to block specific terms,\" Ms Kokas told the BBC. Even so, many \"young, educated, online-savvy Tibetans inside Tibet have welcomed\" the new search engine in their own language, said Ms Dhongdue. \"[Yet] this can also be seen as the Chinese government trying to win the hearts of the educated elites in Tibet,\" she said. \"In recent years, a growing number of the educated youth in Tibet has expressed their criticism of China's policies in Tibet through blogs, art and music.\" With the internet becoming ever more widely accessible in Tibet, the number of websites in the region's language has steadily been on the rise, including blogs and social media. Accordingly, Chinese authorities have paid close attention to the content being published. Any websites producing content that Beijing does not like, run the risk of getting shut down and the people behind them face punishment or jail. China already operates what is often described as a \"Great Firewall\", which keeps its citizens from accessing websites Beijing deems to be undesirable or likely to undermine its political and economic goals. Within that context, it is little wonder that Yongzim is seen by many as a further attempt to control and influence what its citizens do on the net."}], "question": "What kind of search results does it produce?", "id": "95_0"}]}]}, {"title": "South Africans hold #BlackMonday protests over farm murders", "date": "30 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Demonstrators are blocking motorways in South African in protest at the murder of white farmers. People have been posting their pictures on Instagram: The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says the protests are already causing racial divisions after some demonstrators were seen carrying the flag from the apartheid era, when South Africa was governed by its white minority and black people were not allowed to vote. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa took to Twitter to express his disapproval. The protest comes three days after two white farmers were sentenced to more than 10 years in prison each for forcing a black man into a coffin. They intend to appeal against the sentence. Those behind the protests have urged people to wear black: While most photos appear to show only white protestors, some show a racial mix: The protest was organised to show outrage at the killings of farmers, especially after the death of a white farmer in Klapmuts near Stellenbosch. Last Tuesday, Joubert Conradie, 47, was shot on his farm and died later at the Stellenbosch Mediclinic. The idea that white farmers are being targeted has been going around for some time. The fact-checking site Africa Check found back in 2013 that white people in South Africa are less likely to be murdered than any other racial group. The spokesman for the priority crime police unit, known as the Hawks, Brigadier Hangwani Mlaudzi told the BBC's Milton Nkosi that the police did not keep specific statistics about farm killings. \"Cases are not classified as farm murders. They form part of all murders under investigation,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 831, "answer_end": 1080, "text": "The protest was organised to show outrage at the killings of farmers, especially after the death of a white farmer in Klapmuts near Stellenbosch. Last Tuesday, Joubert Conradie, 47, was shot on his farm and died later at the Stellenbosch Mediclinic."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "96_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1081, "answer_end": 1612, "text": "The idea that white farmers are being targeted has been going around for some time. The fact-checking site Africa Check found back in 2013 that white people in South Africa are less likely to be murdered than any other racial group. The spokesman for the priority crime police unit, known as the Hawks, Brigadier Hangwani Mlaudzi told the BBC's Milton Nkosi that the police did not keep specific statistics about farm killings. \"Cases are not classified as farm murders. They form part of all murders under investigation,\" he said."}], "question": "What are the stats?", "id": "96_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: China flag desecrated as fresh unrest erupts", "date": "22 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Activists in Hong Kong have desecrated a Chinese flag and vandalised a shopping centre on the 16th straight weekend of anti-government protests. Escalators and glass panels were targeted at the New Town Plaza in Sha Tin. Police have closed it and fired tear gas at brick-throwing protesters. Police earlier prevented major unrest on the airport metro system. The protests were sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill but morphed into a wider pro-democracy campaign. Issues such as universal suffrage, a demand for an inquiry into police actions and the alleged involvement of gangs in countering the protests have come to the fore. - Summary of the protests in 100 or 500 words - All the context you need on the protests - Timeline of events so far The campaign, mostly conducted by young people, was peaceful to start with but has become increasingly violent. The unrest has become the biggest challenge to China's rule since Hong Kong's sovereignty was handed back by Britain in 1997. Hong Kong is part of China, but enjoys \"special freedoms\". Those are set to expire in 2047, and many in Hong Kong don't want to become \"another Chinese city\". Why vandalism is on the rise By Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, Hong Kong The damage to Sha Tin shopping centre and train station shows the huge gulf that has opened up in this city, between different parts of the community and what they think is morally justifiable. A senior police officer told journalists here last week that he could not believe how so many young people now thought it was acceptable to break the law if a cause was right. The mostly young, hardcore activists who destroyed ticket machines and now routinely vandalise train stations say they cannot see how it is acceptable for the train network operator to collude with the authorities by shutting down services in areas where protests are planned. Therefore, they argue, the stations are legitimate targets. They also say that two months ago the shopping centre at Sha Tin allowed police in to grab activists so it, too, is a legitimate target for vandalism. Police cannot understand why so many ordinary citizens are abusing them. Those ordinary citizens, in turn, say they cannot understand why the police have turned violent. The longer this crisis continues, the deeper these voids are becoming. The unsanctioned rally at the New Town Plaza started on a small scale and peacefully. Video footage then showed a Chinese flag being trampled by protesters before being carried out and thrown into a river. Masked protesters used fire extinguishers to smash the glass of information maps, then sprayed water and threw rubbish bins down escalators. Pro-mainland businesses were reportedly targeted. Riot police closed down the mall and the linked metro station in Sha Tin, a city in the New Territories north of Hong Kong Island. Outside, protesters started ripping up pavement bricks and throwing them at police, who fired tear gas in response. A barricade was set on fire elsewhere in Sha Tin. The luxury Elements shopping centre in Kowloon was also closed as police and protesters squared off, the South China Morning Post reported. Protester groups online had called for a \"stress test\" of the airport on Sunday. The airport has become one of the high-profile targets of protesters. But police stepped up security and authorities reduced transport links to head off possible unrest. The Airport Express metro link was open only to passengers boarding at Hong Kong island. Only people with flight tickets could board. - How is Hong Kong run? and what is the Basic Law? - The background to the protests in video - A visual guide to how one peaceful protest turned violent Protests began in June in opposition to a proposed bill that would have made it possible for people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China. Critics said they could have faced human rights abuses. The bill was initially shelved, and later withdrawn completely, but this has failed to quell the protesters' anger. Their demands have been rejected by both Beijing and Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who on Sunday again vowed to stop the violence.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2334, "answer_end": 3167, "text": "The unsanctioned rally at the New Town Plaza started on a small scale and peacefully. Video footage then showed a Chinese flag being trampled by protesters before being carried out and thrown into a river. Masked protesters used fire extinguishers to smash the glass of information maps, then sprayed water and threw rubbish bins down escalators. Pro-mainland businesses were reportedly targeted. Riot police closed down the mall and the linked metro station in Sha Tin, a city in the New Territories north of Hong Kong Island. Outside, protesters started ripping up pavement bricks and throwing them at police, who fired tear gas in response. A barricade was set on fire elsewhere in Sha Tin. The luxury Elements shopping centre in Kowloon was also closed as police and protesters squared off, the South China Morning Post reported."}], "question": "What happened on Sunday?", "id": "97_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3168, "answer_end": 3552, "text": "Protester groups online had called for a \"stress test\" of the airport on Sunday. The airport has become one of the high-profile targets of protesters. But police stepped up security and authorities reduced transport links to head off possible unrest. The Airport Express metro link was open only to passengers boarding at Hong Kong island. Only people with flight tickets could board."}], "question": "What of the airport protest?", "id": "97_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3706, "answer_end": 4167, "text": "Protests began in June in opposition to a proposed bill that would have made it possible for people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China. Critics said they could have faced human rights abuses. The bill was initially shelved, and later withdrawn completely, but this has failed to quell the protesters' anger. Their demands have been rejected by both Beijing and Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who on Sunday again vowed to stop the violence."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "97_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Are Google, Amazon and others getting too big?", "date": "9 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US tech giants Apple, Google's parent Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook are the five biggest companies in the world by market capitalisation. Their increasing dominance is fuelling concerns about competition and data privacy. So are regulators about to get tough? Shares in Amazon and Alphabet raced past the $1,000-mark this month, the latest sign of the companies' growing might. Google is expected to attract more than 40% of digital advertising dollars this year; Amazon is on track to collect half of US online sales by 2021, according to at least one analyst. But as investors cheer their rise, it's also causing concern amongst the powers that be. US regulators have long lagged Europe when it comes to cracking down on anti-competitive behaviour but Jonathan Kanter, a Washington-based antitrust attorney at Paul Weiss, believes attitudes may be changing. \"People are asking questions about whether the tools and principles that have been used previously are the right ones to continue using. \"There are certainly lots of people who think that there needs to be some change.\" John Kwoka, a professor of economics at Northeastern University in Boston, believes that taking a tougher line on mergers and acquisitions won't necessarily be enough to combat the rising power of giants like Amazon. These firms also gain power as they amass user data and shape the flow of information, controlling consumer access to the firms using their platforms, he argues. Amazon: Monopoly or capitalist success story? Safe Harbour: Tech firms shudder as watchdogs meet How Facebook's tentacles reach further than you think \"They steer choice and do so in ways that have ripple effects throughout a broader economy,\" Prof Kwoka says. Lina Khan, a fellow at the New America think tank, published a paper about Amazon earlier this year. She says there are examples of tech firms skirting the rules on competition, pointing to Amazon's battle with diapers.com, the baby products retailer. Amazon lowered prices, undercutting the firm, then eventually acquired it. There are signs that the politicians and regulators are waking up. This spring, the US Congress moved to dismantle a set of Obama-era laws protecting the privacy of consumer data. Then shortly afterwards, a group of Republicans introduced a broader proposal that would require firms such as Google and Amazon - in addition to traditional internet providers - to get user permission before sharing their data. Could the US adopt the more muscular approach of European regulators? In 2013, the European Commission fined Microsoft for giving preferential treatment to its own browser, Internet Explorer. This year, it fined Facebook for providing \"incorrect or misleading\" information during its acquisition of messaging service WhatsApp. Last month, Amazon promised the European Commission it would stop enforcing contracts deemed anti-competitive for other e-book publishers. And an investigation into Google's parent company, Alphabet, over how it allegedly gives preferential treatment to its own shopping services in search results, is still proceeding. The EU actions show that \"there are things that could be done,\" Prof Kwoka says. \"Whether they would be a big deal or a little deal, it's hard to know, but the EU has taken a crack at it and we've mostly taken a pass.\" It's not clear how President Trump wants to steer policy. As a candidate he adopted populist rhetoric, describing Amazon as a monopoly and saying boss Jeff Bezos had a \"huge antitrust problem\". He chose Makan Delrahim, a traditional Republican, to lead the Department of Justice antitrust division. On the Federal Trade Commission, the other key regulatory body, several vacancies remain. But the agency said it would host a 2018 conference on privacy questions raised by emerging technologies, its third on the subject. Prof Kwoka and others say they don't expect to see major changes any time soon. And are these tech giants as anti-competitive as some think? Amazon may dominate digital sales, but bricks-and-mortar shopping still dwarfs the online market. Walmart alone reported sales worth more than three times Amazon's last year. Heavy hitters, including Microsoft and Google, are competing for customers in cloud services with the likes of IBM and Salesforce. In the tech sector, consumers are free to head to new players from emerging markets. The Chinese tech giants - Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent - are resisting the US hegemony pretty well, non-interventionists argue. \"It's a competitive market just because of consumer choice,\" says Ronald Josey, an internet and digital media analyst at JMP Securities. \"That's a really important point to the whole story.\" Even if US regulators do begin to flex their muscles, financial analysts say they aren't worried about a crackdown hurting companies, even in Europe. Their growth potential outweighs any regulatory risks, argues Paul Gallant, a technology policy analyst at investment firm Cowen & Co.. \"Investors are aware that companies with this kind of power and market share are inevitably on the minds of antitrust regulators. They're also aware that Trump has said some negative things,\" says Mr Gallant. \"It's in the back of investors' minds, but it's not close to overcoming what investors love about these companies,\" he says. Google and Facebook have made efforts - effective or otherwise - to address issues such as fake news, in part to pre-empt regulator action. How did Google become the world's most valuable company? Why is the EU gunning for Google? But James McQuivey, an analyst at the research firm Forrester, says the recent dramatic increases in share prices could be a sign investors are underestimating the likelihood of regulator action. \"If you'd said to me a year ago, 'Is the risk factored in to the stock price?' I would have said yes. Where it is now, at least some of the more recent buyers may not be paying attention to those risks,\" he says. Amazon and Google declined to comment for this feature. - Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter and Facebook", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3337, "answer_end": 3937, "text": "It's not clear how President Trump wants to steer policy. As a candidate he adopted populist rhetoric, describing Amazon as a monopoly and saying boss Jeff Bezos had a \"huge antitrust problem\". He chose Makan Delrahim, a traditional Republican, to lead the Department of Justice antitrust division. On the Federal Trade Commission, the other key regulatory body, several vacancies remain. But the agency said it would host a 2018 conference on privacy questions raised by emerging technologies, its third on the subject. Prof Kwoka and others say they don't expect to see major changes any time soon."}], "question": "Trump action?", "id": "98_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Is climate change to blame for Australia's bushfires?", "date": "11 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia is enduring a bushfire crisis that has left three people dead, razed more than 150 homes, and prompted warnings of \"catastrophic\" danger. Bushfires are a regular feature in the Australian calendar, but the blazes in New South Wales and Queensland have not previously occurred on such a scale and so early in the fire season, officials say. This has led many Australians to ask how closely the fires can be linked to climate change. The science around climate change is complex - it's not the cause of bushfires but scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate would contribute to Australia's fires becoming more frequent and more intense. But the nation's political leaders are facing a backlash for batting away questions on the subject. On Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to answer a question about climate change, saying: \"My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families.\" When asked the same question, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters: \"Honestly, not today.\" Some Australians agreed, but others were furious the question was being ignored. Mr Morrison later tweeted to offer \"thoughts and prayers\" to those affected, but critics compared that to rhetoric used by US lawmakers who have opposed gun reforms after mass shootings. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack stoked the most anger, when on Monday he dismissed climate change as the concerns of \"raving inner-city lefties\" who were ignoring the needs of rural Australians. \"We've had fires in Australia since time began,\" he said. The nation's target under the Paris Agreement - the global deal to tackle rising global temperatures - is a 26-28% reduction in emissions by 2030. Some have criticised that as inadequate for a G20 country. Last year, the UN reported that Australia - the world's largest coal exporter - was not on track to meet its commitment. Mr Morrison told the UN last year that Australia was doing its bit to address climate change, and \"balancing our global responsibilities with sensible and practical policies to secure our environmental and our economic future\". \"We find it very difficult in general to attribute climate change impacts to a specific event, particularly while the event is running,\" said Dr Richard Thornton, chief executive of the Bushfires & Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre. \"But what we do know is that the average temperature in Australia now is running about 1C above the long-term average.\" He added fire seasons were starting earlier and \"the cumulative fire danger\" in many areas was growing. Prof Glenda Wardle, an ecologist from the University of Sydney, agreed: \"It's not every weather event that is the direct result of climate change. But when you see trends... it becomes undeniably linked to global climate change.\" She said there was a \"collective shift\" in the timing and intensity of weather events. Australian National University climate scientist Dr Imran Ahmed called it a direct link: \"Because what climate change does is exacerbate the conditions in which the bushfires happen.\" \"We will start to see the extreme end of the fire behaviour scale occur more frequently because of the increase of temperatures\", said Dr Thornton. \"Everything we normally see as variability between a good fire season and a bad season is sitting on top of that extra 1C - and that means that the severe events will occur more frequently.\" But Prof Wardle said the government was \"passing the buck\" on climate change and not doing enough to help stem the rise in global temperatures. \"It hasn't just been fires, there's been flood, there's the drought,\" she said. \"Every time [the government] has had the chance to take on the big issue of climate change and do something, they choose not to and blame other things like land management.\" Dr Ahmed said the leaders' responses this week were a \"very unfortunate\" reaction to peer-reviewed warnings by leading scientists. \"With that sort of evidence on the ground, it's hard to see that you still have the politics around doubting climate change,\" he said. The Bureau of Meteorology's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and increased the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. In April, 23 former fire chiefs and emergency leaders issued a letter, warning the government about \"increasingly catastrophic extreme weather events\". It requested a meeting which was declined by the government.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 761, "answer_end": 1587, "text": "On Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison refused to answer a question about climate change, saying: \"My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families.\" When asked the same question, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters: \"Honestly, not today.\" Some Australians agreed, but others were furious the question was being ignored. Mr Morrison later tweeted to offer \"thoughts and prayers\" to those affected, but critics compared that to rhetoric used by US lawmakers who have opposed gun reforms after mass shootings. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack stoked the most anger, when on Monday he dismissed climate change as the concerns of \"raving inner-city lefties\" who were ignoring the needs of rural Australians. \"We've had fires in Australia since time began,\" he said."}], "question": "What have Australia's leaders said (or not said)?", "id": "99_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1588, "answer_end": 2142, "text": "The nation's target under the Paris Agreement - the global deal to tackle rising global temperatures - is a 26-28% reduction in emissions by 2030. Some have criticised that as inadequate for a G20 country. Last year, the UN reported that Australia - the world's largest coal exporter - was not on track to meet its commitment. Mr Morrison told the UN last year that Australia was doing its bit to address climate change, and \"balancing our global responsibilities with sensible and practical policies to secure our environmental and our economic future\"."}], "question": "What is Australia's climate change commitment?", "id": "99_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3112, "answer_end": 3450, "text": "\"We will start to see the extreme end of the fire behaviour scale occur more frequently because of the increase of temperatures\", said Dr Thornton. \"Everything we normally see as variability between a good fire season and a bad season is sitting on top of that extra 1C - and that means that the severe events will occur more frequently.\""}], "question": "Will Australia's bushfires get worse?", "id": "99_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3451, "answer_end": 4114, "text": "But Prof Wardle said the government was \"passing the buck\" on climate change and not doing enough to help stem the rise in global temperatures. \"It hasn't just been fires, there's been flood, there's the drought,\" she said. \"Every time [the government] has had the chance to take on the big issue of climate change and do something, they choose not to and blame other things like land management.\" Dr Ahmed said the leaders' responses this week were a \"very unfortunate\" reaction to peer-reviewed warnings by leading scientists. \"With that sort of evidence on the ground, it's hard to see that you still have the politics around doubting climate change,\" he said."}], "question": "Do scientists believe Australia is doing enough?", "id": "99_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4115, "answer_end": 4526, "text": "The Bureau of Meteorology's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and increased the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. In April, 23 former fire chiefs and emergency leaders issued a letter, warning the government about \"increasingly catastrophic extreme weather events\". It requested a meeting which was declined by the government."}], "question": "Was Australia warned about the risk?", "id": "99_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Unnao rape: India murder probe over fatal crash", "date": "30 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police in India have opened a murder investigation against a ruling party lawmaker after a fatal crash involving a woman who had accused him of rape. The woman was seriously injured in the crash in Uttar Pradesh state on Sunday. Two of her aunts were killed and her lawyer was seriously injured. Her family and opposition MPs have alleged the crash was a deliberate attempt on her life. BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Sengar is in jail awaiting trial charged with raping her. He was charged under India's stringent child protection laws, since the teenager was a minor in 2017, when she claims he attacked her. But he has consistently denied the allegations. Mr Sengar's lawyer, Awadhesh Singh, told Reuters that Sunday's crash was \"just an accident\" and that the allegations were intended to politically damage his client. On Monday night, activists held a protest in the capital, Delhi, to show solidarity to the woman, who remains in a critical condition in hospital. The woman, now 19 and who cannot legally be named, was travelling with her lawyer and two relatives when their car was hit by a lorry on a state highway in Rae Bareli district. Local police officer Rakesh Singh told BBC Hindi at the time that the truck driver and owner of the vehicle had been arrested and taken in for questioning. Some reports suggested the vehicle's registration plate was smeared with black paint. Police initially said they were treating it as an accident. But late on Monday, following a complaint by the woman's family, police formally opened an investigation into Mr Sengar, his brother and more than two dozen other people, alleging murder, attempted murder conspiracy and intimidation. Following pressure from opposition parties, police have agreed to hand the case over to federal investigators who are also probing the rape allegations. The woman's mother has alleged foul play, saying that the collision was not an accident and has demanded justice. Opposition parties in the state called for a federal investigation into the incident, saying the circumstances of the crash are \"suspicious\". The leader of the state's main opposition Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, was quoted by Hindustan Times newspaper as saying the incident \"could be a murder attempt\". The woman alleges that she had approached Mr Sengar for a job in June 2017 - and she was kidnapped and raped for more than a week by him and others. She said she registered a police complaint, but police initially did not name Mr Sengar as one of the accused. The police did register a case against him months later, but the woman alleges that they did not proceed with the investigation. She and her family allege that on 3 April 2018, the woman's father was assaulted by Atul Sengar and his supporters. The police charged five men for assault but they also arrested her father on the charge of illegally possessing firearms. He died later in prison. On 8 April, the woman attempted to set herself on fire outside Mr Adityanath's home, alleging that she had been repeatedly thwarted in her pursuit of justice. India's federal investigation agency then took over the case and arrested Atul Sengar and 10 others on charges of murder. The case is still ongoing. Atul Sengar has not responded to the charges. On 13 April, the high court in Uttar Pradesh ordered the arrest of Kuldeep Sengar, while criticising Mr Adityanath's government and state police for not doing enough to investigate the charges and protect the victim or her family. The court said the facts of the case \"clearly reflect that the accused has been using his office and influence with impunity to tamper [with] evidence and witnesses and further has exercised undue influence with the law and order machinery to manipulate and coerce the family members of the victim and brutally assaulted her father.\" The federal investigation agency charged Kuldeep Sengar with rape and arrested him later that day.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 961, "answer_end": 1826, "text": "The woman, now 19 and who cannot legally be named, was travelling with her lawyer and two relatives when their car was hit by a lorry on a state highway in Rae Bareli district. Local police officer Rakesh Singh told BBC Hindi at the time that the truck driver and owner of the vehicle had been arrested and taken in for questioning. Some reports suggested the vehicle's registration plate was smeared with black paint. Police initially said they were treating it as an accident. But late on Monday, following a complaint by the woman's family, police formally opened an investigation into Mr Sengar, his brother and more than two dozen other people, alleging murder, attempted murder conspiracy and intimidation. Following pressure from opposition parties, police have agreed to hand the case over to federal investigators who are also probing the rape allegations."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "100_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2250, "answer_end": 3919, "text": "The woman alleges that she had approached Mr Sengar for a job in June 2017 - and she was kidnapped and raped for more than a week by him and others. She said she registered a police complaint, but police initially did not name Mr Sengar as one of the accused. The police did register a case against him months later, but the woman alleges that they did not proceed with the investigation. She and her family allege that on 3 April 2018, the woman's father was assaulted by Atul Sengar and his supporters. The police charged five men for assault but they also arrested her father on the charge of illegally possessing firearms. He died later in prison. On 8 April, the woman attempted to set herself on fire outside Mr Adityanath's home, alleging that she had been repeatedly thwarted in her pursuit of justice. India's federal investigation agency then took over the case and arrested Atul Sengar and 10 others on charges of murder. The case is still ongoing. Atul Sengar has not responded to the charges. On 13 April, the high court in Uttar Pradesh ordered the arrest of Kuldeep Sengar, while criticising Mr Adityanath's government and state police for not doing enough to investigate the charges and protect the victim or her family. The court said the facts of the case \"clearly reflect that the accused has been using his office and influence with impunity to tamper [with] evidence and witnesses and further has exercised undue influence with the law and order machinery to manipulate and coerce the family members of the victim and brutally assaulted her father.\" The federal investigation agency charged Kuldeep Sengar with rape and arrested him later that day."}], "question": "What are the allegations against Mr Sengar?", "id": "100_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Is India\u2019s $3.60 smartphone too good to be true?", "date": "18 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On Wednesday evening a virtually unknown Indian company launched the \"world's cheapest smartphone\", named Freedom 251, for 251 rupees ($3.60; PS2.50), in Delhi. The handset, from Ringing Bells, a company less than a year old and based in Noida near the capital, Delhi, is a 3G smartphone with specifications similar to phones at least 15 times more expensive. On Thursday, it opened its website freedom251.com for pre-orders with payments due in full in advance - the phone would be sold online over a five-day window. Deliveries are promised by June. The website crashed, and it put up a notice claiming overwhelming response at \"600,000 hits per second\", due to which it was pausing bookings for a day. The company's office was also swamped by thousands of potential buyers. The firm's founder, Mohit Goel, said the phone would be locally made as part of the \"Make in India\" program promoted aggressively by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. However, the prototypes shown to media were of a Chinese-made phone with its brand name, Adcom, covered with white paint. The Android-based smartphone, with a 4-inch display, looks very similar to Apple's older iPhone 4 handset, complete with a home button and icons that are nearly identical to the iPhone's. Adcom is a Delhi-based importer of technology products. Its Ikon 4 handset, available for 4,000 rupees (about $59; PS41) on Indian e-commerce site Flipkart, appears to be very similar in specifications to Freedom 251. However, the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Adcom's marketing head denying any knowledge of the company being associated with the Freedom 251 handset. Experts who tried out the samples said the experience, including the 480x800 display and performance, was as expected for an entry-level phone in the $50 range: usable, not great. As is the norm in mid-range phones sold in India, slots for a memory card and two SIM cards have been provided. Meanwhile, according to media reports, the Indian Cellular Association has written to telecoms minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying it was not possible to sell a 3G phone below 2,700 rupees. A member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Kirit Somaiya, went further in his letter to the minister, saying this could be a \"Ponzi scheme\" or other scam. At this price, the phone is clearly being subsidised. The company denies any government subsidy or involvement, and says that economies of scale will ultimately help it meet the low selling price. However, industry experts familiar with telecom manufacturing say that the handset's cost of components alone adds up to over eight times its selling price, not counting production, distribution and marketing costs. That suggests an over 90% loss being absorbed somehow. Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli, whose company supplied the low-priced Aakash tablet computer to India's government during the former Congress party-led government, says the cost of their components alone is eight times the price it's selling at. \"And commodities like memory have a determined global price that exceeds 251 rupees, so economies of scale will never reach 251 rupees.\" So how will Ringing Bells continue, without any external subsidy? It might, say analysts, launch some handsets later that would be overpriced, to compensate. In 2015, 94% of feature-phones (as opposed to smartphones) sold in India were priced below 2,000 rupees ($30; PS21), according to data from analyst firm CyberMedia Research (CMR). So clearly there is a huge market in India for very low cost feature-phones. Smartphones, on the other hand, saw a huge spread in prices. But the top selling category, accounting for over 22% of smartphones sold in India in 2015, were for 4,000 to 6,000 rupees - rather than in the cheapest price range for smartphones, which starts below 3,000 rupees.  So cheapest isn't the bestseller for smartphones. But that's with normal pricing and \"you get what you pay for\" market economics. That can change with an aggressively subsidised model. If buyers see this as a $60 model that is being discounted by 90%, they will flock to it. \"The biggest challenge then would be to manage the scale,\" CMR analyst Faisal Kawoosa says. \"This is a new entrant with no evident electronics background, so it won't be easy.\" He adds that the company does not appear to have a registration that is mandatory for phones sold in India. The Indian government website does show a registration for 'Freedom' phones made by a Chinese firm, Shenzhen HSEM, though. For Freedom 251's vendor, there may be learning from at least three other products. One, the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, created a global sensation when it was launched in 2009 at 100,000 rupees (less than $1,500 today, or $2,000 in 2009), but market response was underwhelming, and seven years later the Nano isn't even in the top 10 cars sold in India. Reliability and supply issues were part of the problem, besides which the Nano's price has more than doubled since its launch. Only three of India's top 10 cars, by unit sales in 2015, were low-priced, entry-level models. The second is Apple. With its top-end iPhones failing to sell in the price-sensitive Indian market, it adopted the strategy of selling old iPhone models at low prices. As of today, it continues to sell the five-year-old iPhone 4s for about $150. It did not work. Indian buyers appeared to reject the \"old phones cheap\" strategy, and Apple retains an incredibly low 1% of India's smartphone market. And finally, the Aakash, billed as the world's cheapest tablet computer, a project backed strongly by the UPA government. At first severely criticised for its poor specifications, it was then upgraded. Aakash 2, launched in 2012 by India's president Pranab Mukherjee, was to be sold to college students at a remarkably low price of 1,130 rupees (then $21, PS13), thanks to a waiver of duties and a 50% subsidy. But due to differences within the government, long decision cycles, supply issues, and finally the change of regime in 2014, the project was dropped. Its supplier, however, sold the Aakash tablet under its own UbiSlate brand for about $78, and high buyer interest propelled it to the list of top five tablet vendors in India, where it has for company only one other non-Indian brand, Samsung (Apple's iPad has low market share in India). Datawind now sells over 15 tablet models at Ubislate.com, priced between $50 and $150, and says it has sold over 2.5 million units since 2012. \"India's tablet market in 2011 was only 250,000 units,\" Datawind's CEO Tuli says. \"An affordable product helped the market grow 20-fold.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2291, "answer_end": 3299, "text": "At this price, the phone is clearly being subsidised. The company denies any government subsidy or involvement, and says that economies of scale will ultimately help it meet the low selling price. However, industry experts familiar with telecom manufacturing say that the handset's cost of components alone adds up to over eight times its selling price, not counting production, distribution and marketing costs. That suggests an over 90% loss being absorbed somehow. Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli, whose company supplied the low-priced Aakash tablet computer to India's government during the former Congress party-led government, says the cost of their components alone is eight times the price it's selling at. \"And commodities like memory have a determined global price that exceeds 251 rupees, so economies of scale will never reach 251 rupees.\" So how will Ringing Bells continue, without any external subsidy? It might, say analysts, launch some handsets later that would be overpriced, to compensate."}], "question": "How is it so cheap?", "id": "101_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3300, "answer_end": 6630, "text": "In 2015, 94% of feature-phones (as opposed to smartphones) sold in India were priced below 2,000 rupees ($30; PS21), according to data from analyst firm CyberMedia Research (CMR). So clearly there is a huge market in India for very low cost feature-phones. Smartphones, on the other hand, saw a huge spread in prices. But the top selling category, accounting for over 22% of smartphones sold in India in 2015, were for 4,000 to 6,000 rupees - rather than in the cheapest price range for smartphones, which starts below 3,000 rupees.  So cheapest isn't the bestseller for smartphones. But that's with normal pricing and \"you get what you pay for\" market economics. That can change with an aggressively subsidised model. If buyers see this as a $60 model that is being discounted by 90%, they will flock to it. \"The biggest challenge then would be to manage the scale,\" CMR analyst Faisal Kawoosa says. \"This is a new entrant with no evident electronics background, so it won't be easy.\" He adds that the company does not appear to have a registration that is mandatory for phones sold in India. The Indian government website does show a registration for 'Freedom' phones made by a Chinese firm, Shenzhen HSEM, though. For Freedom 251's vendor, there may be learning from at least three other products. One, the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, created a global sensation when it was launched in 2009 at 100,000 rupees (less than $1,500 today, or $2,000 in 2009), but market response was underwhelming, and seven years later the Nano isn't even in the top 10 cars sold in India. Reliability and supply issues were part of the problem, besides which the Nano's price has more than doubled since its launch. Only three of India's top 10 cars, by unit sales in 2015, were low-priced, entry-level models. The second is Apple. With its top-end iPhones failing to sell in the price-sensitive Indian market, it adopted the strategy of selling old iPhone models at low prices. As of today, it continues to sell the five-year-old iPhone 4s for about $150. It did not work. Indian buyers appeared to reject the \"old phones cheap\" strategy, and Apple retains an incredibly low 1% of India's smartphone market. And finally, the Aakash, billed as the world's cheapest tablet computer, a project backed strongly by the UPA government. At first severely criticised for its poor specifications, it was then upgraded. Aakash 2, launched in 2012 by India's president Pranab Mukherjee, was to be sold to college students at a remarkably low price of 1,130 rupees (then $21, PS13), thanks to a waiver of duties and a 50% subsidy. But due to differences within the government, long decision cycles, supply issues, and finally the change of regime in 2014, the project was dropped. Its supplier, however, sold the Aakash tablet under its own UbiSlate brand for about $78, and high buyer interest propelled it to the list of top five tablet vendors in India, where it has for company only one other non-Indian brand, Samsung (Apple's iPad has low market share in India). Datawind now sells over 15 tablet models at Ubislate.com, priced between $50 and $150, and says it has sold over 2.5 million units since 2012. \"India's tablet market in 2011 was only 250,000 units,\" Datawind's CEO Tuli says. \"An affordable product helped the market grow 20-fold.\""}], "question": "Will it work?", "id": "101_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey in Aegean stand-off", "date": "6 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"The first time we tried to cross the sea, our engine failed,\" Iman said, \"and the Turkish authorities took us back to Turkey. \"They kept us in detention for three days and took our fingerprints. Then they released us, so we tried again.\" Iman and her family had just disembarked from a Greek coastguard vessel, en route (they hope) from Syria to Germany. As winter turns into spring, the coastguard has begun picking up hundreds of refugees and migrants every day, as soon as their flimsy rubber boats enter Greek territorial waters. It marks a change in policy. Previously the coastguard would intervene only if migrants were clearly in danger, or boats were about to sink. It is one sign that the management of the migration crisis in the Greek islands is, gradually, becoming more organised. Have EU promises been kept? Why is EU struggling with migrants and asylum? Desperate migrants plead to escape But as EU leaders prepare to hold a summit meeting with Turkey, there is no evidence on Lesbos that the number of arrivals is about to fall. \"We haven't seen any significant changes in the attitude of the Turkish coastguard - we haven't seen more boats patrolling the area from their side,\" said Lt Comm Antonis Sofiadellis. \"It's a big concern for us,\" he added, \"and if nothing changes, I think the flows will increase again.\" That is one of the reasons why the political focus is beginning to shift, from a policy of prevention to a policy of swift return. Asked on Friday if the plan was to send back all non-Syrians to Turkey in a systematic fashion, the EU's Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopolous said: \"This is one of the main goals we have to achieve. \"The ones who come over to Europe and are in need of international protection will have it. The others will have to be returned,\" he said. If that means Iraqis and Afghans are to be included, roughly half the arrivals so far this year would no longer be eligible to stay in Greece at all. That would represent a much tougher European policy, as governments across the continent struggle to come to terms with the scale of the migration crisis. But agreeing such an ambitious repatriation policy may be a lot easier than implementing it. At every step, Turkey's full co-operation will be essential. The Turkish authorities say they have already prevented some 24,000 migrants from leaving the country illegally in the first six weeks of this year. But even if they are taken into custody, as Iman and her family were, most will simply try to cross the Aegean again as soon as they are released. So in order to ease the mounting strains on the system, a large-scale readmissions policy needs to be part of a much broader package. In particular, EU leaders are being urged to speed up the relocation to other parts of the Union of refugees who have already arrived in Greece. Such a policy is already in place on paper. But it has barely got off the ground. Countries like Hungary and Slovakia are in open revolt against a mandatory measure that was agreed last year under EU voting rules. It is not the only issue that could make this summit a fractious affair. The bottleneck in Greece, caused by border restrictions further north in the Balkans, has already provoked some sharp public exchanges. Thousands of refugees and migrants are stranded. EU leaders will also have to wrestle with one chicken-and-egg conundrum in particular. If the number of arrivals on the Greek islands were to fall significantly, Germany and others may be prepared over time to resettle hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees directly from camps in Turkey. But the Turkish authorities appear to want to see evidence that the resettlement programme really will happen, before they commit extra resources to take on the smugglers in remote areas of the Aegean coast. It is a time for hard bargains. But that time is running short.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2117, "answer_end": 3317, "text": "But agreeing such an ambitious repatriation policy may be a lot easier than implementing it. At every step, Turkey's full co-operation will be essential. The Turkish authorities say they have already prevented some 24,000 migrants from leaving the country illegally in the first six weeks of this year. But even if they are taken into custody, as Iman and her family were, most will simply try to cross the Aegean again as soon as they are released. So in order to ease the mounting strains on the system, a large-scale readmissions policy needs to be part of a much broader package. In particular, EU leaders are being urged to speed up the relocation to other parts of the Union of refugees who have already arrived in Greece. Such a policy is already in place on paper. But it has barely got off the ground. Countries like Hungary and Slovakia are in open revolt against a mandatory measure that was agreed last year under EU voting rules. It is not the only issue that could make this summit a fractious affair. The bottleneck in Greece, caused by border restrictions further north in the Balkans, has already provoked some sharp public exchanges. Thousands of refugees and migrants are stranded."}], "question": "Will Turkey co-operate?", "id": "102_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Benazir Bhutto assassination: How Pakistan covered up killing", "date": "27 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Benazir Bhutto was the first woman to lead a Muslim country. The decade since an assassin killed her has revealed more about how Pakistan works than it has about who actually ordered her death. Bhutto was murdered on 27 December 2007 by a 15-year-old suicide bomber called Bilal. She had just finished an election rally in Rawalpindi when he approached her convoy, shot at her and blew himself up. Bilal had been asked to carry out the attack by the Pakistani Taliban. Benazir Bhutto was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's first democratically elected prime minister. His political career was also brought to a premature end when he was hanged by the military regime of General Zia-ul Haq. Benazir went on to become prime minister twice in the 1990s, but she was always distrusted by the military, which used corruption allegations to remove her from power. At the time of her death she was making a bid for a third term as prime minister. The assassination caused widespread civil unrest in Pakistan. Bhutto's supporters took to the streets, putting up road blocks, lighting fires and chanting anti-Pakistan slogans. A decade later, the general in charge of Pakistan at the time has suggested people in the establishment could have been involved in her murder. Asked whether rogue elements within the establishment could have been in touch with the Taliban about the killing, General Pervez Musharraf replied: \"Possibility. Yes indeed. Because the society is polarised on religious lines.\" And, he said, those elements could have had a bearing on her death. It's a startling statement from a former Pakistani head of state. Normally military leaders in Pakistan deny any suggestion of state complicity in violent jihadist attacks. Asked whether he had any specific information about rogue elements in the state being involved in the assassination, he said: \"I don't have any facts available. But my assessment is very accurate I think... A lady who is in known to be inclined towards the West is seen suspiciously by those elements.\" Musharraf has himself been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy for murder and facilitation for murder in relation to the Bhutto case. Prosecutors say that he phoned Benazir Bhutto in Washington on 25 September, three weeks before she ended eight years in self-imposed exile. Long-serving Bhutto aide Mark Seighal and journalist Ron Suskind both say they were with Bhutto when the call came in. According to Seighal, immediately after the call Bhutto said: \"He threatened me. He told me not to come back. He warned me not to come back. Musharraf said he would not be responsible for what would happen to Bhutto if she returned, Seighal told the BBC. \"And he said that her safety, her security was a function of her relationship with him.\" Musharraf strongly denies making the call and dismisses the idea that he would have ordered her murder. \"Honestly I laugh at it,\" he recently told the BBC. \"Why would I kill her?\" The legal proceedings against Musharraf have stalled because he is in self-imposed exile in Dubai. Benazir Bhutto's son and political heir, Bilawal, has rejected his denials out of hand. \"Musharraf exploited this entire situation to assassinate my mother,\" he said. \"He purposely sabotaged her security so that she would be assassinated and taken off the scene.\" While Musharraf's case is on hold, others have been acquitted of the crime. Within weeks of the assassination, five suspects had confessed to helping the 15-year-old Bilal assassinate Bhutto at the behest of the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda. The first person to be arrested, Aitzaz Shah, had been told by the Pakistan Taliban that he would be the suicide bomber chosen to kill Bhutto. Much to his annoyance he was kept in reserve in case the attempt failed. Two others, Rasheed Ahmed and Sher Zaman, confessed they were mid-ranking organisers of the conspiracy and two Rawalpindi-based cousins, Hasnain Gul and Rafaqat Hussain, told the authorities that they provided accommodation to Bilal the night before the killing. You can download Owen Bennett Jones's 10-part podcast on the murder of Benazir Bhutto. It is called The Assassination. Even though these confessions were subsequently withdrawn, phone records showing the suspects' locations and communications in the hours before Bhutto's murder seem to corroborate them. Hasnain Gul also led the police to some physical evidence in his apartment. DNA from Bilal's body parts gathered after his attack and tested in a US lab matched the DNA on some training shoes, cap and a shawl Bilal had left behind in Hasnain's residence when he put on his suicide vest. Just a few months ago prosecutors were confident these alleged plotters would be convicted. But in September the case collapsed, with the judge declaring that procedural errors in the way the evidence was gathered and presented to the court meant he had to acquit them. The five are still in detention pending an appeal. A dominant figure in Pakistani politics, Ms Bhutto served twice as the country's prime minister, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the male-dominated political establishment. But after her second fall from power, she became associated in the eyes of some with corruption and bad governance. Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999, but returned in October 2007 after then-President Musharraf granted her and others an amnesty from corruption charges. She was set to take part in an election called by Mr Musharraf for January 2008. But her homecoming procession in Karachi was bombed by suspected militants. She survived the attack, which killed well over 150 people, but would be assassinated two months later. In Pakistan it is commonplace to hear people accuse Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Zardari of having organised the assassination. The claim is normally based on the observation that since he became president after her death he was the one who benefited most. The conspiracy theorists, however, have not produced a single shred of evidence to indicate that Asif Zardari was in any way involved in his wife's death. He has denied the allegation in the strongest possible terms. Those who make the allegation, he said, should \"shut up\". Asif Zardari faces another accusation: that despite having the powers of the presidency, he failed to properly investigate his wife's murder. Secret official documents relating to the investigation and obtained by the BBC show that the police inquiries were so poorly managed as to suggest they never wanted to find guilty parties beyond the low-level plotters they had already arrested. The inadequacies of the police investigations were especially apparent after an unsuccessful attempt on Bhutto's life on 18 October 2007 - two and a half months before she was killed. Two suicide bombers attacked her convoy and killed more than 150 people. It remains one of the deadliest attacks ever mounted by violent jihadists in Pakistan. The police work was so half-hearted that the bombers were never even identified. The leader of the inquiry, Saud Mirza, has said that one man he established to have been a bomber had distinctive features, suggesting he came from a long-standing but small Karachi-based community of people of African descent. This potentially significant clue about the suspected bombers identity was never released to the public. Former President Zardari answers criticisms about the thoroughness of the police work by pointing out that he encouraged the work of Scotland Yard in relation to the murder and secured the appointment of a UN commission of inquiry to examine the circumstances of her death. That inquiry, however, says it was repeatedly and blatantly blocked not only by the military but also Zardari's ministers. \"There were many people in the establishment that we wanted to interview but they refused,\" said Heraldo Munoz, the head of the UN commission. And he said some of the obstacles came from the politicians as well as the military. As the investigation progressed, he said, the safe house the UN team used was withdrawn, as were the anti-terrorist personnel who were protecting the UN staff. That there was a cover-up is beyond doubt. A BBC investigation found evidence suggesting that two men who helped the teenage assassin reach Benazir Bhutto were themselves shot at a military checkpoint on 15 January 2008. A senior member of the Zardari government has told the BBC that he believes this was \"an encounter\" - the term Pakistanis use for extra-judicial killings. Nadir and Nasrullah Khan were students at the Taliban-supporting Haqqania madrassa in north-west Pakistan. Other students associated with the seminary who were involved in the plot also died. One of the most detailed official documents obtained by the BBC is an official PowerPoint presentation given to the Sindh provincial assembly. It names Abad ur Rehman, a former student at the madrassa and bomb-maker who helped provide the suicide jacket used to kill Benazir Bhutto. He was killed in one of Pakistan's remote tribal areas on 13 May 2010. Then there was Abdullah who, according to the Sindh assembly presentation, was involved in the transportation of the suicide vests ahead of the Rawalpindi attack that killed Bhutto. He was killed in Mohmand Agency in northern Pakistan in an explosion on 31 May 2008. One of the most high-profile deaths related to the assassination was that of Khalid Shahenshah, one of Bhutto's security guards. Shahenshah was within a few feet of Bhutto as she made her final speech in Rawalpindi. Phone footage shows him making a series of strange movements for which no one has offered any reasonable explanation. Although he kept his head completely still, he raised his eyes towards Bhutto while simultaneously running his fingers across his throat. Pictures of his gestures went viral and on 22 July 2008 Shahenshah was shot dead outside his home in Karachi. The next victim was the state prosecutor, Chaudhry Zulfikar. A lawyer with reputation for high degrees of both competence and doggedness, he told friends he was making real progress on the Bhutto investigation. On 3 May 2013 he was shot dead on the streets of Islamabad as he was being driven to a legal hearing on the case. Finally, there is a man who was said to be dead but, in fact, is still alive. In their confessions the alleged plotters said that on the day of the murder a second suicide bomber named Ikramullah accompanied Bilal. Once Bilal had succeeded in his task, Ikramullah's services were not required and he walked away unharmed. For years Pakistani officials insisted that Ikramullah had been killed in a drone strike. In 2017 chief prosecutor Mohammad Azhar Chaudhry told the BBC evidence gathered by Pakistani investigating agencies, relatives and government officials established that \"Ikramullah is dead\". In August 2017, however, the Pakistani authorities published a 28-page list of the country's most wanted terrorists. Coming in at number nine was Ikramullah, a resident of South Waziristan and involved, the list said, in the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto. The BBC understands that Ikramullah is now living in eastern Afghanistan where he has become a mid-ranking Pakistan Taliban commander. So far the only people punished in relation to the murder of Benazir Bhutto are two police officers who ordered the murder scene in Rawalpindi to be hosed down. Many Pakistanis regard those convictions as unfair, believing that the police would never have used the hoses without being told to do so by military. It suggests, once again, a cover-up by Pakistan's deep state - the hidden network of retired and serving military personnel who take it upon themselves to protect what they consider Pakistan's vital national interests.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4970, "answer_end": 5764, "text": "A dominant figure in Pakistani politics, Ms Bhutto served twice as the country's prime minister, from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the male-dominated political establishment. But after her second fall from power, she became associated in the eyes of some with corruption and bad governance. Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999, but returned in October 2007 after then-President Musharraf granted her and others an amnesty from corruption charges. She was set to take part in an election called by Mr Musharraf for January 2008. But her homecoming procession in Karachi was bombed by suspected militants. She survived the attack, which killed well over 150 people, but would be assassinated two months later."}], "question": "Who was Benazir Bhutto?", "id": "103_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey v Syria's Kurds: The short, medium and long story", "date": "23 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A deal between Turkey and Russia has brought an end to a Turkish military operation in north-eastern Syria against a Kurdish-led militia alliance previously allied to the United States. We've boiled down why it matters. Turkey considers the biggest militia in the Kurdish-led alliance a terrorist organisation. It says it is an extension of a Kurdish rebel group fighting in Turkey. On 9 October, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched an offensive to create a 30km (20-mile) deep \"safe zone\" along the Syrian side of the border. It came after the withdrawal of US troops, who had relied on the Kurds to defeat the Islamic State group. The Kurds asked Syria's government and its ally, Russia, to help stop the assault. Turkey and Russia subsequently agreed to take joint control of the border area. Turkey wants to push back from its border members of a Syrian Kurdish militia called the People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkish leaders view the YPG as a terrorist organisation. They say it is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for decades. The YPG dominates an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which drove IS out of a quarter of Syria with the help of a US-led multinational coalition. When the US declared the defeat of IS in March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed it to create a \"safe zone\" clear of YPG fighters in north-eastern Syria where refugees could be resettled. The US agreed to establish one together with Turkey in August and the YPG complied. But two months later, US troops pulled back from the border after Mr Erdogan decided to launch an operation to create a 440km-long \"safe zone\" unilaterally. The SDF said it had been \"stabbed in the back\" by the US and warned the defeat of IS might be reversed. On 9 October, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels attacked. Four days later, the SDF turned to the Syrian government and its backer, Russia, for help. They agreed to deploy Syrian soldiers to stop the advance. The US negotiated a 5-day ceasefire on 17 October to allow YPG fighters to withdraw from a 120km-long stretch of the frontier from Ras al-Ain to Tal Abyad where the fighting was focused. Just before the ceasefire expired, Mr Erdogan reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They agreed Turkey could keep its forces in the area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, and that Russian and Syrian troops would take control of the rest of the border. It feels threatened by the People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). The Turkish government insists the YPG is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist group by the US and EU. The YPG and PKK share a similar ideology, but say they are separate entities. The YPG is the dominant force in an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). With the help of air strikes by a US-led multinational coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), SDF fighters captured tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory in north-eastern Syria between 2015 and 2019. The SDF set up an autonomous administration to govern the region, home to three million people. It avoided conflict with the Syrian government, but sought recognition for Kurdish autonomy. Despite being a member of Nato and the US-led coalition against IS, Turkey opposed the support the US gave the SDF. In 2016, the Turkish military supported an offensive by allied Syrian rebel factions that drove IS militants out of the border area around Jarablus and stopped SDF fighters moving west, towards the Kurdish enclave of Afrin. In January 2018, after US officials said they were helping the SDF build a new \"border security force\" to prevent IS infiltration, Turkish-led forces launched an operation to expel YPG fighters from Afrin. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long sought what he has called a \"safe zone\" clear of YPG fighters in north-east Syria. But the issue came to the fore after the SDF captured the last pocket of IS territory in Syria in March 2019. In August, the US and Turkey agreed to a \"security mechanism\" covering a predominantly Arab border area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. US and Turkish troops carried out joint patrols and YPG began dismantling fortifications. But on 6 October, Mr Erdogan told US President Donald Trump that Turkey was about to start a unilateral operation to set up a \"safe zone\". Mr Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the area. At the start of \"Operation Peace Spring\" on 9 October, Mr Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels aimed to \"neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homes\". SDF commanders warned that a Turkish offensive would \"spill the blood of thousands of innocent civilians\" and might pave the way for the return of IS. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 120 civilians were killed, along with 275 SDF fighters, 196 Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, 10 Turkish soldiers, and five Syrian soldiers. President Erdogan said 775 \"terrorists\" had been \"neutralised\" and that 79 Syrian rebels and seven Turkish soldiers had been killed. He denied any civilians had been killed in Syria but said 20 had died in YPG attacks on Turkey. The UN said at least 176,000 people had been displaced by the fighting and that critical civilian infrastructure had been damaged. After four days of fighting, the US began a full withdrawal from northern Syria and the Kurds agreed a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the Syrian army to deploy along the northern border for the first time in years to confront the Turkish-led forces. Russia, Mr Assad's staunch ally, sent military police to key locations. On 17 October, the US persuaded Mr Erdogan to \"pause\" Turkey's offensive to allow it to \"facilitate the withdrawal of YPG forces from the Turkish-controlled safe zone\". The ceasefire largely held and on 22 October the head of the SDF said the withdrawal had been completed. That same day, Mr Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to end the offensive. They agreed: - Turkish forces would be allowed to remain in the 120km-long strip of territory they had captured between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad - Russian and Syrian troops would take control of the rest of the border area and ensure YPG fighters pulled back 30km from the border - Turkish and Russian troops would start joint patrols inside a 10km-deep zone along the border on 29 October There are questions about the deal, such as how long the Turkish forces can stay and what will happen to the tens of thousands of people being detained by the SDF on suspicion of links to IS. But there is no doubt it has cemented Russia's role as the pivotal player in Syria.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4021, "answer_end": 4683, "text": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long sought what he has called a \"safe zone\" clear of YPG fighters in north-east Syria. But the issue came to the fore after the SDF captured the last pocket of IS territory in Syria in March 2019. In August, the US and Turkey agreed to a \"security mechanism\" covering a predominantly Arab border area between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad. US and Turkish troops carried out joint patrols and YPG began dismantling fortifications. But on 6 October, Mr Erdogan told US President Donald Trump that Turkey was about to start a unilateral operation to set up a \"safe zone\". Mr Trump ordered US troops to pull back from the area."}], "question": "What prompted the talk of a 'safe zone'?", "id": "104_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4684, "answer_end": 5102, "text": "At the start of \"Operation Peace Spring\" on 9 October, Mr Erdogan said Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels aimed to \"neutralize terror threats against Turkey and lead to the establishment of a safe zone, facilitating the return of Syrian refugees to their homes\". SDF commanders warned that a Turkish offensive would \"spill the blood of thousands of innocent civilians\" and might pave the way for the return of IS."}], "question": "What was the aim of Turkey's offensive?", "id": "104_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5103, "answer_end": 5674, "text": "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 120 civilians were killed, along with 275 SDF fighters, 196 Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, 10 Turkish soldiers, and five Syrian soldiers. President Erdogan said 775 \"terrorists\" had been \"neutralised\" and that 79 Syrian rebels and seven Turkish soldiers had been killed. He denied any civilians had been killed in Syria but said 20 had died in YPG attacks on Turkey. The UN said at least 176,000 people had been displaced by the fighting and that critical civilian infrastructure had been damaged."}], "question": "What was the human cost?", "id": "104_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5675, "answer_end": 7067, "text": "After four days of fighting, the US began a full withdrawal from northern Syria and the Kurds agreed a deal with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for the Syrian army to deploy along the northern border for the first time in years to confront the Turkish-led forces. Russia, Mr Assad's staunch ally, sent military police to key locations. On 17 October, the US persuaded Mr Erdogan to \"pause\" Turkey's offensive to allow it to \"facilitate the withdrawal of YPG forces from the Turkish-controlled safe zone\". The ceasefire largely held and on 22 October the head of the SDF said the withdrawal had been completed. That same day, Mr Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to end the offensive. They agreed: - Turkish forces would be allowed to remain in the 120km-long strip of territory they had captured between Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad - Russian and Syrian troops would take control of the rest of the border area and ensure YPG fighters pulled back 30km from the border - Turkish and Russian troops would start joint patrols inside a 10km-deep zone along the border on 29 October There are questions about the deal, such as how long the Turkish forces can stay and what will happen to the tens of thousands of people being detained by the SDF on suspicion of links to IS. But there is no doubt it has cemented Russia's role as the pivotal player in Syria."}], "question": "How did the offensive end?", "id": "104_3"}]}]}, {"title": "School uniform grants still unequal", "date": "11 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The amount low-income parents can claim in school clothing grants still varies hugely around Scotland, a BBC Scotland investigation has found. In West Lothian they can receive up to PS110 per child, while in North Ayrshire it is a maximum of PS40. Last year, the Scottish government pledged to meet councils over setting a minimum level but it never happened. Education secretary John Swinney has now said he wants a voluntary agreement for councils to set a nationwide rate. Mr Swinney said there would be a range of views on the minimum rate but suggested it \"should probably be set about PS70\". That was the amount proposed by a Scottish government working group in 2009. Eight years later, just 10 of the 32 councils have met that recommendation. The average clothing grant for eligible parents is now PS63.80. Research by campaign group The Poverty Truth Commission suggested the actual cost of kitting out a child for school was PS129.50, even when shopping at supermarkets and bargain stores. Mr Swinney told BBC Scotland the Scottish government had the power to set a minimum rate but he thought \"dialogue\" with the local councils was the best way to achieve it. Local government body Cosla refused to speak to BBC Scotland on-camera but issued a statement saying they would be keen to meet to discuss Mr Swinney's proposal and \"to find out what additional money he is prepared to offer to facilitate such an agreement\". The 1980 Education Act stipulates that local authorities must make provision for the clothing of pupils who would otherwise be unable to afford schoolwear. Councils, rather than the Scottish government, are responsible for deciding the eligibility criteria, the grant amount and application process. - Use the INTERACTIVE CALCULATOR developed by BBC data journalist Marc Ellison to see how far you can stretch a council clothing grant. In 2015, when BBC Scotland first carried out the survey, the majority of Scotland's 32 councils had failed to increase the level of school clothing grants for more than a decade. In the two years since, just eight of Scotland's 32 local council areas have increased their grants. Seventeen councils have not increased the rate in more than a decade. In 2005, the average secondary school grant was PS50.09. More than a decade later, 13 councils still pay less than that amount. The average maximum grant offered by councils is now PS63.80, still well short of the PS70 minimum recommended in 2009. The lowest maximum grant levels were in North Ayrshire (PS40), Moray (PS45), and the Scottish Borders (PS45). While some councils paid almost double the amount offered by the lowest, such as West Lothian (PS110), Dundee (PS100), East Ayrshire (PS100), West Dunbartonshire (PS100) Highland (PS90) and Inverclyde (PS90). Angus Council had the lowest rate in 2015, having reduced it to just PS20. It has since raised the grant to PS50, the same as it was in 2005. Mother-of-three Jackie says she has not yet received her grant from Glasgow City Council and is worried about not being able to afford new clothes before her children go back to school next week. She says her partner works in a low-paid job and she is out of work so the council's grant to buy school clothing is important to her. \"I really need the uniform grant and I haven't received it this year because of an admin mistake because they're changing the system,\" she says. \"So it's becoming really stressful for me. I'm having to run out on very little money and try to buy last-minute things and use things from last year on the first week.\" Jackie says: \"It's important how your kids look when they go into school. People who are struggling don't want to look like they're struggling. \"For the first week, I feel as though I'm going to be sending my kids in rags, basically.\" Jackie says she can't see why the grant is not a standard amount wherever you are in the country and she thinks it should be higher than the PS52 Glasgow offers. She says: \"The bar should be set a lot higher - it should be more than PS100 at least - definitely. \"Things just cost too much - for a badged polo shift dress it can be as much as PS12 to PS15, the last time I looked at the prices  - and that's just for one. Realistically you would need five each.\" \"I have to try to hide my stress from the kids. I don't want them to pick up on it. I want them to go in feeling like they have a brand new uniform. \"I'm not even sure if I'll be able to get their hair cut by the time they go back. I'm just going to have to gel it for the first week and hope that it looks respectable enough. \"It's very stressful and it's very upsetting at times.\" After pressure from anti-poverty campaigners at the start of the last school year, Mr Swinney, the deputy first minister, promised to meet Cosla to discuss the school clothing grant and agree eligibility criteria and a minimum grant level. He said this would ensure those families across Scotland who need support receive it. That meeting did not take place. Mr Swinney has now told BBC Scotland: \"The Scottish government took steps in legislation to establish the power to set a minimum rate - but we judged the most appropriate way to take that forward was by dialogue with local authorities to avoid regulation in this respect.\" He said: \"The government would prefer to take forward a voluntary approach with local government but we have the power within legislation to establish that minimum level if we choose to do so.\" Mr Swinney added: \"The evidence that has been looked at suggests that the minimum level for the clothing grant should probably be set about PS70. And a lot of local authorities are paying either at that level or in excess of that level. \"There will be a range of different perspectives around the levels for a minimum grant in this respect. I fully recognise the significance of the cost of children going to school and being properly equipped for school.\" A statement for local government body Cosla said: \"Scotland's Councils are committed to doing the very best for the communities they are elected to represent - especially those people in the most need. \"However, years of UK government austerity and a lack of investment in public services takes its toll. \"This coupled with year on year cuts to council budgets from the Scottish government has meant that councils have had to make extremely difficult decisions across all areas of their expenditure.\" Julie Hepburn runs the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Care School Uniform Bank, which provides school uniform free of charge to families in need, through a system of referrals. The clothing consists of new and second-hand items. She says there is growing demand across the country for services such as this. \"I've spoken to volunteers running the school banks around the country and we're all seeing a huge surge in demand this year,\" Ms Hepburn says. \"Partly people will be more aware of us and the service we offer but the demand is growing all the time. \"A number of the uniform banks are struggling to meet demand.\" Ms Hepburn says she is always moved by the appreciation people show when she delivers a uniform package. \"Personally I find it very very difficult when we do drop off donations,\" she says. \"Sometimes people have been so stressed and worrying how they're going to get this uniform, when it does arrive they're quite emotional about it as well.\" According to Ms Hepburn, the school clothing grant, even for those who are eligible, does not cover all the items they need. She says: \"If you are trying to kit out a teenager and you're trying to get shoes and a coat and a bag and a blazer - blazers are now compulsory in a lot of secondary schools. \"We were trying to get one this week that was PS45. If you're only getting 70-odd quid that is not enough to cover the uniform your child needs.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1429, "answer_end": 1728, "text": "The 1980 Education Act stipulates that local authorities must make provision for the clothing of pupils who would otherwise be unable to afford schoolwear. Councils, rather than the Scottish government, are responsible for deciding the eligibility criteria, the grant amount and application process."}], "question": "What is the school uniform grant?", "id": "105_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1865, "answer_end": 2923, "text": "In 2015, when BBC Scotland first carried out the survey, the majority of Scotland's 32 councils had failed to increase the level of school clothing grants for more than a decade. In the two years since, just eight of Scotland's 32 local council areas have increased their grants. Seventeen councils have not increased the rate in more than a decade. In 2005, the average secondary school grant was PS50.09. More than a decade later, 13 councils still pay less than that amount. The average maximum grant offered by councils is now PS63.80, still well short of the PS70 minimum recommended in 2009. The lowest maximum grant levels were in North Ayrshire (PS40), Moray (PS45), and the Scottish Borders (PS45). While some councils paid almost double the amount offered by the lowest, such as West Lothian (PS110), Dundee (PS100), East Ayrshire (PS100), West Dunbartonshire (PS100) Highland (PS90) and Inverclyde (PS90). Angus Council had the lowest rate in 2015, having reduced it to just PS20. It has since raised the grant to PS50, the same as it was in 2005."}], "question": "How much do councils pay?", "id": "105_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Deadly seaplane collision in Ketchikan Alaska kills six people", "date": "15 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two seaplanes carrying tourists from the same cruise ship have collided in south-eastern Alaska, killing six people. One plane was carrying 11 people when it hit the other, which had five people aboard, near Ketchikan on Monday. Ten of those aboard the first plane survived and were taken to hospital. The dead include four Americans, one Canadian, and one Australian. Federal officials have been sent to investigate the collision. Three of those killed were aboard the other aircraft, while it is unclear which plane carried the fourth victim. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead an investigation into the collision. Both planes were from the Royal Princess cruise ship which was en route from the Canadian city of Vancouver to Anchorage, Alaska. The incident occurred in the vicinity of a popular tourist lodge that runs excursions to the nearby Misty Fjords National Monument. It happened at around 13:00 (21:00 GMT) on Monday, 10 miles (16km) from Ketchikan, as a plane operated by Taquan Air was returning from the Misty Fjords with ten passengers and a pilot aboard, Princess Cruise Lines said. The plane operated by Taquan, a regional airline based in Ketchikan, was a single-engine de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. Coast Guard identified the second plane as a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver which was on an independent tour. Weather conditions in the area at the time saw overcast skies with south-easterly winds of up to 9mph. Privately-owned vessels in the area helped local and federal rescue services to search for victims. The 10 people taken to hospital in Ketchikan are said to be in \"fair or good\" condition. The victims have been identified as Alaskan pilot Randy Sullivan, 46; Australian Simon Bodie, 56; Canadian Elsa Wilk, 37; and Americans Cassandra Webb, 62;  Ryan Wilk, 39; and Louis Botha, 46. In a statement, Global Affairs Canada offered to assist in the investigation. \"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Canadian citizen who died in Alaska,\" the government agency said in a statement. \"Canadian consular officials in Seattle are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and stand ready to provide consular assistance as required.\" The cruise ship, which departed Vancouver on 11 May and was due to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday, did not leave the area as scheduled on Monday, a passenger told AP. It was unclear how the collision would affect the rest of the cruise. \"We are deeply saddened to report this news and our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families of those impacted by today's accident,\" Princess Cruise Lines said. \"Princess Cruises is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved.\" Taquan Air announced that it had suspended all flights and was working with the NTSB and other authorities to \"examine every aspect\" of the collision. Have you been personally affected by this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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: +447555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms and conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 902, "answer_end": 2243, "text": "It happened at around 13:00 (21:00 GMT) on Monday, 10 miles (16km) from Ketchikan, as a plane operated by Taquan Air was returning from the Misty Fjords with ten passengers and a pilot aboard, Princess Cruise Lines said. The plane operated by Taquan, a regional airline based in Ketchikan, was a single-engine de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. Coast Guard identified the second plane as a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver which was on an independent tour. Weather conditions in the area at the time saw overcast skies with south-easterly winds of up to 9mph. Privately-owned vessels in the area helped local and federal rescue services to search for victims. The 10 people taken to hospital in Ketchikan are said to be in \"fair or good\" condition. The victims have been identified as Alaskan pilot Randy Sullivan, 46; Australian Simon Bodie, 56; Canadian Elsa Wilk, 37; and Americans Cassandra Webb, 62;  Ryan Wilk, 39; and Louis Botha, 46. In a statement, Global Affairs Canada offered to assist in the investigation. \"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the Canadian citizen who died in Alaska,\" the government agency said in a statement. \"Canadian consular officials in Seattle are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information and stand ready to provide consular assistance as required.\""}], "question": "What do we know about the collision?", "id": "106_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2244, "answer_end": 2923, "text": "The cruise ship, which departed Vancouver on 11 May and was due to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday, did not leave the area as scheduled on Monday, a passenger told AP. It was unclear how the collision would affect the rest of the cruise. \"We are deeply saddened to report this news and our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families of those impacted by today's accident,\" Princess Cruise Lines said. \"Princess Cruises is extending its full support to traveling companions of the guests involved.\" Taquan Air announced that it had suspended all flights and was working with the NTSB and other authorities to \"examine every aspect\" of the collision."}], "question": "How have the tour operators responded?", "id": "106_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners told to turn off device", "date": "11 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Korean tech giant Samsung has urged owners of the Galaxy Note 7 to turn off its high-end smartphone while it investigates new reports of the device catching fire. The firm also said it would stop sales of the phone, and halt production. Samsung recalled 2.5 million phones in September after complaints of exploding batteries, and later insisted that all replaced devices were safe. But there are now reports that even those phones are catching fire. A man in Kentucky said he woke up to a bedroom full of smoke from a replaced Note 7, days after a domestic flight in the US was evacuated after a new device started emitting smoke in the cabin. \"Because consumers' safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note 7 while the investigation is taking place,\" the company said. \"Consumers with either an original Galaxy Note 7 or replacement Galaxy Note 7 device should power down and stop using the device and take advantage of the remedies available,\" it added. As late as Monday evening a spokeswoman insisted the phones were safe to use. But on Tuesday the company said it would stop Galaxy Note 7 production. \"We recently re-adjusted the production volume for thorough investigation and quality control, but putting consumer safety as top priority, we have reached a final decision to halt production of Galaxy Note 7s,\" it said. South Korean media reports suggest the company is likely to stop selling the phone permanently. The problems for Samsung come at a crucial time for the firm, technology analyst Andrew Milroy of Frost & Sullivan told the BBC. \"Samsung had been making a comeback against its rivals. This catastrophic product fault will seriously damage its competitive position in the smart phone market,\" he said. Jake Saunders of ABI research said the situation for Samsung was now \"very serious\" with \"the consequences beginning to snowball\". \"The concern now will be the knock-on consequences on the reputation of the brand.\" Consumer tech analyst Caroline Milanesi of Creative Strategies told the BBC that Samsung should \"call it a day\" on production of the Galaxy Note 7 to limit long-term risk to the brand. However, South Korea's finance minister has warned that the country's exports would be hurt if the phone model is scrapped altogether. \"Right now we can't tell what the impact will be in the long term. It's up to the company and the government cannot interfere,\" said Yoo Il-ho. \"But if they do scrap the model, it will have a negative impact on exports.\" Timeline of Samsung's phones woes Cellan-Jones: Samsung's burning issue Why do lithium batteries explode? UK sellers halt Samsung Note 7 exchanges What a disaster. Samsung was dragging its heels in the face of new reports that its Note 7 phones were still burning up. Perhaps even Samsung itself could not quite believe that one of the world leaders in electronics could have made such a catastrophic product safety error... twice. They say it's the cover-up that gets you, and it appears that all the proactive work Samsung did to mitigate the Note 7 fiasco has been undone by being slower to acknowledge that the devices are still dangerous. This story is no longer just about the Note 7. It's about the trust consumers have in Samsung's wide range of products - trust that seems to be, excuse me, going up in smoke. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC Smartphones have lithium batteries and there is an arms race to make them ever smaller, more efficient and charge faster. In the Samsung case, it is thought that negative and positive electrodes coming together have caused short circuits, overheating, and then causing \"explosions\" and meltdowns of the phones. Samsung says the recalls affects 2.5 million devices.  According to the company, 45,000 Note 7s had been sold across Europe through pre-ordering, mostly in the UK. More than 75% of those have been replaced with either a Note 7 or another Samsung handset. The Galaxy Note 7 was meant to be Samsung's flagship phone, released just weeks before Apple's iPhone 7. It was well received but since the scandal, Samsung shares have taken a hit and Apple has seen its stock rise. There's also expected to be significant damage to brand image and reputation. The US consumer protection agency has also urged people not to use their Samsung replacement devices. \"No one should have to be concerned their phone will endanger them, their family or their property,\" Elliot Kaye, chairman of the safety commission, said. He called Samsung's decision to stop distributing the device \"the right move\" in light of \"ongoing safety concerns\". The South Korean transport ministry on Tuesday said people should not use or charge their Note 7 devices on a plane. The original Note 7 had already been banned by numerous aviation authorities and airlines around the world. On Monday, US mobile networks AT&T and T-Mobile had already stopped replacing or selling the phone. In the UK, Vodafone and EE had suspended replacements. - Samsung is one of the best-known chaebols - South Korean business conglomerates - In 2014, Samsung Group's total assets were $529.5bn (PS430bn) - Samsung means \"Three Stars\": It was established in 1938 selling dried fish, fruit and vegetables to China - Its core tech business, Samsung-Sanyo Electronics, was established in 1969 - In the 1970s, the firm invested in heavy, chemical, and petrochemical industries - still a major part of its business. Also in financial services - Samsung Electronics developed its first smartphone in 1999 - In 2009, Samsung launched its first phone running on the Android operating system - Samsung's smartphone market dominance was established by the beginning of 2012", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4005, "answer_end": 4298, "text": "The Galaxy Note 7 was meant to be Samsung's flagship phone, released just weeks before Apple's iPhone 7. It was well received but since the scandal, Samsung shares have taken a hit and Apple has seen its stock rise. There's also expected to be significant damage to brand image and reputation."}], "question": "What does it mean for Samsung's rivalry with Apple?", "id": "107_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How thermal imaging tech is about to become hot stuff", "date": "11 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Soon we'll all be feeling the heat, thanks to thermal imaging technology. Although it's already been used by industry, the military and some emergency services, it was expensive and therefore had a limited market. But in the same way that GPS location tech has now found its way into cars, smartphones, cameras and many other devices, thermography, as it's more properly known, is on the brink of becoming a universal technology, too. The cost of chips and thermal detectors that enable us to see and measure infrared heat signatures from surfaces has plunged in recent years. So in the future, that means more sensors in more places. Doing what exactly? In a supermarket a manager could be alerted when the checkout queue gets too long without looking at a video feed. The cumulative heat signature would be enough to trigger an alert. At big venues, audio could be redirected on the fly amongst dozens of loud speakers to give the area with the most people at any given moment the best possible aural experience. Sensors placed along the side of a cruise ship could instantly detect falling passengers even before they touched the water's surface. And smartphones equipped with such sensors could be used to carry out thermal efficiency inspections in homes, spot leaks, or simply look for wildlife on night camping adventures with the kids. There are hundreds of other likely scenarios, says Tim LeBeau of Seek Thermal, which already makes a thermal camera accessory for iOS and Android smartphones, as well as a handheld device called \"Reveal\". \"Let's take a baggage carousel at a big airport,\" he tells the BBC. \"There are several thousand electrical motors that move the bags around. If one seizes up, a tonne of bags could miss their connection. \"With thermal imaging, taking a snapshot every 30 seconds would allow for an alert if [a motor] was about to go bad.\" Seek Thermal has also produced prototype sensors that it says will bring the cost down from around $3,000 (PS1,977) to about $300 per chip. These cheaper sensors are mostly uncooled, which makes them slightly less sensitive than cooled sensors because they pick up some heat from their immediate surroundings. But they are still good enough for most non-specialist purposes, says Dr Gabe Fulop, a 25-year industry veteran who writes a newsletter called Infrared Imaging News. And it is these cheaper uncooled sensors that are likely to drive the market, he believes. \"The worldwide uncooled market is currently worth more than $2bn (PS1.3bn) but is expected to double in the next five years,\" says Mr Fulop. The number of gadgets equipped with thermal sensors is forecast to grow from about 500,000 to three million units, he says, \"most of it driven by these new applications\". Making this kind of technology more affordable for local authorities could even save lives, he believes. Firefighters are already experimenting with drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras - using them to spot wildfires, for example. And police and paramedics could also find them valuable tools in emergency situations. Many car crash victims manage to stumble 20-30ft (6-9m) before collapsing in long grass or behind hedges and trees. They can easily be missed by the emergency services, especially at night. If the first responders had mobile thermographic devices, such potential tragedies could be avoided, he argues. \"Each person as he sits in the car warms up the seat. So for a very short time you can detect a heat signature on the seat,\" says Mr Fulop. This means emergency services would know if someone had been occupying a vehicle even if the person were now absent from the scene. \"If another car has just left [the accident], the tyre marks will still be visible because of a little extra heat, but those, too, will dissipate quickly.\" Infrared thermography (IRT) has been used on animals for many years, mostly as a way of diagnosing physical illness, especially in agricultural settings. But at Detroit zoo in the US, Dr Stephanie Allard is investigating methods of testing animals for psychological ups and downs using thermal cameras. The aim is to measure the welfare of animals and how they react to different situations. \"Looking at the surface temperature of an eyeball has turned out to be a really valuable tool with horses and cows, for example,\" she says. \"Stress leads to an increase in temperature. \"However, that has not been validated for most other species, which, of course, is a wide range in a zoo. We have to determine where those differences in temperature may happen in order to know if IRT will be a useful tool to tell when an animal is having an amazing time...or not.\" But thermal technology has its limitations. One of its biggest drawbacks is that heat signatures are very hard - if not impossible - to read behind walls, doors and glass. But a new twist on another established technology could solve this problem. A team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has come up with a system called RF-Capture that can track people through walls using certain radio frequency (RF) signals. A device that resembles a wi-fi router sends out a stream of RF signals which in turn are bounced back from different parts of a body as it moves, producing images that resemble a thermal pattern, but are not. The MIT researchers devised an algorithm to turn these individual snapshots into an animation. The kit can detect the movement of a heartbeat and lungs even when someone is standing still, and differentiate between body shapes. The MIT team, led by Professor Dina Katabi, has started a company called Emerald to promote the device, and the tech has attracted the attention of the White House. One potential application is monitoring elderly relatives without the need for panic button necklaces or wristbands. It could also be integrated into home and office security systems. But what will the public think about tech that can see through walls? Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3806, "answer_end": 4665, "text": "Infrared thermography (IRT) has been used on animals for many years, mostly as a way of diagnosing physical illness, especially in agricultural settings. But at Detroit zoo in the US, Dr Stephanie Allard is investigating methods of testing animals for psychological ups and downs using thermal cameras. The aim is to measure the welfare of animals and how they react to different situations. \"Looking at the surface temperature of an eyeball has turned out to be a really valuable tool with horses and cows, for example,\" she says. \"Stress leads to an increase in temperature. \"However, that has not been validated for most other species, which, of course, is a wide range in a zoo. We have to determine where those differences in temperature may happen in order to know if IRT will be a useful tool to tell when an animal is having an amazing time...or not.\""}], "question": "Feeling the blues?", "id": "108_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India no longer world's fastest-growing economy", "date": "31 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's economy has grown at its slowest pace in almost five years, according to the latest data released by the government. The new numbers are a cause of concern for PM Narendra Modi, who started his second term on Thursday, writes the BBC's Sameer Hashmi. In the past financial year - April 2018 to March 2019 - the economy grew by 6.8%. And in the quarter between January and March, it expanded by just 5.8% - falling behind China's pace for the first time in nearly two years. This means India is no longer the world's fastest-growing economy. And it will be a challenge for the new finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, only the second woman to hold the post after former PM Indira Gandhi. Ms Sitharaman has headed important ministries like commerce and defence during Mr Modi's first term. But she takes charge at a time when the economy is faltering. The immediate concern will be to help restore confidence in the economy. \"It's important to strike a balance between short-term and long-term priorities,\" economist Dharmakirti Joshi says. One of the pressing challenges is job creation. The biggest criticism of Mr Modi during his first term was his government's failure to generate employment. According to a government report, unemployment touched a 45-year high between 2017 and 2018. Mr Joshi believes the government should focus on labour-intensive sectors like construction and textiles to create more immediate jobs, but also give importance to industries like healthcare to generate employment in the long run. \"The government wants to scale-up its healthcare and welfare schemes, and apart from doctors and surgeons, you also need paramedics and nurses,\" he says. Weak exports have also been a stumbling block when it comes to creating jobs. The government is expected to prioritise policies that will make small- and medium-sized businesses more competitive. The new GDP data make it clear that India is staring at an economic slowdown. Unlike China, India's economic growth has been driven by domestic consumption over the past 15 years. But data released over the past few months suggest that consumer spending is slowing. Sales of cars and SUVs have slumped to a seven-year low. Tractor, motorbike and scooter sales are down. Demand for bank credit has sputtered. Hindustan Unilever - India's leading maker of fast-moving consumer goods - has reported slower revenue growth in the past quarter. All of these are important benchmarks for measuring consumer appetite. Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised that it would cut income tax to ensure greater purchasing power. Gaurang Shetty, vice-president of a brokerage firm, believes that the government should also consider slashing personal and corporate taxes in the next budget, which will be announced in July. \"It will act as a stimulus for the economy,\" he says. But India's 3.4% budget deficit - the gap between government expenditure and revenue - might restrict Mr Modi's options. Experts say that the widening fiscal deficit could hold back medium- and long-term growth. This was a constant challenge for Mr Modi in his first term. Farmers across the country regularly protest, demanding higher crop prices and loan waivers. The BJP has promised to extend a scheme that offers income support for small- and medium-sized farmers to include all farmers. \"Income support is a stop-gap arrangement but it is not a long-term solution,\" says Mr Joshi, adding that the agrarian sector is in need of structural changes. Currently, farmers sell their produce to state-owned agencies at a fixed price. Mr Joshi says he would like to see farmers given direct access to markets and sellers. Fixing the country's agriculture sector has been a long-standing demand. More than half of India's population relies on farming, which makes farmers an important voting bloc. But experts hope that the BJP's thumping majority - the party's coalition won 354 of the 545 lower house seats - will allow it to enact reforms to transform agriculture into a modern industry. One of the BJP's biggest pledges was to spend $1.44tn (PS1.14tn) to build roads, railways and other infrastructure. But many observers say that the gargantuan sum will come from private industry. Mr Modi made little progress on his promise to sell government-owned enterprises, including the debt-ridden national carrier Air India. Gaurang Shetty expects Mr Modi to pursue privatisation more aggressively this time. \"The Indian stock markets have been euphoric and the rally is likely to continue for a while. It's the ideal time to sell stakes in loss-making companies,\" he says. Experts also reckon that embracing bolder policies could entice more foreign investment. Private investment has been lagging for the past few years, and India's impressive economic growth in the past decade has largely been driven by government expenditure. During Mr Modi's first term, his government reduced red tape, helping move India to 77th spot in the World Bank's 2019 Doing Business ranking - a vast improvement from its earlier rank of 134. But experts say more needs to be done to attract private and foreign investment - and they say that it has to happen quickly. \"The first two years is the time to bite the bullet. The results will take time to show but it would make a huge difference to India's overall growth story, \" Mr Joshi says.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 859, "answer_end": 1877, "text": "The immediate concern will be to help restore confidence in the economy. \"It's important to strike a balance between short-term and long-term priorities,\" economist Dharmakirti Joshi says. One of the pressing challenges is job creation. The biggest criticism of Mr Modi during his first term was his government's failure to generate employment. According to a government report, unemployment touched a 45-year high between 2017 and 2018. Mr Joshi believes the government should focus on labour-intensive sectors like construction and textiles to create more immediate jobs, but also give importance to industries like healthcare to generate employment in the long run. \"The government wants to scale-up its healthcare and welfare schemes, and apart from doctors and surgeons, you also need paramedics and nurses,\" he says. Weak exports have also been a stumbling block when it comes to creating jobs. The government is expected to prioritise policies that will make small- and medium-sized businesses more competitive."}], "question": "Where are the jobs?", "id": "109_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kabul bomb: Afghan leader condemns 'cowardly' attack", "date": "1 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan has condemned a massive bomb attack in the capital Kabul, which killed at least 90 people, as \"cowardly\". A suicide attacker detonated a bomb hidden inside a tanker truck close to the heavily protected diplomatic area during the morning rush hour. Some 400 people were injured by the blast, which left a deep crater. No group has said it carried out the attack but Taliban militants denied being involved. Recent bomb attacks in Kabul have been claimed either by the Taliban or so-called Islamic State (IS). Most of the casualties were Afghans but foreign nationals were also injured, including 11 US citizens. The bomb exploded close to the German embassy, where a number of staff were injured. Authorities in Germany postponed a deportation flight due to return failed Afghan asylum seekers, with a government source telling AFP news agency that diplomatic and consular staff had \"more important things to do than to deal with organisational matters\" so soon after the attack. The bomb went off at about 08:20 local time (03:50 GMT) near Zanbaq Square, outside the Green Zone. Reports vary as to the kind of vehicle used to deliver the bomb - either a water or sewage tanker. One Western diplomatic source told AFP news agency the blast had been caused by more than 1,500kg (3,307lb) of explosives. The area is home to key buildings including embassies and the presidential palace. More than 50 other vehicles were destroyed. Many of the casualties appear to have been Afghan civilians on their way to work or school, and office workers in nearby buildings. \"I have never seen such a terrible explosion in my life,\" local shop owner Sayed Rahman told Reuters news agency after his store was badly damaged. Another resident, Abdul Wahid, told the BBC the blast had been \"like a heavy earthquake\". Those injured or killed in the attack included: - Mohammed Nazir, a driver for BBC Afghan for more than four years, who died in the blast. Four other BBC employees were injured. - 11 US citizens working as contractors at the American embassy were also injured. - Employees at the German embassy were injured and one Afghan security guard had died. - Aziz Navin, a staff member of Afghanistan's Tolo news agency, was killed. - A Tolo journalist also said some of the victims were from the Roshan mobile phone company, but this has not been confirmed. - Two Japanese embassy staff members were slightly wounded. Several countries including France and Turkey also reported damage to their embassy buildings. The BBC has been reacting to the death of its Kabul driver: - Francesca Unsworth, BBC World Service director: It is with great sadness that the BBC can confirm the death of BBC Afghan driver Mohammed Nazir following the vehicle bomb in Kabul earlier today, as he was driving journalist colleagues to the office. Mohammed Nazir worked as a driver for the BBC Afghan service for more than four years and was a popular colleague. He was in his late 30s and he leaves a young family. This is a devastating loss to the BBC and to Mohammed Nazir's friends and family. - Tony Hall, BBC director-general: Many of our staff face dangerous situations every day as they report from volatile areas around the world. It's testament to their bravery that we are able to provide trusted, impartial coverage - but consequences like this are devastating for us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mohammed's family and many friends at such a very sad time. - Waheed Massoud, BBC Afghan service: Mohammed Nazir was young. He was the father of four children and the only breadwinner in his family. He had a gentle smile and a warm personality. I knew Nazir for years and I worked with him most days of the week. BBC journalists, support staff and visitors remember him as an honest and reliable person. Most colleagues deploying from Kabul to dangerous provinces would prefer to go with Nazir. Read Waheed's tribute in full. It appears not. AFP's source at the interior ministry said there would be no flights for a few days - but they would resume. Germany argues Afghanistan is a safe country for failed asylum seekers to return to - unlike Syria, for example. Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Wednesday's bombing, saying \"terrorism has no borders\". US President Donald Trump has \"condemned the attack, which occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, underscoring the barbaric nature of the terrorists who are enemies of all civilised peoples\", the White House said. Others including India, Pakistan and Pope Francis have also condemned the attack, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressing \"abhorrence\" at the bombing. The Taliban has denied responsibility, but Afghan government spokesman Sadiq Sadiqi said it was \"very typical\" of them to do so in situations with many civilian casualties. \"Their denial will make no sense because it's very clear for people who is behind these kinds of attacks,\" he said. The Taliban said it would focus on foreign forces when announcing the start of their major spring offensive last month, and recently attacked an Afghan army training compound in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif. The IS claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack this month on a Nato convoy passing the US embassy in Kabul. At least eight civilians were killed. It has made no comment so far on the latest attack. The US has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, with another 5,000 from Nato allies. The Pentagon has reportedly pressed President Donald Trump to send thousands more troops back to the country to try to counter gains by the Taliban. More than a third of Afghanistan is now said to be outside Afghan government control.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1017, "answer_end": 1465, "text": "The bomb went off at about 08:20 local time (03:50 GMT) near Zanbaq Square, outside the Green Zone. Reports vary as to the kind of vehicle used to deliver the bomb - either a water or sewage tanker. One Western diplomatic source told AFP news agency the blast had been caused by more than 1,500kg (3,307lb) of explosives. The area is home to key buildings including embassies and the presidential palace. More than 50 other vehicles were destroyed."}], "question": "When and where did the attack take place?", "id": "110_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1466, "answer_end": 2540, "text": "Many of the casualties appear to have been Afghan civilians on their way to work or school, and office workers in nearby buildings. \"I have never seen such a terrible explosion in my life,\" local shop owner Sayed Rahman told Reuters news agency after his store was badly damaged. Another resident, Abdul Wahid, told the BBC the blast had been \"like a heavy earthquake\". Those injured or killed in the attack included: - Mohammed Nazir, a driver for BBC Afghan for more than four years, who died in the blast. Four other BBC employees were injured. - 11 US citizens working as contractors at the American embassy were also injured. - Employees at the German embassy were injured and one Afghan security guard had died. - Aziz Navin, a staff member of Afghanistan's Tolo news agency, was killed. - A Tolo journalist also said some of the victims were from the Roshan mobile phone company, but this has not been confirmed. - Two Japanese embassy staff members were slightly wounded. Several countries including France and Turkey also reported damage to their embassy buildings."}], "question": "Who were the casualties?", "id": "110_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3950, "answer_end": 4665, "text": "It appears not. AFP's source at the interior ministry said there would be no flights for a few days - but they would resume. Germany argues Afghanistan is a safe country for failed asylum seekers to return to - unlike Syria, for example. Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Wednesday's bombing, saying \"terrorism has no borders\". US President Donald Trump has \"condemned the attack, which occurred during the holy month of Ramadan, underscoring the barbaric nature of the terrorists who are enemies of all civilised peoples\", the White House said. Others including India, Pakistan and Pope Francis have also condemned the attack, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressing \"abhorrence\" at the bombing."}], "question": "Has Germany stopped deportations indefinitely?", "id": "110_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4666, "answer_end": 5694, "text": "The Taliban has denied responsibility, but Afghan government spokesman Sadiq Sadiqi said it was \"very typical\" of them to do so in situations with many civilian casualties. \"Their denial will make no sense because it's very clear for people who is behind these kinds of attacks,\" he said. The Taliban said it would focus on foreign forces when announcing the start of their major spring offensive last month, and recently attacked an Afghan army training compound in the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif. The IS claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack this month on a Nato convoy passing the US embassy in Kabul. At least eight civilians were killed. It has made no comment so far on the latest attack. The US has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, with another 5,000 from Nato allies. The Pentagon has reportedly pressed President Donald Trump to send thousands more troops back to the country to try to counter gains by the Taliban. More than a third of Afghanistan is now said to be outside Afghan government control."}], "question": "Who could have been behind the attack?", "id": "110_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria conflict: The spectre of nerve agents - again", "date": "4 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Reports from Syria indicate that a chemical substance has been used in Idlib in a horrific attack. As with the now-infamous Sarin attacks in August 2013, there are numerous accounts, including gruesome video, that allege that prohibited nerve agents have been used. Previous incidents involving Sarin have demonstrated that diagnosing nerve agent exposure by examining video clips is problematic. Many signs of exposure are not easily recorded, and given the extreme lethality of all of the nerve agents, most victims who make it alive to the care of a medic do not necessarily display the most grave signs and symptoms. Exposure to liquid nerve agents (all of them are liquids, not gases, at normal temperatures) causes effects that appear in somewhat different chronology to those of victims that inhale vapours. However, all of the nerve agents behave the same in terms of their physiological effects on the human body. The weapon used may not have been Sarin.  It could plausibly have been one of the other nerve agents. Documents released by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) show that the Assad government had the ability and supply chain to produce VX, a nerve agent that is a non-volatile liquid that can cause contamination that can last for weeks or months. Another possibility is Tabun, which was manufactured in great quantities in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Tabun has the advantage of being easier to manufacture, and it is marginally less lethal than Sarin or VX.  However, it is orders of magnitude more lethal than chlorine, which has been prolifically used. Other nerve agents are possible but unlikely, as they get into exotic chemistry and strange methods of production. Only a serious effort to collect, preserve and analyse forensic evidence will definitively identify the material used.  Finding the remains of the actual weapon(s) used will be critical to this effort. The use of nerve agents, if proven, raises serious implications. It will represent a grave escalation beyond the chlorine which has been routinely used. Perhaps the lack of punishment for using chlorine, combined with chlorine's relatively low lethality, has driven this escalation. Use of nerve agents by the Assad government also would demonstrate that either the Syrian state was not honest in its declarations when it joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and OPCW, or that it has re-established both a supply chain and a manufacturing capability that it had formally renounced. The issue of where the precursor chemicals come from amidst sanctions is of concern. Chemical arms control appears a lost cause in the Syrian civil war, but also the international failure to enforce treaties damages arms control in the future. Chemical weapons, Sarin and others disproportionately punish civilians, particularly the young and old, and disrespecting chemical warfare bans sets a horrible precedent. Dan Kaszeta is a London-based consultant.  He is a former US Army Chemical Corps officer and has worked in chemical defence issues for over 25 years, including assignments at the White House Military Office and the US Secret Service. Follow him on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1926, "answer_end": 3187, "text": "The use of nerve agents, if proven, raises serious implications. It will represent a grave escalation beyond the chlorine which has been routinely used. Perhaps the lack of punishment for using chlorine, combined with chlorine's relatively low lethality, has driven this escalation. Use of nerve agents by the Assad government also would demonstrate that either the Syrian state was not honest in its declarations when it joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and OPCW, or that it has re-established both a supply chain and a manufacturing capability that it had formally renounced. The issue of where the precursor chemicals come from amidst sanctions is of concern. Chemical arms control appears a lost cause in the Syrian civil war, but also the international failure to enforce treaties damages arms control in the future. Chemical weapons, Sarin and others disproportionately punish civilians, particularly the young and old, and disrespecting chemical warfare bans sets a horrible precedent. Dan Kaszeta is a London-based consultant.  He is a former US Army Chemical Corps officer and has worked in chemical defence issues for over 25 years, including assignments at the White House Military Office and the US Secret Service. Follow him on Twitter."}], "question": "Assad emboldened?", "id": "111_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Roger Stone: Trump ally, political strategist, Nixon fan and Russia probe defendant", "date": "20 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Roger Stone, a long-time political strategist and former ally of President Donald Trump, has been given a 40-month jail sentence after being found guilty of several federal charges, including lying to Congress. The 67-year-old was convicted after a trial in Washington DC. He was arrested in January 2019 in connection with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. A political veteran, Stone has worked with Republicans since the 1970s and even bears a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back. But who is the self-described \"dirty trickster\" and why was he put on trial? Roger Stone was found guilty of seven criminal counts of lying to the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, obstructing justice and witness tampering. His conviction is connected to statements he made about the Trump campaign's efforts to obtain emails hacked by Russia to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. These emails were published by WikiLeaks. Some of the lies were about the existence of certain emails and texts. Others related to Stone's conversations with Trump campaign officials and a reported \"intermediary\" with WikiLeaks in early 2016. Prosecutors said he lied about the date of those conversations, and the identity of the intermediary. Stone was also convicted of tampering with a witness - comedian Randy Credico, whom Stone told Congress was the WikiLeaks back channel - when they were called to testify before Congress and speak with the FBI. In messages Stone sent to Mr Credico, he told him to \"prepare to die\", and called him \"a rat\". Stone also told him: \"Stonewall it. Plead the Fifth. Anything to save the plan.\" Both Stone and Mr Credico have since said that Mr Credico was not the WikiLeaks intermediary. During the trial, prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky told the jury that Stone - whose activities had long been scrutinised by both the FBI and the Senate - lied \"because the truth looked bad for the Trump campaign\". Stone denied the charges, but was convicted on 15 November. Sentencing him on 20 February, Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Stone had engaged in \"intolerable\" \"threatening and intimidating conduct\" toward her. In addition to the jail sentence, Stone will serve two years' probation after his custodial sentence. He has also been fined $20,000 (PS15,500) and must serve 250 hours of community service. Born in Connecticut in 1952, Stone first got involved in politics at the age of eight, agitating for Democratic candidate John F Kennedy. \"I remember going through the cafeteria line and telling every kid that Nixon was in favour of school on Saturdays,\" the strategist told the Washington Post in a 2007 interview. \"It was my first political trick.\" But Stone would begin his professional career helping out on Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign. Congressional hearings in 1973 called to investigate the Watergate scandal reportedly revealed Stone had hired a Republican operative to infiltrate Democratic candidate George McGovern's campaign, and sabotaged a Republican challenger to Nixon. The revelations cost him his job for then-Senator Bob Dole, but Stone insists he did not break any law. \"The reason I'm a Nixonite is because of his indestructibility and resilience,\" he told the New Yorker in an interview, shortly after he had the 37th president's face tattooed between his shoulder blades. \"Women love it,\" he said. Stone went on to work on Ronald Reagan's successful presidential runs in 1980 and 1984, and aided George HW Bush's election in 1988. But Richard Nixon still seems to hold special significance for Stone - aside from the tattoo, he has a room of Nixon memorabilia in his office in Oakland Park, Florida. In the 1990s, Stone worked as a lobbyist for Donald Trump's casino business, and later helped Mr Trump's unsuccessful White House run in 2000. According to the Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone, the strategist reportedly encouraged Mr Trump to run for the presidency. While serving on Mr Trump's campaign in 2015 the pair allegedly had a falling out - Stone says he quit, while Mr Trump said he had fired the operative. But days later Stone wrote a piece for Business Insider in support of the Republican candidate, titled \"The man who just resigned from Donald Trump's campaign explains how Trump can still win\". Since Mr Trump's election, the president has distanced himself from Stone. This, despite Stone regularly appearing on television to defend his former employer. His Twitter account was temporarily suspended in 2017 after the strategist attacked journalists on the site, allegedly using homophobic language to target CNN presenter Don Lemon. Stone threatened to sue the platform, saying he had been \"inundated on Twitter with bloggers threatening to kill me... yet Twitter seems unconcerned about that\". The political veteran's dress code has also garnered attention. He reportedly does not wear socks, and favours custom-made suits. \"If life is a stage, then you should always be in costume,\" he told the New York Times in 2015. \"And if you are trying to connote a certain authority in your business life, I think being well dressed is part of that.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2393, "answer_end": 3729, "text": "Born in Connecticut in 1952, Stone first got involved in politics at the age of eight, agitating for Democratic candidate John F Kennedy. \"I remember going through the cafeteria line and telling every kid that Nixon was in favour of school on Saturdays,\" the strategist told the Washington Post in a 2007 interview. \"It was my first political trick.\" But Stone would begin his professional career helping out on Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign. Congressional hearings in 1973 called to investigate the Watergate scandal reportedly revealed Stone had hired a Republican operative to infiltrate Democratic candidate George McGovern's campaign, and sabotaged a Republican challenger to Nixon. The revelations cost him his job for then-Senator Bob Dole, but Stone insists he did not break any law. \"The reason I'm a Nixonite is because of his indestructibility and resilience,\" he told the New Yorker in an interview, shortly after he had the 37th president's face tattooed between his shoulder blades. \"Women love it,\" he said. Stone went on to work on Ronald Reagan's successful presidential runs in 1980 and 1984, and aided George HW Bush's election in 1988. But Richard Nixon still seems to hold special significance for Stone - aside from the tattoo, he has a room of Nixon memorabilia in his office in Oakland Park, Florida."}], "question": "Who is Roger Stone?", "id": "112_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3730, "answer_end": 5198, "text": "In the 1990s, Stone worked as a lobbyist for Donald Trump's casino business, and later helped Mr Trump's unsuccessful White House run in 2000. According to the Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone, the strategist reportedly encouraged Mr Trump to run for the presidency. While serving on Mr Trump's campaign in 2015 the pair allegedly had a falling out - Stone says he quit, while Mr Trump said he had fired the operative. But days later Stone wrote a piece for Business Insider in support of the Republican candidate, titled \"The man who just resigned from Donald Trump's campaign explains how Trump can still win\". Since Mr Trump's election, the president has distanced himself from Stone. This, despite Stone regularly appearing on television to defend his former employer. His Twitter account was temporarily suspended in 2017 after the strategist attacked journalists on the site, allegedly using homophobic language to target CNN presenter Don Lemon. Stone threatened to sue the platform, saying he had been \"inundated on Twitter with bloggers threatening to kill me... yet Twitter seems unconcerned about that\". The political veteran's dress code has also garnered attention. He reportedly does not wear socks, and favours custom-made suits. \"If life is a stage, then you should always be in costume,\" he told the New York Times in 2015. \"And if you are trying to connote a certain authority in your business life, I think being well dressed is part of that.\""}], "question": "How does he know Donald Trump?", "id": "112_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia's Putin embraces higher pension age but softens blow", "date": "29 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "For a long time Vladimir Putin distanced himself from Russia's pension reform. It was always expected to be highly controversial and the idea was for the government to propose the tough reform and take the flak. But the street protests grew and President Putin's approval rating fell, regardless. So now, as if on cue, he has ridden to the rescue - cast as Vladimir the Benevolent, stepping in to soften the blow. Any notion that he would simply scrap the reform, or overhaul it significantly, was soon scotched. From the start of his speech, simulcast on all state TV channels, Mr Putin went to great lengths to explain that raising the retirement age was essential. Acknowledging that he had once promised never to take this step as president, he argued that times - and the economic environment - had changed. Too many pensioners and too few workers were putting an intolerable pressure on state finances. If nothing changed, the president warned, the system would first crack and then collapse. His tone veered from kindly and sympathetic - calling viewers his \"dear friends\" and stressing that he shared their concern - to stern. \"We really can't delay any more,\" Mr Putin insisted. \"That would be irresponsible.\" He cast pension reform as a matter of national security. The president did offer some mild relief from the initial proposal for Russian women. As Russia \"cares\" for its women, he said, they would have to work only five extra years before retirement at 60, instead of eight. That can be cut further, mind you, if they have extra children - basically producing extra workers to contribute to the pension pot. On the other hand, those mothers will probably have to stay at home to care for their bigger brood. At the moment, many grandmothers help raise children once they retire at 55. Under the new system, they would be working. But the biggest bone of contention is male workers. Vladimir Putin left the new retirement age for men at 65, a five-year increase. His argument is that life expectancy has leapt up under his rule, which is certainly true compared to the dire post-Soviet crisis of the 1990s. But Russian men still only live to 67 on average. Under the new system a huge number would not survive to collect their pension. More money, then, for that \"cracking\" system. The Kremlin says Mr Putin has intervened on this issue because of its importance, not to boost his flagging rating. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told the BBC it was a \"brave step, in Putin's style\" and state TV has now gone into overdrive promoting it and the pension reform. However, supporters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny have reacted to the speech by posting fresh calls to a protest on 9 September. Mr Navalny himself was sentenced to 30 days in custody this week, a step he argues was meant to hinder preparations for rallies against the reform across the country. And on the streets, Russians' initial reaction has been cool. One woman, Irina, blamed foreign policy and sanctions for the lack of cash in the pension pot. A man called Sergei said he feared there would be no money at all by the time he reached retirement. The risk for Russia's president, of course, is that while this unpopular move could once be pinned firmly on the government - it's now very much Vladimir Putin's proposal.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2299, "answer_end": 3311, "text": "The Kremlin says Mr Putin has intervened on this issue because of its importance, not to boost his flagging rating. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told the BBC it was a \"brave step, in Putin's style\" and state TV has now gone into overdrive promoting it and the pension reform. However, supporters of opposition politician Alexei Navalny have reacted to the speech by posting fresh calls to a protest on 9 September. Mr Navalny himself was sentenced to 30 days in custody this week, a step he argues was meant to hinder preparations for rallies against the reform across the country. And on the streets, Russians' initial reaction has been cool. One woman, Irina, blamed foreign policy and sanctions for the lack of cash in the pension pot. A man called Sergei said he feared there would be no money at all by the time he reached retirement. The risk for Russia's president, of course, is that while this unpopular move could once be pinned firmly on the government - it's now very much Vladimir Putin's proposal."}], "question": "Will this calm the anger?", "id": "113_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Macron pension reform: Why are French workers on strike?", "date": "5 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France's biggest strike in decades has shut down public transport services and reduced the number of hospital staff, teachers and police officers at work in the latest protest against President Emmanuel Macron's reforms. In this case, unions representing millions of staff in both the public and private sectors are unhappy about a plan to overhaul the country's pension system, which they say will force people to work longer or face reduced payouts when they retire. One opinion poll put public support for the latest strike action at 69%, with backing strongest among 18-34 year-olds. So why is Mr Macron looking to implement such unpopular new measures - and just how controversial are they? Well, France currently has a complex system of 42 different pension schemes for its private and public sectors, with variations in retirement age and benefits. Mr Macron wants to create a unified system. Pension benefits are largely calculated using an employee's 25 highest-paid years of work in the private sector, while in the public sector it is based on payments made in the last six months before retirement. The French president's new plan aims to reward employees for each day worked, earning points that would later be transferred into future pension benefits. In November, a report commissioned by France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe concluded that, under the existing system, the country's pension deficit could be as high as EUR17.2bn ($19bn; PS14.5bn) by 2025. The cost of France's current system, in terms of public spending as a percentage of GDP (the country's entire economic output), is among the highest in the world - at 14%. Mr Macron, aware of France's ageing population, has said his universal pension plan would be fairer than the current system. The age at which citizens can start drawing a pension varies across the European Union (EU). The official retirement age in France has been raised in the last decade from 60 to 62, but remains one of the lowest among the OECD group of rich nations - in the UK, for example, the retirement age is 66. The move to a universal points-based pension system would remove the most advantageous pensions for a number of jobs ranging from sailors to lawyers and even opera workers. While Mr Macron has not suggested immediately increasing the age of retirement from 62, those retiring before 64 would receive a lower pension based on the points earned. For example, someone retiring at 63 could receive 5% less, so unions fear it will mean having to work longer for a lower pension. Public sector workers who do arduous or dangerous jobs can also retire years earlier under the current system. But metro workers, for example, say reforms would force them to work longer by effectively taking away their right to retire early, negotiated decades ago to compensate for having to work long hours underground. One of France's largest unions, CFDT, said its mostly private sector members would not be participating in Thursday's strike. CFDT, considered to be one of the more moderate unions, has previously said that reform was needed because the current pension system was not sustainable. The union has also said that a credit-based system might actually improve retirement payments for women. Mr Macron's new system would not penalise workers who take time off due to illness or maternity leave, offering compensation points. A recent poll concluded that 75% of people thought that pension reforms were necessary, but that only a third believed the government could deliver them. Despite the public understanding of the need for change, the latest strike action has overwhelming support. It is expected to last beyond Thursday and some trade union leaders have warned they will keep it up until Mr Macron abandons his campaign promise to overhaul the retirement system. The Macron administration will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the country's general strike over pension reforms in 1995, which crippled the transport system for three weeks and drew massive popular support, forcing a government reversal. We hear a lot about demonstrations in France relating to grievances over pay and conditions at work, from Uber drivers striking in Paris to widespread \"gilets jaunes\" (yellow-vest) protests - but large nationwide strikes involving both private and public sector workers are less common. A lack of official data and differences in the methods used by countries to record levels of industrial action make it hard to determine whether France leads the way. According to figures collated by the OECD between 2008 to 2015, France is second only to Denmark on a list of European nations with the most working days affected by strike action. Belgium is third. French statistics agency Dares reported in 2017 that employers in France lost more than 300 days per 1,000 employees. In 2014 it was 69 days, according to Dares. Separately, the European Trade Union Institute recently published a \"strike map\" showing the number of \"days not worked\" in France between 2010 and 2017 was on average 125 per 1,000 employees. For Spain the number was 50 and for the UK just 20 days. In Spain, though, strike action is often not recorded or counted, and in countries such as Italy and Greece the data is said to be unreliable.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 696, "answer_end": 2071, "text": "Well, France currently has a complex system of 42 different pension schemes for its private and public sectors, with variations in retirement age and benefits. Mr Macron wants to create a unified system. Pension benefits are largely calculated using an employee's 25 highest-paid years of work in the private sector, while in the public sector it is based on payments made in the last six months before retirement. The French president's new plan aims to reward employees for each day worked, earning points that would later be transferred into future pension benefits. In November, a report commissioned by France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe concluded that, under the existing system, the country's pension deficit could be as high as EUR17.2bn ($19bn; PS14.5bn) by 2025. The cost of France's current system, in terms of public spending as a percentage of GDP (the country's entire economic output), is among the highest in the world - at 14%. Mr Macron, aware of France's ageing population, has said his universal pension plan would be fairer than the current system. The age at which citizens can start drawing a pension varies across the European Union (EU). The official retirement age in France has been raised in the last decade from 60 to 62, but remains one of the lowest among the OECD group of rich nations - in the UK, for example, the retirement age is 66."}], "question": "What's Macron up to?", "id": "114_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2072, "answer_end": 4069, "text": "The move to a universal points-based pension system would remove the most advantageous pensions for a number of jobs ranging from sailors to lawyers and even opera workers. While Mr Macron has not suggested immediately increasing the age of retirement from 62, those retiring before 64 would receive a lower pension based on the points earned. For example, someone retiring at 63 could receive 5% less, so unions fear it will mean having to work longer for a lower pension. Public sector workers who do arduous or dangerous jobs can also retire years earlier under the current system. But metro workers, for example, say reforms would force them to work longer by effectively taking away their right to retire early, negotiated decades ago to compensate for having to work long hours underground. One of France's largest unions, CFDT, said its mostly private sector members would not be participating in Thursday's strike. CFDT, considered to be one of the more moderate unions, has previously said that reform was needed because the current pension system was not sustainable. The union has also said that a credit-based system might actually improve retirement payments for women. Mr Macron's new system would not penalise workers who take time off due to illness or maternity leave, offering compensation points. A recent poll concluded that 75% of people thought that pension reforms were necessary, but that only a third believed the government could deliver them. Despite the public understanding of the need for change, the latest strike action has overwhelming support. It is expected to last beyond Thursday and some trade union leaders have warned they will keep it up until Mr Macron abandons his campaign promise to overhaul the retirement system. The Macron administration will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the country's general strike over pension reforms in 1995, which crippled the transport system for three weeks and drew massive popular support, forcing a government reversal."}], "question": "So how controversial is his plan?", "id": "114_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4070, "answer_end": 5277, "text": "We hear a lot about demonstrations in France relating to grievances over pay and conditions at work, from Uber drivers striking in Paris to widespread \"gilets jaunes\" (yellow-vest) protests - but large nationwide strikes involving both private and public sector workers are less common. A lack of official data and differences in the methods used by countries to record levels of industrial action make it hard to determine whether France leads the way. According to figures collated by the OECD between 2008 to 2015, France is second only to Denmark on a list of European nations with the most working days affected by strike action. Belgium is third. French statistics agency Dares reported in 2017 that employers in France lost more than 300 days per 1,000 employees. In 2014 it was 69 days, according to Dares. Separately, the European Trade Union Institute recently published a \"strike map\" showing the number of \"days not worked\" in France between 2010 and 2017 was on average 125 per 1,000 employees. For Spain the number was 50 and for the UK just 20 days. In Spain, though, strike action is often not recorded or counted, and in countries such as Italy and Greece the data is said to be unreliable."}], "question": "Does France lead Europe with strike action?", "id": "114_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Got beef? How one man faced down a 'noodle cartel'", "date": "25 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In Shanghai, where you are never far from a good lunch, one man has faced anger and even death threats, by breaking a \"treaty\" and opening a noodle shop too close to an existing one, as Yvette Tan reports. Xian Guolin used up all his savings and mortgaged his house to open Alilan Beef Noodles on the busy Nanjing Road. It sells the popular \"lamian\" hand-pulled noodles, served in a hot broth with a shaved beef topping. But within hours of opening the shop, he was facing protests from other noodle-makers demanding he shut down. \"The first few days there were almost no customers to be seen,\" he said on his Weibo page. Like most lamian makers, Mr Xian is a Hui Muslim originally from Gansu, in northwest China. The protesters said Mr Xian had violated the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia treaty, a decades-old agreement between Hui people which prohibits anyone from opening a beef noodle restaurant within 400m of an existing one. The document says this is to promote a \"harmonious and stable\" noodle market, and that those who do not abide by it will have to face the consequences and accept any financial losses. Ma Jinglong, a protest organiser and Hui Muslim who owns two nearby beef restaurants, told news outlet The Sixth Tone that the treaty \"doesn't have any legal standing\" but that most Muslim restaurateurs observe it anyway. \"I have a big family to support. If one restaurant ignores the treaty, the rules will be broken, and more restaurants will follow suit,\" he said. When Xian refused to close, the store was surrounded by around 100 people, threatening staff members and stopping customers from coming in. The same group continued to stand in front of the restaurant for weeks, despite police intervention, he says, costing him 4,500 yuan ($670; PS510) in lost business every day. \"Some held the door and stopped customers from coming in, while others hurled abuse at me and the waiters,\" said Mr Xian. \"They threatened that my relatives would be killed unless I closed the restaurant.\" He was offered 300,000 yuan to close the shop, in which he had originally invested 1.5m yuan, but refused. Mr Xian used micro-blogging site Weibo to document the siege, where the hashtag \"#BeefNoodleGate\" became a trending topic and attracted support high-profile users. It has now had more than 400 million comments, and sparked discussions among netizens if the implementation of the treaty was legal. \"This is happening less than one kilometer away from the city government. What can I say?\" asked one user. Reflecting the ethnic dimension of the row, one Weibo user asked: \"Is this Shanghai or is this Islam territory?\" However, some users were positive, with one netizen pointing out that the store had earned itself some free publicity. Shanghai residents soon caught on, with many visiting the store to show their support. Mr Xian posted on Weibo that people had come from as far as Hangzhou and Nanjing - a few hours away by train - to support him, while others posted photos of themselves and the food at the restaurant, calling for others to join them. After 20 days, authorities moved to resolve the situation, culminating in Mr Xian removing the word \"beef\" from the restaurant name, and agreeing to drop the halal logo, meaning it was technically not in competition with the other Muslim-run outlets. He posted on Weibo afterwards that business was \"back to normal\", adding that some customers jokingly asked if the beef would be gone from their bowls since it was no longer on the signs. He thanked netizens and \"countless kind folks\" for supporting the restaurant. However, some pointed out that the actions of the store-owners threatening Mr Xian had gone unpunished, adding that the \"noodle gang\" had won.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 622, "answer_end": 2104, "text": "Like most lamian makers, Mr Xian is a Hui Muslim originally from Gansu, in northwest China. The protesters said Mr Xian had violated the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia treaty, a decades-old agreement between Hui people which prohibits anyone from opening a beef noodle restaurant within 400m of an existing one. The document says this is to promote a \"harmonious and stable\" noodle market, and that those who do not abide by it will have to face the consequences and accept any financial losses. Ma Jinglong, a protest organiser and Hui Muslim who owns two nearby beef restaurants, told news outlet The Sixth Tone that the treaty \"doesn't have any legal standing\" but that most Muslim restaurateurs observe it anyway. \"I have a big family to support. If one restaurant ignores the treaty, the rules will be broken, and more restaurants will follow suit,\" he said. When Xian refused to close, the store was surrounded by around 100 people, threatening staff members and stopping customers from coming in. The same group continued to stand in front of the restaurant for weeks, despite police intervention, he says, costing him 4,500 yuan ($670; PS510) in lost business every day. \"Some held the door and stopped customers from coming in, while others hurled abuse at me and the waiters,\" said Mr Xian. \"They threatened that my relatives would be killed unless I closed the restaurant.\" He was offered 300,000 yuan to close the shop, in which he had originally invested 1.5m yuan, but refused."}], "question": " A 'harmonious' arrangement?", "id": "115_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US election recount: Jill Stein raises funds to examine Wisconsin result", "date": "24 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A former presidential candidate looks likely to spur a last-minute recount of part of the result of the US election. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein says she has gathered enough money to fund a recount in Wisconsin. Donald Trump narrowly beat Hillary Clinton in the state, but two voting rights experts say the result needs to be more closely analysed. There is no indication Mr Trump's win was down to cyberhacking, one of the experts said on Wednesday. One election official in Wisconsin said they are preparing for a possible recount. On Tuesday, New York magazine first reported that a group of experts, led by voting-rights lawyer John Bonifaz and J Alex Halderman, the director of the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security and Society, had contacted Mrs Clinton's campaign. The experts urged her campaign to request recounts in two states narrowly won by Mr Trump - Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - as well as Michigan, where he has a small lead. In a post on Medium on Wednesday, Mr Halderman repeated concerns he has voiced in the past over the vulnerabilities of paperless voting machines. The fact that the results in the three states was different from what polls predicted was \"probably not\" down to hacking, Mr Halderman said. Concerns over possible Russian interference had been expressed in the run-up to the vote. \"The only way to know whether a cyberattack changed the result is to closely examine the available physical evidence ,\" he wrote. Read more: Fears of a Russian hack There is a deadline for any candidates to demand a recount, and they need to pay fees to file a request. The deadline for Wisconsin is Friday. Pennsylvania's is Monday, and Michigan's is Wednesday. This is where Jill Stein comes in - on her website, she wrote that recounts were needed \"to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is\". By late on Wednesday, she had raised, through a crowdfunding campaign, more than $2.5m (PS2m), enough to fund a recount request in Wisconsin. The campaign estimates that up to $7m may be needed to pay for recounts in all three states. Unofficial results from the state showed Mr Trump won by only 27,000 votes, media in the state say. The BBC's results show he won 47.9% of the vote, with 46.9% going to Mrs Clinton (Jill Stein won only 1% of the votes there). Before then, the state had gone with the Democrats for seven elections running. A Clinton victory in Wisconsin alone would not have been enough to overturn Mr Trump's lead - it provides only 10 votes in the crucial electoral college that gave him victory. But wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat. The Wisconsin State Journal quoted the state's election commission director Michael Haas as saying that the organisation had not seen \"any reason to suspect that any voting equipment has been tampered with\". The commission was now preparing for a recount, Mr Haas told the newspaper, that added that such a move would be \"unprecedented\". Read more: How did Clinton get more votes and lose? Nothing, yet. There has been no official comment from Mr Trump's camp, and while supporters of Mrs Clinton have been taking to social media with the hashtag #AuditTheVote, there has been no formal request for a recount on her side, or the party's.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1519, "answer_end": 2122, "text": "There is a deadline for any candidates to demand a recount, and they need to pay fees to file a request. The deadline for Wisconsin is Friday. Pennsylvania's is Monday, and Michigan's is Wednesday. This is where Jill Stein comes in - on her website, she wrote that recounts were needed \"to attempt to shine a light on just how untrustworthy the US election system is\". By late on Wednesday, she had raised, through a crowdfunding campaign, more than $2.5m (PS2m), enough to fund a recount request in Wisconsin. The campaign estimates that up to $7m may be needed to pay for recounts in all three states."}], "question": "Why the urgency?", "id": "116_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2123, "answer_end": 3096, "text": "Unofficial results from the state showed Mr Trump won by only 27,000 votes, media in the state say. The BBC's results show he won 47.9% of the vote, with 46.9% going to Mrs Clinton (Jill Stein won only 1% of the votes there). Before then, the state had gone with the Democrats for seven elections running. A Clinton victory in Wisconsin alone would not have been enough to overturn Mr Trump's lead - it provides only 10 votes in the crucial electoral college that gave him victory. But wins in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania would have clinched the presidency for the Democrat. The Wisconsin State Journal quoted the state's election commission director Michael Haas as saying that the organisation had not seen \"any reason to suspect that any voting equipment has been tampered with\". The commission was now preparing for a recount, Mr Haas told the newspaper, that added that such a move would be \"unprecedented\". Read more: How did Clinton get more votes and lose?"}], "question": "What happened in Wisconsin?", "id": "116_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3097, "answer_end": 3344, "text": "Nothing, yet. There has been no official comment from Mr Trump's camp, and while supporters of Mrs Clinton have been taking to social media with the hashtag #AuditTheVote, there has been no formal request for a recount on her side, or the party's."}], "question": "What have the other candidates said?", "id": "116_2"}]}]}, {"title": "World War Two: German president asks Poland to forgive Nazi 'tyranny'", "date": "1 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has asked Poland's forgiveness for Nazi \"tyranny\", 80 years on from the start of World War Two. Mr Steinmeier and other world leaders are in Poland to commemorate the outbreak of the conflict. Speaking in the capital, Warsaw, Mr Steinmeier apologised for the \"horrific war\" unleashed by Germany. \"This war was a German crime,\" he said in a speech. His Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, and US Vice-President Mike Pence also delivered speeches in front of crowds and heads of state on Pilsudski Square. Mr Duda denounced Nazi Germany's attack as \"an act of barbarity\", while Mr Pence praised Polish people, saying they \"never lost hope\". Earlier on Sunday, two other commemorative events were held in the cities of Wielun and Gdansk, where the first German attacks of the war happened. \"Wielun was to show what kind of war it would be, that it would be a total war, a war without rules, a destructive war,\" Mr Duda said. Later on Sunday, Mr Duda appeared to criticise Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, alluding to a recent \"return of imperialist tendencies\" in Europe. In a warning to European leaders, Mr Duda said \"turning a blind eye\" to this amounts to \"consent to further attacks\". Poland suffered some of the worst losses of World War Two - about six million of its citizens were killed, up to half of them Jews. Eighty years on, Poland is still demanding compensation from Germany for the death and destruction inflicted. Recent calls for reparations by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose governing Law and Justice (PiS) party has been accused of fanning nationalist sentiment, have fuelled tensions with Germany. A Polish parliamentary committee is still assessing the amount of compensation, but Germany argues the matter is settled. At dawn on 1 September 1939, the German Luftwaffe (air force) bombed the city of Wielun, a town with no military significance. Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the bombings, designed to sow terror among the civilian population. After the attack, ordered by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Britain gave Germany an ultimatum to cease military operations. When the ultimatum was ignored, Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September, igniting a six-year conflict that would kill tens of millions of people. Three commemorative events were held on Sunday in Warsaw, Wielun and the former military post of Westerplatte, in the coastal city of Gdansk. In Westerplatte, where Nazi German battleships attacked a Polish military base on 1 September 1939, Mr Morawiecki and European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans attended a dawn remembrance. At the same time, Mr Steinmeier pleaded for \"forgiveness\" at a ceremony held in the Polish city of Wielun, where the first German bombs of the conflict fell. At the ceremony, which began shortly after 04:00 (02:00 GMT), a minute's silence was observed in memory of the victims. Later in Warsaw, international leaders rang a bell of peace and laid wreathes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a central memorial in the Polish capital. In all, around 40 foreign delegations were expected to join the commemorations, according to the Polish presidency. They include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. But world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were not present. Mr Trump had been due to attend but cancelled the visit abruptly, sending Mr Pence in his place, as the US east coast braced for Hurricane Dorian. Mr Putin was not invited, unlike 10 years ago, when he attended commemorations remembering the estimated 600,000 Soviet soldiers killed driving out the Nazis. But on this occasion, Poland changed the criteria, inviting from Europe only members of the European Union or its Eastern Partnership (which includes six former Soviet countries). Relations between Russia and Poland, always strained by the legacy of Soviet domination after the war, have plummeted since Russia annexed Crimea. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, called the decision not to invite Mr Putin \"stupid\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3117, "answer_end": 4235, "text": "In all, around 40 foreign delegations were expected to join the commemorations, according to the Polish presidency. They include German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. But world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, France's Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were not present. Mr Trump had been due to attend but cancelled the visit abruptly, sending Mr Pence in his place, as the US east coast braced for Hurricane Dorian. Mr Putin was not invited, unlike 10 years ago, when he attended commemorations remembering the estimated 600,000 Soviet soldiers killed driving out the Nazis. But on this occasion, Poland changed the criteria, inviting from Europe only members of the European Union or its Eastern Partnership (which includes six former Soviet countries). Relations between Russia and Poland, always strained by the legacy of Soviet domination after the war, have plummeted since Russia annexed Crimea. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia's foreign ministry, called the decision not to invite Mr Putin \"stupid\"."}], "question": "Who is attending?", "id": "117_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Scottish business rate reforms confirmed", "date": "12 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A key change to Scotland's business rates system will make the country \"the most competitive place in the UK for businesses\", MSPs have been told. Finance Secretary Derek Mackay was speaking as he confirmed he would implement the vast majority of recommendations made by a review. This will include the business growth accelerator, which means new build properties will not pay rates. He also confirmed that nurseries will be fully exempt from business rates. And he confirmed a cap in rate rises for the hospitality sector and offices in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, first announced in February, will continue next year with an additional 12.5% cap in real terms. Mr Mackay's announcements were broadly welcomed by business organisations, who said the Scottish government had committed to a \"mostly sensible programme of rates reform\". It follows the Barclay Report into non-domestic rates that was commissioned by the Scottish government last year and headed by Ken Barclay, the former head of Scottish operations for RBS. As he gave his formal response to the report at Holyrood, Mr Mackay confirmed he would seek to implement the \"vast majority\" of its 30 recommendations. This will include the growth accelerator, which means that from 1 April next year every new build non-residential property will not pay any rates until it is occupied for the first time. After that, the new tenant will benefit from a year without rates. Of all its recommendations, the Barclay review felt this would give Scotland the edge in attracting investment and growing the economy. It found that the current system whereby improvements in a property led immediately to increases in the rates bill often deterred investment. Mr Mackay said that the new measures, combined with the more favourable rates of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on commercial transactions, would make Scotland \"the most competitive place in the UK for businesses to invest and grow\". The finance secretary also confirmed that day nurseries will not pay any business rates from April of next year. He also said revaluations will be carried out every three years in future rather than every five years, and would be based on data from the previous year rather than from two years before. Unlike domestic homeowners, Scotland's businesses don't pay council tax. Instead, they pay business rates. The amount shops, offices, pubs, hotels, warehouses and factories pay is based on a \"rateable value\". This valuation of a property is broadly based on an analysis of what annual rental values would be. A combination of the rateable value and the poundage rate make up what businesses pay. There are a range of rate \"relief\" schemes that can change the amount a business actually pays. However, Mr Mackay said some other proposals needed \"further consideration and engagement\". These included removing charity relief for arms-length organisations, independent schools and university accommodation, and the reform of relief for sports clubs, empty properties and properties in active occupation and the levying of rates on parks. Mr Mackay said a final decision on all of these would be made by the end of the year, while a recommendation to reduce the large business supplement to 1.3p - which would bring it into line with the rest of the UK -  will be implemented \"should it become affordable\" by the end of the current parliament. He also stressed that the government remained committed to the small business bonus, which gives varying levels of rates relief to businesses whose premises have a total rateable value of PS35,000 or less. But a review will be carried out to ensure that it \"maximizes the economic and social benefits of the scheme\". Mr Mackay said: \"My message to business after announcing this package is clear. Come to Scotland. Invest in Scotland, and grow your business in Scotland. \"The recommendations that we will take forward and the additional measures, beyond Barclay, that I have announced today demonstrate our ambition for the economy, and our desire to work with the business community to deliver upon that ambition. \"Once implemented, we will have a rates system that is fairer, more responsive and geared for growth.\" Andy Willox of the Federation of Small Businesses said: \"The Scottish government has committed to a mostly sensible programme of rates reform that's a product of the art of the possible. \"Growing firms should now be able to recoup some of their costs before being hit with a bigger rates bill. A three-year revaluation cycle should mean that businesses' bills better reflect economic conditions. New relief for Scottish nurseries should give these important local businesses a much needed shot in the arm. \"These are all sensible measures which FSB is pleased to back.\" The Scottish Retail Consortium said it was pleased to see steps to modernise the \"creaking\" rates system, but warned that the overall rates burden will \"remain onerous, at a time when retailers are already having to grapple with profound changes in shopping habits and other growing costs\". Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said there was much in the report he agreed with, but questioned why Mr Mackay was keeping open the possibility of ending relief for sports clubs. Labour's Jackie Baillie noted the Barclay review was tasked with drawing up proposals that were revenue neutral and said Mr Mackay had given \"no indication of revenue raising measures\" in his statement. And the Scottish Greens welcomed the announcement of a review of the \"flawed\" small business bonus scheme.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2248, "answer_end": 2739, "text": "Unlike domestic homeowners, Scotland's businesses don't pay council tax. Instead, they pay business rates. The amount shops, offices, pubs, hotels, warehouses and factories pay is based on a \"rateable value\". This valuation of a property is broadly based on an analysis of what annual rental values would be. A combination of the rateable value and the poundage rate make up what businesses pay. There are a range of rate \"relief\" schemes that can change the amount a business actually pays."}], "question": "What are business rates?", "id": "118_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mathias Cormann: The ex-Belgian running Australia this week", "date": "20 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australian Senator Mathias Cormann spoke little English until 1993 - a year before his first visit to the nation. Now the Belgium-raised politician will become Australia's acting prime minister this week, stepping in while Malcolm Turnbull conducts a visit to the US. It is a seemingly rapid rise for the 47-year-old finance minister, whose temporary elevation has been brought about by unusual circumstances. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce cannot take on the acting role because he is on leave amid a politically damaging scandal over his affair with a former staffer. The next politician in line, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, is also overseas this week on official business. Instead, Mr Turnbull opted to ask Mr Cormann, the government's leader in the Senate, to assume the role for four days from Wednesday. Mr Cormann was born in Eupen, Belgium, and grew up in the nearby town of Raeren as a German language speaker. He has credited Cold War politics and the fall of the Berlin Wall for sparking his political awakening. Mr Cormann studied law at university and only began learning English aged 23, during an exchange year at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He later described it as \"communicating with people through a dictionary\". In 1994, while in a relationship with an Australian woman, Mr Cormann visited Perth for the first time. He decided to migrate after a return visit, even though the relationship ended. \"The sense I had at the time was that everything was so big. There was so much opportunity,\" he told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2014. \"You could literally feel the likelihood that this place was going to develop quite incredibly strongly. At the time I thought: 'Wow, this is great. I want to be part of it.'\" The person fulfils the prime minister's domestic duties when the leader is travelling overseas, on holidays or suffering illness. According to 1901 legislation, acting appointees can exercise all duties of the role they are performing. But some observers have questioned the importance of the role in the modern era, when the prime minister is rarely unreachable. After settling in Perth, Mr Cormann worked as a gardener before landing a job within the conservative Liberal party. His rise through the ranks saw him first enter federal parliament as a senator in 2007, when he used his maiden speech to joke about having a \"slight accent\". Mr Cormann obtained a coveted Cabinet position as finance minister in 2013, and last year he became the government's leader in the Senate. In January, the senator received Germany's highest civil honour - the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit - for advancing German-Australian relations. Local political commentators have attributed much of Mr Cormann's success to consistency and hard work. He has been described by Fairfax Media's Jack Waterford as \"the best verbal, if not the best oral advocate the Turnbull government has got\". Mr Cormann has generally avoided controversy, despite some notable exceptions. In 2014, he drew criticism for borrowing a term from Arnold Schwarzenegger when he accused an opposition politician of being \"an economic girlie man\". Opposition politicians rebuked him for sending the wrong message to girls and boys. Mr Cormann denied it was a gender-specific insult. Still, his elevation to acting prime minister demonstrated how much Mr Turnbull valued \"his go-to-man when it comes to doing deals\" with political opponents, according to News Corp Australia columnist Joe Spagnolo. After learning he would be acting prime minister, Mr Cormann described himself as a beneficiary of \"that great Australia reality\". \"What I say to all of my fellow migrants always is that Australia is a country where if you put your shoulder to the wheel and work hard and do the best you can to make a difference, there is no limit to what you can achieve,\" he said on Friday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1750, "answer_end": 2113, "text": "The person fulfils the prime minister's domestic duties when the leader is travelling overseas, on holidays or suffering illness. According to 1901 legislation, acting appointees can exercise all duties of the role they are performing. But some observers have questioned the importance of the role in the modern era, when the prime minister is rarely unreachable."}], "question": "What is the role of acting prime minister?", "id": "119_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Britons killed in Saudi Arabia coach crash", "date": "22 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Four British people have died and 12 others have been hurt in a coach crash in Saudi Arabia, a travel firm says. Raj Begum Hussain, 70, from Blackburn, died alongside an elderly man and a mother and her grown-up son, all from Preston, in Lancashire. The coach was travelling from Mecca on an Umrah pilgrimage, when it was hit by a fuel tanker which caught fire and set the bus alight, the firm said. Trip organisers Hashim Travel said the incident on Saturday was \"horrendous\". Eighteen people were aboard the coach when it crashed. All were taken to hospital, where six remain. Mrs Hussain - a mother of six and a grandmother of 13 - was travelling with her younger sister who survived but was injured. \"She will be sorely missed by all family and friends.  We would like to thank the whole community for their condolences and support at this difficult time,\" her family said in a statement. It is understood that a young child was also among the injured. The group were travelling as part of an Umrah pilgrimage and had been in Saudi Arabia for a week. The crash happened near the start of the group's five-hour road trip from Mecca to Medina, near the town of Al Khalas. The Umrah pilgrimage is on a smaller scale than the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Blackburn-based Hashim Travel says it specialises in Umrah and Hajj and has been providing travel packages to people in north-west England for 20 years. The company's director, Gulfaraz Zaman, called the incident \"horrendous\" and \"very distressing\". \"If you see the remains of the bus, there's just the metal frame of it that's left,\" he told the BBC. \"It's very upsetting - especially the people that have passed away,\" he added, \"our thoughts are with the families.\" He said visas had been arranged for family members of the deceased who were now travelling out to Saudi Arabia. The Council of British Hajjis said it was providing support to a British family which had been affected. Rashid Mogradia, chief executive of Council of British Hajjis, told the BBC the route between Mecca and Medina was a long but \"relatively safe journey\". A lot has been done by the Saudi authorities to improve the safety of pilgrims, he told the BBC. Passengers on the bus were from Accrington, Preston, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and Blackburn. Abdul Hamid Qureshi, chairman of Lancashire Council of Mosques said: \"This is a very sad incident. Our prayers and thoughts are with the deceased and their families.\" Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North Ben Wallace tweeted his condolences and Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who is chair of the recently formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hajj and Umrah, said: \"I am really saddened to hear of the death of pilgrims.\" \"We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident near the town of Al Khalas, Saudi Arabia,\" a Foreign Office spokesperson said. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place in the month of Dhul Hijjah, which is the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Umrah is an extra, optional pilgrimage and does not count as the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj. Although it includes some of the rituals of the Hajj, they are shortened and there are fewer of them. Unlike Hajj, it is not obligatory and can take place at any time of the year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2919, "answer_end": 3329, "text": "The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that takes place in the month of Dhul Hijjah, which is the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Umrah is an extra, optional pilgrimage and does not count as the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj. Although it includes some of the rituals of the Hajj, they are shortened and there are fewer of them. Unlike Hajj, it is not obligatory and can take place at any time of the year."}], "question": "What is the Umrah?", "id": "120_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Are your sports shoes worth what you paid for them?", "date": "2 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Basketball star Stephon Marbury thinks shoe companies and their celebrity endorsers are ripping you off. With trainers - or sneakers as they are called in the US - costing upwards of PS100, it's not hard to see why he feels this way. Marbury now believes the market is ready to welcome his branded sneaker line Starbury that costs less than PS10. The former National Basketball Association (NBA) star now plays in China for the Beijing Ducks but he's still concerned about American kids hankering after expensive sports shoes. He argues that not only are his Starburys - which sell for $15 (PS9.70) - value for money, but that they will help bring down sneaker-related crime. Local authorities do not keep statistics on shoe-related crime, though $324m worth of clothing was reported stolen across the US in 2014. Finding news of sneaker crime, however, is not difficult. In February an Ohio teen was killed while attempting to steal a new pair of Air Jordans from a man in a car park. In April 2014 a 15-year-old boy shot a 14-year-old after he was accused of jumping the queue to buy the new Kanye West branded shoes. A year earlier, 15 men were caught on CCTV stealing sneakers from a FootLocker in Georgia after ramming a truck into the front window of the shop. Marbury released the line once before, but the company backing them went under in 2009, just a year after the shoe's release. In October he announced he was reviving the discount trainer line. But he's provoked some controversy over the way he's launched into his more expensive competitors on social media. In a series of recent tweets, Marbury accused former NBA star Michael Jordan and Nike, the company that produces his shoe - Air Jordans - of adding to this crisis of sneaker-related crime. On Twitter, Marbury accused Nike and Jordan of \"robbing the hood\". Nike did not respond to requests for comment, but has in the past condemned specific acts of violence sparked by its sneaker sales. While few ordinary customers would go so far as to blame the stars that advertise the shoes for street crime, they do often question whether the price they're paying is down to celebrity branding or the underlying value of the product. All the activities that go into creating a product - from its design and manufacturing to the shipping, branding and retailing - form part of the value chain. Often the physical assembly is done in low labour-cost locations and therefore a small fraction of the overall price. \"The basic point is, assembly is only a small piece of the chain and not that much of a cost for the company,\" says Pietra Rivoli, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington DC. According to Steve Lamar from the America Apparel & Footwear Association shoes sold in the US get 70% of their value from work done in the US. This includes design, choosing the materials, hiring sponsors, spending on advertising and retail. \"What goes into a lot of the value is the quality,\" he says. \"[Customers] want to make sure when they buy shoes they have a guarantee of quality from the brand. That type of assurance has a price tag.\" In 2007 Marbury argued that his shoes would be the same quality and made from the same materials. Changing preferences and technological advance could make that harder today. More shoemakers are turning to high-quality materials such as kangaroo leather or mirror finishes that change colour which add to the cost. 3-D printing is also becoming popular as a way to produce the soles of trainers. \"The materials are getting better and that means the costs go up and the cost of labour is going up too,\" says sneaker designer D'Wayne Edwards. Arguably the most expensive piece of the value chain is building the brand. Footwear companies have to spend money to make their shoes desirable, cool and fashionable. And the field is becoming more competitive and sophisticated as athlete endorsers are increasingly being joined by other trendsetters. \"It used to be athlet-driven collaborations got the attention of kids, but the collaborations today are with artists, musicians, graffiti artists and people who just have a good sense of style,\" says Mr Edwards. Kanye West partnered with Adidas in 2015 to release Yeezy boots that sold for $200. Companies have to spend a lot to get celebrity endorsers like Kanye West or Michael Jordan. It's typically money well spent though. Consumers are far more likely to pay a lot for shoes worn by their idols. \"Jordans are the most popular shoe on the planet because they are associated with winning,\" says Sean Williams, co-host of the show Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. Spending a few hundred pounds on a shoe can also build brand loyalty. \"A poor person who wears Nike will wear Nike if they become a rich person,\" Mr Williams says. The design of the shoe is also a large part of its value. Brands that work with endorsers typically ask for their input on the look and performance of the shoe. \"Sneakers are designed to solve problems for the athletes. If a player doesn't get involved in the design the shoe will fail,\" says Mr Williams Once the shoe solves a problem like arch support, increased speed or more slip resistance, companies have to protect their plans through patents. Billions of pounds are spent by apparel companies each year to protect against knock-off merchandise. That cost eventually gets tied into the price of a pair of shoes. And while manufacturing in Asia is much cheaper than producing shoes in Europe or the US, companies are increasingly spending more on materials and high priced factories. \"There are a lot of myths about sneakers costing $10 to make in China, but sneakers that cost $200 at the store are more expensive to make,\" said D'Wayne Edwards. Then there are taxes to be paid when the shoes are imported. If Marbury is serious about getting his $15 shoes to shops he will have to figure out ways to radically limit the costs along the value chain. At least as a star himself  he won't need to hire celebrity endorsers. And he has already proved he can create a storm on social media to get the marketing ball rolling at no cost.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5395, "answer_end": 6113, "text": "And while manufacturing in Asia is much cheaper than producing shoes in Europe or the US, companies are increasingly spending more on materials and high priced factories. \"There are a lot of myths about sneakers costing $10 to make in China, but sneakers that cost $200 at the store are more expensive to make,\" said D'Wayne Edwards. Then there are taxes to be paid when the shoes are imported. If Marbury is serious about getting his $15 shoes to shops he will have to figure out ways to radically limit the costs along the value chain. At least as a star himself  he won't need to hire celebrity endorsers. And he has already proved he can create a storm on social media to get the marketing ball rolling at no cost."}], "question": "Can he do it?", "id": "121_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan court assesses PM Nawaz Sharif wealth claims", "date": "17 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistan's Supreme Court is considering corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, amid mounting pressure over his family's wealth. The move comes after investigators said his family had failed to account for the source of its financial assets. The probe began when the Panama Papers leaks linked his children to offshore companies used to buy London flats. This fuelled suspicion the companies were used to launder ill-gotten wealth, claims Mr Sharif strenuously denies. He says the properties in London were acquired legitimately and that he personally does not own them. But the issue is turning into a major challenge to him. Opposition groups accuse his family of using their political influence to amass wealth by unlawful means and are calling on him to resign. So far Mr Sharif has refused, calling the investigators' report a compilation of \"allegations and assumptions\". His decision to stay in power was endorsed by the federal cabinet last week. Hundreds of security personnel have been deployed around the Supreme Court, parts of which have also been fenced with barbed wire. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), set up in April, says it has found \"significant gaps/disparity among the known and declared sources of income and the wealth\" accumulated by Mr Sharif and his family. It accuses Mr Sharif of concealing assets, overstating the wealth of his father with the aim of justifying his family's wealth, and of not reflecting in his wealth statement an \"exorbitant hike\" in his family's wealth during his first decade in power (1985-93). It accuses his heir-apparent, daughter Maryam Sharif, of being the \"beneficial owner\" of offshore firms through which the London flats were acquired, and of forging documents to show she was a trustee for her brother, the real owner. This allegation is based on a copy of a trust deed which she signed in February 2006. The JIT says the document was printed in Calibri font, which was not commercially available until January 2007. The existence of the flats and the offshore companies linked to them was disclosed in the leak of 11 million documents held by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The family said that the money for the flats, as well as the family's businesses in the UK and the Gulf region, came from the sale of their UAE-based Gulf Steel Mills. The mill was set up by PM Sharif's father, the late Mian Mohammad Sharif, in the early 1970s, and he later invested the proceeds from its sale in a Qatar-based business. The Sharif family have produced a letter from former Qatari Prime Minister Prince Hammad bin Jassim al-Thani explaining the money trail. He was not available to be interviewed by the JIT. But the JIT says it found no evidence of a money trail leading from Pakistan through Dubai and Qatar to the London flats. The JIT report has divided the nation - something very apparent in media coverage. Audiences hooked to any of the pro-government TV channels would conclude that the JIT report was a pack of lies, but debates on pro-opposition channels leave no doubt in the minds of their viewers that they think Mr Sharif and his family are associated with corruption. The report deals with complex issues of international finance, involving a labyrinth of financial regulations from a number of states and regulatory bodies. Therefore, while much of what it states may be grounded in reality, experts have pointed out instances where the JIT appears to have either covered up for its lack of access or understanding, or has included opinions that do not have a sound basis. Questions have also been raised over the Supreme Court's decision that the two military intelligence services, the MI and the ISI, would contribute one representative each to the six-member JIT, which should ideally consist of financial experts only. Also, the Supreme Court's decision to let the ISI exclusively arrange secretarial services to the JIT has not gone down well with those who believe this service has been actively involved in political management of Pakistan's ruling superstructure since the 1980s. Many suspect the ISI is meddling ahead of elections due in 2018 so it can retain its influence over the political establishment. There are three options: - The Supreme Court finds that there is not enough evidence to show that the prime minister has been involved in any wrongdoing, and dismisses the case - The court finds enough evidence to declare the prime minister dishonest and disqualifies him - It finds the evidence compelling and sends the case to a trial court A disqualification would mean that Mr Sharif would be out of politics for life, as required under the \"honest and sagacious\" provision of the constitution. His daughter and political heir would face the same prospect. It is not clear how the situation will be handled by the Supreme Court, which is itself under tremendous pressure. Creating the JIT to look into the prime minister's wealth was an unprecedented move. The JIT is not a child of the constitution or the executive, but a child of the Supreme Court. As such, few consider it likely that the court would reject the JIT's report entirely. If disqualified, the prime minister is likely to announce a successor - possibly his brother Shahbaz, who is chief minister of Punjab - and let the government complete its term. In any other event, analysts expect him to stay on and, if he must, to go down fighting.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1106, "answer_end": 2820, "text": "The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), set up in April, says it has found \"significant gaps/disparity among the known and declared sources of income and the wealth\" accumulated by Mr Sharif and his family. It accuses Mr Sharif of concealing assets, overstating the wealth of his father with the aim of justifying his family's wealth, and of not reflecting in his wealth statement an \"exorbitant hike\" in his family's wealth during his first decade in power (1985-93). It accuses his heir-apparent, daughter Maryam Sharif, of being the \"beneficial owner\" of offshore firms through which the London flats were acquired, and of forging documents to show she was a trustee for her brother, the real owner. This allegation is based on a copy of a trust deed which she signed in February 2006. The JIT says the document was printed in Calibri font, which was not commercially available until January 2007. The existence of the flats and the offshore companies linked to them was disclosed in the leak of 11 million documents held by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. The family said that the money for the flats, as well as the family's businesses in the UK and the Gulf region, came from the sale of their UAE-based Gulf Steel Mills. The mill was set up by PM Sharif's father, the late Mian Mohammad Sharif, in the early 1970s, and he later invested the proceeds from its sale in a Qatar-based business. The Sharif family have produced a letter from former Qatari Prime Minister Prince Hammad bin Jassim al-Thani explaining the money trail. He was not available to be interviewed by the JIT. But the JIT says it found no evidence of a money trail leading from Pakistan through Dubai and Qatar to the London flats."}], "question": "What did the investigators' report say?", "id": "122_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2821, "answer_end": 4224, "text": "The JIT report has divided the nation - something very apparent in media coverage. Audiences hooked to any of the pro-government TV channels would conclude that the JIT report was a pack of lies, but debates on pro-opposition channels leave no doubt in the minds of their viewers that they think Mr Sharif and his family are associated with corruption. The report deals with complex issues of international finance, involving a labyrinth of financial regulations from a number of states and regulatory bodies. Therefore, while much of what it states may be grounded in reality, experts have pointed out instances where the JIT appears to have either covered up for its lack of access or understanding, or has included opinions that do not have a sound basis. Questions have also been raised over the Supreme Court's decision that the two military intelligence services, the MI and the ISI, would contribute one representative each to the six-member JIT, which should ideally consist of financial experts only. Also, the Supreme Court's decision to let the ISI exclusively arrange secretarial services to the JIT has not gone down well with those who believe this service has been actively involved in political management of Pakistan's ruling superstructure since the 1980s. Many suspect the ISI is meddling ahead of elections due in 2018 so it can retain its influence over the political establishment."}], "question": "How have Pakistanis reacted?", "id": "122_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4225, "answer_end": 5434, "text": "There are three options: - The Supreme Court finds that there is not enough evidence to show that the prime minister has been involved in any wrongdoing, and dismisses the case - The court finds enough evidence to declare the prime minister dishonest and disqualifies him - It finds the evidence compelling and sends the case to a trial court A disqualification would mean that Mr Sharif would be out of politics for life, as required under the \"honest and sagacious\" provision of the constitution. His daughter and political heir would face the same prospect. It is not clear how the situation will be handled by the Supreme Court, which is itself under tremendous pressure. Creating the JIT to look into the prime minister's wealth was an unprecedented move. The JIT is not a child of the constitution or the executive, but a child of the Supreme Court. As such, few consider it likely that the court would reject the JIT's report entirely. If disqualified, the prime minister is likely to announce a successor - possibly his brother Shahbaz, who is chief minister of Punjab - and let the government complete its term. In any other event, analysts expect him to stay on and, if he must, to go down fighting."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "122_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Lloyds warns of Brexit 'uncertainty' in the short term", "date": "14 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Lloyds Banking Group has warned a UK vote to leave the EU would cause short term \"economic uncertainty\". However, the bank said the long term impact was \"unclear\" because there was no certainty over how the UK's position outside the EU would evolve. \"The board is mindful that the future of the UK's relationship with the EU is a matter for the UK electorate, and that for many the debate is about more than just economics,\" it added. The EU vote is on 23 June. It's the first bank to speak out officially on the impact of the EU referendum vote, although in October its chairman Lord Brackwell said in the Lords there weren't \"compelling arguments\" for staying in the EU without \"significant\" reforms. He made it clear, however, that he was making the comments in a personal capacity. Other bank bosses, including RBS chief executive Ross McEwan, Barclays boss Jes Staley and HSBC's chief executive and chair Stuart Gulliver and Douglas Flint have spoken out in favour of Britain staying in the EU, although all have emphasised that they were speaking in a personal capacity. Lloyds said it had issued the statement following a board discussion earlier on Thursday, but said its view was based on \"a range of third-party economic analysis\". It said it currently had no plans to discuss it any further at their AGM. Lucy Thomas, deputy director of Britain Stronger In Europe, the lead campaign for the In side, said the warning from Lloyds underscored the \"huge risks to workers, savers and homeowners\" if Britain voted to leave the EU. \"Leave campaigners who think this market is 'not important' should reflect on the at least three million jobs dependent on our trade with Europe\", she said. John Longworth, chairman of the official Out campaign Vote Leave, said: \"What right do multinationals have to lecture us? \"The EU may work for the handful of large multinational banks that can afford the reams of red tape, but it will be the dynamic SMEs that will benefit if we Vote Leave on 23 June.\" Lloyds' statement comes after the Bank of England earlier warned the EU referendum could hurt growth in the first half of this year as it held interest rates at 0.5%. Vote Leave last month published a list of 250 business leaders who it said supported Britain leaving the EU. The list included former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan and the hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. But Britain Stronger in Europe said at the time that Vote Leave could not find a business to officially back it, as those listed supported it in a \"personal capacity\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1316, "answer_end": 2538, "text": "Lucy Thomas, deputy director of Britain Stronger In Europe, the lead campaign for the In side, said the warning from Lloyds underscored the \"huge risks to workers, savers and homeowners\" if Britain voted to leave the EU. \"Leave campaigners who think this market is 'not important' should reflect on the at least three million jobs dependent on our trade with Europe\", she said. John Longworth, chairman of the official Out campaign Vote Leave, said: \"What right do multinationals have to lecture us? \"The EU may work for the handful of large multinational banks that can afford the reams of red tape, but it will be the dynamic SMEs that will benefit if we Vote Leave on 23 June.\" Lloyds' statement comes after the Bank of England earlier warned the EU referendum could hurt growth in the first half of this year as it held interest rates at 0.5%. Vote Leave last month published a list of 250 business leaders who it said supported Britain leaving the EU. The list included former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan and the hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. But Britain Stronger in Europe said at the time that Vote Leave could not find a business to officially back it, as those listed supported it in a \"personal capacity\"."}], "question": "Huge risks?", "id": "123_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Priti Patel: A guide for international readers to UK political scandal", "date": "8 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A UK government minister has resigned after it was revealed she held secret meetings with Israeli officials. Priti Patel met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior figures while on a private holiday with her family in August. She apologised on Monday, but was ordered to return from an official trip to Africa on Wednesday after further revelations came to light. Ms Patel said her \"actions fell below the high standards that are expected\". Her resignation is the culmination of an unusual chain of events that may seem complicated. So let's take a step back. Priti Patel, 45, is a politician with the ruling Conservative Party, who has long been viewed as a rising star of the party. She has had numerous roles in government, and in June 2016 was appointed Secretary of State for International Development. This means Ms Patel is responsible for overseas development and the UK's programme of assistance to developing countries. It is fair to say Ms Patel is positioned on the right of the Conservative party. She is a longstanding critic of the European Union, has voted against gay marriage, campaigned against the smoking ban, and is a long-standing supporter of Israel. Last week, the BBC revealed that Ms Patel held a number of undisclosed meetings with business and political figures during a family holiday to Israel in August. She met the leader of one of Israel's main political parties and made visits to several organisations where official government business was reportedly discussed. This is unusual, because ministers are supposed to tell the government when they are conducting official business overseas. After the visit, Ms Patel suggested some of Britain's aid budget go to the Israeli army. She also asked her officials to see if Britain could support humanitarian operations conducted by the Israeli army in the occupied Golan Heights area. That request was labelled as \"inappropriate\" by government officials. The UK, like other members of the international community, has never recognised Israeli control of the Golan Heights, an area seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Prior to resigning, Ms Patel apologised for not informing the Foreign Office of the meetings and for suggesting Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, knew about her plans in advance of the visit. \"In hindsight, I can see...how meetings were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it,\" she said. The government initially welcomed Ms Patel's \"clarification\" and said Prime Minister Theresa May had \"reminded her\" of her obligations. One Foreign Office minister defended the meetings, and said government policy did not change as a result of the trip. The opposition Labour Party said Ms Patel must be investigated or \"do the decent thing and resign\". Labour's shadow secretary of state for international development branded it a \"black and white case\" of the ministerial code being broken. Ms Patel was also derided on social media, with some questioning how a family holiday can possibly include meeting a world leader. There were fairly regular developments throughout Wednesday, many of which made life difficult for Ms Patel, the government or both. It emerged that Ms Patel had two further meetings in September without government officials. She met the Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan in Westminster and Israeli foreign ministry official Yuval Rotem in New York. To complicate matters, a story published by the Jewish Chronicle said the government was aware of the New York meeting and told Ms Patel not to disclose it. The government denied this. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said that \"revelations about more extra-curricular meetings\" meant that if Theresa May didn't sack her the scandal would become \"an ongoing sore that smacks of weakness\". Following the revelations, Ms Patel cut short an official trip to Uganda to fly back to the UK. At one point on Wednesday, thousands of eager people ended up tracking her flight home. With no wi-fi on board her plane, everyone awaiting her arrival knew she was not aware of all the developments swirling around Westminster. So when it was revealed Ms Patel had resigned as international development secretary it put an end to a day of speculation. Ms Patel's resignation comes amid a tumultuous period for Theresa May's cabinet. There were calls for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to resign after he wrongly said a British-Iranian woman held in Iran was \"teaching journalism\", leading to fears she could have her prison sentence doubled. That followed the resignation of Sir Michael Fallon as defence secretary after allegations were made about his behaviour. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg says it has been a chaotic week for Theresa May, adding that the prime minister was left furious by Priti Patel's failure to disclose her September meetings with Israeli figures when she was summoned to Downing Street to apologise earlier in the week, Now, having resigned from her position, Priti Patel may regret that she was not more forthright all along.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 580, "answer_end": 1194, "text": "Priti Patel, 45, is a politician with the ruling Conservative Party, who has long been viewed as a rising star of the party. She has had numerous roles in government, and in June 2016 was appointed Secretary of State for International Development. This means Ms Patel is responsible for overseas development and the UK's programme of assistance to developing countries. It is fair to say Ms Patel is positioned on the right of the Conservative party. She is a longstanding critic of the European Union, has voted against gay marriage, campaigned against the smoking ban, and is a long-standing supporter of Israel."}], "question": "Who is Priti Patel?", "id": "124_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1195, "answer_end": 2121, "text": "Last week, the BBC revealed that Ms Patel held a number of undisclosed meetings with business and political figures during a family holiday to Israel in August. She met the leader of one of Israel's main political parties and made visits to several organisations where official government business was reportedly discussed. This is unusual, because ministers are supposed to tell the government when they are conducting official business overseas. After the visit, Ms Patel suggested some of Britain's aid budget go to the Israeli army. She also asked her officials to see if Britain could support humanitarian operations conducted by the Israeli army in the occupied Golan Heights area. That request was labelled as \"inappropriate\" by government officials. The UK, like other members of the international community, has never recognised Israeli control of the Golan Heights, an area seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War."}], "question": "What has she done?", "id": "124_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2122, "answer_end": 3118, "text": "Prior to resigning, Ms Patel apologised for not informing the Foreign Office of the meetings and for suggesting Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, knew about her plans in advance of the visit. \"In hindsight, I can see...how meetings were set up and reported in a way which did not accord with the usual procedures. I am sorry for this and I apologise for it,\" she said. The government initially welcomed Ms Patel's \"clarification\" and said Prime Minister Theresa May had \"reminded her\" of her obligations. One Foreign Office minister defended the meetings, and said government policy did not change as a result of the trip. The opposition Labour Party said Ms Patel must be investigated or \"do the decent thing and resign\". Labour's shadow secretary of state for international development branded it a \"black and white case\" of the ministerial code being broken. Ms Patel was also derided on social media, with some questioning how a family holiday can possibly include meeting a world leader."}], "question": "What was the response?", "id": "124_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3119, "answer_end": 5120, "text": "There were fairly regular developments throughout Wednesday, many of which made life difficult for Ms Patel, the government or both. It emerged that Ms Patel had two further meetings in September without government officials. She met the Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan in Westminster and Israeli foreign ministry official Yuval Rotem in New York. To complicate matters, a story published by the Jewish Chronicle said the government was aware of the New York meeting and told Ms Patel not to disclose it. The government denied this. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said that \"revelations about more extra-curricular meetings\" meant that if Theresa May didn't sack her the scandal would become \"an ongoing sore that smacks of weakness\". Following the revelations, Ms Patel cut short an official trip to Uganda to fly back to the UK. At one point on Wednesday, thousands of eager people ended up tracking her flight home. With no wi-fi on board her plane, everyone awaiting her arrival knew she was not aware of all the developments swirling around Westminster. So when it was revealed Ms Patel had resigned as international development secretary it put an end to a day of speculation. Ms Patel's resignation comes amid a tumultuous period for Theresa May's cabinet. There were calls for Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to resign after he wrongly said a British-Iranian woman held in Iran was \"teaching journalism\", leading to fears she could have her prison sentence doubled. That followed the resignation of Sir Michael Fallon as defence secretary after allegations were made about his behaviour. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg says it has been a chaotic week for Theresa May, adding that the prime minister was left furious by Priti Patel's failure to disclose her September meetings with Israeli figures when she was summoned to Downing Street to apologise earlier in the week, Now, having resigned from her position, Priti Patel may regret that she was not more forthright all along."}], "question": "What has happened since?", "id": "124_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: The rights of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in the EU", "date": "8 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The rights of the three million EU citizens living in the UK and the million Britons living in the EU will be protected post-Brexit, according to the latest deal between the UK government and the EU. A joint document said both EU Citizens and UK nationals can continue \"to live, work or study as they currently do under the same conditions as under Union law\". The report confirms that EU and UK citizens have free movement of rights until the day the UK withdraws from the EU - 29 March 2019. This, in effect, is the cut-off date for EU citizens moving to the UK. Anyone who arrives before Brexit day will have the right to stay. Those who are yet to be granted permanent residency in the UK will have their rights protected, so they  can still acquire it after withdrawal. The latest deal also includes reunification rights for relatives who do not live in the UK, to join them in the future. These rights extend to future spouses or partners of EU citizens. Those EU citizens living in the UK will have their rights enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts, though the European Court of Justice will have jurisdiction over EU citizens' rights for eight years after the withdrawal day. EU citizens in the UK will have equal access to social security, health care, education and employment. But they - and UK citizens in the EU - would lose their rights to residency if they are out of the country for five or more years. The process for giving EU citizens residency rights in the UK will be under a new procedure, referred to as \"settled status\". The document has sought to make assurances that the administrative process \"will be transparent, smooth and streamlined\". The cost of the process is more unclear, with reports stating it will be \"free of charge\" or \"for a charge not exceeding that imposed on nationals for the issuing of similar\". Criminal background checks can be carried out \"on all applicants\", but the report adds the process should have a \"proportionate approach\". Those who already have residency rights in the UK will have their document \"converted\" free of charge, but will be subject to identity, criminality and security checks. Nicolas Hatton, chairman of the3million, a campaign group representing EU citizens living in the UK, expressed concerns about the deal. He said: \"Our rights should not have an expiry date. \"More worryingly, there is still no clarity around the registration criteria for these rights. There are a huge number of people still in the dark about whether they will qualify or not.\" \"Hundreds and thousands of them might get a letter that they have to go\" he added. UK citizens who move elsewhere in the EU before Brexit day will have the right to stay in that country. However after the UK withdraws, the freedom of movement principles will not be the same for UK citizens living in the EU as EU citizens living in Britain. As Jon Worth, a UK citizen living in Germany, said: \"I can still go and take a day trip to (Poland), or go on holiday to (Italy) unrestricted, after Brexit day. \"But I could not move to live in Italy or Poland without restriction.\" So for people like Mr Worth, the only way to keep this freedom of movement would be to apply for a passport in the European country they are currently residing in. British in Europe, a group which represents UK citizens in the EU, said both sides had \"negotiated away\" their rights. Jane Golding, chair woman of the group, said the deal was \"a double disaster\" for Britons in the EU. She said it was unclear whether automatic residency rights would be upheld and that many people who work across Europe rely on free movement. Issues that affect UK citizens in EU member states, like whether their rights are protected if they move to another member state after the withdrawal date or their ability to work cross-border in the EU, have been deferred to the second round of negotiations.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 361, "answer_end": 2164, "text": "The report confirms that EU and UK citizens have free movement of rights until the day the UK withdraws from the EU - 29 March 2019. This, in effect, is the cut-off date for EU citizens moving to the UK. Anyone who arrives before Brexit day will have the right to stay. Those who are yet to be granted permanent residency in the UK will have their rights protected, so they  can still acquire it after withdrawal. The latest deal also includes reunification rights for relatives who do not live in the UK, to join them in the future. These rights extend to future spouses or partners of EU citizens. Those EU citizens living in the UK will have their rights enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts, though the European Court of Justice will have jurisdiction over EU citizens' rights for eight years after the withdrawal day. EU citizens in the UK will have equal access to social security, health care, education and employment. But they - and UK citizens in the EU - would lose their rights to residency if they are out of the country for five or more years. The process for giving EU citizens residency rights in the UK will be under a new procedure, referred to as \"settled status\". The document has sought to make assurances that the administrative process \"will be transparent, smooth and streamlined\". The cost of the process is more unclear, with reports stating it will be \"free of charge\" or \"for a charge not exceeding that imposed on nationals for the issuing of similar\". Criminal background checks can be carried out \"on all applicants\", but the report adds the process should have a \"proportionate approach\". Those who already have residency rights in the UK will have their document \"converted\" free of charge, but will be subject to identity, criminality and security checks."}], "question": "What does this mean for EU citizens living in the UK?", "id": "125_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2625, "answer_end": 3279, "text": "UK citizens who move elsewhere in the EU before Brexit day will have the right to stay in that country. However after the UK withdraws, the freedom of movement principles will not be the same for UK citizens living in the EU as EU citizens living in Britain. As Jon Worth, a UK citizen living in Germany, said: \"I can still go and take a day trip to (Poland), or go on holiday to (Italy) unrestricted, after Brexit day. \"But I could not move to live in Italy or Poland without restriction.\" So for people like Mr Worth, the only way to keep this freedom of movement would be to apply for a passport in the European country they are currently residing in."}], "question": "What about Britons living in the EU?", "id": "125_1"}]}]}, {"title": "TTIP trade deal: Germans rally in Hannover against US-EU talks", "date": "23 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of people have marched in the German city of Hannover against a proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal. They say the deal would drive down wages, and weaken environmental protection and labour rights. US President Barack Obama - who is pushing hard for the agreement - says it would create millions of jobs and increase trade by lowering tariffs. On Sunday, he will visit the northern city to open a huge trade fair. TTIP: The EU-US trade deal explained German police estimate that more than 30,000 took part in the peaceful protest rally in Hannover. Many carried placards with slogans that read: \"Stop TTIP!\" The demonstrators have also been voicing their anger over the secrecy surrounding the ongoing TTIP negotiations. \"The TTIP between the American continent and Europe is very dangerous for the democracy, for our nature and for the rights of the workers,\" protester Florian Rohrich told the BBC. \"The rights in America for workers are much lower. It's like the Trojan horse. They can't change our whole system. But they will - because TTIP is written by the groups, by the companies, not by the politicians,\" he added. The negotiations were launched three years ago, and the next round is due to open on Monday in New York. Defending the TTIP, President Obama has said that the agreement would mean \"new growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic\". The TTIP aims to cut tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade between the US and EU countries, making it easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to access each other's markets. Industries it would affect include pharmaceuticals, cars, energy, finance, chemicals, clothing and food and drink. The aim is to boost the economies of the EU and the US by removing or reducing barriers to trade and foreign investment. By eliminating almost all tariffs (taxes applied only to imported goods) on trade between the US and the EU. Much of the concern is about the regulatory aspect: that it would lead to lower standards of consumer and environmental protection and safety at work. TTIP: Why the EU-US trade deal matters", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1702, "answer_end": 1822, "text": "The aim is to boost the economies of the EU and the US by removing or reducing barriers to trade and foreign investment."}], "question": "What is TTIP for?", "id": "126_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: EU extension decision expected on Friday", "date": "24 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "EU leaders are set to decide on Friday whether to grant the UK a three-month Brexit extension, the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler says. Most EU nations back it but France \"is digging its heels in\", she adds. So there could be an emergency summit in Brussels on Monday to allow leaders to reach agreement face-to-face. Boris Johnson insists the UK will leave the EU next week with or without a deal and he will seek a snap election if the EU grants an extension to January. The prime minister was forced to send a letter to the EU requesting an extension, under legislation passed by MPs last month. But he said he had told EU leaders his policy was still to leave on 31 October. Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs the government \"does not want an extension\" and was \"making every preparation to leave on 31 October\". Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's chief adviser, is reported to be urging ministers to abandon attempts to get the prime minister's Brexit deal through Parliament and go for a December election instead. But some ministers - such as Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith - are understood to be urging the prime minister to make another attempt to get his deal through Parliament first. Cabinet ministers are meeting and are expected to discuss the way forward. Arriving in Downing Street for the meeting, the Northern Ireland Secretary said: \"Let's just get Brexit sorted and get this bill over the line.\" He said there were \"differing views\" on Brexit among ministers but the aim was to \"make sure we've got everyone on board\". \"Obviously, in Northern Ireland we've been trying to avoid no-deal,\" he added. \"We seem to have succeeded with that. Let's try and get this stage done.\" French President Emmanuel Macron is concerned that a long extension could lead to more UK indecisiveness or an inconclusive general election, the BBC understands. But if the EU approves the UK's request for a three-month extension, Mr Johnson would have to accept it, under the terms of the so-called Benn Act. He would also have to accept any alternative duration suggested by EU leaders, unless MPs decide not to agree with it within two days. Neither a motion for an early election nor another attempt to get the Brexit deal through has so far been scheduled for next week's business in Parliament. President Macron favours a short, sharp Brexit delay, encouraging MPs and the UK government to concentrate on ratifying the newly negotiated Brexit deal. Mr Macron is fed up with the more-than-three-year EU focus on Brexit and the ever-present threat of a no-deal scenario. He would rather shift attention to reforming the EU itself, to the benefit (he believes) of the countries remaining in it. Of course, the French president knows Brexit won't be over if and when the UK leaves. Brexit Chapter Two - the negotiations on a comprehensive EU-UK trade deal - will likely be lengthy and complex, but they will largely be the competence of the European Commission, landing far more rarely on EU leaders' in-trays. Read the full article If Mr Johnson had got his way in a Commons vote on Tuesday, MPs would now be debating the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which would put his Brexit deal into law. Instead, they are debating the Queen's Speech, the government's proposed programme for the next session of Parliament, if there is not an early general election. MPs are due to vote at about 17:00 BST on whether to approve the Queen's Speech, a formality when the government has a majority, but the result is expected to be close. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour was ready for a general election \"whenever it comes\", but he refused to be drawn on whether his party would back one if Mr Johnson held a vote on it next week. \"We will see what happens. We are trying to take this in stages,\" he said. Mr McDonnell said Labour remained open to a \"compromise\" with the government, which could allow Mr Johnson to get his Brexit deal through Parliament. A \"dialogue\" with ministers was continuing, he added, after inconclusive talks on Wednesday between Jeremy Corbyn and the PM. Boris Johnson believes there should be a general election this winter to break the Brexit deadlock. There's not much point, he believes, in talking to Labour because they are never going to help him out. But are we now arriving at \"think-again Thursday\"? A growing number of influential Tories are saying: \"Hang on, winter election, not such a good idea.\" It's not even clear Mr Johnson could trigger one. There are more and more Tories saying: \"Perhaps we should have another go at bringing the bill back and trying to get it through the Commons.\" That's because Mr Johnson did get a majority on the broad principles of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. And perhaps, some say, if you love-bombed Labour MPs who might be tempted to vote for it, you would get it through.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4085, "answer_end": 4852, "text": "Boris Johnson believes there should be a general election this winter to break the Brexit deadlock. There's not much point, he believes, in talking to Labour because they are never going to help him out. But are we now arriving at \"think-again Thursday\"? A growing number of influential Tories are saying: \"Hang on, winter election, not such a good idea.\" It's not even clear Mr Johnson could trigger one. There are more and more Tories saying: \"Perhaps we should have another go at bringing the bill back and trying to get it through the Commons.\" That's because Mr Johnson did get a majority on the broad principles of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. And perhaps, some say, if you love-bombed Labour MPs who might be tempted to vote for it, you would get it through."}], "question": "Is this 'think-again Thursday'?", "id": "127_0"}]}]}, {"title": "China combats corruption within anti-corruption agency", "date": "9 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's anti-corruption agency says it is going to watch its officials more closely, after uncovering corruption within its own ranks. It says 17 officials from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) have been investigated for corruption since 2012. A sweeping anti-corruption drive has been a defining feature of Xi Jinping's presidency. More than a million officials have been punished so far, says the government. The CCDI has been front and centre in Mr Xi's anti-corruption drive, directing the investigations into, and punishment of, officials across the country. But the powerful watchdog has admitted that it is not immune. It revealed this in surprising fashion last week - through a television show, co-produced with national broadcaster CCTV, featuring the confessions of senior inspectors who have since been jailed. The China Daily newspaper reported at the weekend that a total of 7,900 disciplinary CCDI officials had been punished for some form of violation over the past four years. Among them were the 17 anti-corruption officials investigated for corruption. Televised confessions have become de rigeur for Chinese authorities seeking to make an example of people. The CCDI made a similar show last October featuring corrupt officials from other agencies, but the latest show focused squarely on the CCDI itself. Titled \"Forging Steel Requires Strength in One's Body\", it was unabashedly billed as a demonstration of resolve. It was the most public admission to date of corruption within the CCDI ranks. The three-part show featured CCDI inspectors penitently detailing how they pressured other officials, including higher-ranked ones, for bribes in return for granting them favours. One official admitted taking 141m yuan ($20.4m; PS16.7m) in bribes, along with more than 1,000 bottles of alcohol. Xinhua news agency said the arrests of high-level CCDI inspectors \"were a wake-up call: trust in any party cadre cannot replace supervision\". But in a separate article, the news agency reported that 93% of Chinese people were satisfied with the government's anti-corruption efforts. State-linked newspaper Global Times said the TV programme showed \"the party's determination to combat corruption and deter the officials\". The CCDI held its annual meeting at the weekend, where the agency put in place the new rule. Its official statement did not contain much detail, but said it would involve \"close supervision of work processes\", including the \"clear and accurate\" handling of investigations, tip-offs, and money and materials in corruption cases. It would also regulate procedures for interrogations and collection of evidence. Anti-corruption agents have sweeping powers, including the authority to arrest people off the streets and interrogate them in secret, without the need for a lawyer. The new rule, the statement proclaimed, would ensure \"CCDI's self-supervision is combined with supervision from the Party and society\". \"Trust cannot replace supervision,\" it said. \"We must make sure the power granted by the Party and the people is not abused.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1095, "answer_end": 1834, "text": "Televised confessions have become de rigeur for Chinese authorities seeking to make an example of people. The CCDI made a similar show last October featuring corrupt officials from other agencies, but the latest show focused squarely on the CCDI itself. Titled \"Forging Steel Requires Strength in One's Body\", it was unabashedly billed as a demonstration of resolve. It was the most public admission to date of corruption within the CCDI ranks. The three-part show featured CCDI inspectors penitently detailing how they pressured other officials, including higher-ranked ones, for bribes in return for granting them favours. One official admitted taking 141m yuan ($20.4m; PS16.7m) in bribes, along with more than 1,000 bottles of alcohol."}], "question": "What was in the TV show?", "id": "128_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1835, "answer_end": 2256, "text": "Xinhua news agency said the arrests of high-level CCDI inspectors \"were a wake-up call: trust in any party cadre cannot replace supervision\". But in a separate article, the news agency reported that 93% of Chinese people were satisfied with the government's anti-corruption efforts. State-linked newspaper Global Times said the TV programme showed \"the party's determination to combat corruption and deter the officials\"."}], "question": "What was the response?", "id": "128_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2257, "answer_end": 3092, "text": "The CCDI held its annual meeting at the weekend, where the agency put in place the new rule. Its official statement did not contain much detail, but said it would involve \"close supervision of work processes\", including the \"clear and accurate\" handling of investigations, tip-offs, and money and materials in corruption cases. It would also regulate procedures for interrogations and collection of evidence. Anti-corruption agents have sweeping powers, including the authority to arrest people off the streets and interrogate them in secret, without the need for a lawyer. The new rule, the statement proclaimed, would ensure \"CCDI's self-supervision is combined with supervision from the Party and society\". \"Trust cannot replace supervision,\" it said. \"We must make sure the power granted by the Party and the people is not abused.\""}], "question": "What's changing at the CCDI?", "id": "128_2"}]}]}, {"title": "'Creepy clown' police warnings as craze spreads", "date": "10 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police across England have been called to dozens of incidents in which pranksters dress as \"creepy clowns\" to deliberately scare people. The culprits are said to be following a trend that started in the US. A 30-year-old man was arrested and cautioned in Norwich after someone dressed as a clown jumped out from behind a tree and \"terrified\" a woman in a public park. On Sunday Thames Valley Police said it was called to 14 incidents in 24 hours. In the Norwich case, the woman was walking alone in Eaton Park at about 20:30 BST on Sunday when the man leapt out, screamed at her and ran after her. Supt Lynne Cross, of Norfolk Police, said such incidents \"may seem harmless, but it is quite frightening to those who experience it\". In County Durham on Friday, four children were followed to school by a man in a clown outfit who was armed with what turned out to be a plastic machete. In a separate clowning caper in County Durham on Friday, police in Peterlee posted a photo on their Facebook page of items including two masks confiscated from two 12-year-olds who officers said had gone to a primary school to scare children. Elsewhere, a 13-year-old boy is currently on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of common assault in West Bromwich on Saturday. It is alleged they boy, wearing a clown mask, approached a 14-year-old on New Swan Lane at about 16:45 and grabbed his arm. Professor Mark Griffiths, a chartered psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, says clowns tend to be scary because of their exaggerated looks and evil representation in films. \"The vast majority of people are not scared of clowns day-to-day but a clown's face has become part of a scare culture. \"There is a stereotype of the nasty, evil, eerie clown. If you look at clowns facially what you tend to find is part of their face or feet are exaggerated, they have huge noses, scary mouths and wildfire hair. \"We also have a cinematic trope. If you look at everything from Heath Ledger in Batman to Stephen King's It, we've got these characters with clown faces that are either killing people or doing really nasty things. Even if you have not come into contact with clowns, you're influenced by what you see in television and films.\" Meanwhile, in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, a man dressed as a clown and carrying a baseball bat was reported to have chased a 10-year-old child through a park. Gloucestershire Police said it had received six reports of \"clowns\" behaving suspiciously or carrying knives. In one instance a child was followed. A cyclist in Eastbourne, Sussex, was left \"shaken\" after someone dressed as a clown jumped out from a bush brandishing what he believed was an offensive weapon. And in Sudbury, Suffolk, a boy was chased by \"several people dressed as clowns\". People who have been approached by the clowns have taken to social media to warn others. A contributor to the Spotted: Loughborough Facebook page said: \"I was walking through Shelthorpe cemetery via the footpath next to the school. I was approached by what can only be described as a clown with an axe. I have never been so terrified in my life.\" Thames Valley Police said clowns were \"tying up resources which could impact on calls to other incidents\". Ch Supt Andy Boyd said: \"While we do not want to be accused of stopping people enjoying themselves, we would also ask those same people to think of the impact of their behaviour on others and themselves. \"Their actions can cause fear and anxiety to other people. This could be perceived to be intimidating and threatening which could lead to public order offences, arrest and a criminal record.\" The clown craze began in the US in late summer and has since spread to Canada and Australia. Schools in Texas and Alabama were shut down, while the White House press secretary had to field questions about the president's stance on the phenomenon. Inspector Simon Starns, of Sussex Police, said: \"We will respond if someone feels threatened and the culprit could end up being arrested and then they won't find it so funny.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1391, "answer_end": 2227, "text": "Professor Mark Griffiths, a chartered psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, says clowns tend to be scary because of their exaggerated looks and evil representation in films. \"The vast majority of people are not scared of clowns day-to-day but a clown's face has become part of a scare culture. \"There is a stereotype of the nasty, evil, eerie clown. If you look at clowns facially what you tend to find is part of their face or feet are exaggerated, they have huge noses, scary mouths and wildfire hair. \"We also have a cinematic trope. If you look at everything from Heath Ledger in Batman to Stephen King's It, we've got these characters with clown faces that are either killing people or doing really nasty things. Even if you have not come into contact with clowns, you're influenced by what you see in television and films.\""}], "question": "Why are we scared of clowns?", "id": "129_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Letter from Africa: Why Africa needs the United Nations", "date": "1 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African journalists, film-maker and columnist Farai Sevenzo considers why the UN matters to Africa. If the 70th UN General Assembly had a face, it would not only be showing its age, but it would be covered in the cuts and bruises from unending wars, new coups and the perennial problems of poverty, hunger and the new open, weeping sores that are the movements of the desperate and despairing across oceans and borders. For African leaders, the UN in New York is the place to be seen and heard every September. They are there under the magical veil of diplomatic immunity, not only because their leadership is recognised but also because it allows those who are older than the General Assembly to attend, as well as those who have been ostracised by international opinion, those who have been targeted by the International Criminal Court, and those who wish to plead for special attention or show that they are tackling corruption. Small budgets are prepared from the national coffers for the delegates accompanying the heads of state and first ladies fond of shopping, who mark the General Assembly dates in their diaries long in advance. This year's gathering has even featured a rock star Pope, and the Catholics among Africa's leadership may have wanted to touch that holy hand, though they may not have been so keen on confession. Still, it does not help to be too cynical, for Africa needs the UN more than any other continent. A brief scan of the UN's history will show us that while its predecessor, the League of Nations, threw South West Africa - present-day Namibia - from the frying pan of German occupation into the fire of apartheid jurisdiction, the UN has been largely present in tumultuous events in Africa these past 70 years. A UN Secretary General - Swedish statesman Dag Hammarskjold - lost his life in a plane crash in the Zambian town of Ndola in 1961 on his way to peace talks in the Congolese breakaway province of Katanga. Since then UN peacekeeping forces in Africa have been a regular and needed part of the continent's story:  19,000 troops are currently serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo; 12,000 are trying to restore order to the Central African Republic, another 10,000 are deployed in Mali and the UN mission in Liberia is due to end in June 2016 - having been there since 2003. Current UN peace missions in Africa - Central African Republic: Launched 2014, 12,000 currently deployed - Minusca - Democratic Republic of Congo: Launched 1999, 19,000 deployed - Monusco - Ivory Coast: Launched 2004, nearly 7,000 deployed - Unoci - Liberia:  Launched 2003 - nearly 6,000 deployed- Unmil - Mali: Launched 2013, 10,000 deployed - Minusma - South Sudan: Launched 2011, 12,500 deployed - Unmiss - Sudan: Hybrid mission in Darfur with African Union launched 2008, nearly 16,000 deployed - Unamid - Abyei - disputed territory between South Sudan and Sudan, 4,000 deployed - Unisfa - Western Sahara - 200 deployed Minurso The relationship between peacekeepers and Africa has been fraught with accusations of mineral theft and more seriously the sexual abuse of women and children by the international UN forces, but the security situation without them does not bear contemplation. In 2015 a look at the headlines shows us that from Libya downwards, violence prevails. It reveals that the fight for self-determination in South Sudan has resulted in increasing deaths after independence; Burkina Faso's presidential guard has become addicted to power and that economies wrecked by Ebola cannot do without international assistance. World leaders have now agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which replace the Millennium Goals, and feature many of the issues that the 20th Century grappled with. Farai Sevenzo: \"From rising prices, to lack of pasture for cattle to drought and floods - food and hunger remain the continent's major worry\" But paramount amongst the 17 SDGs is the struggle to end hunger. \"While the number of people suffering from hunger in developing regions has fallen by half since 1990, there are still close to 800 million people undernourished worldwide, a majority children and youth,\" said Mogens Lykketoft, president of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. Of course hunger has not arrived unannounced, the state of the planet and the effects of global warming have been playing havoc with people's crops all over southern Africa. Malawi, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned, faces its worst food crisis in 10 years. The WFP says 2.8 million people are at risk and that an astonishing four out of every 10 Malawian children are suffering from stunted growth. Poor rainfall affected the crops in 2013/2014 and then floods compounded the problem in early 2015 by destroying homes and wiping out food supplies. USAid's Famine Early Warning System has also listed food shortages in Ethiopia and Somalia, as well as in Sierra Leone and Liberia following the outbreak of Ebola. From rising prices, to lack of pasture for cattle to drought and floods - food and hunger remain the continent's major worry. Those attending the Sustainable Goals event spoke of its wide scope; UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said the new development blueprint was designed to \"resonate with people across the world\", while  UN Development Programme head Helen Clark said the goals called \"for a paradigm shift in how the international society understands development\". Development, if truth be told, has sometimes been hampered by some of the very people who gather every September in the autumn sunshine. But it is their solemn duty - and ours - to try and develop ourselves. At its worst, the UN is a grey monolithic beast that is overstaffed with career diplomats and \"angels of mercy\" who run around African cities in their 4x4s on behalf of Western charities and their own ambitious career paths. But at its best, the UN is the last refuge for the powerless, the hungry and the needy. And Africa has far too many people in all three categories to do without it.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1366, "answer_end": 2351, "text": "Still, it does not help to be too cynical, for Africa needs the UN more than any other continent. A brief scan of the UN's history will show us that while its predecessor, the League of Nations, threw South West Africa - present-day Namibia - from the frying pan of German occupation into the fire of apartheid jurisdiction, the UN has been largely present in tumultuous events in Africa these past 70 years. A UN Secretary General - Swedish statesman Dag Hammarskjold - lost his life in a plane crash in the Zambian town of Ndola in 1961 on his way to peace talks in the Congolese breakaway province of Katanga. Since then UN peacekeeping forces in Africa have been a regular and needed part of the continent's story:  19,000 troops are currently serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo; 12,000 are trying to restore order to the Central African Republic, another 10,000 are deployed in Mali and the UN mission in Liberia is due to end in June 2016 - having been there since 2003."}], "question": "Keeping the peace?", "id": "130_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump Russia: Bannon 'ordered to testify to grand jury'", "date": "16 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to US President Donald Trump, has been summoned to testify before a grand jury, US media report. He was reportedly subpoenaed by former FBI director Robert Mueller, who is leading an inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election campaign. Mr Bannon appeared separately on Tuesday before a Congressional panel. Congress is holding its own inquiry into the allegations. Mr Bannon was subpoenaed last week, the New York Times reports, quoting an unnamed person with direct knowledge of the matter. However the summons could be a negotiating tactic by Mr Mueller to persuade Mr Bannon to agree to be questioned by investigators in the less formal setting of the special counsel's offices in Washington, the paper's source added. By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington As prosecutors hunt for criminal misdeeds, they have a number of arrows in their quiver. One of the more powerful is the grand jury subpoena. Putting witnesses in the glare of the courtroom spotlight, in front of a panel of jurors, with every word noted and every answer compelled, can be quite revelatory. Steve Bannon could become the first member of the Trump inner circle to get this treatment. That he received his court summons just days after news broke that the former Trump campaign head told author Michael Wolff he thought the presidential family could be implicated in money-laundering and treasonous actions may cause some sleepless nights in the White House. Other top Trump staffers - including former chief-of-staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer and White House counsel Don McGrath - have had informal interviews with the special counsel team. Bannon's subpoena may just be a means of encouraging him to be more co-operative - or a sign that Mr Mueller's investigation has a particular interest in what he has to say. At the very least, this latest bit of news is a sign that, surely to the dismay of the president, the Russia investigation is far from winding down. He was appointed by the US justice department in May of last year to oversee an investigation into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Mr Trump's campaign and transition teams have been accused of colluding with Russian agents to influence the US election in the Republican candidate's favour. US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA, concluded with \"high confidence\" in 2016 that Russia was behind an effort to thumb the scale of the US election for Mr Trump. Both the Russian and US presidents have poured scorn on suggestions of collusion, with Mr Trump calling it \"the greatest political witch hunt in history\". He helped shape Mr Trump's \"America First\" election campaign message and served as one of his closest aides before being sacked in August. But he recently fell out with Mr Trump publicly after reportedly making comments about the president and his family in a newly-published book, Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff. He was quoted as calling a meeting in June 2016 between Mr Trump's son Donald Jr and a group of Russians \"treasonous\". It took place at Trump Tower in New York and also involved Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and an influential Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. A Russian intermediary had contacted Mr Trump Jr with a promise to provide material that would \"incriminate\" Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump Jr later defended the meeting, saying Ms Veselnitskaya had offered only \"inane nonsense\" but he also said he \"probably would have done things a little differently\" in retrospect. Four people have been charged: - Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, his former business associate, pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering unrelated to the 2016 election - George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, admitted lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians - Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to the Trump administration, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over meetings he had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak The House Intelligence Committee is also investigating the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Its proceedings on Tuesday were not open to the public. This is one of four investigations being conducted by Congress into the alleged collusion, with others launched by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2023, "answer_end": 2675, "text": "He was appointed by the US justice department in May of last year to oversee an investigation into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Mr Trump's campaign and transition teams have been accused of colluding with Russian agents to influence the US election in the Republican candidate's favour. US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA, concluded with \"high confidence\" in 2016 that Russia was behind an effort to thumb the scale of the US election for Mr Trump. Both the Russian and US presidents have poured scorn on suggestions of collusion, with Mr Trump calling it \"the greatest political witch hunt in history\"."}], "question": "What is Mr Mueller investigating?", "id": "131_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3110, "answer_end": 3655, "text": "It took place at Trump Tower in New York and also involved Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and an influential Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. A Russian intermediary had contacted Mr Trump Jr with a promise to provide material that would \"incriminate\" Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump Jr later defended the meeting, saying Ms Veselnitskaya had offered only \"inane nonsense\" but he also said he \"probably would have done things a little differently\" in retrospect."}], "question": "What do we know about that meeting?", "id": "131_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4122, "answer_end": 4510, "text": "The House Intelligence Committee is also investigating the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Its proceedings on Tuesday were not open to the public. This is one of four investigations being conducted by Congress into the alleged collusion, with others launched by the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee."}], "question": "Why was Mr Bannon in Congress?", "id": "131_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Charlotte shooting: Conflicting stories", "date": "27 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two opposing narratives are being told in Charlotte, North Carolina, where 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott was shot to death by police on Tuesday. Police say that Mr Scott was holding a handgun when he stepped out from his car parked at his apartment building. Family and witnesses say that he actually held a book, which he was reading while waiting for the school bus to drop off his son. Police say that they found a gun, but no book, at the shooting scene. Police have yet to release dashboard or body camera footage of the arrest, saying it will be released \"when there is a compelling reason\", leading members of the community to question the official account. However, footage showing the moments leading up to the shooting, filmed by Mr Scott's wife Rakeyia, has now emerged. Charlotte Police say that they had gone to The Village at College Downs apartments, to execute an arrest warrant for another person when they encountered Mr Scott. They said they observed Mr Scott exit his vehicle while holding a handgun. Police chief Kerr Putney said that, having watched footage, there was not \"absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing a gun\" but that it did support the version of events depicted by officers, \"when taken in the totality of all the other evidence\". Police say Mr Scott refused orders to drop his gun and was shot when he \"posed an imminent deadly threat\" to officers. He was then shot by Officer Brently Vinson, who was in plain clothes at the time. Immediately after the shooting, Mr Scott's daughter posted a Facebook Live video from the scene, in which she angrily accused officers of shooting her father \"for being black\". \"He got out of his car, he walked back to comply, and all his compliance did was get him murdered,\" said Taheshia Williams, whose balcony overlooks the car park where Mr Scott was sitting on Tuesday afternoon. Officers have not said if Mr Scott pointed the gun towards them, but insist that he posed a threat even if he had not. In the footage, Rakeyia Scott tells her husband to get out of his car as Charlotte police surround him. The clip does not show the actual shooting, or make clear if Mr Scott was carrying a gun, as police say. An officer is heard shouting: \"Hands up!\" Mrs Scott cries: \"Don't shoot him. Don't shoot him. He has no weapon. \"He has no weapon. Don't shoot him.\" An officer says: \"Don't shoot. Drop the gun. Drop the [expletive] gun.\" Ms Scott says: \"He doesn't have a gun. He has a TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury].\" She adds: \"He just took his medicine.\" After shots ring out, she rushes forward shouting: \"Did you shoot him? He better not be [expletive] dead!\" Mr Scott's neighbours knew him as a \"family man\" with seven children. Several recalled how he would sit in his car in order to be out of the sun while he waited for his son to return from school. Neighbours said that he had a disability caused by a bicycle accident, which would cause him to have seizures if he was too hot. Court documents say Mr Scott had a restraining order filed against him on 5 October 2015 after threatening to kill his wife and her son with a gun. The wife had warned police encountering him that he \"carries a 9mm black\" gun. Officer Vinson, 26, grew up in Charlotte and joined the same police force where his father had worked. His American football coaches said that he dreamed of becoming a federal police officer. He enrolled in the police academy in July 2014 and was assigned to Charlotte's Metro Division later that year. He has not previously faced any disciplinary actions, according to police personnel files, and was placed on administrative leave following the shooting.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 783, "answer_end": 2015, "text": "Charlotte Police say that they had gone to The Village at College Downs apartments, to execute an arrest warrant for another person when they encountered Mr Scott. They said they observed Mr Scott exit his vehicle while holding a handgun. Police chief Kerr Putney said that, having watched footage, there was not \"absolute definitive visual evidence that would confirm that a person is pointing a gun\" but that it did support the version of events depicted by officers, \"when taken in the totality of all the other evidence\". Police say Mr Scott refused orders to drop his gun and was shot when he \"posed an imminent deadly threat\" to officers. He was then shot by Officer Brently Vinson, who was in plain clothes at the time. Immediately after the shooting, Mr Scott's daughter posted a Facebook Live video from the scene, in which she angrily accused officers of shooting her father \"for being black\". \"He got out of his car, he walked back to comply, and all his compliance did was get him murdered,\" said Taheshia Williams, whose balcony overlooks the car park where Mr Scott was sitting on Tuesday afternoon. Officers have not said if Mr Scott pointed the gun towards them, but insist that he posed a threat even if he had not."}], "question": "What do we know about that day?", "id": "132_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2016, "answer_end": 2670, "text": "In the footage, Rakeyia Scott tells her husband to get out of his car as Charlotte police surround him. The clip does not show the actual shooting, or make clear if Mr Scott was carrying a gun, as police say. An officer is heard shouting: \"Hands up!\" Mrs Scott cries: \"Don't shoot him. Don't shoot him. He has no weapon. \"He has no weapon. Don't shoot him.\" An officer says: \"Don't shoot. Drop the gun. Drop the [expletive] gun.\" Ms Scott says: \"He doesn't have a gun. He has a TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury].\" She adds: \"He just took his medicine.\" After shots ring out, she rushes forward shouting: \"Did you shoot him? He better not be [expletive] dead!\""}], "question": "What does the family's footage show?", "id": "132_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2671, "answer_end": 3222, "text": "Mr Scott's neighbours knew him as a \"family man\" with seven children. Several recalled how he would sit in his car in order to be out of the sun while he waited for his son to return from school. Neighbours said that he had a disability caused by a bicycle accident, which would cause him to have seizures if he was too hot. Court documents say Mr Scott had a restraining order filed against him on 5 October 2015 after threatening to kill his wife and her son with a gun. The wife had warned police encountering him that he \"carries a 9mm black\" gun."}], "question": "Who was Keith Lamont Scott?", "id": "132_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3223, "answer_end": 3679, "text": "Officer Vinson, 26, grew up in Charlotte and joined the same police force where his father had worked. His American football coaches said that he dreamed of becoming a federal police officer. He enrolled in the police academy in July 2014 and was assigned to Charlotte's Metro Division later that year. He has not previously faced any disciplinary actions, according to police personnel files, and was placed on administrative leave following the shooting."}], "question": "Who is Brently Vinson?", "id": "132_3"}]}]}, {"title": "No-deal Brexit warning for UK drivers", "date": "17 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "If UK motorists plan to drive within the EU after Brexit, they need to act soon or risk breaking the law. That's because a no-deal Brexit would leave drivers needing to have proof of insurance known as a Green Card. EU regulations will hit businesses and individuals. They will also apply to anyone driving across the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border. You need to order the card a month before you plan to travel, warned the Association of British Insurers. Although European insurance authorities agreed to waive the need for Green Cards in the event of a no-deal Brexit in May 2018, it has not been confirmed by the European Commission. It means Green Cards would be required under EU regulations as proof of insurance if the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal deal. The documents are supplied by insurers and anyone who drives without one may be breaking the law. Meanwhile the government is still pressing for the European Commission to give the Green Card-waiver a green light. A spokesperson from the Department for Transport said: \"The UK meets all requirements to remain a part of the Green Card-free circulation zone when we leave the EU, and we urge the Commission to issue a decision which would ensure UK motorists can drive in the EU without a Green Card.\" Among those affected will be: - People who drive across the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border. - Anyone planning to take their vehicle to Europe, such as a family planning a holiday to France in the Easter holidays. - Any freight company planning to transport goods into the EU after 29 March. EU motorists will also need a Green Card if they plan to drive in the UK. That also applies to Brits living abroad who have arranged cover in the country they live in. If UK motorists are renting a car abroad, they won't need to produce a Green Card as the rental company will provide local insurance. Huw Evans, director general of the ABI, said: \"As it looks increasingly possible that a no-deal Brexit may happen, we want all insurance customers to know the facts about what this means for them.\" When it comes to travel insurance, Mr Evans said that cover would continue to work in the normal way, even in the event that there is no replacement for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system that allows people some free healthcare in the EU. However, he added: \"Customers should always double-check their travel insurance policy meets their full needs.\" If there is no deal with the EU, drivers may also need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive abroad. RAC spokesperson Nicholas Lyes said: \"There will be two different types of IDP that apply in EU states, so it is important that motorists heading abroad in the event of a no-deal Brexit check which is required. In cases where someone is driving to Spain via France, they would need both types of IDP.\" From 1 February, the government will begin providing IDPs at 2,500 Post Offices across the UK. - The NI Department for the Economy suggests that there are approximately 110 million crossings between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland each year. This includes cars, HGVs and buses/coaches. - Eurotunnel Shuttle Services carried 1.6 million trucks and 2.6 million cars in 2017 (total number; both directions). - According to official statistics, in 2017 there were 2.4 million HGVs travelling from Great Britain to Europe (excluding NI) and 370,000 HGVs travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1284, "answer_end": 2966, "text": "Among those affected will be: - People who drive across the Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland border. - Anyone planning to take their vehicle to Europe, such as a family planning a holiday to France in the Easter holidays. - Any freight company planning to transport goods into the EU after 29 March. EU motorists will also need a Green Card if they plan to drive in the UK. That also applies to Brits living abroad who have arranged cover in the country they live in. If UK motorists are renting a car abroad, they won't need to produce a Green Card as the rental company will provide local insurance. Huw Evans, director general of the ABI, said: \"As it looks increasingly possible that a no-deal Brexit may happen, we want all insurance customers to know the facts about what this means for them.\" When it comes to travel insurance, Mr Evans said that cover would continue to work in the normal way, even in the event that there is no replacement for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system that allows people some free healthcare in the EU. However, he added: \"Customers should always double-check their travel insurance policy meets their full needs.\" If there is no deal with the EU, drivers may also need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive abroad. RAC spokesperson Nicholas Lyes said: \"There will be two different types of IDP that apply in EU states, so it is important that motorists heading abroad in the event of a no-deal Brexit check which is required. In cases where someone is driving to Spain via France, they would need both types of IDP.\" From 1 February, the government will begin providing IDPs at 2,500 Post Offices across the UK."}], "question": "Who will be affected?", "id": "133_0"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo election: Officials delay result of presidential vote", "date": "5 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The results of last week's presidential vote in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not be published on Sunday, officials say, despite growing calls for the outcome to be announced. The head of the electoral commission said this was because less than half the ballots had arrived. His spokesman told the BBC a meeting would be held on Sunday over the delay. The Catholic Church, which fielded thousands of observers, said on Thursday there was a clear winner. It called for the result to be made public to avoid political unrest. This drew an angry response from the coalition in power which said the church was \"doing something illegal\" and accused it of \"preparing the population for insurrection\". The Church had been vocal in its opposition to the extension of President Joseph Kabila's rule. He is stepping down after 17 years in office and has promised DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. The official result was due to be announced on Sunday, although the electoral commission had warned a few days ago this could be delayed. The head of the commission, Corneille Nangaa, said on Saturday that less than half of all the votes had been counted. \"It is not possible to publish the results on Sunday.  We are making progress, but we do not have everything yet.\" No date for the announcement was given. On Thursday, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (Cenco) - which deployed some 40,000 election observers on voting day - said there was a clear winner based on its tally of the votes. They did not name anyone but urged election officials \"to publish the election results in keeping with truth and justice\". The ruling FCC (Common Front for the Congo) told the BBC only the electoral commission is officially allowed to announce results. There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: - Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former interior minister and Kabila loyalist, who was hit by European Union sanctions for his role in the violent suppression of opposition protests in 2017 - Martin Fayulu, a former oil executive who has promised \"a dignified and prosperous Congo\", but who poor Congolese feel may not advance their cause - Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, the son of a late veteran opposition leader who has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2334, "answer_end": 3190, "text": "Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "134_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain coalition talks: Sanchez wins Catalan support to form government", "date": "2 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spain's interim Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been backed by Catalonia's largest separatist party to form a coalition government. Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) MPs are to abstain in a confidence vote next week, paving the way for a new term for Mr Sanchez. The ERC said a Mr Sanchez-led government would hold talks on Catalonia's future. Spain has been racked by political uncertainty for almost a year. The country saw two inconclusive elections last year coupled with Catalonia's on-going drive for independence. In November's election, Mr Sanchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) won the most seats, but fell short of the 176 required for a majority in parliament. The Socialist Party has struck a deal to form a coalition government with far-left party Podemos. Yet the Socialist Party and Podemos still don't have a majority in parliament, meaning they need the support of other smaller parties, including the ERC. With the ERC's 13 seats and a possible combination of support from other leftist or Basque parties, Prime Minister Sanchez could continue in office at the head of a coalition. That outcome appears more likely after the ERC's national committee said on Thursday its MPs would abstain in confidence votes expected over the weekend and next Tuesday. Mr Sanchez appears set to lose the first vote, in which he requires an absolute majority. But in the second vote he just needs more votes in favour than against and should now have them if the ERC abstains. The Socialist Party has agreed to set up negotiations between Spain's central government and the Catalan government to \"unblock the political conflict over the future of Catalonia and establish the basis for its resolution\". A citizens' vote based on the conclusions of the talks will be held in Catalonia, Reuters news agency reports. \"It is a difficult, complex path. We think it is worth taking,\" Pere Aragones, Catalonia's vice president, told reporters. The future of Catalonia, a semi-autonomous region in north-east Spain, was a major issue in last November's election. The election came less than a month after Spain's Supreme Court handed out lengthy jail sentences to nine Catalan independence leaders, over their role in organising an outlawed referendum in 2017. The move triggered protests and violence on the streets of Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia. The Catalan crisis dominated the election campaign, with parties on the right - Vox, the PP and the centre-right Ciudadanos - taking a hard-line anti-separatist stance. The Republican Left of Catalonia (as their name translates from Catalan) is the region's oldest separatist party. Its president, Oriol Junqueras, is one of the separatist leaders jailed by Spain in October for sedition, over their part in the illegal independence referendum of 2017. In Catalonia, the ERC won three seats more than its centre-right separatist rival, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), the party of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont. The ERC voted to support a new Spanish coalition government in return for talks on independence in November last year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2523, "answer_end": 3111, "text": "The Republican Left of Catalonia (as their name translates from Catalan) is the region's oldest separatist party. Its president, Oriol Junqueras, is one of the separatist leaders jailed by Spain in October for sedition, over their part in the illegal independence referendum of 2017. In Catalonia, the ERC won three seats more than its centre-right separatist rival, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), the party of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont. The ERC voted to support a new Spanish coalition government in return for talks on independence in November last year."}], "question": "Who are the ERC?", "id": "135_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US imposes sweeping sanctions on Venezuelan government", "date": "6 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping sanctions on the Venezuelan government, freezing its assets in the US and barring transactions with it. This measure is expected to be far more damaging for Venezuela's socialist government than previous sanctions. The move is the latest aimed at increasing pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. The US is one of more than 50 nations that do not recognise Mr Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president. It has instead given its backing to the head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, who declared himself president in January. President Trump signed an executive order which states that \"all property and interests in property of the government of Venezuela that are in the United States... are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in\". The order also bars transactions with Venezuelan authorities whose assets are blocked, stating that \"the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order\". \"The receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person,\" is also banned. The move really ramps up the pressure on President Maduro by not only targeting his government's assets in the US but also the individuals, companies and countries doing business with his government. It means that Venezuela will face many of the US restrictions on Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. It goes much further than previous US sanctions which targeted Venezuelan leaders, including President Maduro himself, and specific state-run entities such as oil company PDVSA, Venezuela's central bank and its development bank. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said the new sanctions could be imposed on \"anyone who supports\" Mr Maduro's government. The new measures, he added, would force countries and companies to choose between doing business with the US or with Venezuela. America would use \"every tool to end Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela\", he said. In a letter to the US Congress, President Trump wrote that he had imposed the measure \"in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolas Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses, arbitrary arrest and detention of Venezuelan citizens\". The aim is to further isolate the Venezuelan government and attempt to cut it off from the support it has been getting from its most powerful allies, China and Russia. As previous sanctions have not succeeded in removing President Maduro from power, President Trump is tightening the screws in an attempt to speed up his removal from power. The US government has said exemptions will include the provision of humanitarian goods, food and medicine. Venezuela has long blamed US sanctions for the dire state of its economy. More than six months have passed since Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent. Mr Guaido has since managed to secure the backing of more than 50 nations, but failed to remove Mr Maduro from power. Meanwhile, Venezuelans continue to flee the political and economic crisis in huge numbers. More than four million are now living abroad according to UN figures. International pressure to solve the Venezuelan crisis is mounting with more than 50 countries currently meeting in the Peruvian capital, Lima, to discuss a solution. Mr Guaido has welcomed the new measure arguing that it punishes those \"who do business with the regime\". He argues that the freeze seeks to \"protect Venezuelans\" by punishing those \"who uphold the usurpation, benefitting from the hunger and the pain of Venezuelans\". Venezuela's foreign ministry denounced the fresh sanctions calling them \"another serious aggression by the Trump administration through arbitrary economic terrorism against the Venezuelan people\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 587, "answer_end": 1248, "text": "President Trump signed an executive order which states that \"all property and interests in property of the government of Venezuela that are in the United States... are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in\". The order also bars transactions with Venezuelan authorities whose assets are blocked, stating that \"the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order\". \"The receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person,\" is also banned."}], "question": "What is the new measure?", "id": "136_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1249, "answer_end": 2116, "text": "The move really ramps up the pressure on President Maduro by not only targeting his government's assets in the US but also the individuals, companies and countries doing business with his government. It means that Venezuela will face many of the US restrictions on Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. It goes much further than previous US sanctions which targeted Venezuelan leaders, including President Maduro himself, and specific state-run entities such as oil company PDVSA, Venezuela's central bank and its development bank. US National Security Advisor John Bolton said the new sanctions could be imposed on \"anyone who supports\" Mr Maduro's government. The new measures, he added, would force countries and companies to choose between doing business with the US or with Venezuela. America would use \"every tool to end Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela\", he said."}], "question": "What does it mean?", "id": "136_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2117, "answer_end": 2910, "text": "In a letter to the US Congress, President Trump wrote that he had imposed the measure \"in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolas Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses, arbitrary arrest and detention of Venezuelan citizens\". The aim is to further isolate the Venezuelan government and attempt to cut it off from the support it has been getting from its most powerful allies, China and Russia. As previous sanctions have not succeeded in removing President Maduro from power, President Trump is tightening the screws in an attempt to speed up his removal from power. The US government has said exemptions will include the provision of humanitarian goods, food and medicine. Venezuela has long blamed US sanctions for the dire state of its economy."}], "question": "What's the aim?", "id": "136_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2911, "answer_end": 3505, "text": "More than six months have passed since Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent. Mr Guaido has since managed to secure the backing of more than 50 nations, but failed to remove Mr Maduro from power. Meanwhile, Venezuelans continue to flee the political and economic crisis in huge numbers. More than four million are now living abroad according to UN figures. International pressure to solve the Venezuelan crisis is mounting with more than 50 countries currently meeting in the Peruvian capital, Lima, to discuss a solution."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "136_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3506, "answer_end": 3969, "text": "Mr Guaido has welcomed the new measure arguing that it punishes those \"who do business with the regime\". He argues that the freeze seeks to \"protect Venezuelans\" by punishing those \"who uphold the usurpation, benefitting from the hunger and the pain of Venezuelans\". Venezuela's foreign ministry denounced the fresh sanctions calling them \"another serious aggression by the Trump administration through arbitrary economic terrorism against the Venezuelan people\"."}], "question": "What's the reaction been?", "id": "136_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Israeli election: Netanyahu and Gantz both claim victory", "date": "10 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Exit polls in Israel suggest there will be no clear winner in the closely fought general election. The centrist Blue and White alliance of former military chief Benny Gantz was projected to win 36 or 37 seats, with the Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking 33 to 36. Both men have claimed victory. Two exit polls predicted that right-wing parties allied to Mr Netanyahu were more likely to be able to form a governing coalition. But a third exit poll predicted that the bloc would be tied with centre-left parties allied to Mr Gantz. \"We won! The Israeli public has had its say!\" Blue and White said in a statement. \"These elections have a clear winner and a clear loser.\" But at his party's election headquarters in Tel Aviv, Mr Netanyahu was also celebrating. \"It is a night of colossal victory,\" he said. \"I'm very touched that, for the fifth time, the people of Israel have believed in me.\" No party has ever won a majority in Israel's 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, and the country has always had coalition governments. Analysis by the BBC's Tom Bateman in Tel Aviv At the election night event for Benny Gantz in Tel Aviv, a huge cheer went up as the first exit poll was released. His supporters expressed confidence that Israel could be on the brink of a new centre-ground government. \"Change is on the way,\" one activist told me above the roars of celebration. But the outcome is far from clear. At the last election, the exit polls were dramatically wrong. And the real politics start now if there is a close result - as both main parties canvass Israel's president for the right to start talks to assemble a coalition. Mr Netanyahu could overtake Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion as its longest-serving prime minister if he is re-elected for a fifth term. The 69-year-old has put forward tough messages on security, which is one of the election's key issues. He also made a significant announcement in the final days of the campaign, suggesting a new government would annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. Mr Netanyahu is also facing allegations of corruption which he denies. He says he is a victim of a political \"witch hunt\" aimed at influencing the election. In a separate controversy on Tuesday, Israeli Arab politicians condemned his Likud party for sending 1,200 observers equipped with hidden body cameras to polling stations in Arab communities. The Arab alliance, Hadash-Taal, said it was an \"illegal\" action that sought to intimidate Arabs. Likud said it wanted to ensure only \"valid votes\" were cast. Mr Netanyahu's main challenger, Mr Gantz, is a retired lieutenant-general who formed the Blue and White in February, promising to unite a country that had \"lost its way\". The 59-year-old former chief of staff of the Israeli military can rival Mr Netanyahu on security and is promising cleaner politics. Mr Gantz's campaign platform refers to \"separation\" from the Palestinians but does not specifically mention them having an independent state. It also calls for continued control over the Jordan Valley and retaining West Bank settlement blocs. Three Israeli television networks carried out separate exit polls: - Public broadcaster Kan projected that Blue and White would win 37 seats and Likud 36. It said the right-wing bloc was expected to control 64 seats in parliament and the centre-left bloc 56 - Channel 13 predicted both parties with end up with 36 seats, but that right-wing parties would control 66 seats to the centre-left's 54 - Channel 12 News projected that Blue and White would win 37 seats and Likud 33 seats. But it had the centre-left and right-wing blocs both controlling 60 seats The three predicted that the left-wing Labour party would win between six and eight seats, and the left-wing Meretz party between four and five seats. It was not clear how many of the more than 40 smaller parties contesting the election would win at least 3.25% of the national vote - the threshold for entering parliament with four seats. Two exit polls suggested outgoing Education Minister Naftali Bennett's New Right party and Moshe Feiglin's ultra-nationalist Zehut party had not passed the threshold.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1649, "answer_end": 3206, "text": "Mr Netanyahu could overtake Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion as its longest-serving prime minister if he is re-elected for a fifth term. The 69-year-old has put forward tough messages on security, which is one of the election's key issues. He also made a significant announcement in the final days of the campaign, suggesting a new government would annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. Mr Netanyahu is also facing allegations of corruption which he denies. He says he is a victim of a political \"witch hunt\" aimed at influencing the election. In a separate controversy on Tuesday, Israeli Arab politicians condemned his Likud party for sending 1,200 observers equipped with hidden body cameras to polling stations in Arab communities. The Arab alliance, Hadash-Taal, said it was an \"illegal\" action that sought to intimidate Arabs. Likud said it wanted to ensure only \"valid votes\" were cast. Mr Netanyahu's main challenger, Mr Gantz, is a retired lieutenant-general who formed the Blue and White in February, promising to unite a country that had \"lost its way\". The 59-year-old former chief of staff of the Israeli military can rival Mr Netanyahu on security and is promising cleaner politics. Mr Gantz's campaign platform refers to \"separation\" from the Palestinians but does not specifically mention them having an independent state. It also calls for continued control over the Jordan Valley and retaining West Bank settlement blocs."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "137_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3207, "answer_end": 4270, "text": "Three Israeli television networks carried out separate exit polls: - Public broadcaster Kan projected that Blue and White would win 37 seats and Likud 36. It said the right-wing bloc was expected to control 64 seats in parliament and the centre-left bloc 56 - Channel 13 predicted both parties with end up with 36 seats, but that right-wing parties would control 66 seats to the centre-left's 54 - Channel 12 News projected that Blue and White would win 37 seats and Likud 33 seats. But it had the centre-left and right-wing blocs both controlling 60 seats The three predicted that the left-wing Labour party would win between six and eight seats, and the left-wing Meretz party between four and five seats. It was not clear how many of the more than 40 smaller parties contesting the election would win at least 3.25% of the national vote - the threshold for entering parliament with four seats. Two exit polls suggested outgoing Education Minister Naftali Bennett's New Right party and Moshe Feiglin's ultra-nationalist Zehut party had not passed the threshold."}], "question": "What are the exit polls predicting?", "id": "137_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Kashmir dispute: India PM Modi defends lifting special status", "date": "8 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appeared on state media to defend his highly controversial decision to remove the special status accorded to Kashmir. Mr Modi said a \"new era\" was beginning for the Indian-administered part of the region, where \"hindrances\" to its development had been lifted. The area has been in lockdown since Sunday night, with mobile, landline and internet networks cut off. Pakistan says the removal of special status breaches international law. Like India, Pakistan claims Kashmir in its entirety, and the two nuclear-armed powers have fought several wars over the Himalayan region since partition in 1947. Each controls part of the territory. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ruled out a new military conflict on Thursday, telling reporters in the capital Islamabad: \"We're not looking at the military option. We're not.\" This is Mr Modi's first address to the nation since Monday's announcement in parliament that Article 370 - the part of the constitution guaranteeing Jammu and Kashmir special status - had been revoked. Mr Modi made his address via a broadcast on TV and radio - the latter the only platform that could reach Kashmiris while the region was still under lockdown. The speech came amid uncertainty and division. While many Indians welcomed the move and lauded Mr Modi's government for its decisiveness, others criticised India for what they said were heavy-handed and even unconstitutional tactics. When the government stripped Indian-administered Kashmir of its autonomy, it also moved to divide it into two federally-administered territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Such \"union territories\" have less autonomy from the federal government than states do. In his speech, Mr Modi suggested that Jammu and Kashmir could eventually re-gain the status of a state, but Ladakh would remain a union territory. \"The scrapping of Article 370 is the beginning of a new era,\" he said. Kashmir's special status, the prime minister argued, had been used as a weapon by Pakistan to \"instigate some people\", but now India would rid the region of \"terrorism and terrorists\". \"There will be a lot of development,\" he said. \"All the citizens will be given their rights.\" He promised greater voting rights and transparency, as well as better rail and road links, and said the young people of Kashmir should \"take charge of the development of their own land\". A cinema industry could flourish in the picturesque region, he suggested. \"I think the whole world will come and shoot their films there,\" he said. \"[This will] bring employment for the people there.\" And he painted a picture of exports from the area taking off: \"The colour of saffron or the taste of coffee from Jammu and Kashmir, be it the sweetness of the apple or the succulence of the apricot, be it Kashmiri shawls... they need to be spread worldwide.\" Anticipating unrest over the controversial move, the government moved tens of thousands of troops into India's northern-most region before Monday. On Sunday evening, internet, mobile phone networks and landlines in the region were cut off; and political leaders, including two former chief ministers, were put under house arrest. They are reportedly still detained. The BBC has interviewed several Kashmiris in the region and other parts of India - they all spoke of a deep sense of betrayal and fear over what lies ahead. At least 300 people - including politicians, activists, business leaders and professors - have reportedly been detained. There have also been instances of protesters throwing stones at security forces. The Hindu nationalist BJP party has long vowed to revoke the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. The party's 2019 election manifesto said it was \"discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of Kashmir\", adding that it was an \"obstacle in the development of the state.\" Article 370 guaranteed the Muslim-majority region greater autonomy than any other Indian state, as well as special privileges in education, jobs and property ownership. The special status often rankled the Hindu right-wing, which saw it as a \"historical wrong\". The revocation was welcomed by BJP leaders and party supporters, who said Kashmir was finally \"fully\" integrated with India. The move also energised the party's base, which celebrated it as further proof of Mr Modi's muscular nationalism. And some analysts described as a bold political move the swift, assured manner in which the BJP rolled back a 70-year-old deal between Delhi and India's most volatile region. While many opposition lawmakers launched a scathing criticism of the government, several parties backed the decision over fears of being labelled \"anti-national\". A senior leader from the main opposition Congress party said his party had been \"politically outwitted\" by the BJP. China has described the removal of Kashmir's special status as \"unacceptable\". The United Nations said it was \"deeply concerned\" about the situation. UN spokesperson Rupert Colville said the \"blanket telecommunications restrictions, perhaps more blanket than we have seen before\" would prevent people from \"participating fully in democratic debate about the future status of Jammu and Kashmir\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1462, "answer_end": 2870, "text": "When the government stripped Indian-administered Kashmir of its autonomy, it also moved to divide it into two federally-administered territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Such \"union territories\" have less autonomy from the federal government than states do. In his speech, Mr Modi suggested that Jammu and Kashmir could eventually re-gain the status of a state, but Ladakh would remain a union territory. \"The scrapping of Article 370 is the beginning of a new era,\" he said. Kashmir's special status, the prime minister argued, had been used as a weapon by Pakistan to \"instigate some people\", but now India would rid the region of \"terrorism and terrorists\". \"There will be a lot of development,\" he said. \"All the citizens will be given their rights.\" He promised greater voting rights and transparency, as well as better rail and road links, and said the young people of Kashmir should \"take charge of the development of their own land\". A cinema industry could flourish in the picturesque region, he suggested. \"I think the whole world will come and shoot their films there,\" he said. \"[This will] bring employment for the people there.\" And he painted a picture of exports from the area taking off: \"The colour of saffron or the taste of coffee from Jammu and Kashmir, be it the sweetness of the apple or the succulence of the apricot, be it Kashmiri shawls... they need to be spread worldwide.\""}], "question": "What did Modi say?", "id": "138_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2871, "answer_end": 3595, "text": "Anticipating unrest over the controversial move, the government moved tens of thousands of troops into India's northern-most region before Monday. On Sunday evening, internet, mobile phone networks and landlines in the region were cut off; and political leaders, including two former chief ministers, were put under house arrest. They are reportedly still detained. The BBC has interviewed several Kashmiris in the region and other parts of India - they all spoke of a deep sense of betrayal and fear over what lies ahead. At least 300 people - including politicians, activists, business leaders and professors - have reportedly been detained. There have also been instances of protesters throwing stones at security forces."}], "question": "What is happening in Kashmir?", "id": "138_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3596, "answer_end": 4839, "text": "The Hindu nationalist BJP party has long vowed to revoke the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir. The party's 2019 election manifesto said it was \"discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of Kashmir\", adding that it was an \"obstacle in the development of the state.\" Article 370 guaranteed the Muslim-majority region greater autonomy than any other Indian state, as well as special privileges in education, jobs and property ownership. The special status often rankled the Hindu right-wing, which saw it as a \"historical wrong\". The revocation was welcomed by BJP leaders and party supporters, who said Kashmir was finally \"fully\" integrated with India. The move also energised the party's base, which celebrated it as further proof of Mr Modi's muscular nationalism. And some analysts described as a bold political move the swift, assured manner in which the BJP rolled back a 70-year-old deal between Delhi and India's most volatile region. While many opposition lawmakers launched a scathing criticism of the government, several parties backed the decision over fears of being labelled \"anti-national\". A senior leader from the main opposition Congress party said his party had been \"politically outwitted\" by the BJP."}], "question": "Why did the BJP revoke Article 370?", "id": "138_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4840, "answer_end": 5234, "text": "China has described the removal of Kashmir's special status as \"unacceptable\". The United Nations said it was \"deeply concerned\" about the situation. UN spokesperson Rupert Colville said the \"blanket telecommunications restrictions, perhaps more blanket than we have seen before\" would prevent people from \"participating fully in democratic debate about the future status of Jammu and Kashmir\"."}], "question": "What was the international reaction?", "id": "138_3"}]}]}, {"title": "US election: Who will be banned under Trump's immigration plan?", "date": "16 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has unveiled his latest plans for immigration screenings. How will it work? The proposal, outlined in a speech in Ohio, includes temporarily suspending visas from countries with terrorist ties as well as introducing an ideological test for those entering the US. Though Mr Trump has yet to outline which countries would be included on the list, he told supporters at the rally he would \"ask the State Department and Department of Homeland security to identify regions where adequate screenings cannot take place\". The billionaire businessman said the aim of his latest plan is to destroy the so-called Islamic State (IS), adding that he would work with any countries that share that mission. Mr Trump also proposed an ideological test for those entering the US, focusing on issues such as religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. The government, he said, would use those test responses as well as social media and interviews with friends and relatives to determine whether a candidate supports American values. It is unclear how the test responses would be assessed. Mr Trump's immigration plan has taken shape throughout his campaign, beginning with his call for a blanket ban on all Muslims entering the country in December 2015. The proposal drew condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, including from his running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence. The New York developer changed his tune after a shooting at an Orlando nightclub in June, saying he would temporarily ban visas from countries with a history of terrorism against the US and other western nations. Though the latest iteration would issue a ban on certain countries, some immigration experts say it still unfairly targets Muslims. A Virginia immigration lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, points out that Mr Trump's policy seems to reinforce the rise of xenophobic sentiment, with Muslims bearing the brunt of proposals such as implementing ideological tests. Kevin Johnson, dean of the UC Davis Law School, says the concept of ideological litmus tests recalls the Cold War era and the use of immigration laws to regulate the ideologies of people coming to the US. Mr Trump did, in fact, invoke Cold War legislation in his speech, noting that the \"time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today\". \"Using our immigration laws to screen out views we don't agree with seems arguably un-American in terms of our devotion to free speech rights,\" Mr Johnson said. While it is unclear which countries would fall under Mr Trump's temporary ban, a Trump campaign official told the BBC to look at the current administration's lists of countries with terrorism ties. According to the State Department's annual assessment on global terrorism, 12 countries provide \"terrorist safe havens\". These countries include: Somalia, Mali, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. The State Department has also designated 14 countries where terror networks such as IS and al-Qaeda have established operations, including Turkey, Nigeria and Russia. The US also lists Iran, Sudan and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism, bringing the total number of countries with terror links to 29 nations. But if Mr Trump were to follow the State Department's list of other nations with smaller, established terrorist cells - which includes France, Belgium and the UK - that would bring the total to 40 nations which could fall under his ban. However, a Trump campaign adviser told the BBC that Mr Trump would not mention specific countries until he receives full national security briefings and would instead focus on forming partnerships with governments and other agencies to strengthen the vetting process. As experts point out, the US has rigorous vetting processes in place when it comes to immigration, and particularly, refugees - a group that Mr Trump has targeted in campaign speeches. \"There is a tremendous amount of vetting that takes place today,\" said Doris Meissner, a former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the predecessor to the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ms Meissner, a current senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, said the US has modernised screening databases to include criminal information, terrorist watch lists and other intelligence shared between the US and other countries. The US has spent an enormous amount of time upgrading its systems, she said, and it continues to do so with a \"renewed sense of cooperation\" with other western countries in the wake of the attacks in Paris and Brussels. But while the US focuses on individually screening whether someone should be excluded based on terrorist activity, Mr Trump's plan appears to issue a blanket approach, Mr Johnson said. \"Usually, more focused individualised inquiries tend to bear more fruit when it comes to protecting people's security,\" he added. Mr Trump's blanket approach echoes a programme implemented by US officials following the 11 September attacks, Mr Ahmad noted. In 2002, the US created \"Special Registration,\" a programme requiring Arab and Muslim men to register with authorities with the aim of uncovering terror links. However, as Mr Ahmad notes, of the 25 countries listed in the programme, 24 were predominantly Muslim nations (except for North Korea). The programme yielded little results, with only 11 of the more than 85,000 men registered in the first year found to have a link to terrorism, the New York Times reported. But even so, the Bush administration's immigration policies did not issue temporary blanket bans as Mr Trump has suggested, Mr Johnson added. \"When you have blanket approaches, you generally get less effective security because you can't spend your time and effort on where the real problems are,\" Ms Meissner said. Mr Trump vowed to \"aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS\" while also only allowing \"those who share our values and respect our people\" to enter the US. But will his proposals strengthen US national security? Experts seem to think his pledges are still too opaque to tell. \"It is not clear to me that there is any security benefits from either ideological exclusions or blanket exclusions from people from particular countries,\" Mr Johnson said. Mr Ahmed describes his plan as \"an act of security theatre\". \"We already have a vetting system and it's focused on what people actually do rather than what their Facebook status says,\" he said. Using social media and ideological tests also opens up the vetting process to misinterpretation, Ms Meissner added. \"Interviews with friends and family, vetting to under stand people's support for American values,\" she said, \"Those are highly subjective factors.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1122, "answer_end": 2505, "text": "Mr Trump's immigration plan has taken shape throughout his campaign, beginning with his call for a blanket ban on all Muslims entering the country in December 2015. The proposal drew condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans, including from his running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence. The New York developer changed his tune after a shooting at an Orlando nightclub in June, saying he would temporarily ban visas from countries with a history of terrorism against the US and other western nations. Though the latest iteration would issue a ban on certain countries, some immigration experts say it still unfairly targets Muslims. A Virginia immigration lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, points out that Mr Trump's policy seems to reinforce the rise of xenophobic sentiment, with Muslims bearing the brunt of proposals such as implementing ideological tests. Kevin Johnson, dean of the UC Davis Law School, says the concept of ideological litmus tests recalls the Cold War era and the use of immigration laws to regulate the ideologies of people coming to the US. Mr Trump did, in fact, invoke Cold War legislation in his speech, noting that the \"time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today\". \"Using our immigration laws to screen out views we don't agree with seems arguably un-American in terms of our devotion to free speech rights,\" Mr Johnson said."}], "question": "Is this a revision of his Muslim ban?", "id": "139_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2506, "answer_end": 3780, "text": "While it is unclear which countries would fall under Mr Trump's temporary ban, a Trump campaign official told the BBC to look at the current administration's lists of countries with terrorism ties. According to the State Department's annual assessment on global terrorism, 12 countries provide \"terrorist safe havens\". These countries include: Somalia, Mali, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. The State Department has also designated 14 countries where terror networks such as IS and al-Qaeda have established operations, including Turkey, Nigeria and Russia. The US also lists Iran, Sudan and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism, bringing the total number of countries with terror links to 29 nations. But if Mr Trump were to follow the State Department's list of other nations with smaller, established terrorist cells - which includes France, Belgium and the UK - that would bring the total to 40 nations which could fall under his ban. However, a Trump campaign adviser told the BBC that Mr Trump would not mention specific countries until he receives full national security briefings and would instead focus on forming partnerships with governments and other agencies to strengthen the vetting process."}], "question": "What countries would be affected?", "id": "139_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3781, "answer_end": 5909, "text": "As experts point out, the US has rigorous vetting processes in place when it comes to immigration, and particularly, refugees - a group that Mr Trump has targeted in campaign speeches. \"There is a tremendous amount of vetting that takes place today,\" said Doris Meissner, a former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the predecessor to the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ms Meissner, a current senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, said the US has modernised screening databases to include criminal information, terrorist watch lists and other intelligence shared between the US and other countries. The US has spent an enormous amount of time upgrading its systems, she said, and it continues to do so with a \"renewed sense of cooperation\" with other western countries in the wake of the attacks in Paris and Brussels. But while the US focuses on individually screening whether someone should be excluded based on terrorist activity, Mr Trump's plan appears to issue a blanket approach, Mr Johnson said. \"Usually, more focused individualised inquiries tend to bear more fruit when it comes to protecting people's security,\" he added. Mr Trump's blanket approach echoes a programme implemented by US officials following the 11 September attacks, Mr Ahmad noted. In 2002, the US created \"Special Registration,\" a programme requiring Arab and Muslim men to register with authorities with the aim of uncovering terror links. However, as Mr Ahmad notes, of the 25 countries listed in the programme, 24 were predominantly Muslim nations (except for North Korea). The programme yielded little results, with only 11 of the more than 85,000 men registered in the first year found to have a link to terrorism, the New York Times reported. But even so, the Bush administration's immigration policies did not issue temporary blanket bans as Mr Trump has suggested, Mr Johnson added. \"When you have blanket approaches, you generally get less effective security because you can't spend your time and effort on where the real problems are,\" Ms Meissner said."}], "question": "How is Mr Trump's plan different from the current system?", "id": "139_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Are young people going cool on cars?", "date": "18 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Could you live without a car? Reya El-Salahi from London asked herself this question when she moved into a car-free development, but over the past year she's been fine. Lil Boyer from Dorset says she can't use rural buses because they are \"rubbish\" - but she's embarrassed to drive so much. They are part of a trend of young people going cool on the car. In the 1990s, 80% of people were driving by 30; now this marker is only reached by 45. Men under 30 are travelling only half the miles their fathers did. The Commission on Travel Demand says this should lead to a government re-think about travel priorities. It points out that people in general are driving much less than expected: - People are travelling 10% fewer miles than in 2002 and spending 22 hours less travelling each year than a decade ago. - There has been a 20% reduction in commuter trips per week since the mid 1990s - Growth in car traffic has slowed. In the 1980s, it grew by 50% whereas in the decade to 2016 it grew by 2% Yet BBC News has learned that next week the government is likely to forecast a rise in traffic of between 20% and 60% by 2040. It will predict that, collectively, drivers will be doing up to 400 billion miles a year. That, in turn, will increase pressure for more spending on roads. It depends on how much you believe the government's traffic forecasts. A spokesman said the planners had registered the changes in travel habits in its three-yearly forecast of future traffic. But the Commission says the forecast is a huge overestimate that will lead to a boom in controversial  road-building. It says the forecasters have not properly taken into account that people generally are driving much less. The commission's chair, professor Greg Marsden, told the BBC: \"We need root and branch reform of traffic forecasting. \"Forecasts of future demand for future road use are highly debatable because they appear to be based on the sort of traffic growth we saw in the 1990s. We don't have those levels of traffic growth any more.\" \"Many young people are happy to live their lives without a car - especially in big cities where public transport is good.\" The Commission says that unless ministers radically re-think the way they plan transport infrastructure, they will be spending taxpayers' money on the wrong things. They say that instead of estimating future demand for driving, then building roads to meet the demand, ministers should be asking how people want to live - then planning transport solutions accordingly. It could mean more investment in public transport, walking and cycling provision in cities where many young people prefer to live without owning a car. This would reduce pollution too, and help combat climate change. Different solutions would be needed in rural areas where good public transport is scarce and where most people are dependent on cars. The Commission on Travel Demand is an independent group of academic experts on travel forecasting. It's funded by the government-backed Research Councils UK. Prof Marsden told us government planners are in danger of locking the UK into a high-traffic future by providing extra road space that will simply encourage more traffic growth. The report says: \"We've got to join the dots on policy and see that more active forms of transport like walking and cycling are going to improve people's health and combat the obesity epidemic. Walking and cycling have a vital role to play, yet they appear to be the Cinderellas of transport.\" Prof Marsden's group says: \"There is a combination of longer-term societal shifts in activities such as how we work and how we shop, changing demographics, shifts in income across the population as well as policies in the transport sector which have encouraged urbanisation. \"The recession has played a part - as has the shift to mobile internet and other advances in information and communication technologies. However, the trends predate both of these.\" Other contributory factors in a complicated equation might be high car insurance for young men in particular, and the growth in taxi services like Uber. In some cities, housing developments are car-free. Reya El-Salahi from London told us: \"In order to live in my home you have to sign a contract that you won't apply for a parking permit. I've driven since I was a teenager and it's something I was worried about. But it's been absolutely fine. Surprisingly.\" Yes but to a lesser extent. A car is still needed for many in rural areas. Take Lil Boyer, an occupational  therapist and young mum from Wimborne in Dorset. She told us: \"I have tried getting the bus to work but if you miss your bus you are stranded and I can't get home to my daughter. \"I feel guilty about the amount I use the car but it's not really an option\". The report says across Europe, cities have seized on the trend of falling trip rates. They are proactively planning to increase their populations whilst reducing or holding steady car traffic. Rather than debating what future demand might be, they are setting out a vision for their cities and then thinking about the role of vehicles in that. The Commission says in the UK, London and Greater Manchester are leading the way in planning cities where people can walk, cycle and use public transport and taxis - without needing to own a car. A spokesman said: \"Good transport infrastructure is key to a thriving economy which is why we are making significant investments to transform our transport network, helping create jobs and boost economic growth. \"We regularly update our forecasts and evidence base, keeping them up-to-date for planning future transport investment. We are working closely with industry and consumers to ensure we are prepared for the transport network of the future.\" Follow Roger on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1279, "answer_end": 2144, "text": "It depends on how much you believe the government's traffic forecasts. A spokesman said the planners had registered the changes in travel habits in its three-yearly forecast of future traffic. But the Commission says the forecast is a huge overestimate that will lead to a boom in controversial  road-building. It says the forecasters have not properly taken into account that people generally are driving much less. The commission's chair, professor Greg Marsden, told the BBC: \"We need root and branch reform of traffic forecasting. \"Forecasts of future demand for future road use are highly debatable because they appear to be based on the sort of traffic growth we saw in the 1990s. We don't have those levels of traffic growth any more.\" \"Many young people are happy to live their lives without a car - especially in big cities where public transport is good.\""}], "question": "So will driving increase or not?", "id": "140_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2145, "answer_end": 2512, "text": "The Commission says that unless ministers radically re-think the way they plan transport infrastructure, they will be spending taxpayers' money on the wrong things. They say that instead of estimating future demand for driving, then building roads to meet the demand, ministers should be asking how people want to live - then planning transport solutions accordingly."}], "question": "Why does it matter?", "id": "140_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2513, "answer_end": 2863, "text": "It could mean more investment in public transport, walking and cycling provision in cities where many young people prefer to live without owning a car. This would reduce pollution too, and help combat climate change. Different solutions would be needed in rural areas where good public transport is scarce and where most people are dependent on cars."}], "question": "What would that mean for people?", "id": "140_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2864, "answer_end": 3199, "text": "The Commission on Travel Demand is an independent group of academic experts on travel forecasting. It's funded by the government-backed Research Councils UK. Prof Marsden told us government planners are in danger of locking the UK into a high-traffic future by providing extra road space that will simply encourage more traffic growth."}], "question": "What is the Commission?", "id": "140_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3200, "answer_end": 3493, "text": "The report says: \"We've got to join the dots on policy and see that more active forms of transport like walking and cycling are going to improve people's health and combat the obesity epidemic. Walking and cycling have a vital role to play, yet they appear to be the Cinderellas of transport.\""}], "question": "What is the key message?", "id": "140_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3494, "answer_end": 4410, "text": "Prof Marsden's group says: \"There is a combination of longer-term societal shifts in activities such as how we work and how we shop, changing demographics, shifts in income across the population as well as policies in the transport sector which have encouraged urbanisation. \"The recession has played a part - as has the shift to mobile internet and other advances in information and communication technologies. However, the trends predate both of these.\" Other contributory factors in a complicated equation might be high car insurance for young men in particular, and the growth in taxi services like Uber. In some cities, housing developments are car-free. Reya El-Salahi from London told us: \"In order to live in my home you have to sign a contract that you won't apply for a parking permit. I've driven since I was a teenager and it's something I was worried about. But it's been absolutely fine. Surprisingly.\""}], "question": "Why is travel demand changing?", "id": "140_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4411, "answer_end": 4775, "text": "Yes but to a lesser extent. A car is still needed for many in rural areas. Take Lil Boyer, an occupational  therapist and young mum from Wimborne in Dorset. She told us: \"I have tried getting the bus to work but if you miss your bus you are stranded and I can't get home to my daughter. \"I feel guilty about the amount I use the car but it's not really an option\"."}], "question": "Are travel habits in the countryside changing too?", "id": "140_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4776, "answer_end": 5315, "text": "The report says across Europe, cities have seized on the trend of falling trip rates. They are proactively planning to increase their populations whilst reducing or holding steady car traffic. Rather than debating what future demand might be, they are setting out a vision for their cities and then thinking about the role of vehicles in that. The Commission says in the UK, London and Greater Manchester are leading the way in planning cities where people can walk, cycle and use public transport and taxis - without needing to own a car."}], "question": "What are other countries doing about it?", "id": "140_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5316, "answer_end": 5791, "text": "A spokesman said: \"Good transport infrastructure is key to a thriving economy which is why we are making significant investments to transform our transport network, helping create jobs and boost economic growth. \"We regularly update our forecasts and evidence base, keeping them up-to-date for planning future transport investment. We are working closely with industry and consumers to ensure we are prepared for the transport network of the future.\" Follow Roger on Twitter."}], "question": "What does the government say?", "id": "140_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: Two cases confirmed in UK", "date": "31 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two people from the same family have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, the chief medical officer for England has announced. The Chinese nationals were guests at the Staycity apartment-hotel in York, before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The hotel remains open for business but their apartment will be thoroughly disinfected, the company said. Meanwhile 83 Britons evacuated from Wuhan in China are in quarantine. They were taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, where they will remain for 14 days, after their flight landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday. The new coronavirus has caused the deaths of 213 people so far - all in China. Cases of the virus have reached nearly 10,000 in China - and more than 100 cases have been reported in 22 other countries. Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said the NHS was \"extremely well-prepared for managing infections\" and it was quickly trying to identify any close contacts the two patients had to prevent further spread. But he said the confirmed cases could not be identified because of patient confidentiality. Anyone who is within two metres of the infected person for 15 minutes. Probably for 15 minutes, but it is unlikely to survive on surfaces, like door handles, for more than 24 hours. Source: Public Health England The two people with coronavirus were moved from their York apartment-hotel to be treated initially at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, before being taken to the infectious diseases unit in Newcastle. Public Health England said there was minimal risk of infection to either guests or staff at the Staycity property in York. Those identified as close contacts would be given health advice about symptoms and an emergency number in case they became unwell - but wouldn't be quarantined, PHE said. Prof Whitty said the specialist unit at the Newcastle hospital was experienced in treating people with infectious diseases and there was \"a high chance people would get better\", based on current information. \"A lot of people will end up with a relatively minor disease,\" he said. The small number who go on to be more seriously ill tend to develop respiratory problems which \"will be dealt with as anyone else with a respiratory disease\", Prof Whitty added. Some GPs have started sending text messages to patients, telling them to stay away from their local surgery and phone them instead, if they feel unwell and have been to China in the last two weeks. Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading, said the possibility of further spread was \"minimal\" because the cases were caught early. Virus experts said they were not surprised to see cases in the UK but there was no reason to panic. The WHO declared the outbreak a global emergency on Thursday. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has now surpassed that of the Sars epidemic, which spread to more than two dozen countries in 2003. The mortality rate for the new strain of coronavirus is currently low, at 2% - less than Sars at 10% and Ebola at 70%, the chief medical officer says. But the death rate could yet go up if more of those in hospital die, or down if it's discovered there are many other people with mild symptoms. The quarantined Britons are being isolated from the general public, but not in \"solitary confinement\", according to the chief medical officer. \"We intend them to be housed in a way which is pleasant,\" he added. Pat Hackett, leader of Wirral Council, said: \"All services in the hospital are running as usual including emergency services, outpatients and planned surgery. Staff working in the hospital will not be in contact with these UK citizens.\" This is not a surprise and is a moment the country has been preparing for. The response now will be two-fold. The first is to treat the patients while preventing any spread of the virus. This is something specialist centres in the NHS have plenty of experience of - including when caring for patients who caught Ebola during the outbreak in West Africa in 2014. The second is a massive feat of detective work to find out who these patients may have passed the virus on to. Last night, doctors in Germany confirmed cases there had spread before people even developed symptoms. Effective \"contact tracing\" is how the virus can be contained. There is still much we do not know about these cases, but the situation in the UK is completely different to China where there are nearly 10,000 cases and the authorities are still trying to get on top of the outbreak. - Your questions: You asked, we answered - The story explained: How worried should we be? - Wuhan profiled: The city now in lockdown - In detail: Follow all our coverage here Do you have information to share? Please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Or Upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1128, "answer_end": 1198, "text": "Anyone who is within two metres of the infected person for 15 minutes."}], "question": "Who qualifies as a close contact?", "id": "141_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Greg Hands quits as minister over Heathrow expansion", "date": "21 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Junior trade minister Greg Hands has resigned from the government to oppose expansion of Heathrow Airport. The vote on whether to build a third runway at the airport west of London is due to be held on Monday. Mr Hands, who represents the Chelsea and Fulham constituency in London, said he had pledged to oppose the new runway at the 2017 election. It had been thought that ministers with constituencies directly affected could have been allowed to miss the vote. The highest profile opponent of Heathrow expansion in the cabinet is Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, who once pledged to lie down in front of bulldozers to stop it happening. But Mr Johnson is scheduled to be out of the UK on Monday so will not be attending the vote in the House of Commons. Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson suggested on Twitter that Mr Hands' resignation should prompt the prime minister to allow her MPs a free vote: \"It's not too late for her to change whipping arrangements. This would also allow Boris Johnson to re-enter the country.\" Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said the foreign secretary should quit too: Prime Minister Theresa May defended the foreign secretary's absence from a vote seen by some as crucial to the UK's post-Brexit international trade campaign, known as Global Britain. She said: \"The government is absolutely committed to increasing airport capacity at Heathrow. This is important, it is part of our future as Global Britain, and the ambitions we have as a trading nation for the future. \"The foreign secretary early next week will be what I would describe as the living embodiment of Global Britain. \"He will be out there actually showing the UK's continued presence around the world, and the work that the UK continues to do around the world, with our diplomacy working on so many of the issues and challenges that we face across the world today.\" Labour is also divided on the controversial issue, with members of the party's leadership, such as shadow chancellor John McDonnell, opposed to it, but high profile trade union backers in favour. The party's MPs are being allowed to vote however they want to on the issue. The SNP are in favour of Heathrow expansion, with the Lib Dems opposed and with the government deciding to whip (order) Conservative MPs to vote in favour, it is widely expected that the expansion plan will get Commons backing. A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Hands, who has held various ministerial roles and was chief secretary to the Treasury under David Cameron, had \"served the government with great ability and distinction over several years, and we thank him for all of his work\". Mr Hands will be replaced as a minister in the Department for International Trade by George Hollingbery, MP for Meon Valley. Meanwhile Mr Hands has tweeted that he cannot answer media calls about his resignation - because he is visiting a Romanian monastery: The debate on expanding Heathrow has been going on for nearly 20 years. The last Labour government backed the idea, and won a vote on it in 2009, but that plan was scrapped - and the idea of expansion put on hold for five years - by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition formed after the 2010 election. But the idea of expansion was resurrected and has been subsequently backed by the Conservatives. Ministers approved a draft national airports policy statement in October but Parliament has  to give its approval for detailed planning to begin. Campaigners argue that a new runway will breach the UK's legal limits on air pollution and increase noise pollution with an extra 700 planes a day. It will result in huge disruption to residents of nearby villages, such as Longford, Harmondsworth and Sipson, with hundreds of homes likely to be knocked down. Robert Barnstone, from the No 3rd Runway Coalition, told the BBC the government was \"failing people and failing the environment as well\". Former Transport Secretary Justine Greening, who backs expanding Gatwick instead, suggested the idea of Heathrow as a national hub airport was outdated and the focus should be on improving regional capacity. And Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, who resigned his Richmond Park seat in 2016 over the issue and subsequently lost a by-election, said for many people \"this doesn't just look like a blank cheque being given by this government to a foreign-owned multinational, it looks like a whole book of cheques signed by our constituents\". Heathrow's owners, which include Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial, say the airport is virtually full and a new runway would increase its capacity from 85.5 million to 130 million passengers. The expansion is estimated to create about 60,000 new jobs and generate about PS70bn in total economic benefits by the 2050s. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said it will provide a \"vital legacy\" for the British economy. Residents whose houses are knocked down will get compensation worth 125% of their value - as well as legal fees and stamp duty costs paid for - while PS700m would be available to fund noise insulation measures for those who decide to stay. Mr Grayling has said a ban on night flights was an \"absolute requirement\" and non-negotiable while he said landing charges paid by airlines must stay at current levels. \"This runway cannot be built if it does not meet air quality rules,\" he added. Sir Howard Davies, whose 2015 review recommended a new runway as long as environmental and community impacts were addressed, said \"significant\" concessions had been made on reducing early morning flights and minimising the impact on residents on the proposed flight path.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3440, "answer_end": 4414, "text": "Campaigners argue that a new runway will breach the UK's legal limits on air pollution and increase noise pollution with an extra 700 planes a day. It will result in huge disruption to residents of nearby villages, such as Longford, Harmondsworth and Sipson, with hundreds of homes likely to be knocked down. Robert Barnstone, from the No 3rd Runway Coalition, told the BBC the government was \"failing people and failing the environment as well\". Former Transport Secretary Justine Greening, who backs expanding Gatwick instead, suggested the idea of Heathrow as a national hub airport was outdated and the focus should be on improving regional capacity. And Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, who resigned his Richmond Park seat in 2016 over the issue and subsequently lost a by-election, said for many people \"this doesn't just look like a blank cheque being given by this government to a foreign-owned multinational, it looks like a whole book of cheques signed by our constituents\"."}], "question": "'So expensive': Why are critics opposed?", "id": "142_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Nordic countries might not be as happy as you think", "date": "25 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nordic countries like Finland and Norway may regularly come out on top of world happiness indexes for wellbeing year-on-year - but new research shows the happiness is far from universal. A report authored by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen aims to provide a more nuanced picture of life in the Nordic nations - suggesting their reputations as utopias for happiness are masking significant problems for some parts of the population, especially young people. The researchers behind In the Shadow of Happiness looked at data collected across five years between 2012-2016 to try and build a better picture of the so-called \"happiness superpowers\". It asked people to mark their satisfaction with life out of 10 - with people above a seven categorised as thriving, fives and sixes as struggling and anyone scoring below a four deemed to be suffering. It found that in total 12.3% of people living in the Nordic region said they were struggling or suffering, with 13.5% of young people ranking themselves as such. This level only worsened in the age bracket of 80 or above - a group more affected by issues like illness. It found general health and mental health were both closely associated with happiness ratings - with unemployment, income and sociability also playing a role. By and large the report challenges our typical conception of the happiness trajectory of life - especially that we are all at our happiest while young. Researchers found mental health to be one of the most significant barriers to subjective well-being. Their data found these problems being reported by young people in particular. \"More and more young people are getting lonely and stressed and having mental disorders,\" one of the report's authors, Michael Birkjaer, told the Guardian newspaper. \"We are seeing that this epidemic of mental illness and loneliness is reaching the shores of the Nordic countries.\" In Denmark, 18.3% of people aged 16 to 24 said they suffered from poor mental health - with the number rising to 23.8% for women in that age bracket. Norway saw a 40% increase over the five-year-period of young people seeking help for mental health difficulties. The report notes that in Finland, which ranked as the happiest world country in 2018, suicide was responsible for a third of all deaths among the age bracket. It found that young women consistently reported feeling depressed more than young men did. The authors say that in Nordic countries high incomes protected people against feeling they were suffering or struggling. They also found that people were more than three times more likely to report a low score if they were unemployed, especially men, who were also more likely to report mental health problems when unemployed. It said that research shows lack of social contact was a greater problem among Nordic men than women. Other conclusions included: - Ethnic minorities living in Nordic countries were less happy - Very religious people were more likely to be happier - No difference was found between people living in the country and those in cities While the figures may seem stark, it is in isolation in some of the happiest - overall - countries on earth. Although the report particularly focuses on Nordic countries, it does compare some of the data to that recorded elsewhere. So while 3.9% of people in the Nordic region may report scores so low they are classed as \"suffering\" - that level is as high as 26.9% in Russia and 17% in France. So the picture in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden does remain relatively rosy - just not as perfect as some may have painted.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3110, "answer_end": 3644, "text": "While the figures may seem stark, it is in isolation in some of the happiest - overall - countries on earth. Although the report particularly focuses on Nordic countries, it does compare some of the data to that recorded elsewhere. So while 3.9% of people in the Nordic region may report scores so low they are classed as \"suffering\" - that level is as high as 26.9% in Russia and 17% in France. So the picture in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden does remain relatively rosy - just not as perfect as some may have painted."}], "question": "Is it really that bad then?", "id": "143_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Somali forces end day-long Mogadishu siege", "date": "1 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Somalia's special forces have killed all three gunmen who had taken over a building in central Mogadishu, using civilians as human shields, officials say. The attack, which killed 20 people, began late on Thursday when al-Shabab militants stormed an area lined with hotels, shops and restaurants. They then seized a nearby building. This was the longest siege by the militant group since it was forced out of the Somali capital in 2011. The final gunman was killed on Friday evening, about 22 hours after the initial attack. Ismail Muktar, the commissioner for Hamar Jajab district, told reporters about the final moments of the siege. \"The last terrorist gunman was killed after the security forces destroyed a room in which he was taking cover and the siege is over now,\" he said. Al-Shabab has said it was behind the attack in the busy Maka al-Mukarama road, which has also injured more than 60. A number of civilians were rescued from the building. There are fears that the death toll could rise further. An al-Shabab fighter blew himself up in a car, destroying other cars on the road and the front of Hotel Maka al-Mukarama, witnesses say. The secretary-general of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Mohamed Moalimuu was inside the Hotel Maka al-Mukarama with a colleague when they heard gunshots followed by a blast: The suicide car explosion was then followed by gunshots from other al-Shabab militants who stormed an adjacent building. US-trained Somali troops known as the Alpha Group were called in to surround the building and end the siege. Somalia's information minister said on Friday afternoon that the use of human shields by al-Shabab had prolonged the siege. \"We could have ended this hours ago but we were concerned [about] the civilians, whom they [al-Shabab] don't mind using as shields but we would rather be the shields for them [the civilians],\" Dahir Mahamud Gelle said in a televised speech. The Maka al-Mukarama road is the busiest road in Mogadishu. It has been repeatedly targeted by al-Shabab militants despite being one of the most heavily guarded roads in the country. Hassan Haile, a prominent UK-based Somali political analyst, told the BBC that the Islamist militant group were especially drawn to the road. \"Al-Shabab like attacking Maka al-Mukarama because it is in the heart of Somalia,\" he said. He told the BBC the Islamist militant group use bribes and threats to carry out their attacks: \"They either bribe with money or make it very clear that they know where the soldiers live and who their families are, to reach where they want to reach,\" Mr Haile said. \"There is negligence from the government, the soldiers have no money and they don't get encouragement which makes these kinds of attacks possible.\" The fight against al-Shabab The Islamist group al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, was forced out of Mogadishu in 2011 but continues to mount regular attacks in the city. The US has sharply increased its air strikes against the group since President Trump took power. The former deputy director of Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says that al-Shabab has increased its attacks in Mogadishu as retaliation for the airstrikes. Abdisalam Guled was also concerned that this week's withdrawal of Burundian troops from the African Union force in the city could further jeopardise security. He also believes that bad management is partly to blame. \"The army and police are overworked and underpaid,\" he said. The US State Department says al-Shabab retains control over large parts of the country and has the ability to carry out high-profile attacks using suicide bombers, explosive devices, mortars and small arms.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1009, "answer_end": 1932, "text": "An al-Shabab fighter blew himself up in a car, destroying other cars on the road and the front of Hotel Maka al-Mukarama, witnesses say. The secretary-general of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Mohamed Moalimuu was inside the Hotel Maka al-Mukarama with a colleague when they heard gunshots followed by a blast: The suicide car explosion was then followed by gunshots from other al-Shabab militants who stormed an adjacent building. US-trained Somali troops known as the Alpha Group were called in to surround the building and end the siege. Somalia's information minister said on Friday afternoon that the use of human shields by al-Shabab had prolonged the siege. \"We could have ended this hours ago but we were concerned [about] the civilians, whom they [al-Shabab] don't mind using as shields but we would rather be the shields for them [the civilians],\" Dahir Mahamud Gelle said in a televised speech."}], "question": "What led to the siege?", "id": "144_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1933, "answer_end": 3701, "text": "The Maka al-Mukarama road is the busiest road in Mogadishu. It has been repeatedly targeted by al-Shabab militants despite being one of the most heavily guarded roads in the country. Hassan Haile, a prominent UK-based Somali political analyst, told the BBC that the Islamist militant group were especially drawn to the road. \"Al-Shabab like attacking Maka al-Mukarama because it is in the heart of Somalia,\" he said. He told the BBC the Islamist militant group use bribes and threats to carry out their attacks: \"They either bribe with money or make it very clear that they know where the soldiers live and who their families are, to reach where they want to reach,\" Mr Haile said. \"There is negligence from the government, the soldiers have no money and they don't get encouragement which makes these kinds of attacks possible.\" The fight against al-Shabab The Islamist group al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, was forced out of Mogadishu in 2011 but continues to mount regular attacks in the city. The US has sharply increased its air strikes against the group since President Trump took power. The former deputy director of Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says that al-Shabab has increased its attacks in Mogadishu as retaliation for the airstrikes. Abdisalam Guled was also concerned that this week's withdrawal of Burundian troops from the African Union force in the city could further jeopardise security. He also believes that bad management is partly to blame. \"The army and police are overworked and underpaid,\" he said. The US State Department says al-Shabab retains control over large parts of the country and has the ability to carry out high-profile attacks using suicide bombers, explosive devices, mortars and small arms."}], "question": "What is the significance of Maka al-Mukarama road?", "id": "144_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Students say Dartmouth ignored professor 'predator club'", "date": "16 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Dartmouth College is facing a $70m (PS54m) lawsuit from six women who claim the school ignored 16 years of sexual harassment by three ex-professors. They allege the Ivy League school allowed the tenured psychology professors to harass, discriminate against and rape female students. The federal lawsuit, filed on Thursday, names Dartmouth trustees as defendants, not the former professors. The college denies the claims and will respond in court, a spokesman says. What are the allegations? The lawsuit says the elite school turned a blind eye to \"bad behaviour by these professors for more than 16 years\", having received many complaints about Professors Todd Heatherton, William Kelley and Paul Whalen. The six named women, and a seventh Jane Doe, allege the professors had a clear bias towards hiring attractive young women to work in their labs and treated female students as \"sex objects\". The three \"predatory club\" professors held meetings in bars, invited students to hot-tub parties, sent lewd photographs, groped and assaulted women, the plaintiffs say. When students spurned their advances or refused to participate in their \"party culture\", they were threatened with academic consequences, the lawsuit claims. Prof Heatherton has apologised for behaviour that he said could have been taken the wrong way. His lawyer, Julie Moore, said in a statement emailed to the BBC that incidents involving him have been \"grossly mischaracterised\". Prof Heatherton \"categorically denies playing any role in creating a toxic environment\" and \"is disturbed by the graphic allegations\", according to his lawyer. He says that he never socialised or had sexual relations with students, and also says he wasn't aware of the alleged behaviour of the other two nor would have he have condoned it. Prof Whalen and Prof Kelley could not be immediately reached for comment. Plaintiff Kristina Rapuano alleges Prof Kelley forced her to drink heavily with him while at a conference and raped her - and then began denying her academic guidance if she rebuffed his sexual advances. Another plaintiff, Vassiki Chauhan, alleges similar behaviour from Prof Whalen, saying he pressured her into drinking with him and then forced himself on her. The lawsuit also describes an unnamed student who reported Prof Heatherton for groping her, only to be told by the department chair to not \"make a fuss\". Prof Heatherton received a promotion shortly after. In April 2017, a group of female graduate students reported the professors' behaviour to Dartmouth's Title IX office - an office meant to handle gender discrimination in accordance with US Department of Education rules. But, the lawsuit alleges, the college then took steps to silence the 27 complainants, including expulsion, handing out unwarranted failing grades and publicly denouncing the victims. It also claims Dartmouth took no action against the professors until last October, when the Title IX investigation was leaked to US media, resulting in the New Hampshire Attorney General opening a criminal investigation as well. The college then hired outside counsel to independently investigate the matter, but that investigation was stopped this July, when Prof Heatherton and Prof Kelley retired and Prof Whalen resigned, according to the campus newspaper. Justin Anderson, vice-president of communications at Dartmouth, told the BBC in an emailed statement that the school \"respectfully, but strongly, disagree[s]\" with the characterisation and \"will respond through our own court filings\". The statement said the school \"took unprecedented steps toward revoking [the professors'] tenure and terminating their employment\". The three men were also banned from Dartmouth's campus and any school events. \"We remain open to a fair resolution of the students' claims through an alternative to the court process,\" Mr Anderson said. In addition to the $70m in damages, the plaintiffs are requesting an order requiring the school to implement policies to fix the \"hostile environment\" and handle harassment claims swiftly.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2431, "answer_end": 4053, "text": "In April 2017, a group of female graduate students reported the professors' behaviour to Dartmouth's Title IX office - an office meant to handle gender discrimination in accordance with US Department of Education rules. But, the lawsuit alleges, the college then took steps to silence the 27 complainants, including expulsion, handing out unwarranted failing grades and publicly denouncing the victims. It also claims Dartmouth took no action against the professors until last October, when the Title IX investigation was leaked to US media, resulting in the New Hampshire Attorney General opening a criminal investigation as well. The college then hired outside counsel to independently investigate the matter, but that investigation was stopped this July, when Prof Heatherton and Prof Kelley retired and Prof Whalen resigned, according to the campus newspaper. Justin Anderson, vice-president of communications at Dartmouth, told the BBC in an emailed statement that the school \"respectfully, but strongly, disagree[s]\" with the characterisation and \"will respond through our own court filings\". The statement said the school \"took unprecedented steps toward revoking [the professors'] tenure and terminating their employment\". The three men were also banned from Dartmouth's campus and any school events. \"We remain open to a fair resolution of the students' claims through an alternative to the court process,\" Mr Anderson said. In addition to the $70m in damages, the plaintiffs are requesting an order requiring the school to implement policies to fix the \"hostile environment\" and handle harassment claims swiftly."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "145_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Adani mine: Australia approves controversial coal project", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia has given the final approval for construction to begin on a controversial coal mine to be built by Indian company Adani. The mine, in Queensland's Galilee Basin, has been the subject of years of hold-ups over environmental approvals. But it was given the go-ahead by the state government on Thursday, after earlier receiving federal approval. Critics say the project's true impact remains unclear. Approval could pave the way for six more mines in the area. Construction at the mine site could begin within days, but Adani must wait for additional approvals before it can begin extracting underground coal, for export to India and other countries in Asia. Plans for the project, known as the Carmichael mine, were first proposed almost a decade ago. Initially, Adani said it would be one of the biggest in the world and employ 10,000 people. But the mine has been scaled back significantly and it is now expected to create \"1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs\", the company says. The mine has frequently become a flashpoint for pro- and anti-coal forces, prompting protests and counter-protests. It was heavily debated before last month's general election. The poll returned Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government - a supporter of the mine - to power. On Thursday, state officials endorsed Adani's plan for groundwater management after several revisions to satisfy environmental requirements. The state also recently approved a separate plan to protect the black-throated finch, an endangered species which lives in the region. Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said the approvals had been \"rigorous\". In a statement, Adani Australia chief executive Lucas Dow said the company remained committed to meeting \"strict environmental requirements\".  Construction work would \"steadily increase over the coming weeks\", he added. The company could extract up to 60 million tonnes of thermal coal annually but it initially plans to produce about 27.5 million tonnes, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Environmental campaigners fear it could pave the way for six other mines to be approved in the area, which is about 400km (248 miles) inland from the east coast. The Carmichael site itself is barren land but those who oppose the mine say that activating it would still harm the fragile ecosystem of the nearby Great Barrier Reef. \"As custodians of the world's greatest coral reef system, Queensland and Australia has to lead by example and show there's a bright future for everybody that's beyond coal,\" said Shani Tager, a spokeswoman for the Australian Marine Conservation Society. \"Instead, they've approved a new fossil fuel project which will put more pressure on our reef.\" Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has pledged to cut emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030. However, the UN has warned that Australia is not on track to achieve its commitment.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 666, "answer_end": 1266, "text": "Plans for the project, known as the Carmichael mine, were first proposed almost a decade ago. Initially, Adani said it would be one of the biggest in the world and employ 10,000 people. But the mine has been scaled back significantly and it is now expected to create \"1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs\", the company says. The mine has frequently become a flashpoint for pro- and anti-coal forces, prompting protests and counter-protests. It was heavily debated before last month's general election. The poll returned Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government - a supporter of the mine - to power."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "146_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1267, "answer_end": 2034, "text": "On Thursday, state officials endorsed Adani's plan for groundwater management after several revisions to satisfy environmental requirements. The state also recently approved a separate plan to protect the black-throated finch, an endangered species which lives in the region. Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said the approvals had been \"rigorous\". In a statement, Adani Australia chief executive Lucas Dow said the company remained committed to meeting \"strict environmental requirements\".  Construction work would \"steadily increase over the coming weeks\", he added. The company could extract up to 60 million tonnes of thermal coal annually but it initially plans to produce about 27.5 million tonnes, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported."}], "question": "What has been approved?", "id": "146_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2035, "answer_end": 2904, "text": "Environmental campaigners fear it could pave the way for six other mines to be approved in the area, which is about 400km (248 miles) inland from the east coast. The Carmichael site itself is barren land but those who oppose the mine say that activating it would still harm the fragile ecosystem of the nearby Great Barrier Reef. \"As custodians of the world's greatest coral reef system, Queensland and Australia has to lead by example and show there's a bright future for everybody that's beyond coal,\" said Shani Tager, a spokeswoman for the Australian Marine Conservation Society. \"Instead, they've approved a new fossil fuel project which will put more pressure on our reef.\" Under the Paris climate agreement, Australia has pledged to cut emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030. However, the UN has warned that Australia is not on track to achieve its commitment."}], "question": "What do critics say?", "id": "146_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Black Friday: Brands opt out for environment reasons", "date": "15 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 300 clothing brands are asking shoppers not to buy anything in the Black Friday sales because of environmental reasons. The Make Friday Green Again collective says discount deals encourage people to purchase things they don't need. They say this \"overproduction\" contributes to climate change. Instead, it wants shoppers to spend 29 November this year looking in their wardrobes at what items they can repair, sell or recycle. But the British Retail Consortium argued the day allowed consumers to buy products they might not otherwise be able to afford. The collective, made up of predominantly French brands, was started by Nicolas Rohr, one of the co-founders of eco-friendly, clothing company, Faguo. \"When people buy something, we pollute because of the carbon emissions that come from making that product, from using it and then getting rid of that product,\" he said. \"Today we don't buy what we need; we buy because we are tempted. \"We are not in a good relationship with consumption any more. \"We want people to focus on what they already have in their wardrobes then, if you really need something more you can buy it.\" Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, when many retailers run special promotions for 24 hours, to get people buying presents for Christmas. It's a concept which started in the US and takes place the day after the American holiday of Thanksgiving. The savings can be so significant that it can crash websites and see shoppers queuing up days in advance for bargains. It gets its name because it's often the day many stores move \"into the black\" - which means they start making more money than they have to spend. Everything we buy doesn't just cost money, it has an environmental cost too. This depends on how it was made, what it was made from, how far it's been transported and what happens to it at the end of its life. The argument from the collective is that the less you buy, the smaller your environmental footprint. It could also save you money. Dr Patsy Perry, a senior lecturer in fashion marketing from the University of Manchester, said: \"[Black Friday] is a great time to take advantage of discounts but it goes against what we're trying to do with sustainability. \"On the one hand, retailers are increasingly talking about sustainability now and all the good stuff they're doing but, on the other hand, it feels like they're encouraging people to keep buying more stuff.\" She added: \"Deep discounts communicate something to the consumer in terms of what that product is worth. \"I think, increasingly, we'll see more businesses saying they don't want to be part of this [Black Friday].\" The British Retail Consortium has defended shops taking part in Black Friday. Its chief executive, Helen Dickinson, said: \"Involvement... is a commercial decision by retailers. Such sales allow consumers to access many goods they might not otherwise be able to afford, particularly with Christmas around the corner. \"After a year of stagnant sales, many retailers will be looking for Black Friday to give a welcome boost as they enter the 'Golden Quarter' of retail.\" But Mr Rohr said Make Friday Green Again isn't about blaming brands or shoppers, but making us more aware of how we can live more sustainably. \"The last two years we made great sales - 5% of our annual turnover - but we didn't feel comfortable with it,\" he explained. \"I know I will lose turnover compared to my competitors but I will accept it because my interest is in the future [of the planet]. We need to have the courage to change things even if we have to sacrifice some turnover. \"I would prefer that the brands offer a good price all year round. We do it for our generation and our planet\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1137, "answer_end": 1664, "text": "Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, when many retailers run special promotions for 24 hours, to get people buying presents for Christmas. It's a concept which started in the US and takes place the day after the American holiday of Thanksgiving. The savings can be so significant that it can crash websites and see shoppers queuing up days in advance for bargains. It gets its name because it's often the day many stores move \"into the black\" - which means they start making more money than they have to spend."}], "question": "What is Black Friday?", "id": "147_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1665, "answer_end": 2651, "text": "Everything we buy doesn't just cost money, it has an environmental cost too. This depends on how it was made, what it was made from, how far it's been transported and what happens to it at the end of its life. The argument from the collective is that the less you buy, the smaller your environmental footprint. It could also save you money. Dr Patsy Perry, a senior lecturer in fashion marketing from the University of Manchester, said: \"[Black Friday] is a great time to take advantage of discounts but it goes against what we're trying to do with sustainability. \"On the one hand, retailers are increasingly talking about sustainability now and all the good stuff they're doing but, on the other hand, it feels like they're encouraging people to keep buying more stuff.\" She added: \"Deep discounts communicate something to the consumer in terms of what that product is worth. \"I think, increasingly, we'll see more businesses saying they don't want to be part of this [Black Friday].\""}], "question": "Is Black Friday bad for the environment?", "id": "147_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US shutdown looks set to drag through Christmas", "date": "22 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A partial US government shutdown is set to continue through Christmas with no deal in sight to break the impasse over budget spending. The Senate, which must pass a deal, has now adjourned until Thursday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will stay on in Washington for the festive period, cancelling holidays in Florida. The shutdown began at midnight on Friday after Democrats resisted Mr Trump's demands for $5bn (PS4bn) for his Mexico border wall. Mr Trump warned there could be \"a long stay\" in the talks and Democrats told him: \"You must abandon the wall.\" Vice-President Mike Pence stressed that negotiators were still talking. Nine of 15 federal departments, including State, Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture and Justice began partially shutting down after funding for them lapsed at midnight (05:00GMT Saturday). Hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or are furloughed, a kind of temporary leave. This is the third time US federal funding has lapsed so far this year, although the other two were brief. The Senate held a rare Saturday session but it was not long before it adjourned. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell said the \"pause button\" had been pushed and that there would be no new Senate vote until he had a signature from the president - and agreement from the Democrats - on a budget deal. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a budget bill that had passed the Republican-controlled House on Thursday approving $5.7bn (PS4.5bn) of funding for the wall would \"never pass the Senate, not today, not next week, not next year\". He added: \"So Mr President, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple. \"The Senate is not interested in swindling American taxpayers for an unnecessary, ineffective and wasteful policy.\" In a tweet on Saturday, Mr Trump said \"we are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed border security\" but the talks \"could be a long stay\". He again defended the wall, saying \"the crisis of illegal activity at our southern border is real and will not stop until we build a great steel barrier or wall. Let the work begin!\" One White House official said the administration hoped the shutdown would last only a few days but it could be longer. Some Republican lawmakers still hope there can be a deal, perhaps involving less money for the wall. On Wednesday, a bilateral deal appeared to have been agreed in the Senate to keep federal agencies open until 8 February. But the agreement did not include funding for the wall. Mr Trump then dug his heels in over the issue after criticism from conservative talk show hosts and other allies, and insisted that funds for the wall must be included for him to sign the budget off. The House then passed a bill with such funding, with Mr Trump well aware the Democrats will be taking control of the legislature in January and wall funding will stall. But Mr Trump does not have the 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate he needs to get the House budget passed. He earlier suggested that Mr McConnell should invoke the so-called \"nuclear option\" to break the impasse. That would mean the bill could be approved in the Senate with a simple majority. But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme manoeuvre. About 380,000 government employees will be made to take temporary, unpaid leave. Meanwhile, 420,000 employees working in essential roles - considered necessary for the \"protection of life and property\" - will keep working, without being paid. In practice, this means that: - Customs and border staff will keep working, although their pay will be delayed. Airports will continue operating. - About 80% of National Parks employees will be sent home, and parks could close - although some may stay open with limited staff and facilities. - About 90% of housing department workers will take unpaid leave, which could delay loan processing and approvals. - Most of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be sent on unpaid leave, including those who assist taxpayers with queries. - The Food and Drug Administration will pause routine inspections but \"continue vital activities\". The remaining 75% of the federal government is fully funded until September 2019 - so the defence, veterans affairs, labour and education departments are not affected. Martin Ely, 54, a tax officer in Arizona, is affected by the shutdown and says he's frustrated with the politicians. \"I would like them not to use us a bargaining chip. \"I was last paid a week ago and hopefully should still be paid on 30 December for this week just gone, but anything after that will definitely be affected by the shutdown. \"I have been an IRS employee for around nine years, and I was furloughed during the 2013 shutdown that lasted from October 1-17. Being furloughed is never a pleasant experience. Having to live on savings and/or credit while waiting for back pay, which must be approved by Congress, is tremendously stressful. \"During the 2013 shutdown, I spent the entire time glued to the TV watching the news and waiting to be called back to work. Many of my co-workers did the same. We can't travel far or plan a vacation during a shutdown because we usually only get a day's notice or less to report back to work. So it's no holiday, especially during the Holidays.\" A strengthened southern border wall was a key election promise from Mr Trump. On Friday he shared a graphic of his steel-slat design for the wall. Later, he posted a video regarding the immigration row, where he said it was \"very dangerous out there\". His address, which was spliced with footage that appeared to show immigrants pushing down border fencing, cautioned about drugs and violent gang members entering the country illegally. During his campaign he insisted he would make Mexico pay for the wall, but the country has refused. This week Mr Trump's supporters created a crowdfunding page for the building process - an appeal that has so far raised more than $13m (PS10m) in just four days. Have you been affected by the partial government shutdown? Tell us your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1056, "answer_end": 2384, "text": "The Senate held a rare Saturday session but it was not long before it adjourned. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell said the \"pause button\" had been pushed and that there would be no new Senate vote until he had a signature from the president - and agreement from the Democrats - on a budget deal. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a budget bill that had passed the Republican-controlled House on Thursday approving $5.7bn (PS4.5bn) of funding for the wall would \"never pass the Senate, not today, not next week, not next year\". He added: \"So Mr President, if you want to open the government, you must abandon the wall, plain and simple. \"The Senate is not interested in swindling American taxpayers for an unnecessary, ineffective and wasteful policy.\" In a tweet on Saturday, Mr Trump said \"we are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed border security\" but the talks \"could be a long stay\". He again defended the wall, saying \"the crisis of illegal activity at our southern border is real and will not stop until we build a great steel barrier or wall. Let the work begin!\" One White House official said the administration hoped the shutdown would last only a few days but it could be longer. Some Republican lawmakers still hope there can be a deal, perhaps involving less money for the wall."}], "question": "What's been happening on Saturday?", "id": "148_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2385, "answer_end": 3311, "text": "On Wednesday, a bilateral deal appeared to have been agreed in the Senate to keep federal agencies open until 8 February. But the agreement did not include funding for the wall. Mr Trump then dug his heels in over the issue after criticism from conservative talk show hosts and other allies, and insisted that funds for the wall must be included for him to sign the budget off. The House then passed a bill with such funding, with Mr Trump well aware the Democrats will be taking control of the legislature in January and wall funding will stall. But Mr Trump does not have the 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate he needs to get the House budget passed. He earlier suggested that Mr McConnell should invoke the so-called \"nuclear option\" to break the impasse. That would mean the bill could be approved in the Senate with a simple majority. But Mr McConnell has repeatedly refused in the past to invoke such an extreme manoeuvre."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "148_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3312, "answer_end": 4354, "text": "About 380,000 government employees will be made to take temporary, unpaid leave. Meanwhile, 420,000 employees working in essential roles - considered necessary for the \"protection of life and property\" - will keep working, without being paid. In practice, this means that: - Customs and border staff will keep working, although their pay will be delayed. Airports will continue operating. - About 80% of National Parks employees will be sent home, and parks could close - although some may stay open with limited staff and facilities. - About 90% of housing department workers will take unpaid leave, which could delay loan processing and approvals. - Most of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be sent on unpaid leave, including those who assist taxpayers with queries. - The Food and Drug Administration will pause routine inspections but \"continue vital activities\". The remaining 75% of the federal government is fully funded until September 2019 - so the defence, veterans affairs, labour and education departments are not affected."}], "question": "What does the shutdown mean?", "id": "148_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5350, "answer_end": 6048, "text": "A strengthened southern border wall was a key election promise from Mr Trump. On Friday he shared a graphic of his steel-slat design for the wall. Later, he posted a video regarding the immigration row, where he said it was \"very dangerous out there\". His address, which was spliced with footage that appeared to show immigrants pushing down border fencing, cautioned about drugs and violent gang members entering the country illegally. During his campaign he insisted he would make Mexico pay for the wall, but the country has refused. This week Mr Trump's supporters created a crowdfunding page for the building process - an appeal that has so far raised more than $13m (PS10m) in just four days."}], "question": "Why does Mr Trump want the wall?", "id": "148_3"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea is willing to discuss disarmament, says South", "date": "6 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea is willing to talk about getting rid of its nuclear weapons but only if its own safety can be guaranteed, South Korea says. The South says the subject was raised when its officials met with the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, in Pyongyang on Monday, during a rare visit. They said Mr Kim is also open to US talks, and would pause weapons testing. In previous programmes to halt its nuclear ambitions, the North has failed to keep its promises. The leaders of North and South Korea have also agreed to meet at a summit next month, Seoul's envoy says. It will be the first such meeting for more than a decade and the first since Kim Jong-un took power in North Korea. Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet on the heavily fortified border next month, at the truce village of Panmunjom. The countries also agreed to open a hotline between the leaders. Throughout February's Winter Olympics in South Korea, the two countries struck a friendly tone, sending athletes to compete in a joint team and holding talks. But the US maintained that North Korean gestures of rapprochement would carry little weight without a commitment on nuclear weapons - particularly following last year's nuclear and missile tests carried out by the North. The South Korean delegation is expected to visit Washington later this week to brief US officials on their talks in the North. A statement from the South Korea president's office said: \"The North showed willingness on denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula. If military threats to the North Korea decrease and regime safety is guaranteed, the North showed that it has no reason to retain nukes.\" The North's KCNA news agency said Mr Kim had \"warmly welcomed\" the delegates and held an \"openhearted talk\" with them. It said the dinner took place \"in a warm atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings\". However, some critics have suspicions over North Korea's intentions. In the past, they have failed to follow through on deals, notably an aid-for-disarmament agreement in 2005. The United States has said it will only go in to formal talks with North Korea if Pyongyang is ready to give up its nuclear weapons. After the news from the South Korean officials was made public, President Donald Trump tweeted: \"The World is watching and waiting!\" \"May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!\" Vice-President Mike Pence added: \"All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization.\" Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry said it hopes the Koreas can continue with efforts to advance reconciliation, Reuters news agency reported. Analysis by Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence correspondent This is, of course, South Korea's take on what North Korea is offering. Some of the suggestions are, at face value, encouraging - not least North Korea's apparent willingness to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. However, its conditions - that the military threat to North Korea is reduced and regime safety is guaranteed - raise all sorts of questions. The North also says that it is willing to talk to the US with the goal of normalising relations with Washington. The most positive element is the most immediate; that the period of calm initiated by the Winter Olympics looks set to continue. \"While the dialogues continue,\" the South says, \"the North will not conduct any nuclear tests, missile launches or other provocations.\" (Surely not Pyongyang's words!) The two Koreas appear willing to create diplomatic space to try to improve relations across the board. Much will now depend upon how Washington reacts. South Korean officials had a four-hour dinner with Kim Jong-un on Monday. Among the delegation were intelligence chief Suh Hoon and National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong. Pictures showed Mr Kim and visitors from the South smiling broadly around a dinner table. Also present was Mr Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, who rarely appears at official events, and his sister Kim Yo-jong, who was part of a North Korean delegation to the Pyeongchang Olympics. The two sides appear to be aiming to capitalise on the reduced tensions after the Games, which saw the Koreas march together under one flag. During their visit, the South's officials also held a boardroom meeting and passed on a letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in which he invited Mr Kim to attend further talks. KCNA said Mr Kim had \"exchanged views and made a satisfactory agreement\" on the letter and gave orders for it to be acted on. The South's delegates returned to Seoul on Tuesday morning, the South Korean news agency Yonhap said. These were the first officials from Seoul to meet Mr Kim since he came to power. Kim Jong-un has met very few foreign officials since he became leader in 2011 and the last time envoys from the South visited Pyongyang was in 2007. Two previous summits were held in 2000 and 2007, under South Korean presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun who met Kim's father, Kim Jong-il. The South's officials have stressed the talks were only preliminary, but the parties had \"somewhat shared\" views on some issues.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1382, "answer_end": 2041, "text": "A statement from the South Korea president's office said: \"The North showed willingness on denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula. If military threats to the North Korea decrease and regime safety is guaranteed, the North showed that it has no reason to retain nukes.\" The North's KCNA news agency said Mr Kim had \"warmly welcomed\" the delegates and held an \"openhearted talk\" with them. It said the dinner took place \"in a warm atmosphere overflowing with compatriotic feelings\". However, some critics have suspicions over North Korea's intentions. In the past, they have failed to follow through on deals, notably an aid-for-disarmament agreement in 2005."}], "question": "What is North Korea reported to have said?", "id": "149_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2042, "answer_end": 2719, "text": "The United States has said it will only go in to formal talks with North Korea if Pyongyang is ready to give up its nuclear weapons. After the news from the South Korean officials was made public, President Donald Trump tweeted: \"The World is watching and waiting!\" \"May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!\" Vice-President Mike Pence added: \"All options are on the table and our posture toward the regime will not change until we see credible, verifiable, and concrete steps toward denuclearization.\" Meanwhile, China's foreign ministry said it hopes the Koreas can continue with efforts to advance reconciliation, Reuters news agency reported."}], "question": "Where does the US stand?", "id": "149_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump insists he is not under FBI investigation over Russia links", "date": "12 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has insisted he is not under investigation, while dismissing the FBI director he fired as a \"showboat\" and \"grandstander\". Mr Trump also told NBC News it was his decision alone to sack James Comey. Mr Comey was leading an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election and possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Moscow. Mr Trump has dismissed the probe as a \"charade\", a claim directly contradicted by Mr Comey's successor. In his first interview since firing the FBI director, Mr Trump told NBC News on Thursday he had asked Mr Comey whether he was under investigation. \"I said, if it's possible would you let me know, 'Am I under investigation?' He said: 'You are not under investigation.'\" \"I know I'm not under investigation,\" Mr Trump told the interviewer, repeating a claim he made in Tuesday's letter of dismissal to Mr Comey. President Trump said Mr Comey first told him this at a dinner at the White House, which the FBI chief had requested because \"he wanted to stay on\" in his post under the new administration. But NBC later quoted an unnamed former senior FBI official close to Mr Comey as saying it was the White House that had requested the dinner, and that Mr Comey would not have told the president he was not under investigation. \"He would say, 'look sir, I really can't get into it, and you don't want me to',\" the former official was quoted as saying. The White House has rejected concerns raised by legal experts that the conversation, as described by Trump, may have been improper. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she \"did not see it as a conflict of interest\". According to the New York Times, two people who had heard Mr Comey's account - apparently of the same dinner - said Mr Comey declined a request to pledge loyalty to Mr Trump, but said he would be honest with him. The president also appeared to undercut the initial White House explanation that he had fired Mr Comey on the recommendation of top justice officials. \"He's a showboat. He's a grandstander. The FBI has been in turmoil.  I was going to fire Comey. My decision,\" Mr Trump said. White House officials had previously pinned the decision on a memo written by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, which Mr Trump refers to in the opening paragraph of his termination letter to Mr Comey, saying, \"I have accepted their recommendation\". But he told NBC: \"I was going to fire him regardless of the recommendation.\" On Thursday afternoon, the president took a wrecking ball to the White House's days of work. Oftentimes, it seems like the president and his press office are operating from different playbooks. The president says or tweets what he chooses, and his staff scrambles to explain the context or douse the flames of controversy. It happened when the president boasted about the size of his inauguration crowd, alleged that there were millions of illegal votes in the presidential election and accused Barack Obama of \"wiretapping\" him, among many other instances. On Thursday afternoon it was time to bring out the brooms once again. Read more from Anthony Zurcher: Three takeaways from the NBC interview Mr Trump also denied that he wanted the FBI inquiry on Russia dropped, saying he, instead, wanted it \"speeded up\". \"I want to find out if there was a problem with the election having to do with Russia... or any other country, I want that to be so strong and so good, and I want it to happen.\" This is despite saying in a tweet on Monday: \"The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?\" \"There's no collusion between me and my campaign and the Russians,\" he told NBC. Mr Trump said he had just sent a letter via a law firm to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stating that he has no stake in Russia. \"I have nothing to do with Russia,\" he said. \"I have no investments in Russia. I don't have property in Russia. I'm not involved with Russia.\" The White House has depicted the Russia inquiry as \"probably one of the smallest things\" that the FBI has \"got going on their plate\". But acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe said on Thursday that it was \"a highly significant investigation\". In testimony to the Senate intelligence committee, he also cast doubt on White House claims that Mr Comey had lost the confidence of his staff. \"I can confidently tell you that the vast majority of employees enjoyed a deep and positive connection to Director Comey,\" Mr McCabe said. The acting FBI director vowed not to update the White House on the status of the investigation and to notify the Senate panel of any attempt to interfere with the inquiry. Republican committee chairman Richard Burr asked Mr McCabe if he had ever heard Mr Comey tell Mr Trump the president was not the subject of investigation. Mr McCabe said he could not comment on an ongoing inquiry. The acting FBI director did not confirm reports that Mr Comey had asked for more resources for the agency's Russia inquiry. Mr McCabe said he believed the FBI had sufficient funding to conduct the probe.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3955, "answer_end": 5066, "text": "The White House has depicted the Russia inquiry as \"probably one of the smallest things\" that the FBI has \"got going on their plate\". But acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe said on Thursday that it was \"a highly significant investigation\". In testimony to the Senate intelligence committee, he also cast doubt on White House claims that Mr Comey had lost the confidence of his staff. \"I can confidently tell you that the vast majority of employees enjoyed a deep and positive connection to Director Comey,\" Mr McCabe said. The acting FBI director vowed not to update the White House on the status of the investigation and to notify the Senate panel of any attempt to interfere with the inquiry. Republican committee chairman Richard Burr asked Mr McCabe if he had ever heard Mr Comey tell Mr Trump the president was not the subject of investigation. Mr McCabe said he could not comment on an ongoing inquiry. The acting FBI director did not confirm reports that Mr Comey had asked for more resources for the agency's Russia inquiry. Mr McCabe said he believed the FBI had sufficient funding to conduct the probe."}], "question": "What did the new acting FBI chief say?", "id": "150_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Algeria's powerful military chief Ahmed Gaid Salah dies", "date": "23 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Algerian strongman military chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, known for telling veteran leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign, has died aged 79, official media say. One of the last veterans of the 1954-62 independence war against France still in power, Gen Salah died of a heart attack. Mr Bouteflika, who ruled since 1999, resigned in April after mass protests, leaving Gen Salah as de facto leader. The opposition has been calling for the whole of the old regime to quit power. Gen Salah has been replaced as acting army head by Gen Said Chengriha and three days of mourning have been announced. Gen Salah played a major role in organising presidential elections on 11 December, which were boycotted by the opposition, saying they were necessary to avoid the country descending into chaos. The election, fought between five candidates closely associated with Mr Bouteflika, was won by former civil servant Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was dubbed as the \"chosen one\" on social media for being seen as close to the army chief. Protests began in February after Mr Bouteflika announced that he would run for re-election. It was the military chief who announced on 26 March that article 102 of the constitution - allowing the president's removal on grounds of ill health - should be applied, which resulted in Mr Bouteflika's resignation. But protesters continued to call for the removal of those around the president, including Gen Salah himself. As de facto leader, Gen Salah rejected opposition demands for deep reforms, the setting up of transitional institutions and the dismantling of the regime. Ever since independence, the army has been the real centre of power in Algeria, arbitrating factional conflicts among politicians and business interests, making and unmaking presidents. Mr Bouteflika himself was brought to the presidency in 1999 by a group of generals who had prosecuted a brutal war against militant Islamist insurgents since 1992. Gen Salah, head of the army since 2004, was a central figure in this system. Analysis by BBC Africa's Ahmed Rouaba Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected with the lowest turnout ever and will need the support of the new interim army chief of staff to take the country forward and overcome the biggest hurdle - popular protest. In order to engage with the protesters, who still reject his election, Mr Tebboune has promised to carry out the necessary reforms to meet their demands including fighting corruption among the powerful and the elite. Will he still be able to fulfil his promises and find dialogue with the protesters to get the whole country behind him? The unexpected death of Gen Salah will certainly affect President Tebboune, who has lost a major supporter in his attempt to take the country forward and overcome the political crisis. - Born in 1940 in Batna region, 300km (186 miles) east of Algiers - Joined National Liberation Army aged 17, and fought against French colonial forces - Fought in the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars - After independence in 1962 attended Soviet military academy and rose through ranks - Chief of land forces during civil war against Islamist insurgents in 1990s", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1014, "answer_end": 2013, "text": "Protests began in February after Mr Bouteflika announced that he would run for re-election. It was the military chief who announced on 26 March that article 102 of the constitution - allowing the president's removal on grounds of ill health - should be applied, which resulted in Mr Bouteflika's resignation. But protesters continued to call for the removal of those around the president, including Gen Salah himself. As de facto leader, Gen Salah rejected opposition demands for deep reforms, the setting up of transitional institutions and the dismantling of the regime. Ever since independence, the army has been the real centre of power in Algeria, arbitrating factional conflicts among politicians and business interests, making and unmaking presidents. Mr Bouteflika himself was brought to the presidency in 1999 by a group of generals who had prosecuted a brutal war against militant Islamist insurgents since 1992. Gen Salah, head of the army since 2004, was a central figure in this system."}], "question": "What was General Salah's role?", "id": "151_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Argentina and Uruguay reel after massive power outage", "date": "17 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Power has been restored to much of Argentina and Uruguay after a massive electrical failure left tens of millions of people in the dark. Argentine President Mauricio Macri has promised a full investigation. Argentine media said the power cut occurred shortly after 07:00 (10:00GMT) on Sunday, causing trains to be halted and failures with traffic signalling. The blackout was prompted by a failure in an electrical grid that serves both Argentina and Uruguay. The outage occurred as people in Argentina were preparing to go to the polls for local elections, delaying voting in several regional provinces. Parts of Paraguay and Chile were also affected, a state energy company said. \"A massive failure in the electrical interconnection system left all of Argentina and Uruguay without power,\" electricity supply company Edesur said in a tweet. Alejandra Martinez, a spokeswoman for the company, described the power cut as unprecedented. \"This is the first time something like this has happened across the entire country,\" she said. Citing official sources, Argentine media reported that the outage was linked to a failure in the transmission of electricity from the Yacycreta hydroelectric dam. Argentina's Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui insisted that the country's electrical system was \"very robust,\" but added that the exact cause of this failure was unclear. \"At the moment we're not ruling out any possibility. But we don't think it is down to a cyber attack,\" he told reporters. Power has been restored to more than 80% of customers in Argentina, officials say. Uruguay's energy company, UTE, said power had been restored to 88% of customers. The combined population of Argentina and Uruguay is about 48 million people. Among the affected provinces in Argentina were Santa Fe, San Luis, Formosa, La Rioja, Chubut, Cordoba and Mendoza, reports said. Tierra del Fuego in the far south was the only area that remained unaffected because it is not connected to the power grid. In neighbouring Paraguay, parts of Ayolas, Pilar, Villalbin and the border areas of Misiones and Neembucu were also without power. One of Argentina's biggest water companies, Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos, warned those without power to conserve water, as the distribution of drinking water had been affected by the outage. Social media reports of the power outage were widespread - from the capital Buenos Aires in the north, to Mendoza in the west and Comodoro Rivadavia in the south, among many other cities. Residents posted pictures of dark towns and cities and long lines of cars queuing at petrol stations. \"Everything came to a halt. Elevators, water pumps, everything. We were left adrift,\" Juan Borges, who lives in Buenos Aires, told the BBC. \"There are some elderly people on the eighth floor but nothing happened, because the power cut was short. If it had gone on for longer it would have been a whole different story.\" he said. Local media have been showing voters casting their local election ballots in the dark, with mobile phones being used as lanterns.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 682, "answer_end": 1650, "text": "\"A massive failure in the electrical interconnection system left all of Argentina and Uruguay without power,\" electricity supply company Edesur said in a tweet. Alejandra Martinez, a spokeswoman for the company, described the power cut as unprecedented. \"This is the first time something like this has happened across the entire country,\" she said. Citing official sources, Argentine media reported that the outage was linked to a failure in the transmission of electricity from the Yacycreta hydroelectric dam. Argentina's Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui insisted that the country's electrical system was \"very robust,\" but added that the exact cause of this failure was unclear. \"At the moment we're not ruling out any possibility. But we don't think it is down to a cyber attack,\" he told reporters. Power has been restored to more than 80% of customers in Argentina, officials say. Uruguay's energy company, UTE, said power had been restored to 88% of customers."}], "question": "What do we know about the blackout?", "id": "152_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Elrow: Creating the 'most colourful party in the world'", "date": "17 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "If you've been to Ibiza this summer or are in London this weekend, there's one party that might have caught your eye. Elrow is one of the most immersive music experiences out there - think DJ booths in space ships, dancers on stilts and enough glitter to last an entire season in Magaluf. One of its founders, Juan Arnau Jr, tells Radio 1 Newsbeat that his parties are the antidote to a clubbing industry that \"has become boring over the last 15 to 20 years\". He says people don't want to go to a club and just watch a DJ set anymore, they want to interact with their surroundings, play games and be part of a show - which is what he says Elrow is all about. \"I realised people were looking for something special,\" he says. \"It's not just a DJ set - there's the decoration, the theatre, the actors, everything makes this party special.\" Elrow's team say it's created events attended by more than 2.5 million people in over 50 cities across the world including Miami, Shanghai and Amsterdam. Its biggest-ever festival takes place in London this weekend and Juan says it's a sell-out because of what it offers to young people. \"Younger generations now have become more picky,\" he says. \"They are looking for new experiences because clubbing is not 'everything' anymore. \"We used to club every weekend but now they [the younger generations] don't have the money, so they have to be picky and decide where to go. \"If you deliver an experience, you have got an extra asset.\" With 16-24 year olds drinking less than at any time since records began more festival promoters are realising that they have to create events that offer other forms of entertainment. Juan says that part of Elrow's appeal is you don't have to drink to have fun. \"The beauty of my role is you go to all our clubs, whether that's in Barcelona or Ibiza, and you see different people from different generations having fun. \"When they come to Elrow they are willing to be part of our show. \"From 18-year-olds to 45-year-olds - they are all going there to have fun. \"Some people drink, some people don't, but at the end everyone is smiling and that's our secret.\" There's no denying Elrow is a huge spectacle - up to a tonne of confetti can be released at one of its festivals. It's fun for partygoers but can pose a real problem to the environment - along with the issues all festivals experience of plastic cups and water bottles being left behind. Juan says his company is working on \"a new strategy\" to be more environmentally friendly. \"Our confetti is completely biodegradable already, which is a good thing. \"In the short term at a large number of Elrow events there will be no straws, only canned water, no plastic cups and only reusable cups.\" He says he's also pushing Amnesia, the club in Ibiza where Elrow has a residency, to be \"greener as well\". \"Next year we're working to use renewable energy at events and bringing more people on buses - with our new location in London it's near a train station so less people will be driving.\" It's estimated that Elrow also gives out around 500 inflatables (ranging from ice pops to toucans) throughout shows, which party-goers can then choose to either take home or leave behind. They aren't currently recyclable, which is Juan's \"biggest worry\". \"From September we are going to start collecting the ones that people don't want and then will collaborate with big artists to create art pieces. \"We are also working on creating inflatables that are not single use - they are quite expensive for us right now and we have a company in China working to create them.\" Tomorrowland is an electronic dance music festival, which has been held in Belgium since 2005 and is as renowned for its line-up as it is for its intricate set designs. This year saw headline performances from Steve Aoki, Tiesto and Martin Solveig. Electric Daisy Carnival is a yearly festival held in the Las Vegas desert and is known for its colourful LED installations and glow in the dark sets. This year's festival had sets from Alesso, David Guetta and Deadmau5. When you think about the most immersive festivals in the world, Glastonbury has to feature on the list. It's got a whole party village - including Arcadia, which this year had DJs doing sets in a giant crane. Annie Mac, Fat Boy Slim and Andy C all got involved in 2019. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3579, "answer_end": 4453, "text": "Tomorrowland is an electronic dance music festival, which has been held in Belgium since 2005 and is as renowned for its line-up as it is for its intricate set designs. This year saw headline performances from Steve Aoki, Tiesto and Martin Solveig. Electric Daisy Carnival is a yearly festival held in the Las Vegas desert and is known for its colourful LED installations and glow in the dark sets. This year's festival had sets from Alesso, David Guetta and Deadmau5. When you think about the most immersive festivals in the world, Glastonbury has to feature on the list. It's got a whole party village - including Arcadia, which this year had DJs doing sets in a giant crane. Annie Mac, Fat Boy Slim and Andy C all got involved in 2019. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here."}], "question": "Where are some of the world's most colourful festivals?", "id": "153_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India police under fire over prisoner killings", "date": "2 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police in India are facing serious questions after they killed eight prisoners who they said had murdered a guard and escaped from jail using bed sheets to scale a wall. BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare explains the debate that has erupted around the police version of events. On Monday, police announced that eight \"highly dangerous\" members of the banned Islamist group Students' Islamic Movement of India (Simi) broke out of a high security prison in the city of Bhopal.  Hours later, they announced all the men had been killed after a gun battle. The state's chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was quick to commend the police, suspend senior prison officials and announce an inquiry into how the men had escaped. But following the incident a number of unverified videos purportedly taken just before and after the \"encounter\" - Indian police parlance for gun battles - surfaced on social media and television channels. In one video, a police officer is seen shooting something. In the next frame, men are seen lying on the ground. The implication many have drawn from these videos is that at least one of the men was shot while incapacitated. Police say the videos are unverified and they are investigating. The video has not been independently confirmed and the original source is unclear. This is the question that is being asked. The killing of suspects  in so-called \"encounters\" is not uncommon in India and an issue of concern for rights activists, who allege that they are effectively extra-judicial executions. In this case a key contradiction between official accounts is causing debate. Nearly an hour after it was reported that the prisoners had been killed, one news channel quoted the state home minster as saying \"Simi members didn't have guns, police had no choice but to kill them. They were dreaded terrorists\". Later that evening a senior police officer told reporters that four firearms and three sharp weapons  had been recovered from the men. He also claimed police retaliated after they were fired on, and the eight prisoners had been killed in the crossfire. Police say they are also investigating how the men had access to the weapons. Bhopal prison is considered one of India's most secure facilities, and has more than 40 security cameras. But the four cameras surrounding the one cell housing these prisoners reportedly stopped working that night. Activists are also asking how the men managed to break out of their cells. Police claim they made \"keys\" from wood and toothbrushes and then tied bed sheets together to scale the prison wall. This is being questioned. \"Did the men escape on their own or were they allowed to flee as part of a plan?\" tweeted Digvijay Singh, a former state chief minister. Other opposition politicians want to know why the men were all housed together when three of them were allegedly involved in another jailbreak three years ago. The police have said they are investigating the questions that have been raised but emphasised that all this footage is totally unverified. They deny accusations the killings were staged to look like a gun battle. But some politicians have said that the debate is not about the truth but party politics. \"Matters of national security shouldn't be politicised,\" the Madhya Pradesh state home minister Bhoopendra Singh Thakur from the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party told the BBC. He found support from federal minister M Venkaiah Naidu. \"Some people are concerned about the people who escaped from jail, who always break law. These people are showing more concern towards them than showing concern towards the safety and security of Indians and of India as a nation.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 711, "answer_end": 1288, "text": "But following the incident a number of unverified videos purportedly taken just before and after the \"encounter\" - Indian police parlance for gun battles - surfaced on social media and television channels. In one video, a police officer is seen shooting something. In the next frame, men are seen lying on the ground. The implication many have drawn from these videos is that at least one of the men was shot while incapacitated. Police say the videos are unverified and they are investigating. The video has not been independently confirmed and the original source is unclear."}], "question": "How did doubts surface?", "id": "154_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1289, "answer_end": 2157, "text": "This is the question that is being asked. The killing of suspects  in so-called \"encounters\" is not uncommon in India and an issue of concern for rights activists, who allege that they are effectively extra-judicial executions. In this case a key contradiction between official accounts is causing debate. Nearly an hour after it was reported that the prisoners had been killed, one news channel quoted the state home minster as saying \"Simi members didn't have guns, police had no choice but to kill them. They were dreaded terrorists\". Later that evening a senior police officer told reporters that four firearms and three sharp weapons  had been recovered from the men. He also claimed police retaliated after they were fired on, and the eight prisoners had been killed in the crossfire. Police say they are also investigating how the men had access to the weapons."}], "question": "So was there even a gun battle?", "id": "154_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2158, "answer_end": 2887, "text": "Bhopal prison is considered one of India's most secure facilities, and has more than 40 security cameras. But the four cameras surrounding the one cell housing these prisoners reportedly stopped working that night. Activists are also asking how the men managed to break out of their cells. Police claim they made \"keys\" from wood and toothbrushes and then tied bed sheets together to scale the prison wall. This is being questioned. \"Did the men escape on their own or were they allowed to flee as part of a plan?\" tweeted Digvijay Singh, a former state chief minister. Other opposition politicians want to know why the men were all housed together when three of them were allegedly involved in another jailbreak three years ago."}], "question": "Are there concerns about the jailbreak?", "id": "154_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Gatwick Airport: What penalty could a drone operator face?", "date": "21 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The person - or people - responsible for flying drones near Gatwick Airport has caused chaos for thousands of passengers. But how serious an offence is being committed? And what punishment could be handed down? Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. The government passed legislation earlier this year making it illegal to fly a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary in the UK. Flying above 400ft (120m) - which increases the risk of a collision with manned aircraft - was also banned as of 30 July. Users who break the flight restrictions could face unlimited fines, up to five years in prison, or both. But the government has been considering other proposals as part of its draft Drone Bill following a rise in the number of near-misses with aircraft. The bill is due to be published early next year. Operators of drones weighing 250g or more will be required to register with the Civil Aviation Authority from November 2019, as well as having to take an online safety test. Some drones, usually cheaper models, weigh less than 250g. But most - especially those with built-in cameras - weigh more. Previously the regulations had applied to aircraft that weighed 20kg or less. Children could also be banned from owning drones which weigh more than 250g. They would only be allowed to fly devices heavier than that if they were owned and registered by an adult. Other proposals being considered include giving police the power to confiscate drones and issue on-the-spot fines to irresponsible pilots. Aviation minister Baroness Sugg wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the government would be publishing its response to the consultation \"soon\". She added: \"We are taking things a step further. We've consulted widely and will be strengthening those existing rules even more.\" No, according to Chris Daw QC, from Serjeants' Inn Chambers, but he says there is an argument for increasing the maximum five-year sentence for the existing offence. He says: \"It's not a huge deterrent for someone who intends to cause three days of major disruption to an international airport. \"This incident has exposed that the law doesn't have enough teeth to deal with behaviour which is incredibly disruptive and reckless.\" He says even possessing a drone within a certain distance of an airfield should be considered an offence. \"The law should be made as strict as possible as the consequences could be so calamitous,\" he adds. However, Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, says threatening longer sentences isn't the answer. He says the industry should follow the example of car manufacturers - which have reduced car crime dramatically since the 1990s by improving security features - and find a technological solution.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 211, "answer_end": 892, "text": "Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. The government passed legislation earlier this year making it illegal to fly a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary in the UK. Flying above 400ft (120m) - which increases the risk of a collision with manned aircraft - was also banned as of 30 July. Users who break the flight restrictions could face unlimited fines, up to five years in prison, or both. But the government has been considering other proposals as part of its draft Drone Bill following a rise in the number of near-misses with aircraft. The bill is due to be published early next year."}], "question": "What laws exist around drones?", "id": "155_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 893, "answer_end": 1863, "text": "Operators of drones weighing 250g or more will be required to register with the Civil Aviation Authority from November 2019, as well as having to take an online safety test. Some drones, usually cheaper models, weigh less than 250g. But most - especially those with built-in cameras - weigh more. Previously the regulations had applied to aircraft that weighed 20kg or less. Children could also be banned from owning drones which weigh more than 250g. They would only be allowed to fly devices heavier than that if they were owned and registered by an adult. Other proposals being considered include giving police the power to confiscate drones and issue on-the-spot fines to irresponsible pilots. Aviation minister Baroness Sugg wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the government would be publishing its response to the consultation \"soon\". She added: \"We are taking things a step further. We've consulted widely and will be strengthening those existing rules even more.\""}], "question": "What else could be introduced?", "id": "155_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1864, "answer_end": 2827, "text": "No, according to Chris Daw QC, from Serjeants' Inn Chambers, but he says there is an argument for increasing the maximum five-year sentence for the existing offence. He says: \"It's not a huge deterrent for someone who intends to cause three days of major disruption to an international airport. \"This incident has exposed that the law doesn't have enough teeth to deal with behaviour which is incredibly disruptive and reckless.\" He says even possessing a drone within a certain distance of an airfield should be considered an offence. \"The law should be made as strict as possible as the consequences could be so calamitous,\" he adds. However, Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, says threatening longer sentences isn't the answer. He says the industry should follow the example of car manufacturers - which have reduced car crime dramatically since the 1990s by improving security features - and find a technological solution."}], "question": "Could they be charged under any other law?", "id": "155_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Immigration: Who should we let in after Brexit?", "date": "7 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Amidst all the talk about Brexit - about borders and about trade - ministers have said almost nothing about how immigration will be controlled after the UK leaves the EU. They have not yet come up with the answer to a fundamental question - who should we let in? The promise to take back control of our borders was the headline of the leave campaign. Yet almost two years on, there has been little public debate about how that will be done, or what our immigration system should look like once free movement of EU citizens in and out of Britain has ended. The Home Office originally promised to publish its plans for a new immigration policy before Christmas. Then it said the spring. Now ministers say it'll be in the autumn. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes told me: \"There isn't any dithering. What I'm committed to doing is making evidence-based policy. And so we will bring an immigration policy forward when we're ready.\" They were, she said, waiting for the expert advice from the Migration Advisory Committee, an independent public body which advises the government on migration issues. Why the delay? Very likely it's because they're caught in the middle, between the demands of British business and the expectations of many of the voters who backed Brexit. Pressure is now mounting on Theresa May from a growing number of businesses who fear that they will not be able to find the workers they need after we leave the EU. First, the figures: Net migration overall - the difference between the number of people coming to the UK and leaving - is 244,000 a year, more than double the government's target. But net migration from the EU fell sharply to 90,000 - the lowest for 5 years. And from food manufacturers to delivery firms to fast food restaurants, I've been hearing the fears of Britain's bosses about what happens if they can't get the workers they need. That's the question worrying Leigh Pomlett, president of the Freight Transport Association. More than one in seven of the HGV drivers based in Britain - that's 40,000 drivers - are EU nationals. Speaking to me at his company CEVA's Tamworth warehouse, he told me he is beginning to see people going back home, as the wages people can send back become worth less due to the fall in the pound, and because more jobs are now available in Europe. \"Polish people are wanted back in Poland more than ever. They're also wanted in Germany, more than ever. So there is a global labour market which is more mobile than it ever was. Will they move? Yes they will.\" He says the industry could do with another 50,000 drivers, but he can't see where they are going to come from. And what's bad for his business could be bad for yours, as he warns that the days of free next-day delivery could come to an end. That's what Patrick Hook wants to know. His family farming business PD Hook hatches eggs on an industrial scale - more than nine million per week. EU workers represent 33% of all people employed in the food manufacturing sector. Patrick is worried. Some of the people he employs from the EU have already headed home. Others are thinking about it. \"The labour crisis - and not having those skilled permanent people available to us from the European Union - is a bigger threat to us as a business and our industry  than avian influenza, that is a fact.\" Order a coffee, a sandwich or a salad in a fast food restaurant, and you're very likely to have it served up by a European - one of half a million EU nationals working in shops, hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets. More than half the staff at Leon - an upmarket fast food chain - are from the EU. John Vincent, Leon's chief executive and co-founder, warns that if the industry can't recruit enough staff, then restaurant chains will become increasingly automated, with machines preparing dishes, and companies using apps and vending machines to sell and deliver them to customers. \"There's a danger if we can't recruit people - and we've already seen it in America - that people will be replaced by robots, and that's not something we want to see. \"So, that's not 'Mad Max fantasy world', it's already happening.\" Jacob Rees Mogg, the leading Brexiteer backbencher, accepts that jobs of the future may be taken by robots instead of Brits. \"I think that if you look at check-outs in supermarkets, that is an efficiency for the supermarket. It reduces the cost, and it may be quicker for the consumer as well.  I don't think we should be frightened of mechanisation. Those jobs will go to robots whether we have immigration or not.\" He is urging ministers not to give in to the pressure. \"Of course business wants to carry on what it's been doing, because it's easy, but the responsibility of government is to look after the consumer and the citizen.\" The voters of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire are watching to see if the Tories deliver on their promise to cut annual net migration to the tens of thousands. This ex-mining town and traditional Labour constituency elected a Tory MP for the first time in its history last year. More than 70% of people here voted to leave the EU. Immigration, I was told, was a factor. It was certainly an issue for local resident Jeffrey Smith: \"I'll walk down every morning to this coffee bar, and - not being racist - I can probably meet or pass 15 people, and sometimes you don't hear an English voice. and then you think 'what on earth's wrong with Mansfield?' \"There's too many people from other countries living here and living off us.\" Richard Vickerstaff runs a local shop called the Vinyl Lounge. He didn't vote for Brexit, but says he knows why people are worried about immigration. \"I think Mansfield probably historically isn't used to a lot of immigration, you know, on that side. So to have quite a heavy influx of people suddenly coming quite quickly within two or three years, people notice that, and certain people obviously feel uncomfortable about it.\" Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes told me the government was sticking to its long-term target of bringing net immigration down. \"The last two sets of statistics that we've seen have seen the direction of travel downwards, which is what we're aiming towards. But none of us have ever said that this going to be either easy or quick.\" But the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott told me that the government's target was \"completely bogus\". She says, \"it's just a way of the Tories talking an anti-immigrant narrative\". When asked twice whether immigration could go up under Labour, she did not rule it out. \"We can't say what is going to happen to levels of migration, because migration flows are subject to all sorts of international pressures. With increased emphasis on training and skills, the need for people's specific skills from overseas may well decline.\" It all adds up to a pretty painful position for Theresa May - caught between those competing pressures. As well as a debate about what level immigration should be, there's the question of how the new system of rules are designed. It is thought the Cabinet has had only one high-level discussion about immigration recently, and it is said to have argued about whether preference should in future be given to workers from the EU - Poles, Spanish and French - or whether there should be a level playing field for immigrants wherever they come from. Brexiteers like Jacob Rees Mogg back the latter approach. \"I can see no reason to give preference to people from the EU after we've left.  Why should we discriminate against our Commonwealth friends, against our American friends, the very large Indian population in this country? Surely we should prioritise members of their family against people from the EU with whom we have no connection?\" But this is one more subject that looks set to get included in those endless complex Brexit negotiations. The more trade we want, the more open our borders may have to be. One well-placed source told me that the first thing countries want to export is their people. That, incidentally, applies to India or China as well. so any new post-Brexit trade deal with them may involve hard bargaining about liberalising the immigration rules for their people who want to come here. Some argue that different parts of the country need a different approach. SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland needs more immigrants, not a target to have fewer: \"It's damaging and counter-productive. It runs counter to the needs of the Scottish economy. \"Our pensioner population over the next 25 years is projected to increase by 25%, and yet our working-age population - those who are in employment and contributing the taxes to support everything else that we hold dear - is only going to increase by 1%. So that tells a story that we need to be able to attract talent from elsewhere.\" The truth is the debate on immigration has scarcely begun. Most voters want to see what they call control. They want to see the numbers cut. They like the idea of people being able to come here to do vital jobs and of blocking those with no or few skills. That, though, doesn't go very far to answer the question \"who should we let in?\" Nick Robinson's Panorama Immigration: Who should we let in? will be broadcast on BBC One on Wednesday 7 March at 19:30. Or watch it afterwards via the BBC iPlayer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1874, "answer_end": 2768, "text": "That's the question worrying Leigh Pomlett, president of the Freight Transport Association. More than one in seven of the HGV drivers based in Britain - that's 40,000 drivers - are EU nationals. Speaking to me at his company CEVA's Tamworth warehouse, he told me he is beginning to see people going back home, as the wages people can send back become worth less due to the fall in the pound, and because more jobs are now available in Europe. \"Polish people are wanted back in Poland more than ever. They're also wanted in Germany, more than ever. So there is a global labour market which is more mobile than it ever was. Will they move? Yes they will.\" He says the industry could do with another 50,000 drivers, but he can't see where they are going to come from. And what's bad for his business could be bad for yours, as he warns that the days of free next-day delivery could come to an end."}], "question": "Who will drive the lorries?", "id": "156_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2769, "answer_end": 3320, "text": "That's what Patrick Hook wants to know. His family farming business PD Hook hatches eggs on an industrial scale - more than nine million per week. EU workers represent 33% of all people employed in the food manufacturing sector. Patrick is worried. Some of the people he employs from the EU have already headed home. Others are thinking about it. \"The labour crisis - and not having those skilled permanent people available to us from the European Union - is a bigger threat to us as a business and our industry  than avian influenza, that is a fact.\""}], "question": "Who'll produce the food we eat?", "id": "156_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3321, "answer_end": 4776, "text": "Order a coffee, a sandwich or a salad in a fast food restaurant, and you're very likely to have it served up by a European - one of half a million EU nationals working in shops, hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets. More than half the staff at Leon - an upmarket fast food chain - are from the EU. John Vincent, Leon's chief executive and co-founder, warns that if the industry can't recruit enough staff, then restaurant chains will become increasingly automated, with machines preparing dishes, and companies using apps and vending machines to sell and deliver them to customers. \"There's a danger if we can't recruit people - and we've already seen it in America - that people will be replaced by robots, and that's not something we want to see. \"So, that's not 'Mad Max fantasy world', it's already happening.\" Jacob Rees Mogg, the leading Brexiteer backbencher, accepts that jobs of the future may be taken by robots instead of Brits. \"I think that if you look at check-outs in supermarkets, that is an efficiency for the supermarket. It reduces the cost, and it may be quicker for the consumer as well.  I don't think we should be frightened of mechanisation. Those jobs will go to robots whether we have immigration or not.\" He is urging ministers not to give in to the pressure. \"Of course business wants to carry on what it's been doing, because it's easy, but the responsibility of government is to look after the consumer and the citizen.\""}], "question": "Who'll serve our food and drink?", "id": "156_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4777, "answer_end": 6897, "text": "The voters of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire are watching to see if the Tories deliver on their promise to cut annual net migration to the tens of thousands. This ex-mining town and traditional Labour constituency elected a Tory MP for the first time in its history last year. More than 70% of people here voted to leave the EU. Immigration, I was told, was a factor. It was certainly an issue for local resident Jeffrey Smith: \"I'll walk down every morning to this coffee bar, and - not being racist - I can probably meet or pass 15 people, and sometimes you don't hear an English voice. and then you think 'what on earth's wrong with Mansfield?' \"There's too many people from other countries living here and living off us.\" Richard Vickerstaff runs a local shop called the Vinyl Lounge. He didn't vote for Brexit, but says he knows why people are worried about immigration. \"I think Mansfield probably historically isn't used to a lot of immigration, you know, on that side. So to have quite a heavy influx of people suddenly coming quite quickly within two or three years, people notice that, and certain people obviously feel uncomfortable about it.\" Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes told me the government was sticking to its long-term target of bringing net immigration down. \"The last two sets of statistics that we've seen have seen the direction of travel downwards, which is what we're aiming towards. But none of us have ever said that this going to be either easy or quick.\" But the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott told me that the government's target was \"completely bogus\". She says, \"it's just a way of the Tories talking an anti-immigrant narrative\". When asked twice whether immigration could go up under Labour, she did not rule it out. \"We can't say what is going to happen to levels of migration, because migration flows are subject to all sorts of international pressures. With increased emphasis on training and skills, the need for people's specific skills from overseas may well decline.\" It all adds up to a pretty painful position for Theresa May - caught between those competing pressures."}], "question": "What do voters want?", "id": "156_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Pittsburgh shooting: Victims of synagogue attack named", "date": "28 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The names of the 11 people killed in Saturday's attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh have been released, with the oldest aged 97. Two brothers and a husband and wife were among those killed. Six people were injured, including four policemen. The suspect, Robert Bowers, 46, is in custody and faces 29 criminal counts in what is thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history. Mayor Bill Peduto said this was the \"darkest day of Pittsburgh's history\". President Donald Trump has called the attack a \"wicked act of mass murder\". The ages of the 11 victims ranged from 54 to 97. They are: - Joyce Fienberg, 75 - Richard Gottfried, 65 - Rose Mallinger, 97 - Jerry Rabinowitz, 66 - Cecil Rosenthal, 59 - David Rosenthal, 54, brother of Cecil - Bernice Simon, 84 - Sylvan Simon, 86, husband of Bernice - Daniel Stein, 71 - Melvin Wax, 88 - Irving Younger, 69 Tributes have been pouring in from those who knew the victims. Myron Snider described his friend Melvin Wax as a \"sweet, sweet guy\" and unfailingly generous. Ben Schmitt, a patient of Jerry Rabinowitz, said the family medical practitioner was \"kind and funny... [he] completely personified the term 'bedside manner'\". The names of the victims were read out by officials at a press briefing on Sunday morning. Mayor Peduto said: \"To the victims' families and friends - we will be here to help you through this horrific episode - the darkest day of Pittsburgh's history.  We as a society are better than this, we know that hatred will never win out.\" Officials gave some details about the attack, revealing that the gun suspect used three Glock 57 handguns and an AR-15 assault rifle and made statements regarding genocide and a desire to kill Jewish people. The suspect is still in hospital, in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds, but is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Monday. Officials said there was nothing to indicate he had any accomplices. One injured officer was released from hospital on Saturday, another should be released on Sunday, with the other two needing more treatment. The remaining two injured people are members of the congregation. The 29 charges were announced in a statement issued by the US Attorney's Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania: - Eleven counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and 11 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence. These can carry the death penalty - Four counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer - Three counts of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence On Saturday morning, worshippers had gathered at the Tree of Life synagogue for a baby naming ceremony during the Sabbath. Squirrel Hill has one of the largest Jewish populations in Pennsylvania. Police said they received first calls about an active shooter at 09:54 local time (13:54 GMT), and sent officers to the scene a minute later. According to reports, Mr Bowers, a white male, entered the building during the morning service armed with an assault rifle and three handguns. The gunman had already shot dead 11 people and was leaving the synagogue after about 20 minutes when he encountered Swat officers and exchanged fire with them, FBI agent Robert Jones said. The attacker then moved back into the building to try to hide from the police. He surrendered after a shootout. The crime scene was \"horrific\", Pittsburgh's Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich told reporters. \"One of the worst I've seen, and I've [worked] on some plane crashes. It's very bad.\" US media said he had shouted \"All Jews must die\" as he carried out the attack. Social media posts by someone with the name Robert Bowers were also reported to be full of anti-Semitic comments. FBI special agent Bob Jones told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to authorities prior to the attack. Gary O'Donoghue, BBC News, Pittsburgh In the dwindling light, and with the cold autumn rain falling, hundreds gathered in front of the 6th Presbyterian church just a few streets away from the Tree of Life Synagogue. Holding their candles, they sang the Jewish prayer of healing. The elders in the community had wanted to wait a day before holding the vigil, but the young people said no - they wanted an immediate chance to share their grief and voice their hurt. Fifteen-year-old Sophia Levin declared that she was a different Jew today to the one she was yesterday. Anti-Semitism, she said, had been something she thought happened elsewhere and in earlier times; but now she knew it was right here, right now. Some of these young people have been involved in the student gun control movement that sprang up after the Parkland shooting earlier this year. One of them, Rebecca Glickman, told the crowd that gun control was needed now more than ever. She told me that an anti-Semite with a gun is more dangerous than an anti-Semite without a gun, so that's a good place to start. He described the gunman as a \"maniac\" and suggested the US should \"stiffen up our laws of the death penalty\". \"These people should pay the ultimate price. This has to stop,\" he said. Mr Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh soon and had ordered US flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast until 31 October. He added that the shooting had \"little to do\" with US gun laws. \"If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation.\" But Mayor Peduto, a Democrat, said: \"I think the approach that we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, which is the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those that are looking to express hatred through murder.\" Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement that the incident was an \"absolute tragedy\" and that such acts of violence could not be accepted as \"normal\". Pope Francis said after his Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square: \"We are all, in truth, wounded by this inhuman act of violence.\" Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish non-governmental organisation that fights anti-Semitism, said he was \"devastated\". \"We believe this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States,\" he said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was \"heartbroken and appalled\". Are you in the area?  Did you witness the incident? If it is safe to do, email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 544, "answer_end": 1187, "text": "The ages of the 11 victims ranged from 54 to 97. They are: - Joyce Fienberg, 75 - Richard Gottfried, 65 - Rose Mallinger, 97 - Jerry Rabinowitz, 66 - Cecil Rosenthal, 59 - David Rosenthal, 54, brother of Cecil - Bernice Simon, 84 - Sylvan Simon, 86, husband of Bernice - Daniel Stein, 71 - Melvin Wax, 88 - Irving Younger, 69 Tributes have been pouring in from those who knew the victims. Myron Snider described his friend Melvin Wax as a \"sweet, sweet guy\" and unfailingly generous. Ben Schmitt, a patient of Jerry Rabinowitz, said the family medical practitioner was \"kind and funny... [he] completely personified the term 'bedside manner'\"."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "157_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1188, "answer_end": 2179, "text": "The names of the victims were read out by officials at a press briefing on Sunday morning. Mayor Peduto said: \"To the victims' families and friends - we will be here to help you through this horrific episode - the darkest day of Pittsburgh's history.  We as a society are better than this, we know that hatred will never win out.\" Officials gave some details about the attack, revealing that the gun suspect used three Glock 57 handguns and an AR-15 assault rifle and made statements regarding genocide and a desire to kill Jewish people. The suspect is still in hospital, in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds, but is scheduled to make his first court appearance at 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Monday. Officials said there was nothing to indicate he had any accomplices. One injured officer was released from hospital on Saturday, another should be released on Sunday, with the other two needing more treatment. The remaining two injured people are members of the congregation."}], "question": "What have been the latest developments?", "id": "157_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2727, "answer_end": 3695, "text": "On Saturday morning, worshippers had gathered at the Tree of Life synagogue for a baby naming ceremony during the Sabbath. Squirrel Hill has one of the largest Jewish populations in Pennsylvania. Police said they received first calls about an active shooter at 09:54 local time (13:54 GMT), and sent officers to the scene a minute later. According to reports, Mr Bowers, a white male, entered the building during the morning service armed with an assault rifle and three handguns. The gunman had already shot dead 11 people and was leaving the synagogue after about 20 minutes when he encountered Swat officers and exchanged fire with them, FBI agent Robert Jones said. The attacker then moved back into the building to try to hide from the police. He surrendered after a shootout. The crime scene was \"horrific\", Pittsburgh's Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich told reporters. \"One of the worst I've seen, and I've [worked] on some plane crashes. It's very bad.\""}], "question": "How did the shooting unfold?", "id": "157_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3696, "answer_end": 4018, "text": "US media said he had shouted \"All Jews must die\" as he carried out the attack. Social media posts by someone with the name Robert Bowers were also reported to be full of anti-Semitic comments. FBI special agent Bob Jones told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to authorities prior to the attack."}], "question": "What do we know about the gunman?", "id": "157_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5098, "answer_end": 5820, "text": "He described the gunman as a \"maniac\" and suggested the US should \"stiffen up our laws of the death penalty\". \"These people should pay the ultimate price. This has to stop,\" he said. Mr Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh soon and had ordered US flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast until 31 October. He added that the shooting had \"little to do\" with US gun laws. \"If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation.\" But Mayor Peduto, a Democrat, said: \"I think the approach that we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, which is the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those that are looking to express hatred through murder.\""}], "question": "What has been President Trump's reaction?", "id": "157_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5821, "answer_end": 6482, "text": "Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement that the incident was an \"absolute tragedy\" and that such acts of violence could not be accepted as \"normal\". Pope Francis said after his Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square: \"We are all, in truth, wounded by this inhuman act of violence.\" Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish non-governmental organisation that fights anti-Semitism, said he was \"devastated\". \"We believe this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States,\" he said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was \"heartbroken and appalled\"."}], "question": "What about other reaction?", "id": "157_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan's Abe and China's Xi Jinping meet amid trade war fears", "date": "27 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a time of warming ties between the two nations. Relations have historically been strained, but concerns over US trade policy and North Korea's nuclear programme have shifted them closer. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the forthcoming G20 summit in Japan. \"I want to open up a new age of Japan-China relations hand in hand with President Xi,\" Mr Abe told reporters. The pair agreed to work together to promote \"free and fair trade\" following a \"very frank exchange\", a Japanese official said. It is the first official visit Mr Xi has made to Japan since becoming president in 2013. At the outset of their talks on Thursday, Mr Abe invited him to return on a state visit next year. \"Around the time of the cherry blossoms next spring, I would like to welcome President Xi as a state guest to Japan,\" he said. \"[I] hope to further elevate ties to the next level.\" Japan and China are by far Asia's largest economies and the talks on Thursday focused strongly on business. Last year, the two sides signed a deal to maintain annual dialogue and to co-operate on innovation. This time around, officials say, they pledged to develop a \"free and fair trading system\" in a \"complicated\" global economic landscape. Another topic on the schedule would probably have been North Korea. While China is North Korea's biggest trading partner, both Tokyo and Beijing want it to abandon its nuclear programme. Mr Abe has only very limited leverage on the matter and will try to sway both the US and China to keep Tokyo's interests in mind in any negotiations. The G20 summit will begin on Saturday, but the main meeting is likely to be overshadowed by the many bilateral talks that are set to happen on the sidelines. For example, Mr Xi will meet President Trump as China and the US try to resolve their trade dispute. In the past, relations have been tense. While the two countries do have close trade ties, politically things have been much more fragile. Japan's World War Two occupation of parts of China remains a very emotional issue. There are also several ongoing territorial disputes between Tokyo and Beijing. But tensions with Washington over its protectionist trade policy have driven Japan and China into an unlikely friendship. In 2018, Mr Abe hailed his high-profile visit to Beijing as an historic turning point. Both leaders have since promised to establish positive, constructive, relations.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 945, "answer_end": 1884, "text": "Japan and China are by far Asia's largest economies and the talks on Thursday focused strongly on business. Last year, the two sides signed a deal to maintain annual dialogue and to co-operate on innovation. This time around, officials say, they pledged to develop a \"free and fair trading system\" in a \"complicated\" global economic landscape. Another topic on the schedule would probably have been North Korea. While China is North Korea's biggest trading partner, both Tokyo and Beijing want it to abandon its nuclear programme. Mr Abe has only very limited leverage on the matter and will try to sway both the US and China to keep Tokyo's interests in mind in any negotiations. The G20 summit will begin on Saturday, but the main meeting is likely to be overshadowed by the many bilateral talks that are set to happen on the sidelines. For example, Mr Xi will meet President Trump as China and the US try to resolve their trade dispute."}], "question": "What did the leaders discuss?", "id": "158_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1885, "answer_end": 2474, "text": "In the past, relations have been tense. While the two countries do have close trade ties, politically things have been much more fragile. Japan's World War Two occupation of parts of China remains a very emotional issue. There are also several ongoing territorial disputes between Tokyo and Beijing. But tensions with Washington over its protectionist trade policy have driven Japan and China into an unlikely friendship. In 2018, Mr Abe hailed his high-profile visit to Beijing as an historic turning point. Both leaders have since promised to establish positive, constructive, relations."}], "question": "Do Japan and China get along?", "id": "158_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Jussie Smollett arrested over false attack report", "date": "21 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US actor Jussie Smollett has been arrested in Chicago after being charged with filing a false police report. The Empire star had said he was subjected to a homophobic and racist physical attack by two men in January. Police suspect the 36-year-old actor paid two Nigerian brothers to stage the attack. They are both co-operating with the investigation, US media report. He is due to appear in court later on Thursday. His lawyers earlier said they would \"mount an aggressive defence\". Suspicion over the actor's claim started to grow after police said they could not find any video footage of the alleged incident from surveillance cameras. There were also no witnesses. But investigators managed to track two men who appeared on video footage near where the actor said he had been attacked. The men - Ola and Abel Osundairo - had left the US following the alleged attack and were held for nearly 48 hours after they returned last week. They were released without charges after providing information that \"shifted the trajectory of the investigation\", police said. One of the brothers is Mr Smollett's personal trainer and both have worked as extras on Empire. A lawyer for the brothers, Gloria Schmidt, said they had chosen to testify because \"there was a point where this story needed to be told\". She added: \"They manned up and said: 'You know what? We're going to correct this'.\" On Wednesday, CBS Chicago obtained footage which appeared to show two people buying materials, including ski masks, that had allegedly been worn by the actor's attackers. Mr Smollett turned himself in early on Thursday and is in custody of Chicago police, spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. He faces felony charges for disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. The actor is being temporarily held at the Cook County Jail and has been separated from other prisoners, which is common of notable inmates, Chicago media report. If found guilty, he faces up to three years in prison and may also be forced to reimburse police for the cost of their three week-long investigation. Following the charges, the actor's legal team released a statement saying: \"Like any other citizen, Mr Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked.\" The actor, who is gay, said he had gone out to buy food late at night in downtown Chicago when two white men hurled racial and homophobic insults at him. They allegedly punched the actor, poured a chemical substance over him and put a rope around his neck. Mr Smollett also claimed the men had told him \"this is Maga country\", apparently referring to President Donald Trump's \"Make America Great Again\" slogan. The actor said he had been \"forever changed\" by the alleged incident. An outpouring of support followed, including from Oscar winner Viola Davis and supermodel Naomi Campbell.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 485, "answer_end": 1554, "text": "Suspicion over the actor's claim started to grow after police said they could not find any video footage of the alleged incident from surveillance cameras. There were also no witnesses. But investigators managed to track two men who appeared on video footage near where the actor said he had been attacked. The men - Ola and Abel Osundairo - had left the US following the alleged attack and were held for nearly 48 hours after they returned last week. They were released without charges after providing information that \"shifted the trajectory of the investigation\", police said. One of the brothers is Mr Smollett's personal trainer and both have worked as extras on Empire. A lawyer for the brothers, Gloria Schmidt, said they had chosen to testify because \"there was a point where this story needed to be told\". She added: \"They manned up and said: 'You know what? We're going to correct this'.\" On Wednesday, CBS Chicago obtained footage which appeared to show two people buying materials, including ski masks, that had allegedly been worn by the actor's attackers."}], "question": "What do police say?", "id": "159_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1555, "answer_end": 2349, "text": "Mr Smollett turned himself in early on Thursday and is in custody of Chicago police, spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. He faces felony charges for disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. The actor is being temporarily held at the Cook County Jail and has been separated from other prisoners, which is common of notable inmates, Chicago media report. If found guilty, he faces up to three years in prison and may also be forced to reimburse police for the cost of their three week-long investigation. Following the charges, the actor's legal team released a statement saying: \"Like any other citizen, Mr Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked.\""}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "159_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2350, "answer_end": 2936, "text": "The actor, who is gay, said he had gone out to buy food late at night in downtown Chicago when two white men hurled racial and homophobic insults at him. They allegedly punched the actor, poured a chemical substance over him and put a rope around his neck. Mr Smollett also claimed the men had told him \"this is Maga country\", apparently referring to President Donald Trump's \"Make America Great Again\" slogan. The actor said he had been \"forever changed\" by the alleged incident. An outpouring of support followed, including from Oscar winner Viola Davis and supermodel Naomi Campbell."}], "question": "What does Smollett say happened?", "id": "159_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain election: Catalan party moves to back coalition in return for talks", "date": "25 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The biggest separatist party in Spain's Catalonia region has voted to support a new Spanish government in return for talks on independence. About 95% of members of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), a social democratic party, backed the move in a ballot. The ERC could now become kingmaker to the Socialists who failed to win a majority in this month's election. The Socialists are building a coalition with anti-capitalist party Podemos. But their combined tally of seats, 155, is still short of the 176 required to form a parliamentary majority. With the ERC's 13 seats and a possible combination of support from other leftist or Basque parties, acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could continue in office at the head of a coalition. However, his Socialists have firmly opposed granting Catalans a legal independence referendum, while recognising that both Catalonia and the Basque Country are nations within Spain, and not just regions. The Republican Left of Catalonia (as their name translates from Catalan) is the region's oldest separatist party. Its president, Oriol Junqueras, is one of the separatist leaders jailed by Spain in October for sedition, over their part in the illegal independence referendum of 2017. In Catalonia, the ERC won three seats more than its centre-right separatist rival, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), the party of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont. In the party ballot, members were asked to vote on whether they agreed to \"reject Pedro Sanchez's investiture unless there is previously an agreement to tackle the political conflict with the state at a negotiating table\". The party is now beginning talks with the Socialists to discuss their support for Mr Sanchez, Catalan News reports. It has a list of conditions for reaching an agreement which include holding talks without limits, including talks on an independence vote and an amnesty for the jailed leaders. \"If [the Socialists] want something from us they have to make a move,\" said ERC official Marta Vilalta, as quoted by Reuters news agency. \"If they don't we will obviously maintain our no [vote].\" Earlier this month, Spain held its fourth election in four years, the second this year, and the new parliament emerged more fractured than ever, with the Socialists losing seats and the far right more than doubling theirs. The country is facing an uncertain economic outlook, with slowing growth and unemployment that is the second-highest in the EU, despite having come down from earlier highs. Massive street protests have periodically erupted in Catalonia since the separatist leaders were jailed, with hundreds of people injured in rioting. Earlier this month, in defiance of a warning by Spain's Constitutional Court, the Catalan parliament approved a non-binding motion expressing the wish to exercise self-determination \"to respect the will of the Catalan people\". However, support for independence appears to have waned. According to a survey for the regional government's official CEO research centre published this month, 48.8% oppose independence compared with 41.9% in favour.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 951, "answer_end": 2132, "text": "The Republican Left of Catalonia (as their name translates from Catalan) is the region's oldest separatist party. Its president, Oriol Junqueras, is one of the separatist leaders jailed by Spain in October for sedition, over their part in the illegal independence referendum of 2017. In Catalonia, the ERC won three seats more than its centre-right separatist rival, Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), the party of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont. In the party ballot, members were asked to vote on whether they agreed to \"reject Pedro Sanchez's investiture unless there is previously an agreement to tackle the political conflict with the state at a negotiating table\". The party is now beginning talks with the Socialists to discuss their support for Mr Sanchez, Catalan News reports. It has a list of conditions for reaching an agreement which include holding talks without limits, including talks on an independence vote and an amnesty for the jailed leaders. \"If [the Socialists] want something from us they have to make a move,\" said ERC official Marta Vilalta, as quoted by Reuters news agency. \"If they don't we will obviously maintain our no [vote].\""}], "question": "Who are the ERC?", "id": "160_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2133, "answer_end": 3121, "text": "Earlier this month, Spain held its fourth election in four years, the second this year, and the new parliament emerged more fractured than ever, with the Socialists losing seats and the far right more than doubling theirs. The country is facing an uncertain economic outlook, with slowing growth and unemployment that is the second-highest in the EU, despite having come down from earlier highs. Massive street protests have periodically erupted in Catalonia since the separatist leaders were jailed, with hundreds of people injured in rioting. Earlier this month, in defiance of a warning by Spain's Constitutional Court, the Catalan parliament approved a non-binding motion expressing the wish to exercise self-determination \"to respect the will of the Catalan people\". However, support for independence appears to have waned. According to a survey for the regional government's official CEO research centre published this month, 48.8% oppose independence compared with 41.9% in favour."}], "question": "What is at stake?", "id": "160_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka attacks: Government vows to overhaul state security", "date": "24 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sri Lanka's president has vowed to overhaul state security after several bomb blasts on Sunday killed 359 people and wounded about 500. On Tuesday, Maithripala Sirisena said warnings had not been shared with him and promised \"stern action\". The country's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Islamic State (IS) group may be linked to the blasts. Funerals are continuing across the country as people try to process last Sunday's attacks. IS has claimed the attack, although it did not provide direct evidence of its involvement. Police say they have identified eight out of nine attackers, with no foreigners among them. \"Most of them are well educated and come from maybe middle or upper middle class,\" Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said on Wednesday. \"They are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially. \"We believe that one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and then later on did his post-graduate in Australia before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka.\" In a televised address late on Tuesday, President Sirisena said he would completely restructure the police and security forces in coming weeks. \"The security officials who got the intelligence report from a foreign nation did not share it with me. I have decided to take stern action against these officials.\" The BBC World Service's South Asia editor Ethirajan Anbarasan said it was an embarrassing admission by President Sirisena that security officials did not share with him the intelligence report warning about the attacks. With IS claiming responsibility for the attacks, Sri Lanka is now entering uncharted territory, our correspondent explains. Authorities say they are looking into possible links between the locals who carried out the suicide bombings and the global jihadist group. Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News South Asia correspondent, reports from Batticaloa In the town of Batticaloa, the grief is all around you. Posters of those who died in Sunday's blast hang from every corner. Photos show the young children smiling in party dresses and smart shirts, and written next to their images are their birthdays, as well as the day they died. They'd been attending Sunday school at the Zion Church, as they did every week. After the service some of them went outside for snacks, a short while later a bomb exploded. A decade after the civil war ended this community is once again burying its dead. Wreaths of bright pink flowers were left at the freshly dug graves of some of the children. They'd barely been dug - just like the lives lost had barely been lived. This scenic stretch of the country's east coast has become accustomed to loss. Countless died in the country's civil war. The 2004 tsunami claimed thousands more. Now it's trying to process this latest wave of terror. Follow @BBCRajiniv for updates from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's government has blamed the blasts on local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). But Mr Wickremesinghe said the attacks \"could not have been done just locally\". \"There had been training given and a coordination which we are not seeing earlier,\" he said. Police have now detained around 60 suspects in connection with the attack. A state of emergency remains in effect to prevent further attacks. The nearly simultaneous attacks targeted three churches packed for Easter services and three major hotels in the capital, Colombo. An attack on a fourth hotel on Sunday was foiled, Mr Wickremesinghe said. He also warned that further militants and explosives could still be \"out there\" following the attack. The country remains tense with police still looking for suspects and possible further explosives. IS said it had \"targeted nationals of the crusader alliance [anti-IS US-led coalition] and Christians in Sri Lanka\" via its Amaq news outlet. It provided no evidence for the claim but shared an image on social media of eight men purported to be behind the attack. The group's last territory fell in March but even then experts had warned it does not mean the end of IS or its ideology. Earlier, the country's defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament that NTJ was linked to another radical Islamist group he named as JMI. He gave no further details. He also said \"preliminary investigations\" indicated that the bombings were in retaliation for deadly attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March. NTJ has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. The group has not said it carried out Sunday's bombings. The Sri Lankan government is facing scrutiny after it emerged the authorities were warned of about a possible attack. Security services had been monitoring the NTJ but the prime minister and the cabinet were not warned, ministers said. The first mass funeral was held on Tuesday, as Sri Lanka marked an official day of mourning for the victims. Most of those who died were Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians attending Easter Sunday church services. Sri Lankan officials said 38 foreign nationals were among the dead, with another 14 unaccounted for. The death toll includes at least eight British citizens and at least 11 Indian nationals. The mass funeral for about 30 victims took place at St Sebastian's church in Negombo, north of Colombo, which was one of the places targeted in Sunday's blasts. Another funeral service was scheduled for later on Tuesday. A moment of silence was also observed at 08:30 on Tuesday, reflecting the time the first of six bombs detonated. Flags were lowered to half-mast and people, many of them in tears, bowed their heads in respect.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3682, "answer_end": 4818, "text": "IS said it had \"targeted nationals of the crusader alliance [anti-IS US-led coalition] and Christians in Sri Lanka\" via its Amaq news outlet. It provided no evidence for the claim but shared an image on social media of eight men purported to be behind the attack. The group's last territory fell in March but even then experts had warned it does not mean the end of IS or its ideology. Earlier, the country's defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene told parliament that NTJ was linked to another radical Islamist group he named as JMI. He gave no further details. He also said \"preliminary investigations\" indicated that the bombings were in retaliation for deadly attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March. NTJ has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. The group has not said it carried out Sunday's bombings. The Sri Lankan government is facing scrutiny after it emerged the authorities were warned of about a possible attack. Security services had been monitoring the NTJ but the prime minister and the cabinet were not warned, ministers said."}], "question": "Who could be behind the attacks?", "id": "161_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4819, "answer_end": 5671, "text": "The first mass funeral was held on Tuesday, as Sri Lanka marked an official day of mourning for the victims. Most of those who died were Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians attending Easter Sunday church services. Sri Lankan officials said 38 foreign nationals were among the dead, with another 14 unaccounted for. The death toll includes at least eight British citizens and at least 11 Indian nationals. The mass funeral for about 30 victims took place at St Sebastian's church in Negombo, north of Colombo, which was one of the places targeted in Sunday's blasts. Another funeral service was scheduled for later on Tuesday. A moment of silence was also observed at 08:30 on Tuesday, reflecting the time the first of six bombs detonated. Flags were lowered to half-mast and people, many of them in tears, bowed their heads in respect."}], "question": "Who were the victims?", "id": "161_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Could subjects soon be a thing of the past in Finland?", "date": "29 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Finland has long been renowned for the quality of its education and always scores highly in international league tables. Now it is rethinking how it teaches in the digital age - seeking to place skills, as much as subjects, at the heart of what it does. But not everyone is happy, and there are fears it could bring down standards. It is a chilly morning in a remote village in southern Finland, but the thoughts of this class of 12-year-olds are elsewhere - in ancient Rome. Their teacher is taking them through a video re-enactment - shown on the classroom's interactive smart board - of the day Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Pompeii. In groups they take out their mini laptops. Their task is to compare ancient Rome with modern Finland. One group looks at Roman baths and today's luxury spas; another puts the Colosseum up against modern-day stadiums. They use 3D printers to create a miniature of their Roman building, which will eventually be used as pieces for a class-wide board game. This is a history lesson with a difference, says Aleksis Stenholm, a teacher at Hauho Comprehensive School. The children are also gaining skills in technology, research, communication and cultural understanding. \"Each group is becoming an expert on their subject, which they will present to the class,\" he explains. The board game is the culmination of the project, which will run alongside normal classroom teaching. For nearly two decades, Finland has enjoyed a reputation for having one of the world's best education systems. Its 15 year olds regularly score amongst the highest in the global Pisa league tables for reading, maths and science. Its ability to produce high academic results in children who do not start formal schooling until the age of seven, have short school days, long holidays, relatively little homework and no exams, has long fascinated education experts around the world. Despite this, Finland is shaking up the way it is doing things - a move that it says is vital in a digital age where children are no longer reliant on books and the classroom to gain knowledge. In August 2016 it became compulsory for every Finnish school to teach in a more collaborative way; to allow students to choose a topic relevant to them and base subjects around it. Making innovative use of technology and sources outside the school, such as experts and museums, is a key part of it. The aim of this way of teaching - known as project- or phenomenon-based learning (PBL) - is to equip children with skills necessary to flourish in the 21st Century, says Kirsti Lonka, a professor of educational psychology at Helsinki University. Among the skills she singles out are critical thinking to identify fake news and avoid cyber-bullying, and the technical ability to install anti-virus software and link up to a printer. \"Traditionally, learning has been defined as a list of subject matters and facts you need to acquire - such as arithmetic and grammar - with some decoration, like citizenship, built in around it,\" Ms Lonka says. \"But when it comes to real life, our brain is not sliced into disciplines in that way; we are thinking in a very holistic way. And when you think about the problems in the world - global crises, migration, the economy, the post-truth era - we really haven't given our children the tools to deal with this inter-cultural world. \"I think it is a major mistake if we lead children to believe the world is simple and that if they learn certain facts they are ready to go. So learning to think, learning to understand, these are important skills - and it also makes learning fun, which we think promotes wellbeing.\" Hauho Comprehensive School is nestled among forests and lakes, some 40 minutes drive north-east of the city of Hameenlinna. With just 230 pupils aged between seven and 15, it has a homely feel. Shoes are left at the front entrance, exercise balls are used instead of chairs in some classrooms, and there are pull-up bars in the doorways. Teachers are relaxed about mobile phones in the classroom; it is a chance, they say, for children to appreciate their value as a research tool, not just as a means for communicating with their friends. On this cold day, the older students huddle around their phones during the lunch hour while some of the younger children brave the snow flurries to use the skate park, football and basketball pitches. Head teacher Pekka Paappanen is a firm believer in PBL and looks for a variety of ways of integrating it into the school's curriculum. \"I talk through ideas with our teachers, and then I make sure there is time and space in the schedule for them to happen,\" he explains. \"I think teachers have more power in this way, but they have to realise they can't do everything. We are leaving some old traditions behind, but we are taking it slowly too - the job of teaching our children is too important and we mustn't get it wrong.\" One big project last year was on the subject of immigration, when the flow of migrants into Europe was making headlines around the world. Aleksis Stenholm says they chose the topic because it became clear many of their students had little personal experience of immigrants and immigration. The topic was incorporated into German and religious classes. Their 15-year-olds carried out street surveys to garner local opinions about immigration, and they visited a nearby immigration centre to interview asylum seekers. They shared their findings via video-link with a school in Germany, which had carried out a similar project. \"It was really powerful, how the students reacted to it. They started thinking about things, questioning their opinions,\" Mr Stenholm recalls. \"If I had just taught this over, say, the course of three lessons, the effect would have been very different.\" The idea behind phenomenon-based learning has its critics. Some, like physics teacher Jussi Tanhuanpaa, fear it does not provide children with a strong enough grounding in a subject to enable them to study it at a higher level. He teaches in Lieto, just outside the south-west city of Turku, and says that of one cohort of children he knew who took advanced-level maths post-16, some 30% of them had to drop down a level. He also worries it is widening the gap between the most and least able students - a gap that has been historically small in Finland. \"This way of teaching is great for the brightest children who understand what knowledge they need to take away from an experiment. It allows them the freedom to learn at their own pace and take the next steps when they are ready to,\" he says. \"But this is not the case for children who are less able to figure it out for themselves and need more guidance. The gap between the brightest and the less able has already begun widening and I am very afraid that this will only get worse\". Others worry that it is also adding to teachers' workloads and is disadvantaging older teachers who may not be as digitally able as their younger counterparts. Jari Salminen of Helsinki University's faculty of education says similar types of learning have been tried in the past - as far back as 100 years ago - and have failed. \"Many international visitors are asking me, why are you changing this system when you get such good results? And it's a mystery to me, because we don't have any data from school level that phenomenon-based learning is improving results,\" Mr Salminen says. Anneli Rautiainen of Finland's national agency for education accepts there are concerns and says they are introducing the changes gradually: schools are only required to provide one such PBL project for its pupils a year. \"We want to encourage teachers to work in this way and for children to experience it, but we are starting it slowly. There are still subjects being taught and goals to be reached for each subject, but we also want skills to be embedded in that learning,\" she explains. But what about results? \"We are not too keen on metrics in this country overall so we are not planning to measure the success of it, at least not for now. We are hoping it will show in the learning outcomes of our children as well as in the international tables such as Pisa,\" she says. - Teaching is a highly respected, well-paid profession - There are no school inspections or teacher evaluations - The school system is highly centralised and most schools are publicly funded - School days are short and the summer break is 10 weeks - Children are assessed by their teachers. The only nationwide exam is for those who continue studying to 18 - Average school size is 195 pupils; average class size is 19 pupils - Success has been attributed to a traditionally high regard for teaching and reading, as well as a small, largely homogenous population - Though still high, Finland has been slipping down the Pisa rankings in recent years - Like other nations, it faces challenges of financial constraints and growing immigration While not everyone is convinced by this revolution in Finnish teaching, it has been given the thumbs up by most students and parents at Hauho. Sara, 14, says it is \"not so tiring. It's much more interesting - I like that about it\". Anna, also 14, says her older sister is envious because she thinks \"school is much more fun than when she was here\". Mum Kaisa Kepsu says most parents she knows are positive about the changes to the curriculum. \"There has been a wider discussion about the need to ensure children are still learning the basic facts, and I agree with that,\" she says. \"But raising their motivation and making the world more interesting is also important. I don't see anything wrong with school being fun\". Some project-based learning does happen in UK schools already, says Tom Bennett, the government's classroom behaviour adviser, but on a much smaller scale than that planned for Finland. And it is likely to remain that way, he says, as there is no compelling evidence that it is a more efficient way of teaching. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) funded a trial of PBL that involved mixed-ability Year 7 children in 24 UK schools between 2014 and 2016. The findings were skewed because a large number of schools dropped out of the study, largely because of the high level of management support and organisational change needed. The trial found no evidence that PBL had a positive impact on pupils' literacy or their engagement with school and learning, the EEF said. However, the independent evaluators did find that - from observations and feedback from schools - it could enhance pupils' skills in communication, teamwork and self-managed study.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5803, "answer_end": 8204, "text": "The idea behind phenomenon-based learning has its critics. Some, like physics teacher Jussi Tanhuanpaa, fear it does not provide children with a strong enough grounding in a subject to enable them to study it at a higher level. He teaches in Lieto, just outside the south-west city of Turku, and says that of one cohort of children he knew who took advanced-level maths post-16, some 30% of them had to drop down a level. He also worries it is widening the gap between the most and least able students - a gap that has been historically small in Finland. \"This way of teaching is great for the brightest children who understand what knowledge they need to take away from an experiment. It allows them the freedom to learn at their own pace and take the next steps when they are ready to,\" he says. \"But this is not the case for children who are less able to figure it out for themselves and need more guidance. The gap between the brightest and the less able has already begun widening and I am very afraid that this will only get worse\". Others worry that it is also adding to teachers' workloads and is disadvantaging older teachers who may not be as digitally able as their younger counterparts. Jari Salminen of Helsinki University's faculty of education says similar types of learning have been tried in the past - as far back as 100 years ago - and have failed. \"Many international visitors are asking me, why are you changing this system when you get such good results? And it's a mystery to me, because we don't have any data from school level that phenomenon-based learning is improving results,\" Mr Salminen says. Anneli Rautiainen of Finland's national agency for education accepts there are concerns and says they are introducing the changes gradually: schools are only required to provide one such PBL project for its pupils a year. \"We want to encourage teachers to work in this way and for children to experience it, but we are starting it slowly. There are still subjects being taught and goals to be reached for each subject, but we also want skills to be embedded in that learning,\" she explains. But what about results? \"We are not too keen on metrics in this country overall so we are not planning to measure the success of it, at least not for now. We are hoping it will show in the learning outcomes of our children as well as in the international tables such as Pisa,\" she says."}], "question": "But does it work?", "id": "162_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 9665, "answer_end": 10618, "text": "Some project-based learning does happen in UK schools already, says Tom Bennett, the government's classroom behaviour adviser, but on a much smaller scale than that planned for Finland. And it is likely to remain that way, he says, as there is no compelling evidence that it is a more efficient way of teaching. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) funded a trial of PBL that involved mixed-ability Year 7 children in 24 UK schools between 2014 and 2016. The findings were skewed because a large number of schools dropped out of the study, largely because of the high level of management support and organisational change needed. The trial found no evidence that PBL had a positive impact on pupils' literacy or their engagement with school and learning, the EEF said. However, the independent evaluators did find that - from observations and feedback from schools - it could enhance pupils' skills in communication, teamwork and self-managed study."}], "question": "Could this approach work in the UK?", "id": "162_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Europe heatwave: Records tumble in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands", "date": "24 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have recorded their highest ever temperatures, in a heatwave searing Western Europe. The Belgian town of Kleine Brogel hit 39.9C (102F), the hottest since 1833. The southern Dutch city of Eindhoven beat the 75-year-old national record, with a new high of 39.3C. Germany's weather service said a new record of 40.5C - just 0.2C higher - had been set in Geilenkirchen, near the Belgian and Dutch borders. The new German record was still to be confirmed, it said, warning that it could get even hotter on Thursday. Amid the sweltering temperatures, a Eurostar train broke down, trapping passengers. Elsewhere, French reports suggested five deaths might have been linked to the heatwave. The highest temperature recorded in Paris - 40.4C in 1947 - is expected to be surpassed on Thursday. Luxembourg is on red alert for the south and the capital - with temperatures possibly climbing higher than 40C on Thursday. In Portugal, hundreds of firefighters extinguished a forest fire that had been plaguing the Castelo Branco region for days - though fires are not unusual during the summer season. At least 600 passengers were stuck on the train near the Belgian town of Halle for two hours, with some of the carriages left in the dark inside a tunnel and others outside in the sun. \"The temperature was sky high. It was very bad,\" Jan Willem Wiersma from Rotterdam told the BBC. \"We're happy to be off the train, where it's 15 degrees less.\" Kris Hoet, who was travelling from Antwerp to London, said he and others had been stuck on the train for two hours before being allowed to get off. Eurostar said the fault was down to an overhead power supply, and it advised people not to travel if possible on Wednesday. Other services between Brussels and Paris were caught up in the breakdown. Germany had issued heat alerts for the entire country. By sunset, it announced at least 10 stations had reported temperatures above 39C - including ones in Cologne and Bonn, and Saarbrucken, all of which lie in the west of the country near the border. The Dutch record was initially broken with 38.8C at Gilze-Rijen airbase on Wednesday, before a higher temperature was recorded in Eindhoven. The hottest areas were in the Dutch province of Brabant and across the Belgian border in the Flemish province of Limburg. In Kleine Brogel, the record was broken early in the afternoon at 38.9C but the temperature continued to climb to 39.9C by 17:00 (15:00 GMT). Belgium has issued a code red weather warning for the whole country. A big bridge at the Dutch port of Rotterdam was being sprayed to prevent the metal expanding in the heat. Much of France was also sweltering. La chaine meteo reported that the temperature in several areas had climbed above 40C. Pont-la-Ville in the eastern area of Haute-Marne reached 41.2C while Vassincourt to the north-east reached 40.5C. Thursday could see 42C in the French capital. Authorities launched a red alert in the Paris region and 19 other French departments, calling for \"absolute vigilance\", and comparisons were drawn to a heatwave in August 2003, during which heat contributed to almost 15,000 deaths. - Spain declared a red alert in its Zaragoza region, which was hit by devastating wildfires last month. The European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service says the risk of wildfires is high in Spain and in Portugal - In the UK, temperatures are predicted to exceed 35C, and could be the highest ever recorded Yes, an intense heatwave swept through areas of Europe last month, making it the hottest June on record. France set an all-time high-temperature record of 46C, according to the WMO, and new June highs were set in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Andorra, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany. Linking a single event to global warming is complicated. While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, experts say these will happen more often because of climate change. Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation. A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century. Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1126, "answer_end": 1817, "text": "At least 600 passengers were stuck on the train near the Belgian town of Halle for two hours, with some of the carriages left in the dark inside a tunnel and others outside in the sun. \"The temperature was sky high. It was very bad,\" Jan Willem Wiersma from Rotterdam told the BBC. \"We're happy to be off the train, where it's 15 degrees less.\" Kris Hoet, who was travelling from Antwerp to London, said he and others had been stuck on the train for two hours before being allowed to get off. Eurostar said the fault was down to an overhead power supply, and it advised people not to travel if possible on Wednesday. Other services between Brussels and Paris were caught up in the breakdown."}], "question": "What happened on the Eurostar?", "id": "163_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3775, "answer_end": 4388, "text": "Linking a single event to global warming is complicated. While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, experts say these will happen more often because of climate change. Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation. A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century. Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate."}], "question": "Is climate change to blame?", "id": "163_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Court orders North Carolina to re-draw Republican voting map", "date": "10 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A panel of US federal judges have ruled that North Carolina's congressional district voting map is unconstitutional and illegally favours Republicans. The panel ordered the state to re-draw the 2016 map designed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly. It was the first federal court ruling to block a map due to gerrymandering, when congressional maps are re-drawn to favour political parties. The state has until 29 January to submit a new plan with the court. Judge James A Wynn Jr of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that \"partisan gerrymandering runs contrary to numerous fundamental democratic principles and individual rights\". On Assignment: Gerrymandering in the US North Carolina Senate Redistricting Chairman Ralph Hise told the Reuters news agency through a spokeswoman that lawmakers would appeal the decision, which comes ahead of the 2018 mid term elections. Dallas Woodhouse, the state's Republican Party Executive Director, said the ruling was considered \"partisan war on North Carolina Republican voters\". Meanwhile, North Carolina Democrats praised the decision, calling it a \"major victory\". \"Today's ruling is a major victory for North Carolina and people across the state whose voices were silenced by Republicans' unconstitutional attempts to rig the system to their partisan advantage,\" Democratic Chairman Wayne Goodwin said. Courts have previously turned down redistricting plans on the claim that they were racially discriminatory, but this case marks the first a court has taken a ruling on partisan gerrymandering. Last year a separate panel struck down two majority black districts in North Carolina that were drawn in 2011 after judges ruled the map was racially discriminatory. The new map prompted a new round of lawsuits. Glossary: US elections The US Supreme Court has yet to rule on partisan gerrymandering, but the high court is currently considering two cases - one from Wisconsin and another from Maryland. Former US Attorney General Eric Holder, who has railed against gerrymandering, called on North Carolina to \"finally produce fair maps\". \"Today's ruling was just the latest example of the courts telling state legislators in North Carolina that citizens should be able to pick their representatives, instead of politicians picking their voters,\" he said in a tweet. Maps are re-drawn by lawmakers periodically, in order to assign congressional representatives in proportion to US census data. The practice of gerrymandering has grown and become more specific since the invention of modern computing technology, which allows politicians to more easily identify their supporters. The term is named after 18th Century vice-president and Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who approved a politically carved-up voting district that was likened in shape to a salamander.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2325, "answer_end": 2827, "text": "Maps are re-drawn by lawmakers periodically, in order to assign congressional representatives in proportion to US census data. The practice of gerrymandering has grown and become more specific since the invention of modern computing technology, which allows politicians to more easily identify their supporters. The term is named after 18th Century vice-president and Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry, who approved a politically carved-up voting district that was likened in shape to a salamander."}], "question": "What is gerrymandering?", "id": "164_0"}]}]}, {"title": "UK data protection laws to be overhauled", "date": "7 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Britons could obtain more control over what happens to personal information under proposals outlined by the government. Citizens will be able to ask for personal data, or information posted when they were children, to be deleted. The proposals are part of an overhaul of UK data protection laws drafted under Digital Minister, Matt Hancock. Firms that flout the law will face bigger fines, levied by the UK's data protection watchdog. The bill will transfer the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into UK law. \"The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world,\" said Mr Hancock in a statement. \"It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit,\" he added. Proposals included in the bill will: - make it simpler for people to withdraw consent for their personal data to be used - let people ask for data to be deleted - require firms to obtain \"explicit\" consent when they process sensitive personal data - expand personal data to include IP addresses, DNA and small text files known as cookies - let people get hold of the information organisations hold on them much more freely - make re-identifying people from anonymised or pseudonymised data a criminal offence This places a strong burden on firms to protect data and allows for significant fines if they fail to protect information or suffer a breach. If you worry about embarrassing social media posts lingering online for years, you will soon have the right to ask for them to be removed. And should you wish for any firm that holds your personal data - from your name to your DNA - you will be able to ask them to delete it. There are, however, arguments that those holding the data can put forward to refuse such requests, such as freedom of expression and matters that are of scientific or historical importance. Many of these measures are already part of the EU's forthcoming GDPR, but they are also being woven into the government's bill. All of this goes beyond the \"right to be forgotten\" rules that already apply to search engines - those affect what can be listed in search results - but the GDPR and associated legislation impact data held by a wide range of companies. Have you ever tried to get personal data removed from the web? Share your experiences at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk or message us on WhatsApp at 07525900971. In the UK firms that suffer a serious data breach could be fined up to PS17m or 4% of global turnover. The current maximum fine firms can suffer for breaking data protection laws is PS500,000. The UK's Information Commissioner will have its powers strengthened and extended to help it police the new regime. Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, said: \"We are pleased the government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits the enhanced protections will bring to the public.\" But small companies were largely in the dark about what the proposed law would mean for them, warned Mike Cherry, national chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses. \"They simply aren't aware of what they will need to do, which creates a real risk of companies inadvertently facing fines,\" he said. And as for members of the public, many find it \"almost impossible\" to understand the complex ways in which firms handle their data, according to computer security researcher Steven Murdoch at University College London. He argued that privacy groups should be able to make independent data protection complaints on behalf of consumers. \"Currently, the UK's proposal does not take up this option available under EU law,\" he told the BBC.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1457, "answer_end": 2286, "text": "If you worry about embarrassing social media posts lingering online for years, you will soon have the right to ask for them to be removed. And should you wish for any firm that holds your personal data - from your name to your DNA - you will be able to ask them to delete it. There are, however, arguments that those holding the data can put forward to refuse such requests, such as freedom of expression and matters that are of scientific or historical importance. Many of these measures are already part of the EU's forthcoming GDPR, but they are also being woven into the government's bill. All of this goes beyond the \"right to be forgotten\" rules that already apply to search engines - those affect what can be listed in search results - but the GDPR and associated legislation impact data held by a wide range of companies."}], "question": "What can I ask to be removed?", "id": "165_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria Idlib: UN warns of threat to civilians if new offensive begins", "date": "30 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UN envoy to Syria has warned of a \"perfect storm\" in north-west Syria if the government goes ahead with its threatened offensive against rebels. Staffan de Mistura called for humanitarian corridors to be set up to allow civilians to be evacuated temporarily. With rebels defeated in most of Syria, such an offensive could prove to be the last big battle of the civil war. Russia, the government's main military ally, has also stepped up its rhetoric. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said \"terrorists\" must be wiped out in Idlib, accusing them of using civilians as human shields. Both he and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem, accused rebels of preparing to stage a chemical attack in Idlib in order to blame pro-government forces and draw new US military retaliation. Mr de Mistura said both the government and the rebels had the ability to make chlorine-based chemical weapons. Almost three million people live in Idlib where, according a UN estimate, there are around 10,000 al-Nusra and al-Qaeda jihadist fighters. The fighters must be defeated, Mr de Mistura said, but not at the expense of thousands of civilian lives. \"There is a perfect storm based on warnings, counter-warnings which is gathering around and due to the dilemma, which is a true dilemma on how to defeat terrorists in Idlib and at the same time avoid affecting a huge number of civilians,\" he said. \"So, while we are aware that efforts and discussions are taking place to avoid the worst-case scenario, one cannot ignore that miscalculations may indeed occur leading to unforeseen escalation and we are all very much concerned.\" The UN is desperate to avoid the deaths of civilians seen recently in other parts of Syria like Aleppo, Raqqa or the Eastern Ghouta, and its diplomats are pleading with those fighting to show restraint. Mr de Mistura offered to go to Idlib personally to set up a humanitarian corridor which, he acknowledged, would mean evacuating people into government-controlled territory. \"That area most likely is under government control, so that requires a constructive, effective government support and a UN presence,\" he said. Speaking after talks in Moscow, Syria's foreign minister was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying his government would \"go all the way\" in Idlib and its main target were the Nusra militants. Nusra has changed its names several times and is currently known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Both Nusra and al-Qaeda are listed as foreign terrorist organisations by the US state department. Moscow backed previous Syrian government offensives with its airpower and the Russian navy is now gathering in strength in the Mediterranean Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said major naval drills, due to begin on Saturday, were justified by events in Syria. He added the \"hotbed of terrorists\" in Idlib must be tackled. After more than seven years of fighting, more than 400,000 people are dead or missing, and more than half the population have been driven out of their homes. Idlib has been a haven for rebels and their families evacuated out of areas won back by the government, but there is no obvious place for them to move to within Syria if they abandon the province now. Any offensive on Idlib could raise tensions with Turkey, which maintains observation posts around rebel territory as part of a \"de-escalation deal\" with Russia and Iran, another ally of the Syrian government.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 887, "answer_end": 2128, "text": "Almost three million people live in Idlib where, according a UN estimate, there are around 10,000 al-Nusra and al-Qaeda jihadist fighters. The fighters must be defeated, Mr de Mistura said, but not at the expense of thousands of civilian lives. \"There is a perfect storm based on warnings, counter-warnings which is gathering around and due to the dilemma, which is a true dilemma on how to defeat terrorists in Idlib and at the same time avoid affecting a huge number of civilians,\" he said. \"So, while we are aware that efforts and discussions are taking place to avoid the worst-case scenario, one cannot ignore that miscalculations may indeed occur leading to unforeseen escalation and we are all very much concerned.\" The UN is desperate to avoid the deaths of civilians seen recently in other parts of Syria like Aleppo, Raqqa or the Eastern Ghouta, and its diplomats are pleading with those fighting to show restraint. Mr de Mistura offered to go to Idlib personally to set up a humanitarian corridor which, he acknowledged, would mean evacuating people into government-controlled territory. \"That area most likely is under government control, so that requires a constructive, effective government support and a UN presence,\" he said."}], "question": "Why such urgency?", "id": "166_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2129, "answer_end": 2836, "text": "Speaking after talks in Moscow, Syria's foreign minister was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying his government would \"go all the way\" in Idlib and its main target were the Nusra militants. Nusra has changed its names several times and is currently known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Both Nusra and al-Qaeda are listed as foreign terrorist organisations by the US state department. Moscow backed previous Syrian government offensives with its airpower and the Russian navy is now gathering in strength in the Mediterranean Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said major naval drills, due to begin on Saturday, were justified by events in Syria. He added the \"hotbed of terrorists\" in Idlib must be tackled."}], "question": "Is Russia likely to get involved again?", "id": "166_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2837, "answer_end": 3404, "text": "After more than seven years of fighting, more than 400,000 people are dead or missing, and more than half the population have been driven out of their homes. Idlib has been a haven for rebels and their families evacuated out of areas won back by the government, but there is no obvious place for them to move to within Syria if they abandon the province now. Any offensive on Idlib could raise tensions with Turkey, which maintains observation posts around rebel territory as part of a \"de-escalation deal\" with Russia and Iran, another ally of the Syrian government."}], "question": "How bad is the civil war already?", "id": "166_2"}]}]}, {"title": "The US house hounded by phone trackers", "date": "22 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A couple in Atlanta say they are getting visits from people who have lost their mobile phones and been wrongly directed to their home by phone-finding apps. Christina Lee and Michael Saba said an error is bringing both Android and iPhone device owners to their door, using a variety of phone networks. The police also targeted their home while searching for a missing person. Tracker technology is not as reliable as people believe, some experts warn. Phone tracker app users can log on and trace their handset online if they lose it. Some handsets, like the iPhone, come with a pre-installed tracker. \"The majority of incidents happen later at night, after dinner,\" Christina, who said the couple do not know why this is happening, told the BBC. \"Twice it's been a bit alarming. One because the cops had us sit outside our house. \"And again within the past three weeks. Three young men came by, really frantic, they were looking for someone who was missing. The minute Michael opened the door they were, 'like where is he?'\" The couple, who have lived in the house for a year and do not know its previous owners, told the website Fusion they were worried the problem could escalate. \"My biggest fear is that someone dangerous or violent is going to visit our house because of this,\" Michael Saba said in an email. \"If or when that happens, I doubt our polite explanations are gonna go very far.\" In 2011, Wayne Dobson also started getting visitors to his home in Las Vegas seeking missing phones as well as visits from the police using similar technology to locate emergency calls made from mobile devices. People assume that phone trackers are super-efficient because they use GPS to locate devices, but that isn't always available - for example inside buildings - cybersecurity expert Prof Alan Woodward from Surrey University told the BBC. In the absence of GPS a tracker will use triangulation as a locator by identifying the three nearest phone masts, he said. \"All triangulation does is draw a line equidistant between three cell towers and if your house is on that line you'll get visits,\" he said. \"I don't have enough data to know exactly what's going on but I wouldn't be at all surprised [if it was a triangulation error].\" If triangulation fails, the tracker will try to use the last known wi-fi signal the device found. There are numerous wi-fi databases that will locate the geographical source of this signal but they are not always up-to-date. Security consultant Ian Williams from Pentest Partners said he believes this could be the cause of the problem - that a moved or stolen wi-fi router is still registered as being in the vicinity of the couple's house. \"I have actually seen a person's location data hop around a map where a router has been relocated due to a house move and before the databases of the routers location have had the chance to be updated,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1608, "answer_end": 2889, "text": "People assume that phone trackers are super-efficient because they use GPS to locate devices, but that isn't always available - for example inside buildings - cybersecurity expert Prof Alan Woodward from Surrey University told the BBC. In the absence of GPS a tracker will use triangulation as a locator by identifying the three nearest phone masts, he said. \"All triangulation does is draw a line equidistant between three cell towers and if your house is on that line you'll get visits,\" he said. \"I don't have enough data to know exactly what's going on but I wouldn't be at all surprised [if it was a triangulation error].\" If triangulation fails, the tracker will try to use the last known wi-fi signal the device found. There are numerous wi-fi databases that will locate the geographical source of this signal but they are not always up-to-date. Security consultant Ian Williams from Pentest Partners said he believes this could be the cause of the problem - that a moved or stolen wi-fi router is still registered as being in the vicinity of the couple's house. \"I have actually seen a person's location data hop around a map where a router has been relocated due to a house move and before the databases of the routers location have had the chance to be updated,\" he said."}], "question": "Why is it happening?", "id": "167_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Iranian-Briton to get diplomatic protection", "date": "8 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jailed British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will be given diplomatic protection by Britain, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said. It means the case will now be treated as a formal, legal dispute between the two states involved - Britain and Iran. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was jailed for five years in Iran in 2016 after being convicted of spying, which she denies. Mr Hunt said the move was unlikely to be a \"magic wand\" to get her released, but was an \"important diplomatic step\". He said it \"demonstrates to the whole world that Nazanin is innocent\" and signalled to Iran \"that its behaviour is totally wrong\". The Iranian ambassador to London said the decision \"contravenes international law\". Iran refuses to recognise dual nationals so does not recognise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's right to be represented by Britain. Diplomatic protection is a rare legal procedure in international law. States can use it to help one of their nationals whose rights have been breached in another country. It is very different to diplomatic immunity, which is something given to diplomats to ensure their safe passage and protection from prosecution. According to the BBC's diplomatic correspondent James Landale, her new legal status will not force Iran to change the way it treats her. But it will allow Britain to raise her case with greater ease at international forums such as the United Nations. Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the decision to grant Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection \"sends a very strong message\" to Iran. Addressing the republic, he said: \"You may have disagreements with the UK, but at the heart of this is an innocent woman, vulnerable, unwell and scared. She should not be paying the price for whatever disagreements you have with the UK.\" Asked if he was prepared to take Iran to international court, sanction it, or summon its ambassador, Mr Hunt said \"all these things are possible, but we would like to solve this in an amicable way\". He added that diplomatic protection had not been granted to a British citizen in 100 years. \"It's difficult to know exactly what the impact will be. But we do want the world to know the UK will not stand by while its citizens are unjustly treated.\" Asked about Iran's allegation that the UK had broken international law, Mr Hunt said he \"would expect some sort of negative reaction\" from the country. By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale Now this has been elevated to a formal state-to-state dispute, Britain can look for allies on the international stage to put collective pressure on Tehran. So what British diplomats hope is that this sends a clear signal to Iran that this issue is not going away, that the UK government is determined to keep pushing for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release, and that it is prepared to escalate the dispute in the face of Tehran's intransigence. The granting of diplomatic protection will have no immediate impact on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's conditions in jail in Tehran. But what diplomats hope is that it will focus minds in Tehran, not just in the foreign ministry but also among the hardliners whom officials believe will ultimately decide Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's future. The question now will be how Iran responds. Read more: What will diplomatic protection mean for Nazanin? Richard Ratcliffe, who has been campaigning for his wife's release - and for the UK government to take this step - welcomed the news. He told the Today programme on Friday: \"Until yesterday, it was our problem that the British government was sympathetic with, in solidarity with, trying to help us along the way. \"Now it's also the British government's case and all the injustices that happen to Nazanin are effectively injustices to the British government.\" He said he hoped the decision would allow doctors to check on his wife's health, as she had been suffering \"neurological problems\". He last spoke to her on Wednesday, he said, and the prospect of being afforded diplomatic protection meant she was \"a bit more upbeat\". Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who went on hunger strike in January over a lack of medical care, had been \"very low again\" recently, he said. Human rights organisation Redress, which has been pushing for the UK government to grant diplomatic protection to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe for more than a year, said Mr Hunt's move was \"hugely significant\" for her and would give her hope for the future. And Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for foreign affairs, Jo Swinson, described Mr Hunt's decision as \"a promising and welcome step in the right direction\". Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 41, was a project manager for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and lived in London when she was arrested in Iran in April 2016. She was later sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly plotting against the Iranian government. She maintains her innocence, and says she was on holiday in Iran taking her daughter Gabriella to visit her parents.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2383, "answer_end": 3303, "text": "By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale Now this has been elevated to a formal state-to-state dispute, Britain can look for allies on the international stage to put collective pressure on Tehran. So what British diplomats hope is that this sends a clear signal to Iran that this issue is not going away, that the UK government is determined to keep pushing for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release, and that it is prepared to escalate the dispute in the face of Tehran's intransigence. The granting of diplomatic protection will have no immediate impact on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's conditions in jail in Tehran. But what diplomats hope is that it will focus minds in Tehran, not just in the foreign ministry but also among the hardliners whom officials believe will ultimately decide Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's future. The question now will be how Iran responds. Read more: What will diplomatic protection mean for Nazanin?"}], "question": "Analysis: What happens next?", "id": "168_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kobe Steel scandal: how did it happen?", "date": "6 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Contrite, apologetic and remorseful - that's the tone of the mammoth report put together by Kobe Steel on the investigation into its safety scandal. The years of wrongdoing emerged publically last October - and put the spotlight not just on the 112-year-old steelmaker, but on corporate governance in Japanese firms. Its story is instructive about what's going wrong with Japan Inc. Chief executive Hiroya Kawasaki is on the way out. A couple of top bosses have been fired. Other top brass will see their pay packets suffer. But trawling through Kobe's report, it's clear there is plenty wrong at the heart of Japan's third-biggest steelmaker. Here are three key things I think led to the firm's problems. The line that stood out for me in the report was \"a management style that overemphasized profitability, and had inadequate corporate governance.\" Essentially Kobe employees put making money above telling the truth to their customers. At least two of Kobe's directors knew what was going on - so it wasn't as if these issues were undetected. They were simply unreported because profits were deemed more important. Analysts have suggested one reason for the cover-up was that Kobe, like many other Japanese steelmakers, has been under pressure as Chinese steel firms flood global markets with excess supply. The report points the finger at a corporate culture deeply lacking of transparency. \"A culture that prioritised winning purchase orders and meeting delivery deadlines, over ensuring quality,\" reads one sentence. \"An insular organisation where personnel were rarely exchanged or transferred between different divisions,\" says another. No one talked to each other about what was going on in the division where most of this faking data business was taking place. And part of the reason for that was because employees weren't rotated into different departments. Management lesson 101 - communication is good. One of the key recommendations in the report is to get staff to move around different divisions so these lines of communication open up. Kobe staff felt they could deliver products that fell short of customer specifications to their clients, as long they had no safety issues. So essentially, as long as there wasn't anything terribly wrong with the steel, it was okay if it wasn't exactly what the customer ordered. That's lying in my book.  But with the pressures of putting profit first, and a corporate culture where no one talks to each other, you can see how something like this might happen. The report also points out that these problems \"took place at many locations within Kobe Steel Group\". Spokesman Gary Tsuchida told me \"it was systematic.\" Kobe is now taking steps to fix some of these problems. The fact that the century old firm has hired an external auditor to investigate its corporate culture and examine why the safety scandal occurred speaks highly of its intentions to change. But it is only down to pure dumb luck that none of faulty steel they sent their customers ended up in a major accident or tragedy. Fixing corporate governance issues, introducing a more transparent and accountable board and basically making sure staff don't tell lies will be key priorities for Kobe as it tries to clean up this mess.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2672, "answer_end": 3251, "text": "Kobe is now taking steps to fix some of these problems. The fact that the century old firm has hired an external auditor to investigate its corporate culture and examine why the safety scandal occurred speaks highly of its intentions to change. But it is only down to pure dumb luck that none of faulty steel they sent their customers ended up in a major accident or tragedy. Fixing corporate governance issues, introducing a more transparent and accountable board and basically making sure staff don't tell lies will be key priorities for Kobe as it tries to clean up this mess."}], "question": "So what now?", "id": "169_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Luke Perry of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale dies at 52", "date": "4 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US actor Luke Perry has died in California at the age of 52, less than a week after suffering a massive stroke. His publicist said Perry died surrounded by his family and friends. Perry rose to fame on Beverly Hills, 90210 and had been starring as Fred Andrews on the CW show Riverdale. Last Wednesday, US media reported that paramedics had been called to the actor's home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Perry had recently been shooting scenes for Riverdale at the Warner Bros film lot. Perry's children, Jack and Sophie, fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, and his siblings, Tom Perry and Amy Coder, were with him when he passed, publicist Arnold Robinson said in a statement. \"The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,\" Mr Robinson said. The family has not provided additional details at this time. Riverdale has stopped production following news of Perry's death, US media reported. In a statement, Riverdale's executive producers, WBTV and the CW network, said Perry was \"a beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros and CW family\". \"Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. \"A father figure and mentor to the show's young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke's family during this most difficult time.\" Last Wednesday, US media reported that paramedics had been called to the actor's home in Sherman Oaks. Perry, a native of Ohio, was famous for starring in Beverly Hills 90210 from 1990 to 2000. A reboot of the series was also announced on Wednesday, though it was not clear whether Perry planned to make any guest appearances. His former 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty - who played Perry's love interest on the show -  told Entertainment Tonight on Sunday in an emotional interview that she had been in touch with him after his stroke. \"I can't talk about it here 'cause I will literally start crying but I love him and he knows I love him. It's Luke, and he's my Dylan.\" Perry also starred in television show Oz, as well as films including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 8 Seconds and The Fifth Element. His most recent role was on the hit television teen drama series Riverdale, based on the Archie comics, where he played the titular character's father. Online, Perry's fans and fellow celebrities have begun paying tribute. Sarah Michelle Geller, the star of the Buffy series, shared that she was comforting Doherty over Perry's death, adding: \"This is not how it's supposed to happen.\" Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa described Perry as \"a father, brother, friend and mentor\". His Riverdale co-star Molly Ringwald said: \"My heart is broken.\" Ian Ziering, Perry's 90210 co-star, thanked him for enriching the lives of so many. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio - whose father delivered Perry as a baby - said the actor \"represented what makes our state great\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2532, "answer_end": 3144, "text": "Online, Perry's fans and fellow celebrities have begun paying tribute. Sarah Michelle Geller, the star of the Buffy series, shared that she was comforting Doherty over Perry's death, adding: \"This is not how it's supposed to happen.\" Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa described Perry as \"a father, brother, friend and mentor\". His Riverdale co-star Molly Ringwald said: \"My heart is broken.\" Ian Ziering, Perry's 90210 co-star, thanked him for enriching the lives of so many. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio - whose father delivered Perry as a baby - said the actor \"represented what makes our state great\"."}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "170_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany warns Turkey over Nazi jibes amid referendum row", "date": "8 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Comparisons with Nazi Germany are \"lines that should not be crossed\", the German foreign minister has warned his Turkish counterpart as they met to try to defuse a bitter row. But Sigmar Gabriel also emphasised his wish to return to \"friendly relations\". President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany of \"Nazi practices\" because of the cancellation of rallies involving Turkish ministers. He is seeking new constitutional powers in a 16 April referendum. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated the Nazi comparison on a visit to Hamburg aimed at drumming up support among some of the 1.4m Turkish voters who live in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the Nazi jibe as \"unacceptable\" and Mr Gabriel echoed her sentiment after a breakfast meeting in Berlin with Mr Cavusoglu. \"The Turkish side said it wanted to be treated equally with respect but I believe both sides have a responsibility and there are lines that must not be crossed and any comparison with Nazi Germany is one of them,\" Mr Gabriel said. But Mr Gabriel was also keen to stress the \"success\" of the two nations' ties, and stressed his intention to avoid lasting damage to them. Turkey is targeting millions of its expatriate voters eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum - including 1.4m in Germany. However, German officials have withdrawn permission for rallies in Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen. In his remarks, Mr Erdogan suggested such a move was anti-democratic, and made his Nazi comparison on those grounds. In response, Germany has insisted such moves are made by city councils, and were largely based on security concerns. Then on Tuesday evening, Mr Cavusoglu accused German authorities of \"systematic pressure\" on German-based Turks, saying Berlin was intervening in favour of a \"no\" vote in the referendum. He said Germany should not give Turkey \"democracy and human rights lessons\". He was speaking from the balcony of Turkey's consular residence in Hamburg after the building originally scheduled for the rally was closed by authorities. Relations have deteriorated since last July's attempted coup in Turkey. Germany has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts and academics among the latest. Meanwhile, Turkey has bridled at its perceived lack of support - accusing Germany of foot-dragging in its request for the extradition of people it suspects of being linked to the coup bid. Another contentious subject raised at Wednesday morning's meeting, according to Mr Gabriel, was the fate of Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist working for Die Welt who has been detained in Turkey for alleged terrorism propaganda. Mr Cavusoglu agreed to give Germany consular access to the reporter, Mr Gabriel said. German-Turkish reporter arrested in Turkey for 'terrorist propaganda' There are irritants that go further back, with Turkey, for instance, accusing Germany of giving a safe haven to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, which it deems to be terrorists. Such tensions matter because Germany and Turkey are inextricably linked. Some 3m people of Turkish descent live in Germany - many as a result of Germany's \"guest worker\" (Gastarbeiter) programme in the 1960s and 1970s. Also rocky, in many cases. The Dutch and Austrian governments have also criticised the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum campaign to Turks based in EU countries. Erdogan rallies not welcome in Austria Many European nations have expressed deep disquiet about Turkey's response to the coup attempt and its perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan. Turkey is a key partner in an arrangement attempting to limit the movement of migrants into the EU, but has threatened to \"open the gates\" if the EU reneges on commitments to provide aid, visa-free travel for its nationals and accelerated membership talks. Meanwhile, Russia and Turkey have steadily improved ties as both countries' relations with the EU have cooled.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1172, "answer_end": 2050, "text": "Turkey is targeting millions of its expatriate voters eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum - including 1.4m in Germany. However, German officials have withdrawn permission for rallies in Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen. In his remarks, Mr Erdogan suggested such a move was anti-democratic, and made his Nazi comparison on those grounds. In response, Germany has insisted such moves are made by city councils, and were largely based on security concerns. Then on Tuesday evening, Mr Cavusoglu accused German authorities of \"systematic pressure\" on German-based Turks, saying Berlin was intervening in favour of a \"no\" vote in the referendum. He said Germany should not give Turkey \"democracy and human rights lessons\". He was speaking from the balcony of Turkey's consular residence in Hamburg after the building originally scheduled for the rally was closed by authorities."}], "question": "Why did Turkey make the Nazi claim?", "id": "171_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2051, "answer_end": 3271, "text": "Relations have deteriorated since last July's attempted coup in Turkey. Germany has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts and academics among the latest. Meanwhile, Turkey has bridled at its perceived lack of support - accusing Germany of foot-dragging in its request for the extradition of people it suspects of being linked to the coup bid. Another contentious subject raised at Wednesday morning's meeting, according to Mr Gabriel, was the fate of Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist working for Die Welt who has been detained in Turkey for alleged terrorism propaganda. Mr Cavusoglu agreed to give Germany consular access to the reporter, Mr Gabriel said. German-Turkish reporter arrested in Turkey for 'terrorist propaganda' There are irritants that go further back, with Turkey, for instance, accusing Germany of giving a safe haven to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, which it deems to be terrorists. Such tensions matter because Germany and Turkey are inextricably linked. Some 3m people of Turkish descent live in Germany - many as a result of Germany's \"guest worker\" (Gastarbeiter) programme in the 1960s and 1970s."}], "question": "Why have relations got so bad?", "id": "171_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3272, "answer_end": 4025, "text": "Also rocky, in many cases. The Dutch and Austrian governments have also criticised the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum campaign to Turks based in EU countries. Erdogan rallies not welcome in Austria Many European nations have expressed deep disquiet about Turkey's response to the coup attempt and its perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan. Turkey is a key partner in an arrangement attempting to limit the movement of migrants into the EU, but has threatened to \"open the gates\" if the EU reneges on commitments to provide aid, visa-free travel for its nationals and accelerated membership talks. Meanwhile, Russia and Turkey have steadily improved ties as both countries' relations with the EU have cooled."}], "question": "What about Turkey's relations with the rest of Europe?", "id": "171_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What is a government shutdown?", "date": "18 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": " Many federal government agencies rely on annual funding approved by Congress. Every year, these agencies submit their requests, which Congress must pass, and the President must sign budget legislation for the next fiscal year. If agreement is not reached by the start of the fiscal year on 1 October, then two things may happen: one, they agree on temporary funding based on the previous year's requests through a so-called continuing resolution, with the assumption that this will end as soon as the annual budget is agreed; two, where even this is impossible there is a shutdown where all non-essential discretionary functions are discontinued. Each agency elaborates a plan for a shutdown, identifying which government activities come to a halt, how many people have to be temporarily on unpaid leave - called a furlough. This group includes, for instance, processing and issuing of cards for social security payments, stopping food inspections, closing or limiting access to national parks, tax refunds and related administrative activities, such as income and social security numbers that may prevent you from getting other services, such as a mortgage. \"Essential services\" - mostly related to public safety - continue to operate, with workers being required to show up without pay. Border protection, hospital care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance are amongst those. There are other critical functions that do not get their funds from the treasury on an annual basis - social security, Medicare, and Medicaid - which are not interrupted. Congress has already passed a budget covering three-quarters of discretionary funding, but not for nine government agencies employing about 800,000 people. Of them, about 380,000 have been furloughed, the rest are working without pay. Traditionally, Congress has authorised back-payment for all, following a resolution of the impasse. Governments collect taxes and other revenue, and then distribute it to different agencies and programmes to spend. The fact that there is no political agreement in Congress means no funds are being disbursed by the treasury. In some instances, the very people who process these payments - albeit in an electronic format - are themselves subject to a furlough. The president of the United States has a guaranteed income. Congress is also not affected - its members are exempt and, in any case, its funding bill has already been approved. The US Department of Justice is among those affected - with many lawyers and judges not working. Others are working without pay. Criminal investigations tend to continue, but almost all federal civil cases, and immigration court cases are affected.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1, "answer_end": 647, "text": "Many federal government agencies rely on annual funding approved by Congress. Every year, these agencies submit their requests, which Congress must pass, and the President must sign budget legislation for the next fiscal year. If agreement is not reached by the start of the fiscal year on 1 October, then two things may happen: one, they agree on temporary funding based on the previous year's requests through a so-called continuing resolution, with the assumption that this will end as soon as the annual budget is agreed; two, where even this is impossible there is a shutdown where all non-essential discretionary functions are discontinued."}], "question": "What is a shutdown?", "id": "172_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 648, "answer_end": 1159, "text": "Each agency elaborates a plan for a shutdown, identifying which government activities come to a halt, how many people have to be temporarily on unpaid leave - called a furlough. This group includes, for instance, processing and issuing of cards for social security payments, stopping food inspections, closing or limiting access to national parks, tax refunds and related administrative activities, such as income and social security numbers that may prevent you from getting other services, such as a mortgage."}], "question": "What are these functions?", "id": "172_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1160, "answer_end": 1578, "text": "\"Essential services\" - mostly related to public safety - continue to operate, with workers being required to show up without pay. Border protection, hospital care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance are amongst those. There are other critical functions that do not get their funds from the treasury on an annual basis - social security, Medicare, and Medicaid - which are not interrupted."}], "question": "What activities are unaffected?", "id": "172_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1579, "answer_end": 1913, "text": "Congress has already passed a budget covering three-quarters of discretionary funding, but not for nine government agencies employing about 800,000 people. Of them, about 380,000 have been furloughed, the rest are working without pay. Traditionally, Congress has authorised back-payment for all, following a resolution of the impasse."}], "question": "How many are affected?", "id": "172_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1914, "answer_end": 2273, "text": "Governments collect taxes and other revenue, and then distribute it to different agencies and programmes to spend. The fact that there is no political agreement in Congress means no funds are being disbursed by the treasury. In some instances, the very people who process these payments - albeit in an electronic format - are themselves subject to a furlough."}], "question": "Where is the money? Why can't these people be paid directly?", "id": "172_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2274, "answer_end": 2699, "text": "The president of the United States has a guaranteed income. Congress is also not affected - its members are exempt and, in any case, its funding bill has already been approved. The US Department of Justice is among those affected - with many lawyers and judges not working. Others are working without pay. Criminal investigations tend to continue, but almost all federal civil cases, and immigration court cases are affected."}], "question": "What about central offices of government?", "id": "172_5"}]}]}, {"title": "South Africa celebrates rugby world cup win over England", "date": "2 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Africans have been celebrating after their rugby team beat England 32-12 in the world cup final in Japan. The victory under Siya Kolisi, the team's first black captain, was another symbolic moment for the Springboks. In 1995, former President Nelson Mandela famously celebrated on the podium with captain Francois Pienaar after their first world cup win. This is the third time that the Springboks have won the trophy equalling New Zealand's record. At the final whistle, fans at a public viewing centre in South Africa's main city Johannesburg were chanting Kolisi's name, the BBC's Milton Nkosi reports. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was in Japan for the final, tweeted: \"We are the champions.\" \"We are so grateful to the people of South Africa,\" Kolisi said after the match. \"We have so many problems in our country. [The team] come from different backgrounds and different races and we came together with one goal and we wanted to achieve it. \"I really hope we've done that for South Africa, to show that we can pull together if want to achieve something.\" Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg People have been screaming chanting and singing, bringing back the spirit of 1995 when South Africa won the world cup for the very first time. And today, they are chanting captain Siya Kolisi's name. There will be celebrations here long into the night - across townships, cities and villages - because this win is not just on the pitch, it is not just about rugby. It is about the social cohesion that the country is still trying to achieve 25 years after the end of apartheid. This brings the whole nation together particularly in light of the sluggish economy, the unemployment rate is nearly 30%, and corruption has also become a high profile problem. But the victory will lift people's spirits and allow them for one day to forget their ills. South Africans have been tweeting their reaction. One fan, in Johannesburg, can be heard screaming with joy above the sound of vuvuzelas, or horns, being played in the neighbourhood. Fans have also been celebrating in Cape Town, according to the video in this tweet filmed at a viewing centre when the final whistle blew: Fans at another venue in Cape Town began singing Shosholoza, a song originally sung by gold miners that has become an unofficial anthem for sports fans in the country. At another bar in the city, a solitary England fan looked on as locals celebrated the victory. In a word, no. On Friday, there was a stark reminder from the economic ratings agency Moody's that all is not well, when it cut the outlook on its credit rating from stable to negative. Earlier in the week, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni painted a bleak picture of rising debt levels and floundering state-owned enterprises. The latest unemployment figure offers no relief. Data released on Tuesday show that 29.1% of the working-age population are jobless - the highest rate in 16 years. President Ramaphosa came to power in February last year promising a change from the economic problems and corruption that dogged his predecessor Jacob Zuma's presidency. But he has struggled to turn things around. Despite a burgeoning black middle class, the economic inequalities that apartheid entrenched live on, 25 years after its demise. Land ownership remains a major issue with the white minority still owning a disproportionate amount. The governing ANC has pledged to deal with this, but it is not yet clear how. Mr Ramaphosa will hope that the nation can be inspired by the Springbok captain's words, but come Sunday morning South Africans will still face these problems.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2452, "answer_end": 3621, "text": "In a word, no. On Friday, there was a stark reminder from the economic ratings agency Moody's that all is not well, when it cut the outlook on its credit rating from stable to negative. Earlier in the week, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni painted a bleak picture of rising debt levels and floundering state-owned enterprises. The latest unemployment figure offers no relief. Data released on Tuesday show that 29.1% of the working-age population are jobless - the highest rate in 16 years. President Ramaphosa came to power in February last year promising a change from the economic problems and corruption that dogged his predecessor Jacob Zuma's presidency. But he has struggled to turn things around. Despite a burgeoning black middle class, the economic inequalities that apartheid entrenched live on, 25 years after its demise. Land ownership remains a major issue with the white minority still owning a disproportionate amount. The governing ANC has pledged to deal with this, but it is not yet clear how. Mr Ramaphosa will hope that the nation can be inspired by the Springbok captain's words, but come Sunday morning South Africans will still face these problems."}], "question": "Is everything going as well as the sport in South Africa?", "id": "173_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: Did the UK lose its sovereignty in 1972?", "date": "10 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mayor of London Boris Johnson says: \"You cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act.\" Is he right? BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman has the answers. It means Parliament is the big dog.  It can lumber around the constitution passing any law it likes.  None of the smaller dogs can challenge the big fella. Or, if you want a less canine definition, Parliament's own website defines it as \"a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution\". Like I said, the big dog. Yes, some of it.  The big dog agreed to give up some kennel space. Or if you want that in a less doggy way, in 1972 the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act.  It gave direct effect to EU law and meant that if there was a conflict between an act of the British Parliament and EU law, Parliament lost out and EU law prevailed.  The European Court of Justice (ECJ) became a kind of Supreme Court of Europe, interpreting EU law with judgements that were binding on all member states. Rhodri Thompson QC, a specialist in EU law, puts it this way:  \"The basic relationship between UK and EU law has been clear since 1972 - Parliament remains sovereign but recognises the binding nature of EU law.  The only other mechanism, used by some other member states, is to entrust ultimate national sovereignty to their constitutional courts as guardians of a written constitution.\" Germany and its constitutional court is the example often cited, giving the impression it has a muscular German shepherd guarding its constitutional independence, in comparison with the weaker British spaniel. However, that is not the case. Germany does not have parliamentary sovereignty. If the UK moved to a model based upon a written constitution guaranteed by a constitutional court, it would be passing sovereignty to a group of unelected judges and taking it away from Parliament.  No-one, including the prime minister, seems to think such a seismic constitutional shift is a good idea. Down, Fido! Absolutely not. Parliament could repeal the 1972 Act and take back the part of its sovereignty that was lost to EU law. What Parliament gives, Parliament can take back.  On its website, Parliament says:  \"Over the years, Parliament has passed laws that limit the application of parliamentary sovereignty. These laws reflect political developments both within and outside the UK. They include the UK's entry to the European Union in 1973. \"These developments do not fundamentally undermine the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, since, in theory at least, Parliament could repeal any of the laws implementing these changes.\" Can we make the big British bulldog bark a bit louder at the EU? Isn't that what the prime minister meant when he told the BBC's Andrew Marr on 21 February: \"We're going to set out in the coming days proposals... to make clear that... the British Parliament is sovereign. We have chosen to join the EU, we could choose to leave the EU, and I think there's some important work to put that point beyond doubt.\" Is there some additional power - bark and bite if you like - that can be given to Parliament that rebalances the power relationship between it and the EU? Not according to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. He told Andrew Marr on 6 March: \"A huge intellectual effort went into creating this language by which we could somehow ensure that... our courts, our Supreme Court, our House of Commons, could overturn judgements of the European Court of Justice if we felt, if Britain felt, that they were in some way capricious or if they were going beyond the Treaty.\" But he added that the government lawyers \"just blew up. And they, you know, they said this basically voids our obligations under the 1972 European Communities Act, it doesn't work, we can't - and that is, I'm afraid, the reality. You cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act. There's no way of doing both at the same time.\" There it is, that's the view of the big Labrador of British politics (that's Boris Johnson) of the way the big parliamentary dog is currently kennelled. Yes, I am persisting with this canine imagery. Is he right? No. Parliamentary sovereignty has never gone away or lost its \"expression\", because Parliament can scrap the 1972 Act. But, says Prof Takis Tridimas, chair of European law at King's College London, creating entirely new rules for the UK to ignore or sidestep EU law is not really a runner. \"What is not on offer is selective compliance with EU law, i.e. a situation where Parliament picks and chooses which provisions of EU law to follow and which not to follow on a case-by-case basis. This is not on offer under any international agreement.\" In other words, the big dog can't be a member of the club and play by a different set of rules from all the other dogs.  It has to obey the rules or leave the club. If the UK votes to stay in the EU it will have to let sleeping dogs lie, in the sense that it will have to continue to accept the primacy of EU law.  If it votes to leave, the big dog is back in charge. READ MORE: The truth behind claims in the EU debate", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 209, "answer_end": 803, "text": "It means Parliament is the big dog.  It can lumber around the constitution passing any law it likes.  None of the smaller dogs can challenge the big fella. Or, if you want a less canine definition, Parliament's own website defines it as \"a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. Generally, the courts cannot overrule its legislation and no Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution\". Like I said, the big dog."}], "question": "What exactly is parliamentary sovereignty?", "id": "174_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 804, "answer_end": 2278, "text": "Yes, some of it.  The big dog agreed to give up some kennel space. Or if you want that in a less doggy way, in 1972 the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act.  It gave direct effect to EU law and meant that if there was a conflict between an act of the British Parliament and EU law, Parliament lost out and EU law prevailed.  The European Court of Justice (ECJ) became a kind of Supreme Court of Europe, interpreting EU law with judgements that were binding on all member states. Rhodri Thompson QC, a specialist in EU law, puts it this way:  \"The basic relationship between UK and EU law has been clear since 1972 - Parliament remains sovereign but recognises the binding nature of EU law.  The only other mechanism, used by some other member states, is to entrust ultimate national sovereignty to their constitutional courts as guardians of a written constitution.\" Germany and its constitutional court is the example often cited, giving the impression it has a muscular German shepherd guarding its constitutional independence, in comparison with the weaker British spaniel. However, that is not the case. Germany does not have parliamentary sovereignty. If the UK moved to a model based upon a written constitution guaranteed by a constitutional court, it would be passing sovereignty to a group of unelected judges and taking it away from Parliament.  No-one, including the prime minister, seems to think such a seismic constitutional shift is a good idea."}], "question": "OK - but did we lose parliamentary sovereignty in 1972?", "id": "174_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2279, "answer_end": 2919, "text": "Down, Fido! Absolutely not. Parliament could repeal the 1972 Act and take back the part of its sovereignty that was lost to EU law. What Parliament gives, Parliament can take back.  On its website, Parliament says:  \"Over the years, Parliament has passed laws that limit the application of parliamentary sovereignty. These laws reflect political developments both within and outside the UK. They include the UK's entry to the European Union in 1973. \"These developments do not fundamentally undermine the principle of parliamentary sovereignty, since, in theory at least, Parliament could repeal any of the laws implementing these changes.\""}], "question": "Right, so does that mean part of our parliamentary sovereignty has gone forever?", "id": "174_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2920, "answer_end": 5389, "text": "Can we make the big British bulldog bark a bit louder at the EU? Isn't that what the prime minister meant when he told the BBC's Andrew Marr on 21 February: \"We're going to set out in the coming days proposals... to make clear that... the British Parliament is sovereign. We have chosen to join the EU, we could choose to leave the EU, and I think there's some important work to put that point beyond doubt.\" Is there some additional power - bark and bite if you like - that can be given to Parliament that rebalances the power relationship between it and the EU? Not according to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. He told Andrew Marr on 6 March: \"A huge intellectual effort went into creating this language by which we could somehow ensure that... our courts, our Supreme Court, our House of Commons, could overturn judgements of the European Court of Justice if we felt, if Britain felt, that they were in some way capricious or if they were going beyond the Treaty.\" But he added that the government lawyers \"just blew up. And they, you know, they said this basically voids our obligations under the 1972 European Communities Act, it doesn't work, we can't - and that is, I'm afraid, the reality. You cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act. There's no way of doing both at the same time.\" There it is, that's the view of the big Labrador of British politics (that's Boris Johnson) of the way the big parliamentary dog is currently kennelled. Yes, I am persisting with this canine imagery. Is he right? No. Parliamentary sovereignty has never gone away or lost its \"expression\", because Parliament can scrap the 1972 Act. But, says Prof Takis Tridimas, chair of European law at King's College London, creating entirely new rules for the UK to ignore or sidestep EU law is not really a runner. \"What is not on offer is selective compliance with EU law, i.e. a situation where Parliament picks and chooses which provisions of EU law to follow and which not to follow on a case-by-case basis. This is not on offer under any international agreement.\" In other words, the big dog can't be a member of the club and play by a different set of rules from all the other dogs.  It has to obey the rules or leave the club. If the UK votes to stay in the EU it will have to let sleeping dogs lie, in the sense that it will have to continue to accept the primacy of EU law.  If it votes to leave, the big dog is back in charge."}], "question": "Come on, isn't there some way to beef up the sovereignty of our Parliament short of repealing the 1972 European Communities Act?", "id": "174_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Aleppo battle: What next for the evacuees?", "date": "21 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of people have been leaving besieged, rebel-held eastern districts of the Syrian city of Aleppo following the resumption of evacuations agreed as part of a ceasefire deal last week. Most are being transported to rebel-held Idlib province, where aid groups say conditions are inadequate, with insufficient food and medical supplies. The International Committee of the Red Cross, whose staff are assisting the operation, said on Tuesday that 25,000 rebel fighters and civilians had been evacuated since the operation got under way. As many as 25,000 others could be waiting to leave in freezing conditions. Last Thursday, UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that some 50,000 people, among them 40,000 civilians, were trapped inside the four of five districts still under rebel control, which together cover about 2.6 sq km (1 sq mile). As part of the ceasefire deal, 750 people have been evacuated simultaneously from two Shia towns in Idlib province that are under siege by rebel forces - Foah and Kefraya. The UN Security Council has meanwhile approved the deployment of 20 observers to Aleppo to monitor the treatment of civilians as pro-government forces assume complete control of the rebel enclave. More than 70,000 people have also fled on foot to government-controlled areas since mid-November, when government forces stepped up their assault. The UN said on Tuesday that its aid partners had counted 19,000 evacuees arriving in Idlib province, a rebel stronghold. Many have been taken to temporary camps while others have found shelter with relatives. The World Health Organization separately said on Tuesday that 301 injured and sick patients, including 67 children, had been taken by ambulances to eight different hospitals in the western Aleppo countryside and Idlib province. The WHO says 93 patients had subsequently been referred to hospitals in Turkey, which backs the rebels and helped negotiate the ceasefire deal with Russia. Turkey, which is home to some 2.7 million Syrian refugees, is also preparing to set up a \"tent city\" in Idlib to accommodate up to 80,000 displaced people from Aleppo. Three possible sites have reportedly been identified, and hundreds of aid lorries from the Turkish Red Crescent and the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) charity have crossed the border. A smaller camp for 1,000 \"disadvantaged\" evacuees from Aleppo - the injured and disabled - will be set up in the Turkish border town of Reyhanli. In many places, conditions are already inadequate, with families staying in crowded buildings still under construction with no heat, toilets or running water, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) says. And villages in the countryside are said to be getting full. A doctor who is volunteering at a makeshift hospital in Idlib said there was no equipment to monitor patients. \"Even the Intensive Care Unit doesn't have a ventilator,\" he said in a video posted on Facebook. Idlib already hosts some 230,000 displaced people in and around 250 informal camps, according to the IRC. Aid agencies have raised concerns over the security of those in Idlib. Most of the province is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was known as al-Nusra Front until it announced it was breaking off formal ties with al-Qaeda in July 2016. The province has been repeatedly bombed by the Syrian and Russian air forces, and President Bashar al-Assad has said it will be one of the next areas to be \"liberated\" after Aleppo. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, warned on Friday: \"If there is no political agreement and a ceasefire, Idlib will become the next Aleppo.\" Some 20,000 people are living in the two predominantly Shia towns, located just to the north of the city of Idlib, which have been under siege by rebel and jihadist fighters since March 2015. Pro-government fighters who were evacuated a year ago reported that starving residents had resorted to eating grass, and that injured people had undergone surgery without anaesthesia. The fates of the residents of Foah and Kefraya have previously been tied to those living in two mainly Sunni towns besieged by pro-government forces outside Damascus - Zabadani and Madaya. Several simultaneous evacuations from the four towns have taken place, while limited deliveries of food and medical aid were permitted three times this year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 342, "answer_end": 1369, "text": "The International Committee of the Red Cross, whose staff are assisting the operation, said on Tuesday that 25,000 rebel fighters and civilians had been evacuated since the operation got under way. As many as 25,000 others could be waiting to leave in freezing conditions. Last Thursday, UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that some 50,000 people, among them 40,000 civilians, were trapped inside the four of five districts still under rebel control, which together cover about 2.6 sq km (1 sq mile). As part of the ceasefire deal, 750 people have been evacuated simultaneously from two Shia towns in Idlib province that are under siege by rebel forces - Foah and Kefraya. The UN Security Council has meanwhile approved the deployment of 20 observers to Aleppo to monitor the treatment of civilians as pro-government forces assume complete control of the rebel enclave. More than 70,000 people have also fled on foot to government-controlled areas since mid-November, when government forces stepped up their assault."}], "question": "How many have left?", "id": "175_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2467, "answer_end": 3047, "text": "In many places, conditions are already inadequate, with families staying in crowded buildings still under construction with no heat, toilets or running water, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) says. And villages in the countryside are said to be getting full. A doctor who is volunteering at a makeshift hospital in Idlib said there was no equipment to monitor patients. \"Even the Intensive Care Unit doesn't have a ventilator,\" he said in a video posted on Facebook. Idlib already hosts some 230,000 displaced people in and around 250 informal camps, according to the IRC."}], "question": "What are conditions like in Idlib?", "id": "175_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3048, "answer_end": 3673, "text": "Aid agencies have raised concerns over the security of those in Idlib. Most of the province is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was known as al-Nusra Front until it announced it was breaking off formal ties with al-Qaeda in July 2016. The province has been repeatedly bombed by the Syrian and Russian air forces, and President Bashar al-Assad has said it will be one of the next areas to be \"liberated\" after Aleppo. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, warned on Friday: \"If there is no political agreement and a ceasefire, Idlib will become the next Aleppo.\""}], "question": "Will they be safe in Idlib?", "id": "175_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3674, "answer_end": 4396, "text": "Some 20,000 people are living in the two predominantly Shia towns, located just to the north of the city of Idlib, which have been under siege by rebel and jihadist fighters since March 2015. Pro-government fighters who were evacuated a year ago reported that starving residents had resorted to eating grass, and that injured people had undergone surgery without anaesthesia. The fates of the residents of Foah and Kefraya have previously been tied to those living in two mainly Sunni towns besieged by pro-government forces outside Damascus - Zabadani and Madaya. Several simultaneous evacuations from the four towns have taken place, while limited deliveries of food and medical aid were permitted three times this year."}], "question": "What is happening in Foah and Kefraya?", "id": "175_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Neonic pesticide link to long-term wild bee decline", "date": "16 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The large-scale, long-term decline in wild bees across England has been linked to the use of neonicotinoid insecticides by a new study. Over 18 years, researchers analysed bees who forage heavily on oilseed rape, a crop widely treated with \"neonics\". The scientists attribute half of the total decline in wild bees to the use of these chemicals. Industry sources say the study shows an association, not a cause and effect. In recent years, several studies, conducted in the lab and in the field, have identified a negative effect on honey bees and bumble bees from the use of neonics. But few researchers have looked at the long term impacts of these substances. This new paper examined the impacts on populations of 62 species of wild bees across England over the period from 1994-2011. The team, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), used distribution data on wild bees, excluding honey and bumblebees collected by the bees, ants and wasps recording scheme. They were able to compare the locations of these bees and their changing populations with growing patterns of oilseed rape across England over 18 years. The amount of this crop being sown has increased significantly over the period of the study, from around 500,000 hectares in 1994 to over 700,000 in 2011. A key innovation was the commercial licensing of neonicotinoid insecticides for the crop in the UK in 2002. Seeds are coated with the chemical and every part of the plant becomes toxic to pests. Manufacturers hailed the development as a major advance, reducing the need for leaf spraying with other insecticides. Around 85% of the oilseed rape crop in England now uses this method for pest protection. But this new work suggests, for the first time, that the detrimental impacts seen in the lab can be linked to large scale population extinctions of wild bees, especially for those species of bees that spend longer foraging on oilseed rape. \"The negative effects that have been reported previously do scale up to long-term, large-scale multi-species impacts that are harmful,\" said Dr Nick Isaac, a co-author of the new paper. \"Neonicotinoids are harmful, we can be very confident about that and our mean correlation is three times more negative for foragers than for non-foragers.\" There was a decline in the number of populations of 10%, attributable to neonicotinoids, across the 34 species that forage on oilseed rape. Five of the species showed declines of 20% or more, with the worst affected declining by 30%. Overall, half the total decline in wild bees could be linked to the chemicals. \"Historically, if you just have oilseed rape, many bees tend to benefit from that because it is this enormous foraging resource all over the countryside,\" said lead author Dr Ben Woodcock from the CEH. \"But this co-relation study suggests that once its treated with neonicotinoids up to 85%, then they are starting to be exposed and it's starting to have these detrimental impacts on them.\" \"What we can't say is what these detrimental impacts are but what it does suggest is you can have these population declines and they can be big - I mean 30% is a big decline.\" The authors acknowledge that their study finds an association and doesn't prove a cause and effect link between the use of neonicotinoids and the decline of bee populations. The manufacturers of the chemicals agree that it is an interesting statistical study, but they argue that intensive farming and not just a single insecticide might be the real cause of the decline. \"Since most of the oilseed rape grown in the UK was treated with a neonicotinoid seed treatment during the years that this study looked at, we believe its findings would be more correctly headlined that intensive agriculture is causing some issues with pollinators,\" said Dr Julian Little, from Bayer Crop Science in the UK. \"Whether this is due to the use of insecticides is not clear; a lack of nesting sites and pollen and nectar sources in these areas may also be critical factors.\" Other scientists, though, believe that the new study is some of the strongest data yet for the impact of these substances over the long term. \"This is the first good evidence that bees are affected at the population level by the widespread use of neonicotinoids,\" said Prof Henrik Smith from Lund University in Sweden, who was not involved with the research. \"It is the combination of evidence that is persuasive, that the effect depends on neonicotinoid exposure and affect species known to forage on oilseed rape more than other species.\" The European Food Safety Authority is currently conducting a review of the scientific evidence about neonicotinoids. An EU-wide moratorium on their use was implemented in 2013 and is still in place. This new work is likely to be part of that review, along with another, major field study due out in the Autumn.  However, the National Farmers Union (NFU) say that it doesn't make a convincing case about the extinction of bees in England. \"While this study claims to provide an important contribution to the evidence base underpinning the current EU moratorium on some uses of neonicotinoids, experts reviewing all the evidence have concluded that there are still major gaps in our knowledge and a limited evidence base to guide policymakers,\" said Dr Chris Hartfield from the NFU. The scientists involved in the wild bee study caution against \"simplistic solutions\" to the problems of pollinators. They say a \"holistic\" approach to the use of insecticides must be taken and they are lukewarm about the idea of banning chemicals. \"When you grow oilseed rape you can't do it without pesticides, there's an underlying reality to this,\" said Dr Woodcock. \"Just because you say 'don't use neonicotinoids anymore', the likelihood is that another pesticide is going to have to be used to compensate for that, that is going to have impacts on runoffs into waterways and on other species that you can control for.\" \"It needs to be taken in a very holistic perspective, you can't just say as long as we can save the bees everything else can go to hell, that's not where you want to be at.\" The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3317, "answer_end": 6245, "text": "The manufacturers of the chemicals agree that it is an interesting statistical study, but they argue that intensive farming and not just a single insecticide might be the real cause of the decline. \"Since most of the oilseed rape grown in the UK was treated with a neonicotinoid seed treatment during the years that this study looked at, we believe its findings would be more correctly headlined that intensive agriculture is causing some issues with pollinators,\" said Dr Julian Little, from Bayer Crop Science in the UK. \"Whether this is due to the use of insecticides is not clear; a lack of nesting sites and pollen and nectar sources in these areas may also be critical factors.\" Other scientists, though, believe that the new study is some of the strongest data yet for the impact of these substances over the long term. \"This is the first good evidence that bees are affected at the population level by the widespread use of neonicotinoids,\" said Prof Henrik Smith from Lund University in Sweden, who was not involved with the research. \"It is the combination of evidence that is persuasive, that the effect depends on neonicotinoid exposure and affect species known to forage on oilseed rape more than other species.\" The European Food Safety Authority is currently conducting a review of the scientific evidence about neonicotinoids. An EU-wide moratorium on their use was implemented in 2013 and is still in place. This new work is likely to be part of that review, along with another, major field study due out in the Autumn.  However, the National Farmers Union (NFU) say that it doesn't make a convincing case about the extinction of bees in England. \"While this study claims to provide an important contribution to the evidence base underpinning the current EU moratorium on some uses of neonicotinoids, experts reviewing all the evidence have concluded that there are still major gaps in our knowledge and a limited evidence base to guide policymakers,\" said Dr Chris Hartfield from the NFU. The scientists involved in the wild bee study caution against \"simplistic solutions\" to the problems of pollinators. They say a \"holistic\" approach to the use of insecticides must be taken and they are lukewarm about the idea of banning chemicals. \"When you grow oilseed rape you can't do it without pesticides, there's an underlying reality to this,\" said Dr Woodcock. \"Just because you say 'don't use neonicotinoids anymore', the likelihood is that another pesticide is going to have to be used to compensate for that, that is going to have impacts on runoffs into waterways and on other species that you can control for.\" \"It needs to be taken in a very holistic perspective, you can't just say as long as we can save the bees everything else can go to hell, that's not where you want to be at.\" The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook."}], "question": "Intensive farming at fault?", "id": "176_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mark Sanford: Long-time Trump critic joins Republican race to unseat Trump", "date": "9 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina governor, has become the latest Republican to challenge President Trump in the party's primary contest. \"I'm here to tell you now that I am going to get in,\" Mr Sanford, a long-time Trump critic, said in an interview announcing his candidacy. He is the third person to challenge Mr Trump for the nomination. It is seen as near impossible that anyone will take the Republican mantle from the president. No sitting president in the modern era has lost the race to be nominee for their own party, and Mr Trump remains very popular with Republicans. The Republican National Convention, at which the nominee will be formally chosen, will take place in late August 2020 after a series of state primary elections and party caucuses. But some state Republican parties, including in South Carolina, have decided not to hold primaries in 2020 - to clear the path for Mr Trump and save money. Mr Sanford, 59, is expected to centre his campaign on cutting government debt and spending. \"I think we need to have a conversation on what it means to be a Republican. I think that as a Republican party we have lost our way,\" he told Fox News on Sunday. \"We have lost our way on debts and deficits and spending... The president has called himself the king of debt, has a familiarity and comfort level with debt that I think is ultimately leading us in the wrong direction.\" In April, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld became the first person to challenge Mr Trump. He was followed by conservative radio host and former lawmaker Joe Walsh at the end of August. He first served in Congress in 1995, representing South Carolina's first congressional district. He later served as the state's governor for two terms from 2003-2011. He then returned to the House in 2013. Mr Sanford criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential election but ultimately supported him. However he would become one of his toughest Republican critics in Congress when Mr Trump took office. That stance cost him the Republican primary when his seat was up for re-election last year. He was beaten by a pro-Trump challenger who went on to lose the election to her Democrat opponent. He is known as a fiscal conservative and has been attacked by Mr Trump over an extra-marital affair that tainted his second term as governor. He went missing for several days, with his staff telling reporters he had gone to hike the Appalachian Trail. He later admitted he had instead gone to Argentina to see his mistress. Election day is still more than a year away but the race to become the Democratic challenger to Mr Trump is already well under way. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have thrown their hats into the ring, but most of the other candidates are relatively unknown outside the Washington DC bubble. Find out who is already running and who might join them.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1587, "answer_end": 2508, "text": "He first served in Congress in 1995, representing South Carolina's first congressional district. He later served as the state's governor for two terms from 2003-2011. He then returned to the House in 2013. Mr Sanford criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 presidential election but ultimately supported him. However he would become one of his toughest Republican critics in Congress when Mr Trump took office. That stance cost him the Republican primary when his seat was up for re-election last year. He was beaten by a pro-Trump challenger who went on to lose the election to her Democrat opponent. He is known as a fiscal conservative and has been attacked by Mr Trump over an extra-marital affair that tainted his second term as governor. He went missing for several days, with his staff telling reporters he had gone to hike the Appalachian Trail. He later admitted he had instead gone to Argentina to see his mistress."}], "question": "Who is Mark Sanford?", "id": "177_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2509, "answer_end": 2854, "text": "Election day is still more than a year away but the race to become the Democratic challenger to Mr Trump is already well under way. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have thrown their hats into the ring, but most of the other candidates are relatively unknown outside the Washington DC bubble. Find out who is already running and who might join them."}], "question": "Who will take on Trump in 2020?", "id": "177_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Q&A: Solar storms", "date": "9 March 2012", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Solar storms are a natural occurrence caused by high-energy particles hitting the Earth. These clouds of particles are released in explosive outbursts from the Sun. With the Sun in an active part of its cycle, there are concerns that some storms could disrupt technology on Earth including satellite navigation signals and aircraft communications. The Sun may seem to change little from our viewing position on Earth. With the right equipment, it is possible to see dark regions called sunspots. But up close, our Sun is a dynamic, violent beast. Bright loops of matter arch and twist like fiery fountains above the surface of this gigantic natural nuclear reactor. And every so often an intense burst of radiation called a solar flare appears when magnetic energy - stored in our star's atmosphere - is suddenly released. Solar flares are sometimes associated with the release of high energy particles into space - eruptions that are known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), though these can also occur on their own. A large CME can contain billions of tonnes of gas and other matter that pours into space at several million km per hour. The charged particles in this cloud stream towards any planet or spacecraft in its path. When these particles collide with the Earth, they can cause a geomagnetic storm - a disturbance in the magnetic sheath (or magnetosphere) that surrounds our planet, protecting its denizens from the worst effects of cosmic rays. Many of the effects of charged particles hitting the Earth's magnetosphere are benign, such as polar lights - the Aurora borealis and australis. Geomagnetic storms - often referred to as solar storms - cause these northern or southern lights to become visible at lower latitudes. However, they also disrupt technology on Earth, such as communications systems - including those used by aircraft, satellite navigation signals and electrical power grids. As such, they could wreak long-lasting havoc with communications and power infrastructure across the globe. A 2008 report by the US National Academy of Sciences concluded that an extreme storm could cause up to $2 trillion in initial damages by crippling communications on Earth and causing chaos around the world. As such, several agencies around the world are working to better understand the changing conditions near our planet - known collectively as space weather. Forecasters at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center monitor activity using data from a network of sensors, including those on satellites, and US Geological Survey instruments that detect magnetic fields (magnetometers). The Sun goes through cycles of high and low activity that repeat approximately every 11 years. It is currently gaining in activity and is expected to peak in 2013 or 2014, although nobody can be sure. This means we can expect more solar flares and more coronal mass ejections over the next few years. The solar cycle we're currently in has been a relatively quiet one in compared with previous ones. But that does not mean that there could not be a large event in the build up to the next \"solar maximum\". Yes. In 1994, a solar storm caused major malfunctions to two communications satellites, disrupting television and radio services throughout Canada. In March 1989, another event caused the Hydro-Quebec power grid in Canada to go down for over nine hours. The resulting damages and loss in revenue were estimated to be in the region of hundreds of millions of dollars. But the most significant historic event remains the great solar storm of 1-2 September 1859. This disturbance shorted telegraph wires, starting fires in North America and Europe, and caused bright aurorae to be seen in Cuba and Hawaii. In 1859, our technological infrastructure was in its infancy, but a storm with the magnitude of the so-called Carrington Event would be much more damaging today. Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 348, "answer_end": 1454, "text": "The Sun may seem to change little from our viewing position on Earth. With the right equipment, it is possible to see dark regions called sunspots. But up close, our Sun is a dynamic, violent beast. Bright loops of matter arch and twist like fiery fountains above the surface of this gigantic natural nuclear reactor. And every so often an intense burst of radiation called a solar flare appears when magnetic energy - stored in our star's atmosphere - is suddenly released. Solar flares are sometimes associated with the release of high energy particles into space - eruptions that are known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), though these can also occur on their own. A large CME can contain billions of tonnes of gas and other matter that pours into space at several million km per hour. The charged particles in this cloud stream towards any planet or spacecraft in its path. When these particles collide with the Earth, they can cause a geomagnetic storm - a disturbance in the magnetic sheath (or magnetosphere) that surrounds our planet, protecting its denizens from the worst effects of cosmic rays."}], "question": "How does an outburst on the Sun cause a storm on Earth?", "id": "178_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1455, "answer_end": 2648, "text": "Many of the effects of charged particles hitting the Earth's magnetosphere are benign, such as polar lights - the Aurora borealis and australis. Geomagnetic storms - often referred to as solar storms - cause these northern or southern lights to become visible at lower latitudes. However, they also disrupt technology on Earth, such as communications systems - including those used by aircraft, satellite navigation signals and electrical power grids. As such, they could wreak long-lasting havoc with communications and power infrastructure across the globe. A 2008 report by the US National Academy of Sciences concluded that an extreme storm could cause up to $2 trillion in initial damages by crippling communications on Earth and causing chaos around the world. As such, several agencies around the world are working to better understand the changing conditions near our planet - known collectively as space weather. Forecasters at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center monitor activity using data from a network of sensors, including those on satellites, and US Geological Survey instruments that detect magnetic fields (magnetometers)."}], "question": "Why are solar storms important?", "id": "178_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2649, "answer_end": 3154, "text": "The Sun goes through cycles of high and low activity that repeat approximately every 11 years. It is currently gaining in activity and is expected to peak in 2013 or 2014, although nobody can be sure. This means we can expect more solar flares and more coronal mass ejections over the next few years. The solar cycle we're currently in has been a relatively quiet one in compared with previous ones. But that does not mean that there could not be a large event in the build up to the next \"solar maximum\"."}], "question": "Why have we been hearing so much about them recently?", "id": "178_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why has Ethiopia imposed a state of emergency?", "date": "21 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa and one which has seen a booming economy recently, has been shaken up in the past week. First Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn unexpectedly resigned after five years in power. Then a national state of emergency was declared the next day. A statement by the state broadcaster said the move was necessary to stem a wave of anti-government protests. Hundreds of people have died in three years of unrest, and this is the second time since 2016 that a state of emergency has been declared. - Preparing, printing or circulating any information that could cause disturbance or suspicion - Displaying or publicising signs that could stir up violence - Protests and any form of group assembly - The halting of public services by anti-government protesters - The closing of businesses by anti-government protesters The government also retains the freedom to shut down the media and impose a public curfew, details of which have not been released. Under the conditions of the state of emergency, any person shutting down businesses or public services will face court action. The government gave three key reasons: - To ensure peace and political stability - To respond to the resignation of the prime minister - To facilitate a peaceful transition of power However, some analysts say the order lacks legal basis and that claims about instability are not true. Instead they view the state of emergency as a warning to those who might try and cause trouble when a new prime minister is appointed. Local activists are worried that another government measure might be aimed at further quelling dissent. In January, officials released more than 3,000 political activists and journalists from prison including opposition leaders Bekele Gerba, Merera Gudina and Andualem Arage. Activists say that the government might be releasing prisoners now to make space for others later. But the authorities say the pardons are part of a move to create a national consensus and widen democratic participation. The state of emergency, opponents say, contradicts that. For most people across Ethiopia, life is continuing as before.  In the capital Addis Ababa, shops are open and people are going about their business as usual. But in some areas of Amhara state, people are defying the authorities by closing their businesses and halting transport services. The government reportedly responded by forcing residents to reopen their shops. Similar disobedience has occurred in Oromia where large crowds have gathered to welcome the released prisoners. In some cases, the crowds have chanted slogans against the ruling party, but have not faced reprisals. The governing coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), is extremely secretive and it is hard to know exactly what is going on. But since coming to power, some in the political elite have accused Mr Hailemariam of being weak and lacking in leadership. His resignation could be a move by the governing coalition to find a stronger leader, or it could signal divisions among the constituent parties along ethnic lines. Particularly visible is the tension between the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has seen its dominance and influence wane, and the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation (OPDO), which is becoming increasingly assertive. Replacing Mr Hailemariam with someone from the Oromo community might also be one way to meet the demands of Oromo protesters who have accused the authorities of marginalising them. Ethiopia has never had an Oromo prime minister, even though they are the country's largest ethnic group. - Oromo - 34.4% - Amhara - 27% - Somali - 6.2% - Tigray - 6.1% - Others - 26.3% Source: CIA World Factbook estimates from 2007 Lemmy Megersa, regional state president of Oromia and head of the OPDO, is among those hoping to become prime minister. Other contenders include Debretsiyon Gebremikael of the TPLF, Demeke Makonnin from the Amhara National Democratic Movement and Werkineh Gebeyehu and Abiyi Ahimed of the OPDO. All three parties are members of the governing EPRDF coalition. A number of grievances have driven popular protests throughout Ethiopia over the last three years: - Many Oromos say they have been politically, economically and culturally marginalised for years despite being the country's largest group - Some in the Amhara community have also complained about the dominance of the small Tigrinya group - Opposition groups and human rights campaigners want the EPRDF to release its tight grip on power and allow them to operate freely - People across the country have complained about human rights violations including the imprisonment, torture and extrajudicial killing of political dissidents - Land grabs and displacing groups of people under the guise of development and investment without providing proper compensation - one trigger for the protests was a plan to expand the boundaries of the capital Addis Ababa into Oromia province, although that plan was later dropped More about Ethiopia: Key facts, figures and dates Energy from rubbish to power Addis Ababa Can Ethiopia be Africa's leading manufacturing hub? You can now get the latest BBC news in Afaan Oromo, Amharic and Tigrinya.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1121, "answer_end": 2094, "text": "The government gave three key reasons: - To ensure peace and political stability - To respond to the resignation of the prime minister - To facilitate a peaceful transition of power However, some analysts say the order lacks legal basis and that claims about instability are not true. Instead they view the state of emergency as a warning to those who might try and cause trouble when a new prime minister is appointed. Local activists are worried that another government measure might be aimed at further quelling dissent. In January, officials released more than 3,000 political activists and journalists from prison including opposition leaders Bekele Gerba, Merera Gudina and Andualem Arage. Activists say that the government might be releasing prisoners now to make space for others later. But the authorities say the pardons are part of a move to create a national consensus and widen democratic participation. The state of emergency, opponents say, contradicts that."}], "question": "Why was a state of emergency declared?", "id": "179_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2095, "answer_end": 2678, "text": "For most people across Ethiopia, life is continuing as before.  In the capital Addis Ababa, shops are open and people are going about their business as usual. But in some areas of Amhara state, people are defying the authorities by closing their businesses and halting transport services. The government reportedly responded by forcing residents to reopen their shops. Similar disobedience has occurred in Oromia where large crowds have gathered to welcome the released prisoners. In some cases, the crowds have chanted slogans against the ruling party, but have not faced reprisals."}], "question": "How has life changed since the state of emergency was announced?", "id": "179_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2679, "answer_end": 3650, "text": "The governing coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), is extremely secretive and it is hard to know exactly what is going on. But since coming to power, some in the political elite have accused Mr Hailemariam of being weak and lacking in leadership. His resignation could be a move by the governing coalition to find a stronger leader, or it could signal divisions among the constituent parties along ethnic lines. Particularly visible is the tension between the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has seen its dominance and influence wane, and the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation (OPDO), which is becoming increasingly assertive. Replacing Mr Hailemariam with someone from the Oromo community might also be one way to meet the demands of Oromo protesters who have accused the authorities of marginalising them. Ethiopia has never had an Oromo prime minister, even though they are the country's largest ethnic group."}], "question": "Why did the prime minister resign?", "id": "179_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3778, "answer_end": 4136, "text": "Lemmy Megersa, regional state president of Oromia and head of the OPDO, is among those hoping to become prime minister. Other contenders include Debretsiyon Gebremikael of the TPLF, Demeke Makonnin from the Amhara National Democratic Movement and Werkineh Gebeyehu and Abiyi Ahimed of the OPDO. All three parties are members of the governing EPRDF coalition."}], "question": "Who will the new prime minister be?", "id": "179_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: France bans large indoors gatherings in bid to curb virus", "date": "29 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France has banned all indoor gatherings of more than 5,000 people, as part of efforts to contain the country's coronavirus outbreak. Measures announced after an emergency cabinet meeting also include the cancellation of the Paris half-marathon which was to be held on Sunday. In the worst-hit area, north of Paris, all public gatherings have been banned. The total number of cases of the new coronavirus in France rose to 100 on Saturday. Two patients have died. Globally, more than 85,500 cases have been confirmed in more that 50 countries. The death toll is over 2,900. The vast majority of infections and deaths are in China, where the virus originated late last year. The US has reported its first death from the virus, in the north-west state of Washington. Details of the person's identity have not yet been released, but officials said they would give a press conference at about 21:00 GMT. The US has reported at least 59 coronavirus cases, including four of unknown origin. \"Our goal at this stage is limit the spread,\" Health Minister Olivier Veran said after Saturday's cabinet meeting. Among the events affected by the prohibition of large indoor gatherings is Paris's annual agricultural fair. Its final day, which was scheduled for Sunday, has been cancelled. The Paris half-marathon was scrapped as part of a new ban on events that involve \"mingling with people from areas where the virus is prevalent\". Football matches are unaffected. The French area with most cases is Oise, north of Paris. Most of the 18 infections there appear to be linked to a 60-year-old schoolteacher who died of the Covid-19 respiratory disease earlier this week. Public gatherings have been banned in Oise, as well as a town in the French Alps where cases have been reported. The government has urged residents of the worst-hit areas to avoid \"non-essential travel\" and \"work from home if possible \". - South Korea, which has the highest number of cases outside China, mobilised the army on Saturday. Soldiers have been disinfecting large parts of Daegu, the south-eastern city that has been at the centre of the country's coronavirus outbreak. - In Italy, Europe's worst-affected country with 650 cases and 17 deaths, five Serie A football games have been postponed. The games were going to be played behind closed doors, but the league decided to call them off on Saturday. - Iran on Saturday said the total number of infections there had reached 593 and 43 patients had died - Qatar reported its first case, after a 36-year-old Qatari woman who was evacuated to the country from Iran tested positive for the virus, according to state media - Ecuador also confirmed its first case of the virus - Three more patients from England tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of UK cases to 23. - Officials in the US states of California, Oregon and Washington State reported three cases where patients had no known connection to a badly hit country. The announcements raising concerns the virus could be spreading within the community. - Factory activity in China fell to a record low in February as manufacturers closed their operations to contain the spread of the disease. Nasa said an economic slowdown following the outbreak was \"at least partly\" linked to significant decreases in nitrogen dioxide over the country Have you been affected by the coronavirus? Or do you have any information to share? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 984, "answer_end": 1894, "text": "\"Our goal at this stage is limit the spread,\" Health Minister Olivier Veran said after Saturday's cabinet meeting. Among the events affected by the prohibition of large indoor gatherings is Paris's annual agricultural fair. Its final day, which was scheduled for Sunday, has been cancelled. The Paris half-marathon was scrapped as part of a new ban on events that involve \"mingling with people from areas where the virus is prevalent\". Football matches are unaffected. The French area with most cases is Oise, north of Paris. Most of the 18 infections there appear to be linked to a 60-year-old schoolteacher who died of the Covid-19 respiratory disease earlier this week. Public gatherings have been banned in Oise, as well as a town in the French Alps where cases have been reported. The government has urged residents of the worst-hit areas to avoid \"non-essential travel\" and \"work from home if possible \"."}], "question": "What is the latest in France?", "id": "180_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Putin defends rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine", "date": "19 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, calling for direct talks between them and the Kyiv government to help restore peace. He said Ukraine had accepted the rebel leaders' signatures on the 2015 Minsk ceasefire deal, so recognising them. The separatists launched a Russian-backed insurgency in April 2014, seizing most of the Donbas region. Ukraine denounced the rebels' claim to independence as an illegal revolt. Mr Putin was speaking at his annual wide-ranging, marathon press conference, broadcast live on all major TV channels. There is much speculation about who might succeed Mr Putin to the presidency in 2024. He is currently in his fourth presidential term, though he had a break in between, serving as prime minister. Twice Mr Putin has had consecutive terms as president: first when he served in 2000-2008, then since 2012. He was re-elected last year. He said it would be acceptable to change the constitution to remove the word \"consecutive\" in the clause which sets a limit of \"two consecutive presidential terms\". However, he did not state any preference about the succession in 2024. By BBC Moscow Correspondent Sarah Rainsford On the 2024 question the president's annual press conference has added confusion, not clarity. Mr Putin mused - almost as an afterthought - that the word \"consecutive\" might be removed from the clause in the constitution that bars two presidential terms on the trot. Would that mean Mr Putin could rule on? Or that two terms, consecutive or not, would be tops for anyone? Commentators here really aren't sure. There were other attempts to draw Mr Putin out on his plans. But he avoided one question on whether he might take over a revamped Russia-Belarus Union State. He made vague hints about beefing up the powers of parliament versus the president; and he ignored a direct question on how any \"transition of power\" might look. Vladimir Putin only lapped up that reporter's accompanying comment, that after 20 years in power Russians \"don't want to let you go\". BBC Russian asked Mr Putin to confirm that Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova - two prominent businesswomen who have appeared in Russian media - are his daughters. But he dodged the question, instead praising the women's business activities. Formerly head of Russia's secret police, Mr Putin keeps his family affairs well shielded from the media. He ruled out any revisions to the Minsk ceasefire deal, saying it was the only basis for settling the Donbas conflict. Mr Putin also pledged to continue with the \"Normandy format\" talks - which aim to resolve the conflict in Donbas - commenting on his summit in Paris on 9 December with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Putin said Mr Zelensky's predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, \"insisted that the leaders of the two unrecognised republics sign the Minsk accords\". \"We persuaded them to sign. So, Ukraine itself acknowledged that those authorities exist.\" A journalist from Ukraine had asked him when he would disband the forces of breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk - the two Donbas regions which claim to be independent \"republics\". Mr Putin again denied that there were any Russian regular troops there helping the rebels. \"There are no foreign troops there - they are local militia, self-defence forces from the local population,\" he said. Ukrainian and Western military experts say there is clear evidence of regular Russian units helping the rebels, who have modern Russian tanks and artillery. Mr Putin suggested that the Soviet Union's revolutionary founder - Vladimir Lenin - had made a mistake by granting territory to various nationalities - including the Ukrainians - as part of a new \"confederation\". \"Territories were divided up incorrectly, and this is still being felt. Stalin was against such a system, but finally he accepted it,\" Mr Putin said. \"Historically Russian land\" was given to Ukraine, he said, \"based on a strange argument: to increase the proletariat's area\". He also said there was no need to move Lenin's embalmed body from the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square, in central Moscow. He said the place remained very meaningful for many older Russians. On other issues: - Mr Putin said criminal cases had been launched against five policemen - suspended from their jobs - over the arrest of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov on false charges earlier this year. There was a public outcry over Mr Golunov's prosecution and drug-dealing charges against him were dropped - Mr Putin condemned as \"unfair\" the sports sanctions imposed on Russia over doping of athletes. He said \"any punishment should be individual\". \"Our team should be allowed to participate under its own flag. Deal with specific people,\" he said. \"We are doing everything to ensure that Russian sport is clean.\" Russia is to appeal against its four-year ban from major sporting events, imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) - Mr Putin was also asked about the case of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Georgian of Chechen origin shot dead in a Berlin park in August. Germany suspected Russian involvement, and there were tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats - two by each side. Mr Putin said Khangoshvili was \"a bloodthirsty murderer, he killed 98 people in just one terrorist action\". \"We see these people are terrorists, murderers, walking freely around the world's capitals.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 583, "answer_end": 1150, "text": "There is much speculation about who might succeed Mr Putin to the presidency in 2024. He is currently in his fourth presidential term, though he had a break in between, serving as prime minister. Twice Mr Putin has had consecutive terms as president: first when he served in 2000-2008, then since 2012. He was re-elected last year. He said it would be acceptable to change the constitution to remove the word \"consecutive\" in the clause which sets a limit of \"two consecutive presidential terms\". However, he did not state any preference about the succession in 2024."}], "question": "Could Putin stay on beyond 2024?", "id": "181_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why launch Thailand takeover now?", "date": "22 May 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It was a strange day, but not because we were not expecting a military takeover - a coup had been on the cards since martial law was declared on Tuesday. It was more the way events unfolded. On Wednesday, Thailand's army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha had summoned representatives of all the main political groups for talks. They spoke for two hours and we were then briefed that things had gone well and that everyone had been given \"homework\" to complete on the key issues. We were expecting more of the same on Thursday. No-one realistically expected Thailand's deep-rooted political problems to be solved overnight - or indeed in a couple of hours of discussions - so why did Gen Prayuth decide to so dramatically end proceedings and seize power? Watching from outside the compound where the meeting was taking place, we saw military trucks suddenly block the entrances and exits before soldiers began to force us back. Then minivans containing the leaders of the political parties, demonstrating groups and government emerged, escorted by troops. Something was clearly up and a few minutes later Gen Prayuth appeared on television to announce that he had taken over. Tellingly, in his address he spoke of restoring order and reforms, but not of a timetable for elections. In the evening, decrees were issued consolidating the military's hold on power. By then it had a new name for their command structure, the Orwellian sounding \"National Peace and Order Maintaining Council\". Over a period of hours the constitution was suspended, TV channels blocked and a curfew imposed. Protest camps were cleared - the pro-government Red Shirts' site outside Bangkok forcefully; the opposition PDRC movement's in the city centre more amicably, with buses laid on to take demonstrators home. For many of the PDRC's supporters, a coup is the end result they had been hoping for. But questions remain. Did Gen Prayuth really expect to achieve success in talks in two short meetings? Or was it his always his intention to make a token nod towards negotiations before stepping in? Could the talks really have been a ruse to get all the key leaders in one place before detaining them? In the past, Gen Prayuth has expressed a reluctance to resort to a military coup. So what changed from Tuesday to Thursday? There certainly was not a deterioration in security. There has been some suggestion that elements within the Thai army may have forced his hand, or indeed that some external factor may have played a part. The rush from martial law to full-blown coup has left many here shaking and scratching their heads. Are you in Thailand? What is your reaction to the military coup? Email Haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences, using the subject Thailand.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1782, "answer_end": 2742, "text": "For many of the PDRC's supporters, a coup is the end result they had been hoping for. But questions remain. Did Gen Prayuth really expect to achieve success in talks in two short meetings? Or was it his always his intention to make a token nod towards negotiations before stepping in? Could the talks really have been a ruse to get all the key leaders in one place before detaining them? In the past, Gen Prayuth has expressed a reluctance to resort to a military coup. So what changed from Tuesday to Thursday? There certainly was not a deterioration in security. There has been some suggestion that elements within the Thai army may have forced his hand, or indeed that some external factor may have played a part. The rush from martial law to full-blown coup has left many here shaking and scratching their heads. Are you in Thailand? What is your reaction to the military coup? Email Haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences, using the subject Thailand."}], "question": "What changed?", "id": "182_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany: Migrants 'may have fuelled violent crime rise'", "date": "3 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Migrants may be responsible for most of a recent rise in violent crime in Germany, research commissioned by the government suggests. The study used data from Lower Saxony, a state where more than 90% of the rise was attributed to young male migrants. The researchers say the findings are not surprising because many migrants who arrived in Germany in recent years are single males aged 14-30. This group is most likely to commit crime, irrespective of nationality. The researchers also said that migrants were twice as likely to be reported to police for alleged violent crimes as German nationals. The report comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU/CSU prepares for coalition talks with the centre-left SPD. Both groups were seen as being hurt by their apparently liberal migration policies in September's election. The report used statistics from Lower Saxony - regarded as an average state - where police saw an increase of 10.4% in reported violent crimes in 2015 and 2016. Based on figures from the state's interior ministry, which keeps a separate record of alleged crimes by migrants, the report suggested that 92.1% of this increase was attributable to migrants. Lower Saxony has seen a significant increase in arrivals of migrants in recent years. However, the researchers also said that a third of all victims of violent crimes by migrants were other migrants. The researchers said that the best chance of reducing violent crime among migrants was to offer more help with integration through language courses, sport and apprenticeships. But it said that many male migrants fell into the 14-30 age category, the most likely to commit violent crime. The lack of women and families among the migrants also meant that those young men were deprived of a \"violence-preventing, civilising force\", the study said. It also said that migrants with little hope of being giving asylum in Germany were much more likely to commit violent crime than those from war zones like Syria whose asylum was guaranteed. \"Anyone who as a war refugee regards their chances of staying in Germany as good, will endeavour not to jeopardise those prospects by criminal offences,\" the authors of the study said, quoted by Die Welt newspaper. Reuters news agency quoted criminology expert and study author Christian Pfeiffer as saying: \"The situation is completely different for those who find out as soon as they arrive that they are totally undesirable here. No chance of working, of staying here.\" In the Lower Saxony figures, 17% of crimes attributed to migrants were suspected of being committed by North Africans. This group, which makes up less than 1% of the state's migrant population, has little chance of achieving legal status in Germany. Since 2015, more than one million migrants and refugees, many of whom had fled war and abuses in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, have entered Germany in response to Chancellor Merkel's open-door policy. But the policy has led to tensions at home. Sex attacks on women on New Year's eve 2015 in Cologne and other German cities, which victims say were carried out by men of North African and Arab appearance, fuelled the rise of groups such as the anti-immigrant Pegida movement. Mrs Merkel's conservatives suffered their worst poll result in almost 70 years in September's elections as they lost ground to the right-wing nationalist AfD, Her coalition partners the SPD also had their worst result since 1949. The migration issue is expected to remain a major headache for both sides as they try to form a new coalition.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 830, "answer_end": 1383, "text": "The report used statistics from Lower Saxony - regarded as an average state - where police saw an increase of 10.4% in reported violent crimes in 2015 and 2016. Based on figures from the state's interior ministry, which keeps a separate record of alleged crimes by migrants, the report suggested that 92.1% of this increase was attributable to migrants. Lower Saxony has seen a significant increase in arrivals of migrants in recent years. However, the researchers also said that a third of all victims of violent crimes by migrants were other migrants."}], "question": "What figures did the report use?", "id": "183_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1384, "answer_end": 2741, "text": "The researchers said that the best chance of reducing violent crime among migrants was to offer more help with integration through language courses, sport and apprenticeships. But it said that many male migrants fell into the 14-30 age category, the most likely to commit violent crime. The lack of women and families among the migrants also meant that those young men were deprived of a \"violence-preventing, civilising force\", the study said. It also said that migrants with little hope of being giving asylum in Germany were much more likely to commit violent crime than those from war zones like Syria whose asylum was guaranteed. \"Anyone who as a war refugee regards their chances of staying in Germany as good, will endeavour not to jeopardise those prospects by criminal offences,\" the authors of the study said, quoted by Die Welt newspaper. Reuters news agency quoted criminology expert and study author Christian Pfeiffer as saying: \"The situation is completely different for those who find out as soon as they arrive that they are totally undesirable here. No chance of working, of staying here.\" In the Lower Saxony figures, 17% of crimes attributed to migrants were suspected of being committed by North Africans. This group, which makes up less than 1% of the state's migrant population, has little chance of achieving legal status in Germany."}], "question": "What conclusions did the report reach?", "id": "183_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2742, "answer_end": 3557, "text": "Since 2015, more than one million migrants and refugees, many of whom had fled war and abuses in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, have entered Germany in response to Chancellor Merkel's open-door policy. But the policy has led to tensions at home. Sex attacks on women on New Year's eve 2015 in Cologne and other German cities, which victims say were carried out by men of North African and Arab appearance, fuelled the rise of groups such as the anti-immigrant Pegida movement. Mrs Merkel's conservatives suffered their worst poll result in almost 70 years in September's elections as they lost ground to the right-wing nationalist AfD, Her coalition partners the SPD also had their worst result since 1949. The migration issue is expected to remain a major headache for both sides as they try to form a new coalition."}], "question": "Why is this a hot topic in Germany?", "id": "183_2"}]}]}, {"title": "China ambassador Wu Jianmin's death sparks foreign policy debate", "date": "22 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The sudden death of former Chinese ambassador and influential foreign policy \"dove\" Wu Jianmin has sparked shock and mourning. But, more unusually, it has also prompted a rare moment of reflection in China over how the country should deal with its foreign policy challenges. The BBC's Vincent Ni explains why. Mr Wu was one of China's most senior and outspoken diplomats. He served as an interpreter for Mao Zedong and his premier Zhou Enlai, and was also China's ambassador to France, the Netherlands and the United Nations in Geneva at various points in his career. Before his retirement, he also headed China's Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, which has trained generations of Chinese diplomats. Following his death in a car crash in Wuhan  on Saturday, Mr Wu's views have been the subject of discussion on the Chinese internet and among China's intellectuals and foreign policy commentators. On Weibo and Wechat, two of China's most popular social media platforms, the hashtag #WuJianminDiedinCarCrash#  was read more than 180 million times; with over 24,000 comments. Mr Wu's views have not always coincided with those of China's leaders. He has argued that China should keep a low-profile in the international arena - a popular policy during the 1990s and 2000s, which many analysts believe has been altered by President Xi Jinping's more assertive stance since 2012. In a 2014 TV debate with a hawkish major general, Mr Wu warned that those who engage in conflicts will themselves be dragged into trouble. More recently, he also pointed out that China's parochial nationalism is rising and urged China to reject it for continued progress. \"Narrow-minded nationalists often tend to tout military confrontation when dealing with territorial disputes, as opposed to Deng Xiaoping's advice to 'set aside differences and pursue joint development',\" Mr Wu wrote in a recent article. Mr Wu has also shared his opinions with Western media. In a rare interview with the BBC's Hard Talk programme in London last year, he said that China is not a superpower, nor is it in a position to replace the United States. Mr Wu's comments still resonate with many in China right now, coming at a time of high tensions in China's bitter territorial disputes with its neighbours in the East and South China seas. Many worry that the current war-of-words might eventually lead to military standoff in the Asia Pacific region, and have been sharing Mr Wu's previous remarks on how China should deal with its neighbours and the West to make a point. By openly expressing views that were not fully in line with the government's, Mr Wu also provided the outside world a rare glimpse into the kind of debate within China's close-knit and closed-off foreign policy circles. In a speech delivered to the Foreign Affairs University in April, Mr Wu summarised China's diplomatic dilemma with a saying: \"One who can't find friends also offends many\". And he revealed to students that China's foreign policy is not set by its foreign ministry, but by the central government. He has also had a war of words with the editor of the often sensational and nationalistic tabloid Global Times, which is frequently viewed as a party mouthpiece. Mr Wu criticised the paper for printing \"very extreme articles\" and lamented that its editor Hu Xijin \"doesn't quite understand the situation\". This prompted a lengthy response from Mr Hu, who dismissed Mr Wu's views as outdated and \"typical\" of dovish diplomats. Mr Hu also argued that the media is always more hawkish than diplomats. Such arguments are nothing unusual in many Western countries - but in China official statements and the media are carefully controlled, so the row caught the attention of many analysts. \"Such debates suggest that behind the scenes, there's probably a much more vigorous, perhaps even destabilising debate going on,\" Orville Schell, who heads the Asia Society's US-China Centre and has known Wu Jianmin for more than a decade, told the BBC. \"It's a pity that there aren't more of them.\" Mr Wu's critics argue that his views were simply out of date, and did not reflect China's real strength and the current international dynamics. \"He bears the strong hallmark of foreign policy making from the Deng Xiaoping era,\" said Qiu Zhenhai, who moderated Mr Wu's 2014 debate with the major general on Hong Kong's Phoenix TV. \"What he had advocated was entirely correct, but he neglected the fact that time has changed and China has also changed structurally. Therefore, frictions between China and the West are inevitable,\" Mr Qiu told the BBC. On the internet, Mr Wu's critics lamented his view of the world as \"too nice to Americans\". One commenter on the Global Times website urged: \"At a time when Americans are suppressing us, please do not praise this man. It will backfire.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 310, "answer_end": 1078, "text": "Mr Wu was one of China's most senior and outspoken diplomats. He served as an interpreter for Mao Zedong and his premier Zhou Enlai, and was also China's ambassador to France, the Netherlands and the United Nations in Geneva at various points in his career. Before his retirement, he also headed China's Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, which has trained generations of Chinese diplomats. Following his death in a car crash in Wuhan  on Saturday, Mr Wu's views have been the subject of discussion on the Chinese internet and among China's intellectuals and foreign policy commentators. On Weibo and Wechat, two of China's most popular social media platforms, the hashtag #WuJianminDiedinCarCrash#  was read more than 180 million times; with over 24,000 comments."}], "question": "Who was Wu Jianmin?", "id": "184_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2538, "answer_end": 4037, "text": "By openly expressing views that were not fully in line with the government's, Mr Wu also provided the outside world a rare glimpse into the kind of debate within China's close-knit and closed-off foreign policy circles. In a speech delivered to the Foreign Affairs University in April, Mr Wu summarised China's diplomatic dilemma with a saying: \"One who can't find friends also offends many\". And he revealed to students that China's foreign policy is not set by its foreign ministry, but by the central government. He has also had a war of words with the editor of the often sensational and nationalistic tabloid Global Times, which is frequently viewed as a party mouthpiece. Mr Wu criticised the paper for printing \"very extreme articles\" and lamented that its editor Hu Xijin \"doesn't quite understand the situation\". This prompted a lengthy response from Mr Hu, who dismissed Mr Wu's views as outdated and \"typical\" of dovish diplomats. Mr Hu also argued that the media is always more hawkish than diplomats. Such arguments are nothing unusual in many Western countries - but in China official statements and the media are carefully controlled, so the row caught the attention of many analysts. \"Such debates suggest that behind the scenes, there's probably a much more vigorous, perhaps even destabilising debate going on,\" Orville Schell, who heads the Asia Society's US-China Centre and has known Wu Jianmin for more than a decade, told the BBC. \"It's a pity that there aren't more of them.\""}], "question": "Why else was he important?", "id": "184_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4038, "answer_end": 4824, "text": "Mr Wu's critics argue that his views were simply out of date, and did not reflect China's real strength and the current international dynamics. \"He bears the strong hallmark of foreign policy making from the Deng Xiaoping era,\" said Qiu Zhenhai, who moderated Mr Wu's 2014 debate with the major general on Hong Kong's Phoenix TV. \"What he had advocated was entirely correct, but he neglected the fact that time has changed and China has also changed structurally. Therefore, frictions between China and the West are inevitable,\" Mr Qiu told the BBC. On the internet, Mr Wu's critics lamented his view of the world as \"too nice to Americans\". One commenter on the Global Times website urged: \"At a time when Americans are suppressing us, please do not praise this man. It will backfire.\""}], "question": "What do his critics say?", "id": "184_2"}]}]}, {"title": "How 'miniature suns' could provide cheap, clean energy", "date": "16 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "We're just five years away from harnessing almost unlimited power from \"miniature suns\", some start-ups say: nuclear fusion reactors that could provide abundant, cheap and clean energy. In a world of global warming caused by our addiction to fossil fuels, there is an urgent need to find sustainable alternative sources of energy. If we don't, the future looks decidedly bleak for millions of people on this planet: water and food shortages leading to famine and war. Nuclear fusion has long been heralded as a potential answer to our prayers. But it's always been \"thirty years away\", according to the industry joke. Now several start-ups are saying they can make fusion a commercial reality much sooner. Nuclear fusion is the merging of atomic nuclei to release masses of energy and it has the potential to address our energy crisis. It's the same process that powers the sun, and it's clean and - relatively - safe. There are no emissions. But forcing these nuclei - deuterium and tritium, both forms of hydrogen - to fuse together under immense pressure takes huge amounts of energy - more than we've managed to get out so far. Reaching \"energy gain\", the point at which we get out more energy than we put in, has been tantalisingly elusive. Not any more, fusion start-ups say. \"This is the 'SpaceX moment' for fusion,\" says Christofer Mowry, chief executive of General Fusion, a Canadian company aiming to demonstrate fusion on a commercial scale within the next five years. \"It's the moment when the maturation of fusion science is combined with the emergence of 21st Century enabling technologies like additive manufacturing and high-temperature superconductors. \"Fusion is no longer '30 years away',\" he maintains. The science behind the idea has been proven, says Wade Allison, emeritus professor of physics at Keble College, Oxford. The challenge is more practical. \"The timescale we can't be sure about, but the basic science is solved and the problems are technical ones to do with materials,\" says Prof Allison. A major challenge is how to build a structure strong enough to contain the plasma - the very high-temperature nuclear soup in which the fusion reactions take place - under the huge pressures required. Exhaust systems will \"have to withstand levels of heat and power akin to those experienced by a spaceship re-entering orbit,\" says Prof Ian Chapman, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), Robotic maintenance systems will also be needed, as well as systems for breeding, recovering and storing the fuel. \"UKAEA is looking into all these issues, and is building new research facilities at Culham Science Centre near Oxford to work with industry to develop solutions,\" says Prof Chapman. Some private energy firms reckon they are surmounting these practical challenges faster through the use of new materials and technologies. Oxfordshire-based Tokamak Energy is working on spherical tokamaks or reactors that use high temperature superconductors (HTS) to contain the plasma in a very strong magnetic field. \"High temperature\" in the context of this branch of physics means a distinctly chilly -70C or below. \"They've been by far the most successful to date,\" says Jonathan Carling, the firm's chief executive. \"A spherical tokamak is a much more efficient topography, and we can drastically improve the compactness and the efficiency. And because it's smaller, it can be more flexible, and the cost to build is also lower,\" he says. The company has built three tokamaks so far, with the third, ST40, built from 30mm (1.2in) stainless steel and using HTS magnets. This June it achieved plasma temperatures of more than 15 million C - hotter than the core of the sun. More Technology of Business The firm hopes to be hitting 100 million C by next summer - a feat Chinese scientists claim to have achieved this month. \"We expect to have energy gain capability by 2022 and be supplying energy to the grid by 2030,\" says Mr Carling. Meanwhile in the US, MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] is working with the newly-formed Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to develop Sparc, a doughnut-shaped tokamak with magnetic fields holding the hot plasma in place. Funded in part by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund led by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and other billionaires, the team hopes to develop fusion reactors small enough to be built in factories and shipped for assembly on site. These private ventures are challenging Iter [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor], the flagship international fusion project involving 35 countries. Iter, which also means \"the way\" in Latin, is building the biggest experimental fusion facility in the world, but it doesn't expect to fire up until 2025, and any commercial application will come a long way after that. \"Different Iter members have different levels of urgency for using fusion as part of a clean energy future,\" a spokesman tells the BBC. \"Some clearly expect to have fusion electricity to the grid before 2050; for others the roadmap is in the second half of this century.\" The new kids on the block think they can do better. \"With the new HTS magnet technology, a net-energy fusion device can be much, much smaller - Sparc would be about one sixty-fourth the volume and mass of Iter,\" says Martin Greenwald, deputy director of MIT's plasma science and fusion centre. Smaller size means lower costs, leaving the fusion field open to \"smaller, more agile organisations\", says Mr Greenwald. But all parties seem to agree that the work of Iter, Culham and the private sector is complementary. \"In the end, we all share the same dream of fusion-powered electricity as a core part of a clean energy future,\" says the Iter spokesman. -  Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter and Facebook", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 706, "answer_end": 2024, "text": "Nuclear fusion is the merging of atomic nuclei to release masses of energy and it has the potential to address our energy crisis. It's the same process that powers the sun, and it's clean and - relatively - safe. There are no emissions. But forcing these nuclei - deuterium and tritium, both forms of hydrogen - to fuse together under immense pressure takes huge amounts of energy - more than we've managed to get out so far. Reaching \"energy gain\", the point at which we get out more energy than we put in, has been tantalisingly elusive. Not any more, fusion start-ups say. \"This is the 'SpaceX moment' for fusion,\" says Christofer Mowry, chief executive of General Fusion, a Canadian company aiming to demonstrate fusion on a commercial scale within the next five years. \"It's the moment when the maturation of fusion science is combined with the emergence of 21st Century enabling technologies like additive manufacturing and high-temperature superconductors. \"Fusion is no longer '30 years away',\" he maintains. The science behind the idea has been proven, says Wade Allison, emeritus professor of physics at Keble College, Oxford. The challenge is more practical. \"The timescale we can't be sure about, but the basic science is solved and the problems are technical ones to do with materials,\" says Prof Allison."}], "question": "What is nuclear fusion exactly?", "id": "185_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2025, "answer_end": 2730, "text": "A major challenge is how to build a structure strong enough to contain the plasma - the very high-temperature nuclear soup in which the fusion reactions take place - under the huge pressures required. Exhaust systems will \"have to withstand levels of heat and power akin to those experienced by a spaceship re-entering orbit,\" says Prof Ian Chapman, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), Robotic maintenance systems will also be needed, as well as systems for breeding, recovering and storing the fuel. \"UKAEA is looking into all these issues, and is building new research facilities at Culham Science Centre near Oxford to work with industry to develop solutions,\" says Prof Chapman."}], "question": "Why is it so difficult?", "id": "185_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2731, "answer_end": 3709, "text": "Some private energy firms reckon they are surmounting these practical challenges faster through the use of new materials and technologies. Oxfordshire-based Tokamak Energy is working on spherical tokamaks or reactors that use high temperature superconductors (HTS) to contain the plasma in a very strong magnetic field. \"High temperature\" in the context of this branch of physics means a distinctly chilly -70C or below. \"They've been by far the most successful to date,\" says Jonathan Carling, the firm's chief executive. \"A spherical tokamak is a much more efficient topography, and we can drastically improve the compactness and the efficiency. And because it's smaller, it can be more flexible, and the cost to build is also lower,\" he says. The company has built three tokamaks so far, with the third, ST40, built from 30mm (1.2in) stainless steel and using HTS magnets. This June it achieved plasma temperatures of more than 15 million C - hotter than the core of the sun."}], "question": "So what's changed?", "id": "185_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia human history 'rewritten by rock find'", "date": "20 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Archaeologists have found the first evidence to suggest that Aboriginal people have been in Australia for at least 65,000 years. The discovery indicates their arrival on the continent was up to 18,000 years earlier than previously thought. It was made after sophisticated artefacts were excavated from a rock shelter in the Northern Territory. Researchers unearthed what they say are the world's oldest stone axes and ochre crayons, thought to be used for art. The research, which has been peer-reviewed, was published in the journal Nature. It is based on findings at the Madjedbebe shelter, near Kakadu National Park. Australian Aborigines are believed to be the world's oldest continuous civilisation. However, there has been debate among scientists about when they arrived, with an estimate of between 47,000 and 60,000 years ago. They would have made sea journeys from the islands of South-East Asia at a time when water levels were much lower. The lead author of the new research, Associate Prof Chris Clarkson, from the University of Queensland, said: \"We have managed to establish a new age for first occupation in Australia and pushed it back by about 18,000 years beyond what was the previous established age of about 47,000 years.\" He added: \"This has huge implications for everything from the out-of-Africa story to the extinction of megafauna and Aboriginal peoples' own knowledge of how long they have been in this country.\" The out-of Africa theory postulates on when humans first left Africa. The dates there have also been hugely debated and have ranged from between 60,000 and 100,000 years. What this new research does is push up the bottom of that range to 65,000 years. It also confirms that humans would have arrived before the extinction of Australian megafauna such as a type of giant wombat and a giant carnivorous goanna. A graphic in the Sydney Morning Herald put the new timeframe in perspective, saying that if Aboriginal culture were taken to be 24 hours long, the First Fleet of European settlers in 1788 would have arrived at 23:54 and 56 seconds. Radiocarbon dating was used on charcoal samples but this has a limit of about 50,000 years. To go beyond that, the team used the method of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). It is used on buried material, measuring the time that has elapsed since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight. It was used to date some 28,500 individual grains of sand. This led to a far more accurate timeframe than was previously known. The rare artefacts found in the dense lowest layer of the Madjedbebe shelter indicate an \"innovative and dynamic early Aboriginal occupation of Australia\", Assoc Prof Clarkson told the BBC. \"We found these beautiful ground stone-edge axes with grooves at one end where the handle would have been attached with resin,\" he said. The team found pieces of reflective art minerals such as mica wrapped around ground ochre, along with a slab covered in red ochre that was mixed with mica. \"It really tells us that people were heavily into artistic activity,\" Associate Prof Clarkson said. The traditional owners of the area are the Mirrar people. Their interests are represented by the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which struck a deal with the researchers over the latest dig. Mirrar people worked alongside archaeologists at Madjedbebe, helping with the excavation and curation of the material. Since the 1970s, the Northern Territory rock shelter has been excavated four times, with more than 10,000 artefacts found in the lowest layer of the site. Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation head Justin O'Brien said that the latest research \"shatters previous understandings of the sophistication of the Aboriginal toolkit\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 620, "answer_end": 2079, "text": "Australian Aborigines are believed to be the world's oldest continuous civilisation. However, there has been debate among scientists about when they arrived, with an estimate of between 47,000 and 60,000 years ago. They would have made sea journeys from the islands of South-East Asia at a time when water levels were much lower. The lead author of the new research, Associate Prof Chris Clarkson, from the University of Queensland, said: \"We have managed to establish a new age for first occupation in Australia and pushed it back by about 18,000 years beyond what was the previous established age of about 47,000 years.\" He added: \"This has huge implications for everything from the out-of-Africa story to the extinction of megafauna and Aboriginal peoples' own knowledge of how long they have been in this country.\" The out-of Africa theory postulates on when humans first left Africa. The dates there have also been hugely debated and have ranged from between 60,000 and 100,000 years. What this new research does is push up the bottom of that range to 65,000 years. It also confirms that humans would have arrived before the extinction of Australian megafauna such as a type of giant wombat and a giant carnivorous goanna. A graphic in the Sydney Morning Herald put the new timeframe in perspective, saying that if Aboriginal culture were taken to be 24 hours long, the First Fleet of European settlers in 1788 would have arrived at 23:54 and 56 seconds."}], "question": "How does this change things?", "id": "186_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2080, "answer_end": 2506, "text": "Radiocarbon dating was used on charcoal samples but this has a limit of about 50,000 years. To go beyond that, the team used the method of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). It is used on buried material, measuring the time that has elapsed since mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight. It was used to date some 28,500 individual grains of sand. This led to a far more accurate timeframe than was previously known."}], "question": "What dating techniques did the new research use?", "id": "186_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2507, "answer_end": 3089, "text": "The rare artefacts found in the dense lowest layer of the Madjedbebe shelter indicate an \"innovative and dynamic early Aboriginal occupation of Australia\", Assoc Prof Clarkson told the BBC. \"We found these beautiful ground stone-edge axes with grooves at one end where the handle would have been attached with resin,\" he said. The team found pieces of reflective art minerals such as mica wrapped around ground ochre, along with a slab covered in red ochre that was mixed with mica. \"It really tells us that people were heavily into artistic activity,\" Associate Prof Clarkson said."}], "question": "So what artefacts were discovered?", "id": "186_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3090, "answer_end": 3725, "text": "The traditional owners of the area are the Mirrar people. Their interests are represented by the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which struck a deal with the researchers over the latest dig. Mirrar people worked alongside archaeologists at Madjedbebe, helping with the excavation and curation of the material. Since the 1970s, the Northern Territory rock shelter has been excavated four times, with more than 10,000 artefacts found in the lowest layer of the site. Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation head Justin O'Brien said that the latest research \"shatters previous understandings of the sophistication of the Aboriginal toolkit\"."}], "question": "What is the Madjedbebe area?", "id": "186_3"}]}]}, {"title": "What does French result mean for Brexit?", "date": "24 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Emmanuel Macron has been installed as the overwhelming favourite to be the next French President - but what does that mean for business and Brexit? For the bigger economic picture, a Macron win removes the chance of a political and economic shock to Europe's core. Marine le Pen's calls for France to leave the eurozone have been seen as an existential threat to the entire European project. Macron's likely win has seen the French stock market and the euro surge as that threat is seen as  receding. A Macron win will be cheered by business who see him as untested and inexperienced but pragmatic and pro-business. Some argue that his business-friendly policies - such as cutting corporation tax from 33% to 25% and making it easier to fire (and therefore hire) workers - make France look more attractive to businesses scouring Europe for a potential EU base. Most bankers, for example, had put France near the bottom of the list when mulling any potential moves for those very reasons. A Macron presidency could see that change. But there are two good reasons a Macron win could still be good for the UK in its Brexit negotiations. First, Macron may want to cut taxes and water down workers' rights - but he has to form a government to do it, and may need the support of French socialists who were excited by Benoit Hamon's ideas of a universal basic income and 32-hour working week. His attempts to make France more attractive to business will have to navigate the rocks of coalition building. There have been many attempts to reform the French labour market. I can't think of a single success. The second is a wider point about the security of the European project. Fears that the UK's vote to leave the EU would inspire anti-EU sentiment right across Europe now seem to be fading. Geert Wilders' far right party in the Netherlands failed to live up to pre-election hype while its counterpart in Germany, Alternative fur Deutschland, is in disarray. The UK's antipathy to the EU has, so far, failed to catch on elsewhere. With that in mind, there is less reason to punish the UK in upcoming negotiations as a deterrent to other would-be leavers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 616, "answer_end": 1597, "text": "Some argue that his business-friendly policies - such as cutting corporation tax from 33% to 25% and making it easier to fire (and therefore hire) workers - make France look more attractive to businesses scouring Europe for a potential EU base. Most bankers, for example, had put France near the bottom of the list when mulling any potential moves for those very reasons. A Macron presidency could see that change. But there are two good reasons a Macron win could still be good for the UK in its Brexit negotiations. First, Macron may want to cut taxes and water down workers' rights - but he has to form a government to do it, and may need the support of French socialists who were excited by Benoit Hamon's ideas of a universal basic income and 32-hour working week. His attempts to make France more attractive to business will have to navigate the rocks of coalition building. There have been many attempts to reform the French labour market. I can't think of a single success."}], "question": "Brexit effect?", "id": "187_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Private messages from 81,000 hacked Facebook accounts for sale", "date": "2 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hackers appear to have compromised and published private messages from at least 81,000 Facebook users' accounts. The perpetrators told the BBC Russian Service that they had details from a total of 120 million accounts, which they were attempting to sell, although there are reasons to be sceptical about that figure. Facebook said its security had not been compromised. And the data had probably been obtained through malicious browser extensions. 'The food supplement that ruined my liver' How could a brand new plane crash? Trick or treat children 'given ecstasy' Facebook added it had taken steps to prevent further accounts being affected. The BBC understands many of the users whose details have been compromised are based in Ukraine and Russia. However, some are from the UK, US, Brazil and elsewhere. The hackers offered to sell access for 10 cents (8p) per account. However, their advert has since been taken offline. \"We have contacted browser-makers to ensure that known malicious extensions are no longer available to download in their stores,\" said Facebook executive Guy Rosen. \"We have also contacted law enforcement and have worked with local authorities to remove the website that displayed information from Facebook accounts.\" The breach first came to light in September, when a post from a user nicknamed FBSaler appeared on an English-language internet forum. \"We sell personal information of Facebook users. Our database includes 120 million accounts,\" the user wrote. The cyber-security company Digital Shadows examined the claim on behalf of the BBC and confirmed that more than 81,000 of the profiles posted online as a sample contained private messages. Data from a further 176,000 accounts was also made available, although some of the information - including email addresses and phone numbers - could have been scraped from members who had not hidden it. The BBC Russian Service contacted five Russian Facebook users whose private messages had been uploaded and confirmed the posts were theirs. One example included photographs of a recent holiday, another was a chat about a recent Depeche Mode concert, and a third included complaints about a son-in-law. There was also an intimate correspondence between two lovers. One of the websites where the data had been published appeared to have been set up in St Petersburg. Its IP address has also been flagged by the Cybercrime Tracker service. It says the address had been used to spread the LokiBot Trojan, which allows attackers to gain access to user passwords. Personal shopping assistants, bookmarking applications and even mini-puzzle games are all on offer from various browsers such as Chrome, Opera and Firefox as third-party extensions. The little icons sit alongside your URL address bar patiently waiting for you to click on them. According to Facebook, it was one such extension that quietly monitored victims' activity on the platform and sent personal details and private conversations back to the hackers. Facebook has not named the extensions it believes were involved but says the leak was not its fault. Independent cyber-experts have told the BBC that if rogue extensions were indeed the cause, the browsers' developers might share some responsibility for failing to vet the programs, assuming they were distributed via their marketplaces. But the hack is still bad news for Facebook. The embattled network has had a terrible year for data security and questions will be asked about whether it  is proactive enough in responding to situations like this that affect large numbers of people. The BBC Russian Service emailed the address listed alongside the hacked details, posing as a buyer interested in buying two million accounts' details. The advertiser was asked whether the breached accounts were the same as those involved in either the Cambridge Analytica scandal or the subsequent security breach revealed in September. A reply in English came from someone calling themself John Smith. He said that the information had nothing to do with either data leak. He claimed that his hacking group could offer data from 120 million users, of whom 2.7 million were Russians. But Digital Shadows told the BBC that this claim was doubtful because it was unlikely Facebook would have missed such a large breach. John Smith did not explain why he had not advertised his services more widely. And when asked whether the leaks were linked to the Russian state or to the Internet Research Agency - a group of hackers linked to the Kremlin - he replied: \"No.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2539, "answer_end": 3583, "text": "Personal shopping assistants, bookmarking applications and even mini-puzzle games are all on offer from various browsers such as Chrome, Opera and Firefox as third-party extensions. The little icons sit alongside your URL address bar patiently waiting for you to click on them. According to Facebook, it was one such extension that quietly monitored victims' activity on the platform and sent personal details and private conversations back to the hackers. Facebook has not named the extensions it believes were involved but says the leak was not its fault. Independent cyber-experts have told the BBC that if rogue extensions were indeed the cause, the browsers' developers might share some responsibility for failing to vet the programs, assuming they were distributed via their marketplaces. But the hack is still bad news for Facebook. The embattled network has had a terrible year for data security and questions will be asked about whether it  is proactive enough in responding to situations like this that affect large numbers of people."}], "question": "Who should be blamed?", "id": "188_0"}]}]}, {"title": "UK aid money: Generosity or wasted spending?", "date": "21 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A class of Ugandan schoolgirls lines up under a tree. They are waiting to receive the HPV vaccine, which will protect them from cervical cancer. The project is run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance which in turn has received a significant amount of funding from British taxpayers. With a budget of more than PS12bn, the Department for International Development is an arm of government with spending power that is likely to keep growing. The UK has passed a bill that enshrines in law its commitment to spend 0.7% of the country's gross national income on aid every year. But that commitment, while welcomed by some as a mark of British generosity, is dismissed by others as a licence to spend money on projects of dubious value. The Conservative MP and former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell is a staunch defender. \"There is massive need, we can see it in the world today, huge discrepancies of opportunity, deep, deep poverty,\" he says. \"The British development budget is addressing these colossal discrepancies, and it does so extremely effectively.\" The current Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, once advocated scrapping the department she now leads. And since taking up the role, she has stressed that it is in Britain's \"national interest\" to invest across the world, to alleviate poverty and suffering. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in September, Ms Patel said: \"Our aid programme forms a crucial part of Britain's soft power around the world. \"When people in refugee camps or remote communities see the Union Jack displayed proudly on our emergency supplies, they know they have a friend and an ally in Britain.\" Some believe that world view may be given extra impetus by the need to forge trade deals, in the wake of Brexit. But Kirsty McNeill, executive director of policy and campaigns at Save the Children, says we should give because we can. \"If I saw a drowning man in the Thames on the way home tonight and I saved him, it may well do wonders for my reputation, but that's not why I do it - I do it because if you can save a life, you should save a life,\" she says. Jonathan Foreman, author of Aiding and Abetting: Foreign Aid Failures and the 0.7% Deception, takes a far more sceptical view. He says that far from being good for the national image, if money is handed over to people in a country who are known to be powerful and corrupt, it can be very damaging. \"People in those countries think you must have known it was a corrupt country, you must have known that school was not going to be built, and then they think you are in league with the people whose mis-governance is making this country such an impoverished place,\" he says. There are other pitfalls too. Owen Barder, from the Centre for Global Development think tank, says: \"The US and in the past the EU shipped a lot of food aid from our own countries. \"It was in the national interest to buy it from our farmers and ship it there, but it was much more expensive. \"Our aid saved many fewer lives, and we drove local farmers and local suppliers out of business.\" Given that \"promoting global prosperity\" is among Dfid's priorities, putting local traders out of business is not part of the plan. But Michela Wrong, the author of It's our turn to Eat - which looks at corruption in Kenya, believes there is another problem with the UK's choice of aid partners. She points to countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda, which, she says, are not particularly good at promoting democracy and human rights but are successful at building schools and improving maternal health. \"Is that model really sustainable?\" she asks. Mr Mitchell accepts this is not ideal but says the aid relationship is not with the governments but with the people. And if you withdraw the aid, \"you're taking girls out of school, or stopping farmers accruing the knowledge to be able to feed themselves and their locality\". One of Ms Patel's priorities is to deliver value for money in aid - but some in the aid world argue it is not always easy to measure outcomes. You may be able to count the number of children that have been given access to a school, but how can you assess the quality of the education they have received? Many of these arguments have been thrashed out in the development world for decades, but Mr Barder says the problems traditionally linked to aid should have an even bigger resonance now because they try to address shared problems. \"Like climate change, which we have to tackle together, problems of conflict and insecurity, problems of global health, of inequality and those requiring shared policy solutions, aid is part of the solution,\" says Mr Barder. \"The votes we have seen on Brexit and Donald Trump are the people saying to the politicians, 'You are not addressing these problems fast enough and in the way we need.'\" But as electorates reject global trade deals and multinational groupings such as the EU, it may be more difficult than ever to persuade countries to work together. At the same time, the problems of poverty and inequality are being fuelled by conflict, corruption and political instability. In Uganda, the plan is to end the support for the vaccination programme by 2020, when it is hoped the country will be wealthier. But for the moment, British taxpayers will continue to help protect the health of Ugandan children.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 725, "answer_end": 5383, "text": "The Conservative MP and former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell is a staunch defender. \"There is massive need, we can see it in the world today, huge discrepancies of opportunity, deep, deep poverty,\" he says. \"The British development budget is addressing these colossal discrepancies, and it does so extremely effectively.\" The current Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel, once advocated scrapping the department she now leads. And since taking up the role, she has stressed that it is in Britain's \"national interest\" to invest across the world, to alleviate poverty and suffering. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in September, Ms Patel said: \"Our aid programme forms a crucial part of Britain's soft power around the world. \"When people in refugee camps or remote communities see the Union Jack displayed proudly on our emergency supplies, they know they have a friend and an ally in Britain.\" Some believe that world view may be given extra impetus by the need to forge trade deals, in the wake of Brexit. But Kirsty McNeill, executive director of policy and campaigns at Save the Children, says we should give because we can. \"If I saw a drowning man in the Thames on the way home tonight and I saved him, it may well do wonders for my reputation, but that's not why I do it - I do it because if you can save a life, you should save a life,\" she says. Jonathan Foreman, author of Aiding and Abetting: Foreign Aid Failures and the 0.7% Deception, takes a far more sceptical view. He says that far from being good for the national image, if money is handed over to people in a country who are known to be powerful and corrupt, it can be very damaging. \"People in those countries think you must have known it was a corrupt country, you must have known that school was not going to be built, and then they think you are in league with the people whose mis-governance is making this country such an impoverished place,\" he says. There are other pitfalls too. Owen Barder, from the Centre for Global Development think tank, says: \"The US and in the past the EU shipped a lot of food aid from our own countries. \"It was in the national interest to buy it from our farmers and ship it there, but it was much more expensive. \"Our aid saved many fewer lives, and we drove local farmers and local suppliers out of business.\" Given that \"promoting global prosperity\" is among Dfid's priorities, putting local traders out of business is not part of the plan. But Michela Wrong, the author of It's our turn to Eat - which looks at corruption in Kenya, believes there is another problem with the UK's choice of aid partners. She points to countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda, which, she says, are not particularly good at promoting democracy and human rights but are successful at building schools and improving maternal health. \"Is that model really sustainable?\" she asks. Mr Mitchell accepts this is not ideal but says the aid relationship is not with the governments but with the people. And if you withdraw the aid, \"you're taking girls out of school, or stopping farmers accruing the knowledge to be able to feed themselves and their locality\". One of Ms Patel's priorities is to deliver value for money in aid - but some in the aid world argue it is not always easy to measure outcomes. You may be able to count the number of children that have been given access to a school, but how can you assess the quality of the education they have received? Many of these arguments have been thrashed out in the development world for decades, but Mr Barder says the problems traditionally linked to aid should have an even bigger resonance now because they try to address shared problems. \"Like climate change, which we have to tackle together, problems of conflict and insecurity, problems of global health, of inequality and those requiring shared policy solutions, aid is part of the solution,\" says Mr Barder. \"The votes we have seen on Brexit and Donald Trump are the people saying to the politicians, 'You are not addressing these problems fast enough and in the way we need.'\" But as electorates reject global trade deals and multinational groupings such as the EU, it may be more difficult than ever to persuade countries to work together. At the same time, the problems of poverty and inequality are being fuelled by conflict, corruption and political instability. In Uganda, the plan is to end the support for the vaccination programme by 2020, when it is hoped the country will be wealthier. But for the moment, British taxpayers will continue to help protect the health of Ugandan children."}], "question": "Soft power?", "id": "189_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'Nobody puts Shetland in a box'", "date": "30 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "MSPs have effectively banned public bodies from putting Shetland in a box in maps in official documents. What is going on? Shetland is more than 100 miles away from the Scottish mainland, as the crow flies. It takes 12 hours to get there from the mainland on a ferry. It is, by any measure, quite far away. But looking at a lot of maps, that might not be immediately clear. Often as not, Shetland might show up enclosed in a box in the Moray Firth or in the North Sea off Aberdeenshire. This isn't a new thing. The National Library of Scotland's map collection includes various examples dating back to the middle of the 17th Century where Shetland - and indeed Orkney - are corralled into boxes. Examples abound, from bank notes to the covers of government reports. But one representative of the islands fears that such maps are not properly representative of the islands. Tavish Scott, the Lib Dem MSP for Shetland, says that putting the islands in a box causes people to forget about the challenges they face on account of their remote location. He said: \"The logistics of getting to and from Shetland are all too often forgotten, and this has had an impact on the crucial economies of the islands, for instance the movement of oil, gas and seafood. \"Recognising where Shetland is located would go a long way to understanding the challenges we face as an island.\" This isn't just an issue for Shetland, either. Despite being closer to the mainland, Orkney has been affected too, according to MSP Liam McArthur, a Lib Dem colleague of Mr Scott. He said using boxes is not a superficial issue, but one which \"gives rise to a misconception about our islands\" - namely that they are \"a good deal closer to the mainland than is actually the case\". Cartographers argue that because maps are drawn to scale, at a certain point they are left with a choice between having Shetland in a box or not on the map at all. Mapping agency Ordnance Survey says that using inset boxes avoids \"publishing maps which are mostly sea\". A spokesman for the company said: \"The Shetland Islands are approximately 245km (152 miles) from the Scottish mainland, from the most northerly part of the Shetland Islands to John O' Groats, and 690km (428 miles) from the most southerly point of the Scottish and English border. \"It would be virtually impossible to print a paper map, with any usable detail, of this vast geography.\" Mapmakers also point out that Shetland is far from alone in this regard. Elsewhere in the UK, the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall are routinely boxed, while two of the United States of America - Alaska and Hawaii - often get the same treatment. Mr Scott has been campaigning for a \"Shetland mapping requirement\" to be put down in law. This would require public authorities to display the islands \"in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland\" whenever they publish a map of the country. Basically, it would bar public bodies from putting Shetland in a box - or publish their reasons for why they feel they have to. Islanders themselves are quite squarely behind Mr Scott's complaint - asked by the BBC, local residents described map boxes as \"really annoying\", \"silly\" and \"ridiculous\", saying that \"we should be where we belong\". A Facebook group campaigning to \"get Shetland on the map\" has gathered more than 1,600 followers. This might not sound like a huge number, but it would represent more than 7% of the islands' population. The group collects examples of maps which place Shetland in weird and wonderful locations - including, faintly embarrassingly for Mr Scott, some Liberal Democrat campaign material which transported the islands to a spot off Fraserburgh. There was also cross-party sympathy when Mr Scott first raised the issue at Holyrood's rural economy committee. SNP backbencher John Mason - no stranger to cartographic controversy, given his previous insistence that Skye is not an island - said he was \"enthusiastic\" about the idea of banning boxes. This was echoed by SNP member Richard Lyle - via a brief diversion around his annoyance at the shape of the BBC weather map - and Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene agreed that \"nobody puts Shetland in a box\". However, fellow Tory Peter Chapman said he had consulted map specialists who thought it would be \"inappropriate\" to bar mapmakers from using boxes. He said this would reduce the scale of maps of the whole of Scotland by 40% - a \"loss of detail\" for much of the mainland just to add in \"a whole chunk of sea\". Mr Scott has managed to get his mapping rule onto the statute book via an amendment to the Islands (Scotland) Bill. Humza Yousaf, the Scottish government's minister for the islands, accepted that this is a \"really serious issue\" in perception of the islands, saying he wouldn't want his Glasgow Pollok constituency to be depicted elsewhere in the central belt - \"or, heaven forfend, Edinburgh\". He put forward an amendment to Mr Scott's amendment giving public bodies a bit more of a get-out clause, saying they could still go against the \"mapping requirement\" if they published their reasons for doing so, but otherwise threw the government's backing behind the plan. And although Mr Chapman again raised his complaint about reduced scale, the amended amendment was agreed unanimously. This means that when the newly-passed bill becomes law, nobody - or at least, no public bodies - will be able to put Shetland in a box.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 123, "answer_end": 872, "text": "Shetland is more than 100 miles away from the Scottish mainland, as the crow flies. It takes 12 hours to get there from the mainland on a ferry. It is, by any measure, quite far away. But looking at a lot of maps, that might not be immediately clear. Often as not, Shetland might show up enclosed in a box in the Moray Firth or in the North Sea off Aberdeenshire. This isn't a new thing. The National Library of Scotland's map collection includes various examples dating back to the middle of the 17th Century where Shetland - and indeed Orkney - are corralled into boxes. Examples abound, from bank notes to the covers of government reports. But one representative of the islands fears that such maps are not properly representative of the islands."}], "question": "What's the issue?", "id": "190_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 873, "answer_end": 1744, "text": "Tavish Scott, the Lib Dem MSP for Shetland, says that putting the islands in a box causes people to forget about the challenges they face on account of their remote location. He said: \"The logistics of getting to and from Shetland are all too often forgotten, and this has had an impact on the crucial economies of the islands, for instance the movement of oil, gas and seafood. \"Recognising where Shetland is located would go a long way to understanding the challenges we face as an island.\" This isn't just an issue for Shetland, either. Despite being closer to the mainland, Orkney has been affected too, according to MSP Liam McArthur, a Lib Dem colleague of Mr Scott. He said using boxes is not a superficial issue, but one which \"gives rise to a misconception about our islands\" - namely that they are \"a good deal closer to the mainland than is actually the case\"."}], "question": "What harm does the box do?", "id": "190_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1745, "answer_end": 2641, "text": "Cartographers argue that because maps are drawn to scale, at a certain point they are left with a choice between having Shetland in a box or not on the map at all. Mapping agency Ordnance Survey says that using inset boxes avoids \"publishing maps which are mostly sea\". A spokesman for the company said: \"The Shetland Islands are approximately 245km (152 miles) from the Scottish mainland, from the most northerly part of the Shetland Islands to John O' Groats, and 690km (428 miles) from the most southerly point of the Scottish and English border. \"It would be virtually impossible to print a paper map, with any usable detail, of this vast geography.\" Mapmakers also point out that Shetland is far from alone in this regard. Elsewhere in the UK, the Isles of Scilly off Cornwall are routinely boxed, while two of the United States of America - Alaska and Hawaii - often get the same treatment."}], "question": "Why does this happen?", "id": "190_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2642, "answer_end": 3089, "text": "Mr Scott has been campaigning for a \"Shetland mapping requirement\" to be put down in law. This would require public authorities to display the islands \"in a manner that accurately and proportionately represents their geographical location in relation to the rest of Scotland\" whenever they publish a map of the country. Basically, it would bar public bodies from putting Shetland in a box - or publish their reasons for why they feel they have to."}], "question": "What's to be done?", "id": "190_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3090, "answer_end": 4569, "text": "Islanders themselves are quite squarely behind Mr Scott's complaint - asked by the BBC, local residents described map boxes as \"really annoying\", \"silly\" and \"ridiculous\", saying that \"we should be where we belong\". A Facebook group campaigning to \"get Shetland on the map\" has gathered more than 1,600 followers. This might not sound like a huge number, but it would represent more than 7% of the islands' population. The group collects examples of maps which place Shetland in weird and wonderful locations - including, faintly embarrassingly for Mr Scott, some Liberal Democrat campaign material which transported the islands to a spot off Fraserburgh. There was also cross-party sympathy when Mr Scott first raised the issue at Holyrood's rural economy committee. SNP backbencher John Mason - no stranger to cartographic controversy, given his previous insistence that Skye is not an island - said he was \"enthusiastic\" about the idea of banning boxes. This was echoed by SNP member Richard Lyle - via a brief diversion around his annoyance at the shape of the BBC weather map - and Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene agreed that \"nobody puts Shetland in a box\". However, fellow Tory Peter Chapman said he had consulted map specialists who thought it would be \"inappropriate\" to bar mapmakers from using boxes. He said this would reduce the scale of maps of the whole of Scotland by 40% - a \"loss of detail\" for much of the mainland just to add in \"a whole chunk of sea\"."}], "question": "What do other people think?", "id": "190_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4570, "answer_end": 5492, "text": "Mr Scott has managed to get his mapping rule onto the statute book via an amendment to the Islands (Scotland) Bill. Humza Yousaf, the Scottish government's minister for the islands, accepted that this is a \"really serious issue\" in perception of the islands, saying he wouldn't want his Glasgow Pollok constituency to be depicted elsewhere in the central belt - \"or, heaven forfend, Edinburgh\". He put forward an amendment to Mr Scott's amendment giving public bodies a bit more of a get-out clause, saying they could still go against the \"mapping requirement\" if they published their reasons for doing so, but otherwise threw the government's backing behind the plan. And although Mr Chapman again raised his complaint about reduced scale, the amended amendment was agreed unanimously. This means that when the newly-passed bill becomes law, nobody - or at least, no public bodies - will be able to put Shetland in a box."}], "question": "So what happened?", "id": "190_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Theresa May denies 'rolling over' on deal", "date": "27 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Theresa May has denied claims from DUP leader Arlene Foster that she had \"given up\" on negotiations before agreeing the Brexit deal. Mrs Foster said the PM's trip to promote the deal to businesses in Wales and Northern Ireland was a \"waste of time\" as Parliament would not back it. Meanwhile, former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon told the BBC the deal was \"doomed\" and must be renegotiated. Mrs May insists it protects the \"vital interests\" of the whole of the UK. After enduring criticism of the Brexit withdrawal agreement in the Commons on Monday, the prime minister began the next day rejecting US President Donald Trump's suggestions that the deal could threaten future US-UK trade deals. And as she travelled to Wales and Northern Ireland, promising that her Brexit plans would strengthen \"every corner\" of the UK, she came under fire from Mrs Foster, whose party has a parliamentary pact to support the Conservative government in key votes. \"The disappointing thing for me is that the prime minister has given up and she is saying... we just have to accept it,\" Mrs Foster told the BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg. \"She may have given up on further negotiations and trying to find a better deal but I have not.\" Sir Michael Fallon's decision to come out against the deal is another blow to the prime minister, who is struggling to muster support in Parliament ahead of a Commons vote on 11 December. Labour, the Lib Dems, SNP and Democratic Unionists have all said they will reject the terms of the UK's withdrawal, and future relations negotiated by Mrs May. Many Tories have also said publicly they are opposed to Mrs May's Brexit deal with the EU. Brexiteers fear it will keep the UK too closely tied to EU rules, making it harder to strike future trade deals with other countries. If MPs voted against the deal, the government would have up to 21 days to tell the Commons \"how it proposes to proceed\" and a further seven to move a motion allowing MPs to express their views. New laws would have to be passed if the UK wanted to avoid the default position of leaving without a deal on 29 March next year. Sir Michael, who was previously regarded as a loyalist, now argues that Mrs May's deal \"would see the UK give up its power to influence EU rules and regulations in return for vague assurances over future trade\". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was the \"worst of all worlds\" and that Mr Trump's criticism of its repercussions for transatlantic relations \"could not simply be brushed off\". However, the prime minister is continuing to make the case for the agreement, which she says delivers on the 2016 referendum vote in key areas and is in the national interest. During a visit to an agricultural show in Builth Wells in Powys, Mrs May said: \"We have already been talking to [the US] about the sort of agreement that we could have in the future... that is working very well.\" When it was put to her that Mrs Foster had implied she \"rolled over\", Mrs May replied: \"No, we have been resisting many of the things that the European Union wanted to put in this deal. When you negotiate neither side gets 100% of what they want.\" Speaking later, in Northern Ireland, Mrs May said she had been given a \"clear message\" by businesses that the deal was in the national interest as it provided certainty. \"The overwhelming message I get is this is a deal that does deliver for constituents,\" she added. Under the proposed agreement, the UK would not be able to bring into force any trade deal with a country outside the EU until the end of the proposed transition period - currently scheduled to last until 31 December 2020. In reality, any bilateral agreement between the UK and the US is likely to take years to negotiate given its complexity, differing standards in areas such as agriculture, and the fact it would require ratification by the US Congress. In other developments: - Other political parties have demanded to be involved in any televised Brexit debate, after Theresa May challenged Jeremy Corbyn to a head-to-head encounter - Research published by the London School of Economics, King's College and the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests the PM's Brexit deal could leave the economy as much as 5.5% smaller in 10 years time than it would be if the UK stayed in the EU - Judges at the European Court of Justice have concluded a four-hour hearing on whether the UK can call off the process of leaving the EU without permission from member states, with a verdict due at a later date - Labour has called for the government's full legal advice on the Brexit deal to be published this week. Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that decision was for the prime minister - The Brexit deal will make Scotland poorer,  Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says - Companies looking to stockpile surplus supplies of fresh food in the run-up to Brexit in March may be too late, an industry official tells MPs - NHS Brexit contingency plans could be enacted before Christmas, Parliament has heard. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told an MPs' committee that invitations to tender had been issued for refrigeration and storage worth \"in the low tens of millions\" Sir Michael said the 29 March 2019 date for Brexit, which is enshrined in UK law, may have to be pushed back to give negotiators the time to make major improvements to the agreement. All 28 EU states would need to agree to extend the Article 50 process of negotiations to allow this to happen, something Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out. Cabinet Office David Lidington said he did not think doing this \"would get us anywhere\" as the EU had made clear this was the only deal on the table. He told Today there was no \"Plan B\" and the agreement was a \"decent compromise\" which would provide a springboard to the next stage of negotiations on the two sides' future relationship.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5193, "answer_end": 5871, "text": "Sir Michael said the 29 March 2019 date for Brexit, which is enshrined in UK law, may have to be pushed back to give negotiators the time to make major improvements to the agreement. All 28 EU states would need to agree to extend the Article 50 process of negotiations to allow this to happen, something Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out. Cabinet Office David Lidington said he did not think doing this \"would get us anywhere\" as the EU had made clear this was the only deal on the table. He told Today there was no \"Plan B\" and the agreement was a \"decent compromise\" which would provide a springboard to the next stage of negotiations on the two sides' future relationship."}], "question": "Could Brexit be delayed?", "id": "191_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Chairman Mao letter to Clement Attlee fetches \u00a3605,000", "date": "15 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A 1937 letter from Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong to then-Labour Party leader Clement Attlee has sold at auction for PS605,000 ($918,000). In the letter, Mao asks Attlee for \"practical assistance\" in battling Japanese troops who had invaded China. Auctioneers Sotheby's said the historical letter was an \"exceptionally rare\" example of Mao's signature. The lot far exceeded its PS100,000-150,000 estimate and was bought by a Chinese private collector. In the typed letter signed by Mao, the communist leader tells then-opposition leader Mr Attlee: \"We believe that the British people, when they know the truth about Japanese aggression in China, will rise in support of the Chinese people, will organise practical assistance on their behalf, and will compel their own government to adopt a policy of active resistance to a danger that ultimately threatens them no less than ourselves.\" The letter was written from Yan'an in north-west China, where the communists set up their headquarters following the Japanese invasion. Sotheby's said the timing of the communication was significant because Attlee had started to lead the party away from its \"long-held pacifist position\", and became \"a major critic of the Conservative government's policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany and her allies\". Mao's letter was sent to Atlee by the journalist James Bertram, who added an accompanying note to Attlee advising the British politician to \"keep the enclosed letter, if only as a curiosity\". Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby's specialist in books and manuscripts said the letter was \"an extraordinarily early instance of Mao engaging in international diplomacy, and is an exceptionally rare example of Mao's signature\". He added it was \"only the second document signed by Mao to appear on the international auction market in recent decades.\" The sale, in London, comes after several weeks of interest in China following the much-publicised four-day visit to the UK by Chinese President Xi Jinping in October. Chinese history gained further attention last month when Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell threw a copy of the Chinese Communist Party leader's Little Red Book at Chancellor George Osborne in Parliament, claiming UK assets were being sold to the Chinese. Elsewhere on Tuesday, a red prime ministerial dispatch box belonging to the late Margaret Thatcher has sold at auction for PS242,500. Born in 1893, Mao Zedong was one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party and was an influential 20th Century thinker. He helped build the Red Army, led it on a 6,000-mile \"long march\" to escape its nationalist foes, and emerged as the most powerful party figure. After victory over the nationalists in 1949, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China and became its first leader. His policies resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2401, "answer_end": 2857, "text": "Born in 1893, Mao Zedong was one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party and was an influential 20th Century thinker. He helped build the Red Army, led it on a 6,000-mile \"long march\" to escape its nationalist foes, and emerged as the most powerful party figure. After victory over the nationalists in 1949, Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China and became its first leader. His policies resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people."}], "question": "Who was Mao Zedong?", "id": "192_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico may be months without power", "date": "21 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hurricane Maria has knocked out power across the island of Puerto Rico, home to 3.5m people, officials have said. Flash flood warnings cover the entire island, which continues to be lashed by heavy rain in the storm's wake. Meanwhile more pictures are emerging of widespread destruction on the small island of Dominica, hit on Monday. Maria, now a category three storm, has been lashing the Dominican Republic further west and heading towards the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the second devastating storm to hit the Caribbean this hurricane season - the first being category five Irma earlier in September. US President Donald Trump said the storm had \"totally obliterated\" the US territory, and pledged to visit Puerto Rico. The island's Governor Ricardo Rossello described the hurricane as \"the most devastating storm in a century\" and said that Maria had hit the island's electricity grid so badly that it could take months to restore power. In pictures: Maria aftermath on Puerto Rico The storm is being blamed for at least 10 deaths across the Caribbean. In Puerto Rico one man died after being struck by a board he had used to cover his windows. The authorities have warned people to move to higher ground amid \"catastrophic\" flooding, and with up to 30in (76cm) more rain predicted by Saturday. Images shared on social media show roofs being stripped away as winds as strong as 140mph (225km/h) whipped trees and power lines in Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan. \"God is with us; we are stronger than any hurricane,\" Mr Rossello said. \"Together we will rise again.\" The governor has asked President Donald Trump to declare the island a disaster area after the storm unleashed heavy flooding and life-threatening winds, and damaged infrastructure across the territory. The US president is yet to do so, but has made federal emergency aid available. Hurricane Maria: What to do before, during and after By Will Grant in San Juan, Puerto Rico Not far down the coast from the Puerto Rican capital, the small town of Catano is trying to pick itself up after Hurricane Maria. The massive storm hit the town with incredible power when it swept over the island, tearing roofs off homes, flooding many houses and even destroying entire buildings. The whole town is now gingerly making its way outside to begin the daunting task of clearing up. Some though, have nowhere to start. I spoke to one resident, Juan Romero as he surveyed what's left of his house: a tangled pile of wooden beams, rubble and twisted metal. \"All I own is the clothes I'm wearing,\" he told me. Nevertheless he was just thankful to have survived. His neighbour then called me over to see her kitchen, its roof ripped clean off. Evelyn had also lost much, all her possessions are soaked and need replacing. However, it was concern for her aged mother that moved her to tears. At 101 years old she is too frail to be made to live elsewhere at this stage in life. Just as I was leaving their street, a small piece of good news: Juan Romero found his two cats that had been missing in the ruins of his home, Blanca and Negra. Drenched and scared, they were at least alive. \"They'd had me worried\", Juan said with obvious relief. The storm has cut a swathe through the Caribbean on its north-westerly trajectory, hitting Dominica on Monday night. At least 15 people are dead and 20 others are missing on Dominica after Hurricane Maria, the Caribbean island's prime minister has said. Homes have been flattened, schools have been destroyed, telecommunications have been cut off and the island's main hospital is still without electricity, he said. On Thursday CNN posted footage from a flight over the island showing scattered debris from homes ripped open and thousands of broken trees. An adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Hartley Henry, said on Facebook: \"The country is in a daze - no electricity, no running water - as a result of uprooted pipes in most communities and definitely [no] landline or cellphone services on island, and that will be for quite a while.\" Images from the capital, Roseau, show some streets knee-deep in debris. Aid agencies have been preparing to go to Dominica to provide relief. Hours before reaching Puerto Rico, Maria barrelled through the St Croix in the US Virgin Islands as a category five storm, sustaining winds of up to 175mph (281km/h). The French territory of Guadeloupe suffered flooding on Monday and one person was killed by a falling tree and another died on the seafront. At least two others were missing after their ship sank near Desirade, the easternmost island in the archipelago. Are you in an area affected by Hurricane Maria? Share your experience: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3202, "answer_end": 4614, "text": "The storm has cut a swathe through the Caribbean on its north-westerly trajectory, hitting Dominica on Monday night. At least 15 people are dead and 20 others are missing on Dominica after Hurricane Maria, the Caribbean island's prime minister has said. Homes have been flattened, schools have been destroyed, telecommunications have been cut off and the island's main hospital is still without electricity, he said. On Thursday CNN posted footage from a flight over the island showing scattered debris from homes ripped open and thousands of broken trees. An adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Hartley Henry, said on Facebook: \"The country is in a daze - no electricity, no running water - as a result of uprooted pipes in most communities and definitely [no] landline or cellphone services on island, and that will be for quite a while.\" Images from the capital, Roseau, show some streets knee-deep in debris. Aid agencies have been preparing to go to Dominica to provide relief. Hours before reaching Puerto Rico, Maria barrelled through the St Croix in the US Virgin Islands as a category five storm, sustaining winds of up to 175mph (281km/h). The French territory of Guadeloupe suffered flooding on Monday and one person was killed by a falling tree and another died on the seafront. At least two others were missing after their ship sank near Desirade, the easternmost island in the archipelago."}], "question": "What happened in Dominica?", "id": "193_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Airbnb is not an estate agent, EU court rules", "date": "19 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The accommodation-booking service Airbnb does not need an estate agent's licence to operate in France, Europe's top court has ruled. The French tourism association had complained that Airbnb did not comply with French property laws. It means the app's users avoid a threat of disruption to its service in the country. Had the court ruled the other way it would have served as a precedent for other EU regulators. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)'s decision was based on its determination that Airbnb was an \"information society service\" rather than a property broker. The judges involved also drew a distinction between Airbnb and Uber on the basis of how much control the property-booking app had over transactions on its service. Airbnb said it would \"move forward and continue working with cities\". Airbnb is designed to let people rent out spare rooms or entire properties to holiday-makers on a short-term basis. France's Association for Professional Tourism and Accommodation (AHTOP) complained that Airbnb was acting as an estate agency without a licence, breaching a local act known as the Hoguet Law. Airbnb argued that it was protected by EU laws on \"electronic commerce\". The CJEU said it was satisfied that Airbnb was an \"information society service\" rather than an estate agent because: - Airbnb's platform was not simply an \"ancillary\" or add-on service to a wider property business - property owners were able to offer their homes for rent through other channels - Airbnb did not set or cap the rent charged by home-owners In addition, it said the French authorities had failed to inform the European Commission about the Hoguet Law at the time the EU directive on electronic commerce was being prepared. It suggested France's \"failure to fulfil its obligation\" could be used as a defence in future court cases. In December 2017, the CJEU ruled that car-sharing company Uber was a taxi firm and not simply an \"information society service\". The CJEU said the case against Airbnb was \"unlike\" the one made against Uber, because it could not establish that Airbnb had a \"decisive influence\" over the accommodation offered on its platform. Airbnb does not determine the rental price charged for property, and lets customers choose which home to rent. In contrast, Uber sets the fare for rides in its app, and assigns each passenger a driver.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 819, "answer_end": 1199, "text": "Airbnb is designed to let people rent out spare rooms or entire properties to holiday-makers on a short-term basis. France's Association for Professional Tourism and Accommodation (AHTOP) complained that Airbnb was acting as an estate agency without a licence, breaching a local act known as the Hoguet Law. Airbnb argued that it was protected by EU laws on \"electronic commerce\"."}], "question": "What was the case about?", "id": "194_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1200, "answer_end": 1843, "text": "The CJEU said it was satisfied that Airbnb was an \"information society service\" rather than an estate agent because: - Airbnb's platform was not simply an \"ancillary\" or add-on service to a wider property business - property owners were able to offer their homes for rent through other channels - Airbnb did not set or cap the rent charged by home-owners In addition, it said the French authorities had failed to inform the European Commission about the Hoguet Law at the time the EU directive on electronic commerce was being prepared. It suggested France's \"failure to fulfil its obligation\" could be used as a defence in future court cases."}], "question": "What did the court find?", "id": "194_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1844, "answer_end": 2369, "text": "In December 2017, the CJEU ruled that car-sharing company Uber was a taxi firm and not simply an \"information society service\". The CJEU said the case against Airbnb was \"unlike\" the one made against Uber, because it could not establish that Airbnb had a \"decisive influence\" over the accommodation offered on its platform. Airbnb does not determine the rental price charged for property, and lets customers choose which home to rent. In contrast, Uber sets the fare for rides in its app, and assigns each passenger a driver."}], "question": "Why is Airbnb different to Uber?", "id": "194_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What went wrong for Woodford and why it matters", "date": "4 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Stockpicker Neil Woodford is unusual. Firstly, he is as close to a household name as is possible from the world of investing. He is unusual among fund managers in shunning the City of London, having based his business in Oxford instead, and scrapping bonuses for staff. His choice of investments is also unusual - sometimes choosing to put money into small businesses with shares not listed on a public stock exchange. Unfortunately for investors who chose to trust him with their money, he has now taken the unusual step of suspending his flagship fund. But the reason is far from unusual: when things started to go wrong, they wanted their money back. A stockpicker - or fund manager - analyses the potential of different stocks to try to decide whether or not they will make a good investment. Investors, ranging from big institutions such as pension funds to ordinary people with some money set aside, put money into his UK Equity Fund. That means your pension may be invested in it without you realising it. The name of the fund is fairly clear. He invests in UK shares and pays an income to investors on a regular basis, which many put back into the fund. They could take their money out whenever they wanted. Mr Woodford's \"star\" status was secured following 25 years of market-beating returns with Invesco Perpetual, partly when he saw through the dotcom boom. But his performance since he went it alone five years ago has been dramatic. In its first year, there were returns of 18% on investors' money, compared with an average rise of only 2% on the London Stock Exchange at the time. However, far from uniquely, this has been followed by struggles in the last couple of years. As a result, the fund has brought very little return for investors who have been in it throughout. Figures from FE Analytics show the fund has made a total return of 0.36% since its launch. That has been a shock to people such as private investor Peter Turlik, from London, who has PS21,000 invested in the fund. He had a five-year plan, but it is not performing well. \"When you are aged 76, you don't want to lose PS3,600, when you are not going to get it back. You don't have time like a 30-year-old,\" he says. He is unhappy with investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown for promoting the fund. \"Trust and confidence begins to trouble you,\" he says. Investors had piled into the fund which, at its peak, had more than PS10bn of people's money in it. Some financial advisers had suggested it to their clients and Hargreaves Lansdown placed it in its Wealth 50 list of favourite funds. \"But its performance didn't live up to the hype and investors and commentators began to lose confidence,\" says Patrick Connolly, from financial advisers Chase de Vere. He says that Mr Woodford's investing style is based on conviction. One of those convictions was a smooth outcome from Brexit, but politics has not played out that way so far. The uncertainty over Brexit has hit UK shares and, in turn, the performance of the fund. Some of the investments chosen by Mr Woodford have, so far, been unsuccessful. Provident Financial, for example, has had its difficulties, as have Kier and Purplebricks. \"The more the performance suffered, the more people wanted to get out,\" says Mr Connolly. The PS10bn-plus fund now only holds PS3.7bn of investors' money. The exodus was a major problem, according to Ryan Hughes, of AJ Bell, as a considerable chunk of the investment was in illiquid holdings - investments that could not quickly be turned back into cash. \"Events such as this are rare, but it is a reminder to all of the risks that come with investing in illiquid assets while offering daily liquidity to investors. This never appears to be a problem when money is flooding in, but when sentiment turns, it can come back to bite investors badly, as has happened here,\" Mr Hughes says. Now investors have been told they cannot redeem their investments, while the fund has been suspended for up to 28 days before another announcement must be made, or it starts trading again. Their underlying investments remain, they will not lose it all, and many argue that pulling out will only crystallise any losses, rather than investing for the long term. Mr Woodford's firm says the suspension will give it \"time to reposition the element of the fund's portfolio invested in unquoted and less liquid stocks, into more liquid investments\". This is a shock for many investors. A star of the sector is having what has been described as a \"dark and terrible moment\". Some will point to this case as proof that paying charges to a \"star\" fund manager to try to beat the market is a waste of time and that, instead, people should invest in a passive tracker fund. Warren Buffett, the world's richest investor, in a letter he wrote to his wife advising her how to invest after his death, suggested putting almost everything into \"a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund\". Others, however, argue that active investment can be successful, but everyone needs to do their homework. \"Never learn how a fund manager invests after they have your money,\" says Mr Hughes. Mr Connolly says it proves investors need to be \"sceptical of the hype and to diversify their investments\". \"Woodford was promoted as some kind of superstar and that is clearly not the case,\" he says. That means not investing in one company or one type of investment, nor with one individual - however diversified their fund might be. \"It all goes back to the old adage of having your eggs in different baskets,\" he says.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 654, "answer_end": 2338, "text": "A stockpicker - or fund manager - analyses the potential of different stocks to try to decide whether or not they will make a good investment. Investors, ranging from big institutions such as pension funds to ordinary people with some money set aside, put money into his UK Equity Fund. That means your pension may be invested in it without you realising it. The name of the fund is fairly clear. He invests in UK shares and pays an income to investors on a regular basis, which many put back into the fund. They could take their money out whenever they wanted. Mr Woodford's \"star\" status was secured following 25 years of market-beating returns with Invesco Perpetual, partly when he saw through the dotcom boom. But his performance since he went it alone five years ago has been dramatic. In its first year, there were returns of 18% on investors' money, compared with an average rise of only 2% on the London Stock Exchange at the time. However, far from uniquely, this has been followed by struggles in the last couple of years. As a result, the fund has brought very little return for investors who have been in it throughout. Figures from FE Analytics show the fund has made a total return of 0.36% since its launch. That has been a shock to people such as private investor Peter Turlik, from London, who has PS21,000 invested in the fund. He had a five-year plan, but it is not performing well. \"When you are aged 76, you don't want to lose PS3,600, when you are not going to get it back. You don't have time like a 30-year-old,\" he says. He is unhappy with investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown for promoting the fund. \"Trust and confidence begins to trouble you,\" he says."}], "question": "What does Neil Woodford do?", "id": "195_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2339, "answer_end": 4403, "text": "Investors had piled into the fund which, at its peak, had more than PS10bn of people's money in it. Some financial advisers had suggested it to their clients and Hargreaves Lansdown placed it in its Wealth 50 list of favourite funds. \"But its performance didn't live up to the hype and investors and commentators began to lose confidence,\" says Patrick Connolly, from financial advisers Chase de Vere. He says that Mr Woodford's investing style is based on conviction. One of those convictions was a smooth outcome from Brexit, but politics has not played out that way so far. The uncertainty over Brexit has hit UK shares and, in turn, the performance of the fund. Some of the investments chosen by Mr Woodford have, so far, been unsuccessful. Provident Financial, for example, has had its difficulties, as have Kier and Purplebricks. \"The more the performance suffered, the more people wanted to get out,\" says Mr Connolly. The PS10bn-plus fund now only holds PS3.7bn of investors' money. The exodus was a major problem, according to Ryan Hughes, of AJ Bell, as a considerable chunk of the investment was in illiquid holdings - investments that could not quickly be turned back into cash. \"Events such as this are rare, but it is a reminder to all of the risks that come with investing in illiquid assets while offering daily liquidity to investors. This never appears to be a problem when money is flooding in, but when sentiment turns, it can come back to bite investors badly, as has happened here,\" Mr Hughes says. Now investors have been told they cannot redeem their investments, while the fund has been suspended for up to 28 days before another announcement must be made, or it starts trading again. Their underlying investments remain, they will not lose it all, and many argue that pulling out will only crystallise any losses, rather than investing for the long term. Mr Woodford's firm says the suspension will give it \"time to reposition the element of the fund's portfolio invested in unquoted and less liquid stocks, into more liquid investments\"."}], "question": "What went wrong?", "id": "195_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4404, "answer_end": 5537, "text": "This is a shock for many investors. A star of the sector is having what has been described as a \"dark and terrible moment\". Some will point to this case as proof that paying charges to a \"star\" fund manager to try to beat the market is a waste of time and that, instead, people should invest in a passive tracker fund. Warren Buffett, the world's richest investor, in a letter he wrote to his wife advising her how to invest after his death, suggested putting almost everything into \"a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund\". Others, however, argue that active investment can be successful, but everyone needs to do their homework. \"Never learn how a fund manager invests after they have your money,\" says Mr Hughes. Mr Connolly says it proves investors need to be \"sceptical of the hype and to diversify their investments\". \"Woodford was promoted as some kind of superstar and that is clearly not the case,\" he says. That means not investing in one company or one type of investment, nor with one individual - however diversified their fund might be. \"It all goes back to the old adage of having your eggs in different baskets,\" he says."}], "question": "What lessons are there for investors?", "id": "195_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Will the US and China finally agree a trade deal?", "date": "30 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Top trade officials from the US and China are meeting in Washington as a deadline to strike a deal approaches. This is the second round of talks since Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met in Argentina last year and agreed to negotiate in the hope of defusing an escalating tariff war. There is widespread scepticism that the two sides can reach a substantive deal by the 1 March deadline. Recent charges against Huawei have added to the complications. At a press conference this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow made few promises. \"Let me just remind people, we do have another 30 days after this so my expectation is we'll make significant progress at these meetings, but I would just emphasize these are complicated issues,\" Mr Mnuchin said. Last week, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the two sides remained \"miles and miles\" apart. The Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier Liu He, a close economic adviser of Mr Xi, and central bank governor Yi Gang. They will meet with the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro. Mr Trump has long blamed China's rise as an exporter for a loss of manufacturing and other jobs in the US. But the issues facing the two countries are broader than the trade deficit. The US is pressing China to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies and other support. It has also accused the government of supporting technology theft as part of its broader development strategy. The US imposed tariffs on $250bn worth of Chinese goods last year. China retaliated in kind, hitting $110bn of US products with duties. The moves rattled financial markets and contributed to worries about economic slowdown in both countries, especially in China. That has generated pressure for a deal, but it remains uncertain if the two sides will be able to overcome their differences. Chinese officials are resistant to the wholesale changes sought by the US and the charges against Huawei - one of China's biggest and most successful technology firms - have added to the political tensions. Meanwhile, Mr Trump, a self-described \"Tariff Man\", rejected a previous proposal from Beijing to resolve the dispute with increased purchases of US goods. China has reportedly expanded that offer in recent weeks. And at times, Mr Trump has seemed eager to assure the public that an agreement remains within reach. It would make \"so much sense\" for China to \"finally do a Real Deal\", he wrote on Twitter this month. If the two sides cannot reach an agreement by 1 March, the US has said it will increase the tariff rate from 10% to 25% on Chinese goods worth an estimated $200bn. Mr Trump has also threatened tariffs on an additional $267bn worth of products. With White House advisors reportedly divided, the focus is on Mr Trump, who is scheduled to meet with Mr Liu in Washington this week as part of the talks. Mr Trump may decide a deal would boost his political standing after a bruising fight with Democrats over border wall funding and the government shutdown. But he could also hope to shore up his base with protectionism. Analysts at Capital Economics said: \"We think the two countries may just be able to reach a face-saving agreement to tide them over in the short term and avoid an escalation.\" For now, odds favour the limited truce lasting a little longer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1141, "answer_end": 1587, "text": "Mr Trump has long blamed China's rise as an exporter for a loss of manufacturing and other jobs in the US. But the issues facing the two countries are broader than the trade deficit. The US is pressing China to make changes to its economic policies, which it says unfairly favour domestic companies through subsidies and other support. It has also accused the government of supporting technology theft as part of its broader development strategy."}], "question": "What is the fight about?", "id": "196_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1588, "answer_end": 2598, "text": "The US imposed tariffs on $250bn worth of Chinese goods last year. China retaliated in kind, hitting $110bn of US products with duties. The moves rattled financial markets and contributed to worries about economic slowdown in both countries, especially in China. That has generated pressure for a deal, but it remains uncertain if the two sides will be able to overcome their differences. Chinese officials are resistant to the wholesale changes sought by the US and the charges against Huawei - one of China's biggest and most successful technology firms - have added to the political tensions. Meanwhile, Mr Trump, a self-described \"Tariff Man\", rejected a previous proposal from Beijing to resolve the dispute with increased purchases of US goods. China has reportedly expanded that offer in recent weeks. And at times, Mr Trump has seemed eager to assure the public that an agreement remains within reach. It would make \"so much sense\" for China to \"finally do a Real Deal\", he wrote on Twitter this month."}], "question": "Where do the two countries stand now?", "id": "196_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2599, "answer_end": 3455, "text": "If the two sides cannot reach an agreement by 1 March, the US has said it will increase the tariff rate from 10% to 25% on Chinese goods worth an estimated $200bn. Mr Trump has also threatened tariffs on an additional $267bn worth of products. With White House advisors reportedly divided, the focus is on Mr Trump, who is scheduled to meet with Mr Liu in Washington this week as part of the talks. Mr Trump may decide a deal would boost his political standing after a bruising fight with Democrats over border wall funding and the government shutdown. But he could also hope to shore up his base with protectionism. Analysts at Capital Economics said: \"We think the two countries may just be able to reach a face-saving agreement to tide them over in the short term and avoid an escalation.\" For now, odds favour the limited truce lasting a little longer."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "196_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Four ships 'sabotaged' in the Gulf of Oman amid tensions", "date": "13 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Four commercial ships were targets of a \"sabotage attack\" off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, the country's foreign affairs ministry has said. The incident reportedly took place near Fujairah port, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, but caused no casualties. Saudi Arabia confirmed that two Saudi oil tankers sustained \"significant damage\". Another vessel was Norwegian-registered, whilst the fourth was reportedly UAE-flagged. Iran, which borders the strait, has called for a full investigation. Tensions are high in the region. About a fifth of oil that is consumed globally passes through the area. Last month, Iran threatened to \"close\" the Strait of Hormuz if it was prevented from using the waterway. This followed a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major importers of Iranian oil. The US has deployed warships to the region in recent days to counter what it called \"clear indications\" of threats from Iran to its forces and maritime traffic. Iran dismissed that allegation as nonsense. A US military official told the BBC that, at the UAE's request, America had send \"a team of experienced investigators\" to help determine the cause of the damage. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unplanned visit to Brussels on Monday to discuss Iran with European foreign ministers. Few details have been released about the incident, which is said to have taken place at about 06:00 (02:00 GMT) on Sunday within the UAE's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the emirate of Fujairah. The UAE foreign ministry said on Sunday that it was investigating. The ministry also denied as \"baseless and unfounded\" media reports of fires and explosions at Fujairah port, and insisted operations at the facility were normal. On Monday morning, the official Saudi Press Agency quoted the country's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih as saying two Saudi oil tankers had been among the ships targeted. \"One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States,\" he added. Industry sources told the BBC that the Saudi tankers affected were the Amjad and Al Marzoqah. Saudi TV has shown images of the damaged Saudi ships,  and a picture released by the UAE shows a Norwegian-flagged vessel, Andrea Victory, with damage to its hull. Thome Ship Management, a Norwegian firm which manages the ship, said in a statement that it had been \"struck by an unknown object on the waterline\" while anchored off Fujairah. No crew members were harmed. News agency Reuters reports that the fourth vessel is the UAE-flagged A. Michel, a fuel bunker barge. Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said it had seen pictures showing that \"at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon\", Reuters news agency reported. Whoever was behind this offshore incident, it adds yet one more layer to the increasingly complex strategic picture in the Gulf. The White House accuses Iran of threatening its interests in the Gulf - without saying how exactly - and has dispatched an aircraft carrier group and amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, hoping to intimidate Tehran. The US has also sent a squadron of B52 bombers to an airbase in Qatar, a country that actually enjoys friendly relations with Iran. The Iranians, for their part, have hinted that \"a third country\" could be to blame - historically, that has tended to mean Israel - and have called for a full investigation. Oil tankers have been attacked in the region before, by al-Qaeda off Yemen in 2002, by Somali maritime pirates in the Gulf of Oman, and more recently by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Until verified facts emerge it will be hard to ascertain who is to blame in this case.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1310, "answer_end": 2885, "text": "Few details have been released about the incident, which is said to have taken place at about 06:00 (02:00 GMT) on Sunday within the UAE's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the emirate of Fujairah. The UAE foreign ministry said on Sunday that it was investigating. The ministry also denied as \"baseless and unfounded\" media reports of fires and explosions at Fujairah port, and insisted operations at the facility were normal. On Monday morning, the official Saudi Press Agency quoted the country's energy minister, Khalid al-Falih as saying two Saudi oil tankers had been among the ships targeted. \"One of the two vessels was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude oil from the port of Ras Tanura, to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's customers in the United States,\" he added. Industry sources told the BBC that the Saudi tankers affected were the Amjad and Al Marzoqah. Saudi TV has shown images of the damaged Saudi ships,  and a picture released by the UAE shows a Norwegian-flagged vessel, Andrea Victory, with damage to its hull. Thome Ship Management, a Norwegian firm which manages the ship, said in a statement that it had been \"struck by an unknown object on the waterline\" while anchored off Fujairah. No crew members were harmed. News agency Reuters reports that the fourth vessel is the UAE-flagged A. Michel, a fuel bunker barge. Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said it had seen pictures showing that \"at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon\", Reuters news agency reported."}], "question": "What do we know about the incident?", "id": "197_0"}]}]}, {"title": "N Korea senior intelligence officer 'defects to South'", "date": "11 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A senior North Korean military officer who oversaw spying operations has defected, say South Korean officials. The officer has not been named, but the defence ministry in Seoul said he was a senior colonel in the Reconnaissance General Bureau and left last year. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a source as saying the colonel was seen as elite by other defectors. More than 28,000 people have fled North Korea since the end of the Korean War, but high level defections are rare. Last week, 13 North Koreans who had been working in one of the North's restaurants abroad defected as a group. Yonhap said a number of senior political figures had defected while working overseas recently. It quoted government officials as saying this was a sign the leadership of Kim Jong-un was cracking. Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said the South could not release further information on the colonel. One unnamed official told Yonhap the man was the highest-level military official ever to have defected. \"He is believed to have stated details about the bureau's operations against South Korea to the authorities here,\" said the official. The Reconnaissance General Bureau handles intelligence gathering and spying operations, as well as cyber warfare, said Yonhap. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul said such a figure would likely have valuable information about the workings of Kim Jong-un's government. For most North Koreans it is almost impossible. The borders are heavily guarded and few people have the resources to fund an escape. Those who do make it out usually cross the river borders into China. They either lay low to avoid being sent back by China to face severe punishment, or try to reach a third country. There are many cases of diplomats, athletes, musicians and others defecting and claiming asylum while representing North Korea in other countries. Some border guards have simply walked away from their posts. Relatives they leave behind are almost certain to face persecution or jail. Interrogated for playing the wrong tune Numbers are not widely available but dozens of senior level officials are thought to have defected in the past few years. The most high-profile defection to date was Hwang Jang-yop, a politician who was considered the architect of North Korea's policy of \"juche\", or self-reliance. He claimed asylum at the South Korean embassy in Beijing while on a work visit in 1997. He died in 2010. About 29,000 people have defected in total since the 1950s, though numbers have fallen in recent years. Any North Korean who makes it to the South enters into a rehabilitation programme and is given an aid package to help them start a new life. Despite this, many find it hard to adjust. High-level defectors are questioned closely for valuable information, and to ensure they are not acting as double agents. South Korea denies North's Korea's accusations that it is enticing people to defect. The North Korean defectors who want to return home", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2049, "answer_end": 2539, "text": "Numbers are not widely available but dozens of senior level officials are thought to have defected in the past few years. The most high-profile defection to date was Hwang Jang-yop, a politician who was considered the architect of North Korea's policy of \"juche\", or self-reliance. He claimed asylum at the South Korean embassy in Beijing while on a work visit in 1997. He died in 2010. About 29,000 people have defected in total since the 1950s, though numbers have fallen in recent years."}], "question": "How many senior North Koreans have left?", "id": "198_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mueller report: Subpoena issued for unredacted version", "date": "20 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A subpoena demanding the release of the full report into Russian meddling during the 2016 election has been issued, amid claims the current version \"leaves most of Congress in the dark\". Democrat Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House judiciary committee, argued it is entitled to an unredacted version. Mr Trump's legal team argues it completely exonerates the president. The Department of Justice has reacted by calling the subpoena \"premature and unnecessary\". It said it would \"continue to work with Congress to accommodate its legitimate requests consistent with the law and long-recognised executive branch interests\". Elizabeth Warren became the first Democratic presidential candidate to call for Mr Trump to be impeached. \"The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty,\" said the Massachusetts senator. The 448-page redacted document is the result of a 22-month investigation by Robert Mueller, who was appointed to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. It includes large swathes of redactions, which Mr Nadler says \"appear to be significant\" in revealing how Special Counsel Mueller and his team came to their conclusions Democrats have promised to continue pursuing Donald Trump following the release of the report on Thursday. Mr Mueller's report says he found no criminal conspiracy between Mr Trump's campaign and Russia, but could not reach a concrete legal conclusion on whether Mr Trump tried to obstruct the investigation. \"If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,\" the report says. \"Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgement. \"Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.\" The report also reveals: - Mr Trump instructed a White House lawyer to try to get Mr Mueller removed over alleged \"conflicts of interest\", but the lawyer resigned because \"he did not plan\" to follow the directive - Mr Mueller examined 10 actions by the president in regards to obstruction of justice, which he said largely \"took place in public view\" - The report says that potential obstruction of justice by the president only failed because members of his administration refused to \"carry out orders\" However, about 10% of the report is redacted - which means it may include yet more revelations. Mr Nadler issued the subpoena for the full, unredacted version on Friday, giving the US attorney general until 1 May to respond. \"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice,\" Mr Nadler said. \"The redactions appear to be significant. We have so far seen none of the actual evidence that the Special Counsel developed to make this case.\" Democrats had already vowed to call Mr Mueller to publicly testify before congress about the work he has done, with Congresswoman Jackie Speier telling the BBC that Mr Mueller had \"basically tossed the ball to Congress and said, 'you need to pursue obstruction of justice here'.\" Democrats have also attacked US Attorney-General William Barr, accusing him of \"misleading\" them with an earlier summary of the report's findings regarding whether Mr Trump obstructed justice. Mr Barr held a news conference before the report was made public in which he backed the president. Mr Trump celebrated on Thursday, saying it was a \"good day\" and that there was \"no collusion\" and \"no obstruction\". But first thing on Friday he took to Twitter to attack \"the Crazy Mueller Report\" which he said was written by \"Angry Democrat Trump Haters\" and was \"fabricated\" and \"totally untrue\". Representatives for the president had earlier reiterated his view that the investigation was a \"hoax\" and called for reprisal inquiries. \"President Trump has been fully and completely exonerated yet again,\" Mr Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. \"Now the tables have turned, and it's time to investigate the liars who instigated this sham investigation into President Trump, motivated by political retribution and based on no evidence whatsoever.\" Russia has dismissed the findings of the report, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it contained \"no new information\". \"As a whole the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US,\" Mr Peskov told reporters on Friday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1409, "answer_end": 2595, "text": "Mr Mueller's report says he found no criminal conspiracy between Mr Trump's campaign and Russia, but could not reach a concrete legal conclusion on whether Mr Trump tried to obstruct the investigation. \"If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,\" the report says. \"Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgement. \"Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.\" The report also reveals: - Mr Trump instructed a White House lawyer to try to get Mr Mueller removed over alleged \"conflicts of interest\", but the lawyer resigned because \"he did not plan\" to follow the directive - Mr Mueller examined 10 actions by the president in regards to obstruction of justice, which he said largely \"took place in public view\" - The report says that potential obstruction of justice by the president only failed because members of his administration refused to \"carry out orders\" However, about 10% of the report is redacted - which means it may include yet more revelations."}], "question": "What's in the report?", "id": "199_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2596, "answer_end": 3587, "text": "Mr Nadler issued the subpoena for the full, unredacted version on Friday, giving the US attorney general until 1 May to respond. \"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice,\" Mr Nadler said. \"The redactions appear to be significant. We have so far seen none of the actual evidence that the Special Counsel developed to make this case.\" Democrats had already vowed to call Mr Mueller to publicly testify before congress about the work he has done, with Congresswoman Jackie Speier telling the BBC that Mr Mueller had \"basically tossed the ball to Congress and said, 'you need to pursue obstruction of justice here'.\" Democrats have also attacked US Attorney-General William Barr, accusing him of \"misleading\" them with an earlier summary of the report's findings regarding whether Mr Trump obstructed justice. Mr Barr held a news conference before the report was made public in which he backed the president."}], "question": "What do Democrats say?", "id": "199_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3588, "answer_end": 4364, "text": "Mr Trump celebrated on Thursday, saying it was a \"good day\" and that there was \"no collusion\" and \"no obstruction\". But first thing on Friday he took to Twitter to attack \"the Crazy Mueller Report\" which he said was written by \"Angry Democrat Trump Haters\" and was \"fabricated\" and \"totally untrue\". Representatives for the president had earlier reiterated his view that the investigation was a \"hoax\" and called for reprisal inquiries. \"President Trump has been fully and completely exonerated yet again,\" Mr Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. \"Now the tables have turned, and it's time to investigate the liars who instigated this sham investigation into President Trump, motivated by political retribution and based on no evidence whatsoever.\""}], "question": "How has Mr Trump responded?", "id": "199_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4365, "answer_end": 4673, "text": "Russia has dismissed the findings of the report, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying it contained \"no new information\". \"As a whole the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US,\" Mr Peskov told reporters on Friday."}], "question": "How have the Russians reacted?", "id": "199_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Chris Martin and Damon Albarn campaign to free Uganda's Bobi Wine", "date": "22 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some of music's biggest names, including Chris Martin, Angelique Kidjo and Damon Albarn, have signed a petition calling for the release of Bobi Wine, a Ugandan MP and pop star. The opposition politician, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been in detention for more than a week. The musicians have condemned his \"vicious\" treatment in custody. Bobi Wine's lawyers say he has been seriously assaulted in detention, which the military denies. He is due to appear before a military court on Thursday to face charges relating to the illegal possession of firearms. The petition was started by Rikki Stein, the former manager for Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti - a fearless critic of Nigeria's military regimes during his lifetime. \"It's like a re-run of Fela. He was often beaten for speaking out,\" he told the BBC. The more than 80 signatories also include Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, U2 bassist Adam Clayton, The Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde and Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel. He was detained, along with more than 30 other people, in the run-up to last week's bitterly fought by-election in the north-western town of Arua. He and President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, were in the area campaigning for their rival candidates. The authorities say opposition lawmakers led supporters to attack the president's convoy with stones. Bobi Wine's driver was later shot dead. The ruling party went on to lose the seat to opposition candidate Kassiano Wadri, who also remains in custody and is facing treason charges. The authorities say weapons and ammunition were found in Bobi Wine's hotel room in Arua. The charges are widely viewed as politically motivated and aimed at silencing a prominent critic of the president. He is a successful Afrobeats star, known for a repertoire of catchy tunes that touch on poverty and social justice issues. The lifestyle and love life of the self-styled \"ghetto president\", which refers to his upbringing in the poorest slum of the capital, became tabloid fodder. He shifted gears in 2017, cutting off his dreads and donning sharp suits as he turned his eye to Ugandan politics. He went on to beat more established candidates by a landslide in a by-election and became the MP for Kyadondo East in central Uganda. In a country where more than three-quarters of the population is under the age of 30, Bobi Wine might have demographics on his side. He has been described as a magnetic presence and a skilled orator, who has the potential to galvanise the country's youth. He told the BBC in 2017 that he wanted to be the voice of the younger generation. \"I am going to stand up for issues. I'm here to give young people confidence,\" he said. He might also have a knack of being kingmaker. In the past year, three candidates backed by Bobi Wine have won parliamentary seats in by-elections. Yes. Bobi Wine, who campaigns under the slogan \"people power\", has styled himself as the voice of the ordinary people. He protested with activists against a social media tax introduced to boost state revenue, which the government has since backtracked on. Bobi Wine was also one of the leading critics of a push to scrap the constitutional upper age limit, set at 75, for presidential candidates. But the change was signed into law and will allow 74-year-old Mr Museveni to run for a sixth term in 2021. Bobi Wine's popularity could make him President Museveni biggest challenger in the 2021 elections and his arrest has only helped to push him into the international eye. Political tension has risen in the country since his arrest. His lawyers say Bobi Wine was so badly beaten in military custody that he could barely see, talk or walk when he first appeared before a military court last week - an allegation Mr Museveni labelled as \"fake news\". Pockets of protests have nonetheless broken out over his detention and that of several other opposition MPs. Human Rights Watch has called for independent investigation into the shooting of Bobi Wine's driver. While the US, Mr Museveni's key ally, has weighed in against reports of \"brutal treatment\" against journalists, MPs and protesters \"at the hands of security forces\", according to a statement by the US embassy in Uganda. On Tuesday, Uganda's army made a rare apology after soldiers were caught on film beating up a journalist. Dele Sosimi, who started his career as Fela Kuti's keyboard player, told the BBC that he signed the petition about Bobi Wine because \"it's alarming to see the rule of law and basic human rights cast aside\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1006, "answer_end": 1764, "text": "He was detained, along with more than 30 other people, in the run-up to last week's bitterly fought by-election in the north-western town of Arua. He and President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, were in the area campaigning for their rival candidates. The authorities say opposition lawmakers led supporters to attack the president's convoy with stones. Bobi Wine's driver was later shot dead. The ruling party went on to lose the seat to opposition candidate Kassiano Wadri, who also remains in custody and is facing treason charges. The authorities say weapons and ammunition were found in Bobi Wine's hotel room in Arua. The charges are widely viewed as politically motivated and aimed at silencing a prominent critic of the president."}], "question": "Why was Bobi Wine arrested?", "id": "200_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2294, "answer_end": 2867, "text": "In a country where more than three-quarters of the population is under the age of 30, Bobi Wine might have demographics on his side. He has been described as a magnetic presence and a skilled orator, who has the potential to galvanise the country's youth. He told the BBC in 2017 that he wanted to be the voice of the younger generation. \"I am going to stand up for issues. I'm here to give young people confidence,\" he said. He might also have a knack of being kingmaker. In the past year, three candidates backed by Bobi Wine have won parliamentary seats in by-elections."}], "question": "Why is he so popular?", "id": "200_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2868, "answer_end": 3371, "text": "Yes. Bobi Wine, who campaigns under the slogan \"people power\", has styled himself as the voice of the ordinary people. He protested with activists against a social media tax introduced to boost state revenue, which the government has since backtracked on. Bobi Wine was also one of the leading critics of a push to scrap the constitutional upper age limit, set at 75, for presidential candidates. But the change was signed into law and will allow 74-year-old Mr Museveni to run for a sixth term in 2021."}], "question": "Is he upsetting the status quo?", "id": "200_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Khmer Rouge leaders found guilty of Cambodia genocide", "date": "16 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "For the first time, two leaders of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia have been convicted of genocide. His deputy Nuon Chea, 92, and head of state Khieu Samphan, 87, faced trial on charges of exterminating Cham Muslim and ethnic Vietnamese communities. This was the first genocide verdict given by the UN-backed tribunal on Pol Pot's brutal 1975-1979 regime. Up to two million people, mostly from the Khmer majority, are believed to have died during those four years. But the larger-scale killings of the Cambodian population do not fit the narrow definition of genocide under international law, says BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head, and have instead been prosecuted as crimes against humanity. Friday's verdicts will almost certainly be the last from an unusual attempt at transnational justice that has lasted more than a decade, our correspondent adds. The pair were also found guilty of a litany of other crimes, including the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, enslavement and torture. The two men - already serving life sentences for crimes against humanity from a separate trial - have again been sentenced to life. They are two of only three people ever convicted by the tribunal, which has faced criticism for its slow pace and for being subject to alleged political interference. Judge Nil Nonn read out the lengthy and much-anticipated ruling to a courtroom in Phnom Penh full of people who suffered under the Khmer Rouge. He described the terror of the regime, and spoke of forced marriages where couples were ordered to have children. But the landmark moment came when Nuon Chea was found guilty of genocide for the attempt to wipe out Cham Muslims and ethnic Vietnamese Cambodians, and Khieu Samphan was found guilty of genocide against the ethnic Vietnamese. Researchers estimate that 36% of the Cham population of 300,000 died under the Khmer Rouge. Most of the Vietnamese community were deported, and the 20,000 who remained were all killed. The Khmer Rouge's crimes have long been referred to as the \"Cambodian genocide\", but academics and journalists have debated for years as to whether what they did amounts to that crime. The UN Convention on Genocide speaks of \"intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group\". So prosecutors at the tribunal tried to prove that the Khmer Rouge specifically tried to do that to these groups - something some experts, including Pol Pot biographer Philip Short, say they did not. During the trial, a 1978 speech from Pol Pot was cited in which he said that there was \"not one seed\" of Vietnamese to be found in Cambodia. And historians say that indeed a community of a few hundred thousand was reduced to zero by deportations or killings. Apart from being targeted in mass executions, Cham victims have said they were banned from following their religion and forced to eat pork under the regime. The verdict today may not end the debate completely, but victims groups have long waited for this symbol of justice. \"They brought suffering to my relatives\" 72-year-old Cham Muslim Los Sat, who lost many family members, told the AFP news agency at the court. \" I am really satisfied with the sentences.\" Led by Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge was a radical Maoist movement founded by French-educated intellectuals. They sought to create a self-reliant, agrarian society: cities were emptied and residents forced to work on rural co-operatives. Many were worked to death while others starved as the economy imploded. During the four violent years they were in power from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed all those perceived to be enemies - intellectuals, minorities, former government officials - and their families. The scale and brutality of the killings - many of them meticulously documented by officials - means the regime remains one of the bloodiest of the 20th Century. The regime was defeated in a Vietnamese invasion in 1979. Pol Pot fled and remained free until 1997 - he died under house arrest a year later. This could be the final decision of the tribunal, officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Established in 2006 with both Cambodian and international judges, it has so far only convicted three people for the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime at a cost of $300m (PS232m). In 2010 it convicted Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who was in charge of the infamous Tuol Sleng torture centre and prison in Phnom Penh. He is serving a life sentence. Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary was a co-defendant with Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea but died before judges delivered a verdict in the first of the two sub-trials in 2014. His wife Ieng Thirith, the regime's social affairs minister and the fourth co-defendant, was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial and died in 2015. Although there are cases against four other Khmer Rouge members, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been vocal about his opposition to the tribunal starting any new trials and there is little chance this will happen. A former mid-level member of the Khmer Rouge regime himself, he says his people want to move on and that further prosecutions could lead to violence. The Khmer Rouge waged an insurgency after they were toppled from power, although thousands defected to the government in the 1990s before the group disbanded completely in 1999. There are parts of the country where victims and perpetrators live side by side in villages. But many Cambodians pay little attention to the tribunal, and young people in particular are keen for their country to be known for something other than the \"Killing Fields\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1996, "answer_end": 3230, "text": "The Khmer Rouge's crimes have long been referred to as the \"Cambodian genocide\", but academics and journalists have debated for years as to whether what they did amounts to that crime. The UN Convention on Genocide speaks of \"intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group\". So prosecutors at the tribunal tried to prove that the Khmer Rouge specifically tried to do that to these groups - something some experts, including Pol Pot biographer Philip Short, say they did not. During the trial, a 1978 speech from Pol Pot was cited in which he said that there was \"not one seed\" of Vietnamese to be found in Cambodia. And historians say that indeed a community of a few hundred thousand was reduced to zero by deportations or killings. Apart from being targeted in mass executions, Cham victims have said they were banned from following their religion and forced to eat pork under the regime. The verdict today may not end the debate completely, but victims groups have long waited for this symbol of justice. \"They brought suffering to my relatives\" 72-year-old Cham Muslim Los Sat, who lost many family members, told the AFP news agency at the court. \" I am really satisfied with the sentences.\""}], "question": "Why is the genocide verdict significant?", "id": "201_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3231, "answer_end": 4084, "text": "Led by Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge was a radical Maoist movement founded by French-educated intellectuals. They sought to create a self-reliant, agrarian society: cities were emptied and residents forced to work on rural co-operatives. Many were worked to death while others starved as the economy imploded. During the four violent years they were in power from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed all those perceived to be enemies - intellectuals, minorities, former government officials - and their families. The scale and brutality of the killings - many of them meticulously documented by officials - means the regime remains one of the bloodiest of the 20th Century. The regime was defeated in a Vietnamese invasion in 1979. Pol Pot fled and remained free until 1997 - he died under house arrest a year later."}], "question": "Who were the Khmer Rouge?", "id": "201_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4085, "answer_end": 5716, "text": "This could be the final decision of the tribunal, officially called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Established in 2006 with both Cambodian and international judges, it has so far only convicted three people for the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime at a cost of $300m (PS232m). In 2010 it convicted Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who was in charge of the infamous Tuol Sleng torture centre and prison in Phnom Penh. He is serving a life sentence. Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary was a co-defendant with Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea but died before judges delivered a verdict in the first of the two sub-trials in 2014. His wife Ieng Thirith, the regime's social affairs minister and the fourth co-defendant, was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial and died in 2015. Although there are cases against four other Khmer Rouge members, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been vocal about his opposition to the tribunal starting any new trials and there is little chance this will happen. A former mid-level member of the Khmer Rouge regime himself, he says his people want to move on and that further prosecutions could lead to violence. The Khmer Rouge waged an insurgency after they were toppled from power, although thousands defected to the government in the 1990s before the group disbanded completely in 1999. There are parts of the country where victims and perpetrators live side by side in villages. But many Cambodians pay little attention to the tribunal, and young people in particular are keen for their country to be known for something other than the \"Killing Fields\"."}], "question": "Why is this tribunal controversial?", "id": "201_2"}]}]}, {"title": "How the internet misled you in 2015", "date": "27 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It was another busy year for journalists debunking fake or misleading images on social media. In 2015, many pictures and videos went viral, some for all the wrong reasons. There were deliberate fakes created to deceive the public and then there were misleading images shared, often during breaking news situations, that were entirely unrelated to the story. Were you caught out by any of these? This was one of the most shared photos in the wake of the Nepal earthquake in April. It's not a fake, but misleading nonetheless. Labelled as showing a \"two-year-old sister protected by four-year-old brother in Nepal\", it was shared across Facebook and Twitter and prompted calls for donations. The photograph was actually taken in a remote village in Vietnam back in 2007. \"This is perhaps my most shared photo,\" says the photographer Na Son Nguyen, \"but unfortunately in the wrong context.\" Also during the earthquake, a video appeared on YouTube and Facebook, labelled as security camera footage from a pool in a Kathmandu hotel. It was used by international media to show the effects of the country's worst earthquake in 81 years. In fact, it was an old video that dates back possibly to 2010, during an earthquake in Mexico. The time stamp was altered but people still recognised it, with one YouTube watcher warning, \"They drag out this video every time there is a big earthquake.\" Many misleading images were shared during the crisis, including a video of a crumbling building that was actually from Egypt. And, perhaps in a sign of how all-pervasive misleading images can be, it was featured in Facebook's year in review video round-up. Incredible pictures that appeared to show a man documenting his journey from Senegal to Spain popped up on Instagram during the summer. The selfies of Abdou Diouf from Dakar were an internet hit, garnering thousands of followers and lots of encouraging comments. However, there was some scepticism over his use of unlikely hashtags like #InstaLovers and #RichKidsofInstagram and, indeed, it turned out to be an elaborate marketing campaign for a photography festival in northern Spain. At the height of the refugee and migrant crisis, a set of alarming before-and-after pictures started to spread on Facebook. \"Remember this guy? Posing in ISIS photos last year - now he's a refugee,\" wrote one person. The man in the photo has since been identified as Laith al-Saleh, a former commander of the Free Syrian Army, a group of moderate rebels that oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He fled Syria and arrived in Macedonia in August 2015. After learning the truth, the man who shared it apologised. As news broke of the co-ordinated attacks on Paris in November, confusion around the story was added to by a series of rumours and misleading images. A particularly serious case was this picture, completely inaccurately mislabelled on social media as showing the crowd at the Bataclan theatre just before gunmen began firing. The picture was actually from an earlier concert, in Dublin's Olympia Theatre, and had been posted on the band's Facebook page the day before the attacks. This widely retweeted image purported to show the empty streets of Paris in the aftermath of the gun and suicide bomb attacks. The picture was actually from a project called Silent World, where photography tricks are used to imagine cities as they might appear at the end of the world. When a man allegedly stabbed three people at a London Tube station in December, a bystander shouted \"You Ain't No Muslim, Bruv\" and a hashtag was born. One of the most retweeted images showed an inspiring picture of a London Underground Tube sign, including the hashtag. London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan was among those who shared it. Unfortunately, while the sentiment was genuine, the sign was fake. It appears to have been created from a sign generator app. The story of a divorced German man, who sawed all his possessions in half and then put them up for sale, fooled a lot of people - including some in the media - in June. The eBay auction was real, the story was not. After the video went viral, with some 4.5 million views on YouTube, the German Bar Association came forward to admit they made it up. as part of a marketing campaign. Sometimes you have to do things by halves, they suggested.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2126, "answer_end": 2640, "text": "At the height of the refugee and migrant crisis, a set of alarming before-and-after pictures started to spread on Facebook. \"Remember this guy? Posing in ISIS photos last year - now he's a refugee,\" wrote one person. The man in the photo has since been identified as Laith al-Saleh, a former commander of the Free Syrian Army, a group of moderate rebels that oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He fled Syria and arrived in Macedonia in August 2015. After learning the truth, the man who shared it apologised."}], "question": "A refugee posing as an IS fighter?", "id": "202_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ex-Trump aide Manafort charged with US tax fraud over Ukraine work", "date": "30 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump's former presidential campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. The 12 charges brought against Mr Manafort and one of his business associates, Rick Gates, include conspiracy to launder money. They stem from an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election. It has emerged that another adviser to Mr Trump admitted this month to lying about his links to Russia. George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his dealings with an unnamed overseas academic who allegedly informed him that the Russians possessed \"dirt\" on Mr Trump's presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton. The charges against Mr Manafort and Mr Gates do not relate to Mr Trump's campaign but to the alleged concealment of payments from the pair's Ukrainian business dealings up to 2016. An investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into any links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Both sides deny any collusion. Responding to news of the charges, Mr Trump tweeted to point out that they did not concern his campaign and asked why \"the focus\" was not on alleged wrongdoing involving Mrs Clinton instead. For years Paul Manafort operated on the fringes of power, a once-influential Washington player who worked with some less-than-savoury international characters because his services were no longer in high demand domestically, the BBC's Anthony Zurcher writes from Washington. Then, like many other politicos in Donald Trump's orbit, he was thrust into the spotlight because more established hands wanted nothing to do with the upstart's presidential campaign. Mr Manafort got his big break but it may end up breaking him. That resulting spotlight has drawn attention to Mr Manafort's past dealings and raised questions about his actions while in at the top of the Trump campaign. The good news for Mr Trump is these charges stem from Mr Manafort's past business dealings, not his campaign efforts. He is being accused of working for years for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians and laundering millions in subsequent payments. It certainly makes Mr Trump's decision to cut Mr Manafort loose last August after details emerged of his Ukrainian ties seem a wise one. The good news has its limits, however. Mr Manafort will be under growing pressure to co-operate with the Mueller investigation. If he offers up useful information about his time during the campaign, this could be just the first domino to fall. The indictment looks at their links to pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015. It says they acted as \"unregistered agents\" of Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and his party, both in opposition and government. Mr Yanukovych was deposed as president in 2014 amid mass unrest over his pro-Russian policies. Mr Manafort is accused of having laundered more than $18m (PS14m) through offshore bank accounts, using it to buy property, goods and services in transactions concealed from the US authorities. He is said to have \"used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle\" in America. Altogether, at least $75m in payments from Ukraine flowed through the accounts, the indictment says. Mr Manafort and his lawyer arrived at an FBI office in Washington on Monday. Mr Gates is accused of having transferred more than $3m from the offshore accounts to other accounts he controlled. He has been ordered to surrender to authorities, according to US media reports. No immediate comment from lawyers for Mr Manafort and Mr Gates was reported after the charges were revealed. Mr Manafort, 68, has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, beginning with Gerald Ford's in 1976. He resigned as chairman of the Trump campaign in August 2016 after being accused over his dealings with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He denies any wrongdoing. US intelligence agencies believe the Russian government sought to help Mr Trump win the election. The justice department statement on Mr Trump's former foreign policy adviser has the potential to damage the US leader because it relates directly to his election campaign. When Mr  Papadopoulos was interviewed by the FBI this January, he told them that his interactions with the foreign professor, who is said to have \"substantial connections to Russian government officials\", had taken place before he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016. But according to the US justice department, his meetings with the professor actually took place after he became an adviser to Mr Trump. The professor only took interest in him because of his new status within the Trump campaign, it is alleged. Mr Papadopoulos admitted having sought to arrange a meeting \"between the Campaign and Russian government officials\". The alleged Russian \"dirt\" on Mrs Clinton took the form of \"thousands of emails\". No further details were given. On Friday, Mr Trump accused Mrs Clinton of links with Moscow. Republican lawmakers have alleged that a uranium deal with a Russian company in 2010, when Mrs Clinton was secretary of state, was sealed in exchange for donations to her husband's charity. A Congressional investigation has been opened into the case. Democrats say it is an attempt to divert attention from the alleged ties between Russia and Mr Trump.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1228, "answer_end": 2531, "text": "For years Paul Manafort operated on the fringes of power, a once-influential Washington player who worked with some less-than-savoury international characters because his services were no longer in high demand domestically, the BBC's Anthony Zurcher writes from Washington. Then, like many other politicos in Donald Trump's orbit, he was thrust into the spotlight because more established hands wanted nothing to do with the upstart's presidential campaign. Mr Manafort got his big break but it may end up breaking him. That resulting spotlight has drawn attention to Mr Manafort's past dealings and raised questions about his actions while in at the top of the Trump campaign. The good news for Mr Trump is these charges stem from Mr Manafort's past business dealings, not his campaign efforts. He is being accused of working for years for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians and laundering millions in subsequent payments. It certainly makes Mr Trump's decision to cut Mr Manafort loose last August after details emerged of his Ukrainian ties seem a wise one. The good news has its limits, however. Mr Manafort will be under growing pressure to co-operate with the Mueller investigation. If he offers up useful information about his time during the campaign, this could be just the first domino to fall."}], "question": "What does this mean for Trump?", "id": "203_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3630, "answer_end": 4005, "text": "Mr Manafort, 68, has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, beginning with Gerald Ford's in 1976. He resigned as chairman of the Trump campaign in August 2016 after being accused over his dealings with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine. He denies any wrongdoing. US intelligence agencies believe the Russian government sought to help Mr Trump win the election."}], "question": "What were Manafort's links to Trump?", "id": "203_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4006, "answer_end": 4924, "text": "The justice department statement on Mr Trump's former foreign policy adviser has the potential to damage the US leader because it relates directly to his election campaign. When Mr  Papadopoulos was interviewed by the FBI this January, he told them that his interactions with the foreign professor, who is said to have \"substantial connections to Russian government officials\", had taken place before he joined the Trump campaign in March 2016. But according to the US justice department, his meetings with the professor actually took place after he became an adviser to Mr Trump. The professor only took interest in him because of his new status within the Trump campaign, it is alleged. Mr Papadopoulos admitted having sought to arrange a meeting \"between the Campaign and Russian government officials\". The alleged Russian \"dirt\" on Mrs Clinton took the form of \"thousands of emails\". No further details were given."}], "question": "How does the Papadopoulos case affect Trump?", "id": "203_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Boris Johnson rules himself out of Conservative leader race", "date": "30 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of the race to be the next Conservative leader and prime minister. In a speech in London - billed as his campaign launch - Mr Johnson said he did not believe he could provide the leadership or unity needed. It comes after Justice Secretary and fellow Brexit campaigner Michael Gove's surprise announcement on Thursday morning that he would run for leader. Home Secretary Theresa May is among the candidates. Nominations closed at noon. Also in the running are Energy minister Andrea Leadsom and former Defence Secretary Liam Fox - who campaigned to leave the EU - and Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb, who backed Remain. The contest was sparked after David Cameron announced he would resign following the EU referendum result, which saw the UK vote by 52% to 48% to leave the EU. Mr Johnson's unexpected - and dramatic - announcement that he would not stand for Tory leader or prime minister, positions he is long thought to have harboured ambitions for, has dramatically altered the race. By Ben Wright, BBC political correspondent \"Shakespearian\" is the word being mumbled by dazed politicians and pundits at Westminster. The ambitions, rivalries and duplicitous double-dealing unleashed before the Tory leadership contest even got underway has left onlookers groping for fictional comparisons. It's Richard III meets Scarface, with a bit of Godfather thrown in. Remember this: David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and  George Osborne grew up together - personally and politically. Their families were close. But the EU referendum ripped through old loyalties. First Michael Gove backed the Leave campaign, knowing the damage it could do to Cameron and Osborne. The chancellor and Gove kept their friendship intact despite the strain of the campaign. But it was Boris Johnson's decision to lead the Leave campaign and put his own ambitions to be prime minister ahead of loyalty to David Cameron that severed his relationship with the now departing PM, destroyed by Leave's victory. Boris Johnson believed the crown would be his and naively believed Michael Gove's promises of support. But now Mr Gove, despite polite protestations he never coveted the top job, has ruthlessly dispatched his friend. What has been going on behind the scenes? The truth will only emerge in memoirs. But my sense is Mr Gove and his team of advisers clearly did not believe Boris Johnson had the spine to fully divorce Britain from the EU. Nor did a number of Tory Mps trust Mr Johnson to deliver the promises he was making in terms of personnel and jobs. When Mr Gove made his move, hardened Brexit believers instantly went with him, sinking Boris Johnson. The irony of course is that Boris Johnson, who did so much to take Britain out of the EU, has seen his own ambitions crushed in the aftermath. It could be that the big winner from this vicious Tory drama is the woman in charge of law and order - Theresa May. Addressing reporters in a new conference just moments before the deadline for nominations passed, Mr Johnson said the next Conservative leader would have to unify his party and ensure that Britain stood tall in the world. \"Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me,\" he said. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it was an \"astonishing turn of events\". Home Secretary Theresa May: The 59-year-old is the bookies' favourite to win the contest. She's held the Home Office brief - often something of a poisoned chalice - since 2010, and is a former Tory party chairman.  She says she can offer the \"strong leadership\" and unity the UK needs, and promised a \"positive vision\" for the country's future. She backed staying in the EU. Justice Secretary Michael Gove: The 48-year-old former newspaper columnist was a key figure in the party's modernisation that led to its return to power in 2010. He was a reforming, if controversial, education secretary between 2010 and 2014, and now holds the Ministry of Justice brief. He was a leading player in the Brexit campaign - which put a strain on his close friendship with David Cameron. He has pitched himself as the candidate that can provide \"unity and change.\" Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb: The 43-year-old was promoted to the cabinet in 2014 as Welsh secretary, and boosted his profile earlier this year when he took over as work and pensions secretary. A rising star of the Tory party he has promised to unite the party and country following the referendum result and provide stability. Raised on a council estate by a single mother, he has a back story to which many Tory MPs are attracted. Backed Remain. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom: The 53-year-old former banker and fund manager was one of the stars of the Leave campaign. A former district councillor, she became MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010 and - after serving as a junior Treasury minister and as a member of the Treasury select committee - she was made a junior minister in the energy and climate change department in May last year. Former cabinet minister Liam Fox: It's second time around for the 54-year-old ex-defence secretary and GP, who came a close third in the 2005 leadership contest. His cabinet career was cut short in 2011 when he resigned following a lobbying row. A Brexit campaigner, and on the right of the party, he has said whoever becomes PM must accept \"the instruction\" of the British people and not \"try to backslide\" over EU membership. Mr Gove - who has pitched himself as a candidate that can offer \"unity and change\" and deliver the Brexit result- had been expected to back Mr Johnson for the leadership. But he said he had concluded that \"Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead\". Justice minister and Leave campaigner Dominic Raab, who switched sides from supporting Mr Johnson to Mr Gove, said the former London mayor's \"cavalier\" attitude had scuppered the plan.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3406, "answer_end": 5542, "text": "Home Secretary Theresa May: The 59-year-old is the bookies' favourite to win the contest. She's held the Home Office brief - often something of a poisoned chalice - since 2010, and is a former Tory party chairman.  She says she can offer the \"strong leadership\" and unity the UK needs, and promised a \"positive vision\" for the country's future. She backed staying in the EU. Justice Secretary Michael Gove: The 48-year-old former newspaper columnist was a key figure in the party's modernisation that led to its return to power in 2010. He was a reforming, if controversial, education secretary between 2010 and 2014, and now holds the Ministry of Justice brief. He was a leading player in the Brexit campaign - which put a strain on his close friendship with David Cameron. He has pitched himself as the candidate that can provide \"unity and change.\" Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb: The 43-year-old was promoted to the cabinet in 2014 as Welsh secretary, and boosted his profile earlier this year when he took over as work and pensions secretary. A rising star of the Tory party he has promised to unite the party and country following the referendum result and provide stability. Raised on a council estate by a single mother, he has a back story to which many Tory MPs are attracted. Backed Remain. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom: The 53-year-old former banker and fund manager was one of the stars of the Leave campaign. A former district councillor, she became MP for South Northamptonshire in 2010 and - after serving as a junior Treasury minister and as a member of the Treasury select committee - she was made a junior minister in the energy and climate change department in May last year. Former cabinet minister Liam Fox: It's second time around for the 54-year-old ex-defence secretary and GP, who came a close third in the 2005 leadership contest. His cabinet career was cut short in 2011 when he resigned following a lobbying row. A Brexit campaigner, and on the right of the party, he has said whoever becomes PM must accept \"the instruction\" of the British people and not \"try to backslide\" over EU membership."}], "question": "Who's in the running?", "id": "204_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Turpin: Shackled siblings found in Perris, California home", "date": "16 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A California couple have been arrested after police found their 13 children allegedly held captive at home, some \"shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks\". David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, were held on charges of torture and child endangerment. The couple's children - aged two to 29 - lived in Perris, 59 miles (95km) south-east of Los Angeles. Officers were alerted by one of the victims, a 17-year-old girl. The teenager - who appeared to be \"only 10 years old and slightly emaciated\" - on Sunday managed to escape and call the emergency number using a mobile phone found inside the house, the Riverside Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Police officers later found \"several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings\". The officers were \"shocked\" to discover that seven of them were actually adults aged between 18 and 29. \"The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty,\" the police said. They are now being treated in local hospitals. The head of one of the hospitals, Mark Uffer, told Reuters news agency: \"It's actually heartbreaking for the staff and it's unbelievable what you see.\" Mr and Mrs Turpin are now being held in jail with bail set at $9m (PS6.5m) each. James Cook, BBC News, Perris On Muir Woods Road there is no hint of the horror inside number 160. This is a smart suburban home with three cars and a people carrier gleaming in the driveway. The curtains are drawn but a decorative Christmas star can be seen hanging in one window. The estate is neat and the houses on the road are spacious but they are close together. It is difficult to imagine how a family could hide such an enormous dark secret here. And yet that is exactly what seems to have happened. Neighbours are now engaged in soul-searching about whether they should have spotted that something was awry. No-one seems to know how long the siblings may have been held captive and, of course, no-one can answer the hardest question of all - why? According to public records, the couple lived in Texas for many years before moving to California in 2010. Mr Turpin has twice been declared bankrupt. At the time of his second bankruptcy he is said to have had a relatively well-paid job as an engineer at aeronautics and defence technology company Northrop Grumman. However, with so many children and his wife not working, records suggest his expenses exceeded his income. The children's grandparents said that they had not seen the family for four or five years. James and Betty Turpin told ABC they were considered a good Christian family in their community and that \"God called on them\" to have so many children. The family's Facebook page shows numerous photos and videos of them, apparently happy and smiling. Many posts contain comments from family or friends. They appear to have renewed their wedding vows several times in recent years, often with their children present. In a YouTube video, the couple are seen renewing their vows at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas. Repeating after an Elvis impersonator, Mr Turpin tells his wife: \"I offer you this ring as a symbol of my love, baby, baby.\" The children laugh along with the impersonator, and clap as the couple kisses. The grandparents said their grandchildren were home-schooled, but it is not entirely clear what that means. On the California Department of Education website, Mr Turpin is listed as the principal of Sandcastle Day School -  a private school operated out of his home. The school was opened in March 2011, the website says. Six pupils were enrolled there, all in different grades. In California, private schools operate outside the jurisdiction of the education department and most regulations. They are directly accountable to students and their parents or guardians, and the state has no authority to monitor or evaluate them. Teachers at private schools in California also do not need to hold a valid state teaching qualification. One neighbour told Reuters that the Turpin family \"were the type that you didn't really get to know anything about them\". \"Why don't we ever see the kids?\" neighbour Kimberly Milligan asked. \"In hindsight, we would have never thought this, but there were red flags. You never don't hear or see nine kids.\" She recalled on one occasion saying hello to the children as they erected a Christmas nativity scene. But she said they stopped to stand frozen still, as if by doing so they would become invisible. She described them looking at her \"like a child who wants to make themselves invisible\". - Argentinian Domingo Bulacio  was jailed for 12 years in 2017 for repeatedly, over 20 years, raping his daughter, who says he kept her as a sex slave from the age of 11 - Cleveland abductor Ariel Castro held three women and a girl in captivity. He was found dead in September 2013 in his cell after being jailed for life the previous month for kidnap, rape and assault - California couple Philip and Nancy Garrido kidnapped 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard and held her captive for 18 years. She was raped. They were jailed for life in 2011 - Krzysztof Bartoszuk held his daughter captive for six years, raping her and fathering two children with her. He was jailed for 10 years by a Polish court in 2010 - Austria's Josef Fritzl fathered seven children with his daughter who he kept locked in a cellar for 24 years. He was found guilty of charges including rape, incest, murder of one of the children and enslavement, and jailed for life in 2009.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 676, "answer_end": 1269, "text": "Police officers later found \"several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings\". The officers were \"shocked\" to discover that seven of them were actually adults aged between 18 and 29. \"The victims appeared to be malnourished and very dirty,\" the police said. They are now being treated in local hospitals. The head of one of the hospitals, Mark Uffer, told Reuters news agency: \"It's actually heartbreaking for the staff and it's unbelievable what you see.\" Mr and Mrs Turpin are now being held in jail with bail set at $9m (PS6.5m) each."}], "question": "What did police find in the house?", "id": "205_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2026, "answer_end": 3254, "text": "According to public records, the couple lived in Texas for many years before moving to California in 2010. Mr Turpin has twice been declared bankrupt. At the time of his second bankruptcy he is said to have had a relatively well-paid job as an engineer at aeronautics and defence technology company Northrop Grumman. However, with so many children and his wife not working, records suggest his expenses exceeded his income. The children's grandparents said that they had not seen the family for four or five years. James and Betty Turpin told ABC they were considered a good Christian family in their community and that \"God called on them\" to have so many children. The family's Facebook page shows numerous photos and videos of them, apparently happy and smiling. Many posts contain comments from family or friends. They appear to have renewed their wedding vows several times in recent years, often with their children present. In a YouTube video, the couple are seen renewing their vows at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas. Repeating after an Elvis impersonator, Mr Turpin tells his wife: \"I offer you this ring as a symbol of my love, baby, baby.\" The children laugh along with the impersonator, and clap as the couple kisses."}], "question": "What do we know about the family?", "id": "205_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3255, "answer_end": 3986, "text": "The grandparents said their grandchildren were home-schooled, but it is not entirely clear what that means. On the California Department of Education website, Mr Turpin is listed as the principal of Sandcastle Day School -  a private school operated out of his home. The school was opened in March 2011, the website says. Six pupils were enrolled there, all in different grades. In California, private schools operate outside the jurisdiction of the education department and most regulations. They are directly accountable to students and their parents or guardians, and the state has no authority to monitor or evaluate them. Teachers at private schools in California also do not need to hold a valid state teaching qualification."}], "question": "What about the children's education?", "id": "205_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3987, "answer_end": 4579, "text": "One neighbour told Reuters that the Turpin family \"were the type that you didn't really get to know anything about them\". \"Why don't we ever see the kids?\" neighbour Kimberly Milligan asked. \"In hindsight, we would have never thought this, but there were red flags. You never don't hear or see nine kids.\" She recalled on one occasion saying hello to the children as they erected a Christmas nativity scene. But she said they stopped to stand frozen still, as if by doing so they would become invisible. She described them looking at her \"like a child who wants to make themselves invisible\"."}], "question": "What do the neighbours say?", "id": "205_3"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea nuclear test: UN vows new measures", "date": "6 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UN Security Council says it will begin work immediately on new measures against North Korea, after Pyongyang said it had tested a hydrogen bomb. The council condemned the test, saying \"a clear threat to international peace and security continues to exist\". This is the North's fourth nuclear test since 2006, but if confirmed would be the first of an H-bomb. However, the US has joined nuclear experts in questioning whether the blast was large enough for such a test. US White House spokesman Josh Earnest said \"initial analysis was not consistent with North Korea's claims of a successful hydrogen bomb test\". He added: \"Nothing that has occurred in the last 24 hours has caused the United States government to change our assessment of North Korea's technical and military capabilities.\" The Security Council held an emergency session on Wednesday. It was called by the US, Japan and South Korea. Uruguay's UN Ambassador Elbio Rosselli, current president of the council, said: \"The members... recalled that they have previously expressed their determination to take further significant measures in the event of another [North Korea] nuclear test. \"In line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, [they] will begin to work immediately on such measures in a new Security Council resolution.\" Mr Earnest said North Korea's isolation had \"deepened as they have sought to engage in increasingly provocative acts\". Japan's ambassador to the UN, Motohide Yoshikawa, called for a swift and robust new UN resolution. He said: \"The authority and credibility of the Security Council will be put in question if it does not take these measures.\" However, he and other members have not spelled out what they will be or when the resolution could be adopted. Russia's UN ambassador said it would be going \"too far\" to say Moscow supported further sanctions. North Korea's tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 triggered UN sanctions, with 20 entities and 12 individuals on a UN blacklist. If an H-bomb test were confirmed, it would mark a major upgrade in North Korea's nuclear capabilities. Hydrogen bombs are more powerful and technologically advanced than atomic weapons, using fusion - the merging of atoms - to unleash massive amounts of energy. Atomic bombs, like the kind that devastated two Japanese cities in World War Two, use fission, or the splitting of atoms. Bruce Bennett, an analyst with the Rand Corporation, was among those casting doubts on Pyongyang's test: \"The bang they should have gotten would have been 10 times greater than what they're claiming.\" A South Korean politician, Lee Cheol-woo, said he was briefed by the country's intelligence agency that the blast \"probably falls short\" of a hydrogen detonation. The rhetoric from the North Korean media was spectacular, announcing the country had carried out a \"world startling event\" - the underground test of a hydrogen bomb. \"People of the DPRK are making a giant stride, performing eye-catching miracles and exploits day by day,\" state media said. That North Korea is still living with its predictable 1950s post-Korean War world view, where the US is the prime aggressor, was made clear too. \"The US is a gang of cruel robbers which has worked hard to bring even a nuclear disaster to the DPRK.\" But despite the rhetoric, outside experts are sceptical about how much of a giant stride had been made. What is not in doubt is the determination of Pyongyang to go down the nuclear path despite widespread condemnation the last time it tested a device. North Korea's dramatic rhetoric Suspicions that North Korea had carried out a nuclear test were raised when an earthquake was registered near the Punggye-ri nuclear site in North Korea at 10:00 Pyongyang time (01:30 GMT), with the tremors rattling Chinese border cities. Hours later, in a surprise announcement, a newsreader on North Korean state TV said: \"The republic's first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10:00 am on January 6, 2016.\" A note signed by North Korea leader Kim Jong-un authorising the test said 2016 should begin with the \"stirring explosive sound\" of a hydrogen bomb. China and Japan are reported to have been trying to detect radiation. Despite North Korea's claims, experts are sceptical that North Korea can make a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile. Observers agree a nuclear explosion of some kind took place and it seems to have been a bit bigger than the last test in 2013, but not nearly big enough to be a full thermonuclear explosion - an \"H-bomb\" - as Pyongyang claims. North Korea has a determination to defy both world opinion and heavy sanctions to reach its nuclear goal. Crucially, its main ally, China, has proved either unwilling or unable to help.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4206, "answer_end": 4334, "text": "Despite North Korea's claims, experts are sceptical that North Korea can make a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile."}], "question": "Can North Korea now launch a nuclear missile?", "id": "206_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4335, "answer_end": 4561, "text": "Observers agree a nuclear explosion of some kind took place and it seems to have been a bit bigger than the last test in 2013, but not nearly big enough to be a full thermonuclear explosion - an \"H-bomb\" - as Pyongyang claims."}], "question": "What do we know about the latest test?", "id": "206_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4562, "answer_end": 4747, "text": "North Korea has a determination to defy both world opinion and heavy sanctions to reach its nuclear goal. Crucially, its main ally, China, has proved either unwilling or unable to help."}], "question": "Why can't the world stop North Korea?", "id": "206_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran plane crash: Tehran won't give Boeing or US black boxes", "date": "9 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran has said it will not hand over black box flight recorders recovered from a plane that crashed with 176 people on board to manufacturer Boeing or to the US. The Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran's airport, leaving no survivors. Under global aviation rules, Iran has the right to lead the investigation. But manufacturers are typically involved and experts say few countries are capable of analysing black boxes. The crash came at a time of high tensions between Iran and the US and just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two air bases housing US forces in Iraq. There is no evidence that the two events are linked. Normally, the US National Transportation Safety Board would have a role to play in any international investigations involving US-made Boeings. But the board must act with permission and in accordance with legislation of the foreign country concerned. In comments published by Iran's conservative Mehr news agency, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAO), Ali Abedzadeh, said: \"We will not give the black box to the manufacturer and the Americans.\" \"This accident will be investigated by Iran's aviation organisation but the Ukrainians can also be present,\" he added. Mr Abedzadeh said it was not yet clear which country would analyse the black boxes - a cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. Boeing said it was \"ready to assist in any way needed\", while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country expected to have a role in the investigation and had offered technical assistance. The Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv had 176 people on board when it crashed in Iran on Wednesday. The majority of passengers were from Iran and Canada. Ukraine's Tehran embassy initially blamed engine failure but later removed the statement, saying any comment regarding the cause of the accident prior to a commission's inquiry was not official. There was good visibility when the plane went down near Iran's capital, according to the Flightradar24 aviation website. Officials from the airline said the crew were experienced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against \"speculation or unchecked theories regarding the catastrophe\" until official reports were ready. Iranian media blamed technical problems and quoted an aviation official who said no emergency had been declared. Mr Abedzadeh said \"terrorism\" had played no role in the crash, according to Mehr. Among the victims were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians including all nine crew, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Britons and three Germans, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said. Fifteen of the dead were children. But the German government later said \"we currently have no knowledge that German citizens are among the victims of the plane crash in Iran\". Iran's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian. That would suggest that 65 of the foreign nationals had dual nationalities. The Ukrainian airline gave a helpline number for further information about passengers: +38-044-581-50-19. Mr Trudeau said 138 passengers on the flight were en route to Canada via Kyiv. \"All people who won't be coming home to their parents, their friends, their colleagues or their family,\" he said. \"All had so much potential, so much life ahead of them\". Flight data from the Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is openly available online. It shows that the plane climbed normally after taking-off from Tehran. It reached nearly 8,000ft (2,400m) before the aircraft's data suddenly disappears. This is unusual and would suggest some type of catastrophic incident on board the plane. We have no evidence at this stage to tell us what caused the incident. According to a former air crash investigator, any suggestion of engine failure feels premature. This possibility can't be ruled out at this early stage but an airliner such as the Boeing 737-800 is designed to keep flying if there is an engine failure. Plus, if there was a failure then we would normally expect the flight data to show the plane's climb becoming less steep. Have you been personally affected by this story? Please get in touch with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1593, "answer_end": 2485, "text": "The Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 to Kyiv had 176 people on board when it crashed in Iran on Wednesday. The majority of passengers were from Iran and Canada. Ukraine's Tehran embassy initially blamed engine failure but later removed the statement, saying any comment regarding the cause of the accident prior to a commission's inquiry was not official. There was good visibility when the plane went down near Iran's capital, according to the Flightradar24 aviation website. Officials from the airline said the crew were experienced. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against \"speculation or unchecked theories regarding the catastrophe\" until official reports were ready. Iranian media blamed technical problems and quoted an aviation official who said no emergency had been declared. Mr Abedzadeh said \"terrorism\" had played no role in the crash, according to Mehr."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "207_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2486, "answer_end": 3363, "text": "Among the victims were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians including all nine crew, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Britons and three Germans, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said. Fifteen of the dead were children. But the German government later said \"we currently have no knowledge that German citizens are among the victims of the plane crash in Iran\". Iran's head of emergency operations said 147 of the victims were Iranian. That would suggest that 65 of the foreign nationals had dual nationalities. The Ukrainian airline gave a helpline number for further information about passengers: +38-044-581-50-19. Mr Trudeau said 138 passengers on the flight were en route to Canada via Kyiv. \"All people who won't be coming home to their parents, their friends, their colleagues or their family,\" he said. \"All had so much potential, so much life ahead of them\"."}], "question": "Who was on board?", "id": "207_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3364, "answer_end": 4135, "text": "Flight data from the Ukrainian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is openly available online. It shows that the plane climbed normally after taking-off from Tehran. It reached nearly 8,000ft (2,400m) before the aircraft's data suddenly disappears. This is unusual and would suggest some type of catastrophic incident on board the plane. We have no evidence at this stage to tell us what caused the incident. According to a former air crash investigator, any suggestion of engine failure feels premature. This possibility can't be ruled out at this early stage but an airliner such as the Boeing 737-800 is designed to keep flying if there is an engine failure. Plus, if there was a failure then we would normally expect the flight data to show the plane's climb becoming less steep."}], "question": "What went wrong?", "id": "207_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan attack: Gunmen killed five in Balochistan hotel", "date": "12 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistan's army says gunmen who attacked a luxury hotel in Balochistan province on Saturday killed four hotel employees and a soldier. The three attackers were also killed during a siege that lasted several hours. Six people were injured. A spokesman for the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the port of Gwadar said there were few guests because of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army said it carried out the attack. The group said that the hotel, the centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project, was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. Militants in Balochistan oppose foreign investments, saying they do not benefit locals. The army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), says three hotel employees and a hotel security guard were killed by the gunmen. A soldier of the Pakistan Navy, named as Abbas Khan, was also killed in the operation to clear the hotel. Two army captains, two more navy soldiers and two hotel employees were injured in the attack. Three gunmen wearing military-style uniforms stormed the hotel at around 16:50 (11:50 GMT) on Saturday. The security guard who died had confronted the attackers to try to stop them entering the hotel. The attackers then moved to the upper floors with the intent of taking hotel guests hostage, the ISPR said. As they moved up the stairs the other hotel employees were shot dead. The ISPR said the attackers cut CCTV and planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to stop access to the fourth floor, where they were contained by the arriving security forces. The attackers were killed in the corridor and the IEDs removed. The military thanked the media for limiting reporting of the attack, saying it had denied the gunmen \"possible live updates\". Prime Minister Imran Khan said the attack had been an attempt to \"sabotage prosperity\" in Balochistan. The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the two countries. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said: \"We appreciate the courageous steps taken by Pakistan Army and security agencies.\" Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan such attacks would \"not deter us and Balochistan shall continue on its path to progress\". Home to a long-running insurgency, Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and least developed province. It shares a large, porous border with Afghanistan and Iran. Its economy is dominated by natural resources, particularly natural gas, and is being transformed by major Chinese infrastructure projects on the CPEC, part of the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Several militant groups operate in the region, including the Pakistani Taliban, the BLA and the Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 697, "answer_end": 1044, "text": "The army's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), says three hotel employees and a hotel security guard were killed by the gunmen. A soldier of the Pakistan Navy, named as Abbas Khan, was also killed in the operation to clear the hotel. Two army captains, two more navy soldiers and two hotel employees were injured in the attack."}], "question": "Who were the casualties?", "id": "208_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1045, "answer_end": 1793, "text": "Three gunmen wearing military-style uniforms stormed the hotel at around 16:50 (11:50 GMT) on Saturday. The security guard who died had confronted the attackers to try to stop them entering the hotel. The attackers then moved to the upper floors with the intent of taking hotel guests hostage, the ISPR said. As they moved up the stairs the other hotel employees were shot dead. The ISPR said the attackers cut CCTV and planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to stop access to the fourth floor, where they were contained by the arriving security forces. The attackers were killed in the corridor and the IEDs removed. The military thanked the media for limiting reporting of the attack, saying it had denied the gunmen \"possible live updates\"."}], "question": "What happened in the attack?", "id": "208_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1794, "answer_end": 2380, "text": "Prime Minister Imran Khan said the attack had been an attempt to \"sabotage prosperity\" in Balochistan. The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the two countries. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said: \"We appreciate the courageous steps taken by Pakistan Army and security agencies.\" Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan such attacks would \"not deter us and Balochistan shall continue on its path to progress\"."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "208_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2381, "answer_end": 2883, "text": "Home to a long-running insurgency, Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and least developed province. It shares a large, porous border with Afghanistan and Iran. Its economy is dominated by natural resources, particularly natural gas, and is being transformed by major Chinese infrastructure projects on the CPEC, part of the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Several militant groups operate in the region, including the Pakistani Taliban, the BLA and the Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi."}], "question": "What is the situation in Balochistan?", "id": "208_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Woman who spent \u00a316m in Harrods revealed", "date": "10 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A woman who spent PS16m at Harrods in a decade can now be identified as Zamira Hajiyeva - the first target for the UK's new anti-corruption law. Mrs Hajiyeva lost a legal battle to stay anonymous after the media argued the public should know the full facts. Originally from Azerbaijan, she is the wife of an ex-state banker. She risks losing her PS15m home near the London store and a Berkshire golf course if she fails to explain the source of her wealth to the High Court. Under the terms of the UK's first ever Unexplained Wealth Order, Mrs Hajiyeva, 55, must now provide the National Crime Agency with a clear account of how she and her husband, Jahangir Hajiyev, could afford to buy their large home in the exclusive London neighbourhood of Knightsbridge. Mrs Hajiyeva's lawyers said the UWO \"does not and should not be taken to imply any wrongdoing\", by her or her husband. They have applied for permission to appeal against the order. A UWO is a new power which has been designed to target suspected corrupt foreign officials who have potentially laundered stolen money through the UK. Investigators from the National Crime Agency believe there are billions of pounds of dirty money invested in British property - but it is almost impossible to charge the owners with a crime or seize the assets because of a lack of evidence. The new Unexplained Wealth Orders are an attempt to force the owners to disclose their wealth. If a suspected corrupt foreign official, or their family, cannot show a legitimate source for their riches, then the National Crime Agency can apply to the High Court to seize the property. Jahangir Hajiyev is the former chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan. He was jailed in 2016 for 15 years after being convicted of being part of a major fraud and embezzlement that saw tens of millions of pounds disappear from the bank. Judges also ordered him to repay $39m. Seven years earlier, a company based in the British Virgin Islands paid PS11.5m for a large home, just minutes' walk from Harrods in west London. Its current market value is estimated at PS15m. The High Court heard that the ultimate owners were Mrs Hajiyeva and her husband. In 2013, another company controlled by Mrs Hajiyeva spent more than PS10m buying Mill Ride Golf Club in Berkshire, a plush course and estate near Ascot. The Home Office gave Mrs Hajiyeva permission to live in the UK under a visa scheme for wealthy investors. During a High Court hearing in July, in which the couple were known only as Mr and Mrs A, it was revealed that Mrs Hajiyeva had an enormous amount of disposable income. Over ten years she spent more than PS16m in Harrods - the equivalent of more than PS4,000 a day. Examples of her big spending, revealed to the court, included PS150,000 spent on a single day on Boucheron - a luxury jewellery, perfume and watches brand. The next day, the court heard, she topped up the wine cellar by spending PS1,800. On another occasion she spent PS100,000 on Cartier jewellery and PS20,000 on luxury men's goods. Mrs Hajiyeva used three store loyalty cards and 35 credit cards issued by her husband's bank. In a ruling upholding the Unexplained Wealth Order, Mr Justice Supperstone said: \"I agree with the NCA that this evidence is significant in the light of the reports of Mr A's trial that allegations made against him included abuse of his position at the Bank by issuing credit cards in the names of family members, through which large debts were run up against the Bank.\" Official records reveal the couple also own two dedicated bays within the private Harrods car park and Mrs Hajiyeva also bought a $42m Gulfstream G550 jet. Duncan Hames, director of policy at Transparency International UK, said the pressure group was \"delighted\" at the use of the Unexplained Wealth Order. \"UWOs should now be used more widely to pursue more of the PS4.4 billion worth of suspicious wealth we have identified across the UK,\" he said. No - she says she is innocent of the accusations and tried to challenge the Unexplained Wealth Order after it was imposed in February. Lawyers for Mrs Hajieyva told the High Court that she and her husband are suffering a massive injustice. \"The decision of the High Court upholding the grant of an Unexplained Wealth Order against Zamira Hajiyeva does not and should not be taken to imply any wrongdoing, whether on her part or that of her husband,\" they said in a statement. \"The NCA's case is that the UWO is part of an investigative process, not a criminal procedure, and it does not involve the finding of any criminal offence.\" Jahangir Hajiyev denies defrauding his bank - but has unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction. His lawyers say that he fell out with Azerbaijan's corrupt ruling family and paid the price. He is asking the European Court of Human Rights to intervene in his case. During her unsuccessful challenge to the Unexplained Wealth Order, Mrs Hajiyeva said her husband was a legitimate businessman who had become independently wealthy thanks to a string of successful businesses, before becoming a chairman at the bank. But the National Crime Agency told the court that Mr Hajiyev had been a state employee between 1993 and 2015 - and as an official he would not have had the means to amass the wealth investigators have traced.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 942, "answer_end": 1618, "text": "A UWO is a new power which has been designed to target suspected corrupt foreign officials who have potentially laundered stolen money through the UK. Investigators from the National Crime Agency believe there are billions of pounds of dirty money invested in British property - but it is almost impossible to charge the owners with a crime or seize the assets because of a lack of evidence. The new Unexplained Wealth Orders are an attempt to force the owners to disclose their wealth. If a suspected corrupt foreign official, or their family, cannot show a legitimate source for their riches, then the National Crime Agency can apply to the High Court to seize the property."}], "question": "What is an Unexplained Wealth Order?", "id": "209_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1619, "answer_end": 2438, "text": "Jahangir Hajiyev is the former chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan. He was jailed in 2016 for 15 years after being convicted of being part of a major fraud and embezzlement that saw tens of millions of pounds disappear from the bank. Judges also ordered him to repay $39m. Seven years earlier, a company based in the British Virgin Islands paid PS11.5m for a large home, just minutes' walk from Harrods in west London. Its current market value is estimated at PS15m. The High Court heard that the ultimate owners were Mrs Hajiyeva and her husband. In 2013, another company controlled by Mrs Hajiyeva spent more than PS10m buying Mill Ride Golf Club in Berkshire, a plush course and estate near Ascot. The Home Office gave Mrs Hajiyeva permission to live in the UK under a visa scheme for wealthy investors."}], "question": "Who are the couple at the centre of this first action?", "id": "209_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2439, "answer_end": 3955, "text": "During a High Court hearing in July, in which the couple were known only as Mr and Mrs A, it was revealed that Mrs Hajiyeva had an enormous amount of disposable income. Over ten years she spent more than PS16m in Harrods - the equivalent of more than PS4,000 a day. Examples of her big spending, revealed to the court, included PS150,000 spent on a single day on Boucheron - a luxury jewellery, perfume and watches brand. The next day, the court heard, she topped up the wine cellar by spending PS1,800. On another occasion she spent PS100,000 on Cartier jewellery and PS20,000 on luxury men's goods. Mrs Hajiyeva used three store loyalty cards and 35 credit cards issued by her husband's bank. In a ruling upholding the Unexplained Wealth Order, Mr Justice Supperstone said: \"I agree with the NCA that this evidence is significant in the light of the reports of Mr A's trial that allegations made against him included abuse of his position at the Bank by issuing credit cards in the names of family members, through which large debts were run up against the Bank.\" Official records reveal the couple also own two dedicated bays within the private Harrods car park and Mrs Hajiyeva also bought a $42m Gulfstream G550 jet. Duncan Hames, director of policy at Transparency International UK, said the pressure group was \"delighted\" at the use of the Unexplained Wealth Order. \"UWOs should now be used more widely to pursue more of the PS4.4 billion worth of suspicious wealth we have identified across the UK,\" he said."}], "question": "How much money did the couple bring to the UK?", "id": "209_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3956, "answer_end": 5314, "text": "No - she says she is innocent of the accusations and tried to challenge the Unexplained Wealth Order after it was imposed in February. Lawyers for Mrs Hajieyva told the High Court that she and her husband are suffering a massive injustice. \"The decision of the High Court upholding the grant of an Unexplained Wealth Order against Zamira Hajiyeva does not and should not be taken to imply any wrongdoing, whether on her part or that of her husband,\" they said in a statement. \"The NCA's case is that the UWO is part of an investigative process, not a criminal procedure, and it does not involve the finding of any criminal offence.\" Jahangir Hajiyev denies defrauding his bank - but has unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction. His lawyers say that he fell out with Azerbaijan's corrupt ruling family and paid the price. He is asking the European Court of Human Rights to intervene in his case. During her unsuccessful challenge to the Unexplained Wealth Order, Mrs Hajiyeva said her husband was a legitimate businessman who had become independently wealthy thanks to a string of successful businesses, before becoming a chairman at the bank. But the National Crime Agency told the court that Mr Hajiyev had been a state employee between 1993 and 2015 - and as an official he would not have had the means to amass the wealth investigators have traced."}], "question": "Does Mrs Hajiyeva admit doing anything wrong?", "id": "209_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Taiwan's political earthquake: Does China gain from Tsai Ing-wen's losses?", "date": "26 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Taiwan is often hit by earthquakes, but over the weekend it was shaken by a political one. In a series of local elections, the ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which came to power in 2016 in a landslide victory, lost more than half the cities and counties it held and is left with only a handful. The China-friendly former ruling party Kuomintang (KMT) made a dramatic comeback, winning 15 of the 22 cities and counties in Taiwan. The result is a major upset for President Tsai Ing-wen, who has resigned as party leader, and could indicate a victory for the KMT in 2020's presidential and parliamentary elections. China has leapt on the outcome, saying voters rejected Ms Tsai's \"separatist stance\". But the reality is not so straightforward. To the outside world, it seems like Taiwan faces one overwhelming choice - independence from or eventual unification with mainland China. But surveys have consistently shown that Taiwanese people prefer not to have to choose between one or the other; instead they favour the middle ground. While they believe their island is an independent country and would like it to be treated as such, most people don't believe formal independence is achievable any time soon and prefer not to have damaging relations with Beijing. The ruling party DPP lost so badly on Saturday because it framed the vote as one between freedom or a Chinese takeover. And voters - more concerned about a struggling economy - didn't buy it. Since the DPP came to power, the relationship with mainland China - which is becoming increasingly assertive - has significantly deteriorated. Voters remembered that under the previous China-friendly administration, Taiwan enjoyed unprecedented good relations with China - without losing an inch in sovereignty, democracy and independence. In fact it gained - by getting along with China, it was able to participate in many more international activities reserved for countries while also reaping the benefits of China's economic growth. The issue over Taiwan's sovereignty is a complicated unresolved remnant of history dating back more than a century and, to be fair, Chinese people have as much right to want unification as Taiwanese people do to want independence. Taiwanese voters outside the fringe extremes want to focus on what the two sides can co-operate on and let time resolve this matter. They know that China does not want to attack and has no timeline for reunification, and they are confident in Taiwan's democracy. That's why an overwhelming number of voters opted for the KMT's candidates. They know the KMT can work with China and build peace between the two sides and that this would help the economy. That's not to say they completely trust or even like the KMT. They are worried its pro-business and pro-unification stance could make the island too dependent on China economically and risk Beijing having too much influence over Taiwan's affairs. But they'd rather give the KMT a second chance than continue on the current path of constant conflict with China and a potential war. China has interpreted the voting results as a desire by the Taiwanese to work with the mainland for the joint prosperity of both sides. A Chinese spokesman was quoted by the Xinhua news agency as saying the results \"reflected the strong will of the Taiwanese public in sharing the benefits of the peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait, and desires to improve the island's economy and people's wellbeing\". He added the mainland will continue to \"follow a path of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.\" A state-run newspaper had a stronger reaction. \"The election shows that the Tsai administration has betrayed Taiwan's interests and become a troublemaker whose actions have drifted farther away from the practical needs of the Taiwan people and the historical truth of the consensus there is only one China,\" said an editorial in state newspaper China Daily. Taiwan's current government quickly warned China to not over-interpret the election results to its own benefit and reiterated its stance that the current state of relations is all China's fault. The DPP is unlikely to change course and start cosying up to China. So unless it can bring about a dramatic (and unlikely) turnaround in Taiwan's economy it risks losing the 2020 presidential and legislative races, and tense relations can be expected in the short term. One lesson that perhaps the KMT has learned and the DPP should learn is that if they push Taiwan toward a path that would lead to merging with China or potential conflict with the mainland, they risk losing elections. A mother of two young boys told me outside a polling station that she supports neither independence nor unification, and she doesn't want war between the two sides; she just want more opportunities for Taiwanese people's lives to improve. Like people around the world, the Taiwanese voted for peace and prosperity.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2018, "answer_end": 3082, "text": "The issue over Taiwan's sovereignty is a complicated unresolved remnant of history dating back more than a century and, to be fair, Chinese people have as much right to want unification as Taiwanese people do to want independence. Taiwanese voters outside the fringe extremes want to focus on what the two sides can co-operate on and let time resolve this matter. They know that China does not want to attack and has no timeline for reunification, and they are confident in Taiwan's democracy. That's why an overwhelming number of voters opted for the KMT's candidates. They know the KMT can work with China and build peace between the two sides and that this would help the economy. That's not to say they completely trust or even like the KMT. They are worried its pro-business and pro-unification stance could make the island too dependent on China economically and risk Beijing having too much influence over Taiwan's affairs. But they'd rather give the KMT a second chance than continue on the current path of constant conflict with China and a potential war."}], "question": "Second chance for the KMT?", "id": "210_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kosovo-Serbia talks: Why land swap could bridge divide", "date": "6 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A historic moment or a proposal that would mean war? When it comes to Kosovo's putative territory swap with Serbia, it depends who you ask. Speculation abounds that the two parties could make the concept official as early as Friday, when their presidents meet for scheduled talks in Brussels. The idea seems simple. The Presevo Valley in southern Serbia, where the population is mostly ethnic Albanian, would join Kosovo. In return, Serbia would re-establish full control over the majority ethnic-Serb area of Kosovo to the north of the River Ibar, which runs through the heart of Mitrovica. Proponents say a territory swap would, potentially, end the stalemate which has persisted for 10 years, since Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. \"Border change may seem distasteful, but many regard it as a practical solution,\" says James Ker-Lindsay, a Balkans specialist at the London School of Economics. \"If there were a consensual agreement between the two sides, it would open the way for a full normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and allow Kosovo finally to become a member of the United Nations.\" But before the idea has even been fully articulated, it is already taking flak. The Western Balkans went through a convulsion of border changes in the 1990s. More than 100,000 people died and millions were displaced in ethnically driven conflicts. Paddy Ashdown oversaw the aftermath in Bosnia, as the international High Representative. He has co-authored an appeal to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, to stamp out any talk of a territory swap. \"Moving borders like this will not solve divisions, it will deepen them,\" said the letter, warning that nationalist politicians might use a territory swap to agitate for the break-up of Bosnia. \"Sustainable peace can only come when we learn to live in multi-ethnic communities, rather than re-drawing borders to create mono-ethnic ones. [There is] no policy more likely to lead us back to division and conflict in the Balkans than the one which some are apparently now supporting.\" More stories from Kosovo and Serbia Ms Mogherini has a key role to play. She chairs the normalisation talks in Brussels between Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, and his opposite number from Kosovo, Hashim Thaci. Without explicitly mentioning a territory swap, she has been urging the two sides to settle their differences. \"The time has come to put an end to that conflict,\" she said on Monday. \"I am confident that presidents Vucic and Thaci will manage to achieve a binding legal agreement for the normalisation of relations and this agreement will comply with international law and it will help for the stability of the entire region.\" Ms Mogherini's predecessor, Cathy Ashton, initiated the normalisation talks. She told the BBC that both presidents were \"trying to get to a conclusion\" but that international approval would be the key to any deal. \"The key to the solution will be how Brussels responds. They will look to Berlin and talk to Paris and others. In the end, it's about EU membership for both.\" Germany has been vocal in its opposition to border changes, but it is short of backup from other EU member states, with the UK otherwise engaged. Small wonder that the EU commissioner for enlargement, Johannes Hahn, has been talking about a \"historic moment\" for Serbia and Kosovo. Local concerns are another matter. Nationalists in both Serbia and Kosovo will be reluctant to make a deal that gives the other side succour. The former Kosovo Liberation Army commander and current prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has been vehemently opposed, saying that changing borders would lead to war. Meanwhile ethnic Serbs living south of the Ibar are worried they will be abandoned if the north reverts to Serbia. A European diplomat told the BBC that the territory swap was \"serious from the Serb side\" but that a lack of unity in Pristina could be a problem. \"Thaci has gone solo on this so far - he hasn't been making the arguments to get people on board. It could be a compelling proposition, but he needs to sell it.\" The United States has indicated that it would not stand in the way of any bilateral deal. The stance of Serbia's ally, Russia, is harder to gauge; President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Belgrade next month. There are significant prizes on offer for both sides, if they can agree a deal. Kosovo may finally be recognised by the 80-odd countries which have refused to acknowledge its legitimacy. And Serbia would fulfil a key condition for its membership of the EU. With Macedonia and Greece settling their long-standing dispute, there is fresh momentum to solve another Balkan conundrum. For Kosovo and Serbia, the door is open. Correction 20 September 2018: An earlier version of the map wrongly depicted the Medvedja area of Serbia and has been amended.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 592, "answer_end": 1389, "text": "Proponents say a territory swap would, potentially, end the stalemate which has persisted for 10 years, since Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. \"Border change may seem distasteful, but many regard it as a practical solution,\" says James Ker-Lindsay, a Balkans specialist at the London School of Economics. \"If there were a consensual agreement between the two sides, it would open the way for a full normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and allow Kosovo finally to become a member of the United Nations.\" But before the idea has even been fully articulated, it is already taking flak. The Western Balkans went through a convulsion of border changes in the 1990s. More than 100,000 people died and millions were displaced in ethnically driven conflicts."}], "question": "An end to deadlock?", "id": "211_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1390, "answer_end": 2741, "text": "Paddy Ashdown oversaw the aftermath in Bosnia, as the international High Representative. He has co-authored an appeal to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, to stamp out any talk of a territory swap. \"Moving borders like this will not solve divisions, it will deepen them,\" said the letter, warning that nationalist politicians might use a territory swap to agitate for the break-up of Bosnia. \"Sustainable peace can only come when we learn to live in multi-ethnic communities, rather than re-drawing borders to create mono-ethnic ones. [There is] no policy more likely to lead us back to division and conflict in the Balkans than the one which some are apparently now supporting.\" More stories from Kosovo and Serbia Ms Mogherini has a key role to play. She chairs the normalisation talks in Brussels between Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, and his opposite number from Kosovo, Hashim Thaci. Without explicitly mentioning a territory swap, she has been urging the two sides to settle their differences. \"The time has come to put an end to that conflict,\" she said on Monday. \"I am confident that presidents Vucic and Thaci will manage to achieve a binding legal agreement for the normalisation of relations and this agreement will comply with international law and it will help for the stability of the entire region.\""}], "question": "A recipe for conflict?", "id": "211_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4339, "answer_end": 4886, "text": "There are significant prizes on offer for both sides, if they can agree a deal. Kosovo may finally be recognised by the 80-odd countries which have refused to acknowledge its legitimacy. And Serbia would fulfil a key condition for its membership of the EU. With Macedonia and Greece settling their long-standing dispute, there is fresh momentum to solve another Balkan conundrum. For Kosovo and Serbia, the door is open. Correction 20 September 2018: An earlier version of the map wrongly depicted the Medvedja area of Serbia and has been amended."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "211_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Fed announces US rate increase", "date": "21 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US central bank has said it will raise its benchmark interest rate citing a strengthened economic outlook. The Federal Reserve said it had decided to raise the rate by 0.25% to a target range of 1.5% to 1.75%. Policymakers also signalled they would increase rates twice more this year, while raising the forecast for rate hikes in 2019. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome \"Jay\" Powell also sounded a warning about rising trade tensions. The Trump administration recently announced steel and aluminium tariffs and is weighing sanctions against China, actions that have led to threats of retaliation. Mr Powell said some Fed members are worried about the possibility of a trade war, referencing conversations between central bankers and business leaders. \"They're seeing it as a risk to the outlook,\" Mr Powell said at a press conference at the close of the Fed's two-day meeting in Washington. Members of the Federal Open Markets Committee, which votes on rates, predicted the US economy will grow by 2.7% this year, faster than the 2.5% predicted in December. Officials are also expecting slightly higher interest rates in 2019 and 2020 than they did in December, according to projections released after the meeting, which reflect the median of estimates by committee members. \"This is clearly a firming up of the future trajectory of policy tightening,\" said Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings. The Fed has been raising rates slowly since 2015, moving the US away from the ultra-low levels put in place following the financial crisis. The central bank is trying to balance a low unemployment rate with the potential for higher inflation. Wednesday's rate increase was widely expected, but there are new faces on the committee, raising questions about whether policymakers will move more quickly in coming months. Economic conditions have also shifted. The US economy grew at an annualised rate of more than 3% during some quarters last year, while the unemployment rate is hovering at 4.1% - the lowest since 2000. Inflation has continued to lag the Fed's 2% target rate, but analysts have said they expect wages and prices to increase this year. Mr Powell said the Fed is \"alert\" to the possibility of inflation and expects inflation to rise in coming months, but is not expecting a sharp increase. \"There's no sense in the data that we're on the cusp of an acceleration in inflation,\" he said. An increase in the Fed's benchmark federal funds rate typically leads to higher rates for consumers and businesses. Savers benefit, but borrowing becomes more expensive, which can dampen activity in industries such as housing and car sales and raise costs for businesses that rely on debt.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 891, "answer_end": 2697, "text": "Members of the Federal Open Markets Committee, which votes on rates, predicted the US economy will grow by 2.7% this year, faster than the 2.5% predicted in December. Officials are also expecting slightly higher interest rates in 2019 and 2020 than they did in December, according to projections released after the meeting, which reflect the median of estimates by committee members. \"This is clearly a firming up of the future trajectory of policy tightening,\" said Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings. The Fed has been raising rates slowly since 2015, moving the US away from the ultra-low levels put in place following the financial crisis. The central bank is trying to balance a low unemployment rate with the potential for higher inflation. Wednesday's rate increase was widely expected, but there are new faces on the committee, raising questions about whether policymakers will move more quickly in coming months. Economic conditions have also shifted. The US economy grew at an annualised rate of more than 3% during some quarters last year, while the unemployment rate is hovering at 4.1% - the lowest since 2000. Inflation has continued to lag the Fed's 2% target rate, but analysts have said they expect wages and prices to increase this year. Mr Powell said the Fed is \"alert\" to the possibility of inflation and expects inflation to rise in coming months, but is not expecting a sharp increase. \"There's no sense in the data that we're on the cusp of an acceleration in inflation,\" he said. An increase in the Fed's benchmark federal funds rate typically leads to higher rates for consumers and businesses. Savers benefit, but borrowing becomes more expensive, which can dampen activity in industries such as housing and car sales and raise costs for businesses that rely on debt."}], "question": "What does the Fed expect?", "id": "212_0"}]}]}, {"title": "El Chapo: Who is Kate del Castillo?", "date": "11 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "While there has been much criticism heaped on US actor Sean Penn for meeting fugitive Mexican drugs lord Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman, there is another well-known name behind the interview between the actor and the cartel leader. Kate del Castillo is a Mexican actress who brokered the deal between the Hollywood star and the most wanted man in Mexico and also was present at the meeting. She is an actress who does not shy away from controversy. Back in 2012, del Castillo made an open appeal to El Chapo urging him to use his drug trafficking empire for love, not violence. She even said that she believed more in El Chapo than in \"governments that hide the truth\". According to Sean Penn, the drug lord's lawyer contacted del Castillo after the appeal because El Chapo wanted to send her some flowers. That was the starting point that led the actress to become the go-between for the Rolling Stone interview. Kate del Castillo is a famous name here in Mexico for her acting roles. Born in Mexico City in 1972 into an acting family, she is best known for her portrayal of drug boss Teresa Mendoza in the soap opera La Reina del Sur (Queen of the South). La Reina del Sur is a drama based on the novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Perez Reverte. In the series, del Castillo plays a young woman from Mexico who rises through the ranks of the Sinaloa drugs cartel to become the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain. But for this latest \"role\", del Castillo has moved away from the fictional world of drug lords and is now at the centre of a real and very controversial drug trafficker's tale. Del Castillo has not given any public comments since the Rolling Stone interview was published on Saturday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 665, "answer_end": 1720, "text": "According to Sean Penn, the drug lord's lawyer contacted del Castillo after the appeal because El Chapo wanted to send her some flowers. That was the starting point that led the actress to become the go-between for the Rolling Stone interview. Kate del Castillo is a famous name here in Mexico for her acting roles. Born in Mexico City in 1972 into an acting family, she is best known for her portrayal of drug boss Teresa Mendoza in the soap opera La Reina del Sur (Queen of the South). La Reina del Sur is a drama based on the novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Perez Reverte. In the series, del Castillo plays a young woman from Mexico who rises through the ranks of the Sinaloa drugs cartel to become the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain. But for this latest \"role\", del Castillo has moved away from the fictional world of drug lords and is now at the centre of a real and very controversial drug trafficker's tale. Del Castillo has not given any public comments since the Rolling Stone interview was published on Saturday."}], "question": "Life imitating fiction?", "id": "213_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Poorest countries facing both obesity and malnutrition", "date": "16 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A third of the poorest countries in the world are dealing with high levels of obesity as well as under-nourishment, which leaves people too thin, according to a report in The Lancet. It says the problem is caused by global access to ultra-processed foods, and people exercising less. The authors are calling for changes to the \"modern food system\" which they believe to be driving it. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are most affected. The report estimates that nearly 2.3 billion children and adults on the planet are overweight, and more than 150 million children have stunted growth. And many low and middle-income countries are facing these two issues at once - known as the 'double burden of malnutrition'. This means that 20% of people are overweight, 30% of children under four are not growing properly, and 20% of women are classified as thin. Communities and families can be affected by both forms of malnutrition, as well as individual people at different points in their lives, the report says. According to the report, 45 out of 123 countries were affected by the burden in the 1990s, and 48 out of 126 countries in the 2010s. By the 2010s, 14 countries with some of the lowest incomes in the world had developed this 'double problem' since the 1990s. The report authors say action should be taken by governments, the United Nations and academics to address the problem, and it points the finger at changing diets. The way people eat, drink and move is changing. Increasing numbers of supermarkets, easy availability of less nutritious food, as well as a decrease in physical activity, are leading to more people becoming overweight. And these changes are affecting low and middle-income countries, as well as high-income ones. Although stunted growth of children in many countries is becoming less frequent, eating ultra-processed foods early in life is linked to poor growth. \"We are facing a new nutrition reality,\" says lead author Dr Francesco Branca, director of the department of nutrition for health and development at the World Health Organization. \"We can no longer characterise countries as low-income and undernourished, or high-income and only concerned with obesity. \"All forms of malnutrition have a common denominator - food systems that fail to provide all people with healthy, safe, affordable, and sustainable diets.\" Dr Branca said changing this needed changes in food systems - from production and processing, through trade and distribution, pricing, marketing, and labelling, to consumption and waste. \"All relevant policies and investments must be radically re-examined,\" he said. According to the report, it contains: - lots of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, fibre, nuts, and seeds - modest amounts of animal source foods - minimal amounts of processed meats - minimal amounts of food and beverages high in energy and added sugar, saturated fat, trans fat and salt High-quality diets reduce the risk of malnutrition by encouraging healthy growth, development, and the body's protection against diseases throughout life.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2625, "answer_end": 3069, "text": "According to the report, it contains: - lots of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, fibre, nuts, and seeds - modest amounts of animal source foods - minimal amounts of processed meats - minimal amounts of food and beverages high in energy and added sugar, saturated fat, trans fat and salt High-quality diets reduce the risk of malnutrition by encouraging healthy growth, development, and the body's protection against diseases throughout life."}], "question": "What is a high-quality diet?", "id": "214_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Najib Razak: Scandal-hit ex-Malaysia PM condemns police raids", "date": "19 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has criticised police raids after hundreds of luxury items and cash were seized at properties linked to him. Mr Najib's lawyer, Harpal Singh Grewal, said his client was \"very unhappy\". The raids were related to investigations into state development fund 1MDB, which Mr Najib set up. Separately, Mongolia's president has called for the new Malaysian government to investigate the grisly 2006 murder of a Mongolian model. Shaariibuu Altantuya, 28, was shot dead and blown up with explosives outside the capital Kuala Lumpur. Two ex-police officers were sentenced to death for the murder in 2015. If the case were re-opened it could spell more trouble for the recently toppled Mr Najib. The two officers belonged to an elite unit protecting top lawmakers, including the then deputy PM, when Ms Altantuya, was killed. She was the mistress of a close Najib associate. Speculation about Mr Najib's links to the murder have swirled in Malaysia for years but he has repeatedly said he never met the model and had nothing to do with it. Billions of dollars are unaccounted for from the fund. Mr Najib was in 2015 alleged to have pocketed $700m (PS517m) but was cleared by authorities. He has always denied the allegations, The corruption scandal was a major factor in Mr Najib's shock election loss to his former ally Mahathir Mohammad last week. Mr Mahathir has said that he believes the missing money can be recovered. He has banned Mr Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor from leaving the country. Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission has ordered Mr Najib to make a statement relating to the corruption scandal on 22 May. Mr Grewal said that the former prime minister and his family were \"very unhappy\" that police had confiscated - among many other items - children's clothes and shoes during the raids on properties across the capital Kuala Lumpur. \"No attempt was made to verify whether these dresses, shoes, babies clothes and all had anything to do with the investigations which are ongoing,\" he was quoted as saying by Reuters. He also said the police had acted in a \"cavalier and irresponsible manner\". The police raids had been going on for several days, in the full view of the media, with police saying that the items removed included 284 boxes containing designer handbags and foreign currency. At one point a locksmith was brought in to open a safe removed from Mr Najib's home. Mr Grewal earlier described that incident as \"unwarranted harassment\". Malaysian police have not publicly commented on the lawyer's complaints.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1073, "answer_end": 1657, "text": "Billions of dollars are unaccounted for from the fund. Mr Najib was in 2015 alleged to have pocketed $700m (PS517m) but was cleared by authorities. He has always denied the allegations, The corruption scandal was a major factor in Mr Najib's shock election loss to his former ally Mahathir Mohammad last week. Mr Mahathir has said that he believes the missing money can be recovered. He has banned Mr Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor from leaving the country. Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission has ordered Mr Najib to make a statement relating to the corruption scandal on 22 May."}], "question": "What is going on with 1MDB?", "id": "215_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1658, "answer_end": 2570, "text": "Mr Grewal said that the former prime minister and his family were \"very unhappy\" that police had confiscated - among many other items - children's clothes and shoes during the raids on properties across the capital Kuala Lumpur. \"No attempt was made to verify whether these dresses, shoes, babies clothes and all had anything to do with the investigations which are ongoing,\" he was quoted as saying by Reuters. He also said the police had acted in a \"cavalier and irresponsible manner\". The police raids had been going on for several days, in the full view of the media, with police saying that the items removed included 284 boxes containing designer handbags and foreign currency. At one point a locksmith was brought in to open a safe removed from Mr Najib's home. Mr Grewal earlier described that incident as \"unwarranted harassment\". Malaysian police have not publicly commented on the lawyer's complaints."}], "question": "What did Mr Najib's lawyer say?", "id": "215_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel education minister defends 'gay conversion therapy'", "date": "13 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Israeli Education Minister Rafi Peretz has said he believes so-called \"gay conversion therapy\" can work, triggering widespread condemnation. \"I think it's possible,\" Mr Peretz, an Orthodox rabbi, told Israel's Channel 12 TV channel. He added that he had \"a very deep familiarity with the issue\". PM Benjamin Netanyahu said such remarks were \"unacceptable\". Other politicians and gay groups also voiced criticism. \"Gay conversion therapy\" has been widely discredited around the world. The practice attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation through psychological, spiritual and sometimes physical means. \"I think that it is possible to convert [someone's sexual orientation],\" Mr Peretz said on Saturday. \"I can tell you that I have deep familiarity on the issue of education, and I have also done this.\" He described how he had acted when a gay person told him about his sexual inclinations. \"First of all, I embraced him. I said very warm things to him. I told him, 'Let's think. Let's study. And let's contemplate.' \"The objective is first of all for him to know himself well... and then he will decide,\" Mr Peretz said. He later attempted to clarify his comments, saying he did not intend that gay children must be sent to \"conversion therapy\", the Jerusalem Post reports. Mr Netanyahu said: \"The education minister's remarks regarding the pride community are unacceptable to me and do not reflect the position of the government that I head.\" The prime minister said he had personally spoken to Mr Peretz, a leading member of the ultranationalist United Right alliance, to express his criticism. Nitzan Horowitz, who leads the left-wing Meretz party, said \"gay conversion therapy\" was a dangerous practice which causes extremely severe circumstances for youths, including suicide\". Israel's LGBT Task Force, the Aguda, called for the resignation of Mr Peretz.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 614, "answer_end": 1286, "text": "\"I think that it is possible to convert [someone's sexual orientation],\" Mr Peretz said on Saturday. \"I can tell you that I have deep familiarity on the issue of education, and I have also done this.\" He described how he had acted when a gay person told him about his sexual inclinations. \"First of all, I embraced him. I said very warm things to him. I told him, 'Let's think. Let's study. And let's contemplate.' \"The objective is first of all for him to know himself well... and then he will decide,\" Mr Peretz said. He later attempted to clarify his comments, saying he did not intend that gay children must be sent to \"conversion therapy\", the Jerusalem Post reports."}], "question": "What did Mr Peretz say?", "id": "216_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1287, "answer_end": 1873, "text": "Mr Netanyahu said: \"The education minister's remarks regarding the pride community are unacceptable to me and do not reflect the position of the government that I head.\" The prime minister said he had personally spoken to Mr Peretz, a leading member of the ultranationalist United Right alliance, to express his criticism. Nitzan Horowitz, who leads the left-wing Meretz party, said \"gay conversion therapy\" was a dangerous practice which causes extremely severe circumstances for youths, including suicide\". Israel's LGBT Task Force, the Aguda, called for the resignation of Mr Peretz."}], "question": "How did Israel react to Mr Peretz's comments?", "id": "216_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Will Chad's president be voted in for a fifth term?", "date": "8 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chad's president, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, is seeking re-election for a fifth term when voters go to the polls on 10 April. President Idriss Deby Itno has been in power for 26 years. President Deby came to power through a military coup in 1990. He has maintained tight control over key state institutions and is a strong ally of the West in regional counter-terrorism operations. The opposition boycotted the last election in 2011, allowing him an easy victory. This year, his chances of winning again are strengthened by fractures in the opposition. In addition, the constitutional council has barred Mr Deby's staunch critic and prominent opposition activist Ngarlejy Yorongar, along with five other aspirants. There are now 13 candidates challenging the president. In February, the rape of the teenage daughter of opposition presidential candidate Mahamat Brahim Ali led to angry protests, which prompted the president to sack members of his cabinet. The extension of a state ban on protests in March spurred further unrest, including an indefinite general strike which paralysed state operations. Security forces also arrested opposition activists for organising a protest rally in which demonstrators were asked to blow whistles to urge Mr Deby to step down. President Deby is representing the Patriotic Salvation Movement. He has won by landslides in the first round of every presidential poll, except the first multi-party elections in 1996. Two of his closest challengers this year are former ministers in his government. Saleh Kebzabo, the leader of the National Union for Development and Renewal group, trained as a journalist and served in ministerial positions under President Deby between 1993 and 2001. He twice attempted to unseat Mr Deby - in 1996 and again in 2001 - but came third on both occasions. Joseph Djimrangar Dadnadji served as prime minister from 2013-15 before resigning and forming the Popular Action Framework for Republican Solidarity and Unity party. Presidential candidates need to get more than 50% of the vote in order to win. If there is no clear winner in the first round, the two leading candidates face off in a second round vote determined by a simple majority. The opposition feel they stand a good chance of winning if a second round of voting is required. The poll will be conducted by the national independent electoral commission and supervised by the interior ministry. International poll monitoring bodies are expected to deploy observers. Chad has experienced waves of instability and violent conflict since independence from France in 1958. In recent years, domestic crises have been compounded by threats from neighbouring countries. These threats include attacks by Nigeria's Islamist group, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Despite the country's oil wealth, most Chadians live in poverty. Record low international oil prices and the growing cost of anti-terror operations in the region threaten to make the situation worse. Delays in payment of civil servants' salaries and a subsequent recruitment freeze have prompted anti-Deby protests over the past three months, despite a violent state crackdown. The opposition views Mr Deby's departure as the only solution. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring  on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1280, "answer_end": 1999, "text": "President Deby is representing the Patriotic Salvation Movement. He has won by landslides in the first round of every presidential poll, except the first multi-party elections in 1996. Two of his closest challengers this year are former ministers in his government. Saleh Kebzabo, the leader of the National Union for Development and Renewal group, trained as a journalist and served in ministerial positions under President Deby between 1993 and 2001. He twice attempted to unseat Mr Deby - in 1996 and again in 2001 - but came third on both occasions. Joseph Djimrangar Dadnadji served as prime minister from 2013-15 before resigning and forming the Popular Action Framework for Republican Solidarity and Unity party."}], "question": "Who are the main candidates?", "id": "217_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2000, "answer_end": 2503, "text": "Presidential candidates need to get more than 50% of the vote in order to win. If there is no clear winner in the first round, the two leading candidates face off in a second round vote determined by a simple majority. The opposition feel they stand a good chance of winning if a second round of voting is required. The poll will be conducted by the national independent electoral commission and supervised by the interior ministry. International poll monitoring bodies are expected to deploy observers."}], "question": "How does the voting system work?", "id": "217_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2504, "answer_end": 3407, "text": "Chad has experienced waves of instability and violent conflict since independence from France in 1958. In recent years, domestic crises have been compounded by threats from neighbouring countries. These threats include attacks by Nigeria's Islamist group, Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Despite the country's oil wealth, most Chadians live in poverty. Record low international oil prices and the growing cost of anti-terror operations in the region threaten to make the situation worse. Delays in payment of civil servants' salaries and a subsequent recruitment freeze have prompted anti-Deby protests over the past three months, despite a violent state crackdown. The opposition views Mr Deby's departure as the only solution. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring  on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "What are the main issues?", "id": "217_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia bushfires: Three dead and thousands forced from homes", "date": "10 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least three people are dead and thousands have been displaced by a weekend of bushfires in Australia. On Sunday, the fire emergency's third day, more than 100 blazes were still burning across New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the military could be called upon to support the 1,300 firefighters working in the two states. Hundreds of civilians have also volunteered to help in affected areas. \"My only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families,\" Mr Morrison added. Officials warn that extreme weather conditions could fuel more fires in the week, including near Sydney. In Queensland, thousands of people spent the night in evacuation centres while officials assessed whether it was safe for them to return home. Fire officials in NSW have confirmed that more than 150 homes have been destroyed. Although cooler weather on Saturday night provided some reprieve, it is feared that high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds forecast from the middle of the week will fuel further fires that officials will be unable to contain. Officials say they are likely to issue extreme fire warnings for large swathes of the NSW coast on Tuesday, with areas around Sydney thought to be particularly at risk. \"Under these conditions, these fires will spread quickly and threaten homes and lives,\" NSW Rural Fire Service said in a statement. \"These conditions will be as bad, if not worse, than those experienced on Friday as they will be across a much broader area including large population centres like Sydney.\" While clearing affected areas on Friday, fire crews discovered the body of one victim in a burned out car near Glen Innes, about 550km (340 miles) north of Sydney. In the same town on the same day, a woman was found suffering from severe burns. She was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards. Carol Sparks, the mayor of Glen Innes, said on Sunday that the town's residents were traumatised. \"The fire was as high as 20 foot [6m] and raging with 80 kilometres per hour [50 mph] winds,\" she told Australian broadcaster ABC. \"It was absolutely horrific for the people that were impacted.\" On Saturday, NSW police confirmed that a third person had died after a body was found in a burnt-out home near Taree, a town about 300km north of Sydney. Police said the home belonged to a woman aged 63, but that they wouldn't be able to confirm their identity until a post-mortem had been carried out. In NSW, the worst-hit state, crews have fought hundreds of fires since last month, when two people died while trying to protect their home. Earlier this month, a blaze burned though 2,000 hectares of bush which contained a koala sanctuary. Hundreds of the animals were feared to have died. Rains lashed NSW earlier this week, providing much relief to farmers. But the storms were not nearly enough to end the long-running drought. Authorities in the state warn that many fires will continue to burn unless there is more rain. \"We just cannot overstate the profound impact that the drought is having on fire behaviour,\" Mr Fitzsimmons said. Water-bombing aircraft are often flying long distances because of the difficulty of accessing water in dry areas. In some cases authorities have drilled bores to keep up with demand. \"We've very mindful of the scarcity of water and how precious it is, but the reality is we can't do firefighting without water,\" Mr Fitzsimmons said. Australia's fire season risks growing longer and more intense due to climate change, according to scientists. Authorities said they were concerned about the severity of the fires ahead of its hottest months, a year after the nation experienced its warmest summer on record. Officials have confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively. The bureau's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and increased the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Even if global temperatures are contained to a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels - a limit set out in the landmark Paris accord, agreed by 188 nations in 2015 - scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal. Last year, a UN report said Australia was falling short in efforts to cut its CO2 emissions. Have you been affected by the bushfires? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 644, "answer_end": 1579, "text": "In Queensland, thousands of people spent the night in evacuation centres while officials assessed whether it was safe for them to return home. Fire officials in NSW have confirmed that more than 150 homes have been destroyed. Although cooler weather on Saturday night provided some reprieve, it is feared that high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds forecast from the middle of the week will fuel further fires that officials will be unable to contain. Officials say they are likely to issue extreme fire warnings for large swathes of the NSW coast on Tuesday, with areas around Sydney thought to be particularly at risk. \"Under these conditions, these fires will spread quickly and threaten homes and lives,\" NSW Rural Fire Service said in a statement. \"These conditions will be as bad, if not worse, than those experienced on Friday as they will be across a much broader area including large population centres like Sydney.\""}], "question": "What's the latest?", "id": "218_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1580, "answer_end": 2766, "text": "While clearing affected areas on Friday, fire crews discovered the body of one victim in a burned out car near Glen Innes, about 550km (340 miles) north of Sydney. In the same town on the same day, a woman was found suffering from severe burns. She was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards. Carol Sparks, the mayor of Glen Innes, said on Sunday that the town's residents were traumatised. \"The fire was as high as 20 foot [6m] and raging with 80 kilometres per hour [50 mph] winds,\" she told Australian broadcaster ABC. \"It was absolutely horrific for the people that were impacted.\" On Saturday, NSW police confirmed that a third person had died after a body was found in a burnt-out home near Taree, a town about 300km north of Sydney. Police said the home belonged to a woman aged 63, but that they wouldn't be able to confirm their identity until a post-mortem had been carried out. In NSW, the worst-hit state, crews have fought hundreds of fires since last month, when two people died while trying to protect their home. Earlier this month, a blaze burned though 2,000 hectares of bush which contained a koala sanctuary. Hundreds of the animals were feared to have died."}], "question": "Who were the victims?", "id": "218_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3450, "answer_end": 4344, "text": "Australia's fire season risks growing longer and more intense due to climate change, according to scientists. Authorities said they were concerned about the severity of the fires ahead of its hottest months, a year after the nation experienced its warmest summer on record. Officials have confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively. The bureau's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and increased the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Even if global temperatures are contained to a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels - a limit set out in the landmark Paris accord, agreed by 188 nations in 2015 - scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal. Last year, a UN report said Australia was falling short in efforts to cut its CO2 emissions."}], "question": "Is this linked to climate change?", "id": "218_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Mueller report: White House roasts critics over Mueller", "date": "25 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The White House has assailed President Donald Trump's critics after he was cleared of Russian election collusion. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told cable morning shows that Mr Trump is happy for the full report by special counsel Robert Mueller to be released. She said the summary of the findings issued by the attorney general amounted to a full vindication of the president. Mr Mueller's long-awaited report, however, stops short of exonerating Mr Trump of obstruction of justice. It was the culmination of a nearly two-year investigation that saw some of the president's closest former aides prosecuted and, in some cases, imprisoned, though not for collusion with Russia. White House aides took to the airwaves on Monday to depict the president as the victim of an inquiry that should never have been allowed. When asked whether Mr Trump would support the release of the full report, Mrs Sanders told NBC News' Today programme: \"He's more than happy for any of this stuff to come out.\" Speaking on CNN later on Monday, Mrs Sanders said it was \"outrageous\" that Democrats and journalists had spent two years portraying the president as an agent of a foreign power. \"That's equivalent to treason,\" said the press secretary. \"That's punishable by death in this country and that is outrageous.\" Mrs Sanders said the \"obscene lie\" was used to try \"to overthrow the president of the United States\". White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Monday called on Democrat Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, to step down. \"He ought to resign today,\" she told Fox News. \"He has been on every TV show 50 times a day for practically the last two years promising Americans that the president would be impeached or indicted.\" \"It was a complete and total exoneration,\" Mr Trump declared on Sunday, even though the report specifically states that he has not been fully exonerated. Speaking at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, he said: \"It's a shame that our country had to go through this. \"To be honest, it's a shame that your president has had to go through this. Before I even got elected it began and it began illegally.\" The Republican president said the inquiry was an \"illegal takedown that failed\". In his four-page summary released on Sunday, Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr wrote: \"The special counsel did not find that any US person or Trump campaign official conspired or knowingly co-ordinated with Russia.\" But on the issue of whether justice was obstructed, Mr Mueller's report says: \"While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.\" Mr Trump still faces about a dozen other investigations. These include a federal inquiry in New York into possible election law violations by the Trump campaign and his businesses, and possible misconduct by the Trump inaugural committee. Congress is also continuing its own inquiries, mostly in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham summed up the conservative response on Monday, telling reporters Mr Trump was stronger today than ever. \"This cloud has been removed,\" he said. \"To those wanting an outcome of removing Trump, you're going to be disappointed.\" Opposition Democrats are demanding full access to Mr Mueller's report. The Democratic Chair of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, said he would ask Mr Barr to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee \"in the near future\" over \"very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department\". Russia has denied being involved in hacking to influence the 2016 US election result. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked suggestions there had been collusion, saying: \"I recall the words of the Chinese philosopher who said that it's hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if it's not there. Well, centuries pass and unfortunately they still don't understand that across the ocean.\" Alexei Pushkov, a member of Russia's upper house, tweeted: \"Democrats, Russophobes and leading media created a virtual conspiracy which existed only in their heads and in headlines, and nowhere else.\" Legally, the House Judiciary Committee will want to get its hands on the full Mueller report. They will want to see why Robert Mueller felt he couldn't exonerate the president on obstruction of justice. And remember, obstruction of justice is one of the \"high crimes and misdemeanours\" that can lead to impeachment. There will be an endless back and forth over that. And I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if the subpoenas start to fly. Committees have the right to call people and papers. They are bound to flex their muscles as much as they can. They want to play this long. They want to damage the president. To prosecute the president for obstruction of justice there would have needed to be evidence of intent to obstruct. So even though the president fired former FBI chief James Comey and unleashed regular torrents of abuse on Twitter about the investigation, if his only motivation for those acts was to vent his spleen rather than break the law, then he's done nothing wrong legally. Full analysis", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 678, "answer_end": 1736, "text": "White House aides took to the airwaves on Monday to depict the president as the victim of an inquiry that should never have been allowed. When asked whether Mr Trump would support the release of the full report, Mrs Sanders told NBC News' Today programme: \"He's more than happy for any of this stuff to come out.\" Speaking on CNN later on Monday, Mrs Sanders said it was \"outrageous\" that Democrats and journalists had spent two years portraying the president as an agent of a foreign power. \"That's equivalent to treason,\" said the press secretary. \"That's punishable by death in this country and that is outrageous.\" Mrs Sanders said the \"obscene lie\" was used to try \"to overthrow the president of the United States\". White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Monday called on Democrat Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, to step down. \"He ought to resign today,\" she told Fox News. \"He has been on every TV show 50 times a day for practically the last two years promising Americans that the president would be impeached or indicted.\""}], "question": "What did the White House say?", "id": "219_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1737, "answer_end": 2228, "text": "\"It was a complete and total exoneration,\" Mr Trump declared on Sunday, even though the report specifically states that he has not been fully exonerated. Speaking at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, he said: \"It's a shame that our country had to go through this. \"To be honest, it's a shame that your president has had to go through this. Before I even got elected it began and it began illegally.\" The Republican president said the inquiry was an \"illegal takedown that failed\"."}], "question": "How did Trump react?", "id": "219_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2229, "answer_end": 2990, "text": "In his four-page summary released on Sunday, Trump-appointed Attorney General William Barr wrote: \"The special counsel did not find that any US person or Trump campaign official conspired or knowingly co-ordinated with Russia.\" But on the issue of whether justice was obstructed, Mr Mueller's report says: \"While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.\" Mr Trump still faces about a dozen other investigations. These include a federal inquiry in New York into possible election law violations by the Trump campaign and his businesses, and possible misconduct by the Trump inaugural committee. Congress is also continuing its own inquiries, mostly in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives."}], "question": "Is Trump in the clear?", "id": "219_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2991, "answer_end": 3599, "text": "Republican Senator Lindsey Graham summed up the conservative response on Monday, telling reporters Mr Trump was stronger today than ever. \"This cloud has been removed,\" he said. \"To those wanting an outcome of removing Trump, you're going to be disappointed.\" Opposition Democrats are demanding full access to Mr Mueller's report. The Democratic Chair of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, said he would ask Mr Barr to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee \"in the near future\" over \"very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department\"."}], "question": "What's the political reaction?", "id": "219_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3600, "answer_end": 4199, "text": "Russia has denied being involved in hacking to influence the 2016 US election result. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked suggestions there had been collusion, saying: \"I recall the words of the Chinese philosopher who said that it's hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if it's not there. Well, centuries pass and unfortunately they still don't understand that across the ocean.\" Alexei Pushkov, a member of Russia's upper house, tweeted: \"Democrats, Russophobes and leading media created a virtual conspiracy which existed only in their heads and in headlines, and nowhere else.\""}], "question": "What are they saying in Russia?", "id": "219_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is there a crisis in Calais?", "date": "3 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Attempts by migrants to cross the Channel from France into England continue unabated, causing delays and disruption to train services. In the latest incursion, 100 migrants broke through a fence and entered the Eurotunnel terminal, with some making it into the tunnel itself. In the same week, a man died near the tunnel entrance in Calais - the 13th migrant to die trying to reach the UK since late June. But many migrants are undeterred, although the numbers trying to get across the Channel have fallen - in July, some 2,000 migrants a night were trying to get into the terminal, compared to 150 in August. The migrants, who are living in camps known as \"the Jungle\" on the edge of Calais, attempt to stow away on lorries headed for Eurotunnel, or jump or cut security fences to try to hide on Eurotunnel trains themselves. They also try to board lorries bound for cross-Channel ferries. Extra security, including fencing, paid for by the UK, has been put in place. In August, the UK and France signed an agreement on new measures to help alleviate the crisis, including a new command centre to help tackle the trafficking gangs. While the scenes of thousands of migrants storming the tunnel over the summer were unprecedented, the issue is far from new. In 1999, the controversial Sangatte refugee camp was opened in Calais, attracting thousands of would-be asylum seekers and people traffickers. Its closure in 2001 and 2002 - on the orders of France's then minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy - led to riots. Since then migrants have continued to arrive in Calais and build makeshift camps near the port. French authorities estimate there are about 3,000 people currently living in \"the Jungle\", although other estimates put the number higher. The issue made headlines again in September last year after a ferry bound for the UK was stormed by about 235 illegal migrants. The Home Office said the UK Border Force and the French authorities together prevented more than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally in 2014/15 - more than double the number prevented the previous year, while Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel says it has blocked 37,000 attempts since January. French and UK authorities, and cross-Channel operators, continue to bring in measures to improve security, but migrants are still breaching barriers. The Calais Chambers of Commerce has responsibility for the security of the port. Last autumn the UK government pledged PS12m over three years to help France tackle the problem. Earlier this month, the UK announced a further PS2m for a new secure zone at Calais for UK-bound lorries. It later confirmed it would provide further PS7m for measures to improve security at Calais and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel. The UK is also building a fence, known as the \"National Barrier Asset\", around the terminal at Coquelles. The port is now protected by 16ft (5m) fences topped with coils of razor wire and CCTV, with the gates and exterior guarded by heavily-armed French riot police. Eurotunnel has spent PS9.2m on security in the first six months of 2015 alone, including money for fences, cameras, infra-red detectors and extra guards. French police have been widely criticised for taking migrants off lorries, driving them a few miles away then releasing them - free to walk back to Calais. But many undocumented migrants are arrested - reportedly more than 18,000 in the first half of 2015. The problem, police say, is that there are simply too many to arrest and deal with. They also say their focus on the motorway is safety, so getting people off the road is the priority. Extra French police have been deployed to Calais to try to cope with the volume of migrants. French authorities are also struggling to stop illegal migrants crossing its border from Italy, where more than 60,000 people are thought to have arrived by boat from Africa already this year. The situation in Calais is part of a wider migration crisis in Europe - caused largely by the displacement of people from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, and also North Africa. Many want to claim asylum in the UK. Others want to enter the country incognito to remain as illegal workers. Natacha Bouchart, Mayor of Calais, has said illegal migrants perceive Britain as a \"soft touch\" for benefits, and a better place to find jobs in the black economy than France - although studies do not necessarily back up this view. The British Red Cross said most migrants wanted to make the move because they believed there was a better prospect of finding work in the UK, or because they speak English and want to use the language. Others have relatives in the UK, or are drawn by a belief that there is better housing and education available. The UK is certainly not alone as a target destination. According to the EU's statistics body Eurostat, Germany saw the most non-EU asylum seekers in 2014 - almost 203,000 - followed by Sweden, Italy, France, Hungary, and then the UK. But the huge influx of migrants into Europe has seen asylum applications soar. Germany - the most popular destination - says it is expecting 800,000 refugees to arrive this year. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees' representative in France, Philippe Leclerc, said most of the migrants in Calais were fleeing violence in countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan. According to data from the UN Refugee Agency, Eritrea topped the list of countries of origin for people seeking and making asylum applications in the UK during the 12 months to the end of March 2015. The UK and France both have a range of aid programmes in place in an attempt to address the root causes of the migrant crisis. The short answer is, no-one knows. Home Secretary Theresa May has conceded that \"a number\" of migrants do make it across, but has not given specific figures. The Home Office says it has neither official figures or estimates for the number of illegal migrant crossings. There were 25,020 applications for asylum in the year ending March 2015, but the figures are not broken down by point of entry, so there is no way of knowing how many of those people travelled through Dover. A Home Office spokesman said this was for security reasons. Both Kent Police and Kent County Council also say they do not hold official figures - although the leader of Kent County Council has said its children's social services department is under \"enormous strain\" because of the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children entering the Port of Dover. The county is currently caring for more than 600 under-18s, council leader Paul Carter said. Operation Stack is an emergency procedure used by Kent Police to park freight vehicles on the M20 in Kent - essentially turning it into a giant lorry park. It has been used since 1996 whenever there is disruption to cross-Channel services, generally as a result of migrant activity, bad weather, or industrial action. The road is closed in three phases, depending on how much space is needed. It can remain closed for days at a time, with thousands of Calais-bound lorries sitting dormant, leading to severe delays in areas of Kent. Between 1996 and the end of 2007, Operation Stack was implemented 95 times for a total of 145 days. It has been used intermittently since 2007 but rarely for more than a few hours or a day or two at a time. However, June and July of this year saw \"unprecedented\" use of the tactic, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). In August, the government announced the temporary use of Manston Airfield in east Kent to hold freight lorries bound for Dover.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1133, "answer_end": 2200, "text": "While the scenes of thousands of migrants storming the tunnel over the summer were unprecedented, the issue is far from new. In 1999, the controversial Sangatte refugee camp was opened in Calais, attracting thousands of would-be asylum seekers and people traffickers. Its closure in 2001 and 2002 - on the orders of France's then minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy - led to riots. Since then migrants have continued to arrive in Calais and build makeshift camps near the port. French authorities estimate there are about 3,000 people currently living in \"the Jungle\", although other estimates put the number higher. The issue made headlines again in September last year after a ferry bound for the UK was stormed by about 235 illegal migrants. The Home Office said the UK Border Force and the French authorities together prevented more than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally in 2014/15 - more than double the number prevented the previous year, while Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel says it has blocked 37,000 attempts since January."}], "question": "How long has this been going on?", "id": "220_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2201, "answer_end": 3186, "text": "French and UK authorities, and cross-Channel operators, continue to bring in measures to improve security, but migrants are still breaching barriers. The Calais Chambers of Commerce has responsibility for the security of the port. Last autumn the UK government pledged PS12m over three years to help France tackle the problem. Earlier this month, the UK announced a further PS2m for a new secure zone at Calais for UK-bound lorries. It later confirmed it would provide further PS7m for measures to improve security at Calais and the entrance to the Channel Tunnel. The UK is also building a fence, known as the \"National Barrier Asset\", around the terminal at Coquelles. The port is now protected by 16ft (5m) fences topped with coils of razor wire and CCTV, with the gates and exterior guarded by heavily-armed French riot police. Eurotunnel has spent PS9.2m on security in the first six months of 2015 alone, including money for fences, cameras, infra-red detectors and extra guards."}], "question": "How strong is security in Calais?", "id": "220_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3187, "answer_end": 3914, "text": "French police have been widely criticised for taking migrants off lorries, driving them a few miles away then releasing them - free to walk back to Calais. But many undocumented migrants are arrested - reportedly more than 18,000 in the first half of 2015. The problem, police say, is that there are simply too many to arrest and deal with. They also say their focus on the motorway is safety, so getting people off the road is the priority. Extra French police have been deployed to Calais to try to cope with the volume of migrants. French authorities are also struggling to stop illegal migrants crossing its border from Italy, where more than 60,000 people are thought to have arrived by boat from Africa already this year."}], "question": "What are French police doing?", "id": "220_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3915, "answer_end": 5188, "text": "The situation in Calais is part of a wider migration crisis in Europe - caused largely by the displacement of people from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea, and also North Africa. Many want to claim asylum in the UK. Others want to enter the country incognito to remain as illegal workers. Natacha Bouchart, Mayor of Calais, has said illegal migrants perceive Britain as a \"soft touch\" for benefits, and a better place to find jobs in the black economy than France - although studies do not necessarily back up this view. The British Red Cross said most migrants wanted to make the move because they believed there was a better prospect of finding work in the UK, or because they speak English and want to use the language. Others have relatives in the UK, or are drawn by a belief that there is better housing and education available. The UK is certainly not alone as a target destination. According to the EU's statistics body Eurostat, Germany saw the most non-EU asylum seekers in 2014 - almost 203,000 - followed by Sweden, Italy, France, Hungary, and then the UK. But the huge influx of migrants into Europe has seen asylum applications soar. Germany - the most popular destination - says it is expecting 800,000 refugees to arrive this year."}], "question": "Why is the UK seen as a target?", "id": "220_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5189, "answer_end": 5718, "text": "The UN High Commissioner for Refugees' representative in France, Philippe Leclerc, said most of the migrants in Calais were fleeing violence in countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan. According to data from the UN Refugee Agency, Eritrea topped the list of countries of origin for people seeking and making asylum applications in the UK during the 12 months to the end of March 2015. The UK and France both have a range of aid programmes in place in an attempt to address the root causes of the migrant crisis."}], "question": "Where are the migrants coming from?", "id": "220_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5719, "answer_end": 6646, "text": "The short answer is, no-one knows. Home Secretary Theresa May has conceded that \"a number\" of migrants do make it across, but has not given specific figures. The Home Office says it has neither official figures or estimates for the number of illegal migrant crossings. There were 25,020 applications for asylum in the year ending March 2015, but the figures are not broken down by point of entry, so there is no way of knowing how many of those people travelled through Dover. A Home Office spokesman said this was for security reasons. Both Kent Police and Kent County Council also say they do not hold official figures - although the leader of Kent County Council has said its children's social services department is under \"enormous strain\" because of the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children entering the Port of Dover. The county is currently caring for more than 600 under-18s, council leader Paul Carter said."}], "question": "How many migrants make it to the UK?", "id": "220_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6647, "answer_end": 7643, "text": "Operation Stack is an emergency procedure used by Kent Police to park freight vehicles on the M20 in Kent - essentially turning it into a giant lorry park. It has been used since 1996 whenever there is disruption to cross-Channel services, generally as a result of migrant activity, bad weather, or industrial action. The road is closed in three phases, depending on how much space is needed. It can remain closed for days at a time, with thousands of Calais-bound lorries sitting dormant, leading to severe delays in areas of Kent. Between 1996 and the end of 2007, Operation Stack was implemented 95 times for a total of 145 days. It has been used intermittently since 2007 but rarely for more than a few hours or a day or two at a time. However, June and July of this year saw \"unprecedented\" use of the tactic, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA). In August, the government announced the temporary use of Manston Airfield in east Kent to hold freight lorries bound for Dover."}], "question": "What is Operation Stack?", "id": "220_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Korea nuclear talks: Moon goes North to push stalled negotiations", "date": "18 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The leaders of North and South Korea are meeting in the North Korean capital for talks centred on the stalled denuclearisation negotiations. North Korea has embarked on an unprecedented series of meetings this year with both the South and the US. But talks with Washington have reached deadlock, with both sides so far agreeing only to very general goals. South Korea's president hopes to be a mediator between the two, as well as boosting the inter-Korean relationship. President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning for the three-day visit. They were warmly welcomed from the plane by Mr Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju. Tens of thousands of North Koreans waved flowers and shouted unification slogans as the leaders rode in an open car through parts of Pyongyang. It's the first trip to the North Korean capital by a leader from the South in a decade. It is Mr Moon's third meeting with the North's Kim Jong-un since their historic summit at the border in April this year. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice - but no formal peace treaty was signed. The two leaders are expected to talk about what practical steps to take to reduce the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula, but the specifics are not known. Human rights issues are not on the table. For South Korea, there are two main goals: - to further inter-Korean co-operation and rapprochement - to act as a negotiator between Pyongyang and Washington on the issue of denuclearisation. When the two Korean leaders met for the first time back in April, the simple fact that they were meeting was itself a major step. This time, Mr Moon has to make real progress in persuading the North Koreans to make concrete steps to denuclearise, says BBC Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker. Otherwise, the flurry of inter-Korean summits and the much-hyped Singapore meeting between Mr Kim and President Trump this year will be seen as glossy photo ops, and the US leader may begin to lose patience, she adds. The April meeting resulted in a joint declaration to improve ties and scale down the nuclear threat. Since then, North and South Korea have held a reunion of families separated by Korea's division, and last week set up a liaison office at the border to allow direct communication 24/7. This week, it's thought they will look at steps towards further co-operation. Developing the economic relationship is expected to be a key theme, but one concrete outcome could also be a scaling-down of the military presence at their border, the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). In line with the focus on economic ties, executives from South Korea's big business conglomerates, or chaebols, will form a large part of the South's delegation. Top personnel from tech and consumer goods giants Samsung and LG will join representatives from car-maker Hyundai and chemical and energy conglomerate SK Group. Economic co-operation between North and South is nothing new. Aside from trade relations, South Korean firms once employed tens of thousands of North Korean workers in a jointly-run industrial park in the town of Kaesong, on the North's side of the border. The project ran for more than 10 years but was suspended in 2016 after North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test. Seoul is also seeking to deploy its cultural power. K-pop singer Ailee, and Zico, the leader of boy band Block B, are set to perform in Pyongyang. Given the tight international sanctions on North Korea, any new economic co-operation between North and South will depend on an easing of sanctions on the North. This in turn will depend on the progress Pyongyang and Washington will make in their talks. The US and North Korea held their own historic meeting in June when US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un agreed in broad terms to work towards denuclearisation. Since then though, there's been little progress with no clear process or timeline laid out. Most observers warn that the North has taken no meaningful steps to denuclearise. While the US wants denuclearisation first and an easing of sanctions second, North Korea hopes for a step-by-step process where each concession by Pyongyang will lead to a gradual easing of the sanctions regime. Given that deadlock, the US last month called off a trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to North Korea, citing a lack of progress. However, Mr Trump recently said that he and Mr Kim would \"prove everyone wrong\" after he received an invitation from the North Korean leader for a second summit. Both sides say they are working on making that meeting happen. In the run-up to Tuesday's inter-Korean talks, South Korean envoys reported that Mr Kim in fact wants to complete denuclearisation within the first term of the Trump administration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1102, "answer_end": 2576, "text": "The two leaders are expected to talk about what practical steps to take to reduce the nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula, but the specifics are not known. Human rights issues are not on the table. For South Korea, there are two main goals: - to further inter-Korean co-operation and rapprochement - to act as a negotiator between Pyongyang and Washington on the issue of denuclearisation. When the two Korean leaders met for the first time back in April, the simple fact that they were meeting was itself a major step. This time, Mr Moon has to make real progress in persuading the North Koreans to make concrete steps to denuclearise, says BBC Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker. Otherwise, the flurry of inter-Korean summits and the much-hyped Singapore meeting between Mr Kim and President Trump this year will be seen as glossy photo ops, and the US leader may begin to lose patience, she adds. The April meeting resulted in a joint declaration to improve ties and scale down the nuclear threat. Since then, North and South Korea have held a reunion of families separated by Korea's division, and last week set up a liaison office at the border to allow direct communication 24/7. This week, it's thought they will look at steps towards further co-operation. Developing the economic relationship is expected to be a key theme, but one concrete outcome could also be a scaling-down of the military presence at their border, the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ)."}], "question": "What's on the agenda?", "id": "221_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3424, "answer_end": 4784, "text": "Given the tight international sanctions on North Korea, any new economic co-operation between North and South will depend on an easing of sanctions on the North. This in turn will depend on the progress Pyongyang and Washington will make in their talks. The US and North Korea held their own historic meeting in June when US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un agreed in broad terms to work towards denuclearisation. Since then though, there's been little progress with no clear process or timeline laid out. Most observers warn that the North has taken no meaningful steps to denuclearise. While the US wants denuclearisation first and an easing of sanctions second, North Korea hopes for a step-by-step process where each concession by Pyongyang will lead to a gradual easing of the sanctions regime. Given that deadlock, the US last month called off a trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to North Korea, citing a lack of progress. However, Mr Trump recently said that he and Mr Kim would \"prove everyone wrong\" after he received an invitation from the North Korean leader for a second summit. Both sides say they are working on making that meeting happen. In the run-up to Tuesday's inter-Korean talks, South Korean envoys reported that Mr Kim in fact wants to complete denuclearisation within the first term of the Trump administration."}], "question": "Will it help the US-North Korea talks?", "id": "221_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Huddersfield grooming: How the West Yorkshire gang operated", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A gang of men who abused vulnerable teenage girls in Huddersfield has been given lengthy jail sentences. How did these sex offenders from West Yorkshire, who were convicted of more than 120 offences against 15 girls, operate? The men, who are all British Asians mainly of Pakistani heritage, groomed girls by making them feel special, then plying them with alcohol, cannabis and other drugs. They then used violence and threats to control them, on one occasion threatening to bomb a girl's family home. The victims were often taken to parties where they were given drink and drugs and forced to have sex with men who were sometimes decades older than them. On other occasions they were sexually assaulted in car parks, above takeaways, at snooker clubs and in parks around West Yorkshire. Some were raped and abused as part of \"truth or dare games\" while others were abandoned on the moors late at night if they refused to do what they were told. One girl was raped by the gang's leader as punishment for \"showing him up\" after she refused to perform a sex act on another man in the back of a car. The same girl was also forced to have an abortion and told the court she had no idea whose baby it was. Another girl was abducted from the children's home she was staying in and taken and abused on the moors when she was just 12. A large amount of the grooming and abuse was carried out by the gang's ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh man who was known by the nickname Pretos. The now-married father-of-two was convicted of attacks on 11 of the 15 girls. His treatment of his victims was described by Judge Marson as \"inhuman\". The other men - aged between 27 and 54 - were equally described as \"predatory and perverted\". In total 20 men, from Huddersfield, Sheffield, Bradford and Dewsbury, have been convicted and sentenced for their part in the abuse. The court heard many other perpetrators have not been identified and girls spoke of being abused by men they heard being called \"Mangos\" - a term used for men from Pakistan who did not really speak English. Prosecutor Richard Wright QC told the court: \"These men cared only for themselves and viewed these girls as objects to be used an abused at will. \"These men did not only control the girls by grooming them, they were also quite capable of employing threats of violence if the need arose, on occasion using violence and threats to control them and force them into sexual activity against their will.\" In total 15 girls aged between 11 and 17 fell victim to the gang. Many of them were socially isolated and as such became \"easy targets for abuse\", the court heard. Among the victims were girls with mild learning disabilities, girls who were bullied at school; one girl's mother was completely unable to look after her because of her own drink and drug problems. As a result they often craved the attention they were given, leaving them unable to see what was being done to them until it was too late. The court heard some of the victims felt they were in genuine relationships, such was the extent to which they had been groomed. Over the course of the three trials jurors listened as the gang's victims recounted how they had been groomed and exploited over many years, unable to escape. \"I suppose when you're young and you get bullied at school you do sort of like the attention, and things getting bought for you and stuff, but then once you were in with them you couldn't get out of it,\" one girl said. \"They got your trust and then stuff would start happening to you. I was constantly getting raped and beaten up.\" Another, when asked why she kept going back to the men said: \"They just threatened me - 'I'm coming to pick you up now and if you don't come, I'm coming to get your mum'.\" Such was the men's hold over the girls one woman said her daughter cracked her head jumping from a first floor balcony at their home in order to get out. The girl later told police: \"Every time I went out something bad happened. I risked my life every time. I was a mess.\" One victim, who only escaped her abusers when her family was forced to move out of the area following a house fire, said: \"It was the best thing I ever did, and that's bad saying that burning your house down is the best thing you ever did.\" Speaking to detectives many years later one girl said: \"I always bugged myself - 'why did I go back?' - and I still cannot answer that question. \"For years and years I blamed myself that it was my fault I went back, [but] they're quite manipulative and when you're in that situation you're so pressured, you feel so stupid and dirty and horrible.\" Victims and their families say they repeatedly told police and the authorities what was happening at the time but that it had fallen on deaf ears. One woman said she had even written to the Prime Minister. One girl said when she tried to tell two officers who took her to hospital after she was assaulted by one of her abusers they told her \"you must have wanted it\". The first allegations to be taken seriously surfaced in 2011 when a victim wrote a letter to a judge outlining the abuse she had suffered, but she did not make a formal complaint. It was not until 2013 that another victim came forward to police to make formal allegations against two gang members, Nasarat Hussain and Irfan Ahmed. Over the following three years dozens of girls and men were interviewed. Then in March 2017 a total of 29 people were initially charged as part of what became known as Operation Tendersea. Details of the convictions and lengthy jail sentences imposed can only now be reported as a blanket ban on coverage put in place in November 2017 was lifted following an application by the media. The press restrictions were put in place under the 1981 Contempt of Court Act, which allows a judge to stop reporting of a case to avoid prejudice and protect the integrity of the hearing or any future hearings. That ban on coverage, however, has attracted criticism from certain groups, including those with links to the far-right. In May, the former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was jailed for 13 months after he admitted a charge of contempt for filming outside Leeds Crown Court during the second of three trials. The footage, lasting about an hour-and-a-half, of Robinson discussing the trial was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted as a Facebook Live. On appeal, however, Robinson's conviction was quashed because of a number of procedural errors, though he faces a fresh hearing in relation to the alleged breach later this year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 226, "answer_end": 1327, "text": "The men, who are all British Asians mainly of Pakistani heritage, groomed girls by making them feel special, then plying them with alcohol, cannabis and other drugs. They then used violence and threats to control them, on one occasion threatening to bomb a girl's family home. The victims were often taken to parties where they were given drink and drugs and forced to have sex with men who were sometimes decades older than them. On other occasions they were sexually assaulted in car parks, above takeaways, at snooker clubs and in parks around West Yorkshire. Some were raped and abused as part of \"truth or dare games\" while others were abandoned on the moors late at night if they refused to do what they were told. One girl was raped by the gang's leader as punishment for \"showing him up\" after she refused to perform a sex act on another man in the back of a car. The same girl was also forced to have an abortion and told the court she had no idea whose baby it was. Another girl was abducted from the children's home she was staying in and taken and abused on the moors when she was just 12."}], "question": "How did the abusers control their victims?", "id": "222_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1328, "answer_end": 2464, "text": "A large amount of the grooming and abuse was carried out by the gang's ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh man who was known by the nickname Pretos. The now-married father-of-two was convicted of attacks on 11 of the 15 girls. His treatment of his victims was described by Judge Marson as \"inhuman\". The other men - aged between 27 and 54 - were equally described as \"predatory and perverted\". In total 20 men, from Huddersfield, Sheffield, Bradford and Dewsbury, have been convicted and sentenced for their part in the abuse. The court heard many other perpetrators have not been identified and girls spoke of being abused by men they heard being called \"Mangos\" - a term used for men from Pakistan who did not really speak English. Prosecutor Richard Wright QC told the court: \"These men cared only for themselves and viewed these girls as objects to be used an abused at will. \"These men did not only control the girls by grooming them, they were also quite capable of employing threats of violence if the need arose, on occasion using violence and threats to control them and force them into sexual activity against their will.\""}], "question": "Who were the men?", "id": "222_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3095, "answer_end": 4619, "text": "Over the course of the three trials jurors listened as the gang's victims recounted how they had been groomed and exploited over many years, unable to escape. \"I suppose when you're young and you get bullied at school you do sort of like the attention, and things getting bought for you and stuff, but then once you were in with them you couldn't get out of it,\" one girl said. \"They got your trust and then stuff would start happening to you. I was constantly getting raped and beaten up.\" Another, when asked why she kept going back to the men said: \"They just threatened me - 'I'm coming to pick you up now and if you don't come, I'm coming to get your mum'.\" Such was the men's hold over the girls one woman said her daughter cracked her head jumping from a first floor balcony at their home in order to get out. The girl later told police: \"Every time I went out something bad happened. I risked my life every time. I was a mess.\" One victim, who only escaped her abusers when her family was forced to move out of the area following a house fire, said: \"It was the best thing I ever did, and that's bad saying that burning your house down is the best thing you ever did.\" Speaking to detectives many years later one girl said: \"I always bugged myself - 'why did I go back?' - and I still cannot answer that question. \"For years and years I blamed myself that it was my fault I went back, [but] they're quite manipulative and when you're in that situation you're so pressured, you feel so stupid and dirty and horrible.\""}], "question": "How did the victims remain in the gang's grip?", "id": "222_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4620, "answer_end": 5507, "text": "Victims and their families say they repeatedly told police and the authorities what was happening at the time but that it had fallen on deaf ears. One woman said she had even written to the Prime Minister. One girl said when she tried to tell two officers who took her to hospital after she was assaulted by one of her abusers they told her \"you must have wanted it\". The first allegations to be taken seriously surfaced in 2011 when a victim wrote a letter to a judge outlining the abuse she had suffered, but she did not make a formal complaint. It was not until 2013 that another victim came forward to police to make formal allegations against two gang members, Nasarat Hussain and Irfan Ahmed. Over the following three years dozens of girls and men were interviewed. Then in March 2017 a total of 29 people were initially charged as part of what became known as Operation Tendersea."}], "question": "When did the abuse come to light?", "id": "222_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5508, "answer_end": 6578, "text": "Details of the convictions and lengthy jail sentences imposed can only now be reported as a blanket ban on coverage put in place in November 2017 was lifted following an application by the media. The press restrictions were put in place under the 1981 Contempt of Court Act, which allows a judge to stop reporting of a case to avoid prejudice and protect the integrity of the hearing or any future hearings. That ban on coverage, however, has attracted criticism from certain groups, including those with links to the far-right. In May, the former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was jailed for 13 months after he admitted a charge of contempt for filming outside Leeds Crown Court during the second of three trials. The footage, lasting about an hour-and-a-half, of Robinson discussing the trial was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted as a Facebook Live. On appeal, however, Robinson's conviction was quashed because of a number of procedural errors, though he faces a fresh hearing in relation to the alleged breach later this year."}], "question": "Why have these trials not been reported on before?", "id": "222_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Ecuador's new president will tackle economy... and Julian Assange", "date": "2 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ecuadoreans are voting to elect a successor to President Rafael Correa, after three terms of what he and his administration have dubbed \"21st-Century socialism\". The vote is a run-off between left-wing Lenin Moreno, who is backed by President Correa, and conservative Guillermo Lasso. Mr Moreno is ahead in the latest opinion poll. But with 16% of voters saying they are undecided, the result is hard to call. Mr Moreno won the first round, and an opinion poll released last week put him on 52.4%, next to Mr Lasso's 47.6%. Voting is mandatory in Ecuador and the winner will take office on 24 May. President Correa cast his vote in the capital Quito. He has campaigned for Mr Moreno, his former vice-president. Lenin Moreno: - 63 years old, left-wing, former vice-president - Close ally of outgoing President Rafael Correa - Became paraplegic after being shot in the back after being robbed in 1998 - Wants to increase employment opportunities and give all Ecuadoreans the chance to go on to higher education - Has written books with with titles such as \"Being Happy is Easy and Fun\" Guillermo Lasso: - 61-year-old former banker - Youngest of 11 children - Wants to create a million jobs by promoting foreign investment and has promised to cut taxes for big companies - Plans to make Ecuador's central bank independent of the government - Has vowed to evict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy in London if he wins When he was first elected in 2007, Mr Correa was one of a group of left-wing leaders in power in Latin America, including Argentina's Nestor Kirchner, Bolivia's Evo Morales, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Cuba's Raul Castro, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. A decade on, Argentina and Brazil are led by conservative presidents, Venezuela is in political turmoil, and Evo Morales is on his last term after Bolivians rejected a proposal to change the constitution to allow him to run again. The election winner will also decide on the fate of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has being living in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012. President Correa gave him asylum so he could avoid extradition to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning over a sex allegation, which he denies. Mr Assange feared he would end up being sent to the US, where he is wanted for leaking state secrets. Mr Lasso has said he will kick Julian Assange out of the embassy within 30 days if he wins. Mr Moreno said he would let him stay as long as he refrained from releasing material on \"friendly\" countries. Mr Correa's leftist Alianza PAIS (Country Alliance) party has thrown its weight behind Mr Moreno. Christian-Socialist politician Cynthia Viteri, who was eliminated in the first round in February, has urged her voters to get behind Mr Lasso. Despite having been a key figure in Mr Correa's cabinet between 2007-2013, Mr Moreno has sought to differentiate himself from the outgoing leader. Observers say he is less confrontational than Mr Correa and they suspect he may try to jettison some aspects of his predecessor's socialist policies. Mr Lasso is running for the Creando Oportunidades (Creating Opportunities) party. He previously ran against Mr Correa in 2013. Rafael Correa was elected in 2007 on a promise of bringing radical social and political reforms to Ecuador. He increased government spending on social programmes and looked to diversify Ecuador's trade and political relationships. He forged close ties with the left-wing regional group Alba, which includes Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela among others. He also moved Ecuador much closer economically to China, which is now one of the country's major creditors and trade partners. Mr Correa has been credited with reducing poverty until 2014, when the oil price slump hit government revenue and its ability to finance poverty reduction programmes. But recent corruption scandals and Mr Correa's frequent clashes with the media have produced some disillusionment. One poll suggests 70% of Ecuadoreans want \"important changes\" to be made. Economic recovery is likely to be a top priority for Ecuador. The oil-exporting country has suffered from a drop in international oil prices and has seen its GDP contract 1.7% in 2016.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3230, "answer_end": 4248, "text": "Rafael Correa was elected in 2007 on a promise of bringing radical social and political reforms to Ecuador. He increased government spending on social programmes and looked to diversify Ecuador's trade and political relationships. He forged close ties with the left-wing regional group Alba, which includes Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela among others. He also moved Ecuador much closer economically to China, which is now one of the country's major creditors and trade partners. Mr Correa has been credited with reducing poverty until 2014, when the oil price slump hit government revenue and its ability to finance poverty reduction programmes. But recent corruption scandals and Mr Correa's frequent clashes with the media have produced some disillusionment. One poll suggests 70% of Ecuadoreans want \"important changes\" to be made. Economic recovery is likely to be a top priority for Ecuador. The oil-exporting country has suffered from a drop in international oil prices and has seen its GDP contract 1.7% in 2016."}], "question": "What is President Correa's legacy?", "id": "223_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Snake bites are now a global health priority, says WHO", "date": "26 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Snake bites are now a \"global health priority\" according to a new resolution passed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday. The WHO says complications linked to attacks make the phenomenon one of the most neglected of tropical diseases. The world health body will now develop a global plan of action to tackle the issue, which will include providing cheaper antidotes and training. Between 81,000 and 138,000 people are killed by snake bites each year. The resolution aims to ensure that countries follow a common strategy in dealing with such attacks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around five million snake bites occur each year, although venom is only injected in just over half of cases. From blindness to amputations, hundreds of thousands of people are left with permanent disability after being attacked by snakes. The WHO describes such cases as among the most neglected tropical diseases. The majority of snake bites take place in densely populated areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, where humans and snakes often come into contact. Poor, rural populations are at particular risk from snake bites, as they often lack access to antidotes or may turn to traditional treatments in the absence of modern medical facilities. Many of the worst affected countries do not have their own facilities for producing antivenoms, which must be quickly administered to prevent or halt the damage caused by toxins. The World Health Assembly's new resolution will ensure that countries follow a common strategy in the prevention, treatment and management of snake attacks. Venomous snakes generally fall into two categories. Snakes with fixed fangs usually use neurotoxic venom which affects the nervous system and breathing, while other species have folded fangs which are only used when attacking prey or threats. Their toxin usually destroys skin tissue and causes internal bleeding. It is important to distinguish between the snakes with the most potent venom and those which pose the greatest threat to humans. The most toxic venom of any land snake is found in Australia's inland taipan. But while the snake is said to have enough venom in one bite to kill 100 men, there are no recorded human deaths from a bite by the species, thanks to its shy and reclusive nature, its remote location and the widespread availability of antivenom in Australia. Sea snakes are also highly venomous, but because of their limited contact with humans, bites are relatively rare. The less-venomous but still highly dangerous black mamba and the coastal taipan (native to Australia) pose a more immediate threat to humans. Both come from the same family of snakes and their venom is more fast-acting than that of other snakes, meaning that without treatment a bite victim can die in less than half an hour. The black mamba is in fact brown or olive, but gets its name from the colour of the inside of its mouth. It is found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa and grows to over 10ft (3 metres) in length. The coastal taipan, meanwhile, is very aggressive compared to its inland cousin. In terms of numbers of snakebite cases and fatalities, the relatively small saw-scaled viper is one of the most deadly snakes. It is found from West Africa to parts of South Asia and most often bites after dark. In India, where around half of snake bite deaths worldwide are thought to take place, the saw-scaled viper is one of four species which together account for the highest number of human fatalities. The other members of the so-called \"big four\" are: - The common or Indian krait: Although normally docile during the day, it becomes very aggressive at night, and can grow up to 1.75m (5ft 9in) in length - Russell's viper: It is a generally aggressive snake and is widespread across India and South Asia. It feeds on rodents and so is often found near human settlements, both in urban and rural areas - The Indian cobra is found across South Asia. It is widespread in areas without modern medical facilities and attacks after dark, and causes internal bleeding The NHS advises the following steps if you or someone else is bitten by a snake: - Remain calm and seek immediate medical attention. - Keep the affected part of the body as still as possible, and remove jewellery or watches - Loosen, but do not remove, clothing Do not try any of the following steps: - Sucking the venom out of the bite - Cutting the venom out of the bite or making it bleed - Applying anything to the wound, including ice, heat or chemicals - Leaving the person alone The NHS also advises against putting anything around the limb, such as a tourniquet, as it could make any swelling worse and lead to amputation. The World Health Organization advises the use of the Australian Pressure Immobilisation Bandage (PIB) method only for neurotoxic snake bites, which do not cause swelling. It is also important not to try to handle or capture a potentially venomous snake. Even dead snakes should be handled with caution, as the nervous system of recently killed specimens may still be active and can deliver a venomous bite. An earlier version of this story referred to an incident in India in which a child was reported to have died because her breastfeeding mother had been bitten by a snake. The incident was reported by Indian police but experts have cast doubt on the manner of transmission of the venom.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 563, "answer_end": 1620, "text": "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around five million snake bites occur each year, although venom is only injected in just over half of cases. From blindness to amputations, hundreds of thousands of people are left with permanent disability after being attacked by snakes. The WHO describes such cases as among the most neglected tropical diseases. The majority of snake bites take place in densely populated areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, where humans and snakes often come into contact. Poor, rural populations are at particular risk from snake bites, as they often lack access to antidotes or may turn to traditional treatments in the absence of modern medical facilities. Many of the worst affected countries do not have their own facilities for producing antivenoms, which must be quickly administered to prevent or halt the damage caused by toxins. The World Health Assembly's new resolution will ensure that countries follow a common strategy in the prevention, treatment and management of snake attacks."}], "question": "How big is the problem?", "id": "224_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1621, "answer_end": 1934, "text": "Venomous snakes generally fall into two categories. Snakes with fixed fangs usually use neurotoxic venom which affects the nervous system and breathing, while other species have folded fangs which are only used when attacking prey or threats. Their toxin usually destroys skin tissue and causes internal bleeding."}], "question": "What happens when a venomous snake bites?", "id": "224_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1935, "answer_end": 3114, "text": "It is important to distinguish between the snakes with the most potent venom and those which pose the greatest threat to humans. The most toxic venom of any land snake is found in Australia's inland taipan. But while the snake is said to have enough venom in one bite to kill 100 men, there are no recorded human deaths from a bite by the species, thanks to its shy and reclusive nature, its remote location and the widespread availability of antivenom in Australia. Sea snakes are also highly venomous, but because of their limited contact with humans, bites are relatively rare. The less-venomous but still highly dangerous black mamba and the coastal taipan (native to Australia) pose a more immediate threat to humans. Both come from the same family of snakes and their venom is more fast-acting than that of other snakes, meaning that without treatment a bite victim can die in less than half an hour. The black mamba is in fact brown or olive, but gets its name from the colour of the inside of its mouth. It is found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa and grows to over 10ft (3 metres) in length. The coastal taipan, meanwhile, is very aggressive compared to its inland cousin."}], "question": "Which snakes have the most toxic venom?", "id": "224_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4085, "answer_end": 5407, "text": "The NHS advises the following steps if you or someone else is bitten by a snake: - Remain calm and seek immediate medical attention. - Keep the affected part of the body as still as possible, and remove jewellery or watches - Loosen, but do not remove, clothing Do not try any of the following steps: - Sucking the venom out of the bite - Cutting the venom out of the bite or making it bleed - Applying anything to the wound, including ice, heat or chemicals - Leaving the person alone The NHS also advises against putting anything around the limb, such as a tourniquet, as it could make any swelling worse and lead to amputation. The World Health Organization advises the use of the Australian Pressure Immobilisation Bandage (PIB) method only for neurotoxic snake bites, which do not cause swelling. It is also important not to try to handle or capture a potentially venomous snake. Even dead snakes should be handled with caution, as the nervous system of recently killed specimens may still be active and can deliver a venomous bite. An earlier version of this story referred to an incident in India in which a child was reported to have died because her breastfeeding mother had been bitten by a snake. The incident was reported by Indian police but experts have cast doubt on the manner of transmission of the venom."}], "question": "What should you do if you're bitten by a snake?", "id": "224_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Elephant killings in Africa 'stabilise' but threat continues", "date": "28 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The rapid growth in the illegal killing of African elephants seen since 2006 seems to have stabilised and may be decreasing. Two new reports indicate that across the continent, the numbers of elephants being killed for ivory has slowed. But the picture is mixed as the slaughter in Central and West Africa shows no sign of moderating. Some experts believe that the decline in deaths could be down to fewer elephants being alive to poach. The BBC investigated the war on elephants earlier this year and how it is fuelled by demand for ivory from Asia. Now there is new data on the sources of the illegal killings from the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, better known as Cites. They run two important elephant monitoring records that are seen as reliable indicators of what's happening on the ground. A few months ago, the Mike programme (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants) showed that number of deaths, which started to grow in 2006, peaked in 2011. Even though the trend is moving in the right direction, there were still over 14,000 elephants killed in the period from 2003-2015. The BBC also investigated the war on elephants this year and how it is fuelled by demand for ivory from Asia. New data has also been published for the ETIS programme (Elephant Trade Information System). This shows that while trading in illegal ivory reached its highest levels in 2012 and 2013, it had levelled off by 2014. But while there are some positives in the overall picture for Africa, the regional differences are stark. Southern Africa is the area where poaching levels have remained consistently the lowest.  It remains the only sub-region that has not seen illegal killings exceed natural deaths since monitoring began. Poaching remains high, however, at the Niassa Reserve in Mozambique and there has been a \"troubling spike\" in killings at South Africa's Kruger National Park. East Africa has also seen a decline in poaching for the fourth year in a row. Central and West Africa continue to show the most serious levels of poaching, with illegal killings far exceeding natural deaths. \"There are some encouraging signs, including arresting the overall upward trends in poaching, the decline in poaching trends in some sites in East Africa and the overall trends in Southern Africa,\" said Cites secretary general John Scanlon. \"This shows what is possible through a sustained and collective effort with strong political support, but much more remains to be done.\" However others say that there may not be much comfort in the relative stability that the new figures indicate. \"It needs to be understood that poaching levels may be down but in some cases that is due to the fact the populations are severely depleted,\" said Dr Susan Lieberman from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). \"If you look at some of the Central African populations that have lost up to 70% of their elephants you may see poaching stabilise or decrease but that is because the elephants are harder to find.\" The future for elephants will be a major topic of debate when 182 countries gather at the Cites triennial Conference of the Parties in Johannesburg at the end of September. At present all commercial, international trade in ivory from African elephants is prohibited. A one-off commercial sale of ivory from Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa took place in 2009. Both Namibia and Zimbabwe are now proposing changes at the upcoming meeting that would allow ivory from these two countries to be internationally traded subject to permit. They argue that that these sales would help boost their conservation efforts. Critics of these moves are concerned that any permitted trade would be used as a cover for illicit ivory and would boost poaching across the continent. \"As long as there is some signal that there may be a legal ivory trade, these speculators, traffickers and crooks are going to take advantage of it,\" said Dr Lieberman from WCS. \"We've got China now saying its going to close its domestic ivory market, the very worst thing that could happen would be for the Southern Africans to get a nod that maybe you can trade in the future. \"That would be the death knell of elephants in Central, West and East Africa.\" Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3042, "answer_end": 4329, "text": "The future for elephants will be a major topic of debate when 182 countries gather at the Cites triennial Conference of the Parties in Johannesburg at the end of September. At present all commercial, international trade in ivory from African elephants is prohibited. A one-off commercial sale of ivory from Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa took place in 2009. Both Namibia and Zimbabwe are now proposing changes at the upcoming meeting that would allow ivory from these two countries to be internationally traded subject to permit. They argue that that these sales would help boost their conservation efforts. Critics of these moves are concerned that any permitted trade would be used as a cover for illicit ivory and would boost poaching across the continent. \"As long as there is some signal that there may be a legal ivory trade, these speculators, traffickers and crooks are going to take advantage of it,\" said Dr Lieberman from WCS. \"We've got China now saying its going to close its domestic ivory market, the very worst thing that could happen would be for the Southern Africans to get a nod that maybe you can trade in the future. \"That would be the death knell of elephants in Central, West and East Africa.\" Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook."}], "question": "Future trade?", "id": "225_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Omarosa Manigault Newman to leave White House next month", "date": "13 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Omarosa Manigault Newman, one of US President Donald Trump's most vocal black supporters, is to quit. A White House spokeswoman said Ms Manigault Newman was quitting the Office of Public Liaison to \"pursue other opportunities\". \"We wish her the best in future endeavours,\" said press secretary Sarah Sanders. Mrs Manigault Newman was often referred to by viewers as the \"villain\" on Mr Trump's reality TV show the Apprentice. Mrs Sanders added that Mrs Manigault Newman would depart on 20 January, one year after Mr Trump took office. In a brief tweet, Mr Trump paid tribute to Mrs Manigault Newman. Critics said Mrs Manigault Newman's role at the White House was vague and ill-defined, and that she seemed to spend more time planning her wedding than organising outreach. During her tenure, she attracted controversy when she brought a 39-person wedding party to the White House for an impromptu photo shoot, according to Politico. Analysis by Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Washington Omarosa likes to hug people (even journalists). She brings friends to the White House \"mess\", a West Wing restaurant run by the US Navy, and she likes to show visitors around the building. Warm and engaging, she's also slightly unprofessional; she brought members of her bridal party to the White House for a photo shoot. Besides that she makes Apprentice jokes at White House events and sometimes leaves early (when the events are boring). However you feel about her, one thing is true: the place won't be the same without her. That may be the point. Chief of Staff John Kelly has been moving controversial figures out, trying to make the White House seem more staid. Since he started, Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Anthony Scaramucci have all left. Some former advisers, such as James Schultz, who served as a special assistant, say rumours of \"housecleaning\" are untrue. Schultz, who worked down the hall from Omarosa, says she just wants to return to the private sector. \"She's a tremendous salesperson,\" he points out. Chances are you'll be hearing from her long after she's left the White House. Over the summer, she caused uproar at an event for black journalists, when she paced on stage while arguing with the panel's moderator and refused to discuss her boss, President Trump. In a 2004 interview with Playboy, Mr Trump described her as a liar. He said he would not offer her a job reference, except if she was appearing on a soap opera. But following his election to the White House, he appointed her to the Office of Public Liaison, where she earned a reported $179,700 (PS134,000) a year. This was not her first time working for a presidential administration. After graduating from Washington DC's historically black Howard University, she worked for Vice-President Al Gore, before joining President Bill Clinton's personnel office, then the US Commerce Department. She wrote a 2008 book The Bitch Switch, which was billed as \"a step-by-step guide for locating your inner BITCH, personalising your switch, and knowing when to turn it on and when to turn it off\". In her book, Mrs Manigault Newman described her government supervisor as someone who \"constantly sabotaged her efforts\". But a former Clinton official told People magazine Mrs Manigault Newman \"was asked to leave as quickly as possible\" and one member of staff \"wanted to slug her\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 933, "answer_end": 2086, "text": "Analysis by Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Washington Omarosa likes to hug people (even journalists). She brings friends to the White House \"mess\", a West Wing restaurant run by the US Navy, and she likes to show visitors around the building. Warm and engaging, she's also slightly unprofessional; she brought members of her bridal party to the White House for a photo shoot. Besides that she makes Apprentice jokes at White House events and sometimes leaves early (when the events are boring). However you feel about her, one thing is true: the place won't be the same without her. That may be the point. Chief of Staff John Kelly has been moving controversial figures out, trying to make the White House seem more staid. Since he started, Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka and Anthony Scaramucci have all left. Some former advisers, such as James Schultz, who served as a special assistant, say rumours of \"housecleaning\" are untrue. Schultz, who worked down the hall from Omarosa, says she just wants to return to the private sector. \"She's a tremendous salesperson,\" he points out. Chances are you'll be hearing from her long after she's left the White House."}], "question": "Cleaning house?", "id": "226_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Potent cannabis increases risk of serious mental illness, says study", "date": "20 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Smoking potent 'skunk-like' cannabis increases your risk of serious mental illness, say researchers. They estimate around one in 10 new cases of psychosis may be associated with strong cannabis, based on their study of European cities and towns. In London and Amsterdam, where most of the cannabis that is sold is very strong, the risk could be much more, they say in The Lancet Psychiatry. Daily use of any cannabis also makes psychosis more likely, they found. Experts say people should be aware of the potential risks to health, even though the study is not definitive proof of harm. Lead researcher and psychiatrist Dr Marta Di Forti said: \"If you decide to use high potency cannabis bear in mind there is this potential risk.\" Dr Adrian James from the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: \"This is a good quality study and the results need to be taken seriously.\" People experiencing psychosis lose touch with reality, and may hear voices, see things that are not actually there or have delusional, confused thoughts. It is a recognised medical condition and different to getting high on a drug. There is disagreement as to what extent cannabis might cause or worsen mental health problems and many countries have gone ahead and legalised or decriminalised cannabis use. Doctors are concerned about the growing use of high potency cannabis that contains lots of the ingredient THC - the one that gives the high. Skunk-like cannabis with a THC content of 14% now makes up 94% of the drug sold on the streets of London, according to experts. Ad Gridley, who currently takes three different anti-psychotics, has suffered with schizophrenia and has tried to take his own life. He believes his psychosis is down to cannabis use. He no longer smokes. \"I was smoking so much it was common place for me to be stoned, and I started doing it a lot by myself too. After a couple of suicide attempts - that I didn't really admit to - my mum saw me at home in my flat hugging my knees, rocking, and she knew immediately something was wrong,\" he told the Victoria Derbyshire programme. \"Within 24 hours there was a GP out, and I was in hospital the next day. It plagued my life for about ten years after that. I couldn't function, and I was in and out of hospital ten times. I wasn't doing anything meaningful with my life. \"When I stopped, the psychosis stopped. I was on medications and things but that was to rectify what happened before, so my brain chemistry could get some sort of equilibrium. When I stopped smoking, the symptoms disappeared. \"If I had known the risks I doubt I would have taken it.\" The researchers, from King's College London, looked at cannabis use by people in 11 EU towns and cities, including London, as well as one region of Brazil. They compared a sample of 901 people who had experienced psychosis with 1,237 (from the general population) who had not. They categorised the type of cannabis used by the participants according to strength, although they did not do any lab tests to measure the strength directly. Low potency cannabis was any illicit product thought to contain less than 10% concentration of the ingredient THC. High potency was anything containing more than 10% THC. The researchers found: - Self-reported daily cannabis use was more common among patients with first episode psychosis, compared to controls - 29.5% (or 266 out of 901) of patients versus 6.8% (84/1,237) of controls - High-potency cannabis use was also more common among patients with first episode psychosis, compared to controls - 37.1% (334/901) versus 19.4% (240/1,237) - Across the 11 sites, people who used cannabis on a daily basis were three times more likely to have a diagnosis of first episode psychosis, compared with people who had never used cannabis - This increased to five times more likely for daily use of high potency cannabis - There was no evidence of an association between less than-weekly cannabis use and psychosis, regardless of potency The authors estimate that one in five new cases (20.4%) of psychosis across the 11 sites may be linked to daily cannabis use, and one in ten (12.2%) linked to use of high potency cannabis. In London, a fifth (21%) of new cases of psychosis might be linked to daily cannabis use, and nearly a third (30%) to high potency cannabis. Removing strong cannabis from the market would lower London's psychosis incidence rate from 45.7 to 31.9 cases per 100,000 people per year, the scientists estimate. For the South London region they looked at, that would mean 60 fewer cases of psychosis each year. Nick Hickmott from the drug and alcohol charity Addaction said: \"We've got a problem with potency. People who regularly take lots of high strength cannabis are at risk of potentially serious harm. It can be particularly harmful for younger, developing brains. \"My advice is avoid using high-strength cannabis every day and pay attention to how it makes you feel. If you end up feeling anxious or just unsettled then it might be best to give it a miss. It's also not a good idea to mix it with alcohol or other drugs. \"It's also important not to over-react. Lots of people experiment with cannabis and then move on without any problems. For people who do need advice or help I'd recommend reaching out to a GP or a local drug service.\" Cannabis can vary in strength and type. Skunk tends to contain higher levels of THC than weed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4563, "answer_end": 5392, "text": "Nick Hickmott from the drug and alcohol charity Addaction said: \"We've got a problem with potency. People who regularly take lots of high strength cannabis are at risk of potentially serious harm. It can be particularly harmful for younger, developing brains. \"My advice is avoid using high-strength cannabis every day and pay attention to how it makes you feel. If you end up feeling anxious or just unsettled then it might be best to give it a miss. It's also not a good idea to mix it with alcohol or other drugs. \"It's also important not to over-react. Lots of people experiment with cannabis and then move on without any problems. For people who do need advice or help I'd recommend reaching out to a GP or a local drug service.\" Cannabis can vary in strength and type. Skunk tends to contain higher levels of THC than weed."}], "question": "Is mild pot and occasional use OK?", "id": "227_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Anak Krakatau: Indonesia flights rerouted as volcano alert level raised", "date": "27 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The alert level for Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been raised to the second-highest level possible, after a series of eruptions. All flights around the volcano have been rerouted and a 5km (three-mile) exclusion zone has also been imposed. Indonesia's disaster management agency (BNPB) said the alert level had been raised from level two to three because of the increased volcanic activity. Last Saturday, the volcano triggered a tsunami which killed hundreds. \"The volcanic activity of Anak Krakatau continues to increase,\" said BNPB in a press statement, citing data from the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia. \"The danger zone [has been] extended from 2km to 5km... people and tourists are prohibited from carrying out activities within a 5km radius.\" Air traffic control agency AirNav Indonesia said it was closing flight routes because the volcanic ash Krakatau was spewing meant the situation was on \"red alert\". An AirNav operations manager told the BBC that between 20 and 25 flights were affected, including some international flights to and from Australia, Singapore and the Middle East. He said that the disruption was likely to be minimal, although passengers may experience longer journeys and aircraft may need more fuel because of the diversions. Authorities say that Anak Krakatau has become increasingly active with what are known as Strombolian eruptions - short-lived, explosive blasts of lava - being emitted. BNPB has now imposed a 5km exclusion zone around the volcano, which rises from the sea in the Sunda Straits between Java and Sumatra. Nobody is believed to be inside that danger zone, but residents that live on both sides of the strait are being told to stay away from beaches due to fears of another tsunami. Strong winds are carrying thin volcanic ash spewed by the volcano to neighbouring areas, but authorities have stressed this is \"not dangerous\" and are advising residents to wear masks and goggles. The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since last week. The agency adds that there may be a new crater hole under the sea and that explosions are ongoing, with eruption sounds heard several times a minute. On Saturday, vast waves engulfed coastal towns on the islands of Sumatra and Java leaving at least 430 dead and more than 150 missing. It destroyed hundreds of buildings, sweeping away cars and uprooting trees in several popular tourist destinations. At least 16,000 people still remain displaced and rescue workers are struggling to reach remote areas of the country that have been hit by the tsunami. Thousands of people are living in temporary shelters like mosques of schools, with dozens sleeping on the floor. A state of emergency will stay in place until 4 January. According to some evacuees, clean water, fresh clothes and blankets are in short supply. Aid is only starting to just reach the town of Sumur that was cut off by the tsunami, with volunteers having to piece together makeshift bridges out of concrete blocks to reach the area, reports say. It is believed that volcanic activity from Anak Krakatau set off undersea landslides which in turn generated the killer waves. 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.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 764, "answer_end": 1270, "text": "Air traffic control agency AirNav Indonesia said it was closing flight routes because the volcanic ash Krakatau was spewing meant the situation was on \"red alert\". An AirNav operations manager told the BBC that between 20 and 25 flights were affected, including some international flights to and from Australia, Singapore and the Middle East. He said that the disruption was likely to be minimal, although passengers may experience longer journeys and aircraft may need more fuel because of the diversions."}], "question": "How are flights being disrupted?", "id": "228_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1271, "answer_end": 2197, "text": "Authorities say that Anak Krakatau has become increasingly active with what are known as Strombolian eruptions - short-lived, explosive blasts of lava - being emitted. BNPB has now imposed a 5km exclusion zone around the volcano, which rises from the sea in the Sunda Straits between Java and Sumatra. Nobody is believed to be inside that danger zone, but residents that live on both sides of the strait are being told to stay away from beaches due to fears of another tsunami. Strong winds are carrying thin volcanic ash spewed by the volcano to neighbouring areas, but authorities have stressed this is \"not dangerous\" and are advising residents to wear masks and goggles. The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since last week. The agency adds that there may be a new crater hole under the sea and that explosions are ongoing, with eruption sounds heard several times a minute."}], "question": "What is happening with the volcano?", "id": "228_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Joe Biden says he's running in 2020 - then corrects himself", "date": "17 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Joe Biden appeared to announce his candidacy for the 2020 US election, before immediately correcting himself. The former vice-president made the slip while addressing 1,000 Democrats at a dinner in his home state of Delaware. He said his record was the most progressive \"of anyone running for the United-\" before correcting himself and saying, \"anybody who would run\". The audience stood up and chanted \"run Joe run\", while Mr Biden crossed himself and said, \"I didn't mean it!\" Addressing party brokers and leaders in the city of Dover, Mr Biden, 76, said that it was time to restore the country's \"backbone\", but that they needed political consensus to move beyond what he called today's \"mean\", \"petty\" and \"vicious\" political landscape. \"I'm told I get criticised by the new left,\" he said, referring to a group of popular new left-wing Democrats that includes congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. \"I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the United- \" He then corrected himself, saying: \"Anybody who would run.\" As the diners rose to their feet and chanted \"run Joe run\", he laughed and insisted, \"I didn't mean it!\" \"Of anybody who would run,\" he continued. \"Because folks, we have to bring this country back together again.\" Mr Biden, who was Barack Obama's second-in-command from 2009 to 2017, added that the 2020 election will be the most important vote in a century. Speculation that Mr Biden would announce his candidacy has reached feverish levels. If he were to run, he would be entering an increasingly crowded race - with 15 other Democrats having already declared their bids. Among them are senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, who ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016. Former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke joined the race last week. Joe Biden may soon join the race to stop Donald Trump from being re-elected. But who else has a shot at becoming the next president? Find out who is already running and who might join them.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1796, "answer_end": 1985, "text": "Joe Biden may soon join the race to stop Donald Trump from being re-elected. But who else has a shot at becoming the next president? Find out who is already running and who might join them."}], "question": "Who will take on Trump in 2020?", "id": "229_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'We were bullied out of our home for being different'", "date": "6 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A family with two autistic children say they were driven out of their home as a result of a two-year campaign of bullying, abuse and physical assault. The authorities failed to help them, they say, and mistook the symptoms of autism for aggression and an unwillingness to co-operate. Charlotte Hayward went to see them. \"I'm not bad, rude, hyper or shy, I have Asperger's. What's your excuse?\" Lee is reading out to me what's written in pink letters on his black T-shirt. He's also wearing yellow earplugs, sunglasses and a hat. He himself would admit that it's an unusual look, especially in grey, rainy Britain. He says he bought a number of similar shirts because dealing with the police left him very frustrated. \"The police were so rude and judgmental and had no idea how to communicate or talk to us,\" he says. \"They just shut us up straight away.\" Lee is a father. He's got five children, two of whom, like him, have a diagnosis of autism. His wife Penny can't walk very far, and so sometimes she uses a mobility scooter or a wheelchair. They describe themselves as a \"bit different\". Two-and-a-half years ago they were offered an adapted new home by the housing association, LiveWest - to protect the family's privacy the BBC is not naming where. They were happy to move but problems with neighbours began soon after they arrived. \"It started off with antisocial behaviour, and youths would come out and play football but they would come and purposely kick it at the vehicles and the windows. We started getting abuse from the parents, telling us we were odd and weird, and then we started getting blocked in,\" says Penny, who is currently pregnant with her sixth child. Listen to Charlotte Hayward's report on the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, after 06:00 on Monday 6 May Or catch up later online As she talks to me in the calm of the family's cream-coloured living room, her children sit next to her, listening quietly. But it's a difficult and upsetting story to tell, and she has to keep stopping. \"Every time we left the property, we got hurls of abuse, footballs kicked in our direction, even some of the youths saying they wanted to kill us.\" Bricks were thrown at them, she says, and through the windows. \"They'd shout at the girls - call them retards. They were harassing my husband doing hand flapping and mimicking his ear defenders.\" Over the course of two years, Penny made hundreds of complaints to LiveWest and Avon and Somerset Police. The police say these complaints were investigated and that several family liaison officers were assigned to the family, all of whom were rejected. The family says they rejected the officers, because none had the skills required to talk and listen to autistic people. LiveWest, the housing association, said in a statement: \"Over a long period of time, there were accusations of hate crime made by the family along with many counter-accusations by local residents. We worked with the police and multi-agencies to investigate all these accusations where no action was taken by the police due to lack of evidence.\" Adding to the family's sense of being abandoned by people who could have helped them, at the height of the tensions LiveWest revealed that it had accidentally sent sensitive information to the family's neighbours by mistake. Medical information, previous addresses, schooling for the children, mental health assessments. It was a catastrophic data breach and Penny says she was gobsmacked. \"I was... I didn't know what to say. 'What do you mean, you've sent them my whole file?'\" LiveWest says it has apologised to the family for the error. The abuse culminated in an assault on the couple's eldest son, Harry, who has Tourette's syndrome and autism. It was caught on the family's private CCTV, which shows a handful of people outside the family's house: Harry is leaning forward, perhaps talking, and then someone grabs him, pushes him against a wall and bends him forward over railings. You can't hear much on the short clip, and you can't see what the build-up to this was or know the context. \"After the incident the autistic ones were having real severe meltdowns. It really affected them quite badly and of course the two youngest siblings witnessed everything. They were really distressed. We had a six-month-old baby as well. Harry particularly was punching doors and walls and cutting all his hands open, just pure frustration,\" says Penny. \"Three hours after the assault the police came and knocked on the door and I couldn't let them in. I couldn't distress them any more, especially Lee because he wanted to protect his family. So Lee says, 'I'm really sorry you can't come in tonight, we're trying to cope and get this family stable and secure and for an autistic person routine is everything. We said we'll speak to you tomorrow. In the meantime, we've got CCTV for you.'\" Avon and Somerset Police wasn't able to give the BBC an interview, but did say that it had been alleged that Harry had pushed someone before he was attacked. When officers asked to review all the CCTV, the family wouldn't co-operate, a spokesman said. That meant that the assault, which would have been treated as part of an affray, couldn't be investigated. The family told me they had not kept the previous CCTV footage. The police say they did arrange a meeting to go through all of the allegations after the assault but that Penny and Lee didn't want to take part. Penny says she didn't feel any of the police officers had an understanding of what autism is. \"They made us appear to be unengaging, unco-operative,\" she says. \"We eventually paid an advocate to speak for us. They said we were aggressive, abrupt. If you know anything about autism, communication is the biggest issue.\" Harry, 19, was too distressed to be interviewed, but commented by email: Not long after we moved in, people in the street started to bully me. I started to feel very socially awkward all the time and became a person with very low self-confidence. I got to breaking point and I didn't understand all my emotions. I didn't know how to feel and felt that I didn't deserve to be on this planet where everyone judged me and mocked me. I was subjected to violence and after this I became very depressed and now a year on I am still struggling. I don't like leaving the house. I sit in my room with the lights off and curtains closed with no interest in anything any more. I feel like a stranger in my own home, my own body. I no longer know myself. I feel as someone with autism I am judged and overlooked because of who I am and because I am different. But what is \"normal\"? Avon and Somerset Police doesn't train its officers specifically to deal with autism. It points out that College of Policing guidance doesn't support condition-specific training, because officers cannot be expected to be \"health or social care professionals\". But that could be changing. Sgt Adam McCloughlin, the force lead for autism, has been working on a programme that would improve officers' autism awareness. \"We know that autistic people are up to seven times more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system. We know that is most likely as a victim or as a witness, certainly not as a suspect,\" he says. \"There's nothing to suggest that autistic people are more likely to break the law. Policing is one of those occupations where you only really ever tend to meet people in times of stress, when you've done something wrong or something unfortunately has happened. Emotions play a big part in the way autism presents itself. People that the police come across will be in emotional distress.\" He hopes the training will start this year. \"I think that we as an organisation make mistakes every day,\" he says. \"I've seen the complaints from the autistic community. I think the answer to those performance issues is just more awareness and more training. We're not going to do any harm by reframing the way we think about vulnerability and other conditions.\" Penny and her family felt forced to move to a new home. They tell me that they're safe but despite the police's insistence that they tried to help the family, they feel completely let down. \"You go to the police because they are mean to protect you, you go to housing association, they have a duty of care to look after you... We had no family, there was no support network, just absolutely nothing.\" Two brothers on the autistic spectrum were looking for work when one had the idea of opening a comic shop. It turned out to be an inspired choice. Read: The shop where it's OK to be different Illustrations by Katie Horwich", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5750, "answer_end": 6619, "text": "Harry, 19, was too distressed to be interviewed, but commented by email: Not long after we moved in, people in the street started to bully me. I started to feel very socially awkward all the time and became a person with very low self-confidence. I got to breaking point and I didn't understand all my emotions. I didn't know how to feel and felt that I didn't deserve to be on this planet where everyone judged me and mocked me. I was subjected to violence and after this I became very depressed and now a year on I am still struggling. I don't like leaving the house. I sit in my room with the lights off and curtains closed with no interest in anything any more. I feel like a stranger in my own home, my own body. I no longer know myself. I feel as someone with autism I am judged and overlooked because of who I am and because I am different. But what is \"normal\"?"}], "question": "What is 'normal'?", "id": "230_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: UK 'ready to pay more to the EU'", "date": "21 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brexit supporters in the cabinet have agreed the UK should offer to pay more money to the EU as it leaves. But no formal offer will be made until the EU agrees to begin talking about a new trade deal with the UK. No new figure has been given - but it is thought it could be up to PS40bn, which would be double what the UK's offers so far add up to. The UK and the EU have yet to agree on the so-called \"divorce bill\" with the UK due to leave the EU in March 2019. Some Conservative MPs have reacted angrily to the possibility of the UK agreeing to pay more - yesterday one, Nigel Evans, said it would be like a \"ransom payment\" to the EU while another, Robert Halfon, said it would make voters \"go bananas\". But despite this, BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said leading Brexiteers in Theresa May's cabinet, like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, had agreed to support her in paying a \"much larger sum\" - as long as the EU agrees to begin trade talks, which it has refused to do so far. And no final figure will be agreed until a trade deal is agreed, he added. The UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, and served the EU with formal notice of Brexit in March 2017. This began a two-year countdown to the UK's departure day which will be in March 2019. Before that the two sides have to agree all sorts of things - including what happens to EU citizens living in the UK and British people living in the EU, and how the Northern Ireland border will work. So the two teams of negotiators have been meeting in Brussels every month. But there has not been much of a breakthrough so far, with the \"divorce bill\" proving to be one of the key sticking points. Part of the problem for Theresa May is that while the EU wants the UK to offer more money, some of her MPs say this would be unacceptable and that the UK should just walk away and leave. EU leaders are due to decide at a summit on 14 and 15 December whether to allow talks on a future trade relationship to begin. It was billed as a key meeting where Theresa May would try to get her ministers on side to support her in negotiating cash with the EU. Downing Street has been tight-lipped about what was actually discussed at the Cabinet Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May. But the BBC understands ministers concluded there is the possibility that talks with the EU will move on to the next phase in December but \"we are not going to move on our own\". There were also tensions over the future role of the European Court of Justice. Some believe the court will need to supervise the trading rules between the UK and EU during a period of transition after Britain leaves. Chancellor Philip Hammond has floated the idea of a tribunal, similar to the arrangements in place in European Economic Area countries such as Norway, to settle any disputes. But the EU may insist on a continued role for the European Court of Justice. The EU says the UK needs to settle its accounts before it leaves. It says the UK has made financial commitments that have to be settled as part of an overall withdrawal agreement. The UK accepts that it has some obligations. And it has promised not to leave any other country out of pocket in the current EU budget period from 2014-20. But the devil is in the detail. There are also issues like pensions for EU staff, and how the UK's contribution to these is calculated for years to come, and the question of what happens to building projects - for instance in Spain - that had funding agreed by all EU members including the UK but which will only begin construction after the UK has left. Large amounts of the EU's budget are spent in two areas - agriculture and fisheries, and development of poorer areas. Projects include business start-ups, roads and railways, education and health programmes and many others. While Theresa May is battling to get her party onside, over in Germany there's more upheaval, where coalition talks have broken down, plunging Chancellor Angela Merkel into a political crisis. This has raised the prospect of more elections in Germany, the EU's largest economy. How might this affect Brexit? Tory backbencher Andrew Bridgen told the BBC there could be \"no meaningful negotiations\" with the EU until it was resolved, adding: \"Why would we want to make concessions now when we don't have to?\" Tory MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Iain Duncan Smith agree - Mr Duncan Smith told The Times the UK should \"sit tight\". But on the BBC's Today programme, German minister Christian Schmidt warned Tory Brexiteers not to try to take advantage of the political turmoil in his country to drive a harder bargain. \"I would suggest to all not to count on such a scenario,\" he said, adding that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal it will be a \"disaster\" for its economy. The Sports Minister Tracey Crouch thinks people have had enough of the \"daily commentary\" on the UK's EU departure. She tells HuffPost UK people urge her in the street to \"ask the BBC to stop reporting on Brexit\". \"They want us to do it, they want us to get on with it. I'm not sure they necessarily want the daily commentary on it,\" she says. With this in mind, she recently wrote her weekly newspaper column on The Great British Bake Off instead. \"The only Brexit they care about is getting the bread out of the oven in time,\" it said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1072, "answer_end": 1977, "text": "The UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, and served the EU with formal notice of Brexit in March 2017. This began a two-year countdown to the UK's departure day which will be in March 2019. Before that the two sides have to agree all sorts of things - including what happens to EU citizens living in the UK and British people living in the EU, and how the Northern Ireland border will work. So the two teams of negotiators have been meeting in Brussels every month. But there has not been much of a breakthrough so far, with the \"divorce bill\" proving to be one of the key sticking points. Part of the problem for Theresa May is that while the EU wants the UK to offer more money, some of her MPs say this would be unacceptable and that the UK should just walk away and leave. EU leaders are due to decide at a summit on 14 and 15 December whether to allow talks on a future trade relationship to begin."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "231_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1978, "answer_end": 2944, "text": "It was billed as a key meeting where Theresa May would try to get her ministers on side to support her in negotiating cash with the EU. Downing Street has been tight-lipped about what was actually discussed at the Cabinet Exit and Trade (Strategy and Negotiations) sub-committee, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May. But the BBC understands ministers concluded there is the possibility that talks with the EU will move on to the next phase in December but \"we are not going to move on our own\". There were also tensions over the future role of the European Court of Justice. Some believe the court will need to supervise the trading rules between the UK and EU during a period of transition after Britain leaves. Chancellor Philip Hammond has floated the idea of a tribunal, similar to the arrangements in place in European Economic Area countries such as Norway, to settle any disputes. But the EU may insist on a continued role for the European Court of Justice."}], "question": "What  did ministers talk about?", "id": "231_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3860, "answer_end": 4825, "text": "While Theresa May is battling to get her party onside, over in Germany there's more upheaval, where coalition talks have broken down, plunging Chancellor Angela Merkel into a political crisis. This has raised the prospect of more elections in Germany, the EU's largest economy. How might this affect Brexit? Tory backbencher Andrew Bridgen told the BBC there could be \"no meaningful negotiations\" with the EU until it was resolved, adding: \"Why would we want to make concessions now when we don't have to?\" Tory MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Iain Duncan Smith agree - Mr Duncan Smith told The Times the UK should \"sit tight\". But on the BBC's Today programme, German minister Christian Schmidt warned Tory Brexiteers not to try to take advantage of the political turmoil in his country to drive a harder bargain. \"I would suggest to all not to count on such a scenario,\" he said, adding that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal it will be a \"disaster\" for its economy."}], "question": "What about Germany?", "id": "231_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4826, "answer_end": 5363, "text": "The Sports Minister Tracey Crouch thinks people have had enough of the \"daily commentary\" on the UK's EU departure. She tells HuffPost UK people urge her in the street to \"ask the BBC to stop reporting on Brexit\". \"They want us to do it, they want us to get on with it. I'm not sure they necessarily want the daily commentary on it,\" she says. With this in mind, she recently wrote her weekly newspaper column on The Great British Bake Off instead. \"The only Brexit they care about is getting the bread out of the oven in time,\" it said."}], "question": "Brexit or Bake Off?", "id": "231_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Q&A: What is the story of Knock Marian shrine?", "date": "24 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As the final plans are set in motion for Pope Francis' visit to Ireland, the people of Knock are bracing themselves for thousands of visitors. Knock was once a small village in the rural west of Ireland. But when villagers said they had saw an apparition on the gable wall of a Catholic church 140 years ago, all that changed. In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited Knock. Now, Pope Francis follows in his footsteps. He is due to arrive on Sunday 26 August. Pope Francis is due to arrive by plane at Knock at about 09:45 local time. He will spend about an hour there. He will travel through the crowds in the pope mobile before going into the chapel to pray privately. He will then say the Angelus outside the shrine with the crowds gathered for his visit. A total of 45,000 people secured tickets for Pope Francis' visit to Knock. The Pope will then return to Dublin to say Mass in Phoenix Park. The Marian Shrine of Knock is a well-known place of Catholic pilgrimage in County Mayo in the west of Ireland. An estimated 1.5m pilgrims from across Ireland and across the world flock to the shrine every year to pray at the place where an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is said to have appeared in August 1879. Following the apparition, miraculous cures were reported. The first was that of Delia Gordon, a 12-year-old girl who had been deaf and suffered horrific pain. It is said that her parents took her to the shrine where she knelt before the place where the apparition was seen. Her mother picked a piece of cement from the gable wall, blessed it and put it on her daughter's ear. The pain went immediately and she was no longer deaf. Since the apparition, pilgrims have come to Knock in search of healing, reconciliation and peace. Some of them are praying for a cure. Pope Francis is to visit the shrine on Sunday 26 August and 45,000 people have secured tickets to see him there. That morning, the bells of Knock Shrine will ring out to signal his arrival and the Pope will spend some time in silent prayer before addressing the crowds gathered outside and praying with them. The story begins on 21 August 1879, when 15 people from the village witnessed an apparition of Mary on the gable wall of the parish church. They said she appeared with St Joseph, St John the Evangelist, a lamb and a cross. They watched in pouring rain for two hours, reciting the Rosary, a Marian prayer. The story goes that the watchers were soaked in rain but the gable wall and the apparition remained dry. The witnesses, aged between five and 74, gave their testimony to a Commission of Enquiry later in 1879. It found their words \"trustworthy and satisfactory\". In 1936, a second Commission of Enquiry heard from the two surviving witnesses, Mary O'Connell and Patrick Byrne. Mary O'Connell ended her sworn statement with the words: \"I am clear about everything I have said and I make this statement knowing I am going before my God.\" She died later that year. Monsignor James Horan, a native of County Mayo, is often called the Builder of Knock. He was a spiritual leader to his congregation from the 1960s, but was also wily and lobbied persistently to raise finances for the shrine. He even persuaded the powers-that-be to build an international airport close by - on top of a bog - to serve not only the needs of pilgrims but also the population of the west of Ireland. Songs have been written about the monsignor and his miracle of an airport, completed in 1985. The monsignor also had a major role in preparing for John Paul II's visit to Knock in September 1979. He died suddenly while on pilgrimage in Lourdes in 1986. Knock is a traditional annual pilgrimage for thousands: visiting the shrine is a tradition passed down through generations of families. People spend a day in prayer, taking part in the Stations of the Cross or joining in candlelit vigils at the site. They carry away Blessed Holy Water to share with family and friends. Many say they find Knock a place of peace and that they derive great consolation from their visit. Pope John Paul II's visit marked the centenary of the apparition at Knock. He said the shrine was \"the goal of my journey to Ireland\". He said an outdoor Mass there on Sunday 30 September which was attended by an estimated 450,000 people. He met the sick, made the chapel a basilica and lit a candle at the gable wall, the scene of the apparition, for the families for Ireland. People also travel to Knock to find the right partner in life. The Knock Marriage Bureau opened in 1968 with the aim of helping people meet suitable spouses. It is a Catholic organisation based on Main Street and offers its services with the assurance of \"strictest confidence\". It is now known as Knock Marriage Introductions. It has been responsible for nearly 1,000 marriages down the years.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 454, "answer_end": 892, "text": "Pope Francis is due to arrive by plane at Knock at about 09:45 local time. He will spend about an hour there. He will travel through the crowds in the pope mobile before going into the chapel to pray privately. He will then say the Angelus outside the shrine with the crowds gathered for his visit. A total of 45,000 people secured tickets for Pope Francis' visit to Knock. The Pope will then return to Dublin to say Mass in Phoenix Park."}], "question": "What will Pope Francis do at Knock?", "id": "232_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 893, "answer_end": 2095, "text": "The Marian Shrine of Knock is a well-known place of Catholic pilgrimage in County Mayo in the west of Ireland. An estimated 1.5m pilgrims from across Ireland and across the world flock to the shrine every year to pray at the place where an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is said to have appeared in August 1879. Following the apparition, miraculous cures were reported. The first was that of Delia Gordon, a 12-year-old girl who had been deaf and suffered horrific pain. It is said that her parents took her to the shrine where she knelt before the place where the apparition was seen. Her mother picked a piece of cement from the gable wall, blessed it and put it on her daughter's ear. The pain went immediately and she was no longer deaf. Since the apparition, pilgrims have come to Knock in search of healing, reconciliation and peace. Some of them are praying for a cure. Pope Francis is to visit the shrine on Sunday 26 August and 45,000 people have secured tickets to see him there. That morning, the bells of Knock Shrine will ring out to signal his arrival and the Pope will spend some time in silent prayer before addressing the crowds gathered outside and praying with them."}], "question": "What is special about Knock?", "id": "232_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2096, "answer_end": 2961, "text": "The story begins on 21 August 1879, when 15 people from the village witnessed an apparition of Mary on the gable wall of the parish church. They said she appeared with St Joseph, St John the Evangelist, a lamb and a cross. They watched in pouring rain for two hours, reciting the Rosary, a Marian prayer. The story goes that the watchers were soaked in rain but the gable wall and the apparition remained dry. The witnesses, aged between five and 74, gave their testimony to a Commission of Enquiry later in 1879. It found their words \"trustworthy and satisfactory\". In 1936, a second Commission of Enquiry heard from the two surviving witnesses, Mary O'Connell and Patrick Byrne. Mary O'Connell ended her sworn statement with the words: \"I am clear about everything I have said and I make this statement knowing I am going before my God.\" She died later that year."}], "question": "What happened at Knock?", "id": "232_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2962, "answer_end": 3627, "text": "Monsignor James Horan, a native of County Mayo, is often called the Builder of Knock. He was a spiritual leader to his congregation from the 1960s, but was also wily and lobbied persistently to raise finances for the shrine. He even persuaded the powers-that-be to build an international airport close by - on top of a bog - to serve not only the needs of pilgrims but also the population of the west of Ireland. Songs have been written about the monsignor and his miracle of an airport, completed in 1985. The monsignor also had a major role in preparing for John Paul II's visit to Knock in September 1979. He died suddenly while on pilgrimage in Lourdes in 1986."}], "question": "Who was the 'Builder of Knock'?", "id": "232_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3628, "answer_end": 4046, "text": "Knock is a traditional annual pilgrimage for thousands: visiting the shrine is a tradition passed down through generations of families. People spend a day in prayer, taking part in the Stations of the Cross or joining in candlelit vigils at the site. They carry away Blessed Holy Water to share with family and friends. Many say they find Knock a place of peace and that they derive great consolation from their visit."}], "question": "What do pilgrims hope to gain from Knock?", "id": "232_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4047, "answer_end": 4424, "text": "Pope John Paul II's visit marked the centenary of the apparition at Knock. He said the shrine was \"the goal of my journey to Ireland\". He said an outdoor Mass there on Sunday 30 September which was attended by an estimated 450,000 people. He met the sick, made the chapel a basilica and lit a candle at the gable wall, the scene of the apparition, for the families for Ireland."}], "question": "What happened at the last Pope's visit?", "id": "232_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4425, "answer_end": 4819, "text": "People also travel to Knock to find the right partner in life. The Knock Marriage Bureau opened in 1968 with the aim of helping people meet suitable spouses. It is a Catholic organisation based on Main Street and offers its services with the assurance of \"strictest confidence\". It is now known as Knock Marriage Introductions. It has been responsible for nearly 1,000 marriages down the years."}], "question": "What else happens at Knock?", "id": "232_6"}]}]}, {"title": "When will US interest rates rise again?", "date": "14 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Perhaps the playwright Samuel Beckett was a secret economist. We are about to enjoy (!) the next act in the absurdist drama \"Waiting for the Fed\" (to raise interest rates again). Truth be told, we can be fairly sure how this scene will play out.  Once again no increase in rates.  Perhaps Godot will turn up first. The Fed is holding a policy making meeting and an interest rate rise is in theory at least on the agenda. Janet Yellen, the Fed Chair, and her colleagues would like to get rates back to more normal levels. The Fed currently aims to keep its main policy rate (the rates banks offer to lend to each other overnight) within a range of 0.25% to 0.5%. They raised it to that level in December last year, from practically zero where it had been since the depth of the financial crisis. But nobody expects they will hike rates at this meeting, largely because of the very weak performance of the jobs market in May. The number in employment rose by only 38,000, the fewest since September 2010. Because the US population is growing, the number of people with jobs has to rise by more than that just to keep pace. Employment growth in April was better, but still not all that strong. It's true that the unemployment rate fell markedly in May, to 4.7% from 5%. But this was due to a decline in the number of people looking for work. They are counted as \"not in the labour force\" rather than unemployed, even if they would like to have a job. In a recent speech, Ms Yellen described the May jobs report as disappointing and concerning. She did, however, manage to find one encouraging thing; a faster increase in average hourly earnings. After a long period in which the economic recovery has failed to have much of a favourable impact on pay it was, she said, \"a welcome indication that wage growth may finally be picking up\". Inflation is another factor that encourages the Fed to feel it has no need to rush the next rate rise.  The latest figure for the inflation measure the Fed prefers was 1.1% in April, compared with its 2% target. That it is so low reflects some transitory factors, including the strength of the dollar (which makes imported goods cheaper) and the decline in energy prices over the last two years. But in time, those factors cease to have a direct impact, so Ms Yellen expects inflation to move back towards 2%. She also said that it's important not to attach too much significance to a single monthly jobs report. In short, a good report next month could bring interest rate rises a lot closer. So while investors think the date of the next rate increase has gone further into the future as a result of the May jobs data, the Fed is always ready to change its plans if new figures change the picture. Looking at the US economy from a longer term perspective, it is a remarkable state of affairs that we should have rates still so close to record lows in a recovery that has been underway for several years. The US economy started to grow again in the second half of 2009. Since then it has expanded in 25 out of 27 quarters. The production of goods and services, GDP, is 10% higher than the pre-recession peak, and it's 15% up from the low it reached during the downturn. There has, however, been a slowdown in the growth of productivity in the US, which pre-dates the recession. The labour market has also gained strength despite May's disappointment. The unemployment rate is now 4.7%, compared to 10% in October 2009. The number of people with jobs has increased by 14 million from its low point in the aftermath of the financial crisis. But the US has not managed to get back to pre-crisis levels for the percentage of the working age population with jobs.  The latest figure is just below 59%. In 2006 it was more than 63%. Some of the decline is due to long term factors. The US population is ageing; many of the baby boomer generation are retiring.  More young people are taking post-secondary education. The recession and its lingering after effects also had an impact. The Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US publishes figures on the number of people who want to work but haven't looked in the last four weeks, and for people working part-time who would like longer hours. This group, plus those who are officially classified as unemployed, add up to what is sometimes called \"slack in the labour market\"; people who want to work but aren't. The numbers have declined markedly over the last few years, although one of the concerning things about the May report was a reversal on one aspect; there were more people wanting longer hours. Nonetheless Ms Yellen said in her recent speech: \"I believe we are now close to eliminating the slack that has weighed on the labour market since the recession\". The US economy has come a long way from the panic of late 2008. The Fed's interest rate policy has started the journey back to normality. But it will be very slow. And the US can't be considered immune to turbulence that might hit the global economy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2045, "answer_end": 2732, "text": "That it is so low reflects some transitory factors, including the strength of the dollar (which makes imported goods cheaper) and the decline in energy prices over the last two years. But in time, those factors cease to have a direct impact, so Ms Yellen expects inflation to move back towards 2%. She also said that it's important not to attach too much significance to a single monthly jobs report. In short, a good report next month could bring interest rate rises a lot closer. So while investors think the date of the next rate increase has gone further into the future as a result of the May jobs data, the Fed is always ready to change its plans if new figures change the picture."}], "question": "One bad month?", "id": "233_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Burkina Faso attack: French embassy targeted in Ouagadougou", "date": "2 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Gunmen have launched twin attacks in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, against the French embassy and army headquarters. Eight security personnel and eight attackers were killed in the fighting while 80 people including civilians, were wounded, officials say. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said there was no doubt it was an act of terrorism. It is was not immediately clear who had carried out the attack. Burkina Faso Security Minister Clement Sawadogo said there had also been a suicide car bomb attack at the military HQ that may have intended to target a regional anti-terrorism meeting. A room was destroyed by the blast, he said, but the meeting had been moved to another location. Burkina Faso police said in a statement that units had fanned out across the city to increase security and urged people to remain vigilant. Analysis by Lamine Konkobo, BBC Afrique There have been rumours of an attack in Burkina Faso for some time, and these even prompted a recent security forces reshuffle. But this is far bigger than what most people had expected. An attack on the military headquarters strikes at the heart of Burkina Faso's security establishment, while the French embassy is normally one of the safest places in the capital. Since Emmanuel Macron came to power, France has been trying to mobilise its former colonies in West Africa, and the United Nations, to tackle the Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel region south of the Sahara. But, so far, progress has been slow. This attack may concentrate some people's minds. Early pictures from the scene showed a cloud of black smoke rising into the sky. Witnesses reported seeing armed men getting out of a car and opening fire before heading towards the embassy. Ouagadougou Mayor Armand Beouinde told France's Le Monde newspaper that the attackers had shot at the town hall and his office windows were shattered. \"Apparently, it is a jihadist attack,\" he said, but gave no further details. One witness, Omar Zombre, told local TV: \"We saw four people who were trying to enter the embassy on the east side. They were in civilian attire, with a kind of vest and backpacks with Kalashnikovs which were clearly visible. \"So they tried, but they didn't manage it and so they tried to enter from the west side. We saw that they had set a car on fire. When we went up [to the roof] we heard gunshots from an automatic weapon, [it was] very intense.\" The country maintains strong ties with its former colony. It appears there were no French casualties as a result of Friday's attack, Mr Le Drian said \"Burkina Faso was the victim of an attack by terrorist groups,\" he added. \"It targeted both the institutions of Burkina Faso - because the Burkinabe army headquarters were targeted - and it also targeted France, which is Burkina Faso's ally in its fight against terrorism.\" French President Emmanuel Macron urged French nationals in the country to follow the embassy's advice and stay away from troubled areas. French forces based in the country were also deployed. This is the third major attack Ouagadougou has seen in the past two years. Islamist militants said they had carried out the other two. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said it was behind an attack on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou in January 2016 that killed 30 people. France intervened to stop that group taking control of neighbouring Mali in 2013. But there are numerous other Islamist groups based in the region and militants have carried out attacks in several major West African cities in the past few years. Burkina Faso also saw a failed coup in 2015. The trial for dozens of the alleged perpetrators began earlier this week but was suspended after defence lawyers walked out in protest against the military court.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 849, "answer_end": 1567, "text": "Analysis by Lamine Konkobo, BBC Afrique There have been rumours of an attack in Burkina Faso for some time, and these even prompted a recent security forces reshuffle. But this is far bigger than what most people had expected. An attack on the military headquarters strikes at the heart of Burkina Faso's security establishment, while the French embassy is normally one of the safest places in the capital. Since Emmanuel Macron came to power, France has been trying to mobilise its former colonies in West Africa, and the United Nations, to tackle the Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel region south of the Sahara. But, so far, progress has been slow. This attack may concentrate some people's minds."}], "question": "Concentrating minds?", "id": "234_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1568, "answer_end": 2439, "text": "Early pictures from the scene showed a cloud of black smoke rising into the sky. Witnesses reported seeing armed men getting out of a car and opening fire before heading towards the embassy. Ouagadougou Mayor Armand Beouinde told France's Le Monde newspaper that the attackers had shot at the town hall and his office windows were shattered. \"Apparently, it is a jihadist attack,\" he said, but gave no further details. One witness, Omar Zombre, told local TV: \"We saw four people who were trying to enter the embassy on the east side. They were in civilian attire, with a kind of vest and backpacks with Kalashnikovs which were clearly visible. \"So they tried, but they didn't manage it and so they tried to enter from the west side. We saw that they had set a car on fire. When we went up [to the roof] we heard gunshots from an automatic weapon, [it was] very intense.\""}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "234_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2440, "answer_end": 3055, "text": "The country maintains strong ties with its former colony. It appears there were no French casualties as a result of Friday's attack, Mr Le Drian said \"Burkina Faso was the victim of an attack by terrorist groups,\" he added. \"It targeted both the institutions of Burkina Faso - because the Burkinabe army headquarters were targeted - and it also targeted France, which is Burkina Faso's ally in its fight against terrorism.\" French President Emmanuel Macron urged French nationals in the country to follow the embassy's advice and stay away from troubled areas. French forces based in the country were also deployed."}], "question": "Why is France involved?", "id": "234_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Elon Musk: Walking out of meetings, and other advice from tech gurus", "date": "19 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nothing energises office workers more than complaining about meetings. And it seems some of the world's greatest tech successes agree. Here's some of their advice - and some analysis on whether or not to follow it. In a bid to boost production at his Tesla Model 3 car plants, Elon Musk sent out an email to staff in which he made some \"recommendations\" about streamlining operations. \"Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren't adding value,\" he went on. \"It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.\" Professor Andre Spicer at City University of London's Cass Business School says that people often do leave meetings - by picking up their mobile phones. \"They may be there in person but they're not there mentally\", he says. He agrees that meetings can be a waste of time. But he also says that as businesses grow, the need for more connections among employees grows. \"Meetings help smooth that,\" he says. \"They're a social preening ritual - just like monkeys picking the fleas off each others' backs.\" The Amazon founder meets investors in the web retailer for just six hours a year, and tries to avoid early morning meetings. But Business Insider reports that Mr Bezos also has a strict strategy for meeting productivity: never have a meeting in which you couldn't feed the whole group with two pizzas. The entrepreneur believes small groups are far more efficient than large ones, and the two-pizza rule helps him clamp down on meetings he thinks will waste his time. Professor Spicer agrees, saying it can lead to one person talking at, not with, attendees. \"A large meeting is a recipe for a monologue,\" he says. \"It's sometimes necessary to hear from the leader, but it's unnecessary to frame that as a meeting.\" The Facebook CEO reportedly streamlined meetings at the social media giant by asking managers the point of a meeting - to \"make a decision or to have a discussion?\" This is to help define the purpose of the meeting. Professor Spicer says meetings can sometimes lack direction from the start, saying they become an opportunity for people to \"rant about person interests\". \"If there's no point, then there are no decisions.\" Microsoft founder Bill Gates might agree. He is attributed as saying: \"You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.\" Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs has the creative genius behind the iPhone issue a damning attack on slideshow users. \"People who know what they are talking about don't need PowerPoint,\" he said. Mr Jobs famously gave intricate presentations at product launches, using slides to hammer home his points with arresting visuals. \"Generally PowerPoints are a massive distraction, unless it's data or a graph,\" says Professor Spicer. \"Long slides are a recipe for no information being conveyed.\" \"The first thing people hate most about work is emails, and the second is meetings\", says Professor Spicer. But while they can be nothing more than \"empty rituals\", they can be effective ways of promoting communication in businesses. \"There's a need to have communication and coordination,\" he says. \"They're important, but we have too many of them.\" Still, there are worse things in office life. \"Worse than meetings? Conference calls,\" says Professor Spicer. \"Those things are just awful.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1789, "answer_end": 2353, "text": "The Facebook CEO reportedly streamlined meetings at the social media giant by asking managers the point of a meeting - to \"make a decision or to have a discussion?\" This is to help define the purpose of the meeting. Professor Spicer says meetings can sometimes lack direction from the start, saying they become an opportunity for people to \"rant about person interests\". \"If there's no point, then there are no decisions.\" Microsoft founder Bill Gates might agree. He is attributed as saying: \"You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.\""}], "question": "Mark Zuckerberg: A decision or a discussion?", "id": "235_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2854, "answer_end": 3345, "text": "\"The first thing people hate most about work is emails, and the second is meetings\", says Professor Spicer. But while they can be nothing more than \"empty rituals\", they can be effective ways of promoting communication in businesses. \"There's a need to have communication and coordination,\" he says. \"They're important, but we have too many of them.\" Still, there are worse things in office life. \"Worse than meetings? Conference calls,\" says Professor Spicer. \"Those things are just awful.\""}], "question": "So should we get rid of meetings?", "id": "235_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Has Trump started a new deportation drive?", "date": "13 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US immigration agents have conducted deportation raids across the country, prompting accusations that President Trump has started a \"war on immigrants\". But were things any different under Barack Obama? Church and school officials have reported that immigrants - largely from Hispanic countries originally - have kept their children at home due to a fear they could be arrested. Activists in Los Angeles have staged protests and are broadcasting \"Know Your Rights\" public service announcements over the radio in immigrant neighbourhoods. President Trump has taken credit for the sweeps, calling them a \"campaign promise\", but US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says that the operations are \"no different than the routine, targeted arrests carried out\" on a daily basis. Hundreds of undocumented immigrants were arrested in raids in at least 11 states during Operation Cross Check over the past week, officials say. Federal agents stormed homes and workplaces in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other cities. There were 680 people arrested, 75% of whom have been convicted of crimes, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said in a press release on Monday. ICE does not use the term \"raid\" but rather calls the sweeps \"targeted enforcement actions\" and insists they are routine. To some degree that is true. Operation Cross Check refers to a series of large-scale raids that have been held each year since 2011 when they began under former-president Barack Obama, who has deported more people than any other president. However, according to campaigners, immigrants without violent criminal histories were arrested as well in these recent raids - a departure from ICE policies under Mr Obama. It is too early to say if deportation arrests have increased under the new administration. On Saturday, President Donald Trump took credit for the arrests, which experts quickly pointed out is very different from the way his predecessor quietly allowed ICE agents to do their work without trying to draw attention to them. \"The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise,\" Mr Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday. \"Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!\" Shortly after Mr Trump tweeted, his top adviser Stephen Miller went on TV to explain the legal authority the White House believes it has to conduct the raids. \"As a result of the president's [executive] order, greatly expanded and more vigorous immigration enforcement activities are taking place,\" Mr Miller said, referring to the order Mr Trump signed with the title \"enhancing public safety in the interior of the United States\". \"It is true that Operation Cross Check is something that happens every year,\" Mr Miller continued. \"But this year we have taken new and greater steps to remove criminal aliens from our communities.\" Mr Obama was heavily criticised by immigrant groups as the \"Deporter-in-chief\", particularly during his first term as president where he sent more than 400,000 people back to their birth countries each year. Amid an outcry, Mr Obama amended his approach to prioritise focus on targeting convicted criminals for deportation. Immigrant advocacy groups have been on high alert since the election of Donald Trump; a man who promised to crackdown on illegal immigration and to erect a wall on the US southern border with Mexico. Last week, a woman who arrived in the US as a 14-year-old was deported to Mexico over a 2009 conviction for falsifying documents in order to work as a janitor. Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, who has two US-born children, was taken across the the southern border at Nogales despite efforts by protesters to block her deportation. She had previously been able to remain in the US due to an Obama policy that allowed people that came to the US as children to remain. Her lawyer told the New York Times that a \"war on immigrants\" had begun. But despite this, Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said on Monday that the number of deportations to Mexico has not yet risen significantly. He added that consulates in the US have been flooded with about three times as many phone calls from concerned Mexican citizens living there since the November election. By Sunday, immigrant communities were still struggling to understand the scope of the raids, keeping in mind Mr Trump's campaign promise to assemble a \"deportation force\". He has pledged to deport up to three million criminals, but for the moment it is still unclear what Mr Trump's administration defines as criminal. Mr Obama targeted those that had violent criminal convictions (eventually deporting over 2.5 million people), but immigration advocates fear that simply living in the US without documents can earn them a ticket back to their birth country. \"There is a dreadful sense of fear,\" said Pastor Fred Morris, whose church is in a predominantly Hispanic section of Los Angeles. \"It's more than palpable. It's radiating. People are terrified. \"They were just sitting there in stunned silence,\" he said about his congregation after Sunday services. Protests against the raids broke out in major American cities over the weekend, but for now, immigrants are keeping a watchful eye on what the government does next.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 780, "answer_end": 1722, "text": "Hundreds of undocumented immigrants were arrested in raids in at least 11 states during Operation Cross Check over the past week, officials say. Federal agents stormed homes and workplaces in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other cities. There were 680 people arrested, 75% of whom have been convicted of crimes, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said in a press release on Monday. ICE does not use the term \"raid\" but rather calls the sweeps \"targeted enforcement actions\" and insists they are routine. To some degree that is true. Operation Cross Check refers to a series of large-scale raids that have been held each year since 2011 when they began under former-president Barack Obama, who has deported more people than any other president. However, according to campaigners, immigrants without violent criminal histories were arrested as well in these recent raids - a departure from ICE policies under Mr Obama."}], "question": "What just happened?", "id": "236_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1723, "answer_end": 3178, "text": "It is too early to say if deportation arrests have increased under the new administration. On Saturday, President Donald Trump took credit for the arrests, which experts quickly pointed out is very different from the way his predecessor quietly allowed ICE agents to do their work without trying to draw attention to them. \"The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise,\" Mr Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday. \"Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!\" Shortly after Mr Trump tweeted, his top adviser Stephen Miller went on TV to explain the legal authority the White House believes it has to conduct the raids. \"As a result of the president's [executive] order, greatly expanded and more vigorous immigration enforcement activities are taking place,\" Mr Miller said, referring to the order Mr Trump signed with the title \"enhancing public safety in the interior of the United States\". \"It is true that Operation Cross Check is something that happens every year,\" Mr Miller continued. \"But this year we have taken new and greater steps to remove criminal aliens from our communities.\" Mr Obama was heavily criticised by immigrant groups as the \"Deporter-in-chief\", particularly during his first term as president where he sent more than 400,000 people back to their birth countries each year. Amid an outcry, Mr Obama amended his approach to prioritise focus on targeting convicted criminals for deportation."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "236_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Volodymyr Zelensky: Why Ukraine's new president needs second election win", "date": "16 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It's two and a half months since Ukraine's comedian-candidate Volodymyr Zelensky won a big victory in the presidential elections. It was hailed as a political earthquake at the time, but Mr Zelensky has so far been unable to appoint the ministers he wants, or turn his electoral promises into legislation. That could all change after 21 July parliamentary elections, called by the new president the moment he was sworn in in May. A strong showing for his party would give him the power to do pretty much as he wishes. Otherwise, he could have a long and frustrating five years in office. All manner of criticism was thrown at Mr Zelensky during the presidential campaign. He was either a puppet of controversial oligarch Igor Kolomoisky or a stooge for Russian President Vladimir Putin, depending on who you listened to. It's very early days but the indications so far are that the president is trying to be his own man. Yes, Mr Kolomoisky has returned to Ukraine from self-imposed exile and, yes, one of the oligarch's former lawyers has landed a plum job in the presidential administration. But other key appointments, including some of Mr Kolomoisky's foes to key posts, have suggested that the new president is keen to distance himself from his former business partner, and at least try to deliver on his ambitious promises to shake up the political system and tackle Ukraine's endemic corruption. As for relations with Russia, the style is different but Mr Zelensky has for the most part continued his predecessor, Petro Poroshenko's strategy. President Putin's decision to start giving Russian passports to people living in occupied parts of eastern Ukraine forced Mr Zelensky to respond robustly and ended the notion that there would be an immediate improvement in relations. However, the two presidents have since held their first talks on the phone, in what some analysts in both Ukraine and Russia see as a sign that dialogue is possible after all. There has been some de-escalation of the conflict in some areas but until the 24 sailors that Russia seized near the Kerch Strait last November are released, Mr Zelensky has very little wriggle room. Ukraine's president is the head of state, but not the head of government. So Mr Zelensky's powers are limited. He can choose the prime minister but Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has the power of approval or dismissal. Therefore, despite his landslide victory, President Zelensky has so far been saddled with what is effectively the Poroshenko government. Efforts to dismiss ministers, or even get their resignations accepted, have been blocked by MPs. It's meant a dysfunctional period of government, which got a very public airing when Mr Zelensky held a press conference to complain that Poroshenko-appointed Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin was communicating with Russia without consulting him, and that he had only heard about it \"from the internet\". If the \"old guard\" was hoping to dent Mr Zelensky's popularity by thwarting his plans, it doesn't seem to be working. The more that MPs have obstructed the newcomer, the higher his party, Servant of the People, has risen in the opinion polls. Named after Mr Zelensky's presidential TV series, the party has for more than a month been consistently polling between 40-50%, which would give him the numbers he needs in the new parliament. As Servant of the People has promised not to include anyone who has previously been an MP on their lists, the new parliament is likely to be full of newcomers. Throughout 2018, before Volodymyr Zelensky emerged, there was widespread speculation that the lead singer of one of Ukraine's most popular bands might be the protest-vote candidate. For reasons that were never fully explained, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk declined. But he has now formed his own political party called Holos (The Voice) and it's polling at about 8%. It has attracted reform-minded individuals and could potentially form a coalition with Servant of the People. His rock group, Okean Elzy, is still touring. Second in the opinion polls is the most pro-Russian of the parties, Opposition Platform - For Life, which is set to pick up most of its votes in the east. That has left the parties of Ukraine's former political heavyweights, Petro Poroshenko and Yulia Tymoshenko, sweating over whether they will get over the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. This could be particularly humiliating for Mr Poroshenko who, having been trounced by Mr Zelensky in April, is refusing to go quietly from the political scene. His political party has been rebranded without his name, and is now called European Solidarity. Even if it does get over 5% (and currently it polls around 8%), they are still likely to be bit-part players at best in the next parliament.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2159, "answer_end": 2923, "text": "Ukraine's president is the head of state, but not the head of government. So Mr Zelensky's powers are limited. He can choose the prime minister but Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has the power of approval or dismissal. Therefore, despite his landslide victory, President Zelensky has so far been saddled with what is effectively the Poroshenko government. Efforts to dismiss ministers, or even get their resignations accepted, have been blocked by MPs. It's meant a dysfunctional period of government, which got a very public airing when Mr Zelensky held a press conference to complain that Poroshenko-appointed Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin was communicating with Russia without consulting him, and that he had only heard about it \"from the internet\"."}], "question": "How much power does he have?", "id": "237_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2924, "answer_end": 3519, "text": "If the \"old guard\" was hoping to dent Mr Zelensky's popularity by thwarting his plans, it doesn't seem to be working. The more that MPs have obstructed the newcomer, the higher his party, Servant of the People, has risen in the opinion polls. Named after Mr Zelensky's presidential TV series, the party has for more than a month been consistently polling between 40-50%, which would give him the numbers he needs in the new parliament. As Servant of the People has promised not to include anyone who has previously been an MP on their lists, the new parliament is likely to be full of newcomers."}], "question": "What are his election victory prospects?", "id": "237_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3520, "answer_end": 4034, "text": "Throughout 2018, before Volodymyr Zelensky emerged, there was widespread speculation that the lead singer of one of Ukraine's most popular bands might be the protest-vote candidate. For reasons that were never fully explained, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk declined. But he has now formed his own political party called Holos (The Voice) and it's polling at about 8%. It has attracted reform-minded individuals and could potentially form a coalition with Servant of the People. His rock group, Okean Elzy, is still touring."}], "question": "Will he look for a coalition with another entertainer?", "id": "237_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pittsburgh shooting: Survivors relive synagogue ordeal", "date": "28 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Survivors of the deadly gun attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue have recalled how they took refuge and hid in storage rooms to avoid the roaming attacker. One congregation leader said their training in active-shooter situations had helped save lives. When the suspect was detained after a shootout, he reportedly told Swat officers he wanted \"all Jews to die\". The 11 victims were named on Sunday and included a husband and wife, and a woman aged 97. Another six people were injured, including four policemen. Mayor Bill Peduto said that this was the \"darkest day of Pittsburgh's history\". The suspect, Robert Bowers, 46, faces 29 criminal charges over what is thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history. He is still in hospital being treated for multiple gunshot wounds but is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Three congregations were reportedly meeting at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. Members of the New Light congregation were meeting in a basement area, Carl Solomon, 81, a congregation member who turned back from the synagogue but had spoken to survivors, told the New York Times. Richard Gottfried, 65, and Daniel Stein, 71, were in the kitchen and both were shot dead. Congregation co-president Stephen Cohen told the paper there was \"no place to hide\" there. He said Rabbi Jonathan Perlman had shepherded two other people into a storage room, although one, Melvin Wax, 88, chose to later open the door and was shot dead. Mr Cohen said \"everyone froze but Rabbi Perlman\". He told the Associated Press news agency that leaders had taken part in active-shooter drills \"and I think that's what ultimately saved the people who were saved\". Worshipper Joseph Charny, 90, said he saw a man appear at the door and heard shots. He told the Washington Post: \"I looked up and there were all these dead bodies.\" He said he and two others hid in an upstairs storage room until it was safe to come out. They were named on Sunday as Joyce Fienberg, 75; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and his brother David, 54; married couple Bernice Simon, 84, and Sylvan Simon, 86; and Irving Younger, 69. Tributes have been pouring in from those who knew the victims. Myron Snider described his friend Melvin Wax as a \"sweet, sweet guy\" and unfailingly generous. Ben Schmitt, a patient of Jerry Rabinowitz, said the family medical practitioner was \"kind and funny... [he] completely personified the term 'bedside manner'\". Cecil and David Rosenthal were described as \"kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around\". One injured officer was released from hospital on Saturday, another was due to be released on Sunday, with the other two needing more treatment. By Hugo Bachega in Pittsburgh All day during a cold, grey Sunday, residents and others brought flowers and candles to the entrance of the synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the heart of Jewish life in Pittsburgh. There were words of disbelief and a common determination that they would not allow this tragedy to change such a vibrant place. \"You're going to see an outpouring of love and support and a strengthened community. Not just the Jewish community but Pittsburgh as a whole,\" said 34-year-old Molly Butler, who came with her children, Mikey and Lily, aged nine and six. At an evening vigil at a local hall, hundreds gathered inside, dozens more outside in the light rain, to say this was an attack not only on one community but on their entire city. The message: \"Love will defeat hatred, light will defeat darkness.\" He was armed with three Glock handguns and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. He owned them legally, a law enforcement officer told the Associated Press. Officers arrived after receiving calls about an active shooter at 09:54 local time (13:54 GMT) on Saturday and encountered the suspect as he was trying to leave. The gunman fired at them and ran upstairs. As Swat officers searched for victims, the gunman opened fire on them and injured two. The suspect was detained after being wounded in an exchange of fire with officers. Officials said the gunman had made statements regarding genocide as well as a desire to kill Jewish people. There are few details about Robert Bowers but there is a trail of anti-Semitic comments on social media. His neighbour, Chris Hall, told AP: \"The most terrifying thing is just how normal he seemed.\" Officials said there was nothing to indicate he had any accomplices. FBI special agent Robert Jones told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to authorities prior to the attack. The 29 charges were announced in a statement issued by the US Attorney's Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania: - Eleven counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and 11 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence. These can carry the death penalty - Four counts of obstruction of exercise of religious beliefs resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer - Three counts of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence He described the gunman as a \"maniac\" and suggested the US should \"stiffen up our laws of the death penalty\". \"These people should pay the ultimate price. This has to stop,\" he said. Mr Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh soon and had ordered US flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast until 31 October. He added that the shooting had \"little to do\" with US gun laws. \"If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation.\" But Mayor Peduto, a Democrat, said: \"I think the approach that we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, which is the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those that are looking to express hatred through murder.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 837, "answer_end": 1986, "text": "Three congregations were reportedly meeting at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. Members of the New Light congregation were meeting in a basement area, Carl Solomon, 81, a congregation member who turned back from the synagogue but had spoken to survivors, told the New York Times. Richard Gottfried, 65, and Daniel Stein, 71, were in the kitchen and both were shot dead. Congregation co-president Stephen Cohen told the paper there was \"no place to hide\" there. He said Rabbi Jonathan Perlman had shepherded two other people into a storage room, although one, Melvin Wax, 88, chose to later open the door and was shot dead. Mr Cohen said \"everyone froze but Rabbi Perlman\". He told the Associated Press news agency that leaders had taken part in active-shooter drills \"and I think that's what ultimately saved the people who were saved\". Worshipper Joseph Charny, 90, said he saw a man appear at the door and heard shots. He told the Washington Post: \"I looked up and there were all these dead bodies.\" He said he and two others hid in an upstairs storage room until it was safe to come out."}], "question": "What have the survivors said?", "id": "238_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1987, "answer_end": 2785, "text": "They were named on Sunday as Joyce Fienberg, 75; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and his brother David, 54; married couple Bernice Simon, 84, and Sylvan Simon, 86; and Irving Younger, 69. Tributes have been pouring in from those who knew the victims. Myron Snider described his friend Melvin Wax as a \"sweet, sweet guy\" and unfailingly generous. Ben Schmitt, a patient of Jerry Rabinowitz, said the family medical practitioner was \"kind and funny... [he] completely personified the term 'bedside manner'\". Cecil and David Rosenthal were described as \"kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around\". One injured officer was released from hospital on Saturday, another was due to be released on Sunday, with the other two needing more treatment."}], "question": "Who were the other victims?", "id": "238_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3605, "answer_end": 4237, "text": "He was armed with three Glock handguns and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. He owned them legally, a law enforcement officer told the Associated Press. Officers arrived after receiving calls about an active shooter at 09:54 local time (13:54 GMT) on Saturday and encountered the suspect as he was trying to leave. The gunman fired at them and ran upstairs. As Swat officers searched for victims, the gunman opened fire on them and injured two. The suspect was detained after being wounded in an exchange of fire with officers. Officials said the gunman had made statements regarding genocide as well as a desire to kill Jewish people."}], "question": "How was the gunman apprehended?", "id": "238_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4238, "answer_end": 4638, "text": "There are few details about Robert Bowers but there is a trail of anti-Semitic comments on social media. His neighbour, Chris Hall, told AP: \"The most terrifying thing is just how normal he seemed.\" Officials said there was nothing to indicate he had any accomplices. FBI special agent Robert Jones told a press conference that Mr Bowers did not appear to be known to authorities prior to the attack."}], "question": "What is known about the suspect?", "id": "238_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5186, "answer_end": 5908, "text": "He described the gunman as a \"maniac\" and suggested the US should \"stiffen up our laws of the death penalty\". \"These people should pay the ultimate price. This has to stop,\" he said. Mr Trump said he would visit Pittsburgh soon and had ordered US flags at government buildings to be flown at half-mast until 31 October. He added that the shooting had \"little to do\" with US gun laws. \"If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation.\" But Mayor Peduto, a Democrat, said: \"I think the approach that we need to be looking at is how we take the guns, which is the common denominator of every mass shooting in America, out of the hands of those that are looking to express hatred through murder.\""}], "question": "What has been President Trump's reaction?", "id": "238_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey referendum: Clashes as Dutch expel minister", "date": "12 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Dutch riot police have clashed with protesters in Rotterdam, amid a diplomatic row that saw a Turkish minister escorted out of the country. Water cannon and police on horseback were used to disperse about 1,000 people outside the Turkish consulate. The minister was trying to win support among expatriates for a referendum on expanding Turkish presidential powers. The Dutch government says such rallies would stoke tensions days before the Netherlands' general election. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped up the war of words on Sunday, telling a ceremony in Istanbul: \"Holland! If you are sacrificing Turkish-Dutch relations for the sake of the elections on Wednesday, you will pay a price.\" Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, Turkey's family minister, had arrived by road on Saturday ahead of her planned rally. However, she was denied entry to the consulate in Rotterdam and taken to the German border by police. Earlier, the Netherlands had barred Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from entering the country by plane. He has now travelled to Metz in northern France to address a rally there on Sunday. In a Facebook post, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said attempts to find a \"reasonable solution\" to the two countries' differences had proved \"impossible\", while dismissing Ms Kaya's arrival in Rotterdam as \"irresponsible\". Ms Kaya said on Twitter: \"The world must take a stance in the name of democracy against this fascist act! This behaviour against a female minister can never be accepted.\" Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that Turkey would respond in the \"harshest ways\" to this \"unacceptable behaviour\". Ms Kaya later flew back to Istanbul. After arriving she said: \"We were subjected to rude and rough treatment... Treating a female minister this way is very ugly.\" Protests were held on Sunday outside the Dutch consulate in Istanbul, where the Netherlands' flag was replaced with a Turkish one. Mr Erdogan on Saturday denounced the Dutch government as \"Nazi remnants and fascists\" for denying the rallies. The BBC's Turkey correspondent, Mark Lowen, says that what began as a diplomatic row has turned into a full-blown bilateral crisis. Reports say the owner of a venue in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, has now cancelled a pro-Erdogan rally on Sunday that was to have been attended by Turkey's agriculture minister. Sweden's foreign ministry said it was not involved in the decision. Turkey is holding a referendum on 16 April on whether to turn from a parliamentary to a presidential republic, more akin to the United States. If successful, it would give sweeping new powers to the president, allowing him or her to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree. What's more, the president alone would be able to announce a state of emergency and dismiss parliament. In order to get it passed, Mr Erdogan needs the votes of citizens living within Turkey and abroad. There are 5.5 million Turks living outside the country, with 1.4 million eligible voters in Germany alone - and the Yes campaign is keen to get them on side. So a number of rallies have been planned for countries with large numbers of expat voters, including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. However, Mr Erdogan's supporters have found themselves blocked from holding these rallies. Many of the countries have cited security concerns as the official reason. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said Mr Erdogan was not welcome to hold rallies as this could increase friction and hinder integration. Mr Rutte said the Netherlands asked Turkey to desist as they feared \"compromised public order and security\". The Dutch government is also facing a severe electoral challenge from the anti-Islam party of Geert Wilders in its election on Wednesday. Many European nations have also expressed deep disquiet about Turkey's response to the July coup attempt and the country's perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan. Germany in particular has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2435, "answer_end": 3368, "text": "Turkey is holding a referendum on 16 April on whether to turn from a parliamentary to a presidential republic, more akin to the United States. If successful, it would give sweeping new powers to the president, allowing him or her to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree. What's more, the president alone would be able to announce a state of emergency and dismiss parliament. In order to get it passed, Mr Erdogan needs the votes of citizens living within Turkey and abroad. There are 5.5 million Turks living outside the country, with 1.4 million eligible voters in Germany alone - and the Yes campaign is keen to get them on side. So a number of rallies have been planned for countries with large numbers of expat voters, including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. However, Mr Erdogan's supporters have found themselves blocked from holding these rallies."}], "question": "What is the row about?", "id": "239_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3369, "answer_end": 4172, "text": "Many of the countries have cited security concerns as the official reason. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said Mr Erdogan was not welcome to hold rallies as this could increase friction and hinder integration. Mr Rutte said the Netherlands asked Turkey to desist as they feared \"compromised public order and security\". The Dutch government is also facing a severe electoral challenge from the anti-Islam party of Geert Wilders in its election on Wednesday. Many European nations have also expressed deep disquiet about Turkey's response to the July coup attempt and the country's perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan. Germany in particular has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts."}], "question": "Why are countries trying to prevent the rallies?", "id": "239_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Boris Johnson defends actions over conflict of interest claims", "date": "23 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson has denied any impropriety following claims he failed to declare a potential conflict of interest while London mayor. The Sunday Times said Jennifer Arcuri - who knew Mr Johnson - joined trade missions he led and received thousands of pounds in sponsorship grants. The PM earlier refused address the allegations, but later said \"everything was done entirely in the proper way.\" She told the paper it was part of her role as a legitimate businesswoman. Labour has said Mr Johnson must give a full account of his actions, but pressed by journalists during a flight to New York on Sunday night, the now-prime minister refused to comment. On Monday evening, though, he told the BBC's John Pienaar: \"All I can say is I am very proud of what we did as Mayor of London... particularly banging the drum for our city and country around the world.\" He added: \"I can tell you that absolutely everything was done entirely in the proper way.\" Technology entrepreneur Ms Arcuri is believed to have moved to London seven years ago - Mr Johnson was mayor between 2008 and 2016. She joined a joined a number of trade missions led by him while in office, and it is understood she attended events on two of these trips - to New York and Tel Aviv - despite not officially qualifying for them as a delegate. The Sunday Times reported that one of her businesses received PS10,000 and PS1,500 in sponsorship money from a mayoral organisation when Mr Johnson was mayor, as well as a PS15,000 government grant for foreign entrepreneurs to build businesses in Britain. The newspaper also said Ms Arcuri got a PS100,000 grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year. The grant was intended for \"English-based\" businesses - although she had moved back to the US in June 2018. The Sunday Times said it had found the registered address on the grant application form was a rented house in the UK and no longer connected to her. The government has confirmed to the BBC it is investigating, but said the funds were awarded to a UK-registered company. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it was \"perfectly normal\" for entrepreneurs to join trade missions, aimed at promoting British businesses overseas. He told the BBC: \"British companies and entrepreneurs go on trade missions. It's quite right and proper and I'm sure that's exactly what's happened there.\" The current London Mayor, Labour's Sadiq Khan, said he had ordered City Hall officials to look into the allegations. Journalists asked Mr Johnson about the allegations when travelling with him to the UN General Assembly in New York. The PM told reporters he was there to \"talk about what we're doing in the UN and this country's commitment to tackle climate change\", as well as \"the crisis in the Gulf and any other issues that may arise\". Asked again, he replied: \"I'm here to talk exclusively about the work of the UN.\" Ms Arcuri was quoted by the Sunday Times as saying: \"Any grants received by my companies and any trade mission I joined were purely in respect of my role as a legitimate businesswoman.\" The woman at the centre of this story is Jennifer Arcuri, who describes herself on Twitter as an entrepreneur, cyber security expert and producer. She began her career as a DJ on Radio Disney, before moving into film - where she wrote, produced and directed a short film that went on to be sold at Cannes Film Festival. Ms Arcuri then brought in her tech skills to create a streaming platform for independent film makers. But it was her founding of The Innotech Network in London that saw her path cross with Boris Johnson. The network hosts events to discuss tech policy, and Mr Johnson was the keynote speaker at the first of those in 2012. Since then, Ms Arcuri has also founded another company called Hacker House, which uses ethical hackers to find tech solutions for businesses.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3076, "answer_end": 3860, "text": "The woman at the centre of this story is Jennifer Arcuri, who describes herself on Twitter as an entrepreneur, cyber security expert and producer. She began her career as a DJ on Radio Disney, before moving into film - where she wrote, produced and directed a short film that went on to be sold at Cannes Film Festival. Ms Arcuri then brought in her tech skills to create a streaming platform for independent film makers. But it was her founding of The Innotech Network in London that saw her path cross with Boris Johnson. The network hosts events to discuss tech policy, and Mr Johnson was the keynote speaker at the first of those in 2012. Since then, Ms Arcuri has also founded another company called Hacker House, which uses ethical hackers to find tech solutions for businesses."}], "question": "Who is Jennifer Arcuri?", "id": "240_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hurricane Irma: Massive storm bears down on Florida", "date": "10 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Parts of the city of Miami are under water as Hurricane Irma heads for mainland Florida, triggering storm surges across the south of the state. Irma was downgraded to a category three storm at 1900 GMT, but made landfall on Marco Island off Florida's west coast with winds of up to 120mph (192km/h). About 2ft (60cm) of water has been seen in Miami's financial district, where one major street resembled a river. Earlier Irma struck the Florida Keys. More than 1m homes are without power. Some 6.3 million people in Florida were told to evacuate, with warnings of a \"life-threatening\" storm surge. Irma has already devastated parts of the Caribbean with at least 27 deaths. President Donald Trump described the hurricane as a \"big monster\". He praised the federal agencies involved with the storm and said he would go to Florida \"very soon\". Extreme winds and storm surges continued in the Lower Florida Keys area, which includes Key West. All residents had been ordered to leave. One official had warned staying on the islands would be \"almost like suicide\". Media reports say a man was killed on Saturday in the Keys when his truck crashed into a tree as the storm gathered pace. As the eye of the storm is moving north to mainland Florida, more than 1.4 million homes in the state are reported to be without power and more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters. The National Hurricane Center tweeted that people in the area of Naples and Marco Island, in south-west Florida, should move away from the water as storm surges of up to 15ft (4.6m) were possible. Cities such as Tampa and St Petersburg seem set to bear the brunt. The Tampa Bay area, with a population of about three million, has not been hit by a major hurricane since 1921. \"We are about to get punched in the face by this storm,\" Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said. In Miami, Police Major Richard Rand told the BBC there was flooding, including 2-3ft inland, and many power lines were down. One of the flooded areas was Miami's financial district, Brickell, where Southeast 12th Street resembled a river. Two cranes have collapsed in high winds in the city. Irma is the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, and has already caused widespread destruction on several Caribbean islands: - Cuba: Officials have talked of \"significant damage\", without giving further details, but no casualties have been reported. Electricity is out across the capital, Havana - St Martin and St Barthelemy: Six out of 10 homes on St Martin, an island shared between France and the Netherlands, are now uninhabitable, French officials say. They said nine people had died and seven were missing in the French territories, while four are known to have died in Dutch Sint Maarten - Turks and Caicos Islands: Widespread damage, although extent unclear - Barbuda: The small island is said to be \"barely habitable\", with 95% of the buildings damaged. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne estimates reconstruction will cost $100m (PS80m). One death has been confirmed - Anguilla: Extensive damage with one person confirmed dead - Puerto Rico: More than 6,000 residents of the US territory are in shelters and many more without power. At least three people have died - British Virgin Islands: Widespread damage reported, and five dead - US Virgin Islands: Damage to infrastructure was said to be widespread, with four deaths confirmed - Haiti and the Dominican Republic: Both battered by the storm, but neither had as much damage as initially feared Another storm, Jose, further out in the Atlantic behind Irma, is a category four hurricane, with winds of up to 130mph. It initially followed a similar path to Irma and had threatened several islands already hit by its predecessor, but it has now tracked harmlessly to the north. Barbuda, whose residents had already left the island as Jose approached, was spared, as were St Martin and St Barthelemy. Hurricane Katia, in the Gulf of Mexico, a category one storm with winds of up to 75mph, made landfall on the Mexican Gulf coast in the state of Veracruz late on Friday before weakening to a tropical depression. Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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: +447555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Upload your pictures / video here - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 842, "answer_end": 2132, "text": "Extreme winds and storm surges continued in the Lower Florida Keys area, which includes Key West. All residents had been ordered to leave. One official had warned staying on the islands would be \"almost like suicide\". Media reports say a man was killed on Saturday in the Keys when his truck crashed into a tree as the storm gathered pace. As the eye of the storm is moving north to mainland Florida, more than 1.4 million homes in the state are reported to be without power and more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters. The National Hurricane Center tweeted that people in the area of Naples and Marco Island, in south-west Florida, should move away from the water as storm surges of up to 15ft (4.6m) were possible. Cities such as Tampa and St Petersburg seem set to bear the brunt. The Tampa Bay area, with a population of about three million, has not been hit by a major hurricane since 1921. \"We are about to get punched in the face by this storm,\" Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said. In Miami, Police Major Richard Rand told the BBC there was flooding, including 2-3ft inland, and many power lines were down. One of the flooded areas was Miami's financial district, Brickell, where Southeast 12th Street resembled a river. Two cranes have collapsed in high winds in the city."}], "question": "What is happening in Florida?", "id": "241_0"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Politicians share security plans in BBC debate", "date": "29 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Politicians have shared their plans to tackle security issues in the UK after the terror attack on London Bridge. Seven senior figures from the major political parties took part in a BBC debate ahead of the December general election. The early focus was on the incident in the capital, which saw two people killed and the attacker shot dead. The politicians moved on to more robust discussions on topics including Brexit, the NHS and immigration. In a subdued start to the programme, the Conservatives' Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak, Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, former Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas and Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice all laid out their plans for security after a question from a retired police chief inspector. - LAURA KUENSSBERG: Five against two - REALITY CHECK: The claims from the debate - FULL PROGRAMME: Catch-up on iPlayer - VIDEO: Watch the best bits - FIVE MOMENTS: The key takeaways - AS IT HAPPENED: The debate live All seven paid tribute to the emergency services and the public for their response. Mr Sunak said it was the \"first duty of every government\" to keep the public safe. He promised the Conservatives would \"continue to do that\" by investing in police and giving them the powers they need to tackle threats to the UK. Labour's Ms Long-Bailey agreed there needed to be more investment in police. But she said Tory cuts had reduced personnel by 20,000 - the number by which Boris Johnson has pledged to increase forces if he continues as prime minister. \"It is right to recognise the direct impact [of those cuts] and invest more in community policing - the eyes and ears of our communities,\" Ms Long-Bailey added. - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POSTCODE SEARCH: Find your local candidates - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words The Lib Dems' Ms Swinson also promised 20,000 more police officers, and backed the need for community policing. She then praised police work in Scotland - namely the violence reduction unit in Glasgow, which has been credited with more than halving incidents of knife crime. The Brexit Party's Mr Tice added to the calls for more police on the streets of the UK, but said \"people must remain vigilant\" in light of attacks. For the Green Party, Ms Lucas accepted no amount of police could prevent such incidents, but added: \"More police would help.\" She also said political leaders \"all have a responsibility... to show compassion and love\" in light of attacks such as the one in London Bridge. Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would \"make sure we support our security services\". But she said Brexit would stop the UK from \"keeping access to the best intelligence\". And Plaid's Mr Price said there had to be \"a multiplicity of answers as no one answer will keep us safe\". He said resources were \"always part of the answer\", and called for a rise in numbers in Wales, but he also suggested \"a more preventative approach\" to stop the \"normalisation\" of knife crime. When it came to Brexit, the debate became more heated. Mr Sunak stuck by the Tories' message that to vote for them to \"get Brexit done\". He said the party \"have got a deal and it's ready to go\", and with a majority in Parliament, it could pass it to stop the \"dither\" of other parties. Analysis by Jonathan Blake, political correspondent After events in London, the atmosphere in Cardiff was more sombre than it might have been but the debate still delivered some lively exchanges. The relatively unknown Rishi Sunak stuck to the script of the Conservatives' main campaign messages and escaped largely unscathed. He was confident, if cautious, and will have boosted his profile. Labour, lagging in the polls, needed to up the ante and an assured performance from Rebecca Long-Bailey helped hammer home the party's policies and keep the NHS row rumbling on. Clashes between SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and the Brexit Party's Richard Tice provided some fiery moments, which won't have done either any harm. Jo Swinson defended the Lib Dems' stop-Brexit policy but admitted winning the election would be a \"seismic\" event, all but giving up on her early campaign pitch to be the next prime minister. For Plaid Cymru's Adam Price the debate was about attacking Labour's record in government in Wales, and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas made the most of the prominence of climate change as an election campaign issue. None of those on stage will be going home with their head in their hands in despair, but neither are they likely to be punching the air in victory. But he was challenged by Remain-backing politicians over Boris Johnson's pledge to do a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020, and his threat to leave without a deal if the deadline isn't reached. Ms Swinson, who says the Lib Dems will cancel Brexit if they win the election, said: \"It is like we're in episode one of a 10 season box set, and if you don't like what you've seen up to now you don't have to watch the rest.\" Ms Sturgeon said the slogan to \"get Brexit done\" was \"the biggest con of this election\", backed by the Greens' Ms Lucas, who said Mr Johnson's deal was \"just the start of years more wrangling\". Mr Sunak failed to rule out a no-deal Brexit when pressed by the other candidates. However, the Brexit Party's Mr Tice said it was time to get a deal done regardless, adding: \"Just imagine, with Brexit done properly we have an amazing future - and that's why I am here.\" On spending plans, Labour's Ms Long-Bailey claimed her party had \"the most detailed manifesto\" while the Tories had \"fabricated lies\" about their own spending. But Mr Sunak accused his rivals of being \"reckless\", claiming the Conservative manifesto was \"fully costed\". Ms Swinson replied: \"If you're listening to that and you think in your heart of hearts you just know that's not true, then you need to look for parties who are going to set out where they will get the money from.\" The ongoing row over whether the NHS would be on the table in trade talks with the US post-Brexit again reared its head, with the SNP's Ms Sturgeon calling for the Tories to support a law blocking its inclusion. But Mr Tice accused parties of \"scaremongering\" and said Labour - who first raised the concern - of not knowing the difference between buying and selling. In another clash, the Tories and the Brexit Party backed plans for an \"Australian-style\" points based system for immigration, with Mr Tice blaming immigration levels for suppressing wages in the UK. But Ms Lucas said she was \"proud to stand up\" for the EU's existing free movement rules. Mr Price said it would not be possible to apply EU rules \"exactly\" to the rest of the world, but people should be welcome to come to the UK. The final question to each politician was what message they wanted to give Donald Trump, who is due to come to the UK next week for a Nato summit. Mr Sunak simply wished him a \"happy Thanksgiving\", while Ms Sturgeon said: \"Please step down\". But while others brought up Brexit and climate change, Mr Price responded: \"Resign and take Boris with you.\" The BBC will host a head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn on Friday 6 December, chaired by tonight's host, Nick Robinson. On Monday 9 December, the BBC will also air a Question Time special - hosted by Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett  - with an audience of people under 30. Both programmes will be shown on BBC One. Between now and the election on 12 December, we want to help you understand the issues behind the headlines. Keep up to date with the big questions in our newsletter, Outside The Box. Sign up to our Outside The Box here (UK users only).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3474, "answer_end": 4749, "text": "Analysis by Jonathan Blake, political correspondent After events in London, the atmosphere in Cardiff was more sombre than it might have been but the debate still delivered some lively exchanges. The relatively unknown Rishi Sunak stuck to the script of the Conservatives' main campaign messages and escaped largely unscathed. He was confident, if cautious, and will have boosted his profile. Labour, lagging in the polls, needed to up the ante and an assured performance from Rebecca Long-Bailey helped hammer home the party's policies and keep the NHS row rumbling on. Clashes between SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and the Brexit Party's Richard Tice provided some fiery moments, which won't have done either any harm. Jo Swinson defended the Lib Dems' stop-Brexit policy but admitted winning the election would be a \"seismic\" event, all but giving up on her early campaign pitch to be the next prime minister. For Plaid Cymru's Adam Price the debate was about attacking Labour's record in government in Wales, and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas made the most of the prominence of climate change as an election campaign issue. None of those on stage will be going home with their head in their hands in despair, but neither are they likely to be punching the air in victory."}], "question": "How did they do?", "id": "242_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6921, "answer_end": 7271, "text": "The final question to each politician was what message they wanted to give Donald Trump, who is due to come to the UK next week for a Nato summit. Mr Sunak simply wished him a \"happy Thanksgiving\", while Ms Sturgeon said: \"Please step down\". But while others brought up Brexit and climate change, Mr Price responded: \"Resign and take Boris with you.\""}], "question": "What about Trump?", "id": "242_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Rosalind Franklin: Mars rover named after DNA pioneer", "date": "7 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK-assembled rover that will be sent to Mars in 2020 will bear the name of DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin. The honour follows a public call for suggestions that drew nearly 36,000 responses from right across Europe. Astronaut Tim Peake unveiled the name at the Airbus factory in Stevenage where the robot is being put together. The six-wheeled vehicle will be equipped with instruments and a drill to search for evidence of past or present life on the Red Planet. Giving the rover a name associated with a molecule fundamental to biology seems therefore to be wholly appropriate. Rosalind Franklin played an integral role in the discovery of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. It was her X-ray images that allowed James Watson and Francis Crick to decipher its double-helix shape. Franklin's early death from ovarian cancer in 1958, aged just 37, meant she never received the recognition given to her male peers. The attachment to the European Space Agency (Esa) rover will now see her name travel beyond Earth. \"In the last year of Rosalind's life, I remember visiting her in hospital on the day when she was excited by the news of the [Soviet Sputnik satellite] - the very beginning of space exploration,\" Franklin's sister, Jenifer Glynn, said on Thursday. \"She could never have imagined that over 60 years later there would be a rover sent to Mars bearing her name, but somehow that makes this project even more special.\" In 1952, Rosalind Franklin was at King's College London investigating the atomic arrangement of DNA, using her skills as an X-ray crystallographer to create images for analysis. One of her team's pictures, known as Photo 51, provided the essential insights for Crick and Watson to build the first three-dimensional model of the two-stranded macromolecule. It was one of the supreme achievements of 20th Century science, enabling researchers to finally understand how DNA stored, copied and transmitted the genetic \"code of life\". Crick, Watson, and King's colleague Maurice Wilkins, received the 1962 Nobel Prize for the breakthrough. Franklin's untimely death meant she could not be considered for the award (Nobels are not awarded posthumously). However, many argue that her contribution has never really been given the attention it deserves, and has even been underplayed. Up until now, the rover has simply been known by its Esa project name - ExoMars. In the UK, many people have also become familiar with the names given to the prototype robots that Airbus built to trial the vehicle's technology. These have been names like Bridget, Bruno and Bryan. The \"B\" letter is a play on the word \"breadboard\" - the term describing the bald plate engineers use to design new electronic circuitry. But it has become common practice now for space missions to have a ceremonial name. Sometimes these are just glorified acronyms that summarise the mission goals, but often they reference a historical figure who made a significant contribution in a relevant field of science. For recent European Space Agency projects, Italian scientists have been honoured, including Giuseppe \"Bepi\" Colombo (Mercury mission) and Giovanni Schiaparelli (a previous Mars lander). Rosalind Franklin was chosen by a UK-led panel who sifted through 35,844 suggestions. \"We had the usual clutch of acronyms, deities and inspirational words, but when we got down to the short shortlist - it was the obvious choice. It ticks all the boxes,\" Dr Sue Horne, the head space exploration at the UK Space Agency, told BBC News. Britain essentially got the naming rights because it has put most money into the rover. \"Rover McRoverFace\" was suggested but the UK Space Agency made it clear at the outset that there would be no repeat of the furore that accompanied the naming of Britain's new polar ship. The rocket that will send the Franklin rover to Mars is booked to launch in July/August 2020. The various components needed for the mission are gradually coming together under the direction of Esa and its partner on the venture - the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. British engineers are on target to deliver a finished robot at the end of July. This will go first to an Airbus test centre in Toulouse, France. From there, it will head east, to Cannes. On the Cote d'Azur, the Franklin rover will be integrated with its German \"cruise\" capsule, which will carry it to the vicinity of the Red Planet, and the Russian landing mechanism, which will have the all-important job of putting the rover down safely on the surface of Mars in March 2021. From Cannes, these elements go to the Baikonur Cosmodrome to be mated with the launch rocket. The schedule is tight, conceded Prof Jan Worner, the director-general of Esa: \"It's a challenge but we're working really hard to make the launch date.\" Airbus has built a special \"cleanroom\" to assemble the rover. The Franklin vehicle's parts are being brought to Stevenage from across Esa member states and Canada. The North Americans are making the locomotion system - the wheels. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1434, "answer_end": 2309, "text": "In 1952, Rosalind Franklin was at King's College London investigating the atomic arrangement of DNA, using her skills as an X-ray crystallographer to create images for analysis. One of her team's pictures, known as Photo 51, provided the essential insights for Crick and Watson to build the first three-dimensional model of the two-stranded macromolecule. It was one of the supreme achievements of 20th Century science, enabling researchers to finally understand how DNA stored, copied and transmitted the genetic \"code of life\". Crick, Watson, and King's colleague Maurice Wilkins, received the 1962 Nobel Prize for the breakthrough. Franklin's untimely death meant she could not be considered for the award (Nobels are not awarded posthumously). However, many argue that her contribution has never really been given the attention it deserves, and has even been underplayed."}], "question": "Who was Rosalind Franklin?", "id": "243_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2310, "answer_end": 3798, "text": "Up until now, the rover has simply been known by its Esa project name - ExoMars. In the UK, many people have also become familiar with the names given to the prototype robots that Airbus built to trial the vehicle's technology. These have been names like Bridget, Bruno and Bryan. The \"B\" letter is a play on the word \"breadboard\" - the term describing the bald plate engineers use to design new electronic circuitry. But it has become common practice now for space missions to have a ceremonial name. Sometimes these are just glorified acronyms that summarise the mission goals, but often they reference a historical figure who made a significant contribution in a relevant field of science. For recent European Space Agency projects, Italian scientists have been honoured, including Giuseppe \"Bepi\" Colombo (Mercury mission) and Giovanni Schiaparelli (a previous Mars lander). Rosalind Franklin was chosen by a UK-led panel who sifted through 35,844 suggestions. \"We had the usual clutch of acronyms, deities and inspirational words, but when we got down to the short shortlist - it was the obvious choice. It ticks all the boxes,\" Dr Sue Horne, the head space exploration at the UK Space Agency, told BBC News. Britain essentially got the naming rights because it has put most money into the rover. \"Rover McRoverFace\" was suggested but the UK Space Agency made it clear at the outset that there would be no repeat of the furore that accompanied the naming of Britain's new polar ship."}], "question": "How was the rover name selected?", "id": "243_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Larry Nassar: MSU president resigns amid gymnast abuse row", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The head of Michigan State University (MSU) has resigned, hours after sports doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced for sexually abusing young athletes. Lou Anna Simon had been facing pressure to step down. Nassar worked at MSU between 1997 and 2016. Also a former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years' imprisonment after testimony from almost 160 women. Ms Simon denied reports that MSU knew of the abuse claims but failed to act. She said in a statement: \"To the survivors, I can never say enough that I am so sorry that a trusted, renowned physician was really such an evil, evil person who inflicted such harm under the guise of medical treatment.\" The accounts of Nassar's victims are \"tragic, heartbreaking, and personally gut-wrenching,\" she added. On Wednesday Michigan's House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Ms Simon to quit. About 140 young women have filed a lawsuit against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and MSU, claiming the two institutions heard the paedophilia allegations against him years ago. The sports body and the school deny there was a cover-up. Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women, including Olympians. Before his sentencing on Wednesday, the 54-year-old had already been sentenced to 60 years for possession of child pornography. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar during the sentencing: \"As much as it was my honour and privilege to hear the sister survivors, it was my honour and privilege to sentence you. \"Because, sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again.\" As the judge finished her sentence, witnesses in the packed courtroom stood and applauded her verdict. The sentencing follows a week of harrowing testimony from scores of women, including Olympic gold medal gymnasts Aly Raisman and Jordyn Weiber. Their teammates, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, also revealed they had been abused by Nassar. In 2015, USA Gymnastics - the sport's top governing body - quietly cut ties with Nassar over allegations about his professional care. An investigation in 2014 resulted in a three-month suspension from MSU, then his workplace. But he continued to see patients until he was publicly accused of abuse in a 2016 report by the Indianapolis Star newspaper. Later that year, he was arrested and charged by Michigan officials with sexual contact with a child. A year later, he was sentenced for child abuse images found on his computer. Rachael Denhollander, who was one of the first women to publicly accuse Nassar, pointed the finger at MSU in court on Wednesday. \"How much is a little girl worth? How much is a young woman worth?\" Ms Denhollander, now a lawyer, asked as she described the abuse that occurred when she was 15 years old. \"No-one believed because they did not listen,\" she said, recounting the several times victims told MSU of their allegations. \"Victims were silenced, intimidated, told they were receiving medical treatment, and at times sent back to be further abused. \"This is what it looks like when institutions create a culture when a predator can behave unabated.\" Ms Denhollander said trauma she suffered had \"cast a horrific shadow\" over her medical care when she gave birth to three children, including two daughters. As the court adjourned on Wednesday, the US Olympic Committee announced it would hold an independent investigation \"to examine how an abuse of this proportion could have gone undetected for so long\". The committee's chief executive Scott Blackmun has called on \"all current USA Gymnastics directors\" to resign. On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said it would investigate MSU's original handling of the gymnasts' abuse claims. Over 130 women are suing Nassar, according to the Associated Press. He is due to appear in court again on 31 January for another sentencing involving three more cases of sexual assault. He has pleaded guilty to those charges.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1125, "answer_end": 1716, "text": "Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual assault against girls and young women, including Olympians. Before his sentencing on Wednesday, the 54-year-old had already been sentenced to 60 years for possession of child pornography. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar during the sentencing: \"As much as it was my honour and privilege to hear the sister survivors, it was my honour and privilege to sentence you. \"Because, sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again.\" As the judge finished her sentence, witnesses in the packed courtroom stood and applauded her verdict."}], "question": "What was Nassar sentenced for?", "id": "244_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1717, "answer_end": 2501, "text": "The sentencing follows a week of harrowing testimony from scores of women, including Olympic gold medal gymnasts Aly Raisman and Jordyn Weiber. Their teammates, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles, also revealed they had been abused by Nassar. In 2015, USA Gymnastics - the sport's top governing body - quietly cut ties with Nassar over allegations about his professional care. An investigation in 2014 resulted in a three-month suspension from MSU, then his workplace. But he continued to see patients until he was publicly accused of abuse in a 2016 report by the Indianapolis Star newspaper. Later that year, he was arrested and charged by Michigan officials with sexual contact with a child. A year later, he was sentenced for child abuse images found on his computer."}], "question": "What did the survivors say in court?", "id": "244_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2502, "answer_end": 3311, "text": "Rachael Denhollander, who was one of the first women to publicly accuse Nassar, pointed the finger at MSU in court on Wednesday. \"How much is a little girl worth? How much is a young woman worth?\" Ms Denhollander, now a lawyer, asked as she described the abuse that occurred when she was 15 years old. \"No-one believed because they did not listen,\" she said, recounting the several times victims told MSU of their allegations. \"Victims were silenced, intimidated, told they were receiving medical treatment, and at times sent back to be further abused. \"This is what it looks like when institutions create a culture when a predator can behave unabated.\" Ms Denhollander said trauma she suffered had \"cast a horrific shadow\" over her medical care when she gave birth to three children, including two daughters."}], "question": "Why are survivors angry with MSU?", "id": "244_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3312, "answer_end": 3993, "text": "As the court adjourned on Wednesday, the US Olympic Committee announced it would hold an independent investigation \"to examine how an abuse of this proportion could have gone undetected for so long\". The committee's chief executive Scott Blackmun has called on \"all current USA Gymnastics directors\" to resign. On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said it would investigate MSU's original handling of the gymnasts' abuse claims. Over 130 women are suing Nassar, according to the Associated Press. He is due to appear in court again on 31 January for another sentencing involving three more cases of sexual assault. He has pleaded guilty to those charges."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "244_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Juventus shares drop after Ronaldo rape allegation", "date": "5 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Italian football club Juventus' shares dropped sharply on Friday, after criticism of their handling of a rape allegation made against summer signing Cristiano Ronaldo. He strongly denies the allegation which emerged in German media this week. The club's share prices had hit record levels after Ronaldo joined in July. But they have dipped since the allegation emerged against him on Tuesday - losing almost 10% of their value on Friday alone. The club's social media accounts have been criticised for tweets they posted on Thursday. In them they said the alleged events \"dating back to almost 10 years ago\" do not change their opinion of the player, who they described as a \"great champion\". They then shared a video of him with the caption: \"Juventus go for goal. Cristiano Ronaldo finds the target!\" Former England international and football pundit Gary Lineker described the series of posts as \"awful\". Other users labelled the posts \"abhorrent\" and called for them to apologise, while other replies defended the posts. Kathryn Mayorga, a teacher from Nevada, came forward in German magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday with an allegation against the Portugal international. The 34-year-old alleges Ronaldo raped her in a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009 shortly after they met in a nightclub. Her lawyers are seeking to void an apparent 2010 non-disclosure agreement she reportedly signed as part of an out-of-court $375,000 (PS288,000) financial settlement with the player. But the footballer \"firmly\" denies the allegation and has dismissed the article as \"fake news\". His lawyers also say they plan to sue the German publication. Police in Las Vegas have said they have reopened their investigation into the alleged assault. They said at the time of original reporting the victim did not provide police with the location of the incident or a suspect description. Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal's squad for games against Scotland and Poland, but Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday he was \"ready to return to action\" in a Serie A match against Udinese on Saturday. The Italian side signed Ronaldo from Real Madrid for 112m euro (PS99m; $130) in July - a move which helped the club's share price soar 180% to a peak of more than 1.80 euro a share in September. By close of markets on Friday they had dropped to 1.19 euro following a 9.92% drop on Friday alone. It comes after both EA Sports and Nike, who have lucrative sponsorship deals with Ronaldo, both said they were monitoring the situation closely. Nike, whose contract with the player is worth a reported $1bn (PS768m), said on Thursday they were \"deeply concerned\" by the \"disturbing allegations\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1024, "answer_end": 1859, "text": "Kathryn Mayorga, a teacher from Nevada, came forward in German magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday with an allegation against the Portugal international. The 34-year-old alleges Ronaldo raped her in a hotel in Las Vegas in 2009 shortly after they met in a nightclub. Her lawyers are seeking to void an apparent 2010 non-disclosure agreement she reportedly signed as part of an out-of-court $375,000 (PS288,000) financial settlement with the player. But the footballer \"firmly\" denies the allegation and has dismissed the article as \"fake news\". His lawyers also say they plan to sue the German publication. Police in Las Vegas have said they have reopened their investigation into the alleged assault. They said at the time of original reporting the victim did not provide police with the location of the incident or a suspect description."}], "question": "What is Ronaldo accused of?", "id": "245_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan attack: Gunmen storm five-star hotel in Balochistan", "date": "12 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three gunmen who stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, killing at least one guard, have been shot dead by security forces, officials say. The attack and subsequent siege, which targeted the Zaver Pearl-Continental Hotel in the strategic port city of Gwadar, lasted several hours. A hotel spokesman said there were no guests and few staff due to Ramadan. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army said it carried out the attack. The group said that the hotel, the centrepiece of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project, was selected in order to target Chinese and other investors. Militants in Balochistan oppose Chinese investment, saying it is of little benefit to local people. The gunmen stormed the hotel, usually popular with top government officials and foreign visitors, at around 16:50 local time (11:50 GMT), killing at least one security guard who tried to stop them at the entrance. Security forces entered the hotel and took part in a gun battle with the militants, before cornering them in a staircase leading to the top floor, officials said. Due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the hotel had no guests and a very limited number of staff, a Zaver Pearl-Continental spokesperson told the BBC. However, earlier reports suggested that hotel guests had been evacuated safely. The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the two countries. On Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan condemned the attack, which comes just weeks after gunmen killed 14 people, including 11 military personnel, in the region. Gwadar is a city with a heavy military presence. It is viewed by both Chinese and Pakistani officials as the lynchpin of the CPEC, aiming to connect western China with the Arabian Sea. When I visited the port city in late 2017 with other international journalists, we travelled in convoys guarded by armed escorts, and stayed in the same hotel that was targeted. This attack will therefore be seen as a worrying breach of security, and it is not the first time Chinese interests have been targeted by this militant group. Last year the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carried out an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. After that attack, both Pakistani and Chinese officials stressed that violence would not derail their close co-operation. But militant activity in Balochistan remains one of the major concerns about the viability of the CPEC project. Home to a long-running insurgency, Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and least developed province. It shares a large, porous border with Afghanistan and Iran. Its economy is dominated by natural resources, particularly natural gas, and is being transformed by major Chinese infrastructure projects on the CPEC, part of the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Several militant groups operate in the region, including the Pakistani Taliban, the BLA and the Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 718, "answer_end": 1731, "text": "The gunmen stormed the hotel, usually popular with top government officials and foreign visitors, at around 16:50 local time (11:50 GMT), killing at least one security guard who tried to stop them at the entrance. Security forces entered the hotel and took part in a gun battle with the militants, before cornering them in a staircase leading to the top floor, officials said. Due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the hotel had no guests and a very limited number of staff, a Zaver Pearl-Continental spokesperson told the BBC. However, earlier reports suggested that hotel guests had been evacuated safely. The hotel sits on a hilltop overlooking the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which is being developed by China as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railway and pipelines between the two countries. On Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan condemned the attack, which comes just weeks after gunmen killed 14 people, including 11 military personnel, in the region."}], "question": "What do we know about the attack?", "id": "246_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2595, "answer_end": 3097, "text": "Home to a long-running insurgency, Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and least developed province. It shares a large, porous border with Afghanistan and Iran. Its economy is dominated by natural resources, particularly natural gas, and is being transformed by major Chinese infrastructure projects on the CPEC, part of the ambitious Belt and Road initiative. Several militant groups operate in the region, including the Pakistani Taliban, the BLA and the Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi."}], "question": "What is the situation in Balochistan?", "id": "246_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Tommy Robinson bailed after Court of Appeal win", "date": "1 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been released on bail after winning an appeal against a contempt of court finding. The 35-year-old admitted the charge and was jailed in May for filming outside Leeds Crown Court during a trial. At the Court of Appeal, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett ruled the case be reheard after identifying technical and other failings. Robinson's solicitors said everyone has the \"right to a fair hearing\". The far-right activist, from Luton, was not present for the ruling in London and was released from his 13-month sentence being served at Onley Prison, near Rugby just before 15:30 BST. Speaking to reporters, Robinson said: \"All the British media do is lie. I have a lot to say but nothing to you. \"I want to thank the British public for all their support.\" In his written judgement, Lord Burnett said: \"We are satisfied that the finding of contempt made in Leeds following a fundamentally flawed process, in what we recognise were difficult and unusual circumstances, cannot stand. \"We will direct that the matter be reheard before a different judge.\" Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, will attend the Old Bailey for the hearing, conducted by the Recorder of London, \"as soon as reasonably possible\". This morning, the Lord Chief Justice's ruling in Robinson's appeal underlined that the rule of law - the rules that apply to us all - must be applied fairly in all circumstances. And that's why the Court of Appeal ruled that Robinson's second conviction in a year for contempt of court was flawed. In essence, the five hours from arrest to sentence at Leeds Crown Court was rushed. Robinson wasn't told what specific parts of his activity at the court had been potentially prejudicial to a jury - meaning nobody to this day knows exactly what he did wrong. Further, he immediately removed the offending video from Facebook on the court's order and the judge should have then adjourned the matter to give him longer to prepare a defence. Tommy Robinson is still convicted of contempt in relation to his behaviour at Canterbury last year where he received his three month sentence for potentially derailing a fair trial. Today, the Court of Appeal said that very same right to a fair hearing means Robinson should have a full opportunity to put his case without rushing to judge. The case that brought Robinson to Leeds related to grooming and the second of three trials involving 28 men. The third trial is due to start in September. Footage, filmed by Robinson on a mobile phone and broadcast on social media, saw him discussing the criminal trial that was subject to reporting restrictions. The video, lasting about an hour-and-a-half, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted as a Facebook Live. A statement from Robinson's solicitors said: \"The rule of law and right to a fair hearing are fundamental to every individual and this ruling is an example of the safeguards of our system. \"What makes the British system so unique is the ability to set aside personal feelings and deal with the law and each case on its merits.\" Robinson had challenged two contempt of court findings but Lord Burnett said a suspended sentence he was given relating to a trial in Canterbury in May 2017 should stand. He was given 10 months for contempt of court in Leeds and a further three months for breaching the suspended sentence handed to him in Canterbury. Contempt of court laws are designed to protect the rule of law, ensure fair trials - and avoid trial by media. Contempt can be committed by a broad range of people and organisations including the press, jurors, and social media users. The maximum sentence for contempt of court is two years' imprisonment, but it can also be punished with a fine. The law on contempt is set out in case law and the 1981 Contempt of Court Act. Key areas that amount to contempt include: - Publishing anything that creates a substantial risk of seriously prejudicing \"active\" criminal proceedings - Bringing into a court building a device for recording sound Taking photographs or film in a court building is capable of being a contempt of court. Breaching a court order or undertakings given to the court can also amount to contempt. Robinson attended Canterbury Crown Court during a rape trial of four men and filmed on the steps of the court and inside the building while the jury was considering its verdicts. At an earlier hearing, Robinson's QC argued that procedural \"deficiencies\" had caused \"prejudice\" in Leeds. Lord Burnett said the judge should not have commenced contempt proceedings the same day he was arrested. He explained \"no particulars of the contempt were formulated or put to the appellant\", and there was \"a muddle over the nature of the contempt being considered\". Robinson's bail conditions order that he does not \"approach within 400m (0.2 miles) of Leeds Crown Court\". His lawyers had argued that a rehearing was not necessary due to the length of time he served in prison. But the Court of Appeal said the \"alleged contempt was serious\" and the sentence might be longer than that already served. Rival groups of Robinson supporters and \"Stand Up To Racism\" protesters had gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice and swapped chants. Both groups of about 30 people were outnumbered by watching police. BBC White House reporter, Tara McKelvey, said his case has generated \"a united front among nationalists\" from across the Atlantic, with Robinson gaining support from the likes of Steve Bannon and Donald Trump Junior. Born in 1982, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, describes himself as \"a working-class man from Luton\". - Aged 20, he joined the far-right British National Party but soon left saying \"it was not for me\" - In 2009 he set up the English Defence League (EDL) - an organisation set up to counter what its members saw as the threat of Islamist extremism - The EDL organised street marches and demonstrations which often clashed with anti-racism campaigners - He married in 2011 and is the father of three children - He left the EDL in 2013 expressing concern that he no longer felt he could keep extremist elements within the organisation at bay - In 2015, he joined demonstrations with the German anti-immigration group Pegida, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, and announced the founding of the British chapter - In 2017, he started contributing to Canadian-based far-right political commentary site The Rebel Media", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3435, "answer_end": 4250, "text": "Contempt of court laws are designed to protect the rule of law, ensure fair trials - and avoid trial by media. Contempt can be committed by a broad range of people and organisations including the press, jurors, and social media users. The maximum sentence for contempt of court is two years' imprisonment, but it can also be punished with a fine. The law on contempt is set out in case law and the 1981 Contempt of Court Act. Key areas that amount to contempt include: - Publishing anything that creates a substantial risk of seriously prejudicing \"active\" criminal proceedings - Bringing into a court building a device for recording sound Taking photographs or film in a court building is capable of being a contempt of court. Breaching a court order or undertakings given to the court can also amount to contempt."}], "question": "What is contempt of court?", "id": "247_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US missions in Turkey to resume full visa services after row", "date": "28 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US missions in Turkey are to resume full visa services following security assurances from Turkey's government on US consular staff. The US had suspended all non-immigrant visa services after the arrest of one of its consulate employees in October. The worker had been detained over suspected links to a cleric blamed for last year's failed coup in Turkey. The US state department said it was \"confident that the security posture has improved sufficiently\". Turkey had \"adhered to high level assurances\" made to the US, it said. The state department said the US had been assured no additional local employees of its missions were under investigation, and that staff would not be detained or arrested performing their official duties. However, it also said it still had serious concerns about allegations against its arrested local employees and about cases against US citizens detained under the state of emergency imposed after the botched July 2016 coup. There are at least 11 US citizens currently under arrest in Turkey. The Turkish embassy in Washington welcomed the US decision and said visa restrictions for US citizens imposed since the start of the dispute would also be lifted. However, it said Turkey had given no assurances to the US about cases being processed by Turkish courts, and that it still had concerns about Turkish nationals undergoing court cases in the US. Washington condemned the arrest of the consulate employee, a male Turkish citizen, as baseless and damaging to bilateral relations. The US mission in Ankara said it had suspended all non-immigrant visa services in order to \"reassess\" Turkey's commitment to staff security. Turkey's embassy in Washington responded by suspending \"all visa services\". It came less than a month after US President Donald Trump said the two countries were as \"close as we've ever been\". But tensions had been brewing for some time, with the US complaining of heavy-handed treatment of pro-Kurdish demonstrators by Turkish security officials during Mr Erdogan's visit to Washington in May. The Turkish embassy said Turkish-Americans who had come to see the president were provoked by the protesters. And in September, demonstrators were beaten and ejected from a New York hotel after interrupting a speech by Mr Erdogan, who was in the city to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. Turkey has been pressing Washington to extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen over his alleged role in the botched coup in July 2016. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Mr Gulen of instigating the unrest - a charge the cleric denies. In the aftermath of the coup attempt, which was led by military officers, 40,000 people were arrested and 120,000 sacked or suspended. Relations between Turkey and other countries have also become strained as Mr Erdogan appears to be taking a more assertive approach to foreign relations.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 528, "answer_end": 1023, "text": "The state department said the US had been assured no additional local employees of its missions were under investigation, and that staff would not be detained or arrested performing their official duties. However, it also said it still had serious concerns about allegations against its arrested local employees and about cases against US citizens detained under the state of emergency imposed after the botched July 2016 coup. There are at least 11 US citizens currently under arrest in Turkey."}], "question": "What assurances has the US received?", "id": "248_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1024, "answer_end": 1380, "text": "The Turkish embassy in Washington welcomed the US decision and said visa restrictions for US citizens imposed since the start of the dispute would also be lifted. However, it said Turkey had given no assurances to the US about cases being processed by Turkish courts, and that it still had concerns about Turkish nationals undergoing court cases in the US."}], "question": "How has Turkey responded?", "id": "248_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1381, "answer_end": 2886, "text": "Washington condemned the arrest of the consulate employee, a male Turkish citizen, as baseless and damaging to bilateral relations. The US mission in Ankara said it had suspended all non-immigrant visa services in order to \"reassess\" Turkey's commitment to staff security. Turkey's embassy in Washington responded by suspending \"all visa services\". It came less than a month after US President Donald Trump said the two countries were as \"close as we've ever been\". But tensions had been brewing for some time, with the US complaining of heavy-handed treatment of pro-Kurdish demonstrators by Turkish security officials during Mr Erdogan's visit to Washington in May. The Turkish embassy said Turkish-Americans who had come to see the president were provoked by the protesters. And in September, demonstrators were beaten and ejected from a New York hotel after interrupting a speech by Mr Erdogan, who was in the city to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. Turkey has been pressing Washington to extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen over his alleged role in the botched coup in July 2016. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Mr Gulen of instigating the unrest - a charge the cleric denies. In the aftermath of the coup attempt, which was led by military officers, 40,000 people were arrested and 120,000 sacked or suspended. Relations between Turkey and other countries have also become strained as Mr Erdogan appears to be taking a more assertive approach to foreign relations."}], "question": "How did this row begin?", "id": "248_2"}]}]}, {"title": "How parents' arguments really affect their children", "date": "2 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is normal for parents to argue, but the way these disagreements affect children varies greatly. What can parents and carers do to limit the harm caused by their rows? What happens at home really does affect children's long-term mental health and development. But it is not only the relationship between the parent and child that is important. How parents get on with each other also plays a big role in a child's wellbeing, with the potential to affect everything from mental health to academic success and future relationships. But there is the chance for some good to come out of a \"positive\" row. In most cases, arguments will have little or no negative effects for children. But when parents shout and are angry with each other, when they consistently withdraw or give each other the \"silent treatment\", problems can sometimes arise. UK and international research conducted over several decades through observations in the home, long-term follow up work and experimental studies, suggests that from as young as six months, children exposed to conflict may have increased heart rates and stress hormone responses. Infants, children and adolescents can show signs of disrupted early brain development, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, conduct disorder and other serious problems as a result of living with severe or chronic inter-parental conflict. Similar effects are also seen in children who are exposed to ongoing but less intense conflict, compared with children whose parents constructively negotiate or resolve conflicts. The impact on children is not always as might be expected. For example, divorce - and parents deciding to live apart - has often been seen as having a particularly damaging and lasting effect on many children. But in some cases, it is now thought that it could be the arguments that take place between parents before, during and after a separation that do the damage, rather than the break-up itself. Similarly, it has often been assumed that genetics play a defining role in how children respond to conflict. And it is true that \"nature\" is central to a child's mental health - playing a part in problems from anxiety, to depression and psychosis. But the home environment and the \"nurture\" they receive there can also be very significant. Increasingly, it is thought that underlying genetic risks for poor mental health can be made worse - or better - by family life. The quality of the relationship between parents appears to be central, whether or not they are living together, or if the children are genetically related to the parents or not - for example, if they were conceived using donor eggs or sperm, or adopted. What does all of this mean for parents? First, it is important to recognise that it is perfectly normal for parents and carers to argue or disagree with each other. However, when parents engage in conflicts with each other that are frequent, intense and not resolved, children do less well. Even more so if the row is about children, for example where children blame themselves or feel at fault for the arguments. These negative effects can include sleep disturbance and disrupted early brain development for infants, anxiety and conduct problems for primary school children, and depression and academic problems and other serious issues, such as self-harm, for older children and adolescents. For decades, we have known that domestic abuse and violence can be particularly damaging for the children involved. But parents don't even need to display volatile or aggressive behaviour towards one another for damage to be done. Where they become withdrawn, or express low levels of warmth for each other, children's emotional, behavioural and social development is also put at risk. The problems don't end there. Not only are children affected in their own lives, but research shows that bad relationships can pass from one generation to the next. It is a cycle that needs to be broken if we want positive and happy lives for today's generation of children, and the next generation of parents and families. But there are factors which can reduce the harm caused. From the age of about two - and possibly from an even younger age - research tells us that children are astute observers of their parents' behaviour. They often notice arguments - even when parents think their children don't, or believe they have protected them by arguing in \"private\". What matters is how children interpret and understand the causes and potential consequences of conflicts. Based on their past experience, children decide whether they think conflicts are likely to escalate, potentially involve them, or could even pose a risk to family stability - a particular concern for some young children. They may also worry about the possibility of their relationship with their parents worsening as a result. Research suggests that boys and girls may also respond differently, with girls at greater risk of emotional problems, and boys at greater risk of behavioural problems. Often, policies aimed at improving mental health among the young have focussed on supporting the children themselves, or in directly supporting parenting. But it could be that supporting the relationship between parents could also make a big difference to children in the short term, as well as better equipping them to form their own healthy relationships with others in the future. Where children have supportive relationships with relatives, siblings, other adults (eg teachers) and friends, these are important for children's long-term healthy development.  What happens at home can significantly influence these relationships, for good or ill. It is natural for parents to feel concerned about the impact their arguments may have on their children. But it is normal to argue or disagree sometimes, and in fact children respond well when parents explain or resolve - in an appropriate way - what an argument was about. Indeed, where parents successfully resolve arguments, children can learn important positive lessons which can help them navigate their own emotions and relationships beyond the family circle. Helping parents understand how their relationships affect children's development sets the stage for healthy children today - and healthy families in the future. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Prof Gordon Harold is the Andrew and Virginia Rudd professor of psychology and director, Rudd Centre for Adoption Research and Practice at the University of Sussex. He recently published a comprehensive review of research in this field in the The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which you can read online along with a detailed bibliography. Edited by Jennifer Clarke and Duncan Walker.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1541, "answer_end": 2664, "text": "The impact on children is not always as might be expected. For example, divorce - and parents deciding to live apart - has often been seen as having a particularly damaging and lasting effect on many children. But in some cases, it is now thought that it could be the arguments that take place between parents before, during and after a separation that do the damage, rather than the break-up itself. Similarly, it has often been assumed that genetics play a defining role in how children respond to conflict. And it is true that \"nature\" is central to a child's mental health - playing a part in problems from anxiety, to depression and psychosis. But the home environment and the \"nurture\" they receive there can also be very significant. Increasingly, it is thought that underlying genetic risks for poor mental health can be made worse - or better - by family life. The quality of the relationship between parents appears to be central, whether or not they are living together, or if the children are genetically related to the parents or not - for example, if they were conceived using donor eggs or sperm, or adopted."}], "question": "Nature or nurture?", "id": "249_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Gui Minhai: Chinese press attacks Sweden over bookseller", "date": "11 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "State media in China have accused Sweden of a movie-style plot to spirit away detained bookseller Gui Minhai, who has Swedish citizenship. The Hong Kong-based businessman was seized on 20 January while travelling to the Chinese capital, Beijing. On Friday a video interview was released in which he accused Stockholm of \"sensationalising\" his case. A Chinese tabloid condemned Sweden for trying to \"demonstrate its diplomatic heroism by 'saving the bookseller'\". Mr Gui, who was briefly freed from custody last October, has been in and out of Chinese detention since 2015, when he went missing during a holiday in Thailand. The Global Times, a nationalistic paper, accused Sweden of tricking Mr Gui into a plan designed to free him from Chinese custody. It says the bookseller was banned from leaving the Chinese mainland over allegations he had been involved in \"illegal business\". The 53-year-old was arrested while taking a train to Beijing from Ningbo in eastern China, where doctors had said he might have the neurological disorder ALS, a type of motor neurone disease. He had been scheduled to see a Swedish specialist in the capital, and was arrested in the presence of two Swedish diplomats travelling with him. In an editorial headlined, \"Is Sweden making 'Saving Gui Minhai' movie?\", the Global Times says Stockholm \"wanted to arrange Gui's 'escape' by breaking Chinese law\". Earlier it gave more detail of the allegations against Mr Gui, saying he was suspected of \"illegally providing national secrets and intelligence to overseas groups\". The Global Times accused the Swedish foreign ministry of \"craving the limelight in the EU and the West\", and said it had made itself \"a laughingstock\". Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported that Mr Gui had \"applied to authorities and asked to speak the truth before media\". In the video, Mr Gui says he was pressured into leaving China by Swedish officials. \"Because they were instigating me non-stop, I fell for it,\" he says. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have warned that the interview has the hallmarks of a forced confession. \"Looking back, I might have become Sweden's chess piece,\" Mr Gui says in the footage. \"My wonderful life has been ruined and I would never trust the Swedish ever again.\" Katarina Byrenius, a spokeswoman for Sweden's foreign ministry, has said the video \"changes nothing\". \"We continue to demand that our citizen be given the opportunity to meet with Swedish diplomatic staff and medical staff,\" she wrote in an email to Reuters news agency. \"It's almost certainly a forced confession,\" said William Nee, a China researcher with Amnesty International. \"The fact that he's kind of repeating talking points that the [Chinese] government wants to put out ... and as far as we know he's in incommunicado detention. He doesn't have lawyers of his choice or consular access right now,\" he told Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK. Mr Gui, who has published books on the personal lives of Chinese Communist Party leaders, has spent much of the past two years in Chinese custody. He first made headlines in 2015 when he vanished from Thailand and resurfaced in China, along with four other Hong Kong-based publishers. After his disappearance, there were allegations that he had been abducted by Chinese agents across international borders in an extrajudicial process. Chinese officials, however, say Mr Gui and the four other men all went to China voluntarily. The bookseller ultimately confessed to being involved in a fatal traffic accident more than a decade earlier - a confession supporters say was forced. Human rights groups believe the publishers are victims of a crackdown on dissent against China's ruling Communist Party.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 624, "answer_end": 1831, "text": "The Global Times, a nationalistic paper, accused Sweden of tricking Mr Gui into a plan designed to free him from Chinese custody. It says the bookseller was banned from leaving the Chinese mainland over allegations he had been involved in \"illegal business\". The 53-year-old was arrested while taking a train to Beijing from Ningbo in eastern China, where doctors had said he might have the neurological disorder ALS, a type of motor neurone disease. He had been scheduled to see a Swedish specialist in the capital, and was arrested in the presence of two Swedish diplomats travelling with him. In an editorial headlined, \"Is Sweden making 'Saving Gui Minhai' movie?\", the Global Times says Stockholm \"wanted to arrange Gui's 'escape' by breaking Chinese law\". Earlier it gave more detail of the allegations against Mr Gui, saying he was suspected of \"illegally providing national secrets and intelligence to overseas groups\". The Global Times accused the Swedish foreign ministry of \"craving the limelight in the EU and the West\", and said it had made itself \"a laughingstock\". Xinhua, China's state news agency, reported that Mr Gui had \"applied to authorities and asked to speak the truth before media\"."}], "question": "What is the Chinese press saying?", "id": "250_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1832, "answer_end": 2931, "text": "In the video, Mr Gui says he was pressured into leaving China by Swedish officials. \"Because they were instigating me non-stop, I fell for it,\" he says. Human rights groups including Amnesty International have warned that the interview has the hallmarks of a forced confession. \"Looking back, I might have become Sweden's chess piece,\" Mr Gui says in the footage. \"My wonderful life has been ruined and I would never trust the Swedish ever again.\" Katarina Byrenius, a spokeswoman for Sweden's foreign ministry, has said the video \"changes nothing\". \"We continue to demand that our citizen be given the opportunity to meet with Swedish diplomatic staff and medical staff,\" she wrote in an email to Reuters news agency. \"It's almost certainly a forced confession,\" said William Nee, a China researcher with Amnesty International. \"The fact that he's kind of repeating talking points that the [Chinese] government wants to put out ... and as far as we know he's in incommunicado detention. He doesn't have lawyers of his choice or consular access right now,\" he told Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK."}], "question": "What's the problem with the video?", "id": "250_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2932, "answer_end": 3731, "text": "Mr Gui, who has published books on the personal lives of Chinese Communist Party leaders, has spent much of the past two years in Chinese custody. He first made headlines in 2015 when he vanished from Thailand and resurfaced in China, along with four other Hong Kong-based publishers. After his disappearance, there were allegations that he had been abducted by Chinese agents across international borders in an extrajudicial process. Chinese officials, however, say Mr Gui and the four other men all went to China voluntarily. The bookseller ultimately confessed to being involved in a fatal traffic accident more than a decade earlier - a confession supporters say was forced. Human rights groups believe the publishers are victims of a crackdown on dissent against China's ruling Communist Party."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "250_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ireland's leaders in talks to avoid snap election", "date": "28 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The leaders of Ireland's two main political parties are holding crisis talks on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid a snap general election. Calls for Ireland's deputy prime minister to resign over a controversy involving a police whistleblower could end a deal between the parties. Fianna Fail abstains in key votes to allow the biggest party, Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael, to lead a ruling coalition. It comes ahead of an EU summit in which Ireland will play a major role. If an election is called, there are fears that it could complicate next month's EU meeting, at which Ireland's position will influence the assessment of the UK's progress in Brexit talks. Revelations about a plan to discredit a police whistleblower during an inquiry have led opposition parties to call for the tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Frances Fitzgerald to resign over her handling of the affair. On Monday, documents revealed that Ms Fitzgerald had received a letter from an official discussing what was described as an aggressive stance towards the whistleblower. At the time she was the Irish minster for justice. She faces a vote of no confidence in the Dail (Irish parliament) on Tuesday. However, a spokesperson for the government said it retained full confidence in Ms Fitzgerald. The dispute has created a political crisis and if the parties fail to reach an agreement then it could force a general election before Christmas. Both parties have said that they want to avoid a poll. Mr Varadkar, Ireland's taoiseach (prime minister), would still travel to the EU summit next month which will decide whether the Brexit talks will move onto the next phase. In 2015, the O'Higgins Commission was established by the government to examine malpractice allegations in the Garda's (Irish police) Cavan/Monaghan division. On Monday evening, it was revealed that the now tanaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) was personally sent a letter from one of her officials in July 2015, which discussed the \"aggressive stance towards Sgt Maurice McCabe at the commission\". The letter is one of a number of documents published by the department of justice from a record trawl requested by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. In a series of tweets on Monday evening, Ms Fitzgerald wrote: \"As Justice Minister I could not interfere with the O'Higgins Commission. This is confirmed twice in today's docs & has been confirmed by the Attorney General.\" A judge-led tribunal is also being held to establish whether senior Garda officers were involved in an alleged smear campaign against whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe. Ms Fitzgerald also wrote: \"The Tribunal will objectively judge the appropriateness of my conduct. I look forward to giving my evidence to the Tribunal early in January.\" Last week, Ms Fitzgerald faced questions in the Dail over an email she was sent by former Garda (Police)Commissioner, Noirin O'Sullivan, which outlined the legal strategy to be pursued against Sgt Maurice McCabe. Ms Fitzgerald said she could not remember reading it. However, she recently admitted she was made aware a year earlier than she had previously stated, that lawyers for the garda were going to attempt to discredit Sgt McCabe. On Sunday, it also emerged that Noirin O'Sullivan had discussed the controversial legal action relating to Mr McCabe in a phone call with a senior member of the department of justice in May 2015.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1636, "answer_end": 3369, "text": "In 2015, the O'Higgins Commission was established by the government to examine malpractice allegations in the Garda's (Irish police) Cavan/Monaghan division. On Monday evening, it was revealed that the now tanaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) was personally sent a letter from one of her officials in July 2015, which discussed the \"aggressive stance towards Sgt Maurice McCabe at the commission\". The letter is one of a number of documents published by the department of justice from a record trawl requested by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. In a series of tweets on Monday evening, Ms Fitzgerald wrote: \"As Justice Minister I could not interfere with the O'Higgins Commission. This is confirmed twice in today's docs & has been confirmed by the Attorney General.\" A judge-led tribunal is also being held to establish whether senior Garda officers were involved in an alleged smear campaign against whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe. Ms Fitzgerald also wrote: \"The Tribunal will objectively judge the appropriateness of my conduct. I look forward to giving my evidence to the Tribunal early in January.\" Last week, Ms Fitzgerald faced questions in the Dail over an email she was sent by former Garda (Police)Commissioner, Noirin O'Sullivan, which outlined the legal strategy to be pursued against Sgt Maurice McCabe. Ms Fitzgerald said she could not remember reading it. However, she recently admitted she was made aware a year earlier than she had previously stated, that lawyers for the garda were going to attempt to discredit Sgt McCabe. On Sunday, it also emerged that Noirin O'Sullivan had discussed the controversial legal action relating to Mr McCabe in a phone call with a senior member of the department of justice in May 2015."}], "question": "What is behind the dispute?", "id": "251_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump Russia: What (else) we've just learnt about Mueller probe", "date": "29 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With the US mid-term elections over, attention in the US again quickly returned to when Robert Mueller would make His Next Move. It turns out the wait was just over three weeks. In what could be a blockbuster move, the special counsel has revealed his first new plea deal in 10 weeks, reaching an agreement with Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. Up until now, Cohen's legal entanglements had been centred on the US attorney's office in lower Manhattan - involving tax and campaign finance misconduct. It was certainly a headache for the president, but it was separate from Mr Mueller's investigation into 2016 Russian election meddling and possible ties to the Trump presidential campaign. Now Cohen looms large in that investigation, sharing information about his involvement in possible Russian business deals during the 2016 presidential election cycle. It's big news. But lots more happened this week - here's a look at some of the other things you may have missed. On Tuesday multiple US media outlets reported on what appears to be a draft plea deal that was presented by the special counsel's office to Jerome Corsi, a conservative author and a former employee of the conspiracy website InfoWars. The agreement, which closely resembles documents filed by Mr Mueller's team in other cases, says that long-time Trump associate and former campaign adviser Roger Stone (identified as \"person 1\") asked Mr Corsi on 25 July, 2016 - in the middle of the presidential campaign season - to reach out to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange days after the group had released hacked Democratic National Committee emails and documents. Mr Stone, according to an email cited by the agreement, wanted to find out what other illicitly gained information WikiLeaks (\"organisation 1\") possessed. On 2 August, Mr Corsi emailed Stone saying there were two new email dumps coming - with damaging information about Mrs Clinton's health and the Clinton Foundation. (WikiLeaks would publish Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's hacked emails 10 weeks later, complete with some embarrassing details but not on her health or charitable foundation matters.) A few weeks after that Corsi email, on 21 August, Mr Stone sent out a tweet that has become a central part of the investigation into whether anyone connected to Mr Trump had advance knowledge of the WikiLeaks hacked emails. \"Trust me,\" Mr Stone wrote, \"it will soon be Podesta's time in the barrel.\" On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Corsi had told a grand jury empanelled by the special counsel that Mr Stone had asked him to help come up with a \"cover story\" for that Podesta tweet. In the draft deal, Mr Corsi would have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his efforts to contact Mr Assange, who has confined himself to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden for sexual assault charges since August 2012. He would also admit to deleting relevant emails in an effort to obstruct the investigation. Mr Corsi says he rejected the deal because he did not knowingly lie to investigators and a sealed guilty plea might have resulted in the revocation of his licence to work as a financial securities broker. Mr Stone has confirmed the authenticity of the emails, but he denies having any advance knowledge about the WikiLeaks documents. He told the Washington Post that he was only engaging in \"political gossip\". The special counsel's office has declined to comment on the authenticity of the draft deal or anything else related to this story. In previous indictments, the special counsel has alleged that Russia was behind the hacks of Mr Podesta and Democratic Party officials - a conclusion echoed by the US intelligence community. It has also asserted that WikiLeaks was the outlet chosen by the Russians to inject the purloined documents into the US political bloodstream during the hotly contested presidential elections. Now, it appears, Mr Mueller's team is aggressively pursuing inquiries into whether there are any lines that go from WikiLeaks directly to the Trump campaign. Mr Stone, who has said in the past that he suspects he will be indicted at some point, could be a key piece of the puzzle. The Corsi news is particularly noteworthy because it pulls the curtain back a bit on the next phase of the Mueller investigation - the heart of his mandate to probe possible ties between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign. It wasn't the only bit of relevant news on the special counsel investigation this week, however. On Wednesday CNN offered the first possible glimpse at the answers Mr Trump gave the special counsel in response to written questions related to the Russia probe. The president, according to two sources, writes that he did not talk to Mr Stone about WikiLeaks and had no prior knowledge about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr and other campaign officials and a group of Russians. Mr Trump Jr had been told prior to the meeting that the Russians had information that would incriminate Democrat Hillary Clinton, as part of that country's alleged efforts to support the Trump campaign. \"If it's what you say I love it,\" the eldest Trump son replied in an email. The president has publicly denied any advanced knowledge of this meeting and insisted that it was a routine effort to gather information about a political opponent that ended in nothing. Now it seems he has made similar statements under oath - although the CNN sources say the president qualified his answers by writing that they were \"to the best of his recollection\". Needless to say, if evidence emerges that Mr Trump was informed in advance of the Trump Tower meeting - which included Trump Jr, Manafort and son-in-law Jared Kushner - that could be politically and, at this point, legally explosive. California congressman Adam Schiff, who is set to chair the House Intelligence Committee when Democrats take control of the chamber in January, says one of the first things he will investigate is whether Mr Trump Jr spoke with his father about the meeting. In particular, he says he's interested in a phone call the son made to a blocked number the evening after his \"I love it\" email confirming the meeting with the Russians. \"Republicans refused to look at the phone records so that we could find out [the recipient of the call] because they were afraid of what the answer might be,\" Mr Schiff told USA Today. According to an article in Observer.com, however, Mr Trump Jr's attitude toward the inquiry is a \"yawn\". The website - formerly the New York Observer, which Trump son-in-law Kushner purchased in 2006 - cites a friend of Mr Trump Jr's saying the number wasn't blocked, it was \"private\" and that he makes thousands of calls a day and can't be expected to remember each one. Speaking of explosive revelations, on Tuesday morning the Guardian reported that Manafort met with Mr Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2013, 2015 and March 2016, just as Manafort was pushing to get involved in the Trump campaign. If true, this could be another possible line between WikiLeaks and the Trump team - and would be of considerable interest to the special counsel's office. There are a number of big \"buts\" to attach to this story, however. First, the Guardian has weakened the language of the article since it was first published, with the addition of some conditional tenses and words like \"apparent\" and \"might have\". Second, WikiLeaks has vehemently denied the story, questioning the author's credibility and threatening a lawsuit for libel against the newspaper. Manafort, as well, has pushed back against report, saying he never met Mr Assange. Then again, WikiLeaks and Mr Assange also denied having any contact with long-time Trump associate Roger Stone - and it later turned out they were in communication in October 2016. Other news organisations have yet to independently confirm any of the Guardian's reporting. That this story came out on the heels of Mr Mueller's court filing that Manafort had repeatedly lied and was in violation of his plea agreement to co-operate with the investigators has raised eyebrows, however. The special counsel's office has told the judge overseeing the case that it will offer a \"detailed sentencing submission\" that explains the extent of Manafort's misconduct. If the submission is made public, it could be extremely revealing. CNN's Carl Bernstein has also reported that the special counsel's office is investigating a May 2017 trip Manafort made to Ecuador, where he met that nation's president, Lenin Moreno. The Ecuadorian president's office has explained that the meeting was regarding Chinese investment in a state-owned power company, but Mr Mueller's team is reportedly interested in whether Mr Assange or WikiLeaks came up in conversations. In more Assange news, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press tried to convince a federal judge on Tuesday to reveal whether the WikiLeaks founder had been secretly indicted by the US government. The effort relates to the accidental inclusion of Mr Assange's name in an unrelated indictment, prompting speculation that a government lawyer had used an Assange-related document as a template and forgotten to change all the references. \"The only thing we've admitted is we made a mistake,\" a government lawyer told the judge. If Mr Assange does have secret charges filed against him, there's further details on the nature of the indictment - and whether it's at all related to Mr Mueller's probe. The reporters group \"makes a compelling argument that the public has a right to know what the charges are now that the cat is three-quarters of the way out of the bag,\" a lawyer for Assange told ABC News after the lawsuit was filed. The judge said the parties in the case have two weeks to make further arguments in the case before she renders her decision. In his recent book, Trump's Enemy, former Trump presidential campaign manager Corey Lewandowski writes that, for all his grousing about the \"witch hunt\" investigation, the president himself feels the Mueller probe has made him politically more powerful. \"I think it makes my base stronger,\" Mr Trump tells Lewandowski in the book. \"I would have never said this to you. But I think the level of love now is far greater than when we won.\" Will the love still be there after Mr Mueller is done? It's now closer to the day Mr Trump could be re-elected than it is to the day he first won. The time is coming when voters will have a chance to prove him right - or wrong.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 9899, "answer_end": 10563, "text": "In his recent book, Trump's Enemy, former Trump presidential campaign manager Corey Lewandowski writes that, for all his grousing about the \"witch hunt\" investigation, the president himself feels the Mueller probe has made him politically more powerful. \"I think it makes my base stronger,\" Mr Trump tells Lewandowski in the book. \"I would have never said this to you. But I think the level of love now is far greater than when we won.\" Will the love still be there after Mr Mueller is done? It's now closer to the day Mr Trump could be re-elected than it is to the day he first won. The time is coming when voters will have a chance to prove him right - or wrong."}], "question": "7. Big trouble or big boost?", "id": "252_0"}]}]}, {"title": "California hotel employee 'prevents mass shooting'", "date": "22 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "California police say a hotel worker may have prevented a mass shooting after the worker reported that a disgruntled colleague had threatened to shoot staff and guests. Acting on the tip-off, officers arrested a 37-year-old man who was found to have high-powered weapons and ammunition at his Los Angeles home. It comes amid a wider FBI effort to prevent such shootings. That followed attacks in El Paso and Dayton that killed 31 people. Since then US authorities say they have foiled a series of alleged plots to carry out attacks, some of which would have targeted minority groups. The FBI has reportedly instructed its field offices to conduct threat assessments and has also urged the public to report threats or suspicious activity. Rodolfo Montoya made the threat to someone he worked with at a Marriott hotel near Long Beach airport, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said. \"Thank God that employee decided to bring that information forward,\" he told reporters. Police said they seized multiple firearms including an assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical gear from his home in Huntington Beach. The assault rifle and high-capacity magazines were illegal in California, a statement said. Early investigations revealed that Mr Montoya was upset over \"human resource issues\", police said. He had \"clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty incident,\" Chief Luna said. On Tuesday a man was jailed in Seattle, Washington, after the FBI said he threatened to kill Hispanics in the Miami area. Eric Lin, 35, sent a message to a Hispanic woman threatening her and her family. He also expressed support for Adolf Hitler, said he believed President Trump would \"launch a racial war and crusade\" and called for Hispanics, black people and members of other ethnic groups to be killed or sent to concentration camps. In Wisconsin, a man in Eau Claire was charged on Tuesday with making a terrorist threat and disorderly conduct after he told colleagues he would \"shoot up the place\" where he worked. Kevin Pinkham, 31, denied making the threat, but admitted texting his girlfriend that he was going to kill everyone. Also on Tuesday a truck driver was arrested in Tennessee after telling a friend he was considering carrying out a mass shooting at a church in Memphis. Thomas McVicker, 38, had made \"credible threats\", the FBI said. His mother reportedly told the FBI he owned a handgun, used cocaine and methamphetamine and was being treated for schizophrenia. In Ohio a 20-year-old man was arrested last Friday for posting threats against a Jewish community centre. James Reardon, 20, posted a video on Instagram of a man firing a gun with a caption identifying the centre in Youngstown, north of Pittsburgh. He denies menacing and harassment charges. In Florida, 25-year-old Tristan Scott Wix was arrested last Friday after sending text messages saying he was going to commit a mass shooting to his ex-girlfriend, who showed them to police. \"A good 100 kills would be nice,\" one of the messages reportedly read. Police said they found a hunting rifle and 400 rounds of ammunition at his home. In Connecticut, 22-year-old Brandon Wagshol was arrested last Thursday after a tip-off from a member of the public who said he was trying to buy high-capacity rifle magazines. Authorities said he had weapons and tactical gear and had expressed the intention to carry out an attack on Facebook. On 8 August police in Nevada arrested Conor Climo, 23, and said he had bomb making materials at his Las Vegas home. He had discussed attacking a synagogue and a bar he believed catered to the LGBTQ community during encrypted online chats with people who identified with a white supremacist organisation, the Justice Department said. A total of 28 people are reported to have been arrested for making threats to carry out mass attacks since the 4 August shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which killed nine, and the 3 August shooting in El Paso, Texas, which targeted Hispanics and killed 22 people. Following those shootings, the FBI said it was concerned that \"domestic violent extremists\" would be inspired to carry out copycat attacks and asked Americans to report \"any suspicious activity that is observed either in person or online\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 738, "answer_end": 1461, "text": "Rodolfo Montoya made the threat to someone he worked with at a Marriott hotel near Long Beach airport, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said. \"Thank God that employee decided to bring that information forward,\" he told reporters. Police said they seized multiple firearms including an assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical gear from his home in Huntington Beach. The assault rifle and high-capacity magazines were illegal in California, a statement said. Early investigations revealed that Mr Montoya was upset over \"human resource issues\", police said. He had \"clear plans, intent and the means to carry out an act of violence that may have resulted in a mass casualty incident,\" Chief Luna said."}], "question": "What happened in California?", "id": "253_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1462, "answer_end": 4303, "text": "On Tuesday a man was jailed in Seattle, Washington, after the FBI said he threatened to kill Hispanics in the Miami area. Eric Lin, 35, sent a message to a Hispanic woman threatening her and her family. He also expressed support for Adolf Hitler, said he believed President Trump would \"launch a racial war and crusade\" and called for Hispanics, black people and members of other ethnic groups to be killed or sent to concentration camps. In Wisconsin, a man in Eau Claire was charged on Tuesday with making a terrorist threat and disorderly conduct after he told colleagues he would \"shoot up the place\" where he worked. Kevin Pinkham, 31, denied making the threat, but admitted texting his girlfriend that he was going to kill everyone. Also on Tuesday a truck driver was arrested in Tennessee after telling a friend he was considering carrying out a mass shooting at a church in Memphis. Thomas McVicker, 38, had made \"credible threats\", the FBI said. His mother reportedly told the FBI he owned a handgun, used cocaine and methamphetamine and was being treated for schizophrenia. In Ohio a 20-year-old man was arrested last Friday for posting threats against a Jewish community centre. James Reardon, 20, posted a video on Instagram of a man firing a gun with a caption identifying the centre in Youngstown, north of Pittsburgh. He denies menacing and harassment charges. In Florida, 25-year-old Tristan Scott Wix was arrested last Friday after sending text messages saying he was going to commit a mass shooting to his ex-girlfriend, who showed them to police. \"A good 100 kills would be nice,\" one of the messages reportedly read. Police said they found a hunting rifle and 400 rounds of ammunition at his home. In Connecticut, 22-year-old Brandon Wagshol was arrested last Thursday after a tip-off from a member of the public who said he was trying to buy high-capacity rifle magazines. Authorities said he had weapons and tactical gear and had expressed the intention to carry out an attack on Facebook. On 8 August police in Nevada arrested Conor Climo, 23, and said he had bomb making materials at his Las Vegas home. He had discussed attacking a synagogue and a bar he believed catered to the LGBTQ community during encrypted online chats with people who identified with a white supremacist organisation, the Justice Department said. A total of 28 people are reported to have been arrested for making threats to carry out mass attacks since the 4 August shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which killed nine, and the 3 August shooting in El Paso, Texas, which targeted Hispanics and killed 22 people. Following those shootings, the FBI said it was concerned that \"domestic violent extremists\" would be inspired to carry out copycat attacks and asked Americans to report \"any suspicious activity that is observed either in person or online\"."}], "question": "What other alleged plots have been foiled?", "id": "253_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Nato summit: Trump calls Trudeau 'two-faced' over video", "date": "4 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has called Justin Trudeau \"two-faced\" over a video in which the Canadian leader appears to mock him at a meeting of Nato leaders. Footage showed Mr Trudeau, UK PM Boris Johnson and French leader Emmanuel Macron discussing an impromptu press conference held by Mr Trump. Nato leaders agreed a statement of unity but the 70th anniversary meeting held near London also saw several rows. Mr Trump cancelled a press conference planned for after the summit. He told reporters: \"We'll go directly back. I think we've done plenty of news conferences.\" The brief video posted on Twitter by Canada's public broadcaster, CBC, showed Mr Trudeau chatting with a group of leaders, including Mr Johnson, Mr Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. At the start of the footage, Mr Johnson asked Mr Macron: \"Is that why you were late?\" Mr Trudeau then interjects: \"He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.\" Mr Macron then appears to tell an anecdote, but his words are drowned out by background noise. An amused Mr Trudeau then replies: \"Oh yeah, yeah, he announced... [inaudible]. You just watched his team's jaw drop to the floor.\" None of them appeared to realise they were being recorded. In response, Mr Trump said of Mr Trudeau: \"He's two-faced... I find him to be a nice guy, but the truth is I called him out on the fact that he's not paying 2% [of national GDP towards defence] and I guess he's not very happy about it. \"He's not paying 2% and he should be paying 2%. Canada - they have money. Look, I'm representing the US and he should be paying more than he's paying, he understands it... I can imagine he's not that happy but that's the way it is.\" Asked about the video, Mr Johnson told reporters: \"It's complete nonsense. I don't know where that's come from.\" Mr Trudeau later told reporters that they hadn't been laughing about Mr Trump's press conference, but about the location of the next G7 summit - Camp David, the US presidential country retreat. \"I have a very good relationship with Trump,\" he added. In the statement, Nato leaders said: \"To stay secure we must look to the future together.\" It then acknowledged the \"challenges\" posed by China and Russia, and pledged to take \"stronger action\" against terrorism. Although the 29-member bloc's future is not in doubt, there are disagreements over Turkey's recent military action in northern Syria; the levels of military spending by members; and recent comments by Mr Macron that the alliance is \"brain dead\". Despite the divisions, Mr Johnson - the host of the event - described Nato as a \"giant shield of solidarity\" that \"protects nearly a billion people\", saying at the start of the meeting at a luxury resort in Watford: \"As long as we stand together, no-one can hope to defeat us.\" Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cited increased spending commitments on defence by European allies and Canada, saying: \"Nato is the most successful alliance in history because we've changed as the world has changed.\" On Tuesday, he said those nations had added $130bn (PS100bn) to defence budgets since 2016, and that this number would increase to $400bn by 2024. Mr Trump has frequently and forcefully criticised how much other allies spend on defence. The first day of the special anniversary summit saw tensions bubble to the surface, with Mr Trump and Mr Macron sparring over Nato's role, Turkey, and Islamic State group (IS) fighters during a news conference. Relations between the two leaders were already strained amid a dispute over taxes and trade, and comments from the French president last month that the US commitment to the alliance was fading. Mr Trump, who once called Nato \"obsolete\", had earlier hit back by saying Mr Macron had been \"very disrespectful\" by describing Nato as \"brain dead\", calling them \"nasty\" comments. Mr Macron said he stood by his remarks. President Trump and Mr Johnson held unscheduled bilateral talks and, ahead of Wednesday's talks, Mr Trump tweeted they both had \"talked about numerous subjects including Nato and trade\". Nato, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, started out in 1949 with just 12 countries as members but having now expanded to a bloc of 29, it is increasingly difficult for the alliance to project a united front. Nato estimates for 2019 show there are now eight countries - in addition to the US - meeting the target agreed by all members to spend 2% or more of their gross domestic product (GDP, a measure of economic output) on defence. Before departing for London, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he would oppose a Nato defence plan for the Baltic region and Poland if the bloc did not support Turkey over its fight against Kurdish groups in Syria it considers terrorists. Mr Stoltenberg later told reporters that the alliance had been able to resolve the disagreement with Turkey, allowing Nato's plans to go ahead. As well as the Turkish issue, talks had centred on the rising threats of China and Russia. After the summit, Mr Macron said that while Russia was a threat to Nato in some respects, in others the country could be a \"partner\". \"Around the table, would everyone recognise Russia as an enemy? I don't think that is the case,\" he told a news conference. \"On some topics Russia is seen as a threat, this is true... But Russia is also a partner in some issues. We're working and having concrete discussions with Russia on certain issues.\" - Nato is the world's most powerful defence alliance - It was set up in 1949, after World War Two, amid anxiety over Soviet expansion - It was founded on the principle of collective defence between allies Read more about Nato", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 570, "answer_end": 2130, "text": "The brief video posted on Twitter by Canada's public broadcaster, CBC, showed Mr Trudeau chatting with a group of leaders, including Mr Johnson, Mr Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace. At the start of the footage, Mr Johnson asked Mr Macron: \"Is that why you were late?\" Mr Trudeau then interjects: \"He was late because he takes a 40-minute press conference off the top.\" Mr Macron then appears to tell an anecdote, but his words are drowned out by background noise. An amused Mr Trudeau then replies: \"Oh yeah, yeah, he announced... [inaudible]. You just watched his team's jaw drop to the floor.\" None of them appeared to realise they were being recorded. In response, Mr Trump said of Mr Trudeau: \"He's two-faced... I find him to be a nice guy, but the truth is I called him out on the fact that he's not paying 2% [of national GDP towards defence] and I guess he's not very happy about it. \"He's not paying 2% and he should be paying 2%. Canada - they have money. Look, I'm representing the US and he should be paying more than he's paying, he understands it... I can imagine he's not that happy but that's the way it is.\" Asked about the video, Mr Johnson told reporters: \"It's complete nonsense. I don't know where that's come from.\" Mr Trudeau later told reporters that they hadn't been laughing about Mr Trump's press conference, but about the location of the next G7 summit - Camp David, the US presidential country retreat. \"I have a very good relationship with Trump,\" he added."}], "question": "What was in the video?", "id": "254_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2131, "answer_end": 3329, "text": "In the statement, Nato leaders said: \"To stay secure we must look to the future together.\" It then acknowledged the \"challenges\" posed by China and Russia, and pledged to take \"stronger action\" against terrorism. Although the 29-member bloc's future is not in doubt, there are disagreements over Turkey's recent military action in northern Syria; the levels of military spending by members; and recent comments by Mr Macron that the alliance is \"brain dead\". Despite the divisions, Mr Johnson - the host of the event - described Nato as a \"giant shield of solidarity\" that \"protects nearly a billion people\", saying at the start of the meeting at a luxury resort in Watford: \"As long as we stand together, no-one can hope to defeat us.\" Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg cited increased spending commitments on defence by European allies and Canada, saying: \"Nato is the most successful alliance in history because we've changed as the world has changed.\" On Tuesday, he said those nations had added $130bn (PS100bn) to defence budgets since 2016, and that this number would increase to $400bn by 2024. Mr Trump has frequently and forcefully criticised how much other allies spend on defence."}], "question": "What did the leaders' joint statement say?", "id": "254_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3330, "answer_end": 4142, "text": "The first day of the special anniversary summit saw tensions bubble to the surface, with Mr Trump and Mr Macron sparring over Nato's role, Turkey, and Islamic State group (IS) fighters during a news conference. Relations between the two leaders were already strained amid a dispute over taxes and trade, and comments from the French president last month that the US commitment to the alliance was fading. Mr Trump, who once called Nato \"obsolete\", had earlier hit back by saying Mr Macron had been \"very disrespectful\" by describing Nato as \"brain dead\", calling them \"nasty\" comments. Mr Macron said he stood by his remarks. President Trump and Mr Johnson held unscheduled bilateral talks and, ahead of Wednesday's talks, Mr Trump tweeted they both had \"talked about numerous subjects including Nato and trade\"."}], "question": "How sharp were the exchanges?", "id": "254_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Dutch girl's 'hijacked' party invitation prompts riot fears", "date": "6 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It began as a Snapchat message from a 15-year-old girl to all her friends to come to her birthday party on Friday in the small Dutch town of Katwijk. But her plans turned into a nightmare when one of them posted the invite on Facebook and prompted interest from thousands of people nationwide. The mayor said the party was hijacked. The girl has reportedly gone into hiding - and her party is cancelled. Police feared a repeat of a Dutch party that went viral and ended in rioting. Crowds of up to 4,000 people had to be broken up by riot police in September 2012, when a girl shared an invitation to her 16th birthday party in the northern town of Haren, but set the event on Facebook to public. The party was dubbed Project X Haren, after a Hollywood comedy about a party that spirals out of control. It started out as a message on Snapchat. \"Friday party at my place, everyone welcome. If you're coming, please let me know and who you're bringing.\" Somehow the teenager's message ended up on Facebook as \"Party! In Katwijk\". Messages were also shared on WhatsApp groups. Her uncle Marcel told local TV that the girl had nothing to do with it and that one of her friends had decided that the invitation should go viral. Katwijk has only a few hundred residents, so when more than 8,000 people said they planned to come and another 20,000 expressed interest, police and local officials decided to act. According to Wim Hillenaar, the mayor of the local area in the southern province of Brabant, the girl's message was \"hijacked\" by unknown people. The local authority and police were now prepared for every scenario, he said in a statement (in Dutch). \"Our line on this now is there is not a party in Katwijk and there won't be any party in Katwijk,\" he said, adding that anyone coming on Friday with the wrong intentions would be stopped. The girl's uncle said she had gone into hiding. \"It's a bit of a rollercoaster right now,\" he told Omroep Brabant TV. \"My niece has been moved out of the house and she's being put up somewhere else.\" \"This appears to have gone completely off the rails,\" said the uncle.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1841, "answer_end": 2110, "text": "The girl's uncle said she had gone into hiding. \"It's a bit of a rollercoaster right now,\" he told Omroep Brabant TV. \"My niece has been moved out of the house and she's being put up somewhere else.\" \"This appears to have gone completely off the rails,\" said the uncle."}], "question": "What's happened to the girl?", "id": "255_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump orders wall to be built on Mexico border", "date": "26 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has issued an executive order for an \"impassable physical barrier\" to be built along the US border with Mexico. He also signed an action to strip funds from US cities that are sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. Mr Trump said in a TV interview with ABC News that Mexico would \"absolutely, 100%\" reimburse the US for his wall. But Congress would have to approve funding for the structure, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars. Building a 2,000-mile barrier along the Mexican border was one of Mr Trump's key pledges in the election campaign. He spoke of a \"crisis\" on the southern US border as he signed the directives during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday. The orders also called for hiring 10,000 immigration officials to help boost border patrol efforts. \"A nation without borders is not a nation,\" he said. \"Beginning today the United States gets back control of its borders.\" Mr Trump said relations with Mexico - whose President Enrique Pena Nieto he is scheduled to meet at the end of the month - would get \"better\". The executive orders are among a flurry expected on national and border security this week. Mr Trump is next expected to announce immigration restrictions from seven African and Middle Eastern countries. An eight-page document that appears to be a draft executive order has been obtained by various US media and the BBC. It suggests Mr Trump will suspend the Syrian refugee programme indefinitely and the wider refugee programme for four months. The president also plans to suspend issuing visas from unnamed countries deemed to pose a threat to the security of the US. Immigration lawyers have told the BBC they believe those countries are Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. But the White House has refused to comment on the document, and it may be revised before being signed. Mr Trump backed off an early campaign pledge to ban all Muslims from entering the US. The term applies to cities in the US that have policies in place to limit the assistance given to federal immigration authorities. It got traction in the 1980s after Los Angeles told its police force to stop questioning people solely to determine their immigration status in 1979. And in 1989, San Francisco passed an order that prohibited the use of city funds to enforce federal immigration laws. Now there are hundreds of these areas - they are not always cities - and they include San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Austin and Boston Trump's order to block federal grants could cost these cities millions of dollars. But the administration may face legal challenges, given that some federal courts have backed cities that say they cannot hold immigrants beyond their jail term at the say-so of federal authorities. On Wednesday, Mr Trump was joined by parents whose children, he said, had been \"horribly killed by individuals living here illegally\". He read out their names and invited the parents to stand. \"For years the media has largely ignored the stories of Americans and lawful residents victimised by open borders,\" he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump told ABC News he would recoup costs of the wall from Mexico. \"There will be a payment. It will be in a form, perhaps a complicated form,\" he said. Mr Trump has previously estimated the wall would cost $8bn (PS6.4bn), but critics have said it could be nearly double that sum. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump also promised a \"major investigation into voter fraud\". He tweeted that the inquiry would focus on those registered to vote in two states and dead registered voters. This week he claimed that between three and five million illegal immigrants had voted for Hillary Clinton, but offered no evidence. Mexicans might disagree about a lot - especially on the political and economic direction of the country. But if there is one thing around which almost all of Mexico can coalesce, it is their profound opposition to the US border wall. From the Mexican side of the border, it is seen as a policy which is intended to break up families and prevent ordinary people from looking for seasonal work in the north - the kinds of jobs, they note, which prop up the US economy. Others go further, and consider the entire border wall to be a racist and xenophobic policy. Either way, Mexicans from the president's office to the factory floor agree that the country will not pay for a wall they don't want and didn't call for. They say they won't finance the project either at the time of building or in the future. That's not to say some Mexicans aren't in favour of changes to immigration. Many are aware of the risks that their countrymen take by crossing illegally into the US, especially through dangerous border regions such as the Arizona desert. Rather than a wall with their neighbour to the north though, they want to see comprehensive immigration reform including guest worker programmes and temporary work visas. President Trump's Great Wall faces formidable legal, diplomatic and logistical obstacles. Even some border patrol agents say privately that they are not sure that the project is possible. They do, however, welcome planned increases in resources and staffing. But here in San Diego on the southern border of the United States, there is much fear in the shadows. President Trump's action on immigration is bold, sweeping - and intensely divisive.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 579, "answer_end": 1092, "text": "He spoke of a \"crisis\" on the southern US border as he signed the directives during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday. The orders also called for hiring 10,000 immigration officials to help boost border patrol efforts. \"A nation without borders is not a nation,\" he said. \"Beginning today the United States gets back control of its borders.\" Mr Trump said relations with Mexico - whose President Enrique Pena Nieto he is scheduled to meet at the end of the month - would get \"better\"."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "256_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1975, "answer_end": 3118, "text": "The term applies to cities in the US that have policies in place to limit the assistance given to federal immigration authorities. It got traction in the 1980s after Los Angeles told its police force to stop questioning people solely to determine their immigration status in 1979. And in 1989, San Francisco passed an order that prohibited the use of city funds to enforce federal immigration laws. Now there are hundreds of these areas - they are not always cities - and they include San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Austin and Boston Trump's order to block federal grants could cost these cities millions of dollars. But the administration may face legal challenges, given that some federal courts have backed cities that say they cannot hold immigrants beyond their jail term at the say-so of federal authorities. On Wednesday, Mr Trump was joined by parents whose children, he said, had been \"horribly killed by individuals living here illegally\". He read out their names and invited the parents to stand. \"For years the media has largely ignored the stories of Americans and lawful residents victimised by open borders,\" he added."}], "question": "What are sanctuary cities?", "id": "256_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US mid-term elections: What is at stake?", "date": "6 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The looming US mid-term elections will shape American politics for the next two years and beyond. President Donald Trump himself is not up for re-election, so fewer voters are expected to turn out. But his ability to govern in the final two years of his first term will hinge upon the 6 November outcome. All 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 out of 50 state governors, along with many state and local offices. Republicans currently hold sway in both chambers of Congress and the White House. But there is giddy talk among Democrats of a \"blue wave\". With dozens of Republican lawmakers retiring this year, the minority party has a decent chance of taking over the House. Democrats need 20 or so seats to control the lower chamber. But in the Senate, Republicans are tipped to retain their majority and perhaps even consolidate it. That's because out of the upper chamber seats up for grabs this autumn, 26 are held by Democrats (including two independents who vote with them) and just nine by Republicans. Democrats may need to win all those races and pick up two Republican seats, leaving little margin for error. Ten of the Democratic seats are in states carried by Trump in 2016 - and five of those he won by double digits. The president's party has lost an average of 32 seats in the House and two in the Senate in every mid-term election since the American Civil War. President Trump is also historically unpopular, according to opinion polls. As an energised liberal base clamours to give 'Trumpism' a bloody nose, Democratic challengers are out-fundraising and out-polling a host of Republican incumbents. There's a lot of new talent. Anecdotal evidence suggests more women are running for office than ever before, chiefly on the left, and in some races all the Democratic candidates are under 30. - Your simple guide to the US mid-terms In case you're just joining us - Why US mid-term elections matter The big issues explained - Hour-by-hour guide to election night What to expect when - Can we tell yet who has the edge? Analysis of what we know so far - Follow the US election on the BBC How to keep up with the results The mid-term electorate is usually whiter, older and more conservative. Yes, Trump's approval rating is low, but the Democratic party has no obvious standard-bearer and is widely viewed as rudderless since Hillary Clinton's shock defeat in 2016. Above all, the US economy is roaring like a fighter jet engine at maximum torque, with unemployment rates at rock bottom, consumer confidence high and wages actually rising. Expect to hear a lot about how this election is a referendum on Trump. This summer's primaries - when the party faithful anoint their candidates for November's election - will be a tug-of-war on the right between establishment and anti-establishment conservatives - and on the left, between populist progressives calling for Trump's impeachment and pragmatic centrists. Immigration remains a cultural touchstone that both main parties hope will play to their advantage. Democrats believe the president's hardline rhetoric on the topic will help them entice younger voters, suburban moderates and minorities. Republicans are counting on Trump's tough posture to turn out conservatives who think Democrats care more about illegal immigrants than US citizens. The gun control movement launched in the aftermath of February's high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, is also mobilising for the election. Meanwhile, a recent Gallup poll found the top concern for US voters is healthcare. Despite passing various measures to weaken the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have been unable to kill off Obamacare. Voters tend to punish the party in power for rising medical insurance costs, which under Trump are continuing to hit Americans in the pocket. If Republicans lose control of either chamber of Congress, the president's domestic agenda will be largely dead on arrival at Capitol Hill. If Democrats win the House, they get to decide which bills come to the floor and they'll control the committee chairmanships. That will entail aggressive oversight investigations of the president's administration, including alleged Russia collusion, Trump's business dealings and sexual assault allegations against him. But if Republicans hold on to the Senate, they will continue to approve Trump's cabinet nominees and appoint conservative judges to US courtrooms. If Democrats do do well in the mid-terms, it could actually work in Trump's favour. He will be able to pin blame on them for congressional gridlock, and there's a risk they could overplay their hand. Governors wield considerable influence over politics in their state capitols - and the lives of their constituents. Republicans currently control 33 out of 50 gubernatorial mansions and two-thirds of 99 state legislature chambers. But of the 36 state governorships on the ballot this year, 23 are being defended by Republican incumbents, tantalising targets for Democrats. Among the gubernatorial prizes are the presidential swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania. As Trump runs for re-election in 2020, governors will play a crucial role in mobilising donors, volunteers and activists. In 1994 the Republican party took control of the House and Senate, setting the stage for six years of battles with Democratic President Bill Clinton. The Democrats retook both chambers in 2006, enabling President Barack Obama to accomplish chunks of his agenda when he won office two years later. Republicans won back the House in 2010, curtailing Obama's ability to govern. In 2014, Republicans regained control of the Senate, and boosted their House majority to its largest since 1929.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 305, "answer_end": 1279, "text": "All 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 out of 50 state governors, along with many state and local offices. Republicans currently hold sway in both chambers of Congress and the White House. But there is giddy talk among Democrats of a \"blue wave\". With dozens of Republican lawmakers retiring this year, the minority party has a decent chance of taking over the House. Democrats need 20 or so seats to control the lower chamber. But in the Senate, Republicans are tipped to retain their majority and perhaps even consolidate it. That's because out of the upper chamber seats up for grabs this autumn, 26 are held by Democrats (including two independents who vote with them) and just nine by Republicans. Democrats may need to win all those races and pick up two Republican seats, leaving little margin for error. Ten of the Democratic seats are in states carried by Trump in 2016 - and five of those he won by double digits."}], "question": "Who is on the ballot?", "id": "257_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2604, "answer_end": 3850, "text": "Expect to hear a lot about how this election is a referendum on Trump. This summer's primaries - when the party faithful anoint their candidates for November's election - will be a tug-of-war on the right between establishment and anti-establishment conservatives - and on the left, between populist progressives calling for Trump's impeachment and pragmatic centrists. Immigration remains a cultural touchstone that both main parties hope will play to their advantage. Democrats believe the president's hardline rhetoric on the topic will help them entice younger voters, suburban moderates and minorities. Republicans are counting on Trump's tough posture to turn out conservatives who think Democrats care more about illegal immigrants than US citizens. The gun control movement launched in the aftermath of February's high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, is also mobilising for the election. Meanwhile, a recent Gallup poll found the top concern for US voters is healthcare. Despite passing various measures to weaken the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have been unable to kill off Obamacare. Voters tend to punish the party in power for rising medical insurance costs, which under Trump are continuing to hit Americans in the pocket."}], "question": "What are the top hot-button issues?", "id": "257_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3851, "answer_end": 4657, "text": "If Republicans lose control of either chamber of Congress, the president's domestic agenda will be largely dead on arrival at Capitol Hill. If Democrats win the House, they get to decide which bills come to the floor and they'll control the committee chairmanships. That will entail aggressive oversight investigations of the president's administration, including alleged Russia collusion, Trump's business dealings and sexual assault allegations against him. But if Republicans hold on to the Senate, they will continue to approve Trump's cabinet nominees and appoint conservative judges to US courtrooms. If Democrats do do well in the mid-terms, it could actually work in Trump's favour. He will be able to pin blame on them for congressional gridlock, and there's a risk they could overplay their hand."}], "question": "What will mid-terms mean for Trump?", "id": "257_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4658, "answer_end": 5262, "text": "Governors wield considerable influence over politics in their state capitols - and the lives of their constituents. Republicans currently control 33 out of 50 gubernatorial mansions and two-thirds of 99 state legislature chambers. But of the 36 state governorships on the ballot this year, 23 are being defended by Republican incumbents, tantalising targets for Democrats. Among the gubernatorial prizes are the presidential swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Pennsylvania. As Trump runs for re-election in 2020, governors will play a crucial role in mobilising donors, volunteers and activists."}], "question": "What about governors' races?", "id": "257_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5263, "answer_end": 5750, "text": "In 1994 the Republican party took control of the House and Senate, setting the stage for six years of battles with Democratic President Bill Clinton. The Democrats retook both chambers in 2006, enabling President Barack Obama to accomplish chunks of his agenda when he won office two years later. Republicans won back the House in 2010, curtailing Obama's ability to govern. In 2014, Republicans regained control of the Senate, and boosted their House majority to its largest since 1929."}], "question": "Which recent mid-terms were game-changers?", "id": "257_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change: Should you fly, drive or take the train?", "date": "24 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The climate campaigner Greta Thunberg chose to sail to a UN climate conference in New York in a zero-emissions yacht rather than fly - to highlight the impact of aviation on the environment. The 16-year-old Swede has previously travelled to London and other European cities by train. Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced criticism over opting to fly to Sir Elton John's villa in Nice in a private jet. So what is the environmental impact of flying and how do trips by train, car or boat compare? Flights produce greenhouse gases - mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) - from burning fuel. These contribute to global warming when released into the atmosphere. An economy-class return flight from London to New York emits an estimated 0.67 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, according to the calculator from the UN's civil aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). That's equivalent to 11% of the average annual emissions for someone in the UK or about the same as those caused by someone living in Ghana over a year. Aviation contributes about 2% of the world's global carbon emissions, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It predicts passenger numbers will double to 8.2 billion in 2037.. And as other sectors of the economy become greener - with more wind turbines, for example - aviation's proportion of total emissions is set to rise. It depends where passengers sit and whether they are taking a long-haul flight or a shorter one. The flight figures in the table are for economy class. For long haul flights, carbon emissions per passenger per kilometre travelled are about three times higher for business class and four times higher for first class, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is because there's more space per seat, so each person accounts for a larger amount of the whole plane's pollution. Taking off uses more fuel than cruising. For shorter flights, this accounts for a larger proportion of the journey. And it means lower emissions for direct flights than multi-leg trips. Also, newer planes can be more efficient and some airlines and routes are better at filling seats than others. One analysis found wide variation between per passenger emissions for different airlines. For private jets, although the planes are smaller, the emissions are split between a much smaller number of people. For example, Prince Harry and Meghan's recent return flight to Nice would have emitted about four times as much CO2 per person as an equivalent economy flight. The increased warming effect other, non-CO2, emissions, such as nitrogen oxides, have when they are released at high altitudes can also make a significant difference to emissions calculations. \"The climate effect of non-CO2 emissions from aviation is much greater than the equivalent from other modes of transport, as these non-CO2 greenhouse gases formed at higher altitudes persist for longer than at the surface and also have a stronger warming potential,\" Eloise Marais, from the Atmospheric Composition Group, at the University of Leicester, told BBC News. But there is scientific uncertainty about how this effect should be represented in calculators. The ICAO excludes it, while the BEIS includes it as an option - using a 90% increase to reflect it. The EcoPassenger calculator - launched by the International Railways Union in cooperation with the European Environment Agency - says it depends on the height the plane reaches. Longer flights are at higher altitude, so the calculator multiplies by numbers ranging from 1.27 for flights of 500km (300 miles) to 2.5 for those of more than 1,000km. In the chart above, the high-altitude, non-CO2 emissions are in a different colour. Train virtually always comes out better than plane, often by a lot. A journey from London to Madrid would emit 43kg (95lb) of CO2 per passenger by train, but 118kg by plane (or 265kg if the non-CO2 emissions are included), according to EcoPassenger. However, the margin between train and plane emissions varies, depending on several factors, including the type of train. For electric trains, the way the electricity they use is generated is used to calculate carbon emissions. Diesel trains' carbon emissions can be twice those of electric ones. Figures from the UK Rail Safety and Standards board show some diesel locomotives emit more than 90g of C02 per passenger per kilometre, compared with about 45g for an electric Intercity 225, for example. The source of the electricity can make a big difference if you compare a country such as France, where about 75% of electricity comes from nuclear power, with Poland, where about 80% of grid power is generated from coal. According to EcoPassenger, for example, a train trip from Paris to Bordeaux (about 500km) emits just 4.4kg of carbon dioxide per passenger, while a journey between the Polish cities of Gdansk and Katowice (about 465km) emits 61.8kg. As with plane journeys, another factor is how full the train is - a peak-time commuter train will have much lower emissions per person than a late-night rural one, for example. Yes, if the car's electric - but diesel and petrol cars are also in many cases better options than flying, though it depends on various factors, particularly how many people they're carrying. According to EcoPassenger, a journey from London to Madrid can be done with lower emissions per passenger by plane, even accounting for the effect of high altitude non-CO2 emissions, if the car is carrying just one person and the plane is full. If you add just one more person into the vehicle, the car wins out. Coaches also score well. BEIS says travelling by coach emits 27g of CO2 per person per kilometre, compared with 41g on UK rail (but only 6g on Eurostar) - though again this will vary depending on how full they are and the engine type. The BEIS has also put a figure on ferry transport - 18g of CO2 per passenger kilometre for a foot passenger, which is less than a coach, or 128g for a driver and car, which is more like a long-haul flight. But ferries' ages and efficiency will vary around the world - and a ferry won't get you to America, although a cruise ship or ocean liner would. The cruise industry has long been under pressure to reduce environmental impacts ranging from waste disposal to air pollution, as well as high emissions - not only from travel but also from powering all the on-board facilities. Carnival Corporation and plc, which owns nine cruise lines, says its 104 ships emit an average of 251g of carbon dioxide equivalent per \"available lower berth\" per kilometre. And, while the figures are not directly comparable, they suggest cruising falls in similar territory to flying in terms of emissions. What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 511, "answer_end": 1393, "text": "Flights produce greenhouse gases - mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) - from burning fuel. These contribute to global warming when released into the atmosphere. An economy-class return flight from London to New York emits an estimated 0.67 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, according to the calculator from the UN's civil aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). That's equivalent to 11% of the average annual emissions for someone in the UK or about the same as those caused by someone living in Ghana over a year. Aviation contributes about 2% of the world's global carbon emissions, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It predicts passenger numbers will double to 8.2 billion in 2037.. And as other sectors of the economy become greener - with more wind turbines, for example - aviation's proportion of total emissions is set to rise."}], "question": "What are aviation emissions?", "id": "258_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1394, "answer_end": 3764, "text": "It depends where passengers sit and whether they are taking a long-haul flight or a shorter one. The flight figures in the table are for economy class. For long haul flights, carbon emissions per passenger per kilometre travelled are about three times higher for business class and four times higher for first class, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is because there's more space per seat, so each person accounts for a larger amount of the whole plane's pollution. Taking off uses more fuel than cruising. For shorter flights, this accounts for a larger proportion of the journey. And it means lower emissions for direct flights than multi-leg trips. Also, newer planes can be more efficient and some airlines and routes are better at filling seats than others. One analysis found wide variation between per passenger emissions for different airlines. For private jets, although the planes are smaller, the emissions are split between a much smaller number of people. For example, Prince Harry and Meghan's recent return flight to Nice would have emitted about four times as much CO2 per person as an equivalent economy flight. The increased warming effect other, non-CO2, emissions, such as nitrogen oxides, have when they are released at high altitudes can also make a significant difference to emissions calculations. \"The climate effect of non-CO2 emissions from aviation is much greater than the equivalent from other modes of transport, as these non-CO2 greenhouse gases formed at higher altitudes persist for longer than at the surface and also have a stronger warming potential,\" Eloise Marais, from the Atmospheric Composition Group, at the University of Leicester, told BBC News. But there is scientific uncertainty about how this effect should be represented in calculators. The ICAO excludes it, while the BEIS includes it as an option - using a 90% increase to reflect it. The EcoPassenger calculator - launched by the International Railways Union in cooperation with the European Environment Agency - says it depends on the height the plane reaches. Longer flights are at higher altitude, so the calculator multiplies by numbers ranging from 1.27 for flights of 500km (300 miles) to 2.5 for those of more than 1,000km. In the chart above, the high-altitude, non-CO2 emissions are in a different colour."}], "question": "How do emissions vary?", "id": "258_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Michael Petit: Why child abuse is so acute in the US", "date": "17 October 2011", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Why is the problem of violence against children so much more acute in the US than anywhere else in the industrialised world, asks Michael Petit, President of Every Child Matters. Over the past 10 years, more than 20,000 American children are believed to have been killed in their own homes by family members. That is nearly four times the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The child maltreatment death rate in the US is triple Canada's and 11 times that of Italy. Millions of children are reported as abused and neglected every year. Why is that? Part of the answer is that teen pregnancy, high-school dropout, violent crime, imprisonment, and poverty - factors associated with abuse and neglect - are generally much higher in the US. Further, other rich nations have social policies that provide child care, universal health insurance, pre-school, parental leave and visiting nurses to virtually all in need. In the US, when children are born into young families not prepared to receive them, local social safety nets may be frayed, or non-existent. As a result, they are unable to compensate for the household stress the child must endure. In the most severe situations, there is a predictable downward spiral and a child dies. Some 75% of these children are under four, while nearly half are under one. Geography matters a lot in determining child well-being. Take the examples of Texas and Vermont. Texas prides itself in being a low tax, low service state. Its per capita income places it in the middle of the states, while its total tax burden - its willingness to tax itself - is near the bottom. Vermont, in contrast, is at the other extreme. It is a high-tax, high-service state. In looking at key indicators of well-being, children from Texas are twice as likely to drop out of high school as children from Vermont. They are four times more likely to be uninsured, four times more likely to be incarcerated, and nearly twice as likely to die from abuse and neglect. In Texas, a combination of elements add to the mix of risks that a child faces. These include a higher poverty rate in Texas, higher proportions of minority children, lower levels of educational attainment, and a political culture which holds a narrower view of the role of government in addressing social issues. Texas, like many other traditionally conservative states, is likely to have a weaker response to families that need help in the first place, and be less efficient in protecting children after abuse occurs. The sharp differences between the states raises the question of an expanded federal role. Are children Texas children first? Or are they first American children with equal opportunity and protection? A national strategy, led by our national government, needs to be developed and implemented. For a start, the Congress should adopt legislation that would create a National Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. And no children's programmes should be on the chopping block, federal or state. Children did not crash the US economy. It is both shortsighted economic policy and morally wrong to make them pay the price for fixing it. But instead as the US economy lags, child poverty soars, and states cut billions in children's services, we are further straining America's already weak safety net. Inevitably, it means more children will die. The easy answer is to blame parents and already burdened child protection workers. But easy answers don't solve complex problems. And with millions of children injured and thousands killed, this problem is large indeed, and it deserves a large response. Michael Petit is the president of Every Child Matters. He served as the state of Maine's human services commissioner, and as deputy of the Child Welfare League of America.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2716, "answer_end": 3796, "text": "A national strategy, led by our national government, needs to be developed and implemented. For a start, the Congress should adopt legislation that would create a National Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. And no children's programmes should be on the chopping block, federal or state. Children did not crash the US economy. It is both shortsighted economic policy and morally wrong to make them pay the price for fixing it. But instead as the US economy lags, child poverty soars, and states cut billions in children's services, we are further straining America's already weak safety net. Inevitably, it means more children will die. The easy answer is to blame parents and already burdened child protection workers. But easy answers don't solve complex problems. And with millions of children injured and thousands killed, this problem is large indeed, and it deserves a large response. Michael Petit is the president of Every Child Matters. He served as the state of Maine's human services commissioner, and as deputy of the Child Welfare League of America."}], "question": "Blame parents?", "id": "259_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Obesity 'biggest threat to women's health' in England", "date": "11 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Obesity is the biggest threat to women's health and the health of future generations, warns England's chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies. Her annual report, which focuses on women this year, said tackling obesity should be a national priority to avert a \"growing health catastrophe\". She said the food industry needed to do more or it should face a sugar tax. Dame Sally is also calling for better treatment of ovarian cancer and more open discussion on incontinence. England's top doctor said obesity was so serious it should be a priority for the whole population, but particularly for women because too often it shortened their lives. In England in 2013, 56.4% of women aged 34-44 and 62% of women aged 45-54 were classified as overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of many diseases including breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Dame Sally warned that if the food industry did not clean up its act then new taxes may be the only option. She told the BBC: \"I think it is inevitable that manufacturing has to reformulate and resize, that supermarkets and others need to stop cheap promotions on unhealthy food and putting unhealthy food at the check-out, and limit advertising dramatically. \"I think we're at a tipping point. If industry won't deliver then we'll have to look at a sugar tax.\" Elsewhere in the report, the chief medical officer recommended that: - clinical staff be better trained to recognise and respond to violence against women, including female genital mutilation, domestic abuse and sexual violence - more research is needed to improve maternal and child mental and physical health - more research on screening tests, preeclampsia and foetal growth is also needed - children should receive integrated personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) with sex and relationships education (SRE) at school - a full range of contraception services should be available to all women, at all reproductive ages Dame Sally highlighted the fact that women had to look after their physical and mental health during pregnancy for the sake of their children and grandchildren. Calculate your BMI (body mass index) Where are you on the global fat scale? Five ways to help women lose weight If a woman is obese during pregnancy, research indicates there is an increased chance of miscarriage and premature birth. A woman's overall health during pregnancy also has an impact on the health of the child in later life, the report said. A pregnant woman's health affects the conditions inside the womb which in turn can have life-long consequences for the health of the child including the risk of obesity or type 2 diabetes. Dame Sally said she wanted to \"bust the myth\" that women should eat for two when pregnant, adding a healthy diet with fruit and vegetables and avoiding alcohol was important. Prof Nick Finer, from University College London's Institute of Cardiovascular Science, said obesity was now \"the most pressing health issue for the nation\". \"Estimates of the economic costs of obesity suggest they will bankrupt the NHS. \"Elevating the problem of obesity to a national risk could help to address the current 'laissez faire' attitude to this huge, angry, growing health catastrophe,\" he said. The report makes 17 recommendations across a range of women's health issues. In her report, Dame Sally highlighted the need for early diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating, which are more common in women than men. She recommended that everyone with an eating disorder should have access to a new and enhanced form of psychological therapy, called CBT-E, which is specifically designed to treat eating disorders. This should be available to all age groups across the country, she said. Lorna Garner, from Beat, the charity that supports people with eating disorders, said the recommendation would have \"a dramatic and positive impact on a very large proportion of the individuals diagnosed with eating disorders\". It's a one-to-one psychological therapy which focuses on changing the patient's views on body image and helping them to accept their bodies as they are. The 'E' stands for enhanced because it is tailored to the individual, with the aim of helping them to learn more productive ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Keeping patients engaged in the process and preventing any relapses is a key part of the therapy. Extensive studies have shown that it works for all eating disorders, with a 66% success rate for people with bulimia and binge-eating disorders. The therapy lasts from five to nine months and can also be used on children over 14 years old. Therapists can be trained online to deliver CBT-E, which helps patients to be treated quickly. The report also called for better treatment for ovarian cancer, which kills more women in England than any other gynaecological cancer. With survival from the cancer among the lowest among developed nations, Dame Sally recommends longer operating times to increase the likelihood that all the cancer is removed during surgery. Training in specialised surgical skills to remove gynaecological cancers and an audit of treatments are also highlighted in the report. There should be more awareness of women's problems \"below the waist\" and more discussion of taboo topics such as urinary and faecal incontinence and the menopause, the report said. More than five million women suffer from incontinence in the UK, a condition that can seriously affect the quality of their lives. Bosses should also make it easier for women to discuss their menopausal symptoms without embarrassment, which could help them reduce their sick leave and improve their wellbeing at work. Dr David Richmond, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said women should be placed at the centre of their care throughout their lives. He said issues such as maternal obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity, high levels of alcohol consumption, smoking and poor sexual health \"must be addressed... to enable all women to make safe and appropriate lifestyle choices\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4011, "answer_end": 4760, "text": "It's a one-to-one psychological therapy which focuses on changing the patient's views on body image and helping them to accept their bodies as they are. The 'E' stands for enhanced because it is tailored to the individual, with the aim of helping them to learn more productive ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. Keeping patients engaged in the process and preventing any relapses is a key part of the therapy. Extensive studies have shown that it works for all eating disorders, with a 66% success rate for people with bulimia and binge-eating disorders. The therapy lasts from five to nine months and can also be used on children over 14 years old. Therapists can be trained online to deliver CBT-E, which helps patients to be treated quickly."}], "question": "What is CBT-E?", "id": "260_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Election 2017: The possible battles beyond for Labour", "date": "17 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's supporters are focused on the campaign leading up to the election on 8 June. But what about those looking beyond that? Anyone in the media, or indeed the Labour Party, who suggests Jeremy Corbyn might lose the election is usually treated to a Twitter storm from his staunch supporters. Yet the leader of the union which not only generously funds the Labour Party - but has also contributed significant sums to Jeremy Corbyn's two leadership campaigns - has predicted defeat. Unite's Len McCluskey later tried a classic obfuscation technique, claiming now he has seen the Labour manifesto in full, he is full of optimism and looking confidently forward to the campaign. The awkwardness about that is not only that Mr McCluskey was in the meeting that signed off the manifesto before its publication. But also that the interview where he predicted defeat was carried out an hour after the manifesto was finally published in any case. It seems likely that his thoughts during the Politico interview were focused on 9 June, not 8 June. Because the question being discussed privately amongst those close to Jeremy Corbyn is whether he should stay if Labour loses - and for how long. His opponents inside Labour want him gone. They had hoped if Len McCluskey's recent challenger for the position of Unite's general secretary - Gerard Coyne - had won, it might have been possible to get a triumvirate of union leaders to call for him to go, the day after the election. Any successor would then need 15% of MPs and MEPs to nominate them to get on the ballot - almost certainly excluding someone as left wing as Jeremy Corbyn from the process. The door would then be open to other candidates who Labour MPs think are likely to run such as Yvette Cooper and Keir Starmer. But of course that didn't happen and there are signs that Mr Corbyn won't go quietly. So while Labour candidates are of course mainly focused on trying to keep their seats or win more, among both Mr Corbyn's critics and his supporters, a lot of energy is being devoted to planning for the aftermath of a defeat, if the polls prove accurate. Those around Mr Corbyn are stressing the real test in the election is vote share and not the number of seats gained. Their argument is that if he improves on Ed Miliband's share of the vote - i.e. 31 rather than 30.5 per cent - he should be allowed to continue his work of transforming the Labour Party. But his opponents and party officials say the gap between the two main parties is a better measure - with the expectation that the Conservatives will be further ahead than the 6.5% gap in 2015. So where does Len McCluskey stand in this debate? Privately, one of his key allies says he does have performance benchmarks for Jeremy Corbyn. We have now seen him mention publicly a target of retaining 200 seats, despite his attempts today to distance himself from his own comments. But we have also been told privately that vote share matters too - if Labour finishes on 29% of the vote or below, he is likely to tell the Labour leader to go. But not immediately. He would favour keeping Jeremy Corbyn in place until the autumn party conference, where there is at least a chance of changing the leadership election rules in favour of the left by requiring fewer MP nominations to get on the ballot. But he wouldn't favour Jeremy Corbyn himself going on and on simply to avoid the risk of a more right wing successor. Now this is not to say Len McCluskey is speaking on behalf of everyone on Labour's left. A shadow cabinet ally of Jeremy Corbyn's described his remarks about a defeat as a \"disgrace\". And sources suggest that he is a less powerful figure than he once was. The perception that he alone could guarantee the leader's position or decide his fate has faded in some powerful quarters. Mr McCluskey may have won his own leadership election, but he didn't cruise to victory - he won narrowly on a low turnout. And by some counts, it is Dave Prentis, the leader of the health union, Unison, who is the leader of the biggest union now. He made plain his priorities in a short but pointed tweet after McCluskey's comments: \"Success = a Labour government. That's what care workers, nurses and teaching assistants need. Let's get out there.\" It's thought that Unison and the GMB, the third of the big three, would also urge Mr Corbyn to walk. But while Mr McCluskey may no longer have the power to keep him in place, his voice matters hugely. One well placed insider said: \"It's only Len that can tap Corbyn on the shoulder and tell him it's all over.\" Another said: \"It will be Len who calls the taxi.\" But strangely, even if some of Mr Corbyn's most bitter critics are open to the idea of some kind of staged departure in the event of a heavy defeat, one senior figure says he has to be allowed to have a \"dignified exit\". The plan is that he would agree to go quietly at the party's conference in the event of defeat. Another told us: \"This has to be Corbyn's election - he has to own the defeat.\" So any rapid putsch from his internal enemies is unlikely: \"There's a tactical decision not to be blamed - we have to grit our teeth and watch the car crash happen, the party will have a choice - thoughtful reflection or plunge straight into another civil war.\" It's understood that potential candidates for the job are being urged privately to bide their time in the immediate aftermath of the election in the case of a bad defeat, rather than rush straight out of the traps and give Mr Corbyn's supporters the impression that most of the PLP have been plotting against him all along. The morning after the election could of course feel totally different. There is a long way to go in this race. Labour could well wake up to a result far better than expected. Mr Corbyn's legions of supporters could mobilise in the ways he hopes and surprise the pundits once more. But, if the polls are broadly right, the party could face questions about its actual survival. The election battle could turn in to a fight for Labour's future soon after polling day.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1878, "answer_end": 3449, "text": "So while Labour candidates are of course mainly focused on trying to keep their seats or win more, among both Mr Corbyn's critics and his supporters, a lot of energy is being devoted to planning for the aftermath of a defeat, if the polls prove accurate. Those around Mr Corbyn are stressing the real test in the election is vote share and not the number of seats gained. Their argument is that if he improves on Ed Miliband's share of the vote - i.e. 31 rather than 30.5 per cent - he should be allowed to continue his work of transforming the Labour Party. But his opponents and party officials say the gap between the two main parties is a better measure - with the expectation that the Conservatives will be further ahead than the 6.5% gap in 2015. So where does Len McCluskey stand in this debate? Privately, one of his key allies says he does have performance benchmarks for Jeremy Corbyn. We have now seen him mention publicly a target of retaining 200 seats, despite his attempts today to distance himself from his own comments. But we have also been told privately that vote share matters too - if Labour finishes on 29% of the vote or below, he is likely to tell the Labour leader to go. But not immediately. He would favour keeping Jeremy Corbyn in place until the autumn party conference, where there is at least a chance of changing the leadership election rules in favour of the left by requiring fewer MP nominations to get on the ballot. But he wouldn't favour Jeremy Corbyn himself going on and on simply to avoid the risk of a more right wing successor."}], "question": "Improving on Miliband's share?", "id": "261_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3450, "answer_end": 4640, "text": "Now this is not to say Len McCluskey is speaking on behalf of everyone on Labour's left. A shadow cabinet ally of Jeremy Corbyn's described his remarks about a defeat as a \"disgrace\". And sources suggest that he is a less powerful figure than he once was. The perception that he alone could guarantee the leader's position or decide his fate has faded in some powerful quarters. Mr McCluskey may have won his own leadership election, but he didn't cruise to victory - he won narrowly on a low turnout. And by some counts, it is Dave Prentis, the leader of the health union, Unison, who is the leader of the biggest union now. He made plain his priorities in a short but pointed tweet after McCluskey's comments: \"Success = a Labour government. That's what care workers, nurses and teaching assistants need. Let's get out there.\" It's thought that Unison and the GMB, the third of the big three, would also urge Mr Corbyn to walk. But while Mr McCluskey may no longer have the power to keep him in place, his voice matters hugely. One well placed insider said: \"It's only Len that can tap Corbyn on the shoulder and tell him it's all over.\" Another said: \"It will be Len who calls the taxi.\""}], "question": "Who calls the taxi?", "id": "261_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Fascination with the 'Dutch godfather'", "date": "27 January 2012", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The man known as the godfather of Dutch crime has been released from prison in the Netherlands. Willem Holleeder served six years of a nine-year sentence for extortion. He has been a hugely powerful, notorious and influential figure on the Dutch underworld for decades. Holleeder's most infamous crime has recently been turned into a movie soon to be released across Europe and there is a new Hollywood version in the making. So what makes him such an irresistible figure in crime fiction? Thriller novelist Ton Theunis believes the answer lies in his character rather than his crimes. \"He has this incredible aura about him. Like he is completely in control. Even inside it was like he was untouchable,\" Theunis says. \"He has a very strong presence and you can really feel that. He is exciting and dangerous and for some reason we will always be attracted to those things.\" In 1958 Willem Holleeder was born in Amsterdam. His father worked at the Heineken factory. Friends say he had a difficult childhood. One source who wishes to remain anonymous remembers growing up in the same area as Holleeder. In his early teenage years, Holleeder's gang was already establishing itself as a powerful force in the playground. \"They used to roar up on the latest mopeds, mostly stolen from German tourists, when we were all playing football,\" he says. \"Holleeder and his friends would invade the pitch and try to play and if any of us tried to object we'd get whacked with a motorbike helmet.\" An early indication, perhaps, of the path Holleeder was destined to pursue. Theunis met Holleeder when the former was working as a prison guard and the latter was locked up for extortion. \"He has been linked to just about every murder in Amsterdam in the last 30 years. But the police can never pin anything on him because of a lack of evidence,\" Theunis says. Despite efforts on both sides to kill or capture Willem Holleeder, the \"Dutch godfather\" remains alive and now he is free. The Heineken Kidnapping is a fictional adaptation of a true story. On 9 November 1983 Holleeder and his gang executed what they believed would be the perfect kidnapping. Armed with Uzis and shotguns they headed for Heineken HQ. Grabbing beer magnate Freddy Heineken and his chauffeur Ab Doderer off the street at gunpoint, they bustled them into the back of a van. The hostages were driven to an abandoned lockup near the harbour where a secret room at the back had been specially converted to function as a makeshift cell. When the hostages were securely shackled the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 16m euros ($21m; PS13.3m). Eventually Heineken's family handed over the cash. But instead of releasing the hostages, Holleeder's gang fled leaving Freddy and Ab locked up. Luckily the police had a lead through a Chinese takeaway the gang had been using. After three weeks in captivity they were finally rescued. They were accused of a plethora of crimes including murders, blackmails and shoot-outs but it was this single event that gave Holleeder's gang a reputation more notorious than any other in Dutch history. The Heineken kidnapping had all the makings of a blockbuster. But the uncooperative star of the show, Willem Holleeder, launched a lawsuit from behind bars to try to stop the film from being released. \"Mr Holleeder didn't like how the character was depicted in the film,\" says Jens van den Brink, the lawyer representing the film company IDTV. \"For example, in the film there is a mock execution like Russian roulette where they put the gun to the head of Heineken and pull the trigger. \"Mr Holleeder said: 'That never happened and you are making people think we are worse than we really are.' I argued that first, there is artistic licence and second, if you have already kidnapped two men at gunpoint and chained them to a dirty mattress in an abandoned warehouse - well, it is hard to harm the reputation of someone accused of doing so many terrible things.\" Almost three decades have passed since the Heineken kidnapping. These days the real William Holleeder isn't the young, virile, untouchable gangster feared by so many back in the 80s. Most of his former colleagues have been murdered, locked up or taken off to less dangerous destinations. Holleeder has repeatedly refused earlier parole - maybe feeling life is safer on the inside than it is on the outside. According to those that know Willem he is not looking forward to freedom. Does crime writer Ton Theunis think this fear is justified? \"Imagine you are accused of being involved in so many murders. Maybe you have not been found guilty but still you know people want you dead,\" Theunis says. \"I remember working at the prison and one of the prisoners was being allowed to go home for Christmas,\" he recalls. \"I was watching him leave, he got on his bike in a shiny new track suit smiling and waving at us. Then as soon as he got to the car park - bang! - and he was gone. \"Criminals are killed all the time. Of course Holleeder is right to be afraid.\" Willem Holleeder reportedly left prison in a car with blacked out windows before being transferred to another secret vehicle. It is a whole new underworld out there. He no longer commands control over the criminal network in the way he once did and his health is not what it used to be. There is speculation Holleeder will try to escape the Netherlands on the next available flight. He has so far turned down all of our interview requests and his lawyer says he wants to avoid any further attention.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1969, "answer_end": 2881, "text": "The Heineken Kidnapping is a fictional adaptation of a true story. On 9 November 1983 Holleeder and his gang executed what they believed would be the perfect kidnapping. Armed with Uzis and shotguns they headed for Heineken HQ. Grabbing beer magnate Freddy Heineken and his chauffeur Ab Doderer off the street at gunpoint, they bustled them into the back of a van. The hostages were driven to an abandoned lockup near the harbour where a secret room at the back had been specially converted to function as a makeshift cell. When the hostages were securely shackled the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 16m euros ($21m; PS13.3m). Eventually Heineken's family handed over the cash. But instead of releasing the hostages, Holleeder's gang fled leaving Freddy and Ab locked up. Luckily the police had a lead through a Chinese takeaway the gang had been using. After three weeks in captivity they were finally rescued."}], "question": "Perfect kidnapping?", "id": "262_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel and the Palestinians: Can the settlement issue be solved?", "date": "18 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has long been a major source of dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, and most of the international community. The Trump administration has now, however, stated that settlements are not inconsistent with international law. Here is a brief guide to what it is all about. Settlements are communities established by Israel on land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. This includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The West Bank and East Jerusalem had previously been occupied by Jordan since the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War. According to the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, there are 132 settlements and 113 outposts - settlements built without official authorisation - in the West Bank. The group says more than 413,000 settlers live there, with numbers increasing year on year. It says there are 13 settlements in East Jerusalem, inhabited by about 215,000 settlers. Israel also established settlements in the Gaza Strip, seized from Egypt in the 1967 war, but it dismantled them when it withdrew from the territory in 2005. It also built settlements in the Sinai Peninsula, seized too from Egypt in 1967, but removed them in 1982 as part of a peace agreement with Cairo. There are also dozens of settlements on the occupied Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Built-up settlement areas occupy about 2% of the West Bank but critics point out that the land controlled by settlement activity, such as agriculture and roads, amounts to much more than that and requires a heavy military presence. Settlers themselves choose to live in these communities for a range of reasons - from economic, encouraged by government subsidies, to religious, based on the belief that God gave the land to the Jewish people. What happens with settlements has proven to be one of the most intractable issues between Israel and the Palestinians, and rows about them have caused the collapse of numerous rounds of peace talks. Palestinians say the presence of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land they seek for a future state - make such a state with contiguous territory impossible. They have demanded Israel freeze all settlement activity as a precondition for resuming peace talks. Palestinians' freedom of movement is also restricted by hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other obstacles used to protect both settlements and Israel from militants. Israel says the Palestinians are using the issue of settlements as a pretext to avoid direct talks. Under the 1993 Israel-Palestinian Oslo peace accords, the issue of settlements was to be deferred until final status talks - a reason why Israel objects to pre-conditions and UN resolutions on the matter. In two words - a lot. From the beginning of his presidency in January 2017, Donald Trump has displayed a much more tolerant attitude towards settlement activity than his predecessor, Barack Obama. Up until Mr Trump took office, the US had described the settlements as \"illegitimate\", refraining from calling them \"illegal\" since the Carter administration in 1980. A UN Security Council resolution in December 2016 said settlements had \"no legal validity and constitute[d] a flagrant violation under international law\". However, like previous resolutions on Israel, those adopted under Chapter VI of the UN Charter are not legally binding. On 18 November 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration was reversing the stance of the previous administration. \"The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements is not, per se, inconsistent with international law,\" Mr Pompeo said. The Trump administration has also overturned decades of US policy by recognising Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - to the outrage of Palestinians - making the future of Jewish settlements there much more secure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also gone further than ever before by declaring his intention to effectively annex all Jewish settlements in the West Bank, as well as the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea in the eastern West Bank, without fear of rebuke by the US. According to media reports, the plan is consistent with Mr Trump's vision for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, expected to be released in the near future. The Palestinians have warned that if Israel extends sovereignty to the settlements, it will kill the peace process. Even if agreement could be reached on settlements in the West Bank, the issue of settlements in East Jerusalem is even more thorny. Israel regards East Jerusalem as its eternal, indivisible capital and does not consider the sector in any way occupied - and by extension, it does not regard Jewish neighbourhoods there as settlements. Israel officially extended sovereignty over East Jerusalem in 1980, in a move not accepted internationally until Washington broke rank and recognised the whole of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017. Only Guatemala and Honduras have followed suit (Paraguay did, but reversed its decision). It looks increasingly likely. For years, Israel said it was prepared to make \"painful concessions\" for peace - code for withdrawal from occupied territory and an accompanying removal of some smaller settlements. It previously demolished settlements in Sinai and Gaza, and four small sites in the West Bank in 2005, during pull-outs. While Israel and the Palestinians agreed to decide upon the fate of existing settlements, and Jerusalem, in the final stage of peace talks, the chances of reaching that point seem further away than ever. Mr Netanyahu has crystallised his position, vowing never to dismantle settlements - and if he follows through with his plan to annex them, it will effectively take the issue off the table as far as Israel is concerned. Most of the international community, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, say the settlements are illegal. The basis for this is the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention which forbids the transfer by an occupying power of its people to occupied territory. However, Israel says the Fourth Geneva Convention does not apply de jure to the West Bank because, it says, the territory is not technically occupied. Israel says it is legally there as a result of a defensive war, and did not take control of the West Bank from a legitimate sovereign power. It says the legal right of Jewish settlement there as recognised by the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine was preserved under the UN's charter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 345, "answer_end": 877, "text": "Settlements are communities established by Israel on land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. This includes the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The West Bank and East Jerusalem had previously been occupied by Jordan since the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War. According to the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, there are 132 settlements and 113 outposts - settlements built without official authorisation - in the West Bank. The group says more than 413,000 settlers live there, with numbers increasing year on year."}], "question": "What are settlements?", "id": "263_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1820, "answer_end": 2771, "text": "What happens with settlements has proven to be one of the most intractable issues between Israel and the Palestinians, and rows about them have caused the collapse of numerous rounds of peace talks. Palestinians say the presence of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land they seek for a future state - make such a state with contiguous territory impossible. They have demanded Israel freeze all settlement activity as a precondition for resuming peace talks. Palestinians' freedom of movement is also restricted by hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other obstacles used to protect both settlements and Israel from militants. Israel says the Palestinians are using the issue of settlements as a pretext to avoid direct talks. Under the 1993 Israel-Palestinian Oslo peace accords, the issue of settlements was to be deferred until final status talks - a reason why Israel objects to pre-conditions and UN resolutions on the matter."}], "question": "Why are settlements so contentious?", "id": "263_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2772, "answer_end": 4474, "text": "In two words - a lot. From the beginning of his presidency in January 2017, Donald Trump has displayed a much more tolerant attitude towards settlement activity than his predecessor, Barack Obama. Up until Mr Trump took office, the US had described the settlements as \"illegitimate\", refraining from calling them \"illegal\" since the Carter administration in 1980. A UN Security Council resolution in December 2016 said settlements had \"no legal validity and constitute[d] a flagrant violation under international law\". However, like previous resolutions on Israel, those adopted under Chapter VI of the UN Charter are not legally binding. On 18 November 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration was reversing the stance of the previous administration. \"The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements is not, per se, inconsistent with international law,\" Mr Pompeo said. The Trump administration has also overturned decades of US policy by recognising Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights - to the outrage of Palestinians - making the future of Jewish settlements there much more secure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also gone further than ever before by declaring his intention to effectively annex all Jewish settlements in the West Bank, as well as the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea in the eastern West Bank, without fear of rebuke by the US. According to media reports, the plan is consistent with Mr Trump's vision for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, expected to be released in the near future. The Palestinians have warned that if Israel extends sovereignty to the settlements, it will kill the peace process."}], "question": "What has changed under Donald Trump?", "id": "263_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4475, "answer_end": 5100, "text": "Even if agreement could be reached on settlements in the West Bank, the issue of settlements in East Jerusalem is even more thorny. Israel regards East Jerusalem as its eternal, indivisible capital and does not consider the sector in any way occupied - and by extension, it does not regard Jewish neighbourhoods there as settlements. Israel officially extended sovereignty over East Jerusalem in 1980, in a move not accepted internationally until Washington broke rank and recognised the whole of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017. Only Guatemala and Honduras have followed suit (Paraguay did, but reversed its decision)."}], "question": "What makes Jerusalem a special case?", "id": "263_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5857, "answer_end": 6572, "text": "Most of the international community, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, say the settlements are illegal. The basis for this is the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention which forbids the transfer by an occupying power of its people to occupied territory. However, Israel says the Fourth Geneva Convention does not apply de jure to the West Bank because, it says, the territory is not technically occupied. Israel says it is legally there as a result of a defensive war, and did not take control of the West Bank from a legitimate sovereign power. It says the legal right of Jewish settlement there as recognised by the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine was preserved under the UN's charter."}], "question": "Are settlements illegal under international law?", "id": "263_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Five philosophical questions to ask about Star Wars: The Last Jedi", "date": "13 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Star Wars fans in galaxies far, far away are being given the chance to go deep into the philosophy of the movies. The world is bracing itself for Jedi-mania when Episode VIII of the franchise hits cinema screens on Friday. At the same time Glasgow University is putting final touches to an online course in all things Star Wars. From lightsabers to Luke Skywalker, fans and philosophers will uncover the deeper meanings behind the films. Lecturer and child-of-the-80s Star Wars fan John Donaldson is responsible for turning the films into philosophy studies. He started a classroom-based course last Star Wars Day (May the fourth) and was surprised at who was interested. \"We wanted to make philosophy more accessible and get people interested by focussing on pop culture,\" he said. \"We have had a 12-year-old, retirees, some students, and a lot of professionals. \"Lots of people from around the world were interested, so we created an online course.\" Star Wars and Philosophy: Destiny, Justice and the Metaphysics of the Force introduces fans to the ideas of free will and the link between free will and moral responsibility. And it attempts to establish if The Force is natural or magical. Released in the UK on Friday, The Last Jedi sees Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega also return from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as do Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and sprightly robot BB-8. The course is open to the general public but does not carry degree credits. Dr Donaldson is looking forward to seeing the new film and exploring its philosophical themes: \"The themes are fairly consistent and I expect they can be applied to Episode VIII.\" He has outlined five big questions fans should ask themselves during The Last Jedi. 1. If the characters in Star Wars have their destiny dictated to them by The Force, how can they choose to do anything themselves? 2. Is it possible there might be room for manoeuvre for the characters when their overall destiny is directed by The Force? 3. If the character is directed by The Force, how can they be morally responsible for what they do? 4. Is The Force a natural, non-magical thing? Or is it a non-natural, magical thing? 5. What's the difference between a natural, non-magical thing and a non-natural, magical thing? If you are after the answers, Dr Donaldson  recommends looking into his course. Picking up where 2015's The Force Awakens left off, The Last Jedi sees Rey (Ridley) try to persuade Luke, now a reclusive hermit, to rejoin the Resistance. Spectacular effects, lightsaber duels, outlandish creatures and surprise revelations help fill the film's 152-minute running time.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 952, "answer_end": 2727, "text": "Star Wars and Philosophy: Destiny, Justice and the Metaphysics of the Force introduces fans to the ideas of free will and the link between free will and moral responsibility. And it attempts to establish if The Force is natural or magical. Released in the UK on Friday, The Last Jedi sees Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher reprise their roles as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega also return from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as do Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and sprightly robot BB-8. The course is open to the general public but does not carry degree credits. Dr Donaldson is looking forward to seeing the new film and exploring its philosophical themes: \"The themes are fairly consistent and I expect they can be applied to Episode VIII.\" He has outlined five big questions fans should ask themselves during The Last Jedi. 1. If the characters in Star Wars have their destiny dictated to them by The Force, how can they choose to do anything themselves? 2. Is it possible there might be room for manoeuvre for the characters when their overall destiny is directed by The Force? 3. If the character is directed by The Force, how can they be morally responsible for what they do? 4. Is The Force a natural, non-magical thing? Or is it a non-natural, magical thing? 5. What's the difference between a natural, non-magical thing and a non-natural, magical thing? If you are after the answers, Dr Donaldson  recommends looking into his course. Picking up where 2015's The Force Awakens left off, The Last Jedi sees Rey (Ridley) try to persuade Luke, now a reclusive hermit, to rejoin the Resistance. Spectacular effects, lightsaber duels, outlandish creatures and surprise revelations help fill the film's 152-minute running time."}], "question": "Natural or magical?", "id": "264_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kenya deports Miguna Miguna over Odinga 'swearing-in'", "date": "7 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Kenya has deported opposition supporter and lawyer, Miguna Miguna, following his role in the unofficial swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as \"the people's president\". Mr Miguna has boarded a flight to take him to Canada, where he is a citizen. His departure came after he was charged with treason-related offences. Kenya's Chief Justice David Maraga has criticised the government for not following court orders to release Mr Miguna on bail. \"Compliance with court orders is not optional, but a constitutional obligation,\" Mr Maraga said in an unprecedented statement. The government had earlier ignored court demands to lift a suspension on Kenyan TV channels, which it took off-air ahead of Mr Odinga's \"inauguration.\" For more on this and other stories, visit our Africa Live page Mr Odinga boycotted last year's election re-run, saying it would be rigged in favour of President Uhuru Kenyatta. He and his supporters consider him the rightful leader of Kenya. In August, Mr Odinga ran for president against Mr Kenyatta. He lost, but the country's Supreme Court said the election wasn't transparent, prompting a re-run in October. Mr Odinga declined to enter this race, saying nothing had changed, and Mr Kenyatta won 98% of the vote, with only 39% turnout. But after letting Mr Kenyatta govern for two months, he held his unofficial swearing-in ceremony at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on 30 January. During an oath signed and conducted by Mr Miguna, Mr Odinga declared himself \"the people's president\". In a word, badly. President Kenyatta took three TV channels off air, with only two resuming broadcasting this week - and only on subscription services, not free-to-air. On 31 January, police arrested TJ Kajwang, a lawyer who witnessed the ceremony. Two days later, they broke down Mr Miguna's door in a dawn raid and also detained him. Mr Miguna says he was then kept \"in unlawful incommunicado detention for five days under the most horrendous, cruel and inhumane conditions imaginable\". On Tuesday, he appeared before a court outside Nairobi and was charged with \"being present and consenting to the administration of an oath to commit a capital offence, namely treason\". Analysis: Wanyama Chebusiri, BBC Africa, Nairobi Kenya is a deeply divided country at the moment and there are real fears of a resumption of the violence which followed last year's disputed elections. While some saw Raila Odinga's unofficial swearing-in as little more than a publicity stunt, it has certainly attracted the attention of the government. Critics say that its reaction has been over the top and that the country is slowly turning into a police state - with the arrest of opposition supporters, shutdown of TV stations and court orders being disobeyed. The government, however, insists that the \"swearing-in\" was tantamount to treason and so could not be ignored. But what it has not done yet is arrest Mr Odinga, as this would inevitably lead to confrontation between his supporters and the security forces. The court had ordered that Mr Miguna be bailed following his hearing, but this did not happen. Videos posted on social media showed him on board a flight to Amsterdam, from where he was due to connect to Canada. His departure angered his supporters who questioned what right the government had to deport Mr Miguna, who was born in Kenya. Under Article 17 of the Kenyan Constitution, a person born in Kenya can only have their citizenship revoked if it was acquired by fraud, if they or their parents were already a citizen of another country, or if the person was older than eight when they were found in Kenya. The government has since issued a statement saying that under the old constitution, Kenyans couldn't hold dual-citizenship meaning that Mr Miguna's acquisition of a Canadian passport in 1988 cost him his Kenyan nationality. Although Mr Miguna successfully applied for a Kenyan passport in 2009, the government says this application was invalid since he didn't declare his Canadian citizenship. The government added that Mr Miguna never applied for Kenyan nationality once the constitution changed in 2010 to permit dual nationality. Mr Miguna is yet to respond to this explanation. Earlier he had said he never renounced his Kenyan citizenship and would never do that. \"The constitution is crystal clear: no one can invalidate or purport to cancel the citizenship of a Kenyan born citizen,\" he added. Mr Miguna is the leader of the National Resistance Movement, a civil disobedience organisation linked to the opposition. On 30 January, the government declared it an organised criminal group. It wasn't Mr Miguna's first brush with the law. In 1988, he was arrested by the then government of President Daniel arap Moi. Mr Miguna then went to Canada where he claimed political asylum, according to his website. He only joined Mr Odinga's team in 2017, after falling out with him five years earlier. Five years earlier he had published a book called Peeling Back the Mask in which he criticised Mr Odinga's leadership as prime minister. In 2013, he backed Mr Kenyatta in the presidential elections.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 974, "answer_end": 1510, "text": "In August, Mr Odinga ran for president against Mr Kenyatta. He lost, but the country's Supreme Court said the election wasn't transparent, prompting a re-run in October. Mr Odinga declined to enter this race, saying nothing had changed, and Mr Kenyatta won 98% of the vote, with only 39% turnout. But after letting Mr Kenyatta govern for two months, he held his unofficial swearing-in ceremony at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on 30 January. During an oath signed and conducted by Mr Miguna, Mr Odinga declared himself \"the people's president\"."}], "question": "What was the 'swearing-in' about?", "id": "265_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2185, "answer_end": 3006, "text": "Analysis: Wanyama Chebusiri, BBC Africa, Nairobi Kenya is a deeply divided country at the moment and there are real fears of a resumption of the violence which followed last year's disputed elections. While some saw Raila Odinga's unofficial swearing-in as little more than a publicity stunt, it has certainly attracted the attention of the government. Critics say that its reaction has been over the top and that the country is slowly turning into a police state - with the arrest of opposition supporters, shutdown of TV stations and court orders being disobeyed. The government, however, insists that the \"swearing-in\" was tantamount to treason and so could not be ignored. But what it has not done yet is arrest Mr Odinga, as this would inevitably lead to confrontation between his supporters and the security forces."}], "question": "Is Kenya turning into a police state?", "id": "265_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3007, "answer_end": 4419, "text": "The court had ordered that Mr Miguna be bailed following his hearing, but this did not happen. Videos posted on social media showed him on board a flight to Amsterdam, from where he was due to connect to Canada. His departure angered his supporters who questioned what right the government had to deport Mr Miguna, who was born in Kenya. Under Article 17 of the Kenyan Constitution, a person born in Kenya can only have their citizenship revoked if it was acquired by fraud, if they or their parents were already a citizen of another country, or if the person was older than eight when they were found in Kenya. The government has since issued a statement saying that under the old constitution, Kenyans couldn't hold dual-citizenship meaning that Mr Miguna's acquisition of a Canadian passport in 1988 cost him his Kenyan nationality. Although Mr Miguna successfully applied for a Kenyan passport in 2009, the government says this application was invalid since he didn't declare his Canadian citizenship. The government added that Mr Miguna never applied for Kenyan nationality once the constitution changed in 2010 to permit dual nationality. Mr Miguna is yet to respond to this explanation. Earlier he had said he never renounced his Kenyan citizenship and would never do that. \"The constitution is crystal clear: no one can invalidate or purport to cancel the citizenship of a Kenyan born citizen,\" he added."}], "question": "What has happened to Mr Miguna?", "id": "265_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4420, "answer_end": 5115, "text": "Mr Miguna is the leader of the National Resistance Movement, a civil disobedience organisation linked to the opposition. On 30 January, the government declared it an organised criminal group. It wasn't Mr Miguna's first brush with the law. In 1988, he was arrested by the then government of President Daniel arap Moi. Mr Miguna then went to Canada where he claimed political asylum, according to his website. He only joined Mr Odinga's team in 2017, after falling out with him five years earlier. Five years earlier he had published a book called Peeling Back the Mask in which he criticised Mr Odinga's leadership as prime minister. In 2013, he backed Mr Kenyatta in the presidential elections."}], "question": "Who is Miguna Miguna?", "id": "265_3"}]}]}, {"title": "US border: Calls for inquiry after teen dies in detention", "date": "22 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Democrats have demanded an inquiry after a 16-year-old migrant died on Monday at a detention centre on the border with Mexico. Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez is the fifth child to die after being held since December. Democratic Texas congressman Joaquin Castro spoke of an \"epidemic of death\" in the border area. President Donald Trump has vowed to clamp down on illegal immigration at the southern border. In February, Mr Trump declared a national emergency to appropriate funds for a border wall. There has been an increase in migrants trying to cross the frontier this year, and border agents say they are struggling to process the numbers. Border agents apprehended the Guatemalan teenager for illegally crossing the border on 13 May and took him to a central processing centre in McAllen, Texas. He was travelling alone. On 19 May, the teenager was diagnosed with flu and given medicine. He was transferred to the Welasco Border Patrol Station, reportedly in order for the illness to be contained. On Monday, he was found unresponsive. An official cause of death has not been announced. The day after his death the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the McAllen centre had been temporarily closed after a \"large number\" of those held began to show flu-like symptoms. The centre will not take any more migrants for the moment \"to avoid the spread of illness\", the CBP said. A brother of Carlos in New Jersey told broadcaster CBS News of his shock, that he would die in a country where he had come for a better life. Under federal law, minors should normally be transferred to a Health and Human Services (HHS) shelter within 72 hours of their detention. An HHS spokesman told the Associated Press news agency that a \"minority of cases exceeding 72 hours have generally involved exceptional circumstances\". All of the children who have died thus far have come from Guatemala. In December, Jakelin Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old girl, died from a bacterial infection in CBP custody. Officials say she received emergency medical attention and was revived twice before being flown to hospital in El Paso, where she died after suffering a cardiac arrest, brain swelling and liver failure. Weeks later, on Christmas Eve, eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died in hospital after contracting the flu. On 30 April, Juan de Leon Gutierrez, 16, also died in an El Paso hospital from a brain infection, according to Guatemalan officials. And shortly before Carlos' death, an unnamed two-year-old died in hospital after battling a high fever and pneumonia for weeks. CBP acting commissioner John Sanders said the agency was \"saddened by the tragic loss of this young man\" and said they were \"committed to the health, safety and humane treatment\" of those in custody. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a group of 38 Democratic members, have demanded a federal investigation into the child deaths and detention on the border. \"Nobody had died for 10 years [in detention]. And in the last six months, you've had five deaths,\" he told reporters. \"They're concealing the truth of these atrocities to the American people,\" Mr Castro told a press conference on Tuesday. But President Trump blamed the Democratic Party for the death, saying they were making things \"very, very dangerous for people\" by not supporting changes to the system. \"We could have it all worked out,\" he told reporters. Mr Trump unveiled immigration plans earlier this month, which favour English-speaking better-educated workers. Democrats dismissed them as \"dead-on-arrival\" for failing to address the issue of \"Dreamers\" - people brought to the US as children who have no legal right to remain. According to official statistics, more than 300,000 people were apprehended at the southern border between January and April, with numbers rising every month. Officials say they do not have the facilities to handle the rising numbers of migrants. Opposition lawmakers, rights groups and international charities have condemned the treatment of people at the border, pointing to cramped holding pens and shoddy accommodation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 650, "answer_end": 1829, "text": "Border agents apprehended the Guatemalan teenager for illegally crossing the border on 13 May and took him to a central processing centre in McAllen, Texas. He was travelling alone. On 19 May, the teenager was diagnosed with flu and given medicine. He was transferred to the Welasco Border Patrol Station, reportedly in order for the illness to be contained. On Monday, he was found unresponsive. An official cause of death has not been announced. The day after his death the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the McAllen centre had been temporarily closed after a \"large number\" of those held began to show flu-like symptoms. The centre will not take any more migrants for the moment \"to avoid the spread of illness\", the CBP said. A brother of Carlos in New Jersey told broadcaster CBS News of his shock, that he would die in a country where he had come for a better life. Under federal law, minors should normally be transferred to a Health and Human Services (HHS) shelter within 72 hours of their detention. An HHS spokesman told the Associated Press news agency that a \"minority of cases exceeding 72 hours have generally involved exceptional circumstances\"."}], "question": "What happened to Carlos?", "id": "266_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1830, "answer_end": 2577, "text": "All of the children who have died thus far have come from Guatemala. In December, Jakelin Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old girl, died from a bacterial infection in CBP custody. Officials say she received emergency medical attention and was revived twice before being flown to hospital in El Paso, where she died after suffering a cardiac arrest, brain swelling and liver failure. Weeks later, on Christmas Eve, eight-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died in hospital after contracting the flu. On 30 April, Juan de Leon Gutierrez, 16, also died in an El Paso hospital from a brain infection, according to Guatemalan officials. And shortly before Carlos' death, an unnamed two-year-old died in hospital after battling a high fever and pneumonia for weeks."}], "question": "What do we know about the four other deaths?", "id": "266_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2578, "answer_end": 3675, "text": "CBP acting commissioner John Sanders said the agency was \"saddened by the tragic loss of this young man\" and said they were \"committed to the health, safety and humane treatment\" of those in custody. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a group of 38 Democratic members, have demanded a federal investigation into the child deaths and detention on the border. \"Nobody had died for 10 years [in detention]. And in the last six months, you've had five deaths,\" he told reporters. \"They're concealing the truth of these atrocities to the American people,\" Mr Castro told a press conference on Tuesday. But President Trump blamed the Democratic Party for the death, saying they were making things \"very, very dangerous for people\" by not supporting changes to the system. \"We could have it all worked out,\" he told reporters. Mr Trump unveiled immigration plans earlier this month, which favour English-speaking better-educated workers. Democrats dismissed them as \"dead-on-arrival\" for failing to address the issue of \"Dreamers\" - people brought to the US as children who have no legal right to remain."}], "question": "What's been the reaction?", "id": "266_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3676, "answer_end": 4099, "text": "According to official statistics, more than 300,000 people were apprehended at the southern border between January and April, with numbers rising every month. Officials say they do not have the facilities to handle the rising numbers of migrants. Opposition lawmakers, rights groups and international charities have condemned the treatment of people at the border, pointing to cramped holding pens and shoddy accommodation."}], "question": "What's the situation at the border?", "id": "266_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: China says protesters 'trample rule of law'", "date": "2 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has accused protesters who vandalised Hong Kong's parliament on Monday of \"serious illegal actions\" that \"trample on the rule of law\". A group of activists occupied the Legislative Council (LegCo) building for several hours after breaking away from a peaceful protest. Hundreds of police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators. The Chinese government urged the city to investigate the \"criminal responsibility of violent offenders\". Hong Kong, a former British colony, is part of China but run under a \"one country, two systems\" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. Its citizens enjoy rights not seen on the mainland. Monday's disorder followed weeks of mass protests over a controversial extradition bill, which critics have said could be used to send political dissidents from Hong Kong to the mainland. The Chinese government said the ransacking of parliament was a blatant challenge to the \"one country, two systems\" formula. So far, Beijing has reacted to the protests from a distance, but Monday's violence could be a catalyst for Beijing to push for tighter control over Hong Kong, says BBC World Service Asia-Pacific editor Celia Hatton. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam earlier made similar remarks, condemning the \"extreme use of violence\" by the protesters who had broken into LegCo. \"Nothing is more important than the rule of law in Hong Kong,\" she told a pre-dawn press conference on Tuesday, flanked by Police Commissioner Lo Wai-chung. The government suspended the extradition bill last month and it is now unlikely to pass, but the protesters want it scrapped completely and are calling on Ms Lam to stand down. The anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997 is marked by an annual pro-democracy march, but this year's event had been expected to be larger than usual. There were some scuffles in the early morning, as protesters blocked streets around the venue where Ms Lam was attending the annual flag-raising ceremony. At around midday, hundreds of demonstrators broke off from the main protest and made their way to LegCo. They effectively besieged the building before eventually smashing their way through the glass facade. Inside, they defaced the emblem of Hong Kong in the central chamber, raised the old British colonial flag, spray-painted messages across the walls and shattered furniture. They gradually left the building amid warnings of an impending police clearance operation. At about midnight outside the building, protesters clad in plastic helmets and brandishing umbrellas retreated from a baton charge by riot police, who quickly overcame their makeshift barriers. Within an hour, the streets around the building were clear of everyone except the media and police. She said it was a scene that \"really saddens... and shocks a lot of people\". The annual peaceful march on 1 July, by contrast, reflected \"the core values we attach to peace and order\" in Hong Kong. Showing little emotion, she said she hoped society would \"return to normal as soon as possible\". She strongly denied she could be blamed for failing to address the protesters' demands, saying the government had \"not responded to every demand asked because of good reasons\". The extradition bill would now expire with the end of the government's term, she said. \"That is a very positive response to the demands that we have heard.\" She also argued that granting an amnesty to all protesters would not be \"in accordance with the rule of law\". Ms Lam added that Hong Kong's authorities would \"pursue any illegal acts\" carried out by demonstrators. Protests began in June, focusing on the extradition law. But demonstrators have now broadened their demands to include the release of all detained activists, and investigations into alleged police violence. They have also expressed general concerns over Beijing's influence eroding the territory's rule of law and special rights. Many protesters have said they will not back down until all their demands are met. Other countries have been reacting to the unrest in Hong Kong: - Before Monday's protests erupted into violence, US President Donald Trump expressed his support for the protesters, saying they were \"looking for democracy\" and \"unfortunately, some governments don't want democracy\". - UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Britain condemned \"violence on all sides\" but called on the authorities to \"understand the root causes of what happened, which is a deep seated concern by people in Hong Kong that their basic freedoms are under attack\" - Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the people of Hong Kong were \"seething with anger and frustration\" and the idea of \"one country, two systems\" was \"nothing but a lie\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1648, "answer_end": 2752, "text": "The anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997 is marked by an annual pro-democracy march, but this year's event had been expected to be larger than usual. There were some scuffles in the early morning, as protesters blocked streets around the venue where Ms Lam was attending the annual flag-raising ceremony. At around midday, hundreds of demonstrators broke off from the main protest and made their way to LegCo. They effectively besieged the building before eventually smashing their way through the glass facade. Inside, they defaced the emblem of Hong Kong in the central chamber, raised the old British colonial flag, spray-painted messages across the walls and shattered furniture. They gradually left the building amid warnings of an impending police clearance operation. At about midnight outside the building, protesters clad in plastic helmets and brandishing umbrellas retreated from a baton charge by riot police, who quickly overcame their makeshift barriers. Within an hour, the streets around the building were clear of everyone except the media and police."}], "question": "What happened on Monday?", "id": "267_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2753, "answer_end": 3595, "text": "She said it was a scene that \"really saddens... and shocks a lot of people\". The annual peaceful march on 1 July, by contrast, reflected \"the core values we attach to peace and order\" in Hong Kong. Showing little emotion, she said she hoped society would \"return to normal as soon as possible\". She strongly denied she could be blamed for failing to address the protesters' demands, saying the government had \"not responded to every demand asked because of good reasons\". The extradition bill would now expire with the end of the government's term, she said. \"That is a very positive response to the demands that we have heard.\" She also argued that granting an amnesty to all protesters would not be \"in accordance with the rule of law\". Ms Lam added that Hong Kong's authorities would \"pursue any illegal acts\" carried out by demonstrators."}], "question": "What did Carrie Lam say?", "id": "267_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3596, "answer_end": 4727, "text": "Protests began in June, focusing on the extradition law. But demonstrators have now broadened their demands to include the release of all detained activists, and investigations into alleged police violence. They have also expressed general concerns over Beijing's influence eroding the territory's rule of law and special rights. Many protesters have said they will not back down until all their demands are met. Other countries have been reacting to the unrest in Hong Kong: - Before Monday's protests erupted into violence, US President Donald Trump expressed his support for the protesters, saying they were \"looking for democracy\" and \"unfortunately, some governments don't want democracy\". - UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Britain condemned \"violence on all sides\" but called on the authorities to \"understand the root causes of what happened, which is a deep seated concern by people in Hong Kong that their basic freedoms are under attack\" - Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the people of Hong Kong were \"seething with anger and frustration\" and the idea of \"one country, two systems\" was \"nothing but a lie\""}], "question": "Why are people protesting?", "id": "267_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Calgary votes against Winter Olympics bid", "date": "14 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Residents in the Canadian city of Calgary have voted strongly against bidding to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. More than 56% of voters rejected the idea amid a high turnout. The Calgary vote leaves the Swedish capital Stockholm and an Italian bid involving Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo as the only candidates left. Interest in hosting the summer and winter Olympics has fallen as the cost of staging the events has increased. The IOC will name the 2026 host city next June. The Swiss city of Sion, Sapporo in Japan and Graz in Austria all withdrew from bidding for the 2026 Games earlier this year. Erzurum in Turkey has been eliminated from the bidding process by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Four European cities - Oslo in Norway, Lviv in Ukraine, Krakow in Poland and Stockholm in Sweden - also withdrew bids to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Public opinion in Norway was reportedly divided after the cost of the 2014 Games in Russia's Sochi was put at $51bn (PS31bn). That left only Almaty in Kazakhstan and the eventual winner, the Chinese capital Beijing. Several cities have also pulled out of the running to host the 2024 summer Games - in 2015 residents in Germany's Hamburg voted against hosting them and the US Olympic Committee ended Boston's bid after fierce local opposition. In 2016, Italy withdrew its bid for Rome to host the 2024 summer Games after Rome's anti-establishment mayor said it would be \"irresponsible\" and the city council voted to oppose the candidacy. And in 2017 Budapest in Hungary withdrew after 260,000 people signed a petition saying the money would be better spent elsewhere. Rome had previously applied to host the 2020 Olympics but pulled out of that race because then prime minister Mario Monti feared Italy could not afford it. The vote in Calgary was non-binding, but the city council is expected to respect the result when it meets on Monday. Calgary councillor Sean Chu said the result showed people in Calgary had \"had enough of the establishment telling us what to do\". \"They tell you to spend millions, billions, it's good for you,\" he said. Calgary has hosted the Winter Olympics before, in 1988. The Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation said the bid had been a chance to \"put us back on the map\". \"It all made sense, and it still makes sense,\" it said. The Canadian Olympic Committee also said it was disappointed with the result but would respect it. Holding the Games \"within our nation's culture of peace and inclusion, would have offered countless benefits to all\", it said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 474, "answer_end": 1783, "text": "The Swiss city of Sion, Sapporo in Japan and Graz in Austria all withdrew from bidding for the 2026 Games earlier this year. Erzurum in Turkey has been eliminated from the bidding process by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Four European cities - Oslo in Norway, Lviv in Ukraine, Krakow in Poland and Stockholm in Sweden - also withdrew bids to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Public opinion in Norway was reportedly divided after the cost of the 2014 Games in Russia's Sochi was put at $51bn (PS31bn). That left only Almaty in Kazakhstan and the eventual winner, the Chinese capital Beijing. Several cities have also pulled out of the running to host the 2024 summer Games - in 2015 residents in Germany's Hamburg voted against hosting them and the US Olympic Committee ended Boston's bid after fierce local opposition. In 2016, Italy withdrew its bid for Rome to host the 2024 summer Games after Rome's anti-establishment mayor said it would be \"irresponsible\" and the city council voted to oppose the candidacy. And in 2017 Budapest in Hungary withdrew after 260,000 people signed a petition saying the money would be better spent elsewhere. Rome had previously applied to host the 2020 Olympics but pulled out of that race because then prime minister Mario Monti feared Italy could not afford it."}], "question": "Which other cities have pulled out?", "id": "268_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1784, "answer_end": 2534, "text": "The vote in Calgary was non-binding, but the city council is expected to respect the result when it meets on Monday. Calgary councillor Sean Chu said the result showed people in Calgary had \"had enough of the establishment telling us what to do\". \"They tell you to spend millions, billions, it's good for you,\" he said. Calgary has hosted the Winter Olympics before, in 1988. The Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation said the bid had been a chance to \"put us back on the map\". \"It all made sense, and it still makes sense,\" it said. The Canadian Olympic Committee also said it was disappointed with the result but would respect it. Holding the Games \"within our nation's culture of peace and inclusion, would have offered countless benefits to all\", it said."}], "question": "What has the reaction in Calgary been?", "id": "268_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Meteorite leaves crater in Nicaraguan capital Managua", "date": "8 September 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A small meteorite landed near the international airport in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, on Saturday night, government officials say. Residents reported hearing a loud bang and feeling the impact, which left a crater 12m (40ft) wide and 5m deep. Government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said the meteorite seemed to have broken off an asteroid which was passing close to Earth. She said international experts had been called in to investigate further. No-one was hurt when it hit the wooded area near the international airport and an air force base. An adviser to Nicaragua's Institute of Earth Studies (Ineter), Wilfried Strauch, said he was \"convinced it was a meteorite\" which caused the impact. Experts studying the crater said it was not clear whether the meteorite had disintegrated upon impact or had been blasted into soil. Locals said they heard a large blast just before midnight local time and reported a burning smell. \"We thought it was a bomb because we felt an expansive wave,\" Jorge Santamaria told Associated Press news agency. Ineter scientist Jose Millan said that \"we need to celebrate the fact that it fell in an area where, thank God, it didn't cause any danger to the population\". Managua, which has more than a million inhabitants is densely populated. \"All the evidence that we've confirmed at the site corresponds exactly with a meteorite and not with any other type of event,\" he said. \"We have the seismic register which coincides with the time of impact, and the typical characteristic that it produces a cone in the place of impact,\" he added. Astronomer Humberto Saballos said the meteorite could have broken off from the 2014RC asteroid which passed Earth at the same time. 2014RC, which is the size of a house, came closest to earth at 18:18 GMT on Sunday, when it passed over New Zealand at a distance of about 40,000km (25,000 miles). The asteroid was first discovered on 31 August and, at its closest approach, was about one-tenth of the distance from the centre of Earth to the Moon, Nasa said in a statement. It is expected to orbit near Earth again in the future. In February 2013, a meteorite exploded over Chelyabinsk in Central Russia, injuring more than 1,000 people. Nasa currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass relatively close to Earth.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1046, "answer_end": 2307, "text": "Ineter scientist Jose Millan said that \"we need to celebrate the fact that it fell in an area where, thank God, it didn't cause any danger to the population\". Managua, which has more than a million inhabitants is densely populated. \"All the evidence that we've confirmed at the site corresponds exactly with a meteorite and not with any other type of event,\" he said. \"We have the seismic register which coincides with the time of impact, and the typical characteristic that it produces a cone in the place of impact,\" he added. Astronomer Humberto Saballos said the meteorite could have broken off from the 2014RC asteroid which passed Earth at the same time. 2014RC, which is the size of a house, came closest to earth at 18:18 GMT on Sunday, when it passed over New Zealand at a distance of about 40,000km (25,000 miles). The asteroid was first discovered on 31 August and, at its closest approach, was about one-tenth of the distance from the centre of Earth to the Moon, Nasa said in a statement. It is expected to orbit near Earth again in the future. In February 2013, a meteorite exploded over Chelyabinsk in Central Russia, injuring more than 1,000 people. Nasa currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass relatively close to Earth."}], "question": "Asteroid link?", "id": "269_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How do European elections work?", "date": "11 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The European Union (EU) has agreed a Brexit delay until the end of October and preparations have started to take part in the European elections on 23 May. Prime Minister Theresa May says if a deal gets through Parliament before that date, the UK will not participate. But it seems likely that the UK will still be in the EU at that point. The European Parliament is directly elected by EU voters. It is responsible, along with the Council of Ministers from member states, for making laws (proposed by the European Commission) and approving budgets. It also plays a role in the EU's relations with other countries, including those wishing to join the bloc. Its members represent the interests of different countries and different regions within the EU. Every five years, EU countries go to the polls to elect members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Each country is allocated a set number of seats, roughly depending on the size of its population. The smallest, Malta (population: around half a million) has six members sitting in the European Parliament while the largest, Germany (population: 82 million) has 96. At the moment there are 751 MEPs in total and the UK has 73. Candidates can stand as individuals or they can stand as representatives of one of the UK's political parties. Once elected, they represent different regions of the country, again according to population. The north-east of England and Northern Ireland have three MEPs each while the south-east of England, including London, has 18. While most UK MEPs are also members of a national party, once in the European Parliament they sit in one of eight political groups which include MEPs from across the EU who share the same political affiliation. Member states can run elections to the European Parliament according to their own national laws and traditions, but they must stick to some common rules. MEPs must be elected using a system of proportional representation - so, for example, a party which gains a third of the votes wins a third of the seats. Turnout in the UK for European Parliament elections is low both by EU standards and by the standards of other UK elections. The last time they were held in 2014, 36% of those eligible to vote did so, compared with 43% in the EU as a whole. That compares with 66% turnout at the following year's general election. In 2016, 56% of the electorate voted in the Scottish Parliament elections, 45% in the Welsh Assembly and 54% in the Northern Ireland Assembly. In local elections in England, turnout varies depending largely on what other elections are taking place on the same day, sometimes dipping as low as the European elections turnout and sometimes rising close to the level of general elections. The last time European elections were held in 2014, the UK spent PS109m on them. The main costs were running the poll itself (securing polling stations and venues to run counts) and mailing out candidate information and polling cards. The government has said that if the UK does not end up participating in the 2019 elections, it will reimburse local returning officers - the people responsible for running elections - for any expenses already paid. The EU is planning to reduce the overall number of seats in the parliament from 751 to 705 when the UK leaves. There will be a reallocation of 27 of the UK's seats to 14 other member states that are currently underrepresented. And the rest will be set aside with the possibility of being allocated to any new member states that join in the future. The EU has already passed legislation to do this, but it does not take effect until the UK leaves. The number of seats is capped in law at 751. The European Commission had advised that as long as the UK made a decision to take part in the European elections by mid-April, this reallocation would be reversed. But what if the UK elects MEPs and then passes a deal to leave the EU? In that case, the UK MEPs would not take their seats, leaving vacancies. The House of Commons Library says that extra MEPs could potentially be elected on \"stand-by\" in some member states but not take up their seats until the UK leaves the EU. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 339, "answer_end": 751, "text": "The European Parliament is directly elected by EU voters. It is responsible, along with the Council of Ministers from member states, for making laws (proposed by the European Commission) and approving budgets. It also plays a role in the EU's relations with other countries, including those wishing to join the bloc. Its members represent the interests of different countries and different regions within the EU."}], "question": "What is the European Parliament?", "id": "270_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 752, "answer_end": 2726, "text": "Every five years, EU countries go to the polls to elect members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Each country is allocated a set number of seats, roughly depending on the size of its population. The smallest, Malta (population: around half a million) has six members sitting in the European Parliament while the largest, Germany (population: 82 million) has 96. At the moment there are 751 MEPs in total and the UK has 73. Candidates can stand as individuals or they can stand as representatives of one of the UK's political parties. Once elected, they represent different regions of the country, again according to population. The north-east of England and Northern Ireland have three MEPs each while the south-east of England, including London, has 18. While most UK MEPs are also members of a national party, once in the European Parliament they sit in one of eight political groups which include MEPs from across the EU who share the same political affiliation. Member states can run elections to the European Parliament according to their own national laws and traditions, but they must stick to some common rules. MEPs must be elected using a system of proportional representation - so, for example, a party which gains a third of the votes wins a third of the seats. Turnout in the UK for European Parliament elections is low both by EU standards and by the standards of other UK elections. The last time they were held in 2014, 36% of those eligible to vote did so, compared with 43% in the EU as a whole. That compares with 66% turnout at the following year's general election. In 2016, 56% of the electorate voted in the Scottish Parliament elections, 45% in the Welsh Assembly and 54% in the Northern Ireland Assembly. In local elections in England, turnout varies depending largely on what other elections are taking place on the same day, sometimes dipping as low as the European elections turnout and sometimes rising close to the level of general elections."}], "question": "How are its members elected?", "id": "270_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2727, "answer_end": 3176, "text": "The last time European elections were held in 2014, the UK spent PS109m on them. The main costs were running the poll itself (securing polling stations and venues to run counts) and mailing out candidate information and polling cards. The government has said that if the UK does not end up participating in the 2019 elections, it will reimburse local returning officers - the people responsible for running elections - for any expenses already paid."}], "question": "How much do elections cost?", "id": "270_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3177, "answer_end": 4148, "text": "The EU is planning to reduce the overall number of seats in the parliament from 751 to 705 when the UK leaves. There will be a reallocation of 27 of the UK's seats to 14 other member states that are currently underrepresented. And the rest will be set aside with the possibility of being allocated to any new member states that join in the future. The EU has already passed legislation to do this, but it does not take effect until the UK leaves. The number of seats is capped in law at 751. The European Commission had advised that as long as the UK made a decision to take part in the European elections by mid-April, this reallocation would be reversed. But what if the UK elects MEPs and then passes a deal to leave the EU? In that case, the UK MEPs would not take their seats, leaving vacancies. The House of Commons Library says that extra MEPs could potentially be elected on \"stand-by\" in some member states but not take up their seats until the UK leaves the EU."}], "question": "What happens if the UK leaves?", "id": "270_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sean Spicer quits: White House press secretary plays down 'row'", "date": "22 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "White House press secretary Sean Spicer has moved to minimise talk of divisions within the Trump administration after announcing his resignation. Mr Spicer is reportedly stepping down because he is unhappy with President Donald Trump's appointment of a new communications director. But he told Fox News he had \"no regrets\" about his six-month stint. Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci has been picked for the role that Mr Spicer had partially filled. The shake-up at the White House comes amid several investigations into alleged Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election and whether Mr Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow. \"The president obviously wanted to add to the team, more than anything,\" Mr Spicer told interviewer Sean Hannity. \"I just thought it was in the best interest of our communications department, of our press organisation, to not have too many cooks in the kitchen. \"Without me in the way, they have a fresh start, so that I'm not lurking over them.\" He defended President Trump's agenda, saying it was an honour and a privilege to serve him, and hit out at what he termed \"media bias\". He said: \"I was increasingly disappointed about the way the media here do their job - or don't do their job.\" The 45 year old also said he had told Mr Trump he \"would stay on for a few weeks to achieve a smooth transition\", and was looking forward to spending more time with his family. President Trump tweeted: \"Sean Spicer is a wonderful person who took tremendous abuse from the Fake News Media - but his future is bright!\" The New York Times reported that Mr Spicer had \"vehemently\" disagreed with the appointment of Mr Scaramucci, which he believed to be a \"major mistake\". - inflating crowd size estimates at Trump inauguration at first briefing - his appearance, particularly his suits, reportedly criticised by Trump - saying Hitler never used chemical weapons and referring to Holocaust \"centres\" - butt of text message joke by adviser Steve Bannon about his weight - defending Trump \"covfefe\" tweet by saying it had hidden meaning - frozen out of meeting with the Pope in Rome, despite being devout Catholic - not invited to Paris for Trump visit Mr Spicer's often chaotic press briefings over the past six months were a cable news hit, but in recent weeks he had withdrawn from appearances in front of the camera. In an assured debut, he attended Friday afternoon's news conference to announce that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, formerly Mr Spicer's deputy, would step into his shoes. \"I love the president and it's an honour to be here,\" Mr Scaramucci said, adding: \"He is genuinely a wonderful human being.\" Mr Scaramucci, who has no previous experience in communications roles, paid tribute to Mr Spicer as \"a true American patriot\" and \"incredibly gracious\". \"I hope he goes on to make a tremendous amount of money,\" he added. Mr Scaramucci also apologised and said he had been \"unexperienced\" as he explained his previous criticism of the president. In an August 2015 interview with Fox Business, he dismissed Mr Trump as a \"hack\" and \"an inherited money dude\" with \"a big mouth\". Mr Scaramucci is currently senior vice-president of the Export-Import Bank, a US government agency which guarantees loans for foreign buyers of American exports. A former member of the Trump transition team, he mistakenly suggested to the BBC in January that Elton John would play at the new president's inauguration. The singer promptly denied it. Life on a White House staff is intense and exhausting. This administration is under particular pressure, given the ongoing Russia investigation, recent legislative setbacks and a president who can be, shall we say, occasionally off-message. Now cracks in the structure are beginning to show. Sean Spicer's departure, reportedly because he doesn't want to work for newly named communication director Anthony Scaramucci, represents the most significant shakeup within the administration's senior team to date. It could also be a sign of bigger tremors to come. Mr Spicer was closely allied with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who was his boss last year in the Republican National Committee. The Trump team has been rife with personal feuds, as various factions vie for a mercurial president's ear. Leaks abound. The prestige and power of advisers and aides wax and wane. Media reports abound of a White House under siege. And just a reminder - the Trump presidency is only six months old. On day one in January, Mr Spicer set the tone of his relationship with the press by bursting into the briefing room to berate journalists for their reporting of crowd numbers at President Trump's inauguration. His proclivity for gaffes and garbling of his words, as well as making debatable assertions, soon made Mr Spicer a household name. But he could also be charming and was liked by many among the press corps. Mr Spicer was lampooned on topical comedy show Saturday Night Live, where Melissa McCarthy played him as a loud-mouthed bully who brandished his lectern at reporters. Mr Trump noted approvingly in April that Mr Spicer \"gets great ratings\". A month later, the president said: \"He's doing a good job but he gets beat up.\" Mr Spicer was roundly mocked after he reportedly hid by a hedgerow on the White House grounds to avoid reporters on the night Mr Trump fired the FBI director in May. His last on-camera briefing was on 20 June, and there have been few since then. Members of the media have accused the Trump administration of attempting to kill off the daily news conferences to avoid scrutiny.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2360, "answer_end": 3474, "text": "In an assured debut, he attended Friday afternoon's news conference to announce that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, formerly Mr Spicer's deputy, would step into his shoes. \"I love the president and it's an honour to be here,\" Mr Scaramucci said, adding: \"He is genuinely a wonderful human being.\" Mr Scaramucci, who has no previous experience in communications roles, paid tribute to Mr Spicer as \"a true American patriot\" and \"incredibly gracious\". \"I hope he goes on to make a tremendous amount of money,\" he added. Mr Scaramucci also apologised and said he had been \"unexperienced\" as he explained his previous criticism of the president. In an August 2015 interview with Fox Business, he dismissed Mr Trump as a \"hack\" and \"an inherited money dude\" with \"a big mouth\". Mr Scaramucci is currently senior vice-president of the Export-Import Bank, a US government agency which guarantees loans for foreign buyers of American exports. A former member of the Trump transition team, he mistakenly suggested to the BBC in January that Elton John would play at the new president's inauguration. The singer promptly denied it."}], "question": "What does Scaramucci say?", "id": "271_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Women 'unsure how much to eat while pregnant' - survey", "date": "24 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Most women do not know how much they should be eating while pregnant, a survey has suggested. The National Charity Partnership found only a third of the expectant mothers questioned got the correct answer. Health watchdog NICE advises that in the first six months of pregnancy women do not need any extra calories. But in the last trimester they require 200 extra calories a day - equivalent to two pieces of wholegrain toast with olive oil spread. The National Charity Partnership (NCP), made up of Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation and Tesco, says information on what pregnant women can eat is not reaching them. Its research of 2,100 UK women suggests more than one in three expectant mothers think they have to eat 300 or more extra calories every day. Meanwhile, 61% of the 140 women who were pregnant when questioned believed they should start taking on extra calories in the first or second trimester. The NCP is working with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to debunk the myth of \"eating for two\" and make dietary requirements for pregnant women easier to understand. Eating for two is the idea that women need to eat for both them and their unborn child when they are pregnant. Over a quarter of pregnant women admitted they used \"eating for two\" as an excuse to eat unhealthy food all the time. Alex Davis, head of prevention for the NCP, said the myth was \"very unhelpful\" for getting the right information out to mums. \"Eating healthily and consuming healthy portion sizes are important before, during and after pregnancy to increase the chances of conceiving naturally, reduce the risk of pregnancy and birth-related complications and stave off health problems like type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease in the long-term.\" A woman normally needs to have 2,000 calories a day - this includes food and drink. But when you are in the last trimester of your pregnancy, you should eat 200 extra calories a day. There is no need for any additional calories in the first six months. - Have a balanced diet - this is eating a variety of food from the five main groups of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates such as pasta and potatoes, protein like pulses, fish, eggs and meat, dairy such as milk and yoghurt and fats - Have a healthy breakfast every day to avoid snacking on high fat and sugar foods - Get at least your five-a-day of fruit and vegetables - Get fibre from wholegrain foods and nuts - Make carbs just over a third of the food you eat. Carbohydrates, including bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and oats, are an important source of energy - Have protein every day which can include fish, eggs and pulses - Eat two portions of fish a week, only one should be oily fish like salmon or mackerel - For dairy - try and choose low-fat options of milk, yoghurt and hard cheese - Limit food and drinks high in fat and sugar like fizzy drinks and biscuits - Choose healthy snacks such as salad vegetables, hummus, and vegetable soup Source: NHS Choices And you can join the debate on our Facebook page. Professor Janice Rymer, vice president of education for the RCOG, said eating too much while pregnant \"can be detrimental\" to mother and baby. \"Women who are overweight during pregnancy are at an increased risk of having a miscarriage and developing conditions such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. \"They are also more likely to have a premature baby, require a Caesarean section, experience a haemorrhage after birth or develop a clot which can be life-threatening. \"In addition, overweight women have bigger babies who are themselves more likely to become obese and have significant health problems as a result.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1784, "answer_end": 2036, "text": "A woman normally needs to have 2,000 calories a day - this includes food and drink. But when you are in the last trimester of your pregnancy, you should eat 200 extra calories a day. There is no need for any additional calories in the first six months."}], "question": "So how much can I eat?", "id": "272_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Child Holocaust witness reveals lucky escape aboard The Lost Train", "date": "6 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mirjam Lapid-Andriesse was 10 years old when she was taken from her home in the Dutch city of Utrecht and placed in an Amsterdam \"ghetto\" with her family in April 1943. As a child, she was unaware of the gravity of what was unfolding around her. More than 100,000 Jews from cities and towns across the Netherlands were being gathered up to be deported during World War Two, mainly to death camps at Auschwitz and Sobibor. The victims included thousands of children. Only 5,000 people survived. \"I was a little girl during the war, so my memories are child memories, not political,\" she tells the BBC. \"I was the youngest of four children, two boys and two girls. I remember we were taken from the ghetto by train to the Westerbork transit camp in June 1943.\" Mirjam, now 86, was speaking on the day that Dutch state-run rail company NS began accepting applications for its compensation programme over its historical role in helping the Nazi occupiers transport Jewish families. Now living in Israel, Mirjam recalls her memories of life in Utrecht, the Amsterdam ghetto and the Westerbork camp. \"In the beginning it affected the adults more, but then it affected us,\" she says. \"We couldn't go to the swimming pool or the cinema, we had to hand over our bikes and we weren't allowed to go to public schools - so I actually lost three years of schooling.\" Despite this, she considers her family to be very fortunate, compared with others. \"Out of the six of us, five of us survived. Only our father died - so we were lucky.\" Mirjam's father, Herman, died from severe undernourishment and exhaustion on 24 February 1945, just six weeks before her family was liberated. In the days before the war ended, the Nazis began destroying evidence of concentration camps - including sites and documentation - and transporting prisoners to other locations within Germany. It was at this time, as Mirjam was travelling through Germany in 1945 on one of three trains that had departed from the camp at Bergen-Belsen, that she recalls the moment she was freed. \"Our train was known as The Lost Train,\" she says, after the vehicle intended to travel to Theresienstadt - in what is now the Czech Republic - was forced to reroute due to bombing, before stopping in the small German village of Trobitz. Many of the people on board died in transit due to malnutrition and illness. \"I celebrated my 12th birthday on the train, on 17 April 1945. \"Since then I celebrate my second birthday on 23 April - the day we were liberated by the Russian army in Trobitz, where we were held for two months. We were then returned to the Netherlands. \"I am, to this day, in contact with a family there,\" she adds. The involvement of Dutch rail company NS in assisting the Nazis in the 1940s had a direct impact on Mirjam and her family, but she does not blame them for what happened. \"Remember this was the Nazis,\" she says, \"the Germans paid for the use of the Dutch railways - but the company had no choice. \"I don't think they could have said no - I can't blame them for that.\" And what about the compensation now being made available to victims, will it make a difference? Is it enough? \"I never expected anything - EUR15,000 [PS14,000; $17,000] is a lot of money. I'm planning to do something special with it. \"Next year it will be 75 years since I was liberated. I'm planning to take all of my family - the children and grandchildren - to Trobitz to celebrate my personal victory.\" Mirjam moved to Israel in 1953. Her entire family relocated there \"because we didn't want anything like this to happen again\". \"I got married, my husband is South African. We live in Kibbutz Tzora and have raised five children. I have 14 grandchildren.\" She adds that, unfortunately, one of her children was killed in a helicopter accident while employed as a pilot in the Israeli army. A representative of the National Westerbork Memorial, Dirk Mulder, said in a TV interview last year that the NS had \"complied with the German order to make trains available\". \"The Germans paid for it and said the NS had to come up with a timetable. And the company went and did it without a word of objection,\" Mr Mulder said. Westerbork became a transit camp in 1941 and the first deportees left on 15 July 1942. The final train left on 13 September 1944, with 279 Jews on board. Among those deported from the camp were 245 Sinti and Roma. In November, NS said its role in operating trains on behalf of Germany's Nazi occupiers during World War Two was \"a past we cannot look away from\". NS, which formally apologised in 2005 and has described the deportations as a \"black page in the history of the company\", has promised each survivor EUR15,000, while up to EUR7,500 will go to children and widowed spouses of victims. \"It is estimated that several thousand people are eligible for the allowance, including an estimated 500 survivors. NS will set aside several tens of millions of euros for this in the coming years,\" NS said in a statement in June. The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO), which pursues claims over Jewish properties stolen by the Nazis in Europe, welcomed the move, but also urged NS to provide additional funds as a \"collective expression of recognition of the suffering and fate\" of the victims who did not survive. These additional funds, the group said, could be used to \"perpetuate the memory of those who perished\" through a variety of educational programmes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3839, "answer_end": 5435, "text": "A representative of the National Westerbork Memorial, Dirk Mulder, said in a TV interview last year that the NS had \"complied with the German order to make trains available\". \"The Germans paid for it and said the NS had to come up with a timetable. And the company went and did it without a word of objection,\" Mr Mulder said. Westerbork became a transit camp in 1941 and the first deportees left on 15 July 1942. The final train left on 13 September 1944, with 279 Jews on board. Among those deported from the camp were 245 Sinti and Roma. In November, NS said its role in operating trains on behalf of Germany's Nazi occupiers during World War Two was \"a past we cannot look away from\". NS, which formally apologised in 2005 and has described the deportations as a \"black page in the history of the company\", has promised each survivor EUR15,000, while up to EUR7,500 will go to children and widowed spouses of victims. \"It is estimated that several thousand people are eligible for the allowance, including an estimated 500 survivors. NS will set aside several tens of millions of euros for this in the coming years,\" NS said in a statement in June. The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO), which pursues claims over Jewish properties stolen by the Nazis in Europe, welcomed the move, but also urged NS to provide additional funds as a \"collective expression of recognition of the suffering and fate\" of the victims who did not survive. These additional funds, the group said, could be used to \"perpetuate the memory of those who perished\" through a variety of educational programmes."}], "question": "What was the railway's role in deportations?", "id": "273_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Captain Cook statue vandalised ahead of Australia Day", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A statue of British explorer Captain James Cook has been vandalised in Melbourne in an apparent protest on the eve of Australia Day. The statue was found covered in paint on Thursday. Graffiti depicted an Aboriginal flag and the words: \"We remember genocide\". Australia Day, the anniversary of British settlement, causes annual debate over indigenous sensitivities. The Australian government said the vandalism was \"disgraceful\". \"These vandals are trashing our national heritage and should be prosecuted,\" tweeted Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge. He told local radio station 3AW: \"I want Australia Day to be a great unifying day for our country. It has been for many decades now.\" Police said they were investigating the incident but no suspects had been identified. The national celebration falls on 26 January, the day in 1788 when Britain's First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove. Captain Cook had made it to Australia's east coast in 1770. Many indigenous Australians have said Australia Day should be held on a different date, arguing the current celebration is hurtful. Several protests are planned for around the nation on Friday after similar events in recent years. However, the government has consistently defended the celebration. Last year, a statue of Captain Cook in central Sydney was also vandalised with messages including \"change the date\" and \"no pride in genocide\". It followed a high-profile public debate about whether it was appropriate for the statue to carry a plaque saying \"discovered this territory\". Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the vandalism at the time, drawing a comparison with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. \"When [Stalin] fell out with his henchmen he didn't just execute them, they were removed from all official photographs - they became non-persons, banished not just from life's mortal coil but from memory and history itself,\" he said. \"Tearing down or defacing statues of our colonial era explorers and governors is not much better than that.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 798, "answer_end": 1267, "text": "The national celebration falls on 26 January, the day in 1788 when Britain's First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove. Captain Cook had made it to Australia's east coast in 1770. Many indigenous Australians have said Australia Day should be held on a different date, arguing the current celebration is hurtful. Several protests are planned for around the nation on Friday after similar events in recent years. However, the government has consistently defended the celebration."}], "question": "Why has Australia Day caused controversy?", "id": "274_0"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea hackers 'want cash not secrets'", "date": "28 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korean hackers are increasingly trying to steal cash rather than secrets, a South Korean government-backed report suggests. Cyber-criminals are targeting financial institutions as Pyongyang faces tough nuclear sanctions, the Financial Security Institute (FSI) claims. Suspected hacking attempts were until recently thought to be aimed at causing disruption or accessing data. North Korea has routinely denied involvement in cyber-attacks. The FSI analysed cyber-attacks between 2015 and 2017. The impoverished country is now facing even tougher international sanctions aimed at stopping the flow of money that would support the development of its weapons programme. Perhaps the most high profile hack linked to North Korea in recent years targeted Sony's entertainment business in 2014 - wiping out massive amounts of data and leading to the online distribution of emails, personal and sensitive employee data as well as pirated copies of new movies. However the FSI is not alone in saying there had been a shift away from this kind of disruptive, embarrassing hack, and towards cyber-attacks raising money. Cyber-hacks season: Some cyber-security firms have also connected North Korea with the global \"WannaCry\" cyber attack that affected 150 countries in May and crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service (NHS). and demanded victims pay to access data. US officials are also believed to be building a case linking last year's $81m (PS62m) cyber-heist at the Bangladesh central bank to North Korean hackers. And Russian firm Kaspersky has linked North Korea to attacks on Polish banks. A report by FireEye says that North Korean cyber-operators are \"increasingly engaged in financially motivated activity\" and targeting virtual currency services. \"Actors are targeting virtual currency service providers such as exchanges and brokerage services based in South Korea,\" FireEye said. \"It is not yet clear how North Korean actors are leveraging virtual currencies, although targeting of these services demonstrates definite interest.\" North Korea is also reported to be mining the virtual currency Bitcoin. FireEye said that such currencies were attractive to criminals because they could be traded in relative anonymity, compared with currencies that are managed and tracked by central banks. The FSI report identifies eight specific instances where hackers targeted South Korean government and commercial institutions. The report also identified a hacking group named Andariel that \"has been active since at least May 2016,\" according to a translation of the document by Reuters. Andariel is believed to have tried to steal bank card information by hacking into automated teller machines to either withdraw cash or sell the data on the black market. It has also allegedly created malware to hack into online poker and other gambling sites and steal cash. The FSI was launched by the South Korean government in 2015, following attacks on major South Korean banks. This week BBC News is taking a close look at all aspects of cyber-security. The coverage is timed to coincide with the two biggest shows in the security calendar - Black Hat and Def Con. Follow all our coverage via this link", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 672, "answer_end": 2307, "text": "Perhaps the most high profile hack linked to North Korea in recent years targeted Sony's entertainment business in 2014 - wiping out massive amounts of data and leading to the online distribution of emails, personal and sensitive employee data as well as pirated copies of new movies. However the FSI is not alone in saying there had been a shift away from this kind of disruptive, embarrassing hack, and towards cyber-attacks raising money. Cyber-hacks season: Some cyber-security firms have also connected North Korea with the global \"WannaCry\" cyber attack that affected 150 countries in May and crippled parts of Britain's National Health Service (NHS). and demanded victims pay to access data. US officials are also believed to be building a case linking last year's $81m (PS62m) cyber-heist at the Bangladesh central bank to North Korean hackers. And Russian firm Kaspersky has linked North Korea to attacks on Polish banks. A report by FireEye says that North Korean cyber-operators are \"increasingly engaged in financially motivated activity\" and targeting virtual currency services. \"Actors are targeting virtual currency service providers such as exchanges and brokerage services based in South Korea,\" FireEye said. \"It is not yet clear how North Korean actors are leveraging virtual currencies, although targeting of these services demonstrates definite interest.\" North Korea is also reported to be mining the virtual currency Bitcoin. FireEye said that such currencies were attractive to criminals because they could be traded in relative anonymity, compared with currencies that are managed and tracked by central banks."}], "question": "Strategy shift?", "id": "275_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Strauss-Kahn faces tough routine at Rikers Island jail", "date": "18 May 2011", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In only two days, Dominique Strauss-Kahn has moved from a $3,000-a-night penthouse suite to a cell in one of America's most notorious jails. The IMF chief, accused of trying to rape a hotel maid, is being detained at Rikers Island on the edge of New York. The sprawling complex is the subject of TV dramas and home to gang members and thousands of other inmates accused of serious crimes. Mr Strauss-Kahn is being held in his own cell, officials say. Both Rikers Island and the courthouse detention centre Mr Strauss-Kahn was transferred from - known as \"The Tombs\" - are considered to be dangerous. \"It's crowded and the food is terrible. And one of the dangerous things is famous people are preyed upon,\" defence attorney Gerald Lefcourt told the Reuters news agency, referring to both places. The Rikers jail complex sits on a 400-acre (1.65 sq km) island on the East River, near LaGuardia airport, between the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. Built in the 1930s (although there has been a jail on the island since the late 19th Century), the facility is a chaotic maze of cells in 10 separate facilities that cater for men, women, adolescents and those in need of medical attention. The Rikers complex holds about 11,000 inmates on any given day. It houses suspects denied bail pending trial as well as those serving sentences of less than a year. Many low-risk offenders share cells with dozens of other people. Some are housed in 50-bed barracks. One of America's largest jails, its staff are catered for by an island infrastructure that includes shops, schools, churches and its own power plant. Previous residents include Sid Vicious, the Sex Pistols bassist who was held at Rikers after murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in the Chelsea Hotel in 1979, as was Mark Chapman, the man who shot dead Beatles star John Lennon on the steps of his Manhattan home. The island facility has also played host to a plethora of so-called gangsta rappers, including Tupac Shakur, DMX, Foxy Brown and Lil Wayne among its previous inmates. Such is the facility's infamy that musician Kool G dedicated an eponymous rap to it 1990, which contains the lyrics: \"Whether you're white or you're black, you'll be black and blue... They have a nice warm welcome for new inmates - razors, and shanks and sharp edged plates.\" Mr Strauss-Kahn is expected to be kept in virtual isolation and under 24-hour watch, in large part for his own protection from inmates who might relish the opportunity to attack someone famous. \"This is not about isolating the inmate from any human contact. This is about preventing the inmate from being victimised or harmed in some way as a result of his high profile,\" a spokesman for New York's Department of Correction said. His cell will measure 11ft by 13ft (3.35m by 4m), law enforcement officials told the Reuters news agency. The New York Times reports that the IMF chief is being held in protective custody in a single-person cell in the prison's West Facility - normally home to prisoners with contagious diseases or drug problems. The BBC's Tom Burridge in Washington says his routine and conditions are expected to be similar to most other inmates. He is likely to be woken at 0600 and lights will go out around 2300. He will not have to remain in his cell at all times, but will be escorted by a guard when outside; he is expected to be given an hour of recreational time each day. Although he will have no TV or internet access, Mr Strauss-Kahn will be able to peruse a limited number of books, magazines and newspapers. As well as regular visits from his legal team, he will be allowed three visits from family and friends. His diet will be a far cry from that offered in many of the New York eateries with which the IMF chief is familiar: breakfasts at Rikers comprise fruit and cereal, while staple fare for main meals includes ground turkey with rice and beans, battered fish and cabbage or curried chicken.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2313, "answer_end": 3940, "text": "Mr Strauss-Kahn is expected to be kept in virtual isolation and under 24-hour watch, in large part for his own protection from inmates who might relish the opportunity to attack someone famous. \"This is not about isolating the inmate from any human contact. This is about preventing the inmate from being victimised or harmed in some way as a result of his high profile,\" a spokesman for New York's Department of Correction said. His cell will measure 11ft by 13ft (3.35m by 4m), law enforcement officials told the Reuters news agency. The New York Times reports that the IMF chief is being held in protective custody in a single-person cell in the prison's West Facility - normally home to prisoners with contagious diseases or drug problems. The BBC's Tom Burridge in Washington says his routine and conditions are expected to be similar to most other inmates. He is likely to be woken at 0600 and lights will go out around 2300. He will not have to remain in his cell at all times, but will be escorted by a guard when outside; he is expected to be given an hour of recreational time each day. Although he will have no TV or internet access, Mr Strauss-Kahn will be able to peruse a limited number of books, magazines and newspapers. As well as regular visits from his legal team, he will be allowed three visits from family and friends. His diet will be a far cry from that offered in many of the New York eateries with which the IMF chief is familiar: breakfasts at Rikers comprise fruit and cereal, while staple fare for main meals includes ground turkey with rice and beans, battered fish and cabbage or curried chicken."}], "question": "Battered fish or cabbage?", "id": "276_0"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo: Nearly 900 killed in ethnic clashes last month, UN says", "date": "16 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ethnic violence in western Democratic Republic of Congo left at least 890 dead over just three days last month, the UN says. \"Credible sources\" say clashes between Banunu and Batende communities took place in four villages in Yumbi, the UN Human Rights Office says. Most of the area's population has reportedly been displaced. Voting in the 30 December presidential election was postponed in Yumbi because of violence. The attacks had reportedly taken place on 16-18 December. Some 465 houses and buildings were burned down or pillaged, including two primary schools, a health centre, a health post, a market and the office of the country's independent electoral commission, the UN said. The displaced residents included some 16,000 people who sought refuge by crossing the Congo river into neighbouring Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, it added. \"It is crucial that this shocking violence be promptly, thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators be brought to justice,\" said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. At least 82 people had been injured in the attacks, according to the reports, but the UN said it expected the number of casualties to be higher. The UN Human Rights Office said it had launched an investigation. Yumbi, in Mai-Ndombe Province, is normally a peaceful area, correspondents say. Reports suggest the clashes started when members of the Banunu tribe wanted to bury one of their traditional chiefs on Batende land. Voting in the presidential election there, as well as in Beni and Butembo in eastern North Kivu Province, was postponed until March with the electoral commission blaming insecurity and an Ebola outbreak. Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared winner but another opponent of the current administration, Martin Fayulu, insists he won, alleging that Mr Tshisekedi made a deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Mr Fayulu filed an appeal in the Constitutional Court on Saturday demanding a manual recount of votes. The issue will be discussed at meetings of the African Union and the southern African regional body Sadc in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Thursday, AFP news agency reports. Mr Kabila has been in office for 18 years and the result, if confirmed, would create the first orderly transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 477, "answer_end": 1680, "text": "Some 465 houses and buildings were burned down or pillaged, including two primary schools, a health centre, a health post, a market and the office of the country's independent electoral commission, the UN said. The displaced residents included some 16,000 people who sought refuge by crossing the Congo river into neighbouring Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, it added. \"It is crucial that this shocking violence be promptly, thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators be brought to justice,\" said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. At least 82 people had been injured in the attacks, according to the reports, but the UN said it expected the number of casualties to be higher. The UN Human Rights Office said it had launched an investigation. Yumbi, in Mai-Ndombe Province, is normally a peaceful area, correspondents say. Reports suggest the clashes started when members of the Banunu tribe wanted to bury one of their traditional chiefs on Batende land. Voting in the presidential election there, as well as in Beni and Butembo in eastern North Kivu Province, was postponed until March with the electoral commission blaming insecurity and an Ebola outbreak."}], "question": "What's the UN saying?", "id": "277_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1681, "answer_end": 2347, "text": "Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared winner but another opponent of the current administration, Martin Fayulu, insists he won, alleging that Mr Tshisekedi made a deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Mr Fayulu filed an appeal in the Constitutional Court on Saturday demanding a manual recount of votes. The issue will be discussed at meetings of the African Union and the southern African regional body Sadc in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Thursday, AFP news agency reports. Mr Kabila has been in office for 18 years and the result, if confirmed, would create the first orderly transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960."}], "question": "What's the latest on the disputed election?", "id": "277_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela rivals' 'truce' crumbles amid name calling", "date": "2 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tension has again risen between Venezuela leader Nicolas Maduro and the opposition just hours after they had taken steps to defuse the situation. An opposition spokesman said President Maduro had \"broken the truce\" when he had labelled opposition politician Freddy Guevara a \"terrorist\". Mr Guevara had incurred the anger of Mr Maduro by saying that he did not agree with an opposition coalition decision to call off a protest march. The march was planned for 3 November. Events in Venezuela have been moving fast since an unexpected meeting between Pope Francis and President Maduro on 24 October. The Vatican announced it would mediate in talks aimed at defusing Venezuela's political and economic crisis. The country is deeply divided into followers of Mr Maduro and those who blame the president for the dire state of Venezuela's economy. Venezuela is suffering from spiralling inflation and severe shortages of basic goods which have led to some Venezuelans saying they are going hungry. The opposition wants to remove Mr Maduro from office, which has led the president to accuse them of coup-mongering. The two sides met face to face for the first time this year on Sunday for talks mediated by a Vatican envoy and former international leaders from Spain, the Dominican Republic and Panama. They agreed to create four working groups and to reconvene on 11 November. Since Sunday's meeting, both sides have taken conciliatory measures. - The government and the opposition agreed to \"cool down the rhetoric\" - The government released five detained opposition politicians - The opposition delayed a planned symbolic trial of President Maduro in the National Assembly - The opposition called off a protest march to the presidential palace planned for 3 November Following Sunday's meeting, both sides did indeed tone down their rhetoric. On Tuesday, President Maduro praised the opposition's decision to call off the protest march. He also called National Assembly leader Henry Ramos Allup \"sensible\", which contrasts with the insults he has in the past directed at him. The president also looked relaxed during the recording of his new radio programme, Salsa Hour, during which he could be seen dancing with his wife, Cilia Flores. However, his choice for the first song seemed a thinly-veiled message to those who want to see him gone from power: Ray Barretto's \"Indestructible\". Divisions within the opposition surfaced shortly after the National Assembly meeting. Popular Will, the party of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, said it did not agree with the opposition coalition's decision to postpone Mr Maduro's trial and to call off Thursday's protest march. The party did not attend the Vatican-mediated talks on Sunday and is considered one of the more hard-line in the Democratic Unity coalition (MUD). Its interim leader, Freddy Guevara, said Popular Will would not join any dialogue until Mr Lopez had been released. President Maduro called Mr Guevara \"a coward\" and warned that his immunity as a member of the National Assembly would not protect him from going to jail. He said that Popular Will was a party of \"terrorists\" and called on the courts \"to take action\" against it and Mr Guevara. He did not say what possible charges Mr Guevara could be facing or what alleged \"crimes\" they had committed. Mr Guevara said the party would not bow before President Maduro and his threats. He was backed up by the spokesman for the MUD coalition, Jesus Torrealba, who tweeted that \"by attacking Freddy Guevara and Popular Will, Maduro is attacking the negotiating table and mocks the word of @Pontifex-es\", referring to the Pope's Twitter handle. Mr Torrealba also said that Mr Maduro had \"broken the truce\" and accused Mr Maduro of \"dynamiting the negotiating table\". It is currently not clear whether the protest march planned for 3 November may now be back on. While the Popular Will party could hold its own protest march, it would draw smaller numbers than one organised by the opposition as a whole. With the rival sides trading barbs again, the Vatican envoy and other mediators will have their hands full trying to ensure that the next round of talks goes ahead as planned on 11 November. Meanwhile, international pressure is mounting for the two sides to find a solution to ease the economic crisis which is leaving Venezuelans increasingly desperate.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1764, "answer_end": 2383, "text": "Following Sunday's meeting, both sides did indeed tone down their rhetoric. On Tuesday, President Maduro praised the opposition's decision to call off the protest march. He also called National Assembly leader Henry Ramos Allup \"sensible\", which contrasts with the insults he has in the past directed at him. The president also looked relaxed during the recording of his new radio programme, Salsa Hour, during which he could be seen dancing with his wife, Cilia Flores. However, his choice for the first song seemed a thinly-veiled message to those who want to see him gone from power: Ray Barretto's \"Indestructible\"."}], "question": "What has the atmosphere been like?", "id": "278_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2384, "answer_end": 2935, "text": "Divisions within the opposition surfaced shortly after the National Assembly meeting. Popular Will, the party of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, said it did not agree with the opposition coalition's decision to postpone Mr Maduro's trial and to call off Thursday's protest march. The party did not attend the Vatican-mediated talks on Sunday and is considered one of the more hard-line in the Democratic Unity coalition (MUD). Its interim leader, Freddy Guevara, said Popular Will would not join any dialogue until Mr Lopez had been released."}], "question": "What went wrong?", "id": "278_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2936, "answer_end": 3321, "text": "President Maduro called Mr Guevara \"a coward\" and warned that his immunity as a member of the National Assembly would not protect him from going to jail. He said that Popular Will was a party of \"terrorists\" and called on the courts \"to take action\" against it and Mr Guevara. He did not say what possible charges Mr Guevara could be facing or what alleged \"crimes\" they had committed."}], "question": "How did Mr Maduro respond?", "id": "278_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3322, "answer_end": 3781, "text": "Mr Guevara said the party would not bow before President Maduro and his threats. He was backed up by the spokesman for the MUD coalition, Jesus Torrealba, who tweeted that \"by attacking Freddy Guevara and Popular Will, Maduro is attacking the negotiating table and mocks the word of @Pontifex-es\", referring to the Pope's Twitter handle. Mr Torrealba also said that Mr Maduro had \"broken the truce\" and accused Mr Maduro of \"dynamiting the negotiating table\"."}], "question": "What did the opposition say?", "id": "278_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3782, "answer_end": 4373, "text": "It is currently not clear whether the protest march planned for 3 November may now be back on. While the Popular Will party could hold its own protest march, it would draw smaller numbers than one organised by the opposition as a whole. With the rival sides trading barbs again, the Vatican envoy and other mediators will have their hands full trying to ensure that the next round of talks goes ahead as planned on 11 November. Meanwhile, international pressure is mounting for the two sides to find a solution to ease the economic crisis which is leaving Venezuelans increasingly desperate."}], "question": "What now?", "id": "278_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Emiliano Sala plane crash: The story behind the transfer flights", "date": "19 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The body representing air charter companies has called on aviation regulators to investigate the series of flights leading up to the plane crash which killed footballer Emiliano Sala. The Air Charter Association (Baca) has concerns about the nature of the schedule of flights arranged by agents behind the multi-million pound transfer deal to bring Sala to Cardiff City from French side Nantes. It wants the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) - which has an enforcement division - to investigate. Air accident investigators are still looking into why the Piper Malibu plane carrying Sala, 28, to Cardiff for his first training session crashed into the English Channel on the night of 21 January. The light aircraft was piloted by David Ibbotson, whose body has not been found. From the beginning of December through to a few days before the fatal crash, a succession of journeys were made between the UK and France by the various parties involved in the transfer deal. Football agent Willie McKay, who brokered the deal, has said he and his family arranged and paid for these flights. Among the passengers were Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock, coach Kevin Blackwell and player liaison manager Callum Davies. They were joined on some of the flights by Willie McKay himself and his son Mark McKay - agent to Nantes FC, where Emiliano Sala was playing at the time. Emiliano Sala and his agent Meissa N'Diaye were also on several flights from mid-January onwards, when discussions about the Argentinian striker's PS15m transfer to Cardiff intensified. A BBC Wales investigation has found the flights were conducted by three different companies or individuals. We understand that all were filed on flight plans as \"general aviation\" - therefore private, rather than commercial flights - and that none flew under an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) An AOC is a licence which charter companies obtain from the CAA - for a cost - and which provides a structure for the way they are run, including safety, flight operations, ground operations and maintenance, compliance and training. Holders of AOCs range from small charter aircraft companies with just a couple of aircraft, to large airline companies, such as Easyjet and British Airways. Without an AOC, BACA say there are strict regulations around how such a series of flights could be operated legally. On 5 December, the Cardiff City contingent, along with the McKays, were flown from Stapleford in Essex to Nantes to see Sala play for Nantes against Marseilles. The plane they flew on - a Pilatus PC-12 single engine aircraft with the registration G-KARE - is operated by a company called Flexifly Aircraft Hire Limited, based in Surrey and linked to a care home provider. The G denotes a UK-registered plane, which can be hired from the company under a \"dry lease\" arrangement - whereby aircraft and pilot are hired separately. Flexifly's website stipulates that any pilot flying the plane must hold a commercial pilot's licence with an instrument rating, have a minimum number of flying hours on the aircraft type behind them and \"be approved by the owner before they are permitted to pilot the aircraft concerned\". The next seven flights between 8-18 January - when Sala underwent a medical and signed for Cardiff City - were conducted by Channel Jets. A legitimate air charter company based in Guernsey, Channel Jets does hold an AOC - but only planes registered in Guernsey can be included on this. BBC Wales understands that the two jets used to fly various parties including Sala, his agent Meissa N'Diaye, Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock and club player liaison Callum Davies, Willie McKay and his son Mark on seven separate occasions in January did not fall under the AOC at the time. Both planes were registered in America, which means they cannot be flown commercially in Europe without the express permission of US regulator, the Federal Aviation Authority, and the CAA. The flights were listed on flight plans, as non-commercial. BBC Wales has discovered that eight days after the plane carrying Sala crashed, one of these planes was de-registered in the US and re-registered as a Guernsey-based plane. It was then placed on the company's AOC. Channel Jets have declined to comment beyond saying they had \"provided full details to the CAA\". After Sala had signed up to play for Cardiff City, his agent Mr N'Diaye was flown back to Nantes on 18 January by Lord George Porchester, who flies his own Piper Malibu plane under the company name Altaclara. The son of the Earl of Caernarfon, whose family seat is used as a filming location for TV's Downton Abbey, he holds a private pilot's licence. As the plane is registered in the US, it cannot be flown commercially in Europe and Lord Porchester can only fly passengers in the EU on a cost-sharing basis, not for reward. Lord Porchester has told BBC Wales he flew Mr N'Diaye as a \"favour\" for Willie McKay and did not receive any payment for the flight. \"I've got my own aircraft and I flew that flight,\" he said. \"There was no financial arrangement at all with anyone, it was a private flight.\" He added: \"I've been pulled into this because I've done someone a favour.\" - 5 December 2018 - Flight from Stapleford in Essex to Nantes - carrying Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock, assistant manager Kevin Blackwell, Willie McKay and Mark McKay to see Emiliano Sala play against Marseilles - 6 December - party returns from Nantes to Cardiff. Both flights made on G-KARE, operated by Surrey-based Flexifly Aircraft Hire Ltd - 8 January 2019 - Flight from Cardiff to Nantes - carrying Neil Warnock, Cardiff City player liaison Callum Davies, Willie and Mark McKay to meet Sala and his agent. They're flown back to Cardiff the same day.  On N531EA, owned by Guernsey-based Channel Jets - 14 January - Sala's agent, Meissa N'Diaye, flown from Paris to Nantes. N'Diaye and Sala are flown from Nantes to Cardiff to have a look around the Cardiff City Stadium, returning to Nantes the same day. Mr N'Diaye is then flown back to Paris. All flights made on N843TE - owned by Channel Jets - 18 January - Sala flies from Nantes to Cardiff for a medical and to sign his contract with Cardiff City.  Via Channel Jets in N531EA. Sala's agent Mr N'Diaye - who has travelled to Cardiff for the signing via a commercial flight - flown back to Paris by Lord George Porchester in his own aircraft, N14EF - 19 January - Sala flown back to Nantes by David Ibbotson on N264DB to bid farewell to his Nantes team-mates and make personal arrangements. Mr Ibbotson books into a hotel to await the return leg of the journey - on 21 January - to deliver Sala back to Cardiff for his first training session - 21 January - The flight leaves Nantes at 19:15 and disappears from radar around an hour into the journey. The Air Charter Association (Baca) feels there are sufficient questions around the way these flights were conducted to warrant an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority. While the AAIB is investigating the crash which killed Sala and his pilot, it's the CAA which investigates breaches of aviation regulations and licensing, and takes enforcement action where appropriate. Dave Edwards, chief executive of Baca, said: \"We did our research into these flights, we've identified which aircraft they were and the routes they flew, and that gave us rise for significant concern. \"There's enough for us to feel that the authorities need to be looking very closely at this to make sure everyone is keeping the interests of the travelling public at the forefront of their minds.\" Mr Edwards said Baca had been voicing concerns about \"grey\" and illegal charters to the CAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) for several years. They've passed their research on the flights connected to the Sala deal onto the CAA. The demand for such non-commercial flights is driven by cost, he believes, with companies continuing to offer flights while dodging the high cost of air operator certificates and their knock-on effect on customers. \"What we're seeing is a push towards making it more affordable, more attractive to people,\" he said. Baca says that the tragedy could prove a watershed moment for the aviation industry, as its longstanding concerns about safety and regulation of the non-commercial sector are pushed to the forefront of the agenda. \"Our industry has always had this line that it would take one famous person to be killed in an aircraft accident for it to come to the fore,\" said Mr Edwards. \"It's a tragedy, a horrible way for it to have happened, but sadly it's brought it more into the public than just within the aviation industry.\" He added that Baca would like to see more prosecutions by the CAA of those who contravene licensing regulations, and stiffer sentences when offenders are prosecuted. Willie McKay, who commissioned and paid for the flights around the Sala deal, and \"aviation broker\" David Henderson, who McKay says arranged the final flight which crashed, were both approached for comment on this story. Yes - and a recent one. A pilot who overloaded a plane which crashed on take-off with three passengers inside was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Robert Murgatroyd, from Blackpool, was convicted in February following a three-week trial at Manchester Crown Court. A jury found him guilty of recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft and flying without an air operator's certificate, appropriate licence, insurance or flight manual. Although Murgatroyd, 52, held a private pilot's licence, prosecutors told the jury that he was not allowed to run commercial flights, which in turn rendered his insurance null and void. The court heard that he had charged three men PS500 each to take them bird watching in Scotland in his Piper PA28 aircraft in September 2017. Murgatroyd, who had several previous convictions for illegally operating public transport flights, had neglected to factor his own weight into the flight plan, causing the aircraft to be \"grossly\" overloaded. The plane came down on farmland shortly after taking off, narrowly missing the busy M62 and injuring two passengers. In addition to a prison sentence, Murgatroyd's pilot's licence was revoked by the CAA. Murgatroyd had denied the offences, claiming to be a \"hero\" for saving the lives of those on board. The prosecution was pursued by Greater Manchester Police serious collision investigation unit. Senior investigator, Sergeant Lee Westhead, said after the case: \"Make no mistake, this could easily have been a truly terrible disaster, all caused because one man saw an opportunity to make a quick buck. \"His passenger weren't to know their pilot was flouting the law and had failed to take the appropriate safety measures.\" - BBC Wales News Focus can be contacted by emailing: news.focus.team@bbc.co.uk", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1546, "answer_end": 5179, "text": "A BBC Wales investigation has found the flights were conducted by three different companies or individuals. We understand that all were filed on flight plans as \"general aviation\" - therefore private, rather than commercial flights - and that none flew under an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) An AOC is a licence which charter companies obtain from the CAA - for a cost - and which provides a structure for the way they are run, including safety, flight operations, ground operations and maintenance, compliance and training. Holders of AOCs range from small charter aircraft companies with just a couple of aircraft, to large airline companies, such as Easyjet and British Airways. Without an AOC, BACA say there are strict regulations around how such a series of flights could be operated legally. On 5 December, the Cardiff City contingent, along with the McKays, were flown from Stapleford in Essex to Nantes to see Sala play for Nantes against Marseilles. The plane they flew on - a Pilatus PC-12 single engine aircraft with the registration G-KARE - is operated by a company called Flexifly Aircraft Hire Limited, based in Surrey and linked to a care home provider. The G denotes a UK-registered plane, which can be hired from the company under a \"dry lease\" arrangement - whereby aircraft and pilot are hired separately. Flexifly's website stipulates that any pilot flying the plane must hold a commercial pilot's licence with an instrument rating, have a minimum number of flying hours on the aircraft type behind them and \"be approved by the owner before they are permitted to pilot the aircraft concerned\". The next seven flights between 8-18 January - when Sala underwent a medical and signed for Cardiff City - were conducted by Channel Jets. A legitimate air charter company based in Guernsey, Channel Jets does hold an AOC - but only planes registered in Guernsey can be included on this. BBC Wales understands that the two jets used to fly various parties including Sala, his agent Meissa N'Diaye, Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock and club player liaison Callum Davies, Willie McKay and his son Mark on seven separate occasions in January did not fall under the AOC at the time. Both planes were registered in America, which means they cannot be flown commercially in Europe without the express permission of US regulator, the Federal Aviation Authority, and the CAA. The flights were listed on flight plans, as non-commercial. BBC Wales has discovered that eight days after the plane carrying Sala crashed, one of these planes was de-registered in the US and re-registered as a Guernsey-based plane. It was then placed on the company's AOC. Channel Jets have declined to comment beyond saying they had \"provided full details to the CAA\". After Sala had signed up to play for Cardiff City, his agent Mr N'Diaye was flown back to Nantes on 18 January by Lord George Porchester, who flies his own Piper Malibu plane under the company name Altaclara. The son of the Earl of Caernarfon, whose family seat is used as a filming location for TV's Downton Abbey, he holds a private pilot's licence. As the plane is registered in the US, it cannot be flown commercially in Europe and Lord Porchester can only fly passengers in the EU on a cost-sharing basis, not for reward. Lord Porchester has told BBC Wales he flew Mr N'Diaye as a \"favour\" for Willie McKay and did not receive any payment for the flight. \"I've got my own aircraft and I flew that flight,\" he said. \"There was no financial arrangement at all with anyone, it was a private flight.\" He added: \"I've been pulled into this because I've done someone a favour.\""}], "question": "What do we know about these flights?", "id": "279_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6793, "answer_end": 7735, "text": "The Air Charter Association (Baca) feels there are sufficient questions around the way these flights were conducted to warrant an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority. While the AAIB is investigating the crash which killed Sala and his pilot, it's the CAA which investigates breaches of aviation regulations and licensing, and takes enforcement action where appropriate. Dave Edwards, chief executive of Baca, said: \"We did our research into these flights, we've identified which aircraft they were and the routes they flew, and that gave us rise for significant concern. \"There's enough for us to feel that the authorities need to be looking very closely at this to make sure everyone is keeping the interests of the travelling public at the forefront of their minds.\" Mr Edwards said Baca had been voicing concerns about \"grey\" and illegal charters to the CAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) for several years."}], "question": "Why are there calls for a wider investigation?", "id": "279_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 9043, "answer_end": 10036, "text": "Yes - and a recent one. A pilot who overloaded a plane which crashed on take-off with three passengers inside was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Robert Murgatroyd, from Blackpool, was convicted in February following a three-week trial at Manchester Crown Court. A jury found him guilty of recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft and flying without an air operator's certificate, appropriate licence, insurance or flight manual. Although Murgatroyd, 52, held a private pilot's licence, prosecutors told the jury that he was not allowed to run commercial flights, which in turn rendered his insurance null and void. The court heard that he had charged three men PS500 each to take them bird watching in Scotland in his Piper PA28 aircraft in September 2017. Murgatroyd, who had several previous convictions for illegally operating public transport flights, had neglected to factor his own weight into the flight plan, causing the aircraft to be \"grossly\" overloaded."}], "question": "Is there a precedent for prosecution of those who breach aviation regulations?", "id": "279_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Five Star and League: Italy populist leaders close to government deal", "date": "10 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement and right-wing League party say they have made significant steps to forming a government, more than two months after a general election. Luigi Di Maio of Five Star and Matteo Salvini of The League have been given until Sunday to solve their differences. The prospect of a populist, Eurosceptic government has worried investors. But a deal would end political deadlock and the threat of another vote. The two leaders said in a joint statement they were aiming to \"provide a response and a political government for the country as soon as possible\". They have given no indication who would lead the government or what their policies will be. Mr Di Maio wrote on Facebook: \"I cannot hide my joy and happiness that we can finally start solving Italy's problems\". Once a programme is agreed, Five Star members are expected to have an online vote on it, in line with the movement's belief in direct democracy. President Sergio Mattarella, who had earlier given the parties until Thursday afternoon to reach a partnership deal, agreed to extend the deadline. But in a speech he appeared to warn them not to build a government that confronted the European Union and the euro. It would be a mistake, he warned, \"to look to 19th-Century solutions when trying to solve the problems of the 21st Century\". Italy's main FTMIB share index fell by more than 1% and government bond yields hit a seven-week high as the prospects of a populist coalition grew. By James Reynolds, BBC Rome correspondent In many ways, a Five Star-League coalition is a natural choice. Each party campaigned in the March general election as a populist, anti-system movement, wary of Italy's current relationship with the rest of the European Union. Five Star picked up votes by promising income support for the country's poor. The League wants to impose a 15% flat tax which would benefit companies. In order to fund these promises, the parties have each called for a renegotiation of the EU's strict fiscal rules. We don't yet know if the two parties, in coalition, will want to go further. Five Star has stepped back from an earlier promise to hold a referendum on the country's membership of the single currency. The League, which once promised to withdraw from the EU entirely, currently says it wants to reform the union from within. Five Star has been open to taking part in a government with the nationalist League for some time, but always refused to work with Matteo Salvini's centre-right coalition ally, ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The centre-right coalition won the 4 March election without sufficient support for a majority, while Five Star was the biggest single party. The 81-year-old billionaire is considered corrupt by Five Star, and he has said the anti-establishment movement does \"not have the political maturity\" for government. Until President Mattarella abandoned attempts at forming a government earlier this week, threatening a \"neutral\" government run by technocrats, Mr Salvini had said he would not abandon Mr Berlusconi. Eventually, on Wednesday night, the former prime minister agreed not to stand in the way of a Five Star coalition with The League. However, he insisted his Forza Italia party would not back a confidence motion if they present a new government to parliament. They would not need his support as the two parties between them command over half the vote.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1486, "answer_end": 2344, "text": "By James Reynolds, BBC Rome correspondent In many ways, a Five Star-League coalition is a natural choice. Each party campaigned in the March general election as a populist, anti-system movement, wary of Italy's current relationship with the rest of the European Union. Five Star picked up votes by promising income support for the country's poor. The League wants to impose a 15% flat tax which would benefit companies. In order to fund these promises, the parties have each called for a renegotiation of the EU's strict fiscal rules. We don't yet know if the two parties, in coalition, will want to go further. Five Star has stepped back from an earlier promise to hold a referendum on the country's membership of the single currency. The League, which once promised to withdraw from the EU entirely, currently says it wants to reform the union from within."}], "question": "What would a populist government mean for EU?", "id": "280_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2345, "answer_end": 3415, "text": "Five Star has been open to taking part in a government with the nationalist League for some time, but always refused to work with Matteo Salvini's centre-right coalition ally, ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The centre-right coalition won the 4 March election without sufficient support for a majority, while Five Star was the biggest single party. The 81-year-old billionaire is considered corrupt by Five Star, and he has said the anti-establishment movement does \"not have the political maturity\" for government. Until President Mattarella abandoned attempts at forming a government earlier this week, threatening a \"neutral\" government run by technocrats, Mr Salvini had said he would not abandon Mr Berlusconi. Eventually, on Wednesday night, the former prime minister agreed not to stand in the way of a Five Star coalition with The League. However, he insisted his Forza Italia party would not back a confidence motion if they present a new government to parliament. They would not need his support as the two parties between them command over half the vote."}], "question": "Why is Berlusconi important?", "id": "280_1"}]}]}, {"title": "South Korea impeachment: Critics urge Park Geun-hye arrest", "date": "11 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye is keeping her silence as calls grow for her arrest. Ms Park was forced from office on Friday, after judges unanimously upheld parliament's decision to impeach her over her role in a corruption scandal involving close friend, Choi Soon-sil. Despite the ruling, she remains inside the presidential compound. Thousands turned out for rallies in Seoul on Saturday, a day after three people involved in protests died there. Many were calling for Ms Park's arrest, although a smaller number of her supporters also gathered in nearby streets. There are fears the two sides may clash and there is a heavy police presence. A spokeswoman for the protesters supporting the court's decision, Choi In-sook, told Reuters they were demanding the arrest of their former leader. Ms Park has lost her presidential immunity and could face criminal charges. Meanwhile, the country's election commission announced a \"free and fair\" vote would be held by 9 May at the latest. Currently, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party is leading in the polls, with one survey putting him almost 22% ahead of his nearest rival, acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is loyal to Ms Park. Mr Hwang has called for calm, saying the government should remain stable to prevent internal conflict from spreading. However, police are bracing themselves for more violence following the deaths of two of Ms Park's supporters on Friday. A third person, aged 74, is understood to have had a heart attack during Friday's protests, and died on Saturday, according to Reuters. Ms Park's office said she would not be leaving the Blue House, South Korea's presidential palace, on Friday nor making any statement. It is understood she will not leave until her own home in Seoul is repaired and cleaned. At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between the president and Ms Choi. Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled. Ms Park is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Ms Choi unacceptable levels of access to official documents. Parliament voted to impeach Ms Park in December and the Constitutional Court has since been deciding whether to uphold or overturn this. On Friday, a panel of eight judges ruled Ms Park's actions \"seriously impaired the spirit of... democracy and the rule of law\". The court said she had broken the law by allowing Ms Choi to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents. Ms Park had \"concealed completely Choi's meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticised those who raised the suspicions,\" it said. But the judges dismissed some charges, including accusations Ms Park had infringed on freedom of the press by creating a media blacklist of cultural figures, and criticism of her response during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1789, "answer_end": 3018, "text": "At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between the president and Ms Choi. Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled. Ms Park is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Ms Choi unacceptable levels of access to official documents. Parliament voted to impeach Ms Park in December and the Constitutional Court has since been deciding whether to uphold or overturn this. On Friday, a panel of eight judges ruled Ms Park's actions \"seriously impaired the spirit of... democracy and the rule of law\". The court said she had broken the law by allowing Ms Choi to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents. Ms Park had \"concealed completely Choi's meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticised those who raised the suspicions,\" it said. But the judges dismissed some charges, including accusations Ms Park had infringed on freedom of the press by creating a media blacklist of cultural figures, and criticism of her response during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster."}], "question": "Why did Park lose her job?", "id": "281_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jordan seeks to end Israel land lease", "date": "21 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jordan says it plans to end a lease of two areas of land to Israel that was agreed in annexes to the 1994 peace treaty between the two countries. The areas are Naharayim in the north and Tzofar in the south, known as Baqura and Ghamr in Arabic. The lease governing them was for 25 years and had been due for renewal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would negotiate over \"extending the current arrangement\". Earlier King Abdullah of Jordan issued a statement saying it wanted to end the lease, which has seen the two areas, covering a total of about 405 hectares (1,000 acres), cultivated by Israeli farmers. The areas had always been a \"top priority\" for Jordan and the decision was based on \"our keenness to take whatever is necessary for Jordan and Jordanians\", the statement said. Under the terms of the annex to the peace deal, the lease would be extended automatically unless one party gave notice a year before the lease ended, leading to talks on the matter. Reacting to the Jordanian announcement, Mr Netanyahu said that the whole peace deal between Israel and Jordan was \"important and valuable to both countries\". Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that Israel could use the deal that allows planes travelling between Europe and Jordan to fly over Israel as leverage in persuading Jordan to renew the lease. Meanwhile the Yediot Aharanot newspaper quoted Eyal Bloom, a local official in southern Israel, as saying that the Tzofar area was important for Israel's security and 30 Israeli farms would collapse if Jordan reclaimed it. King Abdullah has been under pressure from Jordanian MPs and the Jordanian public not to renew the lease for the two areas. Eighty-seven Jordanian MPs have signed a petition urging an end to the lease. Last Friday protesters in the Jordanian capital Amman called for the lease to be ended and campaigns have also taken place on social media. It follows recent strains in the relationship between Jordan and Israel over issues including the status of Jerusalem and the lack of progress on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1576, "answer_end": 2113, "text": "King Abdullah has been under pressure from Jordanian MPs and the Jordanian public not to renew the lease for the two areas. Eighty-seven Jordanian MPs have signed a petition urging an end to the lease. Last Friday protesters in the Jordanian capital Amman called for the lease to be ended and campaigns have also taken place on social media. It follows recent strains in the relationship between Jordan and Israel over issues including the status of Jerusalem and the lack of progress on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians."}], "question": "Why would Jordan want to end the lease?", "id": "282_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What are Pakistan's blasphemy laws?", "date": "8 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistan's blasphemy laws carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam. Critics say they have been used to persecute minority faiths and unfairly target minorities. The offences relating to religion were first codified by India's British rulers in 1860, and were expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited these laws when it came into existence after the partition of India in 1947. Between 1980 and 1986, a number of clauses were added to the laws by the military government of General Zia-ul Haq. He wanted to \"Islamicise\" them and also legally to separate the Ahmadi community, declared non-Muslim in 1973, from the main body of Pakistan's overwhelmingly Muslim population. The law enacted by the British made it a crime to disturb a religious assembly, trespass on burial grounds, insult religious beliefs or intentionally destroy or defile a place or an object of worship. The maximum punishment under these laws ranges from one year to 10 years in jail, with or without a fine. During the 1980s the blasphemy laws were created and expanded in several instalments. In 1980, making derogatory remarks against Islamic personages was made an offence, carrying a maximum punishment of three years in jail. In 1982, another clause prescribed life imprisonment for \"wilful\" desecration of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. In 1986, a separate clause was inserted to punish blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and the penalty recommended was \"death, or imprisonment for life\", in that order. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) - a voluntary organisation - has been documenting blasphemy cases for decades. It says that Muslims constitute the majority of those booked under these laws, closely followed by the Ahmadi community. Data provided by National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) shows a total of 776 Muslims, 505 Ahmedis, 229 Christians and 30 Hindus have been accused under various clauses of the blasphemy law from 1987 until 2018. The vast majority of these cases were lodged for desecration of the Koran - far fewer for blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Critics say the fact that minorities figure so prominently in the cases shows how the laws are unfairly applied. Often the laws are used to settle personal scores and have little or nothing to do with religion. Correspondents say the mere accusation of blasphemy is enough to make someone a target for hardliners, as is defending those accused of blasphemy or calling for the laws to be reformed. A large majority of Pakistani people support the idea that blasphemers should be punished, but there is little understanding of what the religious scripture says as opposed to how the modern-day law is codified. Many believe the law, as codified by the military regime of General Zia-ul Haq back in the 1980s, is in fact straight out of the Koran and therefore is not man-made. When Punjab Governor Salman Taseer - a prominent critic of the law - was assassinated by his bodyguard in 2011, Pakistan was divided, with some hailing his killer as a hero. A month after Taseer was killed, Religious Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who spoke out against the laws, was shot dead in Islamabad, underlining the threat faced by critics of the law. When the bodyguard who killed Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri, was executed in 2016, thousands turned out for the funeral. Amending the blasphemy laws has been on the agenda of many popular secular parties. None has made much progress - principally because of the sensitivities over the issue, but also because no major party wants to antagonise the religious parties. In 2010, a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Sherry Rehman, introduced a private bill to amend the blasphemy law. Her bill sought to change procedures of religious offences so that they would be reported to a higher police official and the cases  heard directly by the higher courts. The bill was passed on to a parliamentary committee for vetting. It was withdrawn in February 2011 under pressure from religious forces as well as some opposition political groups. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to defend the country's strict blasphemy laws in the run-up to his general election win last year. The status quo is still in place. Qibla Ayaz, who heads Pakistan's top advisory body on religious affairs, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), told BBC in February that no government was ready to make changes to the blasphemy law due to fears of a backlash. He said he had advised Pakistan's Ministry of Law and Justice to suggest penalties for misuse of this law. The law department is yet to make any recommendations public.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 182, "answer_end": 687, "text": "The offences relating to religion were first codified by India's British rulers in 1860, and were expanded in 1927. Pakistan inherited these laws when it came into existence after the partition of India in 1947. Between 1980 and 1986, a number of clauses were added to the laws by the military government of General Zia-ul Haq. He wanted to \"Islamicise\" them and also legally to separate the Ahmadi community, declared non-Muslim in 1973, from the main body of Pakistan's overwhelmingly Muslim population."}], "question": "When do the laws date from?", "id": "283_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 688, "answer_end": 1502, "text": "The law enacted by the British made it a crime to disturb a religious assembly, trespass on burial grounds, insult religious beliefs or intentionally destroy or defile a place or an object of worship. The maximum punishment under these laws ranges from one year to 10 years in jail, with or without a fine. During the 1980s the blasphemy laws were created and expanded in several instalments. In 1980, making derogatory remarks against Islamic personages was made an offence, carrying a maximum punishment of three years in jail. In 1982, another clause prescribed life imprisonment for \"wilful\" desecration of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. In 1986, a separate clause was inserted to punish blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and the penalty recommended was \"death, or imprisonment for life\", in that order."}], "question": "What do the laws say?", "id": "283_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1503, "answer_end": 2497, "text": "The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) - a voluntary organisation - has been documenting blasphemy cases for decades. It says that Muslims constitute the majority of those booked under these laws, closely followed by the Ahmadi community. Data provided by National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) shows a total of 776 Muslims, 505 Ahmedis, 229 Christians and 30 Hindus have been accused under various clauses of the blasphemy law from 1987 until 2018. The vast majority of these cases were lodged for desecration of the Koran - far fewer for blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Critics say the fact that minorities figure so prominently in the cases shows how the laws are unfairly applied. Often the laws are used to settle personal scores and have little or nothing to do with religion. Correspondents say the mere accusation of blasphemy is enough to make someone a target for hardliners, as is defending those accused of blasphemy or calling for the laws to be reformed."}], "question": "Who is affected by the laws?", "id": "283_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2498, "answer_end": 3364, "text": "A large majority of Pakistani people support the idea that blasphemers should be punished, but there is little understanding of what the religious scripture says as opposed to how the modern-day law is codified. Many believe the law, as codified by the military regime of General Zia-ul Haq back in the 1980s, is in fact straight out of the Koran and therefore is not man-made. When Punjab Governor Salman Taseer - a prominent critic of the law - was assassinated by his bodyguard in 2011, Pakistan was divided, with some hailing his killer as a hero. A month after Taseer was killed, Religious Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who spoke out against the laws, was shot dead in Islamabad, underlining the threat faced by critics of the law. When the bodyguard who killed Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri, was executed in 2016, thousands turned out for the funeral."}], "question": "Do most Pakistanis support the laws?", "id": "283_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3365, "answer_end": 4665, "text": "Amending the blasphemy laws has been on the agenda of many popular secular parties. None has made much progress - principally because of the sensitivities over the issue, but also because no major party wants to antagonise the religious parties. In 2010, a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Sherry Rehman, introduced a private bill to amend the blasphemy law. Her bill sought to change procedures of religious offences so that they would be reported to a higher police official and the cases  heard directly by the higher courts. The bill was passed on to a parliamentary committee for vetting. It was withdrawn in February 2011 under pressure from religious forces as well as some opposition political groups. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to defend the country's strict blasphemy laws in the run-up to his general election win last year. The status quo is still in place. Qibla Ayaz, who heads Pakistan's top advisory body on religious affairs, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), told BBC in February that no government was ready to make changes to the blasphemy law due to fears of a backlash. He said he had advised Pakistan's Ministry of Law and Justice to suggest penalties for misuse of this law. The law department is yet to make any recommendations public."}], "question": "Why do the authorities not amend them?", "id": "283_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Indonesia protests over sex before marriage bill", "date": "24 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police have fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters demonstrating outside the Indonesian parliament over a proposed new criminal code that would ban sex before marriage. Protests against the bill also took place in other cities in the country. The bill would outlaw most abortions and make insulting the president illegal. The bill has been delayed, but protesters are concerned it could still eventually pass through parliament. The proposed new criminal code includes the following: - Sex before marriage would be criminalised and could result in a one-year prison term - Living together outside marriage could lead to a six-month prison sentence - Insulting the president, vice president, religion, state institutions and symbols such as the flag and national anthem would be illegal - Abortion would carry a maximum four-year prison term if there were no circumstances of a medical emergency or rape The bill was initially scheduled for a vote on Tuesday - however, President Joko Widodo postponed the vote on Friday, saying new laws needed more consideration. Despite the delay, many Indonesians are concerned that the bill could still be pushed through parliament. There is also anger over the passing of a new law that has weakened the Corruption Eradication Commission, an important arm in rooting out corruption. Thousands of protesters, many of them students, took to the streets in cities across Indonesia. The main clashes took place in the capital Jakarta as demonstrators demanded to meet parliament Speaker Bambang Soesatyo. Protesters pelted police with rocks, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. One placard held by a woman said: \"My crotch does not belong to the government\". Protests in other areas, including Yogyakarta and Makassar on Sulawesi island, continued for a second day. \"We're going to parliament to oppose the new law for the anti-corruption agency that are not pro-people but are pro-corruptors,\" Fuad Wahyudin, 21-year-old student from an Islamic university in West Java, told Reuters. More than 5,000 police have reportedly been deployed to maintain security in Jakarta.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1329, "answer_end": 2123, "text": "Thousands of protesters, many of them students, took to the streets in cities across Indonesia. The main clashes took place in the capital Jakarta as demonstrators demanded to meet parliament Speaker Bambang Soesatyo. Protesters pelted police with rocks, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. One placard held by a woman said: \"My crotch does not belong to the government\". Protests in other areas, including Yogyakarta and Makassar on Sulawesi island, continued for a second day. \"We're going to parliament to oppose the new law for the anti-corruption agency that are not pro-people but are pro-corruptors,\" Fuad Wahyudin, 21-year-old student from an Islamic university in West Java, told Reuters. More than 5,000 police have reportedly been deployed to maintain security in Jakarta."}], "question": "What happened on Tuesday?", "id": "284_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump administration wants UK to leave EU, says adviser John Bolton", "date": "31 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Trump administration wants the UK to follow the 2016 referendum result and leave the European Union, National Security Advisor John Bolton said. Speaking to the UK's Telegraph, Mr Bolton said Brexit was an opportunity for the UK to become a \"strong and independent country\". His remarks came ahead of a UK visit by President Trump, who has previously stated his support for Brexit. Mr Trump was critical of Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiations with the EU. The president's three-day trip, from 3 to 5 June, includes a Buckingham Palace dinner and breakfast with Mrs May, who has hailed the visit as an opportunity for the UK and US \"to strengthen our already close relationship\". Speaking ahead of his visit, President Trump praised the UK Conservative Party leadership contender Boris Johnson, saying he would make \"excellent\" choice. In an interview published on Friday, Mr Bolton - a former ambassador to the UN who is considered one of the more hawkish members of the Trump administration - said the world and the Nato military alliance would benefit from the UK being outside the EU. \"As a separate nation again, Britain's impact on the world has the prospect of being even greater... I think it will help us in Nato in particular to have another strong and independent country that will help Nato to be more effective, and that has to be a plus.\" He added: \"The US preference is for Britain to follow the course of what the people asked for and leave the EU. It's a lesson for everyone in the triumph of democracy.\" Mr Bolton said the first step towards a closer relationship was for the next prime minister to finish the Brexit process and negotiate a new trade deal with the US. Last week, Mrs May - whose withdrawal agreement with the EU was rejected by the UK Parliament three times - announced that she would quit as Conservative party leader on 7 June but stay in office until a successor was found. \"[Mr Trump] wants to make a deal with Britain that will leave both of us better off, and free Britain from the regulatory constraints it faces with the EU,\" Mr Bolton said. The US president, who has previously said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on how to negotiate a deal with the EU, said the agreement reached by the prime minister sounded \"like a great deal for the EU\". He had also raised fears that, under Mrs May's Brexit deal, the US and the UK would not be able to negotiate a free trade agreement. Mr Trump has said he might meet Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Boris Johnson - one of the 11 contenders to replace Mrs May as Conservative leader - during his trip to the UK. Meanwhile, there are growing signs that President Trump will warn British authorities that the US government is prepared to limit intelligence sharing if the UK allows Chinese technology giant Huawei to build part of its 5G network Washington believes the technology could be used by China to spy, a claim Huawei has denied. Speaking in Germany, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: \"The risk that we'll have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we can't permit private citizen data from the US or national security data from the US to go across networks that we don't have confidence, that we don't view as trusted networks.\" The UK, where 5G was launched in six cities on Thursday, is moving towards letting Huawei build certain parts of its network - non-core elements, such as transmission equipment rather than information infrastructure.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 845, "answer_end": 2093, "text": "In an interview published on Friday, Mr Bolton - a former ambassador to the UN who is considered one of the more hawkish members of the Trump administration - said the world and the Nato military alliance would benefit from the UK being outside the EU. \"As a separate nation again, Britain's impact on the world has the prospect of being even greater... I think it will help us in Nato in particular to have another strong and independent country that will help Nato to be more effective, and that has to be a plus.\" He added: \"The US preference is for Britain to follow the course of what the people asked for and leave the EU. It's a lesson for everyone in the triumph of democracy.\" Mr Bolton said the first step towards a closer relationship was for the next prime minister to finish the Brexit process and negotiate a new trade deal with the US. Last week, Mrs May - whose withdrawal agreement with the EU was rejected by the UK Parliament three times - announced that she would quit as Conservative party leader on 7 June but stay in office until a successor was found. \"[Mr Trump] wants to make a deal with Britain that will leave both of us better off, and free Britain from the regulatory constraints it faces with the EU,\" Mr Bolton said."}], "question": "What did John Bolton say?", "id": "285_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2094, "answer_end": 3493, "text": "The US president, who has previously said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on how to negotiate a deal with the EU, said the agreement reached by the prime minister sounded \"like a great deal for the EU\". He had also raised fears that, under Mrs May's Brexit deal, the US and the UK would not be able to negotiate a free trade agreement. Mr Trump has said he might meet Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Boris Johnson - one of the 11 contenders to replace Mrs May as Conservative leader - during his trip to the UK. Meanwhile, there are growing signs that President Trump will warn British authorities that the US government is prepared to limit intelligence sharing if the UK allows Chinese technology giant Huawei to build part of its 5G network Washington believes the technology could be used by China to spy, a claim Huawei has denied. Speaking in Germany, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: \"The risk that we'll have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we can't permit private citizen data from the US or national security data from the US to go across networks that we don't have confidence, that we don't view as trusted networks.\" The UK, where 5G was launched in six cities on Thursday, is moving towards letting Huawei build certain parts of its network - non-core elements, such as transmission equipment rather than information infrastructure."}], "question": "What has Trump said about Brexit?", "id": "285_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Asaram Bapu: Indian guru sentenced to life for raping girl", "date": "25 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A self-styled Indian spiritual guru who claims millions of followers worldwide has been given a life sentence for raping a 16-year-old girl. Asaram Bapu was convicted of the 2013 attack on the girl, a devotee at his ashram in Jodhpur, by a court in the city's jail. He is expected to appeal. The guru, who is 77, has 400 ashrams around the world where he teaches meditation and yoga. He is also on trial in another rape case in western Gujarat state. Jodhpur is on high alert because of concerns there could be violence from the guru's supporters, reports BBC Hindi's Priyanka Dubey who is in the city. The judge delivered his verdict from the city's jail because of concerns that it could provoke riots. - Why so many Indians flock to gurusn Two of the guru's aides were also convicted and given 20-year jail terms. Two more were acquitted. \"Nothing can compensate for the trauma that the victim and the family have gone through,\" Utsav Bains, the victim's lawyer, told NDTV ahead of sentencing. The security measures come after followers of another guru, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, ran amok after he was found guilty of rape last year. The resulting violence killed 23 people. Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a case of sexual assault was filed against him by two of his followers, who alleged that he had assaulted their daughter. Police say that the couple, who had sent the girl to one of his ashrams for spiritual lessons, were summoned to see her as she was \"under the influence of some supernatural ghostly powers\". They were then told to take their daughter to Jodhpur to meet the guru. The family reached the Jodhpur ashram on 14 August. The following night, Asaram called the victim to his room on the pretext of \"curing\" her. He then raped the victim while her parents waited outside chanting his prayers, police say. Police say the guru forced the victim to perform sexual acts on him and threatened to murder her family if she spoke about the incident. The victim told her parents what had happened the following day. They tried to confront Asaram, but were refused entry to his ashrams. Asumal Harpalani was born in April 1941 in a village called Bernai in Sindh region in present-day Pakistan. His family migrated to Ahmadabad city in Gujarat after the partition of India. In the 1960s, he started practising spiritualism with different gurus - one of whom gave him the name Asaram. He formed his first ashram in 1972 on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Motera town of Gujarat. His influence spread to different parts of India and around the world in the following decades. According to his website, he has 40 million followers around the world and has built 400 spiritual retreats across 19 countries. Important Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have attended his sermons in the past. He also has properties worth millions of dollars across India. The police are also investigating him for corruption and forgery. Asaram is also accused of raping another woman in Surat city in Gujarat between 2002 and 2004. The trial in this case is under way. At least nine witnesses in both cases have been attacked over the past five years - three of them have since died. Police are investigating these attacks. The victims' families insist that the guru and his followers are behind these attacks - an allegation he denies. The Jodhpur rape case, for which he has been convicted, has also seen the victim's family threatened by his followers. Asaram is far from being the first self-styled Indian holy man to be accused and found guilty of crimes. The Hindustan Times lists a string of controversial gurus who have been in the news for the wrong reasons in recent years. Charges have included murder, sexual assault and corruption. - In 2017, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape. He has also been investigated for murder and has been accused of forcing followers to undergo castrations to \"get closer to god\". - Baba Rampal is currently in jail facing a number of serious charges, including murder, attempted murder and sedition. He was accused of operating an illegal abortion centre in his ashram where a number of weapons were also confiscated. - Swami Nithyananda was charged with obscenity after a video apparently showed him engaging in a sexual act with a film actress. He said he was innocent and the video was a fake. He was detained in 2010 but released on bail. He's still awaiting trial in several cases. Many Indian spiritual figures have large international followings. One of the most memorable was Rolls Royce-loving Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who died in 1990 and taught his devotees that free love was the path to enlightenment. A Netflix documentary series recently brought Rajneesh back into the public eye, reminding viewers of the utopian community he set up on an Oregon ranch before it descended into assassination plots and the largest bio-terrorist attack in US history. He's now been renamed \"Osho\". Tens of thousands of people continue to visit the movement's centre in Pune in India every year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1171, "answer_end": 2094, "text": "Asaram was arrested in 2013 after a case of sexual assault was filed against him by two of his followers, who alleged that he had assaulted their daughter. Police say that the couple, who had sent the girl to one of his ashrams for spiritual lessons, were summoned to see her as she was \"under the influence of some supernatural ghostly powers\". They were then told to take their daughter to Jodhpur to meet the guru. The family reached the Jodhpur ashram on 14 August. The following night, Asaram called the victim to his room on the pretext of \"curing\" her. He then raped the victim while her parents waited outside chanting his prayers, police say. Police say the guru forced the victim to perform sexual acts on him and threatened to murder her family if she spoke about the incident. The victim told her parents what had happened the following day. They tried to confront Asaram, but were refused entry to his ashrams."}], "question": "What was the case against Asaram?", "id": "286_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2095, "answer_end": 2952, "text": "Asumal Harpalani was born in April 1941 in a village called Bernai in Sindh region in present-day Pakistan. His family migrated to Ahmadabad city in Gujarat after the partition of India. In the 1960s, he started practising spiritualism with different gurus - one of whom gave him the name Asaram. He formed his first ashram in 1972 on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Motera town of Gujarat. His influence spread to different parts of India and around the world in the following decades. According to his website, he has 40 million followers around the world and has built 400 spiritual retreats across 19 countries. Important Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have attended his sermons in the past. He also has properties worth millions of dollars across India. The police are also investigating him for corruption and forgery."}], "question": "Who is Asaram Bapu?", "id": "286_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump blasts courts after Daca Dreamers ruling", "date": "10 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has criticised the US courts after a judge blocked him from ending protection for migrants who entered the US illegally as children. Mr Trump said the court system was \"broken and unfair\". In September, he rescinded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), but San Francisco Judge William Alsup said it had to stay while litigation against Mr Trump's move continued. The Obama-era scheme protects some 800,000 people. It also provides temporary permits for work and study. Mr Trump attacked the ruling on Twitter: \"The opposing side in a case (such as Daca) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.\" Judge Alsup's court is the District Court for the Northern District of California. The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals commonly examines appeals of rulings made in Judge Alsup's court and others. Earlier, White House press spokeswoman Sarah Sanders described the ruling as \"outrageous\". In his ruling, Judge Alsup stated that \"the government is hereby ordered and enjoined, pending final judgment herein or other order, to maintain the Daca programme on a nationwide basis on the same terms and conditions as were in effect before the rescission\". He said the justice department's argument that the scheme was illegal was based on a \"flawed legal premise\". The district judge ordered the government to process renewal applications from people who had previously been covered. However, this would not be the case for those who had never before received protection under the programme. Despite scrapping the programme in September, President Trump delayed enforcement to give Congress until March to enact a replacement plan for Daca recipients, who are known as \"Dreamers\". \"We want to see something happen with Daca,\" Mr Trump said in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, \"It's been spoken of for years. Children are now adults in many cases.\" On Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans announced that they would work together on a new immigration bill to protect border security, chain migration, the visa lottery system and the Daca. Democrats have repeatedly said that they will block any legislation that contains funding for the border wall with Mexico - a key campaign pledge of Mr Trump's. In order to qualify for the 2012 scheme, applicants under the age of 30 were required to submit personal information to the Department of Homeland Security, including addresses and phone numbers. They had to pass an FBI background check, have a clean criminal background, and either be in school, recently graduated or have been honourably discharged from the military. In exchange, the US government agreed to \"defer\" any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. The majority of dreamers are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. The justice department has said no current Daca recipients will be affected by the decision to scrap the scheme before 5 March 2018, but no new applications will be taken. Mr Trump's bipartisan meeting on Tuesday came the same day the US Department of Homeland Security released data showing Border arrest figures are used as an indicator for the level of overall illegal crossings. The biggest monthly drop came in the months after Mr Trump won his party's presidential nomination, and continued into the first few months of his presidency - from October 2016 to April 2017. But since April 2017, when nearly 16,000 people were arrested on the US southern border, the number of illegal immigrants has started to climb. DHS recorded more than 40,000 illegal entries last month, according to the latest data. \"The significant increase over the last month in the number of family units and unaccompanied children coming across the border illegally highlights the dire need for Congress to immediately adopt responsible pro-American immigration reforms,\" said DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton. The New York Times reports that migrant shelters - which help provide assist to people who have just illegally crossed - are filling up as the number of crossings again rose to 2014 levels under former President Barack Obama.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 971, "answer_end": 1567, "text": "In his ruling, Judge Alsup stated that \"the government is hereby ordered and enjoined, pending final judgment herein or other order, to maintain the Daca programme on a nationwide basis on the same terms and conditions as were in effect before the rescission\". He said the justice department's argument that the scheme was illegal was based on a \"flawed legal premise\". The district judge ordered the government to process renewal applications from people who had previously been covered. However, this would not be the case for those who had never before received protection under the programme."}], "question": "What did the San Francisco judge order?", "id": "287_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1568, "answer_end": 2270, "text": "Despite scrapping the programme in September, President Trump delayed enforcement to give Congress until March to enact a replacement plan for Daca recipients, who are known as \"Dreamers\". \"We want to see something happen with Daca,\" Mr Trump said in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, \"It's been spoken of for years. Children are now adults in many cases.\" On Tuesday, Democrats and Republicans announced that they would work together on a new immigration bill to protect border security, chain migration, the visa lottery system and the Daca. Democrats have repeatedly said that they will block any legislation that contains funding for the border wall with Mexico - a key campaign pledge of Mr Trump's."}], "question": "When did Mr Trump want to end Daca?", "id": "287_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2271, "answer_end": 3004, "text": "In order to qualify for the 2012 scheme, applicants under the age of 30 were required to submit personal information to the Department of Homeland Security, including addresses and phone numbers. They had to pass an FBI background check, have a clean criminal background, and either be in school, recently graduated or have been honourably discharged from the military. In exchange, the US government agreed to \"defer\" any action on their immigration status for a period of two years. The majority of dreamers are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. The justice department has said no current Daca recipients will be affected by the decision to scrap the scheme before 5 March 2018, but no new applications will be taken."}], "question": "What is Daca?", "id": "287_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan polio: Seven killed in anti-vaccination attack", "date": "20 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Seven Pakistani policemen, three of whom were guarding polio workers, have been killed in Karachi, officials say. Eight gunmen on motorcycles fired at a group of three police guards and later at a van containing four officers, officials told the Pakistan Tribune. Islamist militants oppose vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children. In January, 15 people were killed in a bomb attack on a vaccination centre in the south-western city of Quetta. Polio workers called off the vaccination drive in Karachi following the attack, despite the home minister's order to continue, the Tribune reported. According to Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, police have offered a reward of 5 million rupees (PS33,000) for information on the killers, and 2 million rupees (PS13,000) compensation to the victims' families. Talking to reporters at the scene, Sindh police Inspector General AD Khawaja said polio drops would be \"administered to our children at all costs\" and said security for polio teams would be increased. Pakistan is one of only two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Militants have repeatedly targeted vaccination programmes, killing nearly 80 people since December 2012. The country recorded more than 300 polio cases in 2014 - its highest number since 1999. Most of the new infections were in north-west Pakistan, where militants regularly target roving health teams, and health officials blamed the rise in cases on several deadly attacks on police workers that year. The number of cases fell to just 52 in 2015, largely because vaccination teams could reach areas that were previously off limits because of militancy. - February 2015: Four kidnapped polio workers found dead near Quetta - January 2015: 15 killed by suicide bombing near a polio centre in Quetta - November 2014: Four killed in Quetta - December 2012: Five killed, four in Karachi, one in Peshawar Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous system. It mainly affects children aged under five. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and limb pain. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and between 5-10% of those who suffer paralysis die because their breathing muscles are immobilised. Cases have fallen dramatically since polio eradication programmes were introduced; from 350,000 globally in 1988 to around 70 in 2015. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Nigeria was removed from the list in October after a year with no new cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1928, "answer_end": 2589, "text": "Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous system. It mainly affects children aged under five. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and limb pain. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and between 5-10% of those who suffer paralysis die because their breathing muscles are immobilised. Cases have fallen dramatically since polio eradication programmes were introduced; from 350,000 globally in 1988 to around 70 in 2015. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Nigeria was removed from the list in October after a year with no new cases."}], "question": "What is polio?", "id": "288_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia's improbable reef offers hope for coral worldwide", "date": "20 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Just off the shore of the city of Cartagena, home of one of Colombia's biggest ports, lies a coral reef that campaigners are furiously battling to protect. The Varadero reef, located in Cartagena Bay, has survived against the odds to thrive in a highly polluted environment. The Caribbean Sea bay, a major waterway for shipping vessels and cruise ships, is contaminated by industrial and sewage waste. Shipping businesses are planning to expand the canal's Bocachica Channel and build another passageway straight through the reef, meaning a quarter of it will be destroyed and the remainder threatened. According to marine biologists, the reef should not be alive, and yet it has flourished, providing a home to a large number of coral, fish and urchin species. A report, written in 2017 by scientists, said the reef was \"improbable and imperiled\". Despite the close proximity of the reef to Cartagena's one million-odd inhabitants, it remained concealed for so long due to the perception that the environment was too hostile for any reef to survive. Ninety percent of other reefs in the area are dead. \"Current plans to dredge part of Varadero ... could hinder researchers' ability to gain insight into the factors that have allowed corals to thrive under such unusual conditions,\" the report added. With further study, scientists hope the enigmatic reef could provide clues to recovering the world's bleached and dying corals. In the past four decades, Caribbean reefs have seen their coral cover decrease from an average of 50% to 10%, but the report notes the Varadero reef has \"high coral cover\" of 45.1%. \"This reef is in an area in which the environmental conditions are, in theory, not the best for coral reefs: there is high sedimentation, and high sea surface temperatures,\" Valeria Pizarro, who discovered the reef in 2013 and co-authored the report, explains. \"The first time I dove at Varadero I was expecting to see few corals in a highly degraded reef,\" she recalls. \"The surface is usually brown due to sediments, so I never expected to see a reef down there.\" The biologist recalled feeling \"shocked\" at the beauty of the reef. \"I didn't understand how this reef hadn't been discovered before. I couldn't help but immediately think of the consequences a shipping channel would have.\" Ms Pizarro hopes studying this reef can shed light how the coral has adapted to survive under these conditions. Colombia's national highway authority Invias has invested more than $20m (PS16m) to build the new channel, which would provide more international access to Cartagena. \"Cartagena's port has a one-way navigation channel, which increases the ships' waiting time for entry and exit from the harbour,\" said a spokesperson from Colombia's financial development institution. \"This new project will have economic benefits for the whole country.\" In an attempt to stop the canal going ahead, local Bladimir Basabe started the Salvemos Varadero (Save Varadero) campaign. \"It makes me angry the government and businesses want to destroy the reef just because it is the cheaper option,\" Mr Basabe said. \"I'm defending the reef for ethical reasons, because once it's destroyed we cannot get it back. I'm defending it for my children.\" Following Mr Basabe's campaign, Colombia's Institute of Marine and Coastal Research Invemar conducted a survey on the reef. It has until December to decide whether the licence to build the canal should be granted. The project has been suspended until Invemar's findings are published. The canal's backers have promised to move the coral reef to another part of the bay, but Ms Pizarro is sceptical. \"There's not been a serious study to find somewhere with similar environmental conditions. The number of coral colonies they will have to move would be 10,000. They are going to move all of those? And what about all the organisms?\" \"There's no data to prove moving the coral would actually work.\" The Save Varadero campaign is trying to get the reef designated as a national park. \"If the reef belonged to a national park - like the nearby Rosario Islands do - then the canal legally couldn't be built,\" Mr Basabe says. \"We are hoping we can persuade the government and private sectors to build the new channel elsewhere, where there are no reefs.\" However, Ms Pizarro is concerned that the newly elected government of President Ivan Duque may have other priorities. \"We don't know what its agenda is,\" she says. \"I understand the need for a bigger port economy, but corporations and some government sectors just think in terms of money and don't understand the implications of destroying a reef in the long term.\" She hopes the government will look past the short-term, financial gains and focus on Varadero's potential to save the world's dying corals.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2851, "answer_end": 3930, "text": "In an attempt to stop the canal going ahead, local Bladimir Basabe started the Salvemos Varadero (Save Varadero) campaign. \"It makes me angry the government and businesses want to destroy the reef just because it is the cheaper option,\" Mr Basabe said. \"I'm defending the reef for ethical reasons, because once it's destroyed we cannot get it back. I'm defending it for my children.\" Following Mr Basabe's campaign, Colombia's Institute of Marine and Coastal Research Invemar conducted a survey on the reef. It has until December to decide whether the licence to build the canal should be granted. The project has been suspended until Invemar's findings are published. The canal's backers have promised to move the coral reef to another part of the bay, but Ms Pizarro is sceptical. \"There's not been a serious study to find somewhere with similar environmental conditions. The number of coral colonies they will have to move would be 10,000. They are going to move all of those? And what about all the organisms?\" \"There's no data to prove moving the coral would actually work.\""}], "question": "A move for the reef?", "id": "289_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Egypt attack: IS flags carried by gunmen, say officials", "date": "25 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Egyptian officials investigating the massacre of worshippers at a mosque in Sinai say the attackers were carrying the flag of the Islamic State group. At least 305 people died in the assault, which was launched during Friday prayers and has not yet been claimed by any group. Egypt's public prosecutor said there were up to 30 attackers at the scene. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has vowed to respond with \"the utmost force\". The Egyptian military says it has already conducted air strikes on \"terrorist\" targets. Egyptian security forces have for years been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the Sinai peninsula, and militants affiliated with so-called Islamic State (IS) have been behind scores of deadly attacks in the desert region. Friday's attack in the town of Bir al-Abed is the country's deadliest in recent memory. Al-Rawda mosque was bombed and then dozens of gunmen, waiting outside, opened fire on those trying to escape. Some attackers wore masks and military-style uniforms. The assailants reportedly set parked vehicles on fire in the vicinity to block off access to the building, and fired on ambulances trying to help victims. Thirty children are among the dead and more than 100 people have been wounded. \"What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism,\" Mr Sisi said in a televised address hours after the attack. \"The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force.\" By Dr HA Hellyer, regional expert What is particular about this attack is that this is not only the first on such a scale, but it was also carried out with such a lack of interest in local dynamics. Until now, radical groups have been trying to recruit in Egypt, from among local Egyptians. It is very difficult to see how that will be remotely possible following this attack - irrespective of local grievances vis-a-vis the state. If anything, this will only intensify local opposition to any group that claims the slightest bit of sympathy for attacks of this nature. Militant Islamists stepped up attacks in Sinai after Egypt's military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi following mass anti-government protests in July 2013. Hundreds of police, soldiers and civilians have been killed since then, mostly in attacks carried out by the Sinai Province group, which is affiliated to IS. Sinai Province has also carried out deadly attacks against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority elsewhere in the country, and said it was behind the bombing of a Russian plane carrying tourists in Sinai in 2015, killing 224 people on board. It has been operating mainly in North Sinai, which has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, when 33 security personnel were killed in an attack claimed by the group. Sinai Province is thought to want to take control of the Sinai peninsula in order to turn it into an Islamist province run by IS.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2067, "answer_end": 2941, "text": "Militant Islamists stepped up attacks in Sinai after Egypt's military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi following mass anti-government protests in July 2013. Hundreds of police, soldiers and civilians have been killed since then, mostly in attacks carried out by the Sinai Province group, which is affiliated to IS. Sinai Province has also carried out deadly attacks against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority elsewhere in the country, and said it was behind the bombing of a Russian plane carrying tourists in Sinai in 2015, killing 224 people on board. It has been operating mainly in North Sinai, which has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, when 33 security personnel were killed in an attack claimed by the group. Sinai Province is thought to want to take control of the Sinai peninsula in order to turn it into an Islamist province run by IS."}], "question": "Which militants operate in the area?", "id": "290_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Halsey: I lost a sense of who I was", "date": "27 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pop singer Halsey gave more established names like Katy Perry and Lorde a run for their money at Glastonbury this weekend. The US singer first gained attention as a social media queen, posting videos on YouTube under her real name Ashley Nicolette Frangipane. But it's as Halsey (an anagram of her first name) that she's found fame, with a knack for writing gutsy pop songs that explore her flaws and failings. Her first album, Badlands, went platinum in the US, thanks to its so-called \"millennial anthem\" New Americana (\"We are the new Americana / High on legal marijuana / Raised on Biggie and Nirvana / We know very well / who we are\"). Last year, her career received an unexpected shot in the arm thanks to her contribution to The Chainsmokers' ubiquitous hit single, Closer. A masterclass in pop writing, the song wistfully tells the story of a boy and girl bumping into each other in a hotel bar four years after they broke up. The lyrics, which Halsey co-wrote, bore all the hallmarks of her best work - especially in its vivid depictions of place and time (\"so baby pull me closer in the back seat of your Rover\"). With one megahit under her belt, she set to work on her new album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, which has sold 500,000 copies in its first two weeks on sale in the US. Ahead of her Glastonbury set, the star sat down with BBC News to talk about the record, and how it helped her rediscover her sense of self. I mean, I grew up in the middle of a small town in the US and as a kid I knew about Glastonbury. It's like Woodstock. It's massive. I always dreamed one day I'd get to go, but I never dreamed one day I'd get to play. And I certainly didn't think it would be so soon. It seems like it's a very kind place, and people are making friends. It was definitely really rapid. The thing about my second album was I kept thinking, \"Do people still like me or was the first time an accident?\" But I've met so many amazing fans in the couple of weeks since the release, and everyone keeps telling me they feel so connected to the record. I think as an artist, all you really want out of your album is to feel like you're not alone. Because you wrote it for a reason. You wrote it because you're feeling some kind of emotion that you had to get out in the world. And if fans say, \"that makes me feel like I'm not alone\", then you get to say back to them, \"Well, you telling me that makes me feel like I'm not alone either\". So it's very mutual. It's a language of love. Yeah. The record is really about me going through this prolonged break-up. I'd been in a relationship so long it almost felt like I forgot who I was, when I was alone. And writing this album helped me rediscover that. Going through that pain and having it turn into something positive that helps other people - you're kind of making lemonade out of lemons. Haha! It's a pretty universal concept in music. It's like, \"hey, make me feel less bad about my pain!\" I've talked about something similar in interviews recently. It can be difficult going through a period of time where you feel depressed because it can become your identifier. In the sense that you wake up, you're depressed; you talk to your friends, you're complaining that you're depressed; you talk to your parents, you're unmotivated. You know what you could do to try to overcome it - although obviously there's no cure -  but you start to feel like, 'what will happen to me if I feel better? Who am I when I'm happy. I'm so used to feeling like this.' And that was something that I was really going through at the time. And the turnaround is really positive. Who I am is different now, but who I am is better - and I think that's a really good thing. I love '80s happy music. I love Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, and the idea of making music that's about people celebrating fun. I spent my late adolescence in New York and I used to go to a lot of gay clubs. The music there was always just about love and connection and celebrating life. I think, for people going through something really hard, to go to a place where you can let loose and listen to music as a distraction, that's about a better place, a better way of life - that's where all the attraction lies. Exactly! Exactly! For me, I made Closer and that was my first happy record. I think it's celebrating a moment in time. The idea of \"we're not ever getting older\" it's like... at the beginning of the song, you tell the audience we're not together any more. But in the chorus you tell them, 'we'll always be together in that moment. We can always look back on that moment and remember it'. Hopeless Fountain Kingdom was this phrase that I learned from some people I used to hang out with when I was a teenager. HFK was like a tag, that would get graffittied on malls and things. And when it came to make this record, it just seemed like the perfect name. It just encompassed the feeling I was trying to express. It's hopeless. There's a sense of eternity - this youthfulness, this fountain, this everflowing chase. And it's a kingdom because I write about places a lot. Yeah, the first song on my first record is called Castle and it says, \"they've got the kingdom locked up\". It's cool to go back and reference that. It's like all the songs and all the albums exist in one Halsey universe. I was a big Spider-Man kid. Big, big on Spider-man and actually, when I first signed my record deal the first thing I wanted to do was track down really rare really expensive comic. I looked everywhere in New York for it and I couldn't find it. I'm still looking for it now. One day I'll get my hands on it. But I love Deadpool, I love X-Men, I loved Silver Sable, Black Cat - female mercenaries were really cool for me to look up to me growing up. So the idea of a consistent universe, where the timelines cross and different characters pop into different things, I'd really like to apply that to music, in a way. I'm sure a couple of things from Badlands will pop up in a few HFK music videos down the line. Little Easter Eggs. I think that sometimes people fear continuity because it can turn into repetition - and there's a lot of artists who are really good at creating something new all the time. But for me it's about the consistency in my story. Because after all, I'm the protagonist in everything. All the songs are about my life so naturally there will be some connection because I'm still the same person I've always been. I want the power of diagnosis. I want to be able to tell what's wrong with anyone around so I can give them what they need. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1429, "answer_end": 1764, "text": "I mean, I grew up in the middle of a small town in the US and as a kid I knew about Glastonbury. It's like Woodstock. It's massive. I always dreamed one day I'd get to go, but I never dreamed one day I'd get to play. And I certainly didn't think it would be so soon. It seems like it's a very kind place, and people are making friends."}], "question": "You must have heard of Glastonbury before - but what's it like to see it for the first time?", "id": "291_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1765, "answer_end": 2485, "text": "It was definitely really rapid. The thing about my second album was I kept thinking, \"Do people still like me or was the first time an accident?\" But I've met so many amazing fans in the couple of weeks since the release, and everyone keeps telling me they feel so connected to the record. I think as an artist, all you really want out of your album is to feel like you're not alone. Because you wrote it for a reason. You wrote it because you're feeling some kind of emotion that you had to get out in the world. And if fans say, \"that makes me feel like I'm not alone\", then you get to say back to them, \"Well, you telling me that makes me feel like I'm not alone either\". So it's very mutual. It's a language of love."}], "question": "You said you didn't think you'd be here so soon - but your album is selling by the bucketload! Has the speed of your success been a surprise?", "id": "291_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2843, "answer_end": 2945, "text": "Haha! It's a pretty universal concept in music. It's like, \"hey, make me feel less bad about my pain!\""}], "question": "There's been another recent album about that, hasn't there?", "id": "291_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2946, "answer_end": 3701, "text": "I've talked about something similar in interviews recently. It can be difficult going through a period of time where you feel depressed because it can become your identifier. In the sense that you wake up, you're depressed; you talk to your friends, you're complaining that you're depressed; you talk to your parents, you're unmotivated. You know what you could do to try to overcome it - although obviously there's no cure -  but you start to feel like, 'what will happen to me if I feel better? Who am I when I'm happy. I'm so used to feeling like this.' And that was something that I was really going through at the time. And the turnaround is really positive. Who I am is different now, but who I am is better - and I think that's a really good thing."}], "question": "Do you ever worry that, if you get happy, you won't have anything to write about?", "id": "291_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3702, "answer_end": 4211, "text": "I love '80s happy music. I love Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, and the idea of making music that's about people celebrating fun. I spent my late adolescence in New York and I used to go to a lot of gay clubs. The music there was always just about love and connection and celebrating life. I think, for people going through something really hard, to go to a place where you can let loose and listen to music as a distraction, that's about a better place, a better way of life - that's where all the attraction lies."}], "question": "And of course, there are good songs that come from a place of contentment or positivity. Have you any favourites?", "id": "291_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4600, "answer_end": 5079, "text": "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom was this phrase that I learned from some people I used to hang out with when I was a teenager. HFK was like a tag, that would get graffittied on malls and things. And when it came to make this record, it just seemed like the perfect name. It just encompassed the feeling I was trying to express. It's hopeless. There's a sense of eternity - this youthfulness, this fountain, this everflowing chase. And it's a kingdom because I write about places a lot."}], "question": "Your new album is called Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. What does that mean?", "id": "291_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6436, "answer_end": 6559, "text": "I want the power of diagnosis. I want to be able to tell what's wrong with anyone around so I can give them what they need."}], "question": "If you could have a super power, what would it be?", "id": "291_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Peru election: Crushing blow for president's opponents Popular Force", "date": "27 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Peru's once influential conservative Popular Force party has suffered a crushing defeat in congressional elections. The party dominated Congress before the body was dissolved by President Martin Vizcarra in September. Mr Vizcarra took the drastic step arguing that lawmakers were obstructing his anti-corruption agenda. No party won an overall majority but centrist parties have made gains, which could ease the passage of reforms. The new Congress will be short-lived - it will be replaced in next year's general elections. A quick count carried out by Ipsos research firm suggests Popular Force has dropped from the 36.3% it won in the 2016 election to 7%, putting it into sixth place. If confirmed, the figures mean that the party will lose many of the 73 out of 130 seats in Congress it held until September. According to the quick count, the centrist Popular Action party will emerge as the strongest party with 10.1% of the vote. An evangelical party, the Agricultural People's Front of Peru, known by its initials in Spanish as FREPAP, came second in the quick count with 8.9%. The party has not had any representatives elected to Congress since 2000 and its last-minute surge has surprised political analysts. It is followed by the right-wing Podemos Peru (We can, Peru) party with 8.2%, and the centre-right Progress Alliance with 8%. In another unexpected result, the nationalist Union for Peru (UPP) also passed the 5% threshold necessary to enter Congress. The new Congress will be fragmented but analysts think the gains made by centrist parties could work in President Vizcarra's favour. They argue that if he manages to get enough small parties on his side he will be able to push through the anti-corruption reforms Popular Force blocked. The losses suffered by Popular Force are a big blow to its leader, Keiko Fujimori. The daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori has been a divisive figure in Peruvian politics. She is accused of accepting $1.2m in illegal campaign financing from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and a judge is due to decide on Tuesday whether she should be sent to jail to await trial. Her father is serving a sentence for corruption and human rights abuses. Despite their legal woes, the Fujimori family has retained the backing of hardcore supporters. But political commentators say the election result suggests that Fujimorismo, the political movement named after them, may have finally collapsed. Normally, congressional elections are held at the same time as presidential polls but Sunday's elections were brought forward after President Vizcarra took the drastic step of dissolving Congress in September. President Vizcarra made the fight against corruption his main priority when he took power in March 2018 after then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned over a vote-buying scandal. When parties, led by Keiko Fujimori's Popular Force, blocked his efforts, he simply dissolved the legislative body. Opposition lawmakers denounced the move as a coup but the heads of the armed forces and the police backed the president. Supporters of Mr Vizcarra turned out to show their approval of the move and Peru's top court later ruled that it had been constitutional.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 525, "answer_end": 1468, "text": "A quick count carried out by Ipsos research firm suggests Popular Force has dropped from the 36.3% it won in the 2016 election to 7%, putting it into sixth place. If confirmed, the figures mean that the party will lose many of the 73 out of 130 seats in Congress it held until September. According to the quick count, the centrist Popular Action party will emerge as the strongest party with 10.1% of the vote. An evangelical party, the Agricultural People's Front of Peru, known by its initials in Spanish as FREPAP, came second in the quick count with 8.9%. The party has not had any representatives elected to Congress since 2000 and its last-minute surge has surprised political analysts. It is followed by the right-wing Podemos Peru (We can, Peru) party with 8.2%, and the centre-right Progress Alliance with 8%. In another unexpected result, the nationalist Union for Peru (UPP) also passed the 5% threshold necessary to enter Congress."}], "question": "What are the results?", "id": "292_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1469, "answer_end": 2450, "text": "The new Congress will be fragmented but analysts think the gains made by centrist parties could work in President Vizcarra's favour. They argue that if he manages to get enough small parties on his side he will be able to push through the anti-corruption reforms Popular Force blocked. The losses suffered by Popular Force are a big blow to its leader, Keiko Fujimori. The daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori has been a divisive figure in Peruvian politics. She is accused of accepting $1.2m in illegal campaign financing from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and a judge is due to decide on Tuesday whether she should be sent to jail to await trial. Her father is serving a sentence for corruption and human rights abuses. Despite their legal woes, the Fujimori family has retained the backing of hardcore supporters. But political commentators say the election result suggests that Fujimorismo, the political movement named after them, may have finally collapsed."}], "question": "What does it mean?", "id": "292_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2451, "answer_end": 3219, "text": "Normally, congressional elections are held at the same time as presidential polls but Sunday's elections were brought forward after President Vizcarra took the drastic step of dissolving Congress in September. President Vizcarra made the fight against corruption his main priority when he took power in March 2018 after then-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned over a vote-buying scandal. When parties, led by Keiko Fujimori's Popular Force, blocked his efforts, he simply dissolved the legislative body. Opposition lawmakers denounced the move as a coup but the heads of the armed forces and the police backed the president. Supporters of Mr Vizcarra turned out to show their approval of the move and Peru's top court later ruled that it had been constitutional."}], "question": "What's the back story?", "id": "292_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why India's huge 'spiritual' festival has run into trouble", "date": "10 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A three-day cultural festival, expected to attract 3.5 million visitors and a host of local and international dignitaries, is due to begin in Delhi on Friday. The massive event has been organised by influential spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to celebrate the 35th anniversary of his Art of Living Foundation. But the decision to hold it on the floodplains of Delhi's main river has angered environmentalists, and led to a large fine for the festival's organisers. The BBC's Ayeshea Perera in Delhi explains more about the festival and what the controversy is all about. The World Culture Festival is a three-day event which will take place in Delhi from 11 March. It is being organised by the Art of Living Foundation, a global organisation claiming to offer a series of self development programmes, founded by Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The festival, held to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the foundation, will feature music, dance and theatre performances from over 30,000 artists. Several dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of state from several countries, are expected to attend. Confirmed guests include former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and the Japanese and Norwegian culture ministers. Organisers say they want the event to bring global cultures, music and arts together, to demonstrate the \"power of peace\". Events include yoga and meditation camps as well as the stage performances. The cumulative total of 3.5 million people is expected over all three days of the festival, with numbers fluctuating through the day. The Delhi police will help maintain law and order at the grounds, but organisers have told the BBC that they are deploying a volunteer force of close to 2,000 people who will help with crowd control and keep the venue clean. Earlier, the Delhi police expressed fears of a potential stampede at the venue, prompting India's defence minister to deploy the army to build several temporary bridges, media reports say. There will also be 650 bio-portable toilets and 1,200 waste bins at the event venue, organisers say. There has been concern about the environmental impact of the event, because it is being held in an ecologically sensitive area, on the floodplains of the river Yamuna. A floodplain is the area adjacent to a river, considered to be a part of the river bank. Organisers have erected a 1,200ft (365m) stage for the performances, built separate structures for visiting dignitaries, and also constructed several large bridges, all of which have required the use of heavy machinery. They have cleared all the vegetation in the area, and the ground has been filled and levelled. Environmentalists have alleged that all this construction, along with the fact that so many people are expected to attend, will cause irreversible damage to the ecology of the area. They approached India's environmental watchdog, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and asked it to cancel the event. One of the activists who filed the petition, told an Indian newspaper that the 1,000 acres (400 hectares) being used for the event was once marshland, and now does not even have a \"single blade\" of grass. The NGT criticised the Art of Living Foundation as well as the various government departments that granted permission for the event without making the prerequisite environmental checks. A team it had earlier sent to assess the damage said the construction had most likely left a \"permanent footprint\" on the area. The court said all government authorities had failed in their duties in this regard and fined the Art of Living Foundation a preliminary amount of 50 million rupees ($744,262; PS523,172). However it has allowed the event to go ahead. The Art of Living foundation has denied that their event has caused environmental damage. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has told Indian media that he would rather go to jail than pay the fine.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 577, "answer_end": 1582, "text": "The World Culture Festival is a three-day event which will take place in Delhi from 11 March. It is being organised by the Art of Living Foundation, a global organisation claiming to offer a series of self development programmes, founded by Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The festival, held to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the foundation, will feature music, dance and theatre performances from over 30,000 artists. Several dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of state from several countries, are expected to attend. Confirmed guests include former Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, President of Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena, US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and the Japanese and Norwegian culture ministers. Organisers say they want the event to bring global cultures, music and arts together, to demonstrate the \"power of peace\". Events include yoga and meditation camps as well as the stage performances."}], "question": "What is the festival and who is organising it?", "id": "293_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1583, "answer_end": 2231, "text": "The cumulative total of 3.5 million people is expected over all three days of the festival, with numbers fluctuating through the day. The Delhi police will help maintain law and order at the grounds, but organisers have told the BBC that they are deploying a volunteer force of close to 2,000 people who will help with crowd control and keep the venue clean. Earlier, the Delhi police expressed fears of a potential stampede at the venue, prompting India's defence minister to deploy the army to build several temporary bridges, media reports say. There will also be 650 bio-portable toilets and 1,200 waste bins at the event venue, organisers say."}], "question": "How will they manage 3.5 million people?", "id": "293_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2232, "answer_end": 3307, "text": "There has been concern about the environmental impact of the event, because it is being held in an ecologically sensitive area, on the floodplains of the river Yamuna. A floodplain is the area adjacent to a river, considered to be a part of the river bank. Organisers have erected a 1,200ft (365m) stage for the performances, built separate structures for visiting dignitaries, and also constructed several large bridges, all of which have required the use of heavy machinery. They have cleared all the vegetation in the area, and the ground has been filled and levelled. Environmentalists have alleged that all this construction, along with the fact that so many people are expected to attend, will cause irreversible damage to the ecology of the area. They approached India's environmental watchdog, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), and asked it to cancel the event. One of the activists who filed the petition, told an Indian newspaper that the 1,000 acres (400 hectares) being used for the event was once marshland, and now does not even have a \"single blade\" of grass."}], "question": "What is the controversy about?", "id": "293_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3308, "answer_end": 4039, "text": "The NGT criticised the Art of Living Foundation as well as the various government departments that granted permission for the event without making the prerequisite environmental checks. A team it had earlier sent to assess the damage said the construction had most likely left a \"permanent footprint\" on the area. The court said all government authorities had failed in their duties in this regard and fined the Art of Living Foundation a preliminary amount of 50 million rupees ($744,262; PS523,172). However it has allowed the event to go ahead. The Art of Living foundation has denied that their event has caused environmental damage. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has told Indian media that he would rather go to jail than pay the fine."}], "question": "What were the findings of the National Green Tribunal?", "id": "293_3"}]}]}, {"title": "What does US immigration overhaul mean?", "date": "21 November 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Barack Obama has announced the biggest overhaul of the country's immigration system in years. The centrepiece of the reform is a plan to offer millions of illegal immigrants the chance to get a three-year work permit. The president has long described the present system as \"broken\", and said in a televised speech that he was forced to take executive action after Congress failed to pass an immigration bill. There are currently an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, many of whom work in cash-in-hand jobs and therefore do not pay taxes. Hundreds of thousands of people try to cross the border from Mexico each year, many fleeing poverty in Central America or seeking to join relatives. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children make the journey, and cause a particular problem for the US. Many are held in crowded detention centres while US officials struggle to hear all of their cases. Mr Obama has called the issue a \"humanitarian crisis\". Why are so many children trying to cross the US border? The number of undocumented immigrants in the US has risen from an estimated 3.5 million in 1990 to just over 11 million, according to research by the Pew Research Center. More than half of immigrants arriving illegally in the US are from Mexico, with the rest arriving largely from Latin America and Asia, the Department of Homeland says. The US deported 369,000 people in 2013 alone, with 400,000 deported the year prior. But Mr Obama has argued that it would be impossible to deport all of the illegal immigrants. He has used executive action - in other words, his power as president - to dodge the political deadlock in Washington and push through reforms without requiring a vote in Congress. Although the package includes promises to facilitate legal immigration, toughen border security and refocus deportation efforts on to criminals, the centrepiece is the offer of work permits for illegal immigrants living in the US. To apply, people must have been living in the US for five years, and have a child who was US born or holds citizenship. A quirk of the US system is that any child born in the US automatically becomes a citizen, resulting in parents with no legal status bringing up children with full citizenship. Shoppers in Missouri speak out on immigration Some 3.7 million people are thought to be eligible for the scheme allowing parents work permits, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Another part of Mr Obama's plan will expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), a programme that started in 2012. Some 1.2 million people are already eligible, but Mr Obama has broadened the criteria, potentially expanding the scheme by 300,000. Republicans have been highly critical of Mr Obama's use of executive orders to force through reforms that Congress will not vote through. They say he is acting beyond his powers, but it is not clear whether they will ask judges to review the order. An immigration bill passed the Democrat-led Senate in 2013, but Republican House leader John Boehner refused to even debate the proposal. The Democrats have since lost control of the Senate, making the bill's passage even more difficult. Mr Obama says the order is within his power as president, and blamed the Republicans for forcing him to use his executive power. Immigration reform about to get ugly", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 422, "answer_end": 1035, "text": "There are currently an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, many of whom work in cash-in-hand jobs and therefore do not pay taxes. Hundreds of thousands of people try to cross the border from Mexico each year, many fleeing poverty in Central America or seeking to join relatives. Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children make the journey, and cause a particular problem for the US. Many are held in crowded detention centres while US officials struggle to hear all of their cases. Mr Obama has called the issue a \"humanitarian crisis\". Why are so many children trying to cross the US border?"}], "question": "How is the system 'broken'?", "id": "294_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1036, "answer_end": 1551, "text": "The number of undocumented immigrants in the US has risen from an estimated 3.5 million in 1990 to just over 11 million, according to research by the Pew Research Center. More than half of immigrants arriving illegally in the US are from Mexico, with the rest arriving largely from Latin America and Asia, the Department of Homeland says. The US deported 369,000 people in 2013 alone, with 400,000 deported the year prior. But Mr Obama has argued that it would be impossible to deport all of the illegal immigrants."}], "question": "What do we know about immigrants in the US?", "id": "294_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2307, "answer_end": 2709, "text": "Some 3.7 million people are thought to be eligible for the scheme allowing parents work permits, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Another part of Mr Obama's plan will expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), a programme that started in 2012. Some 1.2 million people are already eligible, but Mr Obama has broadened the criteria, potentially expanding the scheme by 300,000."}], "question": "How many will be affected?", "id": "294_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Indonesia attacks: How Islamic State is galvanising support", "date": "13 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, is among several nations in South East Asia that have suffered attacks in recent years by groups said to be linked to so-called Islamic State (IS). The country, along with Malaysia and Singapore, warned back in 2015 that it was a question of when, rather than if, attacks linked to the group would occur in the region. Then, in January 2016, a series of explosions and shootings in the heart of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, killed four civilians and four attackers. It was the first attack in the country to be linked to IS. The Jakarta attackers were later said to be part of the Indonesian-based Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) militant group, which had previously pledged allegiance to IS. Since then, IS has continued to prove a draw for would-be jihadists across South East Asia. IS stepped up its propaganda efforts in South East Asia following the Jakarta attack. The group used Indonesians in its videos to threaten governments and police and to urge supporters to carry out further attacks. In 2017, Indonesia's military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said that IS had spread to almost every province of the country. The current generation of radicals are either newcomers who got their indoctrination from the internet and jihadist sites, or followers of the old radical movements but with few ties with the older generation. Experts suggest that having viewed their predecessors as too timid, they later decided to split into new small groups, effectively going under the radar of the police. Up to 30 Indonesian groups are known to have pledged allegiance to IS with some previously voicing ambitions to establish an official IS province in South East Asia. Hundreds of Indonesians are also believed to have left the country to fight with the group in Syria and Iraq. While many top militant leaders have been either killed or captured, IS-inspired cells exist and are a continuing threat, influenced by leaders both at home and abroad. Aman Abdurrahman, leader of the JAD, is believed to command significant influence among jihadis in Indonesia, despite being detained in the country for the past 12 years. He is currently on trial for inciting followers to commit acts of terrorism while behind bars at a detention centre which has been described by analysts as a breeding ground for pro-IS militants. Following Indonesia's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed by al-Qaeda-linked militants in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups. This involved a combination of arrests and targeted killings alongside a deradicalisation programme that focused on altering the mindsets of Indonesians and providing alternative incomes for some released militants. The Indonesian authorities imprisoned some 800 militants and killed more than 100 since the Bali bombings. But it has not had a great amount of success reforming them. As militants - some with significant battlefield experience - continue to be released from prison, they may bolster the current ranks of jihadists. Meanwhile police are said to have prevented a number of attacks through their surveillance of known radical personnel. The latest attack, in which at least 11 people were killed in explosions at three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, is the deadliest since 2005, when suicide bombings on Bali killed more than 20 people. But Indonesia has suffered a number of deadly incidents linked to Islamist militancy over the years: - 2002 (October): A bomb attack on the Kuta Beach nightclub district on Bali kills 202 people, most of them tourists - 2003 (August): Fourteen people are killed when a car bomb explodes outside the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta - 2004 (September): Another car bomb attack outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta kills nine and injures more than 180 - 2005 (October): Three suicide bombings on Bali kill 23 people, including the bombers - 2009 (July): Twin suicide bomb attacks on the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta kill nine people and injure many more - 2016 (January): A bomb and gun attack in the centre of Jakarta kills two civilians and five attackers. IS claimed to be behind the attack - 2017 (May): A suicide bomb attack in Jakarta kills at least three police officers and injures 10 people - 2018 (February): Several people are injured in a sword attack at a church in Sleman, Yogyakarta - 2018 (May): Five police officers are killed at a high security prison in clashes with Islamist militant prisoners", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 842, "answer_end": 2371, "text": "IS stepped up its propaganda efforts in South East Asia following the Jakarta attack. The group used Indonesians in its videos to threaten governments and police and to urge supporters to carry out further attacks. In 2017, Indonesia's military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said that IS had spread to almost every province of the country. The current generation of radicals are either newcomers who got their indoctrination from the internet and jihadist sites, or followers of the old radical movements but with few ties with the older generation. Experts suggest that having viewed their predecessors as too timid, they later decided to split into new small groups, effectively going under the radar of the police. Up to 30 Indonesian groups are known to have pledged allegiance to IS with some previously voicing ambitions to establish an official IS province in South East Asia. Hundreds of Indonesians are also believed to have left the country to fight with the group in Syria and Iraq. While many top militant leaders have been either killed or captured, IS-inspired cells exist and are a continuing threat, influenced by leaders both at home and abroad. Aman Abdurrahman, leader of the JAD, is believed to command significant influence among jihadis in Indonesia, despite being detained in the country for the past 12 years. He is currently on trial for inciting followers to commit acts of terrorism while behind bars at a detention centre which has been described by analysts as a breeding ground for pro-IS militants."}], "question": "How does IS influence the region?", "id": "295_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2372, "answer_end": 3238, "text": "Following Indonesia's worst-ever attack in 2002 - when 202 people were killed by al-Qaeda-linked militants in two bombings outside a bar and nightclub on Bali - authorities launched a crack-down on extremist groups. This involved a combination of arrests and targeted killings alongside a deradicalisation programme that focused on altering the mindsets of Indonesians and providing alternative incomes for some released militants. The Indonesian authorities imprisoned some 800 militants and killed more than 100 since the Bali bombings. But it has not had a great amount of success reforming them. As militants - some with significant battlefield experience - continue to be released from prison, they may bolster the current ranks of jihadists. Meanwhile police are said to have prevented a number of attacks through their surveillance of known radical personnel."}], "question": "How has Indonesia responded?", "id": "295_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Qasem Soleimani: Iran vows 'severe revenge' for top general's death", "date": "3 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran's supreme leader has vowed \"severe revenge\" on those responsible for the death of top military commander Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani was killed by an air strike at Baghdad airport early on Friday ordered by US President Donald Trump. The 62-year-old Soleimani spearheaded Iran's Middle East operations as head of the elite Quds Force. Mr Trump said the US took its action to stop, not start, a war. But the killing marks a major escalation in tensions. An Iraqi army source told Reuters news agency that further air strikes hit a convey of Iraqi militia in the early hours of Saturday morning (local time). Iraqi state television also reported on these strikes, saying they took place north of the capital, Baghdad. There has been no comment from Washington. Soleimani was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran, behind Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported directly to the ayatollah and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure. Under his 21-year leadership of the Quds Force, Iran bolstered Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian militant groups in Lebanon; expanded its military presence in Iraq and Syria; and orchestrated Syria's offensive against rebel groups in that country's long civil war. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US wanted to de-escalate the situation, but that the strike was \"lawful\" and \"saved lives\". Later Mr Pompeo thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Saudi Arabia's \"steadfast support\" and \"for recognising aggressive threats posed by Iran's Quds force\", the state department said. US officials have said 3,000 additional troops will be sent to the Middle East as a precaution. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Iranians have been holding rallies in Tehran and other cities, denouncing what they call US crimes. Global oil prices rose sharply in the wake of the attack. Ayatollah Khamenei said \"severe revenge awaits the criminals\" behind the attack. Soleimani's death would double \"resistance\" against the US and Israel, he added. He also announced three days of national mourning. The ayatollah would lead prayers at a funeral ceremony for the general in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian media quoted Soleimani's family as saying. Later, the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body, said the US would be held responsible for its \"criminal adventurism\". \"This was the biggest US strategic blunder in the West Asia region, and America will not easily escape its consequences,\" it said in a statement. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the attack an \"act of international terrorism\". Soleimani's deputy, Gen Esmail Qaani, has been appointed as his successor. The Americans and their allies in Israel and the West have tracked Soleimani closely for years. It's likely that he has been in their sights before. The fact that this time the Americans pulled the trigger suggests that President Trump believes the reward is worth the risk, that the Iranian regime has been so weakened by isolation, economic sanctions and recent demonstrations that it will rage but not offer a serious strategic threat. But it is not at all clear whether the assassination fits into a coherent US strategy, and such an assumption could be dangerous and wrong. Soleimani was a colossal figure inside Iran. He was its strategic mastermind. Perhaps he left a plan of steps to take if he were killed. This assassination at the start of a new year and a new decade might turn into another Middle Eastern milestone, touching off another sequence of bloody events. To begin with, the Iranian regime must now be planning its answer to his death, to show that the position Soleimani spent so long creating outside its borders in the Middle East can be defended. In other reaction: - Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the \"assassination\" of Soleimani as a \"dangerous escalation\" of regional tensions - Russia said the attack was a \"murder\" and a \"reckless step\" by the US - Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group called for Soleimani's death to be avenged - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the US had the \"right \" to defend itself and praised President Trump for acting \"swiftly, forcefully and decisively\" - A spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world \"cannot afford\" another Gulf war The US has called the commander and the Quds Force terrorists, holding them responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US personnel. Speaking on Friday afternoon, President Trump said Soleimani was \"plotting imminent and sinister attacks\" on US diplomats and military personnel in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. \"We took action last night to stop a war, we did not take action to start a war,\" he said. Earlier, the Pentagon said the US strike \"was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans\". The 3,000 extra US troops being sent to the Middle East are from the 82nd Airborne Division and they will join 750 troops from the same unit sent to Kuwait earlier this week following an attack on the US embassy in Baghdad. Soleimani and officials from Iran-backed militias were leaving Baghdad airport in two cars when they were hit by several missiles from a US drone strike near a cargo area. The commander had reportedly flown in from Lebanon or Syria. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said 10 people were killed, including five of its members and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Muhandis commanded the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group, blamed by Washington for a rocket attack which killed a US civilian contractor in northern Iraq last Friday. He also effectively led the Popular Mobilisation units (PM), an umbrella of militias in Iraq dominated by groups aligned with Iran.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1923, "answer_end": 2725, "text": "Ayatollah Khamenei said \"severe revenge awaits the criminals\" behind the attack. Soleimani's death would double \"resistance\" against the US and Israel, he added. He also announced three days of national mourning. The ayatollah would lead prayers at a funeral ceremony for the general in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian media quoted Soleimani's family as saying. Later, the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security body, said the US would be held responsible for its \"criminal adventurism\". \"This was the biggest US strategic blunder in the West Asia region, and America will not easily escape its consequences,\" it said in a statement. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the attack an \"act of international terrorism\". Soleimani's deputy, Gen Esmail Qaani, has been appointed as his successor."}], "question": "What have the Iranians said?", "id": "296_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2726, "answer_end": 3797, "text": "The Americans and their allies in Israel and the West have tracked Soleimani closely for years. It's likely that he has been in their sights before. The fact that this time the Americans pulled the trigger suggests that President Trump believes the reward is worth the risk, that the Iranian regime has been so weakened by isolation, economic sanctions and recent demonstrations that it will rage but not offer a serious strategic threat. But it is not at all clear whether the assassination fits into a coherent US strategy, and such an assumption could be dangerous and wrong. Soleimani was a colossal figure inside Iran. He was its strategic mastermind. Perhaps he left a plan of steps to take if he were killed. This assassination at the start of a new year and a new decade might turn into another Middle Eastern milestone, touching off another sequence of bloody events. To begin with, the Iranian regime must now be planning its answer to his death, to show that the position Soleimani spent so long creating outside its borders in the Middle East can be defended."}], "question": "Another Middle Eastern milestone?", "id": "296_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4376, "answer_end": 5099, "text": "The US has called the commander and the Quds Force terrorists, holding them responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US personnel. Speaking on Friday afternoon, President Trump said Soleimani was \"plotting imminent and sinister attacks\" on US diplomats and military personnel in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. \"We took action last night to stop a war, we did not take action to start a war,\" he said. Earlier, the Pentagon said the US strike \"was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans\". The 3,000 extra US troops being sent to the Middle East are from the 82nd Airborne Division and they will join 750 troops from the same unit sent to Kuwait earlier this week following an attack on the US embassy in Baghdad."}], "question": "What has the US said?", "id": "296_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5100, "answer_end": 5768, "text": "Soleimani and officials from Iran-backed militias were leaving Baghdad airport in two cars when they were hit by several missiles from a US drone strike near a cargo area. The commander had reportedly flown in from Lebanon or Syria. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said 10 people were killed, including five of its members and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Muhandis commanded the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group, blamed by Washington for a rocket attack which killed a US civilian contractor in northern Iraq last Friday. He also effectively led the Popular Mobilisation units (PM), an umbrella of militias in Iraq dominated by groups aligned with Iran."}], "question": "How did the strike take place and who was killed?", "id": "296_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel-Gaza fighting continues for second day after militant's death", "date": "14 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Cross-border violence between Israel and militants in Gaza is continuing after an Israeli air strike killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander. After an overnight lull, rocket fire towards Israel resumed and Israeli aircraft conducted retaliatory strikes on Wednesday. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 32 Palestinians, including children, have been killed by Israeli fire. In Israel, 63 people have been treated for injuries and stress symptoms. Late on Wednesday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) offered terms for a ceasefire, which included an end to Israel's targeted killings of militants and Gaza border protesters and well as steps to ease the blockade of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far made no public comments on the truce offer. After a six-hour pause, PIJ militants resumed firing rockets at around 06:30 (04:30 GMT) on Wednesday, triggering air-raid sirens in southern and central Israel. At least 360 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Tuesday, the Israeli army says. It adds that 90% of the missiles were intercepted. An elderly woman was slightly wounded by broken glass after a rocket hit a house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Israeli media reported. Another rocket hit a factory in the southern town of Sderot. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had bombed more PIJ targets in Gaza on Wednesday in response, including a military headquarters in Khan Younis and a factory manufacturing warheads for long-range rockets in the south of the strip. The IDF said \"20 terrorists\" were killed, most of them from Islamic Jihad. The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas militants, said 32 people had been killed in Israeli strikes, at least a third of them civilians. It said six Palestinians from a single family were killed in a strike in the early hours of Thursday morning at their home in Deir al-Balah town, central Gaza Strip. It was the deadliest incident reported since the beginning of the current fighting. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. PIJ said the dead included members of its military wing, the al-Quds Brigades. Khaled Faraj, a field commander, was killed in a strike in central Gaza. UN Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned that the continuing escalation was \"very dangerous\". \"The indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars against population centres is absolutely unacceptable and must stop immediately,\" he said. \"There can be no justification for any attacks against civilians.\" In a statement, Save the Children charity said it was \"deeply concerned by the recently escalated hostilities\", calling for an immediate ceasefire. \"For the second day, hundreds of thousands of children are impacted by school closures  across Gaza and southern Israel, with parents terrified of the impact of further retaliation. \"Our teams in Gaza have been unable to go to work and our programmes have been suspended,\" the charity said. A pre-dawn Israeli air strike on a residential building in eastern Gaza City killed Baha Abu al-Ata, a senior PIJ military commander, and his wife. At about the same time, the home of another leader of the Iran-backed group was struck by an Israeli missile in Damascus, killing two people, Syrian state media said. Israel did not comment on the incident. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described Abu al-Ata as an \"arch-terrorist\" and a \"ticking bomb\" who posed an imminent threat to the country. Abu al-Ata was thought to be behind recent rocket fire from Gaza, including an attack 10 days ago on Sderot, and to have acted increasingly outside of the control of the dominant militant faction Hamas. Militants in Gaza said Israel had crossed a \"red line\" and fired more than 200 rockets in response. About 90% of the rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome air defence systems, the IDF said, but one exploded on a main road close to passing cars, and elsewhere two people were lightly injured by shrapnel. An eight-year-old girl also suffered a heart attack in a bomb shelter and remains in a serious condition. The IDF said it carried out air strikes in Gaza targeting PIJ rocket-launching units and infrastructure. Gaza's health ministry said eight people were killed, in addition to Abu al-Ata and his wife. PIJ spokesman Musab al-Buraim told the Hamas-linked Shehab news agency that it was not \"appropriate\" to discuss Egyptian efforts to end the flare-up when the group was still retaliating for Abu al-Ata's death. \"When we complete the response, it is possible to discuss calm,\" he said. At the start of a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu warned PIJ that if it did not halt the rocket fire Israel would continue to hit Gaza. \"They have but one choice: either stop these attacks or absorb more and more blows,\" he said. Earlier, IDF spokesman Brig Gen Hidai Zilberman told Israeli media that additional Iron Dome batteries had been deployed to central Israel as a precaution, and that commando units had been sent to communities near the Gaza border to defend them in case of infiltration attacks by militants. There has been no sign yet that Hamas, which controls Gaza, intends to join the fight. If it does, the conflict would escalate sharply, says the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Jerusalem. In order to prevent that, Israeli officials have signalled they are targeting only PIJ, and not Hamas. Gen Zilberman said the IDF was \"walking on a tight-rope\". Our correspondent says it is the first time that Israeli officials are drawing a distinction between the two groups during a cross border flare-up - normally they hold Hamas responsible for any violence from Gaza. The IDF said on Tuesday that Baha Abu al-Ata had undermined recent efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 2953, "text": "After a six-hour pause, PIJ militants resumed firing rockets at around 06:30 (04:30 GMT) on Wednesday, triggering air-raid sirens in southern and central Israel. At least 360 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Tuesday, the Israeli army says. It adds that 90% of the missiles were intercepted. An elderly woman was slightly wounded by broken glass after a rocket hit a house in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, Israeli media reported. Another rocket hit a factory in the southern town of Sderot. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had bombed more PIJ targets in Gaza on Wednesday in response, including a military headquarters in Khan Younis and a factory manufacturing warheads for long-range rockets in the south of the strip. The IDF said \"20 terrorists\" were killed, most of them from Islamic Jihad. The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas militants, said 32 people had been killed in Israeli strikes, at least a third of them civilians. It said six Palestinians from a single family were killed in a strike in the early hours of Thursday morning at their home in Deir al-Balah town, central Gaza Strip. It was the deadliest incident reported since the beginning of the current fighting. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. PIJ said the dead included members of its military wing, the al-Quds Brigades. Khaled Faraj, a field commander, was killed in a strike in central Gaza. UN Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov warned that the continuing escalation was \"very dangerous\". \"The indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars against population centres is absolutely unacceptable and must stop immediately,\" he said. \"There can be no justification for any attacks against civilians.\" In a statement, Save the Children charity said it was \"deeply concerned by the recently escalated hostilities\", calling for an immediate ceasefire. \"For the second day, hundreds of thousands of children are impacted by school closures  across Gaza and southern Israel, with parents terrified of the impact of further retaliation. \"Our teams in Gaza have been unable to go to work and our programmes have been suspended,\" the charity said."}], "question": "What is the latest?", "id": "297_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2954, "answer_end": 4275, "text": "A pre-dawn Israeli air strike on a residential building in eastern Gaza City killed Baha Abu al-Ata, a senior PIJ military commander, and his wife. At about the same time, the home of another leader of the Iran-backed group was struck by an Israeli missile in Damascus, killing two people, Syrian state media said. Israel did not comment on the incident. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described Abu al-Ata as an \"arch-terrorist\" and a \"ticking bomb\" who posed an imminent threat to the country. Abu al-Ata was thought to be behind recent rocket fire from Gaza, including an attack 10 days ago on Sderot, and to have acted increasingly outside of the control of the dominant militant faction Hamas. Militants in Gaza said Israel had crossed a \"red line\" and fired more than 200 rockets in response. About 90% of the rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome air defence systems, the IDF said, but one exploded on a main road close to passing cars, and elsewhere two people were lightly injured by shrapnel. An eight-year-old girl also suffered a heart attack in a bomb shelter and remains in a serious condition. The IDF said it carried out air strikes in Gaza targeting PIJ rocket-launching units and infrastructure. Gaza's health ministry said eight people were killed, in addition to Abu al-Ata and his wife."}], "question": "What happened on Tuesday?", "id": "297_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4276, "answer_end": 5782, "text": "PIJ spokesman Musab al-Buraim told the Hamas-linked Shehab news agency that it was not \"appropriate\" to discuss Egyptian efforts to end the flare-up when the group was still retaliating for Abu al-Ata's death. \"When we complete the response, it is possible to discuss calm,\" he said. At the start of a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu warned PIJ that if it did not halt the rocket fire Israel would continue to hit Gaza. \"They have but one choice: either stop these attacks or absorb more and more blows,\" he said. Earlier, IDF spokesman Brig Gen Hidai Zilberman told Israeli media that additional Iron Dome batteries had been deployed to central Israel as a precaution, and that commando units had been sent to communities near the Gaza border to defend them in case of infiltration attacks by militants. There has been no sign yet that Hamas, which controls Gaza, intends to join the fight. If it does, the conflict would escalate sharply, says the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Jerusalem. In order to prevent that, Israeli officials have signalled they are targeting only PIJ, and not Hamas. Gen Zilberman said the IDF was \"walking on a tight-rope\". Our correspondent says it is the first time that Israeli officials are drawing a distinction between the two groups during a cross border flare-up - normally they hold Hamas responsible for any violence from Gaza. The IDF said on Tuesday that Baha Abu al-Ata had undermined recent efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas."}], "question": "What are both sides saying?", "id": "297_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Malaysia queen denounces arrest of online critics", "date": "14 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Malaysia's queen has briefly returned to Twitter to express disappointment at police arresting people for allegedly insulting her on social media. The Raja Permaisuri Agong said she and the king had not asked the police to act and she was very upset at the news. This followed Friday's arrest of an activist in the western city of Klang for allegedly posting insults. The Raja Permaisuri Agong is thought to have first deleted her account on Wednesday. It prompted thousands of Malaysians to urge her to reconsider and continue posting updates. The Raja Permaisuri Agong - full name Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Iskandar - is the wife of Malaysia's current head of state. Malaysia has an unusual constitutional monarchy, where the top job rotates between nine hereditary state rulers every five years. In a series of tweets that have now been deleted, the Raja Permaisuri Agong said she had originally left Twitter for personal reasons. \"I am truly upset that the police have detained those people. Through the years, my husband and I have never made any police report on bad things said about us,\" she wrote, according to the Straits Times newspaper. \"It's a free country,\" she added. She said she had reactivated her Twitter account after hearing about the arrest because she was \"angry and upset\". \"I myself told the Pihak Istana to inform the police to not take any action. I repeat again, I did not deactivate my account because of them,\" she said. \"My husband and I have never made police reports, and I have never been sad (when I read comments about me); instead I laugh because Allah knows who I am!\" she added. Late on Friday evening Khalid Ismath, a member of the Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) party, was arrested for allegedly posting offensive messages about the queen. He was arrested under a 1948 sedition law - which has long been criticised by the political opposition and rights groups - and subsequently spent the night in a police station before being released on bail on Saturday. Lawyers and local rights groups criticised Mr Ismath's arrest. Sevan Doraisamy, head of local rights group Suaram, said it amounted to \"nothing more than intimidation\" by police. PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan told the Straits Times that the arrest had been unnecessary and said Mr Ismath had denied insulting the queen. Before briefly reappearing on Twitter, she posted on Instagram that she had left Twitter for personal reasons and not because she was offended at what people were writing about her. She also urged people against reporting posts to the police. Her Instagram post was shared on Twitter by her daughter. The Raja Permaisuri Agong had been criticised on social media during Malaysia's Independence Day celebrations on 31 August for taking lots of photographs, with some saying she had \"behaved like a small child\", according to the Malaysia Star newspaper. But she responded that the king had asked her to take the pictures.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 821, "answer_end": 1639, "text": "In a series of tweets that have now been deleted, the Raja Permaisuri Agong said she had originally left Twitter for personal reasons. \"I am truly upset that the police have detained those people. Through the years, my husband and I have never made any police report on bad things said about us,\" she wrote, according to the Straits Times newspaper. \"It's a free country,\" she added. She said she had reactivated her Twitter account after hearing about the arrest because she was \"angry and upset\". \"I myself told the Pihak Istana to inform the police to not take any action. I repeat again, I did not deactivate my account because of them,\" she said. \"My husband and I have never made police reports, and I have never been sad (when I read comments about me); instead I laugh because Allah knows who I am!\" she added."}], "question": "What did the queen say?", "id": "298_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1640, "answer_end": 2344, "text": "Late on Friday evening Khalid Ismath, a member of the Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) party, was arrested for allegedly posting offensive messages about the queen. He was arrested under a 1948 sedition law - which has long been criticised by the political opposition and rights groups - and subsequently spent the night in a police station before being released on bail on Saturday. Lawyers and local rights groups criticised Mr Ismath's arrest. Sevan Doraisamy, head of local rights group Suaram, said it amounted to \"nothing more than intimidation\" by police. PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan told the Straits Times that the arrest had been unnecessary and said Mr Ismath had denied insulting the queen."}], "question": "What happened to the activist?", "id": "298_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2345, "answer_end": 2965, "text": "Before briefly reappearing on Twitter, she posted on Instagram that she had left Twitter for personal reasons and not because she was offended at what people were writing about her. She also urged people against reporting posts to the police. Her Instagram post was shared on Twitter by her daughter. The Raja Permaisuri Agong had been criticised on social media during Malaysia's Independence Day celebrations on 31 August for taking lots of photographs, with some saying she had \"behaved like a small child\", according to the Malaysia Star newspaper. But she responded that the king had asked her to take the pictures."}], "question": "Why did the queen leave Twitter in the first place?", "id": "298_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US-Iran crisis: Trump lashes out at 'ignorant and insulting' statement", "date": "25 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump has lashed out at the \"ignorant and insulting statement\" released by Iran after the US president announced fresh sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation. The tweets came after Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the move proved the White House was \"mentally disabled\". Mr Trump said it showed Iran's leaders \"do not understand reality\". He unveiled the sanctions on Monday, saying they were a response to recent \"aggressive behaviour\" by Iran. The sanctions target a number of individuals, notably Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Mr Trump said was \"ultimately responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime\". The US has alleged Ayatollah Khamenei has access to vast wealth which helps fund the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). In a 2018 op-ed, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested it was as much as $95bn (PS75bn) and was \"used as a slush fund for the IRGC\". But Mr Rouhani questioned why the US would single out a man who he said only \"owns a Hoseyniyyeh [prayer venue] and a simple house\", calling the sanctions \"outrageous and idiotic\". He also said it suggested the US is lying about wanting dialogue. But Mr Trump said the only thing Iran understood was \"strength and power, and the USA is by far the most powerful military force in the world\". \"Any attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force,\" he added in a tweet. \"In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration.\" Some analysts said the sanctions were largely symbolic, although the US treasury department said the measures would lock up billions of dollars in assets. Mr Trump said the measures would deny Ayatollah Khamenei, his office, and those closely affiliated with him, access to key financial resources and support. The treasury also said it was also imposing sanctions on eight senior commanders of the IRGC's navy, air force, and ground forces, including the head of an air force unit that the US said had ordered the shooting down of a US surveillance drone last week. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif - who was the country's top negotiator on the nuclear deal - would be targeted later this week, it added. Tensions have increased steadily since May 2018, when Mr Trump abandoned the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and began reinstating sanctions to force Iran to renegotiate the accord. Last month, Iran scaled back some of its commitments under the deal, including on the amount of low enriched uranium it is allowed to stockpile, after Mr Trump ended exemptions from US secondary sanctions for countries still buying Iranian oil. On Tuesday - after Mr Trump's tweets - Iran's deputy foreign minister said \"with attention to the promises that have not been carried out from the European side\", it had no reason left to carry out its nuclear deal commitments unilaterally, Iran previously announced the stockpile limit would be breached on 27 June, and it plans to announce further reductions in its commitments on 7 July. Tensions have manifested themselves in other ways, including the shooting down of the US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had violated its airspace; the US insisted it was over international waters. The US has also accused Iran of being behind two sets of explosions that have damaged six oil tankers in the region, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes each day. Iran has rejected the allegation. Despite this, Mr Trump insisted he was willing to start negotiations on a new nuclear accord that would also see Iran agree to curb its ballistic missile programme and end what he calls its \"malign\" activities in the Middle East. \"If they don't want to, that's fine too. But we would love to be able to. And, frankly, they might as well do it soon,\" he said. Update 26 June 2019: An earlier version of this article said President Rouhani had described the White House as \"mentally retarded\". The translation has been revised to say \"mentally disabled\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1468, "answer_end": 2186, "text": "Some analysts said the sanctions were largely symbolic, although the US treasury department said the measures would lock up billions of dollars in assets. Mr Trump said the measures would deny Ayatollah Khamenei, his office, and those closely affiliated with him, access to key financial resources and support. The treasury also said it was also imposing sanctions on eight senior commanders of the IRGC's navy, air force, and ground forces, including the head of an air force unit that the US said had ordered the shooting down of a US surveillance drone last week. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif - who was the country's top negotiator on the nuclear deal - would be targeted later this week, it added."}], "question": "Who do the new sanctions target?", "id": "299_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2187, "answer_end": 4008, "text": "Tensions have increased steadily since May 2018, when Mr Trump abandoned the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and began reinstating sanctions to force Iran to renegotiate the accord. Last month, Iran scaled back some of its commitments under the deal, including on the amount of low enriched uranium it is allowed to stockpile, after Mr Trump ended exemptions from US secondary sanctions for countries still buying Iranian oil. On Tuesday - after Mr Trump's tweets - Iran's deputy foreign minister said \"with attention to the promises that have not been carried out from the European side\", it had no reason left to carry out its nuclear deal commitments unilaterally, Iran previously announced the stockpile limit would be breached on 27 June, and it plans to announce further reductions in its commitments on 7 July. Tensions have manifested themselves in other ways, including the shooting down of the US drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it had violated its airspace; the US insisted it was over international waters. The US has also accused Iran of being behind two sets of explosions that have damaged six oil tankers in the region, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes each day. Iran has rejected the allegation. Despite this, Mr Trump insisted he was willing to start negotiations on a new nuclear accord that would also see Iran agree to curb its ballistic missile programme and end what he calls its \"malign\" activities in the Middle East. \"If they don't want to, that's fine too. But we would love to be able to. And, frankly, they might as well do it soon,\" he said. Update 26 June 2019: An earlier version of this article said President Rouhani had described the White House as \"mentally retarded\". The translation has been revised to say \"mentally disabled\"."}], "question": "How did tensions between the two countries escalate?", "id": "299_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Harvey Weinstein: Film company in talks over possible sale", "date": "16 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The film production company co-founded by Harvey Weinstein, who is facing a number of sexual assault allegations, is in talks over a possible sale. The Weinstein Company said it had entered a preliminary deal with US private equity firm Colony Capital. Mr Weinstein, 65, was fired by the board of his company earlier this month, and was later expelled by the organisation behind the Oscars. The Hollywood producer insists sexual relations he had were consensual. Police in London and New York are investigating various allegations against Weinstein. The Weinstein Company, which was behind Oscar-winning films including The King's Speech and The Artist, has come under intense pressure over the scandal. The firm said it was in talks with Colony Capital about the sale of some or all of the company. Colony has also agreed to inject funds immediately into embattled firm. Tarak Ben Ammar, a board member of The Weinstein Company, said the extra funds would \"help stabilise the company's current operations\". Colony Capital, founded by Thomas J Barrack Jr - a friend of President Donald Trump - is already a major player in the film industry. In 2010, it bought Miramax, another film production company set up by Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein, from Disney. It also worked with The Weinstein Company in developing the film libraries of the two firms for platforms including Netflix, Amazon and Apple, before selling Miramax last year for an undisclosed price. Mr Barrack Jr said: \"We are pleased to invest in The Weinstein Company and to help it move forward. \"We will help return the company to its rightful iconic position in the independent film and television industry.\" The real estate tycoon is a former business partner of President Trump and chaired his inauguration committee. His private equity firm Colony says it has funds of $56bn (PS42bn) under management. The Weinstein brothers set up The Weinstein Company in 2005, twelve years after selling Miramax to Disney. Last year, Harvey Weinstein said the The Weinstein Company, including its film library, was worth up to $800m and had no debt. However, a number of the firm's partners have cut ties in recent days amid the allegations against Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment. Goldman Sachs said on Friday it was exploring options for the small stake it holds in the company, a day after US publisher Hachette Book Group terminated its tie-up with Weinstein Books.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1008, "answer_end": 2457, "text": "Colony Capital, founded by Thomas J Barrack Jr - a friend of President Donald Trump - is already a major player in the film industry. In 2010, it bought Miramax, another film production company set up by Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob Weinstein, from Disney. It also worked with The Weinstein Company in developing the film libraries of the two firms for platforms including Netflix, Amazon and Apple, before selling Miramax last year for an undisclosed price. Mr Barrack Jr said: \"We are pleased to invest in The Weinstein Company and to help it move forward. \"We will help return the company to its rightful iconic position in the independent film and television industry.\" The real estate tycoon is a former business partner of President Trump and chaired his inauguration committee. His private equity firm Colony says it has funds of $56bn (PS42bn) under management. The Weinstein brothers set up The Weinstein Company in 2005, twelve years after selling Miramax to Disney. Last year, Harvey Weinstein said the The Weinstein Company, including its film library, was worth up to $800m and had no debt. However, a number of the firm's partners have cut ties in recent days amid the allegations against Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment. Goldman Sachs said on Friday it was exploring options for the small stake it holds in the company, a day after US publisher Hachette Book Group terminated its tie-up with Weinstein Books."}], "question": "Who is Colony Capital?", "id": "300_0"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Politicians risk heckles in rain-soaked campaign", "date": "17 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Despite many politicians, political commentators, analysts and journalists including me saying this is one of the most important elections since World War Two, one can't help feeling it just hasn't caught fire yet. It could be because the weather's been rubbish, because people aren't inspired by the choices, or perhaps because there are still four weeks to go to the 12 December general election. Whatever the reason, this campaign has yet to burst into life. None of which is to say lots hasn't been happening. Candidates have been knocking on doors, party leaders touring the country and millions of people receiving targeted political ads via Facebook and other social media. The stand-out moment of the week has to be the decision of Nigel Farage, leader of the Brexit Party and the man who can claim much credit for there ever having been a referendum in 2016, deciding not to run candidates against sitting Conservative MPs. Why? Because he's trusting that Boris Johnson will deliver Brexit, and a pretty hard one at that, if Mr Johnson wins the election. And because he's come under an awful lot of pressure from enthusiastic Brexiteers saying he now poses the biggest threat to Britain ever leaving the EU by splitting the Leave vote between his party and the Conservatives. For Mr Johnson and the Conservatives it is surely an early Christmas present from Mr Farage. Yes, they would have preferred, no doubt, that Mr Farage had announced he was going on holiday until at least 15 December and would not stand any Brexit Party candidates at all. But it does mean the Conservatives are under far less pressure in terms of the seats they already hold, and can therefore concentrate more of their money and effort on trying to win new ones from other parties. I mentioned earlier the digital nature of modern campaigning, but political leaders still like to be seen out and about, meeting \"ordinary people\". This week we were reminded why that is always a risky as well as rewarding undertaking. Just as campaigns always have their gaffes, they also have their heckles. While visiting some of the many people affected by flooding in the North of England, a wellington-booted Boris Johnson waded through water hoping to show sympathy with beleaguered residents. Inevitably, one fed-up lady pushing a wheelbarrow was approached by the prime minister and expressed her unhappiness, all in front of camera- and mobile phone-wielding travelling journalists. \"I'm not very happy about talking to you,\" she told Mr Johnson. \"So if you don't mind I'll just mooch on with what I'm doing because you've not helped us. I don't want you to meet us.\"  Ouch. The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, didn't fare much better. On the campaign trail in Scotland he encountered a man, who turned out to be a minister in the Church of Scotland, who heckled him thus: \"Do you think the man who's going to be prime minister should be a terrorist sympathiser, Mr Corbyn? Who's going to be the first terrorist invited to the House of Commons when you're prime minister?\" So what, you might say. But video snippets of both encounters were very widely shared indeed. Read more on the election campaign: - More from Rob: Week One: Gloves are off as UK's pivotal election race begins The main parties stuck pretty doggedly to their campaign themes: the Conservatives to get Brexit done; Labour to end austerity; Liberal Democrats to stop Brexit; Scottish nationalists to hold another referendum on independence, and so on through the other parties too. Interestingly, despite all this whirl of activity, the opinion polls have barely shifted a fraction. Boris Johnson had an average lead in the opinion polls of 10% at the start of the campaign and now has one of 10.7%! I spent the week viewing the campaign on the road in Belfast. Contrary to what some might expect, given its past history of conflict, Belfast is, as it was even during the Troubles, an immensely warm and friendly city. But there is clearly a mood of uncertainty and anxiety here. Uncertainty over what the result of the election might mean in terms of Brexit. Anxiety over the existential question back in focus thanks to Brexit: namely what is Northern Ireland's medium to long-term future. Is it to continue to be a part of the UK, or become part of a united Ireland? Those I spoke to were nervous that this sensitive and difficult question was being asked again, but hopeful that somehow Northern Ireland could avoid any return to violence while searching for answers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3281, "answer_end": 3767, "text": "The main parties stuck pretty doggedly to their campaign themes: the Conservatives to get Brexit done; Labour to end austerity; Liberal Democrats to stop Brexit; Scottish nationalists to hold another referendum on independence, and so on through the other parties too. Interestingly, despite all this whirl of activity, the opinion polls have barely shifted a fraction. Boris Johnson had an average lead in the opinion polls of 10% at the start of the campaign and now has one of 10.7%!"}], "question": "Are the campaigns having an effect?", "id": "301_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hurricane Irma will be 'devastating' to US - Fema head", "date": "8 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hurricane Irma will \"devastate\" either Florida or neighbouring states, the head of the US federal emergency agency has said. Brock Long said parts of Florida would be without power for days. Half a million people in the state have been ordered to leave their homes. Hurricane Irma has left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean, affecting an estimated 1.2m people. At least 20 people are known to have died so far. It has been downgraded to a category four storm, but officials warn that it remains \"extremely dangerous\". The US National Weather Service says that Irma was expected to bring wind speeds of around 165mph (270km/h) over the weekend as it hits Florida. \"Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States in either Florida or some of the south-eastern states,\" Mr Long said. \"The entire south-eastern United States better wake up and pay attention,\" he added. Florida Governor Rick Scott said all Floridians should be prepared for possible evacuation, and issued a stark warning to those in threatened areas. \"We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now,\" he told reporters. \"Remember, we can rebuild your home, we can't rebuild your life.\" The death toll continued to rise on Friday in the Caribbean. France's Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said nine people were dead and seven missing in the French territory on St Martin, an island shared with the Netherlands, and St Barthelemy, known more commonly as St Barts. Another death - the second - has been confirmed in the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten. French officials said six out of 10 homes on Saint-Martin were so badly damaged that they were uninhabitable. The US Consulate General in Curacao said it believes an estimated 6,000 Americans are stranded on the island. French, British and Dutch military authorities have deployed aid - including warships and planes equipped with food, water and troops - to their territories. Reporting from another badly damaged island, Barbuda, the BBC's Laura Bicker says the destruction there is worse than feared. The storm lashed the Turks and Caicos islands and brought torrential rain to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, before battering the north coast of Cuba and the central Bahamas. About 50,000 tourists are fleeing or have fled Cuba, with resorts on the north coast now empty, Reuters reports. A huge evacuation of south-eastern, low-lying coastal areas in the Bahamas has been ordered. The tourism ministry said in a video statement that thousands of tourists left before the storm's arrival. Meanwhile Mr Long predicted a \"truly devastating\" impact on Florida. South Florida \"may be uninhabitable for weeks or months\" because of the storm, the US National Weather Service said. On the archipelago of Turks and Caicos, with its population of about 35,000, one witness described a drop in pressure that could be felt in people's chests. Irma ripped off roofs on the capital island, Grand Turk, flooded streets, snapped utility poles and caused a widespread black-out. Governor John Freeman told the BBC that people in low-lying areas were evacuated and sent to shelters. The islands' highest point is only 50m (163ft). Irma also caused some damage to roofs, flooding and power outages in the northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. - Turks and Caicos Islands: widespread damage, although extent unclear - Barbuda: the small island is said to be \"barely habitable\", with 95% of the buildings damaged. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne estimates reconstruction will cost $100m (PS80m). One death has been confirmed - Anguilla: extensive damage with one person confirmed dead - Puerto Rico: more than 6,000 residents of the US territory are in shelters and many more without power. At least three people have died - British Virgin Islands: widespread damage reported - US Virgin Islands: damage to infrastructure was said to be widespread, with four deaths confirmed - Haiti and the Dominican Republic: Both battered by the storm, but neither had as much damage as initially feared Irma is due to hit Florida as a category four hurricane on Sunday, bringing storm surges and flooding. US President Donald Trump said: \"I can say this: Florida is as well prepared as you can be for something like this. Now it's just a question of what happens.\" Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been issued for south Florida and the Florida Keys, the US National Hurricane Center says. Mr Trump's own Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach is among those ordered to evacuate, the Washington Post tweeted. After ripping through Florida's Atlantic coast, the storm is expected to move into Georgia and South Carolina. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said a mandatory evacuation on the state's Atlantic coast was scheduled to begin on Saturday. Roads and airports have been jammed as thousands of people tried to evacuate areas at risk, with reports of fuel shortages and gridlock on some roads. Many tourists are stranded with no seats left on flights back to their countries as flights to and from airports in Florida are being suspended. Orlando's international airport said commercial flights would stop from 17:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday. Another storm, Jose, further out in the Atlantic behind Irma, is now a category four hurricane, with winds of up to 240km/h (150mph). It is following a similar path to Irma and already hampering relief efforts in some of the worst affected areas. Residents of Barbuda, where 95% of buildings have been destroyed by Irma, have now left the island as Jose approaches. Hurricane Katia, in the Gulf of Mexico, has strengthened to a category two storm, with winds of up to 140km/h (85mph). A warning is in effect for the coast of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the storm is expected to make landfall on Saturday. Are you in the region? Are you a holidaymaker unable to get a flight home or a resident who has been preparing for Hurricane Irma? If it is safe for you to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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: +447555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Upload your pictures / video here - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2097, "answer_end": 3336, "text": "The storm lashed the Turks and Caicos islands and brought torrential rain to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, before battering the north coast of Cuba and the central Bahamas. About 50,000 tourists are fleeing or have fled Cuba, with resorts on the north coast now empty, Reuters reports. A huge evacuation of south-eastern, low-lying coastal areas in the Bahamas has been ordered. The tourism ministry said in a video statement that thousands of tourists left before the storm's arrival. Meanwhile Mr Long predicted a \"truly devastating\" impact on Florida. South Florida \"may be uninhabitable for weeks or months\" because of the storm, the US National Weather Service said. On the archipelago of Turks and Caicos, with its population of about 35,000, one witness described a drop in pressure that could be felt in people's chests. Irma ripped off roofs on the capital island, Grand Turk, flooded streets, snapped utility poles and caused a widespread black-out. Governor John Freeman told the BBC that people in low-lying areas were evacuated and sent to shelters. The islands' highest point is only 50m (163ft). Irma also caused some damage to roofs, flooding and power outages in the northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti."}], "question": "Where is Irma - and where next?", "id": "302_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Neil Simon: Celebrated US playwright dies aged 91", "date": "26 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Celebrated US playwright Neil Simon has died aged 91 in his native New York City of complications from pneumonia, representatives announced. Simon gained international fame in the 1960s for stage and screen comedies including The Odd Couple and Barefoot In The Park. In 1991 he won the Pulitzer Prize For Drama with Lost in Yonkers. \"Some say he's the most successful playwright since Shakespeare,\" Barefoot star Robert Redford once said. Simon was a prolific author. averaging at least one play a year for much of his career, and his work included  the hit musicals Sweet Charity and They're Playing Our Song. His wife, Elaine Joyce Simon, was at his deathbed along with his daughters, Ellen Simon and Nancy Simon, in New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his representatives said. Musical theatre star Elaine Paige and actor Josh Gad were among those tweeting tributes to the author. Some of the greatest American actors of the time starred in films of his plays, notably Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon as The Odd Couple (1968). In the comedy, Matthau played messy, poker-playing sports journalist Oscar Madison sharing an apartment with house-proud TV news writer Felix Ungar (Lemmon), as the two dealt with divorcing their wives. Fans paid tribute to The Odd Couple and his other works on social media. According to Variety, \"Beginning in the 1960s, Simon could guarantee good Broadway advance sales, a rare feat for a writer.\" His name was \"synonymous with Broadway comedy and commercial success in the theater for decades\", writes The New York Times. His later works failed to connect with broad audiences in the same way but earlier ones like The Sunshine Boys and Plaza Suite were remade for TV, for new generations. He was born on Independence Day 1927, in The Bronx, son of garment salesman Irving Simon and his wife Mamie. His Jewish childhood in the city would return again and again in his stage and screen work. The psychological depth of his works may owe something to his own painful experiences early in life, notably the stormy relationship between his parents. After writing comedy for radio in the 1940s, he tried television work before turning to Broadway and the cinema. Among the honours he received was a Tony Award for Best Playwright in 1965 for The Odd Couple. \"When I was a kid, I climbed up on a stone ledge to watch an outdoor movie of Charlie Chaplin,\" Simon recalled for Life magazine. \"I laughed so hard I fell off, cut my head open and was taken to the doctor, bleeding and laughing... My idea of the ultimate achievement in a comedy is to make a whole audience fall onto the floor, writhing and laughing so hard that some of them pass out.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 880, "answer_end": 1718, "text": "Some of the greatest American actors of the time starred in films of his plays, notably Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon as The Odd Couple (1968). In the comedy, Matthau played messy, poker-playing sports journalist Oscar Madison sharing an apartment with house-proud TV news writer Felix Ungar (Lemmon), as the two dealt with divorcing their wives. Fans paid tribute to The Odd Couple and his other works on social media. According to Variety, \"Beginning in the 1960s, Simon could guarantee good Broadway advance sales, a rare feat for a writer.\" His name was \"synonymous with Broadway comedy and commercial success in the theater for decades\", writes The New York Times. His later works failed to connect with broad audiences in the same way but earlier ones like The Sunshine Boys and Plaza Suite were remade for TV, for new generations."}], "question": "What works made him famous?", "id": "303_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Would you buy shares in Uber?", "date": "10 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "For sale: shares in a company that has already burned through $27bn (PS20.7bn; EUR24bn) in cash, will burn through tens of billions more of its new shareholders' money, has never made a profit and won't for many years - if ever. Sounds too bad to be true, but that is precisely what is on offer when Uber shares start trading today. It seems impossible to imagine why anyone would want to buy them, and yet market watchers expect there to be no shortage of people queuing up to buy a slice of a company whose name has become a recognised noun in dozens of languages around the world. Uber is selling shares to finance one of the most ambitious business plans in history. To revolutionise and then dominate global transportation. This company is about much more than getting a car home after the pub when you don't fancy public transport. Uber wants to dominate food delivery, electric bikes, international freight and more. That makes Uber a different animal from Lyft, its ride-hailing rival which has seen its shares fall 25% since it first sold shares publicly. The most important part of Uber's business plan is scale. Spend whatever it takes, for as long as it takes to smash the competition. This was Amazon's plan. Amazon didn't make a profit until six years after it first sold shares. It spent every dollar of revenue - and more - in expanding its business. It worked. Amazon's market share of e-commerce in the US is now double the next biggest nine companies combined. As astonishing as that is, Uber has the potential to have an even greater impact. It is the poster child of what is known as the gig economy. It provides a platform to match individual service providers/contractors (Uber drivers) with customers - taking a hefty slice (currently 25% in the UK) for matchmaking. Some fear that if Uber succeeds in making its platform the dominant mode of transport around the globe, then it will have become the digital equivalent of a feudal landlord. It owns the land on which the workers toil like peasants for low wages, while the economic spoils go to the landowner - dramatically skewing the returns of economic activity towards capital rather than labour. And if and when driverless cars come along, that will eliminate the return to labour completely. Who would you rather be, landlord or peasant? If landlord, then buy a share of the freehold on offer today. But buyer beware: this may be the most ambitious and risky plan since Icarus wanted a better look at the sun. In many countries, there is already something of a \"peasants' revolt\" under way. Drivers in cities across the US and UK have recently gone on strike to complain about pay and conditions. It should probably be called a protest rather than a strike, because Uber insists the drivers work for themselves. That status is absolutely key to Uber's business plan and is under legal challenge in courts around the world. But perhaps the greatest risk to Uber is that it succeeds in its plan for world domination, only to be broken up one day. There is a growing number of voices in Europe and the US calling for an end to what they see as the suffocating domination of tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook. It seems unlikely that governments, regulators and citizens around the world will be comfortable with one or even a couple of companies dominating and monitoring the movement of all people and goods around the world. My own hunch (neck uncomfortably out) is that there will be plenty of appetite for today's sale. Blockbuster market debuts like this don't come along very often: the last big one in the US was Facebook. Fomo (Fear of missing out) is a powerful emotion which may overwhelm the uncertainty as to whether Uber will ever make a profit.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1480, "answer_end": 3748, "text": "As astonishing as that is, Uber has the potential to have an even greater impact. It is the poster child of what is known as the gig economy. It provides a platform to match individual service providers/contractors (Uber drivers) with customers - taking a hefty slice (currently 25% in the UK) for matchmaking. Some fear that if Uber succeeds in making its platform the dominant mode of transport around the globe, then it will have become the digital equivalent of a feudal landlord. It owns the land on which the workers toil like peasants for low wages, while the economic spoils go to the landowner - dramatically skewing the returns of economic activity towards capital rather than labour. And if and when driverless cars come along, that will eliminate the return to labour completely. Who would you rather be, landlord or peasant? If landlord, then buy a share of the freehold on offer today. But buyer beware: this may be the most ambitious and risky plan since Icarus wanted a better look at the sun. In many countries, there is already something of a \"peasants' revolt\" under way. Drivers in cities across the US and UK have recently gone on strike to complain about pay and conditions. It should probably be called a protest rather than a strike, because Uber insists the drivers work for themselves. That status is absolutely key to Uber's business plan and is under legal challenge in courts around the world. But perhaps the greatest risk to Uber is that it succeeds in its plan for world domination, only to be broken up one day. There is a growing number of voices in Europe and the US calling for an end to what they see as the suffocating domination of tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook. It seems unlikely that governments, regulators and citizens around the world will be comfortable with one or even a couple of companies dominating and monitoring the movement of all people and goods around the world. My own hunch (neck uncomfortably out) is that there will be plenty of appetite for today's sale. Blockbuster market debuts like this don't come along very often: the last big one in the US was Facebook. Fomo (Fear of missing out) is a powerful emotion which may overwhelm the uncertainty as to whether Uber will ever make a profit."}], "question": "Landlord or peasant?", "id": "304_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump threatens 'national emergency' over wall", "date": "5 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has said he could declare a national emergency to build a US-Mexico border wall without the approval of Congress. It came after he met senior Democrats, who refused his requests for funding. The stand-off has seen Mr Trump withhold support for a bill to fully fund the government until he gets money for the border wall. He said he was prepared for the partial government shutdown - now in its third week - to last years. Around 800,000 federal workers have been without pay since 22 December. Trump aides and lawmakers will meet later on Saturday in a fresh bid to resolve the impasse. The Republican president initially gave a positive account of the 90-minute meeting at the White House, describing it as \"very productive\". But when asked whether he had considered using emergency presidential powers to bypass congressional approval of funding, Mr Trump said he had. \"I may do it. We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly. That's another way of doing it.\" \"I'm very proud of doing what I'm doing,\" the president added. \"I don't call it a shutdown, I call it doing what you have to do for the benefit and safety of our country.\" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday's meeting had been \"contentious\", while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: \"We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted.\" Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Donald Trump says he can declare a \"national emergency\" and build his promised wall along the border without congressional approval. If that's the case, the question becomes why he doesn't go ahead and do that. Why put federal workers through the pain of forgoing pay and hamstring key government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, if he could bypass Democratic objections with the snap of his presidential fingers? The answer is because the solution isn't that simple. There are provisions of US law that allow the president to direct military construction projects during war or national emergency, but that money would have to come from Defence Department funds allocated by Congress for other purposes. Such a move may prompt Congress, including Republicans, to push back. Then there's the inevitable legal challenge from Democrats to such an exercise of presidential authority. Any presidential order to build a wall would be met by an equally imposing wall of court filings blocking its construction. The president's latest suggestions are best viewed as simply another attempt to gain the upper hand in negotiations with Democrats. This may not be a threat, more a bluff. Democrats, who now hold the majority in the House, passed spending bills on Thursday to reopen the government, including $1.3bn (PS1bn) of border security funds until 8 February. But the legislation cannot take effect unless it passes the Republican-controlled Senate, where leader Mitch McConnell said his party would not back any measure without the president's support. The Kentucky senator called the Democratic budget \"a time-wasting act of political posturing\". In Friday's news conference, Mr Trump also told reporters he might consider asking his cabinet to decline a $10,000 raise that is due to take effect because a pay freeze has expired as an inadvertent result of the shutdown. The fiscal fiasco began when Congress and Mr Trump failed to reach an agreement over a budget bill in December. The Republicans had passed an initial funding bill including $5bn (PS4bn) for the wall, when they still had a majority in the House, but they could not get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate. Two vulnerable Republican senators up for re-election in 2020 - Cory Gardner of Colorado and Susan Collins of Maine - have broken ranks to back approving the budget and ending the shutdown. The White House is again floating the idea of a deal for \"Dreamers\" - immigrants who illegally entered the US as children. Democrats want to ensure that these individuals are shielded from deportation, but have insisted that they will not support a deal over wall funding. Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News the deal was being \"talked about\", but that Mr Trump said no deal was possible \"without a wall\". - About 25% of the US federal government has no funding - Nine departments have been affected, including Homeland Security, Justice, Housing, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and the Treasury - Native American tribes who receive substantial federal funding are struggling - National Parks have become hazardous without staff #ShutdownStories: The impact of the government shutdown More women than ever before won seats in Congress in the 2018 mid-terms. What does it mean for Congress - and America?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 613, "answer_end": 1367, "text": "The Republican president initially gave a positive account of the 90-minute meeting at the White House, describing it as \"very productive\". But when asked whether he had considered using emergency presidential powers to bypass congressional approval of funding, Mr Trump said he had. \"I may do it. We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly. That's another way of doing it.\" \"I'm very proud of doing what I'm doing,\" the president added. \"I don't call it a shutdown, I call it doing what you have to do for the benefit and safety of our country.\" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday's meeting had been \"contentious\", while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: \"We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted.\""}], "question": "What happened in Friday's meeting with Democrats?", "id": "305_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1368, "answer_end": 2606, "text": "Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Donald Trump says he can declare a \"national emergency\" and build his promised wall along the border without congressional approval. If that's the case, the question becomes why he doesn't go ahead and do that. Why put federal workers through the pain of forgoing pay and hamstring key government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, if he could bypass Democratic objections with the snap of his presidential fingers? The answer is because the solution isn't that simple. There are provisions of US law that allow the president to direct military construction projects during war or national emergency, but that money would have to come from Defence Department funds allocated by Congress for other purposes. Such a move may prompt Congress, including Republicans, to push back. Then there's the inevitable legal challenge from Democrats to such an exercise of presidential authority. Any presidential order to build a wall would be met by an equally imposing wall of court filings blocking its construction. The president's latest suggestions are best viewed as simply another attempt to gain the upper hand in negotiations with Democrats. This may not be a threat, more a bluff."}], "question": "Can Trump declare a national emergency?", "id": "305_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2607, "answer_end": 4213, "text": "Democrats, who now hold the majority in the House, passed spending bills on Thursday to reopen the government, including $1.3bn (PS1bn) of border security funds until 8 February. But the legislation cannot take effect unless it passes the Republican-controlled Senate, where leader Mitch McConnell said his party would not back any measure without the president's support. The Kentucky senator called the Democratic budget \"a time-wasting act of political posturing\". In Friday's news conference, Mr Trump also told reporters he might consider asking his cabinet to decline a $10,000 raise that is due to take effect because a pay freeze has expired as an inadvertent result of the shutdown. The fiscal fiasco began when Congress and Mr Trump failed to reach an agreement over a budget bill in December. The Republicans had passed an initial funding bill including $5bn (PS4bn) for the wall, when they still had a majority in the House, but they could not get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate. Two vulnerable Republican senators up for re-election in 2020 - Cory Gardner of Colorado and Susan Collins of Maine - have broken ranks to back approving the budget and ending the shutdown. The White House is again floating the idea of a deal for \"Dreamers\" - immigrants who illegally entered the US as children. Democrats want to ensure that these individuals are shielded from deportation, but have insisted that they will not support a deal over wall funding. Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News the deal was being \"talked about\", but that Mr Trump said no deal was possible \"without a wall\"."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "305_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What is ARM and why is it worth \u00a324bn?", "date": "18 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "ARM Holdings has been often described as the UK's leading technology company. And while it might not be a household name, many products that qualify rely on the Cambridge company's brainpower. Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, Apple's iPad tablets, Amazon's Kindle e-readers, Nest's smart thermostats, Ford's cars, DJI's drones, Canon's EOS cameras and Fitbit's fitness trackers barely scratch the surface. So, news that the business has accepted a PS24.3bn offer from Japan's Softbank has wide-ranging ramifications. No. ARM doesn't actually manufacture computer processors itself, but rather licenses its semiconductor technologies to others. In some cases, manufacturers only license ARM's architecture, or \"instruction sets\", which determine how processors handle commands. This option gives chip-makers greater freedom to customise their own designs. In other cases, manufacturers license ARM's processor core designs - which describes how the chips' transistors should be arranged. These blueprints still need to be combined with other elements - such as memory and radios - to create what's referred to as a system-on-chip. As a result, when you hear talk of a device being powered by a Samsung Exynos, Qualcomm Snapdragon or Apple A8 chip, it is still ARM's technology that is involved. - Televisions - Many modern televisions now run apps, allowing them to provide Netflix and other internet-based services, which are powered by ARM-based processors. The company's technology is also used in TV set-top boxes and remote controls - Smartphones and tablets - ARM's chip designs are at the heart of the vast majority of smartphones as well as many tablets. E-readers and digital cameras typically rely on ARM's technology as well - Drones - Drones are just one of a growing number of products to rely on tiny computer chips called microcontrollers - other examples include the controls for buildings' air-conditioning and lift systems. ARM estimates a quarter of such embedded computer chips made last year used its technology - Smart home - Internet-connected thermostats, electricity meters and smoke alarms are among a growing range of products that promise to make our homes safer and more energy efficient. Many use ARM-based chips to help homeowners cut their bills - Smart cities - Several cities are exploring the use of sensors to cut costs and help their inhabitants. Examples include street lamps that dim themselves when there is nobody close by and parking meters that detect when spaces are empty - or alert nearby wardens when vehicles have overstayed their time slots. ARM believes this sector holds great potential for its business - Smart cars - ARM-based chips are already used within many vehicles' infotainment systems to let them show maps, offer voice recognition and play music. They also carry out the calculations needed to run driver assistance systems - working out when to trigger automatic electronic braking, for example - and are being used within prototype self-driving systems - Wearable tech - From fitness trackers to smartwatches, much of the most popular wearable tech has relied on ARM-based chips for several years. Now, virtual reality and augmented reality headsets are the latest kit to feature the company's technology Intel is often described as its chief competitor because it makes processors based on a different architecture, known as x86. ARM's reputation for power-efficiency has helped prevent Intel from making much headway with smartphones, but most Windows devices rely on the US company's chips. Another UK-based chip designer, Imagination, attempted to popularise another chip design called Mips, but has had limited success. Hardly. The company's origins can be traced back to the success of the BBC Microcomputer in the 1980s. When its developer, Acorn Computers, sought to make a follow-up, it initially considered using chips made by others. But eventually, the company decided to make its own processors, whose name ARM stood for Acorn RISC (reduced instruction set computing) Machines. The resulting computers - the Acorn Archimedes series - struggled to sell. So, Acorn came up with a different business plan. It created a joint venture with Apple, called ARM Holdings, to make a chip for the American company's first handheld computer, the Newton, which launched in 1993. It also flopped. But there was, eventually, a silver lining. When Apple sold its 43% stake in ARM, it used part of the proceeds to buy Next, which led to the return of its co-founder Steve Jobs. Although Mr Jobs shut down the Newton division, he would later use ARM-based chips as the basis for first the iPod, then the iPhone and next the iPad. ARM benefited from the i-products' huge success. But its focus on low-power usage also meant it had success elsewhere. Nokia built phones using ARM-based chips made by Texas Instruments. And other licensees included Sony, HP, IBM, Philips and Qualcomm. ARM has also been making in-roads elsewhere. It reckons its designs now account for about a quarter of all microcontrollers  - a term used to refer to small computer chips typically dedicated to one specific task. These feature in a wide variety of products including: - electronic passports - car control systems - hard disks and flash memory - lift control systems - smart cards used to access public transport or make payments ARM's technology is also increasingly being used in data centres and networking equipment - such as mobile base stations and routers - so, it should benefit from the imminent shift to 5G. In addition, the company has itself recently taken over several \"internet-of-things\" related businesses. Although the sector is still relatively small, there are forecasts there will be a boom in demand for sensor-laden, internet-connected components that will be built into our homes, streets, clothes - and ultimately, even our bodies. All in all, ARM says about 15 billion chips based on its designs were shipped last year, representing about a third of all chips used in smart electronic devices. And it thinks that number represents a fraction of its potential market in a few years time. The danger has always been that if one of the technology giants bought ARM, then it might discourage others from using its designs or, possibly, provoke a larger counter-offer. So, Apple, Samsung and Huawei - for example - are all happy to use ARM's designs, but would probably not have wanted each other to have owned it outright. Intel had long been rumoured to have been a potential bidder, but such a merger would be difficult to clear with competition watchdogs. As one of Japan's biggest mobile networks, Softbank's business has little overlap with most of ARM's customers - which may mean they won't see the takeover as a threat. Even so, there would be concern if there were any hint that ARM's fees might be set to rise as a result. Softbank is paying a 43% premium over ARM's closing share price last week and is financing the deal by taking on more debt. Presumably, the Tokyo-based company believes our appetite for smart products to be very large indeed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 514, "answer_end": 1290, "text": "No. ARM doesn't actually manufacture computer processors itself, but rather licenses its semiconductor technologies to others. In some cases, manufacturers only license ARM's architecture, or \"instruction sets\", which determine how processors handle commands. This option gives chip-makers greater freedom to customise their own designs. In other cases, manufacturers license ARM's processor core designs - which describes how the chips' transistors should be arranged. These blueprints still need to be combined with other elements - such as memory and radios - to create what's referred to as a system-on-chip. As a result, when you hear talk of a device being powered by a Samsung Exynos, Qualcomm Snapdragon or Apple A8 chip, it is still ARM's technology that is involved."}], "question": "Impressive. ARM must be making lots of chips then?", "id": "306_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3265, "answer_end": 3684, "text": "Intel is often described as its chief competitor because it makes processors based on a different architecture, known as x86. ARM's reputation for power-efficiency has helped prevent Intel from making much headway with smartphones, but most Windows devices rely on the US company's chips. Another UK-based chip designer, Imagination, attempted to popularise another chip design called Mips, but has had limited success."}], "question": "Who are its main rivals?", "id": "306_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3685, "answer_end": 4937, "text": "Hardly. The company's origins can be traced back to the success of the BBC Microcomputer in the 1980s. When its developer, Acorn Computers, sought to make a follow-up, it initially considered using chips made by others. But eventually, the company decided to make its own processors, whose name ARM stood for Acorn RISC (reduced instruction set computing) Machines. The resulting computers - the Acorn Archimedes series - struggled to sell. So, Acorn came up with a different business plan. It created a joint venture with Apple, called ARM Holdings, to make a chip for the American company's first handheld computer, the Newton, which launched in 1993. It also flopped. But there was, eventually, a silver lining. When Apple sold its 43% stake in ARM, it used part of the proceeds to buy Next, which led to the return of its co-founder Steve Jobs. Although Mr Jobs shut down the Newton division, he would later use ARM-based chips as the basis for first the iPod, then the iPhone and next the iPad. ARM benefited from the i-products' huge success. But its focus on low-power usage also meant it had success elsewhere. Nokia built phones using ARM-based chips made by Texas Instruments. And other licensees included Sony, HP, IBM, Philips and Qualcomm."}], "question": "So, was ARM a success from the start?", "id": "306_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6150, "answer_end": 7117, "text": "The danger has always been that if one of the technology giants bought ARM, then it might discourage others from using its designs or, possibly, provoke a larger counter-offer. So, Apple, Samsung and Huawei - for example - are all happy to use ARM's designs, but would probably not have wanted each other to have owned it outright. Intel had long been rumoured to have been a potential bidder, but such a merger would be difficult to clear with competition watchdogs. As one of Japan's biggest mobile networks, Softbank's business has little overlap with most of ARM's customers - which may mean they won't see the takeover as a threat. Even so, there would be concern if there were any hint that ARM's fees might be set to rise as a result. Softbank is paying a 43% premium over ARM's closing share price last week and is financing the deal by taking on more debt. Presumably, the Tokyo-based company believes our appetite for smart products to be very large indeed."}], "question": "Why didn't anyone else buy it before then?", "id": "306_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Could Fifa really take the World Cup from Russia or Qatar?", "date": "8 June 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Following Fifa's head of audit and compliance Dominico Scala's remarks that it was feasible for Fifa to strip a nation of the World Cup if corruption was proved, we examine exactly how this would work. Proof needs to be found that it was obtained by corrupt means. This would need to be a \"smoking gun\", and ideally proven as part of a criminal investigation. The consequences are so great - legal, financial, diplomatic - that nothing short of absolute proof would do. Essentially, Fifa's Executive Committee (the organisation's most powerful body) is the only body which  can make this call. This is unprecedented territory and it all comes down to the interpretation of Fifa's rules. There is no obvious reference to corruption but there is a general clause for \"unforeseen circumstances\" that could be used. The problem then is defining corruption as \"unforeseen circumstances,\" - leaving it open to interpretation what the burden of proof or level of corruption is required. The earliest it could happen would be at the Extraordinary Congress called to vote on Sepp Blatter's replacement as president. The BBC understands that this is likely to be held on 16 December. For now. As long as he remains president he could trigger a vote on it. The odds are that the Executive Committee will follow what he says, they normally have in the past. His successor could also announce their arrival by asking for a vote on withdrawing the rights to host the World Cup. However, it would be a bold move to make your first decision one that could potentially destroy your organisation. In theory, very simply. Fifa would say it was tearing up the contract due to corruption. That would be quick, as long as Qatar or Russia accepted it. The problem is - they almost certainly wouldn't. So, then it would move to legal wrangling, and the injured party would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This would not be a quick process, with several unknowns. Would CAS halt the process of removing the right to host whilst it heard the case, leaving the bid in limbo? And would whoever lost out at CAS, then appeal again to a higher Swiss court? This is so unprecedented we simply do not know. Time more than anything means that in all likelihood Russia will keep the 2018 World Cup. The ball is already rolling and the draw for qualifying takes place in less than two months. If Russia were to be stripped of the tournament it would be in 2016 at the earliest, probably later. Television is the financial power behind the World Cup and by 2016 broadcasters will be starting to make detailed plans. Uncertainty is the last thing they want - this more than anything means Fifa is unlikely to make a change. Finding a replacement host at short notice would also be difficult. Nations such as Germany or England could host it quickly but would still need to upgrade many of their stadiums. In England, probably only Wembley and Arsenal's Emirates stadium fully meet Fifa's specifications. The rest would need investment to upgrade things such as broadcast facilities - certainly not impossible, but potentially time consuming and expensive. In addition to stadiums, a host nation would have to be ready for one million visiting fans, possibly more if it was held in central Europe. Would small cities really be able to handle 50,000 fans requiring bed and board at short notice? Fifa would also require hundreds of hotel rooms for it and \"members of the football family\". Even last year's hosts Brazil would struggle.  Much of the infrastructure there was temporary - the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha stadium in capital Brasilia is now a bus park. Sources: Stadium DB / media reports. In practical terms - yes. There is enough time before 2022 to find a new host, quite possibly one of the original bidders in the form of the US, or Australia. Legally - nobody really knows.  The Qataris are bullish and will fight any move to take the tournament away from them with every legal resource at their disposal. However, the strength of their response to the corruption scandal suggests they must be nervous - and with Swiss and American criminal investigations examining their bid, they would be foolish not to be. * As outlined in original bid. In 2014 it was reported that Qatar could scale back plans to 8 or 9 stadiums. Fifa has $1.5bn (PS690m) in cash reserves and is an immensely powerful organisation, but it is going up against two nation-states. Both hosts have invested eye-watering sums of money into the tournament; Qatar is quite literally building cities to hold stadiums. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has estimated the cost of the Russian tournament at PS13bn ($20bn). Qatar says its cost will be at least PS23bn ($35bn). If a World Cup was removed from a host country which then successfully appealed and won compensation, Fifa could well be bankrupted. Forget about the money, part of the allure of hosting a World Cup is prestige, a way of announcing yourself on the world stage. Qatar has systematically used sport to build itself as a global brand. It owns Paris St-Germain and sponsors European champions Barcelona; the World Cup was the final part of the jigsaw. For Qatar to be stripped of it in a mire of corruption would be humiliating. It would almost certainly damage its relations with the West, where it is a major investor. Russia is even more fraught. President Vladimir Putin has already described the US Department of Justice's corruption investigation as a Western plot to strip Russia of a World Cup. The countries that could all host at very short notice - Germany, Britain and the US - all currently have sanctions targeting Russia over the crisis in Ukraine. For the tournament to be taken away from Russia and handed to one of them would have enormous diplomatic ramifications.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 202, "answer_end": 469, "text": "Proof needs to be found that it was obtained by corrupt means. This would need to be a \"smoking gun\", and ideally proven as part of a criminal investigation. The consequences are so great - legal, financial, diplomatic - that nothing short of absolute proof would do."}], "question": "What needs to happen for them to lose the World Cup?", "id": "307_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 470, "answer_end": 979, "text": "Essentially, Fifa's Executive Committee (the organisation's most powerful body) is the only body which  can make this call. This is unprecedented territory and it all comes down to the interpretation of Fifa's rules. There is no obvious reference to corruption but there is a general clause for \"unforeseen circumstances\" that could be used. The problem then is defining corruption as \"unforeseen circumstances,\" - leaving it open to interpretation what the burden of proof or level of corruption is required."}], "question": "How would they do it?", "id": "307_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 980, "answer_end": 1173, "text": "The earliest it could happen would be at the Extraordinary Congress called to vote on Sepp Blatter's replacement as president. The BBC understands that this is likely to be held on 16 December."}], "question": "How soon?", "id": "307_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1174, "answer_end": 1578, "text": "For now. As long as he remains president he could trigger a vote on it. The odds are that the Executive Committee will follow what he says, they normally have in the past. His successor could also announce their arrival by asking for a vote on withdrawing the rights to host the World Cup. However, it would be a bold move to make your first decision one that could potentially destroy your organisation."}], "question": "Does Sepp Blatter have a say?", "id": "307_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1579, "answer_end": 2193, "text": "In theory, very simply. Fifa would say it was tearing up the contract due to corruption. That would be quick, as long as Qatar or Russia accepted it. The problem is - they almost certainly wouldn't. So, then it would move to legal wrangling, and the injured party would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This would not be a quick process, with several unknowns. Would CAS halt the process of removing the right to host whilst it heard the case, leaving the bid in limbo? And would whoever lost out at CAS, then appeal again to a higher Swiss court? This is so unprecedented we simply do not know."}], "question": "How would it work?", "id": "307_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2194, "answer_end": 3684, "text": "Time more than anything means that in all likelihood Russia will keep the 2018 World Cup. The ball is already rolling and the draw for qualifying takes place in less than two months. If Russia were to be stripped of the tournament it would be in 2016 at the earliest, probably later. Television is the financial power behind the World Cup and by 2016 broadcasters will be starting to make detailed plans. Uncertainty is the last thing they want - this more than anything means Fifa is unlikely to make a change. Finding a replacement host at short notice would also be difficult. Nations such as Germany or England could host it quickly but would still need to upgrade many of their stadiums. In England, probably only Wembley and Arsenal's Emirates stadium fully meet Fifa's specifications. The rest would need investment to upgrade things such as broadcast facilities - certainly not impossible, but potentially time consuming and expensive. In addition to stadiums, a host nation would have to be ready for one million visiting fans, possibly more if it was held in central Europe. Would small cities really be able to handle 50,000 fans requiring bed and board at short notice? Fifa would also require hundreds of hotel rooms for it and \"members of the football family\". Even last year's hosts Brazil would struggle.  Much of the infrastructure there was temporary - the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha stadium in capital Brasilia is now a bus park. Sources: Stadium DB / media reports."}], "question": "Could Russia lose the 2018 World Cup?", "id": "307_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3685, "answer_end": 4319, "text": "In practical terms - yes. There is enough time before 2022 to find a new host, quite possibly one of the original bidders in the form of the US, or Australia. Legally - nobody really knows.  The Qataris are bullish and will fight any move to take the tournament away from them with every legal resource at their disposal. However, the strength of their response to the corruption scandal suggests they must be nervous - and with Swiss and American criminal investigations examining their bid, they would be foolish not to be. * As outlined in original bid. In 2014 it was reported that Qatar could scale back plans to 8 or 9 stadiums."}], "question": "Could Qatar lose the 2022 World Cup?", "id": "307_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4320, "answer_end": 4875, "text": "Fifa has $1.5bn (PS690m) in cash reserves and is an immensely powerful organisation, but it is going up against two nation-states. Both hosts have invested eye-watering sums of money into the tournament; Qatar is quite literally building cities to hold stadiums. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has estimated the cost of the Russian tournament at PS13bn ($20bn). Qatar says its cost will be at least PS23bn ($35bn). If a World Cup was removed from a host country which then successfully appealed and won compensation, Fifa could well be bankrupted."}], "question": "What about the money?", "id": "307_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4876, "answer_end": 5822, "text": "Forget about the money, part of the allure of hosting a World Cup is prestige, a way of announcing yourself on the world stage. Qatar has systematically used sport to build itself as a global brand. It owns Paris St-Germain and sponsors European champions Barcelona; the World Cup was the final part of the jigsaw. For Qatar to be stripped of it in a mire of corruption would be humiliating. It would almost certainly damage its relations with the West, where it is a major investor. Russia is even more fraught. President Vladimir Putin has already described the US Department of Justice's corruption investigation as a Western plot to strip Russia of a World Cup. The countries that could all host at very short notice - Germany, Britain and the US - all currently have sanctions targeting Russia over the crisis in Ukraine. For the tournament to be taken away from Russia and handed to one of them would have enormous diplomatic ramifications."}], "question": "Diplomatic incident?", "id": "307_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Africa by Toto: Why are your friends still obsessed with it?", "date": "13 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"It's gonna take a lot to take me away from you.\" Whether it's being requested by your pal on a night out for the billionth time or the punch line to a meme, Africa by Toto is the song the internet just can't seem to shake off. It was one of the most streamed songs in 2017 and has an impressive 396 million views on YouTube and over 426 million streams on Spotify but check this: it was first released in 1982. So what makes this soft rock song still popular? Lots of things that are now part of our daily lives first emerged in 1983. It became compulsory for both the driver and passenger in the front seat of a car to wear a seatbelt. In gaming, plumbers Mario and Luigi made their video game debut as the Mario Bros. And in the music world, well - we saw the British chart debut of Africa, a song by American rock band Toto. It was up against tough competition, including Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. The song peaked at number three before falling down and out of the charts. And it didn't trouble the British charts again 'til 2013 where it spent a week at number 67 before it vanished once again. But why did it chart in 2013 and become relevant again in 2018? Time for a quick lesson into the history of the internet. From early 2013, covers and parodies of the song ended up on YouTube and a subreddit dedicated to Africa covers - /r/TotoAfricaCovers. The song then appeared in everything from a sex scene in Stranger Things to a parody on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Although, sometimes the obsession is taken a little too far. Take this Twitter bot account that tweets Africa lyrics... Every Single Day. Then earlier this year, a Twitter account led a campaign to try and get Weezer to cover the 80s banger which boosted interest in it again. The obsession for Africa goes way beyond the memes (just about). Last year some of the most streamed songs were One Last Time by Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You and - you guessed it - Africa by Toto. On Spotify alone, the song had been streamed a whopping 426,699,549 times at the time of writing. And Britain's one of the top countries searching for \"Africa by Toto\" on Google. Even Radio 1's Greg James described it as \"euphoric\" and \"one of the greatest songs ever recorded\" on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. However, not everybody finds it as \"euphoric\" as Greg. Senior lecturer Barbara Lebrun, who has researched popular music, says the song is a lot sadder than people think. \"My own perception is that its very emphatic but it's also a very sad mood with a sense of despair. \"For example, 'nothing is going to take me away from you', it's defiant.\" She also told Newsbeat about the confusion about the song's geographical location. \"Is he welcoming the rains in a land of desert? Where in Africa are we? \"I think it's a white person's idea of exoticism,\" says Barbara, who nevertheless believes the tune is \"very well crafted\". \"The synthesisers have aged a little bit but maybe the younger generation find it attractive? It's distant.\" A self-confessed fan of Africa, Grace Shademan, tells Newsbeat there are different \"levels\" as to why people will like the song. \"The harmonies on that song are fused with magic, in my opinion,\" she says. \"It transports you to an 80s synth paradise.\" Clifford Stumme, a fan of the track from Virginia, also thinks it's a timeless classic. \"It's been around long enough that people have had the opportunity to remember it, large portions of people will recognise it and it's more of a community gathering. \"Not everyone will remember a song from last Thursday but we've all heard this classic and can all enjoy it together.\" Though there are no clear signs of Africa dominating the charts anytime soon, we can probably all agree on one thing... \"There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1763, "answer_end": 3015, "text": "The obsession for Africa goes way beyond the memes (just about). Last year some of the most streamed songs were One Last Time by Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You and - you guessed it - Africa by Toto. On Spotify alone, the song had been streamed a whopping 426,699,549 times at the time of writing. And Britain's one of the top countries searching for \"Africa by Toto\" on Google. Even Radio 1's Greg James described it as \"euphoric\" and \"one of the greatest songs ever recorded\" on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. However, not everybody finds it as \"euphoric\" as Greg. Senior lecturer Barbara Lebrun, who has researched popular music, says the song is a lot sadder than people think. \"My own perception is that its very emphatic but it's also a very sad mood with a sense of despair. \"For example, 'nothing is going to take me away from you', it's defiant.\" She also told Newsbeat about the confusion about the song's geographical location. \"Is he welcoming the rains in a land of desert? Where in Africa are we? \"I think it's a white person's idea of exoticism,\" says Barbara, who nevertheless believes the tune is \"very well crafted\". \"The synthesisers have aged a little bit but maybe the younger generation find it attractive? It's distant.\""}], "question": "Why do people love it so much?", "id": "308_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Cyclone Fani: Indians shelter from cyclone's onslaught", "date": "3 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A powerful cyclone has slammed into India's eastern coastline, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 200 km/h (125mph). Cyclone Fani, one of the most severe storms to hit the region in recent years, made landfall at 08:00 local time (02:30 GMT) on Friday. More than one million people have been evacuated from the eastern state of Orissa, also called Odisha. Eight people have been killed in India, according to the PTI news agency. The cyclone made landfall in the tourist town of Puri, which is home to the 858-year-old Jagannath temple. A state official told the AFP news agency that although official figures had not been confirmed, around 160 people had been injured in Puri alone. - Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Flooding has also been reported in several areas, and forecasters say a storm surge of 1.5m (5ft) could threaten low-lying homes. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said $140m (PS106m) was being allocated for emergency relief. Authorities in Bangladesh said one person had been killed by a tree, and that 14 villages were flooded as a tidal surge breached dams. Around 400,000 people have been taken to shelters, officials told AFP. Numerous flights and train services in and out of the state have been cancelled, while schools and government offices are shut. Operations at three ports on India's eastern coast have also been shut down. Naval warships and helicopters are on standby with medical teams and relief materials. The country's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also deployed several teams there. India's National Disaster Management Authority has warned people along the east coast, especially fishermen, not to go out to sea because the conditions are \"phenomenal\". The agency said the \"total destruction of thatched houses\" was possible, as well as \"extensive damage\" to other structures. The cyclone is expected to move towards Chittagong in Bangladesh in a weaker form on Saturday. It coincides with high tides in the country, which may exacerbate potential flooding issues there. The port city of Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees live in camps with minimal shelter, is also on alert. But the cyclone is currently not expected to hit the camps unless it changes path, which is not thought likely. In February the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) began distributing tarpaulins ahead of the region's \"cyclone season\" - but warned that if a deadly storm rolls in, shelters made of battered bamboo and shredded plastic would offer little protection. The navy, the coast guard and the National Disaster Response Force have all been prepared for deployment. Two ships with divers and doctors have been stationed at the southern port cities of Vishakapatnam and Chennai (formerly Madras), an official told local media. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds. In October last year, officials in Orissa evacuated hundreds of thousands of people when another cyclone struck. But India has improved its protections and responses to these disasters in recent years. The state's most deadly cyclone on record took place in 1999, killing almost 10,000 people. India's electoral commission has relaxed its rules about what the government can do during election periods so that the authorities can carry out relief work. The country is in the middle of a multi-phased election which started last month. Under normal circumstances the incumbent government has certain powers suspended, so that it can't announce new schemes or take new decisions during the voting period. Although the election will continue until the end of May, Orissa has already voted. Are you in the region? What are conditions like at the moment?  What preparations have you made? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1161, "answer_end": 2279, "text": "Numerous flights and train services in and out of the state have been cancelled, while schools and government offices are shut. Operations at three ports on India's eastern coast have also been shut down. Naval warships and helicopters are on standby with medical teams and relief materials. The country's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also deployed several teams there. India's National Disaster Management Authority has warned people along the east coast, especially fishermen, not to go out to sea because the conditions are \"phenomenal\". The agency said the \"total destruction of thatched houses\" was possible, as well as \"extensive damage\" to other structures. The cyclone is expected to move towards Chittagong in Bangladesh in a weaker form on Saturday. It coincides with high tides in the country, which may exacerbate potential flooding issues there. The port city of Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees live in camps with minimal shelter, is also on alert. But the cyclone is currently not expected to hit the camps unless it changes path, which is not thought likely."}], "question": "What is the latest?", "id": "309_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Is Hungary's Jobbik leader really ditching far-right past?", "date": "15 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jobbik is changing fast, its leader Gabor Vona, 38, claims. From a radical nationalist party which until recently insulted Hungary's Roma (Gypsy) and Jewish communities, to a moderate \"conservative people's party\", which offers the only realistic chance of ousting Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party. But is the makeover genuine and could Jobbik really move to the centre? Gabor Vona's hope is that the tailwind created by the UK's vote to leave the EU and by Donald Trump's presidential success in America could help sweep Jobbik to power in Hungary in 2018. \"What we have in common (with the US) is the demand for change. And there is a majority in Hungary today who want a change of government,\" he argues. Fidesz, in power since 2010, has lost two battles in the past month and blames Jobbik for both: a 2 October referendum to block EU migrant quotas, and an 8 November vote in parliament to build a migrant quota ban into the constitution. Mr Orban's push in parliament collapsed because Gabor Vona said he would only back it if Fidesz first abolished a loophole that allows rich foreigners to buy residency. Mr Orban said he would not be blackmailed. Gabor Vona appears to have the ruling party over a barrel and even aims to bring back the migrant quota ban tied to scrapping the residency loophole. The fury from the government side is enormous. Jobbik stands accused of treachery, and pro-government media are launching attack after attack. But Gabor Vona gives as good as he gets. \"Viktor Orban is a burnt-out politician, interested only in corruption and football,\" he said recently. Mr Orban's greatest failure, he says, was to squander the opportunity to change Hungary for the better when he had a two-thirds majority. \"Instead, he created a mafia-type state.\" Jobbik was founded in 2003 with a radical nationalist agenda. It rose to prominence in street protests in 2006 against the Socialist-led government. The same year Gabor Vona set up the Hungarian Guard, a paramilitary organisation that earned the party its extremist credentials. \"There was a huge wave of anger in the country, and as a young man I felt we needed a show of strength against the government.\"  But then, he admits, he lost control of the narrative. Until it was banned in 2009, the Guard marched through Roma neighbourhoods sowing fear and distrust. Jobbik also introduced the phrase \"Gypsy crime\" into public life. The party won 17% in the 2010 elections and 20% in 2014. And yet, Mr Vona insists his party was never racist. \"Because of inexperience and other mistakes the Guard's original purpose was turned into a paramilitary and anti-Gypsy group by the media,\" he claims. \"We raised the problems of Gypsy-Hungarian co-existence. But I accept in a self-critical way that often out of hot-headedness or inexperience some statements were made that I would not make now.\" In a recent post on his Facebook page, Gabor Vona even appears with his arm around a Roma woman in Tiszavasvari, a town with a Jobbik mayor since 2010. \"The message I wanted to send was that Tiszavasvari has changed for the better for the whole community including the Gypsies. By now most Roma know that there's nothing to fear from Jobbik,\" he asserts. Anti-Semitism is another frequent charge made against the party. In 2012, Jobbik ex-Vice-President Csanad Szegedi resigned when his Jewish origin was made public. Mr Szegedi accepts that his former party is changing, but insists it still has a very long way to go. \"Gabor Vona's change of heart will only be credible if he is able to face up to the crimes he committed, and asks for forgiveness from all those he has offended in his political career. Even then I think he should leave politics and find a way to atone for all his mistakes,\" he told the BBC. Nowadays, Gabor Vona prefers to avoid political labels. \"If I lived in Greece I would probably vote for Syriza, though they are supposed to be on the left,\" he suggests. And unlike other party leaders associated with the far right, he admires the Sufi tradition of Islam: something he has struggled to explain to his vehemently anti-migrant party. Earlier this year, Gabor Vona removed two party vice-presidents who de-filed the EU flag. Then he laid out a vision for Jobbik as a \"modern conservative party\" and he now promises to restore the checks and balances lost under Mr Orban. \"I don't calculate how many old supporters we have, and how many new ones. I put a programme on the table. And people can decide whether they believe in it or not.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1790, "answer_end": 3789, "text": "Jobbik was founded in 2003 with a radical nationalist agenda. It rose to prominence in street protests in 2006 against the Socialist-led government. The same year Gabor Vona set up the Hungarian Guard, a paramilitary organisation that earned the party its extremist credentials. \"There was a huge wave of anger in the country, and as a young man I felt we needed a show of strength against the government.\"  But then, he admits, he lost control of the narrative. Until it was banned in 2009, the Guard marched through Roma neighbourhoods sowing fear and distrust. Jobbik also introduced the phrase \"Gypsy crime\" into public life. The party won 17% in the 2010 elections and 20% in 2014. And yet, Mr Vona insists his party was never racist. \"Because of inexperience and other mistakes the Guard's original purpose was turned into a paramilitary and anti-Gypsy group by the media,\" he claims. \"We raised the problems of Gypsy-Hungarian co-existence. But I accept in a self-critical way that often out of hot-headedness or inexperience some statements were made that I would not make now.\" In a recent post on his Facebook page, Gabor Vona even appears with his arm around a Roma woman in Tiszavasvari, a town with a Jobbik mayor since 2010. \"The message I wanted to send was that Tiszavasvari has changed for the better for the whole community including the Gypsies. By now most Roma know that there's nothing to fear from Jobbik,\" he asserts. Anti-Semitism is another frequent charge made against the party. In 2012, Jobbik ex-Vice-President Csanad Szegedi resigned when his Jewish origin was made public. Mr Szegedi accepts that his former party is changing, but insists it still has a very long way to go. \"Gabor Vona's change of heart will only be credible if he is able to face up to the crimes he committed, and asks for forgiveness from all those he has offended in his political career. Even then I think he should leave politics and find a way to atone for all his mistakes,\" he told the BBC."}], "question": "Has the party really ditched its far-right past?", "id": "310_0"}]}]}, {"title": "African swine fever: Boar with virus found in demilitarised zone", "date": "3 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A boar with African swine fever has been found dead in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. The virus was only discovered in South Korea recently, and there was speculation it arrived via pigs crossing the heavily-guarded DMZ. North Korea first recorded ASF in May, and the South made great efforts to keep it out, including border fences. Despite its name, the DMZ is one of the world's most fortified places. It is a 4km-wide (2.5 miles) strip of land, laden with landmines, that is a buffer zone between North and South Korea. More than 10,000 pigs have died or been culled in the South since ASF was discovered. More than six million pigs have been culled overall in Asia. The virus is not dangerous to humans, but is highly contagious - and incurable - in boars and pigs. According to the UN, the fatality rate is \"up to 100%\". It emerged in East Africa in the early 1990s, moved through sub-Saharan Africa, and has also been recorded in Europe. In August 2018, China - which has half the world's pigs, and where pork is often a staple food - confirmed an outbreak of ASF. Since then, more than one million pigs have been culled in China, plus more than five million in Vietnam. Farmers in China have been promised compensation for culled pigs worth a minimum of 80% of the market price. The number of pigs is down by about 40% in China, the AFP news agency reported, and the price of pork is up by at least half. China has sold 30,000 tonnes from its pork reserves in an effort to increase supply and hold down prices. Mongolia, the Philippines, Laos, have also culled tens of thousands of pigs in total. The first case of ASF was recorded in North Korea in May. The scale of the outbreak is not known, but South Korea believes the north raises around 2.6m pigs across 14 state-run farms. Kim Jun-young, from the Korean Veterinary Medical Association in the south, said it was possible the virus had spread through the North, either through the sale of infected meat, or vultures eating infected carcasses. In June, Seoul said the disease was \"highly likely\" to enter the country from the North and ordered fences to be built at farms along the border. The South offered quarantine and medical assistance to the North, but had no response. The South Korean military was authorised to kill any wild boars seen crossing the DMZ. Despite the precautions, South Korea reported its first case on 17 September - with the total now at 13 - and has culled around 15,000 pigs in response. There are around 6,700 pig farms in South Korea. Officials are braced for a further spread of ASF with the arrival Typhoon Mitag, which has already led to deaths of six people in the south.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 700, "answer_end": 1633, "text": "The virus is not dangerous to humans, but is highly contagious - and incurable - in boars and pigs. According to the UN, the fatality rate is \"up to 100%\". It emerged in East Africa in the early 1990s, moved through sub-Saharan Africa, and has also been recorded in Europe. In August 2018, China - which has half the world's pigs, and where pork is often a staple food - confirmed an outbreak of ASF. Since then, more than one million pigs have been culled in China, plus more than five million in Vietnam. Farmers in China have been promised compensation for culled pigs worth a minimum of 80% of the market price. The number of pigs is down by about 40% in China, the AFP news agency reported, and the price of pork is up by at least half. China has sold 30,000 tonnes from its pork reserves in an effort to increase supply and hold down prices. Mongolia, the Philippines, Laos, have also culled tens of thousands of pigs in total."}], "question": "What is African swine fever?", "id": "311_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1634, "answer_end": 2698, "text": "The first case of ASF was recorded in North Korea in May. The scale of the outbreak is not known, but South Korea believes the north raises around 2.6m pigs across 14 state-run farms. Kim Jun-young, from the Korean Veterinary Medical Association in the south, said it was possible the virus had spread through the North, either through the sale of infected meat, or vultures eating infected carcasses. In June, Seoul said the disease was \"highly likely\" to enter the country from the North and ordered fences to be built at farms along the border. The South offered quarantine and medical assistance to the North, but had no response. The South Korean military was authorised to kill any wild boars seen crossing the DMZ. Despite the precautions, South Korea reported its first case on 17 September - with the total now at 13 - and has culled around 15,000 pigs in response. There are around 6,700 pig farms in South Korea. Officials are braced for a further spread of ASF with the arrival Typhoon Mitag, which has already led to deaths of six people in the south."}], "question": "What is the situation in North and South Korea?", "id": "311_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Argentina election: Economy main issue for voters", "date": "27 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Voters in Argentina are going to the polls to elect a new president amid a deep economic crisis that has left a third of the population in poverty. President Mauricio Macri came to power four years ago with market-friendly promises to restore growth. Many say things are worse now than when the conservative took the reins of power from the controversial government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. He is running for re-election, but few believe he has any chances of winning. Mr Macri was trounced in primary elections in August by Alberto Fernandez, whose running mate is Ms Fernandez de Kirchner (no relation). Mr Fernandez, who belongs to the populist Peronist movement, has promised to reverse Mr Macri's liberal measures. But many fear that if he wins power, Argentina could return to the populist policies that helped push the country to its current state. The economy will be uppermost in voters' minds as they cast their ballots. Six candidates are fighting for the presidency but the attention has centred on two men. Mauricio Macri, right-wing businessman President Macri defied expectations by winning the 2015 presidential election run-off, becoming the country's first unambiguously conservative president to win a free and fair election since 1916. Born into a wealthy business family, Mr Macri worked in banking before going into politics - a step he partly attributes to his experience being kidnapped and held ransom by rogue police officers in 1991. He entered Buenos Aires city politics in 2003, where his profile was helped by his presidency of Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most successful football clubs. He was elected mayor four years later and emerged as leader of the opposition to centre-left presidents Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. As president, he promised to end corruption, lift the capital controls of his predecessor and begin major infrastructure projects. But his impressive victory in mid-term elections in 2017 came on the back of a borrowing spree. He attempted to push through economic reforms as debts mounted. Now the crisis has wiped out much of his support. Alberto Fernandez, centre-left ex-campaign strategist For a career politician with little charisma, Mr Fernandez has caused quite a stir since he first appeared in the limelight of Argentine politics some six months ago. The former campaign strategist began his bid for the presidency in May - something of a surprise as ex-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had been widely tipped to be the centre-left opposition coalition's candidate for the top office. But Mr Fernandez really came into his own in August when he defeated Mr Macri by nearly 15 percentage points in primary elections, a compulsory vote for all electors which is seen is a dry-run for the presidency. This victory, defying all predictions, sets him up as clear favourite. Voting is compulsory for those aged between 18 and 70. There are some 33.8 million eligible voters, who will also elect 130 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 24 of the Senate as well as some governors and the mayor of Buenos Aires. A presidential candidate needs at least 45% of the vote or 40% and a 10-point lead over the second-place contestant to win in the first round. If no-one achieves that, a run-off election will be held on 24 November between the first and second placed candidates. The economy will be the main - if not the only - issue for many in a country that has suffered from years of crises in recent decades. Mr Macri promised to achieve \"zero poverty\", but things have actually worsened. Four years after he came to power, some 35% of the population - more than 15 million people - lives in poverty. Persistently high inflation has squeezed working and middle-class families and many struggle to pay utility bills. Unemployment is currently above 10%, and a growing number of Argentines have been forced to live on the streets. Things worsened last year when the Argentine peso tumbled following a run on the currency. After the primaries in August, the peso plunged deeper, and Mr Macri was forced to re-impose the foreign currency controls he had scrapped at the start of his presidency. Meanwhile, the central bank sharply increased interest rates to 60% in an effort to stabilise the peso and curb inflation. This has been extremely painful for consumers and businesses that want or need to borrow. The Macri government also turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help, asking for a record $55bn (PS43bn) loan which has added to the external debt the country is unable to pay. Going to the IMF was a highly unpopular move in Argentina, where many blame the fund for the policies that led to a severe economic crisis in 2001.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 941, "answer_end": 2876, "text": "Six candidates are fighting for the presidency but the attention has centred on two men. Mauricio Macri, right-wing businessman President Macri defied expectations by winning the 2015 presidential election run-off, becoming the country's first unambiguously conservative president to win a free and fair election since 1916. Born into a wealthy business family, Mr Macri worked in banking before going into politics - a step he partly attributes to his experience being kidnapped and held ransom by rogue police officers in 1991. He entered Buenos Aires city politics in 2003, where his profile was helped by his presidency of Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's most successful football clubs. He was elected mayor four years later and emerged as leader of the opposition to centre-left presidents Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. As president, he promised to end corruption, lift the capital controls of his predecessor and begin major infrastructure projects. But his impressive victory in mid-term elections in 2017 came on the back of a borrowing spree. He attempted to push through economic reforms as debts mounted. Now the crisis has wiped out much of his support. Alberto Fernandez, centre-left ex-campaign strategist For a career politician with little charisma, Mr Fernandez has caused quite a stir since he first appeared in the limelight of Argentine politics some six months ago. The former campaign strategist began his bid for the presidency in May - something of a surprise as ex-president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had been widely tipped to be the centre-left opposition coalition's candidate for the top office. But Mr Fernandez really came into his own in August when he defeated Mr Macri by nearly 15 percentage points in primary elections, a compulsory vote for all electors which is seen is a dry-run for the presidency. This victory, defying all predictions, sets him up as clear favourite."}], "question": "Who is in the running?", "id": "312_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2877, "answer_end": 3376, "text": "Voting is compulsory for those aged between 18 and 70. There are some 33.8 million eligible voters, who will also elect 130 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 24 of the Senate as well as some governors and the mayor of Buenos Aires. A presidential candidate needs at least 45% of the vote or 40% and a 10-point lead over the second-place contestant to win in the first round. If no-one achieves that, a run-off election will be held on 24 November between the first and second placed candidates."}], "question": "How does the election work?", "id": "312_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3377, "answer_end": 4745, "text": "The economy will be the main - if not the only - issue for many in a country that has suffered from years of crises in recent decades. Mr Macri promised to achieve \"zero poverty\", but things have actually worsened. Four years after he came to power, some 35% of the population - more than 15 million people - lives in poverty. Persistently high inflation has squeezed working and middle-class families and many struggle to pay utility bills. Unemployment is currently above 10%, and a growing number of Argentines have been forced to live on the streets. Things worsened last year when the Argentine peso tumbled following a run on the currency. After the primaries in August, the peso plunged deeper, and Mr Macri was forced to re-impose the foreign currency controls he had scrapped at the start of his presidency. Meanwhile, the central bank sharply increased interest rates to 60% in an effort to stabilise the peso and curb inflation. This has been extremely painful for consumers and businesses that want or need to borrow. The Macri government also turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help, asking for a record $55bn (PS43bn) loan which has added to the external debt the country is unable to pay. Going to the IMF was a highly unpopular move in Argentina, where many blame the fund for the policies that led to a severe economic crisis in 2001."}], "question": "What are the main issues?", "id": "312_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Saudi Aramco IPO: World's most profitable company to go public", "date": "3 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Saudi Aramco has confirmed it is planning to list on the Riyadh stock exchange, in what could be the world's biggest initial public offering (IPO). The state-owned oil giant will determine the IPO launch price after registering interest from investors. Business sources say the Saudis are expected to make shares available for 1% or 2% of the firm, and the offer will be for existing company shares. Saudi Aramco is thought to be worth about $1.2tn (PS927bn). The firm said it has no current plans for a foreign share listing, saying long-discussed plans for a two-stage IPO including an offering on a foreign exchange had been put aside for now. \"For the (international) listing part, we will let you know in due course. So far it's only on Tadawul,\" Aramco chair Yasir al-Rumayyan told a media conference, referring to the Saudi stock exchange. Saudi Aramco flotation 'coming soon' Saudi Arabia denies calling off Aramco float Saudi Arabia to open up to foreign tourists Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at derivatives traders IG Group, said:  \"Investing in Aramco carries risks, of course, and not only that oil prices will struggle to move higher. \"Political and strategic risks are high for any firm operating in the region, not least one which is an arm of the Saudi state.  Aramco also has limited control in output policy, a key part of Saudi Arabia's Opec management.\" Those potential risks were highlighted in September when drone attacks hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia, both owned by Aramco. But Aramco boss Amin Nasser, who called the plans \"historic\", told a media conference after the IPO statement was published that the firm was still the most reliable oil company globally. In its launch announcement Aramco said: \"The company does not expect the impact of these attacks to have a material impact on its business, financial condition or results of operations.\" Saudi Aramco traces its roots to 1933 when a deal was struck between Saudi Arabia and the Standard Oil Company of California, which later became Chevron, to survey and drill for oil, creating a new firm to do so. Between 1973 and 1980, Saudi Arabia bought the whole company. Saudi Arabia has the second-biggest oil reserves after Venezuela, according to the Energy Information Administration. It is also second in production, after the US. But it gets its prominence because it has the monopoly on all that oil in the country, and because of how cheap it is to extract. It's essentially the world's largest unquoted company; it's a massive global oil producer,\" said David Hunter, director of market studies at Schneider Electric. \"This is the absolute mother of all oil and gas companies.\" Saudi Aramco is worth $1.2tn, according to analysis from financial news service Bloomberg, although Riyadh would prefer a valuation of $2tn, which is one reason the company's share sale has been delayed a number of times. Mr Beauchamp from IG Group says: \"Aramco is a world away from the tech IPOs that have been all the rage lately, but the valuation problem still haunts them like it does the firms of Silicon Valley.\" He adds: \"$2 trillion probably overstates the worth of the firm in a world of high oil supply and uncertain demand, but $1.2 trillion is too low for a vital part of the Saudi state\". Once shrouded in mystery, Aramco has been transformed in the last few years as it geared up for this moment It has begun publishing financial results, holding question and answer sessions about the company and even bringing journalists to its sites following recent drone attacks. And it has hired female Westerners to some of its top jobs. The language in today's document speaks to international concerns. It describes \"long-term value creation through crude oil price cycles\" and improving sustainability \"by leveraging technology and innovation to lower our climate impact\". Local people - even \"Saudi female divorcees\" - will be eligible to buy shares, and will receive a bonus share for every 10 they hold. Either way, it is phenomenally profitable. For the first half of 2019, it posted a net profit of $46.9bn, almost all of which was paid out in dividends to the Saudi state. Any company that profitable will attract a high price. By comparison, for the same time period, Apple, the world's largest company by value currently, posted a net profit of $21.6bn, and Exxon Mobil, the largest listed oil company, made $5.5bn. Another aspect is the cost of production. Whereas extracting North Sea oil is expensive due to its location under hundreds of feet of water, oil in Saudi Arabia is relatively close to the surface. Saudi has many of the cheapest oil fields for extraction, with some per-barrel costs below $10, says Mr Hunter. With Brent crude at more than $60, much of the difference can be profit. Saudi Arabia is keen to sell shares in its state oil firm because it is trying to reduce its reliance on oil. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wishes to diversify his country's economy in the next decade under a programme dubbed Vision 2030. The plan includes more solar power, making use of the country's vast desert, says Mr Hunter. The first Saudi CEO of the company, Ali al-Naimi, had a vision that Aramco could become a global integrated energy company.  Over his years as CEO, he expanded Aramco's assets to include downstream (refining) and other assets in the US, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Japan and Europe. He and his successors also expanded Aramco's footprint in Saudi Arabia with joint ventures in refining and petrochemicals.  Saudi Arabia is the largest oil exporter today and is the only oil producer that maintains at least 2 million barrels per day of spare capacity that can be brought onto the market very quickly. The fact that it is a national oil company means it has exclusive access to the best and least-expensive-to-produce oil resources in the world.  This makes it hugely valuable.  But there are downsides.  Saudi Arabia's upstream assets aren't diversified like other major international oil companies upstream assets are.  It also means that the Saudi government plays a role in the company.  Historically, Saudi Arabia allowed Aramco to operate independently and did not make decisions about spending for strategy for the company. There are troubling signs that this is changing now and the government is taking a more active, and detrimental, role. How much Aramco is really worth will be determined by the market.  Banks have put forth their valuations, but the market will show how much it is really worth. Different sources have quoted valuations ranging from $1.2 tn to $2 tn. The most common number floated right now seems to be about $1.5 tn, perhaps $1.7 tn, though public sentiment probably indicates that this is too high a number. In 30 years, who knows how much Aramco will be worth.  We don't know what other energy technologies will develop, or not, in that time, nor what Aramco's strategic vision will produce. In September, the kingdom said it will open its doors to international tourists for the first time, launching a visa regime for 49 countries and relax strict dress codes for female visitors. Tourism Minister Ahmad al-Khateeb described it as a \"historic moment\" for the country. It wants tourism to rise from 3% to 10% of gross domestic product by 2030. The push comes as the kingdom faces a tarnished international image amid criticism of its human rights record following last year's murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a recent crackdown on women's rights activists. Politically, matters are rather complicated for Saudi Aramco right now, in light of the recent Kashoggi scandal, said Mr Hunter. \"And the fact of Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Anything to do with Saudi Arabia is always seen through that prism.\" Another wrinkle in the crown prince's plan is the surge in anti-fossil fuel sentiment around the world, plus the comparatively low oil price compared to late last year, where prices were above $80. \"The listing could be controversial because it's a massive fossil fuel listing in a time investors are becoming increasingly ethical,\" said Mr Hunter. \"There are a lot of new and existing funds looking to divest from fossil fuel assets.\" In May, fellow oil producer Norway's $1tn sovereign wealth fund said it expected to sell some of its oil and gas holdings, albeit to make it less reliant on price swings in the commodity.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1922, "answer_end": 2712, "text": "Saudi Aramco traces its roots to 1933 when a deal was struck between Saudi Arabia and the Standard Oil Company of California, which later became Chevron, to survey and drill for oil, creating a new firm to do so. Between 1973 and 1980, Saudi Arabia bought the whole company. Saudi Arabia has the second-biggest oil reserves after Venezuela, according to the Energy Information Administration. It is also second in production, after the US. But it gets its prominence because it has the monopoly on all that oil in the country, and because of how cheap it is to extract. It's essentially the world's largest unquoted company; it's a massive global oil producer,\" said David Hunter, director of market studies at Schneider Electric. \"This is the absolute mother of all oil and gas companies.\""}], "question": "What is Saudi Aramco?", "id": "313_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2713, "answer_end": 3316, "text": "Saudi Aramco is worth $1.2tn, according to analysis from financial news service Bloomberg, although Riyadh would prefer a valuation of $2tn, which is one reason the company's share sale has been delayed a number of times. Mr Beauchamp from IG Group says: \"Aramco is a world away from the tech IPOs that have been all the rage lately, but the valuation problem still haunts them like it does the firms of Silicon Valley.\" He adds: \"$2 trillion probably overstates the worth of the firm in a world of high oil supply and uncertain demand, but $1.2 trillion is too low for a vital part of the Saudi state\"."}], "question": "Why is it worth so much money?", "id": "313_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4829, "answer_end": 5163, "text": "Saudi Arabia is keen to sell shares in its state oil firm because it is trying to reduce its reliance on oil. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wishes to diversify his country's economy in the next decade under a programme dubbed Vision 2030. The plan includes more solar power, making use of the country's vast desert, says Mr Hunter."}], "question": "Why does Saudi want to sell shares in it?", "id": "313_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7568, "answer_end": 8442, "text": "Politically, matters are rather complicated for Saudi Aramco right now, in light of the recent Kashoggi scandal, said Mr Hunter. \"And the fact of Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Anything to do with Saudi Arabia is always seen through that prism.\" Another wrinkle in the crown prince's plan is the surge in anti-fossil fuel sentiment around the world, plus the comparatively low oil price compared to late last year, where prices were above $80. \"The listing could be controversial because it's a massive fossil fuel listing in a time investors are becoming increasingly ethical,\" said Mr Hunter. \"There are a lot of new and existing funds looking to divest from fossil fuel assets.\" In May, fellow oil producer Norway's $1tn sovereign wealth fund said it expected to sell some of its oil and gas holdings, albeit to make it less reliant on price swings in the commodity."}], "question": "Why the sale is controversial?", "id": "313_3"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea snubs peace talks with South Korea over war drills", "date": "16 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea has rejected any further talks with South Korea, calling its decision \"completely the fault of South Korea's actions\". It issued a statement in response to a speech by South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Thursday. Meanwhile, early on Friday North Korea test-fired two missiles into the sea off its eastern coast, the South Korean military said. It is the sixth such test in less than a month. The two \"unidentified projectiles\" were fired about 08:00 (23:00 GMT Thursday) and travelled 230km (140 miles) reaching an altitude of 30km (18 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Six days ago, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan/East Sea. The series of tests comes after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed during a meeting in June to restart denuclearisation negotiations. North Korea has faced international sanctions for its development of nuclear weapons. In a speech marking Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, President Moon vowed to unite the Korean peninsula by 2045. Korea divided into two countries at the end of World War Two. President Moon said the goal of achieving denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula was at its \"most critical juncture\", as talks between North and South appear deadlocked. \"A new Korean peninsula, one that will bring peace and prosperity to itself, east Asia and the world, awaits us,\" he said in the televised speech. In a statement, the North questioned the meaning of dialogue when \"even at this moment, South Korea continues its joint military exercise and to speak of a peaceful economy or a peaceful regime. It has no right to do so.\" In an extended attack on President Moon, the statement continued:  \"We even question if his thought process is sound when he mentions 'talks' between North and South while playing out war scenarios that plan to destroy most of our armies in 90 days. \"He truly is a shameless man.\" North Korea has expressed anger over the US-South Korean military drills currently taking place, stating that they violate agreements reached with US President Donald Trump and President Moon. It has previously described them as a \"rehearsal for war\". In a recent letter to Mr Trump, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is said to have complained \"about the ridiculous and expensive\" military exercises. The deadlock in denuclearisation talks is entirely the fault of South Korea's decision to hold the drills, the North's reunification spokesman said. \"We have no more words to talk with South Korean officials,\" the official said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Ouch. Some of these words have got to sting. The North Korean spokesman describes the South Korean president as \"shameless\" and his remarks on reunifying the Korean peninsula as so preposterous they would \"make the boiled head of a cow laugh\". But what might hurt the most is the sound of the diplomatic door being closed on Seoul. By refusing to sit down with the South, the North is signalling that it prefers to deal directly with the United States. This is a cruel snub for a South Korean leader who helped facilitate talks between Mr Trump and Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang might be calculating that it is getting nothing from its neighbour, no concessions without Washington's approval. And now that Kim Jong-un has a direct line to the White House, and a means of getting those \"beautiful letters\" to Mr Trump, he might be thinking it's best to deal with him. The Trump administration has also given Pyongyang a free pass to act in this way. At no point after the last six short-range missile tests has the US strongly condemned the testing of missiles which could threaten its ally. Mr Trump has also made it public in tweets that he too wants to pressure Seoul to pay more to host US troops, and described the current joint military drills as expensive. All is not lost, by any means. This could all just be bluster. But it doesn't look like President Moon will be hosting Kim Jong-un in Seoul any time soon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 953, "answer_end": 1452, "text": "In a speech marking Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, President Moon vowed to unite the Korean peninsula by 2045. Korea divided into two countries at the end of World War Two. President Moon said the goal of achieving denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula was at its \"most critical juncture\", as talks between North and South appear deadlocked. \"A new Korean peninsula, one that will bring peace and prosperity to itself, east Asia and the world, awaits us,\" he said in the televised speech."}], "question": "What did South Korea say?", "id": "314_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1453, "answer_end": 2652, "text": "In a statement, the North questioned the meaning of dialogue when \"even at this moment, South Korea continues its joint military exercise and to speak of a peaceful economy or a peaceful regime. It has no right to do so.\" In an extended attack on President Moon, the statement continued:  \"We even question if his thought process is sound when he mentions 'talks' between North and South while playing out war scenarios that plan to destroy most of our armies in 90 days. \"He truly is a shameless man.\" North Korea has expressed anger over the US-South Korean military drills currently taking place, stating that they violate agreements reached with US President Donald Trump and President Moon. It has previously described them as a \"rehearsal for war\". In a recent letter to Mr Trump, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is said to have complained \"about the ridiculous and expensive\" military exercises. The deadlock in denuclearisation talks is entirely the fault of South Korea's decision to hold the drills, the North's reunification spokesman said. \"We have no more words to talk with South Korean officials,\" the official said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency."}], "question": "What has the North Korea reaction been?", "id": "314_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US to fully enforce reimposed Iran nuclear sanctions", "date": "6 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump says he will fully enforce the sanctions being reimposed on Iran as a result of the US withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal. Measures targeting Iran's automotive sector as well as its trade in gold and other key metals will take effect from 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT) on Tuesday. Mr Trump believes the economic pressure will force Iran to agree to a new deal and end its \"malign\" activities. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the act was \"psychological warfare\". Responding on Iranian state television, Mr Rouhani rejected the idea of last-minute talks. \"We are always in favour of diplomacy and talks... but talks need honesty,\" he said. Mr Trump warned that individuals or entities who breach the sanctions risk \"severe consequences\". The UK, France and Germany - which were also parties to the 2015 accord along with Russia and China - have expressed \"deep regret\" at the US move. They have pledged to abide by their commitments under the deal. Iran has said it will also do so if it continues to receive the economic benefits. The accord saw Iran limit its controversial nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Former US President Barack Obama insisted that it would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and that the world would be safer as a result. But Mr Trump said it was a \"horrible, one-sided deal\". He declared that its so-called \"sunset clauses\" - under which the limits on Iran's nuclear programme will start to expire - were unacceptable; that it did not deal with Iran's ballistic missile programme; and that it failed to stop Iran's \"malign behaviour\" in neighbouring countries, including Syria and Yemen. An executive order signed by Mr Trump said that from midnight sanctions would be reimposed on: - The purchase or acquisition of US banknotes by Iran's government - Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals - Graphite, aluminium, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes - Transactions related to the Iranian rial - Activities relating to Iran's issuance of sovereign debt - Iran's automotive sector On 5 November, potentially more damaging sanctions will be reimposed on: - Iran's port operators and energy, shipping, and shipbuilding sectors - Iran's petroleum-related transactions - Transactions by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran \"I am pleased that many international firms have already announced their intent to leave the Iranian market, and several countries have indicated that they will reduce or end imports of Iranian crude oil,\" the president said in a statement. \"We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice:  either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.\" There was no immediate response from Iran, but Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier said the US was being \"isolated\". He added that it was hard to imagine negotiating with someone who had torn up an agreement that had taken so long to reach.  \"Who can believe Trump is serious about talks?\" he asked. The British, French and German foreign ministers issued a joint statement with the EU's foreign policy chief saying the nuclear deal was working and was \"crucial\" for global security. They also unveiled a \"blocking statute\" that will seek to protect European firms doing business with Iran against the impact of US sanctions. However, an unnamed senior Trump administration official said the US was \"not particularly concerned\" by the move. The official noted that Iran had already suffered severe economic difficulties since the US abandoned the nuclear deal in May, with the rial losing almost 80% of its value.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1051, "answer_end": 1663, "text": "The accord saw Iran limit its controversial nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Former US President Barack Obama insisted that it would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and that the world would be safer as a result. But Mr Trump said it was a \"horrible, one-sided deal\". He declared that its so-called \"sunset clauses\" - under which the limits on Iran's nuclear programme will start to expire - were unacceptable; that it did not deal with Iran's ballistic missile programme; and that it failed to stop Iran's \"malign behaviour\" in neighbouring countries, including Syria and Yemen."}], "question": "Why did Mr Trump abandon the nuclear deal?", "id": "315_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1664, "answer_end": 2824, "text": "An executive order signed by Mr Trump said that from midnight sanctions would be reimposed on: - The purchase or acquisition of US banknotes by Iran's government - Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals - Graphite, aluminium, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes - Transactions related to the Iranian rial - Activities relating to Iran's issuance of sovereign debt - Iran's automotive sector On 5 November, potentially more damaging sanctions will be reimposed on: - Iran's port operators and energy, shipping, and shipbuilding sectors - Iran's petroleum-related transactions - Transactions by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran \"I am pleased that many international firms have already announced their intent to leave the Iranian market, and several countries have indicated that they will reduce or end imports of Iranian crude oil,\" the president said in a statement. \"We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice:  either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.\""}], "question": "What sanctions are being reimposed?", "id": "315_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2825, "answer_end": 3748, "text": "There was no immediate response from Iran, but Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier said the US was being \"isolated\". He added that it was hard to imagine negotiating with someone who had torn up an agreement that had taken so long to reach.  \"Who can believe Trump is serious about talks?\" he asked. The British, French and German foreign ministers issued a joint statement with the EU's foreign policy chief saying the nuclear deal was working and was \"crucial\" for global security. They also unveiled a \"blocking statute\" that will seek to protect European firms doing business with Iran against the impact of US sanctions. However, an unnamed senior Trump administration official said the US was \"not particularly concerned\" by the move. The official noted that Iran had already suffered severe economic difficulties since the US abandoned the nuclear deal in May, with the rial losing almost 80% of its value."}], "question": "How has the international community reacted?", "id": "315_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Mexico election: L\u00f3pez Obrador vows profound change after win", "date": "2 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Left-wing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has claimed victory in Mexico's presidential election, saying \"profound change\" is coming. The ex-Mexico City mayor, known by his initials Amlo, is projected to win about 53%. His rivals have conceded in a crushing defeat for the main parties. Mr Lopez Obrador's key pledge has been to tackle the \"evil\" of corruption. He has also been highly critical of President Donald Trump and ties with the US will now be closely watched. Relations with Washington have been hugely strained, with Mr Trump strongly criticising Mexico over trade and migration. Mr Trump has sent a tweet of congratulations. Late on Sunday, the 64-year-old promised to respect civil liberties and said he was \"not looking to construct a dictatorship, either open or hidden\". Some opponents have expressed fears that his leftist and populist policies could damage the already sluggish economy and turn Mexico into \"another Venezuela\", which is suffering a deep economic crisis and rampant inflation. Hailing a \"historic night\", Mr Lopez Obrador called on all Mexicans to reconcile and repeated his campaign pledge to review energy contracts for signs of corruption. \"Corruption is... the result of a decadent political regime. We are absolutely convinced that this evil is the main cause of social and economic inequality, and also that corruption is to blame for the violence in our country,\" he said. He has insisted that no-one involved in corruption will be spared, not even those he calls \"brothers-in-arms\". On combating Mexico's record levels of violence, much of it related to drug cartels, Mr Lopez Obrador said he would have daily meetings with his security cabinet, which under him, he said, would be under a \"unified command\". Sunday's election followed one of Mexico's deadliest campaigns in decades with more than 130 political candidates and party workers killed. During the campaign Mr Lopez Obrador had often used confrontational language when referring to Mr Trump, but struck a more conciliatory note in his victory speech, saying he would seek \"friendly relations\". He also tried to reassure the business sector, saying there would be no nationalisation and that he would respect private business. He also said his government would be fiscally disciplined and taxes would not be raised. On social policies, he said he would double pensions for the elderly upon taking office on 1 December as a first step to reducing Mexico's disparate income levels. - Born to a family of shopkeepers on 13 November 1953 in the rural community of Tepetitan, in southern Tabasco state - Known popularly as Amlo, which is an acronym using the full initials of his name - Elected Mexico City mayor in 2000 - After losing the presidential elections in 2006 and 2012, he ran again this time under a three-party coalition led by the leftist National Regeneration Movement party (Morena) he founded in 2014 - The self-styled anti-establishment figure has now ended the dominance of the PRI and PAN parties he called the \"mafia of power\" Lopez Obrador, a winner at last The latest figures from the Mexican electoral institute show Mr Lopez Obrador has won more than double the votes of his nearest challenger. It is the widest victory since the 1980s. Ricardo Anaya, candidate for the conservative National Action Party (PAN), looked set to be runner-up to Mr Lopez Obrador. \"I recognise his triumph, I express my congratulations, and I wish him the greatest success for the good of Mexico,\" Mr Anaya said. Ruling party candidate Jose Antonio Meade, who lies in third place according to initial results, told supporters that he wished the winner \"the greatest success\". Mr Meade's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has dominated Mexican politics for much of the past century but has slumped in popularity. The electoral institute figures put official turnout at 62.7%. As well as a new president, 128 senators and 500 deputies in Congress were elected, in addition to state and local officials. Mr Lopez Obrador's coalition is set to have a majority in the lower house and possibly the Senate. Mr Lopez Obrador had been the candidate most critical of Mr Trump and had said he would make the US president \"see reason\", branding his anti-immigrant policies \"irresponsible\" and \"racist\". Mr Trump has riled Mexico by saying he will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and build a wall along the US-Mexico border. His hardline stance on migration - particularly the separation of migrant families at the US border - has brought widespread condemnation. Some 2,000 children remain separated from their migrant parents, despite Mr Trump agreeing to curtail the policy. In his victory speech, Mr Lopez Obrador said: \"We will pursue a relationship of friendship and co-operation with the United States, always rooted in mutual respect and in the defence of our fellow Mexicans who live and work honourably in that country.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 643, "answer_end": 1530, "text": "Late on Sunday, the 64-year-old promised to respect civil liberties and said he was \"not looking to construct a dictatorship, either open or hidden\". Some opponents have expressed fears that his leftist and populist policies could damage the already sluggish economy and turn Mexico into \"another Venezuela\", which is suffering a deep economic crisis and rampant inflation. Hailing a \"historic night\", Mr Lopez Obrador called on all Mexicans to reconcile and repeated his campaign pledge to review energy contracts for signs of corruption. \"Corruption is... the result of a decadent political regime. We are absolutely convinced that this evil is the main cause of social and economic inequality, and also that corruption is to blame for the violence in our country,\" he said. He has insisted that no-one involved in corruption will be spared, not even those he calls \"brothers-in-arms\"."}], "question": "What has Lopez Obrador said?", "id": "316_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1531, "answer_end": 2487, "text": "On combating Mexico's record levels of violence, much of it related to drug cartels, Mr Lopez Obrador said he would have daily meetings with his security cabinet, which under him, he said, would be under a \"unified command\". Sunday's election followed one of Mexico's deadliest campaigns in decades with more than 130 political candidates and party workers killed. During the campaign Mr Lopez Obrador had often used confrontational language when referring to Mr Trump, but struck a more conciliatory note in his victory speech, saying he would seek \"friendly relations\". He also tried to reassure the business sector, saying there would be no nationalisation and that he would respect private business. He also said his government would be fiscally disciplined and taxes would not be raised. On social policies, he said he would double pensions for the elderly upon taking office on 1 December as a first step to reducing Mexico's disparate income levels."}], "question": "So what are his other main policies?", "id": "316_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3083, "answer_end": 4112, "text": "The latest figures from the Mexican electoral institute show Mr Lopez Obrador has won more than double the votes of his nearest challenger. It is the widest victory since the 1980s. Ricardo Anaya, candidate for the conservative National Action Party (PAN), looked set to be runner-up to Mr Lopez Obrador. \"I recognise his triumph, I express my congratulations, and I wish him the greatest success for the good of Mexico,\" Mr Anaya said. Ruling party candidate Jose Antonio Meade, who lies in third place according to initial results, told supporters that he wished the winner \"the greatest success\". Mr Meade's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has dominated Mexican politics for much of the past century but has slumped in popularity. The electoral institute figures put official turnout at 62.7%. As well as a new president, 128 senators and 500 deputies in Congress were elected, in addition to state and local officials. Mr Lopez Obrador's coalition is set to have a majority in the lower house and possibly the Senate."}], "question": "What have his rivals said?", "id": "316_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4113, "answer_end": 4958, "text": "Mr Lopez Obrador had been the candidate most critical of Mr Trump and had said he would make the US president \"see reason\", branding his anti-immigrant policies \"irresponsible\" and \"racist\". Mr Trump has riled Mexico by saying he will renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and build a wall along the US-Mexico border. His hardline stance on migration - particularly the separation of migrant families at the US border - has brought widespread condemnation. Some 2,000 children remain separated from their migrant parents, despite Mr Trump agreeing to curtail the policy. In his victory speech, Mr Lopez Obrador said: \"We will pursue a relationship of friendship and co-operation with the United States, always rooted in mutual respect and in the defence of our fellow Mexicans who live and work honourably in that country.\""}], "question": "How will US-Mexico relations be affected?", "id": "316_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: UK will apply food tariffs in case of no deal", "date": "19 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Environment Secretary Michael Gove has promised that the government will apply tariffs to food imports in the event of a no-deal Brexit, to provide \"specific and robust protections\" for farmers. His remarks come as the government is poised to release details of tariffs (taxes on imports) that would apply to thousands of products coming in from around the world, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Many supporters of Brexit argue that tariffs on food and other items should be scrapped in order to lower prices for consumers. But farmers fear that cheap imports and lower standards would destroy many parts of British agriculture. \"Your concerns have absolutely been heard,\" Mr Gove told a conference of the National Farmers' Union (NFU). \"It will not be the case that we will have zero-rate tariffs on food products. \"There will be protections for sensitive sections of agriculture and food production.\" He added that an announcement on a no-deal tariff schedule \"should be made later this week\". \"If you obliterate the tariff wall... we would be massively undermined by food produced to standards that would be illegal to produce to in this country,\" NFU president Minette Batters told the BBC. \"It would decimate British agriculture - it is quite honestly as simple as that,\" she added. Similar concerns have been expressed in other sectors of the economy, and many business leaders fear the government could be tempted to cut tariffs at their expense. If countries don't have free-trade agreements, they trade with each other under rules set by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Each country sets tariffs on goods crossing its borders. All EU countries share common tariffs because they're all signed up to the customs union. EU tariffs on most agricultural products can be very high - dairy averages more than 35% and for some meat products, such as lamb, it is more than 40%. As the UK is still a member of the EU, it applies EU tariffs to goods coming in from the rest of the world, but has no tariffs with the EU itself. But Brexit will change that. The UK could choose to reduce the tariffs for goods coming from the EU - in order to keep trade flowing through ports like Dover. But it would have to offer the same reductions to all other countries as well. A letter seen by BBC News, sent to Theresa May this week by the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC), urges the prime minister to consider the threat to British manufacturing jobs posed by the possible impact of zero tariffs on the ceramic sector. \"Unlike agriculture,\" the letter says, \"we have not had a promise that our sector would be protected even in the short term.\" The current EU tariff on ceramic tableware is 12%, and the letter warns that \"the shock of zero tariffs (in the UK) would be devastating, affecting business, jobs and communities across the country.\" BCC Chief Executive Laura Cohen says that could mean cheap Chinese imports flooding into the country and pushing local manufacturers out of business. The BCC has been talking to UK officials about the impact of a possible unilateral decision to move to zero-tariff rates for more than six months but Dr Cohen says \"most other sectors have not had that level of discussion\". \"There has been no comprehensive formal consultation, no comprehensive impact assessment and no prolonged transition proposed,\" the BCC letter says. \"Such a significant decision would have far-reaching consequences for the UK economy and would demand full Parliamentary scrutiny.\" Appearing before the International Trade Select Committee on 6 February, Liam Fox said he was carefully considering all the options for tariffs in the event of no deal. \"Unilateral liberalisation [reducing tariffs to zero] is not what I would propose, and I have not heard anyone else in government propose it,\" he said. \"Throughout, there needs to be a balance between the impact on consumers and the impact on producers. The government are very clear that they need to give protection where necessary, but without becoming protectionist.\" Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1462, "answer_end": 2274, "text": "If countries don't have free-trade agreements, they trade with each other under rules set by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Each country sets tariffs on goods crossing its borders. All EU countries share common tariffs because they're all signed up to the customs union. EU tariffs on most agricultural products can be very high - dairy averages more than 35% and for some meat products, such as lamb, it is more than 40%. As the UK is still a member of the EU, it applies EU tariffs to goods coming in from the rest of the world, but has no tariffs with the EU itself. But Brexit will change that. The UK could choose to reduce the tariffs for goods coming from the EU - in order to keep trade flowing through ports like Dover. But it would have to offer the same reductions to all other countries as well."}], "question": "Factbox: How do tariffs work?", "id": "317_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Qasem Soleimani: Blasts hit Baghdad area as Iraqis mourn Iranian general", "date": "5 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Several blasts shook the Baghdad area hours after a huge funeral procession for a top Iranian general, killed by a US air strike there on Friday. A projectile hit the Green Zone near the US embassy while several more were fired north of the Iraqi capital at Balad air base, which houses US forces. Nobody was hurt in the attacks, Iraqi security sources said. No group said it was behind the development. Pro-Iranian militants have been blamed for other recent attacks. Iranian leaders have vowed to avenge the killing of Qasem Soleimani, who was regarded as a terrorist by the US. President Trump warned on Twitter that the US is \"targeting\" 52 Iranian sites and will strike \"very fast and very hard\" if Tehran hits Americans or US assets. Saturday's funeral procession through Baghdad and Iraq's Shia Muslim holy cities precedes the return of Soleimani's remains to Iran. Iraqis were also mourning the death of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi who commanded the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group and was killed along with Soleimani. In another development, the group issued a warning to Iraqi security forces to \"stay clear of American bases by a distance not less [than] 1,000m (0.6 miles) starting Sunday evening\", al-Mayadeen TV reported. In response to Iranian threats of revenge, the US has sent 3,000 more troops to the Middle East and advised its citizens to leave Iraq. At least one rocket or mortar round hit Celebration Square in the Green Zone, while another exploded in the city's Jadria area, Iraqi security sources said. After two rockets hit Balad air base, surveillance drones were sent up to locate the source, AFP news agency reported. Waving Iraqi and militia flags and chanting \"Death to America\", mourners walked behind the coffins from Al Muthana Airport to the gate of the Green Zone on Saturday. Some mourners carried portraits of Soleimani while others held portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Later, the procession left for the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf. Some Iraqis, conversely, celebrated in Baghdad's streets at the news of Soleimani's death. He was accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns on peaceful pro-democracy protests there in recent months. Reports say the bodies of Soleimani and four other Iranians killed in the air strike will be flown on Saturday evening to Iran, which has declared three days of mourning for the assassinated general. His funeral in Iran is to be held on Tuesday. Iran's retaliation is certain, but when, where and how is not. For now, the priority is to cement Qasem Soleimani's status as a national hero, to ensure he remains powerful in death as in life. Elaborate plans for his funeral have been expanded, a mix of carefully scripted ceremony with outpourings of grief filling the streets. It begins in Baghdad where he died, and where so much of his legacy lives. From there his remains travel to Iran's holy city of Mashhad, to his hometown Kerman, and then to Tehran where the supreme leader will preside over final prayers - a rare honour, to send another signal. Ayatollah Khamenei has promoted his loyal officer to lieutenant general. More important is to elevate his martyrdom, to draw in rivals who resented his status and Iranians who reviled his costly foreign adventures. Iranian leaders hope his killing will unite a nation as it stares at a far more uncertain future. Its leaders have pledged to avenge the death of the man who led the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Soleimani, 62, was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei. The Quds Force reported directly to the ayatollah, and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure. Visiting Soleimani's family members at their house in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: \"Revenge for his blood will be exacted on that day when the filthy hands of America will be cut off forever from the region.\" Ayatollah Khamenei promised earlier that revenge would be \"forceful\" while a senior IRGC general, Gholamali Abuhamzeh, raised the prospect of attacks on US warships in the Gulf. At a march in Tehran on Saturday, one demonstrator told Reuters: \"[Soleimani] was a man who - unlike many of our officials - was an enemy for our enemies and treated our own people very well. Therefore he was very popular. So, the only thing we want of our statesmen and our supreme leader is... to take revenge.\" Simmering US-Iranian hostilities escalated rapidly last week after the US conducted air strikes in Iraq and Syria against Kataib Hezbollah, which the US blamed for an earlier rocket attack that killed an American civilian contractor. Pro-Iranian militia attacked the US embassy in Baghdad in response. In a letter to the UN Security Council responding to the strike on Soleimani, Iran's UN ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said that Iran reserved the right to self-defence under international law. Analysts said Iran could deploy cyber-attacks against the US, or attempt to strike US military targets or interests in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump accused \"the number one terrorist anywhere in the world\" of \"plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel\". But no details were given of the alleged planned attacks and a New York Times correspondent has quoted two unnamed US officials as telling her that evidence of such plotting was \"razor thin\". Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, that the US killing of Soleimani was an abuse of military power, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who also phoned Mr Zarif, said the killing \"grossly\" violated the norms of international law. The UK Foreign Office hardened its travel advice for Iran and Iraq. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also announced that two British warships would resume escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow shipping route in the Gulf region through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported. In a statement, he urged all parties to \"de-escalate the situation\", adding: \"Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens.\" On Saturday the White House sent the US Congress formal notification of Friday's drone strike - in line with a 1973 US law that states the administration must alert Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to immediate or imminent military action. It was expected to clarify the authority under which the strike was launched, and the expected type and duration of military involvement. The notification is classified. Nancy Pelosi, the top Congressional Democrat, said it \"prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran\". Iran supports a variety of Shia militia groups in neighbouring Iraq. Soleimani had just arrived at Baghdad airport and was travelling in a convoy alongside officials from such militia when their cars were hit by several US missiles. Iraq now finds itself in a difficult position as an ally both of Iran and of the US. Thousands of US troops remain in the country to assist in the broader struggle against the Sunni Muslim Islamic State (IS) group but Iraq's government insists the US has acted beyond the terms of this agreement. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi labelled the missile strike as a \"brazen violation of Iraq's sovereignty and a blatant attack on the nation's dignity\", and Iraq's parliament announced it would hold an emergency meeting on Sunday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1382, "answer_end": 1657, "text": "At least one rocket or mortar round hit Celebration Square in the Green Zone, while another exploded in the city's Jadria area, Iraqi security sources said. After two rockets hit Balad air base, surveillance drones were sent up to locate the source, AFP news agency reported."}], "question": "What happened in the new attacks?", "id": "318_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1658, "answer_end": 2462, "text": "Waving Iraqi and militia flags and chanting \"Death to America\", mourners walked behind the coffins from Al Muthana Airport to the gate of the Green Zone on Saturday. Some mourners carried portraits of Soleimani while others held portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Later, the procession left for the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf. Some Iraqis, conversely, celebrated in Baghdad's streets at the news of Soleimani's death. He was accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns on peaceful pro-democracy protests there in recent months. Reports say the bodies of Soleimani and four other Iranians killed in the air strike will be flown on Saturday evening to Iran, which has declared three days of mourning for the assassinated general. His funeral in Iran is to be held on Tuesday."}], "question": "How did the Iraqi stage of the funeral proceed?", "id": "318_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3384, "answer_end": 5083, "text": "Its leaders have pledged to avenge the death of the man who led the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Soleimani, 62, was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei. The Quds Force reported directly to the ayatollah, and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure. Visiting Soleimani's family members at their house in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: \"Revenge for his blood will be exacted on that day when the filthy hands of America will be cut off forever from the region.\" Ayatollah Khamenei promised earlier that revenge would be \"forceful\" while a senior IRGC general, Gholamali Abuhamzeh, raised the prospect of attacks on US warships in the Gulf. At a march in Tehran on Saturday, one demonstrator told Reuters: \"[Soleimani] was a man who - unlike many of our officials - was an enemy for our enemies and treated our own people very well. Therefore he was very popular. So, the only thing we want of our statesmen and our supreme leader is... to take revenge.\" Simmering US-Iranian hostilities escalated rapidly last week after the US conducted air strikes in Iraq and Syria against Kataib Hezbollah, which the US blamed for an earlier rocket attack that killed an American civilian contractor. Pro-Iranian militia attacked the US embassy in Baghdad in response. In a letter to the UN Security Council responding to the strike on Soleimani, Iran's UN ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said that Iran reserved the right to self-defence under international law. Analysts said Iran could deploy cyber-attacks against the US, or attempt to strike US military targets or interests in the Middle East."}], "question": "How has Iran responded to the assassination?", "id": "318_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5084, "answer_end": 6870, "text": "US President Donald Trump accused \"the number one terrorist anywhere in the world\" of \"plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel\". But no details were given of the alleged planned attacks and a New York Times correspondent has quoted two unnamed US officials as telling her that evidence of such plotting was \"razor thin\". Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, that the US killing of Soleimani was an abuse of military power, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who also phoned Mr Zarif, said the killing \"grossly\" violated the norms of international law. The UK Foreign Office hardened its travel advice for Iran and Iraq. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also announced that two British warships would resume escort duties in the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow shipping route in the Gulf region through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported. In a statement, he urged all parties to \"de-escalate the situation\", adding: \"Under international law the United States is entitled to defend itself against those posing an imminent threat to their citizens.\" On Saturday the White House sent the US Congress formal notification of Friday's drone strike - in line with a 1973 US law that states the administration must alert Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to immediate or imminent military action. It was expected to clarify the authority under which the strike was launched, and the expected type and duration of military involvement. The notification is classified. Nancy Pelosi, the top Congressional Democrat, said it \"prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran\"."}], "question": "Why did the US kill Soleimani?", "id": "318_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Iraqi Kurdistan: State-in-the-making?", "date": "28 October 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Wherever you are in the world it takes nerve to invest in the amusement park industry - roller coasters can go down as well as up. But the Chavy Land Park in the Iraqi-Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah offers a particularly challenging balance of risk and reward. On the one hand there isn't much competition for the leisure dollar in the Iraqi tourism industry - not yet at least. On the other, the violence and chaos of the last few decades is still a painfully recent memory. You get an echo of that in the recorded announcement at the gate which reminds you that you're not allowed to bring weapons into the park. But Chavy Land is an impressive achievement. The neon lights of an imposing Ferris Wheel and an eye-wateringly high roller coaster gleam against the inky night sky like precious stones on a jeweller's cushion. It is attracting Iraqis from southern cities like Baghdad and Basra.  Slowly the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq has already established a reputation for being more stable and more secure than the rest of the country. It's beginning to look as though the Kurdish people of the region are quietly working to build a new nation-state here which would represent a challenge to the boundaries and borders created by the Great Powers at the end of World War One. Hassan Mohamed Darner, chief executive of Chavy Land is in no doubt: \"The Northern part of Iraq is... Kurdistan,\" he says proudly. \"It's safe - people come here to study and they come here to trade.\" Asked if the rest of the world should go ahead and grant Iraqi Kurdistan official diplomatic recognition he says simply, \"Yes, definitely. And they should do it now.\" It's certainly true that this is a time of renewed upheaval in the Middle East but the change is not yet on the scale of the deal-making and nation-building that followed the Great War. The Kurds emerged as losers from that process, specifically because a secret carve-up between Britain and France called the Sykes-Picot agreement, made no provision for an independent Kurdish state. They were divided between Syria and Turkey, Iran and Iraq - a tough diplomatic neighbourhood in which to nurse forbidden dreams of statehood. There is no doubt that the chaos in modern Iraq and the weakness of the federal government in faraway Baghdad presents the Iraqi Kurds, at least, with an opportunity to take their regional autonomy and quietly turn it into something more. Every round of sectarian violence in the rest of the country - like the car-bombings at the weekend which killed at least 50 people - underlines that weakness and deepens Kurdish resolve. The Turkish political scientist Soli Ozel offers this judgement on the importance of this moment in the Middle East. \"For all intents and purposes,\" he argues, \"they have their own state in Northern Iraq and they're likely to have some kind of autonomous zone in Syria. Therefore the Kurds as a nationality have now re-appeared on the world stage. They're undoing Sykes-Picot for themselves.\" On this changing political landscape it feels as though everyone is learning the rules of a new game. Turkey, for example, fought for decades to crush an armed Kurdish insurgency within its borders and as part of a kind of cultural war it tried to ban the very word \"Kurd\", preferring the ludicrous 'Mountain Turk' instead. Turkish operations have in the past included incursions into neighbouring Iraqi Kurdistan which it's accused of providing safe havens for the Kurdish fighters. But Turkey is also Iraqi Kurdistan's most important trading partner - buying its oil and gas and investing heavily in its construction boom. The relationship works - for the moment - because each side has something that the other needs. But there is clearly an underlying tension there too. Many Kurds still harbour the dream of a homeland which unites the Kurdish elements of Turkey, Syria and Iran as well as Iraq - although they're pragmatic enough to recognise that as no more than a distant pipe dream. Turkish support will only continue as long as the aspirations to nation-building are strictly confined to Iraqi Kurdistan. The regional government in the capital Irbil is playing its cards skilfully. Hemin Hawrami from the country's largest political party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), says its all a matter of balancing those long-term political dreams against the practical diplomatic realities of the moment. \"If you ask any Kurd whether they want to have an independent Kurdistan, definitely you will get the answer 'Yes',\" he told me. \"But Kurdistan's strategy is to pursue this path in a peaceful way. We don't want to be the reason for the break-up of Iraq.\" Of course you don't have to be a political genius to spot that that leaves open the possibility that they'd be pleased enough if Iraq broke up for other reasons. For now, it feels as though Iraqi Kurdistan believes it can work on building a new nation-state as long as it doesn't say out loud that it is building a new nation state. It takes in refugees - mostly fellow Kurds - from neighbouring Syria.  It has its own flag, anthem and armed forces, and most importantly of all, it has oil. A new pipeline is being built to take Kurdish oil to Turkey although it's impossible for an outsider to establish if that's going to be a joint project with the rest of Iraq or an independent pipeline with oil going direct to Turkey and money coming direct to Irbil. However that issue is decided, you get a clear sense that in Iraqi Kurdistan there is suddenly a renewed energy to the old dream of statehood. But it's a dream which is struggling to come to life at a difficult time in a dangerous region.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3770, "answer_end": 5659, "text": "Many Kurds still harbour the dream of a homeland which unites the Kurdish elements of Turkey, Syria and Iran as well as Iraq - although they're pragmatic enough to recognise that as no more than a distant pipe dream. Turkish support will only continue as long as the aspirations to nation-building are strictly confined to Iraqi Kurdistan. The regional government in the capital Irbil is playing its cards skilfully. Hemin Hawrami from the country's largest political party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), says its all a matter of balancing those long-term political dreams against the practical diplomatic realities of the moment. \"If you ask any Kurd whether they want to have an independent Kurdistan, definitely you will get the answer 'Yes',\" he told me. \"But Kurdistan's strategy is to pursue this path in a peaceful way. We don't want to be the reason for the break-up of Iraq.\" Of course you don't have to be a political genius to spot that that leaves open the possibility that they'd be pleased enough if Iraq broke up for other reasons. For now, it feels as though Iraqi Kurdistan believes it can work on building a new nation-state as long as it doesn't say out loud that it is building a new nation state. It takes in refugees - mostly fellow Kurds - from neighbouring Syria.  It has its own flag, anthem and armed forces, and most importantly of all, it has oil. A new pipeline is being built to take Kurdish oil to Turkey although it's impossible for an outsider to establish if that's going to be a joint project with the rest of Iraq or an independent pipeline with oil going direct to Turkey and money coming direct to Irbil. However that issue is decided, you get a clear sense that in Iraqi Kurdistan there is suddenly a renewed energy to the old dream of statehood. But it's a dream which is struggling to come to life at a difficult time in a dangerous region."}], "question": "United Kurdistan?", "id": "319_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Funding Circle leads the firms taking on traditional banks", "date": "3 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The year is 2010. UK banks are on life support after their near-death experience in the crisis. After the worst recession for nearly forty years, lending to small businesses was not a top priority. It was in these circumstances that the idea for Funding Circle was hatched by Samir Desai, James Meekings and Andrew Mullinger: let companies borrow from ordinary investors, other firms, not the traditional banks. Today they announced plans to become a public company worth over PS1.5bn, a UK-born company which is the number one peer-to-peer lender to small business in the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands. And Funding Circle is just one of a new crop of fintech companies, that may prove to be a real threat to the traditional banking industry. Chief Executive Samir Desai said his company might not have existed were it not for the crisis. \"Before 2008, small businesses didn't necessarily like their bank but they trusted them. After the crisis even that wasn't true,\" he said. \"Small business lending was always a pretty small part of the bank's business - around 5% of their total lending - so the banks didn't care that much if small businesses felt neglected.\" Funding Circle was born out of that neglect. But while the financial crisis was necessary, it wasn't a sufficient condition for the fostering of this new breed of financial services companies. The other piece of the puzzle was the technology. The ability to match buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, at scale did not really exist before 2008 and neither did people's trust in using the internet for financial transactions. As customers' trust in banks shrank, their trust in internet companies grew, and companies like foreign exchange platform Transferwise, online bank Monzo, and Funding Circle have been successful in cannibalising bits of the banking industry by offering quicker, easier to use facilities. Funding Circle has arranged PS5bn worth of loans since 2010 - which sounds like a lot but is, in fact, tiny compared to the PS70bn a year that banks lend to small business. As a business born after the crisis, Funding Circle and other newbies have never seen their business models tested by a serious financial downturn, which has been a source of concern. The Financial Conduct Authority recently published a consultation paper that proposed blocking retail investors' access to peer-to-peer lending by placing the same restrictions on it that apply to investment platforms that are perceived as high risk - like crowdfunding sites. That would mean investors wanting to use Funding Circle would have to be very wealthy, have a recognised financial adviser, or declare that they are not investing more than 10% of their net assets. That sounds ominous, but in truth, might help pull up a drawbridge behind the company, keeping other competitors out. Funding Circle is increasingly being used by governments, development banks (like the British Business Bank who have lent PS100m via Funding Circle) and institutional investors. It's less about small retail investors providing the funds to small business borrowers, that's becoming a smaller proportion of their business. To be clear, this is a company that is still losing money and has grown in a benign economy, offering returns of over 5% when traditional savings are yielding 1% to 2%. This is not a savings product and investors' money is at risk of loss. However, the real losers from this new crop of Fintech upstarts may be the banks. RBS Chairman, Sir Howard Davies, told a small group of journalists last week. \"They have the tech, we have the customers - the race is whether we can get the tech faster than they can get the customers.\" It's going to be an interesting race to watch.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3161, "answer_end": 3733, "text": "To be clear, this is a company that is still losing money and has grown in a benign economy, offering returns of over 5% when traditional savings are yielding 1% to 2%. This is not a savings product and investors' money is at risk of loss. However, the real losers from this new crop of Fintech upstarts may be the banks. RBS Chairman, Sir Howard Davies, told a small group of journalists last week. \"They have the tech, we have the customers - the race is whether we can get the tech faster than they can get the customers.\" It's going to be an interesting race to watch."}], "question": "Who wins?", "id": "320_0"}]}]}, {"title": "French film director Christophe Ruggia arrested over abuse claims", "date": "14 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "French film director Christophe Ruggia has been held in connection with allegations of sexual harassment made by award-winning actress Adele Haenel. Ruggia was arrested as part of an investigation into \"sexual aggression on a minor\", police said on Tuesday. Haenel, who is now 31, was only 12 when she was cast in Ruggia's film Les Diables (The Devils). The actress alleges Ruggia harassed her as a young teenager when they travelled together to promote the film. Her comments shook the French film industry when they were first reported last November, following an investigation by the Mediapart news website. Ruggia, who is now 55, was placed in police custody on Tuesday morning. He has previously denied the allegations. According to Mediapart's investigation - which included around 30 other witnesses - Ruggia is said to have developed an obsession with Haenel during the filming of the 2002 film Les Diables. Other actors and technicians on the set at the time spoke of the unhealthy atmosphere. Then, when filming had finished and the pair were travelling together to promote it, Ruggia is said to have invited her to his home. Haenel said that this was where he first touched and tried to kiss her, and told her of his love. At 15, she tried to cut off links with Ruggia and sought help from people in his entourage - but few, she said, showed sympathy. Haenel, who has appeared in more than 25 films and twice won Cesar awards - France's equivalent of the Oscars, said she decided to speak out after watching the documentary Leaving Neverland, which explored the singer Michael Jackson's relationships with children. \"It changed my perspective,\" she said, adding: \"It made me see I had too long clung to the version of Christophe Ruggia, that it had all been a story of love... It made me understand the mechanisms of control and fascination.\" She lodged a formal complaint against Ruggia in November and the public prosecutor opened an investigation into \"sexual aggression on a minor carried out by someone in authority\". Ruggia has denied the charges of sexual molestation, but has admitted to having made \"errors\" in his conduct towards Haenel. \"I did not see that my adulation for her, and the hopes I placed in her, might - given her young age - come across at times as irksome. If this is what happened... I ask her pardon,\" he said in an earlier statement.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 725, "answer_end": 2374, "text": "According to Mediapart's investigation - which included around 30 other witnesses - Ruggia is said to have developed an obsession with Haenel during the filming of the 2002 film Les Diables. Other actors and technicians on the set at the time spoke of the unhealthy atmosphere. Then, when filming had finished and the pair were travelling together to promote it, Ruggia is said to have invited her to his home. Haenel said that this was where he first touched and tried to kiss her, and told her of his love. At 15, she tried to cut off links with Ruggia and sought help from people in his entourage - but few, she said, showed sympathy. Haenel, who has appeared in more than 25 films and twice won Cesar awards - France's equivalent of the Oscars, said she decided to speak out after watching the documentary Leaving Neverland, which explored the singer Michael Jackson's relationships with children. \"It changed my perspective,\" she said, adding: \"It made me see I had too long clung to the version of Christophe Ruggia, that it had all been a story of love... It made me understand the mechanisms of control and fascination.\" She lodged a formal complaint against Ruggia in November and the public prosecutor opened an investigation into \"sexual aggression on a minor carried out by someone in authority\". Ruggia has denied the charges of sexual molestation, but has admitted to having made \"errors\" in his conduct towards Haenel. \"I did not see that my adulation for her, and the hopes I placed in her, might - given her young age - come across at times as irksome. If this is what happened... I ask her pardon,\" he said in an earlier statement."}], "question": "What are the allegations?", "id": "321_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why speaking out in Nicaragua is getting tough", "date": "21 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "From encrypted messages with people in hiding, to clandestine meetings in secret locations - speaking openly in Nicaragua is becoming tough. The simple task of talking to those affected by the country's deep-seated political crisis is increasingly complicated, as so many fear for their wellbeing. In many cases, their fears seem justified too. Some of the testimonies to emerge are reminiscent of the worst years of military governments in Latin America during the 1970s. Take the story of Maritza Castellon and her husband, Juan Pablo Garcia, for example. A blind couple, they have represented Nicaragua in chess and Paralympic marathon running respectively. Earlier this month, armed pro-government forces entered their home in the dead of night and took away their teenage son, Engel, for allegedly organising anti-government protests. The men never identified themselves or produced any arrest warrant and Maritza says they stuck a gun into her chest. \"It was terrible,\" she told me as they sought word from the authorities on Engel's whereabouts. \"As blind people, we didn't know who they were or what they look like. My youngest son was crying and saying, \"Mum, they're wearing balaclavas\". There was a man kicking in the back door saying 'It's up to you, either get out of the way or I'm going to shoot it in'.\" The government of President Daniel Ortega denies any wrongdoing by its forces. Still, there is evidence of paramilitary gangs now operating with impunity and government support. Scores of students have been jailed as terrorists. Little wonder people are remaining in the shadows. Demonstrators have been protesting since April, calling for an end to the government of President Daniel Ortega. He says the protests are being led by terrorists who want to stage a coup against him. The unrest originally began over pension reforms. But tensions have increased after people were killed in the government crackdown that followed. Hundreds of people have been standing trial in the country accused of organising violent street protests. Among them are three students facing terrorism charges for allegedly setting fire to a government-run radio station: Among those unwilling to come out of her safe haven was Dora Maria Tellez, a former leftist guerrilla and one-time close ally of Daniel Ortega. Today, she says, he is a \"tyrant\". \"We've been saying this for 23 years and unfortunately, we were right,\" she tells me via Skype, sitting against a non-descript grey wall somewhere in Nicaragua. In 1978, as a 22-year-old rebel, Ms Tellez led an audacious attack on the national parliament while it was in full session. It was a turning point in the revolution against the reviled dictator, Anastasio Somoza. A year later, the Sandinista guerrilla army took power. In the 1990s, Ms Tellez split from the Sandinistas and established the Sandinista Renovation Movement. Now she fears she could be arrested by her former comrades. \"Ortega didn't only expropriate the FSLN [the Sandinista Front for National Liberation], he effectively dissolved 'Sandinismo' altogether and replaced it with 'Ortega-ism', the political model which forms this tyranny we Nicaraguans are living under.\" Unsurprisingly, government supporters scoff at the idea that Nicaragua is under a dictatorship. \"Daniel Ortega is the constitutional president of this republic, the result of an electoral process in which he won a majority,\" says Gustavo Porras, head of the Sandinista-controlled parliament. \"Why would they label him a dictator? To justify the aggression.\" He adds: \"There is so much money washing around from [Washington-based organisations such as] the National Endowment for Democracy. They justify it by saying there is no democracy here and calling the president a dictator.\" Nevertheless, since the worst of the street violence subsided, many international observers believe there has been a systematic programme of retribution by the state. Dr Jose Luis Borgen agreed to meet in person but insisted on a safe place, the headquarters of a local human rights group. A general surgeon with decades of experience, he was on his way to lodge a complaint against his arbitrary dismissal from a public hospital earlier this year. With the entire justice system allegedly in the hands of the Ortega government, he doesn't rate his chances of a fair hearing. \"We started to receive a large number of patients with gunshot wounds. Many died. People didn't have anyone to treat them during the conflict,\" he recalls. The health ministry issued a ban on public hospitals treating such patients, he says, so a number of medical students and doctors \"created clandestine clinics in homes and in some of the universities.\" \"Some treated patients, others brought in medicines or clean syringes, cotton swabs. All of this we did in our spare time.\" It appears to have cost him his job. There was an atmosphere of intimidation and persecution across the healthcare sector, he says. \"Then the mass firings began. 35 people were fired from one hospital, 40 from another, 18 from a third.\" In total he estimates 300 healthcare professionals, half of them doctors, have been fired across the country. The Ortega-controlled parliament's truth commission said in its report that healthcare hadn't been denied to anyone during the crisis. But critics say the report was a whitewash, and made no comment on allegations of subsequent repercussions against healthcare professionals. \"They haven't replaced us. What's more, they continue to fire people\", adds Dr Borgen. \"It's been difficult. My family is frightened. Many have received death threats, others have chosen to leave the country altogether.\" It is a stark choice now facing many opponents of Daniel Ortega: either to live in hiding or go into exile.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1600, "answer_end": 2168, "text": "Demonstrators have been protesting since April, calling for an end to the government of President Daniel Ortega. He says the protests are being led by terrorists who want to stage a coup against him. The unrest originally began over pension reforms. But tensions have increased after people were killed in the government crackdown that followed. Hundreds of people have been standing trial in the country accused of organising violent street protests. Among them are three students facing terrorism charges for allegedly setting fire to a government-run radio station:"}], "question": "What is going on in Nicaragua?", "id": "322_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: What is the UK doing to help?", "date": "28 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "David Cameron has said the UK will accept 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020. A further commitment to help unaccompanied child refugees may lead that figure to rise, but government sources say it will not change substantially. Critics have urged the government to do more to help people fleeing conflict in Syria and elsewhere, including those who have made dangerous journeys from the Middle East and north Africa to Europe. So what exactly is Britain doing to help? The UK has already accepted about 1,000 refugees from Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme (VPR). The government expanded the scheme last year, promising to take in 20,000 by 2020. The government has also said it will accept more unaccompanied child refugees from camps in Syria and neighbouring countries. The Home Office has not put a figure on how many under-18s will be taken in or over what period but sources have indicated the numbers involved would not significantly increase the current 20,000 commitment. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon offered her support to Mr Cameron and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness told the prime minister the country could take thousands more refugees; with \"a couple of thousand\" at first. The Local Government Association, which represents English and Welsh local authorities, has said councils have the capability to meet the extra demand for necessary resources such as housing and schools. More than 50 local authorities have been involved in accommodating Syrian arrivals so far. Mr Cameron has stressed that Britain is the second-largest bilateral donor (after the US) supporting Syrian refugees in the region. The government says the UK has contributed PS1.1bn since 2012 on food, tents and other humanitarian aid. It has also said the UK is giving a further PS10m to help vulnerable refugee minors already in Europe. Some could be brought to the UK \"where it is in their best interests\". This is likely to involve those whose closest living relatives are already in the UK. Almost 5,000 Syrians (including dependants) have been granted asylum in the UK since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, the government says. Those arrivals are outside the terms of the VPR and do not count towards the 20,000 figure. Under the VPR, the government met an initial goal to bring 1,000 Syrian refugees to the UK by Christmas 2015 - exceeding that figure with the arrival of two groups at Stansted and Belfast in December. In total, more than 25,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in the 12 months up to June 2015, and 11,600 received asylum or an alternative form of protection. Eritreans were the largest group making asylum applications (3,568), followed by Pakistanis (2,302). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of applications remained \"low relative to the peak number\" of more than 84,000 in 2002 - when the highest proportions of asylum seekers came from Iraq, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Asylum makes up a small proportion of those arriving in the UK, with official figures released in August showing net migration into the UK (the difference between the number entering and those leaving) hit an all-time high of 330,000 in the 12 months to March. People arriving in the UK in need of protection usually have to apply for asylum - and if this is granted they get \"refugee\" status. But those brought under VPR have not gone through this process. Instead, they have been granted \"humanitarian protection\", a status normally used for people who \"don't qualify for asylum\" but would be at \"real risk of suffering serious harm\" in their home country. Like people granted refugee status, those given humanitarian protection can stay for five years, after which they can apply to settle in the UK. People in both categories have the right to work and access public funds. Germany is receiving the most asylum applications in Europe - more than 315,000 in 2015 by the end of October. In June, European leaders agreed a voluntary system for sharing the refugee burden across the EU - but the UK opted out. According to figures from the EU statistics agency, Eurostat, although Germany had the most asylum applications in 2015, the surge of people arriving in Hungary meant it had the highest in proportion to its population. More than 1,450 refugees per 100,000 of Hungary's local population claimed asylum in the first half of 2015. The figure for Germany was 323 and for the UK it was 30 applications for every 100,000 residents. Appeals were set up to specifically help those in Syria by major charities working in the area. The British Red Cross and Oxfam are both running appeals and both reported an increase in support in the days immediately after a photograph of drowned Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, emerged in September. Save the Children has been campaigning for the UK to take 3,000 unaccompanied children from Europe, saying it would represent a \"fair share\" of the estimated 26,000 children who arrived in 2015 without any family. Individuals have also been running appeals. A campaign set up by children's author Patrick Ness raised more than PS150,000 for Save the Children in 24 hours. An online petition calling on the UK to accept more refugees passed the 100,000 threshold, meaning it was eligible to be considered for a debate in Parliament.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2045, "answer_end": 3233, "text": "Almost 5,000 Syrians (including dependants) have been granted asylum in the UK since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, the government says. Those arrivals are outside the terms of the VPR and do not count towards the 20,000 figure. Under the VPR, the government met an initial goal to bring 1,000 Syrian refugees to the UK by Christmas 2015 - exceeding that figure with the arrival of two groups at Stansted and Belfast in December. In total, more than 25,000 people claimed asylum in the UK in the 12 months up to June 2015, and 11,600 received asylum or an alternative form of protection. Eritreans were the largest group making asylum applications (3,568), followed by Pakistanis (2,302). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of applications remained \"low relative to the peak number\" of more than 84,000 in 2002 - when the highest proportions of asylum seekers came from Iraq, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. Asylum makes up a small proportion of those arriving in the UK, with official figures released in August showing net migration into the UK (the difference between the number entering and those leaving) hit an all-time high of 330,000 in the 12 months to March."}], "question": "How many Syrians have been relocated or given asylum?", "id": "323_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3234, "answer_end": 3850, "text": "People arriving in the UK in need of protection usually have to apply for asylum - and if this is granted they get \"refugee\" status. But those brought under VPR have not gone through this process. Instead, they have been granted \"humanitarian protection\", a status normally used for people who \"don't qualify for asylum\" but would be at \"real risk of suffering serious harm\" in their home country. Like people granted refugee status, those given humanitarian protection can stay for five years, after which they can apply to settle in the UK. People in both categories have the right to work and access public funds."}], "question": "What will happen to Syrians brought to the UK?", "id": "323_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3851, "answer_end": 4508, "text": "Germany is receiving the most asylum applications in Europe - more than 315,000 in 2015 by the end of October. In June, European leaders agreed a voluntary system for sharing the refugee burden across the EU - but the UK opted out. According to figures from the EU statistics agency, Eurostat, although Germany had the most asylum applications in 2015, the surge of people arriving in Hungary meant it had the highest in proportion to its population. More than 1,450 refugees per 100,000 of Hungary's local population claimed asylum in the first half of 2015. The figure for Germany was 323 and for the UK it was 30 applications for every 100,000 residents."}], "question": "How does the UK compare with other EU countries?", "id": "323_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka bombings: 15 die in blast during raid on suspected hideout", "date": "28 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Fifteen people including six children were killed in Sri Lanka on Friday when suspected Islamist militants blew themselves up in a raid, police said. The raid occurred in Sainthamaruthu, near the hometown of the suspected ringleader of the Easter Sunday attacks that killed at least 250 people. Gunmen opened fire as troops attempted to raid a house, police said. Three men set off explosives, they added, killing the children and three women. Three others died in gunfire. One civilian was caught in the crossfire and died, according to police, while a wounded woman and child were taken to hospital. Footage shown on state television showed charred bodies inside the house, one cradling a rifle. Explosives, a generator, a drone, and batteries were also visible. Around the same time, security forces raided another building in a nearby town where they said they found explosives and a drone. Some 600 Muslims fled the area as the raid unfolded and took shelter in a school, residents said. By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Sainthamaruthu There's an eerie silence in the street where security forces carried out the raid. Three armed policemen stand outside the house, which has suffered damage to its roof.  Steel gates and glass windows have been shattered. There are bloodstains on the ground. A van damaged during the shooting is still there. There were suspicions that the van could have been booby-trapped but police have not found anything inside the van so far. Police found charred remains of several people inside the building. All the neighbours in the street have moved out of the area because of fears for their safety. Police  say a woman and a child were rescued from the house. Both of them were injured. They believe they could be the wife and daughter of radical cleric Zahran Hashim, the suspected mastermind of the Easter Sunday attacks. Sainthamaruthu is a predominantly Muslim town overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is about 360km (240 miles) from the capital, Colombo. Residents here are still in disbelief that hardcore militants were hiding in a middle-class locality. It is still not clear how many suspected Islamists are still in hiding. Sri Lanka has been on high alert since a co-ordinated wave of bombings last Sunday, which also wounded more than 500 people. The bombings targeted churches that were packed full for the Easter holiday, as well as hotels popular with tourists. Sri Lankan authorities blamed a local Islamist extremist group, National Tawheed Jamath, for the attacks, although the Islamic State group (IS) has also claimed it played a role. President Maithripala Sirisena outlawed the extremists under new emergency laws, as well as the militant group Jamathei Millathu - whose members are also thought to have been involved. Security forces have carried out raids across the country since the attacks, but officials say there are dozens of IS sympathisers still at large in the country. Police said the raid on Friday followed a tip-off about a location in the Muslim-majority town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu, near Batticaloa. The area is not far from the hometown of Zahran Hashim, who is said to have died in one of the bombings on Sunday. In another raid in the same town, IS flags, 150 sticks of gelignite explosive, thousands of steel pellets and a drone camera were found, a military spokesman said. According to local media reports, 10 arrests were made across the country on Friday, bringing the total number detained since last Sunday to 80. President Sirisena has told reporters that intelligence services believed about 130 suspects linked to IS were in the country and that police were hunting 70 still at large. The manager of one of the Colombo hotels targeted by a suicide bomber last Sunday described to the BBC the moments leading up to the attack. Rohan Karr said the suspected bomber checked into the Cinnamon Grand hotel the evening before, was served a welcome drink and then went up to his room. \"He came down in the morning with the rucksack on his back and he went into the restaurant. He made sure he got a table right in the middle of the restaurant and he was walking around with the rucksack on his back. \"We never thought this was the man who [was] going to kill us. \"He sat, he ate, he waited for people to gather towards the buffet. When he saw a bigger crowd that was the time he decided, this is the time for me to create maximum damage.\" The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has cancelled all Sunday Masses until further notice. Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith said he had seen a leaked security document warning of further attacks. Cardinal Ranjith said that the Church had not been told about intelligence warnings of possible attacks. \"We didn't know anything. It came as a thunderbolt for us,\" he told reporters. Asked about the warnings, he said: \"I felt betrayed a little bit. I felt sad. It's a very serious lapse on the part of the security agencies that they didn't tell us about it.\" He said the church would halt all services until further notice, and urged parishioners to instead \"stay indoors and do their prayers\". Security was stepped up around mosques for Friday prayers, while some Muslims stayed away, fearing revenge attacks. Sri Lanka's police chief and top defence ministry official both resigned over the bombings. But Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that crucial intelligence warnings had not been passed on to him. He argued that as he had not been aware of the warnings, he did not need to step down from his position. \"If we had any inkling, and we had not taken action, I would have handed in my resignation immediately,\" he said, adding: \"But what do you do when you are out of the loop?\" The breakdown in communication has refocused attention on the infighting between the country's two most powerful men - Mr Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena. Relations between the two deteriorated to such an extent that last October, Mr Sirisena sacked Mr Wickremesinghe. He was reinstated in December following rulings by Sri Lanka's highest courts. Nine people are suspected of carrying out the attacks. President Sirisena confirmed that the alleged ringleader, Zahran Hashim, died in the attack at the Shangri-La hotel in the capital, Colombo. Two of the bombers are said to have been the sons of spice trader Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, one of Sri Lanka's richest men. Mr Ibrahim was detained and questioned after the attacks. One of his sons was reportedly the second bomber at the Shangri-La hotel alongside Zahran Hashim. The other son reportedly targeted the restaurant at the high-end Cinnamon Grand hotel, a short distance away.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4420, "answer_end": 5229, "text": "The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka has cancelled all Sunday Masses until further notice. Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Ranjith said he had seen a leaked security document warning of further attacks. Cardinal Ranjith said that the Church had not been told about intelligence warnings of possible attacks. \"We didn't know anything. It came as a thunderbolt for us,\" he told reporters. Asked about the warnings, he said: \"I felt betrayed a little bit. I felt sad. It's a very serious lapse on the part of the security agencies that they didn't tell us about it.\" He said the church would halt all services until further notice, and urged parishioners to instead \"stay indoors and do their prayers\". Security was stepped up around mosques for Friday prayers, while some Muslims stayed away, fearing revenge attacks."}], "question": "How has the Catholic Church responded?", "id": "324_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5230, "answer_end": 6088, "text": "Sri Lanka's police chief and top defence ministry official both resigned over the bombings. But Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that crucial intelligence warnings had not been passed on to him. He argued that as he had not been aware of the warnings, he did not need to step down from his position. \"If we had any inkling, and we had not taken action, I would have handed in my resignation immediately,\" he said, adding: \"But what do you do when you are out of the loop?\" The breakdown in communication has refocused attention on the infighting between the country's two most powerful men - Mr Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena. Relations between the two deteriorated to such an extent that last October, Mr Sirisena sacked Mr Wickremesinghe. He was reinstated in December following rulings by Sri Lanka's highest courts."}], "question": "What is the political fallout?", "id": "324_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6089, "answer_end": 6672, "text": "Nine people are suspected of carrying out the attacks. President Sirisena confirmed that the alleged ringleader, Zahran Hashim, died in the attack at the Shangri-La hotel in the capital, Colombo. Two of the bombers are said to have been the sons of spice trader Mohammad Yusuf Ibrahim, one of Sri Lanka's richest men. Mr Ibrahim was detained and questioned after the attacks. One of his sons was reportedly the second bomber at the Shangri-La hotel alongside Zahran Hashim. The other son reportedly targeted the restaurant at the high-end Cinnamon Grand hotel, a short distance away."}], "question": "Who were the attackers?", "id": "324_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Why Russia has so much to lose", "date": "1 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As the political and economic pressure on Nicolas Maduro mounts, Venezuela's president believes there is one person he can rely on - Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has accused the opposition leader Juan Guaido of an \"illegal attempt to seize power\", backed by the United States. Moscow says it will do \"everything required\" to support Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela's \"legitimate president\". But Russia's appetite for protecting relations with Caracas may be more limited than its rhetoric suggests. Moscow has long been a key ally of President Maduro, and Hugo Chavez before him - as fierce critics of Washington, right in America's backyard. \"The relationship is symbolically important. It's about saying 'we're not alone, there are others who are very critical of the US and Western policy',\" explains Andrei Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council. That's partly why Moscow has expanded co-operation with Caracas in recent years - increasing arms sales, extending credit and even flying in two bombers last December in a show of support. Its backing for Nicolas Maduro in the current crisis is also fuelled by a horror of popular uprisings, particularly those supported openly by the West. More on the Venezuela crisis: \"Unpopular social policies, an impoverished population and economic crisis - against a background of battling the whole world and corrupt... politicians. Guess which country this refers to?\" independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta wondered this week. It was drawing the parallels with Russia that it believes the Kremlin sees - and fears - in Caracas. Moscow also has money at stake. It has sunk significant amounts into backing Nicolas Maduro, much of that in loans it stands to lose if he is forced from office. The full extent of Russia's exposure isn't clear. Analysts talk of $17bn (PS13bn), mostly dished out in credit to the Maduro government. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to put a figure on it when questioned by journalists earlier this week. He was even more tight-lipped on whether Russia worried about losing that investment. \"I won't respond to that,\" Mr Peskov said. Venezuela sits on the largest proven oil reserves in the world. \"When we sent weapons, no-one thought of collecting the debt. What was really in mind, I think, was access to the oil wells, to production,\" argues Carnegie Centre economist Andrei Movchan. Russia's state-owned firm, Rosneft, now has stakes in multiple projects in Venezuela and has issued significant loans to the country's oil giant, PDVSA. \"Venezuela was in a bad shape, so it was easy to agree terms,\" Mr Movchan says. But whilst state television programmes here have been blasting headlines, slamming the US \"intervening in the affairs of a sovereign state\", others have been questioning the wisdom of Russia's own Venezuela policy. \"Venezuela is a black hole for Russia, where billions of dollars have been sunk... and the effect is zero,\" analyst Mikhail Krutikin told Kommersant newspaper. He talked of \"utter incompetence and squandering.\" \"It's a very unfortunate situation,\" Andrei Kortunov says. \"We knew this was coming, so I wonder what the fall-back position is of those who invested there, but I don't see it.\" Russia is now advocating political negotiations in Venezuela, with international mediation. It presents the opposition, and the US, as intransigent for continuing to call for fresh elections. Meanwhile, with no sign of imminent mass defection by the military, reports have emerged suggesting Moscow may be upping its support for Nicolas Maduro. As fresh US sanctions were imposed on Caracas this week, Novaya Gazeta suggested that Russia had helped fly Venezuelan gold from storage in the Russian Central Bank for sale in Dubai. The paper's sources claimed over $1bn in cash was then taken on to Caracas. The Central Bank chairwoman said that did not \"correspond to reality\". There have also been reports that Moscow has deployed private military contractors, possibly as protection for President Maduro. The Kremlin has rebutted that, too, though Mr Maduro himself was simply evasive. \"I'm not making any comment,\" he told Russian reporters this week. The foreign ministry pledge to do \"everything\" to back Nicolas Maduro does seem to have limits. \"I don't think Russia would defend Maduro militarily. We are for a political settlement,\" argues retired Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky. He describes those bombers sent to Caracas last year as simply \"symbolic\". \"It would be madness for Russia to try to intervene with force,\" Andrei Movchan agrees. \"Venezuela is not Syria. The Chinese are there and the Americans are much closer.\" At least in public, Russia has settled for condemning US pressure, calling for dialogue - and waiting. Perhaps it is hoping its ally can weather the storm. As one tabloid newspaper here argued, opposition rallies on Wednesday were smaller than expected. \"They held the decisive protest - and then they called the next one,\" Komsomolskaya Pravda joked, suggesting \"something went wrong\". Another paper, though, is convinced President Maduro's days in office are numbered, suggesting the Kremlin should simply offer \"its friend\" political asylum. \"The long, cold Moscow winter is not ideal of course for Maduro, used to palm trees and a year-round average of 25C,\" Moskovsky Komsomolets reasoned. \"But it's still better than a warm prison cell in Caracas.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3408, "answer_end": 4168, "text": "Meanwhile, with no sign of imminent mass defection by the military, reports have emerged suggesting Moscow may be upping its support for Nicolas Maduro. As fresh US sanctions were imposed on Caracas this week, Novaya Gazeta suggested that Russia had helped fly Venezuelan gold from storage in the Russian Central Bank for sale in Dubai. The paper's sources claimed over $1bn in cash was then taken on to Caracas. The Central Bank chairwoman said that did not \"correspond to reality\". There have also been reports that Moscow has deployed private military contractors, possibly as protection for President Maduro. The Kremlin has rebutted that, too, though Mr Maduro himself was simply evasive. \"I'm not making any comment,\" he told Russian reporters this week."}], "question": "What is Moscow doing?", "id": "325_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4169, "answer_end": 5407, "text": "The foreign ministry pledge to do \"everything\" to back Nicolas Maduro does seem to have limits. \"I don't think Russia would defend Maduro militarily. We are for a political settlement,\" argues retired Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky. He describes those bombers sent to Caracas last year as simply \"symbolic\". \"It would be madness for Russia to try to intervene with force,\" Andrei Movchan agrees. \"Venezuela is not Syria. The Chinese are there and the Americans are much closer.\" At least in public, Russia has settled for condemning US pressure, calling for dialogue - and waiting. Perhaps it is hoping its ally can weather the storm. As one tabloid newspaper here argued, opposition rallies on Wednesday were smaller than expected. \"They held the decisive protest - and then they called the next one,\" Komsomolskaya Pravda joked, suggesting \"something went wrong\". Another paper, though, is convinced President Maduro's days in office are numbered, suggesting the Kremlin should simply offer \"its friend\" political asylum. \"The long, cold Moscow winter is not ideal of course for Maduro, used to palm trees and a year-round average of 25C,\" Moskovsky Komsomolets reasoned. \"But it's still better than a warm prison cell in Caracas.\""}], "question": "How far will it go?", "id": "325_1"}]}]}, {"title": "German Jews warned not to wear kippas after rise in anti-Semitism", "date": "26 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The German government's anti-Semitism commissioner has urged Jews to avoid wearing skullcaps in public. Felix Klein warned Jews against donning the kippa in parts of the country following a rise in anti-Semitism. He said his opinion on the matter had \"changed compared with what it used to be\". Israel's President Reuven Rivlin said the recommendation amounted to \"an admittance that, again, Jews are not safe on German soil\". A sharp increase in the number of anti-Semitic offences was recorded by the German government last year. Official figures showed 1,646 hate crimes against Jews were committed in 2018 - an increase of 10% on the previous year. Physical attacks against Jews in Germany also rose in the same period, with 62 violent incidents recorded, up from 37 in 2017. Speaking to the Handelsblatt newspaper, Justice Minister Katarina Barley said the increase in anti-Semitic crimes was \"shameful for our country\". \"I cannot recommend to Jews that they wear the skullcap at all times everywhere in Germany,\" he told the Funke newspaper group. Mr Klein suggested \"the lifting of inhibitions and the uncouthness\" of society could be behind the spike in anti-Semitic crimes. The internet, social media and \"constant attacks against our culture of remembrance\" may be contributing factors, he said. He also called for police officers, teachers, and lawyers to receive training to clarify \"what is allowed and what is not\" when \"dealing with anti-Semitism\". His comments came weeks after Germany's top legal expert on anti-Semitism said the prejudice remained \"deeply rooted\" in German society. \"Anti-Semitism has always been here. But I think that recently, it has again become louder, more aggressive and flagrant,\" Claudia Vanoni told the AFP news agency. Mr Rivlin said he was \"shocked\" by Mr Klein's warning and considered it a \"a capitulation to anti-Semitism\". \"We will never submit, will never lower our gaze and will never react to anti-Semitism with defeatism, and expect and demand our allies act in the same way,\" the Israeli president said. He also acknowledged \"the moral position of the German government and its commitment to the Jewish community\". The German government this month blamed almost 90% of recorded incidents on the far right. German Jews have watched with the alarm the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) which since 2017 has been the main opposition party. AfD is openly against immigration but denies holding anti-Semitic views, even though a number of their political figures have drawn criticism for statements on the Holocaust. But an EU survey on anti-Semitism in December 2018 suggested the picture in Germany was not just about the far right. 41% of those who experienced harassment said they had been targeted by those with a \"Muslim extremist view\". Reacting to Muslim anti-Semitism, Felix Klein said \"many of them watch Arab TV channels that convey a fatal picture of Israel and Jews\". Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the fight against anti-Semitism had grown across Europe because of migration movements in recent years. Update 21st June 2019: This article has been updated to provide further context on the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2171, "answer_end": 3207, "text": "The German government this month blamed almost 90% of recorded incidents on the far right. German Jews have watched with the alarm the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) which since 2017 has been the main opposition party. AfD is openly against immigration but denies holding anti-Semitic views, even though a number of their political figures have drawn criticism for statements on the Holocaust. But an EU survey on anti-Semitism in December 2018 suggested the picture in Germany was not just about the far right. 41% of those who experienced harassment said they had been targeted by those with a \"Muslim extremist view\". Reacting to Muslim anti-Semitism, Felix Klein said \"many of them watch Arab TV channels that convey a fatal picture of Israel and Jews\". Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the fight against anti-Semitism had grown across Europe because of migration movements in recent years. Update 21st June 2019: This article has been updated to provide further context on the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany."}], "question": "Why is anti-Semitism on the rise in Germany?", "id": "326_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Huduma Namba: Kenya court halts biometric ID over data fears", "date": "31 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Kenya's High Court has halted a controversial biometric ID scheme until new data protection laws are enacted. Sensitive information, such as contact details, fingerprints and a person's profession, was collected last year. The idea was to integrate all the data the government has about an individual on various systems under one overarching ID number. The judges ruled the move was constitutional as long as that information was properly protected. In future Kenyan adults will need this new ID to access any government service, such as getting treatment at state hospitals, marrying or filing their tax returns. A data protection act was passed in November, which will see the creation of a data commission. But it is not clear how long it will take for this body to become operational and for the appointment of a commissioner to head it, reports the BBC's Ferdinand Omondi from the capital, Nairobi. Until then the rollout of the scheme, known as Huduma Namba, has been put on hold by the panel of three judges. As extensive personal details would be available at the click the button, they said that Kenyans would be at risk of suffering irreversible damage if the information was misused. The judges also ruled that any collection of DNA and the use of GPS to record the precise location of a person's home was intrusive and unconstitutional. The case was brought by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), and the Nubian Rights Forum. The Nubian community, which has been living in Kibera - a slum area of Nairobi - for more than a century, has been having difficulty getting Kenyan citizenship as they were originally brought to Kenya from Sudan during British colonial rule. This means that many members of the ethnic group have not been able to register for Huduma Namba as they do not have the national IDs needed to do so. They had wanted the whole scheme scrapped as the government says people will need a Huduma Namba ID to access public services.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1016, "answer_end": 2018, "text": "As extensive personal details would be available at the click the button, they said that Kenyans would be at risk of suffering irreversible damage if the information was misused. The judges also ruled that any collection of DNA and the use of GPS to record the precise location of a person's home was intrusive and unconstitutional. The case was brought by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), and the Nubian Rights Forum. The Nubian community, which has been living in Kibera - a slum area of Nairobi - for more than a century, has been having difficulty getting Kenyan citizenship as they were originally brought to Kenya from Sudan during British colonial rule. This means that many members of the ethnic group have not been able to register for Huduma Namba as they do not have the national IDs needed to do so. They had wanted the whole scheme scrapped as the government says people will need a Huduma Namba ID to access public services."}], "question": "What did the judges say?", "id": "327_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bannon plan for Europe-wide populist 'supergroup' sparks alarm", "date": "23 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Populists and right-wingers have a grip on power in Italy, Hungary and Austria, and now Donald Trump's one-time adviser has designs on increasing their spread across Europe. Steve Bannon dreams of a right-wing \"supergroup\" gaining a populist foothold in the European Parliament after next year's European elections. But his plans have provoked a sharp response from across the political spectrum. While one German minister attacked Steve Bannon's \"hatred and lies\", some populist figures in Europe were unimpressed with the idea of an American vowing publicly to unite them from a Brussels headquarters. In the words of European studies specialist Alexander Clarkson, \"most of these parties are set on anti-Americanism\". The former chief Trump strategist travelled to Europe after he was pushed out of the White House and then departed the right-wing Breitbart media empire. His ambition now is a populist implosion across the Continent. Everything started with the Brexit vote in June 2016, he believes. It continued with the election of President Trump the following November and returned to Europe with the success of two populist parties in Italy's election last March. Italy is \"in the vanguard of change in Europe\", he argues, and along with Hungary's Viktor Orban is proof that the message from Europe's citizens is that people \"want their countries back\". The next step, Mr Bannon has revealed, is for a non-profit foundation called The Movement to be set up in a Brussels office and recruit staff to help advise on messaging and targeting of data. If it sounds reminiscent of Cambridge Analytica's use of data and Facebook to attract US voters, Mr Bannon was on the company's board of directors. Raheem Kassam, a former aide to UKIP ex-leader Nigel Farage now signed up to the Bannon cause, calls the Brussels plan \"a clearing house for the populist, nationalist movement in Europe\", according to Reuters news agency. \"We have started to staff up,\" he said, highlighting the issues of sovereignty, border control and jobs. The first test is the May 2019 European Parliament vote. The Movement would challenge the work of philanthropist George Soros, whose Open Society Foundations (OSF) have promoted liberal democracy across Europe for decades. The difference would be that their organisation would be \"on the side of ordinary people\", says Mr Kassam. There is already a template. Hungary's self-styled proponent of \"illiberal democracy\", Mr Orban has already pushed the OSF out of Hungary and criminalised support for asylum seekers. He is someone Mr Bannon identifies as \"Trump before Trump\" as well as as \"real patriot and a real hero\". In a speech in Budapest in May, Mr Bannon said Europe's \"populist, nationalist revolt\" was some 18 months to two years ahead of the US, because of the work of Mr Farage, Mr Orban and the leaders of Italy's ruling parties, The League and the Five Star Movement. He has claimed credit for bringing the two Italian parties together a few days after the March vote. In France too he has shared the stage with far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who reached the run-off in the 2017 presidential election only to be heavily defeated by Emmanuel Macron. \"Let them call you racist, let them call you xenophobes, let them call you nativist. Wear it as a badge of honour,\" he said to her supporters. While her party, renamed National Rally, has had to go cap in hand to Russian banks for funding, Mr Bannon believes he can attract funding that would have an impact on populist movements across the Continent, including the far-right Sweden Democrats and nationalist Finns party. The Sweden Democrats are eyeing their best performance yet in September elections, with recent opinion polls suggesting their level of support is above 18%. And it would not cost much. Brexit was built on a small sum while Italy's populists used their own credit cards, he says. The reception so far has been hostile, or at best cool, for Mr Bannon's drive for populist unity. Germany's centre-left Europe Minister Michael Roth said Europeans should not be afraid of \"nationalist campaigns with which Mr Bannon would like to force Europe to its knees. Our values are stronger than his hate and lies\". There were warnings from other German parties too, with the pro-business FDP warning of a \"frontal attack on the EU and European values\". Only Alice Weidel of the far-right AfD said Mr Bannon's ideas were \"very exciting and ambitious\". Fellow leader Jorg Meuthen has been pretty damning, saying they have \"basically no need of coaching from outside the EU\". That is not to say he does not back a united populist right-wing front in Europe against immigration. In 2017, his party hosted a conference with Italy's League, Austria's Freedom Party, France's National Front and Dutch politician Geert Wilders. A similar message has come from Austrian far-right MEP Harald Vilimsky, whose Freedom Party is already sharing power with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservative People's Party. \"We will continue to work on this without any external influence,\" said Mr Vilimsky. While he did not rule out some form of co-operation, he said he could only judge if something concrete came from Mr Bannon. Very little reaction has come from Italy or France, even though Ms Le Pen's partner Louis Aliot has visited Steve Bannon in London in recent weeks. Mr Bannon did not appear to realise that most populist parties were profoundly anti-American, European studies lecturer Alexander Clarkson of King's College London told the BBC. \"If they embrace Trump, then all that anti-Americanism below the surface will turn itself against them, particularly in France,\" he said. \"That's why a lot of these parties are aware that getting into bed with Bannon is inherently risky.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 721, "answer_end": 2031, "text": "The former chief Trump strategist travelled to Europe after he was pushed out of the White House and then departed the right-wing Breitbart media empire. His ambition now is a populist implosion across the Continent. Everything started with the Brexit vote in June 2016, he believes. It continued with the election of President Trump the following November and returned to Europe with the success of two populist parties in Italy's election last March. Italy is \"in the vanguard of change in Europe\", he argues, and along with Hungary's Viktor Orban is proof that the message from Europe's citizens is that people \"want their countries back\". The next step, Mr Bannon has revealed, is for a non-profit foundation called The Movement to be set up in a Brussels office and recruit staff to help advise on messaging and targeting of data. If it sounds reminiscent of Cambridge Analytica's use of data and Facebook to attract US voters, Mr Bannon was on the company's board of directors. Raheem Kassam, a former aide to UKIP ex-leader Nigel Farage now signed up to the Bannon cause, calls the Brussels plan \"a clearing house for the populist, nationalist movement in Europe\", according to Reuters news agency. \"We have started to staff up,\" he said, highlighting the issues of sovereignty, border control and jobs."}], "question": "What's Bannon planning?", "id": "328_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3894, "answer_end": 5773, "text": "The reception so far has been hostile, or at best cool, for Mr Bannon's drive for populist unity. Germany's centre-left Europe Minister Michael Roth said Europeans should not be afraid of \"nationalist campaigns with which Mr Bannon would like to force Europe to its knees. Our values are stronger than his hate and lies\". There were warnings from other German parties too, with the pro-business FDP warning of a \"frontal attack on the EU and European values\". Only Alice Weidel of the far-right AfD said Mr Bannon's ideas were \"very exciting and ambitious\". Fellow leader Jorg Meuthen has been pretty damning, saying they have \"basically no need of coaching from outside the EU\". That is not to say he does not back a united populist right-wing front in Europe against immigration. In 2017, his party hosted a conference with Italy's League, Austria's Freedom Party, France's National Front and Dutch politician Geert Wilders. A similar message has come from Austrian far-right MEP Harald Vilimsky, whose Freedom Party is already sharing power with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservative People's Party. \"We will continue to work on this without any external influence,\" said Mr Vilimsky. While he did not rule out some form of co-operation, he said he could only judge if something concrete came from Mr Bannon. Very little reaction has come from Italy or France, even though Ms Le Pen's partner Louis Aliot has visited Steve Bannon in London in recent weeks. Mr Bannon did not appear to realise that most populist parties were profoundly anti-American, European studies lecturer Alexander Clarkson of King's College London told the BBC. \"If they embrace Trump, then all that anti-Americanism below the surface will turn itself against them, particularly in France,\" he said. \"That's why a lot of these parties are aware that getting into bed with Bannon is inherently risky.\""}], "question": "How is his message going down?", "id": "328_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey demands China close camps after reports of musician's death", "date": "10 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkey has called on China to close detention camps holding ethnic Uighurs following the reported death of a renowned musician from the minority. Abdurehim Heyit is thought to have been serving an eight-year sentence in the Xinjiang region, where up to a million Uighurs are reportedly being detained. A statement from Turkey's foreign ministry said they were being subjected to \"torture\" in \"concentration camps\". China described the comments as \"completely unacceptable\". The Uighurs are a Muslim Turkic-speaking minority based in the north-west Xinjiang region of China, which has come under intense surveillance by Chinese authorities. Their language is close to Turkish and a significant number of Uighurs have fled to Turkey from China in recent years. So far few Muslim-majority countries have joined in public international condemnation of the allegations. Analysts say many fear political and economic retaliation from China. In a statement issued on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said: \"It is no longer a secret that more than a million Uighur Turks exposed to arbitrary arrests are subjected to torture and political brainwashing\" in prisons, adding that those not detained were \"under great pressure\". \"The reintroduction of concentration camps in the 21st century and the systematic assimilation policy of Chinese authorities against the Uighur Turks is a great embarrassment for humanity,\" Mr Aksoy said. He also said the reports of Heyit's death \"further strengthened the Turkish public's reaction to the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang\" and called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres \"to take effective steps to end the human tragedy\" there. Rights groups say Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities are being detained indefinitely without charge for infractions like refusing to give a DNA sample, speaking in a minority language, or arguing with officials. In a statement quoted by the Associated Press, China through its embassy in Ankara called on Turkey to withdraw its \"false accusations\". \"Both China and Turkey face the arduous task of fighting terrorism. We are opposed to maintaining double standards on the question of fighting terrorism,\" it said. \"We hope the Turkish side will have a correct understanding of the efforts made by China to legally deploy measures to effectively fight terrorism and extremism, withdraw its false accusations and take measures to eliminate their harmful effects.\" Beijing claims that the detention camps in Xinjiang are \"vocational education centres\" designed to help rid the region of terrorism. Speaking last October, the top Chinese official in Xinjiang, Shohrat Zakir, said \"trainees\" in the camps were grateful for the opportunity to \"reflect on their mistakes\". Amnesty International said it was very concerned about reports of his death, which has not been officially confirmed. Heyit was a celebrated player of the Dutar, a two-stringed instrument that is notoriously hard to master. At one time, he was venerated across China. He studied music in Beijing and later performed with national arts troupes. Heyit's detention reportedly stemmed from a song he performed titled Fathers. It takes its lyrics from a Uighur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of those before them. But three words in the lyrics - \"martyrs of war\" - apparently led Chinese authorities to conclude that Heyit presented a terrorist threat. The Uighurs make up about 45% of the population in Xinjiang. They see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. In recent decades, large numbers of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) have migrated to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 935, "answer_end": 1692, "text": "In a statement issued on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said: \"It is no longer a secret that more than a million Uighur Turks exposed to arbitrary arrests are subjected to torture and political brainwashing\" in prisons, adding that those not detained were \"under great pressure\". \"The reintroduction of concentration camps in the 21st century and the systematic assimilation policy of Chinese authorities against the Uighur Turks is a great embarrassment for humanity,\" Mr Aksoy said. He also said the reports of Heyit's death \"further strengthened the Turkish public's reaction to the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang\" and called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres \"to take effective steps to end the human tragedy\" there."}], "question": "What did Turkey say?", "id": "329_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1915, "answer_end": 2767, "text": "In a statement quoted by the Associated Press, China through its embassy in Ankara called on Turkey to withdraw its \"false accusations\". \"Both China and Turkey face the arduous task of fighting terrorism. We are opposed to maintaining double standards on the question of fighting terrorism,\" it said. \"We hope the Turkish side will have a correct understanding of the efforts made by China to legally deploy measures to effectively fight terrorism and extremism, withdraw its false accusations and take measures to eliminate their harmful effects.\" Beijing claims that the detention camps in Xinjiang are \"vocational education centres\" designed to help rid the region of terrorism. Speaking last October, the top Chinese official in Xinjiang, Shohrat Zakir, said \"trainees\" in the camps were grateful for the opportunity to \"reflect on their mistakes\"."}], "question": "What was Beijing's response?", "id": "329_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2768, "answer_end": 3446, "text": "Amnesty International said it was very concerned about reports of his death, which has not been officially confirmed. Heyit was a celebrated player of the Dutar, a two-stringed instrument that is notoriously hard to master. At one time, he was venerated across China. He studied music in Beijing and later performed with national arts troupes. Heyit's detention reportedly stemmed from a song he performed titled Fathers. It takes its lyrics from a Uighur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of those before them. But three words in the lyrics - \"martyrs of war\" - apparently led Chinese authorities to conclude that Heyit presented a terrorist threat."}], "question": "What do we know about Heyit's fate?", "id": "329_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3447, "answer_end": 3855, "text": "The Uighurs make up about 45% of the population in Xinjiang. They see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. In recent decades, large numbers of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) have migrated to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south."}], "question": "Who are the Uighurs?", "id": "329_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Godzilla finally gets citizenship in Japan", "date": "3 June 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Most residents of Tokyo's pulsing Shinjuku ward, home to the busiest railway station in the world, are of the homo sapiens variety. Shinjuku has a population density of about 17,000 people per square kilometre but undeterred by this it has granted citizenship to a new resident, who only goes by one name - Godzilla. Name: Godzilla Address: Shinjuku-ku, Kabuki-cho, 1-19-1 Date of birth: April 9, 1954 Reason for special residency: Promoting the entertainment of and watching over the Kabuki-cho neighborhood and drawing visitors from around the globe Previous visits to Shinjuku Ward: 3 times; Godzilla (1984), Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991), Godzilla 2000 Millennium (1999) While Godzilla's genus is uncertain (thought to be a cross between a gorilla and a whale) in Shinjuku he will find much to do and see. Apart from Tokyo's flagship station, it has the capital's city hall, a high concentration of skyscrapers, Tokyo's best known red light district as well as some quieter residential areas as his potential stomping ground. The city describes itself like this on its website: \"A town of remarkable growth as a new downtown district, a town with many cultural assets and traditional events, a town where many people lead active lives together... This is Shinjuku!\" It says urbanisation began a while back in 1636. It's obviously a PR move by Japan and Shinjuku - but ever since Godzilla first appeared in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film and then a series of tokukatsu (live action) films in Japan, the character has remained important in Japanese pop culture and history. To mark the arrival of its newest resident, the Shinjuku City Office distributed 3,000 copies of Godzilla's certificate to delighted fans on Saturday. A replica of Japan's undisputed \"King of Monsters\" was also placed on top of the district's iconic Toho building. The Japanese film company will release a new Godzilla film in 2016, following the success of a 2014 Hollywood remake by British director Gareth Edwards. Godzilla attended an awards ceremony in April, where he was presented with a sash from Shinjuku mayor, Kenichi Yoshizumi. Many ward residents and Japanese alike welcomed Tokyo's undisputed \"King of Monsters\". \"Congrats, big guy! It's about time,\" said a Shibuya resident on Twitter. Others showed generosity of spirit.  One Tokyo Twitter user remarked: \"Welcome to Tokyo! We forgive you for destroying our city previously.\" Others even expressed hope for Japan's newest resident to lend a hand in regional geo-political disputes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 678, "answer_end": 1572, "text": "While Godzilla's genus is uncertain (thought to be a cross between a gorilla and a whale) in Shinjuku he will find much to do and see. Apart from Tokyo's flagship station, it has the capital's city hall, a high concentration of skyscrapers, Tokyo's best known red light district as well as some quieter residential areas as his potential stomping ground. The city describes itself like this on its website: \"A town of remarkable growth as a new downtown district, a town with many cultural assets and traditional events, a town where many people lead active lives together... This is Shinjuku!\" It says urbanisation began a while back in 1636. It's obviously a PR move by Japan and Shinjuku - but ever since Godzilla first appeared in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film and then a series of tokukatsu (live action) films in Japan, the character has remained important in Japanese pop culture and history."}], "question": "What can Godzilla do in Shinjuku?", "id": "330_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2113, "answer_end": 2520, "text": "Many ward residents and Japanese alike welcomed Tokyo's undisputed \"King of Monsters\". \"Congrats, big guy! It's about time,\" said a Shibuya resident on Twitter. Others showed generosity of spirit.  One Tokyo Twitter user remarked: \"Welcome to Tokyo! We forgive you for destroying our city previously.\" Others even expressed hope for Japan's newest resident to lend a hand in regional geo-political disputes."}], "question": "How do others feel about the latest arrival?", "id": "330_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Cameroon school kidnap: Final four hostages freed in Bamenda", "date": "12 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The final four hostages of the 82 people kidnapped from a boarding school in Cameroon have been released. The principal, one teacher and two students were dropped off on the outskirts of Bafut, a town 15 miles (24 km) from Bamenda, local officials say. It remains unclear who was behind the kidnapping in Bamenda - the government has blamed Anglophone rebels but they have denied responsibility. Separatists took up arms in English-speaking parts of Cameroon a year ago. Bamenda journalist Peter Tah said a family member of one of the hostages, who did not want to be named, confirmed that the four had been released at around 08:00 (07:00 GMT) local time. He added that the school's principal was receiving medical attention. Family sources said she had been traumatised by her ordeal. The other 77 boys and girls were freed last Wednesday, after being seized from a secondary school run by the Presbyterian Church in Bamenda on Sunday 4 November. It had initially been reported that all of the students, aged 11-17, had been released but it later emerged that two students were still being held. \"From what I gather, the gunmen tried to find out which of the children had parents who worked for the government,\" Tah told the BBC. \"People whose parents worked for the government were held and separated for more questioning. The last two children were held because of their parents' jobs.\" Cameroon's English-speaking minority have long accused the government in the mostly French-speaking country of ignoring them. Last year, protests became violent and spiralled into an armed movement, demanding independence for the North-West and South-West regions - the country's two Anglophone areas. - Colonised by Germany in 1884 - British and French troops force Germans to leave in 1916 - Cameroon is split three years later - 80% goes to the French and 20% to the British - French-run Cameroon becomes independent in 1960 - Following a referendum, the (British) Southern Cameroons join Cameroon, while Northern Cameroons join English-speaking Nigeria Read more: Cameroon timeline", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 787, "answer_end": 1692, "text": "The other 77 boys and girls were freed last Wednesday, after being seized from a secondary school run by the Presbyterian Church in Bamenda on Sunday 4 November. It had initially been reported that all of the students, aged 11-17, had been released but it later emerged that two students were still being held. \"From what I gather, the gunmen tried to find out which of the children had parents who worked for the government,\" Tah told the BBC. \"People whose parents worked for the government were held and separated for more questioning. The last two children were held because of their parents' jobs.\" Cameroon's English-speaking minority have long accused the government in the mostly French-speaking country of ignoring them. Last year, protests became violent and spiralled into an armed movement, demanding independence for the North-West and South-West regions - the country's two Anglophone areas."}], "question": "Why were the two students not freed earlier?", "id": "331_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: UN says security forces killed hundreds", "date": "22 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Venezuelan security forces have carried out hundreds of arbitrary killings under the guise of fighting crime, the UN's human rights body says. In a report, it cites \"shocking\" accounts of young men being killed during operations, often in poor districts, over the past three years. The UN's human rights chief said no-one was being held to account, suggesting the rule of law was \"virtually absent\". Venezuela has in the past dismissed human rights allegations as \"lies\". The country is going through a protracted political and economic crisis. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves. When socialist President Hugo Chavez was in power, from 1999 until his death in 2013, he used oil money to finance social programmes. But the opposition says much of the income was lost to mismanagement, patronage, and corruption. Critics accuse Mr Chavez's successor, President Nicolas Maduro, of using increasingly authoritarian tactics as the economy collapsed, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to flee abroad. Last year dozens of protesters were killed in clashes during protests against hyperinflation and food shortages. Mr Maduro was re-elected in May, in a poll boycotted by the opposition and criticised by the UN and other international bodies. The UN Human Rights Office alleges that extra-judicial killings were carried out by officers involved with the Operations for the Liberation of the People, ostensibly a crime-reduction initiative. These officers may have killed more than 500 people since July 2015 as a way to showcase crime-reduction results, it says. They are alleged to have faked evidence to make it look as though the victims died in exchanges of fire. UN investigators have been denied access to Venezuela. They made their findings from interviews with about 150 witnesses and victims contacted through \"internet-based technologies\", the report says. A number of interview with exiles were also held in Geneva, it adds. Some of the other evidence comes from former Attorney General Luisa Ortega. She was fired by Mr Maduro last year and went into exile. The report says that under her replacement, investigations into allegations of abuses have virtually stopped. The grandmother of a man killed during an operation in March 2018 told UN investigators that 50 officers had broken into their home, all of them dressed in black with a skull symbol on their jackets. \"They woke my 23-year-old grandson up, handcuffed him with plastic ties and took him out,\" she said. After a few minutes, the family heard gunshots. When they went downstairs to see what had happened, they were ordered back inside. \"Later, the forensic doctor told me that he had died of two gunshots to the chest and that he had been severely hit on the head. \"The police report mentioned that my grandson was carrying a gun and that he had opened fire against security forces, which is a lie. I want justice, he was a human being, not a dog.\" Katy Watson, BBC South America correspondent Reports of extrajudicial killings are worrying yet not surprising. The crackdown from government forces during last year's protests brought international criticism, and impunity is so prevalent that people fear for their safety every day, especially in big cities such as the capital Caracas. The government's reaction to such criticism is also predictable - it either denies the problems exist, or blames the US. Yet the problems don't go away. They just get worse. I was in Venezuela for the elections last month and everybody recounted stories of not being able to get enough food or access medicines - they say it's a situation that's become impossible. Those who can leave. Yes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, accused Venezuela of failing to acknowledge the depth of its crisis. \"When a box of hypertension pills costs more than the monthly minimum wage and baby milk formula more than two months' salary, but protesting against such an impossible situation can land you in jail, the extreme injustice of it all is stark,\" he added. Mr Hussein suggested the International Criminal Court could become involved.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 545, "answer_end": 1263, "text": "Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves. When socialist President Hugo Chavez was in power, from 1999 until his death in 2013, he used oil money to finance social programmes. But the opposition says much of the income was lost to mismanagement, patronage, and corruption. Critics accuse Mr Chavez's successor, President Nicolas Maduro, of using increasingly authoritarian tactics as the economy collapsed, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to flee abroad. Last year dozens of protesters were killed in clashes during protests against hyperinflation and food shortages. Mr Maduro was re-elected in May, in a poll boycotted by the opposition and criticised by the UN and other international bodies."}], "question": "What is at the root of the crisis?", "id": "332_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1264, "answer_end": 2200, "text": "The UN Human Rights Office alleges that extra-judicial killings were carried out by officers involved with the Operations for the Liberation of the People, ostensibly a crime-reduction initiative. These officers may have killed more than 500 people since July 2015 as a way to showcase crime-reduction results, it says. They are alleged to have faked evidence to make it look as though the victims died in exchanges of fire. UN investigators have been denied access to Venezuela. They made their findings from interviews with about 150 witnesses and victims contacted through \"internet-based technologies\", the report says. A number of interview with exiles were also held in Geneva, it adds. Some of the other evidence comes from former Attorney General Luisa Ortega. She was fired by Mr Maduro last year and went into exile. The report says that under her replacement, investigations into allegations of abuses have virtually stopped."}], "question": "What does the report say?", "id": "332_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3670, "answer_end": 4140, "text": "Yes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, accused Venezuela of failing to acknowledge the depth of its crisis. \"When a box of hypertension pills costs more than the monthly minimum wage and baby milk formula more than two months' salary, but protesting against such an impossible situation can land you in jail, the extreme injustice of it all is stark,\" he added. Mr Hussein suggested the International Criminal Court could become involved."}], "question": "Did the UN mention the country's economic problems?", "id": "332_2"}]}]}, {"title": "German army 'could recruit EU citizens'", "date": "27 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Seven years after Germany scrapped conscription, its defence chief has said employing EU citizens is \"an option\" to fill expert posts. Army general inspector Eberhard Zorn said the forces had to \"look in all directions in times of a lack of qualified personnel\", such as doctors and IT specialists. The armed forces have been beset by years of under-investment. Germany aims to increase its military by 21,000 personnel by 2025. It has also pledged to raise its defence budget from 1.2% to to 1.5% of its gross domestic product by 2024, in the face of criticism from President Donald Trump that it does not meet the Nato target of 2% of GDP. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview on Thursday that 182,000 uniformed soldiers were now employed by the army, a rise of 6,500 in two years. Within seven years, that should reach 203,000. She said the army was now made up of 12% women and this year alone one in three people applying to be an officer was a woman. Gen Zorn told the Funke newspaper group that \"of course the Bundeswehr needs personnel\" and the army had to \"push hard for a suitable new generation\", although EU citizens in uniform were \"an option\" to be examined only in specialist fields. The media group said the government had already consulted EU partners and that most had reacted cautiously, particularly in Eastern Europe. Under post-World War Two laws, soldiers in the German military have to be German. Parliament's commissioner for the armed forces, Hans-Peter Bartels, said recruiting EU citizens was already a \"kind of normality\" as many soldiers already had dual nationality or an immigrant background. According to the Funke group, more than 900 foreign citizens are already employed by the military in civilian roles. Last month the UK said more foreign nationals would be able to join its armed forces without having lived in the country in a bid to meet a shortfall of 8,200 soldiers, sailors and air personnel. Germany aims to have 70% of its fighting capacity ready for combat at any time, but recent reports show it is falling short: - Only about a third of 97 newly manufactured tanks, fighter jets and helicopters was combat-ready, Die Zeit reported in October (in German) - No submarines or large transport planes were available for deployment at the end of last year, a military report said in February - The same report said existing fighter planes, tanks, helicopters and ships were in \"dramatically bad\" condition - About 21,000 officer posts remained unfilled, Deutsche Welle reported The spotlight fell on military shortages late last month when Chancellor Angela Merkel had to fly to the G20 summit in Argentina by passenger plane because of a technical failure involving one of the military's two long-haul planes. Ms Von der Leyen said one or two new long-haul planes would be bought, as the two existing planes aged 18 and 19 were too few. The technical failure involving Mrs Merkel's government plane has been blamed on German airline Lufthansa, according to a report in Der Spiegel. When the pilots tried to reboot the A340's electronics during an in-flight power failure they were unable to restart the radio. According to a confidential report cited by Spiegel, the pilots had not been informed of new instructions to restart the radio after Lufthansa's technical subsidiary installed a digital communications system in 2009. For such a big country it may appear strange to have a relatively ill-equipped army. But after reunification the Bundeswehr gradually shrank in size from 486,000 in 1990 to 168,000 in 2015. There was no perceived military threat after the Cold War and cuts to defence spending continued until 2014. German forces played key but limited Nato roles in Kosovo and Afghanistan, but that was before two key developments: a resurgent Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and so-called Islamic State seized territory in Syria in 2013. The culture of underfunding changed and last month an opinion poll suggested 43% of Germans agreed on the need for greater defence spending, up from 32% in 2017. The defence minister says that all depends on the security situation. Germany pledged hundreds of troops for a Nato presence in the Baltics and Poland this year, but it faces other threats too. A month ago the army was targeted by cyber-attackers, possibly emanating from Russia, and some of the new spending will go on cyber security.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 979, "answer_end": 1959, "text": "Gen Zorn told the Funke newspaper group that \"of course the Bundeswehr needs personnel\" and the army had to \"push hard for a suitable new generation\", although EU citizens in uniform were \"an option\" to be examined only in specialist fields. The media group said the government had already consulted EU partners and that most had reacted cautiously, particularly in Eastern Europe. Under post-World War Two laws, soldiers in the German military have to be German. Parliament's commissioner for the armed forces, Hans-Peter Bartels, said recruiting EU citizens was already a \"kind of normality\" as many soldiers already had dual nationality or an immigrant background. According to the Funke group, more than 900 foreign citizens are already employed by the military in civilian roles. Last month the UK said more foreign nationals would be able to join its armed forces without having lived in the country in a bid to meet a shortfall of 8,200 soldiers, sailors and air personnel."}], "question": "What does the defence chief propose?", "id": "333_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2544, "answer_end": 3393, "text": "The spotlight fell on military shortages late last month when Chancellor Angela Merkel had to fly to the G20 summit in Argentina by passenger plane because of a technical failure involving one of the military's two long-haul planes. Ms Von der Leyen said one or two new long-haul planes would be bought, as the two existing planes aged 18 and 19 were too few. The technical failure involving Mrs Merkel's government plane has been blamed on German airline Lufthansa, according to a report in Der Spiegel. When the pilots tried to reboot the A340's electronics during an in-flight power failure they were unable to restart the radio. According to a confidential report cited by Spiegel, the pilots had not been informed of new instructions to restart the radio after Lufthansa's technical subsidiary installed a digital communications system in 2009."}], "question": "How did shortages hit Merkel's G20 trip?", "id": "333_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3394, "answer_end": 4089, "text": "For such a big country it may appear strange to have a relatively ill-equipped army. But after reunification the Bundeswehr gradually shrank in size from 486,000 in 1990 to 168,000 in 2015. There was no perceived military threat after the Cold War and cuts to defence spending continued until 2014. German forces played key but limited Nato roles in Kosovo and Afghanistan, but that was before two key developments: a resurgent Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and so-called Islamic State seized territory in Syria in 2013. The culture of underfunding changed and last month an opinion poll suggested 43% of Germans agreed on the need for greater defence spending, up from 32% in 2017."}], "question": "Why is the military underfunded?", "id": "333_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Crow vending machine skills 'redefine intelligence'", "date": "29 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A small South Pacific island is home to a crow with remarkable abilities that have scientists hooked. New Caledonian crows make and use tools - including a kind of fishing hook. They can solve complex problems and have even been recorded capturing grubs by repeatedly poking them with a stick until they are so agitated, they bite. Now, an experiment using a vending machine specifically designed for crows has revealed something about how intelligence evolves. The \"vending experiment\" is the latest in an ongoing investigation into these birds' abilities. They are so remarkable that scientists have a special aviary in New Caledonia, where they can keep wild birds for only a few days and test their problem-solving prowess, before releasing them back into the forest. It is actually a cleverly-designed intelligence test. Dr Sarah Jelbert, from University of Cambridge, who developed it, explained that to delve into the birds' cognitive abilities she had to see them learning something new. So the idea was to create a task unlike anything crows would find in nature. \"They'd obviously never find paper or card in the wild,\" said Dr Jelbert, \"so we developed this vending machine that that they could drop small pieces of paper into to release a treat - a little piece of meat.\" First the birds have to be \"convinced\" to operate this box-shaped machine. \"We place stones or bits of paper on top of the box with meat hidden underneath,\" Dr Jelbert explained. \"The birds will often nudge the stone or paper into the hole, or slot - that triggers a reward from the vending machine.\" Once the birds had learned how the machine worked, the team gave them a piece of paper too big to fit into the slot  - to see if they would snip that into smaller pieces that would fit. \"About half of them did that spontaneously,\" said Dr Jelbert. So far, so good. But this is where the test becomes complicated - and revealing. For their study, which was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the scientists really wanted to know whether the birds could make the right size \"paper token\" from memory. This, Dr Jelbert says, had the potential to be the snapshot she wanted that explained how wild birds learned to make complex, crafted tools - like those hooks they make to fish for grubs. This, she explained, was an investigation into how these birds might be developing \"their own tool-making culture\". So, the researchers provided each of eight crows with a vending machine that would release a treat only when a particular size of paper was inserted. \"Then,\" explained Dr Jelbert, \"we tested whether they could remember which size worked, and whether they would make it themselves.\" The birds had no template - they just had to remember the size of paper token their particular vending machine required. Dr Jelbert added: \"And we found that all the adult birds spontaneously made the right sized piece of card for their vending machine.\" Scientists who have studied these birds for years say they have already revealed the very earliest stages of innovation. Of his own insights into the animals' abilities, Prof Christian Rutz, from University of St Andrews, has said: \"When I see these crows making hooked tools, I have a glimpse of the very foundations of a technology that is evolving.\" And Dr Jelbert said the birds were revealing that there could be \"many different ways that evolution can produce intelligent behaviour\". \"Because we humans really prioritise imitation of others, because that's how we learn, we assume it's important to other animals.\" But, Dr Jelbert explained that the birds do not appear to pay attention to or to copy one another's behaviour in the way that a human child might copy a teacher or parent. \"But we do see juveniles stealing an adult's tools, so maybe they're copying the tool rather than the behaviour. And if the crows remembered that a specific tool design worked and recreated it from memory, that could show how a culture of tool use might be spread throughout a population of birds.\" Researchers continue to be amazed by these birds' abilities, but they are not only entertainingly inventive in their tool-making and problem-solving, they are also showing us how intelligence can evolve in a very different way to how it evolved in humans. \"With the crows, we see behaviours very similar to human behaviours - even though they only have a beak and feet they can manipulate things and make quite intricate tools,\" said Dr Jelbert. \"Delving into these questions shows us that our way is not the only way. And I find that quite humbling.\" Follow Victoria on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 772, "answer_end": 2941, "text": "It is actually a cleverly-designed intelligence test. Dr Sarah Jelbert, from University of Cambridge, who developed it, explained that to delve into the birds' cognitive abilities she had to see them learning something new. So the idea was to create a task unlike anything crows would find in nature. \"They'd obviously never find paper or card in the wild,\" said Dr Jelbert, \"so we developed this vending machine that that they could drop small pieces of paper into to release a treat - a little piece of meat.\" First the birds have to be \"convinced\" to operate this box-shaped machine. \"We place stones or bits of paper on top of the box with meat hidden underneath,\" Dr Jelbert explained. \"The birds will often nudge the stone or paper into the hole, or slot - that triggers a reward from the vending machine.\" Once the birds had learned how the machine worked, the team gave them a piece of paper too big to fit into the slot  - to see if they would snip that into smaller pieces that would fit. \"About half of them did that spontaneously,\" said Dr Jelbert. So far, so good. But this is where the test becomes complicated - and revealing. For their study, which was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, the scientists really wanted to know whether the birds could make the right size \"paper token\" from memory. This, Dr Jelbert says, had the potential to be the snapshot she wanted that explained how wild birds learned to make complex, crafted tools - like those hooks they make to fish for grubs. This, she explained, was an investigation into how these birds might be developing \"their own tool-making culture\". So, the researchers provided each of eight crows with a vending machine that would release a treat only when a particular size of paper was inserted. \"Then,\" explained Dr Jelbert, \"we tested whether they could remember which size worked, and whether they would make it themselves.\" The birds had no template - they just had to remember the size of paper token their particular vending machine required. Dr Jelbert added: \"And we found that all the adult birds spontaneously made the right sized piece of card for their vending machine.\""}], "question": "How on Earth do you design a vending machine for crows?", "id": "334_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India hospital builds new unit to operate on '500kg' Egyptian woman", "date": "12 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Indian hospital is building a special facility so that an Egyptian woman, believed to be the world's heaviest at 500kg (1,102lb), can soon undergo weight reduction surgery. The facility at Mumbai's Saifee Hospital will have an operating theatre and an intensive care unit. Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 36, is expected to arrive in the city on a chartered plane at the end of January. Her family says she has not been able to leave home for 25 years. The estimate of her weight is given by relatives. If confirmed, she would be the world's heaviest woman alive as the current Guinness record holder is Pauline Potter of the United States who weighed 292kg (643lb) in 2010. Ms Abd El Aty will be treated by a team of doctors led by well-known bariatric surgeon, Dr Muffazal Lakdawala. As the patient cannot use a regular commercial flight, she will be flown to Mumbai on a chartered cargo plane along with her sister who is her main carer, a doctor at the hospital told the BBC's Geeta Pandey. She will first need to bring her weight down before an operation can be performed. Ms Abd El Aty suffers from thyroid and cardiac issues and will need to remain at the hospital for at least six months, the doctor said. Reports say the 278 sq metre (3,000 sq ft) new facility is estimated to cost 20m rupees ($293,762; PS239,253) and will be ready by the end of the month. Ms Abd El Aty's family says she weighed 5kg (11lb) at birth and was diagnosed with elephantiasis, a condition in which body parts swell due to a parasitic infection. By the time she was 11, her weight had risen sharply and she suffered a stroke which left her bedridden. Her mother and sister care for her. However, Dr Lakdawala told the BBC last month that he believes Ms Abd El Aty does not have elephantiasis but suffers from obesity-related lymphoedema which causes gigantic swelling of legs. Dr Lakdawala's patients have previously included Indian ministers Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu, who underwent weight reduction surgery. The Indian embassy in Cairo had initially denied Ms Abd El Aty's visa request as she was unable to travel there in person. She was issued a visa after Dr Lakdawala tweeted to India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who responded with an offer of help. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat. In the UK, this type of surgery is available on the National Health Service only to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments have not worked. Around 8,000 people a year in the UK currently receive the treatment. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - 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 - Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full Where are you on the global fat scale?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2249, "answer_end": 3027, "text": "Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat. In the UK, this type of surgery is available on the National Health Service only to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments have not worked. Around 8,000 people a year in the UK currently receive the treatment. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - 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 - Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full Where are you on the global fat scale?"}], "question": "What is bariatric surgery?", "id": "335_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Controversial copyright law rejected by EU parliament", "date": "5 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A controversial overhaul of the EU's copyright law that sparked a fierce debate between internet giants and content creators has been rejected. The proposed rules would have put more responsibility on websites to check for copyright infringements, and forced platforms to pay for linking to news. A slew of high-profile music stars had backed the change, arguing that websites had exploited their content. But opponents said the rules would stifle internet freedom and creativity. The move was intended to bring the EU's copyright laws in line with the digital age, but led to protests from websites and much debate before it was rejected by a margin of 318-278 in the European Parliament on Thursday. The proposed legislation - known as the Copyright Directive - was an attempt by the EU to modernise its copyright laws, but it contained two highly-contested parts. The first of these, Article 11, was intended to protect newspapers and other outlets from internet giants like Google and Facebook using their material without payment. But it was branded a \"link tax\" by opponents who feared it could lead to problems with sentence fragments being used to link to other news outlets (like this). Article 13 was the other controversial part.  It put a greater responsibility on websites to enforce copyright laws, and would have meant that any online platform that allowed users to post text, images, sounds or code would need a way to assess and filter content. The most common way to do this is by using an automated copyright system, but they are expensive. The one YouTube uses cost $60m (PS53m), so critics were worried that similar filters would need to be introduced to every website if Article 13 became law. There were also concerns that these copyright filters could effectively ban things like memes and remixes which use some copyrighted material. By Mark Savage, music reporter, BBC News The combined clout of Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Placido Domingo and David Guetta wasn't enough to persuade MEPs to make sweeping changes to copyright law. They were among 1,300 musicians who urged politicians to enact a law forcing sites like YouTube and Facebook to use filters that would stop users illegally uploading their music. Musicians were being cheated out of money, they argued, even though websites were making huge profits off their work. Critics said the laws would stifle creativity - with Creative Commons chief Ryan Merkley observing that The Beatles would have been prevented from performing cover versions under the proposed rules. For you and me, it could have resulted in text, music and videos posted to blogs, social networks and comment sections being yanked from the net at point of upload - somewhat like YouTube's controversial Content ID system on steroids. In the end, MEPs decided the changes needed more debate; and sent the proposals back to the Commission. The two sides will undoubtedly step up their campaigns in the meantime. Opponents of the Copyright Directive celebrated the news that MEPs had rejected it. Julia Reda, a Pirate Party MEP who had campaigned against the changes, tweeted: \"Great success: Your protests have worked! The European Parliament has sent the copyright law back to the drawing board.\" Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales told the BBC he hoped that the music industry could find a way to compromise before the September debate. \"Don't think about filtering everything everyone uploads to the internet. That's a pipe dream but you are never going to get that,\" he said. Instead, he added, they should look to renegotiating deals with platforms such as YouTube to get \"fairer remuneration\". BPI Music, which represents UK record labels, had supported the bill and said it would \"work with MEPs over the next weeks to explain how the proposed directive will benefit not just European creativity, but also internet users\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 702, "answer_end": 1858, "text": "The proposed legislation - known as the Copyright Directive - was an attempt by the EU to modernise its copyright laws, but it contained two highly-contested parts. The first of these, Article 11, was intended to protect newspapers and other outlets from internet giants like Google and Facebook using their material without payment. But it was branded a \"link tax\" by opponents who feared it could lead to problems with sentence fragments being used to link to other news outlets (like this). Article 13 was the other controversial part.  It put a greater responsibility on websites to enforce copyright laws, and would have meant that any online platform that allowed users to post text, images, sounds or code would need a way to assess and filter content. The most common way to do this is by using an automated copyright system, but they are expensive. The one YouTube uses cost $60m (PS53m), so critics were worried that similar filters would need to be introduced to every website if Article 13 became law. There were also concerns that these copyright filters could effectively ban things like memes and remixes which use some copyrighted material."}], "question": "What were they voting for?", "id": "336_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2966, "answer_end": 3881, "text": "Opponents of the Copyright Directive celebrated the news that MEPs had rejected it. Julia Reda, a Pirate Party MEP who had campaigned against the changes, tweeted: \"Great success: Your protests have worked! The European Parliament has sent the copyright law back to the drawing board.\" Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales told the BBC he hoped that the music industry could find a way to compromise before the September debate. \"Don't think about filtering everything everyone uploads to the internet. That's a pipe dream but you are never going to get that,\" he said. Instead, he added, they should look to renegotiating deals with platforms such as YouTube to get \"fairer remuneration\". BPI Music, which represents UK record labels, had supported the bill and said it would \"work with MEPs over the next weeks to explain how the proposed directive will benefit not just European creativity, but also internet users\"."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "336_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Palm oil: Are your beauty products killing orangutans?", "date": "26 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Does your lipstick threaten the future of one of our closest living relatives, the orangutan? Is that slobbering slice of pizza you're having in front of the World Cup on TV worth the life of a tiger? Pizza, biscuits, and beauty treatments are some of the thousands of products that contain palm oil, which threaten iconic species through deforestation. But this new study says that planting alternative oils could pose an even bigger danger to living things. Palm oil has often been held up as a truly terrible blight on the environment, responsible for the clearing of tropical forests and posing huge threats to iconic species. But this report says the reality is very complex. While palm oil is only responsible for 0.4% of global deforestation it is having dramatic impacts in some locations in Indonesia and Malaysia, causing 50% in some locations. Simply banning palm wouldn't work say the authors because the world will still need vegetable oils. What's also worrying say the authors is that efforts to boost demand for responsibly sourced palm oil haven't worked so far. Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil on the planet and is believed to be in about 50% of products found in supermarkets and shops. It comes from the reddish pulp of the fruit found on oil palms, particularly the African oil palm - known as Elaeis guineensis. The top two producers of palm oil are Indonesia and Malaysia, generating tens of millions of tonnes annually in an industry worth upwards of $40bn. The oil is important for lipstick for example because it holds colour well, has no taste and doesn't melt at high temperatures. It's found in shampoos, soaps, ice cream and instant noodles amongst thousands of others. Over the past 20 years, growing demand has seen thousands of hectares of old, tropical forests chopped down to make way for the oily palm tree plantations. But these forests are home to some of the most threatened species in the world, including the orangutan. \"Orangutans are a lowland species on Bornean Sumatra and that's where palm oil is grown,\" the report's lead author Erik Meijaard, from the IUCN, told BBC News. \"The two often clash, palm oil displaces orangutans, they are pushed into gardens where they generate conflicts with locals and that's where you get these killings.\" \"Orangutans are incredibly versatile, but what an orangutan can't deal with is killing. Because they are such slow breeding species, the killing has a really big impact.\" The report says that the expansion of palm oil is not all bad news for species, with some pigs and snakes benefiting from the presence of the fronds. However I'm not sure a few more slithery wrigglers would make up for the loss of one of humanity's closest living relatives. Well, the IUCN experts say that's not the case. They say that the planting of palm trees with their spiky red fruits and kernels has boomed because they are so darn efficient at making oil. Palm makes up 35% of the world's vegetable oil supply but only takes up 10% of the world's land allocated to producing the greasy stuff. To replace it with rapeseed, soy or sunflower seed oil would take far larger amounts of land, in fact up to nine times the amount needed for palm. It's likely that such a move would see a displacement of diversity loss, with many more species in different places under threat. \"If palm oil didn't exist you would still have the same global demand for vegetable oil,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"If you stop producing palm, it will have to be produced somewhere else. So instead of harming orang-utans you'll be harming bears or jaguars, it just pushes the problem somewhere else because the demand for those oils will still be there.\" Maybe not say the report authors. \"I'm always a bit confused by the focus on palm oil,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"People love coconuts, they love the taste, it's a beautiful palm in the tropics, but there's not much difference with palm. They both require deforestation prior to plantation development, so why do people love one and hate the other, there doesn't seem to be much logic to that.\" Yes, there have been lots of initiatives to try and identify areas of forest in Malaysia and Indonesia that are more important for biodiversity and to protect them from those that crave the kernels. However, these initiatives, according to the report, have had few benefits compared to business as usual. \"We have looked at the difference in deforestation rates between plantations that have been certified and those that are not, in the Indonesian part of Borneo and we don't find a major difference,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"I didn't expect to see a major difference it as its relatively new, it needs time to start improving its practices, it also needs a demand form the consumer who want sustainable palm oil.\" There have been efforts to do this, led by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). But this new study says that these efforts have been limited by low demand, difficulties in tracing sustainable products and poor monitoring, reporting and verification. The RSPO says it is constantly trying to strengthen its standards but this is difficult if \"broader societal support is absent\". Campaigners are scathing about these efforts. \"The RSPO has a responsibility to ensure its members protect rainforests and produce palm oil responsibly, but it's failing,\" said Richard George, from Greenpeace UK. \"If the RSPO wants to have a future, it must adopt 'no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation' standards and ensure they are rigorously enforced.\" Follow Matt on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 460, "answer_end": 1079, "text": "Palm oil has often been held up as a truly terrible blight on the environment, responsible for the clearing of tropical forests and posing huge threats to iconic species. But this report says the reality is very complex. While palm oil is only responsible for 0.4% of global deforestation it is having dramatic impacts in some locations in Indonesia and Malaysia, causing 50% in some locations. Simply banning palm wouldn't work say the authors because the world will still need vegetable oils. What's also worrying say the authors is that efforts to boost demand for responsibly sourced palm oil haven't worked so far."}], "question": "Why is this story important?", "id": "337_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1080, "answer_end": 2747, "text": "Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil on the planet and is believed to be in about 50% of products found in supermarkets and shops. It comes from the reddish pulp of the fruit found on oil palms, particularly the African oil palm - known as Elaeis guineensis. The top two producers of palm oil are Indonesia and Malaysia, generating tens of millions of tonnes annually in an industry worth upwards of $40bn. The oil is important for lipstick for example because it holds colour well, has no taste and doesn't melt at high temperatures. It's found in shampoos, soaps, ice cream and instant noodles amongst thousands of others. Over the past 20 years, growing demand has seen thousands of hectares of old, tropical forests chopped down to make way for the oily palm tree plantations. But these forests are home to some of the most threatened species in the world, including the orangutan. \"Orangutans are a lowland species on Bornean Sumatra and that's where palm oil is grown,\" the report's lead author Erik Meijaard, from the IUCN, told BBC News. \"The two often clash, palm oil displaces orangutans, they are pushed into gardens where they generate conflicts with locals and that's where you get these killings.\" \"Orangutans are incredibly versatile, but what an orangutan can't deal with is killing. Because they are such slow breeding species, the killing has a really big impact.\" The report says that the expansion of palm oil is not all bad news for species, with some pigs and snakes benefiting from the presence of the fronds. However I'm not sure a few more slithery wrigglers would make up for the loss of one of humanity's closest living relatives."}], "question": "How does lipstick threaten species?", "id": "337_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2748, "answer_end": 3702, "text": "Well, the IUCN experts say that's not the case. They say that the planting of palm trees with their spiky red fruits and kernels has boomed because they are so darn efficient at making oil. Palm makes up 35% of the world's vegetable oil supply but only takes up 10% of the world's land allocated to producing the greasy stuff. To replace it with rapeseed, soy or sunflower seed oil would take far larger amounts of land, in fact up to nine times the amount needed for palm. It's likely that such a move would see a displacement of diversity loss, with many more species in different places under threat. \"If palm oil didn't exist you would still have the same global demand for vegetable oil,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"If you stop producing palm, it will have to be produced somewhere else. So instead of harming orang-utans you'll be harming bears or jaguars, it just pushes the problem somewhere else because the demand for those oils will still be there.\""}], "question": "So surely cutting back on planting palm oil is the obvious solution?", "id": "337_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3703, "answer_end": 4092, "text": "Maybe not say the report authors. \"I'm always a bit confused by the focus on palm oil,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"People love coconuts, they love the taste, it's a beautiful palm in the tropics, but there's not much difference with palm. They both require deforestation prior to plantation development, so why do people love one and hate the other, there doesn't seem to be much logic to that.\""}], "question": "Can consumers make a difference by choosing different oils?", "id": "337_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4093, "answer_end": 4805, "text": "Yes, there have been lots of initiatives to try and identify areas of forest in Malaysia and Indonesia that are more important for biodiversity and to protect them from those that crave the kernels. However, these initiatives, according to the report, have had few benefits compared to business as usual. \"We have looked at the difference in deforestation rates between plantations that have been certified and those that are not, in the Indonesian part of Borneo and we don't find a major difference,\" said Erik Meijaard. \"I didn't expect to see a major difference it as its relatively new, it needs time to start improving its practices, it also needs a demand form the consumer who want sustainable palm oil.\""}], "question": "Aren't governments in Indonesia and Malaysia trying to stop palm oil production from killing wildlife?", "id": "337_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4806, "answer_end": 5579, "text": "There have been efforts to do this, led by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). But this new study says that these efforts have been limited by low demand, difficulties in tracing sustainable products and poor monitoring, reporting and verification. The RSPO says it is constantly trying to strengthen its standards but this is difficult if \"broader societal support is absent\". Campaigners are scathing about these efforts. \"The RSPO has a responsibility to ensure its members protect rainforests and produce palm oil responsibly, but it's failing,\" said Richard George, from Greenpeace UK. \"If the RSPO wants to have a future, it must adopt 'no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation' standards and ensure they are rigorously enforced.\" Follow Matt on Twitter."}], "question": "What about sustainable palm oil?", "id": "337_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Indonesia volcanic ash grounds tourists for third day", "date": "5 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tourists and travellers in Indonesia have been stranded for a third day, as volcanic ash has forced the closure of airports on three islands. Bali's Denpasar airport has been shut since Tuesday after Mount Rinjani on Lombok island began erupting. Two airports on Lombok and Java have also been closed due to the risk posed by the drifting ash plume. About 700 flights - and the transfer of one of Interpol's most wanted men - have been affected. Debris from Mount Rinjani has spewed 3,500m (11,480 ft) into the air, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said. Nearby towns have been blanketed in grey ash, but locals are not in danger, spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Jetstar said it had cancelled all of its Thursday flights in and out of Denpasar, also known as Ngurah Rai, airport. \"We've been advised Denpasar Airport will remain closed until tomorrow as the Mount Rinjani ash cloud continues to make flying conditions around Bali unsafe,\" the airline said in a statement. Virgin Australia and Air Asia have also been forced to ground flights. All airlines should do their best to help a passenger complete their journey, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK aviation regulator, told the BBC in July. \"The airline has to get you home,\" he said. \"Outside of the EU, you're on slightly less firm ground, though. Passenger rights are nowhere near as well-developed elsewhere as they are in the EU. European passengers are very well-protected.\" If your flight is cancelled and you are in a hurry to travel, but an airline is unhelpful, the CAA spokesman said the best option would be to buy a new ticket and pursue the matter later with your insurance company and the airline's national regulator. When it comes to compensation however, an ash cloud is outside an airline's control and is classed in the same category as bad weather, meaning there is not a lot companies can do, the CAA said. The deportation of an alleged Indian underworld don has also been delayed by the airport closure, police say. Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, also known in India as Chota Rajan or \"Little Rajan\", was detained when he flew into Bali airport from Sydney last month. Police acted on a tip-off from Australian authorities, who said Nikalje had been living in the country under a different name. Interpol's website states that Nikalje was born in Mumbai, and is wanted on multiple charges including murder and possession and use of illegal firearms. Chris Davies from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin in Australia's north told the BBC earlier this year that it does not take much ash to interfere with flights. \"The most dangerous aspect for aviation is that modern jet engines pull in so much air and the ash concentrates in engines and turns into a kind of molten glass,\" Mr Davies said. \"The ash melts, coats inside of the engine and affects fuel flow, so in the worst case scenario it can cause engines to shut off.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1055, "answer_end": 1921, "text": "All airlines should do their best to help a passenger complete their journey, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK aviation regulator, told the BBC in July. \"The airline has to get you home,\" he said. \"Outside of the EU, you're on slightly less firm ground, though. Passenger rights are nowhere near as well-developed elsewhere as they are in the EU. European passengers are very well-protected.\" If your flight is cancelled and you are in a hurry to travel, but an airline is unhelpful, the CAA spokesman said the best option would be to buy a new ticket and pursue the matter later with your insurance company and the airline's national regulator. When it comes to compensation however, an ash cloud is outside an airline's control and is classed in the same category as bad weather, meaning there is not a lot companies can do, the CAA said."}], "question": "Your rights: Do airlines have to give you a new flight?", "id": "338_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India says all villages have electricity", "date": "30 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "All villages in India now have access to electricity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced. This was achieved on Saturday when a remote village in the north-eastern state of Manipur became the last to be connected to the grid. A village is considered electrified if 10% of its homes and all public buildings are connected to the grid. World Bank figures show around 200 million people in India still lack access to electricity. Mr Modi said all of nearly 600,000 villages in India have now been given electricity connection. Correspondents say it's a great achievement for Asia's third largest economy. However, some people said on Twitter that their villages had yet to get access to electricity despite government claims. India is the world's third largest producer and consumer of power. But poor distribution has been one of the biggest challenges. In August 2015, Mr Modi launched a $2.5bn (PS1.8bn) scheme to electrify all Indian households  by December 2018. As part of this scheme, all 597,464 inhabited villages in the country and more than five million households have been connected to the grid. Mr Modi made the announcement in a series of tweets after Leisang village in the north east became the last village to be connected to the grid. The village is home to 19 families, according to the 2011 census. The government considers a village to be electrified if the number of households electrified is at least 10% and electricity is provided to public buildings including schools, health centres, dispensaries, community centres and village councils. So, by definition, all Indian villages have now been electrified. But government data shows that every household has access to electricity in just six Indian states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Gujarat. Remote and inaccessible villages have always proved to be a major challenge in the country's electrification drive. Though most Indian villages have some electrical connection today, connecting the last remote households in the surrounding areas can be expensive. Some people may also forgo accessing electricity by choice because of the monthly bills that come with it, especially if power supply is not reliable and blackouts are frequent. Additionally, state-owned power distribution companies are struggling with debt and poor demand, which has made it difficult to practically electrify every Indian household.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1798, "answer_end": 2413, "text": "Remote and inaccessible villages have always proved to be a major challenge in the country's electrification drive. Though most Indian villages have some electrical connection today, connecting the last remote households in the surrounding areas can be expensive. Some people may also forgo accessing electricity by choice because of the monthly bills that come with it, especially if power supply is not reliable and blackouts are frequent. Additionally, state-owned power distribution companies are struggling with debt and poor demand, which has made it difficult to practically electrify every Indian household."}], "question": "Why is complete electrification a challenge?", "id": "339_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan's economy contracts in fourth quarter", "date": "15 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Japan's economy contracted in the final three months of 2015, adding to a string of setbacks for the government's economic reform policy. Between October and December, it shrank by 0.4% compared with the previous quarter, official figures show. Expectations for the numbers were for a quarterly contraction of 0.3%. Weaker domestic demand, together with slower investment in housing, contributed to the disappointing numbers. On an annualised basis the economy contracted 1.4% during the period. That compares with expectations for an annualised contraction of 1.2%. The annualised figure is the rate at which the economy would have contracted over a full 12 months had the December quarter been a reflection of the entire year. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to revive the economy - dubbed Abenomics - was introduced after his December 2013 election win. Its aim was to combat deflation, which Japan has struggled with for nearly two decades, as well as boost demand and investment.  It also wanted to weaken the yen, so helping big exporters like Toyota become more competitive. But growth has remained a concern. Analysts say Japan needs to ensure exports grow in order to support future economic growth - for every 1% that Japan's economy grows, between 0.5 and 0.7% comes from exports. The country also relies heavily on domestic consumption but its population is ageing and shrinking so fewer people are contributing to the economy. Analysis: Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC News, Tokyo There has been a lot of hyperbole surrounding the Abenomics project. The Bank of Japan's vast money printing project has been described as a \"money-spewing bazooka\". Mr Abe's economic policy - Abenomics - is based on three arrows: - The monetary arrow: expansion of the money supply to combat deflation - The fiscal arrow: increased government spending to stimulate demand in the economy - The structural arrow: structural reforms to make the economy more productive and competitive Haruhiko Kuroda, governor of the country's central bank, has repeatedly said he will do \"whatever it takes\" to defeat 20 years of deflation. But the core of Abenomics is not reflation; it is weakening the Japanese currency, the yen. Why? Because Mr Abe and his advisors know that the only easy way to get Japan growing again is to increase exports - the most important engine of growth for Japan, say analysts. Read Rupert in full In the three months to September, according to revised numbers, Japan avoided a technical recession. But it has already been in recession four times since the global financial crisis. Some analysts said Monday's numbers should be viewed in context. \"A single negative growth number should not be over-interpreted because the economy remains in rather good shape and continues to get strong policy support,\" said economist Martin Schulz. Stock market worries Investors seemed to shrug off Monday's growth numbers, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 jumping more than 4% shortly after the figures were released. However, the benchmark shed more than 11% last week, which was a short trading week due to a public holiday on Thursday. The country's big exporters were particularly hard hit as a stronger yen against the dollar hurt investor sentiment. \"Until December, exports have still been growing, thanks to a lower yen,\" said Mr Schulz. \"But both trends have already been reversed during December, and the yen is rallying now,\" he added. In a surprise move last month, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) introduced a negative interest rate of -0.1%. The rate cut into negative territory - the first ever for Japan - is designed to increase spending and investment, which should in turn boost economic growth. Some analysts however have cast doubt over how effective the rate cut will be. Mr Schulz said weaker investment, including housing investment, would probably carry on well into 2016. \"While lower interest rates certainly help investment, construction now faces restraints from the demand side because housing prices are already so high.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2405, "answer_end": 3438, "text": "In the three months to September, according to revised numbers, Japan avoided a technical recession. But it has already been in recession four times since the global financial crisis. Some analysts said Monday's numbers should be viewed in context. \"A single negative growth number should not be over-interpreted because the economy remains in rather good shape and continues to get strong policy support,\" said economist Martin Schulz. Stock market worries Investors seemed to shrug off Monday's growth numbers, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 jumping more than 4% shortly after the figures were released. However, the benchmark shed more than 11% last week, which was a short trading week due to a public holiday on Thursday. The country's big exporters were particularly hard hit as a stronger yen against the dollar hurt investor sentiment. \"Until December, exports have still been growing, thanks to a lower yen,\" said Mr Schulz. \"But both trends have already been reversed during December, and the yen is rallying now,\" he added."}], "question": "Not all bad?", "id": "340_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Cardiff hospital trials cooling patients after cardiac arrest", "date": "22 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A year ago, Andrew Barnett collapsed and his heart stopped beating, as he played football with his young son. Luckily, it was at on a pitch at a Cardiff leisure centre - which had a defibrillator - and the manager knew CPR techniques. Andrew, 46, was revived and became part of a hospital trial to see if cooling the body in intensive care helps recovery. The event was a complete blank but he realises how close to death he came. The cooling trial, involving nine UK hospitals, is being led by researchers at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Altogether, 1,900 patients worldwide are part of the trial, called TTM2. Half of patients were cooled down, often with pads and cold water, to bring them down to a temperature of 33C - our normal body temperature is 37.5C. They're kept like that for 24 hours, as well as getting all the usual life-saving treatment. The other half are kept at normal temperature - but not allowed to get hot either - so the results can eventually be compared. Dr Matt Morgan, intensive care consultant and researcher, is one of those leading the trial. \"It is looking at the importance of protecting the brain after someone suffers a cardiac arrest - and there have been theories since the 1960s of cooling the body to help protect the brain,\" said Dr Morgan. \"It's been used quite extensively in intensive care worldwide but what we really don't know is if that's truly beneficial.\" It was a during a \"fathers and sons\" football match the week before Christmas, with his seven-year-old son Seb, that Andrew collapsed. He led an active lifestyle and works for a sportswear company but did not know that he had a blocked artery. \"It was a usual day,\" he recalled, ahead of the game on Astroturf at Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney. \"I'd worked from home and been for a swim at lunchtime and brought my son up for the game in the evening. I have very little recollection, only what I've been told by the people who were there. \"I don't remember the game at all or falling over. They grouped around me to see what was wrong but I was completely out so they knew it was something serious.\" Ben Clarke, leisure centre duty manager, was in the office when he was told about Andrew's collapse. \"I grabbed the defibrillator from reception and ran out - as soon as I got there I could see he was not in a good way, he was unconscious,\" he said. \"I knew he'd gone - his heart had stopped. I started CPR - a colleague started unpacking the defib. I did four or five cycles of CPR and the machine showed he needed a shock. He was a grey-blue colour and it was clear he was 'dead'\". The defibrillator also indicated he needed two more cycles of CPR - and Ben did this until Andrew started to show signs of life and the ambulance arrived. When Andrew was admitted to the University Hospital of Wales, he was sedated and included in the trial - until he was taken off both the following day. He cannot remember anything that happened the previous week - only waking up in the critical care unit the following morning. \"The first recollection I had was when they told me I'd had a cardiac arrest - I looked at the wall and I couldn't believe it, it was the sort of thing that happened to someone else.\" About 6,000 people in Wales need resuscitating outside hospitals every year but only about 10% of these patients ever recover and leave hospital. Andrew is one of the lucky ones. For Ben, it emphasised the importance of defibrillators being available in public places. \"It was good to know you'd helped save someone,\" he said. \"Me and Andrew have met up a couple of times for a drink - we've formed a friendship out of something which was negative.\" The UK has contributed 392 of the 1,900 patients in the trial, which started in Sweden. Hospitals taking part are: - University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff - Basildon University Hospital - Birmingham University Hospital - Bristol Royal Infirmary - Manchester Royal Infirmary - Queen Alexandra, Portsmouth - Royal Berkshire, Reading - Royal Bournemouth - Royal Victoria, Belfast The trial presents challenges over consent because, in intensive care, people are often unconscious and their family traumatised. Staff will approach patients or families about the trial later, after the critical phase has passed. But Dr Morgan is hoping they will understand the need to find out if the approach really is beneficial. \"We really, genuinely don't know what's best - that's why this trial is being done at all. If we did know best, there wouldn't be a trial.\" Jade Cole, lead critical research nurse, said they looked at a range of criteria but patients needed to be have been revived for at least 20 minutes before they are appropriate for the trial. Patient safety and family wishes were a priority, she said. \"The family can veto what the patient would want because we don't want to upset a family in a very stressful situation,\" she said. \"I've done it hundreds of times but I've never had a patient unhappy about being involved in a research study - they have always been positive. They can be a bit shocked that you need to do research in intensive care.\" Wales has contributed 54 patients to the trial, more than Germany or Italy. They're expecting the first results later this year. 'I had a cardiac arrest and a vet saved my life' Pop star tells pupils how CPR saved him Dr Matt Wise, lead UK investigator in the study and critical care consultant at UHW, added: \"The risk of not conducting studies like this is that we'll carry on in many patients giving suboptimal or incorrect therapy. \"I remember talking at a conference in Brussels... and someone at the end asked me: If you have a cardiac arrest what temperature would you want to be? And I said - I'd want to be in the trial.\" As for being part of the cooling trial, Andrew said he was \"absolutely fine for that to happen\". \"I went into casualty unconscious,\" he said. \"It's key that patients going in become part of the process and non-consent because we all benefit from the medicine and the research that they're doing. It's also about how well you survive, so that's key as well.\" He spent two weeks in hospital and had a further four months off work. \"I'm fine now - back to my normal work and day life. I'm back playing football with my son - training every Monday. You realise it can be taken away in an instance.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4054, "answer_end": 6356, "text": "The trial presents challenges over consent because, in intensive care, people are often unconscious and their family traumatised. Staff will approach patients or families about the trial later, after the critical phase has passed. But Dr Morgan is hoping they will understand the need to find out if the approach really is beneficial. \"We really, genuinely don't know what's best - that's why this trial is being done at all. If we did know best, there wouldn't be a trial.\" Jade Cole, lead critical research nurse, said they looked at a range of criteria but patients needed to be have been revived for at least 20 minutes before they are appropriate for the trial. Patient safety and family wishes were a priority, she said. \"The family can veto what the patient would want because we don't want to upset a family in a very stressful situation,\" she said. \"I've done it hundreds of times but I've never had a patient unhappy about being involved in a research study - they have always been positive. They can be a bit shocked that you need to do research in intensive care.\" Wales has contributed 54 patients to the trial, more than Germany or Italy. They're expecting the first results later this year. 'I had a cardiac arrest and a vet saved my life' Pop star tells pupils how CPR saved him Dr Matt Wise, lead UK investigator in the study and critical care consultant at UHW, added: \"The risk of not conducting studies like this is that we'll carry on in many patients giving suboptimal or incorrect therapy. \"I remember talking at a conference in Brussels... and someone at the end asked me: If you have a cardiac arrest what temperature would you want to be? And I said - I'd want to be in the trial.\" As for being part of the cooling trial, Andrew said he was \"absolutely fine for that to happen\". \"I went into casualty unconscious,\" he said. \"It's key that patients going in become part of the process and non-consent because we all benefit from the medicine and the research that they're doing. It's also about how well you survive, so that's key as well.\" He spent two weeks in hospital and had a further four months off work. \"I'm fine now - back to my normal work and day life. I'm back playing football with my son - training every Monday. You realise it can be taken away in an instance.\""}], "question": "How will patients find out if they are part of the trial?", "id": "341_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mexico border wall: Trump faces fight in the courts", "date": "16 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Trump faces legal challenges to his decision to use emergency powers to build a wall on the US border with Mexico. California and New York said they would take legal action to challenge his move to bypass Congress and secure funding for the project. Building the wall was a key pledge of Mr Trump's campaign. Democrats said it was a \"gross abuse of power\" and vowed to contest it \"using every remedy available\". On Friday, Mr Trump signed the emergency declaration along with a spending bill aimed at preventing a repeat of a recent government shutdown. Declaring an emergency could give him access to billions of dollars. Mr Trump announced the plan after Congress refused funding for the wall. Within hours, the first legal challenge against the declaration of national emergency was launched. A liberal advocacy group, Public Citizen, sued on behalf of a nature reserve and three Texas landowners who have been told the wall may be constructed on their properties. Governor Gavin Newsom of California dismissed the president's decision as \"political theatre\". \"He's been embarrassed, and his base needs to be fed,\" he told reporters. \"Fortunately, Donald Trump is not the last word. The courts will be the last word,\" he added. New York state's Democratic attorney general, Letitia James, said the state would not \"stand for this abuse of power and will fight back with every legal tool at our disposal.\" The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said it would file a lawsuit in the coming days to curb \"this blatantly illegal executive action\". On Friday the two most senior Democrats - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer - said they would challenge the \"power grab by a disappointed president\" in Congress and in the courts. Ms Pelosi also seized on a remark by Mr Trump in response to a question from a reporter, in which he said he \"didn't need to do this\". Analysts suggest that this remark could undermine Mr Trump's case that the country is facing an emergency. Making the announcement in the White House Rose Garden, the president said the emergency would allow him to get almost $8bn for the wall. This is still considerably short of the estimated $23bn cost of the wall along almost 2,000 miles (3,200km) of border. Mr Trump accepted that he would be sued for the move, and predicted that the emergency order would lead to legal action which was likely to end up in the Supreme Court. \"We're going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border,\" he said. \"Everyone knows that walls work.\" Later, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told reporters that Mr Trump's move \"creates zero precedent\". \"This is authority given to the president in law already. It's not as if he just didn't get what he wanted so he's waving a magic wand and taking a bunch of money,\" he said. By Jon Sopel, BBC North America editor The trouble with going nuclear is there is fall-out. This has been presented as a predictably partisan issue. On one side of the wall, Republicans; on the other side Democrats. But by going nuclear the president has made it more complicated than that. There are a lot of Republicans - in the Senate and in the House - deeply uneasy about what Mr Trump is doing. Why? Because the constitutional arrangement of the US is that Congress - not the president - controls the purse strings and allocates funds. This is a major land grab by the president. It undermines their position and sets a very dangerous precedent. The National Emergencies Act contains a clause that allows Congress to terminate the emergency status if both houses vote for it - and the president does not veto. With a comfortable majority in the House, Democrats could pass such a resolution to the Senate. The Republicans control the Senate, but a number of Republican senators have been vocal in their unease about the president invoking a national emergency. The dissenting Republicans include 2012 presidential contender and new senator for Utah Mitt Romney, Florida senator Marco Rubio, and the senator from Maine Susan Collins, who said the move was of \"dubious constitutionality\". The resolution would however still require Mr Trump's signature to pass, allowing him to veto it. A supermajority in both houses of Congress is needed to overturn a presidential veto. The National Emergencies Act is intended for times of national crisis. Mr Trump has claimed that there is a migration crisis at the nation's southern border - a claim strongly refuted by migration experts. The largest number of illegal migrants settling in the US each year is those who stay in the country after their visas expire. Declaring a national emergency would give the president access to special powers that effectively allow him to bypass the usual political process, and he would be able to divert money from existing military or disaster relief budgets to pay for the wall. Emergency declarations by previous presidents have been overwhelmingly used for addressing foreign policy crises - including blocking terrorism-linked entities from accessing funds or prohibiting investment in nations associated with human rights abuses. On Friday, Mr Mulvaney said the $8bn would be made up of: - $1.4bn from the agreed budget - $600m from cash and assets seized from drug traffickers - $2.5bn from a defence department anti-drug trafficking fund - $3.5bn reallocated from military construction projects The latter is the biggest amount and the relevant statute allows a president to divert funds for projects that \"require use of the armed forces\". This is almost certain to bring a legal challenge. A congressional aide told ABC News projects that could be cancelled include constructions at Guantanamo Bay, a military school in Japan and special forces facilities in North Carolina. Poor living conditions for military families have become a concern but a Pentagon spokesman, Bill Speaks, insisted \"military family-housing projects will not be affected\". Trump officials also said that projects affecting force-readiness would not be compromised. Mr Trump said military officials had told him the wall was more important and that what he was told would be cut \"didn't sound too important to me\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 978, "answer_end": 2033, "text": "Governor Gavin Newsom of California dismissed the president's decision as \"political theatre\". \"He's been embarrassed, and his base needs to be fed,\" he told reporters. \"Fortunately, Donald Trump is not the last word. The courts will be the last word,\" he added. New York state's Democratic attorney general, Letitia James, said the state would not \"stand for this abuse of power and will fight back with every legal tool at our disposal.\" The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said it would file a lawsuit in the coming days to curb \"this blatantly illegal executive action\". On Friday the two most senior Democrats - House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrat leader Chuck Schumer - said they would challenge the \"power grab by a disappointed president\" in Congress and in the courts. Ms Pelosi also seized on a remark by Mr Trump in response to a question from a reporter, in which he said he \"didn't need to do this\". Analysts suggest that this remark could undermine Mr Trump's case that the country is facing an emergency."}], "question": "How have Democrats responded?", "id": "342_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2034, "answer_end": 2878, "text": "Making the announcement in the White House Rose Garden, the president said the emergency would allow him to get almost $8bn for the wall. This is still considerably short of the estimated $23bn cost of the wall along almost 2,000 miles (3,200km) of border. Mr Trump accepted that he would be sued for the move, and predicted that the emergency order would lead to legal action which was likely to end up in the Supreme Court. \"We're going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border,\" he said. \"Everyone knows that walls work.\" Later, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told reporters that Mr Trump's move \"creates zero precedent\". \"This is authority given to the president in law already. It's not as if he just didn't get what he wanted so he's waving a magic wand and taking a bunch of money,\" he said."}], "question": "What did Mr Trump say?", "id": "342_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3531, "answer_end": 4355, "text": "The National Emergencies Act contains a clause that allows Congress to terminate the emergency status if both houses vote for it - and the president does not veto. With a comfortable majority in the House, Democrats could pass such a resolution to the Senate. The Republicans control the Senate, but a number of Republican senators have been vocal in their unease about the president invoking a national emergency. The dissenting Republicans include 2012 presidential contender and new senator for Utah Mitt Romney, Florida senator Marco Rubio, and the senator from Maine Susan Collins, who said the move was of \"dubious constitutionality\". The resolution would however still require Mr Trump's signature to pass, allowing him to veto it. A supermajority in both houses of Congress is needed to overturn a presidential veto."}], "question": "Can Congress stop Trump's emergency move?", "id": "342_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4356, "answer_end": 5198, "text": "The National Emergencies Act is intended for times of national crisis. Mr Trump has claimed that there is a migration crisis at the nation's southern border - a claim strongly refuted by migration experts. The largest number of illegal migrants settling in the US each year is those who stay in the country after their visas expire. Declaring a national emergency would give the president access to special powers that effectively allow him to bypass the usual political process, and he would be able to divert money from existing military or disaster relief budgets to pay for the wall. Emergency declarations by previous presidents have been overwhelmingly used for addressing foreign policy crises - including blocking terrorism-linked entities from accessing funds or prohibiting investment in nations associated with human rights abuses."}], "question": "What is a national emergency?", "id": "342_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5199, "answer_end": 6260, "text": "On Friday, Mr Mulvaney said the $8bn would be made up of: - $1.4bn from the agreed budget - $600m from cash and assets seized from drug traffickers - $2.5bn from a defence department anti-drug trafficking fund - $3.5bn reallocated from military construction projects The latter is the biggest amount and the relevant statute allows a president to divert funds for projects that \"require use of the armed forces\". This is almost certain to bring a legal challenge. A congressional aide told ABC News projects that could be cancelled include constructions at Guantanamo Bay, a military school in Japan and special forces facilities in North Carolina. Poor living conditions for military families have become a concern but a Pentagon spokesman, Bill Speaks, insisted \"military family-housing projects will not be affected\". Trump officials also said that projects affecting force-readiness would not be compromised. Mr Trump said military officials had told him the wall was more important and that what he was told would be cut \"didn't sound too important to me\"."}], "question": "Where will the money come from?", "id": "342_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Could the UK and EU sort a trade deal in months?", "date": "3 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The central element in the Conservatives' election pitch is a commitment to \"get Brexit done\". Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement with the EU would indeed end the UK's membership. But it would leave some very important Brexit-related challenges still to do, including the UK's future trade relationship with the bloc, and with the rest of the world. Some people are worried that we might face a new \"cliff-edge\" at the end of 2020. Under Mr Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement, the existing arrangements between the EU and UK would temporarily continue, with goods and services being allowed to flow freely across the various borders with the continent. That arrangement is due to end on 31 December 2020. If Boris Johnson wins a majority he says he would negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU ready to go into operation at the end of 2020. An FTA is an agreement between two countries which eliminates trade taxes, known as tariffs, with the aim of making business and commerce run more smoothly. FTAs often also include measures to reduce other types of regulatory barriers that make trade more difficult. The aim is to have a deal done in time for the end of 2020. That is a very challenging timetable. Trade negotiations tend to take several years to complete. They are technically challenging and politically contentious. Both those features can make them drag on. To take one example, the EU's deal with Canada took more than five years for negotiators to complete and another three before it came into force, on a provisional basis. The UK-EU negotiation will be unusual in that it is intended to establish a trade relationship that is less integrated than what the two sides have now. Usually, trade negotiations make for closer commercial relations, so past experience isn't necessarily a good guide to the likely timetable. Some people say that because we are already fully aligned with the EU the negotiation will be easy and quick. But for many Brexit supporters the freedom to depart from EU rules is one of the main prizes. How much we depart - on food standards for example - will be important for the EU in judging what restrictions to impose on British goods. That could be a time-consuming process. Yes. There is a provision in the Withdrawal Agreement to extend the transition period by one or two years, but that decision must be taken by 1 July. So there would only be a few months of negotiating time before an extension would need to be agreed. Will there have been enough progress by then to allow us to be confident that it can all be done in another six months? After that date an extension could not be done with the arrangements in the Withdrawal Agreement. The Agreement itself would have to be amended or a new treaty agreed. There is some debate about whether that would be legally possible. If there is no agreement the trade relationship would default to what is known as World Trade Organization (WTO) terms - which is what trade relations would be if we left the EU now with no deal. WTO terms mean British exporters would have the same access to the EU as do other countries with no trade agreement. That means the EU would apply to UK goods the same tariffs it applies to goods from the US or China for example. For cars that would be 10%. EU tariffs are particularly high for some agricultural products. British exporters would also face regulatory barriers they currently don't. UK exports would not face tariffs going into the EU. Whether they would have to go through some checks and tests to show compliance with EU rules would depend on exactly what was agreed. So exporting could involve more red tape and more costs for UK firms. This is one reason why many economists think the UK economy will be smaller with this kind of deal than it would have been had we stayed in the EU. How easily services businesses could supply clients in the EU would depend on the extent of regulatory alignment and on what agreement can be reached on working and travelling across borders. It would probably be more difficult. One clear potential trouble spot is product regulations, especially food standards. The US and EU tried to negotiate a wide ranging deal that ran aground partly on that issue. There were particular issues about chlorine-rinsed chicken, growth-promoting hormones used in beef production, and genetically modified (GM) foods. The US wanted to be able to sell these foods (or to do so more easily in the case of GM foods) in the EU. The EU wouldn't agree. In a UK-US trade negotiation, the Americans will want easier access for their foods to the UK. The EU would be very wary of any such foods in circulation in the UK finding their way into the EU's single market. If they thought that was a risk they would be more reluctant to allow unrestricted access for UK goods, lest some of the controversial US food should get in. The term \"no-deal\" was often used to mean no withdrawal agreement. So the scenario of no FTA at the end of next year is not no-deal in that sense. Ratifying Mr Johnson's deal would mean an agreement covering citizens' rights (EU citizens here and British on the continent) the financial contribution and the Irish border. But \"no deal\" is also sometimes used as meaning no trade agreement and a WTO terms trade relationship with the EU and that scenario is a possible outcome of Mr Johnson's approach.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1118, "answer_end": 2226, "text": "The aim is to have a deal done in time for the end of 2020. That is a very challenging timetable. Trade negotiations tend to take several years to complete. They are technically challenging and politically contentious. Both those features can make them drag on. To take one example, the EU's deal with Canada took more than five years for negotiators to complete and another three before it came into force, on a provisional basis. The UK-EU negotiation will be unusual in that it is intended to establish a trade relationship that is less integrated than what the two sides have now. Usually, trade negotiations make for closer commercial relations, so past experience isn't necessarily a good guide to the likely timetable. Some people say that because we are already fully aligned with the EU the negotiation will be easy and quick. But for many Brexit supporters the freedom to depart from EU rules is one of the main prizes. How much we depart - on food standards for example - will be important for the EU in judging what restrictions to impose on British goods. That could be a time-consuming process."}], "question": "Is there enough time to negotiate a trade deal?", "id": "343_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2227, "answer_end": 2832, "text": "Yes. There is a provision in the Withdrawal Agreement to extend the transition period by one or two years, but that decision must be taken by 1 July. So there would only be a few months of negotiating time before an extension would need to be agreed. Will there have been enough progress by then to allow us to be confident that it can all be done in another six months? After that date an extension could not be done with the arrangements in the Withdrawal Agreement. The Agreement itself would have to be amended or a new treaty agreed. There is some debate about whether that would be legally possible."}], "question": "Could we extend the current arrangements beyond December 2020?", "id": "343_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3428, "answer_end": 4024, "text": "UK exports would not face tariffs going into the EU. Whether they would have to go through some checks and tests to show compliance with EU rules would depend on exactly what was agreed. So exporting could involve more red tape and more costs for UK firms. This is one reason why many economists think the UK economy will be smaller with this kind of deal than it would have been had we stayed in the EU. How easily services businesses could supply clients in the EU would depend on the extent of regulatory alignment and on what agreement can be reached on working and travelling across borders."}], "question": "If we do get a trade agreement, what would it mean in practice?", "id": "343_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4025, "answer_end": 4883, "text": "It would probably be more difficult. One clear potential trouble spot is product regulations, especially food standards. The US and EU tried to negotiate a wide ranging deal that ran aground partly on that issue. There were particular issues about chlorine-rinsed chicken, growth-promoting hormones used in beef production, and genetically modified (GM) foods. The US wanted to be able to sell these foods (or to do so more easily in the case of GM foods) in the EU. The EU wouldn't agree. In a UK-US trade negotiation, the Americans will want easier access for their foods to the UK. The EU would be very wary of any such foods in circulation in the UK finding their way into the EU's single market. If they thought that was a risk they would be more reluctant to allow unrestricted access for UK goods, lest some of the controversial US food should get in."}], "question": "Can we have an FTA with the US if we have one with the EU?", "id": "343_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4884, "answer_end": 5385, "text": "The term \"no-deal\" was often used to mean no withdrawal agreement. So the scenario of no FTA at the end of next year is not no-deal in that sense. Ratifying Mr Johnson's deal would mean an agreement covering citizens' rights (EU citizens here and British on the continent) the financial contribution and the Irish border. But \"no deal\" is also sometimes used as meaning no trade agreement and a WTO terms trade relationship with the EU and that scenario is a possible outcome of Mr Johnson's approach."}], "question": "If we don't get a FTA with the EU is that a \"no-deal Brexit\"?", "id": "343_4"}]}]}, {"title": "German court rules mass-killing of male chicks legal", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A top German court has ruled that it is still lawful for poultry and egg producers to kill unwanted male chicks. The ruling, by Germany's Federal Administrative Court on Thursday, backs companies on a temporary basis until an alternative can be found. Mass-culling of male chicks is common practice in industrialised farming around the world. After being sexed, billions of the baby birds are killed shortly after birth - usually by grinding or gassing. Officials say this means about 45 million male chicks die every year in Germany alone. In 2013, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia issued a decree banning hatcheries from killing chicks. Two egg hatcheries in the state then appealed against this. Paragraph one of Germany's Animal Welfare Act states that: \"No-one shall inflict pain, suffering or harm on a pet without a reasonable cause.\" A lower court ruled that killing for food production constituted \"reasonable\" grounds, leading to the latest high court challenge. The German Minister for Agriculture, Julia Klockner, has described the practice as \"ethically unacceptable\" and called for its ban. But on Thursday the high court in Leipzig confirmed it will remain permissible until alternative methods of sex determination in eggs are introduced. The ruling means that economic reasons alone do not constitute \"reasonable\" grounds - but stops short of immediately banning the practice. Friedrich Ostendorff, a spokesman for the German Green party, said he was \"surprised and disappointed\" by the court's decision. The mass-killing of male chicks is common practice in food production around the world. For the billions of hens used in egg and poultry farming every year, a similar number of male chicks are killed shortly after birth. Male chicks are viewed in the industry as commercially useless, because they grow more slowly than hens so are deemed unsuitable for meat production. After sorting, the most common methods of killing involve asphyxiation by gassing or maceration in high-speed grinders. The UK-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) says that maceration can actually be considered more humane than gassing because, if carried out correctly, it kill chicks within a second while asphyxiation may take two minutes. The mass-culling of male chicks has long been a focus of animal rights activists who say the practice is unethical. Scientists in a number of countries have been trying to find a solution. After years of research and millions in government funding, a German company called Seleggt started to sell the first \"no kill\" eggs on the market last year. They developed a non-invasive way to determine chicken embryo sex, from about seven days after fertilisation, by extracting fluid and detecting hormones. The method allows them to bring females to full maturity and discard males prior to hatching - turning them into high-quality animal feed. The eggs, labelled Respeggt, are currently available in more than 200 shops in Germany, with hope the technology will become more widespread soon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 541, "answer_end": 1524, "text": "In 2013, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia issued a decree banning hatcheries from killing chicks. Two egg hatcheries in the state then appealed against this. Paragraph one of Germany's Animal Welfare Act states that: \"No-one shall inflict pain, suffering or harm on a pet without a reasonable cause.\" A lower court ruled that killing for food production constituted \"reasonable\" grounds, leading to the latest high court challenge. The German Minister for Agriculture, Julia Klockner, has described the practice as \"ethically unacceptable\" and called for its ban. But on Thursday the high court in Leipzig confirmed it will remain permissible until alternative methods of sex determination in eggs are introduced. The ruling means that economic reasons alone do not constitute \"reasonable\" grounds - but stops short of immediately banning the practice. Friedrich Ostendorff, a spokesman for the German Green party, said he was \"surprised and disappointed\" by the court's decision."}], "question": "Why was there a court challenge?", "id": "344_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1525, "answer_end": 2387, "text": "The mass-killing of male chicks is common practice in food production around the world. For the billions of hens used in egg and poultry farming every year, a similar number of male chicks are killed shortly after birth. Male chicks are viewed in the industry as commercially useless, because they grow more slowly than hens so are deemed unsuitable for meat production. After sorting, the most common methods of killing involve asphyxiation by gassing or maceration in high-speed grinders. The UK-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) says that maceration can actually be considered more humane than gassing because, if carried out correctly, it kill chicks within a second while asphyxiation may take two minutes. The mass-culling of male chicks has long been a focus of animal rights activists who say the practice is unethical."}], "question": "How widespread is male chick culling?", "id": "344_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2388, "answer_end": 3058, "text": "Scientists in a number of countries have been trying to find a solution. After years of research and millions in government funding, a German company called Seleggt started to sell the first \"no kill\" eggs on the market last year. They developed a non-invasive way to determine chicken embryo sex, from about seven days after fertilisation, by extracting fluid and detecting hormones. The method allows them to bring females to full maturity and discard males prior to hatching - turning them into high-quality animal feed. The eggs, labelled Respeggt, are currently available in more than 200 shops in Germany, with hope the technology will become more widespread soon."}], "question": "What are the alternatives?", "id": "344_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pawel Adamowicz: Poland mourns stabbed Gdansk mayor", "date": "19 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of Poles have been attending the funeral of Pawel Adamowicz, the mayor of Gdansk who was fatally stabbed last Sunday. Large screens around St Mary's Basilica in the city and across the country broadcast Saturday's service live. Mr Adamowicz, a liberal critic of Poland's ruling party, served as the mayor of Gdansk for 20 years. President Andrzej Duda and European Council President Donald Tusk were among those attending the ceremony. The service has been held in the vast gothic St Mary's Basilica, where a black urn containing Mr Adamowicz's ashes was placed next to the altar, ahead of its permanent placement in one of the chapels. People queued for hours in order to secure a place inside the building, one of the largest brick churches in the world. Mr Adamowicz's widow and two daughters attended, as did Polish Nobel Peace Prize laureate and ex-President Lech Walesa, and PM Mateusz Morawiecki. Gdansk Archbishop Slawoj Leszek Glodz addressed the service, saying Mr Adamowicz's murder served as an alarm bell for the people of Poland. \"Our homeland needs harmony in politics,\" he said. Archbishop Glodz handed gifts from Pope Francis to Mr Adamowicz's relatives. Some 3,500 people were reported to be inside the basilica, including mayors from across Poland and from other nations. On Friday, a funeral procession was attended by thousands of people who followed Mr Adamowicz's coffin as it was driven through streets of Gdansk covered in white flowers and the city's red flag. Mr Adamowicz's body was then cremated. People have lit candles and gathered to sign a book of condolence at the European Solidarity Centre in the city. Banners displaying black and white images of Mr Adamowicz have been draped over buildings in cities across Poland. Images of the funeral service have been carried on large screens. In the capital, Warsaw, people gathered in the historic Castle Square to watch the broadcast. Mr Adamowicz has been made an honorary citizen of Warsaw. Vigils have been taking place in Polish cities all week, with people expressing shock at the death of the popular city leader. Mr Adamowicz, 53, was attacked on stage in front of hundreds of people while attending the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity - an annual event where volunteers raise money for medical equipment in hospitals. Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mr Adamowicz at the scene, before transferring him to a local hospital with stab injuries, where he underwent five hours of surgery. His death was confirmed by Poland's health minister on Monday. President Duda described the attack as an \"evil hard to imagine\". A 27-year-old suspect has been arrested over the attack. Mr Adamowicz was a popular figure - known best for his liberal political views and long tenure as mayor. Mr Adamowicz was from Gdansk and first came to power in 1998. He has been re-elected four times since, most recently in November. After news of the severity of his condition broke, local residents queued at the hospital to donate blood.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 446, "answer_end": 1648, "text": "The service has been held in the vast gothic St Mary's Basilica, where a black urn containing Mr Adamowicz's ashes was placed next to the altar, ahead of its permanent placement in one of the chapels. People queued for hours in order to secure a place inside the building, one of the largest brick churches in the world. Mr Adamowicz's widow and two daughters attended, as did Polish Nobel Peace Prize laureate and ex-President Lech Walesa, and PM Mateusz Morawiecki. Gdansk Archbishop Slawoj Leszek Glodz addressed the service, saying Mr Adamowicz's murder served as an alarm bell for the people of Poland. \"Our homeland needs harmony in politics,\" he said. Archbishop Glodz handed gifts from Pope Francis to Mr Adamowicz's relatives. Some 3,500 people were reported to be inside the basilica, including mayors from across Poland and from other nations. On Friday, a funeral procession was attended by thousands of people who followed Mr Adamowicz's coffin as it was driven through streets of Gdansk covered in white flowers and the city's red flag. Mr Adamowicz's body was then cremated. People have lit candles and gathered to sign a book of condolence at the European Solidarity Centre in the city."}], "question": "What's the scene in Gdansk?", "id": "345_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2109, "answer_end": 2670, "text": "Mr Adamowicz, 53, was attacked on stage in front of hundreds of people while attending the Great Orchestra of Christmas charity - an annual event where volunteers raise money for medical equipment in hospitals. Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mr Adamowicz at the scene, before transferring him to a local hospital with stab injuries, where he underwent five hours of surgery. His death was confirmed by Poland's health minister on Monday. President Duda described the attack as an \"evil hard to imagine\". A 27-year-old suspect has been arrested over the attack."}], "question": "What happened to Mr Adamowicz?", "id": "345_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2671, "answer_end": 3012, "text": "Mr Adamowicz was a popular figure - known best for his liberal political views and long tenure as mayor. Mr Adamowicz was from Gdansk and first came to power in 1998. He has been re-elected four times since, most recently in November. After news of the severity of his condition broke, local residents queued at the hospital to donate blood."}], "question": "Who was the mayor?", "id": "345_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Yemen war: Saudi coalition war crimes investigation 'not credible'", "date": "24 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has failed to properly investigate war crimes allegations there, Human Rights Watch says. \"The investigators were doing little more than covering up war crimes,\" HRW's Sarah Leah Whitson said. Separately, a missile strike in the west has killed several civilians. Both sides blamed each other. The coalition has come under increased pressure since an air strike killed more than 40 children this month. The Saudi-led alliance, which is backing Yemen's government in its war with the Houthi rebels, has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes, and says its air strikes are not directed at civilians. It vowed to carry out an investigation after widespread condemnation of the attack on a bus carrying school children on 9 August. However, the Human Rights Watch report published on Friday called into question the coalition's credibility with investigations into its own military actions in Yemen. The campaign group said the work of the alliance's own investigators - known as the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) - had \"fallen far short of international standards \"and \"lacked credibility\". It said the vast majority of JIAT's conclusions found the coalition had either acted lawfully, was not responsible for the attack, or had made an \"unintentional\" mistake. The report shows that JIAT recommended the coalition carry out further investigations or disciplinary action in just two of 75 conclusions made public. Human Rights Watch says an air strike in September 2016 that killed and wounded dozens of civilians was deemed an \"unintended mistake\". However, the rights group said it had found evidence of at least 11 bomb craters when it visited the site. HRW alleges this to be part of an attempt to shield military personnel from criminal liability. The Saudi-led coalition has not responded to the HRW report. Ms Whitson, HRW Middle East director, also warned governments providing arms to Saudi Arabia that these \"sham investigations\" do not protect them from being complicit in violations in Yemen. The coalition against the rebels receives logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. The deadly attack on 9 August led some members of Congress to question America's role in the Yemen conflict, after CNN reported that the bomb used was supplied by the US. Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended UK ties with Saudi Arabia, which he described as a \"very, very important military ally\". Just before the HRW report was released, news emerged of a fresh air strike that killed a number of civilians in Al-Durayhimi south of the strategic port of Hudaydah. It is not yet clear who carried out the attack, with the Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition blaming each other. A Houthi-run news agency said women and children were among the 31 people killed or wounded after a missile hit a bus. But the UAE, which is a coalition partner, says it was the Houthis firing an Iranian-made missile. The Emirati state news agency said a child was killed and dozens more were wounded. Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed - two-thirds of them civilians - and 55,000 others injured since the conflict began, according to the UN.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 957, "answer_end": 1880, "text": "The campaign group said the work of the alliance's own investigators - known as the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) - had \"fallen far short of international standards \"and \"lacked credibility\". It said the vast majority of JIAT's conclusions found the coalition had either acted lawfully, was not responsible for the attack, or had made an \"unintentional\" mistake. The report shows that JIAT recommended the coalition carry out further investigations or disciplinary action in just two of 75 conclusions made public. Human Rights Watch says an air strike in September 2016 that killed and wounded dozens of civilians was deemed an \"unintended mistake\". However, the rights group said it had found evidence of at least 11 bomb craters when it visited the site. HRW alleges this to be part of an attempt to shield military personnel from criminal liability. The Saudi-led coalition has not responded to the HRW report."}], "question": "What does the report say?", "id": "346_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1881, "answer_end": 2498, "text": "Ms Whitson, HRW Middle East director, also warned governments providing arms to Saudi Arabia that these \"sham investigations\" do not protect them from being complicit in violations in Yemen. The coalition against the rebels receives logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. The deadly attack on 9 August led some members of Congress to question America's role in the Yemen conflict, after CNN reported that the bomb used was supplied by the US. Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended UK ties with Saudi Arabia, which he described as a \"very, very important military ally\"."}], "question": "What about other players?", "id": "346_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2499, "answer_end": 3082, "text": "Just before the HRW report was released, news emerged of a fresh air strike that killed a number of civilians in Al-Durayhimi south of the strategic port of Hudaydah. It is not yet clear who carried out the attack, with the Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition blaming each other. A Houthi-run news agency said women and children were among the 31 people killed or wounded after a missile hit a bus. But the UAE, which is a coalition partner, says it was the Houthis firing an Iranian-made missile. The Emirati state news agency said a child was killed and dozens more were wounded."}], "question": "What happened in the latest strike?", "id": "346_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3083, "answer_end": 3586, "text": "Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. Nearly 10,000 people have been killed - two-thirds of them civilians - and 55,000 others injured since the conflict began, according to the UN."}], "question": "What is the coalition doing in Yemen?", "id": "346_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Pamela Anderson's 'love' for Julian Assange", "date": "31 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pamela Anderson has talked of her \"love\" for Julian Assange, calling him \"the most famous refugee of our time\". The former Baywatch star wrote about the Wikileaks founder on her blog. She said that her relationship with Mr Assange, 45, was \"no secret\" and that he was \"one of my favourite people\". The post comes five months after Ms Anderson, 49, was seen delivering lunch to him at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where Mr Assange has lived for almost five years. He claimed asylum there in 2012, in order to avoid extradition to Sweden. Mr Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden over a sex allegation, which he denies. The actress said that he is being \"persecuted\" by the US for \"exposing them\" through his work and worries about whether Sweden would then extradite him across the Atlantic. Alongside a picture of Mr Assange on her blog, she wrote: \"He might be the most famous, most politicised refugee of our time. \"Famous for being persecuted is not a position of power but a position of vulnerability. I am concerned. \"Julian is a human being who is extremely empathetic and cares deeply about the world. \"And because of his work he has made some powerful enemies in a few countries, America especially, by exposing them.\" Ms Anderson says she has \"faith\" that Sweden \"will not cave to the US,\" saying: \"This is a good opportunity to show Sweden's strength.\" She added: \"Julian is trying to free the world by educating it. It is a romantic struggle. I love him for this.\" The actress previously referred to him as her \"dear friend\" and said she would not be surprised if people reduced their connection to \"just a sexual relationship\". In February 2016, a UN panel ruled that Mr Assange should be allowed to go free as he had been \"arbitrarily detained\" and should get compensation. But the then-Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called the decision \"ridiculous\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1487, "answer_end": 1877, "text": "The actress previously referred to him as her \"dear friend\" and said she would not be surprised if people reduced their connection to \"just a sexual relationship\". In February 2016, a UN panel ruled that Mr Assange should be allowed to go free as he had been \"arbitrarily detained\" and should get compensation. But the then-Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called the decision \"ridiculous\"."}], "question": "Walk free?", "id": "347_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Slovakia election: Double murder haunts voters", "date": "29 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Slovakia votes on Saturday in its first general election since an investigative journalist and his fiancee were murdered in 2018. The shooting of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova shocked the nation and toppled PM Robert Fico, but his Smer-SD party remains in office. Polls are tight, and support has swelled for an ultra-nationalist party. Kuciak was investigating high-level corruption - and that has become a key issue for voters. All 150 seats in the national parliament are up for grabs. The general election, through proportional representation, follows a presidential vote last year. Anti-corruption campaigner and lawyer Zuzana Caputova won, despite being a political newcomer. Four have been charged over the 2018 murders, including entrepreneur Marian Kocner. Kuciak was writing about corrupt Slovak businessmen, EU subsidies, VAT fraud and attempts by Italy's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia to cultivate ties with Slovak politicians. Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini took office in March 2018. His Social Democrats party (Smer-SD) remains the largest in parliament on 48 seats. But in the wake of the murders, which forced Mr Fico's resignation and caused massive protests in the country, their support has dropped sharply. Things got worse a week before the vote when Mr Pellegrini fell sick with pneumonia and cancelled his schedule. The prime minister was forced to take to Twitter and deny he had coronavirus, after people online suggested he had the infection. News site Politico's poll of polls puts Smer-SD on about 17% - down from the 28% vote share they won in the 2016 general election. Following them in second place are the centre-right Ordinary People party (OLaNO), which has seen its popularity soar in recent weeks, thanks to its anti-corruption agenda. One poll even put them first, 3% above Smer-SD. Meanwhile the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) has risen to third, polls suggest. The party is led by Marian Kotleba, a man who used to dress in a uniform modelled on the Hlinka Guard, the militia of the 1939-45 Nazi-sponsored Slovak state. Mr Kotleba is a fervent nationalist. He wants Slovakia to leave Nato - once calling the military alliance a \"terrorist\" organisation - and has spouted powerful anti-immigrant and anti-Roma rhetoric. While the group has denied any links to fascism, it has been regularly accused of extremism. Polls suggest that fourth and fifth, on 9% each, are centre-left liberal group Progressive Slovakia (PS-SPOLU) and the anti-graft liberal opposition party Za Ludi, meaning For People, led by former president Andrej Kiska. Even though the governing Smer-SD are ahead, their current coalition partners do not look set to win enough votes to qualify for seats, raising further doubts about Smer-SD's grip on power. By Rob Cameron, BBC News, Bratislava Peter Bardy - editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk - says he still thinks almost daily of Jan Kuciak, the young investigative reporter who was murdered on his watch. \"It's still unbelievable. There's still a lot of sadness,\" he said, as we sat in the meeting room of Aktuality.sk's editorial offices. The '#AllForJan' badge in his lapel is now a permanent fixture. The shockwaves from Kuciak's killing still reverberate through Slovak society, and they're still redrawing Slovakia's political landscape. Robert Fico's Smer-SD party - the dominant power here for over a decade - has perhaps been mortally wounded by the affair. \"I think we woke up,\" says Bardy. \"A lot of people thought Robert Fico and his regime would be in Slovakia until the end of time.\" Successive opinion polls suggest that might be about to change. But not all of the forces rushing in to fill the vacuum are benign, he warns. He's particularly concerned at the threat posed by former neo-Nazi Marian Kotleba. \"Nobody in Germany in the 1930s and nobody in Czechoslovakia in 1948 knew that these would be the last democratic elections for a long time,\" he warns. The murder of Jan Kuciak is a powerful focus for many activists and politicians angry about corruption, and this has boosted liberal and centrist parties. A coalition around the centre-right OLaNO party could come to power, with party leader Igor Matovic as prime minister. \"The most likely scenario is the creation of a centre-right, pro-democracy oriented government coalition of six or even seven parties,\" political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP news agency. Nationalism has also been a feature of the campaign, explaining the rising popularity of the far-right LSNS party. It has verbally attacked the country's Roma (Gypsy) minority at rallies, and Mr Kotleba favours closer ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia over the EU. Surveys suggest it is the number one choice for first-time voters. The party could well double the 14 seats it won in the 2016 election. The chances of it having a role in government however are slim. President Caputova vowed recently to do \"everything possible\" to block any coalition deal with the LSNS.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 941, "answer_end": 2780, "text": "Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini took office in March 2018. His Social Democrats party (Smer-SD) remains the largest in parliament on 48 seats. But in the wake of the murders, which forced Mr Fico's resignation and caused massive protests in the country, their support has dropped sharply. Things got worse a week before the vote when Mr Pellegrini fell sick with pneumonia and cancelled his schedule. The prime minister was forced to take to Twitter and deny he had coronavirus, after people online suggested he had the infection. News site Politico's poll of polls puts Smer-SD on about 17% - down from the 28% vote share they won in the 2016 general election. Following them in second place are the centre-right Ordinary People party (OLaNO), which has seen its popularity soar in recent weeks, thanks to its anti-corruption agenda. One poll even put them first, 3% above Smer-SD. Meanwhile the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) has risen to third, polls suggest. The party is led by Marian Kotleba, a man who used to dress in a uniform modelled on the Hlinka Guard, the militia of the 1939-45 Nazi-sponsored Slovak state. Mr Kotleba is a fervent nationalist. He wants Slovakia to leave Nato - once calling the military alliance a \"terrorist\" organisation - and has spouted powerful anti-immigrant and anti-Roma rhetoric. While the group has denied any links to fascism, it has been regularly accused of extremism. Polls suggest that fourth and fifth, on 9% each, are centre-left liberal group Progressive Slovakia (PS-SPOLU) and the anti-graft liberal opposition party Za Ludi, meaning For People, led by former president Andrej Kiska. Even though the governing Smer-SD are ahead, their current coalition partners do not look set to win enough votes to qualify for seats, raising further doubts about Smer-SD's grip on power."}], "question": "Who is running?", "id": "348_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3948, "answer_end": 4986, "text": "The murder of Jan Kuciak is a powerful focus for many activists and politicians angry about corruption, and this has boosted liberal and centrist parties. A coalition around the centre-right OLaNO party could come to power, with party leader Igor Matovic as prime minister. \"The most likely scenario is the creation of a centre-right, pro-democracy oriented government coalition of six or even seven parties,\" political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP news agency. Nationalism has also been a feature of the campaign, explaining the rising popularity of the far-right LSNS party. It has verbally attacked the country's Roma (Gypsy) minority at rallies, and Mr Kotleba favours closer ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia over the EU. Surveys suggest it is the number one choice for first-time voters. The party could well double the 14 seats it won in the 2016 election. The chances of it having a role in government however are slim. President Caputova vowed recently to do \"everything possible\" to block any coalition deal with the LSNS."}], "question": "How was the campaign?", "id": "348_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Iranian hackers targeted US 2020 campaign, says Microsoft", "date": "4 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hackers that appear to be linked to Iran's government have targeted the 2020 US presidential election, according to tech company Microsoft. The group attacked more than 200 email accounts, some of which belonged to people associated with \"a US presidential campaign\", it said. The target was President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, sources told Reuters news agency. Iran has not yet publicly commented on the allegations. A spokesman for the Trump campaign said it had no indication it had been targeted. \"Today we're sharing that we've recently seen significant cyber activity by a threat group we call Phosphorus, which we believe originates from Iran and is linked to the Iranian government,\" a Microsoft statement reads. Phosphorus, it said, made more than 2,700 attempts to identify people's email accounts over a 30-day period in August and September. It then attacked 241 accounts. \"The targeted accounts are associated with a US presidential campaign, current and former US government officials, journalists covering global politics and prominent Iranians living outside Iran,\" Microsoft said. Currently, 19 Democrats are seeking to be nominated as their party's candidate to stand against Donald Trump in 2020, while three Republicans say they plan to challenge the president. The statement did not identify which specific campaign was targeted. However Reuters reported it was President Trump's re-election campaign, citing sources familiar with the operation. According to Microsoft, only four accounts were eventually compromised, and none of these were associated with a campaign, nor any former or current officials. The hackers tried to take over the accounts, in attacks Microsoft called \"not technically sophisticated\". The company has told account holders affected and helped to protect them. Nevertheless, the tech company called Phosphorus, also known as APT 35, \"highly motivated and willing to invest significant time and resources engaging in research and other means of information gathering\". Microsoft urged all its customers to set up two-step verification for their email accounts, and suggested people worried about security to check their login history. There has been increasing concern worldwide about foreign-sponsored election interference via hacking. In July, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia systematically interfered in the 2016 election with the intention of benefitting Mr Trump - although he did not establish collusion in a crime. The same month Microsoft said it had told almost 10,000 customers they had been targeted or compromised by nation-state attacks. The fact that the hackers allegedly have links to Iran is also noteworthy. President Trump's unilateral withdrawal from a nuclear accord between Iran and world powers last year has raised tensions between Washington and Tehran. The US blames Iran for an attack on Saudi oil facilities in September which affected global markets. Iran has denied any responsibility for the strikes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 512, "answer_end": 2190, "text": "\"Today we're sharing that we've recently seen significant cyber activity by a threat group we call Phosphorus, which we believe originates from Iran and is linked to the Iranian government,\" a Microsoft statement reads. Phosphorus, it said, made more than 2,700 attempts to identify people's email accounts over a 30-day period in August and September. It then attacked 241 accounts. \"The targeted accounts are associated with a US presidential campaign, current and former US government officials, journalists covering global politics and prominent Iranians living outside Iran,\" Microsoft said. Currently, 19 Democrats are seeking to be nominated as their party's candidate to stand against Donald Trump in 2020, while three Republicans say they plan to challenge the president. The statement did not identify which specific campaign was targeted. However Reuters reported it was President Trump's re-election campaign, citing sources familiar with the operation. According to Microsoft, only four accounts were eventually compromised, and none of these were associated with a campaign, nor any former or current officials. The hackers tried to take over the accounts, in attacks Microsoft called \"not technically sophisticated\". The company has told account holders affected and helped to protect them. Nevertheless, the tech company called Phosphorus, also known as APT 35, \"highly motivated and willing to invest significant time and resources engaging in research and other means of information gathering\". Microsoft urged all its customers to set up two-step verification for their email accounts, and suggested people worried about security to check their login history."}], "question": "What did Microsoft announce?", "id": "349_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2191, "answer_end": 3012, "text": "There has been increasing concern worldwide about foreign-sponsored election interference via hacking. In July, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia systematically interfered in the 2016 election with the intention of benefitting Mr Trump - although he did not establish collusion in a crime. The same month Microsoft said it had told almost 10,000 customers they had been targeted or compromised by nation-state attacks. The fact that the hackers allegedly have links to Iran is also noteworthy. President Trump's unilateral withdrawal from a nuclear accord between Iran and world powers last year has raised tensions between Washington and Tehran. The US blames Iran for an attack on Saudi oil facilities in September which affected global markets. Iran has denied any responsibility for the strikes."}], "question": "Why is this significant?", "id": "349_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Andrew Brunson: Turkey releases US pastor after two years", "date": "12 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A court in Turkey has freed a US pastor from house arrest in a case that badly strained ties between the US and Turkey. Andrew Brunson was arrested over alleged links to political groups, including the banned Gulenist movement, after a failed coup attempt in 2016. The court convicted him of terror-related charges and sentenced him to three years in jail. But Mr Brunson was released because of the time he had already been detained. Additional charges of espionage were dropped. \"This is the day our family has been praying for, I am delighted to be on my way home to the United States,\" Mr Brunson said in a statement. \"My entire family thanks the president, the administration, and Congress for their unwavering support,\" he added. The Reuters news agency reported that the pastor would be flown back to the US on a military aircraft. Mr Brunson has lived in Turkey with his wife and three children for more than 20 years, most of it working for the small Izmir Resurrection Church, which had a congregation of about two dozen people. He was arrested in October 2016. The authorities accused him of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulenist movement, which Turkey blames for the 2016 failed coup. He also faced up to 35 years in jail on charges of espionage. In July 2018 he was released from prison for health reasons and moved to house arrest until his trial. A few weeks later, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey's justice and interior ministers over his continued detention. Mr Brunson and US officials insisted he is innocent of all charges. Ahead of the court's decision, US broadcaster NBC reported that Turkey and the US had reached a secret deal for Mr Brunson to be released in exchange for the US easing sanctions. Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, Mr Brunson, who was one of 20 Americans charged after the coup attempt two years ago, told the court he was \"an innocent man\". \"I love Jesus. I love Turkey,\" he said. The pastor was convicted on charges of aiding terror groups while not being a member of them, and sentenced to three years in prison. The court took into account the time he had already spent in detention, lifting his house arrest and overseas travel ban. When the verdict was read out, he wept and hugged his wife Norine. By Mark Lowen, BBC Turkey Correspondent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has always insisted that he could not meddle with Turkey's judicial independence and that only the courts would decide Pastor Brunson's fate. But the World Economic Forum places Turkey 103rd of 137 countries in the independent judiciary rankings and Turkey-watchers knew it would always come down to a political decision. In the end, pressure from Washington on Ankara was too much. Sanctions, trade tariffs and the threat of more had led US-Turkey relations to nosedive - and with them, the Turkish lira. Facing spiralling inflation, a 40% drop in the value of the currency and the start of an economic crisis, Turkey had to act to normalise relations with the US. Mr Brunson was the key. Andrew Brunson had the American government behind him. Deniz Yucel, the former correspondent of Die Welt, who was imprisoned and then finally freed in Turkey, had the German government supporting him. Tens of thousands of others here who claim wrongful imprisonment don't have the backing of a powerful state to resist what they say is Turkey's politicised judiciary. Pastor Brunson's detention has soured relations between Washington and Ankara, who are allies in Nato, with both sides imposing sanctions on the other. President Recep Tayyip blames Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the attempted coup but Mr Gulen, who is based in Pennsylvania, denies any involvement. Turkey wants the US to agree to his extradition. US support for Kurdish forces fighting the Syrian civil war has also angered Mr Erdogan, who views them as an extension of the PKK. The PKK - a Turkish-Kurdish rebel group fighting for autonomy since the 1980s - is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the US. But in recent weeks, Mr Erdogan said he hoped to rebuild relations with Washington with the \"spirit of strategic partnership\". More than 50,000 people were arrested in Turkey in President Erdogan's huge post-coup crackdown.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 839, "answer_end": 1766, "text": "Mr Brunson has lived in Turkey with his wife and three children for more than 20 years, most of it working for the small Izmir Resurrection Church, which had a congregation of about two dozen people. He was arrested in October 2016. The authorities accused him of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulenist movement, which Turkey blames for the 2016 failed coup. He also faced up to 35 years in jail on charges of espionage. In July 2018 he was released from prison for health reasons and moved to house arrest until his trial. A few weeks later, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey's justice and interior ministers over his continued detention. Mr Brunson and US officials insisted he is innocent of all charges. Ahead of the court's decision, US broadcaster NBC reported that Turkey and the US had reached a secret deal for Mr Brunson to be released in exchange for the US easing sanctions."}], "question": "What was he accused of?", "id": "350_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1767, "answer_end": 2306, "text": "Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and red tie, Mr Brunson, who was one of 20 Americans charged after the coup attempt two years ago, told the court he was \"an innocent man\". \"I love Jesus. I love Turkey,\" he said. The pastor was convicted on charges of aiding terror groups while not being a member of them, and sentenced to three years in prison. The court took into account the time he had already spent in detention, lifting his house arrest and overseas travel ban. When the verdict was read out, he wept and hugged his wife Norine."}], "question": "What happened in court?", "id": "350_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela migrant crisis: Peru receives asylum requests", "date": "26 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hundreds of Venezuelans have requested asylum in Peru, an official has said, just hours after the country tightened its entry requirements. New rules require Venezuelans trying to enter Peru to have a passport, and not just an identity card as before. Similar regulations were introduced in Ecuador last week, only to be overturned by a court. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans are fleeing their country amid chronic shortages of food and medicines. The country's longstanding economic crisis has seen more than two million citizens leave since 2014, causing regional tensions as neighbouring countries struggle to accommodate them. Like other South American nations, Peru is trying to control the influx of people escaping Venezuela's economic crisis. The UN - whose migration agency has warned that the continent faces a refugee \"crisis moment\" similar to that seen in the Mediterranean in 2015 - is setting up a special team to co-ordinate the regional response. The authorities in Lima set a deadline of midnight on Friday for the new passport rules to come into force. Many Venezuelans have been looking to start a new life in Peru - which has one of the region's fastest growing economies - travelling there via Colombia and Ecuador. On Friday there was a rush of people heading to the Peruvian border and Ecuador created what it called a \"humanitarian corridor\" by laying on buses to take migrants through the country. Peruvian Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva said requiring Venezuelans to show their passport at the border did not mean that Peru was \"closing the door\" to migrants. He said ID cards did not provide enough information and could easily be forged. Citizens of most South American nations can visit countries in the region without needing a visa or even a passport. The Andean Community trading bloc - which includes Ecuador and Peru - also allows visa and passport-free travel for its citizens, although Venezuela withdrew from the grouping in 2006. Peru is already home to about 400,000 Venezuelan migrants, most of whom arrived in the past year. On Friday, more than 2,500 crossed into the small Peruvian border town of Aguas Verdes, with thousands more trying to reach Peru at the main crossing point at Tumbes. The Tumbes crossing has seen about 3,000 arrivals per day in recent weeks. By Katy Watson, BBC News, Huaquillas, on the Peru-Ecuador border Throughout Friday evening Venezuelans kept arriving, many in government-commandeered buses that had brought them from the Colombia-Ecuador border. It was called a humanitarian corridor but, of course, it was one that was in Ecuador's interests, too. They didn't want to be left with stranded Venezuelans once midnight had passed. With less than 10 minutes to go before the deadline, there were more than 100 people with no passports waiting in the queue hoping to be allowed into Peru. Migration officials handed out a small pink ticket to those lining up. Those who were in the queue before midnight would be allowed to cross the border. Anyone else arriving after midnight would not. A seemingly insignificant piece of paper but one that would define the future for these Venezuelans heading to Peru to find work. Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - a UN agency - said increasing border restrictions coupled with an outbreak of violence on the Brazilian border last week, was an early warning sign that the region was in need of help. \"This is building to a crisis moment that we've seen in other parts of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean,\" he told reporters. Chiara Cardoletti of the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), said other countries in the region had welcomed Venezuelans and were helping to \"avoid a situation like the one we have seen in Europe\". \"What we are seeing is a continent that has opened its doors to people who are fleeing and who need support,\" she told the BBC. Ms Cardoletti added that Colombia had registered more than 450,000 Venezuelans and given them regular status. Ecuador brought in new passport regulations last week, leaving hundreds of migrants stranded on it border with Colombia. However, on Friday, a judge found that requiring Venezuelans to carry valid passports broke regional agreements on freedom of movement. More than half a million Venezuelans have crossed into Ecuador this year alone and more than a million have entered Colombia in the past 15 months. Brazil's northern state of Roraima has also had its attempt to close the border with Venezuela thrown out by a judge. Violence erupted in the border town of Pacaraima last week when local residents attacked makeshift camps housing Venezuelan migrants. The camps were burned down and the occupants temporarily fled back across the border. Despite the violence, the number of Venezuelans crossing daily into Brazil has continued to rise. The government took drastic measures to stabilise the economy last week, issuing new banknotes that slashed five zeros off the bolivar. Runaway inflation had been predicted to hit one million per cent by the end of the year. On Friday, Venezuela's information minister Jorge Rodriguez said the measures would persuade those Venezuelans who had left to return. Economists have warned that the new measures do not address the root causes of inflation in Venezuela and that the printing of new notes could exacerbate inflation rather than curb it.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 965, "answer_end": 2310, "text": "The authorities in Lima set a deadline of midnight on Friday for the new passport rules to come into force. Many Venezuelans have been looking to start a new life in Peru - which has one of the region's fastest growing economies - travelling there via Colombia and Ecuador. On Friday there was a rush of people heading to the Peruvian border and Ecuador created what it called a \"humanitarian corridor\" by laying on buses to take migrants through the country. Peruvian Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva said requiring Venezuelans to show their passport at the border did not mean that Peru was \"closing the door\" to migrants. He said ID cards did not provide enough information and could easily be forged. Citizens of most South American nations can visit countries in the region without needing a visa or even a passport. The Andean Community trading bloc - which includes Ecuador and Peru - also allows visa and passport-free travel for its citizens, although Venezuela withdrew from the grouping in 2006. Peru is already home to about 400,000 Venezuelan migrants, most of whom arrived in the past year. On Friday, more than 2,500 crossed into the small Peruvian border town of Aguas Verdes, with thousands more trying to reach Peru at the main crossing point at Tumbes. The Tumbes crossing has seen about 3,000 arrivals per day in recent weeks."}], "question": "What is happening in Peru?", "id": "351_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3192, "answer_end": 4025, "text": "Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - a UN agency - said increasing border restrictions coupled with an outbreak of violence on the Brazilian border last week, was an early warning sign that the region was in need of help. \"This is building to a crisis moment that we've seen in other parts of the world, particularly in the Mediterranean,\" he told reporters. Chiara Cardoletti of the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), said other countries in the region had welcomed Venezuelans and were helping to \"avoid a situation like the one we have seen in Europe\". \"What we are seeing is a continent that has opened its doors to people who are fleeing and who need support,\" she told the BBC. Ms Cardoletti added that Colombia had registered more than 450,000 Venezuelans and given them regular status."}], "question": "What has the UN said?", "id": "351_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4026, "answer_end": 4866, "text": "Ecuador brought in new passport regulations last week, leaving hundreds of migrants stranded on it border with Colombia. However, on Friday, a judge found that requiring Venezuelans to carry valid passports broke regional agreements on freedom of movement. More than half a million Venezuelans have crossed into Ecuador this year alone and more than a million have entered Colombia in the past 15 months. Brazil's northern state of Roraima has also had its attempt to close the border with Venezuela thrown out by a judge. Violence erupted in the border town of Pacaraima last week when local residents attacked makeshift camps housing Venezuelan migrants. The camps were burned down and the occupants temporarily fled back across the border. Despite the violence, the number of Venezuelans crossing daily into Brazil has continued to rise."}], "question": "How are other countries affected?", "id": "351_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4867, "answer_end": 5411, "text": "The government took drastic measures to stabilise the economy last week, issuing new banknotes that slashed five zeros off the bolivar. Runaway inflation had been predicted to hit one million per cent by the end of the year. On Friday, Venezuela's information minister Jorge Rodriguez said the measures would persuade those Venezuelans who had left to return. Economists have warned that the new measures do not address the root causes of inflation in Venezuela and that the printing of new notes could exacerbate inflation rather than curb it."}], "question": "What has Venezuela said?", "id": "351_3"}]}]}, {"title": "UK Brexit: Could Cyprus inspire pro-EU Scotland?", "date": "23 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An experience from the opposite end of Europe might influence Scotland's bid to remain in the EU during the UK's Brexit negotiations. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. Yet the island's breakaway, Turkish-controlled north is not internationally recognised, and EU laws don't apply there. The UK's sovereign military bases in Cyprus are also outside the EU and have a special status. The EU showed flexibility for Cyprus. It might do the same for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where majorities voted Remain (62% and 55.8%, respectively). The EU managed to find a way to admit the Republic of Cyprus, even though Turkey occupied the north in 1974 and the authorities there created the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Cyprus country profile Cyprus adopted the euro as its currency in 2008, yet the north uses the Turkish lira. And the massive body of EU law - called the Acquis - does not extend to the occupied north. A UN buffer zone - the Green Line - divides the island. But in recent years peace efforts have facilitated contacts between the Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities. Free movement of people - as British voters well know - is a thorny issue in the EU. It is one of the EU's cherished \"four freedoms\", enabling workers to move easily to another EU country. But it is problematic because it sets no upper limit on immigration. And it does not operate across the Green Line. The other three EU single market freedoms are: free movement of capital, goods and services. To control the movement of people and goods in Cyprus the EU adopted the Green Line Regulation. The Republic of Cyprus has to check the IDs of everyone crossing the Green Line, and check all goods entering the EU from the island's north. Cyprus and the UK are not in the EU's Schengen passport-free zone, where border checks are generally minimal. Cyprus aims to heal its great divide The UK government says it will not trigger the two-year exit procedure - EU Article 50 - until next year. But when the formal exit negotiations begin, \"some lessons can be learnt\" from Cyprus's experience, as parts of the island required new agreements with the EU, Cypriot centre-left MEP Costas Mavrides told the BBC. Because of the size of Scotland's Remain vote, Scottish resistance to Brexit appears stronger than that in Northern Ireland. But constitutionally neither nation can stop the UK - as a state - going ahead with Brexit. The UK's constitutional wrangling over Brexit and its consequences looks likely to be complex and take years. But if pressure for Scottish independence grows, the Cyprus model could help serve as a transitional arrangement, according to lawyer Nikos Skoutaris. The EU Law lecturer at the University of East Anglia says in an analysis that Scotland and Northern Ireland might reach separate arrangements with the EU as \"a tangible alternative to secession [from the UK]\". The UK might then become \"almost a confederation, but it will still be one recognised state\". How could Scotland stay in the EU? Hollande to demand fast Brexit talks That is the UK government's position - and EU politicians have also stressed that the formal negotiations will be with the UK. So, no \"Brexit lite\" for Scotland or Northern Ireland. Under the Sewel Convention, the Scottish Parliament should be asked to give consent to any UK legislation that affects Scotland - and that would clearly be the case with Brexit. But Scotland cannot veto Brexit. According to Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, \"Scotland cannot delay Brexit - it can only pass resolutions. \"Westminster can overrule the Scots on this issue, it's a matter of sovereignty,\" he said. The EU will negotiate Brexit only with the UK, because \"traditionally EU institutions are strongly opposed to separatism, as a destabilising force in the EU,\" he told the BBC. Spain, worried about the strong independence campaign in Catalonia, does not want Scotland to create a precedent in the EU. Mr Grant is on an expert panel advising the Scottish government on EU relations, as is MEP Alyn Smith of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Mr Smith insisted that \"everything is on the table, all options are to be explored\". \"[EU] membership is one thing, status is another, involvement in EU programmes is another,\" he told the BBC. While he admitted that Westminster could overrule Scotland on Brexit, he said he was \"loath to talk about vetoes or delays\". \"But there is recognition that Scotland is looking for something different - the Brussels people know there's a plurality of interests in the UK.\" Yes - there are many different EU arrangements to accommodate national differences. As part of the Brexit process the UK will have to re-examine its sovereign bases in Cyprus. The Cyprus government voiced concern about Brexit's impact on the 15,000 Cypriots living in the Sovereign Base Areas. They are EU citizens, living in British territory. \"Living in areas exempted from the EU, now their status is not very clear,\" Mr Mavrides said. Mr Smith says Scotland's SNP government is looking at the status of territories contained in other EU member states. Among them: the Aland Islands (Finland), the Faroes (Denmark) and Guadeloupe (France). But dealing with small overseas territories is one thing - Brexit quite another. The only territory to have left the EU is Greenland, part of Denmark. Its exit, in 1985, came after three years of negotiations. A fishing dispute triggered it - and Greenland's population is just 57,000. The reality is that no existing model matches the Brexit case, as the UK is one of Europe's biggest economies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3049, "answer_end": 4572, "text": "That is the UK government's position - and EU politicians have also stressed that the formal negotiations will be with the UK. So, no \"Brexit lite\" for Scotland or Northern Ireland. Under the Sewel Convention, the Scottish Parliament should be asked to give consent to any UK legislation that affects Scotland - and that would clearly be the case with Brexit. But Scotland cannot veto Brexit. According to Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, \"Scotland cannot delay Brexit - it can only pass resolutions. \"Westminster can overrule the Scots on this issue, it's a matter of sovereignty,\" he said. The EU will negotiate Brexit only with the UK, because \"traditionally EU institutions are strongly opposed to separatism, as a destabilising force in the EU,\" he told the BBC. Spain, worried about the strong independence campaign in Catalonia, does not want Scotland to create a precedent in the EU. Mr Grant is on an expert panel advising the Scottish government on EU relations, as is MEP Alyn Smith of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Mr Smith insisted that \"everything is on the table, all options are to be explored\". \"[EU] membership is one thing, status is another, involvement in EU programmes is another,\" he told the BBC. While he admitted that Westminster could overrule Scotland on Brexit, he said he was \"loath to talk about vetoes or delays\". \"But there is recognition that Scotland is looking for something different - the Brussels people know there's a plurality of interests in the UK.\""}], "question": "Isn't it 'Brexit means Brexit' for the whole UK?", "id": "352_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4573, "answer_end": 5612, "text": "Yes - there are many different EU arrangements to accommodate national differences. As part of the Brexit process the UK will have to re-examine its sovereign bases in Cyprus. The Cyprus government voiced concern about Brexit's impact on the 15,000 Cypriots living in the Sovereign Base Areas. They are EU citizens, living in British territory. \"Living in areas exempted from the EU, now their status is not very clear,\" Mr Mavrides said. Mr Smith says Scotland's SNP government is looking at the status of territories contained in other EU member states. Among them: the Aland Islands (Finland), the Faroes (Denmark) and Guadeloupe (France). But dealing with small overseas territories is one thing - Brexit quite another. The only territory to have left the EU is Greenland, part of Denmark. Its exit, in 1985, came after three years of negotiations. A fishing dispute triggered it - and Greenland's population is just 57,000. The reality is that no existing model matches the Brexit case, as the UK is one of Europe's biggest economies."}], "question": "Are there other half-in, half-out options?", "id": "352_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Kashmir clashes: Indian shelling 'kills nine on bus'", "date": "23 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Officials in Pakistan say at least nine people were killed when cross-border shelling from India hit a passenger bus in the disputed Kashmir region. Eleven others were reportedly wounded. Officials say two people also died in Indian shelling elsewhere in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India had earlier vowed to avenge the killing of three soldiers, one of whose bodies it said had been mutilated. Tensions have risen since militants killed 19 Indian troops in September. Both countries accuse each other of violating a 2003 truce accord. - India and Pakistan have disputed the territory for nearly 70 years - since independence from Britain - Both countries claim the whole territory but control only parts of it - Since 1989 there has been an armed revolt in the Muslim-majority region against rule by India, which is mostly Hindu - Two out of three wars fought between India and Pakistan centred on Kashmir - A new war could be even more disastrous as both states now have nuclear arsenals Kashmir - the region at the heart of dispute The teenager blinded by pellets in Indian Kashmir The passenger bus reportedly came under fire from India's side of the de facto border as it was travelling from Kel to Muzaffarabad in the Neelum valley region. Pakistani officials accused India of deliberately targeting civilians. There was no immediate response from India. On Tuesday the Indian army promised \"heavy\" retribution\" after one of its patrols was ambushed in the Kupwara sector. Pakistan says more than 30 civilians and 11 soldiers have been killed on its side in fighting since August. India says 12 civilians and 11 of its soldiers have died over a similar period. Dozens more have been injured and thousands of people have left the area or are trapped in their homes. Before the new deaths this week, the Pakistani military apparently suffered its biggest single loss of life in Kashmir since the 2003 truce, when seven soldiers were killed in shelling in a single day. Firing from both sides has increased since the deadly militant attack on an Indian army base on 18 September. India hit back on 30 September with cross-border \"surgical strikes\" targeting militant groups blamed for killing the soldiers. A BBC investigation found that Indian troops had crossed the de facto border (the \"Line of Control\") to hit border posts but then pulled back without going deep into Pakistani-administered territory. Narendra Modi's BJP government swept to power in 2014 promising a tough line on Pakistan and was under tremendous pressure to hit back after its soldiers were killed in September. Many observers say Mr Modi feels he has to placate an angry domestic constituency and send out a message that he is a strong leader. Pakistan accuses India of taking military action to deflect attention from human rights abuses in the region. At least 85 people, nearly all protesters, have died in months of violent unrest against Indian rule since a popular militant leader was killed in the summer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1775, "answer_end": 2413, "text": "Before the new deaths this week, the Pakistani military apparently suffered its biggest single loss of life in Kashmir since the 2003 truce, when seven soldiers were killed in shelling in a single day. Firing from both sides has increased since the deadly militant attack on an Indian army base on 18 September. India hit back on 30 September with cross-border \"surgical strikes\" targeting militant groups blamed for killing the soldiers. A BBC investigation found that Indian troops had crossed the de facto border (the \"Line of Control\") to hit border posts but then pulled back without going deep into Pakistani-administered territory."}], "question": "How bad is the situation?", "id": "353_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2414, "answer_end": 2995, "text": "Narendra Modi's BJP government swept to power in 2014 promising a tough line on Pakistan and was under tremendous pressure to hit back after its soldiers were killed in September. Many observers say Mr Modi feels he has to placate an angry domestic constituency and send out a message that he is a strong leader. Pakistan accuses India of taking military action to deflect attention from human rights abuses in the region. At least 85 people, nearly all protesters, have died in months of violent unrest against Indian rule since a popular militant leader was killed in the summer."}], "question": "Why did India go in so hard?", "id": "353_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Woman punched man who grabbed her genitals in nightclub", "date": "18 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A woman who punched a man when he grabbed her genitals twice in a club says she does not endorse violence but is proud of standing up for herself. Penny Reeve, 34, said people have been \"really supportive\" since she spoke out about what happened on social media. It has also encouraged people to share their own stories of \"pretty awful descriptions of abuse\", she said. Police in Nottinghamshire, where the assault happened, have asked people to report incidents like this to them. Miss Reeve, from Nottingham, said: \"I don't endorse violence at all, though I do endorse the right to self-defence and a woman's right to agency over her own body and who's allowed to touch it. \"Post the #MeToo movement I think there's much less patience for this kind of behaviour and people would like to see it challenged on a more regular basis.\" The man grabbed Miss Reeve while she was dancing with friends at Mojo in Nottingham city centre on Saturday 11 August. She initially thought the first contact may have been accidental, but when the man did it a second time she \"immediately\" punched him in the ribs, then challenged him. \"He just looked very embarrassed and ashamed of himself and kind of mumbled sorry and went to the other side of the club,\" she said. She later posted about what happened on Twitter and Facebook. \"People have been really supportive of the way I reacted to the situation and really interesting discussions have opened up as a result,\" she said. \"On nights out I think often sexual harassment and assault is a way of men 'trying their luck' in a club, they often don't think of it as an offence.\" Touching another person sexually without their consent is sexual assault. Nottinghamshire Police said it also treats such incidents as misogyny hate crime. \"Unwanted sexual contact is an offence and will not be tolerated and we would urge anyone who experiences it to ring us on 101,\" a force spokesman said. \"If it happens in a bar or club, where possible, people can also go to a member of door staff.\" Miss Reeve said she did not report the incident because she felt she had dealt with it herself, but encouraged anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to do so. Miss Reeve's social media post prompted people to share their own stories of women being harassed or assaulted by men in public places. One woman posted: \"A bloke in town bit me on the arm a few years ago. I was so shocked I did nothing, didn't even report it which I regret now. \"I salute you for punching him, wish my reaction had been the same. Sometimes a physical response is warranted and proportionate - this is one of those cases.\" One man posted about witnessing a group of men pulling a young woman's skirt over her head while she was walking alone on a Saturday night. \"She's yelling and flailing, they're all laughing,\" he said. \"Eventually they let her go and she jogs off, yelling at them a bit. This all happens in front of Yates's - where the bouncer then gives them a 'Hey, lads!' and lets them all in.\" One woman described how a group of men surrounded her car, then one got in and they took photos and videos \"of me freaking out as they held the door closed\". The woman said she rang 999 and was told someone would come but they never did. \"I rang [the police] so many times to file a report and get an update and I was treated with total indifference and a 'boys will be boys' attitude,\" she said. \"My point is, I don't really trust the police anymore. And if we don't trust those who are supposed to protect us, what else are we to do but defend ourselves with violence if that's the only option as we see it?\" Another woman said: \"Once, at a festival, I crowd surfed to get out the pit and some guy stuck his hand up my top AND bra and grabbed my boob so I turned round and booted him in the face.\" Someone else described how a man pinched her friend's bottom in the street, then walked away giggling with his friends. \"She and I squared up to them and made it massively clear that what one of them had just done was not only assault but just stupid,\" she said. \"My friend wasn't embarrassed, but she was angry. He was embarrassed though. And his friends were embarrassed. And they all skulked off quietly.\" Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2192, "answer_end": 4221, "text": "Miss Reeve's social media post prompted people to share their own stories of women being harassed or assaulted by men in public places. One woman posted: \"A bloke in town bit me on the arm a few years ago. I was so shocked I did nothing, didn't even report it which I regret now. \"I salute you for punching him, wish my reaction had been the same. Sometimes a physical response is warranted and proportionate - this is one of those cases.\" One man posted about witnessing a group of men pulling a young woman's skirt over her head while she was walking alone on a Saturday night. \"She's yelling and flailing, they're all laughing,\" he said. \"Eventually they let her go and she jogs off, yelling at them a bit. This all happens in front of Yates's - where the bouncer then gives them a 'Hey, lads!' and lets them all in.\" One woman described how a group of men surrounded her car, then one got in and they took photos and videos \"of me freaking out as they held the door closed\". The woman said she rang 999 and was told someone would come but they never did. \"I rang [the police] so many times to file a report and get an update and I was treated with total indifference and a 'boys will be boys' attitude,\" she said. \"My point is, I don't really trust the police anymore. And if we don't trust those who are supposed to protect us, what else are we to do but defend ourselves with violence if that's the only option as we see it?\" Another woman said: \"Once, at a festival, I crowd surfed to get out the pit and some guy stuck his hand up my top AND bra and grabbed my boob so I turned round and booted him in the face.\" Someone else described how a man pinched her friend's bottom in the street, then walked away giggling with his friends. \"She and I squared up to them and made it massively clear that what one of them had just done was not only assault but just stupid,\" she said. \"My friend wasn't embarrassed, but she was angry. He was embarrassed though. And his friends were embarrassed. And they all skulked off quietly.\""}], "question": "Is a physical response warranted?", "id": "354_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Gosport hospital deaths: Independent panel findings due", "date": "20 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Families of hundreds of people who died at a scandal-hit hospital hope a report published later could end a decades-long wait for the truth. The report follows several inquiries into the prescribing of sedatives at Gosport War Memorial Hospital. A fresh review, led by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, spoke to more than 100 families and analysed 800 death certificates. Relatives said they hoped it would end their \"harrowing\" wait for answers. Bishop Jones chaired the Hillsborough Independent Panel whose work in examining documents and evidence led to the new inquests into the deaths at the 1989 disaster. He said the Gosport Independent Panel's report, which was commissioned in 2014, would first be shared with affected families at Portsmouth Cathedral before it is made public. So far, the only person to face disciplinary action has been Dr Jane Barton, who was found guilty of failings in her care of 12 patients at the hospital between 1996 and 1999. The panel's investigation is expected to focus on those who died while under the care of the hospital's Department of Medicine for Elderly People. A campaign by a number of families led to inquests into 10 deaths at the hospital which found drugs were a contributory factor in some cases. Elsie Devine, 88, from Fareham, was admitted to the hospital in 1999 with confusion and kidney problems. Her notes showed she had been sitting up and chatting happily, but she was given powerful sedatives, lost consciousness and never recovered. In 2009, an inquest found the drugs she had been given were not appropriate for her condition and had contributed to her death. Sent to Gosport War Memorial Hospital to recover from a hip operation, Gladys Richards, 91, from Lee-on-Solent, later died after being given opiates and sedatives. An inquest jury found they \"more than insignificantly\" contributed to her death. The panel would not disclose the total number of deaths discussed in its report, but Bishop Jones previously urged families with concerns over the treatment of their deceased relatives in the 1980s and early 2000s to come forward. His team had been due to return its findings last December, but the deadline was extended as more families came forward and the volume of material being reviewed increased. As well as speaking to more than 100 families and analysing about 800 death certificates, the panel also analysed documents from the police, coroners, the NHS and other organisations before writing its report. The panel also included geriatric medicine specialist Dr Colin Currie, investigative journalist David Hencke, former Scotland Yard Commander Duncan Jarrett and pathology and medical records expert Dr Bill Kirkup. At its launch four years ago, former Care Minister Norman Lamb said the new inquiry would address what he called \"unanswered questions\" about the care of those who died. Mr Lamb described the families' wait for answers as \"scandalous\". \"There has been a real systemic failure here. . . a closing of ranks in my view,\" he added. Concerns over deaths at the hospital were first raised in 1998, with previous investigations focusing on the prescribing of sedatives at the hospital. A report first compiled by Prof Richard Baker in 2003 and published 10 years later found evidence of an \"almost routine use of opiates\" since 1998. This had, he said, \"almost certainly shortened the lives of some patients\". While it was not possible to identify the origin of the practice, he wrote, it could not be ruled out that a small number of those who died would otherwise have been discharged from hospital alive. Police previously investigated the deaths of 92 patients at the hospital but no prosecutions were brought. The only person to face disciplinary action was Dr Barton. A General Medical Council hearing in 2010 found she had prescribed \"potentially hazardous\" levels of drugs to patients who later died at the hospital. She told the council she had to work under \"unreasonable pressure\" with an \"excessive and increasing burden\" in caring for patients. Despite the council's findings, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution on gross negligence manslaughter charges. Elsie Devine's granddaughter, Bridget Reeves, said she had a room in her house \"filled with boxes and boxes of paperwork\" about her grandmother's death. \"My mother has campaigned just relentlessly for justice - for the truth - and I don't think, unless you walk in our shoes, you can understand exactly what it's been like,\" she said. \"It's been harrowing - I mean it's nearly 20 years for us.\" Ms Reeves is among the relatives who previously criticised the decision to form an independent panel. \"The frustration is that when we started we wanted a public inquiry but we were told very clearly that the cost would be far too great,\" she said. Gladys Richards' daughter Gillian McKenzie was the first relative to approach the police about a death at the hospital in 1998. She said she hoped there would be a debate in parliament following the report findings and there would be \"enough pressure\" for criminal proceedings to commence. \"There has to be justice and somebody has to be answerable,\" she said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 969, "answer_end": 1876, "text": "The panel's investigation is expected to focus on those who died while under the care of the hospital's Department of Medicine for Elderly People. A campaign by a number of families led to inquests into 10 deaths at the hospital which found drugs were a contributory factor in some cases. Elsie Devine, 88, from Fareham, was admitted to the hospital in 1999 with confusion and kidney problems. Her notes showed she had been sitting up and chatting happily, but she was given powerful sedatives, lost consciousness and never recovered. In 2009, an inquest found the drugs she had been given were not appropriate for her condition and had contributed to her death. Sent to Gosport War Memorial Hospital to recover from a hip operation, Gladys Richards, 91, from Lee-on-Solent, later died after being given opiates and sedatives. An inquest jury found they \"more than insignificantly\" contributed to her death."}], "question": "What happened to some of those who died?", "id": "355_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3032, "answer_end": 4213, "text": "Concerns over deaths at the hospital were first raised in 1998, with previous investigations focusing on the prescribing of sedatives at the hospital. A report first compiled by Prof Richard Baker in 2003 and published 10 years later found evidence of an \"almost routine use of opiates\" since 1998. This had, he said, \"almost certainly shortened the lives of some patients\". While it was not possible to identify the origin of the practice, he wrote, it could not be ruled out that a small number of those who died would otherwise have been discharged from hospital alive. Police previously investigated the deaths of 92 patients at the hospital but no prosecutions were brought. The only person to face disciplinary action was Dr Barton. A General Medical Council hearing in 2010 found she had prescribed \"potentially hazardous\" levels of drugs to patients who later died at the hospital. She told the council she had to work under \"unreasonable pressure\" with an \"excessive and increasing burden\" in caring for patients. Despite the council's findings, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution on gross negligence manslaughter charges."}], "question": "What has happened so far?", "id": "355_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4214, "answer_end": 5218, "text": "Elsie Devine's granddaughter, Bridget Reeves, said she had a room in her house \"filled with boxes and boxes of paperwork\" about her grandmother's death. \"My mother has campaigned just relentlessly for justice - for the truth - and I don't think, unless you walk in our shoes, you can understand exactly what it's been like,\" she said. \"It's been harrowing - I mean it's nearly 20 years for us.\" Ms Reeves is among the relatives who previously criticised the decision to form an independent panel. \"The frustration is that when we started we wanted a public inquiry but we were told very clearly that the cost would be far too great,\" she said. Gladys Richards' daughter Gillian McKenzie was the first relative to approach the police about a death at the hospital in 1998. She said she hoped there would be a debate in parliament following the report findings and there would be \"enough pressure\" for criminal proceedings to commence. \"There has to be justice and somebody has to be answerable,\" she said."}], "question": "What do families want to see happen?", "id": "355_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Al Jazeera suspends journalists for Holocaust denial video", "date": "20 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Al Jazeera has suspended two journalists over a video they produced that denied the facts of the Holocaust. The Qatari state-funded broadcaster had published the video on its online AJ+ video service in Arabic. During World War Two, six million Jewish people were systematically killed by the Nazis. Al Jazeera's video said this number had been exaggerated and \"adopted by the Zionist movement\", and that Israel is the \"biggest winner\" from the genocide. Its narrator also asked, \"why is there a focus only on them?\" - referring to the Jewish victims - before claiming that the community uses \"financial resources [and] media institutions\" to \"put a special spotlight\" on Jewish suffering. The video was published on the AJ+ Twitter and Facebook pages on Friday evening local time, with a caption asking: \"What is the truth of the Holocaust and how did the Zionist movement benefit from it?\" It was posted in Arabic, but drew strong criticism after the US-based non-profit Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri) tweeted an English translation. Questioning the number of Jewish victims killed, suggesting that Jewish people manipulate the media, and claiming that Jewish people or the State of Israel benefit from the Holocaust have been condemned as forms of anti-Semitism. Emmanuel Nahshon, spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the video was \"the worst kind of pernicious evil\". \"That's how Al Jazeera brainwashes young people in the Arab world and perpetuates hatred of Israel and the Jews,\" he said. \"Lies and evil propagated by the ideological descendants of 'Der Sturmer'.\" Der Sturmer was an anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda publication. Medhi Hasan, one of the broadcaster's most prominent journalists, said he was \"glad to see Al Jazeera bosses taking disciplinary action\" over the \"ridiculously offensive and dumb video\". And some people noted the difference between the content published on Al Jazeera's Arabic pages, and its English language journalism. In a statement released on Sunday evening, Al Jazeera said it had \"swiftly deleted\" the video, stating that it had \"violated the editorial standards of the network\". \"Al Jazeera stated today, that it has taken disciplinary action and suspended two of its journalists over video content produced on the Holocaust,\" it said. The statement added that Al Jazeera \"continues to adhere to the journalistic values of honesty, courage, fairness, balance, independence, credibility and diversity, giving no priority to commercial or political over professional consideration. \"In addition, the Network recognizes the diversity in societies with all races, cultures, beliefs and their values and intrinsic individualities.\" Dr Yaser Bishr, executive director of the broadcaster's digital division, also said that he had called for \"mandatory bias training and awareness programme\". AJ+ channels' managing director Dima Khatib added that the video \"was produced without the due oversight\". Analysis by Amira Fathalla, BBC Monitoring Al Jazeera English is known to audiences worldwide for its varied coverage, which often sheds light on underreported stories. But its reporting - which only occasionally hints at the affiliations of its Qatari owners - comes in stark contrast to Al Jazeera Arabic. AJA's obvious stance on key regional crises and rivalries heavily colours its output. Its friendly coverage of Islamist groups - particularly favouring those aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood - came to the fore particularly with the 2011 uprisings in the region. Some of its correspondents have adopted a still harder line. In 2015, prominent anchor Ahmed Mansour offered a sympathetic account of the activities of al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate in a lengthy interview with its leader. Since a major rift between Gulf states erupted in 2017, AJA's coverage has also shifted closer to Iran.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 690, "answer_end": 1986, "text": "The video was published on the AJ+ Twitter and Facebook pages on Friday evening local time, with a caption asking: \"What is the truth of the Holocaust and how did the Zionist movement benefit from it?\" It was posted in Arabic, but drew strong criticism after the US-based non-profit Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri) tweeted an English translation. Questioning the number of Jewish victims killed, suggesting that Jewish people manipulate the media, and claiming that Jewish people or the State of Israel benefit from the Holocaust have been condemned as forms of anti-Semitism. Emmanuel Nahshon, spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the video was \"the worst kind of pernicious evil\". \"That's how Al Jazeera brainwashes young people in the Arab world and perpetuates hatred of Israel and the Jews,\" he said. \"Lies and evil propagated by the ideological descendants of 'Der Sturmer'.\" Der Sturmer was an anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda publication. Medhi Hasan, one of the broadcaster's most prominent journalists, said he was \"glad to see Al Jazeera bosses taking disciplinary action\" over the \"ridiculously offensive and dumb video\". And some people noted the difference between the content published on Al Jazeera's Arabic pages, and its English language journalism."}], "question": "How did people react to the video?", "id": "356_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1987, "answer_end": 2965, "text": "In a statement released on Sunday evening, Al Jazeera said it had \"swiftly deleted\" the video, stating that it had \"violated the editorial standards of the network\". \"Al Jazeera stated today, that it has taken disciplinary action and suspended two of its journalists over video content produced on the Holocaust,\" it said. The statement added that Al Jazeera \"continues to adhere to the journalistic values of honesty, courage, fairness, balance, independence, credibility and diversity, giving no priority to commercial or political over professional consideration. \"In addition, the Network recognizes the diversity in societies with all races, cultures, beliefs and their values and intrinsic individualities.\" Dr Yaser Bishr, executive director of the broadcaster's digital division, also said that he had called for \"mandatory bias training and awareness programme\". AJ+ channels' managing director Dima Khatib added that the video \"was produced without the due oversight\"."}], "question": "What has Al Jazeera said?", "id": "356_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Olympics 2016: Somali athletes' hard road to Rio", "date": "3 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Somalia - the nation that produced double Olympic champion Mo Farah - has sent only two athletes to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Runners Maryan Nuh Muse and Mohamed Daud Mohamed are joining more than 11,000 athletes there. But why such a small team? The problem is not lack of talent. Both Farah, who won two gold medals at London 2012, and Mohammed Ahmed, who made his Olympic debut then, coming 18th in the 10,000m, were born in the Somali capital Mogadishu. But both were competing for their adoptive countries, having left Somalia with their families when they were youngsters. Farah now represents Great Britain and Ahmed runs for Canada. First, the Somali Olympic National Committee has little by way of a budget for its athletes. The team does not have private doctors. Any medical treatment needed must come from public hospitals, themselves under-funded and lacking proper equipment. It began preparations for Rio in 2014 by deciding to appoint a technical group charged with travelling widely in Somalia to identify and train potential competitors. But spotting talent outside Mogadishu has been hampered by the fact that some areas are still under the control of militant Islamist group al-Shabab. And many young Somalis have been leaving the country to try to escape the violence and poverty. One was sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar, who represented Somalia at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She initially moved to Ethiopia, in part to avoid being harassed by local militants who disapproved of Muslim women competing in sport. Her story inspired a graphic novel by Richard Kleist entitled \"An Olympic Dream\". But Samia's dream was shattered in 2012 as she drowned when a boat in which she was trying to reach Europe capsized off the Libyan coast. Mohamed Daud Mohamed, 20, will compete in the 5,000m. Born in neighbouring Kenya, he is a former footballer. The Rio games will be his first international competition. Maryan Nuh Muse, 19, has already represented Somalia in various African and international competitions including the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China. She will be running in the 400m. The road to the Olympics has not been an easy one. Their training sessions at Mogadishu's Banaadir Stadium were not helped by the lack of proper equipment and the poor state of the track. Their coach, Mohamed Addow, told the African news agency recently that they had \"been training for seven months now and I hope that our efforts will bear fruits\". Somalia has taken part in 11 Olympic Games but has never won a single medal. Perhaps these two athletes can change that record. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring  on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1755, "answer_end": 2737, "text": "Mohamed Daud Mohamed, 20, will compete in the 5,000m. Born in neighbouring Kenya, he is a former footballer. The Rio games will be his first international competition. Maryan Nuh Muse, 19, has already represented Somalia in various African and international competitions including the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China. She will be running in the 400m. The road to the Olympics has not been an easy one. Their training sessions at Mogadishu's Banaadir Stadium were not helped by the lack of proper equipment and the poor state of the track. Their coach, Mohamed Addow, told the African news agency recently that they had \"been training for seven months now and I hope that our efforts will bear fruits\". Somalia has taken part in 11 Olympic Games but has never won a single medal. Perhaps these two athletes can change that record. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring  on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "Who are the Somali competitors?", "id": "357_0"}]}]}, {"title": "UK power cut: Why it caused so much disruption", "date": "10 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "When two power stations disconnected from the National Grid for 15 minutes, rail travellers ended up stranded for hours. How did it happen and why did it have such a big impact? It started with a routine blip - the gas-fired power station at Little Barford in Bedfordshire shut down at 16:58 BST due to a technical issue. Then, a second power station, the new Hornsea offshore wind farm, also \"lost load\" - meaning the turbines were still moving, but power was not reaching the grid. Two power stations shutting down almost simultaneously is \"a very rare event\", says David Hunter, energy analyst at Schneider Electric. \"That took the National Grid by surprise.\" He says an investigation into the causes may show that the two failures were \"coincidental and unconnected\", adding there have been occasions when two generators shut down independently before. But he said a power station dropping off the grid can also create a \"domino effect\", where other generators buckle under the strain of making up for the shortfall in power. Despite high winds on Friday, National Grid's director of operations Duncan Burt said the shutdowns had \"nothing to do with changes in wind speed or the variability of wind\". Experts say there is no reason to think wind farms are more likely than other generators to disconnect from the grid. But they say renewable energy such as wind power can create problems for the National Grid. \"Gas and coal-fired power stations have more flexibility. When one drops off it's easier for another to pick up the slack,\" Mr Hunter says. Wind power is less effective as a \"shock absorber\" to shifts in supply and demand, according to the energy analyst. He said National Grid was designing systems that were intended to cope with increasing amounts of renewable energy and those associated problems - but it was \"too early to say\" if it was a factor in Friday's power cuts. The National Grid has to maintain an electrical frequency of 50Hz. When supply falls and demand remains high, the frequency drops - to 48.9Hz in this case, well below the accepted level. The wrong frequency can be dangerous, says Mr Hunter, causing damage to the UK electricity infrastructure. National Grid says its automated systems kick in to stop any damage, chiefly by cutting off parts of the grid to reduce overall demand. Stuck on a train with no food or toilets But Lord Adonis, a former chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, has questioned the design of the automated systems if one of the first things to be affected was the national transport system. He says National Grid needs to ensure \"when something like this happens - two power stations going down - it doesn't lead to the whole country grinding to a halt\". The blackouts were resolved relatively quickly. The power stations were back in action after 15 minutes and National Grid says local power suppliers were meeting demand by 17:40 BST. But that is little comfort to passengers like Lawal Brown, who boarded a Thameslink train at Stevenage at 16:45. It took nearly six hours before he was evacuated onto another train and many more before he made it home. Network Rail said the blackout affected signalling systems and power supply equipment across a large part of the rail system, but backup systems stepped in. That still meant some delays because of safety requirements, says Nick King, network services director for Network Rail. But he says further difficulties were caused by a \"major systems failure\" on \"one particular fleet of trains\". Thameslink has acknowledged that its trains required a technician to restart them after the power cut. Mr King says this caused \"significant disruption\" in parts of the network, although Network Rail, train operators and police worked \"flat out\" to rescue stranded passengers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 178, "answer_end": 1029, "text": "It started with a routine blip - the gas-fired power station at Little Barford in Bedfordshire shut down at 16:58 BST due to a technical issue. Then, a second power station, the new Hornsea offshore wind farm, also \"lost load\" - meaning the turbines were still moving, but power was not reaching the grid. Two power stations shutting down almost simultaneously is \"a very rare event\", says David Hunter, energy analyst at Schneider Electric. \"That took the National Grid by surprise.\" He says an investigation into the causes may show that the two failures were \"coincidental and unconnected\", adding there have been occasions when two generators shut down independently before. But he said a power station dropping off the grid can also create a \"domino effect\", where other generators buckle under the strain of making up for the shortfall in power."}], "question": "Why did the power stations fail?", "id": "358_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1030, "answer_end": 1890, "text": "Despite high winds on Friday, National Grid's director of operations Duncan Burt said the shutdowns had \"nothing to do with changes in wind speed or the variability of wind\". Experts say there is no reason to think wind farms are more likely than other generators to disconnect from the grid. But they say renewable energy such as wind power can create problems for the National Grid. \"Gas and coal-fired power stations have more flexibility. When one drops off it's easier for another to pick up the slack,\" Mr Hunter says. Wind power is less effective as a \"shock absorber\" to shifts in supply and demand, according to the energy analyst. He said National Grid was designing systems that were intended to cope with increasing amounts of renewable energy and those associated problems - but it was \"too early to say\" if it was a factor in Friday's power cuts."}], "question": "Was wind power to blame?", "id": "358_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1891, "answer_end": 2731, "text": "The National Grid has to maintain an electrical frequency of 50Hz. When supply falls and demand remains high, the frequency drops - to 48.9Hz in this case, well below the accepted level. The wrong frequency can be dangerous, says Mr Hunter, causing damage to the UK electricity infrastructure. National Grid says its automated systems kick in to stop any damage, chiefly by cutting off parts of the grid to reduce overall demand. Stuck on a train with no food or toilets But Lord Adonis, a former chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, has questioned the design of the automated systems if one of the first things to be affected was the national transport system. He says National Grid needs to ensure \"when something like this happens - two power stations going down - it doesn't lead to the whole country grinding to a halt\"."}], "question": "Why did parts of the grid shut down?", "id": "358_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2732, "answer_end": 3799, "text": "The blackouts were resolved relatively quickly. The power stations were back in action after 15 minutes and National Grid says local power suppliers were meeting demand by 17:40 BST. But that is little comfort to passengers like Lawal Brown, who boarded a Thameslink train at Stevenage at 16:45. It took nearly six hours before he was evacuated onto another train and many more before he made it home. Network Rail said the blackout affected signalling systems and power supply equipment across a large part of the rail system, but backup systems stepped in. That still meant some delays because of safety requirements, says Nick King, network services director for Network Rail. But he says further difficulties were caused by a \"major systems failure\" on \"one particular fleet of trains\". Thameslink has acknowledged that its trains required a technician to restart them after the power cut. Mr King says this caused \"significant disruption\" in parts of the network, although Network Rail, train operators and police worked \"flat out\" to rescue stranded passengers."}], "question": "Why did it take so long to fix the problems?", "id": "358_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed: Inside the mind of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner", "date": "10 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed has shaken up Ethiopia since becoming prime minister in April last year, but what ideas are guiding the man who has received the prize in Oslo? The BBC's Kalkidan Yibeltal in Addis Ababa has been reading the book that outlines his philosophy. Medemer has become a buzzword in Ethiopia. The Amharic language term which literally means \"addition\", but is also translated as \"coming together\", sums up what Prime Minister Abiy sees as a uniquely Ethiopian approach to dealing with the country's challenges. And it has become hard to escape after the prime minister's book of the same name was launched in lavish ceremonies across Ethiopia in October, with a reported hundreds of thousands of copies printed in the country's two most widely spoken languages - Amharic and Afaan Oromoo. Across 16 chapters and 280 pages he outlines his vision, which he says he has been nurturing since childhood. Mr Abiy wants to foster a sense of national unity in the face of ethnic divisions, but also wants to celebrate that diversity. His success in walking this tight-rope will define his time in power. At the heart of the philosophy is the conviction that different, and even contrary, views can be brought together and a compromise can be found. It is also a rejection of dogmatism. Since taking office, Mr Abiy has clearly departed from the way the country was governed for most of the last three decades. He has broken from the hard-line security state to encourage a more liberal approach to politics. He has also said that his predecessors' attempts to apply Marxist and statist approaches to economic development failed because they were alien to Ethiopia. \"We need a sovereign and Ethiopian philosophy that stems from Ethiopians' basic character, that can solve our problems... that can connect all of us,\" he writes in Medemer. He argues that Ethiopian culture values inclusion and cooperation. Critics say that while this might sound good, it does not offer a practical way forward or a guide about how that compromise can be found. In April, political analyst Hilina Berhanu said that while medemer was easily understandable and \"served as a painkiller\" for what went before, it lacks the complexity needed to map out the future. - His \"decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea\" - He initiated \"important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future\" - \"He has also pledged to strengthen democracy\" - He has \"engaged in other peace and reconciliation processes\" in the region Source: Nobel Committee Has Nobel winner really brought peace to East Africa? Mr Abiy began talking about medemer long before he became prime minister. Serving in senior government positions, he used the term while telling his colleagues the importance of bringing extreme opinions together and encouraging people to work in harmony. As prime minister he has said medemer can cure many of the woes ailing Africa's second most populous country, from poverty to deadly ethnic conflicts. He has urged people to come together under a shared vision rather than be trapped by a history of ethnic and political division. Otherwise, he has warned, the very existence of the state could be brought into question. It is somewhat ironic that while the prime minister has spoken about unity, his political reforms have lifted the lid on simmering ethnic tensions in the country. In the past 20 months, ethnic violence has claimed the lives of thousands of people and forced millions of others from their homes. More about how Ethiopia has changed under Abiy: Ethiopia's federal constitution, introduced in 1995, created ethnically based states. The arrangement puts a disproportionate emphasis on ethnic identity and ignores other forms of identity like gender and economic class, Mr Abiy says. But he also recognises that historical injustices against some ethnic groups could be behind the increased tensions. In fact, the prime minister, who is from the Oromo ethnic group, came to power on the back of a wave of protests from the Oromo community, who had complained of economic and political marginalisation. Nevertheless, medemer calls for ethnic groups to voluntarily come together in a union that celebrates and promotes diversity. Mr Abiy argues that ethnic nationalism can go hand in hand with what he calls \"civic nationalism\", which focuses on individual rights. How this can happen practically is harder to see. But in recent months, the prime minister has spearheaded the transformation of the country's ethnically based governing coalition into a single party. In a sign of how hard medemer might be to achieve in practise, this move was immediately rejected by some groups. In October, in a vivid sign that not everyone buys into Mr Abiy's vision for Ethiopia, some protesters burnt copies of his book, shouting \"down, down, medemer\". These were young Oromos, who feared that their interests could be ignored once again if national unity is promoted at the expense of ethnic interests. The leadership of the once-dominant Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have described the prime minister's philosophy as indistinct. The TPLF has refused to join Mr Abiy's new merged party. However, Mr Abiy is convinced it will help the country flourish and many supporters say it will build bridges in a country that is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1125, "answer_end": 2262, "text": "At the heart of the philosophy is the conviction that different, and even contrary, views can be brought together and a compromise can be found. It is also a rejection of dogmatism. Since taking office, Mr Abiy has clearly departed from the way the country was governed for most of the last three decades. He has broken from the hard-line security state to encourage a more liberal approach to politics. He has also said that his predecessors' attempts to apply Marxist and statist approaches to economic development failed because they were alien to Ethiopia. \"We need a sovereign and Ethiopian philosophy that stems from Ethiopians' basic character, that can solve our problems... that can connect all of us,\" he writes in Medemer. He argues that Ethiopian culture values inclusion and cooperation. Critics say that while this might sound good, it does not offer a practical way forward or a guide about how that compromise can be found. In April, political analyst Hilina Berhanu said that while medemer was easily understandable and \"served as a painkiller\" for what went before, it lacks the complexity needed to map out the future."}], "question": "What is the essence of medemer?", "id": "359_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2655, "answer_end": 3280, "text": "Mr Abiy began talking about medemer long before he became prime minister. Serving in senior government positions, he used the term while telling his colleagues the importance of bringing extreme opinions together and encouraging people to work in harmony. As prime minister he has said medemer can cure many of the woes ailing Africa's second most populous country, from poverty to deadly ethnic conflicts. He has urged people to come together under a shared vision rather than be trapped by a history of ethnic and political division. Otherwise, he has warned, the very existence of the state could be brought into question."}], "question": "Why has Abiy developed this idea?", "id": "359_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3281, "answer_end": 3575, "text": "It is somewhat ironic that while the prime minister has spoken about unity, his political reforms have lifted the lid on simmering ethnic tensions in the country. In the past 20 months, ethnic violence has claimed the lives of thousands of people and forced millions of others from their homes."}], "question": "What does it say about ethnicity in Ethiopia?", "id": "359_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4754, "answer_end": 5442, "text": "In October, in a vivid sign that not everyone buys into Mr Abiy's vision for Ethiopia, some protesters burnt copies of his book, shouting \"down, down, medemer\". These were young Oromos, who feared that their interests could be ignored once again if national unity is promoted at the expense of ethnic interests. The leadership of the once-dominant Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have described the prime minister's philosophy as indistinct. The TPLF has refused to join Mr Abiy's new merged party. However, Mr Abiy is convinced it will help the country flourish and many supporters say it will build bridges in a country that is deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines."}], "question": "Are people convinced?", "id": "359_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Dementia: Lifestyle changes that could lower your risk", "date": "14 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nearly everyone can lower their risk of dementia, even if it runs in the family, by living a healthy lifestyle, research suggests. The study of nearly 200,000 people showed the risk fell by up to a third. The team at the University of Exeter said the results were exciting, empowering and showed people were not doomed to get dementia. The findings were revealed at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. The researchers gave people a healthy lifestyle score based on a combination of exercise, diet, alcohol and smoking. This is an example of someone who scored well: - Doesn't currently smoke - Cycles at normal pace for two-and-a-half hours a week - Eats a balanced diet that includes more than three portions of fruit and vegetables a day, eats fish twice a week and rarely eats processed meat - Drinks up to one pint of beer a day - Currently smokes regularly - Does no regular exercise - Eats a diet that includes less than three servings of fruit and vegetables a week, and includes two or more servings of processed meat and of red meat a week - Drinks at least three pints of beer a day Sue Taylor, 62, from Exeter, has seen the impact of dementia on a family - both her mother and grandmother had the disease. She takes exercise classes in the park three times a week - even in winter - and has a 45-minute walk before work. \"It takes a lot of effort, you have to think about it and make it fit in,\" she told me. But she says it's worth it, especially for her grandchildren. \"I just want to keep my brain as sharp as possible for as long as possible. I don't want them to miss out on having grandparents both physically and mentally,\" she said. The study followed 196,383 people from the age of 64 for about eight years. It analysed people's DNA to assess their genetic risk of developing the disease. The study showed there were 18 cases of dementia per 1,000 people if they were born with high risk genes and then led an unhealthy lifestyle. But that went down to 11 per 1,000 people during the study if those high-risk people had a healthy lifestyle. The figures might seem small, but that is because your mid-60s are relatively young in terms of dementia. The researchers say cutting dementia rates by a third would have a profound impact in older age groups where the disease is more common. \"It could equate to hundreds of thousands of people,\" Dr David Llewellyn, told the BBC. Also, this type of research cannot definitively prove that lifestyle causes different risks of dementia. It simply spots patterns in the data. But the results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, fit with previous research and World Health Organization advice. Sadly, you can live the life of a saint and still get the disease. Lifestyle just changes the odds. However, there are still no drugs to change the course of this disease. Reducing your chances is all anyone can do. The findings may not apply to people with very early onset dementia that starts when people are in the 40s and 50s, say the researchers. But they think their results would apply to people in older age groups when dementia gets more common. The researchers say the study applies to dementia in general rather than specific forms of the disease like Alzheimer's or vascular dementia. \"Even if you're worried about dementia, maybe you've got a family history yourself, what our research suggests is it doesn't matter, Dr David Llewellyn, told the BBC. \"You're still likely to lower your own risk of dementia substantially if you change to a healthy lifestyle. \"That's really empowering.\" Fellow researcher Dr Elzbieta Kuzma said it was the first time anyone had shown you could counteract an inherited risk of dementia and the findings were \"exciting\". Fiona Carragher, from the Alzheimer's Society, commented: \"With one person developing dementia every three minutes in the UK, knowing how to lower our dementia risk couldn't be more vital. \"So hit that salad bar, swap a cocktail for a mocktail and get your exercise kit on!\" Dr Carol Routledge, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said the findings were \"important\". \"This is yet more evidence that there are things we can all do to reduce our risk of developing dementia, yet research suggests that only 34% of adults think that this is possible. \"While we can't change the genes we inherit, this research shows that changing our lifestyle can still help to stack the odds in our favour.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1111, "answer_end": 1669, "text": "Sue Taylor, 62, from Exeter, has seen the impact of dementia on a family - both her mother and grandmother had the disease. She takes exercise classes in the park three times a week - even in winter - and has a 45-minute walk before work. \"It takes a lot of effort, you have to think about it and make it fit in,\" she told me. But she says it's worth it, especially for her grandchildren. \"I just want to keep my brain as sharp as possible for as long as possible. I don't want them to miss out on having grandparents both physically and mentally,\" she said."}], "question": "How easy is it to do?", "id": "360_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1670, "answer_end": 2078, "text": "The study followed 196,383 people from the age of 64 for about eight years. It analysed people's DNA to assess their genetic risk of developing the disease. The study showed there were 18 cases of dementia per 1,000 people if they were born with high risk genes and then led an unhealthy lifestyle. But that went down to 11 per 1,000 people during the study if those high-risk people had a healthy lifestyle."}], "question": "So how big a difference did lifestyle make?", "id": "360_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2079, "answer_end": 2696, "text": "The figures might seem small, but that is because your mid-60s are relatively young in terms of dementia. The researchers say cutting dementia rates by a third would have a profound impact in older age groups where the disease is more common. \"It could equate to hundreds of thousands of people,\" Dr David Llewellyn, told the BBC. Also, this type of research cannot definitively prove that lifestyle causes different risks of dementia. It simply spots patterns in the data. But the results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, fit with previous research and World Health Organization advice."}], "question": "It doesn't seem like a big difference?", "id": "360_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2697, "answer_end": 2912, "text": "Sadly, you can live the life of a saint and still get the disease. Lifestyle just changes the odds. However, there are still no drugs to change the course of this disease. Reducing your chances is all anyone can do."}], "question": "Can I dodge dementia completely?", "id": "360_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2913, "answer_end": 3294, "text": "The findings may not apply to people with very early onset dementia that starts when people are in the 40s and 50s, say the researchers. But they think their results would apply to people in older age groups when dementia gets more common. The researchers say the study applies to dementia in general rather than specific forms of the disease like Alzheimer's or vascular dementia."}], "question": "Does this apply to everybody?", "id": "360_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3295, "answer_end": 3762, "text": "\"Even if you're worried about dementia, maybe you've got a family history yourself, what our research suggests is it doesn't matter, Dr David Llewellyn, told the BBC. \"You're still likely to lower your own risk of dementia substantially if you change to a healthy lifestyle. \"That's really empowering.\" Fellow researcher Dr Elzbieta Kuzma said it was the first time anyone had shown you could counteract an inherited risk of dementia and the findings were \"exciting\"."}], "question": "What is the key message?", "id": "360_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3763, "answer_end": 4471, "text": "Fiona Carragher, from the Alzheimer's Society, commented: \"With one person developing dementia every three minutes in the UK, knowing how to lower our dementia risk couldn't be more vital. \"So hit that salad bar, swap a cocktail for a mocktail and get your exercise kit on!\" Dr Carol Routledge, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said the findings were \"important\". \"This is yet more evidence that there are things we can all do to reduce our risk of developing dementia, yet research suggests that only 34% of adults think that this is possible. \"While we can't change the genes we inherit, this research shows that changing our lifestyle can still help to stack the odds in our favour.\" Follow James on Twitter."}], "question": "What do the experts say?", "id": "360_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Nikki Haley: US ambassador to UN resigns", "date": "9 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has announced she is resigning - after nearly two years in the post. President Donald Trump appeared in the Oval Office alongside Mrs Haley to say she had done \"an incredible job\". The 46-year-old former South Carolina governor - one of the few women in the Trump cabinet - gave no reason for her exit, but dismissed speculation she was planning to run for president in 2020. Mr Trump said he would name a replacement in two-three weeks. He said he would consider the candidature of Dina Powell - his former deputy security council adviser - and added that his daughter Ivanka \"would be dynamite\" as ambassador, but that he would be accused of nepotism if he chose her. Hours later, Ivanka ruled herself out of the race. Mrs Haley did not give details about her move - or what she would do next. \"It's been eight years of intense time, and I'm a believer in term limits,\" she said referring to her time in public office. \"I don't have anything set on where I'm going to go,\" she said. Mrs Haley told journalists she would be campaigning for \"this one\", pointing to Mr Trump. Mr Trump said Mrs Haley had told him some time ago she wanted to take some time off. The president said she \"has been very special to me, she has done an incredible job, she is a fantastic person, very importantly, but she is also somebody that gets it\". \"Hopefully you'll be coming back at some point, right,\" Mr Trump said. \"Maybe a different capacity, you can have your pick.\" Mrs Haley laughed. Analysis by Nick Bryant, BBC UN correspondent Through the revolving door of the Trump administration goes another high-level departure: UN ambassador Nikki Haley, by far the most high-profile woman in the cabinet, and an internationalist who's done much to protect the United Nations from Donald Trump's anti-globalist wrecking ball. She was a strident critic of Russia and Syria at the UN, and also fiercely critical of what she claimed was the global body's anti-Israel's bias. She supported shutting off US funding for the UN's Palestinian refugee agency and revelled in defending the Trump administration's decision to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the face of an acid show of international criticism. She was also instrumental in pressuring China to support a tough sanctions regime against North Korea. Sometimes, however, her style grated with colleagues. Her aggressive and repeated warnings about compiling a list of countries that didn't back the United States irritated even close allies. Yet it's often said that the UN's biggest peacekeeping mission is directed against the Trump White House, and Nikki Haley was seen as a valuable ally. A former governor of South Carolina, she's a talented politician who's widely spoken of as a future female US president. Though she has ruled out challenging Donald Trump in 2020, we have not heard the last of Nikki Haley. - Born Nimrata Randhawa to Indian immigrant parents, she was raised as a Sikh in Bamberg, South Carolina, later converting to Christianity - Her first job as a 13-year-old was bookkeeping for her family's clothing store - In 2010, she became South Carolina's first female and first minority governor - and youngest governor in the US - and was re-elected in 2014 - She received nationwide praise for removing the Confederate flag from the state capitol after a mass shooting on black churchgoers in Charleston in 2015 - She did not initially endorse Mr Trump during the 2016 campaign, instead backing Florida Senator Marco Rubio - Mrs Haley is married to Army National Guard Captain Michael Haley, and the couple have two teenage children Mrs Haley's resignation comes a day after an anti-corruption watchdog accused her of accepting seven luxury private plane trips as gifts from South Carolina business leaders. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Mrs Haley had undervalued the cost of the flights by tens of thousands of dollars in an annual financial disclosure report. In April, Mrs Haley clashed with the White House when a Trump aide suggested she had prematurely announced a round of sanctions against Russia. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow suggested she had got \"ahead of the curve\" and had a \"momentary confusion\". But she fired back hours later telling Fox News: \"With all due respect, I don't get confused.\" Mrs Haley was a frequent critic of Mr Trump during his election campaign. She had said that women who accused him of sexual assault \"should be heard\". At one point she suggested that Mr Trump's rhetoric could trigger a world war. Republican lawmakers praised Mrs Haley on Tuesday after news of her resignation broke. Retiring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said: \"She challenged friend and foe to be better.\" South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said she had been \"a true agent of reform\" at the UN. Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called her departure \"yet another sign of the Trump Administration's chaotic foreign policy\". He added that he is \"deeply concerned about the leadership vacuum she leaves and the national security impact of her departure at this time of continued disarray\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 1509, "text": "Mrs Haley did not give details about her move - or what she would do next. \"It's been eight years of intense time, and I'm a believer in term limits,\" she said referring to her time in public office. \"I don't have anything set on where I'm going to go,\" she said. Mrs Haley told journalists she would be campaigning for \"this one\", pointing to Mr Trump. Mr Trump said Mrs Haley had told him some time ago she wanted to take some time off. The president said she \"has been very special to me, she has done an incredible job, she is a fantastic person, very importantly, but she is also somebody that gets it\". \"Hopefully you'll be coming back at some point, right,\" Mr Trump said. \"Maybe a different capacity, you can have your pick.\" Mrs Haley laughed."}], "question": "What did Haley say about her abrupt move?", "id": "361_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3650, "answer_end": 4593, "text": "Mrs Haley's resignation comes a day after an anti-corruption watchdog accused her of accepting seven luxury private plane trips as gifts from South Carolina business leaders. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said Mrs Haley had undervalued the cost of the flights by tens of thousands of dollars in an annual financial disclosure report. In April, Mrs Haley clashed with the White House when a Trump aide suggested she had prematurely announced a round of sanctions against Russia. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow suggested she had got \"ahead of the curve\" and had a \"momentary confusion\". But she fired back hours later telling Fox News: \"With all due respect, I don't get confused.\" Mrs Haley was a frequent critic of Mr Trump during his election campaign. She had said that women who accused him of sexual assault \"should be heard\". At one point she suggested that Mr Trump's rhetoric could trigger a world war."}], "question": " Has Mrs Haley's tenure been smooth?", "id": "361_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4594, "answer_end": 5207, "text": "Republican lawmakers praised Mrs Haley on Tuesday after news of her resignation broke. Retiring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said: \"She challenged friend and foe to be better.\" South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said she had been \"a true agent of reform\" at the UN. Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called her departure \"yet another sign of the Trump Administration's chaotic foreign policy\". He added that he is \"deeply concerned about the leadership vacuum she leaves and the national security impact of her departure at this time of continued disarray\"."}], "question": "What is the reaction to her departure?", "id": "361_2"}]}]}, {"title": "William Barr: 'I will not be bullied,' Trump nominee says", "date": "15 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump's nominee to be US attorney general has vowed he will not be bullied by the president. William Barr also told his confirmation hearing the US inquiry into Russia's alleged 2016 election meddling is not a witch hunt, as Mr Trump labels it. As top US law officer, Mr Barr would lead the Department of Justice, which is meant to be politically independent. But Democrats asked why he wrote in a legal memo last year that an aspect of the probe was \"fatally misconceived\". Mr Barr sought to assure senators on the Senate judiciary committee in Tuesday's hearing that he is no Trump loyalist. Democrats on the committee wanted to know if Mr Barr - who was also attorney general under President George HW Bush - could stand up to Mr Trump. \"I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president,\" he said. \"I am going to do what I think is right.\" He repeatedly said special counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to complete his inquiry into whether the Trump campaign colluded with an alleged Russian plot to influence the 2016 US presidential election. \"I think the Russians interfered or attempted to interfere in the election and we have to get to the bottom of it,\" he said. \"On my watch, Bob [Mueller] will be allowed to complete his work,\" Mr Barr said of the inquiry, which has cast a cloud over the Republican president's two years in office. \"I don't believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,\" he also said in a remark that contradicts Mr Trump's own statements. The nominee also told senators he had been a personal friend of Mr Mueller for 30 years. You may also be interested in: Democratic Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy asked if a US president could pardon someone on condition that person agreed not to incriminate him. \"No, that would be a crime,\" Mr Barr responded. Mr Trump's critics have speculated he might offer clemency to two former aides who fell foul of the Mueller inquiry. Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn were convicted of crimes including bank fraud and lying to federal agents. In another key moment, Mr Barr was asked about former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' self-recusal from the Russia inquiry, a decision that infuriated Mr Trump. Mr Barr said his predecessor \"did the right thing\". Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington The US attorney general sets the government's criminal justice policies, oversees an army of investigators and prosecutors, and provides administration guidance on a wide range of legal issues. He or she is both the nation's top prosecutor and law enforcement officer. Confirmation hearings for the post would involve close scrutiny at any time and in any situation. At the moment, however, nominee William Barr's views on the ongoing Russia investigation are all that seem to matter. Mr Barr is saying the right things so far. He assured senators he has the highest respect for special counsel Robert Mueller and will not interfere with his probe. He said he will not be bullied or influenced by anybody, including the president. Set against this testimony is Mr Barr's past written criticism of the special counsel's conduct. Democrats will have to decide whether his recent promises are enough to overcome their concerns. Given Mr Barr's long history of government service and the fact that Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, successful confirmation seems fairly certain. Democrats will do their best to lock Mr Barr into supporting the Russia probe, but the only remaining question is how many will eventually vote for him. Democrats suggested a critical 20-page memo that Mr Barr wrote last year to the justice department was a \"job interview\" to impress Mr Trump. But the nominee called that suggestion \"ludicrous\". He defended his \"entirely proper\" decision to criticise Mr Mueller's investigation into whether the president had sought to obstruct justice. Mr Barr had written that the special counsel should not be able to interview the president about his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. On Tuesday the nominee told senators former senior officials often gave their views on significant matters. He said he would consult ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse himself because of the memo, but made clear the final decision would be his. Mr Barr stopped short of promising to release Mr Mueller's report. He said he hoped to disclose \"as much\" of the findings as was \"consistent with the rules and regulations\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 492, "answer_end": 1667, "text": "Mr Barr sought to assure senators on the Senate judiciary committee in Tuesday's hearing that he is no Trump loyalist. Democrats on the committee wanted to know if Mr Barr - who was also attorney general under President George HW Bush - could stand up to Mr Trump. \"I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong by anybody whether it be editorial boards or Congress or the president,\" he said. \"I am going to do what I think is right.\" He repeatedly said special counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to complete his inquiry into whether the Trump campaign colluded with an alleged Russian plot to influence the 2016 US presidential election. \"I think the Russians interfered or attempted to interfere in the election and we have to get to the bottom of it,\" he said. \"On my watch, Bob [Mueller] will be allowed to complete his work,\" Mr Barr said of the inquiry, which has cast a cloud over the Republican president's two years in office. \"I don't believe Mr Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,\" he also said in a remark that contradicts Mr Trump's own statements. The nominee also told senators he had been a personal friend of Mr Mueller for 30 years."}], "question": "How did the nominee assert independence?", "id": "362_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3606, "answer_end": 4521, "text": "Democrats suggested a critical 20-page memo that Mr Barr wrote last year to the justice department was a \"job interview\" to impress Mr Trump. But the nominee called that suggestion \"ludicrous\". He defended his \"entirely proper\" decision to criticise Mr Mueller's investigation into whether the president had sought to obstruct justice. Mr Barr had written that the special counsel should not be able to interview the president about his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. On Tuesday the nominee told senators former senior officials often gave their views on significant matters. He said he would consult ethics officials on whether he would need to recuse himself because of the memo, but made clear the final decision would be his. Mr Barr stopped short of promising to release Mr Mueller's report. He said he hoped to disclose \"as much\" of the findings as was \"consistent with the rules and regulations\"."}], "question": "So why are Democrats wary?", "id": "362_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson's Brexit plan 'not acceptable'", "date": "3 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scotland's first minister has said her party will not back Boris Johnson's fresh attempt to secure a Brexit deal. Nicola Sturgeon said the prime minister's plan would still leave Scotland outside of the EU, the single market and customs union. And she said the proposals \"do not look at this stage like they will be acceptable\" to the EU. The Scottish Conservatives claimed Ms Sturgeon's SNP had \"no interest\" in the UK securing a deal with the EU. They said the \"real shame\" was the first minister \"conspiring\" to put Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street. The exchanges at Holyrood came as Mr Johnson - who insists the UK will leave the EU on 31 October with or without a deal - outlined his new proposals to MPs at Westminster. His plan would see Northern Ireland stay in the European single market for goods but leave the customs union. The aim is to replace the Irish border \"backstop\" which was the main reason the withdrawal agreement previously put forward by Theresa May was rejected three times by MPs. Mr Johnson insists his proposal are a \"genuine attempt to bridge the chasm\" - but the European Commission has said there are \"problematic points\" and \"further work is needed\". Although the plan has been welcomed by the DUP, other political parties in Northern Ireland and business groups have dismissed it. Speaking at first minister's questions, Scottish Conservative interim leader Jackson Carlaw challenged Ms Sturgeon over her party's opposition to the prime minister's proposals. Ms Sturgeon responded: \"The proposals that were published by the UK government yesterday do not look at this stage like they will be acceptable to the European Union. \"They also seem to break all of the promises that were made to Ireland at the start of the Brexit process, but aside from all of that these proposals would take Scotland out of the European Union, out of the single market and out of the customs union - all against our will. \"And they suggest a much looser relationship with the EU and a much harder Brexit than even that proposed by Theresa May.\" Ms Sturgeon said she would not support the plan and accused Mr Carlaw of being more interested in \"standing up for Boris Johnson\" than standing up for Scotland. The prime minister has said his proposals are the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit - but Ms Sturgeon said her alternative was \"no Brexit\". Mr Carlaw insisted there was a need for compromise on all sides of the debate in order to secure a deal before the UK's scheduled exit date at the end of the month. He said: \"Further dither, delay and uncertainty, and the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister - to which this first minister is disgracefully open - is much more damaging to us all than getting this sorted now. \"We are at the 11th hour, there is a need on all sides to compromise if we are going to reach a negotiated settlement, yet the record of this SNP government has been to fail to do so. \"The first minister repeatedly says she will do anything possible to stop no-deal, yet despite three opportunities so far this year, her MPs haven't ever voted for a deal.\" Under Mr Johnson's proposals, which he calls a \"broad landing zone\" for a new deal with the EU: Northern Ireland would leave the EU's customs union alongside the rest of the UK, at the start of 2021 But Northern Ireland would, with the consent of politicians in the Northern Ireland Assembly, continue to apply EU legislation relating to agricultural and other products - what he calls an \"all-island regulatory zone\" This arrangement could, in theory, continue indefinitely, but the consent of Northern Ireland's politicians would have to be sought every four years Customs checks on goods traded between the UK and EU would be \"decentralised\", with paperwork submitted electronically and only a \"very small number\" of physical checks These checks should take place away from the border itself, at business premises or at \"other points in the supply chain\" The government is also promising a \"New Deal for Northern Ireland\", with financial commitments to help manage the changes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3117, "answer_end": 4097, "text": "Under Mr Johnson's proposals, which he calls a \"broad landing zone\" for a new deal with the EU: Northern Ireland would leave the EU's customs union alongside the rest of the UK, at the start of 2021 But Northern Ireland would, with the consent of politicians in the Northern Ireland Assembly, continue to apply EU legislation relating to agricultural and other products - what he calls an \"all-island regulatory zone\" This arrangement could, in theory, continue indefinitely, but the consent of Northern Ireland's politicians would have to be sought every four years Customs checks on goods traded between the UK and EU would be \"decentralised\", with paperwork submitted electronically and only a \"very small number\" of physical checks These checks should take place away from the border itself, at business premises or at \"other points in the supply chain\" The government is also promising a \"New Deal for Northern Ireland\", with financial commitments to help manage the changes."}], "question": "What is the PM's plan?", "id": "363_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Europe-wide police operation busts horsemeat racket", "date": "16 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Spanish-led police operation has cracked a racket in horsemeat unfit for human consumption, the EU's police agency Europol says. Police in Spain made 65 arrests for crimes including animal abuse, forgery, money laundering and racketeering. Horses in Portugal and Spain deemed unfit for consumption were slaughtered and their meat passed off as edible. A Dutch businessman arrested in Belgium is said to have controlled the illegal trade from south-east Spain. He was first sought in connection with a scandal in the Republic of Ireland in 2013, when horsemeat was found in beef burgers, but his whereabouts were unknown at that time. The issue in the earlier scandal was one of food fraud rather than food safety. Spain's Guardia Civil (police) began Operation Gazel a year ago after detecting unusual behaviour in horsemeat markets. They worked in co-ordination with Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and the UK, Europol said in a statement. The unnamed Dutchman controlled the crime ring from Calpe in Alicante, on Spain's Costa Blanca, \"putting his most trusted men in charge in every country affected by the scam\", Europol says. Police carried out raids in both Alicante and Leon, in the north of Spain, blocking or seizing bank accounts and properties, and confiscating five luxury cars. Other charges brought against those arrested were perverting the course of justice and committing crimes against public health. Horses in bad shape, too old or simply labelled as \"not suitable for consumption\" were being slaughtered in two different slaughterhouses, Europol says. Meat from the animals, which came from Portugal and several parts of northern Spain, was processed in a specific facility and from there sent to Belgium, a major horsemeat exporter. Microchips and documentation were modified by the crime group. Analysis of samples conducted in The Hague concluded the meat was destined mainly for markets outside Spain, as the samples matched others found abroad. One of the charges brought is animal abuse but details are not yet available. However, a photo released by Europol shows one horse with a bloody slash close to its mane. Italy and France are the biggest consumers of equidae (horses, donkeys etc) meat, according to a report by the UK's Guardian newspaper in 2013. According to that report, Italy imported 21,693 tonnes and France 11,898 in 2012, while Belgium was the chief exporter, shipping 17,320 tonnes. Spain exported 3,910 tonnes in that period. However, the trade is small compared, for instance, to the beef market. Total EU horsemeat imports in 2012 came to 50,250 tonnes and exports 54,853, while EU beef imports in 2011 totalled 315,000 tonnes and exports - 510,200.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 716, "answer_end": 1443, "text": "Spain's Guardia Civil (police) began Operation Gazel a year ago after detecting unusual behaviour in horsemeat markets. They worked in co-ordination with Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and the UK, Europol said in a statement. The unnamed Dutchman controlled the crime ring from Calpe in Alicante, on Spain's Costa Blanca, \"putting his most trusted men in charge in every country affected by the scam\", Europol says. Police carried out raids in both Alicante and Leon, in the north of Spain, blocking or seizing bank accounts and properties, and confiscating five luxury cars. Other charges brought against those arrested were perverting the course of justice and committing crimes against public health."}], "question": "How big was the police swoop?", "id": "364_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1995, "answer_end": 2164, "text": "One of the charges brought is animal abuse but details are not yet available. However, a photo released by Europol shows one horse with a bloody slash close to its mane."}], "question": "How were horses maltreated?", "id": "364_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2165, "answer_end": 2722, "text": "Italy and France are the biggest consumers of equidae (horses, donkeys etc) meat, according to a report by the UK's Guardian newspaper in 2013. According to that report, Italy imported 21,693 tonnes and France 11,898 in 2012, while Belgium was the chief exporter, shipping 17,320 tonnes. Spain exported 3,910 tonnes in that period. However, the trade is small compared, for instance, to the beef market. Total EU horsemeat imports in 2012 came to 50,250 tonnes and exports 54,853, while EU beef imports in 2011 totalled 315,000 tonnes and exports - 510,200."}], "question": "How big is Europe's horsemeat market?", "id": "364_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Morocco murders: Tourist killings suspects 'backed IS'", "date": "20 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Four men arrested over the murders of two Scandinavian women in southern Morocco had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video shared on social media, a prosecutor says. Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, were found dead from knife wounds near a popular tourist spot. The Moroccan prosecutor said the video was recorded before the murders. In it the suspects had threatened to carry out attacks, he added. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen had earlier said the \"unusually bestial\" murders were being investigated as a terrorist attack. Ms Jespersen and Ms Ueland had travelled together to Morocco for a month-long holiday on 9 December, including a trip in the Atlas Mountains. They had been hiking near Imlil, close to North Africa's highest mountain peak Mount Toubkal - an area popular with hikers and climbers. They were found dead inside the tent they shared last Monday. On Tuesday police detained a suspect said to belong to a militant group in Marrakesh. Three other suspects were subsequently arrested in the city, the Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations said. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has decried the \"brutal and meaningless attack on innocent people\", and said she had trust in the Moroccan authorities to find those responsible. Maren Ueland's mother Irene told public broadcaster NRK that the pair had been studying together at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Both are reported to have been experienced with outdoor activities, and to have prepared well for the hiking trip, which they took without a local guide. By BBC Monitoring Morocco has been largely spared the jihadist violence seen in other countries in North Africa since deadly bombings in Casablanca killed at least 30 people in 2003. The country enacted stiff anti-terrorism legislation to address the threat from its own nationals returning home after fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq - after an estimated 1,600 Moroccans joined jihadist groups there in 2015 Jihadists of Moroccan origin have also been involved in terrorist attacks in recent years in Belgium and France. In terms of jihadist presence in Morocco, both Islamic State and its rival al-Qaeda have failed to establish themselves in the country. But this does not rule out the possibility of attacks by sympathisers or operatives who believe it is their duty to act.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1626, "answer_end": 2405, "text": "By BBC Monitoring Morocco has been largely spared the jihadist violence seen in other countries in North Africa since deadly bombings in Casablanca killed at least 30 people in 2003. The country enacted stiff anti-terrorism legislation to address the threat from its own nationals returning home after fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq - after an estimated 1,600 Moroccans joined jihadist groups there in 2015 Jihadists of Moroccan origin have also been involved in terrorist attacks in recent years in Belgium and France. In terms of jihadist presence in Morocco, both Islamic State and its rival al-Qaeda have failed to establish themselves in the country. But this does not rule out the possibility of attacks by sympathisers or operatives who believe it is their duty to act."}], "question": "Is there a jihadist threat in Morocco?", "id": "365_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Florida man kills four children and himself after police standoff", "date": "12 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A man in the US state of Florida fatally shot four children before turning the gun on himself after a 21-hour standoff, police say. Police found Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr, 35, dead in the apartment where he had held the children - aged one to 12 - hostage in Orlando. Lindsey was the father of two of the children. He was a felon on probation for arson among other charges. His girlfriend had called police after he battered her during an argument. A family lawyer identified the four children killed: Iraya, 12, Lillia, 10, Aidan, six, and Dove, one. In a news conference on Monday, Orlando Police Chief John Mina called it \"a very tragic and sad ending\". Chief Mina said it was not clear when the children were killed. Swat officers entered the apartment on Monday night. They \"found that all four children had been killed by the suspect by apparent gunshot wounds and it appears the suspect took his own life as well,\" Chief Mina said. \"Our hearts go out to all the families involved.\" Police said at least one child was dead when officers attempted to give Lindsey a phone to communicate with police negotiators. An officer who had been injured in the initial confrontation with Lindsey, Kevin Valencia, remains in a critical condition, the police chief said. According to court records, Lindsey had been arrested several times over 15 years. In 2012, he was held for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery in a domestic violence case and violating his probation. Police have not released further information about the victims. On Sunday night, Orlando police received a call from a woman who said Lindsey was her boyfriend and that he had battered her during an argument. She had fled the apartment after he attacked her and called police from a nearby restaurant, the Orlando Sentinel reported. When officers arrived at the apartment, Lindsey opened fire. Officer Valencia was seriously injured during the shootout and sent to hospital in critical condition. Lindsey barricaded himself in the apartment with the four children. Police negotiators spoke to him several times during what would become a 21-hour standoff. When they attempted to give Lindsey a better phone to communicate with, police noted one of the children was already dead. Swat officers entered the apartment shortly after and discovered that all the children had been killed. They found Lindsey dead in a closet.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1549, "answer_end": 2404, "text": "On Sunday night, Orlando police received a call from a woman who said Lindsey was her boyfriend and that he had battered her during an argument. She had fled the apartment after he attacked her and called police from a nearby restaurant, the Orlando Sentinel reported. When officers arrived at the apartment, Lindsey opened fire. Officer Valencia was seriously injured during the shootout and sent to hospital in critical condition. Lindsey barricaded himself in the apartment with the four children. Police negotiators spoke to him several times during what would become a 21-hour standoff. When they attempted to give Lindsey a better phone to communicate with, police noted one of the children was already dead. Swat officers entered the apartment shortly after and discovered that all the children had been killed. They found Lindsey dead in a closet."}], "question": "How did the standoff unfold?", "id": "366_0"}]}]}, {"title": "UK third as Aussies win Quidditch World Cup", "date": "25 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK Quidditch team have won their first world cup medal, finishing third as Australia took the title. The game is adapted from the magical sport played on broomsticks in JK Rowling's Harry Potter books. Team UK beat Canada 190-60 to claim bronze - a performance described as \"incredible\" by Quidditch UK. The USA had won both previous Quidditch World Cups, in 2012 and 2014, but Australia caught the snitch to snatch victory at the tournament in Frankfurt. The tournament on 23 and 24 July was the biggest Quidditch World Cup to date, with 21 teams from countries including Italy, South Korea, Brazil, Ireland and Mexico taking part. Quidditch UK president Mel Piper said the result showed the game was no longer \"completely dominated\" by the USA, where it first started being played in 2005. She added: \"The fact that we came third is incredible. \"It shows just how much the UK has grown as a nation and the potential we still have to give.\" Each player must carry a broom between their legs. Teams consist of 21 players, with seven on the field at any one time. No more than four of the seven can be of the same gender. The team is made up of a keeper, who guards three goal hoops, and three chasers who try to throw a ball - the quaffle - through the opposition hoops, which scores 10 points. There are also two beaters, who throw balls called bludgers at opposition players. If hit, a player must drop any ball they are holding and run to touch one of their own goal hoops before re-entering play. Finally there is the seeker, whose job is to catch the snitch. This scores 30 points and ends the game. The role of the snitch is taken by a neutral person with a Velcro tail attached to their shorts. The Australian team - known as the Dropbears after fictional animals made up to scare tourists - caught the snitch to end the game and win the final 150-130. The team posted on Facebook: \"We are The Dropbears. We came here to take the fight to America. We came here to show the international Quidditch community what we're made of. \"And we did it. This team went from strength to strength over the past four months. The Australian Quidditch community could not be prouder.\" The Australian media praised their victorious team, dubbing them the \"mighty Dropbears\" and saying they had brought \"joy to Aussies and Harry Potter fans the country over\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 946, "answer_end": 1705, "text": "Each player must carry a broom between their legs. Teams consist of 21 players, with seven on the field at any one time. No more than four of the seven can be of the same gender. The team is made up of a keeper, who guards three goal hoops, and three chasers who try to throw a ball - the quaffle - through the opposition hoops, which scores 10 points. There are also two beaters, who throw balls called bludgers at opposition players. If hit, a player must drop any ball they are holding and run to touch one of their own goal hoops before re-entering play. Finally there is the seeker, whose job is to catch the snitch. This scores 30 points and ends the game. The role of the snitch is taken by a neutral person with a Velcro tail attached to their shorts."}], "question": "How is Quidditch played?", "id": "367_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russian plane crash: What we know", "date": "17 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "What we know about a Russian passenger plane that was brought down by a bomb in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on 31 October, killing all 224 people on board. The Airbus A321, operated by the Russian airline Kogalymavia, took off from Sharm el-Sheikh airport at 05:58 (03:58 GMT) on 31 October. At 06:14 Egyptian time (04:14 GMT), the plane failed to make scheduled contact with air traffic control based in Larnaca, Cyprus. The plane disappeared from radar screens six minutes later while flying over central Sinai. Egyptian authorities said no SOS calls were received by air traffic controllers. Russia's Interfax news agency cited a source in Cairo as saying \"uncharacteristic\" sounds were picked up by the cockpit voice recorder before the plane disappeared from radar screens. \"The recordings suggest that an emergency situation occurred on board unexpectedly and took the crew by surprise,\" the source said. Data released by the flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that just before the radar signal was lost, the aircraft reached an altitude of more than 33,000ft (10,060m), then started to descend with a vertical speed of about 6,000ft a minute. The plane's forward speed meanwhile dropped to around 170km/h (105mph), slower than the speed necessary to continue safe flight. Egyptian military aircraft subsequently located the wreckage of the plane in the Hasana area, 95km (59 miles) south of the Mediterranean coastal town of el-Arish. Russian officials said the wreckage was scattered across a 20 sq km (7.7-sq mile) area, meaning that the plane broke up in mid-air before falling to earth. Russia said on 17 November that a \"terror act\" was responsible for the crash and that \"traces of foreign explosives\" were found on debris of the Airbus. UK security service investigators say they suspect someone with access to the aircraft's baggage compartment inserted an explosive device inside or on top of the luggage just before the plane took off. A US official told AP on 4 November that US intelligence agencies also had preliminary evidence that suggested a bomb planted by the local affiliate of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) brought down the plane. Militants from that affiliate, known as Sinai Province, said they brought down the plane shortly after it crashed, with a spokesman claiming this was \"in response to Russian air strikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land\". But he did not provide evidence, asserting: \"We are not obliged to disclose the mechanism of its demise.\" Egyptian officials have said it is too early to draw conclusions on the cause. Both of the plane's \"black boxes\" have been recovered as part of the investigation. Sinai plane crash: Four theories Could Islamic State have bombed Flight 9268? Egypt is leading the investigation, with the help of Russian and other international experts. Air accident investigators from France - home of Airbus, which manufactured the plane - are also involved. As the plane was registered in Ireland - the home of the company that leased the aircraft to Kogalymavia - a team of Irish investigators have also travelled to Egypt. German experts are also involved because the plane was assembled in Germany in 1997, and its flight recorders were made there. The plane was carrying 224 people in total, including 219 Russian citizens, four Ukrainians and one Belarus national. Of the 217 passengers, 17 were children. Most of the passengers were tourists. Many of the victims were members of the same families. A large number of them shared the same last name, and it appears that in some cases three generations of the same family perished in what is believed to be the worst air disaster involving a Russian plane. Sinai plane crash: The victims The twin-engine A321 has a range of up to 7,400km (4,000 nautical miles). It can accommodate up to 220 passengers. The plane which crashed was 18 years old, making it one of the oldest A321s in service. It had flown for 56,000 hours over nearly 21,000 flights, according to Airbus. It was produced in May 1997 and delivered to the Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines. It changed hands eight times before being leased in 2012 to Kogalymavia, an airline based in western Siberia that also operates under the name Metrojet. The plane was registered in Ireland and leased to Kogalymavia by Willmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd.  According to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), it passed an annual airworthiness certificate in March 2015. However, the plane had been damaged in 2001, when it was operated by Middle East Airlines, suffering a tail strike on a Cairo runway. Kogalymavia has said that the damage was fully repaired and would not have affected the plane. The plane's engines had also been checked on 26 October, Kogalymavia said, and it underwent a major maintenance inspection and overhaul in Turkey in March 2014. The A321 has a generally good safety record. According to a study by aircraft manufacturer Boeing of crashes between 1959 and 2014, there were 22 incidents in which a plane from the A321 family was damaged beyond repair - known in the industry as a \"hull loss\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 152, "answer_end": 1603, "text": "The Airbus A321, operated by the Russian airline Kogalymavia, took off from Sharm el-Sheikh airport at 05:58 (03:58 GMT) on 31 October. At 06:14 Egyptian time (04:14 GMT), the plane failed to make scheduled contact with air traffic control based in Larnaca, Cyprus. The plane disappeared from radar screens six minutes later while flying over central Sinai. Egyptian authorities said no SOS calls were received by air traffic controllers. Russia's Interfax news agency cited a source in Cairo as saying \"uncharacteristic\" sounds were picked up by the cockpit voice recorder before the plane disappeared from radar screens. \"The recordings suggest that an emergency situation occurred on board unexpectedly and took the crew by surprise,\" the source said. Data released by the flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that just before the radar signal was lost, the aircraft reached an altitude of more than 33,000ft (10,060m), then started to descend with a vertical speed of about 6,000ft a minute. The plane's forward speed meanwhile dropped to around 170km/h (105mph), slower than the speed necessary to continue safe flight. Egyptian military aircraft subsequently located the wreckage of the plane in the Hasana area, 95km (59 miles) south of the Mediterranean coastal town of el-Arish. Russian officials said the wreckage was scattered across a 20 sq km (7.7-sq mile) area, meaning that the plane broke up in mid-air before falling to earth."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "368_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1604, "answer_end": 2754, "text": "Russia said on 17 November that a \"terror act\" was responsible for the crash and that \"traces of foreign explosives\" were found on debris of the Airbus. UK security service investigators say they suspect someone with access to the aircraft's baggage compartment inserted an explosive device inside or on top of the luggage just before the plane took off. A US official told AP on 4 November that US intelligence agencies also had preliminary evidence that suggested a bomb planted by the local affiliate of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) brought down the plane. Militants from that affiliate, known as Sinai Province, said they brought down the plane shortly after it crashed, with a spokesman claiming this was \"in response to Russian air strikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land\". But he did not provide evidence, asserting: \"We are not obliged to disclose the mechanism of its demise.\" Egyptian officials have said it is too early to draw conclusions on the cause. Both of the plane's \"black boxes\" have been recovered as part of the investigation. Sinai plane crash: Four theories Could Islamic State have bombed Flight 9268?"}], "question": "What caused the crash?", "id": "368_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2755, "answer_end": 3249, "text": "Egypt is leading the investigation, with the help of Russian and other international experts. Air accident investigators from France - home of Airbus, which manufactured the plane - are also involved. As the plane was registered in Ireland - the home of the company that leased the aircraft to Kogalymavia - a team of Irish investigators have also travelled to Egypt. German experts are also involved because the plane was assembled in Germany in 1997, and its flight recorders were made there."}], "question": "Who is leading the investigation?", "id": "368_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3739, "answer_end": 5133, "text": "The twin-engine A321 has a range of up to 7,400km (4,000 nautical miles). It can accommodate up to 220 passengers. The plane which crashed was 18 years old, making it one of the oldest A321s in service. It had flown for 56,000 hours over nearly 21,000 flights, according to Airbus. It was produced in May 1997 and delivered to the Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines. It changed hands eight times before being leased in 2012 to Kogalymavia, an airline based in western Siberia that also operates under the name Metrojet. The plane was registered in Ireland and leased to Kogalymavia by Willmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd.  According to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), it passed an annual airworthiness certificate in March 2015. However, the plane had been damaged in 2001, when it was operated by Middle East Airlines, suffering a tail strike on a Cairo runway. Kogalymavia has said that the damage was fully repaired and would not have affected the plane. The plane's engines had also been checked on 26 October, Kogalymavia said, and it underwent a major maintenance inspection and overhaul in Turkey in March 2014. The A321 has a generally good safety record. According to a study by aircraft manufacturer Boeing of crashes between 1959 and 2014, there were 22 incidents in which a plane from the A321 family was damaged beyond repair - known in the industry as a \"hull loss\"."}], "question": "What do we know about the plane?", "id": "368_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Going solo: The rise of self-employment", "date": "30 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The number of self-employed workers has been on the up in the UK since 2001 and they now account for around 15% of the working population. Following the recession, the number of self-employed workers aged 65 and above has nearly tripled. Young people are also keen to become their own bosses - with the number of self-employed workers aged 16 to 24 nearly doubling since 2001. So BBC News asks, why is self-employment more popular with the young and old, and what protection do workers have? In the UK, self-employment has risen rapidly over the last two decades. The number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Somebody could be classified as self-employed if they - own a business, rather than working for an employer - agree a fixed price for their work with their employer or client - decide on their own schedule when work is available - can work for more than one client - provide the tools, equipment or materials that are needed to complete a job Self-employment can take many forms - including entrepreneurs and freelancers, gig economy workers or contractors. This doesn't include zero-hours workers, who have the same employment rights as regular employees. The largest number of self-employed workers overall are aged 45 to 54. But the most rapid increase has occurred in self-starters aged 65 and above, where numbers have grown from 159,000 to 469,000 between 2001 and 2016. A total of 181,000 16 to 24-year-olds were classified as self-employed workers in 2016 - up 74% from the 104,000 in 2001. This makes young people the second fastest-growing group of self-employed workers, with part-time work accounting for most of the rise. The unemployment rate in the UK fell to 4.2% in the three months to May 2018, the joint lowest since 1975. The rise in self-employment helped boost jobs growth overall following the recession, according to the ONS. Think tanks like the Resolution Foundation have questioned whether the overall rise comes from a desire for flexible working, or whether some workers had no other choice. Across the European Union, there were 33 million people in self-employment in 2016, and 188 million employees. Shopkeeping, hairdressing and domestic cleaning are the most popular professions among self-employed workers with no employees of their own, according to a study by Eurofound, the EU agency which monitors labour markets. Service sectors account for the largest share of the self-employed labour force. It's also thought that self-employment has flourished with the rise of technology. Wi-fi, cloud sharing services and video calls mean that people can work from anywhere and at any time. Jordan Marshall, policy development manager at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed, said: \"Being self-employed allows young people, in particular, to work on the projects they are truly passionate about, when and where they want. \"Technology has made this all so much easier, whether finding work through online platforms or even being a 'digital nomad' - travelling the world while doing remote freelance work. \"But, self-employment isn't without its challenges, whether that's getting a firm grip on your finances or finding work in an industry where you may not have many contacts.\" In 2016, men, whether full-time employees or self-employed workers, earned more than women in the UK, according to data from the ONS. Median weekly earnings (the middle value when everyone's wages are arranged from highest to lowest) for self-employed men stood at PS363 per week, compared with PS243 for their female counterparts. Academics at the University of Sheffield have said that as more women move into paid work, mothers in particular favour flexibility in their working hours. But, it seems they aren't as well-compensated. Female entrepreneurs working part-time were the worst off - earning PS120 per week in 2016. Self-employed workers running their own business take responsibility for its successes and its failures. A self-employed worker has protection for their health and safety when working with a client and in some cases will be protected against discrimination. They will usually have their rights and responsibilities set out in a contract with their client. Last year, the Taylor Review into working practices recommended that the government classify gig economy workers like Uber drivers as dependent contractors, rather than self-employed workers, to help improve their rights. The government has since promised to overhaul employment rights, and is consulting on proposals around holiday and sick pay rights.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 492, "answer_end": 2138, "text": "In the UK, self-employment has risen rapidly over the last two decades. The number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Somebody could be classified as self-employed if they - own a business, rather than working for an employer - agree a fixed price for their work with their employer or client - decide on their own schedule when work is available - can work for more than one client - provide the tools, equipment or materials that are needed to complete a job Self-employment can take many forms - including entrepreneurs and freelancers, gig economy workers or contractors. This doesn't include zero-hours workers, who have the same employment rights as regular employees. The largest number of self-employed workers overall are aged 45 to 54. But the most rapid increase has occurred in self-starters aged 65 and above, where numbers have grown from 159,000 to 469,000 between 2001 and 2016. A total of 181,000 16 to 24-year-olds were classified as self-employed workers in 2016 - up 74% from the 104,000 in 2001. This makes young people the second fastest-growing group of self-employed workers, with part-time work accounting for most of the rise. The unemployment rate in the UK fell to 4.2% in the three months to May 2018, the joint lowest since 1975. The rise in self-employment helped boost jobs growth overall following the recession, according to the ONS. Think tanks like the Resolution Foundation have questioned whether the overall rise comes from a desire for flexible working, or whether some workers had no other choice."}], "question": "1. A job for life?", "id": "369_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3355, "answer_end": 3981, "text": "In 2016, men, whether full-time employees or self-employed workers, earned more than women in the UK, according to data from the ONS. Median weekly earnings (the middle value when everyone's wages are arranged from highest to lowest) for self-employed men stood at PS363 per week, compared with PS243 for their female counterparts. Academics at the University of Sheffield have said that as more women move into paid work, mothers in particular favour flexibility in their working hours. But, it seems they aren't as well-compensated. Female entrepreneurs working part-time were the worst off - earning PS120 per week in 2016."}], "question": "3. Who earns more?", "id": "369_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany's Merkel survives bruising battle with rival Seehofer", "date": "3 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On the face of it Angela Merkel has pulled off the compromise of her career. She has quelled the mutiny that threatened to destroy her coalition government. And, it seems, pacified her rebellious interior minister, who was still raging as he went into last-ditch emergency talks last night. Horst Seehofer, who also leads Mrs Merkel's Bavarian coalition partners, had snarled that he wasn't going to be thrown out by the woman he had put in power. Later in the night he emerged beaming and triumphant to announce they had cut a deal. But this is no victory for Angela Merkel. The row, and the subsequent solution, have exposed the frailty of her position and may surprise those who still venerate the German chancellor as a defender of liberal values and open borders. The number of people seeking asylum in Germany has fallen sharply since the refugee crisis of 2015. Yet the row that has dominated Mrs Merkel's every waking hour for weeks now has focused not on the integration of the million or so people who are already trying to make new lives in Germany, but on the rather quiet border itself. More specifically, on what to do with the relatively small number of people who arrive there, having already registered or sought asylum in another EU country first. The deal announced late on Monday night is short on detail, but Mrs Merkel appears to have reincarnated an idea raised during her previous administration: transit centres that are located inside the German border but, much like airports, are not technically on German soil. From here migrants can be repatriated to the EU country where they first arrived. The compromise only works if a bilateral agreement exists with those countries. If there isn't one, then - the leaders agreed - people will simply be turned away at the Austrian border, subject to an agreement with the Austrian government. The Austrian government does not seem terribly impressed with the solution and has, in turn, announced plans to \"protect\" Austria's southern border. And it won't be long before the infighting breaks out again in Germany's troubled coalition. Mrs Merkel is gambling on her centre-left partner, the Social Democrat SPD, accepting the deal - although they have opposed such transit centres in the past. More from Jenny: Last night the party leaders reacted relatively calmly. Because if one thing trumps an illiberal migration policy for the SPD, it is the terrifying spectre of fresh elections. The SPD leadership cannot afford to let the coalition collapse. But its youth wing, which never wanted this alliance, is furious. As are some of its MPs. It's tempting to wonder why Mrs Merkel did not just accept Mr Seehofer's initial offer of resignation last night. She must have been itching to sack him ever since his first threat two weeks ago to act alone and start turning people away at the border. After all, she had the support of her party leadership and polls suggest that the majority of Germans prefer her European solution to his unilateral one. But reports suggest that the mood among some of her MPs has soured. They are worried. It's not just in pre-election Bavaria that anti-migrant rhetoric has borne fruit. When the leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) crowed on Tuesday that they were \"hunting the union, driving it before us\" they were not entirely wrong in claiming triumph over the CDU and CSU. Mrs Merkel has failed to achieve her original dream - a Europe that would truly share the responsibility for sheltering asylum seekers. At last week's summit of EU leaders she thrashed out a much tougher policy, working alongside populist governments and other leaders who cherish national interests above those of the European Union. Exhausted and embattled, Angela Merkel is having to adapt to a changed Europe.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 769, "answer_end": 1861, "text": "The number of people seeking asylum in Germany has fallen sharply since the refugee crisis of 2015. Yet the row that has dominated Mrs Merkel's every waking hour for weeks now has focused not on the integration of the million or so people who are already trying to make new lives in Germany, but on the rather quiet border itself. More specifically, on what to do with the relatively small number of people who arrive there, having already registered or sought asylum in another EU country first. The deal announced late on Monday night is short on detail, but Mrs Merkel appears to have reincarnated an idea raised during her previous administration: transit centres that are located inside the German border but, much like airports, are not technically on German soil. From here migrants can be repatriated to the EU country where they first arrived. The compromise only works if a bilateral agreement exists with those countries. If there isn't one, then - the leaders agreed - people will simply be turned away at the Austrian border, subject to an agreement with the Austrian government."}], "question": "Why the political crisis?", "id": "370_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1862, "answer_end": 3807, "text": "The Austrian government does not seem terribly impressed with the solution and has, in turn, announced plans to \"protect\" Austria's southern border. And it won't be long before the infighting breaks out again in Germany's troubled coalition. Mrs Merkel is gambling on her centre-left partner, the Social Democrat SPD, accepting the deal - although they have opposed such transit centres in the past. More from Jenny: Last night the party leaders reacted relatively calmly. Because if one thing trumps an illiberal migration policy for the SPD, it is the terrifying spectre of fresh elections. The SPD leadership cannot afford to let the coalition collapse. But its youth wing, which never wanted this alliance, is furious. As are some of its MPs. It's tempting to wonder why Mrs Merkel did not just accept Mr Seehofer's initial offer of resignation last night. She must have been itching to sack him ever since his first threat two weeks ago to act alone and start turning people away at the border. After all, she had the support of her party leadership and polls suggest that the majority of Germans prefer her European solution to his unilateral one. But reports suggest that the mood among some of her MPs has soured. They are worried. It's not just in pre-election Bavaria that anti-migrant rhetoric has borne fruit. When the leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) crowed on Tuesday that they were \"hunting the union, driving it before us\" they were not entirely wrong in claiming triumph over the CDU and CSU. Mrs Merkel has failed to achieve her original dream - a Europe that would truly share the responsibility for sheltering asylum seekers. At last week's summit of EU leaders she thrashed out a much tougher policy, working alongside populist governments and other leaders who cherish national interests above those of the European Union. Exhausted and embattled, Angela Merkel is having to adapt to a changed Europe."}], "question": "Is the crisis over?", "id": "370_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka attacks: Christians pray at home one week after bombings", "date": "28 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Christians in Sri Lanka have prayed at home one week after a series of deadly bombings by Islamist militants. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith held a televised mass, attended by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He called the attacks on churches and hotels \"an insult to humanity\" in the service, broadcast from a chapel in his residence. At least 250 people died. Sunday church services were cancelled after the attacks on Easter Sunday. \"Today during this Mass we are paying attention to last Sunday's tragedy and we try to understand it,\" Cardinal Ranjith said. \"We pray that in this country there will be peace and co-existence and understanding each other without division.\" As people prayed, police sources said the father and two brothers of Zahran Hashim - the radical preacher suspected of masterminding the attacks - were killed in a raid on their safe house on Friday. Brothers Zainee and Rilwan and their father, Mohamed Hashim, were identified as three of the 15 people who died during the operation in Sainthamaruthu, near Hashim's hometown. President Sirisena earlier said the ringleader himself had been killed in the bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel last Sunday. While Sri Lanka's churches were empty, scores of people gathered for a public service outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, the site of one of the deadliest bombings. There, Buddhist monks joined Catholic priests for prayers in a show of solidarity with the Christian community. Crowds of people watched the heavily-guarded church from behind a barricade, with some singing hymns and passing rosary beads through their hands. Many lit candles and placed them in a makeshift memorial for the victims. And the church's bells tolled at 08:45 (03:15 GMT) - the exact moment a bomber detonated his device one week ago. The hands of its damaged clock tower are still stuck at that time. As well as St Anthony's Shrine, bombers struck churches in Negombo and the eastern city of Batticaloa, and hotels in Colombo. Most of those killed were Sri Lankan, but dozens of foreign citizens were also among the dead. The military is still searching for militants linked to the attack. The authorities blamed the local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks, but said that they must have had help from a larger network. The Islamic State group later claimed it was behind the bombings, but provided no evidence of direct involvement. On Saturday President Sirisena banned NTJ and another group, Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), from Sri Lanka.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1231, "answer_end": 1913, "text": "While Sri Lanka's churches were empty, scores of people gathered for a public service outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, the site of one of the deadliest bombings. There, Buddhist monks joined Catholic priests for prayers in a show of solidarity with the Christian community. Crowds of people watched the heavily-guarded church from behind a barricade, with some singing hymns and passing rosary beads through their hands. Many lit candles and placed them in a makeshift memorial for the victims. And the church's bells tolled at 08:45 (03:15 GMT) - the exact moment a bomber detonated his device one week ago. The hands of its damaged clock tower are still stuck at that time."}], "question": "How are the victims being remembered?", "id": "371_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1914, "answer_end": 2584, "text": "As well as St Anthony's Shrine, bombers struck churches in Negombo and the eastern city of Batticaloa, and hotels in Colombo. Most of those killed were Sri Lankan, but dozens of foreign citizens were also among the dead. The military is still searching for militants linked to the attack. The authorities blamed the local Islamist group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks, but said that they must have had help from a larger network. The Islamic State group later claimed it was behind the bombings, but provided no evidence of direct involvement. On Saturday President Sirisena banned NTJ and another group, Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), from Sri Lanka."}], "question": "What happened on that day of carnage?", "id": "371_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump condemns Bob Woodward book as 'con'", "date": "5 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has condemned a book on his White House by renowned Watergate journalist Bob Woodward as a \"con on the public\". Mr Trump's chief of staff and defence secretary, in responses posted by the president on Twitter, described the book as \"pathetic\" and \"fiction\". In the book, senior aides are quoted as saying they hid sensitive documents to prevent Mr Trump signing them. They are quoted as calling him an \"idiot\" and a \"liar\". The book - Fear: Trump in the White House, scheduled for release on 11 September - reveals a chaotic administration having a \"nervous breakdown of executive power\". Woodward is a widely respected and veteran journalist who helped expose President Richard Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. He sent out a series of tweets carrying his own views, along with statements from Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, chief of staff John Kelly and White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Mr Trump says quotes attributed to Mr Mattis and Mr Kelly were \"made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes\". He says the book is \"already discredited\" with \"so many lies and phony sources\", rejecting an allegation that he had used the terms \"mentally retarded\" and \"dumb Southerner\" to describe Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The statement from Mr Mattis describes the book as \"a product of someone's rich imagination\" and adds: \"The contemptuous words about the president attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence.\" The statement from Mr Kelly says: \"The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true... He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS... This is a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump.\" Ms Sanders said the book was \"nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the president look bad\". In an interview with the Daily Caller, Mr Trump said that \"it's just another bad book\", adding that Woodward \"has a lot of credibility problems\". The president resumed his attack on the book in a tweet on Wednesday morning: One of the main claims is that current and former aides kept sensitive documents off his desk to prevent him from signing them, or took different actions to those demanded by the president. This amounts to an \"administrative coup d'etat\", Woodward says. The book says Mr Trump had ordered the Pentagon to arrange the assassination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. \"Let's [expletive] kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the [expletive] lot of them,\" Mr Trump is reported to have told Mr Mattis. The book says Mr Mattis acknowledged Mr Trump's request but then, after the conversation, told an aide he would not do \"any of that\". Mr Mattis is also quoted as saying Mr Trump had the understanding of \"a fifth- or sixth-grader\" - the age of 10 or 11 - in understanding foreign affairs. Woodward says chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and White House staff secretary Rob Porter removed documents from the president's desk to keep Mr Trump from signing them. The documents would have allowed the president to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and a trade deal with South Korea. \"It felt like we were walking along the edge of the cliff perpetually,\" Mr Porter is quoted as saying. In other excerpts: - The book quotes Mr Kelly as saying: \"We're in Crazytown... This is the worst job I've ever had\" - Ex-Trump lawyer John Dowd calls the president \"a [expletive] liar\" - Mr Trump compares his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, to a rat. \"He just scurries around\" - Mr Trump tells Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross he does not trust him, saying: \"I don't want you doing any more negotiations. You're past your prime\" - Mr Trump's relationship with Rex Tillerson never recovered after reports the ex-secretary of state had called the president \"an [expletive] moron\" It would be hard to find a journalist with greater credentials. After all, his investigations with Washington Post colleague Carl Bernstein helped bring down Richard Nixon and he has written books on many leaders, including George W Bush and Barack Obama. He is certainly one of the most respected and well-informed political analysts. The BBC's North America reporter Anthony Zurcher says that Woodward has unrivalled access to the corridors of power, and the general Washington consensus is that it is better to talk to him than not, since colleagues - and enemies - are certainly giving him their side of the story. Back in 2013, Mr Trump had responded to a row between Woodward and the Obama administration with a tweet saying: \"Only the Obama WH can get away with attacking Bob Woodward.\" The Washington Post released an audio recording and transcript of a call the president made to Woodward in early August. In it, the president says to the reporter \"I think you've always been fair\" and claims he was never contacted for an interview or informed of Woodward's soon-to-be-published work. The assertion is rebutted by the reporter, and the transcript suggests White House aides, including adviser Kellyanne Conway, were aware of requests for Trump-Woodward talks. Woodward says he has \"gained a lot of insight and documentation\" and that his book will be a \"tough look at the world and your administration and you\". \"I assume that means it's going to be a negative book,\" the president replies. \"So I have another bad book coming out. Big deal.\" Woodward says: \"I believe in our country, and because you're our president, I wish you good luck.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 2142, "text": "He sent out a series of tweets carrying his own views, along with statements from Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, chief of staff John Kelly and White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Mr Trump says quotes attributed to Mr Mattis and Mr Kelly were \"made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes\". He says the book is \"already discredited\" with \"so many lies and phony sources\", rejecting an allegation that he had used the terms \"mentally retarded\" and \"dumb Southerner\" to describe Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The statement from Mr Mattis describes the book as \"a product of someone's rich imagination\" and adds: \"The contemptuous words about the president attributed to me in Woodward's book were never uttered by me or in my presence.\" The statement from Mr Kelly says: \"The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true... He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS... This is a pathetic attempt to smear people close to President Trump.\" Ms Sanders said the book was \"nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the president look bad\". In an interview with the Daily Caller, Mr Trump said that \"it's just another bad book\", adding that Woodward \"has a lot of credibility problems\". The president resumed his attack on the book in a tweet on Wednesday morning:"}], "question": "How has the president responded?", "id": "372_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2143, "answer_end": 3921, "text": "One of the main claims is that current and former aides kept sensitive documents off his desk to prevent him from signing them, or took different actions to those demanded by the president. This amounts to an \"administrative coup d'etat\", Woodward says. The book says Mr Trump had ordered the Pentagon to arrange the assassination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. \"Let's [expletive] kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the [expletive] lot of them,\" Mr Trump is reported to have told Mr Mattis. The book says Mr Mattis acknowledged Mr Trump's request but then, after the conversation, told an aide he would not do \"any of that\". Mr Mattis is also quoted as saying Mr Trump had the understanding of \"a fifth- or sixth-grader\" - the age of 10 or 11 - in understanding foreign affairs. Woodward says chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and White House staff secretary Rob Porter removed documents from the president's desk to keep Mr Trump from signing them. The documents would have allowed the president to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and a trade deal with South Korea. \"It felt like we were walking along the edge of the cliff perpetually,\" Mr Porter is quoted as saying. In other excerpts: - The book quotes Mr Kelly as saying: \"We're in Crazytown... This is the worst job I've ever had\" - Ex-Trump lawyer John Dowd calls the president \"a [expletive] liar\" - Mr Trump compares his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, to a rat. \"He just scurries around\" - Mr Trump tells Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross he does not trust him, saying: \"I don't want you doing any more negotiations. You're past your prime\" - Mr Trump's relationship with Rex Tillerson never recovered after reports the ex-secretary of state had called the president \"an [expletive] moron\""}], "question": "What are the allegations in the book?", "id": "372_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3922, "answer_end": 4715, "text": "It would be hard to find a journalist with greater credentials. After all, his investigations with Washington Post colleague Carl Bernstein helped bring down Richard Nixon and he has written books on many leaders, including George W Bush and Barack Obama. He is certainly one of the most respected and well-informed political analysts. The BBC's North America reporter Anthony Zurcher says that Woodward has unrivalled access to the corridors of power, and the general Washington consensus is that it is better to talk to him than not, since colleagues - and enemies - are certainly giving him their side of the story. Back in 2013, Mr Trump had responded to a row between Woodward and the Obama administration with a tweet saying: \"Only the Obama WH can get away with attacking Bob Woodward.\""}], "question": "Is Bob Woodward credible?", "id": "372_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4716, "answer_end": 5572, "text": "The Washington Post released an audio recording and transcript of a call the president made to Woodward in early August. In it, the president says to the reporter \"I think you've always been fair\" and claims he was never contacted for an interview or informed of Woodward's soon-to-be-published work. The assertion is rebutted by the reporter, and the transcript suggests White House aides, including adviser Kellyanne Conway, were aware of requests for Trump-Woodward talks. Woodward says he has \"gained a lot of insight and documentation\" and that his book will be a \"tough look at the world and your administration and you\". \"I assume that means it's going to be a negative book,\" the president replies. \"So I have another bad book coming out. Big deal.\" Woodward says: \"I believe in our country, and because you're our president, I wish you good luck.\""}], "question": "Did the president speak to Woodward?", "id": "372_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump warns US Fed against making 'yet another mistake'", "date": "18 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has stepped up his pressure on the Federal Reserve by warning the central bank against making \"yet another mistake\". The Fed is widely expected to announce an interest rate rise - its fourth in a year - on Wednesday. But with financial markets in turmoil and fears of recession growing, some critics are questioning the plan. In a tweet, President Trump advised the Fed to \"feel the market\" and not to \"just go by meaningless numbers\". His remarks bring unprecedented pressure on the central bank as policymakers meet in Washington for a two-day meeting. Presidents generally avoid criticising the Fed publicly, for fear of politicising the institution and undermining confidence in its decisions. However, Mr Trump - who appointed the Fed's chairman Jerome Powell - has repeatedly blamed the central bank for unsettled markets and dismissed analysts who cite other factors, such as rising trade tariffs. On Monday, he wrote that it was \"incredible\" that the bank was considering a rate rise, before telling the Fed on Tuesday to read an editorial in the Wall Street Journal \"before they make yet another mistake\". The Fed has said the US economy is healthy enough that the ultra-low rates put in place during the financial crisis are no longer necessary. It has raised the rate eight times since 2015, most recently in September, when it increased the target range to 2% to 2.25%. It is also removing stimulus by reducing its portfolio of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, which were purchased in response to the financial crisis. Analysts said they expect the Fed to move ahead with a rate rise at this week's meeting, but its plans for next year are less certain. Analysis by Michelle Fleury Ten years after the financial crisis, the US economy is chugging along nicely. President Trump has bragged in the past that he's responsible for the economy taking off like a \"rocket ship\". But perhaps the real credit should go to America's central bank and the policy actions it took to support the economy when it was extremely fragile. So why is Trump calling the US Federal Reserve \"crazy\"? Why is he urging it not make \"another mistake\" by raising interest rates to keep inflation in check at its policy meeting on Wednesday? Interest rates can act as a brake on inflation. But they can also slow the economy. Or worse still, cause a recession. For a President who likes to boast about his ability to create jobs, this might make that task a lot harder. It could also impact his re-election chances in 2020. And his comments aren't just a break from tradition. They may also be counter-productive. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell may feel he has to stick to his guns to avoid any appearance of undue presidential influence. The press conference with Mr Powell will be \"particularly important\", economists at Goldman Sachs said. \"We expect Powell will clear the air, acknowledging some softening in the growth outlook but also highlighting data dependence. This would likely ease near-term financial stresses, but it would also preserve [options] in the event that growth stabilizes or inflation rebounds.\" At prior meetings, Mr Powell has emphasised near record low unemployment rates as well as inflation, which is around the Fed's 2% target. Ken Matheny, executive director at Macroeconomic Advisers by IHS Markit, says he expects Mr Powell to emphasise that any decisions will respond to incoming data - not the president or other critics. \"Appearing to respond to jaw-boning is something the Fed would like to avoid,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1702, "answer_end": 2765, "text": "Analysis by Michelle Fleury Ten years after the financial crisis, the US economy is chugging along nicely. President Trump has bragged in the past that he's responsible for the economy taking off like a \"rocket ship\". But perhaps the real credit should go to America's central bank and the policy actions it took to support the economy when it was extremely fragile. So why is Trump calling the US Federal Reserve \"crazy\"? Why is he urging it not make \"another mistake\" by raising interest rates to keep inflation in check at its policy meeting on Wednesday? Interest rates can act as a brake on inflation. But they can also slow the economy. Or worse still, cause a recession. For a President who likes to boast about his ability to create jobs, this might make that task a lot harder. It could also impact his re-election chances in 2020. And his comments aren't just a break from tradition. They may also be counter-productive. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell may feel he has to stick to his guns to avoid any appearance of undue presidential influence."}], "question": "Counter-productive criticism?", "id": "373_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Does Donald Trump have a nuclear button?", "date": "3 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The president has warned North Korea on Twitter that he has a \"nuclear button\" - but does he? Firing a nuclear weapon is - unsurprisingly - more complex than changing the TV channel. More surprisingly, it involves biscuits and footballs. While the term \"nuclear button\" is a well-known shorthand, the answer is clear. Donald Trump does not, literally, have a nuclear button. On 20 January last year, a military aide carrying a leather briefcase went to Donald Trump's inauguration with President Obama. After Mr Trump took the oath of office, the aide - and the briefcase - moved to Mr Trump's side. The briefcase is known as the \"nuclear football\". The football is needed to fire US nuclear weapons and - in theory - never leaves the president's side. In August, an expert told CNN that, when Mr Trump plays golf, the football follows him round the course in a buggy. If the public ever peeped inside the nuclear football, they might be disappointed. There is no button. And there is no clock, ticking down to Armageddon. Instead, there are communication tools and books with prepared war plans. The plans are designed for quick decision-making. In 1980, Bill Gulley - a former director of the White House Military Office - said retaliatory options boil down to \"rare, medium, or well done\". The \"biscuit\" is a card containing codes, which is supposed to be carried by the president at all times. It is separate to the football. If the president were to order a strike, he would use the codes to identify himself to the military. After taking office, ABC News asked Mr Trump how it felt to receive \"the biscuit\". \"When they explain what it represents, and the kind of destruction that you're talking about, it is a very sobering moment,\" he said. \"It's very, very scary, in a sense.\" A former military aide to Bill Clinton, Robert \"Buzz\" Patterson, claimed Mr Clinton lost the codes while president. Mr Patterson said Mr Clinton would keep the biscuit in his trouser pocket - attached to his credit cards with a rubber band. On the morning the Lewinsky scandal broke, Mr Clinton admitted he hadn't seen the codes for some time, according to Mr Patterson. Another top-ranking officer - General Hugh Shelton - also claimed Mr Clinton lost the biscuit for \"months\". US nuclear codes 'went missing' Only the president can launch nuclear strikes. Once he has identified himself, he passes his order to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman is the highest-ranking US military officer. The order then goes to the US Strategic Command HQ in Offutt Airbase, Nebraska. They then pass it to \"on the ground\" teams (although these may be at sea, or under water). The order to fire is transmitted via codes - which must match codes locked in the launch team's safes. The president is commander-in-chief of the US military. In short, what he says, goes. But there is - possibly - some leeway. In November, for the first time in 40 years, Congress examined the president's authority to launch a nuclear attack. One of the experts was C Robert Kehler, commander of the US Strategic Command from 2011-13. He told the committee that, as trained, he would follow the president's nuclear order - but only if it were legal. Under certain circumstances, he explained: \"I would have said 'I'm not ready to proceed.'\" One senator asked: \"Then what happens?\" Mr Kehler admitted: \"I don't know.\" The committee laughed in response. Can US generals say 'no' to a nuclear strike? Senate questions Trump's nuclear powers", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 375, "answer_end": 868, "text": "On 20 January last year, a military aide carrying a leather briefcase went to Donald Trump's inauguration with President Obama. After Mr Trump took the oath of office, the aide - and the briefcase - moved to Mr Trump's side. The briefcase is known as the \"nuclear football\". The football is needed to fire US nuclear weapons and - in theory - never leaves the president's side. In August, an expert told CNN that, when Mr Trump plays golf, the football follows him round the course in a buggy."}], "question": "So what does he have?", "id": "374_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 869, "answer_end": 1292, "text": "If the public ever peeped inside the nuclear football, they might be disappointed. There is no button. And there is no clock, ticking down to Armageddon. Instead, there are communication tools and books with prepared war plans. The plans are designed for quick decision-making. In 1980, Bill Gulley - a former director of the White House Military Office - said retaliatory options boil down to \"rare, medium, or well done\"."}], "question": "What's in the football?", "id": "374_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1293, "answer_end": 2295, "text": "The \"biscuit\" is a card containing codes, which is supposed to be carried by the president at all times. It is separate to the football. If the president were to order a strike, he would use the codes to identify himself to the military. After taking office, ABC News asked Mr Trump how it felt to receive \"the biscuit\". \"When they explain what it represents, and the kind of destruction that you're talking about, it is a very sobering moment,\" he said. \"It's very, very scary, in a sense.\" A former military aide to Bill Clinton, Robert \"Buzz\" Patterson, claimed Mr Clinton lost the codes while president. Mr Patterson said Mr Clinton would keep the biscuit in his trouser pocket - attached to his credit cards with a rubber band. On the morning the Lewinsky scandal broke, Mr Clinton admitted he hadn't seen the codes for some time, according to Mr Patterson. Another top-ranking officer - General Hugh Shelton - also claimed Mr Clinton lost the biscuit for \"months\". US nuclear codes 'went missing'"}], "question": "So what is the biscuit?", "id": "374_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2296, "answer_end": 2771, "text": "Only the president can launch nuclear strikes. Once he has identified himself, he passes his order to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman is the highest-ranking US military officer. The order then goes to the US Strategic Command HQ in Offutt Airbase, Nebraska. They then pass it to \"on the ground\" teams (although these may be at sea, or under water). The order to fire is transmitted via codes - which must match codes locked in the launch team's safes."}], "question": "How does the president launch a nuclear attack?", "id": "374_3"}]}]}, {"title": "R Kelly: Singer charged with sexual abuse in Chicago", "date": "23 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "R Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, at least nine of which involve minors. The R&B star, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has faced decades of claims of sexual abuse against women and teenagers below the age of consent. He has never been convicted and has previously denied other allegations. An arrest warrant was issued, and the 52-year-old turned himself in to police in Chicago later on Friday. His lawyer says he is \"shell-shocked\". Steve Greenberg told The Associated Press that his client was \"extraordinarily disappointed and depressed\" by the charges and maintains his innocence. The indictment come just weeks after a documentary series called Surviving R Kelly aired. It contained decades of allegations of abuse against R Kelly, from many women, including the singer's ex-wife. Prosecutors in Cook County announced the aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges, involving four victims, on Friday. They say they took place between 1998 and 2010. Documents say at least three of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time of their reported assaults. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said he could face a maximum of seven years in prison for each count. A no-bail arrest warrant has been issued for Kelly. Mr Greenberg, his lawyer, told AP that he had offered to sit down with prosecutors before the filing to describe \"why these charges are baseless\" but said they refused. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx had urged women to come forward after the documentary series aired. Lawyer Michael Avenatti has said he is representing six people, including two alleged victims, making allegations against Kelly. At least one of the victims is included in Friday's indictment, he said. Mr Avenatti came forward last week to say he had uncovered and handed over previously unreleased footage showing Kelly engaging in sex with an underage girl to prosecutors. The lawyer says the 40-minute tape, believed to be shot in 1999, shows him having sexual intercourse and engaging in other sexual and lewd acts with a 14-year-old. He has alleged both Kelly and the girl \"repeatedly\" reference her age as being 14 in the video. Kelly was previously acquitted over another video tape of a similar nature in 2008. US broadcaster CNN has said it has seen the new footage and described it as \"clear and explicit\". The charges come one day after lawyer Gloria Allred said she was representing two new women making fresh allegations against Kelly. Kelly has faced, and denied, accusations about sexual and physical abuse for decades. In 1994 it was reported he married 15-year-old singer and musical protege Aaliyah at a secret ceremony in Chicago when he was 27. US media said she had lied about her age on the certificate, and the marriage was later annulled. In 2002 the star was charged with child pornography in Chicago over footage that appeared to show him engaging in intercourse, oral sex, urination, and other sexual acts with a girl said to be 13 or 14. The case took six years to go to trial. Both Kelly and the girl alleged to be in the video denied it was them. Eventually the jury acquitted Kelly of all 14 charges against him. In 2017, Kelly was forced to deny allegations that he was holding a number of young women captive in a so-called \"abusive cult\" after a bombshell report from Buzzfeed News. He has also been sued privately by a number of women, including some who allege underage sexual relationships and another who says he \"intentionally\" infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. The singer has continued to make music throughout the allegations. There have been calls to boycott Kelly's music - both recordings and performances - with people using the social media hashtag #MuteRKelly. Throughout 2018 women continued to come forward publicly alleging abuse. The singer was the subject of the documentary series Surviving R Kelly earlier this year. Across six episodes, a catalogue of women accused him of sexual and emotional abuse - including several who said they were underage when sexual relations began. After the series aired, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx made a plea for victims to come forward and report - saying she was \"sickened\" by the allegations.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 841, "answer_end": 1447, "text": "Prosecutors in Cook County announced the aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges, involving four victims, on Friday. They say they took place between 1998 and 2010. Documents say at least three of the victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time of their reported assaults. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said he could face a maximum of seven years in prison for each count. A no-bail arrest warrant has been issued for Kelly. Mr Greenberg, his lawyer, told AP that he had offered to sit down with prosecutors before the filing to describe \"why these charges are baseless\" but said they refused."}], "question": "What are the allegations?", "id": "375_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Chemnitz protests: Prison officer admits leaking Iraqi's arrest warrant", "date": "31 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A German prison officer has admitted leaking the arrest warrant issued for an Iraqi suspect in connection with a fatal stabbing on Sunday. The document was spread online by right-wing groups who then held anti-immigrant rallies in the eastern city of Chemnitz. The officer has been suspended and may now face criminal charges. He leaked the documents because he wanted to \"end speculation\" about the stabbing, his lawyer said. Police were braced for more trouble in Chemnitz on Thursday evening, but a protest passed without any major incident. Following Sunday's stabbing, police had arrested a 22-year-old Iraqi man and a 23-year-old Syrian and charged them with manslaughter. Authorities launched an investigation after the arrest warrant for the Iraqi was published on far-right websites. It revealed details of the number of stab wounds as well as the full names of suspects, the victim, witnesses and the judge. It also contained the Iraqi's address. Saxony's justice minister, Sebastian Gemkow, called the leak \"irresponsible\" and said it was \"likely to complicate the ongoing investigation and prosecution\". The 39-year-old guard, who handed himself in, worked at a correctional facility in the eastern city of Dresden, Deutsche Welle reported. According to a statement published on Facebook by the man's lawyer, he said he knew he would probably lose his job but hadn't realised at the time that publication of the warrant was illegal. He said he had wanted \"to put an end to speculation about the sequence of events in the crime\". In the early hours of Sunday, a fight broke out between \"multiple nationalities\" on the sidelines of a street festival, police said. The stabbing victim, a 35-year-old German-Cuban carpenter named Daniel H, was critically wounded and died in hospital. Two other people were injured. It remains unclear what triggered the brawl, but police dismissed rumours that the victim had been defending a woman from sexual assault. News of the incident involving migrants incited hundreds and then thousands of right-wing extremists and sympathisers to take to the streets on Sunday night. On Monday, about 6,000 took part in another far-right demonstration, while 1,000 people gathered in a rival anti-fascist rally, police said. Fireworks and objects were hurled on both sides and several people were injured. The leak of the arrest warrant further fuelled tensions. Some far-right protesters were arrested for making the illegal Hitler salute. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly condemned the far-right protests. \"Hate in the streets has nothing to do with our constitutional state,\" she said. Michael Kretschmer, the premier of Saxony and a close ally of Mrs Merkel, has vowed to deal firmly with extremists. \"The fact that we have a Syrian and an Iraqi suspect is no reason - no reason at all - for a general suspicion of all foreign residents,\" he said. The protests have exposed divisions in German society following Mrs Merkel's decision in 2015 to allow more than one million migrants into the country. Since then, the number of people seeking asylum has fallen steeply. Nonetheless, right-wing groups such as the AfD - which entered parliament for the first time in 2017 with 12.6% of the vote and 94 seats - deplore Mrs Merkel's liberal immigration policy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1116, "answer_end": 1540, "text": "The 39-year-old guard, who handed himself in, worked at a correctional facility in the eastern city of Dresden, Deutsche Welle reported. According to a statement published on Facebook by the man's lawyer, he said he knew he would probably lose his job but hadn't realised at the time that publication of the warrant was illegal. He said he had wanted \"to put an end to speculation about the sequence of events in the crime\"."}], "question": "Who is the prison officer?", "id": "376_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1541, "answer_end": 2476, "text": "In the early hours of Sunday, a fight broke out between \"multiple nationalities\" on the sidelines of a street festival, police said. The stabbing victim, a 35-year-old German-Cuban carpenter named Daniel H, was critically wounded and died in hospital. Two other people were injured. It remains unclear what triggered the brawl, but police dismissed rumours that the victim had been defending a woman from sexual assault. News of the incident involving migrants incited hundreds and then thousands of right-wing extremists and sympathisers to take to the streets on Sunday night. On Monday, about 6,000 took part in another far-right demonstration, while 1,000 people gathered in a rival anti-fascist rally, police said. Fireworks and objects were hurled on both sides and several people were injured. The leak of the arrest warrant further fuelled tensions. Some far-right protesters were arrested for making the illegal Hitler salute."}], "question": "What happened in Chemnitz?", "id": "376_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2477, "answer_end": 3309, "text": "German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly condemned the far-right protests. \"Hate in the streets has nothing to do with our constitutional state,\" she said. Michael Kretschmer, the premier of Saxony and a close ally of Mrs Merkel, has vowed to deal firmly with extremists. \"The fact that we have a Syrian and an Iraqi suspect is no reason - no reason at all - for a general suspicion of all foreign residents,\" he said. The protests have exposed divisions in German society following Mrs Merkel's decision in 2015 to allow more than one million migrants into the country. Since then, the number of people seeking asylum has fallen steeply. Nonetheless, right-wing groups such as the AfD - which entered parliament for the first time in 2017 with 12.6% of the vote and 94 seats - deplore Mrs Merkel's liberal immigration policy."}], "question": "How has the government reacted?", "id": "376_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan blasphemy case: Asia Bibi freed from jail", "date": "8 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman acquitted of blasphemy after spending eight years on death row, has been freed from prison. Last week's Supreme Court ruling sparked violent protests from Islamists and the government agreed to their demand to stop her leaving Pakistan. News of her release led to some confusion, with reports she had been taken to another country. But the foreign office later said she was still in Pakistan. The case is highly sensitive and Information Minister Fawad Hussein said journalists had been \"extremely irresponsible\" in reporting she had left the country without official confirmation. Those reports were based on comments from her lawyer, Saiful Malook, who has been granted temporary asylum in the Netherlands after facing death threats. Asia Bibi's husband had said they were in danger and pleaded for asylum. A number of Western countries are understood to have held discussions with Asia Bibi's family about granting them asylum. The mother-of-five was released from prison in the city of Multan on Wednesday and the foreign office says she is in \"a safe place in Pakistan\". Also known as Asia Noreen, she was convicted in 2010 of insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a row with neighbours. The Pakistani government has said it will start legal proceedings to prevent her going abroad after agreeing the measure to end the violent protests. Many of the protesters were hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws and called for Asia Bibi to be hanged. One Islamist leader said all three Supreme Court judges also \"deserved to be killed\". A spokesman for the hardline Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP) party, which blocked roads in major cities for several days, said Asia Bibi's release was in breach of their deal with the government. \"The rulers have showed their dishonesty,\" TLP spokesman Ejaz Ashrafi told Reuters. The deal also saw officials agree not to block a petition for the Supreme Court to evaluate Asia Bibi's acquittal in the light of Islamic Sharia law. The trial stems from an argument Asia Bibi had with a group of women in June 2009. They were harvesting fruit when a row broke out about a bucket of water. The women said that because she had used a cup, they could no longer touch it, as her faith had made it unclean. Prosecutors alleged that in the row which followed, the women said Asia Bibi should convert to Islam and that she made offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad in response. She was later beaten up at her home, during which her accusers say she confessed to blasphemy. She was arrested after a police investigation. Acquitting her, the Supreme Court said that the case was based on unreliable evidence and her confession was delivered in front of a crowd \"threatening to kill her\". Islam is Pakistan's national religion and underpins its legal system. Public support for the strict blasphemy laws is strong. Hard-line politicians have often backed severe punishments, partly as a way of shoring up their support base. But critics say the laws have often been used to exact revenge after personal disputes, and that convictions are based on thin evidence. The vast majority of those convicted are Muslims or members of the Ahmadi community who identify themselves as Muslims but are regarded as heretical by orthodox Islam. Since the 1990s scores of Christians have also been convicted. They make up just 1.6% of the population. The Christian community has been targeted by numerous attacks in recent years, leaving many feeling vulnerable to a climate of intolerance. Since 1990, at least 65 people have reportedly been killed in Pakistan over claims of blasphemy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2001, "answer_end": 2755, "text": "The trial stems from an argument Asia Bibi had with a group of women in June 2009. They were harvesting fruit when a row broke out about a bucket of water. The women said that because she had used a cup, they could no longer touch it, as her faith had made it unclean. Prosecutors alleged that in the row which followed, the women said Asia Bibi should convert to Islam and that she made offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad in response. She was later beaten up at her home, during which her accusers say she confessed to blasphemy. She was arrested after a police investigation. Acquitting her, the Supreme Court said that the case was based on unreliable evidence and her confession was delivered in front of a crowd \"threatening to kill her\"."}], "question": "What was Asia Bibi accused of?", "id": "377_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2756, "answer_end": 3638, "text": "Islam is Pakistan's national religion and underpins its legal system. Public support for the strict blasphemy laws is strong. Hard-line politicians have often backed severe punishments, partly as a way of shoring up their support base. But critics say the laws have often been used to exact revenge after personal disputes, and that convictions are based on thin evidence. The vast majority of those convicted are Muslims or members of the Ahmadi community who identify themselves as Muslims but are regarded as heretical by orthodox Islam. Since the 1990s scores of Christians have also been convicted. They make up just 1.6% of the population. The Christian community has been targeted by numerous attacks in recent years, leaving many feeling vulnerable to a climate of intolerance. Since 1990, at least 65 people have reportedly been killed in Pakistan over claims of blasphemy."}], "question": "Why is this case so divisive?", "id": "377_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Port manager killed in Somalia's Puntland state", "date": "4 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Maltese port manager has been shot dead in Somalia's northern semi-autonomous Puntland state, officials say. Paul Anthony Formosa, who was the construction project manager for P&O Ports, was killed near Bossasso port. Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it carried out the attack. Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in 1998, in part to avoid the clan warfare in southern Somalia. The state is a destination for many Somalis displaced by violence in the south. Mr Formosa was waylaid by gunmen disguised as fishermen as he was heading to the port, news agency Reuters reports. \"[He was killed] in the fish market as he was going to Bossasso port this morning. The men armed with pistols hit him [with] several bullets in the head,\" Yusuf Mohamed, governor of Puntland's Bari region, told Reuters. One of the gunmen involved in Monday's attack was caught alive and has been identified as a member of al-Shabab, Mr Mohamed said. Two guards at the port were also injured in the attack, he said. Al-Shabab said it carried out the attack, accusing developers of looting Somalia's resources. It accused Mr Formosa of being in Somalia \"illegally\". \"We are behind the operation... we had warned him but he turned [a] deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia,\" al-Shabab's military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said. Dubai-based DP World - one of the world's largest port operators - won a 30-year concession in 2017 worth $336m (PS260m) to develop and manage the Bossasso port. Many residents opposed the deal and staged protests during which at least one person was killed. They said that the deal would increase taxes at the port. DP World has a similar agreement for Berbera port in the neighbouring region of Somaliland, which has declared independence from Somalia. The federal Somali government declared the deals null and void, accusing the operator of violating the country's sovereignty. Subsequently, the Somali parliament passed a bill banning DP World from Somalia. P&O Ports is working in Somalia as a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Port, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC). Somalia has been caught up in the ongoing diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, its two allies and benefactors. It has so far taken a neutral stance. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Dubai, and Bahrain severed relations with Qatar on 5 June 2017. \"Somalia has become a chessboard in the power game between Qatar and Turkey on the one side and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies on the other,\" Rashid Abdi, director of the Horn of Africa project at the International Crisis Group, told the BBC. \"There is no doubt that these rivalries are spilling over into Africa. Somalia is especially vulnerable because of its proximity to the Gulf and its long historical relationship with the region,\" he added. Corrected on 6/2/19 to clarify that P&O Ports is a subsidiary of PCFC, not DP World.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 518, "answer_end": 1374, "text": "Mr Formosa was waylaid by gunmen disguised as fishermen as he was heading to the port, news agency Reuters reports. \"[He was killed] in the fish market as he was going to Bossasso port this morning. The men armed with pistols hit him [with] several bullets in the head,\" Yusuf Mohamed, governor of Puntland's Bari region, told Reuters. One of the gunmen involved in Monday's attack was caught alive and has been identified as a member of al-Shabab, Mr Mohamed said. Two guards at the port were also injured in the attack, he said. Al-Shabab said it carried out the attack, accusing developers of looting Somalia's resources. It accused Mr Formosa of being in Somalia \"illegally\". \"We are behind the operation... we had warned him but he turned [a] deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia,\" al-Shabab's military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said."}], "question": "How was port manager killed?", "id": "378_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1375, "answer_end": 2151, "text": "Dubai-based DP World - one of the world's largest port operators - won a 30-year concession in 2017 worth $336m (PS260m) to develop and manage the Bossasso port. Many residents opposed the deal and staged protests during which at least one person was killed. They said that the deal would increase taxes at the port. DP World has a similar agreement for Berbera port in the neighbouring region of Somaliland, which has declared independence from Somalia. The federal Somali government declared the deals null and void, accusing the operator of violating the country's sovereignty. Subsequently, the Somali parliament passed a bill banning DP World from Somalia. P&O Ports is working in Somalia as a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Port, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC)."}], "question": "Why was the port deal controversial?", "id": "378_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2152, "answer_end": 2995, "text": "Somalia has been caught up in the ongoing diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, its two allies and benefactors. It has so far taken a neutral stance. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Dubai, and Bahrain severed relations with Qatar on 5 June 2017. \"Somalia has become a chessboard in the power game between Qatar and Turkey on the one side and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies on the other,\" Rashid Abdi, director of the Horn of Africa project at the International Crisis Group, told the BBC. \"There is no doubt that these rivalries are spilling over into Africa. Somalia is especially vulnerable because of its proximity to the Gulf and its long historical relationship with the region,\" he added. Corrected on 6/2/19 to clarify that P&O Ports is a subsidiary of PCFC, not DP World."}], "question": "What is Somalia's relationship with the Gulf countries?", "id": "378_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US moves to abolish child migrant custody limits", "date": "22 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Migrant families who cross the southern border of the US illegally could be detained indefinitely under a new regulation announced by the Trump administration. It replaces an agreement that set a limit on how long the government could hold migrant children in custody. The move, announced by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, is due to come into effect in 60 days. Mexico has expressed concern and said it would consider legal action. The Mexican foreign ministry said the detention of children and adolescents \"could be prolonged indefinitely, given the continuing delay in attending to migration cases\". Other legal challenges are also expected. Homeland security officials believe that time limits on the detentions of migrant families have driven the surge of Central Americans crossing the border into the US this year. They argue that the new regulation will counter the belief that bringing children into the US is \"a passport\" to being freed from detention after a short period. \"Today the government has issued a critical rule that will permit the Department of Homeland Security to appropriately hold families together and improve the integrity of the immigration system,\" said Mr McAleenan. \"This rule allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress and ensures that all children in US government custody are treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability.\" The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the policy, saying: \"The government should not be jailing kids, and certainly shouldn't be seeking to put more kids in jail for longer.\" It comes as the White House seeks to enact a \"public charge\" rule that would prohibit legal migrants from accessing social services such as food aid. The Trump administration has also recently moved to end asylum protections for most Central American migrants. It aims to replace a decades-old court agreement - known as the Flores settlement - that both limited how long the government could hold migrant children in custody and specified the level of care they must receive. A 2015 legal ruling on this issue specified that children should be held for no more than 20 days. Under the new rules, the government could send families caught crossing the border illegally to family residential centres for the duration of their immigration cases. President Trump has repeatedly complained about the \"catch and release\" of migrant families under the old rules. Last summer, the Trump administration separated children from their parents as a means of circumventing the Flores settlement. The children were held by the Department of Health and Human Services while the adults were imprisoned while awaiting trial for breaking immigration laws. In June 2019, a Trump administration lawyer was admonished by federal judges in San Francisco after she argued that the Flores settlement did not require the government to provide detained children with soap or toothbrushes. Are US child migrant detainees entitled to soap? The number of border apprehensions dropped by 28% in June, according to US authorities. The decline follows a record number of apprehensions between ports of entry in May - the highest in over a decade. Drops in migrations are typical during the summer months, where temperatures can soar above 32C, but this June saw a sharper decline than previous years. Trump administration officials have attributed the decrease to new policies with Mexico to curb migration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 666, "answer_end": 1907, "text": "Homeland security officials believe that time limits on the detentions of migrant families have driven the surge of Central Americans crossing the border into the US this year. They argue that the new regulation will counter the belief that bringing children into the US is \"a passport\" to being freed from detention after a short period. \"Today the government has issued a critical rule that will permit the Department of Homeland Security to appropriately hold families together and improve the integrity of the immigration system,\" said Mr McAleenan. \"This rule allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress and ensures that all children in US government custody are treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability.\" The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the policy, saying: \"The government should not be jailing kids, and certainly shouldn't be seeking to put more kids in jail for longer.\" It comes as the White House seeks to enact a \"public charge\" rule that would prohibit legal migrants from accessing social services such as food aid. The Trump administration has also recently moved to end asylum protections for most Central American migrants."}], "question": "Why is this happening?", "id": "379_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1908, "answer_end": 3059, "text": "It aims to replace a decades-old court agreement - known as the Flores settlement - that both limited how long the government could hold migrant children in custody and specified the level of care they must receive. A 2015 legal ruling on this issue specified that children should be held for no more than 20 days. Under the new rules, the government could send families caught crossing the border illegally to family residential centres for the duration of their immigration cases. President Trump has repeatedly complained about the \"catch and release\" of migrant families under the old rules. Last summer, the Trump administration separated children from their parents as a means of circumventing the Flores settlement. The children were held by the Department of Health and Human Services while the adults were imprisoned while awaiting trial for breaking immigration laws. In June 2019, a Trump administration lawyer was admonished by federal judges in San Francisco after she argued that the Flores settlement did not require the government to provide detained children with soap or toothbrushes. Are US child migrant detainees entitled to soap?"}], "question": "What does the new regulation do?", "id": "379_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3060, "answer_end": 3523, "text": "The number of border apprehensions dropped by 28% in June, according to US authorities. The decline follows a record number of apprehensions between ports of entry in May - the highest in over a decade. Drops in migrations are typical during the summer months, where temperatures can soar above 32C, but this June saw a sharper decline than previous years. Trump administration officials have attributed the decrease to new policies with Mexico to curb migration."}], "question": "What's happening at the border now?", "id": "379_2"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea visit: Trump calls off Pompeo's trip", "date": "24 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not be travelling to North Korea in the immediate future after Donald Trump asked him to call off a planned trip. The president tweeted that insufficient progress was being made in dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear programme. He also suggested China was not doing enough to put pressure on North Korea - due to trade tensions with the US. After his summit with the North Korean leader in June, Mr Trump said the country was no longer a nuclear threat. But since then there have been several reports that it is failing to dismantle nuclear facilities. One of the most recent warnings came from unnamed US officials, who told the Washington Post that North Korea appeared to be building new intercontinental ballistic missiles. The UN's nuclear agency (IAEA) has also said North Korea is continuing with its nuclear programme. Mr Pompeo was due to head to Pyongyang next week with his newly appointed special envoy for North Korea - Stephen Biegun, a retiring Ford executive. It would have been the secretary of state's fourth trip, though he was not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr Trump took a swipe at China in the second of three tweets on the issue. China and the US are embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff war after Mr Trump complained about the size of the US trade deficit with China and what Washington sees as other unfair trade practices. However, only two days ago Mr Trump said China had been a \"big help on North Korea\". Mr Pompeo might still make another trip though. \"There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea,\" Mr Trump tweeted on arriving back in the US from the June summit with Mr Kim in Singapore. \"Everybody can feel much safer,\" he said. After the optimism of Singapore, the latest development might seem like quite a change. But there have been ups and downs in the Trump-North Korea relationship since then. After a visit by Mr Pompeo in July, North Korea condemned his \"gangster-like demands\", only for another trip to be announced, albeit now cancelled. And the summit itself was called off in May - Mr Trump citing Pyongyang's \"open hostility\" - only for it to take place after all. The US has made clear that it wants to see an end to the North's nuclear activities before it will consider lifting economic sanctions. The summit was seen as possible turning point after a ratcheting up of tensions. North Korea had carried out a sixth nuclear bomb test in September and boasted of its ability to launch a missile at the United States.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 862, "answer_end": 1536, "text": "Mr Pompeo was due to head to Pyongyang next week with his newly appointed special envoy for North Korea - Stephen Biegun, a retiring Ford executive. It would have been the secretary of state's fourth trip, though he was not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr Trump took a swipe at China in the second of three tweets on the issue. China and the US are embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff war after Mr Trump complained about the size of the US trade deficit with China and what Washington sees as other unfair trade practices. However, only two days ago Mr Trump said China had been a \"big help on North Korea\". Mr Pompeo might still make another trip though."}], "question": "What is Mr Trump's latest line?", "id": "380_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1537, "answer_end": 2528, "text": "\"There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea,\" Mr Trump tweeted on arriving back in the US from the June summit with Mr Kim in Singapore. \"Everybody can feel much safer,\" he said. After the optimism of Singapore, the latest development might seem like quite a change. But there have been ups and downs in the Trump-North Korea relationship since then. After a visit by Mr Pompeo in July, North Korea condemned his \"gangster-like demands\", only for another trip to be announced, albeit now cancelled. And the summit itself was called off in May - Mr Trump citing Pyongyang's \"open hostility\" - only for it to take place after all. The US has made clear that it wants to see an end to the North's nuclear activities before it will consider lifting economic sanctions. The summit was seen as possible turning point after a ratcheting up of tensions. North Korea had carried out a sixth nuclear bomb test in September and boasted of its ability to launch a missile at the United States."}], "question": " How much of a shift is this?", "id": "380_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump re-imposes Iran sanctions: Now what?", "date": "3 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The re-imposition of the full panoply of sanctions against Iran that were waived under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement marks a high-point for President Donald Trump's foreign policy. He had long objected to the agreement, which was seen by most analysts as one of the more significant foreign policy achievements of his predecessor Barack Obama. Now the Trump administration's goal is to apply maximum pressure against the Iranian regime to compel it to think again and change what the Americans see as its malign behaviour in the region. So what measures exactly are being re-imposed and what will their likely impact be? Will this mark the final demise of the JCPOA? And what is the real US strategy behind the sanctions effort? Not all of these questions have clear or definitive answers. The sanctions that are being re-imposed are the most damaging to the Iranian economy - targeting its oil sales, its wider energy industry, shipping, banking, insurance and so on.  In large part these are what is known in the trade as \"secondary sanctions\", in that they are intended to apply pressure on other countries to prevent them trading with Tehran. The idea is to dissuade them from purchasing Iranian oil, which brings in a huge proportion of Iran's revenue. In addition, sanctions will be imposed upon hundreds of named entities and individuals. There will not be a sudden collapse in Iranian revenues. Indeed much of the damage has already been done. The pressure has been building since President Trump's original announcement last May. US officials assert that since then, Iran's daily oil exports have dropped significantly - by more than one third. Foreign companies have had to decide in effect what is more important to them: business with Iran or business with the United States. Many major players have already announced the termination of projects in Iran. Knowing the sanctions were coming, many business have already made their decisions. Several of Iran's customers may continue to purchase oil and look set to be granted waivers by the United States to do so. In the past - under the Obama administration - these were known as \"significant reduction exemptions\" and meant, in effect, that if countries promised to reduce their oil purchases from Iran significantly, then the administration did not seek to punish them for conducting some trade. This made good sense as it helped US allies like Taiwan, South Korea and Japan manage their energy problems while falling into line with the broad thrust of US policy. India also got exemptions, and China reduced its purchases under a slightly different arrangement. The Trump administration has already signalled that it too is willing to grant countries like India and several others such waivers. National Security Adviser John Bolton noted this week that: \"We want to achieve maximum pressure (on Iran), but we don't want to harm friends and allies either.\" Previously, the Trump administration had insisted that oil imports from Iran had to be reduced to zero. China's behaviour - Beijing is a major trading partner for Tehran - is going to be key. It too is likely to continue buying Iranian oil without facing sanctions. There is a logic here. Is the US really going to hit Beijing with damaging secondary sanctions which would effectively mean risking an economic war, given the difficult state of the wider trade relationship between the two countries? Probably not. The US must also be concerned about the broader stability of the international oil market, not least given the political uncertainties in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, it is the Saudis who may be expected to pump more oil to make up for cut-backs in Iranian crude. A further uncertainty comes from the European Union's efforts to bolster the Iran nuclear agreement by seeking to protect its own companies from US sanctions. There is also talk about establishing an alternative payments system that would not involve either the dollar or US banks. But experts in Washington - even those critical of the Trump administration's approach - remain highly sceptical that EU efforts, in the short-term, will make much economic difference. The general view is that the EU's pronouncements have largely been intended to send a powerful political signal to Tehran of their opposition to President Trump's approach. That is not to say that they would not like to see constraints on Iran's missile programmes or a change in Tehran's regional behaviour. But they believe that the JCPOA (remember France, Germany, the UK and the EU are all signatories) remains a useful constraint on Iran's nuclear activities and should not be overthrown lightly. So is the JCPOA now doomed? Not necessarily. Some experts believe that if China and other customers like India continue to buy a reasonable level of Iranian oil and if the EU maintains its political support for the deal, then Iran may possibly stick with it for the time being. However, once sanctions begin to bite - perhaps causing further economic unrest - then the fate of the JCPOA will depend upon the complex political battles between moderates and hardliners in Tehran. All this begs the question: what really is the Trump administration's goal in all of this? Ostensibly it is to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to get a better and more comprehensive deal. But many analysts feel that such a move from Tehran is highly unlikely and the scope of US demands suggests that the Trump administration's real goal is somehow to produce regime change in Tehran. As one expert critic of the Trump policy told me: \"At the end of the day, the problem is the administration has no real plan. They know how to make use of one tool, i.e. sanctions, but they lack any semblance of a broader strategy.\" Jarrett Blanc, a former Obama era official who handled the implementation of the JCPOA, argues that by reneging on the deal, \"the US has blown its ability to make credible promises\". So for the immediate future there will be a messy situation where Iran tries to weather the sanctions pressure: its oil sales will be reduced significantly but it will still retain some of its customers. The US will persevere with its current approach seeking to isolate Tehran - but without the broad international backing that the sanctions regime garnered prior to the negotiation of the JCPOA. Few analysts believe that Iran's foreign policy in the region will change much. They say it is based on strategic and ideological concerns, rather than simply economic ones, and in any case its activities in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza are probably not expensive enough to trump these other priorities. Nonetheless the Trump administration is clearly determined to up the pressure on Tehran. It especially wants to choke off funding for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for conducting many of Iran's operations abroad. This is part of a broader policy of containment if you like, in which Israel (through its actions in Syria) and Saudi Arabia (through its campaign in Yemen) are also involved. But Israel is already running up against problems with Russia, and there is a huge question mark over the future of the Saudi war in Yemen. So much remains uncertain about the Trump approach. Can he win over allies, might he actually apply sanctions to those countries trading with Iran, and how long will the waivers on oil purchases actually last? Just what will be the impact upon Iranian society and its politics? And amidst this maelstrom can the JCPOA survive in any meaningful form? But there is also a wider long-term question here about US policy which relates to Washington's growing recourse to the tool of economic sanctions. Many believe that they are being over-used and that the threat of secondary sanctions is counter-productive to other US goals. It is not just the Europeans: Russia and China are also talking about developing alternative international payment systems. We could look back - perhaps a decade from now - and say that this was the moment when the utility of US economic sanctions as a diplomatic weapon began to erode.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3470, "answer_end": 8141, "text": "The US must also be concerned about the broader stability of the international oil market, not least given the political uncertainties in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, it is the Saudis who may be expected to pump more oil to make up for cut-backs in Iranian crude. A further uncertainty comes from the European Union's efforts to bolster the Iran nuclear agreement by seeking to protect its own companies from US sanctions. There is also talk about establishing an alternative payments system that would not involve either the dollar or US banks. But experts in Washington - even those critical of the Trump administration's approach - remain highly sceptical that EU efforts, in the short-term, will make much economic difference. The general view is that the EU's pronouncements have largely been intended to send a powerful political signal to Tehran of their opposition to President Trump's approach. That is not to say that they would not like to see constraints on Iran's missile programmes or a change in Tehran's regional behaviour. But they believe that the JCPOA (remember France, Germany, the UK and the EU are all signatories) remains a useful constraint on Iran's nuclear activities and should not be overthrown lightly. So is the JCPOA now doomed? Not necessarily. Some experts believe that if China and other customers like India continue to buy a reasonable level of Iranian oil and if the EU maintains its political support for the deal, then Iran may possibly stick with it for the time being. However, once sanctions begin to bite - perhaps causing further economic unrest - then the fate of the JCPOA will depend upon the complex political battles between moderates and hardliners in Tehran. All this begs the question: what really is the Trump administration's goal in all of this? Ostensibly it is to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to get a better and more comprehensive deal. But many analysts feel that such a move from Tehran is highly unlikely and the scope of US demands suggests that the Trump administration's real goal is somehow to produce regime change in Tehran. As one expert critic of the Trump policy told me: \"At the end of the day, the problem is the administration has no real plan. They know how to make use of one tool, i.e. sanctions, but they lack any semblance of a broader strategy.\" Jarrett Blanc, a former Obama era official who handled the implementation of the JCPOA, argues that by reneging on the deal, \"the US has blown its ability to make credible promises\". So for the immediate future there will be a messy situation where Iran tries to weather the sanctions pressure: its oil sales will be reduced significantly but it will still retain some of its customers. The US will persevere with its current approach seeking to isolate Tehran - but without the broad international backing that the sanctions regime garnered prior to the negotiation of the JCPOA. Few analysts believe that Iran's foreign policy in the region will change much. They say it is based on strategic and ideological concerns, rather than simply economic ones, and in any case its activities in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza are probably not expensive enough to trump these other priorities. Nonetheless the Trump administration is clearly determined to up the pressure on Tehran. It especially wants to choke off funding for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for conducting many of Iran's operations abroad. This is part of a broader policy of containment if you like, in which Israel (through its actions in Syria) and Saudi Arabia (through its campaign in Yemen) are also involved. But Israel is already running up against problems with Russia, and there is a huge question mark over the future of the Saudi war in Yemen. So much remains uncertain about the Trump approach. Can he win over allies, might he actually apply sanctions to those countries trading with Iran, and how long will the waivers on oil purchases actually last? Just what will be the impact upon Iranian society and its politics? And amidst this maelstrom can the JCPOA survive in any meaningful form? But there is also a wider long-term question here about US policy which relates to Washington's growing recourse to the tool of economic sanctions. Many believe that they are being over-used and that the threat of secondary sanctions is counter-productive to other US goals. It is not just the Europeans: Russia and China are also talking about developing alternative international payment systems. We could look back - perhaps a decade from now - and say that this was the moment when the utility of US economic sanctions as a diplomatic weapon began to erode."}], "question": "Uncertainty ahead?", "id": "381_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hafiz Saeed: Will Pakistan's 'terror cleric' stay in jail?", "date": "13 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced hardline Islamist cleric Hafiz Mohammad Saeed to 11 years in jail for financing terrorist operations. The man accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 161 people is to serve two five-and-a-half prison terms concurrently. Saeed has been wanted by India for years, and is designated as a global terrorist by both the UN and the US, which has a $10m bounty on his head. He's the founder of one of Pakistan's largest militant groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). So why has it taken so long to put him behind bars - and will he stay there? The answer is complicated, not least by the fact that Saeed is widely known to have close links with the Pakistani military. The answer may lie in Pakistan's growing international isolation since the mid-2000s, its worsening economic woes and more recently a threat of being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international terror financing and money laundering watchdog. Significantly, Saeed's conviction comes a week before the Paris-based FATF discusses Pakistan's progress in curbing terror financing. Pakistan, which has long denied supporting militants to further its foreign policy goals, is already in financial dire straits. Mostly ruled by its military, whether directly or indirectly, since its independence in 1947, the country has heavily depended on American and Middle Eastern aid to sustain itself as a viable state. Experts believe that if Pakistan continues to fail to satisfy the FATF and is downgraded to its blacklist, there could be serious financial and diplomatic implications, including an impact on a bailout it's getting from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). India is watching events closely. The US State Department called the conviction of Saeed a \"step forward\". What has Pakistan been doing to curb militants? In June 2018, FATF moved Pakistan to its \"grey\" list of countries - those that are found to be non-compliant on money laundering and terror financing standards. Over the subsequent months, in order to avoid international sanctions, Pakistan moved to arrest scores of terror suspects and sealed or took over hundreds of properties linked to banned groups. But many saw these actions as just meant for optics, with no serious action visible against major militant groups such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The pressure kept rising, and in April 2019, the government proscribed half a dozen organisations linked to the JuD and another group, the Markaz Dawa-wal-Irshad (MDwI). Hafiz Saeed's conviction was for owning properties linked to banned organisations such as JuD and MDwI. He was arrested last July, three months before FATF's scheduled review of whether Pakistan was complying with its action plan. In that review, held in October, Pakistan was found lacking on several counts, but a decision on whether to downgrade it was put off until the next review, which is expected next week. Saeed was indicted in December, and the trial concluded in less than two months, which must be a record of sorts for Pakistan. But given his close links with the Pakistani security establishment, many question if he will be really abandoned by the Pakistani establishment, made to serve a full sentence and condemned to the life of a convicted criminal. No. Pakistan has arrested him several times since the 9/11 attacks in the US, but it never charged him with specific offences and always set him free in the end. He was put under house arrest on a number of occasions, first when the Indian government blamed him for masterminding the December 2001 attack on its parliament, and then after the Mumbai train bombings of 2006. He was also put under house arrest several times between 2008 and 2009 following accusations that the LeT had carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. On each of these occasions, the Pakistani government did not frame charges against him. Instead, it continued to file for extensions of his house arrest which the courts would ultimately refuse, setting him free. Whether this time will be different, or if it is enough to satisfy the FATF remains to be seen. He set up MDwI jointly with a Pakistan-based Saudi Salafist leader Abdullah Uzzam in 1987, when the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was nearing its end. The group spawned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), allegedly with help from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, to move a major portion of Islamist jihadis from Afghanistan to fight against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir. It is widely believed the LeT was instrumental in neutralising the secular, pro-independence rhetoric of the Kashmiri leadership which had shaped the region's first popular uprising against Indian rule in 1988, and turned it into a pro-Pakistan Islamist campaign. At the same time, analysts believe, it continued to provide tactical and ideological support to Islamist factions that prevented post-Soviet Afghanistan from stabilising.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 732, "answer_end": 3343, "text": "The answer may lie in Pakistan's growing international isolation since the mid-2000s, its worsening economic woes and more recently a threat of being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international terror financing and money laundering watchdog. Significantly, Saeed's conviction comes a week before the Paris-based FATF discusses Pakistan's progress in curbing terror financing. Pakistan, which has long denied supporting militants to further its foreign policy goals, is already in financial dire straits. Mostly ruled by its military, whether directly or indirectly, since its independence in 1947, the country has heavily depended on American and Middle Eastern aid to sustain itself as a viable state. Experts believe that if Pakistan continues to fail to satisfy the FATF and is downgraded to its blacklist, there could be serious financial and diplomatic implications, including an impact on a bailout it's getting from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). India is watching events closely. The US State Department called the conviction of Saeed a \"step forward\". What has Pakistan been doing to curb militants? In June 2018, FATF moved Pakistan to its \"grey\" list of countries - those that are found to be non-compliant on money laundering and terror financing standards. Over the subsequent months, in order to avoid international sanctions, Pakistan moved to arrest scores of terror suspects and sealed or took over hundreds of properties linked to banned groups. But many saw these actions as just meant for optics, with no serious action visible against major militant groups such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The pressure kept rising, and in April 2019, the government proscribed half a dozen organisations linked to the JuD and another group, the Markaz Dawa-wal-Irshad (MDwI). Hafiz Saeed's conviction was for owning properties linked to banned organisations such as JuD and MDwI. He was arrested last July, three months before FATF's scheduled review of whether Pakistan was complying with its action plan. In that review, held in October, Pakistan was found lacking on several counts, but a decision on whether to downgrade it was put off until the next review, which is expected next week. Saeed was indicted in December, and the trial concluded in less than two months, which must be a record of sorts for Pakistan. But given his close links with the Pakistani security establishment, many question if he will be really abandoned by the Pakistani establishment, made to serve a full sentence and condemned to the life of a convicted criminal."}], "question": "Why punish him now?", "id": "382_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3344, "answer_end": 4173, "text": "No. Pakistan has arrested him several times since the 9/11 attacks in the US, but it never charged him with specific offences and always set him free in the end. He was put under house arrest on a number of occasions, first when the Indian government blamed him for masterminding the December 2001 attack on its parliament, and then after the Mumbai train bombings of 2006. He was also put under house arrest several times between 2008 and 2009 following accusations that the LeT had carried out the 2008 Mumbai attacks. On each of these occasions, the Pakistani government did not frame charges against him. Instead, it continued to file for extensions of his house arrest which the courts would ultimately refuse, setting him free. Whether this time will be different, or if it is enough to satisfy the FATF remains to be seen."}], "question": "Is this the first time he has been arrested?", "id": "382_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4174, "answer_end": 4996, "text": "He set up MDwI jointly with a Pakistan-based Saudi Salafist leader Abdullah Uzzam in 1987, when the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was nearing its end. The group spawned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), allegedly with help from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, to move a major portion of Islamist jihadis from Afghanistan to fight against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir. It is widely believed the LeT was instrumental in neutralising the secular, pro-independence rhetoric of the Kashmiri leadership which had shaped the region's first popular uprising against Indian rule in 1988, and turned it into a pro-Pakistan Islamist campaign. At the same time, analysts believe, it continued to provide tactical and ideological support to Islamist factions that prevented post-Soviet Afghanistan from stabilising."}], "question": "What is Saeed's background?", "id": "382_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia fires: PM Morrison apologises for US holiday amid crisis", "date": "20 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised for going on holiday in Hawaii this week while the nation's bushfire crisis worsened. Fires are raging across the nation amid a heat wave which has produced the nation's two hottest days on record. Two volunteer firefighters died on Thursday while fighting a huge blaze near Sydney, while a civilian died in South Australia on Friday. Mr Morrison said he would end his leave early. His absence this week, as well as his initial refusal to confirm his whereabouts, has drawn condemnation and protests. \"I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,\" he said on Friday. Australia's bushfire emergency has killed eight people, destroyed more than 700 houses and scorched millions of hectares since September. More than 100 fires broke out in South Australia amid \"catastrophic\" conditions on Friday, while New South Wales (NSW) is bracing for similar conditions on Saturday. Tributes have been paid to Geoffrey Keating, 32, and Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, who died when their truck was hit by a falling tree near a fire front, causing it to roll off the road. Three other firefighters who were also in the vehicle survived with minor injuries. NSW fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighters everywhere were grieving over the \"huge loss\" of the two young fathers, who were caught up in \"the worst imaginable set of circumstances\". \"[They] simply went out, doing a remarkable job, like all their colleagues, and like they have done year-in, year-out, and to not be coming home after their shift is a tremendous grief,\" he said. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said another person had been killed in Murraylands, when the car they were driving hit a tree. The death has been linked to one of 120 fires that broke out in South Australia on Friday. Mr Morrison was widely criticised after reports emerged that he was away on unannounced leave and rumoured to be in Hawaii. Firefighters' union leader Leighton Drury said Australia was \"seeing an absolute lack of leadership from this government and it is a disgrace\". Phrases such as #WhereisScoMo, #WhereTheBloodyHellAreYou - a reference to a famous tourism campaign he once oversaw - and #FireMorrison quickly trended online. Criticism grew as a heatwave broke records across the country and exacerbated mammoth blazes, making the task even harder for exhausted firefighters - many of them volunteers. Government ministers defended Mr Morrison's break as \"appropriate\", but refused to confirm his whereabouts. His office told the BBC and others that reports he was in Hawaii were \"incorrect\". But on Friday, he confirmed to radio station 2GB that he was in Hawaii with his family. He added he had been receiving regular updates on the fires and last week's New Zealand volcano disaster, which killed at least 11 Australians. \"Given the most recent tragic events, I will be returning to Sydney as soon as can be arranged,\" he said in a statement. Many Australians have accused Mr Morrison and his government of inaction on climate change. Although climate change is not the direct cause of bushfires, scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate would contribute to Australia's fires becoming more frequent and more intense. But for much of the fire crisis, the government has been reluctant to talk about the role of climate change in exacerbating blazes. This has sparked other protests. Australia has been criticised internationally for its climate record, with the UN identifying it as among a minority of G20 nations falling short of its emissions promises. Mr Morrison has said the nation only accounts for 1.3% of global emissions. However, Australia is one of the highest emitters of carbon pollution per capita, largely because it is still heavily reliant on coal-fired power. The Labor opposition has also drawn criticism for policies which support coal mining. About 100 blazes are burning in worst-hit NSW, ahead of catastrophic danger on Saturday to areas including Greater Sydney. A state of emergency has been declared. Fires also broke out in South Australia and Victoria with temperatures in parts of both states exceeding 47C. The nation recorded its all-time hottest day twice this week - hitting an average temperature of 41.9C on Wednesday. The vast size of the NSW bushfires - one is burning over 450,000 hectares - has for weeks blanketed towns and cities including Sydney in smoke. On Friday, for the first time, haze from the NSW bushfires extended to shroud Melbourne in neighbouring Victoria. Between them, Australia's two largest cities hold about two-fifths of the population. Sydney's air quality has been rated \"hazardous\" on 28 days in the past two months, causing alarm over a rise in related medical problems.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1909, "answer_end": 3056, "text": "Mr Morrison was widely criticised after reports emerged that he was away on unannounced leave and rumoured to be in Hawaii. Firefighters' union leader Leighton Drury said Australia was \"seeing an absolute lack of leadership from this government and it is a disgrace\". Phrases such as #WhereisScoMo, #WhereTheBloodyHellAreYou - a reference to a famous tourism campaign he once oversaw - and #FireMorrison quickly trended online. Criticism grew as a heatwave broke records across the country and exacerbated mammoth blazes, making the task even harder for exhausted firefighters - many of them volunteers. Government ministers defended Mr Morrison's break as \"appropriate\", but refused to confirm his whereabouts. His office told the BBC and others that reports he was in Hawaii were \"incorrect\". But on Friday, he confirmed to radio station 2GB that he was in Hawaii with his family. He added he had been receiving regular updates on the fires and last week's New Zealand volcano disaster, which killed at least 11 Australians. \"Given the most recent tragic events, I will be returning to Sydney as soon as can be arranged,\" he said in a statement."}], "question": "Why were people angry with the PM?", "id": "383_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3057, "answer_end": 3993, "text": "Many Australians have accused Mr Morrison and his government of inaction on climate change. Although climate change is not the direct cause of bushfires, scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate would contribute to Australia's fires becoming more frequent and more intense. But for much of the fire crisis, the government has been reluctant to talk about the role of climate change in exacerbating blazes. This has sparked other protests. Australia has been criticised internationally for its climate record, with the UN identifying it as among a minority of G20 nations falling short of its emissions promises. Mr Morrison has said the nation only accounts for 1.3% of global emissions. However, Australia is one of the highest emitters of carbon pollution per capita, largely because it is still heavily reliant on coal-fired power. The Labor opposition has also drawn criticism for policies which support coal mining."}], "question": "Why is Morrison facing pressure on climate change?", "id": "383_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3994, "answer_end": 4383, "text": "About 100 blazes are burning in worst-hit NSW, ahead of catastrophic danger on Saturday to areas including Greater Sydney. A state of emergency has been declared. Fires also broke out in South Australia and Victoria with temperatures in parts of both states exceeding 47C. The nation recorded its all-time hottest day twice this week - hitting an average temperature of 41.9C on Wednesday."}], "question": "What is happening with the fires?", "id": "383_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4384, "answer_end": 4865, "text": "The vast size of the NSW bushfires - one is burning over 450,000 hectares - has for weeks blanketed towns and cities including Sydney in smoke. On Friday, for the first time, haze from the NSW bushfires extended to shroud Melbourne in neighbouring Victoria. Between them, Australia's two largest cities hold about two-fifths of the population. Sydney's air quality has been rated \"hazardous\" on 28 days in the past two months, causing alarm over a rise in related medical problems."}], "question": "What about the smoke?", "id": "383_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Is Taiwan a bargaining-chip for Trump on China?", "date": "7 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump's dispute with China over Taiwan has refocused attention on his combative approach to Beijing. The president-elect upset almost 40 years of US practice in the region by taking a call from the Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen. It was an unprecedented breach of the protocol that undergirds the One China Policy, which says Taiwan is part of China and not an independent country. And it raised questions about whether Mr Trump would follow through on campaign pledges to take a tougher line with Beijing. China has identified Taiwan as its most important core interest. Since the Kuomintang retreated to the island in 1949 following defeat in the civil war, China has insisted Taiwan is a renegade province that will eventually be reunited with the mainland. In 1979 the US agreed to go along with this approach, deciding to recognise Beijing instead of Taipei. The One China Policy remains the foundation of that relationship. Given what's at stake some China experts and politicians have suggested that Donald Trump blundered unknowingly on to sensitive territory with his penchant for improvised diplomacy. \"I don't think there was any strategy behind it and I think the effort to push out a story line or a narrative that this was actually a well-thought-about change in direction is highly dubious,\" the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, told the BBC, saying conflicting accounts made the exchange sound haphazard. Mr Trump's transition team did send mixed messages. His Vice President-elect Michael Pence initially played down the conversation as a courtesy call initiated by Taiwan that was not about policy. But Mr Trump followed up with a confrontational flurry of tweets criticising Beijing's economic and security practices. He showed no remorse and made no gestures to reaffirm the One China Policy. Numerous reports since have detailed the influence of China hawks and Taiwan proponents amongst his advisors.  And it's emerged that the call was brokered by the lobbyist and former republican senator Bob Dole, who Taipei has been paying to gain access to Mr Trump's inner circle. \"I think it was prearranged and deliberate and Donald Trump knew what it was about,\" says Walter Lohman, Director of Asian Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation. So what was it about? In and of itself, the call is not a policy shift. The One China agreement doesn't specifically prohibit contact between American and Taiwanese leaders, although past US presidents have refrained from picking up the phone so as not to upset China. And right from 1979, there was criticism in Washington over US treatment of Taiwan, says Robert Daly, Director for the Kissinger Institute on China at the Woodrow Wilson Center. That's especially so among Republicans, who have longstanding personal and in some cases business ties with the democratic country that seems a more like-minded ally than Beijing. The talk among Mr Trump's advisers is not about recognising Taiwan, but regularising the way the US interacts with it, says Mr Lohman, which does not mean overturning the One China Policy. It's doubtful Beijing would see it that way. As for President-elect Trump, there is no policy yet on Taiwan, or on China more broadly - or even a discernible strategy. But there has been extraordinarily fiery campaign rhetoric. As a candidate, Mr Trump accused Beijing of \"raping\" the United States with its trade policies and threatened to levy a punishing tariff on Chinese goods. Hard-line Republicans have welcomed the Taiwan telephone call as evidence that Mr Trump the president would continue confronting China. \"He showed the dictators in Beijing that he's not a pushover,\" Representative Dana Rohrabacher told Fox News. Others have suggested that the president-elect wants to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip for a better economic deal. 'This whole idea of finding ways to strengthen and increase the level of contact with and support for Taiwan is not only sure to drive China crazy, but at the same time give us some leverage over China,\" says Patrick Cronin at the Center for New American Security. \"Because this could become the new normal if we're not happy with the overall relationship.\" Thus far, China has been fairly restrained, blaming Tsai Ing-wen for a \"petty trick\". The response to the Twitter tirade was tougher - an editorial in the official People's Daily warned that \"creating troubles for the China-US relationship is creating troubles for the US itself.\" But Beijing still left diplomatic space to formulate a new relationship with the Trump administration. Robert Daly predicts a long adjustment period with a more adversarial tone, because the incoming administration appears to see the relationship as fundamentally competitive. That would potentially leave less room for the kind of co-operation President Obama emphasised on global issues such as climate change, and containing North Korea's nuclear militarisation. \"The people advising Trump on Taiwan were pleased with the results (of the call),\" Mr Daly says. \"That likely means similar actions going forward.\" Mr Trump continues to send mixed signals. Just days after igniting a diplomatic firestorm over Taiwan, he soothed tensions by naming Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, a long-time friend of Beijing, as his Ambassador to China. Still, there are many ways China could respond to further provocations. And it would respond, says Meredith Sumpter of the Eurasiagroup, \"in a direct and probably proportional way, but one that hurts US business and commercial interests\". Economically, a lot of trade and investment is at stake. When it comes to security issues, Beijing could decide to be more or less aggressive on disputes in the South China Sea and on North Korea sanctions. And it has never dropped its threat of force to settle the status of Taiwan, so the Taiwanese people could end up paying the biggest price. One test of relations could come next month when Ms Tsai is expected to transit through the US on her way to Central America. Her office has denied reports that she will try to meet Mr Trump's transition team. Another could arise in April when the Treasury Department is set to publish a \"currency\" report that might prompt Mr Trump to act on his threats to label China a currency manipulator.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 936, "answer_end": 2301, "text": "Given what's at stake some China experts and politicians have suggested that Donald Trump blundered unknowingly on to sensitive territory with his penchant for improvised diplomacy. \"I don't think there was any strategy behind it and I think the effort to push out a story line or a narrative that this was actually a well-thought-about change in direction is highly dubious,\" the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, told the BBC, saying conflicting accounts made the exchange sound haphazard. Mr Trump's transition team did send mixed messages. His Vice President-elect Michael Pence initially played down the conversation as a courtesy call initiated by Taiwan that was not about policy. But Mr Trump followed up with a confrontational flurry of tweets criticising Beijing's economic and security practices. He showed no remorse and made no gestures to reaffirm the One China Policy. Numerous reports since have detailed the influence of China hawks and Taiwan proponents amongst his advisors.  And it's emerged that the call was brokered by the lobbyist and former republican senator Bob Dole, who Taipei has been paying to gain access to Mr Trump's inner circle. \"I think it was prearranged and deliberate and Donald Trump knew what it was about,\" says Walter Lohman, Director of Asian Studies at the conservative Heritage Foundation."}], "question": "Was Taiwan phone call planned?", "id": "384_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Tory leadership race: Alan Duncan resigns as minister", "date": "22 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sir Alan Duncan has quit as a Foreign Office minister in protest against a possible Boris Johnson victory in the Conservative leadership race. In his resignation letter, Sir Alan described Brexit as \"a dark cloud\". He told the BBC he quit to demand an emergency Commons debate to give MPs a chance to say whether they supported Mr Johnson's \"wish to form a government\". The request for a debate - which would not constitute a binding no-confidence vote - was rejected by the Speaker. Mr Johnson is the frontrunner in the contest which has seen him go head-to-head with Jeremy Hunt for Tory Party members' votes. The ballot closes at 17:00 BST - the winner will be revealed on Tuesday morning and will become prime minister on Wednesday. Sir Alan told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he did not have any personal animosity towards Mr Johnson and \"wanted him to succeed\". But he said he was worried by the ex-foreign secretary's \"fly by the seats of his pants, haphazard\" style and feared Mr Johnson was going to go \"smack into a crisis of government\". Mr Johnson's ability to command the support of a majority of MPs was \"untested and in doubt\", his former colleague said. By establishing this one way or another on Tuesday - after the leadership contest result was announced but before the winner took office - Sir Alan said it would prevent \"complete constitutional mayhem\" at a later date. \"If he (Mr Johnson) has got the numbers to govern, then he can and should govern. But if he has not, in our constitution he cannot.\" Sir Alan said he was \"bewildered\" by the Speaker's decision to refuse his request. A spokeswoman for Mr Bercow said requests for emergency debates were \"strictly private\" and the Speaker's Office never confirmed nor denied them. Sir Alan's resignation came after Chancellor Philip Hammond and Justice Secretary David Gauke said they also intended to quit if Mr Johnson was elected Tory leader. In his resignation letter to Theresa May, Sir Alan said it was \"tragic\" her government had been dominated by \"the dark cloud of Brexit\" - which he said had stopped the UK becoming the \"dominant intellectual and political force\" in the world. He praised Mrs May for her \"faultless dignity and an unstinting sense of duty\", adding that she \"deserved better\" than to have her time in office \"brought to an end\" in such circumstances. Sir Alan also discussed his own record at the Foreign Office in the letter, and said he remained \"deeply upset that some fruitful discussions I had initiated about the possible release of Nazanin Ratcliffe were brought to such an abrupt halt\". As Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson was criticised for his handling of the case of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman serving a five-year sentence in Iran for alleged spying. Theresa May thanked Sir Alan for \"the support you have shown me, not just during the last three years, but over the many years we have known each other\", and praised his \"devoted and energetic service\". Sir Alan has long been a vocal critic of Mr Johnson, once describing himself as his \"pooper scooper\" at the Foreign Office, clearing up mess he had created. Most recently, Sir Alan attacked his former boss over the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the US, who stepped down after comments criticising President Trump's administration were leaked. Sir Alan said Mr Johnson - by failing to give his support to the ambassador -  had \"basically thrown our top diplomat under the bus\". He has also previously said Mr Johnson was \"the last person on Earth who would make any progress in negotiating with the EU at the moment\". And in 2018, he described an article - in which Mr Johnson said Theresa May had \"wrapped a suicide vest\" around the British constitution - as \"one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics\". The BBC's Norman Smith said that in the resignation of Sir Alan - and the promises to quit by Mr Hammond and Mr Gauke - we were beginning to see the basis of a Tory opposition to Mr Johnson on the backbenches. He said they - and potentially others to come - felt they could not support a prime minister comfortable with no deal and so it was better to walk now than be pushed later. In an interview with Conservative Home, Mr Johnson said every member of his cabinet would have to be \"reconciled\" with the policy of leaving on 31 October - with or without a deal. Mr Hunt has said he too is prepared to leave with no deal, but would accept a further delay, if required, to get a new withdrawal deal. Sir Alan's resignation was criticised by Tory MP and ex-minister Greg Hands, who tweeted: \"In my view, pre-emptive ministerial resignations (If reports are true) in case your own democratically-elected party leader is not to your liking are absurd. \"And I say that as a committed Jeremy Hunt supporter. Such moves make a Corbyn government one step more likely.\" He became MP for Rutland and Melton in 1992 and served as a shadow minister between 1998 and 2010. When the coalition government came to power, he was appointed international development minister - a position he served in until 2014. In 2016, Theresa May made him a Foreign Office minister - where he served under Boris Johnson.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4889, "answer_end": 5217, "text": "He became MP for Rutland and Melton in 1992 and served as a shadow minister between 1998 and 2010. When the coalition government came to power, he was appointed international development minister - a position he served in until 2014. In 2016, Theresa May made him a Foreign Office minister - where he served under Boris Johnson."}], "question": "Who is Sir Alan Duncan?", "id": "385_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Study finds 'huge' fall in FGM rates among African girls", "date": "10 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) have fallen dramatically among girls in Africa in the last two decades, according to new research. The study, published in BMJ Global Health, cited a \"huge and significant decline\" among under-14s. The practice involves removing all or part of a girl or woman's external genitalia, including the clitoris. Some societies treat it as a rite of passage, but human rights groups say it is inhumane and physically dangerous. In the worst cases, victims can haemorrhage to death after they are cut, or die of infections. Chronic pain, infertility and menstrual problems can also follow, as well as potentially fatal childbirth complications. Unicef, the UN children's agency, estimates that 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM worldwide - mostly in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Using data from 29 countries and going back to 1990, the report's authors found that the biggest fall in cutting was in East Africa. The prevalence rate there dropped from 71% of girls under 14 in 1995, to 8% in 2016, the study said. Some countries with lower rates - including Kenya and Tanzania, where 3-10% of girls endure FGM - helped drive down the overall figure. In North Africa, the rate fell from almost 60% in 1990 to 14% in 2015. West Africa also saw a significant drop, from 74% of girls in 1996, to 25% in 2017. However, campaigners have observed that while younger children are most at risk, older teenagers and young women are also affected by FGM - and the study did not include them. \"We are pleased to see that the numbers are coming down in a lot of countries,\" said Emma Lightowlers, a spokeswoman for the Africa-focused campaign group 28TooMany. \"But it doesn't tell the whole story and there are other groups where cutting takes place after the age of 14. \"It takes place in teenagers, or in fact, even in women in preparation for marriage,\" she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The team behind the report, which includes scientists based in Britain and South Africa, used data gathered for the Demographic Health Survey and Unicef, which covered almost 210,000 children. - Includes \"the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons\" - Practised in 30 countries in Africa, and some in Asia and the Middle East - An estimated three million girls and women worldwide are at risk each year - It is commonly carried out on young girls, often between infancy and the age of 15 - Often motivated by beliefs about what is considered proper sexual behaviour, to prepare a girl or woman for adulthood and marriage, and to ensure \"pure femininity\" - Dangers include severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections, infertility and increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths Source: World Health Organization Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, a professor of biostatistics at the UK's Northumbria University and the study's lead author, told the BBC the team hadn't looked at the reasons why FGM rates were falling. However, he has \"a working hypothesis\" that it's down to the attitude of mothers. \"Many international organisations have invested a lot of money... the mothers have been educated,\" he said. \"If there is any change, we'll be seeing it perhaps through the decision they're going to make for their daughters.\" Some parents may simply fail to report having had their daughters cut, he admits - especially in countries which have made FGM illegal. \"That is possible because [in this study] we are relying on the goodwill of the mothers reporting that their daughter was circumcised. There may be fear of the law, or the stigma attached to it. \"In Senegal, for example, we know that people have made public declarations. A huge event - people will gather, and you pledge that you will not be doing this to your daughter. In terms of reporting, then you may be feeling embarrassed having to report that you have done it. This is a very valid point.\" Activists hope further research will now examine changes in attitudes to FGM around the world, so the data can be considered in its full context.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2858, "answer_end": 4142, "text": "Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, a professor of biostatistics at the UK's Northumbria University and the study's lead author, told the BBC the team hadn't looked at the reasons why FGM rates were falling. However, he has \"a working hypothesis\" that it's down to the attitude of mothers. \"Many international organisations have invested a lot of money... the mothers have been educated,\" he said. \"If there is any change, we'll be seeing it perhaps through the decision they're going to make for their daughters.\" Some parents may simply fail to report having had their daughters cut, he admits - especially in countries which have made FGM illegal. \"That is possible because [in this study] we are relying on the goodwill of the mothers reporting that their daughter was circumcised. There may be fear of the law, or the stigma attached to it. \"In Senegal, for example, we know that people have made public declarations. A huge event - people will gather, and you pledge that you will not be doing this to your daughter. In terms of reporting, then you may be feeling embarrassed having to report that you have done it. This is a very valid point.\" Activists hope further research will now examine changes in attitudes to FGM around the world, so the data can be considered in its full context."}], "question": "Why did the study find a drop in FGM?", "id": "386_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Boris Johnson: Premiership will be the start of a golden age", "date": "25 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson has promised the \"beginning of a new golden age\", as he made his first Commons statement as PM. Speaking to MPs, Mr Johnson said his government would throw itself into Brexit negotiations with energy, while Michael Gove would lead on no-deal planning as a \"top priority\". He also said EU citizens living in the UK would have their rights protected. But Downing Street was unable to confirm if there would be any new laws to underpin the commitment. Tory MP Alberto Costa - who has campaigned for EU citizens' rights after Brexit - welcomed Mr Johnson's pledge, but said \"the devil, as ever, is in the detail\" and he would be \"scrutinising how that guarantee comes forward\". Replying to his statement in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn said people \"do not trust\" the new PM to deliver on his promises. And Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has written to Mr Johnson to say it is \"essential\" her country has an alternative option to his Brexit plan. The statement came after the first meeting of Mr Johnson's new cabinet, who he said had all committed to leaving the EU on or before 31 October, \"no ifs, no buts\". New secretaries of state include former leadership contender Sajid Javid as chancellor, and leading Brexiteers, with Dominic Raab as foreign secretary and Priti Patel as home secretary. More junior ministers are expected to be announced later, with further reshuffling on Friday. Mr Johnson has also held his first calls with other foreign leaders - including Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Australian PM Scott Morrison - and is due to speak to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker later. Much of Mr Johnson's statement focused on his plans for Brexit. Despite emphasising the importance of preparing for no deal, the new prime minister said he would \"much prefer\" to leave the EU with an agreement, saying he would work \"flat out to make it happen\". However, he told MPs the withdrawal agreement his predecessor, Theresa May, had negotiated with the EU was \"unacceptable to this Parliament and to this country\". That plan was voted down three times by MPs, with one of the controversial parts being the Northern Ireland backstop - a mechanism to avoid physical checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in case no trade deal is agreed between the UK and the EU by the end of the transition period. Mr Johnson has pledged to scrap this element of the plan, saying alternative arrangements to keep checks away from the border were \"perfectly compatible\" with the Good Friday Agreement - the peace agreement signed in 1998. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said eliminating the backstop from the withdrawal agreement was \"unacceptable\", and after Mr Johnson's \"rather combative speech\", the bloc would have to \"be ready for all scenarios\". The EU Commission's President, Jean-Claude Juncker, also underlined the EU's position in a call with Mr Johnson, saying the withdrawal agreement negotiated between the bloc and Mrs May was \"the best and only agreement possible\" for Brexit. Addressing MPs, Mr Johnson also said he would be looking into changing the UK's immigration system, as per his leadership campaign pledge. He wants to bring in a points-based system, similar to that used by Australia, and he said he would be asking the Migration Advisory Committee to conduct a review, \"the first step in a radical rewriting\" of the policy. The PM's spokesman later said that further details of Mr Johnson's plans would be revealed \"in the coming days and weeks\". Labour's leader said the country was \"deeply worried the new prime minister overestimates himself\". Mr Corbyn added: \"People do not trust this prime minister to make the right choices for the majority of the people in this country when he's also promising tax giveaways to the richest of big business - his own party's funders [a policy Mr Johnson proposed during the leadership campaign]\". He also asked the PM to rule out \"once and for all\" the NHS would form part of a trade deal with the US, following comments made by President Donald Trump on his visit to the UK in June. Mr Johnson said: \"Under no circumstances would we agree to any free-trade deal that put the NHS on the table.\" After a raft of resignations, sackings and appointments on Wednesday night, Mr Johnson addressed his cabinet for the first time as prime minister early on Thursday. He told the cabinet they had \"a momentous task ahead\", as he repeated his commitment for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October - calling it \"a pivotal moment in our country's history\". He said the new team respected the \"depth and breadth of talent in our extraordinary party\", who were \"not going to wait until 31 October to get on with a fantastic new agenda for our country... delivering the priorities of the people\". The appointments have already faced criticism from the opposition, with the chair of the Labour Party, Ian Lavery, calling it \"a cabinet of hard-line conservatives who will only represent the privileged few\". He comments were echoed by independent MP Nick Boles - who resigned the Conservative whip over Brexit - saying the \"few elements remaining of the liberal one-nation Conservative style are neutered captives in this cabinet\". But the new Leader of the House, Mr Rees-Mogg, who led the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group (ERG), denied there had been a \"Leave\" takeover of the cabinet. \"Boris is bringing the country together, the party together, through his cabinet appointments,\" he said. The newly appointed Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, has tabled an early day motion expressing a lack of confidence in the prime minister - although such motions are rarely debated and generally used to draw attention to an issue. These are the decisions of a prime minister in a hurry. One who is aware that he's up against the clock. One who has to pull off - within a few months - what his predecessor could not manage over years. The team surrounding Boris Johnson has been put together with one goal in mind - to help him keep the promise he's made, to see the country leave the European Union in good time. No 10 believes it shows strength of purpose - a new administration determined and willing to take decisions after years of drift and disappointment. Brexit believers have the top roles. But it is not a cabinet made up purely of the most burning Eurosceptics. Read more from Laura Correction 5th August 2019: This article has been amended after an earlier version inaccurately described the purpose of the Northern Ireland backstop.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1628, "answer_end": 4235, "text": "Much of Mr Johnson's statement focused on his plans for Brexit. Despite emphasising the importance of preparing for no deal, the new prime minister said he would \"much prefer\" to leave the EU with an agreement, saying he would work \"flat out to make it happen\". However, he told MPs the withdrawal agreement his predecessor, Theresa May, had negotiated with the EU was \"unacceptable to this Parliament and to this country\". That plan was voted down three times by MPs, with one of the controversial parts being the Northern Ireland backstop - a mechanism to avoid physical checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in case no trade deal is agreed between the UK and the EU by the end of the transition period. Mr Johnson has pledged to scrap this element of the plan, saying alternative arrangements to keep checks away from the border were \"perfectly compatible\" with the Good Friday Agreement - the peace agreement signed in 1998. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said eliminating the backstop from the withdrawal agreement was \"unacceptable\", and after Mr Johnson's \"rather combative speech\", the bloc would have to \"be ready for all scenarios\". The EU Commission's President, Jean-Claude Juncker, also underlined the EU's position in a call with Mr Johnson, saying the withdrawal agreement negotiated between the bloc and Mrs May was \"the best and only agreement possible\" for Brexit. Addressing MPs, Mr Johnson also said he would be looking into changing the UK's immigration system, as per his leadership campaign pledge. He wants to bring in a points-based system, similar to that used by Australia, and he said he would be asking the Migration Advisory Committee to conduct a review, \"the first step in a radical rewriting\" of the policy. The PM's spokesman later said that further details of Mr Johnson's plans would be revealed \"in the coming days and weeks\". Labour's leader said the country was \"deeply worried the new prime minister overestimates himself\". Mr Corbyn added: \"People do not trust this prime minister to make the right choices for the majority of the people in this country when he's also promising tax giveaways to the richest of big business - his own party's funders [a policy Mr Johnson proposed during the leadership campaign]\". He also asked the PM to rule out \"once and for all\" the NHS would form part of a trade deal with the US, following comments made by President Donald Trump on his visit to the UK in June. Mr Johnson said: \"Under no circumstances would we agree to any free-trade deal that put the NHS on the table.\""}], "question": "What did the PM say in his statement?", "id": "387_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4236, "answer_end": 5748, "text": "After a raft of resignations, sackings and appointments on Wednesday night, Mr Johnson addressed his cabinet for the first time as prime minister early on Thursday. He told the cabinet they had \"a momentous task ahead\", as he repeated his commitment for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October - calling it \"a pivotal moment in our country's history\". He said the new team respected the \"depth and breadth of talent in our extraordinary party\", who were \"not going to wait until 31 October to get on with a fantastic new agenda for our country... delivering the priorities of the people\". The appointments have already faced criticism from the opposition, with the chair of the Labour Party, Ian Lavery, calling it \"a cabinet of hard-line conservatives who will only represent the privileged few\". He comments were echoed by independent MP Nick Boles - who resigned the Conservative whip over Brexit - saying the \"few elements remaining of the liberal one-nation Conservative style are neutered captives in this cabinet\". But the new Leader of the House, Mr Rees-Mogg, who led the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group (ERG), denied there had been a \"Leave\" takeover of the cabinet. \"Boris is bringing the country together, the party together, through his cabinet appointments,\" he said. The newly appointed Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, has tabled an early day motion expressing a lack of confidence in the prime minister - although such motions are rarely debated and generally used to draw attention to an issue."}], "question": "What did Mr Johnson tell cabinet?", "id": "387_1"}]}]}, {"title": "European elections: Long, Dodds and Anderson elected", "date": "27 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three women have been elected to represent Northern Ireland in the European Parliament. The pro-Remain Alliance Party won a seat for the first time after hugely increasing its vote in the NI poll. Its leader Naomi Long collected 170,370 votes - 115,000 more than her party received in the 2014 European election. Diane Dodds of the pro-Brexit Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Martina Anderson of pro-EU Sinn Fein both retained their seats. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar hailed Mrs Long's victory as a historic, pro-European vote which would be \"heard across the continent\". Her vote share was the best national showing for the cross-community Alliance Party, which is not aligned to Northern Ireland's traditional Catholic or Protestant voting blocs. It comes after Alliance's strong performance in Northern Ireland's council elections earlier in May. Alliance's sister party, the Liberal Democrats, also made huge gains across the UK in the European elections. Speaking about the significance of her win, Mrs Long said her party rejected \"unionist and nationalist boxes\". Her voice cracked with emotion as she thanked those who had elected her, saying they had sent a clear message that they wanted to remain in the EU. \"The people who voted for me came together from right across the community, regardless of unionism, regardless of nationalism, regardless of all those labels,\" she said. \"I will serve them to the absolute best of my ability - they have my word on that.\" All three European seats for Northern Ireland have been taken by women for the first time ever, with counting wrapping up earlier than expected in Magherafelt. The DUP's Diane Dodds was the first elected, but it was Alliance leader Naomi Long who exceeded expectations. She took the second seat, and polled more than 170,000 votes, taking transfers from right across the spectrum. The Ulster Unionists have some reflecting to do - they failed to retain the seat they've held for four decades, with Danny Kennedy only coming sixth. Now the question is for how long the three successful candidates will be MEPs. Eleven candidates were competing to become one of Northern Ireland's three members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels and Strasbourg. The threshold to win election was 143,112 votes. Mrs Dodds, who secured her place after the third count, won a total of 155,422 votes, while Mrs Long and Ms Anderson were voted in on the fifth count. Speaking after her election, Mrs Dodds said: \"The Democratic Unionist Party is by far the strongest voice of unionism, that voice that unionists trust to defend the union, to deliver Brexit. \"I think there's a lot of anger and frustration among those people who voted in the 2016 referendum that their voice has not been heard and the political class has not been heard. So we need to get on and deliver Brexit, one that is good for Northern Ireland.\" Ms Anderson won a total of 152,436 votes - 9,324 more than the quota required to be elected. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) lost the European Parliament seat it had held since 1979 after its support plummeted by more than 30,000 votes on the total it received in 2014. It limped in sixth in the first round, behind the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice party Jim Allister, who accumulated a total of 90,079 votes over the five counts. Its candidate Danny Kennedy was eliminated after the second stage of counting, with party leader Robin Swann admitting it was a \"disappointing\" day. After the elimination of Mr Kennedy - the sixth candidate to be excluded - the pro-Brexit DUP's Mrs Dodds passed the quota of 143,112 votes for election. Ms Anderson lost almost 33,000 first preference votes for Sinn Fein - she polled just under 160,000 in 2014 - but said she was happy with her result, putting her drop down to tactical voting by her supporters. \"Primarily, the strategy has about getting two Remainers over the line,\" said the anti-Brexit politician. \"I've had republicans coming up to me and telling me: 'Look, you're safe and therefore we're going to vote tactically.\" She added: \"We wanted to send a message back to the EU by, in the first instance, topping the poll and, more importantly, sending two Remainers back. \"Fifty seven per cent of the people who voted here voted to remain in the EU and they have sent a strong message back to Europe that they want to stay in the EU.\" SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was eliminated after the fourth stage of counting. Voters across the UK went to the polls on Thursday to decide who would represent them in the European Parliament. Turnout was 45% of the 1,278,951 people eligible to take part, down on the 2014 election in which almost 52% eligible voters participated. A total of 1,463 ballot boxes were used across Northern Ireland and transported to the election centre in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, where counting began on Monday morning. While the counting in the rest of the UK began on Sunday night, counting does not take place on Sundays in Northern Ireland - a long-standing arrangement due to the traditional observance by the region's Christian population of Sunday as a day of rest. Mrs Dodds of the DUP, Sinn Fein's Ms Anderson and Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson were elected in the 2014 European Parliament poll. Ms Anderson received the highest number of first-preference votes in that election - a total of 159,813 - while Mrs Dodds received 131,163. Mrs Dodds and Ms Anderson both stood to retain their seats in Thursday's poll but Mr Nicholson did not. Instead Mr Kennedy, a former Stormont minister, was the candidate for the UUP. Northern Ireland uses a different voting system to the rest of the UK in the European election. In the single transferable vote (STV) system, voters are able to rank the candidates in order of preference. To make the system work, officials first need to calculate a quota. They take the total number of valid votes cast, divide it by the number of seats available plus one and then add one. In the first round, if any candidate secures more first-preference votes than the quota they are elected. Surplus votes - those received above the quota - are redistributed among the other candidates. If not enough candidates have yet reached the quota, then the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and the lower-preference votes of their supporters are again reallocated. That process is repeated until the three posts have been filled. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland recruited about 800 staff for the count at the Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5159, "answer_end": 5612, "text": "Mrs Dodds of the DUP, Sinn Fein's Ms Anderson and Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson were elected in the 2014 European Parliament poll. Ms Anderson received the highest number of first-preference votes in that election - a total of 159,813 - while Mrs Dodds received 131,163. Mrs Dodds and Ms Anderson both stood to retain their seats in Thursday's poll but Mr Nicholson did not. Instead Mr Kennedy, a former Stormont minister, was the candidate for the UUP."}], "question": "What happened in the previous European election?", "id": "388_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5613, "answer_end": 6590, "text": "Northern Ireland uses a different voting system to the rest of the UK in the European election. In the single transferable vote (STV) system, voters are able to rank the candidates in order of preference. To make the system work, officials first need to calculate a quota. They take the total number of valid votes cast, divide it by the number of seats available plus one and then add one. In the first round, if any candidate secures more first-preference votes than the quota they are elected. Surplus votes - those received above the quota - are redistributed among the other candidates. If not enough candidates have yet reached the quota, then the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and the lower-preference votes of their supporters are again reallocated. That process is repeated until the three posts have been filled. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland recruited about 800 staff for the count at the Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt."}], "question": "How does the voting system work in Northern Ireland?", "id": "388_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Catalan referendum: Region's independence 'in matter of days'", "date": "4 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Catalonia will declare independence from Spain in a matter of days, the leader of the autonomous region has told the BBC. In his first interview since a disputed vote on Sunday, Carles Puigdemont said his government would \"act at the end of this week or the beginning of next\". Meanwhile, Spain's King Felipe VI said the vote's organisers had put themselves \"outside the law\". He said the situation in Spain was \"extremely serious\", calling for unity. Tensions between Spain and the north-eastern Catalonia region continue to mount, days after the vote was marred by violence involving national police. The Spanish High Court said it had begun an investigation into key Catalan figures on Wednesday on suspicion of sedition - inciting rebellion against the state - including the head of Catalonia's regional police. Josep Lluis Trapero, who leads the Mossos d'Esquadra force, is suspected of failing to control a demonstration during a police raid on Catalan government offices before the vote. In his BBC interview, Carles Puigdemont said his government would \"act at the end of this week or the beginning of next\". He also revealed there was currently no contact between the government in Madrid and his devolved administration. When asked what he would do if the Spanish government were to intervene and take control of Catalonia's government, Mr Puigdemont said it would be \"an error which changes everything\". Under Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, the government in Madrid is permitted to impose direct rule on an autonomous regions. Groups in the Catalan parliament have agreed that parliament should meet in full assembly on Monday. Mr Puigdemont could use that occasion to make a unilateral declaration of independence. He was due to make a statement at 21:00 (19:00GMT) on Wednesday. The Spanish government has vowed to resist any declaration of independence, with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy saying the vote made a \"mockery\" of democracy. Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau has called on both sides to talk. \"Neither a declaration of independence nor article 155. More than ever we need dialogue and bridges,\" she tweeted. The European parliament was due to debate the crisis on Wednesday afternoon. Many Catalans have been angered by the European Commission's statement on Monday that events in Catalonia were an internal issue for Spain. In his televised address, King Felipe said the Catalan leaders who organised the referendum showed their \"disrespect to the powers of the state\". \"They have broken the democratic principles of the rule of law,\" he said. But many Catalans were more concerned about what the king did not say, reports the BBC's Patrick Jackson, who watched the address in a bar in Barcelona city centre. \"There were no words about the scenes of police beating voters on Sunday, no urgent appeal for dialogue between the Spanish and Catalan governments, no acknowledgment of the real hunger here for independence or at least a proper, legal referendum, not even a word or two of Catalan,\" he says. It was a missed opportunity to push the two sides towards dialogue, said one customer in the bar. Nearly 900 people were hurt as police violently tried to enforce a Spanish court order suspending the vote, which the government had declared illegal. Some police officers were seen firing rubber bullets, storming into polling stations and pulling women by their hair. Thirty-three police officers were also injured, local medical officials said. Shocked by what they had seen, hundreds of thousands of Catalans joined street protests on Tuesday. A general strike was also called in protest at \"the grave violation of rights and freedoms\" seen during the ballot. More than 2.2 million people voted on Sunday, according to the Catalan government. Officials put the vote in support of independence at nearly 90%, but official results have not yet been released. There are several reports of gaping irregularities, partly attributed to a system which permitted voters to cast their ballots anywhere in a bid to get around the police measures to stop the vote. Spanish media carried reports of some Catalan areas counting far more votes than residents. Catalan officials said the turnout was 42%, potentially weakening the position of Mr Puigdemont.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 995, "answer_end": 1547, "text": "In his BBC interview, Carles Puigdemont said his government would \"act at the end of this week or the beginning of next\". He also revealed there was currently no contact between the government in Madrid and his devolved administration. When asked what he would do if the Spanish government were to intervene and take control of Catalonia's government, Mr Puigdemont said it would be \"an error which changes everything\". Under Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, the government in Madrid is permitted to impose direct rule on an autonomous regions."}], "question": "What did Catalan leader say?", "id": "389_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1548, "answer_end": 2358, "text": "Groups in the Catalan parliament have agreed that parliament should meet in full assembly on Monday. Mr Puigdemont could use that occasion to make a unilateral declaration of independence. He was due to make a statement at 21:00 (19:00GMT) on Wednesday. The Spanish government has vowed to resist any declaration of independence, with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy saying the vote made a \"mockery\" of democracy. Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau has called on both sides to talk. \"Neither a declaration of independence nor article 155. More than ever we need dialogue and bridges,\" she tweeted. The European parliament was due to debate the crisis on Wednesday afternoon. Many Catalans have been angered by the European Commission's statement on Monday that events in Catalonia were an internal issue for Spain."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "389_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2359, "answer_end": 3134, "text": "In his televised address, King Felipe said the Catalan leaders who organised the referendum showed their \"disrespect to the powers of the state\". \"They have broken the democratic principles of the rule of law,\" he said. But many Catalans were more concerned about what the king did not say, reports the BBC's Patrick Jackson, who watched the address in a bar in Barcelona city centre. \"There were no words about the scenes of police beating voters on Sunday, no urgent appeal for dialogue between the Spanish and Catalan governments, no acknowledgment of the real hunger here for independence or at least a proper, legal referendum, not even a word or two of Catalan,\" he says. It was a missed opportunity to push the two sides towards dialogue, said one customer in the bar."}], "question": "Why is king's intervention significant?", "id": "389_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3135, "answer_end": 3697, "text": "Nearly 900 people were hurt as police violently tried to enforce a Spanish court order suspending the vote, which the government had declared illegal. Some police officers were seen firing rubber bullets, storming into polling stations and pulling women by their hair. Thirty-three police officers were also injured, local medical officials said. Shocked by what they had seen, hundreds of thousands of Catalans joined street protests on Tuesday. A general strike was also called in protest at \"the grave violation of rights and freedoms\" seen during the ballot."}], "question": "What happened during Sunday's vote?", "id": "389_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3698, "answer_end": 4280, "text": "More than 2.2 million people voted on Sunday, according to the Catalan government. Officials put the vote in support of independence at nearly 90%, but official results have not yet been released. There are several reports of gaping irregularities, partly attributed to a system which permitted voters to cast their ballots anywhere in a bid to get around the police measures to stop the vote. Spanish media carried reports of some Catalan areas counting far more votes than residents. Catalan officials said the turnout was 42%, potentially weakening the position of Mr Puigdemont."}], "question": "What about the ballot results?", "id": "389_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: Can the US take more than 10,000?", "date": "11 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Obama administration has said it will allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to resettle in the US over the next year. Is this enough? And are there any risks? An estimated 340,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Europe this year, coming from as far as Eritrea, Iraq and Nigeria. But the largest portion are coming from Syria, and US officials have been at pains to show how much the US is giving in aid. According to the White House's National Security Council, the US is the single largest donor to the Syrian crisis response, having given over $4bn (PS2.6bn) since the crisis began. But some, such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's special representative on migration, have said that throwing money at the problem is not enough - it's about taking people. Recent figures released by the State Department say that the US has accepted approximately 1,500 refugees since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. And another 300 refugees are expected to enter the US by the end of this month. However, officials noted that from that number about 1,300 of those came to the US since January of this year. It is also important to note that the US currently takes around 70,000 refugees from around the world each year - and Secretary of State John Kerry has said that number will increase to 75,000 next year. The UNHCR has registered 4 million Syrians as refugees, and it has asked governments around the world to resettle 130,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. With a long and storied history of providing support to refugees fleeing violence and persecution, the US has taken half of the UNHCR's total global resettlement requests, experts say, and many are now asking if 10,000 new admittances next year is enough. \"It's not enough, but it's a start,\" Kathleen Newland, senior fellow at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, told the BBC. \"It's typical [in past conflicts] that we have taken half. The US normally resettles more refugees than all of the countries in the world combined\". \"We just have by far the largest programme, and of course we're a huge country, so we have the capacity to do it.\" In May, 14 US Senators penned a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to allow 65,000 Syrian refugees to settle inside the US - a figure that is half of the 130,000 that the UNHCR has referred for global resettlement. \"We urge your administration to work to accept at least 50% of Syrian refugees whom UNHCR is seeking to resettle, consistent with our nation's traditional practice under both Republican and Democratic presidents,\" they wrote. Earlier this week, Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley echoed that call, saying: \"If Germany - a country with one-fourth our population - can accept 800,000 refugees this year, certainly we - the nation of immigrants and refugees - can do more.\" It's unclear why the numbers are not as high for the Syrian conflict as they were in previous wars, but there have been concerns expressed that terrorists could exploit the refugee system to enter the US and carry out an attack. Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, has said that there were \"consistent intelligence community and federal law enforcement warnings that we do not have the intelligence needed to vet individuals from the conflict zone\". He went on to say: \"We also know that ISIS wants to use refugees' routes as cover to sneak operatives into the West.\" He raised similar concerns in a letter to Mr Obama in June, at which time he pointed to the case of two al-Qaeda operatives discovered in 2009 living as refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who had been linked to an attack on US soldiers in Iraq in 2005. But migration experts say these concerns are overblown, and bureaucratic paranoia is slowing down the process of allowing more people in. \"It's a paranoid fantasy. It's a legacy of 9/11,\" said Ms Newland. \"The refugee resettlement programme is the most laborious, slow, and heavily scrutinised route into the United States. \"If you were terrorist who wants to get in here, you'd be much better of forging a passport and pretending to be a Kuwaiti businessman.\" \"The level of risk aversion is so high that people tend to get triply and quadrupley scrutinised before they're cleared,\" Ms Newland said of the security screenings that entering refugees face.. \"It is heart-wrenching to watch innocent Syrians fleeing the violence in their country, and we can do more to help,\" Rep McCaul said. \"But the best way to solve this crisis is at the source.\" As a compromise that would allay security fears while also allowing the US to accept more refugees, Ms Newland said that officials could look to 1999 when the US pledged to relocate up to 20,000 Kosovar refugees to the US on short notice. To manage the influx of people and provide time for security checks, the majority of people were taken to Fort Dix, she said. Dix, a US military base in New Jersey, was part of a post-Cold War base closure programme which meant there was a plenty of unoccupied housing and living infrastructure. A New York Times report from the time described the base's transformation into a refugee camp. \"Almost overnight, swing sets and play houses sprouted on the base, and by Friday morning, the smiles of toddlers blossomed like so many daisies at the play-house windows.\" \"There are plenty of options to do something like that if we determined,\" Ms Newland said. \"I really do think that if there were a will the whole process could be speeded up.\" She also noted that the process of screening incoming refugees could become easier and more efficient as more people are processed. \"That's one area that could be streamlined and I don't think in streamlining we would reduce its effectiveness\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 756, "answer_end": 2820, "text": "Recent figures released by the State Department say that the US has accepted approximately 1,500 refugees since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. And another 300 refugees are expected to enter the US by the end of this month. However, officials noted that from that number about 1,300 of those came to the US since January of this year. It is also important to note that the US currently takes around 70,000 refugees from around the world each year - and Secretary of State John Kerry has said that number will increase to 75,000 next year. The UNHCR has registered 4 million Syrians as refugees, and it has asked governments around the world to resettle 130,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016. With a long and storied history of providing support to refugees fleeing violence and persecution, the US has taken half of the UNHCR's total global resettlement requests, experts say, and many are now asking if 10,000 new admittances next year is enough. \"It's not enough, but it's a start,\" Kathleen Newland, senior fellow at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, told the BBC. \"It's typical [in past conflicts] that we have taken half. The US normally resettles more refugees than all of the countries in the world combined\". \"We just have by far the largest programme, and of course we're a huge country, so we have the capacity to do it.\" In May, 14 US Senators penned a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to allow 65,000 Syrian refugees to settle inside the US - a figure that is half of the 130,000 that the UNHCR has referred for global resettlement. \"We urge your administration to work to accept at least 50% of Syrian refugees whom UNHCR is seeking to resettle, consistent with our nation's traditional practice under both Republican and Democratic presidents,\" they wrote. Earlier this week, Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley echoed that call, saying: \"If Germany - a country with one-fourth our population - can accept 800,000 refugees this year, certainly we - the nation of immigrants and refugees - can do more.\""}], "question": "Is 10,000 people enough?", "id": "390_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2821, "answer_end": 4549, "text": "It's unclear why the numbers are not as high for the Syrian conflict as they were in previous wars, but there have been concerns expressed that terrorists could exploit the refugee system to enter the US and carry out an attack. Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, has said that there were \"consistent intelligence community and federal law enforcement warnings that we do not have the intelligence needed to vet individuals from the conflict zone\". He went on to say: \"We also know that ISIS wants to use refugees' routes as cover to sneak operatives into the West.\" He raised similar concerns in a letter to Mr Obama in June, at which time he pointed to the case of two al-Qaeda operatives discovered in 2009 living as refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky, who had been linked to an attack on US soldiers in Iraq in 2005. But migration experts say these concerns are overblown, and bureaucratic paranoia is slowing down the process of allowing more people in. \"It's a paranoid fantasy. It's a legacy of 9/11,\" said Ms Newland. \"The refugee resettlement programme is the most laborious, slow, and heavily scrutinised route into the United States. \"If you were terrorist who wants to get in here, you'd be much better of forging a passport and pretending to be a Kuwaiti businessman.\" \"The level of risk aversion is so high that people tend to get triply and quadrupley scrutinised before they're cleared,\" Ms Newland said of the security screenings that entering refugees face.. \"It is heart-wrenching to watch innocent Syrians fleeing the violence in their country, and we can do more to help,\" Rep McCaul said. \"But the best way to solve this crisis is at the source.\""}], "question": "Could they be a security risk?", "id": "390_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4550, "answer_end": 5352, "text": "As a compromise that would allay security fears while also allowing the US to accept more refugees, Ms Newland said that officials could look to 1999 when the US pledged to relocate up to 20,000 Kosovar refugees to the US on short notice. To manage the influx of people and provide time for security checks, the majority of people were taken to Fort Dix, she said. Dix, a US military base in New Jersey, was part of a post-Cold War base closure programme which meant there was a plenty of unoccupied housing and living infrastructure. A New York Times report from the time described the base's transformation into a refugee camp. \"Almost overnight, swing sets and play houses sprouted on the base, and by Friday morning, the smiles of toddlers blossomed like so many daisies at the play-house windows.\""}], "question": "So what more could the Obama administration do?", "id": "390_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5353, "answer_end": 5773, "text": "\"There are plenty of options to do something like that if we determined,\" Ms Newland said. \"I really do think that if there were a will the whole process could be speeded up.\" She also noted that the process of screening incoming refugees could become easier and more efficient as more people are processed. \"That's one area that could be streamlined and I don't think in streamlining we would reduce its effectiveness\"."}], "question": "So how realistic an option is this for the current crisis?", "id": "390_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Poland fails to stop Donald Tusk EU re-election", "date": "9 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "EU leaders have re-elected Donald Tusk as president of the European Council despite a bid to oust him by his home country, Poland. The leaders voted 27 to one to give him another two-and-a-half-year term. The Polish government insisted Mr Tusk, a former PM from a rival party, had violated his mandate by interfering in domestic politics. Poland's prime minister said she would refuse to sign off on the summit's final statement in protest. \"Poland has a right to veto the conclusions - and Poland is exercising that right,\" Beata Szydlo said. She added that Mr Tusk was not impartial. \"He does not have the support of his home country - that's sufficient reason for him not to be appointed.\" Poland's Prime Minister Szydlo made no attempt to disguise her fury at the reappointment of fellow Pole Donald Tusk to steer EU policy for another 30 months. By vetoing the EU summit conclusions, she told reporters, Poland would make them invalid. Poland's move is rare, but not unprecedented at EU summits. On occasion the UK, too, has taken a principled stand against the majority at Brussels summits. No crucial EU decisions hang on Friday's conclusions, and this protest makes Poland look very isolated in the EU. Its leaders can still put out a joint statement, though it will have less legal weight than the normal conclusions. The row has soured the atmosphere, just as the EU prepares to mark 60 years since its founding Treaty of Rome was signed. European unity is the theme of their talks on Friday - now overshadowed by the Polish flare-up. And with the Brexit process looming, the UK will be absent. Tusk row leaves Poland isolated in EU \"Be careful of the bridges you burn, because once they are done, you can never cross them again,\" Mr Tusk said, in a comment aimed directly at the Polish government. He said a responsible attitude was needed and he hoped to protect his country's interests. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, gave his full backing to the election result, saying \"all the rules\" had been respected. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also defended the result. \"Always better to find a consensus - but that can't be used to block things,\" she said. \"That's how we proceeded with the vote today.\" Ms Szydlo had strongly opposed Mr Tusk's candidacy and proposed another candidate, a little-known Polish MEP called Jacek Saryusz-Wolski. There had been some suggestion that the UK might abstain from the vote to win Polish support in Brexit negotiations, but ultimately all but Poland voted for Mr Tusk. The Press Association news agency quoted UK government sources as saying Prime Minister Theresa May was \"pleased\" he had been re-elected. Thursday's meeting of EU leaders in Brussels is the last that Mrs May will attend before formally launching the two-year Brexit process later this month. Although Brexit itself is not on the agenda, leaders will meet again on Friday - minus Mrs May - to discuss EU unity. Mr Tusk was prime minister from 2007-2014, leading the centre-right Civic Platform. Much of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski's hostility towards Mr Tusk goes back to the 2010 plane crash in Russia which killed his twin Lech Kaczynski, then Poland's president, and all other 95 people on board. The plane crashed in dense fog. Official investigations ruled pilot error was the principal cause. But Mr Tusk's government was accused of not doing enough to explain the causes of the crash while critics said he should not have allowed the Russians to conduct the first crash investigation. Under the Chicago Convention, which covers international air travel, the state on whose territory a crash occurs bears responsibility for conducting the investigation. The European Council brings together the heads of state and government of the 28 EU member states. Jointly they set the EU's strategic direction in key areas, such as reform of the eurozone, the Greek debt crisis, the migrant challenge and relations with Russia. The Council president aims to achieve consensus - deploying all his diplomatic skills - on these tricky issues, where national tensions often dictate how leaders behave. Mr Tusk's first term ends on 31 May, and he will now stay in office until 30 November 2019. That period coincides with the expected two-year Brexit talks on UK withdrawal from the EU.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2959, "answer_end": 3709, "text": "Mr Tusk was prime minister from 2007-2014, leading the centre-right Civic Platform. Much of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski's hostility towards Mr Tusk goes back to the 2010 plane crash in Russia which killed his twin Lech Kaczynski, then Poland's president, and all other 95 people on board. The plane crashed in dense fog. Official investigations ruled pilot error was the principal cause. But Mr Tusk's government was accused of not doing enough to explain the causes of the crash while critics said he should not have allowed the Russians to conduct the first crash investigation. Under the Chicago Convention, which covers international air travel, the state on whose territory a crash occurs bears responsibility for conducting the investigation."}], "question": "Why is the Polish government so hostile to Mr Tusk?", "id": "391_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3710, "answer_end": 4326, "text": "The European Council brings together the heads of state and government of the 28 EU member states. Jointly they set the EU's strategic direction in key areas, such as reform of the eurozone, the Greek debt crisis, the migrant challenge and relations with Russia. The Council president aims to achieve consensus - deploying all his diplomatic skills - on these tricky issues, where national tensions often dictate how leaders behave. Mr Tusk's first term ends on 31 May, and he will now stay in office until 30 November 2019. That period coincides with the expected two-year Brexit talks on UK withdrawal from the EU."}], "question": "What does the European Council president do?", "id": "391_1"}]}]}, {"title": "South Sudan clashes: Salva Kiir and Riek Machar order ceasefire", "date": "11 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar have ordered a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in the capital, Juba. Since Thursday, more than 200 people are said to have died in clashes between the rival leaders' forces. The violence began with a shootout, and has since involved the use of heavy artillery, tanks and helicopters. The UN Security Council had urged both sides to stop fighting, amid fears for the safety of millions of civilians. In a unanimous statement, the council condemned the violence \"in the strongest terms\" and expressed \"particular shock and outrage\" at attacks on UN sites. It also called for additional peacekeepers to be sent to South Sudan. It is not clear if the violence has subsided. Heavy gunfire continued to be heard in the capital after President Kiir's ceasefire order came into effect at 1800 local time (1500 GMT) on Monday. \"President Salva Kiir is determined to carry on his partnership with Riek Machar,\" presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told Reuters. Mr Machar then told a radio station his forces would observe a reciprocal ceasefire from 2000 local time. \"I'm informing all the troops that have been defending themselves to respect this ceasefire and to remain where they are now,\" he told Eye Radio Juba. Earlier in the day, residents of Juba told the BBC they were staying indoors amid reports of looting and the sound of gunfire from the streets. There were also reports of tanks on the streets of Juba and of clashes close to the airport. The US embassy warned of \"serious fighting\" taking place. The BBC's South Sudan analyst, James Copnall, says the latest clashes have traumatised Juba and shredded a peace deal between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar, agreed last August. He said there were also doubts over how far both men were in command of their forces. Both leaders had called for calm last Friday, but the fighting carried on. On Monday afternoon, an army spokesman told the BBC that soldiers loyal to Mr Kiir had been ordered back to barracks. Any who resisted the order, by loitering or looting, would be arrested, he said. Chinese media say two Chinese UN peacekeepers have died in the latest clashes in Juba. Several other peacekeepers have been injured, as well as a number of civilians who have been caught in crossfire. A UN spokeswoman in Juba, Shantal Persaud, said the fighting had prompted hundreds of internally displaced people to seek refuge in UN premises. She said both South Sudanese leaders were responsible for implementing last year's peace agreement, which included a permanent ceasefire and the deployment of forces away from Juba. It seems a disagreement at a checkpoint between rival soldiers led to a shootout on Thursday night in which five soldiers died. This quickly escalated into serious fighting from Friday onwards. Tensions have been high since April, when Mr Machar returned to Juba under a peace deal following a two-year civil war. He took a 1,300-strong protection force with him and they were supposed to start joint patrols with forces loyal to President Kiir. But a lack of trust between the two sides means the patrols have not begun. There are concerns that what we are seeing is a repeat of what happened in December 2013. The two-year civil war started after clashes between rival soldiers in Juba and degenerated into nationwide conflict in which tens of thousands died. The war was fought broadly between South Sudan's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar. The international community played a major role in the creation of South Sudan and has tried to exercise some influence since independence in 2011. The UN and US have called for an immediate end to fighting, a call echoed by the East African regional group which brokered the recent peace deal.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2644, "answer_end": 3165, "text": "It seems a disagreement at a checkpoint between rival soldiers led to a shootout on Thursday night in which five soldiers died. This quickly escalated into serious fighting from Friday onwards. Tensions have been high since April, when Mr Machar returned to Juba under a peace deal following a two-year civil war. He took a 1,300-strong protection force with him and they were supposed to start joint patrols with forces loyal to President Kiir. But a lack of trust between the two sides means the patrols have not begun."}], "question": "Why has fighting resumed?", "id": "392_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3166, "answer_end": 3536, "text": "There are concerns that what we are seeing is a repeat of what happened in December 2013. The two-year civil war started after clashes between rival soldiers in Juba and degenerated into nationwide conflict in which tens of thousands died. The war was fought broadly between South Sudan's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar."}], "question": "Will it become a new civil war?", "id": "392_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3537, "answer_end": 3831, "text": "The international community played a major role in the creation of South Sudan and has tried to exercise some influence since independence in 2011. The UN and US have called for an immediate end to fighting, a call echoed by the East African regional group which brokered the recent peace deal."}], "question": "What can the international community do?", "id": "392_2"}]}]}, {"title": "France wins A$50bn Australia submarine contract", "date": "26 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France has won a A$50bn (EUR34bn; PS27bn) contract to build 12 submarines for the Australian Navy, beating bids from Japan and Germany. The deal, announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, is Australia's largest-ever defence contract. The Shortfin Barracuda submarines will be built in Adelaide using Australian steel, creating 2,800 jobs, he said. Japan, which had been a frontrunner in the contest, said the decision was \"deeply regrettable\". Defence Minister Gen Nakatani said Japan would \"ask Australia to explain why they didn't pick our design\". Mr Turnbull said the decision, the result of a 15-month bidding process, was \"securing the future of Australia's navy over decades to come\". \"Australian workers will be building Australian submarines with Australian steel.\" The government says the existing Collins Class submarine fleet is ageing and in need of replacement. A strong submarine capability is seen as vital for an island nation like Australia to conduct surveillance operations, counter growing military strength from countries like China and to support Australian allies. The Shortfin Barracuda is a 4,500-tonne conventionally powered submarine. It is closely related to the nuclear-powered Barracuda which weighs 4,700 tonnes. DCNS has said the full details are confidential, but the vessel is know to be more than 90m long and to feature an advanced pump-jet propulsion system that is supposed to be quieter than propeller propulsion systems. Mr Turnbull said the French bid \"represented the capabilities best able to meet Australia's unique needs\". The Japanese bid, with a consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, proposed a version of its 4,000-tonne Soryu-class submarine, lengthened by between 6-8m. Mitsubishi said it was \"deeply regrettable that Japan's capabilities were not sufficiently conveyed\". The German bid, from company TKMS, offered a 4,000-tonne version of an existing 2,000-tonne Type 214 class submarine. The French bid received unanimous support from the various experts in the government's competitive evaluation process, Defence Minister Marise Payne said. Japan was an early frontrunner to win the contract, thanks to former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's close relationship with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe. But its bid is said to have foundered because of Japan's inexperience in building military equipment for export. The Japanese constitution was reinterpreted in 2014 to allow the export of military hardware. The lucrative submarine deal would have been its first such deal and a major victory for Mr Abe. The Japanese government was also reportedly keen to further deepen its military ties to Australia as a counter to China's rise. Shared military technology would increase interoperability between the Japanese and Australian fleets. The decision to reject the bid is seen as having ramifications for Australia-Japanese relations. Mr Turnbull said he had spoken to Mr Abe and they were both \"thoroughly committed to the special strategic partnership between Australia and Japan which gets stronger all the time\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 779, "answer_end": 1092, "text": "The government says the existing Collins Class submarine fleet is ageing and in need of replacement. A strong submarine capability is seen as vital for an island nation like Australia to conduct surveillance operations, counter growing military strength from countries like China and to support Australian allies."}], "question": "Why does Australia want new submarines?", "id": "393_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1093, "answer_end": 1572, "text": "The Shortfin Barracuda is a 4,500-tonne conventionally powered submarine. It is closely related to the nuclear-powered Barracuda which weighs 4,700 tonnes. DCNS has said the full details are confidential, but the vessel is know to be more than 90m long and to feature an advanced pump-jet propulsion system that is supposed to be quieter than propeller propulsion systems. Mr Turnbull said the French bid \"represented the capabilities best able to meet Australia's unique needs\"."}], "question": "What submarines will DCNS be building?", "id": "393_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Myanmar Rohingya: World court orders prevention of genocide", "date": "23 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered measures to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (formerly Burma). The decision comes despite de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi defending her country against the accusations in person last month. Thousands of Rohingya died and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh during an army crackdown in 2017. UN investigators have warned that genocidal actions could recur. The ICJ case, lodged by the African Muslim-majority nation of The Gambia, called for emergency measures to be taken against the Myanmar military until a fuller investigation could be launched. Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist state, has always insisted that its military campaign was waged to tackle an extremist threat in Rakhine state. In her defence statement at the court in The Hague, Ms Suu Kyi described the violence as an \"internal armed conflict\" triggered by Rohingya militant attacks on government security posts. The panel of 17 judges at the ICJ on Thursday voted unanimously to order Myanmar to take \"all measures within its power\" to prevent genocide, which they said the Rohingya remained at serious risk of. These include the prevention of killing, and \"causing serious bodily or mental harm\" to members of the group, as well as preserving evidence of possible genocide that has already occurred. Presiding judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said Myanmar should report back within four months on how it was implementing the ruling. The measures are binding and not subject to appeal, but the court has no means of enforcing them. By Nick Beake, Myanmar correspondent, BBC News This judgment has surely obliterated any remnants of Aung San Suu Kyi's international reputation. Remember, she didn't have to go to The Hague and become the embodiment of Myanmar's defence. She chose to argue, in person, there was no mass murder, rape or arson. Even her biggest critics used to acknowledge she doesn't control the still powerful Burmese army, but now she has destroyed the firewall between her and the generals by trying - and failing - to justify their actions. So far, Myanmar has played by the rules of the International Court of Justice. But will it abide by these emergency measures? Writing today in a British newspaper, Aung San Suu Kyi questioned whether the international justice system was capable of ignoring \"unsubstantiated narratives\" told by human rights groups and UN investigators against her country. So, after initially engaging with the UN's top court, will a defeated Aung San Suu Kyi retreat now into isolation? During hearings at the court in December, Ms Suu Kyi asked the ICJ to drop the case, describing it as \"incomplete and incorrect\". And in an article for the Financial Times published shortly before the court's judgement she said human rights groups had condemned Myanmar based on \"unproven statements without the due process of criminal investigation\". \"The international condemnation has had a negative effect on Myanmar's endeavours to bring stability and progress to Rakhine,\" she said. \"It has undermined painstaking domestic efforts to establish co-operation between the military and the civilian government.\" Her remarks also appeared to echo a statement by a government-appointed panel earlier this week which accepted that war crimes may have been committed by individuals but said there was no indication of an intent to commit genocide. However, the BBC's Anna Holligan, who is in The Hague, says that by coming to the court in December, Ms Suu Kyi had in effect recognised its legitimacy and it will now be difficult for Myanmar to ignore its judgement. Rohingya groups have welcomed the decision. \"Today's ruling by the ICJ is a crucial moment for Rohingya justice, and vindication for those of us who have lived through this genocide for decades,\" tweeted Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. \"The court's decision clearly shows that it takes the allegations of genocide seriously, and that Myanmar's hollow attempts to deny these have fallen on deaf ears.\" Human rights organisation Amnesty International said the decision sent a message that the world would not tolerate Myanmar's \"atrocities\". Gambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, who led the prosecution, said he was \"very, very pleased\". \"I think this represents a triumph of international law and international justice. And it is the international community - as represented by the ICJ - saying in the strongest of terms that genocide will not be accepted under any circumstances by any perpetrators,\" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. But some Burmese people responding to a BBC Facebook live broadcast were scathing of the court and its judges. \"This is not a fair and just ruling. I would like to speak on behalf of the Myanmar people that those judges are blind. They are deaf. They do not know the real situation in the country,\" said Nu Yimwin. Kyaw Myint Oo described the ruling as a tragic day for the country: \"Our situation is like being a prey gradually strangled by a python and eventually we will be forced to give in to all their demands.\" Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said: \"We hope good sense will prevail in Myanmar and they will take back all the Rohingya refugees and provide them security.\" The Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar at the start of 2017, are one of the many ethnic minorities in the country. Rohingya Muslims are the largest community of Muslims in Myanmar, with the majority living in Rakhine state. But Myanmar's government denies them citizenship, refusing to recognise them as a people and seeing them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Waves of Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh over the decades but their latest exodus began on 25 August 2017 after militants from a Rohingya insurgent group called Arsa launched deadly attacks on more than 30 police posts. Rohingyas arriving in Bangladesh said they fled after troops, backed by local Buddhist mobs, responded by burning their villages and attacking and killing civilians. The government claims that \"clearance operations\" against the militants ended on 5 September 2017, but analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch suggests hundreds of villages were destroyed after August that year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 956, "answer_end": 1570, "text": "The panel of 17 judges at the ICJ on Thursday voted unanimously to order Myanmar to take \"all measures within its power\" to prevent genocide, which they said the Rohingya remained at serious risk of. These include the prevention of killing, and \"causing serious bodily or mental harm\" to members of the group, as well as preserving evidence of possible genocide that has already occurred. Presiding judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said Myanmar should report back within four months on how it was implementing the ruling. The measures are binding and not subject to appeal, but the court has no means of enforcing them."}], "question": "What did the court say?", "id": "394_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1571, "answer_end": 2569, "text": "By Nick Beake, Myanmar correspondent, BBC News This judgment has surely obliterated any remnants of Aung San Suu Kyi's international reputation. Remember, she didn't have to go to The Hague and become the embodiment of Myanmar's defence. She chose to argue, in person, there was no mass murder, rape or arson. Even her biggest critics used to acknowledge she doesn't control the still powerful Burmese army, but now she has destroyed the firewall between her and the generals by trying - and failing - to justify their actions. So far, Myanmar has played by the rules of the International Court of Justice. But will it abide by these emergency measures? Writing today in a British newspaper, Aung San Suu Kyi questioned whether the international justice system was capable of ignoring \"unsubstantiated narratives\" told by human rights groups and UN investigators against her country. So, after initially engaging with the UN's top court, will a defeated Aung San Suu Kyi retreat now into isolation?"}], "question": "What now for Aung San Suu Kyi?", "id": "394_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2570, "answer_end": 3633, "text": "During hearings at the court in December, Ms Suu Kyi asked the ICJ to drop the case, describing it as \"incomplete and incorrect\". And in an article for the Financial Times published shortly before the court's judgement she said human rights groups had condemned Myanmar based on \"unproven statements without the due process of criminal investigation\". \"The international condemnation has had a negative effect on Myanmar's endeavours to bring stability and progress to Rakhine,\" she said. \"It has undermined painstaking domestic efforts to establish co-operation between the military and the civilian government.\" Her remarks also appeared to echo a statement by a government-appointed panel earlier this week which accepted that war crimes may have been committed by individuals but said there was no indication of an intent to commit genocide. However, the BBC's Anna Holligan, who is in The Hague, says that by coming to the court in December, Ms Suu Kyi had in effect recognised its legitimacy and it will now be difficult for Myanmar to ignore its judgement."}], "question": "What is Myanmar's position?", "id": "394_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3634, "answer_end": 5305, "text": "Rohingya groups have welcomed the decision. \"Today's ruling by the ICJ is a crucial moment for Rohingya justice, and vindication for those of us who have lived through this genocide for decades,\" tweeted Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. \"The court's decision clearly shows that it takes the allegations of genocide seriously, and that Myanmar's hollow attempts to deny these have fallen on deaf ears.\" Human rights organisation Amnesty International said the decision sent a message that the world would not tolerate Myanmar's \"atrocities\". Gambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, who led the prosecution, said he was \"very, very pleased\". \"I think this represents a triumph of international law and international justice. And it is the international community - as represented by the ICJ - saying in the strongest of terms that genocide will not be accepted under any circumstances by any perpetrators,\" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. But some Burmese people responding to a BBC Facebook live broadcast were scathing of the court and its judges. \"This is not a fair and just ruling. I would like to speak on behalf of the Myanmar people that those judges are blind. They are deaf. They do not know the real situation in the country,\" said Nu Yimwin. Kyaw Myint Oo described the ruling as a tragic day for the country: \"Our situation is like being a prey gradually strangled by a python and eventually we will be forced to give in to all their demands.\" Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said: \"We hope good sense will prevail in Myanmar and they will take back all the Rohingya refugees and provide them security.\""}], "question": "What has been the reaction?", "id": "394_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5306, "answer_end": 6320, "text": "The Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar at the start of 2017, are one of the many ethnic minorities in the country. Rohingya Muslims are the largest community of Muslims in Myanmar, with the majority living in Rakhine state. But Myanmar's government denies them citizenship, refusing to recognise them as a people and seeing them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Waves of Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh over the decades but their latest exodus began on 25 August 2017 after militants from a Rohingya insurgent group called Arsa launched deadly attacks on more than 30 police posts. Rohingyas arriving in Bangladesh said they fled after troops, backed by local Buddhist mobs, responded by burning their villages and attacking and killing civilians. The government claims that \"clearance operations\" against the militants ended on 5 September 2017, but analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch suggests hundreds of villages were destroyed after August that year."}], "question": "What is the background to the case?", "id": "394_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Bafta TV Awards: Ant and Dec, Blue Planet, and other things to look out for", "date": "13 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Stars of the small screen are getting ready to find out whether they have won one of this year's Bafta TV Awards. The accolades will be handed out at a ceremony hosted by Sue Perkins at the Royal Festival Hall in London later. Police thriller Line of Duty has the most nominations, with a total of four. Other nominees include Blue Planet II, Black Mirror and Love Island, while Ant and Dec are tipped to win for Saturday Night Takeaway, despite Ant's absence from two recent episodes. Here are 10 things to look out for: The duo are odds-on bookies' favourites to scoop best entertainment programme for Saturday Night Takeaway for the fourth time in five years. Ant's recently admitted drink driving and went into treatment for \"alcohol issues\", which meant Dec had to finish the series solo. But Sunday's Baftas are for programmes shown last year - so those upheavals shouldn't affect the result. Ant said in March he was taking \"time off for the foreseeable future\". Dec's name is on the official list of attendees, but Ant's isn't. Black Mirror - Charlie Brooker's Netflix series of visions of life with tech that's gone too far - has never won at the main Baftas ceremony. That could be rectified this year - the show's fourth season has three nominations, including best single drama for dating fantasy Hang The DJ. Hang The DJ's Joe Cole, who played Frank, is up for best lead actor, while Jimmi Simpson, who played the bullying boss/subservient crew member Walton in USS Callister, is up for best supporting actor. Nothing for the series' many excellent women though. It was one of the biggest TV hits of last year, so don't be surprised to see Kem, Camilla and co clamber on stage to accept at least one of the two awards they're up for. It's surely the frontrunner for the reality and constructed factual award (although Old People's Home for Four Year Olds might pip it), and Stormzy's surprise appearance is up for the must-see moment. And Love Island narrator Iain Stirling will be providing a live commentary throughout the ceremony. If you want to tick off one winner already, it's surely got to be Blue Planet II in the specialist factual category. It's also nominated for the must-see moment, for the scene showing a mother pilot whale refusing to let go of her dead calf, which Sir David Attenborough gravely told us may have been poisoned by milk contaminated with plastics and other pollutants. Blue Planet II was the most-watched programme of 2017 but has also made the biggest impact, far beyond the world of TV. Sir David is on the guest list, and another Bafta for his collection would make a nice belated 92nd birthday present. The Great British Bake Off - which had been nominated for the best feature prize for the last six years - is absent from the nominations this year. Its snub follows its successful move from the BBC to Channel 4. There is room in the features category for Antiques Roadshow and Cruising with Jane McDonald, though. Bake Off co-host Sandi Toksvig is nominated - but for presenting QI. And former Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins will be there, as host. Emmerdale won the soap and continuing drama prize last year, and followed that with triumphs at the British Soap Awards and National TV Awards. Can it continue its winning streak? 2016's winner EastEnders isn't even nominated this year, edged out in favour of Casualty. Emmerdale will face strong competition from both Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, the latter of which won the Broadcast Award for best soap earlier this year. It was a strong year for drama and it will be fascinating to see which series comes out on top - The Crown, Line of Duty and Three Girls each have three or more nominations. In the best actress category, it's probably a close call between Line of Duty's Thandie Newton and Claire Foy for The Crown. Broken, Little Boy Blue, Hang the DJ and King Charles III all have two nominations each. Peaky Blinders has just the one, but it's in the big category - best drama series - and it wouldn't be a total shock to see it pull off its first Bafta win. This Country is one of the best new comedies and is nominated for best scripted comedy and best female performance in a comedy programme for Daisy May Cooper. Catastrophe is the only other comedy programme with two nominations - in the same two categories, with Sharon Horgan going up against Cooper for best female performance. The 70-year-old actor died 13 months ago, before his performance in the title role in Mike Bartlett's King Charles III was screened on BBC Two. That earned him a posthumous Bafta nomination in the best actor category. Not only would a win be a fitting honour for the late star, but an award (or two) for the one-off drama - which imagines the inner workings of the royal family - would be fun a week before the royal wedding. We already know veteran journalist Kate Adie will receive the Bafta Fellowship. Jane Lush, chair of Bafta, said: \"Kate Adie is a truly ground-breaking news journalist, being one of a very small number of women working to report the news from hostile environments around the world.\" Meanwhile, retiring football commentator John Motson will get to lift his own trophy - the Bafta Special Award. The Bafta TV Awards take place at 19:00 BST on Sunday, and will be shown on BBC One from 20:00. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 522, "answer_end": 1035, "text": "The duo are odds-on bookies' favourites to scoop best entertainment programme for Saturday Night Takeaway for the fourth time in five years. Ant's recently admitted drink driving and went into treatment for \"alcohol issues\", which meant Dec had to finish the series solo. But Sunday's Baftas are for programmes shown last year - so those upheavals shouldn't affect the result. Ant said in March he was taking \"time off for the foreseeable future\". Dec's name is on the official list of attendees, but Ant's isn't."}], "question": "1. Will Ant and Dec win a Bafta (and will they both be there)?", "id": "395_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1036, "answer_end": 1575, "text": "Black Mirror - Charlie Brooker's Netflix series of visions of life with tech that's gone too far - has never won at the main Baftas ceremony. That could be rectified this year - the show's fourth season has three nominations, including best single drama for dating fantasy Hang The DJ. Hang The DJ's Joe Cole, who played Frank, is up for best lead actor, while Jimmi Simpson, who played the bullying boss/subservient crew member Walton in USS Callister, is up for best supporting actor. Nothing for the series' many excellent women though."}], "question": "2. Can Black Mirror strike gold?", "id": "395_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3102, "answer_end": 3530, "text": "Emmerdale won the soap and continuing drama prize last year, and followed that with triumphs at the British Soap Awards and National TV Awards. Can it continue its winning streak? 2016's winner EastEnders isn't even nominated this year, edged out in favour of Casualty. Emmerdale will face strong competition from both Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, the latter of which won the Broadcast Award for best soap earlier this year."}], "question": "6. Can Emmerdale win the battle of the soaps?", "id": "395_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4405, "answer_end": 4830, "text": "The 70-year-old actor died 13 months ago, before his performance in the title role in Mike Bartlett's King Charles III was screened on BBC Two. That earned him a posthumous Bafta nomination in the best actor category. Not only would a win be a fitting honour for the late star, but an award (or two) for the one-off drama - which imagines the inner workings of the royal family - would be fun a week before the royal wedding."}], "question": "9. Posthumous honour for Tim Pigott-Smith?", "id": "395_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria and the Arab Spring: My life then and now", "date": "16 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is five years since peaceful protests against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad started in Damascus. The uprising quickly escalated into a civil war between the Syrian government and various rebel factions, killing at least 250,000 and displacing many more. Similar movements in the region, later called the Arab Spring, led to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia. Five years on, people across the region have told the BBC how the uprising and the political divisions and economic turmoil that followed have affected their lives. \"I had to leave my pregnant wife behind. It was too dangerous for me to stay,\" says Majdy Al-Kassem, who fled Syria in early 2015 and now lives in the UK. Majdy studied English literature in his hometown Idlib in north-western Syria when peaceful anti-government protests erupted in 2011. He and fellow students joined the demonstrations. \"In the first six months protesters were not armed, but the security forces started to shoot at people and come to their houses to arrest them,\" he says. Some of the protests turned into armed insurgency and following violent clashes a brutal and complex civil war broke out across most of the country. \"One of my teachers was killed by a sniper and in the following years a lot of my friends died in prison. I was afraid that somebody who saw me at the demonstration would frame me,\" he says. Syria: The story of the conflict UN says peace talks in Geneva are 'moment of truth' Islamic State group: The full story Life inside IS: Diaries from Raqqa A month after Majdy fled, a coalition of Islamist rebel forces, supported by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, seized Idlib from the Syrian government. \"It's a little bit safer now because there is no fighting in the city itself, but your house can always be hit by Russian or Syrian government air strikes. Many houses in our neighbourhood were destroyed. \"My family is in a very bad situation now. They often don't have the most basic things like water, electricity and petrol.\" The rise of the so-called Islamic State and the increasing involvement of foreign powers have further complicated the conflict. Like many others, Majdy made the dangerous journey across the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece in a rubber dinghy. Walking northwards on the so-called Balkan route, he was imprisoned in Croatia for three months, but eventually made it to the UK last summer. The authorities in the UK are now processing Majdy's asylum application and he says: \"I hope they let me stay and bring my family.\" The first protests of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia after Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire in the city of Sidi Bouzid in December 2010. Weeks of demonstrations followed before Tunisia's long-time president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled into exile on 14 January 2011. \"When we went to demonstrate in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Tunis on 14 January, we didn't realise that Ben Ali would be running away by the end of the day,\" says Hisham Ben Khamsa. \"Ben Ali had relied on stifling any kind of expression and dissent. The regime was out of sync with the population. Corruption and unemployment pushed people overboard.\" Tunisia has been called the Arab Spring's \"success story\" by some after a largely peaceful transition to democracy. In recent years, the country has been hit by a wave of attacks on tourists sites and renewed protests over youth unemployment. \"Economically and in terms of instability, it has been five years of a rollercoaster. But in this chaos and mayhem, there is some stability building up,\" Hisham told the BBC. Ines Ghaieb, a preparatory school teacher in Tunis, says her life changed for the better after the uprising. \"I lost my job at the school during Ben Ali's time and couldn't do anything about it. Now I have a permanent contract.\" She says that Tunisians can now express their opinions in public and in the media. \"Tunisia was an exception from the beginning. Even if there are problems, I would say the revolution was successful.\" Pictures of tens of thousands of protesters on Cairo's central Tahrir Square went around the world in January and February 2011. \"I'll never experience the same again, the spirit of the people was unbelievable, and we were all on the same page,\" says Mohammed Safi, an Egyptian radio DJ. \"We succeeded in bringing the government down after 18 days, but the biggest mistake was to leave the square because we thought we had won. Mohamed Morsi, a leading member of the Muslim brotherhood, was elected as president in June 2012, but following mass protests his government was overthrown by the army a year later. \"I think almost the entire nation is suffering from post-traumatic stress,\" Mohammed says. \"I moved out of Cairo three years ago to protect my sanity. The vibe there has become unbearable. \"Five years down the line, many people are extremely sceptictal and frustrated. Almost everybody is suffering economically and the currency has lost a lot of value.\" Human rights activists have reported a rise in the number of people going missing at the hand of the security services. \"The security apparatus is more intense than under Mubarak, but the message to future generations is that you can challenge authority,\" says Mohammed. \"In the early months of 2011, not a lot of Libyans thought the protests would spread from Tunisia to Libya because the former regime of Muammar Gaddafi had a tight grip on society,\" says Muhanned Kalash, an up-and-coming Libyan actor. \"When the protests started in Benghazi, we couldn't do much in Tripoli, but of course we followed the events very closely.\" Fierce fighting broke out between rebels in the east of the country and government forces. In August 2011, rebel militia toppled Gaddafi and took over Tripoli, helped by international airstrikes. Muhanned says that five years on, none of the revolution's goals have been achieved. \"It's close to impossible for me to save money, to marry, to travel to different cities or even to go out at night because there is a risk we might get carjacked.\" Libya has had two rival governments since 2014. The political and security vacuum in the country has helped the so-called Islamic State group to establish a foothold. Muhanned says security is his biggest concern at the moment: \"With Daesh [IS], it's like we see a storm approaching, but we're pretending we are not scared. \"It's shocking to see how OK Libyans have become with death.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2579, "answer_end": 4084, "text": "The first protests of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia after Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire in the city of Sidi Bouzid in December 2010. Weeks of demonstrations followed before Tunisia's long-time president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled into exile on 14 January 2011. \"When we went to demonstrate in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Tunis on 14 January, we didn't realise that Ben Ali would be running away by the end of the day,\" says Hisham Ben Khamsa. \"Ben Ali had relied on stifling any kind of expression and dissent. The regime was out of sync with the population. Corruption and unemployment pushed people overboard.\" Tunisia has been called the Arab Spring's \"success story\" by some after a largely peaceful transition to democracy. In recent years, the country has been hit by a wave of attacks on tourists sites and renewed protests over youth unemployment. \"Economically and in terms of instability, it has been five years of a rollercoaster. But in this chaos and mayhem, there is some stability building up,\" Hisham told the BBC. Ines Ghaieb, a preparatory school teacher in Tunis, says her life changed for the better after the uprising. \"I lost my job at the school during Ben Ali's time and couldn't do anything about it. Now I have a permanent contract.\" She says that Tunisians can now express their opinions in public and in the media. \"Tunisia was an exception from the beginning. Even if there are problems, I would say the revolution was successful.\""}], "question": "Tunisia: Poster child of the Arab Spring?", "id": "396_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US House Democrats challenge Trump on shutdown", "date": "4 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives has voted to end a partial government shutdown, but the move looks certain to be vetoed by President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has said he will reject any measure that does not provide funding for his proposed US-Mexico border wall. New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will resume negotiations with Mr Trump on Friday, branded the wall immoral. The new Congress is considered the most diverse in history. The bills passed by the House of Representatives would fund homeland security operations, including $1.3bn in border security, until 8 February, and fund several other agencies until September. However, it requires Senate approval, and sign off from the president, in order to become law. Republicans currently have a majority in the Senate, and majority leader Mitch McConnell has said Republicans there would not back measures that Mr Trump did not support. Mr McConnell called the Democrats' move a \"total nonstarter\" and a \"political sideshow\". However, Democrats argue that the bills are nearly identical to ones passed by the Senate last month, before Mr Trump insisted wall funding must be included. Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, was elected as Speaker of the House for a second time - becoming the third most powerful politician in the US. She previously led the House from 2007-11 - and remains the only female to hold the position. She invited the children and grandchildren of House Representatives to join her as she was sworn in, saying: \"I'm particularly proud to be a woman Speaker of the House of this Congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote.\" Later, she told reporters: \"We're not doing a wall... a wall is an immorality between countries. It's an old way of thinking. It isn't cost effective.\" She added that spending money on \"more infrastructure at the ports of entry\" and better technology would be more efficient. As of Thursday, 102 women serve in the 435-seat House, an all-time high, including 36 newly elected members and a record 43 women of colour. While Republican women marked some firsts this past election season, like Marsha Blackburn becoming the first female Tennessee senator, the vast majority of these new lawmakers are Democrats. They include: - The first Muslim congresswomen - Michigan's Rashida Tlaib, who took her oath on the Koran, and Minnesota's Ilhan Omar, who became the first person to wear a hijab in Congress - The first Native American congresswomen - New Mexico's Debra Haaland and Kansas' Sharice Davids - New York's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress Carol Miller of West Virginia is the only new female Republican representative, bringing the total number of conservative women in the House to 13 - a decrease from 23 before the mid-term elections. The partial US government shutdown began when Congress and Mr Trump failed to reach an agreement over a budget bill in December. The Republicans had passed an initial funding bill including $5bn (PS4bn) for the wall, when they still had a majority in the House, but they could not get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate. Democrats won the majority of the House in the November mid-term elections, and the new representatives were sworn in on Thursday. \"We're asking the president to open up government,\" Ms Pelosi told the Today show before the first session of the new House.  \"We have given the Republicans a chance to take yes for an answer.\" The president is due to resume budget talks with top Democrats and Republicans on Friday morning. The White House says it is again floating the idea of a deal for 'Dreamers' - immigrants who illegally entered the US as children. Democrats want to ensure that these individuals are shielded from deportation, but have insisted that they will not support a deal over wall funding. Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News the deal was being \"talked about\", but that Mr Trump said no deal was possible \"without a wall\". Meanwhile, some vulnerable Republican senators up for re-election in 2020 have spoken out in favour of approving the budget bills to end the government shutdown. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado was the first to do so, telling The Hill on Thursday that Congress should reopen the government and let wall negotiations continue afterwards. Maine Senator Susan Collins echoed this view, suggesting the president should sign the agreed upon spending bills first so federal employees could get back to work, Politico reported. Mr Trump pushed back on Friday against Democrats who are calling for him to be removed from office. The Republican president tweeted that his political enemies only want to impeach him because he is \"the most successful\". Hardline Democrats are demanding action. After being sworn in on Thursday, Ms Tlaib used an expletive to describe the president while vowing to impeach him. But fellow Democratic representative and civil rights icon John Lewis criticised her \"inappropriate\" remark, telling reporters impeachment talk \"is a little premature\". The new House speaker also squelched calls for impeachment. Ms Pelosi said they must \"wait and see\" what happens with special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US election. - About 25% of the US federal government has no funding - Nine departments have been affected, including Homeland Security, Justice, Housing, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, and the Treasury - Around 800,000 federal workers are now furloughed - that is, temporarily laid off due to a lack of funding - or working without pay - Native American tribes who receive substantial federal funding are struggling - National Parks have become hazardous without staff #ShutdownStories: The impact of the government shutdown More women than ever before won seats in Congress in the 2018 mid-terms. What does it mean for Congress - and America?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1935, "answer_end": 2843, "text": "As of Thursday, 102 women serve in the 435-seat House, an all-time high, including 36 newly elected members and a record 43 women of colour. While Republican women marked some firsts this past election season, like Marsha Blackburn becoming the first female Tennessee senator, the vast majority of these new lawmakers are Democrats. They include: - The first Muslim congresswomen - Michigan's Rashida Tlaib, who took her oath on the Koran, and Minnesota's Ilhan Omar, who became the first person to wear a hijab in Congress - The first Native American congresswomen - New Mexico's Debra Haaland and Kansas' Sharice Davids - New York's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress Carol Miller of West Virginia is the only new female Republican representative, bringing the total number of conservative women in the House to 13 - a decrease from 23 before the mid-term elections."}], "question": "What is new about this Congress?", "id": "397_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2844, "answer_end": 3500, "text": "The partial US government shutdown began when Congress and Mr Trump failed to reach an agreement over a budget bill in December. The Republicans had passed an initial funding bill including $5bn (PS4bn) for the wall, when they still had a majority in the House, but they could not get the necessary 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate. Democrats won the majority of the House in the November mid-term elections, and the new representatives were sworn in on Thursday. \"We're asking the president to open up government,\" Ms Pelosi told the Today show before the first session of the new House.  \"We have given the Republicans a chance to take yes for an answer.\""}], "question": "How has the shutdown come about?", "id": "397_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3501, "answer_end": 4538, "text": "The president is due to resume budget talks with top Democrats and Republicans on Friday morning. The White House says it is again floating the idea of a deal for 'Dreamers' - immigrants who illegally entered the US as children. Democrats want to ensure that these individuals are shielded from deportation, but have insisted that they will not support a deal over wall funding. Vice-President Mike Pence told Fox News the deal was being \"talked about\", but that Mr Trump said no deal was possible \"without a wall\". Meanwhile, some vulnerable Republican senators up for re-election in 2020 have spoken out in favour of approving the budget bills to end the government shutdown. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado was the first to do so, telling The Hill on Thursday that Congress should reopen the government and let wall negotiations continue afterwards. Maine Senator Susan Collins echoed this view, suggesting the president should sign the agreed upon spending bills first so federal employees could get back to work, Politico reported."}], "question": "Which side will blink first?", "id": "397_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4539, "answer_end": 5301, "text": "Mr Trump pushed back on Friday against Democrats who are calling for him to be removed from office. The Republican president tweeted that his political enemies only want to impeach him because he is \"the most successful\". Hardline Democrats are demanding action. After being sworn in on Thursday, Ms Tlaib used an expletive to describe the president while vowing to impeach him. But fellow Democratic representative and civil rights icon John Lewis criticised her \"inappropriate\" remark, telling reporters impeachment talk \"is a little premature\". The new House speaker also squelched calls for impeachment. Ms Pelosi said they must \"wait and see\" what happens with special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US election."}], "question": "What about all the impeachment talk?", "id": "397_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Mark Field: What is the law on tackling intruders?", "date": "21 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mark Field has been suspended as a Foreign Office minister after a video showed him grabbing a Greenpeace protester at a black tie dinner. But what does the law say on tackling intruders? The \"worst-case scenario\" for someone tackling an intruder like this would be a common assault allegation, says Colin Rawson, a partner at Stephensons Solicitors. \"It's the lowest level of assault, where effectively there's little or no injury,\" he says. Janet Barker, the protester who was confronted by Mr Field, says she does not intend to complain to police. City of London Police said they were looking into \"a number of third-party reports of a possible assault\". Legal experts say there are a number of defences which could justify a physical altercation with an intruder. Police and the Crown Prosecution Service also have to determine whether a prosecution is in the public interest and whether there is a reasonable prospect of a conviction. Under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, people can use \"reasonable force\" in self-defence, to defend someone else, to prevent a crime or to assist in the arrest of someone. The law says you do not have to wait until someone is attacked: Fear of attack or fear that someone else could be attacked may be sufficient. \"There doesn't have to be an actual assault,\" says Mr Rawson. Mr Field says he acted \"instinctively\" and was \"genuinely\" worried that the protester might be armed. It does not matter that he proved to be incorrect about that threat, says Eric Baskind, a law lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University who has been an expert witness in self-defence cases. \"It is to be taken on the basis of the information that he's got, even if he has made a mistake in fact,\" he says. Mr Rawson said there may still be questions about the level of force applied. \"I would think it's the grabbing around the neck which is the most concerning part for the MP,\" he says. How much force is reasonable comes down to the circumstances of each case. But Mr Baskind says the law explicitly acknowledges that people may not be able to weigh up exactly the right level of force in the heat of the moment. It says if a person only does what they think is \"honestly and instinctively\" necessary for self-defence, that is \"strong evidence\" for the force being reasonable. Mr Baskind says he would have been surprised if charges had been brought against the MP. \"If this was you or me, it was clearly within the realms of what a person may do. No question.\" Security guards have no more powers to use force than ordinary members of the public. In practice, Mr Baskind says security professionals may be judged by a higher standard because of their training. \"The rights are the same, but whether the actions are reasonable will be determined by all of the circumstances, including a person's training,\" he says. Different laws were introduced in \"householder cases\" after the controversial prosecution of farmer Tony Martin for shooting dead a burglar at his Norfolk home. Mr Baskind says courts may now decide that people in their own homes are allowed to use \"disproportionate\" force, as long as it is not \"grossly disproportionate\". \"You can imagine being in bed at night in a state of undress, you've probably got a wife or a husband or other relatives or children,\" he says. \"The court will recognise that what might be reasonable in those circumstances will be different.\" But because the Greenpeace protesters were not entering a private home, that law would not have applied.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 940, "answer_end": 1739, "text": "Under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, people can use \"reasonable force\" in self-defence, to defend someone else, to prevent a crime or to assist in the arrest of someone. The law says you do not have to wait until someone is attacked: Fear of attack or fear that someone else could be attacked may be sufficient. \"There doesn't have to be an actual assault,\" says Mr Rawson. Mr Field says he acted \"instinctively\" and was \"genuinely\" worried that the protester might be armed. It does not matter that he proved to be incorrect about that threat, says Eric Baskind, a law lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University who has been an expert witness in self-defence cases. \"It is to be taken on the basis of the information that he's got, even if he has made a mistake in fact,\" he says."}], "question": "When can you use force to tackle an intruder?", "id": "398_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1740, "answer_end": 2498, "text": "Mr Rawson said there may still be questions about the level of force applied. \"I would think it's the grabbing around the neck which is the most concerning part for the MP,\" he says. How much force is reasonable comes down to the circumstances of each case. But Mr Baskind says the law explicitly acknowledges that people may not be able to weigh up exactly the right level of force in the heat of the moment. It says if a person only does what they think is \"honestly and instinctively\" necessary for self-defence, that is \"strong evidence\" for the force being reasonable. Mr Baskind says he would have been surprised if charges had been brought against the MP. \"If this was you or me, it was clearly within the realms of what a person may do. No question.\""}], "question": "What is reasonable force?", "id": "398_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2499, "answer_end": 2852, "text": "Security guards have no more powers to use force than ordinary members of the public. In practice, Mr Baskind says security professionals may be judged by a higher standard because of their training. \"The rights are the same, but whether the actions are reasonable will be determined by all of the circumstances, including a person's training,\" he says."}], "question": "What about security at the event?", "id": "398_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2853, "answer_end": 3524, "text": "Different laws were introduced in \"householder cases\" after the controversial prosecution of farmer Tony Martin for shooting dead a burglar at his Norfolk home. Mr Baskind says courts may now decide that people in their own homes are allowed to use \"disproportionate\" force, as long as it is not \"grossly disproportionate\". \"You can imagine being in bed at night in a state of undress, you've probably got a wife or a husband or other relatives or children,\" he says. \"The court will recognise that what might be reasonable in those circumstances will be different.\" But because the Greenpeace protesters were not entering a private home, that law would not have applied."}], "question": "What about defending your own property?", "id": "398_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Are rare earth minerals China's trump card in its trade war with US?", "date": "29 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has been signalling that it may restrict the export of rare earth minerals to the United States as the trade conflict between the two countries escalates. It is by far the largest producer of these raw materials, vital for many American industries including high-growth sectors such as electric car and wind turbine production. Last year, the US Geological Survey designated these minerals critical to the economy and national defence. \"China is seriously considering restricting rare earth exports to the US,\" tweeted the editor of Chinese state-run Global Times this week. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used in production in a huge number of sectors, including renewable energy technology, oil refinery, electronics, and the glass industry. Although called \"rare\", they are actually found relatively abundantly in the Earth's crust, according to the US Geological Survey. However, there are relatively few places in the world that mine or produce them. Extraction is both difficult and potentially damaging to the environment. Chinese mines account for around 70% of global output. Myanmar, Australia, and the United States plus a few other countries which mine only small amounts, account for the rest. In the refining of rare earth ores, China is even more dominant. Last year, almost 90% of all the processing into usable oxides was done in China. An Australian company operating in Malaysia produces almost all the rest. Over the past five years, China's exports of rare earth oxides have almost doubled, according to official Chinese statistics. Around 80% of the rare earths imported by the United States comes from China, according to US government data. Estonia, France and Japan also supply processed rare earths to the US, but the original ore comes from China. The one rare earth mine operating in the United States sends its ore to China for processing - and already faces a 25% import tariff imposed by China. There is an option for the US to import from Malaysia, but not in the quantities required. Also, the Malaysian government has threatened to discontinue production because of environmental concerns. Could the US start its own refining industry for rare earths? It's certainly possible, but this would take time and the sources of ore could be limited if China were ruled out. Until the 1980s, the US was in fact the largest producer of rare earths. China has restricted exports of rare earths before. In 2010, they did it against Japan, over a territorial dispute. The restriction of exports to the United States, if enforced, could have a major impact on major US industries worth trillions of dollars that rely on rare earth minerals. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 581, "answer_end": 1567, "text": "Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used in production in a huge number of sectors, including renewable energy technology, oil refinery, electronics, and the glass industry. Although called \"rare\", they are actually found relatively abundantly in the Earth's crust, according to the US Geological Survey. However, there are relatively few places in the world that mine or produce them. Extraction is both difficult and potentially damaging to the environment. Chinese mines account for around 70% of global output. Myanmar, Australia, and the United States plus a few other countries which mine only small amounts, account for the rest. In the refining of rare earth ores, China is even more dominant. Last year, almost 90% of all the processing into usable oxides was done in China. An Australian company operating in Malaysia produces almost all the rest. Over the past five years, China's exports of rare earth oxides have almost doubled, according to official Chinese statistics."}], "question": "What are rare earths?", "id": "399_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1568, "answer_end": 2675, "text": "Around 80% of the rare earths imported by the United States comes from China, according to US government data. Estonia, France and Japan also supply processed rare earths to the US, but the original ore comes from China. The one rare earth mine operating in the United States sends its ore to China for processing - and already faces a 25% import tariff imposed by China. There is an option for the US to import from Malaysia, but not in the quantities required. Also, the Malaysian government has threatened to discontinue production because of environmental concerns. Could the US start its own refining industry for rare earths? It's certainly possible, but this would take time and the sources of ore could be limited if China were ruled out. Until the 1980s, the US was in fact the largest producer of rare earths. China has restricted exports of rare earths before. In 2010, they did it against Japan, over a territorial dispute. The restriction of exports to the United States, if enforced, could have a major impact on major US industries worth trillions of dollars that rely on rare earth minerals."}], "question": "How reliant on China is the US?", "id": "399_1"}]}]}, {"title": "100 Women: Are journeys safer with women-only carriages?", "date": "17 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Loud, brightly coloured and speedy, matatus are an unmistakeable sight on Nairobi's streets. Many of the city's three million inhabitants rely on these minibuses, but for many women they are the setting for harassment and abuse. Lynn Baraza had escorted her sister to a bus stop when a group of matatu drivers tried to force them both into a vehicle. She says: \"They started pushing us and pulling my sister's arm, even though she had her baby strapped to her chest. \"They were saying sexist and sexually derogative things to us. \"I told them to leave us alone, and when I realised nobody was going to help us I started crying. \"My sister was really scared.\" Fortunately Lynn and her sister weren't physically harmed, but their experience is far from unique. Most of the 381 Kenyan women surveyed by Nairobi advocacy group Women's Empowerment Link said they had been victims of gender-based violence on public transport. Studies collated by the Stop Street Harassment organisation have similarly gloomy findings, with research suggesting 100% of female passengers in Paris have experienced harassment at least once on public transport. Some politicians - including Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn - have proposed separate carriages for women could be the solution. They have been trialled in many countries, from Mexico to Japan to India, in various forms on buses, trains and taxis. But is there any evidence they make women's lives safer? This is hard to measure for many reasons. Public transport attacks often go unreported, and even when they are logged, many countries don't publish that data. And while segregation can be for cultural reasons, most countries with women-only carriages introduced them because they had a problem with sexual harassment in the first place. It could be that these cities were even more dangerous before they introduced separate carriages. The only way of knowing is to compare conditions before and after women-only carriages were introduced, and there is very little data to go on. One place where this data is available is Tokyo. In 2004, a number of train lines introduced women-only carriages. A year later, reports of lewd behaviour against women in the city had fallen by 3%, but reports of harassment rose by 15-20% on two of the lines where women-only carriages had been introduced. However, this could be down to incidents in the mixed carriages going up, or higher levels of reporting. We do know that many women feel safer travelling without men around. A 2014 Reuters poll, which surveyed 6,300 women around the world, found 70% said they would feel safer travelling in a separate carriage. The results varied hugely from country to country, with 94% of women in Manila attesting to this compared with 35% in New York City. The same survey ranked 16 of the world's biggest cities in order of most dangerous for women travellers. Four of the top five - Bogota, Mexico City, Delhi and Jakarta - already operated some form of women-only transport. So, it could be that while women perceive their journeys to be safer, that isn't the case. If separate carriages offer women peace of mind, aren't they worth introducing? Despite her experience, Lynn doesn't think so. Instead, she thinks the key to changing Kenya's societal expectations would be for the whole community to apply zero tolerance to harassment. She also points out that while women might be safer on their journey, the harassment when they get off the bus would be the same, or even worse. Lynn is not the only person who thinks the policy is misguided. Many academics and policy experts have argued that segregating transport is just a quick fix that normalises attacks on women. They say it places an expectation on women to avoid harassment, rather than on the perpetrators to change their behaviour or for more effective law enforcement. An FIA Foundation report examining different policy approaches to women's safety on public transport concludes gender separation \"does not address the underlying issue that this is unacceptable behaviour\" and is \"confirming that women should not be allowed to travel freely and need special attention\". Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, agrees that it equates to a tacit acceptance of assaults on women. She told BBC Radio 4: \"A perpetrator-focused approach that tackles the issue is the right one... women-only carriages sends a wider message that these kinds of assaults are inevitable and we should just coop women up to try and avoid them.\" The data we have to go on suggests women feel safer travelling in a separate carriage, and that it could indeed make them safer for the duration of their journey. But segregated transport fails to address the root causes of harassment: social acceptance, unbalanced power dynamics and the lack of repercussions for offenders. Read more from Reality Check", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1136, "answer_end": 3086, "text": "Some politicians - including Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn - have proposed separate carriages for women could be the solution. They have been trialled in many countries, from Mexico to Japan to India, in various forms on buses, trains and taxis. But is there any evidence they make women's lives safer? This is hard to measure for many reasons. Public transport attacks often go unreported, and even when they are logged, many countries don't publish that data. And while segregation can be for cultural reasons, most countries with women-only carriages introduced them because they had a problem with sexual harassment in the first place. It could be that these cities were even more dangerous before they introduced separate carriages. The only way of knowing is to compare conditions before and after women-only carriages were introduced, and there is very little data to go on. One place where this data is available is Tokyo. In 2004, a number of train lines introduced women-only carriages. A year later, reports of lewd behaviour against women in the city had fallen by 3%, but reports of harassment rose by 15-20% on two of the lines where women-only carriages had been introduced. However, this could be down to incidents in the mixed carriages going up, or higher levels of reporting. We do know that many women feel safer travelling without men around. A 2014 Reuters poll, which surveyed 6,300 women around the world, found 70% said they would feel safer travelling in a separate carriage. The results varied hugely from country to country, with 94% of women in Manila attesting to this compared with 35% in New York City. The same survey ranked 16 of the world's biggest cities in order of most dangerous for women travellers. Four of the top five - Bogota, Mexico City, Delhi and Jakarta - already operated some form of women-only transport. So, it could be that while women perceive their journeys to be safer, that isn't the case."}], "question": "Would women-only carriages help?", "id": "400_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Papua New Guinea: Women and children killed in tribal massacre", "date": "10 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Children and pregnant women are among those murdered in a tribal massacre in Papua New Guinea's Highlands area. At least 24 people are confirmed to have died in a brutal flare-up of violence between rival tribes over several days in Hela province. Some reports put the death toll higher. PM James Marape called the news \"one of the saddest days of my life\", promising to track down the perpetrators. It is one of the worst outbreaks of tribal violence in PNG for years. \"It's a very sad story,\" Philip Undialu, governor of Hela told news agency Reuters, explaining the killings were part of a conflict running for years. \"It was retaliation of a previous attack. Both attacks were made in an innocent community where people were not expecting it and all of us are in a state of shock.\" Authorities say the region has for years struggled with violence, at times driven by disputes over the distribution of land and resource wealth. Details are still emerging from the remote central area, but the violence appears to have been a string of attacks and counter-attacks over several days. Hela provincial administrator William Bando told AFP news agency that 24 people were dead and there could be more. Local news agency EMTV reported at least two incidents in small villages in the Tari-Pori district. On Sunday, seven people - four men and three women - were killed in Munima village. Then on Monday, 16 women and children were hacked to death in the village of Karida, EMTV said. Two of the women were pregnant. According to the Post-Courier newspaper, the attacks took place on Saturday and Sunday with six people killed the first day and 16 - including two pregnant women - in a retaliatory attack the following day. Pills Pimua Kolo from the Hela province department of health posted pictures on Facebook of what he said was the massacre in Karida village. The pictures show a row of bodies wrapped in cloth and tied to long poles. He said some of them had been chopped into pieces and their body parts were hard to recognise. Prime Minister Marape, who is from the area, said the killings were led by gunmen from the Hagui, Okiru and Liwi tribes and said he would seek out punishment for the people responsible. \"Gun-toting criminals, your time is up,\" Mr Marape said. \"How can a province of 400,000 people function with policing law and order with under 60 policemen, and occasional operational military and police that does no more than band aid maintenance,\" he added. William Bando said he had now called for at least 100 more police to reinforce the existing 40 local officers. Papua New Guinea's highland provinces are very remote with communities based around tribal identities and local customs rather than the central government. Tribal clashes are not unusual with rivalries often prompted by rape or theft, or disputes over tribal boundaries. The country's population has more than doubled in the last 50 years, leading to intensified competition for both land and resources. While the reason for the latest outbreak of violence is still unclear, AFP says it has been linked to control over Mount Kare, thought to be rich in gold resources. The agency says that according to the Red Cross, fighting kills dozens and displaces thousands in the PNG highlands every year. Over the past years, the influx of automatic weapons has made clashes more deadly and escalated the cycle of violence. US oil and gas company ExxonMobil operates a natural gas processing plant in the region where the massacre took place but halted construction on a pipeline last year because of unrest. In 2018, an earthquake devastated some of the remote regions. Papua New Guinea is among the poorest countries of Asia with about 40% of the population living on less than $1 a day, according to the UN.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 931, "answer_end": 2029, "text": "Details are still emerging from the remote central area, but the violence appears to have been a string of attacks and counter-attacks over several days. Hela provincial administrator William Bando told AFP news agency that 24 people were dead and there could be more. Local news agency EMTV reported at least two incidents in small villages in the Tari-Pori district. On Sunday, seven people - four men and three women - were killed in Munima village. Then on Monday, 16 women and children were hacked to death in the village of Karida, EMTV said. Two of the women were pregnant. According to the Post-Courier newspaper, the attacks took place on Saturday and Sunday with six people killed the first day and 16 - including two pregnant women - in a retaliatory attack the following day. Pills Pimua Kolo from the Hela province department of health posted pictures on Facebook of what he said was the massacre in Karida village. The pictures show a row of bodies wrapped in cloth and tied to long poles. He said some of them had been chopped into pieces and their body parts were hard to recognise."}], "question": "How did the killings unfold?", "id": "401_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2030, "answer_end": 2586, "text": "Prime Minister Marape, who is from the area, said the killings were led by gunmen from the Hagui, Okiru and Liwi tribes and said he would seek out punishment for the people responsible. \"Gun-toting criminals, your time is up,\" Mr Marape said. \"How can a province of 400,000 people function with policing law and order with under 60 policemen, and occasional operational military and police that does no more than band aid maintenance,\" he added. William Bando said he had now called for at least 100 more police to reinforce the existing 40 local officers."}], "question": "How did the authorities respond?", "id": "401_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2587, "answer_end": 3789, "text": "Papua New Guinea's highland provinces are very remote with communities based around tribal identities and local customs rather than the central government. Tribal clashes are not unusual with rivalries often prompted by rape or theft, or disputes over tribal boundaries. The country's population has more than doubled in the last 50 years, leading to intensified competition for both land and resources. While the reason for the latest outbreak of violence is still unclear, AFP says it has been linked to control over Mount Kare, thought to be rich in gold resources. The agency says that according to the Red Cross, fighting kills dozens and displaces thousands in the PNG highlands every year. Over the past years, the influx of automatic weapons has made clashes more deadly and escalated the cycle of violence. US oil and gas company ExxonMobil operates a natural gas processing plant in the region where the massacre took place but halted construction on a pipeline last year because of unrest. In 2018, an earthquake devastated some of the remote regions. Papua New Guinea is among the poorest countries of Asia with about 40% of the population living on less than $1 a day, according to the UN."}], "question": "How common is tribal violence in PNG?", "id": "401_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: French petition launched for Briton denied citizenship", "date": "29 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Carpenter Mark Lawrence has lived in France for 27 years and his children are French, but the authorities have rejected his application for citizenship. As the UK's departure from the EU approaches at 23:00 GMT on Friday, Mr Lawrence has said he is \"gutted\" by the decision. French authorities argue he does not have \"sufficient and stable resources\". Now 33,000 people have signed a petition calling for a change of heart. Mr Lawrence will still be able to stay as a resident and does not risk being deported. Citizens' rights have been among the most emotive issues to have arisen from Brexit but for the immediate future the question has now been agreed. Freedom of movement will continue for EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals across the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement until 31 December. But what happens after that will affect millions of people. In the UK, EU nationals have to apply for settled or pre-settled status by 30 June 2021, or by the end of 2020 if a final Brexit deal is not reached. There were a number of cases last year of EU nationals who had lived in the UK for decades being initially rejected. More than 2.7 million EU nationals have now applied and Downing Street has promised no-one who fails to apply by the deadline will be deported. The UK is now considering a \"points-based system\" that will include a minimum salary for applicants. Government advisors have recommended a minimum of PS25,600 (EUR30,000; $33,000) annual salary. In France, initially the only change this year will be that UK nationals will not be able to take part in local elections. Mark Lawrence, 48, lives with his girlfriend and children in the village of Plazac in France's picturesque Dordogne region. They have a son of two and Mr Lawrence has three children aged 10, 12 and 14 from his earlier marriage while his French partner, Camille, has another daughter. The children were all born in France and are French, he says. \"It's really not clear what's going to happen,\" he told the BBC. \"It'll be a year before they decide and I'll get a citizen's permit so I can stay. Quite frankly, with my citizenship I thought there was no problem in that I've been here so long.\" He applied to the local prefecture in Bordeaux in April 2019 and passed language and culture tests as part of the process. But the authorities decided, having looked at his finances over recent years that \"we cannot assume you are completely integrated professionally even though the most recent period is fine\". He was rejected first in April and then on appeal in October. He can try again in two years' time. Thierry Suquet, head of the Bordeaux prefecture, told French TV: \"We checked at the time of the request that the applicant for French nationality meets economic criteria, in other words makes a salary or has the resources to be economically independent and not in need of welfare benefits.\" Mr Lawrence is a self-employed carpenter who speaks fluent French and has never had French welfare benefits, even though he did stop working when his children were younger. He is also on the 15-member town council and is actively involved in several social projects in Plazac. Mayor Florence Gauthier told France 3 TV that she was very surprised that someone so integrated in society was rejected.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 511, "answer_end": 1589, "text": "Citizens' rights have been among the most emotive issues to have arisen from Brexit but for the immediate future the question has now been agreed. Freedom of movement will continue for EU nationals in the UK and UK nationals across the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement until 31 December. But what happens after that will affect millions of people. In the UK, EU nationals have to apply for settled or pre-settled status by 30 June 2021, or by the end of 2020 if a final Brexit deal is not reached. There were a number of cases last year of EU nationals who had lived in the UK for decades being initially rejected. More than 2.7 million EU nationals have now applied and Downing Street has promised no-one who fails to apply by the deadline will be deported. The UK is now considering a \"points-based system\" that will include a minimum salary for applicants. Government advisors have recommended a minimum of PS25,600 (EUR30,000; $33,000) annual salary. In France, initially the only change this year will be that UK nationals will not be able to take part in local elections."}], "question": "What is changing after Brexit?", "id": "402_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1590, "answer_end": 2182, "text": "Mark Lawrence, 48, lives with his girlfriend and children in the village of Plazac in France's picturesque Dordogne region. They have a son of two and Mr Lawrence has three children aged 10, 12 and 14 from his earlier marriage while his French partner, Camille, has another daughter. The children were all born in France and are French, he says. \"It's really not clear what's going to happen,\" he told the BBC. \"It'll be a year before they decide and I'll get a citizen's permit so I can stay. Quite frankly, with my citizenship I thought there was no problem in that I've been here so long.\""}], "question": "What will happen to Mark?", "id": "402_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Yemen war: Ceasefire takes effect in Hudaydah after skirmishes", "date": "18 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Fighting between Yemeni pro-government forces and Houthi rebels in the city of Hudaydah has reportedly subsided, after a ceasefire came into effect overnight. Skirmishes continued for several hours following the start of the UN-brokered truce at midnight (21:00 GMT), but locals now say it is relatively calm. UN envoy Martin Griffiths said the initiative seemed to be working so far. The battle for Hudaydah threatened the operation of its port, which is crucial to the delivery of aid supplies. Half of the war-torn country's population - 14 million people - are on the brink of famine and an estimated 85,000 children may have died from malnutrition. Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. By Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent, BBC News No-one expected the ceasefire to be smooth, simple, or straightforward. There is no trust between the warring sides. Both believe the other still wants a military solution. The key to this truce largely holding will be the UN's presence on the ground and its ability to enforce the gradual pull-out of all forces and put in place a new order. That is why Martin Griffiths has called for its \"swift\" deployment. Pressure from all the outside players in this war made this unexpected truce happen in a week of talks in Sweden. It is also essential if it is to hold. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, regarded as the architect of this war in Yemen, is said to be playing a key role in this shift from a military to a political push. But the risk of an all-out assault on Hudaydah and Yemen's descent into famine still looms, if it all fails. Millions of Yemenis are hoping against hope that it holds. The ceasefire covering the city of Hudaydah and the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa was first announced last week following talks in Sweden's capital, Stockholm. But it had to be delayed by several days because of fierce fighting. The Houthis, who control the city and ports, and Yemen's government, whose forces are deployed to the south and east, have said they are now committed to abiding by the truce. There were sporadic clashes along the front lines in Hudaydah city between 01:00 and 02:00 on Tuesday, with Yemeni officials accusing the Houthis of carrying out artillery strikes. However, residents said that by dawn the skirmishes had ended. \"The problem is that the forces have yet to disengage, and when they're close up to each other they are liable to respond to anything they see as a provocation or an alert,\" Mr Griffiths told the BBC. \"So we can expect some of this happening, but the pattern is a positive one.\" A co-ordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, Susana Borges, said hospitals it supported in Hudaydah were continuing to receive patients. The UN has warned that in a worst-case scenario, the battle for Hudaydah could cost up to 250,000 lives and cut off aid supplies to millions elsewhere. Its port is the principal lifeline for about two-thirds of Yemen's population, which is almost totally reliant on imports. Under the Stockholm Agreement, once the ceasefire takes effect a \"mutual redeployment of forces\" shall be carried out from the city and ports \"to agreed-upon locations outside\". Mr Griffiths said that the UN would convene, possibly on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Redeployment Co-ordination Committee, which will monitor implementation. It will include members of the warring parties and be chaired by the retired Dutch general, Patrick Cammaert. The first phase of the redeployment will see troops withdraw from the ports and critical parts of the city associated with humanitarian facilities within two weeks and the UN taking a \"leading role\". The full redeployment of all forces from the region should be completed within three weeks of the ceasefire entering into effect. Mr Griffiths said this would include complete disengagement from the main road from Hudaydah to the capital Sanaa, which is crucial for the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the wider population. The Stockholm Agreement should also see a prisoner swap and the facilitation of aid deliveries to the city of Taiz, which is besieged by the Houthis. At least 6,660 civilians have been killed, according to the UN. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that has affected 1 million people.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1999, "answer_end": 3346, "text": "The ceasefire covering the city of Hudaydah and the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Issa was first announced last week following talks in Sweden's capital, Stockholm. But it had to be delayed by several days because of fierce fighting. The Houthis, who control the city and ports, and Yemen's government, whose forces are deployed to the south and east, have said they are now committed to abiding by the truce. There were sporadic clashes along the front lines in Hudaydah city between 01:00 and 02:00 on Tuesday, with Yemeni officials accusing the Houthis of carrying out artillery strikes. However, residents said that by dawn the skirmishes had ended. \"The problem is that the forces have yet to disengage, and when they're close up to each other they are liable to respond to anything they see as a provocation or an alert,\" Mr Griffiths told the BBC. \"So we can expect some of this happening, but the pattern is a positive one.\" A co-ordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres, Susana Borges, said hospitals it supported in Hudaydah were continuing to receive patients. The UN has warned that in a worst-case scenario, the battle for Hudaydah could cost up to 250,000 lives and cut off aid supplies to millions elsewhere. Its port is the principal lifeline for about two-thirds of Yemen's population, which is almost totally reliant on imports."}], "question": "What's happening on the ground?", "id": "403_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3347, "answer_end": 4777, "text": "Under the Stockholm Agreement, once the ceasefire takes effect a \"mutual redeployment of forces\" shall be carried out from the city and ports \"to agreed-upon locations outside\". Mr Griffiths said that the UN would convene, possibly on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Redeployment Co-ordination Committee, which will monitor implementation. It will include members of the warring parties and be chaired by the retired Dutch general, Patrick Cammaert. The first phase of the redeployment will see troops withdraw from the ports and critical parts of the city associated with humanitarian facilities within two weeks and the UN taking a \"leading role\". The full redeployment of all forces from the region should be completed within three weeks of the ceasefire entering into effect. Mr Griffiths said this would include complete disengagement from the main road from Hudaydah to the capital Sanaa, which is crucial for the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the wider population. The Stockholm Agreement should also see a prisoner swap and the facilitation of aid deliveries to the city of Taiz, which is besieged by the Houthis. At least 6,660 civilians have been killed, according to the UN. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that has affected 1 million people."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "403_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia fires: Military to be deployed to help rescue effort", "date": "31 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australian military aircraft and vessels will be deployed to help emergency services in the fire-ravaged states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. Thousands of people fled to beaches in the south-eastern states on Tuesday as emergency-level fires spread. In Mallacoota, Victoria, about 4,000 people sought shelter on the coast. Two more people have been confirmed dead in NSW, bringing the fire-linked death toll to 12. Authorities say four people are missing in Victoria and another in NSW. \"We've got literally hundreds, thousands of people up and down the coast, taking refuge on the beaches,\" said Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service. Mr Fitzsimmons said it was \"the worst fire season we have experienced here in NSW\". Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds have agreed to send military aircraft and vessels at the request of the Victorian government. The Australian Defence Force will send Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and navy vessels to Victoria and NSW, the two worst-affected regions. The military is expected to provide humanitarian assistance and carry out evacuations if needed in the coming days. The US and Canada have also been asked to provide \"specialist aviation resources\" to help the emergency effort. In his New Year message, Mr Morrison hailed the \"amazing spirit of Australians\" but warned that the weeks and months ahead would \"continue to be difficult\". The bodies of the latest victims - a 63-year-old man and his 29-year-old son - were found near the town of Corbargo in NSW. Police said the men, named as Robert Salway and his son Patrick by Australian media, had stayed behind to protect their family home, where their bodies were found on Tuesday. In Mallacoota, the local fire service said a change in wind direction had taken the worst of the fires away from the town. \"I understand there was a public cheer down at the jetty when that was announced,\" said chief officer Steve Warrington. About a dozen \"emergency-level\" blazes stretch across NSW and Victoria. Several holiday spots along the coast have been cut off and the main road in the region - the Princes Highway - has been closed. At midnight on Tuesday, Sydney's A$6m (PS3.1m; $4.2m) fireworks display, renowned worldwide, went ahead despite calls for it to be cancelled given the scale of the bushfire crisis. Temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) in every state and territory at the start of the week, with strong winds and lightning strikes bolstering the flames. Meteorologists say a climate system in the Indian Ocean, known as the dipole, is the main driver behind the extreme heat in Australia. Residents fled to the beach or took up shelter in fortified homes when they heard the warning siren go off at 08:00 local time on Tuesday. \"It should have been daylight but it was black like midnight and we could hear the fire roaring,\" said David Jeffrey, a local business owner. \"We were all terrified for our lives.\" The fire was kept back from the shore, where firefighters had gathered for a last line of defence, by the change in wind. Victoria's state emergency commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters there were \"4,000 people on the beach\". Many of those trapped on the beach could be forced to spend the night there. Fire chief Warrington said there had been \"significant property losses\" across the entire East Gippsland region in the past days. Authorities said bushfire had destroyed 43 properties in Gippsland, where more than 400,000 hectares have been burned. Hundreds of massive blazes have destroyed millions of hectares in the eastern states of Australia since September. - Are you affected by the fires? Let us know by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Residents in the NSW holiday towns of Bermagui and Batemans Bay also fled on Tuesday morning to the waterfront or makeshift evacuation sites near the shore. Locals told the BBC they had \"bunkered in\" as the front approached, raining ash on the beaches. \"It was bloody scary. The sky went red, and ash was flying everywhere,\" said Zoe Simmons in Batemans Bay. A \"freakish weather event\" killed a volunteer firefighter on Sunday, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS). He was the third volunteer firefighter to have died. Samuel McPaul, 28, was a newlywed who was expecting his first child. Powerful winds near the NSW-Victoria border - generated by the fires - lifted his 10-tonne truck off the ground and flipped it over, the service said. Lucy Martin, BBC News, Merimbula For many Australians, the final days of 2019 have been a tense and worrying time. The smoke hanging in the sky day after day is a constant reminder of communities on fire. Some are staying inside to avoid the thick, acrid smoke, while others are cancelling holidays or taking long detours to avoid roadblocks. Here in Merimbula, on the New South Wales coast, the sun has been blotted out, casting a deep orange haze in the sky. People on the street are describing it as apocalyptic. The smoke is now so thick it's almost impossible to drive. The ground is blanketed in ash and supermarkets are packed with people stocking up with supplies. Holidaymakers should be swimming and hiking today, but they're checking into evacuation centres or planning escape routes. Have you been told to evacuate? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2673, "answer_end": 3663, "text": "Residents fled to the beach or took up shelter in fortified homes when they heard the warning siren go off at 08:00 local time on Tuesday. \"It should have been daylight but it was black like midnight and we could hear the fire roaring,\" said David Jeffrey, a local business owner. \"We were all terrified for our lives.\" The fire was kept back from the shore, where firefighters had gathered for a last line of defence, by the change in wind. Victoria's state emergency commissioner Andrew Crisp told reporters there were \"4,000 people on the beach\". Many of those trapped on the beach could be forced to spend the night there. Fire chief Warrington said there had been \"significant property losses\" across the entire East Gippsland region in the past days. Authorities said bushfire had destroyed 43 properties in Gippsland, where more than 400,000 hectares have been burned. Hundreds of massive blazes have destroyed millions of hectares in the eastern states of Australia since September."}], "question": "What has happened in Mallacoota?", "id": "404_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ghosn: Bail conditions revealed by lawyer", "date": "7 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The lawyer for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has revealed the terms his client had to meet to secure his initial release from custody on bail. Conditions the 65-year-old had faced included using a sole computer, in his lawyer's office, and one mobile phone. A 24-hour surveillance camera also had to be installed at the entrance of his court-approved permanent residence. Mr Ghosn was re-arrested in Tokyo last week, pending trial over claims of financial misconduct. He has been detained over suspicions that he tried to enrich himself at the carmaker's expense. In a statement, Mr Ghosn - who denies any wrongdoing - said his re-arrest was \"outrageous and arbitrary\". Mr Ghosn's lawyer, Takashi Takano, issued a blog post (in Japanese) over the weekend where he outlined his client's bail conditions after he was released from custody on 6 March. Mr Ghosn had been released on $9m (PS6.8m) bail after 108 days in custody. The conditions stated Mr Ghosn must not flee or hide, not travel abroad.  Any travel within Japan of more than three days would have needed court sanctioning. Any change of address also had to be approved by a court. Mr Ghosn also had to keep a log of everyone he met - except his wife and legal counsel - as well as records of telephone calls and internet use. He was also ordered not to make contact with a number of fellow defendants, including board member Greg Kelly, suspected of collaborating with Mr Ghosn. Tokyo prosecutors entered Mr Ghosn's residence before 06:00 local time on Thursday (21:00 GMT Wednesday) and took him to their office on suspicion he had misappropriated Nissan funds for personal use, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Mr Ghosn's lawyer said it was almost unheard of to arrest someone after being released on bail. \"I am innocent of the groundless charges and accusations against me,\" Mr Ghosn said in a statement released by his representatives. He said the arrest was \"part of another attempt by some individuals at Nissan to silence me by misleading the prosecutors\". Nissan is holding an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Monday, where the carmaker is expected to dismiss Mr Ghosn and his onetime-deputy Mr Kelly from the board of directors. The move is the latest twist in a case that has attracted global attention. Mr Ghosn was the architect of the alliance between Nissan and French carmaker Renault, and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of Nissan and Renault over several years. Prosecutors said Mr Ghosn's latest arrest related to transfers of Nissan funds totalling $15m between 2015 and 2018. They suspect $5m of that amount was used by Mr Ghosn for personal expenditure. Local media had previously said that authorities had been building a new case against him involving payments to a dealership in Oman. In Japan, prosecutors are permitted to re-arrest a suspect on a slightly different accusation, with approval from the courts. The clock is then reset and another 20 days of interrogation can begin. Mr Ghosn was first arrested in November for understating his pay. He was re-arrested twice in December and faces three charges. He was first charged with underreporting his pay package for the five years to 2015. In January, a fresh charge claimed he understated his compensation for another three years and he was also indicted on a new, more serious charge of breach of trust. The motor executive had said on 3 April, in a newly created Twitter account, that he was planning a press conference on 11 April \"to tell the truth about what's happening\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2209, "answer_end": 3030, "text": "The move is the latest twist in a case that has attracted global attention. Mr Ghosn was the architect of the alliance between Nissan and French carmaker Renault, and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of Nissan and Renault over several years. Prosecutors said Mr Ghosn's latest arrest related to transfers of Nissan funds totalling $15m between 2015 and 2018. They suspect $5m of that amount was used by Mr Ghosn for personal expenditure. Local media had previously said that authorities had been building a new case against him involving payments to a dealership in Oman. In Japan, prosecutors are permitted to re-arrest a suspect on a slightly different accusation, with approval from the courts. The clock is then reset and another 20 days of interrogation can begin."}], "question": "Oman links?", "id": "405_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Golden Horse Awards: The Oscars of Asia", "date": "16 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Oscar statuette is Hollywood's biggest trophy. In the world of Chinese cinema, its equivalent is a galloping Golden Horse. Come Saturday, actors, directors and cinematographers will descend upon Taiwan's capital to attend the annual Golden Horse Awards. This year marks its 55th show. With increasing investment in Chinese cinema it's likely that in just a few years time, some of those walking the red carpet on Saturday will become household names around the world. Big names from the Chinese-speaking world made their screen debut at the Golden Horse Awards. Filmmakers Wong Kar Wai and Ang Lee and stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai have taken home their share of horses. But ever since films from mainland China became eligible for entry in 1996, the Golden Horse Awards has reflected the growing might of China's film industry. This year, most nominees for the major award categories hail from China. This is your guide to the big ticket award show from one of the world's most dynamic film industries. It's worth starting with the big names first. Zhang Yimou The 68-year-old screen legend is perhaps the best-known mainland Chinese director outside of China. Even though he's been Oscar-nominated for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, he's never won a Golden Horse award. But that could change this year. Mr Zhang's movie Shadow is in the running for Best Feature Film. He's also been nominated for Best Director. But one of the things that makes the Golden Horse Awards so interesting is that it favours dark horses as much as its golden ones. And wins could go to someone lesser known. Lou Ye He's known as the bad boy of mainland Chinese cinema. Director Lou Ye, whose films include Suzhou River and Weekend Lover, has had his run in with Beijing censors for his creative decisions in covering controversial themes such as sexuality and gender. It's no surprise that his latest offering The Shadow Play happens to touch on the very sensitive Chinese C word: \"corruption.\" Pema Tseden It's rare to shortlist a movie set in Tibet at any film festival, even at the Golden Horse Awards. What's even more unusual is having a Tibetan director in the running for best director. Pema Tseden will be competing against better known directors like Zhang Yimou for the acclaimed prize. His film Jinpa tells of a truck driver who picks up a hitchhiker on an isolated road in the barren plains of Tibet. He later learns of the young man's intentions: to kill the man who murdered his father. Somehow the films manage to reflect the political temperature of the Chinese-speaking world. In Lou Ye's The Shadow Play, a local government official in charge of approving \"urban renewal\" projects and an ambitious land developer collude to make their fortunes. He later falls from a rooftop during a riot against demolition and a young police officer investigating the mysterious death uncovers a complex web of extramarital affairs, betrayal and murder; and later becomes entangled himself. It's a story that could only have come about after years of headlines of Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption, Chinese officials taking their own life not to mention the recent disappearance of Interpol chief Meng Hongwei. Many foreigners may not know about the pace of China's economic reform, but this is inevitably the subject of hushed dinner table conversations in China. One cannot help but think Zhang Yimou's Shadow, the story of a powerful king and his people displaced from their homeland and longing to win it back, feels like an allegory. The cinematography is breathtaking but also two of the biggest celebrities in China currently - husband and wife Deng Chao and Sun Li - play the leading characters. And an entry from Taiwan shows it living up to its reputation as the most open place in Asia on homosexuality. Nominated for Best Feature Film Dear Ex, played by Best Actress nominee Hsieh Ying-xuan, is about a woman who discovers her late gay husband had named his male partner as the beneficiary of his insurance policy. She takes her son to confront him and demand the money. But her son ends up staying on to learn more about his late father. The Golden Horse Awards isn't one to shy away from sensitive issues. Big political events have influenced some of this year's nominated films. Best Documentary nominees include Our Youth in Taiwan (about the island country's Sunflower Movement) and Umbrella Diaries: The First Umbrella (charting the birth of the Occupy protests through Hong Kong activists). At the age of 29, Chinese novelist (turned director) Hu Bo took his life. His first full-length feature film An Elephant Sitting Still landed him a coveted nomination for the Best New Director award and is nominated for Best Feature Film. In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, there is said to be an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. The place becomes an obsession for the film's four protagonists, who run away from their troubles and set their hopes on finding it. It reflects the characters' and perhaps the director Hu Bo's sense of alienation from society. Following his death, his masterpiece was finished off by a production team. A prostitute with a superhuman libido, plies her trade while living on a boat in Hong Kong. Three Husbands follows the story of a woman named Baby Girl. With three husbands, she doggedly devotes herself to her work - not exactly in keeping with traditional Chinese values. Chloe Maayan's bold performance has landed her a Golden Horse nomation for Best Leading Actress. The film is the third in a \"prostitute trilogy\" from director Fruit Chan in which he uses sex to satirise modern day Hong Kong. Rising starlets Taiwanese actress Hsieh Ying-xuan, who starred in Dear Ex, delivered a very convincing performance as a woman harbouring deep resentment. She's already won the Taipei Film Festival Best Actress Award. If she takes home the Best Leading Actress in the Golden Horse Awards, that would be the biggest prize in the Chinese starlet's acting career. Like the Academy Awards, the Golden Horse ceremony will keep viewers glued to their screens late into the night. And keep audiences talking about it the very next day.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1022, "answer_end": 2504, "text": "It's worth starting with the big names first. Zhang Yimou The 68-year-old screen legend is perhaps the best-known mainland Chinese director outside of China. Even though he's been Oscar-nominated for films such as Raise the Red Lantern, he's never won a Golden Horse award. But that could change this year. Mr Zhang's movie Shadow is in the running for Best Feature Film. He's also been nominated for Best Director. But one of the things that makes the Golden Horse Awards so interesting is that it favours dark horses as much as its golden ones. And wins could go to someone lesser known. Lou Ye He's known as the bad boy of mainland Chinese cinema. Director Lou Ye, whose films include Suzhou River and Weekend Lover, has had his run in with Beijing censors for his creative decisions in covering controversial themes such as sexuality and gender. It's no surprise that his latest offering The Shadow Play happens to touch on the very sensitive Chinese C word: \"corruption.\" Pema Tseden It's rare to shortlist a movie set in Tibet at any film festival, even at the Golden Horse Awards. What's even more unusual is having a Tibetan director in the running for best director. Pema Tseden will be competing against better known directors like Zhang Yimou for the acclaimed prize. His film Jinpa tells of a truck driver who picks up a hitchhiker on an isolated road in the barren plains of Tibet. He later learns of the young man's intentions: to kill the man who murdered his father."}], "question": "Who's who?", "id": "406_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong bookseller who defied China raises $100,000 in a day for new shop", "date": "6 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Hong Kong bookseller who defied mainland China has raised more than $100,000 (PS91,000) in just a day to open a new bookshop in Taiwan. Lam Wing Kee was one of five booksellers detained in 2015 after selling material critical of the political elite on China's mainland. He broke the terms of his 2016 release by going public about his imprisonment. Months ago he fled to Taiwan as Hong Kong considered a law that would have allowed extradition to mainland China. Mr Lam's crowdfunding campaign to \"reopen\" the Causeway Bay bookstore - the name of his former shop in Hong Kong - raised more than 3m Taiwanese dollars on its first day. More than 1,800 people contributed to his cause, easily exceeding his funding goal. Writing on Facebook about the success, Mr Lam said that, at 63 years old, he had not been familiar with crowdfunding. \"Many thanks for everyone's support... thank you for giving me more confidence to accomplish this,\" he wrote. Mr Lam hopes to choose a new location for the reincarnation of Causeway Bay books in the coming months, and to open it next year, he said. Causeway Bay books in Hong Kong sold gossipy books including some that criticised the Chinese mainland leadership. Under the \"one country, two systems\" rule, Hong Kong is supposed to have freedom of the press and its own judicial system. Five staff from Causeway Bay went missing without warning between October and December 2015: - Mr Lam and two others, Lui Bo and Cheung Jiping, disappeared while visiting neighbouring provinces in mainland China - Bookshop co-owner Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, vanished in Thailand, prompting accusations China had seized him outside of international laws - Briton Lee Bo went missing in December. He was widely believed to have been abducted from Hong Kong and taken to mainland China, although Mr Lee denied being kidnapped during an interview on Chinese state television Mr Gui remains in detention in China while the other four were freed in 2016. The full extent of the story only became clear when Mr Lam called a press conference and gave expansive details on his extraordinary detention. In June 2016, newly returned to Hong Kong, he told a gaggle of journalists he had been released on condition he retrieve a hard disk filled with the names of people, mainly mainland Chinese, who had bought books from his publishing house. But he said he had no intention of handing over the data and he detailed his imprisonment - in solitary confinement under 24-hour surveillance, during which he contemplated suicide. A confession broadcast on Chinese television was, he said, staged and acted out to a script. China said Mr Lam had broken the terms of his release. When Hong Kong's political leader, Carrie Lam, proposed a new law that would allow extradition to mainland China, Mr Lam feared he would be \"top of the list\". He left Hong Kong for Taiwan - an effectively independent nation that China considers a breakaway province awaiting reunification. Speaking to Vice news this week, Mr Lam said he would not return home, despite the controversial extradition bill being officially dropped after weeks of widespread protest in Hong Kong. \"I am wanted by the Chinese government,\" he told Vice. \"It's obvious that if I stayed in Hong Kong, I'd be dead for sure.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1087, "answer_end": 2122, "text": "Causeway Bay books in Hong Kong sold gossipy books including some that criticised the Chinese mainland leadership. Under the \"one country, two systems\" rule, Hong Kong is supposed to have freedom of the press and its own judicial system. Five staff from Causeway Bay went missing without warning between October and December 2015: - Mr Lam and two others, Lui Bo and Cheung Jiping, disappeared while visiting neighbouring provinces in mainland China - Bookshop co-owner Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, vanished in Thailand, prompting accusations China had seized him outside of international laws - Briton Lee Bo went missing in December. He was widely believed to have been abducted from Hong Kong and taken to mainland China, although Mr Lee denied being kidnapped during an interview on Chinese state television Mr Gui remains in detention in China while the other four were freed in 2016. The full extent of the story only became clear when Mr Lam called a press conference and gave expansive details on his extraordinary detention."}], "question": "What happened to the booksellers?", "id": "407_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2123, "answer_end": 3291, "text": "In June 2016, newly returned to Hong Kong, he told a gaggle of journalists he had been released on condition he retrieve a hard disk filled with the names of people, mainly mainland Chinese, who had bought books from his publishing house. But he said he had no intention of handing over the data and he detailed his imprisonment - in solitary confinement under 24-hour surveillance, during which he contemplated suicide. A confession broadcast on Chinese television was, he said, staged and acted out to a script. China said Mr Lam had broken the terms of his release. When Hong Kong's political leader, Carrie Lam, proposed a new law that would allow extradition to mainland China, Mr Lam feared he would be \"top of the list\". He left Hong Kong for Taiwan - an effectively independent nation that China considers a breakaway province awaiting reunification. Speaking to Vice news this week, Mr Lam said he would not return home, despite the controversial extradition bill being officially dropped after weeks of widespread protest in Hong Kong. \"I am wanted by the Chinese government,\" he told Vice. \"It's obvious that if I stayed in Hong Kong, I'd be dead for sure.\""}], "question": "Why did Mr Lam leave Hong Kong?", "id": "407_1"}]}]}, {"title": "What the Airbnb surge means for UK cities", "date": "25 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Rooms available to book on Airbnb have rocketed in number in major UK cities, leading to fears of \"hollowed out communities\" as tourists flock in. Data analysed by the BBC suggests that listings in Edinburgh doubled in three years, and shows a fourfold increase in spaces in London since 2015. City of Edinburgh Council has called for licensing and London councils want a registration scheme for hosts. Airbnb said it led the way on \"clear and proportionate\" rules. \"Airbnb is the only platform that voluntarily works with UK cities to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay tax. Other platforms and providers need to step up and follow our lead,\" the company said. \"[The platform] allows local families and businesses to benefit from visitors to their communities.\" Nearly 80,000 rooms or homes in London are listed on Airbnb - more than any other UK city, according to figures from housing advocacy site Inside Airbnb analysed by the BBC. Just over 12,000 are listed in Edinburgh, but the effect is greater than in London as this accounts for a much bigger proportion of the city's property and population. Edinburgh's 12,000 listings work out to around one Airbnb listing for every 42 residents, while London's Airbnb market equates to one listing per 112 residents. Much of this accommodation is centred around Edinburgh's Old Town - a huge draw for tourists especially during the annual Fringe festival. Airbnb said its activities had boosted the Scottish economy by PS1.5m a day, and the UK economy as a whole by PS3.5bn last year. One result has been concern among locals and politicians of a squeeze on housing for residents, the behaviour of some visitors in residential blocks, and differing tax treatment for traditional hotels and guesthouses. Examples of anti-social behaviour in \"party flats\" have been highlighted by campaigners for greater regulation. They included loud, late-night noise affecting one young woman's exam preparation, and an amorous couple bursting into the home of a resident aged in her 80s before realising they had the wrong flat. Councils say it is expensive and time-consuming to tackle such problems with their existing powers. They can only do so after complaints, rather than proactively. \"Short term lets are having a terrible impact. They are hollowing out communities, both in the city centre and increasingly across Edinburgh. Residents are putting up with high levels of anti-social behaviour and, very worryingly for us, we believe there is a huge impact on housing supply,\" said Councillor Kate Campbell (SNP), housing convenor at City of Edinburgh Council. \"Housing in Edinburgh is under enormous pressure and we need to take every action we can to protect supply and keep homes affordable for residents, as well as protecting communities.\" The Scottish government has been asked to consider a licensing scheme - allowing for checks, safety requirements, and the potential for a cap on numbers. Housing Minister Kevin Stewart (SNP) said it was considering what measures could be required, which would be put to consultation \"to ensure we get the balance of short-term lets right in Scotland\". He said there would be a further announcement within a week. Airbnb said it took action when alerted to rare cases of bad behaviour, pointed out that hosts are subject to income and council taxes, and said it welcomed regulation. However, it also argued that its growth had little effect on the availability of homes for locals to buy or rent, highlighting various studies which had shown that house building had not kept up with demand, and had pushed up prices as a result. It said entire home listings on Airbnb represented less than 0.6% of the available housing stock in Scotland, and some listings on its site were bed and breakfasts, or small hotels, rather than residential property. One of the most popular areas for Airbnb listings in the country is Shoreditch, in London. Its reputation for a thriving nightlife and cultural scene means many listings in the area advertise their \"trendy\" location. The result is the common sight of visitors \"hanging around with Google Maps on their phones\", trying to find their accommodation which could be good for trade, according to local trader Phil Blackman. Mr Blackman sells shoes just off Brick Lane and says Airbnb has encouraged people to come to the area. \"It is good value for money for them, and they have got to stay somewhere,\" he said. He argued that people working in finance in the City and living there for only a year or two, while offering little to the area, were more responsible for any loss of community spirit. The debate is reflected in one piece of graffiti. \"Tourist go home,\" it says, but underneath someone has added: \"But we love this place\". Many tourists applaud Airbnb for the opportunity to visit cities without paying large city hotel rates. Many homeowners join the chorus, saying the income from occasionally letting a spare room helps pay the bills. However, concerns have been raised that landlords have shifted from offering long-term tenancies to these short-term lettings, restricting supply for people who want to live and work in these cities and putting up the cost of rent as a result. Nearly half of listings come from hosts with more than one property, and in London, 24% of listings are by hosts with five or more sites. It is a similar picture in Manchester and Bristol, according to the Inside Airbnb data. One per cent of hosts control 17% of the London's Airbnb market. In Bristol and Edinburgh, 1% of hosts are responsible for 11% of listings, and in Manchester it is 10%. In London, there are 11 Airbnb hosts with more than 100 listings each. Eight of the 11 are listed with human-sounding host names, like \"Sally\", offering 279 listings, \"Veronica\" (195), and \"Emily\" (179). Airbnb argued that all three identified themselves, basically as property managers. It said hosts may manage the listing process on behalf of a number of different individuals. A 90-day a year short-term let limit for whole homes has been in operation in London since 2015. Owners wishing to let for longer may require planning permission for a \"change of use\" from their local council. Only six changes from a home to a hotel have been approved since the limit was introduced, according to Freedom of Information requests the BBC sent to 32 London boroughs. Airbnb is currently the only platform to have voluntarily implemented the 90-day limit automatically on its platform. The Mayor of London, Labour's Sadiq Khan, wrote in March 2017 to six other online short-term letting platforms operating in London - Veeve, Onefinestay, Wimdu, Booking.com, HomeAway and Airsorted - urging them to follow Airbnb's lead. Homeaway and TripAdvisor have committed to introducing a cap in the future, but other providers have not. This 90-day rule can be easy to flout, London councils told the BBC in 2017. The Mayor of London said on Tuesday that the law was \"near-impossible for councils to enforce\". Mr Khan has now called on the government to introduce a new registration system for anyone wanting to rent out a property for less than 90 days a year - to make it clear who is operating in this sector. Airbnb is supporting this idea. It said it had a team that worked to prevent, detect, and tackle attempts to avoid night limits, and suggested other providers had failed to follow suit. Outside London, planning is more of a grey area. If the property is primarily a home, with a room to let, then planning permission is probably not needed. A planning authority can determine whether there has been a material change of use. A certification scheme for all types of short-term accommodation is operating in Northern Ireland - the only part of the UK which has one. Data source: Inside Airbnb, which provides snapshot views of Airbnb listings for four UK cities (London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh), from various dates 2015-2018.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 783, "answer_end": 3850, "text": "Nearly 80,000 rooms or homes in London are listed on Airbnb - more than any other UK city, according to figures from housing advocacy site Inside Airbnb analysed by the BBC. Just over 12,000 are listed in Edinburgh, but the effect is greater than in London as this accounts for a much bigger proportion of the city's property and population. Edinburgh's 12,000 listings work out to around one Airbnb listing for every 42 residents, while London's Airbnb market equates to one listing per 112 residents. Much of this accommodation is centred around Edinburgh's Old Town - a huge draw for tourists especially during the annual Fringe festival. Airbnb said its activities had boosted the Scottish economy by PS1.5m a day, and the UK economy as a whole by PS3.5bn last year. One result has been concern among locals and politicians of a squeeze on housing for residents, the behaviour of some visitors in residential blocks, and differing tax treatment for traditional hotels and guesthouses. Examples of anti-social behaviour in \"party flats\" have been highlighted by campaigners for greater regulation. They included loud, late-night noise affecting one young woman's exam preparation, and an amorous couple bursting into the home of a resident aged in her 80s before realising they had the wrong flat. Councils say it is expensive and time-consuming to tackle such problems with their existing powers. They can only do so after complaints, rather than proactively. \"Short term lets are having a terrible impact. They are hollowing out communities, both in the city centre and increasingly across Edinburgh. Residents are putting up with high levels of anti-social behaviour and, very worryingly for us, we believe there is a huge impact on housing supply,\" said Councillor Kate Campbell (SNP), housing convenor at City of Edinburgh Council. \"Housing in Edinburgh is under enormous pressure and we need to take every action we can to protect supply and keep homes affordable for residents, as well as protecting communities.\" The Scottish government has been asked to consider a licensing scheme - allowing for checks, safety requirements, and the potential for a cap on numbers. Housing Minister Kevin Stewart (SNP) said it was considering what measures could be required, which would be put to consultation \"to ensure we get the balance of short-term lets right in Scotland\". He said there would be a further announcement within a week. Airbnb said it took action when alerted to rare cases of bad behaviour, pointed out that hosts are subject to income and council taxes, and said it welcomed regulation. However, it also argued that its growth had little effect on the availability of homes for locals to buy or rent, highlighting various studies which had shown that house building had not kept up with demand, and had pushed up prices as a result. It said entire home listings on Airbnb represented less than 0.6% of the available housing stock in Scotland, and some listings on its site were bed and breakfasts, or small hotels, rather than residential property."}], "question": "How many properties are listed?", "id": "408_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4780, "answer_end": 6014, "text": "Many tourists applaud Airbnb for the opportunity to visit cities without paying large city hotel rates. Many homeowners join the chorus, saying the income from occasionally letting a spare room helps pay the bills. However, concerns have been raised that landlords have shifted from offering long-term tenancies to these short-term lettings, restricting supply for people who want to live and work in these cities and putting up the cost of rent as a result. Nearly half of listings come from hosts with more than one property, and in London, 24% of listings are by hosts with five or more sites. It is a similar picture in Manchester and Bristol, according to the Inside Airbnb data. One per cent of hosts control 17% of the London's Airbnb market. In Bristol and Edinburgh, 1% of hosts are responsible for 11% of listings, and in Manchester it is 10%. In London, there are 11 Airbnb hosts with more than 100 listings each. Eight of the 11 are listed with human-sounding host names, like \"Sally\", offering 279 listings, \"Veronica\" (195), and \"Emily\" (179). Airbnb argued that all three identified themselves, basically as property managers. It said hosts may manage the listing process on behalf of a number of different individuals."}], "question": "Isn't this just a good use of spare rooms?", "id": "408_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Thomas Cook collapses as last-ditch rescue talks fail", "date": "23 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thomas Cook has collapsed after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the 178-year-old holiday firm failed. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the tour operator had \"ceased trading with immediate effect\". It has also triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, aimed at bringing more than 150,000 British holidaymakers home. Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said the firm's collapse was a \"matter of profound regret\". Commenting as the company entered compulsory liquidation, Mr Fankhauser also apologised to the firm's \"millions of customers, and thousands of employees\". The tour operator's failure puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK. One of the world's best-known holiday brands, the business was founded in 1841 in Leicestershire by cabinet-maker Thomas Cook. BBC transport correspondent Tom Burridge said 16,000 holidaymakers were booked to come back on Monday. Authorities hope to get at least 14,000 of them home on chartered flights. The government has chartered 45 jets to bring customers home and they will fly 64 routes on Monday, in an undertaking dubbed Operation Matterhorn. The size of the fleet will make it temporarily the UK's fifth-largest airline. Operators including easyJet and Virgin have supplied some aircraft, with jets coming from as far afield as Malaysia. Customers can visit the CAA's special Thomas Cook website. Those scheduled to return to the UK within the next 48 hours or who are having problems with their accommodation or need special assistance can ring 0300 303 2800 in the UK or +44 1753 330 330 from abroad. The BBC understands the government was asked for a bailout of PS250m, which was denied. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended the move on the Today programme. \"I fear it would have kept them afloat for a very short period of time and then we would have been back in the position of needing to repatriate people in any case,\" he said. The company's large debts and High Street-focused business made it a poor candidate for survival, he said. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC the government should have bailed out Thomas Cook \"if only to stabilise the situation while a real plan for the future of the company could be addressed\". Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to help stranded holidaymakers, but also questioned whether company directors were properly motivated to \"sort such matters out\". Ruth Morse from Halesowen, West Midlands, was due to marry her partner in Cyprus on 8 October, but now doubts the wedding will go ahead. She booked the whole event through Thomas Cook, including the decorations, the cake, wedding venues and a private bar. And of the 44 guests due to attend, about 25 booked their flights and accommodation through the travel agent. \"At the moment, Thomas Cook have not been in contact, so we are in the dark,\" Ruth says. \"I know we are protected by Atol, but I'm unsure about the things we bought from third parties through Thomas Cook, like the decorations. They cost me PS4,000.\" Ruth says she had planned her \"dream wedding\" for two years. What makes it doubly hard is that much of the money she spent came from family members, including her mother and her late brother Ben, who was murdered in 2017. \"From the grief we had, we pulled ourselves together to arrange our dream day,\" she says. \"We will rebook the wedding, but I won't do it abroad again because I have lost faith. I feel completely devastated by all of this.\" - Are you a Thomas Cook customer or member of staff? If you've been affected by the company's collapse, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. While an estimated 150,000 Britons are affected by Thomas Cook's collapse, the company has a further 350,000 to 450,000 customers abroad. In Germany, one of Thomas Cook's main markets, insurance companies will help organise the response to its collapse. UK customers will be brought home \"as close as possible\" to their booked return date, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said. Customers will be on special free flights or booked on to another scheduled airline at no extra cost, with details of each flight to be posted on a dedicated website as soon as they are available. The DfT added that a \"small number\" of passengers might need to book their own flight home and reclaim the costs. Customers have been urged not to cut short their holiday or go to the airport without checking the website for more information about their return journey. The CAA is also contacting hotels accommodating Thomas Cook customers, who have booked as part of a package, to tell them the cost of their accommodation will be covered by the government, through the Air Travel Trust Fund and Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme (Atol). Tim Johnson, policy director of the CAA, told BBC News that customers whose future holidays had been cancelled would be informed of how they could claim a refund on the website. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has said she will write to the Insolvency Service urging them to \"fast-track\" their investigation into the circumstances which caused the company to go into liquidation. The DfT said the investigation would also consider the conduct of the directors. For now, Thomas Cook's Indian, Chinese, German and Nordic subsidiaries will continue to trade as normal. This is because, from a legal standpoint, they are considered separate to the UK parent company and are not under the jurisdiction of the UK's Official Receiver. They do, however, share services - such as aircraft and IT - with their parent company and will need to strike rescue deals in the coming weeks to keep trading. If they fail, a further 350,000 to 450,000 customers could be affected. Thomas Cook had secured a PS900m rescue deal led by its largest shareholder Chinese firm Fosun in August, but a recent demand from its banks to raise a further PS200m in contingency funding had put the deal in doubt. Fosun said in a statement: \"We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by this outcome.\" The holiday company spent all of Sunday in talks with lenders trying to secure the additional funding and salvage the deal, but to no avail. Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its problems, including political unrest in holiday destinations such as Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking holidays because of Brexit. Speaking to BBC News from Manchester airport, travel expert Simon Calder said Thomas Cook \"wasn't ready for the 21st Century\". \"Now everybody can pretend they are a travel agent. They've got access to all the airline seats, hotel beds, car rentals in the world and they can put things together themselves. Mr Calder, travel editor at The Independent, added that planes at the airport began to be impounded shortly after 00:00 BST. While the company was closing shops to try to cut costs -  closing 21 in March - it still had more than 500 outlets, bringing large costs compared with online competitors. In another sign of its slow progress in mending its finances, it only stopped dividend payments to investors in November. If you are on a package holiday, you are covered by the Atol scheme. The scheme will pay for your accommodation abroad, although you may have to move to a different hotel or apartment. Atol will also pay to have you brought home if the airline is no longer operating. If you have a holiday booked in the future, you will also be refunded by the scheme. If you have booked a flight-only deal, you will need to apply to your travel insurance company or credit card and debit card provider to seek a refund. When Monarch Airlines collapsed in 2017, the government organised to bring home all the stranded passengers, whether they were covered by Atol or not. Here is more information on Atol protection and your rights. Are you a Thomas Cook customer or member of staff? If you've been affected by the issues raised here, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1611, "answer_end": 2423, "text": "The BBC understands the government was asked for a bailout of PS250m, which was denied. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps defended the move on the Today programme. \"I fear it would have kept them afloat for a very short period of time and then we would have been back in the position of needing to repatriate people in any case,\" he said. The company's large debts and High Street-focused business made it a poor candidate for survival, he said. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC the government should have bailed out Thomas Cook \"if only to stabilise the situation while a real plan for the future of the company could be addressed\". Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to help stranded holidaymakers, but also questioned whether company directors were properly motivated to \"sort such matters out\"."}], "question": "What is the government doing?", "id": "409_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3645, "answer_end": 5232, "text": "While an estimated 150,000 Britons are affected by Thomas Cook's collapse, the company has a further 350,000 to 450,000 customers abroad. In Germany, one of Thomas Cook's main markets, insurance companies will help organise the response to its collapse. UK customers will be brought home \"as close as possible\" to their booked return date, the Department for Transport (DfT) has said. Customers will be on special free flights or booked on to another scheduled airline at no extra cost, with details of each flight to be posted on a dedicated website as soon as they are available. The DfT added that a \"small number\" of passengers might need to book their own flight home and reclaim the costs. Customers have been urged not to cut short their holiday or go to the airport without checking the website for more information about their return journey. The CAA is also contacting hotels accommodating Thomas Cook customers, who have booked as part of a package, to tell them the cost of their accommodation will be covered by the government, through the Air Travel Trust Fund and Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme (Atol). Tim Johnson, policy director of the CAA, told BBC News that customers whose future holidays had been cancelled would be informed of how they could claim a refund on the website. Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom has said she will write to the Insolvency Service urging them to \"fast-track\" their investigation into the circumstances which caused the company to go into liquidation. The DfT said the investigation would also consider the conduct of the directors."}], "question": "How will holidaymakers get home?", "id": "409_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5233, "answer_end": 5732, "text": "For now, Thomas Cook's Indian, Chinese, German and Nordic subsidiaries will continue to trade as normal. This is because, from a legal standpoint, they are considered separate to the UK parent company and are not under the jurisdiction of the UK's Official Receiver. They do, however, share services - such as aircraft and IT - with their parent company and will need to strike rescue deals in the coming weeks to keep trading. If they fail, a further 350,000 to 450,000 customers could be affected."}], "question": "What about Thomas Cook's international operations?", "id": "409_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5733, "answer_end": 7133, "text": "Thomas Cook had secured a PS900m rescue deal led by its largest shareholder Chinese firm Fosun in August, but a recent demand from its banks to raise a further PS200m in contingency funding had put the deal in doubt. Fosun said in a statement: \"We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by this outcome.\" The holiday company spent all of Sunday in talks with lenders trying to secure the additional funding and salvage the deal, but to no avail. Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its problems, including political unrest in holiday destinations such as Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking holidays because of Brexit. Speaking to BBC News from Manchester airport, travel expert Simon Calder said Thomas Cook \"wasn't ready for the 21st Century\". \"Now everybody can pretend they are a travel agent. They've got access to all the airline seats, hotel beds, car rentals in the world and they can put things together themselves. Mr Calder, travel editor at The Independent, added that planes at the airport began to be impounded shortly after 00:00 BST. While the company was closing shops to try to cut costs -  closing 21 in March - it still had more than 500 outlets, bringing large costs compared with online competitors. In another sign of its slow progress in mending its finances, it only stopped dividend payments to investors in November."}], "question": "What went wrong?", "id": "409_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7134, "answer_end": 7850, "text": "If you are on a package holiday, you are covered by the Atol scheme. The scheme will pay for your accommodation abroad, although you may have to move to a different hotel or apartment. Atol will also pay to have you brought home if the airline is no longer operating. If you have a holiday booked in the future, you will also be refunded by the scheme. If you have booked a flight-only deal, you will need to apply to your travel insurance company or credit card and debit card provider to seek a refund. When Monarch Airlines collapsed in 2017, the government organised to bring home all the stranded passengers, whether they were covered by Atol or not. Here is more information on Atol protection and your rights."}], "question": "What are your rights?", "id": "409_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump immigration plans: US signs deal to deport migrants to Honduras", "date": "26 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Honduras has signed a deal with the United States to accept migrants applying for asylum in the US. Under the agreement, the US would be able to deport to Honduras asylum seekers who passed through the country on the way to the US southern border. Critics say Honduras, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world, is not a safe destination for those fleeing violence and poverty. Guatemala and El Salvador have already signed similar deals. The US has been trying to sign \"safe third country\" agreements that would allow it to send back asylum seekers who pass through countries on the way to the US without seeking protection there. US President Donald Trump has made reducing the numbers of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border a key priority. The bulk of those arriving at the border are from the three countries of Central America's so-called Northern Triangle - Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Many have made long and perilous journeys in their attempt to start a new life in the US. Correspondents say all three agreements remain in a complex process of legal challenges and parliamentary ratification procedures. On Wednesday, a senior US Department of Homeland Security official told US media that the deal with Honduras would \"allow migrants to seek protection as close to home as possible\". Migration experts quoted by Honduran newspaper El Heraldo said that Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and some Africans pass through Honduras heading to the US. The deal signed with the US could mean 26,000 migrants per year being hosted by Honduras pending their asylum applications, the newspaper estimated, with some applications taking years to process. Immigrant rights groups argue that Honduras - one of the most violent countries in the world - should never be considered a safe place for asylum seekers, many of whom will be fleeing gang violence in their own countries. They also say that even if migrants wanted to apply for asylum in Honduras, the system there is so broken and understaffed that almost no application would receive the attention needed. Adding to the country's woes, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been named as a co-conspirator on drug-smuggling charges in a case which has already seen his brother, Tony Hernandez, formally charged in a US federal court. He denies any wrongdoing and says the claims are politically motivated. Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Mr Hernandez hit out at what he called \"smears\" from \"criminals\" and others. Similar criticism of Wednesday's deal was made when El Salvador - which also has one of the world's highest murder rates - signed an agreement with the US on 20 September. Meghan Lopez, of the humanitarian group the International Rescue Committee, accused the Trump administration of \"attempting once more to turn its back on extremely vulnerable people\". \"El Salvador is not safe for many of its own nationals,\" she said at the time. \"It is unrealistic to expect El Salvador to be able to offer protection to asylum-seekers fleeing conditions comparable to those in El Salvador.\" Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court allowed the government to stop people arriving at the southern border from seeking protection if they failed to do so in a country they passed through en route. The Trump administration unveiled the new asylum policy in July but it was almost immediately blocked from taking effect by a lower court ruling by a judge in San Francisco. Some 811,016 people were detained on the south-western border up until the end of August 2019, and of these, nearly 590,000 were from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The majority arrived with at least one other family member.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1139, "answer_end": 2527, "text": "On Wednesday, a senior US Department of Homeland Security official told US media that the deal with Honduras would \"allow migrants to seek protection as close to home as possible\". Migration experts quoted by Honduran newspaper El Heraldo said that Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and some Africans pass through Honduras heading to the US. The deal signed with the US could mean 26,000 migrants per year being hosted by Honduras pending their asylum applications, the newspaper estimated, with some applications taking years to process. Immigrant rights groups argue that Honduras - one of the most violent countries in the world - should never be considered a safe place for asylum seekers, many of whom will be fleeing gang violence in their own countries. They also say that even if migrants wanted to apply for asylum in Honduras, the system there is so broken and understaffed that almost no application would receive the attention needed. Adding to the country's woes, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been named as a co-conspirator on drug-smuggling charges in a case which has already seen his brother, Tony Hernandez, formally charged in a US federal court. He denies any wrongdoing and says the claims are politically motivated. Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Mr Hernandez hit out at what he called \"smears\" from \"criminals\" and others."}], "question": "What is the latest deal?", "id": "410_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2528, "answer_end": 3715, "text": "Similar criticism of Wednesday's deal was made when El Salvador - which also has one of the world's highest murder rates - signed an agreement with the US on 20 September. Meghan Lopez, of the humanitarian group the International Rescue Committee, accused the Trump administration of \"attempting once more to turn its back on extremely vulnerable people\". \"El Salvador is not safe for many of its own nationals,\" she said at the time. \"It is unrealistic to expect El Salvador to be able to offer protection to asylum-seekers fleeing conditions comparable to those in El Salvador.\" Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court allowed the government to stop people arriving at the southern border from seeking protection if they failed to do so in a country they passed through en route. The Trump administration unveiled the new asylum policy in July but it was almost immediately blocked from taking effect by a lower court ruling by a judge in San Francisco. Some 811,016 people were detained on the south-western border up until the end of August 2019, and of these, nearly 590,000 were from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The majority arrived with at least one other family member."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "410_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Tory leadership race: Boris Johnson raises most donations", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In recent weeks the candidates to become Conservative leader - and prime minister - have collected tens of thousands of pounds in campaign donations. Parliament's register of interests shows that Boris Johnson has received far more than the others. The data also shows how much money MPs have earned on top of their PS79,000 salary, and Mr Johnson is way ahead of his rivals on this as well. MPs must declare any money that someone might \"reasonably consider to influence their actions or words as an MP\". The amounts details of donors are published in the Register of Members' Financial Interests every two weeks. Since the leadership campaign kicked off, the hopefuls have registered a flurry of direct donations. The vast majority of this money is to fund leadership campaigns, though a small element of each total may be for a local party or other activities. Mr Johnson is way out in front for these kinds of donations, raking in almost a quarter of a million pounds since October. More than PS50,000 of his donations this year has come from machine manufacturer JCB, as well as PS20,000 from the company's chairman, Lord Bamford. The biggest single donation to leadership candidates since the election was from Jonathan Wood - a hedge fund manager - who gave Mr Johnson PS25,000 last month, and PS50,000 for office and staffing costs last October. Jeremy Hunt received PS10,000 from Andrew Law, another hedge fund manager recently valued at PS485m, who has given the Conservative Party more than PS150m in the last four years. The next day, Mr Law gave Sajid Javid PS10,000. The register of interests also gives information about money that MPs have earned on top of their basic salary. Lots of parliamentarians make money from writing, making speeches at private events, or doing consultancy work for businesses. BBC analysis of the register of interests since the 2017 general election shows that Mr Johnson has earned far more than anyone else. Several candidates have had outside earnings of zero over the past two years because they have been ministers for all of this time. Until recently Mark Harper, a trained accountant, was earning PS3,000 per month for advising a law firm. Rory Stewart earned money from book royalties and Dominic Raab from newspaper columns. But nobody's earnings come anywhere close to Mr Johnson's - since resigning as foreign secretary in July 2018 he has received PS23,000 per month for a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, and PS73,000 for books and articles. His biggest source of income is eight speeches he has made at private events over the past few months. - India Today, New Delhi - PS122,900 - GoldenTree Asset Management, New York - PS94,508 - Pendulum Events & Training, Dublin - PS51,250 - Citigroup, London - PS38,250 plus VAT - KNect 365, London - PS28,900 - British Insurance Brokers Organisation, London - PS25,450 plus VAT and transport - Banque Pictet, Geneva - PS25,298 - Pomerantz LLP, New York - PS21,250 plus VAT There are strict rules for ministers and outside employment - Mr Johnson's surge in extra earnings began when he left the Foreign Office last summer. Michael Gove has been in the cabinet since the last election, so has had no outside earnings. But during his time on the backbenches between July 2016 and June 2017, he made almost PS150,000 on top of his MP salary, for work including speeches and a weekly column for the Times newspaper. Cabinet ministers are entitled to more than PS70,000 on top of their MP salary of PS79,468. According to a leaked document obtained by Sky News, the Conservative Party is imposing a spending limit of PS150,000 during the campaign. However, this only covers money spent since the campaign officially got under way on Friday. Anything earlier than this, such as PS56,000 spent on Facebook adverts last week by the Dominic Raab campaign, does not count. In an election campaign there are legal limits on spending, monitored closely by the Electoral Commission, with expenditure published online. In the Conservative leadership race, any limit is imposed by the party.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 392, "answer_end": 614, "text": "MPs must declare any money that someone might \"reasonably consider to influence their actions or words as an MP\". The amounts details of donors are published in the Register of Members' Financial Interests every two weeks."}], "question": "What are the rules?", "id": "411_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 615, "answer_end": 1580, "text": "Since the leadership campaign kicked off, the hopefuls have registered a flurry of direct donations. The vast majority of this money is to fund leadership campaigns, though a small element of each total may be for a local party or other activities. Mr Johnson is way out in front for these kinds of donations, raking in almost a quarter of a million pounds since October. More than PS50,000 of his donations this year has come from machine manufacturer JCB, as well as PS20,000 from the company's chairman, Lord Bamford. The biggest single donation to leadership candidates since the election was from Jonathan Wood - a hedge fund manager - who gave Mr Johnson PS25,000 last month, and PS50,000 for office and staffing costs last October. Jeremy Hunt received PS10,000 from Andrew Law, another hedge fund manager recently valued at PS485m, who has given the Conservative Party more than PS150m in the last four years. The next day, Mr Law gave Sajid Javid PS10,000."}], "question": "What do we know?", "id": "411_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2988, "answer_end": 3518, "text": "There are strict rules for ministers and outside employment - Mr Johnson's surge in extra earnings began when he left the Foreign Office last summer. Michael Gove has been in the cabinet since the last election, so has had no outside earnings. But during his time on the backbenches between July 2016 and June 2017, he made almost PS150,000 on top of his MP salary, for work including speeches and a weekly column for the Times newspaper. Cabinet ministers are entitled to more than PS70,000 on top of their MP salary of PS79,468."}], "question": "What about ministers?", "id": "411_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3519, "answer_end": 4091, "text": "According to a leaked document obtained by Sky News, the Conservative Party is imposing a spending limit of PS150,000 during the campaign. However, this only covers money spent since the campaign officially got under way on Friday. Anything earlier than this, such as PS56,000 spent on Facebook adverts last week by the Dominic Raab campaign, does not count. In an election campaign there are legal limits on spending, monitored closely by the Electoral Commission, with expenditure published online. In the Conservative leadership race, any limit is imposed by the party."}], "question": "How much can they spend?", "id": "411_3"}]}]}, {"title": "New York limo crash: Car had failed road safety test", "date": "8 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A limousine that crashed and killed 20 people had failed an inspection and should not have been on the road, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says. Mr Cuomo also told a news conference that the driver did not have the appropriate licence for it. Two newlywed couples and four sisters - ranging in age from 30 to 35 - are among the 20 people who died in Saturday's collision in New York state. Officials say the crash is the worst US road tragedy in nearly a decade. Mr Cuomo told reporters the vehicle failed a state vehicle inspection last month and the driver did not have the correct permit to operate a limo with passengers. He added, however, that officials did not yet know the cause of the accident - whether it was an issue with the vehicle or a driver error. The governor said New York would request a cease-and-desist order from the courts to prevent the company, Prestige Limo, from operating until the investigation was completed. The crash occurred near the town of Schoharie in New York state on Saturday afternoon. According to witnesses, the white SUV-style limo failed to halt at a stop sign, and was travelling at around 60mph (95km/h) when it flew through an intersection, hit an empty car outside the Apple Barrel Country Store & Cafe, and then hurtled across a drainage ditch. All 18 people on board, as well as two pedestrians, were killed outside the restaurant, which is popular among tourists who come to see the trees change colour in the autumn. Officials say it is the deadliest crash since the 2009 when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people. One victim's relative said the hired limo was a replacement for \"some kind of bus\" that was supposed to take the group on a tour of wineries and breweries for Amy's 30th birthday party. The family member told the Washington Post one of the victims sent a text before the crash, saying the limo \"appeared in terrible condition\". Amy and Axel Steenburg wed in June and were celebrating Amy's birthday when their driver lost control of the vehicle in upstate New York. Erin and Shane McGowan - who also married in June - died, too, in the tragic accident, say relatives. Tom King, 35, said his four sisters who died - Abigail Jackson, Mary Dyson, Allison King and Amy Steenburg - \"were very tight\". \"They were the Four Musketeers,\" he said, outside their parents home in Amsterdam, New York. \"They were beautiful girls, full of life. They had their whole lives ahead of them,\" aunt Barbara Douglas said describing the four sisters. \"One just got married and that's what this was: her new husband was giving her a surprise birthday party,\" she told the New York Post. In Mrs Steenburg's last ever Facebook post, dated on 3 October, she thanked her husband for \"being so kind and loving\". \"I just wanted to say Axel Steenburg I love you more than words can say!\" read the post. Axel's brother, Rich Steenburg, was also killed in the crash. According to an online fundraiser to cover his funeral expenses, he has one young daughter. Other victims include Robert and Mary Dyson, who were married in 2009 and have one son together. Matthew Coons, who served as a groomsman at the Steenburgs' wedding, was also killed, along with his girlfriend Savannah Bursese. Patrick Cushing, and his girlfriend of two years, Amanda Halse, have also been confirmed as among the dead. An online fundraiser for the children of Abigail and Adam Jackson, who were left orphaned by the crash, has raised over $57,000 (PS43,000) as of Monday. \"Adam and Abby were amazing parents to these girls and taken much too soon,\" the page says, adding that the children are both under five years old. Valerie Abeling told CNN that her niece, Erin McGowan was close friends with the Steenburgs. \"My family is just going through a lot,\" Mrs Abeling said. \"It's a horrible tragedy and there's no words to describe how we feel.\" Officials have not yet said what caused driver Scott Lisinicchia to lose control, or why the accident was so deadly. Many have speculated that the limo was modified in way to make it \"stretch\", which could also have caused it to lose some safety features. After a crash in 2015 in Long Island's wineries region - which killed four bridesmaids - investigators in New York launched an investigation into the issue of unregulated modified limousines. Officials found that modified limousines - which are banned or more highly regulated in several European countries - are made from vehicles that are often cut in half, and then have side panels added to elongate the cab. But several safety features, such as rollover bars, reinforced doors, and side air bags, are removed in the process. The National Safety Council's Deborah Hersman told CBS News they were \"Frankenstein vehicles\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 941, "answer_end": 1932, "text": "The crash occurred near the town of Schoharie in New York state on Saturday afternoon. According to witnesses, the white SUV-style limo failed to halt at a stop sign, and was travelling at around 60mph (95km/h) when it flew through an intersection, hit an empty car outside the Apple Barrel Country Store & Cafe, and then hurtled across a drainage ditch. All 18 people on board, as well as two pedestrians, were killed outside the restaurant, which is popular among tourists who come to see the trees change colour in the autumn. Officials say it is the deadliest crash since the 2009 when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people. One victim's relative said the hired limo was a replacement for \"some kind of bus\" that was supposed to take the group on a tour of wineries and breweries for Amy's 30th birthday party. The family member told the Washington Post one of the victims sent a text before the crash, saying the limo \"appeared in terrible condition\"."}], "question": "How did the crash occur?", "id": "412_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1933, "answer_end": 2668, "text": "Amy and Axel Steenburg wed in June and were celebrating Amy's birthday when their driver lost control of the vehicle in upstate New York. Erin and Shane McGowan - who also married in June - died, too, in the tragic accident, say relatives. Tom King, 35, said his four sisters who died - Abigail Jackson, Mary Dyson, Allison King and Amy Steenburg - \"were very tight\". \"They were the Four Musketeers,\" he said, outside their parents home in Amsterdam, New York. \"They were beautiful girls, full of life. They had their whole lives ahead of them,\" aunt Barbara Douglas said describing the four sisters. \"One just got married and that's what this was: her new husband was giving her a surprise birthday party,\" she told the New York Post."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "412_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3892, "answer_end": 4772, "text": "Officials have not yet said what caused driver Scott Lisinicchia to lose control, or why the accident was so deadly. Many have speculated that the limo was modified in way to make it \"stretch\", which could also have caused it to lose some safety features. After a crash in 2015 in Long Island's wineries region - which killed four bridesmaids - investigators in New York launched an investigation into the issue of unregulated modified limousines. Officials found that modified limousines - which are banned or more highly regulated in several European countries - are made from vehicles that are often cut in half, and then have side panels added to elongate the cab. But several safety features, such as rollover bars, reinforced doors, and side air bags, are removed in the process. The National Safety Council's Deborah Hersman told CBS News they were \"Frankenstein vehicles\"."}], "question": "Was the limousine modified?", "id": "412_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Gulf of Oman tanker attacks: Iran calls US accusation 'unfounded'", "date": "14 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran says it \"categorically rejects\" US claims that it is behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had blamed Iran for the \"unprovoked attacks\" on Thursday. He added that the US had made its assessment based on intelligence about the type of weapons used. But Iran dismissed the claim as \"unfounded\". A senior Iranian official had earlier told the BBC that \"Iran has no connection\" with the explosions. Dozens of crew members were rescued after the blasts on the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair, owned by a Norwegian company. In a statement released on Friday, the Iranian mission to the United Nations said: \"Iran categorically rejects the US unfounded claim with regard to 13 June oil tanker incidents, and condemns it in the strongest possible terms.\" Within hours of the denial, the US military's Central Command released a video it says shows Iran's Revolutionary Guard \"removing [an] unexploded limpet mine\" from the side of the Kokuka Courageous following the blasts. The blasts come a month after four oil tankers were damaged in an unclaimed attack off the United Arab Emirates. The US at the time blamed Iran - but Tehran denied the accusations. Oil prices jumped as much as 4% after Thursday's incident in the Gulf of Oman, which lies at one end of a vital shipping lane through which hundreds of millions of dollars of oil pass. BIMCO, the world's largest international shipping association, said the tension in the area are \"now as high as it gets without being an actual armed conflict\". Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that if Iran was involved, \"it is a deeply unwise escalation which poses a real danger to the prospects of peace and stability in the region\". \"It is the assessment of the United States that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks,\" the US secretary of state said at a news conference in Washington. \"This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication.\" Mr Pompeo presented no evidence. \"This is only the latest in the series of attacks instigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its surrogates against American and allied interests. \"Taken as a whole, these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran,\" Mr Pompeo said. The Norwegian Maritime Authority said earlier on Thursday that the Front Altair had been \"attacked\", and that there were three blasts on board. Wu I-fang, a spokesman for Taiwan's CPC Corp oil refiner, which chartered the Front Altair, said it was carrying 75,000 tonnes of naphtha and was \"suspected of being hit by a torpedo\", although this has not been confirmed. Other unverified reports suggested a mine attack. The ship's owner, Frontline, said the vessel was on fire - but denied reports in Iranian media that it had sunk. The operator of the Kokuka Courageous, BSM Ship Management, said its crew abandoned ship and were rescued by a passing vessel. Both Iran and the US have released pictures showing rescued crew members on board their vessels. In 2018, the US pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 that was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The move was strongly criticised by a number of countries, including America's closest allies. In May, President Donald Trump tightened US sanctions on Iran - mainly targeting its oil sector. Iran then announced it was suspending some commitments under the nuclear deal. In recent months the US has strengthened its forces in the Gulf - saying there was a danger of Iranian attacks. It has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region. In response, Iran has accused the US of aggressive behaviour. Those tensions rose markedly after the 12 May limpet mine attacks in the UAE. The UAE blamed an unnamed \"state actor\". The US said that actor was Iran, an accusation Tehran has denied. It is a pretty damning verdict from Mr Pompeo but as yet little detail has been given as to the exact nature of the intelligence and the extent to which a forensic analysis of the damage to the two tankers is backed up by other information - satellite or other tracking of the movements of any other vessels involved and so on. Some may argue that there is a danger of a rush to judgement. And it is clear that if the US intends a response, especially a military one, then many countries - even friendly governments - will want to have chapter and verse on exactly what the US intelligence amounts to. Iran, for its part, was quick to deny any involvement in the incidents. Indeed it sought to deflect blame by arguing in effect that it was being framed. \"Somebody,\" an Iranian official asserted, \"is trying to destabilise relations between Iran and the international community.\" UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Thursday's blasts. He told the Security Council that the world cannot afford \"a major confrontation in the Gulf region\". The UK's foreign secretary said it would conduct its own assessment, but the \"starting point is obviously to believe our US allies\". Meanwhile, the EU called for \"maximum restraint\", while Russia said no-one should jump to conclusions or use the incident to put pressure on Iran, a Russian ally. The incident is expected to be discussed at a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council later on Thursday. Paolo d'Amico, chairman of the tanker association, Intertanko, said the two vessels had been attacked, and expressed concern about dangers to other crews. \"If the waters are becoming unsafe, the [oil] supply to the entire Western world could be at risk,\" he said. Were you on board one of the tankers? Do you know anybody who was on board? If it is safe to do so, please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1766, "answer_end": 2656, "text": "\"It is the assessment of the United States that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks,\" the US secretary of state said at a news conference in Washington. \"This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping, and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication.\" Mr Pompeo presented no evidence. \"This is only the latest in the series of attacks instigated by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its surrogates against American and allied interests. \"Taken as a whole, these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran,\" Mr Pompeo said."}], "question": "What did Mike Pompeo say?", "id": "413_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2657, "answer_end": 3410, "text": "The Norwegian Maritime Authority said earlier on Thursday that the Front Altair had been \"attacked\", and that there were three blasts on board. Wu I-fang, a spokesman for Taiwan's CPC Corp oil refiner, which chartered the Front Altair, said it was carrying 75,000 tonnes of naphtha and was \"suspected of being hit by a torpedo\", although this has not been confirmed. Other unverified reports suggested a mine attack. The ship's owner, Frontline, said the vessel was on fire - but denied reports in Iranian media that it had sunk. The operator of the Kokuka Courageous, BSM Ship Management, said its crew abandoned ship and were rescued by a passing vessel. Both Iran and the US have released pictures showing rescued crew members on board their vessels."}], "question": "What do we know about the explosions?", "id": "413_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3411, "answer_end": 4242, "text": "In 2018, the US pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 that was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The move was strongly criticised by a number of countries, including America's closest allies. In May, President Donald Trump tightened US sanctions on Iran - mainly targeting its oil sector. Iran then announced it was suspending some commitments under the nuclear deal. In recent months the US has strengthened its forces in the Gulf - saying there was a danger of Iranian attacks. It has sent an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region. In response, Iran has accused the US of aggressive behaviour. Those tensions rose markedly after the 12 May limpet mine attacks in the UAE. The UAE blamed an unnamed \"state actor\". The US said that actor was Iran, an accusation Tehran has denied."}], "question": "Why are US-Iran tensions so high?", "id": "413_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4243, "answer_end": 5122, "text": "It is a pretty damning verdict from Mr Pompeo but as yet little detail has been given as to the exact nature of the intelligence and the extent to which a forensic analysis of the damage to the two tankers is backed up by other information - satellite or other tracking of the movements of any other vessels involved and so on. Some may argue that there is a danger of a rush to judgement. And it is clear that if the US intends a response, especially a military one, then many countries - even friendly governments - will want to have chapter and verse on exactly what the US intelligence amounts to. Iran, for its part, was quick to deny any involvement in the incidents. Indeed it sought to deflect blame by arguing in effect that it was being framed. \"Somebody,\" an Iranian official asserted, \"is trying to destabilise relations between Iran and the international community.\""}], "question": "What is the US intelligence?", "id": "413_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5123, "answer_end": 5963, "text": "UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Thursday's blasts. He told the Security Council that the world cannot afford \"a major confrontation in the Gulf region\". The UK's foreign secretary said it would conduct its own assessment, but the \"starting point is obviously to believe our US allies\". Meanwhile, the EU called for \"maximum restraint\", while Russia said no-one should jump to conclusions or use the incident to put pressure on Iran, a Russian ally. The incident is expected to be discussed at a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council later on Thursday. Paolo d'Amico, chairman of the tanker association, Intertanko, said the two vessels had been attacked, and expressed concern about dangers to other crews. \"If the waters are becoming unsafe, the [oil] supply to the entire Western world could be at risk,\" he said."}], "question": "How has the world reacted?", "id": "413_4"}]}]}, {"title": "US federal executions halted over 'potentially unlawful' method", "date": "21 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Federal executions in the US have been halted over concerns that the method of carrying them out may be unlawful. Five men were due to be executed in Indiana in December and January, after the federal government earlier this year moved to resume executions. But a judge ruled that four inmates' legal challenges to the method of execution were likely to succeed. The execution of the fifth man was already halted in a separate court ruling last month. On Wednesday, District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan said the four men would be \"irreparably harmed\" if they were to be put to death without being given the opportunity to have a court hear their case. Their argument revolves around the lethal injection that would be used. Attorney General William Barr's announcement earlier this year lifted an informal moratorium on federal executions - as opposed to state-directed executions - that had been in place since 2003. That moratorium was in place because of a series of court rulings against the common method of execution, which involved a cocktail of three different drugs in the injections. In July, Mr Barr directed the Department of Justice to use a single drug instead - pentobarbital. The drug is a potent sedative that slows down the body, including the nervous system, to the point of death. But in her ruling, Judge Chutkan said this would go against a federal law stipulating that death row inmates should be executed \"in the manner prescribed by the state of conviction\" - that is, using the same method that the particular state, in this case Indiana, uses for state-directed executions. \"The FDPA [Federal Death Penalty Act] provides no exceptions to this rule, and does not contemplate the establishment of a separate federal execution procedure,\" she said. Under the US justice system, crimes can be tried either in federal courts - at a national level - or state courts, at a regional level. Certain crimes, such as counterfeiting currency or mail theft, are automatically tried at a federal level, as are cases in which the United States is a party or those which involve constitutional violations. Others are tried in federal courts based on the severity of the crimes. The death penalty was outlawed at state and federal level by a 1972 Supreme Court decision that cancelled all existing death penalty statutes. A 1976 Supreme Court decision reinstated the death penalty to a number of states and in 1988 the government passed legislation that made the death penalty available again at a federal level. According to data collected by the Death Penalty Information Center, 78 people were sentenced to death in federal cases between 1988 and 2018 but only three have since been executed. There are 62 inmates currently on federal death row.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1768, "answer_end": 2753, "text": "Under the US justice system, crimes can be tried either in federal courts - at a national level - or state courts, at a regional level. Certain crimes, such as counterfeiting currency or mail theft, are automatically tried at a federal level, as are cases in which the United States is a party or those which involve constitutional violations. Others are tried in federal courts based on the severity of the crimes. The death penalty was outlawed at state and federal level by a 1972 Supreme Court decision that cancelled all existing death penalty statutes. A 1976 Supreme Court decision reinstated the death penalty to a number of states and in 1988 the government passed legislation that made the death penalty available again at a federal level. According to data collected by the Death Penalty Information Center, 78 people were sentenced to death in federal cases between 1988 and 2018 but only three have since been executed. There are 62 inmates currently on federal death row."}], "question": "Federal and state executions - what's the difference?", "id": "414_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Jong-un in Russia for Vladimir Putin summit", "date": "24 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in the far east of Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin. Mr Kim arrived by train in the Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok for his first talks with the Russian president, which are expected to start on Thursday. He was welcomed by officials with a traditional offering of bread and salt. Russia says they will discuss the Korean peninsula's \"nuclear problem\" but Mr Kim is also said to be seeking support after talks with the US failed. US President Donald Trump and Mr Kim met in Hanoi earlier this year to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons programme but the summit - their second - ended without agreement. The North Korean leader greeted Russian officials warmly on his arrival in Vladivostok. After tasting traditional korovai bread and salt, Mr Kim was entertained by a brass band before he got inside a car flanked by bodyguards who - in now familiar scenes - jogged alongside the vehicle as it departed. \"I arrived in Russia bearing the warm feelings of our people, and as I already said, I hope this visit will be successful and useful,\" Mr Kim told Russian TV earlier, after crossing the border at Khasan. \"I hope that during the talks with respected President Putin, I will be able to discuss in a concrete manner issues relating to the settlement of the situation on the Korean peninsula, and to the development of our bilateral relations.\" It is due to take place on Thursday afternoon at about 13:00 (03:00 GMT) on Russky island, just off Vladivostok, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency. Russian and North Korean national flags are already in place on the island, where the leaders are expected to meet on a university campus. Mr Putin was expected to arrive for the summit later. According to his spokesman, the Kremlin believes the six-party talks on North Korea, which are currently stalled, are the only efficient way of addressing the issue of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. Those talks, which began in 2003, involve the two Koreas as well as China, Japan, Russia and the US. \"There are no other efficient international mechanisms at the moment,\" Mr Peskov told reporters. \"But, on the other hand, efforts are being made by other countries. Here all efforts merit support as long as they really aim at de-nuclearisation and resolving the problem of the two Koreas.\" This visit is being widely viewed as an opportunity for North Korea to show it has powerful allies following the breakdown of nuclear talks with the US earlier this year, the BBC's Laura Bicker says. The country has blamed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February. Earlier this month North Korea demanded that Mr Pompeo be removed from nuclear talks, accusing him of \"talking nonsense\" and asking for someone \"more careful\" to replace him. The summit is also an opportunity for Pyongyang to show that its economic future does not depend solely on the US, our correspondent adds. Mr Kim may also try to put pressure on Moscow to ease sanctions. Analysts believe this summit is a chance for Russia to show that it is an important player on the Korean peninsula. President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin has been somewhat sidelined. Russia, like the US and China, is uncomfortable with North Korea being a nuclear state. Senior officials say the Kremlin is hoping to see a reduction in tensions on the peninsula. Mr Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the situation there had \"stabilised somewhat\" in recent months. \"Russia intends to help in any way possible to cement that positive trend,\" he told reporters on Tuesday. A South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said Russia \"shares our viewpoints\" on denuclearisation and peace on the peninsula. Nuclear activity seems to be continuing in North Korea, and the country said it had tested a new \"tactical guided weapon\" - thought to be a short-range missile - earlier in April. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (of which Russia is the main successor state) maintained close military and trade links with its communist ally, North Korea, for ideological and strategic reasons. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, trade links with post-communist Russia shrank and North Korea leaned towards China as its main ally. Under President Putin, Russia recovered economically and in 2014 he wrote off most of North Korea's Soviet-era debt in a major goodwill gesture. While it is arguable how much leverage Russia has with the North today, the communist state still regards it as one of the least hostile foreign powers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1412, "answer_end": 2417, "text": "It is due to take place on Thursday afternoon at about 13:00 (03:00 GMT) on Russky island, just off Vladivostok, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency. Russian and North Korean national flags are already in place on the island, where the leaders are expected to meet on a university campus. Mr Putin was expected to arrive for the summit later. According to his spokesman, the Kremlin believes the six-party talks on North Korea, which are currently stalled, are the only efficient way of addressing the issue of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. Those talks, which began in 2003, involve the two Koreas as well as China, Japan, Russia and the US. \"There are no other efficient international mechanisms at the moment,\" Mr Peskov told reporters. \"But, on the other hand, efforts are being made by other countries. Here all efforts merit support as long as they really aim at de-nuclearisation and resolving the problem of the two Koreas.\""}], "question": "What do we know about the summit?", "id": "415_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2418, "answer_end": 4087, "text": "This visit is being widely viewed as an opportunity for North Korea to show it has powerful allies following the breakdown of nuclear talks with the US earlier this year, the BBC's Laura Bicker says. The country has blamed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February. Earlier this month North Korea demanded that Mr Pompeo be removed from nuclear talks, accusing him of \"talking nonsense\" and asking for someone \"more careful\" to replace him. The summit is also an opportunity for Pyongyang to show that its economic future does not depend solely on the US, our correspondent adds. Mr Kim may also try to put pressure on Moscow to ease sanctions. Analysts believe this summit is a chance for Russia to show that it is an important player on the Korean peninsula. President Putin has been eager to meet the North Korean leader for quite some time. Yet amid the two Trump-Kim summits, the Kremlin has been somewhat sidelined. Russia, like the US and China, is uncomfortable with North Korea being a nuclear state. Senior officials say the Kremlin is hoping to see a reduction in tensions on the peninsula. Mr Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the situation there had \"stabilised somewhat\" in recent months. \"Russia intends to help in any way possible to cement that positive trend,\" he told reporters on Tuesday. A South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said Russia \"shares our viewpoints\" on denuclearisation and peace on the peninsula. Nuclear activity seems to be continuing in North Korea, and the country said it had tested a new \"tactical guided weapon\" - thought to be a short-range missile - earlier in April."}], "question": "What do both sides want?", "id": "415_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4088, "answer_end": 4731, "text": "During the Cold War, the Soviet Union (of which Russia is the main successor state) maintained close military and trade links with its communist ally, North Korea, for ideological and strategic reasons. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, trade links with post-communist Russia shrank and North Korea leaned towards China as its main ally. Under President Putin, Russia recovered economically and in 2014 he wrote off most of North Korea's Soviet-era debt in a major goodwill gesture. While it is arguable how much leverage Russia has with the North today, the communist state still regards it as one of the least hostile foreign powers."}], "question": "How close are Russia and North Korea?", "id": "415_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Russian plane crash: What we know", "date": "29 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More details are emerging about the air disaster in the Black Sea involving a famous Russian military choir. An ageing Tu-154 airliner came down off the Russian coast with the loss of all 92 passengers and crew. This was no ordinary flight. The plane belonged to the Russian defence ministry and was en route from Moscow to Syria, where the Alexandrov Ensemble was due to perform for soldiers stationed overseas. As the official investigation gets under way and the flight recorders are analysed, here are some of the facts and theories. At 05:23 (02:23 GMT) on Sunday, 25 December, the jet took off in good weather from Adler airport near the city of Sochi, where it had been refuelling, for the next leg of its flight to Latakia in western Syria. Two minutes into the flight the plane disappeared from radar. A recording of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the pilot revealed no difficulties. But Russian media have reported a cockpit conversation between the two pilots, apparently transcribed from one of the flight recorders, which indicates they were taken by surprise when an alarm began to sound. Wreckage was found about 1.5km (about one mile) from the shore. Fragments of the plane were found across a radius of about 500m (1,640ft), the defence ministry said, after a vast search operation involving a submarine, 45 other vessels, 12 planes, 10 helicopters, three drones and more than 3,500 personnel. In addition to the eight crew members, there were: - Sixty-four men and women of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian armed forces - One of Russia's best-known humanitarian figures, Yelizaveta Glinka - known popularly as \"Dr Liza\" - who was due to deliver medicines to a Syrian hospital - Nine members of the Russian media including TV crews from Channel One, NTV and the military TV channel Zvezda - Eight military figures among whom is listed Lt-Gen Valeri Khalilov, the choir's conductor - Two civil servants As of 29 December, at least 19 bodies had been recovered. Russian media say the plane was equipped with three flight recorders: a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and a third \"box\" which duplicates recordings from both of the others (and is said to have been badly damaged). A transcript of what is said to be the pilots' final conversation was leaked to Russian media: - \"Speed 300 [inaudible].\" - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"I've pulled in the landing gear, commander.\" - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"Oh bloody hell!\" Piercing alarm sounds - \"The flaps, hell, what a...!\" - \"The altimeter [altitude meter]!\" - \"We're in... [inaudible].\" Alarm sounds about dangerous proximity to the ground - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"Commander, we're falling!\" This suggests that the jet's wing flaps - panels which help lift an aircraft - were not moving together, causing the crew to lose control. If the transcript proves to be genuine, it could indicate either a mechanical fault or a fault by the crew, such as mistakenly retracting the flaps instead of the undercarriage. Russian newspaper Kommersant quotes a source as saying a flight recorder registered the failure of the plane's flap retraction system. The crew's actions \"only further worsened an emergency\", it suggests. The crew was commanded by an experienced pilot, Maj Roman Volkov, who had more than 3,000 flight hours behind him. He was flying with his regular crew, the Russian Armed Forces flight safety service says, including co-pilot Capt Alexander Rovensky, who had 10 years of aviation service. The plane was flying to an air base in Syria, where Russia has been waging an air campaign on the side of President Bashar al-Assad for more than a year. So-called Islamic State, one of Russia's deadliest enemies in Syria, claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner returning from Egypt just over a year ago, when 224 people were killed. A bomb has been ruled out this time because there is no evidence of an explosion on-board but Lt-Gen Sergei Bainetov, the Russian air force's head of flight safety, told reporters  there were other forms of \"terrorist attack\". \"It could have been any type of mechanical impact, so we don't rule out a terrorist act,\" he told reporters. A missile attack downed Flight MH17 over neighbouring Ukraine in July 2014, with the loss of 283 lives. However, other Russian officials have sought to downplay the possibility of an attack from the very start of the investigation. Lt-Gen Sergei Bainetov said there were multiple theories which ranged from poor quality fuel causing engine failure to a bird getting caught up in the engines. \"There is no leading theory,\" he stressed. The advanced age of the plane may have been a factor - it was 33 years old. That said, few of the 39 fatal accidents involving this model of the Tupolev have been attributed to technical problems.  Many were lost as a result of difficult weather conditions and poor air traffic control. Another factor in past air crashes in Russia has been overloaded planes. The full analysis of the \"black boxes\" is expected to take at least until the end of January.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 538, "answer_end": 1438, "text": "At 05:23 (02:23 GMT) on Sunday, 25 December, the jet took off in good weather from Adler airport near the city of Sochi, where it had been refuelling, for the next leg of its flight to Latakia in western Syria. Two minutes into the flight the plane disappeared from radar. A recording of the final conversation between air traffic controllers and the pilot revealed no difficulties. But Russian media have reported a cockpit conversation between the two pilots, apparently transcribed from one of the flight recorders, which indicates they were taken by surprise when an alarm began to sound. Wreckage was found about 1.5km (about one mile) from the shore. Fragments of the plane were found across a radius of about 500m (1,640ft), the defence ministry said, after a vast search operation involving a submarine, 45 other vessels, 12 planes, 10 helicopters, three drones and more than 3,500 personnel."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "416_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1439, "answer_end": 2030, "text": "In addition to the eight crew members, there were: - Sixty-four men and women of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian armed forces - One of Russia's best-known humanitarian figures, Yelizaveta Glinka - known popularly as \"Dr Liza\" - who was due to deliver medicines to a Syrian hospital - Nine members of the Russian media including TV crews from Channel One, NTV and the military TV channel Zvezda - Eight military figures among whom is listed Lt-Gen Valeri Khalilov, the choir's conductor - Two civil servants As of 29 December, at least 19 bodies had been recovered."}], "question": "Who was on the plane?", "id": "416_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2031, "answer_end": 3238, "text": "Russian media say the plane was equipped with three flight recorders: a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and a third \"box\" which duplicates recordings from both of the others (and is said to have been badly damaged). A transcript of what is said to be the pilots' final conversation was leaked to Russian media: - \"Speed 300 [inaudible].\" - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"I've pulled in the landing gear, commander.\" - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"Oh bloody hell!\" Piercing alarm sounds - \"The flaps, hell, what a...!\" - \"The altimeter [altitude meter]!\" - \"We're in... [inaudible].\" Alarm sounds about dangerous proximity to the ground - \"[Inaudible].\" - \"Commander, we're falling!\" This suggests that the jet's wing flaps - panels which help lift an aircraft - were not moving together, causing the crew to lose control. If the transcript proves to be genuine, it could indicate either a mechanical fault or a fault by the crew, such as mistakenly retracting the flaps instead of the undercarriage. Russian newspaper Kommersant quotes a source as saying a flight recorder registered the failure of the plane's flap retraction system. The crew's actions \"only further worsened an emergency\", it suggests."}], "question": "What do the 'black boxes' reveal?", "id": "416_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3239, "answer_end": 3525, "text": "The crew was commanded by an experienced pilot, Maj Roman Volkov, who had more than 3,000 flight hours behind him. He was flying with his regular crew, the Russian Armed Forces flight safety service says, including co-pilot Capt Alexander Rovensky, who had 10 years of aviation service."}], "question": "Who was at the controls?", "id": "416_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3526, "answer_end": 4449, "text": "The plane was flying to an air base in Syria, where Russia has been waging an air campaign on the side of President Bashar al-Assad for more than a year. So-called Islamic State, one of Russia's deadliest enemies in Syria, claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner returning from Egypt just over a year ago, when 224 people were killed. A bomb has been ruled out this time because there is no evidence of an explosion on-board but Lt-Gen Sergei Bainetov, the Russian air force's head of flight safety, told reporters  there were other forms of \"terrorist attack\". \"It could have been any type of mechanical impact, so we don't rule out a terrorist act,\" he told reporters. A missile attack downed Flight MH17 over neighbouring Ukraine in July 2014, with the loss of 283 lives. However, other Russian officials have sought to downplay the possibility of an attack from the very start of the investigation."}], "question": "Could it have been an attack?", "id": "416_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4450, "answer_end": 5106, "text": "Lt-Gen Sergei Bainetov said there were multiple theories which ranged from poor quality fuel causing engine failure to a bird getting caught up in the engines. \"There is no leading theory,\" he stressed. The advanced age of the plane may have been a factor - it was 33 years old. That said, few of the 39 fatal accidents involving this model of the Tupolev have been attributed to technical problems.  Many were lost as a result of difficult weather conditions and poor air traffic control. Another factor in past air crashes in Russia has been overloaded planes. The full analysis of the \"black boxes\" is expected to take at least until the end of January."}], "question": "What are the other theories?", "id": "416_5"}]}]}, {"title": "NI Election: Everything you need to know about the 2017 vote", "date": "4 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The results are in - Northern Ireland went to the polls on 2 March to elect a new government. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) retained its position as Northern Ireland's largest party but won only one seat more than Sinn Fein, which was the big winner of the day. But why did Northern Ireland come out for an election in the first place? Here's a guide to the circumstances that led up to the 2017 vote. That's right, Northern Ireland already did the election dance last May but we're going back to the ballot box just 10 months later. Stormont's power-sharing government collapsed in January. The collapse came about after Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, resigned. In Northern Ireland, the government must be run by Irish nationalists and unionists together. The system was set up by the Good Friday Agreement following years of conflict. A first and deputy first minister, taken from the largest and second largest parties elected, are appointed to lead an executive of ministers. Although they have different titles, they essentially have equal authority and, in theory, work together in partnership. At the beginning of the year, the first minister was Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster who worked with Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister. But after he resigned, and Sinn Fein refused to nominate a replacement, Secretary of State James Brokenshire had no choice but to call for a new election. He stepped down after a row between Sinn Fein and the DUP over a green energy scheme scandal - the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). You can read all about the scheme here. But, here's the short(-ish) version: Mrs Foster was in charge of the scheme when it was set up in 2012. It was designed to encourage businesses to switch from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly alternatives. But, subsidies were over-generous and initially there was no cap on payments - leading to what has been dubbed the \"cash-for-ash\" scandal. The scheme is projected to run PS490m over budget, although a plan to eliminate the overspend was passed by the assembly just before it broke up in January. Sinn Fein asked that Mrs Foster temporarily stand aside while an investigation was carried out, but she refused. It's more complicated than that. While the scheme was the catalyst for Mr McGuinness resignation, he and Sinn Fein have said it was just one of many issues it had with the DUP, including Brexit (which the DUP backed, while Sinn Fein did not), same-sex marriage (to which the DUP is opposed, while Sinn Fein is in favour) and a potential Irish language act. These issues could become very important if the two parties retain their dominant positions as deal makers in March. Well, for one, Martin McGuinness is not back for re-election. A week after resigning, he announced he was quitting frontline politics because of ill health. Michelle O'Neill was appointed Sinn Fein's Northern leader in his stead and is leading the party into an election for the first time. Other than that, there's a major change in numbers, as less people are going to get elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly - only 90 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) as opposed to 108 last year. To reduce costs, Stormont decided in February 2016 it would cut the numbers. However, the law is being implemented a bit sooner than expected - it was thought the reduction would be introduced for the next scheduled election in 2021. Now, 18 MLAs will lose out less than a year after getting in the Stormont door. It remains to be seen, but the big two - DUP and Sinn Fein - are still the parties to beat. They led the power-sharing government after 2016's election and have been the big players at Stormont since 2007. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), the two other major unionist and nationalist parties, are aiming to usurp them. Last year, these two formed the first official opposition at the Northern Ireland Assembly. Meanwhile the Alliance Party, Northern Ireland's fifth largest with eight MLAs elected last year, is a centrist, non-sectarian group that straddles the line between unionist and nationalist. They are hoping to take advantage of any voter dissatisfaction at the DUP/Sinn Fein leadership and are also under new leadership, with former MP Naomi Long at the helm. They've been bubbling up in recent years. Jim Allister, leader of hard-line unionist party the TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice) has been a fixture at Stormont since 2011, which will be hoping to add to its solitary MLA. Likewise, the Green Party doubled its representation to two MLAs in 2016 and is optimistic of a strong showing. Also look out for anti-austerity outfit People Before Profit, who took their first two seats ever last year and are running even more candidates this time around. A form of proportional representation called Single Transferable Vote (STV) is used to elect candidates to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Candidates are then elected according to the share of the vote they receive. You can read an in-depth guide to the system here, or check out this video explainer. The two biggest unionist and nationalist parties will get together and try to form a new government. If it's the UUP and SDLP, then we should see a Stormont government under new leadership in reasonably short order. But, it's more likely that once again the DUP and Sinn Fein will be tasked with reaching agreement. And since they spectacularly fell out just a few weeks ago, that could be a challenge... That remains to be seen. But, Sinn Fein has repeatedly said there will be \"no return to the status quo\", so it appears they will not re-enter government with the DUP without agreement over thorny issues like the failed RHI scheme and the Irish language. It's apparent that some in-depth negotiations will be needed if both parties are elected. But the clock will be ticking - those tasked with forming a government have three weeks to agree and appoint an executive of ministers. If they can't find agreement on those issues then, technically, there could be another election. It's pretty unlikely. Instead, some other way of governing Northern Ireland will have to be found with direct rule from Westminster a real possibility. Nationalists have said that direct rule would be unacceptable, and called for the British and Irish governments to come together to form some kind of \"joint authority\" if the Northern Ireland Assembly cannot be re-established. However, unionists are against this idea while the Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said he is not considering any alternatives to a Northern Ireland Assembly. Whatever happens in Thursday's election, it's likely to be just the start of Northern Ireland's journey back to devolved government.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 408, "answer_end": 539, "text": "That's right, Northern Ireland already did the election dance last May but we're going back to the ballot box just 10 months later."}], "question": "Wasn't there an election in Northern Ireland very recently?", "id": "417_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 540, "answer_end": 1465, "text": "Stormont's power-sharing government collapsed in January. The collapse came about after Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, resigned. In Northern Ireland, the government must be run by Irish nationalists and unionists together. The system was set up by the Good Friday Agreement following years of conflict. A first and deputy first minister, taken from the largest and second largest parties elected, are appointed to lead an executive of ministers. Although they have different titles, they essentially have equal authority and, in theory, work together in partnership. At the beginning of the year, the first minister was Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster who worked with Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister. But after he resigned, and Sinn Fein refused to nominate a replacement, Secretary of State James Brokenshire had no choice but to call for a new election."}], "question": "So what happened?", "id": "417_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1466, "answer_end": 2259, "text": "He stepped down after a row between Sinn Fein and the DUP over a green energy scheme scandal - the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). You can read all about the scheme here. But, here's the short(-ish) version: Mrs Foster was in charge of the scheme when it was set up in 2012. It was designed to encourage businesses to switch from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly alternatives. But, subsidies were over-generous and initially there was no cap on payments - leading to what has been dubbed the \"cash-for-ash\" scandal. The scheme is projected to run PS490m over budget, although a plan to eliminate the overspend was passed by the assembly just before it broke up in January. Sinn Fein asked that Mrs Foster temporarily stand aside while an investigation was carried out, but she refused."}], "question": "Why did Martin McGuinness resign?", "id": "417_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2734, "answer_end": 3231, "text": "Well, for one, Martin McGuinness is not back for re-election. A week after resigning, he announced he was quitting frontline politics because of ill health. Michelle O'Neill was appointed Sinn Fein's Northern leader in his stead and is leading the party into an election for the first time. Other than that, there's a major change in numbers, as less people are going to get elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly - only 90 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) as opposed to 108 last year."}], "question": "OK, so what's new this time?", "id": "417_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3546, "answer_end": 4362, "text": "It remains to be seen, but the big two - DUP and Sinn Fein - are still the parties to beat. They led the power-sharing government after 2016's election and have been the big players at Stormont since 2007. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), the two other major unionist and nationalist parties, are aiming to usurp them. Last year, these two formed the first official opposition at the Northern Ireland Assembly. Meanwhile the Alliance Party, Northern Ireland's fifth largest with eight MLAs elected last year, is a centrist, non-sectarian group that straddles the line between unionist and nationalist. They are hoping to take advantage of any voter dissatisfaction at the DUP/Sinn Fein leadership and are also under new leadership, with former MP Naomi Long at the helm."}], "question": "How might that affect the results?", "id": "417_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4363, "answer_end": 4857, "text": "They've been bubbling up in recent years. Jim Allister, leader of hard-line unionist party the TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice) has been a fixture at Stormont since 2011, which will be hoping to add to its solitary MLA. Likewise, the Green Party doubled its representation to two MLAs in 2016 and is optimistic of a strong showing. Also look out for anti-austerity outfit People Before Profit, who took their first two seats ever last year and are running even more candidates this time around."}], "question": "What about smaller parties and independents?", "id": "417_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5206, "answer_end": 5610, "text": "The two biggest unionist and nationalist parties will get together and try to form a new government. If it's the UUP and SDLP, then we should see a Stormont government under new leadership in reasonably short order. But, it's more likely that once again the DUP and Sinn Fein will be tasked with reaching agreement. And since they spectacularly fell out just a few weeks ago, that could be a challenge..."}], "question": "OK, so that's the state of play. But what will happen after the election?", "id": "417_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5611, "answer_end": 6187, "text": "That remains to be seen. But, Sinn Fein has repeatedly said there will be \"no return to the status quo\", so it appears they will not re-enter government with the DUP without agreement over thorny issues like the failed RHI scheme and the Irish language. It's apparent that some in-depth negotiations will be needed if both parties are elected. But the clock will be ticking - those tasked with forming a government have three weeks to agree and appoint an executive of ministers. If they can't find agreement on those issues then, technically, there could be another election."}], "question": "So they won't be able to form a government?", "id": "417_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6188, "answer_end": 6867, "text": "It's pretty unlikely. Instead, some other way of governing Northern Ireland will have to be found with direct rule from Westminster a real possibility. Nationalists have said that direct rule would be unacceptable, and called for the British and Irish governments to come together to form some kind of \"joint authority\" if the Northern Ireland Assembly cannot be re-established. However, unionists are against this idea while the Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said he is not considering any alternatives to a Northern Ireland Assembly. Whatever happens in Thursday's election, it's likely to be just the start of Northern Ireland's journey back to devolved government."}], "question": "Another election - really?", "id": "417_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Rise of strict Islam exposes tensions in Malaysia", "date": "26 August 2011", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Muslim women without headscarves are a common sight on the streets of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. But engaging them in a discussion about the hijab is difficult. Norhayati Kaprawi is a Malaysian activist whose recent documentary Aku Siapa (Who Am I) deals with the issue of how women in Malaysia should dress. She found some women unwilling to show their faces in her film - not on religious grounds, but because they feared reprisals. This is a damning reflection on Malaysia's Muslim society, says Ms Norhayati. \"It's full of fear. If you don't follow the mainstream you will be lynched.\" According to the activist, the pressure to wear the hijab grew after the Iranian revolution in 1979, and it is now the most visible sign of Malaysia's rising Islamic fundamentalism. Muslims account for over half the population of 28 million people and are mainly ethnic Malays. Malaysia often prides itself on being a moderate Muslim nation, which allows other religions freedom of worship. And while there are no laws forcing women to wear the hijab, Ms Norhayati says many Muslims feel compelled. Increasingly, there is a greater emphasis on Islamic codes of conduct. For the first time last year, Malaysian authorities caned women under Sharia law. The three women sentenced were found guilty of having sex outside of marriage. And a part-time Muslim model was sentenced to the same punishment in 2009 for drinking beer in public. Islamic authorities eventually reduced Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's sentence to community service last year after the story made international headlines. Analysts say this emphasis on Islamic practice is superficial. They blame it on the competition for Malay-Muslim voters between the ruling party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), and the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), both of which are trying to position themselves as defenders of Islam. The youth wing of the PAS has often lobbied the government to ban Western pop artists from performing in Malaysia, deeming them to be un-Islamic. Since 2008, when elections delivered a record number of seats to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, of which the PAS is a member, the party has tried to moderate its stance. Although the PAS has not abandoned the goal of making Malaysia into an Islamic state, PAS Member of Parliament Khalid Samad says non-Muslims have nothing to fear. \"We do not think Islam is all about cutting off hands and stoning adulterers,\" he says. \"That's a very minute aspect of the Islamic law. What's more important is the question of good governance.\" In a move to show it can work with non-Muslims, the PAS is planning to open up membership to them. \"Nobody can say if we come to power, [that] we cannot govern a multi-religious and multi-racial nation,\" says Mr Khalid. But a resurgence in Islam has many non-Muslims concerned. Islamic officials in Selangor state entered a Methodist church without a warrant in early August, breaking up a fundraising dinner. They recorded the details of several Muslims who attended the function. The Islamic authorities have said they acted on a tip-off, but have refused to reveal the nature of the complaint. Religious officials are wary about Muslims attending church-organised events. There are fears these are attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity - something that is illegal in Malaysia. \"This action sets a dangerous precedent and makes a mockery of the sanctity and inviolability of all religious places in our beloved country,\" said the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hindusim, Sikhism and Taoism in a statement. The fear of conversion has already strained relations between Muslims and the Christian minority, who make up around nine per cent of the country's population and are typically ethnic Chinese and Indians. Over the last two years, churches have been firebombed and Bibles have been seized in an ongoing row between Christians and Muslims over the use of the word 'Allah'. The religious minority insists that they have been using the term for centuries in the Malay language to refer to the Christian god. But in 1986, the government banned non-Muslim from using the word 'Allah' in publications. This ban was not usually enforced until recently when the government began to act upon it at the behest of some Muslim groups. In a move seen as a bid to win Malay-Muslim votes, the government argued that for non-Muslims, calling their gods 'Allah' would be confusing to the Muslim-majority and threaten national security. As a result, Malay-language Bibles have been impounded by customs officials. Some Muslim activists fear that Christians are using the Bibles to convert Muslims. Attacks on places of worship came after the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled in December 2009 that the word 'Allah' is not exclusive to Islam. The government has appealed against the decision but no hearing date has been set yet. In the meantime the prime minister's department has made some concessions in recent months and released some 35,000 seized Bibles. The cabinet has also set up a committee for religious leaders from all faiths to resolve the \"Allah\" issue. Reverend Dr Thomas Philips is one of the committee members. He says the meetings have been sporadic but he is optimistic they can reach an understanding. \"I'm convinced Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country,\" he says. Norhayati Kaprawi agrees, but fears that the mainstream opinion has been silenced. \"People who hold more progressive or alternative views,\" she says, \"don't dare to speak up in public.\" Malaysia Direct is a series of reports and articles, online and on TV on BBC World News, which runs until September 4, 2011.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2812, "answer_end": 3632, "text": "But a resurgence in Islam has many non-Muslims concerned. Islamic officials in Selangor state entered a Methodist church without a warrant in early August, breaking up a fundraising dinner. They recorded the details of several Muslims who attended the function. The Islamic authorities have said they acted on a tip-off, but have refused to reveal the nature of the complaint. Religious officials are wary about Muslims attending church-organised events. There are fears these are attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity - something that is illegal in Malaysia. \"This action sets a dangerous precedent and makes a mockery of the sanctity and inviolability of all religious places in our beloved country,\" said the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hindusim, Sikhism and Taoism in a statement."}], "question": "Cause for concern?", "id": "418_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Game of Thrones final season trailer reaction from a superfan", "date": "6 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Game of Thrones hype has gone up another gear. The first full trailer was released on Tuesday - and fans are studying the two-minute video closely for clues on what's coming up in the final season. One of those is George Alexander, who has watched every episode so far on camera for his reaction YouTube channel. Here are his five things to look out for when season eight comes out on 14 April - plus some bold predictions for who could be on the Iron Throne by the final episode. Warning: This article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season seven \"My favourite - Queen Daenerys. Seeing her in a scene just excites me,\" George says. \"There were a couple of scenes with the dragons - I'm really excited to see how Arya and everyone reacts to seeing them for the first time.\" Plus he's really interested to see how Jon Snow and Daenerys's relationship develops. They finally joined forces in season seven, but neither character knows what fans have suspected for a long time - she is his aunt. \"There was a scene where they were in the Winterfell crypt and he was looking at something - I'm pretty sure that it is going to be his mother.\" \"I'm interested to see how Cersei gets on being on her own,\" says George. \"She's always had a lot of people around her - of course she does still have Qyburn and The Mountain.\" In season seven, Cersei tells her brother Jaime that she's pregnant before he leaves her to go and fight the White Walkers. \"That was a big thing from last season. Do we think she's really telling the truth about her pregnancy? \"I think the only person that can end Cersei is Jaime. It would be a bittersweet ending for her to be at the end of his sword.\" Maisie Williams' Arya Stark is the first face you see in the trailer. By the end of the last season, she had reunited with her brother Bran and sister Sansa at Winterfell - and Littlefinger has just become the latest person she's killed. \"I know Death. He's got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one,\" she says in the trailer. George thinks the scene is taken from \"the major battle we're going to have between the dead and the living\". \"Is this towards the end of her time on the show? Are we going to get a big showdown towards the end of that scene?\" \"I'm really excited to see the smaller characters in the trailer - like what Varys is up to,\" George says. By the end of season seven, Varys - aka The Spider - is in White Harbour in the north, ready to fight the Night King. \"It's not really political any more. It's not like he can whisper in one ear or the other to try and get what he wants. \"This is going to be battle and bloodshed, and I'd like to see how he gets into that.\" George has some theories. \"Based on the trailer, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there's no throne at the end of this season.\" He thinks that it would be \"too obvious\" for Daenerys or Jon Snow to claim the throne by the end. \"I'd happily like Sansa to be on the throne - I think it would be quite a good Elizabeth I nod. \"But I really don't know at the moment. Maybe the Night King could be? Maybe a dragon?\" Or how about this for a theory? \"I'd like someone unexpected - like Jon Snow defeats the night king, but the Wights will be uncontrollable and to salvage that, he will have to put the dragonglass in himself. \"He'll become the new Night King, and lead the Wights back up to the north. \"Then he'll be the King in the North.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1147, "answer_end": 1679, "text": "\"I'm interested to see how Cersei gets on being on her own,\" says George. \"She's always had a lot of people around her - of course she does still have Qyburn and The Mountain.\" In season seven, Cersei tells her brother Jaime that she's pregnant before he leaves her to go and fight the White Walkers. \"That was a big thing from last season. Do we think she's really telling the truth about her pregnancy? \"I think the only person that can end Cersei is Jaime. It would be a bittersweet ending for her to be at the end of his sword.\""}], "question": "Is Cersei pregnant?", "id": "419_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2242, "answer_end": 2673, "text": "\"I'm really excited to see the smaller characters in the trailer - like what Varys is up to,\" George says. By the end of season seven, Varys - aka The Spider - is in White Harbour in the north, ready to fight the Night King. \"It's not really political any more. It's not like he can whisper in one ear or the other to try and get what he wants. \"This is going to be battle and bloodshed, and I'd like to see how he gets into that.\""}], "question": "How will The Spider do in battle?", "id": "419_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2674, "answer_end": 3586, "text": "George has some theories. \"Based on the trailer, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there's no throne at the end of this season.\" He thinks that it would be \"too obvious\" for Daenerys or Jon Snow to claim the throne by the end. \"I'd happily like Sansa to be on the throne - I think it would be quite a good Elizabeth I nod. \"But I really don't know at the moment. Maybe the Night King could be? Maybe a dragon?\" Or how about this for a theory? \"I'd like someone unexpected - like Jon Snow defeats the night king, but the Wights will be uncontrollable and to salvage that, he will have to put the dragonglass in himself. \"He'll become the new Night King, and lead the Wights back up to the north. \"Then he'll be the King in the North.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here."}], "question": "Who will end up on the Iron Throne?", "id": "419_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Strikes on Idlib 'target schools and hospitals'", "date": "25 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 20 civilians, including nine children, were killed in Syrian army strikes in the Idlib region on Tuesday, a Syrian human rights monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said schools and hospitals were among the targets. Regime forces have been fighting a fierce offensive to seize Idlib, the last major territory in Syria still controlled by rebels and jihadists. About three million people are living in desperate conditions in the region. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory, said strikes targeted both the main city - also called Idlib - and the surrounding areas. A school child and three teachers, as well as two other people, were killed in Idlib city, he said, while at least six children were among the 10 civilians killed in Maarat Misrin, a town just north of Idlib city. He added that another four people, including a mother and her two children, died in Binnish, north-east of the city. The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) said 10 schools in total - including two nurseries - and the Idlib Central Hospital were hit by airstrikes and ground attacks. The organisation called the strikes \"barbaric\". Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, condemned the strikes, saying: \"Schools should be safe places for children to learn and play, even in a conflict zone. \"Targeting schools and kindergartens being used for civilian purposes is a war crime.\" The current humanitarian crisis in Idlib has been described as the worst since the start of the conflict in 2011. The UN has previously warned that a full-scale battle for Idlib could result in a \"bloodbath\". Last week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire. Idlib is the last stronghold of the rebel and jihadist fighters who have been trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011. The opposition once controlled large parts of the country, but the Syrian army has retaken most of the territory over the past five years with the help of Russian air power and Iran-backed militiamen. Now, the army wants to \"liberate\" Idlib. In recent years an influx of displaced people has doubled its population to about three million, including one million children. Turkey, which backs the opposition to President Assad and fears another massive influx of Syrian refugees, has deployed troops to observation posts in Idlib under an agreement with Russia that set up a de-escalation zone - the 2018 Sochi accord. However, it has failed to stop the Syrian army retaking large parts of the province with the help of Russian air strikes and Iran-backed militiamen.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1747, "answer_end": 2655, "text": "Idlib is the last stronghold of the rebel and jihadist fighters who have been trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011. The opposition once controlled large parts of the country, but the Syrian army has retaken most of the territory over the past five years with the help of Russian air power and Iran-backed militiamen. Now, the army wants to \"liberate\" Idlib. In recent years an influx of displaced people has doubled its population to about three million, including one million children. Turkey, which backs the opposition to President Assad and fears another massive influx of Syrian refugees, has deployed troops to observation posts in Idlib under an agreement with Russia that set up a de-escalation zone - the 2018 Sochi accord. However, it has failed to stop the Syrian army retaking large parts of the province with the help of Russian air strikes and Iran-backed militiamen."}], "question": "Why Idlib?", "id": "420_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit vote: Questions remain in the Highland capital", "date": "24 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Their jackets were a giveaway. The temperature in Inverness this morning was about 16C - t-shirts, shorts and ice cream-fizzing-in-a-coke float weather - but the couple on the High Street were bundled up in raincoats. The ever present hazard of vox popping in the Highland capital is that nine out of 10 times you will stop a tourist. The visitors, mainly from Europe, come here in their thousands at almost every time of the year, spilling merrily out of coaches that park below the hilltop Inverness Castle. Hundreds of tourists in Inverness on Friday were not only treated to fine summer weather, but the sight of a large pipe band in the High Street. The husband and wife I had stopped were French and gamely entertained my attempt to ask them about the referendum, helped by a few gestures towards the campaign signs tied to nearby lampposts. Two years ago, during the Scottish independence referendum, the High Street was very quickly festooned with Yes signs. This time the campaign notices were slow to appear and, at first, with a notable absence of those backing Remain. BBC Scotland took to the streets of towns and cities across the country to find out what people feel about the decision to leave the EU. As the final results show, however, that the city and wider Highlands and Islands favoured staying in the EU - 56% of those who voted in the Highlands were for Remain, while the figure was 55% in the Western Isles. In 1975, when voters last gave their verdict on European membership, the Western Isles returned a decisive \"no\". After the isles' latest poll result, islander and Remain campaigner, Lewis MacAskill, told BBC Alba: \"It is very significant, especially when you consider the Western Isles was the area back in 1975 that most heavily voted against the then EEC. \"It is a sign of how things have changed and how far we have come along.\" Felix Quero, a Leave campaigner on the islands, conceded the result for him locally was disappointing. But he added: \"In the bigger picture it is not such a bad thing. I feel we have rattled the cages of the establishment.\" Back in Inverness, SNP MP Drew Hendry came into the BBC Scotland studios with a message for the many European migrant workers who live in the city and the wider area. Almost every community in the Highlands has a family or families from Poland, Estonia, Latvia or Hungary. There also Danes, Spanish and Germans. Mr Hendry said: \"I think people will be shocked about the result and worried. \"But the vote in the Highlands, and across Scotland, show that Scotland sees its place firmly in the EU. \"We are saying very clearly to those EU citizens who live here in the Highlands, who live across Scotland, who are our friends and neighbours, that we will do absolutely everything in our power to make sure we are protecting them and their ability to live and work here.\" Meanwhile, Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stewart Nicol said the implications of the result for business had still to be worked out. He added: \"Businesses in the Highlands are very resourceful. We already do a lot of global trade and there is no reason why that can't continue.\" \"There are also questions over the EU funding that the Highlands and Islands have benefited from over the last few decades. The amount of money coming in was changing anyway, but we need to fully understand what this vote will mean for spending on infrastructure projects.\" But what about those French tourists. They still have their coats on but they have warmed to my questions. \"Leave the EU?\" asks the woman. She sounded surprised. \"Scotland too?\" she added. A question, maybe, for another day.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1081, "answer_end": 1217, "text": "BBC Scotland took to the streets of towns and cities across the country to find out what people feel about the decision to leave the EU."}], "question": "How has Scotland reacted to the Brexit vote?", "id": "421_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US 'ready to restart negotiations' with North Korea", "date": "20 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is ready to restart negotiations with Pyongyang, with the aim of denuclearising North Korea \"by 2021\". Discussions between the two sides had stalled following a broad-strokes agreement made earlier this year. But this week's inter-Korean summit saw the North's Kim Jong-un agreeing to shut a major missile launch site. South Korean President Moon Jae-in also gave an unprecedented speech in front of tens of thousands of North Koreans. Mr Kim \"agreed on a way to achieve denuclearisation\" on the Korean peninsula following the summit with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in. Mr Pompeo said it was \"on the basis of these important commitments\" that the US was \"prepared to engage immediately in negotiations\". In a statement, he said he had invited North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho to meet him in New York next week, while invitations had been extended for a second meeting between North Korean and US representatives in Vienna, Austria. \"This will mark the beginning of negotiations to transform US-DPRK [North Korea] relations through the process of rapid denuclearisation of North Korea, to be completed by January 2021, as committed by Chairman Kim, and to construct a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula,\" he said. The January 2021 date is the most specific timeline an official on either side has put forward publicly so far. The main focus of the summit between Mr Kim and Mr Moon was the issue of denuclearisation. Mr Kim expressed a readiness to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility - where North Korea is believed to have produced the material used in its nuclear tests - if the US takes some reciprocal action. The BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul says that is likely to be the US signing a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War. But he went further on Tongchang-ri, saying the engine missile testing and launch facility would be permanently closed \"in the presence of experts from relevant nations\". Our correspondent say that is a major step forward. Satellite images suggest Tongchang-ri is in the process of being destroyed, she adds, but the declaration will allow inspectors to verify the process. - Tongchang-ri has been North Korea's main satellite launch facility since 2012, according to monitoring group 38 North. - It has also been used for testing engines for North Korean missiles capable of reaching the US. - Read more on North Korea's missile and nuclear programme North Korea blew up its main nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri shortly before Mr Kim's meeting with US President Donald Trump in June. On Thursday, the two leaders of North and South embarked on a trip to Mount Paektu which holds a central place in Korean mythology. The volcano is situated at the border between the North and China. Mr Trump welcomed the agreements, which he said were \"tremendous progress\", and was quick to tweet his applause for the Moon-Kim summit. The US and North Korea held their own historic meeting in June when Mr Trump and Mr Kim agreed in broad terms to work towards denuclearisation. Since then, however, there has been little progress, with no clear process nor timeline laid out, while an abruptly cancelled trip to Pyongyang by Mr Pompeo in August led to speculation relations had soured somewhat. Most observers warn that so far the North has taken no meaningful steps to end its controversial nuclear weapons programme and that this week's summit might not be enough to convince them otherwise. But Mr Trump has remained confident of the North Koreans' commitment, recently saying that he and Mr Kim would \"prove everyone wrong\", after he received an invitation from the North Korean leader for a second summit. Both sides say they are working on making that meeting happen.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1408, "answer_end": 2807, "text": "The main focus of the summit between Mr Kim and Mr Moon was the issue of denuclearisation. Mr Kim expressed a readiness to shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility - where North Korea is believed to have produced the material used in its nuclear tests - if the US takes some reciprocal action. The BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul says that is likely to be the US signing a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War. But he went further on Tongchang-ri, saying the engine missile testing and launch facility would be permanently closed \"in the presence of experts from relevant nations\". Our correspondent say that is a major step forward. Satellite images suggest Tongchang-ri is in the process of being destroyed, she adds, but the declaration will allow inspectors to verify the process. - Tongchang-ri has been North Korea's main satellite launch facility since 2012, according to monitoring group 38 North. - It has also been used for testing engines for North Korean missiles capable of reaching the US. - Read more on North Korea's missile and nuclear programme North Korea blew up its main nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri shortly before Mr Kim's meeting with US President Donald Trump in June. On Thursday, the two leaders of North and South embarked on a trip to Mount Paektu which holds a central place in Korean mythology. The volcano is situated at the border between the North and China."}], "question": "What happened at the summit?", "id": "422_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2808, "answer_end": 3784, "text": "Mr Trump welcomed the agreements, which he said were \"tremendous progress\", and was quick to tweet his applause for the Moon-Kim summit. The US and North Korea held their own historic meeting in June when Mr Trump and Mr Kim agreed in broad terms to work towards denuclearisation. Since then, however, there has been little progress, with no clear process nor timeline laid out, while an abruptly cancelled trip to Pyongyang by Mr Pompeo in August led to speculation relations had soured somewhat. Most observers warn that so far the North has taken no meaningful steps to end its controversial nuclear weapons programme and that this week's summit might not be enough to convince them otherwise. But Mr Trump has remained confident of the North Koreans' commitment, recently saying that he and Mr Kim would \"prove everyone wrong\", after he received an invitation from the North Korean leader for a second summit. Both sides say they are working on making that meeting happen."}], "question": "What does this mean for US?", "id": "422_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Scientists develop dissolving battery", "date": "9 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scientists have developed a self-destructing battery capable of dissolving when exposed to heat or liquid. It delivers 2.5 volts and can power a desktop calculator for 15 minutes. It could be used to keep military secrets confidential, and in environmental monitoring devices . Iowa State University mechanical engineering professor Reza Montazami said it was the first practical transient battery. While this particular battery could not be used in the human body as it contain lithium, researchers have been examining how batteries could dissolve harmlessly within the human body, and prevent the pain of removal, for several years. Prof Montazami developed the lithium-ion battery with a team of scientists who recently published details of their discovery in the Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics. It measures 5mm in length, is 1mm thick and 6mm wide, and is similar to commercial batteries in terms of its components, structure and electrochemical reactions. It contains an anode, cathode and an electrolyte separator within two layers of polyvinyl alcohol-based polymer. When dropped in water, the battery's polymer casing swells and the electrodes are broken apart, causing it to dissolve. However, it contains nanoparticles which do not degrade, meaning it does not dissolve entirely. The entire process takes around half an hour. \"Unlike conventional electronics that are designed to last for extensive periods of time, a key and unique attribute of transient electronics is to operate over a typically short and well-defined period, and undergo fast and, ideally, complete self-deconstruction and vanish when transiency is triggered,\" the scientific paper stated. While it would be possible to create a more powerful battery, it would take longer to break down. Dissolvable batteries could play a part in helping to reduce the waste caused by discarded electronics. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are working on electronic circuit boards capable of dissolving in water. Once in a landfill site, the boards could break down within three to six months, according to the University's prof John Rogers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1790, "answer_end": 2157, "text": "Dissolvable batteries could play a part in helping to reduce the waste caused by discarded electronics. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are working on electronic circuit boards capable of dissolving in water. Once in a landfill site, the boards could break down within three to six months, according to the University's prof John Rogers."}], "question": "Saving the planet?", "id": "423_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Yik Yak: The EU referendum questions you were too scared to ask", "date": "16 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "What do you do when you have questions about the EU referendum but you are too scared to ask? Yik Yak, a social media platform, allows you to do just that because it's anonymous. In the first ever question and answer session to be held on Yik Yak, users of the app sent their questions about the EU referendum to the BBC. A member of the BBC's Reality Check team has been answering some of those questions on the site. Once a query has been asked, it doesn't stop users from adding to it or contributing their opinion. One user had an interesting question about the Prime Minister. The BBC experts response? \"Maybe. I mean he really wants us to remain.\" Here's how BBC news responded to this question: \"Both sides of the referendum campaign have been accused of making claims that are potentially misleading. BBC.co.uk/reality check has facts and accurate information to help people make up their minds.\" Compiled by Rozina Sini", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 519, "answer_end": 581, "text": "One user had an interesting question about the Prime Minister."}], "question": "How many jobs are we set to lose/gain if we leave?", "id": "424_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 582, "answer_end": 653, "text": "The BBC experts response? \"Maybe. I mean he really wants us to remain.\""}], "question": "Would David Cameron go live on TV and sing 'EU raise me up' if it meant Remain won the referendum?", "id": "424_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran elections: Record low turnout but hardliners set for win", "date": "23 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran has seen the lowest turnout in a parliamentary election since the 1979 revolution, with 42.6% of eligible voters casting their ballots. Officials had banned thousands of contenders, many of them reformers. Hardliners are set for big gains in the first vote since US sanctions resumed. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described Friday's turnout as stunning, as he said Iran's enemies had tried to put people off voting by exaggerating the coronavirus outbreak. \"This negative propaganda about the virus began a couple of months ago and grew larger ahead of the election,\" he said, according to his official website Khamenei.ir. \"Their media did not miss the tiniest opportunity for dissuading Iranian voters and resorting to the excuse of disease and the virus.\" Meanwhile the outbreak has worsened, with 43 confirmed cases and eight deaths. Schools, universities and cultural centres across 14 provinces have been closed. Iraq, Pakistan, and Turkey have closed their borders with Iran, and Afghanistan has suspended air and road travel to and from Iran. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the low turnout was \"completely acceptable\" after Iran experienced a coronavirus outbreak, bad weather and recent protests as well as the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January. He said the turnout in Tehran was just 25.4%, with conservatives loyal to Ayatollah Khamenei winning all 30 seats in the capital. Former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf topped the list, and is expected to become the next parliamentary speaker. Although vote counting is still going on in some cities, that success is expected to be repeated throughout the country. The conservatives already have enough seats to form a majority in the 290-seat chamber. The outcome will politically weaken President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate. Several thousand contenders - including 90 mostly reformist members of the current Majlis - were disqualified from standing by the Guardian Council, a vetting committee loyal to Mr Khamenei. Critics of Iran's rulers had called on citizens to boycott the polls as a way of showing their opposition to what they say is widespread repression of human rights and intolerance of dissent. The poll is the first since the US renewed sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, battering its economy. The Islamic republic has been at loggerheads with the US and much of the West since a revolution in 1979 brought a radical Shia Muslim leadership to power. Mr Khamenei said voting in the parliamentary elections was a \"religious duty\" which would show steadfastness in the face of US efforts to isolate and pressurise the country into changing. Tensions between Iran and the US have soared since 2018 when President Donald Trump abandoned a multi-country agreement, which lifted sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme. Foreign powers had suspected Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, although Iran insists its nuclear activities are for purely peaceful purposes. Divisions over the elections have become increasingly crystallised on social media, with Iranians expressing pro- and anti-government positions. Recent crackdowns on anti-government protesters have also deepened opposition to the ruling classes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1065, "answer_end": 2248, "text": "Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the low turnout was \"completely acceptable\" after Iran experienced a coronavirus outbreak, bad weather and recent protests as well as the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January. He said the turnout in Tehran was just 25.4%, with conservatives loyal to Ayatollah Khamenei winning all 30 seats in the capital. Former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf topped the list, and is expected to become the next parliamentary speaker. Although vote counting is still going on in some cities, that success is expected to be repeated throughout the country. The conservatives already have enough seats to form a majority in the 290-seat chamber. The outcome will politically weaken President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate. Several thousand contenders - including 90 mostly reformist members of the current Majlis - were disqualified from standing by the Guardian Council, a vetting committee loyal to Mr Khamenei. Critics of Iran's rulers had called on citizens to boycott the polls as a way of showing their opposition to what they say is widespread repression of human rights and intolerance of dissent."}], "question": "What do the results show?", "id": "425_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2249, "answer_end": 3292, "text": "The poll is the first since the US renewed sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme, battering its economy. The Islamic republic has been at loggerheads with the US and much of the West since a revolution in 1979 brought a radical Shia Muslim leadership to power. Mr Khamenei said voting in the parliamentary elections was a \"religious duty\" which would show steadfastness in the face of US efforts to isolate and pressurise the country into changing. Tensions between Iran and the US have soared since 2018 when President Donald Trump abandoned a multi-country agreement, which lifted sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear programme. Foreign powers had suspected Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, although Iran insists its nuclear activities are for purely peaceful purposes. Divisions over the elections have become increasingly crystallised on social media, with Iranians expressing pro- and anti-government positions. Recent crackdowns on anti-government protesters have also deepened opposition to the ruling classes."}], "question": "What is the background to these elections?", "id": "425_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Indian rupees: Holders of notes abroad face tough battle", "date": "10 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "People outside of India holding discontinued 500 and 1,000-rupee (PS6; PS12) notes face difficulties exchanging them, BBC research has found. British banks are generally not accepting the notes and technically, they should not leave the country. One of the clearest options for overseas Indians is to travel back to India to exchange the notes in person. They stopped being legal tender at midnight on Tuesday as part of a government crackdown on corruption. Indians will be able to exchange their old notes for new ones at the country's banks until 30 December. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said Indians could deposit them in their non-resident ordinary rupee accounts, a type of bank account where people living abroad park income earned in India. However, this has been complicated by many banks abroad not accepting the notes. Foreign tourists have been advised by the Indian central bank they have until midnight on Friday to exchange the discontinued currency at airports. Ankeet, a 40 year-old currency trader from London, told the BBC he had given 2,000 rupees of his old notes to a cousin flying to India. \"Normally the Bank of India should provide an option, but nothing has come out,\" he told the BBC's Asian Network. \"I'm very lucky that I have a relative who's flying tomorrow, so my only option would be essentially to give it to him and ask him to enjoy it,\" he said. \"I've got a friend in the US who has close to 50,000 rupees, which is about $1,000. He will probably write it off,\" he added. The 22 billion banned currency notes represent 85% of the cash in circulation in India, which is an overwhelmingly cash-based economy. Indian banks ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Baroda Bank have said they do not handle physical rupees in the UK. Tourists with leftover notes can exchange up to 5,000 rupees' worth at airport exchange counters by the Friday deadline, according to the RBI guidance. M&S Bank is advising customers: \"Indian rupees cannot be taken in or out of India, therefore we wouldn't be able to accept them.\" Travelex, a foreign exchange company, said on Wednesday that customers with a buyback guarantee from when they purchased the rupees would be able to swap them back. The 500 ($7; PS6) and 1,000 ($15; PS12) rupee notes are the highest denomination notes in the country and are extremely common in India. Airports, railway stations and hospitals will only accept them until 11 November. People will be able to exchange their money at banks between 10 November and 30 December. The actual figure is unclear but correspondents say the issue of \"black money\" is a huge problem in India. The idea here is to lock out money that is unaccounted for and make it visible for tax purposes - banks will be happy to exchange a few thousand rupees, but will be asking questions of those who turn up with hundreds of thousands or millions in currency. It seems not. An individual can put as much as he or she likes into the bank - but withdrawals are limited so the banking system may end up being flooded with cash. Government guidelines say it is possible to exchange up to 4,000 rupees per day up to 24 November. People can also withdraw up to 10,000 rupees from a bank per day and a maximum of 20,000 rupees per week.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2233, "answer_end": 2541, "text": "The 500 ($7; PS6) and 1,000 ($15; PS12) rupee notes are the highest denomination notes in the country and are extremely common in India. Airports, railway stations and hospitals will only accept them until 11 November. People will be able to exchange their money at banks between 10 November and 30 December."}], "question": "How long have people got to change their old notes?", "id": "426_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2542, "answer_end": 2903, "text": "The actual figure is unclear but correspondents say the issue of \"black money\" is a huge problem in India. The idea here is to lock out money that is unaccounted for and make it visible for tax purposes - banks will be happy to exchange a few thousand rupees, but will be asking questions of those who turn up with hundreds of thousands or millions in currency."}], "question": "How much 'black money' is there in circulation?", "id": "426_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2904, "answer_end": 3273, "text": "It seems not. An individual can put as much as he or she likes into the bank - but withdrawals are limited so the banking system may end up being flooded with cash. Government guidelines say it is possible to exchange up to 4,000 rupees per day up to 24 November. People can also withdraw up to 10,000 rupees from a bank per day and a maximum of 20,000 rupees per week."}], "question": "Is there a limit on the amount an individual or household can cash in?", "id": "426_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Secondary school places - not got what you wanted?", "date": "1 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hundreds of thousands of parents in England are finding out which secondary school their children will go to later this year. If the school on offer is unsuitable for some reason, there are a number of things you can do. First, read the letter from your local authority very closely. It will provide instructions on how to proceed, if you do not wish to accept the school on offer. But before acting in haste, and rejecting a school out of hand, remember that you do not have a right to choose a particular school for your child. Instead, you have a right only to express a series of preferences. If your first choice cannot be met, usually because there are other pupils living closer to the school than you or meeting the admissions criteria more closely than your family, the local authority allocates your child a place at an alternative school - in the order of your preferences. But in a small number of cases this may be a school which was not among your preferences. Nevertheless, it is well worth going to see the school you have been offered and discussing any concerns you may have with the head teacher. It is also a good idea to accept a place at the school so that you have that as a back-up if further action does not work in your favour. All schools have to keep waiting lists, and there is always a bit of movement after the first set of offers are sent out. Some families may decide to go private, for example, which may free up a place at your chosen school. So it is well worth checking whether you are on the waiting list of your preferred school. This may happen automatically but it is always worth checking that it has been done. Depending on whether the school controls its own admissions, this may be down to the school in question or the local authority. A quick call to the schools admissions team will answer that. The admission authority for the school must keep a waiting list for at least one term, and places are usually offered according to the school's admissions criteria. It is a good idea to find out what your position is on the waiting list, and how far they tend to move before the start of term. If your child is on a waiting list and the school offers you a place, the admission authority will send you a formal offer. You can still accept the offer even if your child has already started at another school. It is pretty difficult to win an appeal against a decision not to offer a child a place at a certain school. Where the school is very popular and over-subscribed, there will be lots of other parents jostling for places. All local authorities have to allow parents 20 days to appeal. There are three grounds on which appeals can be successful: - The school's admission arrangements do not comply with the law and if they did your child would have been offered a place - A mistake has been made with your child's application and if it had been handled properly your child would have been offered a place - The refusal of a place was unreasonable, taking the admissions arrangements into account Be warned, persuading the local authority - or a school which is its own admissions authority - that it has made a mistake is not going to be easy. It is best to get as much information and evidence as possible before deciding to do this. You must inform the local authority of your decision to appeal in writing. You will then be given a date for your appeal hearing, at least 10 days in advance. Know your arguments and practise what you are going to say. It is possible to seek legal advice and this may be advisable in some circumstances. The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) offers some free advice on appeals. You will need to explain why this school would be the best place for your child - concentrate on this, not on why an alternative school would be bad. What is it about this particular school that makes it such a good fit for your child? ACE suggests that you separate your appeal case into three sections: 1 - A description of your child and why they would be well-suited to this school. Prioritise any medical or social grounds you may have. Do they have a special educational need (SEN)? Are their friends at this school? Do they need a place where they can make a fresh start? The convenience of the school, in terms of the journey or it being near your place of work, is unlikely to succeed unless there is something very specific which means you need to be nearby. 2 - Why your child needs to go to this school in particular - Is it a single-sex school that would help your child to feel less self-conscious? Do they specialise in working with your child's SEN? Do they excel in an academic area that your child has a real aptitude for (languages, music, maths, etc.)? 3 - Why it would be detrimental for your child to go to the school that they have been offered. It is not a good idea to say negative things about the school's performance here or at any point in the appeals process. Instead rather focus on social and practical aspects such as distance from home (if your child has real issues using public transport) and academic requirements. An appeal panel of between three to five members of the public will assess your case. At the hearing, the panel will be told why your application was turned down. They will check that the school's admission arrangements comply with the Schools Admissions Code. Then, you will be invited to say why you are appealing against the decision. You will need to explain why you think this school is best for your child and any special circumstances which support your application. Bring written evidence of this. Once the appeal has been heard, the panel has to decide whose case is stronger - yours or the school's. You will get the result by post within seven days. The decision is legally binding. If your appeal is successful, your child will be given a place at the school. If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can still put your child's name on the school's waiting list.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3899, "answer_end": 5114, "text": "ACE suggests that you separate your appeal case into three sections: 1 - A description of your child and why they would be well-suited to this school. Prioritise any medical or social grounds you may have. Do they have a special educational need (SEN)? Are their friends at this school? Do they need a place where they can make a fresh start? The convenience of the school, in terms of the journey or it being near your place of work, is unlikely to succeed unless there is something very specific which means you need to be nearby. 2 - Why your child needs to go to this school in particular - Is it a single-sex school that would help your child to feel less self-conscious? Do they specialise in working with your child's SEN? Do they excel in an academic area that your child has a real aptitude for (languages, music, maths, etc.)? 3 - Why it would be detrimental for your child to go to the school that they have been offered. It is not a good idea to say negative things about the school's performance here or at any point in the appeals process. Instead rather focus on social and practical aspects such as distance from home (if your child has real issues using public transport) and academic requirements."}], "question": "What should be in an appeal?", "id": "427_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5115, "answer_end": 5984, "text": "An appeal panel of between three to five members of the public will assess your case. At the hearing, the panel will be told why your application was turned down. They will check that the school's admission arrangements comply with the Schools Admissions Code. Then, you will be invited to say why you are appealing against the decision. You will need to explain why you think this school is best for your child and any special circumstances which support your application. Bring written evidence of this. Once the appeal has been heard, the panel has to decide whose case is stronger - yours or the school's. You will get the result by post within seven days. The decision is legally binding. If your appeal is successful, your child will be given a place at the school. If your appeal is unsuccessful, you can still put your child's name on the school's waiting list."}], "question": "What happens at an appeal hearing?", "id": "427_1"}]}]}, {"title": "UK heatwave: How does sunscreen work?", "date": "9 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As the UK sweats its way through a prolonged stretch of unusually warm weather, Reality Check wanted to make sure we know our SPF from our UVB. Most of us are by now familiar with sun protection factor (SPF), the big number on the front of your sunscreen bottle, and look for a high one to give us more protection from the sun. Many brands carry a five star rating too, and that might be just as important to understand. SPF tells you how much protection your sunscreen provides from UVB radiation while the star system tells you the percentage of UVA radiation that is absorbed by the sunscreen in comparison to how much UVB is absorbed. Ultraviolet A and B refer to different wavelengths of radiation from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. A third wavelength of radiation transmitted by the sun, UVC, doesn't penetrate our atmosphere, so we don't need to worry about that one. UVA is associated with ageing of the skin and pigmentation as well as skin cancer (particularly squamous cell carcinoma - the second most common type). It can affect human skin even through glass. UVB causes sunburn and is linked to particular types of skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma (the most common type of skin cancer) and malignant melanoma. Sunscreen doesn't stop all types of skin damage so it's also important to cover up and seek shade when the sun is strongest. The number of stars refers to the percentage of UVA absorbed as a ratio of how much UVB is absorbed. So a low SPF sunscreen could have a high star rating despite not providing the maximum protection, because the ratio of UVA to UVB protection is the same - for that you need to look for both high SPF and a high star rating. The SPF number on a bottle of sunscreen refers to how much UVB it allows in. A sunscreen with SPF 15 allows one fifteenth of the sun's rays to reach your skin, or about 7%. So it filters out about 93% percent of UVB rays while SPF 30 filters about 97%. The number refers to how much gets through rather than how much is screened out - the lower factor allows in about double the amount of radiation than the higher, but doesn't block double the amount of radiation. Another way of looking at it is, if you could stay in the sun for 10 minutes unprotected without burning, SPF 15 would in theory give you 15 times that protection, or two-and-a-half hours before you'd burn. However that's in a perfect world - in reality, most people don't apply sunscreen perfectly and it can rub off or come off with sweat. And experts think most people apply half the quantity of sunscreen as is recommended. The British Association of Dermatologists says sunscreen with SPF 30 is a \"satisfactory form of sun protection in addition to protective shade and clothing\" and that it should be reapplied at least every two hours, no matter what SPF it is. EU guidance states that sunscreen should only be marketed as having sun protection of \"50+\" and not the ratings of 80 or 100 which can be found in other countries, which could be misleading as to how much extra protection they provide (SPF 50 provides about 98% protection while 100 would provide less than 100%). No product provides 100% protection from the sun's rays. There are lots of \"extended wear\" sunscreens on the market that advertise themselves as being for use \"once a day\", or claiming to last for eight hours. But dermatologists recommend that these products should still be applied at least every two hours, like any other sunscreen, since the risk that you may have missed a spot - or that it will rub or wash off in that time - are too high. A Which? report in 2016 criticised these products for not living up to their claims. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 639, "answer_end": 1362, "text": "Ultraviolet A and B refer to different wavelengths of radiation from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. A third wavelength of radiation transmitted by the sun, UVC, doesn't penetrate our atmosphere, so we don't need to worry about that one. UVA is associated with ageing of the skin and pigmentation as well as skin cancer (particularly squamous cell carcinoma - the second most common type). It can affect human skin even through glass. UVB causes sunburn and is linked to particular types of skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma (the most common type of skin cancer) and malignant melanoma. Sunscreen doesn't stop all types of skin damage so it's also important to cover up and seek shade when the sun is strongest."}], "question": "What are UVA and UVB?", "id": "428_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1363, "answer_end": 3193, "text": "The number of stars refers to the percentage of UVA absorbed as a ratio of how much UVB is absorbed. So a low SPF sunscreen could have a high star rating despite not providing the maximum protection, because the ratio of UVA to UVB protection is the same - for that you need to look for both high SPF and a high star rating. The SPF number on a bottle of sunscreen refers to how much UVB it allows in. A sunscreen with SPF 15 allows one fifteenth of the sun's rays to reach your skin, or about 7%. So it filters out about 93% percent of UVB rays while SPF 30 filters about 97%. The number refers to how much gets through rather than how much is screened out - the lower factor allows in about double the amount of radiation than the higher, but doesn't block double the amount of radiation. Another way of looking at it is, if you could stay in the sun for 10 minutes unprotected without burning, SPF 15 would in theory give you 15 times that protection, or two-and-a-half hours before you'd burn. However that's in a perfect world - in reality, most people don't apply sunscreen perfectly and it can rub off or come off with sweat. And experts think most people apply half the quantity of sunscreen as is recommended. The British Association of Dermatologists says sunscreen with SPF 30 is a \"satisfactory form of sun protection in addition to protective shade and clothing\" and that it should be reapplied at least every two hours, no matter what SPF it is. EU guidance states that sunscreen should only be marketed as having sun protection of \"50+\" and not the ratings of 80 or 100 which can be found in other countries, which could be misleading as to how much extra protection they provide (SPF 50 provides about 98% protection while 100 would provide less than 100%). No product provides 100% protection from the sun's rays."}], "question": "What do the numbers mean?", "id": "428_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3194, "answer_end": 3666, "text": "There are lots of \"extended wear\" sunscreens on the market that advertise themselves as being for use \"once a day\", or claiming to last for eight hours. But dermatologists recommend that these products should still be applied at least every two hours, like any other sunscreen, since the risk that you may have missed a spot - or that it will rub or wash off in that time - are too high. A Which? report in 2016 criticised these products for not living up to their claims."}], "question": "Once a day?", "id": "428_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia bushfires: Sydney gets toughest water restrictions in a decade", "date": "10 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sydney residents are facing the city's toughest water restrictions in more than a decade amid a severe drought and deadly bushfires in eastern Australia. On Tuesday, level two restrictions were enacted in the capital of New South Wales (NSW), a state 99.9% in drought. These could be increased to level three within months, local media report. Temperatures are predicted to soar above 40C (104F) from Tuesday, worsening fires which have already killed six people since October. There are now more than 100 fires in NSW and Queensland states, many of which have been burning for several weeks. Under the new rules, people in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra are not allowed to water their gardens between 10:00 and 16:00. When they do water their gardens, they can only do so with a bucket or a watering can - hoses and sprinklers are banned. Cars can only be washed with a bucket or at a commercial car wash, and swimming pools of any size cannot be filled unless the owner acquires a special permit. The rules apply to everyone in these areas, and residents caught breaking the restrictions face fines of A$220 (PS114, $150). Businesses will be fined A$550. Under level three restrictions, people will only be able to water their gardens before 09:00 and after 18:00, and will be banned from taking showers longer than five minutes. Officials plan to implement level three rules when Sydney's dam levels hit 30% - a critical low. This was originally predicted to happen in July, but could now be much earlier due to the worsening bushfires and drought. Several rural towns have already run out of tap water and are relying on bottled supplies and trucked-in cartons. A number of inland centres have endured water restrictions for months. The crippling drought affecting eastern Australia is one of the worst on record, officials say. Almost all of NSW - Australia's most populous state - has been officially drought-affected since 2017. Some regions have suffered little or no significant rainfall for even longer than that. Farmers and residents in inland areas have felt its impacts most acutely - NSW typically produces a quarter of Australia's agricultural output. The tinder-dry environment has created nightmarish conditions for sparking and sustaining bushfires. With rising temperatures and increased wind speeds expected to exacerbate the blazes on Tuesday, firefighters have been carrying out the controlled burning of grassland around homes to remove fuel, officials said. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighters had been trying to establish fire containment lines in previous days. \"It is an enormous amount of work, with more than 2,000 people out in the field,\" he told reporters. Last week, several smaller fires in a national park north of Sydney combined to form a \"mega blaze\", which now stretches more than 60km (37.2 miles). It has grown to more than 320,000 hectares in size. The fires have blanketed Sydney in smoke for weeks and sent ash falling, causing a surge in respiratory issues. The city's air quality again deteriorated beyond \"hazardous\" levels on Tuesday. Since October, bushfires across Australia have killed six people and destroyed more than 700 homes. The severity of the blazes so early in the country's fire season has caused alarm, and has prompted calls for greater action to tackle climate change. It hasn't come close to the fatalities of 2009, when nearly 200 people died, but the scale of the damage has been huge. About two million hectares of land have burned in NSW alone, but the fires have affected every state. Mr Fitzsimmons, NSW RFS Commissioner, said: \"There is an absolute lack of moisture in the soil, a lack of moisture in the vegetation... you are seeing fires started very easily and they are spreading extremely quickly, and they are burning ridiculously intensely.\" Australia's Bureau of Meteorology says that climate change has led to an increase in extreme heat events and raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Following the driest season on record in NSW, the bureau predicts that Australia's summer - which has just begun - will be severe. The government has been criticised over its efforts to address climate change. PM Scott Morrison has dismissed accusations linking the crisis to his government's policies. Hundreds of bushfire survivors and farmers converged on the nation's capital, Canberra, last week in protest. One woman displayed the charred remains of her home outside Parliament - on which she had written: \"Morrison, your climate crisis destroyed my home.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 593, "answer_end": 1750, "text": "Under the new rules, people in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra are not allowed to water their gardens between 10:00 and 16:00. When they do water their gardens, they can only do so with a bucket or a watering can - hoses and sprinklers are banned. Cars can only be washed with a bucket or at a commercial car wash, and swimming pools of any size cannot be filled unless the owner acquires a special permit. The rules apply to everyone in these areas, and residents caught breaking the restrictions face fines of A$220 (PS114, $150). Businesses will be fined A$550. Under level three restrictions, people will only be able to water their gardens before 09:00 and after 18:00, and will be banned from taking showers longer than five minutes. Officials plan to implement level three rules when Sydney's dam levels hit 30% - a critical low. This was originally predicted to happen in July, but could now be much earlier due to the worsening bushfires and drought. Several rural towns have already run out of tap water and are relying on bottled supplies and trucked-in cartons. A number of inland centres have endured water restrictions for months."}], "question": "What are the water restrictions?", "id": "429_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1751, "answer_end": 2181, "text": "The crippling drought affecting eastern Australia is one of the worst on record, officials say. Almost all of NSW - Australia's most populous state - has been officially drought-affected since 2017. Some regions have suffered little or no significant rainfall for even longer than that. Farmers and residents in inland areas have felt its impacts most acutely - NSW typically produces a quarter of Australia's agricultural output."}], "question": "How intense is this drought?", "id": "429_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2182, "answer_end": 3384, "text": "The tinder-dry environment has created nightmarish conditions for sparking and sustaining bushfires. With rising temperatures and increased wind speeds expected to exacerbate the blazes on Tuesday, firefighters have been carrying out the controlled burning of grassland around homes to remove fuel, officials said. NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighters had been trying to establish fire containment lines in previous days. \"It is an enormous amount of work, with more than 2,000 people out in the field,\" he told reporters. Last week, several smaller fires in a national park north of Sydney combined to form a \"mega blaze\", which now stretches more than 60km (37.2 miles). It has grown to more than 320,000 hectares in size. The fires have blanketed Sydney in smoke for weeks and sent ash falling, causing a surge in respiratory issues. The city's air quality again deteriorated beyond \"hazardous\" levels on Tuesday. Since October, bushfires across Australia have killed six people and destroyed more than 700 homes. The severity of the blazes so early in the country's fire season has caused alarm, and has prompted calls for greater action to tackle climate change."}], "question": "What is the latest with the fires?", "id": "429_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3385, "answer_end": 3871, "text": "It hasn't come close to the fatalities of 2009, when nearly 200 people died, but the scale of the damage has been huge. About two million hectares of land have burned in NSW alone, but the fires have affected every state. Mr Fitzsimmons, NSW RFS Commissioner, said: \"There is an absolute lack of moisture in the soil, a lack of moisture in the vegetation... you are seeing fires started very easily and they are spreading extremely quickly, and they are burning ridiculously intensely.\""}], "question": "Is this fire season particularly bad?", "id": "429_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3872, "answer_end": 4608, "text": "Australia's Bureau of Meteorology says that climate change has led to an increase in extreme heat events and raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Following the driest season on record in NSW, the bureau predicts that Australia's summer - which has just begun - will be severe. The government has been criticised over its efforts to address climate change. PM Scott Morrison has dismissed accusations linking the crisis to his government's policies. Hundreds of bushfire survivors and farmers converged on the nation's capital, Canberra, last week in protest. One woman displayed the charred remains of her home outside Parliament - on which she had written: \"Morrison, your climate crisis destroyed my home.\""}], "question": "Is climate change to blame?", "id": "429_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Poland still counts losses from WW2 invasion", "date": "31 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As world leaders head to Warsaw this weekend to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two, Poland has once again demanded compensation from Germany for the terrible losses it inflicted on the Polish nation during the conflict. \"We have lost six million people, many more than any other country that has received vast reparations. It is not fair. It cannot be this way,\" Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview with German media. A Polish parliamentary committee is still assessing the amount of compensation but it is likely to be more than a 1947 estimate by Poland's communist regime that set the country's wartime losses at $850bn (PS700bn; EUR765bn) at current value. \"There is a lot to be analysed. The Germans razed to the ground over a thousand Polish villages. We will accurately determine the sum that we will demand,\" he added. At dawn on 1 September, 1939, Germany bombed the Polish city of Wielun, a town with no military significance. The aim was to sow terror among the civilian population. Hundreds were killed, buildings were flattened and the remaining population fled. Two days after the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Two weeks later, Poland suffered a second invasion, this time from the Soviet Union in the east. It is not widely known but Polish casualties during the bombing of Warsaw by the Luftwaffe in 1939 were about the same as those suffered by the Germans in the British bombing of Dresden in 1945, when up to 25,000 died. The German invasion of Poland heralded the start of one of the bloodiest occupations of the war, in which the Germans killed millions of Polish citizens. Estimates vary, but more than five million Polish citizens were killed during the war, perhaps as much as 17% of the population, including up to three million Polish Jews murdered by the Germans in the Holocaust. After the failed 1944 uprising by Poland's underground Home Army against the German occupiers in Warsaw, in which more Poles were killed than Japanese during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hitler gave orders for the Polish capital to be destroyed. When the Red Army drove out the German occupiers from Warsaw in 1945, Stalin installed a compliant communist regime in Poland, which endured until 1989. Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin agreed that German reparations to Poland should be made via the Soviet Union in the form of materials, infrastructure and food rather than cash. Governing party MP Arkadiusz Mularczyk said his parliamentary committee was estimating the value of the reparations made to Poland after the war. \"Those reparations were not adequate to our losses. It was a very, very small amount,\" he told the BBC. \"There are still old Polish people who have never received one euro in compensation and they feel very nervous. They are angry that Jewish people get compensation but the Poles get nothing,\" he added. According to a 2018 German-Polish opinion poll, 46% of Poles supported demands for reparations whilst 76% of Germans opposed the claims. Mr Mularczyk said the commission should present its report following Poland's parliamentary elections in October. The next step, he hopes, will be a discussion with Berlin about the issue. Poland has yet to officially raise the issue with Germany. Indeed, the German government says the issue of reparations is legally closed. In 1953, Poland signed up to an agreement between the USSR and communist East Germany stating that reparations would cease from 1954. Mr Mularczyk said that agreement was not valid because Poland was \"not an independent country\" then and its prime minister, Boleslaw Bierut, was a Soviet agent. He said there were no governmental documents that proved Poland had waived its right to reparations. Dr Agnieszka Lada, an expert on Polish-German relations from a Polish think-tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, doubts whether Warsaw will ever officially raise the matter with Berlin. \"Germany recognises that morally Poland has the right to ask for reparations but it also is aware that this is a domestic game played by the government for its own voters,\" she told the BBC. Indeed Mr Mularczyk acknowledges that raising the reparations issue is not only about compensation. It also addresses the government's concerns that when the world's media inaccurately write about \"Polish death camps\" they are trying to rewrite the history of the period. \"This discussion about reparations is important for us because when objective journalists write about the Second World War they write about who the aggressor was and who were the victims,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2295, "answer_end": 3248, "text": "Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin agreed that German reparations to Poland should be made via the Soviet Union in the form of materials, infrastructure and food rather than cash. Governing party MP Arkadiusz Mularczyk said his parliamentary committee was estimating the value of the reparations made to Poland after the war. \"Those reparations were not adequate to our losses. It was a very, very small amount,\" he told the BBC. \"There are still old Polish people who have never received one euro in compensation and they feel very nervous. They are angry that Jewish people get compensation but the Poles get nothing,\" he added. According to a 2018 German-Polish opinion poll, 46% of Poles supported demands for reparations whilst 76% of Germans opposed the claims. Mr Mularczyk said the commission should present its report following Poland's parliamentary elections in October. The next step, he hopes, will be a discussion with Berlin about the issue."}], "question": "Have Poles received reparations?", "id": "430_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Is China gaining an edge in artificial intelligence?", "date": "12 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"China is betting on AI and investing in AI and deploying AI on a scale no other country is doing,\" says Abishur Prakash, a futurist and author of books about the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on geopolitics. As developments in AI accelerate, some in the US fear that the ability of China's powerful central government to marshal data and pour resources into the field will push it ahead. The country has announced billions in funding for start-ups, launched programmes to woo researchers from overseas and streamlined its data policies. It has announced news-reading robots and AI-powered strategy for foreign relations. Perhaps most alarming to the US are its efforts to incorporate it into its military. In the last few years, Washington has toughened oversight of Chinese investments, banned US firms from doing business with certain Chinese companies and increased criminal prosecution of alleged technology theft. \"What the Trump administration is doing is a sign... the US knows that its geopolitical power will be redefined and reconfigured by this era,\" said Mr Prakash, who works at the Toronto-based Center for Innovating the Future. These developments come amid political tension between the two nations. Yet, some analysts worry the US response is counterproductive, arguing that cutting off access to US microchips, for example, could simply accelerate Chinese efforts to develop their own alternatives. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods - retaliation for \"unfair\" practices it says are aimed at giving China an advantage in the field. The White House has also pressed universities to review their relationships with Chinese partners and threatened to restrict student visas. It is even said to be looking at rules against certain US investments in China - once nearly unthinkable in free-market America. Rivals is a season of in-depth coverage on BBC News about the contest for supremacy between the US and China across trade, tech, defence and soft power. Read more here. The actions are aimed at preserving US leadership in technologies expected to determine economic and military power for generations to come. \"That China will grow to be an economy as large as ours may be inevitable; that we aid their mercantilist strategy through free trade and open investment in our technology sector is a choice,\" US Department of Defense officials wrote in a widely cited 2018 report. As the US and China race to capitalise on advances in machine learning, facial recognition and other forms of artificial intelligence, Tom Mitchell has a front row seat. The professor of computer science founded the world's first research centre for artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon in the US. Since 2018, he has also served as chief scientist at Squirrel, a leading tutoring company in China. He says the US has more experience building tech companies, but China may have the advantage when it comes to AI applications relying on big data sets - and points to the medical field as an example. \"In the US we've had electronic medical records for over 20 years but we still have not put together all the records in the country to run machine-learning algorithms on those.\" He says the US has been inhibited by privacy concerns, as well as a fractured, for-profit industry. \"In China, it's a different situation. If the government decides that it's going to have country-wide electronic medical records... then it's going to happen.\" Prof Mitchell, who is working on using AI to improve education, says working in both the US and China puts him in the best position to invent and apply cutting-edge technology. But that kind of cross-border collaboration is facing increasing scrutiny, given rising political tensions. Last year, Chinese investment in the US dropped to $4.8bn (PS3.7bn) - its lowest level since 2011 - while US investment in China dipped from $14bn to $13bn, according to the Rhodium Group's annual report. High-profile Chinese firms, like insurance giant Anbang and Kai-Fu Lee's Sinovation Ventures, have reportedly sold or scaled back US operations, while China's Huawei and ZTE have suffered serious losses after being subject to US bans. In US academic circles, universities are rethinking their ties to China, while US firms doing business in China have also grown more cautious. Mr Prakash, who works with start-ups, tech firms and governments on questions of artificial intelligence, says while many western firms continue to pursue opportunities in China, current tensions have changed the discussions. \"Geopolitics is now front and centre for all of them,\" he says. \"They're forced to say, hey, we're based in Silicon Valley, we're selling to part of Asia and now as this tech war unfolds we need to understand what's possible, what can we do, what are our options.\" More Technology of Business Prof Mitchell says policymakers need to distinguish between AI applications that are win-win and those that are truly competitive, such as those for the military. In the meantime, he says Washington's increasingly nationalist tone risks alienating America's foreign students and researchers - many of them Chinese - who have played a critical role in US tech leadership to date. \"To start thinking about putting up export control walls around the US could be as damaging to the US research enterprise as anything that a foreign adversary might try to do to us. I hope we will act rationally and not just out of fear.\" While US concerns about technology theft have merit, \"I feel like we're over-reacting,\" says Prof Mitchell. \"The fact that China or the UK or anybody decides they want to be a leader in AI - it would be surprising if they did not. It's not something to be reviled,\" he says. American national plans have also called for boosting investment, reforming the immigration system and improving education, but those are much more difficult to achieve, says William Carter, deputy director of technology policy at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. \"Being hard on China is an easy political sell,\" he says, but warns that, \"I think we're shooting ourselves in the foot in a lot of ways\". The race between the US and China is now moving to other countries, which are being pushed to take sides as tech firms from the two compete for turf. The US has pressed its allies to stop using equipment from China's Huawei, for example, citing concerns that Beijing could use the firm's equipment for hacking. It has also raised human rights concerns. At a recent conference, a US official argued that Chinese tech companies are \"de facto tools\" of the state's Communist Party, saying they \"have become deeply enmeshed in Beijing's system of oppression at home and its increasingly assertive strategic ambitions globally.\" As artificial intelligence technologies drive debates over values like surveillance and privacy, free speech and censorship, conflicts between the two countries are likely to increase, says Nicholas Wright, a fellow at the New America think tank in Washington, who has worked with the US and UK governments. \"To some extent, this is just a generic challenge, where you have a new set of technologies and whomever manages to implement them first and best will gain an advantage... but then there's also another set of issues which is to do with the specifics of these new digital technologies,\" he says. For now, it may take artificial intelligence to know how the race will end.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4889, "answer_end": 7515, "text": "Prof Mitchell says policymakers need to distinguish between AI applications that are win-win and those that are truly competitive, such as those for the military. In the meantime, he says Washington's increasingly nationalist tone risks alienating America's foreign students and researchers - many of them Chinese - who have played a critical role in US tech leadership to date. \"To start thinking about putting up export control walls around the US could be as damaging to the US research enterprise as anything that a foreign adversary might try to do to us. I hope we will act rationally and not just out of fear.\" While US concerns about technology theft have merit, \"I feel like we're over-reacting,\" says Prof Mitchell. \"The fact that China or the UK or anybody decides they want to be a leader in AI - it would be surprising if they did not. It's not something to be reviled,\" he says. American national plans have also called for boosting investment, reforming the immigration system and improving education, but those are much more difficult to achieve, says William Carter, deputy director of technology policy at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. \"Being hard on China is an easy political sell,\" he says, but warns that, \"I think we're shooting ourselves in the foot in a lot of ways\". The race between the US and China is now moving to other countries, which are being pushed to take sides as tech firms from the two compete for turf. The US has pressed its allies to stop using equipment from China's Huawei, for example, citing concerns that Beijing could use the firm's equipment for hacking. It has also raised human rights concerns. At a recent conference, a US official argued that Chinese tech companies are \"de facto tools\" of the state's Communist Party, saying they \"have become deeply enmeshed in Beijing's system of oppression at home and its increasingly assertive strategic ambitions globally.\" As artificial intelligence technologies drive debates over values like surveillance and privacy, free speech and censorship, conflicts between the two countries are likely to increase, says Nicholas Wright, a fellow at the New America think tank in Washington, who has worked with the US and UK governments. \"To some extent, this is just a generic challenge, where you have a new set of technologies and whomever manages to implement them first and best will gain an advantage... but then there's also another set of issues which is to do with the specifics of these new digital technologies,\" he says. For now, it may take artificial intelligence to know how the race will end."}], "question": "Will it work?", "id": "431_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia Saratov crash: Ice on sensors 'may be cause'", "date": "13 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Speed sensors that were iced over may have caused a passenger jet to crash near Moscow, killing all 71 people on board, investigators say. The faulty instruments could have given the pilots wrong speed data, Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee said. The Saratov Airlines jet went down minutes after take-off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Sunday. More than 1,400 body parts and hundreds of plane fragments have been recovered from the crash site. A preliminary analysis of the on-board flight recorder indicated the plane had problems two-and-a-half minutes after it took off, at an altitude of around 1,300m (4,265ft). The instruments began displaying different speed readings, probably because of iced speed sensors while their heating systems were shut off, the committee said. When the crew detected the issue, they switched off the plane's autopilot. They eventually took the plane into a dive at 30-35 degrees. Russian media reports said the plane's captain had rejected a de-icing treatment on the plane before take-off. The procedure is optional and the crew's decision is based mainly on the weather conditions. Iced-over speed sensors, known as Pitots, were cited as the likely reason for a 2009 Air France plane crash, which killed 228 people. More than 700 people are involved in the search operation, struggling through deep snow. The emergencies ministry is collecting DNA samples from victims' relatives as part of the identification process of the 65 passengers, including a child and two teenagers, and six crew. Wreckage and body parts are strewn over a large area - about 30 hectares (74 acres) - near the village of Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow. The Antonov An-148 was en route to Orsk in the Ural mountains and lost contact at 14:27 (11:27 GMT), without sending any emergency call. Russia's Investigative Committee said the plane was intact when it crashed and that an explosion happened on impact. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 said it descended at the rate of 1,000m (3,300ft) per minute. The jet, which was reportedly seven years old, was being flown by an experienced pilot who had 5,000 hours of flying time. A criminal inquiry has been launched. In 2015 the regional airline was banned from operating international flights, after inspectors found someone other than the flight crew in a cockpit. The airline appealed and changed its policy before resuming international charter flights in 2016. Antonov aircraft were first developed in Ukraine, but are also made in Russia. The twin-engine model involved in Sunday's crash had its first flight in 2004. In 2011, one broke up mid-flight during a training flight in the Belgorod region in southern Russia, killing all six crew members on board. The country has suffered two major plane crashes since 2015: - A Tu-154 military airliner crashed into the Black Sea with the loss of all 92 people aboard on 25 December 2016, with the disaster blamed on pilot error - A Russian Airbus A321 carrying tourists crashed in Sinai, Egypt, with the loss of all 224 people aboard on 31 October 2015; the Islamic State group said it had placed a bomb aboard.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 455, "answer_end": 1262, "text": "A preliminary analysis of the on-board flight recorder indicated the plane had problems two-and-a-half minutes after it took off, at an altitude of around 1,300m (4,265ft). The instruments began displaying different speed readings, probably because of iced speed sensors while their heating systems were shut off, the committee said. When the crew detected the issue, they switched off the plane's autopilot. They eventually took the plane into a dive at 30-35 degrees. Russian media reports said the plane's captain had rejected a de-icing treatment on the plane before take-off. The procedure is optional and the crew's decision is based mainly on the weather conditions. Iced-over speed sensors, known as Pitots, were cited as the likely reason for a 2009 Air France plane crash, which killed 228 people."}], "question": "What are the investigators saying?", "id": "432_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1263, "answer_end": 1697, "text": "More than 700 people are involved in the search operation, struggling through deep snow. The emergencies ministry is collecting DNA samples from victims' relatives as part of the identification process of the 65 passengers, including a child and two teenagers, and six crew. Wreckage and body parts are strewn over a large area - about 30 hectares (74 acres) - near the village of Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow."}], "question": "What about the search operation?", "id": "432_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1698, "answer_end": 2209, "text": "The Antonov An-148 was en route to Orsk in the Ural mountains and lost contact at 14:27 (11:27 GMT), without sending any emergency call. Russia's Investigative Committee said the plane was intact when it crashed and that an explosion happened on impact. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 said it descended at the rate of 1,000m (3,300ft) per minute. The jet, which was reportedly seven years old, was being flown by an experienced pilot who had 5,000 hours of flying time. A criminal inquiry has been launched."}], "question": "What else do we know?", "id": "432_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2210, "answer_end": 2756, "text": "In 2015 the regional airline was banned from operating international flights, after inspectors found someone other than the flight crew in a cockpit. The airline appealed and changed its policy before resuming international charter flights in 2016. Antonov aircraft were first developed in Ukraine, but are also made in Russia. The twin-engine model involved in Sunday's crash had its first flight in 2004. In 2011, one broke up mid-flight during a training flight in the Belgorod region in southern Russia, killing all six crew members on board."}], "question": "What do we know about Saratov Airlines?", "id": "432_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Thalidomide scandal: How Australia's response has 'lagged behind'", "date": "3 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia has fallen behind many other countries in its response to one of the world's worst pharmaceutical scandals. That seems likely to change - but time is running out for thalidomide survivors and their parents, reports Gary Nunn in Sydney. There was a recent six-month period when Trish Jackson, 56, didn't leave her house. \"The minute I step out, I'm laughed at. Stared at. People say horrid things,\" she says. \"Add to that my constant pain - because my feet are my hands, my knees and hips need replacing - and I was in a terrible headspace.\" Another factor deterring her from leaving her Brisbane home was that she struggled to get her mobility scooter modified - because she needs to drive it with her feet. \"Thalidomiders\" - a term many survivors use to describe themselves - were born to mothers who took a morning sickness pill which, unbeknown to them, caused birth defects, usually in the form of significantly shortened limbs (in Ms Jackson's case, her arms), or in other cases, no limbs. It has affected thousands of people globally in a scandal stretching back to the 1950s, when the drug was developed by German firm Chemie Gruenenthal. But today, Ms Jackson says she is thrilled. A Senate committee report, released late last month, has for the first time recommended government compensation, support and a national apology for thalidomide survivors in Australia. Lisa McManus, 56, a survivor who has lobbied MPs for the past five years, says, if implemented, these recommendations \"will change the lives of Australia's 124 known thalidomide survivors dramatically\". She is \"delighted\" by the report's findings, though she adds that Australian survivors \"have won the battle but not the full war\". They say that unlike the UK, which made a national apology to its 467 living Thalidomide survivors in 2010, and Canada, which recently doubled government compensation to survivors, Australia has never publicly acknowledged wrongdoing, made an apology, or set up a support or compensation scheme. And unlike in the US, for example, Australia did not conduct a media campaign in the 1960s warning pregnant women, or make efforts to confiscate the drug from homes. Michael Magazanik, a lawyer and author of a book on the thalidomide scandal, says: \"Australia lagged well behind other countries. Although Japan and Canada kept it on shelves longer than others, Australia made a comparatively weak and late effort to get it out of surgeries and pharmacies. It never got it out of homes, and never gave a proper warning.\" It was an Australian who first warned the world of thalidomide's dangers. In June 1961, Dr William McBride wrote to medical journal The Lancet after noticing deformities. The Australian government was warned about thalidomide in December 1961 by the drug's distributor, Distillers. Both Trish Jackson and Lisa McManus were born after that warning. It's \"inexcusable\" that this could've been prevented, Ms McManus says: \"Of 124 known Australian thalidomide survivors, between 20 and 30 were conceived in that timeframe where the government knew about thalidomide's atrocities, but did nothing.\" In 2013, a cohort of Australian survivors won a payout from the company that distributed the drug, but not all were represented in this settlement. The government has offset tax for survivors who received the corporate compensation, and offered a memorial garden. It has also recently promised to do \"what no government has done for the last 50 years and offer a national apology and establish a national memorial\", a spokesperson for Health Minister Greg Hunt says. However, Ms McManus says: \"We've been pushing the government for a national apology but as it stands we still haven't received one. We've been offered an apology from the health minister in the memorial garden, but that isn't good enough. We'd like one from the prime minister in parliament.\" Life today for survivors is difficult. Ms McManus says: \"There's internal damage, as well as external. Some days the challenge is just getting out of bed. The condition prematurely ages you - we're 25-30 years senior to our chronological age. I have a very active mind - to imagine sitting there unable to act is unbelievably confronting.\" The pace of her deterioration scares her: \"Two weeks ago I could still sign my name. Today, I can't hold a pen.\" Government compensation, Ms McManus says, would help survivors \"update wheelchairs and hearing devices, fund home help and modify cars and bathrooms\". Senator Jordan Steele-John, who pushed to establish the Senate committee inquiry, tells the BBC: \"The memorial garden offer shows that the Australian government viewed this as a tragedy - not a failure.\" A national apology would mean the world to Ms Jackson and Ms McManus, because their mothers, aged 91 and 92 respectively, are still alive. \"I hope [the apology] happens in Mum's lifetime,\" Ms Jackson says. \"Her guilt is heartbreaking. She needs to hear it wasn't her fault.\" Ms McManus's mother, who took just two thalidomide pills, \"couldn't stop crying\" when she heard the Senate recommendations. \"She kept asking: 'Is it really true? They'll look after my girl?'\" Ms McManus says. \"That light at the end of the tunnel is no longer the train coming for me. It's hope.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 718, "answer_end": 1717, "text": "\"Thalidomiders\" - a term many survivors use to describe themselves - were born to mothers who took a morning sickness pill which, unbeknown to them, caused birth defects, usually in the form of significantly shortened limbs (in Ms Jackson's case, her arms), or in other cases, no limbs. It has affected thousands of people globally in a scandal stretching back to the 1950s, when the drug was developed by German firm Chemie Gruenenthal. But today, Ms Jackson says she is thrilled. A Senate committee report, released late last month, has for the first time recommended government compensation, support and a national apology for thalidomide survivors in Australia. Lisa McManus, 56, a survivor who has lobbied MPs for the past five years, says, if implemented, these recommendations \"will change the lives of Australia's 124 known thalidomide survivors dramatically\". She is \"delighted\" by the report's findings, though she adds that Australian survivors \"have won the battle but not the full war\"."}], "question": "Who is affected?", "id": "433_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany shooting: What we know about the Hanau attack", "date": "20 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "German authorities are starting to piece together exactly what happened in Hanau, when a gunman opened fire on two shisha bars. At least nine people died in the attack which federal prosecutors are treating as an act of terrorism. Turkish authorities say a number of those killed were of Turkish origin. Chancellor Angela Merkel said there are signs the shooter had racist motives. Here's what we know so far about Wednesday's attack. The shooting took place in Hanau, a city in western Germany about 25 kilometres (16 miles) east of Frankfurt am Main. At about 22:00 (21:00 GMT), the shooter opened fire on the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre. Witnesses say they heard about a dozen gunshots. Shortly afterwards, a second shooting took place at the Arena Bar & Cafe west of the centre in the Kesselstadt district. The attacker reportedly travelled the 2.5km (1.5 miles) between the two spots by car. It is unclear exactly who the victims are. Authorities say they are all aged between 21 and 44, and included both foreigners and German citizens. Among the dead were \"several victims of Kurdish origin\", the Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said. Speaking live from Hanau, Turkey's ambassador to Berlin, Ali Kemal Aydin, told state broadcaster TRT Haber: \"We have five victims so far, according to the information we have.\" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected the German government to make \"necessary efforts to throw light on all aspects\" of the attack. Police launched an hours-long manhunt for the attacker - at first suspecting there was more than one shooter. With the help of security cameras and witnesses, officers eventually identified the suspect and stormed his home near the Arena Cafe & Bar. They found him dead inside, near the body of his 72-year-old mother. German media have identified the suspect as Tobias R. He was a 43-year-old German citizen who reportedly had a firearms licence. Local media say ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car. Authorities believe a video posted to YouTube several days ago can be attributed to the suspect. In it, he says he wishes to send a message to the US, telling people to \"wake up\" and discussing a number of far-right conspiracy theories. Though he does not mention the fringe QAnon conspiracy, he refers to several theories its followers believe. Hesse Interior Minister Peter Beuth said authorities were also examining a website which was allegedly the suspect's. The YouTube channel links to the page, and there are documents on the site that echo the conspiracies voiced in the video. \"What we know so far is that there is definitely a xenophobic motive. Whether there are claims of responsibility or documents, that's still being investigated,\" Mr Beuth said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 435, "answer_end": 907, "text": "The shooting took place in Hanau, a city in western Germany about 25 kilometres (16 miles) east of Frankfurt am Main. At about 22:00 (21:00 GMT), the shooter opened fire on the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre. Witnesses say they heard about a dozen gunshots. Shortly afterwards, a second shooting took place at the Arena Bar & Cafe west of the centre in the Kesselstadt district. The attacker reportedly travelled the 2.5km (1.5 miles) between the two spots by car."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "434_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 908, "answer_end": 1807, "text": "It is unclear exactly who the victims are. Authorities say they are all aged between 21 and 44, and included both foreigners and German citizens. Among the dead were \"several victims of Kurdish origin\", the Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said. Speaking live from Hanau, Turkey's ambassador to Berlin, Ali Kemal Aydin, told state broadcaster TRT Haber: \"We have five victims so far, according to the information we have.\" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected the German government to make \"necessary efforts to throw light on all aspects\" of the attack. Police launched an hours-long manhunt for the attacker - at first suspecting there was more than one shooter. With the help of security cameras and witnesses, officers eventually identified the suspect and stormed his home near the Arena Cafe & Bar. They found him dead inside, near the body of his 72-year-old mother."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "434_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1808, "answer_end": 2767, "text": "German media have identified the suspect as Tobias R. He was a 43-year-old German citizen who reportedly had a firearms licence. Local media say ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car. Authorities believe a video posted to YouTube several days ago can be attributed to the suspect. In it, he says he wishes to send a message to the US, telling people to \"wake up\" and discussing a number of far-right conspiracy theories. Though he does not mention the fringe QAnon conspiracy, he refers to several theories its followers believe. Hesse Interior Minister Peter Beuth said authorities were also examining a website which was allegedly the suspect's. The YouTube channel links to the page, and there are documents on the site that echo the conspiracies voiced in the video. \"What we know so far is that there is definitely a xenophobic motive. Whether there are claims of responsibility or documents, that's still being investigated,\" Mr Beuth said."}], "question": "What do we know about the shooter?", "id": "434_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani 'butt dials' NBC reporter", "date": "26 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Rudy Giuliani, personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, has left two unintended voicemail messages on a reporter's phone, NBC News reports. In the calls, Mr Giuliani reportedly spoke about needing money and attacked Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Mr Giuliani has not yet commented on the calls. Lawmakers demanded documents from Mr Giuliani earlier this month as part of the presidential impeachment inquiry. In the past he publicly admitted asking Ukrainian officials to investigate widely debunked corruption allegations against Mr Biden. Three Democratic-led committees are currently investigating whether President Trump tried to pressure Ukraine's president into investigating Mr Biden in exchange for military aid. NBC investigative reporter Rich Shapiro says he received two voicemails from Mr Giuliani in the space of a month. He described them as the result of \"what is known, in casual parlance, as a butt dial\". A \"butt dial\" happens when someone unknowingly calls one of their contacts by accidentally applying pressure to their phone's buttons while it is in their pocket. Mr Shapiro missed the first call, mid-afternoon on 28 September, because he was at a child's birthday party. He had interviewed Mr Giuliani for an article the day before. For the entirety of the ensuing three-minute voicemail, the president's personal lawyer reportedly attacked Mr Biden and his family. \"Biden has been trading in on his public office since he was a senator,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly said to an unidentified man. In the conversation, he brought up the discredited allegations that Joe Biden, when vice-president, stopped an investigation in Ukraine to protect his son Hunter. \"He did the same thing in China. And he tried to do it in Kazakhstan and in Russia,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly added. In the second voicemail, left on the night of 16 October, Mr Giuliani again recorded a conversation with an unknown man. \"We need a few hundred thousand,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly said at one point, in a conversation that Mr Shapiro says covered Bahrain and an unknown man named Robert. Mr Giuliani was mayor of New York City from 1994 until 2001, and was in office during the 9/11 terror ttacks. He was one of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, before withdrawing and backing eventual candidate John McCain. Since April 2018, he has served as a lawyer for President Trump. Mr Giuliani was present during Mr Trump's call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, which is the subject of the impeachment inquiry. His own activities in Ukraine are also under investigation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 740, "answer_end": 2096, "text": "NBC investigative reporter Rich Shapiro says he received two voicemails from Mr Giuliani in the space of a month. He described them as the result of \"what is known, in casual parlance, as a butt dial\". A \"butt dial\" happens when someone unknowingly calls one of their contacts by accidentally applying pressure to their phone's buttons while it is in their pocket. Mr Shapiro missed the first call, mid-afternoon on 28 September, because he was at a child's birthday party. He had interviewed Mr Giuliani for an article the day before. For the entirety of the ensuing three-minute voicemail, the president's personal lawyer reportedly attacked Mr Biden and his family. \"Biden has been trading in on his public office since he was a senator,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly said to an unidentified man. In the conversation, he brought up the discredited allegations that Joe Biden, when vice-president, stopped an investigation in Ukraine to protect his son Hunter. \"He did the same thing in China. And he tried to do it in Kazakhstan and in Russia,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly added. In the second voicemail, left on the night of 16 October, Mr Giuliani again recorded a conversation with an unknown man. \"We need a few hundred thousand,\" Mr Giuliani reportedly said at one point, in a conversation that Mr Shapiro says covered Bahrain and an unknown man named Robert."}], "question": "What did Giuliani say?", "id": "435_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2097, "answer_end": 2622, "text": "Mr Giuliani was mayor of New York City from 1994 until 2001, and was in office during the 9/11 terror ttacks. He was one of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, before withdrawing and backing eventual candidate John McCain. Since April 2018, he has served as a lawyer for President Trump. Mr Giuliani was present during Mr Trump's call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, which is the subject of the impeachment inquiry. His own activities in Ukraine are also under investigation."}], "question": "Who is Rudy Giuliani?", "id": "435_1"}]}]}, {"title": "How the US and Rwanda have fallen out over second-hand clothes", "date": "28 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump's \"America First\" stance on global trade has hit Rwanda, by imposing tariffs on clothing exports from the tiny East African nation. The issue revolves around an obscure import, second-hand clothes, and Rwanda's refusal to back down from the fight. In March 2018, the US gave Rwanda 60 days' notice that it would be suspending the landlocked country from selling clothes to America duty free - a status it enjoys under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Agoa is the flagship US trade legislation designed to boost trade and investment in qualifying African countries by granting duty-free access to 6,500 exported products. \"The president's determinations underscore his commitment to enforcing our trade laws and ensuring fairness in our trade relationships,\" Deputy US Trade Representative CJ Mahoney said at the time. Those 60 days have now expired. The idea is to protect its nascent garment and textile industry. Many African nations were once home to vibrant textile industries. But decades of mismanagement, instability, and increased global competition have taken a toll. This can be seen in Ghana, where a study found that market liberalisation the 1980s had led to a sharp drop in textile and clothing jobs - from 25,000 people in 1977 to just 5,000 in 2000. Kenya had half a million garment workers a couple of decades ago. Today that number is in the tens of thousands. Second-hand clothing is one factor in the near-collapse of the garment industry in sub-Saharan Africa. The West's cast-offs were so cheap that local textile factories and self-employed tailors could not compete. According to a study by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), in 2015 the East African Community (EAC) accounted for nearly 13% of global imports of used clothing, worth $274m (PS205m). Around 67% of the population in East Africa purchased at least a portion of their clothes from used clothing markets, the USAID study found. East African governments argued that domestic demand for locally made clothes was being suffocated by cheap, second-hand clothes. So in 2015, countries in the EAC announced that second-hand apparel would be banned from their markets from 2019. In Rwanda's case, the government said wearing hand-me-downs threatened the dignity of its people. Rwanda increased tariffs on imported used clothes from $0.20 (PS0.15) to $2.50 (PS1.90) per kg in 2016. The eventual aim is to phase out all used-clothes imports. Its government hopes the move will help nurture their garment industry and create more than 25,000 jobs. It began when a trade organisation in the US filed a petition with the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The organisation, called the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMRTA), said that the EAC's 2016 decision to phase out used-clothing would impose \"significant economic hardship\"  on America's used-clothing industry. It estimated that EAC's second-hand apparel ban could cost 40,000 US jobs and $124m (PS93m) in exports. Those figures have raised some eyebrows. According to Reuters, SMRTA has not publicly disclosed the survey of its members used to calculate the job losses in the US, saying it contains proprietary information. \"The EAC has disputed a lot of the statistics SMRTA has used,\" Grant T Harris, who served as the principal adviser to former US President Barack Obama on issues related to Africa, told the BBC. By March 2017, USTR threatened to remove four East African countries - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda - from Agoa. Threats proved strong enough to ward them off. In mid 2017, Kenya said it would \"comply\" with Agoa and withdrew the proposed ban on used clothes. Kenya's benefits from Agoa are considerably higher than Rwanda: exports to the US amounted to nearly $600m (PS450m) in 2017, compared to just $43m (PS32m) for Rwanda. The USTR explained in a press statement why Tanzania and Uganda capitulated: \"The President is not suspending benefits for Tanzania and Uganda because each has taken steps toward eliminating prohibitive tariff rates on imports of used clothing and footwear and committed not to phase in a ban of these products.\" Yes and no. The US has every right under Agoa to require countries to eliminate trade barriers, which is its stated aim. \"But that doesn't make it the right thing to do,\" Mr Harris said. \"The broader goal of Agoa is to use trade to support development, economic growth.\" He added that the US provides duty-free access to its market to many other countries that have created barriers to US exports - this includes India and Brazil. \"If the US wants to take a principled stance and pursue actions against every country that is blocking its product, that would make more sense. \"To take this particular approach with Rwanda, which is working towards becoming a middle-income country, is not consistent with the broader goals of Agoa even if it is consistent with the letter of the law.\" He said the best way forward was for the administration to negotiate with Rwanda without using Agoa \"as a cudgel\". Read more: While the US is not Rwanda's largest export market, the move could hurt the country, Florie Liser, the former assistant US Trade representative for Africa, told the BBC's Newsday programme. \"I visited a production facility where... 150 women were producing bags for Kate Spade specifically to come into the US market duty-free through Agoa,\" Ms Liser said. Those jobs might be at risk and tariffs could scare off investors seeking to take advantage of Agoa, she said. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame seems willing to sacrifice economic growth. \"This is the choice we find that we have to make. As far as I am concerned, making the choice is simple [although] we might suffer consequences,\" he said in 2017. \"Rwanda and other countries in the region that are part of Agoa, have to do other things - we have to grow and establish our industries.\" The real winner in this dispute will be China, experts say. Chinese exports of cheap, ready-made clothes to East Africa is worth $1.2 bn, according to the USAID survey. This far outstrips the value of second-hand clothing imports, which are currently being bought by the poorest 40% of the population in East Africa. \"This will just open up more market space and greater dependency on them [China],\" Mr Harris said. \"The individuals buying the clothes won't have the means to buy domestic-made apparel, so they are going to turn to cheap, ready-made clothes from China.\" Some Rwandans are not thrilled by their government's tough policy. The used-clothing market in Rwanda employs more than 22,000 people in 2016 and was worth $17m (PS12m). That ecosystem is struggling since President Kagame's ban. Mariam, a clothes buyer in Kigali, told the BBC's Swahili service that the only thing you can find in clothes markets today is \"Chinese clothes and they are very expensive\". \"I understand that Rwanda needs to develop its own industries, I support the 'Made in Rwanda Campaign', but we are yet to see these industries. It would have been fair if the government allowed second-hand clothes for the sake of the poor,\" she said. Second-hand clothes trader, Rulinda Elmass, said he was not against the plan to develop local industries. \"But for now they are few, and almost non-existent.\" He said the fair thing would be to allow competition for second-hand clothes because \"people should be allowed to have choices\". \"As for the US sanctions, I think this is a big problem glaring the country. Everyone will suffer.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 274, "answer_end": 888, "text": "In March 2018, the US gave Rwanda 60 days' notice that it would be suspending the landlocked country from selling clothes to America duty free - a status it enjoys under the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Agoa is the flagship US trade legislation designed to boost trade and investment in qualifying African countries by granting duty-free access to 6,500 exported products. \"The president's determinations underscore his commitment to enforcing our trade laws and ensuring fairness in our trade relationships,\" Deputy US Trade Representative CJ Mahoney said at the time. Those 60 days have now expired."}], "question": "When did the dispute start?", "id": "436_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 889, "answer_end": 2581, "text": "The idea is to protect its nascent garment and textile industry. Many African nations were once home to vibrant textile industries. But decades of mismanagement, instability, and increased global competition have taken a toll. This can be seen in Ghana, where a study found that market liberalisation the 1980s had led to a sharp drop in textile and clothing jobs - from 25,000 people in 1977 to just 5,000 in 2000. Kenya had half a million garment workers a couple of decades ago. Today that number is in the tens of thousands. Second-hand clothing is one factor in the near-collapse of the garment industry in sub-Saharan Africa. The West's cast-offs were so cheap that local textile factories and self-employed tailors could not compete. According to a study by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), in 2015 the East African Community (EAC) accounted for nearly 13% of global imports of used clothing, worth $274m (PS205m). Around 67% of the population in East Africa purchased at least a portion of their clothes from used clothing markets, the USAID study found. East African governments argued that domestic demand for locally made clothes was being suffocated by cheap, second-hand clothes. So in 2015, countries in the EAC announced that second-hand apparel would be banned from their markets from 2019. In Rwanda's case, the government said wearing hand-me-downs threatened the dignity of its people. Rwanda increased tariffs on imported used clothes from $0.20 (PS0.15) to $2.50 (PS1.90) per kg in 2016. The eventual aim is to phase out all used-clothes imports. Its government hopes the move will help nurture their garment industry and create more than 25,000 jobs."}], "question": "Why did Rwanda ban the import of second-hand clothing?", "id": "436_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4188, "answer_end": 5097, "text": "Yes and no. The US has every right under Agoa to require countries to eliminate trade barriers, which is its stated aim. \"But that doesn't make it the right thing to do,\" Mr Harris said. \"The broader goal of Agoa is to use trade to support development, economic growth.\" He added that the US provides duty-free access to its market to many other countries that have created barriers to US exports - this includes India and Brazil. \"If the US wants to take a principled stance and pursue actions against every country that is blocking its product, that would make more sense. \"To take this particular approach with Rwanda, which is working towards becoming a middle-income country, is not consistent with the broader goals of Agoa even if it is consistent with the letter of the law.\" He said the best way forward was for the administration to negotiate with Rwanda without using Agoa \"as a cudgel\". Read more:"}], "question": "Is what the US doing fair?", "id": "436_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5098, "answer_end": 6512, "text": "While the US is not Rwanda's largest export market, the move could hurt the country, Florie Liser, the former assistant US Trade representative for Africa, told the BBC's Newsday programme. \"I visited a production facility where... 150 women were producing bags for Kate Spade specifically to come into the US market duty-free through Agoa,\" Ms Liser said. Those jobs might be at risk and tariffs could scare off investors seeking to take advantage of Agoa, she said. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame seems willing to sacrifice economic growth. \"This is the choice we find that we have to make. As far as I am concerned, making the choice is simple [although] we might suffer consequences,\" he said in 2017. \"Rwanda and other countries in the region that are part of Agoa, have to do other things - we have to grow and establish our industries.\" The real winner in this dispute will be China, experts say. Chinese exports of cheap, ready-made clothes to East Africa is worth $1.2 bn, according to the USAID survey. This far outstrips the value of second-hand clothing imports, which are currently being bought by the poorest 40% of the population in East Africa. \"This will just open up more market space and greater dependency on them [China],\" Mr Harris said. \"The individuals buying the clothes won't have the means to buy domestic-made apparel, so they are going to turn to cheap, ready-made clothes from China.\""}], "question": "How will this affect Rwanda?", "id": "436_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia: Spain agrees to extradite Farc 'abortions nurse'", "date": "28 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spain has agreed to extradite to Colombia a former Farc rebel accused of carrying out 300 forced abortions on women fighters, some of them underage. Hector Arboleda Albeidis Buitrago, who has Spanish nationality, was detained in Madrid in December 2015. He will face trial in Colombia for murder, attempted murder and abortion without consent. Mr Arboleda Buitrago had been working as a nurse with no medical training, Colombian prosecutors say. On Friday, Spanish authorities gave the green light to a Colombian justice minister's request and agreed to hand him over to a court in Bogota. His arrest in 2015 formed part of an investigation relating to 150 cases involving former Farc fighters who said they had been forced to terminate their pregnancies. Known as \"The Nurse\", Mr Arboleda Buitrago is accused of taking part in most of those abortions. Colombian authorities said the procedures were carried out in filthy conditions, with no medication, on women who were often in their final months of pregnancy. They added that the women came from indigenous communities and should have been protected during their pregnancies and should have been relieved of their duties as Farc officers. Female rebels were compelled to have abortions so as not to undermine their fighting ability, although the left-wing rebels have denied this in the past, saying that contraception was made available. In an interview with the BBC in 2015, one female rebel in Bogota said that she had been forced to have five abortions. She said that women in the organisation were expected to fight, and those who were allowed to have babies considered themselves lucky. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc, after the initials in Spanish) are Colombia's largest rebel group. They were founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Communist Party and follow a Marxist-Leninist ideology. Their main founders were small farmers and land workers who had banded together to fight against the staggering levels of inequality in Colombia at the time. While the Farc have some urban groups, they have always been an overwhelmingly rural guerrilla organisation. In November 2016, the Colombian government and the Farc rebel group announced a second peace agreement after an initial deal was rejected. The conflict up to this point had lasted more than five decades and resulted in about 260,000 deaths, with millions of people displaced.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1647, "answer_end": 2413, "text": "The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc, after the initials in Spanish) are Colombia's largest rebel group. They were founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Communist Party and follow a Marxist-Leninist ideology. Their main founders were small farmers and land workers who had banded together to fight against the staggering levels of inequality in Colombia at the time. While the Farc have some urban groups, they have always been an overwhelmingly rural guerrilla organisation. In November 2016, the Colombian government and the Farc rebel group announced a second peace agreement after an initial deal was rejected. The conflict up to this point had lasted more than five decades and resulted in about 260,000 deaths, with millions of people displaced."}], "question": "Who are the Farc?", "id": "437_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Uber CEO calls Jamal Khashoggi murder 'serious mistake'", "date": "11 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The chief executive of ride-hailing app Uber has called the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi \"a mistake\", comparing it to his firm's failings with self-driving cars. Pressed on Saudi links with Uber in a TV interview, Dara Khosrowshahi said: \"People make mistakes, it doesn't mean they can never be forgiven.\" He later said the comments were wrong. Khashoggi - a US resident and prominent Saudi critic - was killed in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate last year. Saudi Arabia is Uber's fifth-largest shareholder and the head of its sovereign wealth fund is also on the company's board of directors. Mr Khosrowshahi made the remarks during a discussion about Saudi Arabia's involvement in Khashoggi's murder as part of the series Axios on HBO. When pressed on whether a representative from Saudi Arabia should remain on Uber's board, he said: \"I think that government said that they made a mistake.\" He went on: \"It's a serious mistake, we've made mistakes too, right, with self-driving and we stopped driving and we're recovering from that mistake.\" He was referring to Uber's self-driving cars, one of which struck and killed a woman in 2018 when it \"failed\" to identify her as a pedestrian. Following the interview, Mr Khosrowshahi sent an email to Axios backtracking on his comments. \"I said something in the moment that I do not believe,\" he wrote. \"When it comes to Jamal Khashoggi, his murder was reprehensible and should not be forgotten or excused.\" Mr Khosrowshahi was appointed CEO in 2017, after former chief executive Travis Kalanick resigned amid pressure from shareholders. Mr Kalanick, Uber's billionaire co-founder, resigned after a spate of controversies at the firm. Issues included complaints from employees about a sexist and macho company culture and that accusations of sexual harassment were not taken seriously. He remains a member of the board of directors. On 2 October 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered. Conflicting narratives emerged after his death over how he died and who was responsible. Saudi officials claimed he was murdered in a \"rogue operation\" carried about by a team of agents, while others - including Turkish officials and the CIA - said the agents acted on orders from the highest levels of the Saudi government, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A UN expert earlier this year concluded that Khashoggi's death was \"an extrajudicial execution\" and that there was credible evidence\" that the crown prince and other high-level officials were individually liable.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1892, "answer_end": 2573, "text": "On 2 October 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered. Conflicting narratives emerged after his death over how he died and who was responsible. Saudi officials claimed he was murdered in a \"rogue operation\" carried about by a team of agents, while others - including Turkish officials and the CIA - said the agents acted on orders from the highest levels of the Saudi government, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A UN expert earlier this year concluded that Khashoggi's death was \"an extrajudicial execution\" and that there was credible evidence\" that the crown prince and other high-level officials were individually liable."}], "question": "What happened to Jamal Khashoggi?", "id": "438_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Tower block fires: Did government act on advice?", "date": "16 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In the wake of the disaster at a west London tower block in which 30 people have been confirmed dead so far, there have been accusations that the government has ignored lessons from previous tower block fires. Over the past few decades, successive governments have made changes to fire regulations for residential premises, to try to reduce deaths. Modern high-rise buildings in England, Scotland and Wales must be fitted with sprinklers, but calls for more to be done to improve safety in older tower blocks increased following major fires in south London in 2009 and in Southampton in 2010. Following the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower in west London this week, which quickly engulfed the 24-storey block, the government has been accused of failing to ensure sprinklers were fitted to older blocks and of failing to update building regulations. Ministers have stressed that at this stage, the exact cause of the Grenfell Tower fire is not known, but Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC that following such a high number of deaths: \"Clearly something has gone disastrously wrong ... something needs to change\". The former Conservative housing minister Mark Prisk told BBC Radio 5live that clearly not enough time had been spent reviewing fire safety in recent years and ministers \"need to do more\". There has been criticism that warnings were ignored from a coroner's report in March 2013 following a deadly 2009 fire in south London - at Lakanal House in Southwark. Coroner Frances Kirkham wrote to then Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, flagging up several areas of concern. She did not say sprinklers must be installed in all high-rise blocks but recommended that the government \"encourage\" housing providers responsible for high rise flats \"to consider the retro-fitting of sprinkler systems\". She said there was \"insufficient clarity\" on advice given to high-rise residents about what to do in case of a fire - and recommended the government publish new guidance about how advice to \"stay put\" should be seen in relation to the \"get out and stay out\" policy. On building regulations, the coroner said one of the documents - Approved Document B, which relates to fire safety - was \"a most difficult document to use\" and recommended it be reviewed. In particular it says the section relating to \"external fire spread\", regulation B4, should \"provide clear guidance\" with regard to \"the spread of fire\" over the outside of a building and whether \"attention should be paid to whether proposed [building] work might reduce existing fire protection\". Shadow housing secretary John Healey has said the government should \"start to act now\" on the coroner's report by \"installing sprinklers in the high-risk blocks\", overhauling the building regulations and \"make sure people do have clear advice and information when they live in high-rise blocks like this about what to do when there's a fire\". He has accused the government of having previously \"rejected out of hand even encouraging the retrofitting of these sprinkler systems in other high-rise blocks\". Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC \"all recommendations were actioned\" following the coroner's report. His predecessor, Sir Eric Pickles, responded to the coroner that he was committed to making the safety of high-rise residents a \"priority\". He said \"detailed national guidance\" had been issued to councils over fire safety advice and about \"encouraging\" housing providers to \"consider\" fitting sprinklers to older blocks, following another coroner's recommendation. On the need to review fire safety building regulations, he said he had \"noted\" concerns and research had been commissioned which would \"feed into a future review\" which was expected to result in a new version of regulations to be published in 2016/17. No new laws were brought in to require landlords to \"retro-fit\" older high-rises with sprinklers. Since 2007 all new tower blocks in England over 30m high must be fitted with sprinklers by law. In Scotland, buildings over 18m high, must be fitted with sprinklers to meet building regulations introduced in 2005. In Wales, all new homes must have sprinklers. Before the coroner's report, in 2011, the Lib Dem DCLG minister Andrew Stunnell told MPs:  \"It is the chief fire and rescue adviser's view that it would not be economically viable or practical to fit sprinklers to all existing high-rise residential buildings\" and it was up to individual landlords to decide if they were needed. The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), the trade body for the fire sprinkler industry, said retrofitting Grenfell Tower with sprinklers might have cost PS200,000. This is the figure for installing a sprinkler system but does not include potential maintenance fees or costs associated with the wider redevelopment of a building. Costing will of course vary from building to building. After the Shirley Towers fire in 2010, it cost the council PS1m to install sprinklers in three tower blocks. The cost can be high because in blocks made of concrete and steel like Grenfell, the process is difficult and time-consuming. So the focus has been on other measures which would contain a fire to stop it spreading. A review of building regulations relating to fire safety was promised in 2016 but has not yet been published. Then housing minister Gavin Barwell - now Theresa May's chief of staff - said part B of the regulations would be reviewed following the Lakanal House fire. The DCLG has said it was \"simply not true\" to suggest ministers had \"sat\" on the review and work was continuing, after Labour MPs accused the government of kicking the issue \"into the long grass\". Ronnie King, the Labour chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on fire safety said the regulations \"badly need updating\" and \"three successive ministers have not done it\". He said he believed the government viewed the regulations as \"red tape\" that would place a burden on business. A report to the Home Office in the early 1990s, by the architect Sam Webb reportedly warned that many buildings did not meet basic standards. A report by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee published in 2000 looked at how fire could spread via external cladding systems. It concluded that the evidence did not suggest most cladding posed a serious fire risk but added: \"We do not believe that it should take a serious fire in which many people are killed before all reasonable steps are taken towards minimising the risks\". July 2001: One person killed in a 15-storey building in Ramsgate, Kent, after a fire breaks out on the ninth floor July 2009: Six people, three of them children, killed at 14-storey Lakanal House, Camberwell in south London after a fire caused by a faulty TV April 2010: Two firefighters die tackling a fire at a 15-storey block of flats July 2010: A fire at a 15-storey tower block is tackled by about 100 firefighters - no one is killed November 2011: Two women die in Deptford, south London, at a fire in the 17-storey Mermaid tower block. January 2012: More than 100 people evacuated from 22-storey block in Swiss Cottage, north-west London, as fire guts the 17th floor June 2016: A fire spreads from ground floor flat to other flats in 16-storey block in Brixton, south London, dozens of people are moved to safety August 2016: Faulty tumble dryer is blamed for a fire which damages an 18-storey tower block in Shepherd's Bush, west London September 2016: Sixty fire fighters sent to 17-storey block of flats in Portsmouth after fire breaks out", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 210, "answer_end": 1313, "text": "Over the past few decades, successive governments have made changes to fire regulations for residential premises, to try to reduce deaths. Modern high-rise buildings in England, Scotland and Wales must be fitted with sprinklers, but calls for more to be done to improve safety in older tower blocks increased following major fires in south London in 2009 and in Southampton in 2010. Following the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower in west London this week, which quickly engulfed the 24-storey block, the government has been accused of failing to ensure sprinklers were fitted to older blocks and of failing to update building regulations. Ministers have stressed that at this stage, the exact cause of the Grenfell Tower fire is not known, but Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC that following such a high number of deaths: \"Clearly something has gone disastrously wrong ... something needs to change\". The former Conservative housing minister Mark Prisk told BBC Radio 5live that clearly not enough time had been spent reviewing fire safety in recent years and ministers \"need to do more\"."}], "question": "Could the government have done more?", "id": "439_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1314, "answer_end": 2566, "text": "There has been criticism that warnings were ignored from a coroner's report in March 2013 following a deadly 2009 fire in south London - at Lakanal House in Southwark. Coroner Frances Kirkham wrote to then Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, flagging up several areas of concern. She did not say sprinklers must be installed in all high-rise blocks but recommended that the government \"encourage\" housing providers responsible for high rise flats \"to consider the retro-fitting of sprinkler systems\". She said there was \"insufficient clarity\" on advice given to high-rise residents about what to do in case of a fire - and recommended the government publish new guidance about how advice to \"stay put\" should be seen in relation to the \"get out and stay out\" policy. On building regulations, the coroner said one of the documents - Approved Document B, which relates to fire safety - was \"a most difficult document to use\" and recommended it be reviewed. In particular it says the section relating to \"external fire spread\", regulation B4, should \"provide clear guidance\" with regard to \"the spread of fire\" over the outside of a building and whether \"attention should be paid to whether proposed [building] work might reduce existing fire protection\"."}], "question": "What did the Lakanal House coroner recommend?", "id": "439_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2567, "answer_end": 3071, "text": "Shadow housing secretary John Healey has said the government should \"start to act now\" on the coroner's report by \"installing sprinklers in the high-risk blocks\", overhauling the building regulations and \"make sure people do have clear advice and information when they live in high-rise blocks like this about what to do when there's a fire\". He has accused the government of having previously \"rejected out of hand even encouraging the retrofitting of these sprinkler systems in other high-rise blocks\"."}], "question": "What does Labour say?", "id": "439_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3072, "answer_end": 3901, "text": "Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC \"all recommendations were actioned\" following the coroner's report. His predecessor, Sir Eric Pickles, responded to the coroner that he was committed to making the safety of high-rise residents a \"priority\". He said \"detailed national guidance\" had been issued to councils over fire safety advice and about \"encouraging\" housing providers to \"consider\" fitting sprinklers to older blocks, following another coroner's recommendation. On the need to review fire safety building regulations, he said he had \"noted\" concerns and research had been commissioned which would \"feed into a future review\" which was expected to result in a new version of regulations to be published in 2016/17. No new laws were brought in to require landlords to \"retro-fit\" older high-rises with sprinklers."}], "question": "Did ministers do nothing?", "id": "439_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3902, "answer_end": 4161, "text": "Since 2007 all new tower blocks in England over 30m high must be fitted with sprinklers by law. In Scotland, buildings over 18m high, must be fitted with sprinklers to meet building regulations introduced in 2005. In Wales, all new homes must have sprinklers."}], "question": "What are the laws on sprinklers?", "id": "439_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4162, "answer_end": 5216, "text": "Before the coroner's report, in 2011, the Lib Dem DCLG minister Andrew Stunnell told MPs:  \"It is the chief fire and rescue adviser's view that it would not be economically viable or practical to fit sprinklers to all existing high-rise residential buildings\" and it was up to individual landlords to decide if they were needed. The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), the trade body for the fire sprinkler industry, said retrofitting Grenfell Tower with sprinklers might have cost PS200,000. This is the figure for installing a sprinkler system but does not include potential maintenance fees or costs associated with the wider redevelopment of a building. Costing will of course vary from building to building. After the Shirley Towers fire in 2010, it cost the council PS1m to install sprinklers in three tower blocks. The cost can be high because in blocks made of concrete and steel like Grenfell, the process is difficult and time-consuming. So the focus has been on other measures which would contain a fire to stop it spreading."}], "question": "Is it a question of money?", "id": "439_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5970, "answer_end": 6515, "text": "A report to the Home Office in the early 1990s, by the architect Sam Webb reportedly warned that many buildings did not meet basic standards. A report by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee published in 2000 looked at how fire could spread via external cladding systems. It concluded that the evidence did not suggest most cladding posed a serious fire risk but added: \"We do not believe that it should take a serious fire in which many people are killed before all reasonable steps are taken towards minimising the risks\"."}], "question": "What other warnings had there been?", "id": "439_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Spain vows to protect opposition figure at embassy", "date": "3 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spain has said it will not allow Venezuelan authorities to enter its embassy in Caracas and arrest a leading opposition figure, Leopoldo Lopez. Mr Lopez sought refuge there on Tuesday after appearing with opposition leader Juan Guaido to call for a rebellion to oust President Nicolas Maduro. Speaking to reporters, he said more \"military movements\" were on the way. A defiant Mr Maduro has said \"any coup plotter\" would be defeated. Four people have died in clashes since Tuesday. Both President Maduro and Mr Guaido claim they have the support of the armed forces and have been staging rival rallies in the capital. In January, Mr Guaido declared himself Venezuela's interim leader and he has the support of more than 50 countries including the US, UK and most Latin America nations. But Mr Maduro - who is backed by Russia and China - has refused to cede power. In a statement, the Spanish foreign ministry said that under no circumstance would it force Mr Lopez to leave the embassy building. Spain's government also said that Mr Lopez and his family had sought safety in their embassy but had not claimed political asylum. Speaking from the diplomatic mission, Mr Lopez said he had met senior Venezuelan military officers before Tuesday's events. \"The fissure that opened on 30 April will become a crack and that crack is what is going to break the levee,\" he said. Mr Lopez had been under house arrest but said he was released on Tuesday by security agents backing the opposition. A Venezuelan court has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Lopez for violating house arrest. It says Mr Lopez should serve the rest of his 13-year sentence in prison. He was arrested in 2014 and accused of fuelling violent protests that left dozens of people dead that year. Meanwhile, footage shared on social media on Thursday appeared to show the Spanish embassy being surrounded by the Venezuelan military. On Thursday, he appeared flanked by soldiers at an army base in Caracas, in a show of defiance towards his opponents. He praised the army's loyalty, warning that \"no-one dare touch our sacred ground or bring war to Venezuela\". He was speaking after Mr Guaido had urged public employees to hold a series of strikes to force the government to resign. Mr Guaido on Tuesday declared what he called the \"final phase\" of the operation to topple Mr Maduro. Tensions are rising between the US and Russia over the crisis. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US may take military action to resolve the crisis, and accused Russia and Cuba of destabilising the country through their support for Mr Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told Mr Pompeo that America's influence over Venezuela is destructive and a violation of international law. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed for both sides in Venezuela to avoid violence, while the EU has called for \"utmost restraint to avoid the loss of lives and an escalation in tensions\". An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 865, "answer_end": 1893, "text": "In a statement, the Spanish foreign ministry said that under no circumstance would it force Mr Lopez to leave the embassy building. Spain's government also said that Mr Lopez and his family had sought safety in their embassy but had not claimed political asylum. Speaking from the diplomatic mission, Mr Lopez said he had met senior Venezuelan military officers before Tuesday's events. \"The fissure that opened on 30 April will become a crack and that crack is what is going to break the levee,\" he said. Mr Lopez had been under house arrest but said he was released on Tuesday by security agents backing the opposition. A Venezuelan court has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Lopez for violating house arrest. It says Mr Lopez should serve the rest of his 13-year sentence in prison. He was arrested in 2014 and accused of fuelling violent protests that left dozens of people dead that year. Meanwhile, footage shared on social media on Thursday appeared to show the Spanish embassy being surrounded by the Venezuelan military."}], "question": "What did Lopez say?", "id": "440_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1894, "answer_end": 2343, "text": "On Thursday, he appeared flanked by soldiers at an army base in Caracas, in a show of defiance towards his opponents. He praised the army's loyalty, warning that \"no-one dare touch our sacred ground or bring war to Venezuela\". He was speaking after Mr Guaido had urged public employees to hold a series of strikes to force the government to resign. Mr Guaido on Tuesday declared what he called the \"final phase\" of the operation to topple Mr Maduro."}], "question": "What has Maduro been doing?", "id": "440_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2344, "answer_end": 3050, "text": "Tensions are rising between the US and Russia over the crisis. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US may take military action to resolve the crisis, and accused Russia and Cuba of destabilising the country through their support for Mr Maduro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told Mr Pompeo that America's influence over Venezuela is destructive and a violation of international law. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appealed for both sides in Venezuela to avoid violence, while the EU has called for \"utmost restraint to avoid the loss of lives and an escalation in tensions\". An emergency meeting of the Lima Group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday."}], "question": "What international reaction has there been?", "id": "440_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why do homes in the UK have separate hot and cold taps?", "date": "24 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "British homes have certain quirks which can puzzle people from overseas. Why are there separate taps for hot and cold water? Why are there pull cords instead of light switches in bathrooms? And why are there wheelie bins outside front doors? We asked the experts to answer these questions from curious visitors. \"I've always wondered why you have two taps completely separated from each other in the same sink,\" asked Claudio Marongiu, 28, from Italy. \"You burn or you freeze, it seems like there isn't another choice.\" Batool Fatima, 36, who moved to Cheshire from Pakistan six years ago said she had not warmed to the idea and it had been hotly debated in family conversation. We asked Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. \"This tradition dates back to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination through cross connection,\" he said. \"Cold water came from a mains supply and was fit for drinking. Hot water would be serviced by a local storage cistern often situated in the loft. \"This caused an imbalance of pressures which meant that if incorrect taps and valves were installed one stream of water could force its way across to the other.\" Water bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed because water that had been sitting in a tank in the loft was not deemed safe to drink, he said. As far back as 1965 a code of practice called CP 310 advised that wherever possible hot water taps should be placed on the left. \"One of the reasons to maintain that over the years was reported to be so that the visually impaired would always know which sides the hot and cold were on,\" said Mr Wellman. \"When mixer taps came into vogue there was still a requirement to make sure water didn't mix until it came out of the tap,\" he said. \"So if you look closely you might be able to see the hot coming from the left hand side and the cold the right.\" Tourists may be puzzled as to why the British pull a string from the ceiling to turn on the light in the bathroom. Fahmi Othman, 26, from Malaysia, asked us to enlighten her about this British quirk that baffled her on annual visits to the UK. John O'Neill is technical engineering manager at NICEIC, a registration body for the electrical contracting industry. He said: \"In the UK we follow British Standard Requirements for Electrical Installations. \"These consider the bathroom to be an area of increased risk because the body could become immersed in water in the bath. \"The body's resistance to electricity drops significantly when immersed or partially immersed in water. \"We judge it more likely that contact with live electrical parts would likely increase the effect of an electrical shock, and under some circumstances shocks could be fatal. \"It's not about having wet hands because you can have sockets and switches in the kitchen - it's about immersion. You should not be able to be in the bath and reach out and switch anything on. \"Pull cords are allowed because you cannot come into contact with the switch.\" Mr O'Neill said other countries allowed power sockets and switches in their bathrooms but it had nothing to do with a difference in voltage. \"It's about perceived risk and the regulations in place in this country,\" he said. \"Why is it that outside every beautiful home on every street in the UK there's garbage bins standing out like the pride and glory of every home?\" asked Stephanie Taylor Jamal, 46, who moved to Watford from Bangalore in India. She said although rubbish overflowed on the streets in some parts of her home city, wheelie bins were kept out of sight at home. \"This is such a beautiful country - to find these bins so carelessly tossed right in front of homes - the quaintness of the town or city is lost,\" she said. Elizabeth Shove, professor of sociology at Lancaster University, told the BBC: \"Having bins relates to the institutionalization of rubbish collection which is likely why they are kept outside.\" The 1848 Public Health Act introduced the first municipal household refuse collections. At this time people burned their rubbish and deposited the ash in ashpit privies in the back yard wall for collection. \"By the 1900s, ashpits were no longer capable of handling household wastes,\" according to a paper co-written by Ms Shove. \"Their fixed location in backyard walls made collection arrangements inflexible and the small capacity made it unsuitable for higher volume wastes.\" Metal bins in the 1950s gave way to large plastic bins in the 1960s and these were put outside the front of houses for bin collections by road. Homes in areas with a high population may not have outside space at the back or sides for bins to be stored, leaving residents no choice but to keep them outside their front doors, said a National House Building Council report into \"bin blight\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 312, "answer_end": 1940, "text": "\"I've always wondered why you have two taps completely separated from each other in the same sink,\" asked Claudio Marongiu, 28, from Italy. \"You burn or you freeze, it seems like there isn't another choice.\" Batool Fatima, 36, who moved to Cheshire from Pakistan six years ago said she had not warmed to the idea and it had been hotly debated in family conversation. We asked Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. \"This tradition dates back to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination through cross connection,\" he said. \"Cold water came from a mains supply and was fit for drinking. Hot water would be serviced by a local storage cistern often situated in the loft. \"This caused an imbalance of pressures which meant that if incorrect taps and valves were installed one stream of water could force its way across to the other.\" Water bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed because water that had been sitting in a tank in the loft was not deemed safe to drink, he said. As far back as 1965 a code of practice called CP 310 advised that wherever possible hot water taps should be placed on the left. \"One of the reasons to maintain that over the years was reported to be so that the visually impaired would always know which sides the hot and cold were on,\" said Mr Wellman. \"When mixer taps came into vogue there was still a requirement to make sure water didn't mix until it came out of the tap,\" he said. \"So if you look closely you might be able to see the hot coming from the left hand side and the cold the right.\""}], "question": "Why are there separate taps for hot and cold water?", "id": "441_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1941, "answer_end": 3288, "text": "Tourists may be puzzled as to why the British pull a string from the ceiling to turn on the light in the bathroom. Fahmi Othman, 26, from Malaysia, asked us to enlighten her about this British quirk that baffled her on annual visits to the UK. John O'Neill is technical engineering manager at NICEIC, a registration body for the electrical contracting industry. He said: \"In the UK we follow British Standard Requirements for Electrical Installations. \"These consider the bathroom to be an area of increased risk because the body could become immersed in water in the bath. \"The body's resistance to electricity drops significantly when immersed or partially immersed in water. \"We judge it more likely that contact with live electrical parts would likely increase the effect of an electrical shock, and under some circumstances shocks could be fatal. \"It's not about having wet hands because you can have sockets and switches in the kitchen - it's about immersion. You should not be able to be in the bath and reach out and switch anything on. \"Pull cords are allowed because you cannot come into contact with the switch.\" Mr O'Neill said other countries allowed power sockets and switches in their bathrooms but it had nothing to do with a difference in voltage. \"It's about perceived risk and the regulations in place in this country,\" he said."}], "question": "Why do bathrooms have string as a light switch?", "id": "441_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3289, "answer_end": 4862, "text": "\"Why is it that outside every beautiful home on every street in the UK there's garbage bins standing out like the pride and glory of every home?\" asked Stephanie Taylor Jamal, 46, who moved to Watford from Bangalore in India. She said although rubbish overflowed on the streets in some parts of her home city, wheelie bins were kept out of sight at home. \"This is such a beautiful country - to find these bins so carelessly tossed right in front of homes - the quaintness of the town or city is lost,\" she said. Elizabeth Shove, professor of sociology at Lancaster University, told the BBC: \"Having bins relates to the institutionalization of rubbish collection which is likely why they are kept outside.\" The 1848 Public Health Act introduced the first municipal household refuse collections. At this time people burned their rubbish and deposited the ash in ashpit privies in the back yard wall for collection. \"By the 1900s, ashpits were no longer capable of handling household wastes,\" according to a paper co-written by Ms Shove. \"Their fixed location in backyard walls made collection arrangements inflexible and the small capacity made it unsuitable for higher volume wastes.\" Metal bins in the 1950s gave way to large plastic bins in the 1960s and these were put outside the front of houses for bin collections by road. Homes in areas with a high population may not have outside space at the back or sides for bins to be stored, leaving residents no choice but to keep them outside their front doors, said a National House Building Council report into \"bin blight\"."}], "question": "Why are there bins outside front doors?", "id": "441_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Veganism: How a maligned movement went mainstream", "date": "30 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Malnourished, sanctimonious, hemp-clad, sandal-wearing, bearded, animal-cuddling, lentil-munching hippies. This has been the image of vegans for a long time, but a new generation is challenging the stereotypes. How has social media taken such a maligned movement and helped make 2017 the year veganism went mainstream? It's the word that has launched millions upon millions of hashtagged Instagram photos - vegan. Yet there were just a few people present when woodwork teacher Donald Watson, a member of the Leicester Vegetarian Society, called a meeting in 1944 and settled on the term. They took the first three and last two letters of \"vegetarian\" to make \"veg-an\" because it marked, in Mr Watson's words, \"the beginning and end of vegetarian\". If they had opted for one of the other suggestions then countless Instagrammers could now be hashtagging their photos with #benevore #vitan #dairyban #sanivore or #beaumangeur. Others had abstained from eating and using animal products before the term vegan was coined, but giving the movement a name and founding the Vegan Society helped it to spread. Back then, decades before the invention of home computers, Mr Watson produced newsletters called \"Vegan News\", laboriously running pages through a duplicating machine by hand and stapling them together. He told an interviewer: \"I'd limited the number of people, who subscribed their five shillings a year, to 500, because I couldn't cope with a bigger number.\" Now, of course, vegans like Monami Frost can reach thousands and even millions of people in a few seconds, by uploading a photo or video from their phone. \"I started my YouTube channel as just another way to connect more with the people that follow me,\" says the 23-year-old, who already had a popular Instagram account before she became a YouTuber. \"I always wanted to show that I am just like everyone else, just a young mum that loves tattoos, loves her family, loves her vegan lifestyle and wants to share that with everyone and share some cooking videos.\" Monami has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and more than 570,000 subscribers on YouTube. Her most popular video about veganism features her daughter Gabriela talking about what she eats in a day and has attracted more than 800,000 views. She is originally from Riga in Latvia but moved to Liverpool when she was 16, and has been rated as the second most influential vegan creator in the UK by Tubular, which analyses data about videos posted on social media platforms. Every day she gets messages from people telling her how she inspired them to go vegan, or people walking up to her in the street. \"It is just mind blowing for me, that I have helped someone change their life and at the same time save so many animals' lives,\" she says. In the past, vegans abstained from animal products mainly for ethical reasons but people are increasingly making the switch for health reasons, including many vegan athletes. Monami admits that she too was motivated by health when she and her husband became vegan almost four years ago. \"We were really concentrating on eating only plant-based whole foods and making everything from scratch,\" she says. \"Right after a week or two we noticed so many positive changes.\" However, as they did more research into animal agriculture they became \"ethical vegans\". \"Once we learned more about what animals go through then we realised how important it is to fight for the animals and educate some people and help them open their eyes to the reality,\" she says. \"Now I can say that I am vegan for the animals. I am trying to be the voice for the voiceless.\" Monami's gender and age reflect the typical audience that engages with vegan content on YouTube - namely young women. \"The core audience on YouTube engaging with vegan content are women aged 18-26, making up 36% of all engagements globally,\" says Denis Crushell, vice president of Europe for Tubular. \"Audiences who watch veganism videos also tend to watch videos related to health, nutrition, dieting and fitness as well as channels which publish food and drink, beauty and entertainment content.\" Monami is also typical of influential vegan YouTubers in that her channel is not just about veganism. \"Many of the most influential vegan creators don't create content solely about veganism - they have built a large audience from publishing other types of content,\" says Mr Crushell. \"For example, robinbirrell mostly publishes entertainment content.\" The US is the biggest consumer of veganism content but the UK also has a large vegan audience. In the past 90 days on YouTube, 6% of all veganism content globally was consumed by audiences located in the UK. The Vegan Society thinks the rise of veganism online is mirrored in the real world, and describes veganism as \"the fastest growing lifestyle movement\". In 2016 it commissioned research by Ipsos Mori which suggested there were at least 542,000 people - or 1.05% of the 15 and over population in England, Scotland and Wales - following a vegan diet. Ten years before the estimated number of vegans was just 150,000. Close to half - 42% - of all vegans were in the 15-34 age category, compared to just 14% of people who were over 65, so the Vegan Society predicts veganism will continue to grow in future as it continues to be adopted by younger generations. \"We did a survey where we asked people about their perceptions of veganism and found that non-vegans actually often said that they admired vegans,\" says Samantha Calvert from the Vegan Society. \"That wouldn't have been the case 20 or 30 years ago. People would have described vegans as extreme and unnecessary. 'Taking it too far' would have been the expression. \"Now we're a group of people that people feel are something to admire and I think there's been a cultural shift in that sense.\" She believes celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z - who have dabbled with plant-based diets - and Miley Cyrus - who has the Vegan Society's trademark tattooed on her left arm - helped kickstart this change in perception. \"It was suddenly being associated with the celebrities, with the successful people, with the beautiful people,\" she says. \"There are other things that are also having an impact as well. The availability of more vegan food in restaurants, the fact that food is more clearly labelled, all the beautiful photographs of vegan food on Instagram. \"A lot of young people are very aware of environmental issues and are making the change for that reason. I think people are more aware there are so many reasons to be vegan now.\" January is traditionally a time for new beginnings and resolutions and the Veganuary campaign taps into this. It challenges people to try veganism for one month in the hope they will either give up or reduce their consumption of animal products permanently once January is over. The idea was thought up by vegan couple Jane Land and Matthew Glover in autumn 2013, while having a wine-fuelled discussion about Movember and how a similar campaign could reduce animal suffering. Jane thought Matthew was slurring his words when he said \"Ve-gan-u-ary\". \"Maybe he was,\" says Jane, \"but it actually made sense.\" Within a couple of months they had created the brand and a website, and 3,300 people signed up for Veganuary 2014. By 2017 this had grown to 59,500, and due to \"the number of vegans rising exponentially\" Jane expects 150,000 people to participate in Veganuary 2018. Surprisingly, Veganuary survey results suggest that many meat eaters are converting straight to veganism, whereas in the past, vegetarianism was the traditional route into veganism. Of the 59,500 people who signed up for 2017, the majority - 44% - were meat eaters, while 38% were vegetarian and 18% were pescetarian. At the end of the month, 77% said they had eaten only vegan food in January, and 67% said they intended to stay vegan. \"We know that people who change a behaviour for a month find it easier to change habits in the long term,\" says Matthew. \"January seemed like the logical choice for us, with people committing to new year's resolutions and wanting to improve their lives and help others.\" More vegans means more demand for vegan products in shops and restaurants. In the past, vegans had to turn to smaller, specialist and often independent businesses, but now big companies are supplying the demand too. 2017 was the year that Pizza Express introduced a vegan mozzarella alternative on its menu, Ben and Jerry's brought its range of non-dairy ice cream to the UK and even Bailey's introduced a vegan-friendly variety made from almond milk. \"Having been vegan for coming up to 20 years, I can tell you I feel as though I'm living in some futuristic dreamscape as far as availability of vegan products goes,\" says Sean O'Callaghan, also known as blogger Fat Gay Vegan. \"The most noticeable change would definitely be the extreme commodification of veganism by major retailers who have seen the profits to be made by selling plant-based foods on a large scale. \"Of course the ease with which you can buy plant milks and vegan cheese means life in the UK for vegans is less hassle. Even mainstream restaurant chains are falling over themselves to offer vegan menus.\" Marks & Spencer says that vegan products are one of the biggest requests it receives from its customers. \"We have expanded our vegan selection due to an increased demand from our customers, who have been telling us that they are interested in trying more vegan food and drink,\" said James Newton Brown, head of product development. M&S has changed its labelling so that vegetarian products suitable for vegans are now specifically labelled as vegan. So has Sainsbury's, which also expanded its range of own-label vegan cheese, temporarily renamed \"Gary\" after a Facebook rant by a \"real cheese fan\" went viral. \"At one time vegan food had this reputation for being rather expensive specialist stuff, whereas you can buy mince pies for 89p or something in Asda that carry our trademark,\" says Samantha Calvert. \"One of the barriers still is that people feel the change will be difficult for them, and the easier we make that I think the more people will become vegan. \"The easier it gets, the more people will feel that they can become vegan.\" Fat Gay Vegan blogger Sean describes 2017 as \"the year veganism broke through to the broader mainstream in ways we have never seen before\". \"I'm not sure a day went by during the year where at least one mainstream newspaper wasn't reporting on vegan advancements,\" he says. But while veganism seems to have exploded in 2017, Samantha from the Vegan Society said this followed a steady growth over more than five years. \"If you had asked me in 2012 I would have thought that maybe by now it would be calming down, that people would have moved on to another trend,\" she says. \"You tend to expect these things to ebb and flow but they don't usually last this long and that's been the interesting thing.\" The Vegan Society has been running something called the Vegan Pledge since 2008, where it helps people become vegan in 30 days. Their statistics show that most people who complete the pledge remain vegan; for example 82% of people who did so in 2014 are still vegan now and 14% are trying to be vegan. \"It feels more like it might be here to stay, that this is something that's sticking rather than just being something that's trendy for a few years and then people move on to the next new thing,\" says Samantha. Sean agrees with her. \"2017 was the year where veganism was cemented as a permanent aspect of our society,\" he says. \"Veganism is here to stay. I meet thousands of people every year who have committed themselves to the lifestyle and this number is not going to slow down. \"The more aware we are of how our consumer actions affect the world around us, the more of us will make the switch.\" Vegan Society founder Donald Watson died at the age of 95 in 2005 but his legacy lives on. \"He always said that he outlived all of his critics because when he was told that veganism would be the end of him,\" says Samantha. \"Every time anyone uses the word vegan, and any time someone decides to call something vegan on their menu or whatever, that's that group of 25 people who founded the Vegan Society. \"It seems incredible really that something so small can have so much of an impact.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1462, "answer_end": 3611, "text": "Now, of course, vegans like Monami Frost can reach thousands and even millions of people in a few seconds, by uploading a photo or video from their phone. \"I started my YouTube channel as just another way to connect more with the people that follow me,\" says the 23-year-old, who already had a popular Instagram account before she became a YouTuber. \"I always wanted to show that I am just like everyone else, just a young mum that loves tattoos, loves her family, loves her vegan lifestyle and wants to share that with everyone and share some cooking videos.\" Monami has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and more than 570,000 subscribers on YouTube. Her most popular video about veganism features her daughter Gabriela talking about what she eats in a day and has attracted more than 800,000 views. She is originally from Riga in Latvia but moved to Liverpool when she was 16, and has been rated as the second most influential vegan creator in the UK by Tubular, which analyses data about videos posted on social media platforms. Every day she gets messages from people telling her how she inspired them to go vegan, or people walking up to her in the street. \"It is just mind blowing for me, that I have helped someone change their life and at the same time save so many animals' lives,\" she says. In the past, vegans abstained from animal products mainly for ethical reasons but people are increasingly making the switch for health reasons, including many vegan athletes. Monami admits that she too was motivated by health when she and her husband became vegan almost four years ago. \"We were really concentrating on eating only plant-based whole foods and making everything from scratch,\" she says. \"Right after a week or two we noticed so many positive changes.\" However, as they did more research into animal agriculture they became \"ethical vegans\". \"Once we learned more about what animals go through then we realised how important it is to fight for the animals and educate some people and help them open their eyes to the reality,\" she says. \"Now I can say that I am vegan for the animals. I am trying to be the voice for the voiceless.\""}], "question": "What impact has the internet had?", "id": "442_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3612, "answer_end": 4670, "text": "Monami's gender and age reflect the typical audience that engages with vegan content on YouTube - namely young women. \"The core audience on YouTube engaging with vegan content are women aged 18-26, making up 36% of all engagements globally,\" says Denis Crushell, vice president of Europe for Tubular. \"Audiences who watch veganism videos also tend to watch videos related to health, nutrition, dieting and fitness as well as channels which publish food and drink, beauty and entertainment content.\" Monami is also typical of influential vegan YouTubers in that her channel is not just about veganism. \"Many of the most influential vegan creators don't create content solely about veganism - they have built a large audience from publishing other types of content,\" says Mr Crushell. \"For example, robinbirrell mostly publishes entertainment content.\" The US is the biggest consumer of veganism content but the UK also has a large vegan audience. In the past 90 days on YouTube, 6% of all veganism content globally was consumed by audiences located in the UK."}], "question": " Who watches vegan videos on YouTube?", "id": "442_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4671, "answer_end": 6556, "text": "The Vegan Society thinks the rise of veganism online is mirrored in the real world, and describes veganism as \"the fastest growing lifestyle movement\". In 2016 it commissioned research by Ipsos Mori which suggested there were at least 542,000 people - or 1.05% of the 15 and over population in England, Scotland and Wales - following a vegan diet. Ten years before the estimated number of vegans was just 150,000. Close to half - 42% - of all vegans were in the 15-34 age category, compared to just 14% of people who were over 65, so the Vegan Society predicts veganism will continue to grow in future as it continues to be adopted by younger generations. \"We did a survey where we asked people about their perceptions of veganism and found that non-vegans actually often said that they admired vegans,\" says Samantha Calvert from the Vegan Society. \"That wouldn't have been the case 20 or 30 years ago. People would have described vegans as extreme and unnecessary. 'Taking it too far' would have been the expression. \"Now we're a group of people that people feel are something to admire and I think there's been a cultural shift in that sense.\" She believes celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z - who have dabbled with plant-based diets - and Miley Cyrus - who has the Vegan Society's trademark tattooed on her left arm - helped kickstart this change in perception. \"It was suddenly being associated with the celebrities, with the successful people, with the beautiful people,\" she says. \"There are other things that are also having an impact as well. The availability of more vegan food in restaurants, the fact that food is more clearly labelled, all the beautiful photographs of vegan food on Instagram. \"A lot of young people are very aware of environmental issues and are making the change for that reason. I think people are more aware there are so many reasons to be vegan now.\""}], "question": "Is veganism growing in real life?", "id": "442_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8137, "answer_end": 10254, "text": "More vegans means more demand for vegan products in shops and restaurants. In the past, vegans had to turn to smaller, specialist and often independent businesses, but now big companies are supplying the demand too. 2017 was the year that Pizza Express introduced a vegan mozzarella alternative on its menu, Ben and Jerry's brought its range of non-dairy ice cream to the UK and even Bailey's introduced a vegan-friendly variety made from almond milk. \"Having been vegan for coming up to 20 years, I can tell you I feel as though I'm living in some futuristic dreamscape as far as availability of vegan products goes,\" says Sean O'Callaghan, also known as blogger Fat Gay Vegan. \"The most noticeable change would definitely be the extreme commodification of veganism by major retailers who have seen the profits to be made by selling plant-based foods on a large scale. \"Of course the ease with which you can buy plant milks and vegan cheese means life in the UK for vegans is less hassle. Even mainstream restaurant chains are falling over themselves to offer vegan menus.\" Marks & Spencer says that vegan products are one of the biggest requests it receives from its customers. \"We have expanded our vegan selection due to an increased demand from our customers, who have been telling us that they are interested in trying more vegan food and drink,\" said James Newton Brown, head of product development. M&S has changed its labelling so that vegetarian products suitable for vegans are now specifically labelled as vegan. So has Sainsbury's, which also expanded its range of own-label vegan cheese, temporarily renamed \"Gary\" after a Facebook rant by a \"real cheese fan\" went viral. \"At one time vegan food had this reputation for being rather expensive specialist stuff, whereas you can buy mince pies for 89p or something in Asda that carry our trademark,\" says Samantha Calvert. \"One of the barriers still is that people feel the change will be difficult for them, and the easier we make that I think the more people will become vegan. \"The easier it gets, the more people will feel that they can become vegan.\""}], "question": "Is it easier to be vegan now?", "id": "442_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 10255, "answer_end": 12346, "text": "Fat Gay Vegan blogger Sean describes 2017 as \"the year veganism broke through to the broader mainstream in ways we have never seen before\". \"I'm not sure a day went by during the year where at least one mainstream newspaper wasn't reporting on vegan advancements,\" he says. But while veganism seems to have exploded in 2017, Samantha from the Vegan Society said this followed a steady growth over more than five years. \"If you had asked me in 2012 I would have thought that maybe by now it would be calming down, that people would have moved on to another trend,\" she says. \"You tend to expect these things to ebb and flow but they don't usually last this long and that's been the interesting thing.\" The Vegan Society has been running something called the Vegan Pledge since 2008, where it helps people become vegan in 30 days. Their statistics show that most people who complete the pledge remain vegan; for example 82% of people who did so in 2014 are still vegan now and 14% are trying to be vegan. \"It feels more like it might be here to stay, that this is something that's sticking rather than just being something that's trendy for a few years and then people move on to the next new thing,\" says Samantha. Sean agrees with her. \"2017 was the year where veganism was cemented as a permanent aspect of our society,\" he says. \"Veganism is here to stay. I meet thousands of people every year who have committed themselves to the lifestyle and this number is not going to slow down. \"The more aware we are of how our consumer actions affect the world around us, the more of us will make the switch.\" Vegan Society founder Donald Watson died at the age of 95 in 2005 but his legacy lives on. \"He always said that he outlived all of his critics because when he was told that veganism would be the end of him,\" says Samantha. \"Every time anyone uses the word vegan, and any time someone decides to call something vegan on their menu or whatever, that's that group of 25 people who founded the Vegan Society. \"It seems incredible really that something so small can have so much of an impact.\""}], "question": "Is veganism a fad or a permanent shift?", "id": "442_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Trudeau calls for 'dialogue' to solve crippling blockades", "date": "14 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rejected calls to send police to end blockades of Canada's largest rail system, despite disruptions to commerce. Port authorities said they have been forced to turn ships away due to the shutdown of the country's freight routes. The CN Rails routes are blocked due to protests against a pipeline that cuts through native lands. Mr Trudeau said \"dialogue\" was needed. Opposition Conservative leaders have called on the prime minister to clear the blockades through force, but the Liberal leader told reporters in Munich: \"We are not the kind of country were politicians get to tell police what to do in operational matters\" \"We will ensure that everything is done to resolve this through dialogue and constructive outcomes,\" he said. More than 150 routes had been cancelled previously amid protests against the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Blockades against the proposed pipeline, which Mr Trudeau's government says will invigorate natural gas exports in British Columbia, began last week. The Association of Canadian Port Authorities said on Friday that the supply chain disruptions have forced authorities to turn away ships and reroute cargo to the United States. \"Shippers are looking at alternatives to move cargo, including the use of trucks. When you consider that a single rail car carries the equivalent of about three transport trucks, an extended disruption of rail traffic will have a major impact there as well,\" the association said. Passenger rail routes are also suspended. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said there were signs progress could be made by engaging directly with protesters, pointing to a blockade in the province of British Columbia that was recently removed. The two cabinet ministers in charge of indigenous affairs are preparing to meet with local indigenous bands in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said the protests are \"threatening the jobs of thousands\". \"These activists may have the luxury of staying days at a time at the blockades but they need to check their privilege,\" he said. Freight trains transport more than C$310bn ($210bn; PS179bn) worth of goods each year, according to the Railway Association of Canada. Some 5 million Canadian commuters use the intercity passenger services of Via Rail on tracks mostly owned by CN. Thousands have already been forced to find alternative means of travel. The Coastal GasLink pipeline is a 670km (416 miles) project that would ship natural gas from north-eastern part of the province to the coast. The C$6.6bn ($4.9bn, PS3.8bn) project, in a remote part of the province about a full day's drive from Vancouver, has been in the works since 2012. Some 28% of the pipeline route passes through Wet'suwet'en lands. Coastal GasLink has reached deals with 20 elected indigenous councils along the route to move ahead with construction, including some Wet'suwet'en councils, coming to agreements on training, employment, and community investment. But Wet'suwet'en chiefs oppose it and claim that they, not the community's elected officials, hold authority over traditional lands. They have warned that the project will cause pollution and endanger wildlife. For years, protesters have erected camps along the proposed pipeline route to prevent access to construction sites. In early February, police enforced a court injunction and cleared the camps, arresting people in the process. Meanwhile, other blockades have been erected across the country in solidarity, disrupting rail lines and ports. Protesters have also held demonstrations at government buildings and legislatures across Canada.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1520, "answer_end": 2429, "text": "Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said there were signs progress could be made by engaging directly with protesters, pointing to a blockade in the province of British Columbia that was recently removed. The two cabinet ministers in charge of indigenous affairs are preparing to meet with local indigenous bands in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said the protests are \"threatening the jobs of thousands\". \"These activists may have the luxury of staying days at a time at the blockades but they need to check their privilege,\" he said. Freight trains transport more than C$310bn ($210bn; PS179bn) worth of goods each year, according to the Railway Association of Canada. Some 5 million Canadian commuters use the intercity passenger services of Via Rail on tracks mostly owned by CN. Thousands have already been forced to find alternative means of travel."}], "question": "What has been the government response?", "id": "443_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2430, "answer_end": 3659, "text": "The Coastal GasLink pipeline is a 670km (416 miles) project that would ship natural gas from north-eastern part of the province to the coast. The C$6.6bn ($4.9bn, PS3.8bn) project, in a remote part of the province about a full day's drive from Vancouver, has been in the works since 2012. Some 28% of the pipeline route passes through Wet'suwet'en lands. Coastal GasLink has reached deals with 20 elected indigenous councils along the route to move ahead with construction, including some Wet'suwet'en councils, coming to agreements on training, employment, and community investment. But Wet'suwet'en chiefs oppose it and claim that they, not the community's elected officials, hold authority over traditional lands. They have warned that the project will cause pollution and endanger wildlife. For years, protesters have erected camps along the proposed pipeline route to prevent access to construction sites. In early February, police enforced a court injunction and cleared the camps, arresting people in the process. Meanwhile, other blockades have been erected across the country in solidarity, disrupting rail lines and ports. Protesters have also held demonstrations at government buildings and legislatures across Canada."}], "question": "What is the issue?", "id": "443_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Rebels 'withdraw heavy weapons from Idlib buffer zone'", "date": "8 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Syrian rebel fighters are reported to have withdrawn their heavy weapons from the frontlines around Idlib province. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said rockets, mortars and missiles had been removed in line with a deal to create a demilitarised buffer zone separating rebel and government forces. The agreement is being overseen by Turkey, which backs the rebels, and Russia, a key ally of the government. They want to avert a government assault on Idlib, the last major rebel bastion. The UN has warned that a full-scale battle could trigger a \"humanitarian nightmare unlike any seen in the blood-soaked Syrian conflict\". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed last month to create a demilitarised zone that was between 15km and 20km (9-12 miles) wide. A memorandum of understanding said all \"radical terrorist groups\" - including members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a powerful jihadist alliance once known as al-Nusra Front, that controls much of Idlib province - would have to withdraw from the zone by 15 October. All other opposition armed groups would have to remove their tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, artillery guns and mortars by 10 October, it added. Once established, Russian and Turkish military personnel will conduct co-ordinated patrols along the zone's perimeter to detect and prevent violations. Both countries also agreed \"transit traffic\" would be restored on the M4 and M5 highways - which run west from the city of Aleppo to Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, and south to Hama - by the end of 2018. Anadolu cited a correspondent in Idlib as saying \"opposition and other anti-regime groups\" had completed the removal of heavy weapons on Monday. The Turkish army had also sent weapons and armoured vehicles to the area in preparation for the patrols with the Russian military police, the agency added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, also reported that almost all heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the southern edge of Idlib by Monday. HTS and other jihadist groups appeared to have removed theirs \"in secret\", it added. There was no immediate confirmation from the Turkish or Russian militaries. Two jihadist groups - Hurras al-Din, which is believed to be al-Qaeda's new affiliate in Syria, and Ansar al-Din - have rejected the deal between Turkey and Russia, calling it a \"great conspiracy\". HTS, which the UN estimates has 10,000 fighters in Idlib, has not yet declared its position. The main Turkish-backed rebel alliance, the National Liberation Front (NLF), said over the weekend that it had begun withdrawing its heavy weapons and that it would keep its medium weapons in place. The Syrian government welcomed the Idlib deal last month, but President Bashar al-Assad told a meeting of the ruling Baath Party on Sunday that it was only a \"temporary measure\" aimed at \"stemming the bloodshed\" \"This province and other Syrian territory still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state,\" he was quoted by the Sana news agency as saying. Mr Assad also dismissed Western opposition to an offensive in Idlib as \"hysterical\". The UN has said a full-scale military operation could have devastating consequences in the province, which is home to some 2.9 million people. Hundreds of thousands are already experiencing dire conditions in overcrowded sites where basic services have been stretched to breaking point. The UN estimates as many as 800,000 people could be displaced by a battle. It is not clear where they could go because Turkey has shut its border and many opposition supporters fear imprisonment if they cross into government territory.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 631, "answer_end": 1593, "text": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed last month to create a demilitarised zone that was between 15km and 20km (9-12 miles) wide. A memorandum of understanding said all \"radical terrorist groups\" - including members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a powerful jihadist alliance once known as al-Nusra Front, that controls much of Idlib province - would have to withdraw from the zone by 15 October. All other opposition armed groups would have to remove their tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, artillery guns and mortars by 10 October, it added. Once established, Russian and Turkish military personnel will conduct co-ordinated patrols along the zone's perimeter to detect and prevent violations. Both countries also agreed \"transit traffic\" would be restored on the M4 and M5 highways - which run west from the city of Aleppo to Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, and south to Hama - by the end of 2018."}], "question": "What did Turkey and Russia agree?", "id": "444_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1594, "answer_end": 2721, "text": "Anadolu cited a correspondent in Idlib as saying \"opposition and other anti-regime groups\" had completed the removal of heavy weapons on Monday. The Turkish army had also sent weapons and armoured vehicles to the area in preparation for the patrols with the Russian military police, the agency added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, also reported that almost all heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the southern edge of Idlib by Monday. HTS and other jihadist groups appeared to have removed theirs \"in secret\", it added. There was no immediate confirmation from the Turkish or Russian militaries. Two jihadist groups - Hurras al-Din, which is believed to be al-Qaeda's new affiliate in Syria, and Ansar al-Din - have rejected the deal between Turkey and Russia, calling it a \"great conspiracy\". HTS, which the UN estimates has 10,000 fighters in Idlib, has not yet declared its position. The main Turkish-backed rebel alliance, the National Liberation Front (NLF), said over the weekend that it had begun withdrawing its heavy weapons and that it would keep its medium weapons in place."}], "question": "Are rebels and jihadists complying with the deal?", "id": "444_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2722, "answer_end": 3696, "text": "The Syrian government welcomed the Idlib deal last month, but President Bashar al-Assad told a meeting of the ruling Baath Party on Sunday that it was only a \"temporary measure\" aimed at \"stemming the bloodshed\" \"This province and other Syrian territory still under terrorist control will return to the Syrian state,\" he was quoted by the Sana news agency as saying. Mr Assad also dismissed Western opposition to an offensive in Idlib as \"hysterical\". The UN has said a full-scale military operation could have devastating consequences in the province, which is home to some 2.9 million people. Hundreds of thousands are already experiencing dire conditions in overcrowded sites where basic services have been stretched to breaking point. The UN estimates as many as 800,000 people could be displaced by a battle. It is not clear where they could go because Turkey has shut its border and many opposition supporters fear imprisonment if they cross into government territory."}], "question": "What does the Syrian government say?", "id": "444_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia president hails Farc war victims reparation deal", "date": "16 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has said an agreement signed with Farc rebels on reparations and justice for victims of the country's civil war is an \"important step\" towards peace. Mr Santos said Colombia was on track to meet a deadline set for 23 March next year for ending the conflict. The deal offers an amnesty for all but the most serious crimes. An estimated 220,000 people have been killed as a result of the five-decades long war. The Colombian leader said the two sides had tackled \"one of the most sensitive and complex points of the peace talks\" in the latest agreement. Under the deal, special tribunals will be created to try former combatants, once a final peace deal is signed. \"2016 will be the year that Colombia sees a new dawn,\" said Mr Santos. \"The dawning of a country without war, in hopefully a united country that can move towards its maximum potential... The hour of peace has arrived in Colombia.\" - Victims have a right to compensation for damages caused by the conflict - Creation of a truth commission - Creation of a unit dedicated to searching for those who disappeared as a result of the armed conflict - Creation of special tribunals to try those suspected of having committed conflict-related crimes - Victims to be offered protection and guarantees for their safety Chief Farc negotiator Ivan Marquez said the agreement showed reconciliation was possible. \"If you don't put adverse obstructions in the way of common sense, we can get closer to our higher purpose of reconciliation,\" he said. Over the past 18 months, 60 victims of the conflict travelled to the talks in the Cuban capital Havana to give testimony. Ten attended Tuesday's ceremony. Jineth Bedoya, spokesperson for the victims, said they were \"celebrating that after so many decades of impunity a way has been found to recognise\" what they went through. Tuesday's agreement fleshed out the details of the transitional justice system which had been agreed by both sides in September. In a joint statement, the two sides said that they hoped that \"the implementation of these and all of the accords will ensure dignity for the victims, do justice, and lay the foundation for ending the violence of the conflict in our country once and for all\". Official peace negotiations between the Farc and government have been going on for more than three years. The two sides have now reached agreement on four key issues that they had laid out in an agenda at the start of the process: victims' rights, land rights, the political participation of the rebels, and how to deal with the problem of drug trafficking. They have yet to agree on how the rebels will disarm once a final agreement is signed. The Farc is the largest of Colombia's left-wing rebel groups, founded in 1964 to overthrow the government and install a Marxist regime. Special courts and a peace tribunal will be set up to deal with alleged crimes related to the conflict and will try all participants in the conflict, including members of the security forces. Yes and no. Combatants will be covered by an amnesty, but war crimes and crimes against humanity will not fall under it. That depends. Those who confess to the most serious crimes will see their \"freedom restricted\" and be confined, but not in ordinary jails. It is not yet clear where they would serve their sentence instead. Those who confess past a certain deadline or refuse to admit their crimes altogether will go to prison for up to 20 years. Even those who are not sent to prison will have to carry out work aimed at repairing some of the damage caused in more than 50 years of conflict, such as helping to clear landmines and plant alternative crops where coca was grown.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2833, "answer_end": 3024, "text": "Special courts and a peace tribunal will be set up to deal with alleged crimes related to the conflict and will try all participants in the conflict, including members of the security forces."}], "question": "Who will mete out justice?", "id": "445_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3025, "answer_end": 3145, "text": "Yes and no. Combatants will be covered by an amnesty, but war crimes and crimes against humanity will not fall under it."}], "question": "Will there be an amnesty?", "id": "445_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3146, "answer_end": 3474, "text": "That depends. Those who confess to the most serious crimes will see their \"freedom restricted\" and be confined, but not in ordinary jails. It is not yet clear where they would serve their sentence instead. Those who confess past a certain deadline or refuse to admit their crimes altogether will go to prison for up to 20 years."}], "question": "Will Farc leaders be sent to jail?", "id": "445_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3475, "answer_end": 3705, "text": "Even those who are not sent to prison will have to carry out work aimed at repairing some of the damage caused in more than 50 years of conflict, such as helping to clear landmines and plant alternative crops where coca was grown."}], "question": "Will the guilty pay for their crimes?", "id": "445_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Citizenship Amendment Act: India top court to hear petitions in January", "date": "18 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's Supreme Court has said it will take up a clutch of petitions against a new citizenship law next month, as anger against it grows. The court told the federal government to prepare a response to the petitions, but the law has not been stayed. The decision comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted with defiance to widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The law offers citizenship to non-Muslims from three nearby countries. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government says it will protect people from persecution, but critics say it's part of a \"Hindu nationalist\" agenda to marginalise India's more than 200 million Muslims. Adding to the fears is a government announcement that it plans to carry out a widespread exercise to weed out \"infiltrators\" from neighbouring countries. Given that the exercise relies on extensive documentation to prove that their ancestors lived in India, many Muslim citizens fear that they could be made stateless. However, Mr Modi said the law \"will have no effect on citizens of India, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists\". The prime minister also told his supporters at a rally on Tuesday that the opposition was \"spreading lies and rumours\", \"instigating violence\" and \"used its full force to create an atmosphere of illusion and falsehood\". Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the sentiment to media saying \"both my government and I are firm like a rock that we will not budge or go back on the citizenship protests\". There have been demonstrations in cities across India. Opponents say the law is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. They say faith should not be made a condition of citizenship. Others though - particularly in border states - fear being \"overrun\" by new arrivals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of the student demonstrations focus less on the law itself but more on the alleged police brutality against protesters. The capital Delhi has seen mass protests over the past days after a student demonstration on Sunday turned violent and left dozens injured. On Tuesday, images from the city's Seelampur area, which has a large Muslim population, showed stone-throwing crowds confronting police officers. Police retaliated with tear gas and batons. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to hear a petition against the police action inside Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, where on Sunday they allegedly attacked students inside campus premises. A man injured during the protests on that day told the BBC a policeman had shot him with a pistol or revolver. Authorities deny police used live ammunition and have suggested the wounds might be from shrapnel from tear gas canisters. Earlier this week, Mr Modi had attempted to calm tensions in a series of tweets saying \"this is the time to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood\". The act offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It amends India's 64-year-old citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens. It also expedites the path to Indian citizenship for members of six religious minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian - if they can prove that they are from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. They will now only have to live or work in India for six years - instead of 11 years - before becoming eligible to apply for citizenship. The government, says this will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution. Critics say its actual agenda is to marginalise India's Muslim minority. The fears are compounded by the government's plan to \"weed out infiltrators\". Home Minister Amit Shah proposed a nationwide register of citizens to ensure that \"each and every infiltrator is identified and expelled from India\" by 2024. The National Citizen's Register (NRC) has already been carried out in the north-eastern state of Assam and saw 1.9 million people effectively made stateless. In the run-up to its publication, the BJP had supported the NRC, but changed tack days before the final list was published, saying it was ridden with errors. The reason was that a lot of Bengali Hindus - a strong voter base for the BJP - were also left out of the list, and would possibly become illegal immigrants, correspondents say. However, the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act are closely linked as the latter will help protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register and face the threat of deportation or internment.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1538, "answer_end": 2152, "text": "There have been demonstrations in cities across India. Opponents say the law is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. They say faith should not be made a condition of citizenship. Others though - particularly in border states - fear being \"overrun\" by new arrivals from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Many of the student demonstrations focus less on the law itself but more on the alleged police brutality against protesters. The capital Delhi has seen mass protests over the past days after a student demonstration on Sunday turned violent and left dozens injured."}], "question": "Who is protesting and why?", "id": "446_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2153, "answer_end": 2927, "text": "On Tuesday, images from the city's Seelampur area, which has a large Muslim population, showed stone-throwing crowds confronting police officers. Police retaliated with tear gas and batons. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to hear a petition against the police action inside Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, where on Sunday they allegedly attacked students inside campus premises. A man injured during the protests on that day told the BBC a policeman had shot him with a pistol or revolver. Authorities deny police used live ammunition and have suggested the wounds might be from shrapnel from tear gas canisters. Earlier this week, Mr Modi had attempted to calm tensions in a series of tweets saying \"this is the time to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood\"."}], "question": "How violent are the protests?", "id": "446_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2928, "answer_end": 4634, "text": "The act offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It amends India's 64-year-old citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens. It also expedites the path to Indian citizenship for members of six religious minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian - if they can prove that they are from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. They will now only have to live or work in India for six years - instead of 11 years - before becoming eligible to apply for citizenship. The government, says this will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution. Critics say its actual agenda is to marginalise India's Muslim minority. The fears are compounded by the government's plan to \"weed out infiltrators\". Home Minister Amit Shah proposed a nationwide register of citizens to ensure that \"each and every infiltrator is identified and expelled from India\" by 2024. The National Citizen's Register (NRC) has already been carried out in the north-eastern state of Assam and saw 1.9 million people effectively made stateless. In the run-up to its publication, the BJP had supported the NRC, but changed tack days before the final list was published, saying it was ridden with errors. The reason was that a lot of Bengali Hindus - a strong voter base for the BJP - were also left out of the list, and would possibly become illegal immigrants, correspondents say. However, the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act are closely linked as the latter will help protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register and face the threat of deportation or internment."}], "question": "What is the law about?", "id": "446_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Attacks continue in Jerusalem despite new checkpoints", "date": "15 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Attacks have continued in parts of Jerusalem only hours after Israeli forces launched a major security operation in Arab areas of the city. On Wednesday morning police blocked entrances to Jabal Mukaber, a district that was home to three men accused of killing three Israelis on Tuesday. Later, police said they shot dead a Palestinian who had stabbed an Israeli woman at Jerusalem's main bus station. Another Palestinian tried to stab a policeman near the walled Old City. He, too, was shot dead by police, they added. Since the beginning of October, seven Israelis have been killed and dozens wounded in shooting and stabbing attacks, the Israeli authorities say. At least 30 Palestinians have also been killed, including assailants, and hundreds have been injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry. In other developments: - State department spokesman John Kirby said the US was \"concerned\" at \"reports of security activity that could indicate the potential excessive use of force\" by Israeli authorities - The White House and state department confirmed that Secretary of State John Kerry would travel to the region soon - In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Mr Kirby played down comments made by Mr Kerry indicating he believed Israel's settlements policy was to blame for the violence Fear and loathing fuel Jerusalem knife attacks Jerusalem attacks prompt fear and defiance #intifada - Is social media to blame? Can Israel and the Palestinians contain spiralling violence? Why is Jerusalem so holy? Speaking for the first time since the upsurge in violence began, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Israeli actions were \"threatening to spark a religious conflict that would burn everything\". He also accused Israel of carrying out \"executions of our children in cold blood\", highlighting the case of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy, Ahmed Manasra, who was hit by a car after he and a 15-year-old stabbed two Israelis, one of them a 13-year-old boy, on Monday. On Thursday, Israel's government released video and photos showing the boy alive in an Israeli hospital. It described the Palestinian leader's comments as \"lies and incitement\". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday the new security measures were aimed at \"those who try murder and with all those who assist them\". On Tuesday night, Israel's security cabinet authorised police to close or surround \"centres of friction and incitement\" in Jerusalem. It also announced that the homes of Palestinians who attacked Israelis would be demolished within days and that their families' right to live in Jerusalem would be taken away. On Wednesday morning, police said checkpoints were set up at \"the exits of Palestinian villages and neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem\". Hundreds of soldiers were also deployed. Human Rights Watch warned that locking down parts of East Jerusalem would \"infringe upon the freedom of movement of all Palestinian residents rather than being a narrowly tailored response to a specific concern\". On Wednesday, Israeli police and Palestinians clashed in the West Bank city of Bethlehem after the funeral of a Palestinian man killed in violence the previous day. Clashes were also reported along the Israeli border with Gaza. The BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says the violence, coming at a time when peace prospects seem dim, has fuelled a sense of panic in Israel and raised fears of a new Palestinian uprising, or intifada. There has been a spate of stabbings of Israelis - several of them fatal - by Palestinians since early October, and one apparent revenge stabbing by an Israeli. The attackers have struck in Jerusalem and central and northern Israel, and in the occupied West Bank. Israel has tightened security and its security forces have clashed with rioting Palestinians, leading to deaths on the Palestinian side. The violence has also spread to the border with Gaza. After a period of relative quiet, violence between the two communities has spiralled since clashes erupted at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site in mid-September. It was fuelled by rumours among Palestinians that Israel was attempting to alter a long-standing religious arrangement governing the site. Israel repeatedly dismissed the rumours as incitement. Soon afterwards, two Israelis were shot dead by Palestinians in the West Bank and the stabbing attacks began. Both Israel and the Palestinian authorities have accused one another of doing nothing to protect each other's communities. There have been two organised uprisings by Palestinians against Israeli occupation, in the 1980s and early 2000s. With peace talks moribund, some observers have questioned whether we are now seeing a third. The stabbing attacks seem to be opportunistic and although they have been praised by militant groups, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said Palestinians are not interested in a further escalation. What is driving the latest violence?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3462, "answer_end": 3915, "text": "There has been a spate of stabbings of Israelis - several of them fatal - by Palestinians since early October, and one apparent revenge stabbing by an Israeli. The attackers have struck in Jerusalem and central and northern Israel, and in the occupied West Bank. Israel has tightened security and its security forces have clashed with rioting Palestinians, leading to deaths on the Palestinian side. The violence has also spread to the border with Gaza."}], "question": "What is happening between Israelis and Palestinians?", "id": "447_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3916, "answer_end": 4503, "text": "After a period of relative quiet, violence between the two communities has spiralled since clashes erupted at a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site in mid-September. It was fuelled by rumours among Palestinians that Israel was attempting to alter a long-standing religious arrangement governing the site. Israel repeatedly dismissed the rumours as incitement. Soon afterwards, two Israelis were shot dead by Palestinians in the West Bank and the stabbing attacks began. Both Israel and the Palestinian authorities have accused one another of doing nothing to protect each other's communities."}], "question": "What's behind the latest unrest?", "id": "447_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4504, "answer_end": 4948, "text": "There have been two organised uprisings by Palestinians against Israeli occupation, in the 1980s and early 2000s. With peace talks moribund, some observers have questioned whether we are now seeing a third. The stabbing attacks seem to be opportunistic and although they have been praised by militant groups, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said Palestinians are not interested in a further escalation. What is driving the latest violence?"}], "question": "Is this a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising?", "id": "447_2"}]}]}, {"title": "How can Facebook fix its fake news problem?", "date": "14 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has promised the social network will take action over fake news appearing in its feeds, following complaints that the social network is deluged with fabricated posts. In a post on his personal profile, he said he was \"cautious\" not to make Facebook an \"arbiter of truth\" but said the company was testing new tools to flag hoax content. \"Facebook's algorithm prioritises the popular, it doesn't know how to distinguish between real and not real,\" said Kate Bevan, a technology writer and broadcaster. \"It doesn't care about the quality of a page - if something looks convincing and people are sharing it, that gets prioritised.\" And many articles do look legitimate. Once stripped down into a basic headline and photograph for Facebook's news feed, made-up articles look just as reputable as real ones. Articles can appear in your feed if shared by friends, but posts from pages your friends have \"liked\" also appear and Facebook's algorithm makes some of its own recommendations. Those recommendations include false headlines such as \"Shocker: Donald Trump President-Elect Was Born In Pakistan!\" and \"Yoko Ono: I Had An Affair With Hillary Clinton\". Fake news runs deeper than the news feed. Facebook's algorithm has failed to prevent fabricated stories appearing in its \"trending stories\" section, while its live video tool has also been used for bogus broadcasts. \"Social media is still pretty new, but we're really seeing the impact it's having,\" said Ms Bevan. \"People trust authority, and these things masquerade as authoritative. It looks legitimate and people trust what they read. It clearly can have an impact on how people think.\" Mr Zuckerberg says only a \"small amount\" of content on Facebook is hoax news and puts the figure at less than 1% \"across the whole system\". Whether that figure includes misleading memes - such as made-up quotes from politicians, shared as a photo - is not clear. But he accepts people may see more fake material in their news feed \"depending on which pages you personally follow and who your friends are\". Perhaps the social network could take inspiration from Google News, which in October started attaching a \"fact check\" label to dubious stories and linking to trusted sites that debunked them - all achieved by algorithm. Facebook has already experimented with human editors for its trending stories section, although its human moderators were accused of favouring liberal-leaning stories over pro-Trump material. The site eventually sacked its human editors, instead relying solely on an algorithm to determine which stories were shown to be \"trending\". Mr Zuckerberg says the company has \"launched work enabling our community to flag hoaxes and fake news\", but warns that such tools could be abused by people wishing to discredit opposing political views. \"Facebook has handed over responsibility to an algorithm, but it requires a lot of work,\" said Ms Bevan. \"It could prioritise authoritative sources such as the Financial Times or Washington Post, but then you have the question of how to define authority. It would be a huge project for Facebook and hard for them to do it in a way that they won't be accused of bias.\" Some argue that Facebook's problem with fake news cannot be solved until the company is prepared to accept it is - in part - a modern day publisher of news. \"Not sure you can keep up the denial here,\" Matt Navarra of The Next Web wrote on Mark Zuckerberg's post. \"You need to accept the power and influence Facebook has and use independent editors to deal with the issues here.\" Mr Zuckerberg replied saying news and media were \"not the primary things people do on Facebook\". \"I find it odd when people insist we call ourselves a news or media company... we are serious about building planes to beam internet access, but we don't call ourselves an aerospace company.\" But Ms Bevan suggested Facebook wanted to distance itself from the responsibilities that come with publishing news. \"It's now one of the biggest publishers on the planet - and with that comes responsibility,\" she told the BBC. \"News is something from which they're benefitting, so it's time to step up as a publisher. \"But they don't like that, it's expensive and opens up a can of worms for them.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 367, "answer_end": 1671, "text": "\"Facebook's algorithm prioritises the popular, it doesn't know how to distinguish between real and not real,\" said Kate Bevan, a technology writer and broadcaster. \"It doesn't care about the quality of a page - if something looks convincing and people are sharing it, that gets prioritised.\" And many articles do look legitimate. Once stripped down into a basic headline and photograph for Facebook's news feed, made-up articles look just as reputable as real ones. Articles can appear in your feed if shared by friends, but posts from pages your friends have \"liked\" also appear and Facebook's algorithm makes some of its own recommendations. Those recommendations include false headlines such as \"Shocker: Donald Trump President-Elect Was Born In Pakistan!\" and \"Yoko Ono: I Had An Affair With Hillary Clinton\". Fake news runs deeper than the news feed. Facebook's algorithm has failed to prevent fabricated stories appearing in its \"trending stories\" section, while its live video tool has also been used for bogus broadcasts. \"Social media is still pretty new, but we're really seeing the impact it's having,\" said Ms Bevan. \"People trust authority, and these things masquerade as authoritative. It looks legitimate and people trust what they read. It clearly can have an impact on how people think.\""}], "question": "So, what's the problem?", "id": "448_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1672, "answer_end": 3201, "text": "Mr Zuckerberg says only a \"small amount\" of content on Facebook is hoax news and puts the figure at less than 1% \"across the whole system\". Whether that figure includes misleading memes - such as made-up quotes from politicians, shared as a photo - is not clear. But he accepts people may see more fake material in their news feed \"depending on which pages you personally follow and who your friends are\". Perhaps the social network could take inspiration from Google News, which in October started attaching a \"fact check\" label to dubious stories and linking to trusted sites that debunked them - all achieved by algorithm. Facebook has already experimented with human editors for its trending stories section, although its human moderators were accused of favouring liberal-leaning stories over pro-Trump material. The site eventually sacked its human editors, instead relying solely on an algorithm to determine which stories were shown to be \"trending\". Mr Zuckerberg says the company has \"launched work enabling our community to flag hoaxes and fake news\", but warns that such tools could be abused by people wishing to discredit opposing political views. \"Facebook has handed over responsibility to an algorithm, but it requires a lot of work,\" said Ms Bevan. \"It could prioritise authoritative sources such as the Financial Times or Washington Post, but then you have the question of how to define authority. It would be a huge project for Facebook and hard for them to do it in a way that they won't be accused of bias.\""}], "question": "What can Facebook do?", "id": "448_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3202, "answer_end": 4268, "text": "Some argue that Facebook's problem with fake news cannot be solved until the company is prepared to accept it is - in part - a modern day publisher of news. \"Not sure you can keep up the denial here,\" Matt Navarra of The Next Web wrote on Mark Zuckerberg's post. \"You need to accept the power and influence Facebook has and use independent editors to deal with the issues here.\" Mr Zuckerberg replied saying news and media were \"not the primary things people do on Facebook\". \"I find it odd when people insist we call ourselves a news or media company... we are serious about building planes to beam internet access, but we don't call ourselves an aerospace company.\" But Ms Bevan suggested Facebook wanted to distance itself from the responsibilities that come with publishing news. \"It's now one of the biggest publishers on the planet - and with that comes responsibility,\" she told the BBC. \"News is something from which they're benefitting, so it's time to step up as a publisher. \"But they don't like that, it's expensive and opens up a can of worms for them.\""}], "question": "Should Facebook take control?", "id": "448_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Concerns raised over teenage pregnancy 'magic dolls'", "date": "26 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Teenage pregnancy prevention programmes which use \"magic dolls\" to simulate the needs of a new baby do not work, according to a study in The Lancet. More than 1,000 teenage girls who took part in programmes in Western Australia were more likely to become pregnant than girls who did not take part, researchers found. The baby simulator cries when it needs to be fed, burped or changed. Similar programmes are used in schools in 89 countries, including the US. Girls enrolled in the Virtual Infant Parenting programme in more than 50 schools in Western Australia were taught about sexual health, contraception and the financial costs of having a baby. The programme also included watching a video of teenage mothers talking about their experiences and caring for a lifelike model of a baby over the weekend. But when the girls were tracked up to the age of 20, 8% had given birth at least once and 9% had had an abortion. This compared to a figure of 4% giving birth among girls who did not take part in the baby simulator programme and 6% having an abortion. - It didn't focus on fathers, or teenage boys, who have an equal part to play in early pregnancies - Secondary school age is too late to start educating vulnerable children about teenage pregnancy prevention - The programme didn't emphasise the negatives of being a teenage parent enough - A simulator cannot really convey what looking after a real baby is like These are the conclusions of Julie Quinlivan, from the Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, writing about the results of the study in The Lancet. She said prevention programmes needed to start when children were much younger, even in infancy, and the focus should be on educating vulnerable children from deprived backgrounds who, research shows, are more likely to become parents at a premature age. The FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) and sexual health charity Brook said \"dolls\" were not routinely used in the UK as part of teenage pregnancy prevention programmes. Neither organisation thought they were a particularly useful tool because the dolls just could not show young people the reality of how much hard work and commitment was involved in being a parent. Targeted education programmes and easier access to contraception have played a huge part in bringing down teenage pregnancy rates in England Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland since the late 90s. Between 1998 and 2013 there was a fall of 48% in conception rates amongst under-18s from 47.1 per 1,000 to 24.5 per 1,000. Some say a change in teenage behaviour - less drinking by teenagers leading to less unprotected sex - has also helped to reduce teenage pregnancies. And the rise in popularity of socialising online may also have had an impact. But sex education is not compulsory in all schools which means not all pupils receive the same access to information and not all areas of the country offer the same sexual health services. The FPA says maintaining the downward trend could prove a challenge without more funding. Despite success in recent years, the UK still sits near the top of the European league table of teenage birth rates. In contrast, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have among the lowest teenage conception rates of all developed countries - roughly one-fifth of that in the United Kingdom. The United States has had the highest teenage birth rate in the developed world for a long time, although it has been falling almost continuously over the past 20 years.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1852, "answer_end": 2227, "text": "The FPA (formerly Family Planning Association) and sexual health charity Brook said \"dolls\" were not routinely used in the UK as part of teenage pregnancy prevention programmes. Neither organisation thought they were a particularly useful tool because the dolls just could not show young people the reality of how much hard work and commitment was involved in being a parent."}], "question": "Are 'dolls' used as part of UK teenage pregnancy prevention?", "id": "449_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2228, "answer_end": 3054, "text": "Targeted education programmes and easier access to contraception have played a huge part in bringing down teenage pregnancy rates in England Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland since the late 90s. Between 1998 and 2013 there was a fall of 48% in conception rates amongst under-18s from 47.1 per 1,000 to 24.5 per 1,000. Some say a change in teenage behaviour - less drinking by teenagers leading to less unprotected sex - has also helped to reduce teenage pregnancies. And the rise in popularity of socialising online may also have had an impact. But sex education is not compulsory in all schools which means not all pupils receive the same access to information and not all areas of the country offer the same sexual health services. The FPA says maintaining the downward trend could prove a challenge without more funding."}], "question": "What works in the UK?", "id": "449_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3055, "answer_end": 3519, "text": "Despite success in recent years, the UK still sits near the top of the European league table of teenage birth rates. In contrast, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland have among the lowest teenage conception rates of all developed countries - roughly one-fifth of that in the United Kingdom. The United States has had the highest teenage birth rate in the developed world for a long time, although it has been falling almost continuously over the past 20 years."}], "question": "How does the UK compare to the rest of Europe?", "id": "449_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Maalik movie: What the Pakistan government ban tells us", "date": "28 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Pakistani government has taken the rare step of directly banning a film, dividing public debate and sparking cries of censorship, reports BBC Urdu's Nosheen Abbas. Maalik, which had already been playing in cinemas, was declared \"uncertified for the whole of Pakistan\" by the ministry of information this week. Previous bans on films have come from provincial censorship boards. In this case the creators say they don't know why the government itself intervened. But the authorities' move reveals something about the current environment in Pakistan. Maalik tells the story of a former special services commando hired to protect a corrupt feudal lord who has risen to become chief minister. Everyone for different reasons. The chief minister character (called saaeen - the Sindhi word to indicate a person of influence) is very similar, some say, to the present chief minister of Sindh province, including being of the same ethnicity. An unnamed ministry official told The Express Tribune the film had been banned because it shows a former chief minister as a man of corruption and opulence. The current chief minister's daughter and parliamentarian Nafisa Shah said on Twitter: \"Maalik' is an ill conceived film will only divide Pakistan&harm national unity. The filmmakers, financiers &even censors cannot be patriots.\" The parts of the movie that show government officials are deeply divisive, with some saying it amounts to military propaganda - while others think it makes the civil government look like it's not serious about tackling terrorism. Other complaints stem from a scene where the chief minister is shot by his guard, which has parallels to the real-life killing of Punjab governor Salman Taseer - which deeply divided the nation. Some think the film is promoting vigilantism. It tells us that this film has touched a nerve with authorities with its depiction of politicians and ethnic stereotyping. The strong reaction to this film on social media suggests that the film plays to the already divisive view of the civil-military dynamic in the country and is perceived to be deepening the divide. Authorities in Pakistan are very concerned with how they are perceived, especially abroad. Whereas this might be considered an overreaction in some countries, it has become the go-to method for the authorities to ban content they deem offensive or controversial. But others still feel no matter what the film depicts, banning it amounts to censorship. Freedom of speech is already under pressure in Pakistan, with many journalists, analysts and commentators feeling that there are some topics, including religion and the military, that you just can't touch- and that leads to what some call a culture of self-censorship.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 553, "answer_end": 692, "text": "Maalik tells the story of a former special services commando hired to protect a corrupt feudal lord who has risen to become chief minister."}], "question": "What is the film about?", "id": "450_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 693, "answer_end": 1794, "text": "Everyone for different reasons. The chief minister character (called saaeen - the Sindhi word to indicate a person of influence) is very similar, some say, to the present chief minister of Sindh province, including being of the same ethnicity. An unnamed ministry official told The Express Tribune the film had been banned because it shows a former chief minister as a man of corruption and opulence. The current chief minister's daughter and parliamentarian Nafisa Shah said on Twitter: \"Maalik' is an ill conceived film will only divide Pakistan&harm national unity. The filmmakers, financiers &even censors cannot be patriots.\" The parts of the movie that show government officials are deeply divisive, with some saying it amounts to military propaganda - while others think it makes the civil government look like it's not serious about tackling terrorism. Other complaints stem from a scene where the chief minister is shot by his guard, which has parallels to the real-life killing of Punjab governor Salman Taseer - which deeply divided the nation. Some think the film is promoting vigilantism."}], "question": "Who has it offended?", "id": "450_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1795, "answer_end": 2735, "text": "It tells us that this film has touched a nerve with authorities with its depiction of politicians and ethnic stereotyping. The strong reaction to this film on social media suggests that the film plays to the already divisive view of the civil-military dynamic in the country and is perceived to be deepening the divide. Authorities in Pakistan are very concerned with how they are perceived, especially abroad. Whereas this might be considered an overreaction in some countries, it has become the go-to method for the authorities to ban content they deem offensive or controversial. But others still feel no matter what the film depicts, banning it amounts to censorship. Freedom of speech is already under pressure in Pakistan, with many journalists, analysts and commentators feeling that there are some topics, including religion and the military, that you just can't touch- and that leads to what some call a culture of self-censorship."}], "question": "What does this tell us?", "id": "450_2"}]}]}, {"title": "India chief justice Gogoi accused of sexual harassment", "date": "20 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been accused of sexual harassment by a former Supreme Court employee. The 35-year-old woman has filed an affidavit alleging two instances of misconduct in October last year, shortly after Mr Gogoi was appointed. She says her family was victimised after she refused the advances. A statement said Mr Gogoi, 64, \"totally denied\" the \"false and scurrilous\" accusations. He has labelled them an attempt to \"destabilise the judiciary\". The allegations were filed in a sworn affidavit that has been sent to Supreme Court judges. In it the married woman, who cannot be named under Indian law, alleges the misconduct occurred on 10 and 11 October at the offices in Mr Gogoi's residence. She alleges Mr Gogoi \"hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with his arms\" and pressed his body against her. When he did not stop, she says she \"was forced to push him away from me with my hands\". The woman says Mr Gogoi then told her not to mention what had happened or her family \"would be greatly disturbed\". The woman alleges she was transferred three times, then fired in December. She says her husband and brother were both suspended from their jobs. In March a resident of the city of Jhajjar filed a complaint alleging she had kept money she had taken as a bribe to get him a job at the court. She denies the accusation and says she attended a police station with family members in March where they were subjected to abusive treatment. \"It now seems like the harassment, victimisation, and torture will not stop unless I speak out about the origin and motive for the harassment,\" she alleges in the affidavit. The first response came in a statement from the secretary general of the Supreme Court on the chief justice's behalf. It says the allegations are \"completely and absolutely false and scurrilous and are totally denied\". It says the woman \"had no occasion to interact directly with the chief justice\". The statement refers to the criminal case of bribery lodged against the woman, saying: \"It appears that these false allegations are being made as a pressure tactic to somehow come out of the various proceedings which have been initiated in law.\" It says the employee was dismissed \"as per procedure\" after an incident of \"inappropriate conduct\". Mr Gogoi himself addressed the issue in front of a special bench of the Supreme Court on Saturday. \"I don't want to stoop so low as to answer these charges,\" he said. \"All employees of the Supreme Court are treated respectfully by me.\" He added: \"There are forces that are trying to destabilise the judiciary. There are bigger forces behind these allegations hurled at me.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 470, "answer_end": 1657, "text": "The allegations were filed in a sworn affidavit that has been sent to Supreme Court judges. In it the married woman, who cannot be named under Indian law, alleges the misconduct occurred on 10 and 11 October at the offices in Mr Gogoi's residence. She alleges Mr Gogoi \"hugged me around the waist, and touched me all over my body with his arms\" and pressed his body against her. When he did not stop, she says she \"was forced to push him away from me with my hands\". The woman says Mr Gogoi then told her not to mention what had happened or her family \"would be greatly disturbed\". The woman alleges she was transferred three times, then fired in December. She says her husband and brother were both suspended from their jobs. In March a resident of the city of Jhajjar filed a complaint alleging she had kept money she had taken as a bribe to get him a job at the court. She denies the accusation and says she attended a police station with family members in March where they were subjected to abusive treatment. \"It now seems like the harassment, victimisation, and torture will not stop unless I speak out about the origin and motive for the harassment,\" she alleges in the affidavit."}], "question": "What does the woman allege?", "id": "451_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1658, "answer_end": 2677, "text": "The first response came in a statement from the secretary general of the Supreme Court on the chief justice's behalf. It says the allegations are \"completely and absolutely false and scurrilous and are totally denied\". It says the woman \"had no occasion to interact directly with the chief justice\". The statement refers to the criminal case of bribery lodged against the woman, saying: \"It appears that these false allegations are being made as a pressure tactic to somehow come out of the various proceedings which have been initiated in law.\" It says the employee was dismissed \"as per procedure\" after an incident of \"inappropriate conduct\". Mr Gogoi himself addressed the issue in front of a special bench of the Supreme Court on Saturday. \"I don't want to stoop so low as to answer these charges,\" he said. \"All employees of the Supreme Court are treated respectfully by me.\" He added: \"There are forces that are trying to destabilise the judiciary. There are bigger forces behind these allegations hurled at me.\""}], "question": "What has Mr Gogoi said?", "id": "451_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Wall murder: Danish inventor Peter Madsen given life sentence", "date": "25 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Danish inventor Peter Madsen has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the Swedish journalist Kim Wall on his submarine. Madsen had planned to kill Ms Wall, 30, either by suffocating her or cutting her throat, the Copenhagen court heard. Her dismembered remains were found by Danish police at sea on 21 August last year, 11 days after she interviewed him on board his homemade vessel. Madsen, 47, has said he will appeal against the conviction. He was found guilty of premeditated murder and sexual assault after previously admitting to dismembering Ms Wall's body on the submarine and throwing her remains overboard. His claim that Ms Wall's death was accidental was dismissed by the court. The case was heard by Copenhagen City Court Judge Anette Burkoe and two jurors. Judge Burkoe said: \"It is the court's assessment that the defendant killed Kim Wall. \"We are talking about a cynical and planned sexual assault and brutal murder of a random woman, who in connection with her journalistic work had accepted an offer to go sailing in the defendant's submarine.\" She said Madsen had \"failed to give trustworthy explanations\" and had \"shown an interest for the killing and maiming of people and has shown an interest for impaling\". BBC's Jenny Hill, at the court in Copenhagen In the stuffy, crowded press room, everyone exhaled at once as the judge announced her verdict. This case has horrified Denmark - and not just because of the brutality of the crime. Peter Madsen's stunts and projects, after all, had captured the public imagination. But the man people thought they knew as a harmless eccentric turned out to be a calculating and violent killer. Madsen went to extraordinary lengths to evade justice, scuttling his own submarine and changing his story several times. Today he sat, staring ahead, betraying no emotion as the judge told him that she didn't believe that Kim Wall had died accidentally. This was, she insisted, a \"cynically planned murder\". Only Madsen knows exactly what happened on board the Nautilus that night but the details pieced together by investigators suggest a crime so gruesome that even the prosecuting lawyer admitted afterwards that he'd found the case particularly hard to deal with. Ms Wall had been researching a story about Madsen's venture and was last seen on the evening of 10 August as she departed with him on his self-built 40-tonne submarine, UC3 Nautilus, into waters off Copenhagen. Her boyfriend raised the alarm the next day when she did not return from the trip. Madsen was rescued at sea after his submarine sank the same day. Police believe he deliberately scuttled the vessel. Ms Wall's mutilated torso was spotted by a passing cyclist on 21 August but her head, legs and clothing, placed in weighted-down bags, were not discovered by police divers until 6 October. After his arrest, Madsen gave differing accounts of what had happened on board his submarine. During the opening session of his trial last month, prosecutors said there was a suspicion that he had \"psychopathic tendencies\" after investigators discovered films on his computer showing women being tortured and mutilated. Madsen's shifting and unconvincing explanations helped convict him. Initially, he said he had dropped Ms Wall off at about 22:30 the night before she disappeared and had not seen her since. The next day Madsen gave police a new account of events, telling them there had been a \"terrible accident\" on board the self-built submarine. Ms Wall, he said, had been accidentally hit on the head by the submarine's 70kg (150lb) hatch. He had then dumped her body somewhere in Koge Bay, about 50km (30 miles) south of Copenhagen. On 30 October, police said the inventor had changed his story again and told them Ms Wall had died on board of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was up on deck. He also admitted dismembering her body, which he had previously denied. After the verdict was announced, Madsen's lawyer Betina Hald Engmark told the court her client would appeal. He will remain in custody pending the process. Theoretically it means just that, but in reality life-term prisoners do not serve the sentence. Police killer Palle Sorensen, paroled in 1998 after 32 years, and Naum Conevski, jailed in 1984 for killing two young men, are unusual in having served considerably more than the average of about 16 years. Sorensen died earlier this year. Conevski is still in jail. The sentence range for murder starts at five years and runs to life. One study shows the number of life-termers in Danish prisons increased from 10 in 1997 to 25 in 2013. The 2015 study said only every fifth or sixth murder convict was serving life. Friends and family describe her as a formidable character and driven journalist. She was born in 1987 and grew up in a close-knit community in the small town of Trelleborg in southern Sweden, just across the strait dividing Denmark from Sweden. She studied international relations at London School of Economics and went on to gain a place on the masters programme of Columbia University's School of Journalism - described as the \"Oxbridge of journalism\". Even within her cohort she was top of the class, winning honours in her year, her classmate and friend Anna Codrea-Rado told the BBC. Ms Wall's close family members were not present in court for the verdict.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 705, "answer_end": 1245, "text": "The case was heard by Copenhagen City Court Judge Anette Burkoe and two jurors. Judge Burkoe said: \"It is the court's assessment that the defendant killed Kim Wall. \"We are talking about a cynical and planned sexual assault and brutal murder of a random woman, who in connection with her journalistic work had accepted an offer to go sailing in the defendant's submarine.\" She said Madsen had \"failed to give trustworthy explanations\" and had \"shown an interest for the killing and maiming of people and has shown an interest for impaling\"."}], "question": "What did the judge say?", "id": "452_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2237, "answer_end": 3156, "text": "Ms Wall had been researching a story about Madsen's venture and was last seen on the evening of 10 August as she departed with him on his self-built 40-tonne submarine, UC3 Nautilus, into waters off Copenhagen. Her boyfriend raised the alarm the next day when she did not return from the trip. Madsen was rescued at sea after his submarine sank the same day. Police believe he deliberately scuttled the vessel. Ms Wall's mutilated torso was spotted by a passing cyclist on 21 August but her head, legs and clothing, placed in weighted-down bags, were not discovered by police divers until 6 October. After his arrest, Madsen gave differing accounts of what had happened on board his submarine. During the opening session of his trial last month, prosecutors said there was a suspicion that he had \"psychopathic tendencies\" after investigators discovered films on his computer showing women being tortured and mutilated."}], "question": "What do we know about the murder?", "id": "452_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3157, "answer_end": 4067, "text": "Madsen's shifting and unconvincing explanations helped convict him. Initially, he said he had dropped Ms Wall off at about 22:30 the night before she disappeared and had not seen her since. The next day Madsen gave police a new account of events, telling them there had been a \"terrible accident\" on board the self-built submarine. Ms Wall, he said, had been accidentally hit on the head by the submarine's 70kg (150lb) hatch. He had then dumped her body somewhere in Koge Bay, about 50km (30 miles) south of Copenhagen. On 30 October, police said the inventor had changed his story again and told them Ms Wall had died on board of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was up on deck. He also admitted dismembering her body, which he had previously denied. After the verdict was announced, Madsen's lawyer Betina Hald Engmark told the court her client would appeal. He will remain in custody pending the process."}], "question": "What did Madsen say about that night?", "id": "452_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4068, "answer_end": 4679, "text": "Theoretically it means just that, but in reality life-term prisoners do not serve the sentence. Police killer Palle Sorensen, paroled in 1998 after 32 years, and Naum Conevski, jailed in 1984 for killing two young men, are unusual in having served considerably more than the average of about 16 years. Sorensen died earlier this year. Conevski is still in jail. The sentence range for murder starts at five years and runs to life. One study shows the number of life-termers in Danish prisons increased from 10 in 1997 to 25 in 2013. The 2015 study said only every fifth or sixth murder convict was serving life."}], "question": "What does life imprisonment mean in Denmark?", "id": "452_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4680, "answer_end": 5342, "text": "Friends and family describe her as a formidable character and driven journalist. She was born in 1987 and grew up in a close-knit community in the small town of Trelleborg in southern Sweden, just across the strait dividing Denmark from Sweden. She studied international relations at London School of Economics and went on to gain a place on the masters programme of Columbia University's School of Journalism - described as the \"Oxbridge of journalism\". Even within her cohort she was top of the class, winning honours in her year, her classmate and friend Anna Codrea-Rado told the BBC. Ms Wall's close family members were not present in court for the verdict."}], "question": "Who was Kim Wall?", "id": "452_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump travel ban injunction partly lifted by top US court", "date": "26 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling allowing his travel ban to be partly reinstated as a \"victory for our national security\". America's highest court also granted a White House request allowing part of its refugee ban to go into effect. The justices said they would consider in October whether the president's policy should be upheld or struck down. Mr Trump seeks to place a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations and a 120-day ban on refugees. The president welcomed the ruling's qualified authorisation to bar visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, which he described as \"terror-prone countries\". \"As president, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm,\" he added. Mr Trump has already said the ban would take effect within 72 hours of court approval. The Supreme Court said in Monday's decision: \"In practical terms, this means that [the executive order] may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. \"All other foreign nationals are subject to the provisions of [the executive order].\" The ruling also said it would permit a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the US to go into effect, allowing the government to bar entry to refugee claimants who do not have any \"bona fide relationship\" with an American individual or entity. Mark this down as a win for Donald Trump. The path to entry into the US for immigrants and refugees from the affected nations, if they don't have existing ties to the US - either through family, schools or employment - just became considerably harder. The decision marks a reaffirmation of the sweeping powers the president has traditionally been granted by the courts in areas of national security. There was fear in some quarters that the administration's ham-fisted implementation of its immigration policy could do lasting damage to the president's prerogatives. That appears not to be the case. The government, the justices write, has a \"compelling need to provide for the nation's security\". That includes being able to close the borders based on an evaluation of the potential of foreign threats - at least for now. The Supreme Court justices will fully consider the arguments on both sides next autumn. Of course, by that time it may not matter. The administration has three months to conduct its \"executive review\" of immigration policy and devise new guidelines. In the meantime, the gates to America just got a bit smaller. Big win for Trump and his travel ban The ruling clarifies that those who would be deemed to have such a relationship would include a foreign national who wishes to enter the US to live with or visit a family member, a student at an American university, an employee of a US company, or a lecturer invited to address an American audience. This would not apply, it said, to \"someone who enters into a relationship simply to avoid [the executive order]. \"For example, a non-profit group devoted to immigration issues may not contact foreign nationals from the designated countries, add them to client lists, and then secure their entry by claiming injury from their exclusion.\" Yes. Three of the court's conservative justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch - wrote that they would have allowed the travel ban to go into full effect. Justice Thomas said the government's interest in preserving national security outweighs any hardship to people denied entry into the country. Mr Trump restored a 5-4 conservative majority to the Supreme Court when his nominee, Justice Gorsuch, joined its bench in April. There are five Republican appointees on the court and four Democratic appointees. - Attorney General Jeff Sessions says \"the threat to our national security is real and becoming increasingly dangerous\". He has welcomed the decision, saying it is \"an important step towards restoring the separation of powers between the branches of the federal government.\" - Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants' Rights Project, says that it remains to be decided if the ban is constitutional, but that the courts which have looked at the measure have been against it: \"[But] in practical terms most of the people who stood to be affected by the ban will still be allowed to come in.\" - David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), has urged the government to start a review of its vetting process. \"The court's decision threatens damage to vulnerable people waiting to come to the US: people with urgent medical conditions blocked, innocent people left adrift, all of whom have been extensively vetted.\" The US president insisted his ban was necessary for national security amid a slew of terrorist attacks in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin and other cities. However, critics called the policy un-American and Islamophobic, and the lower courts broadly seemed to agree. The president's policy was left in limbo after it was struck down by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland days following its issuance on 6 March. The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, said in May the ban was \"rooted in religious animus\" toward Muslims. The San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in June: \"National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power.\" The original ban, released on 27 January, provoked mass protests at American airports. It included Iraq among nations whose travellers would be barred from the US, and imposed a full ban on refugees from Syria. The president issued a revised version with a narrower scope on 6 March to overcome some of the legal problems. But Mr Trump was unhappy about having to do so, calling it a \"watered down, politically correct\" version of the first one.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 829, "answer_end": 1408, "text": "The Supreme Court said in Monday's decision: \"In practical terms, this means that [the executive order] may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. \"All other foreign nationals are subject to the provisions of [the executive order].\" The ruling also said it would permit a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the US to go into effect, allowing the government to bar entry to refugee claimants who do not have any \"bona fide relationship\" with an American individual or entity."}], "question": "What does the ruling say?", "id": "453_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2581, "answer_end": 3217, "text": "The ruling clarifies that those who would be deemed to have such a relationship would include a foreign national who wishes to enter the US to live with or visit a family member, a student at an American university, an employee of a US company, or a lecturer invited to address an American audience. This would not apply, it said, to \"someone who enters into a relationship simply to avoid [the executive order]. \"For example, a non-profit group devoted to immigration issues may not contact foreign nationals from the designated countries, add them to client lists, and then secure their entry by claiming injury from their exclusion.\""}], "question": "What does 'bona fide' relationship mean?", "id": "453_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3218, "answer_end": 3743, "text": "Yes. Three of the court's conservative justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch - wrote that they would have allowed the travel ban to go into full effect. Justice Thomas said the government's interest in preserving national security outweighs any hardship to people denied entry into the country. Mr Trump restored a 5-4 conservative majority to the Supreme Court when his nominee, Justice Gorsuch, joined its bench in April. There are five Republican appointees on the court and four Democratic appointees."}], "question": "Are there any divisions on the court?", "id": "453_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4711, "answer_end": 5448, "text": "The US president insisted his ban was necessary for national security amid a slew of terrorist attacks in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin and other cities. However, critics called the policy un-American and Islamophobic, and the lower courts broadly seemed to agree. The president's policy was left in limbo after it was struck down by federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland days following its issuance on 6 March. The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, said in May the ban was \"rooted in religious animus\" toward Muslims. The San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in June: \"National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power.\""}], "question": "What did lower courts say?", "id": "453_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5449, "answer_end": 5894, "text": "The original ban, released on 27 January, provoked mass protests at American airports. It included Iraq among nations whose travellers would be barred from the US, and imposed a full ban on refugees from Syria. The president issued a revised version with a narrower scope on 6 March to overcome some of the legal problems. But Mr Trump was unhappy about having to do so, calling it a \"watered down, politically correct\" version of the first one."}], "question": "Why did Trump revise the order?", "id": "453_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran rejects suggestion its missile programme is negotiable", "date": "16 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran has rejected suggestions it is willing to discuss its missile programme with the US. A spokesman for Iran's UN Mission said the weapons \"are absolutely and under no condition negotiable\". His denial comes after Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested in an interview the missiles could be up for discussion if sanctions are lifted. The US unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal last year and reimposed tight restrictions. In response, Iran announced in July it has surpassed limits on enriched uranium imposed in the agreement. The country insists it is not trying to build nuclear weapons. In a television interview on Monday, Mr Zarif told broadcaster NBC News that \"room for negotiation is wide open\" once the US removed its punishing sanctions. Asked if this would include discussions about Iran's missiles - something absent from the original 2015 agreement - Iran's foreign minister said if the US wanted to discuss the programme \"they need, first, to stop selling all these weapons, including missiles, to our region\". But Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for Iran's UN Mission, said Iran \"categorically rejects\" the \"characterization\" of their foreign minister's interview, and attacked media reports of his words. \"Drawing a false conclusion in pursuit of headlines, when what was said in the context was obvious, only leads to a diminution of the standing of the press with the public,\" he tweeted. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran had \"for the first time\" shown its willingness to discuss the weaponry. The country has previously insisted this was not an option under any circumstances. President Donald Trump said the US had made \"a lot of progress\" with Iran and that they were \"not looking for regime change\", although he insisted the country cannot develop a nuclear weapon and \"can't be testing ballistic missiles\". Meanwhile the president's nominee for defence secretary, Mark Esper, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday the US is not looking for war with Iran and needs to \"get back on the diplomatic channel\". President Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal in May 2018. He argued it did not go far enough to curb their nuclear programme, and said he wanted to replace it with a new agreement that would also limit the country's missile programme. Iran has refused to negotiate any changes, and has threatened to further break the terms of the agreement if Europe does not help limit the effects of US sanctions. EU foreign ministers on Monday urged Iran to \"go back to full compliance\", arguing the recent breaches have not been significant and are all \"reversible\". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised Europe's response, saying it would not understand the threat \"until Iranian nuclear missiles fall on European soil\". The US has sent warships to the Gulf amid the heightened tensions over the deal, and also over attacks on six oil tankers passing through the area in May and June. Iran has denied US allegations it was behind the attacks. The UK has also sent warships to the area after detaining an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar under suspicion it was carrying fuel to Syria. Iran denied it was en route to Syria and threatened to seize a UK tanker in response. On Tuesday, a US defence official said a small oil tanker belonging to the UAE - the Riah - could have been taken by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. It stopped transmitting its position days ago as it sailed through the Gulf. Semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA then reported forces from the country had come to the tanker's aid \"after receiving a request for assistance\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 621, "answer_end": 2116, "text": "In a television interview on Monday, Mr Zarif told broadcaster NBC News that \"room for negotiation is wide open\" once the US removed its punishing sanctions. Asked if this would include discussions about Iran's missiles - something absent from the original 2015 agreement - Iran's foreign minister said if the US wanted to discuss the programme \"they need, first, to stop selling all these weapons, including missiles, to our region\". But Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for Iran's UN Mission, said Iran \"categorically rejects\" the \"characterization\" of their foreign minister's interview, and attacked media reports of his words. \"Drawing a false conclusion in pursuit of headlines, when what was said in the context was obvious, only leads to a diminution of the standing of the press with the public,\" he tweeted. At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran had \"for the first time\" shown its willingness to discuss the weaponry. The country has previously insisted this was not an option under any circumstances. President Donald Trump said the US had made \"a lot of progress\" with Iran and that they were \"not looking for regime change\", although he insisted the country cannot develop a nuclear weapon and \"can't be testing ballistic missiles\". Meanwhile the president's nominee for defence secretary, Mark Esper, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday the US is not looking for war with Iran and needs to \"get back on the diplomatic channel\"."}], "question": "What did Iran say?", "id": "454_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2117, "answer_end": 2854, "text": "President Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal in May 2018. He argued it did not go far enough to curb their nuclear programme, and said he wanted to replace it with a new agreement that would also limit the country's missile programme. Iran has refused to negotiate any changes, and has threatened to further break the terms of the agreement if Europe does not help limit the effects of US sanctions. EU foreign ministers on Monday urged Iran to \"go back to full compliance\", arguing the recent breaches have not been significant and are all \"reversible\". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised Europe's response, saying it would not understand the threat \"until Iranian nuclear missiles fall on European soil\"."}], "question": "Is the nuclear deal still in effect?", "id": "454_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2855, "answer_end": 3671, "text": "The US has sent warships to the Gulf amid the heightened tensions over the deal, and also over attacks on six oil tankers passing through the area in May and June. Iran has denied US allegations it was behind the attacks. The UK has also sent warships to the area after detaining an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar under suspicion it was carrying fuel to Syria. Iran denied it was en route to Syria and threatened to seize a UK tanker in response. On Tuesday, a US defence official said a small oil tanker belonging to the UAE - the Riah - could have been taken by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. It stopped transmitting its position days ago as it sailed through the Gulf. Semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA then reported forces from the country had come to the tanker's aid \"after receiving a request for assistance\"."}], "question": "What about tensions in the Gulf?", "id": "454_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump denies discussing assassination of Syria's Assad", "date": "5 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has denied assertions by prominent journalist Bob Woodward in his new book that he ordered the assassination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Mr Trump said the idea was \"never even discussed\" with defence officials. Defence Secretary James Mattis has also denied words attributed to him in Woodward's book. The book Fear: Trump in the White House depicts a chaotic administration in a \"nervous breakdown of executive power\". Mr Trump has already condemned the new work as a \"con on the public\". In the book, senior aides are quoted as saying they hid sensitive documents to prevent Mr Trump signing them and as calling him an \"idiot\" and a \"liar\". Woodward is a widely respected, veteran journalist who helped expose President Richard Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. A day after extracts of the book were published in the Washington Post, another daily the New York Times posted an opinion piece attributed to an unnamed senior White House official saying that the root of the administration's problems was Mr Trump's amorality. The official said many Trump appointees had vowed to thwart the president's \"more misguided impulses\". \"It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room,\" the official adds. \"We fully recognise what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't.\" Later in the day, Mr Trump told a meeting of US sheriffs the \"gutless editorial\" in the \"failing New York Times\" was a \"disgrace\". His spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement about the unnamed writer: \"This coward should do the right thing and resign.\" The book says Mr Trump had ordered the Pentagon to arrange the assassination of the Syrian president after a chemical attack on civilians in April 2017 that was blamed on the Syrian government. \"Let's [expletive] kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the [expletive] lot of them,\" Mr Trump is reported to have told Mr Mattis. The book says Mr Mattis acknowledged Mr Trump's request but then, after the conversation, told an aide he would not do \"any of that\". But speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the president said: \"That was never contemplated, nor would it be contemplated.\" He went on to describe the book as \"fiction\". Mr Trump sent out a series of tweets on Tuesday evening carrying his own views, along with statements from Mr Mattis, chief of staff John Kelly and White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Mr Trump says quotes attributed to Mr Mattis and Mr Kelly were \"made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes\". He says the book is \"already discredited\" with \"so many lies and phony sources\", rejecting an allegation that he had used the terms \"mentally retarded\" and \"dumb Southerner\" to describe Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The statement from Mr Mattis describes the book as \"a product of someone's rich imagination\". The statement from Mr Kelly says: \"The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true... He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS...\" Woodward says chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and White House staff secretary Rob Porter removed documents from the president's desk to keep Mr Trump from signing them. The documents would have allowed the president to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and a trade deal with South Korea. This amounts to an \"administrative coup d'etat\", Woodward says. In other excerpts: - The book quotes Mr Kelly as saying: \"We're in Crazytown... This is the worst job I've ever had\" - Ex-Trump lawyer John Dowd calls the president \"a [expletive] liar\" - Mr Trump's relationship with Rex Tillerson never recovered after reports the ex-secretary of state had called the president \"an [expletive] moron\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1676, "answer_end": 2300, "text": "The book says Mr Trump had ordered the Pentagon to arrange the assassination of the Syrian president after a chemical attack on civilians in April 2017 that was blamed on the Syrian government. \"Let's [expletive] kill him! Let's go in. Let's kill the [expletive] lot of them,\" Mr Trump is reported to have told Mr Mattis. The book says Mr Mattis acknowledged Mr Trump's request but then, after the conversation, told an aide he would not do \"any of that\". But speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the president said: \"That was never contemplated, nor would it be contemplated.\" He went on to describe the book as \"fiction\"."}], "question": "What has been said about Assad?", "id": "455_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2301, "answer_end": 3121, "text": "Mr Trump sent out a series of tweets on Tuesday evening carrying his own views, along with statements from Mr Mattis, chief of staff John Kelly and White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Mr Trump says quotes attributed to Mr Mattis and Mr Kelly were \"made up frauds, a con on the public. Likewise other stories and quotes\". He says the book is \"already discredited\" with \"so many lies and phony sources\", rejecting an allegation that he had used the terms \"mentally retarded\" and \"dumb Southerner\" to describe Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The statement from Mr Mattis describes the book as \"a product of someone's rich imagination\". The statement from Mr Kelly says: \"The idea I ever called the president an idiot is not true... He always knows where I stand and he and I both know this story is total BS...\""}], "question": "What else did the president say?", "id": "455_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3122, "answer_end": 3829, "text": "Woodward says chief economic adviser Gary Cohn and White House staff secretary Rob Porter removed documents from the president's desk to keep Mr Trump from signing them. The documents would have allowed the president to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and a trade deal with South Korea. This amounts to an \"administrative coup d'etat\", Woodward says. In other excerpts: - The book quotes Mr Kelly as saying: \"We're in Crazytown... This is the worst job I've ever had\" - Ex-Trump lawyer John Dowd calls the president \"a [expletive] liar\" - Mr Trump's relationship with Rex Tillerson never recovered after reports the ex-secretary of state had called the president \"an [expletive] moron\""}], "question": "What else is in the book?", "id": "455_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey plan one-in, one-out deal", "date": "8 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The EU and Turkey say they have agreed the broad principles of a plan to ease the migration crisis. Under the plan discussed in Brussels, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be returned. For each Syrian sent back, a Syrian already in Turkey would be resettled in the EU. Turkey would also get extra funding and progress on EU integration. However, the deal has not been finalised and talks will continue ahead of an EU meeting on 17-18 March. Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Last year, more than a million people entered the EU illegally by boat, mainly going from Turkey to Greece. Most of them were Syrian, fleeing the country's four-year civil war. Another 2.7 million Syrian refugees are currently in Turkey. The EU heads said \"bold moves\" were needed to tackle the crisis, and made the following proposals: - All new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey to the Greek islands will be returned to Turkey, with the EU meeting the costs. Irregular migrants means all those outside normal transit procedures, ie without documentation. The term \"illegal migration\" usually refers to people smuggling - In exchange for every returned Syrian, one Syrian from Turkey will be resettled in the EU - Plans to ease access to the EU for Turkish citizens will be speeded up, with a view to allowing visa-free travel by June 2016 - EU payment of EUR3bn ($3.3bn; PS2.2bn) promised in October will be speeded up, and a decision will be made on additional funding to help Turkey deal with the crisis. Turkey reportedly asked for EU aid to be increased to EUR6bn - Preparations will be made for a decision on the opening of new chapters in talks on EU membership for Turkey European Council President Donald Tusk insisted the leaders at the summit had made a \"breakthrough\", and he was hopeful of concluding the deal in the next week. He said the progress sent \"a very clear message that the days of irregular migration to Europe are over\". However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more circumspect, saying: \"It is a breakthrough if it becomes reality.\" Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey had taken a \"game-changing\" decision \"to discourage illegal migration, to prevent human smugglers, to help people who want to come to Europe through encouraging legal migration\". The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says that, although this new initiative is bold, it could spark fierce argument and its implementation will not be easy. The system spelled out to the BBC by EU Commission spokesperson for migration Natasha Bertaud would see all migrants rescued in Greek waters taken to a Greek island for screening. All economic migrants would then be returned to Turkey where they would be screened again and \"if they have no right to international protection\" (which currently covers only Syrians) sent back to their country of origin. All migrants rescued by Nato in Turkish waters would be taken back to Turkey, which would decide if their status. Serious questions remain. What will happen to the thousands of migrants already in Greece, which has struggled to shelter and register them? What is the legal status of returning migrants to Turkey? As it is not a full member of the Geneva Convention, could the system be challenged in courts? In addition, only one member of the EU - Bulgaria - currently considers Turkey a safe country of return. The UN's refugee agency has already voiced concern about the \"blanket return\" of people without clarity on their legal status. The one-in, one out system also only applies to Syrians. What will happen to all the other migrants returned to Turkey? Again the legality of their return must be considered, as must Turkey's capability to return them to their countries of origin. The biggest problem, though, will be the migrants themselves - having risked their lives and invested much of their money, will they not simply try other routes? The migrants in the Calais camp known as \"the Jungle\" have not been known to give up on their attempts to reach the UK. As for resettlement, there is major opposition among some EU members for compulsory migrant quotas. Hungary's anti-migration PM Viktor Orban has already indicated he may veto the resettlement deal. Turkey's bid for EU membership. A long and thorny issue, not helped by the recent press-freedom wrangle over the court-ordered seizure of the opposition Zaman newspaper. Given all the hurdles, though, this is not a pressing concern. More problematic is Turkey's request for visa-free access for all its citizens to the EU's Schengen zone, which it hopes to achieve by June. This may draw a lot of opposition. The future of Schengen - which allows passport-free travel in a 26-nation zone - is already in doubt, given that eight of its members have introduced temporary border controls. 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_start": 1709, "answer_end": 2478, "text": "European Council President Donald Tusk insisted the leaders at the summit had made a \"breakthrough\", and he was hopeful of concluding the deal in the next week. He said the progress sent \"a very clear message that the days of irregular migration to Europe are over\". However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more circumspect, saying: \"It is a breakthrough if it becomes reality.\" Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey had taken a \"game-changing\" decision \"to discourage illegal migration, to prevent human smugglers, to help people who want to come to Europe through encouraging legal migration\". The BBC's Chris Morris in Brussels says that, although this new initiative is bold, it could spark fierce argument and its implementation will not be easy."}], "question": "How have leaders reacted?", "id": "456_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2479, "answer_end": 4150, "text": "The system spelled out to the BBC by EU Commission spokesperson for migration Natasha Bertaud would see all migrants rescued in Greek waters taken to a Greek island for screening. All economic migrants would then be returned to Turkey where they would be screened again and \"if they have no right to international protection\" (which currently covers only Syrians) sent back to their country of origin. All migrants rescued by Nato in Turkish waters would be taken back to Turkey, which would decide if their status. Serious questions remain. What will happen to the thousands of migrants already in Greece, which has struggled to shelter and register them? What is the legal status of returning migrants to Turkey? As it is not a full member of the Geneva Convention, could the system be challenged in courts? In addition, only one member of the EU - Bulgaria - currently considers Turkey a safe country of return. The UN's refugee agency has already voiced concern about the \"blanket return\" of people without clarity on their legal status. The one-in, one out system also only applies to Syrians. What will happen to all the other migrants returned to Turkey? Again the legality of their return must be considered, as must Turkey's capability to return them to their countries of origin. The biggest problem, though, will be the migrants themselves - having risked their lives and invested much of their money, will they not simply try other routes? The migrants in the Calais camp known as \"the Jungle\" have not been known to give up on their attempts to reach the UK. As for resettlement, there is major opposition among some EU members for compulsory migrant quotas."}], "question": "Can the return system work?", "id": "456_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4151, "answer_end": 5214, "text": "Hungary's anti-migration PM Viktor Orban has already indicated he may veto the resettlement deal. Turkey's bid for EU membership. A long and thorny issue, not helped by the recent press-freedom wrangle over the court-ordered seizure of the opposition Zaman newspaper. Given all the hurdles, though, this is not a pressing concern. More problematic is Turkey's request for visa-free access for all its citizens to the EU's Schengen zone, which it hopes to achieve by June. This may draw a lot of opposition. The future of Schengen - which allows passport-free travel in a 26-nation zone - is already in doubt, given that eight of its members have introduced temporary border controls. 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."}], "question": "What are the other obstacles?", "id": "456_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: UN Security Council approves 30-day ceasefire", "date": "25 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations. However, some of the biggest jihadist rebel groups, and their associates, are not covered by the truce, raising questions about its real impact. The Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave near Damascus has been bombarded by government forces for the past week. And air strikes began soon after the vote in New York, activists said. The vote had been delayed several times since Thursday as members struggled to come to an agreement. Russia, an ally of Syria's government, wanted changes, while Western diplomats accused Moscow of stalling for time. Some 500 people are said to have been killed by government forces in the enclave since last Sunday while rebels fire on Damascus has reportedly killed at least 16 civilians. The draft had said the ceasefire would not apply to operations against the Islamic State (IS) group, al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front. The Nusra Front is a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria which changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) when it formed an alliance with other militants last year. After Russia asked for the resolution to include other groups \"co-operating with them\", the final text specifies that operations may continue against \"individuals, groups, undertakings and entities\" associated with IS, al-Qaeda or other groups designated by the Security Council as terrorists. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called for the ceasefire to be implemented immediately but said she was sceptical that Syria would comply. She accused Russia of having \"dragged out the negotiations\". She said: \"In the three days it took us to adopt this resolution, how many mothers lost their kids to the bombing and the shelling?\" France's UN representative, Francois Delattre, also said the action was very \"belated\". On Friday he said failure to act could spell the end of the UN itself. Its UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, said the ceasefire would not be possible without agreements between warring factions and he attacked what he said was propaganda over the situation in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. \"We know that the humanitarian situation in Syria is dire and requires urgent measures to be taken,\" he said. \"It is important to engage not just with Eastern Ghouta,\" he added. \"Assistance needs to be delivered to all parts of Syria.\" UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the situation in the Eastern Ghouta is like \"hell on Earth\". Air strikes resumed on Sunday, hours after the Security Council meeting. They targeted the outskirts of Douma, the main town in the Easter Ghouta, causing several casualties, observers said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that both Syrian and Russian planes have been used, although Russia denies direct involvement. Barrel bombs and shells have been dropped on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped. Aid groups report several hospitals being put out of action since Sunday. The Syrian government has denied targeting civilians and said it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from \"terrorists\" - a term it has used to describe both the jihadist militants and the mainstream rebel groups that hold the enclave. The rebels in Eastern Ghouta are not one cohesive group. They encompass multiple factions, including jihadists, and in-fighting between them has led to past losses of ground to the Syrian government. The two biggest groups in the area are Jaish al-Islam and its rival Faylaq al-Rahman. The latter has in the past fought alongside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Syrian government says its attempts to recapture Eastern Ghouta are directly due to the HTS presence there.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 862, "answer_end": 1956, "text": "The draft had said the ceasefire would not apply to operations against the Islamic State (IS) group, al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front. The Nusra Front is a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria which changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) when it formed an alliance with other militants last year. After Russia asked for the resolution to include other groups \"co-operating with them\", the final text specifies that operations may continue against \"individuals, groups, undertakings and entities\" associated with IS, al-Qaeda or other groups designated by the Security Council as terrorists. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called for the ceasefire to be implemented immediately but said she was sceptical that Syria would comply. She accused Russia of having \"dragged out the negotiations\". She said: \"In the three days it took us to adopt this resolution, how many mothers lost their kids to the bombing and the shelling?\" France's UN representative, Francois Delattre, also said the action was very \"belated\". On Friday he said failure to act could spell the end of the UN itself."}], "question": "Why was the vote delayed?", "id": "457_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1957, "answer_end": 2406, "text": "Its UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, said the ceasefire would not be possible without agreements between warring factions and he attacked what he said was propaganda over the situation in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta. \"We know that the humanitarian situation in Syria is dire and requires urgent measures to be taken,\" he said. \"It is important to engage not just with Eastern Ghouta,\" he added. \"Assistance needs to be delivered to all parts of Syria.\""}], "question": "What does Russia say?", "id": "457_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2407, "answer_end": 3269, "text": "UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the situation in the Eastern Ghouta is like \"hell on Earth\". Air strikes resumed on Sunday, hours after the Security Council meeting. They targeted the outskirts of Douma, the main town in the Easter Ghouta, causing several casualties, observers said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that both Syrian and Russian planes have been used, although Russia denies direct involvement. Barrel bombs and shells have been dropped on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped. Aid groups report several hospitals being put out of action since Sunday. The Syrian government has denied targeting civilians and said it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from \"terrorists\" - a term it has used to describe both the jihadist militants and the mainstream rebel groups that hold the enclave."}], "question": "How bad is the situation in the Eastern Ghouta?", "id": "457_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3270, "answer_end": 3733, "text": "The rebels in Eastern Ghouta are not one cohesive group. They encompass multiple factions, including jihadists, and in-fighting between them has led to past losses of ground to the Syrian government. The two biggest groups in the area are Jaish al-Islam and its rival Faylaq al-Rahman. The latter has in the past fought alongside Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Syrian government says its attempts to recapture Eastern Ghouta are directly due to the HTS presence there."}], "question": "Who are the rebels in the enclave?", "id": "457_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Huawei row: UK to let Chinese firm help build 5G network", "date": "24 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The government has approved the supply of equipment by Chinese telecoms firm Huawei for the UK's new 5G data network despite warnings of a security risk. There is no formal confirmation but the Daily Telegraph says Huawei will build \"non-core\" components such as antennas. The US wants its allies in the \"Five Eyes\" intelligence grouping - the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - to exclude the company. Huawei has denied that its work poses any risks of espionage or sabotage. But Australia has already said it is siding with Washington - which has spoken of \"serious concerns over Huawei's obligations to the Chinese government and the danger that poses to the integrity of telecommunications networks in the US and elsewhere\". A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said it is reviewing the supply of equipment for the 5G network and will report in due course. Digital minister Margot James responded to the reports by tweeting: \"In spite of Cabinet leaks to the contrary, final decision yet to be made on managing threats to telecoms infrastructure.\" According to the Daily Telegraph, Huawei would be allowed to help build the \"non-core\" infrastructure of the 5G network. This would mean Huawei would not supply equipment for what is known as the \"core\" parts - where tasks such as checking device IDs and deciding how to route voice calls and data take place. Huawei, a private company which already supplies equipment for the UK's existing mobile networks, has always denied claims it is controlled by the Chinese government. It said it was awaiting a formal announcement, but was \"pleased that the UK is continuing to take an evidence-based approach to its work\", adding it would continue to work cooperatively with the government and the industry. Ciaran Martin, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre - which oversees Huawei's current UK work - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme a framework would be put in place to ensure the 5G network was \"sufficiently safe\". Asked about the potential of a conflict in the position of Five Eyes members, he added: \"In the past decade there have been different approaches across the Five Eyes and across the allied wider Western alliance towards Huawei and towards other issues as well.\" 5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. The world is going mobile and existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns, particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G is also much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average and experts say 5G - which is starting to be rolled out in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says it is believed the decision to involve Huawei was taken by ministers at a meeting of the government's national security council on Tuesday, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May. The home, defence and foreign secretaries were reported to have raised concerns during the discussions. In a tweet, shadow Cabinet Office minister Jo Platt said using Huawei equipment would raise \"serious questions\" about the \"government's interests and how they will secure networks\". BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera The decision on Huawei is one of the most significant long-term national security decisions this government will make and was always going to be contentious. 5G will underpin our daily lives in ways that are hard to predict. So does allowing a Chinese company to build those networks put people at risk of being spied on or even switched off? That is the concern from Washington and other critics who wanted the company excluded. But deciding to ban Huawei entirely from the network would have risked slowing down the development of 5G and also upsetting China. The UK believes it has experience in managing the risks posed by Huawei and can continue to do so going forward. But one retired senior intelligence official recently told me his view on what to do about Huawei had changed. In the past, he said, he had believed the policy of managing the risk had been sufficient. But now he was less sure. The reason was not to do with any change in his view of what the company could do. Rather it was about the risks to relationships with close allies, namely those of the Five Eyes and US. Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat tweeted that allowing Huawei to build some of the UK's 5G infrastructure would \"cause allies to doubt our ability to keep data secure and erode the trust essential to #FiveEyes cooperation\". Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Tugendhat said the proposals still raised concerns, as 5G involved an \"internet system that can genuinely connect everything, and therefore the distinction between non-core and core is much harder to make\". Joyce Hakmeh, a research fellow at think tank Chatham House and co-editor of the Journal of Cyber Policy, said the UK's current mobile network needs to be transformed to the \"the next level... quicker, more stable 5G\". But she added the government would be hoping its decision on Huawei did not upset either China or the US. Limiting - but not barring - Huawei technology from the 5G networks would be a \"diplomatic way of managing a difficult situation\" for the UK, said Ms Hakmeh.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2280, "answer_end": 3011, "text": "5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. The world is going mobile and existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns, particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G is also much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average and experts say 5G - which is starting to be rolled out in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster."}], "question": "What is 5G?", "id": "458_0"}]}]}, {"title": "You say you want a New Year's resolution...?", "date": "2 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New Year's Resolutions are, like rules, meant to be broken. Last year, about one in five people came up with some sort of resolve on 1 January, according to a poll by YouGov. However, separately it has also been claimed that most of us will have given up on them by 10 January. While most of those may be along the lines of \"I will never, ever mix Moscow Mules and Old Freebottom's Black Ale again\", many will actually be concerned with work and how we spend our money. So before we take the plunge, let's have a look at the options, starting with the most drastic. If you're miserable and you hate the people you work with, then the answer's probably yes. In fact there's never been a better time to look for something new. There are more job vacancies around than there have been at any time this century, 2.8 for every 100 jobs in existence, and unemployment is the lowest it's been in percentage terms since 1975. Justin Urquhart-Stewart is the co-founder of Seven Investment Management and regularly tours schools and universities advising on personal finance and careers in the financial services. He has this advice: \"Polish up your CV. As well as qualifications and business experience put in any work you do in the community. Businesses are increasingly having to report on their corporate social responsibility and if you do things like helping out in your local school, that's a point in your favour.\" Coincidentally, the new year could be the moment to ask for a pay rise. Corinne Mills, managing director at Personal Career Management, says you need to time a request for a raise around three or four months before the end of your employer's financial year. \"That way,\" she says, \"they can budget it in to the next year. If you do it too late even if they want to give you the money they simply may not be able to. \"The other thing is to know your market rate. Go online and type in 'Salary Guide' and look at how much you are meant to be paid. Or look at adverts for similar positions or talk to a head hunter. \"The third thing to remember is you must have a proper conversation about this and draw up a list of all your achievements from the last year. Don't just tag it on to a meeting or do it in a chance encounter. Have a longer conversation about your career development, and let them know that you are committed.\" Almost certainly yes. Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"The only way to save is to do it immediately after your pay cheque comes in. That way you can't get your hands on it and spend it on the shopping. So set up a direct debit on payday. Put it into a tax wrapper like an Isa (individual savings account), so the income and the growth are tax-free.\" The returns on savings at the moment are less than breathtaking. The best instant access account currently on the market, according to Moneysupermarket.com is Marcus, a retail bank owned by Goldman Sachs which is offering an interest rate of 1.5%. The stock market has been even worse. If you had put money in the FTSE 100 index of top shares at the beginning of last year and reinvested the income from the dividends, by mid-December you would have lost 7.5%. But Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"You have to invest for the long term. If your granny had given you PS100 when you were a child, and you had put it into the stock market, 70 years later with all the income reinvested it would be worth PS190,000.\" Probably. It has been estimated that people touch their phones 2,617 times a day. So it's not hard to see how this may be a problem at work, and probably at home too. Ms Mills says it's her personal resolution to cut down the time she spends on social media: \"It's so addictive. You can find yourself losing time at work and also it can be very emotional, getting yourself worked up with what's online, so it's not good for your general wellbeing.\" There are (ironically) apps that can help you. Moment is an app that claims it can help people \"gain an hour back each day by following simple strategies designed to help them re-imagine their relationship with their phone\". AppDetox gets you to lock your apps, and then pesters you with annoying reminders when you break the locks, while Forest ties phone abstinence into a commitment to plant trees both virtual and real. If you don't like gyms, definitely not. You won't keep it up and you'll waste your money. The easiest way to start feeling marginally more healthy is on your way to the office. Get off the bus or underground, out of your car and walk or cycle. Once you're there, see if you can stand at your desk, rather than sit, and if you're really ambitious get a treadmill desk so you can walk as you work. But there's more to fitness than developing a six-pack, as Ms Mills explains: \"There is a new emphasis at work on wellbeing and mental health, so it's not just about gym membership but doing things to improve your mental state: walking, yoga, meditation or even joining a choir.\" Definitely. The law allows you 5.6 weeks holiday (including bank holidays) a year but we seem to be reluctant to use it all. A British Airways survey found more than half of the working population don't use all their holiday allowance, and more than a third of UK workers are afraid to take a two-week holiday in case their colleagues think they're a bit of a skiver. \"There are times in your life when work can be so engaging and exciting you do miss holidays,\" says Ms Mills. \"But is it healthy? Of course it isn't. You need more. You need a personal life and time off. Again, it's to do with wellbeing.\" On a more practical note, Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"Book the time off before anyone else, and put the holiday money aside early. \"The other golden rule of holidays is the week you decide to go abroad the pound will decide to crash. So buy some foreign exchange early in the new year and then regularly over the following months. That way you smooth out the currency fluctuations.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 566, "answer_end": 1412, "text": "If you're miserable and you hate the people you work with, then the answer's probably yes. In fact there's never been a better time to look for something new. There are more job vacancies around than there have been at any time this century, 2.8 for every 100 jobs in existence, and unemployment is the lowest it's been in percentage terms since 1975. Justin Urquhart-Stewart is the co-founder of Seven Investment Management and regularly tours schools and universities advising on personal finance and careers in the financial services. He has this advice: \"Polish up your CV. As well as qualifications and business experience put in any work you do in the community. Businesses are increasingly having to report on their corporate social responsibility and if you do things like helping out in your local school, that's a point in your favour.\""}], "question": "Should I give up my job?", "id": "459_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1413, "answer_end": 2334, "text": "Coincidentally, the new year could be the moment to ask for a pay rise. Corinne Mills, managing director at Personal Career Management, says you need to time a request for a raise around three or four months before the end of your employer's financial year. \"That way,\" she says, \"they can budget it in to the next year. If you do it too late even if they want to give you the money they simply may not be able to. \"The other thing is to know your market rate. Go online and type in 'Salary Guide' and look at how much you are meant to be paid. Or look at adverts for similar positions or talk to a head hunter. \"The third thing to remember is you must have a proper conversation about this and draw up a list of all your achievements from the last year. Don't just tag it on to a meeting or do it in a chance encounter. Have a longer conversation about your career development, and let them know that you are committed.\""}], "question": "Do I deserve more money?", "id": "459_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2335, "answer_end": 3384, "text": "Almost certainly yes. Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"The only way to save is to do it immediately after your pay cheque comes in. That way you can't get your hands on it and spend it on the shopping. So set up a direct debit on payday. Put it into a tax wrapper like an Isa (individual savings account), so the income and the growth are tax-free.\" The returns on savings at the moment are less than breathtaking. The best instant access account currently on the market, according to Moneysupermarket.com is Marcus, a retail bank owned by Goldman Sachs which is offering an interest rate of 1.5%. The stock market has been even worse. If you had put money in the FTSE 100 index of top shares at the beginning of last year and reinvested the income from the dividends, by mid-December you would have lost 7.5%. But Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"You have to invest for the long term. If your granny had given you PS100 when you were a child, and you had put it into the stock market, 70 years later with all the income reinvested it would be worth PS190,000.\""}], "question": "Should I save more money?", "id": "459_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3385, "answer_end": 4257, "text": "Probably. It has been estimated that people touch their phones 2,617 times a day. So it's not hard to see how this may be a problem at work, and probably at home too. Ms Mills says it's her personal resolution to cut down the time she spends on social media: \"It's so addictive. You can find yourself losing time at work and also it can be very emotional, getting yourself worked up with what's online, so it's not good for your general wellbeing.\" There are (ironically) apps that can help you. Moment is an app that claims it can help people \"gain an hour back each day by following simple strategies designed to help them re-imagine their relationship with their phone\". AppDetox gets you to lock your apps, and then pesters you with annoying reminders when you break the locks, while Forest ties phone abstinence into a commitment to plant trees both virtual and real."}], "question": "Should I spend less time on my phone?", "id": "459_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4258, "answer_end": 4933, "text": "If you don't like gyms, definitely not. You won't keep it up and you'll waste your money. The easiest way to start feeling marginally more healthy is on your way to the office. Get off the bus or underground, out of your car and walk or cycle. Once you're there, see if you can stand at your desk, rather than sit, and if you're really ambitious get a treadmill desk so you can walk as you work. But there's more to fitness than developing a six-pack, as Ms Mills explains: \"There is a new emphasis at work on wellbeing and mental health, so it's not just about gym membership but doing things to improve your mental state: walking, yoga, meditation or even joining a choir.\""}], "question": "Should I join a gym?", "id": "459_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4934, "answer_end": 5922, "text": "Definitely. The law allows you 5.6 weeks holiday (including bank holidays) a year but we seem to be reluctant to use it all. A British Airways survey found more than half of the working population don't use all their holiday allowance, and more than a third of UK workers are afraid to take a two-week holiday in case their colleagues think they're a bit of a skiver. \"There are times in your life when work can be so engaging and exciting you do miss holidays,\" says Ms Mills. \"But is it healthy? Of course it isn't. You need more. You need a personal life and time off. Again, it's to do with wellbeing.\" On a more practical note, Mr Urquhart-Stewart says: \"Book the time off before anyone else, and put the holiday money aside early. \"The other golden rule of holidays is the week you decide to go abroad the pound will decide to crash. So buy some foreign exchange early in the new year and then regularly over the following months. That way you smooth out the currency fluctuations.\""}], "question": "Should I take more holiday?", "id": "459_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Pound rises - do markets believe Remain has won?", "date": "23 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Investors know no more than the rest of us about who has won. But the markets seem to think that Remain has had a strong day at the polls. Sterling hit a 2016 high today against the dollar and could be on track for one of its strongest weeks on the markets - in terms of increase in value - for 30 years. Yields on government debt also rose slightly, a signal that investors are moving away from safe haven assets and risking a little more investing in the stock market. The FTSE 100 was up by 1.2%. With Ladbroke's pricing a Remain win at 10/1 on favourites this morning, investors clearly believe punters (or the wisdom of crowds) appear to know more than the polls which are still suggesting the outcome of the vote today will be close. Now, if the markets are wrong - and they can be, despite some hedge funds reportedly commissioning their own, private polling - there is likely to be a significant currency swing overnight in Asia (markets there open at 01:00 BST) and a sharp deterioration when the London markets open for trading later in the morning. \"There is very much a Remain scenario still priced in to the markets,\" Jeremy Cook of the currency exchange World First told me. \"What this does mean of course is that any \"Bremain bounce\" will be more of a blip and any Leave losses will be monstrous.\" After a week in which sterling has strengthened markedly, if Leave win against market expectations, the \"correction\" is likely to make Friday pretty torrid on the markets.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 500, "answer_end": 1059, "text": "With Ladbroke's pricing a Remain win at 10/1 on favourites this morning, investors clearly believe punters (or the wisdom of crowds) appear to know more than the polls which are still suggesting the outcome of the vote today will be close. Now, if the markets are wrong - and they can be, despite some hedge funds reportedly commissioning their own, private polling - there is likely to be a significant currency swing overnight in Asia (markets there open at 01:00 BST) and a sharp deterioration when the London markets open for trading later in the morning."}], "question": "Markets wrong?", "id": "460_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Suge Knight trial: Rap mogul pleads no contest over hit-and-run death", "date": "21 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former US rap mogul Marion \"Suge\" Knight has pleaded no contest to a voluntary manslaughter charge over a hit-and-run incident in 2015. The Death Row Records founder made the plea to avoid charges of murdering one man and attempting to murder a second with his pick-up truck in Los Angeles. Knight will be formally sentenced to 28 years in prison in October. His record label helped launch the careers of artists including Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. The 2015 incident happened after an argument over the making of Straight Outta Compton, a biopic about rap group NWA. Under Californian state law, a no contest plea is the legal equivalent of a guilty plea. As part of the agreement, the murder charges against Knight, 53, will be dismissed by prosecutors, along with separate criminal cases charging him with robbery and making criminal threats. The deal, in which Knight admitted using a \"deadly and dangerous weapon\" when he ran down two men with his vehicle, calls for him to serve 22 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter with a further six years added because of the US \"three-strikes\" law relating to repeated violations. Had Knight been found guilty of murder as originally charged, he would have faced life in prison, prosecutors said. Knight co-founded Death Row Records with the pioneering producer Dr Dre in the 1990s, but later declared bankruptcy and the company was sold at auction for $24m (PS16.7m). Knight has a history of legal problems. He spent time in jail in 1997 and 2003 for parole violations arising from assault charges. He later pleaded guilty to hitting his girlfriend in an incident in 2008. While his label was initially very successful, his fortunes began to slide in 1996 when rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in the passenger seat of Knight's car. In 1997, rival rapper Biggie Smalls was shot and Knight was sued for wrongful death. Smalls' estate claimed that Knight had ordered the killing in revenge for Shakur's death. Knight denied it and the suit was dismissed. The charge relates to an incident in January 2015 in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. Knight was accused of deliberately running over two men with his pick-up truck outside a hamburger restaurant following an argument on the set of a commercial for Straight Outta Compton. One of the victims, Terry Carter, died of his injuries while the other, Cle \"Bone\" Sloan, suffered serious injuries to his feet and head. Footage of the incident captured by security cameras show Knight's vehicle pulling up to the drive-in shop, with one of the victims approaching the driver's side window. Following what appears to be a brief discussion, a struggle then ensues. Knight's truck is seen going into reverse, throwing the man to the ground. It then moves forward, driving over his legs and slams into the other victim, who was killed. Knight turned himself in to authorities a day after the incident. His attorneys had said he was acting in self-defence and was fleeing armed attackers when he ran over Mr Carter and Mr Sloan. Mr Sloan has denied claims he was carrying a gun during the confrontation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1259, "answer_end": 2022, "text": "Knight co-founded Death Row Records with the pioneering producer Dr Dre in the 1990s, but later declared bankruptcy and the company was sold at auction for $24m (PS16.7m). Knight has a history of legal problems. He spent time in jail in 1997 and 2003 for parole violations arising from assault charges. He later pleaded guilty to hitting his girlfriend in an incident in 2008. While his label was initially very successful, his fortunes began to slide in 1996 when rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in the passenger seat of Knight's car. In 1997, rival rapper Biggie Smalls was shot and Knight was sued for wrongful death. Smalls' estate claimed that Knight had ordered the killing in revenge for Shakur's death. Knight denied it and the suit was dismissed."}], "question": "Who is Suge Knight?", "id": "461_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2023, "answer_end": 3113, "text": "The charge relates to an incident in January 2015 in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. Knight was accused of deliberately running over two men with his pick-up truck outside a hamburger restaurant following an argument on the set of a commercial for Straight Outta Compton. One of the victims, Terry Carter, died of his injuries while the other, Cle \"Bone\" Sloan, suffered serious injuries to his feet and head. Footage of the incident captured by security cameras show Knight's vehicle pulling up to the drive-in shop, with one of the victims approaching the driver's side window. Following what appears to be a brief discussion, a struggle then ensues. Knight's truck is seen going into reverse, throwing the man to the ground. It then moves forward, driving over his legs and slams into the other victim, who was killed. Knight turned himself in to authorities a day after the incident. His attorneys had said he was acting in self-defence and was fleeing armed attackers when he ran over Mr Carter and Mr Sloan. Mr Sloan has denied claims he was carrying a gun during the confrontation."}], "question": "What happened in the hit-and-run?", "id": "461_1"}]}]}, {"title": "London Marathon: How do you reduce the environmental impact?", "date": "26 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tens of thousands of runners will take part in the London Marathon on Sunday - a gruelling 26.2-mile race around the capital. The iconic event raised PS63m ($81m) for charity last year - but it's also known for generating lots of plastic waste, particularly plastic water bottles discarded by runners. Like concerts and other major events, the marathon also generates a massive carbon footprint with thousands travelling - some by plane - to the location. Waste from food, packaging and goodie bags gets left behind by spectators and runners. After last year's marathon, Westminster City Council collected 5,200kg of rubbish and 3,500kg of recycling - including about 47,000 plastic bottles - from the streets. And the council has warned that the amount is likely to increase this year, if the weather remains hot. This year the London Marathon is making some big changes and trialling a number of ideas to try to make the event more green. The measures include: - Reducing the total number of drink stations on the running route from 26 to 19 and reducing the number of plastic bottles on the course by 215,000 - Using compostable cups rather than plastic bottles at three Lucozade Sport stations - Providing Lucozade Sport in edible seaweed capsules at one drinks station - Trialling new bottle belts made from recycled plastic so 700 runners can carry 250ml bottles with them during their run - Issuing digital rather than printed race instructions - Plastic bottles made from 100% or 50% recycled plastic London Marathon event director Hugh Brasner told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"We're trying to lead the way... there's a raft of initiatives we are using this year that we think will lead to some huge behavioural changes in the future.\" Encouraging runners to trial bottle belts could also \"hugely reduce the amount of bottles used on the course\", he added. However, a marathon is one of the toughest physical events a runner can endure - so are the proposals practical? Mike Robinson, who is running in Sunday's marathon, thinks reducing the number of drinks stations is sensible. \"Realistically you're not going to need to drink every mile, and that's actually against medical advice,\" he told the BBC. However, he describes the bottle belt trial as \"a good idea\" which unfortunately \"came a little late\". \"The email [about the bottle belts trial] came through about a week ago - but if you're going to be doing that, you need to be practising with them a lot earlier. \"If you're wearing something that moves around - even a bit - it becomes an irritation [during a marathon]. I had two sport gels in the side pocket of my shorts once, and after running two miles my legs started bleeding.\" And would runners be willing to drink out of paper cups rather than plastic bottles? Runners Harald Greve and Cindy Roy have completed six and seven marathons respectively and say paper cups are actually better in some ways because they contain the right amount of liquid. \"The bottles contain a lot of drink you don't necessarily need; what you want is a sip every few miles because you want to avoid needing the bathroom,\" Cindy told the BBC. The two, who have run marathons in London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin, Manchester, Stockholm and Athens, say in most marathons outside the UK runners are given paper cups rather than bottles anyway. However, the couple agree that running with bottles is \"easier by a long way\". \"For recreational runners, I think the time wasted from drinking from a cup is just a matter of seconds - but for elite runners a couple of seconds might mean the difference between winning and losing,\" says Harald. It's a view shared by Mike, who argues: \"If you ever try drinking [from a cup] whilst you're running, you end up getting more of it on your face than your mouth. For 75% of runners, they'd be cool with that, but for anyone trying to beat a time, telling them to stop is just like talking to a wall.\" Meanwhile, all three runners considered the edible pouches of Lucozade to be a good idea - but pointed out that many runners will be reluctant to consume something they haven't already tried during a marathon, in case it makes them ill. Dr Andrea Collins, a lecturer at Cardiff University, has researched the impact of major events on the environment. From her studies, she has found that \"the way in which people travel to an event is one of the key contributors to the size of the environmental footprint\". The London Marathon encourages participants to travel by public transport - and Dr Collins says that spectators can also think about the type of food and drink they purchase at the event - going for local or seasonal food without packaging where possible, and taking care not to over purchase. Meanwhile, Mike's tip for runners is to empty their bottles once they're done with them. \"What usually happens is you have a few swigs and then throw your bottle to the side - because running with a bottle of water can change your running form quite a lot. \"But one thing I've only recently learned is that you can't recycle a bottle that's got water inside it - it's worth publicising this so runners know to squeeze out the water before throwing their bottles away. It's something I'll be doing this year.\" Dr Collins says more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of holding big events in a sustainable way. \"Spectators and participants are realising that our ability to hold an event [in the future] will also depend on the quality of the environment. We can't continue to consume resources at the rate we are - it contributes to the bigger issue of climate change.\" However, she also argues that big sporting events, when done right, can do some good. \"These high profile events raise our awareness of environmental impacts, and organisers can demonstrate in quite a positive way what they've done. People might be inspired - and other big races, like the Great North Run, will be looking to see what has been put in place at the London Marathon, and what works.\" A study by King's College London found that air pollution in the capital fell by 89% during the last London Marathon due to road closures. And the experience of running a marathon also encourages people to be more environmentally friendly, Cindy argues. \"Training for a marathon makes you more sustainable in day-to-day activities - I started walking or running to work every day and shunning public transport altogether - being environmentally friendly while training kind of sticks with you and becomes a way of life.\" Click here for more from 5 Live's Cool Planet season", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4170, "answer_end": 5244, "text": "Dr Andrea Collins, a lecturer at Cardiff University, has researched the impact of major events on the environment. From her studies, she has found that \"the way in which people travel to an event is one of the key contributors to the size of the environmental footprint\". The London Marathon encourages participants to travel by public transport - and Dr Collins says that spectators can also think about the type of food and drink they purchase at the event - going for local or seasonal food without packaging where possible, and taking care not to over purchase. Meanwhile, Mike's tip for runners is to empty their bottles once they're done with them. \"What usually happens is you have a few swigs and then throw your bottle to the side - because running with a bottle of water can change your running form quite a lot. \"But one thing I've only recently learned is that you can't recycle a bottle that's got water inside it - it's worth publicising this so runners know to squeeze out the water before throwing their bottles away. It's something I'll be doing this year.\""}], "question": "What else can be done?", "id": "462_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bernie Sanders stirs Texas crowd, is he running for something?", "date": "10 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It's like the presidential campaign never ended. And that may be just the way Bernie Sanders, with an eye towards elections to come, wants it. On a cloudy day in central Texas, the former candidate for the 2016 Democratic nomination - the dishevelled septuagenarian who gave Hillary Clinton a scare in the 2016 primaries and became a progressive political star - was back in top form. He was interviewed by CNN's Jake Tapper before a packed conference hall at the South by Southwest technology, film and music festival in Austin. He mingled with small-dollar donors at a cafe in San Antonio. He offered his now trademark denunciation of the billionaire class and calls for universal government-provided healthcare, a $15 national minimum wage and free college education to an audience of more than 3,000 at Trinity University. He boasted that many of the proposals described during his campaign as \"radical and extreme\" have become mainstream. \"Our ideas are gaining resonance all across the country,\" he said. He also mixed in calls for gun control and racial justice - topics he shied away from in 2016. And unlike during that race - when the White House was in Democratic hands - he had a more tangible target to rail against, Donald Trump. \"In Trump we are living in unprecedented times,\" Mr Sanders said in Austin. \"I think we have the least qualified person to be president in the United States - perhaps in the history of the United States. The way we defeat Trump is for every person in this room and all of us to get involved in the political process in a way that we have never done in modern history in this country.\" On Saturday Mr Sanders heads to Lubbock, a traditionally conservative town in the northern panhandle of this traditionally conservative state. \"They told me that Lubbock was one of the progressive centres of Texas,\" Mr Sanders said to laughter in the much more liberal Austin. \"They lied to me.\" In all seriousness, what is the Vermont senator doing anywhere in Texas? Why is he going to Arizona on Sunday? Why was he in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan earlier this year? If you ask him, he'll say it's all about the 2018 mid-term elections. He wants Democrats to win enough seats in Congress to take back the US Senate and House of Representatives and put a check on Mr Trump's policy agenda. To that end, Mr Sanders - and his supporters - have attempted to harness the energy and enthusiasm generated by his presidential campaign into a durable political movement. Our Revolution, with its baby blue and red logo similar to that of the 2016 Sanders campaign, is organising on a grass-roots level across the US and supporting local, state and national candidates in the 2018 mid-terms and beyond. In the Texas primaries on Tuesday - the first contests of the mid-term season - candidates supported by Our Revolution won or advanced to runoffs in 17 out of 29 races. One, Laura Moser in Houston, did so despite being opposed by a Democratic Party campaign committee - a move Mr Sanders called \"absolutely unacceptable\". The Sanders movement flexed its muscles against the political establishment in Texas, and on Friday night in San Antonio, Mr Sanders declared the revolution \"alive and well\". Of course, such a developed nationwide organisation could, in 2020, also be a turnkey campaign framework for a presidential candidate. Someone who has run before, perhaps. Certainly for someone who espouses progressive values and can win the hearts and minds of the movement. Someone, say, like Bernie Sanders? The Vermont senator was coy when an audience member in Austin asked him if he continued to have presidential ambitions. \"Right now, we're a long, long way away from 2020 elections,\" Mr Sanders said. In reality, however, it's not that far off. By early 2019 the Democratic field will start to take shape. Jim Hightower, an author, progressive activist and former state agriculture commissioner who heads the Texas chapter of Our Revolution, is less circumspect. \"I think he probably will run,\" Hightower says, although he quickly notes that he may not be the only progressive candidate in the field. \"There's a whole new dynamic sparked by Bernie's presidential run showing that people respond when something big and different and ethical comes their way.\" He adds, however, that Mr Sanders has a connection that's enduring. \"People have faith in him because he is a genuine person,\" he says. \"You know he didn't change his image every day or try to position himself. He says, 'Here's who I am, and here's where I think we ought to be going'.\" At Mr Sanders' two stops in San Antonio on Friday evening, his supporters were ready for their man to make another run for the top prize - even though he'd be 79 years old on election day. \"He looks younger today than he did four years ago,\" says Danny Fetonte, a retired labour union organiser from Austin who served as a Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. \"I think they'll have a very hard time stopping him.\" Jake Stevenson, a 20-year-old student at St Mary's University, said Mr Sanders was the first presidential candidate he voted for and the reason he chose to study political science. \"I still view him as the strongest candidate on the Democratic side,\" he said. If Mr Sanders does decide to compete in what is sure to be a crowded 2020 Democratic field, his organisation and built-in base of loyal support could give him a formidable advantage, particularly in early voting states. As other candidates scramble to build support, the Vermont senator could post victories even with a small plurality of the vote. \"What does he have to lose?\" asks Scott Garrison, a Texas-based campaign veteran and political advertising strategist. \"As long as he's okay with the possibility that he doesn't win in the end, he won't have to wonder what might have been. At the very least he could become a kingmaker or have influence on the 2020 policy debate.\" At Mr Sanders' first stop in San Antonio, an entrepreneur was selling Bernie Sanders buttons, including one with the senator's trademark hair and glasses and the slogan \"hindsight 2020\". For more than a year, some supporters have been whispering \"Bernie would have won\" against Donald Trump - sometimes with a tinge of bitterness. Now, in buttons and more than just whispers, they are starting to think that perhaps, in the not too distant future, Bernie may get another shot.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3231, "answer_end": 4584, "text": "Of course, such a developed nationwide organisation could, in 2020, also be a turnkey campaign framework for a presidential candidate. Someone who has run before, perhaps. Certainly for someone who espouses progressive values and can win the hearts and minds of the movement. Someone, say, like Bernie Sanders? The Vermont senator was coy when an audience member in Austin asked him if he continued to have presidential ambitions. \"Right now, we're a long, long way away from 2020 elections,\" Mr Sanders said. In reality, however, it's not that far off. By early 2019 the Democratic field will start to take shape. Jim Hightower, an author, progressive activist and former state agriculture commissioner who heads the Texas chapter of Our Revolution, is less circumspect. \"I think he probably will run,\" Hightower says, although he quickly notes that he may not be the only progressive candidate in the field. \"There's a whole new dynamic sparked by Bernie's presidential run showing that people respond when something big and different and ethical comes their way.\" He adds, however, that Mr Sanders has a connection that's enduring. \"People have faith in him because he is a genuine person,\" he says. \"You know he didn't change his image every day or try to position himself. He says, 'Here's who I am, and here's where I think we ought to be going'.\""}], "question": "Whose revolution?", "id": "463_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mohammed Dewji: Reward offered for abducted Tanzania billionaire", "date": "15 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The family of Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji, who was kidnapped on Thursday, has offered a 1bn Tanzania shilling ($440,000; PS330,000) reward for information that leads to his rescue. Mr Dewji, reportedly Africa's youngest billionaire, was taken by masked gunmen in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The police have arrested more than 20 people in connection with the abduction But both the motive for the kidnapping and his whereabouts are still unclear. Police believe that two white men were behind Mr Dewji's disappearance, reports the BBC's Athuman Mtulya from Dar es Salaam. The family hoped that the reward will help the police's investigation, spokesperson Azim Dewji told a packed press conference. \"We want to assure anyone with the information about the whereabouts of our son to come forward and we will treat their information as secret,\" he said. Kidnappings are uncommon in Tanzania, our correspondent says. Financial magazine Forbes puts his wealth at $1.5bn (PS980m), and has described him as Tanzania's only billionaire. In a 2017 report, it said Mr Dewji, 43, was Africa's youngest billionaire. Mr Dewji is also a major sponsor of one of Tanzania's biggest football teams, Simba. He promised in 2016 to donate at least half his fortune to philanthropic causes, Forbes said. Mr Dewji, locally known as Mo, is credited with turning his family business from a wholesale and retail enterprise into a pan-African conglomerate. His company, MeTL, has interests in textile manufacturing, flour milling, beverages and edible oils in at least six African states. Mr Dewji served as a ruling party MP for a decade until 2015. He told the BBC in a 2014 interview that this possibly made it easier for him to meet top politicians, but it did not give him an unfair advantage, as other businessmen also had access to them. The abduction took place outside a swanky gym in the affluent neighbourhood of Oysterbay. The kidnappers fired shots in the air before driving away with the billionaire, eyewitnesses said. Mr Dewji, a fitness enthusiast, had no security guards with him and had driven to the gym on his own, Dar es Salaam regional police commissioner Paul Makonda told reporters on Thursday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 932, "answer_end": 1837, "text": "Financial magazine Forbes puts his wealth at $1.5bn (PS980m), and has described him as Tanzania's only billionaire. In a 2017 report, it said Mr Dewji, 43, was Africa's youngest billionaire. Mr Dewji is also a major sponsor of one of Tanzania's biggest football teams, Simba. He promised in 2016 to donate at least half his fortune to philanthropic causes, Forbes said. Mr Dewji, locally known as Mo, is credited with turning his family business from a wholesale and retail enterprise into a pan-African conglomerate. His company, MeTL, has interests in textile manufacturing, flour milling, beverages and edible oils in at least six African states. Mr Dewji served as a ruling party MP for a decade until 2015. He told the BBC in a 2014 interview that this possibly made it easier for him to meet top politicians, but it did not give him an unfair advantage, as other businessmen also had access to them."}], "question": "Who is Mohammed Dewji?", "id": "464_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran urges UN court to halt US reimposed nuclear sanctions", "date": "27 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to lift the sanctions imposed by the US after it abandoned the deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. Iranian lawyer Mohsen Mohebi said the US aimed to damage Iran's economy \"as severely as possible\" and had violated a little-known 1955 friendship treaty. The US said it would vigorously defend itself against the \"meritless claim\". Iran's economy has slumped since US President Donald Trump ordered that the sanctions be reinstated in May. The Iranian currency, the rial, has lost half its value against the dollar, the monthly inflation rate has risen to 10.2%, and unemployment stands at 12.5%. On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted to dismiss Finance Minister Masoud Karbasian over his failure to address the country's economic woes. The 2015 accord between six world powers and Iran saw the Islamic Republic limit its controversial nuclear activities in return for relief from international sanctions. But Mr Trump said the deal had \"failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb\" and did not deal with Tehran's \"malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism\". In an attempt to compel Iran to agree to a new accord the president reinstated sanctions earlier this month that targeted the Iranian government's purchase of US dollars, Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals, and its automotive sector. In November, a second batch of potentially more damaging sanctions will be reimposed on Iran's oil and shipping sectors as well as its central bank. The other parties to the deal - the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia - have criticised Mr Trump's decision and pledged to abide by their commitments under the existing deal. But many major firms have already pulled out of Iran. The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and settles legal disputes between member states. Last month, Iranian lawyers filed a case before the court that called on its judges to order the US to suspend its sanctions pending a definitive ruling - something that could take years. The lawyers argued that the sanctions violated the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights between Iran and the US, which grants the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes. They also said the reasons cited by President Trump for reimposing the sanctions were unfounded because the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had repeatedly confirmed that Iran was complying with the terms of the nuclear deal. \"The US is publicly propagating a policy intended to damage as severely as possible Iran's economy and Iranian national companies, and therefore inevitably Iranian nationals,\" Mr Mohebi told the court on Monday. \"This policy is nothing but naked economic aggression against my country.\" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement saying Iran's lawsuit was an \"attempt to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions, including re-imposition of sanctions, which are necessary to protect our national security\". \"The proceedings instituted by Iran are a misuse of the court,\" he added. US lawyers are expected to argue on Tuesday that the ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the dispute, and that Iran's assertions fall outside the bounds of the treaty. The ICJ has ruled previously that the 1955 treaty is valid even though it was signed before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which saw the US-backed Shah overthrown and heralded four decades of hostility between the two countries. The oral hearings will last for four days and a decision on Iran's request for a provisional injunction is expected within a month. Although the ICJ's rulings are binding, it has no power to enforce them.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 788, "answer_end": 1835, "text": "The 2015 accord between six world powers and Iran saw the Islamic Republic limit its controversial nuclear activities in return for relief from international sanctions. But Mr Trump said the deal had \"failed to achieve the fundamental objective of blocking all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb\" and did not deal with Tehran's \"malign activities, including its ballistic missile programme and its support for terrorism\". In an attempt to compel Iran to agree to a new accord the president reinstated sanctions earlier this month that targeted the Iranian government's purchase of US dollars, Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals, and its automotive sector. In November, a second batch of potentially more damaging sanctions will be reimposed on Iran's oil and shipping sectors as well as its central bank. The other parties to the deal - the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia - have criticised Mr Trump's decision and pledged to abide by their commitments under the existing deal. But many major firms have already pulled out of Iran."}], "question": "Why did the US abandon the nuclear deal?", "id": "465_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1836, "answer_end": 2844, "text": "The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and settles legal disputes between member states. Last month, Iranian lawyers filed a case before the court that called on its judges to order the US to suspend its sanctions pending a definitive ruling - something that could take years. The lawyers argued that the sanctions violated the 1955 Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights between Iran and the US, which grants the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes. They also said the reasons cited by President Trump for reimposing the sanctions were unfounded because the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had repeatedly confirmed that Iran was complying with the terms of the nuclear deal. \"The US is publicly propagating a policy intended to damage as severely as possible Iran's economy and Iranian national companies, and therefore inevitably Iranian nationals,\" Mr Mohebi told the court on Monday. \"This policy is nothing but naked economic aggression against my country.\""}], "question": "What is Iran arguing at the ICJ?", "id": "465_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2845, "answer_end": 3791, "text": "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement saying Iran's lawsuit was an \"attempt to interfere with the sovereign rights of the United States to take lawful actions, including re-imposition of sanctions, which are necessary to protect our national security\". \"The proceedings instituted by Iran are a misuse of the court,\" he added. US lawyers are expected to argue on Tuesday that the ICJ should not have jurisdiction in the dispute, and that Iran's assertions fall outside the bounds of the treaty. The ICJ has ruled previously that the 1955 treaty is valid even though it was signed before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, which saw the US-backed Shah overthrown and heralded four decades of hostility between the two countries. The oral hearings will last for four days and a decision on Iran's request for a provisional injunction is expected within a month. Although the ICJ's rulings are binding, it has no power to enforce them."}], "question": "How has the US responded?", "id": "465_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Strasbourg gunman Chekatt 'pledged allegiance to IS in video'", "date": "22 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The gunman who killed five people near a Christmas market in Strasbourg had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in a video, reports say. The video was found on a USB key belonging to Cherif Chekatt, 29, judicial sources told AFP news agency. Chekatt was shot dead by police after a manhunt lasting two days. IS said he was one of their \"soldiers\" after the 11 December attack but French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner cast doubt on this claim. The group's self-styled news agency Amaq said Chekatt had \"carried out the operation in response to calls for targeting citizens of coalition countries\" fighting its militants in Syria and Iraq. Chekatt was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services. He was on the \"fiche S\" watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security. He had 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and had spent considerable time in prison as a result. Chekatt was killed in an exchange of fire with police in the Neudorf area and was later identified through his fingerprints. Officers found an old gun, still loaded, some ammunition and a knife on his body. Seven people were initially arrested in connection with the attack. Chekatt's parents and two of his brothers were among those detained, but have since been freed. Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski died at about 18:00 local time last Sunday (17:00 GMT). He had spent five days in a coma and never recovered. His family had kept him on life support so that those close to him could come to say goodbye at the Hautepierre hospital in the city. Kamal Naghchband was a garage mechanic originally from Afghanistan. The father of three had been visiting the market with his family and was shot in the head. Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, was a Thai national on holiday with his wife. Antonio Megalizzi, a 29-year-old Italian journalist, was critically injured in the attack and his death was announced three days later. A retired bank worker aged 61, from Strasbourg, also died. About 10 people remain injured, several seriously.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 661, "answer_end": 1357, "text": "Chekatt was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services. He was on the \"fiche S\" watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security. He had 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and had spent considerable time in prison as a result. Chekatt was killed in an exchange of fire with police in the Neudorf area and was later identified through his fingerprints. Officers found an old gun, still loaded, some ammunition and a knife on his body. Seven people were initially arrested in connection with the attack. Chekatt's parents and two of his brothers were among those detained, but have since been freed."}], "question": "What else do we know about Chekatt?", "id": "466_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1358, "answer_end": 2106, "text": "Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski died at about 18:00 local time last Sunday (17:00 GMT). He had spent five days in a coma and never recovered. His family had kept him on life support so that those close to him could come to say goodbye at the Hautepierre hospital in the city. Kamal Naghchband was a garage mechanic originally from Afghanistan. The father of three had been visiting the market with his family and was shot in the head. Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, was a Thai national on holiday with his wife. Antonio Megalizzi, a 29-year-old Italian journalist, was critically injured in the attack and his death was announced three days later. A retired bank worker aged 61, from Strasbourg, also died. About 10 people remain injured, several seriously."}], "question": "Who were the victims?", "id": "466_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Abominable: A DreamWorks movie, a map, and a huge regional row", "date": "18 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Malaysian censors have ordered a scene to be cut from DreamWorks film Abominable before it is screened there - because of a brief glimpse of a map. It is the third South East Asian country to take offence at the scene in the film, a Chinese co-production. The contentious map shows the \"nine-dash line\", which China uses to show its claims in the South China Sea. Parts of the sea and various island groups are claimed by five other Asian countries, as well as China. Vietnam has already pulled the movie - while Philippine politicians are calling for a DreamWorks boycott. It might be merely a backdrop in an animated movie - but it shines a spotlight on one of the world's hottest territorial disputes. Abominable is an animated children's movie which actually has nothing to do with the South China Sea. It's about a Chinese girl from Shanghai who discovers a yeti on her roof, strikes up a friendship with him, and - against all odds - manages to take him back to Mount Everest. The girl, Yi, has a makeshift shed on the roof of the high-rise where she lives. In that shed, there's a big map of East Asia on the wall, with pictures and notes pinned to it. And it shows the South China Sea - with a series of lines marking what's known as China's nine-dash line. The South China Sea is a strategically important region, rich in potential natural resources and fishing grounds, and lying between several influential countries. China says it has always controlled a large chunk of this territory. The nine-dash line carves out by far the largest portion - leaving only a small coastal strip to each of the other claimants. In 1947, China issued a map detailing its claims, and insists history backs up its claims. The other claimants beg to differ. Vietnam also has historic maps showing its claims, while the Philippines invokes its proximity to some of the islands, which have long been populated by Filipinos. While Taiwan's claim mirrors that of China (and China considers Taiwan to be part of China anyway), Malaysia and Brunei insist parts of the sea fall within their economic exclusion zones as defined by United Nations laws. The Philippines have sought international arbitration - and a UN tribunal in 2016 backed Manila, saying China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights. Beijing, though, boycotted the proceedings and the ruling hasn't had any consequences. China's rapidly growing influence in the region has the other claimants torn between taking a stance - or bowing to Beijing's economic might. It's hard to say, as it doesn't actually play a role in the movie. But Abominable is the first co-production between US company DreamWorks and China's Pearl Studio production firm. Within China, the sea is routinely shown with the nine-dash line. So for the Chinese side of the co-production, it's simply an accurate and normal map. Movie-goers in Vietnam, though, were quick to accuse China of inserting the map to gradually make its claims less and less controversial on the global stage. In fact, Beijing doesn't merely claim the territory: it runs naval patrols in the area and, for years, has been building military outposts on the disputed islands. In some cases, small rocky reefs have turned into fully fledged military runways. Over the past few years, China has become more insistent on territorial questions. It has, for instance, been increasingly strict in policing how foreign firms describe Hong Kong - which is part of China but has a special status - or Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which Beijing sees as a province of the mainland that has broken away. This has led to officials and outraged Chinese social media users going after Western companies that use \"wrong\" maps. Just this week, Christian Dior apologised to China for using a map of China without Taiwan. \"The film has been given approval for screening in Malaysia,\" the Malaysian film board chairman Mohamad Zamberi Abdul Aziz told news agency Reuters. \"Under the condition that the controversial map is removed from the film.\" Vietnamese movie-goers were the first to notice the nine-dash line - and officials swiftly ordered the film to be pulled. Next was the Philippines, where public and politicians were equally upset. Foreign Minister Teddy Locsin on Twitter called for a boycott and speculated about cutting the map out of the movie. The movie has been showing in the US since last month, and the map scene has largely gone unnoticed. Yet the US is also frequently at loggerheads with Beijing over the South China Sea. The US Navy routinely carries out what it calls \"freedom of navigation\" acts. Its ships sail through what the US calls international waters - only for China to accuse it of provocation and interference in regional matters.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 705, "answer_end": 1265, "text": "Abominable is an animated children's movie which actually has nothing to do with the South China Sea. It's about a Chinese girl from Shanghai who discovers a yeti on her roof, strikes up a friendship with him, and - against all odds - manages to take him back to Mount Everest. The girl, Yi, has a makeshift shed on the roof of the high-rise where she lives. In that shed, there's a big map of East Asia on the wall, with pictures and notes pinned to it. And it shows the South China Sea - with a series of lines marking what's known as China's nine-dash line."}], "question": "What is in the scene?", "id": "467_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1266, "answer_end": 2522, "text": "The South China Sea is a strategically important region, rich in potential natural resources and fishing grounds, and lying between several influential countries. China says it has always controlled a large chunk of this territory. The nine-dash line carves out by far the largest portion - leaving only a small coastal strip to each of the other claimants. In 1947, China issued a map detailing its claims, and insists history backs up its claims. The other claimants beg to differ. Vietnam also has historic maps showing its claims, while the Philippines invokes its proximity to some of the islands, which have long been populated by Filipinos. While Taiwan's claim mirrors that of China (and China considers Taiwan to be part of China anyway), Malaysia and Brunei insist parts of the sea fall within their economic exclusion zones as defined by United Nations laws. The Philippines have sought international arbitration - and a UN tribunal in 2016 backed Manila, saying China had violated the Philippines' sovereign rights. Beijing, though, boycotted the proceedings and the ruling hasn't had any consequences. China's rapidly growing influence in the region has the other claimants torn between taking a stance - or bowing to Beijing's economic might."}], "question": "What is the nine-dash line?", "id": "467_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2523, "answer_end": 3807, "text": "It's hard to say, as it doesn't actually play a role in the movie. But Abominable is the first co-production between US company DreamWorks and China's Pearl Studio production firm. Within China, the sea is routinely shown with the nine-dash line. So for the Chinese side of the co-production, it's simply an accurate and normal map. Movie-goers in Vietnam, though, were quick to accuse China of inserting the map to gradually make its claims less and less controversial on the global stage. In fact, Beijing doesn't merely claim the territory: it runs naval patrols in the area and, for years, has been building military outposts on the disputed islands. In some cases, small rocky reefs have turned into fully fledged military runways. Over the past few years, China has become more insistent on territorial questions. It has, for instance, been increasingly strict in policing how foreign firms describe Hong Kong - which is part of China but has a special status - or Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which Beijing sees as a province of the mainland that has broken away. This has led to officials and outraged Chinese social media users going after Western companies that use \"wrong\" maps. Just this week, Christian Dior apologised to China for using a map of China without Taiwan."}], "question": "Why was it included in the film?", "id": "467_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3808, "answer_end": 4753, "text": "\"The film has been given approval for screening in Malaysia,\" the Malaysian film board chairman Mohamad Zamberi Abdul Aziz told news agency Reuters. \"Under the condition that the controversial map is removed from the film.\" Vietnamese movie-goers were the first to notice the nine-dash line - and officials swiftly ordered the film to be pulled. Next was the Philippines, where public and politicians were equally upset. Foreign Minister Teddy Locsin on Twitter called for a boycott and speculated about cutting the map out of the movie. The movie has been showing in the US since last month, and the map scene has largely gone unnoticed. Yet the US is also frequently at loggerheads with Beijing over the South China Sea. The US Navy routinely carries out what it calls \"freedom of navigation\" acts. Its ships sail through what the US calls international waters - only for China to accuse it of provocation and interference in regional matters."}], "question": "What have Malaysia and other countries said?", "id": "467_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Parsons Green: UK terror threat increased to critical after Tube bomb", "date": "15 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK terror threat has been increased to its highest level as police continue the hunt for the person behind the Tube bombing in south-west London. The prime minister said the threat was now critical, meaning an attack is expected imminently, after a device was detonated at Parsons Green station. Police said some 1,000 armed officers would be seen across the country after military assistance was requested. So-called Islamic State has said it was behind the attack, which injured 29. Mrs May said the military would be providing support to police and would replace officers on guard duty at national infrastructure sites that are not accessible to the public. Police Scotland said it would be increasing the number of armed officers on patrol, particularly at key locations and crowded places. The use of the military to assist police has been done under the first phase of Operation Temperer, a government plan to deploy troops to help police following major terrorist attacks, which was activated for the first time on 23 May following the Manchester Arena attack. Mrs May said: \"The public will see more armed police on the transport network and on our streets, providing extra protection. \"This is a proportionate and sensible step which will provide extra reassurance and protection while the investigation progresses.\" Twenty-nine people have been treated in hospitals, mostly for burns, following the attack at 08:20 BST on Friday on the eastbound District Line train from Wimbledon. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said police were \"chasing down suspects\". He said the assistance from the military would \"provide reassurance\" across the country. Mr Rowley said hundreds of police officers had been \"trawling\" through CCTV to find those responsible for the attack. He said detectives were only aware of one device and refused to be drawn on details of the suspects because of the \"covert\" nature of the operation. Mr Rowley also said it was \"very routine\" in incidents of this kind for IS to say it carried out the attack \"whether or not they've had any previous engagement with the individuals involved\". By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent A word of caution about \"imminence\". The terror threat level was previously raised to critical in May after Manchester. Then it was lowered again days later after it became clear to intelligence assessors in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that an attack wasn't imminent. Then we had two more incidents - Borough Market/London Bridge and Finsbury Park. What does this tell us? Intelligence is usually fragmentary. Analysts sometimes only have glimpses or impressions of what they think is going on. It's an imperfect world. Pictures taken of the train showed a white bucket on fire inside a supermarket bag, with wires trailing on to the carriage floor. The BBC understands the device had a timer. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the bomb appeared not to have gone off properly. Had it worked as intended, it would have killed everyone around it and maimed everyone in the train carriage for life, he said. Earlier, US President Donald Trump spoke to Prime Minister Theresa May to convey his sympathies for those injured in the terrorist attack, the White House said. President Trump pledged to continue close collaboration with the UK to stop attacks and combat extremism, the statement added. US President Donald Trump had tweeted that the \"sick and demented\" people behind the attack had been in the sights of the Metropolitan Police, prompting Mrs May to say it was not helpful to \"speculate\" on an ongoing investigation. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is treating 14 people, with a \"small number\" of them taken to its specialist burns unit. Four people are being treated by Imperial College Healthcare and three at St George's Hospital. St Thomas' Hospital in London said it had treated eight patients but they had been discharged. Mr Rowley asked the public to remain \"vigilant\", but said people should \"not be alarmed\". He said anyone who took pictures or videos at the scene could upload them to ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk. Anna Gorniak, who was in the same Tube carriage as the explosion, told the BBC: \"I could see a fireball filling the carriage and coming our way. At that moment, I started to run. \"In my mind I was praying, I probably thought for a second, 'That's it, my life is over.'\" Passenger Peter Crowley was sitting in the carriage, travelling from Wimbledon, when the explosion happened. He said his head was burned by a \"really hot intense fireball above my head\" and added: \"There were people a lot worse than me.\" Chris Wildish told BBC Radio 5 live he saw a bucket in a supermarket bag with \"low-level flames coming out of it\" by the door of the rear carriage. Are you at Parsons Green station? Did you witness the events? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories. 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 7525 900971 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Or Upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2121, "answer_end": 2696, "text": "By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent A word of caution about \"imminence\". The terror threat level was previously raised to critical in May after Manchester. Then it was lowered again days later after it became clear to intelligence assessors in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that an attack wasn't imminent. Then we had two more incidents - Borough Market/London Bridge and Finsbury Park. What does this tell us? Intelligence is usually fragmentary. Analysts sometimes only have glimpses or impressions of what they think is going on. It's an imperfect world."}], "question": "What does terror threat level mean?", "id": "468_0"}]}]}, {"title": "France 'burkini ban': Court to decide on beach fines", "date": "25 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France's highest administrative court is being asked to overturn beach bans imposed by 26 towns on women in full-body swimsuits known as \"burkinis\". A human rights group and an anti-Islamophobia association argue the bans are in breach of French law. Mayors, particularly on the Riviera, say the bans are protecting public order and rules on secularism. Opinion polls suggest most French people back the bans but Muslims warn they are being targeted unfairly. According to an Ifop survey, 64% of French people are in favour of the bans while another 30% are indifferent. The bans appeared to have split senior members of the French government. Prime Minister Manuel Valls waded into the debate on Thursday, backing the mayors who had made public order decisions in the aftermath of the jihadist attack on Nice last month. The burkini represented the \"enslavement of women\", he added. Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said that while she disapproved of the burkini as a feminist, she saw the bans as unwelcome and objected to the idea that the clothing a woman wore on a beach could have any link to terrorism or jihadist group Islamic State. The controversy has intensified in France after pictures of police appearing to enforce the ban prompted widespread anger. Some of the women pictured in Nice and Cannes were not wearing burkinis. Siam, 34, a mother from Toulouse, was fined EUR11 (PS9; $12), although she insists she was not wearing a burkini at the time but leggings, a jacket and a headscarf. \"The policeman told me I had to wear correct clothing and wear the hijab as a headband. But I left the beach and kept my hijab on,\" she told the BBC World Service. \"I felt like a stranger in my own country. Some people came to comfort me but others insulted me.\" French daily Liberation said on Thursday that the local laws were \"stupid\" and a gift to Islamist propaganda. Anouar Kbibech, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), said he was \"concerned over the direction the public debate is taking\", citing the \"growing fear of stigmatisation of Muslims in France\". Most of the beaches where bans have been imposed are on the Riviera in south-east France. However, few are thought to have issued fines other than the authorities at Cannes and Nice, where more than 20 fines have been handed out. France's Human Rights League (LDH) and the anti-Islamophobia association (CCIF) argue the bans contravene freedom of opinion, religion, clothing and movement. They failed to persuade a court in Nice this week to overturn a ban at Villeneuve-Loubet west of Nice and have taken their case to France's highest administrative court, the Council of State (Conseil d'Etat). A ruling is expected on Friday afternoon. In London, about 50 people gathered outside the French embassy to protest against the burkini ban. After a militant Islamist ploughed a lorry into families on the seafront at Nice on 14 July, killing 86 people, the city's authorities said a ban was \"a necessity\". Local leaders have described their actions as appropriate and proportionate. But the bans are not just a response to a spate of deadly jihadist attacks on French soil. France has long-standing laws on secularism, and the Nice ban focused on \"correct dress, respectful of accepted customs and secularism, as well as rules of hygiene and of safety in public bathing areas\". The Council of State is expected to take 48 hours to deliver its verdict, but the interior minister has said there is nothing to stop mayors taking action, as long as it is \"rigorously proportionate\". - In 2010, France became the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public - A 2004 law forbids the wearing of religious emblems in schools and colleges - The 1905 constitution aims to separate Church and state. It enshrines secularism in education but also guarantees the freedom of religion and freedom to exercise it. The original text made no reference to clothing - \"Access to beaches and for swimming is banned to any person wearing improper clothes that are not respectful of accepted customs and secularism\" - \"Beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation, when France and places of worship are currently the target of terrorist attacks, is liable to create risks of disrupting public order\" - The infringement is punishable with a fine of EUR38 (PS33) - The ban remains in place until 31 August 2016", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2838, "answer_end": 3575, "text": "After a militant Islamist ploughed a lorry into families on the seafront at Nice on 14 July, killing 86 people, the city's authorities said a ban was \"a necessity\". Local leaders have described their actions as appropriate and proportionate. But the bans are not just a response to a spate of deadly jihadist attacks on French soil. France has long-standing laws on secularism, and the Nice ban focused on \"correct dress, respectful of accepted customs and secularism, as well as rules of hygiene and of safety in public bathing areas\". The Council of State is expected to take 48 hours to deliver its verdict, but the interior minister has said there is nothing to stop mayors taking action, as long as it is \"rigorously proportionate\"."}], "question": "Why have the bans been imposed?", "id": "469_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mixed-race Joan of Arc draws abuse from French far-right", "date": "23 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Authorities in the French city of Orleans are investigating racist tweets about a teenager set to play Joan of Arc. The city chose Mathilde Edey Gamassou, 17, on Monday to act as the folk heroine at annual celebrations in May. But a number of tweets and far-right websites have condemned the pick because of the teenager's mixed-race heritage. Joan of Arc is celebrated throughout France, but is also a far-right symbol. On Friday morning, the public prosecutor in Orleans announced there would be an investigation into two racist tweets. The first compared the teenager to a baboon, while the second posted images of bananas in response. The account that posted the baboon comparison has since been deleted. The city of Orleans picks a teenager to play Joan of Arc every year. Joan of Arc liberated the city from England in 1429, and the chosen teen acts as the historical figure in a parade on 8 May. The selected girl must have lived in Orleans for at least 10 years, be a practising Catholic, be educated in an Orleans high school and must dedicate her free time to others. On Monday, the Orleans Joan of Arc Association chose Mathilde, who has a Polish mother and a father from Benin. The city's mayor, Olivier Carre, supported the choice on Twitter, saying it was an honour to present her to the city in a special ceremony. Far-right supporters quickly voiced their anger online. One Twitter user complained that the choice was designed to enforce a multicultural ideology. A comment piece on the far-right website Resistance Republicaine meanwhile complained that next year Joan of Arc would wear a burqa. The French gender equalities minister, Marlene Schiappa, tweeted her condemnation of the online abuse, saying racial hatred had no place in France and fully backing Mathilde. On Friday, the public prosecutor announced a preliminary investigation into the racist tweets, on the grounds of incitement to racial hatred. Authorities will have to trace the true identity of the tweeters through their accounts, and will contact Twitter for help. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of five years. Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of Orleans, was born in 1412. She claimed to have visions telling her to help France take back lands from England during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). In 1429, she was sent to the siege of Orleans as part of a relief mission. She was celebrated for her role when the city was liberated nine days later. The lifting of the siege was seen as a turning point in the war, which led to a series of victories and culminated in July with the coronation of the French King Charles VII, whom Joan had supported. However, the next year she was captured and handed over to the English. In 1431, she was burned at the stake for alleged heresy, dying at the age of 19. Since then, she has been venerated throughout France as a hero of national resistance and liberation. In particular, however, she is feted by the far-right, including the Front National.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 709, "answer_end": 1329, "text": "The city of Orleans picks a teenager to play Joan of Arc every year. Joan of Arc liberated the city from England in 1429, and the chosen teen acts as the historical figure in a parade on 8 May. The selected girl must have lived in Orleans for at least 10 years, be a practising Catholic, be educated in an Orleans high school and must dedicate her free time to others. On Monday, the Orleans Joan of Arc Association chose Mathilde, who has a Polish mother and a father from Benin. The city's mayor, Olivier Carre, supported the choice on Twitter, saying it was an honour to present her to the city in a special ceremony."}], "question": "What's the celebration?", "id": "470_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1330, "answer_end": 2112, "text": "Far-right supporters quickly voiced their anger online. One Twitter user complained that the choice was designed to enforce a multicultural ideology. A comment piece on the far-right website Resistance Republicaine meanwhile complained that next year Joan of Arc would wear a burqa. The French gender equalities minister, Marlene Schiappa, tweeted her condemnation of the online abuse, saying racial hatred had no place in France and fully backing Mathilde. On Friday, the public prosecutor announced a preliminary investigation into the racist tweets, on the grounds of incitement to racial hatred. Authorities will have to trace the true identity of the tweeters through their accounts, and will contact Twitter for help. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of five years."}], "question": "What's the controversy?", "id": "470_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2113, "answer_end": 2992, "text": "Joan of Arc, known as the Maid of Orleans, was born in 1412. She claimed to have visions telling her to help France take back lands from England during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). In 1429, she was sent to the siege of Orleans as part of a relief mission. She was celebrated for her role when the city was liberated nine days later. The lifting of the siege was seen as a turning point in the war, which led to a series of victories and culminated in July with the coronation of the French King Charles VII, whom Joan had supported. However, the next year she was captured and handed over to the English. In 1431, she was burned at the stake for alleged heresy, dying at the age of 19. Since then, she has been venerated throughout France as a hero of national resistance and liberation. In particular, however, she is feted by the far-right, including the Front National."}], "question": "Who was Joan of Arc?", "id": "470_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Thailand's Princess Ubolratana 'sad' about election fallout", "date": "13 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The sister of Thailand's king has said she is \"saddened\" by the reaction to her attempted bid to become the country's next prime minister. Princess Ubolratana was disqualified by the country's Election Commission - who are now also seeking to dissolve the party that nominated her. Her unprecedented nomination broke with the tradition of the Thai royal family publicly staying out of politics. King Vajiralongkorn had called her bid \"extremely inappropriate\". Posting on her private Instagram account, the princess wrote: \"I am sad that the sincere intention to work for the country and us Thais has created a problem that shouldn't happen in this day and age.\" The photo she posted - of a scenic garden - also included the hashtag #HowComeItsTheWayItIs. The announcement that Princess Ubolratana would stand for election sent shockwaves through Thai politics last Friday. The US-educated Thai princess relinquished her royal title when she married an American man in 1972. She returned to Thailand in 2001 after they divorced and has maintained a quasi-celebrity status since - appearing on the entertainment circuit and in music videos. She was nominated as a candidate for the upcoming general election by Thai Raksa Chart last week - a party allied to divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The March vote will be the first since the current Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, took power in a 2014 military coup - overthrowing the democratically-elected government. The royal family and electoral officials condemned her candidacy almost immediately after it was announced. The country's election panel said it had excluded Princess Ubolratana because \"every member of the royal family comes within the application of the same rule requiring the monarch to be above politics and to be politically neutral\". The stance echoed a palace statement, which said the \"involvement of a high-ranking member of the royal family in politics... is considered extremely inappropriate\". The row over the princess has reignited old rivalries. Royalists have come out to accuse Mr Thaksin of once again trying to exploit the monarchy for his own ambitions. Frustrated supporters of the pro-Thaksin camp, who have been waiting for five years to demonstrate their voting power, fear their side will be tarnished once again as a threat to the monarchy, in order to keep a military-dominated government in power. This is now bound to be a more heated election campaign. Read more from Jonathan here. Thai Raksa Chart's leader, Preechaphol Pongpanit, has said his partydid everything \"sincerely, with good intentions\", but added: \"Above us is His Majesty and the monarchy. We are ready to be investigated.\" The electoral commission confirmed on Wednesday that it was seeking to punish Thai Raksa Chart for violating electoral law. It described the party's nomination of the king's sister as \"antagonistic toward the constitutional monarchy\" and said it will ask the country's Constitutional Court to consider dissolving them. Princess Ubolratana's latest post on Instagram will appear to some as a quiet rebuke of the events of the past week. It's difficult to know just how much direct communication she has had with her brother about this since the fallout - but it's likely she will now have to retreat from political life, no matter how she feels about it.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1483, "answer_end": 1989, "text": "The royal family and electoral officials condemned her candidacy almost immediately after it was announced. The country's election panel said it had excluded Princess Ubolratana because \"every member of the royal family comes within the application of the same rule requiring the monarch to be above politics and to be politically neutral\". The stance echoed a palace statement, which said the \"involvement of a high-ranking member of the royal family in politics... is considered extremely inappropriate\"."}], "question": "What was the reaction?", "id": "471_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kashmir dispute: Residents attend Friday prayers amid lockdown", "date": "9 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A security lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir remains largely in place although residents have been allowed to attend Friday prayers in some local mosques. However the main mosque in Srinagar is closed and tight restrictions continue. Thousands of troops are still patrolling the streets four days after the Indian government revoked the Muslim-majority state's autonomy. The area has been under a virtual communications blackout since Sunday. Some people have reported that they are now able to access the internet, and mobile phone signals appear to be active in some parts of Srinagar - the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir. But connectivity is yet to be fully restored. However, the BBC's Aamir Peerzada in Srinagar says that a curfew imposed on Monday remains in place. PM Narendra Modi has promised Kashmiris that they will be able to celebrate the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha on Sunday. India deployed tens of thousands of troops to Muslim-majority Kashmir ahead of Monday's announcement that Article 370 - as the constitutional provision granting the region special status is known - was to be revoked. Since that controversial announcement, it has detained hundreds of people including politicians, activists and academics in makeshift centres in an effort to quell protests. But sporadic violence has already broken out. BBC reporters saw some protesters throwing stones at security forces, and spoke to residents who said they feared that the situation could worsen significantly. In the past, Kashmir has witnessed protests after Friday prayers. Despite an earlier police announcement about the easing of restrictions to facilitate prayers, Jama Masjid, Srinagar's largest mosque, remains closed. Correspondents say that this was ostensibly to avoid the gathering of a large crowd that could potentially turn violent. It's unclear if the mosque will open on Sunday for the beginning of Eid. A decision to keep it closed could trigger protests. Delhi has had a tumultuous relationship with the valley for decades - there has been an armed insurgency against Indian rule there since 1989, with thousands of lives lost. Massive protests have regularly broken out and Indian security forces have repeatedly been accused of human rights abuses in putting down demonstrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on state media on Thursday to defend his government's highly controversial decision and said a \"new era\" was beginning for the region, where \"hindrances\" to its development had been lifted. \"There will be a lot of development,\" he said. \"All the citizens will be given their rights.\" Kashmir is a Himalayan region that both India and Pakistan say is fully theirs. The area was once a princely state called Jammu and Kashmir, but it joined India in 1947 when the sub-continent was divided up at the end of British rule. India and Pakistan subsequently went to war over it and each came to control different parts of the territory with a ceasefire line agreed. The article allowed the state a certain amount of autonomy - its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve of the central government. As a result, Jammu and Kashmir could make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It could also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there. The constitutional provision has underpinned India's often fraught relationship with Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region to join India when the sub-continent was partitioned.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2623, "answer_end": 2997, "text": "Kashmir is a Himalayan region that both India and Pakistan say is fully theirs. The area was once a princely state called Jammu and Kashmir, but it joined India in 1947 when the sub-continent was divided up at the end of British rule. India and Pakistan subsequently went to war over it and each came to control different parts of the territory with a ceasefire line agreed."}], "question": "Why is Kashmir controversial?", "id": "472_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2998, "answer_end": 3623, "text": "The article allowed the state a certain amount of autonomy - its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve of the central government. As a result, Jammu and Kashmir could make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It could also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there. The constitutional provision has underpinned India's often fraught relationship with Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region to join India when the sub-continent was partitioned."}], "question": "How significant is Article 370?", "id": "472_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Young Algerians on the man in power for their entire lives", "date": "4 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ailing 82-year-old president of Algeria, handed in his resignation on live TV on the evening of 2 April. Unlike previous promises to resign, this time it was effective immediately. He was frail and silent. This was one of the very few times he had been seen in public in the last six years since he had a stroke in 2013 that left him partially paralysed and severely speech impaired. It followed six weeks of peaceful, but increasingly urgent protests across the country, which were characterised by youthful crowds, considerate clean-up projects and witty signs. Mr Bouteflika had led the country for 20 years - which, in a country where it's thought about 70% of the population is under 30, makes him the only president many people have ever known. Nourhane Atmani, 19, tells BBC News that she went to almost all of the recent demonstrations. \"The past couple of weeks have been causing me, and thousands of other Algerians, a lot of anxiety and anger,\" she says. \"So today, waking up knowing our efforts didn't go to waste definitely felt liberating. We've been waiting for this moment for a long time.\" When Mr Bouteflika first came into power in 1999, the country was in the midst of a bloody civil war that had started in December 1991 and would continue until early 2002. He was largely credited with eventually restoring peace to the nation. Ms Atmani feels that, because of this, older generations allowed him to stay in power for an unjustifiable amount of time. \"As a kid, every single adult around me would glorify him, as though he's some sort of god who saved the nation from terrorism, and he's the saviour everyone has been waiting for after 10 long years of [conflict] for Algeria,\" she says. \"So once I grew up and started becoming more politically aware, I honestly was angry at the previous generation - it was them who kept making him out to be this great holy person, it was them who kept him on the chair [in power] and gave him the confidence to never step down.\" She adds that with many of the old guard still firmly in place, the protests are not going to stop. \"When 'he' supposedly announced his stepping down, I exhaled for the first time in forever. One down, more to go.\" Fellow protester Abdellah Djelti, 27, agrees that Mr Bouteflika was seen as \"a white knight, a saviour\" for Algeria in the first few years of his presidency. \"Algeria in the civil war, it was a disaster,\" he tells the BBC. \"People couldn't go out - if you went out... you'd find bodies outside.\" Mr Bouteflika, he adds, was seen as the man who stopped this. But after four terms in office, mired by corruption, allegations of vote-rigging and an increasingly absent leader, people became frustrated. Instead of focusing on the past, they wanted a leader who could take them into the future - for example, by investing in education. \"Most graduates from universities have no jobs,\" Mr Djelti says, \"because the government doesn't give that importance to people's studies or education, or to scientific research.\" He adds that there are also few, if any, schemes to help students study abroad, and it is otherwise prohibitively expensive for the majority of young Algerians - something that, as an English literature student, he finds particularly hard. \"I had a dream to study abroad, in England or the US, to visit other places. I have this dream to visit other museums because I have a passion for art and history,\" he says. \"But since the situation here [with the government] is so bad... I haven't been able to do any of it.\" This is partly why he's spent almost two months protesting - and he says it felt \"so good\". He went from feeling like nothing would ever change to having hope. \"The good thing is it was very peaceful, people were providing water, they were providing food... I felt patriotic asking for our rights, and our voice to be heard.\" Laughing, he adds: \"In Algeria nowadays, the Algerian flag is always in your pocket - because you don't know when you'll end up in a protest.\" Nacerddine Rahmoune, a 23-year-old activist from Sidi Bel Abbes, even introduced demonstrators to a Swedish trend called \"plogging\". Plogging is when people pick up litter and jog at the same time. The idea, for Mr Rahmoune, was that the protesters would help the local environment while they marched. \"We took the same concept and gave it an Algerian touch,\" he tells the BBC, adding that he wanted to instil \"an environmental consciousness in the minds of Algerians\", while also joining the call for \"a new [political] system with young, competent people\". Even though Mr Bouteflika has stepped down, it's clear the protests are far from over. \"It's scary,\" Ms Atmani says. \"I'm happy [Algerians are now] aware, but then I'm also afraid there's going to be a major split in ideologies when it comes to choosing who's to become president.\" Mr Rahmoune agrees, but he's more hopeful about the future: \"We hope to see new faces and more youth in parliament, so we have a lot to do.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4586, "answer_end": 5008, "text": "Even though Mr Bouteflika has stepped down, it's clear the protests are far from over. \"It's scary,\" Ms Atmani says. \"I'm happy [Algerians are now] aware, but then I'm also afraid there's going to be a major split in ideologies when it comes to choosing who's to become president.\" Mr Rahmoune agrees, but he's more hopeful about the future: \"We hope to see new faces and more youth in parliament, so we have a lot to do.\""}], "question": "So, what now?", "id": "473_0"}]}]}, {"title": "R Kelly: Singer's bail set at $1m after sex abuse charges", "date": "23 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A judge in the US has set R Kelly's bail at $1m (PS766,500) after the singer was charged with sexually abusing four females, including three minors. The R&B star, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has faced decades of sexual abuse claims. He has never been convicted and has previously denied other allegations. He turned himself in on Friday after an arrest warrant was issued. Even though bail was set at $1m, he will have to post $100,000 to secure his release. He has been ordered to surrender his passport and to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. The 52-year-old's court appearance comes just weeks after a documentary series called Surviving R Kelly aired. It contained decades of allegations of abuse against him from many women, including the singer's ex-wife. The judge chairing Saturday's hearing was John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr, who presided over last week's bail hearing for actor Jussie Smollett. The actor is accused of staging a hoax hate crime against himself. Kelly appeared in court on Saturday afternoon and faces 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Prosecutors said that one of the cases relates to footage showing Kelly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to the Associated Press. Kelly was previously acquitted over another video tape of a similar nature in 2008. Kelly met another of the four girls, who was 16 at the time, when she asked for the singer's autograph during the same trial. Another accuser met Kelly at a restaurant as she celebrated her 16th birthday. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx previously said the singer could face a maximum of seven years in prison for each count. Kelly has faced, and denied, accusations about sexual and physical abuse for decades. In 1994 it was reported he married 15-year-old singer and musical protege Aaliyah at a secret ceremony in Chicago when he was 27. US media said she had lied about her age on the certificate, and the marriage was later annulled. In 2002 the star was charged with child pornography in Chicago over footage that appeared to show him engaging in intercourse, oral sex, urination, and other sexual acts with a girl said to be 13 or 14. The case took six years to go to trial. Both Kelly and the girl alleged to be in the video denied it was them. Eventually the jury acquitted Kelly of all 14 charges against him. In 2017, Kelly was forced to deny allegations that he was holding a number of young women captive in a so-called \"abusive cult\" after a bombshell report from BuzzFeed News. He has also been sued privately by a number of women, including some who allege underage sexual relationships and another who says he \"intentionally\" infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. The singer has continued to make music throughout the allegations. There have been calls to boycott Kelly's music - both recordings and performances - with people using the social media hashtag #MuteRKelly. Ms Foxx had urged women to come forward after the documentary series aired.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 997, "answer_end": 1663, "text": "Kelly appeared in court on Saturday afternoon and faces 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Prosecutors said that one of the cases relates to footage showing Kelly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old girl, according to the Associated Press. Kelly was previously acquitted over another video tape of a similar nature in 2008. Kelly met another of the four girls, who was 16 at the time, when she asked for the singer's autograph during the same trial. Another accuser met Kelly at a restaurant as she celebrated her 16th birthday. Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx previously said the singer could face a maximum of seven years in prison for each count."}], "question": "What are the allegations?", "id": "474_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1664, "answer_end": 3014, "text": "Kelly has faced, and denied, accusations about sexual and physical abuse for decades. In 1994 it was reported he married 15-year-old singer and musical protege Aaliyah at a secret ceremony in Chicago when he was 27. US media said she had lied about her age on the certificate, and the marriage was later annulled. In 2002 the star was charged with child pornography in Chicago over footage that appeared to show him engaging in intercourse, oral sex, urination, and other sexual acts with a girl said to be 13 or 14. The case took six years to go to trial. Both Kelly and the girl alleged to be in the video denied it was them. Eventually the jury acquitted Kelly of all 14 charges against him. In 2017, Kelly was forced to deny allegations that he was holding a number of young women captive in a so-called \"abusive cult\" after a bombshell report from BuzzFeed News. He has also been sued privately by a number of women, including some who allege underage sexual relationships and another who says he \"intentionally\" infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. The singer has continued to make music throughout the allegations. There have been calls to boycott Kelly's music - both recordings and performances - with people using the social media hashtag #MuteRKelly. Ms Foxx had urged women to come forward after the documentary series aired."}], "question": "What is R Kelly's history?", "id": "474_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Austria Kurz: Why young favourite could turn to Greens", "date": "28 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Austrians vote in an early general election on Sunday after a video sting scandal that led to the collapse of the coalition between the conservatives, led by Sebastian Kurz, and the far-right Freedom Party. The polls suggest Mr Kurz is on track to win first place with around 34%. He will then have a choice either to look again to the far-right or this time turn left, most likely to the Greens, for a new coalition. The 33-year-old leader who turned around the fortunes of the People's Party seems to have emerged unscathed from the \"Ibizagate\" scandal. \"Sebastian Kurz did the right things for young people, tacking migration and government debt,\" Vienna student Julian told me. \"I hope he will continue his good work for Austria.\" The scandal toppled Mr Kurz's government and the former leader of the far-right Freedom Party, Heinz-Christian Strache, Mr Strache was caught on video promising government contracts to a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch. He resigned and the Freedom Party, under new leader Norbert Hofer is hoping to renew the coalition with Mr Kurz. At a campaign barbecue in a wine tavern in Horitschon, in his home province of Burgenland, Norbert Hofer told me the previous government had been \"very good\". \"It's like a marriage. Something can happen, of course, when you are together, but I think it is possible to build up this coalition again.\" A Freedom Party campaign video shows Norbert Hofer, fondly straightening a portrait of Sebastian Kurz, which has tilted to the left. \"Vote Freedom Party,\" he says, \"if you want our very popular collaboration with the conservatives to continue\", preventing \"mass migration, Islamisation, multi-culturalism, and CO2 taxes\". But while Mr Kurz shares a tough anti-migrant line with the Freedom Party, political analyst Thomas Hofer says another coalition with the far-right is by no means certain. He says it could be politically risky for Mr Kurz, who has already presided over the collapse of two governments, in 2017 and 2019. \"If he continues with the Freedom Party, it might be easy in terms of content, but there is a lot of instability in the Freedom Party right now. Mr Kurz has to have five years of continuous government now.\" A grand coalition with the Social Democrats is considered unlikely because of the bad relations between Mr Kurz and the centre-left leadership. Another option for Mr Kurz would be a three-way pact with the Greens and the liberal Neos - a first in Austria. But that depends on the Greens making a sizeable comeback after failing to make it into parliament in the last election in 2017. The Greens are currently polling at around 13%. As she handed out pamphlets outside an underground station in Vienna, Green candidate Sibylle Hamann said the climate issue had reached the mainstream in Austria. But she refused to be drawn on the question of a coalition with Mr Kurz. \"Climate is the most important subject for us now, but we won't talk about coalitions before election day. We're not ruling out anything,\" she said. A pact with Mr Kurz's conservatives might not sit well with left-wing Greens voters like Philippa, who are attracted to their policies on social equality as well as climate change. Mr Kurz is also keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to possible future coalition partners. At a rally in Vienna, cheered on by supporters holding bunches of turquoise balloons, he warned against a left-wing coalition led by the head of the Social Democrats, Pamela Rendi-Wagner. He urged his supporters not to rely on opinion polls. \"Anyone who wants us to continue our course, has to vote for us,\" he said. Thomas Hofer says Mr Kurz faces a difficult choice when it comes to a future government alliance. \"It's like choosing between the plague, cholera and Ebola, simply because there is no real option where he can be sure that his image won't be damaged in any way.\" Some Austrians, like Miriam, a teacher in Vienna, don't want Mr Kurz in power at all. \"I think he has taken the country in a really wrong direction because he allowed the Freedom Party to become part of the government and so the entire country has had a time of right-wing policies and you can really feel that in society. So I think he is really not a good politician.\" Sebastian Kurz, Austrian People's Party (OVP) The son of a secretary and a teacher, he became active in the OVP at the age of 16. As a law student in Vienna he was elected chairman of the People's Party youth wing. He quit his studies in 2011 to become a junior interior minister, rising to foreign minister in 2013 at the age of 27. Two years later he presented a 50-point plan to improve the integration of immigrants. However, he was full of praise for Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and claimed credit for closing the Balkan migrant route in 2016. Elected chairman in May 2017, he rebranded the party as the Turquoise Movement then served as chancellor from December 2017 to May 2019, when the Ibizagate brought down the coalition. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Austrian Social Democrat (SPO) Opinion polls put the centre-left SPO second behind Mr Kurz's People's Party and their leader has declared herself open to talks with any party except the far right. It was Ms Rendi-Wagner who initiated the successful vote of no confidence in the Kurz cabinet in the wake of the video scandal. She has won support for seeking to integrate immigrants and espousing environment-friendly policies. Brought up in a Vienna council flat by her single-parent mother, she studied medicine before joining the health ministry as a civil servant. She worked closely with Health Minister Sabine Oberhauser, who died from cancer. When she took over as minister her political career began and she became party chairman in November 2018. Norbert Hofer, Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) The far-right party's ads call him \"Our Norbert\" and this former aeronautical engineer has only been leader since mid-September. Despite the scandal that brought down ex-leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the far-right FPO has rebounded with the broader appeal of the new man at the helm. For 11 years he was a provincial party secretary and became a close adviser to Mr Strache before being narrowly beaten in the 2016 presidential election run-off. Mr Hofer, 48, is a gun enthusiast who walks with a trademark stick after a paragliding accident in 2003. Werner Kogler, Austrian Greens \"Who would the future elect?\" is his campaign slogan and climate change has become a top voter concern. Mr Kogler, 57, hopes to reverse shock losses from the last election when the Greens failed to gain the 4% needed to sit in parliament. Mr Kogler's party is a potential coalition partner for the OVP but he will insist on a public investment package in environmental measures. A founder member of party forerunner Alternative List, he was elected as Greens MP in 1999 and became leader after the party's dismal election performance in October 2017 . He has a strong accent from his native Styria in the south-east and his signature green sunglasses have become a hallmark feature on the campaign trail. Profiles by BBC Monitoring, which reports and analyses news around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 735, "answer_end": 1705, "text": "The scandal toppled Mr Kurz's government and the former leader of the far-right Freedom Party, Heinz-Christian Strache, Mr Strache was caught on video promising government contracts to a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch. He resigned and the Freedom Party, under new leader Norbert Hofer is hoping to renew the coalition with Mr Kurz. At a campaign barbecue in a wine tavern in Horitschon, in his home province of Burgenland, Norbert Hofer told me the previous government had been \"very good\". \"It's like a marriage. Something can happen, of course, when you are together, but I think it is possible to build up this coalition again.\" A Freedom Party campaign video shows Norbert Hofer, fondly straightening a portrait of Sebastian Kurz, which has tilted to the left. \"Vote Freedom Party,\" he says, \"if you want our very popular collaboration with the conservatives to continue\", preventing \"mass migration, Islamisation, multi-culturalism, and CO2 taxes\"."}], "question": "Will Kurz resume 'marriage' with far right?", "id": "475_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1706, "answer_end": 2649, "text": "But while Mr Kurz shares a tough anti-migrant line with the Freedom Party, political analyst Thomas Hofer says another coalition with the far-right is by no means certain. He says it could be politically risky for Mr Kurz, who has already presided over the collapse of two governments, in 2017 and 2019. \"If he continues with the Freedom Party, it might be easy in terms of content, but there is a lot of instability in the Freedom Party right now. Mr Kurz has to have five years of continuous government now.\" A grand coalition with the Social Democrats is considered unlikely because of the bad relations between Mr Kurz and the centre-left leadership. Another option for Mr Kurz would be a three-way pact with the Greens and the liberal Neos - a first in Austria. But that depends on the Greens making a sizeable comeback after failing to make it into parliament in the last election in 2017. The Greens are currently polling at around 13%."}], "question": "What are the options?", "id": "475_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4272, "answer_end": 7285, "text": "Sebastian Kurz, Austrian People's Party (OVP) The son of a secretary and a teacher, he became active in the OVP at the age of 16. As a law student in Vienna he was elected chairman of the People's Party youth wing. He quit his studies in 2011 to become a junior interior minister, rising to foreign minister in 2013 at the age of 27. Two years later he presented a 50-point plan to improve the integration of immigrants. However, he was full of praise for Hungary's populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and claimed credit for closing the Balkan migrant route in 2016. Elected chairman in May 2017, he rebranded the party as the Turquoise Movement then served as chancellor from December 2017 to May 2019, when the Ibizagate brought down the coalition. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Austrian Social Democrat (SPO) Opinion polls put the centre-left SPO second behind Mr Kurz's People's Party and their leader has declared herself open to talks with any party except the far right. It was Ms Rendi-Wagner who initiated the successful vote of no confidence in the Kurz cabinet in the wake of the video scandal. She has won support for seeking to integrate immigrants and espousing environment-friendly policies. Brought up in a Vienna council flat by her single-parent mother, she studied medicine before joining the health ministry as a civil servant. She worked closely with Health Minister Sabine Oberhauser, who died from cancer. When she took over as minister her political career began and she became party chairman in November 2018. Norbert Hofer, Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) The far-right party's ads call him \"Our Norbert\" and this former aeronautical engineer has only been leader since mid-September. Despite the scandal that brought down ex-leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, the far-right FPO has rebounded with the broader appeal of the new man at the helm. For 11 years he was a provincial party secretary and became a close adviser to Mr Strache before being narrowly beaten in the 2016 presidential election run-off. Mr Hofer, 48, is a gun enthusiast who walks with a trademark stick after a paragliding accident in 2003. Werner Kogler, Austrian Greens \"Who would the future elect?\" is his campaign slogan and climate change has become a top voter concern. Mr Kogler, 57, hopes to reverse shock losses from the last election when the Greens failed to gain the 4% needed to sit in parliament. Mr Kogler's party is a potential coalition partner for the OVP but he will insist on a public investment package in environmental measures. A founder member of party forerunner Alternative List, he was elected as Greens MP in 1999 and became leader after the party's dismal election performance in October 2017 . He has a strong accent from his native Styria in the south-east and his signature green sunglasses have become a hallmark feature on the campaign trail. Profiles by BBC Monitoring, which reports and analyses news around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "Who's who in Austria's election?", "id": "475_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ebola disbelief widespread in DR Congo hotspots", "date": "28 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than a quarter of people surveyed in Ebola-hit areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo told researchers they do not believe the disease exists. Some 36% of respondents also believed that the disease had been fabricated to destabilise the country. The authors of the study said this mistrust was a factor in prolonging the epidemic. The current outbreak started in August and more than 600 people have died, according to the health ministry. More than 1,000 people have contracted the virus during the current outbreak, which is the second-largest ever recorded. The study for journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases, surveyed 961 people in the central Congolese cities of Beni and Butembo. Election officials cited the Ebola outbreak as a reason to cancel the December presidential elections in the affected regions. Distrust contributed to four violent attacks on Ebola treatment and transit centres in the past month, reports the BBC's Gaius Kowene from the capital, Kinshasa. The lead author, Patrick Vinck, from Harvard Medical School, told the BBC's Newsday programme that people don't trust the authorities due to decades of conflict and this has an impact on the disease spreading. \"The lack of trust combines with the epidemic to really make people not want to follow advice, not want to listen to what authorities have to tell them to prevent the spread of the epidemic,\" he said. Local militias are active in the area and health workers are often accompanied by police and soldiers for security. This makes villagers suspicious, Jean-Philippe Marcoux, country director for international aid group Mercy Corps told Reuters news agency. \"We need to - as much as possible and rapidly - scale down the presence of security forces with response teams, because it is creating more harm than good right now,\" he said. Health Minister Oly Ilunga told the BBC that the authorities were trying to involve local communities more. Less than two-thirds of people questioned in the survey said they would take a vaccine for Ebola. Yes. Some Islamist militants oppose the polio vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslims. This has had deadly consequences. Seven Pakistani policemen, three of whom were guarding polio workers, were killed in Pakistan in 2016. In 2013 nine female health workers killed in Kano state in Nigeria for the same reason. Suspicions about vaccinations, accompanied by the growth of the so-called anti-vaxxers movement, have also been seen across Europe and the US. Some parents refuse to get their children vaccinated against measles because they believe discredited information that vaccines cause autism in children. On Wednesday a county in New York state banned unvaccinated children from public spaces after a severe outbreak of measles.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 820, "answer_end": 2029, "text": "Distrust contributed to four violent attacks on Ebola treatment and transit centres in the past month, reports the BBC's Gaius Kowene from the capital, Kinshasa. The lead author, Patrick Vinck, from Harvard Medical School, told the BBC's Newsday programme that people don't trust the authorities due to decades of conflict and this has an impact on the disease spreading. \"The lack of trust combines with the epidemic to really make people not want to follow advice, not want to listen to what authorities have to tell them to prevent the spread of the epidemic,\" he said. Local militias are active in the area and health workers are often accompanied by police and soldiers for security. This makes villagers suspicious, Jean-Philippe Marcoux, country director for international aid group Mercy Corps told Reuters news agency. \"We need to - as much as possible and rapidly - scale down the presence of security forces with response teams, because it is creating more harm than good right now,\" he said. Health Minister Oly Ilunga told the BBC that the authorities were trying to involve local communities more. Less than two-thirds of people questioned in the survey said they would take a vaccine for Ebola."}], "question": "Why don't people trust the authorities?", "id": "476_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2030, "answer_end": 2790, "text": "Yes. Some Islamist militants oppose the polio vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Muslims. This has had deadly consequences. Seven Pakistani policemen, three of whom were guarding polio workers, were killed in Pakistan in 2016. In 2013 nine female health workers killed in Kano state in Nigeria for the same reason. Suspicions about vaccinations, accompanied by the growth of the so-called anti-vaxxers movement, have also been seen across Europe and the US. Some parents refuse to get their children vaccinated against measles because they believe discredited information that vaccines cause autism in children. On Wednesday a county in New York state banned unvaccinated children from public spaces after a severe outbreak of measles."}], "question": "Is suspicion of vaccines a problem elsewhere in the world?", "id": "476_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Kiku Sharda: India actor in guru mimicking case bailed", "date": "14 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Indian comedian Kiku Sharda, who was arrested for mimicking a popular religious guru, has been freed on bail. The actor was sent to judicial custody on Wednesday for allegedly hurting the \"religious sentiments\" of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's followers. Sharda mimicked the guru in a TV appearance on 27 December. The comedian had apologised, saying he was \"really very, very sorry\" and he \"did not want to hurt anyone's sentiments\" through his act. \"I have a lot of respect for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhji. The look [on the show] wasn't deliberate; it just happened to match [the guru's looks]. We didn't plan it as a spoof on him. It's a coincidence, and it is unfortunate. I am sorry that people felt hurt,\" he told the Hindustan Times newspaper. But a spokesperson from the guru's ashram told the CNN-IBN news channel on Wednesday  that \"you cannot commit a crime and apologise. The law has no such provision\". The controversial 48-year-old chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect dresses up in colourful clothes and has a rock star image. He has published half a dozen music videos and regularly performs at rock concerts, which are attended by tens of thousands of followers. In his 2014 hit number Highway Love Charger, which has been viewed more than two million times on YouTube, the guru is seen singing and dancing in multi-coloured pyjamas and a top that is embellished with glittering sequins and stones. He's also played himself in two films - Messenger of God and Messenger of God 2 - where he performed daredevil stunts, riding bikes and taking on villains. The Dera Sacha Sauda website claims it is a \"social welfare and spiritual organisation that preaches and practices humanitarianism and selfless services to others\". The sect claims to have more than 50 million followers around the world and says it campaigns against female foeticide and for reforms for sex workers, as well as running schools and several hospitals. In recent months, the Dera chief has been mired in controversy, with allegations that he forced 400 followers to undergo castrations so that they could get \"closer to God\" and is also accused of rape and murder - charges a spokesman for the sect has denied. He has also been opposed by mainstream Sikh leaders, who accuse him of insulting and belittling their faith. Some comedians had criticised Sharda's arrest. \"This seems like an overreaction to a comic act. This will definitely discourage new stand-up comedians,\" actor and comedian Sunil Paul said. However he urged his colleagues \"to be careful while mimicking people who have millions of followers\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 910, "answer_end": 2297, "text": "The controversial 48-year-old chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect dresses up in colourful clothes and has a rock star image. He has published half a dozen music videos and regularly performs at rock concerts, which are attended by tens of thousands of followers. In his 2014 hit number Highway Love Charger, which has been viewed more than two million times on YouTube, the guru is seen singing and dancing in multi-coloured pyjamas and a top that is embellished with glittering sequins and stones. He's also played himself in two films - Messenger of God and Messenger of God 2 - where he performed daredevil stunts, riding bikes and taking on villains. The Dera Sacha Sauda website claims it is a \"social welfare and spiritual organisation that preaches and practices humanitarianism and selfless services to others\". The sect claims to have more than 50 million followers around the world and says it campaigns against female foeticide and for reforms for sex workers, as well as running schools and several hospitals. In recent months, the Dera chief has been mired in controversy, with allegations that he forced 400 followers to undergo castrations so that they could get \"closer to God\" and is also accused of rape and murder - charges a spokesman for the sect has denied. He has also been opposed by mainstream Sikh leaders, who accuse him of insulting and belittling their faith."}], "question": "Who is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh?", "id": "477_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'There's so much guilt in being a modern parent'", "date": "11 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jamie Oliver may be a multi-million pound chef and campaigner, but he is also a father of five, and just the like the rest of us struggles with getting his kids to eat fruit and veg. \"No-one trains us for what is essentially a military operation managing our kids and food - they go through phases of hating and loving different foods, because their taste buds and brains are evolving. \"Every one of my five kids has reacted differently. Some will taste things, some you have to disguise it. \"Little River won't eat fruit whole, you have to lose it in a thick smoothie. But at least I get it in there, right? It's all about ducking and diving.\" Jamie Oliver has had to do quite a bit of his trademark ducking and diving of late. He recently revealed that he was forced to inject nearly PS13 million of his own money to save his restaurant chain - Jamie's Italian - from bankruptcy, as well as closing 12 restaurants and making hundreds of staff redundant. And on the day we meet, Jamie has hit the headlines again - this time as a hero for fighting off an intruder to his Highgate home. Jamie is here to talk to the BBC about what feels like a personal and professional fightback: a healthy eating partnership with Tesco. In the past he's been criticised by those who say healthy food is unaffordable for people on a low income. Research by The Food Foundation found that almost half of UK households can't spend enough to meet the government's recommended Eat Well Guide. Yet this time Jamie is ready for his critics: \"Too often the rhetoric about healthy eating gets focused on affordability. Well that's important and Tesco will be reducing the cost of a basket of healthy swaps by 12%. \"People don't want to be lectured about healthy eating. There's so much guilt involved in being a modern parent, and being a parent today is not the same as it was 20 years go. \"Mum and Dad are both mainly working, they are time-poor, and there's the mortgage. It needs to be affordable. But nevertheless the supermarket can make a difference. It has a role to play in the rhythm of most people's lives.\" This week the government begins consultation on some of the measures it set out in its childhood obesity strategy in July; these include tighter restrictions on junk food advertising, banning sweets at checkouts and calorie labelling on restaurant menus. The measures are a response to soaring levels of childhood obesity, with one in three children now overweight or obese. Most controversial is the government's plan to force all restaurants to publish calorie counts on menus. The Treasury says it is worried that this will push up prices and lead to thousands of job losses. Jamie Oliver thinks the measure will hurt small businesses. \"If you're talking about places like Pret a Manger or Itsu, the grab-and-go places, I think that people would love clarity on calories. But for smaller independent places where they change the menus regularly, well they are not going to have the resources to give that nutritional information.\" Instead, he says, people should take charge at home. \"For example, your average Briton has about a 16 gram fibre deficit, so just swapping white bread for brown is going to make a difference. \"At the weekends I batch cook. Yes it might be 15-20 minutes work, but then you're making 15-20 portions, and you've got a two minute healthy solution during the week that is full of love and the good stuff. It's much more cost effective.\" Can Jamie Oliver make a difference? The CEO of market research company, Ipsos Mori, Ben Page said: \"I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk. Obviously I love Jamie, like the rest of us do, but generally we advise clients that celebrities are not big purchase drivers. That said, Jamie is aligned with healthy eating and has spent years talking about it. Plus, it's the general direction of travel. \"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2095, "answer_end": 3852, "text": "This week the government begins consultation on some of the measures it set out in its childhood obesity strategy in July; these include tighter restrictions on junk food advertising, banning sweets at checkouts and calorie labelling on restaurant menus. The measures are a response to soaring levels of childhood obesity, with one in three children now overweight or obese. Most controversial is the government's plan to force all restaurants to publish calorie counts on menus. The Treasury says it is worried that this will push up prices and lead to thousands of job losses. Jamie Oliver thinks the measure will hurt small businesses. \"If you're talking about places like Pret a Manger or Itsu, the grab-and-go places, I think that people would love clarity on calories. But for smaller independent places where they change the menus regularly, well they are not going to have the resources to give that nutritional information.\" Instead, he says, people should take charge at home. \"For example, your average Briton has about a 16 gram fibre deficit, so just swapping white bread for brown is going to make a difference. \"At the weekends I batch cook. Yes it might be 15-20 minutes work, but then you're making 15-20 portions, and you've got a two minute healthy solution during the week that is full of love and the good stuff. It's much more cost effective.\" Can Jamie Oliver make a difference? The CEO of market research company, Ipsos Mori, Ben Page said: \"I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk. Obviously I love Jamie, like the rest of us do, but generally we advise clients that celebrities are not big purchase drivers. That said, Jamie is aligned with healthy eating and has spent years talking about it. Plus, it's the general direction of travel. \""}], "question": "How to solve childhood obesity?", "id": "478_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia ships 'chase away' Dutch submarine in Mediterranean", "date": "9 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russia's defence ministry says two of its navy destroyers forced away a Dutch submarine to stop it spying on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. The sub was 20km (12 miles) from the Admiral Kuznetsov at the time of the incident, the military said. Russia sent a flotilla to the eastern Mediterranean ahead of an expected resumption of air strikes in Syria. Nato said it was monitoring the ships in a \"measured and responsible way\". An official said the Western military alliance would not go into details but said it had been observing the fleet for some weeks. The Russian flotilla's conspicuous voyage from Severomorsk in northern Russia, through the North Sea and the English Channel and into the Mediterranean, has rung alarm bells among Nato allies. There was no confirmation of the Russian military's claim of an incident, and the Dutch military tweeted that it would give no comment on submarine operations. It was also not immediately clear where the incident took place. However, one report placed the Admiral Kuznetsov around 100km (62 miles) north-west of the Syrian port of Latakia. Russian defence spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that two anti-submarine ships, Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov, had \"easily identified the submarine 20km away using the standard onboard hydro-acoustics systems and data obtained from anti-submarine helicopters\". Although the sub had tried to evade surveillance, the ships tracked it for more than an hour and \"forced it to leave the area of the aircraft carrier-led group\", he said, condemning the Dutch sub's manoeuvres as \"clumsy and dangerous\". Although there was no official reaction from the Dutch military, Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said she thought it wise \"not to go along with the Russian rhetoric\". Dutch marine expert Jaime Karreman said that if true the incident was unprecedented. \"It's pretty shocking that a submarine on a secret mission is discovered,\" he told Dutch TV.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 761, "answer_end": 1960, "text": "There was no confirmation of the Russian military's claim of an incident, and the Dutch military tweeted that it would give no comment on submarine operations. It was also not immediately clear where the incident took place. However, one report placed the Admiral Kuznetsov around 100km (62 miles) north-west of the Syrian port of Latakia. Russian defence spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that two anti-submarine ships, Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov, had \"easily identified the submarine 20km away using the standard onboard hydro-acoustics systems and data obtained from anti-submarine helicopters\". Although the sub had tried to evade surveillance, the ships tracked it for more than an hour and \"forced it to leave the area of the aircraft carrier-led group\", he said, condemning the Dutch sub's manoeuvres as \"clumsy and dangerous\". Although there was no official reaction from the Dutch military, Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said she thought it wise \"not to go along with the Russian rhetoric\". Dutch marine expert Jaime Karreman said that if true the incident was unprecedented. \"It's pretty shocking that a submarine on a secret mission is discovered,\" he told Dutch TV."}], "question": "What happened and where?", "id": "479_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Is gun ownership increasing in Australia?", "date": "15 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On Friday, Australia had its worst mass shooting since the nation overhauled its gun control laws more than 20 years ago. The suspected murder-suicide of a family of seven in Western Australia has inevitably revived discussion of the laws, often described as among the strongest in the world. Brought in following a 1996 massacre in Tasmania that killed 35 people, the legislation banned the use of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. It led to the destruction of more than one million guns. The country has had two mass shootings since 1996: the murder-suicide of a family of five in 2014, and the seven deaths at a rural property on Friday. However, as with debates overseas, opinions differ over what role gun laws have played in preventing or allowing tragedies, and whether changes are needed. Firearms found at the scene in Western Australia appeared to be properly licensed, authorities have said. Australians now own more guns in total than they did before the 1996 crackdown, according to figures from 2016 - the last time they were comprehensively studied. That amounts to more than three million firearms, according to separate  government statistics. But gun ownership per capita has dropped by 23% during the same time, said Associate Prof Philip Alpers from the University of Sydney. \"Far fewer people now have a gun in their home but some people have a lot more guns,\" Associate Prof Philip Alpers told the BBC. In the past 30 years, the number of households with at least one gun has declined by 75%. However, Associate Prof Alpers said that those who already own guns are buying more and registering them at a higher rate. The 1996 reforms prohibited ordinary Australians from owning automatic and semi-automatic firearms, and pump-action shotguns. Of the millions of guns currently in circulation, \"the great bulk\" are legal, said Associate Prof Alpers. Last year, the government estimated that about 260,000 were illegal or unlicensed firearms, including 10,000 semi-automatic handguns. A national amnesty targeting the \"grey market\" - unregistered guns that were kept by households after 1996 - retrieved more than 57,000 firearms last year. Yes, the number of gun-related homicides decreased by 57% between 1989-90 and 2013-14, according to the most recent official figures. The number of people who died from gunshot wounds dropped by 63% in the same period. Associate Prof Alpers said that the rate of gun-related crime had been \"trending downwards since before 1996, but the rate of decline doubled after the law changes\". \"There has been no significant spikes or resurgence in gun crime,\" he said. Suicide accounts for the majority (70%) of gun deaths in Australia, Associate Prof Alpers said. Although Australia's gun control debate is less heated than in nations like the US, such questions remain divisive. Last year, lobby group Gun Control Australia argued that gun control laws had been weakened by Australia's state governments since 1996. It said the erosions included looser requirements for certain gun licences and usage. The group asserted on Friday that \"gun laws are slipping away\", and should be strengthened further. But others, such as the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA), say regulation efforts should focus on the illegal market rather than licensed shooters. \"The SSAA will always support measures that genuinely contribute to public safety,\"  the group told the Australian Broadcasting Corp in response to Gun Control Australia's report. \"We will not, however, sit back while radical fringe groups dictate policy on the basis of fear and emotion, instead of scientific evidence and commonsense.\" The state government and police have emphasised that the investigation into Friday's tragedy remains in its early stages. However, Premier Mark McGowan described Australia as \"an example to the rest of the world\" about the need for strict gun laws. He added: \"In this case, it appears, all of the firearms involved were licensed and there was the appropriate management of those firearms as best you can. \"It was a farming property. In some ways there's not much else that I can see from the outside that could have been done.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 907, "answer_end": 1641, "text": "Australians now own more guns in total than they did before the 1996 crackdown, according to figures from 2016 - the last time they were comprehensively studied. That amounts to more than three million firearms, according to separate  government statistics. But gun ownership per capita has dropped by 23% during the same time, said Associate Prof Philip Alpers from the University of Sydney. \"Far fewer people now have a gun in their home but some people have a lot more guns,\" Associate Prof Philip Alpers told the BBC. In the past 30 years, the number of households with at least one gun has declined by 75%. However, Associate Prof Alpers said that those who already own guns are buying more and registering them at a higher rate."}], "question": "What are the ownership trends?", "id": "480_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2164, "answer_end": 2720, "text": "Yes, the number of gun-related homicides decreased by 57% between 1989-90 and 2013-14, according to the most recent official figures. The number of people who died from gunshot wounds dropped by 63% in the same period. Associate Prof Alpers said that the rate of gun-related crime had been \"trending downwards since before 1996, but the rate of decline doubled after the law changes\". \"There has been no significant spikes or resurgence in gun crime,\" he said. Suicide accounts for the majority (70%) of gun deaths in Australia, Associate Prof Alpers said."}], "question": "Are shooting deaths on the decline?", "id": "480_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2721, "answer_end": 3661, "text": "Although Australia's gun control debate is less heated than in nations like the US, such questions remain divisive. Last year, lobby group Gun Control Australia argued that gun control laws had been weakened by Australia's state governments since 1996. It said the erosions included looser requirements for certain gun licences and usage. The group asserted on Friday that \"gun laws are slipping away\", and should be strengthened further. But others, such as the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (SSAA), say regulation efforts should focus on the illegal market rather than licensed shooters. \"The SSAA will always support measures that genuinely contribute to public safety,\"  the group told the Australian Broadcasting Corp in response to Gun Control Australia's report. \"We will not, however, sit back while radical fringe groups dictate policy on the basis of fear and emotion, instead of scientific evidence and commonsense.\""}], "question": "Should there be greater restrictions?", "id": "480_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3662, "answer_end": 4189, "text": "The state government and police have emphasised that the investigation into Friday's tragedy remains in its early stages. However, Premier Mark McGowan described Australia as \"an example to the rest of the world\" about the need for strict gun laws. He added: \"In this case, it appears, all of the firearms involved were licensed and there was the appropriate management of those firearms as best you can. \"It was a farming property. In some ways there's not much else that I can see from the outside that could have been done.\""}], "question": "What have authorities said?", "id": "480_3"}]}]}, {"title": "US life expectancy declines for first time in 20 years", "date": "8 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Life expectancy in the United States has declined for the first time in more than two decades. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics showed a drop for men from 76.5 years in 2014 to 76.3 in 2015, and from 81.3 to 81.2 for women. The preliminary figures show rises in several causes of death, especially heart disease, dementia and accidental infant deaths. Life expectancy last fell during the peak of the HIV/Aids crisis in 1993. It has improved slightly but steadily in most of the years since World War Two, rising from a little more than 68 years in 1950. It also fell in 1980, after a severe outbreak of flu. Overall life expectancy for men and women is now 78.8 years, a decrease of 0.1 year from 2014. \"This is unusual,\" lead author Jiaquan Xu, an epidemiologist at the NCHS, told AFP news agency. \"2015 is kind of different from every year. It looks like much more death than we have seen in the last few years.\" The report is based mainly on 2015 death certificates. A decline of 0.1 years in life expectancy means people are dying, on average, a little over a month earlier - or two months earlier for men. To compare it with the two other declines in the past 30 years, the drop from 1992 to 1993 was 0.3 years, and the drop from 1979 to 1980 was 0.2%. What's also worrying some experts is that the trend had been largely flat for the preceding three years, rather than steady increase which has prevailed since the 1970s. The figures show a mixture of factors. Death rates have risen for eight out of 10 of the leading causes of death: heart disease (0.9% rise), chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.7% rise), unintentional injuries (6.7% rise), stroke (3% rise), Alzheimer's disease (15.7% rise), diabetes (1.9% rise), kidney disease (1.5% rise) and suicide (2.3% rise). Heart disease is the biggest killer - accounting for more than four times as many deaths as each of the others - so even the relatively small 0.9% rise in the heart disease death rate is a major contributor. Two of the biggest rises were deaths from Alzheimer's disease and also an 11.3% increase in the rate of death for babies under one due to unintentional injuries. Experts point to obesity levels, an ageing population and economic struggles as wider factors. \"Most of them died from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed,\" said Jiaquan Xu. Michael Grosso, medical director at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in New York, told AFP that these deaths would include car crashes, falls, suffocation and fires, and were therefore complex to explain. He linked the rise to \"social stressors\", such as financial pressures and addiction. \"The dramatic upswing in the use of opiates and narcotic use across our country is potentially a big factor in driving a phenomenon like accidental injury,\" he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the country is \"in midst of an opioid overdose epidemic\", with a record 28,000 people killed in 2014. No figures are yet available for 2015, though the 6.7% rise in deaths caused by \"unintentional injuries\" may be partly related. The death rate for cancer has gone down 1.7%, which is significant as cancer is the second-biggest cause of death, causing almost as many fatalities as heart disease. But it seems that fast-developing research into cancer treatments, as well as campaigns on public education and early detection, are having an impact. The US ranks 28th out of 43 OECD countries, according to 2014 figures - the most recent available. It is just behind the Czech Republic, Chile and Costa Rica, and just above Turkey, Poland and Estonia. The world's highest life expectancy is in Japan, which is well known for the longevity of its elderly citizens. People there live, on average, to 83.7 years, which is followed by Switzerland and Spain on 83.3. The world's lowest life expectancy is in Sierra Leone, at 50.1 years, according to the World Health Organization.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 990, "answer_end": 1447, "text": "A decline of 0.1 years in life expectancy means people are dying, on average, a little over a month earlier - or two months earlier for men. To compare it with the two other declines in the past 30 years, the drop from 1992 to 1993 was 0.3 years, and the drop from 1979 to 1980 was 0.2%. What's also worrying some experts is that the trend had been largely flat for the preceding three years, rather than steady increase which has prevailed since the 1970s."}], "question": "How far has life expectancy declined?", "id": "481_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1448, "answer_end": 2263, "text": "The figures show a mixture of factors. Death rates have risen for eight out of 10 of the leading causes of death: heart disease (0.9% rise), chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.7% rise), unintentional injuries (6.7% rise), stroke (3% rise), Alzheimer's disease (15.7% rise), diabetes (1.9% rise), kidney disease (1.5% rise) and suicide (2.3% rise). Heart disease is the biggest killer - accounting for more than four times as many deaths as each of the others - so even the relatively small 0.9% rise in the heart disease death rate is a major contributor. Two of the biggest rises were deaths from Alzheimer's disease and also an 11.3% increase in the rate of death for babies under one due to unintentional injuries. Experts point to obesity levels, an ageing population and economic struggles as wider factors."}], "question": "What's causing the drop?", "id": "481_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2264, "answer_end": 3098, "text": "\"Most of them died from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed,\" said Jiaquan Xu. Michael Grosso, medical director at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in New York, told AFP that these deaths would include car crashes, falls, suffocation and fires, and were therefore complex to explain. He linked the rise to \"social stressors\", such as financial pressures and addiction. \"The dramatic upswing in the use of opiates and narcotic use across our country is potentially a big factor in driving a phenomenon like accidental injury,\" he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the country is \"in midst of an opioid overdose epidemic\", with a record 28,000 people killed in 2014. No figures are yet available for 2015, though the 6.7% rise in deaths caused by \"unintentional injuries\" may be partly related."}], "question": "What's behind the rise in accidental infant deaths?", "id": "481_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3099, "answer_end": 3416, "text": "The death rate for cancer has gone down 1.7%, which is significant as cancer is the second-biggest cause of death, causing almost as many fatalities as heart disease. But it seems that fast-developing research into cancer treatments, as well as campaigns on public education and early detection, are having an impact."}], "question": "Is there any good news?", "id": "481_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3417, "answer_end": 3942, "text": "The US ranks 28th out of 43 OECD countries, according to 2014 figures - the most recent available. It is just behind the Czech Republic, Chile and Costa Rica, and just above Turkey, Poland and Estonia. The world's highest life expectancy is in Japan, which is well known for the longevity of its elderly citizens. People there live, on average, to 83.7 years, which is followed by Switzerland and Spain on 83.3. The world's lowest life expectancy is in Sierra Leone, at 50.1 years, according to the World Health Organization."}], "question": "How does the US compare with other countries?", "id": "481_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Violent clashes erupt as Spanish court jails Catalonia leaders", "date": "14 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Protests have erupted in Barcelona after Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to between nine and 13 years in prison. The separatists were convicted of sedition over their role in an illegal independence referendum in 2017. Another three were found guilty of disobedience and fined, but not jailed. All 12 defendants denied the charges. Large crowds of pro-independence protesters clashed with police at Barcelona's international airport. Footage showed people attempting to break through a police line blocking one area of the building, while in another, officers hit protesters with batons and attempted to disperse the crowds with gas. A total of 108 flights were cancelled on Monday, the Spanish airport authority Aena said. Thousands of Catalan independence supporters also marched in the city centre, blocking some streets and access to metro stations. After the ruling, a new arrest warrant was issued for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who is living abroad. Mr Puigdemont told a press conference that Catalonians were victims of a \"strategy of repression and revenge\". Some of the 12 leaders sentenced on Monday had held prominent positions in Catalonia's government and parliament, while others were influential activists and cultural advocates. During four months of hearings, they told the court in Madrid that they were victims of an injustice in a trial built on \"false\" charges. The longest sentence of 13 years was handed to Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia and the highest-ranking pro-independence leader on trial, for sedition and misuse of public funds. The prosecution had sought up to 25 years in prison for Junqueras. The new European and international arrest warrant against Mr Puigdemont was issued on grounds of sedition and misuse of public funds. He fled to Belgium in October 2017 to avoid prosecution in Spain following the failed independence bid. Junqueras accused Spain of jailing people for their political ideals and pledged that the separatists would return even stronger. But Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insisted the leaders had been jailed for criminal conduct. Mr Puigdemont said the sentences handed to separatist leaders of \"100 years in total\" were \"an atrocity\". \"Now more than ever... it is time to react like never before,\" he wrote on Twitter, adding: \"For the future of our sons and daughters. For democracy. For Europe. For Catalonia.\" Those on the street communicated feelings of anger and powerlessness. \"Today is going to be historic, you can feel it in the atmosphere. Serious things are happening, we can't stay home,\" Oscar Quiles, a 47-year-old real estate entrepreneur told AFP news agency. \"The indignation is just too much and affects too many people,\" another protester said.  \"What they don't realise is that we are very angry and we will not stop.\" By Damian Grammaticas, Europe correspondent The sentences handed down have shocked many across Catalonia. Shortly after they were announced small knots of students - banners and flags held aloft - began marching in Barcelona, heading for the squares where they gathered during the independence bid two years ago. Anger swirled in the air along with sound of whistles and loudhailers. \"This is not justice, this is revenge\" they shouted. Madrid deployed police reinforcements in the region and sections of the city's streets were cordoned off to traffic. The prison terms given to the Catalan independence leaders were not the 25 years prosecutors had sought in some cases, but they are nevertheless seen as an outrage by many Catalans. The Catalan National Assembly called for \"mobilisations around the globe\" - including in the UK, France and Germany - in a tweet using the hashtag #StandUpForCatalonia. Others used the hashtag to post footage of students marching in protest against the sentences moments after they were announced on Monday. Meanwhile, both FC Barcelona and the Catalan football federation condemned the prison sentences and called for \"dialogue and negotiation\" to resolve the situation. The federation added that it had suspended all football matches in the region to show solidarity with the leaders and their families. Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters rallied in the city. In 2017, police and protesters clashed in the streets when Catalonia's pro-independence leaders went ahead with the referendum, which had been ruled illegal by Spain's constitutional court. Other separatist leaders to receive prison sentences for sedition were: - Dolors Bassa, former Catalan labour minister (12 years) - Jordi Turull, former Catalan government spokesman (12 years) - Raul Romeva, former Catalan external relations minister (12 years) - Carme Forcadell, ex-speaker of the Catalan parliament (11.5 years) - Joaquim Forn, former Catalan interior minister (10.5 years) - Josep Rull, former Catalan territorial minister (10.5 years) - Jordi Sanchez, activist and ex-president of the Catalan National Assembly (9 years) - Jordi Cuixart, president of Catalan language and culture organisation Omnium Cultural (9 years) The nine leaders, who had already spent months in pre-trial detention, were acquitted of a more serious charge of rebellion. The remaining three defendants were earlier released on bail. During their closing arguments in June, defence lawyers told the court their clients denied the charges of rebellion and sedition, but admitted to the lesser charge of disobedience which could have seen them be banned from public office but avoid prison. Prosecutors argued that the unilateral declaration of independence was an attack on the Spanish state and accused some of those involved of a serious act of rebellion. They also said that separatist leaders had misused public funds while organising the 2017 referendum. Prosecutors argued the leaders had carried out a \"perfectly planned strategy... to break the constitutional order and obtain the independence of Catalonia\" illegally. Forcadell, the former parliament speaker who read out the independence result on 27 October 2017, was also accused of allowing parliamentary debates on independence despite warnings from Spain's Constitutional Court. Some of the leaders, speaking to the BBC ahead of the trial, said the proceedings were political in nature. Any violence, they said, was on the part of police and committed against voters in a crackdown which made headlines around the world. Three weeks after the banned 2017 vote, the Catalan parliament declared an independent republic. Madrid stepped in to impose its rule on the region, and several Catalan leaders fled or were arrested. Catalan nationalists have long complained that their region, which has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years, sends too much money to poorer parts of Spain, as taxes are controlled by Madrid. The wealthy region is home to about 7.5 million people, with their own language, parliament, flag and anthem. In September, a march in Barcelona in support of Catalonia's independence from Spain drew crowds of about 600,000 people - one of the lowest turnouts in the eight-year history of the annual rally.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1117, "answer_end": 1939, "text": "Some of the 12 leaders sentenced on Monday had held prominent positions in Catalonia's government and parliament, while others were influential activists and cultural advocates. During four months of hearings, they told the court in Madrid that they were victims of an injustice in a trial built on \"false\" charges. The longest sentence of 13 years was handed to Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia and the highest-ranking pro-independence leader on trial, for sedition and misuse of public funds. The prosecution had sought up to 25 years in prison for Junqueras. The new European and international arrest warrant against Mr Puigdemont was issued on grounds of sedition and misuse of public funds. He fled to Belgium in October 2017 to avoid prosecution in Spain following the failed independence bid."}], "question": "What happened at the trial?", "id": "482_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4474, "answer_end": 5555, "text": "Other separatist leaders to receive prison sentences for sedition were: - Dolors Bassa, former Catalan labour minister (12 years) - Jordi Turull, former Catalan government spokesman (12 years) - Raul Romeva, former Catalan external relations minister (12 years) - Carme Forcadell, ex-speaker of the Catalan parliament (11.5 years) - Joaquim Forn, former Catalan interior minister (10.5 years) - Josep Rull, former Catalan territorial minister (10.5 years) - Jordi Sanchez, activist and ex-president of the Catalan National Assembly (9 years) - Jordi Cuixart, president of Catalan language and culture organisation Omnium Cultural (9 years) The nine leaders, who had already spent months in pre-trial detention, were acquitted of a more serious charge of rebellion. The remaining three defendants were earlier released on bail. During their closing arguments in June, defence lawyers told the court their clients denied the charges of rebellion and sedition, but admitted to the lesser charge of disobedience which could have seen them be banned from public office but avoid prison."}], "question": "Who else has been sentenced?", "id": "482_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5556, "answer_end": 6651, "text": "Prosecutors argued that the unilateral declaration of independence was an attack on the Spanish state and accused some of those involved of a serious act of rebellion. They also said that separatist leaders had misused public funds while organising the 2017 referendum. Prosecutors argued the leaders had carried out a \"perfectly planned strategy... to break the constitutional order and obtain the independence of Catalonia\" illegally. Forcadell, the former parliament speaker who read out the independence result on 27 October 2017, was also accused of allowing parliamentary debates on independence despite warnings from Spain's Constitutional Court. Some of the leaders, speaking to the BBC ahead of the trial, said the proceedings were political in nature. Any violence, they said, was on the part of police and committed against voters in a crackdown which made headlines around the world. Three weeks after the banned 2017 vote, the Catalan parliament declared an independent republic. Madrid stepped in to impose its rule on the region, and several Catalan leaders fled or were arrested."}], "question": "How did they end up in court?", "id": "482_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6652, "answer_end": 7162, "text": "Catalan nationalists have long complained that their region, which has a distinct history dating back almost 1,000 years, sends too much money to poorer parts of Spain, as taxes are controlled by Madrid. The wealthy region is home to about 7.5 million people, with their own language, parliament, flag and anthem. In September, a march in Barcelona in support of Catalonia's independence from Spain drew crowds of about 600,000 people - one of the lowest turnouts in the eight-year history of the annual rally."}], "question": "What is behind the Catalonia controversy?", "id": "482_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Plenty of upside in Australia PM's gamble", "date": "21 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "When Australia's Senate rose for recess on 18 March, it seemed Malcolm Turnbull had missed his chance to hold a double dissolution election. Unique to Australia, the double dissolution mechanism is ostensibly designed to break a political deadlock. If the Senate twice rejects a piece of legislation from the lower house, this becomes the double dissolution \"trigger\". In practice, the double dissolution has usually been deployed for short-term political gain, allowing the government to hold an early election when conditions are favourable. The present government has two potential triggers - the previously rejected ABCC (Australian Building and Construction Commission) and Registered Organisations bills that target alleged union corruption. Neither made the list of legislation that the Senate considered during its most recent sitting. The deadline for calling a double dissolution during this term of government is 11 May. The Senate was not scheduled to sit again until 10 May. The double dissolution option appeared to have dissolved. But the prime minister's audacious use of an obscure provision in the constitution that allows the governor general to recall both houses of parliament caught his political opponents and pundits by surprise. The Senate now has three additional weeks to debate the bills. This is ample time to ensure that they either are passed or rejected, and there is upside for Mr Turnbull in both cases. If he convinces crossbench senators to support him, he will win a dramatic victory in the Senate, steal back political momentum and lay the ground for an election campaign later in the year. But the double dissolution scenario seems more likely and this option holds several benefits for Mr Turnbull. Although his ratings have slipped, he is still far more popular than his opposition counterpart Bill Shorten and polls have the Coalition government well in front of Labor. A double dissolution will also mean that all Senate seats are contested at the election, rather than the usual half. The Senate passed new rules on Friday that will make it difficult for so-called micro parties, who have been a thorn in Mr Turnbull's side, to secure upper house seats. The Coalition could grab the balance of power in the Senate and do away with the pesky micro party senators in one hit. The downside for Mr Turnbull is that he has effectively given notice of polling day 15 weeks in advance. If the double dissolution is called on 11 May, Australia will be faced with a marathon seven-week election campaign. Double dissolutions have not always worked out for the government either -  the Coalition lost government at the 1983 election after Labor unexpectedly made the popular unionist Bob Hawke its leader. Mr Turnbull's momentum has been flagging, and long election campaigns are unpredictable. He may have snatched back the narrative, but whether he can keep hold of it is another matter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1912, "answer_end": 2923, "text": "A double dissolution will also mean that all Senate seats are contested at the election, rather than the usual half. The Senate passed new rules on Friday that will make it difficult for so-called micro parties, who have been a thorn in Mr Turnbull's side, to secure upper house seats. The Coalition could grab the balance of power in the Senate and do away with the pesky micro party senators in one hit. The downside for Mr Turnbull is that he has effectively given notice of polling day 15 weeks in advance. If the double dissolution is called on 11 May, Australia will be faced with a marathon seven-week election campaign. Double dissolutions have not always worked out for the government either -  the Coalition lost government at the 1983 election after Labor unexpectedly made the popular unionist Bob Hawke its leader. Mr Turnbull's momentum has been flagging, and long election campaigns are unpredictable. He may have snatched back the narrative, but whether he can keep hold of it is another matter."}], "question": "Marathon campaign ahead?", "id": "483_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Baby names: Jack and Emily top Scottish list again", "date": "17 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jack and Emily were once again the most popular baby names in Scotland in 2015. National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures show that Jack and Emily were the top names for the last eight and two years respectively. Leo, Brodie, Harrison, Georgie and Rosie all climbed 2015's list. Leo climbed 11 places in the boys' list to 13th, Brodie moved up 12 to 31st, and Harrison was up 13 to 35th. Among girls, Georgia climbed 12 places to 27th, and Rosie was up 15 to 35th. The births of 25,970 boys and 24,490 girls were registered in the period covered by the figures. This year, the number of unique names chosen by parents were \"well above\" the levels of 10, 20 or 40 years ago, according to NRS. 1,977 boys and 2,714 girls were given first forenames that were unique this year. - Oliver rose from fourth to become the second most popular boys' name, with James falling one place to third and Lewis down one place in fourth. - Alexander climbed five places to fifth. - The rest of the boys' top ten was Charlie (up two places to sixth), Logan (down two places to seventh), Lucas (up one place to eighth), Harris (up three places to ninth) and three names which together were joint 10th: Jacob (up nine places), Finlay (up five places) and Daniel (down four places). - Noah (down seven places to 14th) dropped out of the top ten. - The top four girls' names were in exactly the same order as in 2014 - Sophie was again the second most popular (having been top from 2005 to 2013), Olivia was third and Isla was fourth. - Ava rose one place to fifth, and Jessica fell one place to sixth. Amelia remained in seventh place. - Ella rose three places to eighth. Lucy (down one place to ninth) and Lily (down one place to 10th) made up the rest of the girls' top ten. - Ella was the only entrant to the girls' top ten; Elllie (down four places to 14th) was the only name to drop out of it. Jack was the top boys' first forename in 15 council areas, Oliver was top in six areas, James was top in four, and Finlay and Noah were each top in two areas. Emily was the most popular girls' first forename in nine council areas, Sophie was top in seven and Isla was top in five. Amelia was top in four areas, and Ava, Lily and Olivia were each top in two areas. Several other names were top (or joint top) in one council area, including Muhammad which was  the most popular boys' name in Glasgow - for a third year. The annual list of baby names reveals that John has slipped further down the top 100. It was consistently the second most popular name throughout the 1970s, but in 2015 it ranked 59th. In numbers, here is its fall from popularity. - 1974 - 1,528 (2nd) - 1988 - 924 (6th) - 1998 - 353 (23rd) - 2015 - 112 (59th) However, while it has faded away as a first name, in 2015 it was the second most popular middle name with 1,204 mentions.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2396, "answer_end": 2828, "text": "The annual list of baby names reveals that John has slipped further down the top 100. It was consistently the second most popular name throughout the 1970s, but in 2015 it ranked 59th. In numbers, here is its fall from popularity. - 1974 - 1,528 (2nd) - 1988 - 924 (6th) - 1998 - 353 (23rd) - 2015 - 112 (59th) However, while it has faded away as a first name, in 2015 it was the second most popular middle name with 1,204 mentions."}], "question": "Where have all the Johns gone?", "id": "484_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Zika therapy 'works in the womb'", "date": "8 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scientists say they may have found a way to protect babies in the womb from the harmful effects of Zika. So far the US team has only had success in mice with its antibody treatment, but it says it might eventually lead to a therapy for women who catch Zika in pregnancy. The Zika virus can severely damage a newborn's brain. The antibody therapy is made using blood cells from people who have recently had and fought off Zika. In mice, the treatment significantly reduced the amount of Zika virus that circulated in the mother's blood and crossed the placenta into the baby, Nature journal reports. At birth, there was less damage to the placenta and these baby mice were much bigger than others whose mothers had not received the antibody treatment. The researchers stress that years of testing will be needed to see if it could be a safe and effective treatment for pregnant women. In the meantime, other scientists are focusing on making a vaccine that could protect people from catching Zika in the first place. Zika is spread to people by mosquito bites. Outbreaks of the disease have been seen in the Americas and, more recently, in south-east Asia. Singapore has said its outbreak was caused by a local strain, not the one which caused the huge outbreak in South America. Prof Laura Rodrigues, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: \"At the moment, if a pregnant woman is diagnosed with Zika she only really has one option - whether or not to have a termination. \"Even if we do one day have a vaccine that can protect people from catching Zika, there will still be some who will get infected. \"For these people, a treatment like this antibody one would be helpful.\" Deaths are rare and only one in five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. These include: - Mild fever - Conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes) - Headache - Joint pain - A rash A rare nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, that can cause temporary paralysis has been linked to the infection. As there is no vaccine or treatment at the moment, the only option is to reduce the risk of being bitten. Health officials advise people to: - Use insect repellents - Cover up with long-sleeved clothes - Keep windows and doors closed - Ensure mosquitoes have nowhere to breed by removing standing water Patients are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids. - A birth defect where a baby is born with an abnormally small head, as their brain has not developed properly. - The severity varies, but it can be deadly if the brain is so underdeveloped that it cannot regulate the functions vital to life. - Children that do survive face intellectual disability and development delays. - It can be caused by infections such as rubella, substance abuse during pregnancy or genetic abnormalities. Case study: 'It's not the end of the world'", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1697, "answer_end": 2002, "text": "Deaths are rare and only one in five people infected is thought to develop symptoms. These include: - Mild fever - Conjunctivitis (red, sore eyes) - Headache - Joint pain - A rash A rare nervous system disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, that can cause temporary paralysis has been linked to the infection."}], "question": "What are the symptoms of Zika?", "id": "485_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2003, "answer_end": 2362, "text": "As there is no vaccine or treatment at the moment, the only option is to reduce the risk of being bitten. Health officials advise people to: - Use insect repellents - Cover up with long-sleeved clothes - Keep windows and doors closed - Ensure mosquitoes have nowhere to breed by removing standing water Patients are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids."}], "question": "What can people do to avoid it?", "id": "485_1"}]}]}, {"title": "France Lyon: Police arrest suspects in parcel bomb attack", "date": "27 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "French police have arrested four people after a suspected parcel bomb exploded in Lyon last week, injuring 13 people. The device, packed with screws and ball bearings, detonated outside a bakery on Friday afternoon. One of those arrested, a 24-year-old man, is the suspected bomber, prosecutors say. Another man and a woman were also reportedly detained. Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast wearing a balaclava and rucksack. Anti-terrorist prosecutors are leading the investigation, co-ordinating with Lyon police and France's internal security service, the DGSI. French media report that one suspect is an IT student of Algerian nationality. A source told news agency Reuters that police arrested him in Lyon after tailing him in the street. It reportedly decided not to arrest him in his apartment in case there were explosives in the building. The second suspect, according to local press, is a minor who attends a school in the city. Two other people, a man and a woman, have also been arrested. They are reportedly the parents of one of the suspects. Last week, police released a picture from CCTV footage of a person they believe carried out the bombing. The explosion struck near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in Lyon's historic city centre. Investigators have recovered screws, ball bearings, along with a printed circuit, batteries and a remote-controlled trigger device. Denis Broliquier, the city's district mayor, told press that \"the charge was too small to kill,\" and a government source told AFP news agency it had been a \"relatively weak explosive charge\". Those hurt, including a girl aged eight, appear to have suffered superficial injuries. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed one of the arrests in a Tweet on Monday, saying joint action by several agencies had been \"decisive\". No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The last time a parcel bomb had exploded in France was in 2007 when a device killed one person and injured another in front of a law office in Paris. Police never found the bomber. Jihadist gun and bomb attacks have killed more than 250 people in France since 2015 and the country remains on high alert, with military patrols a regular feature of security in cities including Lyon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 603, "answer_end": 1199, "text": "French media report that one suspect is an IT student of Algerian nationality. A source told news agency Reuters that police arrested him in Lyon after tailing him in the street. It reportedly decided not to arrest him in his apartment in case there were explosives in the building. The second suspect, according to local press, is a minor who attends a school in the city. Two other people, a man and a woman, have also been arrested. They are reportedly the parents of one of the suspects. Last week, police released a picture from CCTV footage of a person they believe carried out the bombing."}], "question": "What do we know about the suspects?", "id": "486_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1200, "answer_end": 2302, "text": "The explosion struck near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in Lyon's historic city centre. Investigators have recovered screws, ball bearings, along with a printed circuit, batteries and a remote-controlled trigger device. Denis Broliquier, the city's district mayor, told press that \"the charge was too small to kill,\" and a government source told AFP news agency it had been a \"relatively weak explosive charge\". Those hurt, including a girl aged eight, appear to have suffered superficial injuries. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed one of the arrests in a Tweet on Monday, saying joint action by several agencies had been \"decisive\". No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The last time a parcel bomb had exploded in France was in 2007 when a device killed one person and injured another in front of a law office in Paris. Police never found the bomber. Jihadist gun and bomb attacks have killed more than 250 people in France since 2015 and the country remains on high alert, with military patrols a regular feature of security in cities including Lyon."}], "question": "What do we know about the attack?", "id": "486_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Botswana Bushmen: Modern life is destroying us", "date": "7 January 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Kalahari sun is merciless: Two young women and two children little more than a year old are huddled under the only tree in the yard to escape the baking heat. We are in New Xade, a resettlement camp an hour's drive from the nearest town, Ghanzi, in western Botswana. It is the new home of the Basarwa - Kalahari Bushmen, southern Africa's first inhabitants and yet they do not take much pleasure in this honour. Sisters Boitumelo Lobelo, 25, and Goiotseone Lobelo, 21, are kneeling in front of a basin of dirty water, washing their children's clothes. Their eyes fill with anger when they speak of their life here, a desolate village half a day's drive from their original home, which is now part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). \"I miss my home and the way we lived. Life was easy, there were lots of fruits, animals and there were no bars and no beer. Now we are lost,\" says Goiotseone. They have been to visit a number of times since they were evicted but are not allowed to stay there any more. When they were aged nine and five respectively, Boitumelo and Goiotseone were moved to New Xade with their parents. They speak fondly of life in the reserve, where they would wake up every morning and join the women in the village in collecting berries, nuts and roots to eat. But Goiotseone also remembers the day they were forced to leave. \"The police came, destroyed our homes and dumped us in the back of trucks with our belongings and brought us here. They dumped us here like we are nothing,\" she tells the BBC. These two are the new generation of Basarwa: they go to school and have learned English and the Tswana language, the most widely spoken in the country. But they say this new life has come at too high a price. \"We are getting Aids and other diseases we didn't know about; young people are drinking alcohol; young girls are having babies. Everything is wrong here,\" Boitumelo says. Thousands of Bushmen lived in the vast expanse of the Kalahari Desert for many millennia. But today most have been moved, many argue forcibly, to government-built resettlement camps far from the reserve. There are an estimated 100,000 Bushmen across southern Africa, mainly in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. While some people find the term Bushmen offensive, this is what this group of people prefer to be called. The Botswana Bushmen have been at odds with the country's government for more than 15 years, embroiled in several legal battles over their right to live inside the game park - and to continue their traditional lifestyle as hunter-gatherers. At some point they were denied access to water in the reserve. Their boreholes were capped and they were banned from drilling more. The Botswana Appeals Court, in a 2011 judgment on the matter, described the plight of the Bushmen as a \"harrowing story of human suffering and despair\" and ruled that they be allowed access to water. Today many say court orders in their favour have been ignored by officials. They need permits to enter the reserve and are not allowed to hunt. Those found hunting face arrest. But why were they relocated? The government says the restriction of people on the land is intended to preserve the wildlife and the ecosystems of the vast reserve, which is slightly bigger than Denmark. But human rights groups and the Bushmen believe the real reason is more sinister. Mining is one of Botswana's key industries, with diamond mining the leading source of revenue. The ancestral lands of the Bushmen lie in the middle of the world's richest diamond field. They believe they were relocated to make way for a multimillion dollar mining project. A London-listed diamond producer has begun plans for production about 45km (28 miles) from the eastern border of the reserve. Construction of the first phase of the project began in 2011, with the first output expected later this year. The government has always denied that there is a link between the relocations and the diamond deposits, first discovered in the 1980s. The state has provided some amenities in the resettlement camps: There are clinics, schools and concrete houses in fenced-up yards - all part of a plan to modernise this community. But modern life does not work for everyone: The Basarwa have built huts in their yards, as a reminder of happier times and their traditional lives. Unemployment is high and this community has no expertise to speak of, or at least none that they can use in the outside world. The village's liquor shop has no shortage of customers.  It is not uncommon to see young men stumbling out of local watering holes in the mid-afternoon. It is not just living and social conditions that are proving problematic. Hundreds of cows and their herders are resting under thorn trees preparing for a 5km-walk (three miles) to the nearest grazing patch. When the Bushmen were relocated, each family was given five cattle or goats to encourage them to become farmers. But being pastoralists has had its challenges. \"If you push somebody to a certain kind of lifestyle that he doesn't know, he will be facing a lot of difficulties,\" says one bushman farmer, Jumanda Galekebone. \"Our people don't know how to look after the cows when they get sick, they don't know about diseases of cattle like foot and mouth disease,\" he explains. His peers agree, so there under the thorn trees, surrounded by cattle who could do with some fattening up, they tell me that they want to go home. They say modern life has not worked for them. \"This life hasn't improved any of their lives. We still get a lot of people going inside the park to hunt and they get arrested. Some of us here are facing court penalties for hunting. It just proves that you can't force change on people,\" says Mr Galekebone. But it appears that the Bushmen have no choice but to change, to adapt - at least as far as the latest government plans reveal. Some believe that the Bushmen's way of life does not belong in modern Botswana society. Some officials have referred to them as \"remote area dwellers\", a \"Stone-Age\" people who should be pulled into the 21st Century. In 2006, another court ruled that the government's refusal to allow the Basarwa into the CKGR was unconstitutional. A handful have been allowed by officials to return to the park but only those whose names appeared in the court papers. Roy Sesana, a community leader, is one of them. But he says he does not enjoy the victory. He now lives between CKGR and New Xade to be close to his family and his people, he tells me. \"We have been separated from our children and our wives. What kind of life is this? We didn't do anything to deserve this,\" he says. Mr Sesana was one of the main applicants in a number of cases against the government. For a people who have spent most of their lives roaming the land freely, hunting wild animals and gathering berries and nuts for food, this place offers them no chance to live off the land. \"We are used to feeding ourselves - now dependant on government hand-outs, we are being made lazy and stupid,\" says Mr Sesana. \"Now we are being treated like dogs. The dog is the only thing that can't bring its own food home. It has to wait for its owner to give it some food.\" International human rights groups are calling for a boycott of Botswana's tourism industry, its second largest revenue generator until the government \"stops persecuting the country's first inhabitants\". President Ian Khama, who is seen as more subtle when it comes to managing the Bushmen situation, has announced that hunting in controlled areas would be outlawed by January 2014. \"The decision was necessitated by available scientific based information indicating that several wildlife species are in decline,\" Mr Khama told parliament. He said the Bushmen would be taught \"non-consumptive\" ways of using their resources. But the Bushmen argue that their years of living in harmony with the environment prove that their ways are ecologically sustainable. They say instead that this move is an attempt to do away with their culture. \"The only place where you find Bushmen now in our traditional clothes surrounded by traditional huts is in the local tourism villages,\" says Mr Sesana. \"We are worried that in the future, there will be no-one who would be able to practice the Bushman culture unless they are parading in front of tourist for companies who are using them for business,\" he says.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5893, "answer_end": 8412, "text": "Some believe that the Bushmen's way of life does not belong in modern Botswana society. Some officials have referred to them as \"remote area dwellers\", a \"Stone-Age\" people who should be pulled into the 21st Century. In 2006, another court ruled that the government's refusal to allow the Basarwa into the CKGR was unconstitutional. A handful have been allowed by officials to return to the park but only those whose names appeared in the court papers. Roy Sesana, a community leader, is one of them. But he says he does not enjoy the victory. He now lives between CKGR and New Xade to be close to his family and his people, he tells me. \"We have been separated from our children and our wives. What kind of life is this? We didn't do anything to deserve this,\" he says. Mr Sesana was one of the main applicants in a number of cases against the government. For a people who have spent most of their lives roaming the land freely, hunting wild animals and gathering berries and nuts for food, this place offers them no chance to live off the land. \"We are used to feeding ourselves - now dependant on government hand-outs, we are being made lazy and stupid,\" says Mr Sesana. \"Now we are being treated like dogs. The dog is the only thing that can't bring its own food home. It has to wait for its owner to give it some food.\" International human rights groups are calling for a boycott of Botswana's tourism industry, its second largest revenue generator until the government \"stops persecuting the country's first inhabitants\". President Ian Khama, who is seen as more subtle when it comes to managing the Bushmen situation, has announced that hunting in controlled areas would be outlawed by January 2014. \"The decision was necessitated by available scientific based information indicating that several wildlife species are in decline,\" Mr Khama told parliament. He said the Bushmen would be taught \"non-consumptive\" ways of using their resources. But the Bushmen argue that their years of living in harmony with the environment prove that their ways are ecologically sustainable. They say instead that this move is an attempt to do away with their culture. \"The only place where you find Bushmen now in our traditional clothes surrounded by traditional huts is in the local tourism villages,\" says Mr Sesana. \"We are worried that in the future, there will be no-one who would be able to practice the Bushman culture unless they are parading in front of tourist for companies who are using them for business,\" he says."}], "question": "Out of touch?", "id": "487_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Who are the winners and losers from the Arab Spring?", "date": "12 November 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Islamic State is being beaten back in Iraq, President Assad is getting the upper hand in Syria, Egypt is under military control again, and Libya is in a state of complete chaos. So was there ever really an Arab Spring? Or was it just a series of uprisings, sometimes linked and sometimes not? Compared with that other great international political upheaval, the relatively quick and mostly bloodless collapse of Marxism-Leninism in central and Eastern Europe in 1989, the events in the Middle East have been slow and inconclusive. And they have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. Even back in January 2011, the term Arab Spring, invented by an American academic, seemed pretty unsuitable. It sounded like a PR phrase, encouraging people in the West to expect that this would be an essentially peaceable series of uprisings by people against longstanding corrupt elites. And it suggested that the old systems would simply collapse in the face of the popular will. In fact, it did look as though things might go that way at first. Only days after the street vendor Tarek al-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi burned himself to death, goaded beyond endurance by petty tyranny in the town of Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian government started to collapse. Within a month of Bouazizi's death, President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali escaped to Saudi Arabia after 23 years of autocratic power. Soon the regimes in Algeria, Jordan and Oman had announced reforms or even changes of government. Ali Abdullah Saleh was chased out of power in Yemen. Demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo encouraged the feeling that something akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall might happen in Egypt. President Mubarak was overthrown quickly. Yet after that the hope for an Arab version of 1989 faded. The Muslim Brotherhood was elected to fill the power vacuum, disrupting the delicate balance between Islamic faith and the principles of a secular state. The police and army, which had supported Mubarak and protected secularism, remained as strong as ever. Eventually they staged a coup against the Muslim Brotherhood, and brought Egypt back to heel. The bitter divide remains. Unlike Europe in 1989, there was no single outmoded political orthodoxy to be overthrown. True, people from Tunisia to Yemen were united in a desire for greater freedom. But the upheavals brought two conflicting principles into play:  the belief that secularism had to be defended on the one hand, and the desire for a more fundamental implementation of Islam on the other. The result has been great bitterness and violence, and in Syria and Iraq it has brought about the rise of Islamic State, (IS), the most aggressive and violent political and religious movement of modern times. At first, its extraordinary brutality seemed to work, as IS murdered its opponents in cold blood and rejoiced in it. Quickly, though, it became clear that there was no point in surrendering to IS. Since then, its enemies have fought with far greater determination. So a new spirit of resistance on the ground, and American, British and other attack planes in the air have started to turn the tide. Similarly, the Arab Spring, if it ever existed, has long ago come to a halt in every Arab country. Who are the winners and losers? Libya has been ruined by the continuing chaos which followed the revolution against Gadaffi. Egypt is back in a condition of stasis, its economy horribly damaged by the events of the past few years. In Syria, Bashir Assad has managed to survive against the revolutionaries. Western countries, though they won't say so, have decided they would rather have him than IS. Iraq too has managed to weather the IS storm, and democracy even seems to be surviving there after all the horrors Iraq has endured since being invaded by the US and Britain in 2003. The political system in Jordan has been under threat, but it is still surviving. Lebanon has held together. Algeria and Tunisia have settled down. Turkey, watching from the sidelines, has often been worried, but has survived unscarred. And what about the outside world? President Obama, who warned Bashir Assad not to use chemical weapons against the insurgents then did nothing when he did, has never managed to shake off the appearance of weakness and indecision. Britain, whose Parliament voted not to bomb Syria in August 2013, is generally regarded as having shrunk in status. A vote a year later to bomb Islamic State has not really changed that perception. \"That whole Arab Spring business has been a mess, right from the start,\" said a senior American diplomat recently. It's hard to disagree with him.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3119, "answer_end": 4611, "text": "Similarly, the Arab Spring, if it ever existed, has long ago come to a halt in every Arab country. Who are the winners and losers? Libya has been ruined by the continuing chaos which followed the revolution against Gadaffi. Egypt is back in a condition of stasis, its economy horribly damaged by the events of the past few years. In Syria, Bashir Assad has managed to survive against the revolutionaries. Western countries, though they won't say so, have decided they would rather have him than IS. Iraq too has managed to weather the IS storm, and democracy even seems to be surviving there after all the horrors Iraq has endured since being invaded by the US and Britain in 2003. The political system in Jordan has been under threat, but it is still surviving. Lebanon has held together. Algeria and Tunisia have settled down. Turkey, watching from the sidelines, has often been worried, but has survived unscarred. And what about the outside world? President Obama, who warned Bashir Assad not to use chemical weapons against the insurgents then did nothing when he did, has never managed to shake off the appearance of weakness and indecision. Britain, whose Parliament voted not to bomb Syria in August 2013, is generally regarded as having shrunk in status. A vote a year later to bomb Islamic State has not really changed that perception. \"That whole Arab Spring business has been a mess, right from the start,\" said a senior American diplomat recently. It's hard to disagree with him."}], "question": "Who has benefited?", "id": "488_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Emiliano Sala: Missing Cardiff City footballer search continues", "date": "24 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Rescuers are into their third day of searching for a Premier League footballer and a pilot whose plane vanished over the English Channel. Police said once Thursday morning's searches had finished, a decision would be made whether to continue. Cardiff City's Argentine striker Emiliano Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson were on the aircraft that disappeared from radar on Monday. Guernsey Police said no trace of the plane had yet been found. The force tweeted: \"We are commencing a coastal search using the Channel Islands Air Search plane of Burhou, the Casquets, Alderney, the north coast of the Cherbourg Peninsula, north coast of Jersey and then back over Sark.\" A spokesman said a search of the island of Burhou had been carried out on foot, but no trace of the plane, Sala or Mr Ibbotson had been found. But Guernsey harbour master Captain David Barker admitted the chances of finding either man alive had \"faded to almost zero\". He added: \"As the Channel Islands air searcher said, the survival times for someone in the water is very low, we estimated that at around three hours, the time of survival in a life raft would be longer. \"No-one could be more concerned for these two men's safety than myself... You can be sure that my focus is still on trying to deal with any hope of survival.\" The search was suspended on Wednesday night after a second full day of searching and Channel Islands Air Search chief officer John Fitzgerald said \"even the most fit person\" would only survive for a few hours in the water. Football agent Mark McKay has confirmed he was involved in the travel arrangements for Sala. He said: \"I can confirm that when Emiliano made myself and his agent Meissa N'Diaye aware that he wished to travel back to Nantes following his medical and signing on Friday, I began to look into arranging a private flight to take him to Nantes on Saturday morning. \"I have been in contact with officials from Cardiff and the player's agent over these difficult past few days and will continue to do so. \"The families of both Emiliano and that of the pilot are utmost in our thoughts and prayers. I knew Emiliano well, he was a wonderful person and I count myself fortunate to have known him.\" Sala was heading to the Welsh capital after signing for the Bluebirds from French club Nantes in a PS15m deal. The single-engine plane left Nantes, north-west France, at 19:15 on Monday and had been flying at 5,000ft (1,500m) over the Channel Islands when it disappeared off radar near the Casquets lighthouse, near to Alderney. As part of rescue efforts, police have been looking at satellite images and mobile phone data. Sala reportedly sent a WhatsApp voice message before the flight. Sounding conversational and jokey, he said he was \"so scared\" and: \"I'm on a plane that seems like it is breaking apart.\" His father Horacio Sala said: \"As the hours go by it makes me think of the worse. I just want them to find him.\" On Wednesday night, Sevilla striker Wissam Ben Yedder dedicated his goal in the 2-0 win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg to Sala. After scoring, he pulled up his shirt to reveal the message: \"To my brother, be strong, E. Sala\". The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said a PA-46-310P Malibu aircraft, registered in the United States, had a pilot and one passenger on board when it vanished. It has begun an investigation, working with counterparts in the US, France and Argentina. A spokesman said: \"We will be gathering all the available evidence to conduct a thorough investigation. However, if the aircraft is not found it is likely to limit the scope of the investigation.\" The plane is owned by Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc Trustee, in Bungay, Suffolk, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration database. The company told the BBC it was the trustee of the plane but not its ultimate owner.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3188, "answer_end": 3877, "text": "The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said a PA-46-310P Malibu aircraft, registered in the United States, had a pilot and one passenger on board when it vanished. It has begun an investigation, working with counterparts in the US, France and Argentina. A spokesman said: \"We will be gathering all the available evidence to conduct a thorough investigation. However, if the aircraft is not found it is likely to limit the scope of the investigation.\" The plane is owned by Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc Trustee, in Bungay, Suffolk, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration database. The company told the BBC it was the trustee of the plane but not its ultimate owner."}], "question": "What plane were they on?", "id": "489_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Rome Olympic chief's fury at mayor's bid veto", "date": "22 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Italian Olympic chief has reacted angrily to the Rome mayor's decision to reject the city's bid to host the 2024 Games, and has vowed to fight on. Calling the decision \"demagogic and populist\", Giovanni Malago insisted the project was financially viable. Mayor Virginia Raggi, elected in June, said holding the Games in Rome would be \"irresponsible\", and would leave the Italian capital indebted. Boston and Hamburg have already dropped out of the running for the 2024 Games. \"Hearing 'no' hurts,\" the head of the Italian Olympic Committee said. \"I'm very sorry. It was possible to do this, and do it well. We will continue [with the bid] until I hear a formal no.\" Asked if the bid could now go on, he said \"let's see\". The committee chief was due to meet Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Thursday to see if the bid could be salvaged ahead of a final vote by Rome's council next week. However, Italian media said the prime minister was unlikely to intervene. \"Is there an alternative project for the city that will create new jobs?\" Mr Malago asked. \"For the first time not even one of the environmental organisations opposed the project. Even the trade unions backed it.\" In ancient times here, Roman emperors offered the thrill of bread and circuses to appease and divert a restless population. That tactic, it seems, no longer works. These days, Rome is a city which can barely pick up its own rubbish. Among many Romans, the idea of hosting an Olympic Games hasn't provoked much enthusiasm. The new mayor knows that. She comes from the populist Five Star Movement, which has strongly opposed a bid for the Games. Ms Raggi has had a difficult first few weeks in power. Her tenure has been overshadowed by accusations of mismanagement and cover-ups. Rejecting the Olympics may be her way of winning back popularity and asserting her own authority over the city. Raggi finds it tough at the top Ms Raggi, from the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, suggested that Rome would have been left with redundant sports facilities. \"No to cathedrals in the desert,\" she said, adding that Rome was still paying out for the Games it hosted in 1960. Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest are still vying to host the Games. The International Olympic Committee will elect the host at a vote in Lima, Peru, in September 2017, with Paris considered the favourite. Rome bid officials set a budget of EUR5.3bn (PS4.5bn; $6bn) to host the Games, with a plan to use existing venues for 70% of the sites. That was a template used by Los Angeles in 1984, when existing stadiums and other facilities were used and the Games made a profit. LA's projected 2024 budget is $4.5bn (PS3.5bn), with a hoped-for profit of $150m (PS115m). But most cities have made a loss. The 2004 Athens Games cost almost EUR9bn and increased Greece's public debt. The 2016 Rio Games cost an estimated $12bn (PS9.2bn). London 2012 went three times over budget and cost PS8.77bn ($11.4bn), although the event boosted trade and investment by an estimated PS9.9bn. Has the Olympics been a success for Brazil?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2351, "answer_end": 3061, "text": "Rome bid officials set a budget of EUR5.3bn (PS4.5bn; $6bn) to host the Games, with a plan to use existing venues for 70% of the sites. That was a template used by Los Angeles in 1984, when existing stadiums and other facilities were used and the Games made a profit. LA's projected 2024 budget is $4.5bn (PS3.5bn), with a hoped-for profit of $150m (PS115m). But most cities have made a loss. The 2004 Athens Games cost almost EUR9bn and increased Greece's public debt. The 2016 Rio Games cost an estimated $12bn (PS9.2bn). London 2012 went three times over budget and cost PS8.77bn ($11.4bn), although the event boosted trade and investment by an estimated PS9.9bn. Has the Olympics been a success for Brazil?"}], "question": "How much does it cost to host the Olympics?", "id": "490_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria offensive: US seeks to address Turkey's 'legitimate' security concerns", "date": "22 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US is willing to work with Turkey to address its \"legitimate\" security concerns in northern Syria, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said. He was speaking after Turkey's military incursion into northern Syria to fight the Kurdish YPG militia at the weekend. Turkey sees the group as terrorists, but they have been crucial in a US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group. Ankara said the US had to stop backing the YPG if they wanted cooperation. Thousands of civilians in the northern Syrian region of Afrin are reportedly trying to flee as Turkey continues its ground offensive. The UN Security Council has been meeting to discuss the operation, as well as the wider humanitarian situation in Syria. Turkey says its troops have seized territory from the Kurdish militia. It believes the fighters are an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades. The YPG denies any direct links to the group. Mr Tillerson said on Monday in London that the US recognised Turkey's \"legitimate concerns\" for its security, and its right to defend itself from terrorist elements. It called for restraint from \"both sides\". He said the US had proposed measures to Turkey and others to try to stabilise the situation. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag has expressed willingness to cooperate with the US, but said that it should first  \"stop arming terror groups and take back weapons already given\". Reports say the US is discussing with Turkey and others the possibility of a \"security zone\" being set up in north-west Syria. Earlier Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to \"sort out\" Afrin. \"We will take no step back,\" he said in a live television broadcast. \"We spoke about this with our Russian friends; we have an agreement.\" On Monday, the Afrin villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli were reportedly captured, along with rural areas including Kita, Kordo and Bibno, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. The YPG has denied that any of the Afrin region is under Turkish control. It also said that it had retaliated against Turkey's ground offensive with rocket fire on Turkish border areas. Two people died and 12 others were wounded when a rocket hit a camp housing Syrian rebel fighters near the border in Turkey's Hatay province, local reports said. Turkish ground troops, assisted by rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), crossed into northern Syria on Sunday as part of \"Operation Olive Branch\" - an offensive to push out the YPG. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the aim was to establish a 30km (19-mile) \"safe zone\" deep inside Syria and Mr Erdogan vowed to crush the YPG \"very quickly\", Plans for the operation are believed to have accelerated when US officials said earlier this month that it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, which is dominated by the YPG, build a new \"border security force\" to prevent the return of IS. Some 25,000 pro-Turkey fighters have joined the offensive, rebel commander Maj Yasser Abdul Rahim told Reuters. It is not clear how many Turkish soldiers are on the ground. The SOHR said on Monday that 54 combatants had been killed since Saturday, including 26 Kurdish fighters and 19 pro-Turkish rebels. Twenty-four civilians had also died, it added - 22 in Turkish air and artillery strikes, and two as a result of Kurdish fire. The Kurdish ANHA news agency reported earlier that at least 17 civilians have been killed in Turkish attacks. Turkey said one of its soldiers had been killed. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has denied killing civilians, and accused the YPG of emanating \"nonsense propaganda and baseless lies\". The Syrian government, its ally Iran and Egypt have all condemned Turkey's offensive. Western powers, including the UK and France, have urged restraint in order to avoid civilian casualties. The French ambassador to the United Nations, Francois Delattre, said council members shared the view that Turkey should act with restraint. Mr Delattre would not say if Turkey ought to stop the operation altogether. In earlier reaction: -  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemned the incursion, saying Turkey was supporting terrorism - Russia - a key ally of President Assad - also said it was concerned by the news, and withdrew some of its troops based in the area - Iran, another Syria ally, called for a quick end to the operation \"to prevent a deepening of the crisis\" in Syria - The European Union's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said she was \"extremely worried\" by the offensive", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1817, "answer_end": 2368, "text": "On Monday, the Afrin villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli were reportedly captured, along with rural areas including Kita, Kordo and Bibno, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. The YPG has denied that any of the Afrin region is under Turkish control. It also said that it had retaliated against Turkey's ground offensive with rocket fire on Turkish border areas. Two people died and 12 others were wounded when a rocket hit a camp housing Syrian rebel fighters near the border in Turkey's Hatay province, local reports said."}], "question": "What has happened on the ground?", "id": "491_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2369, "answer_end": 3155, "text": "Turkish ground troops, assisted by rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), crossed into northern Syria on Sunday as part of \"Operation Olive Branch\" - an offensive to push out the YPG. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the aim was to establish a 30km (19-mile) \"safe zone\" deep inside Syria and Mr Erdogan vowed to crush the YPG \"very quickly\", Plans for the operation are believed to have accelerated when US officials said earlier this month that it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, which is dominated by the YPG, build a new \"border security force\" to prevent the return of IS. Some 25,000 pro-Turkey fighters have joined the offensive, rebel commander Maj Yasser Abdul Rahim told Reuters. It is not clear how many Turkish soldiers are on the ground."}], "question": "What's the background to the offensive?", "id": "491_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3156, "answer_end": 3718, "text": "The SOHR said on Monday that 54 combatants had been killed since Saturday, including 26 Kurdish fighters and 19 pro-Turkish rebels. Twenty-four civilians had also died, it added - 22 in Turkish air and artillery strikes, and two as a result of Kurdish fire. The Kurdish ANHA news agency reported earlier that at least 17 civilians have been killed in Turkish attacks. Turkey said one of its soldiers had been killed. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has denied killing civilians, and accused the YPG of emanating \"nonsense propaganda and baseless lies\"."}], "question": "What are the casualties?", "id": "491_2"}]}]}, {"title": "100 Women 2016: I am a 'surrendered wife\u2019", "date": "4 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Californian Kathy Murray says she saved her marriage by giving up trying to control her husband. Despite considering herself a feminist, she follows - and now teaches others - the approach of a controversial book called The Surrendered Wife, which tells women to stop nagging their partners and start treating them with more respect. The first time I married I was divorced by 26. I married for the second time at 32 but soon found myself sleeping in the guest room. My husband and I fought all the time. Much of our fighting stemmed from the fact I thought my husband was clueless when it came to raising the children (we had four children between us aged from four to nine years old). We also quarrelled about how to manage our finances, and how often we made love. I was working full-time as chief finance officer for a private school and also volunteered at my kids' school and in my community. My husband was a sales rep for a construction company but I was the breadwinner and acted like I was in charge. I didn't tell anyone I was in constant conflict with my husband. I was embarrassed, angry and resentful. - Relinquishes inappropriate control of her husband - Respects her husband's thinking - Receives his gifts graciously and expresses gratitude for him - Expresses what she wants without trying to control him - Relies on him to handle household finances - Focuses on her own self-care and fulfilment Source: Laura Doyle, author of The Surrendered Wife My husband often resorted to watching TV and snuggling with our pets as I'd rage at him over ignoring my needs.  I mean all men want sex right?  Not my husband.  He wanted nothing to do with me.  It was awful. The more I told my husband how he should be, the less he'd try. I couldn't figure it out so I dragged him to marriage counselling. But that only made things worse, so we sent our children to counselling since they too bore the brunt of so much of our conflict. That didn't work either. So I went to counselling by myself and complained about my husband for more than a year.  Spending thousands of dollars, only to find myself nearer divorce than when I started. I'd cry, fight, yell and pout, thinking he would eventually come around, but he didn't.  I lost weight, went to the gym and started getting attention from men which was tempting to act on, but I knew I couldn't do that, so I'd play the victim card and sulk. That didn't work either. I was about to end my marriage when I picked up a book called The Surrendered Wife by Laura Doyle.  I mean, they don't teach us how to be successful in marriage in school and the women in my life didn't share the secrets either. It was incredibly humbling to recognise that I had something to do with why my marriage was failing and perhaps even why my first marriage failed. But it was also empowering. I didn't know I'd been disrespectful to my husband or even that I'd been controlling and critical. I thought I was being helpful and logical.  I just didn't know that respect for men is like oxygen, so no wonder my husband was no longer interested in me sexually. I'll never forget the day I first apologised to my husband for being rude for correcting him in front of the children, or the day I said \"whatever you think\" when I'd previously been extremely opinionated about what he should do. BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Other stories you might like: 'I am a surrendered wife' How I got rich beating men at their own game Who is on the BBC's 100 Women 2016 list? I had trained my husband to ask my permission for everything. And then complained about it for a year in counselling that he couldn't make simple decisions! I relinquished control of my husband's life, choices and decisions and instead I focused on my own happiness.  I was no longer acting like his mother and started acting like his lover. We were fighting less and less and my husband started reaching out to hold my hand or pull me in for a kiss. I had no idea that I was responsible for my own happiness. I thought my husband should make me happy. I've now found subtle ways of getting my husband in the mood for sex, which is far more effective than the days of begging, crying or yelling about wanting it.  Even if I'm not in the mood and he is, I often find myself getting in the mood just by being open to receiving pleasure. My kids began to notice the change in our relationship too, and as a result, their behaviour improved and our home became peaceful and fun again. Women often ask me if my approach is about dumbing myself down or becoming a submissive wife.  I tell them I am a feminist. Surrendering is acknowledging you can't change or control anyone but yourself. That's empowering!", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3320, "answer_end": 3678, "text": "BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Other stories you might like: 'I am a surrendered wife' How I got rich beating men at their own game Who is on the BBC's 100 Women 2016 list?"}], "question": "What is 100 women?", "id": "492_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia-Ukraine tensions rise after Kerch Strait ship capture", "date": "26 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ukraine's parliament is to decide whether to bring in martial law, after Sunday's capture of three of its naval vessels and 23 crew members by Russia. The three ships were sailing off the coast of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, when they were seized. Russia opened fire, before its special forces stormed the vessels. Between three and six Ukrainians were injured. Ukraine said it was a Russian \"act of aggression\". Moscow said the ships had illegally entered its waters. On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he was proposing that parliament back a 30-day martial law - half the length of that recommended by Ukraine's security and defence council. He said he did not want the measure to affect presidential elections set for 31 March 2019. Sunday's clash is the first time Russia and Ukraine have come into open conflict in recent years, although Ukrainian forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists and Russia volunteers in the east since 2014. A number of Western countries condemned Russia's actions. In New York, the UN Security Council met to discuss the crisis - but failed to agree a Russian-proposed agenda amid sharp disagreements between Moscow and the West. This is the chronology of the dramatic events that led to the naval clash: - In the morning, Ukraine said it had sent two gunboats and a tug from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov - Ukraine's navy then said Russian boats had tried to intercept its vessels, ramming the tug - Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its territorial waters - Russia scrambled fighter jets and helicopters as the Ukrainian vessels approached a bridge over the Kerch Strait - the only access to the Sea of Azov - The bridge itself was blocked by a tanker - In the evening, Ukraine said its vessels had been fired on and seized by the Russians. Six Ukrainian crew members were injured - Russia confirmed it had used weapons to force the Ukrainian vessels to stop, saying three Ukrainians were injured Russia said the Ukrainian ships were in its waters illegally because Moscow had temporarily closed an area of water for shipping. Kiev called Russia's actions a flagrant violation of international law, because the Black Sea is free for shipping, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine. Ukraine also cited a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov. It said it had informed the Russians in advance of its plan to move its ships to Mariupol - a claim denied by Russia. In recent weeks, two Ukrainian vessels passed through the Kerch Straight without incident. By Jonathan Marcus, defence and diplomatic correspondent The incident in the Black Sea is a powerful reminder that the tensions between Russia and Ukraine are not part of a frozen conflict: they can flare up with very little warning. Nato and Ukraine's allies in the West have strongly backed President Poroshenko. But what can they do to influence Russian behaviour? There will be talk of more economic sanctions. But Russia is already heavily sanctioned, and this has not encouraged it to rethink its annexation of Crimea. There will be calls for additional support for the Ukrainians; Nato countries provide training for Kiev's military - they could presumably do more. And the Trump administration, even before this episode, was already considering calls to sell additional weaponry to Ukraine in addition to the Javelin anti-tank missiles already supplied. But there is a difficult balance to be struck between support for Ukraine's territorial integrity on the one hand and avoiding anything that might tip the conflict into full-scale war. There have been growing tensions between the two sides over navigation in the area. Russia has recently begun inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. This began after Ukraine detained a fishing vessel from Crimea in March. Moscow also says the checks are necessary for security reasons. Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to occupy the Sea of Azov and damage Ukraine's economy by hindering access its ports. Late on Sunday, crowds gathered outside the Russian embassy in Kiev, some throwing flares. At least one car belonging to the embassy was set alight. The Ukrainian defence ministry announced that orders had been given to put the military on full combat alert. Martial law could give the government the power to restrict public demonstrations, regulate the media, suspend elections, and oblige citizens to carry out \"socially necessary\" tasks such as working at a defence facility, local media report. Ukraine's parliament is discussing how to proceed with the issue. A vote is expected later on Monday. If backed by MPs, martial law would enter into force at 07:00 GMT on 28 November. But some politicians are expressing concern it could still lead to the presidential elections being cancelled. Some say President Poroshenko could be a main beneficiary, as his ratings have plummeted. Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, Russia considers a Western-leaning Ukraine a threat to its interests. In 2014, Ukraine's pro-Russian leader was overthrown, after large-scale protests against the government's decision to abandon plans to sign an association agreement with the EU. Russia then annexed Crimea, while Russia-backed separatists moved against the Ukrainian state in the east. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the east.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1210, "answer_end": 2610, "text": "This is the chronology of the dramatic events that led to the naval clash: - In the morning, Ukraine said it had sent two gunboats and a tug from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov - Ukraine's navy then said Russian boats had tried to intercept its vessels, ramming the tug - Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its territorial waters - Russia scrambled fighter jets and helicopters as the Ukrainian vessels approached a bridge over the Kerch Strait - the only access to the Sea of Azov - The bridge itself was blocked by a tanker - In the evening, Ukraine said its vessels had been fired on and seized by the Russians. Six Ukrainian crew members were injured - Russia confirmed it had used weapons to force the Ukrainian vessels to stop, saying three Ukrainians were injured Russia said the Ukrainian ships were in its waters illegally because Moscow had temporarily closed an area of water for shipping. Kiev called Russia's actions a flagrant violation of international law, because the Black Sea is free for shipping, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine. Ukraine also cited a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov. It said it had informed the Russians in advance of its plan to move its ships to Mariupol - a claim denied by Russia. In recent weeks, two Ukrainian vessels passed through the Kerch Straight without incident."}], "question": "What happened on Sunday?", "id": "493_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3658, "answer_end": 4105, "text": "There have been growing tensions between the two sides over navigation in the area. Russia has recently begun inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. This began after Ukraine detained a fishing vessel from Crimea in March. Moscow also says the checks are necessary for security reasons. Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to occupy the Sea of Azov and damage Ukraine's economy by hindering access its ports."}], "question": "Why is this happening now?", "id": "493_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4106, "answer_end": 4364, "text": "Late on Sunday, crowds gathered outside the Russian embassy in Kiev, some throwing flares. At least one car belonging to the embassy was set alight. The Ukrainian defence ministry announced that orders had been given to put the military on full combat alert."}], "question": "How has Ukraine reacted?", "id": "493_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4365, "answer_end": 4990, "text": "Martial law could give the government the power to restrict public demonstrations, regulate the media, suspend elections, and oblige citizens to carry out \"socially necessary\" tasks such as working at a defence facility, local media report. Ukraine's parliament is discussing how to proceed with the issue. A vote is expected later on Monday. If backed by MPs, martial law would enter into force at 07:00 GMT on 28 November. But some politicians are expressing concern it could still lead to the presidential elections being cancelled. Some say President Poroshenko could be a main beneficiary, as his ratings have plummeted."}], "question": "What could martial law in Ukraine involve?", "id": "493_3"}]}]}, {"title": "'Gay cake' row in Northern Ireland: Q&A", "date": "10 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Supreme Court has ruled that a Northern Ireland bakery's refusal to make a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory. Ashers Baking Company, based in County Antrim, was taken to court by a gay rights activist, assisted by Northern Ireland's Equality Commission. Ashers lost the case and the subsequent appeal, but on Wednesday the firm won its final appeal. BBC News NI looks at the background to the the long-running \"gay cake\" dispute. Ashers Baking Company was founded in Newtownabbey in 1992. Run by the McArthur family, the Christian-owned business operates six shops in Northern Ireland. The bakery came to wider prominence in July 2014 when it emerged that it had declined an order in its Belfast branch from a gay rights activist. He had wanted them to make a cake that included a slogan that said \"support gay marriage\" along with a picture of Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street, and the logo of the Queerspace organisation. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that has not passed a law to introduce same-sex marriage The cake was being commissioned for a civic event in Bangor, County Down, to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Staff at the bakery passed the order to its head office, which considered it to be \"at odds with our beliefs\". Another bakery agreed to accept the order. The customer who placed the order with Ashers complained to Northern Ireland's Equality Commission, and the watchdog took up the case, warning the company that it had allegedly discriminated against the man on the grounds of his sexual orientation. The Equality Commission said it \"raises issues of public importance regarding the extent to which suppliers of goods and services can refuse service on grounds of sexual orientation, religious belief and/or political opinion\". The commission has supported the man in taking his legal case alleging discrimination. However, Ashers said it was \"taking a stand\" on the grounds of religious freedom. The bakery's stance was backed by the Christian Institute, which has been providing it with legal assistance. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, led the opposition at Stormont to the Equality Commission's case. A DUP assembly member, Paul Givan, drafted a Private Member's Bill seeking to build a conscience clause into equality law in Northern Ireland. This clause would allow businesses to refuse to provide some services if they clash with their strongly-held religious convictions. Mr Givan said: \"Christians do not feel there is space being made for their religious beliefs\". The Catholic Church said it supported the general objective of the DUP's move. However, opponents of the bill, led by Sinn Fein, have pledged to block the clause if it ever reaches the stage of a vote at the Stormont assembly. Sinn Fein says it has gathered enough support for a petition of concern, a mechanism that means the bill would need cross-community support and, therefore, would not pass into law. Rival demonstrations were held in support of both sides in the case. In January, thousands of people gathered at Belfast City Hall to protest over the DUP's conscience clause bill. The crowd was addressed by politicians from Alliance, Sinn Fein and SDLP, as well as community leaders. Two days before the court hearing in Belfast, more than 2,000 people gathered at the city's Waterfront Hall venue to show their support for Ashers. Hundreds more supporters stood outside the venue and sang hymns. Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland's first openly gay mayor, was hosting last year's event where he was presented with a replacement cake. While he was not directly involved in the legal action, the Alliance Party councillor made an intervention on the eve of the court case to call for mediation. \"Unfortunately it has pitched people of religious belief against lesbian and gay people and I think that's very sad. It's not the type of society that I want in Northern Ireland where we have that adversarial set-up,\" Mr Muir said. The court case in Belfast ran for three days in March 2015. During the hearings, a lawyer for the bakery argued the issue was \"the cake, not the customer\". One of the bakers, Karen McArthur, said she did not know Mr Lee was gay and it would not have mattered as they would not have been prepared to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan for anyone. However, Gareth Lee said he felt he was discriminated against. He said that after ordering the cake and paying for it, only to be told two days later that his order had been rejected: \"It made me feel unworthy, a lesser person.\" While the debate leading up to the hearing had been often heated, the BBC's Mark Simpson found that in the courtroom it was a different story, and there was \"no heckling, shouting or jeering\". \"There was respect between the legal teams, politeness from the witnesses and a respectful atmosphere inside the courtroom, including the packed public gallery,\" he said. The judge found in favour of Mr Lee, saying that as a business, Ashers was not exempt from discrimination law. District Judge Isobel Brownlie said Ashers was \"conducting a business for profit\", and it was not a religious group. The firm was found to have discriminated against Mr Lee on the grounds of sexual orientation as well as his political beliefs. The judge said she accepted that Ashers has \"genuine and deeply held\" religious views, but said the business was not above the law. Damages of PS500 were agreed in advance by legal teams on both sides of the dispute. In October 2016, the owners of the bakery lost their appeal against a ruling that their refusal to make a \"gay cake\" was discriminatory. Appeal court judges said that, under law, the bakers were not allowed to provide a service only to people who agreed with their religious beliefs. Reacting to the ruling, Daniel McArthur from Ashers said he was \"extremely disappointed\" adding that it undermined \"democratic freedom, religious freedom and free speech\". The firm then took the case to the Supreme Court.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3048, "answer_end": 3545, "text": "Rival demonstrations were held in support of both sides in the case. In January, thousands of people gathered at Belfast City Hall to protest over the DUP's conscience clause bill. The crowd was addressed by politicians from Alliance, Sinn Fein and SDLP, as well as community leaders. Two days before the court hearing in Belfast, more than 2,000 people gathered at the city's Waterfront Hall venue to show their support for Ashers. Hundreds more supporters stood outside the venue and sang hymns."}], "question": "What about the public reaction to the case?", "id": "494_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3546, "answer_end": 4070, "text": "Andrew Muir, Northern Ireland's first openly gay mayor, was hosting last year's event where he was presented with a replacement cake. While he was not directly involved in the legal action, the Alliance Party councillor made an intervention on the eve of the court case to call for mediation. \"Unfortunately it has pitched people of religious belief against lesbian and gay people and I think that's very sad. It's not the type of society that I want in Northern Ireland where we have that adversarial set-up,\" Mr Muir said."}], "question": "The cake was intended as a gift, but what did the recipient say?", "id": "494_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5590, "answer_end": 6095, "text": "In October 2016, the owners of the bakery lost their appeal against a ruling that their refusal to make a \"gay cake\" was discriminatory. Appeal court judges said that, under law, the bakers were not allowed to provide a service only to people who agreed with their religious beliefs. Reacting to the ruling, Daniel McArthur from Ashers said he was \"extremely disappointed\" adding that it undermined \"democratic freedom, religious freedom and free speech\". The firm then took the case to the Supreme Court."}], "question": "Did the owners appeal?", "id": "494_2"}]}]}, {"title": "China Long March film: US glamour model's role draws ire", "date": "1 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's state broadcaster has touched a raw nerve among its viewers by casting an actress and glamour model seen as \"anti-China\" in a documentary about the Long March. The popular Sina Weibo microblog was filled with outrage at CCTV's casting of Chinese-American Bai Ling. Many argued that her past criticism of China and roles in films seen as unflattering to the country made her an unsuitable choice. The documentary was one of many marking the 80th anniversary of the Long March, the arduous trek by Communists battling Nationalist forces in 1934-35 that occupies a central place in Communist Party annals. Bai Ling is a Chinese-born actress and glamour model who moved to the US in 1991 and mainly appears in American films. Much of the Chinese ire against her derives from her criticism of her early experience as a People's Liberation Army (PLA) art troupe member, where she says she was repeatedly sexually abused and at one point forced to have an abortion. Chinese social media users also take a dim view of her appearance in the 1997 thriller Red Corner, in which she played a lawyer uncovering conspiracies and corruption among senior Chinese leaders. The film was banned in mainland China. Bai Ling appeared in an episode of the eight-part series, Long March Shakes the World, that aired on 22 October. The anger was exacerbated by a series of promotional photographs of Bai wearing a historical Red Army marcher's uniform taken at key points along the Long March route. One user, \"Du Jianguo\", with more than 180,000 Weibo followers, called it \"unbelievable\" that CCTV had cast Bai, and said the pictures, far from being a \"promotion for the Long March\", were \"nothing less than an insult\". Another user, \"Gonghe Xinxi\", accused her of \"flaunting herself\" in the photos rather than being genuinely interested in the historical event. Some users were blunter, telling her to simply \"get out of China\". Did a story about rape take down a Chinese TV show? Malaysia plaza sorry for throwing away 600kg of laksa Shanghai to trial unisex toilet to cut queues Bai responded by apologising for what she called her previous \"prejudices\" about China in an open letter published on 25 October \"I am proud of China, and I am proud of our Long March spirit,\" the letter read. \"I am apologising because of my love... and my passion for our motherland.\" CCTV has not officially commented on the furore, but has removed the episode Bai appeared in from its website. Writing in the nationalist daily Global Times, commentator Shan Renping described the row as a \"lesson\" for CCTV, and warned television producers to be \"extra prudent when deciding who to cast in their programmes\". Many on social media considered Bai's casting surprising, considering that many celebrities - especially those from Hong Kong - have suffered setbacks in their careers in mainland Chinese after comments deemed politically sensitive. In June, French cosmetics giant Lancome cancelled a promotional concert featuring Hong Kong singer Denise Ho in response to her support for the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central protests in the territory. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei in January cancelled an advertising contract with singer Chou Tzu-yu after she identified herself as Taiwanese rather than Chinese on a South Korean TV show last year. The same month, Hong Kong actor Wong He was dropped from a popular mainland reality TV show after he suggested former Chinese Communist leader Zhou Enlai may have been gay. In June, the Global Times daily gave its support for a strict line on celebrities who \"criticise while being fed by the [Communist] party\". BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 611, "answer_end": 1202, "text": "Bai Ling is a Chinese-born actress and glamour model who moved to the US in 1991 and mainly appears in American films. Much of the Chinese ire against her derives from her criticism of her early experience as a People's Liberation Army (PLA) art troupe member, where she says she was repeatedly sexually abused and at one point forced to have an abortion. Chinese social media users also take a dim view of her appearance in the 1997 thriller Red Corner, in which she played a lawyer uncovering conspiracies and corruption among senior Chinese leaders. The film was banned in mainland China."}], "question": "Who is Bai?", "id": "495_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1203, "answer_end": 1914, "text": "Bai Ling appeared in an episode of the eight-part series, Long March Shakes the World, that aired on 22 October. The anger was exacerbated by a series of promotional photographs of Bai wearing a historical Red Army marcher's uniform taken at key points along the Long March route. One user, \"Du Jianguo\", with more than 180,000 Weibo followers, called it \"unbelievable\" that CCTV had cast Bai, and said the pictures, far from being a \"promotion for the Long March\", were \"nothing less than an insult\". Another user, \"Gonghe Xinxi\", accused her of \"flaunting herself\" in the photos rather than being genuinely interested in the historical event. Some users were blunter, telling her to simply \"get out of China\"."}], "question": "Why do Bai and the Long March not mix for many?", "id": "495_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2067, "answer_end": 2463, "text": "Bai responded by apologising for what she called her previous \"prejudices\" about China in an open letter published on 25 October \"I am proud of China, and I am proud of our Long March spirit,\" the letter read. \"I am apologising because of my love... and my passion for our motherland.\" CCTV has not officially commented on the furore, but has removed the episode Bai appeared in from its website."}], "question": "How did Bai and CCTV respond?", "id": "495_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2464, "answer_end": 2678, "text": "Writing in the nationalist daily Global Times, commentator Shan Renping described the row as a \"lesson\" for CCTV, and warned television producers to be \"extra prudent when deciding who to cast in their programmes\"."}], "question": "How did the media react?", "id": "495_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2679, "answer_end": 3779, "text": "Many on social media considered Bai's casting surprising, considering that many celebrities - especially those from Hong Kong - have suffered setbacks in their careers in mainland Chinese after comments deemed politically sensitive. In June, French cosmetics giant Lancome cancelled a promotional concert featuring Hong Kong singer Denise Ho in response to her support for the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central protests in the territory. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei in January cancelled an advertising contract with singer Chou Tzu-yu after she identified herself as Taiwanese rather than Chinese on a South Korean TV show last year. The same month, Hong Kong actor Wong He was dropped from a popular mainland reality TV show after he suggested former Chinese Communist leader Zhou Enlai may have been gay. In June, the Global Times daily gave its support for a strict line on celebrities who \"criticise while being fed by the [Communist] party\". BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "Was Bai given special treatment?", "id": "495_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Farnborough Airshow: The Scorpion in search of a customer", "date": "15 July 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two US fighter jets were due to make their international debuts this week at the year's most important aerospace event, the Farnborough Airshow. At the moment, only one of them is here. The F-35 Lightning II may be the world's most expensive, most advanced military jet programme, but it was a cheap and cheerful budget aircraft that managed the trans-Atlantic crossing to Farnborough. The Scorpion costs about $20m (PS12m) a throw, is built from off-the-shelf components, and went from drawing board to first flight in 23 months. The F-35 Lightning, conceived in the early 1990s and costing about $157m, is still in the US while engineers figure out what caused a fire that has grounded the entire fleet. OK, making comparisons is unfair; the Scorpion and F-35 are lightyears apart in specification and functionality. But it is still slightly ironic. Whit Peters, part of the company behind the Scorpion, was involved in the F-35 when he was Secretary of the US Air Force in the 1990s. A few years ago, he and some colleagues had an idea for a new, light tactical fighter for general security and reconnaissance, positioned between existing cheaper, but ageing aircraft, and full-on strike fighters. \"We were pretty sure that there was a gap in the market,\" Mr Peters says. \"It was about building something with enough tactical capacity to satisfy customers, but that also had low running costs. We are in an era when defence departments are facing budget cuts.\" His company, AirLand, pitched the concept to manufacturers, but it was Textron, the US giant behind Cessna corporate jets and Bell Helicopters, that grabbed the opportunity. In 2012, Textron AirLand Enterprises was born. \"It started with a team of about 10, a whiteboard and a clean sheet,\" Mr Peters says. What makes the aircraft so ambitious is that it was conceived and built without a launch customer. Indeed, there is still no customer, which is why the Farnborough debut in front of military delegations from all over the world is so important. Normally, projects on this scale would secure government money and a design deal at an early stage. Not this one. Bill Anderson, Textron AirLand's president, will not reveal how much the company has invested. But analysts estimate the cost would be at least $100m to get just one show-plane ready. \"Was it very risky? Yes. Was it a smart risk? Yes,\" says Mr Anderson. \"But the marketplace is very interested. We produce commercial products all the time. That was the approach here.\" A lot of the technology inside the Scorpion comes from Textron's top-of-the-range Cessna Citation corporate jet. Some companies approached to get involved jumped at the chance. Others shied away. \"When you take on a new challenge there are always sceptics,\" says Mr Anderson. \"Some of the companies that turned us down did so because [the Scorpion] was not in their comfort zone.\" The Textron pitch to sub-contractors was to view the aircraft as a commercial project with military potential. \"Some got it, some didn't. Those that didn't are starting to show interest now,\" he says. The use of off-the-shelf components keeps the cost down, but does that mean the aircraft is low-tech? \"I would not use the phrase low-tech,\" Mr Anderson says. \"I prefer to call it mature technology. There's nothing low-tech about a Martin Baker ejection seat or a weapons system.\" The two-seat, twin-engine Scorpion, made of advanced composites used in civil aircraft, will carry infrared air-to-air missiles and wing-mounted gun pods. Border control, reconnaissance, maintaining no-fly zones: these are the main functions. Indeed, that is the role of most fighter aircraft missions these days. Mr Anderson says the Scorpion's big selling point is its low operating costs - $3,000 an hour. The US is currently using its F-16 super-jet on low-end missions in Afghanistan. \"There's no air-to-air threat there,\" says Mr Anderson. \"They are spending $18,000 an hour running the F-16. You're burning the life of the aircraft on missions it was not designed for.\" He puts the global market for Scorpions at about 2,000. Countries in Africa, South America, and the Middle East are likely targets for sales. But what Textron would really like is the stamp of approval from the Pentagon. There have been talks with US defence officials, Mr Peters says, but he isn't giving anything away. \"We are working with more than one very credible country, so the outlook is good. I think that the US Defense Department has recognised that there is a need for something like this.\" The Pentagon, along with defence departments around the world, have made no secret that the days when defence contractors would be spoon-fed dollars to produce long-delayed and over-budget equipment are over. Mr Peters says the Scorpion fits squarely into this new environment. Farnborough Airshow: In pictures Analysts and experts are watching closely. Dennis Muilenburg, chief operating officer at Boeing, calls the Scorpion \"an intriguing study\". He told the BBC: \"Capability at a low cost: that is the consistent theme across the defence and civil sectors these days.\" Given this environment Textron's \"underlying idea makes sense\". Damien Lasou, managing director of the global aerospace and defence division at consultancy Accenture, agrees Textron is showing a different approach to defence procurement. \"Most defence programmes are complicated and delayed. Textron is offering something that is standard and fit for purpose,\" he says. \"The question is: will the customer want something off-the-shelf, or will they want something specific?\" The fact that Textron is gambling its own money, rather than the taxpayers', must have concentrated minds on the Scorpion's market potential. But until the aircraft wins some orders, no-one will know if this particular project is a financial flyer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4853, "answer_end": 5838, "text": "Analysts and experts are watching closely. Dennis Muilenburg, chief operating officer at Boeing, calls the Scorpion \"an intriguing study\". He told the BBC: \"Capability at a low cost: that is the consistent theme across the defence and civil sectors these days.\" Given this environment Textron's \"underlying idea makes sense\". Damien Lasou, managing director of the global aerospace and defence division at consultancy Accenture, agrees Textron is showing a different approach to defence procurement. \"Most defence programmes are complicated and delayed. Textron is offering something that is standard and fit for purpose,\" he says. \"The question is: will the customer want something off-the-shelf, or will they want something specific?\" The fact that Textron is gambling its own money, rather than the taxpayers', must have concentrated minds on the Scorpion's market potential. But until the aircraft wins some orders, no-one will know if this particular project is a financial flyer."}], "question": "Financial flyer?", "id": "496_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sanders apologises for 2016 campaign 'harassment' allegations", "date": "10 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Senator Bernie Sanders has apologised to female staff members on his 2016 US presidential campaign who allege they were mistreated by male aides. \"To women in our campaign who were harassed or mistreated, I apologise,\" the Vermont independent wrote in a statement on Twitter on Thursday. His apology comes as he contemplates another White House bid under the Democratic banner in 2020. Several aides have complained of a \"predatory culture\" in his campaign. The New York Times reported on allegations by female Sanders aides of mistreatment by male senior staff. On Wednesday, Politico reported that the deputy national field director for Mr Sanders' campaign had forcibly kissed a younger subordinate in 2016. \"Candidates who allow people like Robert Becker to lead their organisations shouldn't earn the highest office in our government,\" said the woman, naming the aide. The unnamed accuser said she never reported the alleged incident because it came on the same day that Mr Sanders' campaign ended after he failed to snatch the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. She said she felt compelled to speak out after Mr Becker travelled to South Carolina in December on a trip to recruit future campaign workers for Mr Sanders. Mr Becker denies any harassment, and no criminal charges have been filed. The allegation comes as dozens of former Sanders campaign workers have signed a letter requesting a meeting with him \"to discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign\". Mr Sanders' Twitter apology comes after he said sorry on CNN last week \"to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately\". He was criticised for saying he was \"a little bit busy running around the country, trying to make the case\" for his presidency, and was not aware of the allegations. Claims of sexual harassment have recently dogged the campaign of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, who may also enter the White House race. Senator Harris has said she was \"unaware\" that a top aide paid a settlement of $400,000 (PS314,000) in May 2017 to a woman who sued for sexual harassment. The California senator's biography, which debuted last week, contains praise for the aide, who resigned after the payout was revealed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 458, "answer_end": 1504, "text": "The New York Times reported on allegations by female Sanders aides of mistreatment by male senior staff. On Wednesday, Politico reported that the deputy national field director for Mr Sanders' campaign had forcibly kissed a younger subordinate in 2016. \"Candidates who allow people like Robert Becker to lead their organisations shouldn't earn the highest office in our government,\" said the woman, naming the aide. The unnamed accuser said she never reported the alleged incident because it came on the same day that Mr Sanders' campaign ended after he failed to snatch the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. She said she felt compelled to speak out after Mr Becker travelled to South Carolina in December on a trip to recruit future campaign workers for Mr Sanders. Mr Becker denies any harassment, and no criminal charges have been filed. The allegation comes as dozens of former Sanders campaign workers have signed a letter requesting a meeting with him \"to discuss the issue of sexual violence and harassment on the 2016 campaign\"."}], "question": "What is the background?", "id": "497_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1505, "answer_end": 2235, "text": "Mr Sanders' Twitter apology comes after he said sorry on CNN last week \"to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately\". He was criticised for saying he was \"a little bit busy running around the country, trying to make the case\" for his presidency, and was not aware of the allegations. Claims of sexual harassment have recently dogged the campaign of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, who may also enter the White House race. Senator Harris has said she was \"unaware\" that a top aide paid a settlement of $400,000 (PS314,000) in May 2017 to a woman who sued for sexual harassment. The California senator's biography, which debuted last week, contains praise for the aide, who resigned after the payout was revealed."}], "question": "What did Sanders say?", "id": "497_1"}]}]}, {"title": "The economic outlook for 2016", "date": "6 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "What can we expect in 2016 from the world economy? If the mainstream forecasters are right slightly better than last year. The International Monetary Fund, for example, forecasts growth of 3.6% this year after 3.1% in 2015. Last year's figure is rather sluggish; this year's stronger but still not all that impressive. The IMF will produce an updated forecast later this month, but in a guest article for the German newspaper Handelsblatt, the agency's managing director, Christine Lagarde, warned that this year will be disappointing. The recovery from the Great Recession, which followed the international financial crisis, continues. It's just not very convincing. This is just a forecast of course and like all such exercises it's surrounded by a cloud of uncertainty. So what are the big issues for next year, the factors that will determine whether things turn out better or worse than the IMF and others currently predict? Once again, two factors dominate, and they come from the world's two largest economies: the United States and China. In the US the long haul back to a more normal interest rate policy began at the end of last year. The Federal Reserve finally raised its main interest rate target from the level of practically zero it has had since the end of 2008. There is certainly the potential for that to cause significant disruption to emerging economies. It's likely to lead to higher borrowing costs, and lower currencies, because money will be moved to the US to benefit from the rising interest rates there.   That in turn will make it more expensive to repay loans in dollars. All this has already happened to some extent as financial markets moved in anticipation of the Fed's action. So far, there has been no emerging markets financial crisis. It could well stay that way, though there are certainly risks of turbulence. Might we be looking at a new wave of emerging market crises like that of the 1990s and 2000s, which swept through East Asia, Latin America, Turkey and Russia? Prof Carmen Reinhart of Harvard has expressed some concern. She wrote in October: \"Though emerging economies' debts seem largely moderate by historic standards, it is likely that they are being underestimated, perhaps by a large margin. If so, the magnitude of the ongoing reversal in capital flows... may be larger than is generally believed - potentially large enough to trigger a crisis.\" Then again, Nouriel Roubini, who made a name for himself by warning about the global crisis, argued that \"widespread distress and crises need not occur\". Many economists accept that emerging economies have improved their economic policy dramatically in recent years and are better able to withstand international financial storms today. Nonetheless some do face serious problems for other reasons, which can only be aggravated by financial market turbulence, for example, Russia due to the lower price of crude oil, Brazil due to a domestic political crisis, while Venezuela has both types of problem. The other big issue is China's slowing economic growth. It could not have been sustained indefinitely at the annual average of 10% that the official data shows for the 30 years up to 2010. Throughout the slowdown, which began around the start of the current decade, the question has been: will it be a smooth transition or not, a hard or soft landing? So far, no crisis, though there have been some sharp stock market falls in China. There were several weeks of volatility in the middle of 2015 and trading for this year got off to an inauspicious start, with a fall of 7% in Shanghai and trading suspended. One of the reasons for those latest falls was data pointing to a decline in manufacturing activity in December, more evidence in other words of the economy shifting down a gear. China's slowdown has been a central factor in another development: the recent falls in global commodity prices - oil, metals and foods. China is not the only factor, especially in the oil market, but it's an important one for many commodities. The price fall has been good news for some countries. Cheap oil in particular is often likened to a tax cut for consumers. But it is equally bad news for countries that make a living exporting these items - soya from Argentina, oil from Saudi Arabia and copper from Zambia, for example. Oil prices have not rebounded during the course of 2015 as some analysts thought they might. In fact oil is now even cheaper than it was a year ago, and it's now about two-thirds down from the level it reached in June 2014. Prof Kenneth Rogoff, also of Harvard and a former IMF chief economist, says the beneficial effect of cheaper oil for global growth has been rather \"muted\" this time, in part because some countries are using it as an opportunity to cut subsidies rather than allowing consumers to get the full benefit. The broad picture since the financial crisis is that the rich countries have been through a slow and incomplete economic recuperation.  Some are further into this process (the US, the UK) than others (the eurozone). For the emerging economies, growth has slowed every year since 2010. It is still faster than the rich countries, but this slowdown has raised a question posed by the World Bank: is this group experiencing a rough patch or prolonged weakness? The IMF predicts that growth for emerging and developing economies will pick up this year, from 4.0% to 4.5%. Still, the World Bank identifies a number of reasons for concern that they might be in for a more protracted period of relatively disappointing performance.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 930, "answer_end": 1848, "text": "Once again, two factors dominate, and they come from the world's two largest economies: the United States and China. In the US the long haul back to a more normal interest rate policy began at the end of last year. The Federal Reserve finally raised its main interest rate target from the level of practically zero it has had since the end of 2008. There is certainly the potential for that to cause significant disruption to emerging economies. It's likely to lead to higher borrowing costs, and lower currencies, because money will be moved to the US to benefit from the rising interest rates there.   That in turn will make it more expensive to repay loans in dollars. All this has already happened to some extent as financial markets moved in anticipation of the Fed's action. So far, there has been no emerging markets financial crisis. It could well stay that way, though there are certainly risks of turbulence."}], "question": "Disruption from higher US rates?", "id": "498_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4844, "answer_end": 5568, "text": "The broad picture since the financial crisis is that the rich countries have been through a slow and incomplete economic recuperation.  Some are further into this process (the US, the UK) than others (the eurozone). For the emerging economies, growth has slowed every year since 2010. It is still faster than the rich countries, but this slowdown has raised a question posed by the World Bank: is this group experiencing a rough patch or prolonged weakness? The IMF predicts that growth for emerging and developing economies will pick up this year, from 4.0% to 4.5%. Still, the World Bank identifies a number of reasons for concern that they might be in for a more protracted period of relatively disappointing performance."}], "question": "Rough patch for emerging economies?", "id": "498_1"}]}]}, {"title": "San Diego synagogue shooting: Rabbi describes seeing attacker", "date": "29 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A rabbi who was injured in the deadly shooting at a synagogue near San Diego on Saturday has described the moment he faced the gunman. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein says he lifted his hands when he saw the \"murder terrorist\". The man shot and the rabbi lost his right index finger. One woman died and two other people were injured in the attack. A 19-year-old man named as John Earnest was arrested shortly afterwards in Poway, north of the Californian city. The attack comes exactly six months after a shooting in Pittsburgh in which 11 people were killed, thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history. Rabbi Goldstein was walking into the banquet hall at the synagogue when he heard a noise - what he thought initially was a table falling over or a congregation member collapsing. \"As soon as he saw me, he started to shoot toward me and that is when I put my hands up,\" Rabbi Goldstein said on NBC's Sunday Today programme. \"I cannot erase that face from my mind.\" He held up his hands to shield himself but his fingers \"got blown away\". Rabbi Goldstein hurried through to the banquet hall where a number of children - including his granddaughter - were gathered. \"I just ran, not even knowing that my fingers were blown off and curled all the kids together and got them outside,\" he said. Lori Kaye, who helped found the synagogue with Rabbi Goldstein, was shot dead in the attack. \"Everyone in the community knew her,\" he said. \"I'm just so heartbroken and saddened by the senseless killing.\" A 34-year-old man and a young girl suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack. By Martin Bashir, BBC religion editor The routine is all too familiar. Another murderous attack on a place of worship, this time in San Diego, followed by the obligatory offer of prayers. \"Thoughts and prayers to all those affected\", tweeted President Donald Trump. Then, during a brief on-camera statement, Mr Trump said it looked like a hate-crime. \"Hard to believe,\" he added. Sadly, it is not hard to believe at all. Anti-Semitic incidents in the US surged 57% in 2017 - the most recent data available - the largest year-on-year increase since the century-old Jewish advocacy group began collecting data in 1979, says the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors extremism in the US. The horrendous attack in San Diego follows the deadliest attack on Jews in US history at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last October. It will now be added to the ADL figures. And the numbers, to tragic results, continue to rise. Sheriff Gore said officers were called to the Chabad synagogue just before 11:30 (18:30 GMT) after the man opened fire with an \"AR-15 type\" assault rifle. He said an off-duty border patrol officer had fired at the suspect as he fled the scene in a vehicle, but had not not hit him. The suspect was later arrested by another officer, said San Diego chief of police David Nisleit. \"He clearly saw the suspect's vehicle, the suspect jumped out with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody,\" Mr Nisleit said. \"As the officer was placing this 19-year-old male into custody, he clearly saw a rifle on the front passenger seat of the suspect vehicle.\" San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told reporters that investigators were reviewing the suspect's social media activity and examining a virulently anti-Semitic \"open letter\" published online. In the letter, which appeared on the online forum 8chan hours before the attack, the author - who identified himself as John Earnest - said he had been inspired by the attack on two Christchurch mosques last month, as well as the Pittsburgh shooting last October. The racist, anti-Semitic document that police are investigating in relation to the shooting makes 10 references to Robert Bowers - charged with killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh - whom the author John Earnest calls an \"inspiration\". Authorities later said Mr Earnest was under investigation in connection with a fire at a mosque last month. \"All of the Jewish community across the country is concerned,\" Joel Rubin, a Democratic Strategist and member of the Tree of Life synagogue, told Fox News on Saturday. \"My daughters go to Hebrew school and we see police cars often in front of the school, guarding it. That's not the situation in America we want to be living in.\" Meanwhile, the Times of Israel published a blog post headlined, \"Synagogue shootings - now a thing\". In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh attack, members of the US Jewish community began openly questioning whether the era of seeing the US as a safe haven was over. \"I had been dreading and expecting this day, and more like it, for two years,\" wrote the Washington Post columnist Dana Millbank, in a column titled \"Trump's America is not a safe place for Jews\". Mr Trump has publicly condemned anti-Semitism, and White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said it was \"outrageous\" to suggest he bore any responsibility for it, but many have accused him of using coded anti-Semitic language. The ADL publicly called on him to stop using tropes such as \"global special interests\" and \"those who control the levers of power\" - both of which he ran in an ad alongside pictures of prominent Jews - as well as his claim that there were \"very fine people on both sides\" in Charlottesville, after white nationalists chanted \"Jews will not replace us\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 618, "answer_end": 1586, "text": "Rabbi Goldstein was walking into the banquet hall at the synagogue when he heard a noise - what he thought initially was a table falling over or a congregation member collapsing. \"As soon as he saw me, he started to shoot toward me and that is when I put my hands up,\" Rabbi Goldstein said on NBC's Sunday Today programme. \"I cannot erase that face from my mind.\" He held up his hands to shield himself but his fingers \"got blown away\". Rabbi Goldstein hurried through to the banquet hall where a number of children - including his granddaughter - were gathered. \"I just ran, not even knowing that my fingers were blown off and curled all the kids together and got them outside,\" he said. Lori Kaye, who helped found the synagogue with Rabbi Goldstein, was shot dead in the attack. \"Everyone in the community knew her,\" he said. \"I'm just so heartbroken and saddened by the senseless killing.\" A 34-year-old man and a young girl suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack."}], "question": "What did the rabbi say?", "id": "499_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2518, "answer_end": 3999, "text": "Sheriff Gore said officers were called to the Chabad synagogue just before 11:30 (18:30 GMT) after the man opened fire with an \"AR-15 type\" assault rifle. He said an off-duty border patrol officer had fired at the suspect as he fled the scene in a vehicle, but had not not hit him. The suspect was later arrested by another officer, said San Diego chief of police David Nisleit. \"He clearly saw the suspect's vehicle, the suspect jumped out with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody,\" Mr Nisleit said. \"As the officer was placing this 19-year-old male into custody, he clearly saw a rifle on the front passenger seat of the suspect vehicle.\" San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told reporters that investigators were reviewing the suspect's social media activity and examining a virulently anti-Semitic \"open letter\" published online. In the letter, which appeared on the online forum 8chan hours before the attack, the author - who identified himself as John Earnest - said he had been inspired by the attack on two Christchurch mosques last month, as well as the Pittsburgh shooting last October. The racist, anti-Semitic document that police are investigating in relation to the shooting makes 10 references to Robert Bowers - charged with killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh - whom the author John Earnest calls an \"inspiration\". Authorities later said Mr Earnest was under investigation in connection with a fire at a mosque last month."}], "question": "How did the attack unfold?", "id": "499_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4000, "answer_end": 5366, "text": "\"All of the Jewish community across the country is concerned,\" Joel Rubin, a Democratic Strategist and member of the Tree of Life synagogue, told Fox News on Saturday. \"My daughters go to Hebrew school and we see police cars often in front of the school, guarding it. That's not the situation in America we want to be living in.\" Meanwhile, the Times of Israel published a blog post headlined, \"Synagogue shootings - now a thing\". In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh attack, members of the US Jewish community began openly questioning whether the era of seeing the US as a safe haven was over. \"I had been dreading and expecting this day, and more like it, for two years,\" wrote the Washington Post columnist Dana Millbank, in a column titled \"Trump's America is not a safe place for Jews\". Mr Trump has publicly condemned anti-Semitism, and White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said it was \"outrageous\" to suggest he bore any responsibility for it, but many have accused him of using coded anti-Semitic language. The ADL publicly called on him to stop using tropes such as \"global special interests\" and \"those who control the levers of power\" - both of which he ran in an ad alongside pictures of prominent Jews - as well as his claim that there were \"very fine people on both sides\" in Charlottesville, after white nationalists chanted \"Jews will not replace us\"."}], "question": "How has the Jewish community reacted?", "id": "499_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Xi Jinping warns any attempt to split China is 'doomed to fail'", "date": "20 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a fervently nationalistic closing speech to parliament, painting China as the rising global power. Mr Xi said \"achieving total unity\" was the \"collective hope of all Chinese people\" and any attempts to divide it were \"doomed to fail\". The speech was a strong warning against any attempt at separatism from places like Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mr Xi also warned China could not be complacent about its development. Meanwhile, Premier Li Keqiang used his once-a-year news conference to say China was committed to global co-operation on trade. He said China would further open up its economy and \"ensure that both domestic and foreign firms\" were \"able to compete on fair terms in China's large market\". Chinese officials have made similar pledges in the past. The premier's comments are a marked contrast to the recent protectionist rhetoric and threats of tariffs from the Trump administration in the US. Xi Jinping became president in 2013 and now looks likely to lead China indefinitely, after the National People's Congress (NPC) - a rubber-stamp parliamentary session that meets once a year - voted to remove a two-term limit on the presidency from the constitution. He is now considered the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, and has further cemented his position by moving many of his key allies in to leadership roles during the NPC. In his speech in the Great Hall of the People, Mr Xi highlighted major achievements of Chinese history, like the invention of gunpowder and the writings of Confucius. He laid out his own grand vision for China, saying history had proven that \"only socialism can save China\". Chinese people, he said, \"have the spirit of fighting the bloody battle against our enemies to the bitter end\". By Stephen McDonell, BBC News, Beijing In a way it wasn't so much what Xi Jinping said in his Congress closing speech that matters but the fact that he said it. This had traditionally been a day for China's number two leader, the premier, to dominate the stage with an annual press conference. Not any more: President Xi emerges with a keynote speech pushing nationalist buttons and, all of a sudden, he is on the front page where he wants to be. The pushing of Premier Li Keqiang to one side will not seem strange to China watchers, who have seen an already powerful Xi Jinping becoming virtually untouchable at this Congress. The limited check-and-balance provision of presidential term limits has gone; his philosophy under his own name is in the country's constitution; his chief tool for destroying enemies - the anti-corruption crackdown - has been widened into other parts of society and it's hard to see who is left to be able to challenge President Xi in any way whatsoever. Pointing at China's global ambitions, he said his country would be strong but not aggressive and would not develop itself at the expense of the rest of the world. But he warned that China had to be united to prosper, and it was \"absolutely impossible to separate any inch of our great country's territory from China\". \"All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history.\" The comments were a clear warning to places like Taiwan, which is self-ruling but considered by Beijing to be a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary. The issue remains a major potential flashpoint. Last week US President Donald Trump angered Beijing by signing a new law which encourages the sending of top officials to Taiwan to meet their counterparts there, and vice-versa. When asked about Mr Xi's speech, Taiwanese foreign ministry spokesman said he hoped \"countries of similar ideology\", such as the US, Japan and the EU, would support Taiwan's role in maintaining regional peace. There have also been vocal calls for greater autonomy or even independence for Hong Kong in recent years - and China says it is fighting an Islamist separatist insurgency in Xinjiang province. Dissenting voices or protests are not tolerated at the NPC, which brings together 3,000 delegates who are theoretically elected but in reality handpicked by the government. Among other major changes this year, the NPC confirmed a major shake-up of ministries, introducing several new bodies overseeing areas like the environment, army veterans and culture. Key positions including the central bank head and chief economic adviser were appointed, and the NPC ratified a law to set up a new powerful anti-corruption agency, far extending the reach of Mr Xi's flagship campaign. The anti-corruption drive has seen more than a million officials disciplined, but is seen by some observers as a tool to sideline his political rivals. Though it was overwhelmingly backed by parliament, the decision to lift the presidential term limits has been criticised both abroad and within China. In the run-up to the NPC, former state newspaper editor Li Datong wrote to lawmakers that scrapping term limits for the president and vice-president would sow the seeds of chaos. \"This is against the tide of civilisation and won't stand the test of time,\" he told BBC Chinese. \"It will be considered a farce in Chinese history in the future.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1808, "answer_end": 2791, "text": "By Stephen McDonell, BBC News, Beijing In a way it wasn't so much what Xi Jinping said in his Congress closing speech that matters but the fact that he said it. This had traditionally been a day for China's number two leader, the premier, to dominate the stage with an annual press conference. Not any more: President Xi emerges with a keynote speech pushing nationalist buttons and, all of a sudden, he is on the front page where he wants to be. The pushing of Premier Li Keqiang to one side will not seem strange to China watchers, who have seen an already powerful Xi Jinping becoming virtually untouchable at this Congress. The limited check-and-balance provision of presidential term limits has gone; his philosophy under his own name is in the country's constitution; his chief tool for destroying enemies - the anti-corruption crackdown - has been widened into other parts of society and it's hard to see who is left to be able to challenge President Xi in any way whatsoever."}], "question": "Who is left to challenge Xi?", "id": "500_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hundreds escape Libya prison amid deadly clashes in Tripoli", "date": "3 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some 400 prisoners have escaped from a facility near the Libyan capital Tripoli amid deadly violence between militia groups in the city, police say. \"The detainees were able to force open the doors\" in order to leave the Ain Zara prison, the local police said. They added that guards, fearing for their lives, were unable to prevent the breakout following riots at the jail. Clashes between militias in the city have led Libya's UN-backed government to declare a state of emergency. The incident on Sunday took place during armed violence between rival factions around the facility, which houses only male inmates. Many of the prisoners held at the Ain Zara prison in south-east Tripoli were reportedly supporters of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and had been found guilty of killings during the uprising against his government in 2011. Separately on Sunday, two people were killed and several others were injured when rockets hit a camp in Libya's capital housing hundreds of displaced people, according to emergency services and witnesses. Libya's Ministry of Health reports that some 47 people, including civilians, have died in rival militia clashes in Tripoli over the past week, with dozens more injured. A UN-backed government is nominally in power in the capital, but militias occupy much of the rest of the country. The violence broke out last week when militias from a city to the south of Tripoli attacked southern areas, leading to fighting with local militias that support the internationally recognised government, the Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA has described the clashes as \"an attempt to derail peaceful political transition\" in the country, adding that it \"could not remain silent over the attacks on Tripoli and its suburbs, which is a violation of security in the capital and of citizens' safety\". Human Rights Watch has also condemned the violence, adding that at least 18 of the dead were reportedly civilians, among them four children. Hundreds of migrants trapped by the fighting have been moved to other detention centres, while the city's airport was closed for two days on Friday. Libya has faced continuing chaos since Nato-backed militia forces, some of them rivals, overthrew long-serving ruler Colonel Gaddafi in October 2011. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the \"indiscriminate use of force is a violation of international humanitarian and human rights law\" and has urged \"all parties to grant humanitarian relief for those in need\". On Saturday, the US, UK, France and Italy called for an immediate end to deadly violence in Libya's capital. A joint statement said attempts \"to weaken the legitimate Libyan authorities and hinder the ongoing political process are not acceptable\". \"We are calling on the armed groups to immediately stop all military action and warn those who seek to undermine stability, in Tripoli or elsewhere in Libya, that they will be made accountable for it,\" the joint statement read. However successive attempts at a truce have so far failed to stop the fierce fighting between several militias.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1335, "answer_end": 2284, "text": "The violence broke out last week when militias from a city to the south of Tripoli attacked southern areas, leading to fighting with local militias that support the internationally recognised government, the Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA has described the clashes as \"an attempt to derail peaceful political transition\" in the country, adding that it \"could not remain silent over the attacks on Tripoli and its suburbs, which is a violation of security in the capital and of citizens' safety\". Human Rights Watch has also condemned the violence, adding that at least 18 of the dead were reportedly civilians, among them four children. Hundreds of migrants trapped by the fighting have been moved to other detention centres, while the city's airport was closed for two days on Friday. Libya has faced continuing chaos since Nato-backed militia forces, some of them rivals, overthrew long-serving ruler Colonel Gaddafi in October 2011."}], "question": "Why is there violence?", "id": "501_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2285, "answer_end": 3095, "text": "UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said the \"indiscriminate use of force is a violation of international humanitarian and human rights law\" and has urged \"all parties to grant humanitarian relief for those in need\". On Saturday, the US, UK, France and Italy called for an immediate end to deadly violence in Libya's capital. A joint statement said attempts \"to weaken the legitimate Libyan authorities and hinder the ongoing political process are not acceptable\". \"We are calling on the armed groups to immediately stop all military action and warn those who seek to undermine stability, in Tripoli or elsewhere in Libya, that they will be made accountable for it,\" the joint statement read. However successive attempts at a truce have so far failed to stop the fierce fighting between several militias."}], "question": "What has the international community said?", "id": "501_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump steel tariffs: European Union gears up for trade war", "date": "2 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "European Union officials have said they will respond \"firmly\" if US President Donald Trump presses ahead with his plan for steep global duties on metals. EU trade chiefs are considering slapping 25% tariffs on around $3.5bn (PS2.5bn) of imports from the US, Reuters news agency reports. World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevedo said: \"A trade war is in no one's interests.\" The rhetoric ramped up as Mr Trump tweeted that \"trade wars are good\". International condemnation has greeted the US president's Thursday announcement that he plans to impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminium next week. The European Union is reported to be considering retaliatory tariffs, targeting US steel, agriculture and other products. European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker promised to react firmly. \"We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures that put thousands of European jobs at risk,\" he said. Speaking to a German TV programme, he vowed: \"We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levi's.\" French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said there would \"only be losers\" in a US-EU trade war. Mr Le Maire vowed a \"strong, co-ordinated and united response from the EU\". By Theo Leggett, business correspondent If trade wars really were good and easy to win, the World Trade Organisation probably wouldn't exist. Most countries believe that negotiations are best carried out and disputes settled through a rules-based system. Introducing trade barriers on a tit-for-tat basis has the potential to harm companies on both sides. But that's unlikely to bother Mr Trump. His campaign rhetoric drew heavily on the perceived threat to traditional US industries from foreign interlopers acting unfairly. He's simply continuing in that vein. And it's unlikely to register much with the steelworkers of Pennsylvania and Indiana. Concerned about their jobs and the future, many will welcome Mr Trump's comments. Mr Trump tweeted on Friday morning that the US was \"losing billions of dollars on trade\" and would find a trade war \"easy to win\". Critics argue that the tariffs would fail to protect American jobs and ultimately raise prices for consumers. But US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross used a can of Campbell's Soup to defend the tariffs on Friday morning as \"no big deal\". He told CNBC the duties would have a negligible effect on the price of a tin, amounting to less than a cent. \"Who in the world is going to be too bothered?\" he said. Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and Brazil also say they are considering retaliatory steps. The prime minister of Canada - which exports more steel to the US than any other country - slammed the tariffs as \"absolutely unacceptable\". Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ontario he is \"confident we're going to continue to be able to defend Canadian industry\". A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said: \"If all countries followed the example of the United States, [it] will undoubtedly result in a serious impact on the international trade order.\" The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Mr Trump's restrictions \"are likely to cause damage not only outside the US, but also to the US economy itself\". Kosei Shindo, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said that the move \"will create a negative chain reaction affecting not only steel but also other products considered to have national security implications\". Many US companies also expressed alarm, including beer brewers, which use aluminium for canned beverages. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's largest beer maker, warned that Mr Trump's plan is \"going to put jobs at risk and would be against the US consumer\". Mr Trump has lamented the decline of the US steel industry, which since 2000 has seen production drop from 112m tons to 86.5m tons in 2016. The number of employees working in the sector has fallen over the same period from 135,000 to 83,600. But experts say far more Americans work in industries that depend on steel products, than are employed in steel plants. Steel mills in 2015 employed about 140,000 Americans, according to census data. But 6.5 million Americans work for manufacturers who make things using steel.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 628, "answer_end": 1241, "text": "The European Union is reported to be considering retaliatory tariffs, targeting US steel, agriculture and other products. European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker promised to react firmly. \"We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures that put thousands of European jobs at risk,\" he said. Speaking to a German TV programme, he vowed: \"We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levi's.\" French economy minister Bruno Le Maire said there would \"only be losers\" in a US-EU trade war. Mr Le Maire vowed a \"strong, co-ordinated and united response from the EU\"."}], "question": "What are EU officials saying?", "id": "502_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1242, "answer_end": 1972, "text": "By Theo Leggett, business correspondent If trade wars really were good and easy to win, the World Trade Organisation probably wouldn't exist. Most countries believe that negotiations are best carried out and disputes settled through a rules-based system. Introducing trade barriers on a tit-for-tat basis has the potential to harm companies on both sides. But that's unlikely to bother Mr Trump. His campaign rhetoric drew heavily on the perceived threat to traditional US industries from foreign interlopers acting unfairly. He's simply continuing in that vein. And it's unlikely to register much with the steelworkers of Pennsylvania and Indiana. Concerned about their jobs and the future, many will welcome Mr Trump's comments."}], "question": "Are trade wars good?", "id": "502_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1973, "answer_end": 2505, "text": "Mr Trump tweeted on Friday morning that the US was \"losing billions of dollars on trade\" and would find a trade war \"easy to win\". Critics argue that the tariffs would fail to protect American jobs and ultimately raise prices for consumers. But US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross used a can of Campbell's Soup to defend the tariffs on Friday morning as \"no big deal\". He told CNBC the duties would have a negligible effect on the price of a tin, amounting to less than a cent. \"Who in the world is going to be too bothered?\" he said."}], "question": "What does Trump administration say?", "id": "502_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2506, "answer_end": 3683, "text": "Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and Brazil also say they are considering retaliatory steps. The prime minister of Canada - which exports more steel to the US than any other country - slammed the tariffs as \"absolutely unacceptable\". Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ontario he is \"confident we're going to continue to be able to defend Canadian industry\". A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said: \"If all countries followed the example of the United States, [it] will undoubtedly result in a serious impact on the international trade order.\" The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Mr Trump's restrictions \"are likely to cause damage not only outside the US, but also to the US economy itself\". Kosei Shindo, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation said that the move \"will create a negative chain reaction affecting not only steel but also other products considered to have national security implications\". Many US companies also expressed alarm, including beer brewers, which use aluminium for canned beverages. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's largest beer maker, warned that Mr Trump's plan is \"going to put jobs at risk and would be against the US consumer\"."}], "question": "Who else is unhappy?", "id": "502_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3684, "answer_end": 4203, "text": "Mr Trump has lamented the decline of the US steel industry, which since 2000 has seen production drop from 112m tons to 86.5m tons in 2016. The number of employees working in the sector has fallen over the same period from 135,000 to 83,600. But experts say far more Americans work in industries that depend on steel products, than are employed in steel plants. Steel mills in 2015 employed about 140,000 Americans, according to census data. But 6.5 million Americans work for manufacturers who make things using steel."}], "question": "What are the stakes for US?", "id": "502_4"}]}]}, {"title": "The Bard's business: Shakespeare's economic legacy", "date": "21 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "William Shakespeare may be widely regarded as finest playwright in the English language, but when he put his quill down he was also a savvy businessman. In Elizabethan London, the original Globe Theatre could accommodate 3,000 people. Commoners or \"groundlings\" paid a penny to stand in the open air, while the gentry parted with as many as six pennies to sit on cushions in the covered galleries. Notwithstanding the fact that the Globe burned down in 1613, Shakespeare's share in the playhouse made him a tidy fortune. He also part-owned another London theatre and a production company. And back in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, he invested widely in land and property, and reportedly bought and sold grain. By the time Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 - 400 years ago on Saturday - he was a very wealthy man. In today's money he would have comfortably been a millionaire. Fast-forward four centuries, and Shakespeare would likely be rather pleased that his work and legacy continues to support a large and lucrative industry, which is far from being limited to the sale of theatre tickets and employment of actors. Instead, Shakespeare supports a substantially wider business community - from hotels and restaurants in Stratford, to walking tours in London, bars near a balcony in the Italian city of Verona, sales of books and memorabilia, and even leadership classes for businessmen and women. It is definitely not much ado about nothing. Piers Ibbotson says there are so many lessons from Shakespeare about the perils and pitfalls of power that it has provided him with an inexhaustible fund of material for his management and leadership workshops over the past two decades. \"The plays of Shakespeare are case studies for central human dilemmas,\" says the 61-year-old, who is part of Warwick Business School's Create unit. \"The plays are so rich, and so complex, that there are actual situations to examine. Acting things out is very powerful, people can physically get inside situations.\" Create uses Shakespeare's plays to guide students, and business clients, through numerous difficult business situations. Macbeth, for example, is viewed as a study into the limits of ambition, while The Tempest is seen as a metaphor for a perfect storm of workplace rivalry. Meanwhile, A Midsummer Night's Dream is used to explore business transformation, and the Merchant of Venice teaches contract enforcement. Mr Ibbotson says: \"Shakespeare is such a wonderful asset and of course you're always using such powerful language -  it allows people to articulate much more subtle and complex ideas than thin business language.\" Richard Olivier, 54, is another person who uses Shakespeare's plays to teach good leadership and business practice. The son of Sir Laurence Olivier, the UK's most famous 20th Century Shakespearian actor, Mr Olivier says: \"Shakespeare is an amazing ethical teacher. \"Apart from the history plays, there is no play where the bad guy ends up in charge at the end.\" Clients of Mr Olivier's company Olivier Mythodrama have included NHS management, the Metropolitan Police and Daimler-Benz. His charges range from PS5,000 for a half-day session to as much as PS40,000 for a six-day intensive course. Mr Olivier adds: \"There's huge drama in leadership, and Shakespeare was probably the first playwright to portray the human drama of leadership in three-dimensional form.\" The area known as Shakespeare's England (which takes in the towns of Stratford, Royal Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick) received 9.94 million tourists in 2014, according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the charity that cares for Shakespeare heritage sites. It adds that the total value of tourism to the local economy is in the region of PS635m, which supports some 11,150 jobs. Alisan Cole, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, says: \"2014, the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, was our record year with 820,000 visitors, and we're expecting 2016 to be on a par with it, if not exceed it.\" In terms of attracting hungry and thirsty tourists, Hathaway Cafe is perfectly positioned in the centre of Stratford, and is just a short walk from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Manager and owner Rick Allen, 51, says that during the summer the warren-like Tudor-era teashop is packed with Asian customers, typically from China and Taiwan, playing PS13 a head for afternoon tea (or PS18 with a glass of prosecco). \"Off-peak we get around 1,000 customers per week, but it's well over 2,000 per week during the peak season of July and August,\" he says. Mr Allen adds that Birmingham Airport's new runway extension, which caters for the growing number of flights from East Asia, has been a fillip for the business. \"We're literally getting calls from people saying 'we've got a booking for 24 and we're on our way'. In August it's mayhem - good fun, but mayhem.\" Down in London former actor Declan McHugh, 55, has been taking people on Shakespeare-themed guided walks since 1999. He says his business - Shakespeare in the City Walk - has grown thanks to positive word of mouth, and good reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor. Mr McHugh adds that London is a rich seam for Shakespeare fans since the playwright spent most of his working life moving through the then murky and bohemian world of the Elizabethan city's playhouses. Charging PS10 per adult, he says the Shakespeare anniversary year is shaping up as a record one for his business. \"I've been doing this for 17 years and I'm starting to reap the rewards,\" he says. While he says it's hard to give exact numbers, he normally gets between five and 10 people meeting him outside Blackfriars underground station every Friday at 11am. But that's just for the public walks. \"Then I also do regular walks privately for colleges and universities from across the globe, plus there's UK institutions and businesses. I have the Girl Guides coming next Monday, for example. \"Private walks usually are for 15-20 people but I have done the tour for 60 people before,\" he says. Mr McHugh says his fascination for Shakespeare began at 11 years old, and now he regards the Bard as pretty much \"his guardian angel\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3411, "answer_end": 4201, "text": "The area known as Shakespeare's England (which takes in the towns of Stratford, Royal Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Warwick) received 9.94 million tourists in 2014, according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the charity that cares for Shakespeare heritage sites. It adds that the total value of tourism to the local economy is in the region of PS635m, which supports some 11,150 jobs. Alisan Cole, from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, says: \"2014, the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, was our record year with 820,000 visitors, and we're expecting 2016 to be on a par with it, if not exceed it.\" In terms of attracting hungry and thirsty tourists, Hathaway Cafe is perfectly positioned in the centre of Stratford, and is just a short walk from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre."}], "question": "Midsummer night's dream?", "id": "503_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Top Afghan commander Raziq killed in Kandahar gun attack", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A top Afghan security commander, Kandahar police chief Gen Abdul Raziq, has been shot dead by a bodyguard. Taliban militants claimed the attack after a high-level meeting inside the governor's compound, saying they had targeted Gen Raziq and top US commander Gen Scott Miller, who escaped. The local intelligence head was also killed and the governor was critically injured. Three Americans were hurt. The attack in Kandahar city comes ahead of elections on Saturday. In a statement, the Taliban referred to Gen Raziq as a \"brutal police chief\". It said it had targeted both him and Gen Miller, but the Pentagon denied that the US commander was among the key targets. Initial reports said the attacker was killed in an ensuing shoot-out. The assassination is seen as a hugely significant victory for the Taliban and a major blow to the Afghan and US counter-insurgency campaign. It is the first time since the 2001 US-led military intervention that the top commander of US/Nato forces has been involved in such an incident. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the attack would not affect the US military's movements in Afghanistan. Afghan and international security officials said Gen Raziq was shot in the back as he left the meeting and walked towards an area where the helicopter taking the US group back to Kabul was coming in to land. \"Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests when the gunshots happened,\" said Jan Khakrezwal, head of the Kandahar provincial council. There are reports that the local army commander also died. Local officials suggested that Gen Miller appeared to have been saved by his body armour. The US military only said that he was uninjured. At least two hand grenade explosions were also reported. Gen Miller paid tribute to Gen Raziq, saying he had \"lost a great friend\". Gen Raziq has long been accused of human rights abuses, including torture. But he was a powerful opponent of the Taliban in their southern heartland and was credited with securing Kandahar. By Dawood Azami, BBC World Service This is one of the most important security incidents of the past 17 years - in which nearly the entire leadership of a province has been eliminated. While Gen Raziq, 40, was the provincial police commander of Kandahar, his influence went beyond his native province. Over the past few years, he had emerged as one of the most powerful military and political figures in Afghanistan. He was considered as one of the strongest opponents of the Taliban and Pakistan and had transformed himself into a symbol of the anti-Taliban struggle in Afghanistan. He had previously survived nearly 20 attempts on his life. In the absence of such experienced and die-hard figures, the Taliban could mount a campaign to increase their territorial control as the loss of an important leader opens a window of opportunity for the militants. Afghan officials had warned that attacks ahead of the parliamentary election were likely. The Taliban has warned voters not to take part in what they say is a ballot imposed by foreigners. Some expressed fears that Gen Raziq's death could keep voters away from polling stations. \"Gen Raziq's death will have a huge impact on security and the election in the south because a lot of voters may not feel safe to go to vote,\" a senior security official told Reuters. The vote is the third parliamentary election to be held since the Taliban were removed from power in 2001. At least 10 candidates have been killed in attacks around the country in the run-up to the vote. There have also been attacks on voter registration centres, including one in April which killed nearly 60 people. The vote is being seen as a test of political reforms undertaken by the Afghan government as well as its ability to organise a free and fair vote. It comes ahead of the all-important presidential elections due in April 2019. American combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but over 8,000 US special forces remained in the country backing and providing training and assistance to  Afghan troops. Last year, US President Donald Trump signalled he would keep US boots on the ground indefinitely amid concerns that the Taliban was gaining ground. The US forces are part of the Nato-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, which has more than 16,000 personnel.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1133, "answer_end": 2071, "text": "Afghan and international security officials said Gen Raziq was shot in the back as he left the meeting and walked towards an area where the helicopter taking the US group back to Kabul was coming in to land. \"Provincial officials including the governor, the police chief and other officials were accompanying the foreign guests when the gunshots happened,\" said Jan Khakrezwal, head of the Kandahar provincial council. There are reports that the local army commander also died. Local officials suggested that Gen Miller appeared to have been saved by his body armour. The US military only said that he was uninjured. At least two hand grenade explosions were also reported. Gen Miller paid tribute to Gen Raziq, saying he had \"lost a great friend\". Gen Raziq has long been accused of human rights abuses, including torture. But he was a powerful opponent of the Taliban in their southern heartland and was credited with securing Kandahar."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "504_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2928, "answer_end": 3933, "text": "Afghan officials had warned that attacks ahead of the parliamentary election were likely. The Taliban has warned voters not to take part in what they say is a ballot imposed by foreigners. Some expressed fears that Gen Raziq's death could keep voters away from polling stations. \"Gen Raziq's death will have a huge impact on security and the election in the south because a lot of voters may not feel safe to go to vote,\" a senior security official told Reuters. The vote is the third parliamentary election to be held since the Taliban were removed from power in 2001. At least 10 candidates have been killed in attacks around the country in the run-up to the vote. There have also been attacks on voter registration centres, including one in April which killed nearly 60 people. The vote is being seen as a test of political reforms undertaken by the Afghan government as well as its ability to organise a free and fair vote. It comes ahead of the all-important presidential elections due in April 2019."}], "question": "Where does this leave the election?", "id": "504_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3934, "answer_end": 4394, "text": "American combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but over 8,000 US special forces remained in the country backing and providing training and assistance to  Afghan troops. Last year, US President Donald Trump signalled he would keep US boots on the ground indefinitely amid concerns that the Taliban was gaining ground. The US forces are part of the Nato-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, which has more than 16,000 personnel."}], "question": "What about US forces in Afghanistan?", "id": "504_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Threatened university faces final deadline", "date": "30 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A university in Hungary, created to foster democracy in post-Communist central Europe, seems about to be pushed over the border into Austria. It is being claimed as the first time since World War Two that a university in a European democracy will have been forced to close. This weekend sees the deadline for the shutdown of the majority of courses taught by the Central European University in Budapest. The university, founded by the billionaire backer of liberal causes George Soros, has been at the centre of a symbolic struggle over academic freedom. For almost two years, the university has been battling with the authorities to stay in Budapest. When the story began to reach an international audience, it still seemed likely that, despite the angry rhetoric, an agreement would be reached. That was not least because of the international condemnation at the prospect of a university being forced to close in modern Europe. But now the cliff edge has really been reached - and protesters' calls for a last-minute change of policy appear to have been rejected. The university says that unless a deal is reached by 1 December, it will \"have no other choice\" but to move its teaching, with plans announced for Vienna. It will be legally unable to admit new students to study in Hungary from next year and, even though existing students can continue until they finish in Budapest, future students will have to study elsewhere. The Hungarian government rejects this, saying the fault lies with the university in failing to comply with higher education regulations. Its spokesman said the deadline was the university's choice, not the government's - and that an agreement could not be reached in \"such a short time\". There is a complex argument about the university's accreditation in the United States - and negotiations in the US more than a year ago seemed to have reached a deal. But not far below the surface is a much bigger cultural and political battle. Much of this has focused on Hungarian-born Mr Soros. Mr Soros is the target of attacks from Viktor Orban's nationalist government, accused of being in favour of mass immigration, a globalist who will undermine the country's culture and identity. The university has become an emblem of this ideological arm-wrestling. It is a long way from the optimism of how it was founded - and says something about the shifting political sands. It was opened in 1991 as an English-speaking graduate school, supporting the growth of free-market democracy in central Europe, as it emerged from totalitarian Communist regimes. This liberal institution, looking to the West rather than the East, has been swimming against the rising tide of populism. And now it seems to be going under. The foreign affairs minister has shown no sign of conciliation - saying the \"Soros university\" was not \"searching for a solution, but just wants a political commotion\". The official position remains that the university does not meet the regulatory requirements - and the complaints about academic freedom are a dishonest smokescreen which are \"hard to stomach\". Without an agreement, the CEU building will remain in Budapest and students can finish their courses, but most of the institution will become a university in exile in Vienna. It might also show the lack of impact of Western disapproval. Hungary has called the West's bluff. The US state department has been unambiguous in backing the CEU. Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel has been pushing for a deal. The European Commission has spoken strongly in defence of the university. The University of Oxford's vice chancellor, Louise Richardson, joined the CEU's board in a sign of solidarity, saying that Hungary was threatening academic freedom. None of these seem to have had influence. It also raises questions about how much academic freedom is really valued. The UK government has been muted about the CEU. But it's not been shy of generating headlines about free speech in universities at home. In England, ministers have launched multiple stories about university free speech, issuing guidelines, strong warnings and even holding a \"free speech summit\" earlier this year. Universities Minister Sam Gyimah says: \"At the heart of the mission of every university is the relentless and rigorous search for truth. Freedom of expression and thought is vital to this.\" But what about when a university is having to shut down? Will there be any consequences? It is more than the doors of a university which will have closed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2279, "answer_end": 3092, "text": "It is a long way from the optimism of how it was founded - and says something about the shifting political sands. It was opened in 1991 as an English-speaking graduate school, supporting the growth of free-market democracy in central Europe, as it emerged from totalitarian Communist regimes. This liberal institution, looking to the West rather than the East, has been swimming against the rising tide of populism. And now it seems to be going under. The foreign affairs minister has shown no sign of conciliation - saying the \"Soros university\" was not \"searching for a solution, but just wants a political commotion\". The official position remains that the university does not meet the regulatory requirements - and the complaints about academic freedom are a dishonest smokescreen which are \"hard to stomach\"."}], "question": "Looking West or East?", "id": "505_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3777, "answer_end": 4511, "text": "It also raises questions about how much academic freedom is really valued. The UK government has been muted about the CEU. But it's not been shy of generating headlines about free speech in universities at home. In England, ministers have launched multiple stories about university free speech, issuing guidelines, strong warnings and even holding a \"free speech summit\" earlier this year. Universities Minister Sam Gyimah says: \"At the heart of the mission of every university is the relentless and rigorous search for truth. Freedom of expression and thought is vital to this.\" But what about when a university is having to shut down? Will there be any consequences? It is more than the doors of a university which will have closed."}], "question": "Lip service?", "id": "505_1"}]}]}, {"title": "India squatters: At least 24 killed in Mathura eviction drive", "date": "3 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 24 people have been killed and 40 others injured during clashes between police and squatters in the northern Indian town of Mathura. Clashes broke out on Thursday as police tried to evict several thousand former members of a religious sect who had occupied a public park for two years. Two senior police officers were among those killed overnight. Akhilesh Yadav, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, has ordered an inquiry into the violence. \"At 5pm on Thursday, a police team visited Jawahar Bagh park for a recce following a court order to evict the squatters,\" state police chief Javed Ahmed told a news conference. \"The protesters fired at the policemen without any warning or provocation. They also pelted the team with stones. Two senior police officers were killed in the attack.\" There is shock in Mathura. Outside Jawahar Bagh, the park where the violence took place, there are now just media and security personnel. Access to the large area of land where thousands squatted for more than two years has been barred. A senior state government official had tears in his eyes describing the violent deaths of the two senior police officials - Mukul Dwivedi and Santosh Kumar Yadav. There are many unanswered questions too. For instance, how the squatters manages to bring such a large cache of arms and ammunition into the heart of the city without the knowledge of local intelligence units. Not much is known about the group involved. A senior police official responsible for law and order, Daljeet Chaudhary, described them as anarchists who do not believe in the Indian system, or the legitimacy of its prime minister or president. Police say they have arrested more than 300 people but they still have a lot of explaining to do. He said more police teams were sent to the scene to bring the situation under control, and his colleagues retaliated after some of the protesters attacked them. Mr Ahmed added that some of the protesters had died from bullet and other injuries sustained during the clash, but at least 11 were killed in a blaze caused by cooking gas cylinders. More than 300 people have been arrested and the situation has been brought under control. Police have recovered a large number of firearms from the park, he said. Members of the Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi (Free India Legal Ideas Revolutionary Protesters) have been occupying Mathura's largest public park Jawahar Bagh for two years. Reports say the group is headed by Ramvriksha Singh Yadav, but very little is known about him. Members of the group earlier followed religious guru Baba Jai Gurudev, but since his death in 2012 some had started calling themselves \"revolutionaries\" and claimed to be followers of Indian independence hero Subhas Chandra Bose. The group has been making radical demands such as declaring the Indian parliament and the posts of prime minister and president unconstitutional. They also want the authorities to sell fuel at dirt-cheap prices. In their view 40 litres of petrol or 60 litres of diesel should cost just 1 rupee (about 1.5 cents; one penny). Who was Subhas Chandra Bose? Meanwhile, Twitter users in India have expressed anger over the incident, making Mathura one of the top trending topics. Some Twitter users said politicians were trying to use the incident to criticise each other ahead of the state assembly elections in 2017. And finally, Bollywood actress and Mathura MP Hema Malini has been criticised for tweeting about her upcoming film during a time of crisis in her constituency.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2262, "answer_end": 3129, "text": "Members of the Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi (Free India Legal Ideas Revolutionary Protesters) have been occupying Mathura's largest public park Jawahar Bagh for two years. Reports say the group is headed by Ramvriksha Singh Yadav, but very little is known about him. Members of the group earlier followed religious guru Baba Jai Gurudev, but since his death in 2012 some had started calling themselves \"revolutionaries\" and claimed to be followers of Indian independence hero Subhas Chandra Bose. The group has been making radical demands such as declaring the Indian parliament and the posts of prime minister and president unconstitutional. They also want the authorities to sell fuel at dirt-cheap prices. In their view 40 litres of petrol or 60 litres of diesel should cost just 1 rupee (about 1.5 cents; one penny). Who was Subhas Chandra Bose?"}], "question": "Who are the squatters?", "id": "506_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jamal Khashoggi case: 'Credible' probe needed over missing writer", "date": "14 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK, Germany and France have demanded a credible investigation into the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Their foreign ministers said that if anyone were found responsible they should be held accountable, and urged a detailed response from Riyadh. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that whatever happened now was \"absolutely up to Saudi Arabia\". The Saudis deny Mr Khashoggi was killed in their consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. A source quoted by Saudi state media says the country rejects political and economic threats and will meet any action taken against the kingdom with a bigger one in response. Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, vanished on 2 October after visiting its consulate in Istanbul. The Turkish authorities in Istanbul believe Mr Khashoggi was murdered in the consulate by Saudi agents - claims Riyadh has dismissed as \"lies\". A joint statement by the three foreign ministers called for a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened and ensure those responsible for Mr Khashoggi's disappearance were held to account. \"We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard, and expect the Saudi Government to provide a complete and detailed response,\" said Jeremy Hunt, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas. Later Mr Hunt said that whatever happened now was \"absolutely up to Saudi Arabia\". \"None of us know what happened, but we are all extremely concerned about the stories that have emerged, and the country that can help us get to the bottom of this is Saudi Arabia,\" he added. \"If, as they say, this terrible murder didn't happen, then where is Jamal Khashoggi? That's what the world wants to know.\" The Europeans' statement comes after US President Donald Trump promised \"severe punishment\" for Saudi Arabia if it turned out Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate. Diplomatic sources say both US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox might not attend an upcoming investment conference in Riyadh, but White House aide Larry Kudlow said Mr Mnuchin had not yet pulled out. The event is being hosted by the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to promote his reform agenda. Several sponsors and media groups have decided to withdraw. The Saudis have reacted strongly, with a source quoted by Saudi state news agency SPA saying: \"The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats or attempts to undermine it whether through threats to impose economic sanctions or the use of political pressure. \"The kingdom also affirms that it will respond to any action with a bigger one. The Saudi economy has vital and influential roles for the global economy.\" But on Sunday evening King Salman appeared more conciliatory, thanking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for setting up a joint team to investigate the disappearance. No-one could undermine the strong relationship with Turkey, he said. On Sunday, stocks on the Tadawul All-Shares Index plummeted 7% in early trading, wiping out all the gains made this year. In two sessions it lost $50bn (PS38bn) of its $450bn capitalisation, AFP news agency reported. Salah Shamma, of Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity, told Reuters: \"The market is reacting negatively to sentiment around the Khashoggi case.\" The index later recovered to close 3.5% down. A Turkish security source has told the BBC that officials had audio and video evidence proving Mr Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post, was murdered inside the consulate. Reports suggest an assault and struggle took place in the consulate after Mr Khashoggi entered the building to get paperwork for a marriage. Turkish sources allege he was killed by a 15-strong team of Saudi agents.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 892, "answer_end": 1689, "text": "A joint statement by the three foreign ministers called for a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened and ensure those responsible for Mr Khashoggi's disappearance were held to account. \"We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard, and expect the Saudi Government to provide a complete and detailed response,\" said Jeremy Hunt, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas. Later Mr Hunt said that whatever happened now was \"absolutely up to Saudi Arabia\". \"None of us know what happened, but we are all extremely concerned about the stories that have emerged, and the country that can help us get to the bottom of this is Saudi Arabia,\" he added. \"If, as they say, this terrible murder didn't happen, then where is Jamal Khashoggi? That's what the world wants to know.\""}], "question": "What did the Europeans say?", "id": "507_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1690, "answer_end": 2929, "text": "The Europeans' statement comes after US President Donald Trump promised \"severe punishment\" for Saudi Arabia if it turned out Mr Khashoggi was killed in the consulate. Diplomatic sources say both US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox might not attend an upcoming investment conference in Riyadh, but White House aide Larry Kudlow said Mr Mnuchin had not yet pulled out. The event is being hosted by the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to promote his reform agenda. Several sponsors and media groups have decided to withdraw. The Saudis have reacted strongly, with a source quoted by Saudi state news agency SPA saying: \"The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats or attempts to undermine it whether through threats to impose economic sanctions or the use of political pressure. \"The kingdom also affirms that it will respond to any action with a bigger one. The Saudi economy has vital and influential roles for the global economy.\" But on Sunday evening King Salman appeared more conciliatory, thanking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for setting up a joint team to investigate the disappearance. No-one could undermine the strong relationship with Turkey, he said."}], "question": "What other pressure has there been, and how have the Saudis reacted?", "id": "507_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2930, "answer_end": 3343, "text": "On Sunday, stocks on the Tadawul All-Shares Index plummeted 7% in early trading, wiping out all the gains made this year. In two sessions it lost $50bn (PS38bn) of its $450bn capitalisation, AFP news agency reported. Salah Shamma, of Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity, told Reuters: \"The market is reacting negatively to sentiment around the Khashoggi case.\" The index later recovered to close 3.5% down."}], "question": "What about the Saudi markets?", "id": "507_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3344, "answer_end": 3737, "text": "A Turkish security source has told the BBC that officials had audio and video evidence proving Mr Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post, was murdered inside the consulate. Reports suggest an assault and struggle took place in the consulate after Mr Khashoggi entered the building to get paperwork for a marriage. Turkish sources allege he was killed by a 15-strong team of Saudi agents."}], "question": "What is alleged to have happened in Istanbul?", "id": "507_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Chilli challenge spices up Georgian presidential vote", "date": "26 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It takes guts to eat raw chilli. But in Georgia it has become a matter of political conviction. Opponents of one of the top presidential candidates, Salome Zurabishvili, have signed up for a \"chilli pepper challenge\" on social media to protest her candidacy in elections on Sunday. They find her so distasteful they would rather eat hot chillies than see her elected as president. \"No to Salome Zurabishvili,\" says one Facebook user as he struggles to chew on a hot red chilli while filming himself. \"There is a catastrophe in my mouth right now,\" says Nika Gvaramia, the head of influential opposition TV channel Rustavi-2, as he takes a bite. He was the man who initiated the challenge on live TV, with the provocative words: \"If this traitor becomes president, the same catastrophe awaits our country.\" Born in France to a family of Georgian emigres, Salome Zurabishvili is a career diplomat, one of 25 candidates standing in the October 28 elections. She is running as an independent but her candidacy has been backed by the governing Georgian Dream party. Its leader, the powerful billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is seen as the ultimate decision-maker in Georgia. \"As a feminist, I would love to support her,\" says 22-year old male student Nodar Rukhadze at a recent anti-Russia protest. \"But I can't as it's against my country's interest.\" Nodar is one of many Georgians who object to remarks Salome Zurabishvili made in August, when the country was marking the 10th anniversary of its war with Russia. She told journalists that Georgia fired the first shots in the 2008 war, following months of provocation by Moscow. Findings by an EU-backed independent report in 2009 support this allegation. But in Georgia, which lost the war and with it control of more than 20% of its internationally recognised territory, the issue of who started the conflict is contentious, says political analyst Kornely Kakachia from the Georgian Institute of Politics. \"She is not at a scientific conference, she is in politics, and in politics people have prejudices, their own ideologies and convictions. When you go against this current, a lot of people consider her as a pro-Russian candidate. Even if she does not have direct links with Russia, she is saying what Moscow wants to hear.\" In Georgia it is very common for politicians to accuse their opponents of being pro-Kremlin. Even campaign posters for her main opposition rival, the openly pro-Western United National Movement candidate Grigol Vashadze, have been vandalised with three letters of Russia's FSB intelligence service. \"That's the result of Russian foreign policy in Georgia in the past 25 years,\" says Mr Kakachia. \"Everybody demonises Russia, everything bad is associated with Russia, everybody knows that this is something that Georgians will react to.\" The Georgian public have been shaken by recent allegations of high-level corruption and interference in the justice system. Mr Ivanishvili from Georgian Dream denied the allegations in a recent televised interview and accused the Rustavi-2 TV channel of spreading lies and disinformation. He said it was his idea to endorse Salome Zurabishvili as an independent candidate, because having a non-partisan candidate would help strengthen state institutions. Presidential powers are now limited in Georgia, but in this election the outcome matters, because it will be seen as a vote of confidence in the current government ahead of parliamentary elections in 2020.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 806, "answer_end": 2303, "text": "Born in France to a family of Georgian emigres, Salome Zurabishvili is a career diplomat, one of 25 candidates standing in the October 28 elections. She is running as an independent but her candidacy has been backed by the governing Georgian Dream party. Its leader, the powerful billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is seen as the ultimate decision-maker in Georgia. \"As a feminist, I would love to support her,\" says 22-year old male student Nodar Rukhadze at a recent anti-Russia protest. \"But I can't as it's against my country's interest.\" Nodar is one of many Georgians who object to remarks Salome Zurabishvili made in August, when the country was marking the 10th anniversary of its war with Russia. She told journalists that Georgia fired the first shots in the 2008 war, following months of provocation by Moscow. Findings by an EU-backed independent report in 2009 support this allegation. But in Georgia, which lost the war and with it control of more than 20% of its internationally recognised territory, the issue of who started the conflict is contentious, says political analyst Kornely Kakachia from the Georgian Institute of Politics. \"She is not at a scientific conference, she is in politics, and in politics people have prejudices, their own ideologies and convictions. When you go against this current, a lot of people consider her as a pro-Russian candidate. Even if she does not have direct links with Russia, she is saying what Moscow wants to hear.\""}], "question": "What sparked the protest?", "id": "508_0"}]}]}, {"title": "School uniform: Can it be bought more cheaply?", "date": "13 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It's the time of year when many parents are buying their children's school uniform, which some say can cost more than PS200. What can they do to make it cheaper? Research by market analysts Mintel suggests British parents spend about PS1.2bn on clothing and equipment for school. The Department for Education (DfE) asked 1,183 parents about uniform costs in 2015 and found it came to almost PS213 per child. Adjusting its figures for inflation, it would make the average cost of uniform in 2019 almost PS230 per pupil. Adding in PE kit, the parents surveyed spent the equivalent to PS70 more for primary school children and between PS111 and PS140 extra for those of secondary school age. The results were based on parents' memories of how much they had spent during the school year. Separate estimates from The Children's Society in 2018 put the total cost of uniform at PS256 per primary school child and PS338 per secondary school pupil. One way of cutting the cost is to swap uniform with other parents. Thousands of people are members of social media groups that do this. Yvonne Hall, 38, from Stockton-on-Tees, set up a Facebook group for parents to donate used school uniforms. Her 16-year-old son changed schools in the first term of last year and Mrs Hall said she found herself with \"another hefty uniform bill\" of about PS100 on top of the cost of the old uniform. \"I decided to donate the brand new uniform my son had only worn for a week on Facebook and it was snapped up instantly,\" she said. The page now has parents sharing uniforms, PE kits and revision guides. A sample of 100 Facebook groups set up in Britain and containing the words \"school uniform\" and \"swap\" or \"free\" showed they had 34,110 members between them, an average of more than 340 each. Kate France wants to challenge what she calls the UK's culture of \"always buying new\" school uniforms. She set up the charity Uniform Exchange in Huddersfield in 2011 to help families who were struggling with the cost of basics items, but now says the project is also about reducing waste. \"If anything has got life left in it then we should be recycling,\" she said. \"By the time my kids get home in the evening, their uniform is covered in pen or mud. \"Any school uniform will look second hand by the end of the first week.\" Some councils or schools offer financial support. In England schools can use the funding they get from the DfE's pupil premium - money allocated for children from poorer backgrounds, or who are or have been looked after under local authority care. Hackney Council spent PS72,300 on school uniform grants in 2018-19. Manchester City Council spent PS208,529 on school uniform grants in 2014-15 but stopped offering them the following year. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said funding cuts from central government had resulted in councils finding it \"increasingly difficult\" to provide grants for school uniforms. In Scotland families can apply for a PS100 grant in the same way they apply for free school meals. From September families in Wales can apply for a PS125 Pupil Development Grant, which comes alongside advice to schools to have gender neutral uniforms and minimal branding. In Northern Ireland funding varies from PS35.75 to PS56 depending on the age of the child. The BBC compared school clothing on the websites of four large UK supermarkets and found the average prices were about PS58 less for a primary school uniform and PS118 less for a secondary school uniform than in the government's survey of parents. The saving is likely to be higher as the analysis is based only on buying one of each item, excluding any spares parents would typically purchase. It also depends on whether schools would permit parents to use supermarket uniform or whether they have to have items with the school's logo. Suppliers of school uniforms said their costs were lower than the estimates in the government's survey. A spokeswoman for Price and Buckland said uniforms should be affordable for everyone, adding: \"We work with some schools that offer pupil premium and offer vouchers to parents to support them with purchasing uniform.\" Michael Franklin from National School Uniforms said supermarket clothing, while cheaper, was generally \"far inferior to the norm\", with bespoke items lasting \"three times as long\". Carolyn Budding from YourSchoolUniform.com said schools should take out contracts with single suppliers, who could \"offer more competitive prices\". \"This is contrary to government advice to schools to offer a choice of suppliers,\" she said. Emma Hardy, Labour MP for West Hull and Hessle and a former primary school teacher, said schools needed to \"poverty proof\" their uniform policies and remove the need for clothing with school branding so they could be bought \"from any shop\". \"I think if you can make uniform more accessible parents can make it just as smart as if it's been bought from a specific school retailer,\" she said. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"Our guidance states that schools should prioritise cost when setting uniform policies, including making sure uniforms are easily available at different outlets, and keeping compulsory branded items to a minimum. \"We have been clear that when there is a suitable time in Parliament, we intend to make this guidance statutory.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1771, "answer_end": 2296, "text": "Kate France wants to challenge what she calls the UK's culture of \"always buying new\" school uniforms. She set up the charity Uniform Exchange in Huddersfield in 2011 to help families who were struggling with the cost of basics items, but now says the project is also about reducing waste. \"If anything has got life left in it then we should be recycling,\" she said. \"By the time my kids get home in the evening, their uniform is covered in pen or mud. \"Any school uniform will look second hand by the end of the first week.\""}], "question": "Does it have to be a new uniform?", "id": "509_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2297, "answer_end": 3289, "text": "Some councils or schools offer financial support. In England schools can use the funding they get from the DfE's pupil premium - money allocated for children from poorer backgrounds, or who are or have been looked after under local authority care. Hackney Council spent PS72,300 on school uniform grants in 2018-19. Manchester City Council spent PS208,529 on school uniform grants in 2014-15 but stopped offering them the following year. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said funding cuts from central government had resulted in councils finding it \"increasingly difficult\" to provide grants for school uniforms. In Scotland families can apply for a PS100 grant in the same way they apply for free school meals. From September families in Wales can apply for a PS125 Pupil Development Grant, which comes alongside advice to schools to have gender neutral uniforms and minimal branding. In Northern Ireland funding varies from PS35.75 to PS56 depending on the age of the child."}], "question": "What help is available?", "id": "509_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3290, "answer_end": 3826, "text": "The BBC compared school clothing on the websites of four large UK supermarkets and found the average prices were about PS58 less for a primary school uniform and PS118 less for a secondary school uniform than in the government's survey of parents. The saving is likely to be higher as the analysis is based only on buying one of each item, excluding any spares parents would typically purchase. It also depends on whether schools would permit parents to use supermarket uniform or whether they have to have items with the school's logo."}], "question": "Is uniform cheaper in the supermarket?", "id": "509_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3827, "answer_end": 4570, "text": "Suppliers of school uniforms said their costs were lower than the estimates in the government's survey. A spokeswoman for Price and Buckland said uniforms should be affordable for everyone, adding: \"We work with some schools that offer pupil premium and offer vouchers to parents to support them with purchasing uniform.\" Michael Franklin from National School Uniforms said supermarket clothing, while cheaper, was generally \"far inferior to the norm\", with bespoke items lasting \"three times as long\". Carolyn Budding from YourSchoolUniform.com said schools should take out contracts with single suppliers, who could \"offer more competitive prices\". \"This is contrary to government advice to schools to offer a choice of suppliers,\" she said."}], "question": "What do suppliers say?", "id": "509_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4571, "answer_end": 5333, "text": "Emma Hardy, Labour MP for West Hull and Hessle and a former primary school teacher, said schools needed to \"poverty proof\" their uniform policies and remove the need for clothing with school branding so they could be bought \"from any shop\". \"I think if you can make uniform more accessible parents can make it just as smart as if it's been bought from a specific school retailer,\" she said. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"Our guidance states that schools should prioritise cost when setting uniform policies, including making sure uniforms are easily available at different outlets, and keeping compulsory branded items to a minimum. \"We have been clear that when there is a suitable time in Parliament, we intend to make this guidance statutory.\""}], "question": "What is the government doing?", "id": "509_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Taller plants moving into warmer Arctic", "date": "27 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The low-lying shrubs, grasses and other plants growing in the Arctic are getting taller. The finding comes from scientists who have analysed three decades of measurements. This data, gathered across Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia, indicates that a warming climate is driving the change. The team of 180 researchers says the increase in height could ultimately work to push up temperatures further. The international group reports its work in the journal Nature. Co-lead author Isla Myers-Smith, from the University of Edinburgh, UK, predicted that, on their current trajectory, the centimetres-tall Arctic flora could double in size by the end of the century. \"That doesn't seem like a very dramatic increase, but if you compare it to the ecosystems around your house like the forest nearby - if you imagined that forest getting twice as tall; that is a pretty dramatic change,\" she told BBC News. Plants have to be hardy to flourish in the far north or high up Alpine mountains. The cold and short growing season precludes trees. Instead, this tundra landscape is populated by small species that hug the ground. But the Arctic is undergoing rapid change. Recent decades have seen the region experience some of the fastest rates of warming on the planet. It is not simply that existing plants have increased their stature, although that is the case; it is more that taller species are now invading areas they never used to grow in large numbers. As an example, vernal sweetgrass, which is common in lowland Europe, has now moved into the research plots in Iceland and Sweden where long-term monitoring is undertaken. The re-profiling of plant communities is important because it could alter the way the tundra ecosystem functions. Taller Arctic plants will trap more snow around them, insulating the ground from very cold air and preventing it from freezing quite so hard. This makes it easier for usually rock-solid soils to thaw out in summer months and release their carbon into the atmosphere. This would add to the warming. Taller plants could also effect the same outcome because, by sticking their heads above the snow, they would present a darker surface, and that allows the ecosystem to trap more heat from the Sun. \"Although there are still many uncertainties, taller tundra plants could fuel climate change, both in the Arctic and for the planet as a whole,\" said the study's other co-lead investigator, Anne Bjorkman, from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Germany. It is remarkable because of its scale. It incorporates more than 60,000 data observations from hundreds of sites across the Arctic and in the European Alps and the American Rockies. The information reaches back through the decades, enabling it to reliably catch real trends. Scientists will revisit specific locations to take the same measurements over and over again. These measurements cover everything from plant height and leaf area to wood density, seed size, leaf chemistry, and more. Those researchers who initiated the earliest data collections could never have known precisely how their persistence would eventually pay off. They would just have had the recognition that long observation series are invaluable. \"One of the goals of our project was to make this database publicly available so that future researchers can ask questions that we can't anticipate right now either,\" said Dr Myers-Smith. UK funding for this project came from the Natural Environment Research Council. You can read more at the Team Shrub and Arctic Above websites. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1634, "answer_end": 2519, "text": "The re-profiling of plant communities is important because it could alter the way the tundra ecosystem functions. Taller Arctic plants will trap more snow around them, insulating the ground from very cold air and preventing it from freezing quite so hard. This makes it easier for usually rock-solid soils to thaw out in summer months and release their carbon into the atmosphere. This would add to the warming. Taller plants could also effect the same outcome because, by sticking their heads above the snow, they would present a darker surface, and that allows the ecosystem to trap more heat from the Sun. \"Although there are still many uncertainties, taller tundra plants could fuel climate change, both in the Arctic and for the planet as a whole,\" said the study's other co-lead investigator, Anne Bjorkman, from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Germany."}], "question": "Why does height matter?", "id": "510_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jerusalem status: World condemns Trump's announcement", "date": "7 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Traditional US allies are among a growing chorus condemning President Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Saudi Arabia called it \"unjustified and irresponsible\", while France and the UK said they did not support the decision. But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu hailed it as \"historic\" and said he was sure more countries would follow suit. President Trump's move reversed decades of US policy on one of the thorniest issues between Israel and Palestinians. Hundreds of Israeli troops have been deployed to the West Bank amid a day of protests and strikes by Palestinians. The Islamist group Hamas has called for a new intifada, or uprising. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for support from the UN Security Council and the Arab League, both of which will hold emergency sessions in the coming days. The US president said on Wednesday that he had \"determined it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel\". \"I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians,\" he said. Mr Trump said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump's right-wing base. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital was \"nothing more or less than a recognition of reality\", he added. \"It is also the right thing to do.\" Mr Trump said the US would support a two-state solution - shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent Palestinian state within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel - \"if agreed to by both sides\". The president also refrained from using Israel's description of Jerusalem as its \"eternal and undivided capital\". The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of any future Palestinian state. Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was profoundly grateful to Mr Trump, who had \"bound himself forever with the history of the capital\". He also said Israel was \"in touch with other countries to follow suit. I have no doubt other embassies will move to Jerusalem - the time has come.\" He did not name any of these countries, although the Philippines and the Czech Republic have been singled out in Israeli media. The Republican Jewish Coalition thanked the president in a New York Times ad. The mood was very different on the Palestinian side, with a day of strikes and protests planned. The leader of the Islamist movement Hamas, which dominates Gaza, called for a \"day of rage\" on Friday and said it should \"be the first day of the intifada against the occupier\". \"We have given instructions to all Hamas members and to all its wings to be fully ready for any new instructions or orders that may be given to confront this strategic danger,\" Ismail Haniya said. Meanwhile, Mr Abbas' rival Fatah movement is seeking to protest through diplomatic means, by filing a complaint to the UN Security Council and pushing for a strong stance by the Arab League. \"We are going to declare the United States disqualified as co-sponsor of any peace process or political process,\" spokesman Dr Nasser al-Kidwa said. \"In our mind, it has lost its ability to do or perform any efforts in this regard.\" The Arab and the wider Muslim world - including a number of US allies - condemned Mr Trump's announcement. Demonstrations broke out outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and in Jordan's capital Amman. Palestinians turned off Christmas lights in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Mr Trump was \"throwing the region into a ring of fire\". \"What do you want to do Mr Trump? What kind of an approach is this? Political leaders exist not to create struggles but to make peace,\" he said. Top Iraqi Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani said the move \"hurt the feelings of hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims\". The Saudi royal court said it \"represents a significant decline in efforts to push a peace process and is a violation of the historically neutral American position on Jerusalem\". UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was \"a moment of great anxiety\". \"There is no alternative to the two-state solution,\" he stressed. In other reaction: - British Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was \"unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region\" - French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both said their countries did not support the move - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini voiced \"serious concern\" Mr Trump's announcement puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community's view on Jerusalem's status. Because of its importance to both Israel and the Palestinians, its final status, according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but before now it has not been internationally recognised as part of Israel.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 837, "answer_end": 2052, "text": "The US president said on Wednesday that he had \"determined it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel\". \"I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians,\" he said. Mr Trump said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump's right-wing base. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital was \"nothing more or less than a recognition of reality\", he added. \"It is also the right thing to do.\" Mr Trump said the US would support a two-state solution - shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent Palestinian state within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel - \"if agreed to by both sides\". The president also refrained from using Israel's description of Jerusalem as its \"eternal and undivided capital\". The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of any future Palestinian state."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "511_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2053, "answer_end": 3435, "text": "Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was profoundly grateful to Mr Trump, who had \"bound himself forever with the history of the capital\". He also said Israel was \"in touch with other countries to follow suit. I have no doubt other embassies will move to Jerusalem - the time has come.\" He did not name any of these countries, although the Philippines and the Czech Republic have been singled out in Israeli media. The Republican Jewish Coalition thanked the president in a New York Times ad. The mood was very different on the Palestinian side, with a day of strikes and protests planned. The leader of the Islamist movement Hamas, which dominates Gaza, called for a \"day of rage\" on Friday and said it should \"be the first day of the intifada against the occupier\". \"We have given instructions to all Hamas members and to all its wings to be fully ready for any new instructions or orders that may be given to confront this strategic danger,\" Ismail Haniya said. Meanwhile, Mr Abbas' rival Fatah movement is seeking to protest through diplomatic means, by filing a complaint to the UN Security Council and pushing for a strong stance by the Arab League. \"We are going to declare the United States disqualified as co-sponsor of any peace process or political process,\" spokesman Dr Nasser al-Kidwa said. \"In our mind, it has lost its ability to do or perform any efforts in this regard.\""}], "question": "What do Israel and the Palestinians say?", "id": "511_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3436, "answer_end": 4815, "text": "The Arab and the wider Muslim world - including a number of US allies - condemned Mr Trump's announcement. Demonstrations broke out outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and in Jordan's capital Amman. Palestinians turned off Christmas lights in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Mr Trump was \"throwing the region into a ring of fire\". \"What do you want to do Mr Trump? What kind of an approach is this? Political leaders exist not to create struggles but to make peace,\" he said. Top Iraqi Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani said the move \"hurt the feelings of hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims\". The Saudi royal court said it \"represents a significant decline in efforts to push a peace process and is a violation of the historically neutral American position on Jerusalem\". UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was \"a moment of great anxiety\". \"There is no alternative to the two-state solution,\" he stressed. In other reaction: - British Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was \"unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region\" - French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both said their countries did not support the move - EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini voiced \"serious concern\""}], "question": "What does the rest of the world say?", "id": "511_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4816, "answer_end": 5548, "text": "Mr Trump's announcement puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community's view on Jerusalem's status. Because of its importance to both Israel and the Palestinians, its final status, according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and all countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but before now it has not been internationally recognised as part of Israel."}], "question": "Why is the announcement significant?", "id": "511_3"}]}]}, {"title": "How monitoring behaviour could unmask the fraudsters", "date": "12 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thieves and fraudsters want to get their hands on our cash and data. And these days they can attack us from all corners of the globe. Financial fraud losses totalled PS755m in the UK last year. Worldwide, the figure runs into billions. But there's no one security measure that can keep us safe - we need to have layers of security. And the challenge for financial service providers is that if they impose too many layers, we customers get annoyed. We don't want to spend ages answering secret security questions, keying in passcodes, or trying  - and failing - to remember personal identification numbers and passwords. So the race is on to develop frictionless, invisible security - ways of verifying we are who we claim to be - without holding up our day or taxing our fallible memories. For example, voice biometrics - using our unique vocal patterns as a means of authentication - is certainly gaining acceptance amongst banks as its accuracy improves. HSBC recently announced it would be rolling out the technology, along with Apple's Touch ID fingerprint recognition, and Barclays already offers it to certain clients. Meanwhile, Atom Bank has launched \"authentication by selfie\". \"But whilst biometrics provide great opportunities to deliver frictionless services to customers, there is no silver bullet in banking security,\" warns Tom Patterson of tech consultancy Unisys. We need other layers that go on in the background. This is why behavioural analysis is also catching on as a non-intrusive way of establishing identity. The UK's Nationwide Building Society has just teamed up with tech partners BehavioSec and Unisys to develop a new layer of behavioural biometric security. It is based on the idea that the way we interact with our devices is as unique as those physical biometric attributes - fingerprint, iris, face, voice, even the electrical activity of our heart - that we can now use to authenticate ourselves. The way we type, touch, swipe and hold our smartphones can also apparently act like a signature. \"Behavioural biometrics monitor the patterns and habits that are unique to each mobile banking user - everyone holds and interacts with their mobile device in a different way,\" says James Smith, Nationwide's head of innovation. These are very early days for the approach, however, so it is likely to act as another layer of security rather than a replacement for existing tech. But its main advantage is that it is unobtrusive, potentially giving us more security without the usual inconvenience. Pindrop, a tech company based in Atlanta, Georgia, specialises in authenticating people who ring call centres - a particularly weak element in a financial services company's armoury. It names three out of the four top US banks as clients. The usual security methods when calling in - answers to knowledge-based questions, such as your mother's maiden name or first school, for example - can easily be gleaned by fraudsters from social media or hacking. \"Even your caller ID can be easily spoofed using VoIP [voice over internet protocol],\" says Matt Peachey, Pindrop's general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa. So the firm's automated technology analyses lots of other elements of a phone call - the geographical origin, the device type, the timbre of the sound, to name but a few of the 147 measurables - and creates a risk score for each call. \"Your phone actually imprints a unique sound into the call which you can't discern with the human ear,\" says Mr Peachey, \"so we can usually tell if a fraudster is pretending to call from a local landline but actually using VoIP.\" The tech also analyses caller behaviour. Multiple calls from different devices and networks, but purporting to be from the same customer, will raise alarm bells, for example. \"Our tech is catching north of 80% of all fraudulent calls,\" Mr Peachey maintains. Pindrop also uses voice biometrics but only for \"fraudster blacklisting\" - spotting repeat offenders, he says. The drawback with voice biometrics is that customers have to enrol for the system and record their unique voiceprint for the database. Not everyone bothers or wants to, meaning you can't rely on voice biometrics alone, argues Mr Peachey. In the short term, growing numbers of banks are incorporating two-factor authentication to their online and mobile banking services. This usually means logging in to your online account - with those troublesome passwords and numeric codes - then generating an additional one-off, time-limited code on a separate device - your smartphone or another bit of kit. The idea is that a thief would have to have guessed or stolen your personal log-in details and to have stolen your phone to gain entry to your account. This process may be more secure but it's also fiddly and slows customers down. So US tech firm Duo Security aims to make this easier by sending a message to the customer's app which contains a simple green or red button. One tap on either button confirms or cancels the transaction. \"There's no code to input to a countdown, so logging in is much simpler,\" says co-founder and chief technology officer, Jon Oberheide. \"Financial services companies want to improve their security but they don't want to annoy their users with cumbersome security protocols.\" One of Duo's 5,000 customers worldwide is US banking technology firm Computer Services Inc. (CSI), which provides transaction processing and online banking services for about 3,000 financial institutions. \"Most computers are infected with some kind of malware, so this is why this kind of additional authentication is so important,\" says Kevin Latta, CSI's vice president, network and security. \"We give client institutions a choice over whether they use Duo Security. But I've never seen those who do use it suffer incidences of fraud. Thieves always go for the low-hanging fruit.\" While we can play our part in fighting the fraudsters by keeping our computer security software and smartphone hardware up-to-date, banks know that we are also the weak link. We're just not very good at choosing non-obvious passwords or keeping our personal details secret. So the sooner they can integrate invisible and easier authentication methods, the better. Follow Matthew on Twitter here: @matthew_wall", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4219, "answer_end": 6234, "text": "In the short term, growing numbers of banks are incorporating two-factor authentication to their online and mobile banking services. This usually means logging in to your online account - with those troublesome passwords and numeric codes - then generating an additional one-off, time-limited code on a separate device - your smartphone or another bit of kit. The idea is that a thief would have to have guessed or stolen your personal log-in details and to have stolen your phone to gain entry to your account. This process may be more secure but it's also fiddly and slows customers down. So US tech firm Duo Security aims to make this easier by sending a message to the customer's app which contains a simple green or red button. One tap on either button confirms or cancels the transaction. \"There's no code to input to a countdown, so logging in is much simpler,\" says co-founder and chief technology officer, Jon Oberheide. \"Financial services companies want to improve their security but they don't want to annoy their users with cumbersome security protocols.\" One of Duo's 5,000 customers worldwide is US banking technology firm Computer Services Inc. (CSI), which provides transaction processing and online banking services for about 3,000 financial institutions. \"Most computers are infected with some kind of malware, so this is why this kind of additional authentication is so important,\" says Kevin Latta, CSI's vice president, network and security. \"We give client institutions a choice over whether they use Duo Security. But I've never seen those who do use it suffer incidences of fraud. Thieves always go for the low-hanging fruit.\" While we can play our part in fighting the fraudsters by keeping our computer security software and smartphone hardware up-to-date, banks know that we are also the weak link. We're just not very good at choosing non-obvious passwords or keeping our personal details secret. So the sooner they can integrate invisible and easier authentication methods, the better."}], "question": "Two-factor answer?", "id": "512_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Paris attacks: A new terrorism and fear stalks a city", "date": "14 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, people asked: Is Paris safe? But deep-down most did not feel seriously under threat. They may have taken refuge in the notion that the targets then were rabble-rousing cartoonists and Jewish people. The majority in January marched in solidarity, but they did not share the fear. Today it is different. Friday night's attacks were the Middle East come to Europe. They were of a ferocity, scope and randomness which we associate with Beirut or Baghdad - but not with Paris or London. In Western cities - though we may not like to admit it - terrorism has been largely contained in its application. We think of terrorists as having political demands and a conscience set to some form of recognisable moral compass. So those who died in the past tended to be of specific groups plus a few random bystanders. But seen from Paris this new terrorism seems massive, nihilistic and death-loving. Now, the killing of others is not an unfortunate by-product of a political mission. According to the perpetrators, it is part of a divinely-ordained master-plan which they believe will bring them eternal glory. There is no answering that logic.  There is no easy response to this thinking. And there is precious little our societies can do to stop it either, because all it requires is some young men with faith and a gun. That is why now - for the first time - fear does stalk the city. The mother wonders about her teenage son. Perhaps he should stop going to bars.  The husband worries about his wife when she is late from work. In a million petty ways, behaviour is being altered.  There are calls for off-duty police officers to carry guns. Is this the next stage: a society fearful, and under arms? It is all exactly as the perpetrators of these attacks want. They would like nothing more than a ratcheting up of the state's powers.  After that they will try to stage another attack - proving again the government's limited effectiveness - and the far right will continue its surge. Which is the other terrorist aim. No-one would be happier than them if the National Front's Marine Le Pen were to sweep to power, and French society to collapse (as it might) into warring factions. After the Charlie attacks there was a huge wave of emotion, which produced the million-person rally at the Place de la Republique. The purpose of the rally was to express that very French notion of \"solidarity\" - standing together as citizens beside those who have suffered. There may well be a similar outpouring of public emotion in the days ahead.  But some will say the word \"solidarity\" is meaningless. Now everyone stands to suffer, and how do you express \"solidarity\" with yourself?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1419, "answer_end": 2707, "text": "The mother wonders about her teenage son. Perhaps he should stop going to bars.  The husband worries about his wife when she is late from work. In a million petty ways, behaviour is being altered.  There are calls for off-duty police officers to carry guns. Is this the next stage: a society fearful, and under arms? It is all exactly as the perpetrators of these attacks want. They would like nothing more than a ratcheting up of the state's powers.  After that they will try to stage another attack - proving again the government's limited effectiveness - and the far right will continue its surge. Which is the other terrorist aim. No-one would be happier than them if the National Front's Marine Le Pen were to sweep to power, and French society to collapse (as it might) into warring factions. After the Charlie attacks there was a huge wave of emotion, which produced the million-person rally at the Place de la Republique. The purpose of the rally was to express that very French notion of \"solidarity\" - standing together as citizens beside those who have suffered. There may well be a similar outpouring of public emotion in the days ahead.  But some will say the word \"solidarity\" is meaningless. Now everyone stands to suffer, and how do you express \"solidarity\" with yourself?"}], "question": "Solidarity?", "id": "513_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Delegates to meet for Norway peace talks", "date": "26 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Representatives of Venezuela's government and opposition are returning to Norway's capital, Oslo, for talks on how to address the political crisis. The meeting, scheduled for next week, was confirmed by Norway's government, which reiterated its commitment to helping to find a solution. Discussions were held there earlier this month, but the opposition says there were no face-to-face meetings. Venezuela has been in political crisis for months amid a power struggle. Opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January, arguing that the presidency was vacant because Nicolas Maduro's re-election last year was \"illegitimate\". But Mr Maduro has refused to cede power. Norway's foreign ministry released a statement saying the \"main political actors in Venezuela\" would take part in the discussions, as it reiterated its commitment to \"supporting the search for an agreed-upon solution\" to the crisis. Preliminary discussions, with each side talking separately with Norwegian officials, were held earlier this month. Mr Guaido confirmed in a statement that his representatives \"will talk with both the Norwegian government and with representatives of the regime\" in the upcoming discussions. The opposition delegation will be headed by deputy parliament speaker Stalin Gonzalez and former Caracas area Mayor Gerardo Blyde, both of whom were involved in the initial talks, he said. Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province, Hector Rodriguez, are expected to lead the government delegation, after attending the previous round. Mr Maduro thanked Norway on Twitter for its mediation efforts. He said (in Spanish) his delegation was \"ready to work on a comprehensive agenda and move towards the signing of agreements.\" Previous attempts at mediation between the two Venezuelan sides have failed. However, Norway has in the past successfully mediated in the Colombian armed conflict. The ruling Socialist Party has publicly endorsed the talks, while Mr Guaido has appeared more cautious. Many opposition supporters who have spent months trying to push Mr Maduro from power are against the discussions. They argue that the president has previously used dialogue as a stalling tactic to remain in power while living standards have declined. Without directly referencing the Norway talks, Mr Guaido told supporters on Saturday that the opposition would not repeat past errors. \"They will never fool us again with a false dialogue like [in] 2017,\" he said. \"That's why today we're in the streets.\" Political tensions in Venezuela escalated after Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term on 9 January. The elections were widely dismissed as \"neither free nor fair\". On 23 January, Mr Guaido, the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, invoked the constitution to declare himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's election had been fraudulent. Dozens of countries, including the US and many European Union members, have recognised him as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. But Mr Maduro - who is backed by countries including Russia and China, as well as the leaders of Venezuela's powerful military - has refused to step down. Mr Guaido attempted to incite a military uprising on 30 April but only about 30 members of the armed forces joined him. Mr Maduro has since intensified the crackdown on the opposition, with many lawmakers who supported the failed uprising accused of treason.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 693, "answer_end": 1948, "text": "Norway's foreign ministry released a statement saying the \"main political actors in Venezuela\" would take part in the discussions, as it reiterated its commitment to \"supporting the search for an agreed-upon solution\" to the crisis. Preliminary discussions, with each side talking separately with Norwegian officials, were held earlier this month. Mr Guaido confirmed in a statement that his representatives \"will talk with both the Norwegian government and with representatives of the regime\" in the upcoming discussions. The opposition delegation will be headed by deputy parliament speaker Stalin Gonzalez and former Caracas area Mayor Gerardo Blyde, both of whom were involved in the initial talks, he said. Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and the governor of Miranda province, Hector Rodriguez, are expected to lead the government delegation, after attending the previous round. Mr Maduro thanked Norway on Twitter for its mediation efforts. He said (in Spanish) his delegation was \"ready to work on a comprehensive agenda and move towards the signing of agreements.\" Previous attempts at mediation between the two Venezuelan sides have failed. However, Norway has in the past successfully mediated in the Colombian armed conflict."}], "question": "What do we know about the talks?", "id": "514_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1949, "answer_end": 2558, "text": "The ruling Socialist Party has publicly endorsed the talks, while Mr Guaido has appeared more cautious. Many opposition supporters who have spent months trying to push Mr Maduro from power are against the discussions. They argue that the president has previously used dialogue as a stalling tactic to remain in power while living standards have declined. Without directly referencing the Norway talks, Mr Guaido told supporters on Saturday that the opposition would not repeat past errors. \"They will never fool us again with a false dialogue like [in] 2017,\" he said. \"That's why today we're in the streets.\""}], "question": "Do protesters support the talks?", "id": "514_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2559, "answer_end": 3475, "text": "Political tensions in Venezuela escalated after Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term on 9 January. The elections were widely dismissed as \"neither free nor fair\". On 23 January, Mr Guaido, the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, invoked the constitution to declare himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's election had been fraudulent. Dozens of countries, including the US and many European Union members, have recognised him as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. But Mr Maduro - who is backed by countries including Russia and China, as well as the leaders of Venezuela's powerful military - has refused to step down. Mr Guaido attempted to incite a military uprising on 30 April but only about 30 members of the armed forces joined him. Mr Maduro has since intensified the crackdown on the opposition, with many lawmakers who supported the failed uprising accused of treason."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "514_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Babies born at 22 weeks 'can now survive'", "date": "23 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Improving survival rates for extremely premature babies mean it is now possible to save the lives of babies born at 22 weeks, guidance says. Previously it was recommended that only babies born at 23 weeks or later were given treatment to save their lives. But there is now evidence those born earlier can survive - although only in small numbers - the British Association of Perinatal Medicine said. It said most will die but a third may survive where treatment is possible. Prof Dominic Wilkinson, a consultant neonatologist who helped draw up the guidance, said since the previous guidance was published, advances in treatment meant doctors were trying to save the lives of some babies born at 22 weeks. He said evidence from those cases had convinced BAPM to update its guidance. He said it was \"fantastic news\" that some babies born at such an early stage were now surviving. But he added: \"The very high risks mean it's not always the right thing to do to provide intensive medical treatment.\" Survival for babies born before 22 weeks is not considered possible because the lungs are not developed enough. Ruben and Jenson Powell became the youngest surviving pre-term twin boys born in Britain when they were born in August last year at 22 weeks and six days. Parents Jennie and Rich, from Brighton, were in Cornwall when Mrs Powell went into labour. They were flown to a specialist hospital in Oxford where the twins were born the next day. \"It really is a story of hope and miracles,\" said Mrs Powell. \"They defied every set of odds that they were given.\" Eight days after delivery, Ruben had a lifesaving operation when his intestines failed but battled through despite the low survival rate. Jenson also suffered from weakness in his lungs but pulled through. The twins had to have 20 blood transfusions, eye injections and laser surgery to prevent blindness and survived both blood poisoning and pneumonia. Despite progress, the chances of survival are still low. Most babies born at 22 weeks will die. Data from 2016 showed there were 486 births at this stage - and in more than 300 cases, the babies did not survive labour. Of those that did, 140 were not in a condition where attempting to save them was deemed possible and they would have been given palliative care to ease their suffering. But where treatment other than palliative care was given, just over a third of the babies survived. The guidance said decisions about whether to offer potential lifesaving treatment depended on the individual baby's circumstances. Decisions should be reached by specialists in consultation with parents. But it said intensive treatment would simply not be appropriate for many. Once you get to over 22 weeks, the chances of survival increase week-by-week. Similar numbers are born at 23 weeks and in around half of cases lifesaving treatment is attempted. In 2016, 38% survived - double the rate 10 years previously. Once a baby gets to 26 weeks, treatment is proceeded on in most cases and 82% survive. But despite the increase in survival, significant numbers of these babies will have severe disabilities. At 22 weeks, a third of those that survive do. At 26 weeks it is one in 10. Prof Andrew Whitelaw, an expert in neonatal medicine at Bristol University, said the guidance was \"very useful\". He said it was important not to get too fixed on the number of weeks and instead the condition of the baby at birth and different attitudes on what is considered \"unacceptable disability\" were important factors. There are a variety of reasons. Over the years, doctors and the wider health teams have got incrementally better at treating mothers and babies. Steroids are given before birth to help boost the function of the lungs. Techniques for ventilating and preventing infection among extremely premature babies have also improved. The numbers of extremely premature babies being born in specialist hospitals have increased too. A decade ago just over half were. Now it is close to 80%.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1918, "answer_end": 2683, "text": "Despite progress, the chances of survival are still low. Most babies born at 22 weeks will die. Data from 2016 showed there were 486 births at this stage - and in more than 300 cases, the babies did not survive labour. Of those that did, 140 were not in a condition where attempting to save them was deemed possible and they would have been given palliative care to ease their suffering. But where treatment other than palliative care was given, just over a third of the babies survived. The guidance said decisions about whether to offer potential lifesaving treatment depended on the individual baby's circumstances. Decisions should be reached by specialists in consultation with parents. But it said intensive treatment would simply not be appropriate for many."}], "question": "What are the chances of survival at 22 weeks?", "id": "515_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2684, "answer_end": 3515, "text": "Once you get to over 22 weeks, the chances of survival increase week-by-week. Similar numbers are born at 23 weeks and in around half of cases lifesaving treatment is attempted. In 2016, 38% survived - double the rate 10 years previously. Once a baby gets to 26 weeks, treatment is proceeded on in most cases and 82% survive. But despite the increase in survival, significant numbers of these babies will have severe disabilities. At 22 weeks, a third of those that survive do. At 26 weeks it is one in 10. Prof Andrew Whitelaw, an expert in neonatal medicine at Bristol University, said the guidance was \"very useful\". He said it was important not to get too fixed on the number of weeks and instead the condition of the baby at birth and different attitudes on what is considered \"unacceptable disability\" were important factors."}], "question": "What about babies born above 22 weeks?", "id": "515_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3516, "answer_end": 3993, "text": "There are a variety of reasons. Over the years, doctors and the wider health teams have got incrementally better at treating mothers and babies. Steroids are given before birth to help boost the function of the lungs. Techniques for ventilating and preventing infection among extremely premature babies have also improved. The numbers of extremely premature babies being born in specialist hospitals have increased too. A decade ago just over half were. Now it is close to 80%."}], "question": "Why are chances of survival increasing?", "id": "515_2"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea will reach its nuclear force goal - Kim Jong-un", "date": "16 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to reach the country's nuclear goals, according to state media. The aim was to establish \"equilibrium\" of military force with the US, the KCNA news agency quoted him as saying. Mr Kim's comments come after North Korea fired its latest missile over Japan - in what is being described as the country's farthest-reaching test. The move split world powers who united behind new UN sanctions against North Korea just days ago. \"We should clearly show the big power chauvinists how our state attain the goal of completing its nuclear force despite their limitless sanctions and blockade,\" Mr Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. He also said North Korea's goal was \"to establish the equilibrium of real force with the US and make the US rulers dare not talk about military option for the DPRK [North Korea]\". Mr Kim personally watched the launch of a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile on Friday. The missile reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles), travelling 3,700km past the northernmost island of Hokkaido before landing in the sea, South Korea's military said. The missile had the capacity to reach the US territory of Guam and experts say it is the furthest any North Korean ballistic missile has ever travelled above ground. The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting, in which members unanimously condemned the launch as \"highly provocative\" - coming as it did after Pyongyang's nuclear bomb test on 3 September. US President Donald Trump said North Korea had \"once again shown its utter contempt for its neighbours, and the entire world community\", but that he felt more confident than ever that the US was ready should a military option be needed. But Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasiliy Nebenzia, urged caution, saying: \"We think that threats, tests, launches, and mutual threats in fact should be stopped, and that we should engage in meaningful negotiations.\" China accused the US of shirking its responsibilities. \"Honestly, I think the United States should be doing... much more than now, so that there's real effective international co-operation on this issue\", China's ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, was quoted as saying by Reuters. \"They should refrain from issuing more threats. They should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiation,\" he said. Analysis by BBC's Carrie Gracie in Beijing United Nations sanctions - no more no less. From a Chinese ambassador, that is blunt language and signals Beijing's irritation over American pressure. China feels it deserves more credit for the hard work and economic pain involved in enforcing two new rounds of UN sanctions within a matter of weeks. It also doubts that sanctions alone, however tough, will deter Pyongyang. So Ambassador Cui Tiankai had his own advice for Washington, saying it should avoid making threats and instead resume dialogue. The only satisfied party today is North Korea. But China has insisted time and again that it will never accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, and it can't avoid the obvious and urgent question: how does China intend to stop it? No new sanctions have been announced at the Council's meeting. The launch took place from the Sunan district of the capital Pyongyang just before 07:00 local time on Friday (22:00 GMT on Thursday), South Korea's military says. Sunan is home to Pyongyang International Airport. As with the last test on 29 August, the missile flew over Japan's Hokkaido island before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Sirens sounded across the region and text message alerts were sent out warning people to take cover. What is so alarming about the new launch is that the US Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korea says it has a plan to target, is 3,400km from Pyongyang, putting it within range of the latest missile. The North's sixth nuclear test reportedly involved a miniaturised hydrogen bomb that could be loaded on to a long-range missile. - Pyongyang has been developing weapons, initially based on the Soviet-developed Scud, for decades - Conducted short and medium-range missile tests on many occasions, sometimes to mark domestic events or periods of regional tension - Pace of tests has increased in recent months; experts say North Korea appears to be making significant advances towards building a reliable long-range nuclear-capable weapon - On 3 September, North Korea said it tested a hydrogen bomb that could be miniaturised and loaded on a long-range missile", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1270, "answer_end": 2342, "text": "The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting, in which members unanimously condemned the launch as \"highly provocative\" - coming as it did after Pyongyang's nuclear bomb test on 3 September. US President Donald Trump said North Korea had \"once again shown its utter contempt for its neighbours, and the entire world community\", but that he felt more confident than ever that the US was ready should a military option be needed. But Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasiliy Nebenzia, urged caution, saying: \"We think that threats, tests, launches, and mutual threats in fact should be stopped, and that we should engage in meaningful negotiations.\" China accused the US of shirking its responsibilities. \"Honestly, I think the United States should be doing... much more than now, so that there's real effective international co-operation on this issue\", China's ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, was quoted as saying by Reuters. \"They should refrain from issuing more threats. They should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiation,\" he said."}], "question": "How the world reacted to the test?", "id": "516_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3190, "answer_end": 3964, "text": "The launch took place from the Sunan district of the capital Pyongyang just before 07:00 local time on Friday (22:00 GMT on Thursday), South Korea's military says. Sunan is home to Pyongyang International Airport. As with the last test on 29 August, the missile flew over Japan's Hokkaido island before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Sirens sounded across the region and text message alerts were sent out warning people to take cover. What is so alarming about the new launch is that the US Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korea says it has a plan to target, is 3,400km from Pyongyang, putting it within range of the latest missile. The North's sixth nuclear test reportedly involved a miniaturised hydrogen bomb that could be loaded on to a long-range missile."}], "question": "Why does this new test matter?", "id": "516_1"}]}]}, {"title": "\u00a35bn for full fibre - do the numbers add up?", "date": "30 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three months ago, Boris Johnson set a hugely ambitious target - giving every home in the UK full-fibre broadband by 2025. Now, at the Conservative Party conference, the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, has promised the funds to make that happen. Or has he? In the press release previewing a speech promising as much as PS50bn in new infrastructure spending, there is this section about broadband. \"We are setting out plans to invest PS5bn to support the rollout of full-fibre, 5G and other gigabit-capable networks to the hardest-to-reach 20% of the country,\" it says. \"This doubles the previous commitment to support rollout to the hardest 10%.\" Last year's Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, commissioned by Theresa May's government, set an \"ambitious target\" of full fibre - a pure fibre-optic cable running directly into the building rather than to a roadside cabinet - reaching 15 million premises by 2025. The whole country -  including about 30 million homes as well as millions more businesses and public buildings - would be covered by 2033, it added. And a government statement at the time said this would \"require require additional funding of around PS3bn to PS5bn to support commercial investment in the final 10% of areas\". But in June, as he stood for the leadership of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson described that strategy as \"laughably unambitious\". Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: \"We should commit now to delivering full fibre to every home in the land not in the mid-2030s - but in five years at the outside.\" That 2025 target was reaffirmed - albeit somewhat less explicitly - in speeches after Mr Johnson won the Conservative leadership contest and as he entered No 10. There was talk of \"fantastic full-fibre broadband sprouting in every household\". Now, the chancellor is promising PS5bn to make that sprouting happen - but fulfilling that pledge to move the target eight years earlier should mean the cost goes up. After all, this is a massive building project. Scarce workers will have to be recruited and trained and materials bought. Tell your builder your extension has to be built by Christmas, not next summer and you'll find the bill spirals. And it's not just about having a tighter deadline. The 2033 target envisaged the government providing funds to cover the 10% of the country that would not be reached by private-sector investment. Moving the goal forward means it now expects 20% of the UK won't have been covered by the commercial sector in time. So, the chancellor appears to be expecting to get a lot out of the PS5bn, assuming he really is sticking to the promise of full-fibre for all - a much faster more extensive programme to bring the best possible broadband to everyone, without dipping deeper into public funds. I was given a glimpse of some of the issues last month, when I visited the remote island community on Grimsay, in the Hebrides, which had recently been given full-fibre broadband. It had proved pretty expensive, something like PS4,000 to hook up each household, with much of the funding coming from the Scottish government. And while the inhabitants were naturally enthusiastic about the project, their neighbours on other islands had immediately begun asking: \"What about us?\" There is one more puzzling thing about the chancellor's speech - does it contain a watering down of the prime minister's full-fibre pledge? It talks of investment not just in fibre but in \"5G and other gigabit-capable networks\". Now, some in the telecoms industry have suggested laying a fibre connection up every remote farm track or mountainside may not be sensible when other technologies such as 5G or even low earth-orbit satellites could supply similar speeds. But fibre purists - and that seems to include the prime minister - insist it is the only reliable option if we are not to have a two-speed country with rural areas left in the slow lane. And Mr Javid's team is not providing much more clarity, except to say \"gigabit-capable\" broadband networks will be provided to everyone and further details will be set out later this year in the National Infrastructure Strategy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3254, "answer_end": 4136, "text": "There is one more puzzling thing about the chancellor's speech - does it contain a watering down of the prime minister's full-fibre pledge? It talks of investment not just in fibre but in \"5G and other gigabit-capable networks\". Now, some in the telecoms industry have suggested laying a fibre connection up every remote farm track or mountainside may not be sensible when other technologies such as 5G or even low earth-orbit satellites could supply similar speeds. But fibre purists - and that seems to include the prime minister - insist it is the only reliable option if we are not to have a two-speed country with rural areas left in the slow lane. And Mr Javid's team is not providing much more clarity, except to say \"gigabit-capable\" broadband networks will be provided to everyone and further details will be set out later this year in the National Infrastructure Strategy."}], "question": "Watering down?", "id": "517_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nairobi water: What's behind severe shortages?", "date": "2 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Kenya's rapidly growing capital city is facing severe problems with the supply and quality of its water supply, driving people to buy it from unsafe and potentially contaminated sources. So, how bad is the water problem facing Nairobi and how does it compare with other major cities in Africa? Nahashon Muguna, the head of the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), appeared on national television recently and expressed serious concerns about the pace of improvements to the water supply in the face of a rapidly growing population over the past few decades. In 1990, more than 90% of the population in Kenya's urban areas had access to clean water, according to the United Nations. Now, it is estimated that just 50% of Nairobi's four and a half million residents have direct access to piped water. Many residents obtain water from kiosks, vendors and illegal connections. Since 2017 a system of rationing has been in place. Different areas of the city receive water on specific days of the week, some for a few days and others for just a few hours. \"What can resolve problems of water supply in the city is the development of new water sources,\" says Mr Muguna. \"The water we are using was supposed to serve the population of the city only up to the year 2000.\" Projects are under way to expand local dam capacity and construct a new water transfer tunnel.  Some of this extra capacity is due for completion next year. Mr Muguna says these projects were due to be finished more than a decade ago, but faced problems in raising the finance. There is currently about a 25% shortfall in supply to Nairobi homes, according to the city's water provider, NCWSC. There are also significant issues over the quality of the piped water, particularly in the city's informal settlements. Water from drains or sewage can seep into the supply due to the deterioration of pipes and much of it is undrinkable, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has a national target to ensure availability and access to improved water to everyone by 2030. However, previous targets have been missed, with a promise to reach 80% national coverage by 2015 falling significantly short. The national estimate for household provision of clean water was 57% by the end of 2018. A study of water provision in 15 cities in lower income countries around the world was carried out by the US-based World Resources Institute. Nairobi is certainly not the worst for water provision among those cities studied. Out of the cities surveyed in the region, Kampala and Lagos have the lowest access to piped water, with many informal settlements in Nigeria's largest city having no piped water. The study also says that the cost of water is high in many developing cities, with a high proportion of household income going to purchase piped or bottled water. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1553, "answer_end": 2282, "text": "There is currently about a 25% shortfall in supply to Nairobi homes, according to the city's water provider, NCWSC. There are also significant issues over the quality of the piped water, particularly in the city's informal settlements. Water from drains or sewage can seep into the supply due to the deterioration of pipes and much of it is undrinkable, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has a national target to ensure availability and access to improved water to everyone by 2030. However, previous targets have been missed, with a promise to reach 80% national coverage by 2015 falling significantly short. The national estimate for household provision of clean water was 57% by the end of 2018."}], "question": "How much water does Nairobi need?", "id": "518_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2283, "answer_end": 2849, "text": "A study of water provision in 15 cities in lower income countries around the world was carried out by the US-based World Resources Institute. Nairobi is certainly not the worst for water provision among those cities studied. Out of the cities surveyed in the region, Kampala and Lagos have the lowest access to piped water, with many informal settlements in Nigeria's largest city having no piped water. The study also says that the cost of water is high in many developing cities, with a high proportion of household income going to purchase piped or bottled water."}], "question": "How does Nairobi compare?", "id": "518_1"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo election: Sadc proposes unity government", "date": "13 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The southern African regional body Sadc has called for a unity government in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the disputed presidential election. All political leaders should agree a negotiated settlement, it said. Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared winner but another opponent of the current administration, Martin Fayulu, insists he won. He alleges Mr Tshisekedi made a deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Mr Kabila has been in office for 18 years and the result, if confirmed, would create the first orderly transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. The declaration of Mr Tshisekedi as winner has also been disputed by the influential Catholic church which says it deployed 40,000 election monitors across the country. On Saturday, Mr Fayulu filed an appeal in the Constitutional Court demanding a manual recount of votes cast in the 30 December election. This call was supported by Sadc in its statement issued by Zambian President Edgar Lungu, who chairs Sadc's Politics, Defence and Security department. He and other regional leaders felt the best way forward was a negotiated political settlement and a government of national unity, Mr Lungu said. He cited the example of similar deals in Zimbabwe and Kenya. South Africa's Foreign Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, also said a unity government could prove to be an acceptable compromise for a troubled country in desperate need of peace. The legal process in the DR Congo should not be pre-empted, and outsiders should not attempt to force a settlement, she added. Mr Fayulu tweeted to thank Sadc for backing his call for a vote recount but he did not comment on the proposed plan for a government of national unity: Several Western governments have expressed surprise and concern at the declared results. Sadc's intervention will be welcomed by some as a wise proposal to avoid further bloodshed. But others will see it as another weak and dangerous compromise that undermines African democracy, and emboldens autocrats, the BBC's Andrew Harding in Johannesburg says. On Saturday, Mr Fayulu repeated that the result did not reflect \"the truth of the ballot boxes\". He told BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane: \"I will do whatever is possible for me to do to get the truth because the Congolese want change.\" According to the National Electoral Commission (Ceni), Mr Tshisekedi received 38.5% of the vote. The full results were: - Felix Tshisekedi - 7 million votes - Martin Fayulu - 6.4 million votes - Emmanuel Shadary - 4.4 million votes Turnout was reported to be 48%. The commission also said the pro-Kabila coalition had won a majority of parliamentary seats. Judges have seven days to deliberate. Constitutional expert Jacques Ndjoli told the BBC there were three possible outcomes: the court could confirm Mr Tshisekedi's victory, order a recount, or cancel the results altogether and call fresh elections. The constitutional court has never overturned results before, and some think most of its judges are close to the ruling party. If Mr Tshisekedi were confirmed as the winner, he would be expected to be inaugurated within 10 days. Why DR Congo matters:", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2306, "answer_end": 2662, "text": "According to the National Electoral Commission (Ceni), Mr Tshisekedi received 38.5% of the vote. The full results were: - Felix Tshisekedi - 7 million votes - Martin Fayulu - 6.4 million votes - Emmanuel Shadary - 4.4 million votes Turnout was reported to be 48%. The commission also said the pro-Kabila coalition had won a majority of parliamentary seats."}], "question": "What was the result of the presidential election?", "id": "519_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2663, "answer_end": 3140, "text": "Judges have seven days to deliberate. Constitutional expert Jacques Ndjoli told the BBC there were three possible outcomes: the court could confirm Mr Tshisekedi's victory, order a recount, or cancel the results altogether and call fresh elections. The constitutional court has never overturned results before, and some think most of its judges are close to the ruling party. If Mr Tshisekedi were confirmed as the winner, he would be expected to be inaugurated within 10 days."}], "question": "What could happen next?", "id": "519_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why the UK has such cheap food", "date": "1 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Many Britons feel they have to watch the pennies after recent inflation rises and years of flatlining wages. This extends to their supermarket shop, with four in 10 people reporting they are concerned about the cost of food. Against this backdrop, grocery giant Tesco has joined the discount retailers, which the launch of \"value-orientated\" chain Jack's. Yet in relative terms, the British grocery shop remains one of the cheapest in the world. Britons spend an average of 8% of their total household expenditure on food to eat at home. This is less than any other country apart from the US and Singapore, according to data from market research firm Euromonitor. Food spending varies considerably around the world. Greeks spend 16%, while Peruvians spend 26%. Nigerians spend the most on food in relative terms - 59% of their household budget. The food consumed in the UK is also the cheapest in Western Europe - costing 8% less than the EU average, according to EU statistical body Eurostat. It is also much cheaper in relative terms than the food bought by Britons' parents and grandparents. The proportion of household income spent on food has more than halved over the past 60 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), while spending on housing costs and leisure activities has doubled. Why have Britons come to spend less and less of their income on food? It's partly a reflection of how people shop. Store loyalty has decreased over time, with consumers more likely to shop around for the best prices. Four out of 10 would not care if their usual supermarket closed, one survey of 1,500 of UK consumers found. Almost one in five had switched from their main supermarket in the past year. Over the decades the traditional single weekly shopping trip has also given way to more frequent outings, for purchasing smaller baskets of goods. Unable to rely on past loyalty, supermarkets have had to work harder to attract customers. This is particularly true now there are more low-cost options available. Discounters Aldi and Lidl have grown quickly in recent years and now have 13% of the UK's grocery market, making it much harder for other supermarkets to raise their prices. As with many countries, the UK has benefitted from mostly rising incomes, while food production has become more efficient. Farming has become increasingly mechanised, which speeds up production and helps to maximise harvests. At the same time, the way food is transported, stored and distributed has become increasingly streamlined. All of this has helped to push down the price of groceries in the shops. The UK has also benefitted from the growth of trade between countries. It currently imports about half of all its food, up from a third in 1988. Retailers are able to source foods cheaply from around the world, without incurring the UK's often higher manufacturing and processing costs. More like this However, we cannot be certain that the era of ultra-low food prices will continue. One threat comes from the weather. This year, the Beast from the East brought snow and low temperatures in March and was followed by a summer heatwave. The combination hit crop yields and has already led to increased prices. This combination caused the wholesale cost of carrots to rise by 80% and wheat by 20% between March and July, consultancy CEBR estimated. It believes these and other price rises could add PS7 on to household bills every month. While episodes like this may still be relatively rare in the UK, most scientists agree that international weather patterns are becoming more extreme. If droughts and floods become more frequent, this is likely to boost global food prices. The UK's reliance on imported food means it is particularly affected by changes in the strength of the pound. Since the Brexit referendum in June 2016, the pound has fallen by as much as 17% against the euro and 29% against the dollar, although it has recovered somewhat since then. This has been followed by trade disputes, as food suppliers seek to pass a portion of their rising import costs on to retailers. One example of this was \"Marmitegate\", when Tesco temporarily stopped stocking Unilever products after the manufacturer raised its prices. There are also fears that prices could rise if supplies are disrupted immediately after Brexit and duties are increased on EU imports, which account for about 30% of the food eaten in the UK. If there is a \"no-deal\" Brexit, the UK should expect to see \"a pretty significant increase in the cost of fruit and veg, the cost of meat and the cost of dairy products\", according to Lord Price, former Conservative trade minister and ex-boss of Waitrose. However, we do not yet know what the impact of Brexit will be on food prices. Another suggestion is that duties on food imported from outside of the EU will be lowered and that the UK will start to grow more at home. The UK is also subject to global trends beyond its control. By 2050, the world's population is predicted to increase by a third, with almost 10 billion mouths to feed. And tastes are changing. The growing middle class in countries like China now has more disposable income to spend on food, beyond the essentials. This includes eating more meat and dairy products. Such trends can lead to price rises if demand can't keep up, for example the 24% spike in the price of butter. In January 2017, cold weather in Italy and heavy rainfall in Spain caused a \"perfect storm\" for courgette importers, pushing up prices at a time of year when Western consumers demand healthier food. We are in an era of low food prices, compared with other countries and the UK's own history. If this changes, Britons may have to think hard about the choices they make. Public health could improve if price rises lead people to consume fewer calories. But it could also lead to worsening diets if fresh produce prices rise faster than those of processed food. Either way, environmental and economic factors may mean UK consumers face a future of higher food prices. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from experts working for an outside organisation. Ratula Chakraborty is a professor of Business Management at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia Paul Dobson is a professor of Business Strategy and Public Policy and head of Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia Edited by Eleanor Lawrie.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5573, "answer_end": 6038, "text": "We are in an era of low food prices, compared with other countries and the UK's own history. If this changes, Britons may have to think hard about the choices they make. Public health could improve if price rises lead people to consume fewer calories. But it could also lead to worsening diets if fresh produce prices rise faster than those of processed food. Either way, environmental and economic factors may mean UK consumers face a future of higher food prices."}], "question": "End of an era?", "id": "520_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared?", "date": "14 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "They are citizen journalists, wanting to provide the \"truth\" of what is happening in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China. They posted videos online, shared pictures and dramatic stories from inside the quarantined city that has been virtually cut off from the rest of the country. Now, they are nowhere to be found. Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi were both determined to share what they could about the crisis, reporting from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, and sending what they found out into the world. As a result, they racked up thousands of views on their videos. But their channels have now gone quiet, and those who followed them online fear they may have disappeared for good. Wuhan businessman Fang Bin began posting videos about the outbreak to \"report on the actual situation here\", promising to \"do his best\" in the reporting. He uploaded his first video on 25 January to YouTube, which is banned in China but accessible through virtual private networks (VPN). His first few videos - mostly featuring him driving around the city and showing the situation in different places - managed slightly more than 1,000 views. Then on 1 February he filmed a video which got people to sit up and take notice. The clip, which has been viewed almost 200,000 times, appears to show eight corpses piled in a minibus outside a hospital in Wuhan. Fang alleges that police barged into his home on that same night and interrogated him about his videos. He was taken away, warned, but eventually released. But on 9 February, he posted a 13-second video with the words \"all people revolt - hand the power of the government back to the people\". After that, the account went silent. Chen, a former human rights lawyer turned video journalist, was already relatively well known in the activist space. He built his reputation through his coverage of the Hong Kong protests last August. That coverage, he later alleged, led to him being harassed and ultimately muzzled by Chinese authorities following his return to the mainland. His Chinese social media accounts, which reportedly had a following of more than 700,000, were deleted. But he could not be kept quiet. In October, he created a YouTube account which now has some 400,000 subscribers. He also has over 265,000 followers on Twitter. In late January he decided to travel to Wuhan to report on the worsening situation. \"I will use my camera to document what is really happening. I promise I won't... cover up the truth,\" he said in his first YouTube video. He visited different hospitals in Wuhan, looking at the conditions and speaking to patients. Chen knew that this was putting him at risk. He told the BBC's John Sudworth earlier this month that he was unsure how long he would be able to continue. \"The censorship is very strict and people's accounts are being closed down if they share my content,\" he said. Then, on 7 February, a video was shared on his Twitter account - which is currently managed by a friend - featuring his mother, who said he had gone missing the day before. His friend Xu Xiaodong later alleged in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly quarantined. Chinese authorities have remained tight-lipped on the issue. There has been no official statement detailing where Fang Bin or Chen Qiushi are, or when they are likely to emerge if they have been put into quarantine. Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International, said it was still unclear whether Chen or Fang \"were taken away by police or placed under 'forced quarantine'\". However, he added that authorities should \"at least\" ensure family members were contacted. \"Chinese authorities should inform their families and give them access to a lawyer of their choice. Otherwise, it's a legitimate concern that they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment,\" Mr Poon told the BBC. Beijing is known for clamping down on activists who speak out. It has also been keen to show it is getting the outbreak under control. It is perhaps not surprising that, according to one Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher, the authorities are currently \"equally, if not more, concerned with silencing criticism as with containing the spread of the virus\". One doctor, Li Wenliang, was warned not to spread \"false comments\" after raising the alarm about the virus earlier in December. He eventually caught the virus and died. His death triggered an unprecedented wave of anger, sparking an online uprising. Chinese authorities were stunned, and reacted by attempting to censor every critical comment about Dr Li's death. \"The authoritarian Chinese government has a history of harassing and detaining citizens for speaking the truth or for criticizing the authorities during public emergencies, for example, during Sars in 2003, Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Wenzhou train crash in 2011 and Tianjin chemical explosion in 2015,\"  HRW's Yaqiu Wang told the BBC. However, she says China needs to \"learn from experience and understand that freedom of information, transparency and the respect for human rights facilitate disease control, not hinder it\". \"Authorities are doing themselves a disservice by [allegedly] disappearing Fang and Chen,\" she added. On Chinese news site Weibo, there are only a handful of comments mentioning Chen and Fang - and it seems only a matter of time before they are scrubbed away by China's ever vigilant censors. \"[They] re-write history,\" said one comment. \"Slowly it will be like [there never was] someone called Chen Qiushi.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1695, "answer_end": 3150, "text": "Chen, a former human rights lawyer turned video journalist, was already relatively well known in the activist space. He built his reputation through his coverage of the Hong Kong protests last August. That coverage, he later alleged, led to him being harassed and ultimately muzzled by Chinese authorities following his return to the mainland. His Chinese social media accounts, which reportedly had a following of more than 700,000, were deleted. But he could not be kept quiet. In October, he created a YouTube account which now has some 400,000 subscribers. He also has over 265,000 followers on Twitter. In late January he decided to travel to Wuhan to report on the worsening situation. \"I will use my camera to document what is really happening. I promise I won't... cover up the truth,\" he said in his first YouTube video. He visited different hospitals in Wuhan, looking at the conditions and speaking to patients. Chen knew that this was putting him at risk. He told the BBC's John Sudworth earlier this month that he was unsure how long he would be able to continue. \"The censorship is very strict and people's accounts are being closed down if they share my content,\" he said. Then, on 7 February, a video was shared on his Twitter account - which is currently managed by a friend - featuring his mother, who said he had gone missing the day before. His friend Xu Xiaodong later alleged in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly quarantined."}], "question": "What do we know about Chen Qiushi?", "id": "521_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3151, "answer_end": 3839, "text": "Chinese authorities have remained tight-lipped on the issue. There has been no official statement detailing where Fang Bin or Chen Qiushi are, or when they are likely to emerge if they have been put into quarantine. Patrick Poon, a researcher at Amnesty International, said it was still unclear whether Chen or Fang \"were taken away by police or placed under 'forced quarantine'\". However, he added that authorities should \"at least\" ensure family members were contacted. \"Chinese authorities should inform their families and give them access to a lawyer of their choice. Otherwise, it's a legitimate concern that they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment,\" Mr Poon told the BBC."}], "question": "What have authorities said?", "id": "521_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3840, "answer_end": 5496, "text": "Beijing is known for clamping down on activists who speak out. It has also been keen to show it is getting the outbreak under control. It is perhaps not surprising that, according to one Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher, the authorities are currently \"equally, if not more, concerned with silencing criticism as with containing the spread of the virus\". One doctor, Li Wenliang, was warned not to spread \"false comments\" after raising the alarm about the virus earlier in December. He eventually caught the virus and died. His death triggered an unprecedented wave of anger, sparking an online uprising. Chinese authorities were stunned, and reacted by attempting to censor every critical comment about Dr Li's death. \"The authoritarian Chinese government has a history of harassing and detaining citizens for speaking the truth or for criticizing the authorities during public emergencies, for example, during Sars in 2003, Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Wenzhou train crash in 2011 and Tianjin chemical explosion in 2015,\"  HRW's Yaqiu Wang told the BBC. However, she says China needs to \"learn from experience and understand that freedom of information, transparency and the respect for human rights facilitate disease control, not hinder it\". \"Authorities are doing themselves a disservice by [allegedly] disappearing Fang and Chen,\" she added. On Chinese news site Weibo, there are only a handful of comments mentioning Chen and Fang - and it seems only a matter of time before they are scrubbed away by China's ever vigilant censors. \"[They] re-write history,\" said one comment. \"Slowly it will be like [there never was] someone called Chen Qiushi.\""}], "question": "Why might they have disappeared?", "id": "521_2"}]}]}, {"title": "California wildfires: 250,000 flee monster flames ravaging state", "date": "10 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 11 people have died in the most destructive wildfires ripping through north and south California. More than 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state. Firefighters were powerless in stopping a wildfire destroying the northern town of Paradise, where nine people died and 35 are missing. Another fire swept into the affluent southern beach resort of Malibu on Friday and has now doubled in size. Two more people were reported to have died in that fire, known as the Woolsey, which now covers an area of 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares). Among the towns under evacuation orders is Thousand Oaks, where a gunman killed 12 people in a rampage on Wednesday. \"The magnitude of the destruction of the fire is unbelievable and heartbreaking,\" said Mark Ghilarducci, of the California governor's office. President Trump has responded by blaming what he called gross mismanagement of the forests and warned of funding cuts. Meteorologists have warned that dangerous conditions may continue well into next week, but firefighters are hoping to take advantage of a temporary lull in the wind fanning the flames. The blaze started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles. Another blaze, the Hill Fire, started at about the same time, also near Thousand Oaks. On Friday, the flames jumped Highway 101 and headed into coastal areas. All residents have been ordered to evacuate. Los Angeles County sheriff's Chief John Benedict said on Saturday that two people had been found dead but provided no details on the deaths. Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to many celebrities. The actor Martin Sheen was briefly reported missing but later found on the beach. On Twitter, reality TV star Kim Kardashian said the home she shared with rapper Kanye West had been hit by the flames. \"Trying to get my mind off this fire... We are all safe and that's all that matters.\" The singer Cher, who is performing in Las Vegas, tweeted that she was worried about her Malibu home. The singer Lady Gaga said she had evacuated her home in Malibu, posting a video on Instagram that showed dark smoke billowing overhead. Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had evacuated, leaving behind his \"Bleak House\" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia. The fire has also reportedly destroyed one of the sets for the TV series Westworld and is threatening Malibu's Pepperdine University, a private residential college with more than 7,000 students. Firefighters have not managed to build containment barriers around the fire but hope to make some progress throughout Saturday. The 20,000-acre (8,100-hectare) fire north of Sacramento started in the Plumas National Forest on Thursday and quickly engulfed the town of Paradise. Residents fled for their lives as more than 6,700 homes and businesses were destroyed, making the fire the most destructive in the state's history. The flames moved so fast that some had to abandon their cars and escape the town on foot. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told a news conference on Friday that the remains of five victims were found in or near burnt-out cars. Three others were found outside homes and one inside a home. He said another 35 people were missing and three firefighters had been injured. \"This event was the worst-case scenario,\" he said. \"It was the event we have feared for a long time.\" Rescuers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars out of the way in order to reach a hospital and evacuate patients as the fire engulfed the building, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter said. \"There's nothing left standing,\" said Scott Maclean, the state's forestry and fire protection spokesman. The fire has now been partially contained. By the BBC's James Cook, Paradise in California Paradise is hell. A smouldering, sepia world in ruins. The air is acrid. Burning chemicals leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Walking among the ashes of people's lives is eerie and awful. There is a profound sadness here. We pass a child's charred swing, a swimming pool filled with filth, and worst of all, a pet dog which did not survive. Such was the intensity of the blaze that much of the debris is hard to recognise. Wafers of ash are drifting down like enormous snowflakes, smothering sound. But it is not quite silent here. A sooty squirrel scrambles up a blackened tree in a panic. There are booms and creaks from burning trees and telegraph poles. And soon, going from ruin to ruin, there will be the sound of those with the hardest job of all, checking to see if anyone was left behind. Fire officials have also issued evacuation notices for parts of Chico, a town of 93,000 people north of Sacramento. The three blazes are among 16 currently active fires in California. Officials have put most of Northern California under a Red Flag Warning, which means \"extreme fire behaviour\" can occur within 24 hours. The region has grappled with serious wildfires in recent years, including the worst in the state's history - the Mendocino fire in 2018.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1157, "answer_end": 2672, "text": "The blaze started on Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles. Another blaze, the Hill Fire, started at about the same time, also near Thousand Oaks. On Friday, the flames jumped Highway 101 and headed into coastal areas. All residents have been ordered to evacuate. Los Angeles County sheriff's Chief John Benedict said on Saturday that two people had been found dead but provided no details on the deaths. Malibu and nearby Calabasas are home to many celebrities. The actor Martin Sheen was briefly reported missing but later found on the beach. On Twitter, reality TV star Kim Kardashian said the home she shared with rapper Kanye West had been hit by the flames. \"Trying to get my mind off this fire... We are all safe and that's all that matters.\" The singer Cher, who is performing in Las Vegas, tweeted that she was worried about her Malibu home. The singer Lady Gaga said she had evacuated her home in Malibu, posting a video on Instagram that showed dark smoke billowing overhead. Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had evacuated, leaving behind his \"Bleak House\" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia. The fire has also reportedly destroyed one of the sets for the TV series Westworld and is threatening Malibu's Pepperdine University, a private residential college with more than 7,000 students. Firefighters have not managed to build containment barriers around the fire but hope to make some progress throughout Saturday."}], "question": "Where is the Woolsey Fire?", "id": "522_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2673, "answer_end": 3779, "text": "The 20,000-acre (8,100-hectare) fire north of Sacramento started in the Plumas National Forest on Thursday and quickly engulfed the town of Paradise. Residents fled for their lives as more than 6,700 homes and businesses were destroyed, making the fire the most destructive in the state's history. The flames moved so fast that some had to abandon their cars and escape the town on foot. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told a news conference on Friday that the remains of five victims were found in or near burnt-out cars. Three others were found outside homes and one inside a home. He said another 35 people were missing and three firefighters had been injured. \"This event was the worst-case scenario,\" he said. \"It was the event we have feared for a long time.\" Rescuers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars out of the way in order to reach a hospital and evacuate patients as the fire engulfed the building, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter said. \"There's nothing left standing,\" said Scott Maclean, the state's forestry and fire protection spokesman. The fire has now been partially contained."}], "question": "Where is the Camp Fire?", "id": "522_1"}]}]}, {"title": "HMS St Albans: UK frigate shadows Russian warship in North Sea", "date": "26 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A British frigate shadowed a Russian warship through the North Sea near UK waters on Christmas Day, the Royal Navy has revealed. HMS St Albans monitored the Admiral Gorsdhkov's \"activity in areas of national interest\", it said. The Admiral Gorshkov, a new guided-missile frigate, is still undergoing trials, Russian media report. The Royal Navy says there has been a recent \"upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters\". Britain also recently warned of a new threat posed by Russia to internet cables under the sea. HMS St Albans was sent on Saturday to \"keep watch on the new Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov as it passed close to UK territorial waters\", the Royal Navy said. The British frigate remained at sea on Monday, monitoring the Russian vessel, and was due to return to Portsmouth on Tuesday. \"I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression,\" Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said. \"Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests.\" In other recent activity involving the two navies: - HMS Tyne, a patrol ship, was also called to shadow a Russian intelligence-gathering ship as it sailed through the North Sea and the English Channel on Sunday while a navy helicopter was scrambled to track two other Russian vessels The Admiral Gorshkov, the first of a new class of multi-role frigates, has still to complete missile tests before entering service with the Russian navy next year, Russian media report. It has reportedly been sailing regularly between the White Sea off Russia's northern coast and the Baltic. Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a former Royal Navy Officer and former Nato commander, describes the deployment of the war ship as \"normal\". He told the BBC: \"She's perfectly entitled to do that under international law. It's demonstrating the right of innocent passage.\" Reports on the latest interception do not make clear in what direction the Russian ship was heading. Russian warships have used the international waters of the North Sea in recent times to sail to and from the Mediterranean for deployment off Syria. Relations between Britain and Russia have remained tense since Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the UK's defence staff, said earlier this month that Britain and Nato needed to prioritise protecting the lines of communication. He said it would \"immediately and potentially catastrophically\" hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted. The cables criss-cross the seabed, connecting up countries and continents.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1329, "answer_end": 2136, "text": "The Admiral Gorshkov, the first of a new class of multi-role frigates, has still to complete missile tests before entering service with the Russian navy next year, Russian media report. It has reportedly been sailing regularly between the White Sea off Russia's northern coast and the Baltic. Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a former Royal Navy Officer and former Nato commander, describes the deployment of the war ship as \"normal\". He told the BBC: \"She's perfectly entitled to do that under international law. It's demonstrating the right of innocent passage.\" Reports on the latest interception do not make clear in what direction the Russian ship was heading. Russian warships have used the international waters of the North Sea in recent times to sail to and from the Mediterranean for deployment off Syria."}], "question": "Why was the Russian ship in the North Sea?", "id": "523_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2137, "answer_end": 2623, "text": "Relations between Britain and Russia have remained tense since Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the UK's defence staff, said earlier this month that Britain and Nato needed to prioritise protecting the lines of communication. He said it would \"immediately and potentially catastrophically\" hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted. The cables criss-cross the seabed, connecting up countries and continents."}], "question": "Why is the UK worried about undersea cables?", "id": "523_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe latest: Mugabe in crunch talks over his future", "date": "16 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Zimbabwe's long-time President Robert Mugabe has been holding direct talks with the army over his future. Pictures emerged of the 93-year-old meeting the army chief and two envoys from South Africa at his official residence in Harare. The army put Mr Mugabe under house arrest on Wednesday after moving in to take control. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says Mr Mugabe must resign but sources suggest the president is resistant. The crisis stems from a power struggle in recent months over who might succeed him - his wife Grace Mugabe or former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Last week, Mr Mugabe came down in favour of his wife, sacking Mr Mnangagwa and provoking the ire of the army chiefs. It's very unclear. Photos in the Zimbabwe Herald showed Mr Mugabe meeting army chief Gen Constantino Chiwenga and the two South African envoys from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) at State House in Harare. Alongside them was Father Fidelis Mukonori, a Roman Catholic priest known to Mr Mugabe for years, who has been brought in to mediate. Sources close to the talks say Mr Mugabe - who has been in control of Zimbabwe since it threw off white minority rule in 1980 - is refusing to stand down voluntarily before next year's planned elections. \"He is refusing to step down. I think he is trying to buy time,\" one source close to the army leadership told the AFP news agency. Zanu-PF officials had earlier suggested Mr Mugabe could remain nominally in power until the party congress in December, when Mr Mnangagwa would be formally installed as party and national leader. By Anne Soy in Zimbabwe Many Zimbabweans almost instantly warmed to the military's move to take control of the country, and confine President Mugabe to his official residence. \"The military has done a good thing,\" says one bookseller. \"They will ensure we get a transitional government.\" He is firmly convinced that Mr Mugabe's 37-year rule is coming to an end. There has been a sudden change of tone in the country, and the sense is that many Zimbabweans have been yearning for change. Any change, it seems, would do. Read more on this South Africa is hosting millions of Zimbabweans who fled after the country's economy crashed in 2008. It has a special interest in seeing stability restored. South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo are the envoys meeting Mr Mugabe on behalf of Sadc, which South Africa currently leads. They will be pushing for a democratic solution. The body, which represents 16 countries, does not support coup-led governments as this would set a dangerous precedent in the largely peaceful region, says the BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg. The head of the African Union (AU), Guinean President Alpha Conde, was clear the AU would \"in no case accept\" a military seizure of power. He said he was \"inviting the army to return to its barracks and return to constitutional order\". Mr Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party and the main opposition leader in Zimbabwe, said on Thursday: \"In the interests of the people, Mr Robert Mugabe must resign... immediately.\" Mr Tsvangirai, who has been abroad receiving treatment for cancer, also called for a \"negotiated all-inclusive transitional mechanism\" that would lead to \"comprehensive reforms for free and fair elections to be held\". This has been echoed by another Zimbabwean opposition leader, Tendai Biti, who also spoke of the need for a \"transitional period\". Early reports suggested Mrs Mugabe had fled to Namibia, but sources now say she is in the family compound along with senior figures from the \"Generation-40\" group that backs her - cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. On Wednesday, one of her key allies, Zanu-PF youth wing leader Kudzai Chipanga, made a televised apology for criticising the head of the army as a war of words raged prior to the military takeover. Mr Chipanga is thought to be in army custody but insisted his statement was voluntary. Local media reports say a number of other senior members of the \"Generation-40\" group have also been detained. In the early hours of Wednesday, Zimbabwe's military took over the headquarters of national broadcaster ZBC and issued a statement saying they were targeting \"criminals\" around President Mugabe. Troops and armoured vehicles encircled parliament and other key buildings throughout the day. On Monday, Gen Chiwenga had warned the army would intervene to end what he called the \"purging\" of Zanu-PF members \"with a liberation background\", referring to the country's struggle for independence. Mr Mnangagwa is one such veteran of the 1970s war which led to independence.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 703, "answer_end": 1591, "text": "It's very unclear. Photos in the Zimbabwe Herald showed Mr Mugabe meeting army chief Gen Constantino Chiwenga and the two South African envoys from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) at State House in Harare. Alongside them was Father Fidelis Mukonori, a Roman Catholic priest known to Mr Mugabe for years, who has been brought in to mediate. Sources close to the talks say Mr Mugabe - who has been in control of Zimbabwe since it threw off white minority rule in 1980 - is refusing to stand down voluntarily before next year's planned elections. \"He is refusing to step down. I think he is trying to buy time,\" one source close to the army leadership told the AFP news agency. Zanu-PF officials had earlier suggested Mr Mugabe could remain nominally in power until the party congress in December, when Mr Mnangagwa would be formally installed as party and national leader."}], "question": "So what's going on in Harare now?", "id": "524_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2129, "answer_end": 2953, "text": "South Africa is hosting millions of Zimbabweans who fled after the country's economy crashed in 2008. It has a special interest in seeing stability restored. South African Defence Minister Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo are the envoys meeting Mr Mugabe on behalf of Sadc, which South Africa currently leads. They will be pushing for a democratic solution. The body, which represents 16 countries, does not support coup-led governments as this would set a dangerous precedent in the largely peaceful region, says the BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg. The head of the African Union (AU), Guinean President Alpha Conde, was clear the AU would \"in no case accept\" a military seizure of power. He said he was \"inviting the army to return to its barracks and return to constitutional order\"."}], "question": "What do South Africa and the region want?", "id": "524_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2954, "answer_end": 3526, "text": "Mr Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party and the main opposition leader in Zimbabwe, said on Thursday: \"In the interests of the people, Mr Robert Mugabe must resign... immediately.\" Mr Tsvangirai, who has been abroad receiving treatment for cancer, also called for a \"negotiated all-inclusive transitional mechanism\" that would lead to \"comprehensive reforms for free and fair elections to be held\". This has been echoed by another Zimbabwean opposition leader, Tendai Biti, who also spoke of the need for a \"transitional period\"."}], "question": "And Zimbabwe's opposition?", "id": "524_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3527, "answer_end": 4158, "text": "Early reports suggested Mrs Mugabe had fled to Namibia, but sources now say she is in the family compound along with senior figures from the \"Generation-40\" group that backs her - cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. On Wednesday, one of her key allies, Zanu-PF youth wing leader Kudzai Chipanga, made a televised apology for criticising the head of the army as a war of words raged prior to the military takeover. Mr Chipanga is thought to be in army custody but insisted his statement was voluntary. Local media reports say a number of other senior members of the \"Generation-40\" group have also been detained."}], "question": "What's happened to Grace Mugabe?", "id": "524_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4159, "answer_end": 4725, "text": "In the early hours of Wednesday, Zimbabwe's military took over the headquarters of national broadcaster ZBC and issued a statement saying they were targeting \"criminals\" around President Mugabe. Troops and armoured vehicles encircled parliament and other key buildings throughout the day. On Monday, Gen Chiwenga had warned the army would intervene to end what he called the \"purging\" of Zanu-PF members \"with a liberation background\", referring to the country's struggle for independence. Mr Mnangagwa is one such veteran of the 1970s war which led to independence."}], "question": "How did the military takeover come about?", "id": "524_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump threatens Turkey sanctions over pastor Andrew Brunson", "date": "26 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence have threatened Turkey with sanctions if it fails to release jailed pastor Andrew Brunson. The evangelical from North Carolina has been in detention for nearly two years, accused of having links to banned political groups. However, President Trump demanded his immediate release, or Turkey, a Nato ally, would face \"large sanctions\". The Turkish foreign ministry called the US demands \"unacceptable\". \"No-one can give orders to Turkey and threaten our country,\" said spokesperson Hami Aksoy. He is a long-term resident in Turkey. He lived with his wife and three children while working as the pastor of the small Izmir Resurrection Church, which had a congregation of about two dozen Protestants. The authorities accuse him of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulenist movement, which Turkey blames for a 2016 failed coup. Mr Brunson has denied charges of espionage, but faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. He was moved into house arrest on Wednesday for health reasons, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this was not enough. \"We have seen no credible evidence against Mr Brunson,\" Mr Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday. Turkey's foreign ministry said it had shared \"necessary information\" with the US, but insisted the case should be left with its independent judiciary. Mr Pence also sent out a series of strongly worded tweets, saying Turkey must act immediately or \"be prepared to face the consequences\". The vice-president, who is himself an evangelical Christian, attended the global summit on religious freedom at the state department on Thursday, which is thought to have sparked the outburst. Mr Pompeo, who is also an evangelical, hosted the summit - the first of its kind to be held at the state department. Sanctioning a Nato ally would be an unprecedented move, but this is not the first time the idea has been mentioned. In June, US diplomats also spoke about possible sanctions against Turkey, but related to its purchase of anti-aircraft missiles from Russia. Analysts say this could still be an underlying motivation for the latest threat. However, President Trump has repeatedly called for the return of captive Americans. He made a specific stand with North Korea, and three detainees were released in May ahead of his summit with leader Kim Jong-un. It is thought standing up for a pastor will be appreciated by his Christian supporters. US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said he believes there is an \"excellent prospect\" that Mr Brunson will come home. \"It has been raised with Turkey for some months now, in many forms, at every level of government,\" he said. Mr Brunson is one of 20 Americans who were charged after the coup, according to the New York Times. More than 50,000 people were arrested in Turkey in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's huge post-coup crackdown. He blames Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the attempt, but Mr Gulen denies any involvement. Turkey wants the US to agree to his extradition. President Erdogan has indicated he would swap the pastor for \"the priest\" (Mr Gulen). US support for Kurdish forces fighting the Syrian civil war has also angered President Erdogan, who views them as an extension of the PKK. The PKK - a Turkish-Kurdish rebel group fighting for autonomy since the 1980s - is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the US.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 548, "answer_end": 1376, "text": "He is a long-term resident in Turkey. He lived with his wife and three children while working as the pastor of the small Izmir Resurrection Church, which had a congregation of about two dozen Protestants. The authorities accuse him of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulenist movement, which Turkey blames for a 2016 failed coup. Mr Brunson has denied charges of espionage, but faces up to 35 years in jail if found guilty. He was moved into house arrest on Wednesday for health reasons, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this was not enough. \"We have seen no credible evidence against Mr Brunson,\" Mr Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday. Turkey's foreign ministry said it had shared \"necessary information\" with the US, but insisted the case should be left with its independent judiciary."}], "question": "Who is Andrew Brunson?", "id": "525_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2726, "answer_end": 3456, "text": "Mr Brunson is one of 20 Americans who were charged after the coup, according to the New York Times. More than 50,000 people were arrested in Turkey in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's huge post-coup crackdown. He blames Pennsylvania-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen for the attempt, but Mr Gulen denies any involvement. Turkey wants the US to agree to his extradition. President Erdogan has indicated he would swap the pastor for \"the priest\" (Mr Gulen). US support for Kurdish forces fighting the Syrian civil war has also angered President Erdogan, who views them as an extension of the PKK. The PKK - a Turkish-Kurdish rebel group fighting for autonomy since the 1980s - is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the US."}], "question": "What is Turkey's motivation?", "id": "525_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Purdue Pharma files for bankruptcy in the US", "date": "16 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US drug-maker Purdue Pharma has filed for bankruptcy protection, as part of efforts to deal with thousands of lawsuits that accuse the firm of fuelling the US opioid crisis. The company's board approved the Chapter 11 filing on Sunday. The move is designed in part to resolve more than 2,600 lawsuits filed against Purdue over its alleged role in the opioid epidemic. Last week, the firm reached a tentative deal to settle most of those lawsuits. Purdue had been facing legal action from thousands of cities and counties across the US. The lawsuits claimed that Purdue and its owners, the billionaire Sackler family, had aggressively marketed the prescription painkiller OxyContin, while at the same time misleading doctors and patients over addiction and overdose risks. The drugmaker has reached a deal with 24 states and five US territories, but another two dozen states remain opposed to the proposed settlement. In a statement reported by Reuters, members of the Sackler family said: \"It is our hope the bankruptcy reorganisation process that is now under way will end our ownership of Purdue and ensure its assets are dedicated for the public benefit.\" Chapter 11, a section of the US Bankruptcy Code, postpones a US company's obligations to its creditors, giving it time to reorganise its debts or sell parts of the business. Under the terms of the deal, Purdue is to be dissolved and the money raised - estimated to be about $10bn-$12bn (PS8bn-PS9.7bn), including a minimum cash contribution of $3bn from the Sackler family - will go towards settling the lawsuits. The Sacklers have also offered an additional $1.5bn from the eventual sale of Mundipharma, another pharmaceutical firm owned by the family. Several of the states that oppose the deal, such as New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, have questioned how Purdue came up with the contribution figure. The states want the Sackler family to put in more of its own money into the deal. New York state prosecutors have alleged that the Sacklers had been moving billions of dollars offshore to different banks, including accounts in Switzerland. The New York Attorney General's office has requested records from 33 financial institutions. However it found $1bn in wire transfers in records from just one institution. Opioids are a group of drugs that range from codeine to illegal drugs such as heroin. Prescription opioids are primarily used for pain relief but can be highly addictive. On average, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which says more than 200,000 Americans have died from opioid-related overdoses in the last two decades. Fatal drug overdose numbers rose every year from 1999 to 2017, including a sharp spike between 2014 and 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Experts partially blame the over-prescription of powerful and addictive painkillers for the epidemic. Firms including Purdue are accused of using deceptive practices to sell opioids, including downplaying their addictive quality. Purdue argued the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, had approved labels for OxyContin that had warnings about the risks.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2282, "answer_end": 3226, "text": "Opioids are a group of drugs that range from codeine to illegal drugs such as heroin. Prescription opioids are primarily used for pain relief but can be highly addictive. On average, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which says more than 200,000 Americans have died from opioid-related overdoses in the last two decades. Fatal drug overdose numbers rose every year from 1999 to 2017, including a sharp spike between 2014 and 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Experts partially blame the over-prescription of powerful and addictive painkillers for the epidemic. Firms including Purdue are accused of using deceptive practices to sell opioids, including downplaying their addictive quality. Purdue argued the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, had approved labels for OxyContin that had warnings about the risks."}], "question": "What is the opioid crisis?", "id": "526_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Karl Marx statue from China adds to German angst", "date": "5 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With Germany unsure about how to mark 200 years since Karl Marx was born, a giant bronze statue of the philosopher given by China to the town of his birth is adding to the unease. The small town of Trier near Luxembourg in western Germany eventually decided to accept the 4.5m (15ft) statue created by China's most famous sculptor - but only after years of wrangling over whether taking it would appear to condone rights abuses in China. Marx co-wrote the Communist Manifesto, which said that all of human history had been based on class struggle. China's capitalist government presents his work as central to its way of governing. But Marx also remains a controversial figure among Germans, many of whom lived under the Soviet Union's communist government his work inspired. The statue was unveiled at about midday local time (11:00 GMT) on Saturday. The commemorations have attracted rival groups of protesters and local officials have appealed for calm. \"If you want to criticise Marx, you are welcome to do so, but not with violence or destructive rage,\" Trier spokesman Michael Schmitz told DPA news agency. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was due to hold a silent march to remember the victims of communism, while a counter protest was also expected as well as a vigil in solidarity with China's banned Falun Gong movement, DPA said. His theories were used by his followers to form the basis of communism, a system under which everything was to be owned communally and social classes would disappear. However, communist-run states such as the Soviet Union and China became notorious for repression and human rights abuses. Germany's eastern half - the German Democratic Republic - was dominated by the Soviet Union from 1949 until reunification in 1990, by which time it was much poorer than its western counterpart. Malu Dreyer, leader of Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state, has described the commemorations of Marx's birth as an opportunity to discuss the man and his work, not to \"celebrate\" him. Other German politicians have been weighing in on social media. \"Dear Karl Marx, no matter how brilliant your ideas were, implementing them has never worked. Millions of people's lives and happiness were betrayed,\" wrote Economy Minister Peter Altmaier from Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democrats. MP Bernd Riexinger from the left-wing Die Linke party took a different view. \"Karl Marx is still highly relevant 200 years after his birth,\" he wrote. \"Today's technological advances make a better society possible. But capitalism prevents this: it destroys people and nature. It's worth reading Marx to see how exactly this happens.\" Speaking in Trier on Friday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Marx today \"stands for things which he is not responsible for and which he didn't cause because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite\". There has been a revival of interest in Marxist theory in the wake of the 2008 global financial crash. Trier officials said disputes about taking the work had dragged on for two years because some argued that accepting it was not compatible with criticising alleged human rights abuses in China. On Friday, the German branch of the writers organisation Pen said the statue should not be unveiled until Liu Xia, the widow of China's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, was released from house arrest. Ms Liu has been confined to her home since 2010. She has never been charged with any crime. Meanwhile AfD leader Alexander Gauland said there should be no monument to communism, as it had brought so much suffering to so many people. Trier's mayor Wolfram Leibe said the statue was an opportunity to re-examine attitudes. \"We have accepted it as a gesture of friendship and this statue should encourage people to deal with Karl Marx,\" he said. \"Maybe some judgements and prejudices will be revised.\" There are other monuments to Marx in Germany, including the house of his birth and a statue in a park in the capital, Berlin. About 4.5m tourists including 50,000 from China visit Trier, Mr Leibe said. President Xi Jinping on Friday gave a high-profile speech praising Marx as the greatest thinker of modern times. He urged China's ruling Communist Party to go back to the roots of Marxism, and said the party would forever remain the \"guardians and practitioners\" of its theories. Students and most civil servants in China must complete mandatory courses in Marxism. Despite this, China's capitalist system is home to hundreds of billionaires and a widening gap between rich and poor. The Marx statue that China has given to Trier was created by famous sculptor Wu Weishan. \"In this era, my work gains much of the world's attention because China gains the world's attention,\" Mr Wu told Chinese state media. - The son of a Jewish lawyer in Germany, Marx became a revolutionary communist in Paris and met his lifelong collaborator Friedrich Engels there - They co-wrote the Communist Manifesto, which asserted that all human history had been based on class struggle and the workers of the world would ultimately seize power from the ruling elites - Marx then moved to London and wrote Das Kapital, arguing that an economic system based on private profit was inherently unstable. Workers were exploited by factory owners and did not own the products of their labour, he said, making them little better than machines - In the UK, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has described Marx as a \"fascinating figure\", saying he had \"observed a great deal\" and a \"great deal\" could be learnt from him - Marx died in 1883 and was buried at London's Highgate Cemetery", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1358, "answer_end": 3029, "text": "His theories were used by his followers to form the basis of communism, a system under which everything was to be owned communally and social classes would disappear. However, communist-run states such as the Soviet Union and China became notorious for repression and human rights abuses. Germany's eastern half - the German Democratic Republic - was dominated by the Soviet Union from 1949 until reunification in 1990, by which time it was much poorer than its western counterpart. Malu Dreyer, leader of Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state, has described the commemorations of Marx's birth as an opportunity to discuss the man and his work, not to \"celebrate\" him. Other German politicians have been weighing in on social media. \"Dear Karl Marx, no matter how brilliant your ideas were, implementing them has never worked. Millions of people's lives and happiness were betrayed,\" wrote Economy Minister Peter Altmaier from Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right Christian Democrats. MP Bernd Riexinger from the left-wing Die Linke party took a different view. \"Karl Marx is still highly relevant 200 years after his birth,\" he wrote. \"Today's technological advances make a better society possible. But capitalism prevents this: it destroys people and nature. It's worth reading Marx to see how exactly this happens.\" Speaking in Trier on Friday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Marx today \"stands for things which he is not responsible for and which he didn't cause because many of the things he wrote down were redrafted into the opposite\". There has been a revival of interest in Marxist theory in the wake of the 2008 global financial crash."}], "question": "Why is Marx controversial?", "id": "527_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3030, "answer_end": 4128, "text": "Trier officials said disputes about taking the work had dragged on for two years because some argued that accepting it was not compatible with criticising alleged human rights abuses in China. On Friday, the German branch of the writers organisation Pen said the statue should not be unveiled until Liu Xia, the widow of China's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, was released from house arrest. Ms Liu has been confined to her home since 2010. She has never been charged with any crime. Meanwhile AfD leader Alexander Gauland said there should be no monument to communism, as it had brought so much suffering to so many people. Trier's mayor Wolfram Leibe said the statue was an opportunity to re-examine attitudes. \"We have accepted it as a gesture of friendship and this statue should encourage people to deal with Karl Marx,\" he said. \"Maybe some judgements and prejudices will be revised.\" There are other monuments to Marx in Germany, including the house of his birth and a statue in a park in the capital, Berlin. About 4.5m tourists including 50,000 from China visit Trier, Mr Leibe said."}], "question": "Why is the statue controversial?", "id": "527_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4129, "answer_end": 4835, "text": "President Xi Jinping on Friday gave a high-profile speech praising Marx as the greatest thinker of modern times. He urged China's ruling Communist Party to go back to the roots of Marxism, and said the party would forever remain the \"guardians and practitioners\" of its theories. Students and most civil servants in China must complete mandatory courses in Marxism. Despite this, China's capitalist system is home to hundreds of billionaires and a widening gap between rich and poor. The Marx statue that China has given to Trier was created by famous sculptor Wu Weishan. \"In this era, my work gains much of the world's attention because China gains the world's attention,\" Mr Wu told Chinese state media."}], "question": "What does China think of Marx?", "id": "527_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Juncker proposes EU military headquarters", "date": "14 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The European Union needs a military headquarters to work towards a common military force, the Commission president has told MEPs in Strasbourg. Jean-Claude Juncker said the lack of a \"permanent structure\" resulted in money being wasted on missions. Part of his annual state of the union address was devoted to the UK's unexpected vote to leave the EU. He insisted that the bloc was not at risk but called for Brexit negotiations to take place as quickly as possible. Modelled on the state of the union address by the US president, the Commission president's annual speech was  introduced in 2010 to detail the state of the EU and future legislative plans. The Brexit vote has given added impetus to plans for greater defence co-operation, because the UK has always objected to the potential conflict of interest with Nato. But Mr Juncker said a common military force \"should be in complement to Nato\". \"More defence in Europe doesn't mean less transatlantic solidarity.\" A European Defence Fund would stimulate military research and development, he said. All EU members have military forces; most are also members of Nato; and several have extensive experience of operations abroad, from peace-keeping to war-fighting. The real question is how to organise these component parts to get greater security. Mr Juncker insists that the EU must have a role here. He wants to improve EU command and control facilities and appears to be suggesting that EU civil and military aspects of a given mission should be run out of the same headquarters. He also insists that whatever the EU does it should not detract from Nato.  But defence resources are finite. His critics will say nothing should be done that duplicates existing Nato activities, as that sends a signal of disarray in Western ranks to Moscow. Read more here: Brexit vote revives dream of EU army Europe's media unimpressed by Juncker Since 2003 the EU has launched some 30 civilian and military operations in Europe, Africa and Asia - under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Sixteen are still going on, including six military operations:: - Its mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina oversees the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Agreement which ended the Balkan Wars. It replaced Nato forces in 2004 - Counter-piracy operation Atalanta began off the coast of Somalia in 2008 - In 2015, Operation Sophia began targeting migrant-traffickers in the Mediterranean - The EU also has military training programmes in Somalia, Mali and the Central African Republic On future Brexit negotiations, Mr Juncker warned that the UK could only have unlimited access to the single market if it accepted free movement of people and goods. \"There can be no a la carte access to the single market,\" he said. The single market has dominated the Brexit debate in the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May distanced herself last week from remarks by Brexit minister David Davis, when he said remaining in the single market would be \"very improbable\" if it meant giving up control of British borders. Jean-Claude Juncker and his team agonised over the wording of Wednesday's speech. The UK's vote to leave the EU is undoubtedly one of the biggest crises the bloc has ever faced but Mr Juncker was determined not to dwell on it. There were few words on Brexit. His main message: \"The European project continues. Let's choose to look forward. Be positive.\" Applause resounded around the chamber of the European Parliament but how will the voters outside react? Are they even listening? The drumbeat of nationalist, Eurosceptic populism reverberates around the continent. Public trust in the establishment is low - whether traditional politicians, bankers or EU bureaucrats - and Mr Juncker is an unelected president. Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU Mr Juncker admitted the EU was facing an \"existential crisis\", and he also warned that splits in the union had left space for \"galloping populism\". In a blunt criticism of recent attacks on immigrants in the UK, he said he would \"never accept Polish workers being beaten up, harassed or even murdered on the streets of Essex\". Mr Juncker said the EU had to deliver \"concrete results\" including: - Maintaining stability and sharing the burden of economic downturn, such as doubling investment in the EU to EUR500bn (PS425bn; $560bn) in the next five years and creating an investment fund for Africa - Creating solidarity in the Union - such as protecting unaccompanied minors migrating to the EU - but Mr Juncker said this must \"come from the heart\" and could not \"be forced or imposed\" - Promoting security including strengthening the EU's borders and promoting greater security co-operation between member states, as well as greater military centralisation. He urged a renewed focus on the EU as a \"driving force that can bring about unification, for instance in Cyprus\". Anti-EU MEPs lined up to criticise Mr Juncker's rallying cry: - UKIP leader Nigel Farage said it was \"the usual recipe: more Europe, in this particular case, more military Europe'' - Peter Lundgren of the anti-migrant Sweden Democrats said his country had always been neutral militarily. \"We don't want to be forced into this type of military co-operation,\" he said - But Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's lead negotiator on Brexit, said the EU still offered the \"cure\" for \"the cancer of nationalism\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 656, "answer_end": 1054, "text": "The Brexit vote has given added impetus to plans for greater defence co-operation, because the UK has always objected to the potential conflict of interest with Nato. But Mr Juncker said a common military force \"should be in complement to Nato\". \"More defence in Europe doesn't mean less transatlantic solidarity.\" A European Defence Fund would stimulate military research and development, he said."}], "question": "Won't a common military force interfere with Nato?", "id": "528_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2521, "answer_end": 3034, "text": "On future Brexit negotiations, Mr Juncker warned that the UK could only have unlimited access to the single market if it accepted free movement of people and goods. \"There can be no a la carte access to the single market,\" he said. The single market has dominated the Brexit debate in the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May distanced herself last week from remarks by Brexit minister David Davis, when he said remaining in the single market would be \"very improbable\" if it meant giving up control of British borders."}], "question": "What did we learn on Brexit?", "id": "528_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3806, "answer_end": 4878, "text": "Mr Juncker admitted the EU was facing an \"existential crisis\", and he also warned that splits in the union had left space for \"galloping populism\". In a blunt criticism of recent attacks on immigrants in the UK, he said he would \"never accept Polish workers being beaten up, harassed or even murdered on the streets of Essex\". Mr Juncker said the EU had to deliver \"concrete results\" including: - Maintaining stability and sharing the burden of economic downturn, such as doubling investment in the EU to EUR500bn (PS425bn; $560bn) in the next five years and creating an investment fund for Africa - Creating solidarity in the Union - such as protecting unaccompanied minors migrating to the EU - but Mr Juncker said this must \"come from the heart\" and could not \"be forced or imposed\" - Promoting security including strengthening the EU's borders and promoting greater security co-operation between member states, as well as greater military centralisation. He urged a renewed focus on the EU as a \"driving force that can bring about unification, for instance in Cyprus\"."}], "question": "What else did he say?", "id": "528_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4879, "answer_end": 5401, "text": "Anti-EU MEPs lined up to criticise Mr Juncker's rallying cry: - UKIP leader Nigel Farage said it was \"the usual recipe: more Europe, in this particular case, more military Europe'' - Peter Lundgren of the anti-migrant Sweden Democrats said his country had always been neutral militarily. \"We don't want to be forced into this type of military co-operation,\" he said - But Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's lead negotiator on Brexit, said the EU still offered the \"cure\" for \"the cancer of nationalism\""}], "question": "How did MEPs react?", "id": "528_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro makes top judge Sergio Moro justice minister", "date": "1 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brazil's far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has convinced prominent anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro to lead the country's justice ministry. Mr Moro said on Thursday it was an \"honour\" to be asked to be the minister overseeing justice and public security. But his appointment is likely to fuel allegations that his high-profile anti-fraud probe was politically motivated. Operation Car Wash, as his inquiry was known, was accused of unfairly targeting left-wing politicians. Its biggest scalp was leftist ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was a frontrunner in the election before his 12-year jail sentence last April for corruption. Mr Bolsonaro won a sweeping election victory earlier this week. He is a polarising figure, whose praise of Brazil's former dictatorship and comments on race, women and homosexuality have raised concerns. Mr Bolsonaro made it known earlier this week that he wanted Mr Moro to be justice minister, saying he was a person \"of extreme importance in a government like ours\". The two men met in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. \"Federal Judge Sergio Moro has accepted our invitation to be minister of justice and public security. His anti-corruption, anti-organised crime agenda and his respect for the constitution and the law will be our guiding principle!\" Mr Bolsonaro tweeted. Mr Moro later confirmed in a statement that he had \"accepted the invitation as an honour\". The federal judge was in charge of Operation Car Wash, a major investigation into claims that executives at the state oil company Petrobras accepted bribes in return for awarding contracts to construction firms. He uncovered a huge web of corruption involving top-level politicians from a broad spectrum of parties. His crusade against corruption has made him a hero to many, but others accuse him of disproportionately targeting left-wing politicians, especially those in the former ruling Workers' Party. Former President Lula has repeatedly said he is a victim of a political witch-hunt. Mr Moro, who in 2016 told newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that he would never enter politics, has said he will now hand over his investigative work to other judges. The president-elect is seeking to reduce the number of government ministries by merging some departments to create \"super ministries\". As well as merging the justice and public security portfolios, his administration also announced plans to merge the agriculture and environment ministries - a decision that was condemned by environmentalists worried about the future of the Amazon rainforest. However, on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro said he may have changed his mind about the environment ministry and he could keep it separate. Mr Bolsonaro has pledged to loosen Brazil's gun laws. He insists that more widespread gun ownership will help to cut crime, but critics warn that such a move will only worsen violent crime in Brazil. The president-elect has also said he will: - withdraw government advertising from media outlets he judged to be \"lying\" - open up protected land to road and infrastructure projects - narrow the budget deficit and privatize state firms On Thursday, he reiterated his intentions to transfer the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, mirroring the move by US President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mr Bolsonaro's plan a \"historic, correct and exciting step\". It remains unclear whether Mr Bolsonaro will be able to see all his policies pass through Congress after he takes office in January.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1412, "answer_end": 2166, "text": "The federal judge was in charge of Operation Car Wash, a major investigation into claims that executives at the state oil company Petrobras accepted bribes in return for awarding contracts to construction firms. He uncovered a huge web of corruption involving top-level politicians from a broad spectrum of parties. His crusade against corruption has made him a hero to many, but others accuse him of disproportionately targeting left-wing politicians, especially those in the former ruling Workers' Party. Former President Lula has repeatedly said he is a victim of a political witch-hunt. Mr Moro, who in 2016 told newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that he would never enter politics, has said he will now hand over his investigative work to other judges."}], "question": "Who is Sergio Moro?", "id": "529_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2167, "answer_end": 2691, "text": "The president-elect is seeking to reduce the number of government ministries by merging some departments to create \"super ministries\". As well as merging the justice and public security portfolios, his administration also announced plans to merge the agriculture and environment ministries - a decision that was condemned by environmentalists worried about the future of the Amazon rainforest. However, on Thursday, Mr Bolsonaro said he may have changed his mind about the environment ministry and he could keep it separate."}], "question": "The new 'super ministries'?", "id": "529_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2692, "answer_end": 3532, "text": "Mr Bolsonaro has pledged to loosen Brazil's gun laws. He insists that more widespread gun ownership will help to cut crime, but critics warn that such a move will only worsen violent crime in Brazil. The president-elect has also said he will: - withdraw government advertising from media outlets he judged to be \"lying\" - open up protected land to road and infrastructure projects - narrow the budget deficit and privatize state firms On Thursday, he reiterated his intentions to transfer the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, mirroring the move by US President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mr Bolsonaro's plan a \"historic, correct and exciting step\". It remains unclear whether Mr Bolsonaro will be able to see all his policies pass through Congress after he takes office in January."}], "question": "What is Mr Bolsonaro likely to do in office?", "id": "529_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil economy: Can Bolsonaro ride the 'Bullsonaro wave'?", "date": "30 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "If stock markets and currencies are anything to go by, Brazil's economy would at first glance seem like one of the best bets for investors at the moment. While global markets have been experiencing sharp drops since September, Brazil's stock market and currency have both soared 13% in the same period. Market analysts say this is just the beginning of the \"Bullsonaro wave\", the bullish trend of Brazilian stocks spurred by the election of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. On 1 January, Mr Bolsonaro will be sworn in as president of Latin America's largest economy but will he be able to sustain that feeling in the business community? To say that opinions on Jair Bolsonaro are divided is a bit of an understatement. His views on women, race, religion, gun control and LGBT rights have caused outrage during the campaign. But amongst market players, the 63-year-old former army captain is far less controversial. The vast majority of members of the business and financial community wanted to see him defeat Fernando Haddad, his rival from the left-wing Workers' Party, at the ballot. The Workers' Party governed Brazil for 13 years and was in power during an era of great prosperity. But there is a broad consensus among the business community that the party was almost single-handedly responsible for the country's worst recession in history. The harshest criticism is directed against former President Dilma Rousseff and her spendthrift policies which turned Brazil's fiscal surplus into a ballooning deficit that is now crippling growth and job creation. Business leaders historically sided with the pro-market centre-right party PSDB, which performed poorly this year. As Jair Bolsonaro began to emerge as the strongest anti-Workers' Party candidate, businesses enthusiastically embraced his campaign. Now that Mr Bolsonaro has been elected, market optimism is giving way to scepticism. To lead the economy, Mr Bolsonaro - who has said himself that he does not understand much about economics - has chosen Paulo Guedes, a successful banker with a long history in financial markets. Mr Guedes has promised a host of pro-market reforms - formal independence of the central bank, privatisations, reduction in tax exemptions to industries, tax simplification and pension reform. But it will take arduous work to reform Brazil's economy. Brazil remains one of the most closed economies in the world and many of the industries that supported Mr Bolsonaro's rise to power are likely to resist reforms that remove government subsidies, increase international competition or promote tax increases. Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Guedes also promise a new comprehensive reform of the pension system, a system which contributes greatly to Brazil's fiscal problem. Brazil's Congress has in the past resisted any deep changes to pension rules, even in periods when the current president, Michel Temer, was able to wave the promise of patronage and other favours in front of members of Congress in exchange for their votes. Mr Bolsonaro is likely to face an uphill struggle to see his reforms through. Not only has he yet to come up with a new pension plan, he will then have to push it through a Congress in which he lacks a majority. And he has promised to do so by bringing in a new approach to bargaining with lawmakers, ditching the old ways of pork barrel politics. To make matters worse, even before his victory in Sunday's election, there was infighting within his camp. During the campaign, various of his allies suggested Mr Bolsonaro would adopt policies such as bringing in new taxes or putting a stop to end-of-year wage bonuses. Mr Bolsonaro had to come out and disavow his allies but he again failed to lay out any specific policies. Shortly after the election, Paulo Guedes spoke to the press about his plans to privatise companies and to bring down Brazil's budget from its current $37bn (PS29bn) deficit \"to zero\" in 2019 through spending cuts. Again, there were no specifics. \"We have been given an outline but we haven't been given any details,\" says Zeina Latif, an economist at XP Investimentos. International market analysts are taking notice. \"Uncertainties remain over the pace and depth of reforms at a time when deficit and debt pressures are high,\" wrote credit ratings agency Fitch on Monday. \"How effectively the new administration is able to use the honeymoon period to prioritise and pass its economic agenda remains uncertain. \"The ability of the president-elect to form an effective coalition to pass key economic bills early in the term will be an important early gauge for the overall commitment... \"However, the exact details of how his administration plans to achieve these objectives are limited,\" Fitch concluded. Moody's Vice-President Samar Maziad also hedged his bets: \"Although we expect broad policy continuity, the ability to build support in Congress to approve fiscal reform remains untested.\" Brazil's economy is in deep economic trouble. Its GDP shrank by almost 8% in the recent recession and recovery is still very modest. More than 12 million people are out of work and informality is growing in the labour market. It will take a lot of hard work for the \"Bullsonaro wave\" in the financial markets to produce ripples in the real economy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1824, "answer_end": 3368, "text": "Now that Mr Bolsonaro has been elected, market optimism is giving way to scepticism. To lead the economy, Mr Bolsonaro - who has said himself that he does not understand much about economics - has chosen Paulo Guedes, a successful banker with a long history in financial markets. Mr Guedes has promised a host of pro-market reforms - formal independence of the central bank, privatisations, reduction in tax exemptions to industries, tax simplification and pension reform. But it will take arduous work to reform Brazil's economy. Brazil remains one of the most closed economies in the world and many of the industries that supported Mr Bolsonaro's rise to power are likely to resist reforms that remove government subsidies, increase international competition or promote tax increases. Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Guedes also promise a new comprehensive reform of the pension system, a system which contributes greatly to Brazil's fiscal problem. Brazil's Congress has in the past resisted any deep changes to pension rules, even in periods when the current president, Michel Temer, was able to wave the promise of patronage and other favours in front of members of Congress in exchange for their votes. Mr Bolsonaro is likely to face an uphill struggle to see his reforms through. Not only has he yet to come up with a new pension plan, he will then have to push it through a Congress in which he lacks a majority. And he has promised to do so by bringing in a new approach to bargaining with lawmakers, ditching the old ways of pork barrel politics."}], "question": "Can he do it?", "id": "530_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nato and Trump: What future for the Atlantic alliance?", "date": "25 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "This is like no other Nato summit, but then there has been no other US president quite like Donald Trump. Never has there been a man in the White House - commander-in-chief of the most powerful military player in the alliance - who, at least on the campaign trail, described the organisation as \"obsolete\". Mr Trump - unlike his predecessors - is not a man steeped in the orthodoxy of the trans-Atlantic partnership. He may now have reversed his position on Nato's obsolescence, but he tends to see things in transactional terms and it's clear that he still wonders if the US is getting a good deal from its Nato partners. Indeed Nato officials are playing down any use of the term \"summit\" at all. I understand that Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is seeking a proper, full-scale summit in 2018. This Brussels meeting is a brief affair; in large part a ceremonial occasion with a dinner attached. Two monuments will be unveiled and a ribbon will be cut marking the opening of the as-yet-unfinished new Nato headquarters. \"It's all a bit unscripted and very light on substance,\" commented one Nato insider. \"It's all about creating an atmosphere - hopefully we will get a couple of good presidential tweets.\" For all the uncertainties about President Trump's position, in many ways the Atlantic alliance is in good health: - Its Afghan advise-and-assist mission continues, underscoring its role in stabilisation and counter-terrorism - It has despatched a small number of military units to its eastern flank to reassure the nervous Baltic States and Poland, who fear further Russian land-grabs after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine - US tanks are back in Western Europe, adding to the deterrent effect - It is still taking in members - Montenegro will be present at this leaders' meeting for the first time, though it only formally joins the alliance in June - In public opinion terms, positive opinions about Nato are on the rise in Alliance countries, according to a recent opinion poll by the Pew Research Center But the shiny and unfinished new headquarters building is a kind of metaphor for the state of the alliance as a whole. All appearances are of vitality and unquestioned relevance: an alliance capable of carrying out old missions like deterring against a resurgent Russian threat while grappling with the new - instability, terrorism and cyber-war. Beneath the surface there is still a good deal of unfinished business and uncertainty about the way ahead. There are arguments about resources and future missions; there are fissures opening up between members; and fundamental questions as to whether many of the \"new\" security challenges really fall within the remit of Nato at all. Resources have taken up much of the limelight - not least because Mr Trump, like every recent president before him, insists that Washington's allies must spend more. The alliance has anchored itself to the benchmark goal that 2% of a country's GDP should go on defence spending. A few are already there. Some are on the way to this goal; many are certainly spending more. But there are still huge doubts as to how far this is really generating additional military capability at a time when technology is changing quickly and the need for rapidly deployable forces is growing. Washington wants Nato to be even more involved in counter-terrorism and the struggle against so-called Islamic State. Nato does a lot of work with partners on building defence capacity and reforming security structures. It has helped with training in Iraq and Jordan and so on. But the Americans want Nato to join the anti-IS coalition as Nato: most of its members already have seats at the table. The plan seems likely to go ahead with Nato advance warning and control systems and tanker aircraft playing a more active role in the air campaign. At least at the European end of the alliance, there is a fear in some quarters as to where this may all lead. Could Nato allies become embroiled in a post-conflict Iraq or indeed in Libya, just as they appear stuck in Afghanistan? At root, though, there is another problem. Many of the \"new\" challenges - cyber; the Russian disinformation campaign waged against Western societies; \"grey-zone\" warfare combining elements of both, along with military power (as seen in Ukraine) - are not entirely or even exclusively the remit of a military or diplomatic organisation. There is a military dimension of course, but these are as much matters of civil resilience for private industry and institutions as they are for government. Nato does not have a central role. There are also internal strains within the alliance. The broad difference in emphasis has been managed up to now between northern member-states, whose chief worry is Russia, and those in the south, on Nato's Mediterranean coast, who see the wider instability in the Middle East as the prime threat. But Turkey's drift towards authoritarianism and its flirtation with Russia warn of potential problems ahead on the alliance's southern flank. Nato clearly still has a role both as a diplomatic forum and as a provider of military punch when needed. But huge questions still remain about its capacity, enthusiasm and appetite for effective nation-building in conflict zones; a problem, in fairness, that all major international institutions are grappling with.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3287, "answer_end": 4063, "text": "Washington wants Nato to be even more involved in counter-terrorism and the struggle against so-called Islamic State. Nato does a lot of work with partners on building defence capacity and reforming security structures. It has helped with training in Iraq and Jordan and so on. But the Americans want Nato to join the anti-IS coalition as Nato: most of its members already have seats at the table. The plan seems likely to go ahead with Nato advance warning and control systems and tanker aircraft playing a more active role in the air campaign. At least at the European end of the alliance, there is a fear in some quarters as to where this may all lead. Could Nato allies become embroiled in a post-conflict Iraq or indeed in Libya, just as they appear stuck in Afghanistan?"}], "question": "Will Nato take on a big role against IS?", "id": "531_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Seven questions for ex-FBI chief James Comey at Congress", "date": "6 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "When former FBI Director James Comey testifies on Thursday before a Senate committee for the first time since being fired by President Donald Trump in May, it quite possibly will be the biggest piece of political theatre the nation's capital has seen in a generation. The city is going to grind to a halt to observe the spectacle. Local bars are opening early to host viewing parties. Democrats and Republicans will be united in rapt attention as the former director has his first opportunity to publicly give his account of his interactions with the president and the circumstances of his dismissal. Oh, and don't forget - after Mr Comey's public testimony, he'll be answering more sensitive questions from senators in a private hearing. If there are any shocking revelations that come out, their chances of not leaking to the media are just about zero. Here's a look at the most pressing questions Mr Comey will face during his appearance - and what we can expect from his answers. In a morning of big questions, this will be the biggest. Back in mid-May, the New York Times reported - based on a contemporaneous memo Mr Comey had written - that the president had asked the then-FBI director to go easy on Mr Trump's former aide. \"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,\" the Times reported that Mr Trump told the director after privately taking him aside in the Oval Office. \"He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.\" Mr Flynn, whom the president fired from his job as national security adviser in February, had served as a close foreign policy advisor and surrogate to Mr Trump during the presidential campaign and was even on the short list to be his vice-presidential running mate. If Mr Comey testifies under oath that he felt pressured to adjust his investigation at the request of the president - and he does in fact have memos to back up these claims - it would bolster the arguments made by Democrats and other Trump critics that the president attempted to obstruct an ongoing investigation. That's the sort of charge that someday could be a centrepiece of an effort to impeach the president. Then again, Mr Comey did testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early May that \"in my experience\" the FBI had never been pressured to stop an ongoing investigation by the attorney general or senior Justice Department officials (although he was not explicitly asked about the president). That response hints at the possibility that Mr Comey could downplay any allegations of presidential pressure and turn what was thought to be a looming bombshell into a political dud. It may be an unlikely outcome, however. According to an ABC News report, while Mr Comey does not plan to accuse the president of obstruction of justice, he will not paint the president's actions in a favourable light. Assuming the answer to the previous question is in the affirmative - which, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal, it will be - the next question is obvious. Why did the FBI director, a man with a reputation for independence and probity, who stood up to his own administration when he was deputy attorney general back in 2004, hold his tongue for so long? If Mr Trump was leaning on the FBI director during an ongoing investigation, that surely wasn't the only instance of presidential meddling. Didn't Mr Comey have a responsibility to come forward with these allegations and not simply file some memos and tell a few associates? Waiting to drop this particular bombshell until after he was fired and publicly ridiculed by the president has opened Mr Comey up to accusations of sour grapes. Mr Comey, according to reports from his associates, may have decided not to go public because he thought he could be more effective working on the inside and that anyone who replaced him would be more beholden to the president. We'll see if that's the line he goes with on the big stage. Speaking of being beholden to the president, another eye-popping revelation from the New York Times last month was that Mr Trump invited Mr Comey to a one-on-one dinner just days after he was inaugurated and, during that meeting, asked the FBI director for his loyalty. According to the Times, which relied on two sources with knowledge of the meeting, Mr Comey offered his honesty and, when prompted by the president, his \"honest loyalty\". The White House denies this version of the events, although it does confirm that the two had dinner. In an interview the president said that Mr Comey - who was three years into a 10-year term - asked the president to keep him on as director. Mr Comey will surely be asked to give his version of that fateful evening and explain any discrepancies between his version and the president's. Given that Mr Trump has yet to name Mr Comey's replacement, the notion of a presidential loyalty requirement for the top US law enforcement official will be of considerable interest to the senators who eventually have to vote to confirm the president's nominee. In the letter Mr Trump sent Mr Comey informing him that he was being fired, the president said he appreciated being told by the director \"on three separate occasions\" that he was not under FBI investigation. One of those times, according to the president, was the now-famous dinner. According to ABC News, Mr Comey will deny that he gave the president any such assurances - setting up yet another direct conflict between the president and director's stories and raising the prospect that Mr Trump is, in fact, within the crosshairs of the ongoing federal probe. The Washington Post's Robert Costa reports that the president could tweet his reactions to the director's statements on Thursday, so it may not be long before the public hears his take on the matter. The last time Mr Comey appeared before a Senate committee, on 3 May - just a week before his firing - the then-director was questioned about who may have revealed the identity - or \"unmasked\" - Trump aides who were inadvertently swept up in US government surveillance of foreign officials. Under US law, the names of Americans whose communications were intercepted or who came up in conversations between foreign nationals are redacted from intelligence reports unless a national security official requests the information. Republicans will likely press Mr Comey for further information about unmasking requests and the status of any federal investigations into how the unmasked names of Trump officials - most prominently former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn - leaked to the media. Even if the questions are tangential to the big story of the day, if Mr Comey stumbles in handling them it could give his critics fodder for making accusations that the director went easy on anti-Trump leakers or was even complicit in the revelations. The best way for Trump supporters to undermine Mr Comey's testimony as a whole is to somehow paint him as a partisan operative or otherwise not the model of rectitude he makes himself out to be. According to Mr Comey's previous testimony, he decided to publicly announce the results of the Clinton investigation after Bill Clinton met with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch at Phoenix Airport in June. He was concerned that their private conversation called the impartiality of any Justice Department findings into question. During that press conference, Mr Comey said the former secretary of state had been \"extremely careless\" in her handling of sensitive material - a description that would dog the Democratic candidate until the very end of her presidential campaign. According to a Washington Post report, however, Mr Comey may have made the announcement without co-ordinating with the Justice Department - a break with FBI tradition - in part because he feared that a Russian intelligence document indicating collusion between the Clinton campaign and the Obama Justice Department could be leaked to the public. Mr Comey reportedly was concerned the revelation of the document, even though it was almost certainly fraudulent, would undermine the FBI investigation and the credibility of the Justice Department as a whole. In fact, the FBI director may be questioned extensively on his actions during the 2016 presidential campaign once again, given that the Justice Department has cited Mr Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation as grounds for his dismissal. If most of Mr Comey's testimony will make the president and his associates sweat, this may be where the former director feels a bit of the heat as well. This is the biggest of questions hanging over Washington these days, but it's also the least likely to get an answer from Mr Comey. The former director will almost certainly demur, citing the ongoing independent counsel inquiry headed by his former boss, Robert Mueller. How he dances around the question is worth watching, however. When former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was asked a similar question in March, he said he hadn't seen any evidence of collusion - a response that has been cited by the Trump White House from the president on down as evidence that the Russia investigation is a \"witch hunt\". Mr Clapper has since clarified that he wasn't privy to details of the FBI investigation and had no access to findings after he left office at the end of January, but that hasn't stopped Trump administration officials from continuing to point to Mr Clapper's original statement as exoneration. Whatever Mr Comey says on the matter will be parsed down to the pauses and twitches on his face for any indication of where the Russia investigation currently stands.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 984, "answer_end": 2841, "text": "In a morning of big questions, this will be the biggest. Back in mid-May, the New York Times reported - based on a contemporaneous memo Mr Comey had written - that the president had asked the then-FBI director to go easy on Mr Trump's former aide. \"I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,\" the Times reported that Mr Trump told the director after privately taking him aside in the Oval Office. \"He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.\" Mr Flynn, whom the president fired from his job as national security adviser in February, had served as a close foreign policy advisor and surrogate to Mr Trump during the presidential campaign and was even on the short list to be his vice-presidential running mate. If Mr Comey testifies under oath that he felt pressured to adjust his investigation at the request of the president - and he does in fact have memos to back up these claims - it would bolster the arguments made by Democrats and other Trump critics that the president attempted to obstruct an ongoing investigation. That's the sort of charge that someday could be a centrepiece of an effort to impeach the president. Then again, Mr Comey did testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early May that \"in my experience\" the FBI had never been pressured to stop an ongoing investigation by the attorney general or senior Justice Department officials (although he was not explicitly asked about the president). That response hints at the possibility that Mr Comey could downplay any allegations of presidential pressure and turn what was thought to be a looming bombshell into a political dud. It may be an unlikely outcome, however. According to an ABC News report, while Mr Comey does not plan to accuse the president of obstruction of justice, he will not paint the president's actions in a favourable light."}], "question": "Did the president pressure you to back off of the Michael Flynn investigation?", "id": "532_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2842, "answer_end": 3934, "text": "Assuming the answer to the previous question is in the affirmative - which, according to an article by the Wall Street Journal, it will be - the next question is obvious. Why did the FBI director, a man with a reputation for independence and probity, who stood up to his own administration when he was deputy attorney general back in 2004, hold his tongue for so long? If Mr Trump was leaning on the FBI director during an ongoing investigation, that surely wasn't the only instance of presidential meddling. Didn't Mr Comey have a responsibility to come forward with these allegations and not simply file some memos and tell a few associates? Waiting to drop this particular bombshell until after he was fired and publicly ridiculed by the president has opened Mr Comey up to accusations of sour grapes. Mr Comey, according to reports from his associates, may have decided not to go public because he thought he could be more effective working on the inside and that anyone who replaced him would be more beholden to the president. We'll see if that's the line he goes with on the big stage."}], "question": "If you did feel pressured, why didn't you go public earlier?", "id": "532_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3935, "answer_end": 5024, "text": "Speaking of being beholden to the president, another eye-popping revelation from the New York Times last month was that Mr Trump invited Mr Comey to a one-on-one dinner just days after he was inaugurated and, during that meeting, asked the FBI director for his loyalty. According to the Times, which relied on two sources with knowledge of the meeting, Mr Comey offered his honesty and, when prompted by the president, his \"honest loyalty\". The White House denies this version of the events, although it does confirm that the two had dinner. In an interview the president said that Mr Comey - who was three years into a 10-year term - asked the president to keep him on as director. Mr Comey will surely be asked to give his version of that fateful evening and explain any discrepancies between his version and the president's. Given that Mr Trump has yet to name Mr Comey's replacement, the notion of a presidential loyalty requirement for the top US law enforcement official will be of considerable interest to the senators who eventually have to vote to confirm the president's nominee."}], "question": "Did the president ask you to pledge loyalty to him?", "id": "532_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5025, "answer_end": 5786, "text": "In the letter Mr Trump sent Mr Comey informing him that he was being fired, the president said he appreciated being told by the director \"on three separate occasions\" that he was not under FBI investigation. One of those times, according to the president, was the now-famous dinner. According to ABC News, Mr Comey will deny that he gave the president any such assurances - setting up yet another direct conflict between the president and director's stories and raising the prospect that Mr Trump is, in fact, within the crosshairs of the ongoing federal probe. The Washington Post's Robert Costa reports that the president could tweet his reactions to the director's statements on Thursday, so it may not be long before the public hears his take on the matter."}], "question": "Did you tell the president he was not under investigation?", "id": "532_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5787, "answer_end": 7026, "text": "The last time Mr Comey appeared before a Senate committee, on 3 May - just a week before his firing - the then-director was questioned about who may have revealed the identity - or \"unmasked\" - Trump aides who were inadvertently swept up in US government surveillance of foreign officials. Under US law, the names of Americans whose communications were intercepted or who came up in conversations between foreign nationals are redacted from intelligence reports unless a national security official requests the information. Republicans will likely press Mr Comey for further information about unmasking requests and the status of any federal investigations into how the unmasked names of Trump officials - most prominently former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn - leaked to the media. Even if the questions are tangential to the big story of the day, if Mr Comey stumbles in handling them it could give his critics fodder for making accusations that the director went easy on anti-Trump leakers or was even complicit in the revelations. The best way for Trump supporters to undermine Mr Comey's testimony as a whole is to somehow paint him as a partisan operative or otherwise not the model of rectitude he makes himself out to be."}], "question": "Did you request the unmasking of any Trump officials?", "id": "532_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7027, "answer_end": 8558, "text": "According to Mr Comey's previous testimony, he decided to publicly announce the results of the Clinton investigation after Bill Clinton met with then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch at Phoenix Airport in June. He was concerned that their private conversation called the impartiality of any Justice Department findings into question. During that press conference, Mr Comey said the former secretary of state had been \"extremely careless\" in her handling of sensitive material - a description that would dog the Democratic candidate until the very end of her presidential campaign. According to a Washington Post report, however, Mr Comey may have made the announcement without co-ordinating with the Justice Department - a break with FBI tradition - in part because he feared that a Russian intelligence document indicating collusion between the Clinton campaign and the Obama Justice Department could be leaked to the public. Mr Comey reportedly was concerned the revelation of the document, even though it was almost certainly fraudulent, would undermine the FBI investigation and the credibility of the Justice Department as a whole. In fact, the FBI director may be questioned extensively on his actions during the 2016 presidential campaign once again, given that the Justice Department has cited Mr Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation as grounds for his dismissal. If most of Mr Comey's testimony will make the president and his associates sweat, this may be where the former director feels a bit of the heat as well."}], "question": "Why did you go public with the results of your Clinton investigation in July?", "id": "532_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8559, "answer_end": 9645, "text": "This is the biggest of questions hanging over Washington these days, but it's also the least likely to get an answer from Mr Comey. The former director will almost certainly demur, citing the ongoing independent counsel inquiry headed by his former boss, Robert Mueller. How he dances around the question is worth watching, however. When former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was asked a similar question in March, he said he hadn't seen any evidence of collusion - a response that has been cited by the Trump White House from the president on down as evidence that the Russia investigation is a \"witch hunt\". Mr Clapper has since clarified that he wasn't privy to details of the FBI investigation and had no access to findings after he left office at the end of January, but that hasn't stopped Trump administration officials from continuing to point to Mr Clapper's original statement as exoneration. Whatever Mr Comey says on the matter will be parsed down to the pauses and twitches on his face for any indication of where the Russia investigation currently stands."}], "question": "Is there any evidence of collusion between Trump associates and Russia?", "id": "532_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran nuclear crisis in 300 words", "date": "14 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is close to collapse, almost five years after it was agreed. Here's how it got to this point. Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful. But suspicions it was being used as a cover to develop a nuclear bomb prompted the UN Security Council, US and EU to impose crippling sanctions from 2010. In 2015, Iran reached a deal with six powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - that saw it limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. The deal restricted Iran's enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons. It was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel would contain plutonium suitable for a bomb, and allow international inspections. First, US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in May 2018 and reinstated US sanctions. He wanted a new deal that would also curb Iran's ballistic missile programme and its involvement in regional conflicts. Iran refused and saw the value of its currency plummet and its inflation rate soar as the sanctions took effect. When the sanctions were tightened in May 2019, Iran took the first of five steps to \"reduce\" its commitments under the deal that related to uranium enrichment. But it was in January 2020 that the accord moved towards total collapse. Tensions escalated when a US drone strike in Iraq killed an Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, and Iran responded with missile strikes Iraqi bases housing US troops. Iran subsequently declared that it had suspended its final commitment on uranium enrichment. But it stressed that it was ready to reverse course if the US sanctions were lifted. In response, France, Germany and the UK triggered the nuclear deal's formal dispute resolution mechanism - the first step towards reinstating international sanctions. Iran warned the Europeans that if they abused the mechanism they would face \"consequences\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 148, "answer_end": 808, "text": "Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful. But suspicions it was being used as a cover to develop a nuclear bomb prompted the UN Security Council, US and EU to impose crippling sanctions from 2010. In 2015, Iran reached a deal with six powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - that saw it limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. The deal restricted Iran's enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons. It was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel would contain plutonium suitable for a bomb, and allow international inspections."}], "question": "What did the deal do?", "id": "533_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 809, "answer_end": 1969, "text": "First, US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in May 2018 and reinstated US sanctions. He wanted a new deal that would also curb Iran's ballistic missile programme and its involvement in regional conflicts. Iran refused and saw the value of its currency plummet and its inflation rate soar as the sanctions took effect. When the sanctions were tightened in May 2019, Iran took the first of five steps to \"reduce\" its commitments under the deal that related to uranium enrichment. But it was in January 2020 that the accord moved towards total collapse. Tensions escalated when a US drone strike in Iraq killed an Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, and Iran responded with missile strikes Iraqi bases housing US troops. Iran subsequently declared that it had suspended its final commitment on uranium enrichment. But it stressed that it was ready to reverse course if the US sanctions were lifted. In response, France, Germany and the UK triggered the nuclear deal's formal dispute resolution mechanism - the first step towards reinstating international sanctions. Iran warned the Europeans that if they abused the mechanism they would face \"consequences\"."}], "question": "Why is it close to collapse?", "id": "533_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Panama Papers: Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to face investigators", "date": "20 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The leak of 11 million documents held by the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca identified links between many political and business leaders around the world and offshore companies and accounts. Among them was the Pakistani prime minister's family. The Pakistani Supreme Court has now ordered an investigation into their affairs by a joint team of civil and military investigation agencies, as the BBC's M Ilyas Khan explains. The leaks in April 2016 revealed that three of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement. The companies identified so far include three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated in 1993, 1994 and 2007 respectively. These companies have been used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London's Mayfair area. The insinuation that the companies were meant to hide or launder ill-gotten wealth or to avoid taxes called his credentials into question. Mr Sharif and his family have denied wrongdoing. In November, they told the Supreme Court that their London property was bought through investments in companies owned by the Qatari ruling family. The prime minister has called the leaks the work of people \"targeting me and my family for their political aims\". In an address to the nation on 5 April 2016, he said those \"who use ill-gotten wealth don't keep assets in their own names\". Initially, however, the leaks appeared to trigger panic in the top circles of the ruling PML-N party. The pressure was believed to be the reason behind Mr Sharif's unscheduled departure for London on 13 April 2016 to keep a rare appointment with his doctors. This week, the sudden emergence of billboards supporting the prime minister and his government in parts of Punjab and Sindh provinces was seen by many as an attempt to whip up public support in case of an adverse ruling by the Supreme Court. The prime minister has not yet commented on the Supreme Court's decision, but his top aides have called it a victory for the ruling party, which had proposed a judiciary-led investigation at the start. The ruling came at the end of a year-long process in which the court examined thousands of pages of evidence and heard lengthy arguments by lawyers from both sides. The Panama Papers leaks came at a time when Mr Sharif's government was still recovering from the 2014 siege of Islamabad by opposition politician Imran Khan which kept the federal capital paralysed for four months. Back then it was believed that some elements in the security establishment were backing the protests to prevent Mr Sharif from taking domestic and foreign policy initiatives independently of the military. With the Panama leaks hitting the headlines, the government again come under pressure from Mr Khan and smaller groups who demanded his resignation and threatened another lockdown of Islamabad. They filed petitions at the Supreme Court for the prime minister to be disqualified. After initially rejecting the petitions on the grounds that they were based more on hearsay than facts, the Supreme Court constituted a five-member bench in October 2016 to start hearings in the case. In its ruling the court stopped short of removing Mr Sharif from public office. Instead, it has ordered investigators drawn from civilian investigation agencies and military intelligence services to examine the money trail, look at records where available and obtain testimony from key players. The team - in front of whom the prime minister and his children have been ordered to appear - will submit its report to the court in two months' time. Critics believe two months is too short for the team to conduct an investigation that takes in Pakistan, the UAE, Qatar and the UK, not to mention Panama. They also point out that two judges out of five, including the chief justice of Pakistan, suggested that the prime minister be disqualified. Many opposition leaders, including former President Asif Zardari and Imran Khan, have suggested the prime minister should resign as a fair investigation is not possible if he remains in power. Speculation that a ruling in the case could put Mr Sharif in immediate trouble and bring forward elections due in 2018 has eased for now. But the verdict has not eased the air of acrimony that has marred Pakistani politics since 2014. The fact that the court has not cleared the prime minister's name and has directed him to appear before investigators will be used by the opposition to chip away at his legitimacy and personal integrity. Allegations of corruption have chased Mr Sharif since the 1980s. And much of what the Panama Papers have revealed now was the subject of a federal inquiry in the mid-1990s. Mr Sharif ordered that inquiry closed when he came into power in 1997, calling it \"politically motivated\". But this time he and his family have had to acknowledge they used offshore companies to acquire foreign assets. The petitioners, meanwhile, led by Mr Khan, have not fared much better. They will continue to be taunted by the prime minister's camp that they entertained politically motivated charges that they could not prove in court. As of now, the air of acrimony is likely to continue and even worsen when the investigators begin their work. And all this is happening at a time when the government has lost much of its territory to the military and elections are approaching.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 430, "answer_end": 1093, "text": "The leaks in April 2016 revealed that three of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement. The companies identified so far include three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated in 1993, 1994 and 2007 respectively. These companies have been used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London's Mayfair area. The insinuation that the companies were meant to hide or launder ill-gotten wealth or to avoid taxes called his credentials into question."}], "question": "What did the Panama Papers reveal?", "id": "534_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3296, "answer_end": 4230, "text": "In its ruling the court stopped short of removing Mr Sharif from public office. Instead, it has ordered investigators drawn from civilian investigation agencies and military intelligence services to examine the money trail, look at records where available and obtain testimony from key players. The team - in front of whom the prime minister and his children have been ordered to appear - will submit its report to the court in two months' time. Critics believe two months is too short for the team to conduct an investigation that takes in Pakistan, the UAE, Qatar and the UK, not to mention Panama. They also point out that two judges out of five, including the chief justice of Pakistan, suggested that the prime minister be disqualified. Many opposition leaders, including former President Asif Zardari and Imran Khan, have suggested the prime minister should resign as a fair investigation is not possible if he remains in power."}], "question": "What did the Supreme Court say and what happens next?", "id": "534_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'I fear being entombed in my body' - suicide legal challenge", "date": "6 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A terminally ill man has begun a legal fight for the right to die. Noel Conway, who's 67 and has motor neurone disease (MND), says he fears becoming \"entombed\" in his body as his muscles gradually weaken. Mr Conway, from Shropshire, wants a doctor to be able to prescribe a lethal dose when his health deteriorates. The case will be the first High Court challenge to the existing law since MPs rejected an attempt to introduce assisted dying in 2015. It will also be the first such case since right-to-die campaigners lost their appeal before the Supreme Court in 2014. The campaign group Dignity in Dying is supporting the legal bid. Its chief executive, Sarah Wootton, told me:  \"Noel's experience sadly echoes that of hundreds of other terminally ill people in this country - choice and control at the end of life is something that everyone should be able to have.\" But Baroness Campbell, a disability rights campaigner, said the current law - the 1961 Suicide Act - was already compassionate and changing it would be \"highly dangerous\". \"Disabled people want to be valued by society and would see any legal change as a real threat.\" Noel Conway, a retired college lecturer, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of MND, in November 2014. It is an incurable neurological condition that causes weakness and wasting in the limbs. He is dependent on a ventilator overnight, requires a wheelchair and needs help to dress, eat and with personal care. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Mr Conway said he had been given a life expectancy of less than 12 months although his death might come sooner or later. He told me: \"I fear I will reach a stage where I am entombed in my own body as my ability to move gradually reduces - that would be unimaginable.\" Mr Conway, who lives with his wife Carol and son Alex, used to be very physically active and enjoyed climbing, skiing, walking and cycling. He told me he was not in any pain at present, but feared what would happen in his final weeks and that he might die by suffocation or choking. \"I have a right to determine how and when I die and I want to do so when I have a degree of dignity remaining to me,\" he said. Carol Conway told me: \"Noel's diagnosis was devastating. I do support him and think he should have the right to say enough is enough rather than fighting for breath and not being able to move. \"I can't help him end his life - we need the help of medical professionals to ease his passing.\" Mr Conway has signed up with Swiss suicide group Dignitas but is concerned that when he is ready to die he might be too ill to travel. He said: \"I want to live and die in my own country. The current law here condemns people like me to unimaginable suffering - I'm heading on a slow, slippery slope to hell.\" Noel Conway is seeking a judicial review of the 1961 Suicide Act, which makes it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison for anyone to assist in a suicide. His legal firm Irwin Mitchell,  will seek a declaration that this is not compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998, which confirms that individuals should have respect for a private and family life. This is the latest in a series of challenges to the law on assisted dying. In 2014 the Supreme Court rejected an appeal concerning three disabled men who wanted doctors to be allowed to assist patients to die. They had used similar legal arguments.  Five out of nine justices concluded that they did have the power to declare current law breached the right to a private life. They did not make a \"declaration of incompatibility\" but two said they would have done so. The Supreme Court made it clear that it was up to Parliament to deal with any decision on amending the law. In September 2015 MPs rejected plans for a right to die in England and Wales, in their first vote on the issue in almost 20 years. Noel Conway is the first terminally ill patient who is going to the High Court to argue for a right to an assisted death based on the failed vote in Parliament. This case, which is expected to be heard at the High Court within a few months, will reopen a debate which has impassioned voices on both sides. Those opposed to a change in the law argue that this issue has now been resolved for good by Parliament. Baroness Campbell, who has spinal muscular atrophy, founded the organisation Not Dead Yet. She uses a powered wheelchair, is fed through a tube and can now move only two of her fingers. She told me: \"If the law was changed it would feed into society's fear that being very disabled like me is a state worse than death. \"We already have to fight to live; a right to die would be a huge and frightening burden.\" But Sarah Wootton from Dignity in Dying said the government had \"ignored the pleas of terminally ill people\" and said \"Britain was being left behind\". Canada, California and Colorado all introduced assisted dying in 2016 and later this year the government in Victoria, Australia, plans to introduce legislation to allow doctors to help the terminally ill to die. Meanwhile, in Shropshire, Noel Conway says he may not be well enough to travel to London for his High Court case and he realises it may not be resolved until after his death. But he said: \"Other countries have shown that assisted dying can work - it's been happening in Oregon for 20 years.  I want to ensure that terminally ill people like me don't have to suffer, and have a choice about their death.\" Follow Fergus on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2777, "answer_end": 4016, "text": "Noel Conway is seeking a judicial review of the 1961 Suicide Act, which makes it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison for anyone to assist in a suicide. His legal firm Irwin Mitchell,  will seek a declaration that this is not compatible with the Human Rights Act 1998, which confirms that individuals should have respect for a private and family life. This is the latest in a series of challenges to the law on assisted dying. In 2014 the Supreme Court rejected an appeal concerning three disabled men who wanted doctors to be allowed to assist patients to die. They had used similar legal arguments.  Five out of nine justices concluded that they did have the power to declare current law breached the right to a private life. They did not make a \"declaration of incompatibility\" but two said they would have done so. The Supreme Court made it clear that it was up to Parliament to deal with any decision on amending the law. In September 2015 MPs rejected plans for a right to die in England and Wales, in their first vote on the issue in almost 20 years. Noel Conway is the first terminally ill patient who is going to the High Court to argue for a right to an assisted death based on the failed vote in Parliament."}], "question": "What is the law?", "id": "535_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Paul Manafort: Ex-Trump campaign chief jailed for fraud", "date": "8 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump's ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort has been given a 47-month prison sentence for fraud. He was convicted last year of hiding millions of dollars of income earned by his political consulting in Ukraine. The charges stem from an inquiry into alleged Russian election meddling in the 2016 US elections. None of Manafort's charges relate to allegations of collusion with Russia. Mr Trump has always denied the charge, describing the inquiry as a witch hunt. The 47-month sentence is far shorter than what was recommended by US Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Mueller is thought to be finishing up his 22-month investigation, which has dogged the Trump presidency. Manafort, 69, is due to be sentenced in another case next week related to his illegal lobbying. His sentencing marks a spectacular downfall for a Republican political guru who advised four US presidents, including Mr Trump, and foreign leaders. Manafort - who will receive credit for time served - must also pay $24m (PS18m) in restitution and a $50,000 fine. He addressed the court on Thursday evening in Alexandria, Virginia, saying \"the last two years have been the most difficult of my life\". \"To say I am humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement,\" he added, asking the judge to be \"compassionate\". He described his life as \"professionally and financially in shambles\". Judge TS Ellis said he was surprised that Manafort did not \"express regret for engaging in wrongful conduct\". The formerly dapper lobbyist - who entered the court wearing a green prison jumpsuit and in a wheelchair - was impassive as he learned his fate. Judge Ellis said sentencing guidelines cited by prosecutors calling for between 19.5 and 24 years in prison were \"excessive\" compared to sentences for similar crimes. \"The government cannot sweep away the history of all these previous sentences,\" he said. \"Clearly the guidelines were way out of whack on this.\" He added that Manafort had lived an \"otherwise blameless\" life where he \"earned the admiration of a number of people\". Many Democrats have reacted to the sentence with disappointment. US Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said Manafort had \"led far from a 'blameless life'\". Meanwhile, ex-CIA Director John Brennan described it as \"an extraordinarily lenient sentence... Paul Manafort has a demonstrated track record of criminal, unethical, unprincipled behaviour.\" Others have contrasted Manafort's sentence with those convicted of other crimes, arguing that the US legal system is lenient on white collar crime. One lawyer highlighted how his client was offered between 36 and 72 months for stealing $100 (PS76). He added that he was \"not advocating for worse treatment for all\", but wished his clients would get the \"same treatment as the privileged few\". News website USA Today points out that, in the district where Manafort was sentenced, those convicted of fraud are normally jailed for an average of 36 months. Legal experts have also pointed out that Judge Ellis has a history of criticising mandatory minimum sentences - including those for drug and gun crimes - as he believes judges should have more discretion over jail sentences. A jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Manafort last August of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to declare a foreign bank account. The judge, however, declared a mistrial on 10 other fraud-related charges. Manafort was indicted for hiding $55m in offshore bank accounts in Cyprus, money he was paid as a political consultant for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. Prosecutors say Manafort failed to pay more than $6m in taxes, as he funded his opulent lifestyle, including a $15,000 ostrich-skin jacket and a luxury renovation of his mansion in the Hamptons. Manafort served three months as Trump's campaign chairman until August 2016, when he was forced to resign over his previous work in Ukraine. He was the first former Trump aide to be arrested in the special counsel investigation, in October 2017. His legal team has previously said he suffers from debilitating foot pain resulting from gout as a result of his incarceration. Manafort's bail was revoked for alleged witness-tampering and he has been held in solitary confinement for nine months. When news of the solitary confinement first emerged it caused controversy, with commentators describing it as a form of \"torture\". Manafort's lawyers acknowledged that the solitary confinement was put in place to guarantee Manafort's safety, but argued that he should not have been detained at all. They said Manafort was \"locked in his cell for at least 23 hours per day\" and could not adequately prepare his defence. Mr Mueller said Manafort had enjoyed privileges in solitary confinement including \"a private, self-contained living unit, which is larger than other inmates' units, his own bathroom and shower facility, his own personal telephone, and his own workspace to prepare for trial.\" According to court filings submitted by Mr Mueller's team, Mr Manafort said on monitored phone calls from jail that he was \"being treated like a 'VIP'\". Manafort has not been charged with anything related to the special counsel's investigation into an alleged Russian plot to influence the 2016 US presidential election. Manafort's lawyers had argued that the charges were outside the special counsel's remit. However, Democrats point out that a Washington DC judge last month backed the special counsel's contention that Manafort lied about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, an aide alleged to have ties to Russian intelligence. In February, Manafort's lawyers inadvertently revealed in a court filing that their client had shared polling data about the 2016 Trump campaign with Mr Kilimnik. The president's critics also highlight that Manafort was present at a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between campaign staff and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer promising \"dirt\" on then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. During sentencing the judge noted that the charges do not relate to alleged Russian meddling, leading to Mr Trump to claim vindication in a tweet mischaracterising the judge's remarks. Manafort is due to be sentenced next Wednesday in another case brought by the special counsel, this time in Washington DC. He pleaded guilty in September to two felony counts - conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice - related to his lobbying. He also agreed to co-operate with the special counsel inquiry in a deal for a possible lighter sentence. However, just two months later that plea deal collapsed as investigators said Manafort had repeatedly lied to the government. He faces a maximum of 10 years in the case. President Trump, who frequently denounces the Mueller investigation, has not ruled out granting a presidential pardon to Manafort. He said in November: \"I wouldn't take it off the table.\" The special counsel is expected soon to submit his report to US Attorney General William Barr. The political world is feverishly anticipating findings on whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia, or if Mr Trump unlawfully sought to obstruct the inquiry. Mr Trump has denied collusion and obstruction and Russia has denied election interference. Five other Trump aides have been charged in connection with Mr Mueller's investigation. None have been indicted with criminally conspiring to subvert the 2016 election. Former campaign staff Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos, former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen have all pleaded guilty. Long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone has pleaded not guilty.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 957, "answer_end": 1654, "text": "Manafort - who will receive credit for time served - must also pay $24m (PS18m) in restitution and a $50,000 fine. He addressed the court on Thursday evening in Alexandria, Virginia, saying \"the last two years have been the most difficult of my life\". \"To say I am humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement,\" he added, asking the judge to be \"compassionate\". He described his life as \"professionally and financially in shambles\". Judge TS Ellis said he was surprised that Manafort did not \"express regret for engaging in wrongful conduct\". The formerly dapper lobbyist - who entered the court wearing a green prison jumpsuit and in a wheelchair - was impassive as he learned his fate."}], "question": "What happened at the hearing?", "id": "536_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1655, "answer_end": 3258, "text": "Judge Ellis said sentencing guidelines cited by prosecutors calling for between 19.5 and 24 years in prison were \"excessive\" compared to sentences for similar crimes. \"The government cannot sweep away the history of all these previous sentences,\" he said. \"Clearly the guidelines were way out of whack on this.\" He added that Manafort had lived an \"otherwise blameless\" life where he \"earned the admiration of a number of people\". Many Democrats have reacted to the sentence with disappointment. US Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said Manafort had \"led far from a 'blameless life'\". Meanwhile, ex-CIA Director John Brennan described it as \"an extraordinarily lenient sentence... Paul Manafort has a demonstrated track record of criminal, unethical, unprincipled behaviour.\" Others have contrasted Manafort's sentence with those convicted of other crimes, arguing that the US legal system is lenient on white collar crime. One lawyer highlighted how his client was offered between 36 and 72 months for stealing $100 (PS76). He added that he was \"not advocating for worse treatment for all\", but wished his clients would get the \"same treatment as the privileged few\". News website USA Today points out that, in the district where Manafort was sentenced, those convicted of fraud are normally jailed for an average of 36 months. Legal experts have also pointed out that Judge Ellis has a history of criticising mandatory minimum sentences - including those for drug and gun crimes - as he believes judges should have more discretion over jail sentences."}], "question": "Was the sentence too short?", "id": "536_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3259, "answer_end": 4358, "text": "A jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Manafort last August of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to declare a foreign bank account. The judge, however, declared a mistrial on 10 other fraud-related charges. Manafort was indicted for hiding $55m in offshore bank accounts in Cyprus, money he was paid as a political consultant for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. Prosecutors say Manafort failed to pay more than $6m in taxes, as he funded his opulent lifestyle, including a $15,000 ostrich-skin jacket and a luxury renovation of his mansion in the Hamptons. Manafort served three months as Trump's campaign chairman until August 2016, when he was forced to resign over his previous work in Ukraine. He was the first former Trump aide to be arrested in the special counsel investigation, in October 2017. His legal team has previously said he suffers from debilitating foot pain resulting from gout as a result of his incarceration. Manafort's bail was revoked for alleged witness-tampering and he has been held in solitary confinement for nine months."}], "question": "What's the background to the case?", "id": "536_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4359, "answer_end": 5206, "text": "When news of the solitary confinement first emerged it caused controversy, with commentators describing it as a form of \"torture\". Manafort's lawyers acknowledged that the solitary confinement was put in place to guarantee Manafort's safety, but argued that he should not have been detained at all. They said Manafort was \"locked in his cell for at least 23 hours per day\" and could not adequately prepare his defence. Mr Mueller said Manafort had enjoyed privileges in solitary confinement including \"a private, self-contained living unit, which is larger than other inmates' units, his own bathroom and shower facility, his own personal telephone, and his own workspace to prepare for trial.\" According to court filings submitted by Mr Mueller's team, Mr Manafort said on monitored phone calls from jail that he was \"being treated like a 'VIP'\"."}], "question": "How was Manafort treated in prison?", "id": "536_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5207, "answer_end": 6271, "text": "Manafort has not been charged with anything related to the special counsel's investigation into an alleged Russian plot to influence the 2016 US presidential election. Manafort's lawyers had argued that the charges were outside the special counsel's remit. However, Democrats point out that a Washington DC judge last month backed the special counsel's contention that Manafort lied about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, an aide alleged to have ties to Russian intelligence. In February, Manafort's lawyers inadvertently revealed in a court filing that their client had shared polling data about the 2016 Trump campaign with Mr Kilimnik. The president's critics also highlight that Manafort was present at a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between campaign staff and a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer promising \"dirt\" on then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. During sentencing the judge noted that the charges do not relate to alleged Russian meddling, leading to Mr Trump to claim vindication in a tweet mischaracterising the judge's remarks."}], "question": "How does the case relate to the Russia inquiry?", "id": "536_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6272, "answer_end": 7010, "text": "Manafort is due to be sentenced next Wednesday in another case brought by the special counsel, this time in Washington DC. He pleaded guilty in September to two felony counts - conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice - related to his lobbying. He also agreed to co-operate with the special counsel inquiry in a deal for a possible lighter sentence. However, just two months later that plea deal collapsed as investigators said Manafort had repeatedly lied to the government. He faces a maximum of 10 years in the case. President Trump, who frequently denounces the Mueller investigation, has not ruled out granting a presidential pardon to Manafort. He said in November: \"I wouldn't take it off the table.\""}], "question": "What's the other case?", "id": "536_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7011, "answer_end": 7772, "text": "The special counsel is expected soon to submit his report to US Attorney General William Barr. The political world is feverishly anticipating findings on whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia, or if Mr Trump unlawfully sought to obstruct the inquiry. Mr Trump has denied collusion and obstruction and Russia has denied election interference. Five other Trump aides have been charged in connection with Mr Mueller's investigation. None have been indicted with criminally conspiring to subvert the 2016 election. Former campaign staff Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos, former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen have all pleaded guilty. Long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone has pleaded not guilty."}], "question": "What's happening with the Mueller inquiry?", "id": "536_6"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea says new missile can re-enter atmosphere", "date": "29 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea has said the missile it tested overnight held a warhead capable of re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The claim was not proven and experts have cast doubt on the country's ability to master such technology. Kim Jong-un called the launch \"impeccable\" and a \"breakthrough\". It was the first test from Pyongyang in more than two months, after a flurry earlier this year. It has been condemned by the international community. US President Donald Trump spoke to China's President Xi Jinping by telephone, the White House said, urging him to \"use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation\". Mr Xi responded by telling Mr Trump it was Beijing's \"unswerving goal to maintain peace and stability in north-east Asia and denuclearise the Korean peninsula,\" Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. China is North Korea's biggest ally and most important trading partner, and the two share a land border. Experts say the height reached by the inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) indicates Washington could be within range, although North Korea is yet to prove it has reached its aim of miniaturising a nuclear warhead. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the US would put more sanctions on North Korea \"very shortly\". The Hwasong-15 missile, described as North Korea's \"most powerful\", was launched in darkness early on Wednesday. It landed in Japanese waters but flew higher than any other missile the North had previously tested. The test, which defied international sanctions imposed over the North's weapons programme, drew swift international condemnation. South Korea responded by launching one of its own ballistic missiles in a live-fire drill. Pyongyang says the missile reached an altitude of 4,475km (2,780 miles) and flew 950km in 53 minutes. That huge altitude, sending it far outside Earth's atmosphere, is close to independent estimates made by South Korea's military. The projectile, fired at a steep incline, did not fly over Japan as some have done in the past, and landed about 250km short of its northern coast, according to Japanese officials. North Korea has previously said that its projectiles can hit the US but this marks the first time it says it can do it with this new type of missile, which appears to be an upgraded version of previous models. North Korea says this ICBM is its most powerful yet and completes the country's \"rocket weaponry system development set\". There is speculation that the rocket was fuelled horizontally, before being placed on the launch pad, the New York Times reports. Such a development would make the North's missiles a harder target to hit in a pre-emptive attack by the US. An analysis by the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists concludes that the Hwasong-15 could have travelled more than 13,000km on a standard trajectory, thus reaching \"any part of the continental United States\". But it seems likely, the analysis adds, that the missile had a very light mock warhead, meaning it might lack the power to carry a nuclear payload, which is much heavier, over that distance. - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch an intolerable, violent act - The Kremlin described the test as a \"provocation\" - The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office summoned the North Korea ambassador to a meeting to \"make clear to him our condemnation\" and \"urge the regime to abandon its illegal pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missiles and return to dialogue\". - South Korean President Moon Jae-in accused the North of \"reckless\" behaviour but added that there was no choice but to keep applying sanctions - US defence secretary James Mattis said the missile launch had gone  \"higher, frankly, than any previous shots they have taken\", and said North Korea posed a worldwide threat. - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the launch had violated sanctions and shown \"complete disregard for the united view of the international community\" Analysis by Kerry Allen, China specialist, BBC Monitoring China has officially condemned North Korea's latest missile launch, with foreign ministry Geng Shuang saying: \"We strongly urge the DPRK against actions that exacerbate tensions along the peninsula.\" State media are strongly signalling that the latest launch is owing to increased frictions caused by the militancy of the US and Japan. Official broadcaster CCTV and leading foreign affairs paper Global Times highlighted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's comment in a press conference today that Japan \"will never yield to any provocation\" and \"will exert maximum pressure\". The United Nations first imposed sanctions in 2006 after North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, aiming to stop future nuclear tests and launching ballistic missiles. Sanctions, which were ramped up in 2016, now include: - An arms embargo - An asset freeze of North Koreans involved in the weapons programme - A ban on the export of coal, textiles and seafood - Restriction on supplies of crude oil - A cap on countries hosting North Korean labourers The EU has introduced its own sanctions targeting people and entities tied to the North Korean weapons programme. President Trump added to existing US measures by cutting off the American financial system from foreign businesses doing trade with North Korea. The wave of UN sanctions in August amounted to $1bn (PS746m) worth of income, cutting off one third of export revenues, says the US state department. But so far, sanctions have not stopped North Korea from doing more nuclear and missile tests. A UN Security Council report earlier this year noted that North Korea uses a range of sophisticated techniques, including cloaking foreign financial transactions, to avoid enforcement.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1298, "answer_end": 1732, "text": "The Hwasong-15 missile, described as North Korea's \"most powerful\", was launched in darkness early on Wednesday. It landed in Japanese waters but flew higher than any other missile the North had previously tested. The test, which defied international sanctions imposed over the North's weapons programme, drew swift international condemnation. South Korea responded by launching one of its own ballistic missiles in a live-fire drill."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "537_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1733, "answer_end": 2144, "text": "Pyongyang says the missile reached an altitude of 4,475km (2,780 miles) and flew 950km in 53 minutes. That huge altitude, sending it far outside Earth's atmosphere, is close to independent estimates made by South Korea's military. The projectile, fired at a steep incline, did not fly over Japan as some have done in the past, and landed about 250km short of its northern coast, according to Japanese officials."}], "question": "Where did the missile go?", "id": "537_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2145, "answer_end": 2715, "text": "North Korea has previously said that its projectiles can hit the US but this marks the first time it says it can do it with this new type of missile, which appears to be an upgraded version of previous models. North Korea says this ICBM is its most powerful yet and completes the country's \"rocket weaponry system development set\". There is speculation that the rocket was fuelled horizontally, before being placed on the launch pad, the New York Times reports. Such a development would make the North's missiles a harder target to hit in a pre-emptive attack by the US."}], "question": "What do we know about the new missile?", "id": "537_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2716, "answer_end": 3119, "text": "An analysis by the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists concludes that the Hwasong-15 could have travelled more than 13,000km on a standard trajectory, thus reaching \"any part of the continental United States\". But it seems likely, the analysis adds, that the missile had a very light mock warhead, meaning it might lack the power to carry a nuclear payload, which is much heavier, over that distance."}], "question": "How far is this new missile likely to be able to go?", "id": "537_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4617, "answer_end": 5761, "text": "The United Nations first imposed sanctions in 2006 after North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, aiming to stop future nuclear tests and launching ballistic missiles. Sanctions, which were ramped up in 2016, now include: - An arms embargo - An asset freeze of North Koreans involved in the weapons programme - A ban on the export of coal, textiles and seafood - Restriction on supplies of crude oil - A cap on countries hosting North Korean labourers The EU has introduced its own sanctions targeting people and entities tied to the North Korean weapons programme. President Trump added to existing US measures by cutting off the American financial system from foreign businesses doing trade with North Korea. The wave of UN sanctions in August amounted to $1bn (PS746m) worth of income, cutting off one third of export revenues, says the US state department. But so far, sanctions have not stopped North Korea from doing more nuclear and missile tests. A UN Security Council report earlier this year noted that North Korea uses a range of sophisticated techniques, including cloaking foreign financial transactions, to avoid enforcement."}], "question": "What sanctions are there on North Korea?", "id": "537_4"}]}]}, {"title": "China coronavirus: Lockdown measures rise across Hubei province", "date": "23 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Lockdown measures are increasing across China's Hubei province to try to control the spread of a new virus that has left 18 people dead in the country. Wuhan, Hubei's capital of 11 million people where the virus first emerged, has no trains or planes in or out. At least five other provincial cities are seeing clampdowns on transport. There are more than 500 confirmed cases of the virus, which has spread abroad, with Singapore and Vietnam the latest affected. The new strain of coronavirus is believed to have originated at a market in Wuhan. One resident of the city said the atmosphere there felt like \"the end of the world\". The lockdowns come as millions of Chinese people travel across the country for the Lunar New Year holiday. All the fatalities bar one so far have been in Hubei province. Most of the 17 victims there were elderly and suffered from other chronic diseases including Parkinson's disease and diabetes. An 18th victim, an elderly patient, was announced on Thursday in Hebei province, near the capital, Beijing. Wuhan's public transport lockdown came into force as of 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT), leaving normally busy train stations and airports empty. One Wuhan resident said on social media site Weibo that people were on the \"verge of tears\" when they heard about the closures. Health authorities are reported to have made wearing a mask mandatory in the city. They are advising people to avoid crowds and public gatherings. Demand for rubber gloves and surgical masks has soared. Taobao, the Chinese online retail giant, has warned sellers not to profit from the outbreak by raising prices. Also in Hubei province: - Huanggang, a city east of Wuhan, suspended bus and rail services and encouraged people not to leave the city. Cafes, cinemas, theatres and exhibitions are also being shut - Ezhou, just south of Huanggang, has shut its train stations - Xiantao has cancelled gatherings, suspended transport and set up temperature detection stations - Chibi and Lichuan are suspending transport, AFP news agency reports Beijing announced it had cancelled all major Chinese New Year celebrations. A doctor at a hospital in Wuhan spoke to the BBC The virus is now spreading at an alarming rate. The hospitals have been flooding with thousands of patients, who wait hours to see a doctor. You can imagine their panic. Normally Wuhan is a great place to live and we are proud of our work. Specialists here have developed a guide for coronavirus diagnosis and treatment. But I am scared because this is a new virus and the figures are worrying. Two days ago we were told not to go to work because of the risk of contamination. If we leave our home on the hospital campus, we are required to wear masks. We don't want to take our two-year-old son outside. He's sleeping now, and we are trying to protect him as much as possible: handwashing, airing the apartment, avoiding contact with people. Outside I can barely see anyone on the streets. We have been told to avoid gatherings. I went to the supermarket to buy food, but there was nothing left, no vegetables or biscuits. Some Lunar New Year celebrations are cancelled. People had bought tickets to go home for Lunar New Year but they can't go now. Everyone is stuck here and can't leave. Currently known as 2019-nCoV, the virus is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans. The Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus that killed nearly 800 people globally in the early 2000s was also a coronavirus, as is the common cold. Authorities have said this new virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan that \"conducted illegal transactions of wild animals\". The market has been shut down since the beginning of the year. There is evidence of human-to-human transmission, with the virus spreading from patients to family members and healthcare workers. But understanding more about how the virus transmits between people is one of the major outstanding questions. The virus infects the lungs, and symptoms start with a fever and cough. It can progress to shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. The World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee said on Thursday that it was not the time to declare an \"international emergency\" over the new virus, although it was \"an emergency in China\". Its 16-member experts' panel was divided 50-50 on the issue, the WHO said, but had decided overall that it was too early because of the limited number of cases abroad, the efforts made by China to control the virus and the fact there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside of China. A global emergency is the highest level of alarm the WHO can sound, and has previously been used in response to swine flu, Zika virus and Ebola. Authorities around the world have announced screening measures for passengers from China. Thailand has confirmed four cases of the virus, the most outside China. The US, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea have all reported one case each. The first US case was confirmed on Tuesday. President Donald Trump said the situation was \"totally under control\" and that he trusted the information being provided by Chinese authorities On Thursday, two more nations confirmed cases: - Singapore, where a 66-year-old man who had travelled from Wuhan is being held in an isolation room, and there is also another suspected case - Vietnam, where the health ministry has confirmed two Chinese citizens in the country have the virus An earlier report that an Indian nurse working in the city of Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia had tested positive was altered by the Indian consulate in Jeddah. It said the nurse was suffering from Mers-CoV, also a coronavirus. - Your questions: You asked, we answered - The story explained: How worried should we be? - Wuhan profiled: The city now in lockdown - In detail: Follow all our coverage here Are you in Wuhan? Have you been affected by the lockdown? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 738, "answer_end": 2123, "text": "All the fatalities bar one so far have been in Hubei province. Most of the 17 victims there were elderly and suffered from other chronic diseases including Parkinson's disease and diabetes. An 18th victim, an elderly patient, was announced on Thursday in Hebei province, near the capital, Beijing. Wuhan's public transport lockdown came into force as of 10:00 local time (02:00 GMT), leaving normally busy train stations and airports empty. One Wuhan resident said on social media site Weibo that people were on the \"verge of tears\" when they heard about the closures. Health authorities are reported to have made wearing a mask mandatory in the city. They are advising people to avoid crowds and public gatherings. Demand for rubber gloves and surgical masks has soared. Taobao, the Chinese online retail giant, has warned sellers not to profit from the outbreak by raising prices. Also in Hubei province: - Huanggang, a city east of Wuhan, suspended bus and rail services and encouraged people not to leave the city. Cafes, cinemas, theatres and exhibitions are also being shut - Ezhou, just south of Huanggang, has shut its train stations - Xiantao has cancelled gatherings, suspended transport and set up temperature detection stations - Chibi and Lichuan are suspending transport, AFP news agency reports Beijing announced it had cancelled all major Chinese New Year celebrations."}], "question": "What's the latest in China?", "id": "538_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3264, "answer_end": 4120, "text": "Currently known as 2019-nCoV, the virus is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans. The Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus that killed nearly 800 people globally in the early 2000s was also a coronavirus, as is the common cold. Authorities have said this new virus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan that \"conducted illegal transactions of wild animals\". The market has been shut down since the beginning of the year. There is evidence of human-to-human transmission, with the virus spreading from patients to family members and healthcare workers. But understanding more about how the virus transmits between people is one of the major outstanding questions. The virus infects the lungs, and symptoms start with a fever and cough. It can progress to shortness of breath and breathing difficulties."}], "question": "What do we know about the virus?", "id": "538_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4121, "answer_end": 5700, "text": "The World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee said on Thursday that it was not the time to declare an \"international emergency\" over the new virus, although it was \"an emergency in China\". Its 16-member experts' panel was divided 50-50 on the issue, the WHO said, but had decided overall that it was too early because of the limited number of cases abroad, the efforts made by China to control the virus and the fact there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission outside of China. A global emergency is the highest level of alarm the WHO can sound, and has previously been used in response to swine flu, Zika virus and Ebola. Authorities around the world have announced screening measures for passengers from China. Thailand has confirmed four cases of the virus, the most outside China. The US, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea have all reported one case each. The first US case was confirmed on Tuesday. President Donald Trump said the situation was \"totally under control\" and that he trusted the information being provided by Chinese authorities On Thursday, two more nations confirmed cases: - Singapore, where a 66-year-old man who had travelled from Wuhan is being held in an isolation room, and there is also another suspected case - Vietnam, where the health ministry has confirmed two Chinese citizens in the country have the virus An earlier report that an Indian nurse working in the city of Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia had tested positive was altered by the Indian consulate in Jeddah. It said the nurse was suffering from Mers-CoV, also a coronavirus."}], "question": "What's the picture globally?", "id": "538_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Iranian cities hit by anti-government protests", "date": "29 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Anti-government demonstrations that began in Iran on Thursday have now spread to several major cities. Large numbers reportedly turned out in Rasht, in the north, and Kermanshah, in the west, with smaller protests in Isfahan, Hamadan and elsewhere. The protests began against rising prices but have spiralled into a general outcry against clerical rule and government policies. A small number of people have been arrested in Tehran, the capital. They were among a group of 50 people who gathered in a city square, Tehran's deputy governor-general for security affairs told the Iranian Labour News Agency. The US State Department condemned the arrests and urged \"all nations to publicly support the Iranian people and their demands for basic rights and an end to corruption\". The demonstrations began in the north-eastern city of Mashhad - the country's second most-populous - on Thursday. People there took to the streets to express anger at the government over high prices, and vented their fury against President Hassan Rouhani. Fifty-two people were arrested for chanting \"harsh slogans\". The protests spread to other cities in the north-east, and and some developed into broader anti-government demonstrations, calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to police beatings. On Friday, despite warnings from authorities, the demonstrations spread further to some of the biggest cities in the country. They represent the most serious and widespread expression of public discontent in Iran since mass protests in 2009 that followed a disputed election, correspondents say. What began as a protest against economic conditions and corruption has turned political. Slogans have been chanted against not just Mr Rouhani but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and clerical rule in general. Demonstrators were reportedly heard yelling slogans like \"The people are begging, the clerics act like God\". Protests have even been held in Qom, a holy city home to powerful clerics. There is also anger at Iran's interventions abroad. In Mashhad, some chanted \"not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran\", a reference to what protesters say is the administration's focus on foreign rather than domestic issues. Other demonstrators chanted \"leave Syria, think about us\" in videos posted online. Iran is a key provider of military support to the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. It is also accused of providing arms to Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which it denies, and is an ally of Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. Iran's Fars news agency, which is close to the elite and powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, reported that many protesters who turned out over economic grievances decided to leave rallies after others yelled political slogans. President Rouhani promised the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers would boost the economy. However despite the lifting of international sanctions, the unemployment rate is 12.4%. There have been calls on social media for protests up and down the country, despite warnings from the government against illegal gatherings. Demonstrations of varying sizes are reported to have occurred in at least seven cities. Overall, the numbers said to be taking part range from a less than 100 in some places to thousands in others - but demonstrations do not appear to be taking place on a massive scale. Videos posted on social media appear to show clashes between security forces and some demonstrators in Kermanshah. Fars news agency reported that protesters there destroyed some public property and were dispersed. The governor-general of Tehran said that any such gatherings would be firmly dealt with by the police, who are out in force on main intersections. Officials in Mashhad said the protest was organised by \"counter-revolutionary elements\", and video online showed police using water cannon. Analysis by Kasra Naji, BBC Persian The demonstrations have taken the Iranian authorities by surprise. Impromptu anti-government demonstrations are rare in a country where the Revolutionary Guard and numerous intelligence agencies have a strong grip on the population. Predictably they are blaming anti-revolutionary elements and foreign agents. But the protests clearly stem from seething discontent in Iran, mainly because of the worsening economic conditions faced by ordinary Iranians. A BBC Persian investigation has found that Iranians, on average, have become 15% poorer in the past 10 years alone. Many believe that money that should be used to improve their lives is being spent by Iran's leaders on conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Billions are also being spent on spreading religious propaganda and Shia Islam around the world. But it seems that the hardliners opposed to President Rouhani may have triggered the unrest by holding a demonstration that quickly grew out of control and spread to cities and towns across the country.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 775, "answer_end": 1588, "text": "The demonstrations began in the north-eastern city of Mashhad - the country's second most-populous - on Thursday. People there took to the streets to express anger at the government over high prices, and vented their fury against President Hassan Rouhani. Fifty-two people were arrested for chanting \"harsh slogans\". The protests spread to other cities in the north-east, and and some developed into broader anti-government demonstrations, calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to police beatings. On Friday, despite warnings from authorities, the demonstrations spread further to some of the biggest cities in the country. They represent the most serious and widespread expression of public discontent in Iran since mass protests in 2009 that followed a disputed election, correspondents say."}], "question": "How did the protests start?", "id": "539_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1589, "answer_end": 2994, "text": "What began as a protest against economic conditions and corruption has turned political. Slogans have been chanted against not just Mr Rouhani but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and clerical rule in general. Demonstrators were reportedly heard yelling slogans like \"The people are begging, the clerics act like God\". Protests have even been held in Qom, a holy city home to powerful clerics. There is also anger at Iran's interventions abroad. In Mashhad, some chanted \"not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran\", a reference to what protesters say is the administration's focus on foreign rather than domestic issues. Other demonstrators chanted \"leave Syria, think about us\" in videos posted online. Iran is a key provider of military support to the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. It is also accused of providing arms to Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which it denies, and is an ally of Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. Iran's Fars news agency, which is close to the elite and powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, reported that many protesters who turned out over economic grievances decided to leave rallies after others yelled political slogans. President Rouhani promised the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers would boost the economy. However despite the lifting of international sanctions, the unemployment rate is 12.4%."}], "question": "What are people complaining about?", "id": "539_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2995, "answer_end": 3406, "text": "There have been calls on social media for protests up and down the country, despite warnings from the government against illegal gatherings. Demonstrations of varying sizes are reported to have occurred in at least seven cities. Overall, the numbers said to be taking part range from a less than 100 in some places to thousands in others - but demonstrations do not appear to be taking place on a massive scale."}], "question": "How big are the protests?", "id": "539_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3407, "answer_end": 3907, "text": "Videos posted on social media appear to show clashes between security forces and some demonstrators in Kermanshah. Fars news agency reported that protesters there destroyed some public property and were dispersed. The governor-general of Tehran said that any such gatherings would be firmly dealt with by the police, who are out in force on main intersections. Officials in Mashhad said the protest was organised by \"counter-revolutionary elements\", and video online showed police using water cannon."}], "question": "How have the authorities reacted?", "id": "539_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran warns foreign forces to stay out of Gulf, amid new US deployment", "date": "22 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran's president has warned that foreign forces are threatening the security of the Gulf, after the US said it was deploying troops to the region. Hassan Rouhani said foreign forces had always brought \"pain and misery\" and should not be used in an \"arms race\". The US is sending more troops to Saudi Arabia after an attack on Saudi oil facilities both nations blame on Iran. Mr Rouhani also said Iran would present a new Gulf peace initiative at the United Nations in the coming days. This year has seen continuing tension between the US and Iran, following President Donald Trump's abandonment of a deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear activities in return for the easing of sanctions. The latest flashpoint was caused by drone and missile attacks on the Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said they had carried out the attacks, but both the US and its ally Saudi Arabia - Iran's main regional rival - said Iran was behind them, something Tehran has strongly denied. The crisis sparked by the attacks is being dangerously inflamed by angry rhetoric. President Trump's knee-jerk reaction was to tell the Iranians the US was \"locked and loaded\". So the region braced for a US retaliatory strike. Washington pulled back, restrained by a nervous Saudi Arabia. Instead it is sending a small detachment of what are essentially military technicians to bolster Saudi Arabia's blatantly inadequate air and missile defences. The move is defensive, and may not even be enough to prevent another \"swarm\" attack of explosive drones. Yet Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guards are interpreting it as an aggressive, almost invasive, act. The danger now is that one side or the other misinterprets the signals from the other side of the Gulf and does something that inadvertently propels this region into a war that nobody wants. He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities. \"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region,\" he said in the televised speech. He called the deployment of such forces in the past a \"disaster\" and told them to \"stay away\". \"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be.\" The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday. However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved \"in co-operation with various countries\". Mr Rouhani said Iran was \"ready to let go of the past mistakes\" made by regional neighbours. \"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them,\" he said. The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said in a statement it was important to \"take advantage of this opportunity and move forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric\". The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: \"We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment.\" The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: \"Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor.\" The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement. The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies. The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings. The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom. It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa. The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal. The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1875, "answer_end": 2424, "text": "He was speaking on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and alongside a series of military parades in Tehran and other cities. \"Foreign forces can cause problems and insecurity for our people and for our region,\" he said in the televised speech. He called the deployment of such forces in the past a \"disaster\" and told them to \"stay away\". \"If they're sincere, then they should not make our region the site of an arms race... The farther you keep yourselves from our region and our nations, the more security there will be.\""}], "question": "What has Mr Rouhani said?", "id": "540_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2425, "answer_end": 3325, "text": "The president said it would be presented to the UN, which begins the main part of its general assembly in New York on Tuesday. However, he gave no details, saying only that peace in the Strait of Hormuz could be achieved \"in co-operation with various countries\". Mr Rouhani said Iran was \"ready to let go of the past mistakes\" made by regional neighbours. \"In this sensitive and important historical moment, we announce to our neighbours, that we extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to them,\" he said. The Houthi rebels in Yemen have also made a peace initiative, saying they would end all attacks on Saudi Arabia provided the kingdom and its allies did the same. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said in a statement it was important to \"take advantage of this opportunity and move forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric\"."}], "question": "What about his peace initiative?", "id": "540_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3326, "answer_end": 3979, "text": "The Pentagon announced on Friday that, in response to a Saudi request, there would be a moderate deployment to Saudi Arabia, not in the thousands and focused on air and missile defence. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: \"We will also work to accelerate the delivery of military equipment.\" The announcement brought a strong response from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps - an elite branch of Tehran's military designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami said: \"Whoever wants their land to become the main battlefield, go ahead. Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor.\""}], "question": "What is the US troop deployment?", "id": "540_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3980, "answer_end": 4973, "text": "The Houthis have repeatedly said they were behind the oil attacks, the Saudis have repeatedly blamed Iran and Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement. The attacks had a serious, if not long-term, effect on Saudi oil supplies. The Saudis have displayed what they say is debris from Iranian-made weapons but have not yet released their full findings. The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom. It stems from their conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which launched an air campaign in 2015 against the rebels, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa. The suspicion of Iranian involvement in the oil attacks stems from the more wide-ranging regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the antagonism over the abandonment of the nuclear deal. The US has also blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases."}], "question": "What was behind the oil attacks?", "id": "540_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong's handover: How the UK returned it to China", "date": "29 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On 1 July, Hong Kong marks the 20th anniversary of the handover from British rule back to China. Here is what you need to know: Britain first took over Hong Kong island in 1842, after defeating China in the First Opium War. After the Second Opium War, Beijing was forced to also cede Kowloon in 1860, the area on the mainland opposite the island. In 1898, to enforce its control of the area, the UK leased additional land, known as the New Territories, promising to return them to China in 99 years. Hong Kong developed rapidly under UK rule, becoming one of the world's major financial and business centres. Then in 1982, London and Beijing began the difficult process of negotiating the territory's return to Chinese rule. Hong Kong had developed a vastly different political and economic system from mainland China, which since 1949 had been under authoritarian one-party Communist rule. - Golden geese and democracy 'infections' - did predictions come true? China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of \"one country, two systems\", where the city would enjoy \"a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs\" for the next 50 years. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region. This means it has: - its own legal system - multiple political parties - rights including freedom of assembly and free speech The territory has its own mini-constitution to enshrine these special rights. Called the Basic Law, it states that \"the ultimate aim\" is to elect the territory's leader, the chief executive, \"by universal suffrage\" and \"in accordance with democratic procedures\". The leader is the chief executive, elected by a 1,200-member election committee. A majority of the members of this committee are viewed as pro-Beijing. The parliament is the Legislative Council (LegCo). It is made up half of directly elected representatives and half by representatives chosen by professional or special interest groups. Political activists argue that the election process gives Beijing the ability to screen out any candidates it disapproves of. Pro-democracy activists have been campaigning for years for Hong Kong people to have the right to elect their own leader. In 2014, Beijing said it would allow direct election of the chief executive, but only from a list of pre-approved candidates. That lead to mass protests from people who wanted full direct democracy. The protests shut down central parts of the city for weeks. The move was later reversed. There are also a lot of people in Hong Kong who are concerned that China is increasingly meddling in Hong Kong politics in other ways, undermining more politically liberal traditions. So Hong Kong is increasingly divided into: - a pro-Beijing camp in favour of more political say for China's Communist Party - a pro-democracy camp that wants to strengthen Hong Kong's autonomy and unique identity The anniversary of the handover is usually also marked by large demonstrations from both camps of the political divide. That's the date after which mainland China is no longer obliged to grant the autonomy agreed on with Britain before the handover. While there are some who call for full independence, China has ruled out that option. The likely paths therefore will be: - China grants an extension of the current autonomy and the city's Basic Law - China will allow some of the current privileges but not all - Hong Kong will lose its special status and become a normal Chinese province with no autonomy With an increasingly politicised younger generation, most observers expect a tough political struggle over the city's future.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 128, "answer_end": 890, "text": "Britain first took over Hong Kong island in 1842, after defeating China in the First Opium War. After the Second Opium War, Beijing was forced to also cede Kowloon in 1860, the area on the mainland opposite the island. In 1898, to enforce its control of the area, the UK leased additional land, known as the New Territories, promising to return them to China in 99 years. Hong Kong developed rapidly under UK rule, becoming one of the world's major financial and business centres. Then in 1982, London and Beijing began the difficult process of negotiating the territory's return to Chinese rule. Hong Kong had developed a vastly different political and economic system from mainland China, which since 1949 had been under authoritarian one-party Communist rule."}], "question": "What led to the handover?", "id": "541_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1602, "answer_end": 2064, "text": "The leader is the chief executive, elected by a 1,200-member election committee. A majority of the members of this committee are viewed as pro-Beijing. The parliament is the Legislative Council (LegCo). It is made up half of directly elected representatives and half by representatives chosen by professional or special interest groups. Political activists argue that the election process gives Beijing the ability to screen out any candidates it disapproves of."}], "question": "How is Hong Kong ruled now?", "id": "541_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2065, "answer_end": 2991, "text": "Pro-democracy activists have been campaigning for years for Hong Kong people to have the right to elect their own leader. In 2014, Beijing said it would allow direct election of the chief executive, but only from a list of pre-approved candidates. That lead to mass protests from people who wanted full direct democracy. The protests shut down central parts of the city for weeks. The move was later reversed. There are also a lot of people in Hong Kong who are concerned that China is increasingly meddling in Hong Kong politics in other ways, undermining more politically liberal traditions. So Hong Kong is increasingly divided into: - a pro-Beijing camp in favour of more political say for China's Communist Party - a pro-democracy camp that wants to strengthen Hong Kong's autonomy and unique identity The anniversary of the handover is usually also marked by large demonstrations from both camps of the political divide."}], "question": "Why are there protests?", "id": "541_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2992, "answer_end": 3603, "text": "That's the date after which mainland China is no longer obliged to grant the autonomy agreed on with Britain before the handover. While there are some who call for full independence, China has ruled out that option. The likely paths therefore will be: - China grants an extension of the current autonomy and the city's Basic Law - China will allow some of the current privileges but not all - Hong Kong will lose its special status and become a normal Chinese province with no autonomy With an increasingly politicised younger generation, most observers expect a tough political struggle over the city's future."}], "question": "What will happen after 2047?", "id": "541_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Why HSBC whistleblower Herv\u00e9 Falciani fears for his freedom", "date": "14 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Herve Falciani's life in Spain is far from normal. A fugitive from Swiss justice since 2009, this former HSBC computer systems analyst turned anti-fraud activist is constantly on the move. He has faced threats to his life considered credible enough by Spanish authorities to provide him with bodyguards. Even so, it came as a shock when Falciani was arrested on 4 April on the basis of an old Swiss extradition request. The hall at Comillas University in Madrid was packed with people waiting to hear him take part in a discussion on tax evasion entitled \"When telling the truth is heroic\". His first thought when he saw police officers approach him at the lecture theatre door was that Spanish authorities were in urgent need of his services, according to his legal team. This whistleblower has co-operated with Spain's government on a regular basis, since a Spanish court first refused to extradite him to Switzerland in 2013. \"He has an almost permanent position in Spain's tax office,\" Juan Barallat, his defence lawyer in the extradition case, told the BBC. It was in 2009 that the Monaco-born IT expert fled Geneva to France, accused of stealing secret bank files from HSBC Private Bank (Suisse). His \"Swiss Leaks\" data had revealed accounts held by more than 100,000 wealthy individuals and legal entities. For the Swiss he was an internationally wanted person in 2009. But he co-operated with French authorities in their hunt for wealthy tax evaders and last year HSBC reached a deal with France over a long-running tax evasion inquiry. Austria, Belgium and Argentina launched their own investigations and Spain too was able to recover around EUR300m (PS265m; $360m) in unpaid tax, thanks to the files Falciani extracted from the HSBC subsidiary's database. When he was arrested in Barcelona in 2012, the Swiss extradition request was turned down as Spain's High Court said the accusations were not offences in Spain. In 2015 Falciani was sentenced to five years in absentia in Switzerland for industrial espionage. Nothing changed regarding Falciani's situation in Spain. He became part of the fabric of political life, standing as a candidate in elections for the anti-corruption X Party and supporting whistleblowing activism platforms. So why did Spain decide to arrest him for a second time on 4 April, since the latest move did not come from the Swiss? When asked by the BBC, a spokesman at Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice said that an updated request for Falciani's extradition had been sent on 5 April after his arrest in Madrid. And another Swiss justice spokesman revealed that Spain had contacted them as early as March before the surprise arrest. The idea that Spain has seemingly taken it upon itself to reopen the Falciani file has raised eyebrows among his supporters, and heightened suspicions of a possible Spanish attempt to trade high-profile fugitives with Switzerland. Two leading Catalan pro-independence politicians, Marta Rovira and Ana Gabriel, fled from Spain to Switzerland earlier this year after being targeted by a criminal investigation into Catalonia's illegal declaration of independence last autumn. A supreme court judge in Madrid has filed a European Arrest Warrant for Ms Rovira while reportedly continuing to consider Ms Gabriel's position. \"It's disloyal on Spain's part,\" Falciani's fellow X Party activist, Simona Levi, said of his arrest. \"It is treating justice as merchandise merely for short-term political benefits.\" And his lawyer, Juan Barallat, is wary of the government's motives: \"My client trusts the Spanish judiciary, but not the Spanish state. Extraditions are part diplomacy, part legal process.\" But Spain's justice minister has denied government involvement in Falciani's arrest or any connection with the Catalan situation. \"These are judicial cases sought in the realm of international co-operation,\" Rafael Catala said last month. \"We shouldn't see into it more than that.\" Mr Barallat says his client still has confidence in the Spanish judiciary, although he sees government influence in the aggressive attitude of state prosecutors, who asked for Falciani to be remanded in custody after his arrest. \"At first, he was frightened and did not understand why he was being arrested but he was released and now only has to report to the police on a weekly basis,\" says the lawyer. A further extradition hearing is expected in the next three months. \"A fundamental rule of law is that someone cannot be judged twice for the same offence,\" says Mr Ballarat. \"This case has already been cleared up in Spain.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1063, "answer_end": 2023, "text": "It was in 2009 that the Monaco-born IT expert fled Geneva to France, accused of stealing secret bank files from HSBC Private Bank (Suisse). His \"Swiss Leaks\" data had revealed accounts held by more than 100,000 wealthy individuals and legal entities. For the Swiss he was an internationally wanted person in 2009. But he co-operated with French authorities in their hunt for wealthy tax evaders and last year HSBC reached a deal with France over a long-running tax evasion inquiry. Austria, Belgium and Argentina launched their own investigations and Spain too was able to recover around EUR300m (PS265m; $360m) in unpaid tax, thanks to the files Falciani extracted from the HSBC subsidiary's database. When he was arrested in Barcelona in 2012, the Swiss extradition request was turned down as Spain's High Court said the accusations were not offences in Spain. In 2015 Falciani was sentenced to five years in absentia in Switzerland for industrial espionage."}], "question": "What did Falciani do?", "id": "542_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2024, "answer_end": 2674, "text": "Nothing changed regarding Falciani's situation in Spain. He became part of the fabric of political life, standing as a candidate in elections for the anti-corruption X Party and supporting whistleblowing activism platforms. So why did Spain decide to arrest him for a second time on 4 April, since the latest move did not come from the Swiss? When asked by the BBC, a spokesman at Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice said that an updated request for Falciani's extradition had been sent on 5 April after his arrest in Madrid. And another Swiss justice spokesman revealed that Spain had contacted them as early as March before the surprise arrest."}], "question": "Why has his extradition case returned?", "id": "542_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2675, "answer_end": 3950, "text": "The idea that Spain has seemingly taken it upon itself to reopen the Falciani file has raised eyebrows among his supporters, and heightened suspicions of a possible Spanish attempt to trade high-profile fugitives with Switzerland. Two leading Catalan pro-independence politicians, Marta Rovira and Ana Gabriel, fled from Spain to Switzerland earlier this year after being targeted by a criminal investigation into Catalonia's illegal declaration of independence last autumn. A supreme court judge in Madrid has filed a European Arrest Warrant for Ms Rovira while reportedly continuing to consider Ms Gabriel's position. \"It's disloyal on Spain's part,\" Falciani's fellow X Party activist, Simona Levi, said of his arrest. \"It is treating justice as merchandise merely for short-term political benefits.\" And his lawyer, Juan Barallat, is wary of the government's motives: \"My client trusts the Spanish judiciary, but not the Spanish state. Extraditions are part diplomacy, part legal process.\" But Spain's justice minister has denied government involvement in Falciani's arrest or any connection with the Catalan situation. \"These are judicial cases sought in the realm of international co-operation,\" Rafael Catala said last month. \"We shouldn't see into it more than that.\""}], "question": "Is there a Catalan connection?", "id": "542_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Oscars hosts rated: From Jimmy Kimmel to Ellen to Chris Rock", "date": "6 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It's a job that's 91-years-old. Only thirteen people have done it since the year 2000. The shift lasts around three or four hours, but this year no-one's doing it. Hosting the Oscars is a tough gig. Kevin Hart was due to do it this year but has quit over homophobic tweets he sent ten years ago. But who's done the best job of fronting the ceremony recently? We've looked at the Academy Awards from the last 10 years and got Radio 1 and 1Xtra's film critic, Ali Plumb, to give the hosts a rating out of 5 stars, movie review-style. We'll also jog all of our memories by reminding you which film won best picture in each year. Best picture was... Slumdog Millionaire Big Hugh is a versatile man. Action, romance, drama, singing and dancing, he can do it all. \"I just think Hugh Jackman's ferocious enthusiasm screamed off the screen,\" Ali says. Hugh's big musical medley with Beyonce had the crowd on their feet. A BBC article from the time noted that Hugh didn't get much time on stage himself, but Ali says he liked that. \"For me as a viewer, if you're not a comedian, I'd rather you just set things up and got on with it. \"Hugh isn't Mr Jokes, so I was very happy with him doing the intro and getting cracking. The Oscars have a problem with speed and with frankly boredom, so the quicker they can do it, the better.\" Ali's rating: 4 stars Best picture was... The Hurt Locker You might know Alec Baldwin best for appearing in the recent Mission: Impossible films or for playing Donald Trump in Saturday Night Live. He and comic actor Steve Martin aren't a classic double act. \"I thought their delivery was game and enjoyable, but the jokes were a little bit flat,\" Ali says. \"One for example is that they go 'Oh look, it's the director of Avatar, James Cameron. We're both going to put on our 3D glasses now.' Haha, grandad. \"They're both amazing, but also - a bit fresher than this please.\" Ali's rating: 3 stars Best picture was... The King's Speech Sometimes one host just isn't enough, and the Academy goes for two. In Ali's view, it didn't work. \"It was a train wreck from the very beginning. \"The audience didn't like it, both at home and in the Kodak Theatre. It felt weird, it was weird. Never again. Never, never again. Even just thinking about it, I feel my skin crawling.\" Ali's rating: 1 star Best picture was... The Artist You might know him best as the voice of Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. He's an acting and comedy legend and this was his ninth time hosting the Oscars. \"Billy Crystal is one of those people that the Academy press the red button for whenever they really need someone last-minute,\" Ali says. \"It was OK.\" Ali's rating: 3 stars Best picture was... Argo Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane hosted for the first time in 2013, bringing his trademark crude humour to the role. Seth sang a song about female nudity in films called We Saw Your Boobs, which Ali says was \"icky\" and made him feel uncomfortable. A lot's changed since 2013, and following the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the MeToo movement, there's no chance that sort of song could be performed at the Oscars now. Overall, he thinks Seth was \"a bit of a flop\" as a host. Ali's rating: 2 stars Best picture was... 12 Years a Slave This was Ellen's second time hosting and Ali says it was \"really enjoyable\". \"It was witty, it was very inside Hollywood. It was clever and confident and snappy and she's just such an assured presence.\" Ellen did things you'd do at home with friends: taking group selfies, ordering pizza. She's just like you and me. Except she eats pizza with Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt - and her selfie with Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Lupita Nyong'o and a load of other stars became the most retweeted image in Twitter's history. Like I said, just like you and me. Ali's rating: 4 stars Best picture was... Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) NPH, as some fans call him, is probably best known as Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. Ali says Neil is remembered for a Birdman skit where he appeared on stage in his underwear, but points out \"if you've forgotten that best picture winner, it will be a very weird thing to see on your screen\". He says Neil was \"pretty good\" but \"not great\". Ali's rating: 3.5 stars Best picture was... Spotlight This was the main year of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, because for the second year in a row, only white actors and actresses were nominated for the top awards. Chris Rock was hosting, and there was no way he was going to avoid the issue. \"Chris Rock is divisive because either you really enjoy his edgy, sparky, difficult humour or it just doesn't work for you,\" Ali says. \"I personally really liked it... I could feel people not connecting with him perhaps as much as they should have. \"He's not for everyone, but I did think he was pretty brilliant.\" Ali's rating: 4 stars Best picture was... Moonlight Probably the most memorable Oscars of recent years, all because of a BIG mix-up with an envelope. La La Land was awarded best picture by mistake, when the real winner was Moonlight. Awkward. \"Honestly, all I can remember is the big cock-up, so whether he was good or bad is irrelevant. It's honestly got to be a one star. No offence to you Jimmy.\" Ali's rating: 1 star Best picture was... The Shape of Water \"It was just a bit meh. And you don't want meh,\" Ali says. \"He should be better than this. He's very unfortunate. I think what he did in 2017 was actually pretty good until what happened. And it's not fair that he felt almost compelled to come back for 2018.\" Ali's rating: 2 stars \"Will Smith. He'd be really good fun. He could really bang the drum for #OscarsSoWhite if he wants. \"In fact, I've been pitching with Ace (from 1Xtra). We want to have the whole Smith family as the hosts. I want all of them on and I want it to be a big family affair. Eccentric, loveable. Singing, dancing: the lot.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5572, "answer_end": 6065, "text": "\"Will Smith. He'd be really good fun. He could really bang the drum for #OscarsSoWhite if he wants. \"In fact, I've been pitching with Ace (from 1Xtra). We want to have the whole Smith family as the hosts. I want all of them on and I want it to be a big family affair. Eccentric, loveable. Singing, dancing: the lot.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here."}], "question": "Who does Ali think should host the Oscars?", "id": "543_0"}]}]}, {"title": "France protests: Government fears 'major violence' in coming days", "date": "6 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The French government says it fears \"major violence\" in Paris on Saturday as the national \"yellow vests\" protest movement shows little sign of easing. The Eiffel Tower is to close along with many shops, restaurants and museums and thousands more police will be on duty. The government said it was scrapping the fuel tax increases in its budget - the original spark for the protests. But broader discontent with the government has spread, and protests have erupted over several other issues. On Thursday young people took to the streets, protesting over educational reforms. More than 140 people were arrested when a protest outside a school in Mantes-la-Jolie in Yvelines ended in clashes with police. Dozens of other schools were blockaded in cities including Marseille, Nantes and Paris. Students have been angered by President Emmanuel Macron's plans to change the end-of-school exam, known as the baccalaureate, which is required for entrance to university. Critics fear the reforms will limit opportunity and breed inequality. Meanwhile, Saturday's planned rally of the yellow vests looks set to go ahead. Recent protests have turned violent, causing millions of euros in damage. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that \"exceptional means\" would be used on Saturday. He said 89,000 police officers would be on duty across France and armoured vehicles would be deployed in the capital - the first time since 1968. Confirming that the fuel tax had been abandoned, he told senators that the calm of most protesters around the country contrasted with the \"extreme violence\" seen in Paris. \"Unlike others, I'm not seeking to apportion blame for this anger,\" he said. As mayor of the northern port of Le Havre he said he had felt local anger rise every year, after every election. \"It's been muted for a long time, because it's been silenced for a long time, by shame, sometimes by pride.\" The protest on Saturday 1 December descended into the worst rioting seen in decades, with hundreds of injuries and arrests. The government says extremists hijacked the protests and incited violence. French health minister Agnes Buzyn, speaking to RTL Radio on Thursday morning, said: \"There is a concern about this violence, and some who do not want to find a solution.\" The government is considering mobilising the military to protect important national monuments, French broadcaster BFMTV reported, after the world-famous Arc de Triomphe was damaged last week. Police advised stores and restaurants on the Champs-Elysees to shut for the day. A series of football matches have also been postponed. They include those between Paris and Montpellier, Monaco and Nice, Toulouse and Lyon, and Saint-Etienne and Marseille. The yellow vests protests have moved beyond the initial anger over fuel taxes. Last week, the movement - despite a lack of central leadership - issued more than 40 demands to government. Among them were a minimum pension, widespread changes to the tax system, and a reduction in the retirement age. The government has already acknowledged some of the concerns, suggesting it may review the \"wealth tax\" it abolished after taking power. An analysis of its original budget plans for 2018-2019 showed it benefitted the very wealthy rather than the very poor. Other groups, bolstered by the success of the national movement, have also begun separate actions. One police union, Vigi, called for a strike of its administrative staff working in the interior ministry for Saturday - saying that without the support of such staff, riot police would be immobilised. Two road transport unions, the CGT and FO, have called for a strike among its 700,000 members on Sunday, Le Monde reported. Drivers have been affected by changes to overtime payments, the unions say, which affect the purchasing power of its members.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1185, "answer_end": 1890, "text": "Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that \"exceptional means\" would be used on Saturday. He said 89,000 police officers would be on duty across France and armoured vehicles would be deployed in the capital - the first time since 1968. Confirming that the fuel tax had been abandoned, he told senators that the calm of most protesters around the country contrasted with the \"extreme violence\" seen in Paris. \"Unlike others, I'm not seeking to apportion blame for this anger,\" he said. As mayor of the northern port of Le Havre he said he had felt local anger rise every year, after every election. \"It's been muted for a long time, because it's been silenced for a long time, by shame, sometimes by pride.\""}], "question": "How has the government responded?", "id": "544_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1891, "answer_end": 2708, "text": "The protest on Saturday 1 December descended into the worst rioting seen in decades, with hundreds of injuries and arrests. The government says extremists hijacked the protests and incited violence. French health minister Agnes Buzyn, speaking to RTL Radio on Thursday morning, said: \"There is a concern about this violence, and some who do not want to find a solution.\" The government is considering mobilising the military to protect important national monuments, French broadcaster BFMTV reported, after the world-famous Arc de Triomphe was damaged last week. Police advised stores and restaurants on the Champs-Elysees to shut for the day. A series of football matches have also been postponed. They include those between Paris and Montpellier, Monaco and Nice, Toulouse and Lyon, and Saint-Etienne and Marseille."}], "question": "What is the government worried about?", "id": "544_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2709, "answer_end": 3814, "text": "The yellow vests protests have moved beyond the initial anger over fuel taxes. Last week, the movement - despite a lack of central leadership - issued more than 40 demands to government. Among them were a minimum pension, widespread changes to the tax system, and a reduction in the retirement age. The government has already acknowledged some of the concerns, suggesting it may review the \"wealth tax\" it abolished after taking power. An analysis of its original budget plans for 2018-2019 showed it benefitted the very wealthy rather than the very poor. Other groups, bolstered by the success of the national movement, have also begun separate actions. One police union, Vigi, called for a strike of its administrative staff working in the interior ministry for Saturday - saying that without the support of such staff, riot police would be immobilised. Two road transport unions, the CGT and FO, have called for a strike among its 700,000 members on Sunday, Le Monde reported. Drivers have been affected by changes to overtime payments, the unions say, which affect the purchasing power of its members."}], "question": "How are the protests spreading?", "id": "544_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Tributes pour in as Oman mourns Sultan Qaboos", "date": "12 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "World leaders and the people of Oman have paid tributes to Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler who died on Friday at 79. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Prince of Wales have arrived in Muscat for a condolence ceremony as the country marks three days of mourning. Widely seen as popular, Qaboos set Oman on a path to development after coming to power in a bloodless coup in 1970. His cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said has been sworn in as successor. Qaboos had no heir or publicly designated successor, and the family council had three days to choose one. But in an apparent swift and smooth transition, they opted to open the sealed envelope in which the late sultan had secretly left his own choice. Crowds gathered at the capital's Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque on Saturday before Qaboos was buried in a family cemetery. No cause of death has been confirmed but media reports suggest he was suffering from colon cancer. The emirs of Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as the king of Bahrain and the Tunisian president were among the foreign leaders who travelled to Muscat for the ceremony at al-Alam Palace. The Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who is touring the region, was also expected to pay his respects. Mr Johnson, who said Qaboos had left a \"profound legacy, not only in Oman but across the region\", would also meet the new sultan in Muscat, according to Downing Street. Other foreign leaders and ministers paid tributes to Qaboos, who maintained the country's neutrality amid unrest throughout the region, including: - US President Donald Trump, who said Qaboos was a \"true partner and friend\" to the US, whose \"unprecedented efforts to engage in dialogue and achieve peace in the region showed us the importance of listening to all viewpoints\" - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described him as a \"great leader who worked tirelessly to promote peace and stability in our region\" - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who also travelled to Muscat, called the death \"a loss for the region\" while French President Emmanuel Macron said Oman lost a \"man of spirit and culture... deeply attached to his Omani roots and open to the world\" The European Union praised Qaboos' \"sense of pragmatism and his unparalleled savoir-faire\" while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was \"committed to spreading messages of peace, understanding and coexistence\". - For almost five decades, Qaboos completely dominated the political life of Oman, which is home to 4.6 million people, of whom about 43% are expatriates - At the age of 29, with British support, he overthrew his father, Said bin Taimur, a reclusive and ultra-conservative ruler who banned a range of things, including listening to the radio or wearing sunglasses, and decided who could get married, be educated or leave the country - Described as charismatic and visionary, Qaboos was also an absolute monarch and any dissenting voices were silenced - He pursued a neutral path in foreign affairs and was able to facilitate secret talks between the United States and Iran in 2013 that led to a landmark nuclear deal two years later Read more: Sultan Qaboos dies at 79 In a televised speech after being sworn in, Sultan Haitham pledged to continue his predecessor's policies of friendly relations with all nations while further developing the country. The sultan is the paramount decision-maker in Oman, and also holds the positions of prime minister, supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of defence, minister of finance and minister of foreign affairs. Qaboos' successor is his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The 65-year-old is an Oxford University graduate and experienced government official. He served as minister of culture and heritage and spent years working in top posts in the foreign ministry. He also leads Oman's Vision 2040 initiative, which is planning social and economic reform, in part to make the country less reliant on oil and gas exports for revenue. The new sultan is known to be a sports enthusiast and was the first head of Oman's football federation in the early 1980s. He has also owned private businesses with his brother, including the real-estate venture Blue City, Reuters news agency reports. Observers say the sultan, who is married with two sons and two daughters, has good relations with both Arab and Western leaders. Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, described Sultan Haitham as a \"quiet character\", an \"anglophile\" and a \"tried administrator\" with decades of experience in government. He said Qaboos chose him as his preferred successor because he \"resembles\" the late leader. \"His fondness for business is good news for the business community and Oman's much needed economic reforms. While he will not steer away from Qaboos's direction, it will be worth following his next steps,\" he wrote on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3617, "answer_end": 4943, "text": "Qaboos' successor is his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The 65-year-old is an Oxford University graduate and experienced government official. He served as minister of culture and heritage and spent years working in top posts in the foreign ministry. He also leads Oman's Vision 2040 initiative, which is planning social and economic reform, in part to make the country less reliant on oil and gas exports for revenue. The new sultan is known to be a sports enthusiast and was the first head of Oman's football federation in the early 1980s. He has also owned private businesses with his brother, including the real-estate venture Blue City, Reuters news agency reports. Observers say the sultan, who is married with two sons and two daughters, has good relations with both Arab and Western leaders. Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, described Sultan Haitham as a \"quiet character\", an \"anglophile\" and a \"tried administrator\" with decades of experience in government. He said Qaboos chose him as his preferred successor because he \"resembles\" the late leader. \"His fondness for business is good news for the business community and Oman's much needed economic reforms. While he will not steer away from Qaboos's direction, it will be worth following his next steps,\" he wrote on Twitter."}], "question": "Who is Oman's new sultan?", "id": "545_0"}]}]}, {"title": "A true picture of US black jobless figures", "date": "2 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The unemployment rate for US black workers jumped to 7.7% last month, reversing course after falling to a record low in December. The new figures were a potentially awkward turn of events for President Donald Trump, who has bragged repeatedly about the decline. Even before the latest data, however, critics have said the president's celebration was premature, pointing to the persistent gap between black and white unemployment rates. Job gains in 2017 pushed the black unemployment rate down in December to 6.8%. While that was the lowest rate since the US started tracking the figure in 1972, it remained by far the highest of racial groups. The national unemployment rate has fallen 60% since 2009 to 4.1% - a level not seen since the start of the century. The white unemployment rate was 3.7% in December, while it hovered at 2.5% for Asians and at 4.9% for Hispanic and Latinos. \"The decline has occurred in the unemployment rates for everyone,\" says William Darity, a public policy professor at Duke University. \"That's the big problem I have using this as some kind of signal of an event to be celebrated.\" Economists say slow and steady growth since the end of the recession is responsible for the job gains, much of which pre-date the Trump administration. In 2017, Mr Trump's first year in office, the black unemployment rate fell by about 1 percentage point. That is roughly on par with the annual pace of improvement during the final years of the Barack Obama administration. The president has touted deregulation and corporate tax cuts as lifting business confidence and spurring hiring. But US Department of Labor figures show total job gains actually slowed under President Trump.  Last year, employers added about 2.1m jobs - the smallest number since 2010. \"There is certainly a genuine decline [in the unemployment rate], but I would argue that it has little to do with him,\" says Lisa Cook, an economics professor at Michigan State University. \"It has to do with a recovering economy and that didn't start start in January 2017.\" The January rate of 7.7% among black workers was the highest since April. (The unemployment rate for white workers, however, edged lower to 3.5%.) Some degree of monthly variation is expected, but last month's rise is large enough to suggest the downward trend might be over, says William Spriggs, an economics professor at Howard University and chief economist at the AFL-CIO labour union. \"I would be concerned that January isn't just the normal fluctuation,\" he says. The black unemployment rate has been roughly double that of the white rate for decades. While that has narrowed periodically - including in the last few years - the figures can be hard to parse. The smaller gap is not evident, for example, if the black unemployment rate is compared to that of only non-Hispanic whites. By other measures, serious disparities persist. White families in the US typically have about seven times the wealth of black families, according to the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances, an annual report from the US Federal Reserve. White households are also significantly more likely to own a home and car, and have retirement accounts or other investments. If the job gains of recent years were to continue, those differences could start to diminish, says Mr Spriggs. But the pace of job creation is slowing. And meanwhile, \"those gaps are huge\". President Trump's focus solely on the decline is perceived as a \"lack of recognition\" that the disparities remain a problem, says Hilary Shelton, a senior vice president for policy and advocacy at the NAACP civil rights organisation. He adds that the president's policies compound those concerns. \"We have not heard any discussion about what he hopes to do to specifically address the disparity that has been rather consistent,\" he says. The racial gap in unemployment rates has persisted even though today's black workforce is better educated and has more skills than it had in previous decades, says Mr Spriggs. He says that is why \"it convinces me that I really am looking at discrimination\". In that light, economists say the president's record of racially charged remarks - such as blaming \"both sides\" for violence after a white supremacist rally in Virginia last year - is troubling. \"People, firms are following the president's lead and it's open season for discrimination,\" says Ms Cook. In an interview with CNN, the rapper Jay-Z said the president's celebration of the black unemployment rate was \"missing the whole point\". \"It's not about money at the end of the day,\" he said. \"You're missing the whole point. You treat people like human beings.\" The percentage of the working age black population that is employed has also nearly rebounded since the recession to almost 58%. Though the level remains lower than the previous record and lower than the roughly 60% for whites, the gap between the two races is smaller than it once was. The narrowing comes as the share of the US working age population that is employed has fallen dramatically for all races, with an especially sharp drop occurring during the recession. The decline, still not fully understood, has been explained by a mix of factors, including opioid addiction, automation and early retirements after job losses during the recession. The white population is aging more quickly than the black population, which may explain part of the recent convergence. The rebound among black workers also suggests they are less deterred by the low wages that have characterised many of the new jobs, Mr Spriggs says. Wage growth was relatively strong in January. But as the president's precipitate celebration of unemployment reminded, it is prudent not to read too much into one month's figures.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1115, "answer_end": 2520, "text": "Economists say slow and steady growth since the end of the recession is responsible for the job gains, much of which pre-date the Trump administration. In 2017, Mr Trump's first year in office, the black unemployment rate fell by about 1 percentage point. That is roughly on par with the annual pace of improvement during the final years of the Barack Obama administration. The president has touted deregulation and corporate tax cuts as lifting business confidence and spurring hiring. But US Department of Labor figures show total job gains actually slowed under President Trump.  Last year, employers added about 2.1m jobs - the smallest number since 2010. \"There is certainly a genuine decline [in the unemployment rate], but I would argue that it has little to do with him,\" says Lisa Cook, an economics professor at Michigan State University. \"It has to do with a recovering economy and that didn't start start in January 2017.\" The January rate of 7.7% among black workers was the highest since April. (The unemployment rate for white workers, however, edged lower to 3.5%.) Some degree of monthly variation is expected, but last month's rise is large enough to suggest the downward trend might be over, says William Spriggs, an economics professor at Howard University and chief economist at the AFL-CIO labour union. \"I would be concerned that January isn't just the normal fluctuation,\" he says."}], "question": "Can Trump claim credit for the decline?", "id": "546_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2521, "answer_end": 3827, "text": "The black unemployment rate has been roughly double that of the white rate for decades. While that has narrowed periodically - including in the last few years - the figures can be hard to parse. The smaller gap is not evident, for example, if the black unemployment rate is compared to that of only non-Hispanic whites. By other measures, serious disparities persist. White families in the US typically have about seven times the wealth of black families, according to the 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances, an annual report from the US Federal Reserve. White households are also significantly more likely to own a home and car, and have retirement accounts or other investments. If the job gains of recent years were to continue, those differences could start to diminish, says Mr Spriggs. But the pace of job creation is slowing. And meanwhile, \"those gaps are huge\". President Trump's focus solely on the decline is perceived as a \"lack of recognition\" that the disparities remain a problem, says Hilary Shelton, a senior vice president for policy and advocacy at the NAACP civil rights organisation. He adds that the president's policies compound those concerns. \"We have not heard any discussion about what he hopes to do to specifically address the disparity that has been rather consistent,\" he says."}], "question": "Is the gap between blacks and whites narrowing?", "id": "546_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3828, "answer_end": 4649, "text": "The racial gap in unemployment rates has persisted even though today's black workforce is better educated and has more skills than it had in previous decades, says Mr Spriggs. He says that is why \"it convinces me that I really am looking at discrimination\". In that light, economists say the president's record of racially charged remarks - such as blaming \"both sides\" for violence after a white supremacist rally in Virginia last year - is troubling. \"People, firms are following the president's lead and it's open season for discrimination,\" says Ms Cook. In an interview with CNN, the rapper Jay-Z said the president's celebration of the black unemployment rate was \"missing the whole point\". \"It's not about money at the end of the day,\" he said. \"You're missing the whole point. You treat people like human beings.\""}], "question": "How much of this is due to racism?", "id": "546_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4650, "answer_end": 5750, "text": "The percentage of the working age black population that is employed has also nearly rebounded since the recession to almost 58%. Though the level remains lower than the previous record and lower than the roughly 60% for whites, the gap between the two races is smaller than it once was. The narrowing comes as the share of the US working age population that is employed has fallen dramatically for all races, with an especially sharp drop occurring during the recession. The decline, still not fully understood, has been explained by a mix of factors, including opioid addiction, automation and early retirements after job losses during the recession. The white population is aging more quickly than the black population, which may explain part of the recent convergence. The rebound among black workers also suggests they are less deterred by the low wages that have characterised many of the new jobs, Mr Spriggs says. Wage growth was relatively strong in January. But as the president's precipitate celebration of unemployment reminded, it is prudent not to read too much into one month's figures."}], "question": "Are there any signs of progress?", "id": "546_3"}]}]}, {"title": "The deadly problem with US college fraternities", "date": "17 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Penn State University student Tim Piazza was pronounced dead in the early hours of 4 February. Like 13 other pledges to the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, the 19-year-old had been taking part in a \"run the gauntlet\" event at the chapter's house, which involved drinking a mix of alcoholic drinks at a fast pace. Authorities announced on Monday that the FBI had recovered a surveillance video they believe was intentionally deleted. They say it showed that Tim was given at least 18 drinks in the 82 minutes before he fell 15ft (4.6m) down the steps of the fraternity house's basement. But it would take about 12 hours before any of his fraternity brothers called emergency services. Medical reports say he had a fractured skull and irreversible traumatic brain injuries. His spleen had ruptured in multiple places, causing extensive internal bleeding and haemorrhagic shock. Now 26 members of Beta Theta Pi are facing charges related to his death that range from hazing to involuntary manslaughter. While horrific, this incident is not isolated. Three other students at different US universities have died since Tim's death - two in the last couple of weeks. There have been 70 student deaths attributed to hazing since 2000. This does not include cases dismissed as accidents. \"Universities tend not to be regulators until someone dies,\" said Bloomberg journalist John Hechinger, the author of True Gentleman: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities. He spent two years researching and writing the book, meeting students and reviewing disciplinary and court records while examining the role of fraternities. \"They're in the height of their power at the very moment that concerns are deepening\", he told the BBC. Today's fraternities and their like have origins in the 1820s. They have become a uniquely American tradition on campuses across the country. A loose confederacy of groups, sororities and fraternities may have dozens of chapters nationally at different institutions. They operate with a huge degree of autonomy and levels of supervision are varied. As their popularity and membership levels have risen, universities have been able to use them as a way to draw in prospective students. While they are largely independently funded through donations and student contributions, colleges sometimes offer subsidies and incentives like cheap leases on properties. Founded on conservative values of camaraderie and philanthropy, they enjoy a high representation in high-earning professions and in politics. Sororities and fraternities have about 400,000 undergraduate members nationally and own about $3bn (PS2.2bn) of property. The outside view of US college culture and so-called \"Greek life\" is founded in its prevalence in popular film and television culture - something that focuses heavily on the partying aspect. \"You have this 1978 movie Animal House. I'm not sure it was its intention but it satirised and glorified the drinking culture. It was deeply influential in what people thought a US college experience should look like,\" Hechinger said. Undergraduates in the United States can be as young as 18, but the national drinking age has been 21 since the 1980s. \"When the drinking age went up, it became harder for students to find alcohol so fraternities became a sort of under-age bar. This heightened their overall power and made them a hot ticket. \"In huge universities they control the flow of alcohol.\" The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism contends that college students have higher incidence of binge-drinking than non-college peers. All four students who died this year were reported to be new members (or \"pledges\"). The selection process for \"rushing\" applicants can sometimes last months, and provisional members do not know if they will be made a full member. \"This creates a power imbalance where the older members can tell them what to do,\" Hechinger explained. Hazing, defined as activities or situations that intentionally cause embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, or that risk harm, is widely banned as a practice but initiation ceremonies continue to be prevalent as part of fraternity \"traditions\". Not all of these are solely alcohol based. In April a student was charged with smearing peanut butter in the face of a student with a deadly allergy. Hechinger points out that one of the ways that universities and fraternities have tried to combat controversies is by banning or suspending the pledging process, or not allowing the newest students to apply. \"That way they're not so desperate to join - they'll have an established group of friends already,\" he said. Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the fraternity Hechinger focused his research on, had 10 members die between 2008 and 2014. After the fraternity banned the initiation process, they have not had another death. Research showing alcohol and hazing related deaths are nothing new, but data shows fatalities appear to be on the increase. Hechinger said his extensive research suggested one of the reasons could possibly be because of increased consumption of stronger forms of alcohol. \"Beer kegs are cheaper, but for under-age drinkers they are harder to hide,\" he said. \"Scientifically it's very difficult to physically poison yourself with beer. With the shift to hard liquor you can literally drink yourself to death in an hour.\" Universities have reacted to deaths and reports of sexual assaults in fraternities with a range of measures. Hechinger said the \"standard\" response was a temporary suspension of Greek life in the aftermath, including alcohol bans and reform pledges by the groups involved. But there are cases where more radical action was taken. Some have banned Greek life altogether and developed their own models of internal colleges with housing, but those reform measures were done when the system was less popular. Sororities and fraternities are extremely influential organisations nationally and at university level. A total abolition of them could cause major infrastructural problems, including with student housing. Since the deaths of 20-year-olds Andrew Coffey and Matthew Ellis, Greek life has been suspended at their Florida and Texas State universities. In Florida, this comes in the form of an \"indefinite ban\" - their president is demanding a \"new normal\" before activities can return. Other allegations of hazing incidents have led to similar measures this year at the University of Michigan, Montana State University and Ohio State. At a state level, anti-hazing laws have been implemented, but questions around meaningful deterrence remain as controversies and deaths continue. Whether the spate of tragedies this year is enough to initiate lasting change remains to be seen; the stories from the last couple of months must be all too familiar for the parents of victims, including Tim Piazza. Speaking at Monday's press conference where new charges were announced, his father Jim said: \"Tim was a happy and caring human being and a wonderful son who just wanted to join an organisation to find friendships and camaraderie. \"Instead he was killed at the hands of those he was seeking friendship from. \"It's time to man up, fellas, and be held accountable for your actions. \"Hazing needs to stop. There is just no place for it. A statement needs to be made.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4819, "answer_end": 7301, "text": "Research showing alcohol and hazing related deaths are nothing new, but data shows fatalities appear to be on the increase. Hechinger said his extensive research suggested one of the reasons could possibly be because of increased consumption of stronger forms of alcohol. \"Beer kegs are cheaper, but for under-age drinkers they are harder to hide,\" he said. \"Scientifically it's very difficult to physically poison yourself with beer. With the shift to hard liquor you can literally drink yourself to death in an hour.\" Universities have reacted to deaths and reports of sexual assaults in fraternities with a range of measures. Hechinger said the \"standard\" response was a temporary suspension of Greek life in the aftermath, including alcohol bans and reform pledges by the groups involved. But there are cases where more radical action was taken. Some have banned Greek life altogether and developed their own models of internal colleges with housing, but those reform measures were done when the system was less popular. Sororities and fraternities are extremely influential organisations nationally and at university level. A total abolition of them could cause major infrastructural problems, including with student housing. Since the deaths of 20-year-olds Andrew Coffey and Matthew Ellis, Greek life has been suspended at their Florida and Texas State universities. In Florida, this comes in the form of an \"indefinite ban\" - their president is demanding a \"new normal\" before activities can return. Other allegations of hazing incidents have led to similar measures this year at the University of Michigan, Montana State University and Ohio State. At a state level, anti-hazing laws have been implemented, but questions around meaningful deterrence remain as controversies and deaths continue. Whether the spate of tragedies this year is enough to initiate lasting change remains to be seen; the stories from the last couple of months must be all too familiar for the parents of victims, including Tim Piazza. Speaking at Monday's press conference where new charges were announced, his father Jim said: \"Tim was a happy and caring human being and a wonderful son who just wanted to join an organisation to find friendships and camaraderie. \"Instead he was killed at the hands of those he was seeking friendship from. \"It's time to man up, fellas, and be held accountable for your actions. \"Hazing needs to stop. There is just no place for it. A statement needs to be made.\""}], "question": "Is the problem getting worse?", "id": "547_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Oscars 2019: How controversial James Bulger film Detainment was made", "date": "25 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A harrowing film recreating the events surrounding the notorious murder of two-year-old James Bulger has been nominated for an Oscar despite protests from the boy's family. In the Irish-made Detainment, two child actors portray the toddler's killers before and after the killing. The director has told BBC News why he made the controversial film, how he prepared his young actors - and why he won't withdraw it from the Oscars. James was a month short of his third birthday when he was abducted by two 10-year-old boys at the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993. His mother Denise was in a butcher's shop when James was taken from the doorway by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. They led him out and to a railway line, where they killed him. The fact such a young boy had been deliberately murdered by other children shocked the nation, and the world. Venables and Thompson were convicted of murder and have since been given new identities. Most of the 30-minute film recreates the police interviews with Venables and Thompson by using transcripts from the original interview tapes, which were played in court during the trial. Its director Vincent Lambe has said some key scenes that took place outside the police interview room were dramatised, but that it was \"as close as we could possibly have made it\" to the original events. \"The film is almost entirely verbatim and there are no embellishments there whatsoever,\" he told BBC News. In fact, quite a few scenes take place beyond the interview room. We see Thompson and Venables messing about in the shopping centre before abducting James, and we see a toddler playing James standing outside a butcher's. We also see the older boys leading the toddler through the streets after taking him, and speaking to some of the 38 people who saw them on their route to the railway line. \"The popular opinion is that those boys were evil and anybody who gives any alternate opinion or reason as to how it could have happened gets criticised for it, and as a result it stifles debate on the whole issue,\" Lambe said. \"I think what they did was evil, but I think there's a lot more to it. I don't think you can simply dismiss them as being evil - I think it's important to try to understand how it happened. \"The film was made in the interest of understanding why it happened in order to prevent something similar happening again in the future.\" In largely sticking to the police interview transcripts, the director sheds little light on what made two 10-year-old boys capable of murder. \"I would have liked to make the film more enlightening, but if we were to show sections from the [killers'] background it would make it a different film because then it's putting an opinion on it,\" he said. \"And I didn't want to be telling the film from any one person's point of view, and I think the perspective of James Bulger's family is equally important, so we decided to just focus on the factual material that was there and we kept it as factual as possible.\" Ely Solan, who plays Venables, and Leon Hughes, who plays Robert, were both 11 when the film was shot. Solan in particular gives a remarkable performance and his character is in tears for much of the interviews. Lambe has spent 12 years working in children's casting and as a children's agent, and says doing thousands of auditions has taught him how to direct children. Even so, James Bulger's killers were \"two of the most demanding roles for child actors to play\", he said. But he said he spent a lot of time working with the young actors before filming started and they \"were very well prepared for it\". He said: \"It was tricky but at the same time we had enough time to work with them. It's not like they were thrown in the deep end or anything. \"There was a long period for them to get used to and understand the characters. And it was actually a very warm, friendly set for the boys to work on. \"There were lots of relaxed moments in between the scenes, even though the scenes themselves were quite intense. We'd still be having fun with them during the breaks.\" It was Hughes's first film, and the audition for Detainment was Solan's first ever audition. Since shooting Detainment, he has gone on to film The Man Who Invented Christmas with Christopher Plummer and Four Kids and It with Michael Caine. One of the main criticisms has been that Lambe didn't consult James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus or father Ralph Bulger. \"It's something we did think long and hard about,\" Lambe said, and has said he didn't mean any disrespect by not consulting her. Mrs Fergus thinks she know why he didn't. \"I'd have asked him to let me know what the film was going to be about first - how he was going to pan it out,\" she told ITV's This Morning on Thursday. \"No, I wouldn't have agreed with the way he's done it.\" She has called for rules to stop people making films about real-life cases without relatives' consent. \"I'm going to try to stop other families from going through what I'm going through with these things being made,\" she told Loose Women earlier this month. Detainment is nominated for the best live action short film prize at the Academy Awards, which take place in Hollywood on 24 February. Mrs Fergus has called for the Oscars to remove it or for Lambe to withdraw it, and an online petition in support has passed 100,000 signatures. \"If he gets away with this, if he gets this Oscar, then it's going to give anyone the right to go and pick on a family who's been through something like this and do whatever they want with it,\" she said. But he has refused to withdraw it. \"It's like saying, should we burn every copy of it? I think it would defeat the purpose of making the film,\" he said. Based on film-making craft alone, it could be in with a shot, and the Oscar nominations are often filled with films based on dramatic or tragic real-life stories. But the controversy has been reported in the Hollywood press and could affect Detainment's chances in the Oscars voting, which opens on 12 February. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 428, "answer_end": 968, "text": "James was a month short of his third birthday when he was abducted by two 10-year-old boys at the Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993. His mother Denise was in a butcher's shop when James was taken from the doorway by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. They led him out and to a railway line, where they killed him. The fact such a young boy had been deliberately murdered by other children shocked the nation, and the world. Venables and Thompson were convicted of murder and have since been given new identities."}], "question": "What happened to James Bulger?", "id": "548_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 969, "answer_end": 1859, "text": "Most of the 30-minute film recreates the police interviews with Venables and Thompson by using transcripts from the original interview tapes, which were played in court during the trial. Its director Vincent Lambe has said some key scenes that took place outside the police interview room were dramatised, but that it was \"as close as we could possibly have made it\" to the original events. \"The film is almost entirely verbatim and there are no embellishments there whatsoever,\" he told BBC News. In fact, quite a few scenes take place beyond the interview room. We see Thompson and Venables messing about in the shopping centre before abducting James, and we see a toddler playing James standing outside a butcher's. We also see the older boys leading the toddler through the streets after taking him, and speaking to some of the 38 people who saw them on their route to the railway line."}], "question": "What's in the film?", "id": "548_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1860, "answer_end": 2415, "text": "\"The popular opinion is that those boys were evil and anybody who gives any alternate opinion or reason as to how it could have happened gets criticised for it, and as a result it stifles debate on the whole issue,\" Lambe said. \"I think what they did was evil, but I think there's a lot more to it. I don't think you can simply dismiss them as being evil - I think it's important to try to understand how it happened. \"The film was made in the interest of understanding why it happened in order to prevent something similar happening again in the future.\""}], "question": "Why was it made?", "id": "548_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2416, "answer_end": 3025, "text": "In largely sticking to the police interview transcripts, the director sheds little light on what made two 10-year-old boys capable of murder. \"I would have liked to make the film more enlightening, but if we were to show sections from the [killers'] background it would make it a different film because then it's putting an opinion on it,\" he said. \"And I didn't want to be telling the film from any one person's point of view, and I think the perspective of James Bulger's family is equally important, so we decided to just focus on the factual material that was there and we kept it as factual as possible.\""}], "question": "Does it help us understand why it happened?", "id": "548_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3026, "answer_end": 4335, "text": "Ely Solan, who plays Venables, and Leon Hughes, who plays Robert, were both 11 when the film was shot. Solan in particular gives a remarkable performance and his character is in tears for much of the interviews. Lambe has spent 12 years working in children's casting and as a children's agent, and says doing thousands of auditions has taught him how to direct children. Even so, James Bulger's killers were \"two of the most demanding roles for child actors to play\", he said. But he said he spent a lot of time working with the young actors before filming started and they \"were very well prepared for it\". He said: \"It was tricky but at the same time we had enough time to work with them. It's not like they were thrown in the deep end or anything. \"There was a long period for them to get used to and understand the characters. And it was actually a very warm, friendly set for the boys to work on. \"There were lots of relaxed moments in between the scenes, even though the scenes themselves were quite intense. We'd still be having fun with them during the breaks.\" It was Hughes's first film, and the audition for Detainment was Solan's first ever audition. Since shooting Detainment, he has gone on to film The Man Who Invented Christmas with Christopher Plummer and Four Kids and It with Michael Caine."}], "question": "How did the director look after the young actors?", "id": "548_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4336, "answer_end": 5095, "text": "One of the main criticisms has been that Lambe didn't consult James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus or father Ralph Bulger. \"It's something we did think long and hard about,\" Lambe said, and has said he didn't mean any disrespect by not consulting her. Mrs Fergus thinks she know why he didn't. \"I'd have asked him to let me know what the film was going to be about first - how he was going to pan it out,\" she told ITV's This Morning on Thursday. \"No, I wouldn't have agreed with the way he's done it.\" She has called for rules to stop people making films about real-life cases without relatives' consent. \"I'm going to try to stop other families from going through what I'm going through with these things being made,\" she told Loose Women earlier this month."}], "question": "Why didn't the film-maker consult James Bulger's family?", "id": "548_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5096, "answer_end": 6043, "text": "Detainment is nominated for the best live action short film prize at the Academy Awards, which take place in Hollywood on 24 February. Mrs Fergus has called for the Oscars to remove it or for Lambe to withdraw it, and an online petition in support has passed 100,000 signatures. \"If he gets away with this, if he gets this Oscar, then it's going to give anyone the right to go and pick on a family who's been through something like this and do whatever they want with it,\" she said. But he has refused to withdraw it. \"It's like saying, should we burn every copy of it? I think it would defeat the purpose of making the film,\" he said. Based on film-making craft alone, it could be in with a shot, and the Oscar nominations are often filled with films based on dramatic or tragic real-life stories. But the controversy has been reported in the Hollywood press and could affect Detainment's chances in the Oscars voting, which opens on 12 February."}], "question": "Will it win an Oscar?", "id": "548_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: China warns US over Human Rights and Democracy Act", "date": "28 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has warned the US it could take \"firm counter-measures\" if Washington continues to show support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The warning came after US President Donald Trump signed the Human Rights and Democracy Act into law. The act mandates an annual review, to check if Hong Kong has enough autonomy to justify special status with the US. Mr Trump is currently seeking a deal with China, in order to end a trade war between the two countries. \"The US has been disregarding facts and distorting truth,\" a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. \"It openly backed violent criminals who rampantly smashed facilities, set fire, assaulted innocent civilians, trampled on the rule of law, and jeopardised social order.\" The ministry threatened \"counter measures\" if the US continued \"going down the wrong path\". The new law requires Washington to monitor Beijing's actions in Hong Kong. The US could revoke the special trading status it has granted the territory if China undermines the city's rights and freedoms. Among other things, Hong Kong's special status means it is not affected by US sanctions or tariffs placed on the mainland. The bill also says the US should allow Hong Kong residents to obtain US visas if they have been arrested for being part of non-violent protests. Analysts say the move could complicate negotiations between China and America to end their trade war. China's foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to demand that Washington stops interfering in Chinese internal affairs. Hong Kong's government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation. But a key activist in the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a \"remarkable achievement\" for \"all Hongkongers\". The bill was introduced in June in the early stages of the protests in Hong Kong, and was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last month. Mr Trump said he signed it \"out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong\". He had previously been non-committal, saying he was \"with\" Hong Kong but also that Mr Xi was \"an incredible guy\". However, the bill had widespread congressional support, which meant that even if he vetoed it, lawmakers could potentially have voted to overturn his decision. The president also signed a second bill, which bans the export of crowd-control munitions to the police in Hong Kong - including tear gas, rubber bullets and stun guns. \"[The bills] are being enacted in the hope that leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences, leading to long-term peace and prosperity for all,\" Mr Trump said. The US move comes amid a lull in protests following a pro-democracy landslide in local elections. Hong Kong's protests started in June against a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China but it has since transformed into a larger pro-democracy movement. The protests have also seen increasingly violent clashes, with police being attacked, and officers firing live bullets. Protesters have thrown petrol bombs and attacked businesses seen as being pro-Beijing. The protesters, meanwhile, have accused police of brutality. On Sunday, Hong Kong held local council elections that were seen as a barometer of public opinion towards the government and the protesters. The elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councillors. On Thursday, authorities moved into the Polytechnic University days after it had been the site of a fierce standoff between student activists and riot police. The police said they had found hundreds of petrol bombs and other home-made devices, and were dusting them for fingerprints. A search found no remaining activists at the site but it is thought there could still be about a dozen people still hiding inside.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 830, "answer_end": 1402, "text": "The new law requires Washington to monitor Beijing's actions in Hong Kong. The US could revoke the special trading status it has granted the territory if China undermines the city's rights and freedoms. Among other things, Hong Kong's special status means it is not affected by US sanctions or tariffs placed on the mainland. The bill also says the US should allow Hong Kong residents to obtain US visas if they have been arrested for being part of non-violent protests. Analysts say the move could complicate negotiations between China and America to end their trade war."}], "question": "What are the implications of the bill?", "id": "549_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1403, "answer_end": 1796, "text": "China's foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to demand that Washington stops interfering in Chinese internal affairs. Hong Kong's government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation. But a key activist in the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a \"remarkable achievement\" for \"all Hongkongers\"."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "549_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1797, "answer_end": 2722, "text": "The bill was introduced in June in the early stages of the protests in Hong Kong, and was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last month. Mr Trump said he signed it \"out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong\". He had previously been non-committal, saying he was \"with\" Hong Kong but also that Mr Xi was \"an incredible guy\". However, the bill had widespread congressional support, which meant that even if he vetoed it, lawmakers could potentially have voted to overturn his decision. The president also signed a second bill, which bans the export of crowd-control munitions to the police in Hong Kong - including tear gas, rubber bullets and stun guns. \"[The bills] are being enacted in the hope that leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences, leading to long-term peace and prosperity for all,\" Mr Trump said."}], "question": "How did the bill come about?", "id": "549_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2723, "answer_end": 3952, "text": "The US move comes amid a lull in protests following a pro-democracy landslide in local elections. Hong Kong's protests started in June against a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China but it has since transformed into a larger pro-democracy movement. The protests have also seen increasingly violent clashes, with police being attacked, and officers firing live bullets. Protesters have thrown petrol bombs and attacked businesses seen as being pro-Beijing. The protesters, meanwhile, have accused police of brutality. On Sunday, Hong Kong held local council elections that were seen as a barometer of public opinion towards the government and the protesters. The elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councillors. On Thursday, authorities moved into the Polytechnic University days after it had been the site of a fierce standoff between student activists and riot police. The police said they had found hundreds of petrol bombs and other home-made devices, and were dusting them for fingerprints. A search found no remaining activists at the site but it is thought there could still be about a dozen people still hiding inside."}], "question": "What is the situation in Hong Kong?", "id": "549_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran nuclear deal: Trump 'will not sign off agreement'", "date": "13 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump will accuse Iran of failing to comply with an international nuclear deal, according to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Mr Trump will refuse to certify the deal and refer it to Congress, he told reporters. Such a move would not mean a US withdrawal from the deal that freezes Iran's nuclear programme, but it is part of a tougher strategy on Iran. President Trump was due to speak from the White House at 16:45 GMT. He is under pressure at home and abroad not to scrap the seven-country deal agreed in 2015, under which Iran has halted its nuclear programme in return for the partial lifting of sanctions. In his speech, Mr Trump is expected to accuse Tehran of pursuing \"death and destruction\". It is thought he will also focus on its non-nuclear activities, particularly those of the Revolutionary Guards (RIG), which has been accused of supporting terrorism. During the presidential election campaign in 2016, Mr Trump pledged to throw out the agreement concluded under his predecessor, Barack Obama. But senior cabinet officials advised him not to as Iran was abiding by its terms, so Mr Trump has opted for a middle road, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Washington. Mr Trump was due to say the agreement did not meet certain conditions of US law, but he would let Congress decide its fate, Mr Tillerson said. Congress could choose to pull out of the deal, but Mr Tillerson said the administration would advise it instead to establish guidelines under which the US could automatically re-impose sanctions: trigger points, he called them. The Trump administration wants to broaden Iran policy beyond the nuclear deal. This, said Mr Tillerson, would include sanctioning members of the powerful Revolutionary Guards force for supporting militant groups and terrorist activities. Among the changes it is seeking is the end to the \"sunset\" clauses in the deal, one of which sees restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme lifted after 2025, greater access to nuclear sites and the inclusion of Iran's ballistic missile programme. Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (Ingra), Congress requires the US president to certify every 90 days that Iran is upholding its part of the nuclear agreement. Mr Trump has already recertified it twice and has a deadline of Sunday to make his latest report back. Refusal to recertify would give Congress 60 days to decide whether to pull out of the nuclear deal by re-imposing sanctions. A strategy paper released by the White House highlights calls for neutralising Iran's \"destabilising influence and constraining its aggression, particularly its support for terrorism and militants\". The US, it says, will work to revitalise traditional alliances and regional partnerships as \"bulwarks against Iranian subversion\". Efforts will be made to deny funding for the Iranian government and the RIG's \"malign activities\" and counter threats from ballistic missiles \"and other asymmetric weapons\". The nuclear deal does not comprehensively cover the missile development programmes, and last month Iran successfully tested a new-medium range missile with a 2,000km (1,200-mile) range. The IRGC's \"gross violations of human rights\" will be highlighted to the rest of the world,\" the strategy paper says. \"Most importantly, we will deny the Iranian regime all paths to a nuclear weapon.\" What will Trump do about the deal? Foreign leaders, including UK Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, have urged Mr Trump to keep the deal. \"We also have to tell the Americans that their behaviour on the Iran issue will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the USA,\" German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned in a newspaper interview. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that US withdrawal from the nuclear deal would \"damage the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and non-proliferation in the entire world\". Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt said a US withdrawal from the deal would show it could not be relied upon and could have ramifications elsewhere, for example on efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The IAEA and Congress currently both agree Iran is complying with the terms of the nuclear agreement. The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, said on a visit to Russia that a US withdrawal from the deal would signal its end. He warned that the collapse of the deal could result in global chaos, Russian media report. Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it is designed to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon. It lifted some sanctions that stopped Iran from trading on international markets and selling oil. The lifting of sanctions is dependent on Iran restricting its nuclear programme. It must curb its uranium stockpile, build no more heavy-water reactors for 15 years and allow inspectors into the country. Set up shortly after the 1979 Iranian revolution to defend the country's Islamic system, they provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces. They are a major military, political and economic force in Iran, with some 125,000 active members, and oversee strategic weapons. They have been accused of supporting Shia Muslim militants in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 889, "answer_end": 1815, "text": "During the presidential election campaign in 2016, Mr Trump pledged to throw out the agreement concluded under his predecessor, Barack Obama. But senior cabinet officials advised him not to as Iran was abiding by its terms, so Mr Trump has opted for a middle road, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Washington. Mr Trump was due to say the agreement did not meet certain conditions of US law, but he would let Congress decide its fate, Mr Tillerson said. Congress could choose to pull out of the deal, but Mr Tillerson said the administration would advise it instead to establish guidelines under which the US could automatically re-impose sanctions: trigger points, he called them. The Trump administration wants to broaden Iran policy beyond the nuclear deal. This, said Mr Tillerson, would include sanctioning members of the powerful Revolutionary Guards force for supporting militant groups and terrorist activities."}], "question": "What exactly is Mr Trump proposing?", "id": "550_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1816, "answer_end": 2073, "text": "Among the changes it is seeking is the end to the \"sunset\" clauses in the deal, one of which sees restrictions on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme lifted after 2025, greater access to nuclear sites and the inclusion of Iran's ballistic missile programme."}], "question": "What does the Trump administration want to change about the deal?", "id": "550_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2473, "answer_end": 3398, "text": "A strategy paper released by the White House highlights calls for neutralising Iran's \"destabilising influence and constraining its aggression, particularly its support for terrorism and militants\". The US, it says, will work to revitalise traditional alliances and regional partnerships as \"bulwarks against Iranian subversion\". Efforts will be made to deny funding for the Iranian government and the RIG's \"malign activities\" and counter threats from ballistic missiles \"and other asymmetric weapons\". The nuclear deal does not comprehensively cover the missile development programmes, and last month Iran successfully tested a new-medium range missile with a 2,000km (1,200-mile) range. The IRGC's \"gross violations of human rights\" will be highlighted to the rest of the world,\" the strategy paper says. \"Most importantly, we will deny the Iranian regime all paths to a nuclear weapon.\" What will Trump do about the deal?"}], "question": "What is the background to this tougher stance?", "id": "550_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3399, "answer_end": 4278, "text": "Foreign leaders, including UK Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, have urged Mr Trump to keep the deal. \"We also have to tell the Americans that their behaviour on the Iran issue will drive us Europeans into a common position with Russia and China against the USA,\" German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned in a newspaper interview. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that US withdrawal from the nuclear deal would \"damage the atmosphere of predictability, security, stability and non-proliferation in the entire world\". Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt said a US withdrawal from the deal would show it could not be relied upon and could have ramifications elsewhere, for example on efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The IAEA and Congress currently both agree Iran is complying with the terms of the nuclear agreement."}], "question": "What do other key players say?", "id": "550_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4279, "answer_end": 4506, "text": "The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, said on a visit to Russia that a US withdrawal from the deal would signal its end. He warned that the collapse of the deal could result in global chaos, Russian media report."}], "question": "What is Iran's position?", "id": "550_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4927, "answer_end": 5297, "text": "Set up shortly after the 1979 Iranian revolution to defend the country's Islamic system, they provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces. They are a major military, political and economic force in Iran, with some 125,000 active members, and oversee strategic weapons. They have been accused of supporting Shia Muslim militants in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria."}], "question": "Who are the Revolutionary Guards?", "id": "550_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria offensive: Turkish troops 'capture villages' in Afrin", "date": "22 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkish forces have captured a number of villages in north-western Syria, on the third day of an offensive to oust Kurdish fighters, Turkish media report. Troops, accompanied by allied Syrian rebels, reportedly seized control of several areas in Afrin on Monday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not \"step back\" in the assault following talks with Russia. Turkey considers the Kurdish YPG militia it is targeting in the region to be a terrorist group. \"We are determined, Afrin will be sorted out,\" Mr Erdogan said in a live television broadcast in Ankara on Monday. \"We will take no step back,\" he said, adding: \"We spoke about this with our Russian friends; we have an agreement.\" The YPG, which controls much of north-eastern Syria, is believed by Turkey to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades. The YPG denies any direct links and is a crucial part of a US-backed alliance battling Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria. Ankara has condemned the US for supporting the YPG and this latest development in the Syrian civil war puts Turkey on a collision course with its Nato ally. On Monday, the Afrin villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli were reportedly captured, along with rural areas including Kita, Kordo and Bibno, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said the YPG had repelled Turkish troops from two villages that had been briefly captured in heavy fighting. The YPG also said that it had retaliated to Turkey's ground offensive with rocket fire on Turkish border areas. Two people died and 12 others were wounded when a rocket hit a camp housing Syrian rebel fighters near the border in Turkey's Hatay province, local reports said. The Syrian government, its ally Iran and Egypt have all condemned Turkey's offensive. A UN security council meeting due to take place later on Monday, which was called by France to discuss the humanitarian situation in Syria in general, is expected to discuss the latest developments in Afrin. Turkish ground troops, assisted by rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), crossed into northern Syria on Sunday as part of its offensive - called \"Operation Olive Branch\" - to push out the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Mr Erdogan has vowed to crush the YPG \"very quickly\", but the US is urging Turkish \"restraint\" in order to avoid civilian casualties. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the aim was to establish a 30km (19-mile) \"safe zone\" deep inside Syria. Plans for the operation were believed to have accelerated when US officials said earlier this month that it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, which is dominated by the YPG, build a new \"border security force\" to prevent the return of IS. Some 25,000 pro-Turkey fighters have joined the offensive, rebel commander Maj Yasser Abdul Rahim told Reuters. It is not clear how many Turkish soldiers are on the ground. Turkey's military said it had hit 45 targets on Sunday, as part of its campaign. It earlier said dozens of air strikes had taken out 153 targets belonging to Kurdish militants. The SOHR said on Monday that 18 civilians had so far been killed in the Afrin region. The group said that most were killed in Turkish air strikes over the weekend. The YPG said at least four Turkish soldiers and 10 Syrian rebel fighters supporting them were killed in clashes on Sunday morning, but there has been no confirmation from Turkey. Kurdish rockets also hit the Turkish border towns of Kilis and Reyhanli at the weekend, with casualties reported. There were further casualties in Monday's rocket attack on an FSA camp in Hatay province. Turkey's military has been shelling the Afrin region since Thursday. Western powers, including the US and France, are urging restraint. \"They warned us before they launched the aircraft they were going to do it, in consultation with us. And we are working now on the way ahead,\" US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Sunday. \"We'll work this out,\" he added. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemned the incursion, saying: \"The brutal Turkish aggression\" on Afrin was part of Ankara's policy of \"support for terrorism\" in Syria. Russia - a key ally of President Assad - also said it was concerned by the news, and withdrew some of its troops based in the area. Moscow will demand Turkey halt its military operations at the UN meeting, according to Russian senator Frants Klintsevich, who is the deputy chairman of the defence and security committee. Iran, another Syria ally, called for a quick end to the operation \"to prevent a deepening of the crisis\" in Syria.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1185, "answer_end": 2146, "text": "On Monday, the Afrin villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli were reportedly captured, along with rural areas including Kita, Kordo and Bibno, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said the YPG had repelled Turkish troops from two villages that had been briefly captured in heavy fighting. The YPG also said that it had retaliated to Turkey's ground offensive with rocket fire on Turkish border areas. Two people died and 12 others were wounded when a rocket hit a camp housing Syrian rebel fighters near the border in Turkey's Hatay province, local reports said. The Syrian government, its ally Iran and Egypt have all condemned Turkey's offensive. A UN security council meeting due to take place later on Monday, which was called by France to discuss the humanitarian situation in Syria in general, is expected to discuss the latest developments in Afrin."}], "question": "What has happened on the ground?", "id": "551_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2147, "answer_end": 3238, "text": "Turkish ground troops, assisted by rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA), crossed into northern Syria on Sunday as part of its offensive - called \"Operation Olive Branch\" - to push out the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Mr Erdogan has vowed to crush the YPG \"very quickly\", but the US is urging Turkish \"restraint\" in order to avoid civilian casualties. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the aim was to establish a 30km (19-mile) \"safe zone\" deep inside Syria. Plans for the operation were believed to have accelerated when US officials said earlier this month that it would help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, which is dominated by the YPG, build a new \"border security force\" to prevent the return of IS. Some 25,000 pro-Turkey fighters have joined the offensive, rebel commander Maj Yasser Abdul Rahim told Reuters. It is not clear how many Turkish soldiers are on the ground. Turkey's military said it had hit 45 targets on Sunday, as part of its campaign. It earlier said dozens of air strikes had taken out 153 targets belonging to Kurdish militants."}], "question": "What's the background to the offensive?", "id": "551_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3239, "answer_end": 3854, "text": "The SOHR said on Monday that 18 civilians had so far been killed in the Afrin region. The group said that most were killed in Turkish air strikes over the weekend. The YPG said at least four Turkish soldiers and 10 Syrian rebel fighters supporting them were killed in clashes on Sunday morning, but there has been no confirmation from Turkey. Kurdish rockets also hit the Turkish border towns of Kilis and Reyhanli at the weekend, with casualties reported. There were further casualties in Monday's rocket attack on an FSA camp in Hatay province. Turkey's military has been shelling the Afrin region since Thursday."}], "question": "What are the casualties?", "id": "551_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3855, "answer_end": 4763, "text": "Western powers, including the US and France, are urging restraint. \"They warned us before they launched the aircraft they were going to do it, in consultation with us. And we are working now on the way ahead,\" US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Sunday. \"We'll work this out,\" he added. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad condemned the incursion, saying: \"The brutal Turkish aggression\" on Afrin was part of Ankara's policy of \"support for terrorism\" in Syria. Russia - a key ally of President Assad - also said it was concerned by the news, and withdrew some of its troops based in the area. Moscow will demand Turkey halt its military operations at the UN meeting, according to Russian senator Frants Klintsevich, who is the deputy chairman of the defence and security committee. Iran, another Syria ally, called for a quick end to the operation \"to prevent a deepening of the crisis\" in Syria."}], "question": "How have the key players reacted?", "id": "551_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Juan Guaid\u00f3 says family has been threatened", "date": "31 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Venezuela's self-declared interim president Juan Guaido has said his family has been threatened, amid the country's continuing political crisis. In a speech at Venezuela's Central University, he said police had visited his family home looking for his wife. Mr Guaido declared himself president this month and was immediately recognised by the US and several Latin American countries. Russia and China back President Nicolas Maduro. Military support is seen as crucial to Mr Maduro's hold on power. But Mr Guaido says he has held secret meetings with the military to win support for ousting Mr Maduro. Protests have been held across the country since Mr Maduro began his second term on 10 January. He was elected last year during a controversial vote in which many opposition candidates were barred from running, or jailed. About three million people have fled Venezuela amid acute economic problems. \"Right now, special forces were at my home asking for Fabiana,\" said the opposition leader during a speech at the university. \"The dictatorship thinks they will frighten us. I received this information before I came here. But I didn't start with that. I started with a plan for all Venezuelans.\" Addressing security forces directly, he said: \"I will hold you responsible for any intimidation of my baby, who is just 20 months old.\" The self-proclaimed president had been speaking as part of an event outlining his broad vision for the future direction of the country. Mr Guaido called for the \"re-establishment of public services\", measures to tackle the worsening humanitarian crisis, and support for the \"most vulnerable sectors\" of the economy. His \"Plan Venezuela\" also focused on restoring oil production. \"We want a child who is born in any Venezuelan state to aspire to as much as, or more, than any child who lives in Madrid, Barcelona or Bogota or in any other part of the world,\" he said. He called on Venezuelans to gather together on Saturday as part of fresh protests to demand \"humanitarian assistance\", before asking for foreign diplomats to accompany him home to help protect his family. Later on Thursday he told the Reuters news agency that a change in the country's government would be advantageous to Russia and China, who support Mr Maduro. \"What most suits Russia and China is the country's stability and a change of government,\" he said, adding that Venezuela would be \"responsible\" to its creditors and bondholders. Mr Guaido earlier said he had held \"clandestine meetings with members of the armed forces and the security forces\". He did not say who he had been speaking to. Venezuela's top military representative to the US Col Jose Luis Silva has defected - but senior military figures in Venezuela have supported Mr Maduro. As head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Mr Guaido says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate. Venezuela's Supreme Court has banned the opposition leader from leaving the country, however, and frozen his bank accounts. Mr Maduro told Russian news agency RIA he was prepared to hold talks with the opposition \"for the good of Venezuela\" but would not accept ultimatums or blackmail. He insisted he had the backing of the military, accusing deserters of conspiring to plot a coup. Many officers hold posts as ministers or other influential positions. On Thursday, the European Parliament voted, in a non-binding resolution, to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president until fresh elections can be called. The parliament has no foreign policy powers but urged the European Union and its member states to follow suit. The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said it had agreed to create a contact group with Latin American nations aimed at resolving the crisis, but had set a 90-day deadline to find a political solution. The United Nations has told Mr Guaido that it is willing to increase humanitarian aid to the country but required the consent of Mr Maduro's government, a spokesman said. The US government warned Mr Maduro there would be consequences for \"egregious\" acts of intimidation against Mr Guaido, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency. US National Security Adviser John Bolton also tweeted advice to Mr Maduro: UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to urge EU nations to impose sanctions on key figures in Mr Maduro's government on Thursday, after also speaking to Mr Guaido on Wednesday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 900, "answer_end": 3031, "text": "\"Right now, special forces were at my home asking for Fabiana,\" said the opposition leader during a speech at the university. \"The dictatorship thinks they will frighten us. I received this information before I came here. But I didn't start with that. I started with a plan for all Venezuelans.\" Addressing security forces directly, he said: \"I will hold you responsible for any intimidation of my baby, who is just 20 months old.\" The self-proclaimed president had been speaking as part of an event outlining his broad vision for the future direction of the country. Mr Guaido called for the \"re-establishment of public services\", measures to tackle the worsening humanitarian crisis, and support for the \"most vulnerable sectors\" of the economy. His \"Plan Venezuela\" also focused on restoring oil production. \"We want a child who is born in any Venezuelan state to aspire to as much as, or more, than any child who lives in Madrid, Barcelona or Bogota or in any other part of the world,\" he said. He called on Venezuelans to gather together on Saturday as part of fresh protests to demand \"humanitarian assistance\", before asking for foreign diplomats to accompany him home to help protect his family. Later on Thursday he told the Reuters news agency that a change in the country's government would be advantageous to Russia and China, who support Mr Maduro. \"What most suits Russia and China is the country's stability and a change of government,\" he said, adding that Venezuela would be \"responsible\" to its creditors and bondholders. Mr Guaido earlier said he had held \"clandestine meetings with members of the armed forces and the security forces\". He did not say who he had been speaking to. Venezuela's top military representative to the US Col Jose Luis Silva has defected - but senior military figures in Venezuela have supported Mr Maduro. As head of Venezuela's National Assembly, Mr Guaido says the constitution allows him to assume power temporarily when the president is deemed illegitimate. Venezuela's Supreme Court has banned the opposition leader from leaving the country, however, and frozen his bank accounts."}], "question": "What has Mr Guaido been saying?", "id": "552_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3032, "answer_end": 3361, "text": "Mr Maduro told Russian news agency RIA he was prepared to hold talks with the opposition \"for the good of Venezuela\" but would not accept ultimatums or blackmail. He insisted he had the backing of the military, accusing deserters of conspiring to plot a coup. Many officers hold posts as ministers or other influential positions."}], "question": "What about Mr Maduro's position?", "id": "552_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3362, "answer_end": 4442, "text": "On Thursday, the European Parliament voted, in a non-binding resolution, to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president until fresh elections can be called. The parliament has no foreign policy powers but urged the European Union and its member states to follow suit. The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said it had agreed to create a contact group with Latin American nations aimed at resolving the crisis, but had set a 90-day deadline to find a political solution. The United Nations has told Mr Guaido that it is willing to increase humanitarian aid to the country but required the consent of Mr Maduro's government, a spokesman said. The US government warned Mr Maduro there would be consequences for \"egregious\" acts of intimidation against Mr Guaido, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency. US National Security Adviser John Bolton also tweeted advice to Mr Maduro: UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to urge EU nations to impose sanctions on key figures in Mr Maduro's government on Thursday, after also speaking to Mr Guaido on Wednesday."}], "question": "What are the latest diplomatic moves?", "id": "552_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Volcano Kilauea: What stops eruptions of lava?", "date": "14 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Lava reaching temperatures of 1,000C and plumes of poisonous gas shooting up through cracks in the ground have forced hundreds of people on Big Island, Hawaii, to evacuate their homes. After the Kilauea volcano - one of the most active volcanoes in the world - erupted, slow-moving rivers of lava in the Leilani Estates area have covered more than 100 acres and destroyed dozens of structures in its path, including homes. So, do we know when it'll stop? The Kilauea volcano has been continuously erupting for 35 years. And it has been active for thousands of years. It's not the only volcano on Big Island, but is the \"youngest and feistiest\", said Vox. In 1990 an eruption caused about 200 hundred homes to disappear under lava. The pressure of the magma underneath the surface has not decreased, and there are no fundamental signs the decades-long eruption cycle is about to stop, says Hazel Rymer, professor of environmental volcanology at the Open University. There is little prospect of a reprieve any time soon and volcanologists are now anticipating new highly explosive steam-powered eruptions. But there are ways of forecasting whether the lava and molten rock, that has been fired into the air, might eventually cease. It all comes down to pressure. One way to think about how a volcano erupts is to compare it to a plumbing system, albeit one that extends miles below the earth's surface and is filled with boiling hot magma. Magma is called lava when it erupts. Lava comes out of ruptures in the Earth's surface, which are connected to pipes, or pathways underground, and a big crater that holds all the magma, like a lake. Underground, magma isn't free flowing, but rather travels by squeezing past solid rock, which can cause earthquakes. If the pressure is great enough miles underground, magma will be forced out of the crater, through new underground pathways, and shoot up through cracks in the ground known as fissures. There have been more than a dozen fissures recorded so far as a result of the eruption on Big Island. The pressure caused by the movement of magma built up, and caused a series of earthquakes, which contributed to the eruption. The specific cause of this eruption - what made the lava lake overflow and then collapse - hasn't been explained yet. The volume of magma in the lake dropped significantly - by more than 200m. Unfortunately we don't yet know why the level of the lava lake fluctuated so rapidly, says Dr Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University. Lava is incredibly difficult to stop; it destroys whatever it touches and its path is unpredictable. In the past, attempts to impede the flow have included bombing it and building concrete barriers - with limited success. The best way to forecast whether the eruptions of lava are subsiding is to look at the signs that indicate the build-up of pressure underground. Experts will be scanning for seismic activity - to know if more earthquakes are predicted. If the ground is unstable, that is a sign the magma pressure is still high. GPS systems and a device called a tilt meter will also be used to measure the movement of the ground. More earthquake activity is expected, which would lead to new outbreaks of lava. As long as an eruption is being fed by magma, lava will continue to flow and spread across land, says Professor Steve Sparks, a volcanologist at Bristol University. The tropical climate of Hawaii is good for the natural recovery of the landscape and eventually, says Professor Sparks, vegetation will re-grow and soils will re-form. Once the lava cools, the chaos caused to parts of the island may take some time to undo. Bulldozers will be required to clear roads that have been deluged with lava that turns into rock. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2511, "answer_end": 3747, "text": "Lava is incredibly difficult to stop; it destroys whatever it touches and its path is unpredictable. In the past, attempts to impede the flow have included bombing it and building concrete barriers - with limited success. The best way to forecast whether the eruptions of lava are subsiding is to look at the signs that indicate the build-up of pressure underground. Experts will be scanning for seismic activity - to know if more earthquakes are predicted. If the ground is unstable, that is a sign the magma pressure is still high. GPS systems and a device called a tilt meter will also be used to measure the movement of the ground. More earthquake activity is expected, which would lead to new outbreaks of lava. As long as an eruption is being fed by magma, lava will continue to flow and spread across land, says Professor Steve Sparks, a volcanologist at Bristol University. The tropical climate of Hawaii is good for the natural recovery of the landscape and eventually, says Professor Sparks, vegetation will re-grow and soils will re-form. Once the lava cools, the chaos caused to parts of the island may take some time to undo. Bulldozers will be required to clear roads that have been deluged with lava that turns into rock."}], "question": "Do we know when it'll end?", "id": "553_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US border agents halt migrant family prosecutions", "date": "26 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US border security chief says he has temporarily stopped launching criminal prosecutions of migrants who illegally enter the country with children. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told reporters in Texas the prosecution referrals were suspended last week. He said it followed an order last week by President Donald Trump calling for an end to migrant family separations. But Mr Trump had suggested the families would instead be detained together. The Republican president bowed to public pressure last Wednesday, signing his executive order to \"keep families together\" in migrant detentions. Mr McAleenan maintained that the Trump administration's \"zero tolerance\" tactics were still in effect, although the commissioner's guidance to his agents largely leaves the policy in limbo. The CBP chief said parents cannot be prosecuted if US officials no longer intend to separate them from their children, who are legally not allowed to be kept in adult detention facilities. He said his agency and the Department of Justice must figure out how to prosecute the parents without splitting them from their children, the Associated Press news agency reported. The border official's decision paves the way for US immigration enforcement to revert largely to the approach under the Obama administration. It means US border agents who stop undocumented adult migrants accompanied by children will hand them a court summons and allow them to go on their way, rather than hold them in a detention facility. Adults unaccompanied by children will still be detained. Mr Trump repeatedly lamented this \"catch and release\" policy before his administration began in April criminally prosecuting adult migrants and holding their children separately to deter border crossings. On Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the reality was that the US did not have the space to hold all the undocumented families coming across the US-Mexico border. \"We're not changing the policy,\" she told reporters. \"We're simply out of resources.\" Mr Trump earlier said that the US needed \"a nice simple system that works\". \"We want a system where, when people come in illegally, they have to go out,\" he said. The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that two Texas military bases will be used as temporary camps to house the immigrants. But Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not specify whether the facilities - Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base - would house migrant families together. US media earlier reported that one of the bases would be used to house migrant families and the other would shelter undocumented children who enter the US unaccompanied by an adult. Meanwhile, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions talked tough on immigration at a school police officers' conference in Reno, Nevada, on Monday. America's top law official said that refusing to prosecute adults who illegally enter the US \"would be a disservice to the people of this country\", reports the New York Times. He told the audience that lax border enforcement would \"encourage more adults to bring more children illegally\". However, he also said the Trump administration would \"do everything in our power to avoid separating families\". The government has yet to reunite parents with more than 2,000 children who have been taken away since last month and sent to holding cells, converted warehouses, desert tents or foster care around the US. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sought a federal court injunction in San Diego, California, on Monday to stop the administration from separating undocumented immigrant parents from their children. It said that Mr Trump's order to end separations contained \"loopholes\". Court papers filed by the ACLU contained numerous accounts of parents unable to locate or communicate with their children after they were separated by border officials. In one declaration filed with the brief, a mother identified only by her initials E.J.O.E. said the government told her she would be reunited with her son as she applied for asylum. But she says she was deported without her eight-year-old boy. More than 20 separated children are at a US government tent camp in Tornillo, Texas. CBS News, which was allowed to tour the facility, said the commander in charge described the \"zero tolerance\" policy as \"a dumb, stupid decision that should've never happened\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 817, "answer_end": 2059, "text": "The CBP chief said parents cannot be prosecuted if US officials no longer intend to separate them from their children, who are legally not allowed to be kept in adult detention facilities. He said his agency and the Department of Justice must figure out how to prosecute the parents without splitting them from their children, the Associated Press news agency reported. The border official's decision paves the way for US immigration enforcement to revert largely to the approach under the Obama administration. It means US border agents who stop undocumented adult migrants accompanied by children will hand them a court summons and allow them to go on their way, rather than hold them in a detention facility. Adults unaccompanied by children will still be detained. Mr Trump repeatedly lamented this \"catch and release\" policy before his administration began in April criminally prosecuting adult migrants and holding their children separately to deter border crossings. On Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the reality was that the US did not have the space to hold all the undocumented families coming across the US-Mexico border. \"We're not changing the policy,\" she told reporters. \"We're simply out of resources.\""}], "question": "What does this mean for families?", "id": "554_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2060, "answer_end": 3222, "text": "Mr Trump earlier said that the US needed \"a nice simple system that works\". \"We want a system where, when people come in illegally, they have to go out,\" he said. The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that two Texas military bases will be used as temporary camps to house the immigrants. But Defence Secretary Jim Mattis did not specify whether the facilities - Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base - would house migrant families together. US media earlier reported that one of the bases would be used to house migrant families and the other would shelter undocumented children who enter the US unaccompanied by an adult. Meanwhile, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions talked tough on immigration at a school police officers' conference in Reno, Nevada, on Monday. America's top law official said that refusing to prosecute adults who illegally enter the US \"would be a disservice to the people of this country\", reports the New York Times. He told the audience that lax border enforcement would \"encourage more adults to bring more children illegally\". However, he also said the Trump administration would \"do everything in our power to avoid separating families\"."}], "question": "What is the Trump administration proposing?", "id": "554_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Mid-term elections 2018: Democrat wins tight Arizona race", "date": "13 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US state of Arizona has elected its first female senator, after Democrat Kyrsten Sinema beat Republican Martha McSally in a tight race. Ms Sinema is the south-western state's first Democratic senator since 1994. The win narrows the Republican majority to four seats (51-47), with two more Senate races remaining unresolved. In Florida, a recount has been ordered by law after unofficial results fell within a 0.5% margin. Mississippi will hold a run-off vote later this month. With almost all the votes counted, Ms Sinema had a lead of 1.7% over her rival. She takes the seat vacated by Jeff Flake, a frequent critic of Mr Trump. Ms Sinema, 42, later addressed her cheering supporters in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, speaking of the urgent need to heal the bitter political rancour dividing Americans. She paid tribute to the memory of the late John McCain, who also represented Arizona in the Senate until his death earlier this year, saying he had set a shining example of how to put national interests above party political ones. \"Senator McCain is irreplaceable,\" she said, \"but his example will guide our next steps forward. He taught us to always assume the best in others, to seek compromise instead of sowing division, and to always put country ahead of party.\" Republican Ms McSally, a 52-year-old former combat fighter pilot, conceded defeat. In a video message posted on Twitter, she said: \"I just called Kyrsten Sinema and congratulated her on becoming Arizona's first female senator after a hard-fought battle.\" - 42 years old, born in Tucson, Arizona - Faced homelessness and poverty as a child - Former social worker who became a lawyer - Entered politics as a Green Party candidate - Elected to House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2012 - Openly bisexual, she has campaigned for same-sex marriage More women than ever before won seats in Congress in the 2018 mid-terms. What does it mean for Congress - and America? Votes are being recounted in the Florida senate race, which pits incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson against the state's Republican Governor Rick Scott. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner has ordered that all 67 of the state's counties complete machine recounts for the Senate by 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Thursday. In Georgia's gubernatorial election, Democrat Stacey Abrams is refusing to concede in her race against Republican Brian Kemp. Mr Kemp declared victory on Wednesday with a narrow lead but campaign officials for Ms Abrams have started a legal challenge to ensure all votes are counted. Her supporters have claimed that issues such as ballot machines supplied without power cables and four-hour queues unfairly helped Mr Kemp. An ongoing tally has whittled Mr Kemp's lead slightly to under 60,000 votes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Sunday. But Ms Abrams still needs another 22,000 votes to trigger a run-off election next month, and it is unclear how many ballots remain outstanding. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Mike Espy in a run-off vote after neither managed to reach 50% in the first round, winning 41.5% and 40.6% respectively. The vote will take place on 27 November. Last Wednesday Donald Trump boasted that Republicans could end up with one of the party's largest Senate majorities in the last 100 years. A week and two Democratic victories later, and those hopes have been dashed. Pending the outcome of the Florida recount and a Mississippi run-off, Republicans are up only one seat in the Senate. Given that Democrats were defending 10 incumbents in states Mr Trump won in 2016, the results for Republicans reveal an enormous missed opportunity. The raw numbers don't tell the whole story. Last week there were Senate contests in eight key presidential battleground states - Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Virginia. Democrats have won every one except Florida. And the significance of the Arizona victory is also notable. Of the five seats that have changed hands, Arizona is the only one that flipped away from the party that carried it in 2016. Time will tell whether the 2018 results indicate a new baseline for Democrats or a high-water mark. By limiting the damage in what could have been a devastating election for its Senate contingent, however, the party is much better positioned to challenge for control of the chamber in the coming years.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 481, "answer_end": 1525, "text": "With almost all the votes counted, Ms Sinema had a lead of 1.7% over her rival. She takes the seat vacated by Jeff Flake, a frequent critic of Mr Trump. Ms Sinema, 42, later addressed her cheering supporters in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, speaking of the urgent need to heal the bitter political rancour dividing Americans. She paid tribute to the memory of the late John McCain, who also represented Arizona in the Senate until his death earlier this year, saying he had set a shining example of how to put national interests above party political ones. \"Senator McCain is irreplaceable,\" she said, \"but his example will guide our next steps forward. He taught us to always assume the best in others, to seek compromise instead of sowing division, and to always put country ahead of party.\" Republican Ms McSally, a 52-year-old former combat fighter pilot, conceded defeat. In a video message posted on Twitter, she said: \"I just called Kyrsten Sinema and congratulated her on becoming Arizona's first female senator after a hard-fought battle.\""}], "question": "What happened in Arizona?", "id": "555_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1938, "answer_end": 3188, "text": "Votes are being recounted in the Florida senate race, which pits incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson against the state's Republican Governor Rick Scott. Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner has ordered that all 67 of the state's counties complete machine recounts for the Senate by 15:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Thursday. In Georgia's gubernatorial election, Democrat Stacey Abrams is refusing to concede in her race against Republican Brian Kemp. Mr Kemp declared victory on Wednesday with a narrow lead but campaign officials for Ms Abrams have started a legal challenge to ensure all votes are counted. Her supporters have claimed that issues such as ballot machines supplied without power cables and four-hour queues unfairly helped Mr Kemp. An ongoing tally has whittled Mr Kemp's lead slightly to under 60,000 votes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Sunday. But Ms Abrams still needs another 22,000 votes to trigger a run-off election next month, and it is unclear how many ballots remain outstanding. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Mike Espy in a run-off vote after neither managed to reach 50% in the first round, winning 41.5% and 40.6% respectively. The vote will take place on 27 November."}], "question": "Which other races are still undecided?", "id": "555_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump-Russia inquiry: Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan sentenced to 30 days", "date": "3 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The first person has been jailed as part of the FBI inquiry into alleged collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign team and Russia. Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, 33, was sentenced to 30 days in prison for lying to investigators about contacts with ex-Trump aide Rick Gates. He struck a plea deal in February. Van der Zwaan is the son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men and was the 19th person to be charged by special counsel Robert Mueller. The indictment against him did not refer to the 2016 election campaign. Mr Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing. In March, the US imposed sanctions on 19 Russians, including 13 people charged by Mr Mueller's inquiry, over accusations of interference in the 2016 election and alleged cyber-attacks. In court on Tuesday, Van der Zwaan was also fined $20,000 and sentenced to two months of supervised release. The Dutchman is a London-based lawyer who formerly worked at international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The firm, which is co-operating with the investigation and which fired him last year, worked with former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and his ex-colleague Mr Gates at a time when they were both political consultants in Ukraine. Van der Zwaan, who speaks French and Russian and graduated from King's College London in 2006, is married to the daughter of Russian billionaire German Khan. His wedding to art critic Eva Khan featured in Russian Tatler magazine last year. His lawyers had asked the US District Court judge in Washington to let him return to London by August, when his wife is due to give birth. German Khan controls Alfa Group, one of Russia's largest investment groups. Alfa Bank, which he co-founded, is the largest non-state owned bank in Russia, according to Forbes. Van der Zwaan admitted to making false statements to the special counsel's office in November 2017 as part of a plea deal reached in February. \"What I did was wrong. I apologise to this court, and I apologise to my wife,\" he said at the hearing. According to court documents, Van der Zwaan \"wilfully and knowingly\" made false statements to investigators while answering questions about a report prepared in 2012 by his former law firm for the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice on the trial of Yulia Tymoshenko. Ms Tymoshenko, a former Ukrainian prime minister, was jailed in 2011 over a gas deal with Russia, in charges she said were politically motivated. The report prepared by Skadden was used to defend Ukraine's then pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych from international criticism over the jailing of Ms Tymoshenko, a bitter rival who he defeated to become president in 2010. Mr Mueller's indictment said Van der Zwaan \"deleted and otherwise did not produce emails sought by the special counsel's office\" and made a false statement about when he was last in contact with Mr Gates and \"Person A\", who has not been identified but is described as a long-term business associate of Mr Gates and Mr Manafort. US media have identified Person A as a former Russian intelligence operative. Mr Gates and Mr Manafort have been hit with a number of charges, including conspiracy to launder money and acting as \"unregistered agents\" of Mr Yanukovych and his party. Mr Manafort has denied all charges against him. Mr Gates has admitted conspiracy and lying to investigators in a plea deal. Analysis by BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher Special counsel Robert Mueller has brought charges against 19 individuals and he has obtained five guilty pleas. Now, with Alex van der Zwaan's 30-day prison sentence, he has closed his first case. The lawyer's ordeal appears somewhat tangential to the central thrust of Mr Mueller's investigation, but the special counsel's office made clear that lying to government investigators must have consequences. In addition, information prosecutors obtained from him may have been key to securing the co-operation of former Trump campaign and transition aide Rick Gates, who could in turn help seal former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort's legal fate. For the moment, at least, Mr Manafort continues to be the central figure in this investigation. Based on information released by Mr Mueller's office on Monday night, his ties to Russia - while he was involved with the Trump campaign - are squarely under the microscope. While Van der Zwaan's sentencing is a milestone in Mr Mueller's inquiry, Paul Manafort is the biggest and most important domino currently standing. Nineteen people - including Mr Manafort and Mr Gates - have been indicted by the special counsel: - Michael Flynn, a former US national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over meetings he had with the Russian Ambassador, Sergei Kislyak - George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, admitted lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians - In March, 13 Russians were charged with tampering in the 2016 US election and a California man, Richard Pinedo, admitted an identity theft charge Mr Trump has insisted there was no collusion. Moscow has rejected US intelligence claims of interference.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 876, "answer_end": 2032, "text": "The Dutchman is a London-based lawyer who formerly worked at international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The firm, which is co-operating with the investigation and which fired him last year, worked with former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and his ex-colleague Mr Gates at a time when they were both political consultants in Ukraine. Van der Zwaan, who speaks French and Russian and graduated from King's College London in 2006, is married to the daughter of Russian billionaire German Khan. His wedding to art critic Eva Khan featured in Russian Tatler magazine last year. His lawyers had asked the US District Court judge in Washington to let him return to London by August, when his wife is due to give birth. German Khan controls Alfa Group, one of Russia's largest investment groups. Alfa Bank, which he co-founded, is the largest non-state owned bank in Russia, according to Forbes. Van der Zwaan admitted to making false statements to the special counsel's office in November 2017 as part of a plea deal reached in February. \"What I did was wrong. I apologise to this court, and I apologise to my wife,\" he said at the hearing."}], "question": "Who is Van der Zwaan?", "id": "556_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2033, "answer_end": 3368, "text": "According to court documents, Van der Zwaan \"wilfully and knowingly\" made false statements to investigators while answering questions about a report prepared in 2012 by his former law firm for the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice on the trial of Yulia Tymoshenko. Ms Tymoshenko, a former Ukrainian prime minister, was jailed in 2011 over a gas deal with Russia, in charges she said were politically motivated. The report prepared by Skadden was used to defend Ukraine's then pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych from international criticism over the jailing of Ms Tymoshenko, a bitter rival who he defeated to become president in 2010. Mr Mueller's indictment said Van der Zwaan \"deleted and otherwise did not produce emails sought by the special counsel's office\" and made a false statement about when he was last in contact with Mr Gates and \"Person A\", who has not been identified but is described as a long-term business associate of Mr Gates and Mr Manafort. US media have identified Person A as a former Russian intelligence operative. Mr Gates and Mr Manafort have been hit with a number of charges, including conspiracy to launder money and acting as \"unregistered agents\" of Mr Yanukovych and his party. Mr Manafort has denied all charges against him. Mr Gates has admitted conspiracy and lying to investigators in a plea deal."}], "question": "What were the accusations?", "id": "556_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4496, "answer_end": 5118, "text": "Nineteen people - including Mr Manafort and Mr Gates - have been indicted by the special counsel: - Michael Flynn, a former US national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over meetings he had with the Russian Ambassador, Sergei Kislyak - George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, admitted lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians - In March, 13 Russians were charged with tampering in the 2016 US election and a California man, Richard Pinedo, admitted an identity theft charge Mr Trump has insisted there was no collusion. Moscow has rejected US intelligence claims of interference."}], "question": "Who else has been charged by Mr Mueller?", "id": "556_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan's student protests: To the barricades in designer gear", "date": "20 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tokyo's Shibuya crossing is arguably the city's most famous landmark. With its vast digital screens and incessant buzz of advertising jingles, it is a gateway to Japanese youth culture, with every road leading to brand-name stores and nightclubs. On Sunday, a month after the government passed a controversial security bill in the face of widespread opposition, the plaza off Shibuya crossing was jammed with student activists, eager to continue their anti-government demonstrations. Armed with everything from megaphones to turntables and crates of vinyl, they came clad in chic streetwear, making the afternoon half demo, half street party. There were speeches and call-and-response chants inviting the crowd to \"tell me what democracy looks like!\" The proceedings were lent a dash of fashion cred with local indie DJ favourite Chabe spinning reggae and dub records, while hip-hop group Scha Dara Parr made a surprise visit at the end of the proceedings. This is Japanese apparel activism in action. Spearheaded by the Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy (Sealds), these protests, which broke out a year ago, have captured the public's imagination with their attention to style, slick visual productions and media savvy. The group's initial motivation was to oppose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to reinterpret Japan's pacifist constitution to shift away from a long-term commitment to self-defence, thus raising the possibility that the country could go to war under limited circumstances. The students also campaigned against punishingly high tuition fees and growing income inequality. The choice of venue is intentional. As well as regular protests outside Japan's parliament building, the organisers are intent on capturing the hearts and minds of a wider audience. \"By demonstrating here, we have a chance to reach people who might not ordinarily have any interest, and in that sense it feels like there's a real point to it,\" one of the speakers, philosophy student Kanau Kobayashi, said. It is a far cry from the polarising radicalism and violence that characterised the 1960s student movements in Japan, the last time the government was challenged on any scale over its politics. The 1960s movement was sparked by opposition to the Vietnam War and oppressive campus policies, and punctuated by violent clashes with the police, mass arrests, and even the death of one University of Tokyo student. Today's protests share many of the same core liberal beliefs, but unlike those of the 1960s, which were characterised by a strict adherence to Marxist principles and focus on campus protests and solidarity with labour strikes, there is an overwhelming atmosphere of inclusivity and tolerance. This has proved to be a distinctive departure for the current spate of protests, since political expression is frequently stigmatised in Japanese society. Some old-style radicals who were on the barricades in the 1960s have dismissed Sealds's fashion-conscious protests as style over substance. Japan's Zengakuren communist league of students is also particularly dismissive of its light-handed tactics and desire to cooperate with police. Sealds's weekly demonstrations in front of Japan's parliament building were a model of organisation and good manners. Many student volunteers stayed behind to clean up rubbish until the early hours of the morning. But as Sealds's 23-year-old founder, Aki Okuda, has discovered, no involvement is entirely without risk. So often in the spotlight, Mr Okuda's appearance at Sunday's event was relatively low key by his standards, making a brief cameo on stage at the end while Scha Dara Parr were performing. This follows a recent death threat against him and his family. Meanwhile, many of Sealds's other more public members are frequently the target of anonymous abuse on their social media channels. For all their efforts, however, the youth movement was unable to stop the government passing two controversial bills. One allowed the government to designate \"sensitive\" information as state secrets and criminalise whistleblowers and even journalists reporting such content. The security reform bills changed Japan's military from a purely defensive force to one that could participate in overseas conflicts. But the protests have transformed the current political debate climate, according to politics professor Koichi Nakano. \"They're not just defending constitutionalism or a liberal democracy,\" he says. \"They're starting to push the political spectrum back to the left, something we haven't seen in decades.\" Even pro-government media channels, instinctively reticent to write about challenges to the status quo, have had to acknowledge their impact. Other newspapers and television broadcasters lap up their slick, stylish approach to activism. Sealds's newly published book, What Is Democracy?, which outlines its proposals for its desired form of liberal democracy and is co-authored with former radical activist and novelist Genichiro Takahashi, is a bestseller. Such is its rapid rise to influence that some wonder if the group might transition from street protests to a more organised, established political entity. Some eyebrows were raised when Mr Okuda was invited to address a parliamentary committee about the security laws and pointedly ditched his trademark attire of a Supreme snapback cap and skinny jeans for a suit and tie. Such a shift would be a major turning point for the group. Members such as Mr Kobayashi are wary that it might mean compromising on the movement's ideals of championing individualism and autonomy among the members. \"I think that whatever Sealds does is going to be hugely important\", he says, \"but personally I believe that it's also just as important for each and every person to express their own concerns from an individual, ordinary perspective.\" Meanwhile, Prof David Slater, who has been heading up research on the group as part of the Voices of Protest Japan ethnographic project, states that such a development, although logical and consistent with Sealds's desire to change things from the inside, is not necessarily without risks. \"There is a danger of being appropriated or subsumed into a political system that is itself largely dysfunctional and some would even say is primarily responsible for the perversion of the democratic process in Japan\", he says. \"Sealds has created an independent voice in Japan by being outside of the process. The challenge is to not to lose that voice.\" About the author: Mike Sunda is a Tokyo-based writer specialising in music and Japanese youth and urban culture.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4268, "answer_end": 6614, "text": "But the protests have transformed the current political debate climate, according to politics professor Koichi Nakano. \"They're not just defending constitutionalism or a liberal democracy,\" he says. \"They're starting to push the political spectrum back to the left, something we haven't seen in decades.\" Even pro-government media channels, instinctively reticent to write about challenges to the status quo, have had to acknowledge their impact. Other newspapers and television broadcasters lap up their slick, stylish approach to activism. Sealds's newly published book, What Is Democracy?, which outlines its proposals for its desired form of liberal democracy and is co-authored with former radical activist and novelist Genichiro Takahashi, is a bestseller. Such is its rapid rise to influence that some wonder if the group might transition from street protests to a more organised, established political entity. Some eyebrows were raised when Mr Okuda was invited to address a parliamentary committee about the security laws and pointedly ditched his trademark attire of a Supreme snapback cap and skinny jeans for a suit and tie. Such a shift would be a major turning point for the group. Members such as Mr Kobayashi are wary that it might mean compromising on the movement's ideals of championing individualism and autonomy among the members. \"I think that whatever Sealds does is going to be hugely important\", he says, \"but personally I believe that it's also just as important for each and every person to express their own concerns from an individual, ordinary perspective.\" Meanwhile, Prof David Slater, who has been heading up research on the group as part of the Voices of Protest Japan ethnographic project, states that such a development, although logical and consistent with Sealds's desire to change things from the inside, is not necessarily without risks. \"There is a danger of being appropriated or subsumed into a political system that is itself largely dysfunctional and some would even say is primarily responsible for the perversion of the democratic process in Japan\", he says. \"Sealds has created an independent voice in Japan by being outside of the process. The challenge is to not to lose that voice.\" About the author: Mike Sunda is a Tokyo-based writer specialising in music and Japanese youth and urban culture."}], "question": "What is democracy?", "id": "557_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Meng Wanzhou: Oil paintings and books for Huawei executive fighting extradition", "date": "2 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Chinese Huawei executive who was arrested in Canada a year ago has published an open letter detailing her life on bail and thanking supporters. Meng Wanzhou - the chief financial officer and daughter of Huawei's founder - is fighting extradition to the US on charges of violating sanctions against Iran. In her widely read letter, she said she had time to \"read a book\" and \"complete an oil painting\" while on bail. Her arrest sparked a diplomatic row. China has always said the charges against Ms Meng are politically motivated. Shortly after her arrest, two Canadians were detained in China, but Beijing says the cases are not related to Ms Meng. Michael Spavor, a consultant with links to North Korea, and Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who works for an NGO, are accused of spying - although Canada has called their detention \"arbitrary\". They are being held in a detention centre and are allowed only infrequent visits from consular staff. On Monday, Mr Kovrig's employer tweeted that he had yet to see a lawyer or his family. In April, it was reported that both men were being interrogated for between six to eight hours a day, and were sometimes subject to 24-hour artificial lighting. In July, guards reportedly confiscated Mr Kovrig's reading glasses. Ms Weng's letter was published on the Huawei website and on social media, on the anniversary of her detention. In it, she thanked her supporters in Canada, saying the applause in the public gallery after the court granted her bail, 11 days into her detention, had \"made her burst into tears\". As part of the bail conditions, Ms Meng was given an electronic tag, and a 23:00-06:00 curfew, but was allowed to travel around much of Vancouver. \"When I was in Shenzhen [in China], time used to pass by very quickly,\" Ms Meng wrote on Sunday night. \"I always felt like I was being stretched thin and that there was never enough time to get everything done.\" Now, she wrote, time passes so slowly \"I have enough time to read a book from cover to cover. I can take the time to discuss minutiae with my colleagues or to carefully complete an oil painting\". She also praised \"the kindness of people here in Canada\", and \"the kindness of the correctional officers and inmates at the Alouette Correctional Center for Women\" where she was detained. Ms Meng is fighting extradition to the US, where she is wanted for a host of charges, including evading sanctions on Iran - something she and Huawei deny. Her case is due to be heard in January. She made no comment on the allegations in the letter. BBC Monitoring said the version of the letter posted on Huawei's social media channel had had more than 60 million views by Monday morning. News of Meng Wanzhou's arrest in 2018 broke just after China's president Xi Jinping and Donald Trump sat down to dinner in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the G20 summit, to thrash out trade war issues. The two leaders came to an understanding and a truce was signed - but thousands of miles away in Canada, a new battle was just beginning. Ms Meng's arrest was seen as a turning point in the US-China trade war; an illustration of how serious the Trump administration was about going after Huawei - particularly on issues like technology theft and violations of American law. For China, Ms Meng's arrest was seen as an attack like no other. If Huawei is the crown jewel of Chinese tech, then Ms Meng is its princess. Although Beijing denies it, the detention of the two Canadians Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor was widely seen as punishment for taking sides - and a warning to other countries who might consider copying Canada's decision. The two Canadians were detained in December, shortly after Ms Weng was detained. Their detention led to a diplomatic and trade row, with China blocking tens millions of dollars' worth of Canadian pork and vegetable oil exports. They were formally arrested in May, and can be held for up to 13-and-a-half-months before charges are filed, the Canadian government says. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of \"using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals\". And last month, Canada's new foreign affairs minister told his Chinese counterpart the two men's case was his \"absolute priority\". \"In particular, I expressed my concern and the concern of all Canadians regarding the conditions of their detention,\" Francois-Philippe Champagne said. But China has rejected accusations of arbitrary detention, saying the two Canadians had \"engaged in suspected activities endangering national security\". China's ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, also accused Canada of \"arbitrarily detaining [Meng Wanzhou], which violates her legitimate rights\". \"These two cases they are very much different in nature,\" he said. \"For those two Canadian citizens there is no arbitrary arrest at all.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1265, "answer_end": 2689, "text": "Ms Weng's letter was published on the Huawei website and on social media, on the anniversary of her detention. In it, she thanked her supporters in Canada, saying the applause in the public gallery after the court granted her bail, 11 days into her detention, had \"made her burst into tears\". As part of the bail conditions, Ms Meng was given an electronic tag, and a 23:00-06:00 curfew, but was allowed to travel around much of Vancouver. \"When I was in Shenzhen [in China], time used to pass by very quickly,\" Ms Meng wrote on Sunday night. \"I always felt like I was being stretched thin and that there was never enough time to get everything done.\" Now, she wrote, time passes so slowly \"I have enough time to read a book from cover to cover. I can take the time to discuss minutiae with my colleagues or to carefully complete an oil painting\". She also praised \"the kindness of people here in Canada\", and \"the kindness of the correctional officers and inmates at the Alouette Correctional Center for Women\" where she was detained. Ms Meng is fighting extradition to the US, where she is wanted for a host of charges, including evading sanctions on Iran - something she and Huawei deny. Her case is due to be heard in January. She made no comment on the allegations in the letter. BBC Monitoring said the version of the letter posted on Huawei's social media channel had had more than 60 million views by Monday morning."}], "question": "What has Meng Wanzhou said?", "id": "558_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3618, "answer_end": 4837, "text": "The two Canadians were detained in December, shortly after Ms Weng was detained. Their detention led to a diplomatic and trade row, with China blocking tens millions of dollars' worth of Canadian pork and vegetable oil exports. They were formally arrested in May, and can be held for up to 13-and-a-half-months before charges are filed, the Canadian government says. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of \"using arbitrary detention as a tool to achieve political goals\". And last month, Canada's new foreign affairs minister told his Chinese counterpart the two men's case was his \"absolute priority\". \"In particular, I expressed my concern and the concern of all Canadians regarding the conditions of their detention,\" Francois-Philippe Champagne said. But China has rejected accusations of arbitrary detention, saying the two Canadians had \"engaged in suspected activities endangering national security\". China's ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, also accused Canada of \"arbitrarily detaining [Meng Wanzhou], which violates her legitimate rights\". \"These two cases they are very much different in nature,\" he said. \"For those two Canadian citizens there is no arbitrary arrest at all.\""}], "question": "What is happening to Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig?", "id": "558_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Samsung Galaxy Note 7 flames out: Experts react", "date": "11 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Not so long ago, the Galaxy Note 7 was being hailed as the world's finest smartphone. But this Tuesday, Samsung Electronic's botched recall and re-release of the product cut about $17bn (PS13.8bn) off its market value. The company's shares are still above the level they plunged to when it first announced, in September, that customers should return the initial batch of phones because of a spate of fires blamed on faulty batteries. But the South Korean markets have not yet reacted to the news that Samsung is killing off the Note 7 for good, following reports that several replacement units had also overheated. Below, four experts pick through some of the issues raised by the affair. As Oscar Wilde would have said, to have one product recall may be regarded as a misfortune, to have two looks like carelessness. The electronics industry faces an increasing amount of power being shrunk into vanishingly small circuits. These circuits get hot and, sometimes, catch fire. Competition means there is less time available to test products, and many companies have had misfortunes. But Samsung offered a false alternative too quickly. That is carelessness. To fight this image, Samsung has announced a permanent stop to the production of the Note 7, following a temporary stop earlier. This gives it room to redesign a brand new product. But this will only add to Samsung's woes. It will be viewed as panic in the boardroom. A full recall of existing Notes as well as those yet unsold will be an environmental nightmare besides being economically challenging to the entire supply chain - despite the fact that the vast majority of these phones would have remained in full working order for their working lives. No, like Volkswagen and its diesel emissions scandal, Samsung should have stuck it out with the Note 7 until the Note 8 became available. It still has to identify and publicise what caused the phones to overheat if it is to recover its reputation. And it could have offered free stress tests and compensation vouchers to Note 7 owners, and have convinced the airlines the vetted handsets were safe. The engineers could have handled the technology problem - panicking was not the solution. Samsung's competition has been caught by surprise by the Note 7 failure. Most smartphone makers had chosen not to launch large screen smartphone models - 5.5in (14cm) and above - at this time of year, because they would go head to head with the Note and latest iPhones. As a result, they are poorly placed to benefit. Google's new premium Pixel smartphones might seem to be arriving at an ideal time. But IHS estimates that Pixel production is under one quarter of Samsung's original planned Note 7 volume, which limits Google's ability to replace the Note's market position. Additionally, Google's mobile operator exclusives - EE in the UK, Verizon in the US, Telstra in Australia - mean many of those who had intended to use the Note 7 on other networks might not switch. Other Android handset manufacturers have a few phablet smartphones in the works. In the US, LG is launching the V20, but it also has low planned production volumes and extremely limited availability in Europe. Huawei may choose to accelerate the launch of its next Mate smartphone, but its P9 flagship has a modest 5.2in display much smaller than the Note 7's 5.7in screen. Sony, HTC, and ZTE have no recent large screen premium smartphone to offer. Samsung will seek to counter its rivals by marketing the S7 and S7 Edge, most likely by reviving its Gear VR virtual reality headset bundles, but the degree of success it enjoys will depend on the extent of damage to its brand. I expect Apple to raise iPhone 7 production significantly to meet increased demand, especially of the larger Plus model. The Note 7 recall will be an excellent market test of the strength of Apple's appeal to Android owners. But in the longer term, Huawei will be the biggest beneficiary. The Chinese company is already performing strongly, has moved into a clear third position in global smartphone shipments - behind Apple and Samsung - and aims to be number one. If Samsung's main brand is damaged - and not just its Note family - then Huawei will look to pick up sales right across its Android smartphone portfolio. Engineers have done a great job of dramatically reducing the energy needed to do any particular job on a smartphone - and the UK has been a real contributor to this - but we have used up this advantage by getting our handsets to do more things faster and better. So, the energy a phone needs to carry with it is still considerable. Thus, the potential exists for a fire if the energy is released in an uncontrolled way. Things have not really got worse in the past few years, but they have not got better either. At this point, it is not clear why Samsung is having problems with batteries from more than one supplier. It has been suggested they are being put under too much physical pressure - a result of our desire for phones to be as compact as possible. But clearly other compact phones have been fine. The energy involved is considerable but much less than that in the fuel or battery in your car, for example - indeed no more than the energy I have used cycling round London today. Lithium is a wonderful battery material and holds more energy for a given weight than any alternative. Only hydrogen is lighter, but as a gas, it is awkward to carry. So, lithium will continue to be the key battery material. Batteries will improve in various respects, with the application of nanotech for example. But as long as the energy is there, the potential hazard is there too. Because of incorrect statistical analysis, outside observers have long had a significant tendency to massively overstate the importance of Korea's top 30 \"chaebol\" conglomerates, of which Samsung is the largest. The most recent data from Samsung Group itself showed its self-estimated contribution to Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) was about 2.5%, and that number probably remains true today. So, any impact from Note 7 in this current year could be only a very small fraction of that number. An impact of 0.1% of GDP, which is frankly insignificant at the national level, would probably be an overstatement. Furthermore, since most of the labour-intensive final assembly is handled at factories outside of Korea, any enforced idleness in those plants is not Korea's problem directly. But any kind of product defect and product recall naturally has an effect on reputation and brand image, both for Samsung and for Korea, as most people view them both as being so intertwined. This is potentially where the greatest impact will be felt, but it can work both ways - the dark cloud or the silver lining that comes with it. If the new generation of Samsung leadership converts the real value of this debacle into a constructive lesson in quality and careful design and testing, then it will come out of it stronger and better equipped to continue being successful in the future. I believe Samsung has handled this need for prompt action well so far. If it continues to do so, then it can expect to earn the respect of its customers, its investors, its regulators - and in all likelihood its competitors too, all of whom can only be happy that this did not happen to them first. Korea today makes many excellent and world-class products that are welcome everywhere. By facing these problems head-on rather than trying to skirt around them or brush them under the rug, everybody gets stronger and reputations grow rather than shrink. Let us hope that is what is happening here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2200, "answer_end": 4271, "text": "Samsung's competition has been caught by surprise by the Note 7 failure. Most smartphone makers had chosen not to launch large screen smartphone models - 5.5in (14cm) and above - at this time of year, because they would go head to head with the Note and latest iPhones. As a result, they are poorly placed to benefit. Google's new premium Pixel smartphones might seem to be arriving at an ideal time. But IHS estimates that Pixel production is under one quarter of Samsung's original planned Note 7 volume, which limits Google's ability to replace the Note's market position. Additionally, Google's mobile operator exclusives - EE in the UK, Verizon in the US, Telstra in Australia - mean many of those who had intended to use the Note 7 on other networks might not switch. Other Android handset manufacturers have a few phablet smartphones in the works. In the US, LG is launching the V20, but it also has low planned production volumes and extremely limited availability in Europe. Huawei may choose to accelerate the launch of its next Mate smartphone, but its P9 flagship has a modest 5.2in display much smaller than the Note 7's 5.7in screen. Sony, HTC, and ZTE have no recent large screen premium smartphone to offer. Samsung will seek to counter its rivals by marketing the S7 and S7 Edge, most likely by reviving its Gear VR virtual reality headset bundles, but the degree of success it enjoys will depend on the extent of damage to its brand. I expect Apple to raise iPhone 7 production significantly to meet increased demand, especially of the larger Plus model. The Note 7 recall will be an excellent market test of the strength of Apple's appeal to Android owners. But in the longer term, Huawei will be the biggest beneficiary. The Chinese company is already performing strongly, has moved into a clear third position in global smartphone shipments - behind Apple and Samsung - and aims to be number one. If Samsung's main brand is damaged - and not just its Note family - then Huawei will look to pick up sales right across its Android smartphone portfolio."}], "question": "Ian Fogg, IHS: Which rival is best poised to take advantage?", "id": "559_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5647, "answer_end": 7625, "text": "Because of incorrect statistical analysis, outside observers have long had a significant tendency to massively overstate the importance of Korea's top 30 \"chaebol\" conglomerates, of which Samsung is the largest. The most recent data from Samsung Group itself showed its self-estimated contribution to Korea's gross domestic product (GDP) was about 2.5%, and that number probably remains true today. So, any impact from Note 7 in this current year could be only a very small fraction of that number. An impact of 0.1% of GDP, which is frankly insignificant at the national level, would probably be an overstatement. Furthermore, since most of the labour-intensive final assembly is handled at factories outside of Korea, any enforced idleness in those plants is not Korea's problem directly. But any kind of product defect and product recall naturally has an effect on reputation and brand image, both for Samsung and for Korea, as most people view them both as being so intertwined. This is potentially where the greatest impact will be felt, but it can work both ways - the dark cloud or the silver lining that comes with it. If the new generation of Samsung leadership converts the real value of this debacle into a constructive lesson in quality and careful design and testing, then it will come out of it stronger and better equipped to continue being successful in the future. I believe Samsung has handled this need for prompt action well so far. If it continues to do so, then it can expect to earn the respect of its customers, its investors, its regulators - and in all likelihood its competitors too, all of whom can only be happy that this did not happen to them first. Korea today makes many excellent and world-class products that are welcome everywhere. By facing these problems head-on rather than trying to skirt around them or brush them under the rug, everybody gets stronger and reputations grow rather than shrink. Let us hope that is what is happening here."}], "question": "James P Rooney, vice-chairman of Seoul Financial Forum: Do Samsung's troubles pose risks to the wider South Korean economy?", "id": "559_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Google tax row: What's behind the deal?", "date": "28 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The agreement between Google and the UK tax authorities to pay PS130m in back taxes in the UK has been widely criticised as too lenient. Chancellor George Osborne described the deal as a \"victory\", while Labour's John McDonnell said the sums were \"trivial\". Meanwhile there are reports that some European tax authorities are chasing Google for far bigger tax bills. We look at how the UK arrived at a bill of PS130m, and whether Europe will squeeze more tax out of this $66bn-a-year multi-national. The UK's tax authorities (HMRC) has not said how it calculated Google's tax liability \"for reasons of confidentiality\". However, HMRC has agreed Google's tax affairs are legal, which implies that it sees nothing wrong with the current arrangement. The way that works was explained to a parliamentary committee in 2013 by Google boss Matt Brittin. The tax is based on a fee that its UK operation receives as an agency of its Dublin office. Mr Brittin told MPs that, as the UK is simply working for the Dublin office, the fee is based on the value of the work, along with costs such as rent and salaries. He said: \"The way we come to a conclusion on that is, if we went outside and hired other firms to do those kinds of things, what would we pay there?\" In the year Mr Brittin was referring to (2012) the fee paid to the UK office was PS396m. After it had paid all its costs, the company had an accounting profit of PS31m and paid tax of PS6m. All that despite the fact it had revenues in the UK of PS4.9bn in that tax year. The corporate tax rate there is just 12.5%, a lot lower than most EU countries. Although rates vary depending on turnover, UK corporate tax is 20%, in France it is 33.33% and Italy 27.5%. Germany's rate is 30-33%. So all the revenues that pour in from sales across Europe, including the UK, end up being taxed at just 12.5% in Dublin. There have been proposals to harmonise corporate tax rates across Europe, supported by Germany and France. But low-tax countries led by the UK and Ireland have fiercely opposed any such moves. According to Google, the latest arrangement with the UK authorities means tax rates will stay the same, but it will increase the amount of sales activity registered in Britain rather than Ireland. That should now increase its fee income in the UK and therefore its tax bill. Based on the extra tax paid for each of the last 10 years, i.e. PS13m, Google's tax UK bill next year is unlikely to be significantly larger. No agreement has been reached yet on extra payment of taxes between Google and other European countries. However, there have been reports that the Italian finance police believe the company could owe EUR227m (PS173m) in taxes from between 2009 and 2013. Google paid EUR2.2m of tax in Italy in 2014. Italy isn't a revenue earner on the UK scale but it still generated some EUR54.4m in sales for Google last year - again booked through Ireland. The Italian authorities are considered to be very aggressive, and companies facing the prospect of a long drawn out Italian court cases often prefer to settle. In France, it is thought the tax authorities may extract something like three times as much as the UK has managed to get, despite the UK employing four times as many staff and earning three times as much revenue. Here the relationship between the company and the government is particularly bruising. Google's offices have been raided. Ministers have called Google a \"colonialist\", and threatened an \"internet tax\". In contrast, the UK's approach, according to HMRC, is that it will \"seek to handle disputes non-confrontationally and by working collaboratively with the customer wherever possible\". John Cullinane, tax policy director at the Chartered Institute of Taxation believes this strategy works. \"The UK gets more than the OECD average in terms of tax take from corporations. It has gone down in recent years but a lot of that is to do with the big banks in the UK making less profit,\" he says. On Thursday the European Union competition commission said it would examine a complaint from the Scottish National Party about Google's deal. But the mechanism it is employing isn't strictly to combat tax-avoidance. Instead it will look at whether the deal cut with the UK tax authorities could be classed as state aid. The Commission started applying rules that prevent unfair state-aid last year on so called \"sweetheart\" deals done between governments that lure big multi-nationals to set up in their jurisdiction aided by tax breaks. In 2015 it ordered Belgium to recover money from 35, mainly European, companies and is investigating the restaurant chain McDonalds' tax arrangements in Luxembourg. The Commission has presented its own tax-avoidance package which, if approved, members states will individually turn into laws. The dominant principle is that companies will pay tax where the profits are made which could affect Google's tax deal with the UK. The major clause is designed to stop companies in the EU shifting their profits to lower-tax countries in the EU such as Ireland. Mr Cullinane said: \"In the end it's up to each country to decide how to implement the directive, but as all governments have to comply with it across Europe, it undermines the argument that being tough on tax-avoidance is bad for your competitiveness.\" There are a list of other measures, such as a cap on the amount of interest that companies pay on debt that is tax-deductible. This is important because of the role that internal loans play in companies' tax-avoidance schemes. For instance, a Reuters investigation found that Starbucks UK, quite legally, was paying interest on loans from its other European operations to claim tax relief. The final clause is a General Anti-Abuse Rule which the EC describes as a measure \"to counter-act aggressive tax planning when other rules don't apply.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 499, "answer_end": 1522, "text": "The UK's tax authorities (HMRC) has not said how it calculated Google's tax liability \"for reasons of confidentiality\". However, HMRC has agreed Google's tax affairs are legal, which implies that it sees nothing wrong with the current arrangement. The way that works was explained to a parliamentary committee in 2013 by Google boss Matt Brittin. The tax is based on a fee that its UK operation receives as an agency of its Dublin office. Mr Brittin told MPs that, as the UK is simply working for the Dublin office, the fee is based on the value of the work, along with costs such as rent and salaries. He said: \"The way we come to a conclusion on that is, if we went outside and hired other firms to do those kinds of things, what would we pay there?\" In the year Mr Brittin was referring to (2012) the fee paid to the UK office was PS396m. After it had paid all its costs, the company had an accounting profit of PS31m and paid tax of PS6m. All that despite the fact it had revenues in the UK of PS4.9bn in that tax year."}], "question": "How did the UK decide Google should pay PS130m?", "id": "560_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1523, "answer_end": 2467, "text": "The corporate tax rate there is just 12.5%, a lot lower than most EU countries. Although rates vary depending on turnover, UK corporate tax is 20%, in France it is 33.33% and Italy 27.5%. Germany's rate is 30-33%. So all the revenues that pour in from sales across Europe, including the UK, end up being taxed at just 12.5% in Dublin. There have been proposals to harmonise corporate tax rates across Europe, supported by Germany and France. But low-tax countries led by the UK and Ireland have fiercely opposed any such moves. According to Google, the latest arrangement with the UK authorities means tax rates will stay the same, but it will increase the amount of sales activity registered in Britain rather than Ireland. That should now increase its fee income in the UK and therefore its tax bill. Based on the extra tax paid for each of the last 10 years, i.e. PS13m, Google's tax UK bill next year is unlikely to be significantly larger."}], "question": "Why Ireland?", "id": "560_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2468, "answer_end": 3972, "text": "No agreement has been reached yet on extra payment of taxes between Google and other European countries. However, there have been reports that the Italian finance police believe the company could owe EUR227m (PS173m) in taxes from between 2009 and 2013. Google paid EUR2.2m of tax in Italy in 2014. Italy isn't a revenue earner on the UK scale but it still generated some EUR54.4m in sales for Google last year - again booked through Ireland. The Italian authorities are considered to be very aggressive, and companies facing the prospect of a long drawn out Italian court cases often prefer to settle. In France, it is thought the tax authorities may extract something like three times as much as the UK has managed to get, despite the UK employing four times as many staff and earning three times as much revenue. Here the relationship between the company and the government is particularly bruising. Google's offices have been raided. Ministers have called Google a \"colonialist\", and threatened an \"internet tax\". In contrast, the UK's approach, according to HMRC, is that it will \"seek to handle disputes non-confrontationally and by working collaboratively with the customer wherever possible\". John Cullinane, tax policy director at the Chartered Institute of Taxation believes this strategy works. \"The UK gets more than the OECD average in terms of tax take from corporations. It has gone down in recent years but a lot of that is to do with the big banks in the UK making less profit,\" he says."}], "question": "How come the Italians and French can squeeze more money out of Google?", "id": "560_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3973, "answer_end": 4675, "text": "On Thursday the European Union competition commission said it would examine a complaint from the Scottish National Party about Google's deal. But the mechanism it is employing isn't strictly to combat tax-avoidance. Instead it will look at whether the deal cut with the UK tax authorities could be classed as state aid. The Commission started applying rules that prevent unfair state-aid last year on so called \"sweetheart\" deals done between governments that lure big multi-nationals to set up in their jurisdiction aided by tax breaks. In 2015 it ordered Belgium to recover money from 35, mainly European, companies and is investigating the restaurant chain McDonalds' tax arrangements in Luxembourg."}], "question": "Isn't Europe going to look into Google's tax affairs?", "id": "560_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4676, "answer_end": 5860, "text": "The Commission has presented its own tax-avoidance package which, if approved, members states will individually turn into laws. The dominant principle is that companies will pay tax where the profits are made which could affect Google's tax deal with the UK. The major clause is designed to stop companies in the EU shifting their profits to lower-tax countries in the EU such as Ireland. Mr Cullinane said: \"In the end it's up to each country to decide how to implement the directive, but as all governments have to comply with it across Europe, it undermines the argument that being tough on tax-avoidance is bad for your competitiveness.\" There are a list of other measures, such as a cap on the amount of interest that companies pay on debt that is tax-deductible. This is important because of the role that internal loans play in companies' tax-avoidance schemes. For instance, a Reuters investigation found that Starbucks UK, quite legally, was paying interest on loans from its other European operations to claim tax relief. The final clause is a General Anti-Abuse Rule which the EC describes as a measure \"to counter-act aggressive tax planning when other rules don't apply.\""}], "question": "Couldn't it bring in tougher laws on tax-avoidance?", "id": "560_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Payton Summons: Girl at centre of life support battle in Texas dies", "date": "20 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A nine-year-old girl at the centre of a life support battle in Texas has \"passed naturally\", her parents say. Payton Summons, said by doctors to be brain dead, had been on life support following a heart attack in September. Doctors had wanted to remove her from her ventilator but her parents obtained a court order forcing the Fort Worth hospital to keep her alive. Under Texas law, a person is considered dead when they have lost all brain function. Payton's parents' lawyer, Justin Moore, said she had not been taken off life support. This week, a judge ruled that a temporary restraining order against the hospital should be extended until Monday. She was staying with her grandmother when she woke up and said that she could not breathe. She was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center, where doctors said in a statement she had \"suffered a devastating injury to her brain due to being without oxygen for over an hour\". This was caused by a tumour in her chest that had stopped her blood circulation. The doctors said they were able to revive her heartbeat but not her breathing. She was placed on a ventilator before doctors confirmed that she did not have brain activity. Payton's parents filed a temporary restraining order to keep her on life support while they tried to find another hospital that would accept her. However, only two out of more than 20 institutions contacted said they might take her - \"and those were preconditioned on certain things which may be life threatening to Payton if performed\", another lawyer for the family, Paul Stafford, told CNN.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 652, "answer_end": 1572, "text": "She was staying with her grandmother when she woke up and said that she could not breathe. She was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center, where doctors said in a statement she had \"suffered a devastating injury to her brain due to being without oxygen for over an hour\". This was caused by a tumour in her chest that had stopped her blood circulation. The doctors said they were able to revive her heartbeat but not her breathing. She was placed on a ventilator before doctors confirmed that she did not have brain activity. Payton's parents filed a temporary restraining order to keep her on life support while they tried to find another hospital that would accept her. However, only two out of more than 20 institutions contacted said they might take her - \"and those were preconditioned on certain things which may be life threatening to Payton if performed\", another lawyer for the family, Paul Stafford, told CNN."}], "question": "How did Payton fall ill?", "id": "561_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Allison Donahue: US lawmaker Peter Lucido probed for comments to reporter", "date": "17 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US lawmaker is facing investigation for telling a reporter schoolboys \"could have a lot of fun\" with her. Allison Donahue, 22, said she felt \"humiliated\" by the comment Michigan state senator Peter Lucido made when she went to him for comment on a story. His remark was \"belittling and it came from a place of power\", she said. Mr Lucido, 59, initially told US media the incident was \"blown out of proportion\", and tweeted an apology for what he called \"the misunderstanding\". Two state senate leaders have called for an investigation into whether his remarks amounted to sexual harassment. In a report for her newspaper, the Michigan Advance, Ms Donahue said she was seeking comment from Mr Lucido, a Republican, about claims he was a member of a since-deleted Facebook group targeting Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Members of that group had also posted messages advocating violence against Democrats and Muslims, local media reported. Ms Donahue wrote that Mr Lucido told her he would speak to her after honouring a group of students from an all-boys' high school, who were standing just behind him. As she turned to leave, she said that he told her: \"You should hang around! You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you.\" Ms Donahue added: \"The teenagers burst into an Old Boys' Network-type of laughter, and I walked away knowing that I had been the punch line of their 'locker room' talk. \"Except it wasn't the locker room; it was the senate chamber. And this isn't high school. It's my career.\" On Wednesday morning Mr Lucido didn't dispute the quotes, but told the Detroit Free Press that he didn't feel he owed Ms Donahue an apology. He then tweeted: \"I apologise for the misunderstanding yesterday and for offending Allison Donahue.\" Later the same day, he alleged that he was misquoted - telling local broadcaster WDIV-TV that he had actually said \"we're going on the [senate] floor to have some fun, you're welcome to join us\". De La Salle high school, whose students were shadowing Mr Lucido at the time of the incident, issued a statement distancing itself from the senator's comments. School officials had met the boys who were present to \"discuss the improper nature of this situation\", the statement added. Meanwhile, Michigan state senate leaders Mike Shirkey, a Republican, and Jim Ananich, a Democrat, asked the senate business office to investigate Mr Lucido's comments. \"Sexual harassment has no place in the Michigan senate,\" they wrote in a joint statement. \"We take these allegations seriously and trust that you will take appropriate action to resolve this matter.\" Mr Ananich also told the Associated Press that Mr Lucido's comments, and his apology, were \"disgusting\". \"What his statement, his apology was basically saying [was], 'I'm sorry you realise I'm a jerk, and I'm a creep',\" Mr Ananich said. \"Leaders in this state, whether they're men or women, they don't act like this.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 593, "answer_end": 1562, "text": "In a report for her newspaper, the Michigan Advance, Ms Donahue said she was seeking comment from Mr Lucido, a Republican, about claims he was a member of a since-deleted Facebook group targeting Michigan's Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Members of that group had also posted messages advocating violence against Democrats and Muslims, local media reported. Ms Donahue wrote that Mr Lucido told her he would speak to her after honouring a group of students from an all-boys' high school, who were standing just behind him. As she turned to leave, she said that he told her: \"You should hang around! You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you.\" Ms Donahue added: \"The teenagers burst into an Old Boys' Network-type of laughter, and I walked away knowing that I had been the punch line of their 'locker room' talk. \"Except it wasn't the locker room; it was the senate chamber. And this isn't high school. It's my career.\""}], "question": "What is said to have happened?", "id": "562_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1563, "answer_end": 2000, "text": "On Wednesday morning Mr Lucido didn't dispute the quotes, but told the Detroit Free Press that he didn't feel he owed Ms Donahue an apology. He then tweeted: \"I apologise for the misunderstanding yesterday and for offending Allison Donahue.\" Later the same day, he alleged that he was misquoted - telling local broadcaster WDIV-TV that he had actually said \"we're going on the [senate] floor to have some fun, you're welcome to join us\"."}], "question": "What has Mr Lucido said?", "id": "562_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2001, "answer_end": 2970, "text": "De La Salle high school, whose students were shadowing Mr Lucido at the time of the incident, issued a statement distancing itself from the senator's comments. School officials had met the boys who were present to \"discuss the improper nature of this situation\", the statement added. Meanwhile, Michigan state senate leaders Mike Shirkey, a Republican, and Jim Ananich, a Democrat, asked the senate business office to investigate Mr Lucido's comments. \"Sexual harassment has no place in the Michigan senate,\" they wrote in a joint statement. \"We take these allegations seriously and trust that you will take appropriate action to resolve this matter.\" Mr Ananich also told the Associated Press that Mr Lucido's comments, and his apology, were \"disgusting\". \"What his statement, his apology was basically saying [was], 'I'm sorry you realise I'm a jerk, and I'm a creep',\" Mr Ananich said. \"Leaders in this state, whether they're men or women, they don't act like this.\""}], "question": "What has the response been?", "id": "562_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Channel 4 chooses Leeds for new HQ", "date": "31 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Channel 4 will set up a new national HQ in Leeds in an attempt to boost the way it reflects life outside London. The broadcaster will keep another headquarters in the capital, but will move roughly 200 of its 800 staff to the West Yorkshire city. Leeds was chosen above Birmingham and Greater Manchester, which were also on the shortlist. The channel has also announced it will open \"creative hubs\" in Bristol and Glasgow, with around 50 staff in each. It's all part of a plan to increase the amount Channel 4 spends on programmes outside London by PS250m over the next five years. That means half of its programme budget will be spent outside the capital by 2023, up from 35% currently. Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said it was \"the best news\". Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the decision to house one of the creative hubs in Glasgow was \"fantastic news for Scotland's screen sector and creative industries\". Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees tweeted that he is looking forward to working with Channel 4 in \"our creative, innovative city\". All three new sites will house \"key creative decision-makers\", including programme commissioners who will have responsibility \"for some of Channel 4's biggest shows and who oversee significant spend\". The new national HQ will regularly host executive and board meetings, and will be home to a \"digital creative unit\" to make material for online platforms and social media. Channel 4 News will also open three new bureaux outside London, including one in Leeds. - The city was the home of Channel 4's Countdown for 27 years until 2009 - Other C4 shows made in the region include Educating Yorkshire (in nearby Dewsbury) and the Red Riding trilogy - Over on ITV, the city has been home to Emmerdale since the soap began in 1972 - Screenwriter Kay Mellor's production company is based there, and she has set dramas including Fat Friends, The Syndicate and Love, Lies and Records in her home city Mellor said the move was a \"game changer\" that would put the city \"firmly on the media map\". She said: \"Leeds is the perfect fit in terms of location and talent and we'll all be there with open arms to welcome them to our wonderful city.\" Channel 4 said Leeds had put forward an \"ambitious strategy\" to support growth in the creative industries and \"to nurture new talent from diverse backgrounds - in the region and across the UK\". Chris Curtis, editor of trade publication Broadcast, said the difference it will make on screen will depend on which staff move to the new hubs, and how much power they have. \"They have talked about moving creative decision-makers out of London but there's still a sense that the big creative decisions will still be taken in the London HQ,\" he told BBC News. \"Which roles move, the level of seniority of those roles, and how much autonomy those people are given are yet to be determined, and they will have an influence on Channel 4's output. \"But I don't believe C4 are just paying lip service - they genuinely want it to be a success.\" Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said she wanted to open the publicly-owned company up to \"people from across the UK and supercharge the impact we have in all parts of the country\". She said: \"Locating our national HQ in Leeds enables us to capitalise on a strong and fast-growing independent production sector in cities across the north of England - and also has the potential to unlock growth in the north-east and east of the country, an area without a major presence from other national broadcasters.\" Sally Joynson, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, said the move would be \"transformational\" for the TV industry in the city and the north of England. The move has come about after pressure from the government to boost the broadcaster's presence outside London. The Conservative Party put a relocation in its 2017 general election manifesto, and pushed for a full move. But Channel 4 chairman Charles Gurassa warned that a full or substantial relocation would cause \"significant difficulties and problems\". It has now settled on a compromise that will send almost 40% of jobs out of the capital. After Wednesday's announcement, culture secretary Jeremy Wright said: \"The government made clear that Channel 4 needed to do more to increase its presence in the regions to help better reflect and provide for UK audiences outside of London. \"Congratulations to Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow, and I look forward to Channel 4 taking further steps to increase its impact around the UK in the years ahead.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2205, "answer_end": 3699, "text": "Channel 4 said Leeds had put forward an \"ambitious strategy\" to support growth in the creative industries and \"to nurture new talent from diverse backgrounds - in the region and across the UK\". Chris Curtis, editor of trade publication Broadcast, said the difference it will make on screen will depend on which staff move to the new hubs, and how much power they have. \"They have talked about moving creative decision-makers out of London but there's still a sense that the big creative decisions will still be taken in the London HQ,\" he told BBC News. \"Which roles move, the level of seniority of those roles, and how much autonomy those people are given are yet to be determined, and they will have an influence on Channel 4's output. \"But I don't believe C4 are just paying lip service - they genuinely want it to be a success.\" Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said she wanted to open the publicly-owned company up to \"people from across the UK and supercharge the impact we have in all parts of the country\". She said: \"Locating our national HQ in Leeds enables us to capitalise on a strong and fast-growing independent production sector in cities across the north of England - and also has the potential to unlock growth in the north-east and east of the country, an area without a major presence from other national broadcasters.\" Sally Joynson, chief executive of Screen Yorkshire, said the move would be \"transformational\" for the TV industry in the city and the north of England."}], "question": "Will it change Channel 4?", "id": "563_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US shutdown: Flight delays blamed on staff shortages", "date": "25 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Staff shortages linked to the federal government shutdown caused significant flight delays at north-eastern US airports on Friday. The shutdown has meant some federal staff, like air traffic controllers, have been working without pay. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, took to Twitter to blame the president for the disruption. Hours later, Mr Trump announced a deal to fund the government and lift the shutdown temporarily. Friday's delays came one day after air industry unions issued a stark warning about the risk the shutdown was posing to public safety. In total about 800,000 federal employees have been working without pay, or have been temporarily laid off, since funding to areas of the government halted 35 days ago. These numbers include air traffic controllers, as well as US airport security screening staff. The shutdown started in December, when President Trump refused to approve any new funding agreement that failed to include $5.7bn (PS4.4bn) for his southern border wall. Democrats in Congress refused to agree to those terms - so the two sides had been stuck at an impasse before Mr Trump's most recent announcement. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted arrivals for nearly an hour at New York's LaGuardia Airport shortly before 10:00 (15:00 GMT). It blamed air traffic staff shortages for the strategic closures - which also delayed flights at Newark Liberty International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport. One passenger, named John Hitt, told the Reuters news agency he had to cancel a trip to visit his terminally ill aunt because of the delays. LaGuardia airport said in a tweet on Friday afternoon that lengthy delays at the airport were ongoing. There have been widespread reports about high absences among US airport security staff for a number of weeks. On Thursday, the CEO of JetBlue Airways said the shutdown's impact on carriers had so far been limited, but warned it was nearing a tipping point. Southwest Airlines head Gary Kelly has described the shutdown as \"maddening\" - estimating they have lost out on $10-15m (PS7.5-11m) in January sales. On Friday, the Association of Flight Attendants issued a blistering statement in response to the delays. \"The aviation system depends on the safety professionals who make it run. They have been doing unbelievably heroic work even as they are betrayed by the government that employs them,\" President Sara Nelson said in a statement. \"They are fatigued, worried, and distracted - but they won't risk our safety.\" Mr Trump's backing to re-open the government serves as a temporary solution but if no longer agreement is implemented, funding will  lapse again on 15 February. Speaking at the White House on Friday, he described federal workers affected by the shutdown as \"incredible patriots\". He also said they would receive the full back-pay they have missed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2539, "answer_end": 2886, "text": "Mr Trump's backing to re-open the government serves as a temporary solution but if no longer agreement is implemented, funding will  lapse again on 15 February. Speaking at the White House on Friday, he described federal workers affected by the shutdown as \"incredible patriots\". He also said they would receive the full back-pay they have missed."}], "question": "What is the latest with shutdown?", "id": "564_0"}]}]}, {"title": "UK rush hour drivers spend more than a day in traffic", "date": "6 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Drivers in UK cities spent more than a day each year stuck in rush hour traffic, new research has shown. Motorists in London lost an average of 74 hours - more than three days - in 2017, an hour more than in 2016. Manchester was next with an average of 39 hours, followed by Lincoln and Birmingham, according to data from Inrix. The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was investing PS23bn in road schemes which would reduce congestion. Researchers also found the overall cost per driver, including wasted fuel and working time, was PS1,168. Their figures classed rush hour as between 06:00 and 09:00 and 16:00 to 19:00 on weekdays. In Scotland, Aberdeen and Edinburgh drivers lost 28 hours a year to peak time traffic and in Wales, the most congested city was Newport, where motorists spent 24 hours a year in jams. In Northern Ireland, drivers in Belfast lost an average of 21 hours in 2017 because of congestion. Graham Cookson, chief economist for Inrix, said: \"Combined with the rising price of motoring, the cost of congestion is astonishing - it takes billions out of the economy and impacts businesses and individuals alike.\" How far can you get in rush hour? Five handy winter driving tips Potholes send breakdown figures flying Drivers in London travel at an average of less than 13mph during peak times, he said. It was ranked seventh out of 1,360 global cities covered by the study for congestion. Los Angeles in the USA came top with 102 hours a year lost by the average peak time driver. Thailand had the worst congestion out of 38 countries covered by the study, with an average 56 hours a year lost to congestion at peak times. The most congested routes in the UK at peak times and the annual hours lost per driver were: With less than a tenth of the population of Birmingham, Lincoln is a surprising entry in the 10 most congested large towns and cities in the UK. Drivers lose an average 36 hours, a day and a half, each of their lives sitting in traffic at peak time. Sarah Westney, from Lincoln-based PC Coaches, said: \"It only takes one car to break down on Pelham Bridge to slow everyone down. \"It's not a big city so when there are roadworks or accidents there aren't a lot of alternatives routes.\" Inrix said the cost of delays in Lincoln worked out at about PS1,790 per driver in terms of fuel, working time and other economic losses. The Lincoln Eastern Bypass, costing PS92m, is intended to cut congestion while Lincolnshire County Council has been given PS5.4 million from the Department for Transport to tackle congestion for other projects. On top of its PS23bn investment in road schemes, the DfT said it was giving councils \"record amounts of capital funding\" of more than PS7.1bn up to 2021. This would \"help to upgrade and maintain local roads up and down the country\", a spokeswoman said. \"Alongside this, we've announced plans for a new major road network that will give councils access to a multi-billion pound fund to improve or replace the most important A-roads in their area.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1740, "answer_end": 3020, "text": "With less than a tenth of the population of Birmingham, Lincoln is a surprising entry in the 10 most congested large towns and cities in the UK. Drivers lose an average 36 hours, a day and a half, each of their lives sitting in traffic at peak time. Sarah Westney, from Lincoln-based PC Coaches, said: \"It only takes one car to break down on Pelham Bridge to slow everyone down. \"It's not a big city so when there are roadworks or accidents there aren't a lot of alternatives routes.\" Inrix said the cost of delays in Lincoln worked out at about PS1,790 per driver in terms of fuel, working time and other economic losses. The Lincoln Eastern Bypass, costing PS92m, is intended to cut congestion while Lincolnshire County Council has been given PS5.4 million from the Department for Transport to tackle congestion for other projects. On top of its PS23bn investment in road schemes, the DfT said it was giving councils \"record amounts of capital funding\" of more than PS7.1bn up to 2021. This would \"help to upgrade and maintain local roads up and down the country\", a spokeswoman said. \"Alongside this, we've announced plans for a new major road network that will give councils access to a multi-billion pound fund to improve or replace the most important A-roads in their area.\""}], "question": "Why is Lincoln as congested as Birmingham?", "id": "565_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria fighters take control of IS-held airbase near Raqqa", "date": "27 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US-backed force of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters has taken control of an Islamic State-held airbase west of the jihadist group's stronghold of Raqqa. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a monitoring group said Tabqa airbase had fallen on Sunday evening. US helicopters airlifted hundreds of fighters behind IS lines at the start of the assault last Wednesday. The airbase's capture is seen as a significant step in the campaign to drive IS militants out of Raqqa. The SDF is also aiming to seize the nearby town of Tabqa and the Tabqa dam, which the US-led multinational coalition has denied damaging in air strikes. Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Armenian militias opposed to IS established the umbrella group in northern Syria in October 2015. Since then, its 50,000 fighters have seized about 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq miles) of territory with the help of coalition air strikes and special forces personnel. Although the coalition estimates that about 60% of the SDF's fighters are Arabs, the force is led by the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia. This has caused trouble for the US with a major ally, Turkey's government. It considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by the US and EU. In response, the US has pledged to support only Arab groups within the SDF, and officials stressed that YPG fighters were not involved in the Tabqa airlift. Located near the River Euphrates about 40km (25 miles) west of Raqqa, the facility was seized by IS militants in August 2014, two months after they proclaimed the creation of a \"caliphate\". It was also the scene of one of the jihadists' worst atrocities - the mass killing of some 200 Syrian soldiers who were captured while trying to flee. The airbase's runway is damaged, but SDF spokesman Talal Silo said on Thursday it would be repaired and used by its forces \"in the near future\". \"In all the areas under our control, we do not have an airport that can receive planes,\" he told Reuters news agency. \"The coalition planes will benefit from the airport.\" The airbase's capture was part of a wider offensive aimed at also taking control of the Tabqa dam - the largest in Syria and a key source of electricity for the region. The coalition said the dam had been used by IS as a headquarters, as a prison for high-profile hostages, as a training location and to plot attacks outside Syria. On Sunday, IS said coalition air strikes had locked the dam's gates, causing water levels to rise dangerously behind the structure and placing it at risk of collapse. Civilians living downstream in Raqqa were told to evacuate and many left their homes, according to the activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. Later, the jihadist group reportedly sent cars around Raqqa with loudspeakers, telling people the dam was intact and they had no need to evacuate. The coalition meanwhile insisted the dam had not been targeted by air strikes. \"The dam has not been structurally damaged to our knowledge and the coalition seeks to preserve the integrity of the dam as a vital resource to the people of Syria,\" a statement said. SDF forces were in control of a spillway to the north \"which can be used to alleviate pressure on the dam if need be\", the statement added. Activists have, however, expressed concerns about the safety of civilians living in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said coalition air strikes had killed at least 89 civilians over the past week. The Tabqa operation is part of a wider effort by the SDF to encircle and isolate Raqqa before launching an offensive to recapture the city. The head of the YPG recently said the offensive would begin at the start of April, while French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that it would likely start \"in the coming days\". US officials estimate that there are 3,000 to 4,000 militants in the Raqqa area, alongside hundreds of thousands of civilians.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 625, "answer_end": 1448, "text": "Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Armenian militias opposed to IS established the umbrella group in northern Syria in October 2015. Since then, its 50,000 fighters have seized about 6,000 sq km (2,300 sq miles) of territory with the help of coalition air strikes and special forces personnel. Although the coalition estimates that about 60% of the SDF's fighters are Arabs, the force is led by the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia. This has caused trouble for the US with a major ally, Turkey's government. It considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and is designated a terrorist group by the US and EU. In response, the US has pledged to support only Arab groups within the SDF, and officials stressed that YPG fighters were not involved in the Tabqa airlift."}], "question": "What is the SDF?", "id": "566_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1449, "answer_end": 2106, "text": "Located near the River Euphrates about 40km (25 miles) west of Raqqa, the facility was seized by IS militants in August 2014, two months after they proclaimed the creation of a \"caliphate\". It was also the scene of one of the jihadists' worst atrocities - the mass killing of some 200 Syrian soldiers who were captured while trying to flee. The airbase's runway is damaged, but SDF spokesman Talal Silo said on Thursday it would be repaired and used by its forces \"in the near future\". \"In all the areas under our control, we do not have an airport that can receive planes,\" he told Reuters news agency. \"The coalition planes will benefit from the airport.\""}], "question": "Why is Tabqa airbase important?", "id": "566_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2107, "answer_end": 2760, "text": "The airbase's capture was part of a wider offensive aimed at also taking control of the Tabqa dam - the largest in Syria and a key source of electricity for the region. The coalition said the dam had been used by IS as a headquarters, as a prison for high-profile hostages, as a training location and to plot attacks outside Syria. On Sunday, IS said coalition air strikes had locked the dam's gates, causing water levels to rise dangerously behind the structure and placing it at risk of collapse. Civilians living downstream in Raqqa were told to evacuate and many left their homes, according to the activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently."}], "question": "What about Tabqa dam?", "id": "566_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3555, "answer_end": 4017, "text": "The Tabqa operation is part of a wider effort by the SDF to encircle and isolate Raqqa before launching an offensive to recapture the city. The head of the YPG recently said the offensive would begin at the start of April, while French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that it would likely start \"in the coming days\". US officials estimate that there are 3,000 to 4,000 militants in the Raqqa area, alongside hundreds of thousands of civilians."}], "question": "Is this a precursor to an assault on Raqqa?", "id": "566_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Amazon heads off facial recognition rebellion", "date": "22 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Shareholders seeking to halt Amazon's sale of its facial recognition technology to US police forces have been defeated in two votes that sought to pressure the company into a rethink. Civil rights campaigners had said it was \"perhaps the most dangerous surveillance technology ever developed\". But investors rejected the proposals at the company's annual general meeting. That meant less than 50% voted for either of the measures. A breakdown of the results has yet to be disclosed. The first vote had proposed that the company should stop offering its Rekognition system to government agencies. The second had called on it to commission an independent study into whether the tech threatened people's civil rights. The ballot in Seattle would have been non-binding, meaning executives would not have had to take specific action had either been passed. Amazon had tried to block the votes but was told by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it did not have the right to do so. \"We will see what the tally is, but one of our primary objectives was to bring this before shareholders and the board, and we succeeded in doing that,\" Mary Beth Gallagher from the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment told the BBC. \"This is just the beginning of this movement for us and this campaign will continue. We have built links to civil rights groups, employees and other stakeholders. \"And the most important thing is that regardless of the result, we still want the board to halt sales of Rekognition to governments, and it has the capacity to do that.\" The American Civil Liberties Union added that the very fact there had been a vote was \"an embarrassment to Amazon\" and should serve as a \"wake-up call for the company to reckon with the real harms of face surveillance\". Amazon has yet to comment. But ahead of the votes it said it had not received a single report of the system being used in a harmful manner. \"[Rekognition is] a powerful tool... for law enforcement and government agencies to catch criminals, prevent crime, and find missing people,\" its AGM notes state. \"New technology should not be banned or condemned because of its potential misuse.\" Rekognition is an online tool that works with both video and still images and allows users to match faces to pre-scanned subjects in a database containing up to 20 million people provided by the client. In doing so, it gives a confidence score as to whether the ID is accurate. In addition, it can be used to: - detect \"unsafe content\" such as whether there is nudity or \"revealing clothes\" on display - suggest whether a subject is male or female - deduce a person's mood - spot text in images and transcribe it for analysis Amazon recommends that law enforcement agents should only use the facility if there is a 99% or higher confidence rating of a match and says they should be transparent about its usage. But one force that has used the tech - Washington County Sheriff's Office in Hillsboro, Oregon, - told the Washington Post that it had done so without enforcing a minimum confidence threshold, and had run black-and-white police sketches through the system in addition to photos. A second force in Orlando, Florida has also tested the system. But Amazon has not disclosed how many other public authorities have done so. Part of Rekognition's appeal is that it is cheaper to use than several rival facial recognition technologies. But a study published in January by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto suggested Amazon's algorithms suffered greater gender and racial bias than four competing products. It said that Rekognition had a 0% error rate at classifying lighter-skinned males as such within a test, but a 31.4% error rate at categorising darker-skinned females. Amazon has disputed the findings saying that the researchers had used \"an outdated version\" of its tool and that its own checks had found \"no difference\" in gender-classification across ethnicities. Even so, opposition to Rekognition has also been voiced by civil liberties groups and hundreds of Amazon's own workers. Ms Gallagher said that shareholders were concerned that continued sales of Rekognition to the police risked damaging Amazon's status as \"one of the most trusted institutions in the United States\". \"We don't want it used by law enforcement because of the impact that will have on society - it might limit people's willingness to go in public spaces where they think they might be tracked,\" she said. But one of the directors from Amazon Web Services - the division responsible - had told the BBC that it should be up to politicians to decide if restrictions should be put in place. \"The right organisations to handle the issue are policymakers in government,\" Ian Massingham explained. \"The one thing I would say about deep learning technology generally is that much of the technology is based on publicly available academic research, so you can't really put the genie back in the bottle. \"Once the research is published, it's kind of hard to 'uninvent' something. \"So, our focus is on making sure the right governance and legislative controls are in place.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3296, "answer_end": 5169, "text": "Part of Rekognition's appeal is that it is cheaper to use than several rival facial recognition technologies. But a study published in January by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto suggested Amazon's algorithms suffered greater gender and racial bias than four competing products. It said that Rekognition had a 0% error rate at classifying lighter-skinned males as such within a test, but a 31.4% error rate at categorising darker-skinned females. Amazon has disputed the findings saying that the researchers had used \"an outdated version\" of its tool and that its own checks had found \"no difference\" in gender-classification across ethnicities. Even so, opposition to Rekognition has also been voiced by civil liberties groups and hundreds of Amazon's own workers. Ms Gallagher said that shareholders were concerned that continued sales of Rekognition to the police risked damaging Amazon's status as \"one of the most trusted institutions in the United States\". \"We don't want it used by law enforcement because of the impact that will have on society - it might limit people's willingness to go in public spaces where they think they might be tracked,\" she said. But one of the directors from Amazon Web Services - the division responsible - had told the BBC that it should be up to politicians to decide if restrictions should be put in place. \"The right organisations to handle the issue are policymakers in government,\" Ian Massingham explained. \"The one thing I would say about deep learning technology generally is that much of the technology is based on publicly available academic research, so you can't really put the genie back in the bottle. \"Once the research is published, it's kind of hard to 'uninvent' something. \"So, our focus is on making sure the right governance and legislative controls are in place.\""}], "question": "Biased algorithms?", "id": "567_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Guide to the parties: Scottish National Party", "date": "16 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Scottish National Party will be hoping for another strong performance following its triumphant showing in 2015. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon knows success is vital if she is to keep up the pressure for a second referendum on Scottish independence. Founded in 1934, initially pushing for a devolution of powers to Scotland. The party found it hard to make an impact, but grew steadily throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Progress stalled, however, partly due to factional in-fighting. The election of Alex Salmond to the leadership in 1990 proved significant. The party won six seats in the general election of 1997, and the creation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 presented an opportunity to become a real political force. Labour's George Robertson predicted that devolution would \"kill the SNP stone dead\", but his prediction was proved wrong, and the party won an overall majority at Holyrood in 2011, precipitating the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence - the result of which was 55% against and 45% for. The SNP scored a stunning success in the 2015 general election. Just a year after being frustrated by the vote to remain part of the UK, the party nearly swept the board in Scotland, taking 56 of the 59 Scottish parliamentary seats, including 40 out of 41 seats from Labour. However, the party lost its overall majority at the Scottish Parliament in the 2016 election as the Conservatives made significant advances. As of July 2016, the party had about 120,000 members. Even though she has no seat at Westminster, and will not be running for a seat in the coming election, Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon is the dominant SNP figure in this election campaign. Her strong performances on the stump, and, in particular during the televised debates in 2015, were credited with the SNP's triumph at the ballot box, with many commentators calling her the most effective political communicator in Britain. However, critics are concerned that Ms Sturgeon may have over-played her hand by demanding that Theresa May agree to a second referendum on the independence question when the polls suggest there is still a slim majority in Scotland in favour of remaining part of the UK. Mrs May will hope a resounding victory in June will empower her to continue to resist those demands. Ms Sturgeon must also find an answer to critics concerned that Scotland might potentially end up outside both the UK and the European Union. The previous leader Alex Salmond, from whom Ms Sturgeon took over after the 2014 independence vote, also remains a pugnacious campaigner, and a high-profile figure in the party. \"I've not hidden and I'll never hide the fact that I want Scotland to be an independent country. But as long as we're part of the Westminster system, it's really important to people in Scotland that we get good decisions coming out of Westminster. So we've got a vested interest in being a constructive participant.\" \"It's the tunnel vision of the Scottish nationalists in focusing only on independence that actually means they are not focusing on the work we need to do to ensure we get that best deal for the people of Scotland and the people of the United Kingdom as well,\" Theresa May, Prime Minster. The SNP objective will be to consolidate the spectacular gains made at the 2015 election. With only three seats in Scotland not already in party hands (independent MPs now sit in two other seats, having resigned the party whip) there is little scope for advance. The priority will be to hold off Ruth Davidson's Conservative Party, which made significant gains in the local elections, and to ensure that Labour remains firmly in the doldrums. The Westminster election will always be of secondary importance to the SNP, whose primary focus is to retain power in the Scottish Parliament. The party is ideally placed to take advantage of frustration among Scottish voters that the country is being dragged out of the European Union despite voting decisively in favour of Remain in the referendum in 2016. Implacably opposed. Sturgeon's position is that while the European Union is not perfect, Scotland's interests are best served by being a member. The SNP will push for Scotland to have special status if Brexit takes place, and for it to stay a part of the single market, even if the rest of the UK opts to leave. However, polls consistently suggest about a third of SNP supporters backed Brexit, including their former health secretary Alex Neil. The party is conscious that some of its supporters might go cold on independence if it means rejoining the EU, leading to some speculation that it might ditch a policy of full EU membership after independence in favour of a Norway-style free trade arrangement. - Scotland to have a special status after Brexit, including remaining in the single market. - Opposition to the \"rape clause\". The restriction of tax credits for any new claimants to a maximum of two children unless a woman can demonstrate a third or subsequent child was a result of rape. Guide to the parties: Conservatives Guide to the parties: Labour Guide to the parties: Liberal Democrats Guide to the parties: Green Party Guide to the parties: UK Independence Party", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1020, "answer_end": 1489, "text": "The SNP scored a stunning success in the 2015 general election. Just a year after being frustrated by the vote to remain part of the UK, the party nearly swept the board in Scotland, taking 56 of the 59 Scottish parliamentary seats, including 40 out of 41 seats from Labour. However, the party lost its overall majority at the Scottish Parliament in the 2016 election as the Conservatives made significant advances. As of July 2016, the party had about 120,000 members."}], "question": "Where are they now?", "id": "568_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3225, "answer_end": 3810, "text": "The SNP objective will be to consolidate the spectacular gains made at the 2015 election. With only three seats in Scotland not already in party hands (independent MPs now sit in two other seats, having resigned the party whip) there is little scope for advance. The priority will be to hold off Ruth Davidson's Conservative Party, which made significant gains in the local elections, and to ensure that Labour remains firmly in the doldrums. The Westminster election will always be of secondary importance to the SNP, whose primary focus is to retain power in the Scottish Parliament."}], "question": "What do they hope to achieve?", "id": "568_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3811, "answer_end": 4026, "text": "The party is ideally placed to take advantage of frustration among Scottish voters that the country is being dragged out of the European Union despite voting decisively in favour of Remain in the referendum in 2016."}], "question": "Strong suit?", "id": "568_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4027, "answer_end": 4733, "text": "Implacably opposed. Sturgeon's position is that while the European Union is not perfect, Scotland's interests are best served by being a member. The SNP will push for Scotland to have special status if Brexit takes place, and for it to stay a part of the single market, even if the rest of the UK opts to leave. However, polls consistently suggest about a third of SNP supporters backed Brexit, including their former health secretary Alex Neil. The party is conscious that some of its supporters might go cold on independence if it means rejoining the EU, leading to some speculation that it might ditch a policy of full EU membership after independence in favour of a Norway-style free trade arrangement."}], "question": "Where do they stand on Brexit?", "id": "568_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuelan social housing: Division over right to buy", "date": "6 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Marta Mendivil and her family used to live in a single room in a shanty town in Caracas. When it rained she had to bale out the water that poured through the roof. Now Mrs Mendivil, her husband and their two children live in a three-bedroom apartment in the Santa Rosa estate, a government-built housing complex just next to the shanty town she once inhabited. \"Thanks to the revolution, I now have a decent house in which to raise my children,\" she says, referring to one of the key policies of Venezuela's socialist government. According to government figures, a million Venezuelans have been rehoused as part of Mision Vivienda (Mission Housing). Many of the 420 families living on the Santa Rosa housing estate originally lived in the same shanty town as Mrs Mendivil. The government says it intends to continue building apartments to make sure those remaining in the shanty town will be rehoused too. The new apartment buildings are made of red breeze blocks with aluminium roofs. The residents plaster and decorate their flats when they move in. None of the residents of the Santa Rosa estate have started paying for their homes since moving in three years ago. The government says that once it has assessed their means, residents will be given a long-term payment plan. The payments will be calculated on what it cost to build the houses, not on the market value of the property. Residents can occupy them for life and pass them on to their children. For the first 30 years, the state has first refusal if residents want to sell their homes. This is something opposition politician Julio Borges proposes to change. He argues that residents are in a precarious position because they do not have full ownership rights over their homes. \"The big problem is that because the people aren't owners of the properties, they are subject to political games,\" he says. \"We have received complaints that people who don't support the government have been evicted from their houses.\" He proposes giving all residents the title deeds to their properties at no extra cost. Residents would continue making payments to the government but would be able to sell their properties on the open market once they were given the property's title deeds, which Mr Borges says will happen within six months. The bill Mr Borges has proposed has already passed its first reading in the Venezuelan National Assembly, which has been dominated by the opposition since its election win last December. But some residents fear that a change to the law could come at a high price. Under Mr Borges's proposals, a commission would be set up to establish whether the owners of the land on which the houses were built need to be compensated. This, some residents fear, could lead to the properties being revalued to include the cost of the compensation payment. They are worried their monthly payments would rise as a result and they would be forced to take out mortgages they might not be able to afford. \"If they are successful in this plan to privatise the homes, it will be very difficult because we will never be able to afford it. We won't be able to afford it because we know that the cost that they will ask us to pay will be very, very high,\" says Mrs Mendivil. Mr Borges insists his plan will not increase costs for residents but the proposal has laid bare deep divisions on the issue of public housing. The opposition believes the state has grown too powerful and that the market should play a larger role, while the government accuses their opponents of wanting to dismantle their social programmes and privatise social housing. \"The Housing Mission was not conceived as a business, but to meet the needs of human beings, citizens, who don't have anywhere to live,\" says pro-government assembly member Francisco Torrealba. He says residents already have legally binding rights that give them the \"full use, possession, enjoyment and occupancy\" of the properties. \"We think the aim of this law is to cash in on these properties which have been built by the state to attend to a human need. \"The hidden aim is to make it possible to mortgage the properties and we will then be going back to a time when many Venezuelans lost their homes because they couldn't pay their mortgages,\" Mr Torrealba alleges. Marbelly Sanchez, a single mother of three, was re-housed on the Santa Rosa estate after her shanty-town home on a hillside collapsed. She is also sceptical about the opposition's motives. \"I don't believe that the opposition is going to give us the property rights for nothing. \"That is a lie. I have this house thanks to the president and the revolution. I will pay for it bit by bit,\" she says. But Mr Borges says his plan is all about empowering residents. \"Our plan will give people ownership, liberty and power, rights which are fundamental for families to thrive.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 906, "answer_end": 1548, "text": "The new apartment buildings are made of red breeze blocks with aluminium roofs. The residents plaster and decorate their flats when they move in. None of the residents of the Santa Rosa estate have started paying for their homes since moving in three years ago. The government says that once it has assessed their means, residents will be given a long-term payment plan. The payments will be calculated on what it cost to build the houses, not on the market value of the property. Residents can occupy them for life and pass them on to their children. For the first 30 years, the state has first refusal if residents want to sell their homes."}], "question": "Home of their own?", "id": "569_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1549, "answer_end": 2472, "text": "This is something opposition politician Julio Borges proposes to change. He argues that residents are in a precarious position because they do not have full ownership rights over their homes. \"The big problem is that because the people aren't owners of the properties, they are subject to political games,\" he says. \"We have received complaints that people who don't support the government have been evicted from their houses.\" He proposes giving all residents the title deeds to their properties at no extra cost. Residents would continue making payments to the government but would be able to sell their properties on the open market once they were given the property's title deeds, which Mr Borges says will happen within six months. The bill Mr Borges has proposed has already passed its first reading in the Venezuelan National Assembly, which has been dominated by the opposition since its election win last December."}], "question": "Change ahead?", "id": "569_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump: Could the US president pardon himself?", "date": "22 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Amid relentless scrutiny over possible ties between his presidential campaign and Russia, an extraordinary suggestion has emerged - that Donald Trump could pardon himself or his family. The Washington Post reported that Mr Trump inquired about the scope of his power to issue pardons, as a means of undercutting special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election. Mr Trump has since tweeted that \"all agree the US President has the complete power to pardon\". To some experts, this would be like a judge presiding over their own trial. Others though say Mr Trump may be correct - although that is not to say it would be a good idea. The right of US presidents to issue pardons is enshrined in the constitution. Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, presidents have \"power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment\". In practice a president could offer clemency or a commutation, i.e. reducing a prison sentence. A president can also offer a full pardon, in essence an official statement of forgiveness for a crime. An individual does not have to be charged or convicted to receive a pardon, and a president cannot pardon people over state-level crimes. In the context of the Russia investigation, Mr Trump could grant immunity to aides or family members, limiting Mr Mueller's scope. The short answer is we do not know, given the short wording but broad application of the constitution, and the fact there is no precedent for a US leader issuing such a pardon. Some legal experts say no, citing an opinion issued by the Justice Department days before Richard Nixon's resignation that he could not pardon himself \"under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case\". \"The Justice Department was right that guidance could be found in the enduring principles that no one can be both the judge and the defendant in the same matter, and that no one is above the law,\" wrote Laurence H. Tribe, Richard Painter and Norman Eisen in the Washington Post. Others though say the constitution does not preclude a self-pardon. \"A self-pardon might well be outrageously improper... but the response the Constitution creates for such misconduct is impeachment, a political rather than criminal remedy,\" Mark Tushnet, a law professor at Harvard University told Vox. While there are differing opinions among experts about whether Mr Trump could pardon himself, there is more consensus that such a move would be fraught with difficulties. Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, said a president pardoning himself would raise serious questions \"of an abuse of power\". \"It is also important to keep in mind that such a pardon would not protect against either an impeachment or state charges,\" he told the LA Times. \"It would also not stop the investigation.\" Impeachment is primarily a political process, so pardoning could not prevent a hostile Congress advancing proceedings against a president. Two University of Chicago law professors, Daniel Hemel and Eric Posner, writing in the New York Times, argue that if Mr Trump pardoned relatives he could open himself to the risk of being charged with obstruction of justice. If he were to pardon himself, questions would follow about whether it is valid, and it could ultimately end up in the Supreme Court. How easy is it for Donald Trump to be impeached? Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal. He argued it was essential for the nation to move on. It is a decision still debated today - some say it cost him the 1976 election, others that he made the difficult, but right, choice. Presidents have made sweeping pardons to heal national wounds, such as when President Andrew Johnson pardoned Southerners after the Civil War. Bill Clinton caused uproar when he pardoned scores of people on his last day in office, including a brother-in-law and Marc Rich, a fugitive who had been indicted for tax evasion and fraud. Perhaps the most famous beneficiary of President Obama's clemency was Chelsea Manning, the US Army Private sentenced to 35 years in jail for leaking documents to Wikileaks.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 681, "answer_end": 1392, "text": "The right of US presidents to issue pardons is enshrined in the constitution. Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, presidents have \"power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment\". In practice a president could offer clemency or a commutation, i.e. reducing a prison sentence. A president can also offer a full pardon, in essence an official statement of forgiveness for a crime. An individual does not have to be charged or convicted to receive a pardon, and a president cannot pardon people over state-level crimes. In the context of the Russia investigation, Mr Trump could grant immunity to aides or family members, limiting Mr Mueller's scope."}], "question": "How do presidential pardons work?", "id": "570_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1393, "answer_end": 2376, "text": "The short answer is we do not know, given the short wording but broad application of the constitution, and the fact there is no precedent for a US leader issuing such a pardon. Some legal experts say no, citing an opinion issued by the Justice Department days before Richard Nixon's resignation that he could not pardon himself \"under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case\". \"The Justice Department was right that guidance could be found in the enduring principles that no one can be both the judge and the defendant in the same matter, and that no one is above the law,\" wrote Laurence H. Tribe, Richard Painter and Norman Eisen in the Washington Post. Others though say the constitution does not preclude a self-pardon. \"A self-pardon might well be outrageously improper... but the response the Constitution creates for such misconduct is impeachment, a political rather than criminal remedy,\" Mark Tushnet, a law professor at Harvard University told Vox."}], "question": "So could Trump pardon himself?", "id": "570_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2377, "answer_end": 3445, "text": "While there are differing opinions among experts about whether Mr Trump could pardon himself, there is more consensus that such a move would be fraught with difficulties. Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, said a president pardoning himself would raise serious questions \"of an abuse of power\". \"It is also important to keep in mind that such a pardon would not protect against either an impeachment or state charges,\" he told the LA Times. \"It would also not stop the investigation.\" Impeachment is primarily a political process, so pardoning could not prevent a hostile Congress advancing proceedings against a president. Two University of Chicago law professors, Daniel Hemel and Eric Posner, writing in the New York Times, argue that if Mr Trump pardoned relatives he could open himself to the risk of being charged with obstruction of justice. If he were to pardon himself, questions would follow about whether it is valid, and it could ultimately end up in the Supreme Court. How easy is it for Donald Trump to be impeached?"}], "question": "Would it help him though?", "id": "570_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3446, "answer_end": 4217, "text": "Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal. He argued it was essential for the nation to move on. It is a decision still debated today - some say it cost him the 1976 election, others that he made the difficult, but right, choice. Presidents have made sweeping pardons to heal national wounds, such as when President Andrew Johnson pardoned Southerners after the Civil War. Bill Clinton caused uproar when he pardoned scores of people on his last day in office, including a brother-in-law and Marc Rich, a fugitive who had been indicted for tax evasion and fraud. Perhaps the most famous beneficiary of President Obama's clemency was Chelsea Manning, the US Army Private sentenced to 35 years in jail for leaking documents to Wikileaks."}], "question": "Who has been pardoned before?", "id": "570_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Will sterling sink if the UK votes for Brexit?", "date": "6 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The pound hit a three-week low on Monday before recovering slightly, after polls found growing support for a vote to leave the EU. But what would happen to the value of sterling in the event of a vote for Brexit on 23 June? According to Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics, a vote to leave the EU could cause the value of sterling to fall between 10% and 20%. The severity of the fall would be determined by what the opinion polls say over the next few weeks, he argued. \"If we see more of a shift towards Leave then clearly we could see some of that depreciation come before the vote [rather] than after it,\" Mr Hollingsworth said. \"However, if polls lean towards Remain and we still vote to leave, then there would be more of a shock factor, and that could hit the pound hard.\" Meanwhile, Mike Amey, a managing director at Pimco, the world's largest bond fund, said the fall would be more like 5% to 10%. Any recovery of sterling would depend on various factors. On the upside we could see the political rhetoric around Brexit change following the vote, and this might have a positive impact. \"I can't imagine the prime minister would say, 'This result is all doom and gloom,'\" Mr Hollingsworth says. That said, some have speculated David Cameron might have to resign in the wake of a Brexit vote. This would result in a Tory leadership contest and more political uncertainty, which could affect sterling. It was not clear how long the process of leaving the EU would take. \"The negotiations could take two years or much longer, so it could potentially weigh on the economy for a number of years,\" says Mr Hollingsworth. \"However, it may not be as bad as some have said, because during the negotiations we would still have free trade and the free movement of people... We wouldn't wake up on the 24th and find ourselves outside the EU.\" The Bank of England cannot comment on the impact of a potential Brexit as it is now in \"purdah\" - the period leading up to a vote during which government departments and public bodies refrain from making new announcements. However, the Bank has said it would inject money into the banking system to compensate for shortages following the referendum. In terms of monetary policy following a potential Brexit vote, inflation and a weakening economy could be big challenges for the central bank. In response, some say it could keep interest rates on hold or cut them closer to zero. But Pimco's Mr Amey believes the Bank would not go as far as introducing a negative rate, as we have seen in some countries. \"If they felt they needed to support economic growth more forcefully then they would re-engage in quantitative easing,\" he says. With bated breath, it appears. Brokerage ETX Capital, for example, plans to keep traders overnight to monitor the markets and handle trades. \"The result is going to be announced at an awkward time, in the middle of the night,\" said Joe Rundell, head of trading at ETX. \"And we expect that whatever the result there will be significant movements on the FTSE 100, the sterling markets and in gold.\" If the country votes to leave it could be the firm's busiest night of the year, he added. \"We are making contingency plans for a 40% move on the sterling market if there is a Brexit. It's not likely, but these sorts of things can happen.\" JPMorgan Chase, RBS and Morgan Stanley are among other banks planning to have traders at their desks overnight as well, according to a Bloomberg report. Some have argued that increased economic uncertainty following a vote to leave would trigger a sell-off in UK government bonds, or gilts. But Mr Amey argues that gilts would rally, \"largely because the market would expect an interest rate cut by the Bank of England and the UK financial markets would need a risk-free security to turn to. \"So if there was some volatility in other assets the gilt market would be sensitive to that and perform strongly.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 925, "answer_end": 1856, "text": "Any recovery of sterling would depend on various factors. On the upside we could see the political rhetoric around Brexit change following the vote, and this might have a positive impact. \"I can't imagine the prime minister would say, 'This result is all doom and gloom,'\" Mr Hollingsworth says. That said, some have speculated David Cameron might have to resign in the wake of a Brexit vote. This would result in a Tory leadership contest and more political uncertainty, which could affect sterling. It was not clear how long the process of leaving the EU would take. \"The negotiations could take two years or much longer, so it could potentially weigh on the economy for a number of years,\" says Mr Hollingsworth. \"However, it may not be as bad as some have said, because during the negotiations we would still have free trade and the free movement of people... We wouldn't wake up on the 24th and find ourselves outside the EU.\""}], "question": "What about in the following weeks and months?", "id": "571_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1857, "answer_end": 2690, "text": "The Bank of England cannot comment on the impact of a potential Brexit as it is now in \"purdah\" - the period leading up to a vote during which government departments and public bodies refrain from making new announcements. However, the Bank has said it would inject money into the banking system to compensate for shortages following the referendum. In terms of monetary policy following a potential Brexit vote, inflation and a weakening economy could be big challenges for the central bank. In response, some say it could keep interest rates on hold or cut them closer to zero. But Pimco's Mr Amey believes the Bank would not go as far as introducing a negative rate, as we have seen in some countries. \"If they felt they needed to support economic growth more forcefully then they would re-engage in quantitative easing,\" he says."}], "question": "How is the Bank of England preparing for the vote?", "id": "571_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2691, "answer_end": 3479, "text": "With bated breath, it appears. Brokerage ETX Capital, for example, plans to keep traders overnight to monitor the markets and handle trades. \"The result is going to be announced at an awkward time, in the middle of the night,\" said Joe Rundell, head of trading at ETX. \"And we expect that whatever the result there will be significant movements on the FTSE 100, the sterling markets and in gold.\" If the country votes to leave it could be the firm's busiest night of the year, he added. \"We are making contingency plans for a 40% move on the sterling market if there is a Brexit. It's not likely, but these sorts of things can happen.\" JPMorgan Chase, RBS and Morgan Stanley are among other banks planning to have traders at their desks overnight as well, according to a Bloomberg report."}], "question": "How is the City preparing?", "id": "571_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3480, "answer_end": 3933, "text": "Some have argued that increased economic uncertainty following a vote to leave would trigger a sell-off in UK government bonds, or gilts. But Mr Amey argues that gilts would rally, \"largely because the market would expect an interest rate cut by the Bank of England and the UK financial markets would need a risk-free security to turn to. \"So if there was some volatility in other assets the gilt market would be sensitive to that and perform strongly.\""}], "question": "What about UK government bonds?", "id": "571_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Windrush generation: Who are they and why are they facing problems?", "date": "18 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Prime Minister Theresa May has apologised to Caribbean leaders over deportation threats made to the children of Commonwealth citizens, who despite living and working in the UK for decades, have been told they are living here illegally because of a lack of official paperwork. Those arriving in the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries have been labelled the Windrush generation. This is a reference to the ship MV Empire Windrush, which arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on 22 June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands, as a response to post-war labour shortages in the UK. The ship carried 492 passengers - many of them children. It is unclear how many people belong to the Windrush generation, since many of those who arrived as children travelled on parents' passports and never applied for travel documents - but they are thought to be in their thousands. There are now 500,000 people resident in the UK who were born in a Commonwealth country and arrived before 1971 - including the Windrush arrivals - according to estimates by Oxford University's Migration Observatory. The influx ended with the 1971 Immigration Act, when Commonwealth citizens already living in the UK were given indefinite leave to remain. After this, a British passport-holder born overseas could only settle in the UK if they firstly had a work permit and, secondly, could prove that a parent or grandparent had been born in the UK. Many of the arrivals became manual workers, cleaners, drivers and nurses - and some broke new ground in representing black Britons in society. The Jamaican-British campaigner Sam Beaver King, who died in 2016 aged 90, arrived at Tilbury Docks in his 20s before finding work as a postman. He later became the first black Mayor of Southwark in London. The Labour MP David Lammy, whose parents arrived in the UK from Guyana, describes himself as a \"proud son of the Windrush\". The Home Office did not keep a record of those granted leave to remain or issue any paperwork confirming it - meaning it is difficult for Windrush arrivals to prove they are in the UK legally. And in 2010, landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants were destroyed by the Home Office. Because they came from British colonies that had not achieved independence, they believed they were British citizens. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said there was \"absolutely no question\" of the Windrush generation's right to remain. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"People should not be concerned about this - they have the right to stay and we should be reassuring them of that.\" Mrs May's spokesman said the prime minister was clear that \"no-one with the right to be here will be made to leave\". Those who lack documents are now being told they need evidence to continue working, get treatment from the NHS - or even to remain in the UK. Changes to immigration law in 2012, which require people to have documentation to work, rent a property or access benefits, including healthcare, have left people fearful about their status. The BBC has learned of a number of cases where people have been affected. Sonia Williams, who came to the UK from Barbados in 1975, aged 13, said she had her driving licence withdrawn and lost her job when she was told she did not have indefinite leave to remain. \"I came here as a minor to join my mum, dad, sister and brother,\" she told BBC Two's Newsnight. \"I wasn't just coming on holiday.\" Paulette Wilson, 61, who came to Britain from Jamaica aged 10 in the late 1960s, said she received a letter saying she was in the country illegally. \"I just didn't understand it and I kept it away from my daughter for about two weeks, walking around in a daze thinking 'why am I illegal?'\" In her apology, Mrs May insisted the government was not \"clamping down\" on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those from the Caribbean. The government is creating a task force to help applicants demonstrate they are entitled to work in the UK. It aims to resolve cases within two weeks of evidence being provided. Announcing the move, Home Secretary Amber Rudd apologised for the \"appalling\" way the Windrush generation had been treated. She told MPs the Home Office had \"become too concerned with policy and strategy - and loses sight of the individual\". Delegates at this week's Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London are to discuss the situation. Not everybody who arrived in the UK during the period faced such problems. Children's TV presenter Floella Benjamin, who was born in Trinidad, said: \"I could so easily be one of the Windrush children who are now asked to leave but I came to Britain as a child without my parents on a British passport.\" Baroness Benjamin, 68, moved to Beckenham, Kent, in 1960. \"Before 1973 many Caribbean kids came to Britain on their parents' passport and not their own. That's why many of these cases are coming to light,\" she said. More than 160,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to grant an amnesty to anyone who arrived in the UK as a minor between 1948 and 1971. Its creator, the activist Patrick Vernon, calls on the government to stop all deportations, change the burden of proof, and provide compensation for \"loss and hurt\". Mr Vernon, whose parents migrated to the UK from Jamaica in the 1950s, called for \"justice for tens of thousands of individuals who have worked hard, paid their taxes and raised children and grandchildren and who see Britain as their home.\" However, some people have objected to the word \"amnesty\" - saying it implies the Windrush generation were not legally entitled to live in the UK in the first place. Events are held annually to commemorate the Windrush's arrival 70 years ago, and the subsequent wave of immigration from Caribbean countries. A model of the ship featured in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games, while the lead-up to Windrush Day on 22 June is being marked with exhibitions, church services and cultural events. They include works by photographer Harry Jacobs, who took portraits of Caribbean families coming to London in the 1950s, which are being exhibited in Brixton, south-east London.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 276, "answer_end": 1126, "text": "Those arriving in the UK between 1948 and 1971 from Caribbean countries have been labelled the Windrush generation. This is a reference to the ship MV Empire Windrush, which arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on 22 June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands, as a response to post-war labour shortages in the UK. The ship carried 492 passengers - many of them children. It is unclear how many people belong to the Windrush generation, since many of those who arrived as children travelled on parents' passports and never applied for travel documents - but they are thought to be in their thousands. There are now 500,000 people resident in the UK who were born in a Commonwealth country and arrived before 1971 - including the Windrush arrivals - according to estimates by Oxford University's Migration Observatory."}], "question": "Who are the \"Windrush generation\"?", "id": "572_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1461, "answer_end": 1934, "text": "Many of the arrivals became manual workers, cleaners, drivers and nurses - and some broke new ground in representing black Britons in society. The Jamaican-British campaigner Sam Beaver King, who died in 2016 aged 90, arrived at Tilbury Docks in his 20s before finding work as a postman. He later became the first black Mayor of Southwark in London. The Labour MP David Lammy, whose parents arrived in the UK from Guyana, describes himself as a \"proud son of the Windrush\"."}], "question": "Where are they now?", "id": "572_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1935, "answer_end": 2748, "text": "The Home Office did not keep a record of those granted leave to remain or issue any paperwork confirming it - meaning it is difficult for Windrush arrivals to prove they are in the UK legally. And in 2010, landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants were destroyed by the Home Office. Because they came from British colonies that had not achieved independence, they believed they were British citizens. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said there was \"absolutely no question\" of the Windrush generation's right to remain. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"People should not be concerned about this - they have the right to stay and we should be reassuring them of that.\" Mrs May's spokesman said the prime minister was clear that \"no-one with the right to be here will be made to leave\"."}], "question": "Are they here legally?", "id": "572_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2749, "answer_end": 3766, "text": "Those who lack documents are now being told they need evidence to continue working, get treatment from the NHS - or even to remain in the UK. Changes to immigration law in 2012, which require people to have documentation to work, rent a property or access benefits, including healthcare, have left people fearful about their status. The BBC has learned of a number of cases where people have been affected. Sonia Williams, who came to the UK from Barbados in 1975, aged 13, said she had her driving licence withdrawn and lost her job when she was told she did not have indefinite leave to remain. \"I came here as a minor to join my mum, dad, sister and brother,\" she told BBC Two's Newsnight. \"I wasn't just coming on holiday.\" Paulette Wilson, 61, who came to Britain from Jamaica aged 10 in the late 1960s, said she received a letter saying she was in the country illegally. \"I just didn't understand it and I kept it away from my daughter for about two weeks, walking around in a daze thinking 'why am I illegal?'\""}], "question": "Why are they facing problems?", "id": "572_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3767, "answer_end": 4429, "text": "In her apology, Mrs May insisted the government was not \"clamping down\" on Commonwealth citizens, particularly those from the Caribbean. The government is creating a task force to help applicants demonstrate they are entitled to work in the UK. It aims to resolve cases within two weeks of evidence being provided. Announcing the move, Home Secretary Amber Rudd apologised for the \"appalling\" way the Windrush generation had been treated. She told MPs the Home Office had \"become too concerned with policy and strategy - and loses sight of the individual\". Delegates at this week's Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London are to discuss the situation."}], "question": "What has the government said?", "id": "572_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4430, "answer_end": 4948, "text": "Not everybody who arrived in the UK during the period faced such problems. Children's TV presenter Floella Benjamin, who was born in Trinidad, said: \"I could so easily be one of the Windrush children who are now asked to leave but I came to Britain as a child without my parents on a British passport.\" Baroness Benjamin, 68, moved to Beckenham, Kent, in 1960. \"Before 1973 many Caribbean kids came to Britain on their parents' passport and not their own. That's why many of these cases are coming to light,\" she said."}], "question": "What about other Commonwealth arrivals?", "id": "572_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4949, "answer_end": 5680, "text": "More than 160,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to grant an amnesty to anyone who arrived in the UK as a minor between 1948 and 1971. Its creator, the activist Patrick Vernon, calls on the government to stop all deportations, change the burden of proof, and provide compensation for \"loss and hurt\". Mr Vernon, whose parents migrated to the UK from Jamaica in the 1950s, called for \"justice for tens of thousands of individuals who have worked hard, paid their taxes and raised children and grandchildren and who see Britain as their home.\" However, some people have objected to the word \"amnesty\" - saying it implies the Windrush generation were not legally entitled to live in the UK in the first place."}], "question": "How is the campaign progressing?", "id": "572_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5681, "answer_end": 6204, "text": "Events are held annually to commemorate the Windrush's arrival 70 years ago, and the subsequent wave of immigration from Caribbean countries. A model of the ship featured in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games, while the lead-up to Windrush Day on 22 June is being marked with exhibitions, church services and cultural events. They include works by photographer Harry Jacobs, who took portraits of Caribbean families coming to London in the 1950s, which are being exhibited in Brixton, south-east London."}], "question": "How is the Windrush celebrated?", "id": "572_7"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Judge rejects parliament shutdown legal challenge", "date": "4 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Scottish judge has rejected a bid to have Boris Johnson's plan to shut down parliament ahead of Brexit declared illegal. The case was brought to the Court of Session in Edinburgh by a cross-party group of 75 parliamentarians, who argued the PM had exceeded his powers. But Lord Doherty ruled on Wednesday that the issue was for politicians and voters to judge, and not the courts. He said there had been no contravention of the law by the UK government. The group of MPs and peers behind the legal challenge, who are headed by SNP MP Joanna Cherry and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, will have their appeal against the ruling heard by three Inner House judges on Thursday. The prime minister announced on 28 August he wanted to shut down Parliament, a process known as proroguing, for five weeks ahead of a Queen's Speech on 14 October. His political opponents argue Mr Johnson's aim is to avoid parliamentary scrutiny and to stop them passing legislation that would prevent the UK leaving the European Union without a deal on 31 October. The UK government insists this is not the case, and says proroguing Parliament will allow Mr Johnson to set out his legislative plans in the Queen's Speech while still allowing sufficient time for MPs to debate Brexit. In his ruling, Lord Doherty said the decision to prorogue parliament was justiciable - a matter for the courts - in some circumstances but not in others, depending on the context. But he said he had not been persuaded after hearing legal arguments from both sides on Tuesday that the case before him was justiciable. He added: \"In my view, the advice given in relation to the prorogation decision is a matter involving high policy and political judgement. \"This is political territory and decision making which cannot be measured against legal standards, but only by political judgements. \"Accountability for the advice is to parliament, and ultimately the electorate - not to the courts.\" Lord Doherty also said it was opinion that there had been \"no contravention of the rule of law\" by the prime minister. He said: \"The power to prorogue is a prerogative power and the prime minister had the vires (powers) to advise the sovereign as to its exercise.\" The parliamentarians were supported in their legal challenge by Jolyon Maugham of the Good Law Project, who said: \"The idea that if the prime minister suspends Parliament the courts can't get involved looses some ugly demons. \"If he can do it for 34 days, why not 34 weeks or 34 months? Where does the political power end? It is not the law as I understand it.\" It emerged during Tuesday's hearing that Mr Johnson appears to have approved a plan to shut down the UK Parliament two weeks before publicly announcing it. The Court of Session heard that the prime minister was sent a note on 15 August asking if he wanted to prorogue parliament from mid-September. A tick and the word \"yes\" was written on the document. A lawyer acting for the BBC asked the court to release the documents in the interests of open justice. The appeal hearing will consider the request. Responding to Lord Doherty's ruling, a UK government spokesman said: \"As we have set out, the government needs to bring forward a strong domestic legislative agenda - proroguing Parliament is the legal and necessary way of delivering this. \"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.\" On Thursday, the High Court in England will consider a judicial review request from Gina Miller, the businesswoman who successfully challenged the government over the triggering of the Article 50 process to start the Brexit countdown. Ms Miller, who has been joined by former Prime Minister John Major, wants to challenge Mr Johnson's suspension of parliament. And in Belfast, a judicial review against the government by a campaigner arguing that no deal could jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process is scheduled for 16 September.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3471, "answer_end": 4008, "text": "On Thursday, the High Court in England will consider a judicial review request from Gina Miller, the businesswoman who successfully challenged the government over the triggering of the Article 50 process to start the Brexit countdown. Ms Miller, who has been joined by former Prime Minister John Major, wants to challenge Mr Johnson's suspension of parliament. And in Belfast, a judicial review against the government by a campaigner arguing that no deal could jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process is scheduled for 16 September."}], "question": "What other legal challenges is the government facing?", "id": "573_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Lawmaker accused of firing aide who refused kissing game", "date": "21 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A state lawmaker who rose to national prominence as a campaigner against sexual assault is accused of firing an aide who refused to play \"spin the bottle\", according to court papers. David John Kernick filed a complaint against California Democrat Cristina Garcia about the alleged 2014 incident. He says she disciplined him for insubordination and fired him after he refused to play the game. Ms Garcia has denied previous allegations against her. On Tuesday she issued another statement to deny all the claims against her. \"These accusations are simply not true,\" she said, \"and are inconsistent with my personal value system and how I seek to conduct myself as an elected official. \"I believe these accusations are part of a concerted effort to discredit my person and record as a legislator.\" Ms Garcia featured in a Time magazine profile of #MeToo victims last year. Mr Kernick said in the complaint that she had approached him during a whisky bar fundraiser and invited him to sit on her hotel room floor to play the kissing game. The complaint alleges Ms Garcia disciplined Mr Kernick \"with a write-up for insubordination\" before firing him two days later. He described his time working as a field representative for the California assemblywoman as \"extremely stressful\", claiming she used vulgar language and discussed inappropriate topics at work. Ms Garcia was first accused of harassment by former aide Daniel Fierro, who said a drunken Ms Garcia had cornered him after an annual legislative softball game in 2014 in the team dugout. He says Ms Garcia stroked his back, squeezed his buttocks and attempted to grab his crotch. Mr Fierro told Politico he had not originally reported the incident. He was 25 years old at the time, he added. When the allegations first emerged, she said she had \"zero recollection of engaging in inappropriate behaviour\". \"Such behaviour is inconsistent with my values,\" she added. Ms Garcia, who was elected in 2012 and chairs the Legislative Women's Caucus and the Natural Resources Committee, pledged to participate in any sexual harassment investigation. \"Every complaint about sexual harassment should be taken seriously,\" she said. But in a follow-up statement, the influential Los Angeles-area lawmaker added: \"Upon reflection of the details alleged, I am certain I did not engage in the behaviour I am accused of.\" The allegations come months after the lawmaker told the New York Times she had experienced sexual harassment. \"Multiple people have grabbed my butt and grabbed my breasts,\" she said about alleged incidents in the state capital of Sacramento. \"We're talking about senior lobbyists and lawmakers.\" In a November interview with the Associated Press news agency about alcohol at political fundraisers, Ms Garcia said that drink was not an acceptable excuse for inappropriate sexual behaviour. Ms Garcia announced on 9 February that she would take leave of absence during the inquiry.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 872, "answer_end": 1748, "text": "Mr Kernick said in the complaint that she had approached him during a whisky bar fundraiser and invited him to sit on her hotel room floor to play the kissing game. The complaint alleges Ms Garcia disciplined Mr Kernick \"with a write-up for insubordination\" before firing him two days later. He described his time working as a field representative for the California assemblywoman as \"extremely stressful\", claiming she used vulgar language and discussed inappropriate topics at work. Ms Garcia was first accused of harassment by former aide Daniel Fierro, who said a drunken Ms Garcia had cornered him after an annual legislative softball game in 2014 in the team dugout. He says Ms Garcia stroked his back, squeezed his buttocks and attempted to grab his crotch. Mr Fierro told Politico he had not originally reported the incident. He was 25 years old at the time, he added."}], "question": "What is Ms Garcia accused of?", "id": "574_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia Catholic bishops criticise 'foreign influence' laws", "date": "30 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Catholic bishops have raised concerns that new laws in Australia could force Church members to register as agents of a foreign power. Last month, Australia unveiled legislation designed to limit foreign interference in political activity. The government said the changes, still to be formally debated, will protect transparency and Australia's interests. But Catholic officials have said the laws are too broad and could prevent churchgoers' advocacy and charity work. \"Catholics are followers of Jesus Christ - we are not agents of a foreign government,\" said Bishop Robert McGuckin, from Toowoomba in Queensland. The wide-ranging restrictions would ban foreign political donations and force lobbyists to disclose overseas links on a public register. Failure to do so would be a crime. It would also broaden the definition of espionage to include people who receive classified information without permission, rather than simply those who share it. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in December that the crackdown was not aimed at any country - although he noted recent \"disturbing reports\" of Chinese influence. \"Foreign powers are making unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political process, both here and abroad,\" he said at the time. The legislation would also include several other measures aimed at preventing such activity. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference acknowledged the bill did not target Catholics specifically, but criticised it as having \"extraordinary breadth\". It said terms in the bill such as \"foreign principal\" and \"communications activity\" were potentially open to wide interpretation. Bishop McGuckin said it could result in Catholic churchgoers being classified as agents of the Vatican. \"It seems that every Catholic involved in advocacy may need to register and report,\" he told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday. \"Given Catholics make up more than the 20% of the population of Australia... we think that's a lot of registrations.\" Yes. Media organisations, law groups and other organisations have expressed various concerns that freedoms could be restricted. The Australian Human Rights Law Centre said charities and not-for-profit groups would find it \"complex, cumbersome and costly\" to comply with the transparency measures. \"Many organisations will simply opt out of electing not to speak up about their work and Australia's democracy will be much poorer for that,\" director Hugh de Kretser told the BBC. The Law Council of Australia said the breadth of the bill could have \"a chilling effect on public policy dialogue\". The chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Andrew Hastie MP, played down the concerns. \"I think if you're seeking to build Australia and not undermine it as an Australian citizen, then you shouldn't be concerned,\" he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. However, he did not rule out changes. \"We could introduce more safeguards if needed - I'm not convinced there is a need,\" he said. Beijing has previously accused Australian politicians and media outlets of \"hysteria\" over the political influence debate.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 615, "answer_end": 1369, "text": "The wide-ranging restrictions would ban foreign political donations and force lobbyists to disclose overseas links on a public register. Failure to do so would be a crime. It would also broaden the definition of espionage to include people who receive classified information without permission, rather than simply those who share it. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in December that the crackdown was not aimed at any country - although he noted recent \"disturbing reports\" of Chinese influence. \"Foreign powers are making unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political process, both here and abroad,\" he said at the time. The legislation would also include several other measures aimed at preventing such activity."}], "question": "What are the new laws?", "id": "575_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1370, "answer_end": 2009, "text": "The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference acknowledged the bill did not target Catholics specifically, but criticised it as having \"extraordinary breadth\". It said terms in the bill such as \"foreign principal\" and \"communications activity\" were potentially open to wide interpretation. Bishop McGuckin said it could result in Catholic churchgoers being classified as agents of the Vatican. \"It seems that every Catholic involved in advocacy may need to register and report,\" he told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday. \"Given Catholics make up more than the 20% of the population of Australia... we think that's a lot of registrations.\""}], "question": "What are the bishops' concerns?", "id": "575_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2010, "answer_end": 2603, "text": "Yes. Media organisations, law groups and other organisations have expressed various concerns that freedoms could be restricted. The Australian Human Rights Law Centre said charities and not-for-profit groups would find it \"complex, cumbersome and costly\" to comply with the transparency measures. \"Many organisations will simply opt out of electing not to speak up about their work and Australia's democracy will be much poorer for that,\" director Hugh de Kretser told the BBC. The Law Council of Australia said the breadth of the bill could have \"a chilling effect on public policy dialogue\"."}], "question": "Have others been critical?", "id": "575_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2604, "answer_end": 3124, "text": "The chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Andrew Hastie MP, played down the concerns. \"I think if you're seeking to build Australia and not undermine it as an Australian citizen, then you shouldn't be concerned,\" he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. However, he did not rule out changes. \"We could introduce more safeguards if needed - I'm not convinced there is a need,\" he said. Beijing has previously accused Australian politicians and media outlets of \"hysteria\" over the political influence debate."}], "question": "What do lawmakers say?", "id": "575_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Your Name: Japanese body-swap fantasy is China cinema hit", "date": "19 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Japanese anime film Your Name has already been a huge success in its own country. And now it has become the country's most successful film yet at the Chinese box office. Despite the lack of big-name Hollywood stars or expensive stunts, it has taken nearly $78m since its debut in early December. So why is it doing so well? The BBC's Ashleigh Nghiem takes a look. Written and directed by 43-year-old Makoto Shinkai, Your Name is a love story about two teenagers who swap bodies. The dreamy drama about missed connections involving young star-crossed lovers has captured the imagination of Chinese audiences. For evidence, look no further than the reviews on the Chinese film rating site, maoyan.com - where reviews have averaged 9.3 out of 10. \"The film was beautiful beyond words and every shot was like a painting,\" one cinema goer Taylor wrote. But it is perhaps the element of fantasy that appeals to young Chinese looking for a little escapism. \"Watching this film made me miss the springtime of my youth and that really touched me,\" said one fan. Meet the man who looks after 735 dogs The small budget film sweeping Hollywood awards A watery grave: Seven things to know about sea burials Film experts believe Your Name has struck a chord with young Chinese at just the right time. \"It's a love story targeted at the demographic with the most amount of disposable income, the so-called 'Post 90s' generation which has been driving the box office boom,\" said Jonathan Papish, film industry analyst for China Film Insider. \"It also fits well with the ACGN (Anime, Comic, Game, Novel) youth subculture that is growing in popularity in China,\" Mr Papish added. With 200 million young consumers, the youth entertainment market is expanding fast. According to the Chinese investment bank CITIC securities, the market is set to double to 500bn yuan ($76bn; PS60.6bn) within a few years. And while China may never have had a greater financial stake in Hollywood (as Dalian Wanda's investment in everything from film studios to cinema chains is testament to), Mr Papish said the market was ripe for more movies from producers outside of Hollywood. Chinese consumers are looking for an international flavour in their fashion, travel choices and purchasing habits, he says, so why should the film market be any different? With box office ticket sales of nearly $78m, the 2D animation replaces Stand By Me Doreamon as the top grossing Japanese film of all time in China. And that could just be the tip of the iceberg for anime creators. Foreign sales of Japanese animation surged almost 80% last year to nearly $300m, according to the Association of Japanese Animations,  though it could not say how much of that bump came from China. One thing that's certain though: success is not guaranteed. \"Japanese anime is well known and popular in China, however not all films achieve box office success,\" said Rance Pow, Chief Executive of the Asian film consultancy, Artisan Gateway. Nine of the 11 Japanese movies released in China this year were animated films but only three of them took in more than $20m in ticket sales. Mr Pow believes well-known Japanese franchises that have an established fan base should fare well in China, particularly with millennials who grew up with many of the characters. But takings for Japanese films still lag far behind most Hollywood blockbusters in China. Furious 7 raked in more than $350m, Transformers: Age of Extinction pulled in $286m and Zootopia took $221m in ticket sales. Your Name's success has not been limited to China. It recently won the 2016 Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for the best animated film and is being considered for an Oscar nomination. But Your Name producers told the BBC that the Japanese market remained its primary focus. \"Usually in Japan, business can be completed domestically, so there was no thinking that you have to go overseas from the business point of view,\" said Genki Kawamura from the Japanese film distribution company Toho. \"But dubbing helped us to overcome language barriers and with animation we can express the big world without a big set or the location, to reach a wider audience abroad.\" Success overseas looks set to be an increasingly important source of revenue for Japan's anime industry. While anime resonates with Japan's young people, its appeal could diminish over time as its target audience at home gets older. \"In 2025, more than a quarter of our population will be over 65 years old and our birth rate is lower than Germany and all OECD nations,\" said Sejiro Takeshita, Professor of Management and Information at the University of Shizuoka \"If you combine those together and you're a Japanese company, you better start thinking about expanding overseas to create new demand.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2316, "answer_end": 3506, "text": "With box office ticket sales of nearly $78m, the 2D animation replaces Stand By Me Doreamon as the top grossing Japanese film of all time in China. And that could just be the tip of the iceberg for anime creators. Foreign sales of Japanese animation surged almost 80% last year to nearly $300m, according to the Association of Japanese Animations,  though it could not say how much of that bump came from China. One thing that's certain though: success is not guaranteed. \"Japanese anime is well known and popular in China, however not all films achieve box office success,\" said Rance Pow, Chief Executive of the Asian film consultancy, Artisan Gateway. Nine of the 11 Japanese movies released in China this year were animated films but only three of them took in more than $20m in ticket sales. Mr Pow believes well-known Japanese franchises that have an established fan base should fare well in China, particularly with millennials who grew up with many of the characters. But takings for Japanese films still lag far behind most Hollywood blockbusters in China. Furious 7 raked in more than $350m, Transformers: Age of Extinction pulled in $286m and Zootopia took $221m in ticket sales."}], "question": "Is it a one-off?", "id": "576_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3507, "answer_end": 4779, "text": "Your Name's success has not been limited to China. It recently won the 2016 Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for the best animated film and is being considered for an Oscar nomination. But Your Name producers told the BBC that the Japanese market remained its primary focus. \"Usually in Japan, business can be completed domestically, so there was no thinking that you have to go overseas from the business point of view,\" said Genki Kawamura from the Japanese film distribution company Toho. \"But dubbing helped us to overcome language barriers and with animation we can express the big world without a big set or the location, to reach a wider audience abroad.\" Success overseas looks set to be an increasingly important source of revenue for Japan's anime industry. While anime resonates with Japan's young people, its appeal could diminish over time as its target audience at home gets older. \"In 2025, more than a quarter of our population will be over 65 years old and our birth rate is lower than Germany and all OECD nations,\" said Sejiro Takeshita, Professor of Management and Information at the University of Shizuoka \"If you combine those together and you're a Japanese company, you better start thinking about expanding overseas to create new demand.\""}], "question": "So are foreign markets now anime's goal?", "id": "576_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US Senate extends 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund", "date": "24 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US Senate has voted to extend the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which was at risk of running out of money. In a 97-2 vote, the Senate passed a bill to continue compensation payouts through to 2090. The fund was due to stop taking new claims in late 2020. The House of Representatives had already backed the bill. President Donald Trump is expected to sign it. The VCF covers medical costs of first responders, volunteers and survivors who were injured in the attacks. Comedian Jon Stewart and surviving first responders have been actively campaigning for the extension. During an emotional testimony in June, Mr Stewart castigated lawmakers for what he described as inaction. The VCF was initially created in 2001, immediately following the attacks. This original VCF distributed over $7bn (PS5.6bn) to families of more than 2,880 people who died and for 2,680 injured. In 2006, Congress voted to re-activate the VCF. Although it was supposed to be funded until December 2020, those administering it say a recent spike in claims has left the fund in danger of running out. Future payouts to 9/11 victims and their families would have been cut by as much as 70%. The new bill extends the expiration date through to the 2090 fiscal year. Lawmakers estimate that about $10bn will be paid out over the next decade. Up to 80,000 people - including firemen, police officers, emergency workers, contractors and cleaning staff - are believed to have rushed to the aid of victims in the aftermath the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Virginia. In doing so, many exposed themselves to toxic debris in the air, including asbestos, lead, and pulverized concrete, which causes silicosis. They join an estimated 400,000 people believed to have been exposed to toxic contaminants, or suffered injury or trauma in Manhattan that day, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of September 2018, 2,000 deaths were attributed to 9/11-related illness. By the end of last year, many estimate that more people will have died from toxic exposures than were actually killed in the attack.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 681, "answer_end": 1315, "text": "The VCF was initially created in 2001, immediately following the attacks. This original VCF distributed over $7bn (PS5.6bn) to families of more than 2,880 people who died and for 2,680 injured. In 2006, Congress voted to re-activate the VCF. Although it was supposed to be funded until December 2020, those administering it say a recent spike in claims has left the fund in danger of running out. Future payouts to 9/11 victims and their families would have been cut by as much as 70%. The new bill extends the expiration date through to the 2090 fiscal year. Lawmakers estimate that about $10bn will be paid out over the next decade."}], "question": "What about the fund's extension?", "id": "577_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pregnant woman killed by dogs in France during hunt in forest", "date": "20 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A pregnant woman has been killed by dogs in a forest in northern France where a hunt with hounds was taking place, investigators have said. The body of Elisa Pilarski, 29, who was walking her own dogs, was discovered near the town of Villers-Cotterets. She died after \"several dog bites to the upper and lower limbs and the head,\" prosecutor Frederic Trinh said. Police said they were carrying out tests on 93 dogs and that they had opened a manslaughter investigation. The tests, comparing fresh DNA samples with those taken from Ms Pilarski, will try to establish which animals were responsible for the attack and who they belonged to. Five dogs belonging to Ms Pilarski, who was reportedly six months pregnant at the time of her death, were among those being tested. A post mortem examination showed that the victim had suffered dog bites to the head, torso and arms, causing a severe haemorrhage and massive blood loss. According to the prosecutor's office, Ms Pilarski was out walking in Retz forest, about 50 miles (80km) north-east of Paris, on Saturday when she phoned her partner, Christophe, to tell him she was worried that a pack of dogs was about to attack her. He then made his way to the area, where he later found her body, reportedly after following the distressed cries of at least one of her dogs. \"I looked for her, I saw her 4x4... I walked towards a ravine, but about 30 dogs arrived so I moved away,\" Christophe told French broadcaster BFMTV. He added that Ms Pilarski appeared to be covered in bites and some of her clothes had been torn off, exposing her stomach. The couple shared a home near the forest and after discovering Ms Pilarski's lifeless body, Christophe asked a neighbour for help, who then called the police. Ms Pilarski's death occurred between 13:00 and 13:30 local time (12:00 and 12:30 GMT), according to the post mortem report. The pack of hounds was out hunting deer in the forest, the local newspaper Le Courrier Picard reported on Tuesday. A person associated with the hunt, Angela Van Den Berghe, confirmed that an event had taken place on Saturday but told the L'Union news site (in French) that \"to our knowledge, the tragic accident that occurred has no relation neither with our dogs, nor with the hunt with hounds\". The actor Brigitte Bardot, who is president of an animal welfare foundation, called on French authorities to immediately suspend \"all hunt authorisation for this season\". But the French hunting association insisted there was no evidence of \"the involvement of hunting hounds in the death of this woman\". Retz forest surrounds the small town of Villers-Cotterets and covers more than 13,000 hectares (50 sq miles). It is home to an array of wildlife, including red deer, roe deer and foxes. Following the news of her death, people began posting tributes on Ms Pilarski's Facebook page, writing of their shock at the reports of what had happened.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 924, "answer_end": 2913, "text": "According to the prosecutor's office, Ms Pilarski was out walking in Retz forest, about 50 miles (80km) north-east of Paris, on Saturday when she phoned her partner, Christophe, to tell him she was worried that a pack of dogs was about to attack her. He then made his way to the area, where he later found her body, reportedly after following the distressed cries of at least one of her dogs. \"I looked for her, I saw her 4x4... I walked towards a ravine, but about 30 dogs arrived so I moved away,\" Christophe told French broadcaster BFMTV. He added that Ms Pilarski appeared to be covered in bites and some of her clothes had been torn off, exposing her stomach. The couple shared a home near the forest and after discovering Ms Pilarski's lifeless body, Christophe asked a neighbour for help, who then called the police. Ms Pilarski's death occurred between 13:00 and 13:30 local time (12:00 and 12:30 GMT), according to the post mortem report. The pack of hounds was out hunting deer in the forest, the local newspaper Le Courrier Picard reported on Tuesday. A person associated with the hunt, Angela Van Den Berghe, confirmed that an event had taken place on Saturday but told the L'Union news site (in French) that \"to our knowledge, the tragic accident that occurred has no relation neither with our dogs, nor with the hunt with hounds\". The actor Brigitte Bardot, who is president of an animal welfare foundation, called on French authorities to immediately suspend \"all hunt authorisation for this season\". But the French hunting association insisted there was no evidence of \"the involvement of hunting hounds in the death of this woman\". Retz forest surrounds the small town of Villers-Cotterets and covers more than 13,000 hectares (50 sq miles). It is home to an array of wildlife, including red deer, roe deer and foxes. Following the news of her death, people began posting tributes on Ms Pilarski's Facebook page, writing of their shock at the reports of what had happened."}], "question": "What happened in the forest?", "id": "578_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India-Iran relations: Why Bollywood is our common language", "date": "22 May 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Iran, there's been lots of talk in Delhi about the relationship between our two countries. But for me, a holiday I had in Iran last year told me more about our middle eastern neighbour than any political pundit could. When I travelled to Iran last year, I received a warm welcome from many strangers - in part because the subject of Bollywood is great icebreaker. On my first day in Tehran, a guard outside the Sadabad Palace museum asked me shyly: \"Are you Hindustani (Indian), do you know Shah Rukh Khan?\" For the uninitiated, Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest superstars of Indian cinema with a fan following around the world. As my friend and I took a selfie with the Iranian Bollywood fan, something inside told me that I was in for a treat. And I wasn't wrong. During my travels, as I was getting myself photographed in local attire, an old lady came towards me. We tried to communicate, but couldn't understand each other's language. Then she mimicked an Indian lady applying lipstick and a Bindi (an adornment worn on the forehead by some Indian women). Once I realised what she wanted, I handed her my lipstick.  She deftly applied it on her lips, looked in the mirror and blushed like a new bride. Then she furiously removed the lipstick, as if someone was watching over her. Before I knew it, she had planted a kiss on my cheeks, hugged me and left. I can still feel the warmth of that hug. I don't know what her reasons were.  All I know that this was a moment of female solidarity that needed no words. There was lot for me to learn and unlearn about Iran. Knowingly or unknowingly, we all carry stereotypes in our minds. When I arrived, I was curious to know more about the position of women in Iran. As I roamed around on the streets of Iran, I saw women making a fashion statement every now and then with their clothing. The young girls were smartly dressed in jeans, with highlighted hair loosely covered by fashionable and colourful headscarves. They all carried beautifully accessorised handbags. I also saw young boys and girls sitting in parks holding hands. And then there was the peculiar case of bandaged noses. Almost on every nook and corner, I saw women with bandages on their noses. How could so many women could have hurt their noses in one go? I kept wondering. So curiosity took the better of me and I asked someone. It turns out the women hadn't broken their noses, but had undergone nose jobs! Apparently, nose jobs are a big hit amongst Iranian women, something I had never known. I'd read about life being hard for women in Iran, but clearly many women are keen to access fashion, and if they have the money, will go to great lengths to get the look they want. Being a pure vegetarian, I was worried about food options in Iran as I'd previously had a difficult time in China But it turns out we have some common roots - and common food cultures. Vegetarian Parsi food came to my rescue. Zoroastrianism is one of world's oldest religions and  was founded in ancient Iran about 3,500 years ago. In the 10th Century, a group of Iranians fled, seeking religious freedom, and ended up on the shores of Gujarat in India where they are now known as Indian Parsi community. Since then, the Parsis settled in India have maintained strong connections with Iran And if you are a vegetarian like me, who does not even eat eggs, Parsi restaurants in Iran ensure you are well fed. As an Indian, I was also intrigued by the National Jewellery Museum in Tehran which houses many diamonds from India including the famous Dariya re Noor diamond, said to be the largest pink diamond of world. Historians claim it was looted by the Persian emperor Nadir Shah from India but there is no high profile campaign to get it back, unlike the Kohinoor diamond held in Britain. Before showing these diamonds, the Iranian guide would say to the Indian visitors: \"Let bygones be bygones\", with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Actually, relations between the two countries are much more than just food, poetry, music and films and nostalgia. There are bigger issues like oil, sanctions, diplomacy and strategy to be taken care of. But as a wanderer visiting Iran, I was happy to see another side of the country, and realise that despite any political differences, we also have a lot in common.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3455, "answer_end": 4352, "text": "As an Indian, I was also intrigued by the National Jewellery Museum in Tehran which houses many diamonds from India including the famous Dariya re Noor diamond, said to be the largest pink diamond of world. Historians claim it was looted by the Persian emperor Nadir Shah from India but there is no high profile campaign to get it back, unlike the Kohinoor diamond held in Britain. Before showing these diamonds, the Iranian guide would say to the Indian visitors: \"Let bygones be bygones\", with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Actually, relations between the two countries are much more than just food, poetry, music and films and nostalgia. There are bigger issues like oil, sanctions, diplomacy and strategy to be taken care of. But as a wanderer visiting Iran, I was happy to see another side of the country, and realise that despite any political differences, we also have a lot in common."}], "question": "5. Diamonds aren't forever?", "id": "579_0"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo result delay: Voters 'must be patient'", "date": "6 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Voters awaiting the results of last Sunday's presidential poll in the Democratic Republic of Congo need to be patient, the electoral commission says. So far 53% of votes from the country's 75,000 polling stations had been counted, the electoral commission chief Corneille Nangaa told journalists. Results had initially been expected this Sunday. The influential Catholic Church, which fielded thousands of observers, said on Thursday there was a clear winner. Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 18 years as president of DR Congo - the world's leading producer of cobalt, used to power mobile phones and electric cars. He has promised that the polls, which were supposed to have taken place two years ago, will be DR Congo's first orderly transfer of power since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Why DR Congo matters: His preferred successor, Emmanuel Shadary, a former interior minister, is facing strong opposition from ex-oil tycoon Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi, son of a veteran opposition leader. Mr Nangaa gave no date for when provisional or final results would emerge. On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that 80 troops had been sent to nearby Gabon because of the \"possibility that violent demonstrations may occur\" following DR Congo's vote. They would be deployed if needed to protect US citizens and diplomatic facilities in DR Congo's capital, Kinshasa, he said. After last Sunday's vote the internet and text-messaging services were shut down nationwide. The government said the move was necessary to guard against the spread of unofficial results. The authorities have also blocked Canal Congo Television, a station owned by ex-rebel leader and opposition politician Jean-Pierre Bemba, and international broadcaster Radio France International. Both were accused of broadcasting election results ahead of an official announcement. Mr Bemba, who was barred from from running for the presidency, is backing Mr Fayulu in the presidential race. There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: - Martin Fayulu: The ex-oil tycoon -  worked for Exxon Mobil for 20 years and entered politics in 2006. He is known as the \"people's soldier\" for leading protests against President Kabila. - Emmanuel Shadary: Kabila's 'hardline' choice - an ex-interior minister who is under EU sanctions for alleged human rights violations in deadly crackdowns on protests. His ruthless reputation has earned him the nickname \"Make It Happen\". - Felix Tshisekedi: The man trying to outdo his father - son of late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, he has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority. Backed out of an opposition deal to have a unity candidate and ran on his own ticket with the backing of politician Vital Kamerhe. Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. DR Congo, which is about the size of western Europe and has had a peacekeeping force in the country for nearly 20 years, has poor infrastructure which has presented logistical challenges for election organisers. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1985, "answer_end": 2771, "text": "There are 21 candidates, but three frontrunners: - Martin Fayulu: The ex-oil tycoon -  worked for Exxon Mobil for 20 years and entered politics in 2006. He is known as the \"people's soldier\" for leading protests against President Kabila. - Emmanuel Shadary: Kabila's 'hardline' choice - an ex-interior minister who is under EU sanctions for alleged human rights violations in deadly crackdowns on protests. His ruthless reputation has earned him the nickname \"Make It Happen\". - Felix Tshisekedi: The man trying to outdo his father - son of late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, he has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority. Backed out of an opposition deal to have a unity candidate and ran on his own ticket with the backing of politician Vital Kamerhe."}], "question": "Who is running for president?", "id": "580_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2772, "answer_end": 3840, "text": "Mr Kabila took over from his assassinated father Laurent in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and secured another term in controversial elections in 2011. He was barred from running for another term under the constitution, and was supposed to step down two years ago, but the election was postponed after the electoral commission said it needed more time to register voters. The decision triggered violent clashes, as the opposition accused Mr Kabila of trying to cling on to power. DR Congo, which is about the size of western Europe and has had a peacekeeping force in the country for nearly 20 years, has poor infrastructure which has presented logistical challenges for election organisers. The run-up to this poll was also hit by controversy over the exclusion of some 1.26 million voters, out of an electorate of nearly 40 million. The electoral commission said voting could not take place in the eastern cities of Beni and Butembo because of a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region. Voting was also called off in the western city of Yumbi because of insecurity there."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "580_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Molotov-Ribbentrop: Five states remember 'misery' pact victims", "date": "23 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Baltic states, Poland and Romania have called on Europe's governments to stand against totalitarian regimes, 80 years after the signing of the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. The Nazi-Soviet non-aggression agreement included a secret protocol that redrew the map of Europe. Fifty years later, up to two million people joined hands across the Baltics in a peaceful, anti-Soviet protest. The Baltic Way human chain galvanised the Baltic push for independence. For fifteen minutes on 23 August 1989, people held hands along a stretch of more than 650km (400 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia, via Riga in Latvia to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Inspired by their achievement, pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong on Friday were to stage a 40km human chain. There have been weeks of protest against a proposed law that would allow extraditions to China. The bill has since been suspended. The Baltic Way protesters chose the anniversary of the pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany to highlight the secret deal to carve up Europe. Officially it was a non-aggression, neutrality pact. But under a secret protocol agreed in Moscow by the countries' two foreign ministers, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were to be consigned to the Soviet sphere while Lithuania came a few days later. Poland was to be carved up and part of Romania handed to the Soviets. Within days, Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany, and by the Soviets not long after. The non-aggression pact ended with the Nazi invasion of Russia in June 1941. In a statement on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the pact, the foreign ministers of Poland, Romania and the three Baltic republics said the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact had \"doomed half of Europe to decades of misery\". They said the memory of the victims \"compels us to promote historical justice by... raising public awareness of the totalitarian legacy on the European continent\", and they warned of disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating history. Remembering the fall of Iron Curtain, they added that 30 years ago their nations began the democratic transformations that led to them becoming \"vigorous members of the European Union\". An exhibition opened this week featuring documents from 1939 that include the infamous Soviet-Nazi pact. The message from figures in Moscow was that Russia had offered an alliance to France and Britain to counter Adolf Hitler, but that the talks were going nowhere. The \"irresponsible and cowardly policies\" of Britain and France had pushed Hitler's Germany to attack the Soviet Union, said foreign intelligence head Sergei Naryshkin. \"Not wanting to wage war on two fronts, Germany made unprecedented concessions to guarantee Soviet neutrality in the Polish campaign,\" he added. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, accused a number of countries of making short-sighted decisions aimed at appeasing Hitler. \"Naively calculating that the war would pass them by, the Western powers played a double game. They tried to steer Hitler's aggression eastwards. In those conditions, the USSR had to safeguard its own national security by itself,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 888, "answer_end": 1517, "text": "The Baltic Way protesters chose the anniversary of the pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany to highlight the secret deal to carve up Europe. Officially it was a non-aggression, neutrality pact. But under a secret protocol agreed in Moscow by the countries' two foreign ministers, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were to be consigned to the Soviet sphere while Lithuania came a few days later. Poland was to be carved up and part of Romania handed to the Soviets. Within days, Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany, and by the Soviets not long after. The non-aggression pact ended with the Nazi invasion of Russia in June 1941."}], "question": "What was the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact?", "id": "581_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1518, "answer_end": 2164, "text": "In a statement on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the pact, the foreign ministers of Poland, Romania and the three Baltic republics said the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact had \"doomed half of Europe to decades of misery\". They said the memory of the victims \"compels us to promote historical justice by... raising public awareness of the totalitarian legacy on the European continent\", and they warned of disinformation campaigns aimed at manipulating history. Remembering the fall of Iron Curtain, they added that 30 years ago their nations began the democratic transformations that led to them becoming \"vigorous members of the European Union\"."}], "question": "What do the five EU states say?", "id": "581_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2165, "answer_end": 3150, "text": "An exhibition opened this week featuring documents from 1939 that include the infamous Soviet-Nazi pact. The message from figures in Moscow was that Russia had offered an alliance to France and Britain to counter Adolf Hitler, but that the talks were going nowhere. The \"irresponsible and cowardly policies\" of Britain and France had pushed Hitler's Germany to attack the Soviet Union, said foreign intelligence head Sergei Naryshkin. \"Not wanting to wage war on two fronts, Germany made unprecedented concessions to guarantee Soviet neutrality in the Polish campaign,\" he added. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the opening of the exhibition, accused a number of countries of making short-sighted decisions aimed at appeasing Hitler. \"Naively calculating that the war would pass them by, the Western powers played a double game. They tried to steer Hitler's aggression eastwards. In those conditions, the USSR had to safeguard its own national security by itself,\" he said."}], "question": "What does Russia say?", "id": "581_2"}]}]}, {"title": "New Tonga island 'now home to flowers and owls'", "date": "7 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scientists have found signs of life on one of the world's newest islands, just four years after it was spawned by a volcanic eruption. Unofficially known as Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, it lies in the kingdom of Tonga, and is already nurturing pink flowering plants, sooty tern birds, and even barn owls. Tonga is made up of over 170 islands in the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. A team from the Sea Education Association and Nasa visited the small land mass in October, having previously kept watch through satellite imaging. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai - named after the two islands it is nestled between - was born in December 2014 after a submarine volcano erupted, sending a stream of steam, ash and rock into the air. When the ash finally settled, it interacted with the seawater and solidified. A month later, the new island was formed. It isn't uncommon for underwater volcanic eruptions to form little islands, but they usually have shorter life-spans. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai is one of just three to emerge in the last 150 years that have lasted more than a few months. \"In this case, the ash seemed to have a chemical reaction with the seawater that allowed it to solidify more than it usually would,\" volcanologist Jess Phoenix told the BBC. She compares the island to Surtsey, an island in Iceland that was formed in a similar way in the 1960s, and is still around today. Nasa researcher Dan Slayback was among those who visited the island in October, and said they were \"all like giddy school children\". He found a light-coloured, sticky clay mud on the volcanic mass - something that left him mystified. \"We didn't really know what it was and I'm still a little baffled of where it's coming from,\" Mr Slayback said in a recent Nasa blog post. According to Ms Phoenix, the animal and plant life is easier to explain. \"It's not at all surprising that there's vegetation growing actually,\" she said. \"It's likely that it was transported by animals - most likely through bird droppings - and volcanic land is pretty fertile\". The animals probably came from surrounding islands, she added. Nasa had predicted in 2017 that the island could last between six and 30 years. But Mr Slayback was not as optimistic after visiting, saying the island was eroding faster than predicted. \"We've really got a limited time with Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai,\" said volcanologist Ms Phoenix. \"It seems rain is having an impact on erosion, so if there's continued heavy rain there's a real chance it might only be there for a decade or so. But it's hard to say; if we're lucky it might be there for longer.\" Despite this, the fact that the island exists at all is a \"big deal\", she says. \"We've only had one chance to see an island like this since we had modern satellite imagery. It's a fascinating volcano.\" .", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 528, "answer_end": 1385, "text": "Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai - named after the two islands it is nestled between - was born in December 2014 after a submarine volcano erupted, sending a stream of steam, ash and rock into the air. When the ash finally settled, it interacted with the seawater and solidified. A month later, the new island was formed. It isn't uncommon for underwater volcanic eruptions to form little islands, but they usually have shorter life-spans. Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai is one of just three to emerge in the last 150 years that have lasted more than a few months. \"In this case, the ash seemed to have a chemical reaction with the seawater that allowed it to solidify more than it usually would,\" volcanologist Jess Phoenix told the BBC. She compares the island to Surtsey, an island in Iceland that was formed in a similar way in the 1960s, and is still around today."}], "question": "How exactly was the island formed?", "id": "582_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1386, "answer_end": 2100, "text": "Nasa researcher Dan Slayback was among those who visited the island in October, and said they were \"all like giddy school children\". He found a light-coloured, sticky clay mud on the volcanic mass - something that left him mystified. \"We didn't really know what it was and I'm still a little baffled of where it's coming from,\" Mr Slayback said in a recent Nasa blog post. According to Ms Phoenix, the animal and plant life is easier to explain. \"It's not at all surprising that there's vegetation growing actually,\" she said. \"It's likely that it was transported by animals - most likely through bird droppings - and volcanic land is pretty fertile\". The animals probably came from surrounding islands, she added."}], "question": "What did scientists find when they got there?", "id": "582_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2101, "answer_end": 2803, "text": "Nasa had predicted in 2017 that the island could last between six and 30 years. But Mr Slayback was not as optimistic after visiting, saying the island was eroding faster than predicted. \"We've really got a limited time with Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai,\" said volcanologist Ms Phoenix. \"It seems rain is having an impact on erosion, so if there's continued heavy rain there's a real chance it might only be there for a decade or so. But it's hard to say; if we're lucky it might be there for longer.\" Despite this, the fact that the island exists at all is a \"big deal\", she says. \"We've only had one chance to see an island like this since we had modern satellite imagery. It's a fascinating volcano.\" ."}], "question": "How long is the island likely to last?", "id": "582_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: Sharp increase in deaths and cases in Hubei", "date": "13 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some 242 deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday, the deadliest day of the outbreak. There was also a huge increase in the number of cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed with Covid-19. Hubei has started using a broader definition to diagnose people, which accounts for most of the rise in cases. China sacked two top officials in Hubei province hours after the new figures were revealed. Until Wednesday's increases, the number of people with the virus in Hubei, where the outbreak emerged, was stabilising. But the new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 with almost 60,000 infections in total. Meanwhile Japan has announced its first coronavirus death - a woman in her 80s who lived in Kanagawa, south-west of Tokyo. It is the third death outside mainland China, following one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong. The woman's diagnosis was confirmed after her death and she had no obvious link to China's Hubei province, Japanese media reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is seeking \"further clarity\" from China about the changes to how cases of the virus are being confirmed. China has been accused of suppressing the full extent of the outbreak in the past, says the BBC's Nick Beake in Hong Kong. David Heymann, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: \"What has happened in China is that they have changed the definition of what the disease really is - now they are taking people who have lesser symptoms. \"The deaths are quite worrisome, there is an increased number of deaths reported, but if you look overall at the total number of deaths and the total number of cases, the fatality ratio is about the same as it has been - but it is still high, as high as the death rate in influenza.\" Only Hubei province - which accounts for more than 80% of overall Chinese infections - is using the new definition to diagnose new cases. Just about everyone who's been following China's official coronavirus numbers has been able to see that they have been incomplete. Government officials know this too. There's no way they've accounted for everybody infected. How could they? But at least we had what appeared to be a trend. We could observe the pattern to try and estimate the trajectory of outbreak. Now that's gone too. You can understand why it has been decided that people who have virus symptoms, plus a CT scan showing chest infection, are now being counted in the \"definitely infected\" column. However, this has thrown the trend mapping into chaos. Over the past 24 hours in Hubei alone, nearly 15,000 people were moved into the infected column. This would have sent shockwaves around the world, but actually, if you consider Wednesday's cases by the old definition, the rate could well mean another day of decline: a completely different picture. So now, we're scratching our heads: do we start looking at the pattern all over again from Thursday onwards? This has also left many wondering what the real death rate must have been over recent weeks and the extent to which we should be treating the overall figures seriously anyway. Meanwhile, the Communist Party secretary in Hubei, Jiang Chaoliang, has been replaced by the Shanghai party chief, Ying Yong, according to state media. The party chief of the capital city, Wuhan, has also been relieved of his duties. It is the first major change of Hubei party officials since the outbreak began. Earlier this week, a number of health officials were \"removed\" from their jobs. The province now includes \"clinically diagnosed cases\" in the number of confirmed cases. This means it includes those showing symptoms, and having a CT scan showing an infected lung, rather than relying only on the standard nucleic acid tests. Of the 242 new deaths in Wuhan, 135 are such \"clinically diagnosed\" cases. That means, even without the new definition, the number of deaths in Hubei on Wednesday was 107 - a new high for the province. The province's 14,840 new infections include 13,332 clinically diagnosed cases. Overall, the province now has 48,206 confirmed infections. A cruise ship carrying more than 2,000 people has docked in Cambodia after it was turned away by five ports over fears that some passengers might be infected with the virus. The MS Westerdam arrived on Thursday morning after Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand had all refused to accept the ship despite having no sick patients on board. Meanwhile, another 44 cases have been confirmed on the Diamond Princess, which is in quarantine in Yokohama, Japan. The increase means 218 people of the 3,700 people on board the ship have caught the virus. Not everyone has been tested yet. People with the virus are taken to hospitals on land to be treated, while those on board are largely confined to their cabins. However on Thursday Japan said it would allow those aged 80 or over who have tested negative for the coronavirus to disembark. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said they could be allowed off the ship as early as Friday but would have to stay in accommodation provided by the government, the Japan Times reported. - In the UK, officials are attempting to trace the contacts of the latest person to be diagnosed with coronavirus. The woman, who flew into London Heathrow from China a few days ago, is the ninth case to be confirmed - Australia has extended its ban on people coming from mainland China for another week, to 22 February from 15 February - Hong Kong's most high-profile sports event, the Rugby Sevens, as well as the Singapore Sevens, are expected to be postponed - China said it would stagger the return of children to school - Several provinces have closed schools until the end of February - In Vietnam, which borders China, thousands of people in villages near the capital, Hanoi, have been put under quarantine after several cases were discovered. Vietnam has now confirmed at least 16 cases - The Red Cross has called for sanctions relief for North Korea, which would allow the aid agency to transfer funds to buy equipment. Testing kits and protective clothing are urgently needed to prepare for a possible outbreak, it says - British rap star Stormzy has postponed the Asian leg of his tour - he had been due to play in locations including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia in March SHOULD WE WORRY? Our health correspondent explains YOUR QUESTIONS: Can you get it more than once? WHAT YOU CAN DO: Do masks really help? UNDERSTANDING THE SPREAD: A visual guide to the outbreak Are you in Hubei? Or do you have information to share? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2017, "answer_end": 3221, "text": "Just about everyone who's been following China's official coronavirus numbers has been able to see that they have been incomplete. Government officials know this too. There's no way they've accounted for everybody infected. How could they? But at least we had what appeared to be a trend. We could observe the pattern to try and estimate the trajectory of outbreak. Now that's gone too. You can understand why it has been decided that people who have virus symptoms, plus a CT scan showing chest infection, are now being counted in the \"definitely infected\" column. However, this has thrown the trend mapping into chaos. Over the past 24 hours in Hubei alone, nearly 15,000 people were moved into the infected column. This would have sent shockwaves around the world, but actually, if you consider Wednesday's cases by the old definition, the rate could well mean another day of decline: a completely different picture. So now, we're scratching our heads: do we start looking at the pattern all over again from Thursday onwards? This has also left many wondering what the real death rate must have been over recent weeks and the extent to which we should be treating the overall figures seriously anyway."}], "question": "Can we trust the numbers?", "id": "583_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3616, "answer_end": 4200, "text": "The province now includes \"clinically diagnosed cases\" in the number of confirmed cases. This means it includes those showing symptoms, and having a CT scan showing an infected lung, rather than relying only on the standard nucleic acid tests. Of the 242 new deaths in Wuhan, 135 are such \"clinically diagnosed\" cases. That means, even without the new definition, the number of deaths in Hubei on Wednesday was 107 - a new high for the province. The province's 14,840 new infections include 13,332 clinically diagnosed cases. Overall, the province now has 48,206 confirmed infections."}], "question": "What is the new diagnosis method?", "id": "583_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4201, "answer_end": 5231, "text": "A cruise ship carrying more than 2,000 people has docked in Cambodia after it was turned away by five ports over fears that some passengers might be infected with the virus. The MS Westerdam arrived on Thursday morning after Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand had all refused to accept the ship despite having no sick patients on board. Meanwhile, another 44 cases have been confirmed on the Diamond Princess, which is in quarantine in Yokohama, Japan. The increase means 218 people of the 3,700 people on board the ship have caught the virus. Not everyone has been tested yet. People with the virus are taken to hospitals on land to be treated, while those on board are largely confined to their cabins. However on Thursday Japan said it would allow those aged 80 or over who have tested negative for the coronavirus to disembark. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said they could be allowed off the ship as early as Friday but would have to stay in accommodation provided by the government, the Japan Times reported."}], "question": "What is the latest with the cruise ships?", "id": "583_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US stocks fall for second consecutive day", "date": "30 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US markets have suffered a second day of steep losses, as investors dumped health care companies and Apple. The blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average sank nearly 1.4%, marking its biggest one-day decline in months. The fall followed the news that Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway would create a new healthcare company with the aim of lowering health costs for their US employees. Bond yields also rose, reflecting last year's three US interest rate hikes. UnitedHealth Group and Pfizer were the two biggest losers on the Dow, while the insurance company Anthem saw the steepest losses on the S&P 500. Those are among the firms that would be threatened by the emergence of a major new competitor - or signs of a government crackdown on drug prices promised by US President Donald Trump. Apple dipped 0.6% on reports of weak demand for its latest iPhone, and energy firms also came under pressure. But the losses were widespread, touching nearly every sector. The Dow closed down 362.59 points at 26,076.89, while the wider S&P 500 fell 31.1 points or 1.09%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq shed 64 points or 0.86% to 7,402.48. Meanwhile, the closely watched Vix index, which measures volatility based on options prices, also shot up after months of calm, in what some investors say is a sign that more market fluctuation could be coming. The sell-off, volatility and rising bond yields mark a turn for US markets that have been making gains for months, racing past one milestone after another. All three major US indexes are up more than 5% since the start of this month. Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at US Bank Private Wealth Management, said January's rise was driven by higher expectations, as global growth strengthened and the US approved major tax cuts. He said some investors were likely to be cashing in on their gains. They are also reacting to new information as companies update investors on their end of year earnings and provide forecasts for 2018. Others may be worried about the prospect of higher interest rates, which would drive bond yields higher. Bond yields have been relatively low in recent years, helping to make stocks the more attractive investment. But yields have gained more recently, as the US has raised interest rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury closed on Tuesday at its highest level since 2014. \"Investors are catching up to the fact that rates have risen,\" said Jonathan Mackay, investment strategist at Schroders. \"The market's finally catching up.\" Investors are watching to see if the US Federal Reserve, which is in the middle of a two-day meeting in Washington, will signal when interest rates might rise again. The bank is about to undergo a change of leadership as Janet Yellen, who is viewed as favouring low interest rates, steps down.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1341, "answer_end": 2799, "text": "The sell-off, volatility and rising bond yields mark a turn for US markets that have been making gains for months, racing past one milestone after another. All three major US indexes are up more than 5% since the start of this month. Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at US Bank Private Wealth Management, said January's rise was driven by higher expectations, as global growth strengthened and the US approved major tax cuts. He said some investors were likely to be cashing in on their gains. They are also reacting to new information as companies update investors on their end of year earnings and provide forecasts for 2018. Others may be worried about the prospect of higher interest rates, which would drive bond yields higher. Bond yields have been relatively low in recent years, helping to make stocks the more attractive investment. But yields have gained more recently, as the US has raised interest rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury closed on Tuesday at its highest level since 2014. \"Investors are catching up to the fact that rates have risen,\" said Jonathan Mackay, investment strategist at Schroders. \"The market's finally catching up.\" Investors are watching to see if the US Federal Reserve, which is in the middle of a two-day meeting in Washington, will signal when interest rates might rise again. The bank is about to undergo a change of leadership as Janet Yellen, who is viewed as favouring low interest rates, steps down."}], "question": "Cashing in?", "id": "584_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine conflict: Blast kills top Donetsk rebel Zakharchenko", "date": "31 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A leader of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Alexander Zakharchenko, has been killed in an explosion at a cafe in Donetsk city. \"The head of the DNR [Donetsk People's Republic]... has died as the result of a terrorist attack,\" Zakharchenko's spokeswoman told AFP news agency. Russia's foreign ministry said it suspected Ukraine of organising the latest killing. The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement. Some observers have attributed previous deaths of rebel leaders in Donetsk to infighting among the rebels, or moves by Moscow to eliminate inconvenient separatist leaders. Rebel and Russian news reports say the separatists' \"finance minister\" Alexander Timofeyev was wounded in the blast at the Separ cafe that killed Zakharchenko. Ukrainians suspected of being behind the blast were arrested nearby, a security source was quoted as saying. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said \"there is every reason to believe that the Kiev regime is behind the murder\". She said the Kiev \"party of war\" was \"violating its pledges about peace and has decided on a bloodbath\". However, recent reports suggested that Zakharchenko had fallen out of favour with Russia. A spokeswoman for Ukraine's state security service, Yelena Gitlyanskaya, rejected Moscow's accusations. She said the killing was a result of \"internal fighting... between the terrorists and their Russian sponsors\". Heavily armed rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk regions refuse to recognise the Ukrainian government in Kiev. The rebels seized large swathes of territory there in an uprising in April 2014. Since then, thousands of people have died in fighting between the rebels and Ukrainian government forces. Moscow denies sending regular troops and heavy weapons to the separatists, but admits that Russian \"volunteers\" are helping the rebels. The frontline between them and Ukrainian government troops has remained largely static for months, but skirmishes continue despite a fragile ceasefire deal. There has been shooting on the frontline despite a \"back-to-school truce\" that was supposed to take effect on Wednesday. International monitors reported 70 ceasefire violations on that day alone. He played a key role in the Russian-backed separatist military operation from its very beginning. In early 2014, soon after Ukraine's pro-Russian government was toppled by the Maidan revolution, he took part in the seizure of the Donetsk regional administration building by people saying they were protesting against the new pro-Western authorities. Later that year, he was chosen as the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic by its parliament, the \"Supreme Council\". He had been in the role ever since, assuming the title of president, and was among the signatories of the stalled Minsk peace agreement. He was wounded twice in combat, and survived a car bomb blast in August 2014. - In October 2016, a Russian-born rebel commander nicknamed \"Motorola\" - real name Arsen Pavlov - was killed by a bomb blast in the lift of his apartment block - In February 2017 rebel commander Givi (real name Mikhail Tolstykh) was killed by a rocket that was fired into his office.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 601, "answer_end": 1415, "text": "Rebel and Russian news reports say the separatists' \"finance minister\" Alexander Timofeyev was wounded in the blast at the Separ cafe that killed Zakharchenko. Ukrainians suspected of being behind the blast were arrested nearby, a security source was quoted as saying. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said \"there is every reason to believe that the Kiev regime is behind the murder\". She said the Kiev \"party of war\" was \"violating its pledges about peace and has decided on a bloodbath\". However, recent reports suggested that Zakharchenko had fallen out of favour with Russia. A spokeswoman for Ukraine's state security service, Yelena Gitlyanskaya, rejected Moscow's accusations. She said the killing was a result of \"internal fighting... between the terrorists and their Russian sponsors\"."}], "question": "What are the two sides saying?", "id": "585_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1416, "answer_end": 2197, "text": "Heavily armed rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk regions refuse to recognise the Ukrainian government in Kiev. The rebels seized large swathes of territory there in an uprising in April 2014. Since then, thousands of people have died in fighting between the rebels and Ukrainian government forces. Moscow denies sending regular troops and heavy weapons to the separatists, but admits that Russian \"volunteers\" are helping the rebels. The frontline between them and Ukrainian government troops has remained largely static for months, but skirmishes continue despite a fragile ceasefire deal. There has been shooting on the frontline despite a \"back-to-school truce\" that was supposed to take effect on Wednesday. International monitors reported 70 ceasefire violations on that day alone."}], "question": "What is happening in eastern Ukraine?", "id": "585_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2198, "answer_end": 2906, "text": "He played a key role in the Russian-backed separatist military operation from its very beginning. In early 2014, soon after Ukraine's pro-Russian government was toppled by the Maidan revolution, he took part in the seizure of the Donetsk regional administration building by people saying they were protesting against the new pro-Western authorities. Later that year, he was chosen as the prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic by its parliament, the \"Supreme Council\". He had been in the role ever since, assuming the title of president, and was among the signatories of the stalled Minsk peace agreement. He was wounded twice in combat, and survived a car bomb blast in August 2014."}], "question": "Who was Alexander Zakharchenko?", "id": "585_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Sudan crisis: Three top generals agree to quit as protests continue", "date": "25 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three of the most controversial figures of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council have offered their resignations - one of the key demands of the protest movement. The three generals were seen as staunch Islamists and allies of deposed President Omar al-Bashir. It follows talks between the military council and protest leaders. A \"million-strong march for civilian rule\" has been called later to maintain the pressure for democratic reform. Thousands of protesters have arrived in the capital, Khartoum, by train from various cities to take part in the event. \"What we are hoping to do today is to continue our peaceful resistance,\" said Dr Sara Abdelgalil, of the Sudanese Professionals Association, the main group behind the protests. She told the BBC: \"Regime members and the NCP [the ousted president's party] are trying to show themselves as being legitimate to continue ruling the transitional period.\" Mohanad Hashim, BBC Africa, Khartoum Protesters are in an almost jubilant mood as they flock to the capital demanding civilian rule, accountability and retribution. \"Blood for blood, we will not accept blood money,\" some have been chanting, as well as \"Bashir to ICC\". The ousted president is accused of organising war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur since 2003 by the International Criminal Court. \"Who gave the order to drop bombs on us?,\" said two tearful Darfuri women at Thursday's protest. \"We want to see them brought to account\". They and other protesters view the Transitional Military Council (TCM) as part of the same machine that kept Mr Bashir in power for 30 years. They are amassing outside the army headquarters in Khartoum directing their rage at those they hold responsible. The three generals stepping down are Omar Zain al-Abideen, Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel and Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh. Omar Zain al-Abideen, who heads the military council's political committee, served under the head of the national intelligence security service in the early 1990s which was accused of widespread torture of dissidents, activists and civilians. Police Lt-Gen Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel was the brains behind the public order police, who arrest between 40,000 and 50,000 women every year for wearing \"indecent\" clothing, such as trousers or not wearing a headscarf. The force also polices other \"indecent acts\" including the drinking of alcohol and has stormed private parties. Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh is a former deputy director of security. Their resignations were announced following talks between the Transitional Military Council and protest leaders who are demanding a transfer of power to a civilian administration. At a press conference on Wednesday, military spokesman Lt-Gen Shamseddine Kabbashi said the two sides had reached agreement on most of the demands, and that they had decided to set up a joint committee to bridge their differences. However, protest leaders have not yet commented publicly since the generals' resignations were announced. Other controversial figures remain in the TMC, such as deputy leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. He is a former commander of the Janjaweed militia who are accused of genocide during the war that began in Darfur 2003.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1722, "answer_end": 3205, "text": "The three generals stepping down are Omar Zain al-Abideen, Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel and Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh. Omar Zain al-Abideen, who heads the military council's political committee, served under the head of the national intelligence security service in the early 1990s which was accused of widespread torture of dissidents, activists and civilians. Police Lt-Gen Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel was the brains behind the public order police, who arrest between 40,000 and 50,000 women every year for wearing \"indecent\" clothing, such as trousers or not wearing a headscarf. The force also polices other \"indecent acts\" including the drinking of alcohol and has stormed private parties. Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh is a former deputy director of security. Their resignations were announced following talks between the Transitional Military Council and protest leaders who are demanding a transfer of power to a civilian administration. At a press conference on Wednesday, military spokesman Lt-Gen Shamseddine Kabbashi said the two sides had reached agreement on most of the demands, and that they had decided to set up a joint committee to bridge their differences. However, protest leaders have not yet commented publicly since the generals' resignations were announced. Other controversial figures remain in the TMC, such as deputy leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. He is a former commander of the Janjaweed militia who are accused of genocide during the war that began in Darfur 2003."}], "question": "Who are the generals?", "id": "586_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jeffrey Epstein: ABC stopped report 'amid Palace threats'", "date": "5 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Leaked footage shows a US TV anchor complaining that editors \"quashed\" a story about paedophile Jeffrey Epstein due to pressure from the Royal Family. ABC's Amy Robach is seen in the clip griping that her interview with an alleged victim of Epstein and Prince Andrew never made it to air. \"The Palace found out and threatened us a million different ways,\" she says. ABC News said there was \"zero truth\" to the claim, while Buckingham Palace told the BBC \"this is a matter for ABC\". Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, was found dead in a jail cell in August while awaiting trial for sex crimes. His death was ruled a suicide by investigators. In the video, Ms Robach vents frustration that her 2015 interview with Virginia Giuffre - formerly Virginia Roberts - was never broadcast. The clip was leaked on Tuesday by Project Veritas, a group that seeks to expose perceived liberal bias in the mainstream media. Ms Giuffre, 35, alleges she was abused by Epstein and was ordered to have sex with powerful men including Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. In court documents she said she was forced to have sex with the British royal on three separate occasions while she was under the legal age of consent. Prince Andrew has denied having \"any form of sexual contact or relationship\" with Ms Giuffre. In 2015, a judge ruled that the allegations made by Ms Giuffre regarding Prince Andrew were \"immaterial and impertinent\" and ordered them to be removed from a claim against Epstein. \"I've had this story for three years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts,\" says Robach, speaking to someone off-camera. \"We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told, 'who's Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is. This is a stupid story.' \"Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. \"We were so afraid that we wouldn't be able to interview Kate and Will. \"That also quashed the story,\" the host of ABC's 20/20 programme added. In a statement to BBC News a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said it was \"a matter for ABC\". Robach also says that the interview included allegations against former US President Bill Clinton. \"We had everything,\" she continues. \"I tried for three years to get it on, to no avail. \"And now it's all coming out and it's like these new revelations and I freaking had all of it.\" In a statement after the footage leaked, ABC stood by its decision not to air the interview, saying the reporting did not meet its standards. \"But we have never stopped investigating the story,\" the statement continues, adding that \"substantial resources\" had been dedicated to investigating Epstein. In a separate statement, Robach said she \"was caught in a private moment of frustration\" last summer as the Epstein story unfolded. She said she was \"upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts didn't air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence\" to meet ABC's editorial standards. \"My comments about Prince Andrew and her allegation that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein's private island were in reference to what Virginia Roberts said in that interview in 2015. \"I was referencing her allegation - not what ABC News had verified through our reporting.\" She added that \"in the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting\" on Epstein.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1490, "answer_end": 2402, "text": "\"I've had this story for three years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts,\" says Robach, speaking to someone off-camera. \"We would not put it on the air. First of all, I was told, 'who's Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is. This is a stupid story.' \"Then the Palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened us a million different ways. \"We were so afraid that we wouldn't be able to interview Kate and Will. \"That also quashed the story,\" the host of ABC's 20/20 programme added. In a statement to BBC News a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said it was \"a matter for ABC\". Robach also says that the interview included allegations against former US President Bill Clinton. \"We had everything,\" she continues. \"I tried for three years to get it on, to no avail. \"And now it's all coming out and it's like these new revelations and I freaking had all of it.\""}], "question": "What does the video show?", "id": "587_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2403, "answer_end": 3409, "text": "In a statement after the footage leaked, ABC stood by its decision not to air the interview, saying the reporting did not meet its standards. \"But we have never stopped investigating the story,\" the statement continues, adding that \"substantial resources\" had been dedicated to investigating Epstein. In a separate statement, Robach said she \"was caught in a private moment of frustration\" last summer as the Epstein story unfolded. She said she was \"upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts didn't air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence\" to meet ABC's editorial standards. \"My comments about Prince Andrew and her allegation that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein's private island were in reference to what Virginia Roberts said in that interview in 2015. \"I was referencing her allegation - not what ABC News had verified through our reporting.\" She added that \"in the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting\" on Epstein."}], "question": "How have ABC responded?", "id": "587_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Is AlienStock still happening near Area 51?", "date": "12 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mysterious goings-on are nothing new for Area 51 in the USA. The top secret US airbase has long been associated with aliens and government conspiracies. Which is why the nearby town of Rachel seemed a good place to hold AlienStock - a music festival to celebrate aliens and UFOs. But is it happening? We've got a mind-warping \"yes\" but not quite \"no\". You might remember the Storm Area 51 Facebook event which went viral back in July.  A \"hoax\" or \"satirical\" call to gather at the airbase. It seems the \"hoax\" message may not have got through to two Dutch YouTubers, who were arrested and charged with trespassing in the Nevada National Security Site on Wednesday. Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep and Ties Granzier said they saw the \"no trespassing\" signs but wanted to look at the facility, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The creator of the Storm Area 51 event was due to launch a music festival, called AlienStock, in the town of Rachel - with a population of 87. On seeing his social media prank turn into an internet sensation, Matty Roberts, 21, decided to create an actual event scheduled to take place on 20-22 September. Now he says it's cancelled and claims it's for safety reasons and wanting to avoid creating another Fyre Fest - the world's most infamous festival flop. This view was repeated in a statement on the organiser's website that claimed there was a \"lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard\" for the safety of the expected 10,000 attendees. \"We foresee a possible humanitarian disaster in the works, and we can't participate in any capacity at this point,\" they wrote. \"We just don't want anyone to get injured or stuck in the middle of the desert,\" they added. The official event isn't going ahead. But Connie West, a bar owner in the town who signed up as a key partner, says a festival is \"still happening\". \"I'm going to do it on my scale,\" she told KVVU-TV - a television news outlet in Nevada. \"It is what it is... if [Matty Roberts] chooses to go somewhere else, that's his choice.\" \"I'm still having a party because people are still coming to Rachel.\" And according to Connie West's event site, there will be a line-up of local bands looking to beam attendees into musical space. Matty Roberts has decided to help host an alien-themed club night in Las Vegas on 19 September instead. He revealed on Facebook that his event had been renamed the \"Area 51 celebration\". So yes, that's two pieces of top-secret alien entertainment taking place in Nevada. Hopefully though, they all come in peace... Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 352, "answer_end": 1741, "text": "You might remember the Storm Area 51 Facebook event which went viral back in July.  A \"hoax\" or \"satirical\" call to gather at the airbase. It seems the \"hoax\" message may not have got through to two Dutch YouTubers, who were arrested and charged with trespassing in the Nevada National Security Site on Wednesday. Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep and Ties Granzier said they saw the \"no trespassing\" signs but wanted to look at the facility, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The creator of the Storm Area 51 event was due to launch a music festival, called AlienStock, in the town of Rachel - with a population of 87. On seeing his social media prank turn into an internet sensation, Matty Roberts, 21, decided to create an actual event scheduled to take place on 20-22 September. Now he says it's cancelled and claims it's for safety reasons and wanting to avoid creating another Fyre Fest - the world's most infamous festival flop. This view was repeated in a statement on the organiser's website that claimed there was a \"lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard\" for the safety of the expected 10,000 attendees. \"We foresee a possible humanitarian disaster in the works, and we can't participate in any capacity at this point,\" they wrote. \"We just don't want anyone to get injured or stuck in the middle of the desert,\" they added."}], "question": "What is AlienStock?", "id": "588_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1742, "answer_end": 2267, "text": "The official event isn't going ahead. But Connie West, a bar owner in the town who signed up as a key partner, says a festival is \"still happening\". \"I'm going to do it on my scale,\" she told KVVU-TV - a television news outlet in Nevada. \"It is what it is... if [Matty Roberts] chooses to go somewhere else, that's his choice.\" \"I'm still having a party because people are still coming to Rachel.\" And according to Connie West's event site, there will be a line-up of local bands looking to beam attendees into musical space."}], "question": "So it's clearly off?", "id": "588_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2268, "answer_end": 2582, "text": "Matty Roberts has decided to help host an alien-themed club night in Las Vegas on 19 September instead. He revealed on Facebook that his event had been renamed the \"Area 51 celebration\". So yes, that's two pieces of top-secret alien entertainment taking place in Nevada. Hopefully though, they all come in peace..."}], "question": "Any other ways to get your supernatural freak-on?", "id": "588_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Can we tell if Donald Trump has a high IQ?", "date": "11 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Question: How often does President Trump talk about IQ? Answer: All the time. When Mr Trump recently boasted that his IQ was higher than Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's, it was part of a pattern. In 2013, he tweeted that his IQ was \"much higher\" than Barack Obama and George W Bush. He has also claimed a higher IQ than comedian Jon Stewart and British star of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar. Despite this, Mr Trump has never revealed his own IQ. So can we work it out? An Intelligence Quotient is a score given to someone after taking an intelligence test. There is no single \"IQ test\" - Mensa accepts results from more than 200 tests, including its own. Some tests last an hour, while some have no time limit. Dr Frank Lawlis, the supervisory psychologist of American Mensa, says they usually test spatial, quantitative, and verbal skills. Broadly, spatial questions are about shape and measurement; quantitative questions are mathematical; and verbal questions are about words - for example, how one word is similar to another. Mensa accepts those who score in the top 2%. That equates - very roughly - to an IQ of 130. - 1. What is the four-digit number in which the first digit is one-fifth the last, and the second and third digits are the last digit multiplied by 3? (Hint: The sum of all digits is 12) - 2. Jane went to visit Jill. Jill is Jane's only husband's mother-in-law's only husband's only daughter's only daughter. What relation is Jill to Jane? - 3. Which of the words below is least like the others? The difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants or syllables. MORE, PAIRS, ETCHERS, ZIPPER *Answers are shown below \"I don't recall ever coming across a list of presidents and their IQs,\" says Dr Barbara A Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. \"But you can easily find a list of presidents inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in their universities.\" Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa honours \"the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates from 286 top schools across the nation\". Of the 44 presidents, 17 have been Phi Beta Kappa members. Bill Clinton, George H W Bush, and Jimmy Carter were the most recent. Dr Perry puts forward, among others, Herbert Hoover (\"a very, very bright scientist, a geologist\"), Woodrow Wilson (\"our only PhD president\"), and William H Taft (\"a brilliant lawyer\"). And, although a president's IQ has never been confirmed, in 2006 the University of California estimated that John Quincy Adams was the most intelligent of all presidents. Dr Perry also says some presidents have undeserved reputations. \"Gerald Ford was viewed as being a klutz, because he would trip in public, but that was so unfair. \"He had an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he was from, he was an Eagle Scout, he went to Yale Law School, and he was a star footballer on top of that.\" She also says that intelligence is only part of what makes a good president. \"It was the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who famously said Franklin Delano Roosevelt had 'a second class intellect but a first class temperament'. \"Roosevelt was re-elected in '36 by two-thirds of the electorate.\" \"I would put Warren Harding in that category,\" says Dr Perry. \"He was a journalist by training.\" This is awkward... \"Some of my best friends are journalists!\" says Dr Perry, laughing. \"And my brother is. But my point is, he wasn't from Harvard or Yale, and he wasn't a brilliant lawyer who ended up on the supreme court.\" \"If he ever releases his IQ, I just have a feeling - especially since he is daring Tillerson to release his - that it's higher than people would presume,\" says Dr Perry. \"People who don't like him say 'oh he's such an idiot, oh he's so stupid'. But I bet you it's higher than we might realise.\" Professor Fred I Greenstein, professor of politics emeritus at Princeton University, lists six qualities that bear on presidential performance. They are: public communication, organisational capacity, political skill, vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. \"Trump scores low on emotional intelligence, cognitive style, vision, and organisational capacity,\" says Dr Perry. \"Where he has been superb, in order to win the presidency, is public communication and political skill.\" - 4. Tabitha likes cookies but not cake. She likes mutton but not lamb, and she likes okra but not squash. Following the same rule, will she like cherries or pears? - 5. What is the number that is one more than one-tenth of one-fifth of one-half of 4,000? - 6. In a foot race, Jerry was neither first nor last. Janet beat Jerry, Jerry beat Pat. Charlie was neither first nor last. Charlie beat Rachel. Pat beat Charlie. Who came last? *Answers are shown below Dr Perry also points out Mr Trump's business career - \"he obviously had a certain native intelligence to be successful, such as he was\" - and his degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. But - whether Mr Trump's IQ is high or low - Dr Lawlis from Mensa says it doesn't tell you everything. \"If you take someone we consider to be a genius like Einstein, he would probably not do well on an IQ test, because he thinks outside the box,\" he says. \"He could probably think of a dozen answers to one question.\" Either way, the time for talking may soon be over - Mensa has offered to test both Mr Trump and Mr Tillerson's IQ. - 1.1,155 - 2.Jane's daughter (Jane's mother's husband is Jane's father, his daughter is Jane, and Jill is her daughter) - 3.Zipper (the others can be anagrammed into the names of cities: Rome, Paris, Chester) - 4.Cherries (Tabitha only likes food with two syllables) - 5.41 - 6.Rachel Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 469, "answer_end": 1121, "text": "An Intelligence Quotient is a score given to someone after taking an intelligence test. There is no single \"IQ test\" - Mensa accepts results from more than 200 tests, including its own. Some tests last an hour, while some have no time limit. Dr Frank Lawlis, the supervisory psychologist of American Mensa, says they usually test spatial, quantitative, and verbal skills. Broadly, spatial questions are about shape and measurement; quantitative questions are mathematical; and verbal questions are about words - for example, how one word is similar to another. Mensa accepts those who score in the top 2%. That equates - very roughly - to an IQ of 130."}], "question": "What is IQ?", "id": "589_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1643, "answer_end": 3200, "text": "\"I don't recall ever coming across a list of presidents and their IQs,\" says Dr Barbara A Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. \"But you can easily find a list of presidents inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in their universities.\" Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa honours \"the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates from 286 top schools across the nation\". Of the 44 presidents, 17 have been Phi Beta Kappa members. Bill Clinton, George H W Bush, and Jimmy Carter were the most recent. Dr Perry puts forward, among others, Herbert Hoover (\"a very, very bright scientist, a geologist\"), Woodrow Wilson (\"our only PhD president\"), and William H Taft (\"a brilliant lawyer\"). And, although a president's IQ has never been confirmed, in 2006 the University of California estimated that John Quincy Adams was the most intelligent of all presidents. Dr Perry also says some presidents have undeserved reputations. \"Gerald Ford was viewed as being a klutz, because he would trip in public, but that was so unfair. \"He had an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he was from, he was an Eagle Scout, he went to Yale Law School, and he was a star footballer on top of that.\" She also says that intelligence is only part of what makes a good president. \"It was the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who famously said Franklin Delano Roosevelt had 'a second class intellect but a first class temperament'. \"Roosevelt was re-elected in '36 by two-thirds of the electorate.\""}], "question": "Who were the smartest presidents?", "id": "589_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3201, "answer_end": 3522, "text": "\"I would put Warren Harding in that category,\" says Dr Perry. \"He was a journalist by training.\" This is awkward... \"Some of my best friends are journalists!\" says Dr Perry, laughing. \"And my brother is. But my point is, he wasn't from Harvard or Yale, and he wasn't a brilliant lawyer who ended up on the supreme court.\""}], "question": "And who were the least smart?", "id": "589_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3523, "answer_end": 4308, "text": "\"If he ever releases his IQ, I just have a feeling - especially since he is daring Tillerson to release his - that it's higher than people would presume,\" says Dr Perry. \"People who don't like him say 'oh he's such an idiot, oh he's so stupid'. But I bet you it's higher than we might realise.\" Professor Fred I Greenstein, professor of politics emeritus at Princeton University, lists six qualities that bear on presidential performance. They are: public communication, organisational capacity, political skill, vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. \"Trump scores low on emotional intelligence, cognitive style, vision, and organisational capacity,\" says Dr Perry. \"Where he has been superb, in order to win the presidency, is public communication and political skill.\""}], "question": "So where does Donald Trump fit in?", "id": "589_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Canadian clarinet player sues ex for deleting his scholarship offer", "date": "15 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A young Canadian clarinettist has been awarded C$350,000 (PS200,000) in damages after his girlfriend sabotaged his music career by impersonating him. In 2014, Eric Abramovitz's then-girlfriend sent emails in his name to turn down a valuable scholarship. She did so apparently to keep him from leaving her. Mr Abramovitz later realised the deception and sued her. A judge ruled that Jennifer Lee's actions were a \"despicable interference in Mr Abramovitz's career\". The full scholarship offer, from Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, was worth about $50,000 (PS38,000) a year. Mr Abramovitz - who had studied the clarinet since he was seven years old and won many prestigious awards -  had been desperate to win a place on the course as it was led by one of the world's greatest clarinet masters, Yehuda Gilad. After flying to Los Angeles for a live audition in front of Mr Gilad in 2014, Mr Abramovitz, then 20, was sent an email to tell him he had been successful - but he never received it. It was intercepted by Ms Lee, who was living with him in Montreal, where they were both music students. Ms Lee had access to his laptop and he had left his email account unlocked because he trusted her. She found the email and replied in Mr Abramovitz's name, saying simply that he could not accept as he \"would be elsewhere\". She deleted the evidence. She then created an email account in Mr Gilad's name, giladyehuda09@gmail.com, to falsely tell Mr Abramovitz he had not been successful. She invented an alternative offer - for the University of Southern California, where Mr Gilad also taught - but with a fraction of the funding that he had hoped for. Mr Abramovitz said Ms Lee knew he would have to refuse the offer as it would have been too costly. \"I was numb when I read the email. I had to read it a few more times,\" Mr Abramovitz, now 24, told BuzzFeed News. \"When I found out I didn't get it, it was really hard to deal with. I went through some really dark, sad, angry days.\" He stayed in Montreal to finish his music degree, but the relationship soon fell apart. He only started to become suspicious when he met Mr Gilad, some years later, at another audition at the University of Southern California, according to the Montreal Gazette. Mr Gilad asked why he was coming back to him if he had already rejected his offer of one-on-one tuition. The young clarinettist did not know what to make of it at first, but when one of Mr Gilad's students asked him why he once turned down a full scholarship, he decided to trawl back through his old emails. Mr Abramovitz found the one he sent, replying to the rejection. He sent it to Mr Gilad, who told him he did not recognise the words or the email address; it was not from him. Eventually, Mr Abramovitz started to wonder if his ex-girlfriend was behind the emails. He said he knew she must have been when he found he could access the fake Gmail account by using one of her favourite passwords. His damages case - filed in Ms Lee's home province of Ontario - cited loss of reputation, loss of educational opportunity and a delay in entering his chosen profession. Quoted in court documents, Mr Gilad said: \"To sum up, I am very frustrated that a highly talented musician like Eric was the victim of such an unthinkable, immoral act that delayed his progress and advancement as an up-and-coming young musician and delayed his embarking on a most promising career.\" The Ontario judge awarded the $300,000 Mr Abramovitz requested, plus an additional $50,000 to express the \"court's revulsion at what Ms Lee has done\" and for the \"personal loss suffered by Mr Abramovitz by having a closely held personal dream snatched from him by a person he trusted\". Ms Lee did not attend court or offer any defence, and she has not responded to media requests for comment. Mr Abramovitz has recently accepted an offer to join the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1108, "answer_end": 2079, "text": "Ms Lee had access to his laptop and he had left his email account unlocked because he trusted her. She found the email and replied in Mr Abramovitz's name, saying simply that he could not accept as he \"would be elsewhere\". She deleted the evidence. She then created an email account in Mr Gilad's name, giladyehuda09@gmail.com, to falsely tell Mr Abramovitz he had not been successful. She invented an alternative offer - for the University of Southern California, where Mr Gilad also taught - but with a fraction of the funding that he had hoped for. Mr Abramovitz said Ms Lee knew he would have to refuse the offer as it would have been too costly. \"I was numb when I read the email. I had to read it a few more times,\" Mr Abramovitz, now 24, told BuzzFeed News. \"When I found out I didn't get it, it was really hard to deal with. I went through some really dark, sad, angry days.\" He stayed in Montreal to finish his music degree, but the relationship soon fell apart."}], "question": "How did she do it?", "id": "590_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump accuses China of stalling progress with North Korea", "date": "30 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has lashed out at China for undermining its work with North Korea, as criticism over progress on denuclearisation mounts. In a series of tweets he also said he saw no reason to resume the joint war games with South Korea that have angered North Korea. Days ago his own defence secretary said military exercises might continue. China has accused Mr Trump of \"shifting blame\" in his comments on its relations with North Korea. A summit between Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June ended with a pledge from the North to work towards \"the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula\".  Soon after Mr Trump announced there was \"no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea\". But since then many observers say North Korea is not moving fast enough to dismantle its nuclear or rocket sites. Mr Trump's tweets appear to place the blame for these challenges squarely on China, but he also goes on to praise his personal ties with the leaders of both North Korea and China. The confusing blend of criticism, praise and veiled threat comes as Washington faces mounting pressure to deliver results following those unprecedented talks. Just days ago, Washington called off a trip to North Korea by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with the president arguing that insufficient progress had been made in dismantling the North's nuclear programme. In his latest comments on Twitter, Mr Trump says North Korea was \"under tremendous pressure from China because of our major trade disputes with the Chinese government\". Beijing is Pyongyang's only significant ally and is thought to have significant influence over its decisions. Beijing is also Washington's most powerful long-term strategic rival in the region. The US and China are locked in an increasingly tense trade battle and each side has imposed tariffs on one another's goods. Mr Trump has complained about the size of the US trade deficit with China and what Washington sees as other unfair trade practices. Despite his strong words, Mr Trump's latest tweet concluded with some optimism, saying the trade issue could be resolved by himself and China's \"great President Xi Jinping\". China has attacked Mr Trump's remarks as \"irresponsible\" and difficult to understand. \"To solve the problem, it should look at itself instead of shifting blame,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. Since the June summit, North Korea has halted its missile tests, claimed to have dismantled a nuclear testing site and returned remains that are believed to be of US soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. But Mr Trump has called out Pyongyang for what he said was insufficient progress on their broad agreement on denuclearisation. A recent report by Vox suggests that Pyongyang is reluctant to proceed because Mr Trump failed to live up to his alleged promise to Mr Kim that he would sign an official declaration to end the Korean War. After a UN report found that North Korea was continuing to work on its nuclear programme, the US urged the international community to maintain sanctions and economic pressure on Pyongyang. In his latest series of tweets, Mr Trump accused Beijing of providing North Korea with \"considerable aid\", suggesting China was softening the blow of sanctions. \"This is not helpful!\" Mr Trump said. The joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul have long angered Pyongyang. Following the summit in June, Mr Trump made what has widely been seen as a concession to Kim Jong-un and agreed to cancel the drills. In his latest tweets, US president insisted his personal relationship with Mr Kim remained \"a very good and warm one\" and that there was no reason to restart the \"war games\" with the South. But he added that if they did restart, the exercises would be \"bigger than ever\". Mr Trump's tweets appear to contradict his defence secretary, who on Tuesday said the suspension of several joint exercises was a \"good faith measure\" and that \"we have no plans to suspend any more.\" Since the end of the Korean war, when Washington fought alongside Seoul against the North, the US has had troops stationed in South Korea. About 29,000 US soldiers are based in the South, under a security agreement reached after the war ended in 1953.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1380, "answer_end": 2382, "text": "In his latest comments on Twitter, Mr Trump says North Korea was \"under tremendous pressure from China because of our major trade disputes with the Chinese government\". Beijing is Pyongyang's only significant ally and is thought to have significant influence over its decisions. Beijing is also Washington's most powerful long-term strategic rival in the region. The US and China are locked in an increasingly tense trade battle and each side has imposed tariffs on one another's goods. Mr Trump has complained about the size of the US trade deficit with China and what Washington sees as other unfair trade practices. Despite his strong words, Mr Trump's latest tweet concluded with some optimism, saying the trade issue could be resolved by himself and China's \"great President Xi Jinping\". China has attacked Mr Trump's remarks as \"irresponsible\" and difficult to understand. \"To solve the problem, it should look at itself instead of shifting blame,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said."}], "question": "Why take aim at China?", "id": "591_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3312, "answer_end": 4256, "text": "The joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul have long angered Pyongyang. Following the summit in June, Mr Trump made what has widely been seen as a concession to Kim Jong-un and agreed to cancel the drills. In his latest tweets, US president insisted his personal relationship with Mr Kim remained \"a very good and warm one\" and that there was no reason to restart the \"war games\" with the South. But he added that if they did restart, the exercises would be \"bigger than ever\". Mr Trump's tweets appear to contradict his defence secretary, who on Tuesday said the suspension of several joint exercises was a \"good faith measure\" and that \"we have no plans to suspend any more.\" Since the end of the Korean war, when Washington fought alongside Seoul against the North, the US has had troops stationed in South Korea. About 29,000 US soldiers are based in the South, under a security agreement reached after the war ended in 1953."}], "question": "Will war games resume?", "id": "591_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Michael Kors snaps up Versace for $2.1bn", "date": "25 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US fashion giant Michael Kors has confirmed a $2.1bn takeover of Versace in a move that has outraged some fans of the Italian fashion house. Creative director, Donatella Versace, has run Versace since the 1997 murder of her brother Gianni. She called the sale a \"very exciting moment\" and said it would \"allow Versace to reach its full potential\". Donatella will continue to lead Versace's \"creative vision\", said Michael Kors chief executive John Idol. Mr Idol said Versace represented the \"epitome of Italian fashion luxury\" and its acquisition was an important milestone for the company, which is being renamed Capri Holdings. Private equity firm Blackstone Group, which bought a 20% stake in the firm four years ago, will sell its holding. The new owner plans to increase the number of Versace outlets from 200 to 300 stores. It also plans to more than double turnover to $2bn, partly by boosting the percentage of footwear and accessories - a category that is often more affordable and faster-selling - from 35% to 60% of revenues. Versace's vivid and distinctive brand has been worn by some of the world's highest-profile stars and graced the pages of newspapers and magazines more often than almost any other luxury fashion brand. A key moment came in 1994 when the unknown Elizabeth Hurley accompanied boyfriend Hugh Grant to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral. The tabloids could not believe the sight. Versace, until then just another Italian fashion brand, became synonymous with \"That Dress\". The brand has since been most valued by the glitzier ranks of the famous, with Michael Jackson and Princess Diana among its fans. She attended Gianni Versace's funeral, along with Elton John, who has also been a keen wearer of Versace. The newer generation include Nicki Minaj, a clutch of Kardashians and Jenners, and the Beckham family, the latter are among the mere 161 people Donatella follows on Twitter. But those fearing a despoiling of the Versace magic may be worrying unnecessarily. Michael Kors is also known as a luxury brand, although a lot of its ranges carry lower price tags, which give the label a far wider customer base. He designed the first women's ready-to-wear collection for high-end Paris fashion house Celine. Customers have included Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, the leading Trump women and Michelle Obama. The business expanded last year by buying luxury shoemaker Jimmy Choo another tabloid fashion favourite, for almost PS900m. The Versace purchase will help position Michael Kors as a competitor to French luxury conglomerates LVMH and Kering and the Swiss company Richemont, analysts said. Versace reported sales of EUR686m for 2016 and its chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd, who will also stay on, said earlier this year that annual turnover was soon expected to exceed EUR1bn. With Donatella remaining at the creative helm, the Versace fans who have protested at the takeover may not notice any change. After all, why buy a well-loved business and tear up what makes it appealing? Born 1959 in Long Island, New York State. Studied acting but decided to become fashion designer at aged 14. Enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City but dropped out after only nine months to work at Lothar's boutique in Manhattan. In 1981, Kors launched his Michael Kors women's label at upmarket New York store, Bergdorf Goodman. Filed for bankruptcy protection in 1993 but relaunched four years later with a cheaper line, while also becoming the first women's ready-to-wear designer for French luxury fashion house, Celine. Left Celine in 2003 to focus on his own brand.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3028, "answer_end": 3624, "text": "Born 1959 in Long Island, New York State. Studied acting but decided to become fashion designer at aged 14. Enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City but dropped out after only nine months to work at Lothar's boutique in Manhattan. In 1981, Kors launched his Michael Kors women's label at upmarket New York store, Bergdorf Goodman. Filed for bankruptcy protection in 1993 but relaunched four years later with a cheaper line, while also becoming the first women's ready-to-wear designer for French luxury fashion house, Celine. Left Celine in 2003 to focus on his own brand."}], "question": "Who is Michael Kors?", "id": "592_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump-Putin summit to be held in Finland on 16 July", "date": "28 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will hold a summit in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, next month. They will meet on 16 July and discuss relations between the two countries and a \"range of national security issues\", the Kremlin and White House said. The face-to-face meeting comes at a time of poor relations between Russia and Western nations. Nato's chief welcomed the talks, saying \"dialogue is a sign of strength\". \"We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want to isolate Russia, we want to strive for a better relationship with Russia,\" Jens Stoltenberg said. Mr Trump's visit to Helsinki will follow a Nato summit in Belgium and a stop in Britain for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. While the White House and Kremlin statements were both short on detail, Mr Trump earlier said he would discuss the war in Syria and the situation in Ukraine. He went on to say: \"I think we'll be talking about many other subjects. And we'll see what happens... I think a lot of good things can come with meetings with people.\" Since becoming president in January 2017, Mr Trump has sought to improve relations with Russia. Earlier this month, he alarmed allies by saying Russia should be readmitted to the G7 group of industrialised nations. Russia was suspended from what was then the G8 after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has also been accused of meddling in the elections of a number of Western countries - mostly notably the 2016 US election won by Mr Trump. US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who helped set up the summit, said the lifting of US sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea was not on the table for discussion. Mr Trump and Mr Putin have met twice before on the sidelines of summits. Their last meeting was in November at an Asia-Pacific meeting. Mr Bolton, who is known for taking a tough stance on Moscow, met President Putin on Tuesday in Moscow to set up the summit. He said both leaders wanted to use the summit to improve relations between their countries. \"Both President Trump and President Putin feel that it's important for these two leaders of these two critically important countries to get together and discuss their mutual problems and areas of co-operation,\" he told reporters. \"It's something that I think both feel will contribute to improvements in the US-Russia bilateral relationship and in stability around the world.\" President Putin meanwhile said his meeting with Mr Bolton had raised hopes for a full restoration of relations, which he admitted were not in the best of shape. Mr Putin insisted Moscow had never sought confrontation and that, in his view, the poor state of relations was a result of fierce political confrontation inside the US itself.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 730, "answer_end": 1690, "text": "While the White House and Kremlin statements were both short on detail, Mr Trump earlier said he would discuss the war in Syria and the situation in Ukraine. He went on to say: \"I think we'll be talking about many other subjects. And we'll see what happens... I think a lot of good things can come with meetings with people.\" Since becoming president in January 2017, Mr Trump has sought to improve relations with Russia. Earlier this month, he alarmed allies by saying Russia should be readmitted to the G7 group of industrialised nations. Russia was suspended from what was then the G8 after it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has also been accused of meddling in the elections of a number of Western countries - mostly notably the 2016 US election won by Mr Trump. US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who helped set up the summit, said the lifting of US sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea was not on the table for discussion."}], "question": "What will be discussed?", "id": "593_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1691, "answer_end": 2756, "text": "Mr Trump and Mr Putin have met twice before on the sidelines of summits. Their last meeting was in November at an Asia-Pacific meeting. Mr Bolton, who is known for taking a tough stance on Moscow, met President Putin on Tuesday in Moscow to set up the summit. He said both leaders wanted to use the summit to improve relations between their countries. \"Both President Trump and President Putin feel that it's important for these two leaders of these two critically important countries to get together and discuss their mutual problems and areas of co-operation,\" he told reporters. \"It's something that I think both feel will contribute to improvements in the US-Russia bilateral relationship and in stability around the world.\" President Putin meanwhile said his meeting with Mr Bolton had raised hopes for a full restoration of relations, which he admitted were not in the best of shape. Mr Putin insisted Moscow had never sought confrontation and that, in his view, the poor state of relations was a result of fierce political confrontation inside the US itself."}], "question": "How did the summit come about?", "id": "593_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Cardiff terror plot: How teenager planned to attack city", "date": "2 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As a white, British A-level student, the 17-year-old boy on trial for plotting mass murder in Cardiff did \"not look like how you expected a terrorist to look,\" the jury was told. But over the course of his nine-day trial at Birmingham Crown Court, they learned Lloyd Gunton had become radicalised online and was planning a \"lone wolf\" attack in the name of Islam. The court heard he was arrested \"within hours of committing an act of atrocity on the streets of Cardiff\" and his social media accounts featured pictures of terrorists and posts about a terrorist attacks. But what led him to take such action? Gunton lived with his parents in the Llantrisant area of south Wales. In late June 2017, he began posting material on photo-sharing social media site Instagram, promoting jihad and supporting Al-Qaeda. He published images of terrorists, as well as pictures of the so-called Islamic State flag, and photos encouraging a terrorist attack in Cardiff. The posts came to the attention of police, who swooped on his home, searched his belongings and seized his mobile phone and laptop. On his phone, officers found a YouTube video of the documentary \"British Islamic Extremists\" playing, which included clips of people praising those who carry out terrorist attacks. Two copies of an IS propaganda magazine were found on his laptop. One contained instructions about how to carry out a terrorist knife attack, while the other had details about how to carry out a terrorist attack by hitting people with a vehicle. Both praised terrorists and encouraged others to commit acts in the name of Allah. A search of the teenager's bedroom uncovered his school rucksack which containing a large kitchen knife and a hammer. There was also a martyrdom letter - claiming Gunton was an IS soldier and had attacked Cardiff in Allah's name - which the prosecution said was to be used to explain his actions in the event of his death in the attack. Matthew Brook, prosecuting, told the court: \"Why would he have written such a letter? Because if you are going to commit a terrorist attack in which you presume you will die, you need people to know afterwards why you did it - it's a way of spreading the terror and the message of terror.\" Concerned that Gunton was plotting to carry out an attack in Cardiff, he was taken to a police station for immediate questioning. He told officers he had been talking for a week to a man called \"Al Baghdadi\" on Instagram, who told him he would go to hell because he did not believe in Islam. He said he had instructed him to research IS and a propaganda magazine and was told he needed to kill people in an act of terrorism if he wanted to go to paradise. He admitted he had posted material on Instagram about an attack in Cardiff, but claimed he did not mean for it to do any harm. He also accepted he had put the hammer and knife in his bag, but claimed he had not intended to attack anyone. He was later transferred to a police station in the Midlands for four days of questioning where he answered only \"no comment\". Despite his claims he had only been discussing terrorism online for about a week before his arrest, counter terrorism officers were able to prove otherwise. Analysis of his internet searches showed he had an \"unhealthy interest in terrorism\", and had searched IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's name eight months before his arrest in late June. In the weeks before he was detained, his online searches included, \"IS vehicle ramming\", \"how to hijack a truck\" and \"17-year-old Jihad\", while his mobile phone contained images of the truck attacks in Nice and Berlin. The court heard he also researched possible target sites in Cardiff, including Cardiff Castle, New Theatre, Capitol shopping centre, Cardiff Central Library and Bridgend's McArthur Glen shopping outlet. Later, he looked up security arrangements for singer Justin Bieber's concert at the Principality Stadium on 30 June - and was arrested later the same day. Police also recovered a picture of the boy holding a gun whilst raising one finger towards the sky - a gesture often used by people associated with IS. He had looked up IS terror attacks around the world, included the stabbing of 10 people in Minnesota, as well as information on which knives were best for inflicting the most serious injuries. The internet search history on his laptop also revealed the teenager had looked for articles on IS executioner Jihadi John, the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby, beheading videos and information on the group which carried out the London 7/7 bombing. Other research included how to pledge allegiance to IS and a question on \"how does getting shot feel like?\". During his trial, the boy told the jury he \"never wanted to fight for IS\" and had downloaded the literature on previous attacks to \"strengthen\" his anger towards terrorists. He said he had \"always had an anti-terrorism view\" and said he had searched for the material out of \"gruesome curiosity\". But the jury disregarded his claims, convicting him of engaging in the preparation of a terrorist act, encouraging terrorism, and possessing terrorist information. He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 for planning an Islamic State-inspired vehicle attack in Cardiff.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 607, "answer_end": 1086, "text": "Gunton lived with his parents in the Llantrisant area of south Wales. In late June 2017, he began posting material on photo-sharing social media site Instagram, promoting jihad and supporting Al-Qaeda. He published images of terrorists, as well as pictures of the so-called Islamic State flag, and photos encouraging a terrorist attack in Cardiff. The posts came to the attention of police, who swooped on his home, searched his belongings and seized his mobile phone and laptop."}], "question": "Who is Lloyd Gunton?", "id": "594_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1087, "answer_end": 2223, "text": "On his phone, officers found a YouTube video of the documentary \"British Islamic Extremists\" playing, which included clips of people praising those who carry out terrorist attacks. Two copies of an IS propaganda magazine were found on his laptop. One contained instructions about how to carry out a terrorist knife attack, while the other had details about how to carry out a terrorist attack by hitting people with a vehicle. Both praised terrorists and encouraged others to commit acts in the name of Allah. A search of the teenager's bedroom uncovered his school rucksack which containing a large kitchen knife and a hammer. There was also a martyrdom letter - claiming Gunton was an IS soldier and had attacked Cardiff in Allah's name - which the prosecution said was to be used to explain his actions in the event of his death in the attack. Matthew Brook, prosecuting, told the court: \"Why would he have written such a letter? Because if you are going to commit a terrorist attack in which you presume you will die, you need people to know afterwards why you did it - it's a way of spreading the terror and the message of terror.\""}], "question": "What did police find?", "id": "594_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2224, "answer_end": 3044, "text": "Concerned that Gunton was plotting to carry out an attack in Cardiff, he was taken to a police station for immediate questioning. He told officers he had been talking for a week to a man called \"Al Baghdadi\" on Instagram, who told him he would go to hell because he did not believe in Islam. He said he had instructed him to research IS and a propaganda magazine and was told he needed to kill people in an act of terrorism if he wanted to go to paradise. He admitted he had posted material on Instagram about an attack in Cardiff, but claimed he did not mean for it to do any harm. He also accepted he had put the hammer and knife in his bag, but claimed he had not intended to attack anyone. He was later transferred to a police station in the Midlands for four days of questioning where he answered only \"no comment\"."}], "question": "What did police do next?", "id": "594_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump Jr dismisses legal concerns over Russian lawyer meeting", "date": "7 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump's son has said his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer was about \"essentially nothing\" relevant to claims of collusion. Donald Trump Jr called the media uproar over the meeting \"the ultimate distraction\" from his father's success. Mr Trump Jr's meeting with a Kremlin-linked attorney at Trump Tower in New York could constitute a breach of US campaign rules, experts say. The president argued the Trump Tower meeting was legal in a tweet on Sunday. Mr Trump said his son took the meeting to \"get information on an opponent\", contradicting a previous statement from the Trump camp. Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show on Monday night, the president's son said the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya lasted 20 minutes and primarily focused on Russian adoptions. Mr Trump Jr has previously admitted he agreed to the introduction after he was promised damaging information about his father's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. He told Ingraham that adoptions were \"the primary thing that we had spoken about in the meeting\". \"You know that's not the premise that got them in the room... it was essentially a bait and switch to talk about that, and everyone has basically said that in testimony already,\" he said. \"It ended up being about essentially nothing that was relevant to any of these things. That's all it is and that's all they've got.\" The president's eldest son also blamed Democrats for wanting to detract from his father's achievements. \"That is, I guess, the ultimate distraction from what's really going on in this country which is, you have a Republican president, a very conservative president, who is getting stuff done.\" The meeting is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into Russia's alleged role to help Mr Trump win the presidency. Moscow has repeatedly denied claims it interfered in the November 2016 presidential elections. President Trump and his son deny any collusion, and the president has tweeted that \"collusion is not a crime\". Mr Trump's Sunday tweet appears to contradict a previous statement from the Trump campaign about the meeting. When the meeting was first reported by the New York Times, Donald Trump Jr said in a statement that he and Ms Veselnitskaya had mostly discussed a suspended programme for Americans to adopt Russian children. However, he subsequently admitted he had agreed to the meeting after being told he would be offered information that would prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton. He also released the email exchange that brought about the meeting. US media then reported that the US president had been involved in the initial statement his son issued on the meeting. This was initially denied by Mr Trump's team, but his lawyers later confirmed that he had in fact dictated his son's statement. US commentators have argued that Mr Trump's new admission that the meeting was to gain information about Mrs Clinton shows that the earlier statement was misleading. Mr Trump again denied knowing about the meeting in Sunday's tweet. Last month, however, Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen said the president knew about the meeting in advance. The special counsel is currently investigating whether Mr Trump obstructed justice. Under US law, obstruction cases require proving \"corrupt intent\" - so while Mr Trump's tweet does not prove anything illegal, it could serve as evidence of the president's intent. - 8 July 2017: The New York Times reveals the June 2016 meeting took place and Mr Trump Jr releases a statement describing it as a \"short introductory meeting\" that focused on Russian adoptions - 9 July 2017: The Times reports that Mr Trump Jr was promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton before the meeting. He confirmed the report but said in a second statement that \"no meaningful information\" came from the meeting - 11 July 2017: Mr Trump Jr tweets screenshots of his email correspondence that discussed setting up the meeting just minutes before the email chain was revealed in a Times story. The emails showed he was eager to accept \"sensitive\" information that was \"part of Russia and its government's support for Mr Trump\" - 12-16 July 2017: The president's lawyer Jay Sekulow denies that Mr Trump was involved in his son's initial statement to the Times - 2 June 2018: The Times reports that Mr Trump's lawyers wrote a letter to special counsel Mueller acknowledging that he dictated his son's initial statement - 26 July 2018: The president's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen says that Mr Trump approved the June 2016 meeting, contradicting previous statements by the Trump legal team - 5 August 2018: The president says his son took the meeting \"to get information on an opponent\", but denies having any knowledge of it It is common for US politicians to research their opponents during a campaign. But under US campaign law, it is illegal for a US citizen to solicit foreigners for campaign donations or contributions, even if such materials are never given. Legal experts have debated whether Mr Trump Jr is guilty of conspiracy, since collusion is not a legal term. Conspiracy is defined as if two or more people conspire to \"commit any offence against\" or \"defraud\" the US and one or more of the individuals \"do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy\". It does not require the individuals to carry out the crime, just proof that it was agreed to. Mr Trump Jr's email response to the offer of information about Mrs Clinton could breach those laws. Some legal experts say, however, that calling information a \"contribution or donation\" may be a stretch. While some say Mr Trump Jr broke the law by having the meeting, others maintain that it is unclear since he maintains no information exchanged hands at the meeting. One of Mr Trump's lawyers, Jay Sekulow, said on Sunday that the meeting had not broken any laws. \"The question is what law, statute or rule or regulation's been violated? Nobody's pointed to one,\" Mr Sekulow told ABC News.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 606, "answer_end": 1666, "text": "Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show on Monday night, the president's son said the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya lasted 20 minutes and primarily focused on Russian adoptions. Mr Trump Jr has previously admitted he agreed to the introduction after he was promised damaging information about his father's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. He told Ingraham that adoptions were \"the primary thing that we had spoken about in the meeting\". \"You know that's not the premise that got them in the room... it was essentially a bait and switch to talk about that, and everyone has basically said that in testimony already,\" he said. \"It ended up being about essentially nothing that was relevant to any of these things. That's all it is and that's all they've got.\" The president's eldest son also blamed Democrats for wanting to detract from his father's achievements. \"That is, I guess, the ultimate distraction from what's really going on in this country which is, you have a Republican president, a very conservative president, who is getting stuff done.\""}], "question": "What did Trump Jr say?", "id": "595_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1667, "answer_end": 2027, "text": "The meeting is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into Russia's alleged role to help Mr Trump win the presidency. Moscow has repeatedly denied claims it interfered in the November 2016 presidential elections. President Trump and his son deny any collusion, and the president has tweeted that \"collusion is not a crime\"."}], "question": "Why is the meeting under scrutiny?", "id": "595_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2028, "answer_end": 3428, "text": "Mr Trump's Sunday tweet appears to contradict a previous statement from the Trump campaign about the meeting. When the meeting was first reported by the New York Times, Donald Trump Jr said in a statement that he and Ms Veselnitskaya had mostly discussed a suspended programme for Americans to adopt Russian children. However, he subsequently admitted he had agreed to the meeting after being told he would be offered information that would prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton. He also released the email exchange that brought about the meeting. US media then reported that the US president had been involved in the initial statement his son issued on the meeting. This was initially denied by Mr Trump's team, but his lawyers later confirmed that he had in fact dictated his son's statement. US commentators have argued that Mr Trump's new admission that the meeting was to gain information about Mrs Clinton shows that the earlier statement was misleading. Mr Trump again denied knowing about the meeting in Sunday's tweet. Last month, however, Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen said the president knew about the meeting in advance. The special counsel is currently investigating whether Mr Trump obstructed justice. Under US law, obstruction cases require proving \"corrupt intent\" - so while Mr Trump's tweet does not prove anything illegal, it could serve as evidence of the president's intent."}], "question": "Why does the president's Trump Tower tweet matter?", "id": "595_2"}]}]}, {"title": "South Korea gaming: How a T-shirt cost an actress her job", "date": "15 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The \"Gamergate\" controversy which roiled the world of video gaming has hit a new level.  The name was coined as a row over whether Western gamers were mostly male and anti-women.  Now, a similar row is rocking South Korea, arguably the country with the strongest culture of gaming in the world.  As the BBC's Steve Evans reports from Seoul, it all started with a slogan on a T-shirt. On the face of it, the slogan \"Girls do not need a prince\" doesn't seem that controversial. In many parts of the world, it would pass as the kind of thing any young woman might wear without prompting a second look. But when the actress, Kim Jayeon, tweeted a photograph of herself wearing the garment, she generated a storm and lost herself a job. She was the voice of one of the characters in a South Korean online game called \"Closers\". Gaming is very big in South Korea, as much a part of the culture as football. Fans of \"Closers\" inundated Nexon, the company which produced the game, with complaints. Many of the complaints, according to female activists, were offensive and anti-women. Nexon quickly bowed to the protesters and sacked the actress.  It told the BBC that she would be paid in full for her work but her voice would not be used on the game. It issued a statement saying it had \"recognised the voices of concern amongst the Closers community\", adding that \"we have suddenly decided to seek a replacement in the role\". The company later told the BBC it had decided not to use the actress's voice because it didn't approve of the T-shirt and why it was being sold. The problem was that the slogan is associated with a feminist group in South Korea called Megalia, which campaigns against the misogyny which its (usually anonymous) members say pervades Korean life. The T-shirt was being sold by Megalia to finance lawsuits brought by women against men they alleged had ill-treated them. There's no doubt Megalia is controversial and confrontational.  Its logo includes an image of a hand with a first finger and thumb close together - the common sign for smallness. The logo is taken by some men and Megalians as a derogatory and deliberately provocative reference to the size of Korean penises. Many men do not like Megalia.  Some retaliate with online abuse - with \"bitches\" being one of the mildest words used. It was in this toxic atmosphere that the actress tweeted the T-shirt. with its slogan \"Girls do not need a prince\". She is not giving interviews and it's not known if she wore the shirt in the tweet without being aware of the context. Megalians say the slogan was meant to decry a male idea that women need men to protect and support them. They argue that what Korean women really need is respect and equality - things they say are in short supply. One Megalia activist involved, Alex Song, told the BBC that a demonstration was organised against the sacking of the actress. A protest initially of 100 women quickly grew to 300. But some men held a counter-demonstration.  She said she felt heavily intimidated.  Some men took pictures of the protesters.  Some feminists were called \"pigs\". South Korean feminists say it illustrates a wider problem. South Korea is a very traditional society which is changing rapidly.  It has moved from a dirt poor, agricultural country to one of the world's most prosperous industrial societies in a few decades, a process which took Europe more than a century. Hence, there are contradictions:  South Korean women are highly groomed and made-up.  They meet conventional male expectations.  Plastic surgery is routine. Old attitudes and expectations clash with new ones. And as they clash, there is anger. A blogger who writes under the pseudonym Emily Singh told the BBC she had taken her picture down from her own blog because she feared reprisals. She said that many Korean women were in such despair that they considered emigrating. One Megalian said she had direct experience of a recruitment company insisting that a translator for a conference be pretty.  The recruiter had insisted on a full-body photograph, with weight and dimensions detailed. In another incident, a Korean version of Maxim magazine featured a staged picture on the cover of a man smoking coolly, leaning against his flash car with a lifeless woman, her heels bound, in the boot behind him like a victim of sexual crime. Earlier this year, a woman was murdered in a random attack in a public toilet. The male attacker had been lying in wait in the toilet, waiting for a woman to come along. After the murder, feminists demonstrated at the scene against anti-female violence - but some men also counter-demonstrated. Within the feminist movement, there is debate - often fierce debate - about tactics. Megalia is radical but even within its ranks there is a feeling that it may go too far, over, for example, whether to out gay men who marry women as a cover for their homosexuality. On other matters, there is less disagreement.  South Korean feminist groups are unanimous in criticising the entertainment industry for what they say is the over-sexualisation of young girls (lolitafication), particularly in K-Pop groups. Megalia is one of the feminist groups confronting what its members say is hypocrisy. For example, the group highlights, very publicly, the practice of some Korean men having affairs with prostitutes while on business trips abroad. This controversy is given added zing in the online gaming industry which, in many parts of the world, has been accused of being dominated by males who sometimes seem anti-women. In the United States, there have been allegations that gaming is played sometimes by men who exhibit a deep and aggressive sexism. That sexism, Megalia activist Alex Song says, feeds off images of \"sexually exaggerated\" women on screen. The thought that one of the characters in the Korean game \"Closers\" should be voiced (out-of-vision) by someone who might wear a T-shirt with a feminist slogan was just too much for some. The company agreed. The actress' voice will not be heard in the game. In the real world, though, silencing feminist voices is harder. Update 13 September 2016: This story has been updated to include a later comment from Nexon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1565, "answer_end": 2548, "text": "The problem was that the slogan is associated with a feminist group in South Korea called Megalia, which campaigns against the misogyny which its (usually anonymous) members say pervades Korean life. The T-shirt was being sold by Megalia to finance lawsuits brought by women against men they alleged had ill-treated them. There's no doubt Megalia is controversial and confrontational.  Its logo includes an image of a hand with a first finger and thumb close together - the common sign for smallness. The logo is taken by some men and Megalians as a derogatory and deliberately provocative reference to the size of Korean penises. Many men do not like Megalia.  Some retaliate with online abuse - with \"bitches\" being one of the mildest words used. It was in this toxic atmosphere that the actress tweeted the T-shirt. with its slogan \"Girls do not need a prince\". She is not giving interviews and it's not known if she wore the shirt in the tweet without being aware of the context."}], "question": "Man-hating?", "id": "596_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Meng Wanzhou: Trump could intervene in case of Huawei executive", "date": "12 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump says he could intervene in the case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou if it helps to avoid a further decline in US relations with China. \"Whatever's good for this country, I would do,\" the US president said. Ms Meng, the chief financial officer of the Chinese telecoms giant, was granted bail on Tuesday by a Canadian court. She was arrested on 1 December and could be extradited to the US to face fraud charges linked to the alleged violation of sanctions on Iran. Ms Meng, 46, denies any wrongdoing and has said she will contest the allegations. She is the daughter of Huawei's founder and her detention, which comes amid an increasingly acrimonious trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, has angered China and soured its relations with both Canada and the US. In an interview with Reuters news agency on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he would intervene in the US Justice Department's case against Ms Meng if it would serve national security interests or help achieve a trade deal with China. \"If I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made - which is a very important thing - what's good for national security, I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary,\" he said. A Canadian official, speaking on background on Wednesday, told journalists that it would be difficult this early in the proceedings to evaluate whether Mr Trump's comment could have an impact on the extradition case. But he said that \"it is certainly something that Ms Meng's counsel could raise\". Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told journalists in Ottawa that parties seeking extradition from Canada should ensure the process is not politicised. Justice William Ehrcke in Vancouver set bail for Ms Meng at C$10m (PS6m; $7.4m). Of that, C$7m must be provided in cash with C$3m in collateral. The judge said that she would be under surveillance 24 hours a day and must wear an electronic ankle tag. She will be unable to go out between 2300 and 0600 and must surrender all passports and travel documents. In the three-day bail hearing in Vancouver, Ms Meng's lawyers sought to provide guarantees that she would not pose a flight risk if released. The application was opposed by Canadian prosecutors. US prosecutors say Ms Meng used a Huawei subsidiary called Skycom to evade sanctions on Iran between 2009 and 2014. They allege she had publicly misrepresented Skycom as being a separate company from Huawei.  It is also alleged she deceived banks about the true relationship between the two companies. Applause broke out in the courtroom when Justice Ehrcke granted bail. Ms Meng cried and hugged her lawyers. The judge ordered her to reappear in court on 6 February. After the ruling, Huawei issued a statement, saying: \"We have every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach a just conclusion.\" China, which insists that Ms Meng has not violated any laws, had threatened severe consequences unless Canada released the Huawei executive. Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng earlier summoned both the US and Canadian ambassadors and lodged a \"strong protest\" urging her release. The ministry described Ms Meng's arrest as \"extremely nasty\". Separately on Tuesday, it emerged that a Canadian former diplomat had been detained in China. Michael Kovrig's current employer, the International Crisis Group, said it was working for his prompt release. There has been no official word from China about his whereabouts. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was in direct contact with Chinese authorities concerning the case. Mr Kovrig previously worked as a diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the UN in New York. Canadian officials said there was no \"explicit indication\" of any link between Mr Kovrig's reported detention and the arrest of Ms Meng. Under Canadian law, the federal justice minister has 30 days after receiving a formal request from the US to decide whether to allow an extradition hearing to proceed in court. If a judge is satisfied with the evidence presented during the hearing, he or she will authorise the individual be committed for extradition.  The justice minister then decides whether to surrender them to the US. Ms Meng does have avenues to appeal. She can appeal both the court decision and seek a judicial review of the minister's decision. If the appellate court upholds either decision, an individual may still seek leave to appeal to Canada's Supreme Court. In some rare instances, extradition cases have dragged on for over a decade. In a statement, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said she takes her \"extradition responsibilities and obligations very seriously\". Canadian officials say they will \"faithfully follow the rule of law\" in this case. Meng Wanzhou joined Huawei as early as 1993, when she began a career at her father's company as a receptionist. After she graduated with a master's degree in accountancy from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1999, she joined the finance department of Huawei. She became the company's chief finance officer in 2011 and was promoted to vice-chair a few months before her arrest. Ms Meng's links to her father, Ren Zhengfei, were not public knowledge until a few years ago. In a practice highly unusual in Chinese tradition, she adopted her family name not from her father but her mother, Meng Jun, who was Mr Ren's first wife.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1689, "answer_end": 2857, "text": "Justice William Ehrcke in Vancouver set bail for Ms Meng at C$10m (PS6m; $7.4m). Of that, C$7m must be provided in cash with C$3m in collateral. The judge said that she would be under surveillance 24 hours a day and must wear an electronic ankle tag. She will be unable to go out between 2300 and 0600 and must surrender all passports and travel documents. In the three-day bail hearing in Vancouver, Ms Meng's lawyers sought to provide guarantees that she would not pose a flight risk if released. The application was opposed by Canadian prosecutors. US prosecutors say Ms Meng used a Huawei subsidiary called Skycom to evade sanctions on Iran between 2009 and 2014. They allege she had publicly misrepresented Skycom as being a separate company from Huawei.  It is also alleged she deceived banks about the true relationship between the two companies. Applause broke out in the courtroom when Justice Ehrcke granted bail. Ms Meng cried and hugged her lawyers. The judge ordered her to reappear in court on 6 February. After the ruling, Huawei issued a statement, saying: \"We have every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach a just conclusion.\""}], "question": "What happened in the courtroom?", "id": "597_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2858, "answer_end": 3806, "text": "China, which insists that Ms Meng has not violated any laws, had threatened severe consequences unless Canada released the Huawei executive. Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng earlier summoned both the US and Canadian ambassadors and lodged a \"strong protest\" urging her release. The ministry described Ms Meng's arrest as \"extremely nasty\". Separately on Tuesday, it emerged that a Canadian former diplomat had been detained in China. Michael Kovrig's current employer, the International Crisis Group, said it was working for his prompt release. There has been no official word from China about his whereabouts. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was in direct contact with Chinese authorities concerning the case. Mr Kovrig previously worked as a diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the UN in New York. Canadian officials said there was no \"explicit indication\" of any link between Mr Kovrig's reported detention and the arrest of Ms Meng."}], "question": "How has China reacted to Ms Meng's arrest?", "id": "597_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4745, "answer_end": 5389, "text": "Meng Wanzhou joined Huawei as early as 1993, when she began a career at her father's company as a receptionist. After she graduated with a master's degree in accountancy from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1999, she joined the finance department of Huawei. She became the company's chief finance officer in 2011 and was promoted to vice-chair a few months before her arrest. Ms Meng's links to her father, Ren Zhengfei, were not public knowledge until a few years ago. In a practice highly unusual in Chinese tradition, she adopted her family name not from her father but her mother, Meng Jun, who was Mr Ren's first wife."}], "question": "Who is Meng Wanzhou?", "id": "597_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Catalan referendum: Spain battling to halt the vote", "date": "27 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"It won't happen,\" insists Spain's prime minister, and for the Catalan leaders trying to organise Sunday's vote on seceding from Spain, his words are becoming harder and harder to contradict. The nerve centre of the 1 October referendum - Catalonia's economy department - has been seriously damaged by raids carried out by Spain's military police force, the Civil Guard. Fourteen junior officials and associates were arrested, but more importantly close to 10 million ballot papers were impounded, and websites informing Catalans about the election have been shut down. The government in this north-eastern region of Spain admits its logistical effort to organise the referendum has been seriously disabled, as it defies a suspension of the vote by Spain's constitutional court. Spain's interior ministry has hired three ferries to accommodate the extra security contingent being sent to the region, and a power struggle has blown up over control of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra. Catalonia's chief prosecutor has ordered the Mossos to accept the command of Spain's Civil Guard to co-ordinate efforts to gather evidence of plans to hold an illegal referendum, and in effect stop it happening. But the head of the Catalan force, Major Josep Lluis Trapero, is refusing to accept that order. And Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has spoken out against \"practices worthy of a totalitarian state\" as Spain tries to smash the planned ballot. Mr Puigdemont insists it will. And after millions of ballot papers were seized, activists took photocopiers into the streets over the weekend to print off new ones. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has appealed to the Catalan government in an official address \"not to go ahead\" with the vote. \"(This) illegal plan of rupture has no place in a democratic state under the rule of law such as ours,\" he said. However, the BBC has learned from a senior minister in the Spanish cabinet that the government still expects \"a watered-down ballot\" to take place. The government is worried about the possibility of violence if supporters of the referendum resist police efforts to block polling stations. Beyond measures already taken by the courts, Spain's authorities still have further heavy weapons in their legal armoury if Mr Puigdemont and his associates refuse to back down. Spain's government-appointed chief public prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, suggested on Monday that the Catalan leader could be arrested and charged with civil disobedience, abuse of office and misuse of public funds. An article in Spain's constitution allows the government to ask the Senate for permission to use \"the necessary means\" to ensure that any of Spain's 17 autonomous regions such as Catalonia comply with national law. The vague phrasing of Article 155 and the fact that it has never been invoked mean it could allow the government to shut down Catalonia's government and even the region's parliament should Mr Puigdemont choose to follow through and announce independence in the event of a Yes vote on Sunday. If there is a vote and a yes tor independence, Mr Puigdemont has said that the first thing he would do on Monday is \"call for dialogue with the Spanish state and the European Union\", although he insists his roadmap to full sovereignty will go ahead regardless. Unofficially, Catalan government sources admit a low turnout of less than 50% of the region's 5.5 million voters will force them to reconsider the situation. Mr Puigdemont and other Catalan government members have said they will ignore court rulings suspending them from office. From 2 October there could be a troubling situation in which two distinct legal realities coexist in Catalonia, with Spain declaring the region's government defunct while lawmakers bunker down in the Catalan parliament in Barcelona to vote for secession. Left-wingers from parties such as Podemos and nationalists from other regions like the Basque Country are pressing for a reform package that puts the option of a legal referendum on the table. But Spain's two largest parties - Mr Rajoy's Popular Party and the Socialist PSOE - do not agree with regions being able to hold a legal referendum on independence from Spain. Anti-Catalan sentiment among Spaniards may also be on the rise. Crowds have given a send-off to police contingents travelling to Catalonia with cheers of \"Go, get them!\" For the first time since becoming Spanish prime minister in 2011, Mr Rajoy has recently agreed to revise Spain's system of regional government, opening the door to possible constitutional reforms. Congress has agreed to form a standing committee charged with considering reform initiatives. Tinkering with Catalonia's autonomy statute with no chance of a legal exit from Spain would be a hard sell for regional politicians from the nationalist coalition currently in power. The pro-independence movement has demonstrated its strength in recent years with massive marches in Barcelona. But Catalans against independence want a say, too. \"We non-nationalists won't accept a reform that just gives us more finance and powers; we want a diverse and plural Catalonia with greater freedoms for Spanish speakers,\" said Ana Losada, a member of Societat Civil Catalana, which opposes Sunday's referendum.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1460, "answer_end": 2150, "text": "Mr Puigdemont insists it will. And after millions of ballot papers were seized, activists took photocopiers into the streets over the weekend to print off new ones. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has appealed to the Catalan government in an official address \"not to go ahead\" with the vote. \"(This) illegal plan of rupture has no place in a democratic state under the rule of law such as ours,\" he said. However, the BBC has learned from a senior minister in the Spanish cabinet that the government still expects \"a watered-down ballot\" to take place. The government is worried about the possibility of violence if supporters of the referendum resist police efforts to block polling stations."}], "question": "Will the vote happen?", "id": "598_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2151, "answer_end": 3845, "text": "Beyond measures already taken by the courts, Spain's authorities still have further heavy weapons in their legal armoury if Mr Puigdemont and his associates refuse to back down. Spain's government-appointed chief public prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, suggested on Monday that the Catalan leader could be arrested and charged with civil disobedience, abuse of office and misuse of public funds. An article in Spain's constitution allows the government to ask the Senate for permission to use \"the necessary means\" to ensure that any of Spain's 17 autonomous regions such as Catalonia comply with national law. The vague phrasing of Article 155 and the fact that it has never been invoked mean it could allow the government to shut down Catalonia's government and even the region's parliament should Mr Puigdemont choose to follow through and announce independence in the event of a Yes vote on Sunday. If there is a vote and a yes tor independence, Mr Puigdemont has said that the first thing he would do on Monday is \"call for dialogue with the Spanish state and the European Union\", although he insists his roadmap to full sovereignty will go ahead regardless. Unofficially, Catalan government sources admit a low turnout of less than 50% of the region's 5.5 million voters will force them to reconsider the situation. Mr Puigdemont and other Catalan government members have said they will ignore court rulings suspending them from office. From 2 October there could be a troubling situation in which two distinct legal realities coexist in Catalonia, with Spain declaring the region's government defunct while lawmakers bunker down in the Catalan parliament in Barcelona to vote for secession."}], "question": "What if Spain cannot stop it?", "id": "598_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4385, "answer_end": 5280, "text": "For the first time since becoming Spanish prime minister in 2011, Mr Rajoy has recently agreed to revise Spain's system of regional government, opening the door to possible constitutional reforms. Congress has agreed to form a standing committee charged with considering reform initiatives. Tinkering with Catalonia's autonomy statute with no chance of a legal exit from Spain would be a hard sell for regional politicians from the nationalist coalition currently in power. The pro-independence movement has demonstrated its strength in recent years with massive marches in Barcelona. But Catalans against independence want a say, too. \"We non-nationalists won't accept a reform that just gives us more finance and powers; we want a diverse and plural Catalonia with greater freedoms for Spanish speakers,\" said Ana Losada, a member of Societat Civil Catalana, which opposes Sunday's referendum."}], "question": "Is there any way out?", "id": "598_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Chancellor Sajid Javid declares end of austerity", "date": "4 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The government has declared it has \"turned the page on austerity\" as it set out plans to raise spending across all departments. Chancellor Sajid Javid outlined PS13.8bn of investment in areas including health, education and the police in what he said was the fastest increase in spending for 15 years. The plans cover one year and come amid intense political turmoil over Brexit. Labour criticised the spending plans as \"grubby electioneering\". Mr Javid said: \"No department will be cut next year. Every single department has had its budget for day to day spending increased at least in line with inflation. \"That's what I mean by the end of austerity.\" But the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, accused Mr Javid of \"meaningless platitudes\". \"Do not insult the intelligence of the British people,\" he said. He accused the government of \"pretending to end austerity when they do nothing of the sort\". Mr Javid is not first chancellor to claim that austerity is on the way out. His predecessor Philip Hammond said that the \"era of austerity is finally coming to an end\" in his autumn Budget last year, when he promised a PS30bn boost in public spending by 2024. The director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, said Mr Javid's plan signalled a \"real change in direction on spending but most areas of public service spending were still much below 2010 levels\". \"Health is the big exception,\" he said. Overall, the IFS said spending would still be 3% below its level a decade ago, and more than 9% lower in per person terms. \"Non-health budgets have also lost out to rising NHS funding: real spending outside the Department of Health will still be 16% lower (21% lower in per person terms) next year than in 2010-11,\" it added. Mr Johnson also warned that the current weakness in the UK economy could weigh on the government's declaration of the end of austerity. \"We of course live in a time of extreme economic uncertainty and I think the big risk in saying that austerity is over is that the economy starts to do significantly worse, which it might if we have a no-deal Brexit,\" he said. \"Then the deficit and debt will start rising and we are in danger of having another dose of austerity to get that over with for a second time.\" - PS13.8bn in extra day-to-day spending for 2020-21, representing a 4.1% uptick - NHS funding increase of PS6.2bn next year, most of which was already announced under Theresa May's government - Education spending increase of PS7.1bn by 2022-23 compared to the current fiscal year - Secondary schools to be allocated a minimum PS5,000 per pupil, primary schools will get PS3,750 - PS750m for 20,000 police officers including PS45m to hire 2,000 police by March next year - Home Office day-to-day spending to increase by 6.3% - Ministry of Defence funding to increase by PS2.2bn or 2.6% - Confirmation of an additional PS2bn in Brexit preparation funding, on top of PS2.1bn already announced. This was a spending round not a review. The difference is that Mr Javid's plans are only for one year and not the usual three-year strategy set out by the chancellor because of the ongoing uncertainty over the impact of Brexit. Mr Javid's was also a very political speech. He laid out the spending plans against the possibility that the UK is heading for another general election - the country's third in five years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain will go to the polls if he is forced to request an extension to the 31 October deadline for the UK to leave the European Union. Mr Javid was criticised twice during his speech by the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow for talking about a bill - which MPs will vote on later today - that would force Mr Johnson to ask the EU for a delay in Britain's exit, instead of focusing on the spending round. Mr Bercow said that it was  \"very, very unseemly\", adding: \"It bothers me greatly that the right honourable gentleman in the course of a statement seems to be veering into matters, not even tangential but unrelated to the spending round upon which he is focused.\" The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) hasn't said anything because this is a separate spending round and has been sperated from the Budget. As a result, there are no new forecasts from the independent fiscal watchdog which means the chancellor's spending plan is based on predictions published back in March by the OBR. Under those forecasts, the government had around PS15bn to borrow within its self-imposed overdraft limit of 2% of the value of the national economy. Since then, the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.2% during the second quarter. If it contracts again between July and September, the country will officially be in recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. On Wednesday, data measuring activity in the UK's dominant services sector, which accounts for nearly three quarters of GDP, showed that growth slowed in August following poor figures from both manufacturing and construction during the same month. If the UK falls into recession, it would mean that the government would break its own fiscal rules. Although Mr Javid said on Wednesday that ahead of the Budget later this year he will review its fiscal framework: \"To ensure it meets the economic priorities of today not of a decade ago\". Separately, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday that the worst case hit to the economy of a no-deal Brexit is now \"less severe\" thanks to preparations made since the end of last year. In a Treasury Select Committee hearing, Mr Carney said if the UK left the EU with no deal, the economy would shrink by 5.5% rather than the 8% slump it had predicted in November.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 901, "answer_end": 2246, "text": "Mr Javid is not first chancellor to claim that austerity is on the way out. His predecessor Philip Hammond said that the \"era of austerity is finally coming to an end\" in his autumn Budget last year, when he promised a PS30bn boost in public spending by 2024. The director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, said Mr Javid's plan signalled a \"real change in direction on spending but most areas of public service spending were still much below 2010 levels\". \"Health is the big exception,\" he said. Overall, the IFS said spending would still be 3% below its level a decade ago, and more than 9% lower in per person terms. \"Non-health budgets have also lost out to rising NHS funding: real spending outside the Department of Health will still be 16% lower (21% lower in per person terms) next year than in 2010-11,\" it added. Mr Johnson also warned that the current weakness in the UK economy could weigh on the government's declaration of the end of austerity. \"We of course live in a time of extreme economic uncertainty and I think the big risk in saying that austerity is over is that the economy starts to do significantly worse, which it might if we have a no-deal Brexit,\" he said. \"Then the deficit and debt will start rising and we are in danger of having another dose of austerity to get that over with for a second time.\""}], "question": "Is this really the end of austerity?", "id": "599_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2938, "answer_end": 4067, "text": "This was a spending round not a review. The difference is that Mr Javid's plans are only for one year and not the usual three-year strategy set out by the chancellor because of the ongoing uncertainty over the impact of Brexit. Mr Javid's was also a very political speech. He laid out the spending plans against the possibility that the UK is heading for another general election - the country's third in five years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain will go to the polls if he is forced to request an extension to the 31 October deadline for the UK to leave the European Union. Mr Javid was criticised twice during his speech by the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow for talking about a bill - which MPs will vote on later today - that would force Mr Johnson to ask the EU for a delay in Britain's exit, instead of focusing on the spending round. Mr Bercow said that it was  \"very, very unseemly\", adding: \"It bothers me greatly that the right honourable gentleman in the course of a statement seems to be veering into matters, not even tangential but unrelated to the spending round upon which he is focused.\""}], "question": "Won't Brexit change the plans?", "id": "599_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4068, "answer_end": 5713, "text": "The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) hasn't said anything because this is a separate spending round and has been sperated from the Budget. As a result, there are no new forecasts from the independent fiscal watchdog which means the chancellor's spending plan is based on predictions published back in March by the OBR. Under those forecasts, the government had around PS15bn to borrow within its self-imposed overdraft limit of 2% of the value of the national economy. Since then, the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.2% during the second quarter. If it contracts again between July and September, the country will officially be in recession, which is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. On Wednesday, data measuring activity in the UK's dominant services sector, which accounts for nearly three quarters of GDP, showed that growth slowed in August following poor figures from both manufacturing and construction during the same month. If the UK falls into recession, it would mean that the government would break its own fiscal rules. Although Mr Javid said on Wednesday that ahead of the Budget later this year he will review its fiscal framework: \"To ensure it meets the economic priorities of today not of a decade ago\". Separately, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday that the worst case hit to the economy of a no-deal Brexit is now \"less severe\" thanks to preparations made since the end of last year. In a Treasury Select Committee hearing, Mr Carney said if the UK left the EU with no deal, the economy would shrink by 5.5% rather than the 8% slump it had predicted in November."}], "question": "What does the government's independent watchdog say?", "id": "599_2"}]}]}, {"title": "George Soros: Bomb squad destroy explosive device near billionaire's home", "date": "23 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A suspect package found in a post box at the home of billionaire businessman George Soros contained an explosive device, New York police have confirmed. The item was discovered on Monday by an employee of Mr Soros, who took it to a nearby wooded area, where it was later destroyed by bomb squad officers. The incident is being investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr Soros has become a frequent target for criticism by right-wing groups due to his support for liberal causes. Mr Soros was not at his home in the town of Bedford in Westchester County at the time of the incident, according to reports. \"An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device,\" a Bedford Police Department official told the New York Times. Officials say that police received a call about a suspicious package at about 15:45 local time (20:45 GMT) on Monday. Arriving at the scene, police discovered a device that was later confirmed by officials to have contained explosive powder and \"had the components\" of a bomb. It was then \"proactively detonated\", police said. The FBI tweeted that it was investigating an incident in the area. Police later confirmed that an \"extensive investigation\" had been opened with the FBI. The 88-year-old Hungarian-American businessman earned his fortune through shrewd financial speculation. He has spent billions of his own money funding human rights projects and liberal democratic ventures around the world and has been a large donor to the US Democratic Party. He previously backed the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and labelled US President Donald Trump \"an imposter\". US-based right-wing conspiracy theorists and websites have accused Mr Soros of secretly engineering a range of recent events in US and global politics. They have alleged he was involved in recruiting crowds for the anti-Trump Women's March and even organising violence in Charlottesville to undermine the country's political right wing. Mr Soros has also become a political target worldwide for nationalists and populists, who paint him as a master manipulator of democracy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 493, "answer_end": 1262, "text": "Mr Soros was not at his home in the town of Bedford in Westchester County at the time of the incident, according to reports. \"An employee of the residence opened the package, revealing what appeared to be an explosive device,\" a Bedford Police Department official told the New York Times. Officials say that police received a call about a suspicious package at about 15:45 local time (20:45 GMT) on Monday. Arriving at the scene, police discovered a device that was later confirmed by officials to have contained explosive powder and \"had the components\" of a bomb. It was then \"proactively detonated\", police said. The FBI tweeted that it was investigating an incident in the area. Police later confirmed that an \"extensive investigation\" had been opened with the FBI."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "600_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1263, "answer_end": 2153, "text": "The 88-year-old Hungarian-American businessman earned his fortune through shrewd financial speculation. He has spent billions of his own money funding human rights projects and liberal democratic ventures around the world and has been a large donor to the US Democratic Party. He previously backed the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and labelled US President Donald Trump \"an imposter\". US-based right-wing conspiracy theorists and websites have accused Mr Soros of secretly engineering a range of recent events in US and global politics. They have alleged he was involved in recruiting crowds for the anti-Trump Women's March and even organising violence in Charlottesville to undermine the country's political right wing. Mr Soros has also become a political target worldwide for nationalists and populists, who paint him as a master manipulator of democracy."}], "question": "Who is Soros?", "id": "600_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US laptop ban lifted on Emirates and Turkish Airlines", "date": "5 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Emirates and Turkish Airlines have said the cabin ban on laptops no longer applies on their flights to the US. In March, the US banned laptops and other large electronic devices to and from eight mostly Muslim nations, fearing bombs may be concealed in them. Emirates, which flies to the US from its Dubai hub, said it worked with US authorities to meet new security rules. Turkish Airlines said it was also now allowing passengers travelling to the US to take their laptops onboard. The two airlines are now in the same position as Etihad, which saw the ban lifted on Sunday for its flights from Abu Dhabi. Dubai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi airports are reported to have put tighter security checks in place. Emirates said in a statement: \"Effective immediately, the electronics ban has been lifted for Emirates' flights from Dubai International Airport to the USA.\" The airline, which flies to 12 US cities from Dubai, thanked customers for \"their understanding and patience during the last few months\". Turkish Airlines said on Twitter that all electronic devices would be allowed on its US flights from Wednesday. It leaves Qatar, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait waiting to have the ban lifted. Saudia, the flagship carrier for Saudi Arabia, said passengers would be able to take the electronics on US flights from 19 July. It remains unclear whether US-bound passengers going through Dubai and Istanbul airports will now need to factor in more time for security checks. The airlines aren't saying much about specific changes they have made. But Norman Shanks, an aviation security expert, said US officials will have been testing not only equipment but also procedures, in particular how stringent the checks are and how the staff carry them out. So increased vigilance can be expected. The new US security requirements extend to 105 countries, not just those subject to the laptop ban. A UK airports insider says that compliance with the new rules should be less difficult in Britain than elsewhere, given security requirements are already some of the world's most stringent. Airlines had expressed hope that new US guidelines announced last week would pave the way for the lifting of the electronics ban. The measures include enhanced screening, more thorough vetting of passengers and the wider use of bomb-sniffer dogs in 105 countries. According to reports in Turkish media, US and UK officials visited Turkey's main international airport in Istanbul on Tuesday. Turkey has recently started using sophisticated tomography imaging devices for X-ray and ultrasound screening at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport. Under the March rules, devices \"larger than a smartphone\" were not allowed on US-bound flights from the eight Middle East countries. The UK imposed similar rules to the US, but did not include Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The boss of Turkish Airlines has suggested he expects the UK to lift the ban for his airline soon. The UK government banned devices larger than 16.0cm x 9.3cm x 1.5cm on direct inbound flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1340, "answer_end": 2093, "text": "It remains unclear whether US-bound passengers going through Dubai and Istanbul airports will now need to factor in more time for security checks. The airlines aren't saying much about specific changes they have made. But Norman Shanks, an aviation security expert, said US officials will have been testing not only equipment but also procedures, in particular how stringent the checks are and how the staff carry them out. So increased vigilance can be expected. The new US security requirements extend to 105 countries, not just those subject to the laptop ban. A UK airports insider says that compliance with the new rules should be less difficult in Britain than elsewhere, given security requirements are already some of the world's most stringent."}], "question": "What's changing for passengers?", "id": "601_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Seven children killed in virus outbreak at US health centre", "date": "24 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The death toll from a viral outbreak at a medical care centre in the US state of New Jersey has risen to seven children, with 11 more infected. The strain of adenovirus at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation was \"associated with communal living\" and \"known to cause severe illness\", officials said in a statement. The children affected were \"medically fragile\", the statement added. The state investigation is ongoing. The centre is now closed to new patients. The health facility in Haskell is privately owned. The centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC. According to an earlier Department of Health release, state officials began investigating on Sunday and continued on Tuesday. On Sunday, an inspection team found \"minor handwashing deficiencies\" at the centre, which also provides short- and long-term adult nursing and rehabilitation services. It is still unclear how and when exactly the outbreak began. Local news site NewJersey.com reported that a letter had been sent to parents of patients about an outbreak on 18 October, but officials did not confirm any details about the virus until Tuesday. The state health department said it was working with the Wanaque Center \"to ensure that all infection control measures are being followed\". It said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was helping with its investigation. Children in the centre's paediatric ward are seriously ill - many are disabled, in comas, or cannot walk or speak, the North Jersey Record reported. The children affected have not been identified. Adenoviruses are a type of virus usually spread through close contact (like touching an infected surface or shaking hands), coughing, and sneezing, according to the CDC. Different strains of adenoviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including common cold symptoms, bronchitis, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Serious complications are uncommon, but the CDC notes those with \"weakened immune systems, or existing respiratory or cardiac disease\" are at a higher risk of severe sickness from adenovirus infections. Officials say the strain affecting children at the clinic, number seven, is associated with communal living and \"can be more severe\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1574, "answer_end": 2215, "text": "Adenoviruses are a type of virus usually spread through close contact (like touching an infected surface or shaking hands), coughing, and sneezing, according to the CDC. Different strains of adenoviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including common cold symptoms, bronchitis, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Serious complications are uncommon, but the CDC notes those with \"weakened immune systems, or existing respiratory or cardiac disease\" are at a higher risk of severe sickness from adenovirus infections. Officials say the strain affecting children at the clinic, number seven, is associated with communal living and \"can be more severe\"."}], "question": "What is an adenovirus?", "id": "602_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What do the 737 Max crashes mean for Boeing?", "date": "4 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boeing, a superpower of the aviation world, is in the midst of a profound crisis. A brand new 737-Max 8 crashing after a new system on the modified aircraft apparently malfunctioned is, if investigators initial findings are confirmed, a disaster. All the evidence is pointing towards a second case of the same model of plane apparently suffering a similar fate, just five months later, and that makes this a whole lot worse. While the investigations into the crash are not yet complete, the problems for Boeing are mounting. The new anti-stall mechanism on the Max relied on data from one single sensor at the front of the aircraft. It's believed that erroneous data from that single sensor activated an anti stall system on the Lion Air flight, pushing the nose of the plane down shortly after take-off. The evidence suggests that could also be the case for Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. The automatic system was also designed to reactivate repeatedly, so when the pilots on Lionair flight 610 pulled the nose of the plane back up, the stall mechanism kicked-in again, pushing the nose of each aircraft back down. Flight ET 302 also nose-dived repeatedly and, according to the preliminary report into the crash, the pilots followed Boeing's procedures and that was not enough to regain control of the aircraft. For Capt Brady, author of the 'Boeing 737 technical guide', this saga presents a long list of issues which need to be looked at. \"The level of automation of the aircraft, the behind the scenes systems, the risk analysis processes gone through at Boeing, the oversight by the regulator, the conversion training, the level of training generally, the manual flying skills of the crews. All of it needs to be reviewed in light of these accidents,\" he says. Multiple inquiries are underway. At least two lawsuits have been filed and more are likely. The latest of those two lawsuits has been filed by Ralph Nader. His niece's daughter, 24 year old Samya Stumo, who was working in the global health sector was one of 157 people killed on board flight ET 302. \"She had leadership written all over her, she had compassion in an intellectually rigorous way.\" \"She was driven to save lives and we'll never know how many lives have been lost because she's not helping in a systemic way for the next 50 years.\" Mr Nader ran several times for the US presidency, he's an experienced lawyer and has form at taking on big companies and is threatening to take legal action against Boeing. Last week a suit was filed in a Chicago federal court by the family of one of the victims of the Ethiopian crash, Jackson Musoni, a citizen of Rwanda. It alleges that Boeing had defectively designed the automated flight control system. Multiple investigations will pore over the certification of the Max and its new anti-stall system. According to one former test pilot at Boeing there were thousands of hours of flight time during the test programme which went on for more than a year. He says there will be \"terabytes of data\" from test flights which can now be examined. \"Nothing is done by a rogue pilot\", the former Boeing employee said. \"If anything we overkill, when going over things in group discussions.\" Boeing says it will install an extra warning system in the 737 Max 8 and is revising the company's pilot training plans. But the sign-off process this time around will be more rigorous and aviation regulators from outside the US will be much more active in the process. The protocol of other regulators accepting the Federal Aviation Administration's judgement will not necessarily apply. Europe's Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, will, on this occasion, make up its own mind before the Max is deemed safe enough to fly again through European skies. With hundreds of 737-Maxs grounded worldwide and thousands of orders now on ice, with some of those possibly in jeopardy, the commercial impact of this episode is still evolving. Airlines whose aircraft remain grounded will want financial compensation. The potential bill for Boeing will grow exponentially if this drags into the summer months, when flight schedules and therefore cost implications suddenly increase. That said, Boeing is a commercial giant. \"Boeing has a large enough balance sheet. It won't really hit them\", says Peter Lemme, a former flight engineer at Boeing. But he believes Boeing's reputation \"is tarnished by this.\" In his opinion, getting the Max back in the air won't be straight forward. \"There's a little bit of uncertainty now over what it will take to satisfy the regulators.\" And in the world of aviation, everything comes down to safety. For Capt Chris Brady, an experienced 737 pilot, this is a watershed moment. \"It's the processes which are flawed,\" he says. \"It could apply to any manufacturer anywhere and I'm quite sure Airbus will be looking at their own processes in light of this and asking, could this happen to us?\" Boeing has insisted that safety has always been its number one priority.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 525, "answer_end": 1765, "text": "The new anti-stall mechanism on the Max relied on data from one single sensor at the front of the aircraft. It's believed that erroneous data from that single sensor activated an anti stall system on the Lion Air flight, pushing the nose of the plane down shortly after take-off. The evidence suggests that could also be the case for Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. The automatic system was also designed to reactivate repeatedly, so when the pilots on Lionair flight 610 pulled the nose of the plane back up, the stall mechanism kicked-in again, pushing the nose of each aircraft back down. Flight ET 302 also nose-dived repeatedly and, according to the preliminary report into the crash, the pilots followed Boeing's procedures and that was not enough to regain control of the aircraft. For Capt Brady, author of the 'Boeing 737 technical guide', this saga presents a long list of issues which need to be looked at. \"The level of automation of the aircraft, the behind the scenes systems, the risk analysis processes gone through at Boeing, the oversight by the regulator, the conversion training, the level of training generally, the manual flying skills of the crews. All of it needs to be reviewed in light of these accidents,\" he says."}], "question": "What could be to blame for the crashes?", "id": "603_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1766, "answer_end": 2720, "text": "Multiple inquiries are underway. At least two lawsuits have been filed and more are likely. The latest of those two lawsuits has been filed by Ralph Nader. His niece's daughter, 24 year old Samya Stumo, who was working in the global health sector was one of 157 people killed on board flight ET 302. \"She had leadership written all over her, she had compassion in an intellectually rigorous way.\" \"She was driven to save lives and we'll never know how many lives have been lost because she's not helping in a systemic way for the next 50 years.\" Mr Nader ran several times for the US presidency, he's an experienced lawyer and has form at taking on big companies and is threatening to take legal action against Boeing. Last week a suit was filed in a Chicago federal court by the family of one of the victims of the Ethiopian crash, Jackson Musoni, a citizen of Rwanda. It alleges that Boeing had defectively designed the automated flight control system."}], "question": "What could the legal implications be for Boeing?", "id": "603_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2721, "answer_end": 3746, "text": "Multiple investigations will pore over the certification of the Max and its new anti-stall system. According to one former test pilot at Boeing there were thousands of hours of flight time during the test programme which went on for more than a year. He says there will be \"terabytes of data\" from test flights which can now be examined. \"Nothing is done by a rogue pilot\", the former Boeing employee said. \"If anything we overkill, when going over things in group discussions.\" Boeing says it will install an extra warning system in the 737 Max 8 and is revising the company's pilot training plans. But the sign-off process this time around will be more rigorous and aviation regulators from outside the US will be much more active in the process. The protocol of other regulators accepting the Federal Aviation Administration's judgement will not necessarily apply. Europe's Aviation Safety Agency, EASA, will, on this occasion, make up its own mind before the Max is deemed safe enough to fly again through European skies."}], "question": "What will Boeing be doing to try to address the problem?", "id": "603_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3747, "answer_end": 4980, "text": "With hundreds of 737-Maxs grounded worldwide and thousands of orders now on ice, with some of those possibly in jeopardy, the commercial impact of this episode is still evolving. Airlines whose aircraft remain grounded will want financial compensation. The potential bill for Boeing will grow exponentially if this drags into the summer months, when flight schedules and therefore cost implications suddenly increase. That said, Boeing is a commercial giant. \"Boeing has a large enough balance sheet. It won't really hit them\", says Peter Lemme, a former flight engineer at Boeing. But he believes Boeing's reputation \"is tarnished by this.\" In his opinion, getting the Max back in the air won't be straight forward. \"There's a little bit of uncertainty now over what it will take to satisfy the regulators.\" And in the world of aviation, everything comes down to safety. For Capt Chris Brady, an experienced 737 pilot, this is a watershed moment. \"It's the processes which are flawed,\" he says. \"It could apply to any manufacturer anywhere and I'm quite sure Airbus will be looking at their own processes in light of this and asking, could this happen to us?\" Boeing has insisted that safety has always been its number one priority."}], "question": "What could be the financial fallout for Boeing?", "id": "603_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Bangladesh violence: Armed men attack US envoy's cars amid protests", "date": "5 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Armed men attacked a convoy of cars carrying the US envoy to Bangladesh in the capital Dhaka on Saturday night, US officials said. Ambassador Marcia Bernicat and her security team were able to get away unharmed, but two cars were damaged. It comes as thousands of students and school children continue a week-long protest calling for safer roads. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds on Sunday. At least 50 protesters have also been injured in street attacks. Local media reported that political activists belonging to the governing party beat students marching towards their offices. The students were demanding to know why protesters were attacked on Saturday, in clashes which left dozens injured. The US ambassador condemned the violence. \"Nothing can justify the brutal attacks and violence over the weekend against the thousands of young people who have been peacefully exercising their democratic rights,\" a statement on the embassy's Facebook page said. \"The peaceful demonstrations of the past week in favour of better vehicle and road safety, led by students and school children across Bangladesh, have united and captured the imagination of the whole country.\" Meanwhile, a prominent photojournalist and human rights activist, Shahidul Alam, was detained by police on Sunday over Facebook posts relating to the protests. Mr Alam had criticised the government's handling of the protests in interviews with international media. Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the Awami League, told journalists that party activists acted in self-defence as the students attacked first. \"Will we kiss them if they advance towards Awami League office?\" he said. Government officials have called for an end to the protests. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged protesters to stay at home. \"Whatever they have done is enough,\" she said, adding that police had begun a week-long campaign to bring discipline to the roads. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan warned that the patience of law enforcement officers with the protesters was wearing thin. \"Even we have a limit. We will take action if that limit is exceeded,\" he said. The protests began when young people took to the streets peacefully after a boy and girl were killed by a speeding bus last Sunday. Thousands of students and school children have joined the demonstrations calling for safer roads. They have ignored repeated calls from the government for them to return home. Over the past two days, unidentified men in helmets carrying sticks and metal rods have attacked protesters and journalists. Local media have blamed groups linked to the Awami League. Witnesses have told the BBC that anyone found filming the clashes, including journalists, have been beaten and had their equipment destroyed. The government blocked 3G and 4G internet services for 24 hours on Saturday evening in response to the protests, with young people complaining that this is to stop them organising and sharing their actions. Protesters, some as young as 13, have been stopping traffic on Dhaka's notoriously clogged streets to check vehicles and drivers have valid documents before letting them drive on. Are you at the protests? If it safe to do so, please share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Or Upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1440, "answer_end": 2117, "text": "Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the Awami League, told journalists that party activists acted in self-defence as the students attacked first. \"Will we kiss them if they advance towards Awami League office?\" he said. Government officials have called for an end to the protests. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged protesters to stay at home. \"Whatever they have done is enough,\" she said, adding that police had begun a week-long campaign to bring discipline to the roads. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan warned that the patience of law enforcement officers with the protesters was wearing thin. \"Even we have a limit. We will take action if that limit is exceeded,\" he said."}], "question": "How has the governing party responded?", "id": "604_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2118, "answer_end": 3138, "text": "The protests began when young people took to the streets peacefully after a boy and girl were killed by a speeding bus last Sunday. Thousands of students and school children have joined the demonstrations calling for safer roads. They have ignored repeated calls from the government for them to return home. Over the past two days, unidentified men in helmets carrying sticks and metal rods have attacked protesters and journalists. Local media have blamed groups linked to the Awami League. Witnesses have told the BBC that anyone found filming the clashes, including journalists, have been beaten and had their equipment destroyed. The government blocked 3G and 4G internet services for 24 hours on Saturday evening in response to the protests, with young people complaining that this is to stop them organising and sharing their actions. Protesters, some as young as 13, have been stopping traffic on Dhaka's notoriously clogged streets to check vehicles and drivers have valid documents before letting them drive on."}], "question": "How have the protests unfolded?", "id": "604_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Emmy Awards 2018: Are British actors winning more Hollywood awards?", "date": "20 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "British actors went home clutching some of the night's biggest prizes at this year's Emmy Awards. The glamorous celebration of TV talent saw Claire Foy win the best actress in a drama award for her performance as the Queen in The Crown, and Thandie Newton win best supporting actress for Westworld. Matthew Rhys also picked up an award for his role in spy-thriller The Americans. In the past decade, British actors have landed some of the biggest roles in TV and film. And success at this year's Emmy Awards could be seen to confirm they are punching above their weight. British popularity is not new, says Tina McFarling, from the British Film Institute (BFI). \"There's a massive demand for British acting talent, there always has been,\" she says. But is British success at prestigious US award ceremonies actually on the rise? To try to answer that question Reality Check has looked at the Emmys and the Oscars over the past decade. This year's Emmy-winning trio of Foy, Newton and Rhys meant three victories out of 12 in the drama, comedy and mini-series categories for acting. The last time that happened was at the 2011 Emmys, when Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce) and British-born Australian Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce) won awards. In the past decade, 14 British actors have won one of these awards. Maggie Smith has won three times for her role in Downton Abbey, which has won several awards in the period. Sherlock has also been repeatedly nominated - and in 2014 Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman won best and supporting actor in a mini-series. Last year, Riz Ahmed won for The Night Of. Brits have a long history of success at Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony - the Oscars. British women have won the Academy Award for best actress 15 times, and men best actor 20 times, since 1927, according to the BFI. Meanwhile, the prize for best director has been collected by a Briton 12 times. Impressively, four of those 20 best actor awards have come in the past decade - won by Colin Firth, Daniel Day Lewis (who holds both British and Irish citizenship), Eddie Redmayne and Gary Oldman. And last year, three of the five nominees were British. But only one British women has won the best actress Oscar in the past decade - Kate Winslet for The Reader in 2008 - although there have been seven other nominations, including Judi Dench, Naomi Watts and Sally Hawkins, nominated for 2017 best picture winner The Shape of Water. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1630, "answer_end": 2464, "text": "Brits have a long history of success at Hollywood's glitziest awards ceremony - the Oscars. British women have won the Academy Award for best actress 15 times, and men best actor 20 times, since 1927, according to the BFI. Meanwhile, the prize for best director has been collected by a Briton 12 times. Impressively, four of those 20 best actor awards have come in the past decade - won by Colin Firth, Daniel Day Lewis (who holds both British and Irish citizenship), Eddie Redmayne and Gary Oldman. And last year, three of the five nominees were British. But only one British women has won the best actress Oscar in the past decade - Kate Winslet for The Reader in 2008 - although there have been seven other nominations, including Judi Dench, Naomi Watts and Sally Hawkins, nominated for 2017 best picture winner The Shape of Water."}], "question": "What about the Oscars?", "id": "605_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Armenia protest leader Pashinyan wins PM vote", "date": "8 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Opposition politician Nikol Pashinyan spearheaded weeks of protests in Armenia that brought an end to 10 years of rule by Serzh Sargsyan. Now he has persuaded a parliament dominated by Mr Sargsyan's own party to back him as prime minister, only a week after he lost an initial vote. After MPs voted again on Tuesday, thousands of supporters cheered in Republic Square in the capital Yerevan. Rock star Serj Tankian of the band System of a Down was among the crowds. Mr Pashinyan, who led what has become known as Armenia's \"Velvet Revolution\", promised MPs that human rights would be protected, and that corruption and election-rigging would end. \"All people are equal before the law. There will be no people enjoying privileges in Armenia. That's it. Full stop,\" he said. A landlocked nation of 2.9 million people, Armenia is dependent on Russia for its security and has a Russian military base on its territory. Armenia's peaceful uprising against single-party rule - and the way its political leaders responded - is seen as unprecedented for a former Soviet state. Russia has not intervened in the recent political events and Mr Pashinyan told MPs that relations with Moscow would be a priority, particularly military co-operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately welcomed Mr Pashinyan's success, looking forward to continuing \"friendly relations\". Armenia is part of Russia's collective security organisation as well as its Eurasian economic union. Armenia is also involved in a long-lasting conflict with Azerbaijan over the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave with an ethnic Armenian majority that lies inside Azerbaijan's borders. Mr Pashinyan won the vote by 59 votes to 42 and has promised snap elections as soon as he is happy conditions are right for a legitimate vote to take place. He has said he has no intention to cling to power but he will first have to persuade the same parliament to approve his cabinet. Party colleagues of Mr Pashinyan spoke in parliament on Tuesday of a \"historic day\". Lena Nazaryan told MPs that the revolution was a culmination of two decades of despair and struggle. \"The police are now free,\" she said. \"School teachers are free, local administrations are free.\" Standing beside Mr Pashinyan the night before the vote, Serj Tankian - the lead singer of American-Armenian heavy metal band System of a Down - praised the protesters in Armenian before leading them in a traditional song. His group's songs have been played regularly at rallies since the protests began on 13 April. Tankian watched the vote in parliament before celebrating with the crowds in Republic Square, where he hailed a \"New Armenia\". After 10 years in power Mr Sargsyan left Armenia's presidency last month only to be elected prime minister by a parliament controlled by his Republican party. Mr Sargsyan's move was seen by critics as a way of clinging to office. Under a 2015 referendum marred by irregularities, Armenia shifted powers from the presidency to  parliament. Mr Pashinyan, who had begun a protest march to Yerevan ahead of the president's switch to prime minster, arrived in the capital to lead daily protests. On 22 April he held a brief meeting with Mr Sargsyan but was then detained when the talks collapsed. The following day, he was freed and Mr Sargsyan resigned as prime minister, six days after he had been elected. On 1 May, a parliament dominated by the ruling Republican party rejected Mr Pashinyan as prime minister, even though he was the only candidate. A general strike across Armenia took place the following day, and eventually Republican MPs agreed they would back him in an 8 May vote.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 773, "answer_end": 1668, "text": "A landlocked nation of 2.9 million people, Armenia is dependent on Russia for its security and has a Russian military base on its territory. Armenia's peaceful uprising against single-party rule - and the way its political leaders responded - is seen as unprecedented for a former Soviet state. Russia has not intervened in the recent political events and Mr Pashinyan told MPs that relations with Moscow would be a priority, particularly military co-operation. Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately welcomed Mr Pashinyan's success, looking forward to continuing \"friendly relations\". Armenia is part of Russia's collective security organisation as well as its Eurasian economic union. Armenia is also involved in a long-lasting conflict with Azerbaijan over the mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave with an ethnic Armenian majority that lies inside Azerbaijan's borders."}], "question": "Why does this matter?", "id": "606_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1669, "answer_end": 2680, "text": "Mr Pashinyan won the vote by 59 votes to 42 and has promised snap elections as soon as he is happy conditions are right for a legitimate vote to take place. He has said he has no intention to cling to power but he will first have to persuade the same parliament to approve his cabinet. Party colleagues of Mr Pashinyan spoke in parliament on Tuesday of a \"historic day\". Lena Nazaryan told MPs that the revolution was a culmination of two decades of despair and struggle. \"The police are now free,\" she said. \"School teachers are free, local administrations are free.\" Standing beside Mr Pashinyan the night before the vote, Serj Tankian - the lead singer of American-Armenian heavy metal band System of a Down - praised the protesters in Armenian before leading them in a traditional song. His group's songs have been played regularly at rallies since the protests began on 13 April. Tankian watched the vote in parliament before celebrating with the crowds in Republic Square, where he hailed a \"New Armenia\"."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "606_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2681, "answer_end": 3665, "text": "After 10 years in power Mr Sargsyan left Armenia's presidency last month only to be elected prime minister by a parliament controlled by his Republican party. Mr Sargsyan's move was seen by critics as a way of clinging to office. Under a 2015 referendum marred by irregularities, Armenia shifted powers from the presidency to  parliament. Mr Pashinyan, who had begun a protest march to Yerevan ahead of the president's switch to prime minster, arrived in the capital to lead daily protests. On 22 April he held a brief meeting with Mr Sargsyan but was then detained when the talks collapsed. The following day, he was freed and Mr Sargsyan resigned as prime minister, six days after he had been elected. On 1 May, a parliament dominated by the ruling Republican party rejected Mr Pashinyan as prime minister, even though he was the only candidate. A general strike across Armenia took place the following day, and eventually Republican MPs agreed they would back him in an 8 May vote."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "606_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Card surcharges: Customers charged hundreds illegally", "date": "21 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Customers are paying hundreds of pounds as retailers are illegally charging for card payments, a BBC investigation has found. Credit and debit card surcharges were banned in January 2018, but retailers, letting agents and even a university have been found breaking the rules. The legislation means customers cannot be charged more for paying by card. Matt Dickinson, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said for many it could simply be an \"honest mistake\". In some cases, the surcharge may be as little as 50p but when companies charge a percentage for using a card machine, the price can soar. The BBC discovered a total of nine businesses across England, from a Chinese takeaway in Exeter to a beer delivery service in Blackpool, charging customers extra to pay using a credit card. The University of Hull was found to be offering a 2% discount for students choosing to pay their fees by means other than a credit card, which Sylvia Rook from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute said was \"no different\" to a card surcharge. This meant students who paid this year's annual tuition fees using credit or debit cards were charged over PS170 more than everyone else. The university said it was a \"genuine mistake\" and it had refunded affected students after the BBC informed it the charges were illegal. Rebecca Mansoor from Whitby, North Yorkshire, said she was told by Nissan Finance she would have to pay a PS375 surcharge for paying off her car using her credit card in December 2018. \"I knew something was wrong in the back of my mind, but it's a big company so you would think they know the law,\" she said. Mrs Mansoor decided to pay using bank transfer to avoid the charge, something she describes as \"frustrating\" as she wanted the protection of using her credit card and the option to pay off the credit loan more slowly. Ms Rook said some companies suggest that using credit cards \"may attract\" a surcharge - which technically would be payable if business rather than personal credit card was used - to deter customers paying by card. Mrs Mansoor said she was clearly told she would incur the surcharge over the phone, something reiterated on the Nissan finance website which says payment by credit card \"will attract an additional charge of 2.5% of the amount paid\". Nissan said its website had now been updated and added there was no surcharge. In Birmingham a car dealer insisted on a 3% card surcharge that, in a transaction discussed with an Inside Out reporter posing as a customer planning to buy a car for PS4,795, meant an extra cost of PS143.85. The car was not purchased. During secret filming, the second hand trader at Rose Motors said the charge was due to \"the machine we use\". Ms Rook said anyone who had incurred a card surcharge was entitled to return to the retailer and get their money back. When asked for a response, the company's director said it did not know the rules had changed and would stop adding the surcharge. Ms Rook said it is \"very hard to determine the scale\" of the problem, which she said is \"usually down to ignorance\", as Trading Standards are not often notified of the charges. \"People need to complain, go and get their money back and notify Trading Standards,\" she said. Card surcharges were banned following a directive from the European Union, which banned such fees on Visa and Mastercard payments. But the UK government went further and also banned American Express and PayPal charges. Trading standards officers are supposed to police the system. But due to financial cuts and pressure on services the organisation said enforcement of rules on surcharges was \"unlikely to be a priority\" when the laws came in last year. In 2010, consumers spent PS473m on such charges, according to estimates by the Treasury. Despite the surcharge ban being in place for a year, Mr Dickinson said it was understandable some small businesses \"aren't fully across the details\". \"There's a lot of different rules in there that haven't been particularly well explained,\" he said. The sentiment was echoed by David Cox, from the Association of Retail Letting Agents, after estate agents across the country were also found charging more for card payments. \"Every few months there are new laws coming out,\" he said. \"Agents are missing some.\" Agents in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, London and Southend-on-Sea told an undercover reporter during secret filming that they added a surcharge on rental payments of between 2-3% for customers paying by credit card.  All of the agents the BBC visited have now updated their policies. Ms Rook said there had been \"a lot of confusion\" but \"there are no exemptions\" to the surcharge ban for personal credit and debit cards. Surcharges are still allowed on the use of corporate credit cards. You can see this story in full on BBC Inside Out at 19:30 GMT on BBC One on Monday 21 January in most English regions except South and East Midlands, or via iPlayer for 30 days afterwards.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3232, "answer_end": 4953, "text": "Card surcharges were banned following a directive from the European Union, which banned such fees on Visa and Mastercard payments. But the UK government went further and also banned American Express and PayPal charges. Trading standards officers are supposed to police the system. But due to financial cuts and pressure on services the organisation said enforcement of rules on surcharges was \"unlikely to be a priority\" when the laws came in last year. In 2010, consumers spent PS473m on such charges, according to estimates by the Treasury. Despite the surcharge ban being in place for a year, Mr Dickinson said it was understandable some small businesses \"aren't fully across the details\". \"There's a lot of different rules in there that haven't been particularly well explained,\" he said. The sentiment was echoed by David Cox, from the Association of Retail Letting Agents, after estate agents across the country were also found charging more for card payments. \"Every few months there are new laws coming out,\" he said. \"Agents are missing some.\" Agents in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, London and Southend-on-Sea told an undercover reporter during secret filming that they added a surcharge on rental payments of between 2-3% for customers paying by credit card.  All of the agents the BBC visited have now updated their policies. Ms Rook said there had been \"a lot of confusion\" but \"there are no exemptions\" to the surcharge ban for personal credit and debit cards. Surcharges are still allowed on the use of corporate credit cards. You can see this story in full on BBC Inside Out at 19:30 GMT on BBC One on Monday 21 January in most English regions except South and East Midlands, or via iPlayer for 30 days afterwards."}], "question": "What are the rules?", "id": "607_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Johnny Hallyday: France's dead rocker scoops sales record", "date": "26 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "During his lifetime Johnny Hallyday sold 110 million records, and 10 months after his death his posthumous album is on course to sell a million more. In a sales record for France, Mon pays c'est l'amour (My country is love) has sold 780,177 copies in one week. That number, described by his record company as historic, tops even the US sales for the biggest album of 2018, Drake's Scorpion. The Canadian rapper sold 732,000 albums in a single week in July. Last year, Taylor Swift attracted the biggest sales in one week in the US since 2015 with Reputation, with more than 1.2m copies. Hallyday recorded Mon pays c'est l'amour in 2017 while he was dying of lung cancer. He died before he was able to put the finishing touches to the album. That task was taken on by his widow, Laeticia. Described as \"vintage Johnny\", it is a mix of American-style rock'n roll, blues and country. Writer Philippe Labro, who was a friend of the so-called French Elvis, told the BBC: \"It's typical Johnny and since he has died, all the lyrics have a different dimension.\" The release of his 51st record became a national event in France, with queues forming outside record stores shortly before midnight last Thursday. Some 300,000 copies, on CD and vinyl, were sold that Friday alone. As a measure of the record's success, Hallyday also had the previous record for the most copies sold in France in one week, according to his record label, Warner Music France. In 2002, he sold 305,634 copies. His latest album went diamond (half a million copies sold) in just three days. \"It's been a long time since CD manufacturers have had such a stiff test in meeting such massive public demand,\" said Stu Bergen of Warner Music Group. David Bowie's final album Blackstar was released just two days before he died in January 2016. It sold almost 150,000 copies in its first week on sale in the UK. The record became the subject of a legal battle over the singer's legacy when his older children fought to have a stake in his estate, of which the album was a significant part. The singer, whose real name was Jean-Philippe Smet, left everything to his widow Laeticia and their adopted children. A French court put a temporary freeze on many of his assets and a ruling is expected next month.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1870, "answer_end": 2262, "text": "The record became the subject of a legal battle over the singer's legacy when his older children fought to have a stake in his estate, of which the album was a significant part. The singer, whose real name was Jean-Philippe Smet, left everything to his widow Laeticia and their adopted children. A French court put a temporary freeze on many of his assets and a ruling is expected next month."}], "question": "Who benefits from the sales?", "id": "608_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump warns of 'left-wing violence' if Democrats win mid-term elections", "date": "29 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has warned that his policies will be \"violently\" overturned if the Democrats win November's mid-term elections. He told Evangelical leaders that the vote was a \"referendum\" on freedom of speech and religion, and that these were threatened by \"violent people\". He appealed to conservative Christian groups for help, saying they were one vote away from \"losing everything\". Mid-term elections are widely seen as a test of the president's popularity. Mr Trump has been battling negative publicity after his ex-lawyer and former campaign chief were convicted earlier this month. An audio recording of Mr Trump's closed-door meeting with Evangelical leaders at the White House was leaked to US media. During the meeting, Mr Trump said the mid-term elections were not just a referendum on him but also \"on your religion, it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment [guaranteeing basic freedoms]\". \"It's not a question of like or dislike, it's a question that they will overturn everything that we've done and they will do it quickly and violently. And violently. There is violence. When you look at Antifa - these are violent people,\" he said. Antifa - short for anti-fascist - refers to groups of far-left protesters who fight far-right ideology and regularly clash with far-right demonstrators. The US president has previously criticised left-wing groups, infamously saying that there had been violence on \"many sides\" after a white nationalist killed a left-wing demonstrator at a white nationalist protest in Charlottesville last year. Urging the Evangelical leaders to use their influence to swing voters, Mr Trump told them they had \"tremendous power\". \"In this room, you have people who preach to almost 200 million people. Depending on which Sunday we're talking about,\" he said. \"Little thing: Merry Christmas, right? You couldn't say 'Merry Christmas',\" he added, according to US media reports. Two of those who heard Mr Trump speak downplayed the remarks, according to a series of tweets by Sarah McCammon, a reporter from National Public Radio (NPR). \"Nobody walked out of there thinking that the Democrats were going to shoot us all,\" she quoted Jerry Falwell Jr as saying. President Donald Trump himself is not up for re-election, but his ability to govern in the final two years of his term will hinge upon the 6 November outcome. All 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 out of 50 state governors, along with many state and local offices, are up for election. Republicans currently hold sway in both chambers of Congress and the White House. But some Democrats have been predicting a \"blue wave\". On Tuesday a left-wing Democratic candidate beat better-funded centrist challengers to win his party's primary contest and will stand against Mr Trump's favoured candidate. Andrew Gillum, who is currently mayor of Tallahassee, will oppose Ron DeSantis. If elected, Mr Gillum would be Florida's first black governor.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2220, "answer_end": 3010, "text": "President Donald Trump himself is not up for re-election, but his ability to govern in the final two years of his term will hinge upon the 6 November outcome. All 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and 36 out of 50 state governors, along with many state and local offices, are up for election. Republicans currently hold sway in both chambers of Congress and the White House. But some Democrats have been predicting a \"blue wave\". On Tuesday a left-wing Democratic candidate beat better-funded centrist challengers to win his party's primary contest and will stand against Mr Trump's favoured candidate. Andrew Gillum, who is currently mayor of Tallahassee, will oppose Ron DeSantis. If elected, Mr Gillum would be Florida's first black governor."}], "question": "What's at stake in the midterms?", "id": "609_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Botswana lifts ban on elephant hunting", "date": "22 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Botswana has lifted a ban on elephant hunting, citing growing conflict between humans and the animals, which at times destroy crops. Critics of the ban, imposed in 2014, say the restriction was causing problems to small farmers and to those who previously benefited from hunting. Botswana has some 130,000 elephants, the world's largest population. The decision is likely to trigger an angry reaction from conservationists, who believe the move is political. It could also damage the country's international reputation for conservation and affect its revenues from tourism, the second largest source of foreign income after diamond mining. President Mokgweetsi Masisi set up a committee last June to review the ban imposed by his predecessor Ian Khama in 2014. In February, the committee recommended allowing hunting again. \"The number and high levels of human-elephant conflict and the consequent impact on livelihoods was increasing,\" the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism said in a statement. \"Predators appear to have increased and were causing a lot of damage as they kill livestock in large numbers,\" it added, saying it would ensure that the \"re-instatement of hunting is done in an orderly and ethical manner\". Surveys have shown that the elephant \"range\" - how far the animals travel - has been expanding. Experts say this is down to many factors, including climate change. Elephants can be very destructive when they encroach onto farmland and move through villages. destroying crops and sometimes killing people. Most of the country's elephants live in the country's northern region, roaming across borders into Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The latest survey of wildlife suggests their numbers are not increasing as many rural people suspect, and conservationists are likely to say the decision aims to boost the president's popularity among rural voters ahead of elections in October. There are some 415,000 elephants in Africa, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the population having been decimated largely due to poaching for ivory. International campaigns to ban all ivory sales as a way to prevent illegal poaching have gained huge momentum, but there is disagreement over how to manage large, destructive elephant populations encroaching on human settlements.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 640, "answer_end": 1252, "text": "President Mokgweetsi Masisi set up a committee last June to review the ban imposed by his predecessor Ian Khama in 2014. In February, the committee recommended allowing hunting again. \"The number and high levels of human-elephant conflict and the consequent impact on livelihoods was increasing,\" the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism said in a statement. \"Predators appear to have increased and were causing a lot of damage as they kill livestock in large numbers,\" it added, saying it would ensure that the \"re-instatement of hunting is done in an orderly and ethical manner\"."}], "question": "What has the government said?", "id": "610_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1253, "answer_end": 2354, "text": "Surveys have shown that the elephant \"range\" - how far the animals travel - has been expanding. Experts say this is down to many factors, including climate change. Elephants can be very destructive when they encroach onto farmland and move through villages. destroying crops and sometimes killing people. Most of the country's elephants live in the country's northern region, roaming across borders into Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The latest survey of wildlife suggests their numbers are not increasing as many rural people suspect, and conservationists are likely to say the decision aims to boost the president's popularity among rural voters ahead of elections in October. There are some 415,000 elephants in Africa, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the population having been decimated largely due to poaching for ivory. International campaigns to ban all ivory sales as a way to prevent illegal poaching have gained huge momentum, but there is disagreement over how to manage large, destructive elephant populations encroaching on human settlements."}], "question": "What is the background?", "id": "610_1"}]}]}, {"title": "D-Day: What happened during the landings of 1944?", "date": "5 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Commemorations for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, also known as the Normandy landings, take place this week. The Queen, US President Donald Trump and other heads of state are all due to attend events in Portsmouth in the UK. So, what happened in June 1944 during World War Two? Troops from the UK, the US, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the coast of northern France, on 6 June 1944. It was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted and marked the start of the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied north-west Europe. D-Day involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy. More than a year in the planning, D-Day was originally set to start on 5 June, judged to be the most likely date to combine calm seas, a full moon and low water at first light. However, storms meant it was delayed by 24 hours to 6 June. D-Day is a military term for the first day of an operation. Airborne troops were dropped behind enemy lines in the early hours, while thousands of ships gathered off the Normandy coast for the main attack. Though they were expecting an invasion, German military leaders believed the initial attacks were only a diversionary tactic. A deception plan in the weeks ahead of the attack had led them to expect the main invasion further along the coast. The surprise element helped British troops establish a foothold on a beach codenamed Gold. In addition, Canadian forces established themselves on another beach - Juno - and the British got on to Sword beach. American soldiers also managed to land on the westernmost beach - Utah - without major casualties. But at nearby Omaha beach, the US force suffered serious losses. The naval barrage and bombing raids on the German defences were ineffective and the Americans encountered a crack division of German troops. Shortly after midnight, three US and British airborne divisions, more than 23,000 men, took off to secure the flanks of the beaches. Myriad naval vessels and landing craft gathered at a location in the Channel dubbed \"Piccadilly Circus\". From 06:30, the first five assault divisions were delivered to their beaches under cover of a naval bombardment. Throughout the day troops landed on the beaches. By midnight, the Allies had secured their beachheads and pushed further inland from Gold, Juno, Sword and Utah. Up to 7,000 ships and landing craft were involved, delivering a total of 156,000 men and 10,000 vehicles to the five beaches along the carefully selected stretch of the Normandy coast. The landings would not have been possible without the support of massive air and naval forces, which were much stronger than the Germans'. But on D-Day alone, as many as 4,400 troops died from the combined allied forces. Some 9,000 were wounded or missing. Total German casualties on the day are not known, but are estimated as being between 4,000 and 9,000 men. Thousands of French civilians also perished, mainly as a result of bombing raids carried out by allied forces. Although they had got a foothold in France by the end of D-Day, allied forces were for a while at risk of being pushed back into the sea. They had to keep building up their forces faster than the Germans could reinforce theirs. Progress through the narrow lanes and staunchly defended towns of Normandy was slow. But now outnumbering their enemy and supported by their air superiority, they were able to overcome the considerable resistance - though at a heavy price. By the time they liberated Paris, in late August 1944, about 10% of the two million allied troops who had by then reached France were dead, wounded or missing.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 291, "answer_end": 970, "text": "Troops from the UK, the US, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the coast of northern France, on 6 June 1944. It was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted and marked the start of the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied north-west Europe. D-Day involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy. More than a year in the planning, D-Day was originally set to start on 5 June, judged to be the most likely date to combine calm seas, a full moon and low water at first light. However, storms meant it was delayed by 24 hours to 6 June. D-Day is a military term for the first day of an operation."}], "question": "What was D-Day?", "id": "611_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 971, "answer_end": 2383, "text": "Airborne troops were dropped behind enemy lines in the early hours, while thousands of ships gathered off the Normandy coast for the main attack. Though they were expecting an invasion, German military leaders believed the initial attacks were only a diversionary tactic. A deception plan in the weeks ahead of the attack had led them to expect the main invasion further along the coast. The surprise element helped British troops establish a foothold on a beach codenamed Gold. In addition, Canadian forces established themselves on another beach - Juno - and the British got on to Sword beach. American soldiers also managed to land on the westernmost beach - Utah - without major casualties. But at nearby Omaha beach, the US force suffered serious losses. The naval barrage and bombing raids on the German defences were ineffective and the Americans encountered a crack division of German troops. Shortly after midnight, three US and British airborne divisions, more than 23,000 men, took off to secure the flanks of the beaches. Myriad naval vessels and landing craft gathered at a location in the Channel dubbed \"Piccadilly Circus\". From 06:30, the first five assault divisions were delivered to their beaches under cover of a naval bombardment. Throughout the day troops landed on the beaches. By midnight, the Allies had secured their beachheads and pushed further inland from Gold, Juno, Sword and Utah."}], "question": "What happened on the day?", "id": "611_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2384, "answer_end": 3042, "text": "Up to 7,000 ships and landing craft were involved, delivering a total of 156,000 men and 10,000 vehicles to the five beaches along the carefully selected stretch of the Normandy coast. The landings would not have been possible without the support of massive air and naval forces, which were much stronger than the Germans'. But on D-Day alone, as many as 4,400 troops died from the combined allied forces. Some 9,000 were wounded or missing. Total German casualties on the day are not known, but are estimated as being between 4,000 and 9,000 men. Thousands of French civilians also perished, mainly as a result of bombing raids carried out by allied forces."}], "question": "How many troops took part?", "id": "611_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3043, "answer_end": 3670, "text": "Although they had got a foothold in France by the end of D-Day, allied forces were for a while at risk of being pushed back into the sea. They had to keep building up their forces faster than the Germans could reinforce theirs. Progress through the narrow lanes and staunchly defended towns of Normandy was slow. But now outnumbering their enemy and supported by their air superiority, they were able to overcome the considerable resistance - though at a heavy price. By the time they liberated Paris, in late August 1944, about 10% of the two million allied troops who had by then reached France were dead, wounded or missing."}], "question": "What happened after D-Day?", "id": "611_3"}]}]}, {"title": "The Jeremy Kyle Show axed by ITV after death of guest", "date": "15 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "ITV has axed The Jeremy Kyle Show after 14 years following the death of a guest who took part in the programme. Steve Dymond was found dead on 9 May a week after filming the show, during which he took a lie detector test. ITV's chief executive Carolyn McCall said the decision was a result of the \"gravity of recent events\". Following the announcement, a committee of MPs launched an inquiry into whether enough support is offered to guests on TV shows during and after filming. \"Given the gravity of recent events we have decided to end production of The Jeremy Kyle Show. \"The Jeremy Kyle Show has had a loyal audience and has been made by a dedicated production team for 14 years, but now is the right time for the show to end. \"Everyone at ITV's thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Steve Dymond. The previously announced review of the episode of the show is under way and will continue. \"ITV will continue to work with Jeremy Kyle on other projects.\" Damian Collins MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said the broadcaster had made the right decision. \"However, that should not be the end of the matter,\" he said. \"There needs to be an independent review of the duty of care TV companies have to participants in reality TV shows.\" Programmes like The Jeremy Kyle Show risked \"putting people who might be vulnerable on to a public stage at a point in their lives when they are unable to foresee the consequences\", he said. The committee will question broadcasting executives and regulators. Love Island, another ITV show, has also come under scrutiny after the deaths of two former contestants. The Jeremy Kyle Show was the most popular programme in ITV's daytime schedule, with an average of one million viewers and a 22% audience share. More than 3,000 episodes have been broadcast since its debut in 2005. Following Mr Dymond's death, ITV initially took the show off air and suspended filming. The pre-recorded episode Mr Dymond took part in was based on the subject of infidelity. A member of the audience who was at the recording told BBC News that Mr Dymond \"collapsed to the ground\" and was \"sobbing\" when he failed the lie detector test. Lie detectors were a regular fixture on the programme, which often featured disputes between partners and family members. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has told ITV to report back its initial findings on Mr Dymond's participation in the programme by Monday. \"While ITV has decided to cancel the programme, its investigation into what happened is continuing and we will review the findings carefully,\" an Ofcom spokesperson said. The watchdog is now examining whether to update its code of conduct to protect people taking part in reality and factual shows. \"We're examining whether more can be done to safeguard the welfare of those people, similar to the duty of care we have in the broadcasting code to protect under-18s,\" the spokesperson said. A lot has changed in 24 hours. Yesterday morning, ITV were minded to wait for the coroner's verdict before deciding what to do with the show. In the past 24 hours, the evidence has grown that his appearance on the show had a devastating impact on Steve Dymond. That evidence, and the fact that ITV is plastered across front pages once again, will have weighed heavily on the board's mind. The company's director of television Kevin Lygo has tried to reinvent the broadcaster, and this programme was an anomaly within his offering: different in tone and editorial approach. Nevertheless, it was a ratings hit, and much of its loyal audience will be despondent about it being pulled. For all that, it's vital to remember that this is ultimately an exceptionally sad story of a troubled individual who was found dead in his flat. Owen Jones, author of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, was among those who welcomed the decision to pull the show, which he said \"consisted of putting vulnerable people from disadvantaged backgrounds in stocks to have eggs thrown at them\". Piers Morgan, who hosts Good Morning Britain - a show Jeremy Kyle has previously guest presented - defended the host on Twitter, saying there was \"so much snobbery an hypocrisy being spewed by his critics\". Former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook, who has appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show, praised the care she was given. Appearing on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine Show, she said: \"If it wasn't for Jeremy Kyle I probably wouldn't be alive myself.\" She added: \"They really have looked after me and you know, since I've been in rehab I've spoken to Jeremy all the time and [psychotherapist] Graham [Stanier] and the team, and went I went back on the show, reassessed and [I was] really looked after.\" TV critic Emma Bullimore told BBC Radio 5 Live she was surprised by the speed of ITV's decision to cancel the show. \"Usually these things take a review, and it's ages, but with this one the public opinion and the pressure they were under was so strong that they didn't really have another option,\" she said. ITV has said it will still work with the host, who also fronts The Kyle Files. \"I don't think this is the end of this kind of television,\" Bullimore added. \"There's no getting away from the fact that whether you like it or you find it reprehensible, there is a loyal audience for this show.\" Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, former ITV chief executive Stuart Prebble said the cancellation was \"a good decision\", but that producers \"do take seriously their duty of care\". He said: \"The producers of these programmes walk a very thin line and and they know they do. If you are always tip-toeing close to the edge as I think this show did, perhaps it is not surprising that something like this will eventually happen. \"They [ITV] have done the right thing - a speedy and effective review, and the faster these things are dealt with the better.\" All previous episodes of The Jeremy Kyle Show have been taken down from the channel's catch-up service, ITV Hub. Episodes will not air on ITV2 either, and the show's YouTube channel has been deleted. A spokeswoman for Portsmouth coroner's office said an inquest into Mr Dymond's death would be likely to be opened within the next few days, following the result of the post-mortem investigation. The lie detectors used on The Jeremy Kyle show are supplied by a company called UK Lie Tests, which declined to comment to the BBC. A lie detector test, or polygraph test, involves an examiner using various instruments to measure the subject's reaction to a series of questions - and determine whether or not they are giving truthful answers. According to the British Polygraph Association (BPA), two convoluted rubber pneumograph tubes are placed around the subject's chest and abdomen to record breathing and movement. Sensors attached to the subject's fingers or hand monitor changes to skin resistance during the test, while a cardiosphygmograph traces changes to the subject's blood pressure and pulse. Various charts are then generated, which the examiner reviews to establish the test results. The BPA says the tests are \"the most reliable technique to test if someone is being deceptive to a specific issue\". However the results of lie detector tests are considered too unreliable for use in UK criminal trials. If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations in the UK which offer advice and support, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline. Have you appeared on the Jeremy Kyle show? Email us with your story at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 6294, "answer_end": 7313, "text": "The lie detectors used on The Jeremy Kyle show are supplied by a company called UK Lie Tests, which declined to comment to the BBC. A lie detector test, or polygraph test, involves an examiner using various instruments to measure the subject's reaction to a series of questions - and determine whether or not they are giving truthful answers. According to the British Polygraph Association (BPA), two convoluted rubber pneumograph tubes are placed around the subject's chest and abdomen to record breathing and movement. Sensors attached to the subject's fingers or hand monitor changes to skin resistance during the test, while a cardiosphygmograph traces changes to the subject's blood pressure and pulse. Various charts are then generated, which the examiner reviews to establish the test results. The BPA says the tests are \"the most reliable technique to test if someone is being deceptive to a specific issue\". However the results of lie detector tests are considered too unreliable for use in UK criminal trials."}], "question": "What does a lie detector test involve?", "id": "612_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US copyright law faces legal challenge", "date": "22 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is attempting to overturn parts of US copyright law which, it says, are unconstitutional. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) makes it illegal to bypass software that prevents the copying of protected work in many situations. But the EFF says that violates the right to freedom of expression by limiting what people can do with things they have purchased. It is now suing the US government. The DMCA was introduced in 1998, designed to address copyright for media such as film, music and photography in the digital age. Section 1201 of the law makes it illegal to circumvent \"access controls\" known as digital rights management (DRM) - a provision designed to stop people doing things such as copying films from a DVD and sharing them on the internet. But it has wider-reaching consequences, restricting people from doing things such as: - modifying a DVD player so that it will play discs bought anywhere in the world, rather than just the local region - deconstructing a medical device's software to look for vulnerabilities to report to the manufacturer The maximum penalties for violating the law are a $500,000 fine or a five-year prison sentence. The EFF is suing the United States on behalf of two men, arguing that the law impedes their work. Matthew Green, a computer researcher, could be punished for investigating software vulnerabilities if he had to bypass a copy protection system to do so. \"Despite this work being vital for all of our safety, Green had to seek an exemption from the Library of Congress last year for his security research,\" said the EFF. Andrew Huang, an inventor, has designed software that lets people easily record and manipulate online video. \"Those products would enable people to make innovative uses of their paid video content, such as captioning a presidential debate with a running Twitter comment field,\" said the EFF. \"But using or offering this technology could run afoul of Section 1201.\" Every few years, the Librarian of Congress grants some exemptions to Section 1201. Some of the current exemptions allow people to: - modify or \"jailbreak\" mobile phone software to allow unauthorised apps to run - take film clips from a DVD to use in an otherwise legal way, such as producing a review or criticism However, the exemptions are temporary and are not always renewed. The EFF said: \"The law imposes a legal cloud over our rights to tinker with or repair the devices we own, to convert videos so that they can play on multiple platforms, remix a video, or conduct independent security research that would reveal dangerous security flaws in our computers, cars, and medical devices.\" It's believed the legal action could go on for years before reaching a conclusion.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 461, "answer_end": 1222, "text": "The DMCA was introduced in 1998, designed to address copyright for media such as film, music and photography in the digital age. Section 1201 of the law makes it illegal to circumvent \"access controls\" known as digital rights management (DRM) - a provision designed to stop people doing things such as copying films from a DVD and sharing them on the internet. But it has wider-reaching consequences, restricting people from doing things such as: - modifying a DVD player so that it will play discs bought anywhere in the world, rather than just the local region - deconstructing a medical device's software to look for vulnerabilities to report to the manufacturer The maximum penalties for violating the law are a $500,000 fine or a five-year prison sentence."}], "question": "What is the DMCA?", "id": "613_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1223, "answer_end": 2005, "text": "The EFF is suing the United States on behalf of two men, arguing that the law impedes their work. Matthew Green, a computer researcher, could be punished for investigating software vulnerabilities if he had to bypass a copy protection system to do so. \"Despite this work being vital for all of our safety, Green had to seek an exemption from the Library of Congress last year for his security research,\" said the EFF. Andrew Huang, an inventor, has designed software that lets people easily record and manipulate online video. \"Those products would enable people to make innovative uses of their paid video content, such as captioning a presidential debate with a running Twitter comment field,\" said the EFF. \"But using or offering this technology could run afoul of Section 1201.\""}], "question": "What does the lawsuit say?", "id": "613_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2006, "answer_end": 2782, "text": "Every few years, the Librarian of Congress grants some exemptions to Section 1201. Some of the current exemptions allow people to: - modify or \"jailbreak\" mobile phone software to allow unauthorised apps to run - take film clips from a DVD to use in an otherwise legal way, such as producing a review or criticism However, the exemptions are temporary and are not always renewed. The EFF said: \"The law imposes a legal cloud over our rights to tinker with or repair the devices we own, to convert videos so that they can play on multiple platforms, remix a video, or conduct independent security research that would reveal dangerous security flaws in our computers, cars, and medical devices.\" It's believed the legal action could go on for years before reaching a conclusion."}], "question": "Are there exemptions?", "id": "613_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Harry Dunn crash: Parents 'considering civil action' against US suspect", "date": "11 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The parents of a teenage motorcyclist killed in a crash have said they are considering civil action against a US diplomat's wife suspected of driving the other vehicle. Harry Dunn, 19, died in a crash with a Volvo in Northamptonshire on 27 August. Suspect Anne Sacoolas later left the UK despite telling police she had no such plans. Mr Dunn's father Tim said the family had \"heard nothing\" since meeting Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. He said they were also \"still waiting\" for information from the US government following President Donald Trump's comments. On Wednesday, the president said his administration would speak to Mrs Sacoolas \"very shortly and see if we can do something where they meet\". But a briefing note held by Mr Trump at the press conference said Mrs Sacoolas would not be returning to the UK after being granted diplomatic immunity. Mr Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles said the US's apparent approach was \"beyond any realm of human thinking\". The family is still planning to go to the US. Tim Dunn said: \"We have to go to America and speak to the American people. We can't let this be swept under the carpet.\" He said they had taken legal advice on civil action and it was \"an avenue we are looking at\". \"We are out of our depth really, I feel like I'm on autopilot,\" he added. In a civil case a complaint is made by a person or company in a law court against another person or company said to have done something to harm them. This is commonly referred to as being sued. The case is then dealt with by a judge, who determines whether the defendant has liability for causing the harm. The outcome can differ depending from which country the case is brought, but the if the defendant is found to be liable they often have to pay compensation in the form of damages. However, diplomatic immunity extends to civil cases. Prof Craig Barker, dean of the School of Law and Social Sciences at London South Bank University, said the couple \"could pursue action in the US\". He explained that the diplomatic immunity for civil cases only extends to the \"receiving state\", in this case the UK. But Prof Barker said the family \"would need to find a court in the US to accept the case,\" which he said would be costly and given the US stance may be difficult. He also said there could be a claim made against the US Government in the UK, but a case like that had never been tested in court. After speaking to Mr Raab on Wednesday, as well as their local MP and Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom, Mr Dunn said the family felt \"we've exhausted our governments efforts\". The teenager's parents described the meeting with Mr Raab as a \"publicity stunt\". Afterwards Mr Raab said the justice process was \"not being allowed to properly run its course\". Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police Nick Adderley said the investigation into the crash was \"carrying on\". \"We are expediting that file, so that file of evidence will be with the Crown Prosecution Service within the next few days,\" he said. He added the force was exploring \"nuances\" within diplomatic immunity in the hope of bringing Mrs Sacoolas back to the UK. South Northamptonshire Council said along with Northamptonshire County Council it had put up new signs around RAF Croughton making clear which side of the road to drive on. Mr Dunn has welcomed the idea of speaking with Mrs Sacoolas. \"We want answers from her about what happened, there are things the police cannot answer,\" he said. Police have said CCTV of the crash in which the teenager died shows a Volvo travelling on the wrong side of the road. Speaking at the press briefing on Wednesday - after his conversation with Prime Minister Boris Johnson - Mr Trump said: \"The woman was driving on the wrong side of the road, and that can happen. \"You know, those are the opposite roads, that happens. I won't say it ever happened to me, but it did. \"So a young man was killed, the person that was driving the automobile has diplomatic immunity, we're going to speak to her very shortly and see if we can do something where they meet.\" Speaking in Northampton on Thursday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Trump's comments were \"crass and insensitive\". He also said the use of diplomatic immunity in the case was \"completely unacceptable\", and that more pressure should be put the US to return Mrs Sacoolas to the UK. The crash in which Mr Dunn died happened close to RAF Croughton, a US Air Force communications station, where Mrs Sacoolas's husband Jonathan had been working. Number 10 said the prime minister had urged Mr Trump to reconsider the decision to allow Mrs Sacoolas immunity in order that \"the individual involved can return to the UK, co-operate with police and allow Harry's family to receive justice\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1300, "answer_end": 1839, "text": "In a civil case a complaint is made by a person or company in a law court against another person or company said to have done something to harm them. This is commonly referred to as being sued. The case is then dealt with by a judge, who determines whether the defendant has liability for causing the harm. The outcome can differ depending from which country the case is brought, but the if the defendant is found to be liable they often have to pay compensation in the form of damages. However, diplomatic immunity extends to civil cases."}], "question": "What is civil action?", "id": "614_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump hits out at UK PM Theresa May after far-right video tweets", "date": "30 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump has told Prime Minister Theresa May to focus on \"terrorism\" in the UK after she criticised his sharing of far-right videos. \"Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom,\" Mr Trump tweeted. The US president had earlier retweeted three inflammatory videos posted online by a British far-right group. Mrs May's spokesman said it was \"wrong for the president to have done this\". The US and the UK are close allies and often described as having a \"special relationship\". Theresa May was the first foreign leader to visit the Trump White House. The speaker of the House of Commons has granted a request for an urgent question on the matter from Labour MP Stephen Doughty. MPs have been reacting to the tweet, with Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke backing Mrs May and calling Britain First a \"ghastly, obnoxious organisation\". But while Education Secretary Justine Greening said she disagreed with Mr Trump's actions, they should not be allowed to damage the special relationship between the two countries. The videos shared by Mr Trump, who has more than 40 million followers, were initially posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a group founded by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP). Ms Fransen, 31, has been charged in the UK with using \"threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour\" over speeches she made at a rally in Belfast. Several leading UK politicians have criticised the president for retweeting her posts, as has the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who said it was \"deeply disturbing\" that Mr Trump had \"chosen to amplify the voice of far-right extremists\". And it has led to renewed calls for Mr Trump's planned state visit to the UK to be cancelled, although Downing Street said on Wednesday that the invitation still stood. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has previously called for the \"ill-judged\" trip to be cancelled, said:  \"It beggars belief that the president of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great. \"After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.\" In hitting out at Mrs May, Mr Trump first tagged the wrong Twitter account, sending his statement to a different user with just six followers. He then deleted the tweet and posted it again, this time directing the message to the UK PM's official account. After already condemning Mr Trump's actions on Wednesday, Brendan Cox - whose wife, MP Jo Cox, was murdered by a right-wing extremist who shouted \"Britain first\" before committing the act - told the US president to focus on problems in his own country. TV presenter and journalist Piers Morgan, who has supported Mr Trump in the past, said the president \"owes our prime minister an apology, not a lecture\" after he \"publicly endorsed the most extreme bunch of Islamophobe fascists in Britain\". But American conservative commentator Ann Coulter - who is one of the 45 people followed on Twitter by Mr Trump and retweeted the videos first - defended her president's words to Mrs May, saying he had \"only given as good as he gets\". By Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter It's clear at this point that Donald Trump won't let a perceived slight or criticism go unanswered - even if it's from a supposed friend. Even if it's from the leader of the president's closest international ally. So shock isn't exactly the right word to describe the reaction to Mr Trump's initially botched attempt to tell Theresa May to, in effect, mind her own business. This is just another example of the US president's self-described \"modern-day presidential\" use of social media, where Twitter is a cudgel for score-settling no matter the diplomatic cost. When Mr Trump assumed the presidency, one of the first foreign dignitaries he received was Mrs May, and it appeared they formed a quick bond - briefly holding hands as they walked past the White House Rose Garden. Those bonds will now be tested in a spat over a few morning retweets of inflammatory videos. It's a wholly unnecessary controversy, but the international consequences could be all too real. Read more from Anthony The first video purportedly shows a \"Muslim migrant\" attacking a young Dutch man on crutches. However, the claim in this tweet appears to have little substance. A spokesperson from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service told the BBC that the person arrested for the attack \"was born and raised in the Netherlands\" and was not a migrant. The Dutch embassy in Washington DC confirmed this on Twitter. The second video retweeted by Mr Trump shows a man smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary. This video was uploaded to YouTube in 2013. The man in the clip says: \"No-one but Allah will be worshipped in the land of the Levant,\" which could place him in Syria. The third video originates from the riots that took place in Egypt in 2013, and shows a man being pushed from the top of a building in Alexandria. In 2015, those involved in the the incident were prosecuted, and one man was executed. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Wednesday that Mrs May and other world leaders knew that \"these are real threats that we have to talk about\". \"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real,\" she said. Mr Trump's actions on Wednesday were criticised by both Democrats and Republicans. Republican Senator John McCain said he was \"surprised\" at the president's tweets. Meanwhile, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said that Mrs May was \"one of the great world leaders\", adding that he had \"incredible love and respect for her\". Khizr Khan, the father of US soldier Humayun Khan who was killed in the Iraq war, told Today:  \"[Mr Trump] holds the hatred. He is an actor, he acts and fabricates these facts to exploit people, innocent people, that fall victim to his bigotry and he sees the benefit. \"We all need to unite ourselves, all decent people of the world, against the menace of terrorism.\" In the UK, many politicians voiced their concerns about the videos that were shared. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the president had \"endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation\". And Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted that Britain First had \"no place\" in British society. Opposition MPs were even stronger in the criticism, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn describing the retweets as \"abhorrent\" and \"dangerous\". Speaking in the Commons, Labour MP David Lammy accused Mr Trump of \"promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4349, "answer_end": 5450, "text": "The first video purportedly shows a \"Muslim migrant\" attacking a young Dutch man on crutches. However, the claim in this tweet appears to have little substance. A spokesperson from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service told the BBC that the person arrested for the attack \"was born and raised in the Netherlands\" and was not a migrant. The Dutch embassy in Washington DC confirmed this on Twitter. The second video retweeted by Mr Trump shows a man smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary. This video was uploaded to YouTube in 2013. The man in the clip says: \"No-one but Allah will be worshipped in the land of the Levant,\" which could place him in Syria. The third video originates from the riots that took place in Egypt in 2013, and shows a man being pushed from the top of a building in Alexandria. In 2015, those involved in the the incident were prosecuted, and one man was executed. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Wednesday that Mrs May and other world leaders knew that \"these are real threats that we have to talk about\". \"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real,\" she said."}], "question": "What did Trump retweet?", "id": "615_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5451, "answer_end": 6702, "text": "Mr Trump's actions on Wednesday were criticised by both Democrats and Republicans. Republican Senator John McCain said he was \"surprised\" at the president's tweets. Meanwhile, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said that Mrs May was \"one of the great world leaders\", adding that he had \"incredible love and respect for her\". Khizr Khan, the father of US soldier Humayun Khan who was killed in the Iraq war, told Today:  \"[Mr Trump] holds the hatred. He is an actor, he acts and fabricates these facts to exploit people, innocent people, that fall victim to his bigotry and he sees the benefit. \"We all need to unite ourselves, all decent people of the world, against the menace of terrorism.\" In the UK, many politicians voiced their concerns about the videos that were shared. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said the president had \"endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation\". And Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted that Britain First had \"no place\" in British society. Opposition MPs were even stronger in the criticism, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn describing the retweets as \"abhorrent\" and \"dangerous\". Speaking in the Commons, Labour MP David Lammy accused Mr Trump of \"promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group\"."}], "question": "What other reaction has there been?", "id": "615_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Texas town bans abortion in all-male city council vote", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "All five members of the entirely male Waskom city council have declared their East Texas town a \"sanctuary city for the unborn\". The unanimous vote prohibits abortion within Waskom's city limits, leaving exceptions in the case of rape, incest or serious risk to the mother's life. There are no abortion clinics in Waskom but councilmen told local media the ban was a necessary preventative measure. It is part of a wider movement of abortion restrictions sweeping the US. Anti-abortion campaigners expect the new restrictions to be challenged and defeated in the courts, but hope that the appeals process will escalate to the Supreme Court. There they hope to undermine or even overturn completely the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which established a constitutional right to abortion throughout the US. Local media footage of the vote showed Mayor Jesse Moore caution other council members that they may be sued for passing the ban. \"It could go to the Supreme Court,\" he said. Mark Lee Dickson, director of Right to Life of East Texas and an advocate for the ban, wrote on Facebook that the measure was \"history in the making\". \"It is good to see the men of Waskom rise up to protect women and children,\" he wrote. Waskom modelled its ban on a similar resolution in Roswell, New Mexico, which declared its support for \"foetal life\" in March. The Waskom measure also borrows language from the movement for immigrant rights. In some major cities, \"sanctuary\" laws mean that local authorities do not co-operate with immigration officials. Abortion is already prohibited in Texas after 20 weeks. This week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill to block any taxpayer money from going to abortion providers. Nearly 30 states have introduced some form of restriction on abortion so far this year. Fifteen of these bans, in states such as Louisiana and Georgia, forbid abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy - before many women even know they are pregnant. Anti-abortion supporters have dubbed these six-week bans \"heartbeat bills\" as they outlaw abortion as soon as what they describe as a foetus' heartbeat is detectable. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that name is misleading, as what is being detected is \"a portion of the foetal tissue that will become the heart as the embryo develops\". In May, Alabama lawmakers passed a bill to outlaw abortion outright. However despite this abortion remains legal in all 50 US states. Other states have also acted to protect abortion rights were Roe v Wade to be overturned. On Wednesday, Illinois passed laws to protect or expand abortion access, following Maine, New York, Vermont and Nevada. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a group that researches sexual and reproductive health, 19 states have laws that could be used to restrict abortion, while 10 states have laws that protect abortion rights.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1711, "answer_end": 2893, "text": "Nearly 30 states have introduced some form of restriction on abortion so far this year. Fifteen of these bans, in states such as Louisiana and Georgia, forbid abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy - before many women even know they are pregnant. Anti-abortion supporters have dubbed these six-week bans \"heartbeat bills\" as they outlaw abortion as soon as what they describe as a foetus' heartbeat is detectable. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that name is misleading, as what is being detected is \"a portion of the foetal tissue that will become the heart as the embryo develops\". In May, Alabama lawmakers passed a bill to outlaw abortion outright. However despite this abortion remains legal in all 50 US states. Other states have also acted to protect abortion rights were Roe v Wade to be overturned. On Wednesday, Illinois passed laws to protect or expand abortion access, following Maine, New York, Vermont and Nevada. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a group that researches sexual and reproductive health, 19 states have laws that could be used to restrict abortion, while 10 states have laws that protect abortion rights."}], "question": "What is access to abortion like in the US?", "id": "616_0"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Labour pledges payouts to pension age rise women", "date": "24 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Labour has promised compensation to more than three million women who lost out on years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised, if it wins the general election. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the pledge would settle a \"debt of honour\" to women born in the 1950s. Those expecting to retire at 60 were told they would have to wait years longer when changes to the state pension age were accelerated in 2010. Labour said its promise may cost PS58bn. The costing was not included in the party's manifesto, published earlier this week. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, cabinet minister Michael Gove said he was \"sympathetic\" to the position the women were in but accused Labour of producing a manifesto that \"drove a coach and horses\" through the party's own rules on spending. And Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said it was not clear \"where the money is coming from\". By Katie Prescott, BBC News business correspondent Labour is pledging to pay all women born in the 1950s for any pension income they may have lost when the men's and women's state pension age was equalised - in stages beginning in 2010 - following an act of Parliament in 1995. But pensions expert John Ralfe says the money would be far better targeted at those who were hit when the timeframe to equalise the gap was accelerated in 2011 - a far smaller cohort. He argues that it would be sensible to means-test the funding, so it can go to those who suffered hardship when the changes were put in place. But Labour's policy is all-encompassing. The party says that, as all women paid in, all women should get out and as \"a one-off historical redress for a historical wrong... the state will be expected to find the money\". But questioned by Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr McDonnell said it would be funded by a \"very special arrangement, a contingency, in the same way government in the past has dealt with matters in the past like this\". The retirement age for women rose to 65 in 2018, in line with men, and will go up to 66 by 2020, and to 67 by 2028. But a campaign by so-called Waspi women - the Women Against State Pension Inequality - argues that they were not given enough time to prepare for the changes. Another group of campaigners known as Backto60 recently lost a legal battle against the government over its handling of the issue. Labour said it would make individual payments of an average of PS15,380 to the 3.7 million women it claims were affected, with some payouts as high as PS31,300. Mr McDonnell said the compensation, which the party says could cost PS58bn over five years, would right a \"historical wrong\". He told Sophy Ridge that the women affected \"had done everything that had been asked\" of them during their working lives and many had been \"forced into penury\" through no fault of their own. \"This is a historic injustice and we have to address it. Some of these women are older and may not be with us if we don't act quickly.\" He said Labour was working on the assumption that the women ultimately won their legal fight for financial redress against the government. \"It is expensive but it is an entitlement, it is not a benefit...The scale of this injustice is enormous\". Asked why the cost of the policy was not included in Labour's manifesto, he said it was being treated differently from other financial commitments, likening it to compensation the government had to pay to mesothelioma victims after losing a long-running legal battle last year. Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said justice for those affected was a \"price worth paying\". \"People should have confidence in their government that they are not going to steal their pension,\" she told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. \"It fundamentally undermines the contract between the state and its people.\" Labour has already promised to freeze the state pension age at 66 for the foreseeable future, a move which would cost billions of pounds more than most recent government plans to raise the age for men and women to 68 by 2039. From 1948 for more than 60 years men received their state pension at 65 and women at the age of 60. But over the years it was argued that the difference was unfair, as women had a longer life expectancy than men. So under the 1995 Pensions Act a timetable was drawn up to equalise the age at which men and women could draw their state pension. The plan was to raise the qualifying age for women to 65 and to phase in that change from 2010 to 2020. But the coalition government of 2010 decided to accelerate that timetable, arguing that the state pension was becoming unaffordable. Under the 2011 Pensions Act the new qualifying age of 65 for women was bought forward to 2018 - affecting millions of women. While some of them had time to adapt to a longer working life, for others the change came as a shock. Read more here. Labour's pledge comes as a contrast to the Conservative Party's outlook on the Waspi campaign. Boris Johnson was challenged by one of the women affected in Friday's BBC Question Time leaders' special. The prime minister said: \"I do sympathise deeply with the Waspi women... but it is very expensive to come up with the solution you want.\" \"I cannot promise I can magic up that money for you,\" he added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4019, "answer_end": 4842, "text": "From 1948 for more than 60 years men received their state pension at 65 and women at the age of 60. But over the years it was argued that the difference was unfair, as women had a longer life expectancy than men. So under the 1995 Pensions Act a timetable was drawn up to equalise the age at which men and women could draw their state pension. The plan was to raise the qualifying age for women to 65 and to phase in that change from 2010 to 2020. But the coalition government of 2010 decided to accelerate that timetable, arguing that the state pension was becoming unaffordable. Under the 2011 Pensions Act the new qualifying age of 65 for women was bought forward to 2018 - affecting millions of women. While some of them had time to adapt to a longer working life, for others the change came as a shock. Read more here."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "617_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Philippines sends tonnes of rubbish back to Canada", "date": "31 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Philippines has sent tonnes of rubbish back to Canada, after a weeks-long diplomatic spat that saw President Rodrigo Duterte threaten to \"sail to Canada and dump their garbage there\". The Philippines says the rubbish was falsely labelled as plastic recycling when it was sent to Manila in 2014. Canada has agreed to cover the full cost of its transfer and disposal. Some 69 containers of refuse were sent back in a cargo vessel that set sail from Subic Bay, north of Manila. \"Baaaaaaaaa bye, as we say it,\" Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teddy Locsin Jr wrote on Twitter on Friday morning. The minister, who is known for his rambunctious tweeting style, posted pictures and video of the ship leaving port. The roughly 1,500 tonnes of repatriated rubbish will be shipped to the Canadian city of Vancouver, arriving before the end of June, to be treated at a waste-to-energy facility there. \"This is a demonstration that we're going to comply with our international obligations to deal with waste that originates in Canada,\" Sean Fraser,  Canada's parliamentary secretary to the environment minister, told the BBC. He said Canada had moved quickly in recent weeks to deal with the issue, which had dragged on for a number of years after the Philippines government made it \"clear this is a very serious priority for them\". A growing number of countries across South East Asia are calling for Western nations to take back rubbish that has been sent to their shores, arguing that some of it was imported illegally. The amount of rubbish exported by developed countries was revealed after China, which had imported the bulk of it for years, introduced a ban on \"foreign garbage\". As a result, the trash - sometimes falsely declared as recyclables - was sent to other developing countries which have now begun to push back. Officials in the Philippines first raised the waste issue with Canada in 2014, saying that containers of mislabelled rubbish had been shipped between 2013 and 2014. Manila says the containers, which arrived at Manila International Container Port, were said to contain recyclable plastics but actually held tonnes of household waste. In 2016, a court in the Philippines ordered the rubbish to be shipped back to Canada at the expense of the importer. That same year, Canada amended its own regulations around hazardous waste shipments to prevent a repeat of the incident. Earlier this month, Manila recalled its ambassador to Ottawa after Canada missed a 15 May deadline to retrieve the rubbish. Canada then said it would begin preparations to take the rubbish back.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1830, "answer_end": 2595, "text": "Officials in the Philippines first raised the waste issue with Canada in 2014, saying that containers of mislabelled rubbish had been shipped between 2013 and 2014. Manila says the containers, which arrived at Manila International Container Port, were said to contain recyclable plastics but actually held tonnes of household waste. In 2016, a court in the Philippines ordered the rubbish to be shipped back to Canada at the expense of the importer. That same year, Canada amended its own regulations around hazardous waste shipments to prevent a repeat of the incident. Earlier this month, Manila recalled its ambassador to Ottawa after Canada missed a 15 May deadline to retrieve the rubbish. Canada then said it would begin preparations to take the rubbish back."}], "question": "How did the row escalate?", "id": "618_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Theresa May says no to general election TV debates", "date": "19 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Theresa May will not take part in TV debates ahead of the planned general election, she has told the BBC. The prime minister told BBC Radio 4's Today she preferred \"to get out and about and meet voters\". ITV has become the first broadcaster to confirm a debate ahead of the poll on 8 June, announced by Mrs May on Tuesday. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn accused the PM of \"dodging\" a head-to-head showdown and the Lib Dems urged broadcasters to \"empty chair\" her. Mrs May has promised a \"strong and stable leadership\" if she wins. MPs are expected to back the early election in a vote on Wednesday. A Number 10 source has told the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg that the prime minister will not be changing her position, despite ITV's announcement. Mr Corbyn said the PM's stance was \"rather strange\", adding: \"I say to Theresa May, who said this election was about leadership, Come on and show some.' \"Let's have the debates. It's what democracy needs and what the British people deserve.\" Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron added: \"The prime minister's attempt to dodge scrutiny shows how she holds the public in contempt. \"The British people deserve to see their potential leaders talking about the future of our country.\" ITV is the first broadcaster to confirm a debate. No details have been released about the format or the date, but Julie Etchingham is expected to be the host, as she did in 2015. A BBC spokesman said it was too early to say whether the broadcaster would put in a bid to stage a debate but its head of newsgathering, Jonathan Munro, told the Daily Telegraph that he did \"not want to get in a position where any party leader stops us doing a programme that we think is in the public interest\". David Dimbleby, who hosted the BBC leaders' debates in both 2010 and 2015, said a refusal to take part in TV showdowns with her rivals could be \"rather perilous\" for Mrs May. \"I don't think other parties will refuse to take part in debates, and I wonder whether Number 10 will stick with that, because it may look a bit odd if other parties are facing audiences and making their case,\" he said. They are a chance to hear, in a prime-time TV slot, what party leaders offer and how robustly they can defend their ideas. Political leaders' TV debates featured in the last two general elections, in 2010 and 2015. And they took different forms at each - in terms of the line-up, questioning, topics and how they debated. A set of rules were thrashed out between party and broadcaster beforehand. \"I agree with Nick\" was the almost gameshow-like, standout legacy of the first 2010 encounter. It saw then Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron find common ground with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - who went on to be deputy PM in the coalition government. It was the first of three 90-minute debates on ITV, Sky and the BBC. Separate leaders' debates were held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Viewer ratings in 2010 varied - from a peak of 10.3m watching the first debate to 4m for the second. The format changed in 2015 to provide a more open mix - seven leaders taking part in one debate; a second programme of just opposition chiefs; Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish debates. There were also specials with Mr Cameron, then Labour leader Ed Miliband, another with the addition of Mr Clegg. But they did not debate 'head-to-head'. Did all those permutations change anything? Again millions watched and research shortly after the 2015 election found 38% of voters were \"influenced\" - more than general TV news coverage or party political broadcasts. Later on, researchers found they played a \"crucially important civic role\" in reaching those often reluctant younger or first-time voters and piquing interest. That may be positive for democracy, but it is clearly not perceived as decisive, given Theresa May's current no-debate stance. Her refusal may be seen by some \"a bit chicken\", as the BBC's Media Editor Amol Rajan observes here. But, he says, why would she risk it, and give her opponents a formal platform at the same time?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1227, "answer_end": 2113, "text": "ITV is the first broadcaster to confirm a debate. No details have been released about the format or the date, but Julie Etchingham is expected to be the host, as she did in 2015. A BBC spokesman said it was too early to say whether the broadcaster would put in a bid to stage a debate but its head of newsgathering, Jonathan Munro, told the Daily Telegraph that he did \"not want to get in a position where any party leader stops us doing a programme that we think is in the public interest\". David Dimbleby, who hosted the BBC leaders' debates in both 2010 and 2015, said a refusal to take part in TV showdowns with her rivals could be \"rather perilous\" for Mrs May. \"I don't think other parties will refuse to take part in debates, and I wonder whether Number 10 will stick with that, because it may look a bit odd if other parties are facing audiences and making their case,\" he said."}], "question": "So are any debates scheduled to go ahead?", "id": "619_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2114, "answer_end": 2939, "text": "They are a chance to hear, in a prime-time TV slot, what party leaders offer and how robustly they can defend their ideas. Political leaders' TV debates featured in the last two general elections, in 2010 and 2015. And they took different forms at each - in terms of the line-up, questioning, topics and how they debated. A set of rules were thrashed out between party and broadcaster beforehand. \"I agree with Nick\" was the almost gameshow-like, standout legacy of the first 2010 encounter. It saw then Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron find common ground with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - who went on to be deputy PM in the coalition government. It was the first of three 90-minute debates on ITV, Sky and the BBC. Separate leaders' debates were held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland."}], "question": "Why are TV debates important?", "id": "619_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2940, "answer_end": 4082, "text": "Viewer ratings in 2010 varied - from a peak of 10.3m watching the first debate to 4m for the second. The format changed in 2015 to provide a more open mix - seven leaders taking part in one debate; a second programme of just opposition chiefs; Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish debates. There were also specials with Mr Cameron, then Labour leader Ed Miliband, another with the addition of Mr Clegg. But they did not debate 'head-to-head'. Did all those permutations change anything? Again millions watched and research shortly after the 2015 election found 38% of voters were \"influenced\" - more than general TV news coverage or party political broadcasts. Later on, researchers found they played a \"crucially important civic role\" in reaching those often reluctant younger or first-time voters and piquing interest. That may be positive for democracy, but it is clearly not perceived as decisive, given Theresa May's current no-debate stance. Her refusal may be seen by some \"a bit chicken\", as the BBC's Media Editor Amol Rajan observes here. But, he says, why would she risk it, and give her opponents a formal platform at the same time?"}], "question": "Do they make a difference?", "id": "619_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Saudi oil attacks: Iran condemns US 'deceit' after accusation", "date": "15 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran has accused the US of \"deceit\" after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran was behind damaging drone attacks on two Saudi oil facilities. Mr Pompeo had rejected claims by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels that they had carried out the attacks. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that \"blaming Iran won't end the disaster\" in Yemen. Saudi Arabia said Saturday's strikes had suspended the production of 5.7 million barrels of oil a day. All eyes will be on the markets when they reopen on Monday, with experts expecting a significant rise in price. Meanwhile on Sunday evening US President Donald Trump said he had authorised the release of oil  from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if needed, \"in a to-be-determined amount sufficient to keep the markets well-supplied\". Since ousting Yemen's president in 2015, the Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led and Western-backed coalition. They said they had deployed 10 drones to attack the Abqaiq processing plant and the Khurais oilfield early on Saturday. But Mr Pompeo said there was \"no evidence\" the drones came from Yemen and instead accused Iran. The US has blamed Iran for other attacks on oil supplies in the region this year, amid continuing tension following Mr Trump's decision to reinstate sanctions after abandoning the landmark international deal which limited Tehran's nuclear activities. Mr Zarif took to Twitter to deride the US secretary of state, saying that \"having failed at max pressure, Sec Pompeo's turning to max deceit\". He was referring to the Trump administration's stated \"maximum pressure campaign\" which has targeted Iran with sanctions. Mr Zarif said the US and its allies were \"stuck in Yemen because of the illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory\". \"What is happening in the region today, which has also worried the world, is in fact because of the wrong policies adopted by the US and the plots hatched by the country,\" he said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said prevention of US \"aggression\" is the only way to ensure regional security. The US secretary of state gave no specific evidence to back up his accusations, simply saying: \"We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks.\" The US would work with its allies to ensure \"Iran is held accountable for its aggression\", he said. The US has previously accused Iran of attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the allegations in both cases. If the Houthi rebels had deployed the drones from Yemen, they would have to have flown them hundreds of miles. However, one element of the Houthi statement on the attacks did thank \"co-operation with the honourable people inside the kingdom\". The distance from the nearest point on the Yemen border to the closest target, the Khurais oilfield, is about 770km, well beyond the range of the normal Houthi attack drone, the Qatef-1. However, UN investigators have highlighted the existence of a new Houthi drone, the UAV-X, which could reach up to 1,500km. The Wall Street Journal has said experts are also investigating whether the attacks could have been carried out from the north - either by Iran or its Shia allies in Iraq - using cruise missiles rather than drones. If so, it seems unlikely they would have escaped detection. On Sunday, Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi denied \"what is circulated on social media networks that its territory was used to attack Saudi oil facilities with drones\". The Washington Post newspaper said the US government believed that 15 buildings at Abqaiq had been damaged on the west-northwest sides, not the southern sides facing Yemen. The Saudis have not gone into any detail about the attacks, barring saying there were no casualties, but have given a few more indications about oil production. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said some of the fall in production would be made up by tapping huge storage facilities. Saudi stocks stood at 188 million barrels in June, according to official data. The kingdom is the world's biggest oil exporter, shipping more than 7 million barrels daily. Experts say these could be used for several weeks, although that may well also be the time it takes to get production back to normal. The Tadawul All-Shares Index lost 200 points - about 3% - when it opened on Sunday, but had checked the fall to about a 1% loss by mid-afternoon. Yemen has been at war since 2015, when President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi was forced to flee the capital Sanaa by the Houthis. Saudi Arabia backs President Hadi, and has led a coalition of regional countries against the rebels. The coalition launches air strikes almost every day, while the Houthis often fire missiles into Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Saturday that operations against Saudi targets would \"only grow wider and will be more painful than before, so long as their aggression and blockade continues\". He said Saturday's attack was one of the biggest operations the Houthi forces had undertaken inside Saudi Arabia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1366, "answer_end": 2065, "text": "Mr Zarif took to Twitter to deride the US secretary of state, saying that \"having failed at max pressure, Sec Pompeo's turning to max deceit\". He was referring to the Trump administration's stated \"maximum pressure campaign\" which has targeted Iran with sanctions. Mr Zarif said the US and its allies were \"stuck in Yemen because of the illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory\". \"What is happening in the region today, which has also worried the world, is in fact because of the wrong policies adopted by the US and the plots hatched by the country,\" he said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said prevention of US \"aggression\" is the only way to ensure regional security."}], "question": "What has Iran said about the US accusations?", "id": "620_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2066, "answer_end": 3693, "text": "The US secretary of state gave no specific evidence to back up his accusations, simply saying: \"We call on all nations to publicly and unequivocally condemn Iran's attacks.\" The US would work with its allies to ensure \"Iran is held accountable for its aggression\", he said. The US has previously accused Iran of attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the allegations in both cases. If the Houthi rebels had deployed the drones from Yemen, they would have to have flown them hundreds of miles. However, one element of the Houthi statement on the attacks did thank \"co-operation with the honourable people inside the kingdom\". The distance from the nearest point on the Yemen border to the closest target, the Khurais oilfield, is about 770km, well beyond the range of the normal Houthi attack drone, the Qatef-1. However, UN investigators have highlighted the existence of a new Houthi drone, the UAV-X, which could reach up to 1,500km. The Wall Street Journal has said experts are also investigating whether the attacks could have been carried out from the north - either by Iran or its Shia allies in Iraq - using cruise missiles rather than drones. If so, it seems unlikely they would have escaped detection. On Sunday, Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi denied \"what is circulated on social media networks that its territory was used to attack Saudi oil facilities with drones\". The Washington Post newspaper said the US government believed that 15 buildings at Abqaiq had been damaged on the west-northwest sides, not the southern sides facing Yemen."}], "question": "What's behind Mr Pompeo's claims?", "id": "620_1"}]}]}, {"title": "China anti-corruption chief Wang Qishan named Xi Jinping's deputy", "date": "17 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's parliament has endorsed Xi Jinping for a second term and appointed Wang Qishan as his vice-president. The ballot at the National People's Congress unanimously approved Mr Xi while Mr Wang received 2,969 votes in favour and only one against. Wang Qishan was previously in charge of corruption investigations in China. He is a longstanding ally of President Xi and his elevation is being seen as a further consolidation of the Chinese leader's power. The recent abolition of term limits for the Chinese presidency extends to the vice-presidency, giving the position greater significance than before. China's constitution allows the vice-president to \"assist\" in his superior's work and to carry out presidential duties on his behalf - meaning Wang Qishan, possibly in his role for life, could be far more than the figurehead his predecessors were. Mr Wang, 69, has held a number of prominent positions since starting work for the Chinese Communist Party in the 1980s as a policy researcher. He became mayor of Beijing during the Sars outbreak there in 2003, and was executive chair of the city's Olympic committee ahead of the 2008 games. In 2007, he joined China's Politburo and in 2009 became then-president Hu Jintao's chief negotiator in trade talks with the US. Former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson described him at the time as \"decisive and inquisitive\", and possessing a \"wicked sense of humour\". However, Mr Wang is best known for his most recent post - leading China's anti-corruption investigation. The campaign, controlled by Mr Wang as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was launched in 2012 under the then newly appointed party leader, Xi Jinping. During President Xi's first five years in office, 1.34 million officials at high and low levels - people Mr Xi disparaged as \"tigers and flies\" - were brought down by corruption and disciplinary charges. Mr Wang, reportedly a friend of Mr Xi's from their youth, led the charge - becoming a feared enforcer for the Xi administration. The end of term limits and the choice of such a prominent party member as Mr Wang could mean a change in what the role represents, analysts say. Mr Wang's experience negotiating with the US on economics is significant, given US President Donald Trump's plans for tariffs. Hua Po, an independent Chinese political commentator, told AFP news agency his appointment may be to allow Mr Wang and Mr Xi to combat President Trump, adding: \"Maybe they'll be able to come up with a solution for this massive brewing storm with America about imbalances and tariffs.\" And his closeness to President Xi could mean he will make the position his own. Speaking to the New York Times, researcher Wu Qiang who was formerly at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, said Mr Wang is \"one of the most important figures\" in President Xi's administration. \"Wang Qishan will add substance to the role of vice-president,\" he said. \"The amendment of the constitution has raised the status of the presidency, and the vice-presidency will also benefit from that.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 854, "answer_end": 2028, "text": "Mr Wang, 69, has held a number of prominent positions since starting work for the Chinese Communist Party in the 1980s as a policy researcher. He became mayor of Beijing during the Sars outbreak there in 2003, and was executive chair of the city's Olympic committee ahead of the 2008 games. In 2007, he joined China's Politburo and in 2009 became then-president Hu Jintao's chief negotiator in trade talks with the US. Former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson described him at the time as \"decisive and inquisitive\", and possessing a \"wicked sense of humour\". However, Mr Wang is best known for his most recent post - leading China's anti-corruption investigation. The campaign, controlled by Mr Wang as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, was launched in 2012 under the then newly appointed party leader, Xi Jinping. During President Xi's first five years in office, 1.34 million officials at high and low levels - people Mr Xi disparaged as \"tigers and flies\" - were brought down by corruption and disciplinary charges. Mr Wang, reportedly a friend of Mr Xi's from their youth, led the charge - becoming a feared enforcer for the Xi administration."}], "question": "Who is Wang Qishan?", "id": "621_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2029, "answer_end": 3062, "text": "The end of term limits and the choice of such a prominent party member as Mr Wang could mean a change in what the role represents, analysts say. Mr Wang's experience negotiating with the US on economics is significant, given US President Donald Trump's plans for tariffs. Hua Po, an independent Chinese political commentator, told AFP news agency his appointment may be to allow Mr Wang and Mr Xi to combat President Trump, adding: \"Maybe they'll be able to come up with a solution for this massive brewing storm with America about imbalances and tariffs.\" And his closeness to President Xi could mean he will make the position his own. Speaking to the New York Times, researcher Wu Qiang who was formerly at the Tsinghua University in Beijing, said Mr Wang is \"one of the most important figures\" in President Xi's administration. \"Wang Qishan will add substance to the role of vice-president,\" he said. \"The amendment of the constitution has raised the status of the presidency, and the vice-presidency will also benefit from that.\""}], "question": "What does his promotion mean?", "id": "621_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Banksy posts video of \u00a31m painting shredding stunt at Sotheby's", "date": "6 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Banksy has released a video showing how he secretly built a shredder into one of his paintings that self-destructed after it was sold for more than PS1m. The framed Girl With Balloon, one of the artist's best known works, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London. Moments after the piece was sold, the canvas of a girl reaching for a heart-shaped balloon shredded itself. Quoting Picasso on his Instagram, Banksy wrote: \"The urge to destroy is also a creative urge - Picasso.\" The clip starts with a caption, saying: \"A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting.\" The video then shows someone in a hoodie installing the device, before another caption, saying: \"In case it was ever put up for auction.\" The video then shows the moment the painting shredded itself at the auction house on Friday, captured on a mobile phone. It is unclear how the shredder was activated. Moments before, the 2006 stencilled spray-painting had sold for PS1.042m. \"It appears we just got Banksy-ed,\" said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe. Earlier, Banksy posted a picture of the moment it happened on his Instagram, with the words: \"Going, going, gone...\" John Brandler, director of Brandler Art Galleries, described Banksy as \"the ultimate publicity artist\" and said the stunt was \"absolutely brilliant\". \"He has made Damien Hirst look like an amateur,\" Mr Brandler said. Banksy rose to prominence through a series of graffiti pieces across the country. The enigmatic artist is thought to have grown up in Bristol, but his identity has remained a secret despite much speculation over the years. Among his recent works was the 2015 opening of Dismaland, a Disneyland-esque attraction at a lido in Weston-super-Mare, which he described as a \"family theme park unsuitable for children\". In 2017, Girl With Balloon, which originally appeared on a wall in Great Eastern Street, London, was voted the nation's favourite artwork. The gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board. Sotheby's has not revealed who bought the piece before it was shredded. At the moment it is unclear whether their contract still stands. Mr Branczik told the Financial Times the auction house was trying to \"figure out\" what the stunt means. He said: \"We have not experienced this situation in the past ...where a painting spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a [near-]record for the artist. \"We are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context.\" In a statement on its website, Sotheby's described the incident as \"unexpected\" and said it had become \"instant art world history\". Opinion is split. Some social media posters have speculated that the prank could have actually caused the artwork to increase in value. However, others have questioned whether the buyer would still have to pay for it - or would even want to. Mr Brandler said the more publicity works of art get, the pricier they tend to become. \"It was the best publicity stunt he [Banksy] could think of,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2047, "answer_end": 2639, "text": "Sotheby's has not revealed who bought the piece before it was shredded. At the moment it is unclear whether their contract still stands. Mr Branczik told the Financial Times the auction house was trying to \"figure out\" what the stunt means. He said: \"We have not experienced this situation in the past ...where a painting spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a [near-]record for the artist. \"We are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context.\" In a statement on its website, Sotheby's described the incident as \"unexpected\" and said it had become \"instant art world history\"."}], "question": "Does the buyer still have to pay?", "id": "622_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2640, "answer_end": 3039, "text": "Opinion is split. Some social media posters have speculated that the prank could have actually caused the artwork to increase in value. However, others have questioned whether the buyer would still have to pay for it - or would even want to. Mr Brandler said the more publicity works of art get, the pricier they tend to become. \"It was the best publicity stunt he [Banksy] could think of,\" he said."}], "question": "Will it be worth more now, or is it ruined?", "id": "622_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Is Moscow falling out of love with Trump?", "date": "7 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump's widely anticipated first face-to-face meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin has come, but some in Moscow have been left disillusioned over the prospect of a sweetening of ties between Russia and the US, as the BBC's Steve Rosenberg reports. In a Moscow art gallery, a pianist is performing America the Beautiful. The scene is surreal. Above me hangs a sculpture of enormous outstretched arms. To my right is what appears to be a tree of twisted arms and legs for branches. A humongous hand is growing out of the wall. Amongst these curious limbs stands a brand new statue, just unveiled. It depicts a handshake between the former US President Ronald Reagan and his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev. Back in the 1980s, Mr Reagan and Mr Gorbachev overcame mutual suspicion to end the Cold War: an example which the organisers here hope Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will follow as they hold their first face-to-face meeting. \"It's our message to them, that 'Guys, we are now reaching a very dangerous line. Very dangerous,'\" explains Edward Lozansky, president of the American University in Moscow.  \"It's not even a red line. It's a double or triple red line. 'So you'd better do something.'\" Those \"red lines\" run through Syria, Ukraine and the Korean peninsula; through America, too, where Russia stands accused of interfering in last year's US presidential election to the benefit of Mr Trump. \"Of course, Putin is in a much better position,\" Edward Lozansky believes. \"He formulates Russian foreign policy and the country backs him, giving him a free hand. Trump is much weaker. Every time he says he wants to improve relations with Russia, he's accused of being a Russian stooge or Kremlin surrogate.\" Last month, the Russian government paper Rossiyskaya Gazeta concluded that \"it's impossible to expect anything\" from a Putin-Trump meeting, since \"...the US administration has its hands and legs tied\". This week the business daily Vedomosti suggested that \"experts consider it an achievement the talks are happening at all\". The anchor of Russian state TV's flagship News of the Week show, Dmitry Kiselev, said the most Russia could hope for from the bilateral meeting is that Putin and Trump \"get to know each other and agree to meet again\". The tone of the pro-Kremlin media has changed. A few months ago, Russian TV was showering America's president with compliments. Kiselev called him a \"real man\". More recently, though, the presenter described Mr Trump as \"more dangerous\" than Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Following Mr Trump's election victory, Russia was seized with Trumpomania: his portrait slapped on everything from golden iPhones to boxes of sugar cubes. But US-Russian relations haven't grown sweeter. And that has left some Russians feeling very sour. In a park in St Petersburg I meet a group of musical Cossacks. Dressed in full military uniforms, they sing a Cossack prayer, beseeching the Lord to bless the people and provide them with food, truth and freedom. Watching with me is local Cossack chief Andrey Polyakov. I first met Andrey last November. His community had been so excited by the prospect of a pro-Russia US president, it had made Mr Trump an honorary Cossack. Eight months on, Andrey's group has grown so disillusioned with its American 'colleague' that it has expelled Mr Trump from its ranks. \"The US president has broken his promises. And a man must keep his word,\" Andrey tells me. \"He said relations with Russia would improve, that he would reduce funding for Nato and that he would focus on domestic affairs. Instead, the US continues its aggressive foreign policy, for example in the Middle East.\" Of course, being kicked out of the Cossacks is the least of Mr Trump's problems. Of greater concern will be the numerous investigations back home into Russia's alleged links to the Trump team. Whether it's replacing healthcare or building a wall on the Mexican border, from his Muslim travel ban to improving relations with Russia, Mr Trump is finding that election promises are easy to make, but difficult to keep. For all his pre-election talk of getting along with Moscow, the US President will struggle to strike a grand bargain with President Putin. And yet in terms of character, the two leaders have much in common and could well develop a personal rapport. They share a suspicion of the mainstream Western media and of liberal society, while both seem to eschew political correctness. Is that enough to forge a US-Russian partnership? Back at the art gallery, I meet someone who has experience in bringing east and west closer together. Suzanne Massie is an American writer who fell in love with the Russian people and Russian culture. As an adviser to Ronald Reagan, she was instrumental in changing his perception of the USSR as an evil empire. She would coach him before his meetings with Mr Gorbachev. Could Mr Trump be a new Reagan? \"Reagan wanted to learn,\" Suzanne Massie tells me. \"He was a deeply religious man with a very great moral compass.\" \"And Donald Trump?\" I ask. \"Trump ought to curb his instant reactions. He's a man who doesn't have experience with all of this. I hope he can listen carefully to the Russian president and think of the good of, not only our people in the United States, but also the Russian people.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3876, "answer_end": 5326, "text": "Whether it's replacing healthcare or building a wall on the Mexican border, from his Muslim travel ban to improving relations with Russia, Mr Trump is finding that election promises are easy to make, but difficult to keep. For all his pre-election talk of getting along with Moscow, the US President will struggle to strike a grand bargain with President Putin. And yet in terms of character, the two leaders have much in common and could well develop a personal rapport. They share a suspicion of the mainstream Western media and of liberal society, while both seem to eschew political correctness. Is that enough to forge a US-Russian partnership? Back at the art gallery, I meet someone who has experience in bringing east and west closer together. Suzanne Massie is an American writer who fell in love with the Russian people and Russian culture. As an adviser to Ronald Reagan, she was instrumental in changing his perception of the USSR as an evil empire. She would coach him before his meetings with Mr Gorbachev. Could Mr Trump be a new Reagan? \"Reagan wanted to learn,\" Suzanne Massie tells me. \"He was a deeply religious man with a very great moral compass.\" \"And Donald Trump?\" I ask. \"Trump ought to curb his instant reactions. He's a man who doesn't have experience with all of this. I hope he can listen carefully to the Russian president and think of the good of, not only our people in the United States, but also the Russian people.\""}], "question": "Like minds?", "id": "623_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bidders snap up final Silk Road bitcoins", "date": "13 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The final 22,000 bitcoins seized during a raid on the internet marketplace Silk Road have been sold in a sealed-bid auction. On Thursday, the US Marshals Service said four bidders had taken a share. At the current market rate, 22,000 bitcoins are worth about $14.3m (PS9.4m), but it is possible the bidders paid less. Since 2014, the US Marshals Service has auctioned about 175,000 bitcoins confiscated from Silk Road. Silk Road was an online marketplace which US law enforcement agencies said was trading in illegal drugs. It took its name from the historic trade routes spanning Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. The website was closed in 2013 following raids by the FBI and other agencies. The site's founder Ross Ulbricht was jailed for life in 2015. The seized bitcoins were taken from Ulbricht under civil forfeiture, which allows some US law enforcement agencies to seize assets from people suspected of criminal activity, without necessarily bringing charges. The US Marshals Service said the latest and final auction of bitcoins from the Silk Road raid had attracted 11 bidders, matching the low turnout for a previous auction in December 2014. One possible reason for the low number of bids is that the bitcoins were split into blocks of 2,000 for auction, each block having a market value of $790,000 (PS520,000).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 419, "answer_end": 1324, "text": "Silk Road was an online marketplace which US law enforcement agencies said was trading in illegal drugs. It took its name from the historic trade routes spanning Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. The website was closed in 2013 following raids by the FBI and other agencies. The site's founder Ross Ulbricht was jailed for life in 2015. The seized bitcoins were taken from Ulbricht under civil forfeiture, which allows some US law enforcement agencies to seize assets from people suspected of criminal activity, without necessarily bringing charges. The US Marshals Service said the latest and final auction of bitcoins from the Silk Road raid had attracted 11 bidders, matching the low turnout for a previous auction in December 2014. One possible reason for the low number of bids is that the bitcoins were split into blocks of 2,000 for auction, each block having a market value of $790,000 (PS520,000)."}], "question": "What was Silk Road?", "id": "624_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What's behind New Zealand's shocking youth suicide rate?", "date": "15 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Think of New Zealand and what likely comes to mind is beautiful nature - fjords, mountains and magnificent landscapes, vast, empty and endless. But for years already, the country has been struggling with another form of isolation - depression and suicide. A new report by Unicef contains a shocking statistic - New Zealand has by far the highest youth suicide rate in the developed world. A shock but no surprise - it's not the first time the country tops that table. The Unicef report found New Zealand's youth suicide rate - teenagers between 15 and 19 - to be the highest of a long list of 41 OECD and EU countries. The rate of 15.6 suicides per 100,000 people is twice as high as the US rate and almost five times that of Britain. There's a combination of reasons, and it's important not to only focus on one statistic, warns Dr Prudence Stone of Unicef New Zealand. The high suicide rate ties in with other data, showing for instance child poverty, high rates of teenage pregnancies or families where neither of the parents have work. New Zealand also has \"one of the world's worst records for bullying in school\", says Shaun Robinson of the Mental Health Foundations New Zealand. He explains there is a \"toxic mix\" of very high rates of family violence, child abuse and child poverty that need to be addressed to tackle the problem. New Zealand's own statistics also reveal that suicide rates are highest for young Maori and Pacific Islander men. \"This shows us there are also issues around cultural identity and the impact of colonisation,\" he says. According to the most recent data of 2014, the suicide rate among Maori men across all age groups is around 1.4 times that of the non-Maori. \"It is alarming to see - and perhaps it is an indicator of the level of institutional and cultural racism in our society,\" says Dr Stone. \"There is no research for us to say that conclusively but it certainly suggests as much.\" Beyond the bleak numbers there's another possibility that some cite as a possible cause for the troubling situation. Health and support services across all Western countries have for years been fighting the stigma attached to depression perceived as weakness. And this might in fact be more of a problem in New Zealand than in other countries. \"There is a tradition of the hardened-up mate culture within New Zealand,\" says Dr Stone. \"It puts pressure on men to be of a particular mould, pressure on boys to harden up to become these tough beer-drinking hard men. \" She says there's been a slight change in recent years, with musicians and film makers emerging as role models for a different kind of New Zealand male - people that are \"not your typical All Black big tough type\" but show there can be a playful approach to masculinity. \"A lot of the Western world does really take an attitude: 'I'm just gonna grin and bear it,'\" agrees Briana Hill, spokeswoman for Youthline, a phone helpline specifically aimed at young people. \"But I think there definitely is an added stoicism in the New Zealand psyche around 'I'm just gonna work through this myself' which you might not experience as much in other countries.\" It's not that there's no support system to address the issue but the problem is that it's completely over-stretched. Demand for services has shot up by 70% over the past decade, explains Mr Robinson, while the number of suicide-related callouts by police have gone up by 30% in the past four years alone. It is a problem that Briana Hill of Youthline is only too familiar with. There are too many calls that they are simply not able to take, she says, because they don't have the capacity. The unanimous sense among the expert community is that there needs to be more funding to help the services that address the problem. But equally important is a more general focus to create awareness of the problem and to prioritise it. \"The country is not doing a good job of supporting its young people to be able to manage the pressure, the stresses, the emotional and mental challenges that they are facing,\" says Shaun Robinson. The persistence of the problem, though, over the years has already pushed it higher up the agenda of policy makers. It has, for instance, become a topic in political debates ahead of the country's general election in September this year. In April, the government published a draft for a national suicide prevention strategy which currently is up for public consultation. While there is a lot of debate around the draft, even those who say it falls short agree that it's an important step towards shifting the country's sky-high suicide rates more into the public focus. If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations in the UK which offer advice and support, go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. In New Zealand, you can find similar information at Youthline and Lifeline.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 735, "answer_end": 4869, "text": "There's a combination of reasons, and it's important not to only focus on one statistic, warns Dr Prudence Stone of Unicef New Zealand. The high suicide rate ties in with other data, showing for instance child poverty, high rates of teenage pregnancies or families where neither of the parents have work. New Zealand also has \"one of the world's worst records for bullying in school\", says Shaun Robinson of the Mental Health Foundations New Zealand. He explains there is a \"toxic mix\" of very high rates of family violence, child abuse and child poverty that need to be addressed to tackle the problem. New Zealand's own statistics also reveal that suicide rates are highest for young Maori and Pacific Islander men. \"This shows us there are also issues around cultural identity and the impact of colonisation,\" he says. According to the most recent data of 2014, the suicide rate among Maori men across all age groups is around 1.4 times that of the non-Maori. \"It is alarming to see - and perhaps it is an indicator of the level of institutional and cultural racism in our society,\" says Dr Stone. \"There is no research for us to say that conclusively but it certainly suggests as much.\" Beyond the bleak numbers there's another possibility that some cite as a possible cause for the troubling situation. Health and support services across all Western countries have for years been fighting the stigma attached to depression perceived as weakness. And this might in fact be more of a problem in New Zealand than in other countries. \"There is a tradition of the hardened-up mate culture within New Zealand,\" says Dr Stone. \"It puts pressure on men to be of a particular mould, pressure on boys to harden up to become these tough beer-drinking hard men. \" She says there's been a slight change in recent years, with musicians and film makers emerging as role models for a different kind of New Zealand male - people that are \"not your typical All Black big tough type\" but show there can be a playful approach to masculinity. \"A lot of the Western world does really take an attitude: 'I'm just gonna grin and bear it,'\" agrees Briana Hill, spokeswoman for Youthline, a phone helpline specifically aimed at young people. \"But I think there definitely is an added stoicism in the New Zealand psyche around 'I'm just gonna work through this myself' which you might not experience as much in other countries.\" It's not that there's no support system to address the issue but the problem is that it's completely over-stretched. Demand for services has shot up by 70% over the past decade, explains Mr Robinson, while the number of suicide-related callouts by police have gone up by 30% in the past four years alone. It is a problem that Briana Hill of Youthline is only too familiar with. There are too many calls that they are simply not able to take, she says, because they don't have the capacity. The unanimous sense among the expert community is that there needs to be more funding to help the services that address the problem. But equally important is a more general focus to create awareness of the problem and to prioritise it. \"The country is not doing a good job of supporting its young people to be able to manage the pressure, the stresses, the emotional and mental challenges that they are facing,\" says Shaun Robinson. The persistence of the problem, though, over the years has already pushed it higher up the agenda of policy makers. It has, for instance, become a topic in political debates ahead of the country's general election in September this year. In April, the government published a draft for a national suicide prevention strategy which currently is up for public consultation. While there is a lot of debate around the draft, even those who say it falls short agree that it's an important step towards shifting the country's sky-high suicide rates more into the public focus. If you are feeling emotionally distressed and would like details of organisations in the UK which offer advice and support, go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. In New Zealand, you can find similar information at Youthline and Lifeline."}], "question": "Why New Zealand?", "id": "625_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Romania leaders under growing pressure amid protests", "date": "2 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Romania's new leadership is facing growing pressure after one of the country's largest ever anti-government protests over a decree to free dozens of officials jailed for corruption. The president said he would challenge the government's decree in court, while the business minister has resigned over the measure. The justice minister, who introduced the decree, has temporarily stood down. Some 200,000 people took to the streets around Romania in protest on Wednesday. The largest protests since the fall of communism in 1989, the march in Bucharest ended in clashes between alleged football hooligans and the police, leaving eight wounded. The leftist government, led by Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), only returned to power in December after protests forced the previous leadership from power in October 2015. The emergency decree was brought in on Tuesday and comes into effect in 10 days. It decriminalises several offences and makes abuse of power punishable by incarceration only if the sums involved are more than EUR44,000 (PS38,000; $48,000). The new government says the decree is needed to ease overcrowding in prisons but Mr Grindeanu's critics say he is trying to release allies convicted of corruption. One immediate beneficiary would be the PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea, who faces charges of defrauding the state of EUR24,000. Others due for release include elected officials and magistrates. Mr Dragnea, 54, has become a focal figure for the protesters and is already barred from office because of an earlier suspended jail sentence for voter fraud. The decree was drawn up by Justice Minister Florin Iordache. Romanian media reported on Thursday that he had handed over his duties to his deputy until 7 February. A spokeswoman told the national Agerpres news agency that it was because he had a heavy workload preparing for this year's budget, though some speculate that he is attempting to distance himself from enforcing the measure. Centre-right President Klaus Iohannis announced he was referring the decree to the constitutional court - the second such challenge to be lodged - saying: \"In my view, it is without doubt a legal conflict.\" Earlier, Business Minister Florin Jianu said said he could not support the measure and was standing down for the sake of his son. \"How I am going to look him in the eyes...? Will I tell him that his father was a coward?\" he wrote on Facebook. The PSD's vice-president, Mihai Chirica, has also called on his party to withdraw the decree, Reuters news agency reports. The protesters massing in Bucharest on Wednesday night chanted \"Resign\" and \"Thieves, thieves\". \"Our chances are small but it is important to fight,\" said architect Gabriela Constantin. Another protester, Nicolae Stancu, said: \"We came to protect our country against criminals who tried to dismiss the rule of law in Romania; to protect our rights and interests, not their obscure interests.\" Demonstrators accused local football hooligans loyal to the ruling party of trying to sabotage their protest by targeting police. Witnesses told the BBC that a group of at least 100 \"ultras\" threw smoke bombs and stones at police. At least eight people were wounded; two riot police and two protesters were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Are you in Romania? Have you been protesting? You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experiences. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 851, "answer_end": 1987, "text": "The emergency decree was brought in on Tuesday and comes into effect in 10 days. It decriminalises several offences and makes abuse of power punishable by incarceration only if the sums involved are more than EUR44,000 (PS38,000; $48,000). The new government says the decree is needed to ease overcrowding in prisons but Mr Grindeanu's critics say he is trying to release allies convicted of corruption. One immediate beneficiary would be the PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea, who faces charges of defrauding the state of EUR24,000. Others due for release include elected officials and magistrates. Mr Dragnea, 54, has become a focal figure for the protesters and is already barred from office because of an earlier suspended jail sentence for voter fraud. The decree was drawn up by Justice Minister Florin Iordache. Romanian media reported on Thursday that he had handed over his duties to his deputy until 7 February. A spokeswoman told the national Agerpres news agency that it was because he had a heavy workload preparing for this year's budget, though some speculate that he is attempting to distance himself from enforcing the measure."}], "question": "What do we know about the decree?", "id": "626_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1988, "answer_end": 3299, "text": "Centre-right President Klaus Iohannis announced he was referring the decree to the constitutional court - the second such challenge to be lodged - saying: \"In my view, it is without doubt a legal conflict.\" Earlier, Business Minister Florin Jianu said said he could not support the measure and was standing down for the sake of his son. \"How I am going to look him in the eyes...? Will I tell him that his father was a coward?\" he wrote on Facebook. The PSD's vice-president, Mihai Chirica, has also called on his party to withdraw the decree, Reuters news agency reports. The protesters massing in Bucharest on Wednesday night chanted \"Resign\" and \"Thieves, thieves\". \"Our chances are small but it is important to fight,\" said architect Gabriela Constantin. Another protester, Nicolae Stancu, said: \"We came to protect our country against criminals who tried to dismiss the rule of law in Romania; to protect our rights and interests, not their obscure interests.\" Demonstrators accused local football hooligans loyal to the ruling party of trying to sabotage their protest by targeting police. Witnesses told the BBC that a group of at least 100 \"ultras\" threw smoke bombs and stones at police. At least eight people were wounded; two riot police and two protesters were taken to hospital with minor injuries."}], "question": "What has been the response?", "id": "626_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Nepal plane crash: Three die at world's 'most dangerous' airport", "date": "14 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three people have died in a plane crash in Nepal, at what is regarded as one of the world's most dangerous airports. The plane veered off the runway and hit a stationary helicopter at Lukla Airport, the main gateway to the Everest region. The runway is short and surrounded by mountains, making it extremely difficult for takeoff and landing. The pilot of the plane and two police officers standing near the helicopter died. Three other people were injured. Both aircraft belonged to companies involved in taking climbers, tourists and locals to the Everest region. The reason for Saturday's accident is not clear. Officials said the weather was good and flights later resumed their operations. Eyewitness Bikram Raj Bhandari told BBC Nepali: \"I heard an explosion from some distance and ran towards the airport to see what had happened. There was smoke all around.\" Lukla Airport is located at an altitude of 2,845m (9,333ft). In 2008, 18 people, including 12 Germans, were killed when a plane tried to land there. Two pilots died in similar circumstances less than two years ago. One runway rests on the edge of a cliff with a 700m drop and the airport is often closed because of strong winds or heavy clouds. Only experienced pilots are allowed to land at Lukla. They must have made at least 100 landings and takeoffs on short runways and worked in such conditions for at least a year in Nepal. Because of an influx of tourists in recent years, the number of flights to the Himalayas has significantly increased. However, Nepal has a poor flight safely record. In February, seven people died in a helicopter crash, including the country's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari. The European Union has banned the flights of all Nepalese airlines in its airspace.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 867, "answer_end": 1792, "text": "Lukla Airport is located at an altitude of 2,845m (9,333ft). In 2008, 18 people, including 12 Germans, were killed when a plane tried to land there. Two pilots died in similar circumstances less than two years ago. One runway rests on the edge of a cliff with a 700m drop and the airport is often closed because of strong winds or heavy clouds. Only experienced pilots are allowed to land at Lukla. They must have made at least 100 landings and takeoffs on short runways and worked in such conditions for at least a year in Nepal. Because of an influx of tourists in recent years, the number of flights to the Himalayas has significantly increased. However, Nepal has a poor flight safely record. In February, seven people died in a helicopter crash, including the country's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari. The European Union has banned the flights of all Nepalese airlines in its airspace."}], "question": "The world's most dangerous airport?", "id": "627_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Tata steel: Port Talbot faces bulk of 1,050 job losses", "date": "18 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 1,000 jobs are to go at Tata Steel plants, mostly in south Wales. Tata said 750 jobs would go in Port Talbot, while 200 support staff elsewhere would be axed. Other job losses would include 15 at Trostre, Llanelli along with jobs going at Hartlepool in north east England and at Corby, Northamptonshire. It said \"tough actions are critical in the face of extremely difficult market conditions\". Karl Koehler, chief executive of Tata Steel's European operations, said: \"We need the European Commission to accelerate its response to unfairly traded imports and increase the robustness of its actions. Not doing so threatens the future of the entire European steel industry. \"And while we welcome progress on UK energy costs, the (UK) government must take urgent action to increase the competitiveness of the UK for its vital steel sector. \"This includes lowering business rates and supporting energy efficiency and anti-dumping cases so we can compete fairly.\" Stuart Wilkie, hub director of Tata UK's strip mills division, said they were taking the necessary steps to keep the 3,500 jobs remaining jobs in Port Tabot but still needed help. \"State aid or part nationalisation isn't the way forward,\" he said. \"We want a level playing field that we can compete on our own two feet in the European and global market place.\" He believed they could turn it around but could not say Monday's job losses were enough to secure the plant or satisfy Tata bosses in India. \"I couldn't write off anything. The challenge is we need the workforce and ourselves as managers to respond to the challenges if we're to sustain a long term future for the plant in Port Talbot.\" Prime Minister David Cameron said: \"We'll work very closely with the company, with the local communities to do everything we can, to get people the training and the assistance they need. \"And we'll continue to help the steel industry.\" Labour said the UK Government had delivered \"little concrete action\" but Business Minister Anna Soubry insisted it had responded to many of the demands from the steel industry and was creating a \"level playing field\" such as cutting energy costs. First Minister Carwyn Jones described the job cuts as a \"devastating blow\" to the community and the wider economy. Earlier, Community general secretary Roy Rickhuss called for \"meaningful action\" from the UK government. Cheap Chinese imports, a strong pound and high energy costs have been called \"a perfect storm\" for the UK steel industry. Mr Rickhuss added: \"The dumping of cheap Chinese steel is one of the biggest causes of this crisis, yet the UK government remains a cheerleader for China and their bid for 'market economy status', which would decimate what's left of our steel industry. This cannot be allowed to happen.\" But he called for long-term commitment to steel making in the UK from Tata after \"significant sacrifices\" from its workforce. Analysis by Brian Meechan, BBC Wales business correspondent The steelworks have been part of the scene in Port Talbot for decades. It is the biggest plant in the UK, providing well paid jobs that are difficult to replace. For every job in the steelworks, it is estimated another four jobs in the local economy are supported. This is another bitter blow for the Tata plant and an industry that has been struggling and a workforce that has put a lot in, in recent years, to try to make Tata competitive. But it is fighting against global forces including cheap imports from China. The UK government has put in measures recently to deal with high energy costs but the industry has been calling for these for four or five years. The steel industry has not really recovered from the financial crash in 2008 when at its height people stopped buying white goods, cars, and construction stopped. We talk a lot about dumping but it is cheaper to produce steel in China and that is not going to change. Tata have invested quite heavily in Port Talbot with the new blast furnace in particular and also in the workforce and it has been quite patient. But ultimately the concern is that patience will eventually run out. We are looking at a meeting at Tata headquarters in India in a few weeks time and the company will look at the proposals made by Tata UK and may think that is a best case scenario and does not go far enough. Tata Steel Europe, which employs 17,000 in the UK, is in the throes of a wide-scale reorganisation of its business. It employs now around 5,500 in Wales and has made 5,000 cuts in the UK over the last year. It is estimated to be losing PS1m a day at Port Talbot alone. It currently puts PS200m a year into the Welsh economy in wages. Andy Richards, Unite Wales secretary, said steel \"runs through the heart of the Welsh economy\". He added: \"Job losses on this scale will reverberate through the supply chain, communities and associated industries across Wales.\" The Federation of Small Business described the losses as a \"a hammer blow\". Tata Steel employs more than 80,000 people worldwide and is part of the wider Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate. Founded more than 100 years ago, it has grown into a global producer with operations in 26 countries and revenue of around PS15bn last year. It became Europe's second largest steel producer, and the biggest in the UK, after it bought Corus, formerly British Steel, for PS8bn in 2007. Tata also has plants in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium and south east Asia. The steel it produces is used to make a huge range of products, from cars to office furniture and battery cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4960, "answer_end": 5557, "text": "Tata Steel employs more than 80,000 people worldwide and is part of the wider Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate. Founded more than 100 years ago, it has grown into a global producer with operations in 26 countries and revenue of around PS15bn last year. It became Europe's second largest steel producer, and the biggest in the UK, after it bought Corus, formerly British Steel, for PS8bn in 2007. Tata also has plants in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium and south east Asia. The steel it produces is used to make a huge range of products, from cars to office furniture and battery cases."}], "question": "What is Tata Steel?", "id": "628_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine election: Comedian is front-runner in first round", "date": "31 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The people of Ukraine are voting in the first round of presidential elections. Current leader Petro Poroshenko, 53, is seeking re-election but the surprise front-runner is 41-year-old comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Both, along with former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, 58, have expressed largely pro-EU views during the campaign. None of the pro-Russian candidates are seen as serious contenders. Areas controlled by pro-Russian separatists are boycotting the poll. If no candidate gets more than 50% on Sunday, the top two will fight it out in a second round on 21 April. A total of 39 candidates are on the ballot paper, but only the three front-runners are considered to have any chance of victory. The Ukrainian president has significant powers over security, defence and foreign policy and the ex-Soviet republic's system is described as semi-presidential. Mr Poroshenko, one of Ukraine's wealthiest oligarchs, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east. The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in the east, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties. The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine's 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014. Mr Zelenskiy is aiming to turn his satirical TV show - in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption - into reality. He has torn up the rule book for election campaigning, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from Kiev. He has done no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different. His extensive use of social media appeals to younger voters. His readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, has gained him support in Ukraine's largely Russian-speaking east. Opinion polls suggest he will have a clear lead over Mr Poroshenko and Ms Tymoshenko in the first round, and would retain it in a run-off against either of them. Mr Poroshenko aims to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan \"Army, Language, Faith\". He says his backing for the military has helped keep the separatists in eastern Ukraine in check. He also negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU, including visa-free travel for Ukrainians. During his tenure the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become independent of Russian control. However his campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations, including a scandal over defence procurement, which erupted last month. The third main contender is Yulia Tymoshenko who has served as prime minister and ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She played a leading role in the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukraine's first big push to ally itself with the EU. The front-runner among the pro-Russian candidates, Yuriy Boyko, says he would \"normalise\" relations with Russia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 852, "answer_end": 1494, "text": "Mr Poroshenko, one of Ukraine's wealthiest oligarchs, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east. The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in the east, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties. The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine's 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "629_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1495, "answer_end": 2285, "text": "Mr Zelenskiy is aiming to turn his satirical TV show - in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption - into reality. He has torn up the rule book for election campaigning, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from Kiev. He has done no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different. His extensive use of social media appeals to younger voters. His readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, has gained him support in Ukraine's largely Russian-speaking east. Opinion polls suggest he will have a clear lead over Mr Poroshenko and Ms Tymoshenko in the first round, and would retain it in a run-off against either of them."}], "question": "Just who is the surprise front-runner?", "id": "629_1"}]}]}, {"title": "German SPD set for three interim leaders amid coalition crisis", "date": "3 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Three senior members of Germany's embattled Social Democratic Party (SPD) are set to take over on an interim basis after its leader quit. Outgoing SPD leader Andrea Nahles has resigned over her party's poor performance in the European elections. Her resignation has raised concerns that Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government could collapse. Mrs Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party says it wants to stay in power with the SDP, its coalition partner. CDU party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer denied that the issue of snap elections was raised during the talks, but said that her party was \"prepared for whatever comes\". Three caretaker leaders are set to take over until Ms Nahles' successor is elected: Manuela Schwesig is state premier in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Malu Dreyer is premier in Rhineland-Palatinate and Thorsten Schafer-Gumbel is party leader in the Hesse. Germany's DPA news agency says the temporary joint leadership has been proposed to the party's executive board, which met in Berlin on Monday. Ms Nahles' long-term replacement is yet to be determined, leaving Mrs Merkel's \"grand coalition\" hanging in the balance until a decision is made. At a press conference, Ms Dreyer said her party would \"stick to our agreement\" with Mrs Merkel's CDU until 24 June. On that date, SPD leaders will discuss the \"revision clause\" for their governing coalition, she said. Rolf Mutzenich, who currently serves as deputy chairman of the SPD, was proposed as interim head of the party's parliamentary group, the agency added. The Social Democrats came third, behind Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Greens, in the 26 May elections. The poor result has caused disquiet in the party, whose left-wing members have criticised Ms Nahles for remaining in the coalition. Ms Nahles became SPD leader in April 2018, replacing Martin Schulz who had also resigned because of poor electoral performance. She had been expected to run for the position again and her resignation took analysts by surprise. She said farewell to her party's leadership at its Berlin HQ on Monday, thanking them \"for the years of good co-operation\" in a press conference afterwards. The coalition between the CDU and the SPD is due to last until federal elections in 2021, but correspondents say Ms Nahles's resignation could lead to the SPD leaving, triggering a snap poll. Mrs Merkel herself plans to step down as chancellor in 2021, having already resigned as CDU leader at the end of last year. Analysis by BBC Berlin Correspondent Damien McGuinness Many never wanted the SPD to be in government again in the first place. Party left-wingers blame plummeting support on years of messy compromise with Angela Merkel's conservatives. Now pressure is growing on the SPD to quit the coalition and bring down the government, in the hope that fresh elections would help them ditch the conservatives and build a left-wing coalition. The problem is new elections are unlikely to help. Current polls place the SPD in third place after the Greens. There is no leader-apparent ready to take over. And the party's message on many big issues, from climate change to migration, remains unclear. In 2017 it took six months of wrangling to form this government. That was followed by half a year of internal bickering that exasperated voters. The only parties that would benefit from more struggles for power within Germany's two big parties would be the Greens and the far-right AfD. CDU party members were also meeting to discuss the crisis as the junior partner in the coalition considered its next step. Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer, the party leader, told reporters that the CDU was willing to continue sharing power with the Social Democrats. \"We want to do justice to the government mandate,\" she said. Mrs Merkel said the SPD's appointment of three caretaker leaders would not \"hinder\" the work of the coalition government. \"I don't have the impression that this is a sign of instability,\" she said. Several senior party figures in the Social Democrats, including Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lower Saxony's Prime Minister, Stephan Weil, have ruled themselves out of the leadership race. Former SDP leader Thomas Oppermann said it could take \"one, two months\" to choose Ms Nahles' replacement. He said the political instability was \"not a good overall situation\" and warned his party against \"waiting for further defeats\", alluding to the forthcoming elections in three East German states in September and October. Polls suggest the SDP may suffer losses in those elections. In a Forsa survey, the SPD dropped by five percentage points to 12%, its lowest-ever score on a national level. Ms Nahles said on Sunday she would stand down as SPD leader and as head of its parliamentary group. \"The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties,\" she said in a a statement. A new leader was due to be elected at the party's conference in December. But party chiefs could bring that vote forward in light of Ms Nahles' resignation. If the SPD were to leave the coalition, the fall of the government would be likely to trigger fresh elections. Olaf Scholz told Tagesspiegel newspaper he had ruled out entering another such coalition. \"Three grand coalitions in a row would not do democracy in Germany any good,\" he said in the interview before Ms Nahles announced her resignation. The latest crisis come days after Mrs Merkel dismissed reports of a rift with Mrs Kramp-Karrenbauer. Two unidentified officials quoted in a Bloomberg article had said Mrs Merkel believed her successor was not up to the job. But the German chancellor dismissed the claims as nonsense.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3469, "answer_end": 5125, "text": "CDU party members were also meeting to discuss the crisis as the junior partner in the coalition considered its next step. Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer, the party leader, told reporters that the CDU was willing to continue sharing power with the Social Democrats. \"We want to do justice to the government mandate,\" she said. Mrs Merkel said the SPD's appointment of three caretaker leaders would not \"hinder\" the work of the coalition government. \"I don't have the impression that this is a sign of instability,\" she said. Several senior party figures in the Social Democrats, including Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lower Saxony's Prime Minister, Stephan Weil, have ruled themselves out of the leadership race. Former SDP leader Thomas Oppermann said it could take \"one, two months\" to choose Ms Nahles' replacement. He said the political instability was \"not a good overall situation\" and warned his party against \"waiting for further defeats\", alluding to the forthcoming elections in three East German states in September and October. Polls suggest the SDP may suffer losses in those elections. In a Forsa survey, the SPD dropped by five percentage points to 12%, its lowest-ever score on a national level. Ms Nahles said on Sunday she would stand down as SPD leader and as head of its parliamentary group. \"The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties,\" she said in a a statement. A new leader was due to be elected at the party's conference in December. But party chiefs could bring that vote forward in light of Ms Nahles' resignation."}], "question": "What next for the coalition?", "id": "630_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5126, "answer_end": 5757, "text": "If the SPD were to leave the coalition, the fall of the government would be likely to trigger fresh elections. Olaf Scholz told Tagesspiegel newspaper he had ruled out entering another such coalition. \"Three grand coalitions in a row would not do democracy in Germany any good,\" he said in the interview before Ms Nahles announced her resignation. The latest crisis come days after Mrs Merkel dismissed reports of a rift with Mrs Kramp-Karrenbauer. Two unidentified officials quoted in a Bloomberg article had said Mrs Merkel believed her successor was not up to the job. But the German chancellor dismissed the claims as nonsense."}], "question": "What if the coalition falls?", "id": "630_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Air pollution: Madrid bans old cars to reduce emissions", "date": "30 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spanish authorities have introduced new driving restrictions in the centre of the country's capital, Madrid, aimed at reducing air pollution by up to 40%. The tough measures mean motorists will have to test their vehicles' emissions, with the oldest and most polluting vehicles banned from the city centre. Drivers entering the controlled zone in breach of the rules will ultimately have to pay a fine of EUR90 (PS80). The move is also to help reduce noise and encourage more cycling in the city. Madrid City Council estimates that the project, which was launched on Friday and labelled Madrid Central, will affect about 20% of the cars that enter the city centre. The new rules imposed on Madrid's busy city centre form part of a plan by Spanish authorities to create a cleaner environment by prioritising cyclists, pedestrians, and the use of public transport. Restrictions for those entering the designated low emission zone vary depending on the type of vehicle and its \"label\", which is issued following emissions tests. For example, hybrid cars with an \"eco label\" are permitted to drive freely in the centre and use public or designated car parks with no time restrictions. However, diesel vehicles produced prior to 2006 and petrol vehicles prior to 2000 will not receive a label and can only enter the zone if they are registered in advance and have access to private parking. From 2020, these vehicles will not be permitted to enter the emissions zone. Meanwhile, residents who live within the controlled zone can drive freely at any time once registered, but can only park on their own street. The Madrid Central area, which is marked with red lines on road surfaces and signs displaying red circles at the point of entry, is being policed with surveillance cameras. Concerns about the impact of exhaust pollutants emitted from older vehicles and diesel engines have risen in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that millions of deaths around the world every year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Diesel engines contribute to the problem in two key ways - through the production of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Very fine soot PM can penetrate the lungs and can contribute to cardiovascular illness and death. Back in 2016, the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, said the issue needed to be addressed urgently in order to improve the health of \"our children, our grandparents and our neighbours\". Madrid is not the only capital city to focus on improving its air quality. Paris, Mexico City and Athens have all pledged to ban diesel vehicles from city centres by 2025. Measures implemented by other cities include: Paris - Banning cars built prior to 1997 from entering the city centre during weekdays between 08:00 and 20:00 - An additional ban on all diesel vehicles registered before 2001 - A strategy to phase out older vehicles and remove all diesels from the centre, while offering generous subsidies for other forms of transport - Plan to pedestrianise the city centre Stockholm - Introduced a congestion charge for vehicles entering the centre - Set up a park-and-ride bus service to encourage drivers to leave their vehicles on the outskirts - Adopted an Urban Mobility Strategy initiative, investing in public transport systems buses, trams and the subway London - Introduced a congestion charge for many vehicles entering the city centre - Established a 24-hour low emission zone targeting diesel vehicles throughout the Greater London area - To introduce an \"ultra-low emission zone\" promoting tighter exhaust emission standards in the city centre from April 2019 - Set up \"Cycle Superhighways\" to make it safer to cycle throughout the city", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 665, "answer_end": 1777, "text": "The new rules imposed on Madrid's busy city centre form part of a plan by Spanish authorities to create a cleaner environment by prioritising cyclists, pedestrians, and the use of public transport. Restrictions for those entering the designated low emission zone vary depending on the type of vehicle and its \"label\", which is issued following emissions tests. For example, hybrid cars with an \"eco label\" are permitted to drive freely in the centre and use public or designated car parks with no time restrictions. However, diesel vehicles produced prior to 2006 and petrol vehicles prior to 2000 will not receive a label and can only enter the zone if they are registered in advance and have access to private parking. From 2020, these vehicles will not be permitted to enter the emissions zone. Meanwhile, residents who live within the controlled zone can drive freely at any time once registered, but can only park on their own street. The Madrid Central area, which is marked with red lines on road surfaces and signs displaying red circles at the point of entry, is being policed with surveillance cameras."}], "question": "What are Madrid's new measures?", "id": "631_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1778, "answer_end": 2466, "text": "Concerns about the impact of exhaust pollutants emitted from older vehicles and diesel engines have risen in recent years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that millions of deaths around the world every year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Diesel engines contribute to the problem in two key ways - through the production of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Very fine soot PM can penetrate the lungs and can contribute to cardiovascular illness and death. Back in 2016, the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, said the issue needed to be addressed urgently in order to improve the health of \"our children, our grandparents and our neighbours\"."}], "question": "How do vehicle emissions impact our health?", "id": "631_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: Libya opposes EU plan for centres, says minister", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Libya's foreign minister says his country opposes a European Union plan to set up assessment centres for migrants outside the EU. The plan was drawn up by EU leaders in June as Italy called for more controls on migration. But Mohamed al-Taher Siala told an Austrian newspaper that all North African countries reject the idea. Instead, he said, Libya was working with its southern neighbours to reinforce their common borders. Mr Siala is foreign minister for Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA is nominally in power in the capital, Tripoli, but rival political factions and militias occupy much of the rest of the country. Libya has been mired in political chaos since Nato-backed forces overthrew long-serving ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In June, the EU proposed \"regional disembarkation platforms\" in North Africa, where the UN and other agencies could screen those who have a genuine claim to asylum in Europe. Those not eligible would be offered help to resettle in their home countries. The plan was to break the business model of people-smuggling gangs by processing refugees and migrants outside the EU. The move followed complaints from Italy, which has long been the main arrival point for boatloads of migrants from African countries fleeing poverty and violence. According to the United Nations, more than 1,700 migrants have died trying to cross to Europe in 2018. \"All North African countries reject this proposal - Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya, as well,\" Mr Siala told the Austrian newspaper Die Presse. He estimated that about 30,000 illegal migrants were being detained in centres in Libya. He said his government was working with the EU to return migrants to their home countries, but added: \"Unfortunately, some of these countries - many west African countries - refuse to take them back.\" Mr Siala said Libya was trying to improve security along its southern border by striking agreements with Chad, Niger and Sudan. He said the EU could also help protect that border by providing technical support such as patrol vehicles, \"drones, helicopters and perhaps a few light weapons\". Meanwhile, EU and Arab League leaders have said they are to hold talks in Egypt in February, with illegal migration expected to be high on the agenda. The League includes Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco as well as countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. Correspondents say part of the EU strategy is to boost development in sub-Saharan Africa to ease the conditions that often drive migration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 774, "answer_end": 1411, "text": "In June, the EU proposed \"regional disembarkation platforms\" in North Africa, where the UN and other agencies could screen those who have a genuine claim to asylum in Europe. Those not eligible would be offered help to resettle in their home countries. The plan was to break the business model of people-smuggling gangs by processing refugees and migrants outside the EU. The move followed complaints from Italy, which has long been the main arrival point for boatloads of migrants from African countries fleeing poverty and violence. According to the United Nations, more than 1,700 migrants have died trying to cross to Europe in 2018."}], "question": "What is the EU plan?", "id": "632_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1412, "answer_end": 2547, "text": "\"All North African countries reject this proposal - Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Libya, as well,\" Mr Siala told the Austrian newspaper Die Presse. He estimated that about 30,000 illegal migrants were being detained in centres in Libya. He said his government was working with the EU to return migrants to their home countries, but added: \"Unfortunately, some of these countries - many west African countries - refuse to take them back.\" Mr Siala said Libya was trying to improve security along its southern border by striking agreements with Chad, Niger and Sudan. He said the EU could also help protect that border by providing technical support such as patrol vehicles, \"drones, helicopters and perhaps a few light weapons\". Meanwhile, EU and Arab League leaders have said they are to hold talks in Egypt in February, with illegal migration expected to be high on the agenda. The League includes Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco as well as countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. Correspondents say part of the EU strategy is to boost development in sub-Saharan Africa to ease the conditions that often drive migration."}], "question": "What has Libya said?", "id": "632_1"}]}]}, {"title": "What is Trump's plan for Puerto Rico?", "date": "12 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has been bellyaching about Puerto Rico's parlous finances, as the US territory struggles to regain its footing after Hurricane Maria. His focus on the Caribbean island's more than $70bn (PS53bn) debt mountain has renewed questions about how it is to be solved. The Puerto Rican government can't borrow money on the private market to rebuild due to the debt problems. Hurricane Maria, which brought economic activity to a halt, has also created an immediate fiscal crisis: the government is running out of money. Congress has just approved more than $36bn in disaster funding, including a $4.9bn loan to keep Puerto Rico operating. But the remainder will be divided up among all areas affected in recent storms, including Texas and Florida. Does Trump care about Puerto Rico's hurricane victims? Puerto Rico debt crisis: How did we get here? Lawmakers in Congress have said they will consider additional funds for more long-term building efforts, but it's not clear how much that might be. Moody's Analytics estimates property damage from Hurricane Maria could reach as high as $55bn, with total losses hitting $95bn. Governor Ricardo Rossello has said the island of 3.4 million people, many of whom live in poverty, faces an \"exodus\" without a strong aid package. Already Puerto Rico's population has plunged by more than 10% since 2006 amid a years-long recession precipitated in part by the end to tax benefits for manufacturers on the island. Representative Rob Bishop, whose committee oversees US territories, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, said he expects funding for recovery on Puerto Rico to be \"significant\". He added that he is focused on legal changes to ease deployment of that money and encourage private investment. \"The federal government by itself is not going to just rebuild two territorial economies [including the Virgin Islands]...  going forward,\" he said. Puerto Rico's power in Congress is limited by its status as a territory and not a state. It has traditionally found its strongest allies among Democrats, many of whom have slammed the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria as slow and inadequate. The White House has said it is committed to the island and President Trump has dismissed the criticism as political posturing. Puerto Rico's population swap: The middle class for millionaires Puerto Rico: 'Why did help take nine days to arrive?' But the president has shown reluctance to help Puerto Rico before. In a tweet this spring, he described funding for Puerto Rico as a \"bailout\" proposed by Democrats. On Thursday, he laid responsibility at the door of lawmakers, tweeting that it is for \"Congress to decide what to spend\". Matt Fabian, a partner at the research firm Municipal Market Analytics, said he doesn't see appetite for major rebuilding funds for Puerto Rico, especially given constraints created by the Republican push for major tax cuts. \"This is not the Congress that is going to provide large unfettered aid for Puerto Rico,\" he said. In 2016, Congress tried to address Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis through the so-called Promesa law. The law put the island's finances under the control of a federal oversight panel and created a way to restructure the debts under cover of a kind of bankruptcy protection. The storm leaves negotiation of those questions back at square one. Hurricane Maria could give negotiators for Puerto Rico a stronger hand in debt-restructuring talks, bolstering the argument that the government and its agencies cannot pay the debts, Mr Fabian said. He said the destruction may have also created new opportunities to create deals with bondholders, if the government moves to privatise infrastructure and publicly owned utilities as part of the rebuilding effort. President Trump earlier this month appeared to raise the tantalising possibility, when he told broadcaster Fox News: \"We have to look at their whole debt structure.\" \"You know, they owe a lot of money to your friends on Wall Street, and we're going to have to wipe that out. You can say goodbye to that.\" The prices of Puerto Rican bonds plunged after the remarks. But White House advisers swiftly walked back the statement, saying the administration will stick to the path established by Promesa, and that Wall Street shouldn't take the president's comments \"word for word\". The president cannot unilaterally eliminate the debt - the subject of court battles that are just getting started - and while the federal government could, theoretically, step in and pay off the debts, analysts say politics makes that unlikely. Some hope aid can lift the economy, ultimately generating tax revenue - and easing repayment of its debt. But others say the storm will accelerate the island's economic contraction, as people leave for the mainland.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 284, "answer_end": 1919, "text": "The Puerto Rican government can't borrow money on the private market to rebuild due to the debt problems. Hurricane Maria, which brought economic activity to a halt, has also created an immediate fiscal crisis: the government is running out of money. Congress has just approved more than $36bn in disaster funding, including a $4.9bn loan to keep Puerto Rico operating. But the remainder will be divided up among all areas affected in recent storms, including Texas and Florida. Does Trump care about Puerto Rico's hurricane victims? Puerto Rico debt crisis: How did we get here? Lawmakers in Congress have said they will consider additional funds for more long-term building efforts, but it's not clear how much that might be. Moody's Analytics estimates property damage from Hurricane Maria could reach as high as $55bn, with total losses hitting $95bn. Governor Ricardo Rossello has said the island of 3.4 million people, many of whom live in poverty, faces an \"exodus\" without a strong aid package. Already Puerto Rico's population has plunged by more than 10% since 2006 amid a years-long recession precipitated in part by the end to tax benefits for manufacturers on the island. Representative Rob Bishop, whose committee oversees US territories, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, said he expects funding for recovery on Puerto Rico to be \"significant\". He added that he is focused on legal changes to ease deployment of that money and encourage private investment. \"The federal government by itself is not going to just rebuild two territorial economies [including the Virgin Islands]...  going forward,\" he said."}], "question": "So what's the plan for Puerto Rico?", "id": "633_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1920, "answer_end": 3036, "text": "Puerto Rico's power in Congress is limited by its status as a territory and not a state. It has traditionally found its strongest allies among Democrats, many of whom have slammed the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria as slow and inadequate. The White House has said it is committed to the island and President Trump has dismissed the criticism as political posturing. Puerto Rico's population swap: The middle class for millionaires Puerto Rico: 'Why did help take nine days to arrive?' But the president has shown reluctance to help Puerto Rico before. In a tweet this spring, he described funding for Puerto Rico as a \"bailout\" proposed by Democrats. On Thursday, he laid responsibility at the door of lawmakers, tweeting that it is for \"Congress to decide what to spend\". Matt Fabian, a partner at the research firm Municipal Market Analytics, said he doesn't see appetite for major rebuilding funds for Puerto Rico, especially given constraints created by the Republican push for major tax cuts. \"This is not the Congress that is going to provide large unfettered aid for Puerto Rico,\" he said."}], "question": "What are the politics?", "id": "633_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3037, "answer_end": 3786, "text": "In 2016, Congress tried to address Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis through the so-called Promesa law. The law put the island's finances under the control of a federal oversight panel and created a way to restructure the debts under cover of a kind of bankruptcy protection. The storm leaves negotiation of those questions back at square one. Hurricane Maria could give negotiators for Puerto Rico a stronger hand in debt-restructuring talks, bolstering the argument that the government and its agencies cannot pay the debts, Mr Fabian said. He said the destruction may have also created new opportunities to create deals with bondholders, if the government moves to privatise infrastructure and publicly owned utilities as part of the rebuilding effort."}], "question": "What about the debt?", "id": "633_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3787, "answer_end": 4823, "text": "President Trump earlier this month appeared to raise the tantalising possibility, when he told broadcaster Fox News: \"We have to look at their whole debt structure.\" \"You know, they owe a lot of money to your friends on Wall Street, and we're going to have to wipe that out. You can say goodbye to that.\" The prices of Puerto Rican bonds plunged after the remarks. But White House advisers swiftly walked back the statement, saying the administration will stick to the path established by Promesa, and that Wall Street shouldn't take the president's comments \"word for word\". The president cannot unilaterally eliminate the debt - the subject of court battles that are just getting started - and while the federal government could, theoretically, step in and pay off the debts, analysts say politics makes that unlikely. Some hope aid can lift the economy, ultimately generating tax revenue - and easing repayment of its debt. But others say the storm will accelerate the island's economic contraction, as people leave for the mainland."}], "question": "Can US just wipe out the debt?", "id": "633_3"}]}]}, {"title": "How are MPs deselected?", "date": "2 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson has warned Tory MPs threatening to rebel over Brexit they will be barred from standing as Conservatives at the next general election and effectively thrown out of the party. Up to 20 former ministers, including ex-Chancellors Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke and former Justice Secretary David Gauke, face the prospect of being \"deselected\" if they support Labour attempts to block a no-deal exit from the EU. If an MP is deselected, it means they are removed as a candidate and cannot represent their party at a general election. It's not a new phenomenon - Winston Churchill faced deselection in 1904 in a row over free trade - but happens rarely. The next election is not scheduled to take place until May 2022. But with Boris Johnson's government seemingly on a collision course with Parliament over Brexit, the chance of a snap poll happening in the next couple of months is growing. Tory MPs have been told if they defy the government in a series of Commons votes this week, they will have the parliamentary whip withdrawn and will not be able to apply to be a candidate. No 10 hopes this ultimate sanction will force rebels into line. Conservative election candidates are traditionally chosen at a local level. Each constituency has what is known as a Conservative Association which is responsible for deciding who they want to represent them at general elections. An existing MP who wants to stand again must apply in writing to be re-adopted as the party candidate. The executive council of the association then votes, by secret ballot, on whether to choose them again. In many cases, this is a relative formality and MPs are re-adopted with a minimum of fuss. But Brexit tensions have led to a growing number of grassroots attempts to oust MPs. Four former Conservatives who left the party earlier this year - Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston and Nick Boles - either faced explicit deselection threats or were coming under local pressure from activists to call a by-election. More than 40 Conservative MPs have openly said they will do everything they can to oppose a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. Some, such as Ken Clarke and Dominic Grieve, have gone further by suggesting they might be prepared to bring the government down in a vote of confidence. Mr Grieve is already facing calls from activists in his Beaconsfield constituency to stand down, more than 35,000 people having signed a petition urging him to go. The biggest name under threat is Philip Hammond, who just over a month ago was one of the most powerful figures in the government. The Sun reported the ex-chancellor was seeking to secure his re-adoption as quickly as possible. Mr Gauke has accused Downing Street of trying to \"purge\" critical voices. He suggested the government was \"almost goading people into voting against\" it to pave the way for a general election. He also pointed out that many of those demanding loyalty now repeatedly defied Theresa May by voting against her Brexit deal. Ex-ministers insist they are entitled to express their opinions without being hounded out of Parliament, while some, such as ex-Development Secretary Rory Stewart, have almost appeared to welcome the looming confrontation. Deselection is not a straightforward process and MPs have several weapons at their disposal to fight it. MPs who lose the confidence of their constituency associations can appeal to the wider membership of their local party for support. In the past few years, a number of MPs have won votes of confidence and remained in place that way. However, this unlikely to be an option for any MP barred from standing and opposed by Conservative Central Office. Some MPs opposed to a no-deal exit - such as Guto Bebb, Richard Harrington and Oliver Letwin - have taken pre-emptive action and already announced they will not contest the next election. Whether this will influence their future actions remains to be seen. MPs who are barred from standing as Conservatives could, theoretically, stand as independents, but independents have an extremely poor record in general elections. Until recent weeks, most talk about deselection surrounded the Labour Party. More than a dozen Labour MPs at odds with the party over Brexit and other issues have quit in the past year. Some, like Chuka Umunna, have joined the Liberal Democrats, while Frank Field intends to stand as an independent whenever an election comes. Unlike the Tories, Labour MPs can be made to compete for selection as a candidate against all comers. The threshold for so-called \"trigger ballots\" has been reduced, making MPs potentially more vulnerable. There are not currently thought to be any SNP or Lib Dem MPs facing the threat of deselection.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1153, "answer_end": 2005, "text": "Conservative election candidates are traditionally chosen at a local level. Each constituency has what is known as a Conservative Association which is responsible for deciding who they want to represent them at general elections. An existing MP who wants to stand again must apply in writing to be re-adopted as the party candidate. The executive council of the association then votes, by secret ballot, on whether to choose them again. In many cases, this is a relative formality and MPs are re-adopted with a minimum of fuss. But Brexit tensions have led to a growing number of grassroots attempts to oust MPs. Four former Conservatives who left the party earlier this year - Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston and Nick Boles - either faced explicit deselection threats or were coming under local pressure from activists to call a by-election."}], "question": "How are Tory MPs normally chosen?", "id": "634_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2006, "answer_end": 2673, "text": "More than 40 Conservative MPs have openly said they will do everything they can to oppose a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. Some, such as Ken Clarke and Dominic Grieve, have gone further by suggesting they might be prepared to bring the government down in a vote of confidence. Mr Grieve is already facing calls from activists in his Beaconsfield constituency to stand down, more than 35,000 people having signed a petition urging him to go. The biggest name under threat is Philip Hammond, who just over a month ago was one of the most powerful figures in the government. The Sun reported the ex-chancellor was seeking to secure his re-adoption as quickly as possible."}], "question": "Who is under threat?", "id": "634_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2674, "answer_end": 3215, "text": "Mr Gauke has accused Downing Street of trying to \"purge\" critical voices. He suggested the government was \"almost goading people into voting against\" it to pave the way for a general election. He also pointed out that many of those demanding loyalty now repeatedly defied Theresa May by voting against her Brexit deal. Ex-ministers insist they are entitled to express their opinions without being hounded out of Parliament, while some, such as ex-Development Secretary Rory Stewart, have almost appeared to welcome the looming confrontation."}], "question": "What are the rebels saying?", "id": "634_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3216, "answer_end": 4088, "text": "Deselection is not a straightforward process and MPs have several weapons at their disposal to fight it. MPs who lose the confidence of their constituency associations can appeal to the wider membership of their local party for support. In the past few years, a number of MPs have won votes of confidence and remained in place that way. However, this unlikely to be an option for any MP barred from standing and opposed by Conservative Central Office. Some MPs opposed to a no-deal exit - such as Guto Bebb, Richard Harrington and Oliver Letwin - have taken pre-emptive action and already announced they will not contest the next election. Whether this will influence their future actions remains to be seen. MPs who are barred from standing as Conservatives could, theoretically, stand as independents, but independents have an extremely poor record in general elections."}], "question": "Is there any way out for them?", "id": "634_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4089, "answer_end": 4716, "text": "Until recent weeks, most talk about deselection surrounded the Labour Party. More than a dozen Labour MPs at odds with the party over Brexit and other issues have quit in the past year. Some, like Chuka Umunna, have joined the Liberal Democrats, while Frank Field intends to stand as an independent whenever an election comes. Unlike the Tories, Labour MPs can be made to compete for selection as a candidate against all comers. The threshold for so-called \"trigger ballots\" has been reduced, making MPs potentially more vulnerable. There are not currently thought to be any SNP or Lib Dem MPs facing the threat of deselection."}], "question": "Are MPs in other parties under threat?", "id": "634_4"}]}]}, {"title": "India PM Narendra Modi vows to 'restore' Kashmir's 'past glory'", "date": "15 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Indian PM Narendra Modi has said his decision to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status will restore the region to its \"past glory\". Pakistan's PM Imran Khan earlier criticised India's move, warning \"the world's eye is on Kashmir\". Both leaders covered the tense situation in Kashmir in their independence day speeches, a day apart. The disputed territory has been the site of decades of sporadic conflict and is now in lockdown. A communications blackout in the region has made reporting from India-administered Kashmir difficult - but Mr Modi did not mention the restrictions in his speech. India celebrates Independence Day one day after Pakistan. The two separate states came into existence as a result of the partition of British India in 1947. Mr Modi criticised people at home who opposed the revocation of Article 370, accusing them of \"playing politics\", and said Kashmir will play an \"important role\" in India's development. He said Article 370, the constitutional provision that granted it special status, had only encouraged corruption. Mr Khan, meanwhile, used his speech to issue a warning: \"Whatever was done during the curfew by India, we will tell the international community that you are responsible.\" \"Whichever forum we get, I will be the ambassador and bring up Kashmir at every forum,\" he said. Many Kashmiris believe that Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist government's move is aimed at changing the demographics of the region by allowing other Indians to permanently settle there. The government denies this and has consistently framed its move as one made to facilitate economic development and security. Mr Modi said past governments had lacked the courage to take such a bold step because they were worried about their political future. \"I don't care about my political future. For me, the country's future comes first.\" Kashmir has been in lockdown for more than a week now, with mobile, landline and internet networks cut off and curfew-like restrictions that ban people from assembling in crowds. However, officials said on Wednesday that these restrictions had now been eased in the Hindu-majority Jammu region. The BBC World Service, meanwhile, has stepped up its output on shortwave radio in Indian-administered Kashmir amid the communications shutdown. Broadcasts in English, Urdu, Hindi, Dari, and Pashto languages are available in the region, the BBC said. The Line of Control - the de facto border which marks the division of the parts of Kashmir administered by India and Pakistan - was the site of at least eight deaths, Pakistani officials said. Three soldiers died in Indian shelling across the Line of Control but return fire killed five on the Indian side, they said. Indian officials did not confirm those deaths, and Indian news agency ANI said Indian army officials had denied the claim - labelling the exchange of fire as \"ceasefire violations\" by Pakistan. Fire continues to be exchanged intermittently, Pakistan's armed forces said. Despite the security clampdown however, there have been protests against the revocation of Article 370, including one last Friday in Srinagar in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley. It involved thousands of people coming out after midday prayers to demonstrate against the move. Thousands gathered in London outside the Indian High Commission to protest against the scrapping of Kashmir's special status on Thursday. Although Kashmir took centre stage during Mr Modi's Independence Day speech, the Indian prime minister also made several other important announcements. For the first time in the history of independent India, there will be a Chief of Defence Staff who will have authority over all three of India's armed forces. He also addressed the problem of single-use plastic items, urging people to reduce their usage, and referred to other issues such as water shortages, population control and healthcare.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 767, "answer_end": 1857, "text": "Mr Modi criticised people at home who opposed the revocation of Article 370, accusing them of \"playing politics\", and said Kashmir will play an \"important role\" in India's development. He said Article 370, the constitutional provision that granted it special status, had only encouraged corruption. Mr Khan, meanwhile, used his speech to issue a warning: \"Whatever was done during the curfew by India, we will tell the international community that you are responsible.\" \"Whichever forum we get, I will be the ambassador and bring up Kashmir at every forum,\" he said. Many Kashmiris believe that Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist government's move is aimed at changing the demographics of the region by allowing other Indians to permanently settle there. The government denies this and has consistently framed its move as one made to facilitate economic development and security. Mr Modi said past governments had lacked the courage to take such a bold step because they were worried about their political future. \"I don't care about my political future. For me, the country's future comes first.\""}], "question": "What did the leaders say?", "id": "635_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1858, "answer_end": 3903, "text": "Kashmir has been in lockdown for more than a week now, with mobile, landline and internet networks cut off and curfew-like restrictions that ban people from assembling in crowds. However, officials said on Wednesday that these restrictions had now been eased in the Hindu-majority Jammu region. The BBC World Service, meanwhile, has stepped up its output on shortwave radio in Indian-administered Kashmir amid the communications shutdown. Broadcasts in English, Urdu, Hindi, Dari, and Pashto languages are available in the region, the BBC said. The Line of Control - the de facto border which marks the division of the parts of Kashmir administered by India and Pakistan - was the site of at least eight deaths, Pakistani officials said. Three soldiers died in Indian shelling across the Line of Control but return fire killed five on the Indian side, they said. Indian officials did not confirm those deaths, and Indian news agency ANI said Indian army officials had denied the claim - labelling the exchange of fire as \"ceasefire violations\" by Pakistan. Fire continues to be exchanged intermittently, Pakistan's armed forces said. Despite the security clampdown however, there have been protests against the revocation of Article 370, including one last Friday in Srinagar in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley. It involved thousands of people coming out after midday prayers to demonstrate against the move. Thousands gathered in London outside the Indian High Commission to protest against the scrapping of Kashmir's special status on Thursday. Although Kashmir took centre stage during Mr Modi's Independence Day speech, the Indian prime minister also made several other important announcements. For the first time in the history of independent India, there will be a Chief of Defence Staff who will have authority over all three of India's armed forces. He also addressed the problem of single-use plastic items, urging people to reduce their usage, and referred to other issues such as water shortages, population control and healthcare."}], "question": "What else is happening in Kashmir?", "id": "635_1"}]}]}, {"title": "#MeToo firestorm consumes Bollywood and Indian media", "date": "9 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's #MeToo movement arrived in a cascade of allegations as women took to Twitter to call out comedians, journalists, authors, actors and filmmakers - in the process, they have sparked a debate about consent and complicity. Unlike its American counterpart, it has not been spurred by investigative journalism. Rather, it has been a spontaneous outpouring in the last few days, amplified by journalists themselves. And it has hit Indian media the hardest. Veteran actor Alok Nath is the latest to be named for an alleged sexual assault nearly 20 years ago. His accuser, the director of a television show starring Nath, recounted the alleged incident in a Facebook post that has since gone viral. \"Neither I am denying this nor do I would agree with it. It [rape] must have happened, but someone else would have done it,\" Mr Nath is quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper. Meanwhile, the association of TV actors has promised an inquiry into the matter. It's difficult to say what sparked the torrent of allegations. But it seems to have started on 4 October when a young female comedian accused Utsav Chakraborty, a 33-year-old comedian, of sending her an unsolicited photo of his penis. More allegations followed as other women replied to her tweet or she shared private messages they sent her (with their names blurred) - they said he had either sent them photos of his penis or asked them for naked photos of themselves. Mr Chakraborty, who admitted to the accusation in a series of tweets, apologised the next day. By then, more women, many of them journalists, had begun to share stories of sexual harassment and even assault. In the next three days, as more comedians, senior reporters, editors, popular authors, actors and filmmakers were \"outed\", the hashtag #MeToo was trending in India. The scores of tweets - in the form of long \"threads\" and screenshots of incriminating conversations - have set off a debate about what constitutes harassment, complicity and consent. This is not the first time alleged harassers have been publicly named and shamed in India - in 2017, a law student published a controversial crowdsourced list on Facebook accusing more than 50 professors. But this time, most of the accusers are not anonymous. And those that have chosen to remain anonymous are not alone in their accusations. Women journalists have perhaps played the biggest role so far, \"outing\" reporters, senior editors, authors and even a high court judge. And it's likely the coming week will bring fresh accusations. \"So many allegations have come out and organisations are slowly realising that this is wrong and something has to be done,\" Dhanya Rajendran, editor of The News Minute, told the BBC's Divya Arya. \"But this is just a start. This is the first step to give women a safe working environment,\" she added. The allegations have made it to the front page of national dailies, forcing newsrooms to not just take notice but also respond. At least one major newspaper has promised an investigation after seven women accused one of its senior editors of sexually harassing them and of sabotaging their careers if they did not comply; another newspaper announced that a senior editor who had been named was stepping down from his role. \"There were whispers all along in the newsrooms of misconduct by senior editorial colleagues who used their positions of power and influence to proposition and harass young women, but now some of it's being articulated in the open,\" says the BBC's Geeta Pandey. Journalist Sandhya Menon, who has called out two senior editors for allegedly sexually harassing her, has shared numerous stories of harassment and assault from other women - many of whom messaged her privately. Since then, many more women have come forward with their stories, some of them from years ago. This is perhaps a sign of how, for the first time, they believe people are listening. \"They are using their words, smartphones and laptops to speak their truth and be heard,\" says Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy. She said it was a form of \"civil disobedience\" because, having lost faith in the justice of public institutions, they were making use of the tools available to them. India's film industry has hovered on the edges of #MeToo for some time. In September, a 10-year-old allegation by actress Tanushree Dutta against veteran actor Nana Patekar once again made headlines but, for the first time, it attracted the attention of several people in the film industry. Patekar repeated his denial of the allegations over the weekend, calling them \"a lie\". Then on 6 October HuffPost India published a months-long investigation alleging that director Vikas Bahl had sexually assaulted a female crew member in 2015. It also alleged that his business partners, including acclaimed director, Anurag Kashyap, knew about the allegation but took no action against Mr Bahl. Mr Bahl, who denied the allegation after it first surfaced, has not commented publicly since the HuffPost story on Saturday. While actresses have spoken out before they often did not name their harasser or their allegations did not become part of a larger movement. Although the accuser remains anonymous, this is the first time such an allegation has been made public in Bollywood. It has also been corroborated by Mr Kashyap, who has issued an apology, vowing that something like this will \"never happen again\" on his \"work premises\".  This is no minor development in an industry which has long been criticised for exploiting women both on the screen and off it. Phantom, the production house set up by Mr Kashyap, Mr Bahl and two others, was dissolved on 6 October. It produced the Netflix show Sacred Games along with several Bollywood films. The alleged victim had not wanted to speak out until now, Mr Kashyap said, so the company had not acted sooner.  \"Now in hindsight and after taking stock of things myself, I can quite see how I was ill-advised.\" The allegations have ranged from awkward or creepy encounters, lewd behaviour and suggestive text messages to aggressive sexual advances and outright assault. This has prompted some women to ask others to use caution before calling someone out on Twitter for something \"trivial\". But this has also invited criticism from other women who have argued in favour of a stricter definition of consent. Some have said this is a moment to listen, sift through stories and introspect rather than tell women how they should process what happened to them. Those who were allegedly complicit have also not been spared the naming and shaming. Mr Chakraborty, for instance, had appeared in videos by India's most popular comedy group, All India Bakchod (AIB). Co-founder Tanmay Bhat, who admitted to the charge that he knew about the alleged incident, has stepped down from his role as CEO. Since then, a film produced by AIB has been dropped from the prestigious Mumbai film festival while a third season of a television show featuring the group was cancelled by popular Indian streaming website Hotstar. And the allegations of complicity have also unleashed a public reckoning. Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi The floodgates have opened and what's coming out is predictably murky. Many are describing it as Indian journalism's #MeToo moment, but could it really be as potent as the movement that brought down some of the most powerful men of Hollywood?  The names that have been outed, barring one or two, are of relatively small fry - the \"Harvey Weinsteins\" remain unnamed as yet. The strength of the latest #MeToo movement will ultimately be tested by where it travels from here - and if the past is any indication, there's not much to be optimistic about, for earlier attempts at an Indian #MeToo did not have any lasting impact. A list of alleged predators in academia died a quick death in the Twitter bubble; and calls to name and shame the sleazy in Bollywood did not find many takers. Also, it's not going to be easy for those who choose to speak out, especially for those who have no evidence to back up their allegations. Some of the women have provided screen shots of private text messages they were sent by their alleged harassers, making the allegations hard to deny. But in cases where it boils down to \"your word against mine\", many of the women who spoke out are already being threatened with legal action for defamation and some of the tweets, naming names, have already been taken down.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 7119, "answer_end": 8445, "text": "Geeta Pandey, BBC News, Delhi The floodgates have opened and what's coming out is predictably murky. Many are describing it as Indian journalism's #MeToo moment, but could it really be as potent as the movement that brought down some of the most powerful men of Hollywood?  The names that have been outed, barring one or two, are of relatively small fry - the \"Harvey Weinsteins\" remain unnamed as yet. The strength of the latest #MeToo movement will ultimately be tested by where it travels from here - and if the past is any indication, there's not much to be optimistic about, for earlier attempts at an Indian #MeToo did not have any lasting impact. A list of alleged predators in academia died a quick death in the Twitter bubble; and calls to name and shame the sleazy in Bollywood did not find many takers. Also, it's not going to be easy for those who choose to speak out, especially for those who have no evidence to back up their allegations. Some of the women have provided screen shots of private text messages they were sent by their alleged harassers, making the allegations hard to deny. But in cases where it boils down to \"your word against mine\", many of the women who spoke out are already being threatened with legal action for defamation and some of the tweets, naming names, have already been taken down."}], "question": "So, what now?", "id": "636_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump attacks Michael Cohen over 'Playboy model payment tape'", "date": "21 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has condemned his former lawyer Michael Cohen amid US media reports that he secretly recorded Mr Trump discussing payments to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The tapes were reportedly discovered during an FBI raid on Mr Cohen's property earlier this year in New York. Mr Trump tweeted that such a raid was \"almost unheard of\". He added that a lawyer secretly recording a client was \"totally unheard of and perhaps illegal\". The president also insisted he had done nothing wrong. Mr Cohen's lawyer responded by saying that Mr Trump's statement was \"false\". The New York Times reports that in the recording, Mr Trump and Mr Cohen discuss paying Ms McDougal, who says she had a 10-month affair with Mr Trump in 2006, a year after he married his current wife Melania. The tape was reportedly made two months before the November 2016 election that saw Mr Trump become president. In the lead-up to the vote, Ms McDougal sold her story to the National Enquirer magazine, which is owned by a personal friend of Mr Trump. She says a $150,000 (PS115,000) agreement gave the tabloid exclusive story rights and banned her from talking publicly about the alleged affair. But the Enquirer did not publish her story after paying for the rights. The Department of Justice is looking into alleged hush money paid to women who claim they had a relationship with Mr Trump. It is suggested that such payments, if proved, would amount to an election expense. Failing to declare election expenses is a crime. Federal investigators have reportedly demanded the tabloid's records on the McDougal payment. In May, President Trump admitted that he had reimbursed Mr Cohen for a payment he made to another woman to hush up her claims of an affair. Mr Trump had previously denied all knowledge of the $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels as part of a non-disclosure agreement. Mr Cohen, who has not been charged with any crime, is reportedly under investigation for possible bank and tax fraud, as well as potential violation of election law. He has declined to comment publicly on the tape story. But his lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a brief statement on Friday that he was \"sensitive\" to the ongoing investigation before adding: \"Suffice it to say that when the recording is heard, it will not hurt Mr Cohen. \"Any attempt at spin cannot change what is on the tape.\" On Saturday Mr Davis responded to Mr Trump's tweet by criticising the president and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Mr Cohen once famously vowed he would \"take a bullet\" for Mr Trump, but he told ABC News earlier this month that his loyalty to his family and country came before his old boss. His comments stoked speculation that he might co-operate with investigators against Mr Trump, although there has been no confirmation so far that he has done so. Mr Trump and his aides have consistently denied he had an affair with Ms McDougal, or had any knowledge of any payment to her. The New York Times reports that Mr Giuliani, Mr Trump's personal lawyer, has confirmed that his client discussed payments to Ms McDougal with Mr Cohen as per the recording - but that ultimately no such payment was made. According to the newspaper, Mr Giuliani said the recording was less than two minutes long and that Mr Trump did not know he was being recorded. It also reports that Mr Giuliani said there was no indication on the tape that Mr Trump knew before the conversation about the payment by the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc, to Ms McDougal. \"In the big scheme of things, it's powerful exculpatory evidence,\" the Times quotes him as saying. New York state law allows one party to a conversation to tape it without the other knowing. The New York Times reports that Mr Cohen, while working on behalf of Mr Trump, frequently taped conversations with journalists, other lawyers and business opponents of his client. It goes on to say that Mr Trump himself also has a history of recording phone calls and conversations. The ethics of whether lawyers should make such recordings, their legality notwithstanding, is an issue dividing the US legal profession.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 584, "answer_end": 1257, "text": "The New York Times reports that in the recording, Mr Trump and Mr Cohen discuss paying Ms McDougal, who says she had a 10-month affair with Mr Trump in 2006, a year after he married his current wife Melania. The tape was reportedly made two months before the November 2016 election that saw Mr Trump become president. In the lead-up to the vote, Ms McDougal sold her story to the National Enquirer magazine, which is owned by a personal friend of Mr Trump. She says a $150,000 (PS115,000) agreement gave the tabloid exclusive story rights and banned her from talking publicly about the alleged affair. But the Enquirer did not publish her story after paying for the rights."}], "question": "What is the tape said to reveal?", "id": "637_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1258, "answer_end": 1887, "text": "The Department of Justice is looking into alleged hush money paid to women who claim they had a relationship with Mr Trump. It is suggested that such payments, if proved, would amount to an election expense. Failing to declare election expenses is a crime. Federal investigators have reportedly demanded the tabloid's records on the McDougal payment. In May, President Trump admitted that he had reimbursed Mr Cohen for a payment he made to another woman to hush up her claims of an affair. Mr Trump had previously denied all knowledge of the $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels as part of a non-disclosure agreement."}], "question": "Why is this an issue?", "id": "637_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1888, "answer_end": 2828, "text": "Mr Cohen, who has not been charged with any crime, is reportedly under investigation for possible bank and tax fraud, as well as potential violation of election law. He has declined to comment publicly on the tape story. But his lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a brief statement on Friday that he was \"sensitive\" to the ongoing investigation before adding: \"Suffice it to say that when the recording is heard, it will not hurt Mr Cohen. \"Any attempt at spin cannot change what is on the tape.\" On Saturday Mr Davis responded to Mr Trump's tweet by criticising the president and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Mr Cohen once famously vowed he would \"take a bullet\" for Mr Trump, but he told ABC News earlier this month that his loyalty to his family and country came before his old boss. His comments stoked speculation that he might co-operate with investigators against Mr Trump, although there has been no confirmation so far that he has done so."}], "question": "What does Cohen say about the tape?", "id": "637_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2829, "answer_end": 3632, "text": "Mr Trump and his aides have consistently denied he had an affair with Ms McDougal, or had any knowledge of any payment to her. The New York Times reports that Mr Giuliani, Mr Trump's personal lawyer, has confirmed that his client discussed payments to Ms McDougal with Mr Cohen as per the recording - but that ultimately no such payment was made. According to the newspaper, Mr Giuliani said the recording was less than two minutes long and that Mr Trump did not know he was being recorded. It also reports that Mr Giuliani said there was no indication on the tape that Mr Trump knew before the conversation about the payment by the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc, to Ms McDougal. \"In the big scheme of things, it's powerful exculpatory evidence,\" the Times quotes him as saying."}], "question": "What do Trump's people say?", "id": "637_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3633, "answer_end": 4144, "text": "New York state law allows one party to a conversation to tape it without the other knowing. The New York Times reports that Mr Cohen, while working on behalf of Mr Trump, frequently taped conversations with journalists, other lawyers and business opponents of his client. It goes on to say that Mr Trump himself also has a history of recording phone calls and conversations. The ethics of whether lawyers should make such recordings, their legality notwithstanding, is an issue dividing the US legal profession."}], "question": "Is secret recording allowed?", "id": "637_4"}]}]}, {"title": "UK wage growth picks up to 11-year high", "date": "13 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Wage growth in the UK reached an 11-year high in the year to June, and the employment rate was its joint highest since 1971, official figures show. Wage growth rose to 3.9%, while the estimated 76.1% employment rate was the best since comparative records began. Overall, a record high of 32.81 million people were in employment, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. This was 425,000 more than a year earlier and was largely because of more people working full-time. However, the unemployment rate in the April to June period showed a slight rise. Figures released last week indicated that the UK's economy shrank 0.2% in the second quarter of the year, the first contraction since 2012. Wages have been increasing at a faster pace than inflation since March 2018. The 3.9% increase in regular pay - which excludes bonuses - was up from last month's figure of 3.6%. Part of the reason for the rise was the unusual timing of annual pay rises for public health workers last year, when a larger-than-usual increase was deferred until July. In real terms (after adjusting for inflation), regular pay is estimated to have increased by 1.9%. Matt Hughes, the ONS deputy head of labour market statistics said: \"Excluding bonuses, real wages are growing at their fastest in nearly four years, but pay levels still have not returned to their pre-downturn peak.\" The employment rate for women was 72.1% - the highest on record - and for men was 80.1%, slightly lower than the previous three-month period. Mr Hughes added: \"Employment continues to increase, with three-quarters of this year's growth being due to more women working. \"However, the number of vacancies has been falling for six months, with fewer now than there were this time last year.\" The unemployment rate edged up slightly to 3.9%, which was a little lower than a year earlier. The economic inactivity rate, which is defined as people not in employment who have not looked for work in the past four weeks or cannot start in the next fortnight, was estimated at 20.7%, a joint record low. Chancellor Sajid Javid said: \"Every person deserves the chance to succeed and provide for their families through a steady income. \"Today's figures are another sign that despite the challenges across the global economy, the fundamentals of the British economy are strong as we prepare to leave the EU.\" Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the figures should silence any calls for a cut in interest rates. \"The labour market tends to lag developments in the wider economy,\" he said. \"Firms, however, have lived with high levels of economic uncertainty for the best part of a year, and still want to fill new positions. \"In the event that Brexit is delayed further... or an agreement is reached in October and the economy starts to rebuild a little momentum, the [Bank of England's] MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) will need to move in short order to raise the bank rate again.\" Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said that while the jobs market remained \"a source of strength for the UK economy\", it may be reaching its peak. \"As more workers have been snapped up, firms have found it harder to fill their openings. While competition has pushed up salaries, thin margins and low productivity may set a ceiling for pay growth. Although vacancies remain high by historic standards, the number has been dropping since the start of the year.\" Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said: \"The days of sharply falling unemployment are behind us, but a tight labour market points to further gains in wages and spending power. Despite a second quarter decline in growth, the UK economy still has momentum.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 697, "answer_end": 1361, "text": "Wages have been increasing at a faster pace than inflation since March 2018. The 3.9% increase in regular pay - which excludes bonuses - was up from last month's figure of 3.6%. Part of the reason for the rise was the unusual timing of annual pay rises for public health workers last year, when a larger-than-usual increase was deferred until July. In real terms (after adjusting for inflation), regular pay is estimated to have increased by 1.9%. Matt Hughes, the ONS deputy head of labour market statistics said: \"Excluding bonuses, real wages are growing at their fastest in nearly four years, but pay levels still have not returned to their pre-downturn peak.\""}], "question": "What is behind the increase in wages?", "id": "638_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2056, "answer_end": 3710, "text": "Chancellor Sajid Javid said: \"Every person deserves the chance to succeed and provide for their families through a steady income. \"Today's figures are another sign that despite the challenges across the global economy, the fundamentals of the British economy are strong as we prepare to leave the EU.\" Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the figures should silence any calls for a cut in interest rates. \"The labour market tends to lag developments in the wider economy,\" he said. \"Firms, however, have lived with high levels of economic uncertainty for the best part of a year, and still want to fill new positions. \"In the event that Brexit is delayed further... or an agreement is reached in October and the economy starts to rebuild a little momentum, the [Bank of England's] MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) will need to move in short order to raise the bank rate again.\" Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said that while the jobs market remained \"a source of strength for the UK economy\", it may be reaching its peak. \"As more workers have been snapped up, firms have found it harder to fill their openings. While competition has pushed up salaries, thin margins and low productivity may set a ceiling for pay growth. Although vacancies remain high by historic standards, the number has been dropping since the start of the year.\" Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte, said: \"The days of sharply falling unemployment are behind us, but a tight labour market points to further gains in wages and spending power. Despite a second quarter decline in growth, the UK economy still has momentum.\""}], "question": "What has been the reaction to the figures?", "id": "638_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Presidents Club: Theresa May 'appalled' at men-only gala groping claims", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Theresa May has said she was \"appalled\" by reports women were groped at a men-only gala and was \"not happy\" that an event like that took place. The Prime Minister said she would continue to work to ensure women were \"accepted and respected as equals\". Mrs May will also consider whether any changes were needed to non-disclosure agreements, Downing Street said. The legal documents were signed by the hostesses who worked at last Thursday's Presidents Club event, it was reported. Non-disclosure agreements are legal documents signed between two parties to share confidential information. The Presidents Club said it was closing and would no longer hold events after an undercover reporter for the Financial Times revealed hostesses were subject to groping and lewd comments at the dinner in London. Mrs May said that it wasn't just the event that worried her, but \"what it says about the wider issue in society - about attitudes to women\". \"I thought that sort of approach to women - that objectification of women - was something we were leaving behind,\" she said. \"We've made progress, but it's very clear that there's a lot more for us to do.\" Meanwhile, the University of Bolton said its vice-chancellor George Holmes, who was a first-time guest at the dinner, \"was uncomfortable with the totally unexpected influx of hostess staff and certain auction lots\". After speaking to hostesses, Prof Holmes raised concerns with a staff team leader that some of her staff were uncomfortable, the university said. \"Although Prof Holmes did not witness any of the assaults subsequently alleged in the press, he chose to leave as soon as was politely possible at the end of the charity auction,\" a statement said. Earlier, children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi was reprimanded by No 10 for attending the event. The BBC understands Mr Zahawi was called to Downing Street on Wednesday to meet chief whip Julian Smith. He said he went to the fundraiser but left early. Mrs May said she accepted Mr Zahawi's explanation. The Metropolitan Police said it had not received any complaints about last Thursday's dinner. The dinner and auction - which has taken place annually for more than 30 years and raised PS20m for children's charities - was held at the Dorchester Hotel in central London and attended by senior figures in business and finance. The FT revealed the 130 hostesses were told to wear skimpy black outfits with matching underwear and high heels, and made to sign a non-disclosure agreement before starting work. Auction prizes included lunch with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a trip to a London strip club and plastic surgery \"to spice up your wife\". It is understood that Mr Johnson did not agree to support the event and will not take part in the lunch. The Presidents Club said it would distribute its remaining funds to children's charities, although some - including Great Ormond Street children's hospital - have said they will return any donations they have already received. The Charity Commission also said it was investigating the claims \"as a matter of urgency\". On Wednesday, Mr Zahawi, MP for Stratford-on-Avon, tweeted that he arrived at the event at 20:00 GMT and left at 21:35 GMT as he \"felt uncomfortable\", but said he did not see any of the \"horrific\" events reported. He also tweeted that he would never attend a men-only function again. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said Mr Zahawi should \"consider his position\" after attending a \"clearly horrible event\". \"It's very surprising to me that he didn't report back on what happened,\" she said. Environment Secretary Michael Gove defended Mr Zahawi on Twitter. The minister for digital and the creative industries, Margot James, told Newsnight that the event represented \"the very worst form of sexism with a smile on its face\". But she stood by Mr Zahawi and his claim of an early exit. But Labour's Sarah Jones said Mr Zahawi should resign if he did not report his concerns and had attended on previous occasions. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner also called for an investigation into his attendance. Earlier on Wednesday, a Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had confidence in Mr Zahawi and he was not being referred for investigation. Mrs May has said she accepted Mr Zahawi's explanation. Labour peer Lord Mendelsohn - whose spokesman said he attended \"part of the dinner\" as a president of a charity - said leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked him \"to step back from the front bench\". His spokesman added Lord Mendelsohn did not witness any \"appalling incidents described in reports\" and \"unreservedly condemned such behaviour\". Mr Corbyn's spokesman said: \"The reports about this appalling event were deeply shocking and there can be no excuse for anyone's attendance.\" One of the organisers, David Meller, quit his non-executive role on the Department for Education board following the reports. On Thursday, the Meller Educational Trust said Mr Meller had also taken a leave of absence as one of it's trustees. \"We, as trustees, wish to express our sympathy to those women who have been so badly treated,\" a statement said. Madison Marriage, the reporter who worked at the event, said she and \"numerous other hostesses\" were groped at the dinner. She told BBC Newsnight: \"It's a hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.\" She said there were other women there \"who had absolutely no idea that was the kind of event it would be\". Before the fundraiser announced it was closing, a number of businesses said they would cut ties with the event - including WPP, the world's biggest advertising agency, and real estate investment business Frogmore. Comedian and children's author David Walliams, who is not the subject of any allegations, was the compere for the evening. He said he \"did not witness any of the kind of behaviour that allegedly occurred\", but added that he was \"absolutely appalled\" by the reports and he would be donating his fee to the Children's Trust. Channel 5 baseball show presenter Jonny Gould, who was the auctioneer at the dinner, said he had \"never witnessed any of the alleged behaviour of guests at this event nor in previous years\". He added: \"If I had, I would not have continued to work at the event.\" The Dorchester said it was \"deeply concerned\" and was looking into the claims. A spokesman for the Artista agency, which recruited the hostesses, said: \"I was not aware of any claims of sexual harassment but the kind of behaviour alleged is completely unacceptable. \"I am checking with the staff and any complaints will be dealt with promptly and fairly.\" Have you ever worked as a hostess at an event like this? Please share your experiences with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2111, "answer_end": 2767, "text": "The dinner and auction - which has taken place annually for more than 30 years and raised PS20m for children's charities - was held at the Dorchester Hotel in central London and attended by senior figures in business and finance. The FT revealed the 130 hostesses were told to wear skimpy black outfits with matching underwear and high heels, and made to sign a non-disclosure agreement before starting work. Auction prizes included lunch with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a trip to a London strip club and plastic surgery \"to spice up your wife\". It is understood that Mr Johnson did not agree to support the event and will not take part in the lunch."}], "question": "Why was the dinner controversial?", "id": "639_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2768, "answer_end": 3085, "text": "The Presidents Club said it would distribute its remaining funds to children's charities, although some - including Great Ormond Street children's hospital - have said they will return any donations they have already received. The Charity Commission also said it was investigating the claims \"as a matter of urgency\"."}], "question": "How have charities reacted?", "id": "639_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3086, "answer_end": 5131, "text": "On Wednesday, Mr Zahawi, MP for Stratford-on-Avon, tweeted that he arrived at the event at 20:00 GMT and left at 21:35 GMT as he \"felt uncomfortable\", but said he did not see any of the \"horrific\" events reported. He also tweeted that he would never attend a men-only function again. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said Mr Zahawi should \"consider his position\" after attending a \"clearly horrible event\". \"It's very surprising to me that he didn't report back on what happened,\" she said. Environment Secretary Michael Gove defended Mr Zahawi on Twitter. The minister for digital and the creative industries, Margot James, told Newsnight that the event represented \"the very worst form of sexism with a smile on its face\". But she stood by Mr Zahawi and his claim of an early exit. But Labour's Sarah Jones said Mr Zahawi should resign if he did not report his concerns and had attended on previous occasions. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner also called for an investigation into his attendance. Earlier on Wednesday, a Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had confidence in Mr Zahawi and he was not being referred for investigation. Mrs May has said she accepted Mr Zahawi's explanation. Labour peer Lord Mendelsohn - whose spokesman said he attended \"part of the dinner\" as a president of a charity - said leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked him \"to step back from the front bench\". His spokesman added Lord Mendelsohn did not witness any \"appalling incidents described in reports\" and \"unreservedly condemned such behaviour\". Mr Corbyn's spokesman said: \"The reports about this appalling event were deeply shocking and there can be no excuse for anyone's attendance.\" One of the organisers, David Meller, quit his non-executive role on the Department for Education board following the reports. On Thursday, the Meller Educational Trust said Mr Meller had also taken a leave of absence as one of it's trustees. \"We, as trustees, wish to express our sympathy to those women who have been so badly treated,\" a statement said."}], "question": "Have there been calls for attendees to resign?", "id": "639_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5132, "answer_end": 5510, "text": "Madison Marriage, the reporter who worked at the event, said she and \"numerous other hostesses\" were groped at the dinner. She told BBC Newsnight: \"It's a hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.\" She said there were other women there \"who had absolutely no idea that was the kind of event it would be\"."}], "question": "What happened at the event?", "id": "639_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5511, "answer_end": 6309, "text": "Before the fundraiser announced it was closing, a number of businesses said they would cut ties with the event - including WPP, the world's biggest advertising agency, and real estate investment business Frogmore. Comedian and children's author David Walliams, who is not the subject of any allegations, was the compere for the evening. He said he \"did not witness any of the kind of behaviour that allegedly occurred\", but added that he was \"absolutely appalled\" by the reports and he would be donating his fee to the Children's Trust. Channel 5 baseball show presenter Jonny Gould, who was the auctioneer at the dinner, said he had \"never witnessed any of the alleged behaviour of guests at this event nor in previous years\". He added: \"If I had, I would not have continued to work at the event.\""}], "question": "Who has cut ties with the gala?", "id": "639_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6310, "answer_end": 6665, "text": "The Dorchester said it was \"deeply concerned\" and was looking into the claims. A spokesman for the Artista agency, which recruited the hostesses, said: \"I was not aware of any claims of sexual harassment but the kind of behaviour alleged is completely unacceptable. \"I am checking with the staff and any complaints will be dealt with promptly and fairly.\""}], "question": "What did the hotel say?", "id": "639_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is India facing growing conflict over land?", "date": "17 March 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A controversial bill on land acquisition has caused uproar in India, with opponents saying it will hurt the interests of farmers. The bill eases rules for acquiring land for specific projects. The government says it is aimed at kick-starting stalled projects across the country worth billions of dollars. Sanjoy Chakravorty, author of a book on conflicts over land in India, explains the issues. Land is India's scarcest resource and the source of livelihood for over half its population. The average size of land owned by a farmer was a mere three acres a decade ago; it's even less now. In states like Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the average holding is between half an acre and two acres. To put this in context: the average landholding is 110 acres in France, 450 acres in the US, and even higher in Brazil and Argentina. Farming is the least productive sector of the economy - agriculture accounts for 15% of India's GDP, while employing more than half of its workforce. So India's scarcest resource is also its least productive. This is a very serious problem and a fundamental reason for India's poverty. There are two basic ways to increase productivity. One, make agriculture more efficient, and two, change land use from agriculture to something else. The development process of independent India followed exactly that prescription. A large scale, state-led effort to irrigate and modernise agriculture was combined with a massive state-led drive to industrialise and urbanise. Both led to land acquisition on a very large scale. The instrument used was a land acquisition law from 1894 that the government of independent India found convenient to deal with fragmentation of land holdings - with one blow it removed the twin problems of \"holdouts\" (or unwilling sellers) and unclear or disputed titles. Since India's independence in 1947, it is estimated that more than 50 million acres of land - about 6% of India's total land - were acquired or converted, and more than 50 million people affected. Most affected landowners were paid little. Many were never paid. Non-owners who were dependent on land for livelihoods were routinely not paid. Very little resettlement or rehabilitation was done, and what was done was shoddy.  Tribals and dalits (formerly known as untouchables) were the worst sufferers. It was a severely unjust system that ruined millions of families and in the process produced modern India - its infrastructure, irrigation and energy systems, industrialisation, and urbanisation. Criticism of the way the government was acquiring land had been building from civil society groups from the 1980s. Non-governmental group Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada movement) became the spearhead of resistance to a controversial dam project and a training ground for a generation of skilful organisers against forcible land acquisition. The turning point came in 2006-7 with the setting up of tax-free special economic zones to attract foreign investment and violent resistance to government's plans to set up a chemical hub in Nandigram in West Bengal. There were other agitations against takeover of farmland for mines, factories, ports, townships and highways. Many civil society groups argued that special economic zones were an official way for Indian businesses to grab farmland and protests against land acquisition became a nationwide phenomenon. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2103 - was created to deal with widespread protests against land acquisition. The law has five important elements: - Increased compensation for farmers - market prices are doubled in urban and quadrupled in rural areas - Expanded coverage of compensation - non-owners facing loss of livelihood are compensated - Rehabilitation and resettlement of people evicted from their lands was made compulsory - Taking informed consent of land-losers - using referendums, specifically when the acquisition has any private sector involvement; the consent of 70% of families is required where land is sought to be acquired for public-private partnership projects, and 80% for private projects - Social impact assessments to determine a project's impact on people's lands and livelihoods; more specifically, to identify all affected people The first three elements contribute to the direct price of acquisition (which are also the direct benefits for those losing land - and livelihoods); the latter two elements contribute to the indirect price (transaction and opportunity costs). In December, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government passed an ordinance or an executive order removing the \"informed consent\" and \"social impact assessment\" requirements for a range of projects, including those relating to defence and national security, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors, and infrastructure. The new bill would reduce acquisition time for these projects by several years. This would significantly reduce costs in a land market that is likely the most expensive in the world. Yes, considering the record of historic injustices, especially on marginalised groups in rural India. But the opposition may not be justified considering that the price of  land - especially plots close to urban areas - has skyrocketed and will yield windfall benefits for landowners in these locations. Also, there is nothing in the bill which protects the most vulnerable populations like tribespeople from the machinations of land acquisition. They are prey to a range of corrupt practices involving politically-connected insider information and local land mafias leading to the possibility of much-reduced payoffs and contrived consent. There is not a homogenous Indian farmer, nor is there a single land market. At one end, land prices are 25-100 times higher than the income possible from \"farming till eternity\"; at the other, prices are only two to four times higher. What is needed is an acquisition law that recognises the geographical and economic diversity of India and its specific local land cultures and histories. Sanjoy Chakravorty is author of The Price of Land: Acquisition, Conflict, Consequence", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 396, "answer_end": 1140, "text": "Land is India's scarcest resource and the source of livelihood for over half its population. The average size of land owned by a farmer was a mere three acres a decade ago; it's even less now. In states like Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the average holding is between half an acre and two acres. To put this in context: the average landholding is 110 acres in France, 450 acres in the US, and even higher in Brazil and Argentina. Farming is the least productive sector of the economy - agriculture accounts for 15% of India's GDP, while employing more than half of its workforce. So India's scarcest resource is also its least productive. This is a very serious problem and a fundamental reason for India's poverty."}], "question": "Why is land so important in India?", "id": "640_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1141, "answer_end": 1841, "text": "There are two basic ways to increase productivity. One, make agriculture more efficient, and two, change land use from agriculture to something else. The development process of independent India followed exactly that prescription. A large scale, state-led effort to irrigate and modernise agriculture was combined with a massive state-led drive to industrialise and urbanise. Both led to land acquisition on a very large scale. The instrument used was a land acquisition law from 1894 that the government of independent India found convenient to deal with fragmentation of land holdings - with one blow it removed the twin problems of \"holdouts\" (or unwilling sellers) and unclear or disputed titles."}], "question": "Why does India need to acquire land?", "id": "640_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1842, "answer_end": 2540, "text": "Since India's independence in 1947, it is estimated that more than 50 million acres of land - about 6% of India's total land - were acquired or converted, and more than 50 million people affected. Most affected landowners were paid little. Many were never paid. Non-owners who were dependent on land for livelihoods were routinely not paid. Very little resettlement or rehabilitation was done, and what was done was shoddy.  Tribals and dalits (formerly known as untouchables) were the worst sufferers. It was a severely unjust system that ruined millions of families and in the process produced modern India - its infrastructure, irrigation and energy systems, industrialisation, and urbanisation."}], "question": "How much land has been acquired?", "id": "640_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3410, "answer_end": 4584, "text": "The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2103 - was created to deal with widespread protests against land acquisition. The law has five important elements: - Increased compensation for farmers - market prices are doubled in urban and quadrupled in rural areas - Expanded coverage of compensation - non-owners facing loss of livelihood are compensated - Rehabilitation and resettlement of people evicted from their lands was made compulsory - Taking informed consent of land-losers - using referendums, specifically when the acquisition has any private sector involvement; the consent of 70% of families is required where land is sought to be acquired for public-private partnership projects, and 80% for private projects - Social impact assessments to determine a project's impact on people's lands and livelihoods; more specifically, to identify all affected people The first three elements contribute to the direct price of acquisition (which are also the direct benefits for those losing land - and livelihoods); the latter two elements contribute to the indirect price (transaction and opportunity costs)."}], "question": "What does the Land Acquisition Law say?", "id": "640_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4585, "answer_end": 5103, "text": "In December, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government passed an ordinance or an executive order removing the \"informed consent\" and \"social impact assessment\" requirements for a range of projects, including those relating to defence and national security, rural infrastructure, affordable housing, industrial corridors, and infrastructure. The new bill would reduce acquisition time for these projects by several years. This would significantly reduce costs in a land market that is likely the most expensive in the world."}], "question": "What changes has the new government made to the law?", "id": "640_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Cyprus peace talks begin on future of divided island", "date": "9 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An end to decades of division in Cyprus is difficult but possible, a United Nations envoy has said as leaders met in Geneva to try to reach a settlement. Espen Barth Eide praised the two sides for showing \"a lot of courage\" as they resumed attempts to reunify the island. Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met in the first of a series of meetings planned for this week. Previous attempts to create a united but federal Cyprus have failed. The idea behind these talks, which have been going on for some 19 months, would be to share power between the two communities, divided since 1974. The leaders, said by diplomats to be genuinely committed to achieving a deal, talked for around four hours on Monday. They have both acknowledged there are key issues that still need to be thrashed out. But if they make progress, leaders from the three countries that currently guarantee Cyprus's security - Britain, Greece and Turkey - will join the talks. Cyprus has been split since Turkish troops invaded more than 40 years ago, following an Athens-inspired coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece. The northern third of the island is inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. The new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has spoken of an \"historic opportunity\" for a breakthrough, will also be Geneva. However, there are still significant stumbling blocks before a deal can be made. Property: Top of the agenda at Monday's talks was what should happen to the properties that Greek Cypriots had to abandon in 1974? Should they get the right to take their old homes back or be compensated and if so by how much? Security: How can the security of the Turkish Cypriots be guaranteed if Turkey's estimated 30,000 troops leave? Greek Cypriots see them as an occupying force so should some stay or should Turkey retain the right to intervene? Who would act as a guarantor of the deal. The EU of which Cyprus is already a member - or the UK, which has two military bases on the island? Power and the role of the EU: There is talk of a rotating presidency but how would that work and could a Turkish Cypriot president really represent the country from time to time at EU summits? Territory: How much more territory should Greek Cypriots gain to reflect the fact that they make up the majority of the island's population? UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher. Any deal reached in Geneva would also have to be backed by both communities in separate referendums later this year. An earlier UN reunification plan was backed in 2004 by a majority of Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1472, "answer_end": 2857, "text": "Property: Top of the agenda at Monday's talks was what should happen to the properties that Greek Cypriots had to abandon in 1974? Should they get the right to take their old homes back or be compensated and if so by how much? Security: How can the security of the Turkish Cypriots be guaranteed if Turkey's estimated 30,000 troops leave? Greek Cypriots see them as an occupying force so should some stay or should Turkey retain the right to intervene? Who would act as a guarantor of the deal. The EU of which Cyprus is already a member - or the UK, which has two military bases on the island? Power and the role of the EU: There is talk of a rotating presidency but how would that work and could a Turkish Cypriot president really represent the country from time to time at EU summits? Territory: How much more territory should Greek Cypriots gain to reflect the fact that they make up the majority of the island's population? UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher. Any deal reached in Geneva would also have to be backed by both communities in separate referendums later this year. An earlier UN reunification plan was backed in 2004 by a majority of Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots."}], "question": "What are the sticking points?", "id": "641_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Who will be on Trump's economic team?", "date": "9 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Trump won the presidency on his credentials as the anti-establishment outsider. But he likes to boast that he knows the movers and shakers who matter. His advisory team is packed to bursting with hedge fund managers, real estate investors, and bankers. So who might be on Trump's economic team? A former Goldman Sachs executive, Steve Mnuchin could be in line for Treasury Secretary. He's been Trump's campaign finance chairman and a few days ago Trump was reported to favour him for the top economic role. He is currently chief executive of the property investment firm, Dune Capital Management. He also dabbled in the movie business, executive producing the films American Sniper and this summer's superhero blockbuster Suicide Squad. His day job is running Colony Capital, a real estate investment company based in Los Angeles. Forbes describes Thomas Barrack as \"contrarian\" and the firm does have some unusual assets including Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch. He's another Trump associate with interests in Hollywood as chairman of entertainment company, Miramax. He has previous government experience, having served in the Reagan administration as a deputy undersecretary in the department of the interior. Barrack is of Lebanese heritage, a long-standing friend of Trump and helped raise more than $32m for his campaign. Barrack told the media last month that he was in favour of lowering taxes. Paulson is one of the best-known names on Trump's official Economic Advisory Council. A prominent Wall Street name, the hedge fund manager famously bet that the US housing market would collapse before the 2008 financial crisis and made billions from that insight. In September he sat down to a televised discussion with Trump in which the presidential candidate listed the attributes members of a future administration would need including \"track record, competence [and a] love of what they're doing\". Wilbur Ross is another billionaire backer of Trump tipped for possible role. He made his money as a bankruptcy specialist at Rothschilds and is now what Forbes describes as a \"distressed asset investor\". Others use less polite terms for the strategy of picking up troubled companies and trying to shake out any residual value by restructuring them. He is a keen collector of fine art and married to his third wife, Hilary Geary. He told CNBC earlier this year that he was supporting Trump because America needs \"a more radical, new approach to government\". But he played down some of the promises made on the campaign trail, suggesting they be viewed as \"symbolic, more as metaphors\". According to some, his name is in the frame for Commerce Secretary. Former boss, now executive chairman of the Nucor Corporation, America's largest steel producer, Dan DiMicco is one of the few industrialists among Trump's advisers. He doesn't know Trump personally, but was appointed a senior trade adviser to the campaign. He is also author of the book American Made: Why Making Things Will Return US To Greatness, in which he argues for a greater focus on manufacturing, and flags up the \"false promise\" of green jobs and the \"hidden costs of outsourcing\". But he's less enthusiastic about organised labour: Nucor is proud of its record in remaining \"union-free\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 295, "answer_end": 736, "text": "A former Goldman Sachs executive, Steve Mnuchin could be in line for Treasury Secretary. He's been Trump's campaign finance chairman and a few days ago Trump was reported to favour him for the top economic role. He is currently chief executive of the property investment firm, Dune Capital Management. He also dabbled in the movie business, executive producing the films American Sniper and this summer's superhero blockbuster Suicide Squad."}], "question": "Steve Mnuchin - Treasury Secretary?", "id": "642_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1908, "answer_end": 2660, "text": "Wilbur Ross is another billionaire backer of Trump tipped for possible role. He made his money as a bankruptcy specialist at Rothschilds and is now what Forbes describes as a \"distressed asset investor\". Others use less polite terms for the strategy of picking up troubled companies and trying to shake out any residual value by restructuring them. He is a keen collector of fine art and married to his third wife, Hilary Geary. He told CNBC earlier this year that he was supporting Trump because America needs \"a more radical, new approach to government\". But he played down some of the promises made on the campaign trail, suggesting they be viewed as \"symbolic, more as metaphors\". According to some, his name is in the frame for Commerce Secretary."}], "question": "Wilbur Ross - Commerce Secretary?", "id": "642_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2661, "answer_end": 3259, "text": "Former boss, now executive chairman of the Nucor Corporation, America's largest steel producer, Dan DiMicco is one of the few industrialists among Trump's advisers. He doesn't know Trump personally, but was appointed a senior trade adviser to the campaign. He is also author of the book American Made: Why Making Things Will Return US To Greatness, in which he argues for a greater focus on manufacturing, and flags up the \"false promise\" of green jobs and the \"hidden costs of outsourcing\". But he's less enthusiastic about organised labour: Nucor is proud of its record in remaining \"union-free\"."}], "question": "Dan DiMicco - trade negotiator?", "id": "642_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump pushes for ban on gun 'bump stocks'", "date": "21 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has signed an order to ban bump-stock devices, which were used by a gunman who killed 58 Las Vegas concert-goers last year. Such devices enable a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute. Speaking at the White House, Mr Trump said he had directed the justice department to propose a law to make the accessories illegal. The gun control debate took on a new urgency after 17 people were killed at a school in Florida last week. Students and parents affected by the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are planning a demonstration in the state capital of Tallahassee on Wednesday. Some of them arrived on Tuesday in time to see the state legislature reject a proposed ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. However it will consider a package of more limited gun restrictions. By Paul Blake, BBC News, South Florida In all around 100 students, spread across three buses, made the journey of more than seven hours to the state capital. For many of these students, it is their first time to the capitol building in Tallahassee - much less to lobby their lawmakers over a national issue. There is an excitement among the students, who sense that they may be on the cusp of starting a national movement. \"We're travelling to our state capital to make sure that none of these people that we grew up with - that we've known our whole lives - die in vain,\" Julia Salomone, 18, said confidently. So how do the students expect the politicians to receive them? \"Honestly, I feel like they're gonna be overwhelmed by us because they're going to see in our faces our determination, our commitment to this, because this is all we're fighting for right now,\" 16-year-old Rain Valladares said. \"They're gonna look us in the face and see that we're not gonna back down.\" At an event on Tuesday recognising the bravery of law enforcement, Mr Trump said he had directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to finalise new guidelines to declare bump stocks illegal \"very soon\". \"The key in all of these efforts, as I said in my remarks the day after the shooting, is that we cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference, we must actually make a difference,\" he said. \"We must move past cliches and tired debates, and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work and that make it easier for men and women of law enforcement to protect our children and protect our safety.\" The accessories can make semi-automatic rifles fire as rapidly as machine guns. They can be bought for as little as $100 (PS70) without the need for a criminal background check. The device was used by Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old gambler, who rained bullets on the crowd at an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in October. More than 500 people were also injured in that attack, considered America's worst ever mass-shooting by a lone gunman. Audio analysis found Paddock had been able to fire 90 bullets within 10 seconds from his room in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Both Democrats and Republicans agreed in the nationwide wave of horror following the Las Vegas attack that the sale of bump stocks should be outlawed. However, a bill introduced to ban bump stocks, trigger cranks and other devices that can speed up a semi-automatic rifle's rate of fire has since stalled. In December, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began considering a regulation for bump stocks, opening a process that drew more than 35,000 public comments. Proposals to ban bump stocks have been put forward with mixed results at state level, including in South Carolina, Illinois, Washington and Colorado. Previous efforts to introduce gun control measures in the wake of mass shootings in recent years have gone nowhere in the US Congress. On Tuesday, the White House signalled it was open to an age limit for people buying AR-15-type assault rifles, like the one used in the Florida shooting. \"I think that's certainly something that's on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks,\" said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, when asked about a possible age requirement. The age limit in most US states for buying an AR-15 is 18. Over the weekend, Mr Trump said he was supportive of a bipartisan bill that seeks to improve the checks in place before someone can buy a gun. That legislation intends to patch holes in the FBI's background check System, which processed more than 25 million gun ownership applications last year. Failures in that database were exposed by the Florida shooting, allegedly committed by a 19-year-old gunman with a history of mental health issues. Bump stocks were not used in that attack. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Whether the bureaucratic review process just initiated by the president will amount to a comprehensive ban on bump stocks depends very much on how the yet-to-be-written regulation is crafted. Still, it is the closest the Trump administration has come to new firearm regulation after multiple mass shootings - and, perhaps, a reflection of the new pressure the president is feeling on the gun issue. Congress, of course, could have stepped in at any point in the five months since the Las Vegas massacre and banned bump stocks without this contorted bureaucratic process. The National Rifle Association, however, is not keen on seeing a bipartisan coalition forming to enact any kind of new federal gun control laws. The question now is whether Mr Trump's move relieves the pressure to \"do something\" after Florida. If the past is any guide, attention will fade and the drive to enact new legislation will slow. Will this time be different?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1807, "answer_end": 2461, "text": "At an event on Tuesday recognising the bravery of law enforcement, Mr Trump said he had directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to finalise new guidelines to declare bump stocks illegal \"very soon\". \"The key in all of these efforts, as I said in my remarks the day after the shooting, is that we cannot merely take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference, we must actually make a difference,\" he said. \"We must move past cliches and tired debates, and focus on evidence-based solutions and security measures that actually work and that make it easier for men and women of law enforcement to protect our children and protect our safety.\""}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "643_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2462, "answer_end": 3058, "text": "The accessories can make semi-automatic rifles fire as rapidly as machine guns. They can be bought for as little as $100 (PS70) without the need for a criminal background check. The device was used by Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old gambler, who rained bullets on the crowd at an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in October. More than 500 people were also injured in that attack, considered America's worst ever mass-shooting by a lone gunman. Audio analysis found Paddock had been able to fire 90 bullets within 10 seconds from his room in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino."}], "question": "What are bump stocks?", "id": "643_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3059, "answer_end": 3828, "text": "Both Democrats and Republicans agreed in the nationwide wave of horror following the Las Vegas attack that the sale of bump stocks should be outlawed. However, a bill introduced to ban bump stocks, trigger cranks and other devices that can speed up a semi-automatic rifle's rate of fire has since stalled. In December, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began considering a regulation for bump stocks, opening a process that drew more than 35,000 public comments. Proposals to ban bump stocks have been put forward with mixed results at state level, including in South Carolina, Illinois, Washington and Colorado. Previous efforts to introduce gun control measures in the wake of mass shootings in recent years have gone nowhere in the US Congress."}], "question": "Didn't Congress plan to ban the devices?", "id": "643_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3829, "answer_end": 4752, "text": "On Tuesday, the White House signalled it was open to an age limit for people buying AR-15-type assault rifles, like the one used in the Florida shooting. \"I think that's certainly something that's on the table for us to discuss and that we expect to come up over the next couple of weeks,\" said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, when asked about a possible age requirement. The age limit in most US states for buying an AR-15 is 18. Over the weekend, Mr Trump said he was supportive of a bipartisan bill that seeks to improve the checks in place before someone can buy a gun. That legislation intends to patch holes in the FBI's background check System, which processed more than 25 million gun ownership applications last year. Failures in that database were exposed by the Florida shooting, allegedly committed by a 19-year-old gunman with a history of mental health issues. Bump stocks were not used in that attack."}], "question": "Might Trump consider any other gun control?", "id": "643_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4753, "answer_end": 5742, "text": "Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington Whether the bureaucratic review process just initiated by the president will amount to a comprehensive ban on bump stocks depends very much on how the yet-to-be-written regulation is crafted. Still, it is the closest the Trump administration has come to new firearm regulation after multiple mass shootings - and, perhaps, a reflection of the new pressure the president is feeling on the gun issue. Congress, of course, could have stepped in at any point in the five months since the Las Vegas massacre and banned bump stocks without this contorted bureaucratic process. The National Rifle Association, however, is not keen on seeing a bipartisan coalition forming to enact any kind of new federal gun control laws. The question now is whether Mr Trump's move relieves the pressure to \"do something\" after Florida. If the past is any guide, attention will fade and the drive to enact new legislation will slow. Will this time be different?"}], "question": "Will this time be different?", "id": "643_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Medicare for All: Can Bernie Sanders overhaul US healthcare?", "date": "2 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The first hearings for Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders' plan to revamp US health care began this week on Capitol Hill. It's a vision that has garnered support from some of Mr Sanders' 2020 presidential rivals and attacks from President Trump and his Republican party. So what is it? It's widely known that the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, and health outcomes vary according to your means. President Barack Obama tried to overhaul it. But even after his landmark Affordable Care Act, some 27 million Americans remain uninsured. His successor in the White House has tried to dismantle that legislation, making healthcare a central issue in next year's presidential election. Mr Sanders' so-called Medicare for All plan will play a big part in the debate. So what's in it? Medicare is a federally run programme that offers health insurance coverage for Americans aged 65 and older, as well as individuals with certain disabilities or medical conditions. It covers both hospital and medical costs. The programme is broken up into different plans (called Medicare A, B, C and D) that individuals can select depending on their needs. There are additional private plans available to supplement the basic coverage. Most still require patients to pay annual premiums as well as deductibles (what patients pay for treatment before insurers step in) and co-payments (fixed cost of a service or prescription) that are set based on rates negotiated by the government with providers. These rates can change year to year. Many people find they need supplemental insurance coverage even with Medicare, as the programme will only pay for 80% of approved medical costs or for 60 days of hospital care. As it stands, Medicare is not a single-payer system since private insurers can participate. Medicare for All is a proposal to expand Medicare into a single-payer health system. That means the federal government would be the sole, nationwide insurance provider for all essential and preventative healthcare. It is not a universal health care system where the government would own and operate hospitals - instead, the government would pay private providers an agreed upon rate for their services. Under Senator Bernie Sanders' proposal, first introduced in 2017 and re-introduced in April, Medicare for All would expand Medicare's coverage to include vision, dental, prescription drugs, nursing home care and reproductive health services. The 2019 update to the plan also includes a long-term care coverage for patients with disabilities - amending one of the criticisms of his earlier plan. The change also brings Mr Sanders' plan more in line with the version of Medicare for All proposed in the House of Representatives by congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. In four years, Mr Sanders' plan would have the country phase out of private insurance plans so everyone would receive insurance from the federal government. The Affordable Care Act would also end, as users would be enveloped into the national plan. Private insurance companies and employers would be banned from selling any manner of duplicate plans for services covered under the government's programme, though plans for non-essential medical services like cosmetic surgery could remain. Mr Sanders' proposal would see an end to the \"cost sharing\" that makes up the current system: No deductibles, no premiums, no co-payments for care. The only out-of-pocket expense under Mr Sanders' plan would be for some non-generic prescription drugs, but any cost to the patient would be capped at $200 annually. For comparison, US patients in 2016 paid over $535bn for prescription drugs, according to government estimates. Mr Sanders' Medicare for All would see a new 6.2% tax paid by employers on all wages; estate tax reforms; more taxes on the wealthy; and a 2.2% income tax on personal income with no credits allowed. Ms Jayapal's plan mostly tracks with Mr Sanders', but also includes provisions to roll out the programme in two years instead of four, offer no out-of-pocket costs at all for prescriptions, and grant the government the ability to issue generic prescription licences to bring down costs if negotiating with companies fails. In 2016, Bernie Sanders put universal healthcare on the map as a Democratic policy objective, even as Hillary Clinton scoffed that it was an unpractical and unachievable goal. Now Mr Sanders is no longer a lone voice in the party. Within the burgeoning field of Democratic presidential hopefuls, however, there are variations on the scope and speed of reform. Some would prefer to add a government-run option within the existing system. Others want to put private insurers out of business. On Wednesday, Mr Sanders made clear once again he's in the latter camp. The plan the Vermont senator proposes would be more generous than government-run systems in other countries. That may appeal to voters - at least until the price tag is discussed. Then expect some Democrats to again say enacting such a programme is unrealistic in the extreme. When it comes to healthcare, many Americans are fearful of disruptive change. The current system may be flawed, but its flaws are known. Mr Sanders, who preaches \"political revolution\", doesn't do small and incremental, however. He's again cutting a path to the party's left. Can he again convince others to follow? Everyone is covered With millions still uninsured - and forgoing care because they cannot afford treatments - Medicare for All would ensure healthcare is a right for all Americans. Affordability The government's bargaining power would drive down healthcare costs, supporters say, pointing out that government health programmes like veterans' health already receive 50% in discounts on prescriptions. And unlike the current system, where deductibles can be as high as $10,000 for patients before their insurance plans even kick in, Medicare for All would guarantee everyone could afford any care visits and prescriptions. System consolidation Medicare for All would remove health insurance responsibilities from employers and states as private insurance and Medicaid would be rolled into the federal plan. Providers would not need to navigate a labyrinthine system to file reimbursement claims and it would be easier for patients to understand and use the system. Reducing healthcare spending Bringing down rates for services and prescriptions would help lower the overall cost of the health system. Administrative health costs could also be reduced by $400bn under Medicare for All, according to The Physicians for a National Health Program group. A nonpartisan report by the Congressional Budget Office on 1 May also found that a government-run plan would probably lower administrative costs. Other analyses have also found that a single-payer plan would ultimately reduce total national healthcare spending. University of Massachusetts Amherst economist Prof Gerald Friedman estimated savings could be between $5.5tn and $12.5tn in the next decade. One report by the Citizens for Tax Justice advocacy group found that for all but the highest-earning Americans, Mr Sanders' plan would result in an increase in post-tax income. A study by the conservative-leaning Mercatus Center also found that Mr Sanders' plan could see a $482bn decrease in health spending and $1.5tn in administrative cost reductions, amounting to a $2tn decrease in health spending in a decade compared to current projections - but noted that \"the actual cost of [Medicare for All] would be substantially greater than these estimates\" as they assume \"significant\" and \"dramatic\" savings. Taxes A fear of higher taxes is perhaps the biggest reason for pushback against a national health programme. Under Medicare for All, nearly all residents would see new annual taxes. Income tax reform would make wealthier Americans pay more: An income between $250,000 to $500,000 would see a 40% tax; an income of over $10m would see a 52% tax. But some experts worry Mr Sanders' current tax plan would not adequately finance a Medicare for All programme, and that actual taxes could end up being even higher. Cost Mr Sanders in 2016 estimated his plan would cost $1.38tn per year, while opponents say costs could be double that. Medicare for All would increase government spending in a decade by anywhere from $25tn to $35tn according to US economists and think tanks. Both Mercatus and the Urban Institute - institutions that lean conservative and liberal respectively - put 10-year costs at least around $32tn. Mercatus' Charles Blahous has since clarified his report on the programme's cost, saying he believes it would actually cost between $54tn and $60tn over a decade. The Congressional Budget Office did not offer specific numbers, but said any single-payer system would \"significantly increase government spending and require substantial additional government resources\". Pay cuts all around Private insurance companies would essentially be eliminated. In addition, with the government setting prices, both providers and pharmaceutical companies would also face profit losses. The Mercatus study noted that for the Medicare for All plan's savings to work, providers must acquiesce to a 40% reduction in reimbursements compared to current private insurance payments. Decrease in care quality Tied to profit reductions, opponents say the quality of healthcare could be negatively affected if providers face deficits and disruptions, warning that hospitals could quickly go out of business. The issue of wait times is also one many Americans are wary of given horror stories of year-long waits for surgeries from the NHS and Canada - opponents say the increased number of patients in the system may overwhelm providers already dealing with budget cuts. The Budget Office report also noted a single-payer plan would \"put pressure on the available supply of care\" and \"patients might face increased wait times and reduced access to care\" in the short term. No innovation Some of those against federal intervention in the health system have cautioned that cutting payments to the health industry would stifle US innovation. The abortion debate Under Medicare for All, abortions would be covered by the federal insurance plan - an aspect that will certainly draw criticism from conservative groups who are already outspoken against any federal funding for the controversial procedure. Support for a national healthcare system has somewhat increased overall, national polls say, but the divide along political lines has deepened. A Harvard-Politico poll in January found 68% of Americans said working on a plan like Medicare for All should be a top priority for Congress. The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) similarly reported six in 10 Americans are in favour of a national health system. But support for Medicare for All fluctuates based on how it's described, the March poll found. Americans are in favour of a system that covers everyone and ends premiums and out-of-pocket payments, but the idea of higher taxes or wait times for care sees support sharply decrease. Along party lines, 61% of Republicans polled said they strongly opposed Medicare for All, while 54% of Democrats said they strongly favoured it. An optional Medicare for All plan that would allow people to retain their current insurance garnered more bipartisan support in the KFF poll, with 74% support overall and 47% support from Republicans. Firstly, it's a lot more expensive in terms of cash spent. Most government-funded health plans around the world do require individuals to pitch in, making these Medicare for All proposals more generous than anything currently in place. An important distinction to make when comparing Medicare for All to systems like the NHS is that this is still not socialised care. In the US, the Veterans Health Administration, for example, operates on a socialised medical system like the NHS, with federally run hospitals. Medicare for All would move the entire US system into a single-payer, social insurance model - very similar to Canada. Canada's government funds universal healthcare coverage by reimbursing private providers. Provinces and territories are able to operate their own programmes with varying levels of coverage, so it is not entirely controlled by the federal government. Under the Canadian system, patients still largely need to pay for their own dental and vision care as well as some prescriptions. In the UK, in addition to covering the costs of care, the government owns hospitals and employs physicians. Prescriptions in hospital are free and those for outpatients are subsidised, so that patients generally only pay a minimum co-payment - usually around $12 (PS9). For some groups, prescriptions are completely free, like those under 16, the elderly or full-time students up to age 18. Reporting by Ritu Prasad", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 801, "answer_end": 1806, "text": "Medicare is a federally run programme that offers health insurance coverage for Americans aged 65 and older, as well as individuals with certain disabilities or medical conditions. It covers both hospital and medical costs. The programme is broken up into different plans (called Medicare A, B, C and D) that individuals can select depending on their needs. There are additional private plans available to supplement the basic coverage. Most still require patients to pay annual premiums as well as deductibles (what patients pay for treatment before insurers step in) and co-payments (fixed cost of a service or prescription) that are set based on rates negotiated by the government with providers. These rates can change year to year. Many people find they need supplemental insurance coverage even with Medicare, as the programme will only pay for 80% of approved medical costs or for 60 days of hospital care. As it stands, Medicare is not a single-payer system since private insurers can participate."}], "question": "Firstly, what's Medicare?", "id": "644_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1807, "answer_end": 4226, "text": "Medicare for All is a proposal to expand Medicare into a single-payer health system. That means the federal government would be the sole, nationwide insurance provider for all essential and preventative healthcare. It is not a universal health care system where the government would own and operate hospitals - instead, the government would pay private providers an agreed upon rate for their services. Under Senator Bernie Sanders' proposal, first introduced in 2017 and re-introduced in April, Medicare for All would expand Medicare's coverage to include vision, dental, prescription drugs, nursing home care and reproductive health services. The 2019 update to the plan also includes a long-term care coverage for patients with disabilities - amending one of the criticisms of his earlier plan. The change also brings Mr Sanders' plan more in line with the version of Medicare for All proposed in the House of Representatives by congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. In four years, Mr Sanders' plan would have the country phase out of private insurance plans so everyone would receive insurance from the federal government. The Affordable Care Act would also end, as users would be enveloped into the national plan. Private insurance companies and employers would be banned from selling any manner of duplicate plans for services covered under the government's programme, though plans for non-essential medical services like cosmetic surgery could remain. Mr Sanders' proposal would see an end to the \"cost sharing\" that makes up the current system: No deductibles, no premiums, no co-payments for care. The only out-of-pocket expense under Mr Sanders' plan would be for some non-generic prescription drugs, but any cost to the patient would be capped at $200 annually. For comparison, US patients in 2016 paid over $535bn for prescription drugs, according to government estimates. Mr Sanders' Medicare for All would see a new 6.2% tax paid by employers on all wages; estate tax reforms; more taxes on the wealthy; and a 2.2% income tax on personal income with no credits allowed. Ms Jayapal's plan mostly tracks with Mr Sanders', but also includes provisions to roll out the programme in two years instead of four, offer no out-of-pocket costs at all for prescriptions, and grant the government the ability to issue generic prescription licences to bring down costs if negotiating with companies fails."}], "question": "What is Sanders proposing?", "id": "644_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4227, "answer_end": 5381, "text": "In 2016, Bernie Sanders put universal healthcare on the map as a Democratic policy objective, even as Hillary Clinton scoffed that it was an unpractical and unachievable goal. Now Mr Sanders is no longer a lone voice in the party. Within the burgeoning field of Democratic presidential hopefuls, however, there are variations on the scope and speed of reform. Some would prefer to add a government-run option within the existing system. Others want to put private insurers out of business. On Wednesday, Mr Sanders made clear once again he's in the latter camp. The plan the Vermont senator proposes would be more generous than government-run systems in other countries. That may appeal to voters - at least until the price tag is discussed. Then expect some Democrats to again say enacting such a programme is unrealistic in the extreme. When it comes to healthcare, many Americans are fearful of disruptive change. The current system may be flawed, but its flaws are known. Mr Sanders, who preaches \"political revolution\", doesn't do small and incremental, however. He's again cutting a path to the party's left. Can he again convince others to follow?"}], "question": "Will it succeed?", "id": "644_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5382, "answer_end": 7641, "text": "Everyone is covered With millions still uninsured - and forgoing care because they cannot afford treatments - Medicare for All would ensure healthcare is a right for all Americans. Affordability The government's bargaining power would drive down healthcare costs, supporters say, pointing out that government health programmes like veterans' health already receive 50% in discounts on prescriptions. And unlike the current system, where deductibles can be as high as $10,000 for patients before their insurance plans even kick in, Medicare for All would guarantee everyone could afford any care visits and prescriptions. System consolidation Medicare for All would remove health insurance responsibilities from employers and states as private insurance and Medicaid would be rolled into the federal plan. Providers would not need to navigate a labyrinthine system to file reimbursement claims and it would be easier for patients to understand and use the system. Reducing healthcare spending Bringing down rates for services and prescriptions would help lower the overall cost of the health system. Administrative health costs could also be reduced by $400bn under Medicare for All, according to The Physicians for a National Health Program group. A nonpartisan report by the Congressional Budget Office on 1 May also found that a government-run plan would probably lower administrative costs. Other analyses have also found that a single-payer plan would ultimately reduce total national healthcare spending. University of Massachusetts Amherst economist Prof Gerald Friedman estimated savings could be between $5.5tn and $12.5tn in the next decade. One report by the Citizens for Tax Justice advocacy group found that for all but the highest-earning Americans, Mr Sanders' plan would result in an increase in post-tax income. A study by the conservative-leaning Mercatus Center also found that Mr Sanders' plan could see a $482bn decrease in health spending and $1.5tn in administrative cost reductions, amounting to a $2tn decrease in health spending in a decade compared to current projections - but noted that \"the actual cost of [Medicare for All] would be substantially greater than these estimates\" as they assume \"significant\" and \"dramatic\" savings."}], "question": "What are the arguments for Medicare for All?", "id": "644_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7642, "answer_end": 10429, "text": "Taxes A fear of higher taxes is perhaps the biggest reason for pushback against a national health programme. Under Medicare for All, nearly all residents would see new annual taxes. Income tax reform would make wealthier Americans pay more: An income between $250,000 to $500,000 would see a 40% tax; an income of over $10m would see a 52% tax. But some experts worry Mr Sanders' current tax plan would not adequately finance a Medicare for All programme, and that actual taxes could end up being even higher. Cost Mr Sanders in 2016 estimated his plan would cost $1.38tn per year, while opponents say costs could be double that. Medicare for All would increase government spending in a decade by anywhere from $25tn to $35tn according to US economists and think tanks. Both Mercatus and the Urban Institute - institutions that lean conservative and liberal respectively - put 10-year costs at least around $32tn. Mercatus' Charles Blahous has since clarified his report on the programme's cost, saying he believes it would actually cost between $54tn and $60tn over a decade. The Congressional Budget Office did not offer specific numbers, but said any single-payer system would \"significantly increase government spending and require substantial additional government resources\". Pay cuts all around Private insurance companies would essentially be eliminated. In addition, with the government setting prices, both providers and pharmaceutical companies would also face profit losses. The Mercatus study noted that for the Medicare for All plan's savings to work, providers must acquiesce to a 40% reduction in reimbursements compared to current private insurance payments. Decrease in care quality Tied to profit reductions, opponents say the quality of healthcare could be negatively affected if providers face deficits and disruptions, warning that hospitals could quickly go out of business. The issue of wait times is also one many Americans are wary of given horror stories of year-long waits for surgeries from the NHS and Canada - opponents say the increased number of patients in the system may overwhelm providers already dealing with budget cuts. The Budget Office report also noted a single-payer plan would \"put pressure on the available supply of care\" and \"patients might face increased wait times and reduced access to care\" in the short term. No innovation Some of those against federal intervention in the health system have cautioned that cutting payments to the health industry would stifle US innovation. The abortion debate Under Medicare for All, abortions would be covered by the federal insurance plan - an aspect that will certainly draw criticism from conservative groups who are already outspoken against any federal funding for the controversial procedure."}], "question": "And what are the arguments against?", "id": "644_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 10430, "answer_end": 11471, "text": "Support for a national healthcare system has somewhat increased overall, national polls say, but the divide along political lines has deepened. A Harvard-Politico poll in January found 68% of Americans said working on a plan like Medicare for All should be a top priority for Congress. The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) similarly reported six in 10 Americans are in favour of a national health system. But support for Medicare for All fluctuates based on how it's described, the March poll found. Americans are in favour of a system that covers everyone and ends premiums and out-of-pocket payments, but the idea of higher taxes or wait times for care sees support sharply decrease. Along party lines, 61% of Republicans polled said they strongly opposed Medicare for All, while 54% of Democrats said they strongly favoured it. An optional Medicare for All plan that would allow people to retain their current insurance garnered more bipartisan support in the KFF poll, with 74% support overall and 47% support from Republicans."}], "question": "What's the public opinion?", "id": "644_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump impeachment: US House ready for historic vote", "date": "18 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump is expected to become only the third US president to be impeached by the House of Representatives. Democratic lawmakers are preparing to approve two impeachment charges against the Republican president. Mr Trump would then face a Senate trial next month, but members of his party control that chamber and are unlikely to remove him from office. The president has called the process an \"attempted coup\" and a \"scam\". In a six-page letter to the Democratic Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, on the eve of the vote, the 45th president of the United States argued he had been treated worse than \"those accused in the Salem witch trials\". Mrs Pelosi described the letter as \"really sick\". As debate got under way in the House, President Trump was due to fly to Battle Creek, Michigan, for a \"Merry Christmas\" rally along with Vice-President Mike Pence. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters he would be happy to testify and produce documents for a Senate trial of Mr Trump \"if that's appropriate and required by law\". At midday local time (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, members of the House began six hours of debate on the matter. They are expected to vote on both articles of impeachment afterwards. In her opening remarks Ms Pelosi said it was \"tragic\" that the president's \"reckless actions\" had led to impeachment but said he had left lawmakers with \"no choice\". \"The president is an ongoing threat to our national security, and the integrity of our elections, the basis of our democracy,\" she said. But Republicans hit back. Lawmaker Doug Collins from Georgia said Mr Trump had done \"nothing wrong\" and that Democrats wanted to impeach him because they were afraid to face him in next year's election. \"They said we can't beat him if we don't impeach him. The American people will see through this,\" he said. Meanwhile Debbie Lesko, a Republican from Arizona, said it was the \"most partisan impeachment\" in US history. Surveys suggest the country is split on the process. US political website FiveThirtyEight's collection of national polls shows just over 47% back impeachment, while 46.4% oppose it. The vote in the Democratic-controlled House is expected to fall almost entirely along party lines. Nearly 200 Republicans are united in opposition, except for one lawmaker, Florida's Francis Rooney, who is retiring and has not ruled out siding with Democrats. All but a handful of the 233 House Democrats have said they will back impeachment - about 216 votes are needed for the measure to pass by a simple majority in the lower chamber of Congress. The yeses include most of the 31 Democratic lawmakers who represent districts won by Mr Trump in 2016. Collin Peterson, of Minnesota, and Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey, have indicated they will vote no. Mr Van Drew plans to become a Republican. Jared Golden, of Maine, said he would vote to impeach on one charge, not both. The House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Mr Trump last week. The first is abuse of power. It accuses the president of trying to pressure Ukraine to smear his political rival, Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. Mr Trump and his conservative allies have alleged without evidence that while he was US vice-president, Joe Biden encouraged Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop him investigating a Ukrainian gas company that employed his son, Hunter Biden, as a board member. Democrats say Mr Trump dangled $400m of US military aid and the prospect of a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as bargaining chips to prod the US ally into announcing a corruption inquiry into the Bidens. The second charge is obstructing Congress. Mr Trump, who blocked his aides from testifying, is accused of failing to co-operate with the House impeachment investigation. The president has denied withholding US aid to benefit himself politically and maintains it was appropriate to ask Ukraine to look into alleged corruption. Under the US constitution, a president \"shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanours\". It is a political process, not a legal one. Once Mr Trump is formally impeached by the House as expected, proceedings will go on to the Republican-controlled Senate for a trial in January. If two-thirds of senators voted to convict the president, he would be removed from office. But Democrats can only muster 47 votes in the 100-seat upper chamber, and they need 67 to pass the measure. No-one expects at least 20 of Mr Trump's fellow Republicans to join with Democrats and end his presidency. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he was under no obligation to be even-handed in his management of the proceeding. \"I'm not an impartial juror,\" the Kentucky senator told reporters. \"This is a political process. I'm not impartial about this at all.\" Mr McConnell rebuffed calls from the Senate's Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, to summon top White House officials for the trial. Two US presidents have been impeached - Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 - but in both cases the Senate did not vote to force them from office. Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in August 1974 when it became clear he would be impeached and ousted by Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal. - A SIMPLE GUIDE: If you want a basic take, this one's for you - GO DEEPER: Here's a 100, 300 and 800-word summary of the story - WHAT'S IMPEACHMENT? A political process to remove a president - VIEW FROM TRUMP COUNTRY: Hear from residents of a West Virginia town - CONTEXT: Why Ukraine matters to the US - FACT-CHECK: Did Ukraine interfere in the 2016 election to help Clinton? - CASE FOR & AGAINST: What legal scholars say about Trump conduct", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1047, "answer_end": 2129, "text": "At midday local time (1700 GMT) on Wednesday, members of the House began six hours of debate on the matter. They are expected to vote on both articles of impeachment afterwards. In her opening remarks Ms Pelosi said it was \"tragic\" that the president's \"reckless actions\" had led to impeachment but said he had left lawmakers with \"no choice\". \"The president is an ongoing threat to our national security, and the integrity of our elections, the basis of our democracy,\" she said. But Republicans hit back. Lawmaker Doug Collins from Georgia said Mr Trump had done \"nothing wrong\" and that Democrats wanted to impeach him because they were afraid to face him in next year's election. \"They said we can't beat him if we don't impeach him. The American people will see through this,\" he said. Meanwhile Debbie Lesko, a Republican from Arizona, said it was the \"most partisan impeachment\" in US history. Surveys suggest the country is split on the process. US political website FiveThirtyEight's collection of national polls shows just over 47% back impeachment, while 46.4% oppose it."}], "question": "What has happened in the House so far?", "id": "645_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2130, "answer_end": 2902, "text": "The vote in the Democratic-controlled House is expected to fall almost entirely along party lines. Nearly 200 Republicans are united in opposition, except for one lawmaker, Florida's Francis Rooney, who is retiring and has not ruled out siding with Democrats. All but a handful of the 233 House Democrats have said they will back impeachment - about 216 votes are needed for the measure to pass by a simple majority in the lower chamber of Congress. The yeses include most of the 31 Democratic lawmakers who represent districts won by Mr Trump in 2016. Collin Peterson, of Minnesota, and Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey, have indicated they will vote no. Mr Van Drew plans to become a Republican. Jared Golden, of Maine, said he would vote to impeach on one charge, not both."}], "question": "How will the vote play out?", "id": "645_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2903, "answer_end": 4210, "text": "The House Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Mr Trump last week. The first is abuse of power. It accuses the president of trying to pressure Ukraine to smear his political rival, Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden. Mr Trump and his conservative allies have alleged without evidence that while he was US vice-president, Joe Biden encouraged Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop him investigating a Ukrainian gas company that employed his son, Hunter Biden, as a board member. Democrats say Mr Trump dangled $400m of US military aid and the prospect of a coveted White House meeting for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as bargaining chips to prod the US ally into announcing a corruption inquiry into the Bidens. The second charge is obstructing Congress. Mr Trump, who blocked his aides from testifying, is accused of failing to co-operate with the House impeachment investigation. The president has denied withholding US aid to benefit himself politically and maintains it was appropriate to ask Ukraine to look into alleged corruption. Under the US constitution, a president \"shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanours\". It is a political process, not a legal one."}], "question": "What are the charges?", "id": "645_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4211, "answer_end": 5066, "text": "Once Mr Trump is formally impeached by the House as expected, proceedings will go on to the Republican-controlled Senate for a trial in January. If two-thirds of senators voted to convict the president, he would be removed from office. But Democrats can only muster 47 votes in the 100-seat upper chamber, and they need 67 to pass the measure. No-one expects at least 20 of Mr Trump's fellow Republicans to join with Democrats and end his presidency. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he was under no obligation to be even-handed in his management of the proceeding. \"I'm not an impartial juror,\" the Kentucky senator told reporters. \"This is a political process. I'm not impartial about this at all.\" Mr McConnell rebuffed calls from the Senate's Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, to summon top White House officials for the trial."}], "question": "What will happen in the Senate?", "id": "645_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5067, "answer_end": 5382, "text": "Two US presidents have been impeached - Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 - but in both cases the Senate did not vote to force them from office. Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in August 1974 when it became clear he would be impeached and ousted by Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal."}], "question": "What is the precedent?", "id": "645_4"}]}]}, {"title": "BBC News to close 450 posts as part of \u00a380m savings drive", "date": "29 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Around 450 jobs will be cut from BBC News under plans to complete its PS80m savings target by 2022. Outlets to be hit by job closures include BBC Two's Newsnight, BBC Radio 5 Live and the World Update programme on the World Service. BBC News boss Fran Unsworth said there had to be a move away from traditional broadcasting and towards digital. But broadcasting union Bectu said the changes mean staff will be \"under even more pressure to deliver\". The job cuts announced on Wednesday include the previously announced closure of BBC Two's Victoria Derbyshire programme. BBC News currently employs around 6,000 people, including 1,700 outside the UK. Its budget after the changes will be around PS480m per year. Unsworth, who is director of BBC News, said: \"The BBC has to face up to the changing way audiences are using us. \"We need to reshape BBC News for the next decade in a way which saves substantial amounts of money. We are spending too much of our resources on traditional linear broadcasting and not enough on digital.\" The corporation announced in 2016 that it needed to save PS800m, with around PS80m of that figure coming from News. Just over PS40m - around half - of the savings required in BBC News have already been found over the past four years. The remaining savings will be found in large part by restructuring the newsroom to adopt a \"story-led\" model, which will see planned stories each rolled out across a greater number of programmes and outlets. The BBC said this would avoid the duplication that occurs from several programmes putting resources into the same news stories. However, the changes mean there will be a reduction in the overall number of stories covered, and Newsnight will produce fewer films. The corporation said further information about which specific jobs are to go will be announced early in the summer. Unsworth also said there would be a review of the number of presenters BBC News has and how they work. While Victoria Derbyshire and World Update will be closed, Unsworth said there are unlikely to be any further closures of entire programmes or services. The savings are expected to result in post closures across BBC News as the planning and commissioning of stories is centralised. The BBC News website will be largely, although not entirely, protected, as the corporation prepares to invest further in digital, including the launch of a new version of the BBC News app. The 450 job cuts include around 50 post closures at the World Service that were announced at the end of 2019. The BBC announced in 2016 it needed to save PS800m by 2020; BBC News was to provide PS80m of those savings, and it is only half way. The BBC is struggling to connect with many British people - especially those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, and - even more so - those under 35. The licence fee, which accounts for around 75% of the BBC's revenue, is under unprecedented political and structural pressure. These three facts have driven the changes announced today. The first made pain inevitable; the second has determined the nature of the cuts announced; the third means the audience the BBC has in mind when making these changes isn't just licence fee payers - it's the inhabitants of 10 Downing Street. Writing on Twitter after the latest announcement, Victoria Derbyshire took issue with the reasons behind the decision to close her programme. \"We were NEVER asked to grow the linear TV audience. Ever,\" she tweeted in response to a journalist who suggested the viewing figures for her programme were low. \"We were asked to grow our digital audience - we did,\" she said. Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, responded to the announcement by saying: \"These damaging cuts are part of an existential threat to the BBC, and a direct consequence of the last disastrous, secret licence fee deal the BBC agreed with the government.\" Bectu national secretary Noel McClean said: \"The unprecedented constraints faced by the BBC will leave our members under even more pressure to deliver the output and service that has made this essential public service the envy of the international broadcasting community and risks its future viability.\" Damian Collins MP, who is standing for re-election as chair of the House of Commons culture select committee, said there would be \"concerns\" about the plans. \"They should explain how it'll impact the BBC's ability to reach people,\" he wrote on Twitter. TalkRadio host Julia Hartley Brewer and former Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason were among those offering their views on the plans on Twitter. Meanwhile, the BBC has suspended the closure of its Red Button text service after protests, a day before it was due to have started being phased out. On Monday, a petition calling for it to be saved, organised by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), was handed in to the BBC and Downing Street. Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1029, "answer_end": 2532, "text": "The corporation announced in 2016 that it needed to save PS800m, with around PS80m of that figure coming from News. Just over PS40m - around half - of the savings required in BBC News have already been found over the past four years. The remaining savings will be found in large part by restructuring the newsroom to adopt a \"story-led\" model, which will see planned stories each rolled out across a greater number of programmes and outlets. The BBC said this would avoid the duplication that occurs from several programmes putting resources into the same news stories. However, the changes mean there will be a reduction in the overall number of stories covered, and Newsnight will produce fewer films. The corporation said further information about which specific jobs are to go will be announced early in the summer. Unsworth also said there would be a review of the number of presenters BBC News has and how they work. While Victoria Derbyshire and World Update will be closed, Unsworth said there are unlikely to be any further closures of entire programmes or services. The savings are expected to result in post closures across BBC News as the planning and commissioning of stories is centralised. The BBC News website will be largely, although not entirely, protected, as the corporation prepares to invest further in digital, including the launch of a new version of the BBC News app. The 450 job cuts include around 50 post closures at the World Service that were announced at the end of 2019."}], "question": "What will be cut?", "id": "646_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Austrian colonel 'spied for Russia since 1990s'", "date": "9 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Austrian colonel is being investigated on suspicion of spying for Russia, Austrian officials have said. The 70-year-old suspect, recently retired, is said to have been spying since the 1990s up until this year. Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has cancelled her planned December visit to Russia over the scandal. Until now, Austria has been seen as one of only a few allies of Russia in the EU. Russian President Vladimir Putin was at Ms Kneissl's wedding in August. The EU has imposed a series of sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and support for separatists in the east, as well as the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in March. But unlike most of the EU nations, Austria decided not to expel Russian diplomats over the Skripals. Vienna's relations with Moscow have been under particular scrutiny since Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) became a coalition partner of the current government last year. The FPO has a \"co-operation pact\" with Russia's governing United Russia party. And analysts also point out that Austrian officials have been calling for closer co-operation between the EU and Russia in key energy sectors, despite the frosty ties between the two sides. The news about an ongoing investigation into the case was revealed by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at a press briefing in Vienna on Friday. He said that - if confirmed - such activities \"can't improve the relationship between the EU and Russia\". Meanwhile, Austrian Defence Minister Mario Kunasek said that the spying case came to light a \"few weeks ago\" with help from another European intelligence agency. \"We can't say for the moment whether this is an isolated incident or not,\" Mr Kunasek said. The suspect's identity has not been publicly released. However, Austrian media reported that the colonel had been extremely professional and had worked in the Austrian army's control centre in the state of Salzburg. He is believed to have kept in touch with his Russian contact known as \"Yuri\", using sophisticated equipment, according to the Kronen Zeitung newspaper. It says the Russians had been particularly keen on secret information about Austria's air force, artillery systems and profiles of high-ranking officers. The colonel had been paid EUR300,000 (PS261,000; $341,000) for his services, media reports say. It summoned Austria's ambassador in Moscow, mirroring an earlier move by Vienna. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had been \"unpleasantly surprised\" by the latest news from Austria. \"Recently our Western partners have made it a rule not to use traditional diplomacy, but instead use so-called 'megaphone diplomacy' by publicly accusing us and for explanations about matters we know nothing about,\" Mr Lavrov said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1259, "answer_end": 2383, "text": "The news about an ongoing investigation into the case was revealed by Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at a press briefing in Vienna on Friday. He said that - if confirmed - such activities \"can't improve the relationship between the EU and Russia\". Meanwhile, Austrian Defence Minister Mario Kunasek said that the spying case came to light a \"few weeks ago\" with help from another European intelligence agency. \"We can't say for the moment whether this is an isolated incident or not,\" Mr Kunasek said. The suspect's identity has not been publicly released. However, Austrian media reported that the colonel had been extremely professional and had worked in the Austrian army's control centre in the state of Salzburg. He is believed to have kept in touch with his Russian contact known as \"Yuri\", using sophisticated equipment, according to the Kronen Zeitung newspaper. It says the Russians had been particularly keen on secret information about Austria's air force, artillery systems and profiles of high-ranking officers. The colonel had been paid EUR300,000 (PS261,000; $341,000) for his services, media reports say."}], "question": "What is known about the suspected spy?", "id": "647_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2384, "answer_end": 2810, "text": "It summoned Austria's ambassador in Moscow, mirroring an earlier move by Vienna. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had been \"unpleasantly surprised\" by the latest news from Austria. \"Recently our Western partners have made it a rule not to use traditional diplomacy, but instead use so-called 'megaphone diplomacy' by publicly accusing us and for explanations about matters we know nothing about,\" Mr Lavrov said."}], "question": "How did Russia react?", "id": "647_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump immigration: Texas sends National Guard to Mexico border", "date": "7 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US state of Texas is deploying National Guard members to the border with Mexico following a call from President Donald Trump. A Guard spokesman said 250 personnel would be sent to patrol the area within the next 72 hours. Arizona is also planning to deploy 150 troops there next week. President Trump says he wants to send up to 4,000 National Guard members to secure the border with Mexico, until his proposed border wall is built. The states of New Mexico and California have been asked to take similar action to Texas and Arizona. Also on Friday, the US president outlined plans to end a practice dubbed \"catch and release\" as part of his stricter anti-immigration policies. Mr Trump wants illegal immigrants to be held in detention while they wait to hear if they will be deported, instead of being freed. He has asked the US Department of Defense for a detailed list of military and other facilities that could perform that function. Mr Trump has sent several tweets over the past seven days railing against illegal immigration, and accusing Democrats of allowing \"open borders, drugs and crime\". He declared on Twitter that Republicans should \"go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws [on illegal migrants] NOW\". Mr Trump also threatened Mexico, saying the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) was at risk unless it stopped the movement of migrants over the border. Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has condemned what he called \"threatening or disrespectful attitudes\" from Mr Trump. The president has called sending troops to the Mexico border a \"big step\", but both his predecessors also dispatched the National Guard there. President Barack Obama sent some 1,200 soldiers to guard the boundary, while President George W Bush deployed about 6,000 troops to help Border Patrol in what was called Operation Jump Start. Both deployments lasted for around a year. US Defence Secretary James Mattis has approved funding for up to 4,000 National Guard troops from the Pentagon budget until the end of September, the Associated Press reports. Constructing a \"big, beautiful wall\" along the Mexican border was a signature Trump campaign promise, but so far the plan to erect a new physical barrier has been thwarted by lawmakers and appears to have stalled. A major government spending bill which he signed last month included $1.6bn (PS1.1bn) for the border wall - far short of the $25bn the White House sought. And there were strings attached to the funding Congress did approve. Most of it can only be used to repair stretches of the border where there already is a wall, not to build new segments. Last month the Pentagon confirmed Mr Trump had held \"initial\" talks with his defence secretary about using some of the Pentagon's budget to build a wall. But two Democratic senators wrote to the defence secretary on Monday saying his department had \"no legal authority\" to use its funds for such a purpose. \"Such a controversial move could only be funded by cutting other vital priorities for our service members,\" wrote Senators Dick Durbin and Jack Reed. In December, US Border Patrol announced arrests at the southern border had fallen to their lowest level since 1971, apparently indicating that fewer people were attempting the crossing.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1505, "answer_end": 2058, "text": "The president has called sending troops to the Mexico border a \"big step\", but both his predecessors also dispatched the National Guard there. President Barack Obama sent some 1,200 soldiers to guard the boundary, while President George W Bush deployed about 6,000 troops to help Border Patrol in what was called Operation Jump Start. Both deployments lasted for around a year. US Defence Secretary James Mattis has approved funding for up to 4,000 National Guard troops from the Pentagon budget until the end of September, the Associated Press reports."}], "question": "Is sending troops a first?", "id": "648_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2059, "answer_end": 3259, "text": "Constructing a \"big, beautiful wall\" along the Mexican border was a signature Trump campaign promise, but so far the plan to erect a new physical barrier has been thwarted by lawmakers and appears to have stalled. A major government spending bill which he signed last month included $1.6bn (PS1.1bn) for the border wall - far short of the $25bn the White House sought. And there were strings attached to the funding Congress did approve. Most of it can only be used to repair stretches of the border where there already is a wall, not to build new segments. Last month the Pentagon confirmed Mr Trump had held \"initial\" talks with his defence secretary about using some of the Pentagon's budget to build a wall. But two Democratic senators wrote to the defence secretary on Monday saying his department had \"no legal authority\" to use its funds for such a purpose. \"Such a controversial move could only be funded by cutting other vital priorities for our service members,\" wrote Senators Dick Durbin and Jack Reed. In December, US Border Patrol announced arrests at the southern border had fallen to their lowest level since 1971, apparently indicating that fewer people were attempting the crossing."}], "question": "When is Trump going to build his wall?", "id": "648_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Murdered Salvadoran Archbishop \u00d3scar Romero canonised", "date": "14 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pope Francis has conferred sainthood on murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero at a ceremony in the Vatican. He praised the cleric - an advocate for peace during El Salvador's civil war - for sacrificing his own safety to be \"close to the poor and his people\". Oscar Romero was killed by soldiers while giving Mass in 1980. His killers have never been brought to justice. Pope Francis also canonised Pope Paul VI, known for making reforms to the Catholic Church in the 1960s. The bestowing of a sainthood onto Archbishop Romero has long been called for by Catholics in the region, the BBC's Will Grant reports. Pope Francis led a ceremony to elevate the two men, and five others, to sainthood in Saint Peter's Square. \"We declare and define Paul VI and Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdamez... to be saints and we enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church,\" he told a crowd of 60,000 people, including multiple heads of state. The pope wore the blood-stained rope belt worn by Archbishop Romero when he was murdered and used the chalice and pastoral staff of Pope Paul VI. The Argentine pontiff, Latin America's first, has hailed both men for their bravery during difficult times and their dedication to social justice and the oppressed. Among the other newly appointed saints include an Italian orphan who died of bone cancer aged 19 and a German nun. Thousands of pilgrims gathered to pay tribute to the new saints, including some 5,000 Salvadorans. Archbishop Romero was beatified in May 2015 in a ceremony in El Salvador which drew huge crowds. For the faithful, his power came from the fact he criticised both sides of the El Salvadoran conflict, which started in 1980, for any actions that affected civilians. When the US-backed Salvadoran army was using death squads and torture to stop leftist revolutionaries from seizing power, he used what would become his last homily to speak out against it. \"The law of God which says thou shalt not kill must come before any human order to kill. It is high time you recovered your conscience,\" he said, calling on the National Guard and police to stop the violence. \"I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression.\" The next day, on 24 March 1980, Archbishop Romero was shot dead as he celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel. His death horrified the world and escalated the violence in El Salvador that spiralled into a 12-year civil war that claimed 75,000 lives. Many Salvadorans are still angry that 38 years later, Archbishop Romero's killers have never faced justice because of a 1992 amnesty law. He is still despised by some on the far right, who describe him as a \"guerrilla in a cassock\". Born Giovanni Battista Montini in the Lombardy region of Italy in 1897, Pope Paul VI was beatified in 2014. Elected pope in 1963, he continued the reforms of his predecessor, John XXIII, until his death in 1978. The reforms, brought in by the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II, changed the relationship between the Catholic faithful and priests. Mass, which had been celebrated in Latin, was translated into the language of the congregation and priests faced church goers instead of the altar. During his 15-year pontificate, Pope Paul VI wrote seven encyclicals. One of them, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life), published in 1968, was highly controversial due to its opposition to birth control and led to protests around the Catholic world.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 616, "answer_end": 1503, "text": "Pope Francis led a ceremony to elevate the two men, and five others, to sainthood in Saint Peter's Square. \"We declare and define Paul VI and Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdamez... to be saints and we enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church,\" he told a crowd of 60,000 people, including multiple heads of state. The pope wore the blood-stained rope belt worn by Archbishop Romero when he was murdered and used the chalice and pastoral staff of Pope Paul VI. The Argentine pontiff, Latin America's first, has hailed both men for their bravery during difficult times and their dedication to social justice and the oppressed. Among the other newly appointed saints include an Italian orphan who died of bone cancer aged 19 and a German nun. Thousands of pilgrims gathered to pay tribute to the new saints, including some 5,000 Salvadorans."}], "question": "What is happening today?", "id": "649_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1504, "answer_end": 2726, "text": "Archbishop Romero was beatified in May 2015 in a ceremony in El Salvador which drew huge crowds. For the faithful, his power came from the fact he criticised both sides of the El Salvadoran conflict, which started in 1980, for any actions that affected civilians. When the US-backed Salvadoran army was using death squads and torture to stop leftist revolutionaries from seizing power, he used what would become his last homily to speak out against it. \"The law of God which says thou shalt not kill must come before any human order to kill. It is high time you recovered your conscience,\" he said, calling on the National Guard and police to stop the violence. \"I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression.\" The next day, on 24 March 1980, Archbishop Romero was shot dead as he celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel. His death horrified the world and escalated the violence in El Salvador that spiralled into a 12-year civil war that claimed 75,000 lives. Many Salvadorans are still angry that 38 years later, Archbishop Romero's killers have never faced justice because of a 1992 amnesty law. He is still despised by some on the far right, who describe him as a \"guerrilla in a cassock\"."}], "question": "Who was Oscar Romero?", "id": "649_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2727, "answer_end": 3467, "text": "Born Giovanni Battista Montini in the Lombardy region of Italy in 1897, Pope Paul VI was beatified in 2014. Elected pope in 1963, he continued the reforms of his predecessor, John XXIII, until his death in 1978. The reforms, brought in by the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II, changed the relationship between the Catholic faithful and priests. Mass, which had been celebrated in Latin, was translated into the language of the congregation and priests faced church goers instead of the altar. During his 15-year pontificate, Pope Paul VI wrote seven encyclicals. One of them, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life), published in 1968, was highly controversial due to its opposition to birth control and led to protests around the Catholic world."}], "question": "Who was Pope Paul VI?", "id": "649_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani 'forced Ukraine ambassador out'", "date": "17 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has said removing the US ambassador to Ukraine became imperative for him and Mr Trump. The ex-US envoy, Marie Yovanovitch, fired abruptly in May, has been a key witness in impeachment proceedings against Mr Trump. \"I needed Yovanovitch out of the way,\" Mr Giuliani told the New Yorker. The House of Representatives votes this week on impeachment, a probe centred on Mr Trump's Ukraine dealings. Mr Trump is accused of pressuring Ukraine's leader to dig up supposedly damaging information on a former Vice-President Joe Biden, a domestic political rival. The Republican president has denied all wrongdoing, dismissing the inquiry as a \"witch hunt\". The House Rules Committee is meeting to determine how the House debate should be conducted. Mr Trump faces two charges - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The House debate, with votes expected on Wednesday or Thursday, will mark the third time in history that the lower chamber has discussed impeaching a president. Ms Yovanovitch's sudden dismissal has emerged as a key element of the inquiry. Speaking before the House Intelligence Committee last month, the 33-year veteran of the foreign service said she believed her anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine had incurred the ire of influential Ukrainians who sought to remove her. The ambassador said she was shocked that her enemies appeared to find allies in the Trump administration, including Mr Giuliani. Mr Giuliani's interview with the New Yorker appears to confirm that Ms Yovanovitch's dismissal was linked to investigations into Ukraine sought by Mr Trump. The former New York mayor has become a central character in the Ukrainian affair and the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry. Testifying last month, the US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland said that Mr Trump directed him and other top diplomats to work with Mr Giuliani on Ukraine \"at the express direction of the president\". Ms Yovanovitch \"was going to make the investigations difficult for everybody,\" Mr Giuliani told the New Yorker. On Monday evening, he appeared to reinforce this stance, telling Fox News's Laura Ingraham that \"of course\" he had Ms Yovanovitch removed, claiming it was due to the diplomat's misbehaviour. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Ms Yovanovitch. Speaking to the New York Times in comments published on Tuesday, Mr Giuliani said he provided Mr Trump with detailed information about his probes into Ukraine, and how Ms Yovanovitch was frustrating his efforts. Mr Giuliani visited Ukraine again last month, before meeting Mr Trump at the White House on Friday. Asked about Mr Giuliani's work in Ukraine, the president told reporters his lawyer \"does it out of love\". \"He's a great person who loves our country,\" Mr Trump said. \"He sees what goes on. He sees what's happening.\" In a six-page letter to the Democratic leadership, the president accused them of \"subverting American democracy\". He repeated his claim that the phone call with the Ukrainian president, a call which is at the centre of the impeachment inquiry, was \"totally innocent\". \"Any member of Congress who votes in support of impeachment - against every shred of truth, fact, evidence and legal principle - is showing how deeply they revile the voters and how truly they detest America's constitutional order. \"Our founders feared the tribalisation of partisan politics and you are bringing their worst fears to life.\" He ends the letter by saying that 100 years from now, people will understand and learn from this, \"so that it can never happen to another president again\". - A SIMPLE GUIDE: If you want a basic take, this one's for you - GO DEEPER: Here's a 100, 300 and 800-word summary of the story - WHAT'S IMPEACHMENT? A political process to remove a president - VIEW FROM TRUMP COUNTRY: Hear from residents of a West Virginia town - CONTEXT: Why Ukraine matters to the US - FACT-CHECK: Did Ukraine interfere in the 2016 election to help Clinton? - CASE FOR & AGAINST: What legal scholars say about Trump conduct", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1031, "answer_end": 2845, "text": "Ms Yovanovitch's sudden dismissal has emerged as a key element of the inquiry. Speaking before the House Intelligence Committee last month, the 33-year veteran of the foreign service said she believed her anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine had incurred the ire of influential Ukrainians who sought to remove her. The ambassador said she was shocked that her enemies appeared to find allies in the Trump administration, including Mr Giuliani. Mr Giuliani's interview with the New Yorker appears to confirm that Ms Yovanovitch's dismissal was linked to investigations into Ukraine sought by Mr Trump. The former New York mayor has become a central character in the Ukrainian affair and the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry. Testifying last month, the US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland said that Mr Trump directed him and other top diplomats to work with Mr Giuliani on Ukraine \"at the express direction of the president\". Ms Yovanovitch \"was going to make the investigations difficult for everybody,\" Mr Giuliani told the New Yorker. On Monday evening, he appeared to reinforce this stance, telling Fox News's Laura Ingraham that \"of course\" he had Ms Yovanovitch removed, claiming it was due to the diplomat's misbehaviour. There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Ms Yovanovitch. Speaking to the New York Times in comments published on Tuesday, Mr Giuliani said he provided Mr Trump with detailed information about his probes into Ukraine, and how Ms Yovanovitch was frustrating his efforts. Mr Giuliani visited Ukraine again last month, before meeting Mr Trump at the White House on Friday. Asked about Mr Giuliani's work in Ukraine, the president told reporters his lawyer \"does it out of love\". \"He's a great person who loves our country,\" Mr Trump said. \"He sees what goes on. He sees what's happening.\""}], "question": "Why is Ms Yovanovitch important?", "id": "650_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2846, "answer_end": 3610, "text": "In a six-page letter to the Democratic leadership, the president accused them of \"subverting American democracy\". He repeated his claim that the phone call with the Ukrainian president, a call which is at the centre of the impeachment inquiry, was \"totally innocent\". \"Any member of Congress who votes in support of impeachment - against every shred of truth, fact, evidence and legal principle - is showing how deeply they revile the voters and how truly they detest America's constitutional order. \"Our founders feared the tribalisation of partisan politics and you are bringing their worst fears to life.\" He ends the letter by saying that 100 years from now, people will understand and learn from this, \"so that it can never happen to another president again\"."}], "question": "What else happened on Tuesday?", "id": "650_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: President Maduro says he had secret talks with US", "date": "21 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro said he had been in talks with the Trump administration for months, even as the US ramped up its sanctions. The US is one of more than 50 nations which do not recognise Mr Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader. On Tuesday, Mr Maduro said that talks with the Trump administration had been going on for months. But US National Security Adviser John Bolton said the only thing being discussed was Mr Maduro's departure. Speaking on television, Mr Maduro said: \"Just as I have sought dialogue in Venezuela, I have sought a way in which President Trump really listens to Venezuela.\" President Trump confirmed on Tuesday that his administration was \"talking to various representatives of Venezuela\". \"I don't want to say who, but we are talking at a very high level,\" the US president said. Mr Maduro had suggested that he authorised the back-channel discussions. But Mr Bolton cast those contacts in a very different light, tweeting that the \"only items discussed by those who are reaching out behind Maduro's back are his departure and free and fair elections\". Mr Bolton said Mr Trump's aim was to \"to end the pilfering of the Venezuelan people's resources and continued repression\" and that to that end, President Maduro \"must go\". The US imposed sweeping sanctions earlier this month aimed at increasing pressure on President Maduro to step down. The country has been caught up in a struggle for power between President Maduro and the leader of Venezuela's National Assembly, Juan Guaido. Mr Guaido declared himself interim president in January, claiming that the elections which brought Maduro to power for a second term were fraudulent. While Mr Guaido has gained the backing of over 50 countries he has so far failed to remove Mr Maduro from power. Talks between the two sides hosted by Barbados and mediated by Norway recently stalled after President Maduro denounced the opposition for backing the sweeping sanctions imposed by the US. The country is suffering one of the worst economic crises in history with a quarter of its 30 million population in need of aid, according to the United Nations. More than four million Venezuelans have left the country over the past years. Mr Maduro's government has come under fire by the international community for a number of reasons. When opposition parties gained a majority in the country's National Assembly, the president created a rival body stacked with his supporters which assumed many of its powers. His 2018 re-election was controversial, and labelled as rigged by his critics, after many rivals were barred from running or fled the country. Protests and demonstrations erupted into violence and were met with a crackdown by authorities which saw civilians killed. The US has been a frequent target of Mr Maduro's anger. Mr Maduro has accused the US, and John Bolton in particular, of trying to kill him, without supplying any evidence. He claims that his opposition is backed by foreign powers, rather than a domestic resistance to his authority. Government officials were the first target of US sanctions against Mr Maduro's government - but earlier this year, it brought new restrictions forward on the state oil company, which is a major player in the national economy. That was followed in August by sweeping sanctions that froze all property of the government in the US, and blocks American firms doing business with Venezuela.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2229, "answer_end": 3437, "text": "Mr Maduro's government has come under fire by the international community for a number of reasons. When opposition parties gained a majority in the country's National Assembly, the president created a rival body stacked with his supporters which assumed many of its powers. His 2018 re-election was controversial, and labelled as rigged by his critics, after many rivals were barred from running or fled the country. Protests and demonstrations erupted into violence and were met with a crackdown by authorities which saw civilians killed. The US has been a frequent target of Mr Maduro's anger. Mr Maduro has accused the US, and John Bolton in particular, of trying to kill him, without supplying any evidence. He claims that his opposition is backed by foreign powers, rather than a domestic resistance to his authority. Government officials were the first target of US sanctions against Mr Maduro's government - but earlier this year, it brought new restrictions forward on the state oil company, which is a major player in the national economy. That was followed in August by sweeping sanctions that froze all property of the government in the US, and blocks American firms doing business with Venezuela."}], "question": "Why is the US involved?", "id": "651_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Catalonia crisis: Spain issues warrant for Puigdemont", "date": "3 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Spanish judge has issued European Arrest Warrants (EAW) for sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his allies who went to Belgium. The five failed to attend a high court hearing in Madrid on Thursday when nine other ex-members of the regional government were taken into custody. One of those detained has been freed on bail of EUR50,000 (PS44,000; $58,000). They all face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for pursuing Catalan independence. Mr Puigdemont has said he will not return to Spain unless he receives guarantees of a fair trial. Belgium will \"study\" the warrant, a spokesman for the state prosecutor told AFP news agency. The regional parliament in Catalonia voted to proclaim an independent republic a week ago, following an illegal referendum on independence organised by the Catalan government on 1 October No other country recognised the move and the Spanish central government moved swiftly to impose control, using emergency powers under the constitution. Mr Puigdemont was the president of the autonomous region of Catalonia until the proclamation of independence and continues to regard himself as the president of the newly proclaimed \"Republic of Catalonia\". Mr Puigdemont and his colleagues travelled to Belgium to raise their case for statehood at the EU institutions and he insists he is not trying to evade \"real justice\". He said in a Belgian TV interview aired earlier on Friday that he would co-operate with Belgian judicial authorities. He also said that he was ready to run in snap regional elections in Catalonia next month. The other four warrants are for: - Meritxell Serret, former agriculture minister - Antoni Comin, former health minister - Lluis Puig, former culture minister - Clara Ponsati, former education minister The warrants were sent to Belgian prosecutors, who have 24 hours to decide whether the paperwork is correct. If they do, they will forward them on to a judge who will decide whether Mr Puigdemont and the four others should be arrested. Belgium has a maximum of 60 days to return the suspects to Spain after arrest. But if the suspects do not raise legal objections, a transfer could happen much sooner. A country can reject an EU arrest warrant if it fears that extradition would violate the suspect's human rights. Discrimination based on politics, religion or race is grounds for refusal. So are fears that the suspect would not get a fair trial. There is an agreed EU list of 32 offences - in Article Two of the EAW law - for which there is no requirement for the offence to be a crime in both countries. In other words, any of those offences can be a justification for extradition, provided the penalty is at least three years in jail. However, neither \"sedition\" nor \"rebellion\" - two of the Spanish accusations against the Catalan leaders - are on that list. Thousands of protesters have gathered in Barcelona and other Catalan cities for the second night running to call for the release of the former officials detained on Thursday. Santi Vila, the Catalan former business minister, was granted bail at the request of prosecutors after spending a night in prison. \"My colleagues and I are fine, we are calm,\" he said upon leaving jail in Madrid, but called the detentions \"disproportionate\", Spain's El Pais newspaper reports. He had resigned from the cabinet before the Catalan parliament voted for independence. Those who remain in custody are: - Oriol Junqueras, former deputy vice-president - Joaquim Forn, former interior minister - Raul Romeva, former external relations secretary - Carles Mundo, former justice minister - Dolors Bassa, former labour minister - Jordi Turull, former government presidency councillor - Josep Rull, former sustainable development minister - Meritxell Borras, former culture minister Protesters are also calling for the release of two grassroots separatist leaders, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, who were taken into custody last month. They lost an appeal for release on Friday. Five senior members of the Catalan parliament, as well as Speaker Carme Forcadell, are facing the same charges but, because of their parliamentary immunity, their cases are being handled by the Supreme Court. Their hearings have been postponed until 9 November.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1795, "answer_end": 2859, "text": "The warrants were sent to Belgian prosecutors, who have 24 hours to decide whether the paperwork is correct. If they do, they will forward them on to a judge who will decide whether Mr Puigdemont and the four others should be arrested. Belgium has a maximum of 60 days to return the suspects to Spain after arrest. But if the suspects do not raise legal objections, a transfer could happen much sooner. A country can reject an EU arrest warrant if it fears that extradition would violate the suspect's human rights. Discrimination based on politics, religion or race is grounds for refusal. So are fears that the suspect would not get a fair trial. There is an agreed EU list of 32 offences - in Article Two of the EAW law - for which there is no requirement for the offence to be a crime in both countries. In other words, any of those offences can be a justification for extradition, provided the penalty is at least three years in jail. However, neither \"sedition\" nor \"rebellion\" - two of the Spanish accusations against the Catalan leaders - are on that list."}], "question": "Will the warrants be acted upon?", "id": "652_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2860, "answer_end": 4281, "text": "Thousands of protesters have gathered in Barcelona and other Catalan cities for the second night running to call for the release of the former officials detained on Thursday. Santi Vila, the Catalan former business minister, was granted bail at the request of prosecutors after spending a night in prison. \"My colleagues and I are fine, we are calm,\" he said upon leaving jail in Madrid, but called the detentions \"disproportionate\", Spain's El Pais newspaper reports. He had resigned from the cabinet before the Catalan parliament voted for independence. Those who remain in custody are: - Oriol Junqueras, former deputy vice-president - Joaquim Forn, former interior minister - Raul Romeva, former external relations secretary - Carles Mundo, former justice minister - Dolors Bassa, former labour minister - Jordi Turull, former government presidency councillor - Josep Rull, former sustainable development minister - Meritxell Borras, former culture minister Protesters are also calling for the release of two grassroots separatist leaders, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, who were taken into custody last month. They lost an appeal for release on Friday. Five senior members of the Catalan parliament, as well as Speaker Carme Forcadell, are facing the same charges but, because of their parliamentary immunity, their cases are being handled by the Supreme Court. Their hearings have been postponed until 9 November."}], "question": "What about those already in prison?", "id": "652_1"}]}]}, {"title": "A fresh chance to banish the curse of Mayo", "date": "16 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The towns and villages of Mayo in Western Ireland are festooned with red and green, the colours of the county's Gaelic football team, which has again made it to the All-Ireland final on Sunday. Mayo has not won since 1951, despite reaching the final eight times since 1989. Can the team now lay to rest Ireland's most infamous curse? Mayo will converge on Dublin on Sunday, the sons and daughters of a county ravaged by emigration flocking to the city in the hope that their team will taste All-Ireland victory after a famine of 65 years . No other county has such fervour for the country's most popular sport, but none either has known such an abysmal run of luck - a series of misfortunes so shocking that every Irish football-lover knows the story of the curse of Mayo. It dates back to the day in 1951 when a victorious Mayo team headed home to the west of Ireland from Dublin, after a comfortable win over Meath. The champions travelled with less pomp than today - making the journey to the evening's celebrations in the back of a truck. Legend has it that when they passed a funeral in the town of Foxford without stopping or paying respects, a curse was cast that Mayo would never again win the All-Ireland championship until all members of that team had died. True or not, they've not won since. One member of the team, Mickey Mulderrig - a neighbour of mine in Dublin before his death in 2013 - rubbished the notion of a curse whenever the subject came up. Just two of his teammates survive today: Dr Padraig Carney, nicknamed \"Mayo's Flying Doctor\", who lives in the US, and Paddy Prendergast - \"Mayo's Ballet Full-Back\" as the Irish Times christened him. Speaking at his home in County Kerry, Paddy Prendergast also dismisses the curse. \"The story was that there was a funeral and that the team didn't get off the truck to go to it. It's nonsense,\" he says. \"We were in the back of the truck and we didn't even know there was a funeral. How could we know? We couldn't even see out over the sides. \"I thought it was totally ridiculous when I first heard it some years ago. There was talk that some holy woman or a priest had put a curse on us. What priest would do that to us? But when a story like that starts in Ireland, it's hard to stop it.\" As the years of defeat have turned to decades, though, he has begun to understand why others might believe it. \"It would make you think there's something in the curse. After all the defeats, you'd have to think there was something in it,\" he says, laughing. Gaelic Football is Ireland's most popular sport - more so than rugby or soccer and played more in schools, too. Soccer and rugby would have a fervent following, particularly for the national team - but that largely reflects the country being a sports-mad nation. There'll be 82,000 at the game on Sunday - and crowds of over 20,000 are normal. Teams have 15 players, with a point scored when the ball is kicked or punched over the crossbar of H-shaped goalpost - with three points for a goal scored under the crossbar, on a pitch somewhat larger than a soccer or rugby field Its popularity derives from a parish-based structure organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ireland's biggest sporting organisation, was founded in 1884 as part of national cultural and political movement in the drive for independence from the UK. The club is an integral part of many communities in Ireland - and a focal point for other social and community activities. Francie Maloney from Kiltimagh was 17 when he made the trek to the 1951 final and since then he's never missed a major Mayo match in Dublin's Croke Park - the home of Gaelic sport. A Mayo fan's attitude towards the curse varies, he says, depending on whether the team is about to play in an All-Ireland final - or has just lost it. \"Every time they're beaten, some people think there's a curse,\" he says. \"But just like now, right before we have another go at a final, I'd say no, people don't want to believe it.\" The most \"terrible time\", he says, came between 1951 and 1989 - 37 consecutive years when the team did not once reach the final. \"We had a bad run in the 1960s and 70s - I'd say the curse set in at that period. But we keep the faith.\" His sons Seamus and Brian will be with him in Croke Park, travelling back from their homes in London and Buffalo, New York - part of a great wave of the Mayo diaspora which will roll into Dublin this weekend. But apart from the team's hair-raising record of failure, is there any further evidence of a curse? Foxford's Catholic Parish Priest, Father Padraig Costello, has made an effort to investigate the legend, and found no basis for it. \"I've met people here who were at the homecoming in 1951 and they don't remember anything about a funeral,\" he says. \"Foxford people get a bit annoyed when they hear about the curse. Nobody seems to have any recollection about it, apart from what they read in the papers.\" He looked up funeral records which began intermittently in the 1940s - but interestingly, 1951 is missing. \"From around 1949 until 1952 there are no records at all of the deaths in the parish. So it adds to the mystery probably,\" he admits. Francie Maloney says other versions of the story say the curse wasn't cast in Foxford at all, but somewhere outside Dublin. Father Costello has heard such stories too. \"One I heard of was crossing the Shannon at Tarmonbarry in County Roscommon, where there was apparently a funeral as well,\" he says. \"It's a good story every year, when Mayo don't win. A simpler explanation might be that they just weren't good enough on some of the days.\" The tradition of cursing is deep-seated in Irish culture, dating back to pre-Christian times. \"The curse is usually to do with respect and generosity - or breaching some taboo to do with that,\" says Dr Lillis O Laoire, an authority on Irish folklore traditions at the National University of Ireland Galway. \"The moral imbalance of the wrong behaviour at a funeral is perfectly in tune with the idea of cursing and bad luck. You couldn't have luck because you didn't behave correctly. \"So the idea of a curse on Mayo would make perfect sense - but whether it's true or not is another story,\" he says. It's not uncommon for a curse to be invented retrospectively after a run of bad luck, he points out. Cures for curses included cleansing from holy well water, prayer or pilgrimage - or undertaking some superhuman endeavour to overcome the spell. Dr O Laoire advises the last of these for Mayo - going out to win the match, while observing the highest possible level of conduct beforehand. \"They have to have such a high standard of honour and behave so well, that they'll overcome the curse. No misdemeanours - they have to behave like heroes. Winning the game will end the curse.\" Religious devotion in Mayo runs deep. The town of Knock is a place of pilgrimage, as is Croagh Patrick mountain where St Patrick is said to have fasted for 40 days. But Father Costello says praying to lift a curse is out of the question. \"I have no belief in curses, but while priests can pray for blessings, I don't believe a priest has the power to cause a curse to come down on anyone.\" Parishioners do however pray for the team and light candles for them before big games. \"Every September we always have a prayer of the faithful at Mass for the team, thanking God for the great joy they've brought to the county and the honour, praying they will do their best, not praying that they will win,\" he says. \"We'd be hoping they'd win of course but we'd be praying they'd do their best.\" And no doubt some parishioners will offer prayers of thanksgiving if the team wins - an outcome that would prove either that there never was a curse, or that it has been lifted. \"I think in Mayo there'll be no winter if they win the All-Ireland this year,\" Father Costello says. \"The euphoria in the county would know no bounds - it's probably the greatest thing that would happen in the county in the last 65 years, without a doubt.\" 1989 - Cork 0-17 [17] Mayo 1-11 [14] Mayo's first final since 1951 brought huge excitement for the county - followed by disappointment to match. Victory was in the air when Mayo netted a goal just after half-time but missing an open goal almost immediately afterwards seemed to awaken Cork - who'd lost the previous two finals -  spurring them on to a three-point victory and breaking Mayo hearts. 1996 Meath 0-12 [12] Mayo 1-9 [12] Despair for Mayo who'd beaten Gaelic Football's aristocrats Kerry in the semi-final. Six points ahead with just 18 minutes to go - a substantial and usually match-winning lead in Gaelic football - they looked set for victory. A last-minute freak score by Meath, when a long-range kick defied the defence and bounced over the crossbar, levelled the game leading to a replay. Commentators agree it was a game Mayo should have won. 1996 (replay) Meath 2-9 [15] Mayo 1-11 [14] Inconsolable grief for Mayo supporters after the draw they should have won. The replay is infamous for a mass brawl after just five minutes involving 27 of the 30 players on the field, after which Mayo's \"man-of-the-match\" in the drawn game was sent off, along with a Meath opponent. Mayo went seven points up at one stage but lost to a solitary Meath point scored in the dying moments of the game. Probably the most heart-breaking of all Mayo's defeats. 1997 Kerry 0-13 [13] Mayo 1-7 [10] One of the greatest performances ever seen by a player in an All-Ireland final meant it wasn't to be Mayo's day - as he was from Kerry. Maurice Fitzgerald scored 9 of Kerry's 13 points - most of them in the second-half - in a resounding victory despite the scoreline. The game became remembered as the \"Maurice Fitzgerald Final\" but is one Mayo fans would rather forget. 2004 Kerry 1-20 [23] Mayo 2-9 [15] An early goal by Mayo after just five minutes sent their fans' hopes soaring - but Kerry, who've won more All-Irelands than anyone else, motored on to an emphatic victory, in a game that was over by half-time. 2006 Kerry 4-15 [27] Mayo 3-5 [14] A crushing defeat by Kerry with the game appearing over after just 15 minutes when they led by 11 points. 2012 Donegal 2-11 [17] Mayo 0-13 [13] A disastrous start by Mayo saw them concede two goals, leaving them with a mountain the size of Croagh Patrick to climb before they got going. A spirited display saw them keep in touch... before succumbing to a strong and talented Donegal side winning the county's second-only All-Ireland title. 2013 Dublin 2-12 [18] Mayo 1-14 [17] A performance marked by missed Mayo chances and nerves by both sides. Having hammered Champions Donegal in the quarter-final, Mayo had high hopes against a strong Dublin side. Two points down in injury time, Mayo inexplicably opted to kick the ball over the bar for a point from a free kick in injury time - rather than try for a last-ditch goal to win the game. It later emerged that the kicker believed the referee had indicated there was more time remaining than there was. Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2514, "answer_end": 3466, "text": "Gaelic Football is Ireland's most popular sport - more so than rugby or soccer and played more in schools, too. Soccer and rugby would have a fervent following, particularly for the national team - but that largely reflects the country being a sports-mad nation. There'll be 82,000 at the game on Sunday - and crowds of over 20,000 are normal. Teams have 15 players, with a point scored when the ball is kicked or punched over the crossbar of H-shaped goalpost - with three points for a goal scored under the crossbar, on a pitch somewhat larger than a soccer or rugby field Its popularity derives from a parish-based structure organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ireland's biggest sporting organisation, was founded in 1884 as part of national cultural and political movement in the drive for independence from the UK. The club is an integral part of many communities in Ireland - and a focal point for other social and community activities."}], "question": "What is Gaelic football?", "id": "653_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bercow's 'regret' at ministers' handling of Brexit vote delay", "date": "10 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is \"regrettable\" MPs were not given any say in the government's decision to abandon a vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal, John Bercow has said. The Commons Speaker told MPs he had no powers to compel ministers to seek the opinion of MPs but said it was \"unfortunate\" they had chosen not to. Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said \"normal conventions\" had been followed. But Labour was granted an emergency debate on Tuesday on the issue after claiming MPs had been \"disregarded\". The Commons had been due to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal on Tuesday but Mrs May told MPs it would be \"deferred\" to an unspecified date so she could resume talks with EU leaders. She acknowledged that she would have been likely to lose the vote by a significant margin due to concerns about the backstop plan to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As a result, the remaining two days of debate on the proposed withdrawal deal have been postponed. Mrs Leadsom assured all those MPs who had yet to speak during the first three days of debate they would get a chance to do so in the future although she could not say when the vote would be re-staged. Mr Bercow said bringing consideration of the deal to a \"premature end\" at an \"inordinately late stage\" and without a vote would be seen as \"discourteous\" by many MPs. Having taken procedural advice, he said the government was within its rights to \"unilaterally\" decline to move a motion ordering the vote, but he said it would be preferable to give MPs their say before doing so. \"Halting the debate after no fewer than 164 colleagues have taken the trouble to contribute will be thought by many members of this House to be deeply discourteous,\" he said. \"I politely suggest that in any courteous, respectful and mature environment, allowing the house to have a say would be the right and, dare I say it, the obvious, course to take.\" Speaking later, he added: \"This whole proceeding has been extremely regrettable. I think that is manifest, palpable, incontrovertible. \"This is not the way the business of the House is ordinarily conducted. This is a most unfortunate state of affairs but we must all act within our powers.\" The cancellation of the vote was confirmed after the Clerk of the House of Commons read out the orders of the day and a whip shouted out \"tomorrow\" to stop Tuesday's debate going ahead. This prompted an angry response from MPs, with Labour's Lloyd Russell-Moyle being asked to leave the chamber after picking up the ceremonial mace and trying to remove it from the chamber. Earlier Conservative Brexiteer Mark Francois said cancelling the vote, which overturned a schedule approved by MPs last week, was \"shameful\" and a \"complete abuse of this House\". The SNP's Pete Wishart said it showed \"huge disrespect\" while Labour's Ben Bradshaw said the government was showing \"contempt for this sovereign Parliament\". But Mrs Leadsom defended the move as a \"common procedure\", arguing it was \"in line with normal convention that government decides the order of business\". While the PM said she believed a majority of MPs backed the broad terms of the deal, she said she had listened to MPs' concerns over the Northern Ireland border backstop plan and said she would seek \"further reassurances\". MPs were due to vote on Tuesday whether to accept or reject the terms of the UK's withdrawal from the EU and future relations with the EU, after five days of debate. A succession of Labour MPs criticised the prime minister for pulling the vote, suggesting her actions were not motivated by the national interest but a desperate move to placate Brexiteers in her own party. Dennis Skinner suggested Mrs May was \"frit\" while Mr Bradshaw said if she did not have the courage to put her deal to MPs, the PM should give the public its say. And Conservative former education secretary Justine Greening sought assurances that the final vote would not be left until 28 March 2019, the day before the UK is to due to leave the EU. She said the existing obligation on ministers to make a statement to MPs by 21 January setting out their course of action if there is no deal or the deal is rejected, had been superseded by Monday's statement. But Mrs May said this was not the case as the 21 January deadline had \"been set in legislation\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3448, "answer_end": 4310, "text": "A succession of Labour MPs criticised the prime minister for pulling the vote, suggesting her actions were not motivated by the national interest but a desperate move to placate Brexiteers in her own party. Dennis Skinner suggested Mrs May was \"frit\" while Mr Bradshaw said if she did not have the courage to put her deal to MPs, the PM should give the public its say. And Conservative former education secretary Justine Greening sought assurances that the final vote would not be left until 28 March 2019, the day before the UK is to due to leave the EU. She said the existing obligation on ministers to make a statement to MPs by 21 January setting out their course of action if there is no deal or the deal is rejected, had been superseded by Monday's statement. But Mrs May said this was not the case as the 21 January deadline had \"been set in legislation\"."}], "question": "Vote deadline?", "id": "654_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Tackling the canine obesity crisis", "date": "10 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "When it comes to man's best friend, science may finally have solved the mystery of their gluttony - some Labradors, it seems, are genetically predisposed to being hungry. That's according to scientists who were discussing their ongoing mission to improve our favourite pets' health at the British Science Association Festival in Brighton. Several research teams in the UK are on a mission to improve canine health. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have studied the appetite of Britain's favourite dog breed, and suggest Labradors are genetically at risk of becoming overweight. Roughly a quarter of British households own a pet dog, and Labrador retrievers remain our most popular canine companion. However, this stereotypically \"greedy\" breed often suffers size-related health problems. \"Obesity is a serious issue for our dog population,\" says Dr Eleanor Raffan from the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science. \"It has the potential to have a massive impact on pet welfare.\" In research supported by the Dogs Trust, Dr Raffan and her colleagues have analysed DNA from the saliva of Labradors across the UK. They found that particularly greedy individuals possess a gene mutation responsible for increasing their appetite. \"We found around a quarter of pet Labradors have at least one copy of this mutation in the gene,\" Dr Raffan explains. Their increased appetite manifests itself as a \"food obsession\", familiar to dog-owners as begging or scavenging for food. In the past, the onus has been on owners to restrict the diet of their pets to prevent excessive weight gain. But Dr Raffan's research suggests the propensity for large appetites, and hence potential obesity, is hardwired into some individuals. \"We hope to shift the paradigm away from owner-blaming\" says Dr Raffan. \"It's a bit more nuanced than just owners needing to be careful.\" Dr Raffan cautions against any attempt to breed this \"greedy mutation\" out of Labrador lines. While it might predispose the dogs to obesity, a strong focus on food may also explain why Labradors are so easy to train and are such loyal human companions. \"If we try to get rid of the mutation, we might find we change the personality of the breed, and that would be a real shame,\" she explains. Yet their results raise an ethical conundrum. Owners and veterinary surgeons are responsible for providing five core so-called freedoms to animals in their care, including freedom from pain and disease, and freedom from hunger. Obesity is a disease, and negatively impacts upon canine quality of life. \"But equally, being hungry is a welfare issue,\" says Dr Raffan. \"And these dogs are genetically hungry.\" Dr Raffan hopes future research will improve the satiety of their diets, allowing a feeling of \"fullness\" without the potential for excessive weight gain. Being overweight undoubtedly reduces a dog's quality of life, and can also affect their ability to cope with arthritis and other underlying joint disorders. At the University of Liverpool, scientists are using state-of-the-art imaging technology to study diseases affecting the knee joints of Labradors. Damage to the canine cruciate ligament, similar to the injuries commonly suffered by professional human athletes, is the most common orthopaedic problem seen in veterinary practices. Injury to the knee ligaments is also more common in heavier dog breeds \"We're trying to understand how the shape of the Labrador body and the way they walk might contribute to knee problems,\" says Prof Eithne Comerford, a specialist in musculoskeletal biology. Using high-speed x-ray cameras, the researchers film their canine patients walking through the lab, and watch their knee bones slide and twist in real-time. The team hopes to understand how walking contributes to the risk of ligament injury and rupture in Labradors, with the ultimate goal of reducing lameness and suffering within the breed. \"This data will also help veterinary surgeons and engineers design better treatments for ligament damage in Labradors, like customised knee implants,\" explains biomechanist Dr Karl Bates from the University of Liverpool. Both research groups rely heavily on the good will of Labrador owners, both for collecting samples and entering their pets into experimental trials. In addition to tackling diagnosed health issues, researchers hope to change the public's perception of what \"desirable\" traits should characterise our favourite breeds. \"There is a real danger when we breed dogs to be cuddlier and cuter,\" warns Dr Raffan. \"I think people have seen so many overweight Labradors, they start to assume it's normal\". Dr Charlotte Brassey is a BBSRC Future Leader Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University, and British Science Association Media Fellow 2017. Twitter: @cbrassey", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 798, "answer_end": 1868, "text": "\"Obesity is a serious issue for our dog population,\" says Dr Eleanor Raffan from the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science. \"It has the potential to have a massive impact on pet welfare.\" In research supported by the Dogs Trust, Dr Raffan and her colleagues have analysed DNA from the saliva of Labradors across the UK. They found that particularly greedy individuals possess a gene mutation responsible for increasing their appetite. \"We found around a quarter of pet Labradors have at least one copy of this mutation in the gene,\" Dr Raffan explains. Their increased appetite manifests itself as a \"food obsession\", familiar to dog-owners as begging or scavenging for food. In the past, the onus has been on owners to restrict the diet of their pets to prevent excessive weight gain. But Dr Raffan's research suggests the propensity for large appetites, and hence potential obesity, is hardwired into some individuals. \"We hope to shift the paradigm away from owner-blaming\" says Dr Raffan. \"It's a bit more nuanced than just owners needing to be careful.\""}], "question": "Blame the owners?", "id": "655_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump travel ban: Judge declines to reinstate ruling", "date": "11 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US judge has declined to issue an emergency order banning President Donald Trump's revised travel ban. The ruling came from Seattle district judge James Robart, the same judge who had issued the order that in effect halted implementation of the first ban. Judge Robart said lawyers needed to file more extensive documentation. The new 90-day ban on citizens of six mostly Muslim nations is due to come into effect on Thursday but has sparked legal action in a number of states. Lawyers in Washington state had asked Judge Robart to extend his decision on the first ban to cover the second. But the judge cited procedural reasons for not doing so. He said a complaint or a motion would have to be filed before he could rule. The justice department had argued that since the initial travel order ban had been revoked, the judge's first ruling could no longer apply. Those opposing that argument said the new travel ban had the same effect as the original. In succeeding with the first ban, they argued the move was unconstitutional and damaging to businesses in Washington state. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday that the administration believed the new order would withstand legal scrutiny. Several states have launched legal challenges. Oregon - said the order hurts residents, employers, universities health care system and economy Washington - it has \"same illegal motivations as the original\" and harms residents, although fewer than the first ban Minnesota - questioned the legality of the move, suggesting the Trump administration can't override the initial ban with a fresh executive order New York - \"a Muslim ban by another name\", said the attorney general Massachusetts - new ban \"remains a discriminatory and unconstitutional attempt to make good on his campaign promise to implement a Muslim ban\" Hawaii - argued it would harm its Muslim population, tourism and foreign students The first order, which Mr Trump signed in January, sparked mass protests as well as confusion at airports. Critics maintain the revised travel ban still discriminates against Muslims. Trump supporters say the president is fulfilling his campaign promises to protect Americans. Citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, six countries on the original 27 January order, will once more be subject to a 90-day travel ban. Iraq was taken off the banned list because its government boosted visa screening and data sharing, White House officials said. The new directive says refugees already approved by the state department can enter the US. It also lifts an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees. Green Card holders (legal permanent residents of the US) from the named countries will not be affected. The new order does not give priority to religious minorities, unlike the previous directive. Critics of the Trump administration had argued that this was an unlawful policy showing preference to Christian refugees.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2187, "answer_end": 2935, "text": "Citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, six countries on the original 27 January order, will once more be subject to a 90-day travel ban. Iraq was taken off the banned list because its government boosted visa screening and data sharing, White House officials said. The new directive says refugees already approved by the state department can enter the US. It also lifts an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees. Green Card holders (legal permanent residents of the US) from the named countries will not be affected. The new order does not give priority to religious minorities, unlike the previous directive. Critics of the Trump administration had argued that this was an unlawful policy showing preference to Christian refugees."}], "question": "What is different about the new order?", "id": "656_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jamal Khashoggi: Washington Post blanks out missing Saudi writer's column", "date": "5 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Washington Post has printed a blank column in support of its missing Saudi contributor Jamal Khashoggi. Mr Khashoggi - a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - has not been seen since visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia says he left the building but Turkey says he may still be inside. The newspaper said it was \"worried\" and called on Mr bin Salman to \"welcome constructive criticism from patriots such as Mr Khashoggi\". In an editorial, it asked that the crown prince do \"everything in his power\" to let the journalist work. Previously an adviser to senior Saudi officials, Mr Khashoggi moved abroad after his Saudi newspaper column was cancelled and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting his criticisms of the crown prince's policies. The 59-year-old commentator has been living in self-imposed exile in the US and working as a contributor to the Washington Post. Mr Khashoggi went to the Istanbul consulate to obtain official divorce documents so that he could marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice. He left his phone with Hatice outside the consulate and asked her to call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not return. Hatice said she waited for Mr Khashoggi outside the consulate from about 13:00 (10:00 GMT) until after midnight and did not see him leave. She returned when the consulate reopened on Wednesday morning. Turkey has said it believes he remains inside the building, while a Saudi official said Mr Khashoggi filled out his paperwork and then \"exited shortly thereafter\". On Thursday the official Saudi Press Agency cited the consulate as saying it was working with Turkish authorities to probe Mr Khashoggi's disappearance \"after he left the consulate building\". The US state department has also requested information about Khashoggi's whereabouts and expressed concern about his safety. The BBC's Mark Lowen says the mystery threatens to deepen the strains in the relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has taken the side of Qatar over its blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbours, and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran has riled the government in Riyadh, our correspondent adds. He is one of the most prominent critics of the crown prince, who has unveiled reforms praised by the West while carrying out an apparent crackdown on dissent, which has seen human and women's rights activists, intellectuals and clerics arrested, and waging a war in Yemen that has triggered a humanitarian crisis. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family and advised senior Saudi officials. After several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the Al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US, from where he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels. \"I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice,\" he wrote in September 2017. \"To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 916, "answer_end": 1399, "text": "Mr Khashoggi went to the Istanbul consulate to obtain official divorce documents so that he could marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice. He left his phone with Hatice outside the consulate and asked her to call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not return. Hatice said she waited for Mr Khashoggi outside the consulate from about 13:00 (10:00 GMT) until after midnight and did not see him leave. She returned when the consulate reopened on Wednesday morning."}], "question": "What happened on Tuesday?", "id": "657_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1400, "answer_end": 2191, "text": "Turkey has said it believes he remains inside the building, while a Saudi official said Mr Khashoggi filled out his paperwork and then \"exited shortly thereafter\". On Thursday the official Saudi Press Agency cited the consulate as saying it was working with Turkish authorities to probe Mr Khashoggi's disappearance \"after he left the consulate building\". The US state department has also requested information about Khashoggi's whereabouts and expressed concern about his safety. The BBC's Mark Lowen says the mystery threatens to deepen the strains in the relationship between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Turkey has taken the side of Qatar over its blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbours, and Turkey's rapprochement with Iran has riled the government in Riyadh, our correspondent adds."}], "question": "What do Saudi Arabia and Turkey say?", "id": "657_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2192, "answer_end": 3185, "text": "He is one of the most prominent critics of the crown prince, who has unveiled reforms praised by the West while carrying out an apparent crackdown on dissent, which has seen human and women's rights activists, intellectuals and clerics arrested, and waging a war in Yemen that has triggered a humanitarian crisis. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family and advised senior Saudi officials. After several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the Al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US, from where he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels. \"I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice,\" he wrote in September 2017. \"To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot.\""}], "question": "Why might Saudi Arabia want Khashoggi?", "id": "657_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Korean meeting: How did we get here?", "date": "28 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Kim Jong-un has become the first North Korean leader to enter South Korea since the end of the 1953 Korean War. But why has it taken so long, where did the dispute between the two countries start, and why are there even two Korean countries - rather than the one it was before 1948? It's a long and complicated history that started with the end of World War Two. War broke out on the Korean peninsula in 1950 as a direct result of the Cold War taking place between the West and the Soviet Union. Japan ruled Korea (when it was just one country) from 1910 up until the end of the Second World War. The Soviet Union (USSR) saw an opportunity when Japan surrendered at the end of the war and entered Korea. The USSR and the US agreed to divide Korea in 1948, with the Soviets taking control of the north and the US the south. They would come to be known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The USSR installed a communist dictatorship north of the border, giving power to the former guerrilla soldier Kim Il-sung (Kim Jong-un's grandfather) who ended up ruling until 1994. Democratic elections in the South led to Syngman Rhee becoming the country's first president. The USSR and US left Korea in 1949, and a year later Kim Il-sung attacked the South by surprise. His goal was a unified communist Korea. North Korea had a bigger army, thanks to the USSR, and made it count at first. But US reinforcements arrived to help the South and, following a plea to the UN's Security Council, troops were also sent in from fourteen UN countries - including Australia, France and the UK. A stalemate led to an armistice being signed in 1953 after new US president Dwight Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons to end the war, while the death of USSR leader Joseph Stalin in the same year also contributed. The armistice was intended to be a temporary truce, resulting in a ceasefire \"until a final peaceful settlement is achieved\". But the settlement still hasn't arrived - which is why the meeting between the two Korean leaders is so significant. Daily life in South and North Korea couldn't be more different. The South, having been occupied by western forces, embraced a capitalist philosophy. It has developed into one of Asia's most affluent nations. A government-sponsored industrial push in the 1960s led to huge corporations like Samsung and Hyundai being created. The country 's culture is exported around the world. Its soap operas are popular in the likes of China and K-Pop has become a phenomenon. Around 45 of the country's 48 million people are estimated to have high-speed wireless internet, and people have access to all the brands that are coveted in the west - and then some. And what do they teach people in South Korea about the North? \"We have been taught that North Korea is a main enemy but our fellow country at the same time,\" says YouTuber Korean Billy. Life in North Korea is different, to say the least. North Korea is a communist country, but capitalism is creeping into the country. There are things to buy - but only for some people, those who have money. The majority of people in North Korea live in poverty. Citizens are told from a young age into believing the Supreme Leader is the be-all and end-all, as well as that countries like South Korea and America - and the west generally - are evil. In 2014 a UN panel accused North Korea of crimes against humanity, including systematic extermination, torture, rape, forced abortions and starvation. It recommended prosecution of the country's top leaders by the International Criminal Court. The UN report said there is an almost complete denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as of the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, information and association, in the country. Kim Il-sung was North Korea's first and longest-serving leader, who introduced the philosophy of \"juche\" - self-reliance - to the country. He also created a cult of personality around himself through incessant propaganda, which allowed him to rule for 46 years without any real rivals. If there were real rivals, they were purged - a tradition continued by Kim Jong-un when he took over. Kim Il-sung promoted his son, Kim Jong-il, to senior roles within the Korean Workers' Party and the military in the 1980s, making it clear he would eventually take over. Kim Il-sung was given the title of \"eternal president of the republic\" after his death in 1994, and is almost worshipped as a god in the country. The reigns being passed on to Kim Jong-il made North Korea the world's first hereditary communist state - and he continued the cult of personality. As an example of the type of information fed to the North Korean people, official propaganda says a double rainbow and a bright star marked Kim Jong-il's birth. Under Kim Jong-il's leadership the economy worsened and the use of labour camps for political dissenters grew. He also ramped up the country's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, something his son Kim Jong-un continued after his death in 2011. Kim Jong-un, the current leader, is the first leader to enter South Korea since the war. His approach to the South appears to have changed dramatically in recent months - which some people attribute to increased sanctions by the US and UN. North Korea now claims it has mastered the design of nuclear weapons, and announced a ban on testing them this month. It comes ahead of a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump. Now he says that along with South Korean president Moon Jae-in, he will work to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Details of how denuclearisation would be achieved were not made clear, and there are two main reasons why analysts are sceptical. The first issue for the North is the security guarantee extended by the US, a nuclear power, to South Korea and Japan. It has military presence in both countries. The second reason: similar agreements have been made between the Koreas in the past, but were later abandoned after the North resorted to nuclear and missile tests and the South elected more conservative presidents. Alongside ridding the peninsula of nuclear weapons, the Koreas also said they were aiming to turn the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953 into a peace treaty this year. \"I can't help being emotional when I see two leaders talk about peace, because Korean people have always wanted the two Koreas to have a peaceful relationship,\" says YouTuber Korean Billy, who lives in Seoul. \"I kind of started to imagine if I could actually travel to North Korea in the near future. \"South Korean people have always wanted to travel to North Korea and talk to North Korean people.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2104, "answer_end": 3386, "text": "Daily life in South and North Korea couldn't be more different. The South, having been occupied by western forces, embraced a capitalist philosophy. It has developed into one of Asia's most affluent nations. A government-sponsored industrial push in the 1960s led to huge corporations like Samsung and Hyundai being created. The country 's culture is exported around the world. Its soap operas are popular in the likes of China and K-Pop has become a phenomenon. Around 45 of the country's 48 million people are estimated to have high-speed wireless internet, and people have access to all the brands that are coveted in the west - and then some. And what do they teach people in South Korea about the North? \"We have been taught that North Korea is a main enemy but our fellow country at the same time,\" says YouTuber Korean Billy. Life in North Korea is different, to say the least. North Korea is a communist country, but capitalism is creeping into the country. There are things to buy - but only for some people, those who have money. The majority of people in North Korea live in poverty. Citizens are told from a young age into believing the Supreme Leader is the be-all and end-all, as well as that countries like South Korea and America - and the west generally - are evil."}], "question": "How do the countries differ?", "id": "658_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Cape Town's trains are on fire in South Africa", "date": "29 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Something mysterious, queasily spectacular, and extremely dangerous is happening in Cape Town. In the space of a few months, half of the city's entire stock of more than 80 suburban trains has been set on fire and taken out of action. That has prompted chaos and frustration for thousands of commuters, and deep unease for officials unsure if the arsonists are petty criminals, sophisticated gangs, or maybe even political forces seeking to discredit their rivals. Viral videos have shown a series of burning carriages - billowing with black smoke while electric cables crack and fizzle overhead - screeching to a gentle halt in different train stations in the South African port city, as commuters rush to escape the fires. So far, no-one has been hurt. Yet despite growing pressure on investigators, and the introduction of undercover police on many trains, the authorities have yet to crack the mystery of Cape Town's burning trains. The impact on the city - still recovering from a crippling drought - has been severe. \"In my mind there is some sort of campaign, or sinister force, that is behind this,\" said Brett Herron, who oversees the city's transport systems in the mayor's office. \"For me, it's not random - it just seems to be too well orchestrated. We've had about 140 carriages destroyed [in] an almost weekly occurrence.\" \"Our system is operating at about a third of the capacity required, so there is a massive decline in passenger numbers,\" he added. On a recent morning, hundreds of passengers who had waited for over an hour at Retreat station, in the shadow of Table Mountain, rushed to cross the lines and scramble onto a graffiti-covered train that arrived, without warning, on the wrong platform. \"It's been a nightmare for us,\" said one young woman. \"It's very unsafe - you take your life in your hands every time you get on a train. \"Always late. Always late for work now,\" said an elderly woman beside her. \"Maybe it's sabotage. I don't know,\" said an undercover police officer who, like the other people in the carriage, declined to give his name. Initially, the dominant theory in Cape Town was that powerful criminal gangs were destroying the trains, either in order to secure contracts for corrupt companies looking to replace the carriages, or to win control of lucrative contracts to guard the trains and train lines. That theory remains firmly in play, along with the suspicion that small-time criminals and vandals may be copying the arson attacks in order to express their frustration with local services in general, and with an underfunded and struggling train service in particular. But Cape Town and the surrounding Western Cape province is controlled by South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). Over time, suspicion has grown in some quarters that rival politicians may be deliberately encouraging the train fires to make the DA appear incompetent - even though the train service itself falls under the responsibility of national government. \"The ANC's strategy has always been ungovernability,\" said Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape and a long-standing critic of the country's governing African National Congress (ANC), citing next year's national elections and the ANC's stated desire to win back control of the city and province. \"Every time there's an election on the horizon the [ANC's] ungovernability strategy comes up. It's the easiest thing of all to do. Make the place ungovernable. Make the infrastructure dysfunctional,\" she said. But Ms Zille acknowledged that she had no proof to support that theory, and that \"clear commercial interests,\" \"criminal syndicates,\" and \"vandalism\" were almost certainly involved in the fires. Another theory holds that the DA itself might stand to gain if the local rail system were destroyed, since the provincial DA-run government is currently trying to wrestle control of it from the ANC-run national government's corruption-plagued rail network. \"You have a city and provincial government that really doesn't care for the poor,\" said Faiez Jacobs, the ANC's provincial secretary, describing the arson as \"sinister.\" Mr Jacobs said he suspected there was indeed a deliberate political plot to \"collapse\" the rail system, but hinted that the DA was behind it, not the ANC. \"Who would benefit?\" he asked, citing the tug-of-war between the province and the government over control of Cape Town's rail system. For now, the fires remain a mystery. But it is poor communities - living in the crowded, windswept Cape Flats outside the city - who are most dependent on the cheap railway system for transport. They are now being forced to rely on more expensive mini-bus taxis and buses. \"The knock-on effects are that the whole city suffers,\" said Brett Herron. The rail system is now losing 2.7 million passenger trips a month, and road traffic congestion levels have doubled. \"The city's prospects, and reputation, and economy suffer,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 755, "answer_end": 2074, "text": "Yet despite growing pressure on investigators, and the introduction of undercover police on many trains, the authorities have yet to crack the mystery of Cape Town's burning trains. The impact on the city - still recovering from a crippling drought - has been severe. \"In my mind there is some sort of campaign, or sinister force, that is behind this,\" said Brett Herron, who oversees the city's transport systems in the mayor's office. \"For me, it's not random - it just seems to be too well orchestrated. We've had about 140 carriages destroyed [in] an almost weekly occurrence.\" \"Our system is operating at about a third of the capacity required, so there is a massive decline in passenger numbers,\" he added. On a recent morning, hundreds of passengers who had waited for over an hour at Retreat station, in the shadow of Table Mountain, rushed to cross the lines and scramble onto a graffiti-covered train that arrived, without warning, on the wrong platform. \"It's been a nightmare for us,\" said one young woman. \"It's very unsafe - you take your life in your hands every time you get on a train. \"Always late. Always late for work now,\" said an elderly woman beside her. \"Maybe it's sabotage. I don't know,\" said an undercover police officer who, like the other people in the carriage, declined to give his name."}], "question": "How big is the problem?", "id": "659_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2075, "answer_end": 4964, "text": "Initially, the dominant theory in Cape Town was that powerful criminal gangs were destroying the trains, either in order to secure contracts for corrupt companies looking to replace the carriages, or to win control of lucrative contracts to guard the trains and train lines. That theory remains firmly in play, along with the suspicion that small-time criminals and vandals may be copying the arson attacks in order to express their frustration with local services in general, and with an underfunded and struggling train service in particular. But Cape Town and the surrounding Western Cape province is controlled by South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). Over time, suspicion has grown in some quarters that rival politicians may be deliberately encouraging the train fires to make the DA appear incompetent - even though the train service itself falls under the responsibility of national government. \"The ANC's strategy has always been ungovernability,\" said Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape and a long-standing critic of the country's governing African National Congress (ANC), citing next year's national elections and the ANC's stated desire to win back control of the city and province. \"Every time there's an election on the horizon the [ANC's] ungovernability strategy comes up. It's the easiest thing of all to do. Make the place ungovernable. Make the infrastructure dysfunctional,\" she said. But Ms Zille acknowledged that she had no proof to support that theory, and that \"clear commercial interests,\" \"criminal syndicates,\" and \"vandalism\" were almost certainly involved in the fires. Another theory holds that the DA itself might stand to gain if the local rail system were destroyed, since the provincial DA-run government is currently trying to wrestle control of it from the ANC-run national government's corruption-plagued rail network. \"You have a city and provincial government that really doesn't care for the poor,\" said Faiez Jacobs, the ANC's provincial secretary, describing the arson as \"sinister.\" Mr Jacobs said he suspected there was indeed a deliberate political plot to \"collapse\" the rail system, but hinted that the DA was behind it, not the ANC. \"Who would benefit?\" he asked, citing the tug-of-war between the province and the government over control of Cape Town's rail system. For now, the fires remain a mystery. But it is poor communities - living in the crowded, windswept Cape Flats outside the city - who are most dependent on the cheap railway system for transport. They are now being forced to rely on more expensive mini-bus taxis and buses. \"The knock-on effects are that the whole city suffers,\" said Brett Herron. The rail system is now losing 2.7 million passenger trips a month, and road traffic congestion levels have doubled. \"The city's prospects, and reputation, and economy suffer,\" he said."}], "question": "Who is to blame?", "id": "659_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'China influence' book proves divisive in Australia debate", "date": "8 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A controversial new book asserts that the Chinese government is undermining Australia's sovereignty through a network of local agents. Silent Invasion: How China is Turning Australia into a Puppet State has fuelled debate - some have welcomed discussion about China's influence, while others say it could fuel xenophobia. The book, by Australian academic Clive Hamilton, argues that Beijing's reach has extended into Australian politics, business, education and religious groups. China has previously dismissed similar allegations as \"hysteria\". The book caused angst even before it was published last week. Last year, publisher Allen & Unwin withdrew plans to release the book after \"extensive legal advice\". Prof Hamilton blamed it on fears of \"retaliation\" by Beijing, and later said two other publishers had similar concerns. The book is the latest addition to a wide-ranging discussion. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull noted \"disturbing reports about Chinese influence\" when he unveiled a crackdown on foreign interference last year, although he said the laws were not aimed at one country. In October, Australia's chief foreign affairs bureaucrat, Frances Adamson, warned Australian universities to be vigilant about alleged efforts by China to exercise influence on campuses. According to Fairfax Media, Australian lawmakers gave serious consideration to publishing the book under parliamentary privilege - an unprecedented move that would have given it legal protection. Ultimately, though, Prof Hamilton found a commercial publisher. Since its release, some Chinese-Australians have accused the book of \"fear-mongering\", while Australia's race discrimination commissioner warned it could excite \"an anti-Chinese or Sinophobic racial sentiment\". Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying called the book \"malicious hyping up\" and \"slander\". Other prominent observers, however, have strongly defended it. Prof Hamilton asserts that China is a \"totalitarian regime bent on dominating Australia\", and likens the relationship to \"boy scouts up against Don Corleone\" - a reference to The Godfather. \"China plans to dominate the world, and has been using Australia and New Zealand as a testing ground for its tactics to assert its ascendancy in the West,\" writes Prof Hamilton, a lecturer in public ethics at Charles Sturt University. He says such a suggestion would have been \"fantastic\" in the past, but now \"so much evidence has accumulated that the conclusion seems irresistible\". Prof Hamilton argues that Beijing has deliberately targeted its diaspora in Australia to recruit \"informers, plants and spies\" in business, academic, and other circles. Aspects of society covered by the book include: - Politics: Prof Hamilton alleges that Australia's two major parties are \"severely compromised\" by links to Chinese benefactors, and those \"whose loyalties lie in Beijing\". - Community groups: The book asserts that pro-Chinese government advocates have made an \"almost complete takeover\" of Chinese community groups in Australia, such as social organisations, student groups, professional bodies, as well as Chinese-language media. These groups, according to Prof Hamilton, are supported by China's embassy and promote \"subtle Beijing propaganda\" to Australia's politicians. - Research: The author alleges that some Chinese-Australian scientists and academics are allowing advanced research to be shared with Chinese universities, either unintentionally through joint projects, or because of duress. Prof Hamilton told the BBC he had based his assertions on \"very credible\" sources and numerous materials that were publicly available, which he had referenced in his book. He said they confirmed \"what intelligence agencies have been telling government in secret for the last few years\". Last year, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation warned in a report that ethnic communities in Australia were \"the subject of covert influence operations\" aimed at shutting down criticism. It did not name China specifically. In December, a senator, Sam Dastyari, was forced to resign over scrutiny about his dealings with a Chinese businessman who was described by Mr Turnbull as having \"close links to a foreign government\". Mr Dastyari denied ever violating his \"parliamentary oath\". Mr Turnbull's new crackdown will ban all foreign political donations, and force lobbyists to publicly register any overseas links. China's embassy has said it does not seek to influence Australian politics. Last year it also issued a safety warning to Chinese students in Australia, following the discovery of racist graffiti on university campuses. China's embassy in Australia said Prof Hamilton had been \"playing up the 'China threat' for quite some time\". \"His allegations, which are imbued with disinformation and racist bigotry, fully reveal his malicious anti-China mentality. His vicious intention is doomed to fall flat on its face,\" a statement said. It has also received sharp criticism in Australia. Prof John Keane, a University of Sydney politics expert, said the book presented a simplistic view of Chinese power and was \"filled with wilful ignorance\". \"The many cases cited by him are much more complicated than his ideological view - he's twisted things to confirm a grand narrative of takeover,\" Prof Keane said. A reviewer, David Brophy, questioned whether the book contained sufficient evidence that \"Chinese actors have impaired the normal functioning of our imperfect democracy\". \"Beijing has its lobbyists, its front groups, its propaganda; but to depict China's activities as in any way unique in this respect strains credulity,\" he wrote in the Australian Book Review. Some Chinese-Australians also took issue. Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane, who has Chinese ancestry, said some language used in the book \"smacks of The Yellow Peril revisited\", citing the inclusion of terms such as \"panda huggers\" and \"dyeing Australia red\". But others defended Prof Hamilton, arguing criticism of the book was almost inevitable because of the topics it covered. China-Australia expert Prof John Fitzgerald, whose work is quoted in the book, said criticism focused on perceptions of the text, rather than what it said. \"None of the reviews have challenged any of the points made. Rather they're concerned it will generate a controversy that gets out of hand, that will be politically McCarthyist or culturally racist,\" said Prof Fitzgerald, from Swinburne University. He defended the text as \"a very important book\" that had brought \"government knowledge to public attention\". The book has \"international resonance\", according to Prof Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. \"It is a book about how a multicultural democracy struggles when a foreign power exploits the open nature of its system,\" said Prof Medcalf, whose work is also quoted in the book. He said Prof Hamilton's language was \"darker than what government agencies would use\", but it raised important concerns. \"It's really up to our politicians now to interpret this and act on it in a way that minimises the perception of divisiveness and xenophobia,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1920, "answer_end": 4646, "text": "Prof Hamilton asserts that China is a \"totalitarian regime bent on dominating Australia\", and likens the relationship to \"boy scouts up against Don Corleone\" - a reference to The Godfather. \"China plans to dominate the world, and has been using Australia and New Zealand as a testing ground for its tactics to assert its ascendancy in the West,\" writes Prof Hamilton, a lecturer in public ethics at Charles Sturt University. He says such a suggestion would have been \"fantastic\" in the past, but now \"so much evidence has accumulated that the conclusion seems irresistible\". Prof Hamilton argues that Beijing has deliberately targeted its diaspora in Australia to recruit \"informers, plants and spies\" in business, academic, and other circles. Aspects of society covered by the book include: - Politics: Prof Hamilton alleges that Australia's two major parties are \"severely compromised\" by links to Chinese benefactors, and those \"whose loyalties lie in Beijing\". - Community groups: The book asserts that pro-Chinese government advocates have made an \"almost complete takeover\" of Chinese community groups in Australia, such as social organisations, student groups, professional bodies, as well as Chinese-language media. These groups, according to Prof Hamilton, are supported by China's embassy and promote \"subtle Beijing propaganda\" to Australia's politicians. - Research: The author alleges that some Chinese-Australian scientists and academics are allowing advanced research to be shared with Chinese universities, either unintentionally through joint projects, or because of duress. Prof Hamilton told the BBC he had based his assertions on \"very credible\" sources and numerous materials that were publicly available, which he had referenced in his book. He said they confirmed \"what intelligence agencies have been telling government in secret for the last few years\". Last year, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation warned in a report that ethnic communities in Australia were \"the subject of covert influence operations\" aimed at shutting down criticism. It did not name China specifically. In December, a senator, Sam Dastyari, was forced to resign over scrutiny about his dealings with a Chinese businessman who was described by Mr Turnbull as having \"close links to a foreign government\". Mr Dastyari denied ever violating his \"parliamentary oath\". Mr Turnbull's new crackdown will ban all foreign political donations, and force lobbyists to publicly register any overseas links. China's embassy has said it does not seek to influence Australian politics. Last year it also issued a safety warning to Chinese students in Australia, following the discovery of racist graffiti on university campuses."}], "question": "What does the book allege?", "id": "660_0"}]}]}, {"title": "TTIP: The EU-US trade deal explained", "date": "18 December 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "David Cameron is meeting other EU leaders and industry bodies at CBI-hosted talks in Brussels hoping to inject fresh impetus into talks on a transatlantic trade deal. Supporters say it will boost economies - critics call it anti-democratic. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, now generally known as TTIP, is primarily a deal to cut tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade between the US and EU countries, making it easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to access each other's markets. Industries it would affect include pharmaceuticals, cars, energy, finance, chemicals, clothing and food and drink. The British government claims TTIP could add PS10bn to the UK economy, PS80bn to the US and PS100bn to the EU every year. It says shoppers would benefit by the removal of EU import tariffs on popular goods, such as jeans and cars. It's also claimed that reducing regulation would help UK businesses export to the US, with small businesses in particular predicted to benefit. And supporters say restrictive markets would be opened up; for example, currently British lamb and venison cannot be exported to the US. David Cameron has promised to put \"rocket boosters\" behind talks to secure the deal, saying TTIP is central to his vision of a reformed competitive Europe. TTIP is also supported by the Liberal Democrats. Labour, UKIP and the SNP broadly support it with caveats over the NHS. Plaid Cymru is more sceptical and the Green Party is strongly opposed. Leaders at the EU-US summit of November 2011 set up a working group to find ways to increase growth and competitiveness, given shared concerns over economic stagnation and frustration at the lack of progress in the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. The working group reported in February 2013, recommending a  \"comprehensive\" bilateral trade agreement, which became the TTIP. The TTIP is one of the ten priorities of Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission. - November 2011 - US and EU leaders agree action is needed to boost trade and revive stagnant economies on both sides of the Atlantic - June 2013 - TTIP negotiations launched - July 2013  - First negotiating round in which 24 working groups, each representing a policy or trade area, are established - January 2014 - European Commission announces freeze of negotiations over the investment section of the TTIP, pending the outcome of a consultation - September 2014 - Outgoing EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht warns there is a danger the TTIP will not be agreed by the original deadline of 2015 and that the US presidential election in 2016 could further delay negotiations The EU's trade commissioner, currently Cecilia Malmstrom, takes the lead in trade talks.  The commission consults the UK and other EU governments during the negotiations through the Trade Policy Committee, made up of senior officials from each member state. Negotiators have been meeting alternately in Brussels and Washington. Tariffs between the EU and US are already low - averaging around 3% - and both sides foresee they will be eliminated under the agreement. The main focus of negotiations is on harmonising regulations, reducing \"non-tariff barriers\" to trade, or getting rid of them if they're deemed unnecessary. For instance, US and EU regulators have different requirements for testing the safety of cars, drugs and soft furnishings.  Going through the different tests is expensive for firms, particularly in developing new medicines. TTIP aims to reduce those costs by bringing in common standards. Other areas being contemplated include protection for foreign investors, co-operation to achieve greater participation by small businesses in EU-US trade and a controversial procedure to resolve investment disputes between the US and EU. Much of the opposition to TTIP in the UK and other EU countries including Germany, is focused on its provisions for \"investor-state dispute settlement\". This procedure would allow companies to sue foreign governments over claims of unfair treatment and to be entitled to compensation. Critics say the measures undermine the power of national governments to act in the interests of their citizens. For example, they warn that tobacco giants could use the procedure to challenge restrictive regulations, citing a case in Australia, where Philip Morris Asia used a 1993 trade agreement with Hong Kong as the basis for a legal move to stop a change to packaging. In the UK, attention has focused on the potential impact on the NHS, with critics saying TTIP would allow private firms running NHS services to sue the government if it chose to return the services to the public sector. Opponents have called for the NHS to be exempted from TTIP, arguing that other sectors have already secured exemptions, such as the French film industry. The UK government says the details of how the dispute settlement would work is still under negotiation and insists there is no threat to the NHS. Critics also worry about the impact on food standards, arguing that the EU has much stricter regulations on GM crops, pesticide use and food additives than the US. They say the TTIP deal could open the EU market to cheaper products with poorer standards. They also warn that  food giants could use investor-state dispute settlements to bully governments into dropping legislation to improve food standards. The UK government insists it would not allow the TTIP deal to undermine the UK's welfare and regulatory standards. In 2012, after a widespread protest, the European Parliament rejected a multilateral agreement to harmonise and step up anti-counterfeiting law. Protesters had claimed the agreement threatened privacy by encouraging surveillance of personal data. Some critics have suggested proposals in TTIP on intellectual property could have a similar effect to the proposed anti-counterfeiting measures - claims which are denied by TTIP's supporters. After the 2008 financial crash, the EU and US embarked on different programmes of reform to the regulations governing banks and other financial institutions. The TTIP deal would attempt to harmonise those regulations. Critics say TTIP could weaken the rules governing banks by diluting the tougher reforms adopted in the US. The European Commission says a common framework on banking regulation is needed for economic stability. In the EU, the deal has to be presented to the European Council and the European Parliament, both of which must agree the outcome. The deal will then have to be separately ratified by the national parliaments of all 28 EU member states. The three main Westminster parties in the UK broadly support TTIP, though Labour has called for the NHS to be exempted from the investor-state dispute settlement measures. In the US, the agreement must be approved by Congress. The White House has indicated it intends to request a so-called 'trade promotion authority' under which Congress agrees to a simplified procedure for approving the deal. Without that provision, TTIP could be wrecked by amendments written by special interests, with Democrats more hostile to free trade than their opponents. \"The opportunities for Britain of trading more with the United States of America are clear...Two million extra jobs, more choice and lower prices in our shops. We're talking about what could be the biggest bilateral trade deal in history, a deal that will have a greater impact than all the other trade deals on the table put together... We've signed trade deal after trade deal and it's never been a problem in the past. Some people argue in some way this could damage the NHS. I think that is nonsense. It's our National Health Service. It's in the public sector, it will stay in the public sector. That's not going to change. It will remain free at the point of use.\" \"Under my presidency, the Commission will negotiate a reasonable and balanced trade agreement with the United States of America. It is anachronistic that, in the 21st century, Europeans and Americans still impose customs duties on each other's products. These should be swiftly and fully abolished. I also believe that we can go a significant step further in recognising each other's product standards or working towards transatlantic standards. However...I will also be very clear that I will not sacrifice Europe's safety, health, social and data protection standards on the altar of free trade. Notably, the safety of the food we eat and the protection of Europeans' personal data will be non-negotiable for me as Commission President. Nor will I accept that the jurisdiction of courts in the EU Member States is limited by special regimes for investor disputes. The rule of law and the principle of equality before the law must also apply in this context.\" \"There is massive opposition to the NHS being part of the US trade deal... The NHS unites this country, it is the single most important local issue for voters. The prime minister has cut himself adrift from public opinion by refusing to listen to the public...David Cameron has claimed that there is \"no threat\" to the NHS from TTIP. If this is true, why doesn't Cameron just remove the NHS from the trade deal? Other countries have vetoed sectors from the trade deal. The Government has failed to give one decent reason why the NHS should be in this trade deal.\" \"Investor-state rules could be used to smash any attempt to save the NHS from corporate control, to re-regulate the banks, to curb the greed of the energy companies, to renationalise the railways, to leave fossil fuels in the ground. These rules shut down democratic alternatives. They outlaw leftwing politics. This is why there has been no attempt by the UK government to inform us about this monstrous assault on democracy, let alone consult us...Wake up, people we're being shafted.\" \"Europe's business community has come together and is united in making a loud and clear clarion call to political leaders - this deal is vital for future growth and the prosperity for citizens across the EU. And could create thousands of new opportunities for our young people...It would create an integrated market of over 800 million people, bringing more choices for consumers at cheaper prices. And with the UK already trading more and investing more with the US than any other country, there are real advantages to drive home particularly for smaller firms. \"TTIP would be the biggest free trade deal ever negotiated.\" \"The proposed trade deal is a huge threat to our democracy and our sovereignty. We have seen the UK participating in a disastrous race to the bottom on corporate tax rates and wages. We must not also walk into lowering our workers' rights, environmental standards and food health standards. Chicken carcasses washed in bleach, hormone-stuffed beef and open season on pollution are not things we want to import from the US.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 241, "answer_end": 630, "text": "The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, now generally known as TTIP, is primarily a deal to cut tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade between the US and EU countries, making it easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to access each other's markets. Industries it would affect include pharmaceuticals, cars, energy, finance, chemicals, clothing and food and drink."}], "question": "What is the TTIP?", "id": "661_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 631, "answer_end": 1489, "text": "The British government claims TTIP could add PS10bn to the UK economy, PS80bn to the US and PS100bn to the EU every year. It says shoppers would benefit by the removal of EU import tariffs on popular goods, such as jeans and cars. It's also claimed that reducing regulation would help UK businesses export to the US, with small businesses in particular predicted to benefit. And supporters say restrictive markets would be opened up; for example, currently British lamb and venison cannot be exported to the US. David Cameron has promised to put \"rocket boosters\" behind talks to secure the deal, saying TTIP is central to his vision of a reformed competitive Europe. TTIP is also supported by the Liberal Democrats. Labour, UKIP and the SNP broadly support it with caveats over the NHS. Plaid Cymru is more sceptical and the Green Party is strongly opposed."}], "question": "What do supporters say it will achieve?", "id": "661_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1490, "answer_end": 1978, "text": "Leaders at the EU-US summit of November 2011 set up a working group to find ways to increase growth and competitiveness, given shared concerns over economic stagnation and frustration at the lack of progress in the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. The working group reported in February 2013, recommending a  \"comprehensive\" bilateral trade agreement, which became the TTIP. The TTIP is one of the ten priorities of Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission."}], "question": "How did it come about?", "id": "661_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2657, "answer_end": 2984, "text": "The EU's trade commissioner, currently Cecilia Malmstrom, takes the lead in trade talks.  The commission consults the UK and other EU governments during the negotiations through the Trade Policy Committee, made up of senior officials from each member state. Negotiators have been meeting alternately in Brussels and Washington."}], "question": "How is it being negotiated?", "id": "661_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2985, "answer_end": 3806, "text": "Tariffs between the EU and US are already low - averaging around 3% - and both sides foresee they will be eliminated under the agreement. The main focus of negotiations is on harmonising regulations, reducing \"non-tariff barriers\" to trade, or getting rid of them if they're deemed unnecessary. For instance, US and EU regulators have different requirements for testing the safety of cars, drugs and soft furnishings.  Going through the different tests is expensive for firms, particularly in developing new medicines. TTIP aims to reduce those costs by bringing in common standards. Other areas being contemplated include protection for foreign investors, co-operation to achieve greater participation by small businesses in EU-US trade and a controversial procedure to resolve investment disputes between the US and EU."}], "question": "What is the main focus of negotiations?", "id": "661_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6376, "answer_end": 7163, "text": "In the EU, the deal has to be presented to the European Council and the European Parliament, both of which must agree the outcome. The deal will then have to be separately ratified by the national parliaments of all 28 EU member states. The three main Westminster parties in the UK broadly support TTIP, though Labour has called for the NHS to be exempted from the investor-state dispute settlement measures. In the US, the agreement must be approved by Congress. The White House has indicated it intends to request a so-called 'trade promotion authority' under which Congress agrees to a simplified procedure for approving the deal. Without that provision, TTIP could be wrecked by amendments written by special interests, with Democrats more hostile to free trade than their opponents."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "661_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Do video games make people violent?", "date": "17 August 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 200 academics have signed an open letter criticising controversial new research suggesting a link between violent video games and aggression. The findings were released by the American Psychological Association. It set up a taskforce that reviewed hundreds of studies and papers published between 2005 and 2013. The American Psychological Association concluded while there was \"no single risk factor\" to blame for aggression, violent video games did contribute. \"The research demonstrates a consistent relation between violent video game use and increases in aggressive behaviour, aggressive cognitions and aggressive affect, and decreases in pro-social behaviour, empathy and sensitivity to aggression,\" said the report. \"It is the accumulation of risk factors that tends to lead to aggressive or violent behaviour. The research reviewed here demonstrates that violent video game use is one such risk factor.\" However, a large group of academics said they felt the methodology of the research was deeply flawed as a significant part of material included in the study had not been subjected to peer review. \"I fully acknowledge that exposure to repeated violence may have short-term effects - you would be a fool to deny that - but the long-term consequences of crime and actual violent behaviour, there is just no evidence linking violent video games with that,\" Dr Mark Coulson, associate professor of psychology at Middlesex University and one of the signatories of the letter told the BBC. \"If you play three hours of Call of Duty you might feel a little bit pumped, but you are not going to go out and mug someone.\" The question about whether violent games inspire violent behaviour \"in real life\" is a subject that strongly divides opinion. The playing of violent video games is often cited as a factor in motivating shockingly violent youth crimes such as high school shootings in the US. One of the students who carried out the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 used a gun he called \"Arlene\" - allegedly after a character in a novel inspired by the computer game Doom. However, most people who played graphically violent games (such as Call of Duty, Hitman, Mortal Kombat) did not resort to violence - and most video games were not violent, said Dr Richard Wilson from trade body Tiga. \"I wouldn't rubbish the [APA] report, but think it is important to look beyond the headline,\" he said. \"Although there are adult games, there are also adult films, books, TV shows... the content should be, and is, regulated to ensure children and minors do not play inappropriate material.\" The taskforce said more research was now needed to establish whether violent games did lead to violent criminal behaviour. However, the group of 230 academics from universities around the world wrote in its open letter to the APA youth violence in the US and around the world was currently \"at a 40-year low\". \"This decline in societal violence is in conflict with claims that violent video games and interactive media are important public health concerns,\" they wrote. \"The statistical data are simply not bearing out this concern and should not be ignored.\" A study released by the Oxford Internet Institute last year suggested frustration at being unable to play a game was more likely to bring out aggressive behaviour than the content of the game itself. \"We focused on the motives of people who play electronic games and found players have a psychological need to come out on top when playing,\" said Dr Andrew Przybylski at the time. \"If players feel thwarted by the controls or the design of the game, they can wind up feeling aggressive. \"This need to master the game was far more significant than whether the game contained violent material.\" In Europe, games are given age-related ratings in accordance with the Pan-European Game Information (Pegi) system. There are five age ratings - three, seven, 12, 16 and 18. The problem is that violence is hard to classify. A Pegi 18 certificate may contain scenes of \"gross violence\", says the website. \"Gross violence is the most difficult to define since it can be very subjective in many cases, but in general terms it can be classed as the depictions of violence that would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion,\" it says. The APA is calling for extra in-game controls in addition to the current ratings. \"This is censorship by another route,\" said Dr Coulson. \"The worry I have is that any soft-coded censorship will be immediately subverted. \"The people playing these games are more competent than the people acting as gatekeepers. \"It's kind of putting forward a solution to a problem I don't think exists.\" The APA taskforce used meta-analysis - combining the results of lots of studies in order to look for patterns and correlations, rather than carrying out any new research itself. It conducted a comprehensive review of academic work around the subject, some of which dated back to 2005. \"While there is some variation among the individual studies, a strong and consistent general pattern has emerged from many years of research that provides confidence in our general conclusions,\" said task force chairman Mark Appelbaum. However, this approach was criticised by the group of experts, which said such correlations sometimes had other explanations. For example, boys were more likely to play video games than girls but they were also more likely to be aggressive in general. Dr Coulson also cautioned about work included in the study that may not have been subject to peer review, where it is critiqued by the wider academic community. \"Obviously there is a lot of stuff out there that doesn't get into peer review journals,\" he said. \"If you look at all the literature in this area you are bound to get a sensationalist conclusion.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1757, "answer_end": 2599, "text": "The playing of violent video games is often cited as a factor in motivating shockingly violent youth crimes such as high school shootings in the US. One of the students who carried out the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 used a gun he called \"Arlene\" - allegedly after a character in a novel inspired by the computer game Doom. However, most people who played graphically violent games (such as Call of Duty, Hitman, Mortal Kombat) did not resort to violence - and most video games were not violent, said Dr Richard Wilson from trade body Tiga. \"I wouldn't rubbish the [APA] report, but think it is important to look beyond the headline,\" he said. \"Although there are adult games, there are also adult films, books, TV shows... the content should be, and is, regulated to ensure children and minors do not play inappropriate material.\""}], "question": "Why is it so controversial?", "id": "662_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2600, "answer_end": 3751, "text": "The taskforce said more research was now needed to establish whether violent games did lead to violent criminal behaviour. However, the group of 230 academics from universities around the world wrote in its open letter to the APA youth violence in the US and around the world was currently \"at a 40-year low\". \"This decline in societal violence is in conflict with claims that violent video games and interactive media are important public health concerns,\" they wrote. \"The statistical data are simply not bearing out this concern and should not be ignored.\" A study released by the Oxford Internet Institute last year suggested frustration at being unable to play a game was more likely to bring out aggressive behaviour than the content of the game itself. \"We focused on the motives of people who play electronic games and found players have a psychological need to come out on top when playing,\" said Dr Andrew Przybylski at the time. \"If players feel thwarted by the controls or the design of the game, they can wind up feeling aggressive. \"This need to master the game was far more significant than whether the game contained violent material.\""}], "question": "Does this new work prove playing violent games can result in violent crime?", "id": "662_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3752, "answer_end": 4670, "text": "In Europe, games are given age-related ratings in accordance with the Pan-European Game Information (Pegi) system. There are five age ratings - three, seven, 12, 16 and 18. The problem is that violence is hard to classify. A Pegi 18 certificate may contain scenes of \"gross violence\", says the website. \"Gross violence is the most difficult to define since it can be very subjective in many cases, but in general terms it can be classed as the depictions of violence that would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion,\" it says. The APA is calling for extra in-game controls in addition to the current ratings. \"This is censorship by another route,\" said Dr Coulson. \"The worry I have is that any soft-coded censorship will be immediately subverted. \"The people playing these games are more competent than the people acting as gatekeepers. \"It's kind of putting forward a solution to a problem I don't think exists.\""}], "question": "But aren't the ratings designed to protect young people?", "id": "662_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4671, "answer_end": 5802, "text": "The APA taskforce used meta-analysis - combining the results of lots of studies in order to look for patterns and correlations, rather than carrying out any new research itself. It conducted a comprehensive review of academic work around the subject, some of which dated back to 2005. \"While there is some variation among the individual studies, a strong and consistent general pattern has emerged from many years of research that provides confidence in our general conclusions,\" said task force chairman Mark Appelbaum. However, this approach was criticised by the group of experts, which said such correlations sometimes had other explanations. For example, boys were more likely to play video games than girls but they were also more likely to be aggressive in general. Dr Coulson also cautioned about work included in the study that may not have been subject to peer review, where it is critiqued by the wider academic community. \"Obviously there is a lot of stuff out there that doesn't get into peer review journals,\" he said. \"If you look at all the literature in this area you are bound to get a sensationalist conclusion.\""}], "question": "How was the APA research conducted?", "id": "662_3"}]}]}, {"title": "EU referendum: Tusk says EU has 'no choice' over reforms", "date": "17 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "EU leaders have \"no choice\" but to do a deal on David Cameron's reforms, European Council President Donald Tusk has told BBC News. Mr Tusk will chair a crucial summit meeting in Brussels on Thursday on the controversial proposals. Poland and three other countries are reported to be still resisting welfare curbs while France is thought to be against financial regulation changes. Number 10 said Mr Cameron and Mr Tusk agreed \"good progress\" had been made. They felt the renegotiation draft texts presented a \"good basis\" for agreement at tomorrow's European Council, Downing Street said. A new draft deal is due to be published ahead of the two-day summit starting on Thursday. Earlier, when asked by the BBC's Ben Wright whether he would get a deal, Mr Tusk said: \"I am sure that we have no choice.\" In a letter to the leaders of the 28 member states, Mr Tusk said the summit \"will be a crucial moment for the unity of our Union and for the future of the United Kingdom's relations within Europe\". \"After my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly: there is still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement. \"We differ on some political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to overcome them. Therefore I urge you to remain constructive.\" He said the negotiations were at a \"very advanced\" stage and failure now \"would be a defeat both for the UK and the European Union, but a geopolitical victory for those who seek to divide us\". How on earth did the man who once accused the Conservatives of being out of touch for \"banging on about Europe\", get himself into a position where he has already been \"banging on about Europe\" for months and months, and will spend the next four months still doing precisely that? Most simply, as the years have passed, his party has changed. As the EU expanded, and generations of MPs came and went, a soft scepticism towards the European project, neither full-throated support, nor hardcore opposition, became more common, and sympathy for the idea of a referendum spread from the margins. The eurozone financial crisis, and the EU's stumbling approach to sorting it out, gave a fresh energy to eurosceptic MPs who wanted to campaign to leave. In part that apathy, if not downright dislike, towards the EU spread because of the enormous rise in the numbers of people from around the Union who came to live and work in the UK. Numbers that took the political establishment completely by surprise began to arrive from the moment new countries like Poland joined the EU in 2004. It was that steep rise in EU immigration that gave David Cameron his most pressing political reason for - in the end - promising a referendum. EU summit: How did Cameron end up here? Mr Cameron is working on a separate plan to boost UK sovereignty aimed at getting sceptical Tories, including Boris Johnson, to get behind his reform deal. Mr Johnson - who is being touted as a possible leader of the out campaign - has met Mr Cameron at Downing Street. \"I'll be back,\" he told reporters as he left Number 10, adding: \"No deal, as far as I know.\" BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said the London mayor, who is \"pivotal\" to Mr Cameron's plans, would keep the PM waiting until he had returned from the summit before announcing which camp he would support, although his \"no deal\" comment was not thought to be a reference to his own concerns about sovereignty. Sources close to Mr Johnson say his decision on whether to back remaining in or leaving the EU is \"very finely balanced\". They say the decision by Mr Cameron to try to sell his proposed deal to Mr Johnson underlines how crucial he is likely to be if the prime minister is to win the referendum. \"They are pretty determined to get him on board,\" the source added. They have strongly rejected suggestions that Mr Johnson's decision is tied to his ambitions to lead the Conservative Party when Mr Cameron steps down. \"His decision is in no way predicated on any leadership question. It's based on what he thinks will be in the best interests of the country,\" the source said. Mr Cameron's sovereignty plan is expected to suggest extra powers for the UK Supreme Court to protect UK law from challenges from the European Court of Justice, to assert the primacy of UK law over Brussels. Thursday: 15:00 GMT: EU leaders begin arriving for their regular summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels 16:45: First working session on the UK proposed reforms 19:00: Working dinner on the migration crisis Talks on the UK deal could resume after dinner and continue late into the night, if there is still no deal Friday: 08:00: Discussions will continue over an \"English Breakfast\" if no agreement on the UK demands has been reached on Thursday If David Cameron gets a deal, he will hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday evening to reach an agreed position on remaining in the EU, although ministers will be free to campaign against that in a personal capacity Mr Cameron may then announce the date of the UK's referendum, although he does not have to do so 17 March: The next scheduled EU summit - Mr Cameron has another chance to get a deal here. There has also been talk of a special summit at the end of February Thursday 23 June: Still seen as the most likely date of a UK referendum if Mr Cameron gets a deal in February or March, but he has until the end of 2017 to hold one UK and the EU: Better off out or in? European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he expected proposed benefit changes to be at the heart of debate this week. Czech Europe minister Tomas Prouza told the BBC he expected benefit curbs would apply only to new applicants, and not affect the existing 34,000 migrants in the UK who were recipients. And Slovakia's Europe minister, Ivan Korcok, said \"movement from the United Kingdom\" would be needed for a deal to be agreed. Mr Korcok said it would be \"difficult to sell a deal\" that would restrict benefits for migrants who are already in the UK. Downing Street has so far refused to say whether the changes extend to existing claimants or not. BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said France was one of several member states anxious to ensure nothing in the deal would allow financial institutions in the City of London to benefit from lighter regulation than their continental counterparts. Mr Cameron is seeking key changes on European integration, business competiveness, benefits restrictions and the operation of the eurozone.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4294, "answer_end": 5435, "text": "Thursday: 15:00 GMT: EU leaders begin arriving for their regular summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels 16:45: First working session on the UK proposed reforms 19:00: Working dinner on the migration crisis Talks on the UK deal could resume after dinner and continue late into the night, if there is still no deal Friday: 08:00: Discussions will continue over an \"English Breakfast\" if no agreement on the UK demands has been reached on Thursday If David Cameron gets a deal, he will hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday evening to reach an agreed position on remaining in the EU, although ministers will be free to campaign against that in a personal capacity Mr Cameron may then announce the date of the UK's referendum, although he does not have to do so 17 March: The next scheduled EU summit - Mr Cameron has another chance to get a deal here. There has also been talk of a special summit at the end of February Thursday 23 June: Still seen as the most likely date of a UK referendum if Mr Cameron gets a deal in February or March, but he has until the end of 2017 to hold one UK and the EU: Better off out or in?"}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "663_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Viewpoint: Uncomfortable realities of big game hunting", "date": "1 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Trophy hunting has been the subject of much media attention amid the backdrop of declining populations of big game animals in Africa. But is a blanket ban really the answer? At the end of June 2015, a Zimbabwe lion known as Cecil was wounded by a crossbow bolt shot by American dentist Walter Palmer. Sometime later Cecil was shot and finally killed. The media attention that followed made it clear that many people were unaware of the realities of modern-day African hunting. In fact, if you have enough money and are so inclined, you can legally hunt pretty much any African animal, including lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and hippo. You'll need the right permits and it's subject to quotas and regulations but if you do it by the book, then it's perfectly legal. And once you've killed it you can export the \"trophy\" home. Following Cecil's death, many have called for a blanket ban on trophy hunting. Calls for a ban come from a number of different directions. For some, there is a moral objection to the killing of animals for pleasure, for others an understandable emotional response to images of hunters posing with their kills or concerns over conservation. But calls for a blanket ban on trophy hunting fail to take into account the complex relationship between hunting and conservation. Some trophy kills are hard to justify no matter which side of the fence you sit on. Leopard for example are a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix I species. Such species are threatened with extinction and the commercial trade in wild-caught specimens is illegal. Despite this, it is still possible to hunt one \"on trophy\" (subject to quotas) for personal, non -commercial purposes. Another hunting practice that has come under the spotlight is \"canned hunting\" of lions. There is considerable confusion between, and conflation of, trophy hunting and canned hunting. Canned hunting, where captive bred lions are released into small enclosures to be hunted in a \"no kill no fee\" arrangement, \"hits the bottom of the barrel\" according to Will Travers, President of wildlife charity the Born Free Foundation. Largely based in South Africa, the welfare issues involved in canned hunting, which include severe over-crowding and inadequate access to food and water, have recently been exposed by environmental film maker Ian Michler in his film Blood Lions. However, as lion conservation expert and author of Lions in the Balance: Man-eaters, Manes and Men with Guns, Professor Craig Packer, says: \"These animals are not part of the wild population and so, there's no real immediate impact on conservation... I view canned hunting mostly as an animal welfare issue.\" Many sought-after trophy animals, such as kudu and impala, are maintained in large numbers across Southern Africa, especially South Africa, within large, fenced, privately-owned reserves. Animal numbers need to be controlled to prevent over-stocking and over-grazing. Surplus animals are harvested for meat but larger males can generate far more revenue if they're taken by a trophy hunter. The taking of trophy animals in such reserves is of limited conservation concern and the money generated helps to pay for the management that is required to keep reserves in good condition. In fact, the impact of trophy hunting depends on the species and the region being considered. So the past few decades in South Africa have seen a landscape-level replacement of cattle farming with wildlife farming. As a consequence: \"Southern Africa's seen large scale recoveries of wildlife in the 20th century, built around hunting,\" says Rosie Cooney, who heads the IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group. Trophy hunting of many species was, and continues to be, vital in funding this reversal and a blanket ban there is neither needed nor desirable. This \"consumptive utilisation of wildlife\" model (\"it pays it stays\") also works well in some other regions. The Bubye Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe for example has more than 400 lions and one of the most important populations of rhino still in existence. The Conservancy is funded entirely by hunting and, according to the reserve manager Blondie Leathem, a ban would be \"devastating\". However, trophy hunting is not always beneficial for wildlife. Over-harvesting can clearly have a detrimental effect on numbers. Also, trophy hunters select large males and this can have more profound effects on the breeding dynamics of animals in that region. These problems are greatest when land is not stably owned and a \"tragedy of the commons\" (when everyone harvests as much as they can for short-term gain) can result. It is tempting to suggest that hunting could be replaced by tourism and in some places this is indeed the case. However, as Rosie Cooney points out, tourism is only possible in regions that \"are accessible...a few hours generally from a major hub...with good roads\". They also need to be safe, \"lacking in dangerous diseases....and politically stable\". There needs to be the infrastructure to look after tourists and you need capital to invest in it. Many hunting concessions operate successfully in areas where none of these conditions are in place, at least for now. The pro-hunting argument is simple. Hunting provides revenue that directly funds conservation. Anti-hunters often claim that this hunting-conservation link doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The problem in deciding whether hunting is beneficial or not is that both sides are right. How can both sides be right? The answer to that lies in the fact that Africa is not a single entity. Different countries and even regions within those countries have different histories, geography, politics, governance, infrastructure, economics, population demographics and tribal politics. In some regions hunting is vital for conservation. In such regions \"it pays it stays\" works and a ban would be detrimental to wildlife. In other regions, hunting could be replaced or at least supplemented by tourism. In still other regions, and certainly for some species, a ban on hunting could be a sensible move for conservation. A \"one size fits all\" solution is not what is required. In fact, Prof Craig Packer says that across Africa overall \"neither trophy hunting nor phototourism is sufficient to cover the costs [of conservation]\". Whilst these activities can and do work in some places, he thinks that \"we need to move away from the standard model of wildlife conservation in Africa, which has always been 'wildlife must pay its own way'\". Overall, the approach doesn't generate enough money and consequently, \"we're seeing dramatic losses of wildlife numbers throughout a lot of Africa.\" It is interesting that the killing of a single lion by a wealthy, white, American attracted so much attention. As Will Travers explains: \"I don't think we should fool ourselves that it's all about trophy hunting. Lions are threatened by habitat loss, habitat fragmentation...human activities that disperse and displace lions [and] the loss of prey species.\" There are few true wildernesses left, and as the human population in Africa expands, conflict between humans and wildlife gets ever greater. Far more lions are killed by cattle herders defending their livestock and their families than by trophy hunters. Don't forget, in the UK, we long ago killed our apex predators so that we could sleep soundly. To conserve wildlife we need to find ways to protect animals from people and people from animals. We also need to find ways to ensure animal populations are more valuable alive in the long-term (even if that means sustainable harvesting) than dead in the short-term. Conservation is an extraordinarily complex problem but it is also one of the most significant problems we now face. The solution will not be found in knee-jerk responses driven by emotion and fuelled by social media. Prof Adam Hart is professor of science communication at the University of Gloucestershire. He presents Big Game Theory on BBC Radio 4 at 20:00 on Tuesday 1 September.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3871, "answer_end": 6212, "text": "This \"consumptive utilisation of wildlife\" model (\"it pays it stays\") also works well in some other regions. The Bubye Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe for example has more than 400 lions and one of the most important populations of rhino still in existence. The Conservancy is funded entirely by hunting and, according to the reserve manager Blondie Leathem, a ban would be \"devastating\". However, trophy hunting is not always beneficial for wildlife. Over-harvesting can clearly have a detrimental effect on numbers. Also, trophy hunters select large males and this can have more profound effects on the breeding dynamics of animals in that region. These problems are greatest when land is not stably owned and a \"tragedy of the commons\" (when everyone harvests as much as they can for short-term gain) can result. It is tempting to suggest that hunting could be replaced by tourism and in some places this is indeed the case. However, as Rosie Cooney points out, tourism is only possible in regions that \"are accessible...a few hours generally from a major hub...with good roads\". They also need to be safe, \"lacking in dangerous diseases....and politically stable\". There needs to be the infrastructure to look after tourists and you need capital to invest in it. Many hunting concessions operate successfully in areas where none of these conditions are in place, at least for now. The pro-hunting argument is simple. Hunting provides revenue that directly funds conservation. Anti-hunters often claim that this hunting-conservation link doesn't stand up to scrutiny. The problem in deciding whether hunting is beneficial or not is that both sides are right. How can both sides be right? The answer to that lies in the fact that Africa is not a single entity. Different countries and even regions within those countries have different histories, geography, politics, governance, infrastructure, economics, population demographics and tribal politics. In some regions hunting is vital for conservation. In such regions \"it pays it stays\" works and a ban would be detrimental to wildlife. In other regions, hunting could be replaced or at least supplemented by tourism. In still other regions, and certainly for some species, a ban on hunting could be a sensible move for conservation. A \"one size fits all\" solution is not what is required."}], "question": "It pays, it stays?", "id": "664_0"}]}]}, {"title": "ASAP Rocky trial: Swedish judge temporarily releases rapper", "date": "2 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US rapper ASAP Rocky has temporarily been released from custody in Sweden. The 30-year-old, real name Rakim Mayers, will be freed until a judge returns a verdict in the assault trial on 14 August. He and two of his entourage have pleaded not guilty to assaulting a 19-year-old man in Stockholm in June. Over the past week, a court has heard evidence and testimonies about the brawl, which led to ASAP Rocky's detention in the country. The rapper says he, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers were acting in self-defence in fighting that broke out near the Max Burger chain on 30 June, after two men allegedly refused to stop following his entourage. But in court on Friday, the prosecution said ASAP Rocky and his companions had \"every possibility\" to leave the scene and that they were not in a position where they needed to use \"self-defence\". During his summing up, prosecutor Daniel Suneson told the Stockholm District Court the rapper should be jailed for about six months. ASAP Rocky's defence lawyer, Slobodan Jovicic, argued the incident was not a pre-meditated group assault and the rapper should be set free. The Swedish judge, Per Lennerbrant, said the performer and his two co-accused could be released from custody and were free to leave the country ahead of his verdict. Such a ruling may point to an acquittal, or a sentence of less than the time already served, Reuters reported. Mr Jovicic said his client \"is a free person for now\" but has a \"nervous wait for two more weeks\". The case has made waves internationally, with an online petition for the rapper's release garnering more than 640,000 signatures. US President Donald Trump was among those to back a #JusticeForRocky campaign that attracted the support of celebrities such as Kanye West and Justin Bieber. The US president even sent his special envoy on hostage affairs - Robert O'Brien - to Sweden to attend the trial. On Friday, Mr Trump claimed ASAP Rocky was \"on his way home to the United States\" in a tweet posted shortly after the ruling to temporarily free the rapper. Mr O'Brien told reporters he had called the president to tell him the rapper \"would be back in America soon\", but did not elaborate on the timescale. Earlier this week, ASAP Rocky said that he and his team had felt threatened by the people they clashed with and said he is not looking for money but wants justice and for his name to be cleared. Much of the trial has centred around analysing videos and whether bottles had been used as weapons during the alleged assault. The rapper did not deny he was holding a glass bottle in his hand - but says he picked it up briefly before putting it back down. The prosecution claimed a bottle was used in the fight, but the US star insisted he did not use it to hurt the alleged victim. On Friday, ASAP Rocky's bodyguard said the teenager had been \"harassing\" and \"following\" the group and \"swung\" at him prior to the brawl. After being released the rapper said it had been a \"difficult and humbling experience\" in a post on Insatgram. The court also heard from a psychologist, who told the court the alleged victim is not sleeping at night, has lost concentration, and is afraid. Earlier this week, the prosecution went through a detailed 522-page preliminary report, which contained extensive photographs of injuries the alleged victim suffered. The man, who is not being named by media, has claimed damages of roughly PS12,000 (139,700 Swedish Krona). During his evidence, he told the court he was looking for a friend and first approached the rapper and his entourage to ask \"if they knew where his mate was\". When asked by ASAP Rocky's lawyer if he knew the rapper was famous he said: \"Honestly not.\" Fans of the rapper have been gathering at court in Sweden in growing numbers over the week. Patrick, 16, says he wants to \"seek justice\" and thinks the rapper has \"lots of energy\" and \"good vibes\". He says the case could have a negative impact on Sweden in the future because he believes \"other rappers won't come and do gigs\". 20-year-old Arvin Flod says the case is the \"biggest thing in Sweden right now\", while his friend Martyna Lechowska, 20, doesn't think he should have \"locked in for such a long time\" already. If found guilty, the men on trial could face up to two years behind bars. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1493, "answer_end": 2201, "text": "The case has made waves internationally, with an online petition for the rapper's release garnering more than 640,000 signatures. US President Donald Trump was among those to back a #JusticeForRocky campaign that attracted the support of celebrities such as Kanye West and Justin Bieber. The US president even sent his special envoy on hostage affairs - Robert O'Brien - to Sweden to attend the trial. On Friday, Mr Trump claimed ASAP Rocky was \"on his way home to the United States\" in a tweet posted shortly after the ruling to temporarily free the rapper. Mr O'Brien told reporters he had called the president to tell him the rapper \"would be back in America soon\", but did not elaborate on the timescale."}], "question": "How is Donald Trump involved?", "id": "665_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2202, "answer_end": 2653, "text": "Earlier this week, ASAP Rocky said that he and his team had felt threatened by the people they clashed with and said he is not looking for money but wants justice and for his name to be cleared. Much of the trial has centred around analysing videos and whether bottles had been used as weapons during the alleged assault. The rapper did not deny he was holding a glass bottle in his hand - but says he picked it up briefly before putting it back down."}], "question": "What does the rapper say happened?", "id": "665_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3030, "answer_end": 3699, "text": "The court also heard from a psychologist, who told the court the alleged victim is not sleeping at night, has lost concentration, and is afraid. Earlier this week, the prosecution went through a detailed 522-page preliminary report, which contained extensive photographs of injuries the alleged victim suffered. The man, who is not being named by media, has claimed damages of roughly PS12,000 (139,700 Swedish Krona). During his evidence, he told the court he was looking for a friend and first approached the rapper and his entourage to ask \"if they knew where his mate was\". When asked by ASAP Rocky's lawyer if he knew the rapper was famous he said: \"Honestly not.\""}], "question": "What of the victim?", "id": "665_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia weather: January was hottest month on record", "date": "1 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia recorded its hottest month ever in January, with average temperatures exceeding 30C (86F) for the first time. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the extreme heat was \"unprecedented\" during the country's summer period. At least five January days were among the 10 warmest on record, with daily national temperature highs of 40C. The heat has caused wildfire deaths, bushfires and a rise in hospital admissions. Several wildlife species have also suffered, with reports of mass deaths of wild horses, native bats and fish in drought-affected areas. The new record surpasses conditions recorded in 2013, previously considered the nation's worst heatwave. A large swathe of the state of New South Wales bore the brunt of the fortnight of extreme heat, with temperatures also soaring in parts of Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory. - In Tasmania, fire crews battled more than 50 bushfires fuelled by dry conditions and strong winds - Health authorities said 44 people had come in for treatment in the space of 24 hours in South Australia - Several tennis matches at the Australian Open in Melbourne were suspended - The city of Adelaide broke its own records twice in the month, first reaching 47.7C and then 49.5C - More than 90 wild horses were found dead or dying in Northern Territory - Snakes have sought shelter and water in people's bathrooms, with one python climbing up a shower, according to a snake catcher in Queensland \"We saw heatwave conditions affect large parts of the country through most of the month,\" climatologist Dr Andrew Watkins said. Records were broken for both duration and also individual daily extremes, he said. Rainfall was also below average for most areas. Australia has increasingly endured hotter summer temperatures. Last year Sydney experienced its hottest day since 1939, with a maximum temperature of 47.3C. \"The warming trend which has seen Australian temperatures increase by more than one degree in the last 100 years also contributed to the unusually warm conditions,\" Dr Watkins said. Officials have confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively. The Bureau's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events. Even if global temperatures are contained to the Paris accord limit of a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels, scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal. Parts of eastern Australia suffered their worst drought in recent history last year, while thousands of Australians fled their homes when bushfires swept through Queensland in November.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2070, "answer_end": 2659, "text": "Officials have confirmed that 2018 and 2017 were Australia's third and fourth-hottest years on record respectively. The Bureau's State of the Climate 2018 report said climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events. Even if global temperatures are contained to the Paris accord limit of a 2C rise above pre-industrial levels, scientists believe the country is facing a dangerous new normal. Parts of eastern Australia suffered their worst drought in recent history last year, while thousands of Australians fled their homes when bushfires swept through Queensland in November."}], "question": "How is climate change affecting Australia?", "id": "666_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: UK leaves the European Union", "date": "1 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership - and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum. The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests. Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London's Parliament Square. Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and \"take us forward\". In a message released on social media an hour before the UK's departure, the prime minister said: \"For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. \"And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss.\" He said some had worried the political \"wrangle\" would not end but it was his job to take the country forward. Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs across the UK as the country counted down to its official departure. Thousands gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit, singing patriotic songs and cheering speeches from leading Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage. The Brexit Party leader said: \"Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before. \"This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation.\" Pro-EU demonstrators earlier staged a march in Whitehall to bid a \"fond farewell\" to the union - and anti-Brexit rallies and candlelit vigils were held in Scotland. Police in Whitehall arrested four men and also charged one man with criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, while in Glasgow one man was arrested. Meanwhile, other symbolic moments on a day of mixed emotions included: - The Union flag being removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels - The Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced - A light show illuminating 10 Downing Street and Union flags lining The Mall - A 50p coin to mark the occasion entering circulation - The building of the UK government's delegation to the EU changed its name and sign In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Irish Republic. The Irish border - now the UK's land border with the EU - was a major sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks. NI and the Irish Republic \"will continue to remain neighbours\", said NI First Minister Arlene Foster on RTE on Friday. At 23:00 GMT, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a picture of the EU flag, adding: \"Scotland will return to the heart of Europe as an independent country - #LeaveALightOnForScotland\". Ms Sturgeon is calling for a new referendum on Scottish independence, arguing that Brexit is a \"material change in circumstances\". Speaking in Cardiff, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales, which voted to leave the EU, remained a \"European nation\". Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit select committee and backed Remain, said he was \"sad last night... but we have to accept it\". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK was always a \"reluctant\" EU nation, adding: \"We joined late and we left early.\" What now? It's happened. A dreary night didn't discourage those celebrating in Parliament Square. We wake this morning out of the European Union. But we follow their rules until the end of the year, without a say. We are separate after more than 40 years, but remember much of the status quo will hold for now - the UK and the EU, the awkward couple, finally divorced - but still sharing a house and the bills. But what the prime minister hails as a new era, a bright new dawn, starts months of hard bargaining with our neighbours across the Channel. The UK's requests: a free trade agreement, cooperation on security, and new arrangements for fishing are just some of the vital arguments that lie ahead. Read more from Laura here. UK citizens will notice few immediate changes now that the country is no longer in the European Union. Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end. The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada. But European leaders have warned that the UK faces a tough battle to get a deal by that deadline. Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said agreeing a trade deal was \"not a charitable exercise, this is an exercise of both sides recognising their own best interests\". \"From today, we are their [the EU's] biggest export market,\" he told the Today programme. In an open letter to the British people, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was \"deeply sad\" but: \"The channel has never managed to separate our destinies; Brexit will not do so, either.\" He also defended the way France acted in the negotiations, saying neither the French nor anyone else in the EU was \"driven by a desire for revenge or punishment\". Meanwhile, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said he would \"look after your star and work to ensure the EU is a project you'll want to be a part of again soon\". European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said Britain and Brussels will fight for their interests in trade talks. She paid tribute to UK citizens who had \"contributed to the European Union and made it stronger\" and said the UK's final day in the EU was \"emotional\". Whilst never the most enthusiastic member, the UK was part of the European project for almost half a century. On a personal level, EU leaders tell me they'll miss having the British sense of humour and no-nonsense attitude at their table. If they were to be brutally honest they'd have admitted they'll mourn the loss of our not-insignificant contribution to the EU budget too. But now we've left the \"European family\" (as Brussels insiders sometimes like to call the EU) and as trade talks begin, how long will it take for warm words to turn into gritted teeth? Read more from Katya here. European Council President Charles Michel warned: \"The more the UK will diverge from the EU standards, the less access to the single market it will have.\" Mairead McGuinness, the vice president of the European Parliament, said she fears progress to agree a trade deal - which Mr Johnson hopes to secure by December 2020 - \"might be left to the very last minute\". \"Normally in trade negotiations we're trying to come together,\" she said. \"For the first time we're going try and negotiate a trade agreement where somebody wants to pull away from us. I can't get my head around that and I think it's going to be quite complicated.\" US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said he was \"pleased\" the UK and EU had agreed a Brexit deal and the US would continue to build its \"strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK\". Washington's ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, said Brexit had been \"long supported\" by President Donald Trump. Britain joined what was then European Economic Community on 1 January, 1973, at the third attempt. Two years later the country voted by an overwhelming majority to remain in the bloc in the first nationwide referendum. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron held another referendum in June 2016, amid growing pressure from his own MPs and Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party. Mr Cameron led the campaign to stay in the EU but lost by the narrow margin of 52% to 48% to the Leave campaign, fronted by fellow Conservative Boris Johnson. Mr Cameron's successor as prime minister, Theresa May, repeatedly failed to get her version of an EU withdrawal agreement passed by Parliament and was replaced by Mr Johnson, who also failed to get his plans through. Mr Johnson managed to secure an early general election in December last year, which he won with an 80-seat majority on a promise to \"get Brexit done\". The PM's EU withdrawal deal was approved by MPs just before Christmas, and the bill became law earlier this year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 830, "answer_end": 3184, "text": "Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs across the UK as the country counted down to its official departure. Thousands gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit, singing patriotic songs and cheering speeches from leading Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage. The Brexit Party leader said: \"Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before. \"This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation.\" Pro-EU demonstrators earlier staged a march in Whitehall to bid a \"fond farewell\" to the union - and anti-Brexit rallies and candlelit vigils were held in Scotland. Police in Whitehall arrested four men and also charged one man with criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, while in Glasgow one man was arrested. Meanwhile, other symbolic moments on a day of mixed emotions included: - The Union flag being removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels - The Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced - A light show illuminating 10 Downing Street and Union flags lining The Mall - A 50p coin to mark the occasion entering circulation - The building of the UK government's delegation to the EU changed its name and sign In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Irish Republic. The Irish border - now the UK's land border with the EU - was a major sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks. NI and the Irish Republic \"will continue to remain neighbours\", said NI First Minister Arlene Foster on RTE on Friday. At 23:00 GMT, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a picture of the EU flag, adding: \"Scotland will return to the heart of Europe as an independent country - #LeaveALightOnForScotland\". Ms Sturgeon is calling for a new referendum on Scottish independence, arguing that Brexit is a \"material change in circumstances\". Speaking in Cardiff, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales, which voted to leave the EU, remained a \"European nation\". Labour MP Hilary Benn, who chairs the Brexit select committee and backed Remain, said he was \"sad last night... but we have to accept it\". He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the UK was always a \"reluctant\" EU nation, adding: \"We joined late and we left early.\""}], "question": "How did the UK mark the moment?", "id": "667_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3917, "answer_end": 4644, "text": "UK citizens will notice few immediate changes now that the country is no longer in the European Union. Most EU laws will continue to be in force - including the free movement of people - until 31 December, when the transition period comes to an end. The UK is aiming to sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada. But European leaders have warned that the UK faces a tough battle to get a deal by that deadline. Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said agreeing a trade deal was \"not a charitable exercise, this is an exercise of both sides recognising their own best interests\". \"From today, we are their [the EU's] biggest export market,\" he told the Today programme."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "667_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4645, "answer_end": 5470, "text": "In an open letter to the British people, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was \"deeply sad\" but: \"The channel has never managed to separate our destinies; Brexit will not do so, either.\" He also defended the way France acted in the negotiations, saying neither the French nor anyone else in the EU was \"driven by a desire for revenge or punishment\". Meanwhile, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt said he would \"look after your star and work to ensure the EU is a project you'll want to be a part of again soon\". European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said Britain and Brussels will fight for their interests in trade talks. She paid tribute to UK citizens who had \"contributed to the European Union and made it stronger\" and said the UK's final day in the EU was \"emotional\"."}], "question": "What's the reaction in Europe?", "id": "667_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6690, "answer_end": 7001, "text": "US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said he was \"pleased\" the UK and EU had agreed a Brexit deal and the US would continue to build its \"strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK\". Washington's ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, said Brexit had been \"long supported\" by President Donald Trump."}], "question": "What about the US?", "id": "667_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7002, "answer_end": 8022, "text": "Britain joined what was then European Economic Community on 1 January, 1973, at the third attempt. Two years later the country voted by an overwhelming majority to remain in the bloc in the first nationwide referendum. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron held another referendum in June 2016, amid growing pressure from his own MPs and Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party. Mr Cameron led the campaign to stay in the EU but lost by the narrow margin of 52% to 48% to the Leave campaign, fronted by fellow Conservative Boris Johnson. Mr Cameron's successor as prime minister, Theresa May, repeatedly failed to get her version of an EU withdrawal agreement passed by Parliament and was replaced by Mr Johnson, who also failed to get his plans through. Mr Johnson managed to secure an early general election in December last year, which he won with an 80-seat majority on a promise to \"get Brexit done\". The PM's EU withdrawal deal was approved by MPs just before Christmas, and the bill became law earlier this year."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "667_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Hillsborough: What's next?", "date": "27 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "After more than two years of evidence, the Hillsborough inquests jurors presented their conclusions to the relief of families who felt vindicated after a campaign lasting 27 years. The jury concluded the 96 fans who died as a result of a crush at the Liverpool v Nottingham FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989 were unlawfully killed. They found that a number of failures including errors from South Yorkshire Police, the South Yorkshire Ambulance Service and defects in the stadium contributed to the deaths. What happens next for those involved in the UK's worst sporting disaster? Two criminal investigations have been taking place during the Hillsborough inquests. Operation Resolve and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched inquiries after the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's (HIP) report in 2012. It raised questions about the policing of Hillsborough and presented evidence of a cover-up to shift blame on to Liverpool fans. Operation Resolve is investigating the causes of the disaster including the events on the day and those leading up to it. It is looking at a range of organisations and bodies involved in the preparation and planning of the match. The IPCC is looking into police actions in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. It is considering offences including perverting the course of justice, perjury, and misconduct in a public office. Operation Resolve's areas of investigation include: - All decisions and actions taken by those who had responsibility of duty of care to fans - Planning for the match - The ground's design, engineering, alterations and final layout - The emergency services' response and activation of any planned responses to such disasters It is also examining the actions of South Yorkshire Police, but this is being managed by the IPCC to provide \"oversight and scrutiny\" and \"ensure independence\". On the IPCC's request, Operation Resolve will investigate actions by police relating to: - Planning and preparation for the game - The management of fans outside Leppings Lane and their entry into the stadium - The early response of the police to the disaster - Work with families of those who died and the injured in the immediate aftermath The IPCC has a number of allegations to consider to form the basis of its decisions. They are: - Alleged amendments to police accounts - Accusations that misleading information was passed to the media, MPs, Parliament and the investigations and inquiries set up immediately after the disaster - The checking of blood alcohol levels and undertaking of police national computer checks on the dead and injured - The role of West Midlands Police and those who led its investigation after the 1989 disaster - Allegations that families and campaigners were subject to surveillance after the disaster Operation Resolve is re-examining documents and data collected from various sources. They include the original police investigation, the coroner's inquest, a public inquiry, private prosecution, a judicial review and the HIP. The IPCC has so far taken hundreds of statements from police officers. Jurors at the Hillsborough inquests concluded the 96 Hillsborough victims were unlawfully killed and there were a number of failings from South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Ambulance Service, Sheffield Wednesday and the stadium's engineers. In reaching a conclusion of unlawful killing, jurors agreed that match commander David Duckenfield (above) was \"responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence\" due to a breach of his duty of care. Inquests are not criminal proceedings and cannot return conclusions such as murder or manslaughter. They are heard in coroners courts and establish the circumstances surrounding a person's death, including how, when and why the death occurred. Therefore a criminal investigation is needed to gather evidence ahead of decisions about whether any person, or organisation, should face criminal prosecution. Operation Resolve, led by former Chief Constable of Durham Police, Jon Stoddart, will determine whether the 96 fans who died as a result of a crush were unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough disaster. The IPCC will find out whether individuals should face criminal charges or misconduct hearings. Both investigations could conclude by the end of this year. The IPCC is presenting its findings to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in order for decisions to be made about whether charges should be brought. The CPS will make its decisions independently, using the evidence supplied by the investigations. This is expected to take place within three to six months. Source IPCC and Operation Resolve", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 973, "answer_end": 1404, "text": "Operation Resolve is investigating the causes of the disaster including the events on the day and those leading up to it. It is looking at a range of organisations and bodies involved in the preparation and planning of the match. The IPCC is looking into police actions in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. It is considering offences including perverting the course of justice, perjury, and misconduct in a public office."}], "question": "What are they investigating?", "id": "668_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2827, "answer_end": 3123, "text": "Operation Resolve is re-examining documents and data collected from various sources. They include the original police investigation, the coroner's inquest, a public inquiry, private prosecution, a judicial review and the HIP. The IPCC has so far taken hundreds of statements from police officers."}], "question": "What evidence is being looked at?", "id": "668_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Geminid meteor shower: Where, when and how to see it", "date": "13 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Geminid meteor shower is considered to be one of the best displays in the night sky, and this year will peak during the early hours of Friday. Long, glowing arcs of white, yellow, blue, red and green will streak across the Northern Hemisphere sky. You should be able to catch as many as 120 shooting stars an hour over the next night or so. Most meteor showers are caused by comets - huge clumps of ice - but the Geminids are different. The Geminid meteors originate from a rocky asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. Each year, the Earth passes through a trail of debris left by the asteroid as it orbits around the Sun. When the debris hits our planet's atmosphere - at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second - they burn up, producing streaks of light. The streaks in the sky, known as meteors, can be caused by particles as small as a grain of sand. If you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the Gemini constellation. Around the world, the shower will peak on 13 December or 14 December, depending on your time zone. In the UK, the best time to see them will be between midnight and dawn on 14 December, but you can start looking any time after sunset. The shower will peak around 02:00 GMT. In perfect conditions, you will be able to see up to 120 shooting stars an hour. But light pollution, weather and other factors means it will be more like 50 an hour. Anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere is good, but the shower is visible from the Southern Hemisphere too. You will want to find a big open space where you can see as much sky as possible. Check the weather, as clear, cloudless skies are best. The Royal Observatory advises: \"For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution.\" You do not need any special equipment. But give your eyes plenty of time to adjust to the low light levels. The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so you don't need to look in any particular direction. But wrap up warm for the December weather.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 345, "answer_end": 953, "text": "Most meteor showers are caused by comets - huge clumps of ice - but the Geminids are different. The Geminid meteors originate from a rocky asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. Each year, the Earth passes through a trail of debris left by the asteroid as it orbits around the Sun. When the debris hits our planet's atmosphere - at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second - they burn up, producing streaks of light. The streaks in the sky, known as meteors, can be caused by particles as small as a grain of sand. If you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the Gemini constellation."}], "question": "What is the Geminid meteor shower?", "id": "669_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 954, "answer_end": 1227, "text": "Around the world, the shower will peak on 13 December or 14 December, depending on your time zone. In the UK, the best time to see them will be between midnight and dawn on 14 December, but you can start looking any time after sunset. The shower will peak around 02:00 GMT."}], "question": "When is the meteor shower?", "id": "669_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1228, "answer_end": 1394, "text": "In perfect conditions, you will be able to see up to 120 shooting stars an hour. But light pollution, weather and other factors means it will be more like 50 an hour."}], "question": "How many shooting stars will there be?", "id": "669_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong extradition protests: Advisers urge leader Carrie Lam to delay", "date": "14 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A number of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's advisers have urged her to delay plans for a controversial change in extradition laws. However, others still back the process and there is no evidence Ms Lam intends to delay. Key adviser, Bernard Chan, favoured a pause as the \"intense divisions\" made it impossible to push on. Protests were held this week to oppose a bill that could see some criminal suspects extradited to mainland China. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets on Sunday and Wednesday. Dozens of people were injured when Wednesday's demonstration turned violent. Hong Kong is a former British colony, but was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a \"one country, two systems\" deal that guarantees it a level of autonomy. Mr Chan, who is a member of the Executive Council, the key advisory body to Ms Lam, told Cable TV he did not think formal discussion of the bill - the step before a final vote - should continue at the moment. \"At a time when there are such intense divisions - to keep discussing this issue, the difficulty is very high,\" he said. Non-official Exco member Lam Ching-choi has also supported a step back, as has pro-Beijing lawmaker, Michael Tien, who said: \"She would gain points instead of losing points.\" Others want to proceed, including influential Exco member Regina Ip, the South China Morning Post has reported. Ms Lam has herself stood by the bill. The changes would allow for criminal extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau - decided on a case-by-case basis by Hong Kong courts. It comes after a high-profile case where a Hong Kong man was accused of murdering his girlfriend on holiday in Taiwan but could not be extradited. Hong Kong officials, including Ms Lam, say the bill is necessary to stop the city being a safe haven for criminals. But many fear the law could be used to target political opponents of the Chinese state in Hong Kong. Opposition activists also cite the alleged use of torture, arbitrary detentions and forced confessions in mainland China. A large-scale march, which organisers said drew more than one million people, was held on Sunday. Then on Wednesday tens of thousands gathered to blockade streets around government headquarters to try to stop the second reading, or debate, of the extradition bill. Tensions boiled over and 22 police and 60 protesters were injured. Authorities say 11 people were arrested. The police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets, have been accused of excessive force by some rights groups. Ms Lam has not spoken publicly since Wednesday when in a tearful address, she labelled the protests \"organised riots\" Activists are planning further demonstrations this weekend. Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997. It is now part of China under a \"one country, two systems\" principle, which ensures that it keeps its own judicial independence, its own legislature and economic system. But people in Hong Kong are worried that should the extradition bill pass, it would bring Hong Kong more decisively under China's control. Hong Kong officials have said Hong Kong courts will have the final say whether to grant extradition requests. Ms Lam's government has also said suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited, insisting legally binding human rights safeguards will also be in place.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 746, "answer_end": 1400, "text": "Mr Chan, who is a member of the Executive Council, the key advisory body to Ms Lam, told Cable TV he did not think formal discussion of the bill - the step before a final vote - should continue at the moment. \"At a time when there are such intense divisions - to keep discussing this issue, the difficulty is very high,\" he said. Non-official Exco member Lam Ching-choi has also supported a step back, as has pro-Beijing lawmaker, Michael Tien, who said: \"She would gain points instead of losing points.\" Others want to proceed, including influential Exco member Regina Ip, the South China Morning Post has reported. Ms Lam has herself stood by the bill."}], "question": "What are the divisions?", "id": "670_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2053, "answer_end": 2713, "text": "A large-scale march, which organisers said drew more than one million people, was held on Sunday. Then on Wednesday tens of thousands gathered to blockade streets around government headquarters to try to stop the second reading, or debate, of the extradition bill. Tensions boiled over and 22 police and 60 protesters were injured. Authorities say 11 people were arrested. The police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets, have been accused of excessive force by some rights groups. Ms Lam has not spoken publicly since Wednesday when in a tearful address, she labelled the protests \"organised riots\" Activists are planning further demonstrations this weekend."}], "question": "How did protests unfold?", "id": "670_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2714, "answer_end": 3404, "text": "Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997. It is now part of China under a \"one country, two systems\" principle, which ensures that it keeps its own judicial independence, its own legislature and economic system. But people in Hong Kong are worried that should the extradition bill pass, it would bring Hong Kong more decisively under China's control. Hong Kong officials have said Hong Kong courts will have the final say whether to grant extradition requests. Ms Lam's government has also said suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited, insisting legally binding human rights safeguards will also be in place."}], "question": "Why are people angry about the plan?", "id": "670_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Golden Globes: Recy Taylor, who was the woman Oprah mentioned?", "date": "8 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Oprah Winfrey's powerful speech at the Golden Globes highlighted the impact of sexual abuse and racism on women's lives. The avalanche of recent sexual harassment cases did not just affect the entertainment industry, she said, but \"transcend any culture, geography, race, religion, politics or workplace\". Oprah dedicated her Cecil B. DeMille award to \"all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault\". She also mentioned an unfamiliar name: Recy Taylor. Ms Taylor, 24, was abducted, blindfolded and raped on her way home from an Alabama church in 1944 by six armed white men. They warned her that if she said anything about it they would kill her. The brutal crime was eventually reported to the civil rights organisation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP passed it on to Rosa Parks, who was sent to Abbeville, Alabama to investigate. The now iconic civil rights hero would, in 1955, rise to prominence when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus. But at that time, she was focused on documenting sexual crimes against black women. One of Mrs Taylor's attackers confessed to the crime but her attackers were never indicted by all-white, male grand juries, as a result of segregation and racial inequality. The incident left Ms Taylor \"afraid of living\", she told NPR in 2011. She stopped going out at night \"'cause I was afraid that maybe something else might happen\". Many incidents involving black victims went unpunished in the south of the United States at the time. This was as a result of discriminatory legislation, collectively known as the \"Jim Crow\" laws, which segregated black people and white people in public spaces and strengthened discriminatory attitudes. In recent years, interest in Mrs Taylor's case has risen. A book and a documentary - The Rape of Recy Taylor - have been released in the last few years. In 2011, a formal apology to Mrs Taylor was made by the Alabama Legislature, calling the decision not to prosecute \"morally abhorrent and repugnant.\" Recy Taylor died last month aged 97, just days before her 98th birthday. Ms Taylor, Oprah said, \"lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men.\" But, she added, \"their time is up. Their time is up!\" She continued: \"I just hope that Recy Taylor died knowing that her truth, like the truth of so many other women who were tormented in those years, and even now tormented, goes marching on.\" Sunday's ceremony came after several months of sexual harassment allegations in the film and television industries.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 465, "answer_end": 2595, "text": "Ms Taylor, 24, was abducted, blindfolded and raped on her way home from an Alabama church in 1944 by six armed white men. They warned her that if she said anything about it they would kill her. The brutal crime was eventually reported to the civil rights organisation, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP passed it on to Rosa Parks, who was sent to Abbeville, Alabama to investigate. The now iconic civil rights hero would, in 1955, rise to prominence when she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus. But at that time, she was focused on documenting sexual crimes against black women. One of Mrs Taylor's attackers confessed to the crime but her attackers were never indicted by all-white, male grand juries, as a result of segregation and racial inequality. The incident left Ms Taylor \"afraid of living\", she told NPR in 2011. She stopped going out at night \"'cause I was afraid that maybe something else might happen\". Many incidents involving black victims went unpunished in the south of the United States at the time. This was as a result of discriminatory legislation, collectively known as the \"Jim Crow\" laws, which segregated black people and white people in public spaces and strengthened discriminatory attitudes. In recent years, interest in Mrs Taylor's case has risen. A book and a documentary - The Rape of Recy Taylor - have been released in the last few years. In 2011, a formal apology to Mrs Taylor was made by the Alabama Legislature, calling the decision not to prosecute \"morally abhorrent and repugnant.\" Recy Taylor died last month aged 97, just days before her 98th birthday. Ms Taylor, Oprah said, \"lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men.\" But, she added, \"their time is up. Their time is up!\" She continued: \"I just hope that Recy Taylor died knowing that her truth, like the truth of so many other women who were tormented in those years, and even now tormented, goes marching on.\" Sunday's ceremony came after several months of sexual harassment allegations in the film and television industries."}], "question": "So who was Recy Taylor?", "id": "671_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Spotify sued over songwriter rights", "date": "2 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spotify has been hit with a lawsuit that accuses the streaming service of infringing the rights of songwriters and publishers. Wixen Music Publishing is seeking damages of at least $1.6bn (PS1.2bn) - $150,000 for more than 10,000 songs. The California company represents artists that include Janis Joplin, The Black Keys and Tom Petty. Spotify declined to comment. The firm has been trying to settle a class action lawsuit brought by songwriters. That lawsuit, which deals with similar copyright issues, was on course to being resolved in December. However, a group that included Wixen objected to the terms of the roughly $43m settlement, which they argued could yield less than $4 per song. In recent years, Spotify has struck deals with major record labels, resolving potential copyright liabilities. The deals have been an important new source of revenue for the music industry, which has contracted sharply over the last 15 years. In its new lawsuit, filed at the end of December in a federal court in California, Wixen said Spotify failed to also address the claims of songwriters and publishers, which have separate rights to the compositions. Wixen said: \"As a result Spotify has built a billion dollar business on the backs of songwriters and publishers whose music Spotify is using, in many cases without obtaining and paying for the necessary licenses.\" Spotify reached a reported $30m settlement with the National Music Publishers Association in 2016 over similar claims. But the issue continues to trouble the firm, which is gearing up to list its shares on the stock market. In addition to the new Wixen dispute and the pending class-action suit, Spotify also faces legal action filed by Bob Gaudio and Bluewater Music Corporation in July. Other firms have also filed lawsuits. In the July cases, Spotify has argued that the claims were invalid and its use of the music was allowed under implied licenses, among other reasons.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 693, "answer_end": 1940, "text": "In recent years, Spotify has struck deals with major record labels, resolving potential copyright liabilities. The deals have been an important new source of revenue for the music industry, which has contracted sharply over the last 15 years. In its new lawsuit, filed at the end of December in a federal court in California, Wixen said Spotify failed to also address the claims of songwriters and publishers, which have separate rights to the compositions. Wixen said: \"As a result Spotify has built a billion dollar business on the backs of songwriters and publishers whose music Spotify is using, in many cases without obtaining and paying for the necessary licenses.\" Spotify reached a reported $30m settlement with the National Music Publishers Association in 2016 over similar claims. But the issue continues to trouble the firm, which is gearing up to list its shares on the stock market. In addition to the new Wixen dispute and the pending class-action suit, Spotify also faces legal action filed by Bob Gaudio and Bluewater Music Corporation in July. Other firms have also filed lawsuits. In the July cases, Spotify has argued that the claims were invalid and its use of the music was allowed under implied licenses, among other reasons."}], "question": "What is Spotify alleged to have done?", "id": "672_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What's behind Afghan power project protests?", "date": "16 May 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Afghan government has halted work on a major regional energy project after thousands of demonstrators from the ethnic minority Hazara group took to the streets of Kabul on 16 May to protest against what they see as moves to marginalise them. The multi-million-dollar project to bring electricity from neighbouring Turkmenistan had originally been scheduled to go through the predominantly Hazara provinces of Hazarajat and Bamiyan, but was later re-routed to the northern Salang Pass. The government says the new route is more cost-effective, but Hazara leaders have called for the decision to be reversed. President Ashraf Ghani has ordered an investigation into the controversy, and a report is due within the next week or so. The Hazaras - mostly Shia Muslims - make up the third largest group in Afghanistan. They live mainly in the centre of the country. They complain of persistent discrimination, especially during Taliban rule in the late 1990s, when many of them fled to Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. Hazara leaders are calling on the government to stick to an initial plan to run the power line through the central regions or brace themselves for more protests. Their demands are co-ordinated by a group called the \"Enlightening Movement\". Hazara grievances are supported by some representatives of other ethnic groups - particularly the Tajiks - but others accuse them of political opportunism and of trying to use the controversy to shore up their standing among their own supporters. Those singled out by the media in this respect include the former vice-president, Karim Khalili, Mohammad Mohaqiq - an aide to Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah - and Herat MP Ahmad Behazda, a rising Hazara politician. The project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, aims to improve general access to electricity in Afghanistan. Dubbed TUTAP after the acronym of the names of countries involved - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan - it will carry power from Central Asia to Afghanistan, with any surplus going on to Pakistan. President Ghani has insisted that all parts of the country would be treated equally and said a commission, which includes representatives of Hazaras, will now review all decisions to do with the project. Some commentators think Mr Ghani's move is motivated by his wish to project the idea of national unity ahead of international conferences on Afghanistan in Warsaw and Brussels. They think that, given that the preliminary work has already been done and contracts awarded, there is little prospect of the decision being reversed, and say the appointment of the commission is just a palliative for Hazara leaders. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 246, "answer_end": 732, "text": "The multi-million-dollar project to bring electricity from neighbouring Turkmenistan had originally been scheduled to go through the predominantly Hazara provinces of Hazarajat and Bamiyan, but was later re-routed to the northern Salang Pass. The government says the new route is more cost-effective, but Hazara leaders have called for the decision to be reversed. President Ashraf Ghani has ordered an investigation into the controversy, and a report is due within the next week or so."}], "question": "What prompted the protests?", "id": "673_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 733, "answer_end": 1014, "text": "The Hazaras - mostly Shia Muslims - make up the third largest group in Afghanistan. They live mainly in the centre of the country. They complain of persistent discrimination, especially during Taliban rule in the late 1990s, when many of them fled to Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan."}], "question": "Who are the Hazaras?", "id": "673_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1015, "answer_end": 1728, "text": "Hazara leaders are calling on the government to stick to an initial plan to run the power line through the central regions or brace themselves for more protests. Their demands are co-ordinated by a group called the \"Enlightening Movement\". Hazara grievances are supported by some representatives of other ethnic groups - particularly the Tajiks - but others accuse them of political opportunism and of trying to use the controversy to shore up their standing among their own supporters. Those singled out by the media in this respect include the former vice-president, Karim Khalili, Mohammad Mohaqiq - an aide to Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah - and Herat MP Ahmad Behazda, a rising Hazara politician."}], "question": "What are they demanding?", "id": "673_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1729, "answer_end": 2067, "text": "The project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, aims to improve general access to electricity in Afghanistan. Dubbed TUTAP after the acronym of the names of countries involved - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan - it will carry power from Central Asia to Afghanistan, with any surplus going on to Pakistan."}], "question": "Why is the power scheme important?", "id": "673_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2068, "answer_end": 2832, "text": "President Ghani has insisted that all parts of the country would be treated equally and said a commission, which includes representatives of Hazaras, will now review all decisions to do with the project. Some commentators think Mr Ghani's move is motivated by his wish to project the idea of national unity ahead of international conferences on Afghanistan in Warsaw and Brussels. They think that, given that the preliminary work has already been done and contracts awarded, there is little prospect of the decision being reversed, and say the appointment of the commission is just a palliative for Hazara leaders. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "What might happen next?", "id": "673_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Bikram Choudhury: Yoga guru fined $6.5m over sexual harassment", "date": "27 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The founder of hot yoga has been ordered to pay more than $6m (PS4.18m) to a lawyer who says he sexually harassed her and sacked her for investigating allegations against him. US-based millionaire Bikram Choudhury, 69, is famous for the yoga method he began performing in a hot room in 2002. The $6m is in addition to $1m Minakshi Jafa-Bodden was awarded on Monday. She was head of legal and international affairs at Mr Choudhury's Los Angeles yoga school from 2011 until 2013. Ms Jafa-Bodden said she was abruptly sacked from her position for refusing to cover up an investigation into a rape allegation. On Tuesday, a jury in a Los Angeles court ordered the India-born guru to pay her nearly $6.5m in punitive damages, reports say. The jury on Monday had awarded her nearly $1m in compensation after it decided that she was subjected to harassment, discrimination and retaliation. That brings the total damages to more than $7m. Created by Bikram Choudhury this form of yoga is made up of a series of 26 postures which are performed in an extremely hot room. The 90-minute classes are all taught in exactly the same way in rooms heated to 105F (40.5C) exactly. Because of this consistency across the world, Mr Choudhury refers to the practice as McYoga. He teaches wearing small black pants, while followers also wear tight, skimpy clothing. According to the Bikram yoga website, there are many rules for practitioners to follow. \"No physical, hands-on corrections or adjustments of students (with the exception of Bikram),\" reads one of the guidelines. \"Clapping is not encouraged at the end of class (with the exception of spontaneous recognition of new students). \"It is highly recommended that studio owners and teachers refrain from romantic relationships with students and others within their Bikram Yoga College of India community.\" Many followers are very loyal to Bikram yoga and credit it with changing their lives. Celebrities including Madonna, Andy Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow and Goldie have all participated in Bikram yoga. \"Ms Jafa-Bodden faced retaliation and intimidation when she refused to stay silent about witnessing illegal behaviour,'' her attorney, Mark Quigley, said in a statement. Mr Choudhury had dismissed the allegations during the trial and said Ms Jafa-Bodden was sacked from her job because she did not have a license to practice law in the US. Separately, Mr Choudhury is facing accusations of sexual assault, with six women filing lawsuits against him. His lawyers say the claims are \"false\". Hot yoga is now taught at more than 650 studios around the world. In October, Mr Choudhury lost a court battle to copyright the poses. The US court ruled that health-related yoga could not be copyrighted.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 931, "answer_end": 2036, "text": "Created by Bikram Choudhury this form of yoga is made up of a series of 26 postures which are performed in an extremely hot room. The 90-minute classes are all taught in exactly the same way in rooms heated to 105F (40.5C) exactly. Because of this consistency across the world, Mr Choudhury refers to the practice as McYoga. He teaches wearing small black pants, while followers also wear tight, skimpy clothing. According to the Bikram yoga website, there are many rules for practitioners to follow. \"No physical, hands-on corrections or adjustments of students (with the exception of Bikram),\" reads one of the guidelines. \"Clapping is not encouraged at the end of class (with the exception of spontaneous recognition of new students). \"It is highly recommended that studio owners and teachers refrain from romantic relationships with students and others within their Bikram Yoga College of India community.\" Many followers are very loyal to Bikram yoga and credit it with changing their lives. Celebrities including Madonna, Andy Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow and Goldie have all participated in Bikram yoga."}], "question": "What is Bikram yoga?", "id": "674_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump blasts House Democrats' 'fishing expedition'", "date": "5 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has accused Democrats in the US House of Representatives of launching a \"fishing expedition in search of a crime\". He was referring to their inquiry into his alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of power. On Monday, documents were requested from 81 people and groups, including some of the president's closest allies. They include some of Mr Trump's aides and campaign staff, family members and business associates. Mr Trump tweeted his response on Tuesday. A second tweet published by the president shortly afterwards reads simply: \"PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!\" The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee oversees the US justice system, including federal law enforcement agencies. Its Democratic chairman, Jerry Nadler, said in a statement: \"This is a critical time for our nation, and we have a responsibility to investigate these matters and hold hearings for the public to have all the facts. \"Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical and constitutional rules and norms. Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress.\" President Trump has previously dismissed Mr Nadler's probe as a \"political hoax\". In a separate development on Tuesday, New York State insurance regulators announced they were issuing subpoenas to the Trump Organization's longtime insurance broker. The move by the New York Department of Financial Services comes after Mr Trump's ex-personal lawyer Michael Cohen testified to Congress and alleged that multiple tax and finance crimes were directed by Mr Trump. And Congressman Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat who sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, said his party would formally demand Mr Trump's tax returns this month, report US media. Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in January. More than five House committees are now investigating alleged attempts by Russia to meddle in the 2016 election campaign, the president's tax returns and potential conflicts of interest involving Mr Trump's family. Those inquiries are in addition to the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is expected to file his report into Russian election interference and associated matters soon. Mr Nadler's committee has the power to conduct impeachment hearings, which can ultimately lead to a president's removal. He said it was \"very clear\" that the president had obstructed justice and indulged in other abuses of power but added that it was too early to discuss removing the president from office. Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, long-time Trump personal assistant Rhona Graff, ex-White House counsel Don McGahn and current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow are on the list of names released by the House Judiciary Committee. Donald Trump Jr is also on the list. He has previously been forced by members of Congress to answer questions about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, in which he sat down with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who had offered dirt on Mr Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton. Others on the list include another of Mr Trump's sons, Eric, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, former aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange have also been sent documents requests by the committee. The organisation, which publishes secret information and news leaks provided by anonymous sources, published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and released them during the 2016 campaign, causing political embarrassment to Mrs Clinton and her campaign team. Roger Stone, Mr Trump's confidant, who is currently under investigation by Special Counsel Mueller for allegedly lying to prosecutors about his communications with Wikileaks during the presidential campaign, has also received a request from the committee. After Mr Stone's arrest in January, he denied that he had played a role as an intermediary between the campaign and Wikileaks. The documents would be used by the committee to determine which witnesses to call to testify in the coming months, a counsel for the House Judiciary Committee said. If they do not comply within the next few weeks, subpoenas ordering them to attend will be issued. With his announcement, Mr Nadler is taking a scattergun approach to his investigations of the president, the BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher says. He says the press release announcing the investigations doesn't mention Russia or its alleged election meddling by name. But the key components of the collusion allegations - the 2016 Trump Tower meeting, the WikiLeaks email dumps, changes to Ukraine policy in the Republican Party platform, and the Trump-Russia business dealings - are all over the document requests.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2599, "answer_end": 4316, "text": "Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, long-time Trump personal assistant Rhona Graff, ex-White House counsel Don McGahn and current Trump personal lawyer Jay Sekulow are on the list of names released by the House Judiciary Committee. Donald Trump Jr is also on the list. He has previously been forced by members of Congress to answer questions about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, in which he sat down with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who had offered dirt on Mr Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton. Others on the list include another of Mr Trump's sons, Eric, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, former aides Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks, and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange have also been sent documents requests by the committee. The organisation, which publishes secret information and news leaks provided by anonymous sources, published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and released them during the 2016 campaign, causing political embarrassment to Mrs Clinton and her campaign team. Roger Stone, Mr Trump's confidant, who is currently under investigation by Special Counsel Mueller for allegedly lying to prosecutors about his communications with Wikileaks during the presidential campaign, has also received a request from the committee. After Mr Stone's arrest in January, he denied that he had played a role as an intermediary between the campaign and Wikileaks. The documents would be used by the committee to determine which witnesses to call to testify in the coming months, a counsel for the House Judiciary Committee said. If they do not comply within the next few weeks, subpoenas ordering them to attend will be issued."}], "question": "Who received requests?", "id": "675_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Winner: NSA contractor sentenced to five years over leak", "date": "23 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who admitted passing secret information to the media has been sentenced to more than five years. Reality Winner, 26, had faced up to 10 years in prison, but this was reduced to 63 months under a plea deal. She was arrested last year for leaking an NSA report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election. Her sentence is reported to be the longest given for passing unauthorised material to a media outlet. Winner was working as a linguist at an NSA facility in Georgia when she was detained in June 2017 and charged under the Espionage Act. She was caught after investigators noticed that the leaked document appeared to have been folded or creased, indicating that it had been \"printed and then carried out of a secured space\", according to an FBI affidavit in support of the arrest warrant. Investigators determined that Winner was one of only six people to have printed the document. Examination of her email on her desk computer further revealed that she had exchanged emails with news outlet, the indictment said. \"I misused my clearance to print out the report,\" Winner told a hearing in June, according to Fox News. \"I did so of my own free will.\" The leaked document, believed to have been passed to news website The Intercept, alleged that Moscow's military intelligence services had attempted cyber-attacks on at least one US voting software supplier days before the 2016 US presidential election. It also accused Russia of sending phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials. However, there was no suggestion in the document that the hackers were successful. The files were apparently marked for declassification not before May 2042.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1214, "answer_end": 1717, "text": "The leaked document, believed to have been passed to news website The Intercept, alleged that Moscow's military intelligence services had attempted cyber-attacks on at least one US voting software supplier days before the 2016 US presidential election. It also accused Russia of sending phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials. However, there was no suggestion in the document that the hackers were successful. The files were apparently marked for declassification not before May 2042."}], "question": "What did the leaked documents allege?", "id": "676_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The impact of trade tariffs on two US firms", "date": "30 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New trade tariffs are raising costs for US businesses, testing their power to pass on the expenses to consumers. US equipment maker Caterpillar on Monday said strong demand had allowed it to hike prices to offset $100m-$200m in higher steel and aluminium costs. But while higher prices are shielding some firms, others are under strain. On the same day, food processor Tyson Foods cut its profit forecast, saying retaliatory duties on US pork and beef exports had lowered US meat prices. It said it expects adjusted earnings per share in the range of $5.70-$6 for its 2018 financial year due to a surplus in US supply caused by the tariffs. That was down from its earlier $6.55-$6.70 forecast. Lower prices for beef and pork have also reduced demand for chicken, the firm added. \"The combination of changing global trade policies here and abroad, and the uncertainty of any resolution, have created a challenging market environment of increased volatility, lower prices and oversupply of protein,\" said Tom Hayes, Tyson Foods president and chief executive officer. The updates were the latest from businesses explaining how trade disputes are raising costs and shifting demand for products that range from cars to beer. In March, the US announced tariffs on steel and aluminium, prompting China, the European Union, Mexico and other places to retaliate with import taxes on US products such as pork, wine and whiskey. Separately, the US and China have also imposed tit-for-tat tariffs of $34bn on the other country's goods, in a row over intellectual property practices and state subsidies. While some firms, including Caterpillar, have said they will pass on higher costs to consumers in the form of higher prices, others are more constrained. BMW, for example, has said it would raise prices in China by 4%-7% on two SUV models, which are US-made. But the rise will not completely absorb the cost of China's new taxes on US vehicles, the firm warned. Harley Davidson told investors it plans to shoulder the cost of European tariffs on US-made motorcycles in order to remain competitive. It is also grappling with higher steel and aluminium prices. Overall, analysts expect the duties to have a relatively modest impact. Analysts at US bank Wells Fargo estimate that the US tariffs so far will boost inflation in the US by 0.1%, but said that the rise could be softened by price declines for products targeted by other countries for retaliation. The changes come as higher fuel and labour costs fuel stronger inflation in the US. The index for producer prices climbed 3.4% over the 12 months to July, the strongest annual gain since November 2011, according to figures from the US Labor Department. The consumer price index increased 2.9% over the 12 months to June. With wage growth still relatively slow, economists say it's not clear how many increases households can handle before they reduce spending.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1220, "answer_end": 2149, "text": "In March, the US announced tariffs on steel and aluminium, prompting China, the European Union, Mexico and other places to retaliate with import taxes on US products such as pork, wine and whiskey. Separately, the US and China have also imposed tit-for-tat tariffs of $34bn on the other country's goods, in a row over intellectual property practices and state subsidies. While some firms, including Caterpillar, have said they will pass on higher costs to consumers in the form of higher prices, others are more constrained. BMW, for example, has said it would raise prices in China by 4%-7% on two SUV models, which are US-made. But the rise will not completely absorb the cost of China's new taxes on US vehicles, the firm warned. Harley Davidson told investors it plans to shoulder the cost of European tariffs on US-made motorcycles in order to remain competitive. It is also grappling with higher steel and aluminium prices."}], "question": "Passing the cost?", "id": "677_0"}]}]}, {"title": "China's Xi Jinping opens \u2018New Era\u2019 for country and the world", "date": "25 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's new leadership line-up was the last scene to play in the carefully scripted drama of the Communist Party Congress. Yet again Xi Jinping defied convention. Halfway through one Party chief's decade in power, a leader-in-waiting would normally appear in a red carpet ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. But the men beside Mr Xi were all in their 60s, too old to be an heir. Breaking the mould on the succession, as with so much else, is part of the Chinese president's New Era, as he has termed it. But don't imagine that now the Congress is over, you can forget about Mr Xi's New Era. In the clash of political civilisations, he has put China on the offensive. In his three-and-a-half hour speech to Congress, he set out a vision not just for the five years ahead but for 30, and talked of a socialist model which provides, \"a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence\". At home China is already a surveillance state accelerating its ability to listen to every call and track every face, online posting, movement and purchase. Expect it now to export not just the governance model but the cyber weapons to make that work. Gone is the insistence that China must hide its light under a bushel and be a modest player abroad. Mr Xi told Congress that China must be a \"great power\" with a first class military \"built to fight\". But the president's New Era doesn't rely solely on hard power. Over the past four decades China has built a market economy under a one party state. Now Mr Xi hopes to correct its flaws to deliver his citizens a better quality of life. He dreams of an innovative powerhouse driven by well educated citizens with unshakeable faith in the superiority of their system. His speech to Congress promised more control of the internet to \"oppose and resist the whole range of erroneous viewpoints\". But he hopes to win the battle for hearts and minds even earlier and his education minister said schoolchildren would soon begin to study \"'Xi Thought'\". The full slogan is \"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era\". Behind the rhetoric, this means an enormous centralisation of power for Xi and his Party over China's economy and society. Official media have dwelled on the \"lies\" of western democracy and the failures of capitalism, a system \"swamped by crisis and chaos\". In the words of one commentary by state news agency Xinhua, \"The wealth gap widens, the working class suffers, and the society remains divided\". In absolute GDP, the United States may still be the world's largest economy, but President Trump has withdrawn American leadership on free trade and climate change and Xi's China has neatly stepped into the gap. Mr Xi talks about guiding the international community \"towards a more just and rational new world order\". The latest Pew opinion survey across 37 countries suggests more people now trust the Chinese leader to do the right thing than the American one. On its current trajectory, the Chinese economy will overtake the US some time in the next decade to become the world's largest. Critics dismiss the challenge of the China model, predicting that rigid politics will cramp innovation and growth will succumb to market distortions. Certainly most countries that make it to the world's rich club go democratic first. But China has always seen itself as exceptional by virtue of its scale, its history and its culture. Xi Jinping says China's road to a great nation will be \"different from that of traditional great powers\". He is no keener to adopt what he sees as American values than the US is to adopt Chinese ones. Several things follow from this control mission. Firstly, the values of liberal democracy are by definition the enemy. The appeal of  free media, independent judiciary and pluralistic civil society are discredited wherever possible. In fact, since Mr Xi came to power, public discussion of these values has become taboo in China. By contrast, Mr Xi is expanding his formal and informal control network through Communist Party cells. They now operate not just in domestic companies but in more than two thirds of foreign invested ones on Chinese soil. All foreign economic engagement in China is increasingly on the Party's terms, permitted only in sectors and at a pace which is designed to meet China's interests rather than those of its trading partners. And for those partners, the debate over how to respond is likely to become more polarised in this New Era. Mr Xi's admirers will insist that China's ruling party deserves credit for pulling many millions of its citizens out of poverty and point out that at nearly 7% Chinese growth is one of the engines of the global economy. His detractors will argue that his Party deserves little credit for an economic miracle won by the hard work and ingenuity of the Chinese people despite its rulers rather than because of them. Some will even point to the rise of Hitler and Stalin as lessons in the cost of not confronting dictatorships. Four trillion dollars in foreign reserves, and control over the fastest growing consumer market in the world, give Xi Jinping powerful weapons to influence this debate. Even as the Communist Party unveiled its new leadership on Wednesday, it excluded several major western news organisations from the ceremony. Officially no reason was given for barring the BBC, Financial Times, Economist, New York Times and Guardian, but unofficially journalists were told that their reporting was to blame. Another sign of Xi's determination to control the message at home and abroad. As Mr Xi declares China ready \"to move towards centre stage in the world\", it's not clear whether his mission to control will help or hinder him. For his public the slogan of the moment is not \"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics For a New Era\". It is the far simpler \"awesome China\" in red and gold on banners, bicycle wheels and social media posts. Few would deny that China is awesome. But exactly how is in the eye of the beholder. For many Chinese patriots, \"awesome China\" signals pride. For many outsiders it means admiration. But for others there's an undercurrent of ambivalence and even fear. The only certainty is that none will be untouched by China in Mr Xi's New Era.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2767, "answer_end": 3681, "text": "Mr Xi talks about guiding the international community \"towards a more just and rational new world order\". The latest Pew opinion survey across 37 countries suggests more people now trust the Chinese leader to do the right thing than the American one. On its current trajectory, the Chinese economy will overtake the US some time in the next decade to become the world's largest. Critics dismiss the challenge of the China model, predicting that rigid politics will cramp innovation and growth will succumb to market distortions. Certainly most countries that make it to the world's rich club go democratic first. But China has always seen itself as exceptional by virtue of its scale, its history and its culture. Xi Jinping says China's road to a great nation will be \"different from that of traditional great powers\". He is no keener to adopt what he sees as American values than the US is to adopt Chinese ones."}], "question": "A future global leader?", "id": "678_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5070, "answer_end": 6348, "text": "Four trillion dollars in foreign reserves, and control over the fastest growing consumer market in the world, give Xi Jinping powerful weapons to influence this debate. Even as the Communist Party unveiled its new leadership on Wednesday, it excluded several major western news organisations from the ceremony. Officially no reason was given for barring the BBC, Financial Times, Economist, New York Times and Guardian, but unofficially journalists were told that their reporting was to blame. Another sign of Xi's determination to control the message at home and abroad. As Mr Xi declares China ready \"to move towards centre stage in the world\", it's not clear whether his mission to control will help or hinder him. For his public the slogan of the moment is not \"Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics For a New Era\". It is the far simpler \"awesome China\" in red and gold on banners, bicycle wheels and social media posts. Few would deny that China is awesome. But exactly how is in the eye of the beholder. For many Chinese patriots, \"awesome China\" signals pride. For many outsiders it means admiration. But for others there's an undercurrent of ambivalence and even fear. The only certainty is that none will be untouched by China in Mr Xi's New Era."}], "question": "'Awesome China'?", "id": "678_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sudan conflict: Army and civilians seal power-sharing deal", "date": "17 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sudan's ruling military council and civilian opposition alliance have signed a landmark power-sharing deal. The agreement ushers in a new governing council, including both civilians and generals, to pave the way towards elections and civilian rule. Mohamed Hamdan \"Hemeti\" Dagolo, widely regarded as Sudan's most powerful man, has pledged to abide by its terms. Sudan has seen pro-democracy protests and repression since long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April. The deal was signed by Hemeti and Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan for the military council, and Ahmed al-Rabie for the Alliance for Freedom and Change umbrella group of pro-democracy protesters. The prime ministers of Ethiopia and Egypt and the South Sudanese president were among regional leaders attending ceremony. There were scenes of wild celebrations on the streets of the capital, Khartoum, after the ceremony. Thousands of cheering people gathered around the convention hall where the documents were signed, waving Sudanese flags and flashing peace signs. Khartoum residents and people from other parts of the country came in on buses and trains for the occasion. Under the deal, a sovereign council, consisting of six civilians and five generals, will run the country until elections. The two sides have agreed to rotate the chairmanship of the council for just over three years. A prime minister nominated by civilians is due to be appointed next week. \"We will stick to every single letter we have agreed on,\" Hemeti told BBC HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi in an interview broadcast ahead of the ceremony. \"Even without the agreement, we [would] have to work in this direction because it's in the country's interest,\" he added. \"Therefore we have to carry out the agreement, stick to it and support it.\" Hemeti is the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - which grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia that was accused of carrying out a genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Many people stood outside the RSF headquarters in central Khartoum, playing revolutionary songs and chanting at soldiers in celebration, Reuters news agency reports. The RSF have been blamed for recent abuses, including the 3 June massacre during which more than 120 people were reportedly killed, with many of the dead dumped in the River Nile. RSF leaders have denied planning the killings, which they say were carried out by rogue elements. Asked about the massacre in the BBC interview, Hemeti said there had been \"systematic plotting and conspiracy\" to tarnish the reputation of the RSF, whom he described as \"protectors\" and not killers. The unrest in Sudan can be traced back to December 2018, when then President Bashir's government imposed emergency austerity measures. Cuts to bread and fuel subsidies sparked demonstrations in the east over living standards, and the anger spread to the capital. The protests broadened into demands for the removal of Mr Bashir - who had been in charge for 30 years. In April, the president was overthrown by the military after sit-ins outside the defence ministry, but demonstrators then wanted to ensure authority was swiftly transferred to a civilian administration. A council of generals led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan assumed power, but it has struggled to return the country to normality. The army is not a unified force in Sudan; paramilitary organisations and various Islamist militias hold some sway.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1443, "answer_end": 2625, "text": "\"We will stick to every single letter we have agreed on,\" Hemeti told BBC HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi in an interview broadcast ahead of the ceremony. \"Even without the agreement, we [would] have to work in this direction because it's in the country's interest,\" he added. \"Therefore we have to carry out the agreement, stick to it and support it.\" Hemeti is the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - which grew out of the notorious Janjaweed militia that was accused of carrying out a genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Many people stood outside the RSF headquarters in central Khartoum, playing revolutionary songs and chanting at soldiers in celebration, Reuters news agency reports. The RSF have been blamed for recent abuses, including the 3 June massacre during which more than 120 people were reportedly killed, with many of the dead dumped in the River Nile. RSF leaders have denied planning the killings, which they say were carried out by rogue elements. Asked about the massacre in the BBC interview, Hemeti said there had been \"systematic plotting and conspiracy\" to tarnish the reputation of the RSF, whom he described as \"protectors\" and not killers."}], "question": "What did Hemeti say?", "id": "679_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2626, "answer_end": 3450, "text": "The unrest in Sudan can be traced back to December 2018, when then President Bashir's government imposed emergency austerity measures. Cuts to bread and fuel subsidies sparked demonstrations in the east over living standards, and the anger spread to the capital. The protests broadened into demands for the removal of Mr Bashir - who had been in charge for 30 years. In April, the president was overthrown by the military after sit-ins outside the defence ministry, but demonstrators then wanted to ensure authority was swiftly transferred to a civilian administration. A council of generals led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan assumed power, but it has struggled to return the country to normality. The army is not a unified force in Sudan; paramilitary organisations and various Islamist militias hold some sway."}], "question": "How did the crisis unfold?", "id": "679_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Revealed: Advice to Tory MPs on how to be 'real' on Instagram", "date": "11 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Conservative MPs have been encouraged to show they are \"real people\" by being \"playful\" on Instagram, according to a document leaked to the BBC. Earlier this year, party chairman Brandon Lewis arranged sessions teaching MPs how to set up an account and project their personality on the video and picture sharing app, following criticism of the Conservatives' social media strategy. MPs from all parties have tried to use Instagram to show a more relaxed, human side. But efforts by Conservatives to get to grips with the app, at their party conference last year, led to a series of rather stiff, formal pictures of ministers - and ridicule on social media. Three months after that, in January this year, the party held sessions giving tips for MPs on how to use Instagram. Here is a selection of slides from that presentation, and some examples of posts by Labour MPs we have chosen to illustrate how Jeremy Corbyn's party are using Instagram. The first slide of the Conservative presentation suggests that sophisticated use of Instagram could be a way to win over younger voters, who are the biggest users of the site. The guide for Conservative MPs begins with the very basics. Later slides encourage \"human shots\" and \"action shots\", and MPs are also advised to give concise biographies with a link to their website. Posting on Instagram might seem easy if you do it every day. But if you're not used to it, there's a lot to figure out. This slide uses a Boris Johnson selfie as a case study to show the meaning of various icons. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was early to embrace Instagram. Animals are very popular on the app, and his timeline has featured dogs, owls and goats. It looks like Mr Williamson's Instagram efforts are respected by party headquarters - he pops up twice on a slide giving \"good examples\". Political Instagram isn't all cats and briefcases. The app can be used to highlight local issues, as this post by Labour's Matt Western demonstrates. Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry has a serious job, and her Twitter and Facebook feeds tend to reflect that. But on her Instagram feed you're more likely to see a picture of her cat, or a weekend walk in the woods, than criticism of government policies. The Conservative presentation singles out this post by Universities Minister Sam Gyimah as an example of the \"playful\" nature of the site. The guide advises MPs to use pictures of \"objects\" from their daily life to suggest it is a \"behind the scenes\" look. The only example in the presentation made by someone other than a Conservative MP is this post by Nick Weston, who runs a \"foraging and cookery school\" in Sussex. MPs have been told to emulate this because \"people like seeing your process\". The Conservative presentation picks up on a post by Culture Secretary Matthew Hancock, in which he uses a screenshot of a letter from a 28-year-old man praising government efforts to crack down on online ticket touts, as a good example of \"storytelling,\" as opposed to bombarding people with statistics. Other slides encourage posts about historical events, like celebrating Churchill to coincide with the release of the film \"Darkest Hour\". Opposition politicians do this too - such as Labour's Dawn Butler marking the centenary of votes for women. The Conservative presentation highlights Instagram posts which don't \"feel real\". Tory MPs are encouraged to use their own images to show issues they care about, rather than generic ones. A slick, but rather impersonal post by Tory MP James Cleverly is included on a slide which says graphics should be used \"sparingly\". Recent posts by the party's deputy chairman have been more informal. The Conservative presentation also advises MPs on how to make more creative posts, including a \"boomerang\". This is described as a \"playful option. Records a motion then plays back on itself - like a boomerang!\" Conservative MPs were shown some of the more fiddly ways to edit an image, such as adding blocks of text with coloured background while using the \"story\" function (a picture which deletes after 24 hours). Tory MPs were encouraged to poll their followers for \"interesting insights\". Sir Peter Bottomley has been a Conservative MP since 1975 and is an unlikely social media star - he has a Twitter account but has never tweeted. However, on Instagram he seems to be something of a trailblazer, with his posts highlighted not once but twice in the Tory presentation. A picture of him signing a book to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day is highlighted as an example of promoting a serious cause by using a relevant hashtag, #HMD18. The presentation also gave special mention to a picture of Bottomley out campaigning with Margaret Thatcher which used the hashtag #TBT, or \"throwback Thursday\". Sajid Javid recently became home secretary. Before January, when this presentation was given to Conservative MPs, his feed was heavy on generic party graphics. Since then though, his posts have been become more light-hearted - though this sort of playfulness may be harder in his new job. One of Javid's \"story\" posts is highlighted in the presentation as a good example. Another slide encourages MPs to reply to comments. Very senior figures in the Conservative Party have taken this advice on board. Gavin Williamson recently used Instagram to post about his new lawnmower, and replied to questions about where he bought it from and how much it cost. Social media fans will know that timing is everything - and not every app follows the same pattern. Political Twitter tends to be busy in the daytime during the working week, and far quieter at the weekend. People tend to check Instagram in their leisure time, so Tory MPs have been advised to post in the evenings. But social media connoisseurs will know that evening posts carry risks, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Fewer people tend to be online at those times because many are out enjoying themselves. Also, those who stay in may be wary of interacting with other people's posts, for fear of giving away the fact that they are sat at home checking Instagram.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1320, "answer_end": 1532, "text": "Posting on Instagram might seem easy if you do it every day. But if you're not used to it, there's a lot to figure out. This slide uses a Boris Johnson selfie as a case study to show the meaning of various icons."}], "question": "What does this button do?", "id": "680_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Joe Biden: Democratic frontrunner jokes about age questions", "date": "14 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden, has batted off questions about his age. The former vice-president, 76, said he would release his medical records before votes were cast and even joked about wrestling a reporter. During Thursday's debate he was accused by a rival of forgetting what he had just said in what was seen as a swipe against his age. If elected Mr Biden would be the oldest president in US history. Before announcing his candidacy he said his age would be a \"legitimate issue\" in the presidential race. Asked by a reporter on Friday about such concerns, Mr Biden replied: \"What the hell concerns? You wanna wrestle?\" He went on to say he would release his medical records after his next physical and \"before there's a first vote\", which is due in February next year. The opening exchanges of the debate saw the candidates clash on healthcare. At one point, former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, 44, suggested that Mr Biden had contradicted himself on his own policies. \"Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?\" Mr Castro said. Fact-checking site PolitiFact said it was Mr Castro who had got it wrong and he has faced criticism among Democrats for what was seen as uncivil attack on a fellow party member. Another candidate, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, 59, told CNN that the barb was \"not cool\". Mr Castro has denied taking a shot at Mr Biden's age, telling the BBC: \"Whether its Vice-President Biden or somebody else, if somebody on that debate stage says one thing and then two minutes later they deny that they said it, I'm going call them on it.\" Few candidates have been willing to directly broach the age of Mr Biden, who has made repeated gaffes and flubs on the campaign trail. During Thursday's ABC News debate, Mr Biden gave what many viewed to be a rambling answer to a question about race in America, suggesting parents use a \"record player\" to educate their children. He currently holds a healthy lead in polls, with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, 70, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78, his closest rivals. Another challenger, Cory Booker, 50, told CNN after the debate: \"We are at a tough point right now, because there's a lot of people concerned about Joe Biden's ability to carry the ball all the way across the end line without fumbling.\" Mr Biden served as a senator for Delaware from 1973-2009 before becoming Mr Obama's running mate in the 2008 election. The eventual Democrat nominee is expected to face President Trump, who is 73. Choose your candidate and filter by category", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 815, "answer_end": 2531, "text": "The opening exchanges of the debate saw the candidates clash on healthcare. At one point, former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, 44, suggested that Mr Biden had contradicted himself on his own policies. \"Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?\" Mr Castro said. Fact-checking site PolitiFact said it was Mr Castro who had got it wrong and he has faced criticism among Democrats for what was seen as uncivil attack on a fellow party member. Another candidate, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, 59, told CNN that the barb was \"not cool\". Mr Castro has denied taking a shot at Mr Biden's age, telling the BBC: \"Whether its Vice-President Biden or somebody else, if somebody on that debate stage says one thing and then two minutes later they deny that they said it, I'm going call them on it.\" Few candidates have been willing to directly broach the age of Mr Biden, who has made repeated gaffes and flubs on the campaign trail. During Thursday's ABC News debate, Mr Biden gave what many viewed to be a rambling answer to a question about race in America, suggesting parents use a \"record player\" to educate their children. He currently holds a healthy lead in polls, with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, 70, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78, his closest rivals. Another challenger, Cory Booker, 50, told CNN after the debate: \"We are at a tough point right now, because there's a lot of people concerned about Joe Biden's ability to carry the ball all the way across the end line without fumbling.\" Mr Biden served as a senator for Delaware from 1973-2009 before becoming Mr Obama's running mate in the 2008 election. The eventual Democrat nominee is expected to face President Trump, who is 73."}], "question": "What happened during the Democrat's debate?", "id": "681_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Eugenie wedding: How I also went plastic free on my big day", "date": "10 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The venue, food and drink, music, the dress, hair and make-up... a happy couple's checklist can go on and on. And Princess Eugenie has added another factor into the equation - her wedding has to be plastic free. The Queen's granddaughter, who is marrying Jack Brooksbank on 12 October, told British Vogue that the couple's house was anti-plastic and \"Jack and I want our wedding to be like that as well\". So how realistic is it? As Lindsay Miles discovered, there are quite a few things to take into consideration. \"A wedding is such a significant day that it's even more important to be true to your values than on any other day,\" says Lindsay. \"You can't go back on your values just because you're getting married.\" Lindsay, 36, a writer from Kent, and her Australian husband Glen, 38, first tried living without plastic in 2012. What started out as a month-long challenge has turned into a way of life for the pair, who live in Perth, Western Australia. \"I'm more the driver than he is but we both got involved at the same time,\" she says. \"I'm the one that puts in more work but he agrees with all the values.\" So going plastic free for their wedding, in 2014, was a no-brainer. Plastic finds its way into weddings in many forms: food storage, drink packaging, decorations, flower delivery - that's just the start. For Lindsay, who blogs about living without waste, trying to make her special day plastic free came first ahead of any other wishes. \"We said we want to be plastic free 'how can we do that', rather than saying, 'We want to have roses, we want to have canapes, can we do that plastic free?'\" They wanted \"memorable\" but didn't want to break the bank. Simplicity was also key. \"For me, simple means no fuss - and devoting whole weekends to projects was out,\" says Lindsay. Involving suppliers from the outset was the most effective way of making the plastic-free magic happen, she says. \"It's really about having conversations with people and explaining why you want to do it. People are willing.\" But it is also about taking matters into your own hands. \"If you get stuff delivered to you, that's when it comes in packaging. For us, it was making sure on the day - we went to all the deli, the bakery et cetera because that way we could guarantee there was no packaging.\" - Invitations: electronic, sent via email or Facebook - Flowers: freshly picked by family and friends from their gardens, arranged in old jam-jars - Decorations: borrowed lace bunting from old tablecloths and curtains * tins fished out of recycling bins and wrapped in twine and in hessian ribbon, which was also used for table runners * hired tablecloths and tea cups * bought beeswax candles in jars - Food: local businesses focused on locally sourced produce * hired pizza oven  * cakes from a bakery that didn't use plastic packaging * Indian snacks donated by a friend as a wedding gift - Drink: tap beer and cider  * local wine  * pre-made soft drinks served in jugs  * loose tea and coffee  * no straws - Tableware:  venue's own crockery and cutlery (although having pizza minimised amount needed)  * borrowed glasses - Gifts: guests told not to buy presents -  to avoid any waste and wrapping - Dress: rather than spend hours trawling charity shops, the bride bought a High-Street dress she wore again and then sold on eBay - Hair and make-up: used make-up the bride already had  * washed hair with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar - Favours/confetti: went without Lindsay accepts that achieving a 100% plastic-free wedding also meant relying on other people. For their wedding, they hired a pizza oven and used a local deli to provide the fresh ingredients - without plastic packaging - but did they know what went on behind the scenes? \"It's possible he had some plastic that I didn't see... whether he got a packet of salad in a plastic bag, I don't know.\" The wedding's eco-friendly credentials were counterbalanced by the air miles required to fly her family - albeit just four people - to Australia. \"In hindsight, I should have fallen in love with the guy in the village - but I didn't,\" Lindsay jokes. \"I fell in love with a guy in Australia, so it's one of those things you have to compromise. My parents, my sister and brother flying out for a wedding - it's a one-off.\" They did, however, decide to have the wedding as local as possible in the city of Perth, rather than the countryside, to reduce driving distances. Wedding planner Katrina Otter says working with the right people is key, as some of the more \"old-school suppliers\" are less keen to adapt. \"Make sure you have the right team on board - work with a team willing to do it or one where it's already part of their ethos.\" But she adds: \"The bride and groom might not know where plastic is involved - such as cutlery often comes wrapped in cling film.\" No royal wedding is complete without a vibrant floral display. And, traditionally, a key part of those has been the floral foam - the bricks of green, spongy foam that provide a foundation for floral arrangements, as well as a water source. Katrina says finding an alternative to the non-biodegradable plastic material has become a big issue for the industry and many florists are looking to do it another way. The florist who created the displays for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, Philippa Craddock, says she didn't use any floral foam for their big day. The number of couples requesting plastic-free weddings is on the rise, says Katrina, although it remains a small proportion. Another issue to consider for any bride - especially one who is having live TV coverage - is the hair and make-up. Kate Arnell, who blogged about her zero-waste wedding, in 2014, says she found it tricky to find plastic-free make-up and hair products. \"Now, there are a lot more available and I have since swapped to plastic-free alternatives,\" she says. Although whether Princess Eugenie will be opting for Lindsay's bicarbonate of soda and vinegar concoction on her hair is yet to be confirmed...", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 515, "answer_end": 1182, "text": "\"A wedding is such a significant day that it's even more important to be true to your values than on any other day,\" says Lindsay. \"You can't go back on your values just because you're getting married.\" Lindsay, 36, a writer from Kent, and her Australian husband Glen, 38, first tried living without plastic in 2012. What started out as a month-long challenge has turned into a way of life for the pair, who live in Perth, Western Australia. \"I'm more the driver than he is but we both got involved at the same time,\" she says. \"I'm the one that puts in more work but he agrees with all the values.\" So going plastic free for their wedding, in 2014, was a no-brainer."}], "question": "It's just one day, why bother?", "id": "682_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1183, "answer_end": 2289, "text": "Plastic finds its way into weddings in many forms: food storage, drink packaging, decorations, flower delivery - that's just the start. For Lindsay, who blogs about living without waste, trying to make her special day plastic free came first ahead of any other wishes. \"We said we want to be plastic free 'how can we do that', rather than saying, 'We want to have roses, we want to have canapes, can we do that plastic free?'\" They wanted \"memorable\" but didn't want to break the bank. Simplicity was also key. \"For me, simple means no fuss - and devoting whole weekends to projects was out,\" says Lindsay. Involving suppliers from the outset was the most effective way of making the plastic-free magic happen, she says. \"It's really about having conversations with people and explaining why you want to do it. People are willing.\" But it is also about taking matters into your own hands. \"If you get stuff delivered to you, that's when it comes in packaging. For us, it was making sure on the day - we went to all the deli, the bakery et cetera because that way we could guarantee there was no packaging.\""}], "question": "Where to begin?", "id": "682_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3462, "answer_end": 4424, "text": "Lindsay accepts that achieving a 100% plastic-free wedding also meant relying on other people. For their wedding, they hired a pizza oven and used a local deli to provide the fresh ingredients - without plastic packaging - but did they know what went on behind the scenes? \"It's possible he had some plastic that I didn't see... whether he got a packet of salad in a plastic bag, I don't know.\" The wedding's eco-friendly credentials were counterbalanced by the air miles required to fly her family - albeit just four people - to Australia. \"In hindsight, I should have fallen in love with the guy in the village - but I didn't,\" Lindsay jokes. \"I fell in love with a guy in Australia, so it's one of those things you have to compromise. My parents, my sister and brother flying out for a wedding - it's a one-off.\" They did, however, decide to have the wedding as local as possible in the city of Perth, rather than the countryside, to reduce driving distances."}], "question": "Any compromises?", "id": "682_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4425, "answer_end": 6014, "text": "Wedding planner Katrina Otter says working with the right people is key, as some of the more \"old-school suppliers\" are less keen to adapt. \"Make sure you have the right team on board - work with a team willing to do it or one where it's already part of their ethos.\" But she adds: \"The bride and groom might not know where plastic is involved - such as cutlery often comes wrapped in cling film.\" No royal wedding is complete without a vibrant floral display. And, traditionally, a key part of those has been the floral foam - the bricks of green, spongy foam that provide a foundation for floral arrangements, as well as a water source. Katrina says finding an alternative to the non-biodegradable plastic material has become a big issue for the industry and many florists are looking to do it another way. The florist who created the displays for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding, Philippa Craddock, says she didn't use any floral foam for their big day. The number of couples requesting plastic-free weddings is on the rise, says Katrina, although it remains a small proportion. Another issue to consider for any bride - especially one who is having live TV coverage - is the hair and make-up. Kate Arnell, who blogged about her zero-waste wedding, in 2014, says she found it tricky to find plastic-free make-up and hair products. \"Now, there are a lot more available and I have since swapped to plastic-free alternatives,\" she says. Although whether Princess Eugenie will be opting for Lindsay's bicarbonate of soda and vinegar concoction on her hair is yet to be confirmed..."}], "question": "How difficult for Eugenie to achieve?", "id": "682_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Carlos Ghosn: Ex-Nissan chair faces two new charges", "date": "11 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Prosecutors in Japan have indicted former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn with two fresh charges involving financial crimes. Mr Ghosn, who has been detained since November, was charged with aggravated breach of trust and understating his income. He had already been indicted on a separate charge of underreporting his pay over five years. Mr Ghosn, whose detention has drawn some criticism, denies all wrongdoing. His lawyers said they would apply for bail, but experts say this request is very unlikely to be granted. The new charges will likely keep the 64-year-old in prison until his first trial, according to his lawyers. Mr Ghosn was first charged last year with underreporting his pay package for the five years to 2015. On Friday, a fresh charge claimed he understated his compensation for another three years. He was also indicted on a new, more serious charge of breach of trust. Mr Ghosn, the architect of the Renault-Nissan alliance, is accused of moving personal investment losses worth 1.85bn yen (PS13.4m; $17m) racked up on foreign exchange dealings to Nissan. Mr Ghosn is also accused of making $14.7m in payments to Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali, using Nissan funds in exchange for arranging a letter of credit to help with his investment losses. He was first detained on 19 November and rearrested twice in December. If found guilty of the financial misconduct charges, Mr Ghosn faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to 700m yen, according to Japanese regulators. Following his arrest, Nissan and Mitsubishi removed Mr Ghosn as chairman. Renault has kept him on as chair, saying it has not yet found any evidence of wrongdoing. On Thursday, the board of the French firm said an investigation into executive pay had so far shown no signs of fraud. \"The review process has examined the compensation of the current Groupe Renault Executive Committee members for the financial years 2017 and 2018 and has concluded that it is both in compliance with applicable laws and free from any fraud,\" it said in a statement. It said the review process \"will continue with respect to previous financial years\". - His hero status was such that his life was serialised in one of Japan's famous cartoon comic books - The Brazilian-born boss of Lebanese descent and a French citizen says his background left him with a feeling of being different, which helped him adapt to new cultures - In France he was known as Le Cost Killer, a comment on the deep cuts he made to revive Renault - He was once tipped as a potential president of Lebanon, a move he eventually dismissed because he already had \"too many jobs\" - In a 2011 poll of people the Japanese would like to run their country, Mr Ghosn came seventh, in front of Barack Obama (ninth)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 624, "answer_end": 1502, "text": "Mr Ghosn was first charged last year with underreporting his pay package for the five years to 2015. On Friday, a fresh charge claimed he understated his compensation for another three years. He was also indicted on a new, more serious charge of breach of trust. Mr Ghosn, the architect of the Renault-Nissan alliance, is accused of moving personal investment losses worth 1.85bn yen (PS13.4m; $17m) racked up on foreign exchange dealings to Nissan. Mr Ghosn is also accused of making $14.7m in payments to Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali, using Nissan funds in exchange for arranging a letter of credit to help with his investment losses. He was first detained on 19 November and rearrested twice in December. If found guilty of the financial misconduct charges, Mr Ghosn faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to 700m yen, according to Japanese regulators."}], "question": "What has he been charged with?", "id": "683_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Student cracks theologian's baffling religious code", "date": "28 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A divinity student from the University of St Andrews has cracked a religious code that has baffled academics for generations. Jonny Woods has worked out how to read shorthand notes left by leading Baptist theologian Andrew Fuller. Hundreds of pages of his sermon notes are held in archives, but until now they have been a mystery to academics. The third-year undergraduate was able to decipher the shorthand after an academic traced a longhand equivalent. Andrew Fuller, who was born in Cambridgeshire in 1754, became a Baptist minister, and is best known for founding the Baptist Missionary Society. Such was his international standing, he was offered honorary doctorates by both Yale and the College of New Jersey - now Princeton - although he turned them down. While he wrote a number of influential works before his death in 1815, his early sermons and other documents have survived only as shorthand notes. They remained inaccessible until  Dr Steve Holmes, head of the School of Divinity at St Andrews University found one headed in longhand \"Confessions of Faith, Oct. 7 1783\". He recognised this as the date of Fuller's induction into the pastorate of a church in Kettering and knew that he would have been required to give a confession of faith as part of that service. Dr Holmes then wondered if a copy of the confession printed in a biography might help him crack the code. After discovering that the two texts were the same, he recruited Jonny Woods through the university's undergraduate research assistant scheme to help. After just a few weeks the student from Coleraine, County Londonderry, was able to translate the shorthand, using the longhand version in the same way that the Rosetta Stone was used as a crib to unlock the secret of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Dr Holmes said: \"When Jonny told me he could read these documents it was an astonishing moment. \"Andrew Fuller stands as the figurehead, the 'patron saint' almost, of the church tradition of which I am a part. \"To be reading words of his that no-one had read since he preached them in 1782 - it's one of those moments you live for as an academic.\" Two sermons have already been translated, and Jonny is working on more of Fuller's early work. He said: \"It is such an honour to be the first person to read Andrew Fuller's sermons and to allow people to get an insight into this incredible man and the amazing stories he has to share. \"I'm excited to continue working on the vast collection of work that he has left to us, in the hope that we can understand more about his thinking and how this developed throughout his ministry.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 456, "answer_end": 1535, "text": "Andrew Fuller, who was born in Cambridgeshire in 1754, became a Baptist minister, and is best known for founding the Baptist Missionary Society. Such was his international standing, he was offered honorary doctorates by both Yale and the College of New Jersey - now Princeton - although he turned them down. While he wrote a number of influential works before his death in 1815, his early sermons and other documents have survived only as shorthand notes. They remained inaccessible until  Dr Steve Holmes, head of the School of Divinity at St Andrews University found one headed in longhand \"Confessions of Faith, Oct. 7 1783\". He recognised this as the date of Fuller's induction into the pastorate of a church in Kettering and knew that he would have been required to give a confession of faith as part of that service. Dr Holmes then wondered if a copy of the confession printed in a biography might help him crack the code. After discovering that the two texts were the same, he recruited Jonny Woods through the university's undergraduate research assistant scheme to help."}], "question": "Who was the theologian?", "id": "684_0"}]}]}, {"title": "MH17: Dutch-led team to pinpoint Buk missile launch site", "date": "28 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An international team of prosecutors investigating the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 will release its findings on Wednesday. All 298 people on board the Boeing 777 died when it broke apart in midair flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. An earlier inquiry by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that a Russian-made Buk missile hit the plane. Now a Dutch-led crime team will pinpoint where the missile was fired, but will stop short of naming suspects. Prosecutors from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine are also part of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT). Pro-Russian rebels have been blamed by Ukraine and the West for shooting down the plane on 17 July 2014. Ukrainian government forces were involved in heavy fighting with pro-Russian separatists at the time. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) report said in October 2015 that the missile was fired from a 320 sq km area south-east of where the plane came down and the head of the DSB said the area was under rebel control. Russia itself has denied any involvement, including allegations that the Buk missile launcher had come from Russian territory. But after the attack, the European Union and US extended sanctions on Russia that had been introduced after the Ukraine conflict began. Earlier this week, Russia produced radar images which, it argued, showed that the missile could not have come from rebel-held areas. Critics have pointed out that Russian officials have given three versions of events since the plane was shot down. A source in the prosecutors' office told the BBC they would pinpoint the launch site and identify the weapon. If they confirm what we already think we know, that a Buk missile was launched from inside territory controlled by the Russia-backed separatists, it will be difficult to deny their involvement. We understand the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is looking into a broad circle of suspects - at this stage they're unlikely to name names. This is a criminal investigation but the findings will undoubtedly have a political fallout. The extent of that will depend on the detail contained in this progress report. There is a question of motivation - why are the criminal investigators releasing this information now? One Dutch diplomat told the BBC there was a suggestion during a meeting of representatives from the JIT member states in New York that this would open the door to suspects fearing for their lives - offering a window of opportunity to hand themselves in. Many of the families are frustrated that, despite waiting two years, the investigators still can't tell them who did it. Hans de Borst, whose 17-year-old daughter Elsemiek was on board, says he's \"not expecting miracles\". Barry Sweeney, who lost his 28-year-old son Liam, told the BBC all he wants to know is, \"Why?\". In the two years since MH17 was shot down, Russian officials have presented several theories about what happened. 21 July 2014: Four days after the tragedy, Russia's defence ministry presented satellite photos and other images suggesting it was downed by a Ukrainian surface-to-air Buk missile or a Ukrainian military jet June 2015: Russia's Investigations Committee named a \"key witness\" - a Ukrainian \"aircraft ordnance technician\" - who claimed that the Boeing was downed by a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter October 2015: Buk missile producer Almaz-Antey said that the plane was indeed downed by a Buk, but an old one - which Russia no longer had in its arsenal September 2016: Russia's defence ministry released what it said were radar data suggesting MH17 was shot down by a missile, but not one fired by Russian-backed rebels Russia's changing version of events", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 583, "answer_end": 1509, "text": "Pro-Russian rebels have been blamed by Ukraine and the West for shooting down the plane on 17 July 2014. Ukrainian government forces were involved in heavy fighting with pro-Russian separatists at the time. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) report said in October 2015 that the missile was fired from a 320 sq km area south-east of where the plane came down and the head of the DSB said the area was under rebel control. Russia itself has denied any involvement, including allegations that the Buk missile launcher had come from Russian territory. But after the attack, the European Union and US extended sanctions on Russia that had been introduced after the Ukraine conflict began. Earlier this week, Russia produced radar images which, it argued, showed that the missile could not have come from rebel-held areas. Critics have pointed out that Russian officials have given three versions of events since the plane was shot down."}], "question": "Who was to blame?", "id": "685_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Etika: Body found in search is missing YouTuber", "date": "25 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police investigating the disappearance of YouTuber Etika have confirmed that they have found his body. The gamer, 29, whose real name is Desmond Amofah, was reported missing six days ago. His belongings were found on Manhattan Bridge on Monday. He had uploaded an eight-minute YouTube video in which he talked about suicide. Etika was popular for playing and discussing Nintendo games on YouTube and the streaming platform Twitch. His Twitch account has been deleted but other social media platforms, including Twitter and Instagram, remain visible. He has 321,000 followers on Twitter and 252,000 on Instagram. Etika joined YouTube in 2012. He was best known for his reaction videos, where he responded to new releases and products, mainly from games giant Nintendo. The 29-year-old had worried his followers with his behaviour on social media in the past, with the police called to his home following a suicide threat. Uploaded at midnight on the evening of the 19 June (19:00 BST), his latest YouTube video, titled I'm sorry, featured Etika walking the streets of New York. In the film, he apologised for pushing people away and confirmed he suffered from mental illness. He also talked about social media, advising \"caution\" around using it too much. \"It can give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of proportion,\" he says. \"It consumed me.\" The original video was removed but copies have been uploaded by other YouTube users. Etika's friends and fans - including other YouTubers - have been paying tribute to him on social media. Keem described him as \"a great entertainer\". \"One of the best streamers in the game. He lost a channel of over 800,000 [subscribers] and made a new one and was right back pulling thousands of viewers. Wherever he's laid to rest I'll be there,\" he wrote. Cbass re-tweeted the police's confirmation of Etika's death and added: \"mental illness is not a joke\". \"Sad to know a bright light faded today,\" wrote professional gamer Zinoto. If you've been affected by a mental health issue, help and support is available. Visit BBC Action Line for more information about support services.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 612, "answer_end": 1470, "text": "Etika joined YouTube in 2012. He was best known for his reaction videos, where he responded to new releases and products, mainly from games giant Nintendo. The 29-year-old had worried his followers with his behaviour on social media in the past, with the police called to his home following a suicide threat. Uploaded at midnight on the evening of the 19 June (19:00 BST), his latest YouTube video, titled I'm sorry, featured Etika walking the streets of New York. In the film, he apologised for pushing people away and confirmed he suffered from mental illness. He also talked about social media, advising \"caution\" around using it too much. \"It can give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of proportion,\" he says. \"It consumed me.\" The original video was removed but copies have been uploaded by other YouTube users."}], "question": "Who was Etika?", "id": "686_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Swimmer Ryan Lochte says sorry to Brazilians over robbery claim", "date": "21 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US swimmer Ryan Lochte has apologised to the people of Brazil after \"over-exaggerating\" claims he was robbed at gunpoint while at the Rio Olympics. Mr Lochte had claimed that he and a group of three other US swimmers had been robbed at a petrol station. But CCTV footage contradicted that story, showing the men had vandalised the petrol station. Mr Lochte told Globo TV, Brazil's largest broadcaster, that he had not lied over what happened. \"I wasn't lying to a certain extent,\" he said. \"I over-exaggerated what was happening to me.\" He added that he was sorry, saying: \"Brazil doesn't deserve that.\" The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set up a disciplinary commission to investigate the incident and the four athletes' behaviour. US cringes at Ryan Lochte 'bro' antics Five times Lochte made a splash News of the alleged robbery emerged through Mr Lochte's mother last Sunday. Mr Lochte then gave an account of the events, saying he and the other swimmers were returning by taxi from a club in the early hours of the morning when they were robbed at gunpoint by men who forced the vehicle to pull over. However, police said a day later that there were inconsistencies in the men's accounts. On Wednesday, two of the men, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, were taken off a US-bound plane at Rio de Janeiro airport and questioned by police. Both were eventually allowed to leave the country. Another swimmer, Jimmy Feigen agreed to pay $11,000 to a Brazilian charity after the incident. On Friday, Mr Conger said in a statement that Mr Lochte had pulled a metal advertisement in a frame to the ground, but Mr Conger said he was \"unsure why\". He also said Mr Lochte began yelling at guards for an unknown reason. The men then agreed to pay the guards for the damage. Rio de Janeiro's mayor Eduardo Paes had told media he felt nothing but \"shame and contempt\" towards the men for their portrayal of what happened. In a separate interview with the US network NBC, part of which also aired on Saturday night, Mr Lochte said he felt \"hurt\" watching footage of his team-mates being taken off their plane. Mr Lochte had already returned to the United States from Brazil. \"I mean, I let my team down and you know, I don't want them to think I left them out to dry,\" he said. However, he maintained the men were threatened and made to pay. \"Whether you call it a robbery or whether you call it extortion or us just paying for the damages, we don't know. All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money.\" Lochte is one of the most successful swimmers in history, with 12 Olympic medals, and he once had his own reality television show in the US. In Rio, he swam in two events, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay along with Conger. Feigen won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Bentz competed in the 4x200m preliminaries, but not the final. He still received a gold medal after the US team's win.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2552, "answer_end": 2951, "text": "Lochte is one of the most successful swimmers in history, with 12 Olympic medals, and he once had his own reality television show in the US. In Rio, he swam in two events, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay along with Conger. Feigen won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Bentz competed in the 4x200m preliminaries, but not the final. He still received a gold medal after the US team's win."}], "question": "Who are the swimmers?", "id": "687_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Antarctic iceberg: Giant 'white wanderer' poised to break free", "date": "5 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Everybody is fascinated by icebergs. The idea that you can have blocks of frozen water the size of cities, and bigger, sparks our sense of wonder. British astronaut Tim Peake photographed one from orbit that would just about fit inside Central London's ring road. But at 26km by 13km (16 miles by 8 miles), it was a tiddler compared with the berg that is about to break away from the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. A rift has grown across the edge of the Larsen C Ice Shelf. A thin, 5km-long section of the floating shelf is now all that prevents a 6,000-sq-km berg from drifting away into the Weddell Sea. Think about the size for a moment. That's more than a quarter the area of Wales. Keen to gather some more statistics, scientists have used the Cryosat spacecraft to run the rule over the putative iceberg. As we all know, blocks of ice sit mostly under the water, and the European Space Agency (Esa) satellite has a special radar altimeter that is able to figure out by how much. From orbit, Cryosat senses the height of the ice sticking above the surface - the so-called freeboard. It's then a relatively simple calculation to work out the draft - the hidden part below water. \"Cryosat has these two radar antennas that allow us to get an extensive swath across the berg and enable us to build an elevation model,\" Dr Noel Gourmelen from the University of Edinburgh told BBC News. From this, the average thickness of the would-be berg is calculated to be about 190m, but there are places where the draft is around 210m. It means the ice above the water surface stands roughly 30m high. Dr Gourmelen says there is an estimated 1,155 cubic km of ice in the block. This is all very useful information because it tells scientists a lot about where and how fast the Larsen object might move once it becomes free. And those are critical details if the berg were to reach shipping lanes to become a navigation hazard. Bergs get pushed by winds and currents, of course, but a couple of other factors also come in to play simply because of the Larsen object's sheer bulk. Remarkably, one is a gravitational effect. Winds drive sea-level higher near Antarctica's coasts compared with the centre of the ocean - by something like half a metre. The Larsen berg will actually slide down this slope under its own weight, but it will not move in a straight line. Instead, it will veer left as a result of the Coriolis force that stems from the Earth's rotation. This movement could be interrupted, though, if the berg's keel then gets snagged on the ocean bottom. The waters close to Antarctica are shallow and there's a good chance the berg will dig in, gouging a huge trough in the seafloor as it then turns round. It's called \"kedging\" - a term used by sailors, coined from the use of the kedge anchor to manipulate the course of a vessel, explains Dr Mark Drinkwater, one of Esa's senior Earth observation scientists. \"The icebergs often shoal and pivot or spin around their grounding point, resulting in stop and go motion or a change in direction. So, the iceberg from Larsen C could take some time before it escapes the shallow [waters] of the western Weddell Sea.\" Dr Anna Hogg from Leeds University added: \"That said, it's not impossible it could simply become stuck on some high-rise topography on the ocean floor. We've seen that before where an iceberg becomes a semi-permanent ice island in the Weddell Sea.\" The expectation, however, is that the berg will bump and grind its way northward in near-coast currents, along the Peninsula. Past history suggests it will eventually be exported on one of four major iceberg \"highways\" that lead beyond Antarctica. In this instance, the route is one that sends the berg into the circumpolar current and on to an eastward arc towards the South Atlantic. The penguins and seals on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia may well get to see it, or its fragments, as it passes by in a few years' time. And I mean years. Prof Helen Fricker, from California's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, says she was tracking two large objects in 1993, a full seven years after their 95km-by-95km parent berg calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf. What's nice about Tim's berg is that he managed to capture it on a normal SLR optical camera. That's unusual because Antarctica is very often covered in cloud, and it doesn't matter how big a lens you have - the ocean surface will be obscured. It's why radar satellites are so important. The wavelengths they work at pierce cloud and winter darkness. Indeed, the only reason we know this new Larsen berg is about to calve is because Europe's Sentinel-1 radar satellites take a detailed look at the shelf's behaviour every six days. \"What the current Larsen situation has highlighted is that we're now able to monitor the situation with a frequency we've never had before,\" says Dr Hogg. \"We can get pictures from the two Sentinel-1 satellites in about half an hour of them being acquired. The satellites we have now are revolutionising our study of the polar regions,\" she told BBC News. - Icebergs are blocks of ice that cover at least 500 sq m - Any smaller and they are called \"growlers\" or \"bergy bits\" - The US National Ice Center runs the naming system for bergs - It divides Antarctica into quadrants - A, B, C and D - Larsen icebergs get an \"A\" designation when they calve - They also get the next number in the sequence of sightings Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1194, "answer_end": 5084, "text": "\"Cryosat has these two radar antennas that allow us to get an extensive swath across the berg and enable us to build an elevation model,\" Dr Noel Gourmelen from the University of Edinburgh told BBC News. From this, the average thickness of the would-be berg is calculated to be about 190m, but there are places where the draft is around 210m. It means the ice above the water surface stands roughly 30m high. Dr Gourmelen says there is an estimated 1,155 cubic km of ice in the block. This is all very useful information because it tells scientists a lot about where and how fast the Larsen object might move once it becomes free. And those are critical details if the berg were to reach shipping lanes to become a navigation hazard. Bergs get pushed by winds and currents, of course, but a couple of other factors also come in to play simply because of the Larsen object's sheer bulk. Remarkably, one is a gravitational effect. Winds drive sea-level higher near Antarctica's coasts compared with the centre of the ocean - by something like half a metre. The Larsen berg will actually slide down this slope under its own weight, but it will not move in a straight line. Instead, it will veer left as a result of the Coriolis force that stems from the Earth's rotation. This movement could be interrupted, though, if the berg's keel then gets snagged on the ocean bottom. The waters close to Antarctica are shallow and there's a good chance the berg will dig in, gouging a huge trough in the seafloor as it then turns round. It's called \"kedging\" - a term used by sailors, coined from the use of the kedge anchor to manipulate the course of a vessel, explains Dr Mark Drinkwater, one of Esa's senior Earth observation scientists. \"The icebergs often shoal and pivot or spin around their grounding point, resulting in stop and go motion or a change in direction. So, the iceberg from Larsen C could take some time before it escapes the shallow [waters] of the western Weddell Sea.\" Dr Anna Hogg from Leeds University added: \"That said, it's not impossible it could simply become stuck on some high-rise topography on the ocean floor. We've seen that before where an iceberg becomes a semi-permanent ice island in the Weddell Sea.\" The expectation, however, is that the berg will bump and grind its way northward in near-coast currents, along the Peninsula. Past history suggests it will eventually be exported on one of four major iceberg \"highways\" that lead beyond Antarctica. In this instance, the route is one that sends the berg into the circumpolar current and on to an eastward arc towards the South Atlantic. The penguins and seals on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia may well get to see it, or its fragments, as it passes by in a few years' time. And I mean years. Prof Helen Fricker, from California's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, says she was tracking two large objects in 1993, a full seven years after their 95km-by-95km parent berg calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf. What's nice about Tim's berg is that he managed to capture it on a normal SLR optical camera. That's unusual because Antarctica is very often covered in cloud, and it doesn't matter how big a lens you have - the ocean surface will be obscured. It's why radar satellites are so important. The wavelengths they work at pierce cloud and winter darkness. Indeed, the only reason we know this new Larsen berg is about to calve is because Europe's Sentinel-1 radar satellites take a detailed look at the shelf's behaviour every six days. \"What the current Larsen situation has highlighted is that we're now able to monitor the situation with a frequency we've never had before,\" says Dr Hogg. \"We can get pictures from the two Sentinel-1 satellites in about half an hour of them being acquired. The satellites we have now are revolutionising our study of the polar regions,\" she told BBC News."}], "question": "How big is the iceberg?", "id": "688_0"}]}]}, {"title": "China retaliates after Turkey's claims about Abdurehim Heyit", "date": "11 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has railed at Turkish claims it is mistreating its Uighur minority, after a dispute about the fate of a prominent musician. Turkey cited reports Abdurehim Heyit had died in a detention camp, and called China's treatment of the Uighurs a \"great embarrassment for humanity\". China then released a video allegedly showing Mr Heyit alive. The Uighurs are a Muslim minority in north-western China who speak a language closely related to Turkish. They have come under intense surveillance by the authorities and up to a million Uighurs are reportedly being detained. A significant number of Uighurs have fled to Turkey from China in recent years. China has asked Turkey to revoke its \"false\" claims. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said the musician was \"very healthy\". \"We hope the relevant Turkish persons can distinguish between right and wrong and correct their mistakes,\" spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters. The video was released by China Radio International's Turkish-language service, which said Turkey's criticism of China was unfounded. Dated 10 February, the video features a man said to be Mr Heyit stating that he is in \"good health\". The musician appears to say he is \"in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating national laws\". He gives the date of the video and says he has \"never been abused\". The man is wearing civilian clothes, and is speaking the Uighur language. Turkey foreign ministry had said that detained Uighurs were being subjected to \"torture\" in \"concentration camps\". Foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the reports of Mr Heyit's death \"further strengthened the Turkish public's reaction to the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang\". China has described the comments as \"completely unacceptable\". Meanwhile Nury Turkel - chairman of the US-based Uyghur Human Rights Project - told the BBC that some aspects of the video were \"suspicious\". Mr Turkel says China has the technology to doctor the footage and said it was \"their responsibility to prove the video is authentic\". So far, few Muslim-majority countries have joined in public international condemnation of the allegations. Analysts say many fear political and economic retaliation from China. By John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing Critics have long seen Turkey's silence over the plight of China's Uighurs as a strategic blunder, undermining President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's lofty claim to moral leadership of the Muslim world. But belatedly basing its condemnation of China's system of internment camps on a wrongful claim of a death in custody might be seen as an even bigger blunder. That is certainly the view of China's foreign ministry. \"The video clip has provided very good evidence for the truth,\" the ministry's spokeswoman said. In reality, it's impossible to verify anything about the status of Abdurehim Heyit. Before the claims of the musician's death, and China's quick rebuttal, there had been no official word about his detention at all. Like hundreds of thousands of Uighurs, he had simply disappeared into a legal black hole. And the video bears all the hallmarks of the forced, televised confessions regularly produced by the combined efforts of China's Communist Party-controlled courts, police investigators and state-run media. China has been quick to claim that the reports of Mr Heyit's death prove that much of the criticism of the situation in Xinjiang is based on falsehoods. But critics will continue to argue that the confusion - stemming from the lack of any independent scrutiny - shows precisely why there's such growing concern, even, finally, in Turkey. Heyit was a celebrated player of the dutar, a two-stringed instrument that is notoriously hard to master. At one time, he was venerated across China. He studied music in Beijing and later performed with national arts troupes. Mr Heyit's detention reportedly stemmed from a song he had performed, titled Fathers. It takes its lyrics from a Uighur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of those before them. But three words in the lyrics - \"martyrs of war\" - apparently led Chinese authorities to conclude that Mr Heyit presented a terrorist threat. The Uighurs make up about 45% of the population in Xinjiang. They see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. In recent decades, large numbers of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) have migrated to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 925, "answer_end": 1413, "text": "The video was released by China Radio International's Turkish-language service, which said Turkey's criticism of China was unfounded. Dated 10 February, the video features a man said to be Mr Heyit stating that he is in \"good health\". The musician appears to say he is \"in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating national laws\". He gives the date of the video and says he has \"never been abused\". The man is wearing civilian clothes, and is speaking the Uighur language."}], "question": "What is in the video?", "id": "689_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1414, "answer_end": 2224, "text": "Turkey foreign ministry had said that detained Uighurs were being subjected to \"torture\" in \"concentration camps\". Foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the reports of Mr Heyit's death \"further strengthened the Turkish public's reaction to the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang\". China has described the comments as \"completely unacceptable\". Meanwhile Nury Turkel - chairman of the US-based Uyghur Human Rights Project - told the BBC that some aspects of the video were \"suspicious\". Mr Turkel says China has the technology to doctor the footage and said it was \"their responsibility to prove the video is authentic\". So far, few Muslim-majority countries have joined in public international condemnation of the allegations. Analysts say many fear political and economic retaliation from China."}], "question": "What did Turkey say?", "id": "689_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2225, "answer_end": 3618, "text": "By John Sudworth, BBC News, Beijing Critics have long seen Turkey's silence over the plight of China's Uighurs as a strategic blunder, undermining President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's lofty claim to moral leadership of the Muslim world. But belatedly basing its condemnation of China's system of internment camps on a wrongful claim of a death in custody might be seen as an even bigger blunder. That is certainly the view of China's foreign ministry. \"The video clip has provided very good evidence for the truth,\" the ministry's spokeswoman said. In reality, it's impossible to verify anything about the status of Abdurehim Heyit. Before the claims of the musician's death, and China's quick rebuttal, there had been no official word about his detention at all. Like hundreds of thousands of Uighurs, he had simply disappeared into a legal black hole. And the video bears all the hallmarks of the forced, televised confessions regularly produced by the combined efforts of China's Communist Party-controlled courts, police investigators and state-run media. China has been quick to claim that the reports of Mr Heyit's death prove that much of the criticism of the situation in Xinjiang is based on falsehoods. But critics will continue to argue that the confusion - stemming from the lack of any independent scrutiny - shows precisely why there's such growing concern, even, finally, in Turkey."}], "question": "Turkey's strategic blunder?", "id": "689_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3619, "answer_end": 4190, "text": "Heyit was a celebrated player of the dutar, a two-stringed instrument that is notoriously hard to master. At one time, he was venerated across China. He studied music in Beijing and later performed with national arts troupes. Mr Heyit's detention reportedly stemmed from a song he had performed, titled Fathers. It takes its lyrics from a Uighur poem calling on younger generations to respect the sacrifices of those before them. But three words in the lyrics - \"martyrs of war\" - apparently led Chinese authorities to conclude that Mr Heyit presented a terrorist threat."}], "question": "What do we know about Heyit's fate?", "id": "689_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4191, "answer_end": 4599, "text": "The Uighurs make up about 45% of the population in Xinjiang. They see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. In recent decades, large numbers of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) have migrated to Xinjiang, and the Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. Xinjiang is officially designated as an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south."}], "question": "Who are the Uighurs?", "id": "689_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Supreme Court: Second day of legal prorogation battle ends", "date": "18 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The legal battle over the suspension of Parliament has finished for a second day at the Supreme Court. The government's lawyer, Sir James Eadie QC, said it was not for the courts to \"design a set of rules\" over prorogation as it was a political matter. But Aidan O'Neill QC, on behalf of campaigners against the move, said it was used \"for an improper purpose\". Boris Johnson prorogued Parliament earlier this month for five weeks. The prime minister said it would allow him to hold a Queen's Speech on 14 October to outline his new policies for the coming year. But critics say his intention was to silence MPs and stop them scrutinising his plans in the run-up to the Brexit deadline on 31 October. There are two appeals being heard by the Supreme Court over three days. The first is an appeal led by businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller against the English High Court's decision to throw out a challenge to prorogation. The second is an appeal by the government against a separate ruling by Edinburgh's Court of Session that prorogation was unlawful. A senior government source told the BBC's political editor No 10 believed the Supreme Court would judge that prorogation was a matter for the courts and would \"fire warning shots about how a government should not use this to close Parliament illegitimately\". However, Laura Kuenssberg said according to the source, No 10 did not believe the court would unravel their plan for a Queen's Speech next month. Campaigners against the suspension, led by Ms Miller, launched a legal challenge in the English High Court earlier this month, claiming the move was \"an unlawful abuse of power\". But it was rejected by the judges, who said Mr Johnson's decision was \"purely political\" and therefore \"not a matter\" for the judiciary. However, they granted Ms Miller and her team an appeal at the Supreme Court. A group of cross-party MPs, including the SNP's Joanna Cherry, had also launched a similar case in Edinburgh's Court of Session earlier this year, and the outcome, when it came, was very different. Last week, judges there unanimously ruled the decision to prorogue Parliament was \"unlawful\" and used for the \"improper purpose of stymieing Parliament\". But the government was also granted an appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court. Both appeals are being heard over three days by the Supreme Court's 11 judges, with Tuesday focused on those appealing against the original judgements - Ms Miller and her team, and the government. Wednesday focused on the two sides that had won their arguments in the lower courts. In the morning, the government's representative, Sir James Eadie QC, argued in favour of the English court decision. He said prorogation was \"a well-established constitutional function exercised by the executive\" and decisions about it were \"squarely... within that political or high policy area\". Sir James also argued Parliament had previously passed laws addressing aspects of prorogation, but there was no law relevant to this particular case - meaning the courts could not intervene. Asked about the need to uphold parliamentary sovereignty, Sir James said it was \"a precious principle\", but urged caution before \"that phrase is too widely or generally bandied about\". One of the judges, Lady Black, asked how could Parliament apply a check on government once it is \"removed from the picture\" due to prorogation. But Sir James said it always and inevitably had the effect of limiting debate in Parliament, and MPs could resume their scrutiny once the suspension was over. It was not appropriate for the courts to \"design a set of rules\" about how long a suspension should last, he said. The BBC's home affairs correspondent, Dominic Casciani, said a key issue was the scope of parliamentary sovereignty. Lord Wilson also asked Sir James why no witness statement had been provided by a minister to explain why the prorogation decision was taken. Sir James told the court he would present a written statement setting out what the government would do if it lost the case. On Tuesday, Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Keen QC, on behalf of the government, assured the court the prime minister would take \"all necessary steps\" to comply in that event, but would not comment on whether Mr Johnson might subsequently try to prorogue Parliament again. The afternoon session saw Aidan O'Neill QC arguing in favour of the Scottish court ruling against prorogation. He said the decision had been carried out \"in bad faith\", and \"for an improper purpose\". He suggested the government should engage \"solely in high politics rather than low, dishonest, dirty tricks\", but \"given the attitude that has been taken by its advisers and the prime minister to the notion of the rule of law\" that could not be assumed. Mr O'Neill said one of the advantages of the ruling from Edinburgh was it had \"distance\", adding: \"A view of what all of this heated debate [and] political machinations looks like 400 miles away, far from the fever and excitement of the nation's capital, [and] outside the Westminster bubble.\" He said he was not calling for the court to \"decide a whole new set of rules for how prorogation can be used\", but argued it was \"most certainly for the province of the courts\" to determine whether the move followed constitutional principles. He added: \"In the present case, it appears the prime minister's action... has had the intent and effect of preventing Parliament... from holding the government politically to account at a time when the government is taking decisions that will have constitutional and irreversible impact on our country. \"That cannot be a lawful use of the power of prorogation.\" He added: \"We cannot have a situation in which there are no standards, in which prorogation can be used with impunity.\" It is not yet known when the judges will deliver their verdict - it could be as early as Thursday afternoon. Our home affairs correspondent said the feeling was the wait would not be long given the importance of the issue.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1463, "answer_end": 2491, "text": "Campaigners against the suspension, led by Ms Miller, launched a legal challenge in the English High Court earlier this month, claiming the move was \"an unlawful abuse of power\". But it was rejected by the judges, who said Mr Johnson's decision was \"purely political\" and therefore \"not a matter\" for the judiciary. However, they granted Ms Miller and her team an appeal at the Supreme Court. A group of cross-party MPs, including the SNP's Joanna Cherry, had also launched a similar case in Edinburgh's Court of Session earlier this year, and the outcome, when it came, was very different. Last week, judges there unanimously ruled the decision to prorogue Parliament was \"unlawful\" and used for the \"improper purpose of stymieing Parliament\". But the government was also granted an appeal against the ruling in the Supreme Court. Both appeals are being heard over three days by the Supreme Court's 11 judges, with Tuesday focused on those appealing against the original judgements - Ms Miller and her team, and the government."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "690_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2492, "answer_end": 6024, "text": "Wednesday focused on the two sides that had won their arguments in the lower courts. In the morning, the government's representative, Sir James Eadie QC, argued in favour of the English court decision. He said prorogation was \"a well-established constitutional function exercised by the executive\" and decisions about it were \"squarely... within that political or high policy area\". Sir James also argued Parliament had previously passed laws addressing aspects of prorogation, but there was no law relevant to this particular case - meaning the courts could not intervene. Asked about the need to uphold parliamentary sovereignty, Sir James said it was \"a precious principle\", but urged caution before \"that phrase is too widely or generally bandied about\". One of the judges, Lady Black, asked how could Parliament apply a check on government once it is \"removed from the picture\" due to prorogation. But Sir James said it always and inevitably had the effect of limiting debate in Parliament, and MPs could resume their scrutiny once the suspension was over. It was not appropriate for the courts to \"design a set of rules\" about how long a suspension should last, he said. The BBC's home affairs correspondent, Dominic Casciani, said a key issue was the scope of parliamentary sovereignty. Lord Wilson also asked Sir James why no witness statement had been provided by a minister to explain why the prorogation decision was taken. Sir James told the court he would present a written statement setting out what the government would do if it lost the case. On Tuesday, Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Keen QC, on behalf of the government, assured the court the prime minister would take \"all necessary steps\" to comply in that event, but would not comment on whether Mr Johnson might subsequently try to prorogue Parliament again. The afternoon session saw Aidan O'Neill QC arguing in favour of the Scottish court ruling against prorogation. He said the decision had been carried out \"in bad faith\", and \"for an improper purpose\". He suggested the government should engage \"solely in high politics rather than low, dishonest, dirty tricks\", but \"given the attitude that has been taken by its advisers and the prime minister to the notion of the rule of law\" that could not be assumed. Mr O'Neill said one of the advantages of the ruling from Edinburgh was it had \"distance\", adding: \"A view of what all of this heated debate [and] political machinations looks like 400 miles away, far from the fever and excitement of the nation's capital, [and] outside the Westminster bubble.\" He said he was not calling for the court to \"decide a whole new set of rules for how prorogation can be used\", but argued it was \"most certainly for the province of the courts\" to determine whether the move followed constitutional principles. He added: \"In the present case, it appears the prime minister's action... has had the intent and effect of preventing Parliament... from holding the government politically to account at a time when the government is taking decisions that will have constitutional and irreversible impact on our country. \"That cannot be a lawful use of the power of prorogation.\" He added: \"We cannot have a situation in which there are no standards, in which prorogation can be used with impunity.\" It is not yet known when the judges will deliver their verdict - it could be as early as Thursday afternoon. Our home affairs correspondent said the feeling was the wait would not be long given the importance of the issue."}], "question": "What happened on Wednesday?", "id": "690_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Fast & Furious is going from screen to stage", "date": "19 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Your average Friday night probably doesn't involve high-speed car chases, a submarine explosion and a fuel tanker catching on fire. We hope not, anyway. But that's exactly what fans of Fast & Furious are expecting when the first ever live incarnation of the franchise premieres in London later. The live show is an extension of the film series - but rather than being a recreation or continuation of the timeline of the films, it takes on a whole new narrative. \"We have new characters that you meet at the beginning, and they have their own new storyline,\" explains creative director and executive producer Rowland French. \"So we've been able to dig into the world of Fast & Furious, and it's a journey that takes you through all of these massive moments from different parts of the movie.\" The show recreates some of the most daring stunts from across the eight films, which have taken more than $5bn (PS3.6bn) at the global box office since 2001. French, a former producer at the BBC, says he got the idea for a live version of Fast & Furious while working on Top Gear Live. \"I wrote Fast & Furious Live, storyboarded it, and took it to the US, and pitched it to the licensing team, and they asked me to pitch it to their bosses, and it just kind of rolled from there,\" he explains. \"Then I found myself in front of the board of Universal Pictures, so it wasn't something they were necessarily looking for, I just believed it would be an amazing show.\" Film critic Rhianna Dhillon told BBC News the success of the Fast & Furious franchise is down to its \"universal appeal\". \"They're films people of all ages can enjoy, because they have that pure, unadulterated escapism about them, children and adults alike are quite happy to watch things get blown up and smashed up,\" she said. \"A lot of what drags movies like The Avengers down is the plot, and Fast & Furious isn't trying to compete with those heavy, convoluted storylines. This is just cars smashing into each other and it's okay to enjoy that. \"This franchise isn't trying to be anything it's not. Ultimately, from the bottom up, it doesn't take itself too seriously.\" - Read more: Why is the Fast & Furious franchise so popular? Because it's taken four years to pull together, the production of the live show quite literally couldn't keep up with the movies. French remembers: \"[The producers] flew me over to America and said 'Look, we're going to show you a really early cut of Furious 7 because we want you to put it in the show. \"Then I came back to London, wrote a scene for 7. And then just because of the way the process works, the show still hadn't been built when the eighth film came out.\" He was soon back on a plane to the US and shown a cut of The Fate of the Furious - and a certain scene involving a submarine caught his attention. \"I said, 'You've got a submarine in the final act that breaks through the ice and smashes through cars, we've got to do that',\" he laughs. It sounds like just the kind of show a health and safety department might be a bit anxious about. But, French says: \"The great thing is the majority of the team are all ex-Top Gear Live. They have such a wealth of experience. And that was a hugely safe show but also had a lot of danger in it. \"So we've become very good over the years at making something look incredibly dangerous and giving the audience that shot of adrenaline, but it's all safe.\" Arguably, one risk of bringing a huge brand from the screen to the stage is that fans end up disappointed that the stunts in real life don't look as daring as they do on film. But, French says the lack of CGI and special effects means that the real thing is actually more exhilarating. \"I spent seven years on the side of the race track in the pouring rain watching cars go past me when I was working on Top Gear,\" he says. \"Seeing things happen live, especially with cars, there's something visceral when you can actually feel and see a car. He adds: \"My pitch [to Universal] was you'll never really connect with the fans until you show them it in real life. \"The stunts are absolutely on the edge of what's possible within an arena show. And some of these stunts will be the first time they've ever been done. \"For example, the fuel tanker in Fast & Furious 4 is a CGI fuel tanker, but ours isn't, ours is real, and our driver really drives underneath it.\" If the tour is well received by fans, it could give the brand a new lease of life once the 10th and apparently final film is released in 2021. \"As a fan, I hope the Fast & Furious films go on forever,\" French says. \"But Fast & Furious live will have its own separate life span, it's like the greatest hits album, so hopefully it will always be relevant in its own way.\" Fast & Furious Live premieres at the O2 on Friday evening before touring Europe. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1456, "answer_end": 2189, "text": "Film critic Rhianna Dhillon told BBC News the success of the Fast & Furious franchise is down to its \"universal appeal\". \"They're films people of all ages can enjoy, because they have that pure, unadulterated escapism about them, children and adults alike are quite happy to watch things get blown up and smashed up,\" she said. \"A lot of what drags movies like The Avengers down is the plot, and Fast & Furious isn't trying to compete with those heavy, convoluted storylines. This is just cars smashing into each other and it's okay to enjoy that. \"This franchise isn't trying to be anything it's not. Ultimately, from the bottom up, it doesn't take itself too seriously.\" - Read more: Why is the Fast & Furious franchise so popular?"}], "question": "Why is Fast & Furious so popular?", "id": "691_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia hackers: German spy chief Kahl warns of election disruption", "date": "29 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Germany's foreign intelligence chief has warned that Russia could seek to disrupt next year's German elections with cyber attacks. Bruno Kahl said his agency was aware of cyber attacks with no other purpose than \"causing political uncertainty\". \"Europe is in the focus of this attempted disruption, and Germany in particular,\" he told Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Russia or groups linked to Russia have been regularly accused of such attacks. Campaigning has yet to start for federal elections in autumn 2017 but Angela Merkel announced last week she would be seeking a fourth term as chancellor. She told reporters that hacking attacks were now becoming commonplace and people should not allow themselves to be annoyed by them. - 'Smart' home devices used as weapons She was speaking after a cyber attack on Sunday left 900,000 Deutsche Telekom customers with their broadband service cut off. The German government has not yet blamed any group for the hack but says \"it's hard to tell the difference between criminal activities from a particular state and state activities\". \"Such cyber attacks, or hybrid conflicts as they are known in Russian doctrine, are now part of daily life and we must learn to cope with them,\" Mrs Merkel said. The hackers used malware to target Taiwanese-made Speedport routers and German officials say the attack could have been far worse if the routers had not crashed. \"We were lucky this time - the attack didn't work properly,\" said Arne Schoenbohm of Germany's federal office for information security. If they had succeeded, the infected routers could have formed a network known as a \"botnet\" for attacks on websites known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS). Earlier this year, Germany's domestic intelligence agency accused Russia of being behind a series of cyber attacks on German state computer systems, including targeting the lower house of parliament last year. A group known as Fancy Bear, which is thought to be linked to the Russian state, has been blamed for the attacks. It is also believed to have targeted Mrs Merkel's ruling Christian Democratic Union party. In October, the US formally accused Russia of trying to interfere with its presidential elections by attacking political organisations. The Kremlin has consistently denied such allegations. On Tuesday, Mr Kahl said of Washington's assessment: \"Attributing to a state actor is technically difficult. But there is some evidence that this is at least tolerated or desired by the state,.\" Mr Kahl has been in his post for nearly five months and has rarely spoken in public in that time.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1692, "answer_end": 2589, "text": "Earlier this year, Germany's domestic intelligence agency accused Russia of being behind a series of cyber attacks on German state computer systems, including targeting the lower house of parliament last year. A group known as Fancy Bear, which is thought to be linked to the Russian state, has been blamed for the attacks. It is also believed to have targeted Mrs Merkel's ruling Christian Democratic Union party. In October, the US formally accused Russia of trying to interfere with its presidential elections by attacking political organisations. The Kremlin has consistently denied such allegations. On Tuesday, Mr Kahl said of Washington's assessment: \"Attributing to a state actor is technically difficult. But there is some evidence that this is at least tolerated or desired by the state,.\" Mr Kahl has been in his post for nearly five months and has rarely spoken in public in that time."}], "question": "Why is Russia suspected?", "id": "692_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Turkey warns of fresh anti-Kurd offensive in north", "date": "12 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkey will launch a new operation against US-backed Kurdish militias in northern Syria \"in the next few days\", President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. The move, which he said would focus on territory to the east of the Euphrates river, risks confrontation with the US. America's support for the Kurdish YPG forces has strained relations with Turkey, which considers the YPG to be part of a terrorist group. Turkey has launched two offensives against the Kurds in Syria since 2016. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) currently controls large swathes of the north-east of Syria on Turkey's southern border. \"We will start the operation to clear the east of the Euphrates from separatist terrorists in a few days,\" Mr Erdogan said on a televised speech on Wednesday, referring to territory held by the YPG. He did not specify which areas would be targeted, but it would be the first time Turkish troops have moved east of the river. \"Our target is never US soldiers,\" he added. There are some 2,000 US troops currently in Syria, many of them stationed in the north. Turkey considers the YPG an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in south-eastern Turkey for three decades. Mr Erdogan wants to prevent the Kurds from consolidating their hold on Syrian territory and forming an autonomous region on the border. US soldiers have been working closely with Kurdish forces who form part of an alliance - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group. Turkey has long criticised this US policy. Tensions between the two sides have risen in recent weeks. Turkey says it is frustrated over what it sees as delays to a deal agreed with the US to clear a flashpoint city in the north of Kurdish fighters. The deal over Manbij, which lies to the west of the Euphrates river, was agreed in February in a bid stabilise the region. And on Tuesday, the Pentagon announced it had erected observation posts in the northern border region aimed at preventing clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdish fighters. Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has called on the US to scrap the move and end its co-operation with the YPG. In late October, Turkey shelled Kurdish militia posts in northern Syria, forcing the SDF to briefly suspend its operations against IS. Turkey has launched two major offensives in recent years in northern Syria. Both took place west of the Euphrates river. The first - dubbed Euphrates Shield - began in the summer of 2016 and was an eight-month operation targeting IS and Kurdish forces that ended in March 2017. Earlier this year they launched a second military operation - Olive Branch - against Kurdish militia in Afrin province. It lasted two months and the city was eventually cleared of the Kurds. However Turkish forces have until now avoided direct confrontation with Kurdish fighters and their US backers located on the east of the Euphrates river.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 612, "answer_end": 1370, "text": "\"We will start the operation to clear the east of the Euphrates from separatist terrorists in a few days,\" Mr Erdogan said on a televised speech on Wednesday, referring to territory held by the YPG. He did not specify which areas would be targeted, but it would be the first time Turkish troops have moved east of the river. \"Our target is never US soldiers,\" he added. There are some 2,000 US troops currently in Syria, many of them stationed in the north. Turkey considers the YPG an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in south-eastern Turkey for three decades. Mr Erdogan wants to prevent the Kurds from consolidating their hold on Syrian territory and forming an autonomous region on the border."}], "question": "What did President Erdogan say?", "id": "693_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1371, "answer_end": 2348, "text": "US soldiers have been working closely with Kurdish forces who form part of an alliance - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group. Turkey has long criticised this US policy. Tensions between the two sides have risen in recent weeks. Turkey says it is frustrated over what it sees as delays to a deal agreed with the US to clear a flashpoint city in the north of Kurdish fighters. The deal over Manbij, which lies to the west of the Euphrates river, was agreed in February in a bid stabilise the region. And on Tuesday, the Pentagon announced it had erected observation posts in the northern border region aimed at preventing clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdish fighters. Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has called on the US to scrap the move and end its co-operation with the YPG. In late October, Turkey shelled Kurdish militia posts in northern Syria, forcing the SDF to briefly suspend its operations against IS."}], "question": "What's the context?", "id": "693_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2349, "answer_end": 2971, "text": "Turkey has launched two major offensives in recent years in northern Syria. Both took place west of the Euphrates river. The first - dubbed Euphrates Shield - began in the summer of 2016 and was an eight-month operation targeting IS and Kurdish forces that ended in March 2017. Earlier this year they launched a second military operation - Olive Branch - against Kurdish militia in Afrin province. It lasted two months and the city was eventually cleared of the Kurds. However Turkish forces have until now avoided direct confrontation with Kurdish fighters and their US backers located on the east of the Euphrates river."}], "question": "What has Turkey already done in Syria?", "id": "693_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Keith Raniere: Nxivm leader charged with sex trafficking", "date": "27 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Keith Raniere, the leader of an elusive US self-help group, has been arrested by the FBI in Mexico and charged with sex trafficking. Federal prosecutors allege Mr Raniere oversaw a \"slave and master\" system in his group called Nxivm, where female members were expected to have sex with him and were branded with his initials. He is expected to appear in court on the charges in Texas on Tuesday. Mr Raniere left the country last year after former members spoke to US media. A number of women came forward for an investigation published in the New York Times newspaper in October, which led to the United States attorney's office in Brooklyn opening an investigation into the group. After the piece, a letter by Mr Raniere denied any such practices were sanctioned by the group and said an independent investigation found \"no merit\" to the allegations. On its website Nxivm (pronounced nexium) describes itself as a \"community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people and answer important questions about what it means to be human.\" Based in Albany in upstate New York, the group was founded as Executive Success Programs in 1998 and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people. Members of the group are reported to include wealthy heiresses, the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses. Mr Raniere and his group have been the subject of controversy for several years. Investigative journalist James M. Odato published a number of pieces in the Times Union of Albany Newspaper in 2012 which questioned the group's practices and compared it to a cult. In 2009 the newspaper wrote about a visit by the Dalai Lama to Albany, which was reportedly sponsored by the Nxivm group. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet denied he was paid for the appearance. After the New York Times piece was published in 2017 and women came forward, federal authorities began interviewing \"witnesses and victims\" associated with the group. An affidavit filed as part of the FBI's criminal complaint says that Nxivm operated as a \"pyramid\" group where self-help workshops cost members thousands of dollars. Federal investigators say that in recent years Mr Raniere, 57, set up a secret sorority within the group known as Dominus Obsequious Sororium (DOS),  a quasi-Latin phrase meaning roughly Master Over the Slave Women. The complaint says that once recruited as \"slaves\", women were allegedly expected to perform menial chores for \"masters\" and have sex with Mr Raniere, who was known as \"The Vanguard\". Investigators say Mr Raniere had a rotating group of 15 to 20 sexual partners, who were not allowed to discuss their relationship with him or have one with anyone else. They allege that \"slaves\" in the group had to eat extremely low-calorie diets because of Mr Raniere's preference for thin women. According to the complaint, members of the group were branded with Mr Raniere's initials using a cauterising pen, often on their pelvic areas, in ceremonies that were filmed by members. Investigators say members were expected to provide \"collateral\" as a pre-condition to joining in the form of sexually explicit or other compromising material. Court documents say investigators have found electronic communication that suggested Mr Raniere was behind the sorority \"slave\" internal group, something he has denied. \"Keith Raniere displayed a disgusting abuse of power in his efforts to denigrate and manipulate women he considered his sex slaves,\" senior FBI official William Sweeney said on Monday. \"He allegedly participated in horrifying acts of branding and burning them, with the co-operation of other women operating within this unorthodox pyramid scheme. \"These serious crimes against humanity are not only shocking, but disconcerting to say the least, and we are putting an end to this torture today.\" Mr Raniere publicly disputed the New York Times newspaper's account in late 2017 before leaving the country. \"These allegations are most disturbing to me as non-violence is one of my most important values,\" a letter on his website said. In the letter, he added that members of the sorority were \"thriving, health, happy, better off, and haven't been coerced\". Prosecutors say Mr Raniere was unco-operative when immigration officials detained him at a villa in Mexico. They say after he was arrested, women he was staying with \"chased the car in which the defendant was being transported in their own car at high speed\". Federal prosecutors have requested he be held without bail. He is expected to be transferred to authorities in New York following Tuesday's court appearance.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 852, "answer_end": 1957, "text": "On its website Nxivm (pronounced nexium) describes itself as a \"community guided by humanitarian principles that seek to empower people and answer important questions about what it means to be human.\" Based in Albany in upstate New York, the group was founded as Executive Success Programs in 1998 and says it has worked with more than 16,000 people. Members of the group are reported to include wealthy heiresses, the son of a former Mexican president and Hollywood actresses. Mr Raniere and his group have been the subject of controversy for several years. Investigative journalist James M. Odato published a number of pieces in the Times Union of Albany Newspaper in 2012 which questioned the group's practices and compared it to a cult. In 2009 the newspaper wrote about a visit by the Dalai Lama to Albany, which was reportedly sponsored by the Nxivm group. The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet denied he was paid for the appearance. After the New York Times piece was published in 2017 and women came forward, federal authorities began interviewing \"witnesses and victims\" associated with the group."}], "question": "What is Nxivm?", "id": "694_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1958, "answer_end": 3335, "text": "An affidavit filed as part of the FBI's criminal complaint says that Nxivm operated as a \"pyramid\" group where self-help workshops cost members thousands of dollars. Federal investigators say that in recent years Mr Raniere, 57, set up a secret sorority within the group known as Dominus Obsequious Sororium (DOS),  a quasi-Latin phrase meaning roughly Master Over the Slave Women. The complaint says that once recruited as \"slaves\", women were allegedly expected to perform menial chores for \"masters\" and have sex with Mr Raniere, who was known as \"The Vanguard\". Investigators say Mr Raniere had a rotating group of 15 to 20 sexual partners, who were not allowed to discuss their relationship with him or have one with anyone else. They allege that \"slaves\" in the group had to eat extremely low-calorie diets because of Mr Raniere's preference for thin women. According to the complaint, members of the group were branded with Mr Raniere's initials using a cauterising pen, often on their pelvic areas, in ceremonies that were filmed by members. Investigators say members were expected to provide \"collateral\" as a pre-condition to joining in the form of sexually explicit or other compromising material. Court documents say investigators have found electronic communication that suggested Mr Raniere was behind the sorority \"slave\" internal group, something he has denied."}], "question": "What is the group accused of?", "id": "694_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Thailand election: Princess Ubolratana and the party power play", "date": "13 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Until last Friday, expectations of next month's general election in Thailand had been underwhelming. The military clique which seized power nearly five years ago had spent that time crafting a constitution and electoral system specifically to ensure its influence extended over future governments regardless of the outcome of the election. It also did this to minimise the seats that could be won by parties allied to its nemesis - former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile. Those parties included a new one, Thai Raksa Chart, which was established in November last year with the aim of getting around the ceiling on party list seats that can be won, a ceiling that in particular affects the main pro-Thaksin party Pheu Thai. Everyone knew Thai Raksa Chart was just another vehicle for Mr Thaksin and his allies to try to break the shackles put on them by the new constitution. The real question hanging over this, the first election in eight years, was whether the pro-Thaksin parties would do well enough to form a government, and what the military could do to stop them. The stunning announcement that Princess Ubolratana, elder sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, was Thai Raksa Chart's sole candidate for prime minister changed everyone's calculations in an instant. The party was exploiting a clause inserted by the military into the constitution to allow for an unelected prime minister, a device to allow coup-leader Prayuth Chan-ocha to stay in office. It calculated that this could also apply to an unelected princess, who now describes herself as a commoner, having given up her titles when she married an American 46 years ago. But in Thailand she is still treated like royalty. How would it even work, to have a royal, by custom beyond criticism, take part in competitive democratic politics? And surely, it was assumed, she must have had the king's approval for such an unprecedented move - which then suggested he was aligning himself with Mr Thaksin, often accused of being anti-monarchy, against the ultra-royalist military and their allies. Such a scenario radically altered the power dynamics in Thailand. Within hours the king put a stop to this manoeuvre, issuing a royal decree stating that Princess Ubolratana was still treated as a high-ranking member of the royal family, and involving her in politics was \"highly inappropriate\". To be on the receiving end of such explicit royal disapproval would normally be a devastating blow in Thailand. By Saturday there were rumours the executive board of Thai Raksa Chart would be detained, though these were unfounded. By Monday her nomination had been declared invalid by the Election Commission, which is now set to ask the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving the party. If this is done before 9 May, the deadline for certifying victorious MPs, Thai Raksa Chart and its politicians will be eliminated from the election. With its demise, Mr Thaksin's hopes of his parties forming the next government would be dashed. On its own, under the new electoral system, Pheu Thai has no hope of repeating its success in the 2011 election of winning an outright majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. The 250-seat upper house, or senate, is entirely appointed, its members nearly all expected to vote for Gen Prayuth to remain in office after the election. Had Princess Ubolratana remained a candidate, some, maybe most senators might have switched their loyalty to her. Royalism has become embedded in Thai society as a quasi-state religion. Everyone is required to show fulsome loyalty to the monarchy, whatever their private beliefs, and many Thais feel an intense emotional bond to it. The perceived virtues of the late King Bhumibol - modest, capable, conscientious - were a constant popular reference during his long reign to show up the venality and incompetence of ordinary politicians. It is a mantra of the royalist creed, and a preamble of every Thai constitution, that the royal family is kept above politics, beyond criticism. So what was Mr Thaksin thinking, involving the king's elder sister in his party? People close to the former prime minister have let it be known that he had a green light from King Vajiralongkorn, and that the king was persuaded, perhaps by pressure from other family members, to change his mind. But others inside the pro-Thaksin camp believe he simply assumed Princess Ubolratana had her brother's approval, and took a reckless gamble. He has form; his decision to push for a controversial amnesty in 2013, that would have allowed him to return to Thailand, backfired and started the protest movement that led to the 2014 coup. And while some supporters of Thai Raksa Chart and Pheu Thai were excited by the prospect of having a royal celebrity on their side, others criticised it as inconsistent with their long campaign for greater democracy and equality in Thailand. The row over the princess has reignited old rivalries. Royalists have come out to accuse Mr Thaksin of once again trying to exploit the monarchy for his own ambitions. Frustrated supporters of the pro-Thaksin camp, who have been waiting for five years to demonstrate their voting power, fear their side will be tarnished once again as a threat to the monarchy, in order to keep a military-dominated government in power. This is now bound to be a more heated election campaign. It has also brought into sharp relief some realities of modern Thai politics. One is that more than 10 years after he fled from Thailand, Mr Thaksin is still a powerful influence on the political dynamics of this country. Two military coups, repeated court cases, the confiscation of his assets and years of demonisation have not finished him off. His parties remain the country's most effective electoral force. In the present climate it is difficult to imagine a reconciliation with his many adversaries, but without one it is hard to see how Thailand can ever move on. Another is the central role of the monarchy. Because of the strict taboos and laws against any critical comment, no journalist writing from Thailand can write freely about this, but some aspects of King Vajiralongkorn's new reign can be mentioned. He is a more hands-on manager of palace affairs than his father, and is overseeing the biggest overhaul of the monarchy in decades. He has taken direct control of the Crown Property Bureau, the wealthiest collection of assets in Thailand, and is overseeing significant changes in the command structure of the armed forces. He has demanded changes to the constitution where they affect the authority of the monarch, and got them. He is taking back control of large properties in the old royal quarter of Bangkok hitherto used by the National Museum, the parliament and the city's zoo. It is not clear yet what kind of monarchy he has in mind, but in a country where no-one can be seen to question the king's wishes, he will have a decisive say in the affairs of the nation, and his rule will be very different from his father's. We may never know what transpired between the king, his sister and Mr Thaksin over this extraordinary episode. But we do know that the king's carefully-written statement on Friday night brought it to an immediate halt, and that everyone in Thailand will now be looking to the palace before considering their next steps.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2920, "answer_end": 4912, "text": "With its demise, Mr Thaksin's hopes of his parties forming the next government would be dashed. On its own, under the new electoral system, Pheu Thai has no hope of repeating its success in the 2011 election of winning an outright majority of seats in the lower house of parliament. The 250-seat upper house, or senate, is entirely appointed, its members nearly all expected to vote for Gen Prayuth to remain in office after the election. Had Princess Ubolratana remained a candidate, some, maybe most senators might have switched their loyalty to her. Royalism has become embedded in Thai society as a quasi-state religion. Everyone is required to show fulsome loyalty to the monarchy, whatever their private beliefs, and many Thais feel an intense emotional bond to it. The perceived virtues of the late King Bhumibol - modest, capable, conscientious - were a constant popular reference during his long reign to show up the venality and incompetence of ordinary politicians. It is a mantra of the royalist creed, and a preamble of every Thai constitution, that the royal family is kept above politics, beyond criticism. So what was Mr Thaksin thinking, involving the king's elder sister in his party? People close to the former prime minister have let it be known that he had a green light from King Vajiralongkorn, and that the king was persuaded, perhaps by pressure from other family members, to change his mind. But others inside the pro-Thaksin camp believe he simply assumed Princess Ubolratana had her brother's approval, and took a reckless gamble. He has form; his decision to push for a controversial amnesty in 2013, that would have allowed him to return to Thailand, backfired and started the protest movement that led to the 2014 coup. And while some supporters of Thai Raksa Chart and Pheu Thai were excited by the prospect of having a royal celebrity on their side, others criticised it as inconsistent with their long campaign for greater democracy and equality in Thailand."}], "question": "A reckless gamble?", "id": "695_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Police concerns over rise of 'paedophile hunters'", "date": "6 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Prosecutors used evidence provided by so-called paedophile hunters in more than 250 cases against suspected abusers in 2018. Last week, members of one group were cleared of assault charges relating to operations against two men. Predator Exposure, based in Leeds, claimed to have exposed more than 30 offenders since 2016. However, senior police officers said they had serious concerns over the activities of these vigilante groups. An assistant chief constable with responsibilities for tackling online child abuse said paedophile hunting groups were usually acting in their own interests rather than those of the children, diverted police resources away from other offenders and often committed offences themselves. Phil Hoban, from Beeston in West Yorkshire, established the group Predator Exposure in 2016. Members set up fake online profiles, supposedly belonging to teenagers, and wait for adults to contact them. \"We don't start a conversation with them - they come to us,\" Mr Hoban said. Once contact has been made they would confront the suspect, usually filming the operation, before handing their evidence to the police. The 43-year-old claimed the group had exposed more than 30 suspected offenders. \"It's the worst crime ever attacking a child, taking their innocence. Children live with that for the rest of their lives,\" he said. \"This is all about saving kids, letting people know who lives next door to them, so I think it's a big achievement the amount of convictions we've had.\" He said paedophile hunters have to carry out their activities because the police were not doing enough. \"All I can say is 'go out and do your job so we don't have to do it',\" he said. \"If we can catch them why can't they catch them? \"I have much better things to do with my time but this is part of my life. \"I will carry on catching paedophiles. I will carry on to the day I die.\" The BBC requested information from 45 police forces in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Jersey regarding the number of cases recorded for the offence of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and asked how many of those cases used evidence provided by so-called paedophile hunting groups. Forty-two of the forces responded with some of the data requested, which showed: - 403 people were prosecuted in 2018 for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming - 252 of those cases involved evidence gathered by paedophile hunting groups. Of the forces contacted, 33 provided full data, which revealed: - The number of cases involving paedophile hunter evidence had more than tripled in the space of two years - rising from 57 in 2016 to 179 in 2018 - The proportion of cases involving this evidence had also grown, from less than 25% of cases in 2016 to more than 60% of cases in 2018. Police Scotland recorded crime differently but its data showed the use of paedophile hunter evidence in the number of recorded offences had grown from just one case in 2016 to 54 in 2018. It said it was committed to tackling online child sexual abuse and was investing resources to identify and apprehend those who pose a threat to children. A spokesperson added: \"Online child sexual abuse continues to be an evolving and deeply concerning threat posed by predatory sex offenders, at home and worldwide, and perpetrated online at the touch of a button requires local, national and international capability.\" The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for online child abuse activist groups, Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, said vigilante groups often exceeded the boundaries of the law. He warned some were \"perpetrating offences including extortion, blackmail and exhibiting violence against those that they are targeting\". Mr Vajzovic said more than 250 prosecutions coming through the work of these groups was a positive, but pointed out that every month UK law enforcement agencies arrested more than 500 suspected child abusers. \"Some of those prosecutions may have diverted police resources from more significant offenders,\" he said. \"Overall the activity of these groups is not positive.\" He also questioned their aims. \"When these groups say that they are acting in the interests of children, largely they are acting in their own interests, their self-aggrandisement and their desire to exercise force against so-called perpetrators of child abuse,\" Mr Vajzovic said. \"They don't put in measures to safeguard children, they don't put in measures to identify other offenders who may be connected to the people they are targeting. They're more interested in putting a video online of them carrying out a sting.\" Mr Vajzovic said those wanting to tackle child abuse should consider becoming a special constable or police volunteer and said he could not see any circumstances in which the police would actively work with these groups. What is the view of child protection organisations? The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said it also had some concerns about groups targeting suspected abusers. \"We have sympathy for those who worry about suspected abusers, want justice for children and feel frustrated that police can't do everything,\" a spokesperson for the charity said. \"However, despite their best intentions, their actions might put more children at risk of harm by driving offenders underground, endangering ongoing police work and the legal process, or result in innocent people being targeted.\" The charity said protecting children must be the \"ultimate priority\". \"We need to know how forces and paedophile hunters can work together without jeopardising cases or potentially putting children in danger,\" the spokesperson said. \"If someone has concerns about child safety the best way they can help is to alert the police.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 718, "answer_end": 1879, "text": "Phil Hoban, from Beeston in West Yorkshire, established the group Predator Exposure in 2016. Members set up fake online profiles, supposedly belonging to teenagers, and wait for adults to contact them. \"We don't start a conversation with them - they come to us,\" Mr Hoban said. Once contact has been made they would confront the suspect, usually filming the operation, before handing their evidence to the police. The 43-year-old claimed the group had exposed more than 30 suspected offenders. \"It's the worst crime ever attacking a child, taking their innocence. Children live with that for the rest of their lives,\" he said. \"This is all about saving kids, letting people know who lives next door to them, so I think it's a big achievement the amount of convictions we've had.\" He said paedophile hunters have to carry out their activities because the police were not doing enough. \"All I can say is 'go out and do your job so we don't have to do it',\" he said. \"If we can catch them why can't they catch them? \"I have much better things to do with my time but this is part of my life. \"I will carry on catching paedophiles. I will carry on to the day I die.\""}], "question": "Who are the paedophile hunters?", "id": "696_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1880, "answer_end": 3419, "text": "The BBC requested information from 45 police forces in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Jersey regarding the number of cases recorded for the offence of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and asked how many of those cases used evidence provided by so-called paedophile hunting groups. Forty-two of the forces responded with some of the data requested, which showed: - 403 people were prosecuted in 2018 for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming - 252 of those cases involved evidence gathered by paedophile hunting groups. Of the forces contacted, 33 provided full data, which revealed: - The number of cases involving paedophile hunter evidence had more than tripled in the space of two years - rising from 57 in 2016 to 179 in 2018 - The proportion of cases involving this evidence had also grown, from less than 25% of cases in 2016 to more than 60% of cases in 2018. Police Scotland recorded crime differently but its data showed the use of paedophile hunter evidence in the number of recorded offences had grown from just one case in 2016 to 54 in 2018. It said it was committed to tackling online child sexual abuse and was investing resources to identify and apprehend those who pose a threat to children. A spokesperson added: \"Online child sexual abuse continues to be an evolving and deeply concerning threat posed by predatory sex offenders, at home and worldwide, and perpetrated online at the touch of a button requires local, national and international capability.\""}], "question": "How many cases use paedophile hunters' evidence?", "id": "696_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3420, "answer_end": 5791, "text": "The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for online child abuse activist groups, Assistant Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, said vigilante groups often exceeded the boundaries of the law. He warned some were \"perpetrating offences including extortion, blackmail and exhibiting violence against those that they are targeting\". Mr Vajzovic said more than 250 prosecutions coming through the work of these groups was a positive, but pointed out that every month UK law enforcement agencies arrested more than 500 suspected child abusers. \"Some of those prosecutions may have diverted police resources from more significant offenders,\" he said. \"Overall the activity of these groups is not positive.\" He also questioned their aims. \"When these groups say that they are acting in the interests of children, largely they are acting in their own interests, their self-aggrandisement and their desire to exercise force against so-called perpetrators of child abuse,\" Mr Vajzovic said. \"They don't put in measures to safeguard children, they don't put in measures to identify other offenders who may be connected to the people they are targeting. They're more interested in putting a video online of them carrying out a sting.\" Mr Vajzovic said those wanting to tackle child abuse should consider becoming a special constable or police volunteer and said he could not see any circumstances in which the police would actively work with these groups. What is the view of child protection organisations? The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said it also had some concerns about groups targeting suspected abusers. \"We have sympathy for those who worry about suspected abusers, want justice for children and feel frustrated that police can't do everything,\" a spokesperson for the charity said. \"However, despite their best intentions, their actions might put more children at risk of harm by driving offenders underground, endangering ongoing police work and the legal process, or result in innocent people being targeted.\" The charity said protecting children must be the \"ultimate priority\". \"We need to know how forces and paedophile hunters can work together without jeopardising cases or potentially putting children in danger,\" the spokesperson said. \"If someone has concerns about child safety the best way they can help is to alert the police.\""}], "question": "What do police say?", "id": "696_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Is heroin being smuggled on Pakistani planes into Heathrow?", "date": "25 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistan's national carrier says it is taking measures to ensure its planes are not used to carry drugs after heroin was found on two of its London-bound aircraft. Aviation authorities are also investigating how the drugs might be making their way on to the planes of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). On 15 May, UK's Border Force officials impounded a PIA flight from Islamabad on arrival at London Heathrow airport and searched it for several hours. The National Crime Agency later said that a quantity of heroin had been found hidden in different panels of the plane. There were suggestions that the British authorities had acted on a tip-off from Pakistan. No-one was charged. The pilot was allowed to return to Pakistan the next day, while the crew members were given their passports back a day later. The episode caused considerable embarrassment to PIA, which was already reeling from a plane crash in that killed dozens of people in December and a number of near-misses subsequently, sparking allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Then on 22 May, Pakistani officials at Islamabad airport seized more than 20kg (44lb) of heroin from another aircraft headed to Heathrow. An investigation is continuing. Investigations were launched to identify suspects within the PIA and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with possible links to a drug trafficking ring that may have been using PIA to smuggle the drug abroad, Mashhood Tajwar, a PIA spokesman, told the BBC. The investigation is being conducted by a team of officials from airport security, customs and the anti-narcotics force (ANF). Mr Tajwar said pre-flight searches of aircrafts had been a part of standard operating procedures in the past, but surveillance had been stepped up since the May incident at Heathrow. On Friday, a high-level meeting presided by the prime minister's adviser on aviation, Mehtab Ahmad Khan, finalised new security measures and a Central Operational Committee headed by the CAA chief was constituted to oversee their implementation. On Monday, four aircraft expected to fly to foreign destinations were scheduled for checking, one of which - as mentioned above - was carrying drugs. This is not the first time drugs have been found on PIA planes. Last December, 17kg (37lb) of heroin was seized by officials at Karachi airport from a plane being readied for a flight to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. The flight was delayed for over 11 hours as a result. Pre-flight checks are part of routine procedure and sniffer dogs are regularly used to clear aircraft for operations, PIA officials say. But the presence of heroin on some aircraft shows that officials responsible for such checks may either have been complacent or linked to drug mules among employees. While poppy crops across Pakistan have largely been eliminated, it is still grown in large parts of southern Afghanistan where insurgent groups wield influence and officials have little power. Analysts say poppy and heroin are among the main sources of income for these groups. And since some of them are said to have the tacit support of Pakistani authorities, they are said to be able to enter the country and smuggle heroin into Pakistan for onward shipment to the West. Such smuggling is further helped by large-scale movement of Afghan refugees across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, experts say. Pakistan International Airlines has also courted controversy recently for other reasons. In February its management was accused of trying to cover up an air safety breach when it boarded seven extra passengers on a flight from Karachi to Medina, Saudi Arabia. They were allowed to stand in the aisle during the flight. In April, a passengers photographed the chief pilot of a London-bound flight taking a nap in the passenger compartment, leaving the controls in the hands of a first officer and a trainee pilot. The pilot denied he had breached safety rules, but the PIA management said they were investigating the incident. In early May, another pilot on a flight from Tokyo was accused of allowing an unauthorised foreign national into the cockpit. The passenger, a Chinese woman, remained there for two hours during the Tokyo-Beijing leg of the flight. The incident was filmed by a journalist who was traveling on the same flight. In 2013 a PIA pilot who admitted being over the legal alcohol limit to fly after being arrested in the cockpit was jailed for nine months in the UK.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 307, "answer_end": 1220, "text": "On 15 May, UK's Border Force officials impounded a PIA flight from Islamabad on arrival at London Heathrow airport and searched it for several hours. The National Crime Agency later said that a quantity of heroin had been found hidden in different panels of the plane. There were suggestions that the British authorities had acted on a tip-off from Pakistan. No-one was charged. The pilot was allowed to return to Pakistan the next day, while the crew members were given their passports back a day later. The episode caused considerable embarrassment to PIA, which was already reeling from a plane crash in that killed dozens of people in December and a number of near-misses subsequently, sparking allegations of corruption and mismanagement. Then on 22 May, Pakistani officials at Islamabad airport seized more than 20kg (44lb) of heroin from another aircraft headed to Heathrow. An investigation is continuing."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "697_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1221, "answer_end": 2182, "text": "Investigations were launched to identify suspects within the PIA and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) with possible links to a drug trafficking ring that may have been using PIA to smuggle the drug abroad, Mashhood Tajwar, a PIA spokesman, told the BBC. The investigation is being conducted by a team of officials from airport security, customs and the anti-narcotics force (ANF). Mr Tajwar said pre-flight searches of aircrafts had been a part of standard operating procedures in the past, but surveillance had been stepped up since the May incident at Heathrow. On Friday, a high-level meeting presided by the prime minister's adviser on aviation, Mehtab Ahmad Khan, finalised new security measures and a Central Operational Committee headed by the CAA chief was constituted to oversee their implementation. On Monday, four aircraft expected to fly to foreign destinations were scheduled for checking, one of which - as mentioned above - was carrying drugs."}], "question": "What is Pakistan doing about it?", "id": "697_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2183, "answer_end": 3354, "text": "This is not the first time drugs have been found on PIA planes. Last December, 17kg (37lb) of heroin was seized by officials at Karachi airport from a plane being readied for a flight to Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. The flight was delayed for over 11 hours as a result. Pre-flight checks are part of routine procedure and sniffer dogs are regularly used to clear aircraft for operations, PIA officials say. But the presence of heroin on some aircraft shows that officials responsible for such checks may either have been complacent or linked to drug mules among employees. While poppy crops across Pakistan have largely been eliminated, it is still grown in large parts of southern Afghanistan where insurgent groups wield influence and officials have little power. Analysts say poppy and heroin are among the main sources of income for these groups. And since some of them are said to have the tacit support of Pakistani authorities, they are said to be able to enter the country and smuggle heroin into Pakistan for onward shipment to the West. Such smuggling is further helped by large-scale movement of Afghan refugees across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, experts say."}], "question": "How surprising is this?", "id": "697_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3355, "answer_end": 4438, "text": "Pakistan International Airlines has also courted controversy recently for other reasons. In February its management was accused of trying to cover up an air safety breach when it boarded seven extra passengers on a flight from Karachi to Medina, Saudi Arabia. They were allowed to stand in the aisle during the flight. In April, a passengers photographed the chief pilot of a London-bound flight taking a nap in the passenger compartment, leaving the controls in the hands of a first officer and a trainee pilot. The pilot denied he had breached safety rules, but the PIA management said they were investigating the incident. In early May, another pilot on a flight from Tokyo was accused of allowing an unauthorised foreign national into the cockpit. The passenger, a Chinese woman, remained there for two hours during the Tokyo-Beijing leg of the flight. The incident was filmed by a journalist who was traveling on the same flight. In 2013 a PIA pilot who admitted being over the legal alcohol limit to fly after being arrested in the cockpit was jailed for nine months in the UK."}], "question": "How damaging is this for PIA?", "id": "697_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Jordan ends border enclaves land lease for Israeli farmers", "date": "10 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The King of Jordan has announced the end of a lease agreement that gave Israelis access to two border enclaves. Under a 1994 peace treaty, Israeli farmers could cultivate land in the Jordanian areas of Naharayim and Tzofar - known as Baqura and Ghamr in Arabic. The lease governing them was for 25 years, but could have been extended. However King Abdullah announced last year that he planned to end the lease - in what was seen as a sign of worsening ties between Jordan and Israel. At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that he still hoped to negotiate an extension to the arrangement. On Sunday, as the lease expired, gates on the border were closed, and AFP reported that Israelis were prevented from entering. One farmer, Eli Arazi, told Reuters his community had been growing crops there for 70 years, and described the end of the lease as \"a punch in the face\". The two enclaves are on the Israeli-Jordanian border, and have been privately owned by Israeli groups for several decades. Israel and Jordan were officially at war from 1948 to 1994, until the peace treaty was signed. The treaty was significant, as Jordan is only one of two Arab countries that has signed a peace deal with Israel. The agreement recognised that Jordan had sovereignty over the two areas - but Israel was permitted to lease the areas for 25 years. Under the terms of the annex to the peace deal, the lease would be extended automatically unless one party gave notice a year before the lease ended, leading to talks on the matter. On Sunday, as he opened a parliamentary session, King Abdullah said that the lease had expired, and announced \"the imposition of our full sovereignty over every inch of those lands\". The decision not to renew the lease is widely seen as a reflection of the strained relationship between Jordan and Israel in recent years, with issues including the status of Jerusalem and the lack of progress on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians causing tensions. Many Jordanians are of Palestinian origin, and opinion polls suggest the peace deal is unpopular with the public. Last year, 87 Jordanian MPs signed a petition urging an end to the lease. In recent months, there have also been tensions over Israel's detention of two Jordanians, without trial, for several months. Jordan recalled its ambassador, and the two were eventually released on Wednesday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 895, "answer_end": 1540, "text": "The two enclaves are on the Israeli-Jordanian border, and have been privately owned by Israeli groups for several decades. Israel and Jordan were officially at war from 1948 to 1994, until the peace treaty was signed. The treaty was significant, as Jordan is only one of two Arab countries that has signed a peace deal with Israel. The agreement recognised that Jordan had sovereignty over the two areas - but Israel was permitted to lease the areas for 25 years. Under the terms of the annex to the peace deal, the lease would be extended automatically unless one party gave notice a year before the lease ended, leading to talks on the matter."}], "question": "How did the deal come about?", "id": "698_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1541, "answer_end": 2400, "text": "On Sunday, as he opened a parliamentary session, King Abdullah said that the lease had expired, and announced \"the imposition of our full sovereignty over every inch of those lands\". The decision not to renew the lease is widely seen as a reflection of the strained relationship between Jordan and Israel in recent years, with issues including the status of Jerusalem and the lack of progress on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians causing tensions. Many Jordanians are of Palestinian origin, and opinion polls suggest the peace deal is unpopular with the public. Last year, 87 Jordanian MPs signed a petition urging an end to the lease. In recent months, there have also been tensions over Israel's detention of two Jordanians, without trial, for several months. Jordan recalled its ambassador, and the two were eventually released on Wednesday."}], "question": "Why won't Jordan renew the lease?", "id": "698_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Scores of civilians killed in Eastern Ghouta strikes", "date": "20 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Bombardments by Syrian government forces have killed at least 100 people including 20 children in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area outside Damascus, rescue teams and monitors say. This would make Monday one of the deadliest days for the district since it came under siege in 2013. The Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said bombs were continuing to fall on Tuesday morning. Syrian forces stepped up an offensive to retake the area earlier this month. The Eastern Ghouta is the last major opposition enclave near the capital and is completely surrounded by areas under government control. Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, reports that civilians have been killed and wounded in fresh air strikes on Douma, Misraba and al-Nashabiya. The White Helmets, a rescue group, said three people were killed in Misraba and four were killed in al-Marj on Tuesday. The UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the White Helmets both said more than 100 people had died in bombing on Monday. Urging a halt to the bombardment, a UN official said the situation was spiralling out of control. Last week the Eastern Ghouta, home to almost 400,000 people, received its first aid delivery in almost three months. Meanwhile, Turkey warned the Syrian government not to help Kurds fighting against Turkish forces in northern Syria. Analysis by Lina Sinjab, BBC Middle East correspondent The attacks on the Eastern Ghouta area since Sunday have hit not only civilians but also their means of survival, targeting bakeries, warehouses and anything else that may hold food supplies. It is the worst single day of bombing that people there have seen in years. People are fearful of it becoming another Aleppo scenario. Aid workers say the attacks targeted major roads in the area, which will block any aid or rescue operation and hinder the movement of ambulances. The death toll is rising because medical facilities were also hit. Four makeshift hospitals, including a maternity facility, were struck on Monday. The rebels have been responding with mortar attacks on Damascus but the government's military might is far stronger. Videos from Hamouria, a town in the enclave where at least 20 people were reportedly killed in air strikes on Monday, showed people fleeing heavily damaged buildings covered in dust and debris. In December international aid organisations warned conditions in the rebel-held area had reached a \"critical point\" for civilians because of shortages of food, fuel and medicines. UN regional humanitarian co-ordinator Panos Moumtzis said it was \"imperative\" to end the \"senseless human suffering\" in the Eastern Ghouta. \"Many residents have little choice but to take shelter in basements and underground bunkers with their children,\" he noted. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said conditions in the enclave were being exaggerated by international actors. \"In the UN, the topic of humanitarian problems in the Eastern Ghouta and Idlib is being actively hyped up,\" he said, according to Russian media reports. Next month marks seven years of civil conflict in Syria. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and an estimated five million have fled the country. It is an agricultural belt, about 15km (nine miles) east from Damascus city centre. The area is made up of 22 communities. It has been designated a \"de-escalation zone\" by Russia and Iran, the Syrian government's main allies, along with Turkey, which backs the opposition. Several rebel groups operate in the Eastern Ghouta, but it is dominated by the Islamist faction Jaish al-Islam. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance led by al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, also has a presence there.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3265, "answer_end": 3537, "text": "It is an agricultural belt, about 15km (nine miles) east from Damascus city centre. The area is made up of 22 communities. It has been designated a \"de-escalation zone\" by Russia and Iran, the Syrian government's main allies, along with Turkey, which backs the opposition."}], "question": "What is the Eastern Ghouta?", "id": "699_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3538, "answer_end": 3763, "text": "Several rebel groups operate in the Eastern Ghouta, but it is dominated by the Islamist faction Jaish al-Islam. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance led by al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, also has a presence there."}], "question": "Who controls the enclave?", "id": "699_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Ethiopia Amhara 'coup ringleader killed'", "date": "25 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The suspected ringleader of Saturday's failed coup attempt in Ethiopia's Amhara region has been shot dead, police say. Brig Gen Asaminew Tsige was killed as he attempted to escape from his hideout in Amhara's capital, police added. Ethiopia's army chief Gen Seare Mekonnen was killed while trying to foil the coup, the government said. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has urged Ethiopians to unite against \"evil\" forces set on dividing the country. Flags are flying at half-mast after the government declared a day of mourning to mark the deaths of loyalists. Gen Seare and Amhara governor Ambachew Mekonnen, who was also killed on Saturday, were seen as close allies of the prime minister. A heavy contingent of pro-government forces has been deployed in Amhara's capital, Bahir Dar, and the federal capital, Addis Ababa. The internet has been shut across the country, days after services resumed following an unexplained blackout of more than a week. The US state department has warned its staff in Addis Ababa to stay inside. Ethnic violence has hit Amhara and other parts of Ethiopia in recent years. Since his election last year, Mr Abiy has transformed Ethiopia. He has moved to end political repression by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on opposition political parties and overseeing the prosecution of officials accused of human rights abuses. He has also restored diplomatic relations with Ethiopia's former long-time adversary, Eritrea. But his reforms have taken on powerful interest groups in the military and the ruling coalition. Mr Abiy survived a grenade attack at a rally a year ago on Sunday, which killed two people and left more than 100 injured. Africa's oldest independent country, Ethiopia is also the continent's second most populous after Nigeria, with 102.5 million inhabitants from more than 80 different ethnic groups. A transfer hub for long-haul air travel, it has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but a vast number of young Ethiopians are without work. Gen Asaminew was Amhara's regional security chief, and was said to have a significant following among young people. He was among a group of high-ranking military officers released from prison early last year when the government moved to free political detainees in response to public pressure. The general had been in custody for nine years for allegedly plotting a coup. While details of the coup are still emerging, news of Gen Asaminew's alleged bid for power was not a surprise for some Ethiopians. Gen Asaminew is a member of the Amhara, the country's second largest ethic group. He had a reputation for hardline ethnic nationalism and had previously called for the Amhara people to have greater autonomy. Earlier this month, in a video on social media, he had also openly advised the Amhara to arm themselves. Gen Asaminew had a bad relationship with the Tigray regional government as well. The government claimed that Gen Seare and another general, Gezai Abera, had been killed because they came from the minority Tigray ethnic group. By Emmanuel Igunza, BBC Africa These are tumultuous times for Ethiopia and Prime Minister Abiy, who is already facing increased ethnic tensions. Chief of staff Seare Mekonnen had only served as head of the military for a year having being appointed by Mr Abiy, who made sweeping changes in the security apparatus when he took office last April. It is clear there is still significant opposition within the military to the prime minister's style of leadership. The killing of Amhara's governor is also a big blow for Mr Abiy, who is credited with installing Ambachew Mekonnen in office. He was a key ally in Amhara, which is itself facing security problems and clamour from some groups for greater autonomy from the central government. The first general election since Mr Abiy came to power is supposed to be held next year, but it is very hard to see how this will go ahead in a country that is highly polarised. The atmosphere is just too toxic. The US, a key ally of Ethiopia, has condemned the unrest. It was probably linked to the \"vestiges of the old regime\" unhappy with Mr Abiy's reforms, including the fact that he was targeting \"ill-gotten gains\", the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, said during a visit to South Africa on Sunday. He added that Ethiopia's model of ethnic federalism has also led to \"incredible internal pressures\". \"And that boiling pot with a lid on it also included disenfranchisement, tremendous unhappiness on the part of the young people because of lost opportunities, who also lost any kind of political expression. \"So when Abiy came in he had to start taking the top off the boiling kettle. And however he takes it off there's going to be some steam coming out,\" Mr Nagy was quoted by South Africa's Daily Maverick news site as saying. Gen Seare was killed on Saturday evening by his bodyguard, the prime minister's press office said. The bodyguard killed himself immediately afterwards, police said on Monday, contrary to earlier reports that he had been arrested. Gen Gezai was also killed at Gen Seare's residence, the prime minister's press office said. The government said it had reason to think the attack was linked to the assassination of the governor of Amhara, Mr Ambachew, a few hours earlier in Bahir Dar. Mr Ambachew was killed at a meeting in his office along with his senior adviser, Ezez Wasie. The region's attorney general was wounded in the attack, and has since died, state media reports. The funerals of some of the officials are due to take place on Tuesday. Lake Ayalew has now been appointed as the region's acting governor. Many of those involved in the coup attempt are under arrest and operations are in progress to detain others, the PM's press office said. \"The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region,\" it added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2010, "answer_end": 2381, "text": "Gen Asaminew was Amhara's regional security chief, and was said to have a significant following among young people. He was among a group of high-ranking military officers released from prison early last year when the government moved to free political detainees in response to public pressure. The general had been in custody for nine years for allegedly plotting a coup."}], "question": "Who was the alleged ringleader?", "id": "700_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2382, "answer_end": 3051, "text": "While details of the coup are still emerging, news of Gen Asaminew's alleged bid for power was not a surprise for some Ethiopians. Gen Asaminew is a member of the Amhara, the country's second largest ethic group. He had a reputation for hardline ethnic nationalism and had previously called for the Amhara people to have greater autonomy. Earlier this month, in a video on social media, he had also openly advised the Amhara to arm themselves. Gen Asaminew had a bad relationship with the Tigray regional government as well. The government claimed that Gen Seare and another general, Gezai Abera, had been killed because they came from the minority Tigray ethnic group."}], "question": "Why did the coup take place?", "id": "700_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4855, "answer_end": 5947, "text": "Gen Seare was killed on Saturday evening by his bodyguard, the prime minister's press office said. The bodyguard killed himself immediately afterwards, police said on Monday, contrary to earlier reports that he had been arrested. Gen Gezai was also killed at Gen Seare's residence, the prime minister's press office said. The government said it had reason to think the attack was linked to the assassination of the governor of Amhara, Mr Ambachew, a few hours earlier in Bahir Dar. Mr Ambachew was killed at a meeting in his office along with his senior adviser, Ezez Wasie. The region's attorney general was wounded in the attack, and has since died, state media reports. The funerals of some of the officials are due to take place on Tuesday. Lake Ayalew has now been appointed as the region's acting governor. Many of those involved in the coup attempt are under arrest and operations are in progress to detain others, the PM's press office said. \"The coup attempt in Amhara regional state is against the constitution and is intended to scupper the hard-won peace of the region,\" it added."}], "question": "What do we know about the attacks?", "id": "700_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Liu Xiaobo: German anger at China over hospital videos", "date": "11 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Germany has issued a sharp rebuke to China after videos of Western doctors visiting ailing Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in hospital were posted online. The German embassy in Beijing  posted a statement accusing China of recording the visit against its wishes. One of the doctors was German. The statement adds that Chinese security services, rather than doctors, are steering the dissident's treatment. The Chinese authorities are yet to respond to the German statement. Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo was serving a sentence of 11 years for subversion, but was moved from prison to a hospital last month with terminal liver cancer. Following international pressure, Beijing allowed two doctors - Markus Buchler from Germany and Joseph M Herman from the US - to examine the dissident in the north-eastern Chinese city of Shenyang. Over the weekend the doctors said he could go abroad for palliative care, directly contradicting Chinese medical experts who said previously that Mr Liu is too ill to travel. There are at least two known video clips which were first posted online on Sunday by Chinese government-backed groups. One video appears to shows the two Western doctors at Mr Liu's bedside, along with his wife Liu Xia as well as several Chinese doctors and nurses. A second video, which Chinese state news outlet  Global Times later republished on its website, appears to show the Western and Chinese doctors in a conference room. In the first clip, a man thought to be Dr Buchler says the Chinese doctors are \"very committed\" to treating Mr Liu, while in the second he is heard saying: \"I don't think we can do better medically than you do\". The videos have been met with some scepticism from Chinese-language news outlets and blogs outside of mainland China. Some claim the recordings were edited to cast the Chinese doctors in a positive light and lend credence to Beijing's argument that Mr Liu is too ill to be medically evacuated. The fact that the videos were first posted on YouTube - which is blocked in China - has also prompted speculation that they were intended for a foreign audience. Late on Monday, the German embassy in Beijing released a statement accusing \"certain authorities\" of making audio and video surveillance recordings of the visit, and then leaking them \"selectively to certain Chinese state media outlets\". This, they said, constituted a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. The recordings were also \"made against the expressed wishes of the German side, which were communicated in writing\" before the visit. \"It seems that security organs are steering the process, not medical experts. This behaviour undermines trust in the authorities dealing with Mr Liu's case, which is vital to ensure maximum success of his medical treatment.\" Separately, Mr Liu's lawyer Jared Genser told the BBC that it was \"unfortunate and unsurprising that the Chinese government would be engaged in surveilling anybody who is having contact with Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia\". There has been no official response to the statement but on Monday China's foreign ministry said it \"hopes relevant countries will respect China's sovereignty and will not use individual cases to interfere with China's internal affairs\", when asked if Liu Xiaobo would be allowed to leave. A Global Times editorial on Monday said Chinese authorities were \"trying their best to treat Liu and have fulfilled their humanitarian obligations\". It accused foreign forces of \"still squeezing Liu for their political goals in disregard of his critical condition\". Liu Xiaobo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his pro-democracy and human rights activism, is said to be in critical condition. Last week the hospital said his liver functions were worsening. Mr Genser has called for his immediate medical evacuation. He told the BBC: \"My view is that China could demonstrate itself to be a strong power, and one that is secure by allowing him to travel abroad for medical treatment.\" \"Instead, they seem to be afraid of this one man and his views on how China could evolve from being a single party system to being a multi-party democracy,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1006, "answer_end": 2105, "text": "There are at least two known video clips which were first posted online on Sunday by Chinese government-backed groups. One video appears to shows the two Western doctors at Mr Liu's bedside, along with his wife Liu Xia as well as several Chinese doctors and nurses. A second video, which Chinese state news outlet  Global Times later republished on its website, appears to show the Western and Chinese doctors in a conference room. In the first clip, a man thought to be Dr Buchler says the Chinese doctors are \"very committed\" to treating Mr Liu, while in the second he is heard saying: \"I don't think we can do better medically than you do\". The videos have been met with some scepticism from Chinese-language news outlets and blogs outside of mainland China. Some claim the recordings were edited to cast the Chinese doctors in a positive light and lend credence to Beijing's argument that Mr Liu is too ill to be medically evacuated. The fact that the videos were first posted on YouTube - which is blocked in China - has also prompted speculation that they were intended for a foreign audience."}], "question": "What do the videos show?", "id": "701_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2106, "answer_end": 2991, "text": "Late on Monday, the German embassy in Beijing released a statement accusing \"certain authorities\" of making audio and video surveillance recordings of the visit, and then leaking them \"selectively to certain Chinese state media outlets\". This, they said, constituted a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. The recordings were also \"made against the expressed wishes of the German side, which were communicated in writing\" before the visit. \"It seems that security organs are steering the process, not medical experts. This behaviour undermines trust in the authorities dealing with Mr Liu's case, which is vital to ensure maximum success of his medical treatment.\" Separately, Mr Liu's lawyer Jared Genser told the BBC that it was \"unfortunate and unsurprising that the Chinese government would be engaged in surveilling anybody who is having contact with Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia\"."}], "question": "What does Germany say?", "id": "701_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2992, "answer_end": 3547, "text": "There has been no official response to the statement but on Monday China's foreign ministry said it \"hopes relevant countries will respect China's sovereignty and will not use individual cases to interfere with China's internal affairs\", when asked if Liu Xiaobo would be allowed to leave. A Global Times editorial on Monday said Chinese authorities were \"trying their best to treat Liu and have fulfilled their humanitarian obligations\". It accused foreign forces of \"still squeezing Liu for their political goals in disregard of his critical condition\"."}], "question": "What has China said?", "id": "701_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3548, "answer_end": 4139, "text": "Liu Xiaobo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his pro-democracy and human rights activism, is said to be in critical condition. Last week the hospital said his liver functions were worsening. Mr Genser has called for his immediate medical evacuation. He told the BBC: \"My view is that China could demonstrate itself to be a strong power, and one that is secure by allowing him to travel abroad for medical treatment.\" \"Instead, they seem to be afraid of this one man and his views on how China could evolve from being a single party system to being a multi-party democracy,\" he said."}], "question": "What is Mr Liu's condition?", "id": "701_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Twitter: Algorithms were not always impartial", "date": "6 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey has told US lawmakers the company's algorithms have not always been \"impartial\". He said the platform \"unfairly\" reduced the visibility of 600,000 accounts, including some members of Congress. But he was unable to immediately say whether a majority of them were Republican, Democratic or otherwise. Mr Dorsey is being questioned by senators over allegations that Twitter censors conservative voices. Several Republicans, including US President Donald Trump, have accused Twitter of bias, which the company denies. \"Twitter does not use political ideology to make any decisions, whether related to ranking content on our service or how we enforce our rules,\" said Mr Dorsey. However, he said the company had made mistakes. On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice said it would investigate \"growing concern that these companies may be hurting competition and intentionally stifling the free exchange of ideas on their platforms\". Allegations of censorship were fuelled when Twitter added a \"quality filter\" to the platform and its search results. Some users noticed that their tweets no longer appeared in search results and suggested that their content was being hidden, known as a \"shadow ban\". Mr Dorsey told senators that the platform used \"hundreds of signals\" to decide \"what to show, down-rank and filter\". \"We do not shadow-ban anyone based on political ideology,\" he said. He explained that the algorithm had acted on the behaviour of people following accounts - so some politicians were punished for the behaviour of their followers. \"It was unfair\", said Mr Dorsey. \"We corrected it.\" Several senators in the hearing said the investigation was a waste of time. Democrat Paul Sabanes said the hearing had been triggered by \"deep-state conspiracy theories proffered by the president\" while fellow Democrat Jerry McNerney said it was an effort by Republicans to motivate their voters. \"President Trump and many Republicans have peddled conspiracy theories about Twitter and other social media platforms to whip up their base and fundraise,\" said Democrat Frank Pallone. Mr Pallone said Twitter could not be accused of anti-conservative bias while it allowed President Trump to use it for \"juvenile tweets and misinformation\". - Democrat Eliot Engel asked why Twitter did not require people to verify their identity when registering an account. Mr Dorsey said the platform had systems to detect bots and had prevented half a million fake accounts from even being used - Asked why Twitter relied on its users to report inappropriate content, Mr Dorsey said it was a \"matter of scale\" but that it responded quickly to reports based on their severity - Mr Pallone asked how many human moderators Twitter had in the US and how much they were paid. Mr Dorsey was unable to answer - Republican Fred Upton asked how Twitter determined whether somebody was trying to manipulate a conversation. Mr Dorsey said the platform was focused on \"conversation health\", with factors such as \"shared attention\" taken into account - Asked whether Twitter's rules were clear, Mr Dorsey said he accepted they were difficult to understand and needed to be \"more approachable\" - Republican Adam Kinzinger asked whether Twitter stored user data in Russia. Mr Dorsey replied that Twitter did not have servers in Russia - Republican Michael Doyle asked explicitly whether Twitter had taken action to censor conservatives. \"No,\" replied Mr Dorsey", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 967, "answer_end": 2270, "text": "Allegations of censorship were fuelled when Twitter added a \"quality filter\" to the platform and its search results. Some users noticed that their tweets no longer appeared in search results and suggested that their content was being hidden, known as a \"shadow ban\". Mr Dorsey told senators that the platform used \"hundreds of signals\" to decide \"what to show, down-rank and filter\". \"We do not shadow-ban anyone based on political ideology,\" he said. He explained that the algorithm had acted on the behaviour of people following accounts - so some politicians were punished for the behaviour of their followers. \"It was unfair\", said Mr Dorsey. \"We corrected it.\" Several senators in the hearing said the investigation was a waste of time. Democrat Paul Sabanes said the hearing had been triggered by \"deep-state conspiracy theories proffered by the president\" while fellow Democrat Jerry McNerney said it was an effort by Republicans to motivate their voters. \"President Trump and many Republicans have peddled conspiracy theories about Twitter and other social media platforms to whip up their base and fundraise,\" said Democrat Frank Pallone. Mr Pallone said Twitter could not be accused of anti-conservative bias while it allowed President Trump to use it for \"juvenile tweets and misinformation\"."}], "question": "What is the Twitter hearing about?", "id": "702_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Chinese businessman arrested in Poland for spying", "date": "11 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Poland's security services say a Chinese businessman and a Polish man, both employed in telecoms, have been arrested for spying. The Chinese national, Wang Weijing, works for Huawei, according to a source with knowledge of the case. The company told the BBC it was aware of the situation and was looking into it. Huawei has faced scrutiny over alleged links to China's intelligence services. Its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou - the daughter of its founder - was arrested in Canada last month and faces extradition to the US on charges of breaking Iran sanctions. The two individuals were arrested in Poland on Tuesday following a lengthy investigation, a spokesman for the security services told the BBC. A person with knowledge of the case confirmed that a Huawei employee called Wang Weijing - also known as Stanislaw Wang - had been arrested but not charged. According to a LinkedIn profile, Mr Wang is a sales director at the firm and worked as an attache at China's embassy in Poland from 2006-11. Stanislaw Zaryn, a spokesperson for Poland's Internal Security Agency (ISA), told Reuters that Mr Wang's arrest \"doesn't have anything to do with the company he works for\". A second man, Piotr D, was a former employee of the country's security services and had been working in telecoms, the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw reports. Polish television reports that Piotr D left Poland's internal security agency (the ABW) following allegations of corruption, but was never formally charged. On Thursday, a Warsaw court agreed to prosecutors' requests to arrest the men for three months. If found guilty of spying, they face up to 10 years in prison. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it was \"highly concerned\" about the arrests. TVP reported that Huawei's office in Poland had been searched by the ABW, along with the offices of mobile provider Orange Polska where Piotr D reportedly worked. Last year, Orange Polska worked with Huawei to roll out next-generation 5G mobile networks in Poland. In a statement, Huawei said it \"complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, and we require every employee to abide by the laws and regulations in the countries where they are based.\" Orange said in a statement that the Polish security services had gathered material related to an employee, but it did not know if the investigation was linked to the employee's professional work. Both men's homes had also been searched during the investigation. Chinese tech giant Huawei is at the centre of several diplomatic rows, most spurred by concerns over security. Under Chinese law, firms are compelled to \"support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work\". Its media-shy founder, Ren Zhengfei, is also a former engineer in China's army and joined the Communist Party in 1978. As a result, critics argue China may be using Huawei as a proxy to help hack attacks, eavesdrop on conversations or gain high-level access to sensitive networks. New Zealand, Australia and the US have all barred the company from involvement in their national 5G networks. It has also become involved in the US-China trade dispute after the arrest last month of chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Her arrest has led to a major diplomatic incident, and two Canadians - former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor - have since been taken into custody in China on charges related to \"national security\". In Europe, Germany says it opposes banning any suppliers from its 5G networks. The UK has not enacted a ban, but British telecom provider BT has said it will not use Huawei equipment in its new 5G network in the UK. Huawei's products are also regularly tested for security flaws by the UK's GCHQ intelligence agency. Huawei has repeatedly denied allegations of secret ties to the Chinese government, and says it has won a quarter of all commercial 5G contracts around the world. \"Despite efforts in some markets to create fear about Huawei and to use politics to interfere with industry growth, we are proud to say that our customers continue to trust us,\" said Ken Hu, the company's rotating chief executive and deputy chair.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 570, "answer_end": 2511, "text": "The two individuals were arrested in Poland on Tuesday following a lengthy investigation, a spokesman for the security services told the BBC. A person with knowledge of the case confirmed that a Huawei employee called Wang Weijing - also known as Stanislaw Wang - had been arrested but not charged. According to a LinkedIn profile, Mr Wang is a sales director at the firm and worked as an attache at China's embassy in Poland from 2006-11. Stanislaw Zaryn, a spokesperson for Poland's Internal Security Agency (ISA), told Reuters that Mr Wang's arrest \"doesn't have anything to do with the company he works for\". A second man, Piotr D, was a former employee of the country's security services and had been working in telecoms, the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw reports. Polish television reports that Piotr D left Poland's internal security agency (the ABW) following allegations of corruption, but was never formally charged. On Thursday, a Warsaw court agreed to prosecutors' requests to arrest the men for three months. If found guilty of spying, they face up to 10 years in prison. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it was \"highly concerned\" about the arrests. TVP reported that Huawei's office in Poland had been searched by the ABW, along with the offices of mobile provider Orange Polska where Piotr D reportedly worked. Last year, Orange Polska worked with Huawei to roll out next-generation 5G mobile networks in Poland. In a statement, Huawei said it \"complies with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, and we require every employee to abide by the laws and regulations in the countries where they are based.\" Orange said in a statement that the Polish security services had gathered material related to an employee, but it did not know if the investigation was linked to the employee's professional work. Both men's homes had also been searched during the investigation."}], "question": "What do we know so far?", "id": "703_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2512, "answer_end": 4205, "text": "Chinese tech giant Huawei is at the centre of several diplomatic rows, most spurred by concerns over security. Under Chinese law, firms are compelled to \"support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work\". Its media-shy founder, Ren Zhengfei, is also a former engineer in China's army and joined the Communist Party in 1978. As a result, critics argue China may be using Huawei as a proxy to help hack attacks, eavesdrop on conversations or gain high-level access to sensitive networks. New Zealand, Australia and the US have all barred the company from involvement in their national 5G networks. It has also become involved in the US-China trade dispute after the arrest last month of chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. Her arrest has led to a major diplomatic incident, and two Canadians - former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor - have since been taken into custody in China on charges related to \"national security\". In Europe, Germany says it opposes banning any suppliers from its 5G networks. The UK has not enacted a ban, but British telecom provider BT has said it will not use Huawei equipment in its new 5G network in the UK. Huawei's products are also regularly tested for security flaws by the UK's GCHQ intelligence agency. Huawei has repeatedly denied allegations of secret ties to the Chinese government, and says it has won a quarter of all commercial 5G contracts around the world. \"Despite efforts in some markets to create fear about Huawei and to use politics to interfere with industry growth, we are proud to say that our customers continue to trust us,\" said Ken Hu, the company's rotating chief executive and deputy chair."}], "question": "Why are there concerns about Huawei?", "id": "703_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Elon Musk wins defamation case over 'pedo guy' tweet about caver", "date": "6 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Elon Musk did not defame a British caver who helped in last year's rescue of trapped Thai schoolboys by calling him a \"pedo guy\", a US jury has found. Vernon Unsworth sought $190m (PS145m) in damages from the Tesla founder, arguing that the tweet damaged his reputation. A public row broke out between the two men over the rescue of 12 boys trapped in a Thai cave in June 2018. Mr Musk told the court this week the phrase \"pedo guy\" was common in South Africa, where he grew up. Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after the jury reached its decision, Mr Musk said: \"My faith in humanity is restored.\" Mr Unsworth's lawyer Lin Wood said their side would leave the court \"with our heads held high\" but that the decision was \"not a good verdict for society\". \"This verdict sends a signal, and one signal only - that you can make any accusation you want to, as vile as it may be and as untrue as it may be, and somebody can get away with it,\" he said. The case had been closely watched as it was seen as testing the legal threshold in the US for defamatory material on social media. Appearing dejected, Mr Unsworth himself added: \"I respect the jury's decision. I'd just like to say my legal team have been absolutely awesome. I came here for a verdict, unfortunately it's not gone the way I expected but I respect the jury's decision and thank them for that.\" Jurors took less than an hour to return their unanimous verdict, following a four-day trial at a federal court in Los Angeles. Jury foreman Joshua Jones said Mr Unsworth's legal team were unable to prove their case and should have focused more on the evidence. \"I think they tried to get our emotions involved in it,\" he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. Mr Unsworth, an experienced 64-year-old cave explorer, splits his time between the UK and Thailand. During the rescue of the young football team, which captured the world's attention, Mr Unsworth helped recruit expert cave divers who were instrumental in freeing the boys safely. Mr Musk sent Tesla engineers and a small submarine to northern Thailand to help with the rescue effort, but the vessel was never used. Instead, he and Mr Unsworth got into a public war of words after the diver branded the offer of help a \"PR stunt\". During an interview with CNN, the diver suggested the billionaire \"stick his submarine where it hurts\". Mr Musk, who now has nearly 30 million followers, responded with a series of tweets about Mr Unsworth - including the one calling him \"pedo guy\". It was later deleted. Reporting from the courtroom One of the smartest moves by Elon Musk's defence was in introducing the concept of \"JDart\", an acronym to describe their client's conduct on Twitter in relation to the infamous \"pedo guy\" tweet. A JDart, lawyer Alex Spiro explained, meant: a Joke that was badly received, therefore Deleted, with an Apology and then Responsive Tweets to move on from the matter. JDart. It's clumsy, for sure, but it meant Mr Spiro could offer the jury here a degree of structure around what before seemed senseless: Mr Musk may have acted foolishly with the J, but he soon \"darted\", which is how you know he wasn't being serious about the allegation. Expect the JDart \"standard\" to be applied again and again, not just in libel trials, but in any arena where social media behaviour is under scrutiny - a parachute for anyone who, in the heat of the moment, says something idiotic online. Testifying over two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mr Musk told the court he did not expect the \"pedo\" tweet to be taken literally. He said that at the time he thought Mr Unsworth was \"just some random creepy guy\" who was \"unrelated to the rescue\". Mr Musk apologised on Twitter and in court for his outburst. Contesting this, Mr Wood cited another now-deleted tweet the billionaire sent to his followers saying: \"Bet ya a signed dollar it's true.\" He also cited an email exchange that Mr Musk had with a Buzzfeed reporter who contacted him for comment on the threat of legal action, where the entrepreneur said: \"Stop defending child rapists.\" Mr Wood said Mr Musk was a \"billionaire bully\" who had \"dropped a nuclear bomb\" on his client, and that the tweet had affected his career and relationships. On Thursday, Mr Unsworth told the court that Mr Musk's tweet had left him feeling \"humiliated\". Reporters in court said the diver appeared on the verge of tears as he told jurors: \"It feels very raw. I feel humiliated. Ashamed. Dirtied. Effectively, from day one, I was given a life sentence without parole. It hurts to talk about it.\" He added: \"I find it disgusting. I find it very hard to even read the word, never mind talk about.\" Alex Spiro, Mr Musk's lawyer, argued that the \"pedo guy\" tweet was an offhand comment made in the course of an argument between the two men, which no-one could be expected to take seriously. \"In arguments you insult people,\" he said. \"There is no bomb. No bomb went off.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1745, "answer_end": 2546, "text": "Mr Unsworth, an experienced 64-year-old cave explorer, splits his time between the UK and Thailand. During the rescue of the young football team, which captured the world's attention, Mr Unsworth helped recruit expert cave divers who were instrumental in freeing the boys safely. Mr Musk sent Tesla engineers and a small submarine to northern Thailand to help with the rescue effort, but the vessel was never used. Instead, he and Mr Unsworth got into a public war of words after the diver branded the offer of help a \"PR stunt\". During an interview with CNN, the diver suggested the billionaire \"stick his submarine where it hurts\". Mr Musk, who now has nearly 30 million followers, responded with a series of tweets about Mr Unsworth - including the one calling him \"pedo guy\". It was later deleted."}], "question": "What was the row about?", "id": "704_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3447, "answer_end": 4956, "text": "Testifying over two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mr Musk told the court he did not expect the \"pedo\" tweet to be taken literally. He said that at the time he thought Mr Unsworth was \"just some random creepy guy\" who was \"unrelated to the rescue\". Mr Musk apologised on Twitter and in court for his outburst. Contesting this, Mr Wood cited another now-deleted tweet the billionaire sent to his followers saying: \"Bet ya a signed dollar it's true.\" He also cited an email exchange that Mr Musk had with a Buzzfeed reporter who contacted him for comment on the threat of legal action, where the entrepreneur said: \"Stop defending child rapists.\" Mr Wood said Mr Musk was a \"billionaire bully\" who had \"dropped a nuclear bomb\" on his client, and that the tweet had affected his career and relationships. On Thursday, Mr Unsworth told the court that Mr Musk's tweet had left him feeling \"humiliated\". Reporters in court said the diver appeared on the verge of tears as he told jurors: \"It feels very raw. I feel humiliated. Ashamed. Dirtied. Effectively, from day one, I was given a life sentence without parole. It hurts to talk about it.\" He added: \"I find it disgusting. I find it very hard to even read the word, never mind talk about.\" Alex Spiro, Mr Musk's lawyer, argued that the \"pedo guy\" tweet was an offhand comment made in the course of an argument between the two men, which no-one could be expected to take seriously. \"In arguments you insult people,\" he said. \"There is no bomb. No bomb went off.\""}], "question": "What else was said at court?", "id": "704_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Netanyahu warns of danger of early Israel election", "date": "18 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned against holding early elections, amid a deepening coalition crisis in his Israeli government. In a live broadcast on Sunday night, Mr Netanyahu said holding a snap election would be \"irresponsible\" because of current security concerns. The crisis began after his defence minister quit last week in opposition to a ceasefire with Gaza militants. Mr Netanyahu is assuming the post, despite internal coalition resistance. \"In such a period you don't topple a government, in such a period you don't go to elections,\" Netanyahu said of recent escalation of tensions in the region. \"We have a whole year until the elections, we are at the height of the battle, and in the midst of a battle, you don't desert. \"In the midst of a battle, you don't play politics. The security of the state is beyond politics, and the security of the state is beyond personal considerations.\" The withdrawal of Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party left the coalition with just a one-seat majority in the Knesset (parliament). Talks between the PM and another coalition rival, Naftali Bennett, to find a way forward ended without agreement on Friday. Mr Bennett has threatened to pull his party Habayit Hayehudi out of the government if he is not appointed the new minister of defence. Mr Bennett's party is the third largest in the coalition. If he pulls out, Mr Netanyahu will be left with an unworkable minority. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party is vital to the governing coalition's survival. Mr Kahlon has also said he does not think the coalition can continue. Under the law, elections are not due until November 2019 at the latest. The current government has been in power since March 2015. It comprises mostly nationalist and religious parties which take a hard line towards dealing with the Palestinians and reject the notion of trading occupied land for peace. All Israeli governments are coalitions because of Israel's system of proportional representation, meaning no single party can govern alone. Although Mr Netanyahu does not want to call early elections, recent polls show he is still a favourite to be prime minister among the electorate, and his Likud party has the most support. However, even if Likud remains the largest party, that does not necessarily mean it will stay in power if other parties can form a coalition without it. Mr Netanyahu has won four elections. If he remains in office past 31 May 2019, he will surpass Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion as the country's longest-serving prime minister. He warned his colleagues on Sunday that \"we know what happens when elements in a right-wing government led to the government being toppled, like in 1992 and in 1999, which brought us the disaster of Oslo [accords with the Palestinians] and the disaster of the [Second] Intifada\". Last Sunday, an undercover Israeli unit was intercepted in Gaza, which is run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. An ensuing firefight, in which Israeli tanks and aircraft opened fire, left seven Palestinian militants and one of the Israeli commandos dead. Hamas unleashed some 460 rockets and mortars at Israel over the next 48 hours - the heaviest barrage since the two sides fought a war in 2014. Israel responded with 160 air strikes, targeting militant sites in Gaza. The violence killed seven more people in Gaza and one in Israel. On Tuesday, Hamas and Israel agreed to cease fire after Egyptian mediation. Mr Lieberman and Mr Bennett both opposed Israel's decision, seeing it as a surrender. Mr Lieberman said it made his position untenable, while Mr Bennett demanded to become defence minister \"so that Israel will go back to winning\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 912, "answer_end": 1680, "text": "The withdrawal of Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party left the coalition with just a one-seat majority in the Knesset (parliament). Talks between the PM and another coalition rival, Naftali Bennett, to find a way forward ended without agreement on Friday. Mr Bennett has threatened to pull his party Habayit Hayehudi out of the government if he is not appointed the new minister of defence. Mr Bennett's party is the third largest in the coalition. If he pulls out, Mr Netanyahu will be left with an unworkable minority. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party is vital to the governing coalition's survival. Mr Kahlon has also said he does not think the coalition can continue. Under the law, elections are not due until November 2019 at the latest."}], "question": "What has triggered this?", "id": "705_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1681, "answer_end": 2859, "text": "The current government has been in power since March 2015. It comprises mostly nationalist and religious parties which take a hard line towards dealing with the Palestinians and reject the notion of trading occupied land for peace. All Israeli governments are coalitions because of Israel's system of proportional representation, meaning no single party can govern alone. Although Mr Netanyahu does not want to call early elections, recent polls show he is still a favourite to be prime minister among the electorate, and his Likud party has the most support. However, even if Likud remains the largest party, that does not necessarily mean it will stay in power if other parties can form a coalition without it. Mr Netanyahu has won four elections. If he remains in office past 31 May 2019, he will surpass Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion as the country's longest-serving prime minister. He warned his colleagues on Sunday that \"we know what happens when elements in a right-wing government led to the government being toppled, like in 1992 and in 1999, which brought us the disaster of Oslo [accords with the Palestinians] and the disaster of the [Second] Intifada\"."}], "question": "If elections are called, what will it mean?", "id": "705_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2860, "answer_end": 3709, "text": "Last Sunday, an undercover Israeli unit was intercepted in Gaza, which is run by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. An ensuing firefight, in which Israeli tanks and aircraft opened fire, left seven Palestinian militants and one of the Israeli commandos dead. Hamas unleashed some 460 rockets and mortars at Israel over the next 48 hours - the heaviest barrage since the two sides fought a war in 2014. Israel responded with 160 air strikes, targeting militant sites in Gaza. The violence killed seven more people in Gaza and one in Israel. On Tuesday, Hamas and Israel agreed to cease fire after Egyptian mediation. Mr Lieberman and Mr Bennett both opposed Israel's decision, seeing it as a surrender. Mr Lieberman said it made his position untenable, while Mr Bennett demanded to become defence minister \"so that Israel will go back to winning\"."}], "question": "What led to the crisis?", "id": "705_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Sanchi: Burning tanker off Chinese coast 'in danger of exploding'", "date": "8 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "There are fears of an environmental disaster in the East China Sea as a tanker continues leaking oil two days after colliding with a cargo ship. Chinese officials have told state media the Sanchi is in danger of exploding and sinking. Rescuers trying to reach the burning tanker were beaten back by toxic clouds, the transport ministry says. The body of one crewman, among the 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis on board, has been found. The rest are missing. The Panama-flagged Sanchi was bringing its cargo of oil from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal, carrying grain from the US, in the East China Sea. The incident occurred about 260km (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai. The collision, in the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta, occurred on Saturday evening. The exact cause of the collision is not yet known. The tanker, run by Iran's leading oil shipping operator, has on board 136,000 tonnes of condensate, which is an ultra-light version of crude oil. That is about one million barrels and at current prices is worth roughly $60m (PS44m). The Sanchi will also be carrying a certain amount of heavy - and toxic - shipping fuel. Condensate is very different from the black crude that is often seen in oil spills. It exists in gas form within high-pressure oil reservoirs and liquefies once extracted. It is highly toxic, low in density and considerably more explosive than regular crude oil. Condensate, which does not need the heavy refining process of denser crude, creates products such as jet fuel, petrol, diesel and heating fuel. Condensate is certainly toxic. It is much lighter in colour and odour than heavy crudes, potentially making it a lot harder to detect and contain. Simon Boxall, of the National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton, told the BBC there was another difference: \"It's not like crude, which does break down under natural microbial action; this stuff actually kills the microbes that break the oil down.\" It cannot be picked off the surface like heavy crude. Dr Boxall said the best hope was to put out the fire and stop the ship from sinking. \"If she sinks with a lot of cargo intact, then you have a time bomb on the sea bed which will slowly release the condensate.\" He added: \"There could be a long-term exclusion of fishing for many hundreds of kilometres in this area.\" The Sanchi was still ablaze on Monday morning. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said weather conditions were \"not that favourable for search and rescue work\". There are no signs of survivors among the 32-strong crew, although the 21 Chinese nationals on the grain freighter were rescued. China has sent several ships to carry out search-and-rescue operations, while South Korea helped with a coast guard ship and a helicopter. The US Navy also sent a military aircraft to help with the rescue efforts. It is impossible to say at this point because it is unknown how much oil has been, or will be, spilled. The Sanchi's one million barrels is about 35 million gallons. Even if all of it spilled, it would be less than the major ship disasters listed below, but more than three times the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, which is considered one of the world's worst environmental disasters. So, how much the spill affects the environment depends on the location where it occurred. The Atlantic Empress incident listed below - the record spill from ships - saw little oil reach coastlines. There are also a lot of different types of spill. Arguably the worst was the deliberate release of up to 500 million gallons by the Iraqis in January 1991 during the Gulf War. The resultant slick covered some 10,300 sq km (4,000 sq miles). As far as ships are concerned: - The Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain collided off Trinidad and Tobago in 1979. The Atlantic Empress exploded and 26 crew members died. The 90 million gallon oil spill is a record from ships - The ABT Summer exploded off Angola in 1991, spilling about 80 million gallons over 200 sq km - The Castillo de Bellver caught fire and broke apart off Cape Town, spilling 78 million gallons - The Amoco Cadiz spilled almost 69 million gallons after running aground off Brittany in France in 1978 - The Torrey Canyon hit a reef off Cornwall, England, in 1967, spilling 36 million gallons of crude and affecting almost 200 miles of coastline - The Exxon Valdez only spilled 11 million gallons in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1989 but was a major environmental disaster", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 458, "answer_end": 868, "text": "The Panama-flagged Sanchi was bringing its cargo of oil from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal, carrying grain from the US, in the East China Sea. The incident occurred about 260km (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai. The collision, in the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta, occurred on Saturday evening. The exact cause of the collision is not yet known."}], "question": "Where, how and when did the accident happen?", "id": "706_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 869, "answer_end": 1596, "text": "The tanker, run by Iran's leading oil shipping operator, has on board 136,000 tonnes of condensate, which is an ultra-light version of crude oil. That is about one million barrels and at current prices is worth roughly $60m (PS44m). The Sanchi will also be carrying a certain amount of heavy - and toxic - shipping fuel. Condensate is very different from the black crude that is often seen in oil spills. It exists in gas form within high-pressure oil reservoirs and liquefies once extracted. It is highly toxic, low in density and considerably more explosive than regular crude oil. Condensate, which does not need the heavy refining process of denser crude, creates products such as jet fuel, petrol, diesel and heating fuel."}], "question": "Why is the Sanchi's oil so dangerous?", "id": "706_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1597, "answer_end": 2382, "text": "Condensate is certainly toxic. It is much lighter in colour and odour than heavy crudes, potentially making it a lot harder to detect and contain. Simon Boxall, of the National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton, told the BBC there was another difference: \"It's not like crude, which does break down under natural microbial action; this stuff actually kills the microbes that break the oil down.\" It cannot be picked off the surface like heavy crude. Dr Boxall said the best hope was to put out the fire and stop the ship from sinking. \"If she sinks with a lot of cargo intact, then you have a time bomb on the sea bed which will slowly release the condensate.\" He added: \"There could be a long-term exclusion of fishing for many hundreds of kilometres in this area.\""}], "question": "So is it bad for the environment?", "id": "706_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2383, "answer_end": 2894, "text": "The Sanchi was still ablaze on Monday morning. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said weather conditions were \"not that favourable for search and rescue work\". There are no signs of survivors among the 32-strong crew, although the 21 Chinese nationals on the grain freighter were rescued. China has sent several ships to carry out search-and-rescue operations, while South Korea helped with a coast guard ship and a helicopter. The US Navy also sent a military aircraft to help with the rescue efforts."}], "question": "How is the rescue going?", "id": "706_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil: Amazon land defender killed by illegal loggers", "date": "2 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A young indigenous land defender has been shot dead and another wounded by illegal loggers in Brazil's Amazon. Paulo Paulino Guajajara was reportedly attacked and shot in the head while hunting on Friday inside the Arariboia reservation in Maranhao state. He was a member of Guardians of the Forest, a group formed to combat logging gangs in the area. The killing increases concerns about escalating violence against Amazon forest protectors. Non-profit group Survival International, which advocates for isolated communities, says at least three Guardians have previously been killed, along with many of their relatives. In September, an official who had worked to protect indigenous people was murdered in the city of Tabatinga. Brazil's populist President Jair Bolsonaro has drawn intense domestic and international criticism for failing to protect the Guardians' territory in the eastern Amazon region. He has often stated support for farmers and loggers working in the area, while criticising environmental campaigners and slashing the budget of the Brazil's environmental agency. Brazil's justice minister Sergio Moro said federal police were investigating the incident. \"We will spare no effort to bring those responsible for this serious crime to justice,\" he tweeted. Authorities say he was shot in the head during an ambush by illegal loggers who had invaded the reservation. Another indigenous man, Tainaky Tenetehar, was injured in the attack. Brazilian police said one of the loggers was also killed in a subsequent shootout. Brazil's pan-indigenous organization APIB said Paulo Paulino Guajajara's body was still lying in the forest where he was gunned down. The APIB, which represents many of Brazil's 900,000 indigenous people, said Mr Bolsonaro's government had serious questions to answer. \"The Bolsonaro government has indigenous blood on its hands,\" it said in a statement. \"The increase in violence in indigenous territories is a direct result of his hateful speeches and steps taken against our people.\" The land defender, who was in his late twenties and had a son, was a Guajajara leader. The Guajajaras are one of Brazil's largest indigenous groups with some 20,000 people. In 2012, they started the Guardians of the Forest to protect the Arariboia Indigenous Territory. \"I'm scared at times, but we have to lift up our heads and act. We are here fighting,\" he told Reuters news agency this year. \"There is so much destruction of nature happening, good trees with wood as hard as steel being cut down and taken away,\" he added. \"We have to preserve this life for our children's future.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1276, "answer_end": 1671, "text": "Authorities say he was shot in the head during an ambush by illegal loggers who had invaded the reservation. Another indigenous man, Tainaky Tenetehar, was injured in the attack. Brazilian police said one of the loggers was also killed in a subsequent shootout. Brazil's pan-indigenous organization APIB said Paulo Paulino Guajajara's body was still lying in the forest where he was gunned down."}], "question": "What happened to Paulo Paulino Guajajara?", "id": "707_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2025, "answer_end": 2610, "text": "The land defender, who was in his late twenties and had a son, was a Guajajara leader. The Guajajaras are one of Brazil's largest indigenous groups with some 20,000 people. In 2012, they started the Guardians of the Forest to protect the Arariboia Indigenous Territory. \"I'm scared at times, but we have to lift up our heads and act. We are here fighting,\" he told Reuters news agency this year. \"There is so much destruction of nature happening, good trees with wood as hard as steel being cut down and taken away,\" he added. \"We have to preserve this life for our children's future.\""}], "question": "Who was Paulo Paulino Guajajara?", "id": "707_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Robert Kraft: New England Patriots owner charged in sex sting", "date": "22 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The billionaire owner of the New England Patriots has been charged with soliciting prostitution in a Florida massage parlour, police say. Robert Kraft, 77, is accused of two misdemeanour charges in Jupiter. He has denied the allegation. The owner of the Super Bowl-winning franchise allegedly paid for sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in the beach resort, police said. Mr Kraft's net worth is estimated at $6.6bn (PS5bn). The tycoon was snared as part of a human-trafficking sting operation in Jupiter about a month ago, said police. Jupiter Police chief Daniel Kerr said at a press conference on Friday that the charges stem from \"two different visits\" to the spa, resulting in two counts of \"soliciting another to commit prostitution\". A spokesperson for Mr Kraft said in a statement to the BBC: \"We categorically deny that Mr Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. \"Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.\" The NFL said it is \"aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments\". The spa was among 10 closed by authorities after a months-long investigation found women there were in \"sexual servitude\", according to charging documents. A detective told TCPalm.com that the alleged sex acts were captured on surveillance camera. The Orchids of Asia website lists \"a variety of massage modalities\"- including Thai, Swedish and Japanese massage, facials and reflexology - offered in \"private, quiet and clean rooms\". Police say the average cost of a one-hour visit to the spa is $79. Mr Kerr said it was a surprise to learn the billionaire had attended the parlour, which is located in a row of shops beside a nail salon, a surf shop, a video-game store and a Thai restaurant. \"We are as equally stunned as everyone else,\" the police chief told reporters. The spa's owner, Hua Zhang, 58, was arrested on Tuesday on various prostitution-related charges and is being held on a $278,000 bond. Orchids of Asia manager Lei Wang was also arrested on Tuesday and made her first court appearance on Thursday. The 39-year-old, who required a Mandarin interpreter in court, was deemed a flight risk and ordered to hand over her travel documents from China and the US, the Palm Beach Post reported. Her bail was set at $256,000, and the judge noted she could only post bond by proving the money did not come from any illegal activities. The spa owner was issued the same conditions for her bond. The two women are accused of operating the spa's trafficking and prostitution ring. Several men reportedly told police the spa manager was the one they paid for illicit services, according to the Post. Warrants have been issued for over 170 people who were swept up in the dragnet, police say. Twenty-five people will be charged with prostitution, according to police. He is the head of the Kraft Group, which has investments from sports to real estate. Mr Kraft bought the Patriots for $172m in January 1994. Under his 25 years of ownership the NFL team has played in 10 Super Bowls and won six championships. He has four sons. His wife Myra died in 2011. Since 2012, Mr Kraft has been in an on-and-off relationship with 39-year-old actress Ricki Lander. A longtime friend of US President Donald Trump, he told the New York Daily News in 2017 how Mr Trump attended his wife's funeral. \"He called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out,\" Mr Kraft told the newspaper. Mr Trump on Friday said the allegations were \"very sad\". \"I was very surprised to see it,\" he told reporters in the Oval Office. \"He's proclaimed his innocence totally, but I'm very surprised to see it.\" The NFL owner's friendship with Mr Trump, a Republican, has irked some fans in liberal Massachusetts, where the Patriots are based at Gillette Stadium. A prolific philanthropist, he and his late wife have donated over $400m to various causes, according to his organisation. in donations for various causes.Though a Democratic donor, he contributed $1m to Mr Trump's inaugural committee in 2016, according to federal election records. Speaking to Fox News earlier this month, Mr Kraft said the president was \"working very hard to serve the best interests of the country\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1060, "answer_end": 2830, "text": "The spa was among 10 closed by authorities after a months-long investigation found women there were in \"sexual servitude\", according to charging documents. A detective told TCPalm.com that the alleged sex acts were captured on surveillance camera. The Orchids of Asia website lists \"a variety of massage modalities\"- including Thai, Swedish and Japanese massage, facials and reflexology - offered in \"private, quiet and clean rooms\". Police say the average cost of a one-hour visit to the spa is $79. Mr Kerr said it was a surprise to learn the billionaire had attended the parlour, which is located in a row of shops beside a nail salon, a surf shop, a video-game store and a Thai restaurant. \"We are as equally stunned as everyone else,\" the police chief told reporters. The spa's owner, Hua Zhang, 58, was arrested on Tuesday on various prostitution-related charges and is being held on a $278,000 bond. Orchids of Asia manager Lei Wang was also arrested on Tuesday and made her first court appearance on Thursday. The 39-year-old, who required a Mandarin interpreter in court, was deemed a flight risk and ordered to hand over her travel documents from China and the US, the Palm Beach Post reported. Her bail was set at $256,000, and the judge noted she could only post bond by proving the money did not come from any illegal activities. The spa owner was issued the same conditions for her bond. The two women are accused of operating the spa's trafficking and prostitution ring. Several men reportedly told police the spa manager was the one they paid for illicit services, according to the Post. Warrants have been issued for over 170 people who were swept up in the dragnet, police say. Twenty-five people will be charged with prostitution, according to police."}], "question": "What do we know about the investigation?", "id": "708_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2831, "answer_end": 4259, "text": "He is the head of the Kraft Group, which has investments from sports to real estate. Mr Kraft bought the Patriots for $172m in January 1994. Under his 25 years of ownership the NFL team has played in 10 Super Bowls and won six championships. He has four sons. His wife Myra died in 2011. Since 2012, Mr Kraft has been in an on-and-off relationship with 39-year-old actress Ricki Lander. A longtime friend of US President Donald Trump, he told the New York Daily News in 2017 how Mr Trump attended his wife's funeral. \"He called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out,\" Mr Kraft told the newspaper. Mr Trump on Friday said the allegations were \"very sad\". \"I was very surprised to see it,\" he told reporters in the Oval Office. \"He's proclaimed his innocence totally, but I'm very surprised to see it.\" The NFL owner's friendship with Mr Trump, a Republican, has irked some fans in liberal Massachusetts, where the Patriots are based at Gillette Stadium. A prolific philanthropist, he and his late wife have donated over $400m to various causes, according to his organisation. in donations for various causes.Though a Democratic donor, he contributed $1m to Mr Trump's inaugural committee in 2016, according to federal election records. Speaking to Fox News earlier this month, Mr Kraft said the president was \"working very hard to serve the best interests of the country\"."}], "question": "Who is Robert Kraft?", "id": "708_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Police fire tear gas at demonstrators", "date": "21 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Riot police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Hong Kong following a large pro-democracy rally in the city. Officers charged demonstrators who threw objects at police lines. The clashes came after marchers ignored a designated finish line, continuing on to China's central government offices and throwing eggs at the building. Organisers of Sunday's protest say more than 430,000 people took part but police put the figure at 138,000. Mass protests have been held for weeks, initially over an extradition deal with mainland China but now covering other issues on democracy in Hong Kong. Late on Sunday, riot police equipped with masks and shields were seen swarming towards protesters close to a ferry terminal on the main island. Images outside of the liaison office, China's central government building, show signs covered in graffiti. One of the slogans reads: \"You taught us peaceful marches are useless.\" Some protesters also covered the CCTV cameras outside a police station with spray paint. A number of pro-democracy protesters were later attacked by masked men inside Yuen Long metro station in the north of Hong Kong. Video footage from the scene show the group hitting people with sticks. At least 36 people were taken to hospital following the incident, local media reports. The latest rally was put on edge after a huge haul of explosives was found along with protest leaflets. On Saturday, a counter-rally in support of the police and against protest violence drew tens of thousands. Tear-gas, rubber bullets, the trashing of parliament by protesters and sporadic clashes have created the worst crisis in the territory's recent history. The Hong Kong government has since suspended trying to pursue the extradition bill. The former British colony is part of China but run under a \"one country, two systems\" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a legal system that is independent from mainland China. Sunday's protests marked the seventh consecutive weekend of mass demonstrations in Hong Kong. The protest route was altered with protesters told to stop at Wan Chai rather than Central, where the key government offices are located. Some 4,000 police officers were deployed. Bonnie Leung from the Civil Human Rights Front urged Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to \"stop turning a deaf ear to the Hong Kong people's demands\". She told reporters after the march: \"Carrie Lam really needs to respond and I hope we will see that soon.\" Previous marches have also largely been peaceful, but have sparked violence on the fringes. Last weekend's protests left 28 people, including 13 police officers, injured. Hong Kong police are still investigating. Three men are under arrest. Officers discovered the haul when they entered an industrial building in the Tsuen Wan district on Friday evening. They said they found 2kg (4.4lb) of the highly volatile TATP, as well as 10 petrol bombs, acidic substances, weapons including knives and metal rods, and gas masks and goggles. There were also banners and leaflets opposing the extradition bill and a T-shirt bearing the logo of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Front group. It took place in the central Hong Kong district of Admiralty on Saturday, attracting 103,000 people according to police, but more than 300,000 according to organisers. It was themed \"Safeguard Hong Kong\". The South China Morning Post said attendees included locals, mainland immigrants, members of ethnic minorities and visitors from across the border. The rally, which won coverage in Chinese state media, focused on support for the police and condemnation of the violence that has marred pro-democracy rallies. Views differed, however, on how the Hong Kong government had tackled the crisis. They were sparked by the proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who spoke out against the Chinese government. The Hong Kong government suspended the bill, but this has not halted the demonstrations, which now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns that freedoms are being eroded.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2677, "answer_end": 3192, "text": "Hong Kong police are still investigating. Three men are under arrest. Officers discovered the haul when they entered an industrial building in the Tsuen Wan district on Friday evening. They said they found 2kg (4.4lb) of the highly volatile TATP, as well as 10 petrol bombs, acidic substances, weapons including knives and metal rods, and gas masks and goggles. There were also banners and leaflets opposing the extradition bill and a T-shirt bearing the logo of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Front group."}], "question": "Is the explosives find linked?", "id": "709_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3193, "answer_end": 3786, "text": "It took place in the central Hong Kong district of Admiralty on Saturday, attracting 103,000 people according to police, but more than 300,000 according to organisers. It was themed \"Safeguard Hong Kong\". The South China Morning Post said attendees included locals, mainland immigrants, members of ethnic minorities and visitors from across the border. The rally, which won coverage in Chinese state media, focused on support for the police and condemnation of the violence that has marred pro-democracy rallies. Views differed, however, on how the Hong Kong government had tackled the crisis."}], "question": "What was the counter-protest about?", "id": "709_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3787, "answer_end": 4235, "text": "They were sparked by the proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who spoke out against the Chinese government. The Hong Kong government suspended the bill, but this has not halted the demonstrations, which now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns that freedoms are being eroded."}], "question": "How did the protests start?", "id": "709_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Virginia gun rally: Authorities gear up for unrest in Richmond", "date": "20 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pro-gun campaigners are gathering in the US city of Richmond for a rally that the Virginia authorities fear could turn violent. State governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency ahead of the protest, banning firearms from the area around the Capitol building. The Lobby Day rally is an annual event, but several gun-control bills passed in January by the Democrat-led Virginia legislature - in a state where gun rights have historically been permissive - have angered gun owners and activists. The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group which organised the rally, said it expected as many as 50,000 people. Many of the buses laid on from neighbouring states were sold out before the weekend. Various groups including armed militia, right-wing extremists and local Antifa, or anti-fascist movement, were expected to attend. Christian Yingling, who led the Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia during the violent clashes in Charlottesville in 2017, told the BBC he was hoping for a big turnout. \"I'd like to see a lot of people, I really would. I know from chatter online that a lot of militia types are coming in from some distance... Texas, Illinois, elsewhere,\" he said. He said he hoped the rally would pass peacefully but feared it would not - \"I think there's enormous potential for something to go wrong.\" On Sunday night, at a rural community hall about 20 miles south of Richmond, dozens of people from different militia groups gathered to talk about tactics for the following day and about the broader threat to gun rights they saw in Virginia. When Greg Trojan, one of the founders of the VCDL, asked how many people had travelled in from outside the state, more than half raised their hands. Many at the meeting said they hoped for a peaceful day. Some said they anticipated violence. \"I'm dreading it. Because I was in Charlottesville, I was at the Boston free speech rally. I see what it can be and that's what I dread,\" said Tammy Lee, a militia organiser from Oklahoma. \"There's a lot of angry people coming. There's a lot of uneducated people coming. It's going to be volatile. I pray I'm wrong, but I don't think so.\" Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was a frequent target for his spending on gun control efforts. So was the state governor Mr Northam - \"Don't let the evil bastard win,\" said Mr Trojan, rounding off a speech to the room. Cory Kepner, who travelled down from Pennsylvania, said he would go the rally, armed with his handgun, but hoped it would be peaceful. \"I'm more of a thinker than a run into trouble type of guy,\" he said. President Donald Trump risked ratcheting up tensions when he tweeted on Saturday: \"Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. That's what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away.\" The ban on guns around the Richmond Capitol building was challenged by gun rights groups but upheld by state Supreme Court over the weekend, and the organisers, the VCDL, called for \"10,000 patriots\" to hand their guns to someone else and enter the Capitol unarmed. The Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions over the city, making it illegal to fly planes or drones. Virginia's legislature, which the Democrats won control of in November, has approved three gun control bills. These would: - Prohibit the purchase of more than one handgun per month - Allow local governments to ban guns in parks and public buildings - Require background checks on all firearms purchases Governor Northam, who has made gun control a top priority of his administration, said he hoped to pass all three measures. The FBI announced last week it had arrested seven members of a neo-Nazi extremist group known as The Base, at least three of whom planned to travel to the rally on Monday. The arrests underscored the extent to which the Lobby Day rally had been seized upon by far-right extremists. Some of those groups, including The Base, explicitly state their aim as inciting a race war in the US. Megan Squires, an expert in online extremism from Elon University in North Carolina, said the open talk of inciting violence in extremist online chat groups had suddenly quietened down in the wake of the FBI arrests. \"In December, when this event was announced, those types of groups were very excited about this event - calling it the boogaloo and saying it was going to kick off the race war,\" she said. \"But about 48 hours ago the tenor in those Telegram groups shifted considerably, and I think that's because of the seven arrests.\" The event has been compared to the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017, where a 32-year-old counter protester was killed by a rally goer and violent clashes broke out around the city between rally-goers and Antifa. But the local Virginia Antifa chapter and other left-wing groups indicated they intended to march with the pro-gun protesters on Monday, rather than against them - seemingly reducing the likelihood of violent clashes. The rally will take place on Martin Luther King Day - a public holiday in honour of the civil rights leader. In Richmond, police set up chain-link barriers around the Capitol in anticipation of the crowds and roads were closed off. Anyone attempting to enter the area around the Capitol will have to pass through a metal detector. Mr Yingling said he thought the sheer number of firearms present would act as a deterrent to anyone minded to act violently. \"When you have that many guns floating around, people tend to act respectful\", he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3244, "answer_end": 3670, "text": "Virginia's legislature, which the Democrats won control of in November, has approved three gun control bills. These would: - Prohibit the purchase of more than one handgun per month - Allow local governments to ban guns in parks and public buildings - Require background checks on all firearms purchases Governor Northam, who has made gun control a top priority of his administration, said he hoped to pass all three measures."}], "question": "What are the proposed gun laws?", "id": "710_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Boris Johnson's Brexit policy 'unacceptable' - EU negotiator", "date": "25 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Top European officials have rebuffed the Brexit policy of Boris Johnson after his first speech to UK MPs. The new prime minister said he was committed to \"getting rid\" of the Irish border backstop, which has long been a bone of contention in negotiations. The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said removing the backstop guarantee was unacceptable. Mr Johnson also spoke on the phone with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Mr Juncker reiterated the EU's position that the already-negotiated withdrawal agreement was the best one possible - though he said the commission would be available over the coming weeks if the UK wanted to hold talks. Boris Johnson gave his first statement in the House of Commons since becoming prime minister, and set out his position on Brexit, which he has promised to complete by 31 October. The backstop is a key piece of the deal negotiated by his predecessor's government, dictating what will happen to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is a last resort that guarantees a frictionless border if no better solution is devised in time - by maintaining close ties between the UK and the EU until such a solution is found. \"No country that values its independence, and indeed its self-respect, could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and self-government as this backstop does,\" Mr Johnson said. Responding to questions from MPs, he said he was committed to \"getting rid\" of the backstop, describing it as \"divisive\" and \"anti-democratic\". \"[It] poses that appalling choice to the British government and the British people - to the United Kingdom - of losing control of our trade, losing control of our regulation or else surrendering the government of the United Kingdom,\" he added. After the speech, Mr Barnier sent a note to European leaders, repeating the EU's position that getting rid of the backstop was  \"of course unacceptable\", and labelling Mr Johnson's speech \"rather combative\". But he added that despite disagreements over the backstop, the EU was prepared to \"work constructively, within our own mandate\", and was prepared to analyse \"any UK idea on withdrawal issues that are compatible with the existing withdrawal agreement\". Concerning the possibility of a no deal, he said it would not be \"the EU's choice\" but \"we have to be ready for a situation where he [Mr Johnson] gives priority to the planning for 'no deal', partly to heap pressure on the unity of the EU27.\" \"In any case, what remains essential on our side is to remain calm, stick to our principles and guidelines and show solidarity and unity of the 27.\" He added that he would \"remain available throughout the summer for talks with the UK\". Downing Street did not respond directly to Mr Barnier's comments, but the prime minister's official spokesman said the PM would be \"energetic in the pursuit\" of a deal. But he added that Theresa May's withdrawal agreement had \"been rejected three times\" by MPs and was \"clearly not acceptable to them\". However, at a news conference in County Donegal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, \"without the backstop there is no withdrawal agreement, there's no transition phase, there's no implementation phase, and there will be no free trade agreement until all those matters are resolved\". Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is coming under pressure from one of his own MPs to introduce a law guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. The prime minister said EU citizens would have \"absolute certainty\" of their right to live and remain in the country. Alberto Costa - who resigned as a parliamentary aide over the issue - welcomed the statement, but said the promise should be \"underpinned by law\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 666, "answer_end": 1796, "text": "Boris Johnson gave his first statement in the House of Commons since becoming prime minister, and set out his position on Brexit, which he has promised to complete by 31 October. The backstop is a key piece of the deal negotiated by his predecessor's government, dictating what will happen to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is a last resort that guarantees a frictionless border if no better solution is devised in time - by maintaining close ties between the UK and the EU until such a solution is found. \"No country that values its independence, and indeed its self-respect, could agree to a treaty which signed away our economic independence and self-government as this backstop does,\" Mr Johnson said. Responding to questions from MPs, he said he was committed to \"getting rid\" of the backstop, describing it as \"divisive\" and \"anti-democratic\". \"[It] poses that appalling choice to the British government and the British people - to the United Kingdom - of losing control of our trade, losing control of our regulation or else surrendering the government of the United Kingdom,\" he added."}], "question": "What did the prime minister say?", "id": "711_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1797, "answer_end": 3738, "text": "After the speech, Mr Barnier sent a note to European leaders, repeating the EU's position that getting rid of the backstop was  \"of course unacceptable\", and labelling Mr Johnson's speech \"rather combative\". But he added that despite disagreements over the backstop, the EU was prepared to \"work constructively, within our own mandate\", and was prepared to analyse \"any UK idea on withdrawal issues that are compatible with the existing withdrawal agreement\". Concerning the possibility of a no deal, he said it would not be \"the EU's choice\" but \"we have to be ready for a situation where he [Mr Johnson] gives priority to the planning for 'no deal', partly to heap pressure on the unity of the EU27.\" \"In any case, what remains essential on our side is to remain calm, stick to our principles and guidelines and show solidarity and unity of the 27.\" He added that he would \"remain available throughout the summer for talks with the UK\". Downing Street did not respond directly to Mr Barnier's comments, but the prime minister's official spokesman said the PM would be \"energetic in the pursuit\" of a deal. But he added that Theresa May's withdrawal agreement had \"been rejected three times\" by MPs and was \"clearly not acceptable to them\". However, at a news conference in County Donegal, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said, \"without the backstop there is no withdrawal agreement, there's no transition phase, there's no implementation phase, and there will be no free trade agreement until all those matters are resolved\". Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is coming under pressure from one of his own MPs to introduce a law guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens living in the UK. The prime minister said EU citizens would have \"absolute certainty\" of their right to live and remain in the country. Alberto Costa - who resigned as a parliamentary aide over the issue - welcomed the statement, but said the promise should be \"underpinned by law\"."}], "question": "How did the EU react?", "id": "711_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Just how low can oil prices go and who is hardest hit?", "date": "18 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Oil prices have fallen again, sinking below $28 a barrel. The price of Brent crude fell to $27.67 a barrel at one point, its lowest since 2003, while US crude fell as low as $28.36. Many analysts have slashed their 2016 oil price forecasts, with Morgan Stanley analysts saying that \"oil in the $20s is possible\", if China devalues its currency further. Economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland say that oil could fall to $16, while Standard Chartered predicts that prices could hit just $10 a barrel. What are the factors have caused the price to sink below $30 a barrel - and what could spark a recovery? In a nutshell, it's down to too much supply and too little demand. China's economic slowdown has curbed appetite for commodities in general, while Saudi Arabia, which produces a third of the Opec cartel's output, is keener on preserving its market share than it is on cutting production to boost prices. At the same time, the rise of the US as a shale oil producer means it now imports less oil, adding to the glut on world markets. This makes life harder for other non-US, non-Opec producers, who are facing cutbacks, particularly in the North Sea. Big oil companies such as BP, Shell, Total and Exxon Mobil have weathered the storm by cutting back on billions of pounds of investment, and thousands of jobs have been cut. However, Jeremy Batstone-Carr, chief economist at Charles Stanley, warns that further price falls could really start hurting the big firms. The first clue that they are starting to suffer, he suggests, will be cutting dividend payments to investors - something they have avoided so far. Meanwhile, Alan Gelder, of oil analysts Wood Mackenzie, says many North Sea oil operators are \"beginning to really feel the pain\" at current prices. He says firms can just about survive as many North Sea operators have already cut costs. But Mr Gelder warns that \"there is no money left for future investment\". Paul Stevens, professor emeritus at the University of Dundee, and a Middle East specialist, says the price of oil could theoretically fall to as little as $20 to $25 per barrel. Why? It may be an unusual view but he thinks most US shale oil producers can tolerate current oil prices. They may make a small loss - he estimates the cost of production at about $40 a barrel for shale producers - but until the price falls to around $25 a barrel they will keep producing, Prof Stevens says. Mr Gelder, however, does not think many US shale operators can continue production with prices below $50. \"There are some sweet spots in the US where some operators are able to keep production going at lower levels, but it's not economic at under $30,\" he says. There is also another much bigger problem than the future of fracking in the US. \"An awful lot of oil producers can't survive at these levels,\" Mr Gelder says. \"Venezuela, Algeria, Nigeria are facing serious financial problems and political unrest with people out of work and prices rising.\" There is so much oversupply globally that countries are running out of storage. The US, which is thought to have among the largest storage facilities in the world, has nowhere left to keep it, says Prof Stevens. And it's not the only country. \"Storage is pretty much full and people are already talking about buying tankers as floating storage,\" he says. \"But if supply continues to outstrip demand, then the only thing that you can do with the oil is sell it, which inevitably pushes the price down.\" Mr Gelder takes a different view, suggesting it is not entirely clear whether US storage is completely full. \"We know about US and European storage levels, but India and China are strategically storing oil for supply disruptions.\" Mr Batstone-Carr adds:  \"Without a marked reduction in output nothing will change, and we have to wait until June for the next Opec meeting before we might see a reduction in quotas. And all of this comes at a time when economic activity is on the back foot, signalling there's not a lot of demand out there.\" Professor Stevens warns that the collapse in prices is the result of oil being \"freely traded for the first time since 1928\". That, he says, is because Saudi Arabia has decided not to cut production to support prices - unlike during previous oil gluts. It is just over four years since the US imposed sanctions on oil imports from Iran, helping to bolster prices and allowing Saudi Arabia to grab market share that it is now very reluctant to surrender. A report from Wood Mackenzie says that the Saudis would not cut output to make room for Iran, which could begin exporting oil in the next few weeks, according to some sources. \"Unless other producers such as Russia, Iran and Iraq agree to reduce their oil production, Saudi Arabia has consistently stated since the November 2014 Opec meeting, it has no intention of cutting its supply to support oil prices,\" the report says. \"The current ramping up in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran only further confirms our view that Saudi Arabia is unlikely to cut its output to help Iran regain market share.\" Prof Stevens says tensions in the Middle East are \"as high as you could have them without having outright war. I don't think things have been as bad since 1918 and the fall of the Ottoman Empire.\" Such uncertainty normally sparks an oil price spike. But apart from a rise over the New Year, prices have continued to slide. Mr Gelder says most oil traders shrugged off the possibility of Saudi Arabia and Iran squaring up to one another in a way that could seriously affect supplies. And with demand for oil weakening, especially in China and emerging markets, there seems little reason to expect that prices are set to rise any time soon. It means lower petrol prices, although what you pay at the pump may not fully reflect the oil price drop. Bear in mind that excise duty and VAT make up nearly 60% of the price of a litre, and that isn't coming down any time soon. Obviously if people are spending less at the forecourt, they have more money to allocate elsewhere, and that is a potential boost to the economy. However, if petrol-driven cars cost less to run, that means there's less incentive to invest in alternatives, such as electric vehicles, so in the long run, low petrol prices could be bad for the environment. Additional reporting by Tom Espiner.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 606, "answer_end": 1155, "text": "In a nutshell, it's down to too much supply and too little demand. China's economic slowdown has curbed appetite for commodities in general, while Saudi Arabia, which produces a third of the Opec cartel's output, is keener on preserving its market share than it is on cutting production to boost prices. At the same time, the rise of the US as a shale oil producer means it now imports less oil, adding to the glut on world markets. This makes life harder for other non-US, non-Opec producers, who are facing cutbacks, particularly in the North Sea."}], "question": "What are the main reasons behind the fall in prices?", "id": "712_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1156, "answer_end": 1927, "text": "Big oil companies such as BP, Shell, Total and Exxon Mobil have weathered the storm by cutting back on billions of pounds of investment, and thousands of jobs have been cut. However, Jeremy Batstone-Carr, chief economist at Charles Stanley, warns that further price falls could really start hurting the big firms. The first clue that they are starting to suffer, he suggests, will be cutting dividend payments to investors - something they have avoided so far. Meanwhile, Alan Gelder, of oil analysts Wood Mackenzie, says many North Sea oil operators are \"beginning to really feel the pain\" at current prices. He says firms can just about survive as many North Sea operators have already cut costs. But Mr Gelder warns that \"there is no money left for future investment\"."}], "question": "Is North Sea oil production viable at less than $35 a barrel?", "id": "712_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5711, "answer_end": 6332, "text": "It means lower petrol prices, although what you pay at the pump may not fully reflect the oil price drop. Bear in mind that excise duty and VAT make up nearly 60% of the price of a litre, and that isn't coming down any time soon. Obviously if people are spending less at the forecourt, they have more money to allocate elsewhere, and that is a potential boost to the economy. However, if petrol-driven cars cost less to run, that means there's less incentive to invest in alternatives, such as electric vehicles, so in the long run, low petrol prices could be bad for the environment. Additional reporting by Tom Espiner."}], "question": "What does all this mean to me?", "id": "712_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Q&A: Austria parliamentary election", "date": "25 September 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Austrians vote in parliamentary elections on Sunday to deliver their verdict on the six-year \"grand coalition\" between the two main parties. Polls suggest the partnership of Chancellor Werner Faymann's Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party - formed in 2007 and re-elected in 2008 - may just about weather a tough challenge from a trio of right-wing populist, ecologist and free-market parties. Currently the party with the most seats, the Social Democrat party - known by its German acronym SPOe - is focusing on jobs and pensions. It wants a tax on \"millionaires\", tax cuts for low earners and the extension of a bank levy. Its leader, Chancellor Werner Faymann, 53, claims credit for keeping unemployment relatively low through the global economic crisis. The People's Party (OeVP), is campaigning for measures to free businesses from red tape, and opposes new taxes - including the Social Democrats' wealth tax - as a strain on the economy. The second largest party, it hopes to overtake the Social Democrats and install its leader, Michael Spindelegger, 53, currently Mr Faymann's deputy, in the top job. Both parties have dominated Austrian politics since World War II. Unusual elsewhere, \"grand coalitions\" - initially aimed at avoiding Austria's pre-war turbulence - have been in government for 39 of the past 68 years. However, a series of scandals and perceived inertia have eroded their combined share of the vote from 90% in the 1980s to just over 50%. The main challenger is the Eurosceptic and anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe). The party, which has hopes of overtaking the People's Party, accuses the traditional duopoly of bloating the public sector, corruption and permitting too much immigration. Critics say the party panders to xenophobia. Between 2000 and 2005, under charismatic far-right leader Joerg Haider, it formed a coalition with the People's Party that was widely condemned by EU leaders. Damaged by the late Haider's 2005 breakaway, its fortunes have since revived under current leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 44, a similarly polarising figure. Also expected to do well are the Greens, led by Eva Glawischnig, 44. In addition to their traditional environment themes, they have sought to capitalise on a funding scandal involving the government parties. A newcomer to Austrian politics is Team Stronach, the brainchild of Austrian-Canadian car-parts billionaire Frank Stronach, 81. Its strongly free-market programme includes demands for a flat tax and the abolition of the euro. The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZOe), the slightly more moderate 2005 breakaway from the Freedom Party led by Josef Bucher, 48, may struggle to get back into parliament. Barring surprises, another grand coalition looks likeliest. Mr Faymann has stated openly that is what he wants, and pollsters say the two leading parties have only an outside chance of losing their majority. While keeping his options open, Mr Spindelegger has said his other possible coalition - with the Freedom Party and Team Stronach - is unrealistic, citing their Eurosceptic policies. A third option - a Social Democrat-Green coalition - looks unlikely to win a majority. Opinion polls have the Social Democrats steady on 26-7% (29% at the last election in 2008), the People's Party on 22-23% (26% in 2008), the Freedom Party on 20-21% (18%) the Greens on 14-15% (10%), the Alliance for the Future of Austria on 2% (11%) and Team Stronach on 7%. The 183 deputies in the National Council- the lower house of parliament - are elected by a complex system of proportional representation, using 39 regional constituencies, Austria's nine federal states and the entire country as electoral districts. The system seeks to closely match the number of parties' seats in parliament to their share of votes cast, provided they reach a minimum hurdle of 4% of the vote. It ensures parties rarely win an absolute majority, and coalitions are needed most of the time. The upper house of parliament, the Federal Council, which represents the federal states, is not involved in this election. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 409, "answer_end": 2707, "text": "Currently the party with the most seats, the Social Democrat party - known by its German acronym SPOe - is focusing on jobs and pensions. It wants a tax on \"millionaires\", tax cuts for low earners and the extension of a bank levy. Its leader, Chancellor Werner Faymann, 53, claims credit for keeping unemployment relatively low through the global economic crisis. The People's Party (OeVP), is campaigning for measures to free businesses from red tape, and opposes new taxes - including the Social Democrats' wealth tax - as a strain on the economy. The second largest party, it hopes to overtake the Social Democrats and install its leader, Michael Spindelegger, 53, currently Mr Faymann's deputy, in the top job. Both parties have dominated Austrian politics since World War II. Unusual elsewhere, \"grand coalitions\" - initially aimed at avoiding Austria's pre-war turbulence - have been in government for 39 of the past 68 years. However, a series of scandals and perceived inertia have eroded their combined share of the vote from 90% in the 1980s to just over 50%. The main challenger is the Eurosceptic and anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPOe). The party, which has hopes of overtaking the People's Party, accuses the traditional duopoly of bloating the public sector, corruption and permitting too much immigration. Critics say the party panders to xenophobia. Between 2000 and 2005, under charismatic far-right leader Joerg Haider, it formed a coalition with the People's Party that was widely condemned by EU leaders. Damaged by the late Haider's 2005 breakaway, its fortunes have since revived under current leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 44, a similarly polarising figure. Also expected to do well are the Greens, led by Eva Glawischnig, 44. In addition to their traditional environment themes, they have sought to capitalise on a funding scandal involving the government parties. A newcomer to Austrian politics is Team Stronach, the brainchild of Austrian-Canadian car-parts billionaire Frank Stronach, 81. Its strongly free-market programme includes demands for a flat tax and the abolition of the euro. The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZOe), the slightly more moderate 2005 breakaway from the Freedom Party led by Josef Bucher, 48, may struggle to get back into parliament."}], "question": "Who is in the running?", "id": "713_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2708, "answer_end": 3458, "text": "Barring surprises, another grand coalition looks likeliest. Mr Faymann has stated openly that is what he wants, and pollsters say the two leading parties have only an outside chance of losing their majority. While keeping his options open, Mr Spindelegger has said his other possible coalition - with the Freedom Party and Team Stronach - is unrealistic, citing their Eurosceptic policies. A third option - a Social Democrat-Green coalition - looks unlikely to win a majority. Opinion polls have the Social Democrats steady on 26-7% (29% at the last election in 2008), the People's Party on 22-23% (26% in 2008), the Freedom Party on 20-21% (18%) the Greens on 14-15% (10%), the Alliance for the Future of Austria on 2% (11%) and Team Stronach on 7%."}], "question": "What is likely to happen?", "id": "713_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3459, "answer_end": 4289, "text": "The 183 deputies in the National Council- the lower house of parliament - are elected by a complex system of proportional representation, using 39 regional constituencies, Austria's nine federal states and the entire country as electoral districts. The system seeks to closely match the number of parties' seats in parliament to their share of votes cast, provided they reach a minimum hurdle of 4% of the vote. It ensures parties rarely win an absolute majority, and coalitions are needed most of the time. The upper house of parliament, the Federal Council, which represents the federal states, is not involved in this election. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "How does the electoral system work?", "id": "713_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Vanuatu denies it will host China military base", "date": "10 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Vanuatu has denied holding talks with Beijing to establish a Chinese military base on its soil. Australia's Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that China had approached Vanuatu to establish a permanent military presence in the South Pacific. The report said China had not made an official proposal, but its possibility had been discussed at \"the highest levels\" in the US and Australia. Vanuatu said it was not interested in hosting foreign military bases. \"No-one in the Vanuatu government has ever talked about a Chinese military base in Vanuatu of any sort,\" Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. \"We are a non-aligned country. We are not interested in militarisation.\" The newspaper report has sparked discussion in Australia, which sits 2,000km (1,240 miles) from Vanuatu, about possible efforts by China to exert influence in the South Pacific. China has not commented on the report. It set up its only overseas military base in Djibouti last year. Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands sitting between Fiji and New Caledonia, has previously backed Beijing's position on the South China Sea. Home to about 250,000 people, the South Pacific nation has faced challenges including poverty and extreme weather events. Fairfax Media reported that Beijing had given the nation \"hundreds of millions of dollars in development money\", and has vowed to build or upgrade three Vanuatu government buildings. The newspaper said that China was likely to seek an initial access agreement that would allow its ships to be serviced and restocked in Vanuatu. Beijing could then expand its presence over time, Fairfax Media said, attributing its information to multiple anonymous sources. The report said officials in Washington and Canberra had discussed the issue, but it did not give details. In rejecting the report, Mr Regenvanu said he was \"not very happy about the standard of reporting in the Australian media\". \"I would hope the upsurge in the paranoia about China in Australia is not used to destroy or denigrate the good relationship Vanuatu has with Australia,\" he said. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was confident that her nation remained \"Vanuatu's strategic partner of choice\". However, she acknowledged that Beijing appeared to be increasing its activity in the Pacific. \"Chinese vessels visited Vanuatu last year as part of a broader visit to the region, but these sorts of visits are normal for many neighbours around the world,\" she said. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her nation was \"opposed to the militarisation of the South Pacific generally\". Despite Vanuatu's denial, security experts say it is feasible that China could attempt to build a military base in a nation such as Vanuatu. Such a move would challenge the influence of the US and its allies Australia and New Zealand, according to Asia-Pacific expert Bates Gill. \"Those relationships as well as the US Navy itself has been the most dominant military and security power in the region for some 70 years,\" Prof Gill, from Sydney's Macquarie University, told the BBC. \"[China] is beginning to shift this long-standing regional dynamic in ways that are causing concern in Canberra and in other regional capitals.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1447, "answer_end": 1827, "text": "The newspaper said that China was likely to seek an initial access agreement that would allow its ships to be serviced and restocked in Vanuatu. Beijing could then expand its presence over time, Fairfax Media said, attributing its information to multiple anonymous sources. The report said officials in Washington and Canberra had discussed the issue, but it did not give details."}], "question": "What did the report say?", "id": "714_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2115, "answer_end": 2635, "text": "Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was confident that her nation remained \"Vanuatu's strategic partner of choice\". However, she acknowledged that Beijing appeared to be increasing its activity in the Pacific. \"Chinese vessels visited Vanuatu last year as part of a broader visit to the region, but these sorts of visits are normal for many neighbours around the world,\" she said. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her nation was \"opposed to the militarisation of the South Pacific generally\"."}], "question": "How have other nations responded?", "id": "714_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2636, "answer_end": 3261, "text": "Despite Vanuatu's denial, security experts say it is feasible that China could attempt to build a military base in a nation such as Vanuatu. Such a move would challenge the influence of the US and its allies Australia and New Zealand, according to Asia-Pacific expert Bates Gill. \"Those relationships as well as the US Navy itself has been the most dominant military and security power in the region for some 70 years,\" Prof Gill, from Sydney's Macquarie University, told the BBC. \"[China] is beginning to shift this long-standing regional dynamic in ways that are causing concern in Canberra and in other regional capitals.\""}], "question": "Who has raised concerns?", "id": "714_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Paris May Day protests: Riot police probed over 'assault' videos", "date": "3 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "French authorities are investigating riot police over three incidents of alleged violence towards May Day protesters in Paris. Videos taken during clashes between police and protesters have been circulating on social media. One appears to show an officer insert a truncheon into a protester's trousers on the Boulevard du Montparnasse. In another an officer is seen slapping a protester while a third shows an officer hurling a paving stone. Inspectors are investigating each incident at the request of Paris police chief Didier Lallement, reports say. Interior minister Christophe Castaner said \"there will be punishment\" if any officers are found to be at fault. He has himself faced calls to resign, after critics said he had spread \"fake news\" in accusing protesters of an \"attack\" on La Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris. The videos were filmed as riot police were faced with May Day protests on Wednesday that involved gilets jaunes (yellow-vest) protesters and far-left \"black-block\" militants as well as traditional union marchers. Journalist David Dufresne, who has highlighted allegations of police violence since the gilets jaunes protests began last year, posted the footage on his Twitter feed. In one video, filmed on the Boulevard du Montparnasse, a protester is surrounded on the ground by CRS riot police and one appears to insert his truncheon inside the back of his trousers. In another incident, a man is slapped twice in the face by an officer while a woman with him is pushed around. When Mr Castaner accused protesters on Thursday of attacking the hospital, hospital managers also spoke of staff having to block protesters at the door of the Pitie-Salpetriere intensive care unit. The large teaching hospital is in the 13th arrondissement (district) in central Paris, near Place d'Italie, where police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators on Wednesday. The minister said on Thursday that \"black block\" anti-capitalist militants were responsible for an \"attack\" on the hospital, where Princess Diana died in 1997. On Friday, Mr Castaner accepted he \"should not have used the term\" attack but maintained that protesters did enter the hospital, and instead called it a \"violent intrusion\". \"I have no problem recognising that I misspoke,\" he told reporters. Edouard Philippe told reporters he had \"confidence\" in Mr Castaner, saying he was \"right\" to correct his initial statement. Hospital director Marie-Anne Ruder told French media on Thursday that protesters - including some with masks and some gilets jaunes - were \"violent and threatening\" when they entered the hospital's grounds. Videos show protesters rushing through the gate closely followed by police. Some climb the outdoor staircase towards the intensive care unit amid an atmosphere of panic, as nurses shout \"this is intensive care\". \"It was more like they were fleeing something,\" said nurse Mikael Matos, who insisted none of the protesters wore a mask. \"We didn't feel attacked or in danger,\" Gwenaelle Bellocq told Le Figaro, adding that while their arrival came as a surprise, the group listened to the medical team very quickly. Police arrested 32 people, all of whom have now been released while investigations continue. Traditionally a union-led day of action in France, the 1 May event was marked by clashes in which protesters smashed shop windows and threw projectiles at the more than 7,000 officers deployed in Paris. They echoed the weekly \"yellow-vests\" protests that have swept France since last November, shaking the government of French President Emmanuel Macron.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1508, "answer_end": 2406, "text": "When Mr Castaner accused protesters on Thursday of attacking the hospital, hospital managers also spoke of staff having to block protesters at the door of the Pitie-Salpetriere intensive care unit. The large teaching hospital is in the 13th arrondissement (district) in central Paris, near Place d'Italie, where police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators on Wednesday. The minister said on Thursday that \"black block\" anti-capitalist militants were responsible for an \"attack\" on the hospital, where Princess Diana died in 1997. On Friday, Mr Castaner accepted he \"should not have used the term\" attack but maintained that protesters did enter the hospital, and instead called it a \"violent intrusion\". \"I have no problem recognising that I misspoke,\" he told reporters. Edouard Philippe told reporters he had \"confidence\" in Mr Castaner, saying he was \"right\" to correct his initial statement."}], "question": "Why is minister under pressure?", "id": "715_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2407, "answer_end": 3573, "text": "Hospital director Marie-Anne Ruder told French media on Thursday that protesters - including some with masks and some gilets jaunes - were \"violent and threatening\" when they entered the hospital's grounds. Videos show protesters rushing through the gate closely followed by police. Some climb the outdoor staircase towards the intensive care unit amid an atmosphere of panic, as nurses shout \"this is intensive care\". \"It was more like they were fleeing something,\" said nurse Mikael Matos, who insisted none of the protesters wore a mask. \"We didn't feel attacked or in danger,\" Gwenaelle Bellocq told Le Figaro, adding that while their arrival came as a surprise, the group listened to the medical team very quickly. Police arrested 32 people, all of whom have now been released while investigations continue. Traditionally a union-led day of action in France, the 1 May event was marked by clashes in which protesters smashed shop windows and threw projectiles at the more than 7,000 officers deployed in Paris. They echoed the weekly \"yellow-vests\" protests that have swept France since last November, shaking the government of French President Emmanuel Macron."}], "question": "What really happened at the hospital?", "id": "715_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia election: Putin ready for 'constructive' dialogue", "date": "19 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Vladimir Putin has said he is open to \"constructive\" dialogue with other states after being re-elected president of Russia with an increased majority. Saying there would be no \"arms race\", he promised to cut defence spending. Congratulating him, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for \"sustainable solutions\" to international challenges without specifying which ones. However, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain with him. Mr Putin officially won more than 76% of the vote in an election from which the main opposition leader was barred. Mr Putin was warmly congratulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping but his strained relations with Western states were clear in Mr Macron's response. In his phone call, the French leader asked for the Russian authorities to \"shed all possible light on who was responsible in relation to the Salisbury attacks\". The UK government has blamed Russia for the poisoning in Salisbury of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia - an allegation Russia rejects. In his conversation with Mr Macron, Mr Putin described the nerve agent allegation as \"unsubstantiated\" and said Russia was willing to hold a joint investigation, the Kremlin said. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One that no congratulatory phone call was scheduled with President Donald Trump, according to Reuters news agency. \"We will work to cultivate the relationship with Russia and we will impose costs when Russia threatens our interests, but we will also look for places to work together when it serves our interests,\" the spokesman added. The head of Mr Putin's campaign team, Andrei Kondrashov, suggested that the \"groundless\" British accusations had encouraged voters to rally around the president. Advocating dialogue with foreign states, he added: \"But of course that doesn't depend on us alone. Just as in love, both sides must show an interest or there will be no love.\" Speaking at a meeting with the defeated presidential candidates, Mr Putin said his top priority was economic growth. Saying that Russia had to further strengthen its defences, he added: \"I would like to tell you straight away that no-one intends to unleash some kind of arms race.\" Mr Putin's boasts about his nuclear arsenal earlier this month, including the presentation of a video animation appearing to show missiles raining down on the US, drew international concern. Fresh from his re-election, he said there were plans to cut the defence budget this year and next. Mr Putin has ruled Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999 but his share of the vote in the last election 2012 was smaller, at 64%. The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was not allowed to stand because of an embezzlement conviction that he said had been manufactured by the Kremlin. Mr Putin's nearest rival, the Communist Party's Pavel Grudinin, won just under 12%. European observers said that while the poll had been conducted efficiently, there was a lack of genuine choice. Video recordings from polling stations showed irregularities in a number of towns and cities across Russia. Several showed election officials stuffing boxes with ballot papers. The independent election monitoring group Golos reported hundreds of irregularities. At least one polling station video camera was obscured. However, Ella Pamfilova, head of the Central Electoral Commission, said there were only half as many reported violations compared to 2012, and that none had been serious. Sunday's vote was also the first in Crimea since Russia seized the region from Ukraine after an unrecognised referendum on self-determination. According to the constitution Mr Putin is required to step down in 2024, but he could change the rules to eliminate term limits. After his win he laughed off a question from a journalist about standing in 2030. Mr Xi said relations between China and Russia were at their \"best level in history\". The leaders of Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba were among others who sent their best wishes. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also congratulated Mr Putin in his re-election, saying he hoped he would use his new term in office to \"counter alienation on our continent and between the peoples of Russia and Germany\". However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was more critical, condemning the holding of the Russian election in Crimea and saying: \"We assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner.\" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent a letter of congratulations which said:  \"I trust that your re-election means a guarantee that the development of our bilateral relations can continue in the upcoming period.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 584, "answer_end": 1784, "text": "Mr Putin was warmly congratulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping but his strained relations with Western states were clear in Mr Macron's response. In his phone call, the French leader asked for the Russian authorities to \"shed all possible light on who was responsible in relation to the Salisbury attacks\". The UK government has blamed Russia for the poisoning in Salisbury of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia - an allegation Russia rejects. In his conversation with Mr Macron, Mr Putin described the nerve agent allegation as \"unsubstantiated\" and said Russia was willing to hold a joint investigation, the Kremlin said. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One that no congratulatory phone call was scheduled with President Donald Trump, according to Reuters news agency. \"We will work to cultivate the relationship with Russia and we will impose costs when Russia threatens our interests, but we will also look for places to work together when it serves our interests,\" the spokesman added. The head of Mr Putin's campaign team, Andrei Kondrashov, suggested that the \"groundless\" British accusations had encouraged voters to rally around the president."}], "question": "What did Macron tell Putin?", "id": "716_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1785, "answer_end": 2532, "text": "Advocating dialogue with foreign states, he added: \"But of course that doesn't depend on us alone. Just as in love, both sides must show an interest or there will be no love.\" Speaking at a meeting with the defeated presidential candidates, Mr Putin said his top priority was economic growth. Saying that Russia had to further strengthen its defences, he added: \"I would like to tell you straight away that no-one intends to unleash some kind of arms race.\" Mr Putin's boasts about his nuclear arsenal earlier this month, including the presentation of a video animation appearing to show missiles raining down on the US, drew international concern. Fresh from his re-election, he said there were plans to cut the defence budget this year and next."}], "question": "What are Putin's other priorities?", "id": "716_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3878, "answer_end": 4715, "text": "Mr Xi said relations between China and Russia were at their \"best level in history\". The leaders of Iran, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba were among others who sent their best wishes. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also congratulated Mr Putin in his re-election, saying he hoped he would use his new term in office to \"counter alienation on our continent and between the peoples of Russia and Germany\". However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was more critical, condemning the holding of the Russian election in Crimea and saying: \"We assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner.\" Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent a letter of congratulations which said:  \"I trust that your re-election means a guarantee that the development of our bilateral relations can continue in the upcoming period.\""}], "question": "What other international reaction has there been?", "id": "716_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Bomb near Pakistan polio centre 'kills 15'", "date": "13 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 15 people have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing outside a polio vaccination centre in the south-western Pakistani city of Quetta. Many of the casualties are thought to have been police guarding the clinic. Armed guards are routine for polio workers in Pakistan, who have been the target of many deadly attacks by Islamist militants in recent years. Militants oppose polio vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where the disease is still endemic. The explosion took place in the morning as polio workers and security staff were reporting for duty before heading out on their vaccination rounds, said Sarfaraz Bugti, a minister in Balochistan province of which Quetta is the capital. Quetta's deputy commissioner, Dawood Khilji, said the death toll had risen to 15, with 14 police officers and one passer-by confirmed dead. About 20 people were injured. One of the police officers who survived the blast said his team had been preparing to leave for various neighbourhoods around Quetta when they were hit. \"Suddenly there was a loud bang and I fell to the ground, I could not see anything, there was dust everywhere,\" said Shabir Ahmed, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his stomach, hands legs and feet. \"Then I heard people screaming and sirens of ambulances,\" he told the AFP news agency. Mr Khilji told the BBC that the polio drive in the province had not been suspended as a result of the attack. This is one of the bloodiest attacks targeting a polio vaccination campaign in the Balochistan region in recent months. It comes in the wake of a sharp fall in militant attacks in Pakistan, mainly caused by a ground offensive the military launched in June 2014 to clear the North Waziristan region of Taliban militants. As such, it serves as a stark reminder that door-to-door polio vaccination continues to be a hazardous occupation. While it is not clear who carried out the attack, Balochistan is torn by an armed separatist conflict, and is said to be home to Afghan Taliban as well as some local armed groups with Islamist leanings who oppose separatists and are therefore known to have backing from some official quarters. The attack comes amid rising political differences among central and provincial politicians over the details of a $46bn economic corridor that China is funding to link its north-western region with Gwadar, a coastal town in Balochistan. There are fears that attacks like this could jeopardise Chinese investment. Pakistan recorded more than 300 polio cases in 2014 - its highest number since 1999. Most of the new infections were in north-west Pakistan, where militants regularly target roving health teams, and health officials blamed the rise in cases on several deadly attacks on police workers that year. The number of cases fell to just over 50 in 2015, largely because vaccination teams could reach areas that were previously off limits because of militancy. The last attack on a polio target in Pakistan is thought to have taken place in north-western Swabi district in November 2015, when the local polio co-ordinator was shot dead by unidentified gunmen. Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous system. It mainly affects children aged under five. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and limb pain. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and between 5-10% of those who suffer paralysis die because their breathing muscles are immobilised. Cases have fallen dramatically since polio eradication programmes were introduced; from 350,000 globally in 1988 to around 70 in 2015. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Nigeria was removed from the list in October after a year with no new cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3205, "answer_end": 3866, "text": "Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous system. It mainly affects children aged under five. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and limb pain. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and between 5-10% of those who suffer paralysis die because their breathing muscles are immobilised. Cases have fallen dramatically since polio eradication programmes were introduced; from 350,000 globally in 1988 to around 70 in 2015. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Nigeria was removed from the list in October after a year with no new cases."}], "question": "What is polio?", "id": "717_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Maymona Abdi and Karima Watts describe Somaliland detention", "date": "3 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two Canadian women detained in Somaliland tell BBC News they faced emotional abuse and were often denied legal counsel, food, medical treatment and basic sanitation during their time in prison. Maymona Abdi, 28, and Karima Watts, 24, spent almost three months in jail in Somaliland before they were suddenly released. The two had also been sentenced to 40 lashes each, though they avoided that punishment. They were accused of drinking alcohol, which is illegal in the self-declared republic. Both women dispute the charge they faced, and say they were targeted by authorities for trying to help a woman who was facing abuse at the hands of her family. Their lawyer, Mubarik Mohamoud Abdi, says the pair were victims of a \"politically motivated arrest\". Ms Abdi says their time in jail was a nightmare during which they feared for their welfare. \"No one should be treated the way I was treated,\" she says in a phone interview not long after she and Ms Watts landed back in Canada following their release. Ms Abdi and Ms Watts are childhood friends who grew up together in Ottawa. Last October, Ms Abdi travelled to Somaliland, staying the capital city of Hargeisa, where her family owns property. Ms Watts followed in January. Her mother had died there when Ms Watts was young, and is buried there. She was going there \"to heal for a moment\", she said in a brief written statement. Somaliland is a breakaway, semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, which has never been internationally accepted as an independent state. It declared independence after the overthrow of a Somali military dictator in 1991. It has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. The region is considered more stable than the rest of Somalia but Canada advises against all travel to Somalia and Somaliland. The UK also advises against travelling to Somalia \"including Somaliland except for the cities of Hargeisa and Berbera to which the [Foreign Office] advise against all but essential travel\". Ms Abdi says that because she has an \"ethnic background\" there and had travelled to the region when she was younger, she \"didn't think [she] was going to go a dangerous place\". \"It didn't feel wrong going there. I didn't think I was going to go into danger,\" she says. \"Everyone keeps asking me why I went there. To me, that question sounds a lot like 'What was she wearing?'\" In Hargeisa, Ms Abdi says she began to collect stories from women there who faced gender-based violence, though she was not affiliated with any organisation. She has an interest in women's rights and had previously volunteered in Canada with the I Do Project - which raises awareness about forced marriage - speaking with high school students and helping to organise events. While in Somaliland, she met a woman whose case alarmed her because she \"was facing extreme violence\", she says. In November, Ms Abdi helped her secretly flee a family she says was badly abusive and gave the woman temporary sanctuary in her own home. \"I intervened, and I took her in. I helped her,\" she says. But she knew she needed more help from people who had experience with such matters. She reached out to the I Do Project, who put her in contact with Jason Jeremias, an activist in New York who has past experience helping women in the region. On 19 January, Ms Abdi and Ms Watts were visiting the home of some acquaintances - students - who had mentioned possible work opportunities with an NGO. \"Not long after we got there, someone was kicking on the door,\" Ms Abdi says. The man who answered the door was shot and injured. Police came through the door with guns. \"I thought we were going to be killed,\" she says. \"I couldn't breathe.\" Police handcuffed the two friends and brought them to a police station, which Ms Abdi says was overcrowded and hot. She says the conditions of their detention were terrible and they were mistreated. \"We were hit multiple times,\" she says. \"They threatened to tie us to a pole outside in the yard and leave us there overnight.\" They managed to call a Canadian government representative in Kenya by borrowing a cell phone from a fellow inmate. But they say they received little assistance from officials and Ms Abdi's family bore the brunt of helping them during their detention. Her mother even paid bribes in the hope it would secure their release. The Canadian government confirmed it gave the two women consular assistance and noted Canada is limited in what it can do to help citizens detained abroad, but offered no further comment, citing privacy laws. Ms Abdi says she thinks the Canadian officials believed the official criminal charge - that they had been drinking - rather than their story. \"I feel like they didn't ask us questions. They already had their minds made up before they talked to us,\" she says. Both Ms Abdi and Ms Watts think relatives of the woman that Ms Abdi had tried to shelter had connections with the authorities. They say they were apprehended and held in retaliation for trying to help her. Supporters of the two say they were coerced into signing confessions written in words they could not read while in custody and that no evidence of alcohol was found at the residence where they were arrested. Ms Abid says at one point she signed a document after being told they were release papers. Their lawyer, who works for a non-profit organisation that promotes human rights in Somaliland, said he took up their case when he heard other lawyers talking about it. In a phone call with the BBC, he says the way they were treated was a violation of Somaliland's constitution. In early April, they were found guilty and sentenced to a prison sentence that amounted to the the time served, but then re-arrested when the prosecutor appealed, seeking a harsher sentence. Ms Abdi said she and Ms Watts \"were like stones at that point. There was no hope\". Mr Jeremias, the activist, told the BBC the pair were only released when he and their lawyer \"went into full external pressure mode\" and the case began generating international news coverage. Says Ms Abdi: \"They pulled off a miracle because two weeks later the charges were dropped.\" The two women returned to Canada mid-May. Both hope to go back to school once they have recovered from the ordeal. Ms Abdi says she wants to speak out about her treatment and says that no one should have to endure what they did. \"No one has the right to subject anyone to this treatment and just because they do isn't an excuse for it to continue,\" she says. \"Just because they do isn't an excuse for complacency.\" On Wednesday, New Democrat member of Canada's Parliament Cheryl Hardcastle called on the federal government to do more to assist citizens detained abroad. Lawyer Mubarik Mohamoud Abdi has since left Somaliland, saying he received threats for representing them. \"I escaped my country. My situation is not good,\" he says. He is now in Ethiopia on a temporary visa, according to Mr Jeremias. Ms Abdi's sister also felt unsafe in Somaliland and has since left. As for the woman that Ms Abdi tried to help, both she and Mr Jeremias have lost contact with her.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1382, "answer_end": 2033, "text": "Somaliland is a breakaway, semi-desert territory on the coast of the Gulf of Aden, which has never been internationally accepted as an independent state. It declared independence after the overthrow of a Somali military dictator in 1991. It has a working political system, government institutions, a police force and its own currency. The region is considered more stable than the rest of Somalia but Canada advises against all travel to Somalia and Somaliland. The UK also advises against travelling to Somalia \"including Somaliland except for the cities of Hargeisa and Berbera to which the [Foreign Office] advise against all but essential travel\"."}], "question": "What is Somaliland?", "id": "718_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Microsoft pips Amazon for $10bn AI 'Jedi' contract", "date": "27 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Pentagon has awarded a $10bn (PS8bn) cloud-computing contract to Microsoft, following a heavily scrutinised bidding process in which Amazon had been seen as the favourite. The 10-year contract for the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure, or Jedi, is aimed at making the US defence department more technologically agile. Amazon's bid drew criticism from its rivals and US President Donald Trump. The company said it was \"surprised\" by the decision. A \"detailed assessment purely on the comparative offerings\" would \"clearly lead to a different conclusion\", it said. Amazon is said to be evaluating its options after the decision. It has 10 days to decide whether or not to launch a challenge. In its statement, the Pentagon said all offers \"were treated fairly\". Microsoft executive Toni Townes-Whitley said the company was \"proud\" to have had its cloud technologies picked by the Department of Defense to \"satisfy the urgent and critical needs of today's warfighters\". The Department of Defense wants to replace its ageing computer networks with a single cloud system. Under the contract, Microsoft will provide artificial intelligence-based analysis and host classified military secrets among other services. It is hoped that Jedi will give the military better access to data and the cloud from battlefields. Amazon had been considered the front-runner - until President Trump began questioning whether the process was fair. In July he told reporters that he was getting \"tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and Amazon\". He said other companies had told him that the contract \"wasn't competitively bid\" and that his administration would \"take a very long look\" at the process. Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos - who also owns the Washington Post newspaper - in the past. Dan Ives, managing director and equity analyst Wedbush Securities, said he expected Amazon and others to challenge the decision in the courts, but called it a \"paradigm changer\" for Microsoft. The move was likely to boost Microsoft's share price and bring \"significant positive financial implications\" for the company in the coming years, he said. By Leo Kelion, BBC Technology desk editor Amazon will be bitterly disappointed to have lost this contract, having long considered its bid to be the stronger. But after President Trump's comments about \"receiving tremendous complaints\" about Amazon's frontrunner status in July, and then the delay to announcing the award the following month, it had always looked liked Microsoft could pull off an upset. The timing is curious, however, coming just days after Defence Secretary Mark Esper unexpectedly removed himself from the review process after months of involvement, on the grounds that one of his sons worked for IBM - one of the other original applicants. It means Microsoft is now set to be a huge recipient of Department of Defense funds. Not only will it benefit from Jedi, but also a separate multi-billion dollar contract known as Deos. This has run into delays of its own, but is still set to result in the DoD using cloud-based Office 365 for its email, calendar, video-calling and other productivity software needs. One issue for Microsoft is whether its closeness to the military will cause it problems. Some of its own workers have already objected to it developing a version of its Hololens augmented reality headset for the US military, and the idea of it now providing machine learning tools and other systems to help \"enhance force lethality\" could prove to be a PR nightmare. For Amazon, if the loss of such a lucrative contract is linked to Jeff Bezos's ownership of the Washington Post, it could fuel calls for AWS to be spun off from its parent and established as a separate company. There had already been speculation this might happen in order to head off regulators' concerns that Amazon already extends too deeply into Americans' lives. The announcement marked the end of a long process that had pitted tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and IBM against each other. As the world's biggest provider of cloud-computing services, Amazon had been the favourite to win Jedi. But its competitors argued that the process was unfair. Oracle challenged the bidding process in federal court earlier this year, saying that it was rigged to favour Amazon, but a federal judge dismissed the allegation. It said that it had awarded more than $11bn in 10 separate cloud-computing contracts over the past two years. The Jedi deal \"continues our strategy of a multi-vendor, multi-cloud environment as the department's needs are diverse and cannot be met by any single supplier,\" it added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1318, "answer_end": 2186, "text": "Amazon had been considered the front-runner - until President Trump began questioning whether the process was fair. In July he told reporters that he was getting \"tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and Amazon\". He said other companies had told him that the contract \"wasn't competitively bid\" and that his administration would \"take a very long look\" at the process. Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos - who also owns the Washington Post newspaper - in the past. Dan Ives, managing director and equity analyst Wedbush Securities, said he expected Amazon and others to challenge the decision in the courts, but called it a \"paradigm changer\" for Microsoft. The move was likely to boost Microsoft's share price and bring \"significant positive financial implications\" for the company in the coming years, he said."}], "question": "Is the decision controversial?", "id": "719_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3951, "answer_end": 4406, "text": "The announcement marked the end of a long process that had pitted tech giants Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and IBM against each other. As the world's biggest provider of cloud-computing services, Amazon had been the favourite to win Jedi. But its competitors argued that the process was unfair. Oracle challenged the bidding process in federal court earlier this year, saying that it was rigged to favour Amazon, but a federal judge dismissed the allegation."}], "question": "How did we get here?", "id": "719_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4407, "answer_end": 4688, "text": "It said that it had awarded more than $11bn in 10 separate cloud-computing contracts over the past two years. The Jedi deal \"continues our strategy of a multi-vendor, multi-cloud environment as the department's needs are diverse and cannot be met by any single supplier,\" it added."}], "question": "What else does the Pentagon say?", "id": "719_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Texas detention centre stops force-feeding migrants", "date": "16 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US immigration detention centre in the state of Texas has stopped force-feeding migrants, officials say. Six men on hunger strike at a centre in El Paso were being fed forcibly through plastic nasal tubes. Relatives said it was causing severe nosebleeds and vomiting, while the UN warned it could amount to torture. Earlier this week a US district judge told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to stop force feeding two of the men. ICE officials told AP that a total of 12 detainees in El Paso were refusing food in protest against conditions at the detention centre. The detainees, mainly from Cuba and India, say guards verbally abuse and threaten to deport them. They are also protesting against the length of time they are being detained while they await legal proceedings. Another four men were on hunger strike in Miami, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco, ICE said last month. When a person is force-fed through the nose, a lubricated tube is pushed through the nostril until it reaches the throat. Liquid food is then pumped into the stomach. ICE officials had said that the force-feeding was for the migrants' own health and safety. Going without food for long periods of time can leave people at risk of long-term physical and mental health conditions. But the relatives of the detainees said that they were suffering more because of the force-feeding. The World Medical Association has said that force feeding is \"never ethically acceptable\". \"Even if intended to benefit [the detainee], feeding accompanied by threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhuman and degrading treatment,\" it says. A spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (UNHCR) told AP this week that the detention centre could be in violation of the UN Convention Against Torture.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 895, "answer_end": 1814, "text": "When a person is force-fed through the nose, a lubricated tube is pushed through the nostril until it reaches the throat. Liquid food is then pumped into the stomach. ICE officials had said that the force-feeding was for the migrants' own health and safety. Going without food for long periods of time can leave people at risk of long-term physical and mental health conditions. But the relatives of the detainees said that they were suffering more because of the force-feeding. The World Medical Association has said that force feeding is \"never ethically acceptable\". \"Even if intended to benefit [the detainee], feeding accompanied by threats, coercion, force or use of physical restraints is a form of inhuman and degrading treatment,\" it says. A spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (UNHCR) told AP this week that the detention centre could be in violation of the UN Convention Against Torture."}], "question": "What is force-feeding?", "id": "720_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Southern rail row: Conductors begin two-day strike", "date": "19 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Commuters are facing major delays as guards stage a 48-hour strike on the Southern rail network. RMT union members walked out again at midnight in the continuing dispute over guards' roles on new trains. Last week, the drivers' union Aslef began an overtime ban as well as holding two strikes. A wave of strikes by thousands of workers is hitting the rail, post and airline industries in the run-up to Christmas. During Aslef's 48-hour strike on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and a further walk-out on Friday, no trains ran on Southern's network. Aslef and the RMT are in dispute with Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Previous RMT strikes have affected about 40% of services but Southern said the Aslef overtime ban would add to the disruption. Southern has warned passengers no trains will run on some routes, while others will be replaced by bus services. It said it has arranged ticket acceptance with other train operators and some bus routes to help during the strike. Gatwick Express services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport are also being affected. Under the changes already being brought in by Southern, drivers take responsibility for opening and closing the doors and guards become on-board supervisors. However, the RMT fears job cuts and has raised safety concerns. Aslef has described the changes as \"inherently unsafe\", while GTR said both the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Safety and Standards Board had stated drivers closing doors was a safe mode of operation. Thousands of workers set to strike Your questions on the Southern rail strikes Getting a refund: What you need to know Are we facing a Christmas of Discontent? Talks at conciliation service Acas between GTR and Aslef failed to reach an agreement on Thursday. Negotiations ended with both sides claiming to be open for talks. The RMT was told it would not be part of the talks. On Sunday, the RMT's general secretary Mick Cash denied the strikes were being used to \"bring the government down\". And this week, East Worthing & Shoreham MP Tim Loughton will put forward proposals for a new Rail Ombudsman and increased financial penalties against train operators in a motion in the Commons. The Conservative said penalties currently depend on passengers claiming compensation, and he wants to see automatic levies every time a train is late or cancelled. \"It would apply to the whole rail industry but in practice we have seen what has happened with Southern where there is no incentive for them to get their act together because they are not being hit in the pocket,\" he said. The RMT is planning further stoppages by conductors, including over the new year. Train drivers, who are represented mostly by Aslef although the RMT also has driver members, are set to walk out for six days from Monday 9 January. 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT conductors' strike) 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef and RMT drivers' strike)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1095, "answer_end": 2828, "text": "Under the changes already being brought in by Southern, drivers take responsibility for opening and closing the doors and guards become on-board supervisors. However, the RMT fears job cuts and has raised safety concerns. Aslef has described the changes as \"inherently unsafe\", while GTR said both the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Safety and Standards Board had stated drivers closing doors was a safe mode of operation. Thousands of workers set to strike Your questions on the Southern rail strikes Getting a refund: What you need to know Are we facing a Christmas of Discontent? Talks at conciliation service Acas between GTR and Aslef failed to reach an agreement on Thursday. Negotiations ended with both sides claiming to be open for talks. The RMT was told it would not be part of the talks. On Sunday, the RMT's general secretary Mick Cash denied the strikes were being used to \"bring the government down\". And this week, East Worthing & Shoreham MP Tim Loughton will put forward proposals for a new Rail Ombudsman and increased financial penalties against train operators in a motion in the Commons. The Conservative said penalties currently depend on passengers claiming compensation, and he wants to see automatic levies every time a train is late or cancelled. \"It would apply to the whole rail industry but in practice we have seen what has happened with Southern where there is no incentive for them to get their act together because they are not being hit in the pocket,\" he said. The RMT is planning further stoppages by conductors, including over the new year. Train drivers, who are represented mostly by Aslef although the RMT also has driver members, are set to walk out for six days from Monday 9 January."}], "question": "Safe or unsafe?", "id": "721_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US shutdown ends as Congress passes bill", "date": "23 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US government partial shutdown is ending after Republicans and Democrats voted for a temporary funding bill. The Democratic leadership agreed to back the bill after accepting promises from Republicans for a debate later on the future of young illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump, who signed the bill on Monday evening, took a swipe at Democrats. It is the fourth temporary measure since October because Capitol Hill cannot agree a longer-term budget. The spending bill passed the Senate by 81-18 and the House of Representatives by 266-150 earlier on Monday. What does a government shutdown cost? White House voicemail blames Democrats The so-called continuing resolution keeps the government funded until 8 February in the hope that Congress can reach a longer-term budget agreement in the meantime. Thousands of federal employees who had been placed on temporary, unpaid leave since Saturday breathed a sigh of relief. \"It was essentially a lunch break,\" Tom Chapel, a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, told Reuters news agency. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said his party had \"come to an arrangement\" to negotiate on the Democrats' calls for an immigration deal. Democrats want protections from deportation for so-called Dreamers, more than 700,000 young immigrants brought to the US as children. But Republicans had insisted no agreement was possible while federal government services were closed. President Trump, a Republican, said in a statement: \"I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses. \"We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.\" Democrats voiced scepticism of Mr McConnell's promise and some liberal groups are infuriated by the agreement to reopen the government. Possible Democratic 2020 presidential candidates in the Senate - Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris - all voted against Monday's bill. Senator Harris, of California, said it would be \"foolhardy\" to trust Mr McConnell's promise to take up an immigration bill in the coming weeks. Another California senator, Dianne Feinstein, told The Hill, a political news outlet, she was \"very disappointed\" in the deal because there's no guarantee that Republicans would help Dreamers. Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez slammed his own party's senators after the vote saying: \"They caved. They blinked. That's what they do.\" On Twitter, \"Democrats CAVED\" was trending on Monday evening. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused President Trump of failing to help reach a deal. \"The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines,\" he said. But many have expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Schumer's handling of the shutdown, which began on midnight on Friday. \"It's Schumer's job to lead and keep his caucus together to fight for progressive values, and he didn't do it,\" said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the activist group Indivisible. Stephanie Taylor, of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said: \"Today's cave by Senate Democrats - led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats - is why people don't believe the Democratic Party stands for anything.\" Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington The shutdown is over, but the immigration and budget battles rage on. Both sides will try to claim victory, with varying degrees of success. Republicans are thrilled that - unlike past shutdown fights - they emerged relatively unscathed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised an open debate and vote on protections for so-called Dreamers, but in reality that could go by the wayside if, three weeks hence, Democrats force another shutdown. Democrats, on the other hand, can claim that they took a confrontational stand - at least for a few days - on an issue dear to their base's heart. Whether that's enough to satisfy the progressive hard-liners and grassroots activists is in doubt, however. A key tell is that nearly every 2020 presidential hopeful among their number voted against re-opening. For them, Mr McConnell's guarantees are written in sand. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was largely sidelined through the process. Democrats, and even some Republicans, complained he was impossible to pin down and unclear about his priorities. Still, a few days out of the spotlight may not have been all bad. The American public will probably forget this long-weekend shutdown before too long. The next fight, looming only weeks away, might be different. Winners and losers from the shutdown In parliamentary systems, a government that can't pay the bills doesn't last long. In 2012, for example, the Dutch government couldn't agree a budget. The prime minister resigned, elections were held, and a new government formed. Some countries don't even need a government to function. After its 2010 election, Belgium went more than 500 days without elected leadership, but still avoided a shutdown. Taxes were collected, workers were paid, and a caretaker government passed a budget. In France - a semi-presidential system - the constitution sets out what happens when a budget isn't passed. The government, it says, shall \"make available by decree the funds needed to meet commitments already voted for\". Really, the question isn't why other countries don't shutdown. It's why the US does shutdown, even when there's money sloshing round the system. That stems from 1980 and 1981, when US Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti strictly interpreted the 1884 Antideficiency Act. He said, in the event of a funding gap, government agencies should suspend operations - until money was appropriated by Congress.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1089, "answer_end": 1683, "text": "Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said his party had \"come to an arrangement\" to negotiate on the Democrats' calls for an immigration deal. Democrats want protections from deportation for so-called Dreamers, more than 700,000 young immigrants brought to the US as children. But Republicans had insisted no agreement was possible while federal government services were closed. President Trump, a Republican, said in a statement: \"I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses. \"We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.\""}], "question": "What are Republicans saying?", "id": "722_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1684, "answer_end": 3235, "text": "Democrats voiced scepticism of Mr McConnell's promise and some liberal groups are infuriated by the agreement to reopen the government. Possible Democratic 2020 presidential candidates in the Senate - Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris - all voted against Monday's bill. Senator Harris, of California, said it would be \"foolhardy\" to trust Mr McConnell's promise to take up an immigration bill in the coming weeks. Another California senator, Dianne Feinstein, told The Hill, a political news outlet, she was \"very disappointed\" in the deal because there's no guarantee that Republicans would help Dreamers. Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez slammed his own party's senators after the vote saying: \"They caved. They blinked. That's what they do.\" On Twitter, \"Democrats CAVED\" was trending on Monday evening. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused President Trump of failing to help reach a deal. \"The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines,\" he said. But many have expressed dissatisfaction with Mr Schumer's handling of the shutdown, which began on midnight on Friday. \"It's Schumer's job to lead and keep his caucus together to fight for progressive values, and he didn't do it,\" said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of the activist group Indivisible. Stephanie Taylor, of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said: \"Today's cave by Senate Democrats - led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats - is why people don't believe the Democratic Party stands for anything.\""}], "question": "Did Democrats 'cave'?", "id": "722_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4568, "answer_end": 5676, "text": "In parliamentary systems, a government that can't pay the bills doesn't last long. In 2012, for example, the Dutch government couldn't agree a budget. The prime minister resigned, elections were held, and a new government formed. Some countries don't even need a government to function. After its 2010 election, Belgium went more than 500 days without elected leadership, but still avoided a shutdown. Taxes were collected, workers were paid, and a caretaker government passed a budget. In France - a semi-presidential system - the constitution sets out what happens when a budget isn't passed. The government, it says, shall \"make available by decree the funds needed to meet commitments already voted for\". Really, the question isn't why other countries don't shutdown. It's why the US does shutdown, even when there's money sloshing round the system. That stems from 1980 and 1981, when US Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti strictly interpreted the 1884 Antideficiency Act. He said, in the event of a funding gap, government agencies should suspend operations - until money was appropriated by Congress."}], "question": "Why don't shutdowns happen elsewhere?", "id": "722_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Argentina abortion: Senate defeats bill after polarising debate", "date": "9 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Argentina's senate has rejected a bill which would have legalised abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. After a marathon debate, 38 senators voted against it and 31 in favour. Its defeat means lawmakers must wait until next year to resubmit legislation. Currently abortion is allowed in Argentina only in cases of rape, or if the mother's health is in danger. Some pro-choice campaigners started fires and lobbed missiles at police in Buenos Aires after the vote. Demonstrators on both sides of the debate had rallied outside parliament as voting took place. Anti-abortion activists have been jubilant. \"It's a joy to see that our society can be based on such an important principle as the defence of the most defenceless, the child,\" said one. Pro-choice campaigners have for years tried to get bills passed in Argentina, where the population is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. Their efforts gained new impetus when President Mauricio Macri - who opposes abortion - called on Congress to consider a vote on it, and it narrowly passed in the lower house. However, with the Senate leaning conservative, the bill's passage always looked difficult. Among the 30 women in the chamber, the vote was evenly split. The debate lasted more than 16 hours in an often fraught session. - Argentine Vice-President Gabriela Michetti, who also opposes abortion, was heard swearing at colleagues without realising her microphone was on - One pro-choice Senator, Pedro Guastavino, said he had been lobbied heavily by the Catholic Church, saying he had had to \"dodge crucifixes\" - Senator Rodolfo Urtubey, who opposed the bill, sparked controversy by suggesting rape inside marriage did not conform to the \"classic\" definition of rape because - in his view - it did not always involve violence. He later said he had been misinterpreted - Former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who is now a senator and who had refused to back the legalisation of abortion while president, supported the bill, saying her mind had been changed by the thousands who took to the streets For the bill's advocates, legalising abortion is an urgent public health matter. Tens of thousands of women in Argentina are taken to hospital every year after illegal abortions. In 2016, 43 women died. Those that can afford it use drugs to terminate their pregnancies while poorer women turn to far cruder methods. Uruguay and Cuba are the only Latin American nations to have decriminalised abortion. It is largely prohibited across the region except in restricted cases. The Supreme Court in Latin America's most populous country Brazil has begun hearing from both sides on whether abortion should be legalised up to 12 weeks. In May, another largely Catholic country, the Republic of Ireland, voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to overturn a ban on abortion. The global trend has been towards legalisation but the debate continues - in the US, for instance, changes to the Supreme Court has led to speculation abortion could be made illegal in some states. \"This law doesn't obligate, nor does it recommend anyone have an abortion. The only thing this law does is defend the right to choose.\" Norma Durango, from the opposition Peronist party \"The message that we wanted to put across is that abortion equals social failure. For a woman to resort to it, many other things need to have failed first.\" Camila Duro of the anti-abortion non-governmental organisation Frente Joven \"Women perform abortions with criminalisation or without it.\" Sabrina Cartabia Groba, pro-choice lawyer and campaigner \"Abortion always kills a child and it doesn't solve the woman's problem. We believe that this is never the solution. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy abortion is never the solution. There are always other solutions.\" Maria Castillo, who campaigned outside parliament", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2064, "answer_end": 3025, "text": "For the bill's advocates, legalising abortion is an urgent public health matter. Tens of thousands of women in Argentina are taken to hospital every year after illegal abortions. In 2016, 43 women died. Those that can afford it use drugs to terminate their pregnancies while poorer women turn to far cruder methods. Uruguay and Cuba are the only Latin American nations to have decriminalised abortion. It is largely prohibited across the region except in restricted cases. The Supreme Court in Latin America's most populous country Brazil has begun hearing from both sides on whether abortion should be legalised up to 12 weeks. In May, another largely Catholic country, the Republic of Ireland, voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to overturn a ban on abortion. The global trend has been towards legalisation but the debate continues - in the US, for instance, changes to the Supreme Court has led to speculation abortion could be made illegal in some states."}], "question": "How different is Argentina?", "id": "723_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's new far-right president urges unity", "date": "1 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has used his inaugural speech to promise to build a \"society without discrimination or division\". The former army captain told Congress he wanted a \"national pact\" to free Brazil of corruption, crime and economic mismanagement. In a swipe at the left, he vowed to free Brazil of \"ideology\". He is seen as a deeply divisive figure whose racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks have angered many. Mr Bolsonaro, 63, won the presidential election by a wide margin against Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers' Party on 28 October. He was propelled to victory by campaign promises to curb Brazil's rampant corruption and crime. US President Donald Trump commended him for his speech on Tuesday, saying the US was \"with\" him. Among the foreign guests at the inauguration were US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Analysis by Katy Watson, BBC News, Brasilia Jair Bolsonaro may have struck a more presidential tone in today's speeches compared with the fiery rhetoric used during his campaign, but he made it clear his values remained the same - family, conservatism and God. And despite having won the elections, he's not given up his criticism of Brazil's leftist politics that he feels have ruined the country. The rhetoric he used was familiar - that from today Brazilians are now freed from socialism - and it strikes a chord with millions fed up with corruption scandals that have embroiled Brazilian politics in recent years. With Donald Trump and the so-called \"Trump of the Tropics\" exchanging tweets about their mutual support for each other and commitment to work together, the bromance with one of the world's most powerful presidents has begun. It's a relationship that everyone will be watching very closely. \"Brazil will return to being a country free of ideological constrictions,\" he told Congress in the capital, Brasilia. \"I will divide power in a progressive, conscientious and responsible way.\" His administration, he said, was \"committed to those Brazilians who want good schools to prepare their kids for the job market and not for political militancy\". Pledging support for the military and police, he said: \"The national motto  is order and progress. No society can develop without respecting these.\" On the economy, he promised to \"create a new virtuous cycle to open markets\" and \"carry out important structural reforms\" to tackle the public deficit. In an apparent reference to gun control, he said: \"Good citizens deserve the means to defend themselves.\" On Saturday, he tweeted that he would issue a decree to allow citizens who did not have a criminal record to own guns. After being sworn in in front of Congress, Mr Bolsonaro went on to the Planalto Palace where the outgoing President, Michel Temer, handed over the presidential sash. Speaking afterwards, he said Brazil would \"start to free itself of socialism\" and \"political correctness\". On a day filled with pageant, he travelled around Brasilia in an open-top vintage Rolls Royce escorted by cavalry on white horses and jogging security guards, as crowds of supporters cheered. \"I came here just for the inauguration,\" supporter Antonio Vendramin told AFP. \"I made a lot of money and saved money to buy the ticket, to be able to buy the plane ticket because it's a long way to come by car but we managed to make it all the way to be here on this day for President Bolsonaro's inauguration. We're full of pride.\" Despite portraying himself as a political outsider during his campaign, Mr Bolsonaro served seven terms in Brazil's lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, before being elected president. He has been a member of several political parties but is currently in the Social Liberal Party (PSL), which has grown from having a tiny presence in Congress to becoming the party with the second largest number of deputies in the lower house. Before becoming a politician, Mr Bolsonaro served in Brazil's military, where he was a paratrooper and rose to the rank of captain. During the election race in September, he was stabbed at a rally and seriously injured, taking more than a month to recover. During his time as a lawmaker, Mr Bolsonaro represented the interests of the armed forces and since his election he has named seven former military men to head key ministries. He has also expressed nostalgia for the time when Brazil was under military rule and the hard-line policies enforced during the period, which saw thousands jailed and tortured. Brazil only returned to democracy in 1985 after more than 20 years under military rule, and some critics see his election as a threat to the country's democracy. Previous comments he has made endorsing the use of torture and disparaging women, gay people and Afro-Brazilians have left many Brazilians worried. The election campaign which brought him to power has left the country deeply divided into those who see him as the man to put Brazil on to the right track after massive corruption scandals, and those who fear he could lead Brazil into an authoritarian future. Mr Bolsonaro's promise to drive down crime and stamp out corruption comes after scores of top businessmen and high-ranking politicians, including former left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, were jailed. Days after being elected, he picked Brazil's most famous anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, as his minister of justice. Mr Moro was the key force behind the massive \"Car Wash\" corruption investigation. There was concern among environmentalists when Mr Bolsonaro suggested during the election campaign that the ministry of agriculture might be merged with that of the environment. But he has backtracked on that and also revoked a pledge to quit the Paris climate accord, which sets targets for cutting greenhouse gases. Mr Bolsonaro has been very clear about who he considers to be his international allies and those he views as foes. Mr Trump is \"an example\" to him, and Mr Bolsonaro has promised to follow the US lead and relocate Brazil's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Mr Bolsonaro has accused Cuba of holding back some of the salaries paid to Cuban doctors working in Brazil, prompting Cuba to pull out its doctors in retaliation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1896, "answer_end": 3574, "text": "\"Brazil will return to being a country free of ideological constrictions,\" he told Congress in the capital, Brasilia. \"I will divide power in a progressive, conscientious and responsible way.\" His administration, he said, was \"committed to those Brazilians who want good schools to prepare their kids for the job market and not for political militancy\". Pledging support for the military and police, he said: \"The national motto  is order and progress. No society can develop without respecting these.\" On the economy, he promised to \"create a new virtuous cycle to open markets\" and \"carry out important structural reforms\" to tackle the public deficit. In an apparent reference to gun control, he said: \"Good citizens deserve the means to defend themselves.\" On Saturday, he tweeted that he would issue a decree to allow citizens who did not have a criminal record to own guns. After being sworn in in front of Congress, Mr Bolsonaro went on to the Planalto Palace where the outgoing President, Michel Temer, handed over the presidential sash. Speaking afterwards, he said Brazil would \"start to free itself of socialism\" and \"political correctness\". On a day filled with pageant, he travelled around Brasilia in an open-top vintage Rolls Royce escorted by cavalry on white horses and jogging security guards, as crowds of supporters cheered. \"I came here just for the inauguration,\" supporter Antonio Vendramin told AFP. \"I made a lot of money and saved money to buy the ticket, to be able to buy the plane ticket because it's a long way to come by car but we managed to make it all the way to be here on this day for President Bolsonaro's inauguration. We're full of pride.\""}], "question": "What exactly did Bolsonaro promise?", "id": "724_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3575, "answer_end": 4625, "text": "Despite portraying himself as a political outsider during his campaign, Mr Bolsonaro served seven terms in Brazil's lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, before being elected president. He has been a member of several political parties but is currently in the Social Liberal Party (PSL), which has grown from having a tiny presence in Congress to becoming the party with the second largest number of deputies in the lower house. Before becoming a politician, Mr Bolsonaro served in Brazil's military, where he was a paratrooper and rose to the rank of captain. During the election race in September, he was stabbed at a rally and seriously injured, taking more than a month to recover. During his time as a lawmaker, Mr Bolsonaro represented the interests of the armed forces and since his election he has named seven former military men to head key ministries. He has also expressed nostalgia for the time when Brazil was under military rule and the hard-line policies enforced during the period, which saw thousands jailed and tortured."}], "question": "Who is Bolsonaro?", "id": "724_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4626, "answer_end": 5195, "text": "Brazil only returned to democracy in 1985 after more than 20 years under military rule, and some critics see his election as a threat to the country's democracy. Previous comments he has made endorsing the use of torture and disparaging women, gay people and Afro-Brazilians have left many Brazilians worried. The election campaign which brought him to power has left the country deeply divided into those who see him as the man to put Brazil on to the right track after massive corruption scandals, and those who fear he could lead Brazil into an authoritarian future."}], "question": "Why did his election cause such a stir?", "id": "724_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5196, "answer_end": 5929, "text": "Mr Bolsonaro's promise to drive down crime and stamp out corruption comes after scores of top businessmen and high-ranking politicians, including former left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, were jailed. Days after being elected, he picked Brazil's most famous anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, as his minister of justice. Mr Moro was the key force behind the massive \"Car Wash\" corruption investigation. There was concern among environmentalists when Mr Bolsonaro suggested during the election campaign that the ministry of agriculture might be merged with that of the environment. But he has backtracked on that and also revoked a pledge to quit the Paris climate accord, which sets targets for cutting greenhouse gases."}], "question": "What are his key policies?", "id": "724_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5930, "answer_end": 6360, "text": "Mr Bolsonaro has been very clear about who he considers to be his international allies and those he views as foes. Mr Trump is \"an example\" to him, and Mr Bolsonaro has promised to follow the US lead and relocate Brazil's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Mr Bolsonaro has accused Cuba of holding back some of the salaries paid to Cuban doctors working in Brazil, prompting Cuba to pull out its doctors in retaliation."}], "question": "How will Brazil's international relations be affected?", "id": "724_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran facing 'unprecedented' pressure from international sanctions, Rouhani says", "date": "12 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran is facing \"unprecedented\" pressure from international sanctions, President Hassan Rouhani has said. Renewed US sanctions had led to worse economic conditions than during the country's 1980-88 war with neighbouring Iraq, Mr Rouhani said. His comments came amid rising tensions with the US, which last week deployed warships and warplanes to the Gulf. Mr Rouhani, who has come under domestic political pressure, called for political unity to face down sanctions. \"During the war we did not have a problem with our banks, oil sales or imports and exports, and there were only sanctions on arms purchases,\" Mr Rouhani told political activists in the capital, Tehran. \"The pressures by enemies is a war unprecedented in the history of our Islamic revolution ... but I do not despair and have great hope for the future and believe that we can move past these difficult conditions provided that we are united,\" he said. The US-Iran escalation has put into question the future of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany. US President Donald Trump last year unilaterally abandoned the deal and re-imposed sanctions - and Iran has indicated it may also resume nuclear activities if the other partners go along with American sanctions. What pressures is Iran facing? President Rouhani has personally come under pressure from hardliners in Iran after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal his administration negotiated. Under the accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for sanctions relief. US sanctions - particularly those on the energy, shipping and financial sectors - have hit oil exports and caused foreign investment to dry up. The sanctions prevent US companies from trading with Iran directly and also with any foreign firms or countries that are dealing with Iran. The International Monetary Fund has said it expects the Iranian economy to shrink by 6% in 2019. However, that projection preceded another move by the US to tighten sanctions: the end to exemptions enjoyed by China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey, all five of which have been buying Iranian oil. Last month, the US also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (RG), designating it as a foreign terrorist group. Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate to the US measures by blocking the Strait of Hormuz - through which about a fifth of all oil consumed globally passes. The Trump administration hopes to compel Iran to negotiate a \"new deal\" that would cover not only its nuclear activities, but also its ballistic missile programme and what officials call its \"malign behaviour\" across the Middle East. The US is sending a Patriot missile-defence system to the Middle East. A US warship, USS Arlington, with amphibious vehicles and aircraft on board, is also joining the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in the Gulf. US B-52 bombers have arrived at a base in Qatar. The US said the moves were a response to a possible threat to US forces in the region by Iran, without specifying. Iran dismissed the claim as nonsense. A senior RG commander said that, if attacked, Iran could strike US forces. \"An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now... the threats have switched to opportunities,\" Adm Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, according to Iranian news agency Isna. \"If [the Americans] make a move we will hit them in the head,\" he said. There are about 5,200 US troops currently deployed in neighbouring Iraq. Earlier this week Iran announced that it had suspended two commitments under the nuclear accord. It also threatened to step up uranium enrichment if it was not shielded from the sanctions' effects within 60 days. European powers said they remained committed to the Iran nuclear deal but that they \"reject any ultimatums\" from Tehran to prevent its collapse.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2515, "answer_end": 4003, "text": "The Trump administration hopes to compel Iran to negotiate a \"new deal\" that would cover not only its nuclear activities, but also its ballistic missile programme and what officials call its \"malign behaviour\" across the Middle East. The US is sending a Patriot missile-defence system to the Middle East. A US warship, USS Arlington, with amphibious vehicles and aircraft on board, is also joining the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in the Gulf. US B-52 bombers have arrived at a base in Qatar. The US said the moves were a response to a possible threat to US forces in the region by Iran, without specifying. Iran dismissed the claim as nonsense. A senior RG commander said that, if attacked, Iran could strike US forces. \"An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now... the threats have switched to opportunities,\" Adm Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, according to Iranian news agency Isna. \"If [the Americans] make a move we will hit them in the head,\" he said. There are about 5,200 US troops currently deployed in neighbouring Iraq. Earlier this week Iran announced that it had suspended two commitments under the nuclear accord. It also threatened to step up uranium enrichment if it was not shielded from the sanctions' effects within 60 days. European powers said they remained committed to the Iran nuclear deal but that they \"reject any ultimatums\" from Tehran to prevent its collapse."}], "question": "What is the US doing?", "id": "725_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel-Palestinian conflict: Two-state solution not only option, US says", "date": "15 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A White House official says a two-state solution may not be the only option to solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict, signalling a major policy shift. The comment came as the US and Israeli leaders met for the first time since Donald Trump's election. Mr Trump says he believes achieving a long-elusive peace is possible, calling it \"the ultimate deal\". He has stated his strong support for Israel after its relations with the US deteriorated under Barack Obama. The former US president was a staunch critic of Jewish settlement activity - strongly advocated by Mr Netanyahu - in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state. For decades successive US governments have backed a two-state solution - the idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state that lives side-by-side with Israel. But on Tuesday, an unnamed senior White House official suggested the US would support any form of final peace deal reached between Israel and the Palestinians, retreating from its long-term insistence of a two-state formula. \"A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve,\" the official said, speaking anonymously. \"Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want.\" A \"two-state solution\" to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is the declared goal of their leaders and the international community. It is the shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent state of Palestine within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel. The UN, the Arab League, the European Union, Russia and, until now, the US routinely restate their commitment to the concept. State department officials were unaware of any policy shift and have been seeking clarification from the White House, the Associated Press news agency reported. Palestinian officials have denounced the comments, with Palestine Liberation Organisation executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi telling AFP: \"This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace.\" Husam Zomlot, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the \"two-state solution is not something we just came up with\". Meanwhile UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that there was no alternative plan for resolving the conflict, urging the international community to do everything it could to bring about a two-state solution. BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says hardliners in Israel want President Trump to drop the idea of two states, as they believe the land needed for a Palestinian state should be part of Israel. Separately on Wednesday, two unnamed Palestinian officials said CIA director Mike Pompeo had held talks with President Abbas in Ramallah a day earlier, in what would be the first high-profile meeting between the Palestinians and a senior member of the Trump administration. The meeting was described as \"warm and positive,\" according to the Associated Press. President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have previously met and both have spoken of having a good relationship. As he departed for the US, Mr Netanyahu said he and President Trump \"see eye-to-eye on the dangers emanating from the region but also the opportunities\". Iran is also expected to be high on the agenda, with both leaders previously denouncing the nuclear deal reached under the Obama administration. Mr Netanyahu sees Iran as the number one threat to Israel and has urged \"responsible nations\" to follow Mr Trump's lead after the president imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran in response to a ballistic missile test. Iran does not recognise Israel's right to exist and has called for its eradication. President Trump has described as a \"terrible deal\" the 2015 agreement which lifted international sanctions on Iran in return for scaling back its nuclear programme. Israel regards the election of Donald Trump as an opportunity to improve relations with the US. After Mr Trump indicated he would take a much more tolerant approach to Jewish settlement activity, Israel advanced plans for thousands of new homes in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Soon after, however, the US president expressed some concern saying he did not see \"going forward\" with settlements as conducive to peace. But, at the same time, the White House said it does not regard the existence of settlements as an impediment - a reversal of the long-term position of the US. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1363, "answer_end": 1869, "text": "A \"two-state solution\" to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is the declared goal of their leaders and the international community. It is the shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent state of Palestine within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel. The UN, the Arab League, the European Union, Russia and, until now, the US routinely restate their commitment to the concept."}], "question": "What is the two-state solution?", "id": "726_0"}]}]}, {"title": "South Korean shipping giant Hanjin to enter receivership", "date": "31 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Korea's biggest shipping group Hanjin is set to enter receivership after its creditors refused to provide further funding to the indebted firm. Hanjin's board unanimously agreed to make the court filing at a meeting on Wednesday, a company spokesman said. It faces a cash shortage after failing to persuade key lenders to reschedule debt under a new restructuring plan. Shares of Hanjin remain suspended in Seoul after plunging by as much as 29% on Tuesday. Hanjin, which is also the world's seventh-largest container line, has been unprofitable for four of the last five years. Hanjin may get some financial relief courtesy of rival Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM). Shares of HMM jumped by as much as 22% after Korea's financial regulator said the firm may buy some of Hanjin's assets. However HMM hasn't been spared from the woes bedevilling the sector. It recently announced a reorganisation plan too. South Korea's shipping and shipbuilding industry is one of the hardest-hit by a prolonged downturn in global trade. A drop in orders has led to overcapacity and depressed freight rates, as well as an increase in debts. \"Korean shipping companies have suffered large losses largely because charter rates on leased vessels were fixed in 2010 at a high level while actual shipping rates have fallen,\" Nomura analyst Young Sun Kwon said. The South Korean government is now looking to undertake a painful reorganisation of the entire industry, which will require major retrenchments. The ongoing restructuring is one of several reasons why we expect growth to be weak this year and next, Krystal Tan from Capital Economics said. \"The loss of tens of thousands of jobs certainly won't help economic sentiment,\" she added. \"But it is a relatively small number when set against the 26m people in employment in Korea so we're not likely to see a big spike in the unemployment rate.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 585, "answer_end": 1024, "text": "Hanjin may get some financial relief courtesy of rival Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM). Shares of HMM jumped by as much as 22% after Korea's financial regulator said the firm may buy some of Hanjin's assets. However HMM hasn't been spared from the woes bedevilling the sector. It recently announced a reorganisation plan too. South Korea's shipping and shipbuilding industry is one of the hardest-hit by a prolonged downturn in global trade."}], "question": "Potential buyer?", "id": "727_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How Gambians have lost their fear", "date": "13 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Ebrima Sillah considers what the outcome of the disputed presidential elections in The Gambia mean for him and thousands of other Gambians. With President Yahya Jammeh's dramatic rejection of his electoral defeat - a week after agreeing to step down - it might seem like we are back to square one. For more than two decades, Mr Jammeh has ruled by the pervasive use of fear. But after tasting victory, many Gambians have lost that fear and feel that it is game over for Mr Jammeh, who no longer seems to have the backing of the entire army. I feel confident that come January, The Gambia will have Adama Barrow as its newly inaugurated president and that for the first time in 12 years, I will be able to return home. Many others in my situation are also hoping to do so. Mr Jammeh has been ruthless when it comes to his critics and especially so if the media has dared to reflect opinions of which he does not approve. His government has been accused of arrests, torture and in some extreme cases, the killing of perceived enemies. I can attest to this. When I was working for the BBC, my house was burnt down and I was forced to flee in 2004. The government was apparently unhappy with my series of reports on a number of unexplained disappearances and allegations of the widespread torture of political detainees. I also survived two abduction attempts while living in Dakar, Senegal, after I demanded an investigation into the case of two Gambian nationals who were allegedly kidnapped by Gambian security operatives in the Senegalese capital. Numerous coups have been foiled and dissent crushed and until recently, only a handful of Gambians were prepared to risk everything to join the resistance to such an autocratic rule. The change began on 14 April when a group of young people, led by Ebrima Solo Sandeng, the firebrand youth leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), organised a peaceful march in The Gambia's biggest city of Serrekunda - demanding electoral reforms. As expected, a few minutes into their demonstration, security forces descended on them and arrested some of them. They were alleged to have been brutally tortured. And by midnight disturbing reports started making the rounds that Mr Sandeng had been killed by state security agents. This jolted a rather docile and laidback opposition into action. The UDP leadership came out in full force, demanding that the authorities release Mr Sandeng dead or alive. They too were quickly arrested and thrown into the back of waiting military trucks and transported to detention facilities. With many of the key opposition leaders behind bars, President Jammeh thought he had disabled his main critics ahead of the polls. But he had misread the mood. What was intended to diminish credible opposition to his government turned out to be the most effective means of galvanising people. Gambians mustered the courage to organise daring daily protests at the court hearings for opposition members and the divided opposition had a unity of purpose. A coalition was formed and its political machinery was lubricated by a vocal diaspora that provided funding and logistical support to the opposition on the ground. People became more and more agitated and the fear factor started disappearing. Nonetheless, the Gambian leader was confident of victory and he, along with most Gambians, was surprised that the election rules and political environment constructed to pave the way for his victory failed. A once-submissive population filled the streets with euphoric scenes never seen before in The Gambia. Mr Jammeh's subsequent U-turn may have been prompted by an interview given by a senior opposition official earlier in the week that the outgoing president would face prosecution for alleged crimes committed by his regime. It perhaps points to opposition coalition's political naivety. And should they take office, it is not going to be smooth sailing given that current unemployment stands at more than 50% - most of them young and educated. But it is truth and reconciliation that could turn out to be key - everyone has a horror story to tell about a loved one, a friend, a neighbour or a distant relative. There are many unanswered questions regarding secret killings and unexplained disappearances. But The Gambia will heal faster if we muster the courage to forgive each other, even if we do not forget. Living in a country where people nurture hatred for each other is a dangerous recipe for further conflict. We cannot afford to focus on the past.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3631, "answer_end": 4585, "text": "Mr Jammeh's subsequent U-turn may have been prompted by an interview given by a senior opposition official earlier in the week that the outgoing president would face prosecution for alleged crimes committed by his regime. It perhaps points to opposition coalition's political naivety. And should they take office, it is not going to be smooth sailing given that current unemployment stands at more than 50% - most of them young and educated. But it is truth and reconciliation that could turn out to be key - everyone has a horror story to tell about a loved one, a friend, a neighbour or a distant relative. There are many unanswered questions regarding secret killings and unexplained disappearances. But The Gambia will heal faster if we muster the courage to forgive each other, even if we do not forget. Living in a country where people nurture hatred for each other is a dangerous recipe for further conflict. We cannot afford to focus on the past."}], "question": "Can The Gambia heal?", "id": "728_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The biggest killer you may not know", "date": "10 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"I flat-lined seven times, it was very uncertain for a long time whether I would make it,\" says Patrick Kane. He nearly died from a condition that kills more people in the UK each year than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. Patrick was just nine months old when one morning he became poorly, floppy and \"generally unresponsive\". The family GP said he just needed Calpol, but Patrick's mother was still concerned and took him to hospital. But on the journey things got rapidly worse. \"It really was a sudden thing... upon arrival I had multiple organ failure,\" he says. Patrick spent three and a half months in St Mary's hospital in London, lost his right leg below the knee, his left arm and fingers on his right hand. The 19-year-old is now studying biochemistry at university in Edinburgh. What he had was sepsis. \"Either you know someone who's had sepsis, or you've never heard of it,\" Patrick tells the BBC. Sepsis is triggered by infections, but is actually a problem with our own immune system going into overdrive. It starts with an infection that can come from anywhere - even a contaminated cut or insect bite. Normally, your immune system kicks in to fight the infection and stop it spreading. But if the infection manages to spread quickly round the body, then the immune system will launch a massive immune response to fight it. This can also be a problem as the immune response can have catastrophic effects on the body, leading to septic shock, organ failure and even death. In the UK, there are 44,000 deaths from the condition each year. The UK Sepsis Trust lists six symptoms to be aware of: - slurred speech - extreme shivering or muscle pain - passing no urine in a day - severe breathlessness - \"I feel like I might die\" - skin mottled or discoloured Symptoms in young children include: - looks mottled, bluish or pale - very lethargic or difficult to wake - abnormally cold to touch - breathing very fast - a rash that does not fade when you press it - a seizure or convulsion Patrick says \"there's no magic symptom\" but people need to be asking \"could this be sepsis?\" The NHS is doing more than it used to, but still not enough. A report in 2015 said four in 10 patients being admitted to accident and emergency units were not being reviewed quickly enough and uncovered delays in giving antibiotics in nearly a third of cases. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - which advises doctors on best practice - is coming up with new rules. Prof Gillian Leng, the organisation's deputy chief executive, says: \"We know from recent case reviews that there are inconsistencies in how people's symptoms are assessed in different settings. \"More can be done to provide rapid treatment.\" The organisation says patients should be assessed rapidly and those with life-threatening sepsis should be treated within one hour. Previous guidance said doctors and other healthcare staff must treat sepsis with the same urgency as a suspected heart attack. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there was a \"relentless drive\" to raise awareness.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 922, "answer_end": 1563, "text": "Sepsis is triggered by infections, but is actually a problem with our own immune system going into overdrive. It starts with an infection that can come from anywhere - even a contaminated cut or insect bite. Normally, your immune system kicks in to fight the infection and stop it spreading. But if the infection manages to spread quickly round the body, then the immune system will launch a massive immune response to fight it. This can also be a problem as the immune response can have catastrophic effects on the body, leading to septic shock, organ failure and even death. In the UK, there are 44,000 deaths from the condition each year."}], "question": "What is sepsis?", "id": "729_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1564, "answer_end": 2100, "text": "The UK Sepsis Trust lists six symptoms to be aware of: - slurred speech - extreme shivering or muscle pain - passing no urine in a day - severe breathlessness - \"I feel like I might die\" - skin mottled or discoloured Symptoms in young children include: - looks mottled, bluish or pale - very lethargic or difficult to wake - abnormally cold to touch - breathing very fast - a rash that does not fade when you press it - a seizure or convulsion Patrick says \"there's no magic symptom\" but people need to be asking \"could this be sepsis?\""}], "question": "What are the symptoms?", "id": "729_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2101, "answer_end": 3071, "text": "The NHS is doing more than it used to, but still not enough. A report in 2015 said four in 10 patients being admitted to accident and emergency units were not being reviewed quickly enough and uncovered delays in giving antibiotics in nearly a third of cases. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - which advises doctors on best practice - is coming up with new rules. Prof Gillian Leng, the organisation's deputy chief executive, says: \"We know from recent case reviews that there are inconsistencies in how people's symptoms are assessed in different settings. \"More can be done to provide rapid treatment.\" The organisation says patients should be assessed rapidly and those with life-threatening sepsis should be treated within one hour. Previous guidance said doctors and other healthcare staff must treat sepsis with the same urgency as a suspected heart attack. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there was a \"relentless drive\" to raise awareness."}], "question": "Is anything being done about sepsis?", "id": "729_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Last survivor: The story of the 'world's loneliest man'", "date": "20 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Extremely rare video footage has emerged of a tribe member who has been called the \"loneliest man in the world\". The 50-something man has been living alone in the Brazilian Amazon for 22 years, after the last members of his tribe were murdered. The shaky video - filmed at a distance and released by the Brazilian government's indigenous agency, Funai - shows a muscular man cutting a tree with an axe. The footage has been shared around the world, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Funai has been monitoring the man from afar since 1996, and needs to show he is still alive to renew a restriction order on the area of land he roams, in the north-west state of Rondonia. The area - spanning around 4,000 hectares - is surrounded by private farms and deforested clearings, but the order prevents anyone from entering and endangering him. Under the Brazilian constitution, indigenous people have a right to land. \"They have to keep proving that this man exists,\" said Fiona Watson, the research and advocacy director of Survival International, a non-profit group dedicated to tribal peoples' rights. \"There is also a political motivation for releasing the video,\" she told the BBC. \"Congress is dominated by agribusiness; Funai has had its budget slashed. There is a big assault on indigenous rights going on in the country.\" Farmers have in the past contested Funai claims. Very little. Even though he has been the subject of various research reports, press articles and a book - The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon by US journalist Monte Reel. The man is classed as uncontacted, meaning no outsider has ever spoken to him (as far as it is known). He is believed to be the only survivor after a group of six was attacked by farmers in 1995. His tribe has never been named, and it is not known what language they used. For years, the Brazilian media has dubbed him \"the Hole Indian\", because he leaves behind deep ditches, presumably used to trap animals or to hide. In the past, he has also abandoned straw huts and handmade tools, such as resin torches and arrows. Only one single, blurred photo of him has existed until now. It was taken by a filmmaker who accompanied Funai on a monitoring trip and was shown very briefly in a 1998 Brazilian documentary, Corumbiara. Activists say they are pleased - and surprised - to discover the man is in apparent good health. \"He is very well, hunting, maintaining some plantations of papaya, corn,\" Altair Algayer, a Funai regional coordinator, told the Guardian. The agency has a policy of avoiding contact with isolated groups, and says the man has made clear that he does not want to be contacted, having shot arrows at people in the past. \"He has undergone such a violent experience, he sees the world as a very dangerous place,\" said Fiona Watson, who has visited the area and seen the man's camps. Although the video may seem voyeuristic, Ms Watson insists it is essential to protect him. \"We get offered lots of videos, but there has to be real imperative to publish them,\" she added. The majority of his tribe is thought to have been decimated in the 1970s and 80s, after a road was built nearby, causing a rise in demand for land for business purposes. Today, farmers and illegal loggers still want his land. He could also find himself confronted by \"pistoleros\", who are essentially guns-for-hire, patrolling the area for cattle ranchers. In 2009, a temporary camp erected by Funai monitors was ransacked by an armed group. Two gun cartridges were left behind as an apparent threat. Brazil's Amazon rainforest is home to more uncontacted tribes than anywhere in the world, according to Survival International. Contact with the outside world also risks death from flu, measles or other commonly treatable conditions, as the tribespeople's immunity is low. \"In a way we don't need to know anything about him,\" Ms Watson said of the so-called Man of the Hole. \"But he is a symbol of what we are losing - this tremendous human diversity.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1383, "answer_end": 2109, "text": "Very little. Even though he has been the subject of various research reports, press articles and a book - The Last of the Tribe: The Epic Quest to Save a Lone Man in the Amazon by US journalist Monte Reel. The man is classed as uncontacted, meaning no outsider has ever spoken to him (as far as it is known). He is believed to be the only survivor after a group of six was attacked by farmers in 1995. His tribe has never been named, and it is not known what language they used. For years, the Brazilian media has dubbed him \"the Hole Indian\", because he leaves behind deep ditches, presumably used to trap animals or to hide. In the past, he has also abandoned straw huts and handmade tools, such as resin torches and arrows."}], "question": "What is known about the man?", "id": "730_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump says he believes waterboarding works", "date": "26 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has said he believes waterboarding works, stating \"we have to fight fire with fire\". Mr Trump said that while radical groups beheaded people in the Middle East \"we're not playing on an even field\". But Mr Trump also said he would consult Defence Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo and \"if they don't want to do it that's fine\". They have both indicated opposition to reintroducing the interrogation method, widely considered a form of torture. US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, questioned on the waterboarding remarks at a news conference on Thursday, reiterated that torture was illegal. Former CIA director Leon Panetta told the BBC it would be a \"serious mistake to take a backward step\" on torture. It is an interrogation process that causes the subject to experience the sensation of drowning. The subject is strapped to an angled board facing down and a cloth is placed over their mouth. Water is poured over the face, creating the feeling that the lungs are filling with water. Speaking to ABC News, Mr Trump said he wanted to \"keep our country safe\". \"When they're shooting, when they're chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they're chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when Isis (IS) is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding?\" he asked. \"I have spoken with people at the highest level of intelligence and I asked them the question 'Does it work? Does torture work?' and the answer was 'Yes, absolutely'. In his election campaign, Mr Trump had said he might order troops to carry out waterboarding \"and tougher\" methods on terrorism suspects, although the next day he said he would not order the military to break international law. The CIA began using waterboarding, among other interrogation processes, after the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001. Al-Qaeda figures Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were waterboarded dozens of times under CIA detention. A Senate committee concluded the technique did not provide critical intelligence, but some ex-CIA officials insisted it had provided actionable information. The technique is illegal. President Barack Obama banned torture as an interrogation technique in 2009. And late last year, an anti-torture amendment became law. It writes into the Army Field Manual that there can be no \"cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment\". Mr Trump can rewrite the manual but the law's stipulation that there can be \"no use or threat of force\" cannot be waived by executive order. Paul Ryan, speaking to reporters alongside Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, emphasised the Republican position, saying that \"torture is illegal and we agree with it not being legal\". If Mr Trump relies on his security team, then probably not. The president said on ABC: \"I will rely on Pompeo and Mattis and my group and if they don't want to do it that's fine. If they do want to do then I will work toward that end. \"I want to do everything within the bounds of what you're allowed to do legally but do I feel it works? Absolutely I feel it works.\" When Mr Trump was sounding out Mr Mattis for defence secretary he asked him about its use. Mr Trump told the New York Times: \"[Mr Mattis] said - I was surprised - he said, 'I've never found it to be useful.' He said, 'I've always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture'.\" Mr Pompeo has been a bit more ambivalent. He has defended the use of harsh techniques but during his confirmation hearing said he would \"absolutely not\" reinstate those methods. He was more equivocal in written responses, saying that if intelligence gathering was being impeded he would look into whether changing the laws was necessary. Mr Panetta was more forthright, telling the 100 Days programme on BBC World News: \"The reality is we really don't need to use enhanced interrogation in order to get the information that is required.\" \"I think it could be damaging in terms of our image to the rest of the world.\" A draft document has come into the hands of US media that suggests other actions, although Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said it was not a White House document. The draft order would scrap Mr Obama's move to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. It also calls for a review into whether the \"black sites\" programme should be reintroduced. Black sites were locations overseas where the CIA carried out interrogation techniques like waterboarding post 9/11. They were closed by Mr Obama. The Obama directive giving the Red Cross timely access to all detainees could also be revoked.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 759, "answer_end": 1040, "text": "It is an interrogation process that causes the subject to experience the sensation of drowning. The subject is strapped to an angled board facing down and a cloth is placed over their mouth. Water is poured over the face, creating the feeling that the lungs are filling with water."}], "question": "What is waterboarding?", "id": "731_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1041, "answer_end": 1842, "text": "Speaking to ABC News, Mr Trump said he wanted to \"keep our country safe\". \"When they're shooting, when they're chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they're chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when Isis (IS) is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since Medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding?\" he asked. \"I have spoken with people at the highest level of intelligence and I asked them the question 'Does it work? Does torture work?' and the answer was 'Yes, absolutely'. In his election campaign, Mr Trump had said he might order troops to carry out waterboarding \"and tougher\" methods on terrorism suspects, although the next day he said he would not order the military to break international law."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "731_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1843, "answer_end": 2829, "text": "The CIA began using waterboarding, among other interrogation processes, after the attacks on New York and Washington in 2001. Al-Qaeda figures Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were waterboarded dozens of times under CIA detention. A Senate committee concluded the technique did not provide critical intelligence, but some ex-CIA officials insisted it had provided actionable information. The technique is illegal. President Barack Obama banned torture as an interrogation technique in 2009. And late last year, an anti-torture amendment became law. It writes into the Army Field Manual that there can be no \"cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment\". Mr Trump can rewrite the manual but the law's stipulation that there can be \"no use or threat of force\" cannot be waived by executive order. Paul Ryan, speaking to reporters alongside Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, emphasised the Republican position, saying that \"torture is illegal and we agree with it not being legal\"."}], "question": "How has it been used, does it work and is it legal?", "id": "731_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2830, "answer_end": 4154, "text": "If Mr Trump relies on his security team, then probably not. The president said on ABC: \"I will rely on Pompeo and Mattis and my group and if they don't want to do it that's fine. If they do want to do then I will work toward that end. \"I want to do everything within the bounds of what you're allowed to do legally but do I feel it works? Absolutely I feel it works.\" When Mr Trump was sounding out Mr Mattis for defence secretary he asked him about its use. Mr Trump told the New York Times: \"[Mr Mattis] said - I was surprised - he said, 'I've never found it to be useful.' He said, 'I've always found, give me a pack of cigarettes and a couple of beers and I do better with that than I do with torture'.\" Mr Pompeo has been a bit more ambivalent. He has defended the use of harsh techniques but during his confirmation hearing said he would \"absolutely not\" reinstate those methods. He was more equivocal in written responses, saying that if intelligence gathering was being impeded he would look into whether changing the laws was necessary. Mr Panetta was more forthright, telling the 100 Days programme on BBC World News: \"The reality is we really don't need to use enhanced interrogation in order to get the information that is required.\" \"I think it could be damaging in terms of our image to the rest of the world.\""}], "question": "So could it come back?", "id": "731_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4155, "answer_end": 4765, "text": "A draft document has come into the hands of US media that suggests other actions, although Trump administration spokesman Sean Spicer said it was not a White House document. The draft order would scrap Mr Obama's move to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. It also calls for a review into whether the \"black sites\" programme should be reintroduced. Black sites were locations overseas where the CIA carried out interrogation techniques like waterboarding post 9/11. They were closed by Mr Obama. The Obama directive giving the Red Cross timely access to all detainees could also be revoked."}], "question": "What other measures are being considered?", "id": "731_4"}]}]}, {"title": "US and Australian hostages freed in Taliban prisoner swap", "date": "19 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Afghan Taliban have freed two Western academics held hostage since 2016 in exchange for three imprisoned senior militants. American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks were released three years after being kidnapped outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul where they worked as professors. The three militants arrived in Qatar from Afghanistan as part of the swap. Afghan officials say the deal is aimed at restarting talks with the Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani said last week the decision was \"a tough, but important\" one and a \"humanitarian gesture\". The swap includes Anas Haqqani, a leading figure and fund-raiser in the Haqqani militant group, and two other senior commanders, who had been held in prison by Afghan authorities. Anas Haqqani's older brother, Sirajuddin, leads the Haqqani network of fighters and is a deputy leader of the Taliban, which has a political office in Qatar. The Taliban also announced they had released 10 captured Afghan National Security Force members, saying the  prisoner exchange had been \"successfully executed\". \"These actions are a step forward in good-will and confidence building measures that can aid the peace process,\" the group said in a statement. The two professors of English were ambushed by gunmen and taken from a vehicle while leaving their university campus in Kabul in August 2016. US Navy Seals attempted a rescue mission several days later but Mr Weeks, originally from Wagga Wagga in Australia, and Mr King, from Pennsylvania, had been moved on just hours before. The pair then appeared in a video, released in January 2017, appealing to then US President-elect Donald Trump to agree to a deal to secure their release. On Tuesday, a Taliban source in southern Afghanistan told the BBC the pair had been handed over in the Nawbahar district of Zabul province at 10:00 local time (05:30 GMT). According to a local police officer, who was involved in the swap, a 48-hour ceasefire was observed before the swap. The men were then flown away in a US helicopter. The condition of the two men remains unclear, but in his speech last week Mr Ghani noted \"their health has been deteriorating while in the custody of the terrorists\". The American University of Afghanistan said in a statement that it \"shares the relief of the families of Kevin and Timothy, and we look forward to providing all the support we can\" to the two men and their families. Anas Haqqani, Haji Mali Khan and Hafiz Rashid were sent to Qatar as part of the exchange. Haqqani is a leading figure in the Haqqani group, a militant group founded by his father Jalaluddin Haqqani, and now led by his older brother, Sirajuddin, who is also deputy leader of the Taliban, BBC Urdu's Riffat Orakzai says. Another four of his brothers been killed in various security operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The surviving family members are in hiding. The Haqqani network has been behind many of the co-ordinated attacks on Afghan and Nato forces in recent years and has been blamed for some of the deadliest blasts in the country, including a truck bomb in Kabul in 2017 that killed more than 150 people. Pakistan has been accused by the West of backing the Haqqani network to counter the influence of arch-rival India in Afghanistan, a charge it denies. Anas was arrested in Bahrain in 2014. It is believed his captors, the Americans, kept him in a prison in the UAE for some time until he was handed over to the Afghan government in Kabul and imprisoned at Bagram air base. Hafiz Rashid is a senior Taliban commander who was involved in equipping suicide bombers and helped choose their targets, according to The New York Times. His brother is a member of the Taliban negotiating team in Qatar. Little is known about Haji Mali Khan, who is said to be a senior commander. Analysis by Auliya Atrafi, BBC Afghan, Kabul This is a huge gamble for President Ghani. The image of Anas Haqqani has been used by critics of the government and civil society protesters to represent the most extreme part of the Taliban - the part responsible for some of the deadliest and most high profile attacks in the heart of Kabul which left hundreds of civilians killed or wounded. The government recently said releasing him was a red line - but now it's being taunted for having crossed that very line. If this release is followed by a reduction in violence, it could repair the damage, but that remains to be seen. However, on a positive point: the government managed the deal in a way which made it appear like it was in charge, and not the Americans. To drive this point home, the government seems to have delayed the planned release last week until there was an understanding with the Taliban. Officials hope this will make the Taliban accept direct talks with the Afghan government - something the militants have always refused up until now. The talks collapsed in September, after President Donald Trump had invited senior Taliban leaders and Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to meet at Camp David, near Washington DC, aiming to end the US' longest war. But a Taliban attack in the Afghan capital two days earlier, which killed a US soldier and 11 others, prompted Mr Trump to pull out, saying the group \"probably don't have the power to negotiate\" if they were unable to agree to a ceasefire during talks. Mr Ghani said in a televised speech that the exchange aimed to \"facilitate direct peace negotiations.\" However, the Taliban have long refused to negotiate with Mr Ghani's administration, calling it a puppet of the US.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1222, "answer_end": 2424, "text": "The two professors of English were ambushed by gunmen and taken from a vehicle while leaving their university campus in Kabul in August 2016. US Navy Seals attempted a rescue mission several days later but Mr Weeks, originally from Wagga Wagga in Australia, and Mr King, from Pennsylvania, had been moved on just hours before. The pair then appeared in a video, released in January 2017, appealing to then US President-elect Donald Trump to agree to a deal to secure their release. On Tuesday, a Taliban source in southern Afghanistan told the BBC the pair had been handed over in the Nawbahar district of Zabul province at 10:00 local time (05:30 GMT). According to a local police officer, who was involved in the swap, a 48-hour ceasefire was observed before the swap. The men were then flown away in a US helicopter. The condition of the two men remains unclear, but in his speech last week Mr Ghani noted \"their health has been deteriorating while in the custody of the terrorists\". The American University of Afghanistan said in a statement that it \"shares the relief of the families of Kevin and Timothy, and we look forward to providing all the support we can\" to the two men and their families."}], "question": "What happened to the professors?", "id": "732_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3811, "answer_end": 4865, "text": "Analysis by Auliya Atrafi, BBC Afghan, Kabul This is a huge gamble for President Ghani. The image of Anas Haqqani has been used by critics of the government and civil society protesters to represent the most extreme part of the Taliban - the part responsible for some of the deadliest and most high profile attacks in the heart of Kabul which left hundreds of civilians killed or wounded. The government recently said releasing him was a red line - but now it's being taunted for having crossed that very line. If this release is followed by a reduction in violence, it could repair the damage, but that remains to be seen. However, on a positive point: the government managed the deal in a way which made it appear like it was in charge, and not the Americans. To drive this point home, the government seems to have delayed the planned release last week until there was an understanding with the Taliban. Officials hope this will make the Taliban accept direct talks with the Afghan government - something the militants have always refused up until now."}], "question": "A risky move - or political savvy?", "id": "732_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Phillipe Barbarin: French cardinal guilty of abuse cover-up", "date": "7 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, the cardinal Philippe Barbarin, has been given a six-month suspended sentence for his role in covering up the sexual abuse of minors. Barbarin was found guilty of failing to report allegations of assaults by a priest in the 1980s and 1990s. He denied the charges. His lawyers now say he will appeal against the verdict. Barbarin's sentencing comes as the Catholic Church reckons with a new wave of abuse scandals. Barbarin, who held the position of Archbishop of Lyon, was not present for the verdict. During the trial, he told the court: \"I cannot see what I am guilty of. I never tried to hide, let alone cover up these horrible facts.\" The claims relate to alleged abuses committed by priest Bernard Preynat, who is now 73 and who ran a boy-scout group in the Lyon area for many years. Dozens of men say he sexually assaulted them as children. Mr Preynat lawyer's has said his client has admitted the allegations, but that the statute of limitations has expired. French officials argue that some of the offences can still be prosecuted and a criminal case has been opened against the priest. Related stories Some of Mr Preynat's alleged victims took action against Barbarin and five others over their inaction. They used provisions in French law to bring a private prosecution, bypassing the prosecutor's office which had not pursued the case against the cardinal. Barbarin told the trial he had known of \"rumours\" as far back as 2010. But he said he became aware of the alleged abuse after a conversation with one of the victims in 2014. He informed the Vatican about the allegations, and removed Mr Preynat from his position a year later - but never informed police. The allegations became public in 2015 and are now the subject of a film titled Grace of God, which was cleared for release last month after a legal battle. French broadcaster BFMTV described the case as \"the first major trial of paedophile in the French Catholic Church\". The conviction comes amid a number of other Catholic scandals around the world. Two weeks ago, Australia's most senior cleric, Cardinal George Pell - someone once widely seen as the Church's third-most powerful official - was found guilty of abusing children. An Australian jury found Pell had abused two choir boys in Melbourne's cathedral in 1996. He is now appealing that verdict. Pope Francis last month convened a conference on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church. He called for \"concrete measures\" to tackle the problem rather than \"simple and obvious condemnations\", and labelled abusers \"tools of Satan\". Critics say that little concrete action has been taken by the Church.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 683, "answer_end": 1138, "text": "The claims relate to alleged abuses committed by priest Bernard Preynat, who is now 73 and who ran a boy-scout group in the Lyon area for many years. Dozens of men say he sexually assaulted them as children. Mr Preynat lawyer's has said his client has admitted the allegations, but that the statute of limitations has expired. French officials argue that some of the offences can still be prosecuted and a criminal case has been opened against the priest."}], "question": "What are the abuse claims?", "id": "733_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1412, "answer_end": 1987, "text": "Barbarin told the trial he had known of \"rumours\" as far back as 2010. But he said he became aware of the alleged abuse after a conversation with one of the victims in 2014. He informed the Vatican about the allegations, and removed Mr Preynat from his position a year later - but never informed police. The allegations became public in 2015 and are now the subject of a film titled Grace of God, which was cleared for release last month after a legal battle. French broadcaster BFMTV described the case as \"the first major trial of paedophile in the French Catholic Church\"."}], "question": "What was the cardinal's defence?", "id": "733_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1988, "answer_end": 2686, "text": "The conviction comes amid a number of other Catholic scandals around the world. Two weeks ago, Australia's most senior cleric, Cardinal George Pell - someone once widely seen as the Church's third-most powerful official - was found guilty of abusing children. An Australian jury found Pell had abused two choir boys in Melbourne's cathedral in 1996. He is now appealing that verdict. Pope Francis last month convened a conference on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church. He called for \"concrete measures\" to tackle the problem rather than \"simple and obvious condemnations\", and labelled abusers \"tools of Satan\". Critics say that little concrete action has been taken by the Church."}], "question": "What is the wider context?", "id": "733_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Sabarimala: The Indian god who bars women from his temple", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Sabarimala temple in the south Indian state of Kerala this week opened its doors to women of all ages for the first time after a historic Supreme Court ruling.  However no women devotees have yet entered as violent protesters have blocked their way. Two women - journalist Kavitha Jagdal and social activist Rehana Fathima - managed to reach the main temple premises on Thursday. More than 100 policemen protected them from stone-throwing protesters as they walked the last 5km (3-mile) stretch to the temple. But they had to return after a stand-off with devotees metres from Sabarimala's sanctum. The protesters have also included many women - they have participated in rallies, blocked roads and checked vehicles heading towards the temple to see if any women of a \"menstruating age\" - deemed to be those aged between 10 and 50 years - were trying to enter. The temple attracts millions of devotees from across the country every year. Part of the violent opposition to the Supreme Court order to reverse the temple's historical ban on women is because protesters feel the ruling goes against the wishes of the deity, Lord Ayappa, himself. Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals. But while most Hindu temples allow women to enter as long as they are not menstruating, the Sabarimala temple is unusual in that it was one of the few that did not allow women in a broad age group to enter at all. Hindu devotees say that the ban on women entering Sabarimala is not about menstruation alone - it is also in keeping with the wish of the deity who is believed to have laid down clear rules about the pilgrimage to seek his blessings. Every year, millions of male devotees trek up a steep hill, often barefoot, to visit the shrine. They also undertake a rigorous 41-day fast, abstaining from smoking, alcohol, meat, sex and contact with menstruating women before they begin the journey. Every god in the vast Hindu pantheon has his or her own personality, complete with a unique legend, and Lord Ayappa is no different. According to the temple's mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy. There are several stories about why this is the case. According to one legend, Ayappa was born out of a union between two male gods which gave him the ability to defeat a she-demon who had been unstoppable until then. Upon defeating her, it was revealed that she was really a young woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon. She fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, but he refused, saying he was destined to go into the forest and answer the prayers of his devotees. She persisted, so he said he would marry her the day new devotees stopped coming to seek his blessings. That never happened. The legend says that she waits for him at a second temple, which lies on the way to the main Sabarimala shrine. Women do not visit either temple - the belief is that to do so would insult both the deity and the sacrifice of the woman who loved him. According to another legend, Lord Ayappa was a prince who saved his kingdom from an Arab invader named Vavar. Following the battle, Vavar became a devout follower of the prince - there is also a shrine dedicated to him near Sabarimala. He is said to protect the pilgrims who come to Sabarimala to seek blessings. In this version of the story, Lord Ayappa eventually took a vow to answer the prayers of every devotee who came to him, and shunned all worldly desires including contact with women, which is why women are not permitted inside his temple. There could also be other legends associated with the deity and why women are not allowed inside. \"There is no jubilation among Hindu women devotees; on the contrary, they are distressed,\" author Vineetha Menon wrote in the Organiser - a publication run by the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has been at the forefront of protests. Ms Menon argues that women do not enter the temple \"owing to the Lord's bhava [wish]\". Some male devotees have said that they will not return to the temple if the court ruling is enforced. \"We have been coming to temple for the last 30 years. But we may not come back because women entering the temple will spoil our belief system and sacred rituals,\" Murugan, a devotee, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi. The issue also divided the five-judge bench that gave the verdict. Indu Malhotra, the only woman judge on the bench, disagreed with the majority verdict. \"Issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily interfered by the court... Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion,\" she said in her dissenting opinion. Women have been demanding entry into the temple for decades. But in 2016, a controversial statement by the temple's chief gave fresh impetus to the protest. Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that he would allow women to enter only after a machine was invented to detect if they were \"pure\" - meaning that they weren't menstruating. Petitioners who appealed before the Supreme Court to lift the ban cited his statement, saying the temple's rituals violated equality guaranteed under India's constitution. They added that it was prejudiced against women and their right to worship. Correspondents say that clashes between protesters and police may escalate in the coming days as more women are likely to attempt to enter the temple.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 942, "answer_end": 1947, "text": "Part of the violent opposition to the Supreme Court order to reverse the temple's historical ban on women is because protesters feel the ruling goes against the wishes of the deity, Lord Ayappa, himself. Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals. But while most Hindu temples allow women to enter as long as they are not menstruating, the Sabarimala temple is unusual in that it was one of the few that did not allow women in a broad age group to enter at all. Hindu devotees say that the ban on women entering Sabarimala is not about menstruation alone - it is also in keeping with the wish of the deity who is believed to have laid down clear rules about the pilgrimage to seek his blessings. Every year, millions of male devotees trek up a steep hill, often barefoot, to visit the shrine. They also undertake a rigorous 41-day fast, abstaining from smoking, alcohol, meat, sex and contact with menstruating women before they begin the journey."}], "question": "Why are protesters so angry?", "id": "734_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1948, "answer_end": 3702, "text": "Every god in the vast Hindu pantheon has his or her own personality, complete with a unique legend, and Lord Ayappa is no different. According to the temple's mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy. There are several stories about why this is the case. According to one legend, Ayappa was born out of a union between two male gods which gave him the ability to defeat a she-demon who had been unstoppable until then. Upon defeating her, it was revealed that she was really a young woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon. She fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, but he refused, saying he was destined to go into the forest and answer the prayers of his devotees. She persisted, so he said he would marry her the day new devotees stopped coming to seek his blessings. That never happened. The legend says that she waits for him at a second temple, which lies on the way to the main Sabarimala shrine. Women do not visit either temple - the belief is that to do so would insult both the deity and the sacrifice of the woman who loved him. According to another legend, Lord Ayappa was a prince who saved his kingdom from an Arab invader named Vavar. Following the battle, Vavar became a devout follower of the prince - there is also a shrine dedicated to him near Sabarimala. He is said to protect the pilgrims who come to Sabarimala to seek blessings. In this version of the story, Lord Ayappa eventually took a vow to answer the prayers of every devotee who came to him, and shunned all worldly desires including contact with women, which is why women are not permitted inside his temple. There could also be other legends associated with the deity and why women are not allowed inside."}], "question": "What is the legend of Lord Ayappa?", "id": "734_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3703, "answer_end": 5436, "text": "\"There is no jubilation among Hindu women devotees; on the contrary, they are distressed,\" author Vineetha Menon wrote in the Organiser - a publication run by the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has been at the forefront of protests. Ms Menon argues that women do not enter the temple \"owing to the Lord's bhava [wish]\". Some male devotees have said that they will not return to the temple if the court ruling is enforced. \"We have been coming to temple for the last 30 years. But we may not come back because women entering the temple will spoil our belief system and sacred rituals,\" Murugan, a devotee, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi. The issue also divided the five-judge bench that gave the verdict. Indu Malhotra, the only woman judge on the bench, disagreed with the majority verdict. \"Issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily interfered by the court... Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion,\" she said in her dissenting opinion. Women have been demanding entry into the temple for decades. But in 2016, a controversial statement by the temple's chief gave fresh impetus to the protest. Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that he would allow women to enter only after a machine was invented to detect if they were \"pure\" - meaning that they weren't menstruating. Petitioners who appealed before the Supreme Court to lift the ban cited his statement, saying the temple's rituals violated equality guaranteed under India's constitution. They added that it was prejudiced against women and their right to worship. Correspondents say that clashes between protesters and police may escalate in the coming days as more women are likely to attempt to enter the temple."}], "question": "What are protesters saying?", "id": "734_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change: Which airline is best for carbon emissions?", "date": "7 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "EasyJet has come top of the league for airlines trying to cut carbon emissions to tackle climate change. A report suggests that by 2020 its emissions per passenger kilometre will be less than half that of some rivals. The firm's performance is partly down to its modern, efficient fleet and its push to fill every seat. Companies named as having the weakest plans to cut emissions are Air China; China Southern; Korean Air; Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Aviation industry agrees emissions deal How dirty is jet travel? EU compromise on plane CO2 emissions EasyJet's aircraft are expected to be emitting 75g of CO2 per passenger km by 2020, compared with 172g for Korean Air. International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes British Airways, is expected to emit 112g. The industry has volunteered to freeze its overall emissions by 2020, and halve emissions by 2050. This is a more generous target than those given to other industrial sectors, but the report says only EasyJet is meeting those aviation targets so far. The report from the London School of Economics is backed by a group of institutional investors, the Environment Agency Pension Fund. It is anxious for their funds to support firms committed to reducing emissions. Faith Ward from the fund said: \"Investors have a clear message to the aviation sector: when it comes to carbon performance, they must be in it for the long haul. \"That means setting stretching emissions reduction targets to 2030 and beyond. It's clear this is not currently the case.\" The investors also complain that the airlines are trying to achieve their targets using the controversial process of offsetting - where firms plants trees to compensate for their own CO2 emissions. \"Offsetting is no substitute for a clear strategy to reduce emissions,\" Ms Ward said. Aviation creates 12% of transport-related emissions. The industry body ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) told BBC News it couldn't comment on individual airlines, but said the industry's carbon-cutting plans were \"on track\". Aviation has been given easier targets than other industrial sectors because although aircraft are becoming more efficient, this trend has been overwhelmed the by the relentless increase in people wanting to fly. Some caveats must be applied to the LSE research. First, it doesn't take into account that some airlines allow much more baggage than others, which alter the notional weight per passenger and thus their CO2 tally. There is also some cause for caution over EasyJet's carbon virtue. Remember that the figures are based on CO2 per passenger kilometre. This means EasyJet can improve its per capita performance by stuffing planes with cut-price ticket-holders, thereby potentially encouraging a new generation of frequent flyers. Korean Air told us the calculation method for the assessment didn't take into account that it and Singapore Airlines tend to carry more freight than average airlines - and this increases their carbon emissions. The firm said it was exceeding the ICAO guideline of improving fuel efficiency by 1.5% per annum. Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1031, "answer_end": 1812, "text": "The report from the London School of Economics is backed by a group of institutional investors, the Environment Agency Pension Fund. It is anxious for their funds to support firms committed to reducing emissions. Faith Ward from the fund said: \"Investors have a clear message to the aviation sector: when it comes to carbon performance, they must be in it for the long haul. \"That means setting stretching emissions reduction targets to 2030 and beyond. It's clear this is not currently the case.\" The investors also complain that the airlines are trying to achieve their targets using the controversial process of offsetting - where firms plants trees to compensate for their own CO2 emissions. \"Offsetting is no substitute for a clear strategy to reduce emissions,\" Ms Ward said."}], "question": "Who produced the report?", "id": "735_0"}]}]}, {"title": "100 years on: Suffragette tributes shared online", "date": "6 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A century after women first won the right to vote in the UK, politicians, activists and social media users have paid tribute to the women who helped to force a change in the law. The hashtag #100Years is trending worldwide, used more than 40,000 times on Twitter. Some social media users celebrated the contribution of women who campaigned for the right to vote. Others marked the occasion by highlighting work still to be done. The names of several prominent suffrage campaigners have been trending. BBC Radio 4 listeners voted Suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett as the 'most influential' woman of the past 100 years, but Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst has been mentioned almost 3,000 times on Twitter in the past 24 hours. Suffragettes and Suffragists both campaigned for a change in the law which would grant women the right to vote, but favoured different methods. Tributes to other campaigners, including Sylvia and Christabel Pankhurst, and Emily Davison, a Suffragette who died when she ran in front of the King's horse during the 1913 Epsom Derby, have also been made by thousands. Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips was among scores of politicians from all parties to mark the centenary online. The Prime Minister shared a picture of female MPs gathered in Parliament. \"I'm proud that there are over 200 female MPS,\" she wrote. \"Our democracy is stronger as a result.\" Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP First Minister of Scotland, also paid tribute to Suffragist and Suffragette campaigners. Prominent individuals outside of politics have also marked the anniversary. Sir Paul McCartney referenced his Wings song Jet in congratulating \"all of us on the 100th anniversary of the Suffragette movement\". Many people marked the centenary by highlighting progress they say has yet be made. Channel 4 News presenter, Cathy Newman, pointed out \"fewer than one third of MPs are female\" and \"all chancellors to date have been men,\" adding, \"history still needs to be made\". Referencing the exclusion of some women from enfranchisement in 1918, novelist and broadcaster Bonnie Greer said political life for a woman is still \"different, harder, less rewarding, more dangerous than it is for a man\". The Jo Cox Foundation, a charity set up after Ms Cox's murder in 2016, shared pictures of the former MP as a 14-year-old visiting Downing Street on a school trip. By UGC and Social News team", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 429, "answer_end": 1088, "text": "The names of several prominent suffrage campaigners have been trending. BBC Radio 4 listeners voted Suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett as the 'most influential' woman of the past 100 years, but Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst has been mentioned almost 3,000 times on Twitter in the past 24 hours. Suffragettes and Suffragists both campaigned for a change in the law which would grant women the right to vote, but favoured different methods. Tributes to other campaigners, including Sylvia and Christabel Pankhurst, and Emily Davison, a Suffragette who died when she ran in front of the King's horse during the 1913 Epsom Derby, have also been made by thousands."}], "question": "Who are people talking about?", "id": "736_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1089, "answer_end": 1801, "text": "Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips was among scores of politicians from all parties to mark the centenary online. The Prime Minister shared a picture of female MPs gathered in Parliament. \"I'm proud that there are over 200 female MPS,\" she wrote. \"Our democracy is stronger as a result.\" Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP First Minister of Scotland, also paid tribute to Suffragist and Suffragette campaigners. Prominent individuals outside of politics have also marked the anniversary. Sir Paul McCartney referenced his Wings song Jet in congratulating \"all of us on the 100th anniversary of the Suffragette movement\"."}], "question": "What are women in politics saying?", "id": "736_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: Whose Taj Mahal is it anyway?", "date": "2 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The claim: An Indian MP and some right-wing groups claim that the iconic Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple. Vinay Katiyar from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently asked the government to change the name and identity of the monument and acknowledge that a Hindu ruler built it. His statement has been widely reported in the media, prompting many right-wing groups to support him. Reality Check verdict: There is no convincing evidence to back the claim. Instead the vast majority of historians and the Indian government agree that the mausoleum is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture. India's official recorded history says that Mughal (or Mogul) ruler Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his queen, Mumtaj Mahal. The Mughals, who originally came from Central Asia, ruled most of what is now India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The Mughal empire consolidated Islam in South Asia, and spread Muslim arts and culture as well as the faith through the region. And the Taj Mahal epitomises their love for fine craftsmanship. The Archaeological Survey of India, the custodian of the country's monuments, describes the Taj Mahal as \"the pinnacle of Mughal architecture\". The government's official Taj Mahal website also says \"the period of Mughal architecture best exemplifies the maturity of a style that had synthesised Islamic architecture with its indigenous counterparts\". \"By the time the Mughals built the Taj, though proud of their Persian and Timurid roots, they had come to see themselves as Indian,\" it adds. Historian Rana Safvi told the BBC that \"there is no question\" of revisiting the history of the Taj Mahal, and that there is no evidence a temple ever existed on the site. \"There was a haveli [mansion] owned by Hindu ruler Jai Singh which existed before the Taj was built there. \"Shah Jahan officially bought the haveli from him. An official farman [order] was issued about this and it still exists. The farman also shows that the Mughals were very particular about recording their deeds and history,\" she said. Ms Safvi says a book titled Taj Mahal: The Illumined Tomb by WE Begley and ZA Desaihas compiled an anthology of these documents. \"From such books I realised how well-documented the building of the mausoleum was. I use these translations to present my arguments that the Taj Mahal was built on the land where Raja Jai Singh had a mansion and that there is no mention of any religious building on that land,\" she said. Another noted historian, Harbans Mukhia, agrees with Ms Safvi. \"Recorded history proves beyond any doubt that the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his queen,\" he said. School text books and various government websites also describe the monument as an example of Indo-Islamic architecture. So where does this temple theory come from? Mr Katiyar is not the first person who has demanded that the history of the Taj Mahal should be changed. The late right-wing historian PN Oak called the monument Tejo Mahal in his 1989 book titled Taj Mahal: The True Story. He argued in the book that the monument was originally a Hindu temple and palace built by a Rajput ruler. Mr Oak believed that Emperor Shah Jahan seized the structure after a battle, and later renamed it the Taj Mahal. Writer Sacchidananda Shevde, who worked closely with Mr Oak, told BBC Marathi that the government should appoint a team of experts to \"uncover the truth\". \"Taj Mahal is not a piece of Muslim architecture. It's original Hindu architecture,\" he said. But the government's official Taj Mahal website says the monument represents \"a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles\". Both Mr Katiyar and Mr Shevde argue that the Taj Mahal comprises a number of Hindu architecture symbols. \"There is a crescent moon on the pinnacle of the Taj. In Islamic culture, the moon is tilted, this crescent moon is not tilted, it's related to the Shaivaite [Followers of Hindu god Shiva] culture,\" Mr Shevde says. \"There is also a kalash [pitcher] on the pinnacle, there are mango leaves and inverted coconut in it. These are all Hindu symbols. Flowers and animals are prohibited in Islamic culture, yet they are used in Taj's construction,\" he added. Mr Mukhia rejects these claims. \"Architecture always evolves and imbibes influences from many cultures. Mughal architecture is no different. The kalash is an important symbol for Hindus, but you also see it in Mughal monuments, including the Taj Mahal. Leaves and flowers have also been depicted in many Mughal buildings,\" he told the BBC. For decades, the Taj Mahal has been used in official tourism campaigns to attract travellers from all over the world. The story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaj Mahal has been used by poets and writers to describe love. So what does Mr Katiyar stand to gain by his claims? His comment coincides with the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. Several BJP politicians have given provocative statements about restoring \"Hindu pride\" since the BJP came to power in 2014. Mr Katiyar's latest statement also appears to be targeted at the people who believe in Hindu nationalism. Such statements also help politicians deflect people's attention from real issues like job creation and the health of the economy. Though the government has not endorsed his views, right-wing groups are more than happy to follow his lead. One such group recently demanded that they should be allowed to offer Hindu prayers at the Taj Mahal. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 599, "answer_end": 2780, "text": "India's official recorded history says that Mughal (or Mogul) ruler Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his queen, Mumtaj Mahal. The Mughals, who originally came from Central Asia, ruled most of what is now India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th Centuries. The Mughal empire consolidated Islam in South Asia, and spread Muslim arts and culture as well as the faith through the region. And the Taj Mahal epitomises their love for fine craftsmanship. The Archaeological Survey of India, the custodian of the country's monuments, describes the Taj Mahal as \"the pinnacle of Mughal architecture\". The government's official Taj Mahal website also says \"the period of Mughal architecture best exemplifies the maturity of a style that had synthesised Islamic architecture with its indigenous counterparts\". \"By the time the Mughals built the Taj, though proud of their Persian and Timurid roots, they had come to see themselves as Indian,\" it adds. Historian Rana Safvi told the BBC that \"there is no question\" of revisiting the history of the Taj Mahal, and that there is no evidence a temple ever existed on the site. \"There was a haveli [mansion] owned by Hindu ruler Jai Singh which existed before the Taj was built there. \"Shah Jahan officially bought the haveli from him. An official farman [order] was issued about this and it still exists. The farman also shows that the Mughals were very particular about recording their deeds and history,\" she said. Ms Safvi says a book titled Taj Mahal: The Illumined Tomb by WE Begley and ZA Desaihas compiled an anthology of these documents. \"From such books I realised how well-documented the building of the mausoleum was. I use these translations to present my arguments that the Taj Mahal was built on the land where Raja Jai Singh had a mansion and that there is no mention of any religious building on that land,\" she said. Another noted historian, Harbans Mukhia, agrees with Ms Safvi. \"Recorded history proves beyond any doubt that the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his queen,\" he said. School text books and various government websites also describe the monument as an example of Indo-Islamic architecture."}], "question": "Who built it?", "id": "737_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4581, "answer_end": 5484, "text": "For decades, the Taj Mahal has been used in official tourism campaigns to attract travellers from all over the world. The story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaj Mahal has been used by poets and writers to describe love. So what does Mr Katiyar stand to gain by his claims? His comment coincides with the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. Several BJP politicians have given provocative statements about restoring \"Hindu pride\" since the BJP came to power in 2014. Mr Katiyar's latest statement also appears to be targeted at the people who believe in Hindu nationalism. Such statements also help politicians deflect people's attention from real issues like job creation and the health of the economy. Though the government has not endorsed his views, right-wing groups are more than happy to follow his lead. One such group recently demanded that they should be allowed to offer Hindu prayers at the Taj Mahal."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "737_1"}]}]}, {"title": "BBC review finds 'no gender bias in on-air pay decisions'", "date": "30 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "There is \"no gender bias\" regarding pay decisions at the BBC, according to a new report into the corporation. But the BBC's approach to setting pay in general \"has been far from perfect\", auditors PwC found. Their report, published on Tuesday, found a 6.8% gender pay gap among on-air staff. Responding to the report, the BBC said there would be \"substantial\" pay cuts for some men, and pay rises for some men and women. Director general Tony Hall said \"important issues\" had to be tackled. Unlike the corporation's annual report, which was published last summer and named on-air staff earning more than PS150,000, Tuesday's report involves those on air across all pay brackets - a total of 824 people. The 6.8% pay gap identified in this group was lower than the overall BBC average pay gap of 9.3%. The national average is 18%. The director general said: \"Today's report does not find evidence of gender bias in decision-making. \"But it shows we have real and important issues to tackle... and I'm determined to get it right.\" He added: \"The plans we're setting out today go further and are more important steps in modernising the BBC and making it fairer. \"We've already made an important start. We're addressing unfairness in individuals' pay and want to close the gender pay gap and have women in half of our on-air roles by 2020. Those are big, bold commitments I'm really serious about.\" Lord Hall also said he wanted to \"push forward on our goal of getting 50:50 men and women on air by 2020, I now want to do that quicker\". - The median pay gap in the lowest three of the four on-air job levels PwC examined was 12.6% - higher than the BBC's overall pay gap of 9.3%. - In the top level, the gap was 0.4% - but the number of people in this bracket was smaller and the range of salaries much wider. - This level includes \"a small number of individuals, mainly men, [who] are paid very highly\". - The \"most significant under-representation\" of women is found in news correspondent jobs. - \"Slightly\" more women receive pay at the lower end of the salary range for their jobs, while more men are higher up the salary scales. - But, referring to such disparities in the first three job levels, PwC said there are \"logical and non-gender related reasons\" for the differences. The BBC said it would take five actions: Before the report was published, BBC Women - a group that represents female BBC journalists and producers - said it had \"no confidence\" in the PwC review. The group said it had not been consulted and felt it had \"been excluded from the process\". However, it is understood the BBC will now consult staff about the report's recommendations before deciding whether to adopt them. More than 150 women have put forward written evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, ahead of a hearing on Wednesday. The evidence includes claims that women at the corporation had faced \"veiled threats\" while trying to raise the subject of equal pay. Responding to the claims, BBC head of news Fran Unsworth said: \"If there have been veiled threats, I don't know how much of this is current, and I would really hope it isn't, and how much of that dossier is historic. \"But if any of that is current, then it needs to be raised.\" Jane Garvey, presenter and member of BBC Women, told Radio 4's The World At One she was sceptical about the findings of the PwC report - namely that there was no gender bias around BBC pay decisions. \"The report would say that, wouldn't it? This is a PwC report commissioned by the BBC and, without being overly cynical, I might venture to suggest that the PwC has delivered the report the BBC has asked for,\" she said. She added: \"This was never about cutting men's pay - it's not a solution to the issue of equal pay.\" Former BBC chairman Lord Grade, told the BBC the pay issue was a \"huge problem for management\" that would not be solved overnight. \"I feel sorry for the management but I think they're on the right track,\" he said. \"I think the levels of pay for the star journalists are way too high, there isn't really a market (in news)... I think those levels will start to come down. \"(With entertainment), in my experience, people do work for less at the BBC in the entertainment world than they could get from ITV or C4 or Sky or somewhere else.\" The report about on-air pay takes place against the backdrop of a long-running debate about gender pay at the BBC, which began last summer after the corporation published its salaries for on-air staff earning more than PS150,000. Last week, six of the BBC's leading male presenters - Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson and Jeremy Vine - agreed to take pay cuts. A report published in October found men working for the BBC earn an average of 9.3% more than women. The figure covered all staff, on and off air, and was put down to the fact there are more men in senior jobs. Lord Hall said it showed the BBC was \"in a better place than many organisations\". There is frustration at senior levels of the BBC that other organisations who are obliged to publish their own gender pay gap seem to be dragging their heels. The feeling at the top of the corporation is that they have gone much further than most other institutions on both gender pay across the organisation, and equal pay for equal staff. In his five-point plan to staff today, the director general argued for radical levels of transparency. This is somewhat ironic, given he vigorously resisted the salary disclosures last summer. Taken in concert, these issues show the BBC has a plan to tackle current injustices, and Lord Hall has certainly done more than his predecessors to advance female talent both on and off air. But history casts a long shadow over today's report. For many of the women at the BBC I have spoken to, the feeling is that they have accumulated injustice - and, some would argue, discrimination - over the course of their careers. Such is the strength of feeling that these proposals don't mark the end of this issue for the BBC - merely the end of the beginning. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 830, "answer_end": 1532, "text": "The director general said: \"Today's report does not find evidence of gender bias in decision-making. \"But it shows we have real and important issues to tackle... and I'm determined to get it right.\" He added: \"The plans we're setting out today go further and are more important steps in modernising the BBC and making it fairer. \"We've already made an important start. We're addressing unfairness in individuals' pay and want to close the gender pay gap and have women in half of our on-air roles by 2020. Those are big, bold commitments I'm really serious about.\" Lord Hall also said he wanted to \"push forward on our goal of getting 50:50 men and women on air by 2020, I now want to do that quicker\"."}], "question": "What has Tony Hall said?", "id": "738_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2279, "answer_end": 2319, "text": "The BBC said it would take five actions:"}], "question": "What has the BBC said it will do?", "id": "738_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2320, "answer_end": 3247, "text": "Before the report was published, BBC Women - a group that represents female BBC journalists and producers - said it had \"no confidence\" in the PwC review. The group said it had not been consulted and felt it had \"been excluded from the process\". However, it is understood the BBC will now consult staff about the report's recommendations before deciding whether to adopt them. More than 150 women have put forward written evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, ahead of a hearing on Wednesday. The evidence includes claims that women at the corporation had faced \"veiled threats\" while trying to raise the subject of equal pay. Responding to the claims, BBC head of news Fran Unsworth said: \"If there have been veiled threats, I don't know how much of this is current, and I would really hope it isn't, and how much of that dossier is historic. \"But if any of that is current, then it needs to be raised.\""}], "question": "What has BBC Women said?", "id": "738_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3248, "answer_end": 4304, "text": "Jane Garvey, presenter and member of BBC Women, told Radio 4's The World At One she was sceptical about the findings of the PwC report - namely that there was no gender bias around BBC pay decisions. \"The report would say that, wouldn't it? This is a PwC report commissioned by the BBC and, without being overly cynical, I might venture to suggest that the PwC has delivered the report the BBC has asked for,\" she said. She added: \"This was never about cutting men's pay - it's not a solution to the issue of equal pay.\" Former BBC chairman Lord Grade, told the BBC the pay issue was a \"huge problem for management\" that would not be solved overnight. \"I feel sorry for the management but I think they're on the right track,\" he said. \"I think the levels of pay for the star journalists are way too high, there isn't really a market (in news)... I think those levels will start to come down. \"(With entertainment), in my experience, people do work for less at the BBC in the entertainment world than they could get from ITV or C4 or Sky or somewhere else.\""}], "question": "How have others reacted?", "id": "738_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4305, "answer_end": 4993, "text": "The report about on-air pay takes place against the backdrop of a long-running debate about gender pay at the BBC, which began last summer after the corporation published its salaries for on-air staff earning more than PS150,000. Last week, six of the BBC's leading male presenters - Huw Edwards, Nicky Campbell, John Humphrys, Jon Sopel, Nick Robinson and Jeremy Vine - agreed to take pay cuts. A report published in October found men working for the BBC earn an average of 9.3% more than women. The figure covered all staff, on and off air, and was put down to the fact there are more men in senior jobs. Lord Hall said it showed the BBC was \"in a better place than many organisations\"."}], "question": "Who has already agreed to take a pay cut?", "id": "738_4"}]}]}, {"title": "As Iran waits for nuclear deal dividends - could the EU help?", "date": "18 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At a popular hotel in the Iranian capital they are kept busy changing the flags. When we arrive in the early hours of Saturday, along with the largest EU delegation in more than a decade, the lobby is dominated by a table of pink lilies in glorious bloom fronted by Europe's 12-starred blue flag entwined with Iran's tricolour. By lunchtime, India's flag is jostling for space in the display to welcome its foreign minister. And a Russian flag is at the ready for the imminent arrival of a trade mission from Moscow. Later in the lobby there is a sudden tinkling on the ivories of an unexpected tune: the American anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Welcome to Tehran, three months after sanctions were lifted, and nearly a year after an historic nuclear deal that opened Iran's doors to the world. Iran nuclear deal: Key points What lifting sanctions means But, aside from a small but growing number of American tourists flocking to enjoy Iran's spectacular heritage and hospitality, US businesses and officials are still staying away. Their engagement in Iran is still blocked by US financial sanctions only the US Congress can lift. There is no sign of that happening. And that is complicating matters for everybody. When EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini sweeps into Iran's elegant foreign ministry with a delegation of seven commissioners, she speaks of \"turning the page\" in Europe's relationship with Iran. A beaming Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif hails a \"new beginning\". But, at that crowded news conference, Iranian journalists keep asking about US banking obstacles frustrating everyone - from individuals trying to make international bank transfers to potential investors seeking finance for deals. \"Europeans have as much of an interest as the Iranians that this issue is solved,\" Ms Mogherini assures them. One of the EU's leading sanctions experts tells me European companies should not fear penalties linked to sanctions. But major European banks and businesses, especially those with any US connections, are wary, still worried they will be unwittingly snared in the remaining web of regulations. The sanctions linked to charges that Iran is \"supporting terrorism\", violating human rights, as well as concerns over its ballistic missile programme are still in place. \"Iran and the EU will put pressure on the United States to facilitate the co-operation of non-American banks with Iran,\" Mr Zarif emphasises. Ms Mogherini is known to have even raised the issue with President Barack Obama. And a senior EU official says they are in touch with their US counterparts on these issues \"on a daily basis\". US officials who played a key role in clinching the historic nuclear accord understand Iran's need to see an economic dividend from the deal. But they are also adamant that they've kept their commitments under the agreement. They are also under pressure from Republican lawmakers implacably opposed to any opening at all. Another problem for investors eager to take advantage of an 80m-strong market is knowing who is who in Iran's opaque system. When Mr Zarif sits down with me and three other journalists travelling with Ms Mogherini's delegation, he emphatically denies reports that more than half of Iran's economy is run by entities linked to \"parastatal organisations\" including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is under both EU and US sanctions. They are known to be involved in industries everywhere from oil to telecoms. \"I do not have exact figures but I can assure you that Iran's economy is huge and these proportions are totally disproportionate to reality,\" he replies. \"Much smaller than half of the economy?\" we press him. \"Certainly,\" he insists. He says Iran will fulfil its obligations to engage with regulatory institutions on issues such as money laundering and financing of terrorism. But despite his palpable concern, Mr Zarif does not echo the warning sounded by Iran's Central Bank Chief Valiollah Seif that the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was now in danger. \"The JCPOA is not in jeopardy,\" he says. But he cautions there is a risk. \"I believe Iranians are very hopeful about the future and see the benefits of engagement,\" he says. \"But, if they do not see change, they will change their mind.\" Change of tune? In most conversations I hear in Tehran, there is this sense that hope still has not run out. \"I was very happy when the nuclear deal was reached,\" says Shaghayegh, a young woman shopping in Tehran's bustling bazaar. \"It's had no effect yet, but I am sure it will gradually bring good things for everyone.\" Another woman, Negin, expresses a similar sentiment: \"The lifting of sanctions hasn't brought prices down as we hoped but, God willing, we will see results.\" And in that hotel lobby I also keep meeting people with two tales to tell. \"I've been here five or six times,\" Pakistani industrialist Khurrram Sayeed tells me as he proudly holds up a newspaper with a front-page photograph of a large group of potential investors attending a petrochemicals conference. \"But it's all a hoax,\" he sighs. \"Nothing is happening because we can't find the financing. Everything comes down to the US.\" An Iranian man sitting nearby turns out to be a tour guide. \"I have several groups of American tourists now,\" he says enthusiastically. But his positive pitch also turns sour. \"Half my European visitors recently cancelled,\" he adds. His disappointment is linked to new US visa restrictions which require people who have travelled to certain Middle East countries, including Iran, to obtain visas to enter the US. Even the pianist in the lobby changes his tune.  His rendition of The Star Spangled Banner is soon replaced by something less politically risque - a popular Beatles ballad.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2953, "answer_end": 5807, "text": "Another problem for investors eager to take advantage of an 80m-strong market is knowing who is who in Iran's opaque system. When Mr Zarif sits down with me and three other journalists travelling with Ms Mogherini's delegation, he emphatically denies reports that more than half of Iran's economy is run by entities linked to \"parastatal organisations\" including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) which is under both EU and US sanctions. They are known to be involved in industries everywhere from oil to telecoms. \"I do not have exact figures but I can assure you that Iran's economy is huge and these proportions are totally disproportionate to reality,\" he replies. \"Much smaller than half of the economy?\" we press him. \"Certainly,\" he insists. He says Iran will fulfil its obligations to engage with regulatory institutions on issues such as money laundering and financing of terrorism. But despite his palpable concern, Mr Zarif does not echo the warning sounded by Iran's Central Bank Chief Valiollah Seif that the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was now in danger. \"The JCPOA is not in jeopardy,\" he says. But he cautions there is a risk. \"I believe Iranians are very hopeful about the future and see the benefits of engagement,\" he says. \"But, if they do not see change, they will change their mind.\" Change of tune? In most conversations I hear in Tehran, there is this sense that hope still has not run out. \"I was very happy when the nuclear deal was reached,\" says Shaghayegh, a young woman shopping in Tehran's bustling bazaar. \"It's had no effect yet, but I am sure it will gradually bring good things for everyone.\" Another woman, Negin, expresses a similar sentiment: \"The lifting of sanctions hasn't brought prices down as we hoped but, God willing, we will see results.\" And in that hotel lobby I also keep meeting people with two tales to tell. \"I've been here five or six times,\" Pakistani industrialist Khurrram Sayeed tells me as he proudly holds up a newspaper with a front-page photograph of a large group of potential investors attending a petrochemicals conference. \"But it's all a hoax,\" he sighs. \"Nothing is happening because we can't find the financing. Everything comes down to the US.\" An Iranian man sitting nearby turns out to be a tour guide. \"I have several groups of American tourists now,\" he says enthusiastically. But his positive pitch also turns sour. \"Half my European visitors recently cancelled,\" he adds. His disappointment is linked to new US visa restrictions which require people who have travelled to certain Middle East countries, including Iran, to obtain visas to enter the US. Even the pianist in the lobby changes his tune.  His rendition of The Star Spangled Banner is soon replaced by something less politically risque - a popular Beatles ballad."}], "question": "At risk?", "id": "739_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'Fairness' of 2016 Budget under scrutiny", "date": "21 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Fairness - a word as easy to shout about as it is difficult to define. Iain Duncan Smith's resignation has put the issue at the heart of the government's approach to the economy - whether George Osborne's announcements in the Budget last week were \"fair\". Mr Duncan Smith told the Andrew Marr programme on Sunday morning that the Budget was \"deeply unfair\", as it proposed restrictions to increases in the disability payments budget whilst at the same time provided an effective tax cut for those with higher incomes. The first, Mr Duncan Smith suggested, was being used to fund the second. To analyse the impact of the Budget on different income groups, economists turn to what is called a \"distributional analysis\" which aggregates the effect of tax and benefit changes. By way of such an analysis, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says that last week's Budget left the richest 10% of households about PS260 a year better off. The poorest 10%, the IFS says, were no better off and could actually see their net income fall slightly as benefits are reduced. To understand the differential impact it is worth going back to the pledges made in the Conservative manifesto - to increase the personal allowance before those in work start paying income tax. And second, to increase the threshold at which the higher 40p tax rate kicks in. Both policies have a tendency to benefit the better off for two reasons. If you earn under the new personal allowance announced in the Budget of PS11,500 then the tax changes have no effect. And you only receive the benefit of the increase in the 40p tax threshold if you earn more than PS45,000. Using the IFS's model, many would say that the Budget was \"unfair\" in that the richest gained more than the poorest. Which appears to contradict George Osborne's big point in the Spending Review way back in 2010 that those with \"the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden\". But - the Treasury looks at distributional analysis in a radically different way. Looking back to 2010, it argues that it is more revealing to consider the proportion of taxes paid and public services received. On that basis, the top 20% of wealthy households will be paying 52% of all taxes by 2019-20, compared with 49% in 2010/11. The amount of public spending they receive has remained static at about 11%. As the IFS says: \"The very highest earners - those on over PS100,000 a year - have seen significant tax increases.\" The Treasury analysis then goes on to argue that the lowest 20% of households will be paying about 6% of total taxes by 2019-20 - the same as 2010-11. For that, they will receive 25% of all public spending, up a percentage point from 2010-11. Those figures, the Treasury argues, show that despite the \"pie\" - the amount of government spending - being smaller the effects have been fairly distributed. Whether you agree with the pounds and pence approach or the distribution of the pie approach, the argument about Budget \"fairness\" has also hung on the issue of the disability payments budget. My Treasury sources tell me that this issue is more to do with controlling a ballooning budget than hitting an overall public spending surplus by 2020. Digging through the Office for Budget Responsibility's analysis of the government's spending, the rising cost of the disability Personal Independence Payment (PIP) does stand out. The OBR says that the cost of PIPs has risen by PS1.4bn since its November forecast, and by PS3bn since its June forecast. The OBR makes it clear that the \"transition from the Disability Living Allowance to PIP has saved less money than expected\" and that average awards have been \"revised up by 16% to PS100 a week\". The government argues that it is \"fair\" to look at a budget that is rising so rapidly. Critics say that disabled people are being targeted at the same time as tax cuts are helping higher income groups. And pensions are being protected. Whatever the arguments, since the controversy of the Budget the government has agreed to delay any reforms, thereby abandoning plans to cut PS1.3bn from disability benefits in 2019-20, the year Mr Osborne has pledged to produce a public spending surplus of PS10.4bn. Does that, as some have suggested, blow a \"hole\" in the Chancellor's economic plans for 2019-20? Hardly. In that year alone the government is expected to spend a total of PS810bn. So, PS1.3bn is, in macro-economic terms, small change. A small revision upwards of economic growth projections or tax receipts would easily cover the costs. Although, of course, those forecasts could go in the other direction - creating a real headache for the resident of Number 11. My Treasury sources tell me that far from Mr Duncan Smith's former Department of Work and Pensions having to find that PS1.3bn saving elsewhere from their budget, the whole issue will be looked at \"in the round\" at the time of the Autumn Statement towards the end of the year. And by then, of course, we will know the outcome of the European Union referendum. Which will put a whole different complexion on the state of the UK economy - for better or worse.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1636, "answer_end": 2849, "text": "Using the IFS's model, many would say that the Budget was \"unfair\" in that the richest gained more than the poorest. Which appears to contradict George Osborne's big point in the Spending Review way back in 2010 that those with \"the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden\". But - the Treasury looks at distributional analysis in a radically different way. Looking back to 2010, it argues that it is more revealing to consider the proportion of taxes paid and public services received. On that basis, the top 20% of wealthy households will be paying 52% of all taxes by 2019-20, compared with 49% in 2010/11. The amount of public spending they receive has remained static at about 11%. As the IFS says: \"The very highest earners - those on over PS100,000 a year - have seen significant tax increases.\" The Treasury analysis then goes on to argue that the lowest 20% of households will be paying about 6% of total taxes by 2019-20 - the same as 2010-11. For that, they will receive 25% of all public spending, up a percentage point from 2010-11. Those figures, the Treasury argues, show that despite the \"pie\" - the amount of government spending - being smaller the effects have been fairly distributed."}], "question": "Contradiction?", "id": "740_0"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo protests turn violent after power-sharing talks collapse", "date": "28 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police have fired tear gas and bullets to disperse opposition protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo capital, Kinshasa. The protests erupted when negotiations aimed at securing the departure of President Joseph Kabila after 17 years in power collapsed. Religious leaders mediating the talks said politicians were acting selfishly. The outline for a power-sharing deal in the country was agreed last year but the details have proved tricky. Bishops who had mediated between the government and the opposition called off the talks because, they said, politicians had failed to agree on issues such as the choice of a transitional prime minister. Announcing the bishops' withdrawal from the talks, the head of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo, Archbishop Marcelle Utembi, said the politicians had failed to \"prioritise the interests of the nation\". Demonstrators angry at the collapse of talks with the government later gathered outside the house of Etienne Tshisekedi, the opposition figurehead who died last month and whose party has called on the outside world to stop recognising Mr Kabila as president. The protests were followed by clashes with riot police and a number of people are reported to have been injured. Mr Kaliba's mandate expired in December and the opposition has accused the government of sabotaging efforts to offer him a peaceful exit. So far protests have been sporadic and police deployed in the capital have managed to control the crowds. The main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress party has called on people to come out in Kinshasa for a \"peaceful march\" on 10 April \"to resist the dictatorship taking root in our... country\". President Kabila was supposed to step down by December last year, when his constitutionally limited time in office came to an end. But the electoral commission failed to organise an election to choose a replacement, citing logistical and financial difficulties. Roman Catholic leaders then brokered talks between the government and opposition parties and an outline deal was agreed right at the end of last year. According to the deal, Mr Kabila was to lead a transitional government until elections due to be held by the end of 2017. But the talks broke down over the make-up of the transitional government.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1685, "answer_end": 2293, "text": "President Kabila was supposed to step down by December last year, when his constitutionally limited time in office came to an end. But the electoral commission failed to organise an election to choose a replacement, citing logistical and financial difficulties. Roman Catholic leaders then brokered talks between the government and opposition parties and an outline deal was agreed right at the end of last year. According to the deal, Mr Kabila was to lead a transitional government until elections due to be held by the end of 2017. But the talks broke down over the make-up of the transitional government."}], "question": "Why is Kabila still president?", "id": "741_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What went wrong at BA?", "date": "29 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As British Airways (BA) finally starts to recover from a disastrous IT failure, an inquest is under way into what went wrong and why it has taken so long to fix it. I've been contacted by someone who spent 30 years in corporate IT with some interesting theories. The man - who doesn't want to be named - says airlines probably invest more in IT than any other organisations apart from banks, so this kind of thing just should not happen. But he has three questions. BA blames a power cut but in the words of my expert, it shouldn't have caused \"even a flicker of the lights\" in the data-centre. The UPS - the uninterruptible power supply - should have kicked in immediately. The only issue should have been making sure the back-up generator was kept fed with fuel. Even if the power could not be restored, the airline's Disaster Recovery Plan should have whirred into action.  But that will have depended in part on veteran staff with knowledge of the complex patchwork of systems built up over the years. Many of those people may have left when much of the IT operation was outsourced to India. And there may have been a situation where one team was frantically trying to restore the original system while elsewhere another team was attempting to fire up the back-up - with managers unsure which of the two workstreams to prioritise. One theory of my IT veteran is that when the power came back on, the systems were unusable because the data was unsynchronised. In other words the airline was suddenly faced with a mass of conflicting records of passengers, aircraft and baggage movements - all the complex logistics of modern air travel. He says: \"This would have meant that BA would need to restore to a known synchronised back-up point (potentially days old), which brings in the previous argument about the hands-on skills required to achieve this.\" In summary, complex IT systems do fail from time to time, but smart organisations have the people and processes in place to recover quickly. BA has said little so far about what went wrong. However, it will now be under pressure from investors, staff and passengers to provide some answers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 466, "answer_end": 764, "text": "BA blames a power cut but in the words of my expert, it shouldn't have caused \"even a flicker of the lights\" in the data-centre. The UPS - the uninterruptible power supply - should have kicked in immediately. The only issue should have been making sure the back-up generator was kept fed with fuel."}], "question": "Why did a power failure have such an impact?", "id": "742_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 765, "answer_end": 1334, "text": "Even if the power could not be restored, the airline's Disaster Recovery Plan should have whirred into action.  But that will have depended in part on veteran staff with knowledge of the complex patchwork of systems built up over the years. Many of those people may have left when much of the IT operation was outsourced to India. And there may have been a situation where one team was frantically trying to restore the original system while elsewhere another team was attempting to fire up the back-up - with managers unsure which of the two workstreams to prioritise."}], "question": "Why was it so difficult to recover?", "id": "742_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1335, "answer_end": 2145, "text": "One theory of my IT veteran is that when the power came back on, the systems were unusable because the data was unsynchronised. In other words the airline was suddenly faced with a mass of conflicting records of passengers, aircraft and baggage movements - all the complex logistics of modern air travel. He says: \"This would have meant that BA would need to restore to a known synchronised back-up point (potentially days old), which brings in the previous argument about the hands-on skills required to achieve this.\" In summary, complex IT systems do fail from time to time, but smart organisations have the people and processes in place to recover quickly. BA has said little so far about what went wrong. However, it will now be under pressure from investors, staff and passengers to provide some answers."}], "question": "Was data corrupted?", "id": "742_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Elon Musk faces trial over 'pedo' tweet", "date": "11 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Elon Musk must defend himself in court after calling a diver who helped save Thai schoolboys trapped in a cave a paedophile, a Los Angeles judge says. The federal court judge set a 22 October trial date. Mr Musk is being sued by Vern Unsworth, who helped rescue the 12 boys from Thailand's Tham Luang caves last year. The Tesla boss called Mr Unsworth a \"pedo\" in a Twitter post after the Briton said Mr Musk's attempt to help in the rescue was a \"PR stunt\". Mr Unsworth helped recruit experienced UK cave divers, who were instrumental in freeing the boys who had become stuck in the cave due to rising water levels in July 2018. While efforts were ongoing, Mr Musk sent engineers from his Tesla company and a small submarine to Thailand to help free the boys. It was never used. In an interview with CNN, Mr Unsworth called Mr Musk's efforts a \"publicity stunt\". Responding in a series of tweets, Mr Musk elaborated on how the submarine might work and referred to Mr Unsworth as \"pedo guy\". Mr Musk soon apologised and deleted the offending tweets, saying he had acted \"in anger\". But he reignited the row in September. In an email to a Buzzfeed reporter, he implored the journalist to \"find out what's actually going on\" and suggested the diver had taken no part in the cave rescue. Mr Unsworth is seeking at least $75,000 (PS57,700) in compensation plus punitive damages in his September 2018 lawsuit. The suit also seeks a court order preventing Mr Musk from making any further disparaging comments. He said the Tesla chief executive defamed him with \"unlawful, unsupportable and reprehensible accusations\", according to court documents. In seeking a dismissal, Mr Musk's lawyers argued the comments were \"imaginative\" or \"over-the-top\" insults in the heat of the moment that were protected under the US First Amendment. But the judge said Mr Musk was not communicating in \"heated and volatile\" settings that might explain any excesses.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 459, "answer_end": 1940, "text": "Mr Unsworth helped recruit experienced UK cave divers, who were instrumental in freeing the boys who had become stuck in the cave due to rising water levels in July 2018. While efforts were ongoing, Mr Musk sent engineers from his Tesla company and a small submarine to Thailand to help free the boys. It was never used. In an interview with CNN, Mr Unsworth called Mr Musk's efforts a \"publicity stunt\". Responding in a series of tweets, Mr Musk elaborated on how the submarine might work and referred to Mr Unsworth as \"pedo guy\". Mr Musk soon apologised and deleted the offending tweets, saying he had acted \"in anger\". But he reignited the row in September. In an email to a Buzzfeed reporter, he implored the journalist to \"find out what's actually going on\" and suggested the diver had taken no part in the cave rescue. Mr Unsworth is seeking at least $75,000 (PS57,700) in compensation plus punitive damages in his September 2018 lawsuit. The suit also seeks a court order preventing Mr Musk from making any further disparaging comments. He said the Tesla chief executive defamed him with \"unlawful, unsupportable and reprehensible accusations\", according to court documents. In seeking a dismissal, Mr Musk's lawyers argued the comments were \"imaginative\" or \"over-the-top\" insults in the heat of the moment that were protected under the US First Amendment. But the judge said Mr Musk was not communicating in \"heated and volatile\" settings that might explain any excesses."}], "question": "Why has this come to court?", "id": "743_0"}]}]}, {"title": "MP Naz Shah suspended from Labour", "date": "27 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Labour has suspended MP Naz Shah over comments she made about Israel. The Bradford West MP has been heavily criticised over the Facebook posts, including one suggesting Israel should be moved to the United States. In a Commons statement she offered a \"profound apology\" for the posts, which were made before she became an MP. Earlier party leader Jeremy Corbyn warned her about the \"offensive and unacceptable\" posts and David Cameron called for her suspension. Labour said: \"Jeremy Corbyn and Naz Shah have mutually agreed that she is administratively suspended from the Labour Party by the general secretary. \"Pending investigation, she is unable to take part in any party activity and the whip is removed.\" Apologising in the Commons, Ms Shah, who had already quit as an unpaid aide to shadow chancellor John McDonnell, said: \"Anti-Semitism is racism, full stop. As an MP I will do everything in my power to build relationships between Muslims, Jews and people of different faiths and none.\" The announcement of her suspension came after pressure mounted on the MP, with Mr Cameron saying during Prime Minister's Questions it was \"quite extraordinary\" that Labour had not withdrawn the whip from her over what he suggested were \"racist\" comments. Saying sorry three times didn't prevent Naz Shah's suspension. Number 10 are taking credit - but one shadow cabinet member, Lisa Nandy, had already called for her suspension and I'm told other Labour figures had approached party officials privately to call for the same thing. Ten days ago Labour's general secretary had reassured MPs those accused of anti-Semitism would be expelled or suspended. Insiders say that once the Labour leader had decided to hand the matter to party officials, suspension - and an investigation - became inevitable. Most Labour MPs recognise few members hold anti-Semitic views but that some high-profile cases have been toxic, and have been pressing their leadership to be more proactive in uncovering and rooting out unacceptable views. And some on the party's right are keen to force a leader who has opposed \"witch hunts\" of party members to use disciplinary procedures to erect, however reluctantly, some walls to Labour's broad church - and to make clear that the views of some recent members and supporters aren't welcome. Minutes before PMQs, Mr Corbyn issued a statement, saying: \"These are historic social media posts made before she was a member of parliament. Naz has issued a fulsome apology. \"She does not hold these views and accepts she was completely wrong to have made these posts. The Labour Party is implacably opposed to anti-Semitism and all forms of racism.\" Labour MP Lisa Nandy had called for Ms Shah's suspension, while another Labour MP, Kate Hoey, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One she should resign \"right away\" from the Commons Home Affairs Committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into anti-Semitism. Sabbiyah Pervez, BBC Look North Naz Shah burst onto the political scene during the 2015 general election, where she ousted Respect MP George Galloway. Her selection as a candidate proved controversial with divisions emerging in the local party. The candidate who was chosen first stood down four days later, before Ms Shah was imposed by the ruling National Executive Committee. A bitter campaign followed, with Mr Galloway sparking anger by questioning Ms Shah's account of her forced marriage. After her victory, she was celebrated locally and nationally for her unique background and life experiences. Growing up in poverty in Bradford, Ms Shah and her family were abandoned by her father who eloped with a neighbour's teenage daughter. She has spoken openly about her experience of surviving a forced marriage and domestic violence. In a Facebook post in 2014, Ms Shah shared a graphic showing an image of Israel's outline superimposed on a map of the US under the headline \"Solution for Israel-Palestine conflict - relocate Israel into United States\", with the comment \"problem solved\". The post suggested the US has \"plenty of land\" to accommodate Israel as a 51st state, allowing Palestinians to \"get their life and their land back\". It added Israeli people would be welcome and safe in the US, while the \"transportation cost\" would be less than three years' worth of Washington's support for Israeli defence spending. Ms Shah added a note suggesting the plan might \"save them some pocket money\". The post was brought to light by the Guido Fawkes website, which also highlighted a post in which she appeared to liken Israeli policies to those of Hitler. In a statement, the MP said: \"I made these posts at the height of the Gaza conflict in 2014, when emotions were running high around the Middle East conflict. \"But that is no excuse for the offence I have given, for which I unreservedly apologise.\" She set out a more detailed apology in an article for Jewish News. \"The language I used was wrong,\" she wrote. \"It is hurtful. What's important is the impact these posts have had on other people. I understand that referring to Israel and Hitler as I did is deeply offensive to Jewish people for which I apologise.\" The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the comments were \"simply appalling\", calling for an urgent meeting \"for clarification of her views on Israel and the UK Jewish community\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2916, "answer_end": 3752, "text": "Sabbiyah Pervez, BBC Look North Naz Shah burst onto the political scene during the 2015 general election, where she ousted Respect MP George Galloway. Her selection as a candidate proved controversial with divisions emerging in the local party. The candidate who was chosen first stood down four days later, before Ms Shah was imposed by the ruling National Executive Committee. A bitter campaign followed, with Mr Galloway sparking anger by questioning Ms Shah's account of her forced marriage. After her victory, she was celebrated locally and nationally for her unique background and life experiences. Growing up in poverty in Bradford, Ms Shah and her family were abandoned by her father who eloped with a neighbour's teenage daughter. She has spoken openly about her experience of surviving a forced marriage and domestic violence."}], "question": "Who is Naz Shah?", "id": "744_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Afghanistan war: US and Afghan Taliban start partial truce", "date": "21 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A seven-day \"reduction in violence\" between the US and the Afghan Taliban has begun, officials say. \"This is an important step on a long road to peace,\" US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. If successful, the two sides will then sign the first phase of a deal aimed at ending nearly two decades of conflict. The agreement, which began at midnight local time, comes after more than a year of talks between American and Afghan Taliban representatives. In a statement, Taliban negotiators said \"a suitable security situation\" would be created ahead of signing a deal they hoped would \"lay the groundwork for peace across the country with the withdrawal of all foreign forces\". Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the move, adding that this was \"a critical test of the Taliban's willingness and ability to reduce violence, and contribute to peace in good faith\". The Afghan government, which is currently grappling with a dispute over the results of the country's presidential elections, was not part of the negotiations. Under the terms of the partial week-long truce, it is understood that no major offensive operations will be launched against the Taliban, Afghan or international forces. \"We have come to an understanding with the Taliban on a significant reduction in violence across Afghanistan,\" Mr Pompeo said in a statement. \"Upon a successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the US-Taliban [peace] agreement is expected to move forward. We are preparing for the signing to take place on 29 February,\" the statement added. The US has spent billions of dollars since 2001 fighting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. President Donald Trump, who pledged during his 2016 presidential campaign that he would end the US war in Afghanistan, has been pushing for the withdrawal of US troops from the country. The BBC's Afghanistan correspondent, Secunder Kermani, says the move is seen as an opportunity for the Taliban's leadership to show they can control their fighters on the ground. It could also pave the way for talks between Taliban negotiators and Afghan politicians, our correspondent adds. In December 2018, the Taliban announced they would meet US officials to try to find a \"roadmap to peace\". But the militants continued to refuse to hold official talks with the Afghan government, whom they dismissed as American \"puppets\". Following nine rounds of US-Taliban talks in Qatar, the two sides seemed close to an agreement. Washington's top negotiator announced in September that the US would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks as part of a deal agreed \"in principle\" with Taliban militants. But days later, Mr Trump said the talks were \"dead\", after the militant group admitted to killing a US soldier. \"They thought that they had to kill people to put themselves in a little better negotiating position\", he told reporters, calling the attack \"a big mistake\". In the months since the deal collapsed, there has so far been no let-up in fighting. The Taliban has warned that the US would \"lose the most\" by cancelling the talks. Since 2011, Qatar has hosted Taliban leaders who have moved there to discuss peace in Afghanistan. It has been a difficult process. A Taliban office was opened in 2013, but closed the same year amid rows over flags. Other attempts at talks have stalled. Qatar was also the host of a major conference in July that agreed a roadmap for Afghan peace. Significantly it included both the Taliban and Afghan government officials, though the latter attended in a \"personal capacity\". It began when the US launched air strikes one month following the 11 September 2001 attacks and after the Taliban had refused to hand over the man behind them, Osama Bin Laden. The US was joined by an international coalition and the Taliban were quickly removed from power. However, they later emerged as an insurgent force and continued deadly attacks, destabilising subsequent Afghan governments. The international coalition ended its combat mission in 2014, staying only to train Afghan forces. But the US continued its own, scaled-back combat operation, including air strikes. The Taliban has, however, continued to gain momentum - in 2018, the BBC found that Taliban militants were active across 70% of Afghanistan. Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion, more than 2,300 of them American. The figures for Afghan civilians, militants and government forces are more difficult to quantify. In a February 2019 report, the UN said that more than 32,000 civilians had died. The Watson Institute at Brown University says 58,000 security personnel and 42,000 opposition combatants have been killed. The Taliban, or \"students\" in the Pashto language, emerged in the chaos that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989. They took Kabul in 1996 and were in charge of most of the country within two years, practising their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law. Before being removed from power they banned TV, music and cinema, enforced strict dress codes, severely curtailed female education and introduced brutal punishments. Mullah Omar continued to lead the Taliban after they were ousted. He died in 2013 although the Taliban did not confirm it for two years. The Taliban are now led by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2145, "answer_end": 3580, "text": "In December 2018, the Taliban announced they would meet US officials to try to find a \"roadmap to peace\". But the militants continued to refuse to hold official talks with the Afghan government, whom they dismissed as American \"puppets\". Following nine rounds of US-Taliban talks in Qatar, the two sides seemed close to an agreement. Washington's top negotiator announced in September that the US would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks as part of a deal agreed \"in principle\" with Taliban militants. But days later, Mr Trump said the talks were \"dead\", after the militant group admitted to killing a US soldier. \"They thought that they had to kill people to put themselves in a little better negotiating position\", he told reporters, calling the attack \"a big mistake\". In the months since the deal collapsed, there has so far been no let-up in fighting. The Taliban has warned that the US would \"lose the most\" by cancelling the talks. Since 2011, Qatar has hosted Taliban leaders who have moved there to discuss peace in Afghanistan. It has been a difficult process. A Taliban office was opened in 2013, but closed the same year amid rows over flags. Other attempts at talks have stalled. Qatar was also the host of a major conference in July that agreed a roadmap for Afghan peace. Significantly it included both the Taliban and Afghan government officials, though the latter attended in a \"personal capacity\"."}], "question": "How did the peace talks come about?", "id": "745_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3581, "answer_end": 4746, "text": "It began when the US launched air strikes one month following the 11 September 2001 attacks and after the Taliban had refused to hand over the man behind them, Osama Bin Laden. The US was joined by an international coalition and the Taliban were quickly removed from power. However, they later emerged as an insurgent force and continued deadly attacks, destabilising subsequent Afghan governments. The international coalition ended its combat mission in 2014, staying only to train Afghan forces. But the US continued its own, scaled-back combat operation, including air strikes. The Taliban has, however, continued to gain momentum - in 2018, the BBC found that Taliban militants were active across 70% of Afghanistan. Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion, more than 2,300 of them American. The figures for Afghan civilians, militants and government forces are more difficult to quantify. In a February 2019 report, the UN said that more than 32,000 civilians had died. The Watson Institute at Brown University says 58,000 security personnel and 42,000 opposition combatants have been killed."}], "question": "What's the background to the Afghan war?", "id": "745_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4747, "answer_end": 5382, "text": "The Taliban, or \"students\" in the Pashto language, emerged in the chaos that followed the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989. They took Kabul in 1996 and were in charge of most of the country within two years, practising their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law. Before being removed from power they banned TV, music and cinema, enforced strict dress codes, severely curtailed female education and introduced brutal punishments. Mullah Omar continued to lead the Taliban after they were ousted. He died in 2013 although the Taliban did not confirm it for two years. The Taliban are now led by Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada."}], "question": "Who are the Taliban?", "id": "745_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ethiopian Airlines: Ground all Boeing 737 Max 8 jets, says CEO", "date": "13 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The boss of Ethiopian Airlines has called for the grounding of all Boeing's 737 Max 8 aircraft until it is established they are safe to fly. Many countries have already suspended the plane after one of the airline's jets crashed on Sunday minutes after take-off, killing 157 people on board. Tewolde Gebremariam told the BBC that although the exact causes were still unknown, there were similarities to a Lion Air crash last October. But US officials say the jet is safe. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a review had showed \"no systemic performance issues\" and that there was no basis for grounding the aircraft. Sunday's Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew, and Mr Tewolde said there were other similarities. He accepted that Boeing and the FAA must have their reasons for arguing that the 737 Max 8 is safe. But \"extreme precaution\" was needed and \"all of us who have grounded the plane have very good justification,\" Mr Tewolde said. Both aircraft were brand new and in both cases there were problems minutes after take-off, he said. Regulators, including across the European Union, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Australia, have banned 737 Max aircraft from flying in or over their airspace. Those authorities must have good reason to ground the aircraft, Mr Tewolde said, adding that safety is paramount and \"grounding is the right thing to do\". Meanwhile, a number of US politicians have called on the FAA to temporarily ground the Boeing model until their safety is confirmed. But the FAA said other civil aviation authorities had not \"provided data to us that would warrant action\". Boeing confirmed that it had been developing a \"flight control software enhancement\" for the aircraft, but said it was confident they were safe to fly. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union said the 737 MAX fleet should be grounded out of \"an abundance of caution\". The Allied Pilots Association said members who had safety concerns would \"not be forced to fly\". Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, both major operators of the Boeing 737 Max, are continuing to use the planes. The Boeing 737 Max fleet of aircraft are the latest in the company's successful 737 line. The group includes the Max 7, 8, 9 and 10 models. By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 of the Max 8 model out of 5,011 orders. A small number of Max 9s are also operating. The Max 7 and 10 models, not yet delivered, are due for roll-out in the next few years. The Max 8 that crashed on Sunday was one of 30 ordered as part of Ethiopian Airlines' expansion. It underwent a \"rigorous first check maintenance\" on 4 February, the airline said. Following last October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia, investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling, a new feature of the jet. It is not yet clear whether the anti-stall system was the cause of Sunday's crash. Aviation experts say other technical issues or human error cannot be discounted. Eyewitnesses say they saw a trail of smoke, sparks and debris as the plane nosedived. Have you been personally affected by this story? Please get in touch with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2189, "answer_end": 3181, "text": "The Boeing 737 Max fleet of aircraft are the latest in the company's successful 737 line. The group includes the Max 7, 8, 9 and 10 models. By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 of the Max 8 model out of 5,011 orders. A small number of Max 9s are also operating. The Max 7 and 10 models, not yet delivered, are due for roll-out in the next few years. The Max 8 that crashed on Sunday was one of 30 ordered as part of Ethiopian Airlines' expansion. It underwent a \"rigorous first check maintenance\" on 4 February, the airline said. Following last October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia, investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling, a new feature of the jet. It is not yet clear whether the anti-stall system was the cause of Sunday's crash. Aviation experts say other technical issues or human error cannot be discounted. Eyewitnesses say they saw a trail of smoke, sparks and debris as the plane nosedived."}], "question": "What is a Boeing 737 Max aircraft?", "id": "746_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Tourist lost at sea off Greek island 'survived by eating sweets'", "date": "5 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A tourist survived for two days adrift at sea in a dinghy near Greece by snacking on boiled sweets, reports say. Kushila Stein, 45, from New Zealand, was rescued from the Aegean Sea, north of Crete, on Sunday. During her 37-hour ordeal Ms Stein reportedly rationed a \"handful of boiled lollies\" and wrapped herself in plastic bags for warmth. An experienced sailor, Ms Stein put a red bag on her head and used a mirror to attract attention, reports say. After an extensive search, the Greek Coast Guard found her 101km (55 nautical miles) north of Crete, Greece's largest island. Her mother Wendy Stein told Stuff.co.nz her daughter's training in sea survival \"might have saved her life\". Ms Stein was helping a British man, named in media reports only as Mike, take a yacht from southern Turkey to Athens. During the trip, Ms Stein decided to \"stretch her legs\" by sailing a dinghy to the island of Folegandros on Friday, her mother said. But on her way back to the Rival 34 yacht, one of her oars fell overboard and strong winds pushed her out to sea. When Ms Stein did not return to the yacht, the owner reported her disappearance to Greek authorities on Saturday morning. A search and rescue operation involving six vessels, a helicopter and underwater drone was launched by the coast guard. While Ms Stein was at sea, she wrote her mother's name and contact details on the side of the dinghy, fearing she might not survive. But the coast guard picked her up on Sunday morning \"half way between Crete and Folegandros\", her mother said. Ms Stein was taken to hospital, where she was treated for exposure and dehydration. When Ms Stein was rescued, the New Zealand Herald reported that she called her mother and said: \"I still have one lolly left mum.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 689, "answer_end": 1754, "text": "Ms Stein was helping a British man, named in media reports only as Mike, take a yacht from southern Turkey to Athens. During the trip, Ms Stein decided to \"stretch her legs\" by sailing a dinghy to the island of Folegandros on Friday, her mother said. But on her way back to the Rival 34 yacht, one of her oars fell overboard and strong winds pushed her out to sea. When Ms Stein did not return to the yacht, the owner reported her disappearance to Greek authorities on Saturday morning. A search and rescue operation involving six vessels, a helicopter and underwater drone was launched by the coast guard. While Ms Stein was at sea, she wrote her mother's name and contact details on the side of the dinghy, fearing she might not survive. But the coast guard picked her up on Sunday morning \"half way between Crete and Folegandros\", her mother said. Ms Stein was taken to hospital, where she was treated for exposure and dehydration. When Ms Stein was rescued, the New Zealand Herald reported that she called her mother and said: \"I still have one lolly left mum.\""}], "question": "How did she get lost at sea?", "id": "747_0"}]}]}, {"title": "World's biggest amphibian 'discovered' in museum", "date": "17 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A newly-identified amphibian is possibly the largest on the planet, according to DNA from museum specimens. Reaching nearly two metres in length, the South China giant salamander is critically endangered in the wild. Scientists say renewed conservation efforts are needed if the animal is to be saved from extinction. Harvesting for the luxury food trade has led to a collapse in numbers across China. Previously considered a single species, analysis of specimens, living and dead, suggests there are in fact three species found in different parts of China. The South China salamander is the largest of the three, which researchers suspect it is the largest amphibian alive today. Prof Samuel Turvey of ZSL (Zoological Society of London) said the decline of numbers in the wild has been \"catastrophic\". \"We hope that this new understanding of their species diversity has arrived in time to support their successful conservation, but urgent measures are required to protect any viable giant salamander populations that might remain,\" he said. Co-researcher, Melissa Marr, of the Natural History Museum London, said measures must be put in place that preserve the genetic integrity of each distinct species. \"These findings come at a time where urgent interventions are required to save Chinese giant salamanders in the wild,\" she said. Giant salamanders were once found across a large area of central, eastern, and southern China. Over-exploitation has increased in recent decades, to supply a domestic luxury food market. A large-scale farming industry has developed, which may threaten wild populations through poaching and spread of infectious diseases. Scientists used museum specimens to look at the genetic history of the Chinese giant salamander, a family tree so ancient that the animal is regarded as a \"living fossil\". - The nuns helping save a sacred species - BBC News. The idea that the South China giant salamander was a separate species was first proposed in the 1920s, then abandoned, based on an unusual animal that was kept at London Zoo. The team used the same animal, which is now preserved as a specimen in the Natural History Museum, to define the characteristics of the new species. The research is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution . Follow Helen on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1335, "answer_end": 1655, "text": "Giant salamanders were once found across a large area of central, eastern, and southern China. Over-exploitation has increased in recent decades, to supply a domestic luxury food market. A large-scale farming industry has developed, which may threaten wild populations through poaching and spread of infectious diseases."}], "question": "What is the Chinese giant salamander?", "id": "748_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1656, "answer_end": 2294, "text": "Scientists used museum specimens to look at the genetic history of the Chinese giant salamander, a family tree so ancient that the animal is regarded as a \"living fossil\". - The nuns helping save a sacred species - BBC News. The idea that the South China giant salamander was a separate species was first proposed in the 1920s, then abandoned, based on an unusual animal that was kept at London Zoo. The team used the same animal, which is now preserved as a specimen in the Natural History Museum, to define the characteristics of the new species. The research is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution . Follow Helen on Twitter."}], "question": "What did the research find?", "id": "748_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Russian spy: Skripal poison 'was in liquid form'", "date": "17 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The nerve agent used to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia was delivered \"in a liquid form\", the Department for Environment says. Only \"a very small amount\" was used on the pair, who were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on 4 March. A massive clean-up operation is beginning to decontaminate nine sites in the city - it will take several months and cost millions of pounds. The UK says Russia was behind the attack, but Moscow denies involvement. Yulia, 33, left hospital earlier this month. Her 66-year-old father is said to be recovering more slowly but is expected to eventually be discharged. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the highest concentration of military grade Novichok nerve agent was found at Mr Skripal's house, but eight other sites are known, or thought, to be contaminated. They include ambulance stations and a police car compound, as well as a Zizzi restaurant and the Mill pub, where the Skripals spent time on the day they fell ill. The nerve agent does not evaporate or disappear over time, experts said, and intense cleaning with caustic chemicals is required to get rid of it. Hoardings will go up in public places in the next few days for the clean-up to begin. Grass and stones will be removed from public areas around the Maltings shopping centre, and all material found to be contaminated will be incinerated. Almost 200 military personnel will help with the work, which is expected to take a number of months. A 10th site - a section of London Road cemetery - has now been reopened to the public after tests established it was not contaminated. The cemetery contains the remains of Mr Skripal's wife and son. Defra's chief scientific adviser Ian Boyd said the \"number one priority is making these sites safe for the public, so they can be returned to use for the people of Salisbury\". The BBC's Duncan Kennedy, in Salisbury, said authorities are stressing that the risk to the public remains very low. The Skripals' poisoning has triggered a diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West, with more than 20 countries expelling Russian envoys in solidarity with the UK. The international watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, has backed the UK's findings regarding the substance responsible. The UK has called for a UN Security Council meeting on the OPCW report, which could be held this week. Moscow has attempted to gain access to Yulia Skripal, but she has so far rejected offers of assistance from the Russian embassy. The name Novichok means \"newcomer\" in Russian, and applies to a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Novichok's existence was revealed by chemist Dr Vil Mirzayanov in the 1990s, via Russian media. He says the nerve agents were designed to escape detection by international inspectors. Novichok agents are liquids, although others are thought to exist in solid form and could be dispersed as an ultra-fine powder. Some of the agents are also said to be \"binary weapons\", meaning the nerve agent is typically stored as two less toxic chemical ingredients that are easier to handle. When these are mixed, they react to produce the active toxic agent which can cause convulsions, shortness of breath, profuse sweating and nausea.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2549, "answer_end": 3313, "text": "The name Novichok means \"newcomer\" in Russian, and applies to a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Novichok's existence was revealed by chemist Dr Vil Mirzayanov in the 1990s, via Russian media. He says the nerve agents were designed to escape detection by international inspectors. Novichok agents are liquids, although others are thought to exist in solid form and could be dispersed as an ultra-fine powder. Some of the agents are also said to be \"binary weapons\", meaning the nerve agent is typically stored as two less toxic chemical ingredients that are easier to handle. When these are mixed, they react to produce the active toxic agent which can cause convulsions, shortness of breath, profuse sweating and nausea."}], "question": "What are Novichok agents?", "id": "749_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump hails body slamming Congressman Greg Gianforte in Montana", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has praised a Republican congressman who assaulted a journalist last year with a \"body slam\", referring to him as \"my guy\". \"Greg is smart,\" Mr Trump said of Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte, adding \"By the way, never wrestle him\". \"Any guy that can do a body slam... he's my guy,\" he said to cheers and laughter at a rally in Montana. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Guardian newspaper have called on Mr Trump to apologise. This latest praise from Mr Trump is unlikely to improve his relationship with the media, which he has previously labelled the \"enemy of the people\". He said he had feared that the 2017 assault could have hindered Mr Gianforte's chances of winning the special congressional election that followed. Mr Trump told supporters: \"I said wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him - and it did\". After praising Mr Gianforte, Mr Trump also mimicked a person being thrown forcefully to the ground. The president's controversial remarks come as Turkish officials continue to investigate the alleged killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. With weeks to go before the mid-term elections, Mr Gianforte is expected to win again, this time over Democratic challenger Kathleen Williams. Ms Williams has used the 2017 body slam in a new campaign ad, saying \"assault and lies\" are not representative of Montana's values. A spokesperson for Mr Gianforte said on Thursday that he \"regrets what happened\" last year, according to the Billings Gazette. \"He's not perfect, he's taken personal responsibility, this has been widely covered, he's moved on.\" Mr Gianforte, 56, pleaded guilty to assaulting a journalist from the UK's Guardian newspaper on the eve of his election last year. He was ordered to pay $385 (PS304), complete 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counselling. Ben Jacobs, the reporter who was attacked after asking the candidate whether he supported the Republican healthcare plan, agreed not to sue Mr Gianforte if he wrote a letter of apology and donated $50,000 (PS39,500) to the Committee to Protect Journalists. A letter sent by Mr Gianforte to Mr Jacobs later offered a \"sincere apology\". \"My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable and unlawful,\" it said. The CPJ confirmed that it accepted the donation. Amid an uproar on social media, Mr Trump's comments a year on have also prompted the campaign group CPJ to demand his apology. \"We are disturbed once again to see President Trump standing up for those who would attack the press,\" said Courtney Radsch, the CPJ's advocacy director. In a statement, the Guardian's US editor John Mulholland said he hoped the president would apologise for his comments, adding: \"To celebrate an attack on a journalist who was simply doing his job is an attack on the first amendment [of the US Constitution] by someone who has taken an oath to defend it.\" He said the incident \"runs the risk of inviting other assaults on journalists\". On Friday, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May told the Guardian: \"We would always say that any violence or intimidation against a journalist is completely unacceptable.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1635, "answer_end": 2377, "text": "Mr Gianforte, 56, pleaded guilty to assaulting a journalist from the UK's Guardian newspaper on the eve of his election last year. He was ordered to pay $385 (PS304), complete 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counselling. Ben Jacobs, the reporter who was attacked after asking the candidate whether he supported the Republican healthcare plan, agreed not to sue Mr Gianforte if he wrote a letter of apology and donated $50,000 (PS39,500) to the Committee to Protect Journalists. A letter sent by Mr Gianforte to Mr Jacobs later offered a \"sincere apology\". \"My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable and unlawful,\" it said. The CPJ confirmed that it accepted the donation."}], "question": "What happened last year?", "id": "750_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2378, "answer_end": 3232, "text": "Amid an uproar on social media, Mr Trump's comments a year on have also prompted the campaign group CPJ to demand his apology. \"We are disturbed once again to see President Trump standing up for those who would attack the press,\" said Courtney Radsch, the CPJ's advocacy director. In a statement, the Guardian's US editor John Mulholland said he hoped the president would apologise for his comments, adding: \"To celebrate an attack on a journalist who was simply doing his job is an attack on the first amendment [of the US Constitution] by someone who has taken an oath to defend it.\" He said the incident \"runs the risk of inviting other assaults on journalists\". On Friday, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May told the Guardian: \"We would always say that any violence or intimidation against a journalist is completely unacceptable.\""}], "question": "What's the reaction now?", "id": "750_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump approves $8bn Saudi weapons sale over Iran tensions", "date": "25 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump is approving the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, citing Iranian threats to its arch rival. Mr Trump invoked a rarely used aspect of federal law to push through the $8bn (PS6bn) deal - bypassing Congress. He did so by declaring that ongoing tensions with Iran amounted to a national emergency. The move has angered those who fear the weapons may be used against civilians in Yemen by Saudi-led forces. Some Democrats accused the president of bypassing Congress because the sale of weapons - including precision-guided bombs - would have been strongly opposed on Capitol Hill. Weapons will also reportedly be sold to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Members of Congress have heavily criticised Saudi Arabia's human rights record over its role in the Yemen conflict and for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last October. On Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress of the administration's decision to make the sale.  In a letter, widely reported in US media, he said that \"Iranian malign activity\" required the \"immediate sale\" of weapons. \"[Iran's] activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad,\" he wrote. He said the transfers \"must occur as quickly as possible in order to deter further Iranian adventurism in the Gulf and throughout the Middle East\". The move quickly garnered opposition. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, accused Mr Trump of \"granting favours to authoritarian countries\". \"[He] has failed once again to prioritise our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights,\" he said in a statement. Republican Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Senator Jim Risch, said he had been informed by the Trump administration that it planned to confirm \"a number of arms sales\". \"I am reviewing and analysing the legal justification for this action,\" he said. Senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said the US needed to rein in Saudi Arabia rather than hand it more weapons. \"My whole view of Saudi Arabia changed with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi,\" she said. Khashoggi, who was a strong critic of the Saudi government, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. His body was reportedly dismembered and his remains have still not been found. Iran also reacted angrily to the US move, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif calling it \"extremely dangerous\" for international peace. News of the Trump administration's decision came shortly after it announced it would bolster the US military presence in the Middle East. An additional 1,500 troops, as well as fighter jets and drones, will be deployed to the region in the near future. Patrick Shanahan, the acting Defence Secretary, says the move was intended to counter \"ongoing threats posed by Iranian forces, including the IRGC [Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps] and its proxies\". Tensions between the US and Iran began rising this month when Washington put pressure on countries still buying from Iran by ending exemptions from sanctions. The decision was intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue. Mr Trump reinstated the sanctions last year after abandoning the landmark nuclear deal that Iran has signed with six nations - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany. Iran has now announced it it will suspend several commitments under the deal. There has also been a spike in tensions in the Gulf more widely. Four oil tankers were damaged in what the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said were sabotage attacks while drone attacks on two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels - who are supported by Iran - forced the temporary closure of a pipeline. Iran denied it was behind the incidents but Rear Admiral Michael Gilday, director of the US Joint Staff, has accused the IRGC of being directly responsible.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1426, "answer_end": 3006, "text": "The move quickly garnered opposition. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, accused Mr Trump of \"granting favours to authoritarian countries\". \"[He] has failed once again to prioritise our long term national security interests or stand up for human rights,\" he said in a statement. Republican Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Senator Jim Risch, said he had been informed by the Trump administration that it planned to confirm \"a number of arms sales\". \"I am reviewing and analysing the legal justification for this action,\" he said. Senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said the US needed to rein in Saudi Arabia rather than hand it more weapons. \"My whole view of Saudi Arabia changed with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi,\" she said. Khashoggi, who was a strong critic of the Saudi government, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. His body was reportedly dismembered and his remains have still not been found. Iran also reacted angrily to the US move, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif calling it \"extremely dangerous\" for international peace. News of the Trump administration's decision came shortly after it announced it would bolster the US military presence in the Middle East. An additional 1,500 troops, as well as fighter jets and drones, will be deployed to the region in the near future. Patrick Shanahan, the acting Defence Secretary, says the move was intended to counter \"ongoing threats posed by Iranian forces, including the IRGC [Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps] and its proxies\"."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "751_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3007, "answer_end": 4032, "text": "Tensions between the US and Iran began rising this month when Washington put pressure on countries still buying from Iran by ending exemptions from sanctions. The decision was intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue. Mr Trump reinstated the sanctions last year after abandoning the landmark nuclear deal that Iran has signed with six nations - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany. Iran has now announced it it will suspend several commitments under the deal. There has also been a spike in tensions in the Gulf more widely. Four oil tankers were damaged in what the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said were sabotage attacks while drone attacks on two oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi rebels - who are supported by Iran - forced the temporary closure of a pipeline. Iran denied it was behind the incidents but Rear Admiral Michael Gilday, director of the US Joint Staff, has accused the IRGC of being directly responsible."}], "question": "Why are there tensions with Iran?", "id": "751_1"}]}]}, {"title": "South Korea holds rare court case over waitress defectors", "date": "21 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A South Korean court has held a rare hearing into the detention of 12 North Koreans who defected to the South. A group of human rights lawyers who requested the hearing want to determine whether South Korea's continuing detention of the women is legal. The women, who worked as waitresses at a North Korea-run restaurant in China, arrived in Seoul in April. Seoul says they came of their own free will, while Pyongyang maintains they were abducted. The women were not present at the hearing, with South Korea's spy agency saying the women did not wish to testify for fear of endangering their families. However, the rights lawyers said the case could not proceed without the women present, and demanded that the judge be replaced. The case has been adjourned while the court considers the lawyers' request. The hearing could set a precedent for how South Korea deals with the hundreds of defectors it receives every year. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul explains more about the case. We haven't heard from them. These particular defectors have not spoken in public and the South Korean government has indicated that they don't want to. If that's true, it may be because of fears of repercussions on their families in the North, or because they simply don't want a public life. Some of their relatives and friends in the North have given interviews. According to the Associated Press news agency which has a bureau in Pyongyang, Ri Gum-suk, the mother of one of the workers, So Kyong-ah, said all the parents were heartbroken. Her husband, So Thae-song told AP: \"They say our children defected, making their own free decision, but then why don't they put our children in front of us parents? I want to hear the words from my lovely daughter. Why don't they let her meet us? They say they defected willingly as a group. I can't accept this\". The news agency said the interviews were unforced though the interviewees may well have been rehearsed by the authorities in Pyongyang. The usual procedure when North Koreans defect to the South is for them to be accommodated in special centres. They are questioned by the intelligence service to ascertain whether they are spies, and they are also given courses in how to negotiate life in South Korea - how to get a job, how to use a bank account, etc. Many North Korean defectors find the transition hard. Suicide rates among defectors are higher than among the general population. The group, Lawyers for a Democratic Society, says it \"strives to further the development of democracy in Korea through litigation, research, and investigation\". It says it is \"dedicated to increasing public awareness and collaborating in joint activities to protect basic human rights and attain social justice\". It has more than 900 members who are prominent lawyers. It is fair to say that they are not naturally sympathetic to the current right-of-centre government but their prime concern is the protection of democratic rights. Local media reports said the group of lawyers obtained power-of-attorney from the defectors' families in the North for the hearing. About a thousand people defect every year from North Korea. The number has fallen in recent years as the North's economy has improved. Most get over the porous border with China and the indications are that the Chinese authorities are more lenient than they used to be. These waitresses had visas to be in China because they were working openly there, so the usual argument of the Beijing authorities - that they should simply be returned to North Korea as illegal migrants - didn't hold. The announcement of the mass defection was made by South Korea just before the high-publicity congress in Pyongyang last month. There were accusations that it was designed to detract from the publicity North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was getting at the time, but the Southern authorities have denied that.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1977, "answer_end": 2425, "text": "The usual procedure when North Koreans defect to the South is for them to be accommodated in special centres. They are questioned by the intelligence service to ascertain whether they are spies, and they are also given courses in how to negotiate life in South Korea - how to get a job, how to use a bank account, etc. Many North Korean defectors find the transition hard. Suicide rates among defectors are higher than among the general population."}], "question": "Is it unusual for the South to detain defectors?", "id": "752_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2426, "answer_end": 3090, "text": "The group, Lawyers for a Democratic Society, says it \"strives to further the development of democracy in Korea through litigation, research, and investigation\". It says it is \"dedicated to increasing public awareness and collaborating in joint activities to protect basic human rights and attain social justice\". It has more than 900 members who are prominent lawyers. It is fair to say that they are not naturally sympathetic to the current right-of-centre government but their prime concern is the protection of democratic rights. Local media reports said the group of lawyers obtained power-of-attorney from the defectors' families in the North for the hearing."}], "question": "Who are the lawyers and why have they brought this case?", "id": "752_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3091, "answer_end": 3885, "text": "About a thousand people defect every year from North Korea. The number has fallen in recent years as the North's economy has improved. Most get over the porous border with China and the indications are that the Chinese authorities are more lenient than they used to be. These waitresses had visas to be in China because they were working openly there, so the usual argument of the Beijing authorities - that they should simply be returned to North Korea as illegal migrants - didn't hold. The announcement of the mass defection was made by South Korea just before the high-publicity congress in Pyongyang last month. There were accusations that it was designed to detract from the publicity North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was getting at the time, but the Southern authorities have denied that."}], "question": "Why has this defection attracted so much attention?", "id": "752_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Don't forget there is actually a Brexit deal", "date": "17 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Politics has been weird for some time, in fact a long time. There are many reasons, but the two that always come to the front of my mind are the same. Brexit doesn't divide neatly down party lines so Parliament, where decisions are made, doesn't behave like it normally does. Mixing Parliament and Brexit is like trying to mix milk and water; you get a cloudy, unappetising mess. And the second, central fact - the prime minister has no majority of her own. And without one it means Parliament, even relatively small groups of MPs, can have a huge amount of influence, and enjoy every moment of it too. Just as we've seen in the last fortnight, with Parliament trying to grasp control and the prime minister struggling to keep hold of her party (believe it or not it's not even seven days since that confidence vote), we are now seeing a third serious problem for Theresa May emerge, and emerge very publicly. Cabinet ministers are openly calling for something that is not the prime minister's policy. Minister after minister is suggesting that Parliament should have \"indicative votes\" - essentially, try before you buy, on Brexit. That's despite the fact that the government actually has a deal. Sure, it looks unlikely to pass Parliament as it stands. But as a revealing snap (yet another one) caught the Brexit official Olly Robbins' file today, there are discussions going on with the EU about a tweak to the controversial backstop. This is, remember, still the deal that the cabinet itself signed up to only a few weeks ago. In this moment, it seems unlikely that it will be \"enough\" to get the DUP back on board, or enough Tory backbenchers for it to pass through Parliament. But if Theresa May's plan is to have a fighting chance, surely it needs at the very least her ministers convincingly on her side. That's why it matters that cabinet discipline seems to have gone missing, with open discussion of what they should do instead - potentially a series of votes on different options - whether a closer economic partnership with the EU than the current deal, like Norway, or even another referendum. Whatever they are, why anyone thinks there would now be a convincing majority for any of these options, when there hasn't been a clear sign of that for two and a half years, is unclear. One cabinet minister, not one of those who is pushing the idea tells me: \"There is supposedly no such thing as a stupid idea, but...\" Others though, including Amber Rudd and Greg Clark, are happily talking openly about this, with the work and pensions secretary even suggesting all options should be on the table. These are experienced politicians suggesting openly that, on the other side of Christmas, Parliament should start debating and discussing new options for exactly how we leave the EU, when will be, at that point, only weeks away from the UK's planned departure. Remember, as the law stands, the UK is leaving on 29 March. You can see the theoretical logic. On the current trajectory, the government will probably need a Plan B. Theresa May has infuriated her colleagues by refusing to countenance discussion of it. Perhaps starting to talk about the \"what ifs\" in public is the only way to bounce her into that conversation, to address reality. But we are witnessing cabinet ministers publicly acknowledging again and again the fundamental weakness of the prime minister's central policy, and that underlines her flimsy position. Even in these strange times, that's unusual. And call me a conspiracist (it won't hurt my feelings, it's been said before) but it's no coincidence this open verbiage about what to do next comes just four days after Theresa May admitted publicly for the first time that she will not fight the next election.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2294, "answer_end": 3743, "text": "One cabinet minister, not one of those who is pushing the idea tells me: \"There is supposedly no such thing as a stupid idea, but...\" Others though, including Amber Rudd and Greg Clark, are happily talking openly about this, with the work and pensions secretary even suggesting all options should be on the table. These are experienced politicians suggesting openly that, on the other side of Christmas, Parliament should start debating and discussing new options for exactly how we leave the EU, when will be, at that point, only weeks away from the UK's planned departure. Remember, as the law stands, the UK is leaving on 29 March. You can see the theoretical logic. On the current trajectory, the government will probably need a Plan B. Theresa May has infuriated her colleagues by refusing to countenance discussion of it. Perhaps starting to talk about the \"what ifs\" in public is the only way to bounce her into that conversation, to address reality. But we are witnessing cabinet ministers publicly acknowledging again and again the fundamental weakness of the prime minister's central policy, and that underlines her flimsy position. Even in these strange times, that's unusual. And call me a conspiracist (it won't hurt my feelings, it's been said before) but it's no coincidence this open verbiage about what to do next comes just four days after Theresa May admitted publicly for the first time that she will not fight the next election."}], "question": "A 'stupid idea'?", "id": "753_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Theresa May condemns abuse of MPs over Brexit", "date": "19 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Theresa May has condemned abuse of MPs following last week's Brexit vote. The prime minister said despite \"strongly held views\" on both sides of the Commons there was no place for threats of violence and intimidation. Several Conservative MPs have received abusive messages and tweets because of their views on Brexit. Speaker John Bercow said MPs were public servants doing what they thought to be right and were \"never mutineers, traitors nor enemies of the people\". Two of the MPs who rebelled against the government last week, Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan, said they had contacted the police about threats they received. Ms Soubry suggested dossiers of material she had handed to the Speaker showed a direct link between newspaper headlines attacking her views and actions on Brexit and threats of violence against herself. \"This is serious stuff,\" she said. \"We have to call it out...I believe in freedom of the press but everyone has a responsibility not to incite abuse and death threats.\" As she ended her statement on last week's EU summit, Mrs May said it was right to debate Brexit with \"passion and conviction\". \"But there can never be a place for the threats of violence and intimidation against some members that we have seen in recent days,\" she said. \"Our politics must be better than that.\" In a Commons statement shortly afterwards, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the \"bullying and demeaning\" actions of a small minority of people was a reminder there was a \"dark, unpleasant underbelly of society\". While she said she personally did not check her Twitter timeline any more, she said young people who \"lived on\" social media must be able to continue to do so safely. Responding for Labour, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said there was a case for \"punitive fines\" for social media firms which do not promptly act on abusive material, including rape and death threats. The Daily Mail, which was criticised for publishing the photos of the 11 Tory MPs who voted against the government last week under the headline \"Proud of Yourselves?\", said its journalists also received violent abuse on social media and it was committed to \"tackling this menace\". \"No one has been more outspoken than the Daily Mail in condemning the viciousness of social media, and in particular the threats and abuse directed at politicians of all parties,\" a spokesman said. \"What must never happen is that it is used as an excuse to prevent proper and trenchant debate on the great political issues of the day, including Brexit.\" In her statement, Mrs May also said the agreement secured at the summit to move talks on to the UK and EU's future relationship was \"an important step in delivering the smooth and orderly Brexit people voted for\". The prime minister also insisted the UK could secure a \"bespoke\" trade deal with the EU after Brexit despite the EU's chief negotiator suggesting this cannot happen. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn said the agreement on what had been negotiated so far had been \"cobbled together\" with a \"vagueness\" that \"underlines the sharp divisions within the cabinet\". The UK voted to leave the European Union in June 2016 and Brexit is due to happen at 23:00 GMT on 29 March, 2019. Mrs May's statement to MPs came after she and her senior ministers formally discussed for the first time what the UK's long-term relationship with the EU should be. Until now the two negotiating teams have only been discussing \"divorce\" issues like how much money the UK owes. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was a \"clear divide\" between ministers, with some like Chancellor Philip Hammond and Home Secretary Amber Rudd calling for the UK to stick closely to the EU's single market to preserve access for British firms. On the other side others, like Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, want more divergence so the UK has more freedom to strike its own trade deals with other countries. After the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, but before the final \"end state\" is reached, the government wants a temporary \"implementation period\" of about two years. This is what negotiations are expected to focus on in the coming weeks. Mrs May told MPs she wants \"access to one another's markets\" to continue \"as now\" during this period. The UK will also negotiate, and \"where possible\" sign, trade deals, which would kick in after the end of the implementation period, she said. She also said that during this period the UK will register people arriving from the EU to prepare for the new border controls promised after Brexit. The EU's negotiating position makes clear that it expects the UK to observe all of its rules - including on freedom of movement - and accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice during the implementation, or transition, period. On Monday there was a warning from the EU side that whether a transitional arrangement will happen at all is not guaranteed. Mr Barnier's senior adviser Stefaan De Rynck said the EU hoped for a \"withdrawal treaty\" to be drawn up by October 2018, giving time for it to be agreed by politicians. He added: \"In that withdrawal treaty there could be a transitional arrangement, transition period, implementation period, which the prime minister refers to. \"That is not a given today, let's be very clear about that.\" Describing Brexit as a \"lose-lose\" scenario, he added: \"For us, I don't think we will ever label Brexit a success. It's a mutual weakening, I think, of two parties.\" But former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, a key Leave campaigner, said the UK should be looking beyond the EU for trading relationships in the future. \"It's not a case of less trade, it's a case of a different type of trade, and British business will have to learn, as they do, to get by in a different world,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3925, "answer_end": 4794, "text": "After the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, but before the final \"end state\" is reached, the government wants a temporary \"implementation period\" of about two years. This is what negotiations are expected to focus on in the coming weeks. Mrs May told MPs she wants \"access to one another's markets\" to continue \"as now\" during this period. The UK will also negotiate, and \"where possible\" sign, trade deals, which would kick in after the end of the implementation period, she said. She also said that during this period the UK will register people arriving from the EU to prepare for the new border controls promised after Brexit. The EU's negotiating position makes clear that it expects the UK to observe all of its rules - including on freedom of movement - and accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice during the implementation, or transition, period."}], "question": "What happens in the meantime?", "id": "754_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US sends aircraft carrier and bomber task force to 'warn Iran'", "date": "6 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has deployed an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to send a \"clear and unmistakable message\" to Iran. National Security Adviser John Bolton said the administration was acting \"in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings\". The deployment of the warship was based on claims of a possible attack on US forces stationed in the region, unnamed US officials are quoted as saying. Mr Bolton added that they would counter any attack with \"unrelenting force\". In a statement, Mr Bolton said: \"The United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakeable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.\" He added: \"The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime. But we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces.\" The ship was already in Europe for war games with US allies that have been taking place since the end of April. Preparing for war? So far there is little detail from the Americans of the alleged Iranian actions that have prompted this warning nor of the specific US deployments under way. It is not unusual for an aircraft carrier and its battle group to be sent to the Gulf. Reinforcing US land-based air assets in the region, albeit temporarily, is less routine. Washington has itself been turning up the pressure on Iran over recent months; designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity; toughening up oil sanctions and so on. But the Trump administration's goal is unclear. Its spokesmen insist that they do not want war with Iran but they can also barely hide their enthusiasm for regime change in Tehran. So is this US move an attempt to guarantee the existing, uneasy status quo ? Or is it an attempt to turn the screw even tighter? Many critics of the administration fear a developing drumbeat towards a conflict which, they fear, could erupt either by accident or by design. The deployment comes amid growing tensions between the US and Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on a trip to Europe: \"It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests.\" He did not explain what he meant by \"escalatory actions\", however he added: \"We have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take.\" Last year President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal the US and other nations had agreed with Iran in 2015. Under the accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for sanctions relief. And last month the White House said it would end exemptions from sanctions for five countries - China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey - that were still buying Iranian oil. At the same time the US also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, designating it as a foreign terrorist group. The Trump administration hopes to compel Iran to negotiate a \"new deal\" that would cover not only its nuclear activities, but also its ballistic missile programme and what officials call its \"malign behaviour\" across the Middle East. The sanctions have led to a sharp downturn in Iran's economy, pushing the value of its currency to record lows, driving away foreign investors, and triggering protests. Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate to the US measures by blocking the Strait of Hormuz - though which about a fifth of all oil consumed globally pass.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2684, "answer_end": 3835, "text": "Last year President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal the US and other nations had agreed with Iran in 2015. Under the accord, Iran had agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for sanctions relief. And last month the White House said it would end exemptions from sanctions for five countries - China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey - that were still buying Iranian oil. At the same time the US also blacklisted Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, designating it as a foreign terrorist group. The Trump administration hopes to compel Iran to negotiate a \"new deal\" that would cover not only its nuclear activities, but also its ballistic missile programme and what officials call its \"malign behaviour\" across the Middle East. The sanctions have led to a sharp downturn in Iran's economy, pushing the value of its currency to record lows, driving away foreign investors, and triggering protests. Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate to the US measures by blocking the Strait of Hormuz - though which about a fifth of all oil consumed globally pass."}], "question": "What's the state of relations between America and Iran?", "id": "755_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Two unborn babies' spines repaired in womb in UK surgery first", "date": "24 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two unborn babies have had their spines repaired by surgeons - weeks before they were born. The operations - which are the first ever of their kind in the UK - were carried out by a team of 30 doctors at University College Hospital in London. The babies had spina bifida, a condition when the spinal cord fails to develop properly and has a gap in it. It is usually treated after birth, but the earlier it is repaired the better for long-term health and mobility. During the 90-minute surgery carried out this summer, doctors cut an opening in the womb and then stitched together the baby's gap in the spine. The procedure is risky and can cause premature labour, but researchers are exploring less invasive keyhole methods. \"We put the mum on some drugs that help relax them, but there is still a risk,\" said UCL Professor Anne David, who has worked on bringing the surgery to the UK for three years. Mums and babies are recovering well, the hospital said. Mothers previously had to go abroad to the US, Belgium or Switzerland for the operation. \"It's fantastic,\" said Prof David. \"Women now don't have to travel out of the UK. They can have their family with them. There are less expenses. So all good things.\" According to the charity Shine, more than 200 children are born with spina bifida every year. The NHS says the condition happens when the baby's neural tube - an early form of the baby's brain and spinal cord - does not form properly and leads to gaps or defects in the spinal cord and bones of the spine. Surgery can be used to close the gap in the spine in most cases, but often the nervous system will already have been damaged leading to problems including paralysis of the legs and incontinence. Some people with the condition have learning difficulties. It is not known what causes the condition, which develops during pregnancy, but a lack of folic acid can increase the risk. The surgery, which follows a trial in the US, will be available for patients through the new Centre for Prenatal Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital and UCL hospital. \"There were some children who had grown up following foetal surgery who were walking and you wouldn't expect them to be walking if they hadn't had it,\" said Prof David, of the recent US study.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1213, "answer_end": 1896, "text": "According to the charity Shine, more than 200 children are born with spina bifida every year. The NHS says the condition happens when the baby's neural tube - an early form of the baby's brain and spinal cord - does not form properly and leads to gaps or defects in the spinal cord and bones of the spine. Surgery can be used to close the gap in the spine in most cases, but often the nervous system will already have been damaged leading to problems including paralysis of the legs and incontinence. Some people with the condition have learning difficulties. It is not known what causes the condition, which develops during pregnancy, but a lack of folic acid can increase the risk."}], "question": "What is spina bifida?", "id": "756_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The corruption scandal marring India's CBI", "date": "26 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Indian government controversially removed the two men at the top of its main investigating agency earlier this week, sparking a political row over the decision. Alok Verma, the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, were relieved of their duties pending an inquiry, after each accused the other of corruption. The dramatic decision was made at midnight on Wednesday. The government said it had no choice after months of infighting, calling it an \"extraordinary and unprecedented\" situation. Opposition parties have accused the government of interfering in the CBI's internal matters, however. Mr Verma has also challenged his dismissal in India's Supreme Court, saying it was \"illegal\" and that the agency's independence has been compromised. The court said on Friday that an inquiry against Mr Verma must be completed by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which oversees the CBI, in two weeks. The court will hear the case again on 12 November. The court has also ordered the interim chief not to take any key decisions until then. They started when Mr Verma filed a complaint against his deputy, Rakesh Asthana, accusing him of taking a bribe of 30 million rupees (PS320,000; $409,000) from a businessman who was being investigated by the agency. In his response, Mr Asthana told the government that Mr Verma was the one who had taken 20 million rupees as a bribe from the same individual. He claimed that Mr Verma had falsely implicated him. Mr Asthana is reported to have written numerous letters to the CVC over the past few months detailing at least 10 allegations of corruption against his boss. Mr Verma has denied the charges. The feud between Mr Verma and Mr Asthana led the government to send them and several other officers on \"indefinite leave\". Both their offices were sealed and another officer immediately took over as interim chief of the agency. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the media this was done to \"restore the institutional integrity and credibility of the CBI\". \"It was necessary that the two seniormost officers involved must sit out on leave till an impartial investigation is complete,\" Mr Jaitley said. Opposition Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the government removed Mr Verma to halt his investigations into allegations of corruption in a multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal. Mr Gandhi has accused the government of practising \"crony capitalism\" while signing a deal with French company Dassault to buy 36 Rafael jets. Other opposition leaders also raised questions over the issue. The government denies the allegations. A former director of the CBI, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the incident had tarnished the agency's image. \"The CBI, or any other government organisation, has not been in this kind of a situation before,\" he said. \"The image of the CBI has gone down the dumps and the agency will have to recover from this crisis.\" He added that this was \"irreparable damage\", especially as the CBI is a law enforcement agency where the top officers are now accused of breaking the law. \"It'll take years and years for the CBI to regain its erstwhile status,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1089, "answer_end": 1691, "text": "They started when Mr Verma filed a complaint against his deputy, Rakesh Asthana, accusing him of taking a bribe of 30 million rupees (PS320,000; $409,000) from a businessman who was being investigated by the agency. In his response, Mr Asthana told the government that Mr Verma was the one who had taken 20 million rupees as a bribe from the same individual. He claimed that Mr Verma had falsely implicated him. Mr Asthana is reported to have written numerous letters to the CVC over the past few months detailing at least 10 allegations of corruption against his boss. Mr Verma has denied the charges."}], "question": "What are the corruption allegations?", "id": "757_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1692, "answer_end": 2633, "text": "The feud between Mr Verma and Mr Asthana led the government to send them and several other officers on \"indefinite leave\". Both their offices were sealed and another officer immediately took over as interim chief of the agency. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the media this was done to \"restore the institutional integrity and credibility of the CBI\". \"It was necessary that the two seniormost officers involved must sit out on leave till an impartial investigation is complete,\" Mr Jaitley said. Opposition Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the government removed Mr Verma to halt his investigations into allegations of corruption in a multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal. Mr Gandhi has accused the government of practising \"crony capitalism\" while signing a deal with French company Dassault to buy 36 Rafael jets. Other opposition leaders also raised questions over the issue. The government denies the allegations."}], "question": "How has the government responded?", "id": "757_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Jerusalem is Israel's capital, says Donald Trump", "date": "6 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has announced that the US now recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, overturning decades of official US policy. Mr Trump described the move as \"a long overdue step\" to advance the Middle East peace process. The fate of the ancient city is one of the thorniest issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel called Mr Trump's move \"historic\" but there has been sharp international criticism. Mr Trump said the US still supported a two-state solution to the longstanding conflict, if approved by both sides, which would essentially see the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Mr Trump's announcement \"deplorable\", saying the US could no longer be a peace broker. Eight of the 15 nations who are currently members of the United Nations Security Council have called for the body to hold an urgent meeting on the US decision by the end of the week. The decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community's view on Jerusalem's status. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and until now all countries have maintained their embassies in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but is not internationally recognised as part of Israel. Speaking at the White House, the US president said he had \"judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians\". He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump's right-wing base. \"Today, I am delivering,\" the US leader said, referencing the campaign pledge. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital was \"nothing more or less than a recognition of reality\", he added. \"It is also the right thing to do.\" The Republican Jewish Coalition have already thanked the president in a New York Times ad. The group is backed by Republican and Trump campaign mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Analysis, by Barbara Plett-Usher, BBC News, Washington The president emphasised several times that he was delivering on a campaign promise, signalling that domestic politics was largely what motivated this controversial decision. The announcement would have made more sense as part of a peace plan, but the White House is still drafting one. So the president spent much of the speech pushing back against criticism that he was prejudging his own peace initiative. He insisted that the US was still deeply committed to facilitating a deal acceptable to both sides, and was not taking a position on the final status of the holy city. That seemed to imply the Palestinian claim to occupied East Jerusalem would still be on the table in any negotiations. But his argument would have been more convincing to them if he had spelled that out, and if he had clearly stated that the end goal was two states. Instead he said the US would support such a solution if agreed to by both sides - not the unequivocal endorsement the Palestinians were looking for. He didn't offer the Palestinians anything, and the speech came across as an endorsement of Israel. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a historic day, and Israel was profoundly grateful to President Trump. \"Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia,\" he tweeted. Mr Abbas, the Palestinian leader, said in a pre-recorded TV speech that the city was the \"eternal capital of the state of Palestine\". He earlier warned of \"dangerous consequences\" through a spokesman, a sentiment echoed by other Arab leaders, who said there could be unrest. There were demonstrations in Gaza against the decision before it was announced in response to a call from the Islamist Hamas movement that runs the Gaza strip, local pro-Hamas media reported. Hamas said that Mr Trump's decision would \"open the doors of hell\" on US interests in the region. The US decision comes despite vocal opposition in the Muslim world, even among US allies. On Tuesday Saudi Arabia's King Salman had said that the move \"would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world\". Demonstrations have already taken place in Gaza and outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was \"a moment of great anxiety\". \"There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,\" he said. In other reaction: - Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was \"unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region\" - French President Emmanuel Macron said France did not support the move and called for calm - EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini voiced \"serious concern\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 951, "answer_end": 1724, "text": "The decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital puts the US at odds with the rest of the international community's view on Jerusalem's status. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and according to the 1993 Israel-Palestinian peace accords, its final status is meant to be discussed in the latter stages of peace talks. Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem has never been recognised internationally, and until now all countries have maintained their embassies in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem contains sites sacred to the three major monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Islam and Christianity. East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, was annexed by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, but is not internationally recognised as part of Israel."}], "question": "Why is this significant?", "id": "758_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1725, "answer_end": 2594, "text": "Speaking at the White House, the US president said he had \"judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians\". He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite warnings of regional unrest over any such move, the decision fulfils a campaign promise and appeals to Mr Trump's right-wing base. \"Today, I am delivering,\" the US leader said, referencing the campaign pledge. Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital was \"nothing more or less than a recognition of reality\", he added. \"It is also the right thing to do.\" The Republican Jewish Coalition have already thanked the president in a New York Times ad. The group is backed by Republican and Trump campaign mega-donor Sheldon Adelson."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "758_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3742, "answer_end": 4546, "text": "In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a historic day, and Israel was profoundly grateful to President Trump. \"Jerusalem has been the focus of our hopes, our dreams, our prayers for three millennia,\" he tweeted. Mr Abbas, the Palestinian leader, said in a pre-recorded TV speech that the city was the \"eternal capital of the state of Palestine\". He earlier warned of \"dangerous consequences\" through a spokesman, a sentiment echoed by other Arab leaders, who said there could be unrest. There were demonstrations in Gaza against the decision before it was announced in response to a call from the Islamist Hamas movement that runs the Gaza strip, local pro-Hamas media reported. Hamas said that Mr Trump's decision would \"open the doors of hell\" on US interests in the region."}], "question": "What do Israel and the Palestinians say?", "id": "758_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4547, "answer_end": 5343, "text": "The US decision comes despite vocal opposition in the Muslim world, even among US allies. On Tuesday Saudi Arabia's King Salman had said that the move \"would constitute a flagrant provocation of Muslims, all over the world\". Demonstrations have already taken place in Gaza and outside the US consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said it was \"a moment of great anxiety\". \"There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,\" he said. In other reaction: - Prime Minister Theresa May said she disagreed with the US decision, which was \"unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region\" - French President Emmanuel Macron said France did not support the move and called for calm - EU chief diplomat Federica Mogherini voiced \"serious concern\""}], "question": "What does the rest of the world say?", "id": "758_3"}]}]}, {"title": "100 Women: Women switch gender profiles on China taxi app after murder", "date": "17 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Women are changing their profile pictures and gender listing on the Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing, following the murder of a female passenger earlier this month. The 21-year-old woman is believed to have been killed by her taxi driver. She had been using the Didi Chuxing carpooling service known as Hitch. Hitch drivers can see each passenger's occupation, profile picture and gender, as well as comments left by previous drivers, before they decide to accept a ride request. China's biggest ride-sharing company has now said it will disable features such as profile pictures, ratings and public tags from its carpooling service. Profile pictures will be replaced with generic images. It comes after revelations drivers have been reviewing female users based on their appearance. \"Goddess\", \"natural beauty\" and \"long-legged\" are some of the descriptions drivers have been posting about female passengers, according to Chinese financial magazine Caixin. An advert for the Hitch service, still visible on their verified Weibo account on 14 May, featured a male driver holding a sign reading, \"You have a short skirt, I have warm air... Give her a free ride, I'm willing,\" Reuters reports. Didi Chuxing suspended Hitch temporarily after the body of the woman was found with more than 20 stab wounds in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou. The body of the 27-year-old driver was later found in a river in Zhengzhou. Didi Chuxing said the man had stolen his father's profile to use the app. This is not the first time the company has dealt with the murder of a customer. In 2016 a woman in Shenzhen was robbed and murdered by man who had fraudulently signed up to work as a Didi Chuxing driver, according to South China Morning Post. Women are sharing their updated profiles on a popular Chinese microblog Sina Weibo, as an act of protest. Some say they also fear for their safety. The new profile images range from humorous to political and include stock photographs, male relatives and even fictional characters from TV and film. Female Sina Weibo users say they are changing their taxi app profile to suggest they are a man, while others say their parents have told them to change their account details. \"I'm calling all my female friends to change their profile pictures,\" says user ChaoJun77. \"I want to protect myself. After the tragedy, I'm scared,\" Xu Yanan, a student at Beijing's Tsinghua University, has told Reuters. \"My friends' father bought his daughter pepper spray online,\" says Beautiful Girl. Others said changing profile details was a pointless exercise. \"Even if you change your gender to male on the app, once you get in the car the driver will see you,\" says TuanziHibiku. The case has reignited concerns of customer safety in China. On 11 May China's Ministry of Transport announced plans to enhance regulation of the car-hailing industry, while Chinese state broadcaster CCTV issued advice, telling female passengers not to \"chat too much\" with drivers, or travel to remote or unfamiliar places for their own safety. Some women have complained online, saying the onus should not be on them to monitor their own behaviour. Additional reporting by Chen Yan BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3187, "answer_end": 3477, "text": "BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation."}], "question": "What is 100 Women?", "id": "759_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Will North Korea compete in Winter Olympics?", "date": "3 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North and South Korea both seem keen for the North to take part in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in the South. But there are still hurdles to overcome before North Korean skaters can take to the ice in Pyeongchang, writes North Korean leadership specialist Michael Madden. Next week, one day after Kim Jong-un's birthday, there is a very good chance that representatives of North and South Korea's unification departments will meet in the truce village in Panmunjom. Their aim will be to discuss whether the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name of North Korea, sends a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics, taking place in February in Pyeongchang, South Korea. While their attendance wouldn't resolve the long-standing crisis on the Korean peninsula it would, as both sides have said, be a gesture of peace. But before we start waiting for North Korean athletes (two figure skaters, so far) and its VIP delegation (which might include Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister and close aide of the North Korean leader) to appear in Pyeongchang, and before they even meet on 9 January, the two Koreas will need to participate in a series of careful interactions, and there's much that could yet go wrong. The fact that South Korean President Moon Jae-in even proposed the meeting, in response to remarks Kim Jong-un made during his New Year's Day address, has sent some analysts into making overwrought and heavy handed pronouncements. They're talking about appeasement of the North, of Pyongyang using its potential participation in the Olympics as a way to extract concessions on issues of geostrategic concern, and to give voice to a \"sky is falling\" perspective that Pyongyang is attempting to drive a wedge in the South Korean-US alliance. But it's important to note that Mr Moon's proposal and Mr Kim's remarks about the Olympics were the result of two secret meetings between South and North Korean sports officials, which took place in China in late December. The two Koreas agreed to participate in sports exchanges during 2018. From the North Korean side, a vice minister of athletics was sent to interact with his South Korean counterparts, who may or may not have been acting on President Moon's instructions.  Seoul and Pyongyang appeared to have leveraged this secret contact and a general agreement about sports exchanges to a potential meeting on 9 January. Based on this, and both leaders' statements, it's clear there's a high degree of enthusiasm for making this happen, and both sides are proceeding cautiously. The first step will be to have telephone conversations to plan the delegation and agenda for next week's meeting. One hang up on this was that the North has not been answering the inter-Korea hotline when the South has dialled. But Kim Jong-un has now ordered the reopening the North's part of the line, and the two sides have had their first direct communication in two years. During the next few days, representatives of the two Koreas will discuss the agenda and attendees of the potential meeting to discuss the Olympics. Even if that goes well, two things could yet prevent that 9 January meeting from taking place. First, a DPRK representative might attempt to introduce other items that are not on the agreed agenda, slowing down the process. Secondly, if an agenda is agreed, the meeting might be thrown out because of protocol disputes. In the past, there was disagreement between the two Koreas over the appropriate ranks of counterpart officials leading to a break off in contact. The protocol issue might sound like a petty dispute to outside observers. However, from the perspective of the North Koreans, they will want interlocutors who have the authority to make a binding decision, pending President Moon's approval, about the North's participation. From the perspective of the South Koreans, they want DPRK counterparts who have some decision-making autonomy, and if the North makes a tentative agreement, can get the message directly to Kim Jong-un and be able to reliably advocate for it in Pyongyang's political culture (senior North Korean officials, it should be noted, have different perspectives on policy issues and debate them out amongst themselves). If there is no upstaging the agenda nor an argument about the officials participating, and the Koreas do meet, the next potential trap is that they may not be able to come to an agreement. The North might attempt to extract some type of concession from South Korea, either a request for assistance or removing sanctions. The South, for its part, might place restrictions on the number of cheerleaders who can attend the games, or refuse to allow additional North Korean athletes to participate. So far, the DPRK only has two athletes who qualify for the Olympics, but President Moon has some flexibility on letting in more athletes. Some outside analysts think that Pyongyang is using its potential participation in the Winter Olympics as a back door to undermine the international community's sanctions and diplomatic efforts intended to stop the DPRK from testing its ballistic missiles and expanding its inventory of nuclear weapons. This is myopic and misleading. This was, arguably, a tactic employed under late DPRK leader Kim Jong-il, but Kim Jong-un is a different leader than his father. While Kim Jong-un will certainly order continued drills of its ballistic missiles, he also wishes to see a reduction in tensions between the two Koreas and avoid any unnecessary panic about the next North Korean nuclear crisis. Pyongyang policymakers also labour under no illusions that President Moon can prevent upcoming South Korea-US military exercises. They might ask the South to cancel the exercises, but also understand the reality that these events are planned long in advance and that Seoul does have some input as to what pieces of military equipment end up being deployed. There is also no reason to think that once the DPRK does conduct a missile drill or even tests a nuclear device (these things, given the advanced state of the North's weapons of mass destruction programme, are a matter of when and not if) that the South Korean government won't upbraid the DPRK or even advocate for additional sanctions at the UN Security Council. But if the North does participate in the Olympics and manages to keep its lines of communication open this reduces the likelihood of miscalculation (on both sides) which could escalate into a military conflict. President Moon Jae-in has inaccurately been labelled desperate or naive.  He has much more experience dealing with North Korea than his armchair critics. President Moon's proposal for North Korean participation in the Winter Olympics is an incremental step that might eventually lead to further, more substantive interactions between the North and South. For Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, and to those who follow the peninsula closely, DPRK participation will be an excellent public relations opportunity, and also cause a temporary pressure drop in neighbourhood geopolitical tensions. The 2016 selfie of North Korean and South Korean gymnasts was a viral moment that showed that athletes can put aside the political differences and provocative activities of their respective governments and compete in an atmosphere of respect and love of sport. To those critiquing President Moon's proposal, one needs ask: do we want the Koreans competing in sports and talking to one another, or do we want them threatening to kill each other? Michael Madden is Visiting Scholar of the US Korea Institute at SAIS-Johns Hopkins University and Director of NK Leadership Watch, an affiliate of 38 North. Additional reporting by Sierra Madden, analyst on the North Korean Cabinet and Government for NK Leadership Watch.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1224, "answer_end": 2550, "text": "The fact that South Korean President Moon Jae-in even proposed the meeting, in response to remarks Kim Jong-un made during his New Year's Day address, has sent some analysts into making overwrought and heavy handed pronouncements. They're talking about appeasement of the North, of Pyongyang using its potential participation in the Olympics as a way to extract concessions on issues of geostrategic concern, and to give voice to a \"sky is falling\" perspective that Pyongyang is attempting to drive a wedge in the South Korean-US alliance. But it's important to note that Mr Moon's proposal and Mr Kim's remarks about the Olympics were the result of two secret meetings between South and North Korean sports officials, which took place in China in late December. The two Koreas agreed to participate in sports exchanges during 2018. From the North Korean side, a vice minister of athletics was sent to interact with his South Korean counterparts, who may or may not have been acting on President Moon's instructions.  Seoul and Pyongyang appeared to have leveraged this secret contact and a general agreement about sports exchanges to a potential meeting on 9 January. Based on this, and both leaders' statements, it's clear there's a high degree of enthusiasm for making this happen, and both sides are proceeding cautiously."}], "question": "How did the proposed meeting come about?", "id": "760_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2551, "answer_end": 4228, "text": "The first step will be to have telephone conversations to plan the delegation and agenda for next week's meeting. One hang up on this was that the North has not been answering the inter-Korea hotline when the South has dialled. But Kim Jong-un has now ordered the reopening the North's part of the line, and the two sides have had their first direct communication in two years. During the next few days, representatives of the two Koreas will discuss the agenda and attendees of the potential meeting to discuss the Olympics. Even if that goes well, two things could yet prevent that 9 January meeting from taking place. First, a DPRK representative might attempt to introduce other items that are not on the agreed agenda, slowing down the process. Secondly, if an agenda is agreed, the meeting might be thrown out because of protocol disputes. In the past, there was disagreement between the two Koreas over the appropriate ranks of counterpart officials leading to a break off in contact. The protocol issue might sound like a petty dispute to outside observers. However, from the perspective of the North Koreans, they will want interlocutors who have the authority to make a binding decision, pending President Moon's approval, about the North's participation. From the perspective of the South Koreans, they want DPRK counterparts who have some decision-making autonomy, and if the North makes a tentative agreement, can get the message directly to Kim Jong-un and be able to reliably advocate for it in Pyongyang's political culture (senior North Korean officials, it should be noted, have different perspectives on policy issues and debate them out amongst themselves)."}], "question": "So what happens next?", "id": "760_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4229, "answer_end": 4861, "text": "If there is no upstaging the agenda nor an argument about the officials participating, and the Koreas do meet, the next potential trap is that they may not be able to come to an agreement. The North might attempt to extract some type of concession from South Korea, either a request for assistance or removing sanctions. The South, for its part, might place restrictions on the number of cheerleaders who can attend the games, or refuse to allow additional North Korean athletes to participate. So far, the DPRK only has two athletes who qualify for the Olympics, but President Moon has some flexibility on letting in more athletes."}], "question": "What else could go wrong?", "id": "760_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4862, "answer_end": 6486, "text": "Some outside analysts think that Pyongyang is using its potential participation in the Winter Olympics as a back door to undermine the international community's sanctions and diplomatic efforts intended to stop the DPRK from testing its ballistic missiles and expanding its inventory of nuclear weapons. This is myopic and misleading. This was, arguably, a tactic employed under late DPRK leader Kim Jong-il, but Kim Jong-un is a different leader than his father. While Kim Jong-un will certainly order continued drills of its ballistic missiles, he also wishes to see a reduction in tensions between the two Koreas and avoid any unnecessary panic about the next North Korean nuclear crisis. Pyongyang policymakers also labour under no illusions that President Moon can prevent upcoming South Korea-US military exercises. They might ask the South to cancel the exercises, but also understand the reality that these events are planned long in advance and that Seoul does have some input as to what pieces of military equipment end up being deployed. There is also no reason to think that once the DPRK does conduct a missile drill or even tests a nuclear device (these things, given the advanced state of the North's weapons of mass destruction programme, are a matter of when and not if) that the South Korean government won't upbraid the DPRK or even advocate for additional sanctions at the UN Security Council. But if the North does participate in the Olympics and manages to keep its lines of communication open this reduces the likelihood of miscalculation (on both sides) which could escalate into a military conflict."}], "question": "What's Kim Jong-un's motive?", "id": "760_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6487, "answer_end": 7789, "text": "President Moon Jae-in has inaccurately been labelled desperate or naive.  He has much more experience dealing with North Korea than his armchair critics. President Moon's proposal for North Korean participation in the Winter Olympics is an incremental step that might eventually lead to further, more substantive interactions between the North and South. For Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, and to those who follow the peninsula closely, DPRK participation will be an excellent public relations opportunity, and also cause a temporary pressure drop in neighbourhood geopolitical tensions. The 2016 selfie of North Korean and South Korean gymnasts was a viral moment that showed that athletes can put aside the political differences and provocative activities of their respective governments and compete in an atmosphere of respect and love of sport. To those critiquing President Moon's proposal, one needs ask: do we want the Koreans competing in sports and talking to one another, or do we want them threatening to kill each other? Michael Madden is Visiting Scholar of the US Korea Institute at SAIS-Johns Hopkins University and Director of NK Leadership Watch, an affiliate of 38 North. Additional reporting by Sierra Madden, analyst on the North Korean Cabinet and Government for NK Leadership Watch."}], "question": "What about Moon Jae-in?", "id": "760_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Poundwatch: The view from Asia", "date": "3 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "We've been here before. Think back to that fateful day in June when the world woke up to the fact that the UK had voted to leave the European Union. Brexit's impact in Asia was dramatic, to say the least. Sterling slumped in Asian trade. Investors panicked and, as I said at the time, the uncertainty was only just beginning. Fast-forward three months. The UK has a new prime minister, a new-ish government, and now a new time-line for when Brexit will begin. So now that some of that uncertainty has been taken out of the equation, you would think that investors in Asia would breathe a sigh of relief? Nope. While the pound hasn't dropped as dramatically this morning as on the day of Brexit, it has seen its value sink by about 0.5%. And while setting a timeline for Brexit has certainly provided Asian businesses and investors with a sense of when the process of separating from the European Union will start for the UK, it still doesn't shine much light on what kind of Brexit this will be. \"Brexit is really important for investors in Asia,\" Deborah Elms, executive director of the Asian Trade Centre, told me. \"Most Asian investors have routed their European investments through the UK. The UK market alone is not the reason these companies are in the UK.\" That's not likely to come as a surprise for Prime Minister Theresa May and her government. The Japanese government has already made it clear that Brexit could result in the country's firms moving their European head offices out of Britain. Japanese companies employ an estimated 140,000 workers in the UK and some of the biggest names in Japan Inc have their European HQs in London. In a strongly worded letter, Japan's foreign ministry urged the UK to ensure that \"Brexit negotiations are conducted through uninterrupted and transparent process\" and to recognise the fact that one of the main reasons why Japanese companies invested in the UK was because the UK was \"seen to be a gateway to Europe\". While transparency is what many in Asia have been calling for, Mrs May's government has consistently said investors must be patient. But as Ms Elms told me, \"If you're a business, you've been extremely patient, and now you want to know what the terms of Brexit are going to be.\" Some Asian companies have read the prime minister's speech as an indication that the UK is more likely to be leaving the single market. Analysts say that could mean that Asian companies headquartered in the UK may not be able to access Europe's free trade zone because the UK has lost membership to the single market - and that those Asian companies will now start looking at the two-year timeline more urgently with a view to relocating, according to Ms Elms. \"As an Asian business [in this scenario] you have no particular benefit from being in the UK rather than being located in Singapore and Tokyo,\" she theorised. \"Most [Asian] firms would more likely relocate directly into the EU, but for some companies, coming back to Asia might make sense, especially in the medium term while this is all sorted out.\" It is unlikely that these sorts of Asian considerations will be uppermost in the minds of the great and the good attending the UK's Tory party conference in Birmingham this week. But as Britain navigates a post-Brexit world, government leaders would be mindful to pay attention to what their counterparts and businesses in this neck of the woods are thinking and saying.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2244, "answer_end": 3426, "text": "Some Asian companies have read the prime minister's speech as an indication that the UK is more likely to be leaving the single market. Analysts say that could mean that Asian companies headquartered in the UK may not be able to access Europe's free trade zone because the UK has lost membership to the single market - and that those Asian companies will now start looking at the two-year timeline more urgently with a view to relocating, according to Ms Elms. \"As an Asian business [in this scenario] you have no particular benefit from being in the UK rather than being located in Singapore and Tokyo,\" she theorised. \"Most [Asian] firms would more likely relocate directly into the EU, but for some companies, coming back to Asia might make sense, especially in the medium term while this is all sorted out.\" It is unlikely that these sorts of Asian considerations will be uppermost in the minds of the great and the good attending the UK's Tory party conference in Birmingham this week. But as Britain navigates a post-Brexit world, government leaders would be mindful to pay attention to what their counterparts and businesses in this neck of the woods are thinking and saying."}], "question": "Time to move?", "id": "761_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Islamic State: Thousands of foreign children in Syrian camps", "date": "21 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of children from around the world remain trapped in Syria facing an uncertain and dangerous future, a charity has warned. Save the Children says it has found more than 2,500 children from 30 countries in three camps alone. They are being held away from the camps' populations, in segregated areas with foreign women believed to be former Islamic State (IS) members. The warning comes as the debate over what to do with these children rages. The issue was brought to the fore after a number of women came forward to say they regretted their actions and wanted to return to their home countries, including the UK, US and France, so they could raise their children in peace. In response, the UK and US have barred two mothers from returning. But what does this mean for their children, and the thousands of others - some just days old - caught in an international battle? For many, it is clear. \"There is a moral responsibility for every country to take these children back,\" Usama Hasan, head of Islamic Studies at Quilliam International. \"It is a moral duty.\" It is not known exactly how many children there are. According to a 2018 report from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR),  at least 3,704 foreign-born children were taken to IS territory by their parents or carers, including 460 from France, at least 350 from Russia and almost 400 from Morocco. Several hundred of these children are known to have returned to their home countries since. A number are likely to have died in IS territory. But, as the stories of the UK's Shamima Begum and US woman Hoda Muthana show, many of the women and men who went out to Syria and Iraq have had children since they arrived. The ICSR said in July it had verified the births of at 730 children from 19 countries. However, other unverified reports put that figure at closer to 5,000. It is hard to say where exactly all the children are now. For a start, they are spread over at least two countries: Syria and Iraq. The situation in the camps in northern Syria is particularly dire, Save the Children points out. For a start, because these children are held in isolation with other perceived former members of IS, they are often not able to get as much food and medical care as they need. But more than that, reports from inside the camps paint a grim picture of intimidation and fear. \"We thought we could put them [the foreign women] together with the Syrians and the Iraqis, and that they would adapt,\" the director of a Kurdish camp in northern Syria told France24 in February. \"But they're ferocious, they burned some of the Syrians' tents, they would call them cockroaches, infidels. They consider themselves as the only true Muslims. So we had to separate them.\" These \"ferocious\" women continue their reign of terror in the segregated area: the journalist is later shown the remains of a burnt-out tent. \"A child died,\" one foreign woman explained to the camera, picking up the burnt remains of the canvas. Meanwhile, foreign children as young as nine are finding themselves in front of the courts in neighbouring Iraq, while hundreds of others are known to be being held in prison with their mothers as they are tried for their roles in IS. It all adds to a sense of urgency to calls to countries to repatriate the children as quickly as possible. \"All children with perceived and actual associations with Isis [IS] are victims of the conflict and must be treated as such,\" Kirsty McNeill of Save the Children UK argues. Very few foreign children have been repatriated so far. But while there are obstacles to bringing children back, like identification, governments across the world have been accused of stalling in order to avoid having to make difficult decisions. Meanwhile, numerous families still living in their home countries around the world have offered to take children in. In Russia, more than 100 children have already been brought home to family members, many at the request of parents locked in prisons. The last flight brought back 30 children, and Russia plans to bring back another 40 this month. Tanya Lokshina, Human Rights Watch associate director for Europe and Central Asia, told Bloomberg at the start of February it is \"the most active programme to return detainees from Iraq and Syria\". But in other countries, families face a battle to get their grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, home from Syria an Iraq. In Belgium,  a woman called Fatiha told the Washington Post she was ready to take in her six young grandchildren. However they remain in a camp in northern Syria, at the centre of a court battle, as the Belgian government tries to block their mothers returning. Like a number of other countries, including Russia, Belgium has said it is happy to take young children back - but not necessarily their parents. UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid suggested Britain - which, according to ICSR, had only seen the return of four children by July 2018 - might follow a similar policy when he noted the revocation of Ms Begum's citizenship would not apply to her newborn son. \"Children should not suffer, so if a parent does lose their British citizenship it does not affect the rights of their child,\" he said. But Save the Children warns that separating the children from their mothers can also be damaging. \"We believe the best interests of the child are paramount, and this means a child and mother should remain together whenever possible,\" Ms McNeill said. Countries are beginning to change their positions. France was just repatriating children on a case-by-case basis, but says it is now considering taking IS members back to be dealt with at home. Possibly, says Gina Vale, the co-author of the ICSR study. \"Minors, specifically boys, have undergone both psychological indoctrination and intensive military and combat training within IS territory from a very young age,\" she points out. However, any concerns would have to be dealt with on an individual level. What's more, she warns that not bringing the children back may be worse in the long term. \"For both IS-born infants and older children once associated with the group, stigmatisation and isolation from society may lead to potential disenfranchisement and grievances, which, if not effectively addressed, have the potential to fuel radicalisation of vulnerable individuals in the future,\" she said. \"It is imperative that foreign governments, including the UK, uphold their duty of care to their citizens and adopt a human rights-based approach to their repatriation and rehabilitation. \"Without this, there is an acute risk of continuation or even exacerbation of the cycle of jihadist violence, radicalism and instability for generations to come.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1069, "answer_end": 1864, "text": "It is not known exactly how many children there are. According to a 2018 report from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR),  at least 3,704 foreign-born children were taken to IS territory by their parents or carers, including 460 from France, at least 350 from Russia and almost 400 from Morocco. Several hundred of these children are known to have returned to their home countries since. A number are likely to have died in IS territory. But, as the stories of the UK's Shamima Begum and US woman Hoda Muthana show, many of the women and men who went out to Syria and Iraq have had children since they arrived. The ICSR said in July it had verified the births of at 730 children from 19 countries. However, other unverified reports put that figure at closer to 5,000."}], "question": "How many children are there?", "id": "762_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1865, "answer_end": 3510, "text": "It is hard to say where exactly all the children are now. For a start, they are spread over at least two countries: Syria and Iraq. The situation in the camps in northern Syria is particularly dire, Save the Children points out. For a start, because these children are held in isolation with other perceived former members of IS, they are often not able to get as much food and medical care as they need. But more than that, reports from inside the camps paint a grim picture of intimidation and fear. \"We thought we could put them [the foreign women] together with the Syrians and the Iraqis, and that they would adapt,\" the director of a Kurdish camp in northern Syria told France24 in February. \"But they're ferocious, they burned some of the Syrians' tents, they would call them cockroaches, infidels. They consider themselves as the only true Muslims. So we had to separate them.\" These \"ferocious\" women continue their reign of terror in the segregated area: the journalist is later shown the remains of a burnt-out tent. \"A child died,\" one foreign woman explained to the camera, picking up the burnt remains of the canvas. Meanwhile, foreign children as young as nine are finding themselves in front of the courts in neighbouring Iraq, while hundreds of others are known to be being held in prison with their mothers as they are tried for their roles in IS. It all adds to a sense of urgency to calls to countries to repatriate the children as quickly as possible. \"All children with perceived and actual associations with Isis [IS] are victims of the conflict and must be treated as such,\" Kirsty McNeill of Save the Children UK argues."}], "question": "Where are the children of IS members now?", "id": "762_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3511, "answer_end": 5668, "text": "Very few foreign children have been repatriated so far. But while there are obstacles to bringing children back, like identification, governments across the world have been accused of stalling in order to avoid having to make difficult decisions. Meanwhile, numerous families still living in their home countries around the world have offered to take children in. In Russia, more than 100 children have already been brought home to family members, many at the request of parents locked in prisons. The last flight brought back 30 children, and Russia plans to bring back another 40 this month. Tanya Lokshina, Human Rights Watch associate director for Europe and Central Asia, told Bloomberg at the start of February it is \"the most active programme to return detainees from Iraq and Syria\". But in other countries, families face a battle to get their grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, home from Syria an Iraq. In Belgium,  a woman called Fatiha told the Washington Post she was ready to take in her six young grandchildren. However they remain in a camp in northern Syria, at the centre of a court battle, as the Belgian government tries to block their mothers returning. Like a number of other countries, including Russia, Belgium has said it is happy to take young children back - but not necessarily their parents. UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid suggested Britain - which, according to ICSR, had only seen the return of four children by July 2018 - might follow a similar policy when he noted the revocation of Ms Begum's citizenship would not apply to her newborn son. \"Children should not suffer, so if a parent does lose their British citizenship it does not affect the rights of their child,\" he said. But Save the Children warns that separating the children from their mothers can also be damaging. \"We believe the best interests of the child are paramount, and this means a child and mother should remain together whenever possible,\" Ms McNeill said. Countries are beginning to change their positions. France was just repatriating children on a case-by-case basis, but says it is now considering taking IS members back to be dealt with at home."}], "question": "What are countries doing to get them back?", "id": "762_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5669, "answer_end": 6729, "text": "Possibly, says Gina Vale, the co-author of the ICSR study. \"Minors, specifically boys, have undergone both psychological indoctrination and intensive military and combat training within IS territory from a very young age,\" she points out. However, any concerns would have to be dealt with on an individual level. What's more, she warns that not bringing the children back may be worse in the long term. \"For both IS-born infants and older children once associated with the group, stigmatisation and isolation from society may lead to potential disenfranchisement and grievances, which, if not effectively addressed, have the potential to fuel radicalisation of vulnerable individuals in the future,\" she said. \"It is imperative that foreign governments, including the UK, uphold their duty of care to their citizens and adopt a human rights-based approach to their repatriation and rehabilitation. \"Without this, there is an acute risk of continuation or even exacerbation of the cycle of jihadist violence, radicalism and instability for generations to come.\""}], "question": "Are there any dangers in returning children?", "id": "762_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Catalonia parliament approves independence referendum", "date": "6 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Parliament in Spain's restive Catalonia region has approved an independence referendum on 1 October which Madrid has vowed to outlaw. Separatist parties which hold a slim majority backed the referendum bill allowing for a vote on whether the wealthy region should leave Spain. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has asked the constitutional court to nullify it. He was due to hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday and meet other party leaders. His deputy earlier accused secessionists of trampling on democracy. Spain's wealthy north-eastern region already has autonomous powers but the regional government says it has popular support for full secession. The Catalan government has a majority in the regional parliament made up of the separatist Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition and the left-wing CUP party. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont signed the bill into local law almost immediately after the vote, when it was adopted with 72 votes in favour and 11 abstentions in the 135-seat chamber in Barcelona. When the outcome was announced, separatist MPs broke into the official national anthem of Catalonia, Els Segadors. Unionist MPs from the regional branches of Mr Rajoy's Popular Party (PP), the Socialist Party and the centrist Ciudadanos party had left the chamber in protest before the vote, which followed a marathon debate. PP members left Spanish and Catalan flags on seats behind them to show their disapproval. However, when an MP from the leftist party Podemos started removing the Spanish ones, she was rebuked by the Speaker, Carme Forcadell. The decision has plunged Spain into a national crisis only three weeks after jihadist attacks in the heart of Catalonia left 16 people dead and more than 100 others wounded. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria condemned the Catalan leadership for carrying out \"an act of force\" and for acting more like \"dictatorial regimes than a democracy\". The war of words intensified when Catalan President Carles Puigdemont accused her of threatening and insulting all Catalans. The pro-independence Catalan government has been preparing for the 1 October vote for months. In its bill announced on Wednesday it said a Yes vote would be followed within 48 hours by a declaration of independence. Mr Puigdemont says the smallest of margins above 50% will be enough. So the Spanish government is doing all it can to prevent the vote from taking place. However, an earlier vote in November 2014 did go ahead even after Spain's constitutional court declared it was not an official referendum. The constitutional court argues that Spain's constitution does not allow regions to unilaterally decide on sovereignty. Former Catalan leader Artur Mas was barred from office by a court earlier this year for running the 2014 vote. Under a 2015 law, Spanish public servants can be suspended by the constitutional court if they ignore its rulings. Carles Puigdemont insists his position is governed by Catalan regulations and sees any attempt to suspend him as unacceptable. Other public servants could also be fined and hit by temporary suspensions if they help run the vote. Catalan leaders have already acted to replace officials not seen as sufficiently supportive of the vote. The head of the region's Mossos d'Esquadra police force, Albert Batlle, resigned from his post over the summer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2054, "answer_end": 2562, "text": "The pro-independence Catalan government has been preparing for the 1 October vote for months. In its bill announced on Wednesday it said a Yes vote would be followed within 48 hours by a declaration of independence. Mr Puigdemont says the smallest of margins above 50% will be enough. So the Spanish government is doing all it can to prevent the vote from taking place. However, an earlier vote in November 2014 did go ahead even after Spain's constitutional court declared it was not an official referendum."}], "question": "Will the vote go ahead?", "id": "763_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2563, "answer_end": 3354, "text": "The constitutional court argues that Spain's constitution does not allow regions to unilaterally decide on sovereignty. Former Catalan leader Artur Mas was barred from office by a court earlier this year for running the 2014 vote. Under a 2015 law, Spanish public servants can be suspended by the constitutional court if they ignore its rulings. Carles Puigdemont insists his position is governed by Catalan regulations and sees any attempt to suspend him as unacceptable. Other public servants could also be fined and hit by temporary suspensions if they help run the vote. Catalan leaders have already acted to replace officials not seen as sufficiently supportive of the vote. The head of the region's Mossos d'Esquadra police force, Albert Batlle, resigned from his post over the summer."}], "question": "Was Tuesday's vote legal?", "id": "763_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump: Robert Mueller 'conflicted' and a 'Never Trumper'", "date": "30 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has launched a fierce personal attack on former special counsel Robert Mueller, describing him as \"totally conflicted\". He said the man who led the inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election had \"wanted to be the FBI director, and I said 'no'\". The president also claimed the two had had a \"business dispute\". Mr Mueller reiterated on Wednesday that his inquiry did not exonerate Mr Trump of obstruction of justice. Following Mr Mueller's comments - his first public statement on his inquiry - Democratic presidential candidates called for the Republican president to be impeached. But the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives is sceptical of such a move. And any attempt to remove the president from office would almost certainly be rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate. At the White House on Thursday morning, Mr Trump said impeachment was a \"dirty, filthy disgusting word\". He said Mr Mueller was a \"true Never Trumper\", referring to his Republican critics during the 2016 White House race, and that his investigation was \"a giant presidential harassment\". Mr Trump also referred to the special counsel's team of investigators as \"some of the worst human beings on Earth\". He claimed Mr Mueller had approached him at the Oval Office in 2017 seeking to regain his former position as FBI director. The president said: \"Robert Mueller should never have been chosen because he wanted the FBI job and he didn't get it and the next day he was picked as special counsel.\" But according to the Mueller report, former White House strategist Stephen Bannon told investigators that the special counsel had not gone to the White House job-seeking. Mr Bannon said Mr Trump's oft-repeated claims about Mr Mueller's supposed conflicts of interest were \"ridiculous\". On Thursday, the president also told reporters he had \"a business dispute\" with Mr Mueller. It was not clear what Mr Trump was referring to, but in 2011 Mr Mueller suspended his membership with a Trump-owned golf course in northern Virginia. Afterwards, Mr Mueller requested to have his annual dues refunded but never heard back from the Trump Organization, according to a Washington Post report from last year. In a tweet earlier on Thursday, Mr Trump seemed to say for the first time that Moscow had played a role in helping him to get elected, while disavowing his own involvement. \"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax... And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected,\" he wrote. But on the White House lawn, he said: \"No, Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didn't help me at all.\" Mr Mueller -  who was FBI director under President George W Bush - made his first and only public comments over the two-year investigation in a statement to media on Wednesday. He said that charging a sitting president with a crime \"is not an option\" due to a long-standing US Department of Justice policy. \"If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,\" Mr Mueller declared in a live broadcast, contradicting Mr Trump's claims of exoneration. The special counsel's 448-page report issued in April did not establish that Mr Trump conspired with Russia to sway the White House election, but listed 10 possible instances of obstruction of justice by the president. After a brief presidential ceasefire, hostilities against Robert Mueller have resumed. The president is clearly irked that Mr Mueller grabbed headlines yesterday when he reiterated the results of his investigation that were far from exoneration for the president. In the immediate aftermath of Mr Mueller's report, the president had claimed complete vindication - and even agreed that the special counsel had acted honourably. The picture wasn't as rosy once the report's details were made public, however. And while Mr Mueller declined to determine whether the president had obstructed the investigation, his \"I can't say he's not guilty\" conclusion was damning in its own way. Mr Mueller's public statement put bullet points on those findings. So the president is going back on the attack, ensuring - if there were ever any doubt - that Mr Mueller, his report and subsequent action by Congress will continue to be mired in partisan warfare.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2769, "answer_end": 3484, "text": "Mr Mueller -  who was FBI director under President George W Bush - made his first and only public comments over the two-year investigation in a statement to media on Wednesday. He said that charging a sitting president with a crime \"is not an option\" due to a long-standing US Department of Justice policy. \"If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,\" Mr Mueller declared in a live broadcast, contradicting Mr Trump's claims of exoneration. The special counsel's 448-page report issued in April did not establish that Mr Trump conspired with Russia to sway the White House election, but listed 10 possible instances of obstruction of justice by the president."}], "question": "What did Mueller say?", "id": "764_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Google China: Has search firm put Project Dragonfly on hold?", "date": "18 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Google has reportedly \"effectively ended\" plans for a censored search engine in China. The Intercept, which revealed the existence of Project Dragonfly in August, says Google has been \"forced to shut down a data analysis system it was using\" to feed the project. And access to data \"integral to Dragonfly... has been suspended for now, which has stopped progress\". Google said it had no immediate plans to launch a Chinese search engine. Citing internal Google documents and inside sources, the Intercept says Project Dragonfly began in the spring of 2017 and accelerated in December after Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, met a Chinese government official. An Android app with versions called Maotai and Longfei were developed and could be launched within nine months if Chinese government approved, it says. Using a tool called BeaconTower to check if users' search queries on Beijing-based website 265.com would fall foul of China's censors, Google engineers came up with a list of thousands of banned websites, including the BBC and Wikipedia, which could then be purged from the Dragonfly search engine. But members of Google's privacy team confronted the Dragonfly project managers, saying the system had \"been kept secret from them\". And after several discussions, \"Google engineers were told that they were no longer permitted to continue using the 265.com data to help develop Dragonfly, which has since had severe consequences for the project\". The so-called great firewall of China is notorious for not allowing its citizens free access to all the content available on the internet. China has in the past two years imposed increasingly strict rules on foreign companies, including new censorship restrictions. Some Western sites are blocked outright, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Certain topics such as the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 are also completely blocked. References to political opposition, dissidents and anti-Communist activity are also banned as are those to free speech and sex. Any search engine in China would have to comply with the Chinese government's strict rules on censorship. by Dave Lee, BBC North America technology reporter Even with this news today, I don't think Google's ambitions in China are over - just stalled. Sundar Pichai has clearly decided that China is too important (and lucrative) a market to pass up and so, while Dragonfly has met a significant bump in the road - thanks to its own privacy team, the company will almost certainly find a new approach to serving the Chinese market. But in doing so it might do serious harm to its brand. Now more than ever, US technology companies are under pressure to act in the interests of both America and Americans. Bowing to Beijing's demands with whatever Project Dragonfly morphs into will be a stain on Google's principles and its reputation. We learned from Mr Pichai's recent appearance on Capitol Hill that more than 100 engineers had been working on the project at one point in time. When quizzed by lawmakers on the plans, he said: \"Right now, we have no plans to launch in China.\" He said all efforts were \"internal\" and did not currently involve discussions with the Chinese government. In response to further questions, Mr Pichai said the company would be \"fully transparent\" with politicians if it released a search service in China. The BBC understands Project Dragonfly never reached the point of having a full and final privacy review by Google. A letter from more than 300 Google employees in November, co-signed by Amnesty International, asked the company to halt the project entirely. Quite simply, China is the biggest internet market in the world. Google launched a search engine in the authoritarian state in 2006, google.cn. Google was compliant with the Chinese government's censorship requirements at the time but the search company pulled the plug in 2010, citing increasing concerns about cyber-attacks on activists. Despite its main search engine and YouTube video platform being blocked, Google still has more than 700 employees and three offices in China and has been developing alternative projects. Its Google Translate app for smartphones was approved in China last year. It also invested in Chinese live-stream game platform Chushou in January and has launched an artificial intelligence game on the social media app WeChat.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 438, "answer_end": 1462, "text": "Citing internal Google documents and inside sources, the Intercept says Project Dragonfly began in the spring of 2017 and accelerated in December after Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, met a Chinese government official. An Android app with versions called Maotai and Longfei were developed and could be launched within nine months if Chinese government approved, it says. Using a tool called BeaconTower to check if users' search queries on Beijing-based website 265.com would fall foul of China's censors, Google engineers came up with a list of thousands of banned websites, including the BBC and Wikipedia, which could then be purged from the Dragonfly search engine. But members of Google's privacy team confronted the Dragonfly project managers, saying the system had \"been kept secret from them\". And after several discussions, \"Google engineers were told that they were no longer permitted to continue using the 265.com data to help develop Dragonfly, which has since had severe consequences for the project\"."}], "question": "What is The Intercept reporting?", "id": "765_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1463, "answer_end": 2136, "text": "The so-called great firewall of China is notorious for not allowing its citizens free access to all the content available on the internet. China has in the past two years imposed increasingly strict rules on foreign companies, including new censorship restrictions. Some Western sites are blocked outright, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Certain topics such as the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 are also completely blocked. References to political opposition, dissidents and anti-Communist activity are also banned as are those to free speech and sex. Any search engine in China would have to comply with the Chinese government's strict rules on censorship."}], "question": "What are the issues with launching a search engine in China?", "id": "765_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2866, "answer_end": 3622, "text": "We learned from Mr Pichai's recent appearance on Capitol Hill that more than 100 engineers had been working on the project at one point in time. When quizzed by lawmakers on the plans, he said: \"Right now, we have no plans to launch in China.\" He said all efforts were \"internal\" and did not currently involve discussions with the Chinese government. In response to further questions, Mr Pichai said the company would be \"fully transparent\" with politicians if it released a search service in China. The BBC understands Project Dragonfly never reached the point of having a full and final privacy review by Google. A letter from more than 300 Google employees in November, co-signed by Amnesty International, asked the company to halt the project entirely."}], "question": "How advanced were the plans?", "id": "765_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3623, "answer_end": 4377, "text": "Quite simply, China is the biggest internet market in the world. Google launched a search engine in the authoritarian state in 2006, google.cn. Google was compliant with the Chinese government's censorship requirements at the time but the search company pulled the plug in 2010, citing increasing concerns about cyber-attacks on activists. Despite its main search engine and YouTube video platform being blocked, Google still has more than 700 employees and three offices in China and has been developing alternative projects. Its Google Translate app for smartphones was approved in China last year. It also invested in Chinese live-stream game platform Chushou in January and has launched an artificial intelligence game on the social media app WeChat."}], "question": "Why does Google want to get back into China?", "id": "765_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Trump summit: North Korean leader talks up denuclearisation", "date": "28 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has told reporters that he would not be at a summit with US President Donald Trump if he were not ready to denuclearise. The leaders are in Vietnam for talks on nuclear disarmament. They are under pressure to reach concrete measures after making little progress following a historic first summit last year. But the summit has been cut short by two hours and it's not clear why. Mr Trump earlier said there was \"no rush\" to reach a deal. But when Mr Kim told reporters that if he was not ready to denuclearise he \"wouldn't be here\", the US leader responded: \"That might be the best answer you've ever heard.\" Analysts say it remains unclear what exactly Mr Kim means by denuclearisation. The pair were holding a discussion at a conference table with aides and cameras present, after the first round of closed-door discussions in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Mr Trump and Mr Kim are believed to be discussing a roadmap for removing nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula and could also announce a formal treaty ending the Korean War or even the establishment of liaison offices. The first summit last June in Singapore between two leaders who had previously only exchanged vitriol was certainly a historic moment. Now, they are both very conscious of the need to answer their critics with signs of concrete progress. Washington had previously said North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief, but that condition is known to be a sticking point for the North Koreans. Speaking ahead of their talks, Mr Trump appeared to again address scepticism about the success and progress of their last summit, saying he wanted to get the \"right deal\". \"I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it,\" Mr Trump said, adding that he had \"great respect\" for Mr Kim. Meanwhile, answering his first question from a foreign reporter, Mr Kim said: \"It's early to tell, but from my instincts, I do have a feeling that good results will emerge.\" He said people seeing him alongside Mr Trump would think they were watching a \"fantasy movie\". At the end of 2017, when they were both threatening each other with war, Mr Trump called Mr Kim \"little rocket man\", and Mr Kim said Mr Trump was a \"mentally deranged dotard\". They emerged from their first session after about 30 minutes and took a brief stroll in the courtyard, joined by their chief advisers - Kim Yong-chol for Mr Kim and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - and interpreters. When asked by reporters afterwards if he would allow a US liaison office in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, Mr Kim said it was something he would \"welcome\". Mr Trump replied it was \"not a bad idea - both ways\". There is no direct channel between the US and North Korea at the moment and a liaison office would be the first step to normalise relations between the two countries. Mr Kim was also asked if they were discussing the issue of human rights in his country, a subject that was not raised in Singapore. Mr Trump - who separately warned reporters not to \"raise\" their voices with Mr Kim - stepped in and said they were \"discussing everything\". Mr Kim did not answer. The leaders are holding a series of meetings at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi. It is unclear if a \"joint agreement signing ceremony\" will still be held and Mr Trump has brought forward a news conference, which is now scheduled for 14:00 local time (07:00 GMT). It is also not clear what any joint agreement might include although there have been working level talks between North Korea and the US in recent weeks. The tone of the talks was set in a dinner on Wednesday when Mr Trump described Mr Kim as a \"great leader\" and said he looked forward to helping him achieve a \"tremendous\" economic future for North Korea. Mr Kim called the US president \"courageous\" in return and said he was confident there would be an \"excellent outcome that everyone welcomes\". Analysts have long warned that full denuclearisation is very unlikely but speculation on what we should look out for includes: - Any concrete signs of progress on nuclear disarmament such as an agreement from North Korea to disclose details of its nuclear weapons programme - Any agreement on dismantling elements of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor in the North - this could be in exchange for paving the way for the easing of sanctions - The possibility of a peace declaration putting a symbolic end to the Korean War - Further agreements on issues like the return of Korean war remains or liaison offices North Korean state media have praised Mr Kim for making the 4,000km (2,500-mile) trip, with state paper Rodong Sinmun dedicating four out of its six pages to it. It said North Koreans had reacted to his visit with \"boundless excitement and emotion\", and urged people to work harder to \"give him reports of victory when he returns\". The paper also added that his overseas trip had caused some of its citizens sleepless nights, with one woman telling a state broadcaster that she \"really missed\" Mr Kim.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1115, "answer_end": 3297, "text": "The first summit last June in Singapore between two leaders who had previously only exchanged vitriol was certainly a historic moment. Now, they are both very conscious of the need to answer their critics with signs of concrete progress. Washington had previously said North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief, but that condition is known to be a sticking point for the North Koreans. Speaking ahead of their talks, Mr Trump appeared to again address scepticism about the success and progress of their last summit, saying he wanted to get the \"right deal\". \"I've been saying very much from the beginning that speed is not that important to me. I very much appreciate no testing of nuclear rockets, missiles, any of it,\" Mr Trump said, adding that he had \"great respect\" for Mr Kim. Meanwhile, answering his first question from a foreign reporter, Mr Kim said: \"It's early to tell, but from my instincts, I do have a feeling that good results will emerge.\" He said people seeing him alongside Mr Trump would think they were watching a \"fantasy movie\". At the end of 2017, when they were both threatening each other with war, Mr Trump called Mr Kim \"little rocket man\", and Mr Kim said Mr Trump was a \"mentally deranged dotard\". They emerged from their first session after about 30 minutes and took a brief stroll in the courtyard, joined by their chief advisers - Kim Yong-chol for Mr Kim and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - and interpreters. When asked by reporters afterwards if he would allow a US liaison office in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, Mr Kim said it was something he would \"welcome\". Mr Trump replied it was \"not a bad idea - both ways\". There is no direct channel between the US and North Korea at the moment and a liaison office would be the first step to normalise relations between the two countries. Mr Kim was also asked if they were discussing the issue of human rights in his country, a subject that was not raised in Singapore. Mr Trump - who separately warned reporters not to \"raise\" their voices with Mr Kim - stepped in and said they were \"discussing everything\". Mr Kim did not answer."}], "question": "What's on the table for talks?", "id": "766_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3298, "answer_end": 3710, "text": "The leaders are holding a series of meetings at the Metropole hotel in Hanoi. It is unclear if a \"joint agreement signing ceremony\" will still be held and Mr Trump has brought forward a news conference, which is now scheduled for 14:00 local time (07:00 GMT). It is also not clear what any joint agreement might include although there have been working level talks between North Korea and the US in recent weeks."}], "question": "How will the day of talks unfold?", "id": "766_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4661, "answer_end": 5162, "text": "North Korean state media have praised Mr Kim for making the 4,000km (2,500-mile) trip, with state paper Rodong Sinmun dedicating four out of its six pages to it. It said North Koreans had reacted to his visit with \"boundless excitement and emotion\", and urged people to work harder to \"give him reports of victory when he returns\". The paper also added that his overseas trip had caused some of its citizens sleepless nights, with one woman telling a state broadcaster that she \"really missed\" Mr Kim."}], "question": "What do we know about North Korean reaction?", "id": "766_2"}]}]}, {"title": "France election: Macron party set for big parliamentary win", "date": "12 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The centrist party of French President Emmanuel Macron looks on course to win a landslide victory following the first round of parliamentary elections. Projections show La Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move) and its MoDem ally set to win up to 445 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly. The Socialists, France's former ruling party, are seen losing 200 seats. Traditional parties are urging voters to back Mr Macron's rivals in a run-off vote to avoid him monopolising power. Mr Macron's party was established just over a year ago and many candidates have little or no political experience. The final outcome will be decided in the second round of voting next Sunday. With all the ballots counted, Mr Macron's LREM and MoDem won 32.3% of the vote. The centre-right Republicans had 21.5%, while the far-right National Front (FN) had 13.2%, followed by the far-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) on just over 11%. The Socialists, previously France's ruling party, and their allies won just 9.5%. But turnout was sharply down, at 48.7% compared with 57.2% in the first round in 2012, which analysts said reflected a sense of resignation among Mr Macron's opponents. Macron's meteoric rise What are Macron's new policies? Only four seats were settled in the first round. In the run-off vote, the other seats will be disputed by the two top-placed contenders and any other candidate who won the support of at least 12.5% of registered voters in the district. Those include LREM candidates Marie Sara, a retired bullfighter who will compete against FN stalwart Gilbert Collard in Arles; a Rwandan refugee in Brittany, Herve Berville, who will face the Republican Didier Deru; and Cedric Villani, a \"mathematics evangelist\" known for his unique dress sense - including large spider brooches - who will fight against the Republican Laure Darcos. Manuel Valls, the unpopular Socialist ex-prime minister who was rejected as a candidate by both LREM and the Socialists, will face Farida Amrani, from the far-left France Unbowed, in Essonne. The election took place amid heightened security after a series of devastating terror attacks in recent years. Is Macron the anti-Trump? Can Macron's new party win majority he needs? There can be no disputing the extraordinary achievement of Emmanuel Macron. Yes, he has certainly had luck but he has also foreseen with uncanny clarity how - with the right moves at the right places at the right times - the map of French politics was waiting to be redrawn. If the projections from the first round are sustained, then the change that is about to happen to the National Assembly is as big as the one that occurred in 1958 when Charles de Gaulle brought in the Fifth Republic. Scores, hundreds, of new MPs will be arriving who have never set foot in a debating chamber of any kind, let alone the country's legislature. It is all liable to bring a rush of blood to the head, and the greatest danger right now for Macron and En Marche is hubris. The victory is no doubt spectacular but so far it has all been electoral. Phase two of the Macron master plan - actual reform - is the next challenge. And bigger. Mr Macron, 39, defeated Marine Le Pen in the presidential run-off last month. He needs a majority to push through the changes that he promised in his campaign, which include: - Budget savings of EUR60bn (PS51bn; $65bn) in the next five years - Cutting the number of public servants by 120,000 - Reforming the labour market and generous state pension schemes, bringing them into line with private schemes He has already left an impression around the world, in particular for standing up to US President Donald Trump on issues like climate change. After the projections were announced, a government spokesman said voters had shown they wanted to move fast on major reforms. Macron's economic plans Francois Baroin, head of the Republicans, said the low turnout testified to the \"deep divisions in French society\" and was \"extremely worrying\". FN leader Marine Le Pen blamed her party's poor performance on the low turnout, saying France's electoral system, which favours larger parties, needed to be reformed. \"This catastrophic abstention rate should raise the question of the voting rules which keep millions of our compatriots away from the polling stations,\" she said. Socialist leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, who lost his seat in the first round, warned voters against giving LREM an absolute majority next Sunday. He said it would result in \"virtually no real opposition and we will have a National Assembly without any real counterbalance, without a democratic debate and not worthy of that name\". Elsewhere, German Chancellor Angela Merkel - who, like Mr Macron, has a pro-EU stance - congratulated him on the \"great success\" of his party. It was a \"vote for reforms\", tweeted (in German) her spokesman, Steffen Seibert. The first round saw some political heavyweights knocked out. Most of the big-name casualties were Socialists. Besides party leader Cambadelis, eliminated in Paris, their ill-fated presidential candidate Benoit Hamon lost in Yvelines, just west of Paris. Other prominent Socialists knocked out included: Matthias Fekl (ex-interior minister), Aurelie Filippetti (ex-culture minister) and Elisabeth Guigou (previously European affairs minister, justice minister, social affairs minister). The ex-leader of the Greens, Cecile Duflot, a former housing minister, was eliminated in Paris. Two prominent FN politicians - party campaign manager Nicolas Bay and Jean-Lin Lacapelle - were knocked out. And the big losers among the centre-right candidates were Senegalese-born Rama Yade and Henri Guaino, a former top aide to ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Guaino had fallen out with former Republican colleagues before the vote, and castigated voters in his central Paris constituency. \"The electorate... just makes me want to throw up,\" he said. He labelled them \"egotistical bobos (bohemians)\" and conservative Catholic \"bourgeoisie\" like those who supported the Vichy French Petain regime in World War Two.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 678, "answer_end": 1234, "text": "With all the ballots counted, Mr Macron's LREM and MoDem won 32.3% of the vote. The centre-right Republicans had 21.5%, while the far-right National Front (FN) had 13.2%, followed by the far-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) on just over 11%. The Socialists, previously France's ruling party, and their allies won just 9.5%. But turnout was sharply down, at 48.7% compared with 57.2% in the first round in 2012, which analysts said reflected a sense of resignation among Mr Macron's opponents. Macron's meteoric rise What are Macron's new policies?"}], "question": "What are the results?", "id": "767_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1235, "answer_end": 2229, "text": "Only four seats were settled in the first round. In the run-off vote, the other seats will be disputed by the two top-placed contenders and any other candidate who won the support of at least 12.5% of registered voters in the district. Those include LREM candidates Marie Sara, a retired bullfighter who will compete against FN stalwart Gilbert Collard in Arles; a Rwandan refugee in Brittany, Herve Berville, who will face the Republican Didier Deru; and Cedric Villani, a \"mathematics evangelist\" known for his unique dress sense - including large spider brooches - who will fight against the Republican Laure Darcos. Manuel Valls, the unpopular Socialist ex-prime minister who was rejected as a candidate by both LREM and the Socialists, will face Farida Amrani, from the far-left France Unbowed, in Essonne. The election took place amid heightened security after a series of devastating terror attacks in recent years. Is Macron the anti-Trump? Can Macron's new party win majority he needs?"}], "question": "Who is in the second round?", "id": "767_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3848, "answer_end": 4882, "text": "Francois Baroin, head of the Republicans, said the low turnout testified to the \"deep divisions in French society\" and was \"extremely worrying\". FN leader Marine Le Pen blamed her party's poor performance on the low turnout, saying France's electoral system, which favours larger parties, needed to be reformed. \"This catastrophic abstention rate should raise the question of the voting rules which keep millions of our compatriots away from the polling stations,\" she said. Socialist leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, who lost his seat in the first round, warned voters against giving LREM an absolute majority next Sunday. He said it would result in \"virtually no real opposition and we will have a National Assembly without any real counterbalance, without a democratic debate and not worthy of that name\". Elsewhere, German Chancellor Angela Merkel - who, like Mr Macron, has a pro-EU stance - congratulated him on the \"great success\" of his party. It was a \"vote for reforms\", tweeted (in German) her spokesman, Steffen Seibert."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "767_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4883, "answer_end": 6083, "text": "The first round saw some political heavyweights knocked out. Most of the big-name casualties were Socialists. Besides party leader Cambadelis, eliminated in Paris, their ill-fated presidential candidate Benoit Hamon lost in Yvelines, just west of Paris. Other prominent Socialists knocked out included: Matthias Fekl (ex-interior minister), Aurelie Filippetti (ex-culture minister) and Elisabeth Guigou (previously European affairs minister, justice minister, social affairs minister). The ex-leader of the Greens, Cecile Duflot, a former housing minister, was eliminated in Paris. Two prominent FN politicians - party campaign manager Nicolas Bay and Jean-Lin Lacapelle - were knocked out. And the big losers among the centre-right candidates were Senegalese-born Rama Yade and Henri Guaino, a former top aide to ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Guaino had fallen out with former Republican colleagues before the vote, and castigated voters in his central Paris constituency. \"The electorate... just makes me want to throw up,\" he said. He labelled them \"egotistical bobos (bohemians)\" and conservative Catholic \"bourgeoisie\" like those who supported the Vichy French Petain regime in World War Two."}], "question": "Who was eliminated?", "id": "767_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan attack: Child among two killed in Kawasaki stabbing", "date": "29 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A knife-wielding man has attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in the Japanese city of Kawasaki near Tokyo. At least 18 people were injured in a residential area. Two of them, an 11-year-old girl and a 39-year-old man, have died. The suspect, a man in his 50s, stabbed himself in the neck after his rampage and later died in hospital. Police have named him as Ryuichi Iwasaki. Violent crime is rare in Japan and the motive for the attack is unknown. The suspect was holding knives in both hands as he attacked the victims - 16 of whom were schoolgirls. Police later named the victims of the fatal attack as Hanako Kuribayashi, who was in the sixth grade, and foreign ministry official Satoshi Oyama, who is believed to be the parent of another child. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the attack, saying he felt \"strong anger\" against it. \"It is a very harrowing case. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recover quickly,\" Mr Abe said. The incident took place just before 08:00 local time on Tuesday (23:00 GMT Monday) near a local park and a train station. A number of students were waiting to board their bus to the nearby Caritas elementary school, a private Catholic school. The driver of the Caritas bus told NHK that he saw a man approach the queue of students. He began stabbing the children and then boarded the bus and stabbed children inside as well, according to the BBC's Japan correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. News agency Kyodo said the man was heard shouting \"I'm going to kill you\" during the attack. He was apprehended by police and later died in hospital from injuries. Emergency services arrived at the scene and set up medical tents to treat the wounded. Locals have now begun placing flowers outside the site of the attack in a tribute to the victims. US President Donald Trump, who was in Japan on the last day of a state visit, also offered his \"prayers and sympathy\" to the victims. They are extremely rare and Japan has one of the world's lowest rates of violent crime. Our correspondent says that in his neighbourhood it is very common to see children as young as four walking to school by themselves - a normal practice in Japan because it is so safe. However, there have been in recent years a handful of attacks involving knives. In 2016, 19 people at a care centre for people with mental disabilities were stabbed to death by a former worker. He reportedly said he wanted those with disabilities to \"disappear\". Eight students were killed in a 2001 attack after a man entered an elementary school in Osaka.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 995, "answer_end": 1970, "text": "The incident took place just before 08:00 local time on Tuesday (23:00 GMT Monday) near a local park and a train station. A number of students were waiting to board their bus to the nearby Caritas elementary school, a private Catholic school. The driver of the Caritas bus told NHK that he saw a man approach the queue of students. He began stabbing the children and then boarded the bus and stabbed children inside as well, according to the BBC's Japan correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes. News agency Kyodo said the man was heard shouting \"I'm going to kill you\" during the attack. He was apprehended by police and later died in hospital from injuries. Emergency services arrived at the scene and set up medical tents to treat the wounded. Locals have now begun placing flowers outside the site of the attack in a tribute to the victims. US President Donald Trump, who was in Japan on the last day of a state visit, also offered his \"prayers and sympathy\" to the victims."}], "question": "How did the incident unfold?", "id": "768_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Facebook facial recognition faces class-action suit", "date": "17 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Facebook must face a class action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition technology, a California judge has ruled. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook gathered biometric information without users' explicit consent. It involves the \"tag suggestions\" technology, which spots users' friends in uploaded photos. The lawsuit says this breaches Illinois state law. Facebook said the case had no merit and it would fight it vigorously. However in his order, US District Judge James Donato wrote that Facebook seemed to believe individual lawsuits would be preferable to a class action \"because statutory damages could amount to billions of dollars\". On Monday, Judge Donato ruled to certify a class of Facebook users - a key legal hurdle for a class action suit. In a successful class action suit, any person in that group could be entitled to compensation. The class of people in question is made up of Facebook users \"in Illinois for whom Facebook created and stored a face template after 7 June 2011,\" according to the court order. The decision comes days after Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg faced intensive questioning by US lawmakers over the company's collection and use of user data. He is also due to meet European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip in San Francisco this week, reports Bloomberg. June 2011 was the date on which Facebook rolled out its \"tag suggestions\" feature. The feature suggests who might be present in uploaded photos, based on an existing database of faces. In Judge Donato's ruling, he laid out the four-step process behind the technology: - Initially, the software tries to detect any faces in an uploaded photo - It standardises and aligns them for size and direction - Then, for each face, Facebook computes a face signature - a mathematical representation of the face in that photo - Face signatures are then run through a stored database of user face templates to look for similar matches On its help pages, Facebook says the face templates are made from information about the similarities in every photo the user has been tagged in. \"If you've never been tagged in a photo on Facebook or have untagged yourself in all photos of you on Facebook, then we do not have this summary information for you,\" the company says. The feature is not available to users in most countries, including the UK - and can be turned off in settings for US users. In December 2017 Facebook announced that users would be notified if a picture of them was uploaded by someone else, even if they hadn't been tagged in it. Due to privacy regulations, this feature would not be available in Europe or Canada, the firm said at the time.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1315, "answer_end": 2657, "text": "June 2011 was the date on which Facebook rolled out its \"tag suggestions\" feature. The feature suggests who might be present in uploaded photos, based on an existing database of faces. In Judge Donato's ruling, he laid out the four-step process behind the technology: - Initially, the software tries to detect any faces in an uploaded photo - It standardises and aligns them for size and direction - Then, for each face, Facebook computes a face signature - a mathematical representation of the face in that photo - Face signatures are then run through a stored database of user face templates to look for similar matches On its help pages, Facebook says the face templates are made from information about the similarities in every photo the user has been tagged in. \"If you've never been tagged in a photo on Facebook or have untagged yourself in all photos of you on Facebook, then we do not have this summary information for you,\" the company says. The feature is not available to users in most countries, including the UK - and can be turned off in settings for US users. In December 2017 Facebook announced that users would be notified if a picture of them was uploaded by someone else, even if they hadn't been tagged in it. Due to privacy regulations, this feature would not be available in Europe or Canada, the firm said at the time."}], "question": "What does the facial recognition do?", "id": "769_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Maria Butina: Russian agent deported from US to Moscow", "date": "26 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Russian pro-gun activist, who was jailed in the US after admitting to acting as an agent and infiltrating US political groups, has been deported. Maria Butina, 30, tried to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA) to influence policy, and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. She was freed from a Florida prison on Friday, and arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on Saturday. The Russian government has described the case against her as \"fabricated\". On arrival, Butina was met by her father, and some journalists who gave her flowers. She told reporters: \"Russians never surrender\", adding that she was \"very happy to be home\". She also thanked Russia's diplomats and foreign ministry, and Russian citizens who wrote letters on her behalf. Butina is said to have been a weapons enthusiast since childhood, and went on to be involved in politics and promoting gun rights - including founding a Russian lobby group called the Right to Bear Arms. She travelled back and forth to the US for NRA conventions, and in 2015 she attended a Donald Trump campaign event in Las Vegas, asking the presidential candidate about his views on US sanctions on Russia. In 2016, she moved to the US on a student visa to study for a masters degree at American University in Washington DC. Butina was arrested by the FBI in July 2018 and charged with acting as an agent of the Russian Federation \"without prior notification\". The charge largely stemmed from her links to one of her gun group's members, Alexander Torshin - an influential former member of the Russian Senate and deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank who officials said she was directed by and worked with. Mr Torshin has been put under sanctions in the US and has been investigated over allegations he funnelled money to the NRA to gain influence in US conservative politics. According to the FBI, in 2015 Butina emailed to US Republican lobbyist Paul Erickson - whom she reportedly dated and lived with - a project proposal called \"diplomacy\". It centred around using NRA links to influence the Republican Party's foreign policy and their traditionally hostile stance toward Russia. Earlier this year Republicans in the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) blocked further investigation of Mr Torshin and alleged illegal funding to the NRA from Russians, prompting criticism. Butina initially pleaded not guilty to the charge against her, but later admitted her guilt as part of a plea deal in December 2018. Although unnamed in the plea deal, Mr Torshin was clearly the unnamed Russian official she admitted to working with to pursue backdoor channels of communication to American conservatives who could influence US politics. He has never been charged. During her sentencing hearing, Butina expressed regret at her actions, telling the court: \"I destroyed my own life.\" Despite the prosecutor's claims that she had damaged US national security, Butina maintained she had no intention of harming the American people. Vladimir Putin described her jailing as an \"outrage\", and the Russian embassy in the US said on Thursday: \"We really hope that the hardest phase of the Russian woman's life will end... we want her to be reunited with her nearest and dearest as soon as possible.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1418, "answer_end": 3246, "text": "The charge largely stemmed from her links to one of her gun group's members, Alexander Torshin - an influential former member of the Russian Senate and deputy chairman of the Russian Central Bank who officials said she was directed by and worked with. Mr Torshin has been put under sanctions in the US and has been investigated over allegations he funnelled money to the NRA to gain influence in US conservative politics. According to the FBI, in 2015 Butina emailed to US Republican lobbyist Paul Erickson - whom she reportedly dated and lived with - a project proposal called \"diplomacy\". It centred around using NRA links to influence the Republican Party's foreign policy and their traditionally hostile stance toward Russia. Earlier this year Republicans in the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) blocked further investigation of Mr Torshin and alleged illegal funding to the NRA from Russians, prompting criticism. Butina initially pleaded not guilty to the charge against her, but later admitted her guilt as part of a plea deal in December 2018. Although unnamed in the plea deal, Mr Torshin was clearly the unnamed Russian official she admitted to working with to pursue backdoor channels of communication to American conservatives who could influence US politics. He has never been charged. During her sentencing hearing, Butina expressed regret at her actions, telling the court: \"I destroyed my own life.\" Despite the prosecutor's claims that she had damaged US national security, Butina maintained she had no intention of harming the American people. Vladimir Putin described her jailing as an \"outrage\", and the Russian embassy in the US said on Thursday: \"We really hope that the hardest phase of the Russian woman's life will end... we want her to be reunited with her nearest and dearest as soon as possible.\""}], "question": "Why was she charged?", "id": "770_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump: 'We won't deal with UK ambassador' after leaked emails", "date": "8 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has stepped up his attack on the UK's ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, saying \"we will no longer deal with him\". In withering comments on Twitter, Mr Trump also lashed out at Theresa May, saying it was \"good news\" that Britain would soon have a new prime minister. Sir Kim, in emails leaked on Sunday, described Mr Trump's administration as dysfunctional and inept. Mrs May said she had \"full faith\" in Sir Kim but did not agree with him. Her spokesman had described the leak as \"absolutely unacceptable\", and said the prime minister's office had made contact with the White House. Mr Trump had already responded to the leaked emails by saying \"we're not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well\". In Monday's series of tweets he said Sir Kim was \"not liked or well thought of within the US\". Apparently angered by Mrs May's support for the ambassador, he again lashed out at her handling of Brexit, describing it as \"a mess\". Mrs May stepped down after failing to have a Brexit deal approved by parliament and the governing Conservative Party is choosing between two remaining candidates - Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt - to replace her. The US state department declined to comment on President Trump's remarks. Analysis by James Landale, BBC diplomatic correspondent By saying he won't deal with Sir Kim Darroch any more, Donald Trump is apparently all but declaring the ambassador to be persona non grata. That is the formal legal process by which a host government expels a foreign diplomat. The key question now is what the president means by the word \"deal\". If the royal \"we\" used by Mr Trump means that his entire administration will no longer deal with Sir Kim or any of his staff then the British government may have to decide to fast track the retirement of their man in Washington. Sir Kim, who is an honourable man and was stepping down anyway in a few months, may decide to resign. If, however, Mr Trump merely means he won't deal personally with Sir Kim then the ambassador may stay on until the new prime minister can make his own appointment. This all presents the British government with an awkward dilemma - to buckle under US pressure and bring Sir Kim home, risking accusations of abject weakness, or to stand firm and defend their ambassador for doing his job and telling the truth as he sees it, risking even further damage to the UK/US relationship. In the emails leaked to the Mail on Sunday, Sir Kim said: \"We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.\" He questioned whether this White House \"will ever look competent\" but also warned that the US president should not be written off. The emails, dating from 2017, said rumours of \"infighting and chaos\" in the White House were mostly true and policy on sensitive issues such as Iran was \"incoherent, chaotic\". Sir Kim said Mr Trump was \"dazzled\" by his state visit to the UK in June, but warned that his administration would remain self-interested, adding: \"This is still the land of America First.\" Sir Kim represents the Queen and UK government interests in the US. Born in South Stanley, County Durham, in 1954, he attended Durham University where he read zoology. During a 42-year diplomatic career, he has specialised in national security issues and European Union policy. In 2007, Sir Kim served in Brussels as the UK permanent representative to the EU. He was the prime minister's national security adviser between 2012 and 2015, dealing with issues such as the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Russian annexation of Crimea, the nuclear threat from Iran and the collapse of government authority in Libya. He became ambassador to the US in January 2016, a year before Donald Trump's presidential inauguration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1263, "answer_end": 2423, "text": "Analysis by James Landale, BBC diplomatic correspondent By saying he won't deal with Sir Kim Darroch any more, Donald Trump is apparently all but declaring the ambassador to be persona non grata. That is the formal legal process by which a host government expels a foreign diplomat. The key question now is what the president means by the word \"deal\". If the royal \"we\" used by Mr Trump means that his entire administration will no longer deal with Sir Kim or any of his staff then the British government may have to decide to fast track the retirement of their man in Washington. Sir Kim, who is an honourable man and was stepping down anyway in a few months, may decide to resign. If, however, Mr Trump merely means he won't deal personally with Sir Kim then the ambassador may stay on until the new prime minister can make his own appointment. This all presents the British government with an awkward dilemma - to buckle under US pressure and bring Sir Kim home, risking accusations of abject weakness, or to stand firm and defend their ambassador for doing his job and telling the truth as he sees it, risking even further damage to the UK/US relationship."}], "question": "Is ambassador now 'persona non grata'?", "id": "771_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2424, "answer_end": 3168, "text": "In the emails leaked to the Mail on Sunday, Sir Kim said: \"We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.\" He questioned whether this White House \"will ever look competent\" but also warned that the US president should not be written off. The emails, dating from 2017, said rumours of \"infighting and chaos\" in the White House were mostly true and policy on sensitive issues such as Iran was \"incoherent, chaotic\". Sir Kim said Mr Trump was \"dazzled\" by his state visit to the UK in June, but warned that his administration would remain self-interested, adding: \"This is still the land of America First.\""}], "question": "What did the leaked emails say?", "id": "771_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3169, "answer_end": 3902, "text": "Sir Kim represents the Queen and UK government interests in the US. Born in South Stanley, County Durham, in 1954, he attended Durham University where he read zoology. During a 42-year diplomatic career, he has specialised in national security issues and European Union policy. In 2007, Sir Kim served in Brussels as the UK permanent representative to the EU. He was the prime minister's national security adviser between 2012 and 2015, dealing with issues such as the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Russian annexation of Crimea, the nuclear threat from Iran and the collapse of government authority in Libya. He became ambassador to the US in January 2016, a year before Donald Trump's presidential inauguration."}], "question": "Who is Sir Kim Darroch?", "id": "771_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Jakarta attacks: What we know", "date": "17 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A series of explosions and gun attacks rocked the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on 14 January, leaving eight people dead, including the four attackers. Here's a summary of what we know so far. The Jakarta attacks began at about 10:40 local time (03:40 GMT) with a series of bomb blasts at an intersection near the Sarinah shopping mall and a Starbucks coffee shop. Reports say that there were at least six explosions in fairly quick succession. The first blast took place outside the Starbucks cafe, which had its windows blown out. As people inside ran out, two gunmen waiting outside opened fire. At least two militants also attacked the police box in the centre of the intersection in a suicide bomb attack. Armed police quickly sealed off the area and moved in on the attackers, initially using cars and later armoured vehicles as cover. Gunmen in the area continued firing at bystanders and police, with sporadic gunfire reported for several hours afterwards. During a shootout, militants took cover in the Djakarta Theatre cinema, in the same building as Starbucks. Police say two attackers were killed in front of the cinema. Reports said gunfire and explosions were also heard elsewhere in Jakarta, but it is not clear where those took place. The Islamic State (IS) group said it had carried out the attacks, in an online statement that could not be independently verified. Indonesian police said they believed Bahru Naim, an Indonesian currently thought to be in Syria had masterminded the attack and been \"planning this for a while\". Police chief Tito Karnavian told local media Bahrun Naim wanted to be IS's leader in the region. \"All leaders [of IS] in South-East Asia are competing to be the chief. That's why Bahrun Naim plotted this attack,\" he said. Meanwhile, national police spokesman Maj Gen Anton Charilyan said the militants had imitated the recent Paris attacks. However, security experts say the gunmen appeared to be inexperienced, with little training. Police initially warned there could be as many as 14 attackers before bringing that number down to five. However, one of the five was later found to be a 43-year-old civilian working as a courier. IS put the number of militants at four. Two civilians, a Canadian and an Indonesian, died in the attack on Starbucks. A wounded Indonesian bank employee later died of his injuries and the death of the civilian courier brings the total number of civilians killed to four. Police also said 20 people were wounded in the attacks, among them at least five police officers and an Algerian, who police said escaped from the Starbucks. The Dutch embassy said one of its nationals had been seriously hurt and was being treated in hospital. The militants targeted a busy area in central Jakarta - correspondents say the attack appeared to be designed to inflict maximum damage. The Sarinah department store is one of the first department stores in Jakarta and a popular place for Indonesians and foreigners alike. It is on the same intersection as Starbucks and the police box. Nearby is a UN office, the Pan-Pacific Hotel, some Indonesian government offices and many shops and restaurants. The US embassy, near Sarinah, has warned its citizens to stay away from the area. The Istana Negara presidential palace is about 2km (1.24 miles) away, near the US embassy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 192, "answer_end": 1249, "text": "The Jakarta attacks began at about 10:40 local time (03:40 GMT) with a series of bomb blasts at an intersection near the Sarinah shopping mall and a Starbucks coffee shop. Reports say that there were at least six explosions in fairly quick succession. The first blast took place outside the Starbucks cafe, which had its windows blown out. As people inside ran out, two gunmen waiting outside opened fire. At least two militants also attacked the police box in the centre of the intersection in a suicide bomb attack. Armed police quickly sealed off the area and moved in on the attackers, initially using cars and later armoured vehicles as cover. Gunmen in the area continued firing at bystanders and police, with sporadic gunfire reported for several hours afterwards. During a shootout, militants took cover in the Djakarta Theatre cinema, in the same building as Starbucks. Police say two attackers were killed in front of the cinema. Reports said gunfire and explosions were also heard elsewhere in Jakarta, but it is not clear where those took place."}], "question": "How did the attacks unfold?", "id": "772_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1250, "answer_end": 1976, "text": "The Islamic State (IS) group said it had carried out the attacks, in an online statement that could not be independently verified. Indonesian police said they believed Bahru Naim, an Indonesian currently thought to be in Syria had masterminded the attack and been \"planning this for a while\". Police chief Tito Karnavian told local media Bahrun Naim wanted to be IS's leader in the region. \"All leaders [of IS] in South-East Asia are competing to be the chief. That's why Bahrun Naim plotted this attack,\" he said. Meanwhile, national police spokesman Maj Gen Anton Charilyan said the militants had imitated the recent Paris attacks. However, security experts say the gunmen appeared to be inexperienced, with little training."}], "question": "Who carried out the attacks?", "id": "772_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1977, "answer_end": 2213, "text": "Police initially warned there could be as many as 14 attackers before bringing that number down to five. However, one of the five was later found to be a 43-year-old civilian working as a courier. IS put the number of militants at four."}], "question": "How many attackers were there?", "id": "772_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2214, "answer_end": 2705, "text": "Two civilians, a Canadian and an Indonesian, died in the attack on Starbucks. A wounded Indonesian bank employee later died of his injuries and the death of the civilian courier brings the total number of civilians killed to four. Police also said 20 people were wounded in the attacks, among them at least five police officers and an Algerian, who police said escaped from the Starbucks. The Dutch embassy said one of its nationals had been seriously hurt and was being treated in hospital."}], "question": "How many civilian casualties were there?", "id": "772_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2706, "answer_end": 3328, "text": "The militants targeted a busy area in central Jakarta - correspondents say the attack appeared to be designed to inflict maximum damage. The Sarinah department store is one of the first department stores in Jakarta and a popular place for Indonesians and foreigners alike. It is on the same intersection as Starbucks and the police box. Nearby is a UN office, the Pan-Pacific Hotel, some Indonesian government offices and many shops and restaurants. The US embassy, near Sarinah, has warned its citizens to stay away from the area. The Istana Negara presidential palace is about 2km (1.24 miles) away, near the US embassy."}], "question": "Where did the main attacks take place?", "id": "772_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Russia and China veto sanctions", "date": "28 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russia and China have vetoed a UN resolution to impose sanctions on Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons. It is the seventh time Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to protect the Syrian government. China has also vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the civil war began in 2011. Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under an agreement negotiated between Russia and the US. The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad is accused of carrying out chemical attacks on its own civilians - a charge it denies. However, investigations by the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog have found that Syrian government forces carried out three chemical weapons attacks in 2014 and 2015. The reports said that Syrian air force helicopters had dropped chlorine gas on rebel-held areas, twice in March 2015 and once in April 2014. The use of chlorine as a weapon is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Islamic State (IS) militants had also used sulphur-mustard gas in an attack, the watchdog found. Read more: Syria blamed for chemical weapons attack Why is Russia engaged in Aleppo? Syria: The story of the conflict Tuesday's resolution had been drafted by the US, the UK and France. It would have banned the sale of helicopters to Syria and would have led to sanctions against 11 Syrian commanders or officials, and 10 groups linked to the chemical attacks. Nine Security Council members supported the resolution, while three - China, Russia and Bolivia - voted against it. The final three members - Egypt, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia - abstained. A Security Council resolution needs nine votes in support, and no vetoes from the five permanent members (the US, France, Russia, UK and China) in order to pass. Russian President Vladimir Putin had said sanctions against Syria would be \"totally inappropriate\", saying \"it would only hurt or undermine confidence\" in peace talks. Moscow has long-standing links to Syria, with many Syrian military officers trained and equipped by Russia. Moscow says its military and political support for the Syrian government has helped the fight against IS militants. But Western critics accuse Moscow of targeting opposition groups backed by the West. Meanwhile, China's UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, said Beijing opposed the use of chemical weapons but that it was too soon to impose sanctions as investigations were still ongoing. China has said in the past that it has a long-standing policy of non-intervention in other countries' affairs. Analysts say China may be worried that some of its Muslim populations in western Xinjiang have joined militant groups fighting in Syria. China's stake in the Syria stand-off The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said: \"It is a sad day on the Security Council when members start making excuses for other member states killing their own people. \"They put their friends in the Assad regime ahead of our global security... the world is definitely a more dangerous place.\" UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: \"Not taking action against chemical weapons' use undermines confidence in the international community's ability to tackle flagrant violations of international law - and undermines the trust of Syrians affected by these horrific attacks.\" French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Russia bore a \"heavy responsibility toward the Syrian people and humanity as a whole\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 433, "answer_end": 1078, "text": "The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad is accused of carrying out chemical attacks on its own civilians - a charge it denies. However, investigations by the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog have found that Syrian government forces carried out three chemical weapons attacks in 2014 and 2015. The reports said that Syrian air force helicopters had dropped chlorine gas on rebel-held areas, twice in March 2015 and once in April 2014. The use of chlorine as a weapon is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Islamic State (IS) militants had also used sulphur-mustard gas in an attack, the watchdog found."}], "question": "What is Syria accused of?", "id": "773_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1197, "answer_end": 1787, "text": "Tuesday's resolution had been drafted by the US, the UK and France. It would have banned the sale of helicopters to Syria and would have led to sanctions against 11 Syrian commanders or officials, and 10 groups linked to the chemical attacks. Nine Security Council members supported the resolution, while three - China, Russia and Bolivia - voted against it. The final three members - Egypt, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia - abstained. A Security Council resolution needs nine votes in support, and no vetoes from the five permanent members (the US, France, Russia, UK and China) in order to pass."}], "question": "What did the UN resolution say?", "id": "773_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sir Roger Moore: One Lucky Fellow", "date": "26 October 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sir Roger Moore will forever be remembered as the third actor to play secret agent James Bond on the big screen between 1973 and 1985. Prior to that he starred as Simon Templar in TV series The Saint, as well as opposite Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! These days the 86-year-old lives in Monaco, however he is returning to the UK for his An Evening With... tour, which sees him discuss his life and career, before taking questions from fans. He spoke to the BBC about his upcoming run of shows, bringing back The Saint, silly questions and why he would have been an IT expert if he wasn't an actor. The format depends entirely on what I can remember! I talk with Gareth Owen who is my assistant and biographer and we chat about various things that have happened. I was talking with Joan Collins [who has also had An Audience With... tour] the other day and she has a whole production with songs and videos. But I've never thought it was necessary to do that, so I just get up and tell lies! I'm warming them up for my new book that's going to come out next year! I haven't had full approval from all the publishers, but it's going to be called One Lucky Bastard. It occurred to me when I was halfway through the book - which was going to be called something like Moore on Bond, or Moore or Less - it suddenly struck me I have been exceedingly lucky, so I think that's what I have to call myself. Maybe for the BBC it can be called One Lucky Fellow! Nothing really fazes me. There are the more direct ones about sex and the leading ladies, which I go completely red and blush at - and if I can't answer I burst into tears. But I can certainly become awfully deaf and have a chat with Gareth about it [on stage] and say \"what was that?\". It's always which leading lady did you like the most? Or what's the best Bond film you've made? What's your favourite Bond gadget? Or Bond girl? You always have to look surprised - as if you've never been asked that question before. I won't give my phone number out! I suppose so, but there's been a lot that's been left unsaid and I have to work around it when I'm asked a question that borders on that. It becomes a game, actually, but the more controversial the better, as it's more fun. There's an old saying that actors don't retire until the phone stops ringing. It depends on what there is for an old gentlemen to do. I'm not about to run around and do acrobatics, so if I can find something witty to do, I'd love to do it. From the last email I've had, it has had the go-ahead. I will make the odd appearance - I play a sort of rather mysterious man who is on the end of a telephone or will suddenly arrive where The Saint is and give him his opinion. Oh no, I'll be there for people to say: \"Oh God, isn't he old!\" It always depends on the writing and what it is. Doctor Who is not something I jump at and say: \"Oh my Lord, I must do that\", but then again the few number of times I've seen Doctor Who its always been a different Doctor and they've been rather fun. I have to confess I get my office to take care of it and if there's anything in particular they feel requires a good answer from me, I answer it. Moderately - I know there's a switch that's on and off! When people ask me what would I have done if I hadn't been an actor, I've now found out I'd like to be an IT expert as they make such a lot of money. Well by the same token you might as well be an undertaker! My ex-wife Dorothy Squires had a theatre in Llanelli in Wales and there used be a car to meet her at the railway station after travelling up from London. One day the taxi driver said: \"I'm terribly sorry, Ms Squires, but I must apologise for the terrible smell of pitch and turpentine - my silly bloody brother-in-law has bought himself an undertaking business so I've been carrying coffins all day.\" She couldn't think of anything to say except \"how's business?\" and he said, \"oh, bloody smashing, every bugger is dying!\". An Evening With Roger Moore begins on 27 October at the Leeds Grand Theatre and will tour around the UK until 17 November.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1449, "answer_end": 1735, "text": "Nothing really fazes me. There are the more direct ones about sex and the leading ladies, which I go completely red and blush at - and if I can't answer I burst into tears. But I can certainly become awfully deaf and have a chat with Gareth about it [on stage] and say \"what was that?\"."}], "question": "What are some of the more \"out there\" questions you've been asked by the audience?", "id": "774_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1736, "answer_end": 1968, "text": "It's always which leading lady did you like the most? Or what's the best Bond film you've made? What's your favourite Bond gadget? Or Bond girl? You always have to look surprised - as if you've never been asked that question before."}], "question": "Are there any questions you always get asked that make you internally give a bit of a sigh?", "id": "774_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1969, "answer_end": 2002, "text": "I won't give my phone number out!"}], "question": "Is there anything you won't answer?", "id": "774_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2003, "answer_end": 2226, "text": "I suppose so, but there's been a lot that's been left unsaid and I have to work around it when I'm asked a question that borders on that. It becomes a game, actually, but the more controversial the better, as it's more fun."}], "question": "As you've released your autobiography have you already divulged everything interesting about your life?", "id": "774_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2227, "answer_end": 2466, "text": "There's an old saying that actors don't retire until the phone stops ringing. It depends on what there is for an old gentlemen to do. I'm not about to run around and do acrobatics, so if I can find something witty to do, I'd love to do it."}], "question": "You said in 2009 you'd retired from acting but you've just made a pilot for a new version of The Saint - do you think you ever will really give it all up?", "id": "774_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2467, "answer_end": 2695, "text": "From the last email I've had, it has had the go-ahead. I will make the odd appearance - I play a sort of rather mysterious man who is on the end of a telephone or will suddenly arrive where The Saint is and give him his opinion."}], "question": "How is the pilot coming along - has it been picked up yet?", "id": "774_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2696, "answer_end": 2759, "text": "Oh no, I'll be there for people to say: \"Oh God, isn't he old!\""}], "question": "So you'll appear on screen and not just be a disembodied voice on the telephone?", "id": "774_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3010, "answer_end": 3155, "text": "I have to confess I get my office to take care of it and if there's anything in particular they feel requires a good answer from me, I answer it."}], "question": "You answer a series a questions for fans every month on your website and you're on Twitter and Facebook - has it been easy for you to adapt to social media?", "id": "774_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3156, "answer_end": 3361, "text": "Moderately - I know there's a switch that's on and off! When people ask me what would I have done if I hadn't been an actor, I've now found out I'd like to be an IT expert as they make such a lot of money."}], "question": "How technically literate are you?", "id": "774_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Paul Whelan: Family deny American arrested in Moscow is spy", "date": "1 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The brother of a US citizen arrested on Friday for spying in Russia has told BBC News he is innocent and was in Moscow to attend a wedding. The family of ex-Marine Paul Whelan, 48, learnt of his arrest on Monday from news reports after wondering why they had not heard from him for days. His twin brother David Whelan says he knew Russia well and cannot believe he would have broken any laws. Russia's FSB state security agency says he was \"caught spying\" in Moscow. The Michigan man was charged with the crime of espionage, for which he could be sentenced to at least 10 years in prison. The US state department has requested consular access after being notified by the Russian authorities of the detention. Spy scandals have erupted between Russia and America at regular intervals since the Cold War, while Russia's actions in Ukraine since 2014, and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, have seen relations plummet. The FSB says he was detained \"during an act of espionage\", a wording which implies that Mr Whelan was caught red-handed, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports. In a statement tweeted by David Whelan, his family said it had been out of character for him not to be in contact even when travelling. Speaking to BBC News on Tuesday, David Whelan said his brother had arrived in Russia on 22 December and had been due to return on 6 January. He had been attending the wedding of a fellow former Marine to a Russian citizen and had planned to visit Russia's second city, St Petersburg, in addition to Moscow. Paul Whelan, his brother said, has been visiting Russia for business and pleasure since 2007, working in corporate security, with automotive industry components firm BorgWarner his most recent employer. As well as serving in the US military, he has worked in law enforcement in the past. Paul Whelan would stand out in a crowd, his brother suggested, as he is \"about six foot [1.8 metres] and kind of hefty with a former soldier's build\". But asked if he could think of any reason why he had attracted the attention of Russian security services, David Whelan was adamant there was none. \"I can't imagine how someone with a law enforcement background who is also a former US Marine, and who is now working in corporate security and is also aware of the risks of travel, would have broken any law let alone the law related to espionage,\" he said. \"His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected,\" the family said in its statement. Paul Whelan's three siblings have contacted Congressional representatives, the US embassy and the state department, which David Whelan described as \"very helpful\". \"Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access,\" a state department representative told BBC News. \"We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional information to provide at this time.\" The two countries have been spying on each other for decades but very few US citizens have been arrested for espionage on Russian territory: - In 2013, US diplomat Ryan Fogle was arrested and expelled after being accused of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer as a spy - In 2000, former naval intelligence officer Edmond Pope was tried and convicted of espionage but pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin The two countries have expelled each other's diplomats at intervals, notably last year over the nerve agent attack in the UK, which was blamed on Russia. Last month, a Russian gun rights activist held in the US, Maria Butina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. US prosecutors say she acted as a Russian state agent, infiltrating conservative political groups. In 2010, 10 Russian agents were arrested in the US for deep-cover espionage and later swapped for four Russians convicted of spying for the West.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 952, "answer_end": 2506, "text": "The FSB says he was detained \"during an act of espionage\", a wording which implies that Mr Whelan was caught red-handed, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports. In a statement tweeted by David Whelan, his family said it had been out of character for him not to be in contact even when travelling. Speaking to BBC News on Tuesday, David Whelan said his brother had arrived in Russia on 22 December and had been due to return on 6 January. He had been attending the wedding of a fellow former Marine to a Russian citizen and had planned to visit Russia's second city, St Petersburg, in addition to Moscow. Paul Whelan, his brother said, has been visiting Russia for business and pleasure since 2007, working in corporate security, with automotive industry components firm BorgWarner his most recent employer. As well as serving in the US military, he has worked in law enforcement in the past. Paul Whelan would stand out in a crowd, his brother suggested, as he is \"about six foot [1.8 metres] and kind of hefty with a former soldier's build\". But asked if he could think of any reason why he had attracted the attention of Russian security services, David Whelan was adamant there was none. \"I can't imagine how someone with a law enforcement background who is also a former US Marine, and who is now working in corporate security and is also aware of the risks of travel, would have broken any law let alone the law related to espionage,\" he said. \"His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected,\" the family said in its statement."}], "question": "What was Paul Whelan doing in Russia?", "id": "775_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2507, "answer_end": 2979, "text": "Paul Whelan's three siblings have contacted Congressional representatives, the US embassy and the state department, which David Whelan described as \"very helpful\". \"Russia's obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access,\" a state department representative told BBC News. \"We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it. Due to privacy considerations, we have no additional information to provide at this time.\""}], "question": "How has the US responded to the arrest?", "id": "775_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2980, "answer_end": 3905, "text": "The two countries have been spying on each other for decades but very few US citizens have been arrested for espionage on Russian territory: - In 2013, US diplomat Ryan Fogle was arrested and expelled after being accused of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer as a spy - In 2000, former naval intelligence officer Edmond Pope was tried and convicted of espionage but pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin The two countries have expelled each other's diplomats at intervals, notably last year over the nerve agent attack in the UK, which was blamed on Russia. Last month, a Russian gun rights activist held in the US, Maria Butina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. US prosecutors say she acted as a Russian state agent, infiltrating conservative political groups. In 2010, 10 Russian agents were arrested in the US for deep-cover espionage and later swapped for four Russians convicted of spying for the West."}], "question": "How extensive is spying between Russia and the US?", "id": "775_2"}]}]}, {"title": "European elections 2019: Facebook and Twitter under the spotlight", "date": "21 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Are Twitter bots controlled by Russia on the march across Europe? And is Facebook full of misinformation designed to influence voters? As the EU elections approach, researchers have been looking at the role that social networks are playing, and their early cautious verdict is that the level of misuse is relatively low. Research by the Oxford Internet Institute found that what it called \"junk news\" was far less prevalent on Twitter and Facebook than stories from reliable news sources. However, the study of the kind of information social media users are sharing across seven languages ahead of the vote, did find that individual junk news stories were more likely to be shared on Facebook than the work of mainstream news organisations. Separate research for the BBC by a University of Birmingham expert showed an uptick of apparent Twitter bot creation in early May, with some accounts tweeting on Brexit themes thousands of times. But Prof Oleksandr Talavera says that Twitter has become much more effective at spotting and closing accounts which break its rules. The Oxford study found that under 4% of stories on Twitter came from junk news sources, defined as outlets publishing deliberately misleading, deceptive or incorrect information. That figure did, however, rise to 21% in Poland. But on Facebook, while mainstream news was more visible, stories from junk news sources proved far more engaging. In English, for example, the average junk news story got four times as many likes and other Facebook interactions as a story from a professional news organisation. Junk news which proved popular included suggestions that a Dutch politician wanted a halal beach in The Hague, a story that a Muslim girl had been killed by her family and dumped in a river for being too \"Westernised\", and a report that Vladimir Putin had offered financial assistance to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral. But the study does not point the finger at Russia for spreading misinformation. \"Almost none of the junk we found circulating online came from known Russian sources\", says Nahema Marchal, co-author of the report \"Instead, it is homegrown, hyper-partisan and alternative media that dominate.\" There have been reports of an upswing of automated Twitter accounts - or bots - in the run-up to this week's European elections, so we asked Prof Talavera, who has examined the bot phenomenon, to take a look. He found a spike in the creation of new Twitter accounts tweeting on Brexit and similar themes around 11 May. Many of the accounts consisted of a name followed by eight numbers and tweeted very frequently. One account, @johnie76662158, followed nobody but had tweeted more than 1,300 times in the 10 days after it was created, almost exclusively retweets of Brexit-related material, support for Tommy Robinson and some comments on American politics. Prof Talavera admits it is very hard to decide exactly which accounts are bots, especially as their creators are getting much smarter at understanding how Twitter detects them. But he says \"based on very rough estimation about 20-25% of newly-created users who talk about political outcome are likely to be bots. However, these numbers seem to be very small compared to the existing Twitter universe\". By Monday, the @johnie76662158 account had a message saying it was \"temporarily restricted\" because there had been some \"unusual activity.\" Other accounts with high volumes of tweeting have been suspended. Both Twitter and Facebook have set up teams to monitor activity on their platforms in the run-up to the European elections. So far, it appears they have not detected the level of interference from Russian sources or the waves of automated spam tweets seen during the US presidential election and the EU referendum vote in 2016. But both platforms have proved they have enormous power to intervene in the democratic process. That means that in every election from now on they will be under the spotlight.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2601, "answer_end": 3246, "text": "One account, @johnie76662158, followed nobody but had tweeted more than 1,300 times in the 10 days after it was created, almost exclusively retweets of Brexit-related material, support for Tommy Robinson and some comments on American politics. Prof Talavera admits it is very hard to decide exactly which accounts are bots, especially as their creators are getting much smarter at understanding how Twitter detects them. But he says \"based on very rough estimation about 20-25% of newly-created users who talk about political outcome are likely to be bots. However, these numbers seem to be very small compared to the existing Twitter universe\"."}], "question": "Which are bots?", "id": "776_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mario Balotelli condemns Italy's first black senator", "date": "7 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Italian footballer Mario Balotelli has attacked the country's first black senator in an online post. Toni Iwobi was elected on Sunday for the anti-immigration Lega party. \"Maybe I'm blind or perhaps they have not told him yet that he is black. But shame!!!\" the footballer posted on Instagram. Born in northern Nigeria, Mr Iwobi came to Italy in 1976 and became a councillor for Lega (the League) in the Lombardy city of Spirano in 1995. The Italy striker, who plays for French Ligue 1 side Nice, put his post on Instagram on Tuesday. Accompanying the text was a photo of Mr Iwobi and League leader Matteo Salvini, both raising clenched fists and wearing T-shirts saying \"Stop Invasion\" at an anti-immigration rally. While there have been black members of Italy's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, the 62-year-old Toni Iwobi is the first black senator. In a Facebook post celebrating his election, Mr Iwobi thanked Mr Salvini, who he called \"a great leader\". Last month, Mario Balotelli was booked by a referee for pointing out racist chants made during his side's 3-2 loss to Dijon. Anti-discriminatory body Fare said the striker should get \"added protection\" from referees for highlighting such abuse. No one party gained a majority, but the results show a major shift away from traditional parties. The Eurosceptic, populist Five Star Movement was the biggest single party, with about a third of the vote. Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio announced that his party was open to coalition talks - despite ruling this out in the run-up to the vote. However, the right-wing coalition, mainly comprised of the League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia but also including the Brothers of Italy, is also vying for power. Mr Salvini said on Monday his party had the \"right to govern\" and that although he did not want a broad \"minestrone\" coalition government, he would speak to other parties to form a parliamentary majority. On Wednesday, former PM Silvio Berlusconi said he would \"loyally support\" Mr Salvini's efforts to form a government. His right-wing Forza Italia won 14% of the vote, so was relegated to the second-largest party in its coalition with the League, which won 17.4%. The surge of support for populist parties has been compared with the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump in the US. Five Star was founded in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, who denounced cronyism in Italian politics. It has captured new voters in the poorer regions of southern Italy, feeding off anger over institutional corruption, economic hardship and immigration. Italian voters appear to have abandoned the Democratic Party, led by Matteo Renzi until he quit on Monday, because of dissatisfaction over these issues, and the centre-left coalition is set for a distant third. With more than 600,000 people making the sea journey from Libya to Italy since 2013, immigration was a key issue. But the state of the economy was also at the centre of the debate. In 2016, some 18 million people were at risk of poverty, and unemployment is currently at 11%. Results from the vote for Italy's Senate also favoured populists and parties of the right. Five Star performed better than anticipated and was set to take the most seats but miss out on a majority.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 438, "answer_end": 1207, "text": "The Italy striker, who plays for French Ligue 1 side Nice, put his post on Instagram on Tuesday. Accompanying the text was a photo of Mr Iwobi and League leader Matteo Salvini, both raising clenched fists and wearing T-shirts saying \"Stop Invasion\" at an anti-immigration rally. While there have been black members of Italy's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, the 62-year-old Toni Iwobi is the first black senator. In a Facebook post celebrating his election, Mr Iwobi thanked Mr Salvini, who he called \"a great leader\". Last month, Mario Balotelli was booked by a referee for pointing out racist chants made during his side's 3-2 loss to Dijon. Anti-discriminatory body Fare said the striker should get \"added protection\" from referees for highlighting such abuse."}], "question": "What did Balotelli's post say?", "id": "777_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1208, "answer_end": 2196, "text": "No one party gained a majority, but the results show a major shift away from traditional parties. The Eurosceptic, populist Five Star Movement was the biggest single party, with about a third of the vote. Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio announced that his party was open to coalition talks - despite ruling this out in the run-up to the vote. However, the right-wing coalition, mainly comprised of the League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia but also including the Brothers of Italy, is also vying for power. Mr Salvini said on Monday his party had the \"right to govern\" and that although he did not want a broad \"minestrone\" coalition government, he would speak to other parties to form a parliamentary majority. On Wednesday, former PM Silvio Berlusconi said he would \"loyally support\" Mr Salvini's efforts to form a government. His right-wing Forza Italia won 14% of the vote, so was relegated to the second-largest party in its coalition with the League, which won 17.4%."}], "question": "What happened in Italy's election?", "id": "777_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2197, "answer_end": 3268, "text": "The surge of support for populist parties has been compared with the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump in the US. Five Star was founded in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, who denounced cronyism in Italian politics. It has captured new voters in the poorer regions of southern Italy, feeding off anger over institutional corruption, economic hardship and immigration. Italian voters appear to have abandoned the Democratic Party, led by Matteo Renzi until he quit on Monday, because of dissatisfaction over these issues, and the centre-left coalition is set for a distant third. With more than 600,000 people making the sea journey from Libya to Italy since 2013, immigration was a key issue. But the state of the economy was also at the centre of the debate. In 2016, some 18 million people were at risk of poverty, and unemployment is currently at 11%. Results from the vote for Italy's Senate also favoured populists and parties of the right. Five Star performed better than anticipated and was set to take the most seats but miss out on a majority."}], "question": "What does the election result mean?", "id": "777_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran warns neighbours after bombing kills Revolutionary Guards", "date": "14 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran's president has warned its neighbours not to let \"terrorists abuse their territory\" after a suicide car bombing killed 27 Revolutionary Guards. Hassan Rouhani blamed the United States and Israel for Wednesday's attack in the south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, near the Pakistan border. But he said Iran reserved the right to take action if other countries in the region failed to prevent terrorism. A group thought to operate from western Pakistan said it was behind the attack. Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice) has declared it is fighting for the rights of Iran's Sunni Muslims, who complain of discrimination by the Shia establishment. The group has carried out several recent attacks against security personnel in Sistan-Baluchestan, which has a large mainly Sunni ethnic Baluchi community. It was among the deadliest in Iran in years. The Revolutionary Guards branch in south-eastern Iran said in a statement that a unit of its ground forces had been returning from the Pakistan border area when a vehicle filled with explosives blew up beside their bus on the road between the cities of Khash and Zahedan. Video and photos of the aftermath of the blast published by Iranian news agencies showed that the bus was torn apart. Jaish al-Adl announced on the messaging app Telegram that it carried out the attack. The Revolutionary Guards statement blamed \"takfiri terrorists and mercenaries of the intelligence services of hegemonic powers\", without naming them. \"Takfiri\" is a term used to describe Sunni extremists who see other Muslims as non-believers. On Thursday morning, President Rouhani called the attack a \"dirty stain on the black record of the main supporters of terrorism in the White House, Tel Aviv and their regional agents\". \"We will certainly make this mercenary group pay for the blood of our martyrs,\" he was quoted as saying by the state-run Irna news agency. Mr Rouhani advised \"certain\" states to \"pay attention to their legal and neighbourly commitments\" and to not allow terrorists to operate from their territory. \"Should such a trend continue and they fail to prevent terrorists, we will have the right based on law and international regulations to pursue our rights in due course.\" There was no immediate response to the remarks from the US or Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif linked the bombing to a US-led conference on the Middle East taking place in Warsaw, Poland. Iran has been the focus of discussions at the two-day meeting, which is being attended by representatives of 60 countries, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the foreign ministers of several Arab states. On Thursday, Mr Pompeo called for a new era of co-operation to resolve conflicts in the Middle East. But he also stressed that peace and stability in the region could not be achieved without confronting Iran. \"They're a malign influence in Lebanon, in Yemen, in Syria, in Iraq, the three H's: the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah. These are real threats; there are others as well. But you can't get peace in the Middle East without pushing back against Iran.\" The group has carried out attacks against Iranian security personnel since taking up arms in 2012. Earlier this month, it was blamed for an attack on a paramilitary base in Nik Shahr that left one Revolutionary Guard dead and five others wounded. The group also said it had carried out two bombings that wounded three police officers in Zahedan at the end of January. And in October, Jaish al-Adl kidnapped at least 10 security personnel, including Revolutionary Guards, at a border post in Mirjaveh. Five were later released. In September, gunmen killed at least 24 people at a military parade in the south-western city of Ahvaz. Both the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) and Iranian ethnic Arab separatists claimed they were behind the assault, but neither provided conclusive evidence.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 808, "answer_end": 1242, "text": "It was among the deadliest in Iran in years. The Revolutionary Guards branch in south-eastern Iran said in a statement that a unit of its ground forces had been returning from the Pakistan border area when a vehicle filled with explosives blew up beside their bus on the road between the cities of Khash and Zahedan. Video and photos of the aftermath of the blast published by Iranian news agencies showed that the bus was torn apart."}], "question": "What do we know about Wednesday's attack?", "id": "778_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1243, "answer_end": 2433, "text": "Jaish al-Adl announced on the messaging app Telegram that it carried out the attack. The Revolutionary Guards statement blamed \"takfiri terrorists and mercenaries of the intelligence services of hegemonic powers\", without naming them. \"Takfiri\" is a term used to describe Sunni extremists who see other Muslims as non-believers. On Thursday morning, President Rouhani called the attack a \"dirty stain on the black record of the main supporters of terrorism in the White House, Tel Aviv and their regional agents\". \"We will certainly make this mercenary group pay for the blood of our martyrs,\" he was quoted as saying by the state-run Irna news agency. Mr Rouhani advised \"certain\" states to \"pay attention to their legal and neighbourly commitments\" and to not allow terrorists to operate from their territory. \"Should such a trend continue and they fail to prevent terrorists, we will have the right based on law and international regulations to pursue our rights in due course.\" There was no immediate response to the remarks from the US or Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif linked the bombing to a US-led conference on the Middle East taking place in Warsaw, Poland."}], "question": "Who does Iran blame?", "id": "778_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2434, "answer_end": 3150, "text": "Iran has been the focus of discussions at the two-day meeting, which is being attended by representatives of 60 countries, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the foreign ministers of several Arab states. On Thursday, Mr Pompeo called for a new era of co-operation to resolve conflicts in the Middle East. But he also stressed that peace and stability in the region could not be achieved without confronting Iran. \"They're a malign influence in Lebanon, in Yemen, in Syria, in Iraq, the three H's: the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah. These are real threats; there are others as well. But you can't get peace in the Middle East without pushing back against Iran.\""}], "question": "What does this have to do with Warsaw?", "id": "778_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3151, "answer_end": 3940, "text": "The group has carried out attacks against Iranian security personnel since taking up arms in 2012. Earlier this month, it was blamed for an attack on a paramilitary base in Nik Shahr that left one Revolutionary Guard dead and five others wounded. The group also said it had carried out two bombings that wounded three police officers in Zahedan at the end of January. And in October, Jaish al-Adl kidnapped at least 10 security personnel, including Revolutionary Guards, at a border post in Mirjaveh. Five were later released. In September, gunmen killed at least 24 people at a military parade in the south-western city of Ahvaz. Both the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) and Iranian ethnic Arab separatists claimed they were behind the assault, but neither provided conclusive evidence."}], "question": "What do we know about Jaish al-Adl?", "id": "778_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Mexico ambush: Mormon families hold first funerals for victims", "date": "7 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hundreds of people have attended the first funerals for members of a Mormon community in northern Mexico who died in an ambush by gunmen. Mexican soldiers guarded the entrance to La Mora village as dozens of vehicles with US number plates arrived in a convoy. The first funerals were for three of the nine victims - Dawna Ray Langford and her two sons, aged 11 and two. The other victims are expected to be buried later. Initial investigations by Mexican authorities suggest the attack was a case of mistaken identity by a drugs cartel, but the victims' families dispute this. Sonora state in northern Mexico is being fought over by two rival gangs, La Linea, which has links to the larger Juarez cartel, and Los Chapos, which is part of the Sinaloa cartel. Amid tight security, about 500 mourners gathered beneath white marquee tents in Rancho La Mora and took turns to file past the coffins. Some sang hymns and others wept. \"We have come to honour their memory and to try to understand what is happening,\" said Alex LeBaron, who led the convoy of vehicles. Three families - the Langfords, Millers and LeBarons - are part of a large group of US Mormons who moved to Mexico in the late 19th Century, fleeing persecution for their traditions. All the victims were joint US-Mexican citizens. Dawna Ray Langford and her sons were buried in hand-made coffins in a single grave dug by members of the community. \"The eyes of the world are upon what happened here, and there are saints all over this world whose hearts have been touched,\" Dawna's father, Jay Ray, said in a eulogy quoted by the Associated Press. The Governor of Sonora state, Claudia Pavlovich, attended the funerals. On Monday morning, a group of three mothers and their 14 children set off in three cars from the La Mora ranch, to go to another Mormon settlement, Colonia LeBaron, in neighbouring Chihuahua state. But shortly after leaving, all three cars were ambushed at different points by gunmen near Bavispe. Five of the victims - 30-year-old Rhonita Maria Miller and her children: eight-month-old twins Titus and Tiana, 12-year-old Howard Jr and 10-year-old Krystal - died after their car was targeted by gunmen. At some point, the vehicle caught fire and exploded. Dawna Ray Langford and her sons Trevor, 11, and Rogan, two, were killed in another car while Christina Langford Johnson, 31, was killed in the third vehicle. Her seven-month-old baby, Faith Langford, survived the attack. She was found on the floor of the vehicle in her baby seat. Ms Langford Johnson reportedly got out of the vehicle with her hands raised to ask the attackers to stop shooting but was gunned down, witnesses said. Dawna Ray Langford's son Devin, 13, managed to escape their car with six of his siblings. They hid in bushes. He then walked for six hours back to La Mora, relative Kendra Lee Miller wrote on Facebook. Some of the children suffered bullet wounds and are being treated in hospital. While Mexican officials say the convoy of cars may have been mistaken for that of a rival gang, the families say they have been targeted by cartels in the past. In statements to local and international media, the relatives suggest they may have been punished by La Linea for living in relative calm alongside a gang called Los Salazar, a splinter from the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2009, Erick LeBaron was kidnapped for ransom. The community took a stand and said it would not pay for his release as that would just encourage future kidnappings. Erick LeBaron was eventually released without a ransom being paid. But months later, his brother Benjamin was beaten to death. Benjamin's brother-in-law was also killed.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 758, "answer_end": 1678, "text": "Amid tight security, about 500 mourners gathered beneath white marquee tents in Rancho La Mora and took turns to file past the coffins. Some sang hymns and others wept. \"We have come to honour their memory and to try to understand what is happening,\" said Alex LeBaron, who led the convoy of vehicles. Three families - the Langfords, Millers and LeBarons - are part of a large group of US Mormons who moved to Mexico in the late 19th Century, fleeing persecution for their traditions. All the victims were joint US-Mexican citizens. Dawna Ray Langford and her sons were buried in hand-made coffins in a single grave dug by members of the community. \"The eyes of the world are upon what happened here, and there are saints all over this world whose hearts have been touched,\" Dawna's father, Jay Ray, said in a eulogy quoted by the Associated Press. The Governor of Sonora state, Claudia Pavlovich, attended the funerals."}], "question": "What happened at the funerals?", "id": "779_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1679, "answer_end": 2947, "text": "On Monday morning, a group of three mothers and their 14 children set off in three cars from the La Mora ranch, to go to another Mormon settlement, Colonia LeBaron, in neighbouring Chihuahua state. But shortly after leaving, all three cars were ambushed at different points by gunmen near Bavispe. Five of the victims - 30-year-old Rhonita Maria Miller and her children: eight-month-old twins Titus and Tiana, 12-year-old Howard Jr and 10-year-old Krystal - died after their car was targeted by gunmen. At some point, the vehicle caught fire and exploded. Dawna Ray Langford and her sons Trevor, 11, and Rogan, two, were killed in another car while Christina Langford Johnson, 31, was killed in the third vehicle. Her seven-month-old baby, Faith Langford, survived the attack. She was found on the floor of the vehicle in her baby seat. Ms Langford Johnson reportedly got out of the vehicle with her hands raised to ask the attackers to stop shooting but was gunned down, witnesses said. Dawna Ray Langford's son Devin, 13, managed to escape their car with six of his siblings. They hid in bushes. He then walked for six hours back to La Mora, relative Kendra Lee Miller wrote on Facebook. Some of the children suffered bullet wounds and are being treated in hospital."}], "question": "How did the ambush happen?", "id": "779_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2948, "answer_end": 3656, "text": "While Mexican officials say the convoy of cars may have been mistaken for that of a rival gang, the families say they have been targeted by cartels in the past. In statements to local and international media, the relatives suggest they may have been punished by La Linea for living in relative calm alongside a gang called Los Salazar, a splinter from the Sinaloa Cartel. In 2009, Erick LeBaron was kidnapped for ransom. The community took a stand and said it would not pay for his release as that would just encourage future kidnappings. Erick LeBaron was eventually released without a ransom being paid. But months later, his brother Benjamin was beaten to death. Benjamin's brother-in-law was also killed."}], "question": "Who carried out the attack?", "id": "779_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Government wants to purge Tory rebels, says ex-minister Gauke", "date": "2 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The government is trying to \"purge\" Tory rebels who oppose it over Brexit, ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke says. A senior source from the whips' office - which ensures MPs vote on party lines - said those who voted to block no deal would be expelled and deselected. The threat came as opposition MPs prepared to introduce legislation in an effort to avoid no deal. Mr Gauke said the PM was seeking to \"re-align\" and \"transform\" the Tories \"in the direction of The Brexit Party\". The prime minister has said the UK must leave the EU on 31 October, with or without a deal, prompting a number of MPs to unite to try to prevent the UK leaving without an agreement. Meanwhile, speaking ahead of a meeting of the shadow cabinet, where Labour will finalise plans aimed at stopping no deal, Jeremy Corbyn said an election would be \"the democratic way forward\". MPs will this week seek to bring forward legislation against no deal in Parliament, with specific details expected to be outlined on Tuesday. But in a warning to Tory MPs thinking of supporting such efforts, a senior whips' office source said anyone who failed to vote with the government would lose the whip - meaning they would effectively be expelled from the party - and would not be able to stand as a Conservative candidate in an election. The source said if Tory MPs fail to vote with the government on Tuesday they will be \"destroying\" its negotiating position and \"handing control of Parliament to Jeremy Corbyn\". There was a chance of reaching a revised Brexit deal on 17 October - the date of the next EU summit - they added, but \"only because Brussels realises the prime minister is totally committed to leaving on 31 October\". The Conservatives have a majority of just one, which includes a pact with the Northern Irish DUP, so if any Tory MP is kicked out - has the whip withdrawn - the party will go into a minority government. Mr Johnson had been due to meet Tory MPs pushing to rule out no deal on Monday, but a source close to the group said the prime minister called off the meeting with no explanation. Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I don't think there seems to be a huge effort to persuade people to support the government this week. \"They seem quite prepared for a rebellion and then to purge those who support the rebellion from the party.\" He said the government was \"almost goading people into voting against\" it to pave the way for a general election. He later told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire he would be prepared to lose his job to vote against no deal, saying: \"I have to put what I consider to be the national interest first.\" Under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, the prime minister could call a general election if two thirds of all MPs vote for one. One could also be held if a motion of no confidence was passed and no alternative government was confirmed within 14 days. Conservative MPs who have been vocal about their opposition to a no-deal Brexit include those who were ministers in Theresa May's cabinet only weeks ago. As well as ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, the group also includes former Chancellor Philip Hammond and former International Development Secretary Rory Stewart. Other senior Tories like Ken Clarke and Oliver Letwin, both former ministers, have also said they would defy the government to stop no deal. Beyond them, there is a much larger group of MPs - several dozen - who have suggested they do not agree with a no-deal Brexit, but have been less vocal about what action they would take. They include the likes of Greg Clark, Claire Perry, Ed Vaizey, Guto Bebb and David Mundell. Tory MP Antoinette Sandbach, who has also said she would be prepare to lose her job to oppose a no-deal Brexit, told BBC Breakfast she had not been contacted by the whips' office. \"The decision has been made without the government even seeing the legislation that we're likely to be voting on tomorrow, so it seems to me that this is a very deliberate attempt to try and purge the Conservative Party of moderate, sensible voices,\" she said. Nick Boles, the independent MP who quit the Conservatives over Brexit, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the party had been \"taken over\" by the \"hard right\". \"The Conservative Party has fallen prey to an almost religious obsession with the hardest form of Brexit, which is obviously a Brexit with no deal,\" he said. He said this was made clear with the resignation of Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson last week, who he described as a \"progressive, modern, liberal Conservative\". Boris Johnson was elected with a promise of sticking to his Brexit deadline, come hell or high water. If MPs make that impossible this week, he may well choose instead to press the button on another campaign, and go to the country. I understand calling an election, maybe even this week, is one of the options under consideration. But his team is well aware that chunks of the electorate might be pretty cross about going to the polls again. So cranking up the pressure on Tory rebels at the start of this crucial week could create a convenient group of bogeymen who could be chucked out of the party, and take the blame. Read more from Laura On Sunday, cabinet minister Michael Gove refused to guarantee Downing Street would abide by any legislation aimed at stopping no deal. David Gauke has subsequently written to the attorney general - the government's senior law officer - demanding the government commits to following the rule of law. Doing otherwise could \"undermine the institutions and values we all hold dear\", he wrote. Privately, Mr Johnson's critics are warning they will seek a judicial review of the government's action should ministers choose to flout the will of Parliament by ignoring a no-deal law. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the BBC it was \"perfectly normal\" for a government to take the time to see how any new legislation would impact Brexit negotiations, but insisted: \"Every government stands by the law.\" He said he did not believe any anti no-deal legislation would be passed by Parliament and hoped that Tory MPs would \"rally round\" the prime minister this week. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned a general election would be an \"elephant trap\" Labour must not fall into and Brexit must be \"resolved\" first. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a speech in Salford he did still want one. \"In that election Labour will give people the chance to take back control and have the final say in a public vote... including the option to Remain,\" he added. He also called the prime minister's plans to shut down, or prorogue, Parliament \"an attack on democracy that will be resisted\". Mr Johnson has said he asked for the suspension in order to hold a Queen's Speech - which sets out a list of laws the government hopes to get approved by Parliament - on 14 October. But Labour says the suspension is to force through a no-deal Brexit. Any new law has to pass all stages of both Houses of Parliament - this usually take weeks but could be done in as little as three days this week. The bill could be challenged by the government and fall at any stage. It could fail to achieve enough support from either MPs or peers in votes held in the Houses. - Tuesday: MPs return to the Commons after their summer recess. Opposition MPs are expected to put forward legislation to stop no deal under \"SO24\" or Standing Order 24 - the rule allowing MPs to ask for a debate on a \"specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration\". This would be the bill's first reading - its formal introduction to the House. - Wednesday: In theory, the bill would then be debated and could potentially pass through all further Commons stages. However, the bill must pass through a series of votes and receive backing from more than half of MPs to pass to the next stage. Boris Johnson's first PMQs as prime minister also takes place. - Thursday: If MPs passed the bill, it could then reach the House of Lords by Thursday, but consideration of the bill could spill into Monday. It will be debated and voted on. The House is not due to sit on Friday. - Monday, 9 September: If the bill passes these hurdles it could gain Royal Assent, formally making it law. This could be a tight timetable as there are as few as four sitting days before Parliament is suspended. This is due to happen between Monday, 9 September, and Thursday, 12 September, under plans announced by the prime minister. Another hurdle for any bill could come in the Lords. Although opponents to no deal have a large majority, peers wanting to block legislation could talk until there is no time left.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2877, "answer_end": 3613, "text": "Conservative MPs who have been vocal about their opposition to a no-deal Brexit include those who were ministers in Theresa May's cabinet only weeks ago. As well as ex-Justice Secretary David Gauke, the group also includes former Chancellor Philip Hammond and former International Development Secretary Rory Stewart. Other senior Tories like Ken Clarke and Oliver Letwin, both former ministers, have also said they would defy the government to stop no deal. Beyond them, there is a much larger group of MPs - several dozen - who have suggested they do not agree with a no-deal Brexit, but have been less vocal about what action they would take. They include the likes of Greg Clark, Claire Perry, Ed Vaizey, Guto Bebb and David Mundell."}], "question": "Who are the Tory rebels?", "id": "780_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6930, "answer_end": 8649, "text": "Any new law has to pass all stages of both Houses of Parliament - this usually take weeks but could be done in as little as three days this week. The bill could be challenged by the government and fall at any stage. It could fail to achieve enough support from either MPs or peers in votes held in the Houses. - Tuesday: MPs return to the Commons after their summer recess. Opposition MPs are expected to put forward legislation to stop no deal under \"SO24\" or Standing Order 24 - the rule allowing MPs to ask for a debate on a \"specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration\". This would be the bill's first reading - its formal introduction to the House. - Wednesday: In theory, the bill would then be debated and could potentially pass through all further Commons stages. However, the bill must pass through a series of votes and receive backing from more than half of MPs to pass to the next stage. Boris Johnson's first PMQs as prime minister also takes place. - Thursday: If MPs passed the bill, it could then reach the House of Lords by Thursday, but consideration of the bill could spill into Monday. It will be debated and voted on. The House is not due to sit on Friday. - Monday, 9 September: If the bill passes these hurdles it could gain Royal Assent, formally making it law. This could be a tight timetable as there are as few as four sitting days before Parliament is suspended. This is due to happen between Monday, 9 September, and Thursday, 12 September, under plans announced by the prime minister. Another hurdle for any bill could come in the Lords. Although opponents to no deal have a large majority, peers wanting to block legislation could talk until there is no time left."}], "question": "What could happen this week?", "id": "780_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Explainer: What is Russia's new VPN law all about?", "date": "1 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Russian law regulating the use of technologies enabling users to search the internet anonymously came into force on 1 November. Many are worried the law will make it harder for Russians to bypass internet censorship. Signed by President Vladimir Putin in July, the law imposes restrictions on proxy avoidance tools. These tools include virtual private networks (VPNs) and anonymous proxy servers (anonymisers). VPN providers will be obliged to closely cooperate with Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor and comply with its requests. A VPN is a private network created over a public network. Despite popular belief, VPNs cannot make online connections completely anonymous, because some VPN providers can keep users' logs. However, they can still increase a user's privacy and security by hiding their IP address. In a corporate work setting, VPNs allow employees to securely access an intranet from outside the office. Both VPNs and anonymisers allow a user to appear as if they were connecting to the internet from another location. Despite widespread speculation, the law does not directly ban the operation of VPNs and anonymisers. However, it does restrict access to banned websites with the help of these tools. VPN providers will get access to Roskomnadzor's blacklist of banned websites and will be entitled to provide the use of their servers \"within the legal framework\", the banki.ru banking portal reports. Leonid Levin, the head of the Russian State Duma's information policy committee, has previously said the law is meant to block access only to \"unlawful content\" and is not intended to impose restrictions on law-abiding citizens, according to business daily RBC. Roskomnadzor has been developing measures to identify suspect websites, as well as ways to block them. However, in practice this is very difficult, and it may have unwanted consequences. For instance, the watchdog has a single register of banned domain names. In June, one of Google.ru's web pages contained a redirect to a blocked online gambling domain, so due to the ban, the search engine was blocked for several hours. According to IT experts, the law provides exemption for corporate VPNs. However, it remains unclear how exactly Roskomnadzor will distinguish between corporate and public VPNs. At present, it is impossible to differentiate them, says Leonid Yevdokimov, an expert at the Tor Project - a US-based team that creates software to let people visit websites anonymously and access otherwise hidden parts of the net. Some Russian social-media users have been agonising over whether the watchdog will now be able to restrict internet access from home if they search for a banned website. IT experts are unanimous that it will not. It is up to search engine operators such as Google and Yandex to \"shield\" users from such banned websites, and if they fail to do so, they can be held responsible, banki.ru says. Most lay internet users would not notice any changes once the law came into force, the communications director at media holding Rambler&Co, Matvei Alexeyev, told the BBC. He sees it as a step towards greater transparency of VPN servers.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 535, "answer_end": 1035, "text": "A VPN is a private network created over a public network. Despite popular belief, VPNs cannot make online connections completely anonymous, because some VPN providers can keep users' logs. However, they can still increase a user's privacy and security by hiding their IP address. In a corporate work setting, VPNs allow employees to securely access an intranet from outside the office. Both VPNs and anonymisers allow a user to appear as if they were connecting to the internet from another location."}], "question": "What's a VPN?", "id": "781_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1036, "answer_end": 1681, "text": "Despite widespread speculation, the law does not directly ban the operation of VPNs and anonymisers. However, it does restrict access to banned websites with the help of these tools. VPN providers will get access to Roskomnadzor's blacklist of banned websites and will be entitled to provide the use of their servers \"within the legal framework\", the banki.ru banking portal reports. Leonid Levin, the head of the Russian State Duma's information policy committee, has previously said the law is meant to block access only to \"unlawful content\" and is not intended to impose restrictions on law-abiding citizens, according to business daily RBC."}], "question": "What exactly is banned?", "id": "781_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1682, "answer_end": 2514, "text": "Roskomnadzor has been developing measures to identify suspect websites, as well as ways to block them. However, in practice this is very difficult, and it may have unwanted consequences. For instance, the watchdog has a single register of banned domain names. In June, one of Google.ru's web pages contained a redirect to a blocked online gambling domain, so due to the ban, the search engine was blocked for several hours. According to IT experts, the law provides exemption for corporate VPNs. However, it remains unclear how exactly Roskomnadzor will distinguish between corporate and public VPNs. At present, it is impossible to differentiate them, says Leonid Yevdokimov, an expert at the Tor Project - a US-based team that creates software to let people visit websites anonymously and access otherwise hidden parts of the net."}], "question": "Will it work?", "id": "781_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2515, "answer_end": 3143, "text": "Some Russian social-media users have been agonising over whether the watchdog will now be able to restrict internet access from home if they search for a banned website. IT experts are unanimous that it will not. It is up to search engine operators such as Google and Yandex to \"shield\" users from such banned websites, and if they fail to do so, they can be held responsible, banki.ru says. Most lay internet users would not notice any changes once the law came into force, the communications director at media holding Rambler&Co, Matvei Alexeyev, told the BBC. He sees it as a step towards greater transparency of VPN servers."}], "question": "What will happen?", "id": "781_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Manchester attack: Police not sharing information with US", "date": "25 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police investigating the Manchester Arena bomb attack have stopped sharing information with the US after leaks to the media. UK officials were outraged when photos appearing to show debris from the attack appeared in the New York Times. It came after the name of bomber Salman Abedi was leaked to US media just hours after the attack, which left 22 dead. Theresa May said she would tell Donald Trump at a Nato meeting that shared intelligence \"must remain secure\". The US's acting ambassador to the UK \"unequivocally condemned\" the leaks in a BBC radio interview. \"These leaks were reprehensible, deeply distressing,\" Lewis Lukens said. \"We have had communications at the highest level of our government ... we are determined to identify these leaks and to stop them.\" Meanwhile, the Queen has been to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital visiting some of the injured as well as members of the emergency services. While there she paid tribute to Manchester and the \"extraordinary\" way the city had responded to Monday's attack at an Ariana Grande concert, in which 116 people were also injured. In total eight men are now in custody following the bombing carried out by Manchester-born Abedi, a 22-year-old from a family of Libyan origin. The arrests have been \"significant\" while searches of premises have also yielded items \"important to the investigation\", Greater Manchester Police said. It has also emerged two people who had known Abedi at college made separate calls to a hotline to warn the police about his extremist views. A Whitehall source said Abedi was one of a \"pool\" of former subjects of interest whose risk remained \"subject to review\" by the security service and its partners. In other developments: - A minute's silence was held at 11:00 BST in remembrance of those who lost their lives or were affected by the attack - Two men were arrested following a search of an address in the Withington area of Greater Manchester on Thursday morning, taking the number of people held to eight - Manchester City and Manchester United have jointly pledged PS1m to an emergency fund set up to support the victims - A possible suspicious package was declared safe after army bomb disposal experts were called to a street in Hulme, near Manchester city centre - The Conservatives and Labour are to resume general election campaigning on Friday Greater Manchester Police hope to resume normal intelligence relationships - a two-way flow of information - soon but is currently \"furious\", the BBC understands. Its chief constable Ian Hopkins said the recent leak had caused \"much distress for families that are already suffering terribly with their loss.\". The force - which is leading the investigation on the ground - gives its information to National Counter-Terrorism, which then shares it across government and - because of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing agreement - with the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. All other US-UK intelligence is still being shared, while five terrorist plots have been disrupted in the UK since the 22 March Westminster attack, the BBC has learned. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said she is \"confident\" the leaks will now end, after having voiced her irritation following the leak of the attacker's name. However, the pictures of debris - which appear to show bloodstained fragments from the bomb and the backpack used to conceal it - were subsequently leaked to the New York Times, prompting an angry response from within Whitehall and from UK police chiefs. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says UK officials believe that US law enforcement rather than the White House is the likely culprit for the leaks. By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent The police decision to stop sharing information specifically about the Manchester attack with their security counterparts in the US is a hugely significant move and shows how angry British authorities are. The information from the crime scene wasn't shared on a whim: the British and Americans have a lot of shared world-leading expertise in improvised explosive devices and scientists would be discussing whether the Manchester device tells them something new that could, ultimately, track down a bomb-maker. Other sharing will continue. The UK and US share a vast amount of information about terror and espionage threats - it is a tight-knit network that also encompasses Canada, Australia and New Zealand. That system is based on trust and the \"control principle\": if a piece of intelligence is shared, the receiving nation has no right to further disseminate it without permission. The UK's National Police Chiefs' Council described the \"unauthorised disclosure\" as a breach of trust which had potentially undermined a \"major counter-terrorism investigation\". Counter-terrorism detectives have spoken in the past about how a delay of about 36 hours before the public know who is being investigated can allow known associates of the suspect to be arrested without being tipped off. Lord Blair, who was the head of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the bombings in London on 7 July 2005, said a similar leak had happened then. \"It's a different world in which the US operate in terms of how they publish things and this is a very grievous breach but I'm afraid it's the same as before,\" he said. Eight men have been arrested in the UK since Monday night, including Abedi's older brother Ismail, 23. Abedi's younger brother Hashem, 20, was held by special forces linked to the interior ministry in the Libyan capital Tripoli, as was their father. Speaking on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: \"It's very clear that this is a network that we are investigating.\" As part of their investigation, raids involving controlled explosions have been carried out at a block of flats near Manchester Piccadilly station in the city centre on Wednesday and at an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester in the early hours of Thursday. Anyone with information can call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789321. Abedi detonated his \"nuts-and-bolts\" bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande gig as children, teenagers and others were making their way out of Manchester Arena. Others, including parents, were waiting in the foyer to pick up family and friends when the bomb went off. The youngest so far known to have died is eight-year-old Saffie Roussos. Off-duty Cheshire police officer Elaine McIver was also among the dead. The latest victims to be named are Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley, west Yorkshire and Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old from Barra in the Outer Hebrides, and 19-year-old Courtney Boyle. Of the 116 injured, 75 remain in hospital. Of those 23 are in critical care, five of them children. Salman Abedi was a 22-year-old born in Manchester to Libyan parents, and a former University of Salford student. He attended Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester between 2009 and 2011, and The Manchester College until 2013. A former classmate told the BBC that Abedi was a \"very jokey lad\" but also \"very short tempered\" and would get angry at \"the littlest thing\". The man, who did not want to be identified, said Abedi had hung around \"the wrong crowd and was very, very gullible\". Before leaving Burnage Academy, Abedi had become \"more and more religious\", the man added. A Muslim community worker, who did not want to be identified, has told the BBC that two people who had known Abedi at college had made separate calls five years ago to a hotline to warn about his extremist views. He said they had been worried that Abedi was \"supporting terrorism\" and he had expressed the view that \"being a suicide bomber was ok\". Profile: Who was Salman Abedi?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5321, "answer_end": 6052, "text": "Eight men have been arrested in the UK since Monday night, including Abedi's older brother Ismail, 23. Abedi's younger brother Hashem, 20, was held by special forces linked to the interior ministry in the Libyan capital Tripoli, as was their father. Speaking on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: \"It's very clear that this is a network that we are investigating.\" As part of their investigation, raids involving controlled explosions have been carried out at a block of flats near Manchester Piccadilly station in the city centre on Wednesday and at an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester in the early hours of Thursday. Anyone with information can call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789321."}], "question": "What's happening with the investigation?", "id": "782_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6053, "answer_end": 6742, "text": "Abedi detonated his \"nuts-and-bolts\" bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande gig as children, teenagers and others were making their way out of Manchester Arena. Others, including parents, were waiting in the foyer to pick up family and friends when the bomb went off. The youngest so far known to have died is eight-year-old Saffie Roussos. Off-duty Cheshire police officer Elaine McIver was also among the dead. The latest victims to be named are Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley, west Yorkshire and Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old from Barra in the Outer Hebrides, and 19-year-old Courtney Boyle. Of the 116 injured, 75 remain in hospital. Of those 23 are in critical care, five of them children."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "782_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6743, "answer_end": 7699, "text": "Salman Abedi was a 22-year-old born in Manchester to Libyan parents, and a former University of Salford student. He attended Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester between 2009 and 2011, and The Manchester College until 2013. A former classmate told the BBC that Abedi was a \"very jokey lad\" but also \"very short tempered\" and would get angry at \"the littlest thing\". The man, who did not want to be identified, said Abedi had hung around \"the wrong crowd and was very, very gullible\". Before leaving Burnage Academy, Abedi had become \"more and more religious\", the man added. A Muslim community worker, who did not want to be identified, has told the BBC that two people who had known Abedi at college had made separate calls five years ago to a hotline to warn about his extremist views. He said they had been worried that Abedi was \"supporting terrorism\" and he had expressed the view that \"being a suicide bomber was ok\". Profile: Who was Salman Abedi?"}], "question": "Who was the attacker?", "id": "782_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Chanel No 5: The story behind the classic perfume", "date": "29 May 2011", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In 1921, a clever French businesswoman and belle of the Parisian social elite created a scent that revolutionised the way women smell. Ninety years later Chanel No 5 is arguably still the world's most iconic perfume. With a healthy disregard for social etiquette and a retinue of friends and admirers among the city's \"racy\" women, couturier Coco Chanel traversed the boundaries between lady and mistress. By the beginning of the twenties Chanel was already a phenomenon in French fashion circles. She had come to Paris as the mistress of the textile baron Etienne Balsan in 1909 and set up a millinery boutique under Balsan's apartment. By 1921, she had a series of successful boutiques in Paris, Deauville and Biarritz, she owned a villa in the south of France and drove around in her own blue Rolls Royce. Now she wanted to create a scent that could describe the new, modern woman she epitomised. But Chanel's background was troubled and complex, and it was something that seeped into her trademark fragrance. She was the daughter of a market-stall holder and a laundry woman in rural France, but when her mother died she was sent to a Cistercian convent at Aubazine where she spent her teenage years. The smell of soap and freshly scrubbed skin was something that stuck with her for years after. She was fastidiously clean and later when she worked among the mistresses of the rich she complained about the way they smelled, stinking of musk and body odour. When she decided to commission a perfume for her best clients - a new trend among fashion houses - it was important that it imbue this freshness. But she had trouble finding a perfumer who could achieve this. \"The grail in perfumerie has always been to create very fresh fragrances that last,\" says Frederic Malle, perfume editor and professional \"nose\". \"In those days the only way to create fresh fragrances was to use citrus such as lemon, bergamot and orange. These things are very fresh and very charming but they don't last on the skin.\" At the time, chemists had already isolated chemicals called aldehydes which could artificially create these smell. But they were extraordinarily powerful so perfumers were hesitant to use them. During the late summer of 1920 Chanel went on holiday on the Cote d'Azur with her lover the Grand Duke Dimtri Pavlovich. There she learned of a perfumer, a sophisticated and well-read character called Ernest Beaux who had worked for the Russian royal family and lived close by in Grasse, the centre of the perfume industry. Beaux was a curious and daring craftsman and took up Chanel's challenge. It took him several months to perfect a new fragrance but eventually he came up with 10 samples and presented them to Chanel. They were numbered one to five and 20 to 24. She picked number five. It is rumoured that the concoction was actually the result of a laboratory mistake. Beaux's assistant had added a dose of aldehyde in a quantity never used before. Tilar Mazzeo, author of The Secret of Chanel No 5, told the World Service's Witness programme why the fragrance grabbed Chanel. \"The interesting thing about aldehydes is that one of them smells like soap. \"So she could balance in her own mind, her childhood in a convent and then this luxurious life as a mistress.\" Chanel later said, \"It was what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman's perfume, with the scent of a woman.\" The scent, imbued with jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla, was an instant success, partly due to some of Coco's ingenious marketing tricks. She invited Beaux and friends to a popular upmarket restaurant on the Riviera to celebrate and decided to spray the perfume around the table. Each woman that passed stopped and asked what the fragrance was and where it came from. \"For Chanel this was the moment that confirmed for her that it was going to be a revolutionary perfume,\" says Mazzeo. \"That was the first moment that anybody in the public smelled Chanel No 5 and it literally stopped them in their tracks. \"That moment consumers were smelling something they had never smelled before, it was an intervention in the history of perfume.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2597, "answer_end": 4139, "text": "It took him several months to perfect a new fragrance but eventually he came up with 10 samples and presented them to Chanel. They were numbered one to five and 20 to 24. She picked number five. It is rumoured that the concoction was actually the result of a laboratory mistake. Beaux's assistant had added a dose of aldehyde in a quantity never used before. Tilar Mazzeo, author of The Secret of Chanel No 5, told the World Service's Witness programme why the fragrance grabbed Chanel. \"The interesting thing about aldehydes is that one of them smells like soap. \"So she could balance in her own mind, her childhood in a convent and then this luxurious life as a mistress.\" Chanel later said, \"It was what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman's perfume, with the scent of a woman.\" The scent, imbued with jasmine, rose, sandalwood and vanilla, was an instant success, partly due to some of Coco's ingenious marketing tricks. She invited Beaux and friends to a popular upmarket restaurant on the Riviera to celebrate and decided to spray the perfume around the table. Each woman that passed stopped and asked what the fragrance was and where it came from. \"For Chanel this was the moment that confirmed for her that it was going to be a revolutionary perfume,\" says Mazzeo. \"That was the first moment that anybody in the public smelled Chanel No 5 and it literally stopped them in their tracks. \"That moment consumers were smelling something they had never smelled before, it was an intervention in the history of perfume.\""}], "question": "Result of a mistake?", "id": "783_0"}]}]}, {"title": "California shootings: Gunman who killed five named by police", "date": "13 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US police have named the alleged gunman who killed five people in linked shootings before killing himself in Bakersfield, California on Wednesday. Javier Casarez drove his ex-wife Petra Maribel Bolanos de Casarez, 45, to a trucking business in the city, where he killed two men and his estranged wife. The 54-year-old then drove to a home where he shot dead two more people. After hijacking a car from a woman with a child in it, Casarez was confronted by a deputy and shot himself dead. Police identified the other victims as Antonio Valdez, 51, Manuel Contreras, 50, Eliseo Garcia, 57 and his daughter Laura Garcia, 31. Authorities said there were \"strong indications\" of a domestic violence background but that they were still investigating motives behind the killings, which took place 145km (90 miles) north of Los Angeles. At 17:20 local time (00:20 GMT) deputies were called to the trucking business after reports of shots being fired. Casarez had confronted Manuel Contreras and then allegedly shot both him and Ms Bolanos de Casarez, the mother of his three children, using a handgun, police said. Antonio Valadez then appeared at the scene and Casarez shot at him, before pursuing him and shooting him dead. The 54-year-old then drove to a residence on Breckenridge Road and shot dead Eliseo and Laura Garcia. Police are still investigating the connection between the gunman and his last two victims. They said Laura Garcia, a mother of four, may have tried to intervene. The alleged gunman then carjacked a car from the woman and child, who were allowed to escape. Casarez pulled over after a deputy confronted him with a firearm. Police body-cam video shows the officer repeatedly ordering the suspect to drop his weapon before he shot himself in the chest. Police say Casarez was in the midst of divorce proceedings with his ex-wife, who had recently filed for an unspecified change in orders involving child support and property. \"These are not random shootings,\" Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told journalists. \"Obviously, there is some type of situation that caused the husband to be extremely upset,\" he said on Thursday. \"I'm pretty comfortable [saying] there will be a connection between all these players.\" He said police were still investigating the motive behind the shooting of the four other victims. The entire incident took place over 10 to 15 minutes, Sheriff Youngblood said. He had earlier described the incident as a mass shooting, saying: \"This is the new normal, if you look across the country.\" \"Six people lost their lives in a very short period of time.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 829, "answer_end": 1769, "text": "At 17:20 local time (00:20 GMT) deputies were called to the trucking business after reports of shots being fired. Casarez had confronted Manuel Contreras and then allegedly shot both him and Ms Bolanos de Casarez, the mother of his three children, using a handgun, police said. Antonio Valadez then appeared at the scene and Casarez shot at him, before pursuing him and shooting him dead. The 54-year-old then drove to a residence on Breckenridge Road and shot dead Eliseo and Laura Garcia. Police are still investigating the connection between the gunman and his last two victims. They said Laura Garcia, a mother of four, may have tried to intervene. The alleged gunman then carjacked a car from the woman and child, who were allowed to escape. Casarez pulled over after a deputy confronted him with a firearm. Police body-cam video shows the officer repeatedly ordering the suspect to drop his weapon before he shot himself in the chest."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "784_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1770, "answer_end": 2596, "text": "Police say Casarez was in the midst of divorce proceedings with his ex-wife, who had recently filed for an unspecified change in orders involving child support and property. \"These are not random shootings,\" Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told journalists. \"Obviously, there is some type of situation that caused the husband to be extremely upset,\" he said on Thursday. \"I'm pretty comfortable [saying] there will be a connection between all these players.\" He said police were still investigating the motive behind the shooting of the four other victims. The entire incident took place over 10 to 15 minutes, Sheriff Youngblood said. He had earlier described the incident as a mass shooting, saying: \"This is the new normal, if you look across the country.\" \"Six people lost their lives in a very short period of time.\""}], "question": "Why did this happen?", "id": "784_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Brigitte Macron: Should France have an official 'first lady'?", "date": "7 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, should not be given the official status of first lady, according to more than 200,000 people who have signed an online petition. \"There is no reason why the wife of the head of state should get a budget from public funds,\" wrote its creator Thierry Paul Valette, an artist and equality campaigner. A charter that codifies her role is now in preparation, according to the French media. The French constitution gives no official status to a president's spouse, although they are typically allocated an office in the Elysee Palace, an assistant or two, and security guards. They are also expected to accompany their partner at official engagements and often become involved in charity work. In a TV interview during the campaign, he said that, if elected, he would want the role of first lady to be \"defined\". \"She [Brigitte Macron] will have a say on what she wants to be,\" he told TF1 in April, \"I want to get out of French hypocrisy... When a person lives with you, she must have a role and be recognised in this role.\" He then insisted she would not be paid by the taxpayer. Nonetheless, \"hypocrisy\" is exactly what his critics are shouting. During his campaign, Mr Macron vowed to stamp out nepotism. His conservative rival, Francois Fillon, had been embroiled in a scandal over payments to his wife, which is thought to have cost him the presidency. She was allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of euros for little or no work. In response to the outcry, Mr Macron said he would ban politicians from employing relatives. \"Do as I say, not as I do,\" tweeted French politician Thierry Mariani last month. An ally of Mr Fillon, he linked to an article about speculation over Mrs Macron receiving official status and a budget. Brigitte Macron is certainly getting a lot of attention, in her homeland and worldwide. French newspaper Liberation called her \"omnipresent\". \"The French elected a man, but it is a certainly a couple that lives in the Elysee,\" wrote Voici magazine. \"Brigitte! Brigitte! Brigitte!\", shouted the crowd when she took the stage after her husband was elected in May. Brigitte T-shirts have featured in fashion magazines. (\"Our new fashion crush\", said Elle magazine.) But she has also been targeted by abuse, often related to the 24-year age gap between her and her younger husband. In his petition, Mr Valette made clear the criticism was not personal. \"We fiercely denounce all sexist attacks against Brigitte Macron and we do not question her skills,\" he wrote. The unofficial first lady receives about 150 letters a week, according to French media. New staff could help her deal with the post. There are no known plans to give her a salary, but she could get extra money for employees and expenses. One argument is that this creates jobs. She told Vanity Fair magazine she wanted to use her husband's presidency to \"change the lives of disabled people and their families\". Meanwhile, President Macron's popularity has fallen (only 36% of people are satisfied, according to recent poll), leading some critics to speculate that he may be trying to boost his image via his wife. Others have accused the couple of copying the US model, specifically looking to Michelle Obama, who played a very active role during her husband's time in the White House. However, the US role of first lady is also unofficial. \"This is pointless as it is nothing new,\" political analyst Olivier Rouquan told RMC radio. He claims that Mrs Macron has no higher profile than any of her predecessors. He cited Yvonne de Gaulle and Claude Pompidou, as wives that also had a big public image. \"I do not understand how one could institutionalise the status of first lady. It has no democratic meaning,\" he said. \"We do not elect a presidential couple.\" Her immediate predecessor certainly had a very different profile. Journalist Valerie Trierweiler was never married to President Francois Hollande. Their relationship began as an affair, they split up while he was still in office and she later wrote a kiss-and-tell memoir. And before that, President Nicolas Sarkozy had two consecutive first ladies while in office. He and his wife Cecilia divorced soon after he took office. He then met and married singer Carla Bruni, who was swiftly rated as one of the 50 most powerful women in the world, according to Forbes magazine. (It was 2010, and Michelle Obama was number one.) The Macrons have been together for more than 20 years and married for 10. However, as the petition says, \"We do not know who will be the next president...\" And what happens if the next president is a woman? Is France ready for its first official \"first man\"?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3390, "answer_end": 4690, "text": "\"This is pointless as it is nothing new,\" political analyst Olivier Rouquan told RMC radio. He claims that Mrs Macron has no higher profile than any of her predecessors. He cited Yvonne de Gaulle and Claude Pompidou, as wives that also had a big public image. \"I do not understand how one could institutionalise the status of first lady. It has no democratic meaning,\" he said. \"We do not elect a presidential couple.\" Her immediate predecessor certainly had a very different profile. Journalist Valerie Trierweiler was never married to President Francois Hollande. Their relationship began as an affair, they split up while he was still in office and she later wrote a kiss-and-tell memoir. And before that, President Nicolas Sarkozy had two consecutive first ladies while in office. He and his wife Cecilia divorced soon after he took office. He then met and married singer Carla Bruni, who was swiftly rated as one of the 50 most powerful women in the world, according to Forbes magazine. (It was 2010, and Michelle Obama was number one.) The Macrons have been together for more than 20 years and married for 10. However, as the petition says, \"We do not know who will be the next president...\" And what happens if the next president is a woman? Is France ready for its first official \"first man\"?"}], "question": "What has changed?", "id": "785_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US election 2020: How do you become US president?", "date": "31 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "People in the US state of Iowa are about to start the process of finding a Democratic candidate to take on President Trump in the 2020 US presidential race. This small agricultural state in the US Midwest is the first one to cast votes and will be followed by the other 49 and the US territories. The winner that emerges will do battle for the White House in the presidential election in November. So, how do you get the world's most powerful job? A president must be at least 35 years old, a \"natural born US citizen\" and a US resident for at least 14 years, according to the US Constitution - the country's founding charter. Most candidates have a background in politics and have held an elected position, like senator, governor, vice-president, or member of Congress. But they also occasionally come from the military, like former Army General Dwight Eisenhower, or the business world like Donald Trump, a former real estate developer and reality TV star. Most modern candidates hold university degrees and over half the US presidents graduated in law. The US has never elected a non-Christian president or a woman. And only one president, Barack Obama, has not been white. Donald Trump is considered the 45th president, although 44 men have occupied the post (Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms). Unlike some countries with legally defined campaign periods - like the UK and France - US candidates can campaign for as long as they wish. As such, presidential campaigns tend to last around 18 months. President Trump filed his re-election paperwork on the day he got the keys to the White House, in January 2017. He has held campaign-style \"Make America Great Again\" rallies ever since. Becoming president - or even trying to be - can be eye-wateringly expensive. The ability to raise funds from your supporters, or spend your own cash, is of the utmost importance. The Hillary Clinton v Donald Trump 2016 election cost a combined $2.4bn (PS1.8bn) according to campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.org. Donald Trump raised $46 million during the final three months of 2019 and has nearly $103 million on hand. That's far more than any of the Democratic candidates. There are only two parties considered by most voters - the Democrats (the liberal party) and the Republicans (the right-wing party). Confusingly, American commentators often refer to the Republican party by its nickname, the GOP, which is short for \"Grand Old Party\". Other \"third-party\" candidates sometimes participate, with the Libertarian, Green and Independent parties occasionally putting forth a nominee. More than 20 Democrats were fighting for their party's nomination but more than half have dropped out. So-called primary elections, which begin in February, are held by each state to decide which nominee is picked. Frontrunners so far for the Democratic crown include Joe Biden (former vice-president), Bernie Sanders (Vermont senator) and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts senator). Donald Trump is not the official Republican candidate until he is formally put forth by his party next summer. He will have at least one challenger but he has little chance of beating Mr Trump, who is very popular in the party. The chosen Democrat and Republican candidates contest a general election in November 2020. \"The popular vote\" - the sheer number of votes received by each candidate - will have nothing to do with determining the winner. That comes down to the \"electoral college\" vote. A simple majority of 270 out of the 538 votes available wins the White House. This makes some states very important to candidates. It is possible to win the popular vote, but lose the electoral vote, as happened to Democrats Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Each state is worth a certain amount of \"electors\" - which is decided based on the size of the state's representation in Congress. The six biggest states are California (55), Texas (38), New York (29), Florida (29), Illinois (20) and Pennsylvania (20). With California, New York, and Illinois solidly in the Democratic corner, and Texas a traditionally Republican stronghold - the presidential contest mostly takes place in only a handful of so-called \"swing states\", such as Ohio and Florida. Swing states can change hands depending on the candidate. Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin may be considered swing states in 2020. Campaigns often choose not to send candidates or invest resources to states they consider unwinnable. Republican bastions such as Idaho, Alaska, and many southern states are considered \"red states\" while Democrat-dominated states such as much of the New England region of the northeast coast are called \"blue states\". Vote counting is handled by each state, and a winner is usually determined on the same night after the vote was held. After a transition period, the new president takes over in January at an event called the inauguration. Following a ceremony at Congress, the president walks in a parade back to the White House to begin a four year term.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 448, "answer_end": 1315, "text": "A president must be at least 35 years old, a \"natural born US citizen\" and a US resident for at least 14 years, according to the US Constitution - the country's founding charter. Most candidates have a background in politics and have held an elected position, like senator, governor, vice-president, or member of Congress. But they also occasionally come from the military, like former Army General Dwight Eisenhower, or the business world like Donald Trump, a former real estate developer and reality TV star. Most modern candidates hold university degrees and over half the US presidents graduated in law. The US has never elected a non-Christian president or a woman. And only one president, Barack Obama, has not been white. Donald Trump is considered the 45th president, although 44 men have occupied the post (Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms)."}], "question": "Who gets to stand?", "id": "786_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1316, "answer_end": 2183, "text": "Unlike some countries with legally defined campaign periods - like the UK and France - US candidates can campaign for as long as they wish. As such, presidential campaigns tend to last around 18 months. President Trump filed his re-election paperwork on the day he got the keys to the White House, in January 2017. He has held campaign-style \"Make America Great Again\" rallies ever since. Becoming president - or even trying to be - can be eye-wateringly expensive. The ability to raise funds from your supporters, or spend your own cash, is of the utmost importance. The Hillary Clinton v Donald Trump 2016 election cost a combined $2.4bn (PS1.8bn) according to campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.org. Donald Trump raised $46 million during the final three months of 2019 and has nearly $103 million on hand. That's far more than any of the Democratic candidates."}], "question": "How long do campaigns last?", "id": "786_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2184, "answer_end": 2595, "text": "There are only two parties considered by most voters - the Democrats (the liberal party) and the Republicans (the right-wing party). Confusingly, American commentators often refer to the Republican party by its nickname, the GOP, which is short for \"Grand Old Party\". Other \"third-party\" candidates sometimes participate, with the Libertarian, Green and Independent parties occasionally putting forth a nominee."}], "question": "What are the main parties?", "id": "786_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2596, "answer_end": 3205, "text": "More than 20 Democrats were fighting for their party's nomination but more than half have dropped out. So-called primary elections, which begin in February, are held by each state to decide which nominee is picked. Frontrunners so far for the Democratic crown include Joe Biden (former vice-president), Bernie Sanders (Vermont senator) and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts senator). Donald Trump is not the official Republican candidate until he is formally put forth by his party next summer. He will have at least one challenger but he has little chance of beating Mr Trump, who is very popular in the party."}], "question": "Who wants the job in 2020?", "id": "786_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3206, "answer_end": 5030, "text": "The chosen Democrat and Republican candidates contest a general election in November 2020. \"The popular vote\" - the sheer number of votes received by each candidate - will have nothing to do with determining the winner. That comes down to the \"electoral college\" vote. A simple majority of 270 out of the 538 votes available wins the White House. This makes some states very important to candidates. It is possible to win the popular vote, but lose the electoral vote, as happened to Democrats Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Each state is worth a certain amount of \"electors\" - which is decided based on the size of the state's representation in Congress. The six biggest states are California (55), Texas (38), New York (29), Florida (29), Illinois (20) and Pennsylvania (20). With California, New York, and Illinois solidly in the Democratic corner, and Texas a traditionally Republican stronghold - the presidential contest mostly takes place in only a handful of so-called \"swing states\", such as Ohio and Florida. Swing states can change hands depending on the candidate. Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin may be considered swing states in 2020. Campaigns often choose not to send candidates or invest resources to states they consider unwinnable. Republican bastions such as Idaho, Alaska, and many southern states are considered \"red states\" while Democrat-dominated states such as much of the New England region of the northeast coast are called \"blue states\". Vote counting is handled by each state, and a winner is usually determined on the same night after the vote was held. After a transition period, the new president takes over in January at an event called the inauguration. Following a ceremony at Congress, the president walks in a parade back to the White House to begin a four year term."}], "question": "How do you win a general election?", "id": "786_4"}]}]}, {"title": "GM to slash jobs and close eight plants", "date": "26 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "General Motors (GM) plans to halt production at five factories in North America and cut more than 14,000 jobs. The US carmaker has also announced it will close three plants outside North America by the end of 2019. The moves follow rising costs and slower car sales and come as the firm focuses on its line-up of trucks, electric and self-driving vehicles. But the restructuring drew swift criticism from politicians, including President Donald Trump. \"I am not happy about it,\" he said of the plans, which undercut his claims that his policies are spurring a revival in the US auto industry. \"They better put something else in.\" The production cuts come as buyers in North America have turned away from smaller cars to bigger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks, which now make up nearly 70% of total US car purchases. Ms Barra said GM wants to invest in electric and autonomous vehicles, which are expected to drive future industry growth. She is also responding to rising costs - including from new tariffs on materials such as steel - while preparing the firm for the next downturn, after US car sales peaked in 2016. The company said the plan would help it save about $6bn (PS4.7bn) by the end of 2020. \"The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,\" said GM chair and chief executive Mary Barra. \"We recognise the need to stay in front of changing market conditions and customer preferences to position our company for long-term success.\" GM said it is cutting production of the Buick LaCross, Chevrolet Impala and Cruze, as well as the Cadillac CT6 and XTS - all sedans - as well as the Chevrolet Volt and older versions of the Silverado and Sierra. The closures in North America include an assembly plant in Oshawa, Canada; facilities in Detroit and Warren in Michigan; a plant in Warren, Ohio and a site near Baltimore in Maryland. It is also closing a factory in South Korea, as announced in February, as well as two other international facilities that were not specified. GM said it expects the cuts in North America to affect more than 6,100 shift workers at the five plants, as well as more than 8,000 salaried employees. Globally, the firm, which employed about 180,000 salaried and shift staff at the end of last year, is aiming to reduce the number of salaried employees by 15%, including 25% fewer executives. The firm had signalled some of its plans previously, offering voluntary buyouts to up to 18,000 workers in October. GM boss Marry Barra said the firm was embarking on the cuts to \"keep ahead of changing market conditions\". Some of those changing conditions have little to do with the White House. But others do. Take the tariffs on steel - a key component in the production of cars. They have pushed up GM's costs by an estimated $1bn. Then there are shifting trade agreements and the president's proposal to raise tariffs on imported cars. New tax cuts passed last year were designed to encourage companies like GM to invest at home, but today's announcement signals the lower tax rates are not enough to offset rising expenses. So while investors may cheer today's moves as a boost to GM's bottom line, they're a blow to President Trump and his many boasts about bringing car industry jobs back. Shares in the company jumped almost 5% after the announcement, but the firm faced attacks outside of Wall Street. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he called Ms Barra to express his \"deep disappointment\" in the closure of the Canadian GM plant, which has been in the province of Ontario for a century. US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who represents Ohio, called the decision \"corporate greed at its worst\", while Republican Senator Rob Portman, also of Ohio, said he was \"deeply frustrated\". Mr Trump, whose threats have frequently singled out the car industry, said he thought the pressure on GM would lead it to direct new work to the plants, at least in Ohio. \"I was very tough when I spoke to [Ms Barra],\" he said. \"They say the Chevy Cruze is not selling well. I said well get a car that is selling well and put it back in.\" Labour unions in the US and Canada also said they would press the company to allocate more work to the factories, instead of closing them. \"To be clear, [we do] not accept the closure of the plant as a foregone conclusion,\" labour leaders at the Oshawa factory in Canada wrote to their members. \"Remember, our plant has been in this situation before with no product on the horizon and we were able to successfully campaign for continued operations.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1559, "answer_end": 2556, "text": "GM said it is cutting production of the Buick LaCross, Chevrolet Impala and Cruze, as well as the Cadillac CT6 and XTS - all sedans - as well as the Chevrolet Volt and older versions of the Silverado and Sierra. The closures in North America include an assembly plant in Oshawa, Canada; facilities in Detroit and Warren in Michigan; a plant in Warren, Ohio and a site near Baltimore in Maryland. It is also closing a factory in South Korea, as announced in February, as well as two other international facilities that were not specified. GM said it expects the cuts in North America to affect more than 6,100 shift workers at the five plants, as well as more than 8,000 salaried employees. Globally, the firm, which employed about 180,000 salaried and shift staff at the end of last year, is aiming to reduce the number of salaried employees by 15%, including 25% fewer executives. The firm had signalled some of its plans previously, offering voluntary buyouts to up to 18,000 workers in October."}], "question": "What are the details?", "id": "787_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3339, "answer_end": 4633, "text": "Shares in the company jumped almost 5% after the announcement, but the firm faced attacks outside of Wall Street. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he called Ms Barra to express his \"deep disappointment\" in the closure of the Canadian GM plant, which has been in the province of Ontario for a century. US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who represents Ohio, called the decision \"corporate greed at its worst\", while Republican Senator Rob Portman, also of Ohio, said he was \"deeply frustrated\". Mr Trump, whose threats have frequently singled out the car industry, said he thought the pressure on GM would lead it to direct new work to the plants, at least in Ohio. \"I was very tough when I spoke to [Ms Barra],\" he said. \"They say the Chevy Cruze is not selling well. I said well get a car that is selling well and put it back in.\" Labour unions in the US and Canada also said they would press the company to allocate more work to the factories, instead of closing them. \"To be clear, [we do] not accept the closure of the plant as a foregone conclusion,\" labour leaders at the Oshawa factory in Canada wrote to their members. \"Remember, our plant has been in this situation before with no product on the horizon and we were able to successfully campaign for continued operations.\""}], "question": "What is the response?", "id": "787_1"}]}]}, {"title": "How do companies use my loyalty card data?", "date": "21 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Allegations that research firm Cambridge Analytica misused the data of 50 million people has thrust the issue of data privacy into the spotlight. A huge amount of consumer data is available and - if obtained - is a valuable asset for companies. And customer loyalty cards, while rewarding shoppers with discounts and deals, are one easy way for companies to collect data on a large scale. After the launch of Tesco Clubcard in 1995, many stores have followed suit. Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Co-op, Morrisons, Iceland, Boots and Marks and Spencer are among the retailers which currently offer reward schemes to shoppers. The average UK shopper owns three loyalty cards, according to research by retail analysts TCC Global. But how exactly do retailers use the data provided by the cards in your wallet and should you be concerned? It is well-known that companies use loyalty card data to understand shoppers' habits. This is not new, and many customers understand this is a core part of the reward card relationship. Loyalty card data helps retailers understand people's behaviour and then shape it by targeting advertising and organising products to encourage more sales. In order to get a loyalty card, customers have to register their name, address and date of birth - and sometimes other information. Scanning the reward card at a shop checkout or entering the card number while shopping online allows companies to track purchases and make a link between people shopping in store and on the web. It means retailers can create an accurate picture of when, where and how people do their shopping. Retailers can enrich the data they have collected from reward cards by buying customer data from third-party companies, known as data brokers. These third-party companies amass information from a variety of sources to create \"profiles\" of people with information about habits, patterns and personality. Retailers can then match their loyalty card data to these profiles, producing a clearer picture of shoppers. All organisations processing personal data must comply with data protection law and each company has a data privacy policy. \"This will include details of what data they can collect, how it can be used, and whether (as well as to whom) the data can be sold on,\" Dr Garfield Benjamin from the University of Birmingham's centre for Cyber Security and Privacy explained. \"There is an increasing need for greater transparency in this process - we all click 'agree' to lengthy and often confusing terms and conditions without necessarily being able to understand them.\" Although stores will often not pass loyalty scheme data to other parties, they may share customers' information with companies within the same group, which can be global. Some companies may also share the information with their retail partners, who can use it to target their advertising. Nectar, for example, can share data with at least 49 companies including Argos and Easyjet, according to consumer group Which? Data protection law is changing from May, when the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force - changing the way organisations have to look after our personal data. Campaign group Privacy International said it is concerned about the \"hidden data infrastructure\". \"Loyalty cards are not a new thing, but the volume of data available to advertisers and companies... combined with the bloated nature of companies vying for access to data is resulting in essentially the mass exploitation of people's data,\" the privacy organisation said. It said retailers and third-party companies \"hoover up information from a variety of sources\" to create profiles, wanting to \"know you better than you know yourself\". \"This picture of who you are, what your motivations are, who you want to become, can all be used to nudge you to purchase something or even behave in a certain way.\" But Prof Paul Longley, who is one of a group of academics working at the Consumer Data Research Centre, said the so-called \"big data\" can \"definitely be used for the social good\". \"We hear a lot about invasion of individual privacy and people being manipulated by such sources. But new big data sources can be used for the benefit of all,\" he said. \"So, for example, we may use smart meter energy data to enable analysis of fuel poverty, or loyalty card data or smart card data to look at how mobile people are around the country.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3185, "answer_end": 4419, "text": "Campaign group Privacy International said it is concerned about the \"hidden data infrastructure\". \"Loyalty cards are not a new thing, but the volume of data available to advertisers and companies... combined with the bloated nature of companies vying for access to data is resulting in essentially the mass exploitation of people's data,\" the privacy organisation said. It said retailers and third-party companies \"hoover up information from a variety of sources\" to create profiles, wanting to \"know you better than you know yourself\". \"This picture of who you are, what your motivations are, who you want to become, can all be used to nudge you to purchase something or even behave in a certain way.\" But Prof Paul Longley, who is one of a group of academics working at the Consumer Data Research Centre, said the so-called \"big data\" can \"definitely be used for the social good\". \"We hear a lot about invasion of individual privacy and people being manipulated by such sources. But new big data sources can be used for the benefit of all,\" he said. \"So, for example, we may use smart meter energy data to enable analysis of fuel poverty, or loyalty card data or smart card data to look at how mobile people are around the country.\""}], "question": "'Mass exploitation' or 'social good'?", "id": "788_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Refugee children on Lesbos helped to face fear of drowning", "date": "25 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"I call it reconciliation,\" says Manuel Elviro. He is part of a Spanish volunteer group that felt compelled to act after seeing some of the dramatic drawings by children who survived the perilous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece. \"There were monsters in the sea and people drowning.\" The volunteers' task was to try to entice traumatised children on the island of Lesbos back into the sea to help them tackle their fears. As well as the terror of the crossing, the children had depicted the war zones they had fled and the filth of the refugee camps, rife with violence and sexual abuse. \"Worst of all, they drew hopelessness,\" recalls Mr Elviro, a technology researcher from Spain's Balearic Islands University who volunteered for charity Proem-aid. \"As I am from Mallorca, a Mediterranean man, I love my sea. It was like an affront. We had to do something.\" In 2016, some 173,000 people reached the Greek islands from Turkey. At one point, 2,000 migrants and refugees were reaching Lesbos every day and Proem-Aid says it saved about 50,000 lives. But an EU deal with Turkey last year has dramatically slowed that number to an average of up to 70 a day. The \"pull factor\" that some accuse NGOs of providing to migrants off the coast of Libya is not currently an issue on Lesbos. The period of relative calm gave the group more time to work with survivors in makeshift immigrant camps such as Pikpa, home to some of the most vulnerable individuals who have lost relatives or suffer disabilities. \"Many of the children are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and had never seen the sea before. It's a hostile environment for them,\" says Lara Lusson, a volunteer who left her native Madrid for Lesbos in January. For Sahaar, 15, and her five-year-old brother Satria, their journey from Afghanistan to the gates of Europe ended in tragedy when their mother and two brothers aged eight and 12 were washed overboard. \"Sahaar screamed every time she saw the water,\" says Manuel Elviro. \"They were like koalas, clinging to us, saying 'Blue no good, blue no good'.\" \"Now the danger is that they will get hypothermia because we can't get them out the water,\" he laughs. \"Sahaar said 'I'm going to Turkey', and I had to grab her by the leg and pull her out.\" The volunteers work with about a dozen children at a time on spring and summer afternoons, when the water is warm. \"They are not swimming lessons; it's not like a summer camp,\" he explains. Adam, a six-year-old Iraqi Kurd, arrived at Pikpa camp with an eye problem. His eyelids were glued together, possibly due to exposure to chemical munitions. \"We took him to the water to relax him while his eyes were getting better.\" The best treatment for trauma is to confront it, argues Essam Daod, a child psychiatrist and co-founder of Humanity Crew, an NGO that addresses mental health issues among migrants in Greek camps. \"Swimming gives them a sense of control where they had none and fear was the sole master,\" Dr Daod told Spanish website eldiario.es. Manuel Elviro tells the story of a Syrian boy who lost his entire family in a bombardment. \"He told me: 'When I come with you to swim, that night I can sleep all right'.\" The idea has recently been extended to include some of the children's mothers. The man-free sessions, known as \"women's own water\" have benefited migrants like Fahtia, who arrived from Somalia with a new-born baby. The work of the Spanish charity off the shores of Lesbos is not without controversy. Three Proem-Aid volunteers will face jail terms of up to 10 years if a trial due next April upholds charges of people smuggling and possession of illegal weapons. Manuel Blanco, Julio Latorre and Enrique Rodriguez, all firefighters from Seville, were arrested by Greek coastguards in January 2016 on the waters off Lesbos as they were mounting a search-and-rescue mission for migrants. The Greek authorities consider that the knives the Spaniards were carrying constitute \"illegal weapons\". The volunteers argue the knives were the minimum blade length required to cut through ropes, nets or other material when rescuing people from the sea. Two Danish volunteers were arrested at the same time. 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_start": 2672, "answer_end": 3386, "text": "The best treatment for trauma is to confront it, argues Essam Daod, a child psychiatrist and co-founder of Humanity Crew, an NGO that addresses mental health issues among migrants in Greek camps. \"Swimming gives them a sense of control where they had none and fear was the sole master,\" Dr Daod told Spanish website eldiario.es. Manuel Elviro tells the story of a Syrian boy who lost his entire family in a bombardment. \"He told me: 'When I come with you to swim, that night I can sleep all right'.\" The idea has recently been extended to include some of the children's mothers. The man-free sessions, known as \"women's own water\" have benefited migrants like Fahtia, who arrived from Somalia with a new-born baby."}], "question": "Does water therapy work?", "id": "789_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nigerian military lifts Unicef ban after 'spy' row", "date": "15 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nigeria's military has revoked its earlier decision to suspend activities of the UN children's agency Unicef in the north-east of the country. The military said this came after \"extensive deliberations\" during emergency talks with Unicef officials. Earlier on Friday, the army had accused the agency of spying for Islamist militants in the restive region. Millions of people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east are dependent on humanitarian aid. In a statement, the army said that it had lifted a three-month ban on Unicef's operations. It said that during the meeting it urged \"Unicef representatives to ensure they share information with relevant authorities whenever induction or training of new staff is being conducted\". The statement came just hours after the military had accused the UN agency of spying for Islamists. \"[Unicef staff] train and deploy spies who support the insurgents and their sympathisers,\" the army said. These were \"unwholesome practices that could further jeopardise the fight against terrorism and insurgency,\" it added. This is not the first time the army has taken dramatic action against the UN agency. In April, the military declared three Unicef workers persona non grata, following leaked allegations of sexual abuse by Nigerian soldiers. That decision was also swiftly reversed. Nigeria's north-east has been devastated by a decade-long insurgency by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa More than 30,000 people have been killed and many more driven from their homes.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 467, "answer_end": 1548, "text": "In a statement, the army said that it had lifted a three-month ban on Unicef's operations. It said that during the meeting it urged \"Unicef representatives to ensure they share information with relevant authorities whenever induction or training of new staff is being conducted\". The statement came just hours after the military had accused the UN agency of spying for Islamists. \"[Unicef staff] train and deploy spies who support the insurgents and their sympathisers,\" the army said. These were \"unwholesome practices that could further jeopardise the fight against terrorism and insurgency,\" it added. This is not the first time the army has taken dramatic action against the UN agency. In April, the military declared three Unicef workers persona non grata, following leaked allegations of sexual abuse by Nigerian soldiers. That decision was also swiftly reversed. Nigeria's north-east has been devastated by a decade-long insurgency by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa More than 30,000 people have been killed and many more driven from their homes."}], "question": "What did the Nigerian military say?", "id": "790_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Canada crash: 14 killed in Saskatchewan junior hockey team bus crash", "date": "7 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A crash involving a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team has killed at least 14 people and critically injured three others in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Humboldt Broncos team, which has members aged between 16 and 21, were en route to a play-off game when their bus collided with a lorry on a rural road. The identities of the dead have not yet been released by officials. Tributes have been paid across Canada, including by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who tweeted his condolences. \"I cannot imagine what these parents are going through,\" he wrote. The lorry and bus collided on Friday at around 17:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Highway 35, north of Tisdale in the province of Saskatchewan. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said 28 people including the driver were on the bus at the time, and that fourteen people were killed. Fourteen people who were aboard the bus have been taken to hospital. Three are in critical condition. The Humboldt Broncos, who play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, were travelling to a game against the Nipawin Hawks. Darren Opp, the president of the Hawks, told the Globe and Mail: \"It's a horrible accident, my God, it's very, very bad. \"There's uncles and moms and dads waiting to hear whether their sons and nephews are OK.\" Myles Shumlanski, father of one of the Broncos players, described the scene as a \"disaster\" to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix paper. \"We had a crane lifting the bus,\" he said. Air ambulances were dispatched to the scene to transport the injured to hospital. It is not yet known who has died. There were coaches on the bus in addition to team members. The city of Humboldt, where the team are based, has a population of about 6,000 people. Photographs on social media showed several of the players comforting each other in hospital. In the early hours of Saturday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police inspector Ted Munro said rescue efforts were ongoing and said they had set up an information and support centre for families at the Nipawin Apostolic Church. \"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families tonight,\" he said. News of the crash has shocked Canada, where ice hockey is a national sport and loved by many. Humboldt Broncos President Kevin Garinger released a statement extending \"thoughts and prayers\" to the families of staff and athletes. \"Our Broncos family is in shock as we try to come to grips with our incredible loss,\" he said. Scott Moe, the premier of Saskatchewan province, said news of the crash was \"difficult to comprehend\", while thanking emergency services for their response.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1523, "answer_end": 2083, "text": "It is not yet known who has died. There were coaches on the bus in addition to team members. The city of Humboldt, where the team are based, has a population of about 6,000 people. Photographs on social media showed several of the players comforting each other in hospital. In the early hours of Saturday, Royal Canadian Mounted Police inspector Ted Munro said rescue efforts were ongoing and said they had set up an information and support centre for families at the Nipawin Apostolic Church. \"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families tonight,\" he said."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "791_0"}]}]}, {"title": "AirBnB raises $1bn of investment funding", "date": "9 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Home rental company AirBnB has raised $1bn (PS821m) of investment funding in a deal that values the firm at $31bn. The San Francisco-based firm disclosed the investment in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. AirBnB did not comment on how it would use the funding, but is expected to expand its operations globally. It has grown rapidly since its launch in 2008, and currently operates in 65,000 cities worldwide. The firm, which does not publish its sales figures, makes its money by enabling homeowners to rent out their homes. It takes a 3% cut of each booking and a 6% to 12% service charge from guests. It made its first profit in the second half of 2016, and will continue to be profitable this year on an underlying basis, according to media stories. They also reported that the firm had no plans to list its shares on the stock market in the near future. AirBnB has been diversifying and recently began offering users new services, such as tailor-made city tours and exclusive experiences with local experts. However, it has also faced criticism over claims it is driving up rents and contributing to housing shortages in some cities. In December, under pressure from MPs, the firm said it would block hosts in London from renting out homes for more than 90 days a year without official consent. It is also facing tougher regulations in New York, Berlin and Barcelona. The accommodation site lets people rent out their properties, often at prices undercutting hotels and traditional Bed and Breakfasts. It was started by university friends Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in 2008 to help pay the rent on their San Francisco flat. As the site expanded into more and more cities, helped by the use of professional photographers, it attracted backers including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and actor Ashton Kutcher. In total it has raised more than $3bn from investors and it is now the second most valuable start-up in the US after Uber, which is valued at about $70bn.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1395, "answer_end": 1986, "text": "The accommodation site lets people rent out their properties, often at prices undercutting hotels and traditional Bed and Breakfasts. It was started by university friends Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in 2008 to help pay the rent on their San Francisco flat. As the site expanded into more and more cities, helped by the use of professional photographers, it attracted backers including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and actor Ashton Kutcher. In total it has raised more than $3bn from investors and it is now the second most valuable start-up in the US after Uber, which is valued at about $70bn."}], "question": "What is AirBnB?", "id": "792_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany AfD: Thuringia PM quits amid fury over far right", "date": "6 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A German state premier elected with the help of the far-right AfD says he is resigning to pave the way for fresh elections. The election of liberal leader Thomas Kemmerich in the eastern state of Thuringia prompted national outrage. \"Resignation is unavoidable,\" he said. For years Germany's main parties have shunned Alternative for Germany (AfD). Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose own party also backed Mr Kemmerich - called Wednesday's election \"unforgivable\". The AfD has grown in popularity in recent years but has been condemned for its extreme views on immigration, freedom of speech and the press. Wednesday's vote was described as a political earthquake as it was the first time the AfD had helped form a government in Germany, breaking a consensus among the main parties never to work with extremist parties. Mr Kemmerich has now announced he will seek new elections in the state, \"to remove the stain of the AfD's support for the office of the premiership\". He will need a two-thirds majority to dissolve the chamber and bring about a fresh vote. Despite the AfD having broad support in Thuringia, the state election in October was won by the far-left Die Linke. And the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) had just 5% of the vote, barely scraping into the local parliament in the state capital, Erfurt. But on Wednesday, in the secret vote to pick the leader of the government, Mr Kemmerich of the FDP beat Die Linke's leader Bodo Ramelow by 45 votes to 44 - thanks to votes from the AfD. Mr Kemmerich also got votes from local MPs in his FDP and Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), prompting outrage from critics, who said the two centre-right parties had apparently made a pact with the far right. Mr Kemmerich insisted there had been no co-operation with the far right and accused the AfD of carrying out a \"perfidious trick to harm democracy\". However, there are now suggestions the FDP and AfD had discussed a pact in Thuringia before. A letter sent by AfD's Thuringia leader to Mr Kemmerich on 1 November has gone viral on Twitter, in which the regional AfD leader offered his party's support - either to form a technocratic government or a minority FDP-led government. It would break the long-standing red-red-green ruling coalition in Thuringia, he said. The letter, first reported by regional broadcaster MDR at the time, shows that the AfD was seeking a deal long before Wednesday's political shock. By Jenny Hill, BBC Berlin correspondent Germany may have pledged \"never again\". But 90 years after the rise of the Nazi Party, the far right has once again played - albeit briefly - the role of kingmaker in a German state. The former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was among those who took to social media in protest, circulating a photograph of a newly-elected Mr Kemmerich shaking hands with Thuringia's AfD leader Bjorn Hocke, and juxtaposing it with one of Hitler greeting the then-German President Paul von Hindenburg. Barely a week ago, this country reflected on the atrocities of World War Two, during commemorations to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. That the far right has been able to wield such influence, that a mainstream political party accepted its support and that, knowingly or otherwise, Angela Merkel's CDU appeared to align with them is, for many, the source of great shame. There were immediate calls for Mr Kemmerich to resign. Speaking on a visit to South Africa, Chancellor Merkel said the Thuringia vote had to be reversed. \"It was a bad day for democracy, a day that broke with the long and proud tradition of the CDU's values. This is in no way in line with what the CDU thinks, how we have acted throughout our party's existence,\" she said. CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also said Mr Kemmerich should stand down, and her party's Social Democrat coalition partners in Berlin called on the CDU to distance themselves from the AfD. Both parties plan to hold crisis talks on Saturday. Amid the growing pressure, Mr Kemmerich told reporters on Thursday that his FDP had decided to request the dissolution of the state parliament. FDP leader Christian Lindner had travelled to Erfurt on Thursday for talks with Mr Kemmerich ahead of the party's statement. After the resignation he called for a vote of confidence in the party's national leadership. Some have compared the AfD's surprise move to the Nazis' rise to power and there were protests in several German cities after the election. In 1930 a Nazi entered the Thuringia government, the party's first big breakthrough in the Weimar Republic, culminating in Adolf Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933. The Thuringia AfD is led by Bjorn Hocke, one of the AfD's most controversial figures. He sparked an outcry when he condemned the decision to place the Holocaust memorial in the heart of Berlin, describing it as a \"memorial of shame\". The anti-immigration and anti-Islam AfD has MPs in all 16 of Germany's state parliaments. Nationally the AfD has 89 seats in the lower house of parliament (Bundestag), out of 709 in total, making it the largest opposition party. In a tweet (in German), the AfD hit back at people who compared them with the Nazi Party because of their extremist views. \"These Nazi comparisons, for example one by Peter Frey of @ZDF, really stink. We in the AfD stand FOR a law-based state, democracy, political pluralism and FOR Jewish life in our country. We are AGAINST all violence and censorship of opinion. Stop the incitement!\" the tweet said. Among the tweets comparing the AfD to the Nazis was one from Die Linke's Bodo Ramelow, who juxtaposed a photo of Hitler becoming chancellor with Wednesday's photo of Mr Hocke shaking hands with Mr Kemmerich. The tweet included a quote from Hitler, who said in February 1930: \"We achieved the greatest success in Thuringia. Today we really are the crucial party there... The parties in Thuringia, which up until now formed the government, cannot get a majority without our assistance.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1057, "answer_end": 2417, "text": "Despite the AfD having broad support in Thuringia, the state election in October was won by the far-left Die Linke. And the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) had just 5% of the vote, barely scraping into the local parliament in the state capital, Erfurt. But on Wednesday, in the secret vote to pick the leader of the government, Mr Kemmerich of the FDP beat Die Linke's leader Bodo Ramelow by 45 votes to 44 - thanks to votes from the AfD. Mr Kemmerich also got votes from local MPs in his FDP and Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), prompting outrage from critics, who said the two centre-right parties had apparently made a pact with the far right. Mr Kemmerich insisted there had been no co-operation with the far right and accused the AfD of carrying out a \"perfidious trick to harm democracy\". However, there are now suggestions the FDP and AfD had discussed a pact in Thuringia before. A letter sent by AfD's Thuringia leader to Mr Kemmerich on 1 November has gone viral on Twitter, in which the regional AfD leader offered his party's support - either to form a technocratic government or a minority FDP-led government. It would break the long-standing red-red-green ruling coalition in Thuringia, he said. The letter, first reported by regional broadcaster MDR at the time, shows that the AfD was seeking a deal long before Wednesday's political shock."}], "question": "What happened in Thuringia?", "id": "793_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3365, "answer_end": 4895, "text": "There were immediate calls for Mr Kemmerich to resign. Speaking on a visit to South Africa, Chancellor Merkel said the Thuringia vote had to be reversed. \"It was a bad day for democracy, a day that broke with the long and proud tradition of the CDU's values. This is in no way in line with what the CDU thinks, how we have acted throughout our party's existence,\" she said. CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also said Mr Kemmerich should stand down, and her party's Social Democrat coalition partners in Berlin called on the CDU to distance themselves from the AfD. Both parties plan to hold crisis talks on Saturday. Amid the growing pressure, Mr Kemmerich told reporters on Thursday that his FDP had decided to request the dissolution of the state parliament. FDP leader Christian Lindner had travelled to Erfurt on Thursday for talks with Mr Kemmerich ahead of the party's statement. After the resignation he called for a vote of confidence in the party's national leadership. Some have compared the AfD's surprise move to the Nazis' rise to power and there were protests in several German cities after the election. In 1930 a Nazi entered the Thuringia government, the party's first big breakthrough in the Weimar Republic, culminating in Adolf Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933. The Thuringia AfD is led by Bjorn Hocke, one of the AfD's most controversial figures. He sparked an outcry when he condemned the decision to place the Holocaust memorial in the heart of Berlin, describing it as a \"memorial of shame\"."}], "question": "What was the reaction?", "id": "793_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4896, "answer_end": 6013, "text": "The anti-immigration and anti-Islam AfD has MPs in all 16 of Germany's state parliaments. Nationally the AfD has 89 seats in the lower house of parliament (Bundestag), out of 709 in total, making it the largest opposition party. In a tweet (in German), the AfD hit back at people who compared them with the Nazi Party because of their extremist views. \"These Nazi comparisons, for example one by Peter Frey of @ZDF, really stink. We in the AfD stand FOR a law-based state, democracy, political pluralism and FOR Jewish life in our country. We are AGAINST all violence and censorship of opinion. Stop the incitement!\" the tweet said. Among the tweets comparing the AfD to the Nazis was one from Die Linke's Bodo Ramelow, who juxtaposed a photo of Hitler becoming chancellor with Wednesday's photo of Mr Hocke shaking hands with Mr Kemmerich. The tweet included a quote from Hitler, who said in February 1930: \"We achieved the greatest success in Thuringia. Today we really are the crucial party there... The parties in Thuringia, which up until now formed the government, cannot get a majority without our assistance.\""}], "question": "What is the AfD?", "id": "793_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Yemen conflict: The UK's delicate balancing act", "date": "12 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Appalled by the carnage of last Saturday's double bombing of a Yemeni funeral, Britain is sending its Minister for the Middle East on a sensitive mission to Riyadh. The explosions killed at least 140 people, mostly civilians, and injured over 500. More than four days on since the attack - which was widely reported to have been an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition - the Saudi authorities have yet to publicly accept responsibility. The UK, which has a long-standing and lucrative defence and trade relationship with Saudi Arabia, has taken the unusual step of requesting \"oversight\" of the ongoing investigation into the attack. Will this be enough to dampen the growing condemnation of US and British military support for the Saudi campaign? Unlikely. Tobias Ellwood MP, the Foreign Office minister for the Middle East and the man who has to periodically stand up in Parliament to defend Britain's arms sales to the Saudis, is due to hold sensitive talks with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubair as well as the Yemeni president and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen. At stake is more than just an explanation of how such a horrific death toll was incurred in a single attack at the weekend. For the UK, this is also about the whole nature and rationale of its controversial strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia, which campaigners want immediately curtailed. In March 2015 Saudi Arabia went to war in Yemen at the head of a coalition of 11 countries. Its aim was to reverse the takeover of the country by Houthi rebels, who are supported by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, and to restore the UN-recognised President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his government to power. Armed with state-of-the-art US and British warplanes and their munitions, Saudi Arabia's air force and its allies have complete air superiority in the skies over Yemen, meaning they alone can carry out air strikes. These have failed to dislodge the Houthis from the capital Sanaa and from much of the heavily-populated west of Yemen. The damage inflicted on civilians has been catastrophic. The UN blames the air strikes for causing 60% of the estimated 4,000 civilian deaths. The Houthis are far from blameless. They and their allies among the forces loyal to the ousted Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh are accused of shelling densely populated areas, laying mines indiscriminately and contributing to the humanitarian crisis that now afflicts the country. They have also embedded themselves in the civilian population, exposing non-combatants to the risk of attack. Round after round of peace talks have failed to reach a compromise deal between the Houthis and the legitimate - but now deeply unpopular - Yemeni government which clings to a corner of land around the southern port of Aden. Ceasefires have been announced, and then quickly fallen apart. The Foreign Office is at pains to point out that Britain is not a part of the Saudi-led coalition. But the fact is that British and US military hardware is sustaining the Saudi campaign and Yemenis know it. The US also provides intelligence and refuelling for the coalition. Even before Saturday's bombing of the funeral hall there were accusations that Saudi Arabia's air strikes in Yemen constituted a breach of the Geneva Convention and were possibly war crimes. The Saudis insist they abide by a strict code, the Law of Armed Conflict, and have never deliberately targeted civilians, a claim disputed by many Yemenis. The Saudis also undertake to investigate allegations that its warplanes have killed civilians through an 11-nation body called the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT). And hereby lies the problem.  The Saudis say the JIAT operates to exactly the same high standards as similar investigations carried out by US and other Western militaries. Although the JIAT has admitted to some targeting errors, several of its members are the very same countries that are part of the Saudi-led coalition. Hence the jibe on social media that their findings carry as much weight as \"a criminal judging his own crime\". Hence Britain's request to have what it calls \"oversight\" (the Saudis prefer to call it \"assistance\") into this latest incident. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said if it transpires that civilians were knowingly targeted last Saturday then the UK \"could review\" its defence relationship with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have promised total transparency. That, in theory, should reveal who, if anyone, gave the order to bomb the funeral, knowing that senior Houthi rebel leaders would be present, and crucially whether or not they knew that large numbers of civilians would be hit. The Foreign Office minister's talks on Thursday could be uncomfortable for all sides.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2840, "answer_end": 3632, "text": "The Foreign Office is at pains to point out that Britain is not a part of the Saudi-led coalition. But the fact is that British and US military hardware is sustaining the Saudi campaign and Yemenis know it. The US also provides intelligence and refuelling for the coalition. Even before Saturday's bombing of the funeral hall there were accusations that Saudi Arabia's air strikes in Yemen constituted a breach of the Geneva Convention and were possibly war crimes. The Saudis insist they abide by a strict code, the Law of Armed Conflict, and have never deliberately targeted civilians, a claim disputed by many Yemenis. The Saudis also undertake to investigate allegations that its warplanes have killed civilians through an 11-nation body called the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT)."}], "question": "War crimes?", "id": "794_0"}]}]}, {"title": "No hate crime charge for 'kill a Mexican' attack in Utah", "date": "3 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A legal loophole means a Utah man who allegedly battered a Latino father and son while shouting \"I'm here to kill a Mexican\" cannot be charged with a hate crime, say officials. Alan Dale Covington, 50, is accused of brutally beating Jose Lopez, 51, and his son Luis, 18, with a metal bar. Federal hate crime laws exist, but in Utah only non-serious assaults can be classified as hate crimes. Police say Mr Covington's mental health issues complicate the situation. A Salt Lake County police log said the suspect walked into the Lopez Tires mechanics' garage in Salt Lake City on 27 November with a metal pipe. He declared he was going to kill someone before attacking. The family told the Salt Lake Tribune that Mr Covington had been shouting slurs before the attack, saying \"I hate Mexicans\" and asking if the Lopez's were \"part of the Mexican Mafia\" prison gang. He hit Luis first, knocking him unconscious, the family said. When Jose tried to protect his son, he was hit as well. Luis remains in hospital recovering from serious injuries. On a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family's medical bills, Jose Lopez's daughter Veronica wrote that doctors had to operate on her brother, using a titanium plate to hold his \"shattered\" face together. Her father had eight stitches in his arm and bruising to his back, she added. According to county records, Mr Covington faces eight charges, including two felony counts of aggravated assault on top of drug and weapon charges. But under a much-debated Utah state law, only misdemeanour-level crimes can be charged as hate crimes, not more serious felony offences. \"Whether this was a hate crime or not is not even an issue for me to bring to the table - I don't have a statute that allows me to do it,\" Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told the BBC. \"The state has abdicated its responsibility for the last 20 years - that's why there's never been a hate crime prosecuted at the state level.\" County Police Detective Greg Wilking told the Tribune it appears Mr Covington had \"some mental health issues\" and had taken drugs before the assault. \"We don't want to ignore a hate crime if it's a hate crime, but we don't want to make it a hate crime if there's not that aspect of it,\" the detective said. In the US, hate crimes are generally defined as bias-motivated physical attacks. Hate crime charges can seriously increase the severity of a sentencing as they are considered attacks on an individual, a community and society. In Utah, a bill that would allow state judges to prosecute felonies as hate crimes has stalled for the third time. Mr Gill told the BBC the state had 94 possible hate crimes last year - but only one could be prosecuted at the federal level. Most states have some form of hate crime laws, but five - Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Indiana and Arkansas - do not have any hate crime statutes at all. Only 17 have laws covering sexual orientation and gender biases, and 16 do not expressly cover either, according to Family Equality Council, an LGBT advocacy group. In such states, local authorities must have the FBI and other federal agencies prosecute bias-motivated cases instead. Hate crimes in the US rose by 17% in 2017, the third straight year that incidents have increased, according to the FBI.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2261, "answer_end": 3290, "text": "In the US, hate crimes are generally defined as bias-motivated physical attacks. Hate crime charges can seriously increase the severity of a sentencing as they are considered attacks on an individual, a community and society. In Utah, a bill that would allow state judges to prosecute felonies as hate crimes has stalled for the third time. Mr Gill told the BBC the state had 94 possible hate crimes last year - but only one could be prosecuted at the federal level. Most states have some form of hate crime laws, but five - Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Indiana and Arkansas - do not have any hate crime statutes at all. Only 17 have laws covering sexual orientation and gender biases, and 16 do not expressly cover either, according to Family Equality Council, an LGBT advocacy group. In such states, local authorities must have the FBI and other federal agencies prosecute bias-motivated cases instead. Hate crimes in the US rose by 17% in 2017, the third straight year that incidents have increased, according to the FBI."}], "question": "What are hate crime laws like across the US?", "id": "795_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pangolins: Hong Kong finds 'record' haul of scales in shipping container", "date": "1 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A record eight tonnes of pangolin scales and more than 1,000 elephant tusks have been seized from a shipping container in Hong Kong, officials say. The container, from Nigeria and said to be carrying frozen beef, was searched after a tip-off. The illegal cargo has an estimated value of about $8m (PS6m). Two arrests were made, officials say. The scales of the pangolin, an endangered anteater, are said to have medicinal value in parts of Asia. They have previously been smuggled into countries from Africa in huge quantities, with the pangolin thought to be the world's most trafficked mammal. On Friday, Hong Kong customs officers said they had seized some 8,300kg of pangolin scales and 2,100kg of ivory tusks hidden inside the container, AFP news agency reports. They added that the shipment, which was bound for Vietnam, was \"a record quantity for a seizure of pangolin scales\". A man and a woman from a trading company were arrested in Hong Kong, the customs department said. It is difficult to determine how many pangolins would have been killed to make 8,300kg of scales as there are three species of the anteater ranging in weight from about 2kg to 35kg, Dr Helen O'Neill from the Zoological Society of London told the BBC. These unusual-looking creatures are the world's most scaly animal. All eight species are endangered because they are hunted for their scales and meat - and are now protected under international law. The scales, which are made from nothing more than keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair, are sought after for their unproven medicinal properties. Some 100,000 pangolins are snatched every year from the wild and sent to Vietnam and China. This has led to their numbers falling drastically.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1234, "answer_end": 1752, "text": "These unusual-looking creatures are the world's most scaly animal. All eight species are endangered because they are hunted for their scales and meat - and are now protected under international law. The scales, which are made from nothing more than keratin, the same material that makes up human fingernails and hair, are sought after for their unproven medicinal properties. Some 100,000 pangolins are snatched every year from the wild and sent to Vietnam and China. This has led to their numbers falling drastically."}], "question": "Why are pangolins trafficked?", "id": "796_0"}]}]}, {"title": "South Africa's President Zuma awaits result of no-confidence vote", "date": "8 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is waiting to find out if a motion of no-confidence has passed following a secret vote in parliament. The governing African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties traded barbs in two hours of heated debate on Tuesday, before voting on the issue. Mr Zuma has already survived seven no-confidence votes, called for amid repeated allegations of corruption. But this is the first time it has been held in secret. In order for the no-confidence motion to pass, at least 50 out of the ANC's 249 MPs would need to vote against the president - leading to opposition parties pleading with ANC MPs to \"vote with their conscience\". \"Today our choice is between right and wrong; between good and evil,\" the Democratic Alliance's Mmusi Maimane said, while Andries Tlouamma, deputy president of the Agang party, warned if Mr Zuma survived then South Africa was \"on a highway to hell\". Meanwhile, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, of the opposition Inkatha Freedom Party, said President Jacob Zuma has \"trampled on the constitution\" and has \"sold the country to the highest bidder\". But Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told the gathered MPs the vote was \"akin to a coup\". \"My conscience tells me we all need to respect the voters who brought us here,\" she said, urging MPs to wait until the 2019 election, when the people would make their voices heard. Mr Zuma is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, ahead of the 2019 general election. He has endorsed his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as his successor. Also vying for the leadership is Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist and one of South Africa's wealthiest politicians. Following a 90-minute debate, the House will adjourn to prepare for the vote. A bell will then be rung and MPs called in alphabetical order to collect their ballot papers. There are three options on the ballot paper: Yes, No or Abstain. After each MP has voted, the ballot boxes will be sealed. A representative from each party will be called to witness the count. The counting room will be guarded by the Sergeant-in-Arms, under the supervision of the party representatives and Speaker. Finally, the bell will be rung again and the speaker will announce the results. Criticism of Mr Zuma has increased this year, after he fired his widely-respected finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, in March. This came amid accusations that the president had become too close to the wealthy Gupta family, who are accused of trying to influence politician decisions - including the sacking of Mr Gordhan. Mr Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing. Outside of parliament, rival protests were being held in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, where the vote will take place. Johannesburg police are on high alert ahead of the vote, the city's Councillor for Public Safety, Michael Sun, said in a statement. He has faced numerous corruption allegations, all of which he has denied. His critics also say he has mismanaged the economy and failed to raise living standards. - 2005: Charged with corruption over multi-billion dollar 1999 arms deal  - charges dropped shortly before he becomes president in 2009 - 2016: Court orders he should be charged with 786 counts of corruption over the deal - he has appealed - 2005: Charged with raping family friend - acquitted in 2006 - 2016: Court rules he breached his oath of office by using government money to upgrade private home in Nkandla - he has repaid the money - 2017: Public protector said he should appoint judge-led inquiry into allegations he profiteered from relationship with wealthy Gupta family - he denies allegations, as have the Guptas - No inquiry appointed yet The Guptas and their links to Zuma South Africa's anti-corruption crusader How Zuma's Nkandla home has grown Although allegations of corruption have dogged Mr Zuma for years now, a growing number from within his party have publicly called on him to step down, the BBC's Milton Nkosi in Cape Town says. Some, like ANC MP Makhosi Khoza, have even received death threats for speaking out against the president. She said that a vote for the motion will not be a vote against the ANC, but a vote against corruption. But our correspondent says that Mr Zuma still enjoys a considerable amount of support from his party - the question now is how many of his MPs are prepared to take a stand against him.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1669, "answer_end": 2236, "text": "Following a 90-minute debate, the House will adjourn to prepare for the vote. A bell will then be rung and MPs called in alphabetical order to collect their ballot papers. There are three options on the ballot paper: Yes, No or Abstain. After each MP has voted, the ballot boxes will be sealed. A representative from each party will be called to witness the count. The counting room will be guarded by the Sergeant-in-Arms, under the supervision of the party representatives and Speaker. Finally, the bell will be rung again and the speaker will announce the results."}], "question": "How does the vote work?", "id": "797_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia floods: Fire-hit Australia faces 'dangerous' downpours", "date": "7 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) is braced for severe wet weather this weekend as downpours ease the bushfire crisis in the region. Severe weather warnings for rain, winds and flooding have been issued for coastal areas of the eastern state. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned of \"dangerous conditions\" on Saturday and Sunday. There has already been flooding in Sydney and other areas along the coast. Friday was the wettest day recorded in well over a year in Sydney, where roads were closed and public transport delayed. Other NSW towns faced flood waters as well, including Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour, where 280mm and 250mm of rain fell respectively. The heavy rains are expected to continue until early next week, providing relief to some drought and fire-ravaged areas. NSW Rural Fire Service said the rain had extinguished a third of the blazes there, but as of Friday, 43 were still burning. \"Good rainfall is being recorded in parts of the state, with a hope it continues to drop where needed most,\" the fire service said. A weather system developing off the east coast of New South Wales is forecast to intensify over the weekend, after moving south from neighbouring Queensland. The BOM has issued a severe weather warning for a large stretch of coastline, from Coffs Harbour in the north to Batemans Bay in the south. Heavy rainfall is likely to cause flash flooding in parts of the Mid North Coast, lower Hunter, Sydney Metropolitan, and Illawarra regions, and eastern parts of the Central Tablelands, the BOM said. Damaging winds of up to 55mph (90 km/h), abnormally high tides, and damaging surf conditions were also forecast in parts of the affected area. The State Emergency Service in New South Wales advised residents to leave low-lying areas \"well before flash flooding begins\" but \"only if it is safe to do so\". Weather warnings are also in force in Queensland, where severe thunderstorms are forecast \"to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding\". Meanwhile in Western Australia, residents are hunkering down as a tropical cyclone approaches the state's northern coast. The cyclone is forecast to hit coastal areas on Saturday, unleashing powerful gusts and torrential rain. NSW fire officials said they were \"over the moon\" to see the state's forecast for a week-long drenching come to fruition. \"This isn't just one of those scattered showers we saw a month ago,\" NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) spokeswoman Angela Burford told the BBC. \"This is really helping our firefighters, and in some places, giving them a well-needed rest.\" However, Ms Burford warned that the largest blazes, in the state's inland south and near the capital city of Canberra, had received limited showers so far and were still of concern. Much of NSW has been in drought for over three years, and such conditions have fuelled the intensity of the summer's unprecedented fires. Some fires, which were finally contained this week, have been burning for over two months. NSW fire chief Shane Fitzsimmons said hotter and drier conditions were expected to return in the coming weeks. The state's bushfire season, which began in September, could run until as late as April. However, he said this particular period of rain \"is breaking the back of this fire season, no doubt\". NSW has been the state most devastated in Australia's 2019-20 bushfires crisis. The unprecedented scale and intensity of the blazes is a direct effect of climate change, scientists say. Officials have warned that the peak of fire danger is still to come for the southern states of Victoria and South Australia. Nationally, blazes have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of homes. More than 11 million hectares of land - an area comparable to the size of England - has been scorched.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2236, "answer_end": 3805, "text": "NSW fire officials said they were \"over the moon\" to see the state's forecast for a week-long drenching come to fruition. \"This isn't just one of those scattered showers we saw a month ago,\" NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) spokeswoman Angela Burford told the BBC. \"This is really helping our firefighters, and in some places, giving them a well-needed rest.\" However, Ms Burford warned that the largest blazes, in the state's inland south and near the capital city of Canberra, had received limited showers so far and were still of concern. Much of NSW has been in drought for over three years, and such conditions have fuelled the intensity of the summer's unprecedented fires. Some fires, which were finally contained this week, have been burning for over two months. NSW fire chief Shane Fitzsimmons said hotter and drier conditions were expected to return in the coming weeks. The state's bushfire season, which began in September, could run until as late as April. However, he said this particular period of rain \"is breaking the back of this fire season, no doubt\". NSW has been the state most devastated in Australia's 2019-20 bushfires crisis. The unprecedented scale and intensity of the blazes is a direct effect of climate change, scientists say. Officials have warned that the peak of fire danger is still to come for the southern states of Victoria and South Australia. Nationally, blazes have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of homes. More than 11 million hectares of land - an area comparable to the size of England - has been scorched."}], "question": "What impact has the weather had on bushfires?", "id": "798_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong: Protesters storm and deface parliament on handover anniversary", "date": "1 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Protesters have forced their way into the central chamber of Hong Kong's parliament after an hours-long siege. Dozens of demonstrators broke through the glass of the Legislative Council (LegCo) building earlier in the day. Hundreds then entered the building, spray-painting messages on the walls and carrying supplies for those occupying the premises. At midnight, (16:00 GMT) hundreds of police charged towards the building after warning protesters to clear it. Police fired tear gas into the remaining crowd outside the building as they advanced. Earlier on Monday evening, police warned that protesters must clear the building or face \"appropriate force\". Most of the demonstrators had left the building by then - though a few still remained in the central chamber. - Are you at the protests? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Extensive damage was done to the building, with portraits of political leaders torn from the walls and furniture smashed. Inside the central legislative chamber, one protester sprayed black paint across the emblem of Hong Kong on the rear wall - while another raised the old British colonial flag. The unrest followed a peaceful protest involving hundreds of thousands over a controversial extradition law. Pro-democracy demonstrators had taken to the streets on the anniversary of the city's handover from UK to Chinese rule. This is the latest in a series of protests against a controversial bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China. The government has agreed to suspend it indefinitely, but rallies continue and Chief Executive Carrie Lam is facing calls to resign. Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been part of China since 1997 under a \"one country, two systems\" deal that guarantees it a level of autonomy. Pro-democracy events are held every year to mark the handover. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted that \"UK support for Hong Kong and its freedoms is UNWAVERING on this anniversary day\". On Monday morning, a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover took place inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, amid a heavy police presence. Demonstrators blocked several roads nearby early using items like metal and plastic barriers. Police officers equipped with shields, batons and pepper spray clashed with hundreds of protesters about 30 minutes before the ceremony. At least one woman was seen bleeding from a head wound after the clashes, AFP news agency says. A police statement condemned \"illegal acts\" by protesters who, it said, had taken iron poles and guard rails from nearby building sites. Thirteen police officers were taken to hospital after protesters threw an \"unknown liquid\" at them, police said. Some are reported to have suffered breathing difficulties as a result. Thousands then joined a mostly peaceful pro-democracy march on Monday afternoon. At about lunchtime, a breakaway group of protesters moved to LegCo. The small group began ramming the glass doors with a metal trolley, succeeding in smashing in the door, before largely dispersing. On Monday evening, some then returned to LegCo and began pulling off external fencing and entered the building. Police had warned it would arrest protesters breaching the site but apparently fell back instead. One man, identifying himself as G, told the BBC protesters were ready for a backlash. \"The movement is now beyond the bill,\" he said. \"It's about the autonomy of Hong Kong.\" The government condemned what it labelled \"extremely violent\" acts, adding police would \"take appropriate enforcement action to protect public order and safety\". Hong Kong's \"one country, two systems\" system allows it freedoms not seen in mainland China, including judicial independence. The extradition bill raised concerns for that status. Critics of the bill feared it could be used to target opponents of the government in Beijing, and to bring Hong Kong further under China's control. Mass demonstrations forced the government to apologise and suspend the planned extradition law. However, many protesters said they would not back down until the bill had been completely scrapped. Many are still angry about the level of force used by police against protesters, and have called for an investigation. However, there have also been smaller demonstrations by the territory's pro-Beijing movement. On Sunday, thousands of pro-Beijing protesters rallied in support of the Hong Kong police.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1947, "answer_end": 3580, "text": "On Monday morning, a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover took place inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, amid a heavy police presence. Demonstrators blocked several roads nearby early using items like metal and plastic barriers. Police officers equipped with shields, batons and pepper spray clashed with hundreds of protesters about 30 minutes before the ceremony. At least one woman was seen bleeding from a head wound after the clashes, AFP news agency says. A police statement condemned \"illegal acts\" by protesters who, it said, had taken iron poles and guard rails from nearby building sites. Thirteen police officers were taken to hospital after protesters threw an \"unknown liquid\" at them, police said. Some are reported to have suffered breathing difficulties as a result. Thousands then joined a mostly peaceful pro-democracy march on Monday afternoon. At about lunchtime, a breakaway group of protesters moved to LegCo. The small group began ramming the glass doors with a metal trolley, succeeding in smashing in the door, before largely dispersing. On Monday evening, some then returned to LegCo and began pulling off external fencing and entered the building. Police had warned it would arrest protesters breaching the site but apparently fell back instead. One man, identifying himself as G, told the BBC protesters were ready for a backlash. \"The movement is now beyond the bill,\" he said. \"It's about the autonomy of Hong Kong.\" The government condemned what it labelled \"extremely violent\" acts, adding police would \"take appropriate enforcement action to protect public order and safety\"."}], "question": "How did events unfold?", "id": "799_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3581, "answer_end": 4408, "text": "Hong Kong's \"one country, two systems\" system allows it freedoms not seen in mainland China, including judicial independence. The extradition bill raised concerns for that status. Critics of the bill feared it could be used to target opponents of the government in Beijing, and to bring Hong Kong further under China's control. Mass demonstrations forced the government to apologise and suspend the planned extradition law. However, many protesters said they would not back down until the bill had been completely scrapped. Many are still angry about the level of force used by police against protesters, and have called for an investigation. However, there have also been smaller demonstrations by the territory's pro-Beijing movement. On Sunday, thousands of pro-Beijing protesters rallied in support of the Hong Kong police."}], "question": "Why have people been protesting?", "id": "799_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Who is behind Mexico's drug-related violence?", "date": "10 February 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tens of thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past seven years. Most of the violence is attributed to fighting between rival drug gangs for control of territory and drug shipment routes. Who are these groups and who are they fighting against? Mexico's largest and most powerful drug gangs are the Zetas and the Sinaloa cartel. The Zetas operate in more than half of Mexico's states and, according to US geopolitical analysis firm Stratfor, overtook their rivals from the Sinaloa cartel in 2012 in terms of geographic presence. Stratfor says the Zetas' brutal violence gave the gang an advantage over the Sinaloa cartel, which prefers to bribe people. However, the Zetas have reportedly been weakened by the loss of their long-time leader Heriberto \"El Lazca\" Lazcano, who was killed by the Mexican military in October 2012, and his replacement, Miguel Angel Trevino, who was arrested in July 2013. Other influential and violent cartels are the Knights Templar, the Gulf cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Mexico's cartels control much of the illegal drugs trade from South America to the United States. They import cocaine from South America and smuggle it on to the US. Some groups grow and smuggle marijuana, while others have specialised in manufacturing methamphetamines, importing precursor drugs from as far away as China. Most cartels also extort local businesses and bolster their finances through kidnappings for ransom. They have also been involved in people smuggling, prostitution rings, intimidation and murder, Government security forces are fighting the drug cartels in an attempt to re-establish law and order. Rival cartels are at war with each other in bitter territorial battles. There is also internecine warfare between cartel members, and the emergence of break-away factions is not unusual. The Zetas, for example, were first created as the enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel, but later turned on their former allies and have been at war with them ever since. The Knights Templar are an off-shoot of La Familia Michoacana, a cartel that was weakened after the killing of its leader in 2010. Allegiances shift, and former rivals sometimes band together to fight emerging groups. Vigilante groups made up of civilians who say they are fed up with the lack of action by the security forces emerged in 2012 in the western states of Michoacan and Guerrero to fight the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar have accused them of being in league with their rivals from the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion. Before taking up office, President Enrique Pena Nieto said he would break with the approach of Felipe Calderon, his predecessor. Mr Calderon had deployed the army to go after cartel kingpins and had declared \"war\" on the drug gangs. Mr Pena Nieto promised a lower-profile approach aimed at tackling the violence on a local level by setting up a national gendarmerie to take over from the troops. But with growing violence in Michoacan, he too sent the army to back up federal and local police forces. He also struck a deal with vigilante groups, allowing them to keep their weapons as long as they agreed to be integrated in the official security forces. According to a study by international think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, northern Mexico continues to be the region worst affected by drug-related violence due to its proximity to the United States, the region's most important market for illicit drugs. But Guerrero on the Pacific coast and central Morelos state have joined the list of most violent states, suggesting the cartels are extending their area of influence. A study by Mexico's Citizens' Council for Public Security and Penal Justice suggests the city of Oaxaca has the highest occurrence of violent crime, followed by the resort town of Acapulco and Cuernavaca in Morelos state.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 286, "answer_end": 1060, "text": "Mexico's largest and most powerful drug gangs are the Zetas and the Sinaloa cartel. The Zetas operate in more than half of Mexico's states and, according to US geopolitical analysis firm Stratfor, overtook their rivals from the Sinaloa cartel in 2012 in terms of geographic presence. Stratfor says the Zetas' brutal violence gave the gang an advantage over the Sinaloa cartel, which prefers to bribe people. However, the Zetas have reportedly been weakened by the loss of their long-time leader Heriberto \"El Lazca\" Lazcano, who was killed by the Mexican military in October 2012, and his replacement, Miguel Angel Trevino, who was arrested in July 2013. Other influential and violent cartels are the Knights Templar, the Gulf cartel and the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion."}], "question": "Who are the main players?", "id": "800_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1061, "answer_end": 1580, "text": "Mexico's cartels control much of the illegal drugs trade from South America to the United States. They import cocaine from South America and smuggle it on to the US. Some groups grow and smuggle marijuana, while others have specialised in manufacturing methamphetamines, importing precursor drugs from as far away as China. Most cartels also extort local businesses and bolster their finances through kidnappings for ransom. They have also been involved in people smuggling, prostitution rings, intimidation and murder,"}], "question": "What do the cartels do?", "id": "800_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1581, "answer_end": 2576, "text": "Government security forces are fighting the drug cartels in an attempt to re-establish law and order. Rival cartels are at war with each other in bitter territorial battles. There is also internecine warfare between cartel members, and the emergence of break-away factions is not unusual. The Zetas, for example, were first created as the enforcement arm of the Gulf cartel, but later turned on their former allies and have been at war with them ever since. The Knights Templar are an off-shoot of La Familia Michoacana, a cartel that was weakened after the killing of its leader in 2010. Allegiances shift, and former rivals sometimes band together to fight emerging groups. Vigilante groups made up of civilians who say they are fed up with the lack of action by the security forces emerged in 2012 in the western states of Michoacan and Guerrero to fight the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar have accused them of being in league with their rivals from the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion."}], "question": "Who is fighting whom?", "id": "800_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2577, "answer_end": 3231, "text": "Before taking up office, President Enrique Pena Nieto said he would break with the approach of Felipe Calderon, his predecessor. Mr Calderon had deployed the army to go after cartel kingpins and had declared \"war\" on the drug gangs. Mr Pena Nieto promised a lower-profile approach aimed at tackling the violence on a local level by setting up a national gendarmerie to take over from the troops. But with growing violence in Michoacan, he too sent the army to back up federal and local police forces. He also struck a deal with vigilante groups, allowing them to keep their weapons as long as they agreed to be integrated in the official security forces."}], "question": "What has been Mexico's strategy to tackle drug-related violence?", "id": "800_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3232, "answer_end": 3884, "text": "According to a study by international think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, northern Mexico continues to be the region worst affected by drug-related violence due to its proximity to the United States, the region's most important market for illicit drugs. But Guerrero on the Pacific coast and central Morelos state have joined the list of most violent states, suggesting the cartels are extending their area of influence. A study by Mexico's Citizens' Council for Public Security and Penal Justice suggests the city of Oaxaca has the highest occurrence of violent crime, followed by the resort town of Acapulco and Cuernavaca in Morelos state."}], "question": "Where are the worst hit areas?", "id": "800_4"}]}]}, {"title": "The 12 October 2002 Bali bombing plot", "date": "11 October 2012", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two bombs ripped through the Kuta area of the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on 12 October 2002, leaving 202 people dead. Among those killed at Paddy's Irish Bar and the nearby Sari Club were people from 21 countries, including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians and 28 Britons. BBC News looks at the background to the bombings 10 years on. The seeds of the October 2002 Bali bombing plot were probably sown in a hotel room in southern Thailand 10 months earlier. At a secret meeting of operatives from South East Asian militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, was believed to have ordered a new strategy of hitting soft targets, such as nightclubs and bars rather than high-profile sites like foreign embassies. But it was not until August 2002 that Bali was chosen as the place to strike. According to Ali Imron, who was jailed in 2003 for life for his part in the attacks, it was at a meeting in a house in Solo, Central Java, that \"field commander\" Imam Samudra announced the plan to bomb Bali, and the main agents in the plot first came together. Bali was chosen \"because it was frequented by Americans and their associates\", Ali Imron said. He quoted Imam Samudra as saying it was part of a jihad, or holy war, to \"defend the people of Afghanistan from America\". In fact, more Australians and Indonesians died than Americans, prompting speculation that the plotters were poorly informed or manipulated by other people. Hambali, who is currently in US custody in Guantanamo Bay, is believed to have been the South East Asian contact for Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. But he is not thought to have played an active part in the Bali plot. Instead, 43-year-old Islamic teacher Mukhlas - also known as Ali Ghufron - was convicted as the overall co-ordinator of the attacks. Prosecutors said he approved the targets and secured financing for the bombings. Mukhlas himself claimed he just gave the bombers religious guidance. He also recruited two of his younger brothers, Amrozi and Ali Imron, to play key roles in the attack. Mukhlas and Imam Samudra are said to have chaired preparatory meetings in western Java during August and September. Ali Imron said that the Bali attacks were originally planned for 11 September, to mark the first anniversary of the terror attacks on the US. But the bombs were apparently not ready in time, and the plans had to be postponed. The details of the attack were finalised in Bali between 6 and 10 October. The bombers apparently all had separate roles. A man called Idris, who was later jailed for another bomb attack, was accused of gathering funds and arranging transport and accommodation for the bombers. Amrozi admitted to buying the chemicals and the minivan used in the Sari Club blast. He also named Dulmatin as the man who helped assemble the bombs. He also said that a man called Abdul Ghoni mixed the explosives. Another man, Umar Patek, was also convicted in June 2012 of helping make explosives. Ali Imron said he helped make the main bomb that was used at the Sari Club. He said a van loaded with explosives had been driven to Sari by a man called Jimi, who died in the blast. A man called Iqbal wore a vest with a bomb in it, which he detonated at Paddy's Bar. \"Their duty was to explode the bombs,\" Ali Imron had said. \"They were ready to die.\" Iqbal is known to have died in Paddy's Bar. But Ali Imron also told police that the two bombs exploded prematurely, which could have caught Iqbal out, so it is unclear if he was on a suicide mission. All the individuals detained for playing a major role in the attacks have been sentenced - and Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra were executed in November 2008. Other key suspects are believed to have been killed by police before facing trial. Azahari Husin, a Malaysian who was alleged to be JI's top bomb-making expert and to have helped assemble the Bali bombs, was killed in eastern Indonesian in November 2005. Another alleged bomb-maker, Noordin Mohammad Top, was killed in a raid in November 2009. Dulmatin was killed by Indonesian police on March 2010 during a raid at a Jakarta internet cafe. Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, seen as the spiritual leader of militant Islam in Indonesia, was jailed for conspiracy over the bombings, but his conviction was later quashed. He is currently behind bars on different charges. While the Bali attacks were a team effort, its aftermath provoked different reactions from those involved. Police said Imam Samudra stayed in Bali for several days after the bombing to survey the devastation he wrought and observe the reactions of people he affected. Ali Imron shed tears in court, and repeatedly expressed remorse for his actions. Amrozi laughed and joked about his case, giving a thumbs-up sign when he was convicted. He said he was happy to die a martyr.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2488, "answer_end": 3542, "text": "The bombers apparently all had separate roles. A man called Idris, who was later jailed for another bomb attack, was accused of gathering funds and arranging transport and accommodation for the bombers. Amrozi admitted to buying the chemicals and the minivan used in the Sari Club blast. He also named Dulmatin as the man who helped assemble the bombs. He also said that a man called Abdul Ghoni mixed the explosives. Another man, Umar Patek, was also convicted in June 2012 of helping make explosives. Ali Imron said he helped make the main bomb that was used at the Sari Club. He said a van loaded with explosives had been driven to Sari by a man called Jimi, who died in the blast. A man called Iqbal wore a vest with a bomb in it, which he detonated at Paddy's Bar. \"Their duty was to explode the bombs,\" Ali Imron had said. \"They were ready to die.\" Iqbal is known to have died in Paddy's Bar. But Ali Imron also told police that the two bombs exploded prematurely, which could have caught Iqbal out, so it is unclear if he was on a suicide mission."}], "question": "Suicide mission?", "id": "801_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India election 2019: Have 100 'smart cities' been built?", "date": "25 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's urban population is growing rapidly and is expected to reach 600 million in the next decade. Its cities are already creaking under the strain of poor infrastructure and inadequate public services. The government has undertaken a major investment programme to modernise selected cities across the country. 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. Pledge: In 2015, the Indian government made a commitment to invest in 100 'smart cities' over five years. Verdict: The project timeline has been delayed as not all the cities were not chosen at the start of the programme, and only a small portion of the funds allocated have been used so far. The government makes it clear there's no single definition of a smart city. But it's pledged to allocate funds to improve the quality of life in 100 selected cities, using the latest technological developments. Under the government's Smart Cities Mission, 100 cities were chosen from across the country, with the last batch only selected in 2018. These delays have led to the project missing its original deadline, which has now been extended to 2023. Under the programme, each smart city is to be provided annual federal support, with some contributions from state and local city bodies. By February 2019, the government had approved 5,151 projects worth about 2,000bn rupees (about $29bn) under the Smart Cities Mission. It says 715 of the projects have now been completed, and another 2,304 are under way. However, the official data shows a significant difference between allocated funding and actual project spending. A total of about 166bn rupees ($2.39bn) had been allocated to the Smart Cities Mission between 2015 and 2019. But in January this year, the government acknowledged that just 35.6bn rupees ($0.51bn) had been utilised - about 21% of the total. There's also been concern voiced about how the money is being used. Out of the projects approved so far, about 80% will be spent on developing areas within cities - rather than the whole city. One NGO, the Housing and Land Rights Network, has labelled the Smart Cities Mission a \"smart enclave scheme\". Some analysts argue the mission focuses on new projects, rather than on enhancing the capacity of existing local bodies in urban areas. So, offering bicycle-sharing facilities or building parks may not be enough unless thought is given on how to integrate them into overall city planning, they say. \"The lack of coordination between implementing agencies is a major reason why the intended benefits are still not visible to the public,\" said a parliamentary  committee report. The government says it has offered training courses to boost the capacity of existing local bodies - but it's not clear how successful these have been. The government says the pace of the project has picked up significantly in the last year. \"There has been a 479% increase in projects completed since October 2017,\" it told India's parliament in December. Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs, told the BBC that 15 integrated command and control centres are already operational under the project. \"If we have 50 of these completed by December 2019 out of the 100 required, my view is that this is one of the fastest implemented projects of this kind anywhere in the world.\" Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 764, "answer_end": 1352, "text": "The government makes it clear there's no single definition of a smart city. But it's pledged to allocate funds to improve the quality of life in 100 selected cities, using the latest technological developments. Under the government's Smart Cities Mission, 100 cities were chosen from across the country, with the last batch only selected in 2018. These delays have led to the project missing its original deadline, which has now been extended to 2023. Under the programme, each smart city is to be provided annual federal support, with some contributions from state and local city bodies."}], "question": "What is a smart city?", "id": "802_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1353, "answer_end": 3417, "text": "By February 2019, the government had approved 5,151 projects worth about 2,000bn rupees (about $29bn) under the Smart Cities Mission. It says 715 of the projects have now been completed, and another 2,304 are under way. However, the official data shows a significant difference between allocated funding and actual project spending. A total of about 166bn rupees ($2.39bn) had been allocated to the Smart Cities Mission between 2015 and 2019. But in January this year, the government acknowledged that just 35.6bn rupees ($0.51bn) had been utilised - about 21% of the total. There's also been concern voiced about how the money is being used. Out of the projects approved so far, about 80% will be spent on developing areas within cities - rather than the whole city. One NGO, the Housing and Land Rights Network, has labelled the Smart Cities Mission a \"smart enclave scheme\". Some analysts argue the mission focuses on new projects, rather than on enhancing the capacity of existing local bodies in urban areas. So, offering bicycle-sharing facilities or building parks may not be enough unless thought is given on how to integrate them into overall city planning, they say. \"The lack of coordination between implementing agencies is a major reason why the intended benefits are still not visible to the public,\" said a parliamentary  committee report. The government says it has offered training courses to boost the capacity of existing local bodies - but it's not clear how successful these have been. The government says the pace of the project has picked up significantly in the last year. \"There has been a 479% increase in projects completed since October 2017,\" it told India's parliament in December. Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs, told the BBC that 15 integrated command and control centres are already operational under the project. \"If we have 50 of these completed by December 2019 out of the 100 required, my view is that this is one of the fastest implemented projects of this kind anywhere in the world.\""}], "question": "Has the project delivered?", "id": "802_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Iraq protests: 'No magic solution' to problems, PM says", "date": "4 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said he accepted the \"rightful demands\" of protesters as he called for calm after three days of unrest. In a rare televised address, Mr Mahdi stuck a conciliatory tone as protesters demanded his resignation. The PM said he would respond to their concerns, but warned there was no \"magic solution\" to Iraq's problems. At least 20 people have died in the unrest as anger at unemployment and corruption boiled over. A curfew has been imposed in Baghdad and several other cities in Iraq's southern provinces - but thousands defied it and security forces fired live rounds at them. Calling on lawmakers to support him, Mr Mahdi promised to pass a new law granting poor families a basic income. \"I am reaffirming that your voice was heard before you even started protesting,\" Mr Mahdi said. But he added that it would take time to bring about change. The protests, which appear to lack any organised leadership, are the largest since Mr Mahdi became prime minister a year ago. The UN and US have expressed concern at the violence and urged the Iraqi authorities to exercise restraint. On Thursday, human rights group Amnesty International has called on the government in Baghdad to immediately rein in its security forces. An indefinite curfew began in Baghdad at dawn applying to everyone except those travelling to and from the capital's airport. Ambulances and religious pilgrims were also excluded. Security forces blocked major roads and bridges. Access to the internet was also limited, making it harder to organise protests on social media. But thousands of protesters gathered in and around Tahrir Square - the focus of the recent unrest - prompting riot police to fire tear gas and shots in the air to disperse them. \"We'll keep going until the government falls,\" Ali, a 22-year-old unemployed university graduate, told AFP. \"I've got nothing but 250 lira ($0.20; PS0.16) in my pocket while government officials have millions.\" Violence has been concentrated in Baghdad and in the majority Shia Muslim areas of the south. Northern Kurdish regions and Sunni-majority areas in the west remain mostly calm. On Thursday, police and hospital sources told Reuters that protesters had been killed in the capital, and also in and around the southern cities of Amara, Diwaniya, Hilla and Nassiriya, among others. Hundreds have been wounded. Overnight on Wednesday, explosions were heard in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, where government offices and foreign embassies are located. The US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq said none of its facilities were hit and that Iraqi security forces were investigating the blasts. The protests appear to be the result of a spontaneous upwelling of frustration at Iraq's high youth unemployment rate, its dire public services and chronic corruption. Simona Foltyn, a journalist based in Baghdad, told the BBC's World Update programme: \"The demonstrators I have spoken to so far have said that these protests are a grassroots movement, comprised of a variety of people - men, women, graduates, the unemployed, the elderly - who are all airing grievances that have accumulated over the past years.\" \"They have all denied the involvement of any political party. They are, in fact, extremely disenfranchised and disappointed with the political establishment here.\" She added: \"All of the people who are protesting seem to be united in one thing: they want a better life. They want services, they want jobs, and they want living standards to go up.\" Last year, the southern Iraqi city of Basra was rocked by weeks of protests over unsafe drinking water, power shortages, unemployment and corruption. Government offices, including the main provincial council building, were set alight. Iraq has the fourth-largest reserves of oil, but 22.5% of its population of 40 million were living on less than $1.90 (PS1.53) a day in 2014, according to the World Bank. One in six households has experienced some form of food insecurity. The unemployment rate was 7.9% last year, but among young people it was double that. And almost 17% of the economically active population is underemployed. The country is also struggling to recover after a brutal war against the Islamic State group, which seized control of large swathes of the north and west in 2014. The Iraqi government and World Bank estimated last year that $88bn (PS71bn) was needed to fund short- and medium-term reconstruction. Just over one million people are still internally displaced, while 6.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN says. Living conditions are dire in many conflict-affected areas, with insufficient basic services.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 616, "answer_end": 1255, "text": "Calling on lawmakers to support him, Mr Mahdi promised to pass a new law granting poor families a basic income. \"I am reaffirming that your voice was heard before you even started protesting,\" Mr Mahdi said. But he added that it would take time to bring about change. The protests, which appear to lack any organised leadership, are the largest since Mr Mahdi became prime minister a year ago. The UN and US have expressed concern at the violence and urged the Iraqi authorities to exercise restraint. On Thursday, human rights group Amnesty International has called on the government in Baghdad to immediately rein in its security forces."}], "question": "What did PM Mahdi say?", "id": "803_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1256, "answer_end": 1969, "text": "An indefinite curfew began in Baghdad at dawn applying to everyone except those travelling to and from the capital's airport. Ambulances and religious pilgrims were also excluded. Security forces blocked major roads and bridges. Access to the internet was also limited, making it harder to organise protests on social media. But thousands of protesters gathered in and around Tahrir Square - the focus of the recent unrest - prompting riot police to fire tear gas and shots in the air to disperse them. \"We'll keep going until the government falls,\" Ali, a 22-year-old unemployed university graduate, told AFP. \"I've got nothing but 250 lira ($0.20; PS0.16) in my pocket while government officials have millions.\""}], "question": "What happened on Thursday?", "id": "803_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2684, "answer_end": 3781, "text": "The protests appear to be the result of a spontaneous upwelling of frustration at Iraq's high youth unemployment rate, its dire public services and chronic corruption. Simona Foltyn, a journalist based in Baghdad, told the BBC's World Update programme: \"The demonstrators I have spoken to so far have said that these protests are a grassroots movement, comprised of a variety of people - men, women, graduates, the unemployed, the elderly - who are all airing grievances that have accumulated over the past years.\" \"They have all denied the involvement of any political party. They are, in fact, extremely disenfranchised and disappointed with the political establishment here.\" She added: \"All of the people who are protesting seem to be united in one thing: they want a better life. They want services, they want jobs, and they want living standards to go up.\" Last year, the southern Iraqi city of Basra was rocked by weeks of protests over unsafe drinking water, power shortages, unemployment and corruption. Government offices, including the main provincial council building, were set alight."}], "question": "What triggered the unrest?", "id": "803_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3782, "answer_end": 4699, "text": "Iraq has the fourth-largest reserves of oil, but 22.5% of its population of 40 million were living on less than $1.90 (PS1.53) a day in 2014, according to the World Bank. One in six households has experienced some form of food insecurity. The unemployment rate was 7.9% last year, but among young people it was double that. And almost 17% of the economically active population is underemployed. The country is also struggling to recover after a brutal war against the Islamic State group, which seized control of large swathes of the north and west in 2014. The Iraqi government and World Bank estimated last year that $88bn (PS71bn) was needed to fund short- and medium-term reconstruction. Just over one million people are still internally displaced, while 6.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN says. Living conditions are dire in many conflict-affected areas, with insufficient basic services."}], "question": "What is the economic situation like in Iraq?", "id": "803_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Migraine therapy that cut attacks hailed as 'huge deal'", "date": "30 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A new approach to preventing migraines can cut the number and severity of attacks, two clinical trials show. About 50% of people on one study halved the number of migraines they had each month, which researchers at King's College Hospital called a \"huge deal\". The treatment is the first specifically designed for preventing migraine and uses antibodies to alter the activity of chemicals in the brain. Further trials will need to assess the long-term effects. - One in seven people around the world live with the regular agony of migraine - Migraine is up to three times more common in women than men - The Migraine Trust estimates there are more than 190,000 migraine attacks every day in the UK - People with headaches for fewer than 15 days a month have episodic migraine - If it is on more than 15 days it is classed as chronic migraine Research has shown a chemical in the brain - calcitonin gene-related peptide or CGRP - is involved in both pain and sensitivity to sound and light in migraine. Four drug companies are racing to develop antibodies that neutralise CGRP. Some work by sticking to CGRP, while others block the part of a brain cell with which it interacts. Clinical trials on two of the antibodies have now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. One antibody, erenumab made by Novartis, was trialled on 955 patients with episodic migraine. At the start of the trial the patients had migraines on an average of eight days a month. The study found 50% of those given the antibody injections halved their number of migraine days per month. About 27% did have a similar effect without treatment, which reflects the natural ebb and flow of the disease. Another antibody, fremanezumab made by Teva pharmaceuticals, was trialled on 1,130 patients with chronic migraine. About 41% of patients halved their number of migraine days compared with 18% without treatment. Prof Peter Goadsby, who led the erenumab trials at the NIHR research centre at King's College London, told the BBC: \"It's a huge deal because it offers an advance in understanding the disorder and a designer migraine treatment. \"It reduces the frequency and severity of headaches. \"These patients will have parts of their life back and society will have these people back functioning.\" He said other data, not published in the latest studies, suggested a fifth of patients had no migraines at all after treatment. The antibodies are not the only preventative drugs for migraine. Others include former epilepsy and heart disease pills as well as botox. But Simon Evans, the chief executive of Migraine Action, said those drugs came with a lot of side-effects and did not work for everyone. \"Some doctors give patients a choice of being angry or fat-and-dosey and the drug they give them depends on their answer,\" he said. The hope is discovering CGRP and precisely targeting it with antibodies should lead to fewer side-effects. Both studies say long-term safety data still needs to be studied. The problem with antibodies is they tend to be more expensive to make than other therapies. Prof Goadsby thinks patients who get no benefit from existing treatments or cannot cope with the side-effects are those most likely to benefit. Dr Andy Dowson, who runs headache services in Kent and London, said: \"I am really enthusiastic we have something new that's coming, but we need to know cost, who will respond and a lot more detail as we go down the line. \"Chronic migraine is in the top seven conditions for lifetime disability and yet nothing much is done about it, maybe this is going to help us to make some progress.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2409, "answer_end": 3637, "text": "The antibodies are not the only preventative drugs for migraine. Others include former epilepsy and heart disease pills as well as botox. But Simon Evans, the chief executive of Migraine Action, said those drugs came with a lot of side-effects and did not work for everyone. \"Some doctors give patients a choice of being angry or fat-and-dosey and the drug they give them depends on their answer,\" he said. The hope is discovering CGRP and precisely targeting it with antibodies should lead to fewer side-effects. Both studies say long-term safety data still needs to be studied. The problem with antibodies is they tend to be more expensive to make than other therapies. Prof Goadsby thinks patients who get no benefit from existing treatments or cannot cope with the side-effects are those most likely to benefit. Dr Andy Dowson, who runs headache services in Kent and London, said: \"I am really enthusiastic we have something new that's coming, but we need to know cost, who will respond and a lot more detail as we go down the line. \"Chronic migraine is in the top seven conditions for lifetime disability and yet nothing much is done about it, maybe this is going to help us to make some progress.\" Follow James on Twitter."}], "question": "Better option?", "id": "804_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Peru's 'interim leader' Ar\u00e1oz resigns amid power dispute", "date": "2 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In an unexpected U-turn, the woman who was named \"acting president\" by Peru's Congress has resigned just hours after being sworn in. Mercedes Araoz's swearing-in was an act of defiance by lawmakers angry at the dissolution of Congress by President Martin Vizcarra on Monday. The move meant that Peru briefly had two politicians claiming to be the country's rightful leader. Despite the constitutional crisis, Peru remained largely calm. Ms Araoz had been Mr Vizcarra's vice-president until he decided to dissolve Congress on Monday. She was picked to lead Peru by opposition lawmakers who argued that by dissolving Congress, Mr Vizcarra had breached the constitution and that his position was therefore vacant. They also suspended Mr Vizcarra from office for a year, but the government argued that because that vote had been carried out after the president had dissolved Congress, it was null and void. In a letter (in Spanish) published on Twitter, Ms Araoz explained that she was resigning as acting president after the regional body, Organization of American States (OAS), had declared that it should be up to Peru's constitutional court to decide whether the dissolution of Congress was constitutional. She said that she was also stepping down from her post as vice-president because she considered that the constitutional order had broken down in Peru. She tweeted that she hoped that her resignation would lead to a general election being called as soon as possible. Following Ms Araoz's resignation, Mr Vizcarra appears to be firmly back in charge. Shortly after dissolving Congress, he had already received the support of the heads of the armed forces and the police and about 2,000 Peruvians had taken to the streets of the capital, Lima, and other cities to show their backing for Mr Vizcarra. A dozen regional governors also said they supported Mr Vizcarra. The move came after months of deadlock in which the opposition-controlled Congress blocked the president's popular anti-corruption measures. Mr Vizcarra took over as president in March 2018 after the then-leader, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, resigned amid allegations of vote buying. With four previous presidents under investigation for alleged corruption, Mr Vizcarra said he would make cleaning up Peruvian politics his main priority. - Pedro Pablo Kuczynski: Under house arrest while under investigation for alleged corruption linked to Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht - Ollanta Humala: Accused of accepting $3m in illegal financing from Odebrecht for his electoral campaign - Alan Garcia: Killed himself in April as police arrived to detain him over bribery allegations also linked to Odebrecht - Alejandro Toledo: In jail in the US, Peru has requested his extradition for allegedly taking $20m in bribes from Odebrecht Read more about Odebrecht: Brazil's corruption scandal explained But Congress, dominated by the opposition Popular Force party whose leader Keiko Fujimori is in detention while awaiting trial on corruption charges herself, has thwarted President Vizcarra's efforts at every step. Frustrated, Mr Vizcarra invoked an article in the constitution which allows the president to dissolve Congress if it has twice voted \"no\" in a so-called \"vote of confidence\". The stand-off between the legislature and Mr Vizcarra is likely to continue over the coming days, with Congress planning to meet again on Friday to vote on a motion to dismiss the president altogether. Mr Vizcarra has meanwhile issued a decree setting a date for fresh parliamentary elections on 26 January. Those elected would then serve out the five-year period of the dissolved Congress, which comes to an end in 2021. In the interim, a congressional commission made up of 27 lawmakers will take over legislative duties. While there is an article in Peru's constitution allowing the president to dissolve Congress, Peruvians are divided on whether the standards were met in this case. The speaker of Congress, Pedro Olaechea, said some lawmakers were considering bringing the case to Peru's constitutional court, so that it rules on whether the move was constitutional.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 903, "answer_end": 1472, "text": "In a letter (in Spanish) published on Twitter, Ms Araoz explained that she was resigning as acting president after the regional body, Organization of American States (OAS), had declared that it should be up to Peru's constitutional court to decide whether the dissolution of Congress was constitutional. She said that she was also stepping down from her post as vice-president because she considered that the constitutional order had broken down in Peru. She tweeted that she hoped that her resignation would lead to a general election being called as soon as possible."}], "question": "What did Ms Araoz say?", "id": "805_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1473, "answer_end": 1868, "text": "Following Ms Araoz's resignation, Mr Vizcarra appears to be firmly back in charge. Shortly after dissolving Congress, he had already received the support of the heads of the armed forces and the police and about 2,000 Peruvians had taken to the streets of the capital, Lima, and other cities to show their backing for Mr Vizcarra. A dozen regional governors also said they supported Mr Vizcarra."}], "question": "Who is in charge now?", "id": "805_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1869, "answer_end": 2300, "text": "The move came after months of deadlock in which the opposition-controlled Congress blocked the president's popular anti-corruption measures. Mr Vizcarra took over as president in March 2018 after the then-leader, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, resigned amid allegations of vote buying. With four previous presidents under investigation for alleged corruption, Mr Vizcarra said he would make cleaning up Peruvian politics his main priority."}], "question": "Why did President Vizcarra dissolve Congress?", "id": "805_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3250, "answer_end": 3773, "text": "The stand-off between the legislature and Mr Vizcarra is likely to continue over the coming days, with Congress planning to meet again on Friday to vote on a motion to dismiss the president altogether. Mr Vizcarra has meanwhile issued a decree setting a date for fresh parliamentary elections on 26 January. Those elected would then serve out the five-year period of the dissolved Congress, which comes to an end in 2021. In the interim, a congressional commission made up of 27 lawmakers will take over legislative duties."}], "question": "What next?", "id": "805_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3774, "answer_end": 4122, "text": "While there is an article in Peru's constitution allowing the president to dissolve Congress, Peruvians are divided on whether the standards were met in this case. The speaker of Congress, Pedro Olaechea, said some lawmakers were considering bringing the case to Peru's constitutional court, so that it rules on whether the move was constitutional."}], "question": "Was it constitutional to dissolve congress?", "id": "805_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump: Third of Americans see fake news media as 'enemy of the people'", "date": "1 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh assault on the US media, saying he has \"forcefully condemned hatred and bigotry\" but this goes unreported. Speaking at a rally in Florida ahead of next week's mid-term elections, he said a third of Americans believed that fake news was \"the enemy of the people\". He did not provide evidence for this. Critics accuse him of fomenting violence by using extreme and divisive rhetoric against opponents, the media, immigrants and Muslims. Earlier this week Mr Trump offered condolences at a synagogue in Pennsylvania where 11 Jewish worshippers were shot dead at the weekend. Hundreds protested against his visit. The White House has rejected any blame over the attack at the Tree of Life temple in Pittsburgh and the alleged gunman was not a Trump supporter. However, a man arrested last week in connection with a mail-bombing campaign aimed at critics of Mr Trump had pictures of the president covering the windows of his van. Addressing supporters in Estero, Mr Trump told them that the \"far-left\" media \"doesn't want you to hear your story\". \"We have forcefully condemned hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice in all of its ugly forms,\" he said. \"But the media doesn't want you to hear your story, it's not my story, it's your story. \"And that's why thirty-three percent of the people in this country believe the fake news is in fact, and I hate to say this, in fact the enemy of the people.\" He did not provide a source for this figure, but one poll from earlier this year showed that just under a third of people agreed with the idea that the media is the enemy of the people. Mr Trump has regularly accused some sections of the media of misrepresenting his administration's work. In July the publisher of the New York Times urged him to stop calling reporters \"enemies of the people\", saying it would \"lead to violence\" against the media. A gunman entered the Tree of Life temple during a service and fatally shot eight men and three women in what is thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history. The suspect, who also wounded four police officers and was shot by them several times, has been named as Robert Bowers and faces 44 charges. He had previously posted anti-Semitic content on the social network Gab and had also attacked Mr Trump, whom he called \"a globalist, not a nationalist\". Voters are choosing new members of Congress, but how they vote will affect how the rest of Mr Trump's presidency turns out. Both houses of Congress are currently controlled by Mr Trump's Republican Party. The Democrats think they can win control of the House of Representatives this year by winning a majority of seats. Doing so would let them block or delay the president's plans by refusing to enact them. Some opinion polls put the Democrats ahead in many places. Correction 17 January 2019: This article has been amended to make clear that President Trump's comments specifically related to \"fake news media\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 972, "answer_end": 1888, "text": "Addressing supporters in Estero, Mr Trump told them that the \"far-left\" media \"doesn't want you to hear your story\". \"We have forcefully condemned hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice in all of its ugly forms,\" he said. \"But the media doesn't want you to hear your story, it's not my story, it's your story. \"And that's why thirty-three percent of the people in this country believe the fake news is in fact, and I hate to say this, in fact the enemy of the people.\" He did not provide a source for this figure, but one poll from earlier this year showed that just under a third of people agreed with the idea that the media is the enemy of the people. Mr Trump has regularly accused some sections of the media of misrepresenting his administration's work. In July the publisher of the New York Times urged him to stop calling reporters \"enemies of the people\", saying it would \"lead to violence\" against the media."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "806_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1889, "answer_end": 2360, "text": "A gunman entered the Tree of Life temple during a service and fatally shot eight men and three women in what is thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history. The suspect, who also wounded four police officers and was shot by them several times, has been named as Robert Bowers and faces 44 charges. He had previously posted anti-Semitic content on the social network Gab and had also attacked Mr Trump, whom he called \"a globalist, not a nationalist\"."}], "question": "What happened in Pittsburgh?", "id": "806_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2361, "answer_end": 2974, "text": "Voters are choosing new members of Congress, but how they vote will affect how the rest of Mr Trump's presidency turns out. Both houses of Congress are currently controlled by Mr Trump's Republican Party. The Democrats think they can win control of the House of Representatives this year by winning a majority of seats. Doing so would let them block or delay the president's plans by refusing to enact them. Some opinion polls put the Democrats ahead in many places. Correction 17 January 2019: This article has been amended to make clear that President Trump's comments specifically related to \"fake news media\"."}], "question": "What is at stake at the mid-term elections?", "id": "806_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ronaldo fined \u20ac18.8m over tax evasion", "date": "22 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has cut a deal with a court in Madrid over tax evasion charges, accepting an EUR18.8m (PS16.6m) fine. A huge media presence met the player outside the court, after a judge refused his request to appear by video or to enter the building by car to avoid the spotlight. The deal, agreed in advance, includes a 23-month jail sentence. But in Spain, convicts do not usually do time for sentences under two years. The non-violent nature of Ronaldo's offence means he is unlikely to spend any time at all in jail, serving it on probation instead. The court appearance lasted mere minutes as Ronaldo accepted the deal offered by prosecutors. The current Juventus player, who played for the club in Italy the night before, arrived at the provincial court with his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez. Smiling and giving a thumbs-up, he was apparently unfazed by the media presence. His lawyers had argued that given his fame, avoiding the main entrance was needed for the player's security. Ronaldo, five-time winner of Europe's Ballon d'Or and often titled one of the world's best players, was accused of avoiding paying tax in Spain between 2010 and 2014, when he was playing for Real Madrid and based in the Spanish capital. Forbes lists the 33-year-old as the third-wealthiest athlete in the world, with estimated earnings of $108m (EUR95m) a year. The case centres around lucrative image rights deals. Prosecutors say the proceeds were funnelled through low-tax companies in foreign nations to avoid paying the required tax. In court, as part of his deal, Ronaldo acknowledged four incidents amounting to EUR5.7m owed, according to Spanish-language news agency EFE. In 2017, when the allegations first emerged, prosecutors said it was a \"voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain\". But Ronaldo's lawyers said it is all down to a misunderstanding over what was and was not required under Spanish law, and deny any deliberate attempt to evade tax. The deal, struck in June last year, had to be agreed with Spain's tax authorities. Ronaldo is not the only high-profile player to face the wrath of Spain's tax system. His former Real Madrid team-mate Xabi Alonso also appeared in court on Tuesday in connection with similar offences amounting to about EUR2m. Alonso was appearing before the court for the first time, facing a potential sentence of up to five years. Unlike Ronaldo, he has not yet struck any deal with authorities and has maintained his innocence. Shortly after Alonso's trial began, the court suspended proceedings to consider whether it was competent to hear the case, or if it should be referred to another criminal court, EFE reports. The longer sentence prosecutors are seeking means that Alonso could, unlike Ronaldo, face jail time. There are several other examples of footballers facing Spain's courts in recent years: - Barcelona star Lionel Messi avoided a jail sentence for a similar scheme involving image rights, paying several million in a \"corrective payment\" in back taxes and fines - Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was at the centre of a row when Barcelona was fined millions after being charged with tax fraud over Neymar's signing - but avoided admitting the offence - Real Madrid's Marcelo Vieira admitted to tax fraud and accepted a four-month suspended jail sentence over his use of foreign firms to handle almost half a million euros in earnings The recent crackdown on high-profile footballers follows the removal of a tax exemption in 2010. Known as the \"Beckham law\", it had allowed footballers to curb their taxes. Ronaldo also faces another ongoing legal battle: the football superstar is accused of rape in Las Vegas in 2009, a charge which he denies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1010, "answer_end": 2076, "text": "Ronaldo, five-time winner of Europe's Ballon d'Or and often titled one of the world's best players, was accused of avoiding paying tax in Spain between 2010 and 2014, when he was playing for Real Madrid and based in the Spanish capital. Forbes lists the 33-year-old as the third-wealthiest athlete in the world, with estimated earnings of $108m (EUR95m) a year. The case centres around lucrative image rights deals. Prosecutors say the proceeds were funnelled through low-tax companies in foreign nations to avoid paying the required tax. In court, as part of his deal, Ronaldo acknowledged four incidents amounting to EUR5.7m owed, according to Spanish-language news agency EFE. In 2017, when the allegations first emerged, prosecutors said it was a \"voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain\". But Ronaldo's lawyers said it is all down to a misunderstanding over what was and was not required under Spanish law, and deny any deliberate attempt to evade tax. The deal, struck in June last year, had to be agreed with Spain's tax authorities."}], "question": "What are the allegations against Ronaldo?", "id": "807_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Woman 'live-streamed her own suicide on Periscope'", "date": "11 May 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An investigation into the death of a 19-year-old French woman who reportedly live-streamed herself taking her own life has opened in France. The woman, who had been using the smartphone app Periscope, reportedly jumped under a train at a station about 25 miles (40 km) south of Paris on Tuesday. The video is no longer available on Periscope, which is owned by Twitter. Twitter said it did not comment \"on individual accounts\". According to French newspapers, the young woman died in Egly, Essone at about 15:30 GMT on 10 May. Previously, she had filmed herself in her flat discussing how she intended to make a video to \"send a message\", warning younger viewers not to continue to watch what would be a \"shocking\" act, it was reported. During the filming, the young woman claimed to have been raped and named her attacker, according to the reports. The death is currently being investigated and the data on the young woman's phone is being looked at, said local prosecutor Eric Lallement. It is not the first time that Periscope has been linked to inappropriate content. In April, a woman from Ohio was charged with streaming the rape of a teenage girl via the app. She denied the charge. Other incidents include: - A woman who streamed herself as she drove home while intoxicated - A murderer who broadcast footage of himself from a US jail for several days before officers confiscated his phone - Teenagers who were arrested after streaming footage of themselves robbing a van in Utah Periscope has strict guidelines about content that is allowed and also provides a link to allow users to report issues. It does not monitor the feeds around the clock, although it has previously said that it was able to respond \"within minutes\". Samaritans The Samaritans helpline is available 24 hours a day for anyone in the UK struggling to cope. It provides a safe place to talk where calls are completely confidential. Phone for free: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org Visit the Samaritans website Survivors' Trust The Survivors' Trust provide support and signposting for women, men and children who are survivors of rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse. Phone: 0808 801 0818 SOS Amitie In France, SOS Amitie offers a similar service to the Samaritans.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1734, "answer_end": 2255, "text": "Samaritans The Samaritans helpline is available 24 hours a day for anyone in the UK struggling to cope. It provides a safe place to talk where calls are completely confidential. Phone for free: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org Visit the Samaritans website Survivors' Trust The Survivors' Trust provide support and signposting for women, men and children who are survivors of rape, sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse. Phone: 0808 801 0818 SOS Amitie In France, SOS Amitie offers a similar service to the Samaritans."}], "question": "Are you affected by this?", "id": "808_0"}]}]}, {"title": "European heatwave: Spain battles major Catalonia wildfire", "date": "27 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires in Spain's Catalonia region, as temperatures soared to 40C (104F) and above across parts of Europe. Officials say the fires are the worst in the region for 20 years and may spread rapidly. Much of Europe is experiencing extreme heat. Germany, France, Poland and the Czech Republic have all recorded their highest ever June temperatures. Meteorologists say hot air drawn in from northern Africa is responsible. The heat is expected to rise further in many countries over the next three days, meteorologists warn. France could break its all-time record on Friday. 44.1C was recorded in the Gard region in August 2003 but temperatures could now go as high as 45C. Gard is one of four southern regions to be placed on red alert, the highest crisis level. The others are Herault, Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhone. Another 76 of the remaining 92 are on orange alert. By mid-afternoon temperatures had reached 39C in Turin in Italy and 41C in the Spanish city of Zaragoza. Grospierres in southern France recorded a high of 42.3C on Thursday afternoon - a national June record. The ski resort of Val D'Isere - which sits at 1,850m altitude - experienced its highest temperature ever recorded with 29.2C. At least 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) are affected by the wildfires, near the town of La Torre de l'Espanyol, 80km from the coastal city of Tarragona. Officials said that in the intense heat the area of the fire could increase to 20,000ha. At least 45 people have been evacuated and five roads have been closed. There have been no reports of casualties. Regional interior minister Miquel Buch told Catalan radio the fire might have been caused by \"an accumulation of manure in a farm that generated enough heat to explode and generate sparks\". In total, 11 provinces in the east and centre of Spain have experienced or are set to experience temperatures above 40C. In parts of the north-east, they may reach 45C. Temperatures are expected to top 40C in Italy too, particularly in central and northern regions. Several cities, including Rome, have issued the highest heat warnings. On Thursday morning the body of a 72-year-old homeless Romanian man was found near Milan's central train station. Officials say the heat may have been a factor in his death. Philip Trackfield, a British tourist in Rome, told the BBC: \"Last night at the Spanish steps it was 41C. It's exhausting when you're trying to do all the sights.\" Meanwhile the whole of France - where a heatwave in 2003 was blamed for 15,000 deaths - is now on orange alert, the second-highest warning level. In Paris, fountains and sprinklers connected to hydrants have been set up. Some schools have delayed important exams and even closed. In Toulouse, where temperatures are expected to reach 41C on Thursday, charities have been handing out water to homeless people. Temperatures have been climbing in recent days. On Wednesday, Coschen in Brandenburg peaked at 38.6C - a new German record for June. Radzyn in Poland and Doksany in the Czech Republic also recorded new national highs, with temperatures hitting 38.2C and 38.9C respectively. Even in the high-altitude Alps, temperatures topped 30C in places. Parts of Austria recorded their local all-time highest temperatures on Wednesday. While the UK will avoid the worst of the heat, parts of the country - including London - are expected to see temperatures top 30C on Saturday. Linking a single event to global warming is complicated. While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, experts say these will happen more often because of climate change. Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation. A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century. Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to human use of fossil fuel has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate. What measures are you taking to cope with the heatwave? Share your stories. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1241, "answer_end": 1954, "text": "At least 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) are affected by the wildfires, near the town of La Torre de l'Espanyol, 80km from the coastal city of Tarragona. Officials said that in the intense heat the area of the fire could increase to 20,000ha. At least 45 people have been evacuated and five roads have been closed. There have been no reports of casualties. Regional interior minister Miquel Buch told Catalan radio the fire might have been caused by \"an accumulation of manure in a farm that generated enough heat to explode and generate sparks\". In total, 11 provinces in the east and centre of Spain have experienced or are set to experience temperatures above 40C. In parts of the north-east, they may reach 45C."}], "question": "What is happening in Catalonia?", "id": "809_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1955, "answer_end": 2868, "text": "Temperatures are expected to top 40C in Italy too, particularly in central and northern regions. Several cities, including Rome, have issued the highest heat warnings. On Thursday morning the body of a 72-year-old homeless Romanian man was found near Milan's central train station. Officials say the heat may have been a factor in his death. Philip Trackfield, a British tourist in Rome, told the BBC: \"Last night at the Spanish steps it was 41C. It's exhausting when you're trying to do all the sights.\" Meanwhile the whole of France - where a heatwave in 2003 was blamed for 15,000 deaths - is now on orange alert, the second-highest warning level. In Paris, fountains and sprinklers connected to hydrants have been set up. Some schools have delayed important exams and even closed. In Toulouse, where temperatures are expected to reach 41C on Thursday, charities have been handing out water to homeless people."}], "question": "What about elsewhere in southwestern Europe?", "id": "809_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2869, "answer_end": 3434, "text": "Temperatures have been climbing in recent days. On Wednesday, Coschen in Brandenburg peaked at 38.6C - a new German record for June. Radzyn in Poland and Doksany in the Czech Republic also recorded new national highs, with temperatures hitting 38.2C and 38.9C respectively. Even in the high-altitude Alps, temperatures topped 30C in places. Parts of Austria recorded their local all-time highest temperatures on Wednesday. While the UK will avoid the worst of the heat, parts of the country - including London - are expected to see temperatures top 30C on Saturday."}], "question": "How hot was Wednesday?", "id": "809_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3435, "answer_end": 4053, "text": "Linking a single event to global warming is complicated. While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, experts say these will happen more often because of climate change. Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation. A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century. Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to human use of fossil fuel has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate."}], "question": "Is climate change to blame?", "id": "809_3"}]}]}, {"title": "NI Assembly election: To vote or not to vote?", "date": "28 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": " It's over to the people to decide what the future holds for Northern Ireland and its politics. But with voters being asked to go to the polls for a second assembly election in just 10 months, and with this campaign having been a divisive one, how will people react on Thursday? Voter turnout in assembly elections has slid steadily since 1998, when about 70% of the eligible electorate went to the ballot box. At last year's assembly election, turnout was down more than 15%  on the figure from 18 years earlier. So, has setback and scandal at Stormont put people off politics, or has it spurred them on to have their say? BBC News NI spoke to two people with strongly differing views on voting. The right to vote has been hard won for many people, Feliticy McKee says, and she believes every single ballot paper will have a significance when counting begins on Friday. \"Our very peace process was established through democracy and the Good Friday Agreement - I vote simply because of that,\" she explains. \"The main success that we have from our democracy is the peace process - it may not be perfect, but these things take time. \"And also, within Northern Ireland there have been people who have fought for my very right to vote.\" Even for those turned off by the main parties, the variety of candidates should serve up something to support for most people, including those desperate for an alternative. But she adds that many non-voters are not engaged in the political process in any way, and more must be done encourage them to at least become \"involved in protests or other forms of resistance\". Voter apathy \"does tend to appear in more peaceful places\", Felicity says, but recent results have shown that change is possible. \"If you look at Brexit and Trump, there can be changes within democracy and within the system that some non-voters are so upset about. \"This election could change things, considering how everyone's reacted to the RHI scandal - there's a huge feeling in the air of wanting to change. \"Democracy can quite literally come down to a handful of votes in some constituencies, so every vote matters.\" Stephen Elliott describes himself as a \"member of a positive non-voters' fraternity\", and has adopted a firm stance against making a ballot paper. That is because he sees Northern Ireland's political system as a \"failure\", and points to the falling turnout in each of the past five elections as evidence that others feel the same way. \"There isn't an individual candidate or a party that has demonstrated they can govern Northern Ireland, and that is the reason that people, like myself, turn away from this,\" he says. \"I'm not going to endorse anyone by voting for them because they're not worthy of my vote. \"I agree that the right to vote is a very important privilege and it has been long and hard-fought for. \"But that does not mean that there should be a demand or an entitlement on the part of the political class for us to go out and support them. \"There is an arrogance in the political class that we own them a duty to employ them - we're better off without them at the moment.\" Describing non-voters as pessimistic, Stephen says, will not encourage them to participate in the democratic process. \"It sounds to me as if it's a desperate act to frighten or intimidate people into going to vote. \"That will not work - positive non-voting is the answer.\" A battle between the DUP's Peter Weir and his suspended party colleague Jonathan Bell will be the key one to watch in the election, according to a bookmaker. Mr Bell is standing as an independent in Strangford after he made extraordinary allegations against DUP advisers and his party leader Arlene Foster over their role in the RHI scandal in a BBC interview in December. He is pitted against three DUP ministers, including Mr Weir, who is standing in Strangford after switching to the constituency from neighbouring North Down. And Christopher Bickerstaff, a trader at A McLean Bookmakers, said there is potential for a shock. Another intriguing contest will be between Sinn Fein and the SDLP for the fifth seat in North Belfast, Mr Bickerstaff said. \"It looks a straight fight between Nichola Mallon of the SDLP and Sinn Fein's Caral Ni Chuilin. \"The business we're seeing suggests Nichola Mallon will take the seat, although we have her priced as the outsider. \"Caral Ni Chuilin has a decent lead in first preference vote from the last election, so Nichola Mallon has a fair bit of ground to make up.\" While political pollsters have been stung by some spectacular electoral upsets over the past few years, Mr Bickerstaff said bookies face added pressure to get it right. \"We have to be a bit more scientific with the way we look at it - we can lose money, whereas pollsters just come down to opinion,\" he explained. \"We have to take time and care before we produce our odds, and I reckon we've got a good handle on it this time. \"But it has been a very difficult election to price up with the drop from six to five seats in each constituency.\" You can find a list of all candidates running for election in each constituency here. A total of 1,254,709 will be eligible to vote in Thursday's Northern Ireland Assembly election. That figure represents a 2.14% drop on the number of people who were on the electoral register for the last year's poll. Of the 1,281,595 people who could have gone to the ballot box last time, 54.9% decided to cast a vote. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland said that 33,700 people were added to the register between 11 January and the end of the registration period in the run-up to this week's polling day. A full constituency breakdown of the eligible electorate is available on the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1, "answer_end": 696, "text": "It's over to the people to decide what the future holds for Northern Ireland and its politics. But with voters being asked to go to the polls for a second assembly election in just 10 months, and with this campaign having been a divisive one, how will people react on Thursday? Voter turnout in assembly elections has slid steadily since 1998, when about 70% of the eligible electorate went to the ballot box. At last year's assembly election, turnout was down more than 15%  on the figure from 18 years earlier. So, has setback and scandal at Stormont put people off politics, or has it spurred them on to have their say? BBC News NI spoke to two people with strongly differing views on voting."}], "question": "To vote or not to vote?", "id": "810_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3388, "answer_end": 5121, "text": "A battle between the DUP's Peter Weir and his suspended party colleague Jonathan Bell will be the key one to watch in the election, according to a bookmaker. Mr Bell is standing as an independent in Strangford after he made extraordinary allegations against DUP advisers and his party leader Arlene Foster over their role in the RHI scandal in a BBC interview in December. He is pitted against three DUP ministers, including Mr Weir, who is standing in Strangford after switching to the constituency from neighbouring North Down. And Christopher Bickerstaff, a trader at A McLean Bookmakers, said there is potential for a shock. Another intriguing contest will be between Sinn Fein and the SDLP for the fifth seat in North Belfast, Mr Bickerstaff said. \"It looks a straight fight between Nichola Mallon of the SDLP and Sinn Fein's Caral Ni Chuilin. \"The business we're seeing suggests Nichola Mallon will take the seat, although we have her priced as the outsider. \"Caral Ni Chuilin has a decent lead in first preference vote from the last election, so Nichola Mallon has a fair bit of ground to make up.\" While political pollsters have been stung by some spectacular electoral upsets over the past few years, Mr Bickerstaff said bookies face added pressure to get it right. \"We have to be a bit more scientific with the way we look at it - we can lose money, whereas pollsters just come down to opinion,\" he explained. \"We have to take time and care before we produce our odds, and I reckon we've got a good handle on it this time. \"But it has been a very difficult election to price up with the drop from six to five seats in each constituency.\" You can find a list of all candidates running for election in each constituency here."}], "question": "What are the odds?", "id": "810_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine crisis: What is Novorossiya role?", "date": "16 February 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Russian public movement called \"Novorossiya\" (New Russia) provides help for the rebels in eastern Ukraine and is now on the EU sanctions list. Historically Novorossiya was a large swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine which became part of imperial Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken about it since Russia's annexation of Crimea last March, helping to stir nationalist feelings about the region. It was established last November by Igor Strelkov, who is described by the EU as an officer in Russian military intelligence (the GRU). Mr Strelkov (real name Girkin), a Russian citizen, came to prominence last April, when he led a group of pro-Russian fighters into the east Ukrainian city of Sloviansk. That was the trigger for the large-scale armed uprising against the Kiev authorities in the east. Later, as the chief rebel commander in Donetsk, he became an iconic figure for Russian nationalists, monarchists and other supporters of the rebel cause. Mr Strelkov is based in Moscow now and Novorossiya provides humanitarian aid to the rebel-held regions. The EU says the movement \"helps militia fighting in eastern Ukraine, thereby supporting policies undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine\". Mr Strelkov had already been put on the EU and US sanctions blacklists last year. Novorossiya says it has 26,000 active supporters across Russia, and relies on volunteers' donations. Mr Strelkov's deputy, Igor Ivanov, believes the EU move is pointless. \"It is ridiculous to treat our organisation, which supplies warm clothes, food, medicines, in the same way as you would treat a military unit. \"Also, sanctions cannot work in practice. We are a civil society movement, we have tens of thousands of members who bring donations to our collection points. Our members are civilians. We organise campaigns among schoolchildren and church parishioners. Can the EU sanction all Russian schools or churches? Obviously, it's a joke,\" he told the BBC. However, Mr Ivanov did not deny that the movement helps rebel fighters, as well as civilians. In fact, he believes there is no distinction. \"We support the rebels as well as the civilians. And there are some civilians who are being kept alive only thanks to the rebel units stationed nearby. \"Because of Kiev's policies, the population of Novorossiya is left without jobs, salaries or welfare benefits. They are abandoned, they have nothing to eat, and sometimes they are looked after only by the nearby rebel units.\" The movement has representatives in several large Russian cities and a network of collection points. Its supporters include conservative Orthodox Christians, nationalists and monarchists. Mr Strelkov is an outspoken critic of corruption in the rebel-held areas and says he personally monitors distribution of Novorossiya aid, to make sure it reaches the right people. Being subject to Western sanctions will be considered a badge of honour by its supporters, who suspect the West of plotting against Russia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 415, "answer_end": 971, "text": "It was established last November by Igor Strelkov, who is described by the EU as an officer in Russian military intelligence (the GRU). Mr Strelkov (real name Girkin), a Russian citizen, came to prominence last April, when he led a group of pro-Russian fighters into the east Ukrainian city of Sloviansk. That was the trigger for the large-scale armed uprising against the Kiev authorities in the east. Later, as the chief rebel commander in Donetsk, he became an iconic figure for Russian nationalists, monarchists and other supporters of the rebel cause."}], "question": "How did the new movement arise?", "id": "811_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 972, "answer_end": 1436, "text": "Mr Strelkov is based in Moscow now and Novorossiya provides humanitarian aid to the rebel-held regions. The EU says the movement \"helps militia fighting in eastern Ukraine, thereby supporting policies undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine\". Mr Strelkov had already been put on the EU and US sanctions blacklists last year. Novorossiya says it has 26,000 active supporters across Russia, and relies on volunteers' donations."}], "question": "What is Novorossiya doing now?", "id": "811_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1437, "answer_end": 2515, "text": "Mr Strelkov's deputy, Igor Ivanov, believes the EU move is pointless. \"It is ridiculous to treat our organisation, which supplies warm clothes, food, medicines, in the same way as you would treat a military unit. \"Also, sanctions cannot work in practice. We are a civil society movement, we have tens of thousands of members who bring donations to our collection points. Our members are civilians. We organise campaigns among schoolchildren and church parishioners. Can the EU sanction all Russian schools or churches? Obviously, it's a joke,\" he told the BBC. However, Mr Ivanov did not deny that the movement helps rebel fighters, as well as civilians. In fact, he believes there is no distinction. \"We support the rebels as well as the civilians. And there are some civilians who are being kept alive only thanks to the rebel units stationed nearby. \"Because of Kiev's policies, the population of Novorossiya is left without jobs, salaries or welfare benefits. They are abandoned, they have nothing to eat, and sometimes they are looked after only by the nearby rebel units.\""}], "question": "How did Novorossiya react to being blacklisted by the EU?", "id": "811_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2516, "answer_end": 3023, "text": "The movement has representatives in several large Russian cities and a network of collection points. Its supporters include conservative Orthodox Christians, nationalists and monarchists. Mr Strelkov is an outspoken critic of corruption in the rebel-held areas and says he personally monitors distribution of Novorossiya aid, to make sure it reaches the right people. Being subject to Western sanctions will be considered a badge of honour by its supporters, who suspect the West of plotting against Russia."}], "question": "Who supports Novorossiya?", "id": "811_3"}]}]}, {"title": "France Telecom suicides: Prosecutor calls for bullying trial", "date": "7 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "After a lengthy inquiry into a wave of suicides at France Telecom, the Paris prosecutor has recommended that its former chief executive and other key figures are put on trial for bullying. At least 19 people are known to taken their lives in 2008 and 2009 as the company cut thousands of jobs. Judicial sources say the company and ex-boss Didier Lombard are suspected of using a policy of unsettling staff to speed up job losses. France Telecom became Orange in 2013. It will now be up to an examining judge to decide whether or not to order a trial. But if it goes ahead it would be the first trial in France for bullying (moral harassment) of such a large company. As well as the former CEO, other figures could also face trial including his right-hand man Louis-Pierre Wenes, human resources head Olivier Barberot and four other directors. In 2006, Mr Lombard announced plans to cut 22,000 jobs and move another 14,000 workers, as France Telecom pushed for greater efficiency in the wake of privatisation two years earlier. According to an internal document cited by French media, he told a high-level meeting that he would \"do it one way or another, through the window or through the door\". In submissions made late last month, the Paris prosecutor accuses France Telecom of enacting a policy in 2007 that resulted in unsettling workers and creating a \"professional climate that provoked anxiety\" at the time of a \"delicate restructuring\" of the company, a judicial source told AFP news agency. The true number of suicides involving staff is unclear, but 60 people are thought to have taken their lives over a three-year period, and unions say as many as 35 died in 2008 and 2009. Officials speak of 19 deaths during the two years, 12 attempted suicides and eight other cases involving depression or related illnesses. Although the suicide rate at France Telecom was similar to the national average, many of those who died left notes blaming pressure from management. Mr Lombard accepted the restructuring upset employees but he has rejected the idea that it led to people taking their own lives. France Telecom, and later Orange, has been beset by tragedy since 2007: - In 2009, a woman aged 32 took her own life at work in Paris - A woman tried to kill herself in the eastern city of Metz on learning that she was about to be transferred for the third time in a year - A man was found dead at home, after apparently writing a letter blaming his job - In 2011 a worker aged 57 tried to kill himself as he arrived at work near Bordeaux The spate of work-related deaths was not confined to France Telecom. In 2007, car-maker Renault was investigated after three workers took their own lives. Under French law, anyone who harasses another with repeated actions with the aim or the effect of degrading working conditions is liable to a year in jail and a fine of EUR15,000 ($16,500; PS12,800).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1823, "answer_end": 2894, "text": "Although the suicide rate at France Telecom was similar to the national average, many of those who died left notes blaming pressure from management. Mr Lombard accepted the restructuring upset employees but he has rejected the idea that it led to people taking their own lives. France Telecom, and later Orange, has been beset by tragedy since 2007: - In 2009, a woman aged 32 took her own life at work in Paris - A woman tried to kill herself in the eastern city of Metz on learning that she was about to be transferred for the third time in a year - A man was found dead at home, after apparently writing a letter blaming his job - In 2011 a worker aged 57 tried to kill himself as he arrived at work near Bordeaux The spate of work-related deaths was not confined to France Telecom. In 2007, car-maker Renault was investigated after three workers took their own lives. Under French law, anyone who harasses another with repeated actions with the aim or the effect of degrading working conditions is liable to a year in jail and a fine of EUR15,000 ($16,500; PS12,800)."}], "question": "Were the job cuts to blame?", "id": "812_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Amazon fires: Brazil to reject G7 offer of $22m aid", "date": "27 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has ruled out accepting a G7 offer of aid to fight fires in the Amazon rainforest unless he gets an apology from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Mr Bolsonaro said the French leader should apologise for insulting him personally by calling him a liar. Mr Macron had accused him of \"lying\" about fighting climate change. Aid worth $22m (PS18m) was announced by Mr Macron at a summit in France of the seven leading industrial powers. Satellite data show a huge increase in the number of fires burning in Brazil, most of them in the Amazon region. Earlier, Brazilian ministers said the G7 money was not needed and they accused foreign powers of wanting control of the Amazon. Last week, Mr Macron said Mr Bolsonaro had \"lied\" to him at a G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in June by failing to respect his climate commitments and by failing to pursue biodiversity. Mr Macron said France would not ratify a huge trade deal with South American nations unless Brazil did more to fight fires in the Amazon. On Tuesday, Mr Bolsonaro told reporters in the capital Brasilia: \"Mr Macron must withdraw the insults that he made to my person. Firstly, he called me a liar.\" He also accused Mr Macron of questioning Brazilian sovereignty over the Amazon region, Brazilian news website G1 reports. \"To talk or to accept anything from France, whether it be with the best possible intentions, he [Mr Macron] will have to withdraw those words and then we can talk,\" he said. The two presidents hold sharply different political views, with Mr Bolsonaro hailing from the far right in Brazil and Mr Macron elected in a run-off against the far right in France. In another development, Mr Bolsonaro responded to a joke on Facebook mocking the age of Mr Macron's wife Brigitte who, at 65, is 25 years his senior. He wrote: \"Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha.\" Asked about Mr Bolsonaro's remarks, Mr Macron said they were \"extraordinarily rude\" and \"sad\". Adding to the row over the aid offer, Mr Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, mocked the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in April. \"Macron cannot even avoid a predictable fire in a church that is part of the world's heritage and he wants to give us lessons for our country?\" he said, quoted by the Globo news website. As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming. It spans a number of countries, but the majority of it falls within Brazil. Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but satellite data published by Brazil's space agency show an increase of 80% this year. It is the highest number of fires since 2010. BBC analysis has also found that the growth in the number of fires coincided with a sharp drop in fines being handed out for environmental violations. Mr Bolsonaro has previously said his government lacks the resources to fight the record number of fires in the Amazon region but his government is also being accused of slashing funding for environmental protection. \"The funding for Brazil's environment agency has gone down by 95% this year,\" Yadvinder Malhi, professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford, told the BBC's Today programme. On Friday, President Bolsonaro authorised the military to help tackle the blazes. Brazil says 44,000 soldiers have been deployed to combat the fires and environmental crimes in the Amazon, and military operations are under way in seven states as the result of requests for assistance from local governments. Jorgimar Alberto, from Roraima, one of the states most affected by the fires, has seen the burning of most of the land surrounding his wooden house. \"It's a risky situation, we have lots of crops here and everything is burning, such as the cashew trees,\" he told the BBC. \"I even had to keep the animals [inside] so that they don't burn as well. Every year it is the same, these fires are disturbing the region a lot.\" Environmental officials helped him extinguish the fires last week only for them to reignite, he said. His wife could not stand staying in the house with the smell of burning and the threat getting ever closer, so she left. Lumberyard owner Edson Oliveira from southern Amazonas said he did not believe the media coverage about the Amazon. \"In my opinion, the parts that are burning are the same that burn every year,\" he told the BBC. Asked what he would like politicians to do for the Amazon, he said that he would like \"economic alternatives for people here, to find a way we can make use of the natural wealth we have here\". \"It's no use pointing the finger at what's wrong without bringing alternatives to people,\" he said. The $22m was announced on Monday as the leaders of the G7 - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US - met in Biarritz, France. Mr Macron said the funds would be made available immediately - primarily to pay for more firefighting planes - and that France would also \"offer concrete support with military in the region\". Greenpeace France described the G7's response to the crisis as \"inadequate given the urgency and magnitude of this environmental disaster\". As international concern over the fires spread, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio pledged $5m towards helping the rainforest. He has long maintained that European countries are trying to gain access to Brazil's natural resources. He alleges that European interest in the welfare of the Amazon is a thin guise for attempts to gain a foothold in the region. Asked by international journalists about environmental protection of the Amazon at a press briefing on 6 July, he said: \"Brazil is like a virgin that every pervert from the outside lusts for.\" This article initially stated there was a record number of fires in Brazil this year. After more satellite data was made accessible, it has been updated to reflect the fact the fires are instead the worst since 2010.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 715, "answer_end": 2304, "text": "Last week, Mr Macron said Mr Bolsonaro had \"lied\" to him at a G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in June by failing to respect his climate commitments and by failing to pursue biodiversity. Mr Macron said France would not ratify a huge trade deal with South American nations unless Brazil did more to fight fires in the Amazon. On Tuesday, Mr Bolsonaro told reporters in the capital Brasilia: \"Mr Macron must withdraw the insults that he made to my person. Firstly, he called me a liar.\" He also accused Mr Macron of questioning Brazilian sovereignty over the Amazon region, Brazilian news website G1 reports. \"To talk or to accept anything from France, whether it be with the best possible intentions, he [Mr Macron] will have to withdraw those words and then we can talk,\" he said. The two presidents hold sharply different political views, with Mr Bolsonaro hailing from the far right in Brazil and Mr Macron elected in a run-off against the far right in France. In another development, Mr Bolsonaro responded to a joke on Facebook mocking the age of Mr Macron's wife Brigitte who, at 65, is 25 years his senior. He wrote: \"Do not humiliate the guy, ha ha.\" Asked about Mr Bolsonaro's remarks, Mr Macron said they were \"extraordinarily rude\" and \"sad\". Adding to the row over the aid offer, Mr Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, mocked the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in April. \"Macron cannot even avoid a predictable fire in a church that is part of the world's heritage and he wants to give us lessons for our country?\" he said, quoted by the Globo news website."}], "question": "How personal is the row?", "id": "813_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2305, "answer_end": 3546, "text": "As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming. It spans a number of countries, but the majority of it falls within Brazil. Wildfires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but satellite data published by Brazil's space agency show an increase of 80% this year. It is the highest number of fires since 2010. BBC analysis has also found that the growth in the number of fires coincided with a sharp drop in fines being handed out for environmental violations. Mr Bolsonaro has previously said his government lacks the resources to fight the record number of fires in the Amazon region but his government is also being accused of slashing funding for environmental protection. \"The funding for Brazil's environment agency has gone down by 95% this year,\" Yadvinder Malhi, professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford, told the BBC's Today programme. On Friday, President Bolsonaro authorised the military to help tackle the blazes. Brazil says 44,000 soldiers have been deployed to combat the fires and environmental crimes in the Amazon, and military operations are under way in seven states as the result of requests for assistance from local governments."}], "question": "Does Brazil need help to fight the fires?", "id": "813_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3547, "answer_end": 4693, "text": "Jorgimar Alberto, from Roraima, one of the states most affected by the fires, has seen the burning of most of the land surrounding his wooden house. \"It's a risky situation, we have lots of crops here and everything is burning, such as the cashew trees,\" he told the BBC. \"I even had to keep the animals [inside] so that they don't burn as well. Every year it is the same, these fires are disturbing the region a lot.\" Environmental officials helped him extinguish the fires last week only for them to reignite, he said. His wife could not stand staying in the house with the smell of burning and the threat getting ever closer, so she left. Lumberyard owner Edson Oliveira from southern Amazonas said he did not believe the media coverage about the Amazon. \"In my opinion, the parts that are burning are the same that burn every year,\" he told the BBC. Asked what he would like politicians to do for the Amazon, he said that he would like \"economic alternatives for people here, to find a way we can make use of the natural wealth we have here\". \"It's no use pointing the finger at what's wrong without bringing alternatives to people,\" he said."}], "question": "What are people on the ground saying?", "id": "813_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5296, "answer_end": 5718, "text": "He has long maintained that European countries are trying to gain access to Brazil's natural resources. He alleges that European interest in the welfare of the Amazon is a thin guise for attempts to gain a foothold in the region. Asked by international journalists about environmental protection of the Amazon at a press briefing on 6 July, he said: \"Brazil is like a virgin that every pervert from the outside lusts for.\""}], "question": "Why is Bolsonaro so prickly about foreign aid?", "id": "813_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon to run for NY governor", "date": "19 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon has announced she is launching a bid for New York governor. Ms Nixon, who played Miranda Hobbs on the HBO series, plans to challenge incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic party nomination. The actress announced her plans to challenge the incumbent governor on Twitter on Monday. The 51-year-old liberal activist, who had long been tipped to run, has never held elected office. Ms Nixon played a career-oriented lawyer from 1998-2004 on television show Sex and the City. She won an Emmy for her work in 2004. It was presented to her by another television celebrity - Donald Trump, whose presidency she has recently railed against. Ms Nixon married her wife Christine Marinoni in 2012. Ms Marinoni, an LGBTQ advocate, worked for Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio until she resigned a month ago. The couple both contributed financially to his mayoral race. In Monday's campaign launch video, the actress said: \"I love New York. I've never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change.\" The actress listed several campaign priorities in the clip. \"We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway,\" she said. \"We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us. It can't just be business as usual anymore.\" Ms Nixon has long championed access to quality education in New York. \"I'm a proud public school graduate,\" she said, \"and a prouder public school parent. I was given chances I just don't see most of New York's kids today. Our leaders are letting us down. \"We are the most unequal state in the entire country, with both incredible wealth and extreme poverty.\" In a January op-ed for CNN, Ms Nixon wrote: \"If we've learned anything during this first year of the Trump presidency, it's that the cavalry isn't coming to save us. \"We ourselves are the cavalry. In 2018, each one of us has to do whatever we can to take the government back. If we want change, we have to go out ourselves and seize it.\" If elected, Nixon would become the first female and first openly gay governor of New York state. Her fledgling campaign brands her as a progressive alternative to the centrist Mr Cuomo. The 60-year-old incumbent governor, who is chasing his third term, is often touted as a possible presidential hopeful in 2020. He has dismissed concerns about potential challengers in the Democratic primary on 13 September. \"I'm not nervous about whoever runs,\" the governor said last week. \"There'll be people who run. That's called elections, and that's fine.\" But he could be vulnerable on his political left flank. The Nixon campaign team will take heart from the unexpectedly stiff challenge Mr Cuomo faced in his 2014 re-election from a little-known college lecturer who also positioned herself as a liberal Democrat. Zephyr Teachout won roughly 34% of the vote to Mr Cuomo's 62%. A recent opinion poll by New York's Siena College before Ms Nixon's public announcement had Mr Cuomo leading Democrats by 66% to Ms Nixon's 19%. The same survey indicated the governor enjoyed an advantage over both Republicans who plan to challenge him, state senator John DeFrancisco and Marc Molinaro. Allegations of corruption in the state capitol at Albany are likely to be dredged up ahead of election day in November. Mr Cuomo's close friend and former aide Joseph Percoco was convicted last week on corruption charges. Though the governor was not himself accused in the case, his name repeatedly cropped up during the trial.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 426, "answer_end": 914, "text": "Ms Nixon played a career-oriented lawyer from 1998-2004 on television show Sex and the City. She won an Emmy for her work in 2004. It was presented to her by another television celebrity - Donald Trump, whose presidency she has recently railed against. Ms Nixon married her wife Christine Marinoni in 2012. Ms Marinoni, an LGBTQ advocate, worked for Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio until she resigned a month ago. The couple both contributed financially to his mayoral race."}], "question": "Who is Cynthia Nixon?", "id": "814_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 915, "answer_end": 2068, "text": "In Monday's campaign launch video, the actress said: \"I love New York. I've never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change.\" The actress listed several campaign priorities in the clip. \"We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway,\" she said. \"We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us. It can't just be business as usual anymore.\" Ms Nixon has long championed access to quality education in New York. \"I'm a proud public school graduate,\" she said, \"and a prouder public school parent. I was given chances I just don't see most of New York's kids today. Our leaders are letting us down. \"We are the most unequal state in the entire country, with both incredible wealth and extreme poverty.\" In a January op-ed for CNN, Ms Nixon wrote: \"If we've learned anything during this first year of the Trump presidency, it's that the cavalry isn't coming to save us. \"We ourselves are the cavalry. In 2018, each one of us has to do whatever we can to take the government back. If we want change, we have to go out ourselves and seize it.\""}], "question": "What's her platform?", "id": "814_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2069, "answer_end": 3573, "text": "If elected, Nixon would become the first female and first openly gay governor of New York state. Her fledgling campaign brands her as a progressive alternative to the centrist Mr Cuomo. The 60-year-old incumbent governor, who is chasing his third term, is often touted as a possible presidential hopeful in 2020. He has dismissed concerns about potential challengers in the Democratic primary on 13 September. \"I'm not nervous about whoever runs,\" the governor said last week. \"There'll be people who run. That's called elections, and that's fine.\" But he could be vulnerable on his political left flank. The Nixon campaign team will take heart from the unexpectedly stiff challenge Mr Cuomo faced in his 2014 re-election from a little-known college lecturer who also positioned herself as a liberal Democrat. Zephyr Teachout won roughly 34% of the vote to Mr Cuomo's 62%. A recent opinion poll by New York's Siena College before Ms Nixon's public announcement had Mr Cuomo leading Democrats by 66% to Ms Nixon's 19%. The same survey indicated the governor enjoyed an advantage over both Republicans who plan to challenge him, state senator John DeFrancisco and Marc Molinaro. Allegations of corruption in the state capitol at Albany are likely to be dredged up ahead of election day in November. Mr Cuomo's close friend and former aide Joseph Percoco was convicted last week on corruption charges. Though the governor was not himself accused in the case, his name repeatedly cropped up during the trial."}], "question": "Can she win?", "id": "814_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Cruise ship grandfather pleads guilty to toddler's accidental death", "date": "27 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US grandfather charged with the death of his granddaughter aboard a cruise ship in Puerto Rico has decided to plead guilty. Salvatore Anello was charged in October with negligent homicide after 18-month old Chloe Wiegand fell 11 storeys while playing on a Royal Caribbean ship. He says he thought the window she fell through was protected. \"I took a plea deal today to try to help end part of this nightmare for my family, if possible,\" Mr Anello said. A statement released by his family's lawyer, Michael Winkleman, says that Mr Anello will serve no jail time in Puerto Rico and will be allowed to serve probation in his home state of Indiana. Mr Winkleman said the deal \"is in the best interests of the family so that they can close this horrible chapter and turn their focus to mourning Chloe\". On 7 July 2019, Chloe and her family were on vacation when the cruise ship was docked in San Juan. Mr Anello put her on the railing of a children's play area, believing there was glass there, the family claims. She fell through a large, open window, landing on the concrete dock below. According to Mr Winkleman, \"Chloe wanted to bang on the glass\" as she did during her brother's hockey games. In his statement, Mr Anello called the death a \"constant nightmare\" and said he drew support from people who had been contacting him to tell them their own stories about losing young children. \"I wasn't drinking and I wasn't dangling her out of a window. I just wanted to knock on the glass with her as we did together so many times before. I was just so horribly wrong about our surroundings,\" he said. US family blames cruise for toddler fall death The family has sued Royal Caribbean, with Chloe's parents telling NBC last year: \"We obviously blame them for not having a safer situation on the 11th floor of that cruise ship.\" \"There are a million things that could've been done to make that safer,\" added Kim Wiegand. The cruise ship company has denied any legal culpability, saying the blame lies with Mr Anello alone.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 800, "answer_end": 1194, "text": "On 7 July 2019, Chloe and her family were on vacation when the cruise ship was docked in San Juan. Mr Anello put her on the railing of a children's play area, believing there was glass there, the family claims. She fell through a large, open window, landing on the concrete dock below. According to Mr Winkleman, \"Chloe wanted to bang on the glass\" as she did during her brother's hockey games."}], "question": "How did Chloe fall?", "id": "815_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is there a war in Afghanistan? The short, medium and long story", "date": "29 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US and the Taliban have signed an agreement aimed at paving the way towards peace in Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict. Under the deal, the US and its Nato allies will withdraw all their troops from the country in 14 months if the hardline Islamic movement upholds its commitments to stop attacks. But why is the US fighting a war in Afghanistan and why has it lasted so long? On 11 September 2001, attacks in America killed nearly 3,000 people. Osama Bin Laden, the head of Islamist terror group al-Qaeda, was quickly identified as the man responsible. The Taliban, radical Islamists who ran Afghanistan and protected Bin Laden, refused to hand him over. So, a month after 9/11, the US launched air strikes against Afghanistan. As other countries joined the war, the Taliban were quickly removed from power. But they didn't just disappear - their influence grew back and they dug in. Since then, the US and its allies have struggled to stop Afghanistan's government collapsing, and to end deadly attacks by the Taliban. \"We did not ask for this mission, but we will fulfil it,\" US President George W Bush said when he announced the first air strikes against Afghanistan on 7 October, 2001. The raids were in response to the 9/11 attacks, which killed 2,977 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The mission, he said, was \"to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime\". The first targets were military sites belonging to the hardline Taliban group who ruled the country. Training camps for al-Qaeda, the terror group run by 9/11 plotter Osama Bin Laden, were also hit. But 18 years on, it's hard to argue the US mission has been fulfilled - the Taliban may play a part in ruling Afghanistan again if peace talks do eventually succeed. The Taliban first took control of the capital Kabul in 1996, and ruled most of the country within two years. They followed a radical form of Islam and enforced punishments like public executions. Within two months of the US and its international and Afghan allies launching their attacks, the Taliban regime collapsed and its fighters melted away into Pakistan. A new US-backed government took over in 2004, but the Taliban still had a lot of support in areas around the Pakistani border, and made hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the drug trade, mining and taxes. As the Taliban carried out more and more suicide attacks, international forces working with Afghan troops struggled to counter the threat the re-energised group posed. In 2014, at the end of what was the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since 2001, Nato's international forces - wary of staying in Afghanistan indefinitely - ended their combat mission, leaving it to the Afghan army to fight the Taliban. But that gave the Taliban momentum, as they seized territory and detonated bombs against government and civilian targets. In 2018, the BBC found the Taliban was openly active across 70% of Afghanistan. Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the US invaded. In 1979, a year after a coup, the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan to support its communist government. It fought a resistance movement - known as the mujahideen - that was supported by the US, Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia, among other countries. In 1989, Soviet troops withdrew but the civil war continued. In the chaos that followed, the Taliban (which means \"students\" in the Pashto language) sprang up. They first rose to prominence in the border area of northern Pakistan and south-west Afghanistan in 1994. They promised to fight corruption and improve security and, at that time, many Afghans were tired of the excesses and infighting of the mujahideen during the civil war. It's thought the Taliban first appeared in religious schools, mostly funded by Saudi Arabia, which preached a hardline form of Islam. They enforced their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law, and introduced brutal punishments. Men were made to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka. The Taliban banned television, music and cinema and disapproved of girls' education. And because the Taliban gave shelter to militants from the al-Qaeda group, it made them an immediate target for an attack by US, Afghan and international forces in the wake of 9/11. There are many reasons for this. But they include a combination of fierce Taliban resistance, the limitations of Afghan forces and governance, and other countries' reluctance to keep their troops for longer in Afghanistan. At times over the past 18 years, the Taliban have been on the back foot. In late 2009, US President Barack Obama announced a troop \"surge\" that saw the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan top 100,000. The surge helped drive the Taliban out of parts of southern Afghanistan, but it was never destined to last for years. As a result, the Taliban were able to regroup. When international forces withdrew from fighting, Afghan forces left to lead the charge were easily overwhelmed. To make matters worse, Afghanistan's government, that is full of tribal division, is often hamstrung. The BBC World Service's Dawood Azami says there are five main reasons the war is still going on now. They include: - a lack of political clarity since the invasion began, and questions about the effectiveness of the US strategy over the past 18 years; - the fact each side is trying to break what has become a stalemate - and that the Taliban have been trying maximise their leverage during peace negotiations - an increase in violence by Islamic State militants in Afghanistan - they've been behind some of the bloodiest attacks recently There's also the role played by Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan. There's no question the Taliban have their roots in Pakistan, and that they were able to regroup there during the US invasion. But Pakistan has denied helping or protecting them - even as the US demanded it do more to fight militants. The group could be making as much as $1.5bn (PS1.2bn) a year, a huge increase even within the past decade. Some of this is through drugs - Afghanistan is the world's largest opium producer, and most opium poppies - used for heroin - are grown in Taliban-held areas. But the Taliban also make money by taxing people who travel through their territory, and through businesses like telecommunications, electricity and minerals. Foreign countries, including Pakistan and Iran, have denied funding them, but private citizens from the region are thought to have done so. Extremely. It's difficult to say how many Afghan troops have died - the numbers are no longer published. But in January 2019, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said 45,000 members of the security forces had been killed since 2014. Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died since the 2001 invasion, more than 2,300 of them American. The figures for Afghan civilians are more difficult to quantify. A UN report in February 2019 said more than 32,000 civilians had died. The Watson Institute at Brown University says 42,000 opposition fighters have died. The same institute says conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan have cost the US $5.9 trillion since 2001. The US is still conducting air strikes against the Taliban, instigated by the third president to oversee the war, Donald Trump. But he is keen to reduce troop numbers before he faces another election in November 2020. The Taliban now control much more territory than they did when international troops left Afghanistan in 2014. Many in Washington and elsewhere fear that a full US troop pull-out would leave a vacuum that could be filled by militant groups seeking to plot attacks in the West. The Afghan people, meanwhile, continue to bear the brunt of the long and bloody conflict.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3028, "answer_end": 4386, "text": "Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the US invaded. In 1979, a year after a coup, the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan to support its communist government. It fought a resistance movement - known as the mujahideen - that was supported by the US, Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia, among other countries. In 1989, Soviet troops withdrew but the civil war continued. In the chaos that followed, the Taliban (which means \"students\" in the Pashto language) sprang up. They first rose to prominence in the border area of northern Pakistan and south-west Afghanistan in 1994. They promised to fight corruption and improve security and, at that time, many Afghans were tired of the excesses and infighting of the mujahideen during the civil war. It's thought the Taliban first appeared in religious schools, mostly funded by Saudi Arabia, which preached a hardline form of Islam. They enforced their own austere version of Sharia, or Islamic law, and introduced brutal punishments. Men were made to grow beards and women had to wear the all-covering burka. The Taliban banned television, music and cinema and disapproved of girls' education. And because the Taliban gave shelter to militants from the al-Qaeda group, it made them an immediate target for an attack by US, Afghan and international forces in the wake of 9/11."}], "question": "Where did the Taliban come from?", "id": "816_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4387, "answer_end": 6038, "text": "There are many reasons for this. But they include a combination of fierce Taliban resistance, the limitations of Afghan forces and governance, and other countries' reluctance to keep their troops for longer in Afghanistan. At times over the past 18 years, the Taliban have been on the back foot. In late 2009, US President Barack Obama announced a troop \"surge\" that saw the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan top 100,000. The surge helped drive the Taliban out of parts of southern Afghanistan, but it was never destined to last for years. As a result, the Taliban were able to regroup. When international forces withdrew from fighting, Afghan forces left to lead the charge were easily overwhelmed. To make matters worse, Afghanistan's government, that is full of tribal division, is often hamstrung. The BBC World Service's Dawood Azami says there are five main reasons the war is still going on now. They include: - a lack of political clarity since the invasion began, and questions about the effectiveness of the US strategy over the past 18 years; - the fact each side is trying to break what has become a stalemate - and that the Taliban have been trying maximise their leverage during peace negotiations - an increase in violence by Islamic State militants in Afghanistan - they've been behind some of the bloodiest attacks recently There's also the role played by Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan. There's no question the Taliban have their roots in Pakistan, and that they were able to regroup there during the US invasion. But Pakistan has denied helping or protecting them - even as the US demanded it do more to fight militants."}], "question": "Why has the war lasted so long?", "id": "816_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6039, "answer_end": 6603, "text": "The group could be making as much as $1.5bn (PS1.2bn) a year, a huge increase even within the past decade. Some of this is through drugs - Afghanistan is the world's largest opium producer, and most opium poppies - used for heroin - are grown in Taliban-held areas. But the Taliban also make money by taxing people who travel through their territory, and through businesses like telecommunications, electricity and minerals. Foreign countries, including Pakistan and Iran, have denied funding them, but private citizens from the region are thought to have done so."}], "question": "How have the Taliban managed to stay so strong?", "id": "816_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6604, "answer_end": 7880, "text": "Extremely. It's difficult to say how many Afghan troops have died - the numbers are no longer published. But in January 2019, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said 45,000 members of the security forces had been killed since 2014. Nearly 3,500 members of the international coalition forces have died since the 2001 invasion, more than 2,300 of them American. The figures for Afghan civilians are more difficult to quantify. A UN report in February 2019 said more than 32,000 civilians had died. The Watson Institute at Brown University says 42,000 opposition fighters have died. The same institute says conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan have cost the US $5.9 trillion since 2001. The US is still conducting air strikes against the Taliban, instigated by the third president to oversee the war, Donald Trump. But he is keen to reduce troop numbers before he faces another election in November 2020. The Taliban now control much more territory than they did when international troops left Afghanistan in 2014. Many in Washington and elsewhere fear that a full US troop pull-out would leave a vacuum that could be filled by militant groups seeking to plot attacks in the West. The Afghan people, meanwhile, continue to bear the brunt of the long and bloody conflict."}], "question": "How costly has the war been?", "id": "816_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Harvey Weinstein trial: Potential juror speaks of 'disgust'", "date": "15 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Harvey Weinstein is about to go on trial - and 12 men and women in New York will be responsible for determining whether he is guilty. Jury selection is currently under way, with the former Hollywood producer accused of five charges, including rape and predatory sexual assault relating to two alleged victims. But finding impartial juries for such a high-profile case - one that galvanised the #MeToo movement across the world - could be difficult. The court has summoned 2,000 potential jurors for the case - about five times more than normal - just to find 12 suitable regular jurors and six alternate jurors. And on the very first day of jury selection, a third of the potential jurors present were dismissed outright, after telling the judge they did not think they could be impartial. \"The first few days of jury selection has already underscored just how challenging it's going to be,\" Valerie Hans, a law professor and jury expert at Cornell University says. \"When you have large numbers of people saying they can't be impartial, it's a wakeup call - because most people think of themselves as generally fair.\" Jury selection often takes no more than a few hours, or a day or two. But the process can be much more drawn out, particularly in high-profile trials. In the O.J. Simpson murder trial, it took almost 11 weeks for a jury to be selected. The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has allocated two weeks for jury selection, while the entire trial is expected to last up to two months - which means many potential jurors will be put off by the amount of time required. And in this case, \"claims have been made against Weinstein by very high profile, high visibility people\" - there has been \"extensive publicity\" and a high number of claims against him, which could make jury selection even more difficult, Prof Hans said. Xorje Olivares, who attended the court on 8 January as a prospective juror, was one of the dozens of people who ruled themselves out. He told the BBC his support for the #MeToo movement, and the fact he knew several people who were sexual assault survivors, meant he felt he could not be impartial. \"I personally felt nothing but disgust... even being in the same room as him, I just felt very icky,\" Mr Olivares, who hosts a radio show, said. \"I knew that I had these biased views, and I would bring them to the case.\" On the other hand, supermodel Gigi Hadid  - who had also reported for jury duty - told the court she could remain impartial, despite having met Weinstein and actress Salma Hayek, one of the trial's potential witnesses. Hadid, who lives in Manhattan and studied criminal psychology, told the judge she would \"keep an open mind on the facts\" if selected - but she was dismissed on Thursday, 16 January, as the jury pool was whittled down. Although it's known as jury selection, it's actually a process of elimination. Many prospective jurors are being dismissed from the outset - either because they say they cannot be impartial, or because they have scheduling conflicts. Those remaining are asked to complete a questionnaire, where they are asked about their education, prior jury service, whether they know people working in the entertainment industry, and whether they have been a victim of physical or sexual abuse. Then, lawyers for both sides can question them in court, and get potential jurors dismissed if the judge agrees that they are not impartial - this is known as a challenge for cause. In the US, lawyers are also allowed to remove a number of potential jurors without giving a reason (known as a peremptory challenge), as long as it isn't on the basis of ethnicity or gender. Peremptory challenges are controversial to some - the UK abolished them in 1988 - because critics believe that lawyers can try to skew juries in a particular way and a randomly selected jury is fairer. However, in the US, they're considered an important part of the constitutional right to trial by an impartial jury. In Mr Weinstein's trial, lawyers on each side are allowed to dismiss up to 20 potential regular jurors, says Prof Hans. Lawyers from both sides will try to establish a jury that they believe will be more favourable to their side. The prosecution will want jurors who can relate to the alleged victims, while the defence will want jurors who \"see themselves as the defendant\", says Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a law professor at the University of Dayton. He believes the prosecution may want to select younger jurors, due to their understanding of the #MeToo movement. He adds that Mr Weinstein is \"in a unique position\" that \"a lot of people will have difficulty relating to\". \"You really would need a jury of CEOs, or people who have been in position of power.\" Mr Weinstein's team has employed a jury consultant - an expert who will assist the lawyers with jury selection, including through community surveys and developing profiles of favourable and unfavourable jurors. They are also likely to search public social media postings from all prospective jurors to see whether they have commented on the #MeToo movement - although they are not allowed to \"friend\" jurors. \"Each side will have an ideal juror they're looking for,\" says Alan Tuerkheimer, a jury consultant. However, they cannot be too obvious about who they want - because if it's clear they want a potential juror, the other side would \"probably strike them out\". Instead, he likens it to a \"chess game\" - where each side tries to guess which jurors are good for their opposition, and then dismiss them. \"The defence are going to want jurors who believe women sometimes make things up to get powerful men in trouble... the prosecution will want people who think that any questioning of the account of victims is off limits.\" Prof Hans says the questionnaire results, and online research, can often help lawyers \"identify in advance people who will be close minded to their case\". This is particularly useful if it lets them ask the potential jurors questions that demonstrate to the judge that they are not impartial - because then they can be dismissed by a \"challenge for cause\", without the lawyers using up one of their peremptory challenges. Finally, with any high-profile trial, there is also the risk of \"stealth jurors\" - potential jurors with an agenda, or who hope to write a tell-all book afterwards. \"If someone seems too eager to get on a jury, all parties should be careful,\" Mr Tuerkheimer says, adding that this has led to retrials in the past. In the US, the names of jurors are often publicly available - and former jurors have faced intense media attention, or fallen out with family and friends who disagree with their verdict. James Matsumoto, who was jury foreman in the first corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, remembered that the court room was packed with journalists when he was questioned as a potential juror. \"There must have been several hundred people on the courtroom at the time. It was a little unnerving, because you don't have anyone there with you in the jury box - you're alone and handed a microphone so that everyone in the court room can hear what you have to say.\" He believes that the high-profile nature of the trial helped focus the minds on the jury, because it made them aware of how important the case was. One unexpected consequence was the fact that \"most people gained weight\" during the trial, which lasted nearly two months. Jurors were sequestered during the day, and had to eat lunch together in court, which meant \"you're not getting very much exercise, and it's all fast food because you need something quick and near the court house\". He was surprised to find that journalists were even interested in finding out where the jury ordered lunch - considering it a \"coup\" when they were able to publish their lunch choices. But the media attention became \"really intense\" once the trial ended - with the jury finding Blagojevich guilty on one count, but unable to reach an unanimous verdict on 23 other charges. On his way home, he noticed \"a whole bunch of people standing in front of my house\". He said a reporter approached him, asking if he was James Matsumoto - and he tried to divert him by saying \"no, I think he lives down the block\" - but ultimately he was still recognised. \"That night the phone kept ringing and the answering machine became full. My wife wasn't expecting anything like that, so she was very upset with all the attention,\" he said. Other jury members had journalists knocking at their doors - while one found a helicopter hovering over their home. The trial made a lasting impression on Mr Matsumoto. To this day, he says it bothers him that his jury was not able to reach a consensus on the charges. (At a retrial a year later, Blagojevich was found guilty of 17 charges, and sentenced to 14 years in jail.) Despite this, Mr Matsumoto says if asked to be a juror again, he would. \"For me it was a good experience - I learned more about human nature than I did before, and the nature of truth.\" \"Most Americans don't want to serve on trials - but I think it's our duty as citizens to be jurors.\" His advice to jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial is simple: \"Do everything the judge instructs, just pay attention, and deliberate with honesty.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1118, "answer_end": 2792, "text": "Jury selection often takes no more than a few hours, or a day or two. But the process can be much more drawn out, particularly in high-profile trials. In the O.J. Simpson murder trial, it took almost 11 weeks for a jury to be selected. The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has allocated two weeks for jury selection, while the entire trial is expected to last up to two months - which means many potential jurors will be put off by the amount of time required. And in this case, \"claims have been made against Weinstein by very high profile, high visibility people\" - there has been \"extensive publicity\" and a high number of claims against him, which could make jury selection even more difficult, Prof Hans said. Xorje Olivares, who attended the court on 8 January as a prospective juror, was one of the dozens of people who ruled themselves out. He told the BBC his support for the #MeToo movement, and the fact he knew several people who were sexual assault survivors, meant he felt he could not be impartial. \"I personally felt nothing but disgust... even being in the same room as him, I just felt very icky,\" Mr Olivares, who hosts a radio show, said. \"I knew that I had these biased views, and I would bring them to the case.\" On the other hand, supermodel Gigi Hadid  - who had also reported for jury duty - told the court she could remain impartial, despite having met Weinstein and actress Salma Hayek, one of the trial's potential witnesses. Hadid, who lives in Manhattan and studied criminal psychology, told the judge she would \"keep an open mind on the facts\" if selected - but she was dismissed on Thursday, 16 January, as the jury pool was whittled down."}], "question": "Why is juror selection particularly difficult this time?", "id": "817_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2793, "answer_end": 4722, "text": "Although it's known as jury selection, it's actually a process of elimination. Many prospective jurors are being dismissed from the outset - either because they say they cannot be impartial, or because they have scheduling conflicts. Those remaining are asked to complete a questionnaire, where they are asked about their education, prior jury service, whether they know people working in the entertainment industry, and whether they have been a victim of physical or sexual abuse. Then, lawyers for both sides can question them in court, and get potential jurors dismissed if the judge agrees that they are not impartial - this is known as a challenge for cause. In the US, lawyers are also allowed to remove a number of potential jurors without giving a reason (known as a peremptory challenge), as long as it isn't on the basis of ethnicity or gender. Peremptory challenges are controversial to some - the UK abolished them in 1988 - because critics believe that lawyers can try to skew juries in a particular way and a randomly selected jury is fairer. However, in the US, they're considered an important part of the constitutional right to trial by an impartial jury. In Mr Weinstein's trial, lawyers on each side are allowed to dismiss up to 20 potential regular jurors, says Prof Hans. Lawyers from both sides will try to establish a jury that they believe will be more favourable to their side. The prosecution will want jurors who can relate to the alleged victims, while the defence will want jurors who \"see themselves as the defendant\", says Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a law professor at the University of Dayton. He believes the prosecution may want to select younger jurors, due to their understanding of the #MeToo movement. He adds that Mr Weinstein is \"in a unique position\" that \"a lot of people will have difficulty relating to\". \"You really would need a jury of CEOs, or people who have been in position of power.\""}], "question": "How is the jury being selected - and what sort of jurors will Weinstein's lawyers want?", "id": "817_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4723, "answer_end": 6486, "text": "Mr Weinstein's team has employed a jury consultant - an expert who will assist the lawyers with jury selection, including through community surveys and developing profiles of favourable and unfavourable jurors. They are also likely to search public social media postings from all prospective jurors to see whether they have commented on the #MeToo movement - although they are not allowed to \"friend\" jurors. \"Each side will have an ideal juror they're looking for,\" says Alan Tuerkheimer, a jury consultant. However, they cannot be too obvious about who they want - because if it's clear they want a potential juror, the other side would \"probably strike them out\". Instead, he likens it to a \"chess game\" - where each side tries to guess which jurors are good for their opposition, and then dismiss them. \"The defence are going to want jurors who believe women sometimes make things up to get powerful men in trouble... the prosecution will want people who think that any questioning of the account of victims is off limits.\" Prof Hans says the questionnaire results, and online research, can often help lawyers \"identify in advance people who will be close minded to their case\". This is particularly useful if it lets them ask the potential jurors questions that demonstrate to the judge that they are not impartial - because then they can be dismissed by a \"challenge for cause\", without the lawyers using up one of their peremptory challenges. Finally, with any high-profile trial, there is also the risk of \"stealth jurors\" - potential jurors with an agenda, or who hope to write a tell-all book afterwards. \"If someone seems too eager to get on a jury, all parties should be careful,\" Mr Tuerkheimer says, adding that this has led to retrials in the past."}], "question": "What sorts of strategies could the lawyers use?", "id": "817_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6487, "answer_end": 9277, "text": "In the US, the names of jurors are often publicly available - and former jurors have faced intense media attention, or fallen out with family and friends who disagree with their verdict. James Matsumoto, who was jury foreman in the first corruption trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, remembered that the court room was packed with journalists when he was questioned as a potential juror. \"There must have been several hundred people on the courtroom at the time. It was a little unnerving, because you don't have anyone there with you in the jury box - you're alone and handed a microphone so that everyone in the court room can hear what you have to say.\" He believes that the high-profile nature of the trial helped focus the minds on the jury, because it made them aware of how important the case was. One unexpected consequence was the fact that \"most people gained weight\" during the trial, which lasted nearly two months. Jurors were sequestered during the day, and had to eat lunch together in court, which meant \"you're not getting very much exercise, and it's all fast food because you need something quick and near the court house\". He was surprised to find that journalists were even interested in finding out where the jury ordered lunch - considering it a \"coup\" when they were able to publish their lunch choices. But the media attention became \"really intense\" once the trial ended - with the jury finding Blagojevich guilty on one count, but unable to reach an unanimous verdict on 23 other charges. On his way home, he noticed \"a whole bunch of people standing in front of my house\". He said a reporter approached him, asking if he was James Matsumoto - and he tried to divert him by saying \"no, I think he lives down the block\" - but ultimately he was still recognised. \"That night the phone kept ringing and the answering machine became full. My wife wasn't expecting anything like that, so she was very upset with all the attention,\" he said. Other jury members had journalists knocking at their doors - while one found a helicopter hovering over their home. The trial made a lasting impression on Mr Matsumoto. To this day, he says it bothers him that his jury was not able to reach a consensus on the charges. (At a retrial a year later, Blagojevich was found guilty of 17 charges, and sentenced to 14 years in jail.) Despite this, Mr Matsumoto says if asked to be a juror again, he would. \"For me it was a good experience - I learned more about human nature than I did before, and the nature of truth.\" \"Most Americans don't want to serve on trials - but I think it's our duty as citizens to be jurors.\" His advice to jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial is simple: \"Do everything the judge instructs, just pay attention, and deliberate with honesty.\""}], "question": "What is it like serving on a high-profile trial?", "id": "817_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Trudeau broke rules in SNC-Lavalin affair, says ethics tsar", "date": "14 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Canadian PM Justin Trudeau violated federal conflict of interest rules in the handling of a corruption inquiry, the federal ethics tsar has found. The ethics commissioner says Mr Trudeau improperly tried to influence a former minister in the SNC-Lavalin affair. The prime minister says he accepts the commissioner's report but disagrees with some of its conclusions. The findings could be an issue for Mr Trudeau in advance of October's general election. Earlier this year, former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould accused Mr Trudeau and his staff of spending months trying to convince her that taking SNC-Lavalin to trial would cost Canadians jobs, and their party votes. Her accusation proved to be politically costly for Mr Trudeau - leading to the resignation of two high-profile cabinet ministers, his top personal aide and the head of the federal bureaucracy - and cast a shadow over his leadership. Ms Wilson-Raybould said the commissioner's report was a \"vindication\" of her position that she was improperly pressured by Mr Trudeau and his staff. Commissioner Mario Dion's scathing report found that Mr Trudeau had violated section nine of conflict of interest act, which prohibits public office holders from using their position to improperly further another person's private interests. \"The Prime Minister, directly and through his senior officials, used various means to exert influence over Ms Wilson-Raybould,\" said Mr Dion in a statement released with his 63-page report on Wednesday. He said the authority of the Mr Trudeau and his office \"was used to circumvent, undermine and ultimately attempt to discredit the decision\" by Ms Wilson-Raybould and the federal prosecution service not to go ahead with a deferred prosecution agreement for SNC-Lavalin. Mr Dion's findings carry no legal implications beyond a possible minimal fine, which his office says are not applicable in this case. SNC-Lavalin is one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies and employs some 9,000 people in Canada. It is accused of bribing officials in Libya to win contracts under Muammar Gaddafi's regime and was charged in February 2015 with criminal offences that allegedly took place between 2001 and 2011. SNC-Lavalin has openly lobbied for an agreement that would allow it to avoid prosecution and instead face alternative penalties or measures, such as a fine. A conviction could result in a decade-long ban on bidding on Canadian federal contracts and would allow authorities to cancel the company's current such contracts. The firm had argued it should be allowed to avoid a trial because it has changed following the federal charges and it has \"worked tirelessly to achieve excellence in governance and integrity\". The company hoped that it could come to an agreement with prosecutors that would be an alternative to trial. The attorney general must consent to the negotiation of the agreement. Ms Wilson-Raybould said members of Mr Trudeau's inner circle pressured her to cut a deal, and when she did not, she was removed from her position as justice minister. She and her colleague Jane Philpott resigned from Mr Trudeau's cabinet citing their concerns over the affair and were later removed from the Liberal caucus. They are both now running for re-election as independent candidates. In his report, Mr Dion said that \"because SNC-Lavalin overwhelmingly stood to benefit from Ms Wilson-Raybould's intervention, I have no doubt that the result of Mr Trudeau's influence would have furthered SNC-Lavalin's interests\". Mr Trudeau told journalists that regarding how the SNC-Lavalin affair was handled \"we recognise the way this happened shouldn't have happened\" but said his government was acting in national economic interests. Asked whether he would be firing any of the top aides named in the report, Mr Trudeau said: \"The buck stops with the prime minister, and I assume responsibility for everything that happened in my office.\" Ms Wilson-Raybould said the report was a \"vindication of the independent role of the Attorney General and of the Director of Public Prosecutions\". In a statement, she wrote that she was also \"saddened\" by the report's conclusions. \"In a country as great as Canada, essential values and principles... should be actively upheld by all, especially those in positions of public trust.\" Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said on Twitter that \"Justin Trudeau said he would be accountable and ethical - instead he used the power of his office to reward his supporters and punish his critics\". Mr Trudeau's political rivals also noted this is not Mr Trudeau's first ethics violation. In December 2017, the federal ethics commissioner office found that Mr Trudeau's luxury trips to the Aga Khan's island in the Bahamas violated four conflict of interest rules. Mr Trudeau, his family, and some senior members of the Liberal Party vacationed on the island owned by the philanthropist and spiritual leader in 2016.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1927, "answer_end": 3563, "text": "SNC-Lavalin is one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies and employs some 9,000 people in Canada. It is accused of bribing officials in Libya to win contracts under Muammar Gaddafi's regime and was charged in February 2015 with criminal offences that allegedly took place between 2001 and 2011. SNC-Lavalin has openly lobbied for an agreement that would allow it to avoid prosecution and instead face alternative penalties or measures, such as a fine. A conviction could result in a decade-long ban on bidding on Canadian federal contracts and would allow authorities to cancel the company's current such contracts. The firm had argued it should be allowed to avoid a trial because it has changed following the federal charges and it has \"worked tirelessly to achieve excellence in governance and integrity\". The company hoped that it could come to an agreement with prosecutors that would be an alternative to trial. The attorney general must consent to the negotiation of the agreement. Ms Wilson-Raybould said members of Mr Trudeau's inner circle pressured her to cut a deal, and when she did not, she was removed from her position as justice minister. She and her colleague Jane Philpott resigned from Mr Trudeau's cabinet citing their concerns over the affair and were later removed from the Liberal caucus. They are both now running for re-election as independent candidates. In his report, Mr Dion said that \"because SNC-Lavalin overwhelmingly stood to benefit from Ms Wilson-Raybould's intervention, I have no doubt that the result of Mr Trudeau's influence would have furthered SNC-Lavalin's interests\"."}], "question": "What is the SNC-Lavalin affair?", "id": "818_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The mothers who share breast milk online", "date": "19 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of women are sharing their own breast milk via social media groups in an effort to help others, a BBC investigation has discovered. The Department of Health is now coming under pressure to issue more guidance to these mothers, who are acting outside of NHS supervision. Some experts fear the unregulated practice could spread infection and viruses such as HIV and hepatitis. But advocates argue mothers are making an informed choice. When Bex Poole, from Wolverhampton, had difficulty breastfeeding her baby son Theo, she was anxious to find an alternative supply. Theo was not putting on weight at a healthy rate but she does not drink cows' milk herself and was reluctant to supplement her son's diet with formula. A friend suggested she look at a Facebook page called Human Milk for Human Babies UK, which facilitates breast milk exchanges between those mothers with surplus breast milk and others who need it. Likes for the page have increased fivefold to almost 18,000 in the past five years. \"My milk wasn't increasing in any way,\" she said. \"I jumped straight on the page, no hesitation, and appealed for help.\" Shortly afterwards, she was contacted by Sarah McHugh, a new mother from Kidderminster, in Worcestershire. She had struggled to breastfeed her daughter Harriet and had ended up expressing milk to feed her with. \"I ended up having too much milk,\" she said. \"I'm on some Facebook groups for mums who express and breastfeeding mums so I put in a request saying I had some milk to donate.\" The women's first meeting took place late at night and had an illicit feel to it. \"There was no other time we could do it,\" Ms Poole said. \"It felt almost like a naughty transaction because her door is a little bit hidden behind some garages. \"Her little one was asleep, she was in her pyjamas ready to go to bed. I picked the milk up and came away but said thank you via text when I got home.\" Ms McHugh said she felt happy something positive had come out of the difficulties she had experienced feeding Harriet. \"At the moment there is a very big drive to breastfeed. \"And some people that can't breastfeed or maybe can't make enough milk are feeling they have to explore [avenues such as online milk exchanges].\" Now the pair feel they have struck up a bond as a result of the exchange and Ms Poole's freezer is full of Ms McHugh's breast milk. Informal schemes such as this have, however, attracted some criticism from experts who question whether it is safe to feed strangers' milk to babies. Ms Poole and Ms McHugh said the key to success was making sure you asked the right questions prior to exchange. \"I volunteered quite a lot of personal information,\" said Ms McHugh. \"I said I was fit and well and that I wasn't a smoker and I also donate to the hospitals' milk bank, which I think reassured them.\" \"There's an unwritten trust among breastfeeding mums,\" Ms Poole said. \"I don't believe a mum would share any milk if they've got problems.\" The Facebook site offers guidance for anyone considering using it and urges people to discuss medications, alcohol or drug use. It suggests using a health care provider for further testing if worried and asking for copies of results. Many countries already test for infectious diseases during routine prenatal/antenatal care, it says, and it suggests looking into home pasteurisation if worries persist. However, Dr Gemma Holder, a consultant neonatologist at Birmingham Women's Hospital, is concerned mums who exchange milk without medical supervision might risk their babies' health. She works at the hospital's milk bank, one of 16 official sites across the UK and Republic of Ireland, where donated breast milk is collected on a large scale and sent to sick and preterm babies in hospitals. The donated milk is carefully vetted in line with NICE guidelines. \"When the milk comes in we first have to screen it for infection,\" Dr Holder said. \"Mothers who donate milk also have to have their bloods tested to ensure there's not a risk of blood-borne viruses - things like HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B - being transmitted to babies.\" The milk is pasteurised before it is frozen, ready for use. \"Fresh donor milk has significant risk of potentially passing on infection, particularly if you don't know how it was handled,\" said Dr Holder. \"We know from just screening our milk there are bugs such as E. coli. \"We still get a couple of donors a month, for example, whose milk we aren't able to accept. This could be higher in the community, where none of these precautions are in place.\" But Dr Sally Dowling, from University of the West of England, in Bristol, points out women have always shared milk with each other. She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) supports feeding babies milk from another woman as an alternative to breastfeeding by the mother. \"The studies that have have taken place increasingly show that women make all sorts of judgements about risks for themselves,\" she said. \"They find out about the women whose milk they're acquiring - things like whether they washed hands when they expressed the milk, for example, or any infections or tests the women might have had done. \"Yes, there are some risks but on the whole women are going into this with their eyes open and finding out as much as they can.\" The Food Standards Agency says it does not recommend sharing donor breast milk for safety reasons. \"Parents wishing to donate, share or obtain breast milk should contact maternity or other medical services for advice,\" a spokesman said. \"Some NHS hospitals can provide donated breast milk for your baby.\" However, experts have called for the UK government to do more. Alison Thewliss, the SNP politician who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for infant feeding, believes the rest of the UK should follow the Scottish model. One Milk Bank for Scotland is part of the health service and ensures breast milk can be collected from donors, processed and distributed using a well-developed network. Ms Thewliss believes the Department of Health should take overall control of the breast milk donor services in England. \"At the moment, milk banks are often underfunded and running as a project of individual hospitals,\" she said. \"I would like to see the UK government work with the UK Association of Milk Banks to invest in services to allow those wishing to donate breast milk to be able to do so locally in a safe and regulated way, and for those requiring breast milk for their babies to be able to access it easily\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2363, "answer_end": 5295, "text": "Informal schemes such as this have, however, attracted some criticism from experts who question whether it is safe to feed strangers' milk to babies. Ms Poole and Ms McHugh said the key to success was making sure you asked the right questions prior to exchange. \"I volunteered quite a lot of personal information,\" said Ms McHugh. \"I said I was fit and well and that I wasn't a smoker and I also donate to the hospitals' milk bank, which I think reassured them.\" \"There's an unwritten trust among breastfeeding mums,\" Ms Poole said. \"I don't believe a mum would share any milk if they've got problems.\" The Facebook site offers guidance for anyone considering using it and urges people to discuss medications, alcohol or drug use. It suggests using a health care provider for further testing if worried and asking for copies of results. Many countries already test for infectious diseases during routine prenatal/antenatal care, it says, and it suggests looking into home pasteurisation if worries persist. However, Dr Gemma Holder, a consultant neonatologist at Birmingham Women's Hospital, is concerned mums who exchange milk without medical supervision might risk their babies' health. She works at the hospital's milk bank, one of 16 official sites across the UK and Republic of Ireland, where donated breast milk is collected on a large scale and sent to sick and preterm babies in hospitals. The donated milk is carefully vetted in line with NICE guidelines. \"When the milk comes in we first have to screen it for infection,\" Dr Holder said. \"Mothers who donate milk also have to have their bloods tested to ensure there's not a risk of blood-borne viruses - things like HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B - being transmitted to babies.\" The milk is pasteurised before it is frozen, ready for use. \"Fresh donor milk has significant risk of potentially passing on infection, particularly if you don't know how it was handled,\" said Dr Holder. \"We know from just screening our milk there are bugs such as E. coli. \"We still get a couple of donors a month, for example, whose milk we aren't able to accept. This could be higher in the community, where none of these precautions are in place.\" But Dr Sally Dowling, from University of the West of England, in Bristol, points out women have always shared milk with each other. She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) supports feeding babies milk from another woman as an alternative to breastfeeding by the mother. \"The studies that have have taken place increasingly show that women make all sorts of judgements about risks for themselves,\" she said. \"They find out about the women whose milk they're acquiring - things like whether they washed hands when they expressed the milk, for example, or any infections or tests the women might have had done. \"Yes, there are some risks but on the whole women are going into this with their eyes open and finding out as much as they can.\""}], "question": "Is it safe?", "id": "819_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran and the crisis in the Gulf explained", "date": "19 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A crisis has erupted between Iran and Western countries - in particular the UK and US - after a series of incidents in and around the Gulf, a strategically important waterway in the Middle East. Both sides are blaming the other and there are fears it could lead to war. Behind the latest tensions is the fact that Iran and the US have increasingly accused each other of aggressive behaviour. The US says recent activity by Iranian and Iranian-backed forces is destabilising the region and threatening US interests, while Iran says the US is trying to use military force and economic pressure to bring down its government. The crisis really began to escalate in May when four oil tankers were were hit by blasts in the Gulf of Oman. Iran denied US accusations its forces had planted mines on the vessels. Since then, two more tankers have been attacked, the US and UK have bolstered their naval forces in the region, and the US and Iran have said they have shot down each other's drones. On 4 July, Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, apparently in retaliation for the detention of one of its own tankers by British forces off Gibraltar. The Iranian tanker was released six weeks later. What is going on involves some of the Gulf region's most powerful countries, as well as the world's most powerful military - that of the US. Beyond that, the tensions threaten the use of 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. If international shipping is hampered or even blocked there, the economic effects will be felt around the globe. They could include a sharp increase in oil prices. And if the crisis erupts into a war, the consequences will be devastating. The tensions in the Gulf can be traced to the resurgence of another crisis - that over Iran's nuclear programme. For years, the international community and Iran were at loggerheads over the country's nuclear activities, amid suspicions that it was trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied this, asserting that its programme was solely peaceful. An agreement was reached in 2015, whereby Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. But last year, US Donald Trump pulled out of the deal, saying it was flawed. He reinstated sanctions on Iran and has continued to tighten them, hitting the Iranian economy hard. Iran has been outraged by the US move, accusing it of violating the agreement. It has ceased abiding by several key nuclear commitments and threatened to do more unless European countries still party to the deal do something, and quickly, to mitigate the effects of the US sanctions. Observers have speculated that the attacks on the tankers around the Gulf might be a signal by Iran that it is capable of disrupting shipping there if European powers do not act. To begin with, it was really on the sidelines as the US and Iran shadow-boxed in the Gulf. But then British Royal Marines helped detain an Iranian tanker in waters off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar in early July, after Gibraltar's government said it believed the tanker was transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. Iran reacted furiously to what it said was an act of piracy by British forces. It threatened to seize a British tanker unless the Iranian tanker was released. The UK subsequently deployed an additional warship to the Gulf to protect British shipping. But Iran followed through on its threat and detained a British tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was \"violating international maritime rules\" - a claim rebuffed by Britain. Iran is still holding both the ship and its 12-strong crew, sharply heightening the crisis.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 270, "answer_end": 1211, "text": "Behind the latest tensions is the fact that Iran and the US have increasingly accused each other of aggressive behaviour. The US says recent activity by Iranian and Iranian-backed forces is destabilising the region and threatening US interests, while Iran says the US is trying to use military force and economic pressure to bring down its government. The crisis really began to escalate in May when four oil tankers were were hit by blasts in the Gulf of Oman. Iran denied US accusations its forces had planted mines on the vessels. Since then, two more tankers have been attacked, the US and UK have bolstered their naval forces in the region, and the US and Iran have said they have shot down each other's drones. On 4 July, Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, apparently in retaliation for the detention of one of its own tankers by British forces off Gibraltar. The Iranian tanker was released six weeks later."}], "question": "What is the crisis about?", "id": "820_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1212, "answer_end": 1767, "text": "What is going on involves some of the Gulf region's most powerful countries, as well as the world's most powerful military - that of the US. Beyond that, the tensions threaten the use of 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. If international shipping is hampered or even blocked there, the economic effects will be felt around the globe. They could include a sharp increase in oil prices. And if the crisis erupts into a war, the consequences will be devastating."}], "question": "Why does the crisis matter?", "id": "820_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1768, "answer_end": 2905, "text": "The tensions in the Gulf can be traced to the resurgence of another crisis - that over Iran's nuclear programme. For years, the international community and Iran were at loggerheads over the country's nuclear activities, amid suspicions that it was trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied this, asserting that its programme was solely peaceful. An agreement was reached in 2015, whereby Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. But last year, US Donald Trump pulled out of the deal, saying it was flawed. He reinstated sanctions on Iran and has continued to tighten them, hitting the Iranian economy hard. Iran has been outraged by the US move, accusing it of violating the agreement. It has ceased abiding by several key nuclear commitments and threatened to do more unless European countries still party to the deal do something, and quickly, to mitigate the effects of the US sanctions. Observers have speculated that the attacks on the tankers around the Gulf might be a signal by Iran that it is capable of disrupting shipping there if European powers do not act."}], "question": "Why is this happening now?", "id": "820_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2906, "answer_end": 3786, "text": "To begin with, it was really on the sidelines as the US and Iran shadow-boxed in the Gulf. But then British Royal Marines helped detain an Iranian tanker in waters off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar in early July, after Gibraltar's government said it believed the tanker was transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. Iran reacted furiously to what it said was an act of piracy by British forces. It threatened to seize a British tanker unless the Iranian tanker was released. The UK subsequently deployed an additional warship to the Gulf to protect British shipping. But Iran followed through on its threat and detained a British tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was \"violating international maritime rules\" - a claim rebuffed by Britain. Iran is still holding both the ship and its 12-strong crew, sharply heightening the crisis."}], "question": "What's it all got to do with the UK?", "id": "820_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Letter from Africa: Freed Boko Haram 'wives' return to captors", "date": "26 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at why some Nigerian women have gone back to the militant Islamists who abducted them. When news emerged that some of the Chibok schoolgirls, abducted by Boko Haram in 2014, had declined to return home with the batch of 82 freed in May, the world found it difficult to believe. Not even the release of a Boko Haram video showing some hijab-clad, Kalashnikov-wielding girls saying they were happy in their new lives, was enough to convince people. \"They must have been coerced,\" some said. \"It must be Stockholm syndrome,\" others said. What else could explain why any girl, any woman, would choose to remain with such horrible men? Yet, some women rescued by the Nigerian military from captivity are willingly returning to Boko Haram's Sambisa forest hideout in north-eastern Nigeria to be with these same horrible men. In January, I met Aisha Yerima, 25, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram more than four years ago. While in captivity, she got married to a commander who showered her with romance, expensive gifts and Arabic love songs. The fairytale life in the Sambisa forest she described to me was suddenly cut short by the appearance of the Nigerian military in early 2016, at a time her husband had gone off to battle with other commanders. When I first interviewed Aisha, she had been in government custody for about eight months, and completed a de-radicalisation programme run by psychologist Fatima Akilu, the executive director of the Neem Foundation and founder of the Nigerian government's de-radicalisation programme. \"I now see that all the things Boko Haram told us were lies,\" Aisha said. \"Now, when I listen to them on the radio, I laugh.\" But, in May, less than five months after being released into the care of her family in north-eastern Maiduguri city, she returned to the forest hideout of Boko Haram. Over the past five years, Dr Akilu has worked with former Boko Haram members - including some commanders, their wives and children - and with hundreds of women who were rescued from captivity. \"How women were treated when in Boko Haram captivity depends on which camp a woman was exposed to. It depends on the commander running the camp,\" she said. \"Those who were treated better were the ones who willingly married Boko Haram members or who joined the group voluntarily and that's not the majority. Most women did not have the same treatment.\" Aisha had boasted to me about the number of slaves she had while in the Sambisa forest, the respect she received from other Boko Haram commanders, and the strong influence she had over her husband. She even accompanied him to battle once. \"These were women who for the most part had never worked, had no power, no voice in the communities, and all of a sudden they were in charge of between 30 to 100 women who were now completely under their control and at their beck and call,\" Dr Akilu said. \"It is difficult to know what to replace it with when you return to society because most of the women are returning to societies where they are not going to be able to wield that kind of power.\" Apart from loss of power, other reasons Dr Akilu believes could lead women to willingly return to Boko Haram include stigmatisation from a community which treats them like pariahs because of their association with the militants, and tough economic conditions. \"De-radicalisation is just one part of it. Reintegration is also a part of it. Some of them have no livelihood support built around them,\" Dr Akilu said. \"The kind of support you have in de-radicalisation programmes does not follow you when you leave. They often come out successful from de-radicalisation programmes but they struggle in the community and it is that struggle that often leads them to go back,\" she said. Recently, I visited Aisha's family, who were still in shock at her departure and worried about her wellbeing. Her mother, Ashe, recalled at least seven former Boko Haram \"wives\" she knew, all friends of her daughter, who had returned to the Sambisa forest long before her daughter did. \"Each time one of them disappeared, her family came to our house to ask Aisha if she had heard from their daughter,\" she said. \"That's how I knew.\" Some of the women kept in touch with Aisha after they returned to Boko Haram. Her younger sister, Bintu, was present during at least two phone calls. \"They told her to come and join them but she refused,\" Bintu said. \"She told them she didn't want to go back.\" Unlike some former Boko Haram \"wives\" I've met, who are either struggling to survive harsh economic conditions or dealing with stigma, Aisha's life seemed to be on track. She was earning money from buying and selling fabric, regularly attending social events and posting photos of herself all primped up on social media, and had a string of suitors. \"At least five different men wanted to marry her,\" her mother said, pointing out that there could be no greater form of acceptance shown to a woman, and presenting this as evidence that her daughter faced no stigma whatsoever from the community. \"One of the men lives in Lagos. She was thinking of marrying him,\" she said. But, everything went awry when Aisha received yet another phone call from the women who had returned to the forest, informing her that her Boko Haram \"husband\" was now with a woman who had been her rival. From that day, the vivacious and gregarious Aisha became a recluse. \"She stopped going out or talking or eating,\" Bintu said. \"She was always sad.\" Two weeks later, she left home and did not return. Some of her clothes were missing. Her phones were switched off. She took the two-year-old son fathered by the commander in the Sambisa forest, but left the older one she had with the husband she divorced before her abduction. \"De-radicalisation is complicated by the fact that we have an active, ongoing insurgency. In cases where a group has reached settlement with the government and laid down their arms, it is easier,\" Dr Akilu said. \"But, when you have fathers, husbands, sons still in the movement, they want to be reunited, especially women.\" Asta, another former Boko Haram \"wife\", told me that she has heard of the many women returning to the group, but has no plans to do so herself. However, the 19-year-old described how terribly she misses her husband, and how keen she is to hear from him and to be reunited with him. She insisted that she would not return to the forest, not even if he were to ask her. \"I will tell him to come and stay here with us and live a normal life,\" she said. But as with Aisha, the desire to be with the man she yearns for may turn out to be more compelling for Asta than the aversion to a group responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in north-east Nigeria, and for the displacement of millions who are struggling to survive in refugee camps. More from Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, on Instagram at bbcafrica or email africalive@bbc.co.uk", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1735, "answer_end": 3136, "text": "But, in May, less than five months after being released into the care of her family in north-eastern Maiduguri city, she returned to the forest hideout of Boko Haram. Over the past five years, Dr Akilu has worked with former Boko Haram members - including some commanders, their wives and children - and with hundreds of women who were rescued from captivity. \"How women were treated when in Boko Haram captivity depends on which camp a woman was exposed to. It depends on the commander running the camp,\" she said. \"Those who were treated better were the ones who willingly married Boko Haram members or who joined the group voluntarily and that's not the majority. Most women did not have the same treatment.\" Aisha had boasted to me about the number of slaves she had while in the Sambisa forest, the respect she received from other Boko Haram commanders, and the strong influence she had over her husband. She even accompanied him to battle once. \"These were women who for the most part had never worked, had no power, no voice in the communities, and all of a sudden they were in charge of between 30 to 100 women who were now completely under their control and at their beck and call,\" Dr Akilu said. \"It is difficult to know what to replace it with when you return to society because most of the women are returning to societies where they are not going to be able to wield that kind of power.\""}], "question": "The pull of power?", "id": "821_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4513, "answer_end": 6884, "text": "Unlike some former Boko Haram \"wives\" I've met, who are either struggling to survive harsh economic conditions or dealing with stigma, Aisha's life seemed to be on track. She was earning money from buying and selling fabric, regularly attending social events and posting photos of herself all primped up on social media, and had a string of suitors. \"At least five different men wanted to marry her,\" her mother said, pointing out that there could be no greater form of acceptance shown to a woman, and presenting this as evidence that her daughter faced no stigma whatsoever from the community. \"One of the men lives in Lagos. She was thinking of marrying him,\" she said. But, everything went awry when Aisha received yet another phone call from the women who had returned to the forest, informing her that her Boko Haram \"husband\" was now with a woman who had been her rival. From that day, the vivacious and gregarious Aisha became a recluse. \"She stopped going out or talking or eating,\" Bintu said. \"She was always sad.\" Two weeks later, she left home and did not return. Some of her clothes were missing. Her phones were switched off. She took the two-year-old son fathered by the commander in the Sambisa forest, but left the older one she had with the husband she divorced before her abduction. \"De-radicalisation is complicated by the fact that we have an active, ongoing insurgency. In cases where a group has reached settlement with the government and laid down their arms, it is easier,\" Dr Akilu said. \"But, when you have fathers, husbands, sons still in the movement, they want to be reunited, especially women.\" Asta, another former Boko Haram \"wife\", told me that she has heard of the many women returning to the group, but has no plans to do so herself. However, the 19-year-old described how terribly she misses her husband, and how keen she is to hear from him and to be reunited with him. She insisted that she would not return to the forest, not even if he were to ask her. \"I will tell him to come and stay here with us and live a normal life,\" she said. But as with Aisha, the desire to be with the man she yearns for may turn out to be more compelling for Asta than the aversion to a group responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in north-east Nigeria, and for the displacement of millions who are struggling to survive in refugee camps."}], "question": "Life on track?", "id": "821_1"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Losing MPs set to share \u00a32m pot", "date": "17 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "MPs who lost their seats in last Thursday's general election have begun clearing out their offices and handing back their Parliamentary passes. But there is one consolation prize for those who have been defeated at the ballot box. BBC research shows former MPs made redundant by voters at the general election - or those who stepped down just before it - will be entitled to more than PS2m in taxpayers' money. Under Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) rules, 71 defeated MPs can claim a \"loss of office payment\" equal to double the existing statutory redundancy pay rate - taking into account years of service, weekly pay and age - for non-MPs. Statutory redundancy pay - the legal minimum a company must pay to employees who have worked there for two years or more - is capped at PS15,750 (PS16,410 in Northern Ireland). Despite being rejected by the electorate, the longest-serving MPs, such as Frank Field, Dennis Skinner and Dominic Grieve, are entitled to a single payment of more than PS31,000, of which PS30,000 is tax free (redundancy pay for non-MPs is also tax free up to PS30,000). On top of this, MPs can also claim for an additional two months' salary - around PS8,400 according to IPSA - if they continue working to close down their office. It means 10 former members of Parliament could be awarded nearly PS40,000 each, with the average amount defeated MPs eligible to claim totalling over PS18,000. Ivan Lewis, former MP for Bury South, will be entitled to a PS26,000 loss of office payment because he contested the seat during the 2019 general election. The former Labour minister, who quit the party in 2018 after being suspended by it, stood as an independent, but urged voters to support the Conservative candidate, Christian Wakeford, who defeated Labour's Lucy Brake by just 402 votes (Mr Lewis got 1,366 votes and lost his PS500 deposit). Including Mr Lewis, 11 ex MPs who defected or were kicked out of the party they were originally elected under will be eligible for substantial loss of office payments. Roger Godsiff, former MP for Birmingham Hall Green, was deselected as the Labour candidate ahead of the election so ran as an independent where he was defeated heavily; he's owed PS31,500. Chris Williamson was elected in 2017 as a Labour MP but stood as an independent in Derby North this time receiving fewer than 5% of the vote and losing his PS500 deposit. He is eligible for a loss of office payment of around PS3,000. According to the IPSA rulebook, MPs are technically eligible for the loss of office payment providing they contest the same seat they held when Parliament closed and they have been an MP for more than two years. It is paid once the MP completes certain tasks such as submitting any expense claims. This criteria excludes former Labour MP for Peterborough Lisa Forbes and ex Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Jane Dodds who were elected for 2019 in by-elections before losing their seats. Also ineligible were MPs who defected to the Lib Dems, such as former Tory ministers Sam Gyimah and Phillip Lee, and former Labour MPs Luciana Berger, Angela Smith and Chuka Umunna because they attempted, unsuccessfully, to win different seats to the ones for which they were originally elected. Before the election, BuzzFeed reported that Angela Smith had written to IPSA to express her \"horror\" at not being eligible for her PS22,000 loss of office pay if she did not win in Altrincham and Sale West, the constituency she contested for the Lib Dems (she came third with 11% of the vote). MPs who decide to stand down cannot claim for the loss of office payment but are entitled to a winding-up payment equal to two months' salary after tax. MPs currently earn PS79,468 a year, which will rise with inflation in April and there are 76 ex MPs who stood down before the 2019 general election. Not included in the figures is the PS53,950 (PS57,150 for MPs in London) winding-up budget available to MPs because this covers staff salary and pension contributions as well as practical costs such as furniture removal from offices. Rent on any second home during the two months MPs continue to work, as well as staff redundancy payments, is covered by a separate pot policed by IPSA. The new rules were brought in after the 2015 election replacing a system where defeated MPs earned one month salary for each year of service with no payment exceeding more than the equivalent of six months' salary. Overall, the changes reduced the amount given to MPs after leaving office. Most MPs will qualify for a pension but how much they receive depends on a number of factors including their age, the contributions they have made and how many years they were in office. Former ministers get a more generous pension than backbenchers. Their pensions are now calculated on a career-average, rather than their final salary at retirement, in line with other public sector workers, although very few MPs spend their entire working lives in Parliament. MPs, and former MPs, have to wait until they are pension age before they can receive their pension. The main groups of MPs who might not get a pension are those who had opted out of the MPs' pension scheme or MPs with fewer than two years' service who choose to \"cash in\" their pension contributions. During a Parliamentary inquiry into MPs' expenses in 2016 it was suggested they serve under the equivalent of a fixed-term contract so should not be entitled to redundancy payments but overall the committee agreed with the premise of a loss of office payment to avoid MPs experiencing financial hardship. The Electoral Reform Society, whilst supportive of MPs' right receive remuneration if they lose their job, are sceptical about the amounts received. \"At a time when distrust in politics is running high, it seems odd that defeated MPs can get double the maximum redundancy available to ordinary voters. There are many reasons people feel disenchanted, including a feeling of 'one rule for us, another for them,'\" said Senior Director Willie Sullivan. An IPSA spokesperson said: \"\"An incumbent MP who was a candidate for re-election in the same seat is eligible to receive a Winding-up Payment of two month's salary and Loss of Office Payment equal to twice their statutory redundancy entitlement. The Loss of Office Payment will be paid to the MP once they have completed all business with IPSA.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1433, "answer_end": 2768, "text": "Ivan Lewis, former MP for Bury South, will be entitled to a PS26,000 loss of office payment because he contested the seat during the 2019 general election. The former Labour minister, who quit the party in 2018 after being suspended by it, stood as an independent, but urged voters to support the Conservative candidate, Christian Wakeford, who defeated Labour's Lucy Brake by just 402 votes (Mr Lewis got 1,366 votes and lost his PS500 deposit). Including Mr Lewis, 11 ex MPs who defected or were kicked out of the party they were originally elected under will be eligible for substantial loss of office payments. Roger Godsiff, former MP for Birmingham Hall Green, was deselected as the Labour candidate ahead of the election so ran as an independent where he was defeated heavily; he's owed PS31,500. Chris Williamson was elected in 2017 as a Labour MP but stood as an independent in Derby North this time receiving fewer than 5% of the vote and losing his PS500 deposit. He is eligible for a loss of office payment of around PS3,000. According to the IPSA rulebook, MPs are technically eligible for the loss of office payment providing they contest the same seat they held when Parliament closed and they have been an MP for more than two years. It is paid once the MP completes certain tasks such as submitting any expense claims."}], "question": "Golden goodbye?", "id": "822_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4540, "answer_end": 5304, "text": "Most MPs will qualify for a pension but how much they receive depends on a number of factors including their age, the contributions they have made and how many years they were in office. Former ministers get a more generous pension than backbenchers. Their pensions are now calculated on a career-average, rather than their final salary at retirement, in line with other public sector workers, although very few MPs spend their entire working lives in Parliament. MPs, and former MPs, have to wait until they are pension age before they can receive their pension. The main groups of MPs who might not get a pension are those who had opted out of the MPs' pension scheme or MPs with fewer than two years' service who choose to \"cash in\" their pension contributions."}], "question": "What about pensions?", "id": "822_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5305, "answer_end": 6405, "text": "During a Parliamentary inquiry into MPs' expenses in 2016 it was suggested they serve under the equivalent of a fixed-term contract so should not be entitled to redundancy payments but overall the committee agreed with the premise of a loss of office payment to avoid MPs experiencing financial hardship. The Electoral Reform Society, whilst supportive of MPs' right receive remuneration if they lose their job, are sceptical about the amounts received. \"At a time when distrust in politics is running high, it seems odd that defeated MPs can get double the maximum redundancy available to ordinary voters. There are many reasons people feel disenchanted, including a feeling of 'one rule for us, another for them,'\" said Senior Director Willie Sullivan. An IPSA spokesperson said: \"\"An incumbent MP who was a candidate for re-election in the same seat is eligible to receive a Winding-up Payment of two month's salary and Loss of Office Payment equal to twice their statutory redundancy entitlement. The Loss of Office Payment will be paid to the MP once they have completed all business with IPSA.\""}], "question": "Fixed-term contracts?", "id": "822_2"}]}]}, {"title": "PM warned 'high chance' of no-deal - court papers", "date": "5 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson warned ministers there was a \"high chance\" he would fail to get a new deal with the European Union over Brexit, documents show. The comments in a cabinet conference call were disclosed at the High Court, where the prime minister's decision to suspend parliament is being challenged by businesswoman Gina Miller. Mr Johnson's lawyers argue prorogation was a political, not a legal, matter. A judgement in the case is expected on Friday morning. A similar legal challenge heard at Edinburgh's Court of Session on Wednesday failed. In 2017, Ms Miller won a case which stopped ministers triggering the Article 50 process - by which the UK leaves the EU - without a vote in parliament. Outlining her latest case, Lord Pannick QC said prorogation breached the legal principle of Parliamentary sovereignty. 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. Opening the hearing on Thursday, Ms Miller's lawyer 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. Lord Pannick argued the reason given by Mr Johnson for suspending Parliament - to introduce a new programme of legislation - did not require a five-week suspension. The minutes of the Cabinet conference-call show the prime minister had briefed colleagues about the progress of talks with Brussels on 28 August. 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\". The minutes also show ministers agreed they needed to carefully consider \"messaging\" over the timetable to avoid accusations that the government was attempting to prevent Parliamentary scrutiny of its Brexit strategy. Lord Pannick referred to another of the documents in his address to the High Court - a note in Mr Johnson's own handwriting. It 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 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\". 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. \"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. Sir John Major, former Conservative prime minister, who was given the go ahead to join her legal action and intervene in the case in writing, 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. 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 he welcomed the court's decision and hoped other similar cases would be withdrawn. 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_start": 5067, "answer_end": 6455, "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. 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 he welcomed the court's decision and hoped other similar cases would be withdrawn. 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."}], "question": "What other legal challenges are taking place?", "id": "823_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Shipman, Bristol, Stafford, Morecambe Bay - and now Gosport", "date": "20 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "One by one the scandals have become etched on the public consciousness. The mass killings by Harold Shipman. The deaths of babies undergoing heart surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary and born under the care of Morecambe Bay maternity services. The needless suffering of patients at Stafford Hospital. Now we can add Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire to that list. News that 456 patients died after they were given opiate painkillers without reason is one of those moments that send a shudder through the NHS - and the nation. All these scandals are, of course, different. Shipman was about the actions of one person. Stafford was an institutional failing on a mass scale. Gosport has elements of both. But there are similarities too that run through all of them - and they go to the heart of what perhaps still remains an uncomfortable truth about healthcare. Whether it is in the GP's surgery, on a ward in a hospital, a room in a care home or from the comfort of your sofa during a home visit, patients see doctors and other healthcare staff when they are at their most vulnerable. The interactions are based on trust. A trust which is overwhelmingly repaid by the thousands of dedicated staff who treat millions of patients every week in the NHS. But bad practices can set in and poor care can go unchallenged. It is the common thread that runs through all four cases. And it begs two questions. In unveiling his findings, panel chairman Bishop James Jones talked about the \"institutionalised\" nature of what went wrong at Gosport. A culture where the unacceptable became acceptable had developed. It seems shocking. But it shouldn't. In any workplace, the culture and values are key. In an organisation the size of the NHS, they come from the top, but also from those you work with directly. Peter Carter, the former general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has talked about the NHS being a series of \"microclimates\", where good care can exist next to bad. He visited Stafford Hospital before the horror of what happened came to light. He was shown around wards, but not the ones that were at the centre of the subsequent inquiry. Afterwards he praised the care he saw. It can make identifying problems very difficult. It requires those on the inside - staff or patients - to blow the whistle. But time and time again that doesn't happen. Inquiries into Stafford Hospital, Morecambe Bay and Shipman detail the trusts placed in the system and staff. When people do have concerns there is a temptation to want to avoid making a \"nuisance\" of yourself or a fear of reprisals, according to Sir Robert Francis, who led the Stafford inquiry. Even when concerns are raised, they are not always acted on. This has happened in all these cases. Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb, who has been active in supporting the families in the Gosport case, has described how the hospital \"closed ranks\". Similar conclusions were drawn by the inquiries into Bristol, Morecambe Bay and Stafford Hospital. Hence, it has taken relatives 20 years of fighting to get the full scale of what went on at Gosport into the light. The NHS has changed dramatically in the past 10 to 20 years. The Shipman case led to changes into how deaths are recorded, controlled medicines are monitored and GPs are assessed. The Bristol Royal Infirmary and Stafford Hospital cases led to an overhaul in how hospitals are inspected and death rates used to hold them to account. Whistle-blowers now enjoy greater protection when they come forward. Patients are encouraged to play an active role in making decisions about their care, with doctors and nurses consulting with them in a way that would have been unimaginable previously. It means healthcare is undoubtedly safer than it was when each of these scandals were unfolding. But consider this: the failings at Morecambe Bay were still going on as recently as 2013. Indeed, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, in his statement to Parliament on Gosport, said it was only right that \"searching questions\" are asked about whether everything is being done to prevent another scandal. You need only look at the most recent NHS staff survey in England to see the system is far from perfect. Nearly a third did not feel secure in raising concerns about unsafe care.  An even greater number were not confident their complaints would be acted on. Dr Harold Shipman - Responsible for killing at least 215 patients over a 25-year period from the mid 1970s. Many were elderly women who died after he injected them with lethal doses of diamorphine. Stafford Hospital - Criticised for causing suffering to hundreds of patients during the late 2000s. Trust in charge of hospital later placed into administration. Bristol heart deaths - Thirty-five babies died and dozens more left brain-damaged by poor practices identified at child heart surgery unit between 1991 and 1995 Morecambe Bay - An inquiry said a \"lethal mix\" of failures in maternity care led to the deaths of 11 babies and a mother over nine years. Gosport War Memorial Hospital - Independent panel found there was a \"disregard for human life\" at hospital where inappropriate use of strong painkillers linked to the deaths of over 450 people. Read more from Nick Follow Nick on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1407, "answer_end": 3110, "text": "In unveiling his findings, panel chairman Bishop James Jones talked about the \"institutionalised\" nature of what went wrong at Gosport. A culture where the unacceptable became acceptable had developed. It seems shocking. But it shouldn't. In any workplace, the culture and values are key. In an organisation the size of the NHS, they come from the top, but also from those you work with directly. Peter Carter, the former general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has talked about the NHS being a series of \"microclimates\", where good care can exist next to bad. He visited Stafford Hospital before the horror of what happened came to light. He was shown around wards, but not the ones that were at the centre of the subsequent inquiry. Afterwards he praised the care he saw. It can make identifying problems very difficult. It requires those on the inside - staff or patients - to blow the whistle. But time and time again that doesn't happen. Inquiries into Stafford Hospital, Morecambe Bay and Shipman detail the trusts placed in the system and staff. When people do have concerns there is a temptation to want to avoid making a \"nuisance\" of yourself or a fear of reprisals, according to Sir Robert Francis, who led the Stafford inquiry. Even when concerns are raised, they are not always acted on. This has happened in all these cases. Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb, who has been active in supporting the families in the Gosport case, has described how the hospital \"closed ranks\". Similar conclusions were drawn by the inquiries into Bristol, Morecambe Bay and Stafford Hospital. Hence, it has taken relatives 20 years of fighting to get the full scale of what went on at Gosport into the light."}], "question": "How can it happen?", "id": "824_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3111, "answer_end": 4349, "text": "The NHS has changed dramatically in the past 10 to 20 years. The Shipman case led to changes into how deaths are recorded, controlled medicines are monitored and GPs are assessed. The Bristol Royal Infirmary and Stafford Hospital cases led to an overhaul in how hospitals are inspected and death rates used to hold them to account. Whistle-blowers now enjoy greater protection when they come forward. Patients are encouraged to play an active role in making decisions about their care, with doctors and nurses consulting with them in a way that would have been unimaginable previously. It means healthcare is undoubtedly safer than it was when each of these scandals were unfolding. But consider this: the failings at Morecambe Bay were still going on as recently as 2013. Indeed, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, in his statement to Parliament on Gosport, said it was only right that \"searching questions\" are asked about whether everything is being done to prevent another scandal. You need only look at the most recent NHS staff survey in England to see the system is far from perfect. Nearly a third did not feel secure in raising concerns about unsafe care.  An even greater number were not confident their complaints would be acted on."}], "question": "Could something similar be happening today?", "id": "824_1"}]}]}, {"title": "No escape as 'snow day' becomes 'e-learning day'", "date": "16 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Snowy weather has already arrived in parts of the US and Europe and is forecast for the UK later this month. For school students, it means the chance of benefiting from the long-standing tradition of the \"snow day\", when schools are forced to close and students get an unexpected day off. It's a familiar theme from American film and TV shows, with children getting the good news and then running outside for some seasonal snowman-building and snowball throwing, against a montage of Eighties pop music. But the tradition is now over for pupils in US states such as South Carolina, Nevada, Georgia and Indiana. This academic year, many school boards have introduced policies which require students to work from home if the school is shut by snow or extreme weather. They are known as \"e-learning days\", which certainly sounds less fun than a snow day. Teachers are also losing their snow days and instead will be expected to be on hand to take a virtual register and answer students' questions online. A pilot programme in a school district in Anderson County, South Carolina has supplied students with electronic tablets loaded with assignments to complete in the event of a school closure. If it is successful, it could be rolled out across the state. But some parents object to the new policy, if the vigorous debate on the Facebook page of Anderson County school district is anything to go by. \"When it snows, let the kids enjoy it,\" said one commenter. Another said the decision would \"ruin school even more\", and someone else called snow days \"a fun part of childhood\". But proponents of the policy say it means children will miss fewer days of school. It will also bring to an end a less popular US high school tradition: the \"make-up day\", which requires students in many states to make up the time lost due to weather by working during school holidays. Students in North Carolina already have several make-up days scheduled because of school closures during Hurricane Florence, which struck in September. Tom Wilson, the superintendent of Anderson County school district, said the change away from snow days makes practical and financial sense. He said technology has changed every profession, so it makes sense to use it to \"eliminate\" make-up days. Adam Baker of the Department of Education in Indiana said e-learning days were proving a \"great success\". He said most Indiana schools already use digital devices during lessons, so it was an \"easy decision\" to extend this to days when schools are closed. He denies the decision is depriving children of the chance to enjoy the snow. \"Students are still able to enjoy snow days and outside time,\" he said. \"Many have PE and science assignments that have them out enjoying the weather.\" But local school superintendents in Ohio are resisting proposals to adopt e-learning days. They fear that students without internet access at home will be disadvantaged by the policy, and superintendent Tom Roth is concerned that e-learning days will offer a lower quality of education. There are also so-called \"blizzard bags\", with assignments that are sent home with children ahead of an expected snow closure. But Mr Roth says it is not sufficient as a replacement. \"I think we still need the class time to give our kids the education that they deserve,\" he said. \"You can't get that with a blizzard bag or doing the work from home like that. It's not going to be as effective.\" There is a long-running debate on whether missing days of school affects attainment. In England, where the focus has been on tackling truancy, the Department for Education published research in 2016 arguing that missing any days at school could have a negative impact on results. Even a few days lost in a year could be enough to miss out on getting a good exam grade, the DFE's research concluded. This differed from the findings of a study from Harvard University in the US, which concluded that missing a few occasional days because of the weather did not damage learning. The study examined seven years of school results data and could not find any impact from snow closures. What caused more disruption was when schools tried to stay open in bad weather, even though many staff and pupils were absent. But weather can make a difference to school results, according to another piece of Harvard research published last summer. It's hot weather that has the negative impact. The results of 10 million school students were examined over 13 years and researchers found a \"significant\" link between years with sweltering weather and lower results. More from Global education The editor of Global education is Sean Coughlan (sean.coughlan@bbc.co.uk).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3429, "answer_end": 4575, "text": "There is a long-running debate on whether missing days of school affects attainment. In England, where the focus has been on tackling truancy, the Department for Education published research in 2016 arguing that missing any days at school could have a negative impact on results. Even a few days lost in a year could be enough to miss out on getting a good exam grade, the DFE's research concluded. This differed from the findings of a study from Harvard University in the US, which concluded that missing a few occasional days because of the weather did not damage learning. The study examined seven years of school results data and could not find any impact from snow closures. What caused more disruption was when schools tried to stay open in bad weather, even though many staff and pupils were absent. But weather can make a difference to school results, according to another piece of Harvard research published last summer. It's hot weather that has the negative impact. The results of 10 million school students were examined over 13 years and researchers found a \"significant\" link between years with sweltering weather and lower results."}], "question": "Do days off matter?", "id": "825_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran plane downing: Police deny shooting anti-government protesters", "date": "13 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police in the Iranian capital, Tehran, have denied using live ammunition against protesters outraged by the shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner. Officers had been given orders to \"show restraint\", the chief of police said. Videos posted online on Sunday recorded what appeared to be gunfire and showed an injured woman being carried away. Protests erupted on Saturday, after Iran admitted firing missiles by mistake at the Ukraine International Airlines jet that crashed near Tehran. All 176 people on board flight PS752, mostly Iranians and Canadians, were killed. For the first three days after the crash, Iran denied that its armed forces had shot down the plane and suggested there had been a technical failure. The admission of responsibility, which came after video emerged of a missile appearing to hit the plane, provoked widespread anger in Iran against the establishment. Days earlier, Iranians had been united in grief over the killing of Gen Qasem Soleimani, their country's second most powerful man, in a US drone strike in Iraq. The latest reports of a possible crackdown echo the protests in Iran in November over rising fuel prices. Human rights groups say hundreds of people were killed. Sunday's demonstrations went on late into the night, as people vented their fury against the Iranian government and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, who shot down the Ukrainian plane. A video posted to social media shows a protester kicking and then ripping down a large poster of Soleimani. There were reports that a number of people were injured when security forces broke up a protest in Tehran's Azadi Square, during which people chanted \"death to the dictator\" - a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One video posted on social media allegedly showed members of the paramilitary Basij Resistance Force, which is often used to suppress domestic dissent, attacking protesters in the area. What appears to be gunfire can be heard. Another video shows an injured woman being carried away by people who shout that she has been shot in the leg. A pool of blood is seen on the ground. A protester who saw the injured woman told the BBC: \"They started to come with sticks, they started to beat us. When we started to shout slogans, they started to bombard us with fire, they started to shoot.\" Despite such reports, Tehran police chief Brig-Gen Hossein Rahimi insisted that his officers did not fire live ammunition at protesters. \"The police treated the people who had gathered with patience and tolerance,\" he said, before warning that \"those who intend to manipulate the situation\" would face consequences. Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei meanwhile dismissed as \"crocodile tears\" US President Donald Trump's expressions of support for the protesters. Fresh protests reportedly took place on Monday afternoon outside universities in Tehran and the city of Isfahan. Footage showed students at the capital's Sharif University of Technology chanting \"They killed our elites and replaced them with clerics\" - a reference to Iranian students who were on flight PS752. Prominent Iranians also added their voices to the protests. The captain of the national men's volleyball team, Said Marouf, wrote on Instagram that he hoped Iran had seen its \"last show\" of \"deceit and stupidity\". And one of Iran's most famous actresses, Taraneh Alidoosti, posted that Iranians were being treated not as citizens but as \"hostages\". Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Vadym Prystaiko, told the BBC that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had assured the Ukrainian government in a telephone call that \"no-one who is to [blame] will escape punishment\". Mr Prystaiko added that five of the countries that had citizens on board the airliner - Canada, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sweden and an unnamed country - would meet in London on Thursday to discuss possible legal action. He said the \"grieving nations\" would work out what steps to take individually and collectively to \"bring the perpetrators to justice and how we can repay those families who have suffered\". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also told a memorial service for the 57 Canadian victims that their country would \"not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve\". Later the head of Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB), Kathy Fox, said Iran still had the black boxes from the aircraft, and that they were damaged. But Ms Fox said there were early signs that Iran was \"allowing the TSB to play a more active role than normally permitted\" - such as by inviting its investigators to  take part in downloading and analysing data. The Iranian government meanwhile denied there had been a cover-up. \"On these sad days, numerous criticisms were raised against the country's officials; some of us have been accused of lying and secrecy. But honestly it was not like that,\" spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters on Monday. \"The reality is that we did not lie,\" he added, blaming \"a lack of valid information\" and also \"the US's psychological warfare\" for his own and other officials' denials that the plane was shot down. Mr Rabiei insisted that senior officials, including President Rouhani, did not know that missiles had been launched at the airliner until Friday evening. However, the Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force Commander, Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, had said when admitting its role in the \"unintentional\" strike that he had informed officials about it on Wednesday. Gen Hajizadeh said on Saturday that Iran's air defences had been on the highest state of alert because the Revolutionary Guards had just fired ballistic missiles at US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. The operator of a missile defence system near Tehran's airport mistook flight PS752 for a US missile and due to problems with a communication system was unable to contact the command centre, according to the general. \"He had 10 seconds to decide,\" he added. \"He could have decided to strike or not to strike, and under such circumstances he took the wrong decision.\" In a separate development on Monday, the UK Foreign Office summoned Iran's ambassador in London following the detention of his British counterpart in Tehran after he attended a vigil for victims of the Ukrainian plane crash. The CEO of Canadian company Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, meanwhile criticised the US government for escalating tensions in the Middle East in the days before the crash, in which he said a colleague lost his family.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1207, "answer_end": 3443, "text": "Sunday's demonstrations went on late into the night, as people vented their fury against the Iranian government and the powerful Revolutionary Guards, who shot down the Ukrainian plane. A video posted to social media shows a protester kicking and then ripping down a large poster of Soleimani. There were reports that a number of people were injured when security forces broke up a protest in Tehran's Azadi Square, during which people chanted \"death to the dictator\" - a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. One video posted on social media allegedly showed members of the paramilitary Basij Resistance Force, which is often used to suppress domestic dissent, attacking protesters in the area. What appears to be gunfire can be heard. Another video shows an injured woman being carried away by people who shout that she has been shot in the leg. A pool of blood is seen on the ground. A protester who saw the injured woman told the BBC: \"They started to come with sticks, they started to beat us. When we started to shout slogans, they started to bombard us with fire, they started to shoot.\" Despite such reports, Tehran police chief Brig-Gen Hossein Rahimi insisted that his officers did not fire live ammunition at protesters. \"The police treated the people who had gathered with patience and tolerance,\" he said, before warning that \"those who intend to manipulate the situation\" would face consequences. Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei meanwhile dismissed as \"crocodile tears\" US President Donald Trump's expressions of support for the protesters. Fresh protests reportedly took place on Monday afternoon outside universities in Tehran and the city of Isfahan. Footage showed students at the capital's Sharif University of Technology chanting \"They killed our elites and replaced them with clerics\" - a reference to Iranian students who were on flight PS752. Prominent Iranians also added their voices to the protests. The captain of the national men's volleyball team, Said Marouf, wrote on Instagram that he hoped Iran had seen its \"last show\" of \"deceit and stupidity\". And one of Iran's most famous actresses, Taraneh Alidoosti, posted that Iranians were being treated not as citizens but as \"hostages\"."}], "question": "What happened at the weekend protests?", "id": "826_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3444, "answer_end": 6525, "text": "Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Vadym Prystaiko, told the BBC that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had assured the Ukrainian government in a telephone call that \"no-one who is to [blame] will escape punishment\". Mr Prystaiko added that five of the countries that had citizens on board the airliner - Canada, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sweden and an unnamed country - would meet in London on Thursday to discuss possible legal action. He said the \"grieving nations\" would work out what steps to take individually and collectively to \"bring the perpetrators to justice and how we can repay those families who have suffered\". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also told a memorial service for the 57 Canadian victims that their country would \"not rest until we get the accountability, justice, and closure that the families deserve\". Later the head of Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB), Kathy Fox, said Iran still had the black boxes from the aircraft, and that they were damaged. But Ms Fox said there were early signs that Iran was \"allowing the TSB to play a more active role than normally permitted\" - such as by inviting its investigators to  take part in downloading and analysing data. The Iranian government meanwhile denied there had been a cover-up. \"On these sad days, numerous criticisms were raised against the country's officials; some of us have been accused of lying and secrecy. But honestly it was not like that,\" spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters on Monday. \"The reality is that we did not lie,\" he added, blaming \"a lack of valid information\" and also \"the US's psychological warfare\" for his own and other officials' denials that the plane was shot down. Mr Rabiei insisted that senior officials, including President Rouhani, did not know that missiles had been launched at the airliner until Friday evening. However, the Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Force Commander, Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, had said when admitting its role in the \"unintentional\" strike that he had informed officials about it on Wednesday. Gen Hajizadeh said on Saturday that Iran's air defences had been on the highest state of alert because the Revolutionary Guards had just fired ballistic missiles at US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. The operator of a missile defence system near Tehran's airport mistook flight PS752 for a US missile and due to problems with a communication system was unable to contact the command centre, according to the general. \"He had 10 seconds to decide,\" he added. \"He could have decided to strike or not to strike, and under such circumstances he took the wrong decision.\" In a separate development on Monday, the UK Foreign Office summoned Iran's ambassador in London following the detention of his British counterpart in Tehran after he attended a vigil for victims of the Ukrainian plane crash. The CEO of Canadian company Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain, meanwhile criticised the US government for escalating tensions in the Middle East in the days before the crash, in which he said a colleague lost his family."}], "question": "What's the latest on flight PS752?", "id": "826_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'World's richest 1% get 82% of the wealth', says Oxfam", "date": "22 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The gap between the super rich and the rest of the world widened last year as wealth continued to be owned by a small minority, Oxfam has claimed. Some 82% of money generated last year went to the richest 1% of the global population while the poorest half saw no increase at all, the charity said. Oxfam said its figures - which critics have queried - showed a failing system. It blamed tax evasion, firms' influence on policy, erosion of workers' rights, and cost cutting for the widening gap. Oxfam has produced similar reports for the past five years. In 2017 it calculated that the world's eight richest individuals had as much wealth as the poorest half of the world. This year, it said 42 people now had as much wealth as the poorest half, but it revised last year's figure to 61. Oxfam said the revision was due to improved data and said the trend of \"widening inequality\" remained. Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring said its constant readjustment of the figures reflected the fact that the report was based \"on the best data available at the time\". \"However you look at it, this is an unacceptable level of inequality,\" he said. Oxfam's report coincides with the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, a Swiss ski resort. The annual conference attracts many of the world's top political and business leaders. Inequality typically features high on the agenda, but Mr Goldring said that too often \"tough talk fades away at the first resistance\". It's really hard working out how much wealth the super-rich and the very poor have. The super-rich tend not to publicise their worth and many of the world's poorest countries keep poor statistics. To illustrate that, this time last year, Oxfam told us that eight individuals have as much wealth as the poorest half of the world's population. Now it has revised that figure to 61 people for last year, falling to 42 people this year - that's a pretty big revision. And there are other caveats around the data on which all this is based, such as that the people on the list with the lowest wealth are not necessarily poor at all - they may be highly qualified professionals with large amounts of student debt, for example, or people with high incomes but enormous mortgages. But whether it's eight people, 42 people or 61 people who have the same wealth as half of the world, there is still great wealth inequality around the world, which is the message Oxfam is taking to Davos. The charity is urging a rethink of business models, arguing their focus on maximising shareholder returns over broader social impact is wrong. It said there was \"huge support\" for action with two thirds (72%) of 70,000 people it surveyed in ten countries saying they wanted their governments to \"urgently address the income gap between rich and poor\". But Mark Littlewood, director general at free market think tank The Institute of Economic Affairs, said Oxfam was becoming \"obsessed with the rich rather than the poor\". \"Higher taxes and redistribution will do nothing to help the poor; wealth is not a fixed pie. Richer people are also highly taxed people - reducing their wealth won't lead to redistribution, it will destroy it to the benefit of no one,\" he added. It was a criticism echoed by Sam Dumitriu, head of research at another free market think tank - the Adam Smith Institute - who said the charity's inequality stats \"always paint the wrong picture\". \"In reality, global inequality has fallen massively over the past few decades. \"As China, India and Vietnam embraced neoliberal reforms that enforce property rights, reduce regulations and increase competition, the world's poorest have received a massive pay rise leading to a more equal global income distribution.\" Oxfam's report is based on data from Forbes and the annual Credit Suisse Global Wealth databook, which gives the distribution of global wealth going back to 2000. The survey uses the value of an individual's assets, mainly property and land, minus debts, to determine what he or she \"owns\". The data excludes wages or income. The methodology has been criticised as it means that a student with high debts, but with high future earning potential, for example, would be considered poor under the criteria used. But Oxfam said even if the wealth of the poorest half of the world was recalculated to exclude people in net debt their combined wealth was still equal to that of just 128 billionaires.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3720, "answer_end": 4414, "text": "Oxfam's report is based on data from Forbes and the annual Credit Suisse Global Wealth databook, which gives the distribution of global wealth going back to 2000. The survey uses the value of an individual's assets, mainly property and land, minus debts, to determine what he or she \"owns\". The data excludes wages or income. The methodology has been criticised as it means that a student with high debts, but with high future earning potential, for example, would be considered poor under the criteria used. But Oxfam said even if the wealth of the poorest half of the world was recalculated to exclude people in net debt their combined wealth was still equal to that of just 128 billionaires."}], "question": "How does Oxfam work out the figures?", "id": "827_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Germany rules out informal negotiations", "date": "27 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has said there can be no talks on Brexit before the UK formally begins the process of leaving the EU. While accepting the UK needed time, she added it should not be a \"long time\". Mrs Merkel is due to meet French and Italian leaders later in Berlin, with the speed of negotiations for the UK's exit high on the agenda. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed the UK is not ready to begin the formal withdrawal process. Earlier, Chancellor George Osborne issued a statement to try to calm markets. UK shares remained uneasy in the wake of the vote. Billions more dollars were wiped off the value of shares in Europe and on Wall Street as a result of market uncertainty on Monday. London's benchmark share index was down 2.75% while Germany's leading index fell by 3%. Last Thursday, the UK voted 52-48 in favour of leaving the EU in a historic referendum, throwing the economy and politics into turmoil. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said his country's \"special relationship\" with the UK will be maintained. \"The vote did not come out the way US President [Barack] Obama and I had expected but that's democracy,\" he told reporters in Brussels. \"The reality is that a majority of British citizens voted to leave... so I await a communication about Article 50 [the formal trigger for withdrawal] from the UK addressed to the EU,\" Mrs Merkel said. \"We should not wait a long time. I do understand that the UK will consider things for a while. There cannot be any informal negotiations until we get that message from the UK. \"We can't have a permanent impasse,\" she was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. Once the UK invokes it, Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon sets out a two-year timetable to reach an exit deal. But UK PM David Cameron, who will step down by October, says he will leave the timing to his successor. He is due to make a special address to parliament later. The Leave campaign says there is no need to rush the UK's exit. France and Germany have insisted they are in \"full agreement\" on Brexit, although French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Monday this meant Britain should \"go quickly\". Mr Cameron took to the floor of the House of Commons to say he had spoken to European leaders and told them \"the British government [would] not be triggering Article 50 at this stage\". \"Before we do that we need to determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU,\" he said. He repeated his promise to stand down as prime minister this year and said it would be up to his successor to invoke Article 50. The chancellor, who backed Remain, tried to reassure financial markets that the UK was in a strong position to tackle the inevitable volatility. Despite suggesting before the vote that an emergency budget would be needed, he indicated that this would not now be an immediate priority, preferring to leave any adjustments to the economy to the new PM. He appeared to rule out resigning in the near future. Boris Johnson, the leading light of the Leave campaign, used an article in the Daily Telegraph to try to soothe British fears. \"EU citizens living in this country will have their rights fully protected, and the same goes for British citizens living in the EU. British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to travel; to study; to buy homes and settle down,\" he said. He also suggested the UK would still have access to the EU's single market, a remark quickly challenged by the German Business Institute and Merkel ally Michael Fuchs, MP. Mr Fuchs said: \"It will be possible, of course, but not for free - you have to see with Norway, with Switzerland, you have to pay a certain fee. And the per capita fee of Norway is exactly the same as what Britain is now paying into the EU. So there won't be any savings.\" Labour faced more turmoil, with further resignations of shadow ministers on Monday. Twenty-three of the 31 members of the shadow cabinet have now gone. Mr Corbyn has announced a new team but faces a possible no-confidence vote. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, which voted 62% for Remain, told the BBC the Scottish parliament could try to block the UK's exit from the EU. She also confirmed a second Scottish independence referendum was back on the table. Monday: Angela Merkel holds crisis talks in Berlin, first with EU President Donald Tusk, then with Mr Hollande and Mr Renzi (statement to media expected at 18:30 local time, 16:30 GMT). Tuesday: Extraordinary European Parliament session in Brussels on Brexit vote 10:00-12:00 (08:00-10:00 GMT), including speeches by Mr Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and party leaders, probably including UKIP's Nigel Farage. There is also an EU summit (European Council) in Brussels, at which David Cameron will brief the other EU leaders over dinner, from 19:45 (17:45 GMT), explaining the political fallout in the UK Wednesday: Second day of EU summit will feature breakfast talks between 27 leaders - Mr Cameron not attending. Talks focus on UK's \"divorce process\" as stipulated by Article 50, and Mr Tusk will \"launch a wider reflection on the future of the EU\"; press conferences in afternoon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1194, "answer_end": 2167, "text": "\"The reality is that a majority of British citizens voted to leave... so I await a communication about Article 50 [the formal trigger for withdrawal] from the UK addressed to the EU,\" Mrs Merkel said. \"We should not wait a long time. I do understand that the UK will consider things for a while. There cannot be any informal negotiations until we get that message from the UK. \"We can't have a permanent impasse,\" she was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. Once the UK invokes it, Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon sets out a two-year timetable to reach an exit deal. But UK PM David Cameron, who will step down by October, says he will leave the timing to his successor. He is due to make a special address to parliament later. The Leave campaign says there is no need to rush the UK's exit. France and Germany have insisted they are in \"full agreement\" on Brexit, although French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said on Monday this meant Britain should \"go quickly\"."}], "question": "What exactly did Mrs Merkel say?", "id": "828_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2168, "answer_end": 2982, "text": "Mr Cameron took to the floor of the House of Commons to say he had spoken to European leaders and told them \"the British government [would] not be triggering Article 50 at this stage\". \"Before we do that we need to determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU,\" he said. He repeated his promise to stand down as prime minister this year and said it would be up to his successor to invoke Article 50. The chancellor, who backed Remain, tried to reassure financial markets that the UK was in a strong position to tackle the inevitable volatility. Despite suggesting before the vote that an emergency budget would be needed, he indicated that this would not now be an immediate priority, preferring to leave any adjustments to the economy to the new PM. He appeared to rule out resigning in the near future."}], "question": "How is the UK government responding?", "id": "828_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2983, "answer_end": 3817, "text": "Boris Johnson, the leading light of the Leave campaign, used an article in the Daily Telegraph to try to soothe British fears. \"EU citizens living in this country will have their rights fully protected, and the same goes for British citizens living in the EU. British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to travel; to study; to buy homes and settle down,\" he said. He also suggested the UK would still have access to the EU's single market, a remark quickly challenged by the German Business Institute and Merkel ally Michael Fuchs, MP. Mr Fuchs said: \"It will be possible, of course, but not for free - you have to see with Norway, with Switzerland, you have to pay a certain fee. And the per capita fee of Norway is exactly the same as what Britain is now paying into the EU. So there won't be any savings.\""}], "question": "What are the Leave campaigners saying?", "id": "828_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3818, "answer_end": 4289, "text": "Labour faced more turmoil, with further resignations of shadow ministers on Monday. Twenty-three of the 31 members of the shadow cabinet have now gone. Mr Corbyn has announced a new team but faces a possible no-confidence vote. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, which voted 62% for Remain, told the BBC the Scottish parliament could try to block the UK's exit from the EU. She also confirmed a second Scottish independence referendum was back on the table."}], "question": "What's the latest political fallout in the UK?", "id": "828_3"}]}]}, {"title": "South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa accused in corruption row", "date": "19 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Africa's watchdog has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of misleading parliament and potential money laundering over a campaign donation. Mr Ramaphosa has previously denied any wrongdoing. His supporters say the allegations made by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane are politically motivated. The scandal is seen as part of a larger power struggle within the governing party, reports the BBC's Andrew Harding in Johannesburg. Last year, Mr Ramaphosa told parliament that he had not received election campaign donations from a controversial local company during his bid to lead the ruling African National Congress (ANC). It later emerged that was not true. Mr Ramphosa apologised, and said he had been misinformed. But South Africa's corruption watchdog has now said Mr Ramaphosa deliberately misled parliament and should be investigated by prosecutors. The explosive allegations against President Ramaphosa are seen by many as a power battle for control of the ANC and South Africa itself. Party factions have only become more entrenched since former President Jacob Zuma, 77, was forced to resign as president in February 2018 amid widespread allegations of corruption, which he denies. He was replaced by his then-deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, who promised to tackle corruption in the country. Many South Africans believe he means it. Mr Ramaphosa described Mr Zuma's nine years in office as \"wasted\". Critics of Ms Mkhwebane accuse her of bias and say she has become a participant in a fight-back by allies of former President Zuma, who is now facing numerous allegations of corruption himself. The battles are likely to play out in South Africa's courts, which have remained largely independent. Mr Zuma is to give further testimony to an ongoing corruption inquiry, withdrawing an earlier threat to pull out. His lawyer, Muzi Sikhakhane, had said on Friday that Mr Zuma would \"take no further part\" in the proceedings. But the judge overseeing the inquiry later said Mr Zuma had agreed to provide it with written statements. The inquiry is investigating allegations that the ex-leader oversaw a web of corruption while in office.. The lawyer, Mr Sikhakhane, told the inquiry commission in Johannesburg: \"Our client from the beginning... has been treated as someone who was accused.\" He criticised the investigation led by Judge Raymond Zondo, alleging that it was a \"political process where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing\". He also said Mr Zuma had been subjected to \"relentless cross-examination\". Mr Zuma had been due to give a final day of testimony on Friday but the inquiry was adjourned. \"I expected that he would co-operate,\" Judge Zondo said following Mr Zuma's withdrawal. \"The first purpose was to give him an opportunity to tell his side of his story.\" But shortly after, the judge said Mr Zuma had agreed to provide written statements and then return to the inquiry at a later date. The allegations against Mr Zuma focus on his relationship with the controversial Gupta family, which has been accused of influencing cabinet appointments and winning lucrative state tenders through corruption. He has also been accused of taking bribes from the logistics firm Bosasa, which is run by the Watson family. All the parties deny allegations of wrongdoing. The scandal is widely referred to as \"state capture\" - shorthand for a form of corruption in which businesses and politicians commandeer state assets to advance their own interests. On Monday, Mr Zuma gave a lengthy address in which he claimed the corruption allegations were a \"conspiracy\" aimed at removing him from the political scene. \"I have been vilified, alleged to be the king of corrupt people,\" he said. He implied that the UK and US had been - and still were - part of an elaborate plot to discredit him, even as he tried to bring about political and economic change in South Africa. Mr Zuma also said other foreign agents had tried to poison him, without naming them or offering any proof. \"I never did anything with them unlawfully,\" he said of the Gupta family. \"They just remained friends, as they were friends to everybody else.\" He also objected to allegations that he had allowed the state to be \"captured\" by the family. \"Did I auction Table Mountain? Did I auction Johannesburg?\" he asked. On Tuesday, the former president said he had received death threats following his testimony. Many of the revelations from the inquiry concern the relationship between two families - the Zumas, centred on the former president, and the Guptas, three Indian-born brothers who moved to South Africa after the fall of apartheid. The two families became so closely linked that a joint term was coined for them - the \"Zuptas\". The Guptas owned a portfolio of companies that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned conglomerates. They also employed several Zuma family members - including the president's son, Duduzane - in senior positions. According to testimony heard at the inquiry, the Guptas went to great lengths to influence their most important client, the South African state. Public officials responsible for various state bodies say they were directly instructed by the Guptas to take decisions that would advance the brothers' business interests. It is alleged that compliance was rewarded with money and promotion, while disobedience was punished with dismissal.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2140, "answer_end": 2928, "text": "The lawyer, Mr Sikhakhane, told the inquiry commission in Johannesburg: \"Our client from the beginning... has been treated as someone who was accused.\" He criticised the investigation led by Judge Raymond Zondo, alleging that it was a \"political process where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing\". He also said Mr Zuma had been subjected to \"relentless cross-examination\". Mr Zuma had been due to give a final day of testimony on Friday but the inquiry was adjourned. \"I expected that he would co-operate,\" Judge Zondo said following Mr Zuma's withdrawal. \"The first purpose was to give him an opportunity to tell his side of his story.\" But shortly after, the judge said Mr Zuma had agreed to provide written statements and then return to the inquiry at a later date."}], "question": "Why did Mr Zuma threaten to withdraw?", "id": "829_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2929, "answer_end": 4398, "text": "The allegations against Mr Zuma focus on his relationship with the controversial Gupta family, which has been accused of influencing cabinet appointments and winning lucrative state tenders through corruption. He has also been accused of taking bribes from the logistics firm Bosasa, which is run by the Watson family. All the parties deny allegations of wrongdoing. The scandal is widely referred to as \"state capture\" - shorthand for a form of corruption in which businesses and politicians commandeer state assets to advance their own interests. On Monday, Mr Zuma gave a lengthy address in which he claimed the corruption allegations were a \"conspiracy\" aimed at removing him from the political scene. \"I have been vilified, alleged to be the king of corrupt people,\" he said. He implied that the UK and US had been - and still were - part of an elaborate plot to discredit him, even as he tried to bring about political and economic change in South Africa. Mr Zuma also said other foreign agents had tried to poison him, without naming them or offering any proof. \"I never did anything with them unlawfully,\" he said of the Gupta family. \"They just remained friends, as they were friends to everybody else.\" He also objected to allegations that he had allowed the state to be \"captured\" by the family. \"Did I auction Table Mountain? Did I auction Johannesburg?\" he asked. On Tuesday, the former president said he had received death threats following his testimony."}], "question": "What is Mr Zuma accused of?", "id": "829_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4399, "answer_end": 5420, "text": "Many of the revelations from the inquiry concern the relationship between two families - the Zumas, centred on the former president, and the Guptas, three Indian-born brothers who moved to South Africa after the fall of apartheid. The two families became so closely linked that a joint term was coined for them - the \"Zuptas\". The Guptas owned a portfolio of companies that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned conglomerates. They also employed several Zuma family members - including the president's son, Duduzane - in senior positions. According to testimony heard at the inquiry, the Guptas went to great lengths to influence their most important client, the South African state. Public officials responsible for various state bodies say they were directly instructed by the Guptas to take decisions that would advance the brothers' business interests. It is alleged that compliance was rewarded with money and promotion, while disobedience was punished with dismissal."}], "question": "How did 'state capture' operate in South Africa?", "id": "829_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil fuel protests: Drivers to clear roads over army threat", "date": "25 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "One of the main groups behind a fuel strike paralysing Brazil has told truckers to clear roads after President Temer threatened to send in the army. The Abcam drivers' association said the threat of force was \"lamentable\" and said it feared for its members' safety. Earlier Mr Temer said a \"radical minority\" had rejected an agreement reached on Thursday and was holding the population hostage. Diesel prices in Brazil have nearly doubled since 2016. The strike has brought the country to a standstill, with queues at petrol stations, airports running out of fuel and supermarket shelves empty. He said he had authorised federal security forces to clear highways and told state governors to do the same. A minority of drivers was preventing \"many truckers from carrying out their wishes to serve the people and do their jobs\", he said. They \"did not have the right to paralyse the nation\", he added. Abcam, which says it represents 600,000 drivers, told drivers to allow transportation to return to normal. It said it still wanted drivers to protest, but said this should be done peacefully and without blocking roads. Abcam was the driving force behind the blockades, which began on Monday. On Thursday the government said it had reached a deal to scrap fuel taxes and maintain a 10% reduction in pump prices for a month in return for the protests being suspended for 15 days. But Abcam initially rejected the deal and told its members to stay \"firm\" in their protest until the fuel tax cuts were signed into law. On Friday there were still blockades in all but two of the country's 26 states, federal highway police said. There were 74 alone in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, a major route for trade with Argentina. Routes between cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte were also still blocked and there was very little activity at Santos, Latin America's biggest port, according to port operator Codesp. Petrol stations have been left unable to offer fuel, supermarkets are short of goods, and rubbish collection and public transport services have been reduced in many areas. Some firms told staff not to come to work on Friday. French supermarket chain Carrefour has limited the number of items each consumer can buy. Fears that the protest might continue for days has prompted consumers to stock up on staples such as bread, rice and mineral water. Exports have also been affected, as the main highways remain blocked. Sugar stocks have been reduced to \"near zero\" in the main ports, according to industry group Unica. Brazil is the world's largest sugar producer. All car manufacturing in Brazil has been halted, car makers association Anfavea said. Fibria, the world's largest producer of eucalyptus pulp, said the protests were affecting production. The city has declared a state of emergency, allowing it to seize fuel from petrol stations. It also enables purchases to be made without going through normal budgeting and bidding procedures, the statement said. The move reflects fears that vital services in the city such as bus transport, waste collection, food deliveries and health services could collapse by Monday, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported. The city has suspended non-essential administrative services to save fuel. The state-owned oil company Petrobras adopted a pro-market policy of tracking international oil prices after President Michel Temer took office following the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in 2016. That has seen prices almost double. Shares in Petrobras rose 2% on Friday on news of the deal after dropping by 19% on Thursday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 595, "answer_end": 899, "text": "He said he had authorised federal security forces to clear highways and told state governors to do the same. A minority of drivers was preventing \"many truckers from carrying out their wishes to serve the people and do their jobs\", he said. They \"did not have the right to paralyse the nation\", he added."}], "question": "What did President Temer say?", "id": "830_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 900, "answer_end": 1514, "text": "Abcam, which says it represents 600,000 drivers, told drivers to allow transportation to return to normal. It said it still wanted drivers to protest, but said this should be done peacefully and without blocking roads. Abcam was the driving force behind the blockades, which began on Monday. On Thursday the government said it had reached a deal to scrap fuel taxes and maintain a 10% reduction in pump prices for a month in return for the protests being suspended for 15 days. But Abcam initially rejected the deal and told its members to stay \"firm\" in their protest until the fuel tax cuts were signed into law."}], "question": "How have drivers responded?", "id": "830_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1515, "answer_end": 1937, "text": "On Friday there were still blockades in all but two of the country's 26 states, federal highway police said. There were 74 alone in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, a major route for trade with Argentina. Routes between cities such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte were also still blocked and there was very little activity at Santos, Latin America's biggest port, according to port operator Codesp."}], "question": "How widespread are the protests?", "id": "830_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1938, "answer_end": 2788, "text": "Petrol stations have been left unable to offer fuel, supermarkets are short of goods, and rubbish collection and public transport services have been reduced in many areas. Some firms told staff not to come to work on Friday. French supermarket chain Carrefour has limited the number of items each consumer can buy. Fears that the protest might continue for days has prompted consumers to stock up on staples such as bread, rice and mineral water. Exports have also been affected, as the main highways remain blocked. Sugar stocks have been reduced to \"near zero\" in the main ports, according to industry group Unica. Brazil is the world's largest sugar producer. All car manufacturing in Brazil has been halted, car makers association Anfavea said. Fibria, the world's largest producer of eucalyptus pulp, said the protests were affecting production."}], "question": "What has been their effect?", "id": "830_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2789, "answer_end": 3277, "text": "The city has declared a state of emergency, allowing it to seize fuel from petrol stations. It also enables purchases to be made without going through normal budgeting and bidding procedures, the statement said. The move reflects fears that vital services in the city such as bus transport, waste collection, food deliveries and health services could collapse by Monday, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported. The city has suspended non-essential administrative services to save fuel."}], "question": "What is happening in Sao Paulo?", "id": "830_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3278, "answer_end": 3603, "text": "The state-owned oil company Petrobras adopted a pro-market policy of tracking international oil prices after President Michel Temer took office following the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in 2016. That has seen prices almost double. Shares in Petrobras rose 2% on Friday on news of the deal after dropping by 19% on Thursday."}], "question": "Why have diesel prices risen?", "id": "830_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: Global shares suffer worst week since financial crisis", "date": "28 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US markets have suffered their worst week since the global financial crisis of 2008, as fears over the impact of the coronavirus continued to grip investors. The three main US indexes ended the week down 10% or more from last Friday, despite a last-minute rally in prices. Earlier, the main European markets fell sharply, with London's FTSE 100 index down 3.2% for the day. Investors are worried the coronavirus could spark a global recession. The Dow settled 1.4% lower on Friday, recovering from earlier lows, while the S&P sank 0.8% and the Nasdaq was roughly flat. Amid the sell-off, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell put out an unusual statement, saying the US central bank was \"closely monitoring\" developments. \"The fundamentals of the US economy remain strong. However, the coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity,\" he said. \"We will use our tools and act as appropriate to support the economy.\" The news of more coronavirus cases, notably in Italy, has raised concerns of a much larger economic effect than previously expected. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney on Friday warned the outbreak could lead to a downgrade of the UK's growth prospects. Other countries are also reassessing their economic forecasts, as hundreds of firms warn of disruptions to their supply chains and a decline in consumer demand. US tech giants Apple and Microsoft are among the companies that have said their business will be affected, while investment bank Goldman Sachs warned on Thursday that the coronavirus is likely to wipe out any growth in US company profits this year. Shares in airlines have been especially hard-hit as travel bans are imposed and companies limit staff travel. On Friday, airline group IAG - which owns British Airways and Iberia - said its earnings had been affected by \"weaker demand\" as a result of the outbreak. \"A known unknown\" is how one major company boss described the economic fallout of coronavirus to the BBC. But what the markets have woken up to - perhaps belatedly - is that the disruption to the economic activity from coronavirus is wider, deeper and perhaps longer lasting than previously assumed. As major outbreaks spring up outside China, it is clear that it is not just global supply chains but also demand from consumers that's suffering, as efforts to contain the virus keep them away from shops, bars and restaurants. What is unknown is exactly how bad and how lasting the impact could be. But what is known is that this comes at an already tricky time for the global economy with Japan, Italy, China and the UK among those already seeing growth faltering. As economists slash their growth forecasts, policymakers are debating how much they can do to help, given how low interest rates remain. What's entirely clear is that investors face more anxiety ahead. Mayank Mishra, a strategist at Standard Chartered Bank, said: \"Previously the market had taken some comfort in the falling infection rates in China as a result of containment measures put in place earlier. \"But the spread of the coronavirus infection outside China, with clusters emerging in South Korea, Italy and Japan, has increased concerns significantly.\" In Europe, Germany's Dax index fell 4.2%, while France's Cac 40 index sank 3.9%. Earlier on Friday, in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 3.7%, bringing its fall for the week to more than 9%. China's Shanghai Composite index also fell 3.7% on Friday. Traders fled to less risky investments, such as government debt, sending bond yields to new lows. Meanwhile, oil prices also fell on fears the virus would hurt demand, with Brent prices dropping more than 3% to about $50 a barrel on Friday, the lowest level for more than a year. US President Donald Trump, who has claimed credit for a sharp rise in share prices during his tenure, blamed the falls on investor fear of \"the unknown\" - as well as concerns about the Democratic candidates hoping to challenge him in November's presidential election. \"People look at it and they say how long will this last,\" he said. \"It's an election ... I don't think that's helping.\" Several key global market indexes - including the FTSE 100 and the Dow Jones - have fallen more than 10% from recent highs. A drop of that magnitude is generally referred to as a correction. However, share prices were hovering at record levels before the sell-off started, noted Sonja Laud, chief investment officer at Legal & General Investment Management. The Dow and S&P 500 have now retreated roughly to where they were in August, while the Nasdaq has returned to December prices. \"What markets are trying to digest is how long this is going to go on and what the economic damage will be,\" she said. Many analysts now predict the US central bank will cut interest rates in an attempt to counter any impact. James Bullard, who sits on the Fed's board of governors, said Friday that cuts are \"a possibility\" should the virus continue to spread, but he warned that market expectations would not force the bank to act. Ms Laud said that many central banks had little room for manoeuvre, because rates are already so low. \"Realistically it's mostly the Fed and to some extent the Bank of England that still have the chance to cut rates,\" she told the BBC. \"I think there will be a huge focus on governments to step up fiscal stimulus under the assumption there is not a lot more that central banks can do to stimulate the economy.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4461, "answer_end": 5433, "text": "The Dow and S&P 500 have now retreated roughly to where they were in August, while the Nasdaq has returned to December prices. \"What markets are trying to digest is how long this is going to go on and what the economic damage will be,\" she said. Many analysts now predict the US central bank will cut interest rates in an attempt to counter any impact. James Bullard, who sits on the Fed's board of governors, said Friday that cuts are \"a possibility\" should the virus continue to spread, but he warned that market expectations would not force the bank to act. Ms Laud said that many central banks had little room for manoeuvre, because rates are already so low. \"Realistically it's mostly the Fed and to some extent the Bank of England that still have the chance to cut rates,\" she told the BBC. \"I think there will be a huge focus on governments to step up fiscal stimulus under the assumption there is not a lot more that central banks can do to stimulate the economy.\""}], "question": "Will the Fed cut interest rates?", "id": "831_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US top court divided as it ponders LGBT rights", "date": "8 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US Supreme Court appears divided over whether a civil rights law barring workplace discrimination applies to gay and transgender workers. The top court heard arguments regarding two cases of alleged discrimination against gay employees, and a third involving transgender discrimination. Protesters from both sides gathered outside the court as arguments began. The cases may be a landmark for LGBT rights in the US, four years after gay marriage became legal nationwide. The top court's liberal quartet indicated their agreement with the plaintiffs and the argument that LGBT workers should be covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Of the conservative justices, only Trump-appointed Neil Gorsuch appeared sympathetic to the plaintiffs - an early signal that he may cast the decisive vote. Decisions from the nine justices on America's highest court are due by next June. The first two cases have been consolidated as both address the purported discrimination of gay employees. Donald Zarda, a skydiving instructor from New York, and Gerald Bostock, a former child welfare services co-ordinator from Georgia, both say they were fired because of their sexual orientation. Mr Zarda, who died in a skydiving accident in 2014 , was dismissed after joking with a female client with whom he was tandem-diving not to worry about the close physical contact because he was \"100% gay\". The company maintained he was fired because he shared personal information with a client, not because he was gay, but a court in New York ruled in Mr Zarda's favour. Mr Bostock says he lost his job after joining a gay recreational softball league, thereby publicly revealing his sexual orientation. His employer, Clayton County, said his dismissal was the result of \"conduct unbecoming of a county employee\". Mr Bostock lost his discrimination case in a federal court in Atlanta. Michigan funeral home employee Aimee Stephens says she was fired for coming out as transgender. She had worked as Anthony Stephens for six years before writing a letter to colleagues saying she would return to work \"as my true self, Aimee Australia Stephens, in appropriate business attire\". Two weeks later, Ms Stephens was fired for insisting to work in women's clothes. In a court filing last year, the funeral home owner argued it wanted Ms Stephens to comply with a dress code \"applicable to Stephens' biological sex\". A lower court sided with Ms Stephens. The US Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has supported the employers in each case. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex as well as gender, race, colour, national origin and religion. The legal arguments hinge on whether \"sex\" may apply to sexual orientation and gender identity. So far, most federal appeals courts in the US have interpreted the law to exclude discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. But two courts, in New York and Chicago, recently ruled that discrimination against LGBT people is a form of sex discrimination. Conservative groups argue that sexual orientation and gender identity may not be equated to the forms of discrimination already delineated in the Civil Rights Act. \"Congress never intended sexual orientation or the personal feelings of transgender individuals to be included in the concept of sex discrimination,\" said Walker Wildmon, vice president for The American Family Association, in a statement. He added that religious individuals should be allowed \"to operate their businesses according to their deeply held religious beliefs\" - a defence broadly dismissed by LGBT advocates. \"In 29 states, a person can be fired for their gender identity and sexual orientation,\" Human Rights Council press secretary Charlotte Clymer told the BBC. \"It's not about religious freedom, it's about pushing LGBT people out of the public square.\" \"The fact that you can get married on Sunday and fired on Monday for being LGBTQ, I believe, presents a pretty massive problem for our community and for society,\" she said. The Supreme Court justices appeared divided on Tuesday on whether Title VII protects gay, lesbian and transgender employees. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito said that if the provision is found to cover LGBT individuals, the court would be seen as deciding \"a major policy question\" - taking the place of the legislature. Chief Justice John Roberts, sometimes seen as the ideological centre of the bench, was considered a possible swing vote on the issue. He asked on Tuesday whether, if the court were to rule that sexual orientation is covered by Title VII, exemptions would be granted for employers with strong religious beliefs. Of the conservative justices it was the Trump-appointed Mr Gorsuch who voiced sympathy for the fired workers, saying sex seemed to be a \"contributing cause\" for their dismissals. He also seemed amenable to the argument that \"sex\" in the Civil Rights Act could be applied to sexual orientation, whatever Congress had in mind during the law's writing in 1964. He later expressed concern, however, of judicial overstep. Echoing Mr Alito, Mr Gorsuch warned of \"massive social upheaval\" if the court were to rule in favour of LGBT workers, instead of allowing Congress to legislate on the subject. But liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked \"at what point\" a court could \"continue to allow individuous discrimination\". She continued: \"We can't deny that homosexuals are being fired just for who they are.\" It is the first time the top US court has heard a case involving gay rights since 2018. Since then the balance of the court has tilted to a 5-4 conservative majority, including Trump appointees Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The closely-watched Mr Kavanaugh has so far said little to indicate his stance. Dozens of people demonstrated outside the Supreme Court building, holding signs that say: \"Trans people belong\", \"We will fight back\" and other slogans that underscore their message - gay and transgender rights should be protected in the workplace. The issue being considered by the court has important legal implications, as activists explain, saying no-one should be sacked for being gay. The matter also has political implications - evangelical Christians, many of whom helped Trump get elected, think the laws should not change and are hoping the court will agree. For Trump, the ruling will either provide a victory or a setback for his supporters. The progressive activists are naturally campaigning for a victory for their side. With that goal in mind, one activist is holding a sign: \"Surrender Donald.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 883, "answer_end": 2528, "text": "The first two cases have been consolidated as both address the purported discrimination of gay employees. Donald Zarda, a skydiving instructor from New York, and Gerald Bostock, a former child welfare services co-ordinator from Georgia, both say they were fired because of their sexual orientation. Mr Zarda, who died in a skydiving accident in 2014 , was dismissed after joking with a female client with whom he was tandem-diving not to worry about the close physical contact because he was \"100% gay\". The company maintained he was fired because he shared personal information with a client, not because he was gay, but a court in New York ruled in Mr Zarda's favour. Mr Bostock says he lost his job after joining a gay recreational softball league, thereby publicly revealing his sexual orientation. His employer, Clayton County, said his dismissal was the result of \"conduct unbecoming of a county employee\". Mr Bostock lost his discrimination case in a federal court in Atlanta. Michigan funeral home employee Aimee Stephens says she was fired for coming out as transgender. She had worked as Anthony Stephens for six years before writing a letter to colleagues saying she would return to work \"as my true self, Aimee Australia Stephens, in appropriate business attire\". Two weeks later, Ms Stephens was fired for insisting to work in women's clothes. In a court filing last year, the funeral home owner argued it wanted Ms Stephens to comply with a dress code \"applicable to Stephens' biological sex\". A lower court sided with Ms Stephens. The US Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has supported the employers in each case."}], "question": "What are the cases?", "id": "832_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2529, "answer_end": 4093, "text": "Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex as well as gender, race, colour, national origin and religion. The legal arguments hinge on whether \"sex\" may apply to sexual orientation and gender identity. So far, most federal appeals courts in the US have interpreted the law to exclude discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. But two courts, in New York and Chicago, recently ruled that discrimination against LGBT people is a form of sex discrimination. Conservative groups argue that sexual orientation and gender identity may not be equated to the forms of discrimination already delineated in the Civil Rights Act. \"Congress never intended sexual orientation or the personal feelings of transgender individuals to be included in the concept of sex discrimination,\" said Walker Wildmon, vice president for The American Family Association, in a statement. He added that religious individuals should be allowed \"to operate their businesses according to their deeply held religious beliefs\" - a defence broadly dismissed by LGBT advocates. \"In 29 states, a person can be fired for their gender identity and sexual orientation,\" Human Rights Council press secretary Charlotte Clymer told the BBC. \"It's not about religious freedom, it's about pushing LGBT people out of the public square.\" \"The fact that you can get married on Sunday and fired on Monday for being LGBTQ, I believe, presents a pretty massive problem for our community and for society,\" she said."}], "question": "What's the legal background?", "id": "832_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4094, "answer_end": 5851, "text": "The Supreme Court justices appeared divided on Tuesday on whether Title VII protects gay, lesbian and transgender employees. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito said that if the provision is found to cover LGBT individuals, the court would be seen as deciding \"a major policy question\" - taking the place of the legislature. Chief Justice John Roberts, sometimes seen as the ideological centre of the bench, was considered a possible swing vote on the issue. He asked on Tuesday whether, if the court were to rule that sexual orientation is covered by Title VII, exemptions would be granted for employers with strong religious beliefs. Of the conservative justices it was the Trump-appointed Mr Gorsuch who voiced sympathy for the fired workers, saying sex seemed to be a \"contributing cause\" for their dismissals. He also seemed amenable to the argument that \"sex\" in the Civil Rights Act could be applied to sexual orientation, whatever Congress had in mind during the law's writing in 1964. He later expressed concern, however, of judicial overstep. Echoing Mr Alito, Mr Gorsuch warned of \"massive social upheaval\" if the court were to rule in favour of LGBT workers, instead of allowing Congress to legislate on the subject. But liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked \"at what point\" a court could \"continue to allow individuous discrimination\". She continued: \"We can't deny that homosexuals are being fired just for who they are.\" It is the first time the top US court has heard a case involving gay rights since 2018. Since then the balance of the court has tilted to a 5-4 conservative majority, including Trump appointees Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The closely-watched Mr Kavanaugh has so far said little to indicate his stance."}], "question": "What happened in court?", "id": "832_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US partial government shutdown becomes longest ever", "date": "12 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The partial shutdown of the US government has become the longest ever, with no end in sight to the political standoff. On Saturday it reaches its 22nd day, overtaking the previous record - the 21-day shutdown in 1995-96 under then-President Bill Clinton. President Donald Trump is refusing to approve a budget unless it includes funds for a wall on the Mexican border. Democrats have rejected his request for $5.7bn (PS4.5bn). About a quarter of the federal government is still out of operation until a spending plan is agreed, leaving 800,000 employees unpaid. On Friday, those workers - including prison guards, airport staff and FBI agents - missed their first salaries of the year. Meanwhile, President Trump has calmed speculation that he is about to declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress and get the money he needs. His proposed border wall was a key election pledge. He described an emergency declaration as an \"easy way out\" and said he would prefer Congress to resolve the problem. But he added: \"If they can't do it... I will declare a national emergency. I have the absolute right.\" Correspondents say Democrats would mount an immediate legal challenge if Mr Trump made such a move. On Friday, some workers who missed their first payday of the year shared their blank payslips on social media. Oscar Murillo, an aerospace engineer at Nasa, posted his $0 cheque on Twitter and said he had actually lost money because of mandatory deductions. Another Twitter user, Cat Heifner, shared what she said was her brother's payslip, showing he had been paid one cent for his work as an air traffic controller. A food bank in Washington DC is arranging five pop-up markets on Saturday for unpaid federal workers. Radha Muthiah, head of Capital Area Food Bank, said dozens of volunteers were working to pack bags of food for affected staff. Meanwhile, the classified advertising website Craigslist has been inundated with listings from government employees trying to sell their possessions. Items ranging from beds to old toys have been listed as \"government shutdown specials\". \"Sells for $93.88 at Walmart. Asking $10,\" one advert for a child's rocking chair reads. \"We need money to pay bills.\" Of the 800,000 federal employees going unpaid, about 350,000 are furloughed - a kind of temporary lay-off - while the rest are continuing to work. Thousands have reportedly applied for unemployment benefits amid the financial uncertainty. One major airport, Miami International, will close an entire terminal this weekend because of a shortage of security agents caused by the shutdown. The agents are \"essential\" federal workers and expected to work - despite not being paid until the shutdown ends. Instead many agents are calling in sick in protest at the situation, the Miami Herald reports. The House and Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill on Friday to ensure all government workers receive retroactive pay after the shutdown ends. The president is expected to sign the legislation. But that may be small consolation to those federal employees currently in dire straits, with no end in sight to the impasse. At a roundtable discussion about border security on Friday with state and local leaders, Mr Trump again demanded that Democrats approve funding for a wall or steel barrier. However, the Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives said the ball was in Mr Trump's court. Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters: \"When the president acts, we will respond to whatever he does.\" According to the Associated Press, senior White House aide Jared Kushner - Mr Trump's son-in-law - is among those who have cautioned the president against declaring a national emergency. US media report the White House is considering diverting some of the $13.9bn allocated last year by Congress for disaster relief in such areas as Puerto Rico, Texas and California to pay for the wall. But Republican congressman Mark Meadows, who is close to the president, said that option was not under serious consideration. Have you been affected by the US government shutdown? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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: +447555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms and conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1213, "answer_end": 2812, "text": "On Friday, some workers who missed their first payday of the year shared their blank payslips on social media. Oscar Murillo, an aerospace engineer at Nasa, posted his $0 cheque on Twitter and said he had actually lost money because of mandatory deductions. Another Twitter user, Cat Heifner, shared what she said was her brother's payslip, showing he had been paid one cent for his work as an air traffic controller. A food bank in Washington DC is arranging five pop-up markets on Saturday for unpaid federal workers. Radha Muthiah, head of Capital Area Food Bank, said dozens of volunteers were working to pack bags of food for affected staff. Meanwhile, the classified advertising website Craigslist has been inundated with listings from government employees trying to sell their possessions. Items ranging from beds to old toys have been listed as \"government shutdown specials\". \"Sells for $93.88 at Walmart. Asking $10,\" one advert for a child's rocking chair reads. \"We need money to pay bills.\" Of the 800,000 federal employees going unpaid, about 350,000 are furloughed - a kind of temporary lay-off - while the rest are continuing to work. Thousands have reportedly applied for unemployment benefits amid the financial uncertainty. One major airport, Miami International, will close an entire terminal this weekend because of a shortage of security agents caused by the shutdown. The agents are \"essential\" federal workers and expected to work - despite not being paid until the shutdown ends. Instead many agents are calling in sick in protest at the situation, the Miami Herald reports."}], "question": "How have workers reacted?", "id": "833_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2813, "answer_end": 4023, "text": "The House and Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill on Friday to ensure all government workers receive retroactive pay after the shutdown ends. The president is expected to sign the legislation. But that may be small consolation to those federal employees currently in dire straits, with no end in sight to the impasse. At a roundtable discussion about border security on Friday with state and local leaders, Mr Trump again demanded that Democrats approve funding for a wall or steel barrier. However, the Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives said the ball was in Mr Trump's court. Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters: \"When the president acts, we will respond to whatever he does.\" According to the Associated Press, senior White House aide Jared Kushner - Mr Trump's son-in-law - is among those who have cautioned the president against declaring a national emergency. US media report the White House is considering diverting some of the $13.9bn allocated last year by Congress for disaster relief in such areas as Puerto Rico, Texas and California to pay for the wall. But Republican congressman Mark Meadows, who is close to the president, said that option was not under serious consideration."}], "question": "What is the political situation?", "id": "833_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: Migration to the UK", "date": "25 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Net migration to the UK has fallen to about 248,000 in 2016, down 84,000 from the previous year, according to official estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Net migration is the number of people who have moved to the UK for at least a year minus the number who have left. The ONS said the fall was due to more people leaving, especially EU citizens, as well as fewer people arriving. Immigration to the UK is estimated to be 588,000 - 250,000 EU citizens, 264,000 non-EU citizens and 74,000 British citizens. At the same time, an estimated 339,000 people left the country: 134,000 British, 117,000 EU and 88,000 non-EU citizens. About half of the EU migrants came from the original West European EU countries: - France - Germany - Italy - Belgium - The Netherlands - Luxembourg - Denmark - Ireland - Greece - Spain - Portugal - Austria - Finland - Sweden A further 19%, 48,000 people, came from the eight countries that joined the EU in 2004, which the ONS said was the lowest estimate recorded: - Poland - Czech Republic - Slovakia - Hungary - Slovenia - Latvia - Lithuania - Estonia The remaining 27% came from Romania and Bulgaria, the two countries that joined the EU in 2007, but have been allowed to seek employment in the UK freely only since 2014. The reasons for coming to the UK vary, but most of the EU migrants who came in 2016 said their main reason for coming was either to take a job they had secured before they arrived or to look for a job. On the other hand, most of the non-EU migrants said they had come to study, join family members already in the UK or accompany family members. The migrants that arrived in 2016 joined an estimated 5.567 million citizens of other countries already living in the UK in 2015. According to the ONS 2015 figures, nine in every 100 people living in the UK were non-British. Of these, the number of EU citizens is estimated at 3.2 million, or five in every 100, and the number of non-EU citizens at 2.4 million, or four in every 100. How has the proportion of EU and non-EU nationals in the UK changed over the past 15 years? In 2001, the proportion of the EU citizens living in the UK was considerably lower - one per 100. The proportion of non-EU citizens - at three per 100 - was also lower than now. But by 2011 the proportion of EU citizens living in the UK had risen sharply. In 2001, the top non-British nationality living in the UK was Irish, with 402,000. The second was Indian, with 147,000, followed by the US, with 119,000. The number of Polish nationals was 38,000, Romanian 5,000 and Lithuanian 7,000. The situation had changed dramatically by 2015: Polish citizens topped the list with 916,000, followed by Indian citizens on 362,000. Irish nationals are now the third biggest non-British group, with an estimated 332,000 living in the UK in 2015. Romanian nationals are now the fourth biggest nation, with 233,000 citizens. Lithuanian migrants are now the eighth biggest non-British group in the UK, with an estimated 170,000 citizens. There has been a notable increase in the number of migrants from the older EU member states too: Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and Spain, as well as some non-EU countries, including Pakistan, China and Nigeria. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1275, "answer_end": 1619, "text": "The reasons for coming to the UK vary, but most of the EU migrants who came in 2016 said their main reason for coming was either to take a job they had secured before they arrived or to look for a job. On the other hand, most of the non-EU migrants said they had come to study, join family members already in the UK or accompany family members."}], "question": "Why do people come to UK?", "id": "834_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1620, "answer_end": 2003, "text": "The migrants that arrived in 2016 joined an estimated 5.567 million citizens of other countries already living in the UK in 2015. According to the ONS 2015 figures, nine in every 100 people living in the UK were non-British. Of these, the number of EU citizens is estimated at 3.2 million, or five in every 100, and the number of non-EU citizens at 2.4 million, or four in every 100."}], "question": "How many migrants are there already in the UK?", "id": "834_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran tanker seizure: May chairs Cobra meeting on crisis", "date": "22 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Downing Street has repeated its calls for Iran to immediately release a British-flagged tanker that was seized in the Gulf on Friday. Prime Minister Theresa May has been chairing the government's emergency committee Cobra to receive updates and discuss security in the area. Her official spokesman described the seizure of the ship as \"unacceptable and highly escalatory\". The foreign secretary is expected to set out next steps to MPs later. It comes amid reports ministers are considering freezing Iranian assets. On Sunday, ministers denied domestic politics meant the government had taken its \"eye off the ball\". The detainment of the Stena Impero marks escalating tensions between the UK and Iran, coming weeks after Britain helped seize a tanker carrying Iranian oil. On Friday, the Stena Impero was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the key shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was \"violating international maritime rules\". Video released by Iran's Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars news agency appeared to show the moment the tanker was raided. A recording emerged of radio exchanges between HMS Montrose and Iranian armed forces vessels moments before the tanker was seized. Iranian vessel can be heard telling the British frigate it wants to inspect the Stena Impero for security reasons. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the tanker was captured after it collided with a fishing boat and failed to respond to calls from the smaller craft. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was illegally seized in Omani waters and forced to sail into Bandar Abbas port in Iran. The seizure of the Stena Impero comes two weeks after Royal Marines helped seize Iranian tanker Grace 1 off Gibraltar, because of evidence it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. Mr Hunt said the Grace 1 was detained legally, but Iran said it was \"piracy\" and threatened to seize a British oil tanker in retaliation. Former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith told the BBC there were legitimate questions over the British government's actions, after HMS Montrose was too far away to stop the ship's seizure. He said the detention of the Grace 1 tanker carrying Iranian oil two weeks earlier ought to have served as a warning British vessels in the Gulf needed protection. The Tory MP said he understood the US had offered the UK \"assets\" to support its shipping and they were not taken up. \"This is a major failure and the government has to answer that charge very quickly indeed,\" he said. Former commander of UK maritime forces Rear Admiral Alex Burton said the size of the Navy's fleet had limited the UK's ability to act. \"There is no doubt that the size of the Navy since 2005 - reduced from 31 frigates and destroyers to now 19 - has had an impact on our ability to protect our interests around the globe,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. US Central Command said it was developing a multinational maritime effort in response to the situation. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said it was \"impossible\" to escort each individual vessel. He said the situation required \"international co-operation\" and suggested more money should be invested in the Navy if Britain wanted to continue to play a role on the international stage. The Stena Impero is still being held in the port of Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran. The tanker's Swedish owner, Stena Bulk, has made a formal request to visit the 23 crew members, who are Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino. They have all been taken off the ship for \"questioning\", Iran's Press TV reported. A relative of one Indian crew member, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC on Sunday the family was concerned and had not received any messages from him since the vessel was detained. But they said the family was being kept well informed by the Swedish company and felt reassured about diplomatic efforts to free the ship after meeting company officials on Sunday. Although the crew and owners are not British, the Stena Impero carries the UK flag. \"Historically speaking it means that the UK owes protection to the vessel,\" explained Richard Meade, from maritime publication Lloyds List. Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Saturday that the UK \"must cease being an accessory to #EconomicTerrorism of the US\". He said Iran guarantees the security of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and insisted its action was to \"uphold international maritime rules\". Iran's ambassador to London has warned the UK against escalating tensions, tweeting: \"This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region.\" Relations have been deteriorating between Iran and the UK and US. In April, the US tightened sanctions it had re-imposed on Iran after withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal. The US blamed Iran for attacks on tankers since May, which Tehran denies. On Friday, the US claimed to have destroyed an Iranian drone in the Gulf. The UK government has remained committed to the deal, which curbs Iran's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions. However, the UK's help in seizing the Iranian tanker Grace 1 infuriated Iran. Last week, the UK said Iranian boats also attempted to impede a British oil tanker in the region before being warned off by HMS Montrose. Iran denied any attempted seizure. The White House said Friday's incident was the second time in more than a week the UK had been \"the target of escalatory violence\" by Iran. On Sunday, the Foreign Office confirmed Mr Hunt spoke with his French and German counterparts, who have both condemned Iran's actions. France's Jean-Yves Le Drian and Germany's Heiko Maas agreed that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is a top priority for European nations, while avoiding any possible escalation. A diplomatic solution to this crisis is going to be complicated, not least because Britain's relationships with its traditional partners - the US and the Europeans - are under strain. Diplomatic pressure - action at the UN or tough economic sanctions - requires the building of a coalition. France and Germany have given London rhetorical support. President Trump is standing beside his British ally. But the US and the EU are fundamentally at loggerheads over the fate of the nuclear deal with Iran and what many European capitals see as a thinly disguised US policy that seeks regime change in Tehran. Read more from Jonathan here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 774, "answer_end": 1949, "text": "On Friday, the Stena Impero was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the key shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was \"violating international maritime rules\". Video released by Iran's Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars news agency appeared to show the moment the tanker was raided. A recording emerged of radio exchanges between HMS Montrose and Iranian armed forces vessels moments before the tanker was seized. Iranian vessel can be heard telling the British frigate it wants to inspect the Stena Impero for security reasons. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the tanker was captured after it collided with a fishing boat and failed to respond to calls from the smaller craft. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was illegally seized in Omani waters and forced to sail into Bandar Abbas port in Iran. The seizure of the Stena Impero comes two weeks after Royal Marines helped seize Iranian tanker Grace 1 off Gibraltar, because of evidence it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. Mr Hunt said the Grace 1 was detained legally, but Iran said it was \"piracy\" and threatened to seize a British oil tanker in retaliation."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "835_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1950, "answer_end": 3267, "text": "Former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith told the BBC there were legitimate questions over the British government's actions, after HMS Montrose was too far away to stop the ship's seizure. He said the detention of the Grace 1 tanker carrying Iranian oil two weeks earlier ought to have served as a warning British vessels in the Gulf needed protection. The Tory MP said he understood the US had offered the UK \"assets\" to support its shipping and they were not taken up. \"This is a major failure and the government has to answer that charge very quickly indeed,\" he said. Former commander of UK maritime forces Rear Admiral Alex Burton said the size of the Navy's fleet had limited the UK's ability to act. \"There is no doubt that the size of the Navy since 2005 - reduced from 31 frigates and destroyers to now 19 - has had an impact on our ability to protect our interests around the globe,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. US Central Command said it was developing a multinational maritime effort in response to the situation. Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said it was \"impossible\" to escort each individual vessel. He said the situation required \"international co-operation\" and suggested more money should be invested in the Navy if Britain wanted to continue to play a role on the international stage."}], "question": "Could the Royal Navy have done more?", "id": "835_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3268, "answer_end": 4177, "text": "The Stena Impero is still being held in the port of Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran. The tanker's Swedish owner, Stena Bulk, has made a formal request to visit the 23 crew members, who are Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino. They have all been taken off the ship for \"questioning\", Iran's Press TV reported. A relative of one Indian crew member, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC on Sunday the family was concerned and had not received any messages from him since the vessel was detained. But they said the family was being kept well informed by the Swedish company and felt reassured about diplomatic efforts to free the ship after meeting company officials on Sunday. Although the crew and owners are not British, the Stena Impero carries the UK flag. \"Historically speaking it means that the UK owes protection to the vessel,\" explained Richard Meade, from maritime publication Lloyds List."}], "question": "What happened to the tanker and its crew?", "id": "835_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4178, "answer_end": 4612, "text": "Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Saturday that the UK \"must cease being an accessory to #EconomicTerrorism of the US\". He said Iran guarantees the security of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and insisted its action was to \"uphold international maritime rules\". Iran's ambassador to London has warned the UK against escalating tensions, tweeting: \"This is quite dangerous and unwise at a sensitive time in the region.\""}], "question": "What has Iran said?", "id": "835_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4613, "answer_end": 5316, "text": "Relations have been deteriorating between Iran and the UK and US. In April, the US tightened sanctions it had re-imposed on Iran after withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal. The US blamed Iran for attacks on tankers since May, which Tehran denies. On Friday, the US claimed to have destroyed an Iranian drone in the Gulf. The UK government has remained committed to the deal, which curbs Iran's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions. However, the UK's help in seizing the Iranian tanker Grace 1 infuriated Iran. Last week, the UK said Iranian boats also attempted to impede a British oil tanker in the region before being warned off by HMS Montrose. Iran denied any attempted seizure."}], "question": "What's the background to tensions in the Gulf?", "id": "835_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Austrian far-right FP\u00d6 quits Kurz government after sacking", "date": "21 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) has pulled out of the ruling coalition days after two top party figures were caught up in a secret video. President Alexander Van der Bellen fired FPO Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, prompting the party's other ministers to resign in solidarity. In the video, far-right leader Heinz-Christian Strache appears to offer government contracts to a woman in exchange for electoral support. He has stood down as vice-chancellor. The interior minister was not in the footage, but on Tuesday, President Van der Bellen fired him at the request of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Mr Kurz is now attempting to replace all five ministers with technocrats - who he says will be experts in their field - to form an interim government. The only exception is Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl, an independent picked by the FPO, who said she would remain in her post. Mr Kurz, meanwhile, faces the prospect of a no-confidence vote on Monday amid the political chaos. A special session of the Austrian parliament has been tabled for 27 May. The fallout has spread beyond the FPO to Chancellor Kurz, who is the leader of the centre-right People's Party in the coalition government. Mr Kurz effectively ended the coalition by calling for fresh elections in September and announcing the dismissal of Interior Minister Kickl - who was FPO secretary general at the time the video was made in 2017. Mr Kurz said he wanted \"total transparency and a completely and unbiased investigation\". Other FPO ministers, however, said on Monday they would stand by Mr Kickl and resign in solidarity. Mr Kurz has said a caretaker government would continue in power until September vote, but his ruling party has only 62 seats in the 183-seat parliament. The no-confidence motion, presented by Peter Pilz of the Jetzt party, called for a technocratic government to replace him until elections. Mr Kurz had been part of two failed governments, he said. \"Increasingly we get the impression that this failure is no accident....  With him apparently it's about increasing his own power.\" \"In the current situation, stability can only be achieved with an independent group of experts, not by a campaigning cabinet led by Kurz.\" It is unclear which parties will back the motion. On Tuesday morning, Mr Kickl said his party would vote against the chancellor if a no-confidence vote was brought forward. But a Freedom Party spokesman told the Austrian Press Association that Mr Kickl's comments had been misinterpreted, and no decision had yet been taken. The scandal is widely being labelled \"Ibiza-gate\", after the Spanish island where the video was recorded. It was made just weeks before the election which saw both the FPO and Chancellor Kurz's People Party perform well. In the footage, released last Friday by German media, Mr Strache can be seen relaxing and drinking for hours at a villa with FPO parliament group leader Johann Gudenus, while they meet with a woman, considered an investor purported to be the niece of a Russian oligarch. During the conversation, Mr Strache appears to propose offering her public contracts if she buys a large stake in the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung - and makes it support the Freedom Party. He is heard suggesting that a number of journalists would have to be \"pushed\" from the newspaper, and that he wants to \"build a media landscape like [Viktor] Orban\" - referring to Hungary's nationalist leader. Many questions remain unanswered about the video itself: it is not clear who recorded or how it was offered to German media outlets. The timing of its release - a week before European Parliament elections across the EU - has also been called into question. The Vienna prosecutor is considering a possible criminal inquiry. The video's content was enough to force the resignation of Mr Strache on Saturday, within hours of it emerging and despite his protestations of innocence. Chancellor Kurz said his party was \"shocked\", labelling Mr Strache's behaviour \"a wrong approach to politics\". He also called for a criminal investigation. And he revealed the long-standing friction between the coalition parties, saying: \"Even if I didn't express myself publicly at the time, there were many situations that I found difficult to swallow.\" \"I must say quite honestly: Enough is enough,\" he added. Mr Kurz and President Alexander van der Bellen called for fresh elections over the scandal on Sunday. A European Commission spokesman said members had \"followed in disbelief as a leader of a political party was seen negotiating access to media and institutions, in exchange for funds from external benefactors who clearly do not have Europeans' best interests at heart\". A flurry of meetings and press conferences on Monday revealed little more, but it soon became clear that the FPO was standing by the interior minister. When he was dismissed on Tuesday by the president, the party's other ministers followed immediately. Austrians, in common with all other EU countries, are voting this week. Many who are voting by post have already cast their ballots, Austrian broadcaster ORF reports - and they cannot change their mind at this stage. Meetings of senior officials continue, and it is possible the president may announce replacements for the FPO ministers, as the chancellor attempts to hold his government together.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1056, "answer_end": 2542, "text": "The fallout has spread beyond the FPO to Chancellor Kurz, who is the leader of the centre-right People's Party in the coalition government. Mr Kurz effectively ended the coalition by calling for fresh elections in September and announcing the dismissal of Interior Minister Kickl - who was FPO secretary general at the time the video was made in 2017. Mr Kurz said he wanted \"total transparency and a completely and unbiased investigation\". Other FPO ministers, however, said on Monday they would stand by Mr Kickl and resign in solidarity. Mr Kurz has said a caretaker government would continue in power until September vote, but his ruling party has only 62 seats in the 183-seat parliament. The no-confidence motion, presented by Peter Pilz of the Jetzt party, called for a technocratic government to replace him until elections. Mr Kurz had been part of two failed governments, he said. \"Increasingly we get the impression that this failure is no accident....  With him apparently it's about increasing his own power.\" \"In the current situation, stability can only be achieved with an independent group of experts, not by a campaigning cabinet led by Kurz.\" It is unclear which parties will back the motion. On Tuesday morning, Mr Kickl said his party would vote against the chancellor if a no-confidence vote was brought forward. But a Freedom Party spokesman told the Austrian Press Association that Mr Kickl's comments had been misinterpreted, and no decision had yet been taken."}], "question": "Why is chancellor under fire?", "id": "836_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2543, "answer_end": 3761, "text": "The scandal is widely being labelled \"Ibiza-gate\", after the Spanish island where the video was recorded. It was made just weeks before the election which saw both the FPO and Chancellor Kurz's People Party perform well. In the footage, released last Friday by German media, Mr Strache can be seen relaxing and drinking for hours at a villa with FPO parliament group leader Johann Gudenus, while they meet with a woman, considered an investor purported to be the niece of a Russian oligarch. During the conversation, Mr Strache appears to propose offering her public contracts if she buys a large stake in the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung - and makes it support the Freedom Party. He is heard suggesting that a number of journalists would have to be \"pushed\" from the newspaper, and that he wants to \"build a media landscape like [Viktor] Orban\" - referring to Hungary's nationalist leader. Many questions remain unanswered about the video itself: it is not clear who recorded or how it was offered to German media outlets. The timing of its release - a week before European Parliament elections across the EU - has also been called into question. The Vienna prosecutor is considering a possible criminal inquiry."}], "question": "What is in the video?", "id": "836_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3762, "answer_end": 4953, "text": "The video's content was enough to force the resignation of Mr Strache on Saturday, within hours of it emerging and despite his protestations of innocence. Chancellor Kurz said his party was \"shocked\", labelling Mr Strache's behaviour \"a wrong approach to politics\". He also called for a criminal investigation. And he revealed the long-standing friction between the coalition parties, saying: \"Even if I didn't express myself publicly at the time, there were many situations that I found difficult to swallow.\" \"I must say quite honestly: Enough is enough,\" he added. Mr Kurz and President Alexander van der Bellen called for fresh elections over the scandal on Sunday. A European Commission spokesman said members had \"followed in disbelief as a leader of a political party was seen negotiating access to media and institutions, in exchange for funds from external benefactors who clearly do not have Europeans' best interests at heart\". A flurry of meetings and press conferences on Monday revealed little more, but it soon became clear that the FPO was standing by the interior minister. When he was dismissed on Tuesday by the president, the party's other ministers followed immediately."}], "question": "How did scandal unfold?", "id": "836_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4954, "answer_end": 5351, "text": "Austrians, in common with all other EU countries, are voting this week. Many who are voting by post have already cast their ballots, Austrian broadcaster ORF reports - and they cannot change their mind at this stage. Meetings of senior officials continue, and it is possible the president may announce replacements for the FPO ministers, as the chancellor attempts to hold his government together."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "836_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Huawei and ZTE pose security threat, warns US panel", "date": "8 October 2012", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chinese telecom firms Huawei and ZTE pose a security threat to the US, a congressional panel has warned after an investigation into the two companies. The two firms should be barred from any US mergers and acquisitions, according to a House Intelligence Committee report. The panel says the firms failed to allay fears about their association with China's government and military. Huawei and ZTE denied the accusations in front of the panel in September. On Monday ZTE issued a statement insisting its equipment met all US standards and posed no threat. \"ZTE has set an unprecedented standard for co-operation by any Chinese company with a congressional investigation,\" China's Xinhua news agency quoted the firm as saying. Huawei's vice-president, William Plummer, said the latest accusations were \"dangerous political distractions\". \"Purporting that Huawei is somehow uniquely vulnerable to cyber mischief ignores technical and commercial realities, recklessly threatens American jobs and innovation, does nothing to protect national security.\" While the House Intelligence report stopped short of calling for a boycott of the firms' mobile phone products, it was highly critical of the two companies. \"China has the means, opportunity and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes,\" the report says. \"Based on available classified and unclassified information, Huawei and ZTE cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States and to our systems.\" The panel said their investigation had received credible allegations from current and former Huawei employees of bribery and corruption, discriminatory behaviour and copyright infringement. Republican committee chairman Mike Rogers said they had passed on information to the FBI to investigate the allegations. \"We've come to the conclusion, unfortunately, they are not private entities,\" Mr Rogers said on Monday. On Sunday, Mr Rogers delivered a blunt verdict to the 60 Minutes programme on US network CBS. \"If I were an American company today... and you are looking at Huawei, I would find another vendor if you care about your intellectual property, if you care about your consumers' privacy, and you care about the national security of the United States of America,\" he said. Among the report's recommendations were to exclude any Huawei or ZTE equipment or component parts from being used by government contractors, as well both companies becoming \"more transparent and responsive to US legal obligations\". China's Foreign Ministry urged the US to \"set aside prejudices\" regarding the two firms. \"Chinese telecoms companies have been developing their international business based on market economy principles,\" ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. \"Their investment in the United States embodies the mutually beneficial nature of Sino-American economic and trade relations.\" Huawei was started by Ren Zhengfei, a former member of the People's Liberation Army, in 1987. As the firm has grown to become one of the largest global players in the sector, fears about its ties with the Chinese military have frequently surfaced. There have been concerns and allegations that it was helping China gather information on foreign states and companies, charges that the firm has denied. Last year, its purchase of American computer company 3Leaf systems, was rejected by a US security panel. Earlier this year, it along with ZTE, faced allegations that some of their equipment had been installed with codes to relay sensitive information back to China. Senior executives from the two companies denied those allegations when they appeared before US lawmakers in September. ZTE is also facing accusations it sold US telecoms equipment to Iran, in breach of US sanctions. Telecoms giant Cisco on Monday ended its relationship with ZTE, Reuters reported, after its equipment was included in the Tehran deal. This latest report comes in the midst of a US presidential campaign in which China has become a hot topic. Both President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have pledged to increase the pressure on Beijing on issues ranging from China's currency policy to state subsidies for Chinese firms. Earlier this month, Mr Obama signed an order blocking a deal by a Chinese firm, Ralls Corp, to acquire four wind farm projects near a US naval facility in Oregon. It was the first foreign investment to be blocked in the US for 22 years. The Chinese firm has since sued Mr Obama, alleging the US government overstepped its authority.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3929, "answer_end": 4572, "text": "This latest report comes in the midst of a US presidential campaign in which China has become a hot topic. Both President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have pledged to increase the pressure on Beijing on issues ranging from China's currency policy to state subsidies for Chinese firms. Earlier this month, Mr Obama signed an order blocking a deal by a Chinese firm, Ralls Corp, to acquire four wind farm projects near a US naval facility in Oregon. It was the first foreign investment to be blocked in the US for 22 years. The Chinese firm has since sued Mr Obama, alleging the US government overstepped its authority."}], "question": "Political distraction?", "id": "837_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain knifeman shot dead in Barcelona was 'gay and suicidal'", "date": "21 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A knife-wielding man, shot dead by Spanish police, had come out as gay and was contemplating suicide, reports quoting his ex-wife's testimony say. Algerian Abdel Wahab Taib, 29, shouted in Arabic as he targeted a police station in a town south of Barcelona. Police are treating the incident as a \"terrorist attack\" but a source close to the investigation told AFP they do not suspect any links to jihadism. Police have searched Taib's home and questioned his former wife. Relatives of the attacker are now considering suing the Catalan regional police for negligent conduct, their lawyer said. The ex-wife \"said they had separated, that he had revealed his homosexuality and that he was disturbed about how that fits in with the Muslim religion\" the source in the investigation said. \"We are putting this down to confusion, a suicide attempt. There are some who do it throwing themselves off a bridge, he opted for this method.\" The source said, \"We're basing ourselves on his wife's testimony, who says he had not veered towards extremism.\" Spanish media report the separation began a year ago, and divorce papers were signed last Tuesday. The woman's lawyer told reporters Taib was due to leave the family home soon. He also denied terrorism as the motive behind the attack, saying the Algerian was going through a personal crisis. Taib approached the police station in the town of Cornella de Llobregat at 05:45 (03:45 GMT) on Monday, buzzing the intercom and demanding to be allowed in. When a woman officer behind a reception window opened the door, the 29-year-old lunged at her \"with a clear intent to kill\", Police Commissioner Rafel Comes told reporters. He shouted \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is greatest) as he rushed forward, and other Arabic words the police did not understand. The officer opened fire three times, fatally wounding the attacker, the commissioner said. The officer had used a gun to save her life, he said, although it was unclear if she was behind a glass partition at the time. \"For now we are treating it as a terrorist attack,\" he said, although he stressed there was nothing at this stage to link him to the jihadist cell involved in the attacks on Barcelona's Las Ramblas venue on 17 August last year and Cambrils hours later. Abdel Waheb Taib had been living in Spain for several years. He had no criminal record and lived with his ex-wife, a Spanish citizen who had converted to Islam after they met, just 150m (492ft) from the Cornella station. He was not under surveillance or suspected to be at risk of radicalisation, police said. His ex-wife reportedly said Taib feared shame and disgrace should the Muslim community ever discover his homosexuality. Local media say the night before the attack, he left a note to his ex-wife, saying \"I am leaving, insha'Allah [God willing], to the great place that is above.\" Police reportedly found other letters written by the Algerian, one in particular begging Allah (Arabic for God) for forgiveness. Prosecutors said Taib attacked the police \"with the intent to kill, or die trying\", newspaper El Pais quoted. They said they believe he sought a kind of religious redemption for what he considered the sin of being gay.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1334, "answer_end": 2254, "text": "Taib approached the police station in the town of Cornella de Llobregat at 05:45 (03:45 GMT) on Monday, buzzing the intercom and demanding to be allowed in. When a woman officer behind a reception window opened the door, the 29-year-old lunged at her \"with a clear intent to kill\", Police Commissioner Rafel Comes told reporters. He shouted \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is greatest) as he rushed forward, and other Arabic words the police did not understand. The officer opened fire three times, fatally wounding the attacker, the commissioner said. The officer had used a gun to save her life, he said, although it was unclear if she was behind a glass partition at the time. \"For now we are treating it as a terrorist attack,\" he said, although he stressed there was nothing at this stage to link him to the jihadist cell involved in the attacks on Barcelona's Las Ramblas venue on 17 August last year and Cambrils hours later."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "838_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2255, "answer_end": 3192, "text": "Abdel Waheb Taib had been living in Spain for several years. He had no criminal record and lived with his ex-wife, a Spanish citizen who had converted to Islam after they met, just 150m (492ft) from the Cornella station. He was not under surveillance or suspected to be at risk of radicalisation, police said. His ex-wife reportedly said Taib feared shame and disgrace should the Muslim community ever discover his homosexuality. Local media say the night before the attack, he left a note to his ex-wife, saying \"I am leaving, insha'Allah [God willing], to the great place that is above.\" Police reportedly found other letters written by the Algerian, one in particular begging Allah (Arabic for God) for forgiveness. Prosecutors said Taib attacked the police \"with the intent to kill, or die trying\", newspaper El Pais quoted. They said they believe he sought a kind of religious redemption for what he considered the sin of being gay."}], "question": "What do we know about the attacker?", "id": "838_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Spanish school kids are refusing to do their homework", "date": "7 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Brothers Martin and Manuel enjoyed the kind of weekend they like best, lounging around at home in Madrid. Their mother, Gracia Escalante, is one of millions of Spanish parents asked to observe a homework strike each weekend in November. \"Manuel (year nine) loves to read and Martin (year six) really needs time to lie on his bed and imagine things, not just playing with the tablet or watching TV. And certainly not doing schoolwork,\" she says. The protest was called by the Spanish Alliance of Parents' Associations (CEAPA), which argues that homework is harming children's education and families' quality of life. Spain ranks highly among industrialised countries in terms of homework set, but can boast only mediocre positions when it comes to academic achievement. According to a 2016 study by the World Health Organisation, 30% of Spanish 11-year-olds feel stressed by the amount of homework they have to do, rising to 65% by the age of 15. Those who support the strike say the amount of homework children get - often two hours or more a day - is the direct result of an old-fashioned system of rote learning, constant examinations and a lack of school resources or modernised thinking in Spain's education system. \"Some teachers try to be different, but when you have 25 students in the classroom at primary level and constant pressure from evaluations, the only way the Spanish system stays afloat is by children doing homework,\" says Ms Escalante. \"Kids are stuck at home doing homework instead of learning to relate with grandparents, cousins, all the different kids in their street, learning to cook, how to fix a broken pipe.\" Eva Bailen, who started a petition against homework, believes primary school children should not have more than half an hour's homework a day and older children one hour. Among teachers, who have also been asked by CEAPA not to set homework on weekends this month, some sympathise with the aims of the strike. \"I don't set homework at all,\" explains Alvaro Caso, a primary school teacher in Aravaca, near Madrid. \"Children spend enough time at school and have enough work to do during the day. If a teacher is doing their job right, there is no need for any more - at least in primary education.\" Alvaro Caso argues that Spain's rowdy politics has seen the education system reformed six times in the past 35 years, but without any analysis of the big picture in terms of today's society. \"It's all still very dry and academic. Never mind the last century, there is still a lot of the 19th century about our schools. If a child falls behind, there is not much of a learning culture to hold on to, just studying and repetition.\" \"It's awful to hear my son ask why he has to work in the evening when I have finished,\" says Violeta Ruiz, a university lecturer and mother of two boys in primary education. But she does not support the strike. \"I am completely against it because it's taking a swipe at all teachers without discriminating, and without prior consultation.\" Unions have also criticised the confrontational aspect of a strike, which they argue questions teachers' authority. Juanma Fabre, a teacher of philosophy to Baccalaureate students in Madrid, accepts there is too much homework, but says teachers are not to blame. \"As a father myself, I have seen how bad it can be. Teachers and students are oversaturated with work.\" Mr Fabre points out that state schools have no system of coordination between teachers so students might get work from all eight or nine subjects at the same time, with Spanish language, maths and foreign languages like English providing the biggest workload. \"The national curriculum is impossible to cover. Each education reform talks about modernising the methodology and moving away from memorising things to working on skills, and then adds more material to the syllabus.\" For Ms Ruiz, great loads of homework are actually counterproductive for the learning mind. \"Having three hours of homework to do is a direct attack on the development of a reading habit. No child sits down to read from 17:00 to 17:30; they have to be in their room, get bored and eventually take a book down from the shelf.\" - Spanish 15-year-olds were found to get an average of 6.5 hours per week - UK 15-year-olds got 4.9 hours per week, close to the international average - Finland's teenagers are set less than three hours a week, and yet are consistently in the top 10 international Pisa rankings - Shanghai, China, tops the Pisa 2012 rankings for 15-year-olds in reading, maths and science, but also sets the most homework: 13.8 hours - Do you think your children get too much homework? Join the conversation - find us on Facebook", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2665, "answer_end": 4174, "text": "\"It's awful to hear my son ask why he has to work in the evening when I have finished,\" says Violeta Ruiz, a university lecturer and mother of two boys in primary education. But she does not support the strike. \"I am completely against it because it's taking a swipe at all teachers without discriminating, and without prior consultation.\" Unions have also criticised the confrontational aspect of a strike, which they argue questions teachers' authority. Juanma Fabre, a teacher of philosophy to Baccalaureate students in Madrid, accepts there is too much homework, but says teachers are not to blame. \"As a father myself, I have seen how bad it can be. Teachers and students are oversaturated with work.\" Mr Fabre points out that state schools have no system of coordination between teachers so students might get work from all eight or nine subjects at the same time, with Spanish language, maths and foreign languages like English providing the biggest workload. \"The national curriculum is impossible to cover. Each education reform talks about modernising the methodology and moving away from memorising things to working on skills, and then adds more material to the syllabus.\" For Ms Ruiz, great loads of homework are actually counterproductive for the learning mind. \"Having three hours of homework to do is a direct attack on the development of a reading habit. No child sits down to read from 17:00 to 17:30; they have to be in their room, get bored and eventually take a book down from the shelf.\""}], "question": "Who's against the strike?", "id": "839_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka attacks: 'International network' linked to bombings", "date": "22 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A wave of bombings that killed 290 people in Sri Lanka on Sunday was carried out with the support of an international network, officials said. The government has blamed a little-known local jihadist group, National Thowheed Jamath, although no-one has yet admitted carrying out the bombings. Another 500 people were injured in the suicide attacks on churches and hotels. Police arrested 24 people in a series of raids and the president's office declared a state of national emergency. The emergency declaration, which comes into effect from midnight (18:30 GMT) on Monday, will give police and military extensive powers to detain and interrogate suspects without court orders. On Monday, another blast rocked a street near a church in the capital, Colombo. Police were attempting to defuse explosives in a vehicle used by the attackers when it blew up. It is not yet known if anyone was hurt. Sri Lankan authorities were warned about a bomb threat from National Thowheed Jamath a full two weeks before the attacks, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said at a press conference. He said that the warnings were not passed on to the Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, or his cabinet. Mr Wickremesinghe acknowledged that security services had been \"aware of information\" but had not acted on the information. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando told the BBC that the intelligence \"never indicated it was going to be an attack of this magnitude\". \"They were talking about isolated, one or two incidents. Not like this,\" he said. He said \"all important departments of the police\" were informed about the warning, but acknowledged that no action was taken. Mr Senaratne said that authorities believed the bombers had international support. \"We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,\" he said, adding: \"There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.\" A later statement said President Maithripala Sirisena would ask for foreign help to track down the international links to the attackers. \"The intelligence reports [indicate] that foreign terrorist organisations are behind the local terrorists. Therefore, the president is to seek the assistance of the foreign countries,\" his office said. A curfew is to be imposed from 20:00 (14:30 GMT) until 04:00 on Tuesday, the government said. A national day of mourning has been scheduled for Tuesday. Sri Lanka's National Security Council said a \"conditional state of emergency\" from midnight would target \"terrorism\" and would not limit freedom of expression. In another development, the US State Department issued revised travel advice urging greater caution, adding, \"Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka.\" The first reports of explosions came at about 08:45 local time with six blasts reported within a small space of time. Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were targeted during Easter services. Blasts also rocked the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the country's capital. Police did not release a breakdown of how many people were killed and wounded at each location. All the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers, officials said. Police then carried out raids on two addresses and there were explosions at both. One was in Dehiwala, southern Colombo, and the other was near the Colombo district of Dematagoda in which three officers were killed. An improvised explosive device - a 6ft-long [1.8m] plastic pipe packed with explosives - was also found and defused near the airport in Colombo. Police also recovered 87 low-explosive detonators from the Bastian Mawatha private bus station in Pettah, our correspondent reports. There was swirling speculation about who could be behind the attacks and the government restricted access to social media in the aftermath of the bombings. National Thowheed Jamath was later named by a government spokesman as the main suspect. The group has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. Addressing reports that officials had had prior intelligence of forthcoming attacks, Mr Wickremesinghe said: \"We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. Neither I nor the ministers were kept informed.\" Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Colombo Very few here expected these massive attacks. The co-ordination, sophistication and timing may indicate international support, but it is not clear yet if National Thowheed Jamath, if it is indeed responsible, has links with global jihadist groups. It is thought that some Muslim youths in Sri Lanka were radicalised after clashes last year in Kandy district between the majority Sinhala Buddhists and Muslims. Videos posted on social media showed hardline Islamists and Sinhala hardliners promoting hatred. But why were the Christians targeted? They are also a minority in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Muslims are baffled by the attacks, as well as nervous and afraid. Sri Lanka has experience of such attacks - suicide bombers were used by Tamil Tiger rebels during the civil war. But the ruthlessness of the these new atrocities is a shock, and the number of dead is a deep wound to the nation, a wound that will take much time to heal. The vast majority of those killed are thought to be Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians who died at Easter church services. The ministry of foreign affairs said it had identified 31 foreign nationals among the dead, with 14 unaccounted for. The death toll included at least eight British citizens and at least eight citizens of India. They include three of the children of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, a family spokesman confirmed to the BBC. Mr Povlsen owns the Bestseller clothing chain and holds a majority stake in clothing giant Asos. British lawyer Anita Nicholson died alongside her two children, Alex, 14, and Annabel, 11, when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the breakfast queue at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. Her husband Ben Nicholson survived. \"I am deeply distressed at the loss of my wife and children,\" he said in a statement. \"Anita was a wonderful, perfect wife and a brilliant, loving and inspirational mother to our two wonderful children ... Alex and Annabel were the most amazing, intelligent, talented and thoughtful children and Anita and I were immensely proud of them both and looking forward to seeing them develop into adulthood.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2781, "answer_end": 3765, "text": "The first reports of explosions came at about 08:45 local time with six blasts reported within a small space of time. Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were targeted during Easter services. Blasts also rocked the Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the country's capital. Police did not release a breakdown of how many people were killed and wounded at each location. All the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers, officials said. Police then carried out raids on two addresses and there were explosions at both. One was in Dehiwala, southern Colombo, and the other was near the Colombo district of Dematagoda in which three officers were killed. An improvised explosive device - a 6ft-long [1.8m] plastic pipe packed with explosives - was also found and defused near the airport in Colombo. Police also recovered 87 low-explosive detonators from the Bastian Mawatha private bus station in Pettah, our correspondent reports."}], "question": "How did the attacks unfold?", "id": "840_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3766, "answer_end": 4358, "text": "There was swirling speculation about who could be behind the attacks and the government restricted access to social media in the aftermath of the bombings. National Thowheed Jamath was later named by a government spokesman as the main suspect. The group has no history of large-scale attacks but came to prominence last year when it was blamed for damaging Buddhist statues. Addressing reports that officials had had prior intelligence of forthcoming attacks, Mr Wickremesinghe said: \"We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. Neither I nor the ministers were kept informed.\""}], "question": "What do we know about the attackers?", "id": "840_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5330, "answer_end": 6527, "text": "The vast majority of those killed are thought to be Sri Lankan nationals, including scores of Christians who died at Easter church services. The ministry of foreign affairs said it had identified 31 foreign nationals among the dead, with 14 unaccounted for. The death toll included at least eight British citizens and at least eight citizens of India. They include three of the children of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, a family spokesman confirmed to the BBC. Mr Povlsen owns the Bestseller clothing chain and holds a majority stake in clothing giant Asos. British lawyer Anita Nicholson died alongside her two children, Alex, 14, and Annabel, 11, when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the breakfast queue at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. Her husband Ben Nicholson survived. \"I am deeply distressed at the loss of my wife and children,\" he said in a statement. \"Anita was a wonderful, perfect wife and a brilliant, loving and inspirational mother to our two wonderful children ... Alex and Annabel were the most amazing, intelligent, talented and thoughtful children and Anita and I were immensely proud of them both and looking forward to seeing them develop into adulthood.\""}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "840_2"}]}]}, {"title": "UK now has systems to combat drones - Ben Wallace", "date": "25 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Detection systems are now able to be deployed throughout the UK to combat the threat of drones, ministers say. It follows three days of disruption at Gatwick airport last week, when drones were sighted near the runway. Security minister Ben Wallace said those who use drones \"either recklessly or for criminal purposes\" could expect \"the most severe sentence\". It comes after the couple arrested and released without charge over the chaos at Gatwick said they felt \"violated\". About 1,000 flights were affected during 36 hours of chaos at Gatwick airport last week. The airport has spent PS5m since Wednesday on new equipment and technology to prevent copycat attacks. Mr Wallace said: \"The huge proliferation of such devices, coupled with the challenges of deploying military counter measures into a civilian environment, means there are no easy solutions. \"However, I can say that we are able to now deploy detection systems throughout the UK to combat this threat.\" Mr Wallace did not specify what systems could be used to address the threat of drones, nor how quickly or on what scale they could be deployed. Australia's civil aviation authorities said on Monday that drone-detecting sensors would be installed at airports from next month, saying the Gatwick chaos highlighted the need for the technology. In the UK, Labour has called for an independent inquiry into the disruption, claiming the government \"failed to act\" despite repeated warnings about the risks to aviation from drones. Ministers announced measures to protect aircraft in May. From next November, pilots of drones weighing more than 250g will have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and take an online safety test. However, the government is not expected to respond to a consultation covering counter-drone technology and enforcement powers - undertaken in the summer - until early next year. The Department for Transport has dismissed claims that legislation has been delayed, and that this contributed to the Gatwick disruption, pointing out that existing laws barred flying drones over airports. In his statement, Mr Wallace said he was \"confident\" that Sussex Police, the force leading the investigation, \"will bring to justice those responsible for what are serious criminal acts that have caused disruption and misery to thousands of passengers\". \"Those people who chose to use drones either recklessly or for criminal purposes can expect the most severe sentence and jail time when caught,\" he said. Speaking outside their home in Crawley, West Sussex, Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk told Sky News their \"privacy and identity\" had been \"completely exposed\" after they were named in the media and their home searched. \"We are deeply distressed, as are our family and friends, and we are currently receiving medical care. \"The way we were initially perceived was disgusting,\" they said. The couple, whose names were not revealed by the BBC until their statement, added: \"Those that knew us didn't doubt us for a second.\" Mr Gait, 47, and Ms Kirk, 54, said they had been \"totally overwhelmed\" by the support they had received from people around the world. \"We would ask that the press please respect our privacy and leave us to try and get through Christmas as best we can,\" they said. The airport has offered a PS50,000 reward, through Crimestoppers, and another PS10,000 has been put up by the charity's chairman Lord Ashcroft to catch the culprits responsible for the drama, which affected some 140,000 passengers. Sussex Police said a damaged drone found near the perimeter of the airport near Horley on Saturday morning, close to the last reported sighting, was being forensically examined. Authorities finally regained control over the airfield early on Friday after the Army deployed unidentified military technology.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 969, "answer_end": 2491, "text": "Mr Wallace did not specify what systems could be used to address the threat of drones, nor how quickly or on what scale they could be deployed. Australia's civil aviation authorities said on Monday that drone-detecting sensors would be installed at airports from next month, saying the Gatwick chaos highlighted the need for the technology. In the UK, Labour has called for an independent inquiry into the disruption, claiming the government \"failed to act\" despite repeated warnings about the risks to aviation from drones. Ministers announced measures to protect aircraft in May. From next November, pilots of drones weighing more than 250g will have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and take an online safety test. However, the government is not expected to respond to a consultation covering counter-drone technology and enforcement powers - undertaken in the summer - until early next year. The Department for Transport has dismissed claims that legislation has been delayed, and that this contributed to the Gatwick disruption, pointing out that existing laws barred flying drones over airports. In his statement, Mr Wallace said he was \"confident\" that Sussex Police, the force leading the investigation, \"will bring to justice those responsible for what are serious criminal acts that have caused disruption and misery to thousands of passengers\". \"Those people who chose to use drones either recklessly or for criminal purposes can expect the most severe sentence and jail time when caught,\" he said."}], "question": "How is the government acting?", "id": "841_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2492, "answer_end": 3808, "text": "Speaking outside their home in Crawley, West Sussex, Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk told Sky News their \"privacy and identity\" had been \"completely exposed\" after they were named in the media and their home searched. \"We are deeply distressed, as are our family and friends, and we are currently receiving medical care. \"The way we were initially perceived was disgusting,\" they said. The couple, whose names were not revealed by the BBC until their statement, added: \"Those that knew us didn't doubt us for a second.\" Mr Gait, 47, and Ms Kirk, 54, said they had been \"totally overwhelmed\" by the support they had received from people around the world. \"We would ask that the press please respect our privacy and leave us to try and get through Christmas as best we can,\" they said. The airport has offered a PS50,000 reward, through Crimestoppers, and another PS10,000 has been put up by the charity's chairman Lord Ashcroft to catch the culprits responsible for the drama, which affected some 140,000 passengers. Sussex Police said a damaged drone found near the perimeter of the airport near Horley on Saturday morning, close to the last reported sighting, was being forensically examined. Authorities finally regained control over the airfield early on Friday after the Army deployed unidentified military technology."}], "question": "What about the released couple?", "id": "841_1"}]}]}, {"title": "How dangerous is Mexico?", "date": "18 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Deadly attacks by gunmen on targets including an amusement arcade and a group of indigenous musicians returning from a concert have shone a spotlight on the violence which has been plaguing Mexico for years. The murder rate has been on the rise for the past four years. But how widespread is the violence and how risky is it to live or travel to Mexico? Mexico's homicide rate has been rising every year since 2014 but it remains well below those of other countries worldwide. Globally, it ranks at number 19 in the list of countries with the highest rate of intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent figures gathered by the United Nations. At 24.8, Mexico's rate was much lower than that of the top-ranking country worldwide, El Salvador, where 61.8 people out of 100,000 died from violent crime in 2017. Yes, the number of homicides in Mexico has been on the rise since 2014. In 2018 the number of people killed was more than four times that in 2007. Preliminary figures released by Mexico's National Institute for Statistics for the first six months of 2019 suggest a drop of 3.2% in homicides compared to the same period the previous year. But figures compiled by another official body, the National System for Public Security, suggest that in the whole of 2019 the number of murders was higher than in 2018. The two bodies use different methods of gathering information, with the National Institute for Statistic using forensic reports which include deaths suspected to be homicides and the National System for Public Security using only those ruled to have been homicides after the investigation is concluded. Mexican governments have long argued that the majority of the victims have ties to criminal gangs or have somehow become \"mixed up\" in their illegal business. But with scenes such as those in the city of Culiacan in October, where residents had to take cover as a convoy of heavily armed cartel trucks rolled into the city, being shown on TV, more and more people are questioning whether they may be in danger. The states with the highest homicide rates are: the tiny western state of Colima in the west, followed by Baja California, Chihuahua in the north and Guerrero, according to figures released by the National Institute for Statistics. Much of the violence in concentrated in crime hotspots where gangs are either active or fighting over territory. There are many areas which have been relatively untouched by violence. In the popular tourist destination of Yucatan, the homicide rate is only 3 per 100,000 people, lower than that of Thailand. The states of Aguascalientes, Campeche and Coahuila also are well below the national average and have homicide rates similar to that of Uruguay. Mexico's location on the southern border of the US means that for decades it has been home to powerful criminal groups smuggling cocaine, heroine, marijuana and methamphetamines north to the United States, the world's largest market for illicit drugs. These groups do not just deal in drugs but also engage in extortion, money laundering, human trafficking, people smuggling and contract killings. Some are transnational enterprises which operate as far south as Argentina and have off-shoots in Europe. They often bribe or infiltrate the security forces and pay off or threaten politicians so that they turn a blind eye to their illegal enterprises. Rival gangs battle for territory and over control of lucrative smuggling routes and often use gruesome tactics such as hanging bodies from bridges and decapitations to spread terror and fear. While some of the top leaders of the powerful cartels have been arrested or killed in recent years, the result has not been a drop in crime, as officials had hoped. Instead, the vacuum left behind has led to further battles between rival gangs and warring pretenders to the vacant leadership positions. In December 2006, then-President Felipe Calderon launched a \"war on drugs\", deploying more than 50,000 soldiers and federal police officers. In the six years of his presidency, the official figure of people killed in drug-related violence was 60,000. Many estimate the figure may have been much higher. His successor in office, Enrique Pena Nieto, at first said that he would tackle the roots of the violence but his policy closely resembled that of Mr Calderon, going after the heads of the most powerful criminal organisations. His biggest coup was the capture of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman in 2016. But even following his extradition to the US, Guzman's Sinaloa cartel remains a powerful force. In October, one of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was freed on the orders of the Mexican government after Sinaloa cartel gunmen flooded the city of Culiacan and surrounded security forces to press for their boss's release. Current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ran on a promise to \"achieve peace and end the war\" on drugs. He defended his government's decision to free Ovidio Guzman Lopez by arguing that the move had prevented a bloodbath. President Lopez Obrador's strategy to create a National Guard has so far not yielded tangible results. Few have signed up for the new force and those who have have been deployed to the southern border to deal with a huge influx of US-bound migrants. His critics argue that the president's lack of a defined strategy to combat criminal groups has led to a further increase in violence. They say that while the release of El Chapo's son may have saved lives on the day, it set a dangerous precedent and will lead to cartels further flexing their muscles.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 354, "answer_end": 839, "text": "Mexico's homicide rate has been rising every year since 2014 but it remains well below those of other countries worldwide. Globally, it ranks at number 19 in the list of countries with the highest rate of intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent figures gathered by the United Nations. At 24.8, Mexico's rate was much lower than that of the top-ranking country worldwide, El Salvador, where 61.8 people out of 100,000 died from violent crime in 2017."}], "question": "How bad is the murder rate?", "id": "842_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 840, "answer_end": 2060, "text": "Yes, the number of homicides in Mexico has been on the rise since 2014. In 2018 the number of people killed was more than four times that in 2007. Preliminary figures released by Mexico's National Institute for Statistics for the first six months of 2019 suggest a drop of 3.2% in homicides compared to the same period the previous year. But figures compiled by another official body, the National System for Public Security, suggest that in the whole of 2019 the number of murders was higher than in 2018. The two bodies use different methods of gathering information, with the National Institute for Statistic using forensic reports which include deaths suspected to be homicides and the National System for Public Security using only those ruled to have been homicides after the investigation is concluded. Mexican governments have long argued that the majority of the victims have ties to criminal gangs or have somehow become \"mixed up\" in their illegal business. But with scenes such as those in the city of Culiacan in October, where residents had to take cover as a convoy of heavily armed cartel trucks rolled into the city, being shown on TV, more and more people are questioning whether they may be in danger."}], "question": "Has it been getting worse?", "id": "842_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2061, "answer_end": 2745, "text": "The states with the highest homicide rates are: the tiny western state of Colima in the west, followed by Baja California, Chihuahua in the north and Guerrero, according to figures released by the National Institute for Statistics. Much of the violence in concentrated in crime hotspots where gangs are either active or fighting over territory. There are many areas which have been relatively untouched by violence. In the popular tourist destination of Yucatan, the homicide rate is only 3 per 100,000 people, lower than that of Thailand. The states of Aguascalientes, Campeche and Coahuila also are well below the national average and have homicide rates similar to that of Uruguay."}], "question": "Which are most dangerous areas?", "id": "842_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2746, "answer_end": 3891, "text": "Mexico's location on the southern border of the US means that for decades it has been home to powerful criminal groups smuggling cocaine, heroine, marijuana and methamphetamines north to the United States, the world's largest market for illicit drugs. These groups do not just deal in drugs but also engage in extortion, money laundering, human trafficking, people smuggling and contract killings. Some are transnational enterprises which operate as far south as Argentina and have off-shoots in Europe. They often bribe or infiltrate the security forces and pay off or threaten politicians so that they turn a blind eye to their illegal enterprises. Rival gangs battle for territory and over control of lucrative smuggling routes and often use gruesome tactics such as hanging bodies from bridges and decapitations to spread terror and fear. While some of the top leaders of the powerful cartels have been arrested or killed in recent years, the result has not been a drop in crime, as officials had hoped. Instead, the vacuum left behind has led to further battles between rival gangs and warring pretenders to the vacant leadership positions."}], "question": "What is at the root of the violence?", "id": "842_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3892, "answer_end": 5619, "text": "In December 2006, then-President Felipe Calderon launched a \"war on drugs\", deploying more than 50,000 soldiers and federal police officers. In the six years of his presidency, the official figure of people killed in drug-related violence was 60,000. Many estimate the figure may have been much higher. His successor in office, Enrique Pena Nieto, at first said that he would tackle the roots of the violence but his policy closely resembled that of Mr Calderon, going after the heads of the most powerful criminal organisations. His biggest coup was the capture of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman in 2016. But even following his extradition to the US, Guzman's Sinaloa cartel remains a powerful force. In October, one of El Chapo's sons, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, was freed on the orders of the Mexican government after Sinaloa cartel gunmen flooded the city of Culiacan and surrounded security forces to press for their boss's release. Current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ran on a promise to \"achieve peace and end the war\" on drugs. He defended his government's decision to free Ovidio Guzman Lopez by arguing that the move had prevented a bloodbath. President Lopez Obrador's strategy to create a National Guard has so far not yielded tangible results. Few have signed up for the new force and those who have have been deployed to the southern border to deal with a huge influx of US-bound migrants. His critics argue that the president's lack of a defined strategy to combat criminal groups has led to a further increase in violence. They say that while the release of El Chapo's son may have saved lives on the day, it set a dangerous precedent and will lead to cartels further flexing their muscles."}], "question": "What is the government doing?", "id": "842_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Civil partnerships: Law to change for mixed-sex couples", "date": "2 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "All couples in England and Wales will be able to choose to have a civil partnership rather than get married, Theresa May has announced. The move, which follows a Supreme Court ruling, will give mixed-sex couples and their families the option of greater security, the government said. And it will address the \"imbalance\" that allows same-sex couples to choose, but not mixed-sex couples. A couple who campaigned for the right said it was a \"major step\" forward. But they said they would only celebrate \"when legislation is agreed\". Others have taken to social media to welcome the news and even take the extra step of proposing civil partnerships to their partners. Catherine Oakley sent a message on WhatsApp to her boyfriend Sam, who she describes as \"the embodiment of understatement\", asking him to \"not marry me\". \"It's not the most romantic or conventional of proposals,\" she told the BBC. \"Marriage comes with historical, religious and gendered connotations - this offers a blank canvas. \"It's uncharted territory, so you can make it your own.\" The proposed change comes after the Supreme Court, in June, ruled in favour of Rebecca Steinfeld, 37, and Charles Keidan, 41, who wanted to be allowed to have a civil partnership. The court said that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Scottish government is also now carrying out a consultation on allowing mixed-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships. They were created in 2004 to give same-sex couples - who at the time couldn't marry - similar legal and financial protection to a marriage. They weren't available to mixed-sex couples. Then, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales and the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 did the same there. Since then, same-sex couples there have been able to choose between marriage or civil partnerships - except in Northern Ireland, where they are still not able to marry. But the opposite didn't become true - mixed-sex couples didn't get the right to a civil partnership. That's what's now set to change. A civil partnership is formed by signing a document. There is no requirement for a ceremony to take place or to exchange vows - unlike for a marriage - but you can do so if you wish. There are a range of reasons people give for not wanting to get married. High on the list, the feeling among some that marriage as an institution doesn't reflect their equal relationship because of its roots in traditional gender roles. Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan campaigned for four years to get the law changed and more than 130,000 people signed an online petition in support of civil partnerships for everyone. The couple said the \"legacy of marriage... treated women as property for centuries\" and was not an option for them. \"We want to raise our children as equal partners and feel that a civil partnership - a modern, symmetrical institution - sets the best example for them,\" they added. Beyond the issues of principle, there are many practical reasons for why some unmarried couples might now want to enter into a civil partnership. As the BBC's legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman explains, many of the 3.3 million co-habiting couples in the UK believe they possess similar rights and protections to those enjoyed by married couples - but they don't. It can cause enormous distress when co-habiting partners find out - often on separation or the death of their partner - that they have far fewer inheritance, property and pension rights than they had thought. Becoming civil partners means couples will get these benefits without having to get married. The government said there were \"a number of legal issues to consider, across pension and family law\" and ministers would now consult on the technical detail. Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt promised that the change in the law would happen \"as swiftly as possible\". Mr Keidan said the couple had become \"accidental campaigners\" on the issue, but told BBC News: \"It wasn't just about us. \"There are many, many thousands of couples who would wish to form a civil partnership.\" He said he now wanted the law to change and to know when the first mixed-sex civil partnerships would happen. Ms Steinfeld added: \"Charlie and myself can finally formalise our relationship in the way we see fit.\" Martin Loat, of the Equal Civil Partnerships campaign, also welcomed it as \"another important step forward towards civil partnerships for all\". He added: \"Legislation would be fair, popular and promote stable families. - It's a shame it won't be introduced before April 2019, as that is when I am set to get married and I would much rather be \"civilly partnered\". Slow process I guess, but good news that consultations are happening. As the legal precedent is now there, it should be legislated for as soon as possible. Salli LaBelle Platt - I'm so pleased. We have been together since 1979 and have two grown up children. I never wanted to get married, for me it carries too many connotations of \"belonging\" to a man. Ann Storey - Richard and I were one of the first couples to sign a Civil Partnership in December 2005. Unexpectedly, Richard died suddenly in 2013.  Having the law on my side - especially when it came to dealing with pension rights etc - was important. Stuart Warburton-Smith Conservative MP Edward Leigh tweeted saying civil partnerships should be extended to include siblings as well. He has been campaigning for this change after two sister wrote to him worrying they would lose their family home when the other dies because they would not be able to afford the inheritance tax.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1473, "answer_end": 2318, "text": "They were created in 2004 to give same-sex couples - who at the time couldn't marry - similar legal and financial protection to a marriage. They weren't available to mixed-sex couples. Then, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales and the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 did the same there. Since then, same-sex couples there have been able to choose between marriage or civil partnerships - except in Northern Ireland, where they are still not able to marry. But the opposite didn't become true - mixed-sex couples didn't get the right to a civil partnership. That's what's now set to change. A civil partnership is formed by signing a document. There is no requirement for a ceremony to take place or to exchange vows - unlike for a marriage - but you can do so if you wish."}], "question": "What are civil partnerships?", "id": "843_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2319, "answer_end": 3015, "text": "There are a range of reasons people give for not wanting to get married. High on the list, the feeling among some that marriage as an institution doesn't reflect their equal relationship because of its roots in traditional gender roles. Ms Steinfeld and Mr Keidan campaigned for four years to get the law changed and more than 130,000 people signed an online petition in support of civil partnerships for everyone. The couple said the \"legacy of marriage... treated women as property for centuries\" and was not an option for them. \"We want to raise our children as equal partners and feel that a civil partnership - a modern, symmetrical institution - sets the best example for them,\" they added."}], "question": "Why do mixed-sex couples want this right?", "id": "843_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3016, "answer_end": 3956, "text": "Beyond the issues of principle, there are many practical reasons for why some unmarried couples might now want to enter into a civil partnership. As the BBC's legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman explains, many of the 3.3 million co-habiting couples in the UK believe they possess similar rights and protections to those enjoyed by married couples - but they don't. It can cause enormous distress when co-habiting partners find out - often on separation or the death of their partner - that they have far fewer inheritance, property and pension rights than they had thought. Becoming civil partners means couples will get these benefits without having to get married. The government said there were \"a number of legal issues to consider, across pension and family law\" and ministers would now consult on the technical detail. Equalities Minister Penny Mordaunt promised that the change in the law would happen \"as swiftly as possible\"."}], "question": "What protections do you get from a civil partnership?", "id": "843_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3957, "answer_end": 4597, "text": "Mr Keidan said the couple had become \"accidental campaigners\" on the issue, but told BBC News: \"It wasn't just about us. \"There are many, many thousands of couples who would wish to form a civil partnership.\" He said he now wanted the law to change and to know when the first mixed-sex civil partnerships would happen. Ms Steinfeld added: \"Charlie and myself can finally formalise our relationship in the way we see fit.\" Martin Loat, of the Equal Civil Partnerships campaign, also welcomed it as \"another important step forward towards civil partnerships for all\". He added: \"Legislation would be fair, popular and promote stable families."}], "question": "How have people reacted?", "id": "843_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump\u2019s children: Will they be his advisers?", "date": "15 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some of Donald Trump's relatives have played key roles in his victorious campaign and are now part of his team preparing for office. Will they be in his government and is that legal? The president-elect's transition team has denied reports that he sought security clearance for his children, according to an official. Mr Trump's children have not filled out required paperwork to obtain top security clearance, the official said. Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr  would have to be designated as national security advisers to receive access. However, it remains unclear whether Mr Trump's children will receive official roles in their father's administration. How common is Trump's $1 salary? Trump's hidden Facebook army Can Donald Trump get what he wants? The security clearance report follows Mr Trump's announcement last week that his three children and Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, would serve on his presidential transition team. Ivanka Trump and her husband served as key advisers to Mr Trump throughout his campaign. The appointments underscored concerns over potential conflicts once his children take the helm of his sprawling business empire. Mr Trump has insisted he would hand control of the Trump Organization to his three eldest children before moving into the White House. When Ivanka Trump was asked whether she would hold a formal role in her father's administration during a 60 Minutes interview aired on Sunday, she demurred. \"No,\" she said. \"I'm going to be a daughter. But I've said throughout the campaign that I am very passionate about certain issues. And that I want to fight for them.\" Trump ally and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also told CNN on Sunday that the president-elect's children would not be advisers. Mr Trump may have flexibility in appointing family members to his transition team, but he is more limited in selecting his administration. According to an anti-nepotism law, US code 5 USC 3110, Mr Trump may not \"appoint, employ, advance, or advocate for\" relatives in \"the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control\". However, he could work through loopholes in order to employ one of his family members in his administration, the Washington Post reported. For example, Mr Trump could appoint one of his children if they declined to take a salary, a legal grey area. The president-elect could also influence other branches of government to hire one of his children, keeping them close to him in Washington. Trump to trust in daughter power Trump's promises: Before and after Meet President Trump's possible cabinet The anti-nepotism law prohibiting a president from appointing a family member was enacted in 1967. Before the statute passed, President John F Kennedy famously appointed his brother Robert Kennedy as US Attorney General. Robert Kennedy, however, still had to be approved in Senate confirmation hearings. President Bill Clinton faced scrutiny when he appointed his wife and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton as the head of a health reform task force in 1993. Critics invoked the anti-nepotism law when they sued to block the task force, but the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her appointment. There is no conflict of interest law preventing Mr Trump from presiding over the Trump Organization while in office, but US presidents have historically taken steps to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Previous presidents, from Lyndon B Johnson on, have avoided conflict of interest by placing their business interests in a blind trust. This means that the president gives control of his (or her) money to independent trustees. In LBJ's case, as BBC's Robert Plummer notes, he set one up in 1963 after assuming the presidency in the wake of JFK's assassination. President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, owned a TV station, KTBC, in Austin, Texas, and wanted to avoid regulatory problems without having to sell it. In 1978, the Ethics in Government Act formalised the rules on blind trusts, but left them entirely voluntary as far as presidents are concerned. Mr Trump is not the first US presidential or vice-presidential candidate to face concerns over his wealth. Vice President Dick Cheney was sharply criticised for the $34m (PS27m) in stock options he received from US oil services company Halliburton before becoming George W Bush's running mate in 2000. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Mr Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also held large assets in real estate, stocks, mutual funds and trusts, when they ran for office. But unlike previous candidates, Mr Trump's fortune is largely based on his personal brand. Mr Trump has repeatedly said he would hand over the company to his three eldest children. But releasing control of his money to Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr would not count as a blind trust, as Mr Trump has referred to it, since he would be in contact with the people running it and have direct knowledge of his assets. He would then remain vulnerable to allegations that his political decisions were shaped to benefit his business assets. And if one or all three of his eldest children are named as high level, informal advisers to gain security clearance, Mr Trump's conflict of interest would be unprecedented.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 1755, "text": "The security clearance report follows Mr Trump's announcement last week that his three children and Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, would serve on his presidential transition team. Ivanka Trump and her husband served as key advisers to Mr Trump throughout his campaign. The appointments underscored concerns over potential conflicts once his children take the helm of his sprawling business empire. Mr Trump has insisted he would hand control of the Trump Organization to his three eldest children before moving into the White House. When Ivanka Trump was asked whether she would hold a formal role in her father's administration during a 60 Minutes interview aired on Sunday, she demurred. \"No,\" she said. \"I'm going to be a daughter. But I've said throughout the campaign that I am very passionate about certain issues. And that I want to fight for them.\" Trump ally and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani also told CNN on Sunday that the president-elect's children would not be advisers."}], "question": "Will Trump's children serve in his government?", "id": "844_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2609, "answer_end": 3202, "text": "The anti-nepotism law prohibiting a president from appointing a family member was enacted in 1967. Before the statute passed, President John F Kennedy famously appointed his brother Robert Kennedy as US Attorney General. Robert Kennedy, however, still had to be approved in Senate confirmation hearings. President Bill Clinton faced scrutiny when he appointed his wife and then-First Lady Hillary Clinton as the head of a health reform task force in 1993. Critics invoked the anti-nepotism law when they sued to block the task force, but the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her appointment."}], "question": "Have other US presidents hired relatives or children?", "id": "844_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3203, "answer_end": 4651, "text": "There is no conflict of interest law preventing Mr Trump from presiding over the Trump Organization while in office, but US presidents have historically taken steps to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Previous presidents, from Lyndon B Johnson on, have avoided conflict of interest by placing their business interests in a blind trust. This means that the president gives control of his (or her) money to independent trustees. In LBJ's case, as BBC's Robert Plummer notes, he set one up in 1963 after assuming the presidency in the wake of JFK's assassination. President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, owned a TV station, KTBC, in Austin, Texas, and wanted to avoid regulatory problems without having to sell it. In 1978, the Ethics in Government Act formalised the rules on blind trusts, but left them entirely voluntary as far as presidents are concerned. Mr Trump is not the first US presidential or vice-presidential candidate to face concerns over his wealth. Vice President Dick Cheney was sharply criticised for the $34m (PS27m) in stock options he received from US oil services company Halliburton before becoming George W Bush's running mate in 2000. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Mr Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also held large assets in real estate, stocks, mutual funds and trusts, when they ran for office. But unlike previous candidates, Mr Trump's fortune is largely based on his personal brand."}], "question": "Can a president run a business and be president?", "id": "844_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4652, "answer_end": 5263, "text": "Mr Trump has repeatedly said he would hand over the company to his three eldest children. But releasing control of his money to Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr would not count as a blind trust, as Mr Trump has referred to it, since he would be in contact with the people running it and have direct knowledge of his assets. He would then remain vulnerable to allegations that his political decisions were shaped to benefit his business assets. And if one or all three of his eldest children are named as high level, informal advisers to gain security clearance, Mr Trump's conflict of interest would be unprecedented."}], "question": "So can his children run his business while he is president?", "id": "844_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Speech is 'clearest idea' of deal PM wants", "date": "17 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It cannot be said Britain will begin its exit from the EU with no destination in mind. After today we have the clearest idea of the deal Theresa May wants: UK access to the European Single Market but no membership of it; a tariff-free customs union with the EU but freedom to sign trade deal with other countries; some sort of bridging arrangement between membership of the EU and life outside it to avoid \"a disruptive cliff edge\", to use Theresa May's phrase; a close security relationship with the EU. Most strikingly, while the Prime Minister's speech tried to soothe friction between the UK and the EU by stressing the need for friendly mutual co-operation she had a blunt warning for the EU too. Britain will not sign a deal at any price. \"A punitive deal would be a calamitous act of self-harm\", she told the audience of EU ambassadors gathered in the splendour of Lancaster House. But it is for the decision to take Britain out of the single market that historians will remember this speech. The clues had been there for months. While claiming not to want a running commentary Theresa May has said many times Britain's break from the EU must result in control over EU migration and freedom from the jurisdiction of EU law. It was there in her speech to the Conservative Party conference in October. Those political choices could only mean one outcome: Leaving the European Single Market. It is the most important economic decision Britain has taken for years. It was at the same venue 28 years ago that Margaret Thatcher made a speech praising the embryonic single market. \"A single market without barriers - visible or invisible - giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the world's wealthiest and most prosperous people\", the former prime minster said. Thatcher pioneered its creation (though later criticised the social dimension of the internal market) and the main political parties have been committed to it ever since. The 2015 Conservative manifesto contained the following: \"We benefit from the Single Market.... We want to preserve the integrity of the Single Market....We want to expand the Single Market\". Of course, it also contained the promise of an EU referendum. And the Brexit vote has trumped continued membership of the single market. The government could have made a different choice. Norway is an example of a country outside the EU that is a member of the single market. However, it has to pay a contribution to the EU budget, accept the freedom of EU citizens to live and work in Norway, is subject to European Court of Justice oversight and has no formal say in EU decision making. For Number 10 that was a non-starter. For a start, this speech was not a full blueprint for Brexit for the obvious reason that Number 10 does not want to spell out its negotiation strategy before talks with the EU begin. Crucially, the final shape of Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the EU can only be known after it has been agreed by the remaining 27 member states and European Parliament. They too will approach the talks with demands, red lines and guiding principles. Today Chancellor Angela Merkel told German businesses that conditions for access to the single market could not be \"loosened\" otherwise every EU country would try and \"cherry pick\" a new deal. The big question is how flexible Theresa May's starting principles become when negotiations begin. And huge unknowns remain. What budget payments will the EU demand for single market access? Will EU workers have some freedom to work in the UK? Will the EU allow partial membership of the customs union? Today the Prime Minister painted a picture of an orderly Brexit conducted in the spirit of mutual self-interest. But divorce is rarely so smooth.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2700, "answer_end": 3784, "text": "For a start, this speech was not a full blueprint for Brexit for the obvious reason that Number 10 does not want to spell out its negotiation strategy before talks with the EU begin. Crucially, the final shape of Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the EU can only be known after it has been agreed by the remaining 27 member states and European Parliament. They too will approach the talks with demands, red lines and guiding principles. Today Chancellor Angela Merkel told German businesses that conditions for access to the single market could not be \"loosened\" otherwise every EU country would try and \"cherry pick\" a new deal. The big question is how flexible Theresa May's starting principles become when negotiations begin. And huge unknowns remain. What budget payments will the EU demand for single market access? Will EU workers have some freedom to work in the UK? Will the EU allow partial membership of the customs union? Today the Prime Minister painted a picture of an orderly Brexit conducted in the spirit of mutual self-interest. But divorce is rarely so smooth."}], "question": "So what does Britain want instead?", "id": "845_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US-China trade row: What has happened so far?", "date": "18 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump campaigned for election on a promise to make trade fairer for the US, and his push to do so has him fighting with some of America's oldest trading partners. The US has been embroiled in a tit-for-tat trade battle on several fronts over the past few months. The one that's creating the most interest is the conflict with China, as the world's two largest economies wrangle for global influence. China has accused the US of launching the \"largest trade war in economic history.\" Mr Trump has imposed taxes on imports from China, Mexico, Canada and the EU, to encourage consumers to buy American products. All of these countries have retaliated. The US president's hard line on trade, which also saw him withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact (TPP) last year, marks a striking change from the free trade policies that have governed the exchange of goods for decades. The US has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese products this year, totalling $250bn worth of goods. The first two rounds placed 25% tariffs on $50bn worth of imports from China, and Beijing retaliated in kind. Washington delivered a sharp escalation in the trade conflict in September with another set of tariffs, this time on Chinese goods worth $200bn. Those taxes will take effect from 24 September, starting at 10% and increasing to 25% from the start of next year unless the two countries agree a deal. Mr Trump has warned even more could be on the way. The US president said if China retaliates then Washington would impose fresh tariffs on $267bn worth of Chinese products. If Trump goes ahead with that round of import taxes, it would mean virtually all of China's exports to the US would be subject to duties. Mr Trump says he wants to stop the \"unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China\" and protect jobs. Tariffs, in theory, will make US-made products cheaper than imported ones, so encourage consumers to buy American. The idea is they would boost local businesses and support the national economy. But many US companies and industry groups have testified to the US Trade Representative's Office that their businesses are being harmed. The dispute dates back to January, when the US slapped controversial tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels. That was considered Mr Trump's most significant trade move since his decision to pull the US out of the TPP and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). No. Earlier this year, the US started charging levies on the imports of steel and aluminium from the European Union, Mexico and Canada. US businesses have to pay a 25% tax when they import steel from those places and a 10% levy to buy aluminium from them. But these tariffs led to retaliation. The European Union imposed tariffs on EUR2.8bn worth of US goods in June on products such as bourbon whiskey, motorcycles and orange juice. In June, Mexico announced new tariffs on US products, including whiskey, cheese, steel, bourbon, and pork. Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on 16.6bn Canadian dollars-worth of US products on 1 July. The International Monetary Fund says an escalation of the tit-for-tat tariffs could shave 0.5% off global growth by 2020. There are signs that the trade dispute is already affecting the Chinese and US economies. Morgan Stanley has said a full-blown escalation of the trade dispute could knock 0.81 percentage points off global gross domestic product. This scenario would involve the US slapping 25% tariffs on all goods from both China and the EU, and similar measures imposed in response. Among companies,  the car industry seems to have been the most affected so far. Major carmakers recently warned that changes to trade policies were hurting performance. Ford and General Motors have lowered profit forecasts for 2018, citing higher steel and aluminium prices caused by new US tariffs. There are also concerns that the trade war could hurt other aspects of US-China relations. Mr Trump recently accused China of manipulating its currency - a sign that the row could be spreading to foreign exchange markets. Smaller Asian countries further down the supply chain could also suffer. According to the Economist, 30% of the value of the goods China exports to America originates from third-party countries. Ultimately, China may not have as much firepower as the US to retaliate, given the US buys much more from China than it sells to them. This could mean it would find alternative ways to fight back such as making life difficult for American companies in China by increasing red-tape.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 893, "answer_end": 1718, "text": "The US has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese products this year, totalling $250bn worth of goods. The first two rounds placed 25% tariffs on $50bn worth of imports from China, and Beijing retaliated in kind. Washington delivered a sharp escalation in the trade conflict in September with another set of tariffs, this time on Chinese goods worth $200bn. Those taxes will take effect from 24 September, starting at 10% and increasing to 25% from the start of next year unless the two countries agree a deal. Mr Trump has warned even more could be on the way. The US president said if China retaliates then Washington would impose fresh tariffs on $267bn worth of Chinese products. If Trump goes ahead with that round of import taxes, it would mean virtually all of China's exports to the US would be subject to duties."}], "question": "What has happened so far?", "id": "846_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1719, "answer_end": 2477, "text": "Mr Trump says he wants to stop the \"unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China\" and protect jobs. Tariffs, in theory, will make US-made products cheaper than imported ones, so encourage consumers to buy American. The idea is they would boost local businesses and support the national economy. But many US companies and industry groups have testified to the US Trade Representative's Office that their businesses are being harmed. The dispute dates back to January, when the US slapped controversial tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels. That was considered Mr Trump's most significant trade move since his decision to pull the US out of the TPP and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta)."}], "question": "Why is the US doing this?", "id": "846_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2478, "answer_end": 3112, "text": "No. Earlier this year, the US started charging levies on the imports of steel and aluminium from the European Union, Mexico and Canada. US businesses have to pay a 25% tax when they import steel from those places and a 10% levy to buy aluminium from them. But these tariffs led to retaliation. The European Union imposed tariffs on EUR2.8bn worth of US goods in June on products such as bourbon whiskey, motorcycles and orange juice. In June, Mexico announced new tariffs on US products, including whiskey, cheese, steel, bourbon, and pork. Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on 16.6bn Canadian dollars-worth of US products on 1 July."}], "question": "Is the US only in a dispute with China?", "id": "846_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3113, "answer_end": 4601, "text": "The International Monetary Fund says an escalation of the tit-for-tat tariffs could shave 0.5% off global growth by 2020. There are signs that the trade dispute is already affecting the Chinese and US economies. Morgan Stanley has said a full-blown escalation of the trade dispute could knock 0.81 percentage points off global gross domestic product. This scenario would involve the US slapping 25% tariffs on all goods from both China and the EU, and similar measures imposed in response. Among companies,  the car industry seems to have been the most affected so far. Major carmakers recently warned that changes to trade policies were hurting performance. Ford and General Motors have lowered profit forecasts for 2018, citing higher steel and aluminium prices caused by new US tariffs. There are also concerns that the trade war could hurt other aspects of US-China relations. Mr Trump recently accused China of manipulating its currency - a sign that the row could be spreading to foreign exchange markets. Smaller Asian countries further down the supply chain could also suffer. According to the Economist, 30% of the value of the goods China exports to America originates from third-party countries. Ultimately, China may not have as much firepower as the US to retaliate, given the US buys much more from China than it sells to them. This could mean it would find alternative ways to fight back such as making life difficult for American companies in China by increasing red-tape."}], "question": "Who has been worst affected so far?", "id": "846_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong: China bans Cathay Pacific staff seen to support protests", "date": "9 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has ordered the Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific to suspend any staff who support pro-democracy protests in the territory. Beijing's demand coincided with a peaceful rally at Hong Kong's airport, where thousands occupied a terminal. Cathay also faced pressure online after China's state-run press fuelled a #BoycottCathayPacific hashtag, which trended on Chinese social media. Hong Kong has seen weeks of protests over China's control of the territory. The protests began about nine weeks ago over a proposed extradition bill between Hong Kong and mainland China and evolved into demands for greater freedoms. Hong Kong is part of China but its citizens have more autonomy than those on the mainland. It has a free press and judicial independence under the so-called \"one country, two systems\" approach - freedoms activists fear are being increasingly eroded. Earlier this week China warned the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong not to \"underestimate the firm resolve of the central government\". This week China appeared to turn its attention to companies it sees as connected to the protests. Cathay was targeted after one of its pilots was arrested among protesters, and the airline's flight attendants union signed a joint statement with other aviation industry employees backing the protesters. \"The four sins of Cathay Pacific Airlines,\" read a headline in Chinese state newspaper the People's Daily, which detailed actions by the carrier it said were supportive of the pro-democracy movement. Cathay chairman John Slosar defended his staff. \"We employ 27,000 staff in Hong Kong doing all sorts of different jobs... we certainly wouldn't dream of telling them what they have to think about something,\" he said. A Taiwanese bubble tea franchise - Yifang - and a popular Japanese sports drink were also targeted by boycott campaigns. One of Yifang's branches in Hong Kong had reportedly hung a sign cheering on the protesters. The branch was later vandalised, Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS reported. Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat pulled advertising from Hong Kong television station TVB, which protesters accuse of pro-Beijing coverage. Under pressure of a boycott, the firm's mainland China office issued a statement saying it operated separately from the Hong Kong division and upheld China's \"one country, two systems\" rule. The boycotts came as protesters gathered at Hong Kong airport for three days of peaceful demonstrations. Activists waved banners written in different languages denouncing Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, and the police, and handed out leaflets with artwork explaining the recent protests. Authorities are so far tolerating the rally, which have not overly disrupted passengers. There are as yet no police at the scene. \"It will be a peaceful protest as long as the police do not show up,\" one demonstrator told Reuters news agency. Fake boarding passes saying \"HK to freedom\" appeared on social media to promote the rally. Hong Kong's Airport Authority said it would \"operate normally\" despite the planned demonstrations. A protest at the airport on 26 July with thousands of Hong Kongers - including flight staff - took place without violence. Ms Lam met business leaders on Friday to discuss the economic impact of the protests. \"We've experienced Sars and financial crises,\" she told reporters after the meeting, referring to the respiratory disease epidemic in 2003. \"This time is more serious.\" Property developers in the territory had earlier warned that demonstrations were damaging Hong Kong's economy. Ms Lam also announced the government would reconvene a week earlier than planned from recess on 13 August. But she refused to offer concessions to protesters, accusing a \"small minority of people\" of wanting to destroy the economy and of having \"no stake in the society which so many people have helped to build\". \"If you are unsatisfied with the Hong Kong government that does not mean you should condone the violence. We hope to do our work better,\" she said. Earlier on Friday, authorities confirmed that former deputy police commissioner Alan Lau has been brought out of retirement to help handle protests in the territory. The commander previously oversaw Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies in 2014. Beijing has issued increasingly stern warnings about the continuing demonstrations, and the military recently released a video showing them conducting anti-riot drills. The US on Friday called China a \"thuggish regime\" after a Chinese state newspaper published the name and photo of a US diplomat talking to Hong Kong activists. China dismissed the remark as \"gangster logic\". The Chinese have repeatedly accused the US of interfering in the situation in Hong Kong.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2349, "answer_end": 3201, "text": "The boycotts came as protesters gathered at Hong Kong airport for three days of peaceful demonstrations. Activists waved banners written in different languages denouncing Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, and the police, and handed out leaflets with artwork explaining the recent protests. Authorities are so far tolerating the rally, which have not overly disrupted passengers. There are as yet no police at the scene. \"It will be a peaceful protest as long as the police do not show up,\" one demonstrator told Reuters news agency. Fake boarding passes saying \"HK to freedom\" appeared on social media to promote the rally. Hong Kong's Airport Authority said it would \"operate normally\" despite the planned demonstrations. A protest at the airport on 26 July with thousands of Hong Kongers - including flight staff - took place without violence."}], "question": "What happened at the airport?", "id": "847_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3202, "answer_end": 4737, "text": "Ms Lam met business leaders on Friday to discuss the economic impact of the protests. \"We've experienced Sars and financial crises,\" she told reporters after the meeting, referring to the respiratory disease epidemic in 2003. \"This time is more serious.\" Property developers in the territory had earlier warned that demonstrations were damaging Hong Kong's economy. Ms Lam also announced the government would reconvene a week earlier than planned from recess on 13 August. But she refused to offer concessions to protesters, accusing a \"small minority of people\" of wanting to destroy the economy and of having \"no stake in the society which so many people have helped to build\". \"If you are unsatisfied with the Hong Kong government that does not mean you should condone the violence. We hope to do our work better,\" she said. Earlier on Friday, authorities confirmed that former deputy police commissioner Alan Lau has been brought out of retirement to help handle protests in the territory. The commander previously oversaw Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies in 2014. Beijing has issued increasingly stern warnings about the continuing demonstrations, and the military recently released a video showing them conducting anti-riot drills. The US on Friday called China a \"thuggish regime\" after a Chinese state newspaper published the name and photo of a US diplomat talking to Hong Kong activists. China dismissed the remark as \"gangster logic\". The Chinese have repeatedly accused the US of interfering in the situation in Hong Kong."}], "question": "How have authorities reacted?", "id": "847_1"}]}]}, {"title": "DUP accuses No 10 of 'hiding' over Brexit", "date": "29 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The DUP has accused the government of having \"something to hide\" by not publishing the full legal advice it has received on the Brexit deal. During an urgent question in the Commons, the solicitor general said the government would publish a \"full reasoned statement\" soon. The attorney general will also answer MPs' questions in Parliament on Monday. But the DUP's deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, said the Commons had already rejected the government's offer. He said ministers were simply repeating the proposal that was made during a debate on the motion earlier this month. The DUP's MPs supported that motion - despite the confidence-and-supply arrangement it shares with the government. Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Mr Dodds said: \"Why doesn't the solicitor general and the government start listening? That has been the problem all along.\" \"What has the government got to hide?\" Solicitor General Robert Buckland denied the claim, adding: \"This is not an instance where the government seeks to delay or hide, this is about providing information at the right time.\" A number of other MPs have expressed concerns that they will not be able to go through the legal advice in time before the vote on the government's Brexit deal. The DUP has said Theresa May's Brexit plan is \"worse than no deal\", and has vowed to vote against it when the meaningful vote takes place on 11 December. It has put a question mark over the future of the confidence-and-supply deal with the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party entered into the pact with the DUP after the general election in 2017, in order to give the prime minister a working majority in the Commons. The DUP agreed to support the government on all Brexit votes, finance bills and the Budget and a number of other areas in exchange for an extra PS1bn in spending for Northern Ireland. But the fallout over Brexit has put the parties' relationship under significant strain - with the DUP abstaining and voting against the government last week during a budget vote, in a bid to warn the government to change course on Brexit. Northern Ireland was the main sticking point in the Brexit negotiations, as the UK and EU were at odds over how to ensure no hard border - physical checks or infrastructure - between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. Both sides have said they hope to ensure a solution is found as part of a wider trade deal, which keeps trade as frictionless as it is now. But in the absence of that, the EU wanted an insurance policy in the legally binding withdrawal agreement: the backstop. The agreement on the backstop would see only Northern Ireland stay aligned to some EU rules, if it took effect. That means some goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain would face extra checks to see if they met EU standards. But the UK government and EU insist it is only an insurance policy in the event that there is no breakthrough by the end of the transition period. The DUP has always said its one red line was the backstop. It is concerned that the backstop could threaten the integrity of the union by placing a trade border down the Irish Sea. The party's leader Arlene Foster has insisted there is still time to work for a \"better deal\" and has criticised Theresa May for \"wasting time\" trying to build support for the plan, when it is unlikely to get enough support from MPs in a matter of weeks. The prime minister visited Northern Ireland on Tuesday as part of her two-week push to sell her agreement. She has urged the DUP to \"think about the national interest\" when considering her Brexit deal. On Thursday, Mrs May appeared before a Westminster committee to answer questions about the government's plan. She was asked if she will still have the support of the DUP if her deal is voted through Parliament, to which Mrs May did not directly answer the question, but said: \"They have said themselves that the confidence and supply arrangement remains in place.\" She also warned that political declarations are \"not guarantees\" when it comes to avoiding a hard border if her Brexit deal is rejected, and faced tough questioning from other MPs about the Northern Ireland backstop.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1494, "answer_end": 2081, "text": "The Conservative Party entered into the pact with the DUP after the general election in 2017, in order to give the prime minister a working majority in the Commons. The DUP agreed to support the government on all Brexit votes, finance bills and the Budget and a number of other areas in exchange for an extra PS1bn in spending for Northern Ireland. But the fallout over Brexit has put the parties' relationship under significant strain - with the DUP abstaining and voting against the government last week during a budget vote, in a bid to warn the government to change course on Brexit."}], "question": "What is the confidence-and-supply arrangement?", "id": "848_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2082, "answer_end": 2970, "text": "Northern Ireland was the main sticking point in the Brexit negotiations, as the UK and EU were at odds over how to ensure no hard border - physical checks or infrastructure - between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. Both sides have said they hope to ensure a solution is found as part of a wider trade deal, which keeps trade as frictionless as it is now. But in the absence of that, the EU wanted an insurance policy in the legally binding withdrawal agreement: the backstop. The agreement on the backstop would see only Northern Ireland stay aligned to some EU rules, if it took effect. That means some goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain would face extra checks to see if they met EU standards. But the UK government and EU insist it is only an insurance policy in the event that there is no breakthrough by the end of the transition period."}], "question": "Why is NI important in all of this?", "id": "848_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2971, "answer_end": 3406, "text": "The DUP has always said its one red line was the backstop. It is concerned that the backstop could threaten the integrity of the union by placing a trade border down the Irish Sea. The party's leader Arlene Foster has insisted there is still time to work for a \"better deal\" and has criticised Theresa May for \"wasting time\" trying to build support for the plan, when it is unlikely to get enough support from MPs in a matter of weeks."}], "question": "What has the DUP said about the deal?", "id": "848_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3407, "answer_end": 4190, "text": "The prime minister visited Northern Ireland on Tuesday as part of her two-week push to sell her agreement. She has urged the DUP to \"think about the national interest\" when considering her Brexit deal. On Thursday, Mrs May appeared before a Westminster committee to answer questions about the government's plan. She was asked if she will still have the support of the DUP if her deal is voted through Parliament, to which Mrs May did not directly answer the question, but said: \"They have said themselves that the confidence and supply arrangement remains in place.\" She also warned that political declarations are \"not guarantees\" when it comes to avoiding a hard border if her Brexit deal is rejected, and faced tough questioning from other MPs about the Northern Ireland backstop."}], "question": "What is the prime minister saying?", "id": "848_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Regret apps: The undo button for instant messaging", "date": "23 January 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "How many times have you messaged someone on the spur of the moment only to wish you could take it back seconds later? Well, as they say... there's an app for that. US-based company Strings has launched an instant messaging app that lets you \"share what you want with who you want and take it back, if you want.\" It's a catchy motto, but how does it work? Strings chief executive Edward Balassanian says the free app allows you to delete sent messages, images and videos from your phone as well as the phone of the person that you sent them to. The app also prevents the recipient from downloading, sharing or even getting a screenshot of your content without your permission. The catch is that the recipient needs to be a user of the messaging app as well. \"For example, if I create a string and I add you and two other people to it, everybody in the string can see the conversation, but nobody in the string can add other people to the conversation without my permission and can't copy content out of the string,\" Mr Balassanian says. Part of the company's mantra is \"what happens on Strings, stays on Strings\", so you always have control over the content, he adds. One person who might have found such an app useful is Nadia Rashad-Choudhary, 32, a personal assistant based in London. She admits to texting, messaging and posting content in fits of anger...and regretting it. \"When I was angry, I would put up this rant. I would also post quote images that would relate to the situation,\" she says of past incidents. \"About 10 to 15 minutes later I would think: I shouldn't have done that.\" Ms Rashad-Choudhary recalls posting photos on Facebook of her having fun on the same day she had already called in sick to work. She'd forgotten that her supervisor was one of her friends on the social media site. \"I got a warning,\" she says. \"Work-wise that was my first lesson never to post anything on Facebook, or never have work-related people as friends.\" While the Strings app is not the first of its kind in the market, its popularity has skyrocketed since the beta version was launched on 31 December. Mr Balassanian says Strings had 1,000 users upon its launch and has been downloaded more than 40,000 times since. Other apps featuring messages that self-destruct after a set time include Invisible Text and Ansa. And On Second Thought allows users to recall texts before the recipient receives them and also set a curfew for messages to be \"embargoed\" until the next morning. The complete version of Strings is set to be released in a couple of weeks, but whether it has the staying power to succeed in a competitive market remains to be seen, according to analysts. Shiv Putcha, associate director of consumer mobility at IDC Asia-Pacific, says there are several issues with this type of app, including whether the content you delete is truly gone. \"Something like a Snapchat proved recently that it [the content] doesn't actually disappear - there is a trail somewhere out there,\" he says. \"It might disappear from each other phones, but there's no guarantee it's gone if the messages were stored on a cloud server somewhere.\" Strings, however, claims that once a user deletes content from a conversation, it is removed from their phone, all devices it was shared with, and the company's servers. Snapchat, a popular three-year-old app that allows users to share photos and videos that automatically disappear after a few seconds, admitted last year that rogue third-party apps had been storing its users' pictures. The admission came in October after hackers forums claimed that a file containing at least 100,000 stolen Snapchat photos had been created. Despite the controversy, Snapchat still remains popular among young people with over 100 million users. Ajay Sunder, of Frost & Sullivan's telecoms division, says as long as the user's content is not on a public domain and they feel secure that it will not be used for documentation purposes, people will continue to use such messaging apps. \"I do see a usage for these kinds of apps,\" he says. \"[Mainly for] a younger generation who are much more brash and open to telling their ideas and later on realising it might not be sensible to say everything out there or message everything you think.\" The emergence of these types of \"regret\" apps is evidence that people are becoming more aware that they are \"leaving bread crumbs all over the place\", says IDC's Mr Putcha. \"There are more cases of these [posts] coming back to haunt people. You apply for a job and they check your Facebook profile and see silly photos of you at a party and check some tweets you've put out,\" he says. \"There are several things that companies regularly check, and how do you go back now and delete all of this?\" The right to be forgotten is no longer possible in the online culture of \"over-sharing\", especially in the Western world, says Mr Putcha. \"Just try deleting your Facebook account, that itself is very hard to do,\" he says. While Strings claims it lets users \"pull all the strings\" on their content, some analysts believe there could be regulatory difficulties concerning the private content that people want to take back. And in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, governments are increasingly keen to gain access to messaging app content, says Mr Putcha. Prime Minister David Cameron recently called for a change to online data laws that would allow authorities to read private messages, even if they are encrypted. \"There's no guarantee of complete privacy in a messaging application,\" Mr Putcha adds.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1955, "answer_end": 2670, "text": "While the Strings app is not the first of its kind in the market, its popularity has skyrocketed since the beta version was launched on 31 December. Mr Balassanian says Strings had 1,000 users upon its launch and has been downloaded more than 40,000 times since. Other apps featuring messages that self-destruct after a set time include Invisible Text and Ansa. And On Second Thought allows users to recall texts before the recipient receives them and also set a curfew for messages to be \"embargoed\" until the next morning. The complete version of Strings is set to be released in a couple of weeks, but whether it has the staying power to succeed in a competitive market remains to be seen, according to analysts."}], "question": "Staying power?", "id": "849_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2671, "answer_end": 4257, "text": "Shiv Putcha, associate director of consumer mobility at IDC Asia-Pacific, says there are several issues with this type of app, including whether the content you delete is truly gone. \"Something like a Snapchat proved recently that it [the content] doesn't actually disappear - there is a trail somewhere out there,\" he says. \"It might disappear from each other phones, but there's no guarantee it's gone if the messages were stored on a cloud server somewhere.\" Strings, however, claims that once a user deletes content from a conversation, it is removed from their phone, all devices it was shared with, and the company's servers. Snapchat, a popular three-year-old app that allows users to share photos and videos that automatically disappear after a few seconds, admitted last year that rogue third-party apps had been storing its users' pictures. The admission came in October after hackers forums claimed that a file containing at least 100,000 stolen Snapchat photos had been created. Despite the controversy, Snapchat still remains popular among young people with over 100 million users. Ajay Sunder, of Frost & Sullivan's telecoms division, says as long as the user's content is not on a public domain and they feel secure that it will not be used for documentation purposes, people will continue to use such messaging apps. \"I do see a usage for these kinds of apps,\" he says. \"[Mainly for] a younger generation who are much more brash and open to telling their ideas and later on realising it might not be sensible to say everything out there or message everything you think.\""}], "question": "Deleted...really?", "id": "849_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why are the UK and China arguing about Hong Kong?", "date": "4 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hong Kong is at the centre of a diplomatic row between the UK and China. The UK has shown support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a former colony. It says the \"one country, two systems\" approach - giving Hong Kong citizens different rights and laws to those on the Chinese mainland - must continue. In response, China has accused the UK government of meddling in internal affairs. There have been mass protests against an extradition bill. It's a piece of legislation that was introduced by the city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam. It would make it easier to transfer people to face trial in China (and elsewhere in the world). Demonstrators argue it threatens Hong Kong's autonomy (its right to rule itself) and undermines its independent legal system. They fear China could use it for political reasons. Following the widespread protests the bill was suspended, but not withdrawn. The UK's foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt condemned violence by protesters, but said China could face \"serious consequences\" if it uses violence to crack down on them. He said China must respect Hong Kong's high level of autonomy. China's UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming said relations between the UK and China had been damaged by Mr Hunt's remarks. He accused the UK of being \"hypocritical\". Hong Kong was under British control for 156 years, following a war with China. In 1898, Britain expanded Hong Kong - but the new territory would only be leased for 99 years. In 1984, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Joint Declaration with the Chinese government. In it the two countries agreed that Hong Kong would be handed back to China in 1997, on a number of conditions. These included the region's high level of autonomy and maintaining certain rights not granted in mainland China. It was also agreed that Hong Kong's capitalist system, which was different to China's communist model, would continue. The agreement would be in place for the following 50 years - that's until 2047. Mr Hunt has said that the letter and the spirit of the agreement must be honoured. The UK also has an interest in Hong Kong because 300,000 UK nationals live there. More generally, the government wants to be seen to support democracy. The debate is around whether the Joint Declaration is still valid. China says it is merely a historical document. Chinese officials say Hong Kong is governed by the constitution it adopted at the handover in 1997. This is known as the Basic Law, which outlines the territory's \"one country, two systems\" arrangement. However, the UK says the treaty is legally binding. The UK and China have disagreed on this for a number of years. It's not clear - and that's the point. Mr Hunt has said that all options are on the table, and didn't rule out expelling Chinese diplomats, or sanctions. He said this was a form of \"strategic ambiguity\" aimed at deterring China. But a heavy-handed response seems unlikely, partly because the UK is looking to boost economic relations with China and signed a trade agreement last month.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 392, "answer_end": 1279, "text": "There have been mass protests against an extradition bill. It's a piece of legislation that was introduced by the city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam. It would make it easier to transfer people to face trial in China (and elsewhere in the world). Demonstrators argue it threatens Hong Kong's autonomy (its right to rule itself) and undermines its independent legal system. They fear China could use it for political reasons. Following the widespread protests the bill was suspended, but not withdrawn. The UK's foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt condemned violence by protesters, but said China could face \"serious consequences\" if it uses violence to crack down on them. He said China must respect Hong Kong's high level of autonomy. China's UK ambassador Liu Xiaoming said relations between the UK and China had been damaged by Mr Hunt's remarks. He accused the UK of being \"hypocritical\"."}], "question": "What has been happening?", "id": "850_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1280, "answer_end": 2217, "text": "Hong Kong was under British control for 156 years, following a war with China. In 1898, Britain expanded Hong Kong - but the new territory would only be leased for 99 years. In 1984, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Joint Declaration with the Chinese government. In it the two countries agreed that Hong Kong would be handed back to China in 1997, on a number of conditions. These included the region's high level of autonomy and maintaining certain rights not granted in mainland China. It was also agreed that Hong Kong's capitalist system, which was different to China's communist model, would continue. The agreement would be in place for the following 50 years - that's until 2047. Mr Hunt has said that the letter and the spirit of the agreement must be honoured. The UK also has an interest in Hong Kong because 300,000 UK nationals live there. More generally, the government wants to be seen to support democracy."}], "question": "Why does the UK have a role in Hong Kong?", "id": "850_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2218, "answer_end": 2649, "text": "The debate is around whether the Joint Declaration is still valid. China says it is merely a historical document. Chinese officials say Hong Kong is governed by the constitution it adopted at the handover in 1997. This is known as the Basic Law, which outlines the territory's \"one country, two systems\" arrangement. However, the UK says the treaty is legally binding. The UK and China have disagreed on this for a number of years."}], "question": "What does China say about the UK's demands?", "id": "850_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2650, "answer_end": 3035, "text": "It's not clear - and that's the point. Mr Hunt has said that all options are on the table, and didn't rule out expelling Chinese diplomats, or sanctions. He said this was a form of \"strategic ambiguity\" aimed at deterring China. But a heavy-handed response seems unlikely, partly because the UK is looking to boost economic relations with China and signed a trade agreement last month."}], "question": "What could the \"serious consequences\" for China be?", "id": "850_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Voters 'doomed' or delighted in Dumfries", "date": "24 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sitting on the steps outside the historic Midsteeple in Dumfries, Stephen Comiskey was taking in the outcome of the EU referendum. He chose the words of a famous Doonhamer, John Laurie of Dad's Army fame, to sum up his feelings on the result. \"I just think that we're doomed,\" he told me. \"I think it is going to be pretty bad for the UK as a whole. \"I do hope that Scotland votes to be independent eventually. \"The EU brought a lot of good things into the UK. It protected maternity leave, workers' rights, fair pay - I think that will all change, not immediately obviously, but down through the years.\" Not everyone, of course, shared that view - in a region where the result was one of the closest in Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway voted by 53.1% to 46.9% in favour of remaining in the European Union. In the neighbouring Scottish Borders the result was a more resounding 58.5% to 41.5% for staying in. The mixed reaction on the streets of Dumfries appeared to reflect the split in the vote across the region. One person who voted to leave was Margaret Radley from Lochmaben, who was naturally pleased with the overall outcome. She said the UK had managed on its own before and she could see no reason why it could not do so again. For many people, however, the result raised numerous questions. \"I had hoped that we were going to stay in the EU because I didn't think the other side gave me any clear picture of what would happen,\" said Lynsey Pennycook. \"So I think the future is quite uncertain.\" That was echoed by Karen Williams, who said she was \"really confused\" by the outcome, while Yvonne Livingstone saw further political consequences. \"I voted for Remain, but it is what it is, isn't it?\" she said. \"It was no big shock what came next that the prime minister has resigned. He had to, he had no other option. \"Everything is all uncertain now, everything is totally in turmoil, nobody can give us any definitive answers as to what is going to happen - it is just shocking. \"It just leaves us wide open to another Scottish referendum.\" BBC Scotland took to the streets of towns and cities across the country to find out what people feel about the decision to leave the EU. Sharon Johnstone agreed that could be the case. \"I just think we had the independence vote obviously and now we've had another vote and it has completely changed things around,\" she said. \"Personally, for the SNP, I think it is probably a good result because now it will maybe push for another independence vote. \"But with regards to as it is at the moment there is uncertainty everywhere - more so in Scotland than anywhere else.\" Bill Hunt, originally from Dundee, but living in southern Scotland for more than 40 years, said that while Scotland did not depend on Europe it did receive a lot of support. \"It is a total disgrace that we have got 62% in favour and we are going to be dragged out,\" he said. \"But I am a nationalist, I voted for independence the last time and I can only hope that we take our time and we get it the next time.\" Some, however, were not looking that far ahead. \"We can do what we like now our own selves and not be told by Mrs Merkel in Germany how to do it,\" said Doonhamer Colin Campbell.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2049, "answer_end": 2185, "text": "BBC Scotland took to the streets of towns and cities across the country to find out what people feel about the decision to leave the EU."}], "question": "How has Scotland reacted to the Brexit vote?", "id": "851_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Saudi Arabia 'arrests seven including US citizens'", "date": "5 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Saudi Arabia has detained at least seven people, including two dual US-Saudi citizens and a pregnant woman, a London-based rights group says. Those arrested are not said to be frontline activists, but writers and bloggers who have discussed reform. They had already been under a travel ban since February, rights group ALQST says. The latest arrests come amid concern at the fate of activists already in prison after pushing for women's rights. Ten women's rights campaigners were put on trial last month following a crackdown beginning in 2018. Three were released last week on bail. That case has drawn international criticism, with 36 states demanding their release at the UN Human Rights Council. Saudi authorities have not commented on the latest arrests. They include at least six men and one woman, according to ALQST. Some reports speak of eight arrests. Among them is Khadijah al-Harbi, a pregnant feminist writer, and US-Saudi citizen Salah al-Haidar, whose mother was one of the activists recently freed. Al-Haidar has a family home in Virginia but lives with his wife and child in Saudi Arabia, the Associated Press reports. The other US-Saudi national arrested was reportedly Badr al-Ibrahim - a writer and doctor. Scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record has intensified since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. Turkish investigators and others have pointed the finger at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, seen as the real power behind the throne, alleging he orchestrated the murder. But the Saudi authorities deny he was involved and blame a \"rogue\" operation. Eleven people went on trial in January. The arrests of activists and writers are seen as an attempt to shut down criticism of the crown prince, who has himself enacted some reforms. Women's rights in Saudi Arabia have been an enduring focus of international concern, despite some public overtures toward reform from within the kingdom. The World Economic Forum ranked Saudi Arabia number 141 out of 149 countries around the world for gender equality in 2018. Saudi women still cannot travel, get married or open a bank account without a male guardian's permission. Earlier this year, the case of a Saudi woman fleeing her family abroad gained high-profile attention. Rahaf al-Qunun, 18, barricaded herself in a Bangkok hotel room after immigration officials tried to return her. The teenager eventually received UN help and has since been granted asylum in Canada.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 701, "answer_end": 2502, "text": "Saudi authorities have not commented on the latest arrests. They include at least six men and one woman, according to ALQST. Some reports speak of eight arrests. Among them is Khadijah al-Harbi, a pregnant feminist writer, and US-Saudi citizen Salah al-Haidar, whose mother was one of the activists recently freed. Al-Haidar has a family home in Virginia but lives with his wife and child in Saudi Arabia, the Associated Press reports. The other US-Saudi national arrested was reportedly Badr al-Ibrahim - a writer and doctor. Scrutiny of Saudi Arabia's human rights record has intensified since the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. Turkish investigators and others have pointed the finger at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, seen as the real power behind the throne, alleging he orchestrated the murder. But the Saudi authorities deny he was involved and blame a \"rogue\" operation. Eleven people went on trial in January. The arrests of activists and writers are seen as an attempt to shut down criticism of the crown prince, who has himself enacted some reforms. Women's rights in Saudi Arabia have been an enduring focus of international concern, despite some public overtures toward reform from within the kingdom. The World Economic Forum ranked Saudi Arabia number 141 out of 149 countries around the world for gender equality in 2018. Saudi women still cannot travel, get married or open a bank account without a male guardian's permission. Earlier this year, the case of a Saudi woman fleeing her family abroad gained high-profile attention. Rahaf al-Qunun, 18, barricaded herself in a Bangkok hotel room after immigration officials tried to return her. The teenager eventually received UN help and has since been granted asylum in Canada."}], "question": "Who has been arrested?", "id": "852_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Butler-Sloss: I won't quit as head of abuse inquiry", "date": "9 July 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The retired judge appointed to chair a child abuse review has insisted she will not quit - as the PM claimed she was the right person for the job. Elizabeth Butler-Sloss was chosen by the home secretary to head the inquiry into allegations of historical abuse. But Labour's Simon Danczuk said her position was tainted because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was Attorney General in the 1980s. Downing Street said the peer \"commands widespread respect and confidence\". Baroness Butler-Sloss was announced on Tuesday as head of a wide-ranging probe into how allegations of abuse by politicians and other powerful figures in public institutions such as the NHS, the church and the BBC in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s were handled. MPs and victims claim she is too close to the establishment, particularly as Sir Michael was Attorney General at the time of the alleged paedophile scandal. But Alison Millar, the lawyer who represents alleged victims of child abuse, said she doubted her clients would think Lady Butler-Sloss was the right person for the job, especially given the connection with her brother. Sir Michael faced criticism after he sought to stop Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens from naming in Parliament a top diplomat - Sir Peter Hayman - as a paedophile in the early 1980s. But Lady Butler-Sloss said she was unaware of her brother having any role, as attorney general, in the paedophile controversy in the 1980s. \"I know absolutely nothing about it,\" she told the BBC. \"If people think I am not suitable then that's up to them.\" Asked if she would consider her position or make further comment if calls continued for her to stand down, she added: \"I am certainly not going to be talking to the BBC or anyone else about this any further.\" Her nephew, the actor Nigel Havers, told BBC Radio 4's The World at One, that he knew his aunt well and he was sure that if she felt there was any chance of bias, she would not have taken on the job. The former Chariots of Fire and Coronation Street actor, added that she had \"had no political ties\" to his father and knew nothing about the alleged events in the 1980s in Parliament. A Number 10 spokesman rebuffed suggestions the peer would be unable to investigate all areas of the abuse inquiry because of her brother's involvement in the controversy as Attorney General in the early 1980s. The spokesman declined to say whether the PM was aware of her brother's position prior to her appointment, adding: \"His view is she commands widespread respect and confidence.\" The suitability of Lady Butler-Sloss did not come up at Prime Minister's Questions, although the remit of her planned inquiry did. In response to a question from Labour leader Ed Miliband at Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron said it \"may well be time\" to back calls by the NSPCC's Peter Wanless - in charge of a separate review into how the Home Office responded to child sex abuse allegations in the 1980s - to make covering up abuse a criminal offence. Earlier Mr Danczuk, who has investigated child sex abuse allegations against former Liberal MP Cyril Smith, said the revelations of a family connection with Sir Michael meant Lady Butler-Sloss' position was compromised. \"I think the government should think again in terms of who they have appointed for this position,\" he said. \"I think she should consider her position. I find it quite surprising that neither she nor the government realised her relationship with her brother was connected to Geoffrey Dickens. \"It beggars belief that that wasn't considered in the first place.\" Why has this come up now? Labour MP Simon Danczuk last week called on Leon Brittan to say what the then home secretary did with documents he was passed in the 1980s containing allegations about powerful figures and paedophilia. What happened to the files? Lord Brittan passed them to Home Office officials. A 2013 review found 114 documents were unaccounted for. The review found the minister had acted appropriately. What did the papers allege? The allegations, compiled by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens, were set to \"blow the lids off\" the lives of powerful child abusers, the MP's son has said. The late Mr Dickens said he planned to expose eight such figures. Read more: 1980s child abuse claims explained Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston, chairman of the Commons health select committee, has also cast doubt on whether Lady Butler-Sloss can continue. She wrote on Twitter: \"Not doubting her integrity but hard to see why Baroness Butler-Sloss would want to accept a role so many regard as conflicted at the outset.\" Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee said he was surprised at the selection, pointing out that while Lady Butler-Sloss was \"distinguished\" she was also a member of the House of Lords. Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said the peer was \"categorically not the right person to lead child abuse inquiry,\" because of the involvement of her brother, adding: \"No one should be expected to investigate a close member of their own family as part of an official enquiry. \" And Ms Millar, head of the abuse law team at Leigh Day Solicitors, urged the peer to step down. \"There needs to be not a shred of doubt that this inquiry is not an establishment cover up - and the concern really is that she is just too close to the establishment, particularly with this connection to Sir Michael Havers,\" she told the BBC. Ms Millar represents some of the alleged victims of the Elm Guest House in London - the location where a number of sex abuse cases were alleged to have taken place. But former Tory children's minister Tim Loughton stressed the inquiry was \"not a one woman show\" and Lady Butler-Sloss would have a panel of independently-minded people working with her. \"Frankly, I despair,\" he told the BBC. \"We're getting to the stage where even if the Queen were asked to chair this inquiry, there would be those saying there's a conflict of interest. If I'd been the home secretary, I would've appointed Elizabeth Butler-Sloss as well. \"We need somebody who has huge integrity, who has respect, who has great independence and has the expertise and knowledge to focus this inquiry... there are few people able to do it and Elizabeth Butler-Sloss is the obvious choice.\" Labour MP John Mann said \"multiple copies\" of Geoffrey Dickens' abuse dossier, which he passed to then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in the 1980s, had been circulated. He claimed the only reason why people were not coming forward to say anything about them was because they were bound by the Official Secrets' Act. \"They need the gagging clause removed... they fear being prosecuted,\" he told the BBC. Lady Butler-Sloss was coroner for the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed until she stepped down in 2007. She is also a former president of the Family Division of the High Court and was chair of the Cleveland Child Abuse Inquiry, Despite her experience, BBC News Channel chief political correspondent Norman Smith said MPs had also raised question marks over her age - she will be 81 next month. A Home Office spokesman, however, defended the appointment of Lady Butler-Sloss despite her family link to the controversy. \"Baroness Butler-Sloss has had a long and distinguished career at the highest levels of this country's legal system,\" he said. \"Her work leading the Cleveland child abuse inquiry and as president of the High Court Family Division make her the perfect person to lead this important piece of work. \"As the Permanent Secretary told the Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday, the integrity of Baroness Butler-Sloss is beyond reproach and we stand by her appointment unreservedly.\" A source added: \"She is a person of impeccable credentials and experience. Her record stands for itself regardless of her brother.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3203, "answer_end": 3562, "text": "\"I think the government should think again in terms of who they have appointed for this position,\" he said. \"I think she should consider her position. I find it quite surprising that neither she nor the government realised her relationship with her brother was connected to Geoffrey Dickens. \"It beggars belief that that wasn't considered in the first place.\""}], "question": "'Cover-up' offence?", "id": "853_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump rolls back decades of Clean Water Act protections", "date": "11 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Trump administration has taken aim at removing environmental federal protections for wetlands and isolated streams from pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a proposal redefining US waters under the Clean Water Act. Farm and agriculture lobbyists have pushed for these changes since 2015. But environmentalists say they could result in contaminating millions of acres of waters with pesticides and other agricultural pollutants. The proposal seeks to remove protections on \"ephemeral streams\" - which only appear after rainfall - and wetlands not directly connected or adjacent to large bodies of water. The replacement regulation would not change protections for large bodies of water and neighbouring wetlands, and any state-imposed rules will also be unaffected. The changes would replace an Obama-era regulation, but the wetland protections impacted date back to the George HW Bush administration. Announcing the proposal on Tuesday, Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler described it as \"an end to the previous administration's power grab\". Mr Wheeler said the changes clarified what waters the federal government had jurisdiction over while respecting \"the primary role of the states\" in managing environmental resources. He added that the Obama-era definition of federal waters was \"about power over farmers, developers, landowners\". \"Our goal is a more precise definition that gives the American people the freedom and certainty to do what they do best: build homes, grow crops, and develop projects that improve the environment and the lives of their fellow citizens.\" Environmentalists say that by rescinding these federal protections, many wetlands and streams will face serious pollution from industry and farming operations. Wetlands are a crucial part of the ecosystem, improving water quality by absorbing pollutants, acting as a barrier for flooding and supporting a diverse array of wildlife. Blan Holdman of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) told the BBC the proposal could have \"immediate effects\" on water quality and wildlife if it goes into effect next year. \"It's lifted protection for wetlands and ephemeral streams, for example, that were protected under both Obama and the pre-existing regimes.\" Mr Holman pointed out that farming has not stopped in states that adopted the 2015 rule, and in those fighting the change, older regulations protecting wetlands are still in effect. \"What this proposal will do is way different than either of those situations.\" Mr Holman said the SELC's preliminary research has shown over 70% of wetlands in the Carolinas and Virginia could lose their protections. He added that many states rely on federal direction for water protections, and reversing decades-old protections \"is wrongheaded\". \"The whole purpose of the [Clean Water] act in the beginning was because states were not getting the job done, and rivers were catching on fire,\" he said. The 2015 Clean Water Rule defined \"waters of the US\", as mentioned in the 1972 Clean Water Act, more specifically - stating any seasonal streams or wetlands that could impact larger bodies of water were under federal protection. The rule evaluated waters for protection not solely on whether they were directly connected to other waters, but on the potential impact based on a number of environmental factors. It did allow for existing exemptions for farmers to remain in place. Opponents to the rule have sued in 28 states, blocking the 2015 definition from going into effect in regions across the south and west, but it has been implemented in 22 states. Agriculture and energy advocates said the Obama-era rule was an overstep and negatively impacted development. The Farm Bureau, a lobby group representing farm families, has said it supports all efforts to repeal and replace the 2015 rule because it gives the federal government too much power over agricultural businesses. President Donald Trump has reiterated his support for clean air and \"crystal-clean water\" while attacking many of his predecessor's environmental protections. Rescinding this 2015 rule was one of Mr Trump's campaign promises. Most recently, his administration has sought to weaken rules against coal plant emissions and drilling on public lands. The changes will be finalised next year following a comment period of 60 days.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1631, "answer_end": 2970, "text": "Environmentalists say that by rescinding these federal protections, many wetlands and streams will face serious pollution from industry and farming operations. Wetlands are a crucial part of the ecosystem, improving water quality by absorbing pollutants, acting as a barrier for flooding and supporting a diverse array of wildlife. Blan Holdman of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) told the BBC the proposal could have \"immediate effects\" on water quality and wildlife if it goes into effect next year. \"It's lifted protection for wetlands and ephemeral streams, for example, that were protected under both Obama and the pre-existing regimes.\" Mr Holman pointed out that farming has not stopped in states that adopted the 2015 rule, and in those fighting the change, older regulations protecting wetlands are still in effect. \"What this proposal will do is way different than either of those situations.\" Mr Holman said the SELC's preliminary research has shown over 70% of wetlands in the Carolinas and Virginia could lose their protections. He added that many states rely on federal direction for water protections, and reversing decades-old protections \"is wrongheaded\". \"The whole purpose of the [Clean Water] act in the beginning was because states were not getting the job done, and rivers were catching on fire,\" he said."}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "854_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: There is a vacuum that must be filled", "date": "28 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The country is gripped by a strange mood - it is as if certainty, the recognisable shape of things, has been taken away. The UK voted decisively but with little idea as to what would follow a vote to leave the EU. There is no route map or agreed strategy or list of demands. Everything has to be drawn up. A group of individuals fought a highly effective campaign and won. When asked what would happen after a vote to leave, they never gave a comprehensive answer. They were a movement, not a party, and had no detailed manifesto. Neither do they have any power. All they have is the authority of 17 million votes behind them. EU referendum: All you need to know Brexit: What happens now? Six key questions after Britain's vote to exit the EU Some believe that victory has brought a dangerous vacuum. The former Chancellor Alistair Darling - a prominent figure in the Remain campaign - says: \"We've got no government, no opposition. The people who got us into this mess have run away.\" The EU Commission and the party leaders in the European Parliament want the UK to trigger Article 50 straight away and to begin the process of withdrawal immediately. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has called on the UK to \"clarify its position.\" The officials in Brussels say any delay would only deepen uncertainty. No-one in Britain, however, seems inclined to move quickly and for a very good reason. They would be sitting at the negotiating table with a clean sheet of paper and a two-year clock would have started ticking. Prime Minister David Cameron has made clear there will be no official move to withdraw until a new government is in place. Even then, there will need to be a huge debate as to what the UK is seeking. Many will want to be part of that. During the referendum campaign, there were differences within the Leave camp. Some thought that staying in the single market was essential; others preferred a UK-EU free trade deal outside the single market. But it was never clear which trading model they favoured. Some floated the idea of the Canadian trade agreement, while others wanted the UK to operate under the European Economic Area (EEA). And some claims made during the heat of the campaign have now been dropped or re-explained. Prominent Leave campaigner Daniel Hannan is now talking about \"staying within a common market but outside the political integration\", but he accepts that might mean agreeing to freedom of labour. That has surprised some in the Leave campaign who had argued that migration could only be controlled if freedom of movement was curtailed. For some, the priority is regaining sovereignty; for others, it is reducing or controlling migration. So decisions on what the UK wants will be left to the next government, which will not be in place until September at the earliest. In the meantime, the civil service will start doing preliminary work. When it was put to Liam Fox, another prominent Leave campaigner, that there had been no planning for an exit, he said: \"The idea that there was no contingency planning is preposterous. \"That would have been utterly irresponsible\". There is a nervousness that everything will have to be built from the ground up. Boris Johnson wrote on Monday: \"There will continue to be free trade and access to the single market.\" This statement was almost immediately disputed. The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said it was not possible to control migration and at the same time have access to the single market. But he German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has spoken of \"associate membership.\" And others are suggesting that the UK retain full access to the single market including payments into the EU budget but with a compromise on freedom of movement. What makes the drawing up of a strategy more difficult is that the political establishment in London is firmly in favour of remaining in the EU as are two-thirds of MPs. They are in no hurry to move towards withdrawal. Indeed, in this fevered political atmosphere, many are saying that any new deal with Brussels would have to be put to the British voters. For the moment, EU leaders have shut the door on informal negotiations precisely because it would send out the signal that a country could vote to leave and then trigger a renegotiation. In the short-term, the point-blank refusal to have informal talks is to be expected - but it might not be a final position. Agreeing what the UK wants will not be easy. For many, the priority is to retain full access to the single market, including financial services. In exchange, London might accept freedom of movement but only if there were further concessions, perhaps an emergency brake when the pressures from immigration are too high, which was originally on David Cameron's agenda. But many in the Leave campaign want to repeal the European Communities Act that establishes the supremacy of EU law; they want no payments into the EU budget and no element of freedom of movement. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has pointed out that the public did not vote on the conditions for a EU departure. He makes the case that when that deal is done, it could be put to the electorate. The EU has a history of second votes. Would it be tempted to make a further compromise if it could keep the union together? Almost everyone at Westminster, and among those who voted to remain in the EU, says the will of the people cannot be overruled or sidestepped. Only a further vote or a general election could change that. The UK and Europe's leaders will have to live with uncertainty for several months. For the UK does not yet have a plan, and that opens the door for a period of intense politics.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3222, "answer_end": 5696, "text": "Boris Johnson wrote on Monday: \"There will continue to be free trade and access to the single market.\" This statement was almost immediately disputed. The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said it was not possible to control migration and at the same time have access to the single market. But he German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has spoken of \"associate membership.\" And others are suggesting that the UK retain full access to the single market including payments into the EU budget but with a compromise on freedom of movement. What makes the drawing up of a strategy more difficult is that the political establishment in London is firmly in favour of remaining in the EU as are two-thirds of MPs. They are in no hurry to move towards withdrawal. Indeed, in this fevered political atmosphere, many are saying that any new deal with Brussels would have to be put to the British voters. For the moment, EU leaders have shut the door on informal negotiations precisely because it would send out the signal that a country could vote to leave and then trigger a renegotiation. In the short-term, the point-blank refusal to have informal talks is to be expected - but it might not be a final position. Agreeing what the UK wants will not be easy. For many, the priority is to retain full access to the single market, including financial services. In exchange, London might accept freedom of movement but only if there were further concessions, perhaps an emergency brake when the pressures from immigration are too high, which was originally on David Cameron's agenda. But many in the Leave campaign want to repeal the European Communities Act that establishes the supremacy of EU law; they want no payments into the EU budget and no element of freedom of movement. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has pointed out that the public did not vote on the conditions for a EU departure. He makes the case that when that deal is done, it could be put to the electorate. The EU has a history of second votes. Would it be tempted to make a further compromise if it could keep the union together? Almost everyone at Westminster, and among those who voted to remain in the EU, says the will of the people cannot be overruled or sidestepped. Only a further vote or a general election could change that. The UK and Europe's leaders will have to live with uncertainty for several months. For the UK does not yet have a plan, and that opens the door for a period of intense politics."}], "question": "So what will the UK seek?", "id": "855_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jamal Khashoggi: Turkey 'wants Saudi consulate to prove man left'", "date": "9 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has challenged Saudi Arabia to provide proof that a missing journalist has left its consulate in Istanbul. Saudi national Jamal Khashoggi was last seen visiting the building last week. US President Donald Trump expressed concern about his fate on Monday. Turkey requested a search of the consulate, after saying that Mr Khashoggi had been murdered within its walls, media reports say. Saudi Arabia has denied the claims. \"Consulate officials cannot save themselves by saying that he left the building,\" Mr Erdogan told a news conference on Monday. \"If he left, you have to prove it with footage.\" On Sunday Turkish officials said investigators had \"concrete proof\" of the killing which, they said, was carried out by a 15-person Saudi team who arrived in the country last week. No evidence has been presented. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said officials are welcome to conduct a search as there is nothing to hide. Mr Khashoggi had been living in the US, where he contributed articles to the Washington Post's opinion section. The newspaper said the US should demand answers from the Saudis. Mr Trump later told reporters at the White House: \"I am concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it. \"Hopefully that will sort itself out. Right now nobody knows anything about it.\" Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: \"We call on the government of Saudi Arabia to support a thorough investigation of Mr Khashoggi's disappearance and to be transparent about the results of that investigation.\" Jamal Khashoggi went to the consulate last Tuesday to obtain a document certifying he had divorced his ex-wife, so that he could remarry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. She said Mr Khashoggi had been required to surrender his mobile phone, which is standard practice in some diplomatic missions. He told her to call an adviser to President Erdogan if he did not return. Turkish officials say Mr Khashoggi was killed on the premises and his body was then removed. The head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, Turan Kislakci, told the New York Times that Turkish police officers providing security for the consulate had checked their security cameras and did not see the journalist leave on foot. But he added that diplomatic cars had been seen moving in and out. Mr Erdogan was more circumspect, saying on Sunday he remained \"positive\" and would await the results of an investigation. Turkey's NTV broadcaster reported that a request had been made to search the consulate after the meeting with the ambassador. Analysis by BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner The allegations of what the Saudi authorities may have done to one of their most prominent critics are - if proven - horrific. But the evidence has yet to be produced, leaving everyone guessing what could have happened to him after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. I have known Jamal Khashoggi for 18 years and although outspoken, he was not one to take unplanned risks. Yes, he knew he had riled the all-powerful Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with his widely read criticisms of MBS' increasingly heavy-handed rule. But Mr Khashoggi thought he had the situation under control. Instead, Saudis I have spoken to believe that, despite official denials, one possible scenario is that he was abducted inside the consulate, driven out in a diplomatic vehicle and \"rendered\" back to Saudi Arabia to either face retribution or be held incommunicado under indefinite house arrest. The worrying thing is, we may never know. Saudi Arabia said the allegations were baseless. It has allowed journalists into the consulate to show Mr Khashoggi is not there, reportedly even opening cupboards. On Wednesday, Crown Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that his government was \"very keen to know what happened to him\", and that Mr Khashoggi had left \"after a few minutes or one hour\". He is a high-profile critic of the crown prince. Mr Khashoggi, 59, has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and has written for the Washington Post opinion section. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family. He served as an adviser to senior Saudi officials. After several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US. There he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels. The allegation alone is enough to damage the countries' relationship, which has already been under some strain. Turkey backed Qatar when it was being targeted by a Saudi blockade. Turkey also backed Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran during its US trade disputes. Mr Khashoggi's disappearance also puts pressure on President Trump to get tougher on Saudi Arabia, a strong Middle East ally.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3562, "answer_end": 3914, "text": "Saudi Arabia said the allegations were baseless. It has allowed journalists into the consulate to show Mr Khashoggi is not there, reportedly even opening cupboards. On Wednesday, Crown Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that his government was \"very keen to know what happened to him\", and that Mr Khashoggi had left \"after a few minutes or one hour\"."}], "question": "What have the Saudis said?", "id": "856_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3915, "answer_end": 4579, "text": "He is a high-profile critic of the crown prince. Mr Khashoggi, 59, has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and has written for the Washington Post opinion section. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family. He served as an adviser to senior Saudi officials. After several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US. There he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels."}], "question": "Who is Jamal Khashoggi?", "id": "856_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Cannabis: What are the risks of recreational use?", "date": "19 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The government has said there will be a review into the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes but has rejected suggestions by former Foreign Secretary Lord Hague that its recreational use could be legalised. Home Secretary Sajid Javid said there was strong scientific evidence the drug could \"harm people's mental and physical health and damage communities\". Cannabis is thought to be the most widely used illegal drug in the UK. But while it can lead to feelings of relaxation, happiness and sleepiness, many experts say the drug is not the harmless \"natural\" high some claim it to be. In some cases, it can increase anxiety and paranoia, lead to confusion and even hallucinations, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Beyond this, there's also \"compelling evidence\" that regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing psychotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, particularly in adolescents, says Dr Marta di Forti, from King's College London. Younger people are thought to be particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing, says Dr Michael Bloomfield, from University College London. Studies have linked the increased risk of psychosis to potent strains of cannabis that have higher proportions of the psychoactive compound THC, says Dr Di Forti. A previous study suggested the risk of psychosis was five times higher for people who smoked such cannabis every day compared with non-users. Milder forms contain less THC and more CBD, which works as an anti-psychotic and counteracts some of the negative effects of THC. However, research suggests the vast majority of cannabis being sold illegally in the UK is super-strength skunk. But it's worth pointing out that the vast majority of people who use cannabis do not develop psychosis and many people diagnosed with such disorders have never used cannabis. It is also thought that genes may play a role in the risk. The exact health impact of cannabis use is still a subject of debate, with not all studies reaching the same findings. While some studies have found an association between regular cannabis use and depression, Dr Di Forti says this link is less clear than that with psychosis. And it may be the case that people who are depressed are more likely to use cannabis. There was a time when experts thought this was not the case. But current evidence suggests that it can be - particularly if it's used regularly - with about 10% of regular users estimated to have a dependence. For some people who quit, there can be withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, irritability and restlessness, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. \"People end up having problems with relationships. It impacts on their ability to function at work and school,\" Prof Celia Morgan, professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter, says. While some of this addiction may be psychological, Dr Bloomfield says there is good evidence to suggest that THC itself can be physically addictive for some people. \"Cannabis addiction exists and it can potentially ruin lives,\" he adds. Getting high on cannabis impairs memory and cognitive ability in the short term, says Prof Morgan. And some of the effects of this, though mild and reversible, seems to remain for up to 20 days, the amount of time it takes for the drug to leave the system. Prof Morgan says that while some people who take hard drugs may also smoke cannabis, there is no strong evidence those who try cannabis will go on to become hard-drug takers. However, cannabis may lead to a legal drug habit that is harmful in a range of ways - tobacco smoking. Tobacco is \"one of the most damaging addictive substances\", Prof Morgan adds. Tobacco smoking is known to increase the risk of a range of illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. So does it follow that cannabis smoking also poses the same dangers? It's still not clear whether cannabis smoking itself raises the risk of cancer or if the increased risk seen among cannabis smokers is actually the result of them mixing the drug with tobacco. In any event, people who smoke cannabis regularly, with or without tobacco, are more likely to have bronchitis  - inflammation of the lining of the lungs - according to the NHS. Many patients who have been self-medicating with recreational cannabis say it works for them. Recently, the families of 12-year-old Billy Caldwell and six-year-old Alfie Dingley have made newspaper headlines. They say cannabis oil treatments have radically controlled the boys' epileptic seizures. While these cannabis oils are not recreational drugs, they're not medically licensed treatments either. A cross-party report found good evidence that cannabis treatments can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting, particularly in the context of chemotherapy, and anxiety. It also found moderate evidence it could help with sleep disorders, poor appetite, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder and Parkinson's symptoms. Now, a government review will look at the evidence and make its own recommendations on which cannabis-based medicines might offer real medical and therapeutic benefits to patients. But regardless of what they find, Mr Javid added: \"This step is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 360, "answer_end": 2025, "text": "Cannabis is thought to be the most widely used illegal drug in the UK. But while it can lead to feelings of relaxation, happiness and sleepiness, many experts say the drug is not the harmless \"natural\" high some claim it to be. In some cases, it can increase anxiety and paranoia, lead to confusion and even hallucinations, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Beyond this, there's also \"compelling evidence\" that regular cannabis use increases the risk of developing psychotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, particularly in adolescents, says Dr Marta di Forti, from King's College London. Younger people are thought to be particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing, says Dr Michael Bloomfield, from University College London. Studies have linked the increased risk of psychosis to potent strains of cannabis that have higher proportions of the psychoactive compound THC, says Dr Di Forti. A previous study suggested the risk of psychosis was five times higher for people who smoked such cannabis every day compared with non-users. Milder forms contain less THC and more CBD, which works as an anti-psychotic and counteracts some of the negative effects of THC. However, research suggests the vast majority of cannabis being sold illegally in the UK is super-strength skunk. But it's worth pointing out that the vast majority of people who use cannabis do not develop psychosis and many people diagnosed with such disorders have never used cannabis. It is also thought that genes may play a role in the risk. The exact health impact of cannabis use is still a subject of debate, with not all studies reaching the same findings."}], "question": "What do experts think about the health risks of recreational cannabis use?", "id": "857_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2269, "answer_end": 3105, "text": "There was a time when experts thought this was not the case. But current evidence suggests that it can be - particularly if it's used regularly - with about 10% of regular users estimated to have a dependence. For some people who quit, there can be withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, irritability and restlessness, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. \"People end up having problems with relationships. It impacts on their ability to function at work and school,\" Prof Celia Morgan, professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter, says. While some of this addiction may be psychological, Dr Bloomfield says there is good evidence to suggest that THC itself can be physically addictive for some people. \"Cannabis addiction exists and it can potentially ruin lives,\" he adds."}], "question": "Is cannabis addictive?", "id": "857_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3106, "answer_end": 3362, "text": "Getting high on cannabis impairs memory and cognitive ability in the short term, says Prof Morgan. And some of the effects of this, though mild and reversible, seems to remain for up to 20 days, the amount of time it takes for the drug to leave the system."}], "question": "What about memory?", "id": "857_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3719, "answer_end": 4274, "text": "Tobacco smoking is known to increase the risk of a range of illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. So does it follow that cannabis smoking also poses the same dangers? It's still not clear whether cannabis smoking itself raises the risk of cancer or if the increased risk seen among cannabis smokers is actually the result of them mixing the drug with tobacco. In any event, people who smoke cannabis regularly, with or without tobacco, are more likely to have bronchitis  - inflammation of the lining of the lungs - according to the NHS."}], "question": "What about cancer?", "id": "857_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4275, "answer_end": 5367, "text": "Many patients who have been self-medicating with recreational cannabis say it works for them. Recently, the families of 12-year-old Billy Caldwell and six-year-old Alfie Dingley have made newspaper headlines. They say cannabis oil treatments have radically controlled the boys' epileptic seizures. While these cannabis oils are not recreational drugs, they're not medically licensed treatments either. A cross-party report found good evidence that cannabis treatments can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting, particularly in the context of chemotherapy, and anxiety. It also found moderate evidence it could help with sleep disorders, poor appetite, fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder and Parkinson's symptoms. Now, a government review will look at the evidence and make its own recommendations on which cannabis-based medicines might offer real medical and therapeutic benefits to patients. But regardless of what they find, Mr Javid added: \"This step is in no way a first step to the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.\""}], "question": "Are there any health benefits?", "id": "857_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Rahaf al-Qunun: UN 'considers Saudi woman a refugee'", "date": "9 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Saudi woman who fled her family and refused to leave a Bangkok hotel has been declared a legitimate refugee by the UN, the Australian government says. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, 18, refused to board a flight from Bangkok to Kuwait on Monday and barricaded herself into her airport hotel room. She said she had renounced Islam, which is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. The UN's refugee agency has referred her case to Australia for possible resettlement. Thai immigration officials had initially said she should return to Kuwait, where her family were waiting. She then started a social media campaign, live-tweeting her case and attracting international attention. In a brief statement, Australia's Department of Home Affairs said it would \"consider this referral in the usual way\". Ms Mohammed al-Qunun posted a message on Twitter following the announcement, saying: \"Don't let anyone break your wings, you're free. Fight and get your rights!\" Refugee status is normally granted by governments, but the UNHCR can grant it where states are \"unable or unwilling to do so\", according to its website. The UNHCR says it does not comment on individual cases. Now that Ms Mohammed-al Qunun has been given this status, another country must agree to take her in. Officials in Australia have hinted that her request will be accepted. \"If she is found to be a refugee, then we will give very, very, very serious consideration to a humanitarian visa,\" Health Minister Greg Hunt told the ABC network before the UN determination was made public. But Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned there would be \"no special treatment\" for Ms Mohammed al-Qunun. 'Sara', Saudi woman speaking to BBC OS on the World Service Rahaf is an inspiration. But she's not the first one who did this and definitely not the last one. What we are going through is awful. We think about this every day because us women here do not know what it feels like to go out. We don't know what freedom tastes like. Dad keeps my passport with him all the time, we go to hotels and he puts it next to him when he sleeps. Unfortunately it's not a revolution. Every girl that is tweeting about this, it's either that she has already escaped or she's using a fake account like me. Some people tweeted me or DMed me to tell me to use my real account, for me to be brave. We do not want the guardianship any more. I want to go out of the house and drink coffee from Starbucks. I don't have to take my whole family. This is just way too harsh on us. Living this life is exhausting. Renunciation of Islam is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. \"My life is in danger,\" she told the Reuters news agency. \"My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things.\" A spokesperson for her family told the BBC that they did not wish to comment and all they cared about was the young woman's safety. Campaign groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW) have expressed grave concerns for Ms Mohammed al-Qunun. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director off HRW, told Reuters: \"She said very clearly that she has suffered both physical and psychological abuse. She said she has made a decision to renounce Islam. And I knew once she said that, she is in serious trouble\". On Tuesday morning she retweeted her original appeal for asylum, pleading for the UK, Canada, the US or Australia to take her in. Ms Mohammed al-Qunun says she was on a trip to Kuwait with her family when she fled on a flight on 4 January. She was trying to head to Australia via a connecting flight in Bangkok. Because she did not have a visa to enter Thailand, Thai police had denied her entry and were in the process of repatriating her, an official said. She began to live-tweet her ordeal, sharing her Twitter password with friends so they too could assist in spreading the message on social media. But some social media users in her own country strongly criticized her actions. A video showed how she resisted deportation efforts by hiding in an airport hotel room, putting a table against the door to stop people from entering. She told the BBC: \"I shared my story and my pictures on social media and my father is so angry because I did this... I can't study and work in my country, so I want to be free and study and work as I want.\" Ms Mohammed al-Qunun has been housed in a secure location in Bangkok since Monday night, when the Thai government allowed her to leave the airport. Her father and brother have arrived in Thailand but she is refusing to see them. Thailand's immigration chief Surachate Hakparn said the pair would remain there until it was clear where Ms Mohammed al-Qunun would receive asylum. Mr Surachate said the father had denied allegations that the family were abusing her physically and emotionally. \"He wanted to make sure that his daughter was safe... he told me that he wanted to take her home,\" he said. Many asylum seekers have tried to reach Australia on boats from Indonesia, often paying large sums to people smugglers. Hundreds have died. In 2013, the government introduced tough new policies to \"stop the boats\". Military vessels patrol Australian waters and intercept migrant boats, often towing them back to Indonesia. This and other policies have significantly curbed the number of boat journeys. Hundreds of asylum seekers who reached Australian shores years ago are held in offshore processing centres, which rights groups say expose them to widespread psychological harm. But the country has taken 656 refugees per 100,000 people through UN refugee agency resettlement schemes, more than twice as many as the United States.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2536, "answer_end": 3336, "text": "Renunciation of Islam is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. \"My life is in danger,\" she told the Reuters news agency. \"My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things.\" A spokesperson for her family told the BBC that they did not wish to comment and all they cared about was the young woman's safety. Campaign groups like Human Rights Watch (HRW) have expressed grave concerns for Ms Mohammed al-Qunun. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director off HRW, told Reuters: \"She said very clearly that she has suffered both physical and psychological abuse. She said she has made a decision to renounce Islam. And I knew once she said that, she is in serious trouble\". On Tuesday morning she retweeted her original appeal for asylum, pleading for the UK, Canada, the US or Australia to take her in."}], "question": "Why did she claim asylum?", "id": "858_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4847, "answer_end": 5578, "text": "Many asylum seekers have tried to reach Australia on boats from Indonesia, often paying large sums to people smugglers. Hundreds have died. In 2013, the government introduced tough new policies to \"stop the boats\". Military vessels patrol Australian waters and intercept migrant boats, often towing them back to Indonesia. This and other policies have significantly curbed the number of boat journeys. Hundreds of asylum seekers who reached Australian shores years ago are held in offshore processing centres, which rights groups say expose them to widespread psychological harm. But the country has taken 656 refugees per 100,000 people through UN refugee agency resettlement schemes, more than twice as many as the United States."}], "question": "What is Australia's policy on asylum seekers?", "id": "858_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'Game changing' tuberculosis vaccine a step closer", "date": "29 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A vaccine which could \"revolutionise\" tuberculosis treatment has been unveiled by researchers. It is hoped the vaccine will provide long-term protection against the disease, which kills 1.5 million people around the world each year. The highly contagious disease is caused by bacteria, and the current vaccine, the BCG jab, is not very effective. However, while initial trials have proved successful, the vaccine is still a few years away from being licensed. The team of researchers, who come from all over the world, revealed the vaccine, which is made up of proteins from bacteria which trigger an immune response, during a global summit on lung health in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad on Tuesday. It has already cleared a critical phase of clinical trials and been tested on more than 3,500 adults in TB endemic regions of South Africa, Kenya and Zambia, researchers said. David Lewinsohn, a TB expert, told the BBC the potential vaccine was a \"real game changer\". \"What is really remarkable is that it was effective in adults who were already infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is the causative agent of TB,\" he said. \"As most people who are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not get TB, we have believed that infection confers some degree of protection. As a result it is really exciting that a vaccine has been shown to improve on this natural immunity.\" Dr Lewinsohn said the new vaccine had cleared a key \"mid-phase development, and it is designed to test both safety and to provide an early indicator of efficacy\". \"It is likely that the vaccine will need to be tested in additional populations, and possibly bigger trials before it will be licensed. Assuming the data holds up in the remaining trials, which seems likely, this vaccine has the potential to revolutionise TB treatment.\" Dr Lewinsohn estimates that, if if all goes well, the vaccine should reach people who most need it by about 2028. Researchers say proving that the vaccine works often requires studies that are much larger than required for viral diseases such as measles. Drug firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been working on the TB vaccine for nearly 20 years. To progress, a vaccine must show efficacy in animals, usually mice, but also guinea pigs and non-human primates. One reason developing a TB vaccine is a challenge, say researchers, is that \"animal models often do not reflect what we would like to see in an effective vaccine\". For example, in the mouse, TB tends to be an \"indolent disease\" and researchers might define success as a roughly 10-fold reduction in the number of bacteria in the lung. This is encouraging, but a child with a tenth of the bacteria still has TB. In 2018 an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly a quarter of the world's population has latent TB infection. This means they carry the bacteria in an inactive form, are not ill and do not transmit the disease to others. People with latent TB have a 5 to 10% risk in their lifetimes of developing active TB. Meanwhile, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) - a type of tuberculosis which is unresponsive or resistant to at least two of the first line of anti-TB drugs - continues to be a major public health threat.  Drug-resistant TB is harder and more expensive to diagnose and treat. The WHO aims to reduce the number of new TB cases by 90% and the number of TB deaths by 95% between 2015 and 2035. Eight countries account for two thirds of global TB cases: India (27%), China (9%), Indonesia (8%), the Philippines (6%), Pakistan (6%), Nigeria (4%), Bangladesh (4%) and South Africa (3%). With slightly more than one in four of all estimated global cases, India has the highest burden of TB cases in the world. The country records nearly three million new tuberculosis cases annually, of which more than 100,000 are multi-drug resistant, according to the WHO. The disease also kills 400,000 Indians annually, and costs the government around $24bn ($18.68bn) annually. \"We cannot eliminate TB globally unless we end it in India,\" said Jamhoih Tonsing, director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease's office in Delhi. The union is convenor of the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health being held in Hyderabad this week. \"The number of people with TB in India is falling and that is good news. But let's be honest - TB is still not falling nearly fast enough in India, progress is still too slow to meet the targets. We need to step up the pace of treatment and prevention,\" she said. - TB is a bacterial infection spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person - It mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body, including the tummy (abdomen) glands, bones and nervous system - The most common symptoms of TB are a persistent cough for more than three weeks, unexplained weight loss, fever and night sweats. - TB is difficult to catch and you need to spend many hours in close contact with a person with infectious TB to be at risk of infection - TB can be fatal if left untreated - but can be cured if it's treated with the right antibiotics over a course of six months - The BCG vaccine offers protection against TB, and is recommended for babies, children and adults under the age of 35 who are at risk of catching TB - At-risk groups include: children living in areas with high rates of TB and people with close family members from countries with high TB rates", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 885, "answer_end": 1824, "text": "David Lewinsohn, a TB expert, told the BBC the potential vaccine was a \"real game changer\". \"What is really remarkable is that it was effective in adults who were already infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is the causative agent of TB,\" he said. \"As most people who are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not get TB, we have believed that infection confers some degree of protection. As a result it is really exciting that a vaccine has been shown to improve on this natural immunity.\" Dr Lewinsohn said the new vaccine had cleared a key \"mid-phase development, and it is designed to test both safety and to provide an early indicator of efficacy\". \"It is likely that the vaccine will need to be tested in additional populations, and possibly bigger trials before it will be licensed. Assuming the data holds up in the remaining trials, which seems likely, this vaccine has the potential to revolutionise TB treatment.\""}], "question": "Why is the vaccine \"revolutionary\"?", "id": "859_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1825, "answer_end": 2691, "text": "Dr Lewinsohn estimates that, if if all goes well, the vaccine should reach people who most need it by about 2028. Researchers say proving that the vaccine works often requires studies that are much larger than required for viral diseases such as measles. Drug firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been working on the TB vaccine for nearly 20 years. To progress, a vaccine must show efficacy in animals, usually mice, but also guinea pigs and non-human primates. One reason developing a TB vaccine is a challenge, say researchers, is that \"animal models often do not reflect what we would like to see in an effective vaccine\". For example, in the mouse, TB tends to be an \"indolent disease\" and researchers might define success as a roughly 10-fold reduction in the number of bacteria in the lung. This is encouraging, but a child with a tenth of the bacteria still has TB."}], "question": "How long will it take for the vaccine to reach the market?", "id": "859_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2692, "answer_end": 3463, "text": "In 2018 an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Nearly a quarter of the world's population has latent TB infection. This means they carry the bacteria in an inactive form, are not ill and do not transmit the disease to others. People with latent TB have a 5 to 10% risk in their lifetimes of developing active TB. Meanwhile, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) - a type of tuberculosis which is unresponsive or resistant to at least two of the first line of anti-TB drugs - continues to be a major public health threat.  Drug-resistant TB is harder and more expensive to diagnose and treat. The WHO aims to reduce the number of new TB cases by 90% and the number of TB deaths by 95% between 2015 and 2035."}], "question": "How serious is the current situation?", "id": "859_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3464, "answer_end": 4579, "text": "Eight countries account for two thirds of global TB cases: India (27%), China (9%), Indonesia (8%), the Philippines (6%), Pakistan (6%), Nigeria (4%), Bangladesh (4%) and South Africa (3%). With slightly more than one in four of all estimated global cases, India has the highest burden of TB cases in the world. The country records nearly three million new tuberculosis cases annually, of which more than 100,000 are multi-drug resistant, according to the WHO. The disease also kills 400,000 Indians annually, and costs the government around $24bn ($18.68bn) annually. \"We cannot eliminate TB globally unless we end it in India,\" said Jamhoih Tonsing, director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease's office in Delhi. The union is convenor of the 50th Union World Conference on Lung Health being held in Hyderabad this week. \"The number of people with TB in India is falling and that is good news. But let's be honest - TB is still not falling nearly fast enough in India, progress is still too slow to meet the targets. We need to step up the pace of treatment and prevention,\" she said."}], "question": "Which countries are the worst affected?", "id": "859_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Austria scandal: Mystery of the honey-trap video", "date": "24 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It was a warm, summer night at a luxury villa in Ibiza. For dinner, there was sea bass carpaccio and tuna tartare, with champagne, vodka and lots of Red Bull, one of the favourite drinks of far-right Austrian politician Heinz-Christian Strache. He had come to the villa to meet an elegant woman in a black designer dress and high heels, who said she was Alyona Makarova, the wealthy niece of the Russian oligarch Igor Makarov. Mr Strache was excited, not just because of the woman, whom he described as \"hot\", but also because of her apparent proposals of support for his far-right Freedom party, in return for shady deals. But Mr Makarov doesn't have a niece. The whole evening in July 2017, complete with the Mercedes Maybach and BMW M4 sports car, was an elaborate trap, which Mr Strache fell for, hook, line and sinker. It was all secretly filmed, in what seems to have been an elaborately prepared and well-funded sting operation. Last week it was published by two German newspapers, Suddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel. Suddeutsche Zeitung said hidden cameras and microphones were installed in light switches and in a mobile phone-charging station at the villa. The microphones \"recorded almost every word spoken\" during the meeting which lasted almost seven hours, the paper said. The scandal that followed the publication of the \"Ibiza-gate\" video saw not only the resignation of Mr Strache as vice-chancellor, but the collapse of Austria's coalition government, made up of the Freedom Party and the conservatives led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. In Austria, there is much speculation, but no concrete answers. Neither Suddeutsche Zeitung nor Der Spiegel have revealed who they got it from. In his resignation speech, Mr Strache said he had been the victim of \"a deliberate political attack\". The video, he said, was \"a honey trap, directed by intelligence agencies\". But he didn't specify which secret services he suspected. And he also alluded to a controversial Israeli spin doctor, Tal Silberstein, who has links to the centre-left opposition Social Democrats in Austria, and to German satirist Jan Bohmermann. Mr Silberstein has condemned Mr Strache's \"false and baseless accusations\" as an attempt to distract the public from the scandal. Back in April, Mr Bohmermann referred to \"FPO business friends in a Russian oligarch villa on Ibiza\" at an awards ceremony, weeks before the video was published. The satirist's manager says he knew about the video but was not offered it. There is speculation about possible connections with Russia, given the fact that the woman in the video sting was posing as a Russian oligarch's niece. The Kremlin has denied having anything to do with the video. Analysts here say it would be strange if the Russian government was behind it, as it has traditionally had strong, cordial relations with the Freedom Party, which has a co-operation agreement with President Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party. They suggest it may have been fears of Russian influence in Austrian and European politics that sparked the release of the video, just ahead of the European elections in which nationalist parties are expected to make gains. Some European intelligence agencies have reportedly been reluctant to share information with Austria, with the Russia-friendly Freedom Party at the helm. But why has the footage - shot in 2017 - only surfaced now? Rumours of the tape have circulated for months. Some suggest that it may have had nothing to do with foreign interference and is an internal Austrian affair; a political or personal vendetta, perhaps. Others think that it could possibly be some kind of mafia revenge. But this is all speculation. Austrian media have published stories about a lawyer and a detective from Vienna who may possibly have been instrumental in the sting. The identity and motives of those behind the video, and the reasons for its release now, remain a mystery.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1556, "answer_end": 2491, "text": "In Austria, there is much speculation, but no concrete answers. Neither Suddeutsche Zeitung nor Der Spiegel have revealed who they got it from. In his resignation speech, Mr Strache said he had been the victim of \"a deliberate political attack\". The video, he said, was \"a honey trap, directed by intelligence agencies\". But he didn't specify which secret services he suspected. And he also alluded to a controversial Israeli spin doctor, Tal Silberstein, who has links to the centre-left opposition Social Democrats in Austria, and to German satirist Jan Bohmermann. Mr Silberstein has condemned Mr Strache's \"false and baseless accusations\" as an attempt to distract the public from the scandal. Back in April, Mr Bohmermann referred to \"FPO business friends in a Russian oligarch villa on Ibiza\" at an awards ceremony, weeks before the video was published. The satirist's manager says he knew about the video but was not offered it."}], "question": "Who was behind the video sting?", "id": "860_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2492, "answer_end": 3926, "text": "There is speculation about possible connections with Russia, given the fact that the woman in the video sting was posing as a Russian oligarch's niece. The Kremlin has denied having anything to do with the video. Analysts here say it would be strange if the Russian government was behind it, as it has traditionally had strong, cordial relations with the Freedom Party, which has a co-operation agreement with President Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party. They suggest it may have been fears of Russian influence in Austrian and European politics that sparked the release of the video, just ahead of the European elections in which nationalist parties are expected to make gains. Some European intelligence agencies have reportedly been reluctant to share information with Austria, with the Russia-friendly Freedom Party at the helm. But why has the footage - shot in 2017 - only surfaced now? Rumours of the tape have circulated for months. Some suggest that it may have had nothing to do with foreign interference and is an internal Austrian affair; a political or personal vendetta, perhaps. Others think that it could possibly be some kind of mafia revenge. But this is all speculation. Austrian media have published stories about a lawyer and a detective from Vienna who may possibly have been instrumental in the sting. The identity and motives of those behind the video, and the reasons for its release now, remain a mystery."}], "question": "Could Russia be involved?", "id": "860_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Thailand shooting: Soldier kills 21 in gun rampage", "date": "9 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A soldier has killed 21 people and injured dozens more in a gun rampage in the Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima. Jakraphanth Thomma on Saturday killed his commanding officer before stealing weapons from a military camp. The suspect continued his attack in a shopping centre, where he is still believed to be holed up, initially posting updates on his social media. Security forces are in the complex and have rescued hundreds while searching for the gunman, with shots ringing out. The gunman's motives remain unclear. The Terminal 21 shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, remains sealed off on Sunday. Shortly after 03:00 local time (20:00 GMT Saturday) gunfire was heard as the security forces raided the building, trying to dislodge the gunman. One member of the security forces was killed and two injured. Several people were led out of the centre, but it is not known how many more people are still trapped inside. Earlier reports said the gunman had tried to escape via the back of the building. The Bangkok Post reported earlier that the suspect, who it said was 32 years old, had taken hostages, but this also has not been officially confirmed. The suspect's mother was also brought to the shopping centre to try to persuade him to give himself up. One of the people freed told the BBC how she and others hid in a bathroom on the fourth floor, before fleeing to the second and hiding under a restaurant table for three hours, hearing at least four gunshots before she saw some soldiers and could get to safety. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul earlier said that 16 people had died at the scene of the shootings, with another four dying later in hospital. A total of 31 people have been injured, with 10 of them in a critical condition. But there are fears the numbers could rise. It began at about 15:30 local time on Saturday (08:30 GMT) at the Suatham Phithak military camp, where the commanding officer, named by the Bangkok Post as Col Anantharot Krasae, was killed. The Post said a 63-year-old woman, Col Anantharot's mother-in-law, and another soldier were also killed there. The suspect seized arms and ammunition from the camp before taking a Humvee-type vehicle. He then opened fire at a number of sites before arriving at Terminal 21 at about 18:00 local time (11:00 GMT). Local media footage appeared to show the suspect getting out of his vehicle and firing shots as people fled. CCTV footage showed him inside the shopping centre with a raised rifle. Other footage showed a fire outside the building, with some reports saying it was caused by a gas canister that exploded when it was hit with a bullet. One of the suspect's social media posts featured an image of himself with the fire in the background. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is following developments and expressed condolences to the families of those killed, a spokeswoman said. The public health minister has put out an appeal for people to donate blood at hospitals in the area. He posted on his social media accounts during the attack, with one post on Facebook asking whether he should surrender. He had earlier posted an image of a pistol with three sets of bullets, along with the words \"it is time to get excited\" and \"nobody can avoid death\". Facebook has now taken the page down. It said: \"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand. There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 517, "answer_end": 1816, "text": "The Terminal 21 shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, remains sealed off on Sunday. Shortly after 03:00 local time (20:00 GMT Saturday) gunfire was heard as the security forces raided the building, trying to dislodge the gunman. One member of the security forces was killed and two injured. Several people were led out of the centre, but it is not known how many more people are still trapped inside. Earlier reports said the gunman had tried to escape via the back of the building. The Bangkok Post reported earlier that the suspect, who it said was 32 years old, had taken hostages, but this also has not been officially confirmed. The suspect's mother was also brought to the shopping centre to try to persuade him to give himself up. One of the people freed told the BBC how she and others hid in a bathroom on the fourth floor, before fleeing to the second and hiding under a restaurant table for three hours, hearing at least four gunshots before she saw some soldiers and could get to safety. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul earlier said that 16 people had died at the scene of the shootings, with another four dying later in hospital. A total of 31 people have been injured, with 10 of them in a critical condition. But there are fears the numbers could rise."}], "question": "What is the situation now?", "id": "861_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1817, "answer_end": 2994, "text": "It began at about 15:30 local time on Saturday (08:30 GMT) at the Suatham Phithak military camp, where the commanding officer, named by the Bangkok Post as Col Anantharot Krasae, was killed. The Post said a 63-year-old woman, Col Anantharot's mother-in-law, and another soldier were also killed there. The suspect seized arms and ammunition from the camp before taking a Humvee-type vehicle. He then opened fire at a number of sites before arriving at Terminal 21 at about 18:00 local time (11:00 GMT). Local media footage appeared to show the suspect getting out of his vehicle and firing shots as people fled. CCTV footage showed him inside the shopping centre with a raised rifle. Other footage showed a fire outside the building, with some reports saying it was caused by a gas canister that exploded when it was hit with a bullet. One of the suspect's social media posts featured an image of himself with the fire in the background. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is following developments and expressed condolences to the families of those killed, a spokeswoman said. The public health minister has put out an appeal for people to donate blood at hospitals in the area."}], "question": "How did the attack unfold?", "id": "861_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2995, "answer_end": 3550, "text": "He posted on his social media accounts during the attack, with one post on Facebook asking whether he should surrender. He had earlier posted an image of a pistol with three sets of bullets, along with the words \"it is time to get excited\" and \"nobody can avoid death\". Facebook has now taken the page down. It said: \"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand. There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack.\""}], "question": "What did the suspect post on social media?", "id": "861_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Online chatting at work gets the thumbs up from bosses", "date": "27 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Fancy being Facebook friends with your boss? Or being allowed to Snapchat your colleagues during office hours? Well, this kind of office-based social networking is growing in popularity as a way of escaping the tyranny of corporate email. Businesses wanting to streamline internal communications are turning to chat apps like Chatter, Slack and Yammer, as well as more established platforms like Facebook. The market for enterprise social software, as it's called, will be worth more than $8bn (PS5.3bn) by 2019, up from about $5bn now, according to research firm Markets and Markets. Of course, we've had company intranets for almost 20 years, but it's the mobile friendly nature of many messaging apps that is shaking up this space. In January 2015, Facebook unveiled its new business networking platform, Facebook at Work and has just launched an associated chat app, Work Chat. The social networking giant, with its 1.5 billion users, seems to want to dominate the corporate market, as well as the private sphere. Facebook has signed up around 300 companies of varying sizes, including Heineken, Lagardere and Hootsuite. By far the largest deal it's struck so far is with Royal Bank of Scotland, which announced in late October that following a successful pilot programme it will be rolling out Facebook at Work to all 100,000 employees in 2016. But why? Kevin Hanley, director of design at RBS says it's all about facilitating collaboration between different arms of the business. Facebook at Work is \"a key component in driving a more transparent, engaged, collaborative, culture,\" he says. Sentiments echoed by Julien Codorniou, Facebook's director of global platform partnerships, who says the platform is more than just a means of communicating, it's a tool that drives productivity. \"We fundamentally believe that a connected workplace is a more productive workplace,\" he says. \"We want to connect three billion employees worldwide. All you need is a phone. \"We are giving everyone a voice.\" Facebook at Work functions in the same way as personal Facebook, and Mr Hanley says the familiarity explains its success at RBS. \"We're finding there is no steep learning curve or training required. That means the adoption rate is much higher than previous attempts at doing something similar,\" he tells the BBC. Add in the benefits of its mobile app, which frees employees from desk-based applications, and RBS has found the tool to be \"immediately useable\". One of the most compelling reasons to try these new ways of working is to find an efficient alternative to the deluge of corporate emails, which, let's face it, can sometimes be overwhelming. Accounting software firm Sage implemented online communications portal Chatter into its business in April 2015. Sandra Campopiano, the firm's chief people officer, says 9,000 topics have already been moved off email into \"direct, snappy messages, or open, engaging groups and forums.\" \"We want our people to use channels that feel natural to them and which help them to be collaborative,\" she says. \"So social has to be one of the options, particularly in a tech company where so many of our colleagues are digital by nature.\" Andy Jankowski, founder of Enterprise Strategies, a corporate communications firm, explains that the value of these new enterprise social networks (ESNs) lies in this ability to make communications more natural and conversational. \"They allow employees to comment, ask clarifying questions or share experiences in support of the messages being communicated,\" he says. \"Communicating via an internal social network enables you to have a finger on the pulse of the organisation.\" But do these new ways of communicating really spell the end for the work email? Critics of the venerable platform say it is essentially a one-way method of communication. Senders often have no effective way of knowing if the contents of their messages are relevant or understood. And recipients waste time sifting through emails they don't need to see. \"Email overload is a common phenomenon in many corporations, resulting in employees simply not reading all that they receive,\" says Mr Jankowski. \"This creates an environment where employees are often out of the loop because of the emails they have not read.\" Move conversations off email onto a social network where people can opt in or out and you have a fast-moving, visible means of sharing information and solving problems, they argue. While Mr Jankowski thinks email is still the best way to communicate with one person or a small group, he agrees that the end of the companywide broadcast email may be nigh. Ms Campopiano says \"we may eventually see [email] die out, just like the fax.\" But surely receiving endless message alerts and conversation updates can become highly distracting in the work environment and lead to lower, not higher, productivity? Won't we all be swapping cat videos? Quite the reverse, argue Mr Hanley and Ms Campopiano: the ability to opt-out of irrelevant conversations actually frees up time. And Mr Codorniou says that while employees access Facebook at Work up to 50 times a day, the conversations are all about work. In fact, Mr Jankowski believes that the data harvested by all this social network activity could prove very useful for businesses. \"We already use social network analysis with social media to make marketing decisions,\" he says. \"What if we could harness the collective brainpower of all employees to make better business decisions based on conversations and insights being shared across our internal social network?\" One issue that may make firms think twice about adopting social media-style apps for internal communications, however, is data security - where, and how securely, is your ESN provider storing all these potentially sensitive corporate conversations? The EU's rescinding of the Safe Harbour agreement means firms can't assume US-based service providers are offering adequate privacy protections. If it's in the US, would you be happy for the US government to get its hands on them, invoking the Patriot Act? That's something to chat about - offline probably. Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3659, "answer_end": 4157, "text": "But do these new ways of communicating really spell the end for the work email? Critics of the venerable platform say it is essentially a one-way method of communication. Senders often have no effective way of knowing if the contents of their messages are relevant or understood. And recipients waste time sifting through emails they don't need to see. \"Email overload is a common phenomenon in many corporations, resulting in employees simply not reading all that they receive,\" says Mr Jankowski."}], "question": "The death of email?", "id": "862_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4706, "answer_end": 5583, "text": "But surely receiving endless message alerts and conversation updates can become highly distracting in the work environment and lead to lower, not higher, productivity? Won't we all be swapping cat videos? Quite the reverse, argue Mr Hanley and Ms Campopiano: the ability to opt-out of irrelevant conversations actually frees up time. And Mr Codorniou says that while employees access Facebook at Work up to 50 times a day, the conversations are all about work. In fact, Mr Jankowski believes that the data harvested by all this social network activity could prove very useful for businesses. \"We already use social network analysis with social media to make marketing decisions,\" he says. \"What if we could harness the collective brainpower of all employees to make better business decisions based on conversations and insights being shared across our internal social network?\""}], "question": "A waste of time?", "id": "862_1"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea missile test 'due to Kim Jong-un paranoia'", "date": "14 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has accused North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of being in a \"state of paranoia\", following another ballistic missile test. The test was a message to the South days after a new president took office, she told ABC News. The US would continue to \"tighten the screws\" on North Korea, Ms Haley said. Japanese officials say the missile, which launched from north-western Kusong, reached an altitude of 2,000km. South Korea's newly elected President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, said it was a \"reckless provocation\". US President Donald Trump has called for \"stronger sanctions\" against North Korea, while China is urging restraint. A series of North Korean missile tests this year - which are banned by the UN - has sparked international alarm and raised tensions with the US. Two missile launches last month both failed, with the rockets exploding just minutes into flight. North Korea recently said it would hold talks with the US \"if the conditions were right\", after President Trump said he would be \"honoured\" to meet Kim Jong-un under the right circumstances. But Ms Haley said launching missiles was not the way to get a meeting. \"Until he meets our conditions, we're not sitting down with him,\" she said. Stephen Evans: Is Kim Jong-un rational? The nature of the launch is still being determined, but analysts have said the test could suggest a longer range than previously tested devices. The Japanese defence minister said it flew for about 30 minutes before falling in the Sea of Japan and could be a new type of missile. Tomomi Inada said it covered a distance of about 700km (435 miles), reaching an altitude of more than 2,000km (1,245 miles) - higher than that reached by an intermediate-range missile North Korea fired in February. Intercontinental ballistic missiles [ICBMs] can potentially reach altitudes of hundreds of kilometres, taking them well outside the Earth's atmosphere. Experts quoted by Reuters say the altitude meant the missile was launched at a high trajectory, limiting the lateral distance it travelled. They say if it had been fired at a standard trajectory, it would have had a range of at least 4,000km. The US Pacific Command said in a statement the type was being assessed but that its flight was not consistent with that of an ICBM, which would have the range to reach the US mainland (more than 6,000km). North Korea is believed to be developing two types of ICBM, but neither has so far been flight tested. If the Japanese analysis of the trajectory is right (that the missile reached an altitude of 2,000km), North Korea appears to have advanced its technology markedly. The previous two tests failed, so reliability is not there yet. But last month some experts reckoned that a seemingly new missile on parade in Pyongyang may have been an ICBM (the type President Trump said \"won't happen\"). Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California thought at the time that the new missiles on show might be ICBMs. Is this that missile? One thing is certain: North Korea will certainly trumpet its success if it does now have the capability to strike the US military bases on Guam, 3,400km from Pyongyang in the Western Pacific. Mr Trump would ponder what to do with even greater urgency. Mr Moon hosted an emergency meeting of his security council  in the wake of the launch. \"The president said while South Korea remains open to the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, it is only possible when the North shows a change in attitude,\" his spokesman said. Meanwhile, a member of South Korea's ruling party attending a major summit in China reportedly told the North Korean delegation directly that they \"strongly condemned\" the launch. The White House said President Donald Trump \"cannot imagine Russia is pleased\" because the missile did not land far from Russian territory. A Kremlin spokesperson later said Russian President Vladimir Putin was concerned by the test. China, North Korea's only major ally, called for restraint by \"all relevant parties\" in the wake of the latest test. The North has conducted five nuclear tests despite UN sanctions and is also developing long-range missiles. It is reported to be continuing efforts to miniaturise nuclear warheads and fit them on missiles capable of reaching the US. Washington has accused other UN Security Council members of not fully enforcing existing sanctions against the North, and has urged China in particular to use its trade links as influence.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1332, "answer_end": 2529, "text": "The nature of the launch is still being determined, but analysts have said the test could suggest a longer range than previously tested devices. The Japanese defence minister said it flew for about 30 minutes before falling in the Sea of Japan and could be a new type of missile. Tomomi Inada said it covered a distance of about 700km (435 miles), reaching an altitude of more than 2,000km (1,245 miles) - higher than that reached by an intermediate-range missile North Korea fired in February. Intercontinental ballistic missiles [ICBMs] can potentially reach altitudes of hundreds of kilometres, taking them well outside the Earth's atmosphere. Experts quoted by Reuters say the altitude meant the missile was launched at a high trajectory, limiting the lateral distance it travelled. They say if it had been fired at a standard trajectory, it would have had a range of at least 4,000km. The US Pacific Command said in a statement the type was being assessed but that its flight was not consistent with that of an ICBM, which would have the range to reach the US mainland (more than 6,000km). North Korea is believed to be developing two types of ICBM, but neither has so far been flight tested."}], "question": "Is it a new type of missile?", "id": "863_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3342, "answer_end": 4144, "text": "Mr Moon hosted an emergency meeting of his security council  in the wake of the launch. \"The president said while South Korea remains open to the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, it is only possible when the North shows a change in attitude,\" his spokesman said. Meanwhile, a member of South Korea's ruling party attending a major summit in China reportedly told the North Korean delegation directly that they \"strongly condemned\" the launch. The White House said President Donald Trump \"cannot imagine Russia is pleased\" because the missile did not land far from Russian territory. A Kremlin spokesperson later said Russian President Vladimir Putin was concerned by the test. China, North Korea's only major ally, called for restraint by \"all relevant parties\" in the wake of the latest test."}], "question": "How have others reacted?", "id": "863_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4145, "answer_end": 4566, "text": "The North has conducted five nuclear tests despite UN sanctions and is also developing long-range missiles. It is reported to be continuing efforts to miniaturise nuclear warheads and fit them on missiles capable of reaching the US. Washington has accused other UN Security Council members of not fully enforcing existing sanctions against the North, and has urged China in particular to use its trade links as influence."}], "question": "How are US-North Korea relations?", "id": "863_2"}]}]}, {"title": "International Women's Day: Meet the grannies going to school", "date": "8 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Every afternoon, the grandmothers of Phangane village wrap pink saris around themselves and slip abacuses and chalkboard into their backpacks. They are going to school. They live in Maharashtra state in India, a country where women are nearly a third less likely than men to be able to read and write. Some of them have trouble with seeing the letters, and others feel chest pain when they talk. But every day except Thursday, these women gather to learn from a teacher less than half their age. International Women's Day 2017 is the one-year anniversary of the school, and photographer Satyaki Ghosh has been documenting the women's journey to literacy. Ansuya Deshmukh is 90 years old. The daughter of labourers, she was married off at the age of 10. \"There was no money to buy slate and books, no money to buy clothes,\" she says. \"I used to go sometimes, mostly alternate days, but I used to fall sick so they stopped sending me to school.\" In the past year, she has learned enough to sign her name, say the alphabet and count to 21. Yogendra Bangar, 41, is the founder of the school. He started it after women in the village told him that if only they could read, they would be able to read about the life of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a 17th century king whose life is celebrated in the village every year. \"It is said that women have to be respected on Women's Day, so we thought that our grandmothers, who until now have not received respect, shall finally get the respect they deserve,\" he says. \"The people of our grandmothers' generation did not get any opportunity to go to school.\" What is International Women's Day? Witty comebacks to sexist banter Women's Day live updates Mr Bangar raised money from a charity for the women's saris and teaching materials, and found a classroom. \"If a woman is educated, the entire house becomes educated as she brings knowledge and light to the house,\" says Mr Bangar. Ramabhai Ganpat's grandchildren take her hands in theirs and walk her to school. \"Feels good,\" she says. \"We love going to school. We take our bags and all of us grandmothers go together. We feel proud that we are able to learn so well.\" She laughs: \"We have books now but we can't really read because we can't even see properly because of our age. \"When we die and go to God and he asks us 'What have you done in your life?' we will tell him that we didn't do much but we went to school and at least learnt to sign our own name. \"I enjoy coming to school. It makes the day worthwhile.\" At the start of the school day, the women pray together, repeating: \"I will never stop worshipping the goddess Saraswati\" - the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom. Every day, they water the trees they have planted in the school grounds. The school's 30-year-old teacher Sheetal More, works for free. Her mother-in-law is one of her students. Over the past year, one member of the group has passed away and three new women in the 60-90 year-old age group have moved to the village, so the class has grown from 28 to 30. They are not yet fully literate and some complain that it is hard to remember what they have been taught. But they can sign their names instead of using a thumbprint - a big step. On International Women's Day 2017, the women will mark their one-year anniversary with celebrations. Mrs More, the teacher, says: \"It feels good to see that even women from the older generation who did not receive education in the past are educated now. \"And in all of India whoever is uneducated should be educated. There should be schools for all women in all the villages.\" You can see more of Satyaki Ghosh's photography here. Interviews by Aditi Mallya, BBC Delhi, and Satyaki Ghosh. Interpreting by Vipul Chavan. BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation. .", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3727, "answer_end": 4019, "text": "BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation. ."}], "question": "What is 100 women?", "id": "864_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Spy poisoning: Russia expels 60 US diplomats in tit-for-tat measure", "date": "30 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russia has expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the St Petersburg consulate in a tit-for-tat response to US action over a spy poisoning case in the UK. Russia's foreign minister said other countries that expelled Russians could expect a \"symmetrical\" response. On Friday, several ambassadors from Western countries were summoned to the Russian foreign ministry. The move comes amid a row over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury on 4 March, and the UK government has blamed Russia for the attack. Russia has vehemently denied any role in the Salisbury attack. Mr Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter's condition is said to be improving. More than 20 countries have expelled Russian envoys in solidarity with the UK. Among them is the US, which earlier this week ordered 60 diplomats to leave and closed the Russian consulate general in Seattle. Russia declared 58 US diplomats in Moscow and two in the city of Yekaterinburg to be \"personae non gratae\". Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said US ambassador Jon Huntsman had been informed of the \"retaliatory measures\". \"As for the other countries, everything will also be symmetrical in terms of the number of people from their diplomatic missions who will be leaving Russia,\" he added. Later, a US state department spokeswoman said America reserved the right to take further action. The Russian foreign minister also accused Britain of \"forcing everyone to follow an anti-Russian course\". He said Moscow was responding to \"absolutely unacceptable actions that are taken against us under very harsh pressure from the United States and Britain under the pretext of the so-called Skripal case\". He reiterated Russian calls for consular access to Yulia Skripal - a Russian citizen. Russia, he said, was also seeking a meeting with leaders of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to \"establish the truth\". Following the incident in Salisbury, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a series of sanctions, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats alleged to be intelligence agents. The Kremlin responded by expelling an equal number of UK diplomats and closing the country's British Council. Then - in what has been cited as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history - more than 20 governments expelled diplomats in their countries. UK National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill, speaking in Washington on Thursday, said expulsions by Western countries were aimed at rooting out covert Russian intelligence networks. Britain says the chemical used in the attack was part of a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union known as Novichok. Experts from the OPCW arrived in the UK on 19 March to test samples. The results are expected to take a minimum of two weeks, the government says. Police say the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, with the highest concentration found on the front door.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1008, "answer_end": 2037, "text": "Russia declared 58 US diplomats in Moscow and two in the city of Yekaterinburg to be \"personae non gratae\". Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said US ambassador Jon Huntsman had been informed of the \"retaliatory measures\". \"As for the other countries, everything will also be symmetrical in terms of the number of people from their diplomatic missions who will be leaving Russia,\" he added. Later, a US state department spokeswoman said America reserved the right to take further action. The Russian foreign minister also accused Britain of \"forcing everyone to follow an anti-Russian course\". He said Moscow was responding to \"absolutely unacceptable actions that are taken against us under very harsh pressure from the United States and Britain under the pretext of the so-called Skripal case\". He reiterated Russian calls for consular access to Yulia Skripal - a Russian citizen. Russia, he said, was also seeking a meeting with leaders of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to \"establish the truth\"."}], "question": "Whom is Russia expelling?", "id": "865_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2038, "answer_end": 2691, "text": "Following the incident in Salisbury, British Prime Minister Theresa May announced a series of sanctions, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats alleged to be intelligence agents. The Kremlin responded by expelling an equal number of UK diplomats and closing the country's British Council. Then - in what has been cited as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history - more than 20 governments expelled diplomats in their countries. UK National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill, speaking in Washington on Thursday, said expulsions by Western countries were aimed at rooting out covert Russian intelligence networks."}], "question": "How did the tit-for-tat expulsions begin?", "id": "865_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2692, "answer_end": 3128, "text": "Britain says the chemical used in the attack was part of a group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union known as Novichok. Experts from the OPCW arrived in the UK on 19 March to test samples. The results are expected to take a minimum of two weeks, the government says. Police say the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury, with the highest concentration found on the front door."}], "question": "What do we know about the nerve agent?", "id": "865_2"}]}]}, {"title": "General Election 2019: The hidden benefits of registering to vote that aren't to do with politics", "date": "7 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Did you know that registering to vote could help you with buying or renting a house? Even if you don't vote, there can be some benefits of being on the electoral register. If you do want to vote in the general election on 12 December, the deadline to register is midnight on 26 November. Here are some of the ways being on the electoral register (also called the electoral roll) could help you - that are nothing to do with politics. In fact, it can help you in any situation where you get a credit check - buying a car, getting a mortgage or getting a phone contract. That's because banks and other lenders that check credit scores look through the electoral roll. It's part of their checks to verify your identity - and your credit score can improve if lenders know you are who you say you are. It can be particularly useful if you don't have a long credit history, if for example it's the first time you're getting a loan or phone contract. The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. It's used to make sure only people who are eligible to vote can cast their ballot. It can also be used for things like checking you credit score, law enforcement and calling people for jury service. The open register is the version of the electoral register which is open to other people. Businesses or charities might use it for mailing lists and marketing purposes. It can also be used by landlords to check your identity, As well as helping with your credit score when applying for a mortgage, being on the open register could help when renting a place. Landlords might check the open register to help verify who you are. But remember, anyone can see the open register (for a fee) and it's used for marketing purposes too. You can opt-out of the open register at any time. Being on the open register not only confirms who you are and where you live. It could also be used to check who doesn't live at your address. If lenders are trying to track down money owed by someone who used to live at your address, they can check the open register. If they see that person doesn't live at your address any more, they probably won't bother sending letters asking for money to that address. OK, this isn't exactly the most important factor. But being registered to vote means that - obviously - come polling day, you can go and actually have your say on who runs the country. And that means going to your polling station and voting. On the day of the election, expect your social media feed to be filled with one thing -  photos of dogs standing outside polling stations. For some reason, every time there's a vote, #DogsAtPollingStations starts trending. So if you snap a particularly cute pic of a dog waiting for their owner to vote, you might get a few more followers. But remember, taking photos of yours or anyone else's ballot paper isn't allowed and most polling stations won't let you take any pictures inside the building. If you do fancy getting on to the electoral roll, signing up takes about five minutes via gov.uk/register-to-vote . You'll need your National Insurance number and - if you're a British citizen living abroad - your passport. If you're blind you can call your local council's elections officer and ask to be registered. The deadline to register if you want to vote in these elections is midnight on 26 November. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 944, "answer_end": 1480, "text": "The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. It's used to make sure only people who are eligible to vote can cast their ballot. It can also be used for things like checking you credit score, law enforcement and calling people for jury service. The open register is the version of the electoral register which is open to other people. Businesses or charities might use it for mailing lists and marketing purposes. It can also be used by landlords to check your identity,"}], "question": "What are the two different types of electoral roll?", "id": "866_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2982, "answer_end": 3391, "text": "If you do fancy getting on to the electoral roll, signing up takes about five minutes via gov.uk/register-to-vote . You'll need your National Insurance number and - if you're a British citizen living abroad - your passport. If you're blind you can call your local council's elections officer and ask to be registered. The deadline to register if you want to vote in these elections is midnight on 26 November."}], "question": "How do you register to vote?", "id": "866_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit and Europe: The French village that fears for its British community", "date": "29 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Alet-les-Bains in southern France may be a long way away from the UK, but Brexit looms large there. And it's not just the large number of Britons among its 440 residents who worry about the future. \"Our English friends have done a lot for the village,\" says resident Annick Van Mairis. \"Thanks to them, dilapidated houses have become beautiful. Our main fear is that they should have to leave for some reason or other.\" In a country not renowned for being Anglophile, the warm feelings towards Alet's 60-strong British community are striking. Retired postman Gerard Baudru says they have brought \"brotherhood\" to the village - as well as work for himself. \"The number of greeting cards in December and January is extremely high,\" he enthuses. The mutual attraction between Alet and its British residents is rooted in geography. The village is located in Aude, the second-poorest area in mainland France. It has no industry. Its main city, Carcassonne, has half the population of Oldham in the north-west of England and five times its unemployment rate (24% to Oldham's 4.5%). Aude may be struggling economically but, attracted by the stunning scenery, the lifestyle and dirt-cheap property prices, pensioners started trickling in from Britain and other parts of northern Europe in the 1980s. When Ryanair began operating flights from London and Manchester to Carcassonne in 1998, the trickle became a flood. Alet, a medieval spa town with a 9th Century abbey, caught the eye of many. One of the early arrivals, Min Stevenson, had originally planned to settle with her husband in a country house near the Pyrenees but decided on Alet instead. \"We thought, if we do that we won't feel as if we're living in France,\" she recalls.  \"What I want is to be in a village. And I like the fact that people come along and say, 'hello, nice to see you'. The French people were very friendly.\" Their story is typical. British expats in Aude seek to blend in with the local culture rather than set up their own enclave. When David Goldsworthy settled in Limoux, a medium-sized town a 10-minute drive from Alet, fellow Brits were the last people he wanted to run into. \"When I heard English voices at the supermarket or Mr Bricolage [hardware store] I went the other way. I wasn't here for that. I was here to try to become part of the landscape.\" L'Odalisque, a Limoux restaurant, has been popular with Britons since it opened three years ago. They make up 50% of its patrons even though owner Sven Choplin does not speak a word of English. \"We tried to translate our menu at first. The English said, 'stop! This is meaningless. We'd rather make the effort',\" he laughs. Annie Morejon - who owns the only store in the village, a grocery shop-cum-cafe - finds that some even out-French the French. Unlike the natives, who \"are sometimes not very polite, they come and give me a kiss\", she says. Far from recreating Little Britain, the newcomers are busy rebuilding old France. Until the arrival of the British and others, traditional homes in villages like Alet were crumbling. \"People from Aude did not value their own heritage,\" says Catherine Pouedras, who works at the Carcassonne tourist office. The newcomers eagerly bought properties to do them up.  They have done so \"in a way that respects the tradition and the harmony of the village\", Alet Mayor Ghislaine Tafforeau says. This renovation work has been \"a lesson for natives\", who she says are mainly interested in building identikit modern villas with gardens on the outskirts. One of the prettiest streets in the centre of the village, the mayor points out, is known locally as \"la rue des Anglais\". The British, says Alet resident Martine Theveniaut, \"have breathed new life into the place\". You will, if you try hard, find people in Alet who take exception to the British influx. Standing in a square, builders grumble about being undercut by a foreign workforce. \"The English give work to each other,\" one says. Another blames EU rules that allow \"posted workers\" to escape France's high social security contributions. But both men agree that if it were not for the British, half the houses in a nearby town would still be derelict. In the run-up to Brexit, however, fewer people have been snapping up such properties. Christophe Bac, a Limoux estate agent who advertises extensively in the UK, says the fall in the pound has meant that his share of British buyers has dropped from 30% a few years ago to 15% now. Some who find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet are already selling up, Mr Bac adds. Beyond the property market, Brexit could have consequences for the community life of villages like Alet. The most crucial British investment there has not been in stone and mortar, but in time and effort. The expats have brought to Alet an Anglo-Saxon zeal for self-help and grassroots action. The local British brigade plays a leading role in every charity sale and village fair. They staff a workshop that makes the Alet coat of arms displayed at festivities. They have raised funds to put flowers around the village ever since the municipality's budget ran out a few years ago. The Brits organise quiz nights and poetry evenings. One hosts a film club that screens alternately French and English-language films (with subtitles for each) every month. Alison Hope settled in Alet in 2013, and bought part of a 200-year-old former nougat factory from another Briton. She is making Robin Hood costumes for the Christmas pantomime - a British tradition the expats have introduced to Alet. \"French people do go,\" she says. \"This year we're putting up signs with subtitles so they can follow the action. \"Whenever we ask for help to set up an event, the English-speaking community is always there,\" says Jozy Laval, who heads Anim'Alet, a volunteer group. \"I like to say that this place is not Alet-les-Bains, but Anglet-les-Bains.\" Deputy Mayor Jean-Pierre Gayda agrees that without them the village would have no civic life to speak of. \"I'm happy that the English are here in Alet - except during the 80 minutes of Le Crunch,\" he jokes, drawing the line at France against England at rugby. Dawn Stollar settled in the village back in the 1980s after falling \"in love with the region\". Now a sprightly 80, she remains a leading force in Alet's civic life. A few years ago she drew up a list of emergency numbers and volunteers that sick people could call when they needed help, or have a meal brought to their home. The list was particularly useful when the Aude valley was devastated by floods in mid-October, when the equivalent of five months of rain fell in a few hours. But it is unclear how much longer Alet will benefit from Dawn's energy. She is deeply worried she will be forced to return because of Brexit. One major source of concern for retired expats like her is health coverage. Although they would continue to have access to medical care under the Brexit withdrawal deal, the future is far from certain. And then there is money. Those living on pensions in sterling have already seen a 20% fall in their income since 2016. \"There's a limit to how much the elastic can stretch,\" Dawn says. \"I lie in bed thinking, 'what happens if I'm left alone and the income drops so much? What do I do?' You obviously go back to your children. That would be fun wouldn't it? Grannies from all over France and Spain trooping back to England to be with their children. \"All my life I got through everything somehow or other. But this one is coming very late in one's life, and you thought of a nice old age in a beautiful place and suddenly there is this tension.\" Brexit is also bad news for the local economy. As their incomes dwindle, expats are spending less. The Britons' legendary enthusiasm for do-it-yourself has meant brisk business over the years for Mr Bricolage in Limoux. If Brexit drives many away, says store manager Gaetan-Pierre Dumonceau, \"this would have a negative impact on our sales, and also on the villages where they are so heavily invested.\" The travel industry, Aude's main cash earner, is already feeling the pinch. The British are its main foreign customers and the number of those visiting campsites in the area was down 27% between 2015 and 2017. In other words, many Britons looking for value holidays - the kind of tourism Aude specialises in - are staying away. Antoinette Fairhurst, who runs a bed and breakfast in Alet with her husband, notes that her income from the past summer's high season plummeted by two-thirds compared with last year. \"I hardly had any English that came,\" she says. Francois Raynaud, of the regional tourism agency, fears Brexit could make things worse, with tougher border checks. \"If the British don't come to Carcassonne that will leave a big hole,\" he says. Aude's other money-spinner is wine. The Blanquette de Limoux, a bubbly that locals compare favourably to champagne, is sold worldwide, with the British among the keenest drinkers. Le Sieur d'Arques, Limoux' leading winemaker, sells to UK supermarket chains such as Tesco and Waitrose. Brexit could hit sales with extra taxes and paperwork, says Sieur d'Arques export manager Gabi van Dael. \"We are very worried about what is going to happen next year.\" Francoise Antech-Gazeau is head of Antech, an old Limoux family-run firm that specialises in high-end sparkling wine. Her main concern is not about the extra bureaucracy after Brexit - Antech has done business with generations of keen British customers and \"we will always find solutions\". But she fears a Brexit-induced downturn that could hit the purse of the British and lead them to drink less Blanquette. Brexit will not end the love affair between the British and Aude. The many who have moved there to work are determined to stay, and are busy getting residency permits or French citizenship. \"In terms of Brexit, you would have to shoehorn me out with a shotgun,\" says Charlotte Pye, a yoga teacher who helps kids in rugby clubs up and down the Aude valley in her spare time. \"My life is here.\" But in an area with an economy on the brink, any drop in foreign income can make a big difference. And in a tiny place like Alet, the departure of even a few of its most active residents poses a threat to community life. \"Brexit is a danger for us,\" says Anim'Alet volunteer Claude Carayol. \"If the British are not there, who will replace them?\" Photographs by Samuel Aranda/Panos Pictures", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 6148, "answer_end": 7620, "text": "Dawn Stollar settled in the village back in the 1980s after falling \"in love with the region\". Now a sprightly 80, she remains a leading force in Alet's civic life. A few years ago she drew up a list of emergency numbers and volunteers that sick people could call when they needed help, or have a meal brought to their home. The list was particularly useful when the Aude valley was devastated by floods in mid-October, when the equivalent of five months of rain fell in a few hours. But it is unclear how much longer Alet will benefit from Dawn's energy. She is deeply worried she will be forced to return because of Brexit. One major source of concern for retired expats like her is health coverage. Although they would continue to have access to medical care under the Brexit withdrawal deal, the future is far from certain. And then there is money. Those living on pensions in sterling have already seen a 20% fall in their income since 2016. \"There's a limit to how much the elastic can stretch,\" Dawn says. \"I lie in bed thinking, 'what happens if I'm left alone and the income drops so much? What do I do?' You obviously go back to your children. That would be fun wouldn't it? Grannies from all over France and Spain trooping back to England to be with their children. \"All my life I got through everything somehow or other. But this one is coming very late in one's life, and you thought of a nice old age in a beautiful place and suddenly there is this tension.\""}], "question": "Staying on?", "id": "867_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Soleimani attack: What does international law say?", "date": "7 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq but what are the legal grounds for this course of action? The US said: \"This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.\" So, what are the key issues when considering its legality, according to international law? The relevant law in the UN Charter allows for a state to act in self-defence \"if an armed attack occurs\". But this definition tends to be interpreted by governments, say legal experts. \"In the Soleimani case, the US is claiming it acted in self-defence to prevent imminent attacks, a category of action which, if in fact true, is generally seen as being permissible under the UN Charter,\" says Dapo Akande, professor of public international law at Oxford University and co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC). But Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings. has tweeted about the strike saying \"this test is unlikely to be met\". A 2010 UN report on \"targeted killings\" said there was a weighty body of scholarship that viewed the self-defence argument as having the right to use force \"against a real and imminent threat when the necessity of that self-defence is instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment of deliberation.\" The initial US Department of Defense statement omitted the word \"imminent\" and said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks and that Iran's top military leader Soleimani was \"actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region\". In later statements, US officials including President Trump said Soleimani had been plotting \"imminent attacks\". Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency, said: \"The administration cannot keep its story straight.\" The legality of the strike under international law may well depend on the US providing evidence of those future attacks, according to Mr Akande. The US government has not yet shared details publicly, but the administration has said intelligence has been shared with key figures in the US Congress. Asked by a journalist on 7 January for more details about imminent threats, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted the incidents leading up to the strike, but did not provide any evidence of impending attacks. There are other justifications it has used in the past, according to Dr Ralph Wilde, an expert in public international law at University College London. \"Since 9/11 the US has taken a view that self-defence can be justified to prevent more longer-term attacks. When the attack is being planned, but is not imminent. The Obama administration used this argument to justify drone strikes.\" The other issue is whether the US had consent from Iraq to carry out the strike there. Iraqi MPs reacted angrily and passed a non-binding resolution calling for US troops to leave the country. The Iraqi government has called it a \"brazen violation of Iraq's sovereignty\". US forces had been invited into Iraq to fight the Islamic State group and to train Iraqi forces. The US might argue this invitation constituted some form of consent, giving them a right to protect their interests and personnel inside Iraq. But Mr Akande argues that, in practice, the terms of the agreement to host US forces would not stretch to carrying out an attack like this. On Sunday, Mr Trump tweeted, warning the US would target sites that were \"important to Iran and the Iranian culture\" if American assets were hit. The Iran Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif said an attack on a cultural site would amount to a war crime. Trump's threat \"shows callous disregard for the global rule of law\", said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch. The US government insisted it would behave lawfully. But an attack on a cultural site would violate several international treaties. The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property safeguarded cultural sites in the wake of the destruction of cultural heritage sites during World War Two, and was signed by the US. In 2017, the UN passed a resolution in response to the Islamic State attacks which condemned \"the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts\". The US was among the harshest critics of the IS destruction of historic site of Palmyra in Syria in 2015, as well as the Taliban's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001. In 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted someone for the destruction of cultural heritage for the first time, after an extremist linked to Al-Qaeda destroyed religious artefacts in Mali. The US is not part of the ICC but it is a signatory of other agreements to protect cultural property and any attack would represent a significant reversal. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 342, "answer_end": 1899, "text": "The relevant law in the UN Charter allows for a state to act in self-defence \"if an armed attack occurs\". But this definition tends to be interpreted by governments, say legal experts. \"In the Soleimani case, the US is claiming it acted in self-defence to prevent imminent attacks, a category of action which, if in fact true, is generally seen as being permissible under the UN Charter,\" says Dapo Akande, professor of public international law at Oxford University and co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC). But Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings. has tweeted about the strike saying \"this test is unlikely to be met\". A 2010 UN report on \"targeted killings\" said there was a weighty body of scholarship that viewed the self-defence argument as having the right to use force \"against a real and imminent threat when the necessity of that self-defence is instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment of deliberation.\" The initial US Department of Defense statement omitted the word \"imminent\" and said the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks and that Iran's top military leader Soleimani was \"actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region\". In later statements, US officials including President Trump said Soleimani had been plotting \"imminent attacks\". Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency, said: \"The administration cannot keep its story straight.\""}], "question": "What does the law say?", "id": "868_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1900, "answer_end": 2795, "text": "The legality of the strike under international law may well depend on the US providing evidence of those future attacks, according to Mr Akande. The US government has not yet shared details publicly, but the administration has said intelligence has been shared with key figures in the US Congress. Asked by a journalist on 7 January for more details about imminent threats, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted the incidents leading up to the strike, but did not provide any evidence of impending attacks. There are other justifications it has used in the past, according to Dr Ralph Wilde, an expert in public international law at University College London. \"Since 9/11 the US has taken a view that self-defence can be justified to prevent more longer-term attacks. When the attack is being planned, but is not imminent. The Obama administration used this argument to justify drone strikes.\""}], "question": "So what evidence is there of planned attacks by Iran?", "id": "868_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2796, "answer_end": 3447, "text": "The other issue is whether the US had consent from Iraq to carry out the strike there. Iraqi MPs reacted angrily and passed a non-binding resolution calling for US troops to leave the country. The Iraqi government has called it a \"brazen violation of Iraq's sovereignty\". US forces had been invited into Iraq to fight the Islamic State group and to train Iraqi forces. The US might argue this invitation constituted some form of consent, giving them a right to protect their interests and personnel inside Iraq. But Mr Akande argues that, in practice, the terms of the agreement to host US forces would not stretch to carrying out an attack like this."}], "question": "And what about the issue of consent?", "id": "868_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3448, "answer_end": 4888, "text": "On Sunday, Mr Trump tweeted, warning the US would target sites that were \"important to Iran and the Iranian culture\" if American assets were hit. The Iran Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif said an attack on a cultural site would amount to a war crime. Trump's threat \"shows callous disregard for the global rule of law\", said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch. The US government insisted it would behave lawfully. But an attack on a cultural site would violate several international treaties. The 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property safeguarded cultural sites in the wake of the destruction of cultural heritage sites during World War Two, and was signed by the US. In 2017, the UN passed a resolution in response to the Islamic State attacks which condemned \"the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage, including the destruction of religious sites and artefacts\". The US was among the harshest critics of the IS destruction of historic site of Palmyra in Syria in 2015, as well as the Taliban's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001. In 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted someone for the destruction of cultural heritage for the first time, after an extremist linked to Al-Qaeda destroyed religious artefacts in Mali. The US is not part of the ICC but it is a signatory of other agreements to protect cultural property and any attack would represent a significant reversal."}], "question": "Can you target cultural sites?", "id": "868_3"}]}]}, {"title": "New York to scrap tuition fees for middle class", "date": "10 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New York is planning one of the biggest schemes in the world to abolish tuition fees for students. The US state wants to extend free tuition to middle-class families, as well as the disadvantaged, with young people in almost a million households expected to be eligible. It will mean children from families earning up to $125,000 (PS101,000) per year will not have to pay fees at public higher education institutions, such as colleges of the State University of New York and City University of New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo, announcing the scheme last week, said he wanted to reduce levels of student debt that were like \"starting a race with an anchor tied to your leg\". The New York governor said that 70% of jobs in the state now needed a college education and that tuition fees could not be allowed to remain a barrier. \"What high school was 75 years ago, college is today,\" said Mr Cuomo. \"College is a mandatory step if you really want to be a success.\" The New York proposals will particularly address the anxieties of middle-income families, earning too much to benefit from scholarships for the most deprived, but struggling to afford increased fees. Tuition fees have risen much more sharply than inflation and student loan debt in the US has outstripped the amount owed on credit cards, standing at $1.3 trillion (PS1.07 trillion). This is not a problem for only the recently graduated. A report last week from the Office for Older Americans showed that the number of over-60-year-olds still paying back student debt had quadrupled in a decade, with $66.7bn (PS55bn) remaining in outstanding loans. The study raised concerns of elderly people unable to afford repayments being pursued by debt chasers using \"aggressive tactics\". But the financial support in New York will not apply to top private universities, where tuition fees can be in the region of $50,000 (PS41,000) per year. And even though the fees in state universities will be covered, students would still face other costs such as accommodation. The plans estimate that about 200,000 students will take up the fee offer in New York, from the million families that would be eligible. Governor Cuomo's pledge is a surviving legacy of Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful presidential campaign agenda, which proposed a tuition fee subsidy scheme to be extended across the US. Bernie Sanders, another presidential candidate who had campaigned on cutting fees, helped to launch the New York fees plan. He highlighted the economic cost of the US slipping behind in education compared with international rivals. \"If we are going to have an economy that creates the kinds of jobs that we need for our people, we must have the best educated workforce in the world,\" said the senator for Vermont. \"And here is a truth, which is an unpleasant truth - and that is 30 or so years ago we had the highest percentage of college graduates of any nation on Earth. We were number one. Today, we are number 11.\" More stories from the BBC's Global education series looking at education from an international perspective, and how to get in touch. You can join the debate at the BBC's Family & Education News Facebook page. Mr Sanders said young people should be encouraged to achieve as much as possible in school and college - rather than \"punish them for getting that education\" with high fees. \"It is basically insane to tell the young people of this country, 'We want you to go out and get the best education you can. 'We want you to get the jobs of the future. Oh, but by the way, after you leave school, you're going to be $30,000, $50,000, $100,000 in debt.'\" The fees policy, if approved by the state's lawmakers, will affect the biggest state university system in the US and a population bigger than many European countries - such as the Netherlands, Greece or Sweden. And it will mark another stage in the international argument about the cost of higher education and who should pay for it. In England, the government is pushing in the opposite direction, with plans to increase tuition fees to PS9,250 from the autumn. While in contrast, the Scottish Government continues to maintain a policy of free tuition. A few weeks ago, the Philippines announced the scrapping of tuition fees for state universities, following in the footsteps of Germany, where fees have also been abolished. But there have been moves in Finland for universities to start charging overseas students, with the fees to be levied on non-EU students from this autumn. There are also arguments that state subsidies can encourage universities to inflate fees even further, with taxpayers picking up the bill. Such a lack of consensus means that young people either side of a border can face huge differences in tuition costs. And Mr Sanders predicted that the initiative in New York, due to be phased in over the next three years, would be copied by other authorities. \"If New York state does it this year, mark my words, state after state will follow,'' said Mr Sanders.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3948, "answer_end": 4997, "text": "In England, the government is pushing in the opposite direction, with plans to increase tuition fees to PS9,250 from the autumn. While in contrast, the Scottish Government continues to maintain a policy of free tuition. A few weeks ago, the Philippines announced the scrapping of tuition fees for state universities, following in the footsteps of Germany, where fees have also been abolished. But there have been moves in Finland for universities to start charging overseas students, with the fees to be levied on non-EU students from this autumn. There are also arguments that state subsidies can encourage universities to inflate fees even further, with taxpayers picking up the bill. Such a lack of consensus means that young people either side of a border can face huge differences in tuition costs. And Mr Sanders predicted that the initiative in New York, due to be phased in over the next three years, would be copied by other authorities. \"If New York state does it this year, mark my words, state after state will follow,'' said Mr Sanders."}], "question": "Fees up or down?", "id": "869_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Melania Trump in Africa: Can she become a fashion ambassador for Ghana?", "date": "2 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African writers, Ghanaian journalist Elizabeth Ohene reflects on US First Lady Melania Trump's first visit to the continent. It's good that it's the female half of the current inhabitants of the White House who is making the first foray into Africa. I am not quite sure what kind of welcome US President Donald Trump would get if he were making the announced trip to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt this week. In Ghana, the first stop of First Lady Melania Trump's four-nation trip, there isn't exactly an atmosphere of Trump-mania. My tentative and unscientific survey showed that there were not many people who even knew the name of the US first lady. Melania Trump is travelling to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt in what is her first visit to Africa and her first major solo trip abroad since becoming first lady. \"I am excited to educate myself on the issues facing children throughout the continent, while also learning about its rich culture and history,\" Mrs Trump said in a statement announcing her trip. Her focus will be on maternal and newborn care in hospitals, and children's education, according to the White House. The response to Mrs Trump's visit has so far been lukewarm. Our reporters in Accra, Nairobi and Cairo have been gauging opinion on the streets: I can't work out how the State Department and the White House came to decide on the four countries chosen for Mrs Trump's trip. It used to be possible to tell these things, but these days it is difficult to tell who the Americans count as their friends. One moment, they are calling someone names and the next, that same person is being embraced as a good man and a friend. The State Department used to cite freedom of speech and the holding of free and fair elections among the factors determining whether a country made it into their list of \"friendly countries\". These days you can't be sure. What a difference from July 2009, when Barack Obama was making his first trip to Africa as president, accompanied by Michelle. We in Ghana could not resist preening ourselves for being the choice. I remember I wrote teasing our Nigerian and Kenyan cousins in particular that they had been ignored by the Obamas. Today, I am not sure there is a constituency here in Ghana that is beating its chest for making it to the list of Mrs Trump's first visit to Africa. But there is no danger of her not getting a warm Ghanaian welcome. Ghanaians love all things American and you can tell that not just by the queues at the visa section of the US embassy, but by the number of people here who purport to speak with American accents without ever having entered the United States. We take it that Ghana is still considered a friend of the US even if we don't know what the current ingredients are for American friendship. And then of course, we are presuming that even in the era of Trump, American first ladies would be travelling with \"goodies\" - and \"goodies\" are always welcome even in the era of Ghana Beyond Aid. The last time an American first lady came to Ghana by herself was in January 2006, and she chose Ghana to launch her Textbooks and Learning Materials Programme, which aimed to support African tertiary education with required resources. I was education minister at the time, and I know that we managed to convince her and her team that taking American textbooks for our tertiary institutions was not the best option. Instead, we received help to develop, write and print our own books for early childhood reading, from Kindergarten to Primary 4. As a librarian herself, First Lady Laura Bush was enthusiastic about our programme and the effects of her visit lasted for years. Elizabeth Ohene: \"All the people in the photos were either in jail, or in hiding\" Whilst on the subject, my mind goes back to the first time a US first lady visited Ghana by herself. It ended in disaster. Nothing to do with First Lady Pat Nixon who came in early 1972 and captured many hearts with her business-like approach to matters. She toured parliament hosted by Naa Morkor, the wife of Prime Minister Kofi Busia, she congratulated Ghana on her democratic practices, there were many photo opportunities and the US first lady was seen off with a lot of pomp and pageantry. Two days later, a certain Col Ignatius Acheampong staged a coup and overthrew the constitutionally elected government. The US Information Services (Usis), a now defunct agency charged with public diplomacy, was heartbroken. There they were with all these beautiful photos from the visit that could not be used. All the people in the photos with First Lady Pat Nixon were either in jail, or in hiding or certainly not in good standing with the new authorities - and none of the things she had come to praise Ghana for were still in operation. I don't know what they ever did with those photos, but I know there were a lot of unhappy Usis officials with photos on their hands that could not be used. But that was then, Ghana has moved on, and now has a well-grounded democracy, meaning visitors and citizens alike need not worry about coups d'etat. Given her chosen headline programme on maternal and child healthcare for the visit to Ghana, First Lady Melania Trump will find a kindred spirit in our own First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo. The Ghanaian first lady spent six months last year shaming everybody into giving her money to build a modern and well-equipped mother and child care unit in the second city, Kumasi, to deal with a long-standing problem. It's not unlikely that our Rebecca will find a way to convince Melania that there is a children's ward in some hospital in Accra or somewhere in the country that can be named Be Best, the Melania Trump slogan, if she would agree to refurbish it. On my part, I wish I had had an input in drawing up the programme for this visit. I would have put Mrs Trump in touch with my dressmaker to make her a kente jacket to rival her famous \"I Really Don't Care, Do U?\" jacket. We are not known here only for mother and child problems, we do a wicked turn in kente fashion which should make a lasting impression on Mrs Trump. I wonder if protocol allows it, but I think we really should make her into a fashion ambassador for Ghana. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 683, "answer_end": 1302, "text": "Melania Trump is travelling to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt in what is her first visit to Africa and her first major solo trip abroad since becoming first lady. \"I am excited to educate myself on the issues facing children throughout the continent, while also learning about its rich culture and history,\" Mrs Trump said in a statement announcing her trip. Her focus will be on maternal and newborn care in hospitals, and children's education, according to the White House. The response to Mrs Trump's visit has so far been lukewarm. Our reporters in Accra, Nairobi and Cairo have been gauging opinion on the streets:"}], "question": "What is Melania Trump doing in Africa?", "id": "870_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5107, "answer_end": 6235, "text": "Given her chosen headline programme on maternal and child healthcare for the visit to Ghana, First Lady Melania Trump will find a kindred spirit in our own First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo. The Ghanaian first lady spent six months last year shaming everybody into giving her money to build a modern and well-equipped mother and child care unit in the second city, Kumasi, to deal with a long-standing problem. It's not unlikely that our Rebecca will find a way to convince Melania that there is a children's ward in some hospital in Accra or somewhere in the country that can be named Be Best, the Melania Trump slogan, if she would agree to refurbish it. On my part, I wish I had had an input in drawing up the programme for this visit. I would have put Mrs Trump in touch with my dressmaker to make her a kente jacket to rival her famous \"I Really Don't Care, Do U?\" jacket. We are not known here only for mother and child problems, we do a wicked turn in kente fashion which should make a lasting impression on Mrs Trump. I wonder if protocol allows it, but I think we really should make her into a fashion ambassador for Ghana."}], "question": "Fashion ambassador?", "id": "870_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Threat level raised to 'critical' for UK ships in Iranian waters", "date": "11 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK has raised the threat to British shipping in Iranian waters in the Gulf to the highest level - where the risk of attack is \"critical\". The step was taken on Tuesday, amid growing tensions in the region. On Wednesday, Iranian boats tried to impede a British oil tanker in the region - before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship, the MoD said. Iran had threatened to retaliate for the seizure of one of its own tankers, but denied any attempted seizure. The Department for Transport said it regularly provided security advice to UK ships in high-risk areas. The threat level means British ships are advised not to enter Iranian waters, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said. Boats believed to belong to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the British Heritage tanker and tried to bring it to a halt as it was moving out of the Gulf into the Strait of Hormuz. HMS Montrose, a British frigate shadowing the BP-owned tanker, was forced to move between the three boats and the ship, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said. He described the Iranians' actions as \"contrary to international law\". Guns on HMS Montrose were trained on the Iranian boats as they were ordered to back off, US media reported. The boats heeded the warning and no shots were fired. Last week, British Royal Marines helped the authorities in Gibraltar seize an Iranian tanker because of evidence it was carrying oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police said they had arrested the captain and chief officer of the Iranian tanker on Thursday, on suspicion of breaching EU sanctions, but neither had been charged. The BBC has been told British Heritage was near the island of Abu Musa when it was approached by the Iranian boats. Although Abu Musa is in disputed territorial waters, HMS Montrose remained in international waters throughout. Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the government was concerned by the incident and urged the Iranian authorities to \"de-escalate the situation\". Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt added the UK would monitor the situation \"very carefully\". Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was \"committed to maintaining freedom of navigation in accordance with international law\". A spokesperson for the US State Department condemned Iran's actions and said that Washington would continue to work closely with the UK. Morgan Ortagus said: \"We commend the actions of the Royal Navy in ensuring freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce through this critically important waterway.\" Commander of the US Fifth Fleet Vice Adm Jim Malloy described the incident as \"unlawful harassment\" and said the fleet would continue to work closely with the Royal Navy to defend \"the free flow of commerce\". The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has denied claims it tried to seize the tanker, Iranian news agencies reported. IRGC's navy said there had been no confrontation with any foreign vessels in the past 24 hours. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the UK made the claims \"for creating tension\". \"These claims have no value,\" Mr Zarif added, according to the Fars news agency. The relationship between the UK and Iran has become increasingly strained, after Britain said the Iranian regime was \"almost certainly\" responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in June. Tensions grew after the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker by authorities in Gibraltar, assisted by British Royal Marines. On Thursday an Iranian official told the BBC the seizure was \"unnecessary and non-constructive escalation by the UK\" and called for the tanker, Grace 1, to be released. An Iranian official previously said a British oil tanker should be seized if Grace 1 was not released. On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the UK \"scared\" and \"hopeless\" for using Royal Navy warships to shadow another British tanker in the Gulf. \"You, Britain, are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later,\" Mr Rouhani said. The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain. This is enough to provide reassurance, but probably not to deal with a crisis, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said. Ministers would now have to consider sending another Royal Navy ship to the region - but this could further escalate tensions with Iran, our correspondent said. Foreign Office officials said they were keeping the UK's military posture in the region under constant review but insisted they did not want to see tensions escalate. By Paul Adams, diplomatic correspondent The government says it absolutely doesn't want to get sucked into a confrontation with Iran, but cannot ignore the fact that life for British-flagged ships in the Gulf is becoming increasingly precarious. Hence the decision to raise the ship security level to its highest category - essentially a warning to British ships not to enter Iranian waters. This is an unusual but not unprecedented step, a reflection of the government's mounting concern. With limited military resources in the Gulf (one frigate and four mine countermeasures vessels), there's a limit to how much protection the Royal Navy can offer to British shipping. On any given day, there are between 15 and 30 large UK ships, including oil and gas tankers, in the Gulf, with between one and three transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is looking to put together a coalition to ensure freedom of navigation through the Gulf, but has yet to share details or make requests of possible partners.  With the US and Iran locked in a bitter dispute over the future of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, some countries who already participate in a 33-nation Combined Maritime Force, based in Bahrain, may be reluctant to get more involved. The Strait of Hormuz, through which all ships must pass to enter the Gulf, is so narrow - just 21 nautical miles (39km) at its narrowest - that Iranian and Omani territorial waters meet in the middle, BBC Security correspondent Frank Gardner says. So instead of sailing through international waters, ships must pass through Iranian or Omani territory which both extend 12 nautical miles out from their coasts. Ships do this under something called Rights of Straits Passage - part of a UN convention which gives ships free passage through the world's chokepoints like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Malacca Strait. In the case of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping is channelled through two lanes heading in opposite directions, each one two nautical miles wide. This is called the Traffic Separation Scheme. Both Iran and the US Navy deploy warships to patrol this area and have narrowly avoided confrontation on several occasions. Once ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Gulf they need to be wary of a contested area around the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. These are claimed by both Iran and the UAE but occupied solely by Iranian forces. It is understood British Heritage was not carrying cargo at the time of the incident with the Iranian boats. The vessel is registered at the port of Douglas, in the Isle of Man. The US has blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in May and June. On Wednesday, the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it wanted to create a multi-national military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen. However, the UK and the rest of Europe were more cautious, fearing this would escalate tensions, BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale said. It follows the Trump administration's decision to pull out of an international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme and reinforce punishing sanctions against Iran. Tehran has begun to nudge the levels of its enriched uranium beyond the limits of a nuclear deal agreed with a group of world powers. Iran's ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC Europeans must do more to compensate Tehran for economic losses inflicted by US sanctions - or Iran would continue to step up its nuclear programme.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2797, "answer_end": 3201, "text": "The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps has denied claims it tried to seize the tanker, Iranian news agencies reported. IRGC's navy said there had been no confrontation with any foreign vessels in the past 24 hours. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the UK made the claims \"for creating tension\". \"These claims have no value,\" Mr Zarif added, according to the Fars news agency."}], "question": "What does Iran say?", "id": "871_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3202, "answer_end": 4697, "text": "The relationship between the UK and Iran has become increasingly strained, after Britain said the Iranian regime was \"almost certainly\" responsible for the attacks on two oil tankers in June. Tensions grew after the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker by authorities in Gibraltar, assisted by British Royal Marines. On Thursday an Iranian official told the BBC the seizure was \"unnecessary and non-constructive escalation by the UK\" and called for the tanker, Grace 1, to be released. An Iranian official previously said a British oil tanker should be seized if Grace 1 was not released. On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the UK \"scared\" and \"hopeless\" for using Royal Navy warships to shadow another British tanker in the Gulf. \"You, Britain, are the initiator of insecurity and you will realise the consequences later,\" Mr Rouhani said. The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain. This is enough to provide reassurance, but probably not to deal with a crisis, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said. Ministers would now have to consider sending another Royal Navy ship to the region - but this could further escalate tensions with Iran, our correspondent said. Foreign Office officials said they were keeping the UK's military posture in the region under constant review but insisted they did not want to see tensions escalate."}], "question": "Why are UK-Iran tensions escalating?", "id": "871_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5942, "answer_end": 7122, "text": "The Strait of Hormuz, through which all ships must pass to enter the Gulf, is so narrow - just 21 nautical miles (39km) at its narrowest - that Iranian and Omani territorial waters meet in the middle, BBC Security correspondent Frank Gardner says. So instead of sailing through international waters, ships must pass through Iranian or Omani territory which both extend 12 nautical miles out from their coasts. Ships do this under something called Rights of Straits Passage - part of a UN convention which gives ships free passage through the world's chokepoints like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Malacca Strait. In the case of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping is channelled through two lanes heading in opposite directions, each one two nautical miles wide. This is called the Traffic Separation Scheme. Both Iran and the US Navy deploy warships to patrol this area and have narrowly avoided confrontation on several occasions. Once ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Gulf they need to be wary of a contested area around the islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. These are claimed by both Iran and the UAE but occupied solely by Iranian forces."}], "question": "Can ships in the area avoid Iranian waters?", "id": "871_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7301, "answer_end": 8203, "text": "The US has blamed Iran for attacks on six oil tankers in May and June. On Wednesday, the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it wanted to create a multi-national military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen. However, the UK and the rest of Europe were more cautious, fearing this would escalate tensions, BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale said. It follows the Trump administration's decision to pull out of an international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme and reinforce punishing sanctions against Iran. Tehran has begun to nudge the levels of its enriched uranium beyond the limits of a nuclear deal agreed with a group of world powers. Iran's ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC Europeans must do more to compensate Tehran for economic losses inflicted by US sanctions - or Iran would continue to step up its nuclear programme."}], "question": "What are US-Iran tensions about?", "id": "871_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Will Trump-style revolt engulf Europe?", "date": "11 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "First Brexit, then US President-elect Donald Trump. Now the political earthquake rattling the West threatens liberal democratic leaders in Europe, Laurence Peter writes. A nationalist backlash against mass immigration has been gaining momentum. Since 2008 populist politicians have also harnessed grassroots anger over the financial crisis, globalisation and elite leaders cushioned from hardship. Huge electoral tests are coming up for establishment politicians in the EU. Will Donald Trump's \"Brexit plus plus plus\" turn into a tsunami? A constitutional reform referendum looms on 4 December - and it is now looking like a vote of confidence in centre-left Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. He has threatened to resign if he loses the vote. Under the reform bill, the power of the Senate (upper house of parliament) would be reduced, as would the powers of regional governments. Mr Renzi says the plan will cut costs and make Italian governments more stable. Opponents say it will concentrate too much power in the executive. Opinion polls suggest he risks a narrow defeat - and that would boost Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S). In June, M5S did well in regional elections and now runs the cities of Rome and Turin. It is Eurosceptic and wants a referendum on the euro. Five Star's founder, ex-comic Beppe Grillo, tweeted that Mr Trump's election triumph was \"the apocalypse for information, TV, the big newspapers, the intellectuals, the journalists\". Italy PM bets on Obama referendum blessing On the same day as the Italian vote, Western Europe could also see a far-right head of state elected for the first time since World War Two - Austrian presidential candidate Norbert Hofer. In May, former Green Party politician Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly beat Mr Hofer by less than 1% of the vote. But that result was annulled by the country's highest court because of problems with the way postal votes were counted. So Austrians will go back to the polls. The presidency is a mainly ceremonial post, but a win for Mr Hofer would be a hugely symbolic triumph for the far-right, anti-immigration Freedom Party. Could Austria's 16-year-olds derail far-right vote? Anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders expressed joy at Donald Trump's victory, and adapted one of the Trump slogans, by tweeting: \"We will make the Netherlands great again\". The Netherlands will hold parliamentary elections on 15 March - the first in a crucial election year for countries at the heart of the EU. \"I will give the Netherlands back to the Dutch,\" Mr Wilders said. That echoed the successful \"take back control\" slogan of the Brexit camp in the UK's 23 June referendum, which set the UK on course to leave the EU. According to a De Hond opinion poll on 6 November, Mr Wilders's populist Freedom Party (PVV) is likely to get 27 seats - so it is neck-and-neck with the liberal VVD of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Even if the PVV fails to form a ruling coalition it looks set to remain a powerful influence on Dutch policy. Mr Wilders is currently on trial, charged with inciting racial hatred. Nationalist surge challenges Europe National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen is shaking up French politics and is widely expected to get through to the second round of the presidential election in May 2017. Her anti-EU, anti-immigration FN got more than 27% of the vote gains in regional elections in December. But it did not get control of any region, because the two main parties collaborated to defeat it. The centre-right Republicans and centre-left Socialists are expected to repeat those tactics against Ms Le Pen in the presidential vote, if she makes it to the second round. She praised Donald Trump, tweeting that \"a new world is emerging, the global balance of power is being redefined because of Trump's election\". She also mocked the ruling French elite, including the country's top newspapers, for having backed Hillary Clinton. Socialist President Francois Hollande has slumped to the lowest approval rating of any French president since World War Two. Ms Le Pen said the British, with their Brexit vote, had \"fired the first shot\" in the battle against Europe's elites. France will hold parliamentary elections next June. The FN currently has two seats in the National Assembly. The nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) threatens to woo more voters from both left and right of the political spectrum, in the run-up to parliamentary elections in September 2017. The AfD has made gains against Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) in regional elections. Opposition to Mrs Merkel's \"open-door\" policy towards refugees in 2015 boosted the AfD's support. What does Alternative for Germany (AfD) want? In September the AfD came second in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with almost 21%, behind the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD - 30.6%) but ahead of the conservative CDU (19%). The AfD is widely expected to get at least 10% in the parliamentary elections. It has MPs in nine of Germany's 16 state parliaments, but none yet in the federal parliament. Although it was created by a group of anti-euro economists, the party has gradually shifted further to the right, with anti-Islam rhetoric. Germany's Focus news website says there are clear parallels between the discontent that produced the Brexit and Trump victories and the grievances of AfD supporters. The backlash could equally give the AfD a \"surprise success\" in the 2017 federal elections, it says. Mrs Merkel has not said yet whether she will run for a fourth term as chancellor next year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1513, "answer_end": 2181, "text": "On the same day as the Italian vote, Western Europe could also see a far-right head of state elected for the first time since World War Two - Austrian presidential candidate Norbert Hofer. In May, former Green Party politician Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly beat Mr Hofer by less than 1% of the vote. But that result was annulled by the country's highest court because of problems with the way postal votes were counted. So Austrians will go back to the polls. The presidency is a mainly ceremonial post, but a win for Mr Hofer would be a hugely symbolic triumph for the far-right, anti-immigration Freedom Party. Could Austria's 16-year-olds derail far-right vote?"}], "question": "Sharp right turn in Austria?", "id": "872_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3120, "answer_end": 4277, "text": "National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen is shaking up French politics and is widely expected to get through to the second round of the presidential election in May 2017. Her anti-EU, anti-immigration FN got more than 27% of the vote gains in regional elections in December. But it did not get control of any region, because the two main parties collaborated to defeat it. The centre-right Republicans and centre-left Socialists are expected to repeat those tactics against Ms Le Pen in the presidential vote, if she makes it to the second round. She praised Donald Trump, tweeting that \"a new world is emerging, the global balance of power is being redefined because of Trump's election\". She also mocked the ruling French elite, including the country's top newspapers, for having backed Hillary Clinton. Socialist President Francois Hollande has slumped to the lowest approval rating of any French president since World War Two. Ms Le Pen said the British, with their Brexit vote, had \"fired the first shot\" in the battle against Europe's elites. France will hold parliamentary elections next June. The FN currently has two seats in the National Assembly."}], "question": "New French revolution?", "id": "872_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Plans for first US 'safe injection site' derailed again", "date": "28 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Plans to open the first \"safe drug injection site\" in the US have been scrapped after widespread opposition in Philadelphia. The proposed centre, where people with addictions could receive medical help to inject drugs, was due to open next week. However, Safehouse, the charity behind the proposed safe injection facility (SIF), withdrew the plan on Thursday. The backlash it faced laid bare the controversy over SIFs in the US. A protest was planned for Sunday in South Philadelphia and an online petition to stop the site from being built gathered over 5,800 signatures within 12 hours. The outpouring of community anger prompted the charity to postpone the opening of the SIF days after winning a two-year court battle for the right to operate. \"We're going to take a pause, even though we are legally entitled to open,\" Ronda Goldfein, the charity's vice president said. The group said it would seek to have \"meaningful conversations\" with the community before going forward. Meanwhile, the US attorney for Pennsylvania's Eastern District has said he will appeal against the ruling that cleared Safehouse to open the SIF. The battle is latest hurdle to opening a safe injection facility in the US. Such places, sometimes called \"fixing rooms\", have existed in Europe since the 1970s and were pioneered in London as early as in the 1960s. Advocates say that by providing places with medical help for people with addictions to inject, more overdose deaths can be prevented and more people who need help can be reached. However, they are controversial, especially in the US, where attempts to open a SIF have repeatedly failed amid legal and local concern. A site that was to have opened in Seattle, Washington in 2018 was stopped by a lawsuit. Over half a dozen states have put forward bills supporting SIFs, but have seen efforts similarly stalled. On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Safehouse's plans to open a SIF on South Broad Street in South Philadelphia - a neighbourhood at the centre of an addiction crisis in the city - was legal, prompting the charity to announce plans to open next week. The swift decision angered residents. Dino Cavaliere, a local estate agent, told BBC: \"This isn't right, not only for the community, but for the addict.\" The neighbourhood near the SIF could become a place where dealers easily target people with addiction on their way to the site, Mr Cavaliere, 55, said. Addicts might also encounter children. \"This is personal to me,\" he said. \"My son passed away from addiction, 22 years old.\" An online petition against the SIF started by Mr Cavaliere drew 5,800 supporters in half a day. About 100 SIFs are currently in operation worldwide, mostly in Europe, Canada in Australia. Studies largely found them to be effective at reducing overdose fatalities. However, advocates have not been able to assuage opponents' concerns that SIFs increase drug use. The idea of SIFs is \"all just theory,\" said Mr Cavaliere. \"People don't understand the mindset of the addicted person,\" he said. \"If you're really concerned, then make a rehab centre.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1126, "answer_end": 1851, "text": "The battle is latest hurdle to opening a safe injection facility in the US. Such places, sometimes called \"fixing rooms\", have existed in Europe since the 1970s and were pioneered in London as early as in the 1960s. Advocates say that by providing places with medical help for people with addictions to inject, more overdose deaths can be prevented and more people who need help can be reached. However, they are controversial, especially in the US, where attempts to open a SIF have repeatedly failed amid legal and local concern. A site that was to have opened in Seattle, Washington in 2018 was stopped by a lawsuit. Over half a dozen states have put forward bills supporting SIFs, but have seen efforts similarly stalled."}], "question": "What is a safe injection facility?", "id": "873_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1852, "answer_end": 3083, "text": "On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Safehouse's plans to open a SIF on South Broad Street in South Philadelphia - a neighbourhood at the centre of an addiction crisis in the city - was legal, prompting the charity to announce plans to open next week. The swift decision angered residents. Dino Cavaliere, a local estate agent, told BBC: \"This isn't right, not only for the community, but for the addict.\" The neighbourhood near the SIF could become a place where dealers easily target people with addiction on their way to the site, Mr Cavaliere, 55, said. Addicts might also encounter children. \"This is personal to me,\" he said. \"My son passed away from addiction, 22 years old.\" An online petition against the SIF started by Mr Cavaliere drew 5,800 supporters in half a day. About 100 SIFs are currently in operation worldwide, mostly in Europe, Canada in Australia. Studies largely found them to be effective at reducing overdose fatalities. However, advocates have not been able to assuage opponents' concerns that SIFs increase drug use. The idea of SIFs is \"all just theory,\" said Mr Cavaliere. \"People don't understand the mindset of the addicted person,\" he said. \"If you're really concerned, then make a rehab centre.\""}], "question": "What happened in Philadelphia?", "id": "873_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Japan reveals name of new imperial era will be 'Reiwa'", "date": "1 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Japan has announced that the name of its new imperial era, set to begin on 1 May, will be \"Reiwa\" - signifying order and harmony. The country's current era, Heisei, will end in a month with Emperor Akihito's historic abdication. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the highly anticipated name by holding up a board with the characters handwritten on it. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has addressed the nation to explain its meaning. Each Japanese emperor's reign is given a name, or \"gengo\", that is then used alongside the Western calendar to mark the years. The term for the new era is made up of the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei can mean \"commands\" or \"order\", as well as \"auspicious\" or \"good\". Wa often means \"harmony\", and is also used in the Japanese word for \"peace\" - \"hei-wa\". It is the first time an era name has been taken from an old anthology of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu, instead of a Chinese one, Mr Abe said. The Manyoshu symbolises Japan's \"profound public culture and long tradition\", he said. \"Our nation is facing up to a big turning point, but there are lots of Japanese values that shouldn't fade away,\" Mr Abe told reporters. The Manyoshu, which dates back to the 8th Century, depicts the auspicious month (\"reigetsu\") in early spring when the winds have become temperate (\"fu-wa\"). There have been only four eras in Japan's modern history. Emperor Akihito's current gengo, Heisei, which means \"achieving peace\", was preceded by the Showa era (1926-1989), which can be translated as \"enlightened harmony\". Before that, the Taisho era (1912-1926) meant \"great righteousness\", while the Meiji era (1868-1912) meant \"enlightened rule\" in English. Each era name aims to set the tone for the upcoming decades, and remains significant to most Japanese in their daily life. The gengo appears on coins, newspapers, driving licences and official paperwork. Monday's unveiling of the name follows weeks of speculation and top-secret cabinet discussions. The term was eventually chosen from a selection drawn up by a panel of scholars and experts. Although still widely used, the gengo calendar is declining in popularity as Japan opens up to global influence. According to a recent survey in Japan's Mainichi newspaper, a third of people mostly used the gengo system, compared to 82% in 1975, while 25% preferred the Western calendar. Since both calendars use Western months, many people simply use them alongside each other. Japan's government confirmed in December 2017 that the current emperor, 85-year old Akihito, would abdicate in April 2019 due to old age and hand the throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito. He will be the first Japanese emperor to do so in more than two centuries. Usually, a new era is revealed only when one emperor has died and his successor has taken the throne. Things are different this time round, however, due to the abdication. The announcement was made one month early so government offices and companies can update computer software and prepare for the transition before it comes into effect next month.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 569, "answer_end": 1681, "text": "The term for the new era is made up of the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei can mean \"commands\" or \"order\", as well as \"auspicious\" or \"good\". Wa often means \"harmony\", and is also used in the Japanese word for \"peace\" - \"hei-wa\". It is the first time an era name has been taken from an old anthology of Japanese poems, the Manyoshu, instead of a Chinese one, Mr Abe said. The Manyoshu symbolises Japan's \"profound public culture and long tradition\", he said. \"Our nation is facing up to a big turning point, but there are lots of Japanese values that shouldn't fade away,\" Mr Abe told reporters. The Manyoshu, which dates back to the 8th Century, depicts the auspicious month (\"reigetsu\") in early spring when the winds have become temperate (\"fu-wa\"). There have been only four eras in Japan's modern history. Emperor Akihito's current gengo, Heisei, which means \"achieving peace\", was preceded by the Showa era (1926-1989), which can be translated as \"enlightened harmony\". Before that, the Taisho era (1912-1926) meant \"great righteousness\", while the Meiji era (1868-1912) meant \"enlightened rule\" in English."}], "question": "What does Reiwa mean?", "id": "874_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1682, "answer_end": 2453, "text": "Each era name aims to set the tone for the upcoming decades, and remains significant to most Japanese in their daily life. The gengo appears on coins, newspapers, driving licences and official paperwork. Monday's unveiling of the name follows weeks of speculation and top-secret cabinet discussions. The term was eventually chosen from a selection drawn up by a panel of scholars and experts. Although still widely used, the gengo calendar is declining in popularity as Japan opens up to global influence. According to a recent survey in Japan's Mainichi newspaper, a third of people mostly used the gengo system, compared to 82% in 1975, while 25% preferred the Western calendar. Since both calendars use Western months, many people simply use them alongside each other."}], "question": "How significant is an imperial era?", "id": "874_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2454, "answer_end": 3070, "text": "Japan's government confirmed in December 2017 that the current emperor, 85-year old Akihito, would abdicate in April 2019 due to old age and hand the throne to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito. He will be the first Japanese emperor to do so in more than two centuries. Usually, a new era is revealed only when one emperor has died and his successor has taken the throne. Things are different this time round, however, due to the abdication. The announcement was made one month early so government offices and companies can update computer software and prepare for the transition before it comes into effect next month."}], "question": "Why will the current emperor abdicate?", "id": "874_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What markets are really worried about", "date": "20 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It has been a dismal start to the year for global stock markets. For Wall Street the first week has been described as the worst start ever. In the first two weeks of 2016, Frankfurt and Tokyo fell by double-digit percentages. In New York the fall was 9%, in London 8%. But the eye of the storm was China, where the main index in Shanghai lost 19% of its value in the same period. Commodity prices have also tumbled.  Crude oil prices fell to below $30 a barrel for the first time in nearly 12 years. At times share prices have followed oil downwards. That is to be expected for the shares of companies in the oil business, but for others it reduces costs and leaves consumers with more to spend on their products. So what is going on? Do these financial market developments tell us anything about the state of the global economy? The fundamental forces are not new. There is the slowdown in emerging economies' growth. China is the outstanding example, but certainly not the only one. It was the Chinese market where the instability began, and spread around the world. China growth: The difference 0.1% can make Is slower growth China's 'new normal'? How are countries being affected by falling oil prices? In itself, the Chinese stock market is not the fundamental international problem.  Yes, it is a serious problem for those Chinese investors who bought shares when prices were high. They have lost a great deal of money. But there are too few of them for it to have a likely dramatic impact on consumer spending in China. And there are too few foreign investors in the Chinese market for there to be serious losses inflicted outside the country as a direct consequence. It's not just the stock market. The currency, the yuan, has also been under pressure. It has also lost ground this year, though not on the scale of the stock market. The official, or onshore, rate moved down by nearly 2% in the first week. It is in part a sign of Chinese savers wanting to get their money out, wondering what sort of return they will get in China. There is also a concern that if they delay the currency will fall further and they will get less for their money. Some suggest that there is also a possibility of the decline in the yuan turning into a full-blown loss of confidence. These financial market pressures on China are in part at least a symptom of the wider and much discussed economic slowdown. Ever since China's economy began to lose some pace, there has been uncertainty about how well the authorities would manage the process. Certainly China needed to slow to a more sustainable pace. But would the path be a rocky one, with too abrupt a slowdown? So far, the official figures suggest a significant but not catastrophic slowdown in growth. After three decades of 10% average growth, China slowed to 6.9% last year, according to the official figures just published. The IMF's new assessment of the economic outlook predicts further easing of the pace to 6.3% this year and 6.0% in 2017. Certainly these figures are viewed with extreme scepticism by some, but not all. The Economist said last week in anticipation of a 2015 figure of close to 7% \"that figure may be an overestimate but it is not entirely divorced from reality\". What is clear is that it is substantially slower than it was just five or six years ago. The new IMF World Economic Outlook notes that China has experienced a \"faster-than-expected slowdown in imports and exports, in part reflecting weaker investment and manufacturing activity\". Now it is true that all those trends are widely seen as necessary, inevitable and even desirable. China's investment levels are very high and could not be sustained. It has been widely expected that the economy would shift towards services with less emphasis on manufacturing.  Service industries mean more emphasis on Chinese consumers, less on exports and less need for imports of industrial raw materials. The unnerving bit in the IMF comment is the \"faster than expected\". The market wobbles were not driven by the IMF report - it has only just been published in the past 24 hours. But they are partly about whether the slowdown might be a crash rather than a gentle deceleration. The jitters about the economic outlook are not just over China.  The IMF's new forecast downgrades the outlook for the emerging and developing countries. The ones that stand out are Russia and Brazil. That's partly about the low prices of oil and other commodities as well as political problems, external for Russia, domestic for Brazil. There's also a hefty downgrade in the forecast for South Africa. The broad picture from the new IMF forecast is for a modest acceleration in global economic growth this year and a little more in 2017.  But there are also risks and they are bothering the markets. The uncertainty about China is one. There are also risks from the strong dollar. At bottom the strength of the dollar is down to the fact that the US economy is recovering better than most of the developed nations, which in itself is good news for the US's trade partners - in other words, a lot of countries. But there is a downside. The US recovery has led to the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates last month and the widely shared expectation that it will take more such steps this year. These moves will be gradual, but the impact of the upward trend in US interest rates is already apparent. The prospect of higher returns in the US has encouraged investors to sell assets in other countries and buy dollars, pushing the currency higher. The converse of that is weaker currencies for many emerging economies. The IMF's chief economist, Maurice Obstfeld, said that effect can be a useful shock absorber up to a point. It makes those countries' industries more competitive. But if they have debts in dollars they become more of a burden. Higher interest rates in the US also mean they are likely to face higher rates themselves. That effect could be magnified if international investors become more wary about what they perceive to be risky assets. Add all those factors together and you could have the potential for a serious debt problem, at least in some countries. The IMF also warns of a risk of a sudden rise in global risk aversion - essentially investors in the markets becoming sensitive to the risks and shifting towards what are perceived as safe assets such as US government bonds (its debts) and gold. There has been a bit of that going on already in the markets as investors sold shares and commodities, including oil. Some observers think that many markets were riding for a fall. Asset prices were pumped up by ultra-low interest rates in the developed world and also by the central banks that have engaged in quantitative easing, buying financial assets with newly created money. That happened with shares, with bonds and with commodities. For commodities the boom is well and truly over, partly due to the slowdown in China and in the case of oil mainly due to plentiful supplies. Clearly there are some troublesome developments and the IMF has a warning: \"If these key challenges are not successfully managed, global growth could be derailed.\" That at bottom is what the markets are worried about.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2273, "answer_end": 3322, "text": "These financial market pressures on China are in part at least a symptom of the wider and much discussed economic slowdown. Ever since China's economy began to lose some pace, there has been uncertainty about how well the authorities would manage the process. Certainly China needed to slow to a more sustainable pace. But would the path be a rocky one, with too abrupt a slowdown? So far, the official figures suggest a significant but not catastrophic slowdown in growth. After three decades of 10% average growth, China slowed to 6.9% last year, according to the official figures just published. The IMF's new assessment of the economic outlook predicts further easing of the pace to 6.3% this year and 6.0% in 2017. Certainly these figures are viewed with extreme scepticism by some, but not all. The Economist said last week in anticipation of a 2015 figure of close to 7% \"that figure may be an overestimate but it is not entirely divorced from reality\". What is clear is that it is substantially slower than it was just five or six years ago."}], "question": "Rocky path?", "id": "875_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6188, "answer_end": 7235, "text": "The IMF also warns of a risk of a sudden rise in global risk aversion - essentially investors in the markets becoming sensitive to the risks and shifting towards what are perceived as safe assets such as US government bonds (its debts) and gold. There has been a bit of that going on already in the markets as investors sold shares and commodities, including oil. Some observers think that many markets were riding for a fall. Asset prices were pumped up by ultra-low interest rates in the developed world and also by the central banks that have engaged in quantitative easing, buying financial assets with newly created money. That happened with shares, with bonds and with commodities. For commodities the boom is well and truly over, partly due to the slowdown in China and in the case of oil mainly due to plentiful supplies. Clearly there are some troublesome developments and the IMF has a warning: \"If these key challenges are not successfully managed, global growth could be derailed.\" That at bottom is what the markets are worried about."}], "question": "Boom over?", "id": "875_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Huawei set for limited role in UK 5G networks", "date": "28 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK has decided to let Huawei continue to be used in its 5G networks but with restrictions, despite pressure from the US to block the firm. The Chinese firm will be banned from supplying kit to \"sensitive parts\" of the network, known as the core. In addition, it will only be allowed to account for 35% of the kit in a network's periphery, which includes radio masts. And it will be excluded from areas near military bases and nuclear sites. Downing Street said that Boris Johnson had spoken to President Trump to explain the move. \"The prime minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies,\" it said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously suggested that use of Huawei's equipment posed a spying risk, saying that \"we won't be able to share information\" with nations that put it into their \"critical information systems\". But the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the decision would not affect the UK's intelligence-sharing relationship with the US and other close allies. \"Nothing in this review affects this country's ability to share highly-sensitive intelligence data over highly-secure networks both within the UK and our partners, including the Five Eyes,\" the minister told the House of Commons. A document published by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) indicates that the UK's networks will have three years to comply with the caps on the use of Huawei's equipment. \"Huawei is reassured by the UK government's confirmation that we can continue working with our customers to keep the 5G rollout on track,\" the firm's UK chief Victor Zhang said in a statement. \"It gives the UK access to world-leading technology and ensures a competitive market.\" The prime minister had faced pressure from the US and some Conservative MPs to block the Chinese tech giant on the grounds of national security. A Trump administration official has said the US \"is disappointed\" with the decision. Beijing had warned the UK there could be \"substantial\" repercussions to other trade and investment plans had the company been banned outright. The choice has been described as the biggest test of Boris Johnson's post-Brexit strategy to date. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican member of the US Senate Intelligence Committee  tweeted his dismay. \"I fear London has freed itself from Brussels only to cede sovereignty to Beijing,\" he posted. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the same committee, said he too was \"disappointed by the UK's decision today, especially since the security risks are so well understood\". But he added that he remained committed to working with the UK. Newt Gingrich, a former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, described it as a \"strategic defeat\" for his country. Huawei has always denied that it would help the Chinese government attack one of its clients. The firm's founder has said he would \"shut the company down\" rather than aid \"any spying activities\". Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, tweeted that the government's \"statement leaves many concerns and does not close the UK's networks to a frequently malign international actor\". Three out of four of the UK's mobile networks had already decided to use and deploy Huawei's 5G products outside the core in the \"periphery\". Two of them - Vodafone and EE - now face having to reduce their reliance on the supplier, as more than 35% of their existing radio access network equipment was made by it. The cap also applies to the Shenzen-based firm's involvement in the rollout of full-fibre broadband. According to a government report published last June, Huawei currently has a 45% share of that market. \"We want world-class connectivity as soon as possible but this must not be at the expense of our national security,\" said Britain's digital secretary Baroness Morgan. \"High-risk vendors never have been and never will be in our most sensitive networks,\" she said referring to government and intelligence systems. BT has some of Huawei's equipment in the core of its EE network but is in the process of replacing it. \"This is a good compromise between alleviating 'security' concerns and making sure that the 5G UK market is not harmed,\" commented Dimitris Mavrakis, a telecoms analyst at ABI Research. \"It means there will be minimal disruption to existing 5G rollout plans.\" The government has also said the UK needs to \"improve the diversity in the supply of equipment\" to the country's telecom networks. Beyond Huawei, the world's four main providers are: - Nokia - a Finnish company - Ericsson - a Swedish company - Samsung - a South Korean company - ZTE - a Chinese company that the country's government part-owns At present, the UK is mostly dependent on Huawei, Nokia and Ericsson - a situation that has caused the NCSC's technical director to claim that the \"market is broken\". \"That's crazy,\" Dr Ian Levy added. \"We need to diversify the market significantly in the UK so that we have a more robust supply base to enable the long-term security of the UK networks and to ensure we do not end up nationally dependent on any vendor.\" In response, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has said it will now support \"the emergence of new, disruptive entrants to the supply chain\" and promote \"the adoption of open, interoperable standards\". The new rules still have to be debated and approved by MPs. Tim Morrison, a former US National Security Council official, urged them to rebel. \"There is still time for backbenchers in both parties to save the special relationship and the privacy rights of Britons if they vote to block this mistake by the government.\" A mobile phone network's core is sometimes likened to its heart or brain. It is where voice and other data is routed across various sub-networks and computer servers to ensure it gets to its desired destination. This involves: - authenticating subscribers so that specific users only get access to the services they have paid for and opted into - sending a call to the right radio tower to connect to another person's mobile phone - managing facilities such as call-forwarding and voicemail - delivering SMS messages and multimedia from one handset to another - routing data back and forth to third-party services such as apps and websites - keeping track of usage to calculate an individual's bill While once, a lot of this involved physical equipment known as routers and switches, in the 5G world much of this kit has been \"virtualised\". That means software rather than specialised hardware now takes care of much of the job. This opens the door to new capabilities. But a perceived risk is that it could also open the system up to new kinds of attack. And even if encryption means the information being handled cannot be spied upon, the fear is that a rogue participant could still crash the network - or at least disrupt the data flow. The core is distinct from the Radio Access Network, which is sometimes referred to as the \"periphery\". The RAN includes the base stations and antennas used to provide a link between individual mobile devices and the core. Insiders sometimes describe this as the \"innovative but dumb\" part of the network. That is because new traffic management software and other advances mean more traffic can be handled than before, but the equipment does not actually affect what happens to the data itself beyond transmitting it back and forth. Although it has commonly been reported that Huawei's advantage here is cost, industry insiders say a bigger advantage is that it can currently do the same job as its rivals using fewer antennas. That means fewer planning permission requests need to be approved, and 5G can be rolled out more quickly as a result. The theory is that by limiting Huawei to the RAN but banning it from the core, the authorities make the risk of its involvement more \"manageable\". The Trump administration's cyber-security chiefs, along with their Australian counterparts, contend that over time the \"edge\" -  the name given to the boundary between the core and periphery - will disappear, as more and more sensitive operations are carried out closer to users. As a result, they claim it will no longer be possible to keep Huawei, and by extension the Chinese state, out of the network's most sensitive areas. UK network operators acknowledge that over time more functions will indeed move from centralised sites to individual exchanges and even base stations themselves. But they are adamant that they can still design the architecture of their networks to keep the core distinct and protected. Read more", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5750, "answer_end": 6990, "text": "A mobile phone network's core is sometimes likened to its heart or brain. It is where voice and other data is routed across various sub-networks and computer servers to ensure it gets to its desired destination. This involves: - authenticating subscribers so that specific users only get access to the services they have paid for and opted into - sending a call to the right radio tower to connect to another person's mobile phone - managing facilities such as call-forwarding and voicemail - delivering SMS messages and multimedia from one handset to another - routing data back and forth to third-party services such as apps and websites - keeping track of usage to calculate an individual's bill While once, a lot of this involved physical equipment known as routers and switches, in the 5G world much of this kit has been \"virtualised\". That means software rather than specialised hardware now takes care of much of the job. This opens the door to new capabilities. But a perceived risk is that it could also open the system up to new kinds of attack. And even if encryption means the information being handled cannot be spied upon, the fear is that a rogue participant could still crash the network - or at least disrupt the data flow."}], "question": "What is the core and why is Huawei being kept out of it?", "id": "876_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6991, "answer_end": 7982, "text": "The core is distinct from the Radio Access Network, which is sometimes referred to as the \"periphery\". The RAN includes the base stations and antennas used to provide a link between individual mobile devices and the core. Insiders sometimes describe this as the \"innovative but dumb\" part of the network. That is because new traffic management software and other advances mean more traffic can be handled than before, but the equipment does not actually affect what happens to the data itself beyond transmitting it back and forth. Although it has commonly been reported that Huawei's advantage here is cost, industry insiders say a bigger advantage is that it can currently do the same job as its rivals using fewer antennas. That means fewer planning permission requests need to be approved, and 5G can be rolled out more quickly as a result. The theory is that by limiting Huawei to the RAN but banning it from the core, the authorities make the risk of its involvement more \"manageable\"."}], "question": "How does this differ from the rest of the network?", "id": "876_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Cat attack: Moscow man faces five years in jail", "date": "31 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A man is facing up to five years in prison in Moscow for allegedly using a cat as a weapon to attack a police officer, Russian media report. The suspect, named as Gennady Shcherbakov, reportedly shook and threw the feline when approached by police at an apartment block in the city. The officer, who was responding to noise complaints from residents, was \"seriously scratched\" in his face. Mr Shcherbakov, 59, is facing criminal charges of violence against police. The case was opened on Wednesday, more than a year after the incident took place, Telegram channel Baza reported. According to Russian broadcaster Ren TV, on 4 October 2018 Mr Shcherbakov was sitting at the foot of a stairwell in a residential building in the Russian capital of Moscow. He had allegedly been drinking heavily. Residents reported a disturbance, but when a police officer entered the property Mr Shcherbakov refused to co-operate or answer any questions, Ren TV reported. Mr Shcherbakov is then accused of grabbing a nearby cat and launching it at the officer. The animal reportedly clung to the officer's face, sinking its claws in. Mr Shcherbakov, who is not a resident of the apartment block where the incident took place, denies using the cat as a weapon and has claimed that it jumped at the officer of its own will. The case has been brought under Article 318 of the criminal code, which cites use of violence against a public official. It is not clear why it has taken a year to open the criminal case, or what happened to the cat.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 579, "answer_end": 1518, "text": "According to Russian broadcaster Ren TV, on 4 October 2018 Mr Shcherbakov was sitting at the foot of a stairwell in a residential building in the Russian capital of Moscow. He had allegedly been drinking heavily. Residents reported a disturbance, but when a police officer entered the property Mr Shcherbakov refused to co-operate or answer any questions, Ren TV reported. Mr Shcherbakov is then accused of grabbing a nearby cat and launching it at the officer. The animal reportedly clung to the officer's face, sinking its claws in. Mr Shcherbakov, who is not a resident of the apartment block where the incident took place, denies using the cat as a weapon and has claimed that it jumped at the officer of its own will. The case has been brought under Article 318 of the criminal code, which cites use of violence against a public official. It is not clear why it has taken a year to open the criminal case, or what happened to the cat."}], "question": "What is alleged to have happened?", "id": "877_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Uzbekistan bans video games over 'distorting values'", "date": "30 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Uzbekistan has banned a long list of computer games deemed to be \"distorting values\" and \"threatening stability\". The list includes several violent games but also global hits like Grand Theft Auto and innocuous classics like The Sims. The ban makes it illegal to import and distribute the games across the central Asian country. Reactions online have been swift and range from ridicule and anger to genuine support. Authorities say the games could be \"used to propagate violence, pornography, threaten security and social and political stability\". There is also concern they might disturb \"civil peace and inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony\". Another reason given is the potential \"distribution of false information about Uzbekistan and the distortion of its historic, cultural and spiritual values.\" The ban is a continuation of the government's efforts to keep young people away from influences that it deems \"destructive\". The list of 34 games ranges from ego-shooters to horror or erotic games and has been approved by a government commission. It also includes global hits like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTA), Call of Duty: Black Ops, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat and Doom. The list even contains apparently innocuous games The Sims, a life simulation game series which is one of the best-selling video games series of all time. Most of the games are widely popular and readily available in internet cafes across the country or as pirated Russian-language copies on DVD. Social media is rife with commentary about the ban. Overwhelmingly, there's been condemnation and ridicule for what many users describe as a \"foolish\" move. \"They want to cultivate patriotism in the youth, yet the ban will only make things worse,\" writes  one user identified as danilakhaidarov. Others are criticising the measure as a waste of time and effort when there are serious economic and social problems that need tackling. But there's also support: Facebook user Azizbek Inoyatov posts that the ban is \"right; we should not be filling our minds with violence.\" User 'maksuda_umurzakova' comments that \"it is high time! Those who do not like it can go to those countries where all this... is normal!\" BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on TwitterandFacebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1499, "answer_end": 2356, "text": "Social media is rife with commentary about the ban. Overwhelmingly, there's been condemnation and ridicule for what many users describe as a \"foolish\" move. \"They want to cultivate patriotism in the youth, yet the ban will only make things worse,\" writes  one user identified as danilakhaidarov. Others are criticising the measure as a waste of time and effort when there are serious economic and social problems that need tackling. But there's also support: Facebook user Azizbek Inoyatov posts that the ban is \"right; we should not be filling our minds with violence.\" User 'maksuda_umurzakova' comments that \"it is high time! Those who do not like it can go to those countries where all this... is normal!\" BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on TwitterandFacebook."}], "question": "What's the online reaction?", "id": "878_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hillary Clinton 'under enormous pressure' to run in 2020", "date": "12 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hillary Clinton has said she is \"under enormous pressure\" to challenge US President Donald Trump in next year's White House election. The former Democratic presidential nominee refused to rule it out, telling the BBC: \"Never say never.\" Mrs Clinton, 72, said she thinks \"all the time\" about what kind of president she would have been if she had beaten Mr Trump in 2016. Seventeen Democrats are already vying to lead the party in 2020. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett while in the UK on a book tour, Mrs Clinton was asked whether she would run again. The former secretary of state, New York senator and US first lady replied: \"I think all the time about what kind of president I would have been and what I would have done differently and what I think it would have meant to our country and the world. \"So of course I think about it, I think about it all the time. Being able to do that, and look, whoever wins next time is going to have a big task trying to fix everything that's been broken.\" Pressed on whether she would throw her hat into the ring at the last minute, Mrs Clinton said: \"I, as I say, never, never, never say never. \"I will certainly tell you, I'm under enormous pressure from many, many, many people to think about it. \"But as of this moment, sitting here in this studio talking to you, that is absolutely not in my plans.\" Mrs Clinton did not elaborate on who was pressuring her to mount what would be her third White House campaign. The interview in London came as she promoted The Book of Gutsy Women, which she has co-written with her daughter, Chelsea Clinton. The Democratic race is still largely up in the air even as the first of the state-by-state votes that will decide which of the contenders challenges Mr Trump looms in Iowa in February. The perceived vulnerability of one front-runner, Joe Biden, has spurred former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to take steps to enter the fray. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a close ally of former President Barack Obama, is also reportedly considering jumping into the race. But the deadline has already passed to file on the Democratic primary ballot in several states, including New Hampshire, which also votes in February. The filing deadline for Alabama expired last week, and the deadline for Mrs Clinton's former political heartland of Arkansas was on Tuesday. Some of the 14 states that will vote on so-called Super Tuesday in March have filing deadlines next month. Political gossip about whether Mrs Clinton might jump into the White House race continues to set tongues wagging in Washington DC. Some of this speculation has been stoked by the Clintons themselves. Last month when Mr Trump goaded Mrs Clinton to enter the presidential race, she retorted in a tweet: \"Don't tempt me. Do your job.\" At a Georgetown University event in Washington DC in October, former President Bill Clinton said of his wife, who was sitting beside him: \"She may or may not ever run for anything.\" Election day is less than a year away now and the race to become the Democratic challenger to Donald Trump is hotting up. The latest polling suggests Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are the front-runners, while Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg are not far behind.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2985, "answer_end": 3248, "text": "Election day is less than a year away now and the race to become the Democratic challenger to Donald Trump is hotting up. The latest polling suggests Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are the front-runners, while Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg are not far behind."}], "question": "Who will take on Trump in 2020?", "id": "879_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'Catholic majority possible' in NI by 2021", "date": "19 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is likely Catholics will outnumber Protestants by 2021 in Northern Ireland, according to a leading academic. Dr Paul Nolan, who specialises in monitoring the peace process and social trends, told BBC News NI that there could be more Catholics than Protestants in Northern Ireland by the centenary of the foundation of the state. However, he says unionists should not be too alarmed because coming from a Catholic or Protestant community background does not necessarily equate with support for a United Ireland or for remaining in the UK. The last census in 2011 put the Protestant population at 48%, just 3% more than Catholics at 45%. More recent figures from 2016 show that among those of working age 44% are now Catholic and 40% Protestant. The difference is even more marked among schoolchildren with 51% Catholic, 37% Protestant. Only among the over 60s is there a majority of Protestants with 57%, compared to Catholics on 35%. Dr Nolan said: \"Three years from now we will end up, I think, in the ironic situation on the centenary of the state where we actually have a state that has a Catholic majority.\" Looking at the last census in 2011, Mr Nolan points out although 45% identified as being from a Catholic background, only 25% claimed an exclusively Irish identity. He said: \"The future of unionism depends entirely upon one thing - and I mean unionism with a small 'u' - it depends on winning the support of people who do not regard themselves to be unionists with a capital 'U'. \"In other words people who do not identify with the traditional trappings of unionism; people who would give their support for a UK government framework and that's a sizeable proportion of Catholics provided they are not alienated by any form of triumphalism or anything that seems to be a rejection of their cultural identity as nationalists.\" It is likely there will be \"more examination of what a United Ireland might mean,\" according to Dr Nolan. \"Does it mean one parliament in Dublin or two parliaments? One in Belfast and one in Dublin? \"I think the more that gets unpacked, the more opinion will move back and forward. Its not going to go just in one direction. Dismissing opinion polls declaring support for a united Ireland, Dr Nolan says the polls ask the wrong question. \"If we got to the situation where people go into a polling booth and have to put the mark against a united Ireland, it's very hard for anyone to predict it. Just ask Hillary Clinton, ask David Cameron, ask Theresa May: were they right to put their faith in the opinion polls? I don't think so.\" Meanwhile the Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald responded to the DUP leader Arlene Foster saying she would \"probably\" leave in the event of a united Ireland. Ms McDonald told BBC News NI: \"Of course unionists have to be at home in a new Ireland. It has to be as much a home for Arlene Foster and her family as for mine. \"So, yes, let's have the discussion. \"As far as I'm concerned nothing is taboo. Let's talk about the flag, let's talk about the anthem, let's talk about every nuance and every aspect of Irish life north and south.\" Update 31 January 2020: This article was amended to clarify that religious affiliation does not necessarily denote political affiliation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1840, "answer_end": 3249, "text": "It is likely there will be \"more examination of what a United Ireland might mean,\" according to Dr Nolan. \"Does it mean one parliament in Dublin or two parliaments? One in Belfast and one in Dublin? \"I think the more that gets unpacked, the more opinion will move back and forward. Its not going to go just in one direction. Dismissing opinion polls declaring support for a united Ireland, Dr Nolan says the polls ask the wrong question. \"If we got to the situation where people go into a polling booth and have to put the mark against a united Ireland, it's very hard for anyone to predict it. Just ask Hillary Clinton, ask David Cameron, ask Theresa May: were they right to put their faith in the opinion polls? I don't think so.\" Meanwhile the Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald responded to the DUP leader Arlene Foster saying she would \"probably\" leave in the event of a united Ireland. Ms McDonald told BBC News NI: \"Of course unionists have to be at home in a new Ireland. It has to be as much a home for Arlene Foster and her family as for mine. \"So, yes, let's have the discussion. \"As far as I'm concerned nothing is taboo. Let's talk about the flag, let's talk about the anthem, let's talk about every nuance and every aspect of Irish life north and south.\" Update 31 January 2020: This article was amended to clarify that religious affiliation does not necessarily denote political affiliation."}], "question": "What's next?", "id": "880_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: New checks on some goods from GB into NI under backstop", "date": "15 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some goods coming into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK would be subject to new checks and controls if the Brexit backstop is implemented. The details are contained in a draft withdrawal agreement between the UK and EU. The backstop would mean Northern Ireland would have to stay aligned to some rules of the EU single market. That means that goods coming into Northern Ireland would need to be checked to see if they meet EU rules. As the ultimate interpreter of those rules, the European Court of Justice would have a continuing role in Northern Ireland. Speaking on Thursday, the prime minister said if the backstop was used the UK government could make a unilateral commitment not to have regulatory divergence with Northern Ireland. She said that would \"reduce the necessity\" for new checks and controls. Guidance published by the European Commission (EC) says:  \"There would be a need for some compliance checks with EU standards, consistent with risk, to protect consumers, economic traders and businesses in the single market. \"The EU and the UK have agreed to carry out these checks in the least intrusive way possible.\" For industrial goods based on risk assessment, checks could take place \"in the market\" or at traders' premises. Such checks would always be carried out by UK authorities. For agricultural products, existing checks at ports and airports would \"be increased in scale in order to protect the EU's single market, its consumers and animal health\". Live animals coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain are already subject to checks and controls. Yes. It seems likely that those controls would have to be extended to some food products. Aodhan Connolly, who represents the large supermarkets in Northern Ireland, said the deal \"provides solutions to customs, tariffs, an innovative solution on VAT.\" But Mr Connolly, who is director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium added: \"There certainly is some work to be done by both the Westminster government and the EU on the checks and administration for goods coming in to Northern Ireland from GB. \"That will need to be light touch and be mitigated in further agreements, hopefully to an absolute bare minimum. \"However, this agreement must pass through Parliament. We have always said the backstop is better than no deal.\" The deal means that goods going in the other direction, from Northern Ireland into Great Britain, would not be subject to new controls. The agreement states that \"nothing in this protocol prevents the United Kingdom from ensuring unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the United Kingdom's internal market.\" Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, said the EU had made important concessions which would help NI businesses if the backstop is ever implemented. \"The fears and risks flagged by business seem, so far, to have been addressed,\" he said. \"The issues of VAT remains an HMRC responsibility and there will be no quotas, origin rules nor tariffs between Britain and Northern Ireland,\" he added. Under the backstop there would be new labelling requirements for Northern Ireland produced goods. Northern Ireland products being sold in Great Britain could be labelled as being from the UK or Northern Ireland. But Northern Ireland made goods being sold in Northern Ireland or the EU could only be labelled as being from Northern Ireland, not the UK. The actual labelling mark for Northern Ireland products will be UK (NI). The agreement also explains how, if the backstop was implemented, Northern Ireland produced goods would be certified and approved. Products being made only for the UK market would not need to go through an EU approval process. They would follow the approvals and certifications processes they do today, through the same UK bodies. Businesses selling products to both the EU & UK would need an EU approval but that approval will also be valid in the UK. That means NI businesses selling in both the EU and the rest of the UK will not have to go through two separate approvals processes. The backstop would also mean the EU having a continuing role in deciding what sort of help businesses can get from government - what is known as state aid. For aid granted by the UK that affects trade between Northern Ireland and the EU, the European Commission (EC) will continue to enforce the aid rules directly. The European Court of Justice will also continue to have a role. However, for aid granted by the UK affecting trade between the rest of the UK and the EU, the enforcement will be done by a UK enforcement authority, likely to be the Competition and Markets Authority. UK courts will supervise the UK enforcement authority, but the EC will have legal standing before UK courts and the right to intervene in cases. One major question around the backstop is how it can be brought to an end. The Irish government's view has always been simply that it will last unless and until something else comes along which which means it is no longer necessary. The agreement lays out in more detail a process for reviewing or ending the backstop. If either the EU, or more likely, the UK thinks its no longer necessary they would have to notify the other side about why they think it should end. Within six months of that notification there would have to be a meeting of ministers - that meeting could also seek an opinion from the Northern Ireland Executive. However the ultimate decision would have to be a joint one between the EU and the UK. One side could not choose to end the backstop on their own.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 818, "answer_end": 1137, "text": "Guidance published by the European Commission (EC) says:  \"There would be a need for some compliance checks with EU standards, consistent with risk, to protect consumers, economic traders and businesses in the single market. \"The EU and the UK have agreed to carry out these checks in the least intrusive way possible.\""}], "question": "How would goods be checked?", "id": "881_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1138, "answer_end": 1585, "text": "For industrial goods based on risk assessment, checks could take place \"in the market\" or at traders' premises. Such checks would always be carried out by UK authorities. For agricultural products, existing checks at ports and airports would \"be increased in scale in order to protect the EU's single market, its consumers and animal health\". Live animals coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain are already subject to checks and controls."}], "question": "Where will these checks happen?", "id": "881_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1586, "answer_end": 1675, "text": "Yes. It seems likely that those controls would have to be extended to some food products."}], "question": "Food products too?", "id": "881_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1676, "answer_end": 3068, "text": "Aodhan Connolly, who represents the large supermarkets in Northern Ireland, said the deal \"provides solutions to customs, tariffs, an innovative solution on VAT.\" But Mr Connolly, who is director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium added: \"There certainly is some work to be done by both the Westminster government and the EU on the checks and administration for goods coming in to Northern Ireland from GB. \"That will need to be light touch and be mitigated in further agreements, hopefully to an absolute bare minimum. \"However, this agreement must pass through Parliament. We have always said the backstop is better than no deal.\" The deal means that goods going in the other direction, from Northern Ireland into Great Britain, would not be subject to new controls. The agreement states that \"nothing in this protocol prevents the United Kingdom from ensuring unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the United Kingdom's internal market.\" Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, said the EU had made important concessions which would help NI businesses if the backstop is ever implemented. \"The fears and risks flagged by business seem, so far, to have been addressed,\" he said. \"The issues of VAT remains an HMRC responsibility and there will be no quotas, origin rules nor tariffs between Britain and Northern Ireland,\" he added."}], "question": "What does the business community think?", "id": "881_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3625, "answer_end": 4079, "text": "Products being made only for the UK market would not need to go through an EU approval process. They would follow the approvals and certifications processes they do today, through the same UK bodies. Businesses selling products to both the EU & UK would need an EU approval but that approval will also be valid in the UK. That means NI businesses selling in both the EU and the rest of the UK will not have to go through two separate approvals processes."}], "question": "How will products be certified?", "id": "881_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4080, "answer_end": 4807, "text": "The backstop would also mean the EU having a continuing role in deciding what sort of help businesses can get from government - what is known as state aid. For aid granted by the UK that affects trade between Northern Ireland and the EU, the European Commission (EC) will continue to enforce the aid rules directly. The European Court of Justice will also continue to have a role. However, for aid granted by the UK affecting trade between the rest of the UK and the EU, the enforcement will be done by a UK enforcement authority, likely to be the Competition and Markets Authority. UK courts will supervise the UK enforcement authority, but the EC will have legal standing before UK courts and the right to intervene in cases."}], "question": "How will it affect business support?", "id": "881_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4808, "answer_end": 5585, "text": "One major question around the backstop is how it can be brought to an end. The Irish government's view has always been simply that it will last unless and until something else comes along which which means it is no longer necessary. The agreement lays out in more detail a process for reviewing or ending the backstop. If either the EU, or more likely, the UK thinks its no longer necessary they would have to notify the other side about why they think it should end. Within six months of that notification there would have to be a meeting of ministers - that meeting could also seek an opinion from the Northern Ireland Executive. However the ultimate decision would have to be a joint one between the EU and the UK. One side could not choose to end the backstop on their own."}], "question": "How might all this come to an end?", "id": "881_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump diplomatic row: What do we know about leaked UK emails?", "date": "10 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Confidential emails from the UK's ambassador in Washington which criticised President Donald Trump were leaked over the weekend. Sir Kim Darroch's correspondence contained a string of criticisms of Mr Trump and his administration, describing the White House as \"clumsy and inept\". A formal investigation has been launched by the Foreign Office and in the Commons there have been calls for a police investigation amid widespread anger at the diplomatic fall-out. Three days after the leak, Sir Kim announced he is to resign as British ambassador to the United States. In a letter to the head of the Foreign Office, Sir Simon McDonald, Sir Kim said he believed it was \"impossible\" for him to carry on in his current role. So what do we know about the row so far, and what are the possible consequences? The Foreign Office has repeatedly called the incident a \"leak\" rather than a \"hack\". It originally described the incident as \"mischievous\" but launched a formal inquiry on Sunday. Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan dismissed the idea that the disclosure was part of a conspiracy or \"Brexit plan\" and called it \"a despicable leak,\" adding that \"the first premise is that it is a leak from within\". A Whitehall source told The Times: \"The involvement of hostile state actors has not been ruled out\" - but Downing Street said there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of foreign powers. Asked if ministers, MPs and special advisors would be investigated, the Foreign Office said that it will be for the inquiry to decide who is looked at. On the question of how many people within government would typically see cables from an ambassador, Sir Alan said that although he was guessing, it could be around 100 people depending on classification. An ex-British ambassador to the US and a close friend of Sir Kim's said there was a \"possible range of villains\" who potentially could have released the emails. Sir Christopher Meyer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It was clearly somebody who set out deliberately to sabotage Sir Kim's ambassadorship, to make his position untenable and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker.\" In the Commons, there have been calls for the police to investigate amid widespread anger at the diplomatic fall-out. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, told MPs he had written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to \"ask that a criminal investigation also be opened\". Sir Alan said police could become involved if evidence of wrongdoing over the leak is found, telling the Commons: \"If evidence of criminality is found, then yes, the police could be involved.\" In April, following the Huawei leak, Lord O'Donnell, the former head of the Civil Service, revealed that officials in this type of situation may decide to investigate the mobile phone and e-mail records of people with access to the information to try to find who was responsible. The person or people who leaked the emails to the Mail on Sunday could potentially be liable for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. Prosecutions under the legislation are rare but not unheard of. The maximum punishment for leaking documents is two years in prison or an unlimited fine.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 801, "answer_end": 1395, "text": "The Foreign Office has repeatedly called the incident a \"leak\" rather than a \"hack\". It originally described the incident as \"mischievous\" but launched a formal inquiry on Sunday. Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan dismissed the idea that the disclosure was part of a conspiracy or \"Brexit plan\" and called it \"a despicable leak,\" adding that \"the first premise is that it is a leak from within\". A Whitehall source told The Times: \"The involvement of hostile state actors has not been ruled out\" - but Downing Street said there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of foreign powers."}], "question": "Was it a leak or a hack?", "id": "882_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1396, "answer_end": 2157, "text": "Asked if ministers, MPs and special advisors would be investigated, the Foreign Office said that it will be for the inquiry to decide who is looked at. On the question of how many people within government would typically see cables from an ambassador, Sir Alan said that although he was guessing, it could be around 100 people depending on classification. An ex-British ambassador to the US and a close friend of Sir Kim's said there was a \"possible range of villains\" who potentially could have released the emails. Sir Christopher Meyer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It was clearly somebody who set out deliberately to sabotage Sir Kim's ambassadorship, to make his position untenable and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker.\""}], "question": "How many people had access to the emails?", "id": "882_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2158, "answer_end": 2943, "text": "In the Commons, there have been calls for the police to investigate amid widespread anger at the diplomatic fall-out. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, told MPs he had written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to \"ask that a criminal investigation also be opened\". Sir Alan said police could become involved if evidence of wrongdoing over the leak is found, telling the Commons: \"If evidence of criminality is found, then yes, the police could be involved.\" In April, following the Huawei leak, Lord O'Donnell, the former head of the Civil Service, revealed that officials in this type of situation may decide to investigate the mobile phone and e-mail records of people with access to the information to try to find who was responsible."}], "question": "How do you investigate a leak?", "id": "882_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2944, "answer_end": 3238, "text": "The person or people who leaked the emails to the Mail on Sunday could potentially be liable for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. Prosecutions under the legislation are rare but not unheard of. The maximum punishment for leaking documents is two years in prison or an unlimited fine."}], "question": "What are the penalties?", "id": "882_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Bank split on rates as it warns Brexit deal would hit growth", "date": "7 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Bank of England has warned that weak global growth and trade barriers created by the government's Brexit deal will hit the UK economy. It came as two Bank policymakers called for an immediate interest rate cut to support growth. The Bank voted 7-2 to keep interest rates on hold at 0.75%. The Bank said the new EU withdrawal agreement struck by Prime Minister Boris Johnson had reduced the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that sets interest rates said this would end some of the uncertainty facing businesses and households. However, policymakers added that the transition to a new trade deal would introduce new customs checks and regulatory barriers. The MPC said its assumption of a Canada-style \"deep free-trade agreement\" between the UK and EU would \"raise administrative costs for firms\" doing business with the continent. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said the Brexit deal had created \"the prospects for a pick-up in UK growth\". The Bank expects the annual pace of growth to rise from around 1% at the end of this year to more than 2% by the end of 2022. Mr Carney said this would be helped by \"a world that has stopped weakening and picks up a little bit\". He added: \"three-quarters of that rise in growth is driven by domestic factors  - the most important of which is a reduction in uncertainty driven by an orderly transition to a new Brexit arrangement.\" However, the Bank's Monetary Policy Report said a weaker global economy and its new assumptions about Brexit would knock 1% off UK growth over the next three years compared with its forecast in August. Policymakers believe the UK economy grew 0.4% in the three months to September this year, double their estimate in August, amid a recovery in the UK's dominant services sector. However, growth in the final quarter of the year is expected to fall back to 0.2%. Spending pledges by the government are expected to boost growth in the coming years. The Bank also cited research that showed the current level of business investment is about 11% lower because of Brexit uncertainty. For the first time, Bank policymakers changed their assumption about the UK's future trading relationship with the EU. They had previously assumed an average of a range of Brexit outcomes that filter through to the economy over 15 years. It now assumes the government will strike a free-trade agreement with Brussels that will keep goods tariffs at zero but introduce customs checks at the border. With the transition period currently due to expire at the end of 2020, the drag on growth from new regulatory barriers will now be more immediate. Policymakers said: \"As a result, trade flows are likely to fall and some companies might exit the market.\" Diverging regulations are also expected to hit a wide variety of sectors across the EU, from law to banking. The Bank also suggested that trade deals with new partners would be years away, reflecting the fact that \"it typically takes several years for new trade deals to be negotiated and implemented\". Michael Saunders and Jonathan Haskel, two of the Bank's external rate-setters, voted to cut interest rates to 0.5%, from the current rate of 0.75%. They said inflation, which currently stands at 1.7%, suggested that there was little risk that the economy would overheat in the medium term if interest rates were cut. The MPC expects inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), to fall to about 1.2% by next spring as the impact of the government's energy price cap kicks in. This is well below the Bank's 2% target. While the unemployment rate remains below 4%, which is its lowest since the 1970s, Mr Saunders and Mr Haskel said they believed recent data suggested the \"labour market was turning\". They also said there was a risk that world growth could be weaker and Brexit uncertainties could persist for longer than the MPC's assumptions. Financial markets believe interest rates will be cut to 0.5% in the coming year, and Mr Carney said the MPC would respond to developments in the economy accordingly. Lower interest rates are good news for borrowers and bad news for savers, as commercial banks use the Bank of England as a reference point for the rates they offer on mortgages and savings accounts. Bank governor Mark Carney is due to stand down from his role on 31 January next year. However, at the Bank's news conference, he opened the door to staying on beyond that date. He said that he had already agreed to extend his term twice, in order to ensure the financial system was prepared for Brexit and also to ensure a proper handover to his successor. Mr Carney said it was understandable that a decision on the new governor had not been made, \"given the priority\" that the Brexit negotiations have taken. He committed to making sure that the transition to the new governor was \"smooth\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 869, "answer_end": 2105, "text": "Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, said the Brexit deal had created \"the prospects for a pick-up in UK growth\". The Bank expects the annual pace of growth to rise from around 1% at the end of this year to more than 2% by the end of 2022. Mr Carney said this would be helped by \"a world that has stopped weakening and picks up a little bit\". He added: \"three-quarters of that rise in growth is driven by domestic factors  - the most important of which is a reduction in uncertainty driven by an orderly transition to a new Brexit arrangement.\" However, the Bank's Monetary Policy Report said a weaker global economy and its new assumptions about Brexit would knock 1% off UK growth over the next three years compared with its forecast in August. Policymakers believe the UK economy grew 0.4% in the three months to September this year, double their estimate in August, amid a recovery in the UK's dominant services sector. However, growth in the final quarter of the year is expected to fall back to 0.2%. Spending pledges by the government are expected to boost growth in the coming years. The Bank also cited research that showed the current level of business investment is about 11% lower because of Brexit uncertainty."}], "question": "What's the outlook for growth?", "id": "883_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2106, "answer_end": 3060, "text": "For the first time, Bank policymakers changed their assumption about the UK's future trading relationship with the EU. They had previously assumed an average of a range of Brexit outcomes that filter through to the economy over 15 years. It now assumes the government will strike a free-trade agreement with Brussels that will keep goods tariffs at zero but introduce customs checks at the border. With the transition period currently due to expire at the end of 2020, the drag on growth from new regulatory barriers will now be more immediate. Policymakers said: \"As a result, trade flows are likely to fall and some companies might exit the market.\" Diverging regulations are also expected to hit a wide variety of sectors across the EU, from law to banking. The Bank also suggested that trade deals with new partners would be years away, reflecting the fact that \"it typically takes several years for new trade deals to be negotiated and implemented\"."}], "question": "What else did the Bank say about Brexit?", "id": "883_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3061, "answer_end": 4283, "text": "Michael Saunders and Jonathan Haskel, two of the Bank's external rate-setters, voted to cut interest rates to 0.5%, from the current rate of 0.75%. They said inflation, which currently stands at 1.7%, suggested that there was little risk that the economy would overheat in the medium term if interest rates were cut. The MPC expects inflation, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), to fall to about 1.2% by next spring as the impact of the government's energy price cap kicks in. This is well below the Bank's 2% target. While the unemployment rate remains below 4%, which is its lowest since the 1970s, Mr Saunders and Mr Haskel said they believed recent data suggested the \"labour market was turning\". They also said there was a risk that world growth could be weaker and Brexit uncertainties could persist for longer than the MPC's assumptions. Financial markets believe interest rates will be cut to 0.5% in the coming year, and Mr Carney said the MPC would respond to developments in the economy accordingly. Lower interest rates are good news for borrowers and bad news for savers, as commercial banks use the Bank of England as a reference point for the rates they offer on mortgages and savings accounts."}], "question": "What's the outlook for interest rates?", "id": "883_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4284, "answer_end": 4876, "text": "Bank governor Mark Carney is due to stand down from his role on 31 January next year. However, at the Bank's news conference, he opened the door to staying on beyond that date. He said that he had already agreed to extend his term twice, in order to ensure the financial system was prepared for Brexit and also to ensure a proper handover to his successor. Mr Carney said it was understandable that a decision on the new governor had not been made, \"given the priority\" that the Brexit negotiations have taken. He committed to making sure that the transition to the new governor was \"smooth\"."}], "question": "Will Mark Carney delay his departure from the Bank?", "id": "883_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Burkina Faso's war against militant Islamists", "date": "30 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Recent attacks on churches in northern Burkina Faso are likely to be the work of jihadists whose activities are growing in the region despite a military operation to contain Islamist militancy. The country's foreign minister says tackling terrorism has become a fight \"for the very survival\" of the Sahel region, which incorporates Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The militants have forced 100,000 in Burkina Faso alone to flee their homes in recent months. Three key Islamist militant groups have established a front in northern and eastern Burkina Faso: Ansarul Islam, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). One of the most audacious attacks of recent years - the January 2016 siege on a luxury hotel that killed 30 people in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou - was carried out by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has since merged with two other jihadist groups - Ansar Dine and al-Mourabitoun - to form GSIM. It operates in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and was behind two other attacks in Ouagadougou - on a cafe in August 2017 and the French embassy and army HQ in March 2018. A propaganda video released last month by the Islamic State (IS) group shows the Sahel's appeal to global jihadism when \"brothers\" in Burkina Faso and Mali were congratulated for pledging their allegiance. Ansarul Islam, meaning Defenders of Islam, is the home-grown group, founded in 2016 by the radical and popular preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, who is said to have fought with Islamist militants in Mali when they took over the north of country in 2012, prompting France's intervention. Dicko died in April 2017 and his brother Jafar is now leading the group, which has received logistical support from both AQIM and ISGS, according to Human Rights Watch. Widespread frustration with the lack of jobs and infrastructure has made Burkina Faso a fertile recruiting ground for jihadists - and there are numerous smaller groups, not all of which are affiliated to larger ones or pledge allegiance to Islamist ideology. According to the Economist, many are fighting for farmland or against government corruption but \"adopt the 'jihadist' label because they happen to be Muslim\". In the last month there have been at least five attacks targeting Christians, several taking place during church services - though no group has said it was behind these assaults, analysts say they have all the jihadists' hallmarks. It shows a shift in tactics, according to Djallil Lounnas, an expert on militancy in the Sahara at Morocco's Al Akhawayn University. \"Usually religious minorities have not been touched, especially Christian minorities, since jihadist violence broke out in the area,\" he says. This is particularly troubling given Burkina Faso's long history of religious tolerance, but it forms part of a jihadist strategy to sow religious and inter-communal conflict. \"It's an old guerrilla, terrorist tactic to increase their ranks by fuelling mass violence,\" says Louis Audet-Gosselin of the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism. Conflict and instability also create the conditions that allow jihadists to install bases and control territory. \"The security situation in the country is degrading almost daily,\" says Mr Audet-Gosselin. \"Jihadist groups are gaining ground bit by bit, forcing state officials and state sovereignty out of several rural areas and increasingly some cities.\" Those targeted are often associated with the state - village counsellors, mayors, police officers, civil servants and civilians accused of collaborating with military. Schools and teachers are soft targets for Islamists militants, who oppose secular education. More than 1,000 schools in the north have been forced to close recently, affecting more than 150,000 children. Human Rights Watch has also reported numerous abuses by government forces during counter-terrorism operations, including summary executions of Fulanis, a largely Muslim ethnic group of semi-nomadic herders. \"The army is pretty brutal and tends to single out the Fulani community as a whole, as guilty by association to jihadist groups... which in turn leads to increasing militancy from Fulani youth,\" says Mr Audet-Gosselin. A lack of services has created a vacuum that militant groups have been able to exploit by sometimes stepping in to deliver them, but mostly their presence means chaos and violence. A resident in the northern town of Djibo told the BBC: \"Many homes have been deserted. Economic activity has ground to a halt. We no longer have any nightlife. Westerners who are high-value targets have left.\" Witnesses say gunmen also sporadically go on the rampage, looting shops and mugging people. - 31 December 2018: Suspected jihadists kill seven people in Yirgou, an ethnic Mossi farming community - 1 January 2019: In apparent retaliation, villagers in Yirgou then attack Fulani herders in the area, killing 39 people - 17 January: A Canadian geologist is found dead after being kidnapped from a mine exploration camp - 20 March:  Two teachers are abducted from their school in Djibo and killed - the government says kidnappers want to scare teachers into abandoning their posts in the region - 3 April: Armed attackers kill seven near the northern town of Arbinda, sparking inter-communal violence that leaves 62 dead according to government - 5 April: Four people die when a Catholic church is attacked in a nearby village, the bishop of Dori in northern Burkina Faso told Vatican news agency Fides - 28 April: A pastor and at least five other people are killed in an attack on a Protestant church in Silgadji, in the north - 11 May: Four foreign hostages - from France, the US and Korea - are freed in Burkina Faso, but a tour guide and two French soldiers are killed in the process - 12 May: Gunmen kill six people including a priest during Mass in a church in Dablo before burning the building down - 13 May: Four Catholics taking part in a procession honouring the Virgin Mary are killed by gunmen in Zimtenga, in the north of the country - 26 May: Armed men kill four Catholic congregants at Sunday Mass in the town of Toulfe There are fears the influence of Burkina Faso-based jihadist groups could spread south, giving them access to sea ports through which they could smuggle weapons, drugs and other illegal goods to fund their activities. \"Burkina Faso is a barrier between the Sahel and the coastal countries in the fight against terrorism. If that is broken down, its neighbours will be affected,\" warns Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Alpha Barry. In April when jihadist leader Oumarou Diallo, who operated in eastern Burkina Faso, was arrested along with some 20 followers, security sources told the BBC they had found evidence he was in contact with people in Togo, Benin and Ghana. The most high-profile example that this insecurity is already spilling over is the abduction of French tourists from a national park in northern Benin in May. When French special forces officers secured their release, the kidnappers had already moved them to northern Burkina Faso - and it is believed they were planning to hand them over to Mali-based militants. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said at the time that there were two main militant groups operating near where the French tourists were taken - one linked to al-Qaeda and the other to IS. Le Monde newspaper has also reported an unnamed source as saying armed groups have established themselves in northern Togo and Benin in \"hard-to-reach forest areas, where traffickers and bandits in the region are rampant\". Correspondents say many recruits join up, not out of ideology, but simply because they see it as the only alternative to destitution. But the concern for the government is the belief by intelligence officials that some ex-soldiers of the presidential elite regiment, the RSP, have been lending Ansarul Islam a hand. The RSP was a unit set up by former President Blaise Compaore for his personal security, however when he was ousted in an uprising in 2014, it suddenly felt its existence threatened. In a bid for survival, members staged a short-lived coup against the transitional government before being forced to hand over power by neighbouring countries. Fleeing justice afterwards, many RSP members, including an officer called Boubacar Sawadogo, took to a clandestine life. Officials were quoted by a Malian newspaper in 2017 as saying that they had intercepted a communication between Mr Sawadogo and Ansarul Islam's leader. The intercept confirmed what the government had long suspected - that former RSP members were taking part in attacks by jihadists both in Mali and Burkina Faso. A state of emergency was declared in several regions in December, granting security forces extra powers to search homes and restrict freedom of movement. According to the UN, more than a fifth of the country's national budget is spent on defence and security. But the former French colony, a poor country even by West African standards, is struggling and the security forces remain ill-equipped to tackle the scale of the jihadist threat. It is part of a five-national regional force, the G5 Sahel, created in September 2017 to take on the militants. Yet most of the funds pledged by partners and donors - including the European Union - still have not been handed over, says the BBC's Simon Gongo in Burkina Faso. \"Reconstruction of an effective security apparatus with a competent intelligence branch and elite commandos will take time, as will improving the G5's operational readiness,\" says International Crisis Group in its latest report on Burkina Faso. France also has some 4,500 troops in the Sahel region in an ongoing counter-terror mission codenamed Operation Barkhane.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2250, "answer_end": 3216, "text": "In the last month there have been at least five attacks targeting Christians, several taking place during church services - though no group has said it was behind these assaults, analysts say they have all the jihadists' hallmarks. It shows a shift in tactics, according to Djallil Lounnas, an expert on militancy in the Sahara at Morocco's Al Akhawayn University. \"Usually religious minorities have not been touched, especially Christian minorities, since jihadist violence broke out in the area,\" he says. This is particularly troubling given Burkina Faso's long history of religious tolerance, but it forms part of a jihadist strategy to sow religious and inter-communal conflict. \"It's an old guerrilla, terrorist tactic to increase their ranks by fuelling mass violence,\" says Louis Audet-Gosselin of the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism. Conflict and instability also create the conditions that allow jihadists to install bases and control territory."}], "question": "Why are churches being targeted?", "id": "884_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3217, "answer_end": 4740, "text": "\"The security situation in the country is degrading almost daily,\" says Mr Audet-Gosselin. \"Jihadist groups are gaining ground bit by bit, forcing state officials and state sovereignty out of several rural areas and increasingly some cities.\" Those targeted are often associated with the state - village counsellors, mayors, police officers, civil servants and civilians accused of collaborating with military. Schools and teachers are soft targets for Islamists militants, who oppose secular education. More than 1,000 schools in the north have been forced to close recently, affecting more than 150,000 children. Human Rights Watch has also reported numerous abuses by government forces during counter-terrorism operations, including summary executions of Fulanis, a largely Muslim ethnic group of semi-nomadic herders. \"The army is pretty brutal and tends to single out the Fulani community as a whole, as guilty by association to jihadist groups... which in turn leads to increasing militancy from Fulani youth,\" says Mr Audet-Gosselin. A lack of services has created a vacuum that militant groups have been able to exploit by sometimes stepping in to deliver them, but mostly their presence means chaos and violence. A resident in the northern town of Djibo told the BBC: \"Many homes have been deserted. Economic activity has ground to a halt. We no longer have any nightlife. Westerners who are high-value targets have left.\" Witnesses say gunmen also sporadically go on the rampage, looting shops and mugging people."}], "question": "How have Islamist militants disrupted life?", "id": "884_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6180, "answer_end": 7633, "text": "There are fears the influence of Burkina Faso-based jihadist groups could spread south, giving them access to sea ports through which they could smuggle weapons, drugs and other illegal goods to fund their activities. \"Burkina Faso is a barrier between the Sahel and the coastal countries in the fight against terrorism. If that is broken down, its neighbours will be affected,\" warns Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Alpha Barry. In April when jihadist leader Oumarou Diallo, who operated in eastern Burkina Faso, was arrested along with some 20 followers, security sources told the BBC they had found evidence he was in contact with people in Togo, Benin and Ghana. The most high-profile example that this insecurity is already spilling over is the abduction of French tourists from a national park in northern Benin in May. When French special forces officers secured their release, the kidnappers had already moved them to northern Burkina Faso - and it is believed they were planning to hand them over to Mali-based militants. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said at the time that there were two main militant groups operating near where the French tourists were taken - one linked to al-Qaeda and the other to IS. Le Monde newspaper has also reported an unnamed source as saying armed groups have established themselves in northern Togo and Benin in \"hard-to-reach forest areas, where traffickers and bandits in the region are rampant\"."}], "question": "How does it affect Burkina Faso's neighbours?", "id": "884_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8726, "answer_end": 9805, "text": "A state of emergency was declared in several regions in December, granting security forces extra powers to search homes and restrict freedom of movement. According to the UN, more than a fifth of the country's national budget is spent on defence and security. But the former French colony, a poor country even by West African standards, is struggling and the security forces remain ill-equipped to tackle the scale of the jihadist threat. It is part of a five-national regional force, the G5 Sahel, created in September 2017 to take on the militants. Yet most of the funds pledged by partners and donors - including the European Union - still have not been handed over, says the BBC's Simon Gongo in Burkina Faso. \"Reconstruction of an effective security apparatus with a competent intelligence branch and elite commandos will take time, as will improving the G5's operational readiness,\" says International Crisis Group in its latest report on Burkina Faso. France also has some 4,500 troops in the Sahel region in an ongoing counter-terror mission codenamed Operation Barkhane."}], "question": "What is being done about the Islamist threat?", "id": "884_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Florida school shooting: Students share tales of heroism", "date": "16 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tales of heroism are emerging after a mass shooting at a Florida high school on Wednesday left 17 people dead. Staff at the school have been praised for protecting students as they were forced to hide under desks and in cupboards to avoid being shot. One teacher was killed while attempting to barricade a classroom door. Nikolas Cruz, 19, confessed to carrying out the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and has been charged with 17 counts of murder. Students have been sharing their stories of the attack - the deadliest US school shooting since 2012 - and how many more people could have lost their lives had not been for a number of brave individuals. Tributes have been paid to Aaron Feis, an assistant American football coach at the school, who is being hailed a hero for shielding students from bullets. Mr Feis, who also worked as a security guard at the school, was fatally injured after diving in front of a pupil. Another teacher, Scott Beigel, was taking a geography class and opened the door to provide students with shelter. He was shot dead by the gunman while trying to lock the door, student Kelsey Friend told US media. David Hogg, 17, said he was in environmental science class when he heard bangs that sounded like a gun. He described to the BBC how his teacher closed the door but within seconds the fire alarm sounded, causing his class to \"instinctively\" leave the room. \"We thought it was a drill,\" Mr Hogg said. He said he entered a corridor that was filled with a \"tsunami\" of students before they were all stopped by \"a very heroic janitor\". \"He said, 'Don't go that way - he [the shooter] is over there'.\" Teacher Ashley Kurth told the Daily Beast website she was able to \"grab\" dozens of children from corridors. \"I just started pulling kids in that were running past,\" she said. \"It was a terrifying experience. After about 60 or 90 seconds, I shut the door and I got everybody back in our storage area and in my office. I think we had like 65 in my room,\" Ms Kurth said. Another teacher, Melissa Falkowski, told CNN \"she \"managed to put 19 kids in the closet with me\"\", where they remained for 30 minutes until officers arrived. Jim Gard, who taught mathematics at the school, said he \"locked the door, turned out the lights and had the kids go to the back of the room\". \"I told the kids to hang in there,\" he told the Miami Herald. Chris Hixon was the athletic director at Stoneman Douglas and was reported dead by local media. He had two children of his own. The students who died were: - Alyssa Alhadeff, 14 - Martin Duque, 14 - Alaina Petty, 14 - Alex Schachter, 14 - Jaime Guttenberg, 14 - Cara Loughran, 14 - Gina Montalto, 14 - Luke Hoyer, 15 - Peter Wang, 15 - Carmen Schentrup, 16 - Nicholas Dworet, 17 - Joaquin Oliver, 17 - Helena Ramsey, 17 - Meadow Pollack, 18 In an address following the shooting on Thursday, US President Donald Trump did not mention the word \"gun\" or \"firearm\" once. He said he was \"committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health\". The Florida suspect reportedly sought psychological services at a clinic at some point, and accounts from former classmates paint a picture of a 19-year-old who was a social outcast with violent tendencies. However, on Friday the White House was refusing to release a photo of Mr Trump signing a law last year that made it easier for people with mental health issues to buy guns. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, who has received a total of 12 requests for the image from CBS News, said: \"We don't plan to release the picture at this time.\" The legislation passed by Mr Trump in February last year repealed a rule that required people receiving mental health benefits to be entered into an FBI database. The president tweeted that he was planning to visit Parkland, Florida, on Friday to \"meet with some of the bravest people on Earth\". He did say when he was due to arrive. Mr Cruz had been expelled from the school he has confessed to attacking and some students said they had joked \"he's the one to shoot up the school\". One former schoolmate, Chad Williams, told Reuters Mr Cruz was an \"outcast\" who was \"crazy about guns\". His interest in weapons was apparent on his social media profiles, which Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said were \"very, very disturbing\". After seeing a comment on a YouTube post last year by Mr Cruz, user Ben Bennight contacted the FBI and spoke to representatives for about 20 minutes. Mr Bennight said the FBI contacted him again following the school shooting in Parkland. The FBI confirmed on Thursday that they were made aware of the comment, adding that they had conducted \"checks\" but were unable to identify the person behind it. Meanwhile, maths teacher Jim Gard told the Miami Herald that school authorities had emailed teachers about Mr Cruz's behavioural problems. \"There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus,\" he said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 680, "answer_end": 2387, "text": "Tributes have been paid to Aaron Feis, an assistant American football coach at the school, who is being hailed a hero for shielding students from bullets. Mr Feis, who also worked as a security guard at the school, was fatally injured after diving in front of a pupil. Another teacher, Scott Beigel, was taking a geography class and opened the door to provide students with shelter. He was shot dead by the gunman while trying to lock the door, student Kelsey Friend told US media. David Hogg, 17, said he was in environmental science class when he heard bangs that sounded like a gun. He described to the BBC how his teacher closed the door but within seconds the fire alarm sounded, causing his class to \"instinctively\" leave the room. \"We thought it was a drill,\" Mr Hogg said. He said he entered a corridor that was filled with a \"tsunami\" of students before they were all stopped by \"a very heroic janitor\". \"He said, 'Don't go that way - he [the shooter] is over there'.\" Teacher Ashley Kurth told the Daily Beast website she was able to \"grab\" dozens of children from corridors. \"I just started pulling kids in that were running past,\" she said. \"It was a terrifying experience. After about 60 or 90 seconds, I shut the door and I got everybody back in our storage area and in my office. I think we had like 65 in my room,\" Ms Kurth said. Another teacher, Melissa Falkowski, told CNN \"she \"managed to put 19 kids in the closet with me\"\", where they remained for 30 minutes until officers arrived. Jim Gard, who taught mathematics at the school, said he \"locked the door, turned out the lights and had the kids go to the back of the room\". \"I told the kids to hang in there,\" he told the Miami Herald."}], "question": "Who are the heroes?", "id": "885_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2829, "answer_end": 3978, "text": "In an address following the shooting on Thursday, US President Donald Trump did not mention the word \"gun\" or \"firearm\" once. He said he was \"committed to working with state and local leaders to help secure our schools and tackle the difficult issue of mental health\". The Florida suspect reportedly sought psychological services at a clinic at some point, and accounts from former classmates paint a picture of a 19-year-old who was a social outcast with violent tendencies. However, on Friday the White House was refusing to release a photo of Mr Trump signing a law last year that made it easier for people with mental health issues to buy guns. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, who has received a total of 12 requests for the image from CBS News, said: \"We don't plan to release the picture at this time.\" The legislation passed by Mr Trump in February last year repealed a rule that required people receiving mental health benefits to be entered into an FBI database. The president tweeted that he was planning to visit Parkland, Florida, on Friday to \"meet with some of the bravest people on Earth\". He did say when he was due to arrive."}], "question": "What is the political fallout?", "id": "885_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3979, "answer_end": 4375, "text": "Mr Cruz had been expelled from the school he has confessed to attacking and some students said they had joked \"he's the one to shoot up the school\". One former schoolmate, Chad Williams, told Reuters Mr Cruz was an \"outcast\" who was \"crazy about guns\". His interest in weapons was apparent on his social media profiles, which Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said were \"very, very disturbing\"."}], "question": "What do we know about the suspect?", "id": "885_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4376, "answer_end": 5028, "text": "After seeing a comment on a YouTube post last year by Mr Cruz, user Ben Bennight contacted the FBI and spoke to representatives for about 20 minutes. Mr Bennight said the FBI contacted him again following the school shooting in Parkland. The FBI confirmed on Thursday that they were made aware of the comment, adding that they had conducted \"checks\" but were unable to identify the person behind it. Meanwhile, maths teacher Jim Gard told the Miami Herald that school authorities had emailed teachers about Mr Cruz's behavioural problems. \"There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus,\" he said."}], "question": "What were the warnings?", "id": "885_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Air strike on Libya hospital kills five doctors", "date": "28 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An air strike has killed five doctors in a hospital in the southern outskirts of Libya's capital Tripoli, an official from the UN-backed government says. A warplane belonging to Khalifa Hafta, the rogue general who commands the Libyan National Army, carried out the attack, the health ministry spokesman added. The LNA has not commented. Libya has been roiled in conflict since the fall of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Fighting between the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, and Mr Haftar's LNA, has claimed 1,100 lives since April, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The fighting has remained deadlocked on the outskirts of the capital, with both sides resorting to air strikes, news agency AFP reports. Saturday's bombing also wounded seven people, including some rescuers, Lamine al-Hashem, the spokesman from the health ministry, said. \"It was a direct hit against the field hospital which was packed with medical teams,\" Mr Hashemi added. The attack was the third to target a hospital in the capital's south, AFP reports. African migrants who use Libya as a key crossing point to Europe have also been caught up in the fighting. The GNA blamed the LNA for last month's air strike on a detention centre that killed at least 50 migrants. However, the LNA said it had attacked a pro-government camp near the centre and pro-government forces had fired shells in response, hitting the migrant centre by accident. The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said the attack could constitute a war crime. Only Libya's myriad armed militias really hold sway - nominally backing two centres of political power in the east and west with parallel institutions. - Tripoli administration, the internationally recognised government, known as the Government of National Accord (GNA) This is under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, an engineer by profession. He arrived in Tripoli in March 2016, four months after a UN-brokered deal to form a unity government, to set up his administration. Over the last three years he has worked to gain the support of the various militias and politicians, but he has little real power over the whole country or the forces ostensibly under his control. - Tobruk administration, includes the parliament elected in 2014 after disputed elections When those who held power in Tripoli refused to give it up in 2014, the newly elected MPs moved to the port of Tobruk, 1,000km (620 miles) away, along with the old government. In 2015 some of these MPs backed the UN deal for a unity government, but the parliament has since refused to recognise it and has been blocking efforts to organise fresh elections because it wants rogue General Khalifa Haftar, who leads a powerful force called the Libyan National Army (LNA), to be guaranteed a senior role in any new set-up.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1601, "answer_end": 2896, "text": "Only Libya's myriad armed militias really hold sway - nominally backing two centres of political power in the east and west with parallel institutions. - Tripoli administration, the internationally recognised government, known as the Government of National Accord (GNA) This is under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, an engineer by profession. He arrived in Tripoli in March 2016, four months after a UN-brokered deal to form a unity government, to set up his administration. Over the last three years he has worked to gain the support of the various militias and politicians, but he has little real power over the whole country or the forces ostensibly under his control. - Tobruk administration, includes the parliament elected in 2014 after disputed elections When those who held power in Tripoli refused to give it up in 2014, the newly elected MPs moved to the port of Tobruk, 1,000km (620 miles) away, along with the old government. In 2015 some of these MPs backed the UN deal for a unity government, but the parliament has since refused to recognise it and has been blocking efforts to organise fresh elections because it wants rogue General Khalifa Haftar, who leads a powerful force called the Libyan National Army (LNA), to be guaranteed a senior role in any new set-up."}], "question": "Who controls Libya?", "id": "886_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sir Lindsay Hoyle: What's the role of a Speaker in Parliament?", "date": "5 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "So there's a new person in charge of proceedings in the House of Commons. Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been elected by MPs as the new Commons Speaker, after previous Speaker John Bercow stepped down. You'll probably know John Bercow from the way he said \"order\" (pronounced \"odd-DEURRRR, odd-DEURRRRR!\") while trying to keep things calm and fair during discussions between the UK's political parties. Since 1997, Sir Lindsay has been a Labour party MP for Chorley in Lancashire - but he will have to quit that job because the Commons Speaker must be impartial. He was dragged to the Speaker's chair by two MPs, which is a tradition in the House of Commons when someone new takes the role. As well as making a promise to be \"neutral\" and \"transparent\" Speaker, Sir Lindsay also paid tribute to his 28-year-old daughter Natalie, who died in 2017, during his acceptance speech. \"There is one difficult part I want to get over. There is one person who is not here; my daughter Natalie,\" he said. \"I wish she could have been here. She was everything to all of us.\" Now he's the Speaker, he'll be sitting in that all-powerful green chair - given by Australia - deciding which MPs are allowed to speak. So here's a quick look at what the speaker does and what the role could mean for Brexit. Simply put, the Speaker is in charge of what goes on within the House of Commons. If the Commons is the TV show Pointless, then the Speaker is Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman combined. Imagine that for a second. So that's why he or she will step in when things get too rowdy with the trademark cry of \"order!\". Contrary to popular belief, it's not because they're a fan of hors d'oeuvres. By tradition, the Speaker is above politics and is supposed to represent only the rules and conventions of Parliament. So when he or she is elected, they stop representing their party. The title of Speaker dates back to 1377, and Sir Thomas Hungerford was the first. Back in the day it was a dangerous game. No fewer than seven Speakers were beheaded before 1535. And in a nod to this traditional past, when a new Speaker is elected, they will be physically dragged to the Chair by other MPs. That's because when the Speaker would communicate the opinion of the Commons to the monarch - there was a chance of early death if the monarch disagreed with the message. So you can understand why some previous speakers required a bit of gentle persuasion to accept the role. The modern role of the Speaker being independent from political parties evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries. The new Speaker was selected by MPs using a secret ballot system. If a candidate gets more than 50% of votes, they're elected to the post. But if no candidate gets more than half of the vote then there are more rounds of voting. Those with the fewest votes are eliminated and MPs keep on voting until one person gets a majority. Much like John Bercow, Sir Lindsay is likely to have a big role to play regarding Brexit. Mr Bercow was visible in the Brexit debate - and faced major criticism from Brexiteers who questioned his fairness. For example, he didn't allow Prime Minister Boris Johnson to put his deal with the EU to a parliamentary vote after it had been rejected once. He said the reason was because of a parliamentary convention from 1604, which says a motion can't be brought back if it's the same \"in substance\" as a previous one. He also opposed allowing US President Donald Trump to speak in parliament in 2017. It was called \"an unprecedented and extraordinary rebuke\" and \"a diplomatic snub\" by BBC political correspondent Eleanor Garnier. Mr Bercow - who was in the job for ten years - described his role as being similar to a referee in an interview by the US broadcaster CNN. \"I'm a regular at my club with my son, a season-ticket holder at Arsenal,\" he said. \"There are 60,000 people in the crowd, who think they know better than the referee.\" And that's something Sir Lindsay will probably have to follow, to keep some vital order in the House. An earlier version of this feature was published in September 2019. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1278, "answer_end": 1857, "text": "Simply put, the Speaker is in charge of what goes on within the House of Commons. If the Commons is the TV show Pointless, then the Speaker is Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman combined. Imagine that for a second. So that's why he or she will step in when things get too rowdy with the trademark cry of \"order!\". Contrary to popular belief, it's not because they're a fan of hors d'oeuvres. By tradition, the Speaker is above politics and is supposed to represent only the rules and conventions of Parliament. So when he or she is elected, they stop representing their party."}], "question": "What's the role and why is it so important?", "id": "887_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2554, "answer_end": 2882, "text": "The new Speaker was selected by MPs using a secret ballot system. If a candidate gets more than 50% of votes, they're elected to the post. But if no candidate gets more than half of the vote then there are more rounds of voting. Those with the fewest votes are eliminated and MPs keep on voting until one person gets a majority."}], "question": "How was Sir Lindsay chosen?", "id": "887_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change: Warming signal links global floods and fires", "date": "15 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With homes under water in South Yorkshire, near record flooding in Venice, and burgeoning wildfires in Australia, many people are asking if and how climate change is connected to these extreme weather events. There are some basic physical factors that help explain the scale of the downpours that recently swamped the village of Fishlake and other locations in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. The very scientific sounding Clausius-Clapeyron equation is one key element. Clausius and Clapeyron are the surnames of the German and French meteorologists who discovered that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. For every 1 degree C increase in temperature, the air can hold about 7% extra water vapour. When you get the sorts of storms that generate rapid cooling, you get heavier rain falling rapidly out of the clouds, as happened in parts of England last week. \"As temperatures are warmer we get more intense rain, which by itself brings more floods, even if the number of storms hitting our shores don't change,\" said Prof Piers Forster from the University of Leeds. \"When coupled to warmer, wetter winters generally, as expected from climate change, the ground becomes more saturated so any rainfall will give a greater chance of flooding.\" This is, in essence, the scenario that played out in Fishlake last week. UK scientists observe and predict a 10-20% increase in rainfall during the wettest days, so it is very possible that we will see other examples of this type of downpour across this winter. In coastal areas, the chances of flooding are made worse by the rise in sea level. However, the chances of an area flooding or not is also complicated by human factors such as farming practices, the building of houses on flood plains and the vagaries of the British weather. Venice has been hit by floods that have seen more than 80% of the city, a Unesco world heritage site, under water when the tides were at their highest. The Mayor of Venice was very quick to attribute the floods to climate change. Critics though have pointed to delays and corruption in relation to the installation of a major floodwater defence system that might have limited the damage. Climate scientists, however, see a clear relation between rising temperatures and the inundation. \"Sea level rise is rising globally and it is also rising in the Adriatic,\" said Prof Gabi Hegerl, from the University of Edinburgh. \"Venice is also subsiding a bit, so you have a bit of a double whammy. \"The immediate flood has been caused by the Sirocco wind and the high tides but it wouldn't have been as high without the sea having risen as well.\" The latest Lancet report on health and climate change \"found that human exposure to fires had doubled since 2000\". \"Wildfires not only cause deaths and health damage but had significant economic and social impacts,\" it found. In Australia, the bushfires this year have come far earlier and on a larger scale than seen previously. While climate change doesn't directly cause fires like these - it is major factor in creating the right conditions for fires to take hold. \"In areas like Australia where we have had prolonged dry periods, you can't definitely attribute this to climate change but the environmental conditions are increasingly ripe for these sorts of things,\" said Prof Nigel Arnell from the University of Reading. \"The precursors are all going in the direction of increased fire risk in those fire-prone regions.\" Other researchers also point to indirect links. \"Most droughts are found to be in part caused by climate change,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"Stronger winds, again associated with more energy in the climate system, add to the fire risk and make them more intense and faster moving.\" Very much so, say the scientists. \"The overall climate signal is that if you have it warmer, it is easier to burn; if you have higher seas, it is easier to flood,\" said Prof Gabi Hegerl. \"And if you have more moisture in the atmosphere, the same rainfall systems rain harder - that is something we see globally and that has a human greenhouse gas signal in it. \"In extreme events, that's where climate change bites us.\" \"Our climate models that project the future are best at the mean, at looking at the averages,\" said Prof Arnell. \"They are not necessarily designed to be good at extremes, so we haven't got a prediction of extremes to compare against.\" Other researchers say that what we are now experiencing is very much in line with models but that the world hasn't been adequately prepared for the scale of what we are now seeing. \"I think there is a case to be made that scientists under-predicted the societal and environmental impacts of such events,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"But the projection of global temperature change and associated climate impacts has been pretty well predicted since the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was published in 1990, or even before.\" Those in the insurance industry say that where once it was earthquakes and hurricanes that caused them the biggest losses, wildfires and storms have now become the key loss drivers. While much of the thrust in dealing with climate change has focussed on cutting carbon, in the insurance business they are more keen on seeing help for people to adapt to our changing world. \"Retrofitting buildings is not as sexy as reimagining an energy system - there is a mundane nature to what a lot of adaptation looks like,\" said Greg Lowe, global head of resilience and sustainability at Aon. \"People love talking about a green new deal, but I don't really see any discussions around what needs to happen from an adaptation perspective.\" Mr Lowe pointed to the example of Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 which caused 65 deaths and $27bn worth of damage. There was a complete revision of building codes in the wake of the storm which has massively changed the profile of losses in that part of the US. For years, when faced with extreme weather events like the fires in Australia or the floods in South Yorkshire, scientists have trotted out the \"we can't attribute any single event to climate change\" mantra. But that view has changed. \"You will not find that climate change is the only cause for an extreme event,\" said Dr Friederike Otto from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. \"But you can look at individual events and work out how much climate change has altered the likelihood of it to occur or its intensity.\" This view is echoed by other experts in the field. \"This was true in 2013 for the last major IPCC assessment report, but the science on event-attribution (assigning specific weather events to a particular cause) has really developed since then,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"Now, even with single weather-related extreme events, we can say with a good degree of certainty that climate change played a role.\" Others believe that the link between climate change and extreme events is now as strong as the link between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. \"You can never make a direct connection and say my grandad died of lung cancer because of smoking because you can't figure out how the cancer exactly originated; there might be other factors,\" said Prof Gabi Hegerl. \"But you can say for sure that if you smoke the probability of coming down with lung cancer is hugely increased. The same methods have been applied to the climate problem.\" There is one thing sure and certain about climate change and cold weather events like snow storms - you can bet your bottom dollar that President Donald Trump will tweet about it, querying the absence of global warming! But researchers say cold waves often have a similar climate signal, but it might be harder to see it in a snowstorm that hits a region compared with a heatwave that affects an entire country. \"I think it is easier in large-scale events,\" said Dr Otto. \"In heatwaves or rainfall events, the climate models are more reliable on these larger scales and you can pool more observational data. That is easier than localised events.\" Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 209, "answer_end": 1326, "text": "There are some basic physical factors that help explain the scale of the downpours that recently swamped the village of Fishlake and other locations in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. The very scientific sounding Clausius-Clapeyron equation is one key element. Clausius and Clapeyron are the surnames of the German and French meteorologists who discovered that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. For every 1 degree C increase in temperature, the air can hold about 7% extra water vapour. When you get the sorts of storms that generate rapid cooling, you get heavier rain falling rapidly out of the clouds, as happened in parts of England last week. \"As temperatures are warmer we get more intense rain, which by itself brings more floods, even if the number of storms hitting our shores don't change,\" said Prof Piers Forster from the University of Leeds. \"When coupled to warmer, wetter winters generally, as expected from climate change, the ground becomes more saturated so any rainfall will give a greater chance of flooding.\" This is, in essence, the scenario that played out in Fishlake last week."}], "question": "What can we say about the role of climate change in floods like those seen in South Yorkshire?", "id": "888_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1327, "answer_end": 1790, "text": "UK scientists observe and predict a 10-20% increase in rainfall during the wettest days, so it is very possible that we will see other examples of this type of downpour across this winter. In coastal areas, the chances of flooding are made worse by the rise in sea level. However, the chances of an area flooding or not is also complicated by human factors such as farming practices, the building of houses on flood plains and the vagaries of the British weather."}], "question": "Will we see more such flooding in the near future?", "id": "888_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2629, "answer_end": 3736, "text": "The latest Lancet report on health and climate change \"found that human exposure to fires had doubled since 2000\". \"Wildfires not only cause deaths and health damage but had significant economic and social impacts,\" it found. In Australia, the bushfires this year have come far earlier and on a larger scale than seen previously. While climate change doesn't directly cause fires like these - it is major factor in creating the right conditions for fires to take hold. \"In areas like Australia where we have had prolonged dry periods, you can't definitely attribute this to climate change but the environmental conditions are increasingly ripe for these sorts of things,\" said Prof Nigel Arnell from the University of Reading. \"The precursors are all going in the direction of increased fire risk in those fire-prone regions.\" Other researchers also point to indirect links. \"Most droughts are found to be in part caused by climate change,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"Stronger winds, again associated with more energy in the climate system, add to the fire risk and make them more intense and faster moving.\""}], "question": "What about the Australian fires - where's the climate link?", "id": "888_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3737, "answer_end": 4156, "text": "Very much so, say the scientists. \"The overall climate signal is that if you have it warmer, it is easier to burn; if you have higher seas, it is easier to flood,\" said Prof Gabi Hegerl. \"And if you have more moisture in the atmosphere, the same rainfall systems rain harder - that is something we see globally and that has a human greenhouse gas signal in it. \"In extreme events, that's where climate change bites us.\""}], "question": "Are there common climate factors in all these events?", "id": "888_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4157, "answer_end": 4938, "text": "\"Our climate models that project the future are best at the mean, at looking at the averages,\" said Prof Arnell. \"They are not necessarily designed to be good at extremes, so we haven't got a prediction of extremes to compare against.\" Other researchers say that what we are now experiencing is very much in line with models but that the world hasn't been adequately prepared for the scale of what we are now seeing. \"I think there is a case to be made that scientists under-predicted the societal and environmental impacts of such events,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"But the projection of global temperature change and associated climate impacts has been pretty well predicted since the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was published in 1990, or even before.\""}], "question": "Have climate models predicted these events?", "id": "888_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4939, "answer_end": 5944, "text": "Those in the insurance industry say that where once it was earthquakes and hurricanes that caused them the biggest losses, wildfires and storms have now become the key loss drivers. While much of the thrust in dealing with climate change has focussed on cutting carbon, in the insurance business they are more keen on seeing help for people to adapt to our changing world. \"Retrofitting buildings is not as sexy as reimagining an energy system - there is a mundane nature to what a lot of adaptation looks like,\" said Greg Lowe, global head of resilience and sustainability at Aon. \"People love talking about a green new deal, but I don't really see any discussions around what needs to happen from an adaptation perspective.\" Mr Lowe pointed to the example of Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 which caused 65 deaths and $27bn worth of damage. There was a complete revision of building codes in the wake of the storm which has massively changed the profile of losses in that part of the US."}], "question": "How does the insurance industry view all this?", "id": "888_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5945, "answer_end": 7427, "text": "For years, when faced with extreme weather events like the fires in Australia or the floods in South Yorkshire, scientists have trotted out the \"we can't attribute any single event to climate change\" mantra. But that view has changed. \"You will not find that climate change is the only cause for an extreme event,\" said Dr Friederike Otto from the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. \"But you can look at individual events and work out how much climate change has altered the likelihood of it to occur or its intensity.\" This view is echoed by other experts in the field. \"This was true in 2013 for the last major IPCC assessment report, but the science on event-attribution (assigning specific weather events to a particular cause) has really developed since then,\" said Prof Piers Forster. \"Now, even with single weather-related extreme events, we can say with a good degree of certainty that climate change played a role.\" Others believe that the link between climate change and extreme events is now as strong as the link between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. \"You can never make a direct connection and say my grandad died of lung cancer because of smoking because you can't figure out how the cancer exactly originated; there might be other factors,\" said Prof Gabi Hegerl. \"But you can say for sure that if you smoke the probability of coming down with lung cancer is hugely increased. The same methods have been applied to the climate problem.\""}], "question": "Can we say that single events are linked to climate change?", "id": "888_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7428, "answer_end": 8114, "text": "There is one thing sure and certain about climate change and cold weather events like snow storms - you can bet your bottom dollar that President Donald Trump will tweet about it, querying the absence of global warming! But researchers say cold waves often have a similar climate signal, but it might be harder to see it in a snowstorm that hits a region compared with a heatwave that affects an entire country. \"I think it is easier in large-scale events,\" said Dr Otto. \"In heatwaves or rainfall events, the climate models are more reliable on these larger scales and you can pool more observational data. That is easier than localised events.\" Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc."}], "question": "What about cold weather - how is climate change impacting that?", "id": "888_7"}]}]}, {"title": "US census kicks off by counting first person in rural Alaska", "date": "21 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US 2020 census has officially begun in Toksook Bay, a remote fishing village on the coast of Alaska. Steven Dillingham, head of the US Census Bureau, has kicked off the count with a ceremonial visit to a tribal elder, Lizzie Chimiugak Nenguryarr, 90. The census takes place every 10 years, and most of the country's residents are counted from mid-March. But census workers always make an early start in Alaska in January, when the ground is frozen enough to traverse. If they were to wait a few more months, the ground would turn to marsh and become almost impossible for them to cross. \"Alaska's vast, sparsely settled areas traditionally are the first to be counted,\" the bureau says. \"Local census takers must get a head start while the frozen ground allows easier access to the remote areas with unique accessibility challenges.\" Census takers use dog sleds and snowmobiles to get to these places, it adds. Toksook Bay is on Alaska's far-west coast, about 500 miles (800km) from the state's largest city, Anchorage. In the last census taken in 2010, Toksook Bay had a population of 590. The bureau estimated in 2017 that this had risen to 661. Toksook Bay is not always the first village to be counted in the census. In 2010, bureau staff began in Noorvik, on the north-western coast. In 2000, they made their start in Unalakleet. The indigenous peoples in Toksook Bay are Yup'ik - a group that is native to Alaska and the Russian Far East. Ms Nenguryarr speaks Yugtun, one of several distinct Yup'ik languages. Alaska has 20 different official languages. Usually, census materials are not available in any of the Alaskan languages, meaning that counters have to work with translators and local experts in order to communicate effectively with villagers. However, in an effort to boost responses among indigenous groups, the Census Bureau has this year translated its materials into several indigenous languages - including Yup'ik. After visiting Ms Nenguryarr's home and counting all of the village's residents, the census team is taking part in a day of celebrations that include ceremonial Yup'ik dance performances and a feast of traditional foods. Mr Dillingham told Reuters news agency that the kickoff wasn't just about counting the residents of one village - it was also about drawing the attention of the rest of the US. \"It's the first time the word is really getting across the nation that the 2020 census is here,\" he said. Although it has now officially started, the Bureau is still hiring census takers for the rest of the 2020 count. It expects between 300,000 and 500,000 new census takers. According to Mr Dillingham, they have already received about 1.8 million applications. All images copyright", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 915, "answer_end": 1939, "text": "Toksook Bay is on Alaska's far-west coast, about 500 miles (800km) from the state's largest city, Anchorage. In the last census taken in 2010, Toksook Bay had a population of 590. The bureau estimated in 2017 that this had risen to 661. Toksook Bay is not always the first village to be counted in the census. In 2010, bureau staff began in Noorvik, on the north-western coast. In 2000, they made their start in Unalakleet. The indigenous peoples in Toksook Bay are Yup'ik - a group that is native to Alaska and the Russian Far East. Ms Nenguryarr speaks Yugtun, one of several distinct Yup'ik languages. Alaska has 20 different official languages. Usually, census materials are not available in any of the Alaskan languages, meaning that counters have to work with translators and local experts in order to communicate effectively with villagers. However, in an effort to boost responses among indigenous groups, the Census Bureau has this year translated its materials into several indigenous languages - including Yup'ik."}], "question": "Where is Toksook Bay?", "id": "889_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How will Modi handle India's economy?", "date": "26 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Narendra Modi has secured a historic second election victory. Indian stocks and the rupee rose to welcome the news: another parliamentary majority for the BJP party could grant Mr Modi the opportunity to make promised reforms a reality. But once the euphoria around his emphatic win at the polls has faded, there will remain some tough economic challenges in his in-tray. The economic record for Mr Modi's first term in office is mixed. He initiated some bold reforms, such as a new bankruptcy law, to help tackle a rise bad debts that was putting pressure on the banking sector. His government reduced red tape, helping move India to 77th in the World Bank's 2019 Doing Business ranking, an improvement from 134th place when he first took office in 2014. India also became the world's fastest growing economy during that first term. But his biggest gamble, banning more than three quarters of the rupee notes in circulation in order to battle corruption, misfired and delivered a significant blow to economic growth. Without replacement notes ready in time, India's gigantic informal economy was temporarily crippled - leading to job losses. The rollout of a new national sales tax didn't go smoothly either. In the long run the new tax is expected to boost economic growth by streamlining a multitude of complicated taxes into a single tax. But in the short term glitches around its introduction had a severe impact on millions of small and medium-sized businesses. As Mr Modi gets his feet back under the desk for his second term, economists like Surjit Bhalla believe that his increased majority will give Mr Modi more freedom to take tough decisions. \"Given the size of the mandate, we can expect bolder reforms during the next five years,\" says Mr Bhalla, who served on the prime minister's economic advisory council during Mr Modi's first term. But the scale of India's problems matches that mandate. Economic growth slowed to 6.6% in the three months to December 2018, the slowest rate for six quarters. According to a leaked government report, unemployment touched a 45-year high between 2016 and 2017. Experts say that Mr Modi needs to spur flagging private sector investment in order to boost job creation. His flagship Make in India programme, aimed at giving manufacturing a big boost, has yielded mixed results so far. Ajit Ranade, chief economist of Mumbai-based, Aditya Birla Group, believes that focusing on overseas markets is the key to creating more employment opportunities. \"Exports and manufacturing are intertwined. Unless exports grow the manufacturing sector won't expand,\" he says. The new government should focus on labour-intensive sectors like construction, tourism, textiles and agricultural products, he adds. Unlike China, India's economic growth has been driven by domestic consumption over the last fifteen years. But data released over the last few months suggests that consumer spending is slowing. Sales of cars and SUVs have slumped to a seven-year low. Tractor, motorbike and scooter sales are down. Demand for bank credit has sputtered. Hindustan Unilever has reported slower revenue growth in the most recent quarter. All of these are important benchmarks for measuring consumer appetite. Mr Modi's party promised in its manifesto that it would cut income tax to ensure more cash and greater purchasing power stayed in the hands of middle-income families. However, given the current state of government finances, that may not be possible immediately. India's 3.4% budget deficit - the gap between government expenditure and revenue - may restrict Mr Modi's options. \"The widening fiscal deficit is a slow-acting poison,\" says Mr Ranade. He believes this will hold back medium and long-term growth. The agrarian crisis was a constant challenge for Mr Modi during his first term. Farmers across the country protested on the streets, demanding higher prices for their crops. Small-scale farmers have been promised more support, but structural changes to the way the market works might be preferable to measures that will put additional pressure on the government's already stretched budget, argues Ila Patnaik, a former economic advisor to the government of India. She would like to see the end of the system whereby farmers are required to sell their products to state-owned agencies at a fixed price. \"We need to free up the farmers so that they can sell products to whoever they want. This will also encourage them to move to high value products,\" she says. One of his headline election pledges was a promise to spend $1.44 trillion to build roads, railways and other infrastructure. But such an eye-watering sum will have to come from somewhere. Many observers expect privatisation to play a key role. Mr Modi made slow progress on his pledges to sell off government enterprises in his first term. The government did initiate the process of selling a majority stake in national carrier Air India, but with a tepid response from investors, the plan failed to take off. Mr Bhalla expects Mr Modi to pursue privatisation more aggressively in his second term. \"The next two years is a good time for the government to [speed up] the process of privatisation,\" he argues. And he believes a willingness to embrace bolder policies could entice more foreign investors to put their money in India. \"During his first term, Mr Modi has shown the appetite to take up tough reforms and he will definitely try to take even bigger risks during his second term,\" he says.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 372, "answer_end": 1467, "text": "The economic record for Mr Modi's first term in office is mixed. He initiated some bold reforms, such as a new bankruptcy law, to help tackle a rise bad debts that was putting pressure on the banking sector. His government reduced red tape, helping move India to 77th in the World Bank's 2019 Doing Business ranking, an improvement from 134th place when he first took office in 2014. India also became the world's fastest growing economy during that first term. But his biggest gamble, banning more than three quarters of the rupee notes in circulation in order to battle corruption, misfired and delivered a significant blow to economic growth. Without replacement notes ready in time, India's gigantic informal economy was temporarily crippled - leading to job losses. The rollout of a new national sales tax didn't go smoothly either. In the long run the new tax is expected to boost economic growth by streamlining a multitude of complicated taxes into a single tax. But in the short term glitches around its introduction had a severe impact on millions of small and medium-sized businesses."}], "question": "What did he do in his first term?", "id": "890_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1468, "answer_end": 2111, "text": "As Mr Modi gets his feet back under the desk for his second term, economists like Surjit Bhalla believe that his increased majority will give Mr Modi more freedom to take tough decisions. \"Given the size of the mandate, we can expect bolder reforms during the next five years,\" says Mr Bhalla, who served on the prime minister's economic advisory council during Mr Modi's first term. But the scale of India's problems matches that mandate. Economic growth slowed to 6.6% in the three months to December 2018, the slowest rate for six quarters. According to a leaked government report, unemployment touched a 45-year high between 2016 and 2017."}], "question": "What should we expect in his second term?", "id": "890_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2112, "answer_end": 2741, "text": "Experts say that Mr Modi needs to spur flagging private sector investment in order to boost job creation. His flagship Make in India programme, aimed at giving manufacturing a big boost, has yielded mixed results so far. Ajit Ranade, chief economist of Mumbai-based, Aditya Birla Group, believes that focusing on overseas markets is the key to creating more employment opportunities. \"Exports and manufacturing are intertwined. Unless exports grow the manufacturing sector won't expand,\" he says. The new government should focus on labour-intensive sectors like construction, tourism, textiles and agricultural products, he adds."}], "question": "What will he do about jobs?", "id": "890_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2742, "answer_end": 3739, "text": "Unlike China, India's economic growth has been driven by domestic consumption over the last fifteen years. But data released over the last few months suggests that consumer spending is slowing. Sales of cars and SUVs have slumped to a seven-year low. Tractor, motorbike and scooter sales are down. Demand for bank credit has sputtered. Hindustan Unilever has reported slower revenue growth in the most recent quarter. All of these are important benchmarks for measuring consumer appetite. Mr Modi's party promised in its manifesto that it would cut income tax to ensure more cash and greater purchasing power stayed in the hands of middle-income families. However, given the current state of government finances, that may not be possible immediately. India's 3.4% budget deficit - the gap between government expenditure and revenue - may restrict Mr Modi's options. \"The widening fiscal deficit is a slow-acting poison,\" says Mr Ranade. He believes this will hold back medium and long-term growth."}], "question": "Can Modi boost growth?", "id": "890_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3740, "answer_end": 4499, "text": "The agrarian crisis was a constant challenge for Mr Modi during his first term. Farmers across the country protested on the streets, demanding higher prices for their crops. Small-scale farmers have been promised more support, but structural changes to the way the market works might be preferable to measures that will put additional pressure on the government's already stretched budget, argues Ila Patnaik, a former economic advisor to the government of India. She would like to see the end of the system whereby farmers are required to sell their products to state-owned agencies at a fixed price. \"We need to free up the farmers so that they can sell products to whoever they want. This will also encourage them to move to high value products,\" she says."}], "question": "Will he help farmers?", "id": "890_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4500, "answer_end": 5497, "text": "One of his headline election pledges was a promise to spend $1.44 trillion to build roads, railways and other infrastructure. But such an eye-watering sum will have to come from somewhere. Many observers expect privatisation to play a key role. Mr Modi made slow progress on his pledges to sell off government enterprises in his first term. The government did initiate the process of selling a majority stake in national carrier Air India, but with a tepid response from investors, the plan failed to take off. Mr Bhalla expects Mr Modi to pursue privatisation more aggressively in his second term. \"The next two years is a good time for the government to [speed up] the process of privatisation,\" he argues. And he believes a willingness to embrace bolder policies could entice more foreign investors to put their money in India. \"During his first term, Mr Modi has shown the appetite to take up tough reforms and he will definitely try to take even bigger risks during his second term,\" he says."}], "question": "Will Modi push privatisation?", "id": "890_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Moped crime: Police told not to be scared to chase scooters", "date": "22 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police officers shouldn't be frightened of ending up in court if they chase suspects on scooters, the policing minister has told Newsbeat. Nick Hurd MP says the government is \"reviewing the law\" and says \"we do intend to change things\" to better protect police. The Police Federation says its officers are \"scared to chase\" in case they are charged if suspects are injured. There has been a huge surge in crimes involving scooters and motorbikes in the last three years. The Met Police told us there were 24,329 crimes committed using a moped in the year to February 2018. This compares to 10,170 in the previous 12 months, but they say new tactics are starting to make a difference. Police officers have told Newsbeat they fear ending up in court for high-speed chases because they can be prosecuted for careless driving. The union that represents police officers - the Police Federation - says the government is taking too long to make the changes. \"If they realised their livelihood and liberty were going to be in jeopardy of course they are going to be scared,\" Tim Rodgers from the Police Federation says. Responding to that criticism, Nick Hurd MP said their \"instinct is to give better protection to police officers\" but \"it doesn't happen overnight\". The Home Office confirmed to Newsbeat that any change to the law would apply in England, Wales and Scotland. One of the most common moped crimes is snatching phones but some people have been slashed with knives and weapons by muggers. Some motorcycling groups claim scooter crime is rising because criminals know that police often won't pursue them. The groups also feel there are too many lenient sentences for young criminals. PC James Ellerton was charged with dangerous driving after he knocked a criminal off a scrambler bike in Liverpool. He developed severe anxiety and health problems after his suspension from front-line work for 14 months. He told Newsbeat: \"They (officers) are petrified to chase these vehicles through fear of the consequences. \"You've only got to look at what I've gone through, they could be faced with losing their liberty, going to jail, losing their careers.\" This type of offence is often referred to as moped crime but often they in fact involve high powered scooters. A moped has an engine capacity of not more than 50 cc. It won't go any faster than 30mph. A scooter also has a step-through frame but has an engine size of between 50cc and 150cc. The Metropolitan Police in London has recently bought new scrambler police bikes to follow suspects on scooters. A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said: \"Some police forces have seen increases in crime using mopeds and motorcycles, predominately in metropolitan areas, to enable a range of criminal activities including theft and assault. \"Police forces are working with the government and other partners to develop new tactics to address this kind of crime.\" The current law means officers can be prosecuted for dangerous driving in the same way as ordinary motorists if there is an accident. It is the College of Policing's job to issue guidelines to officers on pursuits with scooters. The rules say chasing scooters \"presents additional challenges\" compared to a chase involving a car. They say an officer should receive authorisation from the control room if possible and they should also be specially trained. But different forces follow the guidelines slightly differently. The Met Police told us the control room has to be immediately alerted to all pursuits, which must be authorised in all but exceptional circumstances. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2154, "answer_end": 3762, "text": "This type of offence is often referred to as moped crime but often they in fact involve high powered scooters. A moped has an engine capacity of not more than 50 cc. It won't go any faster than 30mph. A scooter also has a step-through frame but has an engine size of between 50cc and 150cc. The Metropolitan Police in London has recently bought new scrambler police bikes to follow suspects on scooters. A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said: \"Some police forces have seen increases in crime using mopeds and motorcycles, predominately in metropolitan areas, to enable a range of criminal activities including theft and assault. \"Police forces are working with the government and other partners to develop new tactics to address this kind of crime.\" The current law means officers can be prosecuted for dangerous driving in the same way as ordinary motorists if there is an accident. It is the College of Policing's job to issue guidelines to officers on pursuits with scooters. The rules say chasing scooters \"presents additional challenges\" compared to a chase involving a car. They say an officer should receive authorisation from the control room if possible and they should also be specially trained. But different forces follow the guidelines slightly differently. The Met Police told us the control room has to be immediately alerted to all pursuits, which must be authorised in all but exceptional circumstances. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here."}], "question": "Mopeds and scooters: What's the difference?", "id": "891_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain's political future uncertain after election", "date": "21 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is the beginning of a new, multi-party era in Spain. The unrivalled dominance of the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the Socialists (PSOE), who have alternated in power for 32 years, always with parliamentary majorities, is over. The ball is in the PP's court. Protocol dictates that the party that wins the most votes has the right to try to form a government. But the key word there is \"try\". On paper at least the PP will struggle, because during the election campaign so many parties ruled out going into government with it. It is the PP's worst election result since 1989. Its share of the vote fell from 45% in 2011 to 29% this time. Even if you add the PP's seats to those won by the new liberal party Ciudadanos (Citizens), with which it has some common ground - mainly on the economy - such an alliance would still be 13 seats short of 176 - the majority needed to govern. A key player in the process will be Spain's King Felipe, who has only been on the throne for 18 months following the abdication of his father. The king will oversee the process and ask a party leader, probably incumbent Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, to attempt to form another government. But if Mr Rajoy cannot get enough other parties to join him, then in theory the king should turn to another leader, probably the Socialists' Pedro Sanchez. His PSOE came second with 22% - that is, 90 seats in parliament. It was the PSOE's worst result since Spain's transition to democracy at the end of the 1970s. Compromise and co-operation, so fundamental in that transition, but generally absent from political discourse since, will have to become the new watchwords of Spanish politics. The PSOE could team up with the anti-austerity party Podemos (\"We can\") which, standing at its first-ever general election, came an impressive third, fractionally behind the Socialists with 21%. But Spain's electoral system favours the traditional parties, so Podemos's 21% translates into 69 seats. Even if Podemos is open to a deal with the PSOE, and Spain's former Communist party (United Left), then this coalition of the left would need either the support of Ciudadanos or of a Basque nationalist party and Catalan pro-independence parties to reach a majority. The latter would possibly demand a referendum in Catalonia on independence from Spain, as part of a deal. Podemos promised that in its election manifesto, but the PSOE remains opposed. In either scenario - a PP-led government, or PSOE-led - long, complicated negotiations will be necessary. The new parties would surely demand radical changes in the way Spain is governed and in economic policy, before risking being a junior partner in any government. Spanish politics set for new era Spain's new faces in election campaign Spanish PM's rival picks corruption fight Taking back Barcelona's apartments Podemos won by a distance in Catalonia, won the most votes in the Basque Country and came second in Madrid. The party was formed from the \"occupy\" protest of the so-called Indignados (\"indignant ones\") at the end of 2011. The grassroots movement, known in Spain as 15-M, involved people camping out for weeks in Madrid's main square in protest against the economic crisis. It tapped into the widespread dissatisfaction among a large, mainly young chunk of Spain that is fed up with the traditional way of doing politics, and the corruption scandals which have tarnished the old parties. Podemos consolidated its success at regional elections in May this year, when its allies took control in Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Cadiz. Podemos's success is also a message to EU leaders: that many Spaniards want the politics of austerity to change. The fact that so many Spaniards are worse off now than they were four years ago was a big factor in the way many cast their vote. Ironically the relatively new liberal party Ciudadanos, which sells itself as a \"centrist\" force, could play a key role in negotiations - even though it fell short of expectations in this election. It won 40 seats. However, the clock is ticking. Spain has two months to form a new government. If no leader can put together the necessary number of deputies in parliament then Spain could face fresh elections. That is a realistic possibility. Spanish politics used to be predictable. For outsiders the dominance of the PP and PSOE made things almost boring. Overnight the landscape has shifted and things are infinitely more unpredictable, because a lot of Spaniards voted for new parties and for change. Since its transition to democracy Spain has always had deep divisions under the surface. The political split is now wide open.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3682, "answer_end": 4642, "text": "The fact that so many Spaniards are worse off now than they were four years ago was a big factor in the way many cast their vote. Ironically the relatively new liberal party Ciudadanos, which sells itself as a \"centrist\" force, could play a key role in negotiations - even though it fell short of expectations in this election. It won 40 seats. However, the clock is ticking. Spain has two months to form a new government. If no leader can put together the necessary number of deputies in parliament then Spain could face fresh elections. That is a realistic possibility. Spanish politics used to be predictable. For outsiders the dominance of the PP and PSOE made things almost boring. Overnight the landscape has shifted and things are infinitely more unpredictable, because a lot of Spaniards voted for new parties and for change. Since its transition to democracy Spain has always had deep divisions under the surface. The political split is now wide open."}], "question": "New elections?", "id": "892_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pakistan train fire: Are accidents at a record high?", "date": "1 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Pakistani government's record of enforcing train safety is coming under scrutiny after a fire killed more than 70 passengers. Opposition politician Bilawal Bhutto Zadari said Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Minister for Railways, \"has the highest record of train accidents on his watch\". Is this true? We've looked at the data. Mr Ahmed started the job in August 2018 and between then and June 2019 there were 74 railway accidents, according to the Ministry of Railways. As well as the recent accident, the worst in a decade, there have been several fatal accidents during this period, including a crash in July that killed at least 20 people. It's difficult to compare this period with other years because the data is incomplete.  However, 74 accidents in nearly 12 months, based on the data we've seen, is not out of the ordinary. Historical data from Pakistan Railways shows there were 757 train accidents between 2012 and 2017.  That's an average of about 125 incidents a year. Most were caused by derailment and collisions at unmanned railway crossings. The worst year in this period was 2015, when there were 175 incidents, of which 75 were due to derailment and 76 to collisions at crossings. In the past six years, 150 people have died in train accidents, according to local media reports. We've also seen separate figures provided to parliament by the Railways Ministry. This data identifies 338 train accidents and 118 deaths in the years from 2013 to 2016. The government says an exploding gas cylinder used for cooking caused the blaze in this latest disaster. The fire spread through the carriages and forced many people to jump out of the moving train. But other reports from the scene suggest electrical problems could have been the cause. Several survivors have reportedly said they believed a short-circuit on board may have been to blame. The train was travelling between the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Rawalpindi, one of the oldest and most popular lines in the country. Train travel is an extremely popular mode of travel in Pakistan, especially among middle and lower income groups, with tracks spanning the length and breadth of the country. However, carriages are often overcrowded and many of the trains are in poor condition. Also, safety inspections are more relaxed at stations than at airports, BBC Urdu's Abid Hussain  says. So banned items such as cooking stoves and oil canisters are often brought on board. The three major causes of train accidents in Pakistan are lack of track maintenance, signal issues and older engines, according to the authorities. Casualty figures are often high because trains are packed with far greater numbers of passengers than they were designed for. In 2007, at least 56 people were killed and more than 120 injured in a crash near the city of Mehrabpur. And in 2005, more than 130 people were killed when three trains collided in Sindh province in one of the country's worst train disasters.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 641, "answer_end": 1464, "text": "It's difficult to compare this period with other years because the data is incomplete.  However, 74 accidents in nearly 12 months, based on the data we've seen, is not out of the ordinary. Historical data from Pakistan Railways shows there were 757 train accidents between 2012 and 2017.  That's an average of about 125 incidents a year. Most were caused by derailment and collisions at unmanned railway crossings. The worst year in this period was 2015, when there were 175 incidents, of which 75 were due to derailment and 76 to collisions at crossings. In the past six years, 150 people have died in train accidents, according to local media reports. We've also seen separate figures provided to parliament by the Railways Ministry. This data identifies 338 train accidents and 118 deaths in the years from 2013 to 2016."}], "question": "What about previous years?", "id": "893_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1465, "answer_end": 2957, "text": "The government says an exploding gas cylinder used for cooking caused the blaze in this latest disaster. The fire spread through the carriages and forced many people to jump out of the moving train. But other reports from the scene suggest electrical problems could have been the cause. Several survivors have reportedly said they believed a short-circuit on board may have been to blame. The train was travelling between the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Rawalpindi, one of the oldest and most popular lines in the country. Train travel is an extremely popular mode of travel in Pakistan, especially among middle and lower income groups, with tracks spanning the length and breadth of the country. However, carriages are often overcrowded and many of the trains are in poor condition. Also, safety inspections are more relaxed at stations than at airports, BBC Urdu's Abid Hussain  says. So banned items such as cooking stoves and oil canisters are often brought on board. The three major causes of train accidents in Pakistan are lack of track maintenance, signal issues and older engines, according to the authorities. Casualty figures are often high because trains are packed with far greater numbers of passengers than they were designed for. In 2007, at least 56 people were killed and more than 120 injured in a crash near the city of Mehrabpur. And in 2005, more than 130 people were killed when three trains collided in Sindh province in one of the country's worst train disasters."}], "question": "Why do train accidents happen?", "id": "893_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Leila de Lima: The woman who dares to defy Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte", "date": "28 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Philippine Senator Leila de Lima has made herself a thorn in the side of controversial President Rodrigo Duterte. The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head profiles a polarising figure, as part of a series on the Asian women likely to make the news in 2017. Six months into his presidency Rodrigo Duterte dominates the Philippines in a way no leader has since the days of Ferdinand Marcos. His gruff profanities and impromptu leadership style, his shockingly violent campaign against drugs, and his unpredictable policy shifts have guaranteed him constant media attention, and helped maintain strong popularity ratings in a country hungry for change. He appals liberal Filipinos and human rights advocates, but is seen as a saviour by others.  Families have been bitterly divided over the president; social media commentary about Mr Duterte has been passionate and often abusive. The president has a skilled, some say manipulative, social media team. The dramatic groundswell of support that propelled the former mayor of Davao, a very late contender, to the presidency, persuaded politicians even from rival parties to throw their support behind him in both houses of Congress, forming what is known as a \"supermajority\". In effect he started his six-year term with no formal opposition. Among a handful of politicians who have stood up to the president is Senator Leila de Lima, a lawyer who served as justice secretary in the outgoing administration. Asian women to watch in 2017 Her epic, unequal battle with Mr Duterte and his allies, taking place against a backdrop of Congressional inquiries and lurid allegations and counter-allegations in the media, has gripped the country. Senator de Lima initially chaired a senate inquiry into the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, which increased dramatically after President Duterte took office. She brought in an alleged former death squad member from his home city of Davao to testify that Mr Duterte himself had taken part in extrajudicial killings there while he was mayor, something he has both denied and confirmed. He has responded by accusing her of receiving payments from drug lords incarcerated in the country's biggest prison while she was justice secretary. In September his allies in the Senate had her removed from chairing the inquiry, which then exonerated President Duterte of involvement in extrajudicial killings. At least five criminal complaints have been made against her, although she has not been indicted. She has called him a \"tired old narcissist\" with a temperament ill-suited to finding lasting solutions to the country's problems. He has called her an \"immoral woman\", and suggested she should hang herself. His allies in the Congress have launched their own investigation into Senator de Lima, exposing lurid details of her relationship with her driver, and getting imprisoned drug dealers to testify against her. Leila de Lima was born in 1957 and brought up in the Bicol region of the main island of Luzon. Her father was a lawyer and ran the national Election Commission in the 1990s. Ms De Lima also studied law, graduating with the 8th highest marks in the country in 1985. She has two sons, but her marriage ended in 2001, something she blames on her commitment to her work. She practised law, with an interlude working in the House of Representatives, before being appointed as chair of the Commission on Human Rights by then-President Gloria Arroyo in 2008. Already known for being an outspoken advocate of \"justice without fear or favour\", she launched an investigation into allegations that then mayor Rodrigo Duterte was running death squads in Davao in his popular anti-crime campaign. She held a series of hearings in Davao in 2009, but was unable to find witnesses or clear evidence that linked Mr Duterte or the police to the mysterious hit squads which killed more than 1,000 people over the previous decade, many of them children. When she was appointed justice secretary in 2010 by the-President Benigno Aquino III she showed an undiminished willingness to go after high-profile people. In 2011, she had former-President Arroyo arrested as she was about to board a flight to seek hospital treatment overseas. In 2013, she filed criminal charges against three prominent senators for alleged misuse of development funds. She also took on the country's third largest church, Iglesia ni Cristo, over an alleged kidnapping case, prompting large demonstrations outside her office. Some even sympathetic commentators accused the Justice Secretary of seeking controversy, of fighting too many of her battles through media publicity. \"Some have called me a controversial public figure,\" she said last year. \"I will not and cannot deny that. But I never asked to be controversial. In fact, it would have been impossible to remain uncontroversial when high profile cases kept arising. The only way to keep a low profile is not to do anything worth public notice.\" Her critics, though, say that in practice not much changed in the poor performance of the justice system under her watch. In particular they point to the proliferation of drug dealing, even manufacturing, in the New Bilibid Prison, the country's largest. Ms De Lima herself led a well-publicised raid on the prison in December 2014. Behind the drab exteriors of the cells occupied by some of the most well-known inmates they discovered astonishing levels of luxury - saunas, fully-stocked bars, an inflatable sex doll, mobile phones, and stocks of narcotics and firearms. Nineteen prisoners were transferred and several officials punished. But stories of drug-dealing in the prison continued, so that in July this year the running of it was taken over by police special forces. President Duterte has used the prison scandal to discredit Senator de Lima. His allies brought 10 people, seven of them prison inmates, to testify to a House of Representatives inquiry that drug money was paid to Ms De Lima's driver, and lover, to help fund her campaign for a senate seat. The driver, Ronnie Dayan, with whom Ms De Lima admits having a seven-year romantic relationship, also testified against her. Senator de Lima has dismissed all the allegations as absurd; her friends point out that she has no obvious signs of wealth, and they argue that it is easy for an administration as dominant as President Duterte's to coerce people, especially prisoners, to speak against her. She has certainly made plenty of enemies in her career. Her personal life has been laid out in what must be excruciating detail; she has been vilified by President Duterte's supporters on social media. She has few allies in mainstream politics, and none that can help her take on the Duterte roller-coaster. Her future now hangs on potential criminal indictments, and on moves to strip her of her senate seat. Yet Senator de Lima remains defiant, insisting she will be vindicated, and calling now for international intervention to investigate the drug killings. She continues to campaign against the reintroduction of the death penalty. This month she was honoured by the US publication Foreign Policy as one of its top Global Thinkers of 2016, for her willingness to \"stand up to an extremist leader\". If she is going down, she is going down fighting.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 6163, "answer_end": 7289, "text": "Senator de Lima has dismissed all the allegations as absurd; her friends point out that she has no obvious signs of wealth, and they argue that it is easy for an administration as dominant as President Duterte's to coerce people, especially prisoners, to speak against her. She has certainly made plenty of enemies in her career. Her personal life has been laid out in what must be excruciating detail; she has been vilified by President Duterte's supporters on social media. She has few allies in mainstream politics, and none that can help her take on the Duterte roller-coaster. Her future now hangs on potential criminal indictments, and on moves to strip her of her senate seat. Yet Senator de Lima remains defiant, insisting she will be vindicated, and calling now for international intervention to investigate the drug killings. She continues to campaign against the reintroduction of the death penalty. This month she was honoured by the US publication Foreign Policy as one of its top Global Thinkers of 2016, for her willingness to \"stand up to an extremist leader\". If she is going down, she is going down fighting."}], "question": "Going down fighting?", "id": "894_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Strasbourg shooting: What we know", "date": "16 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A gunman opened fire near a crowded Christmas market in the eastern French city of Strasbourg, in an attack that killed five people. The attack on the evening of 11 December also injured another 11 people, four of whom are still in hospital. The main suspect in the attack, 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, was shot dead by police on the evening of 13 December. Hundreds of officers had been involved in the search for the suspect, who was well known to the authorities for previous criminal offences. The attack began at around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on 11 December close to one of Strasbourg's central squares, place Kleber. The attacker was seen holding a gun outside 10, rue des Orfevres in the centre of the city, prosecutor Remy  Heitz said on Wednesday. He then went around the area, down the following streets in succession: rue des Grandes Arcades, rue du Saumon, rue des Chandelles and rue Sainte-Helene, before going on to rue du Pont Saint-Martin. Along the way he opened fire several times and also used a knife to seriously wound and kill people, Mr Heitz added, saying the suspect yelled \"Allahu Akbar\" (\"God is greatest\" in Arabic) during the rampage. When faced by four soldiers of the anti-terror Sentinelle operation, he fired in their direction. They fired back, wounding him in the arm. He managed to reach a taxi which drove him away from the scene and dropped him in the vicinity of the police station in Neudorf, the area where he lived which sits on the border between Germany and France. The taxi driver, who has spoken to the police, said the man had asked to be taken to that district without giving an address, saying he would guide him there. The driver also said he could see the man had a hand gun and was wounded. To explain the origin of his wounds, the suspect said he had killed 10 people and that he had been injured in a firefight with soldiers. After he got out of the taxi, the gunman came across police officers and exchanged fire with them. The suspect also told the driver that a grenade had been found at his home that morning. That allowed investigators to link the man with a police search undertaken earlier on Tuesday. During that operation, which was part of investigations into a robbery and a homicide, police had found a defensive grenade, a loaded rifle and four knives, the prosecutor said. As a result of testimonies from the public, an extensive police operation involving a helicopter was launched on Thursday evening at 19:30 local time (18:30 GMT) in the Neudorf area, where Chekatt was last seen after the attack. At 21:00, Chekatt was spotted in rue du Lazaret by officers in a police car, Mr Heitz said on Friday. The suspect noticed the police car and tried to enter a building at number 74, but could not get in. The officers identified themselves, and he turned around, pointing a gun - similar to the one used in Tuesday's attack - and fired in their direction, hitting their car, Mr Heitz said. Two of the three officers fired back several times and killed the suspect. He was identified through his fingerprints and declared dead at 21:05. The officers found an old gun, still loaded, some ammunition and a knife on his body. Born in Strasbourg in February 1989, Chekatt was already known to the security services as a possible Islamist terrorist threat. He has 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and has spent considerable time in prison as a result. He is thought to have become radicalised during his time in prison, and was noticed by the relevant authorities in 2015 for that reason. He was placed on the \"fiche S\" watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security, and was being monitored by the DGSI, France's domestic intelligence agency, Mr Heitz said on Wednesday. Seven people were arrested in connection with the attack - four members of his family as well as three other people close to him. However, all but one were freed several days later. A Thai tourist was one of the victims, named as Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, by Thai media reports. He had recently arrived in the country on holiday, they say. He was killed with a bullet in the head on rue des Moulins, according to local TV. Another victim was a retired bank worker, aged 61, from Strasbourg. He died on rue des Chandelles, local TV reported. The third victim was Kamal Naghchband, a garage mechanic and father of three originally from Afghanistan. He had been visiting the market with his family and was shot in the head, his cousin told the AFP news agency. The fourth victim was 29-year-old Italian journalist Antonio Megalizzi. He was critically injured and later succumbed to his wounds. His death was announced three days after the attack. Polish national Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski, 35, has been named as the fifth victim by French media. He was in a deep coma for five days after being hit in the head before succumbing to his wounds on Sunday, Le Monde reported.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 497, "answer_end": 2345, "text": "The attack began at around 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on 11 December close to one of Strasbourg's central squares, place Kleber. The attacker was seen holding a gun outside 10, rue des Orfevres in the centre of the city, prosecutor Remy  Heitz said on Wednesday. He then went around the area, down the following streets in succession: rue des Grandes Arcades, rue du Saumon, rue des Chandelles and rue Sainte-Helene, before going on to rue du Pont Saint-Martin. Along the way he opened fire several times and also used a knife to seriously wound and kill people, Mr Heitz added, saying the suspect yelled \"Allahu Akbar\" (\"God is greatest\" in Arabic) during the rampage. When faced by four soldiers of the anti-terror Sentinelle operation, he fired in their direction. They fired back, wounding him in the arm. He managed to reach a taxi which drove him away from the scene and dropped him in the vicinity of the police station in Neudorf, the area where he lived which sits on the border between Germany and France. The taxi driver, who has spoken to the police, said the man had asked to be taken to that district without giving an address, saying he would guide him there. The driver also said he could see the man had a hand gun and was wounded. To explain the origin of his wounds, the suspect said he had killed 10 people and that he had been injured in a firefight with soldiers. After he got out of the taxi, the gunman came across police officers and exchanged fire with them. The suspect also told the driver that a grenade had been found at his home that morning. That allowed investigators to link the man with a police search undertaken earlier on Tuesday. During that operation, which was part of investigations into a robbery and a homicide, police had found a defensive grenade, a loaded rifle and four knives, the prosecutor said."}], "question": "How did the attack unfold?", "id": "895_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2346, "answer_end": 3194, "text": "As a result of testimonies from the public, an extensive police operation involving a helicopter was launched on Thursday evening at 19:30 local time (18:30 GMT) in the Neudorf area, where Chekatt was last seen after the attack. At 21:00, Chekatt was spotted in rue du Lazaret by officers in a police car, Mr Heitz said on Friday. The suspect noticed the police car and tried to enter a building at number 74, but could not get in. The officers identified themselves, and he turned around, pointing a gun - similar to the one used in Tuesday's attack - and fired in their direction, hitting their car, Mr Heitz said. Two of the three officers fired back several times and killed the suspect. He was identified through his fingerprints and declared dead at 21:05. The officers found an old gun, still loaded, some ammunition and a knife on his body."}], "question": "How was the suspect killed?", "id": "895_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3195, "answer_end": 4000, "text": "Born in Strasbourg in February 1989, Chekatt was already known to the security services as a possible Islamist terrorist threat. He has 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and has spent considerable time in prison as a result. He is thought to have become radicalised during his time in prison, and was noticed by the relevant authorities in 2015 for that reason. He was placed on the \"fiche S\" watchlist of people who represent a potential threat to national security, and was being monitored by the DGSI, France's domestic intelligence agency, Mr Heitz said on Wednesday. Seven people were arrested in connection with the attack - four members of his family as well as three other people close to him. However, all but one were freed several days later."}], "question": "What do we know about the suspect?", "id": "895_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4001, "answer_end": 4989, "text": "A Thai tourist was one of the victims, named as Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, by Thai media reports. He had recently arrived in the country on holiday, they say. He was killed with a bullet in the head on rue des Moulins, according to local TV. Another victim was a retired bank worker, aged 61, from Strasbourg. He died on rue des Chandelles, local TV reported. The third victim was Kamal Naghchband, a garage mechanic and father of three originally from Afghanistan. He had been visiting the market with his family and was shot in the head, his cousin told the AFP news agency. The fourth victim was 29-year-old Italian journalist Antonio Megalizzi. He was critically injured and later succumbed to his wounds. His death was announced three days after the attack. Polish national Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski, 35, has been named as the fifth victim by French media. He was in a deep coma for five days after being hit in the head before succumbing to his wounds on Sunday, Le Monde reported."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "895_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia's Gulf Clan says it is ready to surrender", "date": "6 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "One of Colombia's most powerful drug gangs, the Gulf Clan, has said it wishes to submit itself to justice. President Juan Manuel Santos said that he had authorised justice officials to look at the request. Mr Santos said more than 1,500 members of the gang had been arrested in the last few months and its second-in-command had been killed. The gang's leader, known as Otoniel, has told the president he would hand himself in. Mr Santos said he had warned the group that its members would not get special treatment. \"I have told them they are criminals who, if they hand themselves over, the law will give them some privileges depending on what they deliver and the value to society of what they deliver,\" he said. Natalio Cosoy, BBC Mundo, Bogota After more than two years of intense operations against the Gulf Clan, President Santos said its leader had contacted the government to find a way of handing himself in along with the rest of his group. If their submission to justice materialises, it will be the third landmark in the past few weeks for peace in Colombia, after the disarmament of the Farc guerrillas and the recent commitment of the ELN Marxist rebels to a 102-day long truce. The news is great publicity for President Santos, coming just as Pope Francis is due to begin his visit to the country. The gang is known mainly for drug trafficking but has also been accused of extortion, illegal mining, forced disappearances and murder. The Gulf Clan - formerly known as the Usuga Clan or Urabenos - has its power base in the Uraba region, but its network extends across the country and beyond. Announcing its surrender, the Gulf Clan published two videos - one addressed to President Santos and one to the Pope, who begins a visit to Colombia on Wednesday. In the video to Pope Francis, Otoniel said he was \"just another Colombian who longs for peace\" and asked for the pontiff's prayers for stability in the country.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 715, "answer_end": 1606, "text": "Natalio Cosoy, BBC Mundo, Bogota After more than two years of intense operations against the Gulf Clan, President Santos said its leader had contacted the government to find a way of handing himself in along with the rest of his group. If their submission to justice materialises, it will be the third landmark in the past few weeks for peace in Colombia, after the disarmament of the Farc guerrillas and the recent commitment of the ELN Marxist rebels to a 102-day long truce. The news is great publicity for President Santos, coming just as Pope Francis is due to begin his visit to the country. The gang is known mainly for drug trafficking but has also been accused of extortion, illegal mining, forced disappearances and murder. The Gulf Clan - formerly known as the Usuga Clan or Urabenos - has its power base in the Uraba region, but its network extends across the country and beyond."}], "question": "A hat trick for the government?", "id": "896_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Paris attacks: Two die in hunt for 'mastermind' Abaaoud", "date": "18 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A woman has blown herself up and a suspect was shot dead during a police raid on a flat in a Paris suburb, while seven arrests were made. Police targeted the flat in Saint-Denis in a search for the alleged mastermind of Friday's gun and bomb attacks in Paris, when 129 people were killed. The fate of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, previously thought to be in Syria, is still unclear. A government spokesman said remains of a third body may be under the rubble. Prosecutor Francois Molins announced earlier that intelligence indicated Abaaoud was in Paris. All victims of Friday's attacks - which targeted a concert hall, cafes and the Stade de France stadium and were claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group - have now been identified, the government said. Follow the latest live events In other developments - Eagles of Death Metal, the band whose concert was stormed during the attacks, say in their first statement since returning to the US that they are \"bonded in grief\" with all those affected - US President Barack Obama condemns the actions of two dozen state governors refusing to resettle Syrian refugees as hysterical and offensive - IS media publish a photo of what it says was the bomb which downed the Russian airliner over Egypt on 31 October, killing all 224 people aboard - The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle leaves the southern port of Toulon for the eastern Mediterranean, to take part in air strikes on IS - The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender will provide air defence cover for the French carrier, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirms The police operation in Saint-Denis - where the Stade de France is located - began at 04:20 (03:20 GMT). Speaking from the scene afterwards, Mr Molins said it had been ordered after phone taps and surveillance operations suggested Abaaoud, a Belgian of Moroccan descent, could be there. The prosecutor said a young woman - said by France's BFMTV to be a relative of Abaaoud - had detonated her explosives belt soon after the raid began. Another suspect was killed by grenades and police bullets, Mr Molins said. The spokesman for the French interior ministry, Pierre-Henry Brandet, later told French TV station BFMTV that work was being done to establish whether the remains of a \"third terrorist\" were buried in the rubble. Five members of the RAID police anti-terrorism unit were lightly injured while a RAID \"assault dog\", a seven-year-old Belgian Shepherd called Diesel, was killed. Three men were arrested in the apartment. Two others were found hiding in rubble and a further two - including the man who provided the lodging - were also detained, he said. He did not give the identities of those detained. Saint-Denis is a multicultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic suburb or banlieue. There are Africans, Indians, Chinese, Turkish and many more from different backgrounds. Many have \"sans-papiers\" status - meaning they do not yet have a legal status and an ID which would allow them to find a job. During my visit to Saint-Denis on Tuesday, I heard quite a lot of \"us versus them\" when people talked about the \"Parisians\" and themselves in the banlieues. Saint Denis youths unmoved by attacks As the operation got under way, roads were blocked off around Rue de la Republique in Saint-Denis, by lorry-loads of soldiers and armed police. Local residents, who were urged to stay indoors, spoke of hearing continuous gunshots and large explosions. Amine Guizani told the Associated Press: \"They were shooting for an hour, non-stop. There were grenades. It was going, stopping, Kalashnikovs, starting again.\" French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the security forces for operating \"under fire for a number of hours in conditions that we have never seen before today\". - Rethinking strategy Time for West to review its priorities in Syria - How vulnerable is Europe? Putting the dangers in perspective - What happened in Paris? How events unfolded on Friday evening in the French capital - Hollande upstages opposition French president's tougher line on counter-terrorism - Who were the victims? Details of some of the 129 people killed - The fight against Islamic State Can a modern, open Western capital ever be totally secure? - Most wanted: Alleged mastermind Profile of key suspect Abdelhamid Abaaoud Special report: In-depth coverage of the attacks and their aftermath The near simultaneous attacks on Friday Friday left more than 400 people wounded, with 221 still in hospital, 57 of them in intensive care. European countries are on high alert. On Tuesday evening, a football friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled shortly before kick-off and two Air France planes heading to Paris from the US were diverted because of security threats. IS said it had carried out the attacks in response to France's air campaign against its leadership in Syria, and pledged further bloodshed. French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday that IS threatened the whole world and he would  be seeking a \"large coalition\" to work together to defeat the militant group. IS is a notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death. IS projects a powerful image, partly through propaganda and sheer brutality, and is the world's richest insurgent group. It has about 30,000 fighters but is facing daily bombing by a US-led multi-national coalition, which has vowed to destroy it. What is Islamic State? 'No timetable' for Syria strikes vote", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5080, "answer_end": 5301, "text": "IS is a notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi."}], "question": "What is Islamic State?", "id": "897_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5302, "answer_end": 5500, "text": "IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death."}], "question": "What does it want?", "id": "897_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Philippines gripped by dengue vaccine fears", "date": "3 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Fears over a dengue vaccine in the Philippines have led to a big drop in immunisation rates for preventable diseases, officials have warned. Health Under-Secretary Enrique Domingo said many parents were refusing to get their children vaccinated for polio, chicken pox and tetanus. The fears centre on Dengvaxia, a drug developed by French company Sanofi. Sanofi and local experts say there is no evidence linking the deaths of 14 children to the drug. However, the company had warned last year that the vaccine could make the disease worse in some people not infected before. Dengue fever affects more than 400 million people each year around the world. Dengvaxia is the world's first vaccine against dengue. The mosquito-borne disease is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). \"Our programmes are suffering... (people) are scared of all vaccines now\", he warned. Mr Domingo added that vaccination rates for some preventable diseases had dropped as much as 60% in recent years - significantly lower that the nationwide target of 85%. Mr Domingo expressed concerns about potential epidemics in the Philippines - a nation of about 100 million people, many of whom are impoverished. More than 800,000 children were vaccinated across the country in 2016-17. Fourteen of them have died. Dengvaxia immunisations were halted last year, as the Philippines launched an investigation into what caused the deaths. On Saturday, Doctors for Public Welfare (DPW) said a clinical review conducted by Philippine General Hospital forensic pathologists had determined that the deaths were not linked to the vaccine, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. In a statement, the French company said: \"The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital expert panel confirmed... that there is currently no evidence directly linking the Dengvaxia vaccine to any of the 14 deaths. \"In Dengvaxia clinical trials conducted over more than a decade and the over one million doses of the vaccine administered, no deaths related to the vaccine have been reported to us. \"Clinical evidence confirms dengue vaccination in the Philippines will provide a net reduction in dengue disease.\" Last November, Sanofi announced that its vaccine could worsen the potentially deadly disease in people not previously infected. \"For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection,\" the firm said in a statement. Sanofi says Dengvaxia has been registered in 19 countries and launched in 11 of them. In its latest advice on the vaccine, the WHO said that \"until a full review has been conducted, WHO recommends vaccination only in individuals with a documented past dengue infection\". - 'Anti-vax' movement: activities in the past few years by fringe campaigners against immunisation - particularly for measles - lead to falling immunisation rates in France, Italy and the US - Polio: Islamist militants in Pakistan have carried out attacks against workers vaccinating children in recent years. The militants say immunisation is a Western campaign to sterilise Pakistani children - MMR (measles, mumps and rubella): starts with a publication of a 1998 paper falsely linking the vaccine to autism. This leads to a drop in immunisation rates in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 893, "answer_end": 1294, "text": "\"Our programmes are suffering... (people) are scared of all vaccines now\", he warned. Mr Domingo added that vaccination rates for some preventable diseases had dropped as much as 60% in recent years - significantly lower that the nationwide target of 85%. Mr Domingo expressed concerns about potential epidemics in the Philippines - a nation of about 100 million people, many of whom are impoverished."}], "question": "What did Mr Domingo say about immunisation rates?", "id": "898_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1295, "answer_end": 1752, "text": "More than 800,000 children were vaccinated across the country in 2016-17. Fourteen of them have died. Dengvaxia immunisations were halted last year, as the Philippines launched an investigation into what caused the deaths. On Saturday, Doctors for Public Welfare (DPW) said a clinical review conducted by Philippine General Hospital forensic pathologists had determined that the deaths were not linked to the vaccine, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported."}], "question": "What triggered fears about Dengvaxia?", "id": "898_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1753, "answer_end": 2914, "text": "In a statement, the French company said: \"The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital expert panel confirmed... that there is currently no evidence directly linking the Dengvaxia vaccine to any of the 14 deaths. \"In Dengvaxia clinical trials conducted over more than a decade and the over one million doses of the vaccine administered, no deaths related to the vaccine have been reported to us. \"Clinical evidence confirms dengue vaccination in the Philippines will provide a net reduction in dengue disease.\" Last November, Sanofi announced that its vaccine could worsen the potentially deadly disease in people not previously infected. \"For those not previously infected by dengue virus, however, the analysis found that in the longer term, more cases of severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection,\" the firm said in a statement. Sanofi says Dengvaxia has been registered in 19 countries and launched in 11 of them. In its latest advice on the vaccine, the WHO said that \"until a full review has been conducted, WHO recommends vaccination only in individuals with a documented past dengue infection\"."}], "question": "What about Sanofi's reaction?", "id": "898_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany coalition: Merkel and SPD to hold more talks to end impasse", "date": "1 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her former centre-left partners are to meet again on Friday for more crucial coalition talks in an effort to end a political stalemate. The negotiations with Social Democrats (SPD) leader Martin Schulz come after Mrs Merkel failed to form a three-party coalition deal last week. Any deal could take weeks to be reached. The SPD governed in a \"grand coalition\" with Mrs Merkel between 2013 and 2017. Held in Berlin at the invitation of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the talks began on Thursday and covered issues including housing, healthcare and migrants. Under pressure, Mr Schulz agreed to hold discussions with Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and her Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU). He had promised to take the SPD into opposition after September's election, when his party had its worst result since 1949. Mrs Merkel failed to form a coalition government with the liberal Free Democrats and the Greens, after the FDP pulled out of talks. The delay in forming a new coalition - the biggest crisis of Mrs Merkel's career - has worried some European Union allies, who see Germany as a pillar of stability in the bloc. Germany's Spiegel newspaper has billed it as a fight for Mrs Merkel's political survival. In the campaign, the (SPD) favoured more spending on education and infrastructure, changes in health insurance, and no cap on the number asylum seekers. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Schulz said: \"I cannot tell you what the outcome of these talks will be. I can ensure you only this: that I'll campaign for the best solution for our country, that my party is aware of its overall responsibility for political stability.\" Meanwhile, Mrs Merkel said Germany needed to keep growth-friendly investment and budget consolidation policies. She may also want to pursue a tougher migrant policy to win back conservative voters. - The SPD could join Mrs Merkel in a coalition - Mrs Merkel could form a minority government with the Greens with SPD support. But the chancellor previously said she preferred new elections to an unstable minority government - President Steinmeier could call a new election, but experts say the chances of this happening are remote after the SPD agreed to talk. Polls suggest a new vote would produce a result similar to September's election. There is also the fear that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could benefit the most", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1276, "answer_end": 1890, "text": "In the campaign, the (SPD) favoured more spending on education and infrastructure, changes in health insurance, and no cap on the number asylum seekers. Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Schulz said: \"I cannot tell you what the outcome of these talks will be. I can ensure you only this: that I'll campaign for the best solution for our country, that my party is aware of its overall responsibility for political stability.\" Meanwhile, Mrs Merkel said Germany needed to keep growth-friendly investment and budget consolidation policies. She may also want to pursue a tougher migrant policy to win back conservative voters."}], "question": "What is being discussed?", "id": "899_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Q&A: Brexit and the Irish border", "date": "29 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With exactly one year to go until the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on 29 March 2019, there are still many questions over what will happen to the Irish border after Brexit. In December the UK and EU reached a political agreement in which the UK committed to protecting north-south cooperation on the island of Ireland. It also guaranteed there would be no hard border, including physical infrastructure or related checks and controls. The preference of both sides is to keep an open border in the context of an overarching trade deal. However, that could be difficult to achieve if the UK sticks to all its 'red lines', which include leaving the EU customs union and the single market. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that a 'Canada style' trade deal would not be enough for the UK to meet its obligations. The second option is a special arrangement for Northern Ireland which could involve devolution of additional powers and the use of border technology. Brexit supporters have been enthusiastic advocates of a technological solution. The two sides agreed that if all else fails there will be a 'backstop'. It would involve the UK maintaining full alignment with those rules of the EU's single market and customs union which support north-south cooperation. However, despite agreeing to this in principle, the UK has rejected the EU's interpretation of what it means. Soon after the December deal it became clear the UK believed alignment would only need to apply to a narrow range of areas. By contrast the EU took a much more expansive view. That was confirmed in February when the EU published its legal interpretation of the deal. In effect it concluded that the backstop would have to mean Northern Ireland staying in the EU customs union, the single market for goods and the VAT area. The language of the EU text also described the backstop as applying \"in respect of Northern Ireland\" rather than the UK as a whole. That made it unacceptable to unionists and Theresa May said no prime minister could ever agree to it. The prime minister has re-committed to agreeing a backstop option and the two negotiating teams have begun working on this. No. The transition period is dependent on a backstop option being agreed first. The Irish government has said it needs this assurance that there will be no backsliding on the border issue as the Brexit talks progress. It would like to see an agreement reached by June. There are a few areas of practical agreement. The two sides agree that the Common Travel Area will continue. It is the arrangement that allows citizens of the UK and Ireland to have passport-free travel between each other's jurisdictions and grants a range of other rights. They have also agreed to \"maintain the necessary conditions\" that allows the areas of cooperation defined in the Good Friday Agreement and its implementation bodies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 184, "answer_end": 445, "text": "In December the UK and EU reached a political agreement in which the UK committed to protecting north-south cooperation on the island of Ireland. It also guaranteed there would be no hard border, including physical infrastructure or related checks and controls."}], "question": "What has been agreed on the border?", "id": "900_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 446, "answer_end": 821, "text": "The preference of both sides is to keep an open border in the context of an overarching trade deal. However, that could be difficult to achieve if the UK sticks to all its 'red lines', which include leaving the EU customs union and the single market. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that a 'Canada style' trade deal would not be enough for the UK to meet its obligations."}], "question": "How is that outcome to be achieved?", "id": "900_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 822, "answer_end": 1051, "text": "The second option is a special arrangement for Northern Ireland which could involve devolution of additional powers and the use of border technology. Brexit supporters have been enthusiastic advocates of a technological solution."}], "question": "So what else could be done?", "id": "900_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1052, "answer_end": 1384, "text": "The two sides agreed that if all else fails there will be a 'backstop'. It would involve the UK maintaining full alignment with those rules of the EU's single market and customs union which support north-south cooperation. However, despite agreeing to this in principle, the UK has rejected the EU's interpretation of what it means."}], "question": "But if that option does not work?", "id": "900_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1385, "answer_end": 2041, "text": "Soon after the December deal it became clear the UK believed alignment would only need to apply to a narrow range of areas. By contrast the EU took a much more expansive view. That was confirmed in February when the EU published its legal interpretation of the deal. In effect it concluded that the backstop would have to mean Northern Ireland staying in the EU customs union, the single market for goods and the VAT area. The language of the EU text also described the backstop as applying \"in respect of Northern Ireland\" rather than the UK as a whole. That made it unacceptable to unionists and Theresa May said no prime minister could ever agree to it."}], "question": "What is the difficulty?", "id": "900_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2042, "answer_end": 2165, "text": "The prime minister has re-committed to agreeing a backstop option and the two negotiating teams have begun working on this."}], "question": "So what is happening now?", "id": "900_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2166, "answer_end": 2434, "text": "No. The transition period is dependent on a backstop option being agreed first. The Irish government has said it needs this assurance that there will be no backsliding on the border issue as the Brexit talks progress. It would like to see an agreement reached by June."}], "question": "Given a two-year post-Brexit transition period has been agreed, can this issue just be parked?", "id": "900_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2435, "answer_end": 2874, "text": "There are a few areas of practical agreement. The two sides agree that the Common Travel Area will continue. It is the arrangement that allows citizens of the UK and Ireland to have passport-free travel between each other's jurisdictions and grants a range of other rights. They have also agreed to \"maintain the necessary conditions\" that allows the areas of cooperation defined in the Good Friday Agreement and its implementation bodies."}], "question": "So beyond the broad principles, has anything really been agreed yet?", "id": "900_7"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria 'chemical attack': France's President Macron 'has proof'", "date": "12 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France's President Emmanuel Macron says he has \"proof\" that the Syrian government attacked the town of Douma with chemical weapons last weekend. He said he would decide \"in due course\" whether to respond with air strikes. Urine and blood samples from victims of the attack have tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent, media reports quote US officials as saying. Western states are thought to be preparing for missile strikes. Russia strongly opposes such action. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged against \"any steps which could lead to an escalation of tensions\". US President Donald Trump, who said on Wednesday that missiles were \"coming\", has now tweeted that he \"never said when\". It \"could be very soon or not so soon at all\", tweeted the president, who has cancelled a planned trip to allow him to stay in the US with his defence secretary, and has been canvassing support for strikes from the leaders of France and the UK. Also on Thursday, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis told a congressional panel: \"I believe there was a chemical attack and we are looking for the actual evidence.\" Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: \"We condemn in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons. The latest attack was horrendous.\" UK cabinet ministers have agreed \"on the need to take action\" in Syria, Downing Street said. Later in the day, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis. The French leader had previously said any strikes would target the Syrian government's \"chemical capabilities\". He did not give the source of his information but said: \"We have proof that last week chemical weapons, at least chlorine, were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.\" Asked in a TV interview whether France would join strikes on Syria, he said: \"We will need to take decisions in due course, when we judge it most useful and effective. \"Regimes that think they can do everything they want, including the worst things that violate international law, cannot be allowed to act.\" Lucy Williamson, BBC News, Paris A year ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood grim-faced in the opulence of France's Versailles Palace, as a newly elected Emmanuel Macron announced that the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a \"red line\" for France, and \"would result in reprisal and an immediate response\". Now Mr Macron - who likes to be seen as a president who does what he says he will do - is facing the test of what \"reprisal\" actually means. Former US President Barack Obama was derided in France for not following through on his own \"red line\" after Syrian attacks five years ago. \"When you fix red lines,\" Mr Macron told a French newspaper last year, \"if you can't enforce them, you decide to be weak.\" Strength is an important part of President Macron's bid to project French influence on the world stage - and a key element, too, of his new political friendship with his US counterpart Donald Trump. Click here for Lucy Williamson's full analysis Activists and medics say dozens of people died when government aircraft dropped bombs filled with toxic chemicals on Douma on Saturday. President Assad's government denies being behind any chemical attack. The international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is due to send monitors to Douma, but it is how much evidence of any chemical attack might remain. Douma was the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus. Local activists say the main leaders of the group that held it have left, following an agreement between Russia and the rebels. Russian claims that the town had been taken over by Syrian forces could not be independently verified. Russia, Syria's main military ally, has described the reports of a chemical attack as a \"provocation\" designed to justify Western intervention against its ally, and accused militant rebels of fabricating it. Senior Russian figures have warned that missiles threatening the country's forces in Syria will be shot down and their launch sites targeted. On Thursday a foreign ministry spokeswoman asked whether the aim of Western strikes might be \"to quickly remove the traces of the provocation\". President Vladimir Putin said he hoped common sense would prevail and that the situation would stabilise.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1433, "answer_end": 2020, "text": "The French leader had previously said any strikes would target the Syrian government's \"chemical capabilities\". He did not give the source of his information but said: \"We have proof that last week chemical weapons, at least chlorine, were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.\" Asked in a TV interview whether France would join strikes on Syria, he said: \"We will need to take decisions in due course, when we judge it most useful and effective. \"Regimes that think they can do everything they want, including the worst things that violate international law, cannot be allowed to act.\""}], "question": "Did Macron offer evidence?", "id": "901_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2987, "answer_end": 3657, "text": "Activists and medics say dozens of people died when government aircraft dropped bombs filled with toxic chemicals on Douma on Saturday. President Assad's government denies being behind any chemical attack. The international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is due to send monitors to Douma, but it is how much evidence of any chemical attack might remain. Douma was the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus. Local activists say the main leaders of the group that held it have left, following an agreement between Russia and the rebels. Russian claims that the town had been taken over by Syrian forces could not be independently verified."}], "question": "What happened in Douma?", "id": "901_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3658, "answer_end": 4257, "text": "Russia, Syria's main military ally, has described the reports of a chemical attack as a \"provocation\" designed to justify Western intervention against its ally, and accused militant rebels of fabricating it. Senior Russian figures have warned that missiles threatening the country's forces in Syria will be shot down and their launch sites targeted. On Thursday a foreign ministry spokeswoman asked whether the aim of Western strikes might be \"to quickly remove the traces of the provocation\". President Vladimir Putin said he hoped common sense would prevail and that the situation would stabilise."}], "question": "What is Russia's position?", "id": "901_2"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: NHS news under wraps until after polling day", "date": "27 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "There have been calls for politicians to dial down the rhetoric in the health debate and to avoid \"weaponising\" the NHS. The subject has been prominent in the election campaign and there is a widespread interest in understanding what is actually happening across the health service. Political claims, counter-claims and rows over statistics don't always help that understanding. Some voters might feel they would like to hear from clinicians and other frontline staff. But that won't be possible until after polling day because of a Cabinet Office policy known as \"purdah\" It prevents civil servants from making any form of statement during general election campaigns which might be construed as political or likely to influence public debate. The principle is to ensure that their impartiality is not called into question. As usual, that applies to the health service. NHS England put out guidance to local health leaders in early November. It includes a reminder that \"democratic debate between candidates and parties should not be overshadowed by public controversy originating from NHS bodies themselves\". Because health is a devolved issue and there are no elections for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, there are no purdah rules affecting the NHS there.  Northern Ireland follows similar guidelines to England. The purdah policy has led to certain policy papers and publications being delayed till after the election. This includes an annual review of maternity care by independent experts for NHS England (known as the MBRRACE report). The charity Birthrights said the report was vitally important to learn lessons on preventing future maternal deaths. But Prof Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: \"Actually, the findings of this report were presented to clinicians earlier this month to ensure that any lessons are learned. Rules on NHS political impartiality are unchanged and have always applied to all public bodies at election time.\" Purdah has in practice meant that, with only a tiny number of exceptions, no health leader or member of clinical staff in England has given any interview or made any public comment since the start of the campaign. That might not seem unreasonable, but when the latest performance figures (covering September and October) were published by NHS England in mid-November, the absence of health service reaction was painfully obvious. Performance across the key targets, which were missed yet again, was the worst since modern records began. Politicians used the air time to trade blows on what or who was to blame but there was no analysis from staff and management in the NHS. Media access to hospitals was not possible. NHS sources indicated that individuals were free to speak, though not on behalf of their NHS employers or trusts. Voters in England can at least use those recent figures to scrutinise the performance of their local hospital trust against key targets for cancer care, A&E waiting times and waits for routine surgery. But they might well want to know how, both locally and nationally, the NHS has been faring as winter has begun to set in during November. The next opportunity would have been on Thursday 12 December, when the next set of official NHS England statistics were due. It was also the day when the more detailed weekly winter updates were set to begin. But 12 December is polling day - and those two data publications have now been postponed until the 13th. At the time of the last general election, the guidance from the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) was that  \"statistical bulletins of significant public interest\" should not be published on national polling days. But it was permissible for these statistics to be brought forward 24 hours or postponed till the day after polling day. Perceiving some confusion over how this should be interpreted, the UKSA then consulted on whether the policy should be clarified and last year published new guidelines requiring a \"blanket approach\". Henceforth, all official statistics pre- announced for a date which was then designated as polling day should be delayed until the next day. The BBC's code of practice ensuring fairness between candidates requires no campaign coverage on polling day, including subjects which have been at issue in preceding weeks and other controversial matters. The broadcast regulator Ofcom states that there should be no \"discussion and analysis of election issues\" while polling stations are open. This would imply no coverage of NHS performance figures after a campaign when health has been a hotly debated topic. But just because the broadcasters have to steer clear of contentious issues while the UK goes to the polls, does the public have to be barred access to official statistics? If there are updated performance figures available for the NHS at a time of great stress in the service why should voters not have the right to look at them and reach their own conclusions? The Times newspaper has reported that more than two dozen marginal constituencies have A&E departments which are amongst the worst performing in England. Perhaps the public in those seats might like to check the latest situation on December 12th rather than waiting till after the polls have closed. The UKSA itself is not holding back because of purdah and has let it be known it will challenge contentious claims made by politicians and in manifestos. It has already intervened over statements made on education in England and youth unemployment in Scotland. The UKSA has shown itself to be open-minded and prepared to review guidelines. Around 25 sets of official statistics have been postponed from polling day. There may be a case for revisiting the issue after this campaign. The need to avoid controversy and political debate on polling day has to be set against the public's right to know. That is indeed a tricky balancing act.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 573, "answer_end": 1963, "text": "It prevents civil servants from making any form of statement during general election campaigns which might be construed as political or likely to influence public debate. The principle is to ensure that their impartiality is not called into question. As usual, that applies to the health service. NHS England put out guidance to local health leaders in early November. It includes a reminder that \"democratic debate between candidates and parties should not be overshadowed by public controversy originating from NHS bodies themselves\". Because health is a devolved issue and there are no elections for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, there are no purdah rules affecting the NHS there.  Northern Ireland follows similar guidelines to England. The purdah policy has led to certain policy papers and publications being delayed till after the election. This includes an annual review of maternity care by independent experts for NHS England (known as the MBRRACE report). The charity Birthrights said the report was vitally important to learn lessons on preventing future maternal deaths. But Prof Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: \"Actually, the findings of this report were presented to clinicians earlier this month to ensure that any lessons are learned. Rules on NHS political impartiality are unchanged and have always applied to all public bodies at election time.\""}], "question": "What is purdah?", "id": "902_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3450, "answer_end": 4582, "text": "At the time of the last general election, the guidance from the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) was that  \"statistical bulletins of significant public interest\" should not be published on national polling days. But it was permissible for these statistics to be brought forward 24 hours or postponed till the day after polling day. Perceiving some confusion over how this should be interpreted, the UKSA then consulted on whether the policy should be clarified and last year published new guidelines requiring a \"blanket approach\". Henceforth, all official statistics pre- announced for a date which was then designated as polling day should be delayed until the next day. The BBC's code of practice ensuring fairness between candidates requires no campaign coverage on polling day, including subjects which have been at issue in preceding weeks and other controversial matters. The broadcast regulator Ofcom states that there should be no \"discussion and analysis of election issues\" while polling stations are open. This would imply no coverage of NHS performance figures after a campaign when health has been a hotly debated topic."}], "question": "Why delay?", "id": "902_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Myanmar Rohingya militants Arsa vow to fight on after attack", "date": "7 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A militant group from Myanmar's mostly Muslim Rohingya minority says it will keep fighting the government. Attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) last year sparked military reprisals that drove about 650,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. It now says it was behind an ambush on a military truck in Rakhine state on Friday that injured three people. The group, seen as terrorists by Myanmar's government, say they are fighting for Rohingya political rights. Arsa operates in Rakhine state in northern Myanmar, where the Rohingya people have faced persecution. The Myanmar government has denied them citizenship and sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Clashes erupt periodically between ethnic groups, but in the past year, an armed Rohingya insurgency has grown. Arsa has carried out only sporadic attacks, but early on 25 August last year, it launched assaults on about 30 police and army posts, triggering a fierce military response. At the same time, the authorities accused Arsa fighters of killing 28 Hindu villagers whose bodies were allegedly found in a mass grave. Jonathan Head, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent, says that not all Rohingya support the group, and their strategy is poorly formed. At least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month after last August's violence, Medecins Sans Frontieres says. After an internal investigation, in November the army exonerated itself of any blame regarding the crisis. It put the death toll at about 400. The military denied killing any civilians, burning their villages, raping women and girls, and stealing possessions. The government's assertions contradicted evidence seen by BBC correspondents. The United Nations human rights chief has said it seems like \"a textbook example of ethnic cleansing\". Bangladesh and Myanmar have been working on a plan to repatriate some of the 650,000 refugees, but it is unclear on what terms they could be allowed to return, and whether they would be resettled into camps. Myanmar's government said a military vehicle taking someone to hospital was targeted by about 20 \"extremist Bengali terrorists\" with home-made mines and arms. On Sunday, Arsa posted a statement by its leader Ata Ullah on Twitter, confirming its involvement and saying it has \"no other option but to combat 'Burmese state-sponsored terrorism' against the Rohingya population for the purpose of defending, salvaging and protecting the Rohingya community\". It also called on Rohingya people to be consulted over their \"humanitarian needs and political future\". Jonathan Head, BBC News South East Asia correspondent, Bangkok The military views Arsa as an Islamic terrorist movement, justifying its exceptionally harsh response to the August attacks. Arsa announced a ceasefire right after those attacks, and was assumed to have been seriously weakened by the exodus of most of the Rohingya population to Bangladesh. However, the bombing on Friday shows that some Rohingya militants have remained behind. The subsequent statement by Arsa, promising to continue what it calls its legitimate struggle against the Burmese state, suggests more attacks may follow. This is likely to harden the military's determination to keep international aid agencies and the media out of Rakhine state, making the already distant prospect of repatriating the refugees even more remote.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 472, "answer_end": 1238, "text": "Arsa operates in Rakhine state in northern Myanmar, where the Rohingya people have faced persecution. The Myanmar government has denied them citizenship and sees them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Clashes erupt periodically between ethnic groups, but in the past year, an armed Rohingya insurgency has grown. Arsa has carried out only sporadic attacks, but early on 25 August last year, it launched assaults on about 30 police and army posts, triggering a fierce military response. At the same time, the authorities accused Arsa fighters of killing 28 Hindu villagers whose bodies were allegedly found in a mass grave. Jonathan Head, the BBC's South East Asia correspondent, says that not all Rohingya support the group, and their strategy is poorly formed."}], "question": "Who are Arsa?", "id": "903_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1239, "answer_end": 1997, "text": "At least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month after last August's violence, Medecins Sans Frontieres says. After an internal investigation, in November the army exonerated itself of any blame regarding the crisis. It put the death toll at about 400. The military denied killing any civilians, burning their villages, raping women and girls, and stealing possessions. The government's assertions contradicted evidence seen by BBC correspondents. The United Nations human rights chief has said it seems like \"a textbook example of ethnic cleansing\". Bangladesh and Myanmar have been working on a plan to repatriate some of the 650,000 refugees, but it is unclear on what terms they could be allowed to return, and whether they would be resettled into camps."}], "question": "What happened to the Rohingya?", "id": "903_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1998, "answer_end": 2555, "text": "Myanmar's government said a military vehicle taking someone to hospital was targeted by about 20 \"extremist Bengali terrorists\" with home-made mines and arms. On Sunday, Arsa posted a statement by its leader Ata Ullah on Twitter, confirming its involvement and saying it has \"no other option but to combat 'Burmese state-sponsored terrorism' against the Rohingya population for the purpose of defending, salvaging and protecting the Rohingya community\". It also called on Rohingya people to be consulted over their \"humanitarian needs and political future\"."}], "question": "What happened on Friday?", "id": "903_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2556, "answer_end": 3360, "text": "Jonathan Head, BBC News South East Asia correspondent, Bangkok The military views Arsa as an Islamic terrorist movement, justifying its exceptionally harsh response to the August attacks. Arsa announced a ceasefire right after those attacks, and was assumed to have been seriously weakened by the exodus of most of the Rohingya population to Bangladesh. However, the bombing on Friday shows that some Rohingya militants have remained behind. The subsequent statement by Arsa, promising to continue what it calls its legitimate struggle against the Burmese state, suggests more attacks may follow. This is likely to harden the military's determination to keep international aid agencies and the media out of Rakhine state, making the already distant prospect of repatriating the refugees even more remote."}], "question": "What may happen next?", "id": "903_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump picks Neil Gorsuch as nominee for Supreme Court", "date": "1 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has nominated Colorado federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch for the US Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, the 49-year-old would restore the court's conservative majority, lost with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The Senate Democratic leader has said he has \"very serious doubts\" about Judge Gorsuch's nomination. The court has the final legal word on many of the most sensitive US issues, from abortion to gender to gun control. Mr Trump said Judge Gorsuch had a \"superb intellect, an unparalleled legal education, and a commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to text\". \"Judge Gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan support,\" Mr Trump said. He was picked from a shortlist of 21 choices, which Mr Trump made public during the election campaign. Accepting the nomination, he said: \"It is the role of judges to apply, not alter, the work of the people's representatives. A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge, stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands.\" Judge Gorsuch is a so-called originalist, meaning he believes the US Constitution should be followed as the Founding Fathers intended. If successful, his nomination will restore the 5-4 conservative majority on the nine-seat high court. Protests against Mr Trump's choice were held outside the Supreme Court following the announcement. Abortion: He has not spoken out about Roe v Wade, the case which legalised abortion nationwide in 1973, making in difficult to pin down where he stands on the issue. Birth control: Judge Gorsuch has supported religious institutions which objected to requirements for employers to provide access to contraception. In one of his most high-profile cases, he defended the religious owners of retailer Hobby Lobby who refused to fund birth control via staff health insurance. Gun rights: He hasn't ruled directly on firearms restrictions, but is thought to be generally pro-second amendment. He once wrote in a legal opinion that a citizen's right to bear arms \"must not be infringed lightly\". Euthanasia: He has been vocal about assisted dying, writing a book in 2009 which opposed legalisation. A conservative's dream: Anthony Zurcher, North America Reporter Donald Trump's choice of Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee is a fairly traditional pick in a decidedly untraditional time. Judge Gorsuch has a CV and background that would make him a natural selection for just about any Republican president. He's the kind of Supreme Court nominee evangelical and traditional conservative voters dreamed of as a reward for sticking with Mr Trump through the general election despite campaign missteps, controversies and occasional political apostasies. They knew they would get a court pick they wouldn't like if Hillary Clinton won. They hoped they would get someone like Judge Gorsuch if Mr Trump prevailed. Meanwhile, Democrats are left fuming over Senate Republicans' precedent-breaking decision to stymie Barack Obama's attempts to fill this court vacancy for nearly 10 months. They have to decide if they will try to derail Mr Gorsuch's nomination as retribution - perhaps forcing Republicans to break with another Senate tradition, the ability of a minority to a block a Supreme Court nominee with only 41 votes through a filibuster. The party's base, feeling a liberal majority on the court was stolen from them, will demand lockstep resistance, likely setting up a divisive confirmation fight ahead. Judge Gorsuch's nomination is expected to spark a political showdown in the Senate. Former President Barack Obama had put forward Judge Merrick Garland after Justice Scalia's death last February. But Republicans refused to debate the choice, saying it was too close to an election, which left Democrats embittered. Even if Judge Gorsuch makes it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, he will still face challenges when the entire chamber convenes for a final vote. Democrats may seek to prevent that second vote by prolonging or filibustering the debate. In that case, the nomination would need 60 votes rather than a simple majority. With Republicans only holding 52 Senate seats, they may have to change Senate rules in order to approve Mr Trump's nominee. The highest court in the US is often the ultimate arbiter on highly contentious laws, disputes between states and the federal government, and final appeals to stay executions. It hears fewer than 100 cases a year and the key announcements are made in June. Each of the nine justices serves a lifetime appointment after being nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. The court already has cases this term on the rights of transgender students, gerrymandered voting districts and on the Texas death penalty determination. It is also likely the court will hear cases on voter rights, abortion, racial bias in policing and US immigration policy, and possibly on Mr Trump's controversial executive order banning refugees. - The  US Army Corps of Engineers was ordered to approve work on the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline, a week after President Trump gave it his blessing. - US security chiefs admitted flaws in the way Mr Trump's bar on people from seven countries entering the US was implemented - US Senate Democrats are boycotting confirmation votes for two of President Trump's key cabinet nominees", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1467, "answer_end": 2258, "text": "Abortion: He has not spoken out about Roe v Wade, the case which legalised abortion nationwide in 1973, making in difficult to pin down where he stands on the issue. Birth control: Judge Gorsuch has supported religious institutions which objected to requirements for employers to provide access to contraception. In one of his most high-profile cases, he defended the religious owners of retailer Hobby Lobby who refused to fund birth control via staff health insurance. Gun rights: He hasn't ruled directly on firearms restrictions, but is thought to be generally pro-second amendment. He once wrote in a legal opinion that a citizen's right to bear arms \"must not be infringed lightly\". Euthanasia: He has been vocal about assisted dying, writing a book in 2009 which opposed legalisation."}], "question": "Where does Judge Gorsuch stand on key issues?", "id": "904_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3573, "answer_end": 4333, "text": "Judge Gorsuch's nomination is expected to spark a political showdown in the Senate. Former President Barack Obama had put forward Judge Merrick Garland after Justice Scalia's death last February. But Republicans refused to debate the choice, saying it was too close to an election, which left Democrats embittered. Even if Judge Gorsuch makes it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, he will still face challenges when the entire chamber convenes for a final vote. Democrats may seek to prevent that second vote by prolonging or filibustering the debate. In that case, the nomination would need 60 votes rather than a simple majority. With Republicans only holding 52 Senate seats, they may have to change Senate rules in order to approve Mr Trump's nominee."}], "question": "Can Democrats block the nomination?", "id": "904_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4334, "answer_end": 5064, "text": "The highest court in the US is often the ultimate arbiter on highly contentious laws, disputes between states and the federal government, and final appeals to stay executions. It hears fewer than 100 cases a year and the key announcements are made in June. Each of the nine justices serves a lifetime appointment after being nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. The court already has cases this term on the rights of transgender students, gerrymandered voting districts and on the Texas death penalty determination. It is also likely the court will hear cases on voter rights, abortion, racial bias in policing and US immigration policy, and possibly on Mr Trump's controversial executive order banning refugees."}], "question": "Why is the choice so important?", "id": "904_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why was Houston not evacuated before Hurricane Harvey?", "date": "29 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 30,000 people have fled their homes as catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey continues to soak Houston, Texas. The nation's fourth largest city has endured five days of rain as the tropical storm barrels toward Louisiana, where residents are bracing for the same type of flooding that beset the state in 2005. Hurricane Katrina made landfall 12 years ago on Tuesday, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead in its wake. But for Houston, Harvey recalls the city's response to Hurricane Rita, which hit the state just three weeks after Katrina and led to a disastrous evacuation. Houston has faced sharp criticism for telling its 2.3 million residents to stay put amid the unprecedented flooding, but local officials point to the lessons learned from the melee that ensued in September 2005. With New Orleans still reeling from Katrina's devastation, the city issued an evacuation that prompted millions of Texans to flee their homes and led to 20-hour traffic jams, stranding drivers across hundreds of miles. Of the more than 100 people who died during Hurricane Rita, at least 60 of those deaths were in connection to the evacuation, according to a 2006 report to the Texas House of Representatives. Ten people died from heat exposure while 23 nursing home residents were killed in a bus fire. City officials faced sharp criticism for creating chaos in the hours before the onset of Rita, whose impact was much smaller than originally anticipated. Though Rita's 15-ft (4.5m) storm surge and 120mph (193km/h) winds levelled homes and knocked out power lines, critics said more people died than needed to in the lead-up to the storm. After Rita, lawmakers directed the state's emergency management division to work with local communities to craft better hurricane response plans, including ways to restore power sooner to encourage residents to stay at home if their communities were not at risk from damage, according to the Texas Tribune. State and local officials also began running drills to reverse traffic flow on highways in case of mass evacuations. Why did they not evacuate before Harvey? Harvey was the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years when it made landfall on Friday near Corpus Christi, 220 miles (354km) south-west of Houston. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has defended his decision to advise residents to stay at home, arguing that having people on flooded roadways could lead to more deaths. Marshall Shepherd, a programme director in atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia, pointed out that inside a car is one of the most dangerous places to be during flooding. The layout of the city, which sits just 50 ft above sea level, poses a threat to those attempting to flee amid the flooding. Harvey has affected most of the greater Houston area, a sprawling population of 6.5 million people, which is prone to flooding due to its flat terrain. The city's layout resembles a wagon wheel, bisected by a series of highways that flood with rainwater once its channels, creeks and bayous overflow. \"You would have had a calamity of biblical proportions; that's not an overstatement,\" said Texas State Representative Armando. \"If you put one million cars on the road when every major road in this region is under water, it would have been a disaster. There are challenges in any disaster, but that decision not to call for mandatory evacuations was the right decision,\" he told the Washington Post on Monday. Residents in Harris County, of which Houston is the county seat, have also received mixed messages from local and state officials. Texas Governor Greg Abbott encouraged residents to flee low-lying and coastal areas, even if mandatory evacuation had not been ordered, contradicting Mr Turner's order to stay put and find shelter. Following Mr Abbott's warning, Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, tweeted that residents should listen to local officials and ignore the governor's call. On Tuesday, officials warned residents of six northern Houston neighbourhoods to evacuate after two reservoirs, built to handle drainage water, began overflowing. Residents in low-lying areas were also advised to evacuate after a levee along the Brazos River south of Houston breached due to Harvey's rains. More than 3,500 people have been rescued by the authorities, Mr Turner said on Tuesday. Many have been spending the night at a huge shelter in central Houston while Mr Turner has requested supplies for 10,000 storm victims from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), he said. \"This is a storm of historic proportions. Not just to the city of Houston and not just to Harris County but to the entire region,\" Mayor Turner said. The city had initially planned to provide shelter for 5,000 residents and later increased it to 9,000 people. Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore, the former commander of the Hurricane Katrina Joint Task Force, said local officials were underprepared. He urged authorities to \"scale up\" the amount of emergency responders available in Texas. \"If you tell six million people to stay in place then you need to have the first responders team pre-positioned,\" he told Fox News on Monday. General Honore said the storm was \"overmatched\" with what Fema was prepared for, much like Katrina. \"You've got to have the capacity to go rescue them and they don't have that capacity,\" he added. Critics have also blamed relaxed building regulations exacerbating the flooding. A Pro Publica report in 2016 found that the city's rapid population growth had allowed some developers to build on top of acres of prairie land that once absorbed rainwater now overwhelming the city's bayous, drainage systems and reservoirs. Harris County officials have rejected that claim.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 587, "answer_end": 4016, "text": "Houston has faced sharp criticism for telling its 2.3 million residents to stay put amid the unprecedented flooding, but local officials point to the lessons learned from the melee that ensued in September 2005. With New Orleans still reeling from Katrina's devastation, the city issued an evacuation that prompted millions of Texans to flee their homes and led to 20-hour traffic jams, stranding drivers across hundreds of miles. Of the more than 100 people who died during Hurricane Rita, at least 60 of those deaths were in connection to the evacuation, according to a 2006 report to the Texas House of Representatives. Ten people died from heat exposure while 23 nursing home residents were killed in a bus fire. City officials faced sharp criticism for creating chaos in the hours before the onset of Rita, whose impact was much smaller than originally anticipated. Though Rita's 15-ft (4.5m) storm surge and 120mph (193km/h) winds levelled homes and knocked out power lines, critics said more people died than needed to in the lead-up to the storm. After Rita, lawmakers directed the state's emergency management division to work with local communities to craft better hurricane response plans, including ways to restore power sooner to encourage residents to stay at home if their communities were not at risk from damage, according to the Texas Tribune. State and local officials also began running drills to reverse traffic flow on highways in case of mass evacuations. Why did they not evacuate before Harvey? Harvey was the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years when it made landfall on Friday near Corpus Christi, 220 miles (354km) south-west of Houston. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has defended his decision to advise residents to stay at home, arguing that having people on flooded roadways could lead to more deaths. Marshall Shepherd, a programme director in atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia, pointed out that inside a car is one of the most dangerous places to be during flooding. The layout of the city, which sits just 50 ft above sea level, poses a threat to those attempting to flee amid the flooding. Harvey has affected most of the greater Houston area, a sprawling population of 6.5 million people, which is prone to flooding due to its flat terrain. The city's layout resembles a wagon wheel, bisected by a series of highways that flood with rainwater once its channels, creeks and bayous overflow. \"You would have had a calamity of biblical proportions; that's not an overstatement,\" said Texas State Representative Armando. \"If you put one million cars on the road when every major road in this region is under water, it would have been a disaster. There are challenges in any disaster, but that decision not to call for mandatory evacuations was the right decision,\" he told the Washington Post on Monday. Residents in Harris County, of which Houston is the county seat, have also received mixed messages from local and state officials. Texas Governor Greg Abbott encouraged residents to flee low-lying and coastal areas, even if mandatory evacuation had not been ordered, contradicting Mr Turner's order to stay put and find shelter. Following Mr Abbott's warning, Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, tweeted that residents should listen to local officials and ignore the governor's call."}], "question": "What happened with Hurricane Rita?", "id": "905_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India: Five unusual messages from Narendra Modi's speech", "date": "15 August 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Narendra Modi has addressed Indians in his first Independence Day speech as prime minister. Over the years, I have heard many speeches being delivered from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort which most prime ministers have used to issue warnings to Pakistan and for tedious grandstanding. But Mr Modi used it to speak about the issues bothering Indians every day and in a break from tradition, he spoke extempore, without consulting any notes. Five unusual messages stood out.  It just remains to be seen if he can deliver. While condemning a spate of rapes that have brought world-wide infamy to India, Mr Modi offered parents some advice on how to bring up better sons. \"When we hear about these rapes our heads hang in shame,\" he said. \"In every home, parents ask daughters lots of questions as to where she is going, when will she return, and ask her to inform them when she reaches her destination. \"But have you ever asked your son where he is going, why is he going and who are his friends? After all, the person committing the rape is also someone's son,\" the prime minister said, advising parents to keep tabs on their sons. \"It's the responsibility of the parents to stop their sons before they take the wrong path,\" he added. In India's largely feudal and patriarchal society, campaigners and commentators have long complained that sons are treated as the centre of the universe while daughters are made to feel like second class citizens. The prime minister has also voiced concern over millions of missing girls and appealed to Indians to stop killing their daughters. \"Today the sex ratio is 940 girls to 1,000 boys. Who is creating this imbalance? Not God,\" he said and appealed to doctors to \"not kill the unborn girl child for money\". He advised mothers \"not to hanker after sons\" and not \"kill the girls in the hope of a boy,\" and questioned the widely-held belief in India that sons would look after parents when they grow old while daughters would cost them dowries and leave them for their matrimonial homes. \"I have seen families where five sons live in plush homes and have big cars and all comforts, but parents are sent to live in old age homes,\" he said. \"But I have also seen families where a girl - an only child - devotes her life to serve her parents, staying away from marriage,\" he added. The prime minister said girls were \"equal partners in India's development\" and spoke proudly of the \"29 medals women athletes have won\" at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The prime minister hailed the computer-savvy youth and said India was no longer a country of naked fakirs and snake-charmers. \"Some 25 to 30 years ago, the world used to think we are a land of snake charmers and black magic. But our youth has surprised the world with its IT [information technology] skills,\" he said. \"I dream of a digital India. It was once said that railways connects India. Today I say IT connects India... I fully believe a digital India can compete with the world,\" he added. Mr Modi is a tech-savvy politician and has a huge following on Twitter and Facebook and uses social media sites to connect directly with his supporters. But with about 150 million Indians logged onto the internet, a large chunk of the country's 1.2 billion population remain unconnected. Mr Modi said that must change if the country is to become a \"digital India\". \"Digital India is not an elite concept anymore. We have to take broadband connectivity to every village. We have to use this idea to revolutionise health  and education.\" Echoing the sentiments of many Indians, Mr Modi said he was appalled by the all-pervasive filth around him and urged the citizens to clean up their act. In India where hundreds of millions of people have no access to a toilet at home, Mr Modi vowed to end open defecation. \"We are in the 21st Century and yet there is still no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for darkness  to fall. Can you imagine the number of problems they have to face because of  this?\" he asked. Realising that some may say toilet talk is an unusual topic for an Independence Day speech, Mr Modi offered a justification. \"People may criticise me for talking about toilets from the Red Fort. But I  am from a poor family, I have seen poverty first hand. For the poor to get  dignity, it has to start from here.\" The prime minister pledged separate toilet facilities for girls and boys in every school and said India should ensure that every household has a toilet within the next four years. Over the years,  prime ministers used their annual Independence Day speeches to warn rival Pakistan. But the country found no mention in Mr Modi's speech. Instead, the prime minister talked of Nepal. In a message to Maoist rebels who have turned to violence, he cited the example of Nepal. \"They (Nepal's Maoists) have given up arms and are now waiting for a new Constitution. It is an example of inspiration for the misguided youth. \"It is high time that misguided youth of India renounce violence and take the path of peace.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3526, "answer_end": 4543, "text": "Echoing the sentiments of many Indians, Mr Modi said he was appalled by the all-pervasive filth around him and urged the citizens to clean up their act. In India where hundreds of millions of people have no access to a toilet at home, Mr Modi vowed to end open defecation. \"We are in the 21st Century and yet there is still no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for darkness  to fall. Can you imagine the number of problems they have to face because of  this?\" he asked. Realising that some may say toilet talk is an unusual topic for an Independence Day speech, Mr Modi offered a justification. \"People may criticise me for talking about toilets from the Red Fort. But I  am from a poor family, I have seen poverty first hand. For the poor to get  dignity, it has to start from here.\" The prime minister pledged separate toilet facilities for girls and boys in every school and said India should ensure that every household has a toilet within the next four years."}], "question": "Why am I talking about toilets?", "id": "906_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Coral: Palau to ban sunscreen products to protect reefs", "date": "1 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Palau is set to become the first country to impose a widespread ban on sunscreen in an effort to protect its vulnerable coral reefs. The government has signed a law that restricts the sale and use of sunscreen and skincare products that contain a list of ten different chemicals. Researchers believe that these ingredients are highly toxic to marine life, and can make coral more susceptible to bleaching. The ban comes into force in 2020. In a statement, Palau's President Tommy Remengesau said the ban, which would see fines of $1,000 (PS760) for retailers who violated the law, was timely. \"The power to confiscate sunscreens should be enough to deter their non-commercial use, and these provisions walk a smart balance between educating tourists and scaring them away.\" Scientists have been raising concerns about the impacts of sunscreen products on marine life for many years. They are particularly worried over the role of two ingredients called oxybenzone and octinoxate.  These are used as sun protection factors as they absorb ultraviolet light. However, they are believed to make coral more susceptible to bleaching. Research published in 2015 showed that the oxybenzone could stunt the growth of baby corals and was toxic to several different coral species in laboratory tests. \"Oxybenxzone is probably the baddest actor out of the 10 chemicals that have been banned,\" said Dr Craig Downs, an expert on the impacts of sunscreens on marine life. \"It causes corals to bleach at lower temperatures, and it reduces their resilience to climate change.\" Dr Downs says that when there's a disastrous event like mass coral bleaching, reefs should recover over the following years. That has not been happening in many parts of the world. \"Life doesn't scramble back in where there are tourists,\" said Dr Downs. \"The juvenile phase of coral are more susceptible to chemical pollution than adults. That's why we see these areas not coming back.\" \"They are coral reef zombies. Only the adults are left and it's only a matter of time before they go.\" Researchers say that the biggest threat to coral reefs is climate change, with estimates that 90% of reefs will succumb to rising temperatures by 2050. The second biggest threat is the suffocating threat posed by algal blooms, triggered by the runoff of nutrients from sewage and farming. Sunscreen is now seen as one of a number of other, lesser threats including ocean acidification. It has been estimated that between 6-14,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash off people and go into reef areas every year. Researchers say that several thousand sun protection products contain the two most threatening chemicals. Five years ago it was estimated to be in around 75% of products. Experts now say it's found in about half of creams and lotions. Right now the US Congress is looking at legislation to ban oxybenzone, based on the threat it poses to human health. Palau is located in the western part of the Pacific ocean. It is made up of one large volcanic island and several smaller coral reef associated islands. Despite its small size, it has often taken big steps in protecting the environment. In 2015, it designated almost its entire ocean territory as a marine protected zone. Very aware of the threats of climate change, Palau became the second nation in the world after Fiji to ratify the Paris climate agreement in 2016. When it comes to coral reefs, the island nation has largely avoided the negative impacts of extensive coastal erosion from agriculture, pollution and rampant overfishing that have affected reefs elsewhere. The ban on sunscreen products means Palau is determined to fight any threat to the reefs, which are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Prof Jorg Wiedenmann, who studies coral ecosystems at the University of Southampton, UK, said: \"It is a sensible precaution to prevent the exposure of the vulnerable corals from the potential threats by sunscreen products in these places. \"However, reefs cannot be saved by banning sunscreens alone. There are more destructive drivers of reef decline such as sea water warming, overfishing, nutrient enrichment and pollution that need to be controlled to halt the ongoing degradation of reef ecosystems.\" Yes - several regions have imposed bans, including the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean and the US state of Hawaii which passed a law earlier this year. Mexico has banned sunscreen in nature reserves. The Palau restriction is set to be the most comprehensive yet, covering 10 chemicals. They include four that have an antimicrobial effect but have also been shown in the scientific literature to act as endocrine disruptors. Experts say that dozens of other countries may now look to replicate the Palau ban. Yes, there are alternatives that don't include the two key chemicals that are being marketed as \"reef-safe\". But some scientists argue that the term is not legally enforceable, and there is no compulsion on manufacturers to demonstrate that their products don't harm coral. Dr Craig Downs says the first line of protection against the sun should be clothing with built-in sun protection. \"From a conservation point of view, if you wear a sun shirt, you are reducing the sunscreen load by 50%. That's a major conservation victory.\" Another approach would be to use mineral-based sunscreen, such as non-nanosized titanium oxide or zinc oxide. Many of the larger corporations are against a ban on sunscreen products, saying that the evidence of a detrimental impact on coral is not strong enough. \"The big boys are fighting it. Johnson & Johnson and L'Oreal don't seem to be on board,\" said Dr Downs. \"But much of the rest of the industry have already come out with what they are calling 'Hawaii-compliant sunscreen', and it is a big marketing boost for them.\" A group of manufacturers have formed what they call the Safe Sunscreen Council. They welcomed the move. \"Palau's move to ban ingredients that have been know to cause damage to coral reefs is the right things to do,\" said Caroline Duell from the council. \"Hopefully, by Palau taking leadership on this issue, not only will they protect their sacred and economically key coral reef network, but they will show the world that it's time to change the way we think.  There are many alternatives for sunscreen and personal care products that are safe, effective and enjoyable to use.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2050, "answer_end": 2435, "text": "Researchers say that the biggest threat to coral reefs is climate change, with estimates that 90% of reefs will succumb to rising temperatures by 2050. The second biggest threat is the suffocating threat posed by algal blooms, triggered by the runoff of nutrients from sewage and farming. Sunscreen is now seen as one of a number of other, lesser threats including ocean acidification."}], "question": "How much of a threat does sunscreen pose?", "id": "907_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2436, "answer_end": 2902, "text": "It has been estimated that between 6-14,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash off people and go into reef areas every year. Researchers say that several thousand sun protection products contain the two most threatening chemicals. Five years ago it was estimated to be in around 75% of products. Experts now say it's found in about half of creams and lotions. Right now the US Congress is looking at legislation to ban oxybenzone, based on the threat it poses to human health."}], "question": "How widely used are the banned sunscreen chemicals?", "id": "907_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2903, "answer_end": 4227, "text": "Palau is located in the western part of the Pacific ocean. It is made up of one large volcanic island and several smaller coral reef associated islands. Despite its small size, it has often taken big steps in protecting the environment. In 2015, it designated almost its entire ocean territory as a marine protected zone. Very aware of the threats of climate change, Palau became the second nation in the world after Fiji to ratify the Paris climate agreement in 2016. When it comes to coral reefs, the island nation has largely avoided the negative impacts of extensive coastal erosion from agriculture, pollution and rampant overfishing that have affected reefs elsewhere. The ban on sunscreen products means Palau is determined to fight any threat to the reefs, which are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Prof Jorg Wiedenmann, who studies coral ecosystems at the University of Southampton, UK, said: \"It is a sensible precaution to prevent the exposure of the vulnerable corals from the potential threats by sunscreen products in these places. \"However, reefs cannot be saved by banning sunscreens alone. There are more destructive drivers of reef decline such as sea water warming, overfishing, nutrient enrichment and pollution that need to be controlled to halt the ongoing degradation of reef ecosystems.\""}], "question": "Why Palau and why now?", "id": "907_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4228, "answer_end": 4738, "text": "Yes - several regions have imposed bans, including the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean and the US state of Hawaii which passed a law earlier this year. Mexico has banned sunscreen in nature reserves. The Palau restriction is set to be the most comprehensive yet, covering 10 chemicals. They include four that have an antimicrobial effect but have also been shown in the scientific literature to act as endocrine disruptors. Experts say that dozens of other countries may now look to replicate the Palau ban."}], "question": "Has anyone else looked to ban sunscreen with these ingredients?", "id": "907_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4739, "answer_end": 5379, "text": "Yes, there are alternatives that don't include the two key chemicals that are being marketed as \"reef-safe\". But some scientists argue that the term is not legally enforceable, and there is no compulsion on manufacturers to demonstrate that their products don't harm coral. Dr Craig Downs says the first line of protection against the sun should be clothing with built-in sun protection. \"From a conservation point of view, if you wear a sun shirt, you are reducing the sunscreen load by 50%. That's a major conservation victory.\" Another approach would be to use mineral-based sunscreen, such as non-nanosized titanium oxide or zinc oxide."}], "question": "Are there alternatives that don't contain these chemicals?", "id": "907_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5380, "answer_end": 6375, "text": "Many of the larger corporations are against a ban on sunscreen products, saying that the evidence of a detrimental impact on coral is not strong enough. \"The big boys are fighting it. Johnson & Johnson and L'Oreal don't seem to be on board,\" said Dr Downs. \"But much of the rest of the industry have already come out with what they are calling 'Hawaii-compliant sunscreen', and it is a big marketing boost for them.\" A group of manufacturers have formed what they call the Safe Sunscreen Council. They welcomed the move. \"Palau's move to ban ingredients that have been know to cause damage to coral reefs is the right things to do,\" said Caroline Duell from the council. \"Hopefully, by Palau taking leadership on this issue, not only will they protect their sacred and economically key coral reef network, but they will show the world that it's time to change the way we think.  There are many alternatives for sunscreen and personal care products that are safe, effective and enjoyable to use.\""}], "question": "How are sunscreen manufacturers reacting?", "id": "907_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Cuba nominates Castro replacement Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel", "date": "18 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Cuba's parliament has picked Raul Castro's right-hand man, Miguel Diaz-Canel, as the sole candidate to succeed him, ending the family's long rule. Mr Castro took over as president from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006. An improvement in relations with the US which began under Barack Obama has been partially reversed since Donald Trump entered the White House. Mr Castro is expected to remain a powerful influence in the communist state even after he steps down. The National Assembly has voted on the nomination but the result will not be announced until Thursday, when he is expected to formally pass the presidency to Mr Diaz-Canel. However, he will stay on as head of the Communist Party until its next congress in 2021. The next Cuban leader will inherit a country in economic stagnation and with a young population impatient for change, BBC Cuba correspondent Will Grant reports. There is also the complex task of leading without the same revolutionary past embodied by Raul and Fidel, who died in retirement aged 90 in November 2016. He may have had a relatively low profile when he was first appointed vice-president of Cuba's Council of State in 2013 but he has since become Mr Castro's key ally. For the past five years, he has been groomed for the presidency and the handover of power. But even before being named first vice-president, the 57-year-old had already had a long political career. He was born in April 1960, little over a year after Fidel Castro was first sworn in as prime minister. He studied electrical engineering and began his political career in his early 20s as a member of the Young Communist League in Santa Clara. While teaching engineering at the local university, he worked his way up the ranks of the Young Communist League, becoming its second secretary at the age of 33. Raul Castro has praised his \"ideological firmness\". Analysis by Will Grant, BBC News, Havana In some respects, Miguel Diaz-Canel is a departure from the past. He is in his 50s and he wasn't even born until after the revolution took power. Yet, he still represents an extension of the Castro model - especially politically. The message of political continuity which the Cuban government has stressed from the moment the handover was announced has taken much of the wind out of the sense of renewal. At least two of Raul Castro's inner circle, men in their late 80s, have remained on the Council of State. The biggest challenges, at least in the short term, are economic. He must tackle a complex dual currency system while trying to make sure inflation doesn't rise for ordinary Cubans. He must also try to stimulate a stagnant economy. Many are watching to see if he reverses the freeze on new private business licences to at least signal some support for the concept of private enterprise on the island. All of this, without the same popular backing of the Castros. He may have his work cut out. He is unlikely to make any major changes in the short term, especially while Mr Castro remains a political force to be reckoned with. Any changes are likely to be gradual and slow-paced. Yet Mr Castro did bring in reforms after he took over as president, most strikingly the thaw in relations with the US which had seemed unthinkable under his brother Fidel. The new leader will have to consider how to overcome the problems caused by the economic collapse of Cuba's ally, Venezuela, and what kind of relationship the Caribbean island wants with the US under Mr Trump. Last year, the new American president reimposed certain travel and trade restrictions eased by the Obama administration but did not reverse key diplomatic and commercial ties. But what most Cubans will judge the new leader on is whether their day-to-day lives improve. \"Right now, we don't know what the future holds,\" Adriana Valdivia, 45, a teacher in Havana, told Reuters news agency. \"Raul is finished and Fidel is history. I can't see a way out to help Cubans live better, salaries are the same and don't make ends meet, and now Trump is tightening the screws with the blockade, imagine that.\" \"Politics is not my strong point,\" said Diadenis Sanabria, 34, who works in a state-owned restaurant in the Cuban capital. \"But I don't think a change of chief is going to change my life.\" Often regarded as a rubber-stamp body, it is officially meeting to swear in its 605 members, who were elected last month. It also votes on the composition of the all-powerful Council of State, whose president serves as both head of state and government. Cuba has long maintained it has one of the most inclusive and fairest election systems in the world but critics say that assertion is laughable as the process is fully overseen by the ruling Communist Party. All 605 candidates stood unopposed in March.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1042, "answer_end": 1861, "text": "He may have had a relatively low profile when he was first appointed vice-president of Cuba's Council of State in 2013 but he has since become Mr Castro's key ally. For the past five years, he has been groomed for the presidency and the handover of power. But even before being named first vice-president, the 57-year-old had already had a long political career. He was born in April 1960, little over a year after Fidel Castro was first sworn in as prime minister. He studied electrical engineering and began his political career in his early 20s as a member of the Young Communist League in Santa Clara. While teaching engineering at the local university, he worked his way up the ranks of the Young Communist League, becoming its second secretary at the age of 33. Raul Castro has praised his \"ideological firmness\"."}], "question": "Who is Diaz-Canel?", "id": "908_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2907, "answer_end": 4263, "text": "He is unlikely to make any major changes in the short term, especially while Mr Castro remains a political force to be reckoned with. Any changes are likely to be gradual and slow-paced. Yet Mr Castro did bring in reforms after he took over as president, most strikingly the thaw in relations with the US which had seemed unthinkable under his brother Fidel. The new leader will have to consider how to overcome the problems caused by the economic collapse of Cuba's ally, Venezuela, and what kind of relationship the Caribbean island wants with the US under Mr Trump. Last year, the new American president reimposed certain travel and trade restrictions eased by the Obama administration but did not reverse key diplomatic and commercial ties. But what most Cubans will judge the new leader on is whether their day-to-day lives improve. \"Right now, we don't know what the future holds,\" Adriana Valdivia, 45, a teacher in Havana, told Reuters news agency. \"Raul is finished and Fidel is history. I can't see a way out to help Cubans live better, salaries are the same and don't make ends meet, and now Trump is tightening the screws with the blockade, imagine that.\" \"Politics is not my strong point,\" said Diadenis Sanabria, 34, who works in a state-owned restaurant in the Cuban capital. \"But I don't think a change of chief is going to change my life.\""}], "question": "Will the new president bring real change?", "id": "908_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4264, "answer_end": 4770, "text": "Often regarded as a rubber-stamp body, it is officially meeting to swear in its 605 members, who were elected last month. It also votes on the composition of the all-powerful Council of State, whose president serves as both head of state and government. Cuba has long maintained it has one of the most inclusive and fairest election systems in the world but critics say that assertion is laughable as the process is fully overseen by the ruling Communist Party. All 605 candidates stood unopposed in March."}], "question": "How representative is Cuba's National Assembly?", "id": "908_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What to expect other than Brexit this week", "date": "21 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It's Monday, it's a new week, and while we know Brexit is likely to dominate the news again in some form over the next seven days, we thought you might like to know what else is coming up. What's happening? The world anti-doping body will announce on Tuesday whether it found anything in its inspections of a Russian laboratory conducted this month. Why does it matter? In 2015, Russia's anti-doping body was suspended for three years after a major scandal over state-sponsored doping. But then in September, the lab was allowed to restart its work - on condition that inspectors be allowed in, and that they be allowed to analyse data. Those findings - which should help detail whether inspectors believe wide-ranging doping is continuing - will be made clear on Tuesday. This will happen only after the world anti-doping body, Wada, can get all its staff out of Russia. Its director-general told Reuters news agency this was \"not just out of safety concerns it is also to ensure that there is no interference\". Russia has always denied there was a state-sponsored doping plan. It will be worth watching how they react this time: will Wada's findings vindicate Russia, or incur its wrath? Either way, Russia could face sanctions, for not letting inspectors access the lab by a 31 December deadline. What's happening? On Tuesday, the Oscar nominations are announced. Why does it matter? The shine has gone off the Oscars a little in recent years, not helped this year by a short-lived and poorly received plan for a 'popular film' award, as well as the bungled naming of a host. As things stand, no host has yet been confirmed, and if it stays that way, it will be only the second time in 91 years for the awards to take place without a host. So organisers will hope the headlines this week will be about the awards themselves, rather than any associated controversies. The frontrunners are Alfonso Cuaron's widely praised Mexican domestic drama Roma, and the musical drama A Star is Born...but could we see a surprise name lead the nominations? What's happening? Senior Republican Party figures will gather for their annual winter meeting in New Mexico between Wednesday and Friday. Why does it matter? It's more intriguing than it sounds, trust us, especially because the US is gearing up for the 2020 election (yes, we know, it's that time already) One small matter that is expected to come up: will the Republican Party do anything to stop any potential challengers to Donald Trump? As things stand, the US president is running for re-election in 2020. But there's nothing to stop opponents within his party running against him in the primaries that begin in a year. So far, no-one has said they will do so. But whispers continue that Mr Trump's 2016 opponent, Ohio governor John Kasich, may make a presidential bid. There have also been rumblings of a possible run from former Arizona senator Jeff Flake. All the signs are that the Republican National Committee will not discuss a rule change this week that would block challengers to the president. This may open the door for people to stand against him. As for Mr Trump, he could well speak at the meeting - he did so last year, and launched a searing attack on the media. What's happening? The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, takes place all week. Why does it matter? Davos is considered the number one gathering for global movers and shakers, and has become a byword for those who oppose the idea of globalism. This is one place Mr Trump won't be this week, after he and his team cancelled their plans to attend, citing the ongoing partial US government shutdown. Who else is attending? We'll hear from Brazil's new far-right President, Jair Bolsonaro, at his first international event, as well as from Germany's Angela Merkel and China's Vice-President Wang Qishan. Oh, and David Attenborough.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2046, "answer_end": 3229, "text": "What's happening? Senior Republican Party figures will gather for their annual winter meeting in New Mexico between Wednesday and Friday. Why does it matter? It's more intriguing than it sounds, trust us, especially because the US is gearing up for the 2020 election (yes, we know, it's that time already) One small matter that is expected to come up: will the Republican Party do anything to stop any potential challengers to Donald Trump? As things stand, the US president is running for re-election in 2020. But there's nothing to stop opponents within his party running against him in the primaries that begin in a year. So far, no-one has said they will do so. But whispers continue that Mr Trump's 2016 opponent, Ohio governor John Kasich, may make a presidential bid. There have also been rumblings of a possible run from former Arizona senator Jeff Flake. All the signs are that the Republican National Committee will not discuss a rule change this week that would block challengers to the president. This may open the door for people to stand against him. As for Mr Trump, he could well speak at the meeting - he did so last year, and launched a searing attack on the media."}], "question": "3) An open door to Trump challengers?", "id": "909_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why do families kill their daughters?", "date": "29 May 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The stoning to death of a pregnant Pakistani woman by her own family has thrust the issue of so-called honour killings into the spotlight. It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient. \"The perpetrator seeks to excuse it as some sort of protection of their family's honour, reputation or values,\" says Mustafa Qadri, Pakistan researcher for Amnesty International. Last year, three women were killed in Pakistan after being captured on video \"smiling and laughing in the rain outside their family home\". Men may also be targeted, by members of the family of a woman with whom they are perceived to have had an inappropriate relationship. Last year in India, a young couple were murdered in Haryan state because they planned to marry despite being from the same caste. Nidhi Barak, 20, was beaten to death and Dharmender Barak, 23, dismembered alive. But Rothna Begum, researcher on the Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch, says women bear the brunt of such punishments because they are more widely perceived as \"keepers\" of family or community honour. The idea that a murder can be honourable is believed to come from tribal customs where an allegation against a woman can be enough to defile a family's reputation - the idea that \"a life without honour is not worth living\". Perpetrators have sometimes tried to justify their actions on religious grounds - but none of the world's main religions condone honour-related crimes. In some countries, these tribal customs have been codified into law, which may constitute legal grounds for killing a family member. In Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas for example, \"rivaj\" - or tribal custom - is codified without being defined. This could be interpreted to provide a legal basis for a killing, says Mr Qadri. The killings are also more prevalent in disenfranchised or remote communities. A collective failure by the authorities to prosecute such crimes, and the tacit endorsement by local clerics, contribute to them being more accepted, says Mr Qadri. But above all else, they are a feature of deeply patriarchal societies where there is a belief that a woman's actions reflect on the men around her, he adds. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 5,000 women globally are murdered in this way each year. Last year, 869 women were said to have been killed in Pakistan. Women's advocacy groups suspect the global figure is likely to be closer to 20,000 victims per year - but Mr Qadri thinks the figure is probably hundreds of thousands. Although prevalent in the Middle East and Asia, it is a widespread global phenomenon, he says. The UN describes it as a \"growing problem\", and says estimates are difficult because killings are rarely reported to police, and families often \"cover up\" the crime, disguising it as an accident or suicide. In the UK, figures suggest about 12 such killings take place each year. One recent high profile case was that of 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed, whose parents were convicted of suffocating her with a plastic bag. Prosecutors said her parents believed she had brought dishonour on the family by wearing Western-style clothing and mixing with white friends. \"In the name of preserving so-called family honour, women and girls are shot, stoned, burned, buried alive, strangled, smothered and knifed to death,\" said a statement from the UN on International Women's Day. Sometimes killings happen spontaneously, but in other cases they may be formal and organised. A meeting may be held by male family members and senior women who decide if a woman should be killed, and work out the method. In the latest widely-reported case, Farzana Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was pelted with bricks and bludgeoned by relatives furious because she married against their wishes. Most such killings are particularly difficult to prove or prosecute. There are often no witnesses and little motivation within the community for police to pursue suspects. In Pakistan, conviction rates are very low because of blood-money laws which allow kin to forgive perpetrators, usually family members in such cases. Even if convicted, men who have taken part may sometimes receive reduced sentences. Rukhsana Bibi claims she survived an attempted an attack that left her husband dead in Kohistan, a remote and mountainous region in the northern part of Pakistan. She is one of very few women who have spoken out to seek justice. No-one has been convicted of the attack. \"Honour killings\" should be prosecuted as murder without exception, says Ms Begum. Victims' families should receive protection and sentences should not be reduced where there are convictions citing violation of honour, she adds.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 139, "answer_end": 1504, "text": "It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient. \"The perpetrator seeks to excuse it as some sort of protection of their family's honour, reputation or values,\" says Mustafa Qadri, Pakistan researcher for Amnesty International. Last year, three women were killed in Pakistan after being captured on video \"smiling and laughing in the rain outside their family home\". Men may also be targeted, by members of the family of a woman with whom they are perceived to have had an inappropriate relationship. Last year in India, a young couple were murdered in Haryan state because they planned to marry despite being from the same caste. Nidhi Barak, 20, was beaten to death and Dharmender Barak, 23, dismembered alive. But Rothna Begum, researcher on the Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch, says women bear the brunt of such punishments because they are more widely perceived as \"keepers\" of family or community honour."}], "question": "What is an 'honour killing'?", "id": "910_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1505, "answer_end": 2623, "text": "The idea that a murder can be honourable is believed to come from tribal customs where an allegation against a woman can be enough to defile a family's reputation - the idea that \"a life without honour is not worth living\". Perpetrators have sometimes tried to justify their actions on religious grounds - but none of the world's main religions condone honour-related crimes. In some countries, these tribal customs have been codified into law, which may constitute legal grounds for killing a family member. In Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas for example, \"rivaj\" - or tribal custom - is codified without being defined. This could be interpreted to provide a legal basis for a killing, says Mr Qadri. The killings are also more prevalent in disenfranchised or remote communities. A collective failure by the authorities to prosecute such crimes, and the tacit endorsement by local clerics, contribute to them being more accepted, says Mr Qadri. But above all else, they are a feature of deeply patriarchal societies where there is a belief that a woman's actions reflect on the men around her, he adds."}], "question": "How do families justify the murders?", "id": "910_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2624, "answer_end": 3616, "text": "The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 5,000 women globally are murdered in this way each year. Last year, 869 women were said to have been killed in Pakistan. Women's advocacy groups suspect the global figure is likely to be closer to 20,000 victims per year - but Mr Qadri thinks the figure is probably hundreds of thousands. Although prevalent in the Middle East and Asia, it is a widespread global phenomenon, he says. The UN describes it as a \"growing problem\", and says estimates are difficult because killings are rarely reported to police, and families often \"cover up\" the crime, disguising it as an accident or suicide. In the UK, figures suggest about 12 such killings take place each year. One recent high profile case was that of 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed, whose parents were convicted of suffocating her with a plastic bag. Prosecutors said her parents believed she had brought dishonour on the family by wearing Western-style clothing and mixing with white friends."}], "question": "How widespread are such murders?", "id": "910_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3617, "answer_end": 4232, "text": "\"In the name of preserving so-called family honour, women and girls are shot, stoned, burned, buried alive, strangled, smothered and knifed to death,\" said a statement from the UN on International Women's Day. Sometimes killings happen spontaneously, but in other cases they may be formal and organised. A meeting may be held by male family members and senior women who decide if a woman should be killed, and work out the method. In the latest widely-reported case, Farzana Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was pelted with bricks and bludgeoned by relatives furious because she married against their wishes."}], "question": "How does a family decide to kill?", "id": "910_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4233, "answer_end": 5137, "text": "Most such killings are particularly difficult to prove or prosecute. There are often no witnesses and little motivation within the community for police to pursue suspects. In Pakistan, conviction rates are very low because of blood-money laws which allow kin to forgive perpetrators, usually family members in such cases. Even if convicted, men who have taken part may sometimes receive reduced sentences. Rukhsana Bibi claims she survived an attempted an attack that left her husband dead in Kohistan, a remote and mountainous region in the northern part of Pakistan. She is one of very few women who have spoken out to seek justice. No-one has been convicted of the attack. \"Honour killings\" should be prosecuted as murder without exception, says Ms Begum. Victims' families should receive protection and sentences should not be reduced where there are convictions citing violation of honour, she adds."}], "question": "Are people ever convicted?", "id": "910_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Saving bees with sugar: Connecting with nature or 'a last resort'?", "date": "29 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "If you see a bee crawling on the ground in the summer, there's a good chance that little guy is in trouble. Bumblebees have such a high metabolism and are usually so busy, even one with a stomach full of nectar can be just 40 minutes away from starvation, according to Professor Dave Goulson. Which is why people often feed bees with sugar water - to give them a boost so they can get on with their business. This summer, a new device will be launched which means you can do that no matter where you are. Norwich-based inventor Dan Harris has created \"bee saviour\" cards which put tiny amounts of potentially life-saving sugar solution in your wallet. \"When we heard about bees getting so exhausted so quickly, the fact that we can revive them with sugar solution just struck us as a really great opportunity to connect with nature - especially in a city,\" Dan tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. The bee saviour cards are made from old credit cards and each have three refillable \"cells\" which contain solution for bees. Having recently hit his crowd-funding target, Dan hopes to have the PS4 cards on sale online and, at first, in stores in Norwich from June this year. Giving sugar solution to bees isn't something recommended by Buglife, one of the UK's leading insect charities. \"Sugar solution should always be used as a last resort to help bees that look tired and exhausted as they are only able to give a quick hit,\" a spokesperson tells Newsbeat. In 2018, a fake Facebook post recommending people leave large quantities of sugar solution in their gardens was shared millions of times. \"Worker bumblebees only live a few weeks so may be coming to the end of their life if you see them on the ground,\" they added. Buglife says people should put tired bees onto flowers, where they may be able to find nectar which, unlike sugar solution, contains nutrients they need. Sugar offers no nutrients to bees or humans, and a lack of protein can even lead to bees eating their own eggs to keep themselves going. Dan agrees with Buglife that bees' natural food is \"fundamental\". But he also says that flowers will often have been drained of nectar by other bees, and that extra boost from the sugar solution could help them find what they need by themselves. Dan's cards are designed to be used in urban areas where green spaces can be rare or change often - which can throw bees off track. \"The city council or whatever comes and mows the lawn and all the dandelion heads disappear or someone changes their garden,\" he says. \"If they've got a standard route around your neighbourhood one day, maybe the next day a huge patch of flowers they were feeding on has disappeared.\" Bees can also be upset by a sudden change in temperature - they can't fly if it's colder than 12C. And it might not be worth feeding bees you find late in the summer - when autumn comes, worker bees force all the drones out of the hive to starve to death, so feeding them could just prolong their suffering. Bees play an important role in pollinating flowers and plants - including our food - and their decline due to changing temperatures and pesticides has been well documented. But Dan says insects like bees and butterflies are ones we \"feel warmly towards\". He hopes this interest could result in a wider conversation about the impact the decline is having on less appealing insects too. Spreading some love for ugly bugs is something author M.G. Leonard has been doing since her novel Beetle Boy was published in 2016. \"We see them as either pollinators, like bees who pollinate flowers and make honey for us, or we see them as pests and think they should all be exterminated,\" Maya tells Newsbeat. \"They're all in a big ecosystem and they all do beneficial jobs. The way we look at them is problematic.\" She says we should be more tolerant of wasps who pollinate flowers and, as a predatory insect, help control numbers of other insects like flies - which also play an important role in breaking down rotting matter. For Maya, a wasp sting is no more painful than a cat scratch - something we're all much more willing to put up with. And if it wasn't for a certain type of midge, which is the only insect that pollinates the cocoa plant, chocolate would have to be produced artificially. Once phobic of all insects, Maya recommends encouraging insects of all kinds into our lives. \"Treat your garden or your outside spaces like an insect zoo, and you're the zookeeper,\" she says. \"Maybe have a bit of a meadow and a wilder garden than a really manicured and ornamental patch. \"Small things like that can really help populations of insects just outside your back door.\" Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1160, "answer_end": 3356, "text": "Giving sugar solution to bees isn't something recommended by Buglife, one of the UK's leading insect charities. \"Sugar solution should always be used as a last resort to help bees that look tired and exhausted as they are only able to give a quick hit,\" a spokesperson tells Newsbeat. In 2018, a fake Facebook post recommending people leave large quantities of sugar solution in their gardens was shared millions of times. \"Worker bumblebees only live a few weeks so may be coming to the end of their life if you see them on the ground,\" they added. Buglife says people should put tired bees onto flowers, where they may be able to find nectar which, unlike sugar solution, contains nutrients they need. Sugar offers no nutrients to bees or humans, and a lack of protein can even lead to bees eating their own eggs to keep themselves going. Dan agrees with Buglife that bees' natural food is \"fundamental\". But he also says that flowers will often have been drained of nectar by other bees, and that extra boost from the sugar solution could help them find what they need by themselves. Dan's cards are designed to be used in urban areas where green spaces can be rare or change often - which can throw bees off track. \"The city council or whatever comes and mows the lawn and all the dandelion heads disappear or someone changes their garden,\" he says. \"If they've got a standard route around your neighbourhood one day, maybe the next day a huge patch of flowers they were feeding on has disappeared.\" Bees can also be upset by a sudden change in temperature - they can't fly if it's colder than 12C. And it might not be worth feeding bees you find late in the summer - when autumn comes, worker bees force all the drones out of the hive to starve to death, so feeding them could just prolong their suffering. Bees play an important role in pollinating flowers and plants - including our food - and their decline due to changing temperatures and pesticides has been well documented. But Dan says insects like bees and butterflies are ones we \"feel warmly towards\". He hopes this interest could result in a wider conversation about the impact the decline is having on less appealing insects too."}], "question": "But is it actually a good thing?", "id": "911_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3357, "answer_end": 4639, "text": "Spreading some love for ugly bugs is something author M.G. Leonard has been doing since her novel Beetle Boy was published in 2016. \"We see them as either pollinators, like bees who pollinate flowers and make honey for us, or we see them as pests and think they should all be exterminated,\" Maya tells Newsbeat. \"They're all in a big ecosystem and they all do beneficial jobs. The way we look at them is problematic.\" She says we should be more tolerant of wasps who pollinate flowers and, as a predatory insect, help control numbers of other insects like flies - which also play an important role in breaking down rotting matter. For Maya, a wasp sting is no more painful than a cat scratch - something we're all much more willing to put up with. And if it wasn't for a certain type of midge, which is the only insect that pollinates the cocoa plant, chocolate would have to be produced artificially. Once phobic of all insects, Maya recommends encouraging insects of all kinds into our lives. \"Treat your garden or your outside spaces like an insect zoo, and you're the zookeeper,\" she says. \"Maybe have a bit of a meadow and a wilder garden than a really manicured and ornamental patch. \"Small things like that can really help populations of insects just outside your back door.\""}], "question": "What about wasps?", "id": "911_1"}]}]}, {"title": "News Daily: Election results roll in and deadly India storms", "date": "4 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hello. Here's your morning briefing: With more than 4,000 seats up for grabs across England, these council elections are the first big test of political opinion since last year's dramatic general election. The final picture won't be known until later, but it seems to have been a mixed night for the two main parties. Outside London, there's been a small swing towards the Conservatives, with successes in places such as Basildon and Peterborough. Perhaps the party's most glaring loss was Plymouth, which went to Labour - a result local Tory MP Johnny Mercer blamed on the government's handling of defence issues. Labour, meanwhile, failed to take targets such as Swindon and Amber Valley, but did win seats in places such as Trafford. It also made gains in parts of London, but missed out on key targets of Wandsworth and Westminster. The UKIP vote has collapsed and the party has lost most of its councillors. A surprise scalp in Derby - defenestrating the Labour council leader - is really the only chink of light. Finally, the Lib Dems have had their best night at the polls since 2010, regaining councils lost in 2014, including Richmond, in south-west London. Council elections always reflect national sentiment as well as micro-level concerns, but according to polling guru Prof John Curtice, Brexit is also crucial. He says the Tories have performed relatively well in strong Leave areas, picking up votes from UKIP, while Labour has done better in places where the Remain vote was stronger and where there's a higher proportion of younger voters. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg says this is broadly a vote for the status quo - something we haven't seen much recently. Labour has taken small steps forward, she notes, rather than dramatic strides expected, and there could well be some head-scratching in Labour HQ about why the effort poured into target areas hasn't delivered. The Tories, meanwhile, have avoided the kind of wipeout they feared, but in many results we've seen how support moving to them has been from primarily Leave areas, heaping even more pressure on the Tories to get Brexit right. The place to head for the up-to-the-minute picture is our live page Find the results in your area and see the full picture so far with our round-up. Fierce dust storms in northern India have already left at least 125 people dead and scores more injured. Strong winds and lightning have devastated many villages in the two states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Many of those who died were sleeping when their homes collapsed around them. Officials are now warning that more bad weather is coming. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning Until 2017, the Oscars academy had expelled only one person in its 91-year history. It has now kicked out four. On Thursday, director Roman Polanski and TV star Bill Cosby joined disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on the cutting room floor - all three gone in barely a year. Cosby was convicted of sexual assault last month, while Oscar winner Polanski admitted statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977. The film industry has been shamed into action by the disinfecting sunlight of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements and is now catching up with men who abused their power, the BBC's James Cook in Los Angeles says. By Bill Wilson, BBC Business From numbers on shirts to goal-line technology, the football industry has never been slow to adapt to new ideas and technologies. Now the sport - if a little tentatively - is starting to dip its boots into the world of crypto-currency and its supporting blockchain technology. \"Sport, including football, has a great opportunity to utilise this new technology and be at the forefront of its future adoption,\" says football business expert Michael Broughton. Read the full article Pressure continues in the papers on Commons speaker John Bercow amid accusations of bullying, which he denies. The Metro leads with criticism of him from the former Black Rod, but the Times says he is \"digging in\" and believes he has support to stay on. The Daily Mail leads on the breast cancer screening \"outrage\", saying health officials were warned of the scandal a year ago but failed to act. The i says a helpline set up for women affected has had more than 8,000 calls, Finally, the FT has grim news for thousands of BT workers. Bercow Speaker accused of creating climate of \"fear and intimidation\" Interpreters Afghans can stay in the UK for free, says the new home secretary Wenger No dream send-off for Arsenal boss Staying put People were much more likely to move home in the 1970s than the noughties The gym with treadmills for toddlers How economists forgot housework 'I killed over 100 people, with no regret' Sign up for a morning briefing direct to your phone 08:00 What's likely to be a highly critical review is published into the deaths of people with learning disabilities in England over the past three years. Afternoon National Association of Head Teachers' annual conference begins. 1979 Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first female prime minister. It's Like This and Like That and Like What? (Longreads) This, apparently, is the most ethical meal in the world (Vice) Can the building industry break its addiction to concrete? (CNN) Caves, limoncello, folk dancing: Seven terrible decisions we only make on holiday (Daily Telegraph)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 37, "answer_end": 2275, "text": "With more than 4,000 seats up for grabs across England, these council elections are the first big test of political opinion since last year's dramatic general election. The final picture won't be known until later, but it seems to have been a mixed night for the two main parties. Outside London, there's been a small swing towards the Conservatives, with successes in places such as Basildon and Peterborough. Perhaps the party's most glaring loss was Plymouth, which went to Labour - a result local Tory MP Johnny Mercer blamed on the government's handling of defence issues. Labour, meanwhile, failed to take targets such as Swindon and Amber Valley, but did win seats in places such as Trafford. It also made gains in parts of London, but missed out on key targets of Wandsworth and Westminster. The UKIP vote has collapsed and the party has lost most of its councillors. A surprise scalp in Derby - defenestrating the Labour council leader - is really the only chink of light. Finally, the Lib Dems have had their best night at the polls since 2010, regaining councils lost in 2014, including Richmond, in south-west London. Council elections always reflect national sentiment as well as micro-level concerns, but according to polling guru Prof John Curtice, Brexit is also crucial. He says the Tories have performed relatively well in strong Leave areas, picking up votes from UKIP, while Labour has done better in places where the Remain vote was stronger and where there's a higher proportion of younger voters. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg says this is broadly a vote for the status quo - something we haven't seen much recently. Labour has taken small steps forward, she notes, rather than dramatic strides expected, and there could well be some head-scratching in Labour HQ about why the effort poured into target areas hasn't delivered. The Tories, meanwhile, have avoided the kind of wipeout they feared, but in many results we've seen how support moving to them has been from primarily Leave areas, heaping even more pressure on the Tories to get Brexit right. The place to head for the up-to-the-minute picture is our live page Find the results in your area and see the full picture so far with our round-up."}], "question": "A vote for the status quo?", "id": "912_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Body found in France's River Loire confirmed as missing music fan", "date": "30 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A body found in the River Loire is that of a man who went missing after French police raided a music festival last month, local officials say. They say Tuesday's autopsy on the badly decomposed body found close to the festival site in Nantes confirmed it was Steve Maia Canico, 24. Fourteen other people were rescued from the river soon after falling in during the police crackdown on 22 June. An inquiry has found no link between the raid and Mr Canico's disappearance. This was announced by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Tuesday. But he added: \"More than five weeks after the events, what happened that night remains unclear and I am not satisfied.\" Since Mr Canico's disappearance, posters have been put up in the area around the western French city that read \"Ou est Steve?\" (Where is Steve?). The free techno party was organised as part of France's Fete de la Musique (Music Day). It was held on Ile de Nantes - an island in the centre of the city, surrounded by two branches of the River Loire. The annual event encourages people to play music in public places every 21 June. Police intervened to stop the party when it failed to end in the early hours on 22 June, saying the music \"had exceeded the set time\". Witnesses say police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Footage was shared on social media showing police carrying batons and riot shields moving in on the bank of the Loire. There was no barrier along the river and a number of revellers fell in, before they were rescued by firefighters. Steve Maia Canico was last seen in the early hours on 22 June, and friends say he went missing when police intervened. Friends have told French media outlets that he could not swim, while witnesses have described seeing a man struggling on the surface of the water.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 810, "answer_end": 1783, "text": "The free techno party was organised as part of France's Fete de la Musique (Music Day). It was held on Ile de Nantes - an island in the centre of the city, surrounded by two branches of the River Loire. The annual event encourages people to play music in public places every 21 June. Police intervened to stop the party when it failed to end in the early hours on 22 June, saying the music \"had exceeded the set time\". Witnesses say police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Footage was shared on social media showing police carrying batons and riot shields moving in on the bank of the Loire. There was no barrier along the river and a number of revellers fell in, before they were rescued by firefighters. Steve Maia Canico was last seen in the early hours on 22 June, and friends say he went missing when police intervened. Friends have told French media outlets that he could not swim, while witnesses have described seeing a man struggling on the surface of the water."}], "question": "What happened in June?", "id": "913_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Greeks question this role model's credentials", "date": "20 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "She has won awards and accolades, and has been feted internationally for her scientific work, but now a woman hailed as one of Greece's youngest and brightest minds has come under more intense scrutiny than ever before. The rise and possible fall of Eleni Antoniadou, 31, has become the subject of intense discussion among Greeks. For years she has been giving interviews portraying herself as a researcher working for Nasa; an expert on regenerative medicine; a maker of cutting-edge artificial organs; a passionate activist against organ trafficking; and a trainer of astronauts. But it seems that not a single Greek news outlet, out of dozens that have interviewed her, ever bothered to check if everything that had been attributed to her was entirely accurate. The tipping point came earlier this month when Greek Education Minister Niki Kerameus handed Ms Antoniadou an award at a privately organised event for her contribution to science. The minister later posted a photo on her Facebook account and borrowed a quote from Antoniadou: \"You can become whatever you are dreaming of.\" This provoked a response from a number of Greek scientists, who spend most of their days carrying out lab research and have little time or inclination for publicity. A Greek professor who teaches at a French university decided to do a detailed search online to see how it was possible for such a young person to have accomplished quite so much. When he posted his findings on social media, there was outrage among the academic community. Others followed suit, including Greek Hoaxes, a group dedicated to uncovering fake news. Greek Hoaxes accused Ms Antoniadou of misrepresenting her achievements and hit back with a series of counterclaims. Claim: She worked on the world's first artificial trachea that was successfully transplanted to a patient. Counterclaim: She was a postgraduate student at UCL and was remotely involved with the surgery. The transplant ended with one of the biggest scandals in modern medicine, covered here by the BBC. The patient died after his body did not accept the transplant. Long after his death, Ms Antoniadou gave interviews in Greece saying how she had saved the patient's life and how the patient was living a normal life. Claim: She has been working for a number of years as a researcher at Nasa. Counterclaim: She attended a 10-week summer school there and took a lot of pictures around the US space agency's facilities wearing clothes with the Nasa logo. Nasa has denied she works directly for the agency, but has not excluded the possibility that she may be working as a sub-contractor. Claim: She has called herself a PhD. Counterclaim: She holds two postgraduate Masters degrees. Claim: She is a successful entrepreneur and CEO of a company called Transplants without Donors that makes artificial transplants. Counterclaim: Her company does not appear anywhere and the internet domain that it owns is inactive. Greek media had for years portrayed and promoted her as the brightest mind Greece has produced in decades. The constant publicity often culminated in various kinds of honours. Global toy maker Mattel has even made a Barbie doll looking like her, as part of its series \"Sheroes\". And the centre-right European People's Party tweeted a poster with the most important Greeks of the past century including her image at the centre. She even managed to get on the lists of the BBC's 100 Women for 2014 and Forbes' 30 Under 30 for 2015. As the stories about the young scientist began to swirl, Eleni Antoniadou posted a cropped image of a Nasa award of merit on social media insisting she had been working for Nasa, and she denied trying to compete with older academics. \"Every day I continue to learn by participating in simple or more complicated projects, like that of AI at Nasa with which I'm involved lately,\" she wrote. \"For me the goal was never to compete with academia or compare my first steps in science as a new researcher with people who have been around for decades. At the end of the day, the important thing is to work always collaboratively, by helping the people around you go forward and not to go a step downwards.\" The BBC tried to get in touch with Ms Antoniadou but she was not available for comment. You might also be interested in:", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2942, "answer_end": 3471, "text": "Greek media had for years portrayed and promoted her as the brightest mind Greece has produced in decades. The constant publicity often culminated in various kinds of honours. Global toy maker Mattel has even made a Barbie doll looking like her, as part of its series \"Sheroes\". And the centre-right European People's Party tweeted a poster with the most important Greeks of the past century including her image at the centre. She even managed to get on the lists of the BBC's 100 Women for 2014 and Forbes' 30 Under 30 for 2015."}], "question": "Who did she convince?", "id": "914_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3472, "answer_end": 4292, "text": "As the stories about the young scientist began to swirl, Eleni Antoniadou posted a cropped image of a Nasa award of merit on social media insisting she had been working for Nasa, and she denied trying to compete with older academics. \"Every day I continue to learn by participating in simple or more complicated projects, like that of AI at Nasa with which I'm involved lately,\" she wrote. \"For me the goal was never to compete with academia or compare my first steps in science as a new researcher with people who have been around for decades. At the end of the day, the important thing is to work always collaboratively, by helping the people around you go forward and not to go a step downwards.\" The BBC tried to get in touch with Ms Antoniadou but she was not available for comment. You might also be interested in:"}], "question": "How has she responded?", "id": "914_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump-Kim summit: North Korea says country seeks partial relief", "date": "1 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea has denied US President Donald Trump's claim that the country demanded total sanctions relief during a failed summit in Hanoi. The North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho was speaking after talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without agreement. He said they asked only for partial sanctions relief in exchange for disabling its main nuclear complex. The US insists this is not the case. After their talks broke down, Mr Trump said Mr Kim had offered to dismantle all of the Yongbyon complex, the research and production facility at the heart of North Korea's nuclear programme, a significant proposal. But in return Mr Kim wanted all sanctions lifted, something the US was not prepared to offer, Mr Trump added. At a late-night news conference after Thursday's summit, Mr Ri said his country had made \"realistic\" proposals, including the complete decommissioning of Yongbyon, under the watch of US observers. \"This proposal was the biggest denuclearisation measure we could take at the present stage when taking into consideration the current level of confidence between the DPRK [North Korea] and the United States.\" In return, Mr Ri said, the North had wanted only partial lifting of sanctions \"that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people\". He told reporters Pyongyang had also offered to permanently halt nuclear and long-range rocket testing. He added that it might be hard to see an opportunity such as the Hanoi summit again. \"Our principal stand will remain invariable and our proposals will never change, even if the United States proposes negotiations again in the future.\" By Jonathan Head, BBC News, Hanoi President Trump was more philosophical than defensive over the summit failure, suggesting he half-expected it to happen. And the North Korean reaction so far, from Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, has been measured. This was, to the participants, less a shock than a disappointment. US officials say the North Koreans would not define exactly what they meant by the Yongbyon complex; the US is believed to have asked to include other hitherto unpublished nuclear facilities. Nor could the two sides agree on what denuclearisation means. US officials say they were being offered an end to testing, and partial destruction of facilities but that leaves North Korea's existing nuclear arsenal intact. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said they had cleared away what he called \"a lot of the brush\" in the weeks of pre-summit talks, but there remained gaps between the two sides they had hoped to close when the two leaders were in the same room. That didn't happen. President Trump has shown Chairman Kim that, notwithstanding his hunger for a deal, he is prepared to walk away. But he has also shown the world that his famous deal-making skills are no match for a diplomatic problem as thorny as North Korea. At a news conference after the summit, Mr Trump also said: \"It was all about the sanctions. They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that. Sometimes you have to walk and this was one of those times.\" Following Mr Ri's comments, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who took part in the summit in Hanoi, reaffirmed that North Korea had \"basically asked for full sanctions relief\". \"They were pretty expansive with respect to what they're prepared to do at Yongbyon but there was still not complete clarity with respect to full scope of what it is they were prepared to offer,\" he told reporters. The US was \"anxious to get back to the table\" to continue the talks, he added. On the flight back to the US, Mr Trump reassured Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in that talks with the North would continue, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Later she wrote on Twitter: \"President Obama refused to walk away from a bad deal with Iran. President [Trump] refuses to make the same mistake with Iran, North Korea, or anybody else. President Trump will always put the safety of the American people above politics.\" Another contentious point included the network of facilities that extend beyond Yongbyon. Last month, Stephen Biegun, the US state department special representative for North Korea, said Pyongyang had committed in pre-summit talks to destroy all the nation's plutonium - and uranium-enrichment facilities, dependent on unspecified US measures in return. Those unspecified US measures appear to have been complete sanctions relief, which Mr Trump would not offer. The US president also suggested in his news conference that Mr Kim had offered only the destruction of Yongbyon and not North Korea's entire nuclear apparatus. Yongbyon is North Korea's only known source of plutonium but the country is believed to have at least two other facilities where uranium is enriched. Mr Trump said when he raised the issue of a second enrichment facility apart from Yongbyon, the North Korean delegation was \"surprised\" by what the US knew.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1659, "answer_end": 2892, "text": "By Jonathan Head, BBC News, Hanoi President Trump was more philosophical than defensive over the summit failure, suggesting he half-expected it to happen. And the North Korean reaction so far, from Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, has been measured. This was, to the participants, less a shock than a disappointment. US officials say the North Koreans would not define exactly what they meant by the Yongbyon complex; the US is believed to have asked to include other hitherto unpublished nuclear facilities. Nor could the two sides agree on what denuclearisation means. US officials say they were being offered an end to testing, and partial destruction of facilities but that leaves North Korea's existing nuclear arsenal intact. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said they had cleared away what he called \"a lot of the brush\" in the weeks of pre-summit talks, but there remained gaps between the two sides they had hoped to close when the two leaders were in the same room. That didn't happen. President Trump has shown Chairman Kim that, notwithstanding his hunger for a deal, he is prepared to walk away. But he has also shown the world that his famous deal-making skills are no match for a diplomatic problem as thorny as North Korea."}], "question": "Why did the summit fail?", "id": "915_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Alek Sigley: North Korea releases detained Australian student", "date": "4 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australian Alek Sigley who went missing in North Korea last week has been \"released and safe\", Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said. It comes after a meeting between officials from the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang and the North Korean government. Australia does not have its own embassy in the North Korean capital. Mr Sigley, 29, was pursuing a master's degree and running a tourism business in Pyongyang. It is not known why the student, a fluent Korean speaker, had been detained. The news of his release was first reported by specialist website NK News which said he was safely in China and would travel on to Japan. \"I'm ok, yeah, I'm good, I'm very good,\" Mr Sigley is seen saying on footage reportedly showing his arrival in Beijing, according to Australian media. The 29-year-old's father later told local news outlets that their family was \"over the moon that he is safe and sound\". \"Last week has been very difficult... we're just happy that the situation has been resolved. He tried to ring me a few minutes ago, I will talk to him some time today,\" Gary Sigley told local outlets outside their family home in Perth. News of Mr Sigley's release was announced by Mr Morrison to parliament on Thursday. He said it was the result of \"discreet, behind the scenes work of officials in resolving complex and sensitive consular cases\". \"We are pleased to announce that Mr Alek Sigley has today been released from detention in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). He is safe and well.\" Mr Morrison said. He said Swedish authorities had met with senior officials from the DPRK on Wednesday and \"raised the issue of Alek's disappearance on Australia's behalf\". \"I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Swedish authorities for their invaluable assistance.\" Sweden is one of few Western countries that have an embassy in North Korea and often acts as an intermediary for countries that don't. Hywel Griffith, BBC News Sydney correspondent The relief felt by Alek Sigley's family, and many others across Australia, is obvious. With no embassy in Pyongyang and no direct contact with North Korea, the Australian government was left to depend on the good-will of others to help find him. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was glowing in his praise for the way in which Swedish officials worked to secure his release. Clearly there were concerns that publicly confronting North Korea would prove provocative and potentially harmful to Mr Sigley. Instead, careful and discreet diplomacy got the desired result. Of course, we do not know what, if anything, was offered in return. But for now the focus is on celebrating that he is safe and well. Mr Sigley was one of very few foreigners living in North Korea. Originally from Perth, for the past year he had been pursuing a degree in Korean literature at Kim Il-sung University. He also ran a business providing tours for Western tourists visiting the totalitarian, communist state. In March, he described himself as \"the only Australian living in North Korea\" in a piece published by The Guardian. Last week, his family and friends lost contact with him, sparking fears he might have been detained. Several foreigners have previously been detained in North Korea, sometimes for illegally entering the country or for what Pyongyang terms \"hostile criminal acts against the state\". US student Otto Warmbier was jailed in North Korea in 2016 after being accused of stealing a propaganda sign during an organised tour. He spent 17 months in detention, and later died days after he was returned to the US in a coma.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2672, "answer_end": 3587, "text": "Mr Sigley was one of very few foreigners living in North Korea. Originally from Perth, for the past year he had been pursuing a degree in Korean literature at Kim Il-sung University. He also ran a business providing tours for Western tourists visiting the totalitarian, communist state. In March, he described himself as \"the only Australian living in North Korea\" in a piece published by The Guardian. Last week, his family and friends lost contact with him, sparking fears he might have been detained. Several foreigners have previously been detained in North Korea, sometimes for illegally entering the country or for what Pyongyang terms \"hostile criminal acts against the state\". US student Otto Warmbier was jailed in North Korea in 2016 after being accused of stealing a propaganda sign during an organised tour. He spent 17 months in detention, and later died days after he was returned to the US in a coma."}], "question": "Who is Alek Sigley?", "id": "916_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Naruhito: Japan's emperor proclaims enthronement in ancient ceremony", "date": "22 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Japan's Emperor Naruhito has formally proclaimed his ascension to the throne in an elaborate ceremony. The emperor, 59, officially began his reign in May after the abdication of his father, the then-Emperor Akihito. But, after a series of traditional rituals inside the imperial palace in Tokyo, his ascension has now been formalised. The ceremony comes as Japan reels from the effects of Typhoon Hagibis, which left almost 80 people dead. A celebration parade was postponed out of respect for the victims and their families. The Sokui no Rei - or the Ceremony of Accession - saw Emperor Naruhito inside the 6.5m-high Takamikura throne. He read out a formal proclamation, dressed in a yellow-orange robe worn only by emperors on special occasions. \"I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,\" he said, according to a Reuters translation. His wife Empress Masako, reportedly clothed in 12 layers of robes, was seen in a separate smaller throne. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a congratulatory address, followed by shouts of \"Banzai!\" - translated as \"long live the emperor\". The ceremony, conducted largely in silence, was held in the presence of an ancient sword and jewel - sacred treasures that act as symbols of imperial power. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries, including the UK's Prince Charles, were in attendance. The emperor will later host a tea party for foreign royalty, while Mr Abe will host a banquet in the evening. A pretty huge deal. The last time an enthronement ceremony took place was in 1990, when the then-emperor Akihito formally ascended the throne. Small crowds turned out on Tuesday morning outside the palace despite a heavy downpour. \"Today is an important day for the new emperor and the empress,\" 78-year-old Shuichi Hachinuma, who had travelled to Tokyo, told news agency AFP. \"I feel the emperor is closer to us, compared to in the past... I want him to send a message of peace.\" The torrential winds and rains cleared just as the ceremony began. Some social media users claimed a rainbow appeared just in time for the ceremony. Emperor Naruhito officially began his reign on 1 May. According to news site the Japan Times, the ceremonies conducted on that day were \"simpler, and meant to signify the inheritance of the throne immediately\". The Sokui no rei was a much more elaborate affair. It's not uncommon for there to be a gap between the first succession to the throne and the Sokui no rei. For Emperor Akihito, there was an almost two-year gap between his succession to the throne and the Sokui no rei. According to one Japanese expert, the reason for the confusion this time round was because then-Emperor Akihito's abdication broke away from the normal procedure. He abdicated due to poor health, becoming the first monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years. Usually, the celebratory enthronement can only take place after at least a year of mourning. But because Emperor Akihito had stepped down, the ascension of Emperor Naruhito then was seen as much more of a celebration. \"The world just assumed that that [on 1 May] was the combined celebration, but the real celebration is what's happening now,\" Ken Ruoff, author of Japan's Imperial House in the Postwar Era, told the BBC. \"It's not perceived as a big deal [to] the rest of the world who are like 'didn't we already do this?' But it's a big deal for the Japanese.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 526, "answer_end": 1532, "text": "The Sokui no Rei - or the Ceremony of Accession - saw Emperor Naruhito inside the 6.5m-high Takamikura throne. He read out a formal proclamation, dressed in a yellow-orange robe worn only by emperors on special occasions. \"I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,\" he said, according to a Reuters translation. His wife Empress Masako, reportedly clothed in 12 layers of robes, was seen in a separate smaller throne. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a congratulatory address, followed by shouts of \"Banzai!\" - translated as \"long live the emperor\". The ceremony, conducted largely in silence, was held in the presence of an ancient sword and jewel - sacred treasures that act as symbols of imperial power. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries, including the UK's Prince Charles, were in attendance. The emperor will later host a tea party for foreign royalty, while Mr Abe will host a banquet in the evening."}], "question": "What happened at the ceremony?", "id": "917_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1533, "answer_end": 2162, "text": "A pretty huge deal. The last time an enthronement ceremony took place was in 1990, when the then-emperor Akihito formally ascended the throne. Small crowds turned out on Tuesday morning outside the palace despite a heavy downpour. \"Today is an important day for the new emperor and the empress,\" 78-year-old Shuichi Hachinuma, who had travelled to Tokyo, told news agency AFP. \"I feel the emperor is closer to us, compared to in the past... I want him to send a message of peace.\" The torrential winds and rains cleared just as the ceremony began. Some social media users claimed a rainbow appeared just in time for the ceremony."}], "question": "How big a deal is this ceremony?", "id": "917_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2163, "answer_end": 3465, "text": "Emperor Naruhito officially began his reign on 1 May. According to news site the Japan Times, the ceremonies conducted on that day were \"simpler, and meant to signify the inheritance of the throne immediately\". The Sokui no rei was a much more elaborate affair. It's not uncommon for there to be a gap between the first succession to the throne and the Sokui no rei. For Emperor Akihito, there was an almost two-year gap between his succession to the throne and the Sokui no rei. According to one Japanese expert, the reason for the confusion this time round was because then-Emperor Akihito's abdication broke away from the normal procedure. He abdicated due to poor health, becoming the first monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years. Usually, the celebratory enthronement can only take place after at least a year of mourning. But because Emperor Akihito had stepped down, the ascension of Emperor Naruhito then was seen as much more of a celebration. \"The world just assumed that that [on 1 May] was the combined celebration, but the real celebration is what's happening now,\" Ken Ruoff, author of Japan's Imperial House in the Postwar Era, told the BBC. \"It's not perceived as a big deal [to] the rest of the world who are like 'didn't we already do this?' But it's a big deal for the Japanese.\""}], "question": "Didn't Naruhito already ascend the throne?", "id": "917_2"}]}]}, {"title": "The Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber row explained", "date": "1 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Taylor Swift has accused Scooter Braun, who manages Justin Bieber and Kanye West, of bullying after he became the owner of most of her music. He's bought record label Big Machine for $300 million (PS237m), which means he owns the masters to her six albums. So he now makes money from every song Taylor released before this year's Me! with Brendon Urie. Taylor says she's been unable to own the rights to her own music because of a record deal she signed at 15. She wrote on Tumblr about her attempts to take back the rights to the music she's released on Big Machine, and her feeling that Scooter has attempted to \"dismantle\" her legacy. A lot of people are now involved - here's what's happened and who's said what so far. \"For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work,\" she wrote. Taylor claims Big Machine offered her a chance to earn \"one album back at a time\" in exchange for every new one she recorded after her original record contract with them expired. But she's now signed to Universal's Republic Records label, and says signing a new deal with Big Machine would have been used to help encourage the sale of the company. \"I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past,\" she says. \"Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.\" Big Machine still owns the rights to the six albums she released between 2006 and 2017, and she says she only learned about Scooter Braun taking over the label when it was announced. \"All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years.\" Taylor was referring to the Kanye West song Famous, which includes lyrics about wanting to have sex with Taylor and features a naked replica of her in the video. Kim Kardashian shared some of a phonecall between Kanye and Taylor on Snapchat at the time, saying it showed Taylor had been spoken to about the song before its release. Taylor denied the conversation took place. \"Now Scooter has stripped me of my life's work, that I wasn't given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it,\" she continued. \"This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15,\" she wrote. \"Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time [Big Machine founder] Scott Borchetta has heard the words 'Scooter Braun' escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. \"He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn't want to be associated with them.\" In her Tumblr post Taylor also shared a photo posted by Justin Bieber shortly after the leaked phone call. It showed Justin on a video call with Scooter Braun and Kanye West, with the caption \"Taylor Swift what up\" (which has since been deleted), calling it an example of the bullying she faced. Justin Bieber has since responded, apologising to her for the 2016 picture and saying it was \"distasteful and unfair\" - but also criticising her comments about Scooter Braun. \"For you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn't fair,\" he wrote. \"What were you trying to accomplish by posting that blog? Seems to me like it was to get sympathy. You also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully Scooter.\" Meanwhile, Scott Borchetta has posted an open letter on the Big Machine website offering his side of the story. He claims he personally contacted Taylor to tell her about the sale on 29 June, says he \"never experienced\" her in tears over Scooter Braun and says that she was given an opportunity to take control of her masters. \"Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings, but every video, photograph, everything associated to her career,\" he says. \"She chose to leave.\" Demi Lovato, who's also managed by Scooter, posted support for him on her Instagram story. Todrick Hall, Taylor Swift's friend who executive produced her new video You Need To Calm Down, said he believes Scooter Braun is \"evil\". Scooter Braun's wife, Yael Cohen Braun, shared a note on Twitter claiming that Scooter had said he was \"excited\" to work with Taylor through his ownership of Big Machine. And Model Cara Delevingne responded to Justin Bieber's post on Instagram, saying she's not sure he understands \"what an apology is\". \"I wish you spent less time sticking up for men and more time trying to understand women and respecting their valid reactions,\" Cara wrote. Newsbeat has contacted Scooter Braun for comment, but he is yet to respond. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3900, "answer_end": 4648, "text": "Demi Lovato, who's also managed by Scooter, posted support for him on her Instagram story. Todrick Hall, Taylor Swift's friend who executive produced her new video You Need To Calm Down, said he believes Scooter Braun is \"evil\". Scooter Braun's wife, Yael Cohen Braun, shared a note on Twitter claiming that Scooter had said he was \"excited\" to work with Taylor through his ownership of Big Machine. And Model Cara Delevingne responded to Justin Bieber's post on Instagram, saying she's not sure he understands \"what an apology is\". \"I wish you spent less time sticking up for men and more time trying to understand women and respecting their valid reactions,\" Cara wrote. Newsbeat has contacted Scooter Braun for comment, but he is yet to respond."}], "question": "Who else is involved?", "id": "918_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: What would a 'no deal' look like?", "date": "20 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"No deal\" can be a confusing term in the Brexit debate because there are, in fact, several potential deals waiting to be done. The main ones are: - a withdrawal agreement - which needs to be finalised and ratified before the UK leaves the EU - an agreement on what the future UK-EU relationship will look like Negotiations on the future relationship, which was the focus of the recent Brexit White Paper, look set to continue long after Brexit has taken place. But when people talk about preparing for no deal at the moment, they mean the prospect of failing to reach agreement on the terms of departure, which are being negotiated under Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. It is these Article 50 negotiations, led by Michel Barnier for the EU and the new Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab, for the UK, which are supposed to end with a withdrawal agreement. A lot of the heavy lifting is being done behind the scenes by teams of experts led by Mr Barnier's deputy, Sabine Weyand, and by British civil servant Ollie Robbins. But in the end, the Article 50 negotiations are a political process. If they fail, we are heading for no deal. And the reason that is now back in the headlines is that time is running short. The two-year period outlined by Article 50 comes to an end on 29 March 2019 and unless all 28 EU countries agree to extend that period, the withdrawal agreement will have to be done and dusted well before then. And no withdrawal agreement would also mean there would be no transition period after Brexit. Instead, there would be an abrupt rupture in UK/EU relations. So \"no deal\" needs to be taken seriously. There is an element of needing to look tough under pressure in negotiations - \"Don't think we won't walk away,\" and all that. Some supporters of Brexit also say it would mean the UK wouldn't have to pay a \"divorce bill\" to the EU, although that is an argument that would probably end up in court. But there's also a real concern that the pace of preparations for no deal - among governments and businesses - needs to increase. The EU published a document on Thursday which warned that contingency planning should be stepped up in all countries and all sectors of the economy. Among other things, it said: - There would be no specific arrangement on the future rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU - Border checks would have to be re-imposed, and transport between the UK and the EU would be severely affected - The UK would become a \"third country\" with substantially less access to the EU single market. The UK's relationship with the EU would suddenly be governed not by the common rules and regulations that have been built up over more than 40 years but by general international public law. That would include the basic rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), something which many Brexit supporters say they would be perfectly happy with. But it is worth pointing out that no other major trading partner of the EU trades with it on WTO terms alone. Many businesses - especially those that rely on just-in-time manufacturing supply chains - have also been lobbying hard against it. Falling back on WTO rules would also mean the imposition of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Quite how border controls would actually be set up in Ireland in the first few days after a no-deal Brexit is far from clear. But it's something both sides say they are determined to avoid. It's worth emphasising that the UK government says it does not \"want or expect a no-deal scenario\". But it, too, is stepping up contingency planning. Throughout August and September individual departments will be publishing a set of around 70 technical notices to help businesses, citizens and consumers prepare for March 2019 in the event of no deal. The EU has already published  68 technical notices of its own focusing on the preparations that different sectors of the economy need to make for Brexit. One important issue is timing. If both sides conclude fairly soon that negotiations will not succeed and that \"no deal\" is highly likely, they will at least have several months to prepare. But if there is a last-minute hitch, that would prove extremely challenging. That's when people talk of a cliff-edge Brexit. Well, some of them are pretty obvious. To ensure the supply of basic services, for example. At a hearing of the House of Commons Public Administration Committee on Thursday the chief executive of the civil service, John Manzoni, highlighted the need to protect \"supply chains for food and medicines\" under the \"almost unimaginable\" scenario of a cliff-edge departure. The Department of Health, he said, had already announced that it would stockpile medicines. Mr Manzoni also mentioned transport - there would be a need to try to negotiate a series of bilateral agreements with individual countries to allow planes to fly, if the UK left the European Aviation Safety Agency with no new deals in place. Another example emerged this week in a report from the National Audit Office. Currently, it says, 100,000 International Driving Permits are issued every year by 89 post offices around the country. In the first year after a no-deal Brexit, those numbers would rise to an estimated 4,500 post offices issuing up to seven million permits - to take into account journeys into the EU. In other words, every area of the economy needs to be ready for no deal. Just in case. We keep being told that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But this could be the biggest gamble of all. What do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4267, "answer_end": 5550, "text": "Well, some of them are pretty obvious. To ensure the supply of basic services, for example. At a hearing of the House of Commons Public Administration Committee on Thursday the chief executive of the civil service, John Manzoni, highlighted the need to protect \"supply chains for food and medicines\" under the \"almost unimaginable\" scenario of a cliff-edge departure. The Department of Health, he said, had already announced that it would stockpile medicines. Mr Manzoni also mentioned transport - there would be a need to try to negotiate a series of bilateral agreements with individual countries to allow planes to fly, if the UK left the European Aviation Safety Agency with no new deals in place. Another example emerged this week in a report from the National Audit Office. Currently, it says, 100,000 International Driving Permits are issued every year by 89 post offices around the country. In the first year after a no-deal Brexit, those numbers would rise to an estimated 4,500 post offices issuing up to seven million permits - to take into account journeys into the EU. In other words, every area of the economy needs to be ready for no deal. Just in case. We keep being told that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. But this could be the biggest gamble of all."}], "question": "So what are the priorities?", "id": "919_0"}]}]}, {"title": "FBI and White House clash over controversial Republican memo", "date": "1 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The FBI has questioned moves to release a secret memo said to accuse it of abusing surveillance powers to target Donald Trump's presidential campaign. \"We have grave concerns about the material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo's accuracy,\" the agency said. There are suggestions the Congressional memo may be published on Thursday. Democrats fear the document may be an attempt to discredit the inquiry into Trump campaign links to Russia. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff accused his Republican counterparts of altering the text of the document after it was voted on. He said it should be withdrawn and reviewed again prior to any possible public release. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is leading the investigation into alleged Russian meddling and possible obstruction of justice by members of the Trump administration. The White House has to approve the memo's release but its chief of staff, John Kelly, told Fox News Radio it would be \"released here pretty quick\" for the \"whole world\" to see. The four-page document was compiled by staffers for House Intelligence Committee (HIE) head Devin Nunes, a member of Mr Trump's Republican party. It apparently accuses the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) of abusing a surveillance programme known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) during the 2016 presidential election campaign. The allegation is that the FBI ran surveillance on a member of Mr Trump's campaign. According to lawmakers who saw the memo, it says the FBI obtained a warrant to spy on the campaign aide on the basis of unproven accusations against Mr Trump known as the \"Russian dossier\". That dossier was compiled by former UK intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from Hillary Clinton's campaign. The HIE voted to release the memo on Monday and Mr Trump has until the weekend to decide whether to clear it for public release. Following his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, Mr Trump was heard telling a Republican lawmaker he was \"100%\" for releasing the document. As of Wednesday however, he had still not read the memo, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Mr Kelly said Mr Trump wanted \"everything out so the American people can make up their own minds and if there's people to be held accountable, then so be it\". In a rare statement, the agency said it had had \"limited opportunity\" to review the document before the HIE voted to release it on Monday. \"We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the Fisa process,\" the FBI statement added. The US Department of Justice has said it would be \"extraordinarily reckless\" to release the memo. Trump officials say the memo proves his allegation that he has been treated unfairly by the FBI. Devin Nunes, who served on the Trump team during his White House transition, said it was \"no surprise\" the FBI had objected to the memo's release. \"Having stonewalled Congress' demands for information for nearly a year, it's no surprise to see the FBI and DoJ issue spurious objections to allowing the American people to see information related to surveillance abuses at these agencies,\" he said. After firing FBI director James Comey last year, Mr Trump reportedly asked his temporary replacement, Andrew McCabe, how he had voted in the 2016 presidential election. Mr McCabe resigned last month as Mr Trump accused him of pro-Democratic bias. He had been planning to retire in March. In December, Mr Trump reportedly challenged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mr Mueller, over his loyalties. He wanted to know whether Mr Rosenstein was \"on my team\", CNN reports. Democrats on the HIE accused Republicans of having secretly altered the memo before giving it to the White House. Mr Schiff said that releasing the memo increased \"the risk of a constitutional crisis by setting the stage for subsequent actions by the White House to fire Mueller or, as now seems more likely, Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein\". Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said the Republicans were clearly trying to \"undermine the special counsel's investigation\". \"There's no excuse for playing politics with highly classified information,\" she added. A counter-memo drafted by Democrats was blocked by Republicans.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1022, "answer_end": 2363, "text": "The four-page document was compiled by staffers for House Intelligence Committee (HIE) head Devin Nunes, a member of Mr Trump's Republican party. It apparently accuses the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) of abusing a surveillance programme known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) during the 2016 presidential election campaign. The allegation is that the FBI ran surveillance on a member of Mr Trump's campaign. According to lawmakers who saw the memo, it says the FBI obtained a warrant to spy on the campaign aide on the basis of unproven accusations against Mr Trump known as the \"Russian dossier\". That dossier was compiled by former UK intelligence agent Christopher Steele with money financed in part from Hillary Clinton's campaign. The HIE voted to release the memo on Monday and Mr Trump has until the weekend to decide whether to clear it for public release. Following his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, Mr Trump was heard telling a Republican lawmaker he was \"100%\" for releasing the document. As of Wednesday however, he had still not read the memo, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Mr Kelly said Mr Trump wanted \"everything out so the American people can make up their own minds and if there's people to be held accountable, then so be it\"."}], "question": "What do we know about the memo's contents?", "id": "920_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2364, "answer_end": 2751, "text": "In a rare statement, the agency said it had had \"limited opportunity\" to review the document before the HIE voted to release it on Monday. \"We are committed to working with the appropriate oversight entities to ensure the continuing integrity of the Fisa process,\" the FBI statement added. The US Department of Justice has said it would be \"extraordinarily reckless\" to release the memo."}], "question": "What does the FBI say?", "id": "920_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3735, "answer_end": 4417, "text": "Democrats on the HIE accused Republicans of having secretly altered the memo before giving it to the White House. Mr Schiff said that releasing the memo increased \"the risk of a constitutional crisis by setting the stage for subsequent actions by the White House to fire Mueller or, as now seems more likely, Deputy Attorney General Rod J Rosenstein\". Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said the Republicans were clearly trying to \"undermine the special counsel's investigation\". \"There's no excuse for playing politics with highly classified information,\" she added. A counter-memo drafted by Democrats was blocked by Republicans."}], "question": "What do Mr Trump's opponents say?", "id": "920_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Nigeria companies raided over cough syrup addiction", "date": "3 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Four pharmaceutical companies have been raided in Nigeria after a BBC investigation into the role of cough syrup containing codeine in an addiction epidemic. The firms are in Lagos, Ilorin and Kano, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said. Nigeria this week announced a ban on the production and import of the syrup. The BBC investigation showed the syrup being sold on the black market for young Nigerians to get high. The probe recorded a number of pharmaceutical employees selling the drug illegally. Prices of the syrup on the black market have shot up since the ban. Officials estimate that about three million bottles of codeine syrup are being drunk a day in just two states, Kano and Jigawa. Excessive consumption of codeine can cause organ failure and schizophrenia. \"Our inspection and enforcement teams are in the premises of the four pharmaceutical companies that were shown in the [BBC] video,\" Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, who heads the Nafdac, told Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper. \"Our officials are there putting things on hold, and everything is being documented. When completed, we will prepare our report and then we will take appropriate action. \"If products that are fake or substandard are discovered, such products will be seized and destroyed. \"These companies that were caught, from our records, have a limited amount of codeine, but from what the documentary showed there is indication that the production is more than the quantity that was approved. So the question can be asked, was there smuggling involved?\" Prof Adeyeye said. The companies concerned have so far made no public comment on the raids. One of the companies featured in the documentary, Emzor, has released a statement on Facebook denying links to the black market and saying it has launched a full investigation into its current processes. The member of staff depicted has since been dismissed and reported to the police, the company said. Bioraj Pharmaceuticals Ltd said it has also suspended an employee and launched an investigation. The BBC investigation was carried out by BBC Pidgin and Africa Eye, a new investigation unit. The probe prompted a swift response from people across the country, including Nigeria's first lady, Aisha Buhari, who said in an Instagram post she was \"deeply saddened\" by the rise of the problem. However, Olajide Oshundun, the Ministry of Health's assistant director of information, said the ban was a result of months of work by a committee, which submitted a report into the widespread abuse of the medication on Tuesday. While existing stocks could be sold, manufacturers in Nigeria \"have been told by federal government not to use codeine in cough syrup\",  Mr Oshundun told the BBC. \"Those that want to import the substance, it is been banned now. It is completely banned,\" he added. By BBC Pidgin editor Adejuwon Soyinka in Lagos \"Do you know what you have done?\" asked Sola Oyekanmi frantically. \"The street price of codeine cough syrup has shot up to 5,000 naira ($14; PS10)!\" said the Lagos-based media executive with ears on the street. Just a month ago, drug dealers were selling codeine cough syrup on the street for up to 3,000 naira. The dark addictive syrup has turned to gold. \"You need to understand that the ban on codeine cough syrup is already driving up the price in the black market,\" explained Oyekanmi. \"I can assure you, by next week, the price will be even higher.\" The ban came after BBC Pidgin and Africa Eye's undercover documentary Sweet Sweet Codeine hit Nigerian and African TV screens. I spent five months on the project, gathering damning evidence that figures in our pharmaceutical industry illegally sell the opioid syrup direct to the black market. A digital cut-down of our documentary, which showed shocking scenes of addicts in a rehab centre clapped in chains, went viral in West Africa. The cough syrup was legal in Nigeria. But it was against the law to sell it to people without a doctor's prescription. - Codeine is a pain killer but also an addictive opioid. Taken in excess, it can cause schizophrenia and organ failure - Codeine syrup is commonly mixed with soft drinks and often consumed by students - The codeine is imported, but the syrup is made in Nigeria by more than 20 pharmaceutical companies - Nigeria's drug enforcement agency is fighting this epidemic. In a recent raid, it seized 24,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a single lorry in Katsina - Codeine syrup addiction is a problem across Africa, with reports of addiction in Kenya, Ghana, Niger, and Chad - In 2016, India banned multiple brands of codeine cough syrup following reports of addiction", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 806, "answer_end": 2052, "text": "\"Our inspection and enforcement teams are in the premises of the four pharmaceutical companies that were shown in the [BBC] video,\" Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, who heads the Nafdac, told Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper. \"Our officials are there putting things on hold, and everything is being documented. When completed, we will prepare our report and then we will take appropriate action. \"If products that are fake or substandard are discovered, such products will be seized and destroyed. \"These companies that were caught, from our records, have a limited amount of codeine, but from what the documentary showed there is indication that the production is more than the quantity that was approved. So the question can be asked, was there smuggling involved?\" Prof Adeyeye said. The companies concerned have so far made no public comment on the raids. One of the companies featured in the documentary, Emzor, has released a statement on Facebook denying links to the black market and saying it has launched a full investigation into its current processes. The member of staff depicted has since been dismissed and reported to the police, the company said. Bioraj Pharmaceuticals Ltd said it has also suspended an employee and launched an investigation."}], "question": "How were the raids carried out?", "id": "921_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2053, "answer_end": 2836, "text": "The BBC investigation was carried out by BBC Pidgin and Africa Eye, a new investigation unit. The probe prompted a swift response from people across the country, including Nigeria's first lady, Aisha Buhari, who said in an Instagram post she was \"deeply saddened\" by the rise of the problem. However, Olajide Oshundun, the Ministry of Health's assistant director of information, said the ban was a result of months of work by a committee, which submitted a report into the widespread abuse of the medication on Tuesday. While existing stocks could be sold, manufacturers in Nigeria \"have been told by federal government not to use codeine in cough syrup\",  Mr Oshundun told the BBC. \"Those that want to import the substance, it is been banned now. It is completely banned,\" he added."}], "question": "What do we know about the ban?", "id": "921_1"}]}]}, {"title": "How to create a period-friendly workplace", "date": "27 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A football app start-up in Gothenburg is set to become the first business in Sweden to be certified as menstruation-friendly. But how much do employees really want to talk about their periods? Rows of top-division European football kits hang from a giant goal net hooked to the ceiling, while two male developers kick a ball around on a green fake grass carpet. This isn't the most obvious place to be championing a more supportive environment for women during their periods. Indeed, Forza Football's chief executive Patrik Arnesson admits he \"didn't think about the menstrual cycle at all\" before a female employee asked if the firm could take part in a pilot scheme designed to break down taboos around menstruation. \"No one had actually told me they had to leave work to go home because of PMS,\" he says. \"And then I actually realized that this is a problem and I haven't even reflected on it.\" PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, is the name for the symptoms some women experience before their period which can include mood swings, feeling anxious or irritable and tiredness. Headaches or cramps ahead of or during menstruation are also common. But each person's symptoms are different and can vary from month to month. The project in Gothenburg is being led by a non-profit called Mensen (Menses) which was given a grant of 530,000 kronor ($58,400; PS44,900) from the Swedish government's Gender Equality Agency at the end of last year. Since March it has started inviting all employees to attend discussions and workshops about the effects of menstruation. These will then be used to form the basis for a certification programme that the organisation wants to see rolled out nationwide or even globally. Klara Rydstrom, who is leading the project for Mensen, says that while Sweden has a global reputation for supporting women's rights, there is still a stigma around discussing menstruation in many workplaces. \"But it's something we have to talk about, because it's a bodily function - a normal bodily function - just as being thirsty and you have to have water, or you're hungry and you have to have a lunch break,\" she argues. Forza Football, which currently has around 60 workers and a 70:30 ratio of male and female employees, has already made several key changes - including providing free sanitary products and bins in company toilets And flexible working has been introduced for all staff, so they can pick their own office hours or work from home when they want to. Women are actively encouraged to tell other team members if they choose to be away from the office because of PMS and even to share their cycle dates and symptoms with other team members in advance if they feel comfortable with the idea. \"I get really sad and lose all my self-confidence and self-esteem. It's kind of hard to do meetings where I need to be focused and positive,\" says software developer and project manager Lisa Hammarstrom. She says she's felt more relaxed talking about her symptoms since Forza Football started taking part in the Mensen project. Colleagues are happy for her to have a lighter workload when she's premenstrual, she says, because she's very productive during the rest of the month. \"I realized that it makes things easier for me if people know what is going on and how it affects your work.\" Account manager Manolo Obaya admits that for some male staff, discussing periods in the workplace has been bit \"awkward\". \"When (women are) hormonal, is that a justification for not delivering on work or whatever? It's hard to me to to say because I've never been in that position,\" he says, adding that he hopes the project will leave him better informed. \"I think the value is just making everybody aware that some girls suffer more than others and that we should be trying to be understanding of that particular situation.\" While Forza Football is currently the only company working towards gaining a formal certification, the media buzz around the project has already spurred other businesses to take similar steps. Several Gothenburg start-ups have recently introduced free sanitary protection and painkillers for employees. In Stockholm, a PR agency A Perfect Day Media grabbed headlines after mulling the idea of giving female staff the chance to enter their cycle dates in a shared spreadsheet. The project didn't get off the ground, but the company says it is looking at other ways to spark more open discussions about menstruation. \"The most important thing is that women do not feel we must be silent or ashamed about having our period,\" says the agency's cofounder Amanda Schulman. \"We are actively working to ensure that women have the same rights as men, [but] this is not what reality looks like for many women who suffer from PMS, PMDD (a more severe form of PMS) or endometriosis. It is an important battle for us.\" But while there is clearly a strong movement championing menstrual rights in Sweden, there has also been criticism of these kind of initiatives. Ivar Arpi, a columnist for Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet - currently writing a book about gender ideology - argues that suggesting women might need special treatment dredges up old anti-feminist arguments that men and women aren't equal because \"female bodies can't be trusted to work properly for the whole month\". \"Now you get a 'carte blanche' to act bad and you can blame your menstruation. That's really silly,\" he argues. For other political commentators, including Linda Norlund who writes for tabloid newspaper Expressen, privacy is a key concern. \"I don't think that my period is my boss's business frankly, and I think that in the workplace it's important to keep a professional atmosphere and not be too personal.\" Josefin Eklund, who works in Forza Football's branding team, argues that even among educated women there can be a \"real lack of knowledge\" about PMS and PMDD. She herself struggled with severe headaches and fatigue that she didn't initially attribute to her menstrual cycle. \"I was always taking two days off a month,\" she explains. \"I started to schedule or write down how I was feeling to see if I could find a pattern and eventually I did. I could see it was related to my menstruation.\" \"Menstruation will always exist, so it's better just to know how to deal with it instead of pretending that it's not going on.\" Mensen's Klara Rydstrom says she hopes the project will also encourage men to be more open about their health and wellbeing in the workplace too. \"It opens up (discussions) for other issues as well related to men's bodies or the work environment in general. So I think it's very applicable to everyone.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3304, "answer_end": 5709, "text": "Account manager Manolo Obaya admits that for some male staff, discussing periods in the workplace has been bit \"awkward\". \"When (women are) hormonal, is that a justification for not delivering on work or whatever? It's hard to me to to say because I've never been in that position,\" he says, adding that he hopes the project will leave him better informed. \"I think the value is just making everybody aware that some girls suffer more than others and that we should be trying to be understanding of that particular situation.\" While Forza Football is currently the only company working towards gaining a formal certification, the media buzz around the project has already spurred other businesses to take similar steps. Several Gothenburg start-ups have recently introduced free sanitary protection and painkillers for employees. In Stockholm, a PR agency A Perfect Day Media grabbed headlines after mulling the idea of giving female staff the chance to enter their cycle dates in a shared spreadsheet. The project didn't get off the ground, but the company says it is looking at other ways to spark more open discussions about menstruation. \"The most important thing is that women do not feel we must be silent or ashamed about having our period,\" says the agency's cofounder Amanda Schulman. \"We are actively working to ensure that women have the same rights as men, [but] this is not what reality looks like for many women who suffer from PMS, PMDD (a more severe form of PMS) or endometriosis. It is an important battle for us.\" But while there is clearly a strong movement championing menstrual rights in Sweden, there has also been criticism of these kind of initiatives. Ivar Arpi, a columnist for Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet - currently writing a book about gender ideology - argues that suggesting women might need special treatment dredges up old anti-feminist arguments that men and women aren't equal because \"female bodies can't be trusted to work properly for the whole month\". \"Now you get a 'carte blanche' to act bad and you can blame your menstruation. That's really silly,\" he argues. For other political commentators, including Linda Norlund who writes for tabloid newspaper Expressen, privacy is a key concern. \"I don't think that my period is my boss's business frankly, and I think that in the workplace it's important to keep a professional atmosphere and not be too personal.\""}], "question": "What do men think?", "id": "922_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Soft drink sugar tax starts, but will it work?", "date": "6 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The \"ground-breaking\" sugar tax on soft drinks has come into force in the UK. From Friday manufacturers have to pay a levy on the high-sugar drinks they sell. Ministers and campaigners believe it has already proved to be a success with many firms reducing sugar content ahead of the change. But others say it is still too early to judge the impact. Leading brands such as Fanta, Ribena and Lucozade have cut the sugar content of drinks, but Coca-Cola has not. The introduction of the levy means the UK joins a small handful of nations, including Mexico, France and Norway, which have introduced similar taxes. The levy is being applied to manufacturers - whether they pass it on to consumers or not is up to them. Drinks with more than 8g per 100ml will face a tax rate equivalent to 24p per litre. Those containing 5-8g of sugar per 100ml will face a slightly lower rate of tax, of 18p per litre. Pure fruit juices will be exempt as they do not carry added sugar, while drinks with a high milk content will also be exempt due to their calcium content. Originally, the Treasury forecast it would raise more than PS500m a year, but that has now been reduced to PS240m because some manufacturers have reduced the sugar content in their products. In England that income is being invested in schools sports and breakfast clubs. Products such as cakes, biscuits and other foods are not covered by the tax, although a separate initiative is encouraging manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of those items voluntarily. But will it work? The jury is still out. University of Bedfordshire nutrition expert Dr Daniel Bailey said that while the levy is a \"positive step\" in tackling obesity and had led to a \"notable\" reaction by the industry, the response by consumers is uncertain. \"The increase in tax placed on soft drinks will make products more expensive, but will this actually discourage people from buying them? \"We could just end up with consumers buying the same amount but paying more.\" Polling suggests this may be the case for many people. Research by Mintel found just under half of Britons say taxing unhealthy products would encourage them to cut back. By comparison easier-to-understand nutritional information would alter the purchasing habits of three-quarters of people, the survey of 2,000 people showed. Mintel's associate director of food and drink Emma Clifford said it suggested \"carrot\" rather than \"stick\" may be a better approach. Reaction to the new tax has been mixed with many consumers arguing that government should not interfere in what they consider to be a personal choice. Twitter user @IAmNeesha wrote: \"The #sugartax is a total joke. Can people really not just say no? If I fancy a Coke after work or after the gym, why am I being taxed for it?\" @sammyyjadee tweeted: \"If you educate people that sugary drinks should only be drunk in moderation, and should not be part of a child's diet, all would be fine! #nannystate.\" However, not everyone views the tax with pessimism. Among the readers' comments on this story, TheJags wrote: \"I'm generally against the government interfering in our lives, but the simple fact of the matter is that the NHS is struggling under the weight of unhealthy people in this country, and either we all pay for it or they do.\" Twitter user @GregoryJSpeakman added: \"Fully support the #sugartax. If we're to tackle obesity in this country then we need to take it seriously. \"We've tried education and ad campaigns, this is the next logical step.\" All age groups are consuming too much sugar, with teenagers the worst offenders. They get a quarter of their sugar intake from soft drinks. Public Health Minister Steve Brine said: \"Our teenagers consume nearly a bathtub of sugary drinks each year on average, fuelling a worrying obesity trend. \"The levy is a ground-breaking policy that will help to reduce sugar intake.\" Public Health England also hopes it will improve the oral health of children. To coincide with the introduction of the levy, the agency released figures showing a child in England has a tooth removed in hospital every 10 minutes due to preventable decay. PHE's Dr Sandra White said: \"It's upsetting to see so many children admitted to hospital with tooth decay.\" She is urging families to skip soft drinks altogether and to consume water and lower-fat milks. Estimates by the Treasury based on market data suggest 50% of manufacturers have reduced the sugar content of their drinks. Fanta has cut it by nearly a third, Ribena and Irn-Bru by half and Lucozade by nearly two-thirds. Tesco has said none of its own-brand drinks will fall foul of the levy, although the process of reformulation started before the sugar tax was announced. Head of soft drinks Phil Banks, believes about 85% of products purchased at the company's stores will be below the levy threshold. \"At Tesco, things won't be so very different,\" he said. But he conceded customers could see some of the branded drinks becoming more expensive or being served in smaller containers. Earlier this year Coca-Cola announced it will cut the size of its 1.75l bottle to 1.5l and put up the price by 20p. The company said it had decided not to change its classic recipe because \"people love the taste and have told us not to change\". Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke are not affected by the levy. Mexico introduced a tax on sugary drinks on 1 January 2014, which operates in a similar way to the UK's. By the end of its first full year, Mexicans were consuming 12% fewer sugary beverages than in the year leading up to the tax's introduction. The biggest reductions were among the poorest households. Researchers also looked at what happened to other drinks and found there was an increase in sales of drinks that did not come under the tax. This was mainly driven by a rise in popularity of bottled water. There is no evidence yet that this has led to a reduction in obesity - but it may well still be too soon to tell what the longer-term effects will be on the population's weight. Read more from Nick Follow Nick on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 610, "answer_end": 1516, "text": "The levy is being applied to manufacturers - whether they pass it on to consumers or not is up to them. Drinks with more than 8g per 100ml will face a tax rate equivalent to 24p per litre. Those containing 5-8g of sugar per 100ml will face a slightly lower rate of tax, of 18p per litre. Pure fruit juices will be exempt as they do not carry added sugar, while drinks with a high milk content will also be exempt due to their calcium content. Originally, the Treasury forecast it would raise more than PS500m a year, but that has now been reduced to PS240m because some manufacturers have reduced the sugar content in their products. In England that income is being invested in schools sports and breakfast clubs. Products such as cakes, biscuits and other foods are not covered by the tax, although a separate initiative is encouraging manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of those items voluntarily."}], "question": "How will it work?", "id": "923_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2454, "answer_end": 3507, "text": "Reaction to the new tax has been mixed with many consumers arguing that government should not interfere in what they consider to be a personal choice. Twitter user @IAmNeesha wrote: \"The #sugartax is a total joke. Can people really not just say no? If I fancy a Coke after work or after the gym, why am I being taxed for it?\" @sammyyjadee tweeted: \"If you educate people that sugary drinks should only be drunk in moderation, and should not be part of a child's diet, all would be fine! #nannystate.\" However, not everyone views the tax with pessimism. Among the readers' comments on this story, TheJags wrote: \"I'm generally against the government interfering in our lives, but the simple fact of the matter is that the NHS is struggling under the weight of unhealthy people in this country, and either we all pay for it or they do.\" Twitter user @GregoryJSpeakman added: \"Fully support the #sugartax. If we're to tackle obesity in this country then we need to take it seriously. \"We've tried education and ad campaigns, this is the next logical step.\""}], "question": "How have consumers reacted?", "id": "923_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4340, "answer_end": 5338, "text": "Estimates by the Treasury based on market data suggest 50% of manufacturers have reduced the sugar content of their drinks. Fanta has cut it by nearly a third, Ribena and Irn-Bru by half and Lucozade by nearly two-thirds. Tesco has said none of its own-brand drinks will fall foul of the levy, although the process of reformulation started before the sugar tax was announced. Head of soft drinks Phil Banks, believes about 85% of products purchased at the company's stores will be below the levy threshold. \"At Tesco, things won't be so very different,\" he said. But he conceded customers could see some of the branded drinks becoming more expensive or being served in smaller containers. Earlier this year Coca-Cola announced it will cut the size of its 1.75l bottle to 1.5l and put up the price by 20p. The company said it had decided not to change its classic recipe because \"people love the taste and have told us not to change\". Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke are not affected by the levy."}], "question": "How has industry reacted?", "id": "923_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Canada 150: What does it mean to be Canadian today?", "date": "30 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "This week will see many full-throated renditions of \"O Canada!\" The \"Happy Canada Day\" signs are already planted in front yards and the country is preparing to celebrate a birthday on Saturday, 150 years after British and former French colonies bonded together at confederation to form the Dominion of Canada. Hanging over the ceremonies is the question of identity - the great driver of so much of today's politics. Canada, like other countries, poses the question of who we are and how we define ourselves in a churning global world. Some say it is insecurity, the changing face of communities, which has been a recruiter for so much of the recent anti-establishment politics and that the call to take back control of countries and borders reflects a broader unease. The Canadian anniversary is gathering attention because Canada is increasingly saluted by some as a champion of liberal democracy. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become a standard bearer for internationalism in stark contrast to the economic nationalism of Donald Trump. Canada finds itself astride one of the great fault lines of modern politics. Canadians are immensely proud of what has been carved out of wilderness and a harsh climate, but they wear their identity lightly. When asked \"What defines a Canadian?\", they often answer with symbols: ice hockey, Tim Hortons coffee, wilderness, a canoe and portage, an array of singers - but the list usually comes with an ironic smile. Canadians often define themselves by what they are not: their neighbour to the south. There is an appetite for a more positively defined Canadian identity, but for most of the time, many Canadians seem happy for it to remain largely undefined. Mr Trudeau has offered his own take on what Canada is and how it is defined. \"This is something,\" he said, \"we are able to do in this country, because we define a Canadian not by a skin colour or a language or a religion or a background, but by a set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people and the world share.\" Canada is perhaps one of the few countries in the world where welcoming refugees is regarded as patriotic. But as the anniversary approaches, the past intrudes. The lead singer of The Tragically Hip, often referred to as \"Canada's band\", has spoken of a country incomplete. Gord Downie asked: \"What is it about this country that is not a country?\" Canada, in his view, could not be a country until it had reconciled itself to the First Nations, the indigenous people. As we celebrate doughnuts and ice hockey, he said, we are not actually a nation, we're a country that hasn't embraced its history. The scars of the recent past still wound: the 150,000 Inuit and Metis children who were removed from their communities between 1840 and 1996, and sent to residential schools in order to assimilate them. Some of the First Nations want to be part of modern Canada, but many grieve for land and culture that they believe was stolen from them. In recent years Canada has undergone immense change. Toronto is now one of the most multicultural cities in the world, although economic power still largely rests with older Canadian families. For much of the time, the world ignores this country and the immensity of its wilderness. I emigrated to Canada in the 1980s. What I saw then - and it remains true - is that for many people in the world the flag is a symbol of tolerance, of refuge, and of a civilised country. As the country looks to the future, there is the issue of the British connection and the role of head of state. On the prairies of Saskatchewan or in the increasingly diverse city of Vancouver, Britain seems far away, a distant relative. There is speculation as to what will happen when Prince Charles inherits the throne. Will Canada welcome him as its head of state? The younger Royals have been attentive to Canada, but polls suggest Canadians will eventually vote for change. However, changing the head of state does not seem to be an immediate priority. Indeed, many Canadians are wary of opening up the issue of identity. Defining how a Canadian head of state was chosen or elected would be hugely sensitive, not least to the French-speaking Quebecois, who held two referendums on independence in 1980 and 1995. The majority for staying in Canada in the latter vote was wafer-thin. Canada has fostered its alliances - most often as a junior partner - but its closest allies have become less predictable friends. Britain is seen by some Canadians as preoccupied with its own identity crisis, bruised by the fallout from the Brexit vote and inward looking. Similarly some consider America to be undermining the very institutions it helped create to shape international order, such as Nato. Canada, like Europe, is dropping broad hints that - as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it - \"the times in which we could rely on others - they are somewhat over\". Recently, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland gave what for a Canadian is an unusual assessment of where the country finds itself with regards to the United States. \"The fact that our friend and ally,\" she said, \"has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharp focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course.\" The Canada of the future may prove to have a more distinctive and assertive voice. As Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary, BBC World News will explore this vast country throughout July - from discovering some of the most remote places in Canada on The Travel Show  to documentary-style programming in Canada Stories. To mark this occasion, we are offering Canadian audiences the chance to watch BBC World News as a free channel preview. More details here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4361, "answer_end": 5398, "text": "Canada has fostered its alliances - most often as a junior partner - but its closest allies have become less predictable friends. Britain is seen by some Canadians as preoccupied with its own identity crisis, bruised by the fallout from the Brexit vote and inward looking. Similarly some consider America to be undermining the very institutions it helped create to shape international order, such as Nato. Canada, like Europe, is dropping broad hints that - as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it - \"the times in which we could rely on others - they are somewhat over\". Recently, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland gave what for a Canadian is an unusual assessment of where the country finds itself with regards to the United States. \"The fact that our friend and ally,\" she said, \"has come to question the very worth of its mantle of global leadership, puts into sharp focus the need for the rest of us to set our own clear and sovereign course.\" The Canada of the future may prove to have a more distinctive and assertive voice."}], "question": "Less predictable friends?", "id": "924_0"}]}]}, {"title": "McGuinness quits - what happens next?", "date": "9 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Once Martin McGuinness' resignation takes effect, under the joint protocols that govern Stormont's power sharing government, First Minister Arlene Foster also loses her office. She may continue to exercise some functions, but her role will be very limited. Sinn Fein has seven days to re-nominate a new deputy first minister following Mr McGuinness' resignation. However, the party is adamant it will not replace him. From the evening of Monday 16 January, the baton passes to Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire. The law says he shall call an election. The usual time period for an Assembly election campaign is six weeks. If Mr Brokenshire moved immediately, then voters in Northern Ireland would be going to the polls in seven weeks' time. However, a previous court case indicated that the Northern Ireland Secretary did not necessarily need to call an Assembly election immediately, but within a reasonable period of time. Mr Brokenshire could use this flexibility to allow for more negotiations. What he cannot do as the law stands is suspend the Stormont Assembly and Executive. That power was used by previous governments on a number of occasions, but it was removed from the statute book as part of the 2006 St Andrew's Agreement. It would require a fresh emergency law to be passed by Westminster for suspension to be used again in the future. During the 2015 crisis over welfare reform and IRA activity, the Northern Ireland Office was adamant that, in the event of a breakdown, it would not try to bring back suspension powers, but allow fresh elections to take place. Government sources indicate that thinking has not changed, even though a potentially polarising campaign might not make the restoration of devolution in spring any easier. Sinn Fein say their rift with the DUP is far wider than the latest Renewable Heat Incentive  scandal. But whilst the Stormont parties go into election mode, it seems unlikely there will be any progress on either recouping the potential RHI losses, or agreeing an independent investigation into the affair.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 752, "answer_end": 2066, "text": "However, a previous court case indicated that the Northern Ireland Secretary did not necessarily need to call an Assembly election immediately, but within a reasonable period of time. Mr Brokenshire could use this flexibility to allow for more negotiations. What he cannot do as the law stands is suspend the Stormont Assembly and Executive. That power was used by previous governments on a number of occasions, but it was removed from the statute book as part of the 2006 St Andrew's Agreement. It would require a fresh emergency law to be passed by Westminster for suspension to be used again in the future. During the 2015 crisis over welfare reform and IRA activity, the Northern Ireland Office was adamant that, in the event of a breakdown, it would not try to bring back suspension powers, but allow fresh elections to take place. Government sources indicate that thinking has not changed, even though a potentially polarising campaign might not make the restoration of devolution in spring any easier. Sinn Fein say their rift with the DUP is far wider than the latest Renewable Heat Incentive  scandal. But whilst the Stormont parties go into election mode, it seems unlikely there will be any progress on either recouping the potential RHI losses, or agreeing an independent investigation into the affair."}], "question": "More negotiations?", "id": "925_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Would you pay your ex a 'break-up fee'?", "date": "16 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Earlier this month, police in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou responded to a call after bar staff reported finding a suspicious suitcase. It contained two million yuan in cash ($314,204; PS233,323) - an extraordinary amount of money, maybe even life-changing. They managed to track down the owner, who according to the local police, had arranged to meet with his ex-girlfriend in the bar. The money? It was a \"break-up fee\" a new trend in Chinese dating. Everyone knows that dating can be expensive; forking out a bit of cash to buy drinks or meals in the early stages of a relationship, or buying gifts and holidays later on. No longer content to just have the awkward meeting to hand each others' stuff back, break-up fees have emerged in recent years in China as a sort of compensation at the end of a long-term relationship. While not legally binding, it's a bit like one party giving their former partner a divorce settlement. It's the person that ends the relationship that pays the fee. They decide, based on the amount of time, effort and money they have invested in the relationship, how much money they should give to their former partner. Some people look pragmatically at the amount of money their partner had spent on them while they were dating, whereas others set a levy based on how severe they think the emotional damage of the break-up will be. Break-up fees are more commonly paid by men - out of guilt or in order to offset their partner's upset. However, increasingly some women see it as acceptable to pay a fee, given that it is traditionally the man who will pay for meals and gifts in a Chinese relationship. Some reports suggest they're an urban phenomenon spurred on by increasing consumerism. But others see them as a possible hangover from earlier times - when Chinese women were more financially dependent on men. Chinese attitudes towards dating have traditionally been pragmatic and geared towards marriage. So the fee is meant to prevent embittered parties from suffering emotional damage, and to help them start a clean slate with their former partner. Reports suggest that the fee can specifically helps older women who feel they have lost opportunities that they might have had in their youth to either prioritise their career or meet \"the one\". Cases of break-up fees which make it into the media range from the seemingly harmless, to those involving complicated court proceedings. Some have been met with droll humour, such as a case in April where a woman sent her former partner an inventory of every single restaurant and hotel they had visited. She had painstakingly researched how much her partner had spent on her, and wanted to reimburse him what she thought she owed. In January, a case in the eastern city of Ningbo involved a man demanding compensation from his girlfriend after she dumped him for going bald. Other cases have been more serious. In November 2014, a man in southwest Sichuan province demanded compensation from his girlfriend after finding out that she had other partners. They were both married but had been seeing each other for five years and he had often given her money to buy clothes. After the woman refused to pay the man a \"break-up tax\" multiple times, he went to her home and threw acid at her family. He was arrested on suspected manslaughter, but argued that his behaviour could have been avoided if the couple had parted as equals. You might also be interested in: In the case of the money left in the Hangzhou bar, the Global Times reported that the woman had thought it was \"a few million short\". \"I didn't take it, and left. I told him to get it himself. That was it,\" it reports her as saying. She didn't realise, however, that her former boyfriend had already left the bar. Both subsequently turned up at the police station hoping that they might be able to recover the money. It was returned to the man, who was told by police not to be so careless with it in the future. However, he said that he was still puzzled over whether the amount of money he had given to his ex-girlfriend was sufficient. However, the man, who was in his twenties replied: \"Is two million yuan a big sum?\" Users of the popular Sina Weibo microblog were incredulous, with one commenting: \"Two million can buy you a decent house in Hangzhou.\" \"Why do you need money in order to leave?\" one user asked, and another questioned the woman's will to be independent. \"How must this woman regard herself? As a product or a plaything of men?\" Users noted the pressure that such fees put on Chinese men,  especially given the country's notorious gender imbalance. \"Why is it that men must always give women money and goods? Are men and women unequal?\" one user asked. It also called some to question the connection between money and love, and to ask whether such customs put added pressure on China's poor to find a partner. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 460, "answer_end": 3414, "text": "Everyone knows that dating can be expensive; forking out a bit of cash to buy drinks or meals in the early stages of a relationship, or buying gifts and holidays later on. No longer content to just have the awkward meeting to hand each others' stuff back, break-up fees have emerged in recent years in China as a sort of compensation at the end of a long-term relationship. While not legally binding, it's a bit like one party giving their former partner a divorce settlement. It's the person that ends the relationship that pays the fee. They decide, based on the amount of time, effort and money they have invested in the relationship, how much money they should give to their former partner. Some people look pragmatically at the amount of money their partner had spent on them while they were dating, whereas others set a levy based on how severe they think the emotional damage of the break-up will be. Break-up fees are more commonly paid by men - out of guilt or in order to offset their partner's upset. However, increasingly some women see it as acceptable to pay a fee, given that it is traditionally the man who will pay for meals and gifts in a Chinese relationship. Some reports suggest they're an urban phenomenon spurred on by increasing consumerism. But others see them as a possible hangover from earlier times - when Chinese women were more financially dependent on men. Chinese attitudes towards dating have traditionally been pragmatic and geared towards marriage. So the fee is meant to prevent embittered parties from suffering emotional damage, and to help them start a clean slate with their former partner. Reports suggest that the fee can specifically helps older women who feel they have lost opportunities that they might have had in their youth to either prioritise their career or meet \"the one\". Cases of break-up fees which make it into the media range from the seemingly harmless, to those involving complicated court proceedings. Some have been met with droll humour, such as a case in April where a woman sent her former partner an inventory of every single restaurant and hotel they had visited. She had painstakingly researched how much her partner had spent on her, and wanted to reimburse him what she thought she owed. In January, a case in the eastern city of Ningbo involved a man demanding compensation from his girlfriend after she dumped him for going bald. Other cases have been more serious. In November 2014, a man in southwest Sichuan province demanded compensation from his girlfriend after finding out that she had other partners. They were both married but had been seeing each other for five years and he had often given her money to buy clothes. After the woman refused to pay the man a \"break-up tax\" multiple times, he went to her home and threw acid at her family. He was arrested on suspected manslaughter, but argued that his behaviour could have been avoided if the couple had parted as equals."}], "question": "The price of true love?", "id": "926_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Key issues in Australia's early election", "date": "19 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed on Tuesday his intent to dissolve parliament and hold an early election on 2 July. This sets the scene for a mammoth election campaign that unofficially begins now, 74 days out from the proposed poll date. It's early days but already a number of policy and leadership themes are emerging. Mr Turnbull's decision to call a double dissolution election has ramifications for Australia's upper house, the Senate, too. Australia's constitution allows for an early election to be called when the upper house, called the Senate, twice blocks a piece of legislation that has been passed by the lower house, the House of Representatives. Although ostensibly designed to resolve political deadlocks, in practice it has largely been used opportunistically by governments who see an advantage in going to the polls early. The rejected legislation in this case is the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) bill, which seeks to re-establish a watchdog to monitor union activity in the construction industry. Although the government is insisting the bill is important enough to warrant calling a double dissolution, the opposition and most pundits believe that the decision is more about politics than policy. Both sides will reveal their platforms over the coming weeks, but the broad campaign brushstrokes are already there to see. The government will centre its campaign on economic management credentials. It will position itself as the party best placed to transition Australia from the mining boom through to a new phase of economic growth. Even its attack on the unions with the ABCC bill is being framed as an economic issue and this line of attack will likely fall away as the campaign progresses. The 3 May budget will provide clarity on the government's economic plan. Labor, conversely, will run on a \"people first\" platform of health, education and nation building, while also making cost savings in the budget. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is also lobbying hard for a Royal Commission into banks. Despite operating under the Westminster system, Australia's election campaigns tend to have a presidential flavour. So the popularity of the prime minister and opposition leader will be a key factor in determining the winner. Mr Turnbull is the clear frontrunner here. Well known to Australians through his prominent public life as a barrister and advocate for the republic movement, he maintains a handy lead over Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister. It was Mr Turnbull's popularity with the electorate that prompted the Liberal party to dump Tony Abbott as its leader. But Mr Shorten has narrowed the gap on his opponent over recent months and at this stage appears to be running a more disciplined campaign. He'll need to prove himself against Mr Turnbull in one-on-one debates later on, but the seasoned parliamentary performer is used to such public forums. Mr Turnbull will attempt to paint Mr Shorten as a union lackey who cannot manage the economy; Mr Shorten, conversely, will say Mr Turnbull is an out-of-touch protector of greedy banks leading a divided party that stands for nothing. Labor needs to win 21 seats to take power, a swing of 4.3%. Recent polls have Labor in a position to achieve a swing of this magnitude on a two-party preferred basis, but the reality is more complex than that. Mr Turnbull could pull more preferences from the Greens than more conservative leaders and individual battles in key marginal electorates are likely to have a big impact on the result. Labor's primary vote remains very low. The government passed laws changing how Australians vote for members of the upper house in March. The new rules change the distribution of preferences in such a way that members of so-called \"micro-parties\", such as the Motoring Enthusiasts Party, will find it much more difficult to secure seats in the Senate. A double dissolution election requires that all Senate seats be declared empty - at a normal election, only half of the seats are up for grabs, and Senators typically get two terms in office. The chance to get rid of pesky crossbench senators who block government legislation and secure a majority in the upper house is clearly one of Mr Turnbull's motivations for holding the double dissolution. But with opinion polls moving against him, it remains to be seen whether the prime minister's gamble pays off.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 467, "answer_end": 1264, "text": "Australia's constitution allows for an early election to be called when the upper house, called the Senate, twice blocks a piece of legislation that has been passed by the lower house, the House of Representatives. Although ostensibly designed to resolve political deadlocks, in practice it has largely been used opportunistically by governments who see an advantage in going to the polls early. The rejected legislation in this case is the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) bill, which seeks to re-establish a watchdog to monitor union activity in the construction industry. Although the government is insisting the bill is important enough to warrant calling a double dissolution, the opposition and most pundits believe that the decision is more about politics than policy."}], "question": "What is a double dissolution election?", "id": "927_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2068, "answer_end": 3166, "text": "Despite operating under the Westminster system, Australia's election campaigns tend to have a presidential flavour. So the popularity of the prime minister and opposition leader will be a key factor in determining the winner. Mr Turnbull is the clear frontrunner here. Well known to Australians through his prominent public life as a barrister and advocate for the republic movement, he maintains a handy lead over Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister. It was Mr Turnbull's popularity with the electorate that prompted the Liberal party to dump Tony Abbott as its leader. But Mr Shorten has narrowed the gap on his opponent over recent months and at this stage appears to be running a more disciplined campaign. He'll need to prove himself against Mr Turnbull in one-on-one debates later on, but the seasoned parliamentary performer is used to such public forums. Mr Turnbull will attempt to paint Mr Shorten as a union lackey who cannot manage the economy; Mr Shorten, conversely, will say Mr Turnbull is an out-of-touch protector of greedy banks leading a divided party that stands for nothing."}], "question": "How do the leaders stack up?", "id": "927_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3167, "answer_end": 3600, "text": "Labor needs to win 21 seats to take power, a swing of 4.3%. Recent polls have Labor in a position to achieve a swing of this magnitude on a two-party preferred basis, but the reality is more complex than that. Mr Turnbull could pull more preferences from the Greens than more conservative leaders and individual battles in key marginal electorates are likely to have a big impact on the result. Labor's primary vote remains very low."}], "question": "How many seats does Labor need to win?", "id": "927_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Google AI wins second Go game against top player", "date": "10 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Google's AlphaGo artificial intelligence program has defeated a top Go player for a second time. The five-game contest is being seen as a major test of what scientists and engineers have achieved in the sphere of AI. After the match, Lee Se-dol said: \"Yesterday I was surprised but today it's more than that, I am quite speechless. \"Today I feel like AlphaGo played a nearly perfect game,\" he said. \"If you look at how the game was played I admit it was a clear loss on my part.\" Lee Se-dol is considered a champion Go player, having won numerous tournaments over a long, successful career. In October 2015, AlphaGo beat the European Go champion, an achievement that was not expected for years. A computer beat the world's chess champion in 1997, but Go is recognised as a more complex board game. On Thursday, the Korea Times reported that locals had started calling AlphaGo \"AI sabum\" - or \"master AI\". Three games remain, but Google only has to win once more to named the victor. \"Playing against a machine is very different from an actual human opponent,\" world champion Lee Se-dol told the BBC ahead of the first match. \"Normally, you can sense your opponent's breathing, their energy. And lots of times you make decisions which are dependent on the physical reactions of the person you're playing against. \"With a machine, you can't do that.\" Go is thought to date back to ancient China, several thousand years ago. Using black-and-white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents pieces with their own. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves compared with about 20 in chess. There are more possible positions in Go than atoms in the universe, according to DeepMind's team. It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct. Google's AlphaGo was developed by British computer company DeepMind which was bought by Google in 2014. The computer program first studied common patterns that are repeated in past games, Demis Hassabis, DeepMind chief executive explained to the BBC. \"After it's learned that, it's got to reasonable standards by looking at professional games. It then played itself, different versions of itself millions and millions of times and each time get incrementally slightly better - it learns from its mistakes\" Learning and improving from its own matchplay experience means the super computer is now even stronger than when it beat the European champion late last year. - 1956 - The term \"artificial intelligence\" is coined for a conference at Dartmouth University. - 1973 - A damning report from Professor Sir James Lighthill says machines will only ever be capable of an \"experienced amateur\" level of chess. - 1990 - AI scientist Rodney Brooks publishes a seminal paper titled Elephants Don't Play Chess, setting out a new vision inspired by advances in neuroscience. - 1997 - Chess supercomputer Deep Blue - capable of evaluating up to 200 million positions per second - beats world chess champion Garry Kasparov (pictured). - 2011 - IBM's Watson takes on US quiz show Jeopardy's two all-time best performers, answering riddles and complex questions. Watson trounces them. The evolution of AI: Read more on BBC iWonder", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1349, "answer_end": 1872, "text": "Go is thought to date back to ancient China, several thousand years ago. Using black-and-white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents pieces with their own. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves compared with about 20 in chess. There are more possible positions in Go than atoms in the universe, according to DeepMind's team. It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct."}], "question": "What is Go?", "id": "928_0"}]}]}, {"title": "All about Lady Gaga's Super Bowl show", "date": "6 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "First things first: is Lady Gaga OK? She was last seen dropping the mic, grabbing a flying football and seemingly jumping into a deep pit. That all came at the end of 13 minutes of frantic action that started on the roof of a stadium in Houston, saw her plummet down to ground level before apparently running a few kilometres. All while singing, and fitting in one costume change. Not bad. The consensus was that Lady Gaga nailed it - it being the half-time show of the Super Bowl, the big date in any American football fan's diary. In doing so, she followed such names as the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Beyonce (more on her later.) But there was one big question before the game: how political would her show be? So, naturally, our first question is: In the past, Lady Gaga has not been shy in addressing the questions that matter most to her, most notably LGBTQ issues. The show took place barely two weeks since the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is reported to have been preparing an executive order rolling back LGBTQ rights. And given that her show came a year after Beyonce's blistering, politically-charged half-time show, all the expectations were that Gaga's show would be a platform for some sort of pointed message. So in the end, it was perhaps a bit of a surprise that there was not a more explicit message delivered. It was what she had promised, to be fair. \"The only statements that I'll be making during the half-time show are the ones that I've been consistently making throughout my career,\" she had said. And so it proved. There were no dancers dressed as Black Panthers, a la Beyonce. But we did get a brief introduction incorporating the lyrics of Woody Guthrie \"This land is your land/This land is my land\" and the Pledge of Allegiance \"One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.\" To those seeking a political statement from Lady Gaga, it did the job. And it will have appeared purely as a patriotic message to everyone else. So win-win. But one moment did stand out for those watching - one of the six songs she delivered was a message to all those who feel excluded, Born This Way. \"No matter gay, straight or bi/Lesbian, transgendered life/I'm on the right track baby/I was born to survive.\" (It may not have been a coincidence that this song was chosen, given the presence in the stadium of Vice-President Mike Pence, a bete noire of the LGBTQ movement). Apparently not. In the build-up to the Super Bowl, this was actually a concern of the right-wing organisation Infowars. There were no immediate reports by Houston Police of Satanic activity on Sunday night. Well, this is one place where there was an unmistakable message, on a weekend in which a ban on new arrivals to the US from seven Muslim-majority nations was blocked by a judge. That message was: \"We're all one nation together, and we respect where people come from and the journey they took to get here.\" This was most obvious in the advert by Airbnb showing people of different colours under the hashtag #weaccept - an ad apparently produced in only a few days last week. \"We believe no matter who you are, where you're from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong,\" the advert said. \"The world is more beautiful the more you accept.\" The company, which has been attacked in the past for not being inclusive enough, went on to announce a programme to support refugees. It was obvious too, in the advert for a lumber company showing the journey made by a family from Central America to the States (a longer version posted online shows them arriving at a huge wall, only to find someone had built a door into it). And it was obvious too in the advert by a leading beer company showing the (no doubt fictionalised) struggle its founder had in moving to the US. All reports in Florida, where Mr Trump was on a brief trip, indicate he did not watch the whole match. He did not tweet his opinion of Lady Gaga's show. What happened on the field was equally dramatic. The team in white from Boston made an astonishing recovery, coming back from 28-3 down in the third quarter to beat the team in red from Atlanta in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. Final score: 34-28.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 761, "answer_end": 2420, "text": "In the past, Lady Gaga has not been shy in addressing the questions that matter most to her, most notably LGBTQ issues. The show took place barely two weeks since the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is reported to have been preparing an executive order rolling back LGBTQ rights. And given that her show came a year after Beyonce's blistering, politically-charged half-time show, all the expectations were that Gaga's show would be a platform for some sort of pointed message. So in the end, it was perhaps a bit of a surprise that there was not a more explicit message delivered. It was what she had promised, to be fair. \"The only statements that I'll be making during the half-time show are the ones that I've been consistently making throughout my career,\" she had said. And so it proved. There were no dancers dressed as Black Panthers, a la Beyonce. But we did get a brief introduction incorporating the lyrics of Woody Guthrie \"This land is your land/This land is my land\" and the Pledge of Allegiance \"One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.\" To those seeking a political statement from Lady Gaga, it did the job. And it will have appeared purely as a patriotic message to everyone else. So win-win. But one moment did stand out for those watching - one of the six songs she delivered was a message to all those who feel excluded, Born This Way. \"No matter gay, straight or bi/Lesbian, transgendered life/I'm on the right track baby/I was born to survive.\" (It may not have been a coincidence that this song was chosen, given the presence in the stadium of Vice-President Mike Pence, a bete noire of the LGBTQ movement)."}], "question": "How political was her show?", "id": "929_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2421, "answer_end": 2627, "text": "Apparently not. In the build-up to the Super Bowl, this was actually a concern of the right-wing organisation Infowars. There were no immediate reports by Houston Police of Satanic activity on Sunday night."}], "question": "So, did Lady Gaga perform a Satanic ritual?", "id": "929_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2628, "answer_end": 3948, "text": "Well, this is one place where there was an unmistakable message, on a weekend in which a ban on new arrivals to the US from seven Muslim-majority nations was blocked by a judge. That message was: \"We're all one nation together, and we respect where people come from and the journey they took to get here.\" This was most obvious in the advert by Airbnb showing people of different colours under the hashtag #weaccept - an ad apparently produced in only a few days last week. \"We believe no matter who you are, where you're from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong,\" the advert said. \"The world is more beautiful the more you accept.\" The company, which has been attacked in the past for not being inclusive enough, went on to announce a programme to support refugees. It was obvious too, in the advert for a lumber company showing the journey made by a family from Central America to the States (a longer version posted online shows them arriving at a huge wall, only to find someone had built a door into it). And it was obvious too in the advert by a leading beer company showing the (no doubt fictionalised) struggle its founder had in moving to the US. All reports in Florida, where Mr Trump was on a brief trip, indicate he did not watch the whole match. He did not tweet his opinion of Lady Gaga's show."}], "question": "What about the adverts?", "id": "929_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3949, "answer_end": 4207, "text": "What happened on the field was equally dramatic. The team in white from Boston made an astonishing recovery, coming back from 28-3 down in the third quarter to beat the team in red from Atlanta in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. Final score: 34-28."}], "question": "So who won?", "id": "929_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Catalonia independence leaders on trial in Madrid", "date": "12 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A dozen leaders of Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid have gone on trial in Madrid, facing charges including rebellion and sedition. If convicted, some could face up to 25 years in prison. The semi-autonomous region of Catalonia held an independence referendum on 1 October 2017, and declared its independence from Spain weeks later. A defence lawyer said the trial was about \"the right to self-determination and the democratic principle\". The lawyer, Andreu Van Den Eynde, said \"there is no international or European Union law that prevents the secession of a sub-state entity, it does not exist\". Spanish authorities had declared the Catalan vote illegal, and the national government imposed direct rule. Spain's 1978 constitution speaks of \"the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation\". The Catalonia crisis is considered the most serious to hit Spain since the era of fascist dictator Francisco Franco, who died in 1975. Nine of the defendants have spent months in pre-trial detention, and arrived at the court on Tuesday morning under guard. The remaining three had been free on bail. The most high-profile of the Catalan leaders on trial is former Vice-President Oriol Junqueras. His superior - former President of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont - fled abroad and remains in exile. Mr Junqueras faces the longest potential sentence for the alleged crime of rebellion, at 25 years. Others accused of the same charge, including former speaker of the Catalan parliament Carma Forcadell, could receive sentences of 16-17 years. They also face the lesser charge of sedition, as do several former ministers. There is also the accusation of misuse of public funds, in organising a referendum that had been declared illegal by Madrid. In Spanish law, the charge of rebellion involves a public violent uprising - something those accused deny ever happened. Some of the accused, speaking to the BBC ahead of the trial, said the proceedings were political in nature. Any violence, they said, was on the part of police and was committed against voters in a crackdown which made headlines around the world. As the trial began, one of the accused, Jordi Sanchez, tweeted: \"the trial against the vote begins\". \"I am going with my head held high, convinced that self-determination is not a crime,\" he wrote. Outside the court, crowds of supporters and opponents of Catalonia's independence bid gathered. Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that many were blocked from entering the Supreme Court by police - including, briefly, family members of the accused, until some confusion over who was permitted to enter was cleared. Guy Hedgecoe, BBC News in Madrid This trial has fed into the already febrile atmosphere surrounding Spain's longstanding territorial crisis. Outside the supreme court, a group of unionists were demonstrating as the trial got under way. Most of them waved Spanish flags, although some held up a pre-constitutional symbol from the Franco dictatorship era. They chanted \"Catalonia is Spain\", called the defendants \"terrorists\" and demanded they be given lengthy jail sentences. Just 20 metres away, across the road, another protest was being held, by leftist Spaniards and pro-independence Catalans. Brandishing Catalan independence symbols and flags representing the Spanish republic, they chanted their support for the 12 defendants in the trial, who they called \"political prisoners\", and in favour of the right to decide for Catalonia. A heavy police presence ensured that the two groups did not clash - but tensions around the supreme court are running high. High-profile politicians from both sides also made an appearance - Catalonia's current President Quim Torra waved to his colleagues from the back of the court before proceedings began. Tweeting from outside the court, he said: \"We are in the Supreme Court to accuse the Spanish state of violating the civil and political rights of all Catalans.\" Spain's far-right Vox party, which has been a fierce critic of the separatists and is also a third party to the case, was also present. It is calling for far longer sentences than the public prosecutors have asked for. Ivan Espinosa from the party told the BBC: \"The most heinous crimes are going to be prosecuted... the most heinous crimes to have been committed in Spain with no bloodshed.\" \"And what we expect is a very heavy sentencing,\" he added. Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont - the architect of the disputed vote - told a press conference in Berlin that his former colleagues should never have been put on trial. He said the trial was a \"test for the whole judiciary Spanish system\", and therefore \"a stress test for the Spanish democracy\". \"The image of our civil and political leaders on trial\" concerns everyone who lives in a strong democracy, he said. The trial begins almost a year and a half after the failed independence bid - which remains controversial. In Madrid on Sunday, thousands gathered in a pro-unity demonstration against Catalan independence. Yet the separatists retain significant political power. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez needs votes from pro-independence politicians to pass his government's budget bill through the Spanish parliament. If that bill fails, it could collapse the government and result in a snap election.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1737, "answer_end": 2616, "text": "In Spanish law, the charge of rebellion involves a public violent uprising - something those accused deny ever happened. Some of the accused, speaking to the BBC ahead of the trial, said the proceedings were political in nature. Any violence, they said, was on the part of police and was committed against voters in a crackdown which made headlines around the world. As the trial began, one of the accused, Jordi Sanchez, tweeted: \"the trial against the vote begins\". \"I am going with my head held high, convinced that self-determination is not a crime,\" he wrote. Outside the court, crowds of supporters and opponents of Catalonia's independence bid gathered. Spain's El Pais newspaper reported that many were blocked from entering the Supreme Court by police - including, briefly, family members of the accused, until some confusion over who was permitted to enter was cleared."}], "question": "Violence or voting?", "id": "930_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump mocks French leader Macron after Armistice Day visit", "date": "13 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has gone on Twitter to mock his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, after an awkward Armistice Day visit. He attacked Mr Macron over nationalism, plans for a European army, French tariffs on US wine imports, and the French leader's popularity rating. Mr Macron had urged world leaders to reject nationalism, describing it as a \"betrayal of patriotism\". Some observers interpreted the remarks as a thinly-veiled attack on Mr Trump. \"By saying 'our interests first and never mind the others' you stamp out the most precious thing a nation has - its moral values,\" Mr Macron said, in a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War One. Mr Trump's relations with European and fellow Nato leaders have long been strained. German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to Mr Macron's defence on Tuesday, echoing his call for a \"real European army\". By Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris As the French might well ask: quelle mouche a pique Donald Trump? What fly has bitten the US president? Why is he suddenly on an anti-France tirade? The answer - presumably - is that he resents being the butt of Emmanuel Macron's speechifying. The French leader went on one of his rhetorical flights at Sunday's armistice ceremony, and his main target (aka Potus) was sitting right in front of him. Macron sought in his address to draw a distinction between patriotism (good) and nationalism (bad). Patriotism was what inspired the self-sacrifice of the First World War. Nationalism, he implied, is what inspires Donald Trump. Trump disputes this as a false dichotomy. He thinks nationalism and patriotism are essentially the same, and in his tweet he turns the tables on Macron by saying that the French as a people are actually nationalist, and should be proud of it. Words mean what we choose them to mean. Patriotism is for Macron a good word because in his mind patriots fight for values, not for \"my country right or wrong\". Trump, presumably, thinks that is pious hogwash. Speaking at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on 11 November, Mr Macron called on fellow leaders to \"fight for peace\", saying: \"Ruining this hope with a fascination for withdrawal, violence or domination would be a mistake for which future generations would rightly find us responsible.\" He called nationalism \"a betrayal of patriotism\". Far from frowning on nationalism, the US president appeared on Tuesday to hold France up as an example for nationalists to emulate. When Mr Trump attacked his French counterpart's falling personal approval rating  - which one poll put as low as 21%- he was safe in the knowledge that his own rating was above 40% just before the US mid-term elections last week. Last week, Mr Macron again mooted the idea of a \"European army\". Talking about cyber threats in a radio interview, he referred to protecting France \"with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America\". Reconciliation between France and Germany was a major theme  of the World War One Armistice commemorations Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Mrs Merkel said: \"We should work on a vision of one day establishing a real European army.\" She insisted this would not be an army against Nato but rather a good - and streamlined - supplement to it. Her decision to throw her weight behind Emmanuel Macron's vision for a European military is likely to enrage Donald Trump, BBC Berlin correspondent Jenny Hill reports. On Twitter, Mr Trump launched a gibe at France's defeat and occupation by Nazi Germany in World War Two. The US leader accused France of making it hard for America to sell its wine there. An unnamed source in the French presidential palace has told media that it does not comment on tweets clearly aimed at Mr Trump's domestic audience. \"Trump's tweets are intended for Americans,\" the source said. \"Otherwise they wouldn't be written in English. We have no comment on content that is intended for his own citizens.\" Relations between Mr Trump and Mr Macron have not always been so poor. At one stage there was even talk of an unlikely \"bromance\" between them. Mr Trump has been widely criticised on Twitter for failing to visit a US war cemetery at Belleau near Paris on Saturday because of rain. One British MP, Sir Nicholas Soames, who is a grandson of wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, said he was unfit to be president. On Tuesday, Mr Trump tweeted his reasons and pointed out that he had attended Sunday's events despite the rain then too.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 891, "answer_end": 2005, "text": "By Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris As the French might well ask: quelle mouche a pique Donald Trump? What fly has bitten the US president? Why is he suddenly on an anti-France tirade? The answer - presumably - is that he resents being the butt of Emmanuel Macron's speechifying. The French leader went on one of his rhetorical flights at Sunday's armistice ceremony, and his main target (aka Potus) was sitting right in front of him. Macron sought in his address to draw a distinction between patriotism (good) and nationalism (bad). Patriotism was what inspired the self-sacrifice of the First World War. Nationalism, he implied, is what inspires Donald Trump. Trump disputes this as a false dichotomy. He thinks nationalism and patriotism are essentially the same, and in his tweet he turns the tables on Macron by saying that the French as a people are actually nationalist, and should be proud of it. Words mean what we choose them to mean. Patriotism is for Macron a good word because in his mind patriots fight for values, not for \"my country right or wrong\". Trump, presumably, thinks that is pious hogwash."}], "question": "What's eating Trump?", "id": "931_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2701, "answer_end": 3560, "text": "Last week, Mr Macron again mooted the idea of a \"European army\". Talking about cyber threats in a radio interview, he referred to protecting France \"with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America\". Reconciliation between France and Germany was a major theme  of the World War One Armistice commemorations Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Mrs Merkel said: \"We should work on a vision of one day establishing a real European army.\" She insisted this would not be an army against Nato but rather a good - and streamlined - supplement to it. Her decision to throw her weight behind Emmanuel Macron's vision for a European military is likely to enrage Donald Trump, BBC Berlin correspondent Jenny Hill reports. On Twitter, Mr Trump launched a gibe at France's defeat and occupation by Nazi Germany in World War Two."}], "question": "How about France's military record?", "id": "931_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3561, "answer_end": 4116, "text": "The US leader accused France of making it hard for America to sell its wine there. An unnamed source in the French presidential palace has told media that it does not comment on tweets clearly aimed at Mr Trump's domestic audience. \"Trump's tweets are intended for Americans,\" the source said. \"Otherwise they wouldn't be written in English. We have no comment on content that is intended for his own citizens.\" Relations between Mr Trump and Mr Macron have not always been so poor. At one stage there was even talk of an unlikely \"bromance\" between them."}], "question": "And the wine?", "id": "931_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4117, "answer_end": 4505, "text": "Mr Trump has been widely criticised on Twitter for failing to visit a US war cemetery at Belleau near Paris on Saturday because of rain. One British MP, Sir Nicholas Soames, who is a grandson of wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, said he was unfit to be president. On Tuesday, Mr Trump tweeted his reasons and pointed out that he had attended Sunday's events despite the rain then too."}], "question": "What about not going to the cemetery?", "id": "931_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Migrants dash to cross Peru border", "date": "15 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of Venezuelans have rushed to cross into Peru in a bid to beat the introduction of tougher migration laws. Under new laws introduced on Saturday, Venezuelans need to have a passport and visa to enter Peru. Authorities say about 6,000 Venezuelans crossed from neighbouring Ecuador alone on Thursday, three times the daily average. Some four million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, according to the United Nations. The country's imploding economy has resulted in high unemployment and shortages of food and medicine, and hundreds of thousands of people are said to be in need of humanitarian aid. Previously, Venezuelan citizens wanting to enter Peru only required a national ID card. Marianni Luzardo was travelling to Peru's northern border with her two daughters on Friday. \"In Venezuela it is almost impossible to get a passport,\" she told the Associated Press. \"We need to get to Peru soon.\" Peru's President Martin Vizcarra defended the tougher migration restrictions on Thursday. \"Our country has opened its arms to more than 800,000 Venezuelans,\" he told reporters at an event in the northern city of Piura.  \"I think it's completely logical and justified to ask them to bring visas to ensure better control of who enters.\" Latin American countries host the vast majority of Venezuelan migrants and refugees. Colombia has the most at 1.3 million, followed by Peru with 768,000, according to UN figures. Under the government of Nicolas Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread. In parts of the oil-rich country, fuel has become scarce and drivers queue for days at petrol stations. There are also frequent blackouts. The government says the shortages are caused by US sanctions. The opposition argues that they are the result of mismanagement and corruption by consecutive socialist governments. The crisis deepened in January after Juan Guaido, the head of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year had been \"illegitimate\". He has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, including the US and most of Latin America. But Mr Maduro retains the loyalty of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1426, "answer_end": 2267, "text": "Under the government of Nicolas Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread. In parts of the oil-rich country, fuel has become scarce and drivers queue for days at petrol stations. There are also frequent blackouts. The government says the shortages are caused by US sanctions. The opposition argues that they are the result of mismanagement and corruption by consecutive socialist governments. The crisis deepened in January after Juan Guaido, the head of the National Assembly, declared himself interim president, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year had been \"illegitimate\". He has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, including the US and most of Latin America. But Mr Maduro retains the loyalty of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia."}], "question": "What's the situation in Venezuela?", "id": "932_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Netanyahu in Paris to commemorate Vel d'Hiv deportation of Jews", "date": "16 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Paris to commemorate the victims of a mass arrest of Jews in Nazi-occupied France in 1942. More than 13,000 Jews were rounded up and detained at a cycling stadium, the Velodrome d'Hiver, before being deported to Nazi death camps. Mr Netanyahu also held direct talks for the first time with French President Emmanuel Macron. He is the first Israeli prime minister to attend the Vel d'Hiv commemorations. \"I'm here to mourn the victims,\" Mr Netanyahu told an audience in Paris, which included Jewish groups and Holocaust survivors. \"Seventy-five years ago, a heavy darkness descended on this city... It seems the values of the French revolution - equality, fraternity, liberty - was crushed brutally under the boot of anti-Semitism.\" He hailed the \"great, great human beings\" who had risked their lives to save Jews in France during Nazi occupation, and warned of a rise in \"extremist forces\" in modern society. More than 13,000 Jews were arrested by French police on 16 and 17 July 1942. About 4,000 were children. The families were taken to the Velodrome D'Hiver, a cycling stadium near the Eiffel Tower, or an internment camp set up just outside the capital at Drancy. They were then deported by train, mostly to Auschwitz concentration camp. Fewer than 100 people survived. The episode remains controversial in France. Marine Le Pen, Mr Macron's far-right opponent in this year's election, drew strong criticism on 9 April when she suggested France was not responsible for the tragedy. But speaking at the ceremony on Sunday, President Macron reaffirmed that \"it was France that organised\" the mass arrest, deportations and therefore \"the death of 13,152 people of Jewish faith\". \"Not a single German\" took part, he said. After the ceremony, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Macron met for direct discussions on subjects including security and the fight against extremism. Mr Netanyahu's last official visit to France was to attend the unity march following the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police officers, and a kosher supermarket in January 2015. On Sunday Mr Netanyahu said he would like to see greater cooperation between the two countries and \"expressed his concerns about the Iranian regime\". At a joint news conference, Mr Macron assured his visitor of his \"vigilance\" regarding the nuclear accord reached by Western powers with Iran in 2015. Calling for a resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, he reiterated France's support for a two-state solution and opposition to Israel's building of settlements in occupied territory. President Macron met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Paris earlier this month. The meeting with Mr Netanyahu comes amid concerns of another increase in violence. Two Israeli policemen were killed and a third wounded by three Israeli Arabs in a gun attack close to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif on Friday. The attackers were later killed by security forces. The holy site was closed after shooting but it reopened on Sunday. Israel and the Palestinians have not held peace talks for three years.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 958, "answer_end": 1323, "text": "More than 13,000 Jews were arrested by French police on 16 and 17 July 1942. About 4,000 were children. The families were taken to the Velodrome D'Hiver, a cycling stadium near the Eiffel Tower, or an internment camp set up just outside the capital at Drancy. They were then deported by train, mostly to Auschwitz concentration camp. Fewer than 100 people survived."}], "question": "What was the Vel d'Hiv round-up?", "id": "933_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1324, "answer_end": 1771, "text": "The episode remains controversial in France. Marine Le Pen, Mr Macron's far-right opponent in this year's election, drew strong criticism on 9 April when she suggested France was not responsible for the tragedy. But speaking at the ceremony on Sunday, President Macron reaffirmed that \"it was France that organised\" the mass arrest, deportations and therefore \"the death of 13,152 people of Jewish faith\". \"Not a single German\" took part, he said."}], "question": "What was interesting about Mr Macron's comments on the tragedy?", "id": "933_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1772, "answer_end": 2693, "text": "After the ceremony, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Macron met for direct discussions on subjects including security and the fight against extremism. Mr Netanyahu's last official visit to France was to attend the unity march following the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police officers, and a kosher supermarket in January 2015. On Sunday Mr Netanyahu said he would like to see greater cooperation between the two countries and \"expressed his concerns about the Iranian regime\". At a joint news conference, Mr Macron assured his visitor of his \"vigilance\" regarding the nuclear accord reached by Western powers with Iran in 2015. Calling for a resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, he reiterated France's support for a two-state solution and opposition to Israel's building of settlements in occupied territory. President Macron met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Paris earlier this month."}], "question": "What else did the leaders discuss in their talks?", "id": "933_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2694, "answer_end": 3173, "text": "The meeting with Mr Netanyahu comes amid concerns of another increase in violence. Two Israeli policemen were killed and a third wounded by three Israeli Arabs in a gun attack close to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif on Friday. The attackers were later killed by security forces. The holy site was closed after shooting but it reopened on Sunday. Israel and the Palestinians have not held peace talks for three years."}], "question": "What's happening in the Israel-Palestinian conflict?", "id": "933_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Harry Dunn crash: Parents 'will go to US if we have to'", "date": "8 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The parents of a teenage motorcyclist killed in a crash have said \"we will go to Washington if we have to\", to secure the return of a US diplomat's wife suspected of driving the other vehicle. Harry Dunn, 19, died in a crash with a Volvo in Northamptonshire on 27 August. Anne Sacoolas, a suspect in the crash, later left the UK despite telling police she had no such plans. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the US to reconsider its decision to allow her immunity. Meanwhile, both Northamptonshire's chief constable and police and crime commissioner have urged the Americans to waive Ms Sacoolas's diplomatic immunity. Tim Dunn, Harry's father, told the BBC: \"With Boris Johnson saying what he did, it was nice to feel actually we were getting the support we were trying to get. \"Maybe President Trump will look at this and hopefully look in our favour.\" Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, said: \"We have spoken to some American news channels, we've got others lined up. The message is clearly getting out across there. \"The messages of support we've had from the US have been immense. They're all appalled and devastated for us and disgusted that this woman has been allowed to leave the UK.\" Ms Charles said: \"We are determined to see it through, we won't stop. We will go to Washington if we have to, we've taken [legal] advice on that.\" She said they would \"plead\" to President Trump to not only waive Ms Sacoolas' diplomatic immunity, but also \"look at the laws\" around diplomatic immunity \"With the amount of diplomats we have in the UK, we can't have someone go out and do something like that again and leave another family to suffer,\" she added. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, has spoken to the US ambassador Woody Johnson, and raised the case in a telephone call with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Raab had \"reiterated his disappointment with the US decision and urged them to reconsider\". Harry Dunn died after his Kawasaki motorcycle was involved in a crash with a black Volvo XC90 at about 20:30 BST on B4031 Park End in Croughton close to the RAF base, on Tuesday, 27 August. He was taken to Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he died a short time later. Northamptonshire's chief constable Nick Adderley said that \"based on CCTV evidence\", officers knew that \"a vehicle alighted from the RAF base at Croughton\" and was \"on the wrong side of the road\". He said the suspect, Anne Sacoolas had \"engaged fully\" following the crash and said \"she had no plans to leave the country in the near future\". About 23,000 individuals in the UK have diplomatic immunity, a status reserved for foreign diplomats and their families, as long as they don't have British citizenship. It is granted by the 1961 Vienna Convention and means that, in theory, diplomats cannot face court proceedings for any crime or civil case. The convention also states that those entitled to immunity are expected to obey the law. Where crimes are committed, the Foreign Office can ask a foreign government to waive immunity where they feel it is appropriate. In 2017, there were 12 serious offences committed by people entitled to diplomatic protection. Five of these were driving related, but other crimes included sexual assault, blackmail and possession of a firearm. Diplomatic immunity is by no means restricted to those named on the Diplomatic List from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Drivers, cooks and other support staff whose names do not appear, but have been accredited to Britain (\"the receiving state\") have the same diplomatic status and immunity as those who are listed. Equally, there are a number of foreign nationals in Britain attached to international organizations who have the same status and protection. Imtiaz Tyab, Correspondent CBS News The US is going through some pretty extraordinary times at the moment. But somehow this story has really struck a chord with many Americans and I think that is because at its heart you have two parents grieving the loss of their son. What's also so different about this story is this idea of diplomatic immunity. That doesn't sit right with a lot of people we've been hearing from either commenting on our reports or through social media. Many of them say Anne Sacoolas should be back in the UK and should meet with the family of Harry Dunn.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1943, "answer_end": 2552, "text": "Harry Dunn died after his Kawasaki motorcycle was involved in a crash with a black Volvo XC90 at about 20:30 BST on B4031 Park End in Croughton close to the RAF base, on Tuesday, 27 August. He was taken to Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he died a short time later. Northamptonshire's chief constable Nick Adderley said that \"based on CCTV evidence\", officers knew that \"a vehicle alighted from the RAF base at Croughton\" and was \"on the wrong side of the road\". He said the suspect, Anne Sacoolas had \"engaged fully\" following the crash and said \"she had no plans to leave the country in the near future\"."}], "question": "What happened to Harry Dunn?", "id": "934_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3755, "answer_end": 4332, "text": "Imtiaz Tyab, Correspondent CBS News The US is going through some pretty extraordinary times at the moment. But somehow this story has really struck a chord with many Americans and I think that is because at its heart you have two parents grieving the loss of their son. What's also so different about this story is this idea of diplomatic immunity. That doesn't sit right with a lot of people we've been hearing from either commenting on our reports or through social media. Many of them say Anne Sacoolas should be back in the UK and should meet with the family of Harry Dunn."}], "question": "How is the story being covered in the US?", "id": "934_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Robert and Grace Mugabe: What next for Zimbabwe?", "date": "20 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party is planning to support impeachment proceedings against Robert Mugabe, after he ignored a deadline to stand down as president. Zimbabweans - and many watching around the world - were astounded on Sunday night when Mr Mugabe addressed the nation and said that far from stepping down, he was going to stay on and preside over the ruling party's congress in December. So with Mr Mugabe defiant, and the army insisting that it has not carried out a a coup, what are the options for getting him to vacate his position? Here are five possible scenarios: Zanu-PF says it will launch impeachment proceedings against Mr Mugabe when parliament convenes on Tuesday. Impeachment is the process of removing a president via parliament. Both the National Assembly and the Senate can begin proceedings to remove the president if both pass simple majority votes against him. A two-thirds majority is needed in both houses in order for impeachment to succeed. Zanu-PF has a two-thirds majority in the House of Assembly, but not the Senate. The formal process is expected to start on Tuesday but it is not clear how long it would take. The benefit of this process for the military is that it allows the generals to say the removal of the president was done in accordance with the constitution, in keeping with their statement that this is not a coup. The downside for them is that it does not guarantee that the man widely thought to be their favourite for president will get the top job straight away. Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking prompted the military's action, could not immediately take over from Mr Mugabe, because constitutionally it is the current vice-president who should fill the vacancy. At the moment that person is Phelekezela Mphoko - a man whose sympathies are known to lie with Grace Mugabe, and who was expelled by Zanu-PF on Sunday. Whether the army can persuade Mr Mugabe to appoint their preferred candidate as vice-president before stepping down remains to be seen. Some analysts have argued that this may be what the generals were discussing with him - and it may also be his trump card. But given how difficult it has been to get Mr Mugabe to step down, the chances of getting him to concede further ground look increasingly slim. President Mugabe was defiant when he made his televised address on Sunday. Despite having been sacked by Zanu-PF, he said \"the party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes\". He suggested that he was willing to forgive the military action, and said \"whatever the pros and cons of how they [the army] went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns\". It had been reported that Mr Mugabe had agreed to resign. It is unclear whether he changed his mind, or if these reports were incorrect. But BBC Africa editor Fergal Keane says it makes the military look weak. Some suggest that there may be grounds within Zanu-PF's own rules which might allow Mr Mugabe to reject his sacking by the party. President Mugabe is known for both being shrewd and stubborn. So he may well have another ace up his sleeve. Initially it had been thought that the military was trying to reach a deal which would allow President Mugabe to stay in Zimbabwe once he had stood down. But the current stalemate makes that look less likely. From the point of view of Mr Mugabe, and his wife, there is a fear that even if he were to be promised immunity from prosecution now, that could be removed by a future government. So it might mean that Mr Mugabe is forced into exile. Until recently, neighbouring South Africa would have been a natural place for him to go. Mr Mugabe enjoys a high level of respect there, in large part because of his support for the fight against apartheid rule. Indeed, the opposition EFF party has called on the government to \"prepare to welcome President Mugabe for political asylum\". The Mugabes are reported to have a number of properties in South Africa. The sticking point would be what happens to Grace. She was granted diplomatic immunity after allegedly assaulting a model in a hotel room in Johannesburg in August. But model Gabriella Engels is trying to get the diplomatic immunity order set aside. If successful, it would mean Mrs Mugabe could face prosecution should she go to South Africa. So if not South Africa, then where? Other possible options are Singapore and Malaysia, where the Mugabes also have properties. The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party is back in Harare after receiving treatment for cancer in South Africa, fuelling speculation about negotiations for a unity government. This is the scenario that many in the West, and of course the opposition, would prefer. Another opposition leader, Tendai Biti, has said that he would join a national unity government if Mr Tsvangirai was also in it. But the military takeover was not a change of regime. It was an internal dispute within Zanu-PF, and that party is still very much in power. The military is to a large extent the armed wing of Zanu-PF. And the man it supports as leader - Emmerson Mnangagwa - helped Robert Mugabe carry out some of his most controversial policies. He is also, some say, more ruthless. So it is far from clear that the ousting of Mr Mugabe would improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4897, "answer_end": 5367, "text": "But the military takeover was not a change of regime. It was an internal dispute within Zanu-PF, and that party is still very much in power. The military is to a large extent the armed wing of Zanu-PF. And the man it supports as leader - Emmerson Mnangagwa - helped Robert Mugabe carry out some of his most controversial policies. He is also, some say, more ruthless. So it is far from clear that the ousting of Mr Mugabe would improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans."}], "question": "5: A new Mugabe?", "id": "935_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sudanese brides under pressure to have FGM - again", "date": "19 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Zeinab Mohammed Salih looks at a growing phenomenon of \"re-circumcision\" in Sudan. Some women in Sudan are opting to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) a month or two before their wedding to pretend to be virgins. This is even though most of them have already been circumcised as girls - something that usually happens between the ages of four and 10 years old. In the mainly Muslim country this can involve the removal of the clitoris and labia and often includes some stitching to narrow the vaginal opening - a process known as infibulation. These stitches come away when a woman has sex. If a bride-to-be opts for further FGM, the operation, usually carried out by midwives, can involve cutting away more of the labia and re-stitching the vagina. \"It was so painful and I had to go and stay with a friend of mine for days until I recovered because I didn't want my mother to know,\" said Maha, which is not her real name so that her identity can be protected. \"Urinating was an issue and I couldn't walk properly in the first few days.\" Maha underwent the operation with two months to go to her wedding to a man \"a little bit older\" than herself. \"He will never have trust me if he discovers that I have had sex before our marriage,\" she said. \"He would ban me from going out or even using the phone.\" The university graduate in her 20s comes from a state in northern Sudan, which bans FGM. Types of FGM: - Type one: Clitoridectomy - partial or total removal of the clitoris - Type two: Excision - removal of the clitoris and inner labia (lips), with or without the outer labia - Type three: Infibulation - cutting, removal of part or all of external genitalia and stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening - Type four: Any other type of intentional damage to the female genitalia (burning, scraping, piercing) What is FGM, where does it happen and why? 'This is what it's like to pee after female genital mutilation' But the practice is still widely carried out - 87% of Sudanese women aged between 14 and 49 have undergone some form of FGM, according to the UN. And even though Maha works in the capital, Khartoum - which has not outlawed circumcision - she chose to go home to have the operation secretly at a midwife's house. She knows the midwife, who agreed to do the operation for a little less than the 5,000 Sudanese pound fee (about $110; PS85) that is usually charged. In many cultures where virginity before marriage is important, women opt to have surgery to reconstruct their hymen, a thin layer of tissue that partially covers the opening of the vagina, to hide any sign of past sexual activity. But \"hymenoplasty\", as the operation is called, needs to be performed by a surgeon and is not widely available in Sudan - and I'm told only one clinic offers it strictly for married women only. So stitching to tighten the vaginal opening is the best option. Some midwives also like to cut away more of the labia or other vaginal folds to \"tidy things up\" during the operation. Gynaecologist Dr Sawsan Said, a campaigner to eradicate FGM in Sudan, says: \"Any changes to the female genitals are considered FGM, whether it's stitching or piercing\". However, none of the procedures can be carried out in hospitals, even in Khartoum, as the Sudanese Medical Council does not allow them. It would fire any midwife caught doing so and confiscate her equipment. Yet at three hospitals I visited, midwives were happy to offer me the various procedures. One even spoke openly about it in front of other nurses and showed me the rooms where it could be performed. Africa and FGM: \"Do you want me to cut part of the clitoris? If you don't want me to touch it, I won't... but I will make you perfect by cutting a bit of the external labia and stitch them together,\" she said Another midwife said she was loath to do them, but sometimes did so as she needed the money. \"I did an infibulation the other day to an 18-year-old girl, who was raped by her cousin. Her mother came here and cried, so I wanted to help them,\" she said. \"I took an oath to the Saleema Initiative to never cut women or girls again, but I only do it from time to time because I am raising my grandchildren, whose mother passed away, and I need to pay for their school fees.\" The Saleema scheme is a UN-backed project launched in 2008 to stop the practice of FGM in Sudan. But it has a long way to go to change attitudes, especially in a conservative society. \"I wish my future wife would be virgin,\" a single man in Khartoum told me, saying he would suspect her of cheating on him otherwise. This is a very common attitude across Sudan, where men expect women to be \"stitched\". Yet anti-FGM campaigners are hopeful that things will change given that last month the country repealed a restrictive public order law that controlled how women acted and dressed in public, including banning women from wearing trousers. It was introduced during the nearly 30-year rule of Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed as president in a coup earlier this year after mass street protests. Under the public order law, the authorities had sweeping powers to control what women wore, whom they spoke to and saw, and any job they might hold - with any perceived offender facing punishment by flogging, or in rare cases stoning and even execution. Nahid Toubia, the founder of An Lan initiative - a campaign group to eradicate FGM from Sudan - says young women today are \"way more advanced\" when compared to their parents' generation. \"They are in conflict - they feel they have the right to have sex but also they have to compromise by re-stitching themselves or even by wearing the hijab.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4404, "answer_end": 5697, "text": "But it has a long way to go to change attitudes, especially in a conservative society. \"I wish my future wife would be virgin,\" a single man in Khartoum told me, saying he would suspect her of cheating on him otherwise. This is a very common attitude across Sudan, where men expect women to be \"stitched\". Yet anti-FGM campaigners are hopeful that things will change given that last month the country repealed a restrictive public order law that controlled how women acted and dressed in public, including banning women from wearing trousers. It was introduced during the nearly 30-year rule of Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed as president in a coup earlier this year after mass street protests. Under the public order law, the authorities had sweeping powers to control what women wore, whom they spoke to and saw, and any job they might hold - with any perceived offender facing punishment by flogging, or in rare cases stoning and even execution. Nahid Toubia, the founder of An Lan initiative - a campaign group to eradicate FGM from Sudan - says young women today are \"way more advanced\" when compared to their parents' generation. \"They are in conflict - they feel they have the right to have sex but also they have to compromise by re-stitching themselves or even by wearing the hijab.\""}], "question": "New era?", "id": "936_0"}]}]}, {"title": "White Island volcano: New volcanic activity hampers recovery", "date": "11 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New Zealand's White Island volcano is showing increased seismic activity, putting recovery efforts on hold. Authorities had hoped they would be able to retrieve the bodies of those left behind on the island, all of whom are presumed dead, on Wednesday. The exact death toll is unclear. Police say at least six people died, two of them since leaving the island, and nine are officially missing. Another 22 people are in intensive care with severe burns. One has been moved to Australia. The volcano, also known as Whakaari, erupted on Monday when dozens of tourists were on the island. \"I've spoken to many of those involved in the operation and they are very, very eager to get back there, they want to bring people's loved ones home,\" Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters. White Island is a popular tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available. At least 47 visitors from around the world were on the volcano crater at the time of two explosions in quick succession. Police originally said  that of the 30 injured, 25 were in a critical condition while the other five were classed as stable but serious. Mr Nash explained the injuries to the survivors were so severe that some of them were unable to identify themselves. \"There are a number of people in hospital who cannot communicate, they have significant burns not only to skin but internal organs,\" he told Radio New Zealand. \"We wish them the best but we're not out of the woods yet, of that there's no doubt.\" Dr Peter Watson, chief medical officer at New Zealand's National Burns Unit, said an estimated 1.2m sq cm of replacement skin would be needed for the patients. An order has been placed from the US. Several patients would be transferred to Australia by the Australian Defence Force using an intensive-care acceptable aircraft in the next 24-48 hours, Dr Watson said. Analysis by James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent Donated skin is vital for helping to save the life of a major burns patient. Skin is our largest organ and its main job is keeping dangerous viruses and bacteria out. The damage caused by severe burns leaves patients at very high risk of infection. Donor skin is a short-term fix. It comes from dead organ donors - in the same way as hearts, kidneys and corneas - and can be banked for several years. The donor-skin aids healing, cuts the risk of infection and can reduce pain. The immune system is so weak after such an injury that rejection is not an issue. A single major burns patient needs a lot of donor skin. New Zealand is treating many at the same time and has needed to turn to other countries for help. New Zealand's chief coroner on Wednesday declared the eruption a \"mass fatality incident\". Officials said they are working with disaster specialists and forensic experts to identify the victims so their bodies can be returned to their families. New Zealand police have now listed nine people as officially missing - though they say this is a partial list as they have not been able to speak to all the next of kin. These are: - Hayden Inman (New Zealand) - Tipene Maangi (New Zealand) - Julie Richards (Australia) - Jessica Richards (Australia) - Gavin Dallow (Australia) - Zoe Hosking (Australia) - Richard Elzer (Australia) - Karla Matthews (Australia) - Krystal Browitt (Australia) At least seven people on the list are believed to be dead or presumed dead, based on relatives talking to media. Tour guide Hayden Inman was identified as among the dead by his brother on Facebook. Julie Richards and her daughter Jessica from Brisbane, Australia, were identified as victims by a family spokesperson. Adelaide father Gavin Dallow has been named as dead, with his stepdaughter Zoe Hosking presumed dead, according to media reports. Australian tourist Jason Griffiths, who was travelling with Karla Matthews and Richard Elzer, died in hospital on Wednesday. According to a statement released by their friends, both Karla and Richard are presumed dead. There is also a definitive list of all victims who are in hospital but police say they cannot release this for privacy reasons. On Wednesday morning, geological agency GeoNet said \"the level of volcanic tremor has significantly increased at the island\". Scientists view tremors, which result from a release of energy under the Earth's surface, as one sign of a possible eruption. In a later update, the agency said volcanic tremor, known as seismic activity, was now at the highest level seen since 2016. \"The level of volcanic tremor continues to rise and there is medium likelihood of future eruptive activity in the next 24 hours,\" the agency said. At a news conference on Wednesday, volcanologist Graham Leonard said seismic activity on White Island was escalating. \"Yesterday there was a high risk of an eruption,\" Mr Leonard said. \"Today there is an even higher risk of an eruption. And the parameters are worsening at the moment.\" Police said the latest seismology update meant recovery teams had no choice but to wait, but they were on constant standby to return to the island as soon as possible. Police Minister Nash said there were also poisonous gases coming from the volcanic vent and that the island was blanketed in a thick layer of acidic ash. With measuring equipment on the island still intact, GeoNet can give regular updates on the situation, allowing police to assess the risk of sending recovery teams. Reconnaissance flights have shown no signs of life on the island and officials believe there are no survivors among the missing. Police said a drone conducted four fly-overs of the island on Wednesday, and analysis of that footage was ongoing. Are you in the area? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 782, "answer_end": 1868, "text": "White Island is a popular tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available. At least 47 visitors from around the world were on the volcano crater at the time of two explosions in quick succession. Police originally said  that of the 30 injured, 25 were in a critical condition while the other five were classed as stable but serious. Mr Nash explained the injuries to the survivors were so severe that some of them were unable to identify themselves. \"There are a number of people in hospital who cannot communicate, they have significant burns not only to skin but internal organs,\" he told Radio New Zealand. \"We wish them the best but we're not out of the woods yet, of that there's no doubt.\" Dr Peter Watson, chief medical officer at New Zealand's National Burns Unit, said an estimated 1.2m sq cm of replacement skin would be needed for the patients. An order has been placed from the US. Several patients would be transferred to Australia by the Australian Defence Force using an intensive-care acceptable aircraft in the next 24-48 hours, Dr Watson said."}], "question": "What condition are the injured in?", "id": "937_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1869, "answer_end": 2648, "text": "Analysis by James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent Donated skin is vital for helping to save the life of a major burns patient. Skin is our largest organ and its main job is keeping dangerous viruses and bacteria out. The damage caused by severe burns leaves patients at very high risk of infection. Donor skin is a short-term fix. It comes from dead organ donors - in the same way as hearts, kidneys and corneas - and can be banked for several years. The donor-skin aids healing, cuts the risk of infection and can reduce pain. The immune system is so weak after such an injury that rejection is not an issue. A single major burns patient needs a lot of donor skin. New Zealand is treating many at the same time and has needed to turn to other countries for help."}], "question": "Where does donor skin come from?", "id": "937_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2649, "answer_end": 4127, "text": "New Zealand's chief coroner on Wednesday declared the eruption a \"mass fatality incident\". Officials said they are working with disaster specialists and forensic experts to identify the victims so their bodies can be returned to their families. New Zealand police have now listed nine people as officially missing - though they say this is a partial list as they have not been able to speak to all the next of kin. These are: - Hayden Inman (New Zealand) - Tipene Maangi (New Zealand) - Julie Richards (Australia) - Jessica Richards (Australia) - Gavin Dallow (Australia) - Zoe Hosking (Australia) - Richard Elzer (Australia) - Karla Matthews (Australia) - Krystal Browitt (Australia) At least seven people on the list are believed to be dead or presumed dead, based on relatives talking to media. Tour guide Hayden Inman was identified as among the dead by his brother on Facebook. Julie Richards and her daughter Jessica from Brisbane, Australia, were identified as victims by a family spokesperson. Adelaide father Gavin Dallow has been named as dead, with his stepdaughter Zoe Hosking presumed dead, according to media reports. Australian tourist Jason Griffiths, who was travelling with Karla Matthews and Richard Elzer, died in hospital on Wednesday. According to a statement released by their friends, both Karla and Richard are presumed dead. There is also a definitive list of all victims who are in hospital but police say they cannot release this for privacy reasons."}], "question": "What do we know about the victims?", "id": "937_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4128, "answer_end": 5668, "text": "On Wednesday morning, geological agency GeoNet said \"the level of volcanic tremor has significantly increased at the island\". Scientists view tremors, which result from a release of energy under the Earth's surface, as one sign of a possible eruption. In a later update, the agency said volcanic tremor, known as seismic activity, was now at the highest level seen since 2016. \"The level of volcanic tremor continues to rise and there is medium likelihood of future eruptive activity in the next 24 hours,\" the agency said. At a news conference on Wednesday, volcanologist Graham Leonard said seismic activity on White Island was escalating. \"Yesterday there was a high risk of an eruption,\" Mr Leonard said. \"Today there is an even higher risk of an eruption. And the parameters are worsening at the moment.\" Police said the latest seismology update meant recovery teams had no choice but to wait, but they were on constant standby to return to the island as soon as possible. Police Minister Nash said there were also poisonous gases coming from the volcanic vent and that the island was blanketed in a thick layer of acidic ash. With measuring equipment on the island still intact, GeoNet can give regular updates on the situation, allowing police to assess the risk of sending recovery teams. Reconnaissance flights have shown no signs of life on the island and officials believe there are no survivors among the missing. Police said a drone conducted four fly-overs of the island on Wednesday, and analysis of that footage was ongoing."}], "question": "Why is the recovery delayed?", "id": "937_3"}]}]}, {"title": "At least 24 officers injured in protests after deadly Memphis shooting", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 24 police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, were injured in a clash with protesters following the fatal shooting of a young black man. The police standoff, which began on Wednesday night, occurred when US Marshals Service agents attempted to arrest an unidentified wanted man. The man allegedly tried to ram his car into officers before emerging with a weapon, police say, and was then shot. Images from the scene showed officers using shields to deflect projectiles. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which has launched a probe of the police killing, the incident began around 19:00 local time when agents from the US Marshal Service's Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest the man as he was entering a vehicle in the city's Frayser area. The man, who has not been identified by law enforcement, has been named by family and local politicians as 21-year-old Brandon Webber. His cousin, Demetrick Skinner, told the Daily Memphian that marshals fired as many as 20 shots at him. Memphis police, who say they were not involved in the shooting, were called to assist investigators as a crowd grew around the scene. A crowd grew after the shooting, and continued to escalate until 22:00 local time when it began to rain and police used tear gas and loud speakers to disperse protesters. People threw bricks, tree limbs and rocks at officers, who donned protective gear, and damaged cars in the area. Mayor Jim Strickland said in a statement on Facebook that a \"concrete wall outside a business was torn down\" and windows were broken at a fire station. He applauded police for their \"incredible restraint as they endured concrete rocks being thrown at them and people spitting at them\", adding that \"the aggression shown towards our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted\". Around 25 officers were hurt, with most suffering only light injuries. Six were taken to hospital. Two journalists were also injured in the chaos and three people were arrested. \"What I need now is for everyone to stay calm,\" Police Director Michael Rallings said during a news conference early Thursday morning. \"If your home or car was vandalised during these acts, you need to call police.  If you witnessed acts of violence or vandalism you need to call police.\" Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, who was at the scene, estimated the crowd size to be nearly 300 people. \"Don't judge Frayser without asking a community how it feels to mourn their youth over and over again,\" she wrote on Twitter. \"What do people do with their pain and trauma when it gets to be too much, when a city has ignored them, when their loss is too great and they can no longer yell at the sky?\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 475, "answer_end": 1158, "text": "According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which has launched a probe of the police killing, the incident began around 19:00 local time when agents from the US Marshal Service's Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force attempted to arrest the man as he was entering a vehicle in the city's Frayser area. The man, who has not been identified by law enforcement, has been named by family and local politicians as 21-year-old Brandon Webber. His cousin, Demetrick Skinner, told the Daily Memphian that marshals fired as many as 20 shots at him. Memphis police, who say they were not involved in the shooting, were called to assist investigators as a crowd grew around the scene."}], "question": "What sparked the protest?", "id": "938_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1159, "answer_end": 2702, "text": "A crowd grew after the shooting, and continued to escalate until 22:00 local time when it began to rain and police used tear gas and loud speakers to disperse protesters. People threw bricks, tree limbs and rocks at officers, who donned protective gear, and damaged cars in the area. Mayor Jim Strickland said in a statement on Facebook that a \"concrete wall outside a business was torn down\" and windows were broken at a fire station. He applauded police for their \"incredible restraint as they endured concrete rocks being thrown at them and people spitting at them\", adding that \"the aggression shown towards our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted\". Around 25 officers were hurt, with most suffering only light injuries. Six were taken to hospital. Two journalists were also injured in the chaos and three people were arrested. \"What I need now is for everyone to stay calm,\" Police Director Michael Rallings said during a news conference early Thursday morning. \"If your home or car was vandalised during these acts, you need to call police.  If you witnessed acts of violence or vandalism you need to call police.\" Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, who was at the scene, estimated the crowd size to be nearly 300 people. \"Don't judge Frayser without asking a community how it feels to mourn their youth over and over again,\" she wrote on Twitter. \"What do people do with their pain and trauma when it gets to be too much, when a city has ignored them, when their loss is too great and they can no longer yell at the sky?\""}], "question": "How did the violence unfold?", "id": "938_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Jakarta election: Christian governor concedes to Muslim rival", "date": "19 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Jakarta's first Christian governor has conceded defeat to a Muslim former government minister in a vote seen as a test of Indonesia's secular identity. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama congratulated his rival after exit polls showed Anies Rasyid Baswedan clearly ahead. Critics of Mr Purnama had accused him of blasphemy, heightening racial and religious tensions. Mr Baswedan was accused of courting hardliners. The new mayor takes office in October. Official results come in May. \"We now will come together and forget this campaign. Jakarta is home for all of us,\" Mr Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, said in a nationally televised news conference. \"We understand that our supporters are disappointed. But don't dwell on it.\" Mr Baswedan hinted he would try to heal divisions, saying: \"We celebrate diversity... We are all ready to work together again.\" - Anies Baswedan is a respected academic and a former university rector, who studied in the US under a Fulbright scholarship - Known to be a moderate Muslim, but attracted criticism when he met publicly with Islamist groups during his campaign. His team insists he remains a pluralist - Former education and culture minister dropped from President Joko Widodo's cabinet last year in a reshuffle - Has pledged to improve public education, contain living costs and end forced evictions Hardline Islamist groups say Mr Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, insulted a Koranic verse during a campaign speech and have rallied large crowds against him in recent months. He is now on trial for blasphemy, which he denies. Correspondents say this made the election a choice between secularism and a growing hardline Islamist movement. The run-off election between the two men came after no candidate secured more than half the votes in the first round. Shortly after polls closed, unofficial counts by private polling companies showed Mr Baswedan had secured a strong lead, with a margin in the double digits. Police said the election proceeded \"smoothly and safely with no significant disruption\". They had warned against voter intimidation. A coalition of hardline Islamic groups supporting Mr Basedan had previously said it would send at least 100 activists to each polling station to monitor voting. But correspondents said they had a very limited presence. Mr Purnama voted with his family in north Jakarta early on Wednesday morning and urged voters not to be afraid. Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front which has been leading protests against Mr Purnama, also cast his vote. Asked by the BBC if his group was damaging Indonesia's pluralist democracy, he said: \"Democracy doesn't stop someone from voting for a person from the same religion as you.... Christian vote for Christian, Muslims vote for Muslim.\" The election has also seen anti-Chinese sentiment, sparking unease in a country that has seen violence against its Chinese minority in the past. A number of Chinese Indonesians who turned up to vote told the BBC that they had not been intimidated. \"Politics is cruel. There will be threats, physically or verbally. But I still feel comfortable even though I'm of Chinese descent... So far they only scream out hatred but haven't really acted on it,\" one voter, Rudi Irmawan, told the BBC. Mr Purnama was accused last year of insulting a Koranic verse during a campaign speech, which he has denied, saying his comments were aimed at politicians \"incorrectly\" using the Koran against him. Hardline Islamists have cited that verse from the Koran to support an argument that Muslims should not vote for a non-Muslim leader. If convicted, Mr Purnama faces a maximum five-year jail sentence. His trial is due to resume on Thursday. Observers say the controversy clearly hurt Mr Purnama's chances. Once considered the clear frontrunner, he won the first round of the election in February with only 43% of the vote, while Mr Baswedan had 40%. The Jakarta Post has described the campaign as \"the dirtiest, most polarising and most divisive the nation has ever seen\". Indonesia is the world's most-populous Muslim country. About 85% of its population are Muslim, but the country officially respects six religions.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1677, "answer_end": 3261, "text": "The run-off election between the two men came after no candidate secured more than half the votes in the first round. Shortly after polls closed, unofficial counts by private polling companies showed Mr Baswedan had secured a strong lead, with a margin in the double digits. Police said the election proceeded \"smoothly and safely with no significant disruption\". They had warned against voter intimidation. A coalition of hardline Islamic groups supporting Mr Basedan had previously said it would send at least 100 activists to each polling station to monitor voting. But correspondents said they had a very limited presence. Mr Purnama voted with his family in north Jakarta early on Wednesday morning and urged voters not to be afraid. Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front which has been leading protests against Mr Purnama, also cast his vote. Asked by the BBC if his group was damaging Indonesia's pluralist democracy, he said: \"Democracy doesn't stop someone from voting for a person from the same religion as you.... Christian vote for Christian, Muslims vote for Muslim.\" The election has also seen anti-Chinese sentiment, sparking unease in a country that has seen violence against its Chinese minority in the past. A number of Chinese Indonesians who turned up to vote told the BBC that they had not been intimidated. \"Politics is cruel. There will be threats, physically or verbally. But I still feel comfortable even though I'm of Chinese descent... So far they only scream out hatred but haven't really acted on it,\" one voter, Rudi Irmawan, told the BBC."}], "question": "How did polling day unfold?", "id": "939_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3262, "answer_end": 3698, "text": "Mr Purnama was accused last year of insulting a Koranic verse during a campaign speech, which he has denied, saying his comments were aimed at politicians \"incorrectly\" using the Koran against him. Hardline Islamists have cited that verse from the Koran to support an argument that Muslims should not vote for a non-Muslim leader. If convicted, Mr Purnama faces a maximum five-year jail sentence. His trial is due to resume on Thursday."}], "question": "What is the controversy about?", "id": "939_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3699, "answer_end": 4176, "text": "Observers say the controversy clearly hurt Mr Purnama's chances. Once considered the clear frontrunner, he won the first round of the election in February with only 43% of the vote, while Mr Baswedan had 40%. The Jakarta Post has described the campaign as \"the dirtiest, most polarising and most divisive the nation has ever seen\". Indonesia is the world's most-populous Muslim country. About 85% of its population are Muslim, but the country officially respects six religions."}], "question": "How has it affected the outcome?", "id": "939_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Affirmative action: Trump 'to scrap' college racial bias policy", "date": "3 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Trump administration is set to roll back the Obama-era policies promoting diversity in universities, known as affirmative action, US media report. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions revoked 24 guidance documents on Tuesday, many involving race in schools and affirmative action recommendations. It comes as Harvard University faces a discrimination lawsuit alleging it limits admissions for Asian-Americans. In 2016, the US Supreme Court had ruled in favour of affirmative action. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote the 2016 opinion, announced his retirement from the top US court last month. His departure gives President Donald Trump a chance to appoint a justice who more closely matches the administration's views on taking race into account in college admissions. The Trump administration is expected to tell schools not to consider race in the admissions process, discontinuing the policy former President Barack Obama adopted to promote more diversity at colleges and high schools. Academic affirmative action - known as positive action in the UK- which involves favouring minorities during the admissions process in order to promote campus diversity, has long proved controversial in the US. The lawsuit against Harvard currently filed by the Students for Fair Admissions alleges that the college holds Asian-American applicants to an unfairly high admissions standard. The Justice Department is also currently investigating Harvard over racial discrimination allegations. In April, it called for the public disclosure of the Ivy League college's admissions practices. Harvard argues it \"does not discriminate against applicants from any group, including Asian-Americans\". Asian-Americans currently make up 22.2% of students admitted to Harvard, according to the university website. The guidelines, jointly issued by the education and justice departments under President Obama, encouraged universities to promote diversity on campuses. \"Learning environments comprised of students from diverse backgrounds provide an enhanced educational experience for individual students,\" the guidance reads. \"By choosing to create this kind of rich academic environment, educational institutions help students sharpen their critical thinking and analytical skills.\" The guidance features ways to encourage diversity, including granting admission preferences to students from certain schools based on demographics and considering a student's race \"among other factors in its admissions procedures\". The Obama-era policy replaced the Bush-era view that discouraged affirmative action. The Bush-era guidance had been removed from the government website during the Obama administration, but it has since reappeared. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos told the Associated Press she would not debate or discuss the matter of race and college admissions. \"I think this has been a question before the courts and the courts have opined,\" Ms DeVos said. But according to a Pew Research Center study, 71% of Americans surveyed in October 2017 have a positive view of affirmative action. Affirmative action, or the idea that disadvantaged groups should receive preferential treatment, first appeared in President John F Kennedy's 1961 executive order on federal contractor hiring. It took shape during the height of the civil rights movement, when President Lyndon Johnson signed a similar executive order in 1965 requiring government contractors to take steps to hire more minorities. Colleges and universities began using those same guidelines in their admissions process, but affirmative action soon prompted intense debate in the decades following, with several cases appearing before the US Supreme Court. The high court has outlawed using racial quotas, but has allowed colleges and universities to continue considering race in admitting students. Critics rail against it as \"reverse discrimination\", but proponents contend it is necessary to ensure diversity in education and employment.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3085, "answer_end": 3991, "text": "Affirmative action, or the idea that disadvantaged groups should receive preferential treatment, first appeared in President John F Kennedy's 1961 executive order on federal contractor hiring. It took shape during the height of the civil rights movement, when President Lyndon Johnson signed a similar executive order in 1965 requiring government contractors to take steps to hire more minorities. Colleges and universities began using those same guidelines in their admissions process, but affirmative action soon prompted intense debate in the decades following, with several cases appearing before the US Supreme Court. The high court has outlawed using racial quotas, but has allowed colleges and universities to continue considering race in admitting students. Critics rail against it as \"reverse discrimination\", but proponents contend it is necessary to ensure diversity in education and employment."}], "question": "What is affirmative action in US colleges?", "id": "940_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Woman arrested for allegedly beating 92-yr-old with brick", "date": "11 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police have arrested a woman suspected of a brutal 4 July attack on a 92-year-old Mexican man in his family's Los Angeles neighbourhood. Rodolfo Rodriguez says he passed a woman on his daily walk when she began assaulting him with a brick and called on a group of men to join the attack. Authorities arrested Laquisha Jones, 30, on Tuesday night for assault with a deadly weapon. Ms Jones is in custody with her bail set at $200,000 (PS151,000). The Los Angeles Sherriff's Department (LASD) said in a statement that they obtained a search warrant for Ms Jones, a Los Angeles resident, and arrested her \"without incident\". Investigators have not specified a motive at this time and are still looking for additional suspects. \"We want to thank the local residents for all of their kindness and support while Mr Rodriguez recovers,\" police said. Mr Rodriguez is recovering from a broken cheekbone and two broken ribs. A neighbour had filmed the assault and told US media that the woman who hit him said: \"Go back to your country.\" \"I can't walk anymore,\" Mr Rodriguez told CNN in an interview. \"I'm in so much pain.\" Mr Rodriguez, a permanent resident of the US who lives in Michoacan, Mexico, said he visits his family in California about twice a year. Mr Rodriguez was walking to a nearby park when the attack occurred. \"I just passed her and she pushed me and she hit me until she was done,\" he said. Misbel Borjas, a witness who captured the incident on her phone, told CNN the woman attacked the elderly man with her hands and then a brick or slab of concrete, shouting at him to \"go back to your country, go back to Mexico\". Ms Borjas said when she tried to defend Mr Rodriguez, the woman threatened to hit her with the brick. As Ms Borjas recorded the attack, she says a group of younger men came and began kicking Mr Rodriguez as he was on the ground. Erik Mendoza, Mr Rodriguez's grandson, found his grandfather later that evening, bloodied and bruised on the street and unable to walk. \"I'm just overwhelmed how anybody can do this to a human being at all,\" Mr Mendoza told CBS News. \"He's 92 years of age. There's no harm that he meant for you to treat him the way you did.\" His grandson said Mr Rodriguez does not speak much English and did not understand why he was being attacked. Following a social media uproar over the attack, Mr Mendoza set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the grandfather's hospital expenses. Donations have already surpassed $165,000 (PS124,000). Mr Rodriguez was discharged last week and is recovering at home. On Monday, the California Department of Justice released the state's 2017 crime reports, showing a 17% overall rise in hate crimes from 2016. According to the report, there were 126 anti-Hispanic bias incidents last year - an increase of 51.8% from 2016.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1251, "answer_end": 2805, "text": "Mr Rodriguez was walking to a nearby park when the attack occurred. \"I just passed her and she pushed me and she hit me until she was done,\" he said. Misbel Borjas, a witness who captured the incident on her phone, told CNN the woman attacked the elderly man with her hands and then a brick or slab of concrete, shouting at him to \"go back to your country, go back to Mexico\". Ms Borjas said when she tried to defend Mr Rodriguez, the woman threatened to hit her with the brick. As Ms Borjas recorded the attack, she says a group of younger men came and began kicking Mr Rodriguez as he was on the ground. Erik Mendoza, Mr Rodriguez's grandson, found his grandfather later that evening, bloodied and bruised on the street and unable to walk. \"I'm just overwhelmed how anybody can do this to a human being at all,\" Mr Mendoza told CBS News. \"He's 92 years of age. There's no harm that he meant for you to treat him the way you did.\" His grandson said Mr Rodriguez does not speak much English and did not understand why he was being attacked. Following a social media uproar over the attack, Mr Mendoza set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the grandfather's hospital expenses. Donations have already surpassed $165,000 (PS124,000). Mr Rodriguez was discharged last week and is recovering at home. On Monday, the California Department of Justice released the state's 2017 crime reports, showing a 17% overall rise in hate crimes from 2016. According to the report, there were 126 anti-Hispanic bias incidents last year - an increase of 51.8% from 2016."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "941_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How election results are calculated and reported", "date": "30 April 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Key questions about general election results, and how the BBC reports them, are answered below. The simple answer is by winning more seats in the House of Commons than all the other parties put together. There are 650 seats available, which means 326 seats are needed to win an overall majority. However, an effective majority could be smaller as the speaker and his deputies, although MPs, do not usually vote. Also, Sinn Fein, which  won five seats in Northern Ireland in 2010, traditionally refuse to swear allegiance to the Queen, and are not entitled to vote as a consequence. Also called a \"seat\", in a general election, this is where the political battles are fought. Voters in each constituency choose just one MP. The constituencies are towns or areas all of roughly the same size. No. After the last election, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats proposed changing some constituency boundaries and reducing the number of MPs.  However,  these plans were scuppered by backbench Tory MPs in 2012 and this year's election will be fought in the same seats as 2010. The Speaker of the House of Commons is an MP and has to stand for re-election as Speaker in their constituency at every general election. Traditionally the biggest parties in the House of Commons do not stand against the Speaker however some parties, such as UKIP, do. The current Speaker, John Bercow, is standing for election in Buckingham. The Speaker is a neutral figure in Parliament, so Mr Bercow is no longer a member of the Conservative Party as he was before his election to the role (by parliament). However, for the purposes of calculating the number of seats belonging to each party - and calculating those held, gained or lost by each party - Mr Bercow's seat is regarded as being a Conservative constituency as he won it for the party in 1997, 2001 and 2005 before being elected speaker. If Mr Bercow wins again, the result in Buckingham will be described as \"Speaker hold\" - and his seat will be added to the Conservative total. The BBC followed exactly the same principle in 2005, when previous Speaker Michael Martin's Glasgow Springburn seat was added to the Labour party's tally. What matters most is how many \"seats\" each party wins, and for things to change political parties need to win seats from each other. Because winning seats from each other is so important, a special language is used to show this. Seats that are won can mainly fall into two categories: \"hold\" or \"gain\". Hold:  If a party wins a seat that it won in 2010, this is described as a \"hold\". Gain:  If a party wins a seat that it did not win at the last general election, this is called a \"gain\". Win:  Where there has been a by-election since the last general election and that by-election resulted in a different party gaining the seat compared to the general election result (see below). Clearly these are really important to the opposition parties. If they are to form a new government, they need to win seats from the existing government and other parties to  make \"gains\", while they retain or \"hold\" all the seats they had last time. By-elections are one-off elections in seats where, for example, the sitting MP has stood down or died.  There have been 21 by-elections since 2010. When the BBC reports general election  results, all of these interim by-elections are ignored, to allow for straightforward comparison with 2010's seats. Some of the terminology used to describe results in by-election seats is different. For example:  In 2010 Labour's Marsha Singh held Bradford West, but resigned in 2012.   Respect's George Galloway won the seat in the subsequent by-election. If Labour regains this seat at the general election, the BBC will describe it as a Labour \"win\", not a \"hold\" or \"gain\". It will not appear as a net gain in Labour's overall UK seat tally. Another example: In Rochester & Strood, the resignation and defection to UKIP of Conservative Mark Reckless triggered a by-election in 2014.  If Mr Reckless retains his seat, the result will also be described as a \"UKIP win\", but it will appear as a net gain in the UKIP seat tally. The BBC adopts this policy in recognition of the very particular circumstances which often shape the outcome of by-elections. Comparing seat change from 2010 represents a fairer way of representing how the political expression of voters has altered from general election to general election. To win an election, a party must win enough seats in the House of Commons to form a government.  To do that simply one party needs to get one more seat than all the others added together. That is called an overall majority, but in the shorthand language of elections it is just called \"a majority\". There are 650 seats in parliament, so to get one more than everyone else put together a party must get 326 or more to get a \"majority\". Of course it makes things much easier for a government if they have many more MPs than all the others put together. That number is called the \"size of the majority. So, if one party were to win 326 seats, then all the other parties added together would be 324. The majority is therefore 326 minus 324: two. So the smallest majority possible is not one seat but two. Another quick way of working this out is to take away 325 from the number of seats that winning party has got and double the result. For example: If the winning party has 350 seats what is the majority? 350-325=25 25x2=50 So the majority is 50. A tip for any office sweepstake  on the size of the majority is never bet on an odd number. A hung parliament happens when no single party wins a majority over all the others. A party can stay in power without an absolute majority by trying to forge an alliance with a smaller party to create a coalition government. Alternatively, they can aim to reach agreements with smaller parties to support them in parliament in the event of a confidence motion aimed at bringing down the government. Another possibility is for the biggest party to form a minority government with no agreements with other parties and just try to form majorities in favour of each individual bill as it comes up - an arrangement sometimes called \"confidence and supply\". If no party is prepared to go down one of these paths then parliament will be dissolved again and there will be another election. The last general election in 2010 ended in a hung parliament, with the Conservatives the largest party. After negotiation, a coalition government was formed between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. An exit poll is conducted by approaching voters as they leave polling stations and asking them to fill in a mock ballot paper to indicate how they have just voted. The exit poll is carried out by polling companies NOP/Mori for the BBC/ITV News/Sky News. The results of the exit poll will allow BBC analysts to forecast approximately how many seats each party has won. When polls close at 2200, the BBC will broadcast the results of the exit poll.  The projected seats for the top five parties based on the exit poll will be displayed in the summary graphic as grey bars. When the first results are declared, around an hour later, parties will begin to be ordered left to right by number of seats won at that time. As the night progresses, the summary results graphic will always display the top five parties according to seats won. All other parties' seats will be amalgamated into \"Others\". Full results are always available via the link to the results homepage, which contains a listings and breakdown of seats, votes and vote share by party. When all results are known, the summary graphic will conclude by displaying the top 5 parties by seats won in the new parliament. In the event of a tie in the top five - eg two parties have two seats  - the party with the most votes will be named. There are no seat predictions available for parties in Northern Ireland, as the exit poll is carried out in Great Britain (GB) only. To appear as a named party in either the overall UK scoreboard or a nation scoreboard, a party must fulfil one of the following criteria: - Is standing in one-sixth of seats in any UK nation - Is  fielding more than 10 candidates either across the UK or in a single nation - Have achieved greater than 1% of the vote at UK or nation level at the last general election - Have a sitting MP in the last parliament All parties which do not meet these criteria are amalgamated into a group called Others. Each constituency page will always name every party standing in that constituency. The postcode search box uses the latest available data supplied by Ordnance Survey. Discrepancies can occasionally occur when a postcode search returns a different constituency to the one given on polling cards sent to an address at the same postcode. Normally the constituencies concerned are next to each other, and it appears these discrepancies occur when postcodes are on the border between the two constituencies. We would advise people affected to follow the information on their polling card in terms of the constituency they are in and the polling place to be used on 7 May.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 96, "answer_end": 581, "text": "The simple answer is by winning more seats in the House of Commons than all the other parties put together. There are 650 seats available, which means 326 seats are needed to win an overall majority. However, an effective majority could be smaller as the speaker and his deputies, although MPs, do not usually vote. Also, Sinn Fein, which  won five seats in Northern Ireland in 2010, traditionally refuse to swear allegiance to the Queen, and are not entitled to vote as a consequence."}], "question": "How do you win?", "id": "942_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 582, "answer_end": 790, "text": "Also called a \"seat\", in a general election, this is where the political battles are fought. Voters in each constituency choose just one MP. The constituencies are towns or areas all of roughly the same size."}], "question": "What is a constituency?", "id": "942_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 791, "answer_end": 1073, "text": "No. After the last election, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats proposed changing some constituency boundaries and reducing the number of MPs.  However,  these plans were scuppered by backbench Tory MPs in 2012 and this year's election will be fought in the same seats as 2010."}], "question": "Have constituencies changed since the last general election in 2010?", "id": "942_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1074, "answer_end": 2172, "text": "The Speaker of the House of Commons is an MP and has to stand for re-election as Speaker in their constituency at every general election. Traditionally the biggest parties in the House of Commons do not stand against the Speaker however some parties, such as UKIP, do. The current Speaker, John Bercow, is standing for election in Buckingham. The Speaker is a neutral figure in Parliament, so Mr Bercow is no longer a member of the Conservative Party as he was before his election to the role (by parliament). However, for the purposes of calculating the number of seats belonging to each party - and calculating those held, gained or lost by each party - Mr Bercow's seat is regarded as being a Conservative constituency as he won it for the party in 1997, 2001 and 2005 before being elected speaker. If Mr Bercow wins again, the result in Buckingham will be described as \"Speaker hold\" - and his seat will be added to the Conservative total. The BBC followed exactly the same principle in 2005, when previous Speaker Michael Martin's Glasgow Springburn seat was added to the Labour party's tally."}], "question": "What happens in the Speaker's seat?", "id": "942_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2173, "answer_end": 3106, "text": "What matters most is how many \"seats\" each party wins, and for things to change political parties need to win seats from each other. Because winning seats from each other is so important, a special language is used to show this. Seats that are won can mainly fall into two categories: \"hold\" or \"gain\". Hold:  If a party wins a seat that it won in 2010, this is described as a \"hold\". Gain:  If a party wins a seat that it did not win at the last general election, this is called a \"gain\". Win:  Where there has been a by-election since the last general election and that by-election resulted in a different party gaining the seat compared to the general election result (see below). Clearly these are really important to the opposition parties. If they are to form a new government, they need to win seats from the existing government and other parties to  make \"gains\", while they retain or \"hold\" all the seats they had last time."}], "question": "What is meant when a party wins, holds or gains a seat?", "id": "942_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3107, "answer_end": 4414, "text": "By-elections are one-off elections in seats where, for example, the sitting MP has stood down or died.  There have been 21 by-elections since 2010. When the BBC reports general election  results, all of these interim by-elections are ignored, to allow for straightforward comparison with 2010's seats. Some of the terminology used to describe results in by-election seats is different. For example:  In 2010 Labour's Marsha Singh held Bradford West, but resigned in 2012.   Respect's George Galloway won the seat in the subsequent by-election. If Labour regains this seat at the general election, the BBC will describe it as a Labour \"win\", not a \"hold\" or \"gain\". It will not appear as a net gain in Labour's overall UK seat tally. Another example: In Rochester & Strood, the resignation and defection to UKIP of Conservative Mark Reckless triggered a by-election in 2014.  If Mr Reckless retains his seat, the result will also be described as a \"UKIP win\", but it will appear as a net gain in the UKIP seat tally. The BBC adopts this policy in recognition of the very particular circumstances which often shape the outcome of by-elections. Comparing seat change from 2010 represents a fairer way of representing how the political expression of voters has altered from general election to general election."}], "question": "What about by-elections?", "id": "942_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4415, "answer_end": 5552, "text": "To win an election, a party must win enough seats in the House of Commons to form a government.  To do that simply one party needs to get one more seat than all the others added together. That is called an overall majority, but in the shorthand language of elections it is just called \"a majority\". There are 650 seats in parliament, so to get one more than everyone else put together a party must get 326 or more to get a \"majority\". Of course it makes things much easier for a government if they have many more MPs than all the others put together. That number is called the \"size of the majority. So, if one party were to win 326 seats, then all the other parties added together would be 324. The majority is therefore 326 minus 324: two. So the smallest majority possible is not one seat but two. Another quick way of working this out is to take away 325 from the number of seats that winning party has got and double the result. For example: If the winning party has 350 seats what is the majority? 350-325=25 25x2=50 So the majority is 50. A tip for any office sweepstake  on the size of the majority is never bet on an odd number."}], "question": "What is a majority?", "id": "942_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5553, "answer_end": 6544, "text": "A hung parliament happens when no single party wins a majority over all the others. A party can stay in power without an absolute majority by trying to forge an alliance with a smaller party to create a coalition government. Alternatively, they can aim to reach agreements with smaller parties to support them in parliament in the event of a confidence motion aimed at bringing down the government. Another possibility is for the biggest party to form a minority government with no agreements with other parties and just try to form majorities in favour of each individual bill as it comes up - an arrangement sometimes called \"confidence and supply\". If no party is prepared to go down one of these paths then parliament will be dissolved again and there will be another election. The last general election in 2010 ended in a hung parliament, with the Conservatives the largest party. After negotiation, a coalition government was formed between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats."}], "question": "What is a hung parliament?", "id": "942_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6545, "answer_end": 6912, "text": "An exit poll is conducted by approaching voters as they leave polling stations and asking them to fill in a mock ballot paper to indicate how they have just voted. The exit poll is carried out by polling companies NOP/Mori for the BBC/ITV News/Sky News. The results of the exit poll will allow BBC analysts to forecast approximately how many seats each party has won."}], "question": "What is an exit poll and a prediction?", "id": "942_8"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6913, "answer_end": 7970, "text": "When polls close at 2200, the BBC will broadcast the results of the exit poll.  The projected seats for the top five parties based on the exit poll will be displayed in the summary graphic as grey bars. When the first results are declared, around an hour later, parties will begin to be ordered left to right by number of seats won at that time. As the night progresses, the summary results graphic will always display the top five parties according to seats won. All other parties' seats will be amalgamated into \"Others\". Full results are always available via the link to the results homepage, which contains a listings and breakdown of seats, votes and vote share by party. When all results are known, the summary graphic will conclude by displaying the top 5 parties by seats won in the new parliament. In the event of a tie in the top five - eg two parties have two seats  - the party with the most votes will be named. There are no seat predictions available for parties in Northern Ireland, as the exit poll is carried out in Great Britain (GB) only."}], "question": "Which parties appear in the summary results graphic at the top of the BBC News website?", "id": "942_9"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7971, "answer_end": 8553, "text": "To appear as a named party in either the overall UK scoreboard or a nation scoreboard, a party must fulfil one of the following criteria: - Is standing in one-sixth of seats in any UK nation - Is  fielding more than 10 candidates either across the UK or in a single nation - Have achieved greater than 1% of the vote at UK or nation level at the last general election - Have a sitting MP in the last parliament All parties which do not meet these criteria are amalgamated into a group called Others. Each constituency page will always name every party standing in that constituency."}], "question": "Which parties are listed in the overall results tables?", "id": "942_10"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8554, "answer_end": 9137, "text": "The postcode search box uses the latest available data supplied by Ordnance Survey. Discrepancies can occasionally occur when a postcode search returns a different constituency to the one given on polling cards sent to an address at the same postcode. Normally the constituencies concerned are next to each other, and it appears these discrepancies occur when postcodes are on the border between the two constituencies. We would advise people affected to follow the information on their polling card in terms of the constituency they are in and the polling place to be used on 7 May."}], "question": "Why does the postcode search not give the result I expect?", "id": "942_11"}]}]}, {"title": "Mistakes in benefits claims could cost up to \u00a3500m", "date": "17 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mistakes in paying out benefits claims could cost up to PS500m to put right, the BBC has learned. The errors identified by the Department for Work and Pensions affect the main sickness benefit, the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The BBC understands that assessors wrongly calculated the income of around 75,000 claimants. Ministers say that they are aware of the problem and that repayments have begun to be made. The department, which says it discovered the mistakes last December, is understood to have contacted about 1,000 people so far. It says it is still trying to understand the scale of the problems with ESA, which is paid to about 2.5 million people, and will contact anyone affected. Frank Field, chairman of the Commons work and pensions select committee, said the problem was on a scale of \"historic proportions\". He said: \"I'm still gobsmacked at the size and the nature and the extent and the coverage of people that have been wrongly impoverished by the department getting it wrong.\" The BBC understands that the errors affected people who applied for ESA between 2011/12 and 2014/15 - claimants after that date are understood to have had their benefit correctly assessed. On top of money to be paid back, the Treasury will have to pay for the staffing and processing of repayments. This extraordinary error is the latest problem to beset a troubled benefit. When Labour introduced ESA in 2008, they claimed the change would move a million people off sickness benefit and save the Treasury PS7bn. The coalition embraced the benefit with open arms, again hoping to save money by moving people off incapacity benefit and onto ESA faster than planned. Little has changed. Back in 2006/07, 2.7 million people were receiving the main sickness benefit at a cost of PS12bn. In this financial year, ministers estimate 2.4 million people will get ESA - at a cost of PS15bn. For claimants, the changes have meant undergoing health assessments to prove their illnesses, which some say has created stress and anxiety. Mistakes began in 2011 when the government started moving benefits recipients onto ESA - which is paid to those with long-term health conditions that are not going to improve. ESA was introduced by the Labour government in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit. At the time of that migration, an independent expert working for the Department for Work and Pensions, Professor Malcolm Harrington, urged ministers not to proceed until he was certain the system was robust. The department said it only became aware of the problem in December 2016 after the Office for National Statistics published fraud and error figures for the social security system. Peter Cartwright, who was one of those moved from incapacity benefit to ESA due to mental and physical health problems, said the errors were \"disgusting\". \"People need this money to live,\" said Mr Cartwright, who does not yet know if he was underpaid. \"It's not as if you can go and get loads of luxuries when you're on this benefit.\" The 54-year-old from County Durham said people on benefits often had to make the choice between food and heating, adding: \"If people are getting underpaid that means they're not getting through.\" Many of those eligible for ESA may also need to apply for universal credit - a benefit for people with a health condition or disability which prevents them from working. Universal credit is already experiencing its own problems - with reports of IT issues, overspending and administrative errors. Successful applicants for ESA are paid the benefit either on the basis of having made enough National Insurance claims, or because they are on a low income. In calculating how much income a claimant is entitled to, benefit assessors have to work through a variety of factors, such as what other benefits someone might be on, how much they earn from any work or whether there is any other income coming into the household. In a statement, the Department for Work and Pensions, said it was aware of the issue and \"currently reviewing the historical benefit payments of claimants\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2679, "answer_end": 4085, "text": "Peter Cartwright, who was one of those moved from incapacity benefit to ESA due to mental and physical health problems, said the errors were \"disgusting\". \"People need this money to live,\" said Mr Cartwright, who does not yet know if he was underpaid. \"It's not as if you can go and get loads of luxuries when you're on this benefit.\" The 54-year-old from County Durham said people on benefits often had to make the choice between food and heating, adding: \"If people are getting underpaid that means they're not getting through.\" Many of those eligible for ESA may also need to apply for universal credit - a benefit for people with a health condition or disability which prevents them from working. Universal credit is already experiencing its own problems - with reports of IT issues, overspending and administrative errors. Successful applicants for ESA are paid the benefit either on the basis of having made enough National Insurance claims, or because they are on a low income. In calculating how much income a claimant is entitled to, benefit assessors have to work through a variety of factors, such as what other benefits someone might be on, how much they earn from any work or whether there is any other income coming into the household. In a statement, the Department for Work and Pensions, said it was aware of the issue and \"currently reviewing the historical benefit payments of claimants\"."}], "question": "Heating or food?", "id": "943_0"}]}]}, {"title": "New name, same country? A choice for Macedonians", "date": "28 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Macedonians are voting in a referendum on Sunday, which may result in the former Yugoslav republic changing its name to North Macedonia. The new name would end a decades-long dispute with neighbouring Greece and clear a path towards joining the EU and Nato. But passions are high on both sides of the border and Macedonia's president is calling for a boycott of the vote. \"Are you in favour of European Union and Nato membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?\" That agreement is on the name North Macedonia. Macedonia declared independence in 1991 as new states emerged from what used to be Yugoslavia. But Greece argued that its northern neighbour's name implied a territorial claim on its own region of Macedonia. This is a dispute that harks back to ancient history, because both areas were part of a Roman province called Macedonia, dating back to 168 BC. And both claim the heritage of Alexander the Great two centuries before. Greece's objections forced the UN and some other international organisations to refer to the new country as \"the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia\". Athens also vetoed Macedonia's attempt to join Nato in 2008 - and squashed its EU membership ambitions. Macedonia responded with a ludicrous, decade-long trolling exercise in bronze and stone. It erected in the capital Skopje scores of statues of Greek heroes, such as Alexander the Great. Unsurprisingly, this did little for neighbourly relations. Read more from Guy: The makeover that divided a nation The addition of one word to Macedonia's constitutional name: North. In the 27 years it has taken to come up with this solution, many suggestions have been proposed, then disposed of. But last year's change of government in Macedonia finally brought the start of serious negotiations. \"Our citizens were sick of that problem,\" says Macedonia's information minister, Damjan Manchevski. \"It was weighing on Macedonia for such a long period of time and not letting us advance.\" The solution is a compromise. Macedonia has to accept a \"geographical qualifier\" to its name, while Greece accepts that the people to the north are Macedonians who speak the Macedonian language, rather than Slavic people with no claim to that identity. Greece will end its veto on Macedonia's accession to Nato and the EU. And the question on the referendum ballot paper makes this crystal clear, asking voters if they back membership of the two international organisations by accepting the Greek deal. \"We don't change our name because we want to do it,\" Prime Minster Zoran Zaev told the BBC. \"We do it because of our future in the EU and Nato. Everyone is aware why we do it.\" That applies particularly to Macedonia's younger citizens. \"Young people in Macedonia are a quarter of the population - and they're one of the largest marginalised groups,\" says Dona Kosturanova of the Youth Educational Forum. \"They're struggling with poor education, high unemployment and few opportunities for prosperity. They're desperate to see advancement towards a prosperous environment.\" But the agreement with Greece is not universally acclaimed as the means to achieve those goals. Policy analyst Marija Ristreska says the deal is being rushed through. \"Academia was not involved in the policy debate - nor were all the political parties. So, you have an agreement carved between certain political actors, without overall societal consensus, which is doomed not to succeed in the long term.\" Hurdles and banana skins still abound. Assuming more than half the electorate votes, and the majority of those in favour, Macedonia's National Assembly must ratify the name change with a two-thirds majority. Then it would be over to the Greek parliament, where the government of Alexis Tsipras is looking ever more precarious. His junior coalition partner has threatened to quit the coalition over the name change. \"Both countries are supporting each other,\" says Damjan Manchevski. But it is still a long way from a done deal. Macedonia's \"fake news farms\" gained global notoriety after the 2016 US presidential election. Now it seems they have turned inward. A study by the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity found that automated Twitter accounts were attempting to hijack the social media debate ahead of the referendum. \"Fabricated accounts have a big share of the voice of the general conversation online - higher than we've seen in previous elections, including in Italy and Mexico,\" says the Commission's senior adviser, Fabrice Pothier. \"The narrative is 'boycott' - the orchestrators are trying to demobilise people. For the referendum to be valid, it needs a 50%  turnout. They are trying to force it below the threshold and invalidate the referendum.\" But information minister Damjan Manchevski is not alarmed. \"More than 70% of Macedonians still get their information from the TV news, rather than social media,\" he says.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 372, "answer_end": 565, "text": "\"Are you in favour of European Union and Nato membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?\" That agreement is on the name North Macedonia."}], "question": "What are Macedonians being asked?", "id": "944_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1548, "answer_end": 2274, "text": "The addition of one word to Macedonia's constitutional name: North. In the 27 years it has taken to come up with this solution, many suggestions have been proposed, then disposed of. But last year's change of government in Macedonia finally brought the start of serious negotiations. \"Our citizens were sick of that problem,\" says Macedonia's information minister, Damjan Manchevski. \"It was weighing on Macedonia for such a long period of time and not letting us advance.\" The solution is a compromise. Macedonia has to accept a \"geographical qualifier\" to its name, while Greece accepts that the people to the north are Macedonians who speak the Macedonian language, rather than Slavic people with no claim to that identity."}], "question": "What is the proposed solution?", "id": "944_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3504, "answer_end": 4031, "text": "Hurdles and banana skins still abound. Assuming more than half the electorate votes, and the majority of those in favour, Macedonia's National Assembly must ratify the name change with a two-thirds majority. Then it would be over to the Greek parliament, where the government of Alexis Tsipras is looking ever more precarious. His junior coalition partner has threatened to quit the coalition over the name change. \"Both countries are supporting each other,\" says Damjan Manchevski. But it is still a long way from a done deal."}], "question": "What next if there's a Yes vote?", "id": "944_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4032, "answer_end": 4949, "text": "Macedonia's \"fake news farms\" gained global notoriety after the 2016 US presidential election. Now it seems they have turned inward. A study by the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity found that automated Twitter accounts were attempting to hijack the social media debate ahead of the referendum. \"Fabricated accounts have a big share of the voice of the general conversation online - higher than we've seen in previous elections, including in Italy and Mexico,\" says the Commission's senior adviser, Fabrice Pothier. \"The narrative is 'boycott' - the orchestrators are trying to demobilise people. For the referendum to be valid, it needs a 50%  turnout. They are trying to force it below the threshold and invalidate the referendum.\" But information minister Damjan Manchevski is not alarmed. \"More than 70% of Macedonians still get their information from the TV news, rather than social media,\" he says."}], "question": "Has the campaign been fair?", "id": "944_3"}]}]}, {"title": "NHS 'no chance of training enough staff'", "date": "21 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The NHS in England has no chance of training enough GPs and nurses to solve the shortages it faces, experts say. A report by three leading think tanks predicts that in the next five years nurse shortages will double and GP gaps nearly treble, without radical action. The Nuffield Trust, Health Foundation and King's Fund says a combination of international recruitment, student grants and innovation is needed. But the government is insisting plans are in place to recruit more staff. It is already well documented that the NHS is short of staff. Current figures suggest there more than 30,000 extra nurses are needed and almost 3,000 GPs. The think tanks say on current trends this will rise to nearly 70,000 nurses and more than 7,000 GPs within five years. And after a decade the gap could be 100,000 and more than 11,000 respectively. That will make it harder to access many services - despite the extra investment being made in the health service, they say. Report co-author Anita Charlesworth said: \"The workforce is the make-or-break issue for the health service. \"Unless staffing shortages are substantially reduced, the recent NHS Long Term Plan can only be a wish list.\" The think tanks have come up with some solutions to solve the staffing problems. For nurses, they say studying in England must be made more attractive. Bursaries were removed and tuition fees introduced in 2016. The report warns this has had a negative effect and calls for the introduction of a PS5,200 annual grant for student nurses. It also says students who have already completed a degree and then want to retrain to be a nurse should be exempt from university fees. But even these measures will not be enough. The report predicts the NHS will need to recruit 5,000 new nurses from abroad every year - three times the figure it is currently recruiting. And the think tanks say this will be a real challenge given Brexit and the global shortage of nurses. Dame Donna Kinnair, of the Royal College of Nursing, said the numbers were \"staggering\" and should \"cause alarm\". For GPs, the report recommends a different approach, as international recruitment is extremely difficult given the language requirements for GPs and the unique nature of general practice in the NHS. It says other staff, such as physiotherapists and pharmacists, will need to see some of the patients GPs are currently treating. This could include patients with back pain and joint problems and those needing advice for minor conditions and requiring medicine reviews. The idea of using other staff to support GPs is already part of policy. The government and NHS England are looking to recruit 20,000 staff to work alongside GPs. Training places for doctors and nurses are also being increased, by 25%. The Department of Health and Social Care believes this will give the NHS the staff it needs but acknowledges it will take time. And it says more detail will be revealed in the workforce plan being developed by the regulator NHS Improvement. Dido Harding, who chairs NHS Improvement, said an interim plan would be published soon. \"It is vital we do more to retain, recruit and develop them across both health and social care,\" she added. The think tanks did not study these staffing issues in the rest of the UK because no comparable data exists.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 485, "answer_end": 1180, "text": "It is already well documented that the NHS is short of staff. Current figures suggest there more than 30,000 extra nurses are needed and almost 3,000 GPs. The think tanks say on current trends this will rise to nearly 70,000 nurses and more than 7,000 GPs within five years. And after a decade the gap could be 100,000 and more than 11,000 respectively. That will make it harder to access many services - despite the extra investment being made in the health service, they say. Report co-author Anita Charlesworth said: \"The workforce is the make-or-break issue for the health service. \"Unless staffing shortages are substantially reduced, the recent NHS Long Term Plan can only be a wish list.\""}], "question": "What is the scale of the problem?", "id": "945_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1181, "answer_end": 2523, "text": "The think tanks have come up with some solutions to solve the staffing problems. For nurses, they say studying in England must be made more attractive. Bursaries were removed and tuition fees introduced in 2016. The report warns this has had a negative effect and calls for the introduction of a PS5,200 annual grant for student nurses. It also says students who have already completed a degree and then want to retrain to be a nurse should be exempt from university fees. But even these measures will not be enough. The report predicts the NHS will need to recruit 5,000 new nurses from abroad every year - three times the figure it is currently recruiting. And the think tanks say this will be a real challenge given Brexit and the global shortage of nurses. Dame Donna Kinnair, of the Royal College of Nursing, said the numbers were \"staggering\" and should \"cause alarm\". For GPs, the report recommends a different approach, as international recruitment is extremely difficult given the language requirements for GPs and the unique nature of general practice in the NHS. It says other staff, such as physiotherapists and pharmacists, will need to see some of the patients GPs are currently treating. This could include patients with back pain and joint problems and those needing advice for minor conditions and requiring medicine reviews."}], "question": "What is being recommended?", "id": "945_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2524, "answer_end": 3304, "text": "The idea of using other staff to support GPs is already part of policy. The government and NHS England are looking to recruit 20,000 staff to work alongside GPs. Training places for doctors and nurses are also being increased, by 25%. The Department of Health and Social Care believes this will give the NHS the staff it needs but acknowledges it will take time. And it says more detail will be revealed in the workforce plan being developed by the regulator NHS Improvement. Dido Harding, who chairs NHS Improvement, said an interim plan would be published soon. \"It is vital we do more to retain, recruit and develop them across both health and social care,\" she added. The think tanks did not study these staffing issues in the rest of the UK because no comparable data exists."}], "question": "What is the government saying?", "id": "945_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump 'will walk out' if North Korea talks not fruitful", "date": "19 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump says that if his planned talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are not fruitful he will \"walk out\". At a joint news conference, he and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said maximum pressure must be maintained on North Korea over nuclear disarmament. Mr Abe is at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for talks. Earlier, Mr Trump confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo had made a secret trip to North Korea to meet Mr Kim. He said Mr Pompeo had forged a \"good relationship\" with Mr Kim - whom the US president was last year calling \"little rocket man\" - and that the meeting had gone \"very smoothly\". The visit marked the highest-level contact between the US and North Korea since 2000. Mr Trump is expected to hold a summit with Mr Kim by June. Details, including a location, are still being worked out. Meanwhile, South Korean president Moon Jae-in is set to meet Mr Kim next week. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Moon said North Korea had said it was ready for \"complete denuclearisation\", and called for \"bold imagination and creative solutions\" to ensure the Koreas summit and the Trump-Kim summit would succeed. President Trump said at the joint news conference that if he did not think the meeting would be successful he would not go, and if the meeting went ahead but was not productive, he would walk out. \"Our campaign of maximum pressure will continue until North Korea denuclearises,\" he added. \"As I've said before, there is a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearisation in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way. It would be a great day for them, it would be a great day for the world.\" On trade, Mr Trump and Mr Abe agreed to start talks on \"free, fair and reciprocal trade deals\". Mr Trump said the US remained opposed to rejoining the Trans Pacific Partnership unless Japan and other parties to the trade pact offered \"a deal that I can't refuse\". The US president did not exempt Japan from punitive steel and aluminium tariffs, as he has done for other US allies. Turning to North Korea, Mr Abe said he had urged President Trump to help bring about the release of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. - North Korea has admitted to abducting 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and customs. Japan believes the real figure is much higher. - Some of the abductees were eventually returned to Japan. Pyongyang says the others are dead - something Japan does not accept. - The youngest abductee was Megumi Yokota, who was snatched by agents when she was 13. - South Korea says about 500 of its citizens - most of them fishermen - have been abducted by North Korea since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Those kidnapped were reportedly used for propaganda activities or intelligence gathering. - South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and actress Choe Eun-hui were abducted in the 1970s and forced to make films for Pyongyang, until they escaped. Actress kidnapped by North Korea dies Abducted S Korean back from North North Korea abductee meeting praised Three US citizens are also being held in North Korea. Mr Trump said the US would \"work very hard\" to try to bring the Japanese abductees home. \"We are likewise fighting very diligently to get the three American citizens back,\" Mr Trump added. \"I think there's a good chance of doing it. We're having very good dialogue.\" The secret trip took place after Mr Pompeo was nominated by President Trump to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. No details are known about the talks other than that they were to prepare for the forthcoming Trump-Kim summit. Mr Pompeo is expected to be confirmed as the top US diplomat by the Republican-controlled Senate in the coming weeks, although Democratic opposition to the conservative's candidacy is strong. Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said he did not think Mr Pompeo's \"past sentiments\" reflected American values. The hawkish CIA chief's opposition to same-sex marriage has come under scrutiny and he has also made controversial remarks about Islam. Mr Trump surprised the international community last month by accepting Pyongyang's suggestion for direct talks. It would be unprecedented for a sitting US president to meet a North Korean leader. He has said the summit will take place either in early June or \"a little before that\" and that several sites are under consideration. Experts have speculated that a location for talks could be the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea, another Asian country, or a neutral European country. North Korea has been isolated for decades because of its human rights abuses and pursuit of nuclear weapons, in defiance of international laws and UN sanctions. It has carried out six nuclear tests, and has missiles that it says could reach the US. But South Korea's hosting of the Winter Olympics in February gave an unexpected window for diplomacy, and in the weeks since there have been a flurry of visits to the North from China, South Korea and now the US.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1140, "answer_end": 1657, "text": "President Trump said at the joint news conference that if he did not think the meeting would be successful he would not go, and if the meeting went ahead but was not productive, he would walk out. \"Our campaign of maximum pressure will continue until North Korea denuclearises,\" he added. \"As I've said before, there is a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearisation in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way. It would be a great day for them, it would be a great day for the world.\""}], "question": "What was said about the Trump-Kim summit?", "id": "946_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1658, "answer_end": 2205, "text": "On trade, Mr Trump and Mr Abe agreed to start talks on \"free, fair and reciprocal trade deals\". Mr Trump said the US remained opposed to rejoining the Trans Pacific Partnership unless Japan and other parties to the trade pact offered \"a deal that I can't refuse\". The US president did not exempt Japan from punitive steel and aluminium tariffs, as he has done for other US allies. Turning to North Korea, Mr Abe said he had urged President Trump to help bring about the release of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s."}], "question": "What else was discussed?", "id": "946_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3418, "answer_end": 4138, "text": "The secret trip took place after Mr Pompeo was nominated by President Trump to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. No details are known about the talks other than that they were to prepare for the forthcoming Trump-Kim summit. Mr Pompeo is expected to be confirmed as the top US diplomat by the Republican-controlled Senate in the coming weeks, although Democratic opposition to the conservative's candidacy is strong. Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said he did not think Mr Pompeo's \"past sentiments\" reflected American values. The hawkish CIA chief's opposition to same-sex marriage has come under scrutiny and he has also made controversial remarks about Islam."}], "question": "What do we know about Mike Pompeo's meeting?", "id": "946_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4139, "answer_end": 5097, "text": "Mr Trump surprised the international community last month by accepting Pyongyang's suggestion for direct talks. It would be unprecedented for a sitting US president to meet a North Korean leader. He has said the summit will take place either in early June or \"a little before that\" and that several sites are under consideration. Experts have speculated that a location for talks could be the Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea, another Asian country, or a neutral European country. North Korea has been isolated for decades because of its human rights abuses and pursuit of nuclear weapons, in defiance of international laws and UN sanctions. It has carried out six nuclear tests, and has missiles that it says could reach the US. But South Korea's hosting of the Winter Olympics in February gave an unexpected window for diplomacy, and in the weeks since there have been a flurry of visits to the North from China, South Korea and now the US."}], "question": "When and where might a Trump-Kim summit take place?", "id": "946_3"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Labour's \u00a3500m NHS claim fact-checked", "date": "8 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has claimed a Conservative trade deal with the US after Brexit could cost the NHS up to PS500m a week, by driving up the price of medicines. Mr Corbyn said this money \"could be taken out of the NHS and handed to big drugs companies\", in a speech setting out his own party's Brexit position. US trade negotiators have set out their objectives for any trade deal with the UK, including \"full market access\" for US pharmaceuticals - although the government says the NHS \"will not be on the table\". We asked Labour, who directed us to an interview with World Health Organization adviser Dr Andrew Hill on a recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme. Dr Hill, from the University of Liverpool, told the BBC that the PS500m a week figure, which comes from a report he co-wrote with academics at Harvard University, was designed to illustrate how much more the US currently pays for drugs than the UK. \"It's a guide to how much money could be involved but it's difficult to predict how much money would be involved,\" he said. The report itself says it was not trying to estimate how much the NHS would actually spend as a result of a trade deal with the US. But, to give an idea of the \"worst case scenario\", Dr Hill said, they had compared how much was spent on medicines per person in the US and the UK. The report said this was a way to \"crudely estimate\" how much it would cost the NHS if it spent exactly the same as the US on drugs per head of population: - The NHS in England spent an estimated PS18bn on medicines in 2017-18 - The US spent 2.5 times as much per head,  according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - Multiplying PS18bn by 2.5 gives an annual cost of PS45bn - That's an extra PS27bn a year or about PS519m a week In practice it's highly unlikely that NHS spending on medicines per person would end up being the same as the US's. The Labour leader was asked about the PS500m figure at his speech on Tuesday and said: \"I believe it to be an accurate and credible figure... and I'm very happy for anybody else to analyse it and tell me if I've understated the case.\" Labour have also used the figure on Facebook, on a mocked-up bus (with a nod to the Vote Leave bus Boris Johnson campaigned in front of in 2016 - we've checked its PS350m claim before). At the moment, according to the Office for National Statistics, 9% of all medicines imported by the NHS come directly from the US. In contrast, 79% of medicine imports come from the European Union. But, Dr Hill says, this figure is likely to underestimate the proportion of drugs coming from American manufacturers, because some US companies sell drugs into the UK via other countries. Because of the NHS's size and purchasing power, though, it has a lot of clout when it comes to negotiating prices. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses the benefits of a particular drug and decides the acceptable cost for this benefit. Then the NHS negotiates with companies to lower their prices, rather than paying the market price. NHS prices are also used by several countries as a reference point, meaning those countries will not pay more for drugs than the UK does. There's also a voluntary scheme signed up to by many drug companies selling to the UK. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry says this five-year agreement helps keep drug prices down too. \"The strict processes the UK has in place to ensure value for money mean we have some of the lowest prices for medicines in Europe and this is good for NHS patients,\" a spokesperson said. Why do the US pay so much for prescription drugs? The US view is this is unfair to Americans, who pay more, and \"significantly undervalues\" medicines that are costly to develop and make. US trade negotiators have said that as part of a deal with the UK after Brexit, they want \"non-discriminatory\" access to the UK market. As an example, in a free trade agreement with South Korea the US stipulated that prices for pharmaceutical products should be \"based on competitive market-derived prices\". This piece was published on 5 November 2019 and updated on 8 November. What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 523, "answer_end": 2323, "text": "We asked Labour, who directed us to an interview with World Health Organization adviser Dr Andrew Hill on a recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme. Dr Hill, from the University of Liverpool, told the BBC that the PS500m a week figure, which comes from a report he co-wrote with academics at Harvard University, was designed to illustrate how much more the US currently pays for drugs than the UK. \"It's a guide to how much money could be involved but it's difficult to predict how much money would be involved,\" he said. The report itself says it was not trying to estimate how much the NHS would actually spend as a result of a trade deal with the US. But, to give an idea of the \"worst case scenario\", Dr Hill said, they had compared how much was spent on medicines per person in the US and the UK. The report said this was a way to \"crudely estimate\" how much it would cost the NHS if it spent exactly the same as the US on drugs per head of population: - The NHS in England spent an estimated PS18bn on medicines in 2017-18 - The US spent 2.5 times as much per head,  according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - Multiplying PS18bn by 2.5 gives an annual cost of PS45bn - That's an extra PS27bn a year or about PS519m a week In practice it's highly unlikely that NHS spending on medicines per person would end up being the same as the US's. The Labour leader was asked about the PS500m figure at his speech on Tuesday and said: \"I believe it to be an accurate and credible figure... and I'm very happy for anybody else to analyse it and tell me if I've understated the case.\" Labour have also used the figure on Facebook, on a mocked-up bus (with a nod to the Vote Leave bus Boris Johnson campaigned in front of in 2016 - we've checked its PS350m claim before)."}], "question": "Where does the PS500m figure come from?", "id": "947_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2324, "answer_end": 3658, "text": "At the moment, according to the Office for National Statistics, 9% of all medicines imported by the NHS come directly from the US. In contrast, 79% of medicine imports come from the European Union. But, Dr Hill says, this figure is likely to underestimate the proportion of drugs coming from American manufacturers, because some US companies sell drugs into the UK via other countries. Because of the NHS's size and purchasing power, though, it has a lot of clout when it comes to negotiating prices. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assesses the benefits of a particular drug and decides the acceptable cost for this benefit. Then the NHS negotiates with companies to lower their prices, rather than paying the market price. NHS prices are also used by several countries as a reference point, meaning those countries will not pay more for drugs than the UK does. There's also a voluntary scheme signed up to by many drug companies selling to the UK. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry says this five-year agreement helps keep drug prices down too. \"The strict processes the UK has in place to ensure value for money mean we have some of the lowest prices for medicines in Europe and this is good for NHS patients,\" a spokesperson said. Why do the US pay so much for prescription drugs?"}], "question": "What is the current situation?", "id": "947_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3659, "answer_end": 4174, "text": "The US view is this is unfair to Americans, who pay more, and \"significantly undervalues\" medicines that are costly to develop and make. US trade negotiators have said that as part of a deal with the UK after Brexit, they want \"non-discriminatory\" access to the UK market. As an example, in a free trade agreement with South Korea the US stipulated that prices for pharmaceutical products should be \"based on competitive market-derived prices\". This piece was published on 5 November 2019 and updated on 8 November."}], "question": "What does the US want?", "id": "947_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Lula: Brazil's top court ruling could overturn corruption conviction", "date": "27 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A ruling by Brazil's top court could see one of jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's corruption convictions being overturned. The Supreme Court ruled that defendants should be allowed to defend themselves after being cited in plea deals by witnesses also accused of corruption. The decision could annul one of Lula's two convictions and send the case back to a pre-sentencing stage. Lula has been sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison. Operation Car Wash, an unprecedented corruption investigation initially centred on the state-run oil company Petrobras, uncovered billions of dollars of bribes and led to the convictions of dozens of high-profile business leaders and politicians. Lula, who led Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has consistently denied all the accusations. Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was elected last year in a poll that Lula, a leftist politician who remains a popular figure in Brazil, was barred from joining because of one of the convictions. Sergio Moro, the judge who oversaw the Car Wash investigation, became justice minister in the Bolsonaro government. Seven of the 11 members of the Supreme Court decided that defendants should have the chance to defend themselves after being cited in testimony obtained through plea-bargain deals by witnesses also accused of corruption. On Tuesday, justices are expected to start debating whether or not the decision should be limited to future cases. The ruling stems from a habeas corpus writ requested by a former Petrobras employee, and could impact about 30 sentences related to the Car Wash operation, which revealed corruption in the 13 years of Lula's Workers' Party in the presidency. Lula was jailed in April last year after being sentenced by Mr Moro to 12 years and one month in prison in 2017 for receiving a beachside apartment from an engineering company implicated in the Car Wash investigation. In February, he was sentenced to a further 12 years and 11 months in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes in the form of renovation work at a country house from construction companies. He is appealing this conviction, and his team says the Supreme Court's decision could result in at least this sentencing being annulled. Lula, who is awaiting trial in six other cases, argues that the charges against him are politically motivated. His lawyers say leaked messages allegedly sent by Mr Moro while he was presiding over the Operation Car Wash appeared to make suggestions to prosecutors about the pace, focus and order of the anti-corruption investigations. The messages, published by The Intercept website, appear to show Mr Moro asking the prosecutors to publish press releases criticising Lula's defence, and sharing investigative tips with them when he was legally obliged to remain impartial. Mr Moro has denied improper conduct and criticised The Intercept for not naming their source. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes told Reuters news agency he believed that Lula deserved a retrial, and that the investigation had become politicised. Despite the leaking of the messages, Mr Moro and the Car Wash team continue to enjoy strong support among Brazilians. The investigation has recovered 14bn reais (PS2.7bn; $3.4bn) of public money.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1106, "answer_end": 1683, "text": "Seven of the 11 members of the Supreme Court decided that defendants should have the chance to defend themselves after being cited in testimony obtained through plea-bargain deals by witnesses also accused of corruption. On Tuesday, justices are expected to start debating whether or not the decision should be limited to future cases. The ruling stems from a habeas corpus writ requested by a former Petrobras employee, and could impact about 30 sentences related to the Car Wash operation, which revealed corruption in the 13 years of Lula's Workers' Party in the presidency."}], "question": "What did the Supreme Court decide?", "id": "948_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1684, "answer_end": 3269, "text": "Lula was jailed in April last year after being sentenced by Mr Moro to 12 years and one month in prison in 2017 for receiving a beachside apartment from an engineering company implicated in the Car Wash investigation. In February, he was sentenced to a further 12 years and 11 months in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes in the form of renovation work at a country house from construction companies. He is appealing this conviction, and his team says the Supreme Court's decision could result in at least this sentencing being annulled. Lula, who is awaiting trial in six other cases, argues that the charges against him are politically motivated. His lawyers say leaked messages allegedly sent by Mr Moro while he was presiding over the Operation Car Wash appeared to make suggestions to prosecutors about the pace, focus and order of the anti-corruption investigations. The messages, published by The Intercept website, appear to show Mr Moro asking the prosecutors to publish press releases criticising Lula's defence, and sharing investigative tips with them when he was legally obliged to remain impartial. Mr Moro has denied improper conduct and criticised The Intercept for not naming their source. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes told Reuters news agency he believed that Lula deserved a retrial, and that the investigation had become politicised. Despite the leaking of the messages, Mr Moro and the Car Wash team continue to enjoy strong support among Brazilians. The investigation has recovered 14bn reais (PS2.7bn; $3.4bn) of public money."}], "question": "What are Lula's convictions?", "id": "948_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sinai plane crash: Four theories", "date": "5 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Egyptian and international experts are investigating why a Russian airliner carrying 224 people crashed in the north of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing all on board. What will be their main lines of inquiry? US and European security officials have said they have intelligence to suggest a bomb may have been planted by militants. On 4 November, Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: \"We have concluded that there is a significant possibility that the crash was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft.\" The UK and Ireland immediately halted flights to Sinai. An unnamed US official told the Associated Press news agency they had reached the \"tentative conclusion\", after intercepting communications, that an Islamic State (IS) affiliate in the Sinai peninsula had planted an explosive device on the plane. \"A bomb is a highly possible scenario,\" another US official told the AFP news agency. On Tuesday, US media reported that a military satellite had detected a \"heat flash\" over the Sinai at the time of the crash. Russian officials have already confirmed the plane broke up in mid-air. IS-linked militants in Sinai have said they were behind the downing of Flight KGL9268, although their claims have not been authenticated. Many officials stress that no final conclusions have yet been reached, and work needs to continue on analysing the black boxes as well as the wreckage from the site before any definitive conclusions can be reached. Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight, contradicting earlier reports that the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing after experiencing technical problems. In Russia, the widow of the plane's co-pilot, Sergei Trukhachev, told NTV her husband had complained the plane's condition \"left much to be desired\" during a telephone call before the flight left Sharm el-Sheikh. But the Kogalymavia airline has insisted the 18-year-old plane was fully airworthy, and Mr Kamal said that \"there were no reports that the airplane had faults, the checks done before take-off did not reveal anything\". Kogalymavia has said \"external factors\" were behind the crash - meaning the airline believes it was not a technical fault. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the plane sustained a tail strike - when a plane's tail hits the runway - while landing in Cairo in 2001. That took three months to repair. The botched repair of a tail strike caused Japan Airlines Flight 123 to crash in 1985, the worst single-aircraft accident in history, in which 520 of 524 on board were killed. But Kogalymavia officials said that the plane was repaired completely after the 2001 incident, and this could not have had an effect on its safety. The airline has said that the pilot - who reports identified as Valery Nemov - had more than 12,000 hours of flying experience, including 3,860 hours in A321s. Kogalymavia says it has ruled out \"any mistake by the crew.\" But the aircraft's \"black boxes\" - the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR), both of which have been found - will provide investigators with detail on the last minutes of the flight and tell them whether any actions taken by the flight crew caused or contributed to the crash - which happened during fine weather. Officials say the information from the FDR has been extracted and is being analysed, but the CVR was badly damaged. Egypt's aviation ministry said \"a lot of work is required in order to extract data from\" the CVR. The CVR records the voices of the pilots and other sounds from the cockpit. It retains two hours of recording - on longer flights, the latest data is recorded over the oldest. The FDR records technical flight data, including at least five basic sets of information: pressure altitude, air speed, heading, acceleration and microphone keying (the time radio transmissions were made by the crew). Both recorders are designed to withstand a massive impact and a fire reaching temperatures of up to 1,100C for 60 minutes. Suggestions that Flight KGL9268 was brought down by a missile fired by Islamic State militants have been met with scepticism by security experts. The jet was cruising well above the maximum range of any surface-to-air missile that the jihadists are thought to possess. These are far less powerful than the vehicle-borne Buk system that shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine last year. Experts have also questioned the logic of why Islamic State's Sinai affiliate would risk inviting a massive international retaliation by such an action when its battle is primarily with the Egyptian state. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that with Russia fighting a war against IS in Syria, and Egypt's fragile economy in desperate need of tourists, both countries will be hoping this has nothing to do with terrorism.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 209, "answer_end": 1465, "text": "US and European security officials have said they have intelligence to suggest a bomb may have been planted by militants. On 4 November, Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: \"We have concluded that there is a significant possibility that the crash was caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft.\" The UK and Ireland immediately halted flights to Sinai. An unnamed US official told the Associated Press news agency they had reached the \"tentative conclusion\", after intercepting communications, that an Islamic State (IS) affiliate in the Sinai peninsula had planted an explosive device on the plane. \"A bomb is a highly possible scenario,\" another US official told the AFP news agency. On Tuesday, US media reported that a military satellite had detected a \"heat flash\" over the Sinai at the time of the crash. Russian officials have already confirmed the plane broke up in mid-air. IS-linked militants in Sinai have said they were behind the downing of Flight KGL9268, although their claims have not been authenticated. Many officials stress that no final conclusions have yet been reached, and work needs to continue on analysing the black boxes as well as the wreckage from the site before any definitive conclusions can be reached."}], "question": "Bomb on board?", "id": "949_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1466, "answer_end": 2758, "text": "Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight, contradicting earlier reports that the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing after experiencing technical problems. In Russia, the widow of the plane's co-pilot, Sergei Trukhachev, told NTV her husband had complained the plane's condition \"left much to be desired\" during a telephone call before the flight left Sharm el-Sheikh. But the Kogalymavia airline has insisted the 18-year-old plane was fully airworthy, and Mr Kamal said that \"there were no reports that the airplane had faults, the checks done before take-off did not reveal anything\". Kogalymavia has said \"external factors\" were behind the crash - meaning the airline believes it was not a technical fault. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the plane sustained a tail strike - when a plane's tail hits the runway - while landing in Cairo in 2001. That took three months to repair. The botched repair of a tail strike caused Japan Airlines Flight 123 to crash in 1985, the worst single-aircraft accident in history, in which 520 of 524 on board were killed. But Kogalymavia officials said that the plane was repaired completely after the 2001 incident, and this could not have had an effect on its safety."}], "question": "Technical fault?", "id": "949_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2759, "answer_end": 4051, "text": "The airline has said that the pilot - who reports identified as Valery Nemov - had more than 12,000 hours of flying experience, including 3,860 hours in A321s. Kogalymavia says it has ruled out \"any mistake by the crew.\" But the aircraft's \"black boxes\" - the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR), both of which have been found - will provide investigators with detail on the last minutes of the flight and tell them whether any actions taken by the flight crew caused or contributed to the crash - which happened during fine weather. Officials say the information from the FDR has been extracted and is being analysed, but the CVR was badly damaged. Egypt's aviation ministry said \"a lot of work is required in order to extract data from\" the CVR. The CVR records the voices of the pilots and other sounds from the cockpit. It retains two hours of recording - on longer flights, the latest data is recorded over the oldest. The FDR records technical flight data, including at least five basic sets of information: pressure altitude, air speed, heading, acceleration and microphone keying (the time radio transmissions were made by the crew). Both recorders are designed to withstand a massive impact and a fire reaching temperatures of up to 1,100C for 60 minutes."}], "question": "Human error?", "id": "949_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4052, "answer_end": 4884, "text": "Suggestions that Flight KGL9268 was brought down by a missile fired by Islamic State militants have been met with scepticism by security experts. The jet was cruising well above the maximum range of any surface-to-air missile that the jihadists are thought to possess. These are far less powerful than the vehicle-borne Buk system that shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine last year. Experts have also questioned the logic of why Islamic State's Sinai affiliate would risk inviting a massive international retaliation by such an action when its battle is primarily with the Egyptian state. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that with Russia fighting a war against IS in Syria, and Egypt's fragile economy in desperate need of tourists, both countries will be hoping this has nothing to do with terrorism."}], "question": "Shot down by missile?", "id": "949_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: Germany suspends upgrade to Turkey tanks", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The German government has put plans on hold to upgrade German-made tanks used by Turkey amid a public outcry over a Turkish offensive in northern Syria. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the decision would be taken once a new coalition government had been formed. Pictures have been circulating in the German media of Leopard tanks being used by Turkish forces in their campaign against Kurdish forces. Turkish-led forces began their assault in Syria's north-west on Saturday. Air strikes pummelled the Afrin enclave before ground forces moved in against the Kurdish YPG militia. Forty-eight Turkish-backed rebels and 42 YPG fighters have been killed in the fighting since Saturday, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. Yes, last week Berlin seemed ready to approve Turkey's request for German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to make its 1990s-era Leopard 2 tanks less vulnerable to explosives. But then pictures emerged suggesting the tanks were not only being used in campaigns against the Islamic State (IS) group but also in Turkey's \"Operation Olive Branch\" against the YPG. Politicians not only from the German left but also Chancellor Angela Merkel's own CDU party have condemned the upgrade. Norbert Rottgen, the conservative chair of the parliamentary foreign policy committee, told the BBC the Turkish attack was a violation of international law. There is deep unease about the Turkish incursion into Syrian territory - and the impact of its campaign on civilians. The Observatory reports 28 civilians killed by Turkish air and artillery strikes on Afrin and another two by YPG fire inside Syria. Thousands of people have been displaced. Conflicting alliances and interests among regional and global powers. Turkey accuses the YPG of having links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) group within its own borders. The YPG denies any direct organisational links to the PKK - an assertion backed by the US, which has provided the militia and allied Arab fighters with weapons and air support to help them battle IS jihadists in Syria. The US-Turkish tensions are illustrated by reports of a confrontational phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. While a White House statement says Mr Trump \"urged Turkey to de-escalate\" its Afrin operation, the Turkish foreign minister says Mr Erdogan demanded US troops withdraw from northern Syria's Manbij region, which is also controlled by Kurdish forces. Mr Erdogan has reportedly said the Turkish operation will be extended to Manbij - potentially bringing the Nato allies into direct conflict. The White House statement says President Trump \"urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces\". Meanwhile, the Anha news agency is quoting the Kurdish-led administration of Afrin as saying that the Turkish operation \"threatens Syria and the security and life of the civilian population residing in the area\". \"The aim of this aggression is to cut more Syrian land by occupying Afrin,\" the statement says, urging Syria to \"protect its borders with Turkey from attacks by the Turkish occupier\". So far the Turkish-backed forces seem to have made slow progress. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters the suspension did not amount to a complete block on defence co-operation between Turkey and Germany, one of the biggest arms exporters in the world. \"While we fight with terrorists, we expect support and solidarity from Germany,\" Mr Cavusoglu told reporters. \"We expect them to not support terrorists, but I know they are also under pressure.\" German media say the caretaker government was close to agreeing the modernisation deal with Turkey and was back-footed by the public outcry. But the government now says it is unanimous that the decision should be taken when a new coalition government has been formed. It is a setback for German-Turkish ties when a rapprochement had appeared to be on the horizon following a meeting between Mr Gabriel and Mr Cavusoglu earlier this month. Relations hit rock bottom in the fallout of Turkey's crackdown in response to an attempted coup in July 2016. There has been particular anger over Ankara's detention of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel in February 2017.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 761, "answer_end": 1686, "text": "Yes, last week Berlin seemed ready to approve Turkey's request for German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to make its 1990s-era Leopard 2 tanks less vulnerable to explosives. But then pictures emerged suggesting the tanks were not only being used in campaigns against the Islamic State (IS) group but also in Turkey's \"Operation Olive Branch\" against the YPG. Politicians not only from the German left but also Chancellor Angela Merkel's own CDU party have condemned the upgrade. Norbert Rottgen, the conservative chair of the parliamentary foreign policy committee, told the BBC the Turkish attack was a violation of international law. There is deep unease about the Turkish incursion into Syrian territory - and the impact of its campaign on civilians. The Observatory reports 28 civilians killed by Turkish air and artillery strikes on Afrin and another two by YPG fire inside Syria. Thousands of people have been displaced."}], "question": "Germany was set to approve the upgrade - what happened?", "id": "950_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1687, "answer_end": 3285, "text": "Conflicting alliances and interests among regional and global powers. Turkey accuses the YPG of having links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) group within its own borders. The YPG denies any direct organisational links to the PKK - an assertion backed by the US, which has provided the militia and allied Arab fighters with weapons and air support to help them battle IS jihadists in Syria. The US-Turkish tensions are illustrated by reports of a confrontational phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. While a White House statement says Mr Trump \"urged Turkey to de-escalate\" its Afrin operation, the Turkish foreign minister says Mr Erdogan demanded US troops withdraw from northern Syria's Manbij region, which is also controlled by Kurdish forces. Mr Erdogan has reportedly said the Turkish operation will be extended to Manbij - potentially bringing the Nato allies into direct conflict. The White House statement says President Trump \"urged Turkey to exercise caution and to avoid any actions that might risk conflict between Turkish and American forces\". Meanwhile, the Anha news agency is quoting the Kurdish-led administration of Afrin as saying that the Turkish operation \"threatens Syria and the security and life of the civilian population residing in the area\". \"The aim of this aggression is to cut more Syrian land by occupying Afrin,\" the statement says, urging Syria to \"protect its borders with Turkey from attacks by the Turkish occupier\". So far the Turkish-backed forces seem to have made slow progress."}], "question": "What's the back story here?", "id": "950_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3286, "answer_end": 4343, "text": "Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters the suspension did not amount to a complete block on defence co-operation between Turkey and Germany, one of the biggest arms exporters in the world. \"While we fight with terrorists, we expect support and solidarity from Germany,\" Mr Cavusoglu told reporters. \"We expect them to not support terrorists, but I know they are also under pressure.\" German media say the caretaker government was close to agreeing the modernisation deal with Turkey and was back-footed by the public outcry. But the government now says it is unanimous that the decision should be taken when a new coalition government has been formed. It is a setback for German-Turkish ties when a rapprochement had appeared to be on the horizon following a meeting between Mr Gabriel and Mr Cavusoglu earlier this month. Relations hit rock bottom in the fallout of Turkey's crackdown in response to an attempted coup in July 2016. There has been particular anger over Ankara's detention of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel in February 2017."}], "question": "How has Turkey reacted to the news?", "id": "950_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Indian censor Leela Samson resigns over guru film row", "date": "16 January 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India's censor board chief has resigned after reports that a film rejected by her panel has been cleared for release. Leela Samson quit after an appeals board approved the film Messenger of God, directed by and starring guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The Ms Samson-led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had found the film unsuitable for the public, reportedly because it promoted superstition. She also accused the state-run CBFC of \"corruption and coercion\". Meanwhile, organisations opposed to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have held protests in Punjab and Haryana following reports that the film had been cleared for release. Ms Samson took over in August after the board's former chief was arrested on charges of corruption. Messenger of God was cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after Ms Samson's panel rejected it. Ms Samson said the apparent clearance of the film was \"a mockery\" of her organisation. \"My resignation is final,\" she told the Press Trust of India news agency. On Friday, her colleague Ira Bhaskar also quit over the issue. India's junior Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore denied any interference, saying the government was \"absolutely hands-away\" from all decisions of the censor board. But a CBFC member, Nandini Sardesai, said she was concerned the film was cleared in haste. The 47-year-old chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect dresses up in colourful clothes, with a rock star image. He has published half a dozen music videos and regularly performs at rock concerts, which are attended by tens of thousands of followers. In his latest hit number Highway Love Charger, which has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube, the guru is seen singing and dancing in multi-coloured pyjamas and a top that is embellished with glittering sequins and stones. The official trailer of Messenger of God shows him performing daredevil stunts, riding bikes, and taking on villains. It also has song and dance routines. The Dera Sacha Sauda website claims it is a \"social welfare and spiritual organisation that preaches and practices humanitarianism and selfless services to others\". The sect claims to have more than 50 million followers around the world and says it campaigns against female foeticide, for reforms for sex workers, runs schools and several hospitals. In recent months, the Dera chief has been mired in controversy, with allegations that he forced 400 followers to undergo castrations so that they could get \"closer to god\" and is also accused of rape and murder - charges a spokesman for the sect has denied. He has also been opposed by mainstream Sikh leaders, who accuse him of insulting and belittling their faith. \"We all saw the movie. It was the collective decision of eight of us that the movie was not suitable for public viewing,\" Ms Sardesai told NDTV news channel. \"Usually the Tribunal takes 15 to 30 days to clear a film, but this case was cleared within 24 hours.\" The Mid-Day newspaper quoted Ms Sardesai as saying that they had rejected the film because it \"promotes superstition and blind faith\". The guru's website mentions Messenger of God as a \"movie which aims to spread social awareness in the society\". \"While the whole story depicts the truth, yet action, suspense and drama are also being added to make it more interesting,\" the website says. Ms Samson said she had resigned because of \"interference, coercion and corruption\" of  the government-appointed members and officers of the board. Last August, the former president of the board Rakesh Kumar was arrested for allegedly soliciting a bribe from a film producer and removed from the position. Films cannot be publicly exhibited in India unless they have been certified by the board, which is based in Mumbai and has nine regional offices. According to its website, the board has a legally empowered mission to \"ensure healthy entertainment, recreation and education to the public\". Its approval process can be slow and laborious, with multiple rounds of cuts, sometimes demanded before one of its four certificates is granted.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1352, "answer_end": 2707, "text": "The 47-year-old chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect dresses up in colourful clothes, with a rock star image. He has published half a dozen music videos and regularly performs at rock concerts, which are attended by tens of thousands of followers. In his latest hit number Highway Love Charger, which has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube, the guru is seen singing and dancing in multi-coloured pyjamas and a top that is embellished with glittering sequins and stones. The official trailer of Messenger of God shows him performing daredevil stunts, riding bikes, and taking on villains. It also has song and dance routines. The Dera Sacha Sauda website claims it is a \"social welfare and spiritual organisation that preaches and practices humanitarianism and selfless services to others\". The sect claims to have more than 50 million followers around the world and says it campaigns against female foeticide, for reforms for sex workers, runs schools and several hospitals. In recent months, the Dera chief has been mired in controversy, with allegations that he forced 400 followers to undergo castrations so that they could get \"closer to god\" and is also accused of rape and murder - charges a spokesman for the sect has denied. He has also been opposed by mainstream Sikh leaders, who accuse him of insulting and belittling their faith."}], "question": "Who is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh?", "id": "951_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Alexandra Macesanu murder: Minister sacked over \u2018deeply wrong\u2019 remarks", "date": "3 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Romania's prime minister has fired her education minister over her \"deeply wrong\" comments about a kidnapping case. In a TV interview earlier this week, Ecaterina Andronescu said she was taught \"not to get in cars with strangers\". Alexandra Macesanu, 15, was abducted west of the capital, Bucharest, last Wednesday. The suspect, 65-year-old Gheorghe Dinca, told police he killed Alexandra. Forensic tests confirmed that Alexandra's DNA was found in human remains at Mr Dinca's home, investigators have said. The Romanian Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila, said Ecaterina Andronescu's remarks about a teen's abduction show a \"lack of understanding\". Ms Andronescu has said she did not intend to blame the victim or her parents. The education minister is the latest Romanian government official to lose her job over the case, which has caused public outcry. Romania's police chief Ioan Buda has been sacked and interior minister Nicolae Moga has stepped down, but critics are demanding more resignations. Authorities have been criticised for what is seen as their slow response to Alexandra's three emergency calls. Alexandra disappeared last Wednesday while hitchhiking to her home in the southern city of Caracal, police said. Police waited for 19 hours to search the property where she was being held, by which time she was presumed dead. On Tuesday, Alexandra's uncle, Alexandru Cumpanasu, released what he said was a transcript of her calls to emergency number 112. In one conversation, she pleaded with an officer to \"please stay with me on the line, I'm really scared\", only to be told other calls were being dealt with, according to the transcript. Suspect Gheorghe Dinca, who is in custody, has told police he killed Alexandra. The 65-year-old also admitted killing another teenage girl, 18-year-old Luiza Melencu, who has been missing since April. Mr Dinca's lawyer, Alexandru Bogdan, told Romania's national news agency Agerpres on Sunday that his client had \"confessed [to] his crimes\". Police found human remains, including blood stains and bones, during searches of Mr Dinca's home. Initially, police did not rule out the possibility Alexandra was still alive. But in a statement on Saturday, the organised crime unit leading the investigation said laboratory analysis so far found \"the genetic profile of one person, Alexandra Macesanu\". Her uncle Alexandru Cumpanasu, who has been acting as a spokesman for the family, wrote on Facebook: \"I couldn't save this wonderful child's life. Locals in Caracal, whose population is around 30,000, told AFP news agency that Alexandra's case has eroded their trust in authorities. \"I'm afraid to walk down the streets, you can imagine. We never saw such a thing in our town\", a woman living near the suspect's house said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1653, "answer_end": 2772, "text": "Suspect Gheorghe Dinca, who is in custody, has told police he killed Alexandra. The 65-year-old also admitted killing another teenage girl, 18-year-old Luiza Melencu, who has been missing since April. Mr Dinca's lawyer, Alexandru Bogdan, told Romania's national news agency Agerpres on Sunday that his client had \"confessed [to] his crimes\". Police found human remains, including blood stains and bones, during searches of Mr Dinca's home. Initially, police did not rule out the possibility Alexandra was still alive. But in a statement on Saturday, the organised crime unit leading the investigation said laboratory analysis so far found \"the genetic profile of one person, Alexandra Macesanu\". Her uncle Alexandru Cumpanasu, who has been acting as a spokesman for the family, wrote on Facebook: \"I couldn't save this wonderful child's life. Locals in Caracal, whose population is around 30,000, told AFP news agency that Alexandra's case has eroded their trust in authorities. \"I'm afraid to walk down the streets, you can imagine. We never saw such a thing in our town\", a woman living near the suspect's house said."}], "question": "Who is the suspect?", "id": "952_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mustafa Kassem: Egyptian-American dies on hunger strike in Egypt", "date": "14 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Egyptian-American citizen Mustafa Kassem has died in Egypt after going on hunger strike in prison. The 54-year-old was a New York taxi driver, originally from Egypt, who was arrested on a home visit in 2013 on accusations of being a spy and taking part in anti-government protests. Mr Kassem had always denied the charges against him. He stopped eating solids late last year and ceased drinking fluids four days ago. The top US diplomat for the Middle East, David Schenker, described Mr Kassem's death as \"needless, tragic and avoidable\". Mr Kassem was arrested in August 2013 in Cairo by security officials who accused him of being a spy and taking part in protests against the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018. Mr Kassem - who was visiting family in Egypt at the time - denied accusations he was part of the protest, which left more than 800 people dead when security forces opened fire on demonstrators, according Human Rights Watch. He accused Egyptian soldiers of snatching his American passport and stamping on it during his arrest. Mr Kassem went on several hunger strikes during his detention. Pretrial Rights International, which represented him, said he had died of a heart attack. \"Last Thursday, he ceased taking liquids and was shortly thereafter transferred to a local hospital, where he passed away today in the late afternoon (local time),\" it said in a statement. The Egyptian interior ministry said he was moved to the prison medical wing for treatment for his diabetes. \"His condition deteriorated... and he died on January 13,\" it said in a statement. Mr Schenker, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, called Kassem's death tragic and avoidable, but stopped short of outlining any repercussions for Egypt - a close US ally. Egypt's top prosecutor has ordered a post-mortem examination to determine cause of death, the official Egyptian news agency MENA reports. \"Another detainee killed by the prison cells,\" tweeted Egyptian-American activist Aya Hijazi, who was detained for almost three years in Egypt.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 539, "answer_end": 1121, "text": "Mr Kassem was arrested in August 2013 in Cairo by security officials who accused him of being a spy and taking part in protests against the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018. Mr Kassem - who was visiting family in Egypt at the time - denied accusations he was part of the protest, which left more than 800 people dead when security forces opened fire on demonstrators, according Human Rights Watch. He accused Egyptian soldiers of snatching his American passport and stamping on it during his arrest."}], "question": "Why was he arrested?", "id": "953_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1122, "answer_end": 1654, "text": "Mr Kassem went on several hunger strikes during his detention. Pretrial Rights International, which represented him, said he had died of a heart attack. \"Last Thursday, he ceased taking liquids and was shortly thereafter transferred to a local hospital, where he passed away today in the late afternoon (local time),\" it said in a statement. The Egyptian interior ministry said he was moved to the prison medical wing for treatment for his diabetes. \"His condition deteriorated... and he died on January 13,\" it said in a statement."}], "question": "How did he die?", "id": "953_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1655, "answer_end": 2112, "text": "Mr Schenker, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, called Kassem's death tragic and avoidable, but stopped short of outlining any repercussions for Egypt - a close US ally. Egypt's top prosecutor has ordered a post-mortem examination to determine cause of death, the official Egyptian news agency MENA reports. \"Another detainee killed by the prison cells,\" tweeted Egyptian-American activist Aya Hijazi, who was detained for almost three years in Egypt."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "953_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Albania votes amid opposition boycott", "date": "30 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Albanians have voted in an election like no other since the nation emerged from 50 years of communism. Prime Minister Edi Rama pressed on with the local polls - even though his Socialist candidates face almost no opposition at the ballot box. The main opposition boycotted the poll, and minor incidents occurred at polling stations. President Ilir Meta issued a decree to postpone the poll, but Mr Rama rejected it. He has started moves to impeach the president, once an ally. For months now, the opposition has held protests demanding the resignation of the prime minister and new general elections. They accuse Mr Rama of previous electoral fraud and corruption - which he denies. The vote went ahead, with critics saying it is not a proper election given the lack of competition. Only representatives of minor parties are opposing Mr Rama's Socialists in a few seats - many are uncontested. Some local opposition mayors used their powers to stop the use of public buildings - such as schools - as polling stations. In the run-up to the vote, opposition supporters clashed with police - and in some cases set fire to ballot papers and boxes. Incidents on Sunday included scuffles and broken windows. In one case, an armed man burst into a polling station and was subsequently arrested. But opposition protests were largely peaceful - in some cases songs from Albania's communist past were sung outside polling stations to taunt those voting in what opponents say are single-party elections. Lulzim Basha, leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party, has been under international pressure to rein in militants. On the eve of the vote, he urged supporters to refrain from violence. Mr Rama - in power since 2013 - won the last parliamentary elections in 2017. Early this year, the opposition alleged that the vote had been \"bought\". German newspaper Bild has published intercepted telephone conversations that the opposition says prove their charges. Mr Rama has sued in a German court. Every poll result since the 1991 election - which took place a year after the fall of communism - has been disputed. This time, however, the Albanian opposition took the unprecedented step of relinquishing their parliamentary mandates en bloc. Their tactic appears to have backfired. They had hoped to derail the work of parliament and force the government to back down. Unlikely. Traditionally, election winners in Albania have adopted a \"winner-takes-all approach\" and the opposition has often seen street protests deliver what parliamentary discourse failed to. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has deployed election observers. Their initial report underlines the challenges they face. European Union leaders are assessing whether to start of membership negotiations for the Balkan nation, also a Nato ally. A decision expected in October may hinge on the outcome of Sunday's exercise.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 683, "answer_end": 1687, "text": "The vote went ahead, with critics saying it is not a proper election given the lack of competition. Only representatives of minor parties are opposing Mr Rama's Socialists in a few seats - many are uncontested. Some local opposition mayors used their powers to stop the use of public buildings - such as schools - as polling stations. In the run-up to the vote, opposition supporters clashed with police - and in some cases set fire to ballot papers and boxes. Incidents on Sunday included scuffles and broken windows. In one case, an armed man burst into a polling station and was subsequently arrested. But opposition protests were largely peaceful - in some cases songs from Albania's communist past were sung outside polling stations to taunt those voting in what opponents say are single-party elections. Lulzim Basha, leader of the largest opposition Democratic Party, has been under international pressure to rein in militants. On the eve of the vote, he urged supporters to refrain from violence."}], "question": "What happened on Sunday?", "id": "954_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1688, "answer_end": 2363, "text": "Mr Rama - in power since 2013 - won the last parliamentary elections in 2017. Early this year, the opposition alleged that the vote had been \"bought\". German newspaper Bild has published intercepted telephone conversations that the opposition says prove their charges. Mr Rama has sued in a German court. Every poll result since the 1991 election - which took place a year after the fall of communism - has been disputed. This time, however, the Albanian opposition took the unprecedented step of relinquishing their parliamentary mandates en bloc. Their tactic appears to have backfired. They had hoped to derail the work of parliament and force the government to back down."}], "question": "What's causing this confrontation?", "id": "954_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2364, "answer_end": 2905, "text": "Unlikely. Traditionally, election winners in Albania have adopted a \"winner-takes-all approach\" and the opposition has often seen street protests deliver what parliamentary discourse failed to. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has deployed election observers. Their initial report underlines the challenges they face. European Union leaders are assessing whether to start of membership negotiations for the Balkan nation, also a Nato ally. A decision expected in October may hinge on the outcome of Sunday's exercise."}], "question": "Is there any hope of reconciliation?", "id": "954_2"}]}]}, {"title": "JFK assassination: Questions that won't go away", "date": "25 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On Thursday, classified files about the Kennedy assassination will be released - but what might they show? Where were you when Kennedy was shot? Toni Glover was there, in Dallas, watching by the side of the road. She was 11 years old. \"I had a troubled childhood,\" she says. \"I thought if I could get Kennedy to look at me, and wave at me, that would mean we had a personal relationship, and everything at home would be perfect. \"It was magical thinking from an 11-year-old.\" Toni got to the Dealey Plaza early and found a \"perfect\" spot to watch the president's parade. \"He came by, he smiled and waved,\" she says. \"Jackie smiled and waved - she was on my side. \"He turned the corner. I thought, 'I'm going to follow this car until it disappears because it's the president - I'm going to watch every second I can.' \"And then his head exploded. It just exploded.\" She told her mother that someone had thrown fireworks into the car. \"But really, I knew different,\" she adds. Now, 54 years later, Dr Toni Glover is an associate professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. \"I believe in facts,\" she says. \"I went to a (JFK) conference where there were a number of conspiracy people. Some of it is insane. Some of it is absolutely crazy.\" And yet... \"There are some legitimate investigators that have a question or two that they've almost answered.\" John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot dead on 22 November 1963. He was travelling in an open-topped limousine. The Governor of Texas John Connally, who was sitting in front of the president, was wounded but survived. Within an hour, Dallas policeman JD Tippit was also killed. Soon afterwards, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. Within 12 hours, he was charged with the killings of President Kennedy and JD Tippit. On 24 November, Oswald was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas police department by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. The shooting was captured live on television. Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald and sentenced to death. He appealed but died of cancer in 1967, before the retrial. A week after Kennedy was killed, President Lyndon B Johnson set up a commission to investigate the case. The Warren Commission's report, published in September 1964, said that: - The shots were fired from the sixth-floor window at the south-east corner of the Texas School Book Depository - The shots were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald - There was \"no evidence that either Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack Ruby was part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign\". There were other investigations: - In 1968, a panel of four doctors \"supported the medical conclusions of the Warren Commission\" - In 1975, the Rockefeller Commission found \"no credible evidence of any CIA involvement\" - In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations largely supported the Warren Commission - but said there was a \"high probability that two gunmen fired at President Kennedy\". In 1992, a law passed by Congress meant all assassination-related records - around five million pages - were transferred to the National Archives. Around 88% of the records are open in full; 11% are open but with \"sensitive portions\" removed; and 1% are withheld in full. According to the 1992 law, all records must be published in full within 25 years, unless the president says otherwise. The deadline is Thursday. Toni Glover - who saw the killing aged 11 - thinks there may have been a second shooter. Some people believe the \"other\" gunman fired from the \"grassy knoll\", which the president's limousine passed. Toni thinks the second shooter - if there was one - could have been on the other side of the road. \"There's fairly substantial evidence,\" she says. \"It has some validity to it.\" Jefferson Morley is a former Washington Post reporter who has written several books on the killing - including one, out this week, about former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton. \"I've never written about a conspiracy theory,\" he says. \"I report new facts about the assassination.\" He \"tends to doubt\" that Oswald shot JFK. He says it's more likely the fatal shot came from in front of Kennedy - rather than behind. \"Look at the Zapruder film,\" says Morley, referring to the famous home-movie footage of the killing. \"Kennedy's head goes flying backwards. \"I know there's a theory that if you get hit by a bullet from behind, the head goes towards the source of the bullet. But as a common sense explanation, it seems very unlikely. \"That sure looks like a shot from the front.\" Morley has other reasons to doubt the official story. A paraffin test on Oswald's cheek, after he was arrested, suggested he hadn't fired a rifle (the test's reliability has been questioned). John Connally - the Texas governor who was also travelling in the president's car - said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy, contradicting the Warren Commission's findings. And Morley thinks other parts of the official explanation don't add up. \"The official story - there was this guy Oswald, who nobody knew anything about, who came out of nowhere and shot the president - that story we know, beyond a reasonable doubt, is false,\" he says. \"Oswald was monitored by the counter-intelligence staff of the CIA and by James Angleton for four years - from December 1959 when they opened their first file, to November 1963.\" But Thomas Whalen, an author and associate professor at Boston University, thinks Oswald did shoot JFK. \"And not just me, but in general, historians believe he was the assassin. The big question is - was he involved in a broader conspiracy?\" While the Warren Commission said Oswald acted alone, it did note that he travelled to the Soviet Union in 1959, unsuccessfully applied for Soviet citizenship, and lived there until 1962. It also found that Oswald - a self-proclaimed Marxist - visited the Cuban and Russian embassies in Mexico City in September 1963, two months before Kennedy was shot. Whalen says the newly released documents may shed light on this trip. \"What was Oswald doing in Mexico City weeks before the assassination? Did he meet Cuban and Soviet intelligence officials? Did they give him a green light? \"Certainly Fidel Castro (Cuban prime minister, then president) had motive to kill President Kennedy. We - we being the United States government - were trying to kill him.\" Bruce Miroglio, a lawyer from St Helena, California, has read \"many thousands\" of books on Kennedy and his assassination. \"In fact, I'm sitting in my office looking at the 26 volumes of the Warren Report,\" he says. Although he says the report made mistakes, he \"basically supports\" its conclusions. He does not believe there was a second gunman, is \"sceptical\" of conspiracy theories, and is not expecting huge revelations in Thursday's documents. \"The number of people that would be involved in the cover-up is so vast, it seems almost impossible they would keep anything earth-shattering under wraps,\" he says. Toni Glover says it will be \"interesting\" to see what emerges. She, though, will remain a witness, rather than an investigator. \"I can't validate anything,\" she says. \"I was at an exuberant presidential parade, everybody hopping up and down, thrilled out of their mind. \"Fifteen seconds later we were in abject dread.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1359, "answer_end": 2089, "text": "John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot dead on 22 November 1963. He was travelling in an open-topped limousine. The Governor of Texas John Connally, who was sitting in front of the president, was wounded but survived. Within an hour, Dallas policeman JD Tippit was also killed. Soon afterwards, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. Within 12 hours, he was charged with the killings of President Kennedy and JD Tippit. On 24 November, Oswald was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas police department by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. The shooting was captured live on television. Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald and sentenced to death. He appealed but died of cancer in 1967, before the retrial."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "955_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2090, "answer_end": 3358, "text": "A week after Kennedy was killed, President Lyndon B Johnson set up a commission to investigate the case. The Warren Commission's report, published in September 1964, said that: - The shots were fired from the sixth-floor window at the south-east corner of the Texas School Book Depository - The shots were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald - There was \"no evidence that either Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack Ruby was part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign\". There were other investigations: - In 1968, a panel of four doctors \"supported the medical conclusions of the Warren Commission\" - In 1975, the Rockefeller Commission found \"no credible evidence of any CIA involvement\" - In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations largely supported the Warren Commission - but said there was a \"high probability that two gunmen fired at President Kennedy\". In 1992, a law passed by Congress meant all assassination-related records - around five million pages - were transferred to the National Archives. Around 88% of the records are open in full; 11% are open but with \"sensitive portions\" removed; and 1% are withheld in full. According to the 1992 law, all records must be published in full within 25 years, unless the president says otherwise. The deadline is Thursday."}], "question": "What was the official explanation?", "id": "955_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3359, "answer_end": 6342, "text": "Toni Glover - who saw the killing aged 11 - thinks there may have been a second shooter. Some people believe the \"other\" gunman fired from the \"grassy knoll\", which the president's limousine passed. Toni thinks the second shooter - if there was one - could have been on the other side of the road. \"There's fairly substantial evidence,\" she says. \"It has some validity to it.\" Jefferson Morley is a former Washington Post reporter who has written several books on the killing - including one, out this week, about former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton. \"I've never written about a conspiracy theory,\" he says. \"I report new facts about the assassination.\" He \"tends to doubt\" that Oswald shot JFK. He says it's more likely the fatal shot came from in front of Kennedy - rather than behind. \"Look at the Zapruder film,\" says Morley, referring to the famous home-movie footage of the killing. \"Kennedy's head goes flying backwards. \"I know there's a theory that if you get hit by a bullet from behind, the head goes towards the source of the bullet. But as a common sense explanation, it seems very unlikely. \"That sure looks like a shot from the front.\" Morley has other reasons to doubt the official story. A paraffin test on Oswald's cheek, after he was arrested, suggested he hadn't fired a rifle (the test's reliability has been questioned). John Connally - the Texas governor who was also travelling in the president's car - said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy, contradicting the Warren Commission's findings. And Morley thinks other parts of the official explanation don't add up. \"The official story - there was this guy Oswald, who nobody knew anything about, who came out of nowhere and shot the president - that story we know, beyond a reasonable doubt, is false,\" he says. \"Oswald was monitored by the counter-intelligence staff of the CIA and by James Angleton for four years - from December 1959 when they opened their first file, to November 1963.\" But Thomas Whalen, an author and associate professor at Boston University, thinks Oswald did shoot JFK. \"And not just me, but in general, historians believe he was the assassin. The big question is - was he involved in a broader conspiracy?\" While the Warren Commission said Oswald acted alone, it did note that he travelled to the Soviet Union in 1959, unsuccessfully applied for Soviet citizenship, and lived there until 1962. It also found that Oswald - a self-proclaimed Marxist - visited the Cuban and Russian embassies in Mexico City in September 1963, two months before Kennedy was shot. Whalen says the newly released documents may shed light on this trip. \"What was Oswald doing in Mexico City weeks before the assassination? Did he meet Cuban and Soviet intelligence officials? Did they give him a green light? \"Certainly Fidel Castro (Cuban prime minister, then president) had motive to kill President Kennedy. We - we being the United States government - were trying to kill him.\""}], "question": "What other theories are there?", "id": "955_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6343, "answer_end": 7274, "text": "Bruce Miroglio, a lawyer from St Helena, California, has read \"many thousands\" of books on Kennedy and his assassination. \"In fact, I'm sitting in my office looking at the 26 volumes of the Warren Report,\" he says. Although he says the report made mistakes, he \"basically supports\" its conclusions. He does not believe there was a second gunman, is \"sceptical\" of conspiracy theories, and is not expecting huge revelations in Thursday's documents. \"The number of people that would be involved in the cover-up is so vast, it seems almost impossible they would keep anything earth-shattering under wraps,\" he says. Toni Glover says it will be \"interesting\" to see what emerges. She, though, will remain a witness, rather than an investigator. \"I can't validate anything,\" she says. \"I was at an exuberant presidential parade, everybody hopping up and down, thrilled out of their mind. \"Fifteen seconds later we were in abject dread.\""}], "question": "What might the new documents show?", "id": "955_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sold for ransom: On the trail of Thailand's human traffickers", "date": "22 May 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As the trade in human beings becomes more and more profitable, the BBC's Jonathan Head discovers that entire communities in Thailand are helping the traffickers. Earlier this month, I accompanied a group of Thai volunteers through the steamy mangrove forest of an island on the Andaman coast. They were following up hazy reports of unmarked graves on the island; it was known to have been used by traffickers to hold large groups of migrants while they waited for transport south towards the Malaysian border. They dug down deep into the waterlogged soil, before the first fragments of bone appeared. Then they pulled at a soggy wet cloth. It was a dress. Inside were the yellowing bones of a woman. Who she was, or how she died, we still do not know. But it is almost certain she was one of the migrants. She must have endured a gruelling sea journey to reach this desolate spot. Had she lived, the ordeal ahead of her, on her route to a better life in Malaysia, might have been even worse. Last October, I was in almost exactly the same area. We had dashed down from Bangkok on news that a group of migrants had been rescued by officials in the district of Takua Pa. In the community hall we found 81 men in acute distress, weeping and praying. Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing here from mistreatment in Myanmar for several years - but this time the men were not Rohingyas. They were Bangladeshis. And some of them told us they had been forced on to the boats that transported them here. District chief Manit Pianthong took us back to where he had found them, in the jungle not far from the site of the woman's grave. They had been starved and beaten over a period of several days. Manit told us his district had long been used by human traffickers to transfer migrants from boats to trucks. He wanted to stamp it out. But he was getting little help from the central government, or from local law enforcement. Over several days, I watched him dealing with angry phone calls from government officials and police, criticising him for talking to the media, and demanding that he send the Bangladeshis to immigration detention centres. It was an open secret that many of the migrants sent there were simply sold back to the traffickers. Manit used volunteers from his own staff to go out searching for the holding camps. He put a 24-hour checkpoint on the main road route south to stop the truckloads of migrants. He put the word out among fishing communities to alert him if they spotted any boats coming in. The arrival of growing numbers of Bangladeshis, together with the Rohingyas, showed that the trade in humans was expanding. And no wonder. It was immensely profitable. - Rohingya Muslims mainly live in Myanmar, where they have faced decades of persecution. - Rights groups say migrants feel they have \"no choice\" but to leave, paying people smugglers to help them. - The UN estimates more than 120,000 Rohingyas have fled in the past three years. - Traffickers usually take the migrants by sea to Thailand then overland to Malaysia. - But Thailand recently began cracking down on the migrant routes, meaning traffickers are using sea routes instead. Why are so many Rohingya stranded at sea? The perilous journey of a migrant boat that made it The Indonesian villagers saving migrants The humidity under the rubber trees was suffocating. A young man in a bright orange shirt moved quickly ahead of me, as I puffed uphill. There was no discernible path. Then he stopped and began talking quickly. Six months earlier he had been living here, he said, with 600 others. He lay down among the fallen leaves and insects to show where they slept, without shelter. They took us to a tent over here, he gestured, and made us phone our parents to demand money. If they could not pay, we were beaten. And over there, he pointed, that is where we saw women being raped. People died, and they sent in trucks to take away the bodies. This was the business model. The Thai trafficking networks bought the migrants by the boatload. The price for a cargo of 300 people, we were told by several sources, including Thai police, was $20,000 (PS13,000; EUR18,000) or more. Then the migrants were held in the jungle until their families paid a ransom, usually $2,000 - $3,000 per person, a huge sum for people usually doing low-end jobs in Malaysia. So how were the traffickers able to conduct this business in the midst of Thai villagers? The camp I saw was just 30 minutes drive from the city of Hat Yai. They involved the local community. Boy, a young Thai Muslim man from a village near the camp, explained how his community was sucked into the trafficking business. A few years back, he said, he had been out hunting birds when he came across migrants, including children, being beaten in the camp. After that he discreetly started offering shelter to migrants who escaped. \"The whole community is involved\", he said. \"It's because of the money. The traffickers hire everyone. They hire people to keep watch on the camps, to carry food for the Rohingyas. They go round all the houses here, hiring people.\" With the price of rubber, their main crop, plunging, it was a tempting alternative. He told me the young men were also offered drugs as an inducement. So if the migrants escaped - there were no fences - they were likely to be caught, and risk violent punishment by the camp guards. - The BBC has seen evidence of the complexity of the smugglers' operation at sites in southern Thailand. In the Takua Pa district, Bangladeshi migrants were rescued by authorities close to the site where the grave of a woman, thought to be a migrant, had been found months later. - On 14 May the BBC found a vessel that had been reported stranded at sea in waters off southern Thailand, near the Thai island of Koh Lipe, after local fishermen spotted the boat. It later arrived in Indonesia. - Half an hour from the city of Hat Yai the BBC saw another site used as a camp by smugglers - with help from the local community. None of this would have been possible, though, without official connivance. Just how high the involvement went is still unclear. But it must have been very high. Towards the end of last year, I was given a briefing by a senior police officer who knows a lot about the human trafficking trade. He told me of at least one huge camp, right on the border with Malaysia, where 1,000 people could be held. Why did he not shut it down, I asked. He laughed. \"You know the border is a military zone\", he said. \"As a police officer I can do nothing there without military approval.\" He had never got that approval. Why did he not go to General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led last year's coup, and who had pledged to end trafficking? If I try that, he said, the traffickers will be told even before I see him, and they will quickly move the camp. All he could do, he said, was to observe. Six months later, the first mass grave, containing 26 bodies, was found in the same camp that he had been impotently watching. It became difficult to work out who was involved, and who was not. One local police chief told us of his efforts to stop the trade. He offered us the use of his boat to go and look for more. A day later a military unit who had taken us out on patrol with them told us the same police chief was deeply implicated in trafficking. But then their own commitment suddenly looked uncertain when they refused to land us, as promised, in villages we were passing where migrants were believed to have been hidden. One officer showed us several sheets of paper detailing his investigations into prominent business figures in Ranong, a province well-known for its trafficking links. He had names, phone numbers, times of calls, evidence of a well-connected network. This information, he said, had been passed on to the central government. The clear implication was that the government was doing nothing. That officer has now been transferred. \"Look, everybody knew those camps were there,\" says Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch. \"It wasn't just the villagers in the vicinity who were working with the camps and serving as lookouts.\" \"These are areas at the Thai-Malaysia border which are militarised. So you had police and military in those areas. There is no way somebody would be able to operate camps of that size without somebody signing off in exchange for a 'packet'\". I stood before a large crowd of Rohingyas, in another local government hall, two days after they had been intercepted. Their guards had been locked up in the police cell next door, and the police chief was questioning them and going through their mobile phones in an effort to find out who their bosses were. I had a question for the Rohingyas. How many of them were worried about whether their families could pay the ransoms the brokers would demand? Almost every one of them raised his hand. \"We don't want to come here\", said Mohammad, a teacher from Rathedaung, in Rakhine State. \"We don't want to leave our motherland. But we don't have anywhere to escape with our lives. The Myanmar government is so bad. They beat us, they shoot us\". But Mohammad had little idea what awaited him in the camps, if he escaped, and ended up back in the hands of the traffickers. Later, many of his group did just that, a military source told us, after they had been transferred to the immigration detention centre in Ranong. Possibly they were sold back to the traffickers, as many had been before them. They were all desperate to reach Malaysia, where there were jobs, families, and hope of a better life. Until their treatment by the Burmese government improves, Rohingyas will continue to flee. But the Bangladeshis have a choice. Only some of them were forced onto the boats. Most were persuaded to board them, by rosy talk of well-paid jobs. Once they understood the brutal reality of the trade, many of them wanted to go home. The Thai ransom business had become so lucrative that the traffickers have extended their operations into Bangladesh, where there is already a well-established network of labour brokers. If the networks are broken, the numbers boarding rickety boats will probably fall sharply. For months we talked to military and police officers who seemed genuine in their wish to stop trafficking. They said they were making progress, but they never seemed to have enough evidence to arrest, or even question, powerful figures in the provinces Ranong, Satun and Songkhla who were believed to be running the business. What seemed to be missing was political will. It was the discovery of the first mass grave that shocked the government into action. The many appalling tales of brutalities we had heard, from people held in the camps, were vindicated by the bones exhumed from the damp, tropical soil. At the time of writing, more than 80 arrest warrants have been issued, and more than 30 people arrested. They include one very prominent businessman from Satun, a few government officials, but so far no military officers. More than 50 police officers have been transferred. Will this anti-trafficking drive be sustained? \"We believe there are some much more senior people that were involved in making money off these rackets than have come to light so far,\" says Phil Robertson. \"There is a lot more to be done, a lot more to be uncovered.\" Read the terms and conditions.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 8375, "answer_end": 10173, "text": "I stood before a large crowd of Rohingyas, in another local government hall, two days after they had been intercepted. Their guards had been locked up in the police cell next door, and the police chief was questioning them and going through their mobile phones in an effort to find out who their bosses were. I had a question for the Rohingyas. How many of them were worried about whether their families could pay the ransoms the brokers would demand? Almost every one of them raised his hand. \"We don't want to come here\", said Mohammad, a teacher from Rathedaung, in Rakhine State. \"We don't want to leave our motherland. But we don't have anywhere to escape with our lives. The Myanmar government is so bad. They beat us, they shoot us\". But Mohammad had little idea what awaited him in the camps, if he escaped, and ended up back in the hands of the traffickers. Later, many of his group did just that, a military source told us, after they had been transferred to the immigration detention centre in Ranong. Possibly they were sold back to the traffickers, as many had been before them. They were all desperate to reach Malaysia, where there were jobs, families, and hope of a better life. Until their treatment by the Burmese government improves, Rohingyas will continue to flee. But the Bangladeshis have a choice. Only some of them were forced onto the boats. Most were persuaded to board them, by rosy talk of well-paid jobs. Once they understood the brutal reality of the trade, many of them wanted to go home. The Thai ransom business had become so lucrative that the traffickers have extended their operations into Bangladesh, where there is already a well-established network of labour brokers. If the networks are broken, the numbers boarding rickety boats will probably fall sharply."}], "question": "Will it stop?", "id": "956_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What's next for the Supreme Court?", "date": "14 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is difficult to overestimate the impact that the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will have on US politics in the coming months. A vacancy on the court that serves as the final arbiter on legal and political controversies of all stripes, is always a significant, and significantly contentious, event. This time, however, it has the potential to be a conflagration for the history books. Here are answers to six questions about why this unexpected development is such a big deal - and what could happen next. With a Supreme Court closely divided between five conservative justices and four liberal ones, every person on the bench is critical. Many of the most groundbreaking Supreme Court decisions of recent times have been decided by the slimmest of majorities. Justice Scalia, however, was more than just another court vote. He was also one of the chamber's most outspoken advocates for conservative jurisprudence. He was a towering voice for the doctrine of originalism - that the text of the Constitution is immutable and not open to \"modern\" interpretations. He was the author of District of Columbia v Heller, which struck down restrictions on handgun possession and held that the Second Amendment enshrined firearm ownership in the US as a constitutional right. His fiery dissents, such as in recent cases on gay marriage and the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, served as rallying cries for conservatives across the US. After a period of mourning, the court can - and likely will - continue to consider the cases already on its docket during its current term, which traditionally concludes at the end of June. That includes high-profile legal battles over contraceptive coverage mandates in federal healthcare law, state attempts to increase regulation of abortion providers, the consideration of race in college admissions and Mr Obama's executive action on immigration. With only eight justices, however, the court could end up splitting four-to-four on many of the more contentious cases. If that happens and no position commands a majority in the court, then the court's opinions will hold no legal weight. The lower court ruling being reviewed will continue to stand in its jurisdiction. In other words, on the biggest, most divisive legal controversies of the day, the court could be effectively powerless until a ninth justice is named. At that point, the court could decide to take another look at the issues where it was deadlocked. This will be the great parlour game for the coming weeks in Washington, as speculation abounds over whom Mr Obama could pick. Mr Obama has had two Supreme Court openings during his presidency. He chose Elena Kagan, the White House's top litigator, and Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Presidents often turn to the federal circuit courts - one step below the Supreme Court - for their nominees. If Mr Obama does so again, fashionable names include Sri Srinivasan, an Indian-American on the District of Columbia Circuit, Jane Kelly of Eighth Circuit and Paul Watford of the Ninth Circuit. All are young - which is key when seeking Supreme Court longevity - and popular among liberals, while not having a controversial judicial track record that could be picked apart by conservatives. Supreme Court justices don't need to have an extensive background in the judicial branch, however. California Attorney General Kamala Harris is another name that has been floated as a possible Supreme Court nominee, although she's currently campaigning to replace Barbara Boxer in the US Senate. Normally, if a vacancy opens up on the court, the president will name a successor after a few weeks of consideration. At that point, the US Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings in which the nominee is extensively questioned. Then the entire Senate votes on whether to approve the nominee. Although a simple majority of the 100-member Senate is necessary for confirmation, senators could \"filibuster\" the pick - a procedural manoeuvre that effectively raises the bar for approval to a three-fifths majority. The last time that happened was in 1968, when Republicans - then a minority in the Senate - blocked President Lyndon Johnson's nomination of Abe Fortas to be chief justice. The opening occurred in President Johnson's last year in office and was contingent on the current justice, Earl Warren, retiring. After the Republicans filibustered the October vote, Warren delayed his retirement - and the new president, Richard Nixon, chose his successor. There has been talk in the past that the filibuster could be ended for Supreme Court nominations, as it has been for nominations to lower courts, but doing so would require reversing more than half a century of Senate precedent. The outrage from such a move at this juncture would be white-hot, however. Because Justice Scalia's death comes just 11 months before the end of Mr Obama's term as president, Republicans in the Senate are going to be under intense pressure from some conservatives to do everything they can to delay confirmation of a replacement until a new chief executive is sworn in on 20 January 2017. That could involve slowing down confirmation hearings in the Senate committee and filibustering any nominee before they receive a vote in the full Senate. Then, conservatives hope, a Republican president would name a replacement more likely to maintain the one-vote conservative majority on the Court. The longest it has ever taken the Senate to hold a vote on a Supreme Court nominee is 125 days, but there are indications this time could be different. Already Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has issued a statement that, while not definitive, shows his preference. \"The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,\" he said. \"Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.\" A staffer for Senator Mike Lee, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeted that the chances of Mr Obama successfully appointing Scalia's replacement were \"less than zero\". Justice Scalia's death will likely douse petrol on what already was a raging fire of a presidential campaign. If Republican senators are able to delay confirmation until the end of Mr Obama's term, November's election will in effect determine the political orientation not only of the US presidency, but the Supreme Court as well. A Democratic victory in November means a court with a decidedly more liberal bent. If Republicans prevail they preserve their slender conservative majority on a court that regularly issues landmark decisions on issues like gay rights, immigration law, healthcare reform, campaign finance reform and civil liberties. Already several Republican candidates for president have called for delaying consideration of Justice Scalia's replacement until Mr Obama's successor takes office. \"The next president must nominate a justice who will continue Justice Scalia's unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear,\" Florida Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement. \"Justice Scalia was an American hero,\" tweeted Texas Senator Ted Cruz. \"We owe it to him, and the nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement.\" Both Democrats seeking the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, regularly talk about the future of the Supreme Court while on the campaign trail. Mr Sanders has repeatedly said he will only appoint justices to the court who pledge to overturn Citizens United , a landmark case that eased restrictions on corporations and unions giving money in support of political campaigns. Even if Mr Obama gets his nominee through the Republican-controlled Senate, American voters will be keenly aware of the stakes involved. With three of the eight remaining justices over the age of 70, the Supreme Court battle of 2016 will likely be replayed again in the not-too-distant future. Depending on who is president, it will be fought over whether the court moves to the left or the right.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 524, "answer_end": 1475, "text": "With a Supreme Court closely divided between five conservative justices and four liberal ones, every person on the bench is critical. Many of the most groundbreaking Supreme Court decisions of recent times have been decided by the slimmest of majorities. Justice Scalia, however, was more than just another court vote. He was also one of the chamber's most outspoken advocates for conservative jurisprudence. He was a towering voice for the doctrine of originalism - that the text of the Constitution is immutable and not open to \"modern\" interpretations. He was the author of District of Columbia v Heller, which struck down restrictions on handgun possession and held that the Second Amendment enshrined firearm ownership in the US as a constitutional right. His fiery dissents, such as in recent cases on gay marriage and the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, served as rallying cries for conservatives across the US."}], "question": "Why was Mr Scalia so important to the current Supreme Court?", "id": "957_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1476, "answer_end": 2497, "text": "After a period of mourning, the court can - and likely will - continue to consider the cases already on its docket during its current term, which traditionally concludes at the end of June. That includes high-profile legal battles over contraceptive coverage mandates in federal healthcare law, state attempts to increase regulation of abortion providers, the consideration of race in college admissions and Mr Obama's executive action on immigration. With only eight justices, however, the court could end up splitting four-to-four on many of the more contentious cases. If that happens and no position commands a majority in the court, then the court's opinions will hold no legal weight. The lower court ruling being reviewed will continue to stand in its jurisdiction. In other words, on the biggest, most divisive legal controversies of the day, the court could be effectively powerless until a ninth justice is named. At that point, the court could decide to take another look at the issues where it was deadlocked."}], "question": "What happens to the current term of the Supreme Court?", "id": "957_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2498, "answer_end": 3580, "text": "This will be the great parlour game for the coming weeks in Washington, as speculation abounds over whom Mr Obama could pick. Mr Obama has had two Supreme Court openings during his presidency. He chose Elena Kagan, the White House's top litigator, and Circuit Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Presidents often turn to the federal circuit courts - one step below the Supreme Court - for their nominees. If Mr Obama does so again, fashionable names include Sri Srinivasan, an Indian-American on the District of Columbia Circuit, Jane Kelly of Eighth Circuit and Paul Watford of the Ninth Circuit. All are young - which is key when seeking Supreme Court longevity - and popular among liberals, while not having a controversial judicial track record that could be picked apart by conservatives. Supreme Court justices don't need to have an extensive background in the judicial branch, however. California Attorney General Kamala Harris is another name that has been floated as a possible Supreme Court nominee, although she's currently campaigning to replace Barbara Boxer in the US Senate."}], "question": "Who might Barack Obama pick to replace Justice Scalia?", "id": "957_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3581, "answer_end": 4847, "text": "Normally, if a vacancy opens up on the court, the president will name a successor after a few weeks of consideration. At that point, the US Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings in which the nominee is extensively questioned. Then the entire Senate votes on whether to approve the nominee. Although a simple majority of the 100-member Senate is necessary for confirmation, senators could \"filibuster\" the pick - a procedural manoeuvre that effectively raises the bar for approval to a three-fifths majority. The last time that happened was in 1968, when Republicans - then a minority in the Senate - blocked President Lyndon Johnson's nomination of Abe Fortas to be chief justice. The opening occurred in President Johnson's last year in office and was contingent on the current justice, Earl Warren, retiring. After the Republicans filibustered the October vote, Warren delayed his retirement - and the new president, Richard Nixon, chose his successor. There has been talk in the past that the filibuster could be ended for Supreme Court nominations, as it has been for nominations to lower courts, but doing so would require reversing more than half a century of Senate precedent. The outrage from such a move at this juncture would be white-hot, however."}], "question": "How is a replacement justice confirmed?", "id": "957_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4848, "answer_end": 6113, "text": "Because Justice Scalia's death comes just 11 months before the end of Mr Obama's term as president, Republicans in the Senate are going to be under intense pressure from some conservatives to do everything they can to delay confirmation of a replacement until a new chief executive is sworn in on 20 January 2017. That could involve slowing down confirmation hearings in the Senate committee and filibustering any nominee before they receive a vote in the full Senate. Then, conservatives hope, a Republican president would name a replacement more likely to maintain the one-vote conservative majority on the Court. The longest it has ever taken the Senate to hold a vote on a Supreme Court nominee is 125 days, but there are indications this time could be different. Already Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has issued a statement that, while not definitive, shows his preference. \"The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,\" he said. \"Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.\" A staffer for Senator Mike Lee, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeted that the chances of Mr Obama successfully appointing Scalia's replacement were \"less than zero\"."}], "question": "How could this time be different?", "id": "957_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6114, "answer_end": 8081, "text": "Justice Scalia's death will likely douse petrol on what already was a raging fire of a presidential campaign. If Republican senators are able to delay confirmation until the end of Mr Obama's term, November's election will in effect determine the political orientation not only of the US presidency, but the Supreme Court as well. A Democratic victory in November means a court with a decidedly more liberal bent. If Republicans prevail they preserve their slender conservative majority on a court that regularly issues landmark decisions on issues like gay rights, immigration law, healthcare reform, campaign finance reform and civil liberties. Already several Republican candidates for president have called for delaying consideration of Justice Scalia's replacement until Mr Obama's successor takes office. \"The next president must nominate a justice who will continue Justice Scalia's unwavering belief in the founding principles that we hold dear,\" Florida Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement. \"Justice Scalia was an American hero,\" tweeted Texas Senator Ted Cruz. \"We owe it to him, and the nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next president names his replacement.\" Both Democrats seeking the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, regularly talk about the future of the Supreme Court while on the campaign trail. Mr Sanders has repeatedly said he will only appoint justices to the court who pledge to overturn Citizens United , a landmark case that eased restrictions on corporations and unions giving money in support of political campaigns. Even if Mr Obama gets his nominee through the Republican-controlled Senate, American voters will be keenly aware of the stakes involved. With three of the eight remaining justices over the age of 70, the Supreme Court battle of 2016 will likely be replayed again in the not-too-distant future. Depending on who is president, it will be fought over whether the court moves to the left or the right."}], "question": "What does this do to the US presidential campaign?", "id": "957_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Niger army base attack leaves at least 71 soldiers dead", "date": "12 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Militants have killed at least 71 soldiers in an attack on a military base in western Niger - the deadliest in several years. Twelve soldiers were also injured in the attack in Inates, the army says. No group has yet said it was behind the killings. But militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) have staged attacks in the Sahel region this year despite the presence of thousands of regional and foreign troops. Security analysts say the insurgency in Niger is escalating at an alarming rate. Defence Minister Issoufou Katambe told the BBC \"a large number of terrorists\" had been \"neutralised\" during the attack, which happened on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Katambe said there had been \"a fierce battle\" with \"several hundred\" militants in Inates, not far from the border with Mali. Local media also reported another attack on an army camp in Tahoua on Monday. In October 2017, four US soldiers and five Nigerien soldiers were killed in a jihadist ambush in Tongo Tongo, a village near the Mali frontier, not far from the site of Tuesday's attack. The Inates camp, near the border with Mali, was also attacked in July when 18 soldiers died. Analysis by Louise Dewast, BBC West Africa correspondent The security crisis in the region started in 2012 when separatist militants took over the northern part of Mali, triggering a French military intervention in the region to push them back. A peace deal was signed in 2015, but was not completely implemented, and new groups have since emerged and expanded to central Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. In particular, the Liptako-Gourma region, which is a stretch of land across all three nations, is now at the centre of the insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. This is where Tuesday's attack happened. It's also where nearly 100 Malian soldiers have been killed by suspected militants since September, forcing them to retreat from their side of the border. Illicit activities such as weapons, drug, motorcycle and fuel trafficking, cattle rustling, artisanal gold mining and poaching are key to the militant group's survival in the Liptako Gourma region, according to William Assanvo, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies. Earlier this week, Niger's government requested a three-month extension to a state of emergency, which was declared two years ago. Niger's army is struggling to contain the spread of armed groups. In recent weeks, there have been increasingly bold attacks by militants. Insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and IS operate on the country's northern borders with Mali and Libya, while the Boko Haram group is active on its south-eastern border with Nigeria. The Inates attack came days ahead of a planned summit in France, where President Emmanuel Macron and five West African leaders were due to discuss security in the region. But Mr Macron and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou have now said the summit will be postponed to early next year. Niger is a member of the French-backed G5 Sahel group, a taskforce created by the region's leaders in 2014 which aims to fight the militants; it also includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Chad. But despite the creation of this taskforce, and the presence of 4,500 French soldiers and more than 14,000 UN peacekeepers, this year has seen the jihadist groups step up their attacks in Mali and other countries in the region, including Niger. Last month, 13 French soldiers died in Mali when two helicopters collided during an operation against jihadists there. You may also be interested in:", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2207, "answer_end": 2944, "text": "Earlier this week, Niger's government requested a three-month extension to a state of emergency, which was declared two years ago. Niger's army is struggling to contain the spread of armed groups. In recent weeks, there have been increasingly bold attacks by militants. Insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and IS operate on the country's northern borders with Mali and Libya, while the Boko Haram group is active on its south-eastern border with Nigeria. The Inates attack came days ahead of a planned summit in France, where President Emmanuel Macron and five West African leaders were due to discuss security in the region. But Mr Macron and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou have now said the summit will be postponed to early next year."}], "question": "How serious is the situation?", "id": "958_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2945, "answer_end": 3508, "text": "Niger is a member of the French-backed G5 Sahel group, a taskforce created by the region's leaders in 2014 which aims to fight the militants; it also includes Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Chad. But despite the creation of this taskforce, and the presence of 4,500 French soldiers and more than 14,000 UN peacekeepers, this year has seen the jihadist groups step up their attacks in Mali and other countries in the region, including Niger. Last month, 13 French soldiers died in Mali when two helicopters collided during an operation against jihadists there."}], "question": "What it being done to counter the threat?", "id": "958_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Nintendo rally sees its market value soar past Sony", "date": "19 July 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Think of a Japanese tech giant, a truly global player made in Japan - there's a good chance Sony will come to mind. Well, think again. Or rather - think Nintendo instead. After the unprecedented rally in Nintendo's share price since the release of Pokemon Go, the gaming company has soared past Sony in terms of market value. It's a juicy headline - but what does it actually mean? Is Nintendo now bigger than Sony? And does it even make sense to compare the two? On Tuesday, Nintendo shares finished trading another 14% higher, meaning they have doubled in value since the launch of Pokemon Go on 6 July. This puts Nintendo's overall market value at 4.36tn yen ($38bn; PS28.8bn), topping Sony by 300bn yen. And all this before Pokemon Go's even hit the streets in Nintendo's home market. So, is the company's increased valuation justified? \"The very easy answer is yes,\" says Gerhard Fasol of Eurotechnology in Tokyo. \"If the market thinks that's what a company is worth, then yes, it is justified.\" After all, it is market value we're talking about. But you have to go one step further, Fasol cautions, and ask whether these companies are actually comparable. \"Pokemon still has huge potential - just think of the intellectual property rights to the characters for instance,\" he explains. \"A massive potential waiting to be harvested.\" It is a key characteristic of the gaming industry that the success and performance of a game is extremely hard to predict and foresee. And any surge of the kind that Nintendo has seen warrants caution, analysts warn. \"We're in bubble territory now - the stock's vertiginous rally may not last,\" says Neil Wilson of ETX Capital. \"It's broken so far clear of any support levels that a fall could be nasty for those who bought into the rally.\" The phenomenal success of Pokemon Go has surprised even seasoned market players. Nintendo certainly was hoping for a hit, but even it must have been somewhat caught off guard by the frenzy its little virtual creatures have created around the globe. It's a surprise success but one that if sustained can have a transforming impact on the fortunes of the company. What does a firm like Sony have that could compete in terms of market impact? It's known mostly as a hardware company and a very successful and solid one. \"The last time that Sony had a hit that could maybe be compared to Pokemon was probably the Walkman,\" Fasol points out. The Walkman may seem like just yesterday to some, but to most Pokemon players you'd probably have to explain that it was a portable cassette player in the 1980s. And then you'd have to explain to them what a cassette was. So Nintendo certainly has an edge with its current success. The success of Pokemon Go is shared in part with the developers - Google spin-off Niantic - and we can expect to see similar games from other companies soon. Yet Nintendo has a head start. \"The soaring stock price reflects the sentiment that Nintendo has hit upon a success case in mobile and augmented reality,\" David Corbin of industry website Tech in Asia told the BBC from Tokyo. \"And it can be applied to other characters from its IP library - like Super Mario Brothers or Legend of Zelda.\" Between 2006 and 2012, Nintendo profits soared on the back of its console success. During those years, the company's profits easily topped that of the established technology giants. While that peak lasted a few years, it didn't last forever and more recently there was in fact concern that Nintendo was moving into mobile gaming way too late to still have an impact. Pokemon Go may have silenced those concerns but whether Nintendo can ride that wave in the long term is - like much of the fortune in the gaming industry - unpredictable.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2698, "answer_end": 3731, "text": "The success of Pokemon Go is shared in part with the developers - Google spin-off Niantic - and we can expect to see similar games from other companies soon. Yet Nintendo has a head start. \"The soaring stock price reflects the sentiment that Nintendo has hit upon a success case in mobile and augmented reality,\" David Corbin of industry website Tech in Asia told the BBC from Tokyo. \"And it can be applied to other characters from its IP library - like Super Mario Brothers or Legend of Zelda.\" Between 2006 and 2012, Nintendo profits soared on the back of its console success. During those years, the company's profits easily topped that of the established technology giants. While that peak lasted a few years, it didn't last forever and more recently there was in fact concern that Nintendo was moving into mobile gaming way too late to still have an impact. Pokemon Go may have silenced those concerns but whether Nintendo can ride that wave in the long term is - like much of the fortune in the gaming industry - unpredictable."}], "question": "A spike or a trend?", "id": "959_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US-China trade: Trump touts progress in talks for deal", "date": "29 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"Big progress\" is being made in US-China relations, Donald Trump has said, at the end of a year that has seen both countries apply tit-for-tat tariffs. A trade war erupted earlier this year when Mr Trump complained China was not doing enough to address a trade imbalance between the nations. Earlier this month, both agreed to suspend new tariffs to allow for talks. Mr Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on Saturday and that talks were \"moving along very well\". Mr Trump did not offer more detail on what specific progress was being made. Chinese state news agencies confirmed the call had taken place, but were more guarded in their language. China's CCTV channel said Mr Xi praised the US for seeking \"co-operative and constructive Sino-US relations\". Unusually, it was Mr Trump who first confirmed his call with Mr Xi, not the other way around. Mr Trump campaigned for president on a pledge to make trade fairer for the US, and repeatedly blamed China's trading practices for making American manufacturers less competitive. The US imposed tariffs on a number of Chinese products, including consumer and industrial items such as handbags and rice. China responded in kind, and both sides - the world's two largest economies - ended up imposing tariffs on billions of dollars of goods. The US has hit $250bn of Chinese goods with tariffs since July, and China retaliated by imposing duties on $110bn of US products. Tariffs ended up raising costs for American companies. Analysts say this is one of a number of factors that have put pressure on markets in recent weeks. In early December, Mr Xi and Mr Trump met after the G20 summit in Buenos Aires for the first time since their trade war started. Mr Trump agreed not to boost tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 25% on 1 January, and the US said China would buy a \"very substantial\" amount of agricultural, industrial and energy products. The details of that deal are yet to be ironed out, however. Negotiators from both countries have been in touch over recent weeks and face-to-face talks could take place in January.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 867, "answer_end": 1589, "text": "Mr Trump campaigned for president on a pledge to make trade fairer for the US, and repeatedly blamed China's trading practices for making American manufacturers less competitive. The US imposed tariffs on a number of Chinese products, including consumer and industrial items such as handbags and rice. China responded in kind, and both sides - the world's two largest economies - ended up imposing tariffs on billions of dollars of goods. The US has hit $250bn of Chinese goods with tariffs since July, and China retaliated by imposing duties on $110bn of US products. Tariffs ended up raising costs for American companies. Analysts say this is one of a number of factors that have put pressure on markets in recent weeks."}], "question": "What's the background to the trade war?", "id": "960_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1590, "answer_end": 2092, "text": "In early December, Mr Xi and Mr Trump met after the G20 summit in Buenos Aires for the first time since their trade war started. Mr Trump agreed not to boost tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 25% on 1 January, and the US said China would buy a \"very substantial\" amount of agricultural, industrial and energy products. The details of that deal are yet to be ironed out, however. Negotiators from both countries have been in touch over recent weeks and face-to-face talks could take place in January."}], "question": "What's changed in recent weeks?", "id": "960_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Yellow vest protests: France's \u00c9douard Philippe seeks 'unity' after unrest", "date": "9 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has vowed to \"restore national unity\" after violence broke out during a fourth consecutive weekend of protests. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday - the latest day of \"yellow vest\" demonstrations against fuel tax rises and high living costs. More than 1,700 people were arrested, but the violence was not on the same level as a week earlier. Discussions with peaceful protesters \"must continue\", Mr Philippe said. He added: \"No tax should jeopardise our national unity. We must now rebuild that national unity through dialogue, through work, and by coming together.\" He said President Emmanuel Macron - who many protesters want to stand down - would soon \"put forward measures to foster this dialogue\". French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner praised police - who had been deployed in force - for containing much of the unrest. In a tweet late on Saturday, Mr Macron thanked the security forces for their \"courage and exceptional professionalism\". An estimated 125,000 people took part in marches across the country on Saturday, the interior ministry said. Nearly 90,000 officers had been deployed, including 8,000 in Paris where 12 armoured vehicles were also used. Around 10,000 people demonstrated in the capital, where the scenes were the most destructive. Windows were smashed, cars were burned and shops were looted. Video footage showed protesters hit by rubber bullets - including in the face. At least three members of the press were among those hit. Seventeen police officers were also hurt, Mr Castaner said. - 17 November: 282,000 protesters - one dead, 409 wounded - 73 in custody - 24 November: 166,000 protesters - 84 wounded - 307 in custody - 1 December: 136,000 protesters - 263 wounded - 630 in custody - 8 December : 125,000 protesters - 118 wounded - 1,723 arrested By Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris The French government is relieved that its worst forebodings about the protests did not come to pass. There was certainly some violence in Paris, but it was not on the scale of the week before. The new tactics of the police - record numbers of officers deployed, moving quickly to occupy the ground and not hesitating to make arrests - paid off. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the escalation of violence had been stopped. It is a relief for President Macron - but not much more. He must know that the moment will be thrown away if he does not move in quickly now with ideas that go some way to satisfying the more moderate of the yellow vests. The time is for dialogue, the government says, and the president will make an address to the nation early this week. The question is will he give the protesters what they want, which is something very simple: more money in their pockets. Does he think France can afford to economically? The \"gilets jaunes\" protesters are so-called because they have taken to the streets wearing the high-visibility yellow clothing that is required to be carried in every vehicle by French law. Over the past few weeks, the social media movement has morphed from a protest over fuel prices to a leaderless spectrum of interest groups and differing demands. Its core aim, to highlight the economic frustration and political distrust of poorer working families, still has widespread support. An opinion poll on Friday showed a dip in support for the protests, but it still stood at 66%. Meanwhile, President Macron's ratings have fallen to 23% amid the crisis, polls suggest. The government has said it is scrapping the unpopular fuel tax increases in its budget and has frozen electricity and gas prices for 2019. The problem is that protests have erupted over other issues. Granting concessions in some areas may not placate all the protesters, some of whom are calling for higher wages, lower taxes, better pensions, easier university requirements and even the resignation of the president. Some of Mr Macron's critics call him \"the president of the rich\". Are you in Paris? If it is safe to do so, get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1009, "answer_end": 1580, "text": "An estimated 125,000 people took part in marches across the country on Saturday, the interior ministry said. Nearly 90,000 officers had been deployed, including 8,000 in Paris where 12 armoured vehicles were also used. Around 10,000 people demonstrated in the capital, where the scenes were the most destructive. Windows were smashed, cars were burned and shops were looted. Video footage showed protesters hit by rubber bullets - including in the face. At least three members of the press were among those hit. Seventeen police officers were also hurt, Mr Castaner said."}], "question": "What happened on Saturday?", "id": "961_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1848, "answer_end": 2825, "text": "By Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris The French government is relieved that its worst forebodings about the protests did not come to pass. There was certainly some violence in Paris, but it was not on the scale of the week before. The new tactics of the police - record numbers of officers deployed, moving quickly to occupy the ground and not hesitating to make arrests - paid off. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the escalation of violence had been stopped. It is a relief for President Macron - but not much more. He must know that the moment will be thrown away if he does not move in quickly now with ideas that go some way to satisfying the more moderate of the yellow vests. The time is for dialogue, the government says, and the president will make an address to the nation early this week. The question is will he give the protesters what they want, which is something very simple: more money in their pockets. Does he think France can afford to economically?"}], "question": "What next for Macron?", "id": "961_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2826, "answer_end": 3495, "text": "The \"gilets jaunes\" protesters are so-called because they have taken to the streets wearing the high-visibility yellow clothing that is required to be carried in every vehicle by French law. Over the past few weeks, the social media movement has morphed from a protest over fuel prices to a leaderless spectrum of interest groups and differing demands. Its core aim, to highlight the economic frustration and political distrust of poorer working families, still has widespread support. An opinion poll on Friday showed a dip in support for the protests, but it still stood at 66%. Meanwhile, President Macron's ratings have fallen to 23% amid the crisis, polls suggest."}], "question": "Where are we with the yellow vest movement?", "id": "961_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3496, "answer_end": 3979, "text": "The government has said it is scrapping the unpopular fuel tax increases in its budget and has frozen electricity and gas prices for 2019. The problem is that protests have erupted over other issues. Granting concessions in some areas may not placate all the protesters, some of whom are calling for higher wages, lower taxes, better pensions, easier university requirements and even the resignation of the president. Some of Mr Macron's critics call him \"the president of the rich\"."}], "question": "What has the government conceded?", "id": "961_3"}]}]}, {"title": "The US cannot crush us, says Huawei founder", "date": "18 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The founder of Huawei has said there is \"no way the US can crush\" the company, in an exclusive interview with the BBC. Ren Zhengfei described the arrest of his daughter Meng Wanzhou, the company's chief financial officer, as politically motivated. The US is pursuing criminal charges against Huawei and Ms Meng, including money laundering, bank fraud and stealing trade secrets. Huawei denies any wrongdoing. Mr Ren spoke to the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in his first international broadcast interview since Ms Meng was arrested - and dismissed the pressure from the US. \"There's no way the US can crush us,\" he said. \"The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced. Even if they persuade more countries not to use us temporarily, we can always scale things down a bit.\" However, he acknowledged that the potential loss of custom could have a significant impact. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the country's allies against using Huawei technology, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to \"partner alongside them\". Australia, New Zealand, and the US have already banned or blocked Huawei from supplying equipment for their future 5G mobile broadband networks, while Canada is reviewing whether the company's products present a serious security threat. Mr Ren warned that \"the world cannot leave us because we are more advanced\". \"If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine. And if the North goes dark, there is still the South. America doesn't represent the world. America only represents a portion of the world.\" The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has decided that any risk posed by using Huawei technology in UK telecoms projects can be managed. Many of the UK's mobile companies, including Vodafone, EE and Three, are working with Huawei to develop their 5G networks. They are awaiting a government review, due in March or April, that will decide whether they can use Huawei technology. Commenting on the possibility of a UK ban, Mr Ren said Huawei \"won't withdraw our investment because of this. We will continue to invest in the UK. \"We still trust in the UK, and we hope that the UK will trust us even more. \"We will invest even more in the UK. Because if the US doesn't trust us, then we will shift our investment from the US to the UK on an even bigger scale.\" Mr Ren's daughter Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, was arrested on 1 December in Vancouver at the request of the US, and is expected to be the subject of a formal extradition request. In total, 23 charges are levelled against Huawei and Ms Weng. The charges are split across two indictments by the US Department of Justice. The first covers claims Huawei hid business links to Iran - which is subject to US trade sanctions. The second includes the charge of attempted theft of trade secrets. Mr Ren was clear in his opposition to the US accusations. \"Firstly, I object to what the US has done. This kind of politically motivated act is not acceptable. \"The US likes to sanction others, whenever there's an issue, they'll use such combative methods. \"We object to this. But now that we've gone down this path, we'll let the courts settle it.\" Huawei, which is China's largest private company, has been under scrutiny for its links to the Chinese government - with the US and others expressing concern its technology could be used by China's security services to spy. Under Chinese law, firms are compelled to \"support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work\". But Mr Ren said that allowing spying was a risk he wouldn't take. \"The Chinese government has already clearly said that it won't install any backdoors. And we won't install backdoors either. \"We're not going to risk the disgust of our country and of our customers all over the world, because of something like this. \"Our company will never undertake any spying activities. If we have any such actions, then I'll shut the company down.\" Analysis - Karishma Vaswani, BBC Asia business correspondent - Shenzhen For a man known as reclusive and secretive, Ren Zhengfei seemed confident in the conviction that the business he's built for the last 30 years can withstand the scrutiny from Western governments. Mr Ren is right: the US makes up only a fraction of his overall business. But where I saw his mood change was when I asked him about his links to the Chinese military and the government. While he answered all of my questions, he refused to be drawn into a conversation on this, only to say that these were not facts, simply allegations - and insisted that political connections are not what has led Huawei to be successful today. When I put to him the reports that his former chairwoman, Sun Yafang, had once worked with China's Ministry of State Security, he told me that her profile was up on the company's corporate website and that he didn't think it was \"OK to suspect or guess where this person used to be\". He also confirmed that there is a Communist Party committee in Huawei, but he said this is what all companies - foreign or domestic - operating in China must have in order to abide by the law. Read Karishma's blog: Ren Zhengfei: Reclusive but confident", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 868, "answer_end": 1572, "text": "Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the country's allies against using Huawei technology, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to \"partner alongside them\". Australia, New Zealand, and the US have already banned or blocked Huawei from supplying equipment for their future 5G mobile broadband networks, while Canada is reviewing whether the company's products present a serious security threat. Mr Ren warned that \"the world cannot leave us because we are more advanced\". \"If the lights go out in the West, the East will still shine. And if the North goes dark, there is still the South. America doesn't represent the world. America only represents a portion of the world.\""}], "question": "What else did Mr Ren say about the US?", "id": "962_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1573, "answer_end": 2332, "text": "The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has decided that any risk posed by using Huawei technology in UK telecoms projects can be managed. Many of the UK's mobile companies, including Vodafone, EE and Three, are working with Huawei to develop their 5G networks. They are awaiting a government review, due in March or April, that will decide whether they can use Huawei technology. Commenting on the possibility of a UK ban, Mr Ren said Huawei \"won't withdraw our investment because of this. We will continue to invest in the UK. \"We still trust in the UK, and we hope that the UK will trust us even more. \"We will invest even more in the UK. Because if the US doesn't trust us, then we will shift our investment from the US to the UK on an even bigger scale.\""}], "question": "What did Mr Ren say about investment in the UK?", "id": "962_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2333, "answer_end": 3189, "text": "Mr Ren's daughter Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, was arrested on 1 December in Vancouver at the request of the US, and is expected to be the subject of a formal extradition request. In total, 23 charges are levelled against Huawei and Ms Weng. The charges are split across two indictments by the US Department of Justice. The first covers claims Huawei hid business links to Iran - which is subject to US trade sanctions. The second includes the charge of attempted theft of trade secrets. Mr Ren was clear in his opposition to the US accusations. \"Firstly, I object to what the US has done. This kind of politically motivated act is not acceptable. \"The US likes to sanction others, whenever there's an issue, they'll use such combative methods. \"We object to this. But now that we've gone down this path, we'll let the courts settle it.\""}], "question": "What does Mr Ren think about his daughter's arrest?", "id": "962_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3190, "answer_end": 3965, "text": "Huawei, which is China's largest private company, has been under scrutiny for its links to the Chinese government - with the US and others expressing concern its technology could be used by China's security services to spy. Under Chinese law, firms are compelled to \"support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work\". But Mr Ren said that allowing spying was a risk he wouldn't take. \"The Chinese government has already clearly said that it won't install any backdoors. And we won't install backdoors either. \"We're not going to risk the disgust of our country and of our customers all over the world, because of something like this. \"Our company will never undertake any spying activities. If we have any such actions, then I'll shut the company down.\""}], "question": "What did Mr Ren say about Chinese government spying?", "id": "962_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Fillon payment inquiry: What you need to know", "date": "29 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "He was once the favourite to win the French presidency, but centre-right candidate Francois Fillon's fortunes have been dramatically dented by a \"fake jobs\" row. His Welsh-born wife, Penelope, has become caught up in a controversy surrounding her work as a parliamentary assistant. As the presidential race hots up, Mr Fillon, a one-time prime minister, is under judicial investigation and has spoken of a \"political assassination\". Nothing, say Francois Fillon and his wife, who insist everything was above board. But prosecutors have decided there is sufficient evidence to open a full judicial inquiry into abuse of public funds and the examining magistrate has placed both under formal investigation. The question is: did Penelope Fillon do the work she was paid for? Satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine alleged in late January that she did not - and got EUR831,400 (PS710,000; $900,000) for her trouble. She was employed as her husband's parliamentary assistant from 1988-90 and again in 1998-2002 and then by his successor as an MP, Marc Joulaud, from 2002-2007. He too has been placed under formal investigation. Penelope Fillon worked again for her husband from 2012-13. That would all be very well if she actually did the work, but reports suggest she did not have a parliamentary pass or a work email. The allegations do not stop there. According to Le Canard, Mrs Fillon also pocketed EUR100,000 for writing just a handful of articles for a literary review La Revue des Deux Mondes, owned by a billionaire friend of the family, Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. Mr Fillon is also being investigated for allegedly failing to declare a tax-free EUR50,000 loan from the billionaire which he has since repaid. The inquiry widened in March to include two luxury suits worth some EUR13,000 that were bought for him by a friend. It has also emerged he accepted two watches worth more than EUR10,000 apiece. And then there are the children. Mr Fillon will have to explain why Marie and Charles Fillon were paid by their father's office for legal work. Le Canard alleges they were not yet qualified lawyers. Mr Fillon, 62, said initially that he would resign if he was placed under formal investigation. And yet he is fighting on regardless, arguing that he is being unfairly targeted. \"The closer we get to the date of the presidential election, the more scandalous it would be to deprive the right and centre of a candidate,\" he said. That change of mind prompted key allies to abandon him. But when Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe ruled himself out as a replacement the party leadership swung behind Mr Fillon. Opinion polls however suggest the one-time favourite for the presidency is now third in the race and unlikely to reach the second round on 7 May. If somehow he were to make the runoff, he could still win the race. Francois Fillon has complained of an \"institutional coup d'etat\" orchestrated by the left, and of a \"black cabinet\" going all the way to the current president, Francois Hollande. There may well have been a campaign to target him, and where Le Canard sourced its information is unclear. But the judiciary is pushing ahead with a full inquiry. Mr Fillon is under formal investigation for abuse of public funds and receiving bribes. Penelope Fillon is being investigated for complicity. Mr Fillon complains of a \"political assassination\", and of being in the cross-hairs of magistrates and media. He will need more than rhetoric to help his campaign. When summoned by investigating magistrates, Mr Fillon refused to answer questions but read a statement denying the allegations against him and his wife. \"Yes I employed my wife and the reality of her work is undeniable,\" he told them. \"Throughout these years, my wife worked by my side and by the side of my successor to ensure perfect continuity.\" Asked by French TV about the work that his wife had done, he said: \"She corrected my speeches, she received countless guests, she represented me in protests, she passed on people's requests... she did it willingly for years.\" Penelope Fillon said in an interview that her husband \"needed someone to carry out his tasks. If it hadn't been me, he would have paid someone else to do it, so we decided that it would be me\". Family lawyer Antonin Levy explained that Mr Fillon had no constituency office so Penelope Fillon fulfilled the role from home. The Fillons' lawyers have reiterated the family's innocence, promising that it would be recognised eventually by independent judges. Well, yes he does. It is really not unusual for French MPs to employ a member of their own family. French website Mediapart worked out that 115 out of 577 MPs did just that, either on a full- or part-time basis. And in France there is nothing illegal about it, assuming they actually do the work. What might prove awkward is that few people have any recollection of Mrs Fillon doing any work. And remarks she made in 2007 to the Sunday Telegraph do little to help. \"I've never been his assistant or anything of that kind... I didn't handle his PR either.\" Mr Fillon dismissed the remarks as out of context, and said first and foremost she had been a partner rather than a subordinate. Michel Crepu, an ex-editor of the literary review that apparently paid her EUR100,000, told Le Canard Enchaine that she published two or three literary reviews but he had never met her and \"never seen her in the office\". In her defence, Penelope Fillon said she \"produced reading notes\" for the review's owner. The Republicans appear in disarray and Francois Fillon's main rivals in the presidential race are the clear winners so far. One is far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who has her own \"fake jobs\" row to deal with. The FN is under investigation for alleged misuse of EU funds and Ms Le Pen has refused a police interview because she has immunity as a member of the European Parliament. At least three FN officials, including her personal assistant, are under judicial investigation in France over the affair. So the rival with perhaps most to gain is Emmanuel Macron, the centrist, young ex-economy minister, who has come from nowhere and is neck and neck in the polls with Marine Le Pen for the first round on 23 April. If Francois Fillon fails to make the run-off, then he would be favourite to win the presidency.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 433, "answer_end": 2104, "text": "Nothing, say Francois Fillon and his wife, who insist everything was above board. But prosecutors have decided there is sufficient evidence to open a full judicial inquiry into abuse of public funds and the examining magistrate has placed both under formal investigation. The question is: did Penelope Fillon do the work she was paid for? Satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine alleged in late January that she did not - and got EUR831,400 (PS710,000; $900,000) for her trouble. She was employed as her husband's parliamentary assistant from 1988-90 and again in 1998-2002 and then by his successor as an MP, Marc Joulaud, from 2002-2007. He too has been placed under formal investigation. Penelope Fillon worked again for her husband from 2012-13. That would all be very well if she actually did the work, but reports suggest she did not have a parliamentary pass or a work email. The allegations do not stop there. According to Le Canard, Mrs Fillon also pocketed EUR100,000 for writing just a handful of articles for a literary review La Revue des Deux Mondes, owned by a billionaire friend of the family, Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. Mr Fillon is also being investigated for allegedly failing to declare a tax-free EUR50,000 loan from the billionaire which he has since repaid. The inquiry widened in March to include two luxury suits worth some EUR13,000 that were bought for him by a friend. It has also emerged he accepted two watches worth more than EUR10,000 apiece. And then there are the children. Mr Fillon will have to explain why Marie and Charles Fillon were paid by their father's office for legal work. Le Canard alleges they were not yet qualified lawyers."}], "question": "What have the Fillons done wrong?", "id": "963_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2105, "answer_end": 2819, "text": "Mr Fillon, 62, said initially that he would resign if he was placed under formal investigation. And yet he is fighting on regardless, arguing that he is being unfairly targeted. \"The closer we get to the date of the presidential election, the more scandalous it would be to deprive the right and centre of a candidate,\" he said. That change of mind prompted key allies to abandon him. But when Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe ruled himself out as a replacement the party leadership swung behind Mr Fillon. Opinion polls however suggest the one-time favourite for the presidency is now third in the race and unlikely to reach the second round on 7 May. If somehow he were to make the runoff, he could still win the race."}], "question": "Is Francois Fillon out of the race?", "id": "963_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2820, "answer_end": 4497, "text": "Francois Fillon has complained of an \"institutional coup d'etat\" orchestrated by the left, and of a \"black cabinet\" going all the way to the current president, Francois Hollande. There may well have been a campaign to target him, and where Le Canard sourced its information is unclear. But the judiciary is pushing ahead with a full inquiry. Mr Fillon is under formal investigation for abuse of public funds and receiving bribes. Penelope Fillon is being investigated for complicity. Mr Fillon complains of a \"political assassination\", and of being in the cross-hairs of magistrates and media. He will need more than rhetoric to help his campaign. When summoned by investigating magistrates, Mr Fillon refused to answer questions but read a statement denying the allegations against him and his wife. \"Yes I employed my wife and the reality of her work is undeniable,\" he told them. \"Throughout these years, my wife worked by my side and by the side of my successor to ensure perfect continuity.\" Asked by French TV about the work that his wife had done, he said: \"She corrected my speeches, she received countless guests, she represented me in protests, she passed on people's requests... she did it willingly for years.\" Penelope Fillon said in an interview that her husband \"needed someone to carry out his tasks. If it hadn't been me, he would have paid someone else to do it, so we decided that it would be me\". Family lawyer Antonin Levy explained that Mr Fillon had no constituency office so Penelope Fillon fulfilled the role from home. The Fillons' lawyers have reiterated the family's innocence, promising that it would be recognised eventually by independent judges."}], "question": "Does Fillon have a defence?", "id": "963_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4498, "answer_end": 5493, "text": "Well, yes he does. It is really not unusual for French MPs to employ a member of their own family. French website Mediapart worked out that 115 out of 577 MPs did just that, either on a full- or part-time basis. And in France there is nothing illegal about it, assuming they actually do the work. What might prove awkward is that few people have any recollection of Mrs Fillon doing any work. And remarks she made in 2007 to the Sunday Telegraph do little to help. \"I've never been his assistant or anything of that kind... I didn't handle his PR either.\" Mr Fillon dismissed the remarks as out of context, and said first and foremost she had been a partner rather than a subordinate. Michel Crepu, an ex-editor of the literary review that apparently paid her EUR100,000, told Le Canard Enchaine that she published two or three literary reviews but he had never met her and \"never seen her in the office\". In her defence, Penelope Fillon said she \"produced reading notes\" for the review's owner."}], "question": "Does Fillon have a leg to stand on?", "id": "963_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5494, "answer_end": 6319, "text": "The Republicans appear in disarray and Francois Fillon's main rivals in the presidential race are the clear winners so far. One is far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who has her own \"fake jobs\" row to deal with. The FN is under investigation for alleged misuse of EU funds and Ms Le Pen has refused a police interview because she has immunity as a member of the European Parliament. At least three FN officials, including her personal assistant, are under judicial investigation in France over the affair. So the rival with perhaps most to gain is Emmanuel Macron, the centrist, young ex-economy minister, who has come from nowhere and is neck and neck in the polls with Marine Le Pen for the first round on 23 April. If Francois Fillon fails to make the run-off, then he would be favourite to win the presidency."}], "question": "So who stands to gain from the controversy?", "id": "963_4"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Parties face grilling in seven-way debate", "date": "29 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Figures from seven major political parties are being quizzed in a live BBC election debate. Senior members of the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru and the Brexit Party are taking part in the debate chaired by Nick Robinson. Each has opening and closing statements, and they are facing questions from the audience in Cardiff. The event is being broadcast on BBC One and streamed on the BBC News website, alongside our live text coverage. This is the first seven-way debate of this election. It is taking place between the Conservatives' Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak, Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, former Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas and Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice. The first TV debate, between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, took place on 19 November. A BBC Question Time Leaders' Special was then held on 22 November, which saw Mr Johnson, Mr Corbyn, Jo Swinson and Nicola Sturgeon take questions from the audience. - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words In the UK, it is being broadcast on BBC One and on iPlayer between 19:00 to 20:30 and streamed live on the BBC News website, where you can also follow the latest reaction and analysis on our live page. It will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live, with reaction and analysis following the programme. You can listen live here or on the BBC Sounds app.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1303, "answer_end": 1659, "text": "In the UK, it is being broadcast on BBC One and on iPlayer between 19:00 to 20:30 and streamed live on the BBC News website, where you can also follow the latest reaction and analysis on our live page. It will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live, with reaction and analysis following the programme. You can listen live here or on the BBC Sounds app."}], "question": "How can I follow the programme live?", "id": "964_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Parliament: Are threats to MPs widespread?", "date": "27 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As MPs clashed in the Commons over Brexit, in an atmosphere described as \"toxic\" by the Speaker, John Bercow, a number revealed they had received personal abuse, including death threats. All seven who said they had been targeted in this way were women. Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said she'd had to report threats to her child to the police. Paula Sherriff and Jess Phillips, both Labour MPs, described receiving death threats. Run by the Metropolitan Police, the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLAIT) acts as a national body to advise individual police forces on dealing with threats to politicians. It was set up in 2016, following the murder of the MP Jo Cox. Its data shows in the year ending August 2017, MPs reported 111 crimes targeting them. This increased to 242 the following year. Between September 2018 and July 22nd 2019, there have been 238. It is likely growing awareness of this body has contributed to these rises. The Met has previously said just 10 MPs have accounted for 29% of the crime reports. It also said a disproportionate number of those being targeted were women or from ethnic minorities. Liberal Democrat MP Luciana Berger said six people had already been convicted for targeting her. Previous data released by the Met Police suggests most of these crimes involve harassment, malicious communications, criminal damage or theft. Speaking to a select committee in May, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said Brexit divisions were linked to the rise. \"Brexit has been a huge driver of some of this, post-referendum,\" he said. \"We see a relatively even split between people who have been targeted because they are pro-Brexit and people who have been targeted because they are pro-Remain.\" He added the reported crimes had been increasing in the first part of this year. The Metropolitan Police chief, Cressida Dick, has said on an average day, about 60 officers are \"engaged in nothing but thinking about the protests in the immediate environment of Parliament\". And in the past, it has been recommended that \"on occasion\" MPs take taxis when leaving the parliamentary estate. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority also offers security packages, which allow them to purchase security items such as CCTV for their offices or personal alarms. An Institute for Government report shows between 2016 and 2018, spending on security for individual MPs increased from PS171,000 to over PS4m. The government says plans are in place to make it an electoral offence to intimidate candidates and campaigners in the run up to an election. Additionally, addresses of candidates standing in local or mayoral elections have been removed from ballot papers. It's been suggested by a number of MPs in the Commons \"inflammatory language\" could lead to threats and violence. Jess Phillips, for example, told of a death threat that directly quoted the words of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Paula Sherriff, meanwhile, said many MPs were \"subject to death threats and abuse every single day\" and they often quoted words including \"surrender act, betrayal, traitor\". Mr Johnson used the term \"surrender act\" 15 times during Wednesday's debate. And on Thursday, Labour's Harriet Harman said guidance on what constituted \"unparliamentary language\" was outdated. Parliament's website lists examples of words that might be considered offensive, including \"stoolpigeon\", \"blackguard\", \"coward\", \"git\", \"guttersnipe\", \"hooligan\" and \"rat\". It is largely at the discretion of the Speaker to decide when something meets this bar - John Bercow has recently objected to various \"unparliamentary\" words, including \"idiot\" and \"bastards\". Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2720, "answer_end": 3682, "text": "It's been suggested by a number of MPs in the Commons \"inflammatory language\" could lead to threats and violence. Jess Phillips, for example, told of a death threat that directly quoted the words of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Paula Sherriff, meanwhile, said many MPs were \"subject to death threats and abuse every single day\" and they often quoted words including \"surrender act, betrayal, traitor\". Mr Johnson used the term \"surrender act\" 15 times during Wednesday's debate. And on Thursday, Labour's Harriet Harman said guidance on what constituted \"unparliamentary language\" was outdated. Parliament's website lists examples of words that might be considered offensive, including \"stoolpigeon\", \"blackguard\", \"coward\", \"git\", \"guttersnipe\", \"hooligan\" and \"rat\". It is largely at the discretion of the Speaker to decide when something meets this bar - John Bercow has recently objected to various \"unparliamentary\" words, including \"idiot\" and \"bastards\"."}], "question": "What about language?", "id": "965_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump must apologise for comments - African Union", "date": "12 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The organisation representing African countries has demanded that US President Donald Trump apologise after he reportedly called nations on the continent \"shitholes\". The African Union mission in Washington DC expressed its \"shock, dismay and outrage\" and said the Trump administration misunderstood Africans. The US leader made the alleged remark in a Thursday meeting on immigration. But Mr Trump has denied using the language reported. He has been backed by two Republicans who were at the White House meeting, but Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said Mr Trump called African countries \"shitholes\" several times and used \"racist\" language. On Friday, Mr Trump on Friday tweeted that his language he used at the private meeting with lawmakers to discuss immigration legislation had been \"tough\". But he added that the words attributed to him were \"not the language used\". It said the \"remarks dishonour the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity\". It added: \"While expressing our shock, dismay and outrage, the African Union strongly believes that there is a huge misunderstanding of the African continent and its people by the current Administration. \"There is a serious need for dialogue between the US Administration and the African countries.\" The pan-African grouping represents 55 member states throughout the continent. It succeeded the Organisation of African Unity -  which originated in the decolonisation struggles of the early 1960s - in 2002. The remarks were allegedly made when lawmakers visited him on Thursday to discuss a bipartisan proposal that would impose new restrictions on immigration but protect the so-called \"Dreamers\" - hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US illegally as children - from deportation. Mr Trump was said to have told them that instead of granting temporary residency to citizens of countries hit by natural disasters, war or epidemics, the US should instead be taking in migrants from countries like Norway. \"Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?\" the Washington Post quoted him as saying. Mr Durbin said that when Mr Trump was told that the largest groups of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) were from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, the president responded: \"Haitians? Do we need more Haitians?\" But in another tweet on Friday the president denied that he insulted Haitians. Many US media outlets reported the comments on Thursday, quoting witnesses or people briefed on the meeting. The White House did not deny them. - \"I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday,\" Mr Durbin told reporters on Friday - House Speaker Paul Ryan, a top Republican, said the reported comments were \"unfortunate\" and \"unhelpful\" - Hillary Clinton, who lost to Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election, said the country had been subjected to his \"ignorant, racist views of anyone who doesn't look like him\" and noted that it was eight years since Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake - Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue, of Arkansas and Georgia, said that they could not remember Mr Trump describing countries as \"shitholes\" in the meeting - Mia Love, a Utah Republican and the only Haitian-American in Congress, demanded an apology from Mr Trump for the \"unkind, divisive, elitist\" comments - Steve King, a right-wing Republican Congressman from Iowa, backed the president in a tweet: Another Republican Senator who was there, Lindsey Graham, did not deny the comments were made. \"Following comments by the president, I said my piece directly to him yesterday. The president and all those attending the meeting know what I said and how I feel,\" he said. On Friday, Mr Trump ignored press questions about the issue as he signed a proclamation declaring a holiday in honour of civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr - as presidents do every year. He said Americans were celebrating that \"self-evident truth\" that \"no matter what the colour of our skin or the place of our birth, we are all created equal by God\". - Botswana summoned the US ambassador and asked the envoy \"to clarify if Botswana is regarded as a 'shithole' country given that there are Botswana nationals residing in the US\" - UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said the comments, if confirmed, were \"shocking and shameful\", adding: \"I'm sorry but there is no other word for this but racist.\" - Haiti's US Ambassador Paul Altidor told the BBC the idea that \"we're simply immigrants who come here to take advantage of the US\" is wrong.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 873, "answer_end": 1487, "text": "It said the \"remarks dishonour the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity\". It added: \"While expressing our shock, dismay and outrage, the African Union strongly believes that there is a huge misunderstanding of the African continent and its people by the current Administration. \"There is a serious need for dialogue between the US Administration and the African countries.\" The pan-African grouping represents 55 member states throughout the continent. It succeeded the Organisation of African Unity -  which originated in the decolonisation struggles of the early 1960s - in 2002."}], "question": "What did the African Union say?", "id": "966_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1488, "answer_end": 2560, "text": "The remarks were allegedly made when lawmakers visited him on Thursday to discuss a bipartisan proposal that would impose new restrictions on immigration but protect the so-called \"Dreamers\" - hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US illegally as children - from deportation. Mr Trump was said to have told them that instead of granting temporary residency to citizens of countries hit by natural disasters, war or epidemics, the US should instead be taking in migrants from countries like Norway. \"Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?\" the Washington Post quoted him as saying. Mr Durbin said that when Mr Trump was told that the largest groups of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) were from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, the president responded: \"Haitians? Do we need more Haitians?\" But in another tweet on Friday the president denied that he insulted Haitians. Many US media outlets reported the comments on Thursday, quoting witnesses or people briefed on the meeting. The White House did not deny them."}], "question": "What exactly did Trump say?", "id": "966_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Q&A: Abortion rules in Zika-affected countries", "date": "14 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some governments in Latin America have advised women not to get pregnant for a matter of months or years, because of the risk of birth defects from the Zika virus. It is suspected that there is a link between expectant mothers getting Zika, and their babies being born with microcephaly (an abnormally small head). This can be deadly, and some children who survive face intellectual disability, vision problems and development delays. A group of Brazilian lawyers, activists and scientists have decided to ask the country's supreme court to allow abortions for women who have contracted the virus. Some people have argued that women have little choice over their pregnancies, as abortion and contraception are not widely available in the region. Abortions are illegal in Brazil, except in health emergencies or cases of rape or the fatal foetal abnormality called anencephaly, where a large part of the brain and skull is missing. Finding out about microcephaly \"was the worst day of my life\" The mum of two teenagers with microcephaly who's helping worried new mums Zika outbreak: What you need to know Of the countries where women have been advised to postpone pregnancy: - In Colombia, abortion is allowed only in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, severe damage to the health of the mother, and when the pregnancy was the result of rape - Abortion is completely illegal in El Salvador and women face a jail term for having their pregnancies terminated in any circumstances - In Ecuador, abortions are only permitted to preserve the life or health of a pregnant woman, or when a woman with mental health problems has been raped - Abortion is illegal in Jamaica, except when the woman has been the victim of a sexual crime or when the abortion will save a woman's life. There are exceptions in case law to protect the woman's health - Puerto Rico is covered by the US Constitution which allows a woman to choose an abortion for any reason, but it has a law on the books that prohibits abortion unless it is to protect the woman's life or health Where Zika cases have been confirmed in the region, only Guyana and French Guiana permit abortion without restriction as to the reason. Governments across the region are advising women to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, using precautionary measures like insect repellent, long-sleeved clothing - or even gloves - and covered shoes. Women who are already pregnant are still encouraged to breastfeed, as it will not transmit microcephaly. The Colombian government has recommended that pregnant women should stay above 2,200 metres, where mosquitoes tend not to go. Many big cities in Latin American are above this altitude. When it comes to avoiding getting pregnant, contraception is in short supply in some parts of the region, especially in rural areas. The UN says that 20% of women in Bolivia and Guatemala - but just 6% of women in the richer country Brazil - who are sexually active are not using contraception, despite being fertile and not wanting to get pregnant. The World Health Organization says the best form of protection against Zika is to prevent mosquito bites.  But the International Planned Parent Federation says contraception and abortion must be included in the fight against the Zika virus. Up to six out of 10 pregnancies in Latin America are unplanned, although estimates vary. Latin America is largely Catholic. The Church opposes all forms of abortion. Contraception is also against Church rules, but this is more regularly flouted by believers across the world. However, following a trip to Mexico in February, Pope Francis said: \"We must not confuse the evil consisting of avoiding a pregnancy with abortion.\" In some cases, he said, the \"lesser of two evils\" could be applied. His remarks came in response to a question about how best to tackle the Zika outbreak across Latin America. Yes. Researchers at the Guttmacher Foundation said there were 32 abortions per 1,000 women in Latin America in 2008.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 746, "answer_end": 2182, "text": "Abortions are illegal in Brazil, except in health emergencies or cases of rape or the fatal foetal abnormality called anencephaly, where a large part of the brain and skull is missing. Finding out about microcephaly \"was the worst day of my life\" The mum of two teenagers with microcephaly who's helping worried new mums Zika outbreak: What you need to know Of the countries where women have been advised to postpone pregnancy: - In Colombia, abortion is allowed only in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, severe damage to the health of the mother, and when the pregnancy was the result of rape - Abortion is completely illegal in El Salvador and women face a jail term for having their pregnancies terminated in any circumstances - In Ecuador, abortions are only permitted to preserve the life or health of a pregnant woman, or when a woman with mental health problems has been raped - Abortion is illegal in Jamaica, except when the woman has been the victim of a sexual crime or when the abortion will save a woman's life. There are exceptions in case law to protect the woman's health - Puerto Rico is covered by the US Constitution which allows a woman to choose an abortion for any reason, but it has a law on the books that prohibits abortion unless it is to protect the woman's life or health Where Zika cases have been confirmed in the region, only Guyana and French Guiana permit abortion without restriction as to the reason."}], "question": "What are the rules on abortion in countries affected by Zika and microcephaly?", "id": "967_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2183, "answer_end": 3350, "text": "Governments across the region are advising women to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, using precautionary measures like insect repellent, long-sleeved clothing - or even gloves - and covered shoes. Women who are already pregnant are still encouraged to breastfeed, as it will not transmit microcephaly. The Colombian government has recommended that pregnant women should stay above 2,200 metres, where mosquitoes tend not to go. Many big cities in Latin American are above this altitude. When it comes to avoiding getting pregnant, contraception is in short supply in some parts of the region, especially in rural areas. The UN says that 20% of women in Bolivia and Guatemala - but just 6% of women in the richer country Brazil - who are sexually active are not using contraception, despite being fertile and not wanting to get pregnant. The World Health Organization says the best form of protection against Zika is to prevent mosquito bites.  But the International Planned Parent Federation says contraception and abortion must be included in the fight against the Zika virus. Up to six out of 10 pregnancies in Latin America are unplanned, although estimates vary."}], "question": "What are women being advised to do?", "id": "967_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3863, "answer_end": 3979, "text": "Yes. Researchers at the Guttmacher Foundation said there were 32 abortions per 1,000 women in Latin America in 2008."}], "question": "Do women still have abortions when it is illegal?", "id": "967_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Human embryos edited to stop disease", "date": "2 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scientists have, for the first time, successfully freed embryos of a piece of faulty DNA that causes deadly heart disease to run in families. It potentially opens the door to preventing 10,000 disorders that are passed down the generations. The US and South Korean team allowed the embryos to develop for five days before stopping the experiment. The study hints at the future of medicine, but also provokes deep questions about what is morally right. Science is going through a golden age in editing DNA thanks to a new technology called Crispr, named breakthrough of the year in just 2015. Its applications in medicine are vast and include the idea of wiping out genetic faults that cause diseases from cystic fibrosis to breast cancer. US teams at Oregon Health and Science University and the Salk Institute along with the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea focused on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The disorder is common, affecting one in every 500 people, and can lead to the heart suddenly stopping beating. It is caused by an error in a single gene (an instruction in the DNA), and anyone carrying it has a 50-50 chance of passing it on to their children. In the study, described in the journal Nature, the genetic repair happened during conception. Sperm from a man with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was injected into healthy donated eggs alongside Crispr technology to correct the defect. It did not work all the time, but 72% of embryos were free from disease-causing mutations. Dr Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a key figure in the research team, said: \"Every generation on would carry this repair because we've removed the disease-causing gene variant from that family's lineage. \"By using this technique, it's possible to reduce the burden of this heritable disease on the family and eventually the human population.\" There have been multiple attempts before, including, in 2015, teams in China using Crispr-technology to correct defects that lead to blood disorders. But they could not correct every cell, so the embryo was a \"mosaic\" of healthy and diseased cells. Their approach also led to other parts of the genetic code becoming mutated. Those technical obstacles have been overcome in the latest research. However, this is not about to become routine practice. The biggest question is one of safety, and that can be answered only by far more extensive research. There are also questions about when it would be worth doing - embryos can already be screened for disease through pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. However, there are about 10,000 genetic disorders that are caused by a single mutation and could, in theory, be repaired with the same technology. Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Francis Crick Institute, told the BBC: \"A method of being able to avoid having affected children passing on the affected gene could be really very important for those families. \"In terms of when, definitely not yet. It's going to be quite a while before we know that it's going to be safe.\" Nicole Mowbray lives with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has a defibrillator implanted in her chest in case her heart stops. But she is unsure whether she would ever consider gene editing: \"I wouldn't want to pass on something that caused my child to have a limited or painful life. \"That does come to the front of my mind when I think about having children. \"But I wouldn't want to create the 'perfect' child, I feel like my condition makes me, me.\" Darren Griffin, a professor of genetics at the University of Kent, said: \"Perhaps the biggest question, and probably the one that will be debated the most, is whether we should be physically altering the genes of an IVF embryo at all. \"This is not a straightforward question... equally, the debate on how morally acceptable it is not to act when we have the technology to prevent these life-threatening diseases must also come into play.\" The study has already been condemned by Dr David King, from the campaign group Human Genetics Alert, which described the research as \"irresponsible\" and a \"race for first genetically modified baby\". Dr Yalda Jamshidi, a reader in genomic medicine at St George's University of London, said: \"The study is the first to show successful and efficient correction of a disease-causing mutation in early stage human embryos with gene editing. \"Whilst we are just beginning to understand the complexity of genetic disease, gene-editing will likely become acceptable when its potential benefits, both to individuals and to the broader society, exceeds its risks.\" The method does not currently fuel concerns about the extreme end of \"designer babies\" engineered to have new advantageous traits. The way Crispr is designed should lead to a new piece of engineered DNA being inserted into the genetic code. However, in a complete surprise to the researchers, this did not happen. Instead, Crispr damaged the mutated gene in the father's sperm, leading to a healthy version being copied over from the mother's egg. This means the technology, for now, works only when there is a healthy version from one of the parents. Prof Lovell-Badge added: \"The possibility of producing designer babies, which is unjustified in any case, is now even further away.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3452, "answer_end": 5255, "text": "Darren Griffin, a professor of genetics at the University of Kent, said: \"Perhaps the biggest question, and probably the one that will be debated the most, is whether we should be physically altering the genes of an IVF embryo at all. \"This is not a straightforward question... equally, the debate on how morally acceptable it is not to act when we have the technology to prevent these life-threatening diseases must also come into play.\" The study has already been condemned by Dr David King, from the campaign group Human Genetics Alert, which described the research as \"irresponsible\" and a \"race for first genetically modified baby\". Dr Yalda Jamshidi, a reader in genomic medicine at St George's University of London, said: \"The study is the first to show successful and efficient correction of a disease-causing mutation in early stage human embryos with gene editing. \"Whilst we are just beginning to understand the complexity of genetic disease, gene-editing will likely become acceptable when its potential benefits, both to individuals and to the broader society, exceeds its risks.\" The method does not currently fuel concerns about the extreme end of \"designer babies\" engineered to have new advantageous traits. The way Crispr is designed should lead to a new piece of engineered DNA being inserted into the genetic code. However, in a complete surprise to the researchers, this did not happen. Instead, Crispr damaged the mutated gene in the father's sperm, leading to a healthy version being copied over from the mother's egg. This means the technology, for now, works only when there is a healthy version from one of the parents. Prof Lovell-Badge added: \"The possibility of producing designer babies, which is unjustified in any case, is now even further away.\" Follow James on Twitter."}], "question": "Ethical?", "id": "968_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Gulf of Oman tanker attacks: Trump dismisses Iran denials", "date": "14 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's insistence it had no involvement with the attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Mr Trump cited footage that Washington says shows Iranian forces in a small boat taking an unexploded mine off the hull of one of the ships. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the truth needed to be \"clearly established\". Russia has warned against drawing \"hasty conclusions\". The blasts came a month after four oil tankers were damaged in an attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The US blamed Iran for that attack, but did not produce evidence. Iran also denied those accusations. Tensions between the US and Iran have escalated significantly since US President Donald Trump took office in 2017. He abandoned a nuclear deal that was brokered by the Obama administration and significantly tightened sanctions on Iran. Speaking to Fox News, he said Iran \"did do it\". \"I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it. And you saw the boat at night trying to take the mine off and successfully took the mine off the boat, and that was exposed,\" he said. He also said it was unlikely that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz - a vital shipping lane through which a third of the world's seaborne oil passes every year - but if it did, the strait would not remain closed \"for long\". Mr Trump's intervention came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to carry out the attacks and, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping showed Iran was behind it. US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the US would be sharing intelligence to try to \"build international consensus to this international problem\". Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday accused the US of posing \"a serious threat to stability in the Middle East\", without referring directly to the attacks in the Gulf of Oman. He reiterated a call for international parties to the 2015 nuclear deal to honour their commitments, following a unilateral withdrawal by the Trump administration. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Twitter accused the US of making an allegation \"without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence\" and attempting to \"sabotage diplomacy\". The footage released by the US on Thursday is rather more convincing than the circumstantial evidence it had provided earlier. The small white patrol craft in the video is typical of the type used by Iran's IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) Navy in the Gulf. In recent years, the IRGC Navy has steadily supplanted Iran's conventional navy all along Iran's Gulf coast, from its border with Iraq in the north all the way down to Pakistan and the Arabian Sea. Its forces have built up a formidable flotilla of small, high-speed, hard-to-detect attack craft armed with mines, missiles, torpedoes and drones. IRGC commandos regularly practise covert operations and simulated attacks. Some of their craft have come in close proximity to US Navy warships in the Gulf in recent years and there remains the risk of a clash at sea. Iran has denied any involvement in Thursday's attacks, saying they were carried out by someone looking to derail Iran's relations with the international community. There will likely be doubts in Tehran as to whether this video is genuine. According to the US account of events, US naval forces in the region received distress calls from the Norwegian-owned Front Altair at 06:12 (02:12 GMT) and from the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous at 07:00, following explosions, and moved towards the area. It said the USS Bainbridge observed Iranian naval boats operating in the area in the hours after the explosions, and later removing the unexploded mine from the side of the Kokuka Courageous. The crews of both vessels were evacuated to other ships nearby. Both Iran and the US later released pictures showing rescued crew members on board their vessels. BSM Ship Management, which manages the Kokuka Courageous, said the ship's crew abandoned ship after observing a fire and an unexploded mine. However Yutaka Katada, the president of the ship's operator, Kokuka Sangyo, said members of the crew had reported \"that the ship was attacked by a flying object\". The Kokuka Courageous was about 30km (20 miles) off the Iranian coast when it sent its emergency call. The Front Altair was carrying naphtha, a petrol product, from the United Arab Emirates to Taiwan. The Kokuka Courageous was carrying methanol from Saudi Arabia to Singapore. According to global satellite monitoring company Iceye, the damage to the Front Altair caused some oil spill in the waters around the ship. Oil prices jumped as much as 4% after Thursday's incident. In 2018, the US pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 that was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The move was strongly criticised by a number of countries, including the closest allies of the US. In May, President Trump tightened US sanctions on Iran - mainly targeting its oil sector. Iran then announced it would suspend some commitments under the nuclear deal. In recent months, the US has strengthened its forces in the Gulf - saying there was a danger of Iranian attacks. It sent an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region. In response, Iran accused the US of aggressive behaviour. Those tensions rose markedly after the 12 May limpet mine attacks in the UAE. The UAE blamed an unnamed \"state actor\". The US said that actor was Iran, an accusation Tehran denied. While it is unclear why Iran would carry out a relatively low-level attack on the multinational tankers, observers have speculated that it could have been to send a signal to forces ranged against it that it is capable of disrupting shipping there without triggering a war.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 876, "answer_end": 1759, "text": "Speaking to Fox News, he said Iran \"did do it\". \"I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it. And you saw the boat at night trying to take the mine off and successfully took the mine off the boat, and that was exposed,\" he said. He also said it was unlikely that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz - a vital shipping lane through which a third of the world's seaborne oil passes every year - but if it did, the strait would not remain closed \"for long\". Mr Trump's intervention came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to carry out the attacks and, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping showed Iran was behind it. US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the US would be sharing intelligence to try to \"build international consensus to this international problem\"."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "969_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1760, "answer_end": 2281, "text": "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Friday accused the US of posing \"a serious threat to stability in the Middle East\", without referring directly to the attacks in the Gulf of Oman. He reiterated a call for international parties to the 2015 nuclear deal to honour their commitments, following a unilateral withdrawal by the Trump administration. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Twitter accused the US of making an allegation \"without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence\" and attempting to \"sabotage diplomacy\"."}], "question": "How has Iran responded?", "id": "969_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4729, "answer_end": 5819, "text": "In 2018, the US pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal reached in 2015 that was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The move was strongly criticised by a number of countries, including the closest allies of the US. In May, President Trump tightened US sanctions on Iran - mainly targeting its oil sector. Iran then announced it would suspend some commitments under the nuclear deal. In recent months, the US has strengthened its forces in the Gulf - saying there was a danger of Iranian attacks. It sent an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region. In response, Iran accused the US of aggressive behaviour. Those tensions rose markedly after the 12 May limpet mine attacks in the UAE. The UAE blamed an unnamed \"state actor\". The US said that actor was Iran, an accusation Tehran denied. While it is unclear why Iran would carry out a relatively low-level attack on the multinational tankers, observers have speculated that it could have been to send a signal to forces ranged against it that it is capable of disrupting shipping there without triggering a war."}], "question": "Why are US-Iran tensions so high?", "id": "969_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Paris knife attack: Suspect 'French citizen born in Russia's Chechnya'", "date": "13 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The suspect in a deadly knife attack in central Paris on Saturday evening is a French citizen born in 1997 in Russia's republic of Chechnya, sources say. Named by media as Khamzat Asimov, he was on a French watch list of people who could pose a threat to national security, the sources said. Police shot dead the attacker in the busy Opera district after he killed a man and injured four other people. The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted (in French): \"France has once again paid in blood, but will not give an inch to the enemies of freedom.\" Later on Sunday, a judicial source said that a friend of the suspect had been detained for questioning in the eastern city of Strasbourg. France has been on high alert following a series of attacks. More than 230 people have been killed by IS-inspired jihadists in the past three years. The suspect was not carrying any identification papers and has not yet been officially named. Sources told French media the man had no criminal record and his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French citizen who was naturalised in 2010. The man had been categorised as \"fiche S\", the sources said. This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest. It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans. In 2015, then Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation. This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France. France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by but gave no further details. The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded. One of the injured was a Chinese citizen, Chinese media have reported. Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries. The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT). Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers. He shouted \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said. The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police first tried to stop the assailant with a Taser before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack. Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: \"I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy.\" He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, had run into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside but was fended off and finally fled. Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries. IS said it was behind the attack in a brief statement posted on its news outlet. Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia. The republic declared independence in 1991 but three years later Russian troops were sent in to quash the movement, sparking a decade-long conflict. Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region. The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people. The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017. IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere. A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home. Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 895, "answer_end": 1811, "text": "The suspect was not carrying any identification papers and has not yet been officially named. Sources told French media the man had no criminal record and his parents had been held for questioning. He is believed to be a French citizen who was naturalised in 2010. The man had been categorised as \"fiche S\", the sources said. This flags people considered to be a possible threat to national security and allows for surveillance without being a cause for arrest. It includes those suspected of Islamist radicalisation but is wide-ranging and covers such groups as political extremists, gangsters and even football hooligans. In 2015, then Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there were 20,000 names on the list, about half related to Islamist radicalisation. This would be the first time an assailant of Chechen origin has carried out a terrorist attack in France. France is home to some 30,000 people of Chechen origin."}], "question": "What do we know about the attacker?", "id": "970_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1812, "answer_end": 2274, "text": "Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the man who died was a 29-year-old passer-by but gave no further details. The four who were injured have also not yet been named. AFP news agency, citing sources, said a 34-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were seriously hurt, while a 26-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were slightly wounded. One of the injured was a Chinese citizen, Chinese media have reported. Mr Collomb said none had life-threatening injuries."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "970_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2275, "answer_end": 3199, "text": "The attacker began stabbing passers-by at about 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT). Eyewitnesses described him as a young man with brown hair and a beard, dressed in black tracksuit trousers. He shouted \"Allahu Akbar\" (God is greatest) during the attack, witnesses said. The man tried to enter several bars and restaurants but was blocked by people inside. Police first tried to stop the assailant with a Taser before shooting him dead, nine minutes after he began the attack. Jonathan, a waiter at a local restaurant, told AFP: \"I saw him with a knife in his hand. He looked crazy.\" He said a woman, stabbed by the attacker, had run into into the restaurant bleeding. The assailant tried to follow her inside but was fended off and finally fled. Two of the wounded in the attack are in a serious condition but do not have life-threatening injuries. IS said it was behind the attack in a brief statement posted on its news outlet."}], "question": "How did the events unfold?", "id": "970_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3200, "answer_end": 4397, "text": "Chechnya is a republic in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia. The republic declared independence in 1991 but three years later Russian troops were sent in to quash the movement, sparking a decade-long conflict. Jihadist groups, including those aligned with IS, have long operated in the region. The brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, had Chechen links and Turkish authorities said a Chechen jihadist was the suspected organiser of an attack on Istanbul airport in 2016 that killed 45 people. The jihadist, Akhmed Chatayev, a member of IS, was killed in a clash with special forces in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2017. IS has actively recruited fighters in Chechnya, sending hundreds to conflicts in Syria and elsewhere. A report from the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in 2016 spoke of the fear that the fighters would return to carry out terrorist attacks at home. Strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was nominated for the Chechen presidency by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and is now firmly in control, has tried to halt IS recruitment but human rights activists say his measures have been brutal and have often helped radicalisation."}], "question": "How are IS and Chechnya linked?", "id": "970_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine crisis: What's going on in Crimea?", "date": "12 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have escalated again, more than two years after Russia's annexation of Crimea. Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to stage armed incursions in the southern peninsula, but Ukraine denies that and says Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers there. In eastern Ukraine, sporadic clashes continue in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian rebels face Ukrainian government troops. Russia says that a group of Ukrainian saboteurs entered Crimea on 7 August with the aim of carrying out \"acts of terrorism\" ahead of parliamentary elections next month. Two Russians - a soldier and a federal security agent - were killed in two nights of clashes and explosives recovered, the foreign ministry says. Ukraine's president says the claims are preposterous. There have been credible reports of gunfire at the border on one night, although one Kiev official blamed the incident on drunken Russian forces. Russian state TV has produced video of a former volunteer fighter named Yevhen Panov apparently confessing to the sabotage. In the video he was handcuffed and had a recent cut above his right eye. His family say he was abducted. Ukrainian officials believe that Russia is creating a pretext for something far more serious. It seems unlikely, however the signs are worrying. There are fears, especially in Ukraine, that Russia has built up its forces in Crimea for an August offensive, while the West's eyes are turned towards the Rio Olympics. It happened before, during the Beijing Games of 2008, when Russian troops entered Georgia. Russia is holding big military exercises in Crimea this month and said on Friday that it had deployed S-400 air defence missiles there. Ukraine has responded by raising its alert to red on the de facto border with Crimea, as well as near the front line in the east, where there is a fragile ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and the rebels. Ukrainian and Russia media assess flare-up Some analysts believe President Vladimir Putin is looking to create a military diversion from Russia's faltering economy and imminent parliamentary elections, even though the main opposition forces are barred from contesting them. Perhaps Russia is planning to seize a land corridor via Mariupol, it has been argued. A 19km (12-mile) bridge from southern Russia to Crimea, being built across the Kerch Strait, is at least two years from completion and the peninsula relies on Ukraine for its power supply. Few expect such a dramatic escalation, however. Others suggest Mr Putin's main aim was to tear up the fragile Minsk agreement that keeps the tentative truce in eastern Ukraine from falling apart. Already, Mr Putin has written off a key meeting on the Minsk deal planned for next month in Beijing with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and the leaders of France and Germany - the so-called \"Normandy format\" talks. On 24 August Ukrainians celebrate their 25th year of independence. Russia argues that the Kiev government is trying to divert attention from Ukraine's very real economic and political problems by stirring up unrest in Crimea. Russia seized the peninsula from Ukraine after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was deposed in Kiev in February 2014, and the loss of Crimea is a deep wound for Ukrainians. Ukrainians, on the other hand, argue that Russia is trying to ruin the 25th anniversary party. Ostensibly, President Putin took control of the Ukrainian peninsula to protect ethnic Russians from the far-right extremists whom Russia said had overthrown President Yanukovych. Even now he sees Ukraine's leaders as illegitimate, referring to them as \"the people who seized power in Kiev\". In a 2015 documentary he said he took the decision on 23 February, at the end of an overnight emergency meeting, hours after the Ukrainian leader had fled Kiev. \"We finished about seven in the morning,\" he said. \"When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, 'We are forced to begin the work to bring Crimea back into Russia'.\" Putin admits Crimea takeover plot Little green men or Russian invaders? But Russia did not at first admit its involvement. \"Little green men\" in unmarked uniforms suddenly appeared and took control and then a disputed local referendum sealed the deal. For most Russians Crimea is a historic part of their country anyway. It has an ethnic Russian majority but was transferred to Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. After Ukraine's independence in 1991 Russia kept control of the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea, home of the Black Sea Fleet. Russia also agreed with the UK and US, under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, to respect Ukraine's borders and not threaten it with force, in return for Ukraine transferring its Soviet-era nuclear arms to Russian territory. Protests broke out in Ukraine's capital after President Yanukovych's government rejected a far-reaching accord with the European Union in November 2013 in favour of stronger ties with Russia. Thousands of people, outraged that a long-standing aspiration for integration with Europe had been ditched overnight, poured into central Kiev for peaceful protests. For months they occupied Independence Square, known as Maidan, and the demonstrations spread, with many Ukrainians arguing the president was serving the interests of his own close circle and Moscow rather than their country. Unloved president, radicalised country Ukraine crisis timeline But the protests became violent in January, and on 18 February 2014 and by 20 February 88 people had been killed in 48 hours. Video showed police snipers targeting protesters. The next day President Yanukovych appeared to have salvaged a deal with opposition leaders after talks with three EU foreign ministers in Kiev. But hours later he fled, his armed guard melted away and parliament later voted to remove him from power. The euphoria felt by supporters of the revolution soon turned to crisis as Crimea was annexed by Russia and pro-Russian protests broke out in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv. While Ukrainian authorities established control of Kharkiv, near the eastern border with Russia, events spiralled out of control in Luhansk and Donetsk, and in mid-April the Kiev authorities declared an anti-terrorist operation against the separatists. The rebels held their own pseudo-referendums and declared independence in both regions. Russia was accused of stirring the conflict by sending its own forces and military hardware to bolster the separatists, but it always denied the allegations, insisting that any Russians fighting there were \"volunteers\". It has fiercely denied that a Russian Buk missile launcher shot down a Malaysian Airlines flight on 17 July 2014 with 298 people on board. The EU and US imposed sanctions on Russia after the Crimea annexation, and repeatedly ratcheted them up as fighting in eastern Ukraine escalated. It never really has. The first attempt at a ceasefire was signed in Minsk in September 2014 and never took hold, with the conflict symbolised by the long-running battle for Donetsk airport. What became known as Minsk Two was then signed in February 2015 with a commitment to remove heavy weapons. The battle for Donetsk airport The ceasefire only began to take hold in reality in September 2015. While there has been some semblance of peace in the area, there are regular clashes and reports of civilian casualties. Eight civilians were killed and 65 wounded in July 2016, according to UN figures, the highest for a year. The suburbs of Donetsk, recently a thriving modern city, still come under shellfire. Since April 2014, 9,553 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine, including 2,000 civilians. Another 22,137 have been wounded and 1.1 million others externally displaced.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1966, "answer_end": 2888, "text": "Some analysts believe President Vladimir Putin is looking to create a military diversion from Russia's faltering economy and imminent parliamentary elections, even though the main opposition forces are barred from contesting them. Perhaps Russia is planning to seize a land corridor via Mariupol, it has been argued. A 19km (12-mile) bridge from southern Russia to Crimea, being built across the Kerch Strait, is at least two years from completion and the peninsula relies on Ukraine for its power supply. Few expect such a dramatic escalation, however. Others suggest Mr Putin's main aim was to tear up the fragile Minsk agreement that keeps the tentative truce in eastern Ukraine from falling apart. Already, Mr Putin has written off a key meeting on the Minsk deal planned for next month in Beijing with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and the leaders of France and Germany - the so-called \"Normandy format\" talks."}], "question": "Could Russia benefit from renewed conflict?", "id": "971_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2889, "answer_end": 3389, "text": "On 24 August Ukrainians celebrate their 25th year of independence. Russia argues that the Kiev government is trying to divert attention from Ukraine's very real economic and political problems by stirring up unrest in Crimea. Russia seized the peninsula from Ukraine after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was deposed in Kiev in February 2014, and the loss of Crimea is a deep wound for Ukrainians. Ukrainians, on the other hand, argue that Russia is trying to ruin the 25th anniversary party."}], "question": "And what about Ukraine?", "id": "971_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3390, "answer_end": 4787, "text": "Ostensibly, President Putin took control of the Ukrainian peninsula to protect ethnic Russians from the far-right extremists whom Russia said had overthrown President Yanukovych. Even now he sees Ukraine's leaders as illegitimate, referring to them as \"the people who seized power in Kiev\". In a 2015 documentary he said he took the decision on 23 February, at the end of an overnight emergency meeting, hours after the Ukrainian leader had fled Kiev. \"We finished about seven in the morning,\" he said. \"When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, 'We are forced to begin the work to bring Crimea back into Russia'.\" Putin admits Crimea takeover plot Little green men or Russian invaders? But Russia did not at first admit its involvement. \"Little green men\" in unmarked uniforms suddenly appeared and took control and then a disputed local referendum sealed the deal. For most Russians Crimea is a historic part of their country anyway. It has an ethnic Russian majority but was transferred to Ukraine in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. After Ukraine's independence in 1991 Russia kept control of the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea, home of the Black Sea Fleet. Russia also agreed with the UK and US, under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, to respect Ukraine's borders and not threaten it with force, in return for Ukraine transferring its Soviet-era nuclear arms to Russian territory."}], "question": "So why did Russia annex Crimea in the first place?", "id": "971_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4788, "answer_end": 5859, "text": "Protests broke out in Ukraine's capital after President Yanukovych's government rejected a far-reaching accord with the European Union in November 2013 in favour of stronger ties with Russia. Thousands of people, outraged that a long-standing aspiration for integration with Europe had been ditched overnight, poured into central Kiev for peaceful protests. For months they occupied Independence Square, known as Maidan, and the demonstrations spread, with many Ukrainians arguing the president was serving the interests of his own close circle and Moscow rather than their country. Unloved president, radicalised country Ukraine crisis timeline But the protests became violent in January, and on 18 February 2014 and by 20 February 88 people had been killed in 48 hours. Video showed police snipers targeting protesters. The next day President Yanukovych appeared to have salvaged a deal with opposition leaders after talks with three EU foreign ministers in Kiev. But hours later he fled, his armed guard melted away and parliament later voted to remove him from power."}], "question": "Why was President Yanukovych deposed?", "id": "971_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6910, "answer_end": 7789, "text": "It never really has. The first attempt at a ceasefire was signed in Minsk in September 2014 and never took hold, with the conflict symbolised by the long-running battle for Donetsk airport. What became known as Minsk Two was then signed in February 2015 with a commitment to remove heavy weapons. The battle for Donetsk airport The ceasefire only began to take hold in reality in September 2015. While there has been some semblance of peace in the area, there are regular clashes and reports of civilian casualties. Eight civilians were killed and 65 wounded in July 2016, according to UN figures, the highest for a year. The suburbs of Donetsk, recently a thriving modern city, still come under shellfire. Since April 2014, 9,553 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine, including 2,000 civilians. Another 22,137 have been wounded and 1.1 million others externally displaced."}], "question": "So when did the fighting stop?", "id": "971_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Daryl Morey backtracks after Hong Kong tweet causes Chinese backlash", "date": "7 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team has apologised after a tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters led to a Chinese backlash. Daryl Morey's original tweet included an image captioned: \"Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong Kong.\" But the coach backpedalled after a fierce criticism from Chinese fans, sponsors and commercial partners. Chinese broadcasters and streaming platforms said they would no longer broadcast Rockets games. NBA games draw huge viewership in China, with millions watching games primarily through streaming platforms. The Rockets have been popular since the team signed Chinese star Yao Ming in 2002. The Rockets and the National Basketball Association in the US quickly distanced themselves from Mr Morey's tweet. And, in a follow-up statement, Mr Morey said he had reconsidered his position. \"I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event,\" he wrote. \"I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives. \"I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors...I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. \"My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA.\" Hong Kong has seen months of protests - sparked by an extradition law that has since been withdrawn - that have grown increasingly violent. Mr Morey's original tweet, sent on Friday, caused uproar in China. On Sunday, the Chinese Basketball Association suspended cooperation with the Houston Rockets, as did Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning. The club's sponsor in China, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, suspended co-operation, too. And Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and Tencent Holdings, which streams NBA games in China, both said they would stop broadcasting Rockets matches. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta tweeted that Morey didn't speak for the team, which he said was \"not a political organisation\". Rockets player James Harden said: \"We apologise. We love China.\" The NBA described Mr Morey's comments as \"regrettable\" and acknowledged he had \"deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China\". \"We have great respect for the history and culture of China and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force.\" And, in a lengthy Facebook post, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai criticised Mr Morey for his \"damaging\" tweet, saying he misjudged how strongly many Chinese people felt about Hong Kong. The Canadian, who is also the vice-chairman of Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, said he had \"spent a good part of my professional life in China\". \"There are certain topics that are third-rail issues [untouchable] in certain countries, societies and communities,\" he went on. \"Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government, but also for all citizens in China.\" Mr Tsai said the damage from Mr Morey's tweet \"will take a long time to repair\". He added that 1.4 billion Chinese citizens \"stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China\" and the issue \"is non-negotiable\". The NBA zone defence over Mr Morey's tweet provoked accusations from Democratic and Republican lawmakers that the league was bowing to Beijing instead of supporting democracy. Former US presidential hopeful - and Rockets fan - Ted Cruz accused the NBA of \"shamefully retreating\" in pursuit of profit. Mr Cruz said he was proud to see Mr Morey \"call out the Chinese Communist Party's repressive treatment of protestors in Hong Kong\". Fellow Republican Senator Ben Sasse called the NBA's response \"shameful\" in a statement. \"The NBA wants money, and the Communist Party of China is asking them to deny the most basic of human rights. In response, the NBA issued a statement saying money is the most important thing.\" Democratic presidential hopeful Julian Castro tweeted that the US must \"not allow American citizens to be bullied by an authoritarian government\". Other Democrats, including Mr Castro's 2020 rival Andrew Yang and congressman Eric Swalwell also criticised the NBA's move.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1433, "answer_end": 3177, "text": "Mr Morey's original tweet, sent on Friday, caused uproar in China. On Sunday, the Chinese Basketball Association suspended cooperation with the Houston Rockets, as did Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning. The club's sponsor in China, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, suspended co-operation, too. And Chinese state broadcaster CCTV and Tencent Holdings, which streams NBA games in China, both said they would stop broadcasting Rockets matches. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta tweeted that Morey didn't speak for the team, which he said was \"not a political organisation\". Rockets player James Harden said: \"We apologise. We love China.\" The NBA described Mr Morey's comments as \"regrettable\" and acknowledged he had \"deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China\". \"We have great respect for the history and culture of China and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force.\" And, in a lengthy Facebook post, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai criticised Mr Morey for his \"damaging\" tweet, saying he misjudged how strongly many Chinese people felt about Hong Kong. The Canadian, who is also the vice-chairman of Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, said he had \"spent a good part of my professional life in China\". \"There are certain topics that are third-rail issues [untouchable] in certain countries, societies and communities,\" he went on. \"Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government, but also for all citizens in China.\" Mr Tsai said the damage from Mr Morey's tweet \"will take a long time to repair\". He added that 1.4 billion Chinese citizens \"stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China\" and the issue \"is non-negotiable\"."}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "972_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump defends U-turn on China's ZTE ahead of trade talks", "date": "14 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has justified his pledge to help China's ZTE \"get back into business\" after critics claimed he was \"backing off\". He said the country is working on a \"larger trade deal\" and the Chinese tech firm buys many parts from the US. The US had banned American companies from selling parts to ZTE, after it admitted to making illegal shipments to Iran and North Korea. But the US will now consider alternatives to the supplier ban. The concession was welcomed in China and comes ahead of high-level trade talks this week in Washington aimed at addressing an escalating dispute between the world's two largest economies. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that the reprieve for ZTE was being negotiated as part of a possible deal in which China would lift tariffs on certain US agricultural products, such as ginseng, that went into effect in April. Mr Trump on Monday referenced the trade talks to explain the change. He tweeted: \"ZTE, the large Chinese phone company, buys a big percentage of individual parts from U.S. companies. This is also reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China and my personal relationship with President Xi\". Beijing has made resolving the situation of ZTE, which employs about 80,000 people, one of its demands for a broader trade agreement with the US. \"We greatly appreciate the positive position of the US on the ZTE issue and are in close communication with the US on the details of the issue,\" foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said. ZTE suspended operations following last month's ban. The firm spent more than $2.3bn on imports from about 200 US companies last year and relies on the parts for its products, which include smart phones and telecommunications equipment. On Monday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters that the US would consider alternatives to a supplier ban. \"ZTE did do some inappropriate things ... the question is are there alternative remedies to the ones we had originally put forward and that's the area we will be exploring very, very promptly,\" Mr Ross said at the National Press Club in Washington. ZTE was fined $1.1bn (PS800m) after admitting, in March 2017, to violating US sanctions by illegally shipping American technology to Iran and North Korea. The current export ban - which lasts seven years - was imposed last month after the company allegedly failed to comply with its agreement. It was accused of lying about the punishment of employees involved in skirting the sanctions. Mr Trump re-opened the issue with a Tweet on Sunday, saying jobs in China were at risk. Douglas Jacobson, a lawyer in Washington DC who represents some of ZTE's suppliers, said: \"This is a fascinating development in a highly unusual case that has gone from a sanctions and export control case to a geopolitical one. \"There's no legal mechanism for this. How this will play out remains to be seen. They are not simply going to be able to resume business as usual.\" The about-face has prompted questions from critics in the US. US Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican who competed against Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign, wrote: \"I hope this isn't the beginning of backing down to China.\" US Senator Chuck Schumer, who leads Democrats in the Senate, said the move raised concerns that the president will not stand strong against China on the question of intellectual property. He said: \"This leads to the greatest worry, which is that the president will back off on what China fears most - a crackdown on intellectual property theft - in exchange for buying some goods in the short run. That's a bad deal if there ever was one.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2126, "answer_end": 2977, "text": "ZTE was fined $1.1bn (PS800m) after admitting, in March 2017, to violating US sanctions by illegally shipping American technology to Iran and North Korea. The current export ban - which lasts seven years - was imposed last month after the company allegedly failed to comply with its agreement. It was accused of lying about the punishment of employees involved in skirting the sanctions. Mr Trump re-opened the issue with a Tweet on Sunday, saying jobs in China were at risk. Douglas Jacobson, a lawyer in Washington DC who represents some of ZTE's suppliers, said: \"This is a fascinating development in a highly unusual case that has gone from a sanctions and export control case to a geopolitical one. \"There's no legal mechanism for this. How this will play out remains to be seen. They are not simply going to be able to resume business as usual.\""}], "question": "What did ZTE do wrong?", "id": "973_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2978, "answer_end": 3648, "text": "The about-face has prompted questions from critics in the US. US Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican who competed against Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign, wrote: \"I hope this isn't the beginning of backing down to China.\" US Senator Chuck Schumer, who leads Democrats in the Senate, said the move raised concerns that the president will not stand strong against China on the question of intellectual property. He said: \"This leads to the greatest worry, which is that the president will back off on what China fears most - a crackdown on intellectual property theft - in exchange for buying some goods in the short run. That's a bad deal if there ever was one.\""}], "question": "Is Donald Trump on the defensive?", "id": "973_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'Dotard' Trump? The story of 'rocket man' Kim's insult", "date": "22 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On Friday the English-speaking world was startled to find itself suddenly reacquainted with the 14th-Century term \"dotard\", thanks to an unlikely source - Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leader used the ancient word to describe Donald Trump several times in a fiery statement denouncing the US President's recent UN speech. The statement was an unprecedented first person address to Mr Trump and as the diplomatic community digested its meaning,  many others rushed to look up this unique insult. Mr Kim used \"dotard\" not once, but twice, to refer to Mr Trump. \"Action is the best option in treating the dotard who, hard of hearing, is uttering only what he wants to say,\" Mr Kim wrote, displaying a keen sense of the original meaning of the word. But he ended his screed with the ominous line: \"I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.\" The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as \"an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile\". Its US brethren, Merriam-Webster, further clarified that the word initially meant \"imbecile\", and stems from the Middle English word \"doten\" which means \"to dote\". The word has made guest appearances in literature over the years but rarely with kind intent: it's there in Shakespeare, in works by Herman Melville about the menace of a shark and in an angry poetic stream of consciousness  by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, for example. This wasn't the first time North Korea used the term (we'll get to that in a minute), but it certainly was the first instance it garnered so much attention. Unsurprisingly the word has spawned its own hashtag #dotard, which has since trended worldwide. The Twitterverse sprang into action. There were jokes laced with mild anxiety over the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Some have also matched it with Mr Trump's own term for Mr Kim. But others did not find it funny. But some observers are debating whether the Swiss-educated Mr Kim - or his English translator- really meant to use that word in the English statement. They have pointed out that a slightly different term was used in the Korean-language version. North Korea's rhetoric has its own special brand of bombast, and it particularly excels in epithets and ad hominem insults. The US, for instance, is never just an enemy, but a \"hooligan\", \"scoundrel\", and a \"gangster\". Never one to shy from misogyny and racism, North Korea has called former president Barack Obama a \"wicked black monkey\", while the dress sense of Mr Kim and Mr Trump's common enemy, Hillary Clinton, has been mocked as resembling both a \"primary schoolgirl\" and \"a pensioner gone shopping\". But it perhaps reserved its most colourful insults for former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, known for her hardline stance against the North and popularly known as \"the bitch\" in Pyongyang. Revealing its penchant for animal-themed comparisons, North Korea has over the years called her \"an ugly female bat-disgrace\", \"matchless dragon lady\", \"a tailless crazy old bitch\", and an \"old cat groaning in her sickbed\". It also appears to have form, as she has even been called - wait for it - a \"dotard\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 872, "answer_end": 1879, "text": "The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as \"an old person, especially one who has become weak or senile\". Its US brethren, Merriam-Webster, further clarified that the word initially meant \"imbecile\", and stems from the Middle English word \"doten\" which means \"to dote\". The word has made guest appearances in literature over the years but rarely with kind intent: it's there in Shakespeare, in works by Herman Melville about the menace of a shark and in an angry poetic stream of consciousness  by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, for example. This wasn't the first time North Korea used the term (we'll get to that in a minute), but it certainly was the first instance it garnered so much attention. Unsurprisingly the word has spawned its own hashtag #dotard, which has since trended worldwide. The Twitterverse sprang into action. There were jokes laced with mild anxiety over the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Some have also matched it with Mr Trump's own term for Mr Kim. But others did not find it funny."}], "question": "So what exactly does \"dotard\" mean?", "id": "974_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1880, "answer_end": 3140, "text": "But some observers are debating whether the Swiss-educated Mr Kim - or his English translator- really meant to use that word in the English statement. They have pointed out that a slightly different term was used in the Korean-language version. North Korea's rhetoric has its own special brand of bombast, and it particularly excels in epithets and ad hominem insults. The US, for instance, is never just an enemy, but a \"hooligan\", \"scoundrel\", and a \"gangster\". Never one to shy from misogyny and racism, North Korea has called former president Barack Obama a \"wicked black monkey\", while the dress sense of Mr Kim and Mr Trump's common enemy, Hillary Clinton, has been mocked as resembling both a \"primary schoolgirl\" and \"a pensioner gone shopping\". But it perhaps reserved its most colourful insults for former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, known for her hardline stance against the North and popularly known as \"the bitch\" in Pyongyang. Revealing its penchant for animal-themed comparisons, North Korea has over the years called her \"an ugly female bat-disgrace\", \"matchless dragon lady\", \"a tailless crazy old bitch\", and an \"old cat groaning in her sickbed\". It also appears to have form, as she has even been called - wait for it - a \"dotard\"."}], "question": "Lost in translation?", "id": "974_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Student loan ruling adds \u00a312bn to government borrowing", "date": "17 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A change in how student loans are recorded in the public finances will add PS12bn to the deficit, following an Office for National Statistics ruling. The amount expected not to be repaid, which could be 45% of lending, will be reclassified as public spending. Student loans will now significantly push up the UK's deficit - providing an incentive to reduce tuition fees. The government said the change would be taken into account by the tuition fees review, due to report early next year. The decision by the statistics agency tackles an anomaly in which the cost of lending to students, to cover fees and maintenance, has been missing from the public finances. It will significantly increase the deficit - which is the difference between what the government spends and what it receives. Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury select committee and former education secretary, welcomed the ruling - saying the current loans system lacked scrutiny when the government could \"spend billions of pounds of public money without any negative impact on its deficit target\". The independent economics think-tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, says the accounting system has been \"absurdly generous\" to the government's finances. It says the effort to reflect the real cost of the fees system, in which 70% of students will not fully re-pay, would bring public finances closer to \"economic reality\". The change applies across the UK, but most of this will be accounted for by lending to students in England. It might sound like a technical change - but it has major implications for the level of tuition fees in England. The decision by the ONS will provide a juicy carrot for the government to lower fees from PS9,250 - because under the accounting changes, the higher the level of fees, the higher the lending and the greater the negative impact on the deficit. If the government does nothing - and sticks with the current level of fees - the damage to the deficit will rise from PS12bn at present to PS17bn in five years, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Student finance is under review and if fees were lowered to PS6,500 or PS7,500, as has been suggested, it would mean less pressure, at least in presentational terms, on the public finances. It would also leave universities worrying about how their budgets would be compensated. But in terms of the political importance attached to reducing the deficit, tuition fees in their current form might suddenly look much less attractive. The IFS says it is likely to mean the government will look for other options - which could mean lower fees, lower interest charges or fewer students. The think tank also warns that it if the Chancellor had about PS15bn in room to manoeuvre, much of that will have been wiped out. Almost half of the value of student lending is expected to be written off - and this will now be reclassified as spending, which the ONS says will push up the deficit by PS12bn. It will end an arrangement accused of being a \"fiscal illusion\" by the House of Lords economic affairs committee. The Lords committee forecast that not counting the cost of loans until they were written off after 30 years would grow into a trillion pound black hole. The Treasury select committee had also warned that in effect most of higher education funding had disappeared from public spending figures. The decision by the ONS will stop \"kicking the can down the road\" on the cost of student finance. The new classifications will divide student loan payments into \"genuine government lending\" for the portion expected to be repaid - while the portion not expected to be repaid, around 45%, will count as spending. While students might look forward to lower fees, universities are warning against a potential loss of funding. Much of university funding in England is through tuition fees - and if fees were cut there would be questions about replacing the shortfall. \"Ministers may now be tempted to cut university funding because it will look better for the deficit, but good policy shouldn't be dictated by accounting rules,\" said Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of universities. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said the \"180-degree flip\" on accounting will seem \"embarrassing for policymakers\". But he warned it could mean less funding for students as they \"suddenly look much more costly to current taxpayers\". Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, warned against \"knee-jerk reactions\" which could cut spending on students or limit student numbers. Labour's shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, said it proved the \"student loans system is a fiscal illusion which flatters the government's record\". A government spokesman emphasised that in practical terms, this \"does not affect students, who can still access loans to help with tuition fees and the cost of living and which they will only start repaying when they are earning above PS25,000\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1499, "answer_end": 2772, "text": "It might sound like a technical change - but it has major implications for the level of tuition fees in England. The decision by the ONS will provide a juicy carrot for the government to lower fees from PS9,250 - because under the accounting changes, the higher the level of fees, the higher the lending and the greater the negative impact on the deficit. If the government does nothing - and sticks with the current level of fees - the damage to the deficit will rise from PS12bn at present to PS17bn in five years, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Student finance is under review and if fees were lowered to PS6,500 or PS7,500, as has been suggested, it would mean less pressure, at least in presentational terms, on the public finances. It would also leave universities worrying about how their budgets would be compensated. But in terms of the political importance attached to reducing the deficit, tuition fees in their current form might suddenly look much less attractive. The IFS says it is likely to mean the government will look for other options - which could mean lower fees, lower interest charges or fewer students. The think tank also warns that it if the Chancellor had about PS15bn in room to manoeuvre, much of that will have been wiped out."}], "question": "Why does it matter?", "id": "975_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2773, "answer_end": 3668, "text": "Almost half of the value of student lending is expected to be written off - and this will now be reclassified as spending, which the ONS says will push up the deficit by PS12bn. It will end an arrangement accused of being a \"fiscal illusion\" by the House of Lords economic affairs committee. The Lords committee forecast that not counting the cost of loans until they were written off after 30 years would grow into a trillion pound black hole. The Treasury select committee had also warned that in effect most of higher education funding had disappeared from public spending figures. The decision by the ONS will stop \"kicking the can down the road\" on the cost of student finance. The new classifications will divide student loan payments into \"genuine government lending\" for the portion expected to be repaid - while the portion not expected to be repaid, around 45%, will count as spending."}], "question": "What is being changed?", "id": "975_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3669, "answer_end": 4974, "text": "While students might look forward to lower fees, universities are warning against a potential loss of funding. Much of university funding in England is through tuition fees - and if fees were cut there would be questions about replacing the shortfall. \"Ministers may now be tempted to cut university funding because it will look better for the deficit, but good policy shouldn't be dictated by accounting rules,\" said Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of universities. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said the \"180-degree flip\" on accounting will seem \"embarrassing for policymakers\". But he warned it could mean less funding for students as they \"suddenly look much more costly to current taxpayers\". Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, warned against \"knee-jerk reactions\" which could cut spending on students or limit student numbers. Labour's shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, said it proved the \"student loans system is a fiscal illusion which flatters the government's record\". A government spokesman emphasised that in practical terms, this \"does not affect students, who can still access loans to help with tuition fees and the cost of living and which they will only start repaying when they are earning above PS25,000\"."}], "question": "What's the response?", "id": "975_2"}]}]}, {"title": "No-deal Brexit: What is direct rule in Northern Ireland?", "date": "31 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A no-deal Brexit could mean politicians in London taking charge of Northern Ireland, it has been suggested. Northern Ireland hasn't been ruled directly from Westminster for more than a decade, so how would it happen and why is it being considered? The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, says the UK must leave the EU by 31 October, with or without a deal in place about the \"divorce\" process. There've been warnings that a no-deal Brexit could have major consequences for Northern Ireland, which has had no government in place since 2017. Earlier this year, former Prime Minister Theresa May said it would not be able to prepare properly for no-deal as it doesn't have ministers to make decisions. This week, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was asked whether that might mean direct rule was needed. He told the BBC that the government would make sure that all arrangements are in place \"so that we don't have a vacuum\" in Northern Ireland. It can only be implemented if the UK government passes a new law through Parliament. It would see all the powers that had been handed over to Northern Ireland's government taken back by ministers in London. They would make decisions on issues including health, justice and policing, education and transport. Any new laws relating to Northern Ireland would have to be approved by members of Boris Johnson's cabinet and pass through the UK Parliament as well. The last period of direct rule in Northern Ireland ended in 2007, and reinstating it would be a controversial move. Direct rule is not favoured by some because it takes power out of local hands. The unionist parties, which want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, have called for direct rule to happen. But other parties on the nationalist side would prefer so-called \"joint authority\". They argue that the Republic of Ireland government should have greater input into any decision making. Northern Ireland has been able to exercise its own powers since 1998. It followed a peace deal ending decades of violence. Nationalists wanted more rights, and were against British rule, while unionists wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the two communities agreed to share power. When the government is up and running the main parties nominate ministers. Certain powers - including international relations and defence - remain reserved for the government in London. It collapsed in January 2017 when the two biggest parties - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein - had a bitter row around the DUP's handling of a green energy scandal. Since then, the Northern Ireland Assembly and government have been suspended and attempts to restore these institutions have failed. It's been left to civil servants take the necessary steps to keep public services running. But civil servants' powers are limited as they are only meant to advise politicians, not decide on policy or make important decisions. For example, Northern Ireland was unable to move in line with the rest of the UK to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to PS2 last year. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK which has a land border with another EU country, the Republic of Ireland. If the UK leaves without a deal, it will be outside the EU's single market and customs union, making cross-border trade much more complicated. Under Boris Johnson, the UK government wants to get rid of the Irish border backstop - an insurance policy to maintain an open border unless and until another solution is found. Many business and farming groups have warned about the economic impact of reintroducing border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic. And concern has been expressed by a former Northern Ireland police chief that additional law enforcement activity needed on the border might encourage some dissident groups which are still active to regroup. All of this would prove a huge task for civil servants to try to deal with. A lot depends on what happens in the months ahead, but a no-deal Brexit makes the return of direct rule for Northern Ireland more likely.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 248, "answer_end": 934, "text": "The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, says the UK must leave the EU by 31 October, with or without a deal in place about the \"divorce\" process. There've been warnings that a no-deal Brexit could have major consequences for Northern Ireland, which has had no government in place since 2017. Earlier this year, former Prime Minister Theresa May said it would not be able to prepare properly for no-deal as it doesn't have ministers to make decisions. This week, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was asked whether that might mean direct rule was needed. He told the BBC that the government would make sure that all arrangements are in place \"so that we don't have a vacuum\" in Northern Ireland."}], "question": "What is the UK government saying?", "id": "976_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 935, "answer_end": 1889, "text": "It can only be implemented if the UK government passes a new law through Parliament. It would see all the powers that had been handed over to Northern Ireland's government taken back by ministers in London. They would make decisions on issues including health, justice and policing, education and transport. Any new laws relating to Northern Ireland would have to be approved by members of Boris Johnson's cabinet and pass through the UK Parliament as well. The last period of direct rule in Northern Ireland ended in 2007, and reinstating it would be a controversial move. Direct rule is not favoured by some because it takes power out of local hands. The unionist parties, which want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, have called for direct rule to happen. But other parties on the nationalist side would prefer so-called \"joint authority\". They argue that the Republic of Ireland government should have greater input into any decision making."}], "question": "How would direct rule work?", "id": "976_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1890, "answer_end": 2412, "text": "Northern Ireland has been able to exercise its own powers since 1998. It followed a peace deal ending decades of violence. Nationalists wanted more rights, and were against British rule, while unionists wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the two communities agreed to share power. When the government is up and running the main parties nominate ministers. Certain powers - including international relations and defence - remain reserved for the government in London."}], "question": "Has Northern Ireland had its own powers?", "id": "976_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2413, "answer_end": 3112, "text": "It collapsed in January 2017 when the two biggest parties - the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein - had a bitter row around the DUP's handling of a green energy scandal. Since then, the Northern Ireland Assembly and government have been suspended and attempts to restore these institutions have failed. It's been left to civil servants take the necessary steps to keep public services running. But civil servants' powers are limited as they are only meant to advise politicians, not decide on policy or make important decisions. For example, Northern Ireland was unable to move in line with the rest of the UK to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to PS2 last year."}], "question": "Why is there no Northern Ireland government now?", "id": "976_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3113, "answer_end": 4118, "text": "Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK which has a land border with another EU country, the Republic of Ireland. If the UK leaves without a deal, it will be outside the EU's single market and customs union, making cross-border trade much more complicated. Under Boris Johnson, the UK government wants to get rid of the Irish border backstop - an insurance policy to maintain an open border unless and until another solution is found. Many business and farming groups have warned about the economic impact of reintroducing border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic. And concern has been expressed by a former Northern Ireland police chief that additional law enforcement activity needed on the border might encourage some dissident groups which are still active to regroup. All of this would prove a huge task for civil servants to try to deal with. A lot depends on what happens in the months ahead, but a no-deal Brexit makes the return of direct rule for Northern Ireland more likely."}], "question": "What's the link with Brexit?", "id": "976_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain Catalonia: Clashes after separatist leaders detained", "date": "24 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Crowds of protesters in Spain's Catalonia region have clashed with police after the Supreme Court stepped up legal action against separatists. Spain's Supreme Court ruled 25 Catalan leaders should be tried for rebellion, embezzlement or disobeying the state. Convictions could result in up to 30 years in prison. More than 20 people were injured as police used riot batons to keep protesters away from federal buildings in Barcelona on Friday night. Demonstrations also took place in other parts of Catalonia. In Madrid, a Supreme Court judge ordered five more Catalan leaders to be detained without bail, pending trial over their involvement in October's banned independence referendum. One of those taken into custody was Jordi Turull who was to be the subject of a vote in the Catalan parliament on Saturday for regional president. Other separatist figures were already in custody or had gone into exile abroad. Friday night's rallies had been organised by a separatist group before the court decisions were announced. But the rulings appeared to inflame the protesters and angry crowds confronted lines of riot police protecting Spanish government buildings in Barcelona. They waved flags and chanted independence slogans while some burned pictures of the Supreme Court judge and of Spain's King Felipe. Tensions spilled over into violence as some protesters tried to break through police lines. A calmer rally took place in Catalonia Square, in the city centre. One protester there, Carme Sala, said: \"There are two million people who want to leave Spain and they can't put us all in prison.\" Catalan TV showed rallies in support of the jailed leaders elsewhere in the region including in the cities of Vic and Tarragona. Friday's rulings at the Supreme Court in Madrid were considered the most serious challenge to date for the Catalan independence movement. Almost the entire leadership now faces a major legal fight. Altogether 25 separatists have been charged variously with sedition, rebellion, embezzlement and other crimes. They deny the allegations. The five Catalan politicians remanded in custody on Friday were: - Jordi Turull - former Catalan government spokesman and the latest candidate for regional president - Josep Rull - former Catalan development minister - Carme Forcadell - former Catalan parliament speaker - Raul Romeva - former Catalan foreign affairs chief - Dolors Bassa - former Catalan labour minister All five spent some time in detention following the banned referendum but were released on bail late last year pending investigations into their individual roles in the banned referendum. In his 70-page ruling, Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena said that they should be returned to jail as they represented a flight risk. He did not set a date for their trial. The five join four other Catalan leaders already detained in prison. They include Oriol Junqueras, the former Catalan vice-president, and Jordi Sanchez, who was nominated to lead the Catalan government but dropped the bid after the Spanish authorities refused to release him to attend an investiture ceremony. Judge Llarena also issued an arrest warrant for Marta Rovira, the deputy head of the separatist Esquerra Republicana party, who failed to appear in court on Friday. It later emerged that she had fled into exile and Spanish media reported that she was in Switzerland. \"Exile will be a difficult road, but it is the only way I have to recover my political voice. Long live a Catalan Republic for all!,\" she said in a letter published in the Spanish media. Judge Llarena also reactivated European arrests warrants for six others who are in self-imposed exile, including former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont who is in Belgium. The nationalist Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) condemned the court ruling and demanded the release of all those held in prison. Although the leadership vote for Mr Turull can no longer take place on Saturday, Catalan parliament speaker Roger Torrent said he would use the parliamentary session to read a statement in support of those in prison. Following the referendum, the central government in Madrid sacked the Catalan regional government, imposed direct rule and called new elections but pro-independence parties returned with a slim majority. In a setback for the pro-independence cause, a survey published by the respected Catalan Centre for Opinion Studies recently suggested support for independence had dropped sharply, with a majority of Catalans now against the idea.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 915, "answer_end": 1726, "text": "Friday night's rallies had been organised by a separatist group before the court decisions were announced. But the rulings appeared to inflame the protesters and angry crowds confronted lines of riot police protecting Spanish government buildings in Barcelona. They waved flags and chanted independence slogans while some burned pictures of the Supreme Court judge and of Spain's King Felipe. Tensions spilled over into violence as some protesters tried to break through police lines. A calmer rally took place in Catalonia Square, in the city centre. One protester there, Carme Sala, said: \"There are two million people who want to leave Spain and they can't put us all in prison.\" Catalan TV showed rallies in support of the jailed leaders elsewhere in the region including in the cities of Vic and Tarragona."}], "question": "What happened in the protests?", "id": "977_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1727, "answer_end": 3734, "text": "Friday's rulings at the Supreme Court in Madrid were considered the most serious challenge to date for the Catalan independence movement. Almost the entire leadership now faces a major legal fight. Altogether 25 separatists have been charged variously with sedition, rebellion, embezzlement and other crimes. They deny the allegations. The five Catalan politicians remanded in custody on Friday were: - Jordi Turull - former Catalan government spokesman and the latest candidate for regional president - Josep Rull - former Catalan development minister - Carme Forcadell - former Catalan parliament speaker - Raul Romeva - former Catalan foreign affairs chief - Dolors Bassa - former Catalan labour minister All five spent some time in detention following the banned referendum but were released on bail late last year pending investigations into their individual roles in the banned referendum. In his 70-page ruling, Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena said that they should be returned to jail as they represented a flight risk. He did not set a date for their trial. The five join four other Catalan leaders already detained in prison. They include Oriol Junqueras, the former Catalan vice-president, and Jordi Sanchez, who was nominated to lead the Catalan government but dropped the bid after the Spanish authorities refused to release him to attend an investiture ceremony. Judge Llarena also issued an arrest warrant for Marta Rovira, the deputy head of the separatist Esquerra Republicana party, who failed to appear in court on Friday. It later emerged that she had fled into exile and Spanish media reported that she was in Switzerland. \"Exile will be a difficult road, but it is the only way I have to recover my political voice. Long live a Catalan Republic for all!,\" she said in a letter published in the Spanish media. Judge Llarena also reactivated European arrests warrants for six others who are in self-imposed exile, including former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont who is in Belgium."}], "question": "What angered the protesters?", "id": "977_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3735, "answer_end": 4526, "text": "The nationalist Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) condemned the court ruling and demanded the release of all those held in prison. Although the leadership vote for Mr Turull can no longer take place on Saturday, Catalan parliament speaker Roger Torrent said he would use the parliamentary session to read a statement in support of those in prison. Following the referendum, the central government in Madrid sacked the Catalan regional government, imposed direct rule and called new elections but pro-independence parties returned with a slim majority. In a setback for the pro-independence cause, a survey published by the respected Catalan Centre for Opinion Studies recently suggested support for independence had dropped sharply, with a majority of Catalans now against the idea."}], "question": "What other reaction has there been?", "id": "977_2"}]}]}, {"title": "The story behind Iran's 'murder plot' in Denmark", "date": "31 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A colossal manhunt, an extradition, and an Arab separatist movement. In an alleged plot that has taken weeks to come to light, Denmark has accused Iran of planning to assassinate an activist on its soil. Iran has dismissed the allegations. But Denmark has recalled its ambassador from Tehran and is speaking to other EU countries about how to respond. Both countries had already clashed this year after a deadly shooting at an Iranian military parade in September. Iran accused Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain of harbouring members of militant opposition groups following the deadly attack, in which more than 25 people were killed. One of those groups is at the centre of Denmark's murder plot allegation. Their claim also comes as the EU tries to save a landmark nuclear deal with Iran, from which the US has already withdrawn. In August, the Trump administration reimposed sanctions on the country, and a second wave comes into force on 5 November. So what does Denmark say happened? What's been the response? And has this happened elsewhere in Europe? The drama started in September, when - seemingly from nowhere - a large area around Denmark's capital Copenhagen was cut off. Police closed bridges, boats and trains to and from Zealand, Denmark's largest island, in a massive hunt for a Swedish-registered black Volvo. Three people involved in a \"serious crime\" were in the car, an official statement said at the time. \"Witnesses who see the vehicle should contact the police immediately,\" it added. After hours of confusion and travel chaos, the authorities reopened all transport links and apologised, saying in a tweet there was nothing new to report on the case. Rumours have circulated ever since about what prompted the unprecedented action, which came just six days after the Iranian military parade was attacked. On Tuesday, the shocking answer came. Finn Borch Andersen, head of Denmark's intelligence service Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET), said the agency believed Iran \"was planning an attack in Denmark\" against three activists. The trio, who live in the city of Ringsted, south-west of Copenhagen, are part of the separatist Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of al-Ahwaz (ASMLA). - The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of al-Ahwaz was set up in 1999, and is classified as a terrorist group in Iran - ASMLA is one of several groups that wants a separate Arab state in the country's south-western Khuzestan Province - It split in two in 2015, with one faction based in the Netherlands and the other based in Denmark. Both groups are called ASMLA - Group founder Ahmad Mola Nissi was shot dead in November 2017 outside his home in the Netherlands PET says days before the manhunt on 28 September, agents saw an individual taking photos of the ASMLA branch leader's home. At Tuesday's press conference, the PET chief said they thought this person - a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin - planned to give the pictures to Iran, which could be used to plan an attack on Danish soil. Agents were further concerned when a Swedish-registered black Volvo starting moving \"suspiciously\" outside the house, Mr Andersen said. When they tried to stop the car, it sped off - prompting fears of an imminent attack. This was the reason behind the road closures and the epic manhunt for the vehicle. Danish newspaper Politiken reports that the authorities have since spoken to the Volvo passengers, and decided the car had nothing to do with the case. But in October, the man who took photos of the ASMLA leader's home was arrested in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. Swedish security forces say he has now been extradited to Denmark. \"We are dealing with an Iranian intelligence agency planning an attack on Danish soil,\" PET chief Andersen told the press conference. \"Obviously, we can't and won't accept that.\" Although no details have emerged about how PET found out about the man, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reports that information from spy agency Mossad helped lead to the arrest. Israeli government officials declined to comment. Iran was quick to dismiss the claims as fiction. Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said such \"biased reports\" and allegations pursued \"the enemy's plots and conspiracies\" to harm the developing relations between his country and Europe, according to Tasnim news agency. But Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the alleged assassination plot \"totally unacceptable\". He said UK Prime Minister Theresa May had voiced support for Denmark in a meeting in Oslo. Denmark's Foreign Minister, Anders Samuelsen, said the country was discussing possible action with other European countries. Then on Wednesday, Danish politician Nick Haekkerup even compared the plot to Russia's attempted poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the British town of Salisbury in March, broadcaster DR reports. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Denmark on arresting \"an Iranian regime assassin\". Former PET chief Hans Jorgen Bonnichsen told Danish broadcaster DR it was \"very rare\" to have one intelligence agency making claims against another, as it could cause a rupture in international relations. \"PET has really thought about it before choosing that step,\" he said. Only six days before Denmark shut down all its transport links to Zealand, an Iranian military parade was attacked in its south-western city of Ahvaz. A spokesman for Denmark-based ASLMA said the al-Ahwaz National Resistance, an umbrella movement for Arab separatist groups fighting for independence for Khuzestan province, carried out the attack. But several of the other separatist groups denied any involvement. The Islamic State group also claimed the shooting and published a video purportedly showing three of the gunmen being driven to the military parade in a car. The men appeared to be dressed in Revolutionary Guards uniforms and talk about the importance of jihad. However, none of them stated that they were members of IS or pledged allegiance to the group's leader, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi - something that is common in such pre-attack videos. Iranian officials said they believed the gunmen had links to an \"Ahvazi terrorist group\". In October, France accused Iran of an alleged bomb plot to attack exiled Iranian opposition members in Paris. The claim follows the arrest of an Iranian diplomat based in Austria, Assadollah Assadi, by police in Germany. In June, allegations emerged that Iran was behind the assassination of a man named by police as Ali Motamed near Amsterdam in 2015. The 56-year-old is suspected of being Mohammad Reza Kolahi Samadi, who was accused of planting a bomb which resulted in the deadliest attack in modern Iranian history. Iran denies any involvement. And in May, the US Secretary of State made a speech asserting Iran's elite Quds Force \"conducts covert assassination operations in the heart of Europe\". Mr Pompeo did not substantiate the claims at the time, and they were met with confusion in Europe. There have been no recent killings in Europe officially attributed to Iran.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1061, "answer_end": 2219, "text": "The drama started in September, when - seemingly from nowhere - a large area around Denmark's capital Copenhagen was cut off. Police closed bridges, boats and trains to and from Zealand, Denmark's largest island, in a massive hunt for a Swedish-registered black Volvo. Three people involved in a \"serious crime\" were in the car, an official statement said at the time. \"Witnesses who see the vehicle should contact the police immediately,\" it added. After hours of confusion and travel chaos, the authorities reopened all transport links and apologised, saying in a tweet there was nothing new to report on the case. Rumours have circulated ever since about what prompted the unprecedented action, which came just six days after the Iranian military parade was attacked. On Tuesday, the shocking answer came. Finn Borch Andersen, head of Denmark's intelligence service Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET), said the agency believed Iran \"was planning an attack in Denmark\" against three activists. The trio, who live in the city of Ringsted, south-west of Copenhagen, are part of the separatist Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of al-Ahwaz (ASMLA)."}], "question": "What happened in the investigation?", "id": "978_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4072, "answer_end": 4973, "text": "Iran was quick to dismiss the claims as fiction. Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said such \"biased reports\" and allegations pursued \"the enemy's plots and conspiracies\" to harm the developing relations between his country and Europe, according to Tasnim news agency. But Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the alleged assassination plot \"totally unacceptable\". He said UK Prime Minister Theresa May had voiced support for Denmark in a meeting in Oslo. Denmark's Foreign Minister, Anders Samuelsen, said the country was discussing possible action with other European countries. Then on Wednesday, Danish politician Nick Haekkerup even compared the plot to Russia's attempted poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the British town of Salisbury in March, broadcaster DR reports. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Denmark on arresting \"an Iranian regime assassin\"."}], "question": "What's been the response?", "id": "978_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4974, "answer_end": 7071, "text": "Former PET chief Hans Jorgen Bonnichsen told Danish broadcaster DR it was \"very rare\" to have one intelligence agency making claims against another, as it could cause a rupture in international relations. \"PET has really thought about it before choosing that step,\" he said. Only six days before Denmark shut down all its transport links to Zealand, an Iranian military parade was attacked in its south-western city of Ahvaz. A spokesman for Denmark-based ASLMA said the al-Ahwaz National Resistance, an umbrella movement for Arab separatist groups fighting for independence for Khuzestan province, carried out the attack. But several of the other separatist groups denied any involvement. The Islamic State group also claimed the shooting and published a video purportedly showing three of the gunmen being driven to the military parade in a car. The men appeared to be dressed in Revolutionary Guards uniforms and talk about the importance of jihad. However, none of them stated that they were members of IS or pledged allegiance to the group's leader, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi - something that is common in such pre-attack videos. Iranian officials said they believed the gunmen had links to an \"Ahvazi terrorist group\". In October, France accused Iran of an alleged bomb plot to attack exiled Iranian opposition members in Paris. The claim follows the arrest of an Iranian diplomat based in Austria, Assadollah Assadi, by police in Germany. In June, allegations emerged that Iran was behind the assassination of a man named by police as Ali Motamed near Amsterdam in 2015. The 56-year-old is suspected of being Mohammad Reza Kolahi Samadi, who was accused of planting a bomb which resulted in the deadliest attack in modern Iranian history. Iran denies any involvement. And in May, the US Secretary of State made a speech asserting Iran's elite Quds Force \"conducts covert assassination operations in the heart of Europe\". Mr Pompeo did not substantiate the claims at the time, and they were met with confusion in Europe. There have been no recent killings in Europe officially attributed to Iran."}], "question": "Are the claims true?", "id": "978_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Berlin murder: Germany expels two Russian diplomats", "date": "4 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Months after a man was shot dead in a Berlin park, Germany is throwing out two Russian diplomats because it suspects the murder was ordered by Russia or Russia's Chechen republic. The expulsions come shortly after Germany's chief prosecutor decided to take over the case. Germany has accused Russia of failing to assist in the investigation. Russia has rejected accusations of its involvement as \"absolutely groundless\" and says it will retaliate. Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old former Chechen rebel commander, was shot in the head from behind in the Kleiner Tiergarten park in August. A man was quickly arrested but has given little information to police. German media have compared the attack on Khangoshvili to the attempted murder of Russian former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK last year. The diplomatic row comes at a difficult time for the two countries, five days ahead of a major Ukraine summit involving the leaders of Germany, Russia, France and Ukraine. \"There are sufficient factual grounds to suggest that the killing... was carried out either on behalf of state agencies of the Russian Federation or those of the Autonomous Chechen Republic, as part of the Russian Federation,\" Germany's federal prosecutor said on Wednesday. The suspect was detained shortly after the killing when he was allegedly seen dumping a bike, pistol and a wig into the nearby River Spree. The prosecutor says the suspect flew from Moscow to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris six days before the killing under the alias of Vadim S. Vadim S appeared for the first time in a Russian domestic passport in 2015. Reports on Tuesday suggested his full name was Vadim Sokolov, 49, although that was not thought to be his real identity. Vadim S is then said to have flown to Warsaw where he stayed in a hotel until 22 August. According to prosecutors, the suspect's visa said he was travelling as a civil engineer working for a company in St Petersburg called Zao Rust. However, the company is apparently under \"reorganisation\" and the fax number listed for it is also assigned to companies belonging to the Russian defence ministry. Vadim S is an alias, prosecutors say. Although they only refer to him as Vadim K, investigative website Bellingcat has named the man in custody as Vadim Krasikov, born in August 1965 in Soviet Kazakhstan. Prosecutors describe Vadim K as a suspect in the 2013 murder of a Russian businessman in Moscow. The victim in that attack was also approached by a man on a bicycle who shot him in the back of the head. An arrest warrant was issued by Moscow in 2014 but withdrawn in July 2015. After the murder in August, a Russian spokesman said it had nothing to do with Russia or its authorities. On Wednesday , Russia's embassy in Berlin described the German step as politicised and said it was deeply disappointed by the decision. The foreign ministry in Moscow said it would be forced to respond with retaliatory measures. Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian Duma (parliament) foreign affairs committee, told Interfax news agency that the expulsion of two diplomats was an unfriendly step and \"Russophobic hysteria\". Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the Nato summit in Watford, near London: \"We took this decision because we did not see that Russia was supporting us in clearing this murder.\" In its statement on Wednesday (in German), the German federal prosecutor identified the victim as \"Tornike K\". Khangoshvili is said to have spent several years living in Georgia under the name of Tornike Kavtarashvili. A Georgian national, Khangoshvili fought in the second Chechen war against Russian forces in the North Caucasus in the period 2001-2005. He was a close ally of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, who masterminded Chechen guerrilla resistance to Russia before he was killed in a Russian special forces raid. Khangoshvili fled to Germany after surviving an assassination attempt in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2015. He had applied for asylum in Germany but was not granted it. Chechnya is now run by Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel who switched sides and is now fiercely loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1004, "answer_end": 2155, "text": "\"There are sufficient factual grounds to suggest that the killing... was carried out either on behalf of state agencies of the Russian Federation or those of the Autonomous Chechen Republic, as part of the Russian Federation,\" Germany's federal prosecutor said on Wednesday. The suspect was detained shortly after the killing when he was allegedly seen dumping a bike, pistol and a wig into the nearby River Spree. The prosecutor says the suspect flew from Moscow to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris six days before the killing under the alias of Vadim S. Vadim S appeared for the first time in a Russian domestic passport in 2015. Reports on Tuesday suggested his full name was Vadim Sokolov, 49, although that was not thought to be his real identity. Vadim S is then said to have flown to Warsaw where he stayed in a hotel until 22 August. According to prosecutors, the suspect's visa said he was travelling as a civil engineer working for a company in St Petersburg called Zao Rust. However, the company is apparently under \"reorganisation\" and the fax number listed for it is also assigned to companies belonging to the Russian defence ministry."}], "question": "Why is Russia suspected?", "id": "979_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2156, "answer_end": 2638, "text": "Vadim S is an alias, prosecutors say. Although they only refer to him as Vadim K, investigative website Bellingcat has named the man in custody as Vadim Krasikov, born in August 1965 in Soviet Kazakhstan. Prosecutors describe Vadim K as a suspect in the 2013 murder of a Russian businessman in Moscow. The victim in that attack was also approached by a man on a bicycle who shot him in the back of the head. An arrest warrant was issued by Moscow in 2014 but withdrawn in July 2015."}], "question": "Who is the suspect?", "id": "979_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2639, "answer_end": 3357, "text": "After the murder in August, a Russian spokesman said it had nothing to do with Russia or its authorities. On Wednesday , Russia's embassy in Berlin described the German step as politicised and said it was deeply disappointed by the decision. The foreign ministry in Moscow said it would be forced to respond with retaliatory measures. Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian Duma (parliament) foreign affairs committee, told Interfax news agency that the expulsion of two diplomats was an unfriendly step and \"Russophobic hysteria\". Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at the Nato summit in Watford, near London: \"We took this decision because we did not see that Russia was supporting us in clearing this murder.\""}], "question": "How has Russia reacted?", "id": "979_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3358, "answer_end": 4190, "text": "In its statement on Wednesday (in German), the German federal prosecutor identified the victim as \"Tornike K\". Khangoshvili is said to have spent several years living in Georgia under the name of Tornike Kavtarashvili. A Georgian national, Khangoshvili fought in the second Chechen war against Russian forces in the North Caucasus in the period 2001-2005. He was a close ally of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov, who masterminded Chechen guerrilla resistance to Russia before he was killed in a Russian special forces raid. Khangoshvili fled to Germany after surviving an assassination attempt in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2015. He had applied for asylum in Germany but was not granted it. Chechnya is now run by Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel who switched sides and is now fiercely loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin."}], "question": "Who was the victim?", "id": "979_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Nicola Sturgeon announces Scottish energy firm", "date": "10 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Scottish government is to set up a publicly-owned, not-for-profit energy company, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. The SNP leader told the party's conference that the company will sell energy to customers at \"as close to cost price as possible\". Ms Sturgeon said it would be set up by 2021, and would give people - particularly on low incomes - more choice of which supplier to use. She also said the SNP will \"always make the case for independence\". And while the Scottish government has delayed plans for a second independence referendum, Ms Sturgeon insisted that the SNP still had a mandate for a vote on the issue. She described the \"essence of independence\" as being \"in charge of the decisions that shape your destiny\" and \"being in the driving seat and not simply at the mercy of events\". The first minister declared: \"We are the party of independence. The case for independence doesn't depend on Brexit. But Brexit does show us what can happen when we don't control our own future\". Among Ms Sturgeon's other announcements were: - A \"truly transformational\" doubling of spending on early-years childcare to PS840m by 2020 - A new scheme to provide free sanitary products in schools, colleges and universities from next August - All young people leaving care will be exempt from paying council tax - A PS6m fund to help the tourist industry in Scotland's more remote areas - Confirmed the 1% public sector pay will be lifted in Scotland - Announced that permission has been granted to the people of Ulva, an island off the west coast of Mull, to bring their island into community ownership The possibility of launching a publicly-owned energy company was included in last year's SNP manifesto. In her keynote speech to the conference in Glasgow, Ms Sturgeon said the idea would now be taken forward, with more detail to be provided when the Scottish government publishes its new energy strategy. She said: \"Energy would be bought wholesale or generated here in Scotland - renewable, of course - and sold to customers as close to cost price as possible. \"No shareholders to worry about. No corporate bonuses to consider. It would give people - particularly those on low incomes - more choice and the option of a supplier whose only job is to secure the lowest price for consumers.\" Nottingham City Council operates a similar scheme through its not for profit Robin Hood Energy company, which was launched two years ago and sells gas and electricity to customers across the UK. The SNP are in a holding pattern on a number of topics. On Brexit. On independence. On events in Catalonia, where Ms Sturgeon condemned the EU for failing to condemn the violence of the Spanish police - but stopped short of endorsing Catalan independence. Instead, she again urged talks. And there is a waiting game too on tax, but the speech was policy rich: Affordable housing, child care, the environment, a new not-for-profit energy company, an end to the public sector pay cap. And much, much more. These, firstly, are policies designed to improve Scotland and to win public support. They have a function and a life of their own. But they are also designed to meet a wider public mood. Which is to focus upon the day job, upon the mundane concerns of Scottish society. Read more from Brian On her government's childcare plans, Ms Sturgeon told delegates that it had already pledged to almost double free provision to 30 hours a week for all three and four-year-olds and eligible two-year-olds. Ms Sturgeon said the move will save working parents about PS350 a month on the costs of childcare. And she confirmed that the Scottish government will double the PS420m it currently spends on early years education and childcare to PS840m a year by 2020. Ms Sturgeon told the conference: \"This is a commitment unmatched anywhere else in the UK. And it's the best investment we can make in Scotland's future.\" The first minister went on to say that Scotland's interests were threatened by \"chaos\" at Westminster, with Labour's position on Brexit \"clear as mud\" and Theresa May having \"lost control\". She repeated claims the EU Withdrawal Bill amounted to a \"blatant power grab\" on the Scottish Parliament, adding: \"We will not allow a Tory government to undermine devolution\" 'People of Catalonia' But she acknowledged the EU was not perfect, and criticised its response to the police violence in Catalonia during the recent disputed independence referendum. Ms Sturgeon said: \"Sometimes it (the EU) fails to live up to its founding values of human dignity, freedom, democracy and equality. \"When the people of Catalonia - EU citizens - were violently attacked by police just for trying to vote, the EU should have spoken up, loudly, to condemn it.\" She said it was time for the Spanish government to sit down with the government of Catalonia, adding: \"It is time for them to talk and to find a way forward. \"A way forward that respects the rule of law, yes. But a way forward that also respects democracy and the right of the people of Catalonia to determine their own future.\" The promise of a government-owned, not-for-profit energy company has been coming down the pipeline since last year's Holyrood manifesto from the SNP. Nicola Sturgeon's conference speech made clear that the initial key role will be competing with other energy providers on price. This implies that commercial firms are making unfair or unreasonable profits. But there could be more - a lot more. Things like supporting new schemes, district heating projects or investment for renewables Across the North Sea, in Denmark, the state Energy Agency administers energy and supply, and climate change initiatives. It has 400 staff, with tasks ranging across energy production, supply, transportation and consumption, including energy efficiency and building standards. Then there's another model of state-owned energy company - Norway's Statoil. Read more from  Douglas Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said the one word missing from Ms Sturgeon's speech was \"sorry\". He added: \"For the last year, Nicola Sturgeon put her reckless plan for a second referendum before her day job. But instead of apologising, the first minister once again showed that the SNP simply doesn't do humility. \"This was a speech that demonstrated the SNP simply doesn't get it. Lacking in humility and failing to listen to people - it's the same old SNP.\" Scottish Labour's interim leader, Alex Rowley, claimed the SNP was lacking in fresh ideas, so had instead taken Labour policies, watered them down and attempted to pass them off as their own. Mr Rowley said: \"From a not-for-profit energy company to teacher training bursaries, action on period poverty and promises on public sector pay, this conference shows that it is Labour which is setting the policy agenda in Scotland.\" Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie said Ms Sturgeon's speech \"showed yet again how Greens are leading the change in our society, pushing the SNP beyond its comfort zone on everything from publicly-owned energy to lifting the public sector pay cap.\" Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said the SNP hierarchy had attempted to \"tiptoe around independence\" during the conference - but that the party's members had \"reminded them that independence is all the SNP care about\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5925, "answer_end": 7320, "text": "Scottish Conservative chief whip Maurice Golden said the one word missing from Ms Sturgeon's speech was \"sorry\". He added: \"For the last year, Nicola Sturgeon put her reckless plan for a second referendum before her day job. But instead of apologising, the first minister once again showed that the SNP simply doesn't do humility. \"This was a speech that demonstrated the SNP simply doesn't get it. Lacking in humility and failing to listen to people - it's the same old SNP.\" Scottish Labour's interim leader, Alex Rowley, claimed the SNP was lacking in fresh ideas, so had instead taken Labour policies, watered them down and attempted to pass them off as their own. Mr Rowley said: \"From a not-for-profit energy company to teacher training bursaries, action on period poverty and promises on public sector pay, this conference shows that it is Labour which is setting the policy agenda in Scotland.\" Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie said Ms Sturgeon's speech \"showed yet again how Greens are leading the change in our society, pushing the SNP beyond its comfort zone on everything from publicly-owned energy to lifting the public sector pay cap.\" Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said the SNP hierarchy had attempted to \"tiptoe around independence\" during the conference - but that the party's members had \"reminded them that independence is all the SNP care about\"."}], "question": "What are the other parties saying?", "id": "980_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit talks: Where next for negotiations?", "date": "9 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "If nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, then it is safe to say there is a long way to go. Phase one of the Brexit negotiations may be coming to an end, but phase two promises to be even more difficult. \"I very much welcome the prospect of moving ahead to the next phase,\" Theresa May said on Friday, \"to talk about trade and security and to discuss the positive and ambitious future relationship that is in all our interests.\" Trade talks, I hear you cry? Not quite yet. For starters, negotiations on the divorce issues that we have learnt so much about have yet to be finalised. There are plenty of technical details that still need to be clarified, in parallel with any discussions about the future. In any case, the immediate priority will be to try to reach agreement on a transition period - for about two years after Brexit - in order to offer business a little more certainty, and everyone else a little more time. But there appear to be conflicting ideas about how any transition would work in practice. The Prime Minister has already accepted that existing EU rules and regulations would continue to apply. But she has also insisted that the UK will leave the single market and the customs union before a transition begins, on the day Brexit actually happens. The European Council's draft negotiating guidelines, due to be approved next week, see things rather differently. \"As you know,\" European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday, \"the UK has asked for a transition of about two years, while remaining part of the single market and customs union.\" Mr Tusk also emphasised that applying existing rules and regulations during a transition would not only mean the UK respecting the whole of EU law; the UK would also, he said, have to accept new laws without having any say in implementing them. In a further sign of trouble ahead, the European Council expects that the UK would continue to respect the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice during a transition, without having a British judge sitting on the court. None of this will, to put it mildly, go down well with Brexiteers at Westminster. And while this week has shown that compromise can be found, even in the most difficult of circumstances, there are some issues which cannot be solved by kicking the can down the road. Another big challenge during a transition period will be the fate of hundreds of agreements with third countries that apply to the UK at the moment precisely because it is a member of the European Union. These include free trade deals as well as numerous agreements on all types of regulatory co-operation. When the UK leaves the EU it will no longer be a legal part of any of these agreements - there is no way to roll them over automatically, and time to modify any of them to include the UK is already running extremely short. That's more than enough to be sorted out before we even start thinking about the outlines of a future relationship with the EU - on trade, security, foreign policy and other issues. Additional EU guidelines on the future relationship won't be published until next year anyway, and that means formal discussion of these issues may not begin for several months. Even then, the EU will not see them as proper trade talks. Internal EU documents talk of \"preliminary and preparatory discussions with the UK on a framework for the future relationship\" with the aim of agreeing a political declaration between the two sides by October 2018. A broad political discussion of that kind is a world away from a legal process leading to agreement on a new treaty. In the EU's legalistic world view, formal talks can only begin after Brexit, when the UK itself becomes a third country. \"Political agreements, with highfalutin aspirational guff, are one thing,\" said the former UK Permanent Representative to the EU, Ivan Rogers, in a recent lecture. \"Legally binding agreements, treaty changes and trade deal texts are another.\" The UK government will hope to make progress more quickly, but it has yet to decide itself what kind of Brexit, and what kind of future relationship, it really wants. The cabinet is split between those who want to stay as close as possible to the EU's single market and all the regulations that implies, and those who argue that moving away from EU rules, and giving the UK the ability to strike out on its own, was one of the main aims of Brexit. Until that internal discussion produces a little more clarity, the EU will continue to proceed with caution. This has been a good week for the Brexit negotiations, real progress has been made. But when it comes to complexity, you ain't seen nothing yet. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1021, "answer_end": 2316, "text": "The Prime Minister has already accepted that existing EU rules and regulations would continue to apply. But she has also insisted that the UK will leave the single market and the customs union before a transition begins, on the day Brexit actually happens. The European Council's draft negotiating guidelines, due to be approved next week, see things rather differently. \"As you know,\" European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday, \"the UK has asked for a transition of about two years, while remaining part of the single market and customs union.\" Mr Tusk also emphasised that applying existing rules and regulations during a transition would not only mean the UK respecting the whole of EU law; the UK would also, he said, have to accept new laws without having any say in implementing them. In a further sign of trouble ahead, the European Council expects that the UK would continue to respect the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice during a transition, without having a British judge sitting on the court. None of this will, to put it mildly, go down well with Brexiteers at Westminster. And while this week has shown that compromise can be found, even in the most difficult of circumstances, there are some issues which cannot be solved by kicking the can down the road."}], "question": "Trouble ahead?", "id": "981_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3962, "answer_end": 4663, "text": "The UK government will hope to make progress more quickly, but it has yet to decide itself what kind of Brexit, and what kind of future relationship, it really wants. The cabinet is split between those who want to stay as close as possible to the EU's single market and all the regulations that implies, and those who argue that moving away from EU rules, and giving the UK the ability to strike out on its own, was one of the main aims of Brexit. Until that internal discussion produces a little more clarity, the EU will continue to proceed with caution. This has been a good week for the Brexit negotiations, real progress has been made. But when it comes to complexity, you ain't seen nothing yet."}], "question": "What does the UK want?", "id": "981_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Kabul bombings: Journalists targeted in blast which killed 26", "date": "30 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least 26 people have been killed in two bombings in the Afghan capital Kabul, including several journalists documenting the scene. AFP chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, is among the victims. The first explosion was carried out by an attacker on a motorbike. A second followed about 15 minutes later after a crowd, including several reporters, had gathered at the scene. The Islamic State group (IS) said it had carried out the attack. It was one of several fatal incidents on Monday. BBC reporter Ahmad Shah was also killed in a separate attack in the Khost region. And in a third attack, 11 children were killed in a suicide bombing intended to target Nato troops in Kandahar province. In the Kabul attack, the AFP news agency said the second blast had deliberately targeted the group of journalists, including its photographer Shah Marai. \"The bomber disguised himself as a journalist and detonated himself among the crowd,\" AFP quoted a police spokesman as saying. Nine journalists and photographers and four police officers, were among the dead, officials say. So far, 45 people have been reported injured. - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty confirmed that three of its journalists were killed in the attack. Abadullah Hananzai, a journalist and cameraman, had been working on a story about narcotics, while Maharram Durrani worked on the weekly women's programme. Sabawoon Kakar had earlier been listed as injured, but died later in hospital - Tolo News said its cameraman Yar Mohammad Tokhi was among the victims The intelligence services headquarters had been the target, IS said in a statement released through its self-styled news outlet Amaq. The Shashdarak district also houses the defence ministry and a Nato compound. \"This is the deadliest day for Afghan media in the past 15 years,\" the head of Tolo News TV, Lotfullah Najafizada, told the BBC. \"We went, all of us, to the blast site. We said: 'If you killed an entire line of journalists reporting here, in five hours time we're back here; the line is longer; the queue is longer and the resolve is greater.\" Bombings in the Afghan capital are not uncommon. Earlier in April, a suicide bomb at a voter registration killed almost 60 people and injured 119, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The Taliban also remain active in the country, only 30% of which is under full government control, according to BBC research published earlier this year. AFP paid tribute to Shah Marai, who it said had six children, including a newborn baby. \"This is a devastating blow,\" global news director Michele Leridon said. \"We can only honour the extraordinary strength, courage and generosity of a photographer who covered often traumatic, horrific events with sensitivity and consummate professionalism.\" A shooting in Khost province resulted in the death of a BBC reporter. \"It is with great sadness that the BBC can confirm the death of BBC Afghan reporter Ahmad Shah following an attack earlier today,\" said Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service. \"Ahmad Shah was 29.  He had worked for the BBC Afghan service for more than a year and had already established himself as a highly capable journalist who was a respected and popular member of the team. \"This is a devastating loss and I send my sincere condolences to Ahmad Shah's friends and family and the whole BBC Afghan team. \"We are doing all we can to support his family at this very difficult time.\" Local police are investigating a motive. Also on Monday, a suicide bomb attack in the Kandahar region killed 11 schoolchildren and injured many more. The bomber appeared to have been targeting a military vehicle convoy in Daman district, but the explosion struck a nearby religious school. In addition to the dead, more than a dozen children were reported injured in the blast. Nato forces operate from a base in the area, and Nato officials confirmed that some of its people had been injured, as had Afghan police. Eight of the injured were of Romanian nationality, Nato said, but all were in stable condition. No group has yet said it carried out the Kandahar attack.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2779, "answer_end": 3480, "text": "A shooting in Khost province resulted in the death of a BBC reporter. \"It is with great sadness that the BBC can confirm the death of BBC Afghan reporter Ahmad Shah following an attack earlier today,\" said Jamie Angus, director of the BBC World Service. \"Ahmad Shah was 29.  He had worked for the BBC Afghan service for more than a year and had already established himself as a highly capable journalist who was a respected and popular member of the team. \"This is a devastating loss and I send my sincere condolences to Ahmad Shah's friends and family and the whole BBC Afghan team. \"We are doing all we can to support his family at this very difficult time.\" Local police are investigating a motive."}], "question": "Who was the BBC's Ahmad Shah?", "id": "982_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3481, "answer_end": 4109, "text": "Also on Monday, a suicide bomb attack in the Kandahar region killed 11 schoolchildren and injured many more. The bomber appeared to have been targeting a military vehicle convoy in Daman district, but the explosion struck a nearby religious school. In addition to the dead, more than a dozen children were reported injured in the blast. Nato forces operate from a base in the area, and Nato officials confirmed that some of its people had been injured, as had Afghan police. Eight of the injured were of Romanian nationality, Nato said, but all were in stable condition. No group has yet said it carried out the Kandahar attack."}], "question": "What happened in the Kandahar attack?", "id": "982_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'We couldn't see an NHS dentist so we pulled out our own teeth'", "date": "6 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A couple in need of dental care say they had to pull out their own teeth because no NHS dentist will treat them. A BBC News analysis of 2,500 dental practices on the NHS Choices website found half were not accepting new adult NHS patients, while two-fifths were not accepting new child NHS patients. The British Dental Association (BDA) said the figures reflected an \"emerging crisis\" in dental care in England. NHS England said 95% of people seeking an appointment could get one. The NHS carried out 39 million dental treatments in England  last year, but Rebecca Brearey and Nick Oldroyd, who live in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said no local NHS dentists would treat them. \"We've been trying for four years but no dentist will take us on. Every time I go, I get told there's a two-year waiting list for NHS patients,\" said Ms Brearey. \"It's got so bad that after taking a combination of paracetamol and alcohol I ripped my half-rotten teeth out. \"The state of my teeth has made me depressed and I've literally begged to be taken on by an NHS dentist, but every time I've been turned away.\" Mr Oldroyd said: \"I was sat there for days in agony with a tooth which was doing my head in and stopping me from sleeping. \"I was drinking to just try and just numb the pain so one night I just pulled it out. \"The tops of my teeth are gone. I'm on benefits and trying to get a job, and when someone sees my teeth they just think I'm another waster. \"I do believe if I could get some dental care I might be able to begin turning my life around.\" Nazreen Akhtar, from Bradford, said it had taken her five years to find a dentist in the city who would accept both of her children, Shaban and Muhammad. \"My son Muhammad has been in a lot of pain, he's had adult teeth growing over the tops of his milk teeth,\" said Mrs Akhtar. \"Me and my husband don't have a car so we can't travel to other cities to get care. \"I do feel let down by the NHS as we should be able to see a local dentist.\" BBC News has conducted a data analysis of more than 7,000 dental practices in England that are listed on the NHS Choices website. Just over 2,500 of these practices had information about whether they were currently accepting new NHS patients. Of those practices displaying information about new NHS patients, 48% were not accepting new adult patients, while 40% were not accepting new child patients. Unlike receiving treatment from a GP or a hospital, most people have to pay a contribution towards their NHS dental care. Dental charges for adults were introduced by the NHS in 1951. The cost of a check-up varies. In England it is PS20.60, in Wales PS13.50, in Northern Ireland prices start at PS6.74, while check-ups in Scotland are free. Patients in England get free dental care if they are under 18, under 19 and in full-time education, or are pregnant or have given birth in the past 12 months. Those receiving certain types of benefits are also exempt. The latest NHS England annual report shows patient charges generated PS783m for the NHS in 2016-17. The number of dentists doing NHS work has increased by 20% over the past decade, but dentists who no longer treat NHS patients say the system is chronically underfunded. \"The vast majority of dentists want to support the NHS, but we're not miracle workers and a bankrupt dentist is no good to anyone,\" said Dr Tony Kilcoyne, who runs a private dental practice in Keighley, West Yorkshire. \"The vast majority of dentists are self-employed so the government doesn't pay our staff or our overheads like a hospital. \"If the system is funded at about half the level that it needs to be, then we can't treat everyone.\" More than PS3bn a year is spent each year on providing NHS dental care, according to Public Health England, representing about 3% of the total NHS budget in England. But the BDA says 21 million adults and 5 million children have not recently seen an NHS dentist. \"There is an emerging crisis with more and more dentists not accepting NHS patients,\" said Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the BDA. \"The government has only commissioned enough dentistry to treat about half the adult population and this is an absolute disgrace.\" An NHS England spokesperson said: \"The latest NHS patient survey found that 95% of people seeking a dental appointment were able to get one, and the overall number of dentists offering NHS care is 3,800 higher than a decade ago.\" A Department of Health spokesperson said: \"Improving oral health is a key priority for this government, and in the last two years more than 22.2 million adults were seen by a dentist. \"We expect NHS England to ensure there are sufficient dental services to meet the needs of the local population.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2376, "answer_end": 3034, "text": "Unlike receiving treatment from a GP or a hospital, most people have to pay a contribution towards their NHS dental care. Dental charges for adults were introduced by the NHS in 1951. The cost of a check-up varies. In England it is PS20.60, in Wales PS13.50, in Northern Ireland prices start at PS6.74, while check-ups in Scotland are free. Patients in England get free dental care if they are under 18, under 19 and in full-time education, or are pregnant or have given birth in the past 12 months. Those receiving certain types of benefits are also exempt. The latest NHS England annual report shows patient charges generated PS783m for the NHS in 2016-17."}], "question": "Who gets free dental care on the NHS?", "id": "983_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bone marrow 'frees men of HIV drugs'", "date": "3 July 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two patients have been taken off their HIV drugs after bone-marrow transplants seemed to clear the virus from their bodies, doctors report. One of the patients has spent nearly four months without taking medication with no sign of the virus returning. The team at Brigham and Women's Hospital, in the US, caution that it is far too soon to talk about a cure as the virus could return at any point. The findings were presented at the International Aids Society Conference. It is difficult to get rid of an HIV infection because it hides inside human DNA, forming untouchable \"reservoirs\" in body. Anti-retroviral drugs keep the virus in check within the bloodstream - but when the drugs stop, the virus comes back. The two men, who have not been identified, had lived with HIV for about 30 years. They both developed a cancer, lymphoma, which required a bone-marrow transplant. Bone marrow is where new blood cells are made and it is thought to be a major reservoir for HIV. After the transplant, there was no detectable HIV in the blood for two years in one patient and four in the other. The pair came off their anti-retroviral drugs earlier this year. One has gone 15 weeks, and the other seven, since stopping treatment, and no signs of the virus have been detected so far. Dr Timothy Henrich told the BBC the results were exciting. But he added: \"We have not demonstrated cure, we're going to need longer follow-up. \"What we can say is if the virus does stay away for a year or even two years after we stopped the treatment, that the chances of the virus rebounding are going to be extremely low. \"It's much too early at this point to use the C-word [cure].\" It is thought that the transplanted bone marrow was initially protected from infection by the course of anti-retrovirals. Meanwhile the transplant also attacked the remaining bone marrow, which was harbouring the virus. However Dr Henrich cautioned that the virus could be still be hiding inside brain tissue or the gastrointestinal track. \"If [the] virus does return, it would suggest that these other sites are an important reservoir of infectious virus and new approaches to measuring the reservoir at relevant sites will be needed to guide the development of HIV curative strategies,\" he said. Timothy Brown, also known as the \"Berlin patient\" is thought to be the first person cured of Aids. He had a bone marrow transplant from a rare donor who was resistant to HIV. The two US cases both received bone marrow from normal donors. There was also a report of an HIV cure in a baby born in Mississippi, US. She was treated with anti-retroviral drugs at birth so it is thought the virus was cleared from the body before reservoirs were established. Dr Michael Brady, the medical director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: \"It is too early to know whether HIV has been eradicated from these men's bodies or whether it might return. \"However, the case suggests that what happened to Timothy Brown, the Berlin Patient was perhaps not a one-off. \"A bone marrow transplant is a complex and expensive procedure, which comes with significant risks. \"For most people with HIV, it would be more dangerous to undergo a transplant than to continue managing the virus with daily medication. \"So while this is by no means a workable cure, it does give researchers another signpost in the direction of one.\" The head of the Foundation for AIDS Research, Kevin Frost, said: \"These findings clearly provide important new information that might well alter the current thinking about HIV and gene therapy. \"While stem-cell transplantation is not a viable option for people with HIV on a broad scale because of its costs and complexity, these new cases could lead us to new approaches to treating, and ultimately even eradicating, HIV.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 714, "answer_end": 2260, "text": "The two men, who have not been identified, had lived with HIV for about 30 years. They both developed a cancer, lymphoma, which required a bone-marrow transplant. Bone marrow is where new blood cells are made and it is thought to be a major reservoir for HIV. After the transplant, there was no detectable HIV in the blood for two years in one patient and four in the other. The pair came off their anti-retroviral drugs earlier this year. One has gone 15 weeks, and the other seven, since stopping treatment, and no signs of the virus have been detected so far. Dr Timothy Henrich told the BBC the results were exciting. But he added: \"We have not demonstrated cure, we're going to need longer follow-up. \"What we can say is if the virus does stay away for a year or even two years after we stopped the treatment, that the chances of the virus rebounding are going to be extremely low. \"It's much too early at this point to use the C-word [cure].\" It is thought that the transplanted bone marrow was initially protected from infection by the course of anti-retrovirals. Meanwhile the transplant also attacked the remaining bone marrow, which was harbouring the virus. However Dr Henrich cautioned that the virus could be still be hiding inside brain tissue or the gastrointestinal track. \"If [the] virus does return, it would suggest that these other sites are an important reservoir of infectious virus and new approaches to measuring the reservoir at relevant sites will be needed to guide the development of HIV curative strategies,\" he said."}], "question": "HIV gone?", "id": "984_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sir Clement Freud accused of abusing two girls", "date": "15 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The late broadcaster and MP Sir Clement Freud has been accused of abusing two girls between the late 1940s and 1970s. Sylvia Woosley, who first met Freud when she was 10 and was sent to live with him at 14, told the ITV Exposure programme that he abused her for years. A second woman, who wants to remain anonymous, claimed he abused her as a child and raped her when she was 18. His widow Jill Freud, 89, said she was \"deeply saddened and profoundly sorry for what has happened to these women\". In the documentary, Exposure: Abused and Betrayed - A Life Sentence, due to be broadcast on Wednesday, Ms Woosley, now in her late 70s, said: \"I just want to clear things up before I die... I want to die clean. \"Having been so hard on myself, trying to destroy myself so many times, you can't bury the truth forever, it needs to be heard. \"I don't want to take this to my tomb. \"I would like to just return to the child I was before I was molested physically, before I was introduced to that side of life too early.\" She told the programme she first met Freud, known as Clay, when he was aged 24 and worked at a hotel in Cannes in the late 1940s. She was 10 and her family was living in the south of France. Ms Woosley claims that he kissed her on the mouth during a bus trip. She said: \"I was disgusted and helpless. I just didn't react in any way because I couldn't. I didn't know what to do.\" She said he frequently molested her during the five years she lived with Freud and his wife in London, where she had been sent to live at 14 years old following the breakdown of her mother's marriage. Later, aged in her early 40s, Ms Woosley said she confronted Freud at the House of Commons and asked why he had abused her. She says he replied: \"Because I loved you. You were a very sensual little girl.\" The second woman said that she first met the Liberal politician in 1971 at her family home as a \"lonely, neglected and socially isolated\" 11-year-old. Two years later, after he was elected as an MP, he would take her on trips to Parliament and his home, and would kiss her on the mouth and hug her. She said: \"I felt sick but grateful at the same time. Frightened and unable to move or react in any way.\" When she was 14, she claims Freud asked her and another friend of the same age: \"Would you like to get naked and have some fun?\" Four years later in June 1978 when she was 18, the woman alleges that Freud came over to her parents' flat and \"brutally and perfunctorily\" raped her. She told the programme: \"I live in constant terror that I'll be found out, exposed. \"I've already suffered across nearly 40 years. It's not simply to be labelled as depression or mental illness, this is disempowerment, self-destructiveness and grief. \"This is what real suffering looks like.\" ITV said two of Freud's children had viewed the documentary before broadcast on their mother's behalf. In a statement, Mrs Freud said: \"This is a very sad day for me. \"I was married to Clement for 58 years and loved him dearly. \"I am shocked, deeply saddened and profoundly sorry for what has happened to these women. I sincerely hope they will now have some peace.\" Born in Vienna in April 1924, Clement Freud was a grandson of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. Another grandson was Clement's elder brother, the artist Lucian Freud. His idiosyncratic pet food commercials with Henry the dog launched him on a long career as a television and radio personality. As well as becoming a celebrity chef, he contributed to BBC Radio 4's Just A Minute for more than 30 years, and featured on shows including Have I Got News For You. A Liberal MP from 1973 to 1987, he was knighted in 1987. He had five children, including the TV personality, Emma, and the PR guru, Matthew. Freud was friends with Gerry and Kate McCann - parents of three-year-old Madeleine, who disappeared in Praia la Luz, Portugal, in 2007. In her book, Mrs McCann said she and her husband were invited to lunch at Freud's nearby home several weeks after Madeleine's disappearance. Freud died at his desk aged 84 in 2009. A statement from the Liberal Democrats called the allegations \"horrific\". It said: \"We are desperately sorry to learn that lives have been ruined by a man whose public face was so greatly at odds to his true character. \"Clement Freud was a senior figure in the Liberals, our party's predecessor, and we are deeply shocked and horrified by this news. \"Our party was never aware of what happened, and our hearts go out to the women who were affected.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3143, "answer_end": 4071, "text": "Born in Vienna in April 1924, Clement Freud was a grandson of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. Another grandson was Clement's elder brother, the artist Lucian Freud. His idiosyncratic pet food commercials with Henry the dog launched him on a long career as a television and radio personality. As well as becoming a celebrity chef, he contributed to BBC Radio 4's Just A Minute for more than 30 years, and featured on shows including Have I Got News For You. A Liberal MP from 1973 to 1987, he was knighted in 1987. He had five children, including the TV personality, Emma, and the PR guru, Matthew. Freud was friends with Gerry and Kate McCann - parents of three-year-old Madeleine, who disappeared in Praia la Luz, Portugal, in 2007. In her book, Mrs McCann said she and her husband were invited to lunch at Freud's nearby home several weeks after Madeleine's disappearance. Freud died at his desk aged 84 in 2009."}], "question": "Who was Sir Clement Freud?", "id": "985_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US envoy Brett McGurk quits over Trump Syria pullout", "date": "23 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A top US official in the fight against so-called Islamic State group has quit over President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops from Syria. Brett McGurk, the US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat IS, brought his departure forward from February. Before Mr Trump's announcement he had insisted that the US would continue working against IS in Syria. Mr Trump described Mr McGurk's resignation as a \"nothing event\". Mr McGurk's decision to quit follows the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday. Gen Mattis had also opposed withdrawing troops from Syria as well as reducing the US presence in Afghanistan. Mr McGurk, 45, is an experienced diplomat who was appointed to his current role in 2015 under the Obama administration. In early December he told reporters: \"We want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas.\" He went on to say: \"It would be reckless if we were just to say, well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now. I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that.\" In his resignation letter, seen by AP news agency, Mr McGurk said that IS militants in Syria were on the run but not yet defeated. He said that withdrawing US forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS. In an email to staff quoted by the New York Times, he said Mr Trump's decision to pull out troops \"came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy\". It \"left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered\", he said. \"I ultimately concluded I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity,\" he went on to say. Mr Trump announced his decision to withdraw some 2,000 US troops from Syria on Wednesday, asserting that IS had been defeated. On Saturday, he continued to insist that the decision to pull out was the right one and that, now that IS was defeated on the ground, other players could take care of the situation. However, important allies including senior Republicans and foreign powers have disputed the claim and say the move could lead to a resurgence of IS. A Kurdish-led alliance, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) has also warned that IS could recover. US troops have helped rid much of Syria's north-east of the jihadist group, but pockets of fighters remain. A recent US report said there were still as many as 14,000 IS militants in Syria and even more in neighbouring Iraq. US ground troops first became involved in Syria in autumn 2015 when then-President Barack Obama sent in a small number of special forces to train and advise local Kurdish fighters who were fighting IS. The US did this reluctantly after several attempts at arming anti-IS groups had descended into chaos. Over the intervening years the numbers of US troops in Syria increased, standing today at some 2,000, though some estimates place the number perhaps even higher. A network of bases and airstrips has been established in an arc across the north-eastern part of the country. The US has also been part of an international coalition conducting air strikes against IS and other militants.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1113, "answer_end": 1699, "text": "In his resignation letter, seen by AP news agency, Mr McGurk said that IS militants in Syria were on the run but not yet defeated. He said that withdrawing US forces from Syria would create the conditions that gave rise to IS. In an email to staff quoted by the New York Times, he said Mr Trump's decision to pull out troops \"came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy\". It \"left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered\", he said. \"I ultimately concluded I could not carry out these new instructions and maintain my integrity,\" he went on to say."}], "question": "What did McGurk say about his resignation?", "id": "986_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1700, "answer_end": 2479, "text": "Mr Trump announced his decision to withdraw some 2,000 US troops from Syria on Wednesday, asserting that IS had been defeated. On Saturday, he continued to insist that the decision to pull out was the right one and that, now that IS was defeated on the ground, other players could take care of the situation. However, important allies including senior Republicans and foreign powers have disputed the claim and say the move could lead to a resurgence of IS. A Kurdish-led alliance, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) has also warned that IS could recover. US troops have helped rid much of Syria's north-east of the jihadist group, but pockets of fighters remain. A recent US report said there were still as many as 14,000 IS militants in Syria and even more in neighbouring Iraq."}], "question": "What does Trump say?", "id": "986_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2480, "answer_end": 3166, "text": "US ground troops first became involved in Syria in autumn 2015 when then-President Barack Obama sent in a small number of special forces to train and advise local Kurdish fighters who were fighting IS. The US did this reluctantly after several attempts at arming anti-IS groups had descended into chaos. Over the intervening years the numbers of US troops in Syria increased, standing today at some 2,000, though some estimates place the number perhaps even higher. A network of bases and airstrips has been established in an arc across the north-eastern part of the country. The US has also been part of an international coalition conducting air strikes against IS and other militants."}], "question": "What is the US presence in Syria?", "id": "986_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Report: US 2018 CO2 emissions saw biggest spike in years", "date": "8 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A new report has found that US carbon dioxide emissions rose by 3.4% in 2018 after three years of decline. The spike is the largest in eight years, according to Rhodium Group, an independent economic research firm. The data shows the US is unlikely to meet its pledge to reduce emissions by 2025 under the Paris climate agreement. Under President Donald Trump, the US is set to leave the Paris accord in 2020 while his administration has ended many existing environmental protections. While  the Rhodium report notes these figures - pulled from US Energy Information Administration data and other sources - are estimates, The Global Carbon Project, another research group, also reported a similar increase in US emissions for 2018. The US is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases. And last year's spike comes despite a decline in coal-fired power plants; a record number were retired last year, according to the report. The researchers note that 2019 will probably not repeat such an increase, but the findings underscore the country's challenges in reducing greenhouse gas output. In the 2015 climate accord, then President Barack Obama committed to reducing US emissions to at least 26% under 2005 levels by 2025. Now, that means the US will need to drop \"energy-related carbon missions by 2.6% on average over the next seven years\" - and possibly even faster - to meet that goal. \"That's more than twice the pace the US achieved between 2005 and 2017 and significantly faster than any seven-year average in US history,\" the report states. \"It is certainly feasible, but will likely require a fairly significant change in policy in the very near future and/or extremely favourable market and technological conditions. \" Analysis by Matt McGrath, Environment correspondent, BBC News There are a number of factors behind the rise in US emissions in 2018, some natural, mostly economic. Prolonged cold spells in a number of regions drove up demand for energy in the winter, while a hot summer in many parts led to more air conditioning, again pushing up electricity use. However economic activity is the key reason for the overall rise in CO2 emissions.  Industries are moving more goods by trucks powered by diesel, while consumers are travelling more by air. In the US this led to a 3% increase in diesel and jet fuel use last year, a similar rate of growth to that seen in the EU in the same period. All this presents something of a problem for the Trump administration which has been happy to point to declining US emissions as a reason to roll back many of the environmental protection regulations put in place by his predecessor. The figures also show that the President's efforts to boost demand for coal have not succeeded yet, with electricity generated from this fossil fuel continuing to decline. Despite this, there is little to cheer in the US data for those concerned with climate change on a global scale. Many had hoped that carbon cutting actions at state or city level could in some way keep the US on track to meet its commitments made under the Paris climate agreement. The latest emissions data indicate that this is unlikely to happen. The last time the US saw such an increase in emissions was in 2010, as the country recovered from its longest recession in decades. Part of last year's spike is also the result of economic growth, but new policies have exacerbated the effects of increased industry production. Mr Trump has rolled back a number of his predecessor's environmental regulations since taking office, appointing climate change sceptics and industry leaders to head US environmental agencies. As a part of undoing what he called a \"war on coal\", in 2017, Mr Trump rescinded the Clean Power Plan, which required states to slash carbon emissions to meet US commitments under the Paris accord. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pressed ahead with plans to lift restrictions for carbon emissions from new coal plants and asked for public comment on redefining the phrase \"causes or contributes significantly to\" air pollution. Under Mr Trump's administration, the federal government has also opened up once-protected lands for oil and gas drilling across the US and has proposed ending regulations on fuel standards for cars and trucks after 2021. \"The big takeaway for me is that we haven't yet successfully decoupled US emissions growth from economic growth,\" Rhodium climate and energy analyst Trevor Houser told the New York Times. The US jump also marks a worldwide trend: 2018 saw an all-time high for global CO2 emissions and was the fourth warmest year on record. Transportation remains the nation's number one source of CO2 emissions for the third year in a row. But the largest emissions growth came from two sectors \"often ignored in clean energy and climate policymaking: buildings and industry\". The report estimates emissions from residential and commercial buildings increased by 10% last year, reaching \"their highest level since 2004\". And without significant changes, industrial emissions will become bigger contributors to US CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. \"We expect it to overtake power as the second leading source of emissions in California by 2020 and to become the leading source of emissions in Texas by 2022.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1739, "answer_end": 3173, "text": "Analysis by Matt McGrath, Environment correspondent, BBC News There are a number of factors behind the rise in US emissions in 2018, some natural, mostly economic. Prolonged cold spells in a number of regions drove up demand for energy in the winter, while a hot summer in many parts led to more air conditioning, again pushing up electricity use. However economic activity is the key reason for the overall rise in CO2 emissions.  Industries are moving more goods by trucks powered by diesel, while consumers are travelling more by air. In the US this led to a 3% increase in diesel and jet fuel use last year, a similar rate of growth to that seen in the EU in the same period. All this presents something of a problem for the Trump administration which has been happy to point to declining US emissions as a reason to roll back many of the environmental protection regulations put in place by his predecessor. The figures also show that the President's efforts to boost demand for coal have not succeeded yet, with electricity generated from this fossil fuel continuing to decline. Despite this, there is little to cheer in the US data for those concerned with climate change on a global scale. Many had hoped that carbon cutting actions at state or city level could in some way keep the US on track to meet its commitments made under the Paris climate agreement. The latest emissions data indicate that this is unlikely to happen."}], "question": "What's behind the rise?", "id": "987_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3174, "answer_end": 4639, "text": "The last time the US saw such an increase in emissions was in 2010, as the country recovered from its longest recession in decades. Part of last year's spike is also the result of economic growth, but new policies have exacerbated the effects of increased industry production. Mr Trump has rolled back a number of his predecessor's environmental regulations since taking office, appointing climate change sceptics and industry leaders to head US environmental agencies. As a part of undoing what he called a \"war on coal\", in 2017, Mr Trump rescinded the Clean Power Plan, which required states to slash carbon emissions to meet US commitments under the Paris accord. In December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pressed ahead with plans to lift restrictions for carbon emissions from new coal plants and asked for public comment on redefining the phrase \"causes or contributes significantly to\" air pollution. Under Mr Trump's administration, the federal government has also opened up once-protected lands for oil and gas drilling across the US and has proposed ending regulations on fuel standards for cars and trucks after 2021. \"The big takeaway for me is that we haven't yet successfully decoupled US emissions growth from economic growth,\" Rhodium climate and energy analyst Trevor Houser told the New York Times. The US jump also marks a worldwide trend: 2018 saw an all-time high for global CO2 emissions and was the fourth warmest year on record."}], "question": "What has changed in the US?", "id": "987_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4640, "answer_end": 5307, "text": "Transportation remains the nation's number one source of CO2 emissions for the third year in a row. But the largest emissions growth came from two sectors \"often ignored in clean energy and climate policymaking: buildings and industry\". The report estimates emissions from residential and commercial buildings increased by 10% last year, reaching \"their highest level since 2004\". And without significant changes, industrial emissions will become bigger contributors to US CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. \"We expect it to overtake power as the second leading source of emissions in California by 2020 and to become the leading source of emissions in Texas by 2022.\""}], "question": "What contributed the most?", "id": "987_2"}]}]}, {"title": "China 'training for strikes' on US targets", "date": "17 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's military \"is likely training for strikes\" against US and allied targets in the Pacific, a Pentagon report warns. The annual report to Congress says China is increasing its ability to send bomber planes further afield. The report highlights its increasing military capability, including defence spending estimated at $190bn (PS150bn) - a third that of the US. China has not yet commented on the report. The warning about air strikes is one part of a comprehensive assessment of China's military and economic ambitions. \"Over the last three years, the PLA [People's Liberation Army] has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets,\" the report says. It goes on to say it is not clear what China is trying to prove by such flights. The PLA may demonstrate the \"capability to strike US and allied forces and military bases in the western Pacific Ocean, including Guam,\" the report adds. China, it says, is restructuring its ground forces to \"fight and win\". \"The purpose of these reforms is to create a more mobile, modular, lethal ground force capable of being the core of joint operations,\" the report says. China's military budget is expected to expand to $240bn over the next 10 years, according to the assessment. It also highlights China's growing space programme \"despite its public stance against the militarization of space\". In June, President Donald Trump announced his intentions to set up a sixth branch of the US armed forces - a \"space force\". The US is concerned about China's growing influence in the Pacific, where Washington still plays a major role. One of the most high-profile areas is the South China Sea, much of it claimed by China and other countries. The US military regularly seeks to demonstrate freedom of navigation by flying over the South China Sea. China has been expanding what appear to be military facilities on islands and reefs in the area, and it has landed bombers on the outposts during training exercises. Another flashpoint is Taiwan, which is seen by China as a breakaway province. The document warns that China \"is likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with China by force\". \"Should the United States intervene, China would try to delay effective intervention and seek victory in a high-intensity, limited war of short duration,\" the report says. In a nod to China, the US cut formal ties with Taiwan in 1979 but continues to maintain close political and security ties, which irks Beijing. The US also continues to maintain a substantial military presence in Japan, which has its own territorial disputes with China. Tensions also continue in the non-military sphere. The US and China have announced tariffs on a range of each other's goods. By Jonathan Marcus, Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent While the bulk of the Pentagon's annual China report focuses on Beijing's rapidly developing military capabilities, the study also looks in some depth at China's little known Maritime Militia. This is an armed civilian reserve force, organised and recruited locally, but according to the Pentagon, the Militia plays a vital role in the South China Sea, spreading Beijing's political goals through operations short of outright war. A large number of Militia vessels support the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard in safeguarding maritime claims, protecting fisheries and so on. The Pentagon study says that the Militia has played a significant role in a number of high-profile incidents, where Chinese vessels have sought to coerce ships from countries with competing maritime claims. This is all part of China's effort to promote so-called \"grey operations\", designed to frustrate the response of other parties involved and secure its interests across a wide swathe of reefs and island chains. The Pentagon report is at pains to stress that the US \"seeks a constructive and results-oriented relationship with China\". There is regular contact between US and Chinese military officials. And in June, James Mattis became the first US defence secretary to visit China since 2014. Correction 5 September 2018:  This article has been amended after incorrectly stating that Japan has a territorial dispute with the Philippines.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 410, "answer_end": 1583, "text": "The warning about air strikes is one part of a comprehensive assessment of China's military and economic ambitions. \"Over the last three years, the PLA [People's Liberation Army] has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets,\" the report says. It goes on to say it is not clear what China is trying to prove by such flights. The PLA may demonstrate the \"capability to strike US and allied forces and military bases in the western Pacific Ocean, including Guam,\" the report adds. China, it says, is restructuring its ground forces to \"fight and win\". \"The purpose of these reforms is to create a more mobile, modular, lethal ground force capable of being the core of joint operations,\" the report says. China's military budget is expected to expand to $240bn over the next 10 years, according to the assessment. It also highlights China's growing space programme \"despite its public stance against the militarization of space\". In June, President Donald Trump announced his intentions to set up a sixth branch of the US armed forces - a \"space force\"."}], "question": "What else does the report say?", "id": "988_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1584, "answer_end": 2825, "text": "The US is concerned about China's growing influence in the Pacific, where Washington still plays a major role. One of the most high-profile areas is the South China Sea, much of it claimed by China and other countries. The US military regularly seeks to demonstrate freedom of navigation by flying over the South China Sea. China has been expanding what appear to be military facilities on islands and reefs in the area, and it has landed bombers on the outposts during training exercises. Another flashpoint is Taiwan, which is seen by China as a breakaway province. The document warns that China \"is likely preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with China by force\". \"Should the United States intervene, China would try to delay effective intervention and seek victory in a high-intensity, limited war of short duration,\" the report says. In a nod to China, the US cut formal ties with Taiwan in 1979 but continues to maintain close political and security ties, which irks Beijing. The US also continues to maintain a substantial military presence in Japan, which has its own territorial disputes with China. Tensions also continue in the non-military sphere. The US and China have announced tariffs on a range of each other's goods."}], "question": "Where are the areas of tension?", "id": "988_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3871, "answer_end": 4297, "text": "The Pentagon report is at pains to stress that the US \"seeks a constructive and results-oriented relationship with China\". There is regular contact between US and Chinese military officials. And in June, James Mattis became the first US defence secretary to visit China since 2014. Correction 5 September 2018:  This article has been amended after incorrectly stating that Japan has a territorial dispute with the Philippines."}], "question": "What is being done to defuse tensions?", "id": "988_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is a Pakistani bill to protect women unpopular?", "date": "17 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 30 Pakistani religious groups are threatening to launch protests if a bill to protect women in Punjab province is not withdrawn. Why do they not support moves to reduce the abuse of women? The United Nation's Gender Inequality Index puts Pakistan 147th in a list of 188 countries because of its poor record on women's health, education, political empowerment and economic status. This is mainly because Pakistan is a heavily patriarchal society with a strong feudal value system, in which women are treated as domestic property. Increased urbanisation and the concomitant fading of the joint family system have exposed women to further abuses. A recent report for 2014 by a non-profit women's rights organisation, the Aurat (Woman) Foundation, said that every day of the year, six women were murdered, six were kidnapped, four were raped and three committed suicide. Dowry-related violence and acid attacks are in addition to that. Over the decades, successive laws have sought to improve the position of women, but implementation has been lacking because it is mostly in the hands of male government functionaries and the police who consider most violence against women as a \"family problem\", or even provoked by women themselves. The present law introduces women as complaint takers and enforcers. The Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2015 seeks to set up a women's force at district level throughout the province, which would respond to women's complaints of physical, financial or psychological abuse. Offences include domestic violence, sexual violence, psychological and emotional abuse, economic abuse, stalking and cybercrime. The law provides for the setting up of District Women's Protection Committees, which will include officials of the district administration, the police, social welfare department and law. The law also envisages the setting up of a universal, toll-free dial-in telephone number for women to call if they want to report an abuse. It empowers the women protection officers to enter any premises to recover women held captive. It also provides for the establishment of shelters, and empowers the courts to restrain offending males from approaching those shelters, or places where victimised females work. The law emphasises reconciliation between the parties, and as such it does not criminalise the offence at the outset. However, in the event of a breach of court orders with respect to the female's right to protection, residence or financial wellbeing, the offending male can be punished with one to two years in jail, and a fine of between 200,000 to 500,000 rupees (PS1,350-3,400; $1,900-4,800). The law has been hailed as comprehensive in liberal circles, where it is seen as providing a wider definition of violence against women and a one-stop mechanism for redress. The law calls for creation of a vast institutional infrastructure, the recruitment and training of manpower, and the drawing up of detailed rules to regulate the legal and operational aspects of system to protect women. The Act provides for \"phased\" implementation of the law, and officials say it will be some time before the first district protection teams get on the ground. The law was drawn up in 2015 by the PML-N, the party of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which also governs Punjab province. The draft was approved by the provincial cabinet, and subsequently passed unanimously by the Punjab parliament in February. The bill came as a surprise to many because the PML-N has long been seen as a right-of-centre party, often pandering to the religious lobby. But many say it took the lead because it was under pressure to address the issue. Much of the violence against women takes place in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province. On Tuesday more than 30 religious groups, including all the mainstream Islamic political parties, got together in Islamabad to condemn the law and to warn the Punjab government to withdraw it by 27 March. If not, they have threatened to launch protests. One leader said these could be worse than those  in 1977 - a reference to a religious movement which culminated in a military coup against Pakistan's first popularly elected government. Religious groups have often equated women's rights campaigns with promotion of obscenity. They say the new Punjab law will increase the divorce rate and destroy the country's traditional family system. But the Aurat Foundation's Naeem Mirza believes that religious groups are more incensed over the way the new law seeks to empower women. \"A woman can ring up a toll-free number for help, women protection officers can enter any premises to rescue her, and the husband is constrained by the law from throwing her out of his house. If he remains violent, he can be turned out of his house, and forced to wear a GPS tracker to ensure he doesn't get anywhere near the victim until a settlement is reached,\" he says. \"If implemented, these measures will fundamentally change the traditional power equation between men and women, something which the religious lobby will find hard to tolerate.\" While the bill has been signed into law by the Punjab governor, the provincial government in Lahore is yet to formally notify it, fuelling speculation that it may agree to dilute the bill by sending it back to parliament. If the government backtracks, many fingers will be pointed at the powerful military establishment which is widely believed to have been behind past demonstrations by religious groups - from the movement of 1977 to the so-called \"million marches\" of the 1990s that toppled one political government after another. But many believe the government cannot afford to pay the political price of a retreat. The bill has been unanimously passed by the parliament, which represents the will of the people. A retreat will undermine democracy. It will also frustrate women at large who have drawn some hope from this law. Additionally, such a move could give a fillip to social radicalism which both the civilian government and the military have been struggling to bring under control, at least on the domestic front.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 199, "answer_end": 1309, "text": "The United Nation's Gender Inequality Index puts Pakistan 147th in a list of 188 countries because of its poor record on women's health, education, political empowerment and economic status. This is mainly because Pakistan is a heavily patriarchal society with a strong feudal value system, in which women are treated as domestic property. Increased urbanisation and the concomitant fading of the joint family system have exposed women to further abuses. A recent report for 2014 by a non-profit women's rights organisation, the Aurat (Woman) Foundation, said that every day of the year, six women were murdered, six were kidnapped, four were raped and three committed suicide. Dowry-related violence and acid attacks are in addition to that. Over the decades, successive laws have sought to improve the position of women, but implementation has been lacking because it is mostly in the hands of male government functionaries and the police who consider most violence against women as a \"family problem\", or even provoked by women themselves. The present law introduces women as complaint takers and enforcers."}], "question": "Why is the bill needed?", "id": "989_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1310, "answer_end": 2830, "text": "The Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2015 seeks to set up a women's force at district level throughout the province, which would respond to women's complaints of physical, financial or psychological abuse. Offences include domestic violence, sexual violence, psychological and emotional abuse, economic abuse, stalking and cybercrime. The law provides for the setting up of District Women's Protection Committees, which will include officials of the district administration, the police, social welfare department and law. The law also envisages the setting up of a universal, toll-free dial-in telephone number for women to call if they want to report an abuse. It empowers the women protection officers to enter any premises to recover women held captive. It also provides for the establishment of shelters, and empowers the courts to restrain offending males from approaching those shelters, or places where victimised females work. The law emphasises reconciliation between the parties, and as such it does not criminalise the offence at the outset. However, in the event of a breach of court orders with respect to the female's right to protection, residence or financial wellbeing, the offending male can be punished with one to two years in jail, and a fine of between 200,000 to 500,000 rupees (PS1,350-3,400; $1,900-4,800). The law has been hailed as comprehensive in liberal circles, where it is seen as providing a wider definition of violence against women and a one-stop mechanism for redress."}], "question": "What does the bill do?", "id": "989_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2831, "answer_end": 3208, "text": "The law calls for creation of a vast institutional infrastructure, the recruitment and training of manpower, and the drawing up of detailed rules to regulate the legal and operational aspects of system to protect women. The Act provides for \"phased\" implementation of the law, and officials say it will be some time before the first district protection teams get on the ground."}], "question": "Has the new law been used yet?", "id": "989_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3209, "answer_end": 3768, "text": "The law was drawn up in 2015 by the PML-N, the party of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which also governs Punjab province. The draft was approved by the provincial cabinet, and subsequently passed unanimously by the Punjab parliament in February. The bill came as a surprise to many because the PML-N has long been seen as a right-of-centre party, often pandering to the religious lobby. But many say it took the lead because it was under pressure to address the issue. Much of the violence against women takes place in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province."}], "question": "Who introduced it?", "id": "989_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3769, "answer_end": 5098, "text": "On Tuesday more than 30 religious groups, including all the mainstream Islamic political parties, got together in Islamabad to condemn the law and to warn the Punjab government to withdraw it by 27 March. If not, they have threatened to launch protests. One leader said these could be worse than those  in 1977 - a reference to a religious movement which culminated in a military coup against Pakistan's first popularly elected government. Religious groups have often equated women's rights campaigns with promotion of obscenity. They say the new Punjab law will increase the divorce rate and destroy the country's traditional family system. But the Aurat Foundation's Naeem Mirza believes that religious groups are more incensed over the way the new law seeks to empower women. \"A woman can ring up a toll-free number for help, women protection officers can enter any premises to rescue her, and the husband is constrained by the law from throwing her out of his house. If he remains violent, he can be turned out of his house, and forced to wear a GPS tracker to ensure he doesn't get anywhere near the victim until a settlement is reached,\" he says. \"If implemented, these measures will fundamentally change the traditional power equation between men and women, something which the religious lobby will find hard to tolerate.\""}], "question": "Why are religious hardliners unhappy?", "id": "989_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5099, "answer_end": 6126, "text": "While the bill has been signed into law by the Punjab governor, the provincial government in Lahore is yet to formally notify it, fuelling speculation that it may agree to dilute the bill by sending it back to parliament. If the government backtracks, many fingers will be pointed at the powerful military establishment which is widely believed to have been behind past demonstrations by religious groups - from the movement of 1977 to the so-called \"million marches\" of the 1990s that toppled one political government after another. But many believe the government cannot afford to pay the political price of a retreat. The bill has been unanimously passed by the parliament, which represents the will of the people. A retreat will undermine democracy. It will also frustrate women at large who have drawn some hope from this law. Additionally, such a move could give a fillip to social radicalism which both the civilian government and the military have been struggling to bring under control, at least on the domestic front."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "989_5"}]}]}, {"title": "India Assam: Will four million people really be deported?", "date": "9 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some four million people have effectively lost their citizenship in India's north-eastern state of Assam. They were left off a list of proven citizens, which was created as part of a government drive to identify illegal migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. Here's what led to that controversial move, and what might happen next. Fears over illegal migration from Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, have long been alive in Assam. The state's very first list of citizens - formally known as the National Register of Citizens, or NRC - was published in 1951, just four years after the partition of India, when millions of people had crossed into India from East Bengal, which had become a part of Pakistan. The list was drawn up in response to nationalist groups in Assam who were afraid of an influx of Muslim immigrants changing the state's Hindu-majority demographics. But the problem re-emerged in the 1970s. After Bangladesh declared independence and broke away from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, sparking a bitter war, millions again fled to neighbouring India. And many of the refugees settled in Assam. By 1979, a movement against illegal immigrants led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) took hold. The agitation turned violent in 1983 when mobs killed more than 2,000 suspected immigrants, most of whom were Muslims. AASU and some other regional groups eventually signed an agreement in 1985 with the federal government led by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It said that anyone who could not prove that they were living in Assam by 24 March 1971 would be expelled from electoral rolls and considered illegal immigrants. But the accord was never implemented. In 2009, a man named Aabhijeet Sharma petitioned the Supreme Court, asking that the NRC be updated. In 2014, the court instructed the federal government to do so by 31 January 2016. However given the magnitude of the exercise - which involved the verification of documents belonging to more than 32 million people - the first draft of the NRC was only published in December 2017. The second draft was published on 30 July. The NRC contains the names of people who have been able to prove that they arrived in Assam on or before 24 March 1971. Everyone in the state had to submit documents to prove their claim to citizenship, including land and tenancy records, voter IDs or passports. Those who were born after 1971 were asked to submit documents that proved that their parents or grandparents had settled in India before the cut-off date. Around four million people did not make the list. Their names could be deleted from electoral rolls as they are not considered legitimate citizens. It has been mixed. Many Hindus across the country have hailed it as a bold move and praised the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for implementing it when other state governments did not have the \"guts\" to do so. Some feel that it is a political masterstroke ahead of upcoming national elections in 2019. But opposition parties have roundly denounced the move and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for separating families and effectively making millions of people stateless overnight. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, said the list had created \"massive insecurity\" among people. And Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of neighbouring West Bengal state, has been its most vocal critic. She predicted a \"bloodbath\" and said the exercise was making a mockery of democracy. \"It seems like the BJP is using the issue to polarise voters and reinforce its anti-Muslim rhetoric - and opposition parties have reacted to the bait,\" Subir Bhaumik, author of Troubled Periphery, a study of India's troubled north-east, told the BBC. But Indian officials have insisted that the process is \"not targeting Muslims\". Prateek Hajela, the NRC head, told BBC Urdu that those excluded were \"people from different religions and groups\". Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the upper house of parliament that the process was \"fair and transparent\" and that \"no Indian citizen would be left out\". No. The government has been very categorical about this. Home Minister Singh has made it clear that people can appeal against their non-inclusion. They can also submit more documents to claim citizenship in the coming months. So there is a chance that an updated list will carry their names. And activists say is a necessary move. The NRC has already produced some surprising results - former servicemen, current political leaders and even some government employees, including one tasked with compiling the NRC - have not found their names on the list. News reports have pointed out how minor spelling errors have led to documents being rejected. Others mention how some families have seen  one sibling making it on to the list while another did not. Assam also has a history of flooding, which means that many families have often lost official documents along with other belongings. It is unclear - but also unlikely at the moment, say experts. Mr Modi has consistently said that illegal Muslim immigrants will be deported.  But the BBC's India columnist, Soutik Biswas, says Bangladesh will \"definitely not accede to such a request\". Instead, he adds, there is a chance that India will end up \"creating the newest cohort of stateless people\" - similar to the Rohingyas of Myanmar. There are currently half a dozen detention camps in Assam, which house some 1,000 people. In July, the state government said it had permission to build a new detention centre for those unable to prove their citizenship, the Indian Express reports. India has no official treaty with Bangladesh in relation to the NRC or cross-border illegal immigration. Regional security expert Seshadri Chari says that Bangladesh has always maintained that the NRC is an \"internal matter and not a bilateral issue between the two countries\". He adds: \"This underscores Bangladesh's resolve to not accept even one single illegal migrant that India may want to deport.\" There has been concern over the safety of those whose names are not on the list. While the government has not released any data on their religious identities, the majority of them are believed to be Bengali-speaking Muslims. But there have been no protests or incidents of violence so far. \"Who is going to protest? Those in Assam who have pushed for it are feeling vindicated right now,\" Mr Bhaumik says. \"And those whose names are not on the list are preoccupied with trying to get on it.\" A final list which is to be compiled after addressing all appeals and challenges could trigger violence, says the BBC's Nitin Srivastava, who has been reporting on the NRC in Assam. \"That is when they will be concerned about losing their land, voting rights and freedom.\" Reporting by Krutika Pathi", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 331, "answer_end": 1666, "text": "Fears over illegal migration from Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, have long been alive in Assam. The state's very first list of citizens - formally known as the National Register of Citizens, or NRC - was published in 1951, just four years after the partition of India, when millions of people had crossed into India from East Bengal, which had become a part of Pakistan. The list was drawn up in response to nationalist groups in Assam who were afraid of an influx of Muslim immigrants changing the state's Hindu-majority demographics. But the problem re-emerged in the 1970s. After Bangladesh declared independence and broke away from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, sparking a bitter war, millions again fled to neighbouring India. And many of the refugees settled in Assam. By 1979, a movement against illegal immigrants led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) took hold. The agitation turned violent in 1983 when mobs killed more than 2,000 suspected immigrants, most of whom were Muslims. AASU and some other regional groups eventually signed an agreement in 1985 with the federal government led by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It said that anyone who could not prove that they were living in Assam by 24 March 1971 would be expelled from electoral rolls and considered illegal immigrants. But the accord was never implemented."}], "question": "How did the list come about?", "id": "990_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1667, "answer_end": 2089, "text": "In 2009, a man named Aabhijeet Sharma petitioned the Supreme Court, asking that the NRC be updated. In 2014, the court instructed the federal government to do so by 31 January 2016. However given the magnitude of the exercise - which involved the verification of documents belonging to more than 32 million people - the first draft of the NRC was only published in December 2017. The second draft was published on 30 July."}], "question": "So why is it being updated after all these years?", "id": "990_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2090, "answer_end": 2655, "text": "The NRC contains the names of people who have been able to prove that they arrived in Assam on or before 24 March 1971. Everyone in the state had to submit documents to prove their claim to citizenship, including land and tenancy records, voter IDs or passports. Those who were born after 1971 were asked to submit documents that proved that their parents or grandparents had settled in India before the cut-off date. Around four million people did not make the list. Their names could be deleted from electoral rolls as they are not considered legitimate citizens."}], "question": "Who is on the list?", "id": "990_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2656, "answer_end": 4080, "text": "It has been mixed. Many Hindus across the country have hailed it as a bold move and praised the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for implementing it when other state governments did not have the \"guts\" to do so. Some feel that it is a political masterstroke ahead of upcoming national elections in 2019. But opposition parties have roundly denounced the move and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for separating families and effectively making millions of people stateless overnight. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, said the list had created \"massive insecurity\" among people. And Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of neighbouring West Bengal state, has been its most vocal critic. She predicted a \"bloodbath\" and said the exercise was making a mockery of democracy. \"It seems like the BJP is using the issue to polarise voters and reinforce its anti-Muslim rhetoric - and opposition parties have reacted to the bait,\" Subir Bhaumik, author of Troubled Periphery, a study of India's troubled north-east, told the BBC. But Indian officials have insisted that the process is \"not targeting Muslims\". Prateek Hajela, the NRC head, told BBC Urdu that those excluded were \"people from different religions and groups\". Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the upper house of parliament that the process was \"fair and transparent\" and that \"no Indian citizen would be left out\"."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "990_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4081, "answer_end": 4964, "text": "No. The government has been very categorical about this. Home Minister Singh has made it clear that people can appeal against their non-inclusion. They can also submit more documents to claim citizenship in the coming months. So there is a chance that an updated list will carry their names. And activists say is a necessary move. The NRC has already produced some surprising results - former servicemen, current political leaders and even some government employees, including one tasked with compiling the NRC - have not found their names on the list. News reports have pointed out how minor spelling errors have led to documents being rejected. Others mention how some families have seen  one sibling making it on to the list while another did not. Assam also has a history of flooding, which means that many families have often lost official documents along with other belongings."}], "question": "Is this a final list?", "id": "990_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4965, "answer_end": 6015, "text": "It is unclear - but also unlikely at the moment, say experts. Mr Modi has consistently said that illegal Muslim immigrants will be deported.  But the BBC's India columnist, Soutik Biswas, says Bangladesh will \"definitely not accede to such a request\". Instead, he adds, there is a chance that India will end up \"creating the newest cohort of stateless people\" - similar to the Rohingyas of Myanmar. There are currently half a dozen detention camps in Assam, which house some 1,000 people. In July, the state government said it had permission to build a new detention centre for those unable to prove their citizenship, the Indian Express reports. India has no official treaty with Bangladesh in relation to the NRC or cross-border illegal immigration. Regional security expert Seshadri Chari says that Bangladesh has always maintained that the NRC is an \"internal matter and not a bilateral issue between the two countries\". He adds: \"This underscores Bangladesh's resolve to not accept even one single illegal migrant that India may want to deport.\""}], "question": "Will there be mass deportations?", "id": "990_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman sued for $500bn in college cheating scam", "date": "15 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US mother has filed a $500bn (PS375bn) lawsuit against the people charged in a university admissions scandal, claiming her son was unfairly denied placement. Jennifer Kay Toy cited the \"despicable actions\" of the alleged conspirators as the reason her child was not admitted to some universities he had applied to. A separate class action suit brought by current students has been filed against the universities named by US officials. The students say a \"warped and rigged\" admission scandal cost them money. Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among the 33 parents charged with conspiring to bribe, cheat on tests and fake credentials to get their students into elite universities. On Thursday, Ms Loughlin was officially dropped from the Hallmark Channel, a television network she has worked with since at least 2010. In her filing to a San Francisco court on Wednesday, Ms Toy said that her son Joshua applied to some of the schools mentioned in the US Department of Justice complaint \"but did not make the cut for some undisclosed reason\". \"I'm now outraged and hurt because I feel that my son, my only child, was denied access to a college, not because he failed to work and study hard enough, but because wealthy individuals felt it was OK to lie, cheat, steal and bribe their children's way into a good college,\"  her civil suit states. A separate $5m lawsuit brought by students from Stanford University claims they were deceived when they agreed to pay the fees required with each application. The students requested compensation for the fees. Student Erica Olsen said she was rejected from Yale after paying $80 despite her \"stellar\" test scores and athletic ability. \"Had Plaintiffs known that the system was warped and rigged by fraud, they would not have spent the money to apply to the school,\" the lawsuit claims, adding: \"They also did not receive what they paid for - a fair admissions consideration process.\" Yet another suit from students at Tulane University, Rutgers University and a community college in Orange County, California has been filed against William \"Rick\" Singer, who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to racketeering for his role as mastermind of the criminal schemes. Lori Loughlin, who rose to fame in her role as Aunt Becky on the 1987 sitcom Full House and the 2016 Netflix reboot Fuller House, has been dropped from the Hallmark Channel. \"We are saddened by the recent allegations surround the college admission process\" the family-friendly network and greeting card company said on Thursday, adding that they were suspending her from any projects that she is currently working on. She currently stars in the ongoing Garage Sale Mysteries movies and the series When Calls the Heart. There was a logistical factor in the networks decision, as When Calls the Heart is filmed in Canada and a judge had ordered Ms Loughlin to surrender her passport pending trial.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 835, "answer_end": 2210, "text": "In her filing to a San Francisco court on Wednesday, Ms Toy said that her son Joshua applied to some of the schools mentioned in the US Department of Justice complaint \"but did not make the cut for some undisclosed reason\". \"I'm now outraged and hurt because I feel that my son, my only child, was denied access to a college, not because he failed to work and study hard enough, but because wealthy individuals felt it was OK to lie, cheat, steal and bribe their children's way into a good college,\"  her civil suit states. A separate $5m lawsuit brought by students from Stanford University claims they were deceived when they agreed to pay the fees required with each application. The students requested compensation for the fees. Student Erica Olsen said she was rejected from Yale after paying $80 despite her \"stellar\" test scores and athletic ability. \"Had Plaintiffs known that the system was warped and rigged by fraud, they would not have spent the money to apply to the school,\" the lawsuit claims, adding: \"They also did not receive what they paid for - a fair admissions consideration process.\" Yet another suit from students at Tulane University, Rutgers University and a community college in Orange County, California has been filed against William \"Rick\" Singer, who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to racketeering for his role as mastermind of the criminal schemes."}], "question": "What are the lawsuits?", "id": "991_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How Guatemalans began daring to say what they think", "date": "4 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Before tucking into her dinner last week, six-year-old Paula Menchu made sure she said her prayers. She asked God to grant her peace and a less crooked president. President Otto Perez Molina has now handed in his resignation after more than four months of weekly demonstrations demanding that he go. They began after a report was issued in April by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN body created in 2006 designed to strengthen the country's rule of law. In it, several high-profile politicians were implicated in a corruption ring involving the country's customs agency. A second, smaller, investigation relates to a social security scandal and allegations that a company paid bribes for a dialysis contract. Faulty care apparently resulted in the deaths of several patients. Cabinet members have resigned and the former vice-president Roxana Baldetti is now in jail awaiting trial. Mr Perez Molina, who denies the allegations, is now joining her. \"The corruption scandals have acted as a trigger,\" says the International Crisis Group's Guatemala analyst Arturo Matute. \"They've really outraged a significant proportion of the Guatemalan population.\" I met Paula outside Congress in downtown Guatemala City last weekend. She was with her parents and two-year-old brother Carlos. They, along with dozens of other children, were colouring in posters that read Free Guatemala, Give us back our money, and Otto Perez, Guatemala doesn't want you. \"If we don't talk about this when they are little they won't have a critical conscience,\" Jimena's father, Julio, says. \"They won't be able to defend their own rights.\" The event was organised by the group #JusticiaYa - Justice Now. The movement began on Facebook and organised the first march in April. Gabriel Wer, 33, who works as an administrator in his family's business, is one of the founding members. He puts the success of the protests down to Guatemala having a young population, one that is increasingly connected with technology and new media. \"We've been a society used to silence because of the civil war we were in,\" he says. \"That's changing. We are daring to say what we think, what we feel as a country, as a society.\" Importantly, in one of the most violent countries in the world, these have been peaceful protests. JusticiaYa say that has been key to their \"search for transparency and justice\". Guatemala's protests have not been isolated. Neighbouring Honduras has also seen people take to the streets in recent months. Parallels have been drawn between these and the young people who protested in the Middle East during the so-called Arab Spring more than four years ago. Some have called this movement the Central American Spring. Martin Rodriguez Pellecer, the director of well-respected online paper nomada.gt, points to the stripping of the president's immunity for the first time in the country's history. Like in other springs, \"citizens were able to do more than those in power,\" he says. But it is not an analogy that everybody agrees with. \"We don't really have oppressive governments, we have abusive governments,\" says Hugo Novales, a political analyst at the Investigation and Social Studies Association in Guatemala. \"We have a democracy, albeit it's not the best. We have a problem with the quality so I don't think the term Guatemalan Spring is the best.\" The UN anti-corruption body CICIG, along with the country's public prosecutor, has been widely praised over these revelations. Eduardo Stein was vice-president of Guatemala between 2004 and 2008, and helped set up the CICIG. \"It shows the measure of how infected the scaffolding of the state was - or is,\" he says. \"Our justice system would have never on its own delved deep into these corruption schemes as they have now.\" Its success makes many feel it is too early for Guatemala to go it alone. \"It is like putting on mosquito lotion,\" says Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. \"You can keep the mosquitoes away but they are still out there. \"The minute the lotion is lost, they will begin attacking again.\" Mr Perez Molina's resignation has been long awaited. Now he has gone - and before Sunday's first round of presidential elections, what will that mean? \"The message that it sends is that corruption is not as tolerable as it used to be,\" says Hugo Novales, of the Investigation and Social Studies Association. \"This will set a good example towards whoever becomes president or takes any form of office next year - that institutions are working, that voting counts for something, that politicians sometimes do hear what people request.\" These elections may not change politics immediately but what has already changed is the way Guatemalans view politics and its actors.  There is a different future ahead.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2398, "answer_end": 4107, "text": "Guatemala's protests have not been isolated. Neighbouring Honduras has also seen people take to the streets in recent months. Parallels have been drawn between these and the young people who protested in the Middle East during the so-called Arab Spring more than four years ago. Some have called this movement the Central American Spring. Martin Rodriguez Pellecer, the director of well-respected online paper nomada.gt, points to the stripping of the president's immunity for the first time in the country's history. Like in other springs, \"citizens were able to do more than those in power,\" he says. But it is not an analogy that everybody agrees with. \"We don't really have oppressive governments, we have abusive governments,\" says Hugo Novales, a political analyst at the Investigation and Social Studies Association in Guatemala. \"We have a democracy, albeit it's not the best. We have a problem with the quality so I don't think the term Guatemalan Spring is the best.\" The UN anti-corruption body CICIG, along with the country's public prosecutor, has been widely praised over these revelations. Eduardo Stein was vice-president of Guatemala between 2004 and 2008, and helped set up the CICIG. \"It shows the measure of how infected the scaffolding of the state was - or is,\" he says. \"Our justice system would have never on its own delved deep into these corruption schemes as they have now.\" Its success makes many feel it is too early for Guatemala to go it alone. \"It is like putting on mosquito lotion,\" says Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington. \"You can keep the mosquitoes away but they are still out there. \"The minute the lotion is lost, they will begin attacking again.\""}], "question": "Central American Spring?", "id": "992_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4108, "answer_end": 4811, "text": "Mr Perez Molina's resignation has been long awaited. Now he has gone - and before Sunday's first round of presidential elections, what will that mean? \"The message that it sends is that corruption is not as tolerable as it used to be,\" says Hugo Novales, of the Investigation and Social Studies Association. \"This will set a good example towards whoever becomes president or takes any form of office next year - that institutions are working, that voting counts for something, that politicians sometimes do hear what people request.\" These elections may not change politics immediately but what has already changed is the way Guatemalans view politics and its actors.  There is a different future ahead."}], "question": "Spur to young people?", "id": "992_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Student loan repayment threshold rises", "date": "6 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former students will be able to earn more before they have to start paying back their tuition fee loans. English and Welsh students who took out loans from September 2012 onwards - when fees in England rose to up to PS9,000 a year - will now start to pay back when they earn PS25,000 a year instead of PS21,000. The government says the move could save graduates up to PS360 a year. The National Union of Students said the change was \"welcome relief\" for many. Are you paying off a student loan? Join BBC News's Affordable Living Facebook group here. The Department for Education says some 600,000 graduates will benefit over the next financial year alone. Previously, the repayment threshold for post-September 2012 loans had been frozen at PS21,000 until 2020-21, but last autumn Prime Minister Theresa May announced a rise in the threshold from this new financial year. The change will also lower the repayments of those earning over PS25,000, as the percentage of salary paid back will be on a smaller amount. Research carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found raising the repayment threshold to PS25,000 benefits middle-earning graduates the most, saving them up to PS15,700 in repayments over their lifetimes. Lower-earning graduates, who are likely to earn below the threshold for a significant part of their career, will see a smaller reduction in lifetime repayments, the IFS calculates. While high-earning graduates - who would repay their loans in full - will see a reduction in yearly repayments, this will merely extend the period of time for which they have to repay and so will make little difference to their lifetime repayments. IFS economist Laura van der Erve said: \"Overall, repayments will fall by around PS10,000 for the average graduate as a result of the threshold increase. \"This will significantly increase the long-run cost to the government of providing higher education. The long-run cost to the government will increase by more than PS2bn a year, an increase of nearly 40%.\" No. Graduates living in the UK will not have to do anything to receive the saving. Repayments will be calculated automatically by employers for those paid on a PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) basis or as part of the self-assessment return to HM Revenue and Customs. Yes, although the benefits are not quite so significant. For English and Welsh students who took out loans before 2012, as well as students from Scotland and Northern Ireland, the threshold rises each year in line with inflation. This year the repayment threshold will rise to PS18,330 - up from PS17,775 - in line with inflation at 3.1%. NUS vice-president for higher education Amatey Doku said: \"This change will be a welcome relief for many of the lowest-earning graduates. \"In recent years the expected repayment for the lowest-earning graduates has increased by 30%, thanks to the freezing of the cap at PS21,000 instead of rising slightly each year. \"However in making this change, the government has at least acknowledged that there are serious flaws in how we fund higher education in this country. \"I hope that this will not preclude a more in-depth consideration as part of the upcoming review into post-18 funding, lest this becomes patching up the holes on a sinking ship\". But Mr Doku said the change for tuition fee loans did not address the issue of living costs. \"This will not change the fact that our maintenance model is fundamentally regressive - students from the lowest income families accrue PS57,000 of debt, compared to PS42,000 for their more privileged peers.\" Universities Minister Sam Gyimah says the rise in the post-2012 student repayment threshold is a \"key milestone\" and shows the government is trying to support those in higher education. \"We are seeing more 18-year-olds than ever before attend university, including the highest ever number from disadvantaged backgrounds and we want to give these students a fair deal, both during their studies and afterwards too. \"Not only will it benefit hundreds of thousands of graduates in the next financial year alone, but millions in the years to come.\" Mrs May announced the tuition fee loan repayment threshold increase on 1 October last year, four months after failing to keep her majority in the general election. At the same time, she said she had listened to voters and the fees themselves would be frozen at PS9,250 a year in England, after a series of rises by universities. In February, Mrs May launched a review of tuition fees and university funding,  saying students in England faced \"one of the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world\". The year-long review will be chaired by the author and financier, Philip Augar.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 550, "answer_end": 2015, "text": "The Department for Education says some 600,000 graduates will benefit over the next financial year alone. Previously, the repayment threshold for post-September 2012 loans had been frozen at PS21,000 until 2020-21, but last autumn Prime Minister Theresa May announced a rise in the threshold from this new financial year. The change will also lower the repayments of those earning over PS25,000, as the percentage of salary paid back will be on a smaller amount. Research carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found raising the repayment threshold to PS25,000 benefits middle-earning graduates the most, saving them up to PS15,700 in repayments over their lifetimes. Lower-earning graduates, who are likely to earn below the threshold for a significant part of their career, will see a smaller reduction in lifetime repayments, the IFS calculates. While high-earning graduates - who would repay their loans in full - will see a reduction in yearly repayments, this will merely extend the period of time for which they have to repay and so will make little difference to their lifetime repayments. IFS economist Laura van der Erve said: \"Overall, repayments will fall by around PS10,000 for the average graduate as a result of the threshold increase. \"This will significantly increase the long-run cost to the government of providing higher education. The long-run cost to the government will increase by more than PS2bn a year, an increase of nearly 40%.\""}], "question": "Who will benefit?", "id": "993_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2016, "answer_end": 2272, "text": "No. Graduates living in the UK will not have to do anything to receive the saving. Repayments will be calculated automatically by employers for those paid on a PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) basis or as part of the self-assessment return to HM Revenue and Customs."}], "question": "Do I need to do anything?", "id": "993_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2273, "answer_end": 2611, "text": "Yes, although the benefits are not quite so significant. For English and Welsh students who took out loans before 2012, as well as students from Scotland and Northern Ireland, the threshold rises each year in line with inflation. This year the repayment threshold will rise to PS18,330 - up from PS17,775 - in line with inflation at 3.1%."}], "question": "I have a pre-2012 loan. Is there any change for me?", "id": "993_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2612, "answer_end": 3560, "text": "NUS vice-president for higher education Amatey Doku said: \"This change will be a welcome relief for many of the lowest-earning graduates. \"In recent years the expected repayment for the lowest-earning graduates has increased by 30%, thanks to the freezing of the cap at PS21,000 instead of rising slightly each year. \"However in making this change, the government has at least acknowledged that there are serious flaws in how we fund higher education in this country. \"I hope that this will not preclude a more in-depth consideration as part of the upcoming review into post-18 funding, lest this becomes patching up the holes on a sinking ship\". But Mr Doku said the change for tuition fee loans did not address the issue of living costs. \"This will not change the fact that our maintenance model is fundamentally regressive - students from the lowest income families accrue PS57,000 of debt, compared to PS42,000 for their more privileged peers.\""}], "question": "What does the National Union of Students say about the post-2012 change?", "id": "993_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3561, "answer_end": 4105, "text": "Universities Minister Sam Gyimah says the rise in the post-2012 student repayment threshold is a \"key milestone\" and shows the government is trying to support those in higher education. \"We are seeing more 18-year-olds than ever before attend university, including the highest ever number from disadvantaged backgrounds and we want to give these students a fair deal, both during their studies and afterwards too. \"Not only will it benefit hundreds of thousands of graduates in the next financial year alone, but millions in the years to come.\""}], "question": "What does the government say?", "id": "993_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4106, "answer_end": 4699, "text": "Mrs May announced the tuition fee loan repayment threshold increase on 1 October last year, four months after failing to keep her majority in the general election. At the same time, she said she had listened to voters and the fees themselves would be frozen at PS9,250 a year in England, after a series of rises by universities. In February, Mrs May launched a review of tuition fees and university funding,  saying students in England faced \"one of the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world\". The year-long review will be chaired by the author and financier, Philip Augar."}], "question": "What is the background to this?", "id": "993_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Holocaust: Dutch rail firm NS confirms compensation", "date": "26 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Netherlands' state-run rail company NS has said it will pay tens of millions of euros in compensation to Holocaust victims and their families. The company earned millions in today's terms by transporting Jewish families to a Nazi transit camp. Some 107,000 Jews were taken to Westerbork and deported, mainly to deaths camps at Auschwitz and Sobibor. Only 5,000 survived. NS said the deportations were a \"black page in the history of the company\". It apologised in 2005 for its role in helping the Nazi occupiers in World War Two, but it only set up a commission to decide how much to pay in November last year. Its decision to \"learn, honour and remember in an enduring way\" followed a campaign by Salo Muller, whose parents were murdered at Auschwitz. \"It is estimated that several thousand people are eligible for the allowance, including an estimated 500 survivors. NS will set aside several tens of millions of euros for this in the coming years,\" NS said in a statement. Each survivor will receive EUR15,000 (PS13,000; $17,000), while EUR5-7,000 will go to children and widowed spouses of victims. NS said in November that it had operated trains on behalf of Germany's Nazi occupiers, but it did more than just run the trains. \"The NS complied with the German order to make trains available,\" Dirk Mulder from the National Westerbork Memorial told Dutch TV last year. \"The Germans paid for it and said the NS had to come up with a timetable. And the company went and did it without a word of objection.\" NS made an estimated EUR2.5m in today's terms, Dutch public broadcaster NOS estimates, in transporting Jews from across the Netherlands to the Westerbork camp. Westerbork became a transit camp in 1941 and the first deportees left on 15 July 1942. The final train left on 13 September 1944, with 279 Jews on board. Among those deported from the camp were 245 Sinti and Roma. Salo Muller is a former physiotherapist at top Dutch football club Ajax. In 1941, when he was five, his parents were arrested by the Nazis and put on a train from the capital Amsterdam to Westerbork, where they spent nine weeks before being deported to Auschwitz and murdered. He decided to act when he heard that the French government had agreed a $60m compensation fund with the US to be distributed among thousands of survivors and their relatives.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1107, "answer_end": 1886, "text": "NS said in November that it had operated trains on behalf of Germany's Nazi occupiers, but it did more than just run the trains. \"The NS complied with the German order to make trains available,\" Dirk Mulder from the National Westerbork Memorial told Dutch TV last year. \"The Germans paid for it and said the NS had to come up with a timetable. And the company went and did it without a word of objection.\" NS made an estimated EUR2.5m in today's terms, Dutch public broadcaster NOS estimates, in transporting Jews from across the Netherlands to the Westerbork camp. Westerbork became a transit camp in 1941 and the first deportees left on 15 July 1942. The final train left on 13 September 1944, with 279 Jews on board. Among those deported from the camp were 245 Sinti and Roma."}], "question": "What was Dutch railway's role in deportations?", "id": "994_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1887, "answer_end": 2338, "text": "Salo Muller is a former physiotherapist at top Dutch football club Ajax. In 1941, when he was five, his parents were arrested by the Nazis and put on a train from the capital Amsterdam to Westerbork, where they spent nine weeks before being deported to Auschwitz and murdered. He decided to act when he heard that the French government had agreed a $60m compensation fund with the US to be distributed among thousands of survivors and their relatives."}], "question": "Who is Salo Muller?", "id": "994_1"}]}]}, {"title": "President Macron's Petain Nazi collaborator remark creates row", "date": "7 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to justify paying homage to Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain during centenary commemorations marking the end of World War One later this week. Mr Macron said Marshal Petain was a \"great soldier\", even though he had made \"disastrous choices\" during WW2. Petain was praised for the defence of Verdun in 1916, but he was sentenced to death for high treason after WW2. Some French politicians and Jewish leaders condemned Mr Macron's comments. Speaking during a tour of northern France in Charleville-Mezieres, the president said: \"It's right that we honour the marshals who led France to victory (in WW1).\" And referring to Petain, Mr Macron said: \"He was a great soldier\", although he had made \"disastrous choices\" during the Nazi occupation of France. Petain co-operated with the Nazi invaders and headed a puppet government centred on the spa town of Vichy. Mr Macron's office later defended his comments. \"I'm not forgiving anything, but I'm not going to erase anything from our history,\" he said, stressing that Petain was \"complicit in grave crimes\". And addressing reporters, he added: \"You're creating controversies by yourselves.\" On Saturday, a ceremony will be held in Paris to commemorate the eight marshals - including Petain - who led the French army in WW1. A number of French politicians criticised President Macron. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the France Unbowed party, described Petain as \"a traitor and an anti-Semite\". Mr Melenchon added: \"Macron, this time you've gone too far! The history of France is not your toy.\" Meanwhile, Francis Kalifat of the CRIF association of French Jewish groups said he was \"shocked\" by Mr Macron's comments praising a Nazi collaborator who helped send thousands of Jews to their deaths. \"The only thing we will remember about Petain is that he was convicted, in the name of the French people, of national indignity during his trial in 1945,\" Mr Kalifat said. He was born in 1856, and joined the French army 20 years later. Petain was seen by many in France as a national hero for restoring army morale after Verdun - the largest and longest battle in WW1. In 1918, he was made a marshal of France. In 1940, with France under attack from Germany, Petain was appointed vice-premier. He later asked for an armistice, upon which he was appointed \"chief of state\", enjoying almost absolute powers. The armistice gave the Germans control over the north and west of France, including Paris, but left the remainder as a separate regime under Petain. Officially neutral, in practice the regime collaborated closely with Germany, and brought in its own anti-Semitic legislation. After the end of WW2, Petain was arrested and sentenced to death for high treason. This was then commuted to life imprisonment given his age. Petain died in 1951 at the age of 95.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 485, "answer_end": 1314, "text": "Speaking during a tour of northern France in Charleville-Mezieres, the president said: \"It's right that we honour the marshals who led France to victory (in WW1).\" And referring to Petain, Mr Macron said: \"He was a great soldier\", although he had made \"disastrous choices\" during the Nazi occupation of France. Petain co-operated with the Nazi invaders and headed a puppet government centred on the spa town of Vichy. Mr Macron's office later defended his comments. \"I'm not forgiving anything, but I'm not going to erase anything from our history,\" he said, stressing that Petain was \"complicit in grave crimes\". And addressing reporters, he added: \"You're creating controversies by yourselves.\" On Saturday, a ceremony will be held in Paris to commemorate the eight marshals - including Petain - who led the French army in WW1."}], "question": "What did Mr Macron say?", "id": "995_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1315, "answer_end": 1374, "text": "A number of French politicians criticised President Macron."}], "question": "What has been reaction in France?", "id": "995_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1973, "answer_end": 2862, "text": "He was born in 1856, and joined the French army 20 years later. Petain was seen by many in France as a national hero for restoring army morale after Verdun - the largest and longest battle in WW1. In 1918, he was made a marshal of France. In 1940, with France under attack from Germany, Petain was appointed vice-premier. He later asked for an armistice, upon which he was appointed \"chief of state\", enjoying almost absolute powers. The armistice gave the Germans control over the north and west of France, including Paris, but left the remainder as a separate regime under Petain. Officially neutral, in practice the regime collaborated closely with Germany, and brought in its own anti-Semitic legislation. After the end of WW2, Petain was arrested and sentenced to death for high treason. This was then commuted to life imprisonment given his age. Petain died in 1951 at the age of 95."}], "question": "Who was Philippe Petain?", "id": "995_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Harvey Weinstein: New York state sues Weinstein Company", "date": "12 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "New York prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against The Weinstein Company, alleging that the studio failed to protect staff from Harvey Weinstein. The film producer is facing dozens of allegations of sexual abuse, including rape, but denies non-consensual sex. The lawsuit alleges Mr Weinstein abused female employees and made verbal threats to kill staff members. A lawyer for Mr Weinstein said a \"fair investigation\" would show that many of the allegations were without merit. The Weinstein Company's board of directors said it was \"disappointed\" by the lawsuit. In a statement to Deadline, the board said: \"Many of the allegations relating to the board are inaccurate and the board looks forward to bringing the facts to light as part of its ongoing commitment to resolve this difficult situation in the most appropriate way.\" New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Sunday that he had filed the suit against The Weinstein Company, as well as Mr Weinstein and his brother Robert, who co-founded the studio. He is seeking an unspecified sum to cover damages, plus penalties, for victims of alleged abuse by Harvey Weinstein, 65. The document alleges that Mr Weinstein sexually harassed and abused women employed by the studio for years. It accuses senior executives at the company, including Robert Weinstein, of failing to prevent the mistreatment of staff despite being presented with evidence. The lawsuit follows a four-month investigation and cites multiple examples of alleged misconduct by Mr Weinstein, including: - Verbal threats, such as telling employees \"I will kill you\" or \"I will kill your family\" - Employing female staff as \"wing women\" to \"accompany [Mr Weinstein] to events and facilitate [his] sexual conquests\" - Demanding sexual favours in return for career promotion at the studio - Requiring his drivers to \"keep condoms and erectile dysfunction injections in the car at all times\" - The requirement for his assistants to schedule \"personals for sexual activity\" both during office hours and after work - Belittling female members of staff with insults about their periods, and shouting at one member of staff that she should leave the company and make babies as that was all she was good for. The company is also accused of failing employees by: - Not investigating complaints or treating them confidentially, with one assistant saying she saw her email detailing Mr Weinstein's misconduct allegations had been forwarded directly to him - Creating a contract for Mr Weinstein which allegedly contained the proviso that mistreatment claims would result in a financial penalty, rather than be prohibited, which \"effectively monetised\" sexual harassment. In response, Mr Weinstein's lawyer Ben Brafman said while his client's behaviour \"was not without fault\", there was \"no criminality\". \"At the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or [the Weinstein Company],\" he said. The suit casts doubt over the sale of The Weinstein Company, which has been battling bankruptcy and is in talks with investors. Mr Schneiderman said his investigation was continuing, but he had brought the suit out of concern that a possible sale would leave alleged victims without adequate compensation, and could benefit \"perpetrators or enablers\". It is reported that businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet has led talks to buy the studio for $500m (PS362m). But after news of the suit emerged, negotiations are now said to be on hold. Investors baulked at the prospect of the lawsuit adding conditions to the sale, Variety reported. In October last year, The New York Times published a story detailing decades of allegations of sexual harassment against Mr Weinstein. Since then more than 50 women, among them some of the biggest names in Hollywood, have accused the film producer of sexual assault, harassment, abuse and rape. In the wake of the allegations, Mr Weinstein was sacked by the board of his company. He is under investigation by UK and US police but no charges have been brought. Mr Weinstein, who was once among the most powerful men in Hollywood, has admitted that his behaviour has \"caused a lot of pain\" but has described many of the allegations against him as \"patently false\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 828, "answer_end": 3056, "text": "New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Sunday that he had filed the suit against The Weinstein Company, as well as Mr Weinstein and his brother Robert, who co-founded the studio. He is seeking an unspecified sum to cover damages, plus penalties, for victims of alleged abuse by Harvey Weinstein, 65. The document alleges that Mr Weinstein sexually harassed and abused women employed by the studio for years. It accuses senior executives at the company, including Robert Weinstein, of failing to prevent the mistreatment of staff despite being presented with evidence. The lawsuit follows a four-month investigation and cites multiple examples of alleged misconduct by Mr Weinstein, including: - Verbal threats, such as telling employees \"I will kill you\" or \"I will kill your family\" - Employing female staff as \"wing women\" to \"accompany [Mr Weinstein] to events and facilitate [his] sexual conquests\" - Demanding sexual favours in return for career promotion at the studio - Requiring his drivers to \"keep condoms and erectile dysfunction injections in the car at all times\" - The requirement for his assistants to schedule \"personals for sexual activity\" both during office hours and after work - Belittling female members of staff with insults about their periods, and shouting at one member of staff that she should leave the company and make babies as that was all she was good for. The company is also accused of failing employees by: - Not investigating complaints or treating them confidentially, with one assistant saying she saw her email detailing Mr Weinstein's misconduct allegations had been forwarded directly to him - Creating a contract for Mr Weinstein which allegedly contained the proviso that mistreatment claims would result in a financial penalty, rather than be prohibited, which \"effectively monetised\" sexual harassment. In response, Mr Weinstein's lawyer Ben Brafman said while his client's behaviour \"was not without fault\", there was \"no criminality\". \"At the end of the inquiry it will be clear that Harvey Weinstein promoted more women to key executive positions than any other industry leader and there was zero discrimination at either Miramax or [the Weinstein Company],\" he said."}], "question": "What is in the lawsuit?", "id": "996_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3057, "answer_end": 3691, "text": "The suit casts doubt over the sale of The Weinstein Company, which has been battling bankruptcy and is in talks with investors. Mr Schneiderman said his investigation was continuing, but he had brought the suit out of concern that a possible sale would leave alleged victims without adequate compensation, and could benefit \"perpetrators or enablers\". It is reported that businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet has led talks to buy the studio for $500m (PS362m). But after news of the suit emerged, negotiations are now said to be on hold. Investors baulked at the prospect of the lawsuit adding conditions to the sale, Variety reported."}], "question": "What does this mean for The Weinstein Company?", "id": "996_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Sudan coup: Protesters defy curfew after military ousts Bashir", "date": "12 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Defiant crowds have spent the night on the streets of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, ignoring a curfew declared by the military. Long-time President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown and arrested on Thursday after months of street protests. But demonstrators say the military council which has taken power is part of the same regime. The fresh stand-off has raised fears of a violent confrontation between protesters and the army. There is also a real danger that different elements of the security forces and militia could turn their guns on each other, says BBC World Service Africa editor Will Ross. The UN and the African Union have both called for calm. Sudan is due to reopen its airspace on Friday, following a 24-hour suspension, but land and maritime borders will remain closed, the military council has said. The curfew, in force from 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) to 04:00, was declared for the \"safety\" of citizens, state media said. The armed forces and the security council would carry out their \"duty to uphold peace and security and protect citizens' livelihoods\", it said. Thousands of people were still camped outside military headquarters on Friday and the crowd was reportedly growing. Thursday's mood of celebration after news of Mr Bashir's arrest evaporated when organisers called for the mass sit-in to continue. \"This is a continuation of the same regime,\" said Sara Abdeljalil of the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA). \"So what we need to do is to continue the fight and the peaceful resistance.\" An SPA statement said that \"those who destroyed the country and killed the people are seeking to steal every drop of blood and sweat that the Sudanese people poured in their revolution that shook the throne of tyranny\". The SPA has previously said that any transitional administration must not include anyone from the \"tyrannical regime\". Crowds waved flags and chanted \"Fall, again!\" - refashioning their previous anti-Bashir slogan of \"Fall, that's all!\". Early on Thursday, military vehicles entered the large compound in Khartoum housing the defence ministry, the army headquarters and Mr Bashir's personal residence. State TV and radio interrupted programming and Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf announced \"the toppling of the regime\". He said Mr Bashir was being held \"in a secure place\" but did not give details. Mr Ibn Auf said the country had been suffering from \"poor management, corruption, and an absence of justice\" and he apologised \"for the killing and violence that took place\". He said the army would oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections. The minister also said a three-month state of emergency was being put in place, with the constitution  suspended. Before the coup, Mr Ibn Auf was Mr Bashir's first vice-president and defence minister, and was regarded as being well placed to succeed him. During the Darfur conflict at the beginning of the century, he was head of military intelligence and the US imposed sanctions on him in 2007 in relation to his alleged support of the Janjaweed militia blamed for atrocities there. This is a military coup with no clear roadmap for how the generals plan to hand over power to civilian rule. The fear will be that they have no such intention. The security elite has calculated that removing Omar al-Bashir and imposing a curfew will buy them time and end the protests. If so, this represents a serious miscalculation. The SPA and other civil society groups have made it clear they won't accept a cosmetic change. They have the numbers and are highly organised. The military has the guns and the capacity for imposing brutal repression. But what then? A crackdown will not resolve the desperate economic crisis that brought years of simmering resentment on to the streets last December. There is also the question of the cracks within the Sudanese security establishment, evident during the clashes between soldiers and intelligence/militia forces in recent days. It is a volatile and unpredictable situation that demands cool heads and compromise on the part of the military. The stability of Sudan depends on how they react to continued protests. It is not yet clear what will happen to the 75-year-old, who is now in custody. He is the subject of two international arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of organising war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur between 2003 and 2008. There are, according to the ICC, \"reasonable grounds\" to believe that he \"acted with specific intent to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups\". Mr Bashir's rule was marked by civil war. A conflict with the south of the country ended in 2005 and South Sudan became independent in 2011. Demonstrations against his rule began in December, triggered by a rise in the cost of living, and at least 38 people died in the unrest. The former army officer himself came to power in 1989 through a military coup. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for \"calm and utmost restraint by all\" and urged a transition that would meet the \"democratic aspirations\" of the people. The UN Security Council is to discuss the situation in a closed-door meeting on Friday. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that a two-year military council was \"not the answer\" and called for a \"swift move to an inclusive, representative, civilian leadership\". The African Union condemned the military takeover, saying it was not an appropriate response to the challenges facing Sudan and the aspirations of its people. Russia, which twice hosted Mr Bashir despite the international travel ban he faced, called for calm and said it was monitoring the situation. Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said that justice was \"long overdue\" for Mr Bashir.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1081, "answer_end": 1979, "text": "Thousands of people were still camped outside military headquarters on Friday and the crowd was reportedly growing. Thursday's mood of celebration after news of Mr Bashir's arrest evaporated when organisers called for the mass sit-in to continue. \"This is a continuation of the same regime,\" said Sara Abdeljalil of the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA). \"So what we need to do is to continue the fight and the peaceful resistance.\" An SPA statement said that \"those who destroyed the country and killed the people are seeking to steal every drop of blood and sweat that the Sudanese people poured in their revolution that shook the throne of tyranny\". The SPA has previously said that any transitional administration must not include anyone from the \"tyrannical regime\". Crowds waved flags and chanted \"Fall, again!\" - refashioning their previous anti-Bashir slogan of \"Fall, that's all!\"."}], "question": "What are the protesters saying?", "id": "997_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1980, "answer_end": 2713, "text": "Early on Thursday, military vehicles entered the large compound in Khartoum housing the defence ministry, the army headquarters and Mr Bashir's personal residence. State TV and radio interrupted programming and Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf announced \"the toppling of the regime\". He said Mr Bashir was being held \"in a secure place\" but did not give details. Mr Ibn Auf said the country had been suffering from \"poor management, corruption, and an absence of justice\" and he apologised \"for the killing and violence that took place\". He said the army would oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections. The minister also said a three-month state of emergency was being put in place, with the constitution  suspended."}], "question": "How did the coup unfold?", "id": "997_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3085, "answer_end": 4149, "text": "This is a military coup with no clear roadmap for how the generals plan to hand over power to civilian rule. The fear will be that they have no such intention. The security elite has calculated that removing Omar al-Bashir and imposing a curfew will buy them time and end the protests. If so, this represents a serious miscalculation. The SPA and other civil society groups have made it clear they won't accept a cosmetic change. They have the numbers and are highly organised. The military has the guns and the capacity for imposing brutal repression. But what then? A crackdown will not resolve the desperate economic crisis that brought years of simmering resentment on to the streets last December. There is also the question of the cracks within the Sudanese security establishment, evident during the clashes between soldiers and intelligence/militia forces in recent days. It is a volatile and unpredictable situation that demands cool heads and compromise on the part of the military. The stability of Sudan depends on how they react to continued protests."}], "question": "A serious miscalculation?", "id": "997_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4150, "answer_end": 4960, "text": "It is not yet clear what will happen to the 75-year-old, who is now in custody. He is the subject of two international arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of organising war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur between 2003 and 2008. There are, according to the ICC, \"reasonable grounds\" to believe that he \"acted with specific intent to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups\". Mr Bashir's rule was marked by civil war. A conflict with the south of the country ended in 2005 and South Sudan became independent in 2011. Demonstrations against his rule began in December, triggered by a rise in the cost of living, and at least 38 people died in the unrest. The former army officer himself came to power in 1989 through a military coup."}], "question": "What will happen to Bashir?", "id": "997_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4961, "answer_end": 5800, "text": "UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for \"calm and utmost restraint by all\" and urged a transition that would meet the \"democratic aspirations\" of the people. The UN Security Council is to discuss the situation in a closed-door meeting on Friday. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that a two-year military council was \"not the answer\" and called for a \"swift move to an inclusive, representative, civilian leadership\". The African Union condemned the military takeover, saying it was not an appropriate response to the challenges facing Sudan and the aspirations of its people. Russia, which twice hosted Mr Bashir despite the international travel ban he faced, called for calm and said it was monitoring the situation. Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said that justice was \"long overdue\" for Mr Bashir."}], "question": "What is the reaction abroad?", "id": "997_4"}]}]}, {"title": "England flooding: Why insurance may not cover damage", "date": "12 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As a business owner, it is the worst kind of double-whammy - first flood waters pour through the premises, and then the insurance does not cover the cost of starting over again. Pam Webb told the BBC that her spa in Fishlake, near Doncaster, was once covered for such a situation, but not anymore. \"I feel really selfish in saying this, and I hope that other people aren't in this boat, but I've lost my home and my business and my livelihood that I've worked so hard for,\" she said. \"And the girls who worked for me, or worked with me, it's their livelihoods as well.\" She has been looking for solace, but can find none, she said. Mrs Webb lives above her business - and so cases such as hers are quite rare. Most residents are covered for flood damage as a standard part of their home insurance policy, with the back up of a relatively new scheme to protect those in flood risk areas. This scheme, known as Flood Re, does not cover businesses in the same way. That makes this a complex area of finance, as is often the case with insurance. The result of the latest flooding in Fishlake and other areas of England has been more questions over protection and financial cover against flooding. Far from it. There have been a series of major floods to hit the UK in fairly recent years. Repeat flooding left many homeowners unable to insure their homes, or facing large, unaffordable premiums as the risk in those areas was so high. As a result, the Flood Re system was introduced in 2016 - when it was estimated some 350,000 homes would benefit. This means insurance companies should offer lower premiums than was previously the case to these householders, as the flood risk element of policies can be passed on to the reinsurer Flood Re. Many homes affected by the latest flooding would have been protected as a result. Householders who are eligible also see their policy excesses - the amount they have to pay towards a claim - capped at PS250. Previously, some people had to pay several thousand pounds towards repairs. All this should happen behind the scenes, so householders in these high-risk areas should be able to buy home and contents insurance just like everyone else. There is a register to show which areas are covered. It is paid for via a PS180m-a-year levy from insurance companies - which regular policyholders effectively pay for through slightly higher premiums. So, most households will be covered for flood damage as standard, assuming they buy insurance in the first place, although not every insurer is signed up to the Flood Re scheme. \"Home buildings and contents policies cover flood and storm damage. If your home is uninhabitable while repairs are being carried out, your insurer will arrange for and pay the cost of any alternative temporary accommodation you may need,\" said Malcolm Tarling of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Vehicles with comprehensive motor insurance should also be covered for flood damage. It does not for thousands of businesses, as commercial property is not covered by the Flood Re scheme. This, it seems, is part of the reason why Mrs Webb's premises - which included her home upstairs - was not covered. Brian Brown, of Defaqto - an information company which analyses insurance industry data, said that most businesses would be covered for flood damage unless they were in a high-risk area. In those areas, insurance policies might exclude flood damage, and require businesses to pay extra for the cover. Alternatively, the policies may include flood damage, but have a high excess. He suggested that those facing high insurance bills owing to their location should use a broker to find a policy that was affordable and appropriate. Businesses are not the only exclusions from the Flood Re scheme. Homes built since 2009 are not eligible. The idea is that the scheme does not want to encourage housebuilders to construct homes in high flood-risk areas, knowing they would be backed up by Flood Re. Recent, stricter building regulations should also reduce the risk. There are clear instructions for those affected by flooding. Insurance companies send representatives to areas that are affected. In general, the advice is not to throw damaged property away, to keep receipts for any emergency repairs, and not to be in a rush to redecorate as drying out can take many months. The ABI said the insurers would advise customers on these issues. Businesses should reduce potential damage by putting stock up high and use tiles on the floor - which could mean cheaper premiums through a broker. There is also a wider consideration for those buying home and contents insurance in areas that might not be at risk of flooding but which could be affected by the weather. Defaqto has found, for example, that only 21% of home contents insurance policies and 24% of home buildings policies include cover for home emergencies, such as boiler breakdown, as standard. So a sudden dip in temperature can lead to a big bill for a replacement boiler. Extra cover may be more expensive, so householders have to weigh up which is the best financial option for them. You can hear more about the impact of flooding on businesses by listening to the Radio 5live Wake Up to Money podcast", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1193, "answer_end": 2951, "text": "Far from it. There have been a series of major floods to hit the UK in fairly recent years. Repeat flooding left many homeowners unable to insure their homes, or facing large, unaffordable premiums as the risk in those areas was so high. As a result, the Flood Re system was introduced in 2016 - when it was estimated some 350,000 homes would benefit. This means insurance companies should offer lower premiums than was previously the case to these householders, as the flood risk element of policies can be passed on to the reinsurer Flood Re. Many homes affected by the latest flooding would have been protected as a result. Householders who are eligible also see their policy excesses - the amount they have to pay towards a claim - capped at PS250. Previously, some people had to pay several thousand pounds towards repairs. All this should happen behind the scenes, so householders in these high-risk areas should be able to buy home and contents insurance just like everyone else. There is a register to show which areas are covered. It is paid for via a PS180m-a-year levy from insurance companies - which regular policyholders effectively pay for through slightly higher premiums. So, most households will be covered for flood damage as standard, assuming they buy insurance in the first place, although not every insurer is signed up to the Flood Re scheme. \"Home buildings and contents policies cover flood and storm damage. If your home is uninhabitable while repairs are being carried out, your insurer will arrange for and pay the cost of any alternative temporary accommodation you may need,\" said Malcolm Tarling of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Vehicles with comprehensive motor insurance should also be covered for flood damage."}], "question": "Is this a new debate?", "id": "998_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2952, "answer_end": 4031, "text": "It does not for thousands of businesses, as commercial property is not covered by the Flood Re scheme. This, it seems, is part of the reason why Mrs Webb's premises - which included her home upstairs - was not covered. Brian Brown, of Defaqto - an information company which analyses insurance industry data, said that most businesses would be covered for flood damage unless they were in a high-risk area. In those areas, insurance policies might exclude flood damage, and require businesses to pay extra for the cover. Alternatively, the policies may include flood damage, but have a high excess. He suggested that those facing high insurance bills owing to their location should use a broker to find a policy that was affordable and appropriate. Businesses are not the only exclusions from the Flood Re scheme. Homes built since 2009 are not eligible. The idea is that the scheme does not want to encourage housebuilders to construct homes in high flood-risk areas, knowing they would be backed up by Flood Re. Recent, stricter building regulations should also reduce the risk."}], "question": "Does this solve the insurance problem?", "id": "998_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Toronto 2019: Once Were Brothers opens film festival", "date": "5 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Toronto International Film Festival is officially under way, with documentary film Once Were Brothers kicking off proceedings. The Canadian movie follows the career of Robbie Robertson and the creation of the roots-rock group The Band. At 26 years old, its director Daniel Roher is one of the youngest ever to have been selected to open TIFF. Robertson told reporters on Thursday he had a \"gut feeling\" Roher was the right person to direct, despite his age. \"In so many creative endeavours, you think 'this is taking a shot, taking a risk', but something tells you, 'go forward'... It's quite mysterious in a way, what trust you can have,\" he said. \"And I said to him, by the way, how old are you? And he said 24 [Roher's age when production began], and I was 24 when I made Music From Big Pink with the band, and it just rang a bell, and I thought, let's give it a shot.\" Robertson served as both lead guitarist and primary songwriter of The Band, who had a string of hits across the 1960s and 70s. He was born in Toronto, making it a fitting film to open the festival. At Thursday's news conference, Mayor John Tory presented Robertson with a Key to the City, a prestigious award that honours outstanding civic contributions of its Torontonian recipients. There's no doubt that it's an honour to open TIFF, but the opening film is generally of less significance than the winner of the People's Choice Award, which comes at the end of the festival. While the audience prize winner is a better indicator of success later in the awards season (Green Book went on to win the Oscar for best picture after its triumph at TIFF last year), the opening film can often be a little more obscure. \"In one way, Once Were Brothers is an odd choice to serve as the opening-night film at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,\" wrote Steve Pond in The Wrap. in one of the movie's first reviews. \"At a festival chock-full of major awards contenders with big movie stars, it's a documentary about a musician whose music is mostly heard on the occasional oldies station or Americana Spotify channel, by a director with only one previous feature on his resume.\" So is Once Were Brothers any good? Well, if you're a fan of The Band and have followed the career of Robbie Robertson, the answer is absolutely yes. But, unless you're particularly keen on beards and black-and-white photos, there's arguably less on offer here for the casual viewer. \"Beyond TIFF, where the opening-night audience members of a certain age will eagerly soak up all those late '60s/early '70s vibes, the market would seem to be less assured,\" suggested Michael Rechtshaffen in The Hollywood Reporter. It was announced at the press conference, however, that the film had already secured an international release thanks to distributor Magnolia Pictures. Successful music documentaries in recent years include Searching For Sugar Man, the story of how US musician Sixto Rodriguez became extremely famous in South Africa without him knowing, and 20 Feet From Stardom, which told the stories of backing singers in the music industry. But unlike those films, which had more mainstream appeal, Once Were Brothers ideally requires a background knowledge of The Band's work to be fully appreciated. The first reviews of the film have been broadly positive - but many critics have highlighted the self-indulgent nature of the film and a lack of journalistic rigour - a result of the chosen contributors. Writing in IndieWire, Kate Erbland said: \"Without a more well-rounded selection of voices (everyone onscreen agrees Robertson is a genius, a visionary, the undisputed leader of the group even decades on) or a more critical-minded director to give the film perspective, Robertson is free to obscure the bigger questions and deeper meanings, opting for self-mythologising over self-reflection.\" Part of this is due to Robertson being one of two surviving members of the five-piece. The other, Garth Hudson, features far less in the documentary than Robertson. \"Director Daniel Roher's job here is to faithfully represent his subject and gather the voices who confirm his recollections - and to put some amazing vintage black-and-white photographs on screen,\" said Variety's Chris Willman. Speaking at the press conference, director Roher praised the executive producers on the film, including veteran directors Martin Scorcese and Ron Howard, for their support in making it. \"What was unique about this project is that it was a very archive heavy documentary,\" said director Roher. \"I have this legendary team surrounding me, and I really only felt empowered. \"Editorially I had a pretty clear sense of what I wanted this film to look like. [Robertson's] memoir reads like a piece of cinema and I wanted to tap into that.\" Speaking about opening the festival, he added: \"TIFF is the biggest event in Canadian cinema... I never dreamed this was possible. A Canadian documentary has never opened TIFF before.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1262, "answer_end": 2820, "text": "There's no doubt that it's an honour to open TIFF, but the opening film is generally of less significance than the winner of the People's Choice Award, which comes at the end of the festival. While the audience prize winner is a better indicator of success later in the awards season (Green Book went on to win the Oscar for best picture after its triumph at TIFF last year), the opening film can often be a little more obscure. \"In one way, Once Were Brothers is an odd choice to serve as the opening-night film at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival,\" wrote Steve Pond in The Wrap. in one of the movie's first reviews. \"At a festival chock-full of major awards contenders with big movie stars, it's a documentary about a musician whose music is mostly heard on the occasional oldies station or Americana Spotify channel, by a director with only one previous feature on his resume.\" So is Once Were Brothers any good? Well, if you're a fan of The Band and have followed the career of Robbie Robertson, the answer is absolutely yes. But, unless you're particularly keen on beards and black-and-white photos, there's arguably less on offer here for the casual viewer. \"Beyond TIFF, where the opening-night audience members of a certain age will eagerly soak up all those late '60s/early '70s vibes, the market would seem to be less assured,\" suggested Michael Rechtshaffen in The Hollywood Reporter. It was announced at the press conference, however, that the film had already secured an international release thanks to distributor Magnolia Pictures."}], "question": "How prestigious is opening Toronto?", "id": "999_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Does music make exercise more effective?", "date": "8 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Along with losing weight, one of the most popular new year's resolutions is \"to do more exercise\". Although any form of exercise is better than none, \"brisk\" exercise seems to be particularly good for the heart and brain. So if you are one of the millions who made the resolution to be more active, perhaps up-tempo music can help you achieve that beneficial \"briskness\"? In an experiment for Trust Me I'm A Doctor, we looked at if it can work. Unlike a gentle stroll, a brisk walk is more likely to increase blood flow to your brain and also to lead to the release of a hormone called BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF helps stimulate the production of new brain cells, something which is certainly useful as you get older. Brisk walkers would also appear to live longer than those who prefer a more leisurely stroll. A large study of more than 50,000 British walkers in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found those who claimed to be pacy, lived, on average, 24% longer than those who said they walked at a slower pace. But it is difficult to tease out cause and effect from such studies - because it could be that people who walk briskly are just healthier in the first place. Two years ago I took part in a similar experiment with Rob Copeland, professor of physical activity and health at the University of Sheffield, where we recruited a group of sedentary factory workers who we then randomly allocated to doing either 10,000 steps or Active 10 (a free NHS app that helps you walk your way back to health). The Active 10 group were asked to fit three brisk 10-minute walks into their day, rather than aiming at any particular number of steps. We discovered that when it comes to health, short bursts of brisk walking seem to deliver more benefit and are often easier to manage, than trying to hit the 10,000 step target. This year we wanted to revisit that experiment with more participants - but also look at whether adding music would help people pick up the pace. One of the troubles with telling people they should do \"brisk walking\" is that few of us really know what \"brisk walking\" means. I've been told it means \"fast enough that you are able to talk but not able to sing\". Personally, I don't find that particularly useful as I can sing however fast I am walking. A clearer definition of \"brisk walking\" is walking at around 100 paces a minute. And this in turn can be helped by listening to music that has a beat of at least that. Music like Dancing Queen by Abba or Hips Don't Lie by Shakira. I teamed up with Marie Murphy, professor of exercise and health at Ulster University, and we recruited 24 volunteers aged between 25 and 65 who we randomly split into two groups. One was given pedometers and asked to try and hit 10,000 steps a day, while the other group was encouraged to walk briskly for 30 minutes a day to music we had chosen for them. We tested everyone's blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat at the start of the experiment, then sent them off to do their different regimes for five weeks before they came back to be re-tested. Those allocated to the brisk walking certainly found the music enjoyable, but did it make any difference? Prof Murphy says: \"The good news is we saw positive changes in both groups, but those walking briskly to the music saw slightly bigger improvements than those who were doing the 10,000 steps.\" The 10,000-steppers saw an average decrease in body fat of 1.8%, while the brisk walkers decreased their body fat by 2.4%. The brisk walkers also saw bigger drops in blood pressure. So the message is, if you want to keep in shape, mentally and physically, load up some pacy music and get those feet moving, one in front of the other. Trust Me I'm a Doctor is on BBC2 on Wednesday 8 January  at 20:00 GMT and on iPlayer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1846, "answer_end": 3800, "text": "This year we wanted to revisit that experiment with more participants - but also look at whether adding music would help people pick up the pace. One of the troubles with telling people they should do \"brisk walking\" is that few of us really know what \"brisk walking\" means. I've been told it means \"fast enough that you are able to talk but not able to sing\". Personally, I don't find that particularly useful as I can sing however fast I am walking. A clearer definition of \"brisk walking\" is walking at around 100 paces a minute. And this in turn can be helped by listening to music that has a beat of at least that. Music like Dancing Queen by Abba or Hips Don't Lie by Shakira. I teamed up with Marie Murphy, professor of exercise and health at Ulster University, and we recruited 24 volunteers aged between 25 and 65 who we randomly split into two groups. One was given pedometers and asked to try and hit 10,000 steps a day, while the other group was encouraged to walk briskly for 30 minutes a day to music we had chosen for them. We tested everyone's blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat at the start of the experiment, then sent them off to do their different regimes for five weeks before they came back to be re-tested. Those allocated to the brisk walking certainly found the music enjoyable, but did it make any difference? Prof Murphy says: \"The good news is we saw positive changes in both groups, but those walking briskly to the music saw slightly bigger improvements than those who were doing the 10,000 steps.\" The 10,000-steppers saw an average decrease in body fat of 1.8%, while the brisk walkers decreased their body fat by 2.4%. The brisk walkers also saw bigger drops in blood pressure. So the message is, if you want to keep in shape, mentally and physically, load up some pacy music and get those feet moving, one in front of the other. Trust Me I'm a Doctor is on BBC2 on Wednesday 8 January  at 20:00 GMT and on iPlayer."}], "question": "Doctor beat?", "id": "1000_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hillsborough: Sir Norman Bettison defends book on disaster", "date": "17 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A former South Yorkshire Police chief inspector has defended his book about the Hillsborough disaster, insisting he is \"entitled\" to tell his story. Sir Norman Bettison witnessed the 1989 disaster as a spectator. He has denied being part of a \"black propaganda unit\" set up to blame Liverpool supporters and \"concoct\" a false version of events. His book, Hillsborough Untold, is his attempt to \"put the record straight\", he said. Ninety-six football fans died following crushing at Hillsborough stadium, in Sheffield, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Earlier this year inquests into the deaths concluded the victims were unlawfully killed. Sir Norman, who previously claimed he was made a \"scapegoat\", said he wrote the book after being \"vilified\". He again denied being part any conspiracy to blame fans or change statements in the aftermath of the disaster. \"Most of what's been said about me is in the category of supposition, smear or just plain wrong facts,\" he said. \"I'm surely entitled, after all that's been written about me, to put my account there. \"People don't have to read it, they don't have to accept it. But it's there for anybody who's open minded enough and fair minded enough to look at it.\" Asked why he had dedicated the book to his grandchildren, he said he was concerned about the permanence of material on the internet and that \"Googling Grandpa\" might \"bring all sorts of stuff back\". \"If they should ever be troubled by the unanswered concern that grandpa was a criminal, that he was involved in shameful stuff in the aftermath of a tragedy of immense proportions, then they've got something to turn to and make their own mind up,\" he said. Dr Dorothy Griffiths, whose brother Vincent Fitzsimmons died at Hillsborough, labelled Sir Norman's comments \"a disgusting and offensive attempt to make himself a victim\". She said: \"It's all about him. I have to say that his arrogance and self-absorption [is] absolutely breathtaking. \"We've had the inquests and I'm just shocked that he's named his book Hillsborough Untold, because why didn't he tell all this at the inquests? \"Why has he now brought out this book about a so-called untold truth?\" Dr Griffiths said the retired officer had shown \"a complete lack of empathy and understanding\" for the families, victims and survivors of the disaster. Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher Devonside died, accused Sir Norman of timing his book to maximise Christmas sales. \"That's Bettison,\" he said. \"He's a man who looks after himself and there's nothing you can do about that. \"It's an insult. I hope very few people buy his book because as far as I'm concerned he has been a problem for the families.\" In the wake of the disaster, Sir Norman was part of a police team that gathered evidence about what had happened for use at a public inquiry. In 1998, he was controversially appointed Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. He held the post of Chief Constable in Merseyside from 1998 to 2004 before becoming chief constable of the West Yorkshire force, before resigning in 2012. The Hillsborough Independent Panel published its report in September 2012, revealing that 164 police statements by South Yorkshire Police officers were altered - 116 to remove or change negative comments about the policing of the 1989 FA Cup semi final. The HIP report said the review and alteration of statements was part of an attempt by South Yorkshire Police to deflect criticism on to fans. A day after the publication of the HIP report, Sir Norman said Liverpool fans had made the \"police's job much harder than it needed to be\" - a comment he told the inquests he \"regretted\" making. He remains under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission regarding his alleged involvement in a police cover-up. In an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, Sir Norman said he had \"concealed nothing\". He also defended police officers on duty on the day of the disaster. There were many who \"still bear a sense of guilt that they were impotent, that they couldn't do anything, that they didn't do anything to avert a catastrophe,\" he said. Sir Norman said that while he does not believe he will ever repair his reputation, he hoped the book would give anyone \"curious enough\" the opportunity \"to check the facts\". Sir Norman also explained why he applied to be Merseyside Police's Chief Constable: \"It was a perfect fit for my career. All my experience had been in city policing. Merseyside is a big force. \"Perhaps I didn't read the Merseyside temperature as well as I should've done, but there was nothing in my mind that connected a task I'd done 10 years ago with a job I applied for a decade later. \"There's a lot of misunderstanding that shows my appointment and application to Merseyside in a light different to what it was at the time. \"My honest response was I've done nothing wrong 10 years ago, I'm going to go there and prove it.\" He added: \"Part of the reason I've written the book is the people who are deserving of the most honest account of what went on are the 96 families that were bereaved and have lost as a result of the events at Hillsborough.\" Margaret Aspinall, whose son James Aspinall died, said she felt Sir Norman had been \"too late\" with his comments. \"The families have gone through torture. He says all this 27 years later, but it doesn't make any difference. And not only the families, the survivors as well,\" she said. \"Nothing he says impresses me whatsoever. I think he's made a big mistake. He's not done himself any favours.\" The book's publishers, Biteback Publishing, said proceeds would be donated to charity. A spokesman for the IPCC said: \"We have read and assessed the book. \"We do not think it has a significant adverse impact on the ongoing criminal investigation and we would need to be able to demonstrate this in order to bring any legal action to prevent publication.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2712, "answer_end": 4942, "text": "In the wake of the disaster, Sir Norman was part of a police team that gathered evidence about what had happened for use at a public inquiry. In 1998, he was controversially appointed Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. He held the post of Chief Constable in Merseyside from 1998 to 2004 before becoming chief constable of the West Yorkshire force, before resigning in 2012. The Hillsborough Independent Panel published its report in September 2012, revealing that 164 police statements by South Yorkshire Police officers were altered - 116 to remove or change negative comments about the policing of the 1989 FA Cup semi final. The HIP report said the review and alteration of statements was part of an attempt by South Yorkshire Police to deflect criticism on to fans. A day after the publication of the HIP report, Sir Norman said Liverpool fans had made the \"police's job much harder than it needed to be\" - a comment he told the inquests he \"regretted\" making. He remains under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission regarding his alleged involvement in a police cover-up. In an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, Sir Norman said he had \"concealed nothing\". He also defended police officers on duty on the day of the disaster. There were many who \"still bear a sense of guilt that they were impotent, that they couldn't do anything, that they didn't do anything to avert a catastrophe,\" he said. Sir Norman said that while he does not believe he will ever repair his reputation, he hoped the book would give anyone \"curious enough\" the opportunity \"to check the facts\". Sir Norman also explained why he applied to be Merseyside Police's Chief Constable: \"It was a perfect fit for my career. All my experience had been in city policing. Merseyside is a big force. \"Perhaps I didn't read the Merseyside temperature as well as I should've done, but there was nothing in my mind that connected a task I'd done 10 years ago with a job I applied for a decade later. \"There's a lot of misunderstanding that shows my appointment and application to Merseyside in a light different to what it was at the time. \"My honest response was I've done nothing wrong 10 years ago, I'm going to go there and prove it.\""}], "question": "Who is Sir Norman Bettison?", "id": "1001_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Philippines elections hack 'leaks voter data'", "date": "11 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Philippines may have suffered its worst-ever government data breach barely a month before its elections. Personal information, including fingerprint data and passport information, belonging to around 70 million people is said to have been compromised by hackers. The Philippine Commission on the Elections (Comelec) saw its website defaced at the end of March. The Anonymous Philippines group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group said it sought to highlight \"vulnerabilities\" in the system, including the use of automated voting machines that will be used on 9 May. A second hacker group called LulzSec Philippines is believed to have posted Comelec's entire database online several days later. Comelec claims that no sensitive information was released, according to multiple reports. However, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro believes the incident is the biggest government-related data breach in history and that authorities are downplaying the problem. \"Every registered voter in the Philippines is now susceptible to fraud and other risks,\" it said in a report. The Philippines general election takes place every six years and will see a new president, vice-president and more than 18,000 other officials voted into office. Investors will closely be watching the polls given the Philippines is one of Asia's fastest-growing economies. This is only the third time the South East Asian nation has held automated elections and Comelec has faced criticism that security is not tight enough. Ryan Flores, a senior manager at Trend Micro, said the government's cybersecurity vulnerabilities could lead to the election being \"sabotaged\". \"One of the more sensitive issues is that the [leaked] database is the same for the automated system being used for the election,\" he told the BBC. \"Come election period, anyone who has ill intentions can modify the results.\" That was one of the reasons Anonymous Philippines cited for hacking the Comelec website. It posted a message saying \"what happens when the electoral process is so mired with questions and controversies? Can the government still guarantee that the sovereignty of the people is upheld?\" Trend Micro believes the Philippines breach may surpass the 2015 hack of the US Office of Personnel Management. That incident saw the data on 20 million US citizens, including fingerprints and social security numbers, stolen by unknown hackers. Data taken in that attack has, so far, not been found online. Last week, Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca saw more than 11 million documents released in what is being described as the biggest data leak in history. Other high-profile targets in recent years where data has been stolen include online dating site Ashley Madison, US retailer Target and the entertainment arm of Sony. The healthcare and education industries are the most affected by data breaches, according to Trend Micro. Government agencies are the third biggest sector, followed by retail and financial industries. Mr Flores believes such breaches are likely to happen again, particularly in developing countries, and that \"a stronger security mindset\" was needed. This includes the hiring of an information security team who would be responsible for highly sensitive data, as well as installing software that can track any irregularities in the network. Mr Flores said countries like the Philippines \"don't really have any agency or mandate in the government to improve their security posture\". \"They have more pressing needs rather than digital security,\" he said. \"Being a third world country plays into that.\" However, he stressed that the investment was needed given there was an increasing trend of young people with technology know-how gravitating towards hacking groups.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1084, "answer_end": 2163, "text": "The Philippines general election takes place every six years and will see a new president, vice-president and more than 18,000 other officials voted into office. Investors will closely be watching the polls given the Philippines is one of Asia's fastest-growing economies. This is only the third time the South East Asian nation has held automated elections and Comelec has faced criticism that security is not tight enough. Ryan Flores, a senior manager at Trend Micro, said the government's cybersecurity vulnerabilities could lead to the election being \"sabotaged\". \"One of the more sensitive issues is that the [leaked] database is the same for the automated system being used for the election,\" he told the BBC. \"Come election period, anyone who has ill intentions can modify the results.\" That was one of the reasons Anonymous Philippines cited for hacking the Comelec website. It posted a message saying \"what happens when the electoral process is so mired with questions and controversies? Can the government still guarantee that the sovereignty of the people is upheld?\""}], "question": "Why the Philippines?", "id": "1002_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2164, "answer_end": 2989, "text": "Trend Micro believes the Philippines breach may surpass the 2015 hack of the US Office of Personnel Management. That incident saw the data on 20 million US citizens, including fingerprints and social security numbers, stolen by unknown hackers. Data taken in that attack has, so far, not been found online. Last week, Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca saw more than 11 million documents released in what is being described as the biggest data leak in history. Other high-profile targets in recent years where data has been stolen include online dating site Ashley Madison, US retailer Target and the entertainment arm of Sony. The healthcare and education industries are the most affected by data breaches, according to Trend Micro. Government agencies are the third biggest sector, followed by retail and financial industries."}], "question": "How big is this leak?", "id": "1002_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2990, "answer_end": 3753, "text": "Mr Flores believes such breaches are likely to happen again, particularly in developing countries, and that \"a stronger security mindset\" was needed. This includes the hiring of an information security team who would be responsible for highly sensitive data, as well as installing software that can track any irregularities in the network. Mr Flores said countries like the Philippines \"don't really have any agency or mandate in the government to improve their security posture\". \"They have more pressing needs rather than digital security,\" he said. \"Being a third world country plays into that.\" However, he stressed that the investment was needed given there was an increasing trend of young people with technology know-how gravitating towards hacking groups."}], "question": "What can be done to prevent similar attacks?", "id": "1002_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Queensland bushfires: The town spared an 'uncharted' catastrophe", "date": "29 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The first ever \"catastrophic\" bushfire warning in Queensland, Australia, prompted a large-scale evacuation on Wednesday. The main town under threat was spared, but the intensity of fire conditions has caused concern. As the sky blackened and her horses whinnied in the smoke, Fayleen Zemlicoff debated the \"very last minute\" she could remain at home. Ferocious winds were flicking embers from a bushfire towards her. The smoke was so intense it was \"like a volcano had gone off\", she said. But she and her adult daughter, Anja, were trying frantically to load the horses into a vehicle. Unsettled, the animals were resisting. Ultimately the pair, along with three elderly relatives, made a choice to leave. Ms Zemlicoff put her phone number on slips of paper, and tied them to the horses' manes. \"To drive away and not know what we would come home to, whether the animals would survive... it was a heartbreaking decision,\" she told the BBC. Fortunately, all of the horses survived. The family were among as many as 8,000 locals who evacuated from the Queensland town of Gracemere late on Wednesday, after receiving an evacuation order. \"This fire was just something that's never happened to us before,\" Ms Zemlicoff said. \"But we are in drought, and everything around us is dry, dry, dry.\" Lance Jones, a farmer, said he had never witnessed such panic in the town in his 30 years living there. Three years ago, Gracemere was among the towns battered by a powerful cyclone which left widespread damage. But Mr Jones said that natural disaster had not \"scared us to the point of evacuation\". Ms Zemlicoff and her family stayed at a motel in nearby Rockhampton, as fire crews battled through the night. \"We have saved the town of Gracemere,\" Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declared on Thursday morning. The success has been attributed, in large part, to the efforts of firefighters and computer modelling of the blaze's path. The threat to Queensland was not over, however, the premier said. More than 100 fires remained burning across Queensland on Thursday, fuelled by strong winds, a heatwave and a long dry spell. Authorities have called the conditions \"unprecedented\" in Queensland. The evacuation of Gracemere was the first time a \"catastrophic\" fire warning - the highest level - had been issued in the state. \"What we experienced yesterday was off the charts,\" Ms Palaszczuk said. \"Nobody has recorded these conditions any time in the history of Queensland. And we are still not out of the woods.\" Unlike in Australia's drier south, intense fire conditions are unusual in central Queensland in late November - typically the start of the wet season. But existing ideas about threat periods are being challenged, experts say. \"There is always an amount of variability in fire seasons each year, but research is showing that fire seasons are lengthening,\" said Dr Richard Thornton, the chief executive of the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre. \"[It is] now to the extent that we are now seeing a year-round fire season in Australia.\" Dr Samantha Lloyd, manager of the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, said central Queensland had experienced fires \"around this time\" previously. But what's concerning, she said, was that \"we just don't generally see this intensity of fire weather\". Dr Lloyd noted that climate change modelling had pointed to increasingly frequent and severe weather events. \"We usually only have one to two extreme fire days in a year, and now we've had something like three to four in just a few days,\" she said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2502, "answer_end": 3576, "text": "Unlike in Australia's drier south, intense fire conditions are unusual in central Queensland in late November - typically the start of the wet season. But existing ideas about threat periods are being challenged, experts say. \"There is always an amount of variability in fire seasons each year, but research is showing that fire seasons are lengthening,\" said Dr Richard Thornton, the chief executive of the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre. \"[It is] now to the extent that we are now seeing a year-round fire season in Australia.\" Dr Samantha Lloyd, manager of the South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, said central Queensland had experienced fires \"around this time\" previously. But what's concerning, she said, was that \"we just don't generally see this intensity of fire weather\". Dr Lloyd noted that climate change modelling had pointed to increasingly frequent and severe weather events. \"We usually only have one to two extreme fire days in a year, and now we've had something like three to four in just a few days,\" she said."}], "question": "Why is this unusual?", "id": "1003_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kirkuk: Iraqi forces capture key sites from Kurds", "date": "16 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iraqi government forces have captured key installations outside the disputed city of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters. A military statement said units had taken control of the K1 military base, the Baba Gurgur oil and gas field, and a state-owned oil company's offices. Baghdad said the Peshmerga had withdrawn \"without fighting\", but clashes were reported south of Kirkuk. The operation was launched a month after the Kurdistan Region held a controversial independence referendum. Iraq's prime minister has said the vote - in which residents of Kurdish-controlled areas, including Kirkuk, overwhelmingly backed secession - was unconstitutional. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) insisted it was legitimate. US officials said they were \"engaged with all parties in Iraq to de-escalate tension\". Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement that the operation in Kirkuk was necessary to \"protect the unity of the country, which was in danger of partition\" because of the referendum. \"We call upon all citizens to co-operate with our heroic armed forces, which are committed to our strict directives to protect civilians in the first place, and to impose security and order, and to protect state installations and institutions,\" he added. Earlier, the Iraqi military announced that elite units had been \"re-deployed\" at the K1 base, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the city of Kirkuk, and that other troops had taken control of the nearby Leylan area, the Baba Gurgur oilfield, and the headquarters of the North Oil Company. The military also said troops had taken control of a military airport, police station, power plant and several industrial areas, as well as key bridges, roads, junctions. The Kurdistan Region Security Council accused Baghdad of launching an \"unprovoked attack\" and said the Peshmerga would \"continue to defend Kurdistan, its peoples and interests\". Peshmerga had destroyed five US-made Humvees used by the Popular Mobilisation, a paramilitary force dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, it added. Peshmerga spokesman Brig Gen Bahzad Ahmed told the Associated Press that the fighting south of Kirkuk had caused \"lots of casualties\". He alleged that pro-government forces had also \"burnt lots of houses and killed many people\" in Tuz Khurmatu, 75km south of Kirkuk, and Daquq. There was no way of verifying the reports, but a doctor at a hospital in Tuz Khurmatu told AFP news agency that two people had been killed by artillery fire. The US-led coalition against IS, which supports both Iraqi government and Peshmerga forces, said it had so far only seen \"co-ordinated movements\" by military vehicles around Kirkuk and \"not attacks\". A limited exchange of fire before dawn was the result of a \"misunderstanding and not deliberate as two elements attempted to link up under limited visibility conditions\", a statement added. By Orla Guerin, BBC News On the streets of Kirkuk we have seen armed Kurdish civilians - old and young, but almost no Kurdish security forces. One man told us he was ashamed the Peshmerga had abandoned some positions outside the city overnight. We have heard plenty of defiance from locals. \"If we have to die, we will die here in our city,\" one man said. But the city has been shutting up shop in the past few hours, with the roads emptying and people rushing for home. As we filmed at the main checkpoint at the southern edge of Kirkuk there was a sudden burst of automatic gunfire. It seemed to come from a location where Shia militia units are in position. Kirkuk is an oil-rich province claimed by both the Kurds and the central government. It is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but its provincial capital has large Arab and Turkmen populations. Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when Islamic State (IS) militants swept across northern Iraq and the Iraq army collapsed. The Iraqi parliament asked Mr Abadi to deploy troops to Kirkuk and other disputed areas after the referendum result was announced, but he said last week that he would accept them being governed by a \"joint administration\" and that he did not want an armed confrontation. On Sunday, his cabinet accused the KRG of deploying non-Peshmerga fighters in Kirkuk, including members of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it said was tantamount to a \"declaration of war\". But KRG officials denied this. By Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent These are the opening moves in what threatens to be a new conflict in Iraq; a battle for the control of territory captured from IS. Kurdish fighters are emboldened by the recent referendum which saw a huge vote for Kurdish independence. The Baghdad government will take the view that it is simply seeking to restore the status quo prior to the emergence of IS. To say things are complicated is an understatement. The Kurds themselves are divided. Other ethnic militias have their own interests to defend. And the US seems unable to halt the fighting as it watches US trained and armed Iraqi units confront Kurdish groups who are also Washington's allies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 797, "answer_end": 2857, "text": "Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement that the operation in Kirkuk was necessary to \"protect the unity of the country, which was in danger of partition\" because of the referendum. \"We call upon all citizens to co-operate with our heroic armed forces, which are committed to our strict directives to protect civilians in the first place, and to impose security and order, and to protect state installations and institutions,\" he added. Earlier, the Iraqi military announced that elite units had been \"re-deployed\" at the K1 base, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the city of Kirkuk, and that other troops had taken control of the nearby Leylan area, the Baba Gurgur oilfield, and the headquarters of the North Oil Company. The military also said troops had taken control of a military airport, police station, power plant and several industrial areas, as well as key bridges, roads, junctions. The Kurdistan Region Security Council accused Baghdad of launching an \"unprovoked attack\" and said the Peshmerga would \"continue to defend Kurdistan, its peoples and interests\". Peshmerga had destroyed five US-made Humvees used by the Popular Mobilisation, a paramilitary force dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, it added. Peshmerga spokesman Brig Gen Bahzad Ahmed told the Associated Press that the fighting south of Kirkuk had caused \"lots of casualties\". He alleged that pro-government forces had also \"burnt lots of houses and killed many people\" in Tuz Khurmatu, 75km south of Kirkuk, and Daquq. There was no way of verifying the reports, but a doctor at a hospital in Tuz Khurmatu told AFP news agency that two people had been killed by artillery fire. The US-led coalition against IS, which supports both Iraqi government and Peshmerga forces, said it had so far only seen \"co-ordinated movements\" by military vehicles around Kirkuk and \"not attacks\". A limited exchange of fire before dawn was the result of a \"misunderstanding and not deliberate as two elements attempted to link up under limited visibility conditions\", a statement added."}], "question": "What does the government want?", "id": "1004_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2858, "answer_end": 3518, "text": "By Orla Guerin, BBC News On the streets of Kirkuk we have seen armed Kurdish civilians - old and young, but almost no Kurdish security forces. One man told us he was ashamed the Peshmerga had abandoned some positions outside the city overnight. We have heard plenty of defiance from locals. \"If we have to die, we will die here in our city,\" one man said. But the city has been shutting up shop in the past few hours, with the roads emptying and people rushing for home. As we filmed at the main checkpoint at the southern edge of Kirkuk there was a sudden burst of automatic gunfire. It seemed to come from a location where Shia militia units are in position."}], "question": "What's happening inside Kirkuk?", "id": "1004_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3519, "answer_end": 4382, "text": "Kirkuk is an oil-rich province claimed by both the Kurds and the central government. It is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but its provincial capital has large Arab and Turkmen populations. Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when Islamic State (IS) militants swept across northern Iraq and the Iraq army collapsed. The Iraqi parliament asked Mr Abadi to deploy troops to Kirkuk and other disputed areas after the referendum result was announced, but he said last week that he would accept them being governed by a \"joint administration\" and that he did not want an armed confrontation. On Sunday, his cabinet accused the KRG of deploying non-Peshmerga fighters in Kirkuk, including members of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it said was tantamount to a \"declaration of war\". But KRG officials denied this."}], "question": "Why is Kirkuk disputed?", "id": "1004_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4383, "answer_end": 5086, "text": "By Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent These are the opening moves in what threatens to be a new conflict in Iraq; a battle for the control of territory captured from IS. Kurdish fighters are emboldened by the recent referendum which saw a huge vote for Kurdish independence. The Baghdad government will take the view that it is simply seeking to restore the status quo prior to the emergence of IS. To say things are complicated is an understatement. The Kurds themselves are divided. Other ethnic militias have their own interests to defend. And the US seems unable to halt the fighting as it watches US trained and armed Iraqi units confront Kurdish groups who are also Washington's allies."}], "question": "Why does this matter?", "id": "1004_3"}]}]}, {"title": "California wildfires: Nine dead and more than 150,000 evacuated", "date": "10 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least nine people have been killed and more than 150,000 evacuated as two big wildfires rage in California, officials say Five of the dead were found in cars in a town that was destroyed by the Camp Fire in the state's north. West of Los Angeles, the Woolsey Fire jumped a major highway and headed into coastal areas, including the town of Malibu where some homes are ablaze. Both fires are moving fast, fanned by strong winds. - Are you in the area or have you been evacuated? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk The blaze spread rapidly overnight and jumped Highway 101, a major route west of Los Angeles. At midday on Friday local time (20:00 GMT), it covered about 14,000 acres (5,665 hectares). The fire broke out near Thousand Oaks, an area about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles where an attacker killed 12 people on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of 75,000 homes. Thousands more residents have now been ordered to evacuate from several more towns to the west of Thousand Oaks, including Calabasas immediately south of Highway 101 and Malibu on the coast, as well as from the western edge of Los Angeles. Calabasas and Malibu are home to numerous celebrities and some have been posting on social media, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian. On Instagram she urged people to \"pray for Calabasas\". \"Just landed back home and had one hour to pack up and evacuate our home. I pray everyone is safe,\" she wrote. Her husband, the rapper Kanye West, said their family was \"safe and close\". The singer Cher, who is performing in Las Vegas, tweeted that she was worried about her Malibu home. The singer Lady Gaga said she had evacuated her Malibu home, posting a video on Instagram that showed dark smoke billowing overhead. Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had evacuated, leaving behind his \"Bleak House\" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia. The fire has also reportedly destroyed one of the sets for the TV series Westworld. The 20,000 acre (8,100 hectare) Camp Fire, which started on Thursday near Camp Creek, has destroyed the town of Paradise. The Butte County Sheriff's office said five victims had been burned to death in their cars and could not immediately be identified. The fire is being driven west by 35 mph (56 km/h) winds, fire officials said. Fire officials have issued evacuation notices for parts of Chico, a town of 93,000 people north of Sacramento. By the BBC's James Cook in northern California Driven by hot desert winds, the wildfire raced into Paradise, devouring the equivalent of 80 football pitches a minute. The town sits on a ridge and the few roads out quickly became clogged with traffic as 27,000 people tried to flee, many driving through walls of flame. Some motorists abandoned their cars and ran for their lives with children and pets in their arms. Residents are now using social media to search for missing friends and family members. In Paradise, rescuers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars out of the way in order to reach a hospital and evacuate patients as the fire engulfed the building, Butte County Supervisor Doug Teeter said. \"There's nothing left standing,\" said Scott Maclean, the state's forestry and fire protection spokesman. The two blazes are among 16 currently active fires in California. Officials have put most of Northern California under a Red Flag Warning, which means \"extreme fire behaviour\" can occur within 24 hours. The region has grappled with serious wildfires - including the worst in the state's history, the Mendocino and Thomas fires - on and off since 2017.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 560, "answer_end": 2038, "text": "The blaze spread rapidly overnight and jumped Highway 101, a major route west of Los Angeles. At midday on Friday local time (20:00 GMT), it covered about 14,000 acres (5,665 hectares). The fire broke out near Thousand Oaks, an area about 40 miles (64km) north-west of central Los Angeles where an attacker killed 12 people on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of 75,000 homes. Thousands more residents have now been ordered to evacuate from several more towns to the west of Thousand Oaks, including Calabasas immediately south of Highway 101 and Malibu on the coast, as well as from the western edge of Los Angeles. Calabasas and Malibu are home to numerous celebrities and some have been posting on social media, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian. On Instagram she urged people to \"pray for Calabasas\". \"Just landed back home and had one hour to pack up and evacuate our home. I pray everyone is safe,\" she wrote. Her husband, the rapper Kanye West, said their family was \"safe and close\". The singer Cher, who is performing in Las Vegas, tweeted that she was worried about her Malibu home. The singer Lady Gaga said she had evacuated her Malibu home, posting a video on Instagram that showed dark smoke billowing overhead. Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro tweeted that he had evacuated, leaving behind his \"Bleak House\" museum collection of fantasy and horror memorabilia. The fire has also reportedly destroyed one of the sets for the TV series Westworld."}], "question": "Where is the Woolsey Fire spreading to?", "id": "1005_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2039, "answer_end": 2481, "text": "The 20,000 acre (8,100 hectare) Camp Fire, which started on Thursday near Camp Creek, has destroyed the town of Paradise. The Butte County Sheriff's office said five victims had been burned to death in their cars and could not immediately be identified. The fire is being driven west by 35 mph (56 km/h) winds, fire officials said. Fire officials have issued evacuation notices for parts of Chico, a town of 93,000 people north of Sacramento."}], "question": "What has happened in northern California?", "id": "1005_1"}]}]}, {"title": "MH370: Will the Malaysia Airlines plane ever be found?", "date": "17 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The deep-water search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been called off, without the plane being found. There is an even greater chance now that we will never know what happened to those 239 people who boarded a flight to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on 8 March 2014 and then vanished. The decision to call off the search - which has scoured 120,000sq km (46,332 sq miles) of sea floor in the southern Indian Ocean - was not entirely unexpected. The three countries involved - Australia, Malaysia and China - had agreed last year that unless they found major new evidence, they would suspend operations. But informed experts and relatives of the passengers are dismayed, saying that this major new evidence does exist, and if they keep looking, they will find it. \"Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace,\" said Voice370, a group supporting relatives. \"Stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible, and betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves.\" The 120,000sq km area of Indian Ocean off southern Australia was chosen based on satellite data as the most likely place the Boeing 777 could have come down along what is presumed to have been its flight path. \"They picked the area based on the best information that was available at the time,\" says Don Thompson, a British engineer who is part of the Independent Group, a handful of informed experts around the world who have been investigating MH370 themselves. \"But everything seems to point a little further north-east, which is where the ATSB's most recent review is pointing.\" That's the Australian Transport Safety Board, which has been co-ordinating the underwater search. It said in December that there was \"a high degree of confidence\" the plane was not in the specified search zone. That was starting to look fairly obvious, as there was only a fraction of the defined area left to search. But the report also recommended searching a 25,000sq km area to the north of the presumed flight path. It drew on new information by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), which analysed where confirmed debris from the plane washed up and used that to narrow down where it must have come down. The report concluded that \"if this area were to be searched, prospective areas for locating the aircraft wreckage, based on all the analysis to date, would be exhausted\". \"When CSIRO came out with that drift analysis I was really excited,\" says Blaine Gibson. He has become something of a legend in MH370 circles for his self-funded trips to Malaysia, Mauritius and the Maldives looking for answers. He has found several pieces of debris which contributed to the new theory. \"I really thought they would extend the search,\" Mr Gibson said. \"The debris that I and other people have found resulted in very strong scientific evidence and it's been ignored.\" Blaine Gibson believes other evidence has been ignored, including reports from people in the Maldives who say they saw something fall from the sky the day the plane vanished. He blames an \"overreliance\" on the early satellite data, which put false hope in 120,000 sq km. \"It's like saying we're not going to look for it until we find it.\" The relatives' group, Voice370, says searching the newly defined area is \"an inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety\". So will it happen? At the moment there is no indication it will. The search has already cost $145m (PS118m) and it's not clear who would be prepared to pick up such a tab again. Don Thompson says China, which has provided one of the specialist search ships, has acquired further equipment in recent months and could perhaps step in. Most of the passengers were after all Chinese. But there's no indication of that as yet. \"It needs a bit of political will to get it going, some sort of organisation so it can lobby the right entities,\" he says. Geoffrey Thomas, aviation expert and editor of the Airline Ratings website, believes the plane will be found, and that it might be a private consortium that does it, including Boeing - who made the missing plane -  and its engine-maker, Rolls Royce. \"It's important from an industry perspective to find this plane because the 777 is the backbone of the world's international long haul fleet,\" he said. \"We need to know that plane is safe. It's possible that it could have been a series of failures that sparked this disaster but we just don't know.\" Experts agree that if the search is to continue, it has to happen immediately or never will. \"Dismantling all the infrastructure that's been built up is a tragedy because it will cost millions to re-establish it,\" said Mr Thomas. There are still huge gaps in our information about flight MH370. We don't know why the plane made a mysterious turn to the west about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, and why its tracking was turned off. Mr Thompson points out that the plane would also have crossed five different military radar stations - two in Indonesia, one Thai and two on India's Andaman Islands - but they \"apparently they saw nothing\". Many have speculated about a pilot murder/suicide, but this has been ruled out by most informed observers. There's no evidence pointing to such intentions, and we know from the fact the plane broke up on impact that it was not being controlled at the time. Blaine Gibson says that until the black box or a debris field are found which prove beyond doubt it was an accident, \"we have to be open to the hijacking possibility and the accident possibility\". Perhaps there's even been a cover-up, he says. But he believes that if that's the case, eventually \"someone's going to talk\". \"I think we're going to get answers in my lifetime,\" he says, \"perhaps when we least expect it\". \"I have to put my faith and hope in science, in perseverance and in justice to say that we're going to know.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4799, "answer_end": 6007, "text": "There are still huge gaps in our information about flight MH370. We don't know why the plane made a mysterious turn to the west about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, and why its tracking was turned off. Mr Thompson points out that the plane would also have crossed five different military radar stations - two in Indonesia, one Thai and two on India's Andaman Islands - but they \"apparently they saw nothing\". Many have speculated about a pilot murder/suicide, but this has been ruled out by most informed observers. There's no evidence pointing to such intentions, and we know from the fact the plane broke up on impact that it was not being controlled at the time. Blaine Gibson says that until the black box or a debris field are found which prove beyond doubt it was an accident, \"we have to be open to the hijacking possibility and the accident possibility\". Perhaps there's even been a cover-up, he says. But he believes that if that's the case, eventually \"someone's going to talk\". \"I think we're going to get answers in my lifetime,\" he says, \"perhaps when we least expect it\". \"I have to put my faith and hope in science, in perseverance and in justice to say that we're going to know.\""}], "question": "Will we ever know what happened?", "id": "1006_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hannah Baxter: Australian mother and children 'senselessly murdered'", "date": "20 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia is mourning the deaths of a woman and her three children who were \"senselessly murdered\" in a car fire, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said. Police are yet to confirm reports the father, ex-rugby player Rowan Baxter, set the car alight in Brisbane before stabbing himself to death. However, they confirmed a history of family violence. Hannah Clarke, 31, and her children were killed on Wednesday. The case has sparked national outcry over domestic violence. \"Australians all over the country are just shocked, saddened and devastated about what has happened in a suburban street,\" Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday. \"Hannah and her three children [were] so senselessly and maddeningly murdered in what has occurred in a terrible act of violence,\" he said. On Thursday, Queensland Police said the children and their mother had been killed, and there were no suspicious circumstances concerning Mr Baxter's death. \"There's a rising sense of anger in this day and age [that] the scourge of family and domestic violence still can lead to the death of five people,\" said Det Insp. Mark Thompson. Police were first called to the scene in the suburb of Camp Hill the city's east in at 08:30 local time on Wednesday (21:30 GMT on Tuesday). They found the couple's three children -  Laianah, 6, Aaliyah, 4, and Trey, 3 - dead inside the car, and their mother burning on the ground beside it. Hannah Clarke, 31, died later in hospital from extensive burns. Witnesses told Australian media she had screamed \"he's poured petrol on me\" and \"save my children\" when helpers rushed to the site. They said Mr Baxter, 42, had attempted to stop helpers intervening, before grabbing a knife from the car and stabbing himself to death. Emergency responders were unable to revive him when they arrived at the scene. Reports have previously referred to Mrs Clarke as Mrs Baxter, but police said she was using her maiden name. She had been driving the car at the time of the incident. Family services had previously supported Mrs Clarke with domestic violence issues, and a temporary protection order had been granted by authorities, police said. She had moved to her parents' home in Camp Hill with the children last year after separating from her husband. The two had been working out custody arrangements. \"She loved them so fiercely and she was doing everything she could to protect them,\" her friend Caitlin Langford told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. An online fundraiser started by a relative for funeral costs said Mrs Clarke's parents had \"exhausted themselves to try and help Hannah escape this monster\". \"For all those who knew Hannah, or had even just met her once, [you] would know how much of a beautiful soul she was, her children were her life,\" said Mrs Baxter's sister-in-law Stacey Roberts. Rowan Baxter was a former member of the New Zealand Warriors rugby league team in Auckland. A team spokesman told News.com.au that Mr Baxter was on their squad, but did not play in any matches. In recent years, Mr Baxter had run a gym with his wife in Capalaba to the east of Brisbane. The gym's website describes Hannah as \"an enthusiastic, passionate mother of three\" and as a state trampolining champion who had won international medals. Tributes have poured in for the victims. There has been widespread anger and despair, amid ongoing concern about violence against women. On average, one woman per week is murdered in Australia by a current or former male partner, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Former Olympic cyclist Tracy Gaudry said: \"#HannahBaxter and her three young children died today in the most despicable way. They should have been safe. Mourning for lives lost, thoughts with family, friends and community.\" \"Another week, another man annihilates his wife and family. Australia, we need to talk,\" said Australian poet Rob Scott. Police have been criticised after suggesting the incident may have been caused by \"a husband being driven too far by issues he's suffered\". \"We don't fumble about like this when terrorists kill,\" said Labor MP Brian Mitchell in a tweet. \"Why does family violence bring out the hand-wringers for killers of women and kids?\" Angela Lynch, head of the Women's Legal Service Queensland, also told The Guardian newspaper said she found the police's rhetoric \"very concerning\". \"It's giving legitimacy to what has occurred, it's victim blaming,\" Ms Lynch said. \"It's saying that she might have caused this through her own actions\". The case is just the latest of several high profile murder cases where women and children have been the victims. Last July, a Perth man was jailed to life for murdering his wife, three children and their grandmother in their home in 2018. The reporting of the incident has also come under scrutiny from people on social media. \"Rowan Baxter set fire to his own wife and kids - but you wouldn't know that from a lot of media headlines,\" said columnist Arwa Mahdawi on Twitter. Police have said they are still investigating the circumstances. An official update is expected on Thursday. If you or someone you know needs support for issues about domestic abuse, in Australia you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. In the UK these organisations may be able to help.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1110, "answer_end": 1979, "text": "Police were first called to the scene in the suburb of Camp Hill the city's east in at 08:30 local time on Wednesday (21:30 GMT on Tuesday). They found the couple's three children -  Laianah, 6, Aaliyah, 4, and Trey, 3 - dead inside the car, and their mother burning on the ground beside it. Hannah Clarke, 31, died later in hospital from extensive burns. Witnesses told Australian media she had screamed \"he's poured petrol on me\" and \"save my children\" when helpers rushed to the site. They said Mr Baxter, 42, had attempted to stop helpers intervening, before grabbing a knife from the car and stabbing himself to death. Emergency responders were unable to revive him when they arrived at the scene. Reports have previously referred to Mrs Clarke as Mrs Baxter, but police said she was using her maiden name. She had been driving the car at the time of the incident."}], "question": "What do we know?", "id": "1007_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1980, "answer_end": 3256, "text": "Family services had previously supported Mrs Clarke with domestic violence issues, and a temporary protection order had been granted by authorities, police said. She had moved to her parents' home in Camp Hill with the children last year after separating from her husband. The two had been working out custody arrangements. \"She loved them so fiercely and she was doing everything she could to protect them,\" her friend Caitlin Langford told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. An online fundraiser started by a relative for funeral costs said Mrs Clarke's parents had \"exhausted themselves to try and help Hannah escape this monster\". \"For all those who knew Hannah, or had even just met her once, [you] would know how much of a beautiful soul she was, her children were her life,\" said Mrs Baxter's sister-in-law Stacey Roberts. Rowan Baxter was a former member of the New Zealand Warriors rugby league team in Auckland. A team spokesman told News.com.au that Mr Baxter was on their squad, but did not play in any matches. In recent years, Mr Baxter had run a gym with his wife in Capalaba to the east of Brisbane. The gym's website describes Hannah as \"an enthusiastic, passionate mother of three\" and as a state trampolining champion who had won international medals."}], "question": "What do we know about the victims?", "id": "1007_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3257, "answer_end": 5288, "text": "Tributes have poured in for the victims. There has been widespread anger and despair, amid ongoing concern about violence against women. On average, one woman per week is murdered in Australia by a current or former male partner, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Former Olympic cyclist Tracy Gaudry said: \"#HannahBaxter and her three young children died today in the most despicable way. They should have been safe. Mourning for lives lost, thoughts with family, friends and community.\" \"Another week, another man annihilates his wife and family. Australia, we need to talk,\" said Australian poet Rob Scott. Police have been criticised after suggesting the incident may have been caused by \"a husband being driven too far by issues he's suffered\". \"We don't fumble about like this when terrorists kill,\" said Labor MP Brian Mitchell in a tweet. \"Why does family violence bring out the hand-wringers for killers of women and kids?\" Angela Lynch, head of the Women's Legal Service Queensland, also told The Guardian newspaper said she found the police's rhetoric \"very concerning\". \"It's giving legitimacy to what has occurred, it's victim blaming,\" Ms Lynch said. \"It's saying that she might have caused this through her own actions\". The case is just the latest of several high profile murder cases where women and children have been the victims. Last July, a Perth man was jailed to life for murdering his wife, three children and their grandmother in their home in 2018. The reporting of the incident has also come under scrutiny from people on social media. \"Rowan Baxter set fire to his own wife and kids - but you wouldn't know that from a lot of media headlines,\" said columnist Arwa Mahdawi on Twitter. Police have said they are still investigating the circumstances. An official update is expected on Thursday. If you or someone you know needs support for issues about domestic abuse, in Australia you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. In the UK these organisations may be able to help."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "1007_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Labour MP Chris Williamson suspended again over anti-Semitism row", "date": "28 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An MP suspended by Labour for remarks about the party's handling of anti-Semitism has again lost the whip - two days after being readmitted. Chris Williamson was suspended in February after saying Labour had \"given too much ground\" over the issue. However, he was allowed back in on Wednesday after an investigation by the party's National Executive Committee. Now, a Labour source says issues raised by an MP on the investigation panel needed to be examined. \"Subsequently, the whip is not restored as the decision is still pending,\" the source said. Mr Williamson tweeted: \"I'm naturally concerned by the lack of due process and consistency in how my case is being handled\", adding that he would do his \"utmost\" to fight for his membership. Labour's general secretary Jennie Formby has written to the NEC to inform it of the issues with the investigation raised by the panel member - Labour MP Keith Vaz - and his concerns will be on the agenda for its next disputes committee meeting, said the source. \"Under the party's rule book, the general secretary and the leader of the party cannot overturn decisions made by NEC panels, which are advised by independent barristers,\" the source said. \"Only the NEC has the power to do so.\" Analysis by Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent It was Keith Vaz - a former minister who is not seen as politically close to Chris Williamson - who had the pivotal vote over whether to readmit the Derby North MP. He is now calling the process into question and suggesting the whole thing could be rerun - an action replay that could give a different result and defuse a potentially explosive internal row. Mr Vaz was brought into the process at the last minute and the theory being advanced by some in leadership circles is that he initially and mistakenly did what he thought Mr Corbyn wanted, the better to avoid a deselection threat. When he saw the strength of the backlash, he suggested effectively rerunning the process. But Mr Corbyn is in a difficult position - one his internal opponents relish. Read more from Iain Watson here. There was a large backlash from Labour peers and MPs after Mr Williamson was allowed back into the party on Wednesday. Deputy leader Tom Watson was among more than 100 of them to sign a letter calling for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to act and remove the whip from the Derby North MP. Seventy-one Labour politicians also wrote to the chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), John Cryer, earlier, asking him to begin a process that could have lead to the whip being withdrawn from Mr Williamson if Mr Corbyn did not act. After his readmission Mr Williamson had said he \"deeply\" regretted the remarks and did not want anyone to think he was \"minimising the cancer of anti-Semitism\". He told BBC Radio Derby: \"Anybody who knows me, who knows my record, knows I'm someone who has stood up against bigotry throughout my political life and indeed beforehand.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1233, "answer_end": 2075, "text": "Analysis by Iain Watson, BBC political correspondent It was Keith Vaz - a former minister who is not seen as politically close to Chris Williamson - who had the pivotal vote over whether to readmit the Derby North MP. He is now calling the process into question and suggesting the whole thing could be rerun - an action replay that could give a different result and defuse a potentially explosive internal row. Mr Vaz was brought into the process at the last minute and the theory being advanced by some in leadership circles is that he initially and mistakenly did what he thought Mr Corbyn wanted, the better to avoid a deselection threat. When he saw the strength of the backlash, he suggested effectively rerunning the process. But Mr Corbyn is in a difficult position - one his internal opponents relish. Read more from Iain Watson here."}], "question": "An action replay?", "id": "1008_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia-Trump inquiry: Russians charged over US 2016 election tampering", "date": "17 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thirteen Russians have been charged with interfering in the US 2016 election, in a major development in the FBI investigation. Three of those named have also been accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five have been accused of aggravated identity theft. The charges were made by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged Russian meddling. Three Russian companies are also named in the indictment. One of them is the Internet Research Agency, based in St Petersburg, which the 37-page indictment said \"had a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election\". Speaking at a news conference, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said there was no allegation that any American was \"a knowing participant in this illegal activity\" nor was it alleged that the meddling altered the election outcome. Mr Trump was briefed on the indictment earlier on Friday, the White House said. The president later tweeted that his campaign had done \"nothing wrong\" and again denied colluding with Russia. He also appeared to acknowledge Russian election meddling - something which he has in the past cast doubt on despite US intelligence agency assessments. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials have repeatedly denied interfering in the US presidential election. It says a group of Russians: - Posed as Americans, and opened financial accounts in their name - Spent thousands of dollars a month buying political advertising - Purchased US server space in an effort to hide their Russian affiliation - Organised and promoted political rallies within the United States - Posted political messages on social media accounts that impersonated real US citizens - Promoted information that disparaged Hillary Clinton - Received money from clients to post on US social media sites - Created themed groups on social media on hot-button issues, particularly on Facebook and Instagram - Operated with a monthly budget of as much as $1.25m (PS890,000) - Financed the building of a cage large enough to hold an actress portraying Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform The indictment says those involved systematically monitored the success of their internet posts. It also says those named in the indictment had visited the US posing as American citizens and had begun discussing how to affect the election as early as 2014. \"By 2016, defendants and their co-conspirators used their fictitious online persons to interfere with the 2016 US presidential election,\" the indictment continues. \"They engaged in operations primarily to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump.\" It called the allegations \"absurd\". \"Thirteen people interfered with the US elections?\" said Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman. \"Thirteen against the billion-dollar budgets of the security services? Against espionage and counter-espionage, against new developments and technologies? Absurd? Yes.\" One of the men named in the indictment - Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is known as \"Putin's chef\", denied election tampering. \"The Americans are very impressionable people, they see what they want to see,\" he was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti on Friday. \"I have great respect for them. I'm not at all upset that I'm on this list. If they want to see the devil, let them see him.\" Mr Prigozhin has been a friend of Mr Putin since the 1990s. He has built up a business empire and has been accused of using companies to diffuse pro-Kremlin opinions via fake internet identities. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington On Friday, Robert Mueller's team released a slate of indictments that lays bare what it asserts is the full shape of the Russian meddling apparatus. And what an apparatus it was. In the run-up to the US presidential election \"Project Lakhta\", as it was called, had an operating budget of more than $1m a month. Russians associated with the organisation travelled to the US, posed as Americans and gathered information on where best to target its attempts to \"sow discord\" in the US political process. Swing states were identified and efforts, according to the indictment, were made to boost the prospects of Republican Donald Trump and undermine Democrat Hillary Clinton. Although the indictment does not suggest collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians, it says the meddling effort may have been aided by \"unwitting individuals\" associated with the Republican nominee. The White House may breathe a sigh of relief with that particular revelation. But the heat is increasing, and the investigation isn't over yet. At the very least, if Mr Mueller's allegations hold up in court, it will become increasingly difficult for the president to argue that Russian meddling on his behalf is an unsubstantiated hoax. Read Anthony's key takeaways Politicians from both major parties have responded with calls for social media companies to do more to prevent political interference via their platforms. Facebook said in a statement that it had worked \"proactively\" with Mr Mueller's investigation, but admitted that it had \"more to do to prevent further attacks\". Twitter said the activities were \"intolerable\" and that it was working with investigators, but that \"tech companies cannot defeat this novel, shared threat alone\". US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the 2016 presidential election in favour of Mr Trump. In May last year, Mr Mueller was appointed special counsel to investigate whether anyone from his campaign colluded in the effort. As part of the inquiry, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine, and conspiracy to launder money. A business associate of his, Rick Gates, was also charged with conspiracy to launder money. A third adviser to the Trump campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. This week President Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was interviewed by Mr Mueller. Mr Trump has been accused by opponents of trying to interfere with the investigation, which he denies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1353, "answer_end": 2790, "text": "It says a group of Russians: - Posed as Americans, and opened financial accounts in their name - Spent thousands of dollars a month buying political advertising - Purchased US server space in an effort to hide their Russian affiliation - Organised and promoted political rallies within the United States - Posted political messages on social media accounts that impersonated real US citizens - Promoted information that disparaged Hillary Clinton - Received money from clients to post on US social media sites - Created themed groups on social media on hot-button issues, particularly on Facebook and Instagram - Operated with a monthly budget of as much as $1.25m (PS890,000) - Financed the building of a cage large enough to hold an actress portraying Hillary Clinton in a prison uniform The indictment says those involved systematically monitored the success of their internet posts. It also says those named in the indictment had visited the US posing as American citizens and had begun discussing how to affect the election as early as 2014. \"By 2016, defendants and their co-conspirators used their fictitious online persons to interfere with the 2016 US presidential election,\" the indictment continues. \"They engaged in operations primarily to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump.\""}], "question": "What does the indictment say?", "id": "1009_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2791, "answer_end": 3700, "text": "It called the allegations \"absurd\". \"Thirteen people interfered with the US elections?\" said Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman. \"Thirteen against the billion-dollar budgets of the security services? Against espionage and counter-espionage, against new developments and technologies? Absurd? Yes.\" One of the men named in the indictment - Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is known as \"Putin's chef\", denied election tampering. \"The Americans are very impressionable people, they see what they want to see,\" he was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti on Friday. \"I have great respect for them. I'm not at all upset that I'm on this list. If they want to see the devil, let them see him.\" Mr Prigozhin has been a friend of Mr Putin since the 1990s. He has built up a business empire and has been accused of using companies to diffuse pro-Kremlin opinions via fake internet identities."}], "question": "How has Russia reacted?", "id": "1009_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5001, "answer_end": 5480, "text": "Politicians from both major parties have responded with calls for social media companies to do more to prevent political interference via their platforms. Facebook said in a statement that it had worked \"proactively\" with Mr Mueller's investigation, but admitted that it had \"more to do to prevent further attacks\". Twitter said the activities were \"intolerable\" and that it was working with investigators, but that \"tech companies cannot defeat this novel, shared threat alone\"."}], "question": "What do the social media companies say?", "id": "1009_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5481, "answer_end": 6290, "text": "US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the 2016 presidential election in favour of Mr Trump. In May last year, Mr Mueller was appointed special counsel to investigate whether anyone from his campaign colluded in the effort. As part of the inquiry, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort has been charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine, and conspiracy to launder money. A business associate of his, Rick Gates, was also charged with conspiracy to launder money. A third adviser to the Trump campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. This week President Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was interviewed by Mr Mueller. Mr Trump has been accused by opponents of trying to interfere with the investigation, which he denies."}], "question": "What is the investigation about?", "id": "1009_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey-Syria offensive: US sanctions Turkish ministries", "date": "15 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has imposed sanctions on Turkish ministries and senior government officials in response to the country's military offensive in northern Syria. President Donald Trump also phoned his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to demand an immediate truce, Vice-President Mike Pence said. Mr Pence said he would travel to the region \"as quickly as possible\". The move comes after criticism of a US troop withdrawal from the region which some say gave Turkey a \"green light\". The Turkish offensive, which began last week, aims to push the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from the border region. Turkey considers the biggest militia in the SDF a terrorist organisation. The Turkish government wants to create a \"safe zone\" in the area, where it can resettle up to two million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey. Many of them are not Kurds and critics warn this could lead to ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population. Dozens of civilians have been killed in the operation so far and at least 160,000 have fled the area, according to the UN. Some aid organisations have been forced to suspend operations and evacuate international staff over security fears. Kurdish-led forces have been a key ally of the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. They described the US withdrawal, which preceded Turkish action, as a \"stab in the back\". There are fears the destabilisation could risk a resurgence of IS, as thousands of former fighters and their relatives are being detained in northern Syria. Hundreds of IS family members are said to have already escaped from one camp. Facing immense pressure, Kurdish-led forces on Sunday announced a deal with the Syrian government for military support to help repel Turkey. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the measures alongside Vice-President Pence in Washington DC on Monday evening. Action was taken against Turkey's defence and energy ministries, as well as the ministers of defence, energy and interior, the US Treasury said. The move freezes their assets in the US and bans transactions with them that involve the US financial system. \"The Turkish government's actions are endangering innocent civilians, and destabilizing the region, including undermining the campaign to defeat ISIS [Islamic State],\" the statement added. President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to take action against Turkey - a Nato partner - including from Republicans usually loyal to his administration. In a statement posted on Twitter, President Trump also said he would raise tariffs on Turkish steel back to 50% and \"immediately stop\" negotiations related to a \"$100 billion trade deal\" with Turkey. \"The United States and our partners have liberated 100 percent of ISIS's ruthless territorial caliphate,\" the statement said. \"Turkey must not put these gains in jeopardy.\" Vice-President Pence warned that the sanctions would worsen \"unless and until Turkey embraces an immediate ceasefire\" and negotiates a long-term settlement on the border. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats, said on Twitter that the sanctions fell \"very short of reversing the humanitarian disaster brought about by [the president's] own erratic decision-making\". Earlier on Monday, European Union countries committed to suspending arms exports to Turkey but stopped short of an EU-wide arms embargo. In response, Turkey said it would examine its co-operation with the EU due to its \"unlawful and biased\" attitude. Analysis by Mark Lowen, former BBC Turkey correspondent Donald Trump is now sanctioning Turkey for an invasion that he is widely considered to have enabled. By announcing a withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria, President Erdogan was given a de facto green light to move in. The sanctions might appear hefty, targeting senior ministers and hiking steel tariffs. But in reality, they are lighter than expected - and we have been here before. In August 2018, Donald Trump lost patience with Turkey's imprisonment of an American pastor, sanctioning two ministers and imposing 50% tariffs on Turkish aluminium and steel. The Turkish lira plunged to a record low of 7.2 to the dollar. Since then, the lira has somewhat recovered - and appears to have largely shaken off today's measures. The US represents just 5% of Turkey's steel export market. President Erdogan tends to dig in his heels when he feels under pressure. There is no sign of any change of tack by him - yet. Following the deal with Kurdish-led forces, the Syrian army began to move towards the border on Monday. Syrian state media said government forces had entered the strategic town of Manbij, inside the area where Turkey wants to create its \"safe zone\". Turkish troops and pro-Turkish, anti-government fighters were gathering near the town. The deal was seen as a boost for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it meant his troops would return to north-eastern areas for the first time since 2012, when their withdrawal to fight rebels elsewhere allowed Kurdish militias to take control. Despite disagreeing with their attempts at self-rule, Mr Assad did not seek to retake the territory, especially after the Kurds became partners in the coalition against IS with US troops on the ground. Apart from fighting IS, the Kurds were fundamental to the US in limiting the influence of rivals Russia and Iran and keeping some leverage on the ground. For now, Syrian forces will not be deployed between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, where Turkey has focused its efforts. The Russian government, a key Syrian ally, said it did not want to entertain the possibility of a clash between Russian and Turkish forces in Syria, and said it was in regular contact with Turkey's authorities. President Erdogan insists the operation will continue until Turkey's \"objectives have been achieved\" despite the involvement of Syrian government forces. \"God willing, we will quickly secure the region stretching from Manbij to our border with Iraq and ensure that, in the first stage, one million, and then two million Syrian refugees return to their homes on their own free will,\" he said in a televised speech on Tuesday. The United Nations say 160,000 have fled their homes but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) say this number could be as high as 250,000 with 70 civilian deaths reported. The UK-based monitoring group say 135 members of the SDF have died in the military operation so far along with 122 pro-Turkish fighters and eight Turkish soldiers. Turkey's Anadolu news agency report 18 civilians have been killed over the border in southern Turkey. On Tuesday the UN Human Rights office called on Turkey to investigate suspected war crimes being carried out by pro-Turkish forces. \"Turkey could be deemed as a state responsible for violations by their affiliated groups as long as Turkey exercises effective control of these groups or the operations in the course of which those violations occurred,\" spokesman Rupert Colville said. The warning came after footage emerged over the weekend that appeared to show summary executions of Kurds, including female politician Hevrin Khalaf.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1753, "answer_end": 3491, "text": "US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced the measures alongside Vice-President Pence in Washington DC on Monday evening. Action was taken against Turkey's defence and energy ministries, as well as the ministers of defence, energy and interior, the US Treasury said. The move freezes their assets in the US and bans transactions with them that involve the US financial system. \"The Turkish government's actions are endangering innocent civilians, and destabilizing the region, including undermining the campaign to defeat ISIS [Islamic State],\" the statement added. President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure to take action against Turkey - a Nato partner - including from Republicans usually loyal to his administration. In a statement posted on Twitter, President Trump also said he would raise tariffs on Turkish steel back to 50% and \"immediately stop\" negotiations related to a \"$100 billion trade deal\" with Turkey. \"The United States and our partners have liberated 100 percent of ISIS's ruthless territorial caliphate,\" the statement said. \"Turkey must not put these gains in jeopardy.\" Vice-President Pence warned that the sanctions would worsen \"unless and until Turkey embraces an immediate ceasefire\" and negotiates a long-term settlement on the border. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats, said on Twitter that the sanctions fell \"very short of reversing the humanitarian disaster brought about by [the president's] own erratic decision-making\". Earlier on Monday, European Union countries committed to suspending arms exports to Turkey but stopped short of an EU-wide arms embargo. In response, Turkey said it would examine its co-operation with the EU due to its \"unlawful and biased\" attitude."}], "question": "What are the US sanctions?", "id": "1010_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4467, "answer_end": 7139, "text": "Following the deal with Kurdish-led forces, the Syrian army began to move towards the border on Monday. Syrian state media said government forces had entered the strategic town of Manbij, inside the area where Turkey wants to create its \"safe zone\". Turkish troops and pro-Turkish, anti-government fighters were gathering near the town. The deal was seen as a boost for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as it meant his troops would return to north-eastern areas for the first time since 2012, when their withdrawal to fight rebels elsewhere allowed Kurdish militias to take control. Despite disagreeing with their attempts at self-rule, Mr Assad did not seek to retake the territory, especially after the Kurds became partners in the coalition against IS with US troops on the ground. Apart from fighting IS, the Kurds were fundamental to the US in limiting the influence of rivals Russia and Iran and keeping some leverage on the ground. For now, Syrian forces will not be deployed between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain, where Turkey has focused its efforts. The Russian government, a key Syrian ally, said it did not want to entertain the possibility of a clash between Russian and Turkish forces in Syria, and said it was in regular contact with Turkey's authorities. President Erdogan insists the operation will continue until Turkey's \"objectives have been achieved\" despite the involvement of Syrian government forces. \"God willing, we will quickly secure the region stretching from Manbij to our border with Iraq and ensure that, in the first stage, one million, and then two million Syrian refugees return to their homes on their own free will,\" he said in a televised speech on Tuesday. The United Nations say 160,000 have fled their homes but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) say this number could be as high as 250,000 with 70 civilian deaths reported. The UK-based monitoring group say 135 members of the SDF have died in the military operation so far along with 122 pro-Turkish fighters and eight Turkish soldiers. Turkey's Anadolu news agency report 18 civilians have been killed over the border in southern Turkey. On Tuesday the UN Human Rights office called on Turkey to investigate suspected war crimes being carried out by pro-Turkish forces. \"Turkey could be deemed as a state responsible for violations by their affiliated groups as long as Turkey exercises effective control of these groups or the operations in the course of which those violations occurred,\" spokesman Rupert Colville said. The warning came after footage emerged over the weekend that appeared to show summary executions of Kurds, including female politician Hevrin Khalaf."}], "question": "What is happening in Syria?", "id": "1010_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change: Warming gas concentrations at new record high", "date": "22 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Concentrations of key gases in the atmosphere that are driving up global temperatures reached a new high in 2017. In their annual greenhouse gas bulletin, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says there is no sign of reversal in this rising trend. Carbon dioxide levels reached 405 parts per million (ppm) in 2017, a level not seen in 3-5 million years. Researchers also note the resurgence of a banned gas called CFC-11. Concentrations differ from emissions in that they represent what remains in the atmosphere after some of the gases are absorbed by the seas, land and trees. Since 1990 the warming impact of these long lived gases on the climate has increased by 41%. 2017 continues the rise in concentrations of CO2 which are now 46% greater than the levels in the atmosphere before the industrial revolution. The increase from 2016 to 2017 was smaller than the rise from 2015 to 2016, but is close to the average growth rate seen over the last decade. The scientists at the WMO believe that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere right now hasn't been seen in a long, long time. \"The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3C warmer and sea level was 10-20 metres higher than now,\" said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. That's because of the impact of El Nino, the naturally occurring weather phenomenon which peaked in 2015 and 2016. This triggered droughts in some parts of the world, which in turn reduced the ability of forests and vegetation in these areas to soak up CO2, hence more of it stayed in the atmosphere. Not so much. Scientists are very worried that when they measure the chemistry of the atmosphere they find that things are still going in the wrong direction. \"I am very concerned that the three greenhouse gases most responsible for climate change (CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide) are all rising upwards unabated,\" said Prof Corinne Le Quere from the University of East Anglia. \"CO2 concentrations are now well above 400ppm - levels were 321ppm when I was born, that is a big rise in a human lifetime!\" There have been a number of reports about CFC-11, a gas that's used in home insulation.  Unfortunately, production is a real double whammy for the environment, damaging the ozone layer while also contributing to global warming. Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the global agreement to protect the ozone layer, CFC-11 was supposed to be phased out of production. Instead researchers have seen a marked slowdown in reductions in the level of this gas, indicating that someone, somewhere is making new batches. Earlier this year, the Environmental Investigation Agency traced CFC-11 production to a number of factories across China. Scientists in the field are worried that the detected levels of this mysterious chemical may be a harbinger of worse things to come. \"It's possible that the new emissions are the tip of the iceberg,\" said Dr Matt Rigby, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Bristol. \"If the signals we've seen are due to CFC-11 released during the manufacture of products such as foams, there could be much more that has been locked up in these new materials, which will ultimately be released to the atmosphere over the coming decades.\" The news on these two gases is not good either. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas, and about 60% of it in the atmosphere comes from human activities like cattle farming, rice cultivation and fossil fuel extraction. Levels in the atmosphere are now about 1,859 parts per billion - 257% of what they were before the industrial revolution, and the rate of increase is pretty constant over the last decade. Nitrous oxide comes from natural and human sources including fertiliser use and industry. It's now about 122% of pre-industrial levels. Essentially, they underline the fact that there is no sign in the atmosphere that efforts to cut greenhouse gases are having any success. The report also highlights the fact that these gases can impact our climate for centuries after they have been emitted. \"CO2 remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and in the oceans for even longer,\" said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Elena Manaenkova. \"There is currently no magic wand to remove all the excess CO2 from the atmosphere. \"Every fraction of a degree of global warming matters, and so does every part per million of greenhouse gases.\" The scientists behind it certainly hope so. They believe that their analysis needs to be seen alongside the recent IPCC 1.5C report which warned that the world needed to be essentially carbon neutral by 2050. The WMO bulletin comes out just a week or so before climate negotiators begin at the COP24 meeting in Katowice, Poland, where countries will discuss putting the Paris climate agreement into practice and increasing their ambitions when it comes to cutting warming gases. \"The new IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C shows that deep and rapid reductions of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will be needed in all sectors of society and the economy,\" said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee. \"The WMO greenhouse gas bulletin, showing a continuing rising trend in concentrations of greenhouse gases, underlines just how urgent these emissions reductions are.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 429, "answer_end": 678, "text": "Concentrations differ from emissions in that they represent what remains in the atmosphere after some of the gases are absorbed by the seas, land and trees. Since 1990 the warming impact of these long lived gases on the climate has increased by 41%."}], "question": "What are concentrations?", "id": "1011_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 679, "answer_end": 1315, "text": "2017 continues the rise in concentrations of CO2 which are now 46% greater than the levels in the atmosphere before the industrial revolution. The increase from 2016 to 2017 was smaller than the rise from 2015 to 2016, but is close to the average growth rate seen over the last decade. The scientists at the WMO believe that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere right now hasn't been seen in a long, long time. \"The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3C warmer and sea level was 10-20 metres higher than now,\" said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas."}], "question": "How does the latest data compare to previous years?", "id": "1011_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1316, "answer_end": 1616, "text": "That's because of the impact of El Nino, the naturally occurring weather phenomenon which peaked in 2015 and 2016. This triggered droughts in some parts of the world, which in turn reduced the ability of forests and vegetation in these areas to soak up CO2, hence more of it stayed in the atmosphere."}], "question": "Why did CO2 concentrations not rise as fast in 2017?", "id": "1011_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2120, "answer_end": 3278, "text": "There have been a number of reports about CFC-11, a gas that's used in home insulation.  Unfortunately, production is a real double whammy for the environment, damaging the ozone layer while also contributing to global warming. Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the global agreement to protect the ozone layer, CFC-11 was supposed to be phased out of production. Instead researchers have seen a marked slowdown in reductions in the level of this gas, indicating that someone, somewhere is making new batches. Earlier this year, the Environmental Investigation Agency traced CFC-11 production to a number of factories across China. Scientists in the field are worried that the detected levels of this mysterious chemical may be a harbinger of worse things to come. \"It's possible that the new emissions are the tip of the iceberg,\" said Dr Matt Rigby, an atmospheric chemist at the University of Bristol. \"If the signals we've seen are due to CFC-11 released during the manufacture of products such as foams, there could be much more that has been locked up in these new materials, which will ultimately be released to the atmosphere over the coming decades.\""}], "question": "What about this mysterious CFC-11 gas?", "id": "1011_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3279, "answer_end": 3835, "text": "The news on these two gases is not good either. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas, and about 60% of it in the atmosphere comes from human activities like cattle farming, rice cultivation and fossil fuel extraction. Levels in the atmosphere are now about 1,859 parts per billion - 257% of what they were before the industrial revolution, and the rate of increase is pretty constant over the last decade. Nitrous oxide comes from natural and human sources including fertiliser use and industry. It's now about 122% of pre-industrial levels."}], "question": "What about methane and nitrous oxide?", "id": "1011_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3836, "answer_end": 4430, "text": "Essentially, they underline the fact that there is no sign in the atmosphere that efforts to cut greenhouse gases are having any success. The report also highlights the fact that these gases can impact our climate for centuries after they have been emitted. \"CO2 remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and in the oceans for even longer,\" said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Elena Manaenkova. \"There is currently no magic wand to remove all the excess CO2 from the atmosphere. \"Every fraction of a degree of global warming matters, and so does every part per million of greenhouse gases.\""}], "question": "What are the implications of all these rises?", "id": "1011_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4431, "answer_end": 5314, "text": "The scientists behind it certainly hope so. They believe that their analysis needs to be seen alongside the recent IPCC 1.5C report which warned that the world needed to be essentially carbon neutral by 2050. The WMO bulletin comes out just a week or so before climate negotiators begin at the COP24 meeting in Katowice, Poland, where countries will discuss putting the Paris climate agreement into practice and increasing their ambitions when it comes to cutting warming gases. \"The new IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C shows that deep and rapid reductions of emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will be needed in all sectors of society and the economy,\" said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee. \"The WMO greenhouse gas bulletin, showing a continuing rising trend in concentrations of greenhouse gases, underlines just how urgent these emissions reductions are.\""}], "question": "Will this new study have any impact?", "id": "1011_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe takeover: Five things you should know", "date": "19 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As the world waits to see what happens next after Robert Mugabe refused to resign despite pressure from the army and the ruling Zanu-PF party, we look at some of the key things you should know about the country and its current situation. Zimbabwe has gone from one economic crisis to another over the last decade. Estimates of the country's unemployment levels vary, but the country's biggest trade union claims the jobless rate was as high as 90% earlier this year. Zimbabwe has struggled with hyperinflation, which peaked in 2008 with an official rate of 231 million per cent. The country was forced to abandon its own currency at a rate of Z$35 quadrillion to US$1, adopting the use of foreign cash. Because of a continuing chronic shortage of hard money, the government issued their own version of dollars called bond notes, but they have rapidly lost their value. People with money stored electronically in banks are unable to access it, or are subject to strict limits on what they can withdraw. Because of this, crypto-currencies that are traded online have risen in popularity. Following the news of the military takeover, Bitcoin prices in Harare surged on Wednesday. Zimbabwe crisis in 10 numbers The 93-year-old leader has confounded his critics by staying in power for so long. Sometimes dismissed as a cartoon figure abroad, he was viewed in Zimbabwe, at least originally, as a revolutionary hero who fought against white minority rule, and still enjoys respect as the \"father of the nation\". But he and his supporters have used violence to keep a tight grip on power, using the machinery of the state to bolster his party and himself. His party says it is fighting capitalism and colonialism, but the country's economic problems have tested even his most ardent supporters. He has often said he would only step down when his \"revolution\" was complete, but also wants to handpick his successor - something that led to the current crisis. Robert Mugabe - Revolutionary hero or the man who wrecked Zimbabwe? Aged 93 and in visible decline, the battle to succeed him intensified in recent months. The ruling party split into two factions - one backing his wife Grace, 40 years his junior, and the other his long-time ally, Emmerson Mnangagwa. When he sacked Mr Mnangagwa, it was obvious that he was backing his wife to take power. She was deeply unpopular, partly because of her love of shopping, which led to her nickname \"Gucci Grace\". Mr Mnangagwa fought in the 1970s war of independence which brought Mr Mugabe to power and retains close ties with many other former comrades, who occupy senior positions across the top of all of Zimbabwe's security forces. So when he was ousted, they intervened on his behalf. Who is Grace Mugabe? If the ousted Mr Mnangagwa does succeed Mr Mugabe as president, he is cut from the same cloth. He has featured prominently in all of the atrocities and attacks on opposition supporters which have been carried out since Mr Mugabe came to power. However, he has hinted that he may introduce some economic reforms, and even work with the opposition in some form of transitional government. Emmerson Mnangagwa: The 'crocodile' who snapped back The military certainly intervened, however they have not replaced the president - yet. In a statement on television, the military said it had temporarily taken control to \"target criminals\" around the head of state, not Mr Mugabe himself, and still referred to him as \"commander-in-chief\". The army wants a veneer of constitutionality to be preserved, and certainly none of his former comrades wants to arrest him, or worse, as often happens to leaders when the military takes over. The army wants a political process to play out - Mr Mugabe to resign and Zanu-PF to name a new leader. And the military encouraged a public march to increase pressure on him, and show that their actions had the popular support. So far, however, he is refusing to play ball, even though the ruling Zanu-PF party has sacked him as its leader, and so parliament may have to impeach him. However, on Sunday, Mr Mugabe vowed to remain as president until the Zanu-PF congress, due in December, so it is far from clear what happens next. Do you have a question about the situation in Zimbabwe you'd like us to answer? Send your question to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk and we'll investigate a selection. You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3186, "answer_end": 4199, "text": "The military certainly intervened, however they have not replaced the president - yet. In a statement on television, the military said it had temporarily taken control to \"target criminals\" around the head of state, not Mr Mugabe himself, and still referred to him as \"commander-in-chief\". The army wants a veneer of constitutionality to be preserved, and certainly none of his former comrades wants to arrest him, or worse, as often happens to leaders when the military takes over. The army wants a political process to play out - Mr Mugabe to resign and Zanu-PF to name a new leader. And the military encouraged a public march to increase pressure on him, and show that their actions had the popular support. So far, however, he is refusing to play ball, even though the ruling Zanu-PF party has sacked him as its leader, and so parliament may have to impeach him. However, on Sunday, Mr Mugabe vowed to remain as president until the Zanu-PF congress, due in December, so it is far from clear what happens next."}], "question": "5. Was it a coup or not?", "id": "1012_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US gun control: What is the NRA and why is it so powerful?", "date": "8 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is one of the most powerful players in one of the most hotly-debated issues in the US - gun control - but what exactly is the NRA? Here's a quick guide. NRA stands for National Rifle Association. The group was founded in 1871 as a recreational group designed to \"promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis\". The NRA's path into political lobbying began in 1934 when it began mailing members with information about upcoming firearms bills. The association supported two major gun control acts, the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), but became more politically active following the passage of the GCA in the 1970s. In 1975, it began attempting to influence policy directly via a newly formed lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action. In 1977 it formed its own Political Action Committee (PAC), to channel funds to legislators. The NRA is now among the most powerful special interest lobby groups in the US, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy. It is run by executive vice president Wayne LaPierre. The NRA spends about $250m per year, far more than all the country's gun control advocacy groups put together. But the NRA has a much larger membership than any of those groups and disburses funds for things such as gun ranges and educational programmes. In terms of lobbying, the NRA officially spends about $3m per year to influence gun policy - the recorded spend on lobbying in 2014 was $3.3m. That is only the recorded contributions to lawmakers however, and considerable sums are spent elsewhere via PACs and independent expenditures - funds which are difficult to track. Analysts point out that the NRA also wields considerable indirect influence via its highly politically engaged membership, many of whom will vote one way or another based on this single issue. The NRA publicly grades members of Congress from A to F on their perceived friendliness to gun rights. Those ratings can have a serious effect on poll numbers and even cost pro-gun control candidates a seat. Estimates of the NRA's membership have varied widely for decades. The association claimed that membership surged to close to five million people in response to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook school, but some analysts put the figure at closer to three million. The organisation has been accused of artificially inflating the figure. The NRA has boasted some high-profile members over the years, including former President George HW Bush. Mr Bush resigned from the group in 1995 after Mr La Pierre referred to federal agents in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing as \"jack-booted thugs\". Current members include former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and actors Tom Selleck and Whoopi Goldberg. The late actor Charlton Heston was president of the NRA between 1998 and 2003. Heston famously held a rifle over his head at an NRA convention following the Columbine High School massacre and told gun control advocates they would have to take it \"from my cold, dead hands\". The NRA has lobbied heavily against all forms of gun control and argued aggressively that more guns make the country safer. It relies on, and staunchly defends, a disputed interpretation of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which it argues gives US citizens the rights to bear arms. The association faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, when Mr La Pierre said that the lack of an armed guard at the school was to blame for the tragedy. It staunchly opposes most local, state and federal legislation that would restrict gun ownership. For example, the NRA recently has lobbied for guns confiscated by the police to be resold, arguing that destroying the weapons is, in effect, a waste of perfectly good guns. Likewise, it strongly supports legislation that expand gun rights such as \"open-carry\" laws, which allow gun owners to carry their weapons, unconcealed, in most public places.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 156, "answer_end": 1098, "text": "NRA stands for National Rifle Association. The group was founded in 1871 as a recreational group designed to \"promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis\". The NRA's path into political lobbying began in 1934 when it began mailing members with information about upcoming firearms bills. The association supported two major gun control acts, the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), but became more politically active following the passage of the GCA in the 1970s. In 1975, it began attempting to influence policy directly via a newly formed lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action. In 1977 it formed its own Political Action Committee (PAC), to channel funds to legislators. The NRA is now among the most powerful special interest lobby groups in the US, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy. It is run by executive vice president Wayne LaPierre."}], "question": "What is the NRA?", "id": "1013_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1099, "answer_end": 2077, "text": "The NRA spends about $250m per year, far more than all the country's gun control advocacy groups put together. But the NRA has a much larger membership than any of those groups and disburses funds for things such as gun ranges and educational programmes. In terms of lobbying, the NRA officially spends about $3m per year to influence gun policy - the recorded spend on lobbying in 2014 was $3.3m. That is only the recorded contributions to lawmakers however, and considerable sums are spent elsewhere via PACs and independent expenditures - funds which are difficult to track. Analysts point out that the NRA also wields considerable indirect influence via its highly politically engaged membership, many of whom will vote one way or another based on this single issue. The NRA publicly grades members of Congress from A to F on their perceived friendliness to gun rights. Those ratings can have a serious effect on poll numbers and even cost pro-gun control candidates a seat."}], "question": "How big is its budget?", "id": "1013_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2078, "answer_end": 3056, "text": "Estimates of the NRA's membership have varied widely for decades. The association claimed that membership surged to close to five million people in response to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook school, but some analysts put the figure at closer to three million. The organisation has been accused of artificially inflating the figure. The NRA has boasted some high-profile members over the years, including former President George HW Bush. Mr Bush resigned from the group in 1995 after Mr La Pierre referred to federal agents in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing as \"jack-booted thugs\". Current members include former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and actors Tom Selleck and Whoopi Goldberg. The late actor Charlton Heston was president of the NRA between 1998 and 2003. Heston famously held a rifle over his head at an NRA convention following the Columbine High School massacre and told gun control advocates they would have to take it \"from my cold, dead hands\"."}], "question": "How big is the NRA?", "id": "1013_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3057, "answer_end": 4011, "text": "The NRA has lobbied heavily against all forms of gun control and argued aggressively that more guns make the country safer. It relies on, and staunchly defends, a disputed interpretation of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which it argues gives US citizens the rights to bear arms. The association faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, when Mr La Pierre said that the lack of an armed guard at the school was to blame for the tragedy. It staunchly opposes most local, state and federal legislation that would restrict gun ownership. For example, the NRA recently has lobbied for guns confiscated by the police to be resold, arguing that destroying the weapons is, in effect, a waste of perfectly good guns. Likewise, it strongly supports legislation that expand gun rights such as \"open-carry\" laws, which allow gun owners to carry their weapons, unconcealed, in most public places."}], "question": "Why is it controversial?", "id": "1013_3"}]}]}, {"title": "How to take the perfect nap (and improve your health)", "date": "8 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Taking a nap might do more than just improve your mood - a new study has shown it may help you live longer. Research has shown that a regular nap of 20 minutes can cut your chance of having a heart attack in later life. Getting your head down lowers blood pressure, according to the study from Asklepieion General Hospital in Voula, Greece. The research focused on older people, but we could all benefit from a bit of shut-eye during the day. \"Napping can be easily adopted and typically doesn't cost anything,\" says cardiologist Manolis Kallistratos, who conducted the study. \"Based on our findings, if someone has the luxury to take a nap during the day, it may also have benefits for high blood pressure.\" His study found that a 20-minute nap resulted in an average drop of 5mm Hg (how medical experts measure blood pressure) - that's about the same as a low dose of blood pressure medication. So we should probably all make the effort to get better at napping. It wasn't just that massive sandwich you had for lunch that made you feel sleepy - the afternoon lull is hardwired into our DNA. \"It actually happens because you get a little dip in what we call the 'alerting signals', the waking signal that comes from your internal body clock that regulates your sleep and wake,\" Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School, tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. He says humans would have rested in the midday sun tens of thousands of years ago and that behaviours became \"imprinted in our circadian rhythms.\" Your circadian rhythm is your 24-hour body clock. \"You're always being switched on, in fight or flight mode, when we're at work or at school,\" he says. \"When you have a nap, you switch the other way, into rest and digest mode.\" A nap is a great idea if you're spending the day at home, but it's not quite as easy if you're surrounded by colleagues. But finding a quiet spot just to rest can do more good than you might imagine. \"Sitting quietly with your eyes closed can be really beneficial,\" Dr Guy says. \"It might be that you book a small room and do it in there or in the worst-case scenario you go to the toilet for 10 minutes and you sit there.\" In the summer months, he recommends getting out into a park and closing your eyes (just remember to set an alarm so you make it back to work). \"When we're in light sleep we don't really know when we're asleep or not. Seeing it as an opportunity to rest is really important,\" Dr Guy says. \"Even if you don't fall asleep, you still get benefits.\" Dr Guy says 10-20 minutes is the perfect amount to recharge for the afternoon ahead. \"It's about experimenting and finding what's right for you,\" he says. \"You want to be getting just the right amount, to wake up feeling refreshed but not foggy.\" \"Sleeping longer than 20 minutes will mean you go into deeper sleep, which is harder to wake from and can leave you feeling much worse.\" Dr Guy says people who are new to napping should set an alarm, but after several months should be able to wake themselves after the desired amount of snooze time, Dr Guy says we need to be awake for 16 hours to build up our \"sleep drive\" to enable us to get that much-talked-about eight hours of sleep at night. \"When you get to 10-11pm you feel sleepy. It's that hypnotic feeling, it's because your sleep drive is really high,\" he says. \"Caffeine works in a different way. It binds to parts of your brain where the chemicals responsible for your sleep drive bind and it temporarily masks it.\" Sure it's a short-term fix, but some of the caffeine from a cup of coffee you had at midday will still be in your system 12 hours later. Sleep well, everyone. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 965, "answer_end": 1733, "text": "It wasn't just that massive sandwich you had for lunch that made you feel sleepy - the afternoon lull is hardwired into our DNA. \"It actually happens because you get a little dip in what we call the 'alerting signals', the waking signal that comes from your internal body clock that regulates your sleep and wake,\" Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School, tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. He says humans would have rested in the midday sun tens of thousands of years ago and that behaviours became \"imprinted in our circadian rhythms.\" Your circadian rhythm is your 24-hour body clock. \"You're always being switched on, in fight or flight mode, when we're at work or at school,\" he says. \"When you have a nap, you switch the other way, into rest and digest mode.\""}], "question": "So, when should you take a nap?", "id": "1014_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Dutch police podcast unearths clues to decades-old murder", "date": "22 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Wrapped in an electric blanket metres from a busy highway in the Netherlands lay the body of a man in such a state of decomposition he was impossible to identify. It was August 1991 and the man's chest bore several stab wounds. The local workers who found him told police it was the stench that led them to his corpse. The discovery marked the beginning of a decades-long mystery in the Netherlands, with police unable to identify the victim, much less find the person responsible. But the truth could now finally be in sight after Dutch police launched their first-ever podcast aimed at solving a crime. True crime podcasts are nothing new, but for police in the Netherlands this was an unprecedented venture. Thousands tuned in to the three-part series when it aired last month and tip-offs have been coming in ever since. When police arrived at the scene, they searched the corpse for any trace of the man's identity. There was no ID and decomposition had rendered his body unrecognisable. Johan Baas had recently been appointed as a detective in the city of Naarden when the body was found. \"I was on vacation leave for a few days when my boss called me and informed me about the discovery of the body,\" he recalled. \"It was my first major case, so the choice was clear. I went straight to the crime scene.\" Mr Baas remembers it vividly. \"The body was minutely dissected and everything was recorded photographically and in writing,\" he said. During the 1990s, Dutch police estimate that about 90% of all murders were solved. But DNA technology was still in its infancy and resources were limited, so the case was harder to crack than it might be today. Large amounts of blood or sperm were needed to find an offender and there was no DNA database. \"We had to make do with existing means such as fingerprints, but the victim's prints did not appear in the Dutch database and we did not progress further internationally,\" said the detective. No witnesses came forward and police had no picture to hand out because of the condition of the corpse. Efforts to analyse his clothes bore no results and the electric blanket, produced in Germany in the 1960s, was sold by the thousands in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Any hope of solving the crime hinged on a gold ring found on one of the victim's fingers. Detectives discovered that it was bought through a mail order company called Otto and began tracking down the buyers. Most still had the ring in their possession but one man said he did not have it anymore because he had sold it to a man at a bar in Amsterdam. Witnesses confirmed the sale and said the buyer went to the same bar almost every day. However, the mysterious character, believed to be Turkish, had not been seen in weeks and police never discovered who he was or if it was his body that had been found. In Johan Baas's later investigations it was always clear who was the victim and who was the perpetrator. But police had hit a stumbling block and the case was ultimately dropped. Police reopened the case a couple of years ago, using new technology to analyse the body and carry out a facial reconstruction of the victim. They discovered that the man would have been around 65 years old in 1991 and came from Eastern Europe. Unable to crack the case alone, last month they opened the case to the public for the first time, with a podcast (in Dutch). Listeners across the Netherlands tuned in and came forward each day with information that may be relevant to the case. Police said they could not give details of the tip-offs they had received but several had contained useful information. \"Our first goal is to identify the victim and tell his relatives after 28 years what happened,\" said Rob Boon, coordinator of the police Cold Case team who led the podcast. \"Our second goal is to find the killer and bring him or her to court.\" Criminologist David Wilson said it was natural for Dutch police to want to capitalise on the popularity of true crime podcasts and pass on details of crimes and unsolved cases. \"True crime is incredibly popular and the police are as aware of this as any other individual, group or industry,\" he said. But police podcasts have their limitations, as there are some areas they cannot touch, because of laws on what they can say so as not to prejudice any future case. \"The podcaster can suggest things that the police might not be able to suggest. They can raise possibilities that the police wouldn't be able to raise,\" he added. Even so, numerous cases have been solved by police crime appeal programmes such as the UK's Crimewatch and its Dutch TV equivalent, and Mr Wilson is confident podcasting will probably bring the same results. Johan Baas is no longer on the case but the detective sent to the crime scene in 1991 believes there is a chance the victim can be identified. No names have emerged so far and Mr Baas says the man's family need to know. \"I know what impact a loss has on those left behind. Of course you want to arrest a suspect as a detective, but unfortunately it never came to that.\" You might also like: True crime podcast helps woman find her brother's grave", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3859, "answer_end": 5064, "text": "Criminologist David Wilson said it was natural for Dutch police to want to capitalise on the popularity of true crime podcasts and pass on details of crimes and unsolved cases. \"True crime is incredibly popular and the police are as aware of this as any other individual, group or industry,\" he said. But police podcasts have their limitations, as there are some areas they cannot touch, because of laws on what they can say so as not to prejudice any future case. \"The podcaster can suggest things that the police might not be able to suggest. They can raise possibilities that the police wouldn't be able to raise,\" he added. Even so, numerous cases have been solved by police crime appeal programmes such as the UK's Crimewatch and its Dutch TV equivalent, and Mr Wilson is confident podcasting will probably bring the same results. Johan Baas is no longer on the case but the detective sent to the crime scene in 1991 believes there is a chance the victim can be identified. No names have emerged so far and Mr Baas says the man's family need to know. \"I know what impact a loss has on those left behind. Of course you want to arrest a suspect as a detective, but unfortunately it never came to that.\""}], "question": "Can podcasts work?", "id": "1015_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mexico rejects US intervention after Trump outlines drug cartel plan", "date": "27 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mexico's president has rejected any US intervention in his country, after President Donald Trump said US forces were willing to \"go in and clear out\" drug cartels. \"Co-operation, yes; intervention, no,\" Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in response to Mr Trump's comments. The US president announced in a Tuesday interview he would legally designate Mexican drug gangs as terrorist groups. Earlier this month nine US citizens were killed in an ambush in Mexico. The victims - three women and six children who also had Mexican nationality - were killed while travelling through a remote area in the north of the country. After the attack, the victims' Mormon community - the LeBarons - petitioned the White House to list the cartels as terror groups. The legal move outlined by Mr Trump would enable a wider scope of action against them. Speaking at a news conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, President Lopez Obrador said Mexicans \"had nothing to fear\" and that the foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, would address the issue after the US Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. On Twitter, Mr Ebrard said he was already in contact with US authorities and that his efforts would be focused on \"defending [Mexico's] sovereignty and its own decisions\". Earlier, he said Mexico \"would never accept\" any violation of its sovereignty and that the government was committed to tackling transnational organised crime, adding: \"Mutual respect is the basis for co-operation\". In the interview, President Trump told conservative media figure Bill O'Reilly, a former Fox News host, that he had been working on the process of designating the drug cartels as terrorist organisations \"for the last 90 days\". He added that he had told his Mexican counterpart that the US was willing to launch operations against the cartels inside Mexico. \"He so far has rejected the offer,\" Mr Trump said, \"but at some point something has to be done\". When a group is designated as a terrorist organisation in the US, it becomes illegal for people in the country to knowingly offer support. The group's members are also banned from entering the US and, if they are already in the country, they face being deported. If financial institutions discover they hold funds connected to the group, they are required to block the money and alert the US Treasury Department. Some analysts suggest the designation could affect the supply of weapons to the cartels. Earlier this year a US government study traced more than 150,000 firearms, including assault rifles, back from Mexican criminals to gun shops and factories in the US. Under anti-terror laws, those who purchase the guns for the cartels could face much heavier penalties. Other analysts suggest the designation could complicate possible Mexican government negotiations with cartels as well as efforts by US agencies and organisations to support peace efforts. In an earlier statement, Mexico's foreign ministry said the country wanted measures to reduce the flow of weapons and money from the US to the cartels as well as efforts to stop the movement of drugs across its territory and over the US border. Mexico's brutal drug war claims thousands of lives every year, as powerful trafficking groups battle for territory and influence. In 2017 more than 30,000 people were killed in the country, with the murder rate having more than tripled since 2006. The cartels control vast areas and are also responsible for political corruption, assassinations and kidnappings. Earlier this week at least 13 police officers were killed in an ambush in the western state of Michoacan in an attack believed to have been carried out by the Jalisco New Generation cartel. In a now-notorious incident in October, hundreds of gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel overpowered security forces in the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan, taking troops hostage and eventually forcing the government to release a captured cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman, son of former drug lord Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman. President Lopez Obrador has opted for a non-confrontational approach to the cartels, instead making tackling inequality central to his efforts under a policy dubbed \"abrazos, no balazos\" - hugs not bullets. But this policy has come in for criticism after what happened in Culiacan. The US government has described the Sinaloa Cartel as one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world. In July its former leader \"El Chapo\" Guzman was sentenced to life in prison in the US. But the group continues to make billions of dollars from trafficking illicit narcotics to the US, Europe and Asia, experts say. Meanwhile the Jalisco cartel is believed to have assets worth more than $20bn (PS15.5bn) and is one of the main distributors of synthetic drugs on the continent. It has gained notoriety for attacks on security forces and public officials, including the downing of an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1914, "answer_end": 3118, "text": "When a group is designated as a terrorist organisation in the US, it becomes illegal for people in the country to knowingly offer support. The group's members are also banned from entering the US and, if they are already in the country, they face being deported. If financial institutions discover they hold funds connected to the group, they are required to block the money and alert the US Treasury Department. Some analysts suggest the designation could affect the supply of weapons to the cartels. Earlier this year a US government study traced more than 150,000 firearms, including assault rifles, back from Mexican criminals to gun shops and factories in the US. Under anti-terror laws, those who purchase the guns for the cartels could face much heavier penalties. Other analysts suggest the designation could complicate possible Mexican government negotiations with cartels as well as efforts by US agencies and organisations to support peace efforts. In an earlier statement, Mexico's foreign ministry said the country wanted measures to reduce the flow of weapons and money from the US to the cartels as well as efforts to stop the movement of drugs across its territory and over the US border."}], "question": "What would the designation mean?", "id": "1016_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3119, "answer_end": 4915, "text": "Mexico's brutal drug war claims thousands of lives every year, as powerful trafficking groups battle for territory and influence. In 2017 more than 30,000 people were killed in the country, with the murder rate having more than tripled since 2006. The cartels control vast areas and are also responsible for political corruption, assassinations and kidnappings. Earlier this week at least 13 police officers were killed in an ambush in the western state of Michoacan in an attack believed to have been carried out by the Jalisco New Generation cartel. In a now-notorious incident in October, hundreds of gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel overpowered security forces in the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan, taking troops hostage and eventually forcing the government to release a captured cartel leader, Ovidio Guzman, son of former drug lord Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman. President Lopez Obrador has opted for a non-confrontational approach to the cartels, instead making tackling inequality central to his efforts under a policy dubbed \"abrazos, no balazos\" - hugs not bullets. But this policy has come in for criticism after what happened in Culiacan. The US government has described the Sinaloa Cartel as one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world. In July its former leader \"El Chapo\" Guzman was sentenced to life in prison in the US. But the group continues to make billions of dollars from trafficking illicit narcotics to the US, Europe and Asia, experts say. Meanwhile the Jalisco cartel is believed to have assets worth more than $20bn (PS15.5bn) and is one of the main distributors of synthetic drugs on the continent. It has gained notoriety for attacks on security forces and public officials, including the downing of an army helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade."}], "question": "How powerful are the cartels?", "id": "1016_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Cracking China's corruption: Huge hauls and long falls", "date": "18 January 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Only days into 2015, revelations continue to emerge from China on the anti-corruption front. So far this year a powerful spy chief, the Nanjing party secretary and a top diplomat have been placed under investigation. This suggests there will be no let-up in the campaign that has run relentlessly for two years under President Xi Jinping. So let's take stock of what's happened so far. On 20 November 2012, soon after becoming Communist Party leader, Mr Xi made a speech. \"Lots of facts tell us that corruption is becoming more and more rampant, and eventually, the party and the country will fall.  We have to be vigilant\", he warned. Since then, Mr Xi - who hails from a revolutionary family and is tasked with keeping the party in power - appears to have propelled his anti-corruption campaign forwards with zeal. And he famously promised to \"catch both tigers and flies\", making it clear that top ranking officials would not be spared. Then he followed up: By far the biggest tiger caught so far is Zhou Yongkang, the former security chief. He has been stripped of party membership and handed over to the judiciary. Ma Jian is also a big tiger: he was in charge of China's intelligence operations. Another tiger is Ling Jihua, once a top aide to former president Hu Jintao and a hopeful for even higher office. General Xu Caihou is a big army tiger - he used to be a politburo member and vice-chairman of the military commission. According to the party's discipline watchdog, in 2014 alone some 23,464 people were disciplined for violating the party's anti-corruption regulations, from all levels of the party and state apparatus. Wang Min, party secretary of Jinan City, made a televised speech about combating corruption on 18 December 2014; later that day he was taken away for investigation. A similar fate hit Wan Qingliang, party secretary of Guangzhou. When the probe into him was announced in June 2014, many civil servants under him were at meetings studying a speech he had made the previous day. Text messages about Wan's fate were passed around and the meetings had to come to a halt. Many of the fallen officials have been accused of taking bribes - and many apparently prefer cash. When Wei Pengyuan, a senior Energy Ministry official, was taken away in May 2014, investigators found cash in his house totalling more than 200m yuan (roughly PS20m). This, state media said, became the biggest cash haul in a corruption case since the communists took power in 1949. Sixteen machines were used to count the cash, and four broke down due to the extensive heat. Ma Junfei was appointed deputy director of Hohhot Railway Bureau in Inner Mongolia in 2009. According to media reports, on average he took bribes every other day while on this job, accepting US dollars, Euro, British pounds and gold as well as the Chinese currency, his take totalling 130m yuan (PS13m). In order to hide these bribes, he had to purchase two houses in Beijing and Hohhot. Ma Chaoqun used to be in charge of Beidaihe City water supplies, in Hebei province. Nicknamed \"water tiger\", state media said he demanded money openly from any business opening in Beidaihe that needed to have water connected, including hotels, factories and party and government offices. If the money was not enough, supplies would be cut off immediately. After his downfall, cash totalling 120m yuan, 37kg of gold and 68 housing certificates were found in his possession. Feng Yuexin, who worked as police chief in various departments in Qingdao, was given the death sentence in 2014 for protecting criminal gangs. When his residence was searched, investigators found 1,853 bottles of Maotai, the national drink of China, among other things. Feng reportedly loved the spirit, and would go to extraordinary lengths to obtain a good bottle, sometimes at 80,000 yuan a bottle (PS8,000 ). One estimate put the value of his Maotai collection at 2m yuan. Feng was found to have embezzled public funds. In December 2013, Wu Zhizhong, a senior official in Inner Mongolia, was given a life sentence for corruption. Wu had 33 houses inside China and one house in Canada, far beyond what his salary could afford.  The keys to these houses filled a handbag, according to Chinese media reports. On 31 March 2014, Xinhua reported that Gu Junshan, a top PLA official, had been turned over to the military court on corruption charges. This came as no surprise, as it confirmed earlier reports by a financial journal. Journalist Wang Heyan first broke the news that Gu was in trouble. As chief investigative reporter for Caixin magazine, she pushed hard between 2012 and 2014 to examine Gu's business empire and personal wealth. Her findings caused a stir across the country. In Gu's house, case after case of Maotai was found, plus a model ship, a basin and a Mao Zedong statue all made of gold. His mansion is nicknamed \"Forbidden City\", after the ancient imperial palace, because of its grand style. Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign has so far won popular support, but ordinary citizens seeking greater transparency have not always been welcomed by the authorities. The New Citizens Movement made public calls for government officials to disclose their assets. This did not happen. Instead, group founder Xu Zhiyong was jailed for four years in January 2014 on public disorder charges. Several other members have since been given jail terms. Foreign newspapers examining Chinese leaders' fortunes, including Xi Jinping's, have also been penalised by the authorities, from having their websites blocked to being refused visas for journalists. It seems that the anti-corruption battle is complex, and those not singing from the same hymn sheet as Mr Xi are heavily frowned upon.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 386, "answer_end": 939, "text": "On 20 November 2012, soon after becoming Communist Party leader, Mr Xi made a speech. \"Lots of facts tell us that corruption is becoming more and more rampant, and eventually, the party and the country will fall.  We have to be vigilant\", he warned. Since then, Mr Xi - who hails from a revolutionary family and is tasked with keeping the party in power - appears to have propelled his anti-corruption campaign forwards with zeal. And he famously promised to \"catch both tigers and flies\", making it clear that top ranking officials would not be spared."}], "question": "1. What drives Xi?", "id": "1017_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3960, "answer_end": 4245, "text": "In December 2013, Wu Zhizhong, a senior official in Inner Mongolia, was given a life sentence for corruption. Wu had 33 houses inside China and one house in Canada, far beyond what his salary could afford.  The keys to these houses filled a handbag, according to Chinese media reports."}], "question": "8. How many is enough?", "id": "1017_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Extinction Rebellion: What do they want and is it realistic?", "date": "16 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Extinction Rebellion's attempts to clog the heart of London and other cities across the UK have undoubtedly driven the issue of climate change up the news agenda. But amid the die-ins - where protestors pretend to be dead - bridge swarmings and arrests, there hasn't been too much consideration of the group's actual plans to tackle rising temperatures. As a solution to the \"climate breakdown and ecological collapse that threaten our existence\", Extinction Rebellion is proposing three key steps. The government must, in their words, \"tell the truth\" about the scale of the crisis the world now faces. Secondly, the UK must enact legally binding policies to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025. The third step is the formation of a Citizens' Assembly to \"oversee the changes\" that will be needed to achieve this goal. Getting to net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2025 would be an extremely difficult target, given that, right now, the government is mulling a plan to commit to net zero by 2050. Consider the changes that would be needed to get to net zero in just six years. Gas boilers across the UK would have to be replaced with electricity, and you'd need to massively ramp up renewable energy, on a scale not yet seen, to meet this extra demand. Researchers at  Zero Carbon Britain suggested that if the UK wanted to get to net zero by 2030, Britain would need to get about 130 gigawatts of electricity from wind, meaning around 13,000 extra wind turbines off shore. This would take up an area twice the size of Wales. The UK would also need about 7 gigwatts of onshore wind, meaning another 3,500 turbines. There would also have to be significant dietary changes, with people cutting back on meat and dairy. Flying would have to be restricted. Severely. \"You could have an air flight every couple of years, but we can't allow the world to continue flying for hen parties in New York every couple of weeks,\" said Paul Allen who co-ordinates the Zero Carbon Britain research project. \"The numbers don't stack up. We can't do this, we have to be honest with ourselves.\" Achieving net zero five years earlier than the Zero Carbon Britain plan would be an unprecedented challenge, akin to a wartime situation. It would not be impossible but it would depend on a fierce political commitment. \"The honest answer about whether you can hit net zero by 2025 is that until you go for it, nobody knows if you'll get there,\" said Andrew Simms from the Rapid Transition Alliance, which promotes solutions to climate change that could transform the world over the next 12 years. \"We tend to forget what can be achieved in really compressed periods of time when the whole of industry and the whole of government put their minds to it. \"It's like the speed with which we responded to the financial crisis in 2008. \"If we treated the wellbeing of the biosphere with the same integrity and seriousness with which we treated the integrity of the banking system you would rapidly see the alignment of resources and planning that would achieve these kind of goals.\" Those involved with Extinction Rebellion say that the nature of the climate crisis is such that even large-scale carbon cutting plans just won't be enough. \"This is not the time to be realistic, this is the time for humanity to completely change course,\" said Dr Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of the organisation. \"This is not about fiddling around the edges, and adding a few solar panels to a few roofs; we have left it so late that we have to step up in a semi-miraculous way to deal with this situation.\" Extinction Rebellion says that the key elements of their plan to get the UK to net zero will be set by a Citizens Assembly, composed of people representatively selected from across Britain. \"Let's have people decide what matters most to them, is it the health and safety and the ability to feed their own kids or does it matter to them that they carry on having holidays and meat?\" \"We need Joe the bus driver and Frances the hairdresser to get their heads around it,\" said Dr Bradbrook. Supporters of this approach point to Ireland as a country that has embraced the Citizens Assembly idea to tackle difficult societal questions. The Assembly considered the question of Ireland's restrictions on abortion and suggested that a referendum be held to remove the ban. The significant majority that supported repeal indicated that Assembly was an accurate barometer of public opinion. On climate change, Ireland's Assembly has also been an advocate of strong action, with big majorities favouring higher taxes on carbon-intensive activities among a number of recommendations. This in turn gave real political impetus to the establishment of a parliamentary committee on climate action. \"This led this committee to issue what is the strongest cross-party political statement of intent on climate action,\" said John Gibbons, an Irish environmental writer and commentator. \"It certainly has its weaknesses, but Ireland is, in the Taoiseach's own words, an international laggard on tackling climate change, so this report is a good deal better than expected.\" Mr Gibbons points out that despite the actions of the Citizens Assembly and politicians, the country is way off target when it comes to cutting carbon. \"Huge compliance penalties are due to kick in post-2020, making ongoing inaction expensive as well as embarrassing for Ireland,\" he says. The government has to uphold UK law on climate change, that mandates a series of emissions cuts over time. Extinction Rebellion believes that many politicians want to go much further. They say that political forces are happy to see their protestors on the streets, disrupting traffic and transport. It believes the group is creating the space for a joined-up approach among politicians that has been absent until now. \"We've just got to get away from these left-right political fights - this is beyond that. I want to see people sitting in a room and bringing the solutions and being real together and saying how do we get out of this?\" said Gail Bradbrook. \"It'll bring the best out of ourselves through that process.\" Follow Matt on Twitter@mattmcgrathbbc Sign up for a weekly chat about climate change on Facebook Messenger", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 828, "answer_end": 2087, "text": "Getting to net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2025 would be an extremely difficult target, given that, right now, the government is mulling a plan to commit to net zero by 2050. Consider the changes that would be needed to get to net zero in just six years. Gas boilers across the UK would have to be replaced with electricity, and you'd need to massively ramp up renewable energy, on a scale not yet seen, to meet this extra demand. Researchers at  Zero Carbon Britain suggested that if the UK wanted to get to net zero by 2030, Britain would need to get about 130 gigawatts of electricity from wind, meaning around 13,000 extra wind turbines off shore. This would take up an area twice the size of Wales. The UK would also need about 7 gigwatts of onshore wind, meaning another 3,500 turbines. There would also have to be significant dietary changes, with people cutting back on meat and dairy. Flying would have to be restricted. Severely. \"You could have an air flight every couple of years, but we can't allow the world to continue flying for hen parties in New York every couple of weeks,\" said Paul Allen who co-ordinates the Zero Carbon Britain research project. \"The numbers don't stack up. We can't do this, we have to be honest with ourselves.\""}], "question": "Is zero emissions by 2025 realistic?", "id": "1018_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2088, "answer_end": 3572, "text": "Achieving net zero five years earlier than the Zero Carbon Britain plan would be an unprecedented challenge, akin to a wartime situation. It would not be impossible but it would depend on a fierce political commitment. \"The honest answer about whether you can hit net zero by 2025 is that until you go for it, nobody knows if you'll get there,\" said Andrew Simms from the Rapid Transition Alliance, which promotes solutions to climate change that could transform the world over the next 12 years. \"We tend to forget what can be achieved in really compressed periods of time when the whole of industry and the whole of government put their minds to it. \"It's like the speed with which we responded to the financial crisis in 2008. \"If we treated the wellbeing of the biosphere with the same integrity and seriousness with which we treated the integrity of the banking system you would rapidly see the alignment of resources and planning that would achieve these kind of goals.\" Those involved with Extinction Rebellion say that the nature of the climate crisis is such that even large-scale carbon cutting plans just won't be enough. \"This is not the time to be realistic, this is the time for humanity to completely change course,\" said Dr Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of the organisation. \"This is not about fiddling around the edges, and adding a few solar panels to a few roofs; we have left it so late that we have to step up in a semi-miraculous way to deal with this situation.\""}], "question": "What would need to change to get to zero in six years?", "id": "1018_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3573, "answer_end": 5414, "text": "Extinction Rebellion says that the key elements of their plan to get the UK to net zero will be set by a Citizens Assembly, composed of people representatively selected from across Britain. \"Let's have people decide what matters most to them, is it the health and safety and the ability to feed their own kids or does it matter to them that they carry on having holidays and meat?\" \"We need Joe the bus driver and Frances the hairdresser to get their heads around it,\" said Dr Bradbrook. Supporters of this approach point to Ireland as a country that has embraced the Citizens Assembly idea to tackle difficult societal questions. The Assembly considered the question of Ireland's restrictions on abortion and suggested that a referendum be held to remove the ban. The significant majority that supported repeal indicated that Assembly was an accurate barometer of public opinion. On climate change, Ireland's Assembly has also been an advocate of strong action, with big majorities favouring higher taxes on carbon-intensive activities among a number of recommendations. This in turn gave real political impetus to the establishment of a parliamentary committee on climate action. \"This led this committee to issue what is the strongest cross-party political statement of intent on climate action,\" said John Gibbons, an Irish environmental writer and commentator. \"It certainly has its weaknesses, but Ireland is, in the Taoiseach's own words, an international laggard on tackling climate change, so this report is a good deal better than expected.\" Mr Gibbons points out that despite the actions of the Citizens Assembly and politicians, the country is way off target when it comes to cutting carbon. \"Huge compliance penalties are due to kick in post-2020, making ongoing inaction expensive as well as embarrassing for Ireland,\" he says."}], "question": "Who is going to make the tough decisions on emissions cuts?", "id": "1018_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Global cyber-attack: Security blogger halts ransomware 'by accident'", "date": "13 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A UK security researcher has told the BBC how he \"accidentally\" halted the spread of the malicious ransomware that has affected hundreds of organisations, including the UK's NHS. The 22-year-old man, known by the pseudonym MalwareTech, had taken a week off work, but decided to investigate the ransomware after hearing about the global cyber-attack. He managed to bring the spread to a halt when he found what appeared to be a \"kill switch\" in the rogue software's code. \"It was actually partly accidental,\" he told the BBC, after spending the night investigating. \"I have not slept a wink.\" Although his discovery did not repair the damage done by the ransomware, it did stop it spreading to new computers, and he has been hailed an \"accidental hero\". \"I would say that's correct,\" he told the BBC. Cyber-attack scale 'unprecedented' NHS 'robust' after cyber-attack \"The attention has been slightly overwhelming. The boss gave me another week off to make up for this train-wreck of a vacation.\" The researcher first noticed that the malware was trying to contact a specific web address every time it infected a new computer. But the web address it was trying to contact - a long jumble of letters - had not been registered. MalwareTech decided to register it, and bought it for $10.69 (PS8).  Owning it would let him see where computers were accessing it from, and give him an idea of how widespread the ransomware was. By doing so, he unexpectedly triggered part of the ransomware's code that told it to stop spreading. Analysis: How did it start? What is the ransomware? This type of code is known as a \"kill switch\", which some attackers use to halt the spread of their software if things get out of hand. He tested his discovery and was delighted when he managed to trigger the ransomware on demand. \"Now you probably can't picture a grown man jumping around with the excitement of having just been 'ransomwared', but this was me,\" he said in a blog post. MalwareTech now thinks the code was originally designed to thwart researchers trying to investigate the ransomware, but it backfired by letting them remotely disable it. While the registration of the web address appears to have stopped one strain of the ransomware spreading from device-to-device, it does not repair computers that are already infected. Security experts have also warned that new variants of the malware that ignore the \"kill switch\" will appear. \"This variant shouldn't be spreading any further, however there'll almost certainly be copycats,\" said security researcher Troy Hunt in a blog post. MalwareTech warned: \"We have stopped this one, but there will be another one coming and it will not be stoppable by us. \"There's a lot of money in this, there is no reason for them to stop. It's not much effort for them to change the code and start over.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 996, "answer_end": 2130, "text": "The researcher first noticed that the malware was trying to contact a specific web address every time it infected a new computer. But the web address it was trying to contact - a long jumble of letters - had not been registered. MalwareTech decided to register it, and bought it for $10.69 (PS8).  Owning it would let him see where computers were accessing it from, and give him an idea of how widespread the ransomware was. By doing so, he unexpectedly triggered part of the ransomware's code that told it to stop spreading. Analysis: How did it start? What is the ransomware? This type of code is known as a \"kill switch\", which some attackers use to halt the spread of their software if things get out of hand. He tested his discovery and was delighted when he managed to trigger the ransomware on demand. \"Now you probably can't picture a grown man jumping around with the excitement of having just been 'ransomwared', but this was me,\" he said in a blog post. MalwareTech now thinks the code was originally designed to thwart researchers trying to investigate the ransomware, but it backfired by letting them remotely disable it."}], "question": "What exactly did he discover?", "id": "1019_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2131, "answer_end": 2829, "text": "While the registration of the web address appears to have stopped one strain of the ransomware spreading from device-to-device, it does not repair computers that are already infected. Security experts have also warned that new variants of the malware that ignore the \"kill switch\" will appear. \"This variant shouldn't be spreading any further, however there'll almost certainly be copycats,\" said security researcher Troy Hunt in a blog post. MalwareTech warned: \"We have stopped this one, but there will be another one coming and it will not be stoppable by us. \"There's a lot of money in this, there is no reason for them to stop. It's not much effort for them to change the code and start over.\""}], "question": "Does this mean the ransomware is defeated?", "id": "1019_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Hungary's Fidesz leaders caught out by spontaneous protests", "date": "18 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The crowds in the snow and ice outside the state TV building were the strangest and most colourful mix of protesters I have seen in Hungary in over 30 years. Supporters of the nationalist Jobbik party rubbed shoulders with students sporting badges in solidarity with the Central European University. The daily protests against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz government were provoked principally by an overtime law pushed through parliament amid chaotic scenes by the Fidesz majority on 12 December. The law, which comes into force on 1 January, increases the number of overtime hours employees can be asked to work annually, from 250 to 400, calculated after three years. Hungary has a shortage of workers - whether for small domestic firms, giant multinationals or German car factories - largely because of mass emigration of Hungarians to Western Europe. And with very low unemployment, workers are angry that they are being squeezed to work longer and longer hours, away from their families, by a government that champions \"family values\". The protests reached a climax when security guards at the state TV building manhandled opposition MPs and threw them out on Monday. The violence has increased solidarity between opposition leaders, and an \"opposition committee\" now exists to help co-ordinate the protests. This brings together all parliamentary opposition parties as well as the Momentum youth movement. The Fidesz government appears bewildered by the speed and spontaneity of events on the streets. On the one side Hungarian and European flags fluttered in the smoke of red, white, and green flares. Hot drinks and cakes, distributed by students, and the singing and chanting of the crowd added to the festival atmosphere. Ranged against them were double lines of riot police, protecting the TV channel, a staunchly pro-government mouthpiece, from their wrath. \"Factory of Lies,\" chanted the crowd, and then \"Filthy Fidesz.\" One of the more humorous chants was \"Konnygaz Szerelo\", roughly translated as \"Tear gas-fitter\". It was a jibe aimed at one of Mr Orban's close friends and business associates, Lorinc Meszaros, who started as a lowly gas-fitter and under Mr Orban's patronage has risen to become one of the richest men in Hungary. Tear gas has been used sporadically by riot police to keep back attempts by the crowd to break through the cordon, at parliament and the TV station. They have five demands: - Cancel the overtime law - Less overtime for police officers - Independent courts - Join the European Prosecutors' Office - Independent public service media What happens next will depend on the stamina of the protesters, the unity of the opposition, the restraint of the police, and the calculations of the government. A key factor will be whether President Janos Ader signs the new laws on Friday 21 December, or returns them to parliament. Trade unions are consulting their members about nationwide strike action. What makes these protests different to previous demonstrations against the Fidesz government is that ordinary working people have been galvanised into action. Among other popular themes of protesters are widespread corruption in Fidesz circles and full government control of public service media and growing control of commercial media. \"Fidesz thinks they have defeated everyone, and that they can now do what they like,\" independent MP and protest organiser Bernadett Szel told the BBC. Mr Orban came to power in 2010 and his party was re-elected last April. \"They just expect the people to be silent, and get on with their jobs. What we are seeing now is the answer of the Hungarian people to that arrogance,\" said Ms Szel. As usual the government's response has been to blame Hungarian-born US businessman George Soros. \"The revolution unfolds with protest leaders from a band of the usual suspects, many of them trained abroad and with close ties to Soros networks, including minor opposition parties, a couple of dozen MPs, and a few NGOs,\" wrote government spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, on his blog. \"Pawns in a larger political game, the protesters pretend that they are the majority in the face of a two-thirds parliamentary majority and overwhelming voter support for the governing parties.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2405, "answer_end": 2748, "text": "They have five demands: - Cancel the overtime law - Less overtime for police officers - Independent courts - Join the European Prosecutors' Office - Independent public service media What happens next will depend on the stamina of the protesters, the unity of the opposition, the restraint of the police, and the calculations of the government."}], "question": "What do protesters want?", "id": "1020_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US election 2016: What does 'Islam' think of America?", "date": "13 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"Islam hates us,\" Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said in a CNN interview on Friday. Mr Trump later stood by his claim in a televised debate in Miami, saying: \"There is tremendous hatred, and I will stick with exactly what I said.\" It led to an outcry, with Senator Marco Rubio launching an impassioned defence of Muslims. There are clearly some radical Muslims who despise the US and other Western countries - including those who carried out the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. But what of Donald Trump's claim that Muslims in general hate the country? No major polling agency has yet asked whether respondents \"hate\" America. However, several have measured broad sentiment among the world's 1.6 billion Muslims. The Pew Research Centre, which surveys global attitudes, said anti-Americanism was strong around the word around the time of the US invasion of Iraq. However, currently there is little evidence of profound anti-American sentiment except for in a handful of countries, it says. Bruce Stokes, director of global economic attitudes at Pew, says sentiment towards the US varies widely between Muslim-majority countries. \"We tend to see more negative sentiment among Muslims in the Middle East, such as those from Egypt and Jordan,\" he says. \"But Muslims outside the Middle East generally have a more positive outlook,\" he adds. In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, 62% of people hold a favourable opinion of the US, Pew's latest data suggests. That figure rises to 80% in Senegal, a country which is over 90% Muslim. Mr Stokes points out that this is a stronger approval rate than Germany. \"Attitudes have also been changing over time. We've seen a gradual rise in positive sentiment since President Barack Obama came to power,\" Mr Stokes says. \"Even in the Palestinian Territories, where sentiment is 70% unfavourable, that's an improvement on 82% in Barack Obama's first year.\" The BBC World Service commissioned its own poll of global attitudes in 24 countries in 2014. Among other things, it asked respondents if they thought the US \"had a mainly positive or mainly negative influence in the world\". Pakistanis generally held the worst view of the US, with 61% saying the US had a negative influence. But both China and Germany were not far behind, scoring 59% and 57% respectively. Turkey, almost 98% Muslim, was split between 36% positive, 36% negative and 28% neutral. Dalia Mogahed, co-author of Who Speaks for Islam?, say religion is not the key driver of anti-American sentiment in Muslim-majority countries. \"It's nothing to do with religion and everything to do with policy,\" she says. In Pakistan, for example, anti-US sentiment spiked by 7% in 2011, the Pew data shows - that was the year in which the US launched a raid to kill Osama Bin Laden, which many Pakistanis saw as an infringement of their national sovereignty. \"Also, compare Muslim sentiment towards America with sentiment towards Canada. Our neighbour to the north shares our dominant culture and religion but not our foreign policy. And global Muslim opinion towards Canada is generally very positive,\" Ms Mogahed says. In the end then, it comes down to an old statistician's staple: Correlation does not imply causation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2418, "answer_end": 3241, "text": "Dalia Mogahed, co-author of Who Speaks for Islam?, say religion is not the key driver of anti-American sentiment in Muslim-majority countries. \"It's nothing to do with religion and everything to do with policy,\" she says. In Pakistan, for example, anti-US sentiment spiked by 7% in 2011, the Pew data shows - that was the year in which the US launched a raid to kill Osama Bin Laden, which many Pakistanis saw as an infringement of their national sovereignty. \"Also, compare Muslim sentiment towards America with sentiment towards Canada. Our neighbour to the north shares our dominant culture and religion but not our foreign policy. And global Muslim opinion towards Canada is generally very positive,\" Ms Mogahed says. In the end then, it comes down to an old statistician's staple: Correlation does not imply causation."}], "question": "Doctrine or diplomacy?", "id": "1021_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Dog owners warned about new tick disease", "date": "16 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Dog owners in the UK are being warned about an outbreak of an animal disease that is carried by ticks. It is the first time that experts have established an outbreak of babesiosis in the country. In Essex, two dogs have died and three others needed blood transfusions after contracting the disease. Experts say that it will be impossible to stop the spread of the disease, which is caused by a single-celled parasite. The ticks carrying the Babesia canis parasite have been found in fields in Harlow, Essex. The local council has put up a sign with a map defining the area and advising dog walkers not to enter. Two government agencies are now investigating the outbreak: the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Public Health England. Read live updates on this story Clive Swainsbury is a vet at the Forest Veterinary Centre in Harlow. He has been treating some of infected dogs, including the one that died. \"The parasite enters the bloodstream, enters the cells, and in the process of trying to kill the parasite the dog will actually destroy its own blood cells.  So they become very anaemic.\" The expectation is that it will spread throughout the country. \"At present we have a very well defined area. The problem in the future is that every female tick will lay a couple of thousand eggs and all those offspring from that disease will also carry the disease. \"As mammals move around they will start spreading the disease. Although you can advise dog walkers not to go there, it's possible that foxes and other animals will transport these ticks.\" The symptoms of babesiosis within dogs include weakness, lethargy, pale gums, red urine and fever. A serious problem is that Babesia can be mistaken for other less dangerous diseases. \"It's easy to miss it. And because it's a new disease to this country, we as a profession aren't used to looking for this disease on a regular basis.\" The tick acts as a vector. In the same way that a mosquito transmits malaria by sucking the blood from a person, the tick does the same to an animal. It also sucks blood and in the process of feeding the disease will transmit from the tick to the dog. It's not contagious between dogs themselves. The Pet Food Manufacturer's Association estimates that there are more than nine million dogs in the UK - almost a quarter of households. It's dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in rough and wooded areas, that are most at risk. \"The only solution is to kill the ticks quickly,\" says Mr Swainsbury. \"Some of the tick products available will kill the tick quick enough to prevent the tick spreading the disease to the dog, because the tick needs to be feeding for 24 hours at least before it transmits the disease. \"But not all tick products do that and you need to seek advice from your vet.\" The tick found in the UK carrying the Babesia canis strain is called Dermacentor reticulatus. Prof Richard Wall is professor of zoology at the University of Bristol. He is helping to conduct the largest every veterinary study of ticks and tick-borne diseases, called the Big Tick Project. \"People who work on ticks and tick-borne diseases are concerned about this outbreak. It could be the tip of the iceberg. If it spreads quickly throughout the UK then it is going to be a very significant problem, but we don't have enough info at this stage to make a prediction about how quickly this will happen. \"It's highly unlikely that the problem will now disappear, we have the vectors, we have the pathogens established in the UK.\" TV naturalist Chris Packham says: \"The population of ticks is getting bigger year on, year on. That's because there is better over winter survival of the adults  - it's warm and mild through our winters and that means they can breed more quickly in the spring and there are a lot more of them. \"These animals are very good at what they do, and they need to find hosts to suck its blood to reproduce, and they do it brilliantly. So if you walk in an area where there are ticks, with a dog, they will get on to your dog.\" There are several species of Babesia and some of them affect humans. In parts of the world including the United States, human babesiosis is transmitted by the same tick that carries Lyme Disease, caused by Borrelia bacteria. \"The first thing that dog owners can do to protect their animals is to be aware of the problem. Your dog could become very seriously ill or die, and if you get Lyme disease then the same could be the case for you.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2426, "answer_end": 4477, "text": "\"The only solution is to kill the ticks quickly,\" says Mr Swainsbury. \"Some of the tick products available will kill the tick quick enough to prevent the tick spreading the disease to the dog, because the tick needs to be feeding for 24 hours at least before it transmits the disease. \"But not all tick products do that and you need to seek advice from your vet.\" The tick found in the UK carrying the Babesia canis strain is called Dermacentor reticulatus. Prof Richard Wall is professor of zoology at the University of Bristol. He is helping to conduct the largest every veterinary study of ticks and tick-borne diseases, called the Big Tick Project. \"People who work on ticks and tick-borne diseases are concerned about this outbreak. It could be the tip of the iceberg. If it spreads quickly throughout the UK then it is going to be a very significant problem, but we don't have enough info at this stage to make a prediction about how quickly this will happen. \"It's highly unlikely that the problem will now disappear, we have the vectors, we have the pathogens established in the UK.\" TV naturalist Chris Packham says: \"The population of ticks is getting bigger year on, year on. That's because there is better over winter survival of the adults  - it's warm and mild through our winters and that means they can breed more quickly in the spring and there are a lot more of them. \"These animals are very good at what they do, and they need to find hosts to suck its blood to reproduce, and they do it brilliantly. So if you walk in an area where there are ticks, with a dog, they will get on to your dog.\" There are several species of Babesia and some of them affect humans. In parts of the world including the United States, human babesiosis is transmitted by the same tick that carries Lyme Disease, caused by Borrelia bacteria. \"The first thing that dog owners can do to protect their animals is to be aware of the problem. Your dog could become very seriously ill or die, and if you get Lyme disease then the same could be the case for you.\""}], "question": "Tip of the iceberg?", "id": "1022_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is Nepal's new constitution controversial?", "date": "19 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nepal is on the cusp of adopting a new constitution. It potentially ends a saga that began shortly after the end of the Maoist war in 2006. But while many are happy that the new republic now has the much-heralded document, some, for varying reasons, remain deeply unhappy with it - and its birth-pangs have been violent. At least 40 people have died in clashes linked to the constitution. The demand for a new constitution was raised by Maoists rebels, who waged a 10-year civil war which ended with a 2006 peace deal. The Maoists won elections to a constituent assembly two years later, leading to the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. But because of squabbles, the assembly failed to draw up a new constitution. A new assembly elected in 2013 is once more dominated by the traditional parties. They and the Maoists, working together, pushed through the new draft charter in June, saying the disastrous earthquakes in April and May had concentrated their will to get it done. Over the past few days assembly members have passed all its articles and the document is to be enacted on Sunday. The new republic will become a federal one. The Maoists' proposal of federalism was later adopted by many more mainstream parties because of the diversity of Nepal. Its people speak over 100 languages. They're split by divisions such as high- and low-caste, Nepali-speaking v speakers of indigenous languages, hill ethnicities v lowland ethnicities, and gender divisions, with high-caste men from the hills almost supremely dominant up to now. The new document has drawn up provisional boundaries for seven states but their names are to be decided by their eventual assemblies and a commission has yet to fix their final boundaries. Nepali society has become deeply polarised on whether the states should be ethnically delineated. At least 40 people have died in clashes at protests over the draft constitution. Some of the most violent incidents include (from left to right): - Tikapur, Kailali district: Clashes kill 8 police officers and a child, 24 August - Birendranagar, Surkhet district: Three protestors were shot dead by police, 10 April - Bethari, Rupandehi district: Four killed in police firing including a four year old boy and a 14 year old girl, 15 September - Jaleshwar, Mahottari district: Three protesters shot dead by police on 9 September; one police officer killed on 11 September - Janakpur, Dhanusa district: Three protesters killed in police firing, 11 September Many members of traditionally marginalised groups fear that the constitution will still work against them as it's been rushed through by established parties which - including the Maoists - are dominated by high-caste, mostly male, leaders. One grievance is that a smaller percentage of parliament will now be elected by proportional representation - 45%, compared with 58% under the previous post-war interim constitution. The PR system has helped more members of indigenous and low-caste groups, historically repressed and marginalised, get elected. Some ethnic communities are unhappy at the proposed boundaries of the new provinces, although these may be subject to change. This disquiet has been especially intense in the Terai - Nepal's long southern lowland strip bordering India, where recent years have seen tensions between lowlanders and highlanders who have migrated there over recent decades. In the western Terai one lowland group, the indigenous Tharus, are unhappy at the prospect of being split in two and forced to share their provinces with hill districts that they fear will predominate. Women's groups and campaigners on women's issues say the new constitution discriminates against Nepalese women in what is already a patriarchal society.  According to the Kathmandu Post, under the new constitution it will be difficult for a single mother to pass her citizenship to her child. And if a Nepali woman marries a foreign man, their children cannot become Nepali unless the man first takes Nepali citizenship; whereas if the father is Nepali, his children can also be Nepali regardless of the wife's nationality. In eastern Terai the so-called Madhesi communities, ethnically and socially close to Indians just across the border, complain they have always faced discrimination and lack of acceptance by the Nepalese state.  They say the above citizenship measures will disproportionately affect them because there are many cross-border marriages. On the more conservative side, Hindu groups that want the restoration of the country's officially Hindu status (abolished nine years ago) are not happy. The new draft enshrines secularism - although it is a moderate secularism, which says the state is responsible for protecting ancient religious practices, and also makes the cow, sacred to Hindus, the national animal. Those who favour strong devolution say the new provinces will have fewer powers than originally envisaged - for instance their autonomy on provincial laws, banking and foreign aid will be limited. Many campaigners for change complain that this new draft was rushed through, with only token and brief public consultations, overseen by the security forces. And some of those who fought for the Maoists, or supported their aims in their guerrilla war, or who saw them as the most progressive post-war party, now accuse the leftists of betrayal and wonder why the war was fought.  In their original charter the Maoists vowed among other things to end patriarchy, let ethnic minorities form their own governments, and redistribute land from large holders to the landless. Very many Nepalis are simply relieved that the country has a new constitution after seven years of wrangling.  \"Now that we have a constitution let us hope there will be rule of law,\" wrote one woman on Facebook.  \"As the country stabilises and starts moving towards development, there will always be possibilities of unfavourable laws to be amended.\" Some see the document as progressive as it provides for quotas for some groups, including women, indigenous communities and low-caste Dalits, in serving on constitutional bodies. One notable social group praising the new document is the Blue Diamond Society, which has successfully campaigned for rights of sexual minorities including transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people.  Its leader, Sunil Pant, who was a member of the first Constituent Assembly, has praised articles that list \"gender and sexual minority people\" as disadvantaged and that enshrine their right to participate in state mechanisms. Some say this constitution is not the way forward and may spur further violence. One Madhesi leader, Shivaji Yadav of the Federal Socialist Forum, has alleged that \"the big parties have tried to crush the minority groups\" and \"pushed the nation into chaos\".  He says the constitution has been rushed through for the sake of the privileged old guard of politicians, not \"the people\". A similar warning has come from Bhoj Raj Pokhrel, a former national election commissioner.  He said the \"rushed\" constitution was leading to conflict, and the state must immediately address the grievances of those opposing it; the country's future depended on it. But senior politicians are hailing the document.  The foreign minister, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, said Nepal's people \"have achieved a republican nation that they have aspired for for decades\". The Maoists' leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, called the adoption of the constitution \"a victory of the dreams of the thousands of martyrs and disappeared fighters\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 389, "answer_end": 1096, "text": "The demand for a new constitution was raised by Maoists rebels, who waged a 10-year civil war which ended with a 2006 peace deal. The Maoists won elections to a constituent assembly two years later, leading to the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. But because of squabbles, the assembly failed to draw up a new constitution. A new assembly elected in 2013 is once more dominated by the traditional parties. They and the Maoists, working together, pushed through the new draft charter in June, saying the disastrous earthquakes in April and May had concentrated their will to get it done. Over the past few days assembly members have passed all its articles and the document is to be enacted on Sunday."}], "question": "How did the new constitution come about?", "id": "1023_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2484, "answer_end": 3590, "text": "Many members of traditionally marginalised groups fear that the constitution will still work against them as it's been rushed through by established parties which - including the Maoists - are dominated by high-caste, mostly male, leaders. One grievance is that a smaller percentage of parliament will now be elected by proportional representation - 45%, compared with 58% under the previous post-war interim constitution. The PR system has helped more members of indigenous and low-caste groups, historically repressed and marginalised, get elected. Some ethnic communities are unhappy at the proposed boundaries of the new provinces, although these may be subject to change. This disquiet has been especially intense in the Terai - Nepal's long southern lowland strip bordering India, where recent years have seen tensions between lowlanders and highlanders who have migrated there over recent decades. In the western Terai one lowland group, the indigenous Tharus, are unhappy at the prospect of being split in two and forced to share their provinces with hill districts that they fear will predominate."}], "question": "Why are some ethnic groups unhappy?", "id": "1023_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3591, "answer_end": 5586, "text": "Women's groups and campaigners on women's issues say the new constitution discriminates against Nepalese women in what is already a patriarchal society.  According to the Kathmandu Post, under the new constitution it will be difficult for a single mother to pass her citizenship to her child. And if a Nepali woman marries a foreign man, their children cannot become Nepali unless the man first takes Nepali citizenship; whereas if the father is Nepali, his children can also be Nepali regardless of the wife's nationality. In eastern Terai the so-called Madhesi communities, ethnically and socially close to Indians just across the border, complain they have always faced discrimination and lack of acceptance by the Nepalese state.  They say the above citizenship measures will disproportionately affect them because there are many cross-border marriages. On the more conservative side, Hindu groups that want the restoration of the country's officially Hindu status (abolished nine years ago) are not happy. The new draft enshrines secularism - although it is a moderate secularism, which says the state is responsible for protecting ancient religious practices, and also makes the cow, sacred to Hindus, the national animal. Those who favour strong devolution say the new provinces will have fewer powers than originally envisaged - for instance their autonomy on provincial laws, banking and foreign aid will be limited. Many campaigners for change complain that this new draft was rushed through, with only token and brief public consultations, overseen by the security forces. And some of those who fought for the Maoists, or supported their aims in their guerrilla war, or who saw them as the most progressive post-war party, now accuse the leftists of betrayal and wonder why the war was fought.  In their original charter the Maoists vowed among other things to end patriarchy, let ethnic minorities form their own governments, and redistribute land from large holders to the landless."}], "question": "Who else is unhappy?", "id": "1023_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6548, "answer_end": 7548, "text": "Some say this constitution is not the way forward and may spur further violence. One Madhesi leader, Shivaji Yadav of the Federal Socialist Forum, has alleged that \"the big parties have tried to crush the minority groups\" and \"pushed the nation into chaos\".  He says the constitution has been rushed through for the sake of the privileged old guard of politicians, not \"the people\". A similar warning has come from Bhoj Raj Pokhrel, a former national election commissioner.  He said the \"rushed\" constitution was leading to conflict, and the state must immediately address the grievances of those opposing it; the country's future depended on it. But senior politicians are hailing the document.  The foreign minister, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, said Nepal's people \"have achieved a republican nation that they have aspired for for decades\". The Maoists' leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, called the adoption of the constitution \"a victory of the dreams of the thousands of martyrs and disappeared fighters\"."}], "question": "What of the future?", "id": "1023_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Shahbaz Taseer: Why was murdered Pakistan governor's son released?", "date": "9 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The kidnapped son of murdered Pakistani governor Salman Taseer has been reunited with his family, more than four years after being seized by gunmen in Lahore. Many questions surround Shahbaz Taseer's abduction and release - and there are few clear answers. Shahbaz Taseer's release comes barely a week after Pakistan executed Mumtaz Qadri, the police guard who assassinated Salman Taseer (Shahbaz's father) for defending reforms to the country's blasphemy laws. As such, one would have expected the extremists holding him to use him as an object of their revenge. Instead, he walked free, apparently with the consent of his captors. There are various theories. Some say that in the wake of Pakistan's military operations in the Waziristan region, the militants were on the run and found it difficult to hold him. Others believe he was released after ransom was paid to his kidnappers. Why did Pakistan keep hard-line mourners off air? How Punjab governor's killer became a hero What are Pakistan's blasphemy laws? Salman Taseer: Death of a liberal Initial reports attributed to Pakistani officials said he was recovered in an \"intelligence-based\" operation conducted by a premier Pakistani intelligence service (a euphemism for the ISI), the intelligence unit of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FCIU) and Balochistan police's counter-terrorism department (CTD). A CTD official said they recovered him from a compound in the Kuchlak area, some 25km (16 miles) north of Quetta. The military's media wing, ISPR, confirmed Mr Taseer's release and promised more details in a subsequent message which was never released, apart from a couple of his pictures, with the ISPR chief assuring readers in a tweet that he was \"hale and hearty\". Just when the media were desperately looking for reports of a shootout or arrest of kidnappers, some reporters in Quetta got in touch with the owner of a roadside restaurant in Kuchlak. The owner said that a man with long hair and an overgrown beard had walked into the restaurant at about 5:20pm local time (12:20 GMT) and ordered roasted mutton, a local speciality. After finishing his food, he paid his bill of 350 rupees (PS2.35; $3.35). He walked up to the counter and asked for a telephone. The owner told him he didn't have one. He then asked a waiter for his phone, made a call and then sat down at his table. At about 5.50pm, a motorcade of Frontier Corps pulled up at the side of the restaurant. The man stood up and rushed towards the FC vehicles. Some soldiers put a scarf over his head and put him inside one of the vehicles and drove away, shouting to the people present there to look the other way. The owner said that when he heard the news of Mr Taseer's release and saw his pictures on TV, he realised who his client was. The restaurant owner's account was seen by many as evidence that the governor's son was voluntarily set free by his captors, not snatched by the security forces. Initial police investigations focused on local business rivals, but a mobile phone found by the police at the spot from where he was kidnapped led in July 2013 to the arrest of two Uzbeks and five Pakistanis. They were said to have orchestrated the kidnapping of not only Shahbaz Taseer but also of an American aid official, Warren Weinstein, as well as former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son, Haider Gilani. But by then they had passed on their victims to militant groups based in Pakistan's tribal region of Waziristan. The two Uzbek brothers arrested in July 2013 were said to be members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), while the five Pakistanis were mostly engineering students affiliated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Pakistani sectarian militant group with links to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), al-Qaeda and its various international affiliates, including the IMU. Many believe that before his release on Tuesday, Shahbaz Taseer was being held by some elements of the TTP, which hosted the IMU in their stronghold of South Waziristan for years. Extortion and kidnapping for ransom have been a major source of revenue for this entire militant network. Apart from ransom, kidnappings have also been used by these groups to secure the release of their arrested comrades. In the past, Pakistani and Afghan governments have both paid ransom and released militants to secure the freedom of at least one Pakistani diplomat and an Afghan diplomat. In most cases the money changed hands through TTP leaders. In the case of Shahbaz Taseer, there were reports of a higher ransom being demanded which was later reduced to 1bn Pakistani rupees ($10m). However, haggling went on and some quarters have indicated that the Haqqani network, which despite denials is long believed to have enjoyed support from Pakistan's military establishment, helped mediate a deal involving a lower ransom. It is not clear if any prisoner releases were also part of the agreement. Pakistan has moved against militant sanctuaries in the north-western tribal areas, but northern parts of Balochistan have remained largely untouched. These areas have been home to a large  Afghan refugee population, and to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban called the Quetta Shura. During the operations in Waziristan, most TTP and IMU militants based in the south of that region spilled over into northern Balochistan. They have also been able to move across most of the Afghan territory adjacent to the tribal areas and Balochistan.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 257, "answer_end": 884, "text": "Shahbaz Taseer's release comes barely a week after Pakistan executed Mumtaz Qadri, the police guard who assassinated Salman Taseer (Shahbaz's father) for defending reforms to the country's blasphemy laws. As such, one would have expected the extremists holding him to use him as an object of their revenge. Instead, he walked free, apparently with the consent of his captors. There are various theories. Some say that in the wake of Pakistan's military operations in the Waziristan region, the militants were on the run and found it difficult to hold him. Others believe he was released after ransom was paid to his kidnappers."}], "question": "Why was he freed now?", "id": "1024_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1048, "answer_end": 1731, "text": "Initial reports attributed to Pakistani officials said he was recovered in an \"intelligence-based\" operation conducted by a premier Pakistani intelligence service (a euphemism for the ISI), the intelligence unit of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FCIU) and Balochistan police's counter-terrorism department (CTD). A CTD official said they recovered him from a compound in the Kuchlak area, some 25km (16 miles) north of Quetta. The military's media wing, ISPR, confirmed Mr Taseer's release and promised more details in a subsequent message which was never released, apart from a couple of his pictures, with the ISPR chief assuring readers in a tweet that he was \"hale and hearty\"."}], "question": "What is the official story of his kidnapping?", "id": "1024_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1732, "answer_end": 2933, "text": "Just when the media were desperately looking for reports of a shootout or arrest of kidnappers, some reporters in Quetta got in touch with the owner of a roadside restaurant in Kuchlak. The owner said that a man with long hair and an overgrown beard had walked into the restaurant at about 5:20pm local time (12:20 GMT) and ordered roasted mutton, a local speciality. After finishing his food, he paid his bill of 350 rupees (PS2.35; $3.35). He walked up to the counter and asked for a telephone. The owner told him he didn't have one. He then asked a waiter for his phone, made a call and then sat down at his table. At about 5.50pm, a motorcade of Frontier Corps pulled up at the side of the restaurant. The man stood up and rushed towards the FC vehicles. Some soldiers put a scarf over his head and put him inside one of the vehicles and drove away, shouting to the people present there to look the other way. The owner said that when he heard the news of Mr Taseer's release and saw his pictures on TV, he realised who his client was. The restaurant owner's account was seen by many as evidence that the governor's son was voluntarily set free by his captors, not snatched by the security forces."}], "question": "What did the restaurant owner say?", "id": "1024_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2934, "answer_end": 3821, "text": "Initial police investigations focused on local business rivals, but a mobile phone found by the police at the spot from where he was kidnapped led in July 2013 to the arrest of two Uzbeks and five Pakistanis. They were said to have orchestrated the kidnapping of not only Shahbaz Taseer but also of an American aid official, Warren Weinstein, as well as former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son, Haider Gilani. But by then they had passed on their victims to militant groups based in Pakistan's tribal region of Waziristan. The two Uzbek brothers arrested in July 2013 were said to be members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), while the five Pakistanis were mostly engineering students affiliated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Pakistani sectarian militant group with links to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), al-Qaeda and its various international affiliates, including the IMU."}], "question": "Who kidnapped him?", "id": "1024_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3822, "answer_end": 4905, "text": "Many believe that before his release on Tuesday, Shahbaz Taseer was being held by some elements of the TTP, which hosted the IMU in their stronghold of South Waziristan for years. Extortion and kidnapping for ransom have been a major source of revenue for this entire militant network. Apart from ransom, kidnappings have also been used by these groups to secure the release of their arrested comrades. In the past, Pakistani and Afghan governments have both paid ransom and released militants to secure the freedom of at least one Pakistani diplomat and an Afghan diplomat. In most cases the money changed hands through TTP leaders. In the case of Shahbaz Taseer, there were reports of a higher ransom being demanded which was later reduced to 1bn Pakistani rupees ($10m). However, haggling went on and some quarters have indicated that the Haqqani network, which despite denials is long believed to have enjoyed support from Pakistan's military establishment, helped mediate a deal involving a lower ransom. It is not clear if any prisoner releases were also part of the agreement."}], "question": "Why was he kidnapped?", "id": "1024_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4906, "answer_end": 5443, "text": "Pakistan has moved against militant sanctuaries in the north-western tribal areas, but northern parts of Balochistan have remained largely untouched. These areas have been home to a large  Afghan refugee population, and to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban called the Quetta Shura. During the operations in Waziristan, most TTP and IMU militants based in the south of that region spilled over into northern Balochistan. They have also been able to move across most of the Afghan territory adjacent to the tribal areas and Balochistan."}], "question": "Why Balochistan? Is there an Afghan connection?", "id": "1024_5"}]}]}, {"title": "US tax plan: John McCain will vote in favour in Senate", "date": "30 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A key Republican senator says he will vote for his party's controversial tax plan. Arizona's John McCain revealed he would back the legislation, although he described it as \"far from perfect\". The proposal would slash corporate tax rates, a much-disputed move that President Donald Trump argues will boost economic growth. But critics are concerned about the $1.5tn cost and the effect on working families. Mr McCain's support adds momentum to the passage of the biggest revamp to America's tax code since the Reagan era. Congressional Republicans aim to deliver a bill to the president's desk before the end of the year. Republicans in the Senate can afford to lose just two members of their party, and are scrambling to secure support for a final vote on the plan by the end of the week. Mr McCain had appeared to be on the fence about the proposal, saying he worried about its effect on the deficit. But in a statement on Thursday he said: \"This is not a perfect bill, but it is one that would deliver much-needed reform to our tax code, grow the economy and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money.\" If the bill passes the Senate, lawmakers will have to craft a compromise bill with the House in a process known as going to \"conference committee\". This is a normal process that occurs when the House and Senate approve similar but slightly different bills. - Under the Senate bill, the corporate tax cut would not go into effect until 2019, instead of going into effect immediately. - The Senate bill would repeal the requirement that individuals have health insurance or face a fine. That is not included in the House plan. - The Senate bill does not allow households to deduct anything for state and local property taxes, a sticking point for lawmakers in high-cost states. The House plan allows families to deduct up to $10,000 in property taxes. - The Senate bill doubles the amount of money exempt from inheritance tax. The House plan would also eventually eliminate the inheritance tax entirely. - The Senate bill maintains seven tax brackets, but cuts the top rate to 38.5%, while the House would slim the number of brackets to four, preserving a top rate of 39.5%. - The Senate preserves some popular benefits for people with medical expenses and student loans, which the House would eliminate. The details of the Senate bill remain in flux. The heart of the proposal is a move to slash the corporate rate from 35% to 20%, a move that supporters say will make the US more competitive. But as a vote nears, some senators have raised the possibility of lowering the rate to 22%, in an effort to reduce the cost of the proposal. The plan would also boost the amount individuals and families can deduct from their tax bill, while eliminating other targeted benefits. That change is meant to simplify tax filing for the average household. But the bill's effects would be much broader. For example, the Senate has proposed eliminating a requirement that people have health insurance - a change that would rock US insurance markets. The US stock market soared on Thursday amid signs the bill will move forward. Investors expect to benefit from lower rates, as companies use additional cash to buy back shares or pay out higher dividends. But the effects of the changes are mixed for households. Wealthy families would benefit from proposals such as one that would increase the amount exempt from inheritance tax. Analyses suggest some lower- and middle-class families would eventually see higher bills as other benefits expire. One of the most controversial parts of the bill is a measure that would stop allowing families to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal bills. The issue is especially important in high-tax states, many of which are Democratic.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2319, "answer_end": 3049, "text": "The details of the Senate bill remain in flux. The heart of the proposal is a move to slash the corporate rate from 35% to 20%, a move that supporters say will make the US more competitive. But as a vote nears, some senators have raised the possibility of lowering the rate to 22%, in an effort to reduce the cost of the proposal. The plan would also boost the amount individuals and families can deduct from their tax bill, while eliminating other targeted benefits. That change is meant to simplify tax filing for the average household. But the bill's effects would be much broader. For example, the Senate has proposed eliminating a requirement that people have health insurance - a change that would rock US insurance markets."}], "question": "What is in the bill?", "id": "1025_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3050, "answer_end": 3787, "text": "The US stock market soared on Thursday amid signs the bill will move forward. Investors expect to benefit from lower rates, as companies use additional cash to buy back shares or pay out higher dividends. But the effects of the changes are mixed for households. Wealthy families would benefit from proposals such as one that would increase the amount exempt from inheritance tax. Analyses suggest some lower- and middle-class families would eventually see higher bills as other benefits expire. One of the most controversial parts of the bill is a measure that would stop allowing families to deduct their state and local taxes from their federal bills. The issue is especially important in high-tax states, many of which are Democratic."}], "question": "Who will benefit?", "id": "1025_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Leader Carrie Lam defiant on extradition plan", "date": "10 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has said she will not scrap a controversial plan to allow extradition to mainland China, despite mass protests. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people rallied against the bill which critics fear allows China to target political opponents in the region. Speaking to reporters on Monday, she insisted the law was necessary and said human rights safeguards were in place. Chinese state media said \"foreign forces\" were behind the protests. Organisers estimate that one million people took part in Sunday's march, although police put the figure at 240,000 at its peak. If the organisers' estimate is confirmed as correct, it would be the largest demonstration in Hong Kong since the territory was handed over to China by the British in 1997. After Sunday's protests tapered off, violence broke out between protesters and police. At least three officers and a journalist were injured. Another rally will be held on Wednesday, when the second reading of the bill will be debated by legislators, the AFP news agency quoted protest organiser Jimmy Sham as saying. Carrie Lam said in a press conference on Monday the law would in no way erode any of the special freedoms the territory enjoys. \"The bill wasn't initiated by the central people's government,\" Ms Lam said, referring to Beijing. She said the law was proposed out of \"conscience\" and \"commitment to Hong Kong\". She also promised legally binding human rights safeguards, and regular reports of implementation of the bill to the legislature. The march was seen as a major rebuke of Ms Lam, who has pushed for the amendments to be passed before July. Critics of the bill say it will expose Hong Kong residents to China's deeply flawed justice system, and lead to further erosion of judicial independence. Supporters say safeguards are in place to prevent anyone facing religious or political persecution from being extradited to mainland China. By Grace Tsoi, BBC News, Hong Kong Whichever number you believe, this was a huge protest by Hong Kong's standards and this controversial bill has prompted opposition from the most unexpected corners of society. Two years ago, Carrie Lam ran on a manifesto of \"We Connect\", vowing to unite a deeply split society after the 79-day Umbrella Movement in 2014. She was never the most popular candidate running to be Hong Kong's leader and won largely because of Beijing's blessing. She has always been considered a capable, experienced bureaucrat who is deft at tackling thorny issues - her moniker is \"good fighter\". But critics say the first female leader is arrogant, elitist and unwilling to listen to the people. The banners out on Sunday - many with her face emblazoned on - are an indication of just how personal this protest has become. Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997. Central to the handover was the agreement of the Basic Law, a mini constitution that gives Hong Kong broad autonomy and sets out certain rights. Under the so-called \"one country, two systems\" principle, Hong Kong has kept its judicial independence, its own legislature, its economic system and the Hong Kong dollar. Its residents were also granted protection of certain human rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and assembly. Beijing retains control of foreign and defence affairs, and visas or permits are required for travel between Hong Kong and the mainland. However, the Basic Law expires in 2047 and what happens to Hong Kong's autonomy after that is unclear. The protests were strongly criticised in an editorial on Monday in the state-run newspaper China Daily, which argued that \"some Hong Kong residents have been hoodwinked by the opposition camp and their foreign allies into supporting the anti-extradition campaign\". The paper argued that \"any fair-minded person\" would support the \"long overdue\" bill meant \"to plug legal loopholes and prevent Hong Kong from becoming a safe haven for criminals\". Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that Beijing would \"continue to firmly support\" Hong Kong's government, adding: \"We firmly oppose any outside interference in the legislative affairs\" of the region. Reports about Sunday's protests were heavily censored in mainland China, with international media blocked and searches on social media directed to pro-Beijing publications in Hong Kong. State media frequently blame protests in Hong Kong on foreign forces as a way to discredit protesters, Prof Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, told the BBC. They allow for extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau for suspects accused of criminal wrongdoing such as murder and rape. The requests will then be decided on a case-by-case basis. The move came after a 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend while they were holidaying in Taiwan together in February last year. The man fled to Hong Kong and could not be extradited to Taiwan because no extradition treaty exists between the two. Hong Kong officials have said Hong Kong courts will have the final say over whether to grant extradition requests, and suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited. But critics say people would be subject to arbitrary detention, unfair trial and torture under China's judicial system. \"It could give China additional leverage to counteract Western policies against its interests... Once this law is passed, Beijing could extradite foreigners staying in or passing through Hong Kong,\" Prof Dixon Sing, a social scientist from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told the BBC. Opposition against the law is widespread across Hong Kong, with groups from all sections of society - ranging from lawyers to schools to house wives - having voiced their criticism or started petitions against the changes. The government has sought to reassure the public with some concessions, including promising to only hand over fugitives for offences carrying maximum sentences of at least seven years. Hong Kong has entered into extradition agreements with 20 countries, including the UK and the US.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1088, "answer_end": 1926, "text": "Carrie Lam said in a press conference on Monday the law would in no way erode any of the special freedoms the territory enjoys. \"The bill wasn't initiated by the central people's government,\" Ms Lam said, referring to Beijing. She said the law was proposed out of \"conscience\" and \"commitment to Hong Kong\". She also promised legally binding human rights safeguards, and regular reports of implementation of the bill to the legislature. The march was seen as a major rebuke of Ms Lam, who has pushed for the amendments to be passed before July. Critics of the bill say it will expose Hong Kong residents to China's deeply flawed justice system, and lead to further erosion of judicial independence. Supporters say safeguards are in place to prevent anyone facing religious or political persecution from being extradited to mainland China."}], "question": "What did Hong Kong's chief executive say?", "id": "1026_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2767, "answer_end": 3535, "text": "Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997. Central to the handover was the agreement of the Basic Law, a mini constitution that gives Hong Kong broad autonomy and sets out certain rights. Under the so-called \"one country, two systems\" principle, Hong Kong has kept its judicial independence, its own legislature, its economic system and the Hong Kong dollar. Its residents were also granted protection of certain human rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and assembly. Beijing retains control of foreign and defence affairs, and visas or permits are required for travel between Hong Kong and the mainland. However, the Basic Law expires in 2047 and what happens to Hong Kong's autonomy after that is unclear."}], "question": "Isn't Hong Kong under Chinese rule anyway?", "id": "1026_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3536, "answer_end": 4560, "text": "The protests were strongly criticised in an editorial on Monday in the state-run newspaper China Daily, which argued that \"some Hong Kong residents have been hoodwinked by the opposition camp and their foreign allies into supporting the anti-extradition campaign\". The paper argued that \"any fair-minded person\" would support the \"long overdue\" bill meant \"to plug legal loopholes and prevent Hong Kong from becoming a safe haven for criminals\". Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that Beijing would \"continue to firmly support\" Hong Kong's government, adding: \"We firmly oppose any outside interference in the legislative affairs\" of the region. Reports about Sunday's protests were heavily censored in mainland China, with international media blocked and searches on social media directed to pro-Beijing publications in Hong Kong. State media frequently blame protests in Hong Kong on foreign forces as a way to discredit protesters, Prof Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, told the BBC."}], "question": "What has the mainland said?", "id": "1026_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4561, "answer_end": 6193, "text": "They allow for extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau for suspects accused of criminal wrongdoing such as murder and rape. The requests will then be decided on a case-by-case basis. The move came after a 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend while they were holidaying in Taiwan together in February last year. The man fled to Hong Kong and could not be extradited to Taiwan because no extradition treaty exists between the two. Hong Kong officials have said Hong Kong courts will have the final say over whether to grant extradition requests, and suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited. But critics say people would be subject to arbitrary detention, unfair trial and torture under China's judicial system. \"It could give China additional leverage to counteract Western policies against its interests... Once this law is passed, Beijing could extradite foreigners staying in or passing through Hong Kong,\" Prof Dixon Sing, a social scientist from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, told the BBC. Opposition against the law is widespread across Hong Kong, with groups from all sections of society - ranging from lawyers to schools to house wives - having voiced their criticism or started petitions against the changes. The government has sought to reassure the public with some concessions, including promising to only hand over fugitives for offences carrying maximum sentences of at least seven years. Hong Kong has entered into extradition agreements with 20 countries, including the UK and the US."}], "question": "What are the proposed changes?", "id": "1026_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Yuendumu: Policeman charged with Aboriginal teenager's murder", "date": "14 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Australian policeman has been charged with murder over the shooting death of an Aboriginal teenager in a case that has drawn national attention. Kumanjayi Walker, 19, died after being arrested at a house in the Northern Territory (NT) on Saturday. His death has sparked community anger and protests across the country. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 28, was arrested on Wednesday, NT Police said. He will plead not guilty to murder, a police union said. Mr Rolfe was granted bail following a court hearing and has been suspended with pay. Police said they would also conduct an internal investigation into the shooting in Yuendumu, a remote community 300km (190 miles) north-west of Alice Springs. The territory government has called for calm amid rising community tensions that have seen crowds converge on the police station in Yuendumu. NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he acknowledged the Yuendemu community - 85% of whom identify as indigenous - was \"hurting and grieving\". Mr Walker was shot sometime after two police officers went to arrest him for breaches of his suspended sentence, local media reported. He died in the police station at Yuendumu. There was no medical care in the town at the time - medical staff from another town arrived after he had died. NT health officials said the medical clinic in Yuendumu had been unstaffed due to safety concerns about break-ins. The Royal Flying Doctor Service said it had also delayed travelling to the site because of safety concerns. Mr Walker's family was notified of his death hours after he died, Australian media reported. Officials have classified his death as a \"death in custody\". He is the second Aboriginal person to have died in the past two months after being shot by police. Joyce Clarke, 29, was fatally wounded in Western Australia in September. Australia conducted a royal commission inquiry in 1991 into Aboriginal deaths in custody, but critics say recent reviews have been misleading and not enough is being done to address the issue. .", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 981, "answer_end": 2013, "text": "Mr Walker was shot sometime after two police officers went to arrest him for breaches of his suspended sentence, local media reported. He died in the police station at Yuendumu. There was no medical care in the town at the time - medical staff from another town arrived after he had died. NT health officials said the medical clinic in Yuendumu had been unstaffed due to safety concerns about break-ins. The Royal Flying Doctor Service said it had also delayed travelling to the site because of safety concerns. Mr Walker's family was notified of his death hours after he died, Australian media reported. Officials have classified his death as a \"death in custody\". He is the second Aboriginal person to have died in the past two months after being shot by police. Joyce Clarke, 29, was fatally wounded in Western Australia in September. Australia conducted a royal commission inquiry in 1991 into Aboriginal deaths in custody, but critics say recent reviews have been misleading and not enough is being done to address the issue. ."}], "question": "What is known about the case?", "id": "1027_0"}]}]}, {"title": "India Aadhaar ID cards: Collecting biometric data from 1bn people", "date": "23 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The idea of getting biometric data - fingerprint and iris scans - of a billion people would seem to be an impossibly complex task. But the Indian government is in the final stages of enrolling all of its citizens in the world's largest ID system. Siva Parameswaran of the BBC's Tamil Service finds out how they did it. The system is known as Aadhaar, which means foundation. It started as a voluntary programme to help tackle benefit fraud - and is now described as \"the largest and most sophisticated ID database in the world\". Once the government committed to it - with the hope that it would be able to use it to raise more taxes, register voters and identify the hundreds of millions of drivers using false licences - it began taking the details of people whenever they came into contact with state agencies. Biometric details were - and continue to be - recorded in schools, hospitals, childcare centres and special camps. Aadhaar's website claims that 90% of Indians are now registered, though this figure is disputed by activists. Aadhaar, or a Unique Identification Number, is allocated to every Indian and remains their national identity document forever. It has become virtually impossible to do anything financial without it - such as opening a bank account or filing a tax return. However, the scheme does in theory remain voluntary, and the highest court is hearing a petition on making it compulsory; the final judgement is awaited. When Indian cricket star MS Dhoni accidentally had his number published on Twitter in March 2017, it exposed the many worries Indians have about having one single code so crucial to many aspects of their lives. One fear is that it will become a method of financial surveillance. Questions have also been raised about the moral authority of the government to force citizens to share biometric data. Activists say it is breach of the UN's Fundamental Right of Privacy. People's Union for Civil Liberties activist Suresh told the BBC that citizens were not briefed about the implications of sharing their private data, but did so as they feared they would not be able to carry out financial transactions, gain admission to educational institutions and access subsidised food products from government-run shops. \"There is no guarantee that the data will not be leaked and also no accountability structure is in place,\" Suresh explained. Activists also fear that it will be impossible to ensure that data will not be misused or abused, though authorities told the BBC that all the biometric data was well protected. Investigative reporter Saikat Datta of the Observer Research Foundation says that Aadhaar has been converted into \"the world's biggest surveillance engine.\" And while India has a billion phones, laws for protecting the data on those phones are antiquated. When the National Identification Authority of India Bill was introduced in 2016, it was sent to a special committee of the Parliament, whose members made scathing remarks about the project. This committee recommended that enactment of legislation on data protection and privacy law was a \"prerequisite\" for the Aadhaar scheme. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also strongly criticised the scheme in 2014. But Aadhaar's authorities say their data protection goes far beyond what is required in the law.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1038, "answer_end": 1446, "text": "Aadhaar, or a Unique Identification Number, is allocated to every Indian and remains their national identity document forever. It has become virtually impossible to do anything financial without it - such as opening a bank account or filing a tax return. However, the scheme does in theory remain voluntary, and the highest court is hearing a petition on making it compulsory; the final judgement is awaited."}], "question": "How does it work?", "id": "1028_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1447, "answer_end": 2557, "text": "When Indian cricket star MS Dhoni accidentally had his number published on Twitter in March 2017, it exposed the many worries Indians have about having one single code so crucial to many aspects of their lives. One fear is that it will become a method of financial surveillance. Questions have also been raised about the moral authority of the government to force citizens to share biometric data. Activists say it is breach of the UN's Fundamental Right of Privacy. People's Union for Civil Liberties activist Suresh told the BBC that citizens were not briefed about the implications of sharing their private data, but did so as they feared they would not be able to carry out financial transactions, gain admission to educational institutions and access subsidised food products from government-run shops. \"There is no guarantee that the data will not be leaked and also no accountability structure is in place,\" Suresh explained. Activists also fear that it will be impossible to ensure that data will not be misused or abused, though authorities told the BBC that all the biometric data was well protected."}], "question": "Why is it controversial?", "id": "1028_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2558, "answer_end": 3319, "text": "Investigative reporter Saikat Datta of the Observer Research Foundation says that Aadhaar has been converted into \"the world's biggest surveillance engine.\" And while India has a billion phones, laws for protecting the data on those phones are antiquated. When the National Identification Authority of India Bill was introduced in 2016, it was sent to a special committee of the Parliament, whose members made scathing remarks about the project. This committee recommended that enactment of legislation on data protection and privacy law was a \"prerequisite\" for the Aadhaar scheme. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also strongly criticised the scheme in 2014. But Aadhaar's authorities say their data protection goes far beyond what is required in the law."}], "question": "Antiquated laws?", "id": "1028_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Clashes as police fire tear gas into rail station", "date": "12 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police officers in Hong Kong stormed enclosed railway stations on Sunday, firing tear gas in an effort to force out protesters. One video inside Tai Koo station showed officers firing what appeared to be non-lethal ammunition at close range. It also showed several police beating people with batons on an escalator. In the bustling central Wan Chai district, petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at police, who responded by charging at protesters. A number of people, including a police officer, were injured in the clashes. The protesters have started to adopt new tactics, striking in several areas in smaller groups before running when the police arrive, says the BBC's Stephen McDonell who is in the city. Hong Kong's mass demonstrations and unrest show no sign of abating, more than two months after they were sparked by a controversial extradition bill. On Sunday afternoon, a peaceful rally in the city's Victoria Park led to clashes when protesters moved out of the area and marched along a major road despite a police ban. There were confrontations in several central districts and police used non-lethal bullets in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. Tear gas was fired in the busy shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui as well as in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. One image widely shared on social media showed a woman, who was reportedly shot by a police projectile, bleeding heavily from her eye. Tear gas was also fired into a metro station in Kwai Fong, and local media reported that it was the first time police had fired tear gas into an enclosed metro station to disperse people. Local media outlets reported that suspected undercover police officers had dressed-up as protesters to make surprise arrests on Sunday night. Sunday also saw the third day of a peaceful sit-in at Hong Kong's international airport. There have been no reports of arrests there and flights are operating as scheduled. Demonstrations began in opposition to a proposed extradition bill, which would have allowed suspected criminals to be sent to mainland China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's legal freedoms, and could be used to silence critics. Although the government has now suspended the bill, demonstrators want it to be fully withdrawn. Their demands have broadened to include calls for an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality, and an amnesty for all arrested protesters. Hong Kong is part of China but its citizens have more autonomy than those on the mainland. It has a free press and judicial independence under the so-called \"one country, two systems\" approach - freedoms which activists fear are being increasingly eroded.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 859, "answer_end": 1913, "text": "On Sunday afternoon, a peaceful rally in the city's Victoria Park led to clashes when protesters moved out of the area and marched along a major road despite a police ban. There were confrontations in several central districts and police used non-lethal bullets in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. Tear gas was fired in the busy shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui as well as in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. One image widely shared on social media showed a woman, who was reportedly shot by a police projectile, bleeding heavily from her eye. Tear gas was also fired into a metro station in Kwai Fong, and local media reported that it was the first time police had fired tear gas into an enclosed metro station to disperse people. Local media outlets reported that suspected undercover police officers had dressed-up as protesters to make surprise arrests on Sunday night. Sunday also saw the third day of a peaceful sit-in at Hong Kong's international airport. There have been no reports of arrests there and flights are operating as scheduled."}], "question": "What's the latest?", "id": "1029_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1914, "answer_end": 2664, "text": "Demonstrations began in opposition to a proposed extradition bill, which would have allowed suspected criminals to be sent to mainland China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's legal freedoms, and could be used to silence critics. Although the government has now suspended the bill, demonstrators want it to be fully withdrawn. Their demands have broadened to include calls for an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality, and an amnesty for all arrested protesters. Hong Kong is part of China but its citizens have more autonomy than those on the mainland. It has a free press and judicial independence under the so-called \"one country, two systems\" approach - freedoms which activists fear are being increasingly eroded."}], "question": "Why are there protests in Hong Kong?", "id": "1029_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Brett Kavanaugh: Trump doubts 'drunk' sex assault accuser", "date": "25 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on a woman who accuses his Supreme Court nominee of misconduct as she was intoxicated and \"messed up\". \"The second accuser has nothing,\" Mr Trump told reporters at the UN. \"She admits that she was drunk.\" On Sunday, a former Yale classmate said Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party in the 1980s. Judge Kavanaugh and another accuser from his high school years this week testify before a US Senate panel. The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced it will meet on whether to move forward with Judge Kavanaugh's nomination on Friday, a day after the panel hears from the Supreme Court pick and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. \"The second accuser doesn't even know, she thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not,\" Mr Trump said during a meeting at the UN in New York with the Colombia president on Tuesday. \"This is a person and this is a series of statements that's going to take one of the most talented, one of the greatest intellects from a judicial standpoint in our country, going to keep him off the United States Supreme Court.\" On Sunday, Deborah Ramirez, a Yale university classmate of Judge Kavanaugh, told the New Yorker that he had once exposed himself to her at a dormitory party. Ms Ramirez, 53, said she ended up touching his genitals while attempting to push him away. The article said Ms Ramirez acknowledges gaps in her memory caused by alcohol that night. On Tuesday, Mr Trump called the new report \"a con game being played by the Democrats\". \"She said she was totally inebriated,\" he said of Ms Ramirez. \"She doesn't know if it was him but it might have been him. \"Oh gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that,\" he said. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. He appeared on Fox News alongside his wife, Ashley, on Monday night, saying he \"never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise\". \"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process,\" Judge Kavanaugh said. He is preparing for high stakes testimony on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, right after his first accuser, Prof Ford, gives evidence. The California psychology lecturer has accused Brett Kavanaugh of drunkenly trying to remove her clothing in 1982 when they were both teenagers. She says he pinned her to a bed and clamped his hand over her mouth when she attempted to scream. Prof Ford's lawyers have told US media she has been receiving death threats and harassment since coming forward to accuse Judge Kavanaugh. Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters on Tuesday that the all-male panel of Republican senators have hired a female lawyer to lead Prof Ford's questioning, but he refused to name her for the sake of \"her safety\". Michael Bromwich, a lawyer for Prof Ford, sent a letter to Mr Grassley requesting to meet the female prosecutor, arguing that hiring her was inappropriate, US media report. \"There is no precedent for this Committee to bring in outside counsel for the sole purpose of shielding the members of the Committee from performing their responsibility to question witnesses,\" he reportedly wrote. He also pointed to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's remarks on the Senate floor on Monday, calling the Kavanaugh allegations a \"shameful smear campaign\". \"You said in your letter that you intend to provide a 'fair and credible process' that provides Dr Blasey Ford 'fair and respectful treatment',\" Mr Bromwich wrote. \"This and statements [McConnell] has made previously are flatly inconsistent with your letter.\" Questions still remain about security for the event on Capitol Hill, how many seats will be available to the public in the hearing room and how long senators will be allowed to interview Mr Kavanaugh and Prof Ford. Republicans have said they may stay in session throughout the weekend in order to quickly confirm the nominee. \"There's no reason to delay this more, unless something new comes out of the hearing on Thursday,\" senior Republican Senator John Cornyn told Politico on Tuesday. \"As you can tell, people are coming out of the woodwork making incredible, uncorroborated allegations and I think you can just expect that kind of nonsense to continue,\" he said. There are no current plans for Ms Ramirez to take the stand, but White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in an interview on Tuesday they would be \"open\" to hearing from her. \"Certainly we would be open to that and that process can take place on Thursday,\" she told ABC News, when asked if Ms Ramirez should be heard. \"Again, the president has been clear, let them speak.\" More than 100 demonstrators were arrested on Capitol Hill on Monday. Protest leaders plan demonstrations called \"solidarity speakouts\" across the US on Thursday. Participants have been encouraged to wear black clothing and draw \"I believe\" on their hands before holding a minute of silence. This week, the Indianapolis Star newspaper apologised for publishing a cartoon on Sunday mocking Christine Blasey Ford. The cartoon poked fun at her requests during negotiations over her testimony with Republican senators this week, depicting her making diva demands for M&Ms, sparkling water and roses from the committee.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 689, "answer_end": 1728, "text": "\"The second accuser doesn't even know, she thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not,\" Mr Trump said during a meeting at the UN in New York with the Colombia president on Tuesday. \"This is a person and this is a series of statements that's going to take one of the most talented, one of the greatest intellects from a judicial standpoint in our country, going to keep him off the United States Supreme Court.\" On Sunday, Deborah Ramirez, a Yale university classmate of Judge Kavanaugh, told the New Yorker that he had once exposed himself to her at a dormitory party. Ms Ramirez, 53, said she ended up touching his genitals while attempting to push him away. The article said Ms Ramirez acknowledges gaps in her memory caused by alcohol that night. On Tuesday, Mr Trump called the new report \"a con game being played by the Democrats\". \"She said she was totally inebriated,\" he said of Ms Ramirez. \"She doesn't know if it was him but it might have been him. \"Oh gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that,\" he said."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "1030_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1729, "answer_end": 5237, "text": "Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. He appeared on Fox News alongside his wife, Ashley, on Monday night, saying he \"never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise\". \"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process,\" Judge Kavanaugh said. He is preparing for high stakes testimony on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, right after his first accuser, Prof Ford, gives evidence. The California psychology lecturer has accused Brett Kavanaugh of drunkenly trying to remove her clothing in 1982 when they were both teenagers. She says he pinned her to a bed and clamped his hand over her mouth when she attempted to scream. Prof Ford's lawyers have told US media she has been receiving death threats and harassment since coming forward to accuse Judge Kavanaugh. Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters on Tuesday that the all-male panel of Republican senators have hired a female lawyer to lead Prof Ford's questioning, but he refused to name her for the sake of \"her safety\". Michael Bromwich, a lawyer for Prof Ford, sent a letter to Mr Grassley requesting to meet the female prosecutor, arguing that hiring her was inappropriate, US media report. \"There is no precedent for this Committee to bring in outside counsel for the sole purpose of shielding the members of the Committee from performing their responsibility to question witnesses,\" he reportedly wrote. He also pointed to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's remarks on the Senate floor on Monday, calling the Kavanaugh allegations a \"shameful smear campaign\". \"You said in your letter that you intend to provide a 'fair and credible process' that provides Dr Blasey Ford 'fair and respectful treatment',\" Mr Bromwich wrote. \"This and statements [McConnell] has made previously are flatly inconsistent with your letter.\" Questions still remain about security for the event on Capitol Hill, how many seats will be available to the public in the hearing room and how long senators will be allowed to interview Mr Kavanaugh and Prof Ford. Republicans have said they may stay in session throughout the weekend in order to quickly confirm the nominee. \"There's no reason to delay this more, unless something new comes out of the hearing on Thursday,\" senior Republican Senator John Cornyn told Politico on Tuesday. \"As you can tell, people are coming out of the woodwork making incredible, uncorroborated allegations and I think you can just expect that kind of nonsense to continue,\" he said. There are no current plans for Ms Ramirez to take the stand, but White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in an interview on Tuesday they would be \"open\" to hearing from her. \"Certainly we would be open to that and that process can take place on Thursday,\" she told ABC News, when asked if Ms Ramirez should be heard. \"Again, the president has been clear, let them speak.\" More than 100 demonstrators were arrested on Capitol Hill on Monday. Protest leaders plan demonstrations called \"solidarity speakouts\" across the US on Thursday. Participants have been encouraged to wear black clothing and draw \"I believe\" on their hands before holding a minute of silence. This week, the Indianapolis Star newspaper apologised for publishing a cartoon on Sunday mocking Christine Blasey Ford. The cartoon poked fun at her requests during negotiations over her testimony with Republican senators this week, depicting her making diva demands for M&Ms, sparkling water and roses from the committee."}], "question": "What has the judge said?", "id": "1030_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Ronald Reagan: No defence for 'monkeys' remark, says daughter", "date": "2 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The daughter of the late US President Ronald Reagan has said there is \"no defence\" for racist comments he made in a 1971 phone conversation. Newly unearthed tapes reveal Reagan - then Governor of California - described UN African delegates as \"monkeys\". His daughter Patti Davis condemned the remarks in a newspaper article. \"There is no defence, no rationalisation, no suitable explanation for what my father said,\" she wrote. Ms Davis wrote in an article for the Washington Post that she was preparing to defend her father before she heard the tapes, but was appalled to hear what the former president said. \"I can't tell you about the man who was on the phone,\" she writes. \"He's not a man I knew.\" The recently unearthed recordings first appeared in The Atlantic. Reagan made the comments in a conversation with then-President Richard Nixon. He was referring to Tanzanian delegates at the UN, who had just sided against the US in a vote to recognise China and expel Taiwan. Reagan - a supporter of Taiwan - called the president the next day, telling him: \"To see those... monkeys from those African countries - damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!\" Nixon can be heard laughing loudly after the comments. Patti Davis said the tapes shocked her. \"I wanted to immediately go back in time to before I heard my father's voice saying those words.\" Her father, she wrote, stood up against segregation when he played football in college and later on when he was in office, when given membership to \"a ritzy country club in Los Angeles\". \"He turned it down because the club didn't allow Jews or African Americans.\" Regardless, she wrote that the words she heard \"will stay with me forever\", and said her father if alive \"would have asked for forgiveness\" if he had heard the recording. His comments \"cannot be interpreted as anything but ugliness\", Ms Davis wrote. She added that she hopes people will forgive the former president \"for words that should never have been uttered in any conversation,\" and which \"for those of us who knew Ronald Reagan, will always be an aberration.\" Critics accused Reagan of racism throughout his career. When running for California governor in 1966, the former actor said that \"if an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so\". As president, he tried to block a bill that would impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa. The House overrode his veto. Reagan denied any suggestions he was racist.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 702, "answer_end": 1224, "text": "The recently unearthed recordings first appeared in The Atlantic. Reagan made the comments in a conversation with then-President Richard Nixon. He was referring to Tanzanian delegates at the UN, who had just sided against the US in a vote to recognise China and expel Taiwan. Reagan - a supporter of Taiwan - called the president the next day, telling him: \"To see those... monkeys from those African countries - damn them, they're still uncomfortable wearing shoes!\" Nixon can be heard laughing loudly after the comments."}], "question": "What did Ronald Reagan say?", "id": "1031_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1225, "answer_end": 2516, "text": "Patti Davis said the tapes shocked her. \"I wanted to immediately go back in time to before I heard my father's voice saying those words.\" Her father, she wrote, stood up against segregation when he played football in college and later on when he was in office, when given membership to \"a ritzy country club in Los Angeles\". \"He turned it down because the club didn't allow Jews or African Americans.\" Regardless, she wrote that the words she heard \"will stay with me forever\", and said her father if alive \"would have asked for forgiveness\" if he had heard the recording. His comments \"cannot be interpreted as anything but ugliness\", Ms Davis wrote. She added that she hopes people will forgive the former president \"for words that should never have been uttered in any conversation,\" and which \"for those of us who knew Ronald Reagan, will always be an aberration.\" Critics accused Reagan of racism throughout his career. When running for California governor in 1966, the former actor said that \"if an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so\". As president, he tried to block a bill that would impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa. The House overrode his veto. Reagan denied any suggestions he was racist."}], "question": "What did Reagan's daughter write?", "id": "1031_1"}]}]}, {"title": "British snowboarder suffocates in snow in French Alps", "date": "6 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A British snowboarder has suffocated after falling into a snow-drift in the French Alps, authorities there say. The 25-year-old man, who has not been named, was discovered buried head-first in an off-piste area near the Meribel ski resort in France on Wednesday. He was uncovered after two skiers alerted emergency services to a snowboard sticking out of the snow about 20 metres (66ft) from the piste. The Foreign Office said it was giving support to the dead man's family. French rescuers said the man, who was a seasonal worker at the resort in south-eastern France, had suffered cardiac arrest when he was found. An Alps Mountain Rescue spokesman said the man could have been buried for up to half an hour, adding: \"He was buried up to his pelvis and the snow was very heavy, very compacted.\" French authorities are investigating the incident and an inquest has been opened in the nearby town of Albertville. Foreign Office staff are in contact with police in the UK and France, as well as a tour operator, about the incident, a spokesman said. Off-piste refers to any area not marked out and maintained for use by skiers. These slopes are not groomed by snow ploughs, so rocks, precipices and cliffs may be hard to spot, especially in poor visibility. Avalanches are a major risk as marked pistes are usually protected by controlled explosions and the use of snow ploughs. Ski resorts do not have the same responsibilities for off-piste areas. The incident follows the death of a British skier in an off-piste area of the Alpe d'Huez, who fell from a cliff near the French Alps resort in February. Last January, British skiers Oscar Cassagneau-Francis and Rajen Mahendra, both 26, died after falling hundreds of metres in an off-piste area of the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc region. During this winter season there have been many avalanches in the Alps, following very heavy snowfall. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb tweeted last month to urge caution to those taking part in winter sports, following a number of avalanches. ANENA, France's National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches, has recorded more than 30 deaths since the beginning of the ski season in November.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1049, "answer_end": 1448, "text": "Off-piste refers to any area not marked out and maintained for use by skiers. These slopes are not groomed by snow ploughs, so rocks, precipices and cliffs may be hard to spot, especially in poor visibility. Avalanches are a major risk as marked pistes are usually protected by controlled explosions and the use of snow ploughs. Ski resorts do not have the same responsibilities for off-piste areas."}], "question": "How dangerous is off-piste skiing?", "id": "1032_0"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea: Does latest nuclear test mean war?", "date": "4 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Korea says that North Korea could be preparing more missile launches after details of the isolated nation's latest test - equivalent to a 6.3 magnitude earthquake - emerged over the weekend. US Secretary of Defence James Mattis says any threat will be met with a \"massive military response\". President Donald Trump has previously promised \"fire and fury\". Is there a diplomatic solution? Or is the crisis heading to an inevitable war? Defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus answers your questions on North Korea and how the situation might be resolved. One certainly hopes not. It is hard to imagine any conflict breaking out since the risk of escalation to all-out war would be very likely in these highly-charged times. The US is signalling strongly that the North Koreans should do nothing that might risk a conflict. All-out war would be catastrophic in terms of lives lost. It might potentially involve the use of nuclear weapons - the first time since the closing stages of the Second World War - which could set a terrifying new precedent in international affairs. At its close, after terrible destruction, North Korea would no longer exist. That is a given, hence the hope that the Pyongyang regime is rational and understands the risks involved. Its behaviour, though, amounts to very, very high-stakes brinksmanship. Initially it would be North Korea versus the rest - South Korea and the US certainly. Quite what Japan's precise role would be is hard to say unless it had been attacked directly, but there are large numbers of US troops and bases in Japan. The US would seek diplomatic support from the UN Security Council and, failing that, also from its allies. How far they might be involved in practical terms is hard to say. We hope this is just an academic question. Unlikely. A regional conflict would be bad enough. Russia, Washington's NATO allies and so on are not directly implicated. However the big question is if there was conflict, what might China do? Would it effectively intervene as it did in the 1950s to ensure the survival of the North Korean regime or would it remain on the sidelines? It is linked to Pyongyang by a defensive treaty but this does not guarantee Chinese involvement. Again, one hopes that this question is academic. For practical purposes, North Korea is already a nuclear power and has had a small nuclear arsenal for some time. What makes the current crisis more serious is that Pyongyang is now making rapid headway towards a capability to threaten the continental United States with a nuclear-armed missile. Rolling back North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes may no longer be possible. In the future the emphasis may be upon deterrence and containment. Practically, the world may have little choice but to reluctantly accept North Korea as a nuclear power. But experts fear the impact this may have on the wider question of nuclear proliferation. The exact pace of North Korea's technical progress is hard to determine. More tests may be necessary and it is hard to know if a North Korean missile and warhead could survive the force upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. So they are not there yet but they are moving ever closer. Until now, the emphasis has been upon rolling back North Korea's nuclear programme. For all the talk about seeking a diplomatic avenue - and that would presumably mean multi-national talks with Pyongyang - it is not clear what the goals of such talks would be. Is the idea to freeze North Korea's activities? To get it to halt further nuclear and missile tests? And what are the Americans in particular willing to give diplomatically (and probably economically) in return? There have been talks with Pyongyang in the past. Deals were struck and they were implemented, at least in one case, albeit for a period. It is wrong to assert that there have never been negotiations with Pyongyang, nor that they cannot have a positive outcome. This current North Korean leadership, though, may be another problem. China is key but it is a conflicted party. On the one hand it does not want to see a nuclear-armed North Korea and it has made its view clear to Pyongyang on many occasions. However, it does not want to see the North Korean regime swept away. This would result in millions of refugees flooding into China and would probably result in a unified Korea very much in the US orbit. This is seen in Beijing as worse than having a difficult nuclear neighbour. If China were to take the view that the coincidence of a rapidly advancing North Korean nuclear programme and the uncertainties of the Trump Administration's diplomatic capabilities means that there is a very real risk of misunderstanding and catastrophe, then maybe it might bring much greater pressure to bear on Pyongyang. North Korea is a very isolated country and China is both its major ally and economic prop. There is a lot more that China can do. North Korea's recent testing has been as much an embarrassment to China as it has angered the US. But the Chinese have a difficult diplomatic calculation to make. China and Russia together have tabled a diplomatic roadmap that proposes the de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and a peace deal to end the Korean War. In the interim, they say that North Korea should suspend its nuclear and missile testing and that the US and South Korea should suspend large scale military exercises. North Korea has not shown any interest in this proposal, at least publicly, and the Americans have dismissed it - in the words of US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley - as \"insulting\". Produced by Chris Bell, UGC and Social News team", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 573, "answer_end": 1346, "text": "One certainly hopes not. It is hard to imagine any conflict breaking out since the risk of escalation to all-out war would be very likely in these highly-charged times. The US is signalling strongly that the North Koreans should do nothing that might risk a conflict. All-out war would be catastrophic in terms of lives lost. It might potentially involve the use of nuclear weapons - the first time since the closing stages of the Second World War - which could set a terrifying new precedent in international affairs. At its close, after terrible destruction, North Korea would no longer exist. That is a given, hence the hope that the Pyongyang regime is rational and understands the risks involved. Its behaviour, though, amounts to very, very high-stakes brinksmanship."}], "question": "Will there be war?", "id": "1033_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1347, "answer_end": 1803, "text": "Initially it would be North Korea versus the rest - South Korea and the US certainly. Quite what Japan's precise role would be is hard to say unless it had been attacked directly, but there are large numbers of US troops and bases in Japan. The US would seek diplomatic support from the UN Security Council and, failing that, also from its allies. How far they might be involved in practical terms is hard to say. We hope this is just an academic question."}], "question": "Who would be the key players and what role would they play?", "id": "1033_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1804, "answer_end": 2285, "text": "Unlikely. A regional conflict would be bad enough. Russia, Washington's NATO allies and so on are not directly implicated. However the big question is if there was conflict, what might China do? Would it effectively intervene as it did in the 1950s to ensure the survival of the North Korean regime or would it remain on the sidelines? It is linked to Pyongyang by a defensive treaty but this does not guarantee Chinese involvement. Again, one hopes that this question is academic."}], "question": "Could armed conflict trigger a global nuclear war?", "id": "1033_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2286, "answer_end": 2927, "text": "For practical purposes, North Korea is already a nuclear power and has had a small nuclear arsenal for some time. What makes the current crisis more serious is that Pyongyang is now making rapid headway towards a capability to threaten the continental United States with a nuclear-armed missile. Rolling back North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes may no longer be possible. In the future the emphasis may be upon deterrence and containment. Practically, the world may have little choice but to reluctantly accept North Korea as a nuclear power. But experts fear the impact this may have on the wider question of nuclear proliferation."}], "question": "Why can't the US accept North Korea as a nuclear power?", "id": "1033_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2928, "answer_end": 4020, "text": "The exact pace of North Korea's technical progress is hard to determine. More tests may be necessary and it is hard to know if a North Korean missile and warhead could survive the force upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. So they are not there yet but they are moving ever closer. Until now, the emphasis has been upon rolling back North Korea's nuclear programme. For all the talk about seeking a diplomatic avenue - and that would presumably mean multi-national talks with Pyongyang - it is not clear what the goals of such talks would be. Is the idea to freeze North Korea's activities? To get it to halt further nuclear and missile tests? And what are the Americans in particular willing to give diplomatically (and probably economically) in return? There have been talks with Pyongyang in the past. Deals were struck and they were implemented, at least in one case, albeit for a period. It is wrong to assert that there have never been negotiations with Pyongyang, nor that they cannot have a positive outcome. This current North Korean leadership, though, may be another problem."}], "question": "Is there a diplomatic solution?", "id": "1033_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4021, "answer_end": 5596, "text": "China is key but it is a conflicted party. On the one hand it does not want to see a nuclear-armed North Korea and it has made its view clear to Pyongyang on many occasions. However, it does not want to see the North Korean regime swept away. This would result in millions of refugees flooding into China and would probably result in a unified Korea very much in the US orbit. This is seen in Beijing as worse than having a difficult nuclear neighbour. If China were to take the view that the coincidence of a rapidly advancing North Korean nuclear programme and the uncertainties of the Trump Administration's diplomatic capabilities means that there is a very real risk of misunderstanding and catastrophe, then maybe it might bring much greater pressure to bear on Pyongyang. North Korea is a very isolated country and China is both its major ally and economic prop. There is a lot more that China can do. North Korea's recent testing has been as much an embarrassment to China as it has angered the US. But the Chinese have a difficult diplomatic calculation to make. China and Russia together have tabled a diplomatic roadmap that proposes the de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and a peace deal to end the Korean War. In the interim, they say that North Korea should suspend its nuclear and missile testing and that the US and South Korea should suspend large scale military exercises. North Korea has not shown any interest in this proposal, at least publicly, and the Americans have dismissed it - in the words of US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley - as \"insulting\"."}], "question": "What about China?", "id": "1033_5"}]}]}, {"title": "New Europol campaign reveals 'most wanted' women fugitives", "date": "18 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The EU's crime agency Europol has launched a campaign showing its \"most wanted\" women, accused or convicted of serious and organised crimes. On a dedicated webpage, images of the fugitives are covered with masks that fall away to reveal their identities. Europol said it wanted to highlight that women were just as capable as men of carrying out serious crimes. Although women are perpetrators of serious crimes, statistics show the majority globally are committed by men. A recent study on women in serious crime, commissioned by the British government and published this year, also emphasises that most criminal roles - including senior roles in organised crime groups - are dominated by men. Of the 21 fugitives featured on the Crime Has No Gender site, 18 are women and three are men. Each person's gender is left intentionally ambiguous until their mask is removed. Among the criminals is Elena Puzyrevich, who trafficked nine young Russian women into Caceres in Spain and forced them into sex work. Another, Angelina Sacjuka, is wanted for beating a young woman to death in Riga, Latvia, five years ago. Claire Georges, a spokeswoman for Europol, said the campaign was an extension of an existing website, EU Most Wanted, launched in 2016. She said the agency aimed to increase its chances of finding the fugitives featured in the campaign. \"We wanted to show that women are just as likely to commit violent crimes as men. Even though the discourse is often around 'male fugitives', women can be just as bad,\" she said. She said the agency asked EU member states to submit their most wanted female fugitives. Three states - the UK, Cyprus and Luxembourg - sent men instead. Dr Marian Duggan, an expert in gender and criminology at the University of Kent, told the BBC that Europol was right about there being a stereotype casting men as more likely than women to perpetrate serious and organised crime. But the stereotype existed because it was true, she said. \"Obviously all crimes can be committed of anybody of any gender,\" Dr Duggan said. \"But while some women do commit serious crimes, they do so far less frequently than men.\" Dr Duggan said gender stereotypes were often exploited by organised criminal groups when carrying out large-scale crimes. Many of the women in Europol's campaign, for example, have been accused or convicted of sex and drugs trafficking - roles in which Dr Duggan said women \"can prove quite useful\" to criminal bosses, but where they very rarely act alone. \"For human trafficking, there's a false sense of security with women, so they might be used to gain the trust or compliance of victims,\" she said. \"With drugs trafficking, we tend to see women used as decoys or to facilitate the movement of drugs - but not in the very high or powerful roles.\" Equating these crimes to those of the male fugitives listed by Europol, many of whom are wanted for murder, was \"disingenuous\", Dr Duggan said. \"I wouldn't see it as equitable,\" she said. \"I think (the campaign) will probably be very popular... but I don't think it will shift the narrative to 'women are as criminal as men' because I think most people know that to not be true.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 695, "answer_end": 1679, "text": "Of the 21 fugitives featured on the Crime Has No Gender site, 18 are women and three are men. Each person's gender is left intentionally ambiguous until their mask is removed. Among the criminals is Elena Puzyrevich, who trafficked nine young Russian women into Caceres in Spain and forced them into sex work. Another, Angelina Sacjuka, is wanted for beating a young woman to death in Riga, Latvia, five years ago. Claire Georges, a spokeswoman for Europol, said the campaign was an extension of an existing website, EU Most Wanted, launched in 2016. She said the agency aimed to increase its chances of finding the fugitives featured in the campaign. \"We wanted to show that women are just as likely to commit violent crimes as men. Even though the discourse is often around 'male fugitives', women can be just as bad,\" she said. She said the agency asked EU member states to submit their most wanted female fugitives. Three states - the UK, Cyprus and Luxembourg - sent men instead."}], "question": "What is in Europol's campaign?", "id": "1034_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1680, "answer_end": 3169, "text": "Dr Marian Duggan, an expert in gender and criminology at the University of Kent, told the BBC that Europol was right about there being a stereotype casting men as more likely than women to perpetrate serious and organised crime. But the stereotype existed because it was true, she said. \"Obviously all crimes can be committed of anybody of any gender,\" Dr Duggan said. \"But while some women do commit serious crimes, they do so far less frequently than men.\" Dr Duggan said gender stereotypes were often exploited by organised criminal groups when carrying out large-scale crimes. Many of the women in Europol's campaign, for example, have been accused or convicted of sex and drugs trafficking - roles in which Dr Duggan said women \"can prove quite useful\" to criminal bosses, but where they very rarely act alone. \"For human trafficking, there's a false sense of security with women, so they might be used to gain the trust or compliance of victims,\" she said. \"With drugs trafficking, we tend to see women used as decoys or to facilitate the movement of drugs - but not in the very high or powerful roles.\" Equating these crimes to those of the male fugitives listed by Europol, many of whom are wanted for murder, was \"disingenuous\", Dr Duggan said. \"I wouldn't see it as equitable,\" she said. \"I think (the campaign) will probably be very popular... but I don't think it will shift the narrative to 'women are as criminal as men' because I think most people know that to not be true.\""}], "question": "Are women more responsible for serious crime than we think?", "id": "1034_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine cyber-attacks 'could happen to UK'", "date": "29 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A recent cyber-attack on Ukraine's electricity network could be replicated in the UK, according to a member of a US investigation into the resulting blackout. \"I've been getting interest and calls from the UK, Norway, Germany and all over,\" said Robert Lee. \"The answer is yes [they could be vulnerable].\" Last week, the US Department of Homeland Security formally blamed hackers for December's power cuts. It did not, however, name the suspected perpetrators. The Sans Institute, which researches security issues, is expected to publish more details of the investigation shortly. About 225,000 people were left without power for several hours when Ukraine suffered what is believed to be the first successful cyber-attack on an electricity distribution network. \"The way the Ukrainians set up the grid and the type of the equipment they are using is also the way a lot of other nations do it,\" said Mr Lee, an infrastructure specialist at cybersecurity firm the Sans Institute. He added the attack could have been worse, as the attackers could have shut off power to a much wider area. \"This was a shot across the bows,\" he told the BBC. Individual UK power firms declined to comment on their security measures. However, a source close to the industry - who asked to remain anonymous - confirmed that \"given sufficient sophistication and funding\", the UK's electricity infrastructure could be hacked. A spokesperson for the Energy Networks Association - the body that represents the UK and Ireland's gas and electricity distributors - said cybersecurity was a top priority. The Department for Energy and Climate Change told the BBC: \"The UK has... dedicated cyber experts and teams to keep it protected.\" In Mr Lee's view, the attack was highly likely to have originated in Russia. But he said it was not possible to say whether it was the \"Russian government or a well-funded [non-government] team\". At least six months before the power was shut off, he explained, attackers had begun sending phishing emails to Ukraine's power utility companies' offices, containing Microsoft Word documents. When opened, they installed malware. Firewalls separated the affected computers from the power control systems. But the malware - known as BlackEnergy 3 - allowed the hackers to gather passwords and logins, with which they were able to mount an attack. After months of work, they gained the ability to remotely log in to vital controls, known as supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) systems. Finally on 23 December, Mr Lee said, the attackers \"remote desk-topped\" into the Scada computers and cut power at 17 substations. At the same time, they jammed company phone lines, making it hard for engineers to determine the extent of the blackout. The power outages in Ukraine lasted for several hours. They were only reversed by switching to manual operations. The attackers went to great lengths, according to Mr Lee, to make sure power supplies could not be turned back on automatically. He said the hackers rewrote firmware in the electronic devices used to communicate with the substations' circuit breakers. That meant that the power could not be turned on remotely even after engineers had regained control of the Scada computers. In the end, the engineers had to visit the substations and operate them manually. In the UK, this would take between one to two hours, the source close to the industry told the BBC. UK power companies' systems are constantly under attack. A breach \"is entirely possible\", said Eireann Leverett of Cambridge University's Centre for Risk Studies, but he added \"there's a lot of people working very hard to stop it\". Mr Leverett is now working on a report about what the consequences might be, due to be published in April. Glasgow University's Professor Chris Johnson has highlighted that some of the control systems used by power distribution companies can be found for sale online. He warns that these could be used by hackers to hunt for security weaknesses. But Mr Lee's view can be summarised as \"where there's a will, there's a way\". Companies are unlikely to be able to prevent every assault on their systems, he warns. Ukraine's hackers were \"inside\" the electricity companies' systems for six months, he notes, highlighting the lengths they went to. So one lesson, he says, is that power providers must ensure they can detect attacks quickly when they occur and have staff primed to respond. That costs money, meaning more expensive bills for consumers. In a speech to GCHQ last year, the chancellor George Osborne said an attack on the UK's electricity network could lead to \"loss of life\". He announced an extra PS1.9bn of taxpayer's money over five years to bolster GCHQ's cyber capabilities. The chancellor also said countries must work together to call out those \"acting outside the boundaries of acceptable behaviour\". Mr Lee has a similar view, adding that the international community must \"take a stand\" if responsibility for the attacks is finally determined. Read more cybersecurity stories in our special index", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1706, "answer_end": 2749, "text": "In Mr Lee's view, the attack was highly likely to have originated in Russia. But he said it was not possible to say whether it was the \"Russian government or a well-funded [non-government] team\". At least six months before the power was shut off, he explained, attackers had begun sending phishing emails to Ukraine's power utility companies' offices, containing Microsoft Word documents. When opened, they installed malware. Firewalls separated the affected computers from the power control systems. But the malware - known as BlackEnergy 3 - allowed the hackers to gather passwords and logins, with which they were able to mount an attack. After months of work, they gained the ability to remotely log in to vital controls, known as supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) systems. Finally on 23 December, Mr Lee said, the attackers \"remote desk-topped\" into the Scada computers and cut power at 17 substations. At the same time, they jammed company phone lines, making it hard for engineers to determine the extent of the blackout."}], "question": "How was the hack carried out?", "id": "1035_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2750, "answer_end": 3421, "text": "The power outages in Ukraine lasted for several hours. They were only reversed by switching to manual operations. The attackers went to great lengths, according to Mr Lee, to make sure power supplies could not be turned back on automatically. He said the hackers rewrote firmware in the electronic devices used to communicate with the substations' circuit breakers. That meant that the power could not be turned on remotely even after engineers had regained control of the Scada computers. In the end, the engineers had to visit the substations and operate them manually. In the UK, this would take between one to two hours, the source close to the industry told the BBC."}], "question": "How do you recover?", "id": "1035_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3422, "answer_end": 3999, "text": "UK power companies' systems are constantly under attack. A breach \"is entirely possible\", said Eireann Leverett of Cambridge University's Centre for Risk Studies, but he added \"there's a lot of people working very hard to stop it\". Mr Leverett is now working on a report about what the consequences might be, due to be published in April. Glasgow University's Professor Chris Johnson has highlighted that some of the control systems used by power distribution companies can be found for sale online. He warns that these could be used by hackers to hunt for security weaknesses."}], "question": "Could it happen here?", "id": "1035_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel-Poland spat: Swastikas drawn on Polish embassy in Tel Aviv", "date": "19 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Swastikas have been drawn on the gates of Poland's embassy in Israel, a day after the country's PM said Jews were among perpetrators of the Holocaust. Police in Tel Aviv launched an inquiry after profanities and the word \"murderer\" were also discovered. Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki's comments have been strongly condemned by Israel. He has since said through a spokeswoman that he did not intend to blame Jewish victims for \"a Nazi German perpetrated genocide\". The fresh dispute comes just weeks after Israel criticised a new Polish law making it illegal to accuse the Polish nation or state of complicity in Nazi crimes. The legislation was signed into law by President Andrzej Duda but also referred to the country's highest court to consider its constitutionality. Swastikas and anti-Polish profanities were on Sunday found drawn in marker pen on the gates and also on a bulletin board. No-one has so far claimed responsibility for vandalising the diplomatic mission. A police investigation is now under way, Tel Aviv authorities say. The Polish prime minister made the controversial remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. He was responding to an Israeli journalist who asked if anyone who said there were Polish collaborators in the Holocaust would be considered a criminal in Poland under the new law. Mr Morawiecki said: \"It's extremely important to first understand that, of course, it's not going to be punishable, not going to be seen as criminal to say that there were Polish perpetrators - as there were Jewish perpetrators, as there were Russian perpetrators, as there were Ukrainian.... not only German perpetrators.\" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later on Saturday that the remarks were \"outrageous\" and showed \"an inability to understand history\". On Sunday, he spoke by telephone with Mr Morawiecki to discuss the issue. In the call, he \"pointed out that the goal of the Holocaust was to destroy the Jewish people and that all Jews were under sentence of death\", Mr Netanyahu's office said. \"He told his Polish counterpart that the distortion regarding Poland could not be corrected by means of another distortion.\" Meanwhile, Polish government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinsk said that Mr Morawiecki's comments in Munich \"were by no means intended to deny the Holocaust, or charge the Jewish victims of the Holocaust with responsibility for what was a Nazi German perpetrated genocide\". It says that \"whoever accuses, publicly and against the facts, the Polish nation, or the Polish state, of being responsible or complicit in the Nazi crimes committed by the Third German Reich... shall be subject to a fine or a penalty of imprisonment of up to three years\". But it adds the caveat that a person \"is not committing a crime if he or she commits such an act as part of artistic or scientific activities\". The country has long objected to the use of phrases like \"Polish death camps\", which suggest the Polish state in some way shared responsibility for camps such as Auschwitz. The camps were built and operated by Nazi Germany after it invaded Poland in 1939. But the more contentious point raised by the law is whether it will outlaw references to acts of individual complicity by Poles with the Nazis - something historians say there is clear evidence for. The Israelis have been furious about the legislation, which Mr Netanyahu has described as an attempt to rewrite history and deny the Holocaust. Poland was attacked and occupied by Nazi Germany. Millions of its citizens were killed, including three million Polish Jews in the Holocaust. In total, six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. More Poles have been honoured by Israel for saving the lives of Jews during the war than nationals of any other country. However, historians say other Poles were complicit in acts such as informing on Jews in hiding for rewards, and participating in massacres - including in Jedwabne, where hundreds of Jews were murdered by their neighbours. In 2003, Poland's National Remembrance Institute (IPN) concluded that the killings in Jedwabne were committed by Polish perpetrators but inspired by German Nazis (link in Polish).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 770, "answer_end": 1039, "text": "Swastikas and anti-Polish profanities were on Sunday found drawn in marker pen on the gates and also on a bulletin board. No-one has so far claimed responsibility for vandalising the diplomatic mission. A police investigation is now under way, Tel Aviv authorities say."}], "question": "What happened at the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv?", "id": "1036_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1649, "answer_end": 2434, "text": "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later on Saturday that the remarks were \"outrageous\" and showed \"an inability to understand history\". On Sunday, he spoke by telephone with Mr Morawiecki to discuss the issue. In the call, he \"pointed out that the goal of the Holocaust was to destroy the Jewish people and that all Jews were under sentence of death\", Mr Netanyahu's office said. \"He told his Polish counterpart that the distortion regarding Poland could not be corrected by means of another distortion.\" Meanwhile, Polish government spokeswoman Joanna Kopcinsk said that Mr Morawiecki's comments in Munich \"were by no means intended to deny the Holocaust, or charge the Jewish victims of the Holocaust with responsibility for what was a Nazi German perpetrated genocide\"."}], "question": "How has Israel responded?", "id": "1036_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2435, "answer_end": 3451, "text": "It says that \"whoever accuses, publicly and against the facts, the Polish nation, or the Polish state, of being responsible or complicit in the Nazi crimes committed by the Third German Reich... shall be subject to a fine or a penalty of imprisonment of up to three years\". But it adds the caveat that a person \"is not committing a crime if he or she commits such an act as part of artistic or scientific activities\". The country has long objected to the use of phrases like \"Polish death camps\", which suggest the Polish state in some way shared responsibility for camps such as Auschwitz. The camps were built and operated by Nazi Germany after it invaded Poland in 1939. But the more contentious point raised by the law is whether it will outlaw references to acts of individual complicity by Poles with the Nazis - something historians say there is clear evidence for. The Israelis have been furious about the legislation, which Mr Netanyahu has described as an attempt to rewrite history and deny the Holocaust."}], "question": "What does the new Polish law say?", "id": "1036_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3452, "answer_end": 4173, "text": "Poland was attacked and occupied by Nazi Germany. Millions of its citizens were killed, including three million Polish Jews in the Holocaust. In total, six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. More Poles have been honoured by Israel for saving the lives of Jews during the war than nationals of any other country. However, historians say other Poles were complicit in acts such as informing on Jews in hiding for rewards, and participating in massacres - including in Jedwabne, where hundreds of Jews were murdered by their neighbours. In 2003, Poland's National Remembrance Institute (IPN) concluded that the killings in Jedwabne were committed by Polish perpetrators but inspired by German Nazis (link in Polish)."}], "question": "What happened in World War Two?", "id": "1036_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sri Lanka extends nationwide curfew after anti-Muslim riots", "date": "15 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sri Lanka has imposed a nationwide curfew for the second night in a row after a wave of anti-Muslim violence in the wake of the Easter bombings. A Muslim man was stabbed to death while rioters torched Muslim-owned shops and vandalised mosques during Monday's attacks. Police have arrested more than 70 people, including the leader of a far-right Buddhist group. The United Nations has called for calm and a \"rejection of hate\". On Wednesday morning, military spokesman Sumith Atapattu reportedly said the situation was \"now totally under control\". \"There were no incidents of violence overnight and we are arresting groups of people responsible for taking part in mob attacks,\" he said. Tuesday's curfew came into effect at 21:00 (15:30 GMT). Police said the North-Western province, where the worst violence flared, will be shut down for longer. Rioting in the province - north of the capital, Colombo - saw police fire bullets into the air to disperse mobs marauding through several towns. More than 60 people were arrested in the province, while a further 14 people were detained in the Western province town of Minuwangoda. Local press say the authorities deployed helicopters to help monitor and tackle the rioters. Tension has been high since Islamist militants attacked churches and hotels three weeks ago on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people. In response to the rioting, the UN's Colombo office has urged Sri Lankan authorities to hold perpetrators to account and \"ensure that the situation does not escalate\". Muslims make up nearly 10% of Sri Lanka's 22 million people, who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists. Mob violence in central Sri Lanka targeting Muslim communities in March last year, prompted the government to declare a state of emergency. Sri Lanka has a history of ethnic conflict and the latest violence has triggered alarm. Separatists rebels from the Tamil minority community fought a violent insurgency against government forces for decades until the civil war ended in 2009. One Muslim businessman told the BBC Sri Lanka's Muslim communities were all \"living in fear now\" amid a widespread atmosphere of distrust and recrimination. His factory in a northern suburb of Colombo was burned to the ground on Monday night by a rampaging mob. The trader, who did not wish to be named, said around 200 rioters broke through his factory's gates after running amok through a nearby town. Once inside, he said they \"started wrecking everything in sight\", shouting and screaming as they set tyres alight. As police struggled to control the baying mob, several employees fled through a window, including one who suffered injuries after tripping and plunging 35ft (10.6m). Security forces eventually calmed the situation and the mob dispersed, but not before devastating the factory. \"It seemed like they were really happy to tear our factory apart,\" he said, estimating the damage to be worth millions of Sri Lankan rupees. He filmed the extensive destruction wrought by the unidentified attackers, who he said were \"100% racially charged to attack Muslims\". He fears more attacks on Muslims are possible if the Sri Lankan government does not take precautions against the threat of racial violence. \"We're afraid that this will be a Sri Lanka we don't recognise any more,\" he said. - In the north-western town of Kiniyama, hundreds of people stormed a mosque, destroying windows and doors and burning Korans, according to witnesses - In the Catholic-majority town of Chilaw, Muslim-owned shops and mosques were attacked after a dispute that started on Facebook, police said - A man died from stab wounds after a mob attacked his business in Puttalam District, also in Sri Lanka's north-west - Incidents were reported in the town of Hettipola, where at least three shops were reportedly torched - A large pasta factory was burned near Minuwangoda, with the owners accusing police of standing by while employees were trapped inside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appealed for calm, saying the unrest is hampering the investigation into last month's attacks. Visiting the riot-struck town of Kuliyapitiya on Tuesday he said he would not allow the lives of innocent people to be disrupted. Leaders from across the political spectrum have called for calm and urged people not to share rumours via social media. Officials have blocked some social media platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook and Whatsapp, in an attempt to curb outbreaks of unrest.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3957, "answer_end": 4488, "text": "Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has appealed for calm, saying the unrest is hampering the investigation into last month's attacks. Visiting the riot-struck town of Kuliyapitiya on Tuesday he said he would not allow the lives of innocent people to be disrupted. Leaders from across the political spectrum have called for calm and urged people not to share rumours via social media. Officials have blocked some social media platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook and Whatsapp, in an attempt to curb outbreaks of unrest."}], "question": "How have the authorities responded?", "id": "1037_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Arctic wildfires: How bad are they and what caused them?", "date": "2 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Wildfires are ravaging parts of the Arctic, with areas of Siberia, Alaska, Greenland and Canada engulfed in flames and smoke. Satellite images show how the plumes of smoke from the fires, many caused by dry storms in hot weather, can be seen from space. While wildfires are common at this time of year, record-breaking summer temperatures and strong winds have made this year's fires particularly bad. They are now at \"unprecedented levels\", says Mark Parrington, a wildfires expert at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams). Eastern Russia and Alaska, both within and outside the Arctic Circle, have been particularly badly affected. Russia's Federal Forestry Agency says more than 2.7m hectares (6.7m acres) of remote forest are currently burning across six Siberian and eastern regions. However, Greenpeace Russia says as many as 3.3m hectares are burning - an area bigger than Belgium. Smog has prompted several regions to declare states of emergency and smoke has blown across major cities like Novosibirsk, blotting out the sun and making it difficult for some people to breathe. The smoke from the Siberian fires has even spread to Alaska and parts of the west coast of Canada. In Alaska, as of 31 July, 105 large fires had burned more than 0.7m hectares (1.78m acres). The majority of the blazes were caused by lightning strikes, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. Greenland is also battling a fire in Qeqqata Kommunia, close to the Arctic Circle Trail, popular with hikers. The area has been experiencing a heatwave, which has also meant the sea ice has been melting at a fast rate. Canada's Arctic is also suffering. One large wildfire in the Northwest Territories, inside the Arctic Circle, has burned at least 45,500 hectares (112,000 acres) according to the Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources agency, although the area is likely to be bigger. The wildfires are not just having an impact on the ground. They release harmful pollutants and toxic gases into the atmosphere. Thick smoke is visible on satellite images and distinguishable from every-day clouds across vast areas of the Arctic. Nasa has traced the megatons of harmful particles in that smoke - and where they have gone. The satellite images on the left below show the fires as red dots. The globe on the right shows the concentration of black carbon particles - or soot - released by the fires. This soot can be harmful to humans and animals, entering the lungs and bloodstream. It also plays a role in global warming. Nasa scientists say the soot absorbs sunlight and warms the atmosphere. If it falls on ice or snow, it reduces reflectivity and can trap more heat, speeding up the melting process. The fires also contribute to the climate crisis by releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. They emitted an estimated 100 megatons of CO2 between 1 June and 21 July, almost the equivalent of the carbon output of Belgium in 2017, according to Cams. Although wildfires are common in the northern hemisphere between May and October, the location and intensity of these fires as well as the length of time they have been burning, has been particularly unusual, according to Cams. \"It is unusual to see fires of this scale and duration at such high latitudes in June,\" said Mr Parrington. \"But temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average, and warmer conditions encourage fires to grow and persist once they have been ignited.\" Extremely dry ground and hotter than average temperatures, combined with heat lightning and strong winds, have caused the fires to spread aggressively. The burning has been sustained by the forest ground, which consists of exposed, thawed, dried peat - a substance with high carbon content. Global satellites are now tracking a swathe of new and ongoing wildfires within the Arctic Circle. The conditions were laid in June, the hottest June for the planet yet observed in the instrumented era. The fires are releasing copious volumes of previously stored carbon dioxide and methane - carbon stocks that have in some cases been held in the ground for thousands of years. Scientists say what we're seeing is evidence of the kind of feedbacks we should expect in a warmer world, where increased concentrations of greenhouse gases drive more warming, which then begets the conditions that release yet more carbon into the atmosphere. A lot of the particulate matter from these fires will eventually come to settle on ice surfaces further north, darkening them and thus accelerating melting. It's all part of a process of amplification. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the army to help tackle the fires raging in Siberia and other regions in the east. A state of emergency has been declared in parts of the republics of Buryatia and Sakha (Yakutia). Ten planes and 10 helicopters with firefighting equipment were being deployed in the regions. Many residents had been critical of the Russian authorities for not doing enough to tackle the fires. Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for tougher action after Russian authorities said they were not planning to tackle wildfires in remote uninhabited areas because they were no direct threat to people. The hashtags #putouttheSiberianfires and #saveSiberianforests are currently trending on Twitter. Some argue that the Notre Dame fire in Paris received far more media attention than the forest fires. \"Remember how far the news about the Notre Dame fire spread? Now is the time to do the same about the Siberian forest fires,\" said one tweet. Another said: \"Let's not forget that nature is no less important than history. Numerous animals have lost their homes, and many of them are probably dead. Just thinking about this is painful.\" US President Donald Trump has since offered Mr Putin help in putting out the fires. By Rosie Blunt, Dominic Bailey and Lucy Rodgers. Design by Irene de la Torre Arenas and Debie Loizou.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 539, "answer_end": 1911, "text": "Eastern Russia and Alaska, both within and outside the Arctic Circle, have been particularly badly affected. Russia's Federal Forestry Agency says more than 2.7m hectares (6.7m acres) of remote forest are currently burning across six Siberian and eastern regions. However, Greenpeace Russia says as many as 3.3m hectares are burning - an area bigger than Belgium. Smog has prompted several regions to declare states of emergency and smoke has blown across major cities like Novosibirsk, blotting out the sun and making it difficult for some people to breathe. The smoke from the Siberian fires has even spread to Alaska and parts of the west coast of Canada. In Alaska, as of 31 July, 105 large fires had burned more than 0.7m hectares (1.78m acres). The majority of the blazes were caused by lightning strikes, according to the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center. Greenland is also battling a fire in Qeqqata Kommunia, close to the Arctic Circle Trail, popular with hikers. The area has been experiencing a heatwave, which has also meant the sea ice has been melting at a fast rate. Canada's Arctic is also suffering. One large wildfire in the Northwest Territories, inside the Arctic Circle, has burned at least 45,500 hectares (112,000 acres) according to the Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources agency, although the area is likely to be bigger."}], "question": "Where has been affected?", "id": "1038_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1912, "answer_end": 2988, "text": "The wildfires are not just having an impact on the ground. They release harmful pollutants and toxic gases into the atmosphere. Thick smoke is visible on satellite images and distinguishable from every-day clouds across vast areas of the Arctic. Nasa has traced the megatons of harmful particles in that smoke - and where they have gone. The satellite images on the left below show the fires as red dots. The globe on the right shows the concentration of black carbon particles - or soot - released by the fires. This soot can be harmful to humans and animals, entering the lungs and bloodstream. It also plays a role in global warming. Nasa scientists say the soot absorbs sunlight and warms the atmosphere. If it falls on ice or snow, it reduces reflectivity and can trap more heat, speeding up the melting process. The fires also contribute to the climate crisis by releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. They emitted an estimated 100 megatons of CO2 between 1 June and 21 July, almost the equivalent of the carbon output of Belgium in 2017, according to Cams."}], "question": "What has been the impact?", "id": "1038_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2989, "answer_end": 4644, "text": "Although wildfires are common in the northern hemisphere between May and October, the location and intensity of these fires as well as the length of time they have been burning, has been particularly unusual, according to Cams. \"It is unusual to see fires of this scale and duration at such high latitudes in June,\" said Mr Parrington. \"But temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average, and warmer conditions encourage fires to grow and persist once they have been ignited.\" Extremely dry ground and hotter than average temperatures, combined with heat lightning and strong winds, have caused the fires to spread aggressively. The burning has been sustained by the forest ground, which consists of exposed, thawed, dried peat - a substance with high carbon content. Global satellites are now tracking a swathe of new and ongoing wildfires within the Arctic Circle. The conditions were laid in June, the hottest June for the planet yet observed in the instrumented era. The fires are releasing copious volumes of previously stored carbon dioxide and methane - carbon stocks that have in some cases been held in the ground for thousands of years. Scientists say what we're seeing is evidence of the kind of feedbacks we should expect in a warmer world, where increased concentrations of greenhouse gases drive more warming, which then begets the conditions that release yet more carbon into the atmosphere. A lot of the particulate matter from these fires will eventually come to settle on ice surfaces further north, darkening them and thus accelerating melting. It's all part of a process of amplification."}], "question": "How unusual is this?", "id": "1038_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Could Russia cut undersea communication cables?", "date": "15 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK's top military officer has warned that Russia could strike a \"catastrophic\" blow to the economy by targeting communications and internet cables that run under the sea. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the defence staff, said the lines could potentially be cut or disrupted. The suggestion raises several questions: - Is that something Russia's likely to do? - What would happen if they - or someone else - did such a thing? They provide internet and communications links between separate countries and continents. The full network of around 428 cables spans 683,508 miles (1.1 million km), circling the globe. Huge quantities of data fly around under the waves, in cables filled with fibre optics - strands of glass as thin as a sheet of paper. Unfortunately, while their technology is reliable, these pivotal cables are physically fragile. The fibres are encased in steel wire and then coasted in plastic - but many cables are still only around 3cm in diameter. Natural disasters can damage them and even a ship dropping anchor can sever a cord. That's happened before at the port of Alexandria in Egypt, straining connections between Europe, Africa and Asia. The BBC's defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale, says fears of Russia cutting, disrupting or \"wire-tapping\" undersea communication lines are growing. Defence and intelligence chiefs cite the country's modernised navy, increased submarine activity and willingness to use information warfare. Russian subs are increasingly present in the North Atlantic, particularly the GIUK Gap, a strip of ocean between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK. Air Chief Marshal Peach is flagging up that Britain and its Nato allies lack the subs, ships and aircraft to sustain constant vigilance. Our correspondent notes that the UK will get new Maritime Patrol Aircraft within the next decade, but until then is reliant on Nato support to spot subs. Nato's former top military chief, Admiral James G Stavridis, is also concerned. \"We've allowed this vital infrastructure to grow increasingly vulnerable and this should worry us all,\" he said recently. Keir Giles, an expert in Russian information warfare who works with the Chatham House think tank, stresses that this is not a new concern. He thinks it's unlikely to happen as the economic fallout would also affect Russia \"but it is definitely a scenario for which they are practising\". And if it did happen, the damage would be considerable. \"The fact that people wouldn't be able to log on to Facebook would be just a tiny, tiny aspect of all the disruption that would be caused if these cables were interfered with,\" says Mr Giles. \"International trading and financial transactions are managed across sub-sea cables. The economic impact would be enormous and immediate.\" He believes Russia is conflict-proofing itself, \"seeking to reduce its reliance on the correct functioning of the internet by setting up its own parallel systems\", and rehearsing for what would happen if its internet connection collapsed. Russia is not the only nation with an interest in undersea cables. During the Cold War, for example, the US attached a recording device to a Soviet cable to learn more about the USSR's submarine and missile capabilities. However, Mr Giles says it's the only state \"with an intensive programme looking at ways of isolating targets from information\". Has Russia attempted to disrupt UK cables in the past? We can't be sure - it's classified. Information control, in short. \"They are probing the vulnerabilities of civilian communications infrastructure,\" Mr Giles says. \"You can't see what they're doing underwater. You can see what they're doing on land or with satellites. \"What Russia learned from Crimea is that in order to take over communications for a target area you don't need expensive cyber weapons, you don't need noisy and disruptive techniques like denial of service attacks. \"All you need is physical access to the communications infrastructure and telecommunications expertise embedded with your special forces. \"They've been looking everywhere. They've been looking on land in the United States, they've been looking on land in eastern Europe... Anywhere that might in future be in an adversarial relationship with Russia should be concerned about this fixation that they have on achieving information dominance.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 447, "answer_end": 1183, "text": "They provide internet and communications links between separate countries and continents. The full network of around 428 cables spans 683,508 miles (1.1 million km), circling the globe. Huge quantities of data fly around under the waves, in cables filled with fibre optics - strands of glass as thin as a sheet of paper. Unfortunately, while their technology is reliable, these pivotal cables are physically fragile. The fibres are encased in steel wire and then coasted in plastic - but many cables are still only around 3cm in diameter. Natural disasters can damage them and even a ship dropping anchor can sever a cord. That's happened before at the port of Alexandria in Egypt, straining connections between Europe, Africa and Asia."}], "question": "What do the cables do?", "id": "1039_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1184, "answer_end": 2112, "text": "The BBC's defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale, says fears of Russia cutting, disrupting or \"wire-tapping\" undersea communication lines are growing. Defence and intelligence chiefs cite the country's modernised navy, increased submarine activity and willingness to use information warfare. Russian subs are increasingly present in the North Atlantic, particularly the GIUK Gap, a strip of ocean between Greenland, Iceland, and the UK. Air Chief Marshal Peach is flagging up that Britain and its Nato allies lack the subs, ships and aircraft to sustain constant vigilance. Our correspondent notes that the UK will get new Maritime Patrol Aircraft within the next decade, but until then is reliant on Nato support to spot subs. Nato's former top military chief, Admiral James G Stavridis, is also concerned. \"We've allowed this vital infrastructure to grow increasingly vulnerable and this should worry us all,\" he said recently."}], "question": "Why are defence chiefs worried?", "id": "1039_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2113, "answer_end": 3465, "text": "Keir Giles, an expert in Russian information warfare who works with the Chatham House think tank, stresses that this is not a new concern. He thinks it's unlikely to happen as the economic fallout would also affect Russia \"but it is definitely a scenario for which they are practising\". And if it did happen, the damage would be considerable. \"The fact that people wouldn't be able to log on to Facebook would be just a tiny, tiny aspect of all the disruption that would be caused if these cables were interfered with,\" says Mr Giles. \"International trading and financial transactions are managed across sub-sea cables. The economic impact would be enormous and immediate.\" He believes Russia is conflict-proofing itself, \"seeking to reduce its reliance on the correct functioning of the internet by setting up its own parallel systems\", and rehearsing for what would happen if its internet connection collapsed. Russia is not the only nation with an interest in undersea cables. During the Cold War, for example, the US attached a recording device to a Soviet cable to learn more about the USSR's submarine and missile capabilities. However, Mr Giles says it's the only state \"with an intensive programme looking at ways of isolating targets from information\". Has Russia attempted to disrupt UK cables in the past? We can't be sure - it's classified."}], "question": "What would happen if the cables were cut?", "id": "1039_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3466, "answer_end": 4354, "text": "Information control, in short. \"They are probing the vulnerabilities of civilian communications infrastructure,\" Mr Giles says. \"You can't see what they're doing underwater. You can see what they're doing on land or with satellites. \"What Russia learned from Crimea is that in order to take over communications for a target area you don't need expensive cyber weapons, you don't need noisy and disruptive techniques like denial of service attacks. \"All you need is physical access to the communications infrastructure and telecommunications expertise embedded with your special forces. \"They've been looking everywhere. They've been looking on land in the United States, they've been looking on land in eastern Europe... Anywhere that might in future be in an adversarial relationship with Russia should be concerned about this fixation that they have on achieving information dominance.\""}], "question": "What's in it for Russia?", "id": "1039_3"}]}]}, {"title": "How to survive a missile attack: What's the official advice?", "date": "14 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "What would you do if a hostile missile was flying towards your country, and you had minutes to take cover? It's a terrifying prospect, and one the people of Hawaii faced on Saturday when an emergency warning was mistakenly sent telling them, \"Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill\". Many tweeted that they were taking refuge in bathtubs, or even under mattresses. But what's the official guidance in the event of a North Korean missile attack? Hawaii has been pondering that question since December, when it restarted monthly tests of its nuclear attack siren for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The US state, which is about 7,400km (4,600 miles) from North Korea, has been increasingly on edge since President Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un began exchanging nuclear threats. So if the siren goes, what are Hawaiians and visitors meant to do? Firstly, work out if it really is the missile siren. That signal uses a wavering tone, and is not to be confused with the steady-tone \"attention alert\" the state uses to warn of natural disasters like hurricanes or tsunamis. Secondly, don't try to run. You're safer inside the closest, most protective building - below ground if possible, somewhere like a concrete basement. The goal should be to put the maximum space between yourself and potential nuclear fallout. In Hawaii, social media footage even showed adults guiding children into storm drains. This is not considered safe because of the risk of drowning or dangerous gases being present. Estimates of how quickly a North Korean missile would hit vary, but last month the Honolulu Star-Advertiser gave an estimate of 20 minutes. Hawaii's emergency management agency put out a public service announcement in November that advised: \"Get inside, stay inside, stay tuned.\" So you should also switch on the TV or radio to await information and further instructions. The US Department of Homeland Security points people to ready.gov - a website with guidance on surviving a whole range of crises - from an active shooter, to a volcano, to a pandemic. In case of a nuclear blast, it says: - \"An underground area such as a home or office building basement offers more protection than the first floor of a building.\" - \"The heavier and denser the materials - thick walls, concrete, bricks, books and earth - between you and the fallout particles, the better.\" It also has tips for people keen to plan for the extremely unlikely event of a nuclear missile attack: - \"Find out from officials if any public buildings in your community have been designated as fallout shelters.\" - \"If your community has no designated fallout shelters, make a list of potential shelters near your home, workplace and school, such as basements, subways, tunnels...\" - Build a disaster supplies kit with packaged food, water, a working radio and other essentials. Hawaii isn't the only place to make headlines over a emergency alert. On the small Pacific island of Guam, home to a strategic US airbase, residents feared the worst for 15 minutes in August 2017 when two radio stations mistakenly broadcast an urgent warning. North Korea claims its nuclear weapons could strike the US territory at will - and the same goes for Japan and South Korea. Both have anti-missile defence systems and emergency alerts. South Korea's capital, Seoul, lies just 56km (35 miles) from the North Korean border, and national evacuation drills are held regularly. Japan has stepped up preparedness since North Korea repeatedly fired missiles over its territory in 2017, a move Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an \"unprecedented\" threat. During a North Korean missile test in August, a safety warning urged citizens on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido to take shelter in \"a sturdy building or basement\". In nationwide advice on how to survive a nuclear attack, the Japanese public were told that if a missile landed nearby, they should cover their mouths and noses and run away. Anyone indoors should stay away from windows to avoid injuries from shattered glass. A system called J-Alert exists to warn the Japanese of any incoming attack through TV, mobile phones, radio and outdoor loudspeakers. And on Hokkaido, officials have gone the extra mile: a colourful manga comic was recently published showing children hiding under their school desks, a jogger taking refuge in a public toilet, and farmers lying face down in the fields.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2859, "answer_end": 4412, "text": "Hawaii isn't the only place to make headlines over a emergency alert. On the small Pacific island of Guam, home to a strategic US airbase, residents feared the worst for 15 minutes in August 2017 when two radio stations mistakenly broadcast an urgent warning. North Korea claims its nuclear weapons could strike the US territory at will - and the same goes for Japan and South Korea. Both have anti-missile defence systems and emergency alerts. South Korea's capital, Seoul, lies just 56km (35 miles) from the North Korean border, and national evacuation drills are held regularly. Japan has stepped up preparedness since North Korea repeatedly fired missiles over its territory in 2017, a move Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called an \"unprecedented\" threat. During a North Korean missile test in August, a safety warning urged citizens on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido to take shelter in \"a sturdy building or basement\". In nationwide advice on how to survive a nuclear attack, the Japanese public were told that if a missile landed nearby, they should cover their mouths and noses and run away. Anyone indoors should stay away from windows to avoid injuries from shattered glass. A system called J-Alert exists to warn the Japanese of any incoming attack through TV, mobile phones, radio and outdoor loudspeakers. And on Hokkaido, officials have gone the extra mile: a colourful manga comic was recently published showing children hiding under their school desks, a jogger taking refuge in a public toilet, and farmers lying face down in the fields."}], "question": "And elsewhere in the world?", "id": "1040_0"}]}]}, {"title": "How many cigarettes in a bottle of wine?", "date": "28 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Drinking one 750ml bottle of wine a week increases the risk of developing cancer over a lifetime by the equivalent of 10 cigarettes a week for women and five for men, a study says. The UK researchers said this was a good way of communicating the health risks of moderate drinking. But experts said that smoking carried much greater cancer risks than alcohol, for most drinkers. And the only way to cut the risks from smoking was to quit completely. Government guidelines on alcohol consumption advise men and women to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week - the equivalent of six pints of average strength beer or seven glasses of wine (or a bottle and a half of wine). The guidance also says there is no \"safe\" level of drinking when it comes to health risk. This study says even moderate drinking can put people at risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer, which is the most common cancer in women in the UK. Writing in BMC Public Health, the researchers calculated that if 1,000 non-smoking men and 1,000 non-smoking women each drank one bottle of wine a week, around 10 extra men and 14 extra women could develop cancer during their lives. In women, alcohol intake was linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and in men, it was linked to cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. For their calculations, the research team from the University of Southampton and Bangor University, used data on cancer risk from Cancer Research UK and data on the number of cancers in the population that could be linked to tobacco and alcohol. Dr Minouk Schoemaker, scientist at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who conducts research into the causes of breast cancer, said the study offered an \"interesting insight\" but the picture was not simple. \"The overall picture of cancer risk is enormously complex and nuanced, so it's important to keep in mind that this new study is subject to a number of assumptions,\" she said. \"For example, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of alcohol and cigarette smoking entirely, and the study did not take into account the duration of smoking or time since stopping.\" The study only looked at cancer - not at any other disease, such as cardiovascular or lung diseases common in smokers. It also used data from 2004 and did not take into account other factors which could cause cancers, such as age, family genes, diet and other aspects of lifestyle. And the numbers of cigarettes \"equivalent\" to alcohol are small, when most smokers smoke many more a day. As a result, for some, the jury is out on how useful the study is. Prof John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham, said: \"I'm not sure many people decide whether to smoke or drink... based on how comparable the risks of the two are. \"This study demonstrates that in relation to cancer risk, smoking is substantially more hazardous than alcohol consumption. Smoking is also far more hazardous than alcohol in relation to a range of other diseases. \"If smokers are worried about their health, the best thing they can do is quit smoking. \"People who consume alcohol should try to stick within the recommended guidelines of 14 units per week,\" Prof Britton added. But Dr Bob Patton, lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey, said the study could transform public opinion. \"It is likely that the findings from this simple study will have a profound effect on the way that drinkers, and in particular female drinkers, regard the risks associated with alcohol consumption,\" he said. \"Viewing alcohol drinking in the same light as cigarette smoking may well result in a decrease in consumption and its related harms.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 921, "answer_end": 2583, "text": "Writing in BMC Public Health, the researchers calculated that if 1,000 non-smoking men and 1,000 non-smoking women each drank one bottle of wine a week, around 10 extra men and 14 extra women could develop cancer during their lives. In women, alcohol intake was linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and in men, it was linked to cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. For their calculations, the research team from the University of Southampton and Bangor University, used data on cancer risk from Cancer Research UK and data on the number of cancers in the population that could be linked to tobacco and alcohol. Dr Minouk Schoemaker, scientist at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who conducts research into the causes of breast cancer, said the study offered an \"interesting insight\" but the picture was not simple. \"The overall picture of cancer risk is enormously complex and nuanced, so it's important to keep in mind that this new study is subject to a number of assumptions,\" she said. \"For example, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of alcohol and cigarette smoking entirely, and the study did not take into account the duration of smoking or time since stopping.\" The study only looked at cancer - not at any other disease, such as cardiovascular or lung diseases common in smokers. It also used data from 2004 and did not take into account other factors which could cause cancers, such as age, family genes, diet and other aspects of lifestyle. And the numbers of cigarettes \"equivalent\" to alcohol are small, when most smokers smoke many more a day. As a result, for some, the jury is out on how useful the study is."}], "question": "What are the cancer harms of alcohol?", "id": "1041_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Afzal Kohistani: Calls for justice after 'honour killing' activist's murder", "date": "8 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pakistani activists are calling for a high-level judicial inquiry into the murder of a whistleblower who exposed \"honour killings\" in the country. Afzal Kohistani had warned for years his life was in danger after he brought public attention to the apparent killing of women seen clapping and singing in a video of men dancing. A day after his murder, his family were shocked by the arrest of his nephew. They say he was protecting Mr Kohistani and fired at his attackers. Mr Kohistani was shot dead on Wednesday in the city of Abbottabad, in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He first emerged into the public eye in 2012 by calling for justice in a case involving his family in remote Kohistan district. Two of his younger brothers were seen dancing in a wedding video that also showed four women singing and clapping. The four women, along with a fifth, were later killed for \"breaching the honour\" of their family, it is alleged. Such \"honour killings\" occur regularly in Pakistan, especially in rural areas, and Mr Kohistani's decision to expose the alleged murders sparked a blood feud, with three of his other brothers later killed. Activist groups that supported Mr Kohistani's long fight for justice have called on the courts to open an inquiry into his murder, and question authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as to why they did not provide him with protection, despite several requests. Human rights activist Qamar Nadeem told the BBC that civil society groups across the province were co-ordinating and \"soon a meeting of the wider community would be held to evolve a joint strategy on the issue\". Meanwhile, Mr Kohistani's family are calling for the release of his detained nephew, 23-year-old Faizur Rahman, and police protection for his wife and children. Afzal's Kohistani's younger brother, Bin Yasir, who was seen dancing in the Kohistan video, has also emerged in the wake of his brother's murder after seven years in hiding. He staged a protest outside a police station in Abbottabad and demanded the release of Mr Rahman, who was produced in court on Friday and will be held for questioning. On Thursday, police officials told the BBC Mr Rahman had been arrested after police found a pistol on him. In a written statement given to police and seen by the BBC, Faizur Rahman identifies three men from the family's village in Kohistan who allegedly shot Mr Kohistani on Wednesday. He said he and Afzal Kohistani were sitting in a stationary van when the men arrived and opened fire. He pulled out Mr Kohistani's pistol, a licensed weapon the activist carried on him in view of the threats to his life, and chased the attackers, firing some shots, he said. According to police, at least three bystanders were injured, one of whom has said he was hit by a bullet fired by Mr Rahman. On Friday police arrested a suspect in Kohistan's Palas district in connection with the murder, according to local media reports. It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2943, "answer_end": 3426, "text": "It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient."}], "question": "What is an 'honour killing'?", "id": "1042_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe protests: Crackdown is just a 'taste of things to come'", "date": "20 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Zimbabwean government says the security forces' response to recent protests in which a number of people have reportedly died is just \"a foretaste of things to come\". News of a violent crackdown has emerged despite the government blocking social media sites. Local rights groups said at least 12 people had been killed and many more beaten by security forces. The protests were sparked on Monday by a sharp rise in the price of fuel. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Sunday he was cutting short his current foreign tour to return home \"in the light of the economic situation\". Presidential spokesman George Charamba, speaking to the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper, blamed the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) for the violence that has accompanied the protests. \"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,\" he said. The opposition rejected a court ruling in August that confirmed that President Mnangagwa had beaten MDC candidate Nelson Chamisa. Over the course of the week riot police have clashed with protesters in the capital, Harare, and the southern city of Bulawayo after they lit fires and blocked roads using rocks. On Thursday, Mr Chamisa tweeted that his thoughts were \"with the victims of violence\". \"Despite the vitriol,\" he added, \"we maintain a dignified position befitting our role as led by the people.\" The UN has called on the government to halt the \"excessive use of force\" by security forces, amid reports of door-to-door searches and the use of live ammunition. A week ago, President Mnangagwa announced that the fuel price would more than double. The price rise was aimed at tackling shortages caused by an increase in fuel use and \"rampant\" illegal trading, he said. But many Zimbabweans, worn down by years of economic hardship, suddenly found they could not even afford the bus fare to work. The new prices mean Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com They feel that the president, who has been on a tour of Russia and Asian countries, is failing to live up to his promises following his election last year in disputed polls. The president announced his decision to return early on Twitter, saying his trip had been \"highly productive\" but that his \"first priority is to get Zimbabwe calm, stable and working again\". Mr Mnangagwa had been expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. But he has been struggling to revive the economy, which is experiencing high inflation while wages have stagnated. Access to the internet was intermittent throughout the week, but people found they were unable to use social media and the WhatsApp messaging platform, which has become a common way to share news.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1620, "answer_end": 2841, "text": "A week ago, President Mnangagwa announced that the fuel price would more than double. The price rise was aimed at tackling shortages caused by an increase in fuel use and \"rampant\" illegal trading, he said. But many Zimbabweans, worn down by years of economic hardship, suddenly found they could not even afford the bus fare to work. The new prices mean Zimbabwe now has the most expensive fuel in the world, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com They feel that the president, who has been on a tour of Russia and Asian countries, is failing to live up to his promises following his election last year in disputed polls. The president announced his decision to return early on Twitter, saying his trip had been \"highly productive\" but that his \"first priority is to get Zimbabwe calm, stable and working again\". Mr Mnangagwa had been expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. But he has been struggling to revive the economy, which is experiencing high inflation while wages have stagnated. Access to the internet was intermittent throughout the week, but people found they were unable to use social media and the WhatsApp messaging platform, which has become a common way to share news."}], "question": "Why has the fuel price increased?", "id": "1043_0"}]}]}, {"title": "China demands clampdown on 'vulgar' quiz apps", "date": "15 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has called for a clampdown on online quiz shows which have surged in popularity in recent months. The country's media and publication regulator said there was \"vulgar and tawdry\" content in some of the quizzes. Companies should avoid promoting extravagance or sensationalism and focus on spreading \"healthy, beneficial knowledge\", it added. On some occasions, up to six million people have been logged in to play an individual quiz. At least two of the leading apps are now displaying messages saying that their quizzes are being halted temporarily. The games tend to follow the same format as quizzes such as HQ Trivia, which has become very popular in the US. Played on smartphones in real time, they are free to enter and anyone can download the many quiz apps which have popped up. Hosted live by a real quizmaster, competitors have to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. You typically only get ten seconds to respond (presumably to try and limit cheating). And getting an answer wrong means you're out. Those remaining at the end of the quiz share the prize money. Rival companies have tried to out-do each other to attract players, leading to an escalation in prize money. In January, quiz app Chongding Dahui (which roughly translates as \"the race to the top\") started offering a prize of 100,000 yuan (PS11,240; $15,750) for its nightly quiz. That prompted others to weigh in with even bigger prizes - and so far billions of yuan have been up for grabs. But, because so many people are playing each quiz, there are often tens or hundreds of thousands of winners, meaning the payout can be relatively small. Winnings are usually sent directly to WeChat or Alipay accounts - the two dominant digital payments businesses in China. By BBC Beijing Staff Money plays a big role in the popularity of these real-time quizzes. If you get a little luck, you can earn about 15 yuan (PS1.70; $2.36) per hour - which is more than what some part-time jobs pay in China.  So for some people, especially in the smaller Chinese cities and villages, it's a way to earn money. But others say the quizzes give them a sense of achievement. Because the questions are varied and random, better-educated people may lose to those less-educated, and kids might beat grown-ups.  And people can - and do - show off their scores on social media. The quiz craze builds on the popularity of China's live-stream apps. Those streams have become a major source of entertainment for people in less-developed regions who have plenty of leisure time but little money to spend, or places to spend it. And when those videos began to get boring, lively quizzes reignited the excitement. While there are questions about poetry, literature and history, not all are so serious. There's celebrity gossip in there too - and it's those sorts of quizzes which seem to have prompted concerns that the public is not being educated but instead, being misled. The most high-profile quizzes are run by the likes of search giant Baidu, e-retailer Alibaba, video game maker NetEase, news feed platform Toutiao and the son of Dalian Wanda founder Wang Jianlin, Wang Sicong. In other words, they're all no strangers to making money. To make the quizzes sustainable, the firms running the apps are recruiting advertisers and sponsorship. Much like with primetime television, adverts are shown throughout the broadcast. And of course the tech firms hope that users will come for the quizzes, then hang around and use other services. But not all of them are convinced it is more than a fad. \"If you ask me why I do this, to be honest, I don't really know if I can make money,\" said Zhou Hongyi, chairman of Qihoo, another company involved in quiz apps. \"But from a user's perspective, I think this is really fun.\" A big challenge for the quiz providers is ensuring they don't attract the attention of government censors. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television issued a notice saying some quizzes were essentially, click-bait, and described content as  \"vulgar and tawdry\". It added that \"extravagance or sensationalism\" should not be promoted and that \"mammonism\" - meaning the greedy pursuit of riches - must not be encouraged. Excessive marketing during shows was also banned, the regulator said. Instead, quizzes should encourage \"healthy, beneficial knowledge that promoted core socialist values\" the notice said. Meanwhile anchors who host the quizzes need to have \"proper qualifications and be morally upstanding\". The new guidance comes amid a broader crackdown on online content. Beijing has run an official campaign against internet addiction, and the country has seen a shut down of livestreaming sites and blogs.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 556, "answer_end": 1085, "text": "The games tend to follow the same format as quizzes such as HQ Trivia, which has become very popular in the US. Played on smartphones in real time, they are free to enter and anyone can download the many quiz apps which have popped up. Hosted live by a real quizmaster, competitors have to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. You typically only get ten seconds to respond (presumably to try and limit cheating). And getting an answer wrong means you're out. Those remaining at the end of the quiz share the prize money."}], "question": "How do these quizzes work?", "id": "1044_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1086, "answer_end": 1751, "text": "Rival companies have tried to out-do each other to attract players, leading to an escalation in prize money. In January, quiz app Chongding Dahui (which roughly translates as \"the race to the top\") started offering a prize of 100,000 yuan (PS11,240; $15,750) for its nightly quiz. That prompted others to weigh in with even bigger prizes - and so far billions of yuan have been up for grabs. But, because so many people are playing each quiz, there are often tens or hundreds of thousands of winners, meaning the payout can be relatively small. Winnings are usually sent directly to WeChat or Alipay accounts - the two dominant digital payments businesses in China."}], "question": "How much can you win?", "id": "1044_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2933, "answer_end": 3778, "text": "The most high-profile quizzes are run by the likes of search giant Baidu, e-retailer Alibaba, video game maker NetEase, news feed platform Toutiao and the son of Dalian Wanda founder Wang Jianlin, Wang Sicong. In other words, they're all no strangers to making money. To make the quizzes sustainable, the firms running the apps are recruiting advertisers and sponsorship. Much like with primetime television, adverts are shown throughout the broadcast. And of course the tech firms hope that users will come for the quizzes, then hang around and use other services. But not all of them are convinced it is more than a fad. \"If you ask me why I do this, to be honest, I don't really know if I can make money,\" said Zhou Hongyi, chairman of Qihoo, another company involved in quiz apps. \"But from a user's perspective, I think this is really fun.\""}], "question": "If they're free to enter, how do they make money?", "id": "1044_2"}]}]}, {"title": "'Good vibration' hand pumps boost Africa's water security", "date": "24 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The simple up-and-down motion of hand pumps could help scientists secure a key water source for 200 million people in Africa. Growing demand for groundwater is putting pressure on the resource while researchers struggle to accurately estimate the future supply. But a team from Oxford University says that low-cost mobile sensors attached to pumps could solve the problem. Their study shows that pump vibrations record the true depth of well water. While fresh water from Africa's rivers and lakes is hugely important for people, it is dwarfed by the amount of groundwater available, estimated to be 100 times greater than the annual renewable fresh resource. Groundwater lies in aquifers under the surface of the earth and is often extracted from wells by pumps. In many places these are simple devices, operated by hand. In 2012 the Oxford research team started a trial in Kenya where hand pumps in 60 villages were fitted with data transmitters. The idea was they would monitor the motion of the pump and the amount of water extracted on an hourly basis - if the pump wasn't working, a message was sent to a repair company and workers were dispatched to fix the problem. The innovation cut the average repair time from over a month to less than three days. Now the scientists have found another way to interpret the data from the accelerometers fitted to the pump handles. They discovered that when the water is being drawn from a deep aquifer, it produces different vibrations than when the liquid comes from a shallow one. \"It's quite a simple and elegant solution to estimating groundwater and how it varies over time,\" co-author Dr Rob Hope from Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment told BBC News. \"In East Africa at the moment there's quite a severe drought, in South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and a lot of this might be dealt with earlier with these sorts of systems. \"If you can predict that groundwater levels are going down rapidly, rather than getting to problem and dealing, with it you can predict it much earlier on.\" While the accelerometers and mobile data technology in the system is a fairly simple arrangement, the statistical analysis of the information is quite sophisticated. Researchers took recordings of pumping lasting between 20 seconds and three minutes at different sites in Kenya and Oxford. The scientists say the vibration value analysis is akin to the complex systems that monitor vibrations in aircraft. \"This project is a great example of using the latest developments in low-cost mobile sensors and machine learning,\" said lead author Dr David Clifton, associate professor of engineering science at Oxford. \"Working closely with development experts, we can help tackle water security, which is an issue of huge importance in the developing world.\" There are now about 300 sensors installed across Kenya as an early warning system and some 15,000 people who are paying small premiums for rapid repairs. There has been very little damage or attempts to steal the technology in the communities in which they are installed, as people value the service. The researchers believe the system can be rapidly scaled up and rolled out to other communities. With up to a million hand pumps dotted around Africa, they believe there is now a great opportunity to capture highly useful groundwater data. When water falls as rain or snow, much of it either flows into rivers or is used to provide moisture to plants and crops. What is left over trickles down to the layers of rock that sit beneath the soil. And just like a giant sponge, this groundwater is held in the spaces between the rocks and in the tiny interconnected spaces between individual grains in a rock like sandstone. These bodies of wet rock are referred to as aquifers. Groundwater does not sit still in the aquifer but is pushed and pulled by gravity and the weight of water above it. The movement of the water through the aquifer removes many impurities and it is often cleaner than water on the surface. This \"accidental infrastructure\" could allow a network of hand pumps across the region to transmit data to the cloud to create a public dataset that would be widely used. \"Rather than just seeing these pumps as concrete and iron littered around Africa, these systems could be the little sentinels giving you this very valuable information,\" said Dr Hope, \"Mining companies, agriculture, institutional investors and communities could all benefit from this. \"I've been working in Africa for 15 years and I think it's one of the most exciting things that we've been working on and the results that we've had have been very promising.\" The study has been published in the journal Environmental Modelling & Software. Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3349, "answer_end": 4019, "text": "When water falls as rain or snow, much of it either flows into rivers or is used to provide moisture to plants and crops. What is left over trickles down to the layers of rock that sit beneath the soil. And just like a giant sponge, this groundwater is held in the spaces between the rocks and in the tiny interconnected spaces between individual grains in a rock like sandstone. These bodies of wet rock are referred to as aquifers. Groundwater does not sit still in the aquifer but is pushed and pulled by gravity and the weight of water above it. The movement of the water through the aquifer removes many impurities and it is often cleaner than water on the surface."}], "question": "What is groundwater?", "id": "1045_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Australian One Nation senator in UK citizenship row", "date": "28 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Australian senator has revealed he renounced his UK citizenship, but it wasn't confirmed until after he was elected. Malcolm Roberts, from the far-right party One Nation, said he was \"very confident\" he could prove he was not a dual citizen. Under Australia's constitution, a person cannot run for federal office if they hold dual or plural citizenship. Three politicians have quit as a row over dual citizenship has intensified. The Queensland senator, who was born in India to a Welsh father, said he never believed he was British citizen. Speaking in a television interview with Sky News, Senator Roberts said he contacted British authorities days before the cut-off for candidate nominations. He said he wrote three times to British authorities saying: \"I believe I am not a British and just in case though, if I am, then I renounce it effective immediately.\" Senator Roberts said he received formal registration of his status from British authorities on December 5, 2016 - five months after the federal election. \"I've taken all steps that I reasonably believe necessary,\" Senator Roberts told Sky News. The senator has previously confirmed on social media that he was not an Indian citizen. \"I am a citizen only of Australia and therefore eligible to hold the position as Senator in the Australian parliament,\" he said on Facebook. The politician has been under pressure to reveal his status following the resignation of two deputy Greens leaders, Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters, who were both dual nationals. This week, Matthew Canavan also quit as Australia's Minister for Resources and Northern Australia because he faces legal questions over his Italian citizenship. The Section 44 (Disqualification) states that any person who \"is under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power... shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives\". This is interpreted by the High Court of Australia as meaning that persons with dual citizenship are not permitted to run for office. Yes. Dual nationals cannot be elected to parliament in Armenia, Egypt or the Philippines. In Israel, a person must renounce his or her other citizenship to be sworn is as a member of Knesset (parliament). In New Zealand, serving lawmakers run the risk of losing their seat if they renew non-New Zealand passports.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1681, "answer_end": 2188, "text": "The Section 44 (Disqualification) states that any person who \"is under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power, or is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power... shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives\". This is interpreted by the High Court of Australia as meaning that persons with dual citizenship are not permitted to run for office."}], "question": "So, what does Australia's constitution say on this issue?", "id": "1046_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2189, "answer_end": 2502, "text": "Yes. Dual nationals cannot be elected to parliament in Armenia, Egypt or the Philippines. In Israel, a person must renounce his or her other citizenship to be sworn is as a member of Knesset (parliament). In New Zealand, serving lawmakers run the risk of losing their seat if they renew non-New Zealand passports."}], "question": "Are there any other countries with similar restrictions for dual citizens?", "id": "1046_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Gulf crisis: US sends more troops amid tanker tension with Iran", "date": "18 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US military will send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East as tensions build with Iran. Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the deployment was in response to \"hostile behaviour\" by Iranian forces. The US Navy also shared new images it says link Iran to attacks last week on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Washington has accused Iran of blowing holes in the vessels with mines. Iran has denied the allegations. Tensions were further fuelled on Monday when Iran said its stockpile of low-enriched uranium would next week exceed levels set under the 2015 nuclear agreement. It recently stepped up production in response to the US tightening sanctions. The 2015 deal, from which the US has withdrawn, curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said his country did not seek to wage war with any nation and had remained \"loyal\" to its international obligations. Overnight three rockets hit a military base housing US troops north of Baghdad, the Iraqi military said. The US said it was \"indirect fire\" and did not cause injuries. No group said it had carried out the attack, though it followed US warnings of an increased threat to US interests in Iraq by Iranian-backed militias. Announcing the deployment, Mr Shanahan said the US did \"not seek conflict with Iran\" but the action had been taken to \"ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region to protect our national interests\". He said the military would continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments to troop levels accordingly. The 1,000 additional troops being despatched to the Middle East is presented as a prudent defensive measure by the Pentagon; the recent attacks on the two oil tankers being taken as a clear sign of Iran's hostile intent. They join some 1,500 additional troops sent last month. Taken together, these deployments inevitably raise tensions but they are clearly not in any sense an assault force. If direct conflict does break out between Washington and Tehran, it will most likely be a sporadic air and maritime battle, not a land campaign. But what worries Washington is attacks by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or Iran's proxies against US troops or facilities in the wider region - hence this latest deployment. The US defence secretary is again insisting that Washington does not want conflict with Tehran, but tensions remain high and any miscalculation could lead to a serious escalation. Shortly before the announcement, the Pentagon released new images including some purporting to show the remnants of an unexploded mine on the Japanese-owned oil tanker damaged in the attacks. The photos appear to show it being removed by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Pentagon has already released grainy video said to show the same episode. Also seen in the latest images is apparent damage - a hole - above the waterline on the hull of the Kokuka Courageous. Another image is said to show the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessel shortly after it was involved in removing the limpet mine. The other tanker damaged in the attacks was the Norwegian-owned Front Altair. The US has implicated Iran in the latest attacks and four others outside the Strait of Hormuz in May, allegations denied by Iran. China urged the US to lower the pressure and for Iran to stick to the nuclear deal, warning of a \"Pandora's box\" in the region. Russia - another party to the nuclear accord - also called for restraint, calling US actions \"truly provocative\". Saudi Arabia also blames Iran for the attacks on the two oil tankers, while the UK said it was \"almost certain\" Iran was behind the blasts. But EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday warned against jumping to conclusions and backed UN calls for an independent investigation. In 2015, Iran agreed to a landmark deal with world powers to curb its nuclear development. It agreed to limit the enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons, and other measures in return for relief from sanctions. Mr Trump abandoned the nuclear accord last year and started to re-impose sanctions. The move has crippled Iran's economy, which relies on oil, and Iran has responded by scaling back its nuclear commitments. Speaking on Iranian TV, President Rouhani said the international community could see that it was the US, not Iran, that was acting badly. \"Iran has been loyal to its signature,\" he said. \"Iran has been loyal to international agreements, and the one standing against us today [the US] is the one that has trampled all pacts, agreements and international accords.\" Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said earlier it was on course to exceed agreed limits on its low-enriched uranium stockpiles by 27 June. But Iran said there was \"still time\" for European countries to act by protecting Iran from reinstated US sanctions.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1269, "answer_end": 1620, "text": "Announcing the deployment, Mr Shanahan said the US did \"not seek conflict with Iran\" but the action had been taken to \"ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region to protect our national interests\". He said the military would continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments to troop levels accordingly."}], "question": "What do we know about the extra troops?", "id": "1047_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2521, "answer_end": 3347, "text": "Shortly before the announcement, the Pentagon released new images including some purporting to show the remnants of an unexploded mine on the Japanese-owned oil tanker damaged in the attacks. The photos appear to show it being removed by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Pentagon has already released grainy video said to show the same episode. Also seen in the latest images is apparent damage - a hole - above the waterline on the hull of the Kokuka Courageous. Another image is said to show the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessel shortly after it was involved in removing the limpet mine. The other tanker damaged in the attacks was the Norwegian-owned Front Altair. The US has implicated Iran in the latest attacks and four others outside the Strait of Hormuz in May, allegations denied by Iran."}], "question": "What do the latest images show?", "id": "1047_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3348, "answer_end": 3864, "text": "China urged the US to lower the pressure and for Iran to stick to the nuclear deal, warning of a \"Pandora's box\" in the region. Russia - another party to the nuclear accord - also called for restraint, calling US actions \"truly provocative\". Saudi Arabia also blames Iran for the attacks on the two oil tankers, while the UK said it was \"almost certain\" Iran was behind the blasts. But EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday warned against jumping to conclusions and backed UN calls for an independent investigation."}], "question": "How do other powers see the situation?", "id": "1047_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3865, "answer_end": 4943, "text": "In 2015, Iran agreed to a landmark deal with world powers to curb its nuclear development. It agreed to limit the enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons, and other measures in return for relief from sanctions. Mr Trump abandoned the nuclear accord last year and started to re-impose sanctions. The move has crippled Iran's economy, which relies on oil, and Iran has responded by scaling back its nuclear commitments. Speaking on Iranian TV, President Rouhani said the international community could see that it was the US, not Iran, that was acting badly. \"Iran has been loyal to its signature,\" he said. \"Iran has been loyal to international agreements, and the one standing against us today [the US] is the one that has trampled all pacts, agreements and international accords.\" Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said earlier it was on course to exceed agreed limits on its low-enriched uranium stockpiles by 27 June. But Iran said there was \"still time\" for European countries to act by protecting Iran from reinstated US sanctions."}], "question": "Why are there new tensions?", "id": "1047_3"}]}]}, {"title": "What will Trump do about the Iran nuclear deal?", "date": "12 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "All the indications are that President Trump will refuse to recertify the present Iran nuclear deal some time before the due date of 15 October. This would light a fuse that could potentially explode the agreement. It raises questions about how Iran will respond. And it creates huge diplomatic difficulties between the US and many of its key European allies who wholeheartedly back the deal. The agreement, negotiated with Iran by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council together with Germany and the European Union, was reached in July 2015. Its aim was to ensure that Iran's nuclear programme was entirely peaceful. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), began to be implemented in January 2016. In return for the progressive lifting of a range of economic sanctions, Iran halted some of its activities and reduced others within strict limits, all open to verification by international inspectors. There are four crucial things to remember about the deal. It was not perfect. Forcing Iran to halt its nuclear activities altogether was not feasible. Many of the restrictions imposed by the JCPOA contain \"sunset clauses\", which run out after a number of years. What happens then is a valid question, but it was felt by all the parties that constraining Iran's nuclear programme for the immediate future was a deal worth taking. It is easy to forget that there was a real concern at the time the deal was being negotiated that without an agreement there could be a military conflict. Israel was pressing for military action. Many of Iran's Arab enemies in the Gulf quietly backed such a step and there were questions as to whether the US itself might have to use force to prevent Iran developing the capability to manufacture and deliver a nuclear weapon. Sound familiar? It is much like the position that the US is in today with North Korea. The JCPOA was intended to manage Iran's nuclear activities, avoiding a recourse to war. The JCPOA was about Iran's nuclear programme and nothing else. Iran does many things that the US, and its European and Middle Eastern allies, believe are damaging to security in the region. That is an important but a different matter, one that I will come back to in a moment. The JCPOA was and is a nuclear deal, pure and simple. And that brings me to perhaps the most fundamental point of all. Everyone - and that includes the UN's nuclear watchdog and all of the signatories (including senior figures in the Trump administration) - believes that Iran is abiding by the agreement to the letter. Enter the US Congress. It wanted to have some oversight over the application of the JCPOA and brought in legislation, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), which requires the US president to certify every 90 days not just that Iran is complying with the deal, but that the continued suspension of nuclear-related US economic sanctions remains vital to the national security interests of the United States. So far - despite criticising the Iran nuclear deal at every opportunity - President Trump has grudgingly recertified the JCPOA under this legislation. But now he looks set to change his mind. Assuming he does now refuse to recertify the deal, insisting that it is no longer in US interests to do so, what then? What does it mean? And what happens next? The crucial point to grasp is that the Iran deal (JCPOA) and the US legislation (INARA) are two totally different things. By decertifying the Iran deal, Mr Trump would not be withdrawing from it. He would certainly be making a fundamental point about his view of its utility. He would be opening up a path under which Congress could effectively cease US compliance with the deal. But in practical terms, this is a multinational agreement that is being adhered to and thus it would remain active with or without a certification from Mr Trump. Of course, having decertified the deal, the president could simply reimpose some or all of the economic sanctions that have been waived under the JCPOA, and this would certainly mean that the US was no longer complying with its terms of the deal. But the more likely scenario would be that - under the US INARA legislation - the whole issue would go to Capitol Hill for the US Congress to decide. Opinion there is divided. There is clearly no warmth felt towards Tehran, but at this stage it is not clear what Congress might do. Would it reimpose some or all sanctions - thus pulling the US out of the deal - or decide to bide its time? There are indications that some of those on Capitol Hill most critical of the deal at the time are now reluctant to tear it up. Now we come to another crucial aspect of this whole business: the ostensible reason why Mr Trump may decertify the agreement in the first place. Iran is seen by the West and its allies as a major problem in the region. Paradoxically, the US itself helped to facilitate Iran's rise as a regional player through its destruction of the Saddam Hussein government in Iraq. Iran has an important say with the Shia-dominated government in Baghdad. It - along with its proxy militias - is a major player in Syria. And it has a hand in the conflict in Yemen, though there is debate about the scale of its activities there. Add in worries about its missile programmes and its alleged support for terrorism, and there are good reasons for concern about its growing regional influence. The JCPOA agreement has not changed Iran's wider behaviour. The activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and its missile-research effort have continued. The JCPOA was never intended to tackle these wider issues. But in some basic sense, Mr Trump looks set to contend that Iran is not living up to the \"spirit\" of the deal - it's not playing nice - and that is why he will choose to decertify it. The Trump administration wants to get tough with Tehran. The president is likely to set his decertification of the JCPOA as part of a wider set of policies intended to punish Iran, as he would see it, for its bad behaviour. All sorts of new sanctions could be on the table. Remember, there is still a whole battery of sanctions in place both from the US and the EU for a variety of other things - separate from the nuclear programme - such as terrorism or human rights violations. One suggestion is that the Trump administration might decide to brand the whole of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity. This body - part security force, part military, part ideological vanguard - also controls a significant part of the Iranian economy. More sanctions here could cause problems not just for Iran, but between the US and those of its allies who want to open up trade with Tehran. So if, as expected, Mr Trump does decertify the Iran nuclear deal, it is not necessarily the end of the agreement. America's allies are lining up to encourage both the White House and Congress to stick with the deal. Even if Congress chooses not to reapply sanctions for now, the next problem becomes the scope and impact of the Trump administration's wider policy towards Tehran. Iran for now is likely to do nothing. It will see decertification as an internal legal US matter, and is likely to continue to adhere to the agreement. Indeed, it may well relish the widening split between Washington and its key European allies. But the way Tehran responds to any other US steps may well decide the fate of the nuclear deal. Remember, this is a US administration dominated by military figures, many of whom have been up against Iranian-backed forces in the field. They may back the nuclear deal, but also want to see Tehran held to account for its actions. Insulating the JCPOA from team Trump's wider Iran policy is not going to be easy, and over time, it may well influence thinking towards the utility of the agreement in Iran itself.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3719, "answer_end": 4790, "text": "But in practical terms, this is a multinational agreement that is being adhered to and thus it would remain active with or without a certification from Mr Trump. Of course, having decertified the deal, the president could simply reimpose some or all of the economic sanctions that have been waived under the JCPOA, and this would certainly mean that the US was no longer complying with its terms of the deal. But the more likely scenario would be that - under the US INARA legislation - the whole issue would go to Capitol Hill for the US Congress to decide. Opinion there is divided. There is clearly no warmth felt towards Tehran, but at this stage it is not clear what Congress might do. Would it reimpose some or all sanctions - thus pulling the US out of the deal - or decide to bide its time? There are indications that some of those on Capitol Hill most critical of the deal at the time are now reluctant to tear it up. Now we come to another crucial aspect of this whole business: the ostensible reason why Mr Trump may decertify the agreement in the first place."}], "question": "The return of sanctions?", "id": "1048_0"}]}]}, {"title": "FBI ex-deputy director Andrew McCabe sacked days before retirement", "date": "17 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe has been sacked days before he could retire with pension rights. He was fired by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said an internal review found he leaked information and misled investigators. Mr McCabe denied the claims and said he was being targeted because of his involvement in the inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. US media say he has kept notes of his interactions with the president. If so, they may become part of the inquiry. Mr Trump has long accused Mr McCabe of bias in favour of the Democrats. He immediately praised Mr Sessions' decision to fire him. In December, the president appeared to taunt the then number two at the FBI, when he tweeted:  \"FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!\" Mr McCabe had been under an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of two key inquiries during the 2016 presidential campaign - the revelations that Hillary Clinton had used a private email server while secretary of state and suspicions that Russia was interfering to help Mr Trump win the presidency. He stepped down from his role as deputy director in January because of the review, and had remained on the FBI's books ahead of his expected retirement. His sacking came late on Friday night. Mr Sessions, who heads the justice department, said it was the result of \"an extensive and fair investigation\" by his department and the FBI. Mr Sessions said the report had concluded that Mr McCabe had \"made an unauthorised disclosure to the news media and lacked candour - including under oath - on multiple occasions\". The report has not been released but it is thought to refer to an interview Mr McCabe authorised between two FBI officials and a Wall Street Journal reporter in October 2016 to explain the agency's position in the Clinton emails inquiry. He was then subsequently interviewed by the justice department's inspector general. Mr McCabe has issued a lengthy statement vehemently rejecting the allegations against him and denouncing what he described as a campaign of attacks on his credibility. He insisted he had done nothing wrong in organising the October 2016 interview, saying \"it was the type of exchange with the media that the Deputy Director oversees several times per week\". He said of the subsequent justice department investigation that he tried to answer the questions \"truthfully and accurately\" and \"when I thought my answers were misunderstood, I contacted investigators to correct them\". \"The big picture is a tale of what can happen when law enforcement is politicized,\" he went on to say. \"Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey.\" Mr Comey was fired as head of the FBI in May last year by the president, who cited his handling of the Clinton email investigation but later acknowledged \"this Russia thing\" was part of the reason. Mr Comey had been leading the FBI's investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russian interference in the vote. He later told a Senate hearing that the president had asked for his \"loyalty\". Mr McCabe alleges that the release of the justice department report recommending his firing was \"accelerated\" after he indicated that he would corroborate Mr Comey's version of events. Mr Trump has been a frequent critic of Mr McCabe, whom he accuses of political bias in his roles in the Russia and Clinton email investigations. He has publicly pointed to donations that Mr McCabe's wife Jill, a Democrat, received from a Clinton ally when she ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in Virginia in 2015. After James Comey was fired, Mr McCabe became acting director of the FBI. Mr Trump reportedly invited him to the Oval Office and asked him who he voted for in the 2016 election. Mr McCabe, in his statement on Friday, said he and his family had been the targets of an \"unrelenting assault\" in the media to undermine his reputation, and said Mr Trump's tweets had \"amplified and exacerbated it all\". Citing anonymous sources on Saturday, the Associated Press news agency says Mr McCabe has kept memos of his meetings with Mr Trump. It is not clear whether they have been handed over to the special counsel leading the inquiry, Robert Mueller. Mr Comey also kept contemporaneous notes of his encounters with Mr Trump. Mr McCabe had been with the FBI for two decades and was due to retire on Sunday, the day he turns 50 and can claim his federal government pension. It is not clear how much of his pension he might lose as a result of Mr Sessions' announcement. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday said it was for the attorney general to decide Mr McCabe's future. \"But,\" she added, \"we do think it is well documented that he has had some very troubling behaviour and by most accounts a bad actor and should have some cause for concern.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 836, "answer_end": 1981, "text": "Mr McCabe had been under an internal investigation into the FBI's handling of two key inquiries during the 2016 presidential campaign - the revelations that Hillary Clinton had used a private email server while secretary of state and suspicions that Russia was interfering to help Mr Trump win the presidency. He stepped down from his role as deputy director in January because of the review, and had remained on the FBI's books ahead of his expected retirement. His sacking came late on Friday night. Mr Sessions, who heads the justice department, said it was the result of \"an extensive and fair investigation\" by his department and the FBI. Mr Sessions said the report had concluded that Mr McCabe had \"made an unauthorised disclosure to the news media and lacked candour - including under oath - on multiple occasions\". The report has not been released but it is thought to refer to an interview Mr McCabe authorised between two FBI officials and a Wall Street Journal reporter in October 2016 to explain the agency's position in the Clinton emails inquiry. He was then subsequently interviewed by the justice department's inspector general."}], "question": "Why was McCabe fired?", "id": "1049_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1982, "answer_end": 3466, "text": "Mr McCabe has issued a lengthy statement vehemently rejecting the allegations against him and denouncing what he described as a campaign of attacks on his credibility. He insisted he had done nothing wrong in organising the October 2016 interview, saying \"it was the type of exchange with the media that the Deputy Director oversees several times per week\". He said of the subsequent justice department investigation that he tried to answer the questions \"truthfully and accurately\" and \"when I thought my answers were misunderstood, I contacted investigators to correct them\". \"The big picture is a tale of what can happen when law enforcement is politicized,\" he went on to say. \"Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey.\" Mr Comey was fired as head of the FBI in May last year by the president, who cited his handling of the Clinton email investigation but later acknowledged \"this Russia thing\" was part of the reason. Mr Comey had been leading the FBI's investigation into allegations of collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russian interference in the vote. He later told a Senate hearing that the president had asked for his \"loyalty\". Mr McCabe alleges that the release of the justice department report recommending his firing was \"accelerated\" after he indicated that he would corroborate Mr Comey's version of events."}], "question": "How did McCabe respond?", "id": "1049_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3467, "answer_end": 4502, "text": "Mr Trump has been a frequent critic of Mr McCabe, whom he accuses of political bias in his roles in the Russia and Clinton email investigations. He has publicly pointed to donations that Mr McCabe's wife Jill, a Democrat, received from a Clinton ally when she ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate in Virginia in 2015. After James Comey was fired, Mr McCabe became acting director of the FBI. Mr Trump reportedly invited him to the Oval Office and asked him who he voted for in the 2016 election. Mr McCabe, in his statement on Friday, said he and his family had been the targets of an \"unrelenting assault\" in the media to undermine his reputation, and said Mr Trump's tweets had \"amplified and exacerbated it all\". Citing anonymous sources on Saturday, the Associated Press news agency says Mr McCabe has kept memos of his meetings with Mr Trump. It is not clear whether they have been handed over to the special counsel leading the inquiry, Robert Mueller. Mr Comey also kept contemporaneous notes of his encounters with Mr Trump."}], "question": "Why did Trump object to McCabe?", "id": "1049_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4503, "answer_end": 5044, "text": "Mr McCabe had been with the FBI for two decades and was due to retire on Sunday, the day he turns 50 and can claim his federal government pension. It is not clear how much of his pension he might lose as a result of Mr Sessions' announcement. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday said it was for the attorney general to decide Mr McCabe's future. \"But,\" she added, \"we do think it is well documented that he has had some very troubling behaviour and by most accounts a bad actor and should have some cause for concern.\""}], "question": "Why has it happened now?", "id": "1049_3"}]}]}, {"title": "German football star Uli Hoeness' own goal on tax", "date": "24 April 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "He was a star forward in the football team which won the World Cup in 1974 and off the field, he's been almost as influential, presiding over the relentless - and continuing - rise of Bayern Munich to greatness. When Bayern thrashed the mighty Barcelona on Tuesday evening, Mr Hoeness sported his red supporter's scarf and gaudy scarlet jacket, the son of a butcher who rose to celebrity through his boots - and to riches by setting up a business making sausages. But now he finds himself at the centre of a row over taxes.  He admitted that he had a Swiss bank account: \"Through my tax adviser I turned myself in to the tax authorities in January, 2013.  It was in relation to a Swiss bank account of mine,\" he said. That has unleashed a volley of criticism as fierce as the goals he used to score. Just as the (now former) French socialist tax minister Jerome Cahuzac ignited the debate about tax havens and off-shore arrangements for the wealthy in France, so Uli Hoeness has done the same in Germany. Mr Cahuzac was the minister charged with maximising tax revenue. He had said: \"I do not have, I have never had, an account abroad, not now, not ever,\" - until he said that he did have an account abroad. You can see the difficulty. Uli Hoeness is not a politician. But he is a big public figure, and one who was big on probity: the sports star turned businessman turned chat-show guest with an opinion on everything - including business ethics. From his position in a television studio, he opined: \"You can't preach the virtues of water and then drink wine.\" Subsequently, with the revelation of the Swiss account, Die Zeit wrote: \"Hoeness always put great importance on morals.  He would even frequently chat with Chancellor Angela Merkel.\" Chancellor Merkel is unlikely to be talking much to him now.  Her spokesman said: \"Many people in Germany are now disappointed in Uli Hoeness. The Chancellor is among these people.\" Her distance from her friend is understandable. The German government in an election year has made much of its belief that if German taxpayers bail out the banks and governments of Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain, then everybody should pay their fair share. But there has been a debate about how the unpaid taxes should best be retrieved. The German government reckoned that a softer approach would claw back more money. The idea was to offer those with undeclared Swiss bank accounts the chance to come clean (albeit in private). If they did, they would pay back-tax but not be publicly shamed. But the opposition balked at that. It said that those with hidden cash over the border should be pursued. It won, blocking the government's plan. A new agreement with Switzerland, offering softer terms, with more carrot and less stick, was abandoned. It seems that Uli Hoeness had declared his account to the German authorities because he thought that the semi-amnesty was on the way, only to find, too late, that it was not. He was then left as bereft as a solitary centre forward alone in his half of the field when the ball suddenly comes hurtling towards him. Germany isn't alone in wanting more taxes paid.  In the UK, there have been rows over how big multinational companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Google arrange their affairs so that they pay tax in lower-tax-rate jurisdictions. Legal it is; pleasing to the cash-strapped British Treasury it is not. Five European countries - France, the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain - have agreed to compel banks to disclose information so that tax authorities know where potential taxpayers have stuck their money.  It is similar to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) in the United States which has been used against US tax evaders since 2010. Governments are under pressure to crack down on tax evasion and avoidance by the rich for two reasons. Firstly, when economies grow robustly, tax revenues rise nicely. But when economies contract, governments cut spending so every penny of extra revenue mitigates the pain. Secondly, the bailout and nationalisation of bankrupt banks by taxpayers may have stoked up resentment so that pre-Crash, getting away with paying less tax might have seemed like a misdemeanour, now it seems like a crime - or so runs the argument. Maybe when capitalism was sailing along smoothly, few would have blinked an eye, but now that governments are cutting spending, including on social programmes for the poor, every penny counts - including those in foreign bank accounts. Or especially those in foreign bank accounts. In this less sympathetic environment for those allergic to tax, the authorities in Germany have been pursuing a controversial tactic. They have been buying CDs of information from whistleblowers in Swiss banks. Recently, the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate bought information on 10,000 accounts. It is thought it paid about four million euros ($5.2m; PS3.4m) for the CD, but justified the payment by saying that the information would let it retrieve half a billion euros in unpaid taxes. The Swiss government takes a dim view of this. It thinks this is payment to people who steal from banks in Switzerland, a payment for wrongdoing. And it argues that a proper agreement on sharing information would have been better. A Swiss finance ministry spokesman said: \"Data CDs can yield chance finds at most. They do not clear the way for making sure everyone is taxed.\" The atmosphere has changed. Uli Hoeness knows this. He may have shouted for joy at Bayern's stunning 4-0 victory over Barcelona. But more complicated matters of tax may take the smile from his face. National heroes don't get much bigger than Uli Hoeness.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4498, "answer_end": 5667, "text": "Or especially those in foreign bank accounts. In this less sympathetic environment for those allergic to tax, the authorities in Germany have been pursuing a controversial tactic. They have been buying CDs of information from whistleblowers in Swiss banks. Recently, the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate bought information on 10,000 accounts. It is thought it paid about four million euros ($5.2m; PS3.4m) for the CD, but justified the payment by saying that the information would let it retrieve half a billion euros in unpaid taxes. The Swiss government takes a dim view of this. It thinks this is payment to people who steal from banks in Switzerland, a payment for wrongdoing. And it argues that a proper agreement on sharing information would have been better. A Swiss finance ministry spokesman said: \"Data CDs can yield chance finds at most. They do not clear the way for making sure everyone is taxed.\" The atmosphere has changed. Uli Hoeness knows this. He may have shouted for joy at Bayern's stunning 4-0 victory over Barcelona. But more complicated matters of tax may take the smile from his face. National heroes don't get much bigger than Uli Hoeness."}], "question": "Paying 'thieves'?", "id": "1050_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit at-a-glance: What we learned from Theresa May", "date": "17 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "With her Brexit speech, Theresa May has for the first time revealed some key details about her approach to negotiations with the EU. Here's what we know now: What it is: The single market aims to make it easy for EU nations to trade with one another. It allows free movement of goods, workers, services and capital around the EU, without any tariffs, pretty much as if it was all one country. While it remains in the EU, the UK is a full member of the single market, and much of the Brexit debate has been about what will happen when it leaves. Some non-EU countries - such as Norway - have arrangements with the EU that allow them to be part of the single market if they meet certain conditions. UK government position: Having previously not publicly committed either way, Theresa May confirmed the UK cannot remain a member of the single market after it leaves the EU. She said this was because, as European leaders have stressed, the UK would have to accept EU rules and regulations and be bound by the European Court of Justice. Instead, she said, the UK will push for a new \"comprehensive free trade agreement\", giving it \"the greatest possible access\" to the single market. The deal might contain \"elements\" of the current arrangements, she said, singling out the the motor trade and financial services as examples. What it is: A customs union is an arrangement between countries who agree not to impose tariffs on each other's goods. They also agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union. Setting common external tariffs is what distinguishes a customs union from a free trade area, where members are able to set their own tariffs on goods from the rest of the world. As an EU member, the UK is currently part of its customs union. What we know: The PM specified that the UK will leave the EU customs union, saying elements of it (the Common Commercial Policy and the Common External Tariff) prevented the UK from striking trade deals around the world. At the same time, she said she wanted the UK \"to have a customs union agreement with the EU\". She added: \"Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the customs union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position.\" The 28 member states are in the EU customs union, but the EU also has separate customs union agreements - which vary in scope, for example in relation to the type of goods covered, with a number of other countries. The government has made clear that there will be restrictions to EU migration as a result of the referendum. This was reiterated by Mrs May in her speech, saying: \"The message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe. And that is what we will deliver.\" But the precise model to be used has not yet been confirmed. During the referendum campaign, Vote Leave called for a \"points-based\" system, similar to that used in Australia. But this model, which would involve applications being accepted on the basis of skills, has been rejected by Mrs May, who says it would not give sufficient control to the government. An alternative, which Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said is under consideration, is to require migrants to have a work permit before coming to work in the UK, with ministers able to prioritise different sectors. The government has said all possibilities are being considered. The fate of EU citizens currently living in the UK and of UK citizens living in the rest of the EU has become another pressing question. The government has repeatedly stated that the UK could not make commitments on the right of EU citizens to remain in the UK without securing a reciprocal deal for British citizens living abroad in Europe. \"I have said on many occasions that I expect to be able to, and wish to be able to, guarantee their status here in the UK, but we do need reciprocity - we need to have care and concern for UK citizens who are living in the European Union,\" Mrs May told MPs last month. In her speech, she said many countries wanted a deal, but \"one or two others do not\", and called for a resolution as soon as possible. Mrs May confirmed: \"l will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force.\" After her speech, Brexit Secretary David Davis told MPs the UK would be leaving the EU whatever the outcome of the vote. The government will also be forced to consult Parliament before starting negotiations if it loses the legal challenge over Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. The prime minister has been clear the UK will no longer be bound by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice, which ensures the application of EU legislation, after Brexit. \"We are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice,\" she told the Conservative Party conference. \"That's not going to happen.\" There has been much talk of an interim deal between the UK and the EU before the final terms are agreed. But different versions of what this could mean have been put forward. In her speech, Mrs May said there would be no \"unlimited transitional status\", which would leave the UK in \"some kind of permanent political purgatory\". However, she proposed a \"phased process of implementation\" after a deal has been reached, to allow each element of the deal to be introduced. As it will not be in the single market, the UK will not pay \"huge sums\" to EU budgets, Theresa May said. In some circumstances it may have to make an \"appropriate contribution\" to be part of European schemes, she said. \"But the principle is clear: the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end.\" The PM gave her strongest warning yet to her opposite numbers ahead of the negotiations, saying a \"punitive deal that punishes Britain\" would be \"an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe\" and would \"not be the act of a friend\". She added that \"no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain\". There was another warning for the EU in the PM's speech, as she told leaders to \"respect difference\", rather than \"trying to hold things together by force, tightening a vice-like grip that ends up crushing into tiny pieces the very things you want to protect\". The government had already set itself a Brexit deadline - Theresa May will give notice of the UK's departure from the EU under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty before the end of March. This allows two years for the negotiations to be completed before the UK leaves. The government has insisted neither a pending Supreme Court judgement nor the political upheaval in Northern Ireland will delay its timetable. What will happen to EU funding currently given to projects and different regions across the UK? We know that during negotiations with the EU, all rights and obligations from EU membership will continue as normal. This means that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget and that all projects in the UK that currently benefit from EU funding will continue to do so while the UK remains a member of the EU. In August, the Treasury said it would guarantee to back EU-funded projects signed before the Autumn Statement (23 November). Agricultural funding now provided by the EU will also continue until 2020. In October, Chancellor Philip Hammond told the Conservative Party conference the Treasury would guarantee payments for multi-year EU funding secured before Brexit after Britain left the EU.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3535, "answer_end": 4280, "text": "The fate of EU citizens currently living in the UK and of UK citizens living in the rest of the EU has become another pressing question. The government has repeatedly stated that the UK could not make commitments on the right of EU citizens to remain in the UK without securing a reciprocal deal for British citizens living abroad in Europe. \"I have said on many occasions that I expect to be able to, and wish to be able to, guarantee their status here in the UK, but we do need reciprocity - we need to have care and concern for UK citizens who are living in the European Union,\" Mrs May told MPs last month. In her speech, she said many countries wanted a deal, but \"one or two others do not\", and called for a resolution as soon as possible."}], "question": "What about expats?", "id": "1051_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Europe's Cheops telescope launches to study far-off worlds", "date": "18 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The European Cheops space telescope has launched to study planets outside our Solar System. The observatory will follow up the discoveries of previous missions, endeavouring to reveal fresh insights on the nature of distant worlds: What are they made of? How did they form? And how have they changed through time? The telescope was taken into orbit on a Russian Soyuz rocket that set off from French Guiana at 08:54 GMT. The ride to 700km lasted 145 minutes. Cheops (short for CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is a joint endeavour of 11 member states of the European Space Agency (Esa), with Switzerland in the lead. Prof Didier Queloz, who won this year's Physics Nobel for discovering the first planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995, was on hand to watch the launch. \"I think it's great. We started this project more than 10 years ago and now that's it - we're in the sky,\" said the chair of the Cheops science team. The University of Bern, together with the University of Geneva, has provided a powerful photometer for the telescope. The instrument will measure the tiny changes in light when a world passes in front of its host star. This event, referred to as a transit, will betray a precise diameter for the planet because the changes in light are proportional to the surface of the world. When that information is combined with data about the mass of the object - obtained through other means - it will be possible for scientists to deduce a density. \"From that we can say something about the planet's composition and internal structure,\" said Esa project scientist Dr Kate Isaak. \"And by measuring this for many different planets orbiting different types of stars, those close in and far out - we can also say something about the formation and evolution of planets,\" she told BBC News. Some 4,500 planets have been discovered since the late 1990s using a variety of techniques. But there is a feeling now that the science has to move beyond just detection; beyond just counting planets. We need to profile the objects in a more sophisticated way. Do they have atmospheres and how thick are they? What kind of clouds? Do they possess oceans on their surface? Do they have rings and moons? Cheops ought to be able to address such questions just from looking for these tiny dips in light during a transit. The mission has been given a list of 400-500 targets to look at over the next 3.5 years. Most of these worlds will be in the size range between Earth and Neptune, sometimes called \"super Earths\". From all the exoplanet surveys conducted to date, this grouping would seem to dominate the statistics. It will be concentrating on bright stars, but even so - its observations will still be challenging. When a Jupiter-sized planet passes in front of a Sun-like star, the drop in light as viewed by Cheops will be as little as 1% of the total signal. If an Earth-sized planet does the same thing, the drop-off will be a hundred times smaller again, at 0.01%. \"The difficulty was in building an optical system that is capable of measuring these minute light changes,\" recalled Prof Willy Benz, the Cheops consortium principal investigator. \"To give you an example, when we wanted to test this in the lab we didn't find a single light source in the world that was stable to this precision to allow us to test our telescope - so we had to build one.\" The Americans are currently flying a space telescope called the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (Tess), a follow-on to the highly successful Kepler observatory. Both are planet-finders and have had input into the candidates soon to be pursued by the 280kg Cheops observatory. The Nasa ventures have, if you like, provided the shortlist for the European telescope. Its studies will now whittle the targets down still further to find the most promising subjects for the next generation of planet investigators. These missions will have the ability to analyse the chemistry of exoplanet atmospheres, looking for gases that might hint at the presence of life. The most eagerly awaited is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) due for launch in 2021. \"It's very classic in astronomy that you use a small telescope 'to identify', and then a bigger telescope 'to understand' - and that's exactly the kind of process we plan to do,\" said Prof Queloz. \"Cheops will now pre-select the very best of the best candidates to apply to extraordinary equipment like very big telescopes on the ground and JWST. This is the chain we will operate.\" The 30cm-aperture telescope was a secondary passenger on the Soyuz launch. The primary payload was an Italian radar satellite. Cheops was released from the Soyuz' Fregat upper-stage at an altitude of 709km, moving at a speed of over 7.5km/s. One of the early tasks for controllers, who are based in Spain, will be to open a protective door to the optics. Dr Isaak said: \"The next few days are going to be very interesting. We're going to be working at the mission operations centre to check out the spacecraft. And then once that's done, everybody will have a very well deserved Christmas break. And we're back in the New Year to exercise the instrument, to check it's survived the launch, to see how it performs, and look to see then how we're going to process the data which is the end product that we're all very much looking forward to.\" Science operations will be run out of the University of Geneva. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 924, "answer_end": 1799, "text": "The University of Bern, together with the University of Geneva, has provided a powerful photometer for the telescope. The instrument will measure the tiny changes in light when a world passes in front of its host star. This event, referred to as a transit, will betray a precise diameter for the planet because the changes in light are proportional to the surface of the world. When that information is combined with data about the mass of the object - obtained through other means - it will be possible for scientists to deduce a density. \"From that we can say something about the planet's composition and internal structure,\" said Esa project scientist Dr Kate Isaak. \"And by measuring this for many different planets orbiting different types of stars, those close in and far out - we can also say something about the formation and evolution of planets,\" she told BBC News."}], "question": "What will Cheops do?", "id": "1052_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1800, "answer_end": 2615, "text": "Some 4,500 planets have been discovered since the late 1990s using a variety of techniques. But there is a feeling now that the science has to move beyond just detection; beyond just counting planets. We need to profile the objects in a more sophisticated way. Do they have atmospheres and how thick are they? What kind of clouds? Do they possess oceans on their surface? Do they have rings and moons? Cheops ought to be able to address such questions just from looking for these tiny dips in light during a transit. The mission has been given a list of 400-500 targets to look at over the next 3.5 years. Most of these worlds will be in the size range between Earth and Neptune, sometimes called \"super Earths\". From all the exoplanet surveys conducted to date, this grouping would seem to dominate the statistics."}], "question": "What's significant about this mission?", "id": "1052_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2616, "answer_end": 3359, "text": "It will be concentrating on bright stars, but even so - its observations will still be challenging. When a Jupiter-sized planet passes in front of a Sun-like star, the drop in light as viewed by Cheops will be as little as 1% of the total signal. If an Earth-sized planet does the same thing, the drop-off will be a hundred times smaller again, at 0.01%. \"The difficulty was in building an optical system that is capable of measuring these minute light changes,\" recalled Prof Willy Benz, the Cheops consortium principal investigator. \"To give you an example, when we wanted to test this in the lab we didn't find a single light source in the world that was stable to this precision to allow us to test our telescope - so we had to build one.\""}], "question": "How sensitive is Cheops?", "id": "1052_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Gunman injures Pakistan interior minister Ahsan Iqbal in Punjab", "date": "6 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A gunman has shot and injured Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal while he was visiting his constituency in the north-eastern city of Narowal. Mr Iqbal had just attended a rally in the Punjab city when he was hit at least once in the arm. He was taken to hospital and his life is not in danger. The attacker was arrested and is being questioned, officials said. The motive for the shooting is not yet clear. Pakistan is due to hold a general election on 15 July. Mr Iqbal is a senior member of the governing Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). A senior government source told Reuters news agency that early information suggested Mr Iqbal had been returning from a meeting with a Christian group. \"We are not sure whether it has got anything to do with the motive,\" the source said. \"We will know only after investigation of the attacker.\" Mr Iqbal was shot in the right arm, Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmed Khan told AFP news agency. \"The attacker was about to fire a second shot when police and people in the meeting overpowered him,\" he said. Mr Iqbal was rushed to a local hospital for surgery and then transferred by helicopter to the Services Institute hospital in Lahore. He later took to Twitter to reassure supporters and to ask for prayers. Pakistani media named the suspected gunman as 21-year-old Abid Hussain. He is said to be affiliated to the hardline Islamist Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party, Reuters news agency reported citing a police report. The new ultra-religious party has been fiercely opposed to any weakening of Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws. In a statement, party leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi condemned the attack on Mr Iqbal and said supporters were not authorised to take up arms, Reuters added. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi \"strongly condemned\" the attack and called for an immediate report into the incident by Punjab's chief of police. Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah said the incident \"raised a major question mark on the security situation in the country\" and said tighter security was needed for the upcoming elections. The US ambassador to Pakistan, David Hale, said the US condemned the attack and wished Mr Iqbal a speedy recovery.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 544, "answer_end": 1257, "text": "A senior government source told Reuters news agency that early information suggested Mr Iqbal had been returning from a meeting with a Christian group. \"We are not sure whether it has got anything to do with the motive,\" the source said. \"We will know only after investigation of the attacker.\" Mr Iqbal was shot in the right arm, Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmed Khan told AFP news agency. \"The attacker was about to fire a second shot when police and people in the meeting overpowered him,\" he said. Mr Iqbal was rushed to a local hospital for surgery and then transferred by helicopter to the Services Institute hospital in Lahore. He later took to Twitter to reassure supporters and to ask for prayers."}], "question": "How did the shooting happen?", "id": "1053_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1258, "answer_end": 1747, "text": "Pakistani media named the suspected gunman as 21-year-old Abid Hussain. He is said to be affiliated to the hardline Islamist Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party, Reuters news agency reported citing a police report. The new ultra-religious party has been fiercely opposed to any weakening of Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws. In a statement, party leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi condemned the attack on Mr Iqbal and said supporters were not authorised to take up arms, Reuters added."}], "question": "What do we know about the attacker?", "id": "1053_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1748, "answer_end": 2205, "text": "Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi \"strongly condemned\" the attack and called for an immediate report into the incident by Punjab's chief of police. Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah said the incident \"raised a major question mark on the security situation in the country\" and said tighter security was needed for the upcoming elections. The US ambassador to Pakistan, David Hale, said the US condemned the attack and wished Mr Iqbal a speedy recovery."}], "question": "What has the reaction been?", "id": "1053_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran plane crash: 'More time needed for investigation' - Ukraine", "date": "10 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is too soon to draw any conclusions on what brought down a Ukrainian passenger plane in Iran on Wednesday, Ukraine's foreign minister has said. \"We have so many different versions of what could [have] happened to the plane that we need some time to really understand,\" Vadym Prystaiko said. His comments come a day after Western powers said they had strong evidence that the plane was hit by an Iranian missile - a claim rejected by Tehran. All 176 people on board were killed. The crash of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 near Tehran airport came just hours after Iran carried out missile strikes on two airbases housing US forces in Iraq. US media have speculated that the Boeing 737-800 may have been mistaken for a warplane as Iran prepared for possible American retaliation. Footage has emerged purportedly showing a plane being hit by a projectile over the Iranian capital. Victims of the crash included 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians as well as nationals from Sweden, the UK, Afghanistan and Germany. Earlier reports had given the number of Canadian victims as 63. Iran has promised a full investigation. However, TV images from the crash site on Thursday showed a mechanical digger helping to clear debris away, raising concerns that important evidence could have been removed. Meanwhile, the so-called \"black box\" recovered from the wreckage was due to be opened on Friday, Iran's official Irna news agency reported. Black boxes contain the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, and could provide vital clues about what caused the crash. At Friday's news briefing in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Mr Prystaiko reiterated that at this stage Ukrainian investigators were not ruling out any possible cause of the crash. But he called for the \"level of speculation\" to be reduced, adding that Ukraine wanted to establish an \"international coalition\" to conduct a thorough investigation. Mr Prystaiko said nearly 50 Ukrainian investigators were already working in Iran, and there was \"full co-operation\" from Tehran. \"We are analysing pieces of the body of the plane, we are analysing the bodies of the people who died in the crash. \"We are analysing the chemical residues on the body of the plane. We will come to our conclusion, we don't want to come to them right now. \"Our team has now got access to the black boxes,\" he said, stressing that Ukraine wanted them to be analysed in Kyiv. Iran earlier said it would download the information itself, adding that the process could take up to two months. Kyiv earlier said the US had passed on \"important data\" about the crash, without providing any further details. Ukraine's team in Iran includes experts who worked on the investigation into the 2014 downing by a missile of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine. Earlier on Friday, Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh repeated his view that a missile was not the cause of the crash. \"The thing that is clear to us and that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile,\" he told reporters. On Thursday, government spokesman Ali Rabiei accused the US and its allies of \"lying and engaging in psychological warfare\" in their speculation over the cause of the accident. An Iranian official told the BBC on Friday that there was documentation to prove that the plane had a mechanical issue before take-off. It was not signed off for flying, but Ukrainian airline officials had overruled these objections, the official said, without giving further details. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received intelligence from multiple sources indicating the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it was possible that this was unintentional. \"This reinforces the need for a thorough investigation,\" he said. \"Canadians have questions and they deserve answers.\" But he said it was too early to apportion blame or draw any conclusions, and refused to go into detail about the evidence. The Ukrainian flight was headed to the Canadian city of Toronto via Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Mr Trudeau's words and said Britain was working closely with Canada and other international partners affected by the crash. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said British nationals were advised not to travel to Iran, \"given the body of information that UIA Flight 752 was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, and the heightened tensions\". Newsweek quoted a Pentagon and senior US intelligence officials, as well as an Iraqi intelligence official, as saying they believed flight PS752 was hit by a Russian-made Tor missile. Video obtained by the New York Times appeared to show a missile streaking across the night sky over Tehran and then exploding on contact with a plane. About 10 seconds later, a loud explosion is heard on the ground. Iran initially said it would not hand over the recovered \"black boxes\" to Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, or to the US. This followed the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone attack on 3 January and the subsequent strikes against US bases in Iraq on Wednesday. However, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later confirmed it had been invited to take part in the investigation and would send a representative. Boeing said it would support the NTSB in the inquiry, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it had also been invited to the accident site by Tehran. France's BEA air accident agency said on Friday it had also been invited to take part in the investigation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1590, "answer_end": 2815, "text": "At Friday's news briefing in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Mr Prystaiko reiterated that at this stage Ukrainian investigators were not ruling out any possible cause of the crash. But he called for the \"level of speculation\" to be reduced, adding that Ukraine wanted to establish an \"international coalition\" to conduct a thorough investigation. Mr Prystaiko said nearly 50 Ukrainian investigators were already working in Iran, and there was \"full co-operation\" from Tehran. \"We are analysing pieces of the body of the plane, we are analysing the bodies of the people who died in the crash. \"We are analysing the chemical residues on the body of the plane. We will come to our conclusion, we don't want to come to them right now. \"Our team has now got access to the black boxes,\" he said, stressing that Ukraine wanted them to be analysed in Kyiv. Iran earlier said it would download the information itself, adding that the process could take up to two months. Kyiv earlier said the US had passed on \"important data\" about the crash, without providing any further details. Ukraine's team in Iran includes experts who worked on the investigation into the 2014 downing by a missile of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine."}], "question": "What does Ukraine say?", "id": "1054_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2816, "answer_end": 3554, "text": "Earlier on Friday, Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation (CAOI) chief Ali Abedzadeh repeated his view that a missile was not the cause of the crash. \"The thing that is clear to us and that we can say with certainty is that this plane was not hit by a missile,\" he told reporters. On Thursday, government spokesman Ali Rabiei accused the US and its allies of \"lying and engaging in psychological warfare\" in their speculation over the cause of the accident. An Iranian official told the BBC on Friday that there was documentation to prove that the plane had a mechanical issue before take-off. It was not signed off for flying, but Ukrainian airline officials had overruled these objections, the official said, without giving further details."}], "question": "What does Iran say?", "id": "1054_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3555, "answer_end": 4884, "text": "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had received intelligence from multiple sources indicating the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, adding that it was possible that this was unintentional. \"This reinforces the need for a thorough investigation,\" he said. \"Canadians have questions and they deserve answers.\" But he said it was too early to apportion blame or draw any conclusions, and refused to go into detail about the evidence. The Ukrainian flight was headed to the Canadian city of Toronto via Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Mr Trudeau's words and said Britain was working closely with Canada and other international partners affected by the crash. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said British nationals were advised not to travel to Iran, \"given the body of information that UIA Flight 752 was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, and the heightened tensions\". Newsweek quoted a Pentagon and senior US intelligence officials, as well as an Iraqi intelligence official, as saying they believed flight PS752 was hit by a Russian-made Tor missile. Video obtained by the New York Times appeared to show a missile streaking across the night sky over Tehran and then exploding on contact with a plane. About 10 seconds later, a loud explosion is heard on the ground."}], "question": "What has been said about a possible missile strike?", "id": "1054_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4885, "answer_end": 5604, "text": "Iran initially said it would not hand over the recovered \"black boxes\" to Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, or to the US. This followed the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US drone attack on 3 January and the subsequent strikes against US bases in Iraq on Wednesday. However, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later confirmed it had been invited to take part in the investigation and would send a representative. Boeing said it would support the NTSB in the inquiry, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it had also been invited to the accident site by Tehran. France's BEA air accident agency said on Friday it had also been invited to take part in the investigation."}], "question": "What about the investigation?", "id": "1054_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Singapore Grand Prix: How will haze affect the drivers and fans?", "date": "20 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Formula 1 returns to the streets of Singapore this weekend - but the race coincides with the city's worst air quality in three years. The haze, as it is called, is caused by fires in nearby Indonesia and Malaysia and is an annual problem in the region. So just as Singapore gets ready for the F1 glitz, the usually clear blue sky has turned a foggy, faded grey. The skyline is shrouded - and the air, officially classed as unhealthy this week, carries a burnt smell. But Singapore and F1 officials are doing their best to try to reassure fans that it's safe to come - and that the race is on. The Singapore night race is already considered one of the most demanding of the season. If the haze persists, and visibility is poor, things will be even harder. \"It's not just a safety consideration for the drivers,\" meteorology expert Associate Professor Koh Tieh Yong of the Singapore University of Social Sciences told the BBC. \"It's also about whether they can do their best. As they are going very fast, they have to look far ahead. So for the drivers, visibility would be a bigger factor than for the spectators. \"It would affect their performance even before it affects their safety.\" The temperature in Singapore often exceeds 30C (86F) and drivers have to endure about 50C in the cockpit. Add to that a sweat-inducing 80% humidity, and you can imagine why the race is dubbed the Singapore Sauna. \"If you're going to have a race where the performances of your drivers are all compromised and they cannot perform as normal, then what is the point of having the race?\" Mr Koh said. \"Are they really competing to the best of their abilities - or is it just a lucky one who drove through a patch of clearer air and won?\" If visibility gets very bad, the race could even be called off. But Singapore has experienced haze during previous F1 races without any cancellations. So far, the race is set to go ahead - but the country is aware the situation is not ideal. During the race weekend, city authorities and race organisers will monitor haze levels and \"respond accordingly\" Jean Ng, executive director with the Singapore Tourism Board, told the BBC. For now, that means spectators will be able to buy protective N95 masks at the merchandise and information booths and there will be assistance for anyone who is unwell. Singapore - with a population of less than six million - reportedly has a national stockpile of 16 million disposable masks. But the F1 weekend is about much more than just the race - there's an abundance of activities and open-air concerts that might also be affected. This year's line-up includes Swedish House Mafia, Muse, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fatboy Slim. And while Ms Ng confirmed that both race and entertainment events are on track she advised tourists \"to exercise extra caution\". It has been \"unhealthy\" for much of the week, according to Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA), which monitors air quality and releases updates. There is even a haze website and a haze tracker. The air is measured in PSI (Pollutants Standards Index). Up to 100, air quality is considered \"moderate\". From 100-200 is \"unhealthy\". Levels between 201 and 300 are \"very unhealthy\" and anything above that is classified as \"hazardous\". At its worst, in 2013, the city's PSI levels reached about 400. In the days leading up to the race, levels were mostly above \"unhealthy\". On Thursday morning, the figure reached 131. The NEA advises healthy people to reduce \"strenuous outdoor activity\", while children, elderly and the sick should minimise or avoid any such activity. Should levels get higher, people will be advised to remain indoors and minimise all time spent outdoors. But - even though F1 fans and drivers may be uncomfortable - the situation is far worse in neighbouring Malaysia and especially Indonesia, where haze levels are significantly higher. It's there where the fires are started, usually by farmers clearing land. Schools are closed and children, elderly, and the sick are particularly at risk. The Singapore Grand Prix draws fans from across the globe, and many are already in the city. \"I'm not worried about the haze,\" Nuno Gomes from Portugal told the BBC. \"It's quite hot but it's going to be a fantastic weekend. The haze won't bother us.\" \"It hurts your eyes and you can taste it,\" said Anna-Marie Harrison from New Zealand. \"It's got a really bad taste to it. \"But the night racing is cooler, it has a great atmosphere and it's not far from New Zealand, so we definitely wouldn't have changed our plans. It might still blow away!\" \"You just have to deal with it,\" her husband Bruce agrees. \"You can't turn around and get your money back - so you just carry on and make the most of it. That's life.\" Like the Harrisons, the F1 organisers are hoping a favourable wind may lessen the haze's impact. \"The haze situation is highly changeable,\" a spokeswoman said. \"Not only from day to day, but from hour to hour.\" And, after several particularly bad days, skies on Friday did brighten up somewhat - with haze levels back to \"moderate\". Additional reporting by Lucy Martin.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 593, "answer_end": 1869, "text": "The Singapore night race is already considered one of the most demanding of the season. If the haze persists, and visibility is poor, things will be even harder. \"It's not just a safety consideration for the drivers,\" meteorology expert Associate Professor Koh Tieh Yong of the Singapore University of Social Sciences told the BBC. \"It's also about whether they can do their best. As they are going very fast, they have to look far ahead. So for the drivers, visibility would be a bigger factor than for the spectators. \"It would affect their performance even before it affects their safety.\" The temperature in Singapore often exceeds 30C (86F) and drivers have to endure about 50C in the cockpit. Add to that a sweat-inducing 80% humidity, and you can imagine why the race is dubbed the Singapore Sauna. \"If you're going to have a race where the performances of your drivers are all compromised and they cannot perform as normal, then what is the point of having the race?\" Mr Koh said. \"Are they really competing to the best of their abilities - or is it just a lucky one who drove through a patch of clearer air and won?\" If visibility gets very bad, the race could even be called off. But Singapore has experienced haze during previous F1 races without any cancellations."}], "question": "How will the haze affect the race?", "id": "1055_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1870, "answer_end": 2816, "text": "So far, the race is set to go ahead - but the country is aware the situation is not ideal. During the race weekend, city authorities and race organisers will monitor haze levels and \"respond accordingly\" Jean Ng, executive director with the Singapore Tourism Board, told the BBC. For now, that means spectators will be able to buy protective N95 masks at the merchandise and information booths and there will be assistance for anyone who is unwell. Singapore - with a population of less than six million - reportedly has a national stockpile of 16 million disposable masks. But the F1 weekend is about much more than just the race - there's an abundance of activities and open-air concerts that might also be affected. This year's line-up includes Swedish House Mafia, Muse, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fatboy Slim. And while Ms Ng confirmed that both race and entertainment events are on track she advised tourists \"to exercise extra caution\"."}], "question": "What do the organisers say?", "id": "1055_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4036, "answer_end": 5117, "text": "The Singapore Grand Prix draws fans from across the globe, and many are already in the city. \"I'm not worried about the haze,\" Nuno Gomes from Portugal told the BBC. \"It's quite hot but it's going to be a fantastic weekend. The haze won't bother us.\" \"It hurts your eyes and you can taste it,\" said Anna-Marie Harrison from New Zealand. \"It's got a really bad taste to it. \"But the night racing is cooler, it has a great atmosphere and it's not far from New Zealand, so we definitely wouldn't have changed our plans. It might still blow away!\" \"You just have to deal with it,\" her husband Bruce agrees. \"You can't turn around and get your money back - so you just carry on and make the most of it. That's life.\" Like the Harrisons, the F1 organisers are hoping a favourable wind may lessen the haze's impact. \"The haze situation is highly changeable,\" a spokeswoman said. \"Not only from day to day, but from hour to hour.\" And, after several particularly bad days, skies on Friday did brighten up somewhat - with haze levels back to \"moderate\". Additional reporting by Lucy Martin."}], "question": "What do the fans say?", "id": "1055_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: Who would be affected by Labour's higher taxes?", "date": "16 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Under a Labour government the highest earners would be affected by higher taxes. It plans to make anyone earning more than PS80,000 a year pay the top rate of tax, known as the additional rate, which is 45p. It is estimated that would drag another 1.2 million people into the higher tax bracket. Currently, you have to be earning PS150,000 a year to attract that 45p tax rate. The Labour manifesto also pledges to reintroduce the 50p income tax rate on earnings above PS123,000. Labour says these plans would raise an extra PS6.4bn. However, Paul Johnson, the head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, is \"genuinely uncertain\" it would raise that amount. Whatever the final figure, Labour's plan would leave the richest carrying even more of the tax burden. The top 5% of earners already account for 47% of income tax, according to Revenue & Customs data. And remember, the Scottish Parliament has some freedom to set its own tax rates and thresholds. Only a tiny proportion of employees make more than PS80,000 - according to the Office for National Statistics, it's just 4%. So who are those big earners? Well, the ONS collects that data in its annual survey of hours and earnings. Not surprisingly, companies pay their chief executives and other senior executives extremely well. According to the ONS, 40% of them will be earning more than PS95,000 a year. The finance industry is also well rewarded. A quarter of managers and directors at financial institutions, such as banks, make more than PS79,700 a year. Many of the best paid jobs in the public sector are in medicine, including anaesthetists, consultants, GPs, radiologists and surgeons. The top 40% in those professions can expect to make more than PS79,000 a year. Not as good but still very comfortable livings can be made elsewhere in the public sector. About a third of senior police officers and a third of top officers in the armed services make more than PS64,000 a year. Finally, we should note the difference between wealth and income. Wealth is a catch-all term for assets, such as property, shares and other investments. It is possible to be wealthy without having a high income - imagine an elderly couple on a modest pension who live in a big house. It is also possible to have a high income and not be very wealthy - imagine a young banker on a high salary who has not bought any property. But generally the wealthiest people will also enjoy high incomes. In some cases, they will take sophisticated advice on how to legally avoid tax, perhaps by holding their assets in offshore companies. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 952, "answer_end": 1940, "text": "Only a tiny proportion of employees make more than PS80,000 - according to the Office for National Statistics, it's just 4%. So who are those big earners? Well, the ONS collects that data in its annual survey of hours and earnings. Not surprisingly, companies pay their chief executives and other senior executives extremely well. According to the ONS, 40% of them will be earning more than PS95,000 a year. The finance industry is also well rewarded. A quarter of managers and directors at financial institutions, such as banks, make more than PS79,700 a year. Many of the best paid jobs in the public sector are in medicine, including anaesthetists, consultants, GPs, radiologists and surgeons. The top 40% in those professions can expect to make more than PS79,000 a year. Not as good but still very comfortable livings can be made elsewhere in the public sector. About a third of senior police officers and a third of top officers in the armed services make more than PS64,000 a year."}], "question": "Who makes what?", "id": "1056_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany's Angela Merkel seen shaking again in Berlin", "date": "27 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen trembling once again during a ceremony in Berlin on Thursday, eight days after a similar incident. Video showed Mrs Merkel, 64, gripping her arms as her body was shaking on Thursday. After about two minutes, she looked steadier and shook hands with the new justice minister. She was offered a glass of water, but did not drink it. Mrs Merkel had blamed the previous incident on dehydration. She later set off for the G20 summit in Japan as planned at lunchtime. \"All is going ahead as planned. The federal chancellor is fine,\" spokesman Steffen Seibert said. German news agency DPA said that despite the spell of very hot weather it was cool during the ceremony in Bellevue Castle, where President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was presenting Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht. Last time, Mrs Merkel trembled while standing next to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in the hot sunshine. She said she had felt revived after drinking some water. On Thursday she attended Ms Lambrecht's inauguration briefly in parliament - the Bundestag - then left. When she returns from Japan, Mrs Merkel faces tough negotiations in Brussels on Sunday when she and other EU leaders meet to find a candidate for the powerful post of EU Commission president, a replacement for Jean-Claude Juncker. On Wednesday, Mrs Merkel appeared to be her usual self in the Bundestag during an hour-long debate, and later gave a speech at Berlin's Humboldt University. Government sources told German media there was nothing to worry about and, as she left for Osaka, her spokesman tweeted that she had \"numerous bilateral talks planned with other heads of state and government\". However, Mrs Merkel did have an earlier bout of shaking in hot weather on a visit to Mexico in 2017, as she was attending a military honours ceremony. She was given thorough medical checks and nothing was found to be wrong, reports said. There was no evidence, for example, of Parkinson's disease, for which uncontrollable tremors are a symptom. Asked by the Focus website what might be wrong this time, leading Bavarian GP Jakob Berger said she would need to be checked out as soon as possible. He ruled out Parkinson's disease, as the trembling had been too pronounced. But he said \"if she were my patient, I would definitely clarify the symptoms before the trip (to Japan)\". Another health specialist, Dr Christoph Specht, told German media that the chancellor may have contracted an infection, as shivering indicated an infection that was flaring up again. An infection was potentially the cause of something else, he said, and Mrs Merkel would need to be checked out. The chancellor does not have a personal doctor, DPA reports, but she does have easy access to top medical care. Her office is right near the Charite hospital and the military hospital in Berlin, and the head of the chancellery is a qualified intensive care doctor. A government spokesman refused to comment on any care she may have had, but it is likely she will have access to medical care on her trip to Japan, as a foreign ministry doctor always accompanies German delegations on major overseas visits. Mrs Merkel is now in her fourth term as chancellor, a role she first began in November 2005. She has said she will leave politics when her current term ends in 2021. She has been in good health while in office, and even worked from home after a knee operation in 2011; she suffered a fall while skiing in 2014. Her absences were only brief on those occasions. Her mother died earlier this year. If she were found unable to fulfil her duties, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz would step in. He is currently the finance minister, and is in the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the CDU's coalition partner. She has a reputation for remarkable stamina - during intensive late-night discussions at EU summits, for example. She is Germany's third-longest serving post-war chancellor. The record was set by her centre-right Christian Democrat predecessor, Helmut Kohl (more than 16 years), and the second longest-serving chancellor was Konrad Adenauer (more than 14 years).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1477, "answer_end": 2659, "text": "Government sources told German media there was nothing to worry about and, as she left for Osaka, her spokesman tweeted that she had \"numerous bilateral talks planned with other heads of state and government\". However, Mrs Merkel did have an earlier bout of shaking in hot weather on a visit to Mexico in 2017, as she was attending a military honours ceremony. She was given thorough medical checks and nothing was found to be wrong, reports said. There was no evidence, for example, of Parkinson's disease, for which uncontrollable tremors are a symptom. Asked by the Focus website what might be wrong this time, leading Bavarian GP Jakob Berger said she would need to be checked out as soon as possible. He ruled out Parkinson's disease, as the trembling had been too pronounced. But he said \"if she were my patient, I would definitely clarify the symptoms before the trip (to Japan)\". Another health specialist, Dr Christoph Specht, told German media that the chancellor may have contracted an infection, as shivering indicated an infection that was flaring up again. An infection was potentially the cause of something else, he said, and Mrs Merkel would need to be checked out."}], "question": "What could be wrong?", "id": "1057_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2660, "answer_end": 4137, "text": "The chancellor does not have a personal doctor, DPA reports, but she does have easy access to top medical care. Her office is right near the Charite hospital and the military hospital in Berlin, and the head of the chancellery is a qualified intensive care doctor. A government spokesman refused to comment on any care she may have had, but it is likely she will have access to medical care on her trip to Japan, as a foreign ministry doctor always accompanies German delegations on major overseas visits. Mrs Merkel is now in her fourth term as chancellor, a role she first began in November 2005. She has said she will leave politics when her current term ends in 2021. She has been in good health while in office, and even worked from home after a knee operation in 2011; she suffered a fall while skiing in 2014. Her absences were only brief on those occasions. Her mother died earlier this year. If she were found unable to fulfil her duties, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz would step in. He is currently the finance minister, and is in the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the CDU's coalition partner. She has a reputation for remarkable stamina - during intensive late-night discussions at EU summits, for example. She is Germany's third-longest serving post-war chancellor. The record was set by her centre-right Christian Democrat predecessor, Helmut Kohl (more than 16 years), and the second longest-serving chancellor was Konrad Adenauer (more than 14 years)."}], "question": "What medical care does Merkel have?", "id": "1057_1"}]}]}, {"title": "E. coli gut infection linked to bowel cancer", "date": "27 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A common type of gut bacterium may increase a person's chance of developing bowel cancer, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The bacterium is a type of E. coli infection, present in up to one in five people, scientists believe. It releases a toxin which experts say can damage the cells that line the bowel, potentially turning some cells cancerous over time. There are around 42,000 new cases of bowel cancer each year in the UK. Experts do not yet know how many of these might be linked to the E. coli strain that makes the toxin colibactin. The researchers suspect it may contribute to a minority of bowel cancer cases - one in 20 or five in every 100 - but more research is needed to confirm the link. There is no routine test for the bacterium currently, and it is not clear yet that people who have it will be at heightened risk. In some people it may live in the bowel and cause no issue. It is not the first infection to be linked with cancer, however. HPV is a virus that causes cervical cancer and H pylori infection is associated with stomach cancer. No. This particular E. coli strain is not one of the ones linked to food poisoning outbreaks. There are lots of different types of E. coli. Many are part of the normal gut flora - the trillions of bacteria that naturally live in the bowel. The team, from The Netherlands, the UK and the US, used miniature replicas of the human gut, grown in the lab, to test the effects of the toxin on cells. They then compared the damage seen with more than 5,000 bowel cancer samples taken from patients and found identical patterns or \"fingerprints\" of DNA damage in around 5% of the samples. - a persistent change in bowel habit - going more often, with looser stools and sometimes tummy pain - blood in the stools without other symptoms, such as piles - abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating - sometimes resulting in a reduction in the amount of food eaten and weight loss Most people with these symptoms do not have bowel cancer, but the NHS advice is to see your GP if you have one or more of the symptoms and they have persisted for more than four weeks. Source: NHS UK Experts say it may be possible to develop a more sensitive test to detect early bowel tumours using this knowledge about the toxin. The findings may also offer a way to prevent some bowel cancers, by getting rid of the bacterium from the body before it can do any harm, using existing antibiotics. One of the researchers, Prof Hans Clevers, from the Hubrecht Institute in The Netherlands, said: \"Common antibiotics will kill these bacteria. \"This is the first time we've seen such a distinctive pattern of DNA damage in bowel cancer, which has been caused by a bacterium that lives in our gut.\" He said there may be other gut bacteria that do the same. Probiotic treatments that contain a similar strain of E. coli, called Nissle 1917, might also pose a risk potentially, he added - but these are not the same ones found in yoghurt drinks sold in supermarkets. \"Although it might sound scary, there's still lots left to understand about our how our gut bacteria affect our health, what we could do about it, and how much impact it has on bowel cancer risk,\" says Nicola Smith, senior health information Manager at Cancer Research UK, who funded the work. \"In the future, knowing what role bacteria in our gut plays could change the way we detect and prevent bowel cancer. \"But we do know that around half of bowel cancer cases can be prevented by not smoking, keeping a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet - so there's plenty of changes that you can make right now that will reduce your risk,\" she added. Genevieve Edwards, chief executive at Bowel Cancer UK, said: \"Although this research is at an early stage, it adds to the growing body of evidence about the role that bacteria and other microorganisms that live in our gut may play in bowel cancer development. \"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 563, "answer_end": 1080, "text": "The researchers suspect it may contribute to a minority of bowel cancer cases - one in 20 or five in every 100 - but more research is needed to confirm the link. There is no routine test for the bacterium currently, and it is not clear yet that people who have it will be at heightened risk. In some people it may live in the bowel and cause no issue. It is not the first infection to be linked with cancer, however. HPV is a virus that causes cervical cancer and H pylori infection is associated with stomach cancer."}], "question": "How dangerous might it be?", "id": "1058_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1081, "answer_end": 1320, "text": "No. This particular E. coli strain is not one of the ones linked to food poisoning outbreaks. There are lots of different types of E. coli. Many are part of the normal gut flora - the trillions of bacteria that naturally live in the bowel."}], "question": "Is it the same as food poisoning?", "id": "1058_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1321, "answer_end": 1661, "text": "The team, from The Netherlands, the UK and the US, used miniature replicas of the human gut, grown in the lab, to test the effects of the toxin on cells. They then compared the damage seen with more than 5,000 bowel cancer samples taken from patients and found identical patterns or \"fingerprints\" of DNA damage in around 5% of the samples."}], "question": "What did the study find?", "id": "1058_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Amber Rudd: Target child drug runners to tackle violence", "date": "9 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Gangs that recruit children as drug couriers will be targeted by a government strategy aiming to cut violent crime in England and Wales. The home secretary said it would also focus on the online \"glamourisation\" of crime and supporting young people. Amber Rudd said there was a \"strong link\" between the illegal drugs market and rising violence. However, a leaked Home Office document linked the rise to falling police officers. It said a lack of resources and fewer people being charged may have \"encouraged\" offenders to commit crimes. But Ms Rudd said it was a \"mistake\" and a \"disservice\" to communities and families to blame police numbers alone. The new strategy comes amid concerns following the deaths of more than 50 people in violent attacks in London since the start of the year. Part of the government's PS40m Serious Violence Strategy will include: - Exploring the legal responsibility of social media firms - Implementing more ways to flag inappropriate material online - specifically on video platforms - Establishing new partnerships within the community to ensure young people get support at a local level - Some will be given early access to a scheme which promotes employment and provides work experience opportunities Ms Rudd said the plans would also focus on early intervention and tougher law enforcement. The strategy, which was first outlined last year, will target so-called \"county lines\" drug distribution, where city gangs courier heroin and crack cocaine to rural or coastal towns. The gangs use children as young as 12 to traffic drugs, using dedicated mobile phones or \"lines\". \"The evidence is we're seeing a different approach to drug dealing, a different approach to using children in the most disgraceful way as drug dealers,\" Ms Rudd said. By BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw The 114-page strategy document contains an impressive level of analysis on the way illicit drugs may be driving serious violence, an apparent shift towards younger offenders and the importance of early intervention. But there is a huge gap. There is no mention of police resources or the cuts that have left forces across England and Wales with 21,000 fewer officers and 7,000 fewer police community support officers than in 2010. The document hints at the problem - police are catching proportionately fewer robbery suspects despite rising levels of the crime - but does not say why. Given that a leaked Home Office analysis suggested that a lack of resources may have \"encouraged\" offenders to commit robbery, the assumption is that this was a deliberate omission. The result is that it undermines the credibility of the rest of the strategy. Under the plans, PS3.6m will go to a national county-lines coordination centre to gather \"vital intelligence\" about illegal drugs markets. And PS11m will be spent on an \"early intervention youth fund\" to help young people at risk of getting involved in violence. A new Offensive Weapons Bill includes new proposals on the carrying of knives and acid. It includes: - Restrictions on online sales of knives - preventing them from being posted to residential addresses - It would also become illegal to possess in private certain weapons such as zombie knives and knuckle-dusters - A ban on the sale of the most dangerous corrosive products to under-18s - A consultation on extending stop-and-search powers to enable the police to seize acid from people carrying it in public without good reason - Making it an offence to possess a knife on a further education premises Ms Rudd said the government would also tell social media companies to do more to remove violent gang content. She also announced a cross-party taskforce, which would involve MPs, police and local communities, to tackle serious violence, as well as hold an international symposium on what drives violent crime. The leaked document from February notes that forces have faced greater demand since 2012 due to an increase in recorded sex offences while during the same time officer numbers have fallen. It says this pressure on resources had not been the \"main driver\" for the shift but has \"likely contributed\". The analysis added forces with the largest fall in officer numbers did not see the biggest rise in serious violence. The government dismissed the claim but said it did not comment on leaked documents. Across England and Wales, the number of police officers fell by 14%, to 121,929, between September 2010 and September 2017, according to the Home Office. It said that out of 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, 25 recorded falls in police numbers in the year to 30 September. Some of the biggest falls were recorded in the West Midlands (-4.1%), Thames Valley (-2.9%) and the Metropolitan Police (-2.9%). The Met, which has more than 30,000 officers, saw officer numbers fall by 922 over the year. Reality Check: Is crime up or down? Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government had \"decimated\" local services, adding that \"cuts have consequences\". Speaking at the launch of Labour's local election campaign in London, he said: \"Today's leaked documents make a nonsense, an absolute nonsense, of the Tories' repeated claims that their cuts to police numbers have had no effect.\" The Local Government Association said it supported tackling crime by involving young people and communities but admitted it would be a challenge to sustain this success. \"Councils are still waiting to receive their youth justice grant allocations for 2018/19. This is vital funding used to support young people and help keep them away from criminality in the first place.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4344, "answer_end": 4891, "text": "Across England and Wales, the number of police officers fell by 14%, to 121,929, between September 2010 and September 2017, according to the Home Office. It said that out of 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, 25 recorded falls in police numbers in the year to 30 September. Some of the biggest falls were recorded in the West Midlands (-4.1%), Thames Valley (-2.9%) and the Metropolitan Police (-2.9%). The Met, which has more than 30,000 officers, saw officer numbers fall by 922 over the year. Reality Check: Is crime up or down?"}], "question": "Are police numbers falling?", "id": "1059_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Azeris dream of return", "date": "8 January 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The \"frozen\" Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still simmering in the Caucasus, disrupting the lives of thousands of people. The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie reports from Azerbaijan on hardship near the front line. Gulay likes to play outside, like any other seven-year-old. She rocks back and forth on a wooden swing. Playtime ought to be safe, but she lives in a conflict zone. Gulay's home lies on the edge of the Azeri village of Gazyan, close to the line of contact with Armenian forces. Shooting incidents are common here. Her father Zomig Ahundov points to a thick brick wall built by the Red Cross to help shield his home from bullets. \"We still can't use the second floor of our house - it's too dangerous. We are a family of five people and we all live in one room downstairs because it's safer,\" Zomig says. Walk into any house in this village and people will show cracks in their buildings which, they say, come from nearby explosions of Armenian ordnance, or bullet holes in their walls. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a war over the disputed, mountainous territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s. The autonomous republic within Azerbaijan - created during Soviet rule - was populated mainly by ethnic Armenians. They wanted union with Armenia when the Soviet Union broke up. As many as 30,000 people were killed in the war. Azerbaijan lost the territory as well as seven adjacent regions. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. For centuries there was rivalry in the region between Christian Armenians and Turkic Muslims. Little progress has been made towards a lasting settlement for Nagorno-Karabakh since a ceasefire deal reached in 1994. It is often referred to as a \"frozen\" conflict, but military and civilian casualties are frequently reported. Tensions escalated last summer, with skirmishes and casualties on both sides. In November, Azeri forces downed an Armenian helicopter. Three servicemen were killed. Armenian authorities said they were on an unarmed mission, and vowed to retaliate. Armenia's defence ministry spokesman, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, warned of consequences \"that will be very painful for the Azerbaijani side and will remain on the conscience of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan\". But Azerbaijan takes a different view. \"Two enemy helicopters attacked our positions. As a result one of the helicopters was shot down,\" says Azerbaijan's Deputy Defence Minister, Lt Gen Kerim Veliyev. \"We've sent our message that if such air actions continue, any enemy target will be destroyed. We are not eliminating the military option. If the enemy rejects a peaceful solution we can free our territories militarily. We are ready for that.\" Azerbaijan's leadership has repeatedly threatened to take back the lost lands. Last August, President Ilham Aliyev tweeted that \"the flag of Azerbaijan will fly in all the occupied territories\". Peace negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, have seen little progress. Meanwhile, oil-rich Azerbaijan has been spending heavily to boost its military capability. The country's annual defence budget stands at $3.7bn (PS2.5bn). Armenia's defence budget was $447m in 2013. According to the latest Global Militarisation Index, published by the German think tank Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), Armenia and Azerbaijan are among the top 10 most militarised nations in the world. Both countries buy their weapons from Russia. But while there is a risk of renewed conflict, Russia's involvement makes the military option less likely, according to political analyst Arastun Orujlu of the East-West Research Centre in Baku. \"I don't think the Azerbaijani government is preparing for a military resolution of the Karabakh conflict. They are quite realistic. Armenia is a military ally of Russia at least for the next 48 years. It has two Russian bases on its territory,\" he said, referring to the long leases agreed for the bases. However, Mr Orujlu says the Azeri authorities are watching the instability in Ukraine closely. \"Azerbaijan sometimes feels itself alone on an international level,\" he says. \"For supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia is getting strong [Western] sanctions. And Azeris are asking, 'Why doesn't Armenia get the same reaction from the international community?' That's what makes the Karabakh conflict more significant today.\" On the outskirts of the capital Baku, new housing complexes are appearing for thousands of families displaced by the conflict. Azerbaijan has one of the highest rates of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world. After years of people living in rundown Soviet-era buildings and tent cities lacking running water, the government launched a state programme to rehouse IDPs. New apartment blocks give a sense of permanence to the status quo. But anyone in the street will tell you that they still dream of going home. \"The houses are really nice but we want to go back to our land as soon as possible,\" says Naringul Guliyeva, walking her grandson to a nearby newly built school. There, the children learn to recite the names of the seven regions occupied by Armenia. They are taught about their right to return - even if it will take war, or another generation of waiting, to achieve it.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2680, "answer_end": 4405, "text": "Azerbaijan's leadership has repeatedly threatened to take back the lost lands. Last August, President Ilham Aliyev tweeted that \"the flag of Azerbaijan will fly in all the occupied territories\". Peace negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, have seen little progress. Meanwhile, oil-rich Azerbaijan has been spending heavily to boost its military capability. The country's annual defence budget stands at $3.7bn (PS2.5bn). Armenia's defence budget was $447m in 2013. According to the latest Global Militarisation Index, published by the German think tank Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), Armenia and Azerbaijan are among the top 10 most militarised nations in the world. Both countries buy their weapons from Russia. But while there is a risk of renewed conflict, Russia's involvement makes the military option less likely, according to political analyst Arastun Orujlu of the East-West Research Centre in Baku. \"I don't think the Azerbaijani government is preparing for a military resolution of the Karabakh conflict. They are quite realistic. Armenia is a military ally of Russia at least for the next 48 years. It has two Russian bases on its territory,\" he said, referring to the long leases agreed for the bases. However, Mr Orujlu says the Azeri authorities are watching the instability in Ukraine closely. \"Azerbaijan sometimes feels itself alone on an international level,\" he says. \"For supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia is getting strong [Western] sanctions. And Azeris are asking, 'Why doesn't Armenia get the same reaction from the international community?' That's what makes the Karabakh conflict more significant today.\""}], "question": "Peace deal?", "id": "1060_0"}]}]}, {"title": "EU court: Asylum seekers must not be forced to take 'gay tests'", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Asylum seekers must not be subjected to psychological tests to determine whether they are homosexual, EU's top court has ruled. Tests to determine sexual orientation are controversial, but are sometimes used when assessing asylum claims. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling is binding in all 28 EU states. The ECJ case relates to a Nigerian man who submitted an asylum application in Hungary in April 2015. He feared persecution in Nigeria for being gay. Hundreds of homosexuals fearing persecution in Africa, the Middle East and Chechnya have sought asylum in the EU, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reports. The Nigerian's claim was rejected after a psychologist's report failed to confirm his homosexuality. A court in Szeged, Hungary, must now reconsider his case in light of the ECJ ruling. In December 2014 the ECJ ruled on a similar case in the Netherlands and found that sexuality tests violated asylum seekers' human rights. In the new ruling, the ECJ said \"certain forms of expert reports may prove useful\" in such cases, but added that such reports interfered with a person's privacy. Authorities must also determine the reliability of a claimant's statements, the judges said. In 2013 the ECJ ruled that asylum could be granted in cases where people were actually jailed for homosexuality in their home country. Homosexual acts are illegal in most African countries, including key Western allies such as Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Botswana. The Hungarian court cannot appeal against the ECJ ruling, so the Nigerian man - identified only as \"F\" - now has a stronger claim for asylum. The ruling means that EU countries now have no legal right to impose psychological tests to determine an asylum seeker's sexuality. The ECJ says Hungarian officials had not found F's statements to be fundamentally contradictory, but had still concluded that F lacked credibility. Their decision was based on a psychologist's report, which included: - An exploratory examination - An examination of personality - Personality tests (Draw-A-Person-In-The-Rain, Rorschach and Szondi tests) The report \"concluded that it was not possible to confirm F's assertion relating to his sexual orientation\". Psychologists have long held that personality traits can be revealed by tests such as \"draw a person in the rain\" and the Rorschach test, which relies on an individual's interpretation of inkblots. They were quite general psychological tests, aimed at identifying F's personality type and emotional characteristics. F said the tests had violated his fundamental rights and they had not provided any assessment of \"the plausibility of his sexual orientation\", the ECJ said. It also said any indication of sexual orientation provided by such tests could only be \"approximate in nature\". They were \"of only limited interest for the purpose of assessing the statements of an applicant for international protection\". In 2010 the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency condemned the Czech authorities for using \"phallometric\" sexual arousal tests on some asylum seekers to determine whether they were gay. Czech officials said the tests had been used in fewer than 10 cases, with the individuals' consent. The Hungarian court handling F's case quoted him as saying that he had not undergone any physical examination and had not been required to view pornographic photographs or videos. No - other EU countries also conduct psychological tests on asylum seekers, to assess whether their statements can be believed. The UK Home Office has detailed guidance on asylum claims based on sexual orientation. The gay rights group ILGA-Europe says there is a huge diversity in the EU in the way asylum authorities assess someone's sexual orientation. In F's case tests were imposed on him - unlike the Dutch asylum case of 2014, when several Africans offered evidence of their homosexuality. In the Dutch case, the ECJ ruled that it was wrong to conduct \"detailed questioning as to the sexual practices of an applicant for asylum\". F's asylum claim in 2015 came during a migrant crisis for Hungary. The country faced a huge influx of migrants - many of them Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans fleeing war. Most of them moved to Germany, via Austria, and Hungary then built a formidable border fence to keep migrants out.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 808, "answer_end": 1464, "text": "In December 2014 the ECJ ruled on a similar case in the Netherlands and found that sexuality tests violated asylum seekers' human rights. In the new ruling, the ECJ said \"certain forms of expert reports may prove useful\" in such cases, but added that such reports interfered with a person's privacy. Authorities must also determine the reliability of a claimant's statements, the judges said. In 2013 the ECJ ruled that asylum could be granted in cases where people were actually jailed for homosexuality in their home country. Homosexual acts are illegal in most African countries, including key Western allies such as Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Botswana."}], "question": "What about similar gay rights cases?", "id": "1061_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1465, "answer_end": 1738, "text": "The Hungarian court cannot appeal against the ECJ ruling, so the Nigerian man - identified only as \"F\" - now has a stronger claim for asylum. The ruling means that EU countries now have no legal right to impose psychological tests to determine an asylum seeker's sexuality."}], "question": "What happens next in this case?", "id": "1061_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1739, "answer_end": 2399, "text": "The ECJ says Hungarian officials had not found F's statements to be fundamentally contradictory, but had still concluded that F lacked credibility. Their decision was based on a psychologist's report, which included: - An exploratory examination - An examination of personality - Personality tests (Draw-A-Person-In-The-Rain, Rorschach and Szondi tests) The report \"concluded that it was not possible to confirm F's assertion relating to his sexual orientation\". Psychologists have long held that personality traits can be revealed by tests such as \"draw a person in the rain\" and the Rorschach test, which relies on an individual's interpretation of inkblots."}], "question": "What did Hungary originally decide?", "id": "1061_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2400, "answer_end": 3373, "text": "They were quite general psychological tests, aimed at identifying F's personality type and emotional characteristics. F said the tests had violated his fundamental rights and they had not provided any assessment of \"the plausibility of his sexual orientation\", the ECJ said. It also said any indication of sexual orientation provided by such tests could only be \"approximate in nature\". They were \"of only limited interest for the purpose of assessing the statements of an applicant for international protection\". In 2010 the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency condemned the Czech authorities for using \"phallometric\" sexual arousal tests on some asylum seekers to determine whether they were gay. Czech officials said the tests had been used in fewer than 10 cases, with the individuals' consent. The Hungarian court handling F's case quoted him as saying that he had not undergone any physical examination and had not been required to view pornographic photographs or videos."}], "question": "What sort of tests were at issue here?", "id": "1061_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3374, "answer_end": 4292, "text": "No - other EU countries also conduct psychological tests on asylum seekers, to assess whether their statements can be believed. The UK Home Office has detailed guidance on asylum claims based on sexual orientation. The gay rights group ILGA-Europe says there is a huge diversity in the EU in the way asylum authorities assess someone's sexual orientation. In F's case tests were imposed on him - unlike the Dutch asylum case of 2014, when several Africans offered evidence of their homosexuality. In the Dutch case, the ECJ ruled that it was wrong to conduct \"detailed questioning as to the sexual practices of an applicant for asylum\". F's asylum claim in 2015 came during a migrant crisis for Hungary. The country faced a huge influx of migrants - many of them Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans fleeing war. Most of them moved to Germany, via Austria, and Hungary then built a formidable border fence to keep migrants out."}], "question": "Is Hungary a special case?", "id": "1061_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Brazil ex-leader Lula's future on a knife edge", "date": "23 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "All eyes are on the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre this week where judges are hearing an appeal against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's sentence of almost 10 years in prison for corruption and money laundering. The decision could dictate the future of the country, as the BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson reports. While nobody knows which way the judges are going to rule, one thing is clear: whatever their decision on Wednesday, Brazil will be divided. Just nine months ahead of what many describe as the most uncertain presidential election in Brazil in decades, the political fragility in this country is clear. It has been a fall from grace for Lula. He rose to power condemning corrupt politics and promised he would be different when he became president in 2003. But corruption scandals plagued him during his eight years in power. In 2005, what is known as the Mensalao scandal nearly cost him his job. Nevertheless, he left office in 2011 with record approval ratings. But then came Operation Car Wash. The country's biggest ever corruption investigation started with the state-owned oil company Petrobras but its focus spread as it uncovered more and more threads of the complex web of corruption. Some of Brazil's biggest business leaders and politicians have now been implicated, including current President Michel Temer and former presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff. Lula's sentence for corruption is just one of several cases against the former leader. While the appeal is under way, Lula has remained free and opinion polls suggest he is the front runner in the race to be elected president in October. If the judges sitting in the Regional Federal Tribunal 4 (TRF-4) decide on Wednesday to uphold the original sentence, Lula is likely to appeal against it in a higher court but his presidential ambitions will be curtailed nevertheless. In the run-up to the appeal, his supporters have been gathering to garner support. Their chants of \"Lula, warrior for the Brazilian people\" are getting louder. They are confident he will be let off as the charges, in their view, are purely political They argue that Lula is a man who understands Brazil's class struggle and the racism and inequality in the country. For them, he is the only person who can protect the people. Members of Lula's Workers' Party are not contemplating any other scenario than Lula winning the appeal, local party leader Cleiton Leite Coutinho says. \"The Workers' Party does not have a plan B, C or D today, our plan is called Luiz Inacio da Silva,\" he says at an event in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the place Lula calls home. \"Either Lula is a candidate, or we are going out on the streets, we will not accept any intrusion into Brazil's democracy.\" But for every Lula fan out there, there are also critics. Tome Abduch is one of the leaders of Nas Ruas (In the streets), the political movement which played a key role in the demonstrations demanding the ousting of Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached 2016 for illegally manipulating budget accounts. The owner of a construction business, Mr Abduch feels Lula and his party are a symbol of everything that is wrong with Brazilian politics. He is not a fan of President Temer either but he thinks that sending Lula to prison would be a good way for Brazil to turn over a new political leaf. \"We are sick and tired of Brazil's political class, we can't take it any more,\" he says. \"We have to gather together our Brazilian blood and spirit, we need to believe in Brazil and do our part. We just need people of integrity who know how to run our nation the way it deserves.\" Sales analyst Guilherme Henrique Paublo is a little less angry. He was given funding to go to university where he studied business administration. He has no doubt that the Workers' Party initiatives changed his life but he does not feel the need to be loyal to the politician who helped him. \"I think today we're at a point where demands have changed,\" he says. \"Of the options we have today as candidates, Lula represents a model of politics in Brazil that we've already seen. An old model that has already been proven as outdated, bankrupt and compromised by corruption.\" Mr Paublo's viewpoint is not one shared by Workers' Party leader Gleisi Hoffmann. \"You have to understand that Lula is a leader, his was a historic leadership, he was ahead of his time, so he will always be new,\" she says. \"He was, for Brazil, hugely innovative and if he is president again, he will continue to be so. He knows how to govern Brazil and importance of governing for poor people.\" It is of course, up to the judges to decide Lula's fate but Ms Hoffmann is adamant that if the decision goes against him, the backlash will be violent. \"Lula will not be arrested, for Lula to be arrested, people will have to be killed,\" says Ms Hoffmann. \"They're going to have to kill us, and kill Lula. It will not be peaceful.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 651, "answer_end": 1887, "text": "It has been a fall from grace for Lula. He rose to power condemning corrupt politics and promised he would be different when he became president in 2003. But corruption scandals plagued him during his eight years in power. In 2005, what is known as the Mensalao scandal nearly cost him his job. Nevertheless, he left office in 2011 with record approval ratings. But then came Operation Car Wash. The country's biggest ever corruption investigation started with the state-owned oil company Petrobras but its focus spread as it uncovered more and more threads of the complex web of corruption. Some of Brazil's biggest business leaders and politicians have now been implicated, including current President Michel Temer and former presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff. Lula's sentence for corruption is just one of several cases against the former leader. While the appeal is under way, Lula has remained free and opinion polls suggest he is the front runner in the race to be elected president in October. If the judges sitting in the Regional Federal Tribunal 4 (TRF-4) decide on Wednesday to uphold the original sentence, Lula is likely to appeal against it in a higher court but his presidential ambitions will be curtailed nevertheless."}], "question": "Socialist icon or crooked politician?", "id": "1062_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Stormy Daniels 'told to leave Trump alone' over affair claims", "date": "26 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An adult film actress has said she was threatened to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump in 2006. Stormy Daniels told CBS News' 60 Minutes programme that a man approached her in a Las Vegas car park in 2011. The stranger allegedly said \"leave Trump alone\", then looked at her young daughter and added: \"It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom.\" Mr Trump denies having had an affair with the actress. His lawyers are seeking $20m (PS14m) in damages from her, saying she broke a non-disclosure deal signed before the 2016 presidential election. She has filed a lawsuit to scrap the agreement, saying it is invalid because Mr Trump did not sign it. Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she had sex with Mr Trump just once, in a hotel room during a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, California, in July 2006. Mr Trump married Melania Trump in 2005. Ms Daniels claims she and Mr Trump stayed in contact for years afterwards, and last spoke in 2010. While Mr Trump flew back to the capital from his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida on Sunday night, Mrs Trump will reportedly stay in Florida for the remainder of spring vacation. In response to questions about the interview, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said Mrs Trump was, \"focused on being a mom and is quite enjoying spring break at Mar-a-Lago while working on future projects.\" In the highly anticipated interview, which aired on Sunday evening, Stormy Daniels said she was approached by the man in the car park in 2011 after having agreed to sell her story to a magazine. But the magazine did not publish the story after legal threats from Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, 60 Minutes reported, citing former employees. The interview was finally published in InTouch magazine earlier this year. \"I was in a parking lot, going to a fitness class with my infant daughter,\" she said. \"A guy walked up on me and said to me, 'Leave Trump alone. Forget the story'. And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, 'That's a beautiful little girl. It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom'. And then he was gone.\" President Trump has not directly responded to the interview but tweeted on Monday about \"fake news\". After the programme aired, a lawyer representing Mr Cohen said he had nothing to do with the alleged threat, accused the actress and her lawyer of defaming him and demanded a public apology. Stormy Daniels told CBS that her only sexual encounter with Mr Trump took place after he invited her to dinner in his hotel suite. She said he had shown her a magazine with his picture on the cover and she had jokingly smacked his bottom with it. \"He turned around and pulled his pants down a little, you know [he] had underwear on and stuff, and I just gave him a couple swats,\" she said. After they talked for a while, Mr Trump allegedly told her, \"You remind me of my daughter\". Stormy Daniels was 27 at the time. \"You know - he was like, 'You're smart and beautiful, and a woman to be reckoned with, and I like you. I like you,\" she said. She said that although she had not been attracted to Mr Trump, she had had unprotected sex with him, adding: \"I didn't say no. I'm not a victim.\" Mr Trump, she added, had suggested she might appear in his TV game show, The Apprentice, and she thought of the encounter \"as a business deal\". Stormy Daniels' lawyer said on Monday she was prepared to give further evidence of the alleged affair. \"She was prepared to discuss intimate details relating to Mr Trump,\" said lawyer Michael Avenatti on NBC. \"She can describe his genitalia.\" \"She can describe various conversations that they had that leave no doubt as to whether this woman is telling the truth.\" Stormy Daniels told CBS she later accepted $130,000 in \"hush money\" from Mr Cohen just before the 2016 election because she was concerned for the safety of her family. Mr Cohen confirmed in February he had privately paid her the money but did not say what it was for. Mr Trump's critics have suggested the money might amount to an illicit campaign contribution. Mr Cohen said last month that neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump Organization were parties to the transaction. Stormy Daniels told 60 Minutes she was risking a million-dollar fine by breaking the agreement and speaking out on national television \"because it was very important to me to be able to defend myself\". Given Mr Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct, infidelity and infamously boasted about grabbing women's genitals, there have been questions asked about why this particular scandal matters, when it involves what Ms Daniels says was consensual sex. But Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, told the BBC his client's case was different to others' because of \"acts of intimidation and the tactics that have been used to silence my client\". \"I think that is very problematic and it should be very disturbing to not only the American people but anyone in western civilisation,\" he added. \"That is not how people in power should conduct themselves.\"  It is also believed that Mr Trump could be called to testify in depositions if Stormy Daniels' court case proceeds. Stormy Daniels is one of three women who have taken legal action that could damage Mr Trump. Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she had an affair with Mr Trump between 2006 and 2007, has filed a lawsuit to invalidate a confidentiality agreement with tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer. She says she was paid for her story but the newspaper - published by a company run by a friend of President Trump - never ran it. Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, accuses Mr Trump of sexually assaulting her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007. Ms Zervos says that he groped her and \"began thrusting his genitals\" during a meeting to discuss employment opportunities. While president-elect, Mr Trump dismissed the allegations against him and said that Ms Zervos and other accusers were \"sick\" and driven by fame, money or politics. Ms Zervos filed a defamation law suit against Mr Trump in January 2017, but his lawyers argued that as the president he could not be sued. A judge in New York has now overturned that decision.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1389, "answer_end": 2435, "text": "In the highly anticipated interview, which aired on Sunday evening, Stormy Daniels said she was approached by the man in the car park in 2011 after having agreed to sell her story to a magazine. But the magazine did not publish the story after legal threats from Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, 60 Minutes reported, citing former employees. The interview was finally published in InTouch magazine earlier this year. \"I was in a parking lot, going to a fitness class with my infant daughter,\" she said. \"A guy walked up on me and said to me, 'Leave Trump alone. Forget the story'. And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, 'That's a beautiful little girl. It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom'. And then he was gone.\" President Trump has not directly responded to the interview but tweeted on Monday about \"fake news\". After the programme aired, a lawyer representing Mr Cohen said he had nothing to do with the alleged threat, accused the actress and her lawyer of defaming him and demanded a public apology."}], "question": "What exactly did Stormy Daniels say?", "id": "1063_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2436, "answer_end": 3733, "text": "Stormy Daniels told CBS that her only sexual encounter with Mr Trump took place after he invited her to dinner in his hotel suite. She said he had shown her a magazine with his picture on the cover and she had jokingly smacked his bottom with it. \"He turned around and pulled his pants down a little, you know [he] had underwear on and stuff, and I just gave him a couple swats,\" she said. After they talked for a while, Mr Trump allegedly told her, \"You remind me of my daughter\". Stormy Daniels was 27 at the time. \"You know - he was like, 'You're smart and beautiful, and a woman to be reckoned with, and I like you. I like you,\" she said. She said that although she had not been attracted to Mr Trump, she had had unprotected sex with him, adding: \"I didn't say no. I'm not a victim.\" Mr Trump, she added, had suggested she might appear in his TV game show, The Apprentice, and she thought of the encounter \"as a business deal\". Stormy Daniels' lawyer said on Monday she was prepared to give further evidence of the alleged affair. \"She was prepared to discuss intimate details relating to Mr Trump,\" said lawyer Michael Avenatti on NBC. \"She can describe his genitalia.\" \"She can describe various conversations that they had that leave no doubt as to whether this woman is telling the truth.\""}], "question": "What is alleged to have happened in 2006?", "id": "1063_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3734, "answer_end": 4414, "text": "Stormy Daniels told CBS she later accepted $130,000 in \"hush money\" from Mr Cohen just before the 2016 election because she was concerned for the safety of her family. Mr Cohen confirmed in February he had privately paid her the money but did not say what it was for. Mr Trump's critics have suggested the money might amount to an illicit campaign contribution. Mr Cohen said last month that neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump Organization were parties to the transaction. Stormy Daniels told 60 Minutes she was risking a million-dollar fine by breaking the agreement and speaking out on national television \"because it was very important to me to be able to defend myself\"."}], "question": "What about the money?", "id": "1063_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4415, "answer_end": 5186, "text": "Given Mr Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct, infidelity and infamously boasted about grabbing women's genitals, there have been questions asked about why this particular scandal matters, when it involves what Ms Daniels says was consensual sex. But Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, told the BBC his client's case was different to others' because of \"acts of intimidation and the tactics that have been used to silence my client\". \"I think that is very problematic and it should be very disturbing to not only the American people but anyone in western civilisation,\" he added. \"That is not how people in power should conduct themselves.\"  It is also believed that Mr Trump could be called to testify in depositions if Stormy Daniels' court case proceeds."}], "question": "Why does this matter?", "id": "1063_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5187, "answer_end": 6234, "text": "Stormy Daniels is one of three women who have taken legal action that could damage Mr Trump. Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she had an affair with Mr Trump between 2006 and 2007, has filed a lawsuit to invalidate a confidentiality agreement with tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer. She says she was paid for her story but the newspaper - published by a company run by a friend of President Trump - never ran it. Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, accuses Mr Trump of sexually assaulting her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007. Ms Zervos says that he groped her and \"began thrusting his genitals\" during a meeting to discuss employment opportunities. While president-elect, Mr Trump dismissed the allegations against him and said that Ms Zervos and other accusers were \"sick\" and driven by fame, money or politics. Ms Zervos filed a defamation law suit against Mr Trump in January 2017, but his lawyers argued that as the president he could not be sued. A judge in New York has now overturned that decision."}], "question": "Who else is accusing Mr Trump?", "id": "1063_4"}]}]}, {"title": "British Steel insolvency endangers 5,000 jobs", "date": "22 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "British Steel has been placed in compulsory liquidation, putting 5,000 jobs at risk and endangering 20,000 in the supply chain. The move follows a breakdown in rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, Greybull. The Government's Official Receiver has taken control of the company as part of the liquidation process. The search for a buyer for British Steel has already begun. In the meantime, it will trade normally. The Official Receiver said British Steel Ltd had been wound up in the High Court and the immediate priority was to continue safe operation of the site. The company was transferred to the Official Receiver because British Steel, its shareholders and the government were not able to, or would not, support the business. That meant the company did not have to funds to pay for an administration. The other companies within the British Steel group are continuing to trade as normal and are not in insolvency. The Official Receiver and EY are looking for a buyer for the business. If they fail to find one, the firm would be wound up and redundancies would follow. \"I appreciate that this is a difficult time for the company's employees and I want to thank them for their ongoing co-operation,\" Receiver David Chapman said. \"The company in liquidation is continuing to trade and supply its customers while I consider options for the business. British Steel has about 5,000 employees. There are 3,000 at Scunthorpe, with another 800 on Teesside and in north-eastern England. The rest are in France, the Netherlands and various sales offices round the world. Their wages this week have been paid by Greybull and the government will pick up the bill from now on. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the steelworkers' trade union, Community, said: \"This news will heap more worries on workers and everyone connected with British Steel, but it will also end the uncertainty under Greybull's ownership and must be seized as an opportunity to look for an alternative future. \"It is vital now that cool heads prevail and all parties focus on saving the jobs. Staff in Scunthorpe have also reacted. \"Everyone is terrified,\" said steelworker Kevin Prior. The 32-year-old scrap metal cutter has been at the plant since 2015 and his sister and brother-in-law also work at there. He said rumours about the company's future had been circulating for a number of weeks. \"It's just heartbreaking,\" he said. \"It's horrible to hear that my sister is crying herself to sleep because she doesn't know what's going to happen with her husband's job and what that means for them.\" As well as the plant's workers the North Lincolnshire town's economy relies heavily on the giant steel works, with an estimated 20,000 jobs linked to the site. Its closure would be a body blow, with some residents claiming it would leave Scunthorpe a \"ghost town\". In 2007, India's Tata conglomerate entered the UK steel market after it bought the Anglo Dutch group, Corus. In 2010, the business was renamed Tata Steel Europe. After a difficult few years, during depths of the 2016 steel crisis, Tata sold the Scunthorpe long products division to private equity firm Greybull Capital for a nominal PS1. Greybull rebranded the company as British Steel. British Steel's more recent troubles have been linked to a slump in orders from European customers due to uncertainty over the Brexit process. It has has also struggled with the weakness of the pound since the EU referendum in June 2016 and the escalating US-China trade war. In a statement on Wednesday, Greybull said: \"The turnaround of British Steel was always going to be a challenge, and yet the business overcame many difficulties and until recently, looked set for renewed prosperity. \"The workforce, the trade unions and the management team have worked closely together in their determination to strengthen the business. However, the additional blows dealt by Brexit-related issues have proven insurmountable.\" The High Court appointed accountancy firm EY to the role of Special Manager, assisting the Receiver. EY said the appointment of the Official Receiver followed \"a number of weeks\" of negotiations by management with the company's various stakeholders, including lenders, shareholders and the government, to secure the necessary funding to avoid an insolvency. \"Regrettably, these efforts were unable to secure a solution before the company's funding resources were exhausted.\" British Steel customer Network Rail sources 95% of its rails from British Steel's Scunthorpe plant. In a statement, the rail infrastructure operator said it had been working closely with British Steel and the government for \"many weeks\". \"We have done what we can to help ease the company's financial difficulties. We have improved our order book with the company - increasing rail production volumes, bringing orders forward and committing to a long term schedule - as well as offering immediate payment to ease the pressure on cash flow.\" It is understood the company has enough stockpiles to keep it going until other suppliers can increase production. Business Secretary Greg Clark said the government had shown its \"willingness to act\", having provided the British Steel with a PS120m bridging loan in April to meet EU emission rules and avoid a steep fine. However, he added: \"The government can only act within the law, which requires any financial support to a steel company to be on a commercial basis. I have been advised that it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or loan on the terms of any proposals that the company or any other party has made.\" Labour's shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long Bailey, called for the company to be nationalised. She said: \"The government must act quickly to save this strategically important industry and the livelihoods and communities of those who work in it, by bringing British Steel into public ownership.'' Is your job affected by the collapse of British Steel? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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: +447555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms and conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 941, "answer_end": 1373, "text": "The Official Receiver and EY are looking for a buyer for the business. If they fail to find one, the firm would be wound up and redundancies would follow. \"I appreciate that this is a difficult time for the company's employees and I want to thank them for their ongoing co-operation,\" Receiver David Chapman said. \"The company in liquidation is continuing to trade and supply its customers while I consider options for the business."}], "question": "So what happens now?", "id": "1064_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1374, "answer_end": 2851, "text": "British Steel has about 5,000 employees. There are 3,000 at Scunthorpe, with another 800 on Teesside and in north-eastern England. The rest are in France, the Netherlands and various sales offices round the world. Their wages this week have been paid by Greybull and the government will pick up the bill from now on. Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the steelworkers' trade union, Community, said: \"This news will heap more worries on workers and everyone connected with British Steel, but it will also end the uncertainty under Greybull's ownership and must be seized as an opportunity to look for an alternative future. \"It is vital now that cool heads prevail and all parties focus on saving the jobs. Staff in Scunthorpe have also reacted. \"Everyone is terrified,\" said steelworker Kevin Prior. The 32-year-old scrap metal cutter has been at the plant since 2015 and his sister and brother-in-law also work at there. He said rumours about the company's future had been circulating for a number of weeks. \"It's just heartbreaking,\" he said. \"It's horrible to hear that my sister is crying herself to sleep because she doesn't know what's going to happen with her husband's job and what that means for them.\" As well as the plant's workers the North Lincolnshire town's economy relies heavily on the giant steel works, with an estimated 20,000 jobs linked to the site. Its closure would be a body blow, with some residents claiming it would leave Scunthorpe a \"ghost town\"."}], "question": "What about the staff?", "id": "1064_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2852, "answer_end": 4432, "text": "In 2007, India's Tata conglomerate entered the UK steel market after it bought the Anglo Dutch group, Corus. In 2010, the business was renamed Tata Steel Europe. After a difficult few years, during depths of the 2016 steel crisis, Tata sold the Scunthorpe long products division to private equity firm Greybull Capital for a nominal PS1. Greybull rebranded the company as British Steel. British Steel's more recent troubles have been linked to a slump in orders from European customers due to uncertainty over the Brexit process. It has has also struggled with the weakness of the pound since the EU referendum in June 2016 and the escalating US-China trade war. In a statement on Wednesday, Greybull said: \"The turnaround of British Steel was always going to be a challenge, and yet the business overcame many difficulties and until recently, looked set for renewed prosperity. \"The workforce, the trade unions and the management team have worked closely together in their determination to strengthen the business. However, the additional blows dealt by Brexit-related issues have proven insurmountable.\" The High Court appointed accountancy firm EY to the role of Special Manager, assisting the Receiver. EY said the appointment of the Official Receiver followed \"a number of weeks\" of negotiations by management with the company's various stakeholders, including lenders, shareholders and the government, to secure the necessary funding to avoid an insolvency. \"Regrettably, these efforts were unable to secure a solution before the company's funding resources were exhausted.\""}], "question": "How did it come to this?", "id": "1064_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4433, "answer_end": 5088, "text": "British Steel customer Network Rail sources 95% of its rails from British Steel's Scunthorpe plant. In a statement, the rail infrastructure operator said it had been working closely with British Steel and the government for \"many weeks\". \"We have done what we can to help ease the company's financial difficulties. We have improved our order book with the company - increasing rail production volumes, bringing orders forward and committing to a long term schedule - as well as offering immediate payment to ease the pressure on cash flow.\" It is understood the company has enough stockpiles to keep it going until other suppliers can increase production."}], "question": "How have customers reacted?", "id": "1064_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5089, "answer_end": 5899, "text": "Business Secretary Greg Clark said the government had shown its \"willingness to act\", having provided the British Steel with a PS120m bridging loan in April to meet EU emission rules and avoid a steep fine. However, he added: \"The government can only act within the law, which requires any financial support to a steel company to be on a commercial basis. I have been advised that it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or loan on the terms of any proposals that the company or any other party has made.\" Labour's shadow business secretary, Rebecca Long Bailey, called for the company to be nationalised. She said: \"The government must act quickly to save this strategically important industry and the livelihoods and communities of those who work in it, by bringing British Steel into public ownership.''"}], "question": "What do the politicians say?", "id": "1064_4"}]}]}, {"title": "DR Congo crisis: Why a trainee nun was shot dead at church", "date": "4 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The BBC's Africa editor Fergal Keane reports on how the Catholic Church has become the main opposition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By the time her brother arrived on the scene Therese Kapangala was already dead. She lay in a pool of blood just inside the main door of the Church of St Francis de Sales, about 15 minutes from central Kinshasa. Therese was a novice nun who grew up in a devoutly Catholic family in the narrow streets of Kintambo, an old Kinshasa neighbourhood where the colonial explorer Henry Morton Stanley established his first settlement in 1881. She lived a short walk from the church. On Sunday 21 January she joined protesters who had gathered at St Francis calling for free and fair elections. Her brother Jean-Claude remembers hearing shooting and the firing of tear gas canisters. \"I said to her: 'Look there's a lot of tear gas, please take this margarine butter' because it is something we use to lessen the effects of the gas on our skin. \"But she already had some and threw away what I gave her. That day she was happy. She was joyful.\" Mobile phone footage from the protests shows people fleeing in panic as tear gas and live ammunition were fired by security forces who surrounded the compound. Therese was dead within minutes of being struck by a single round. \"Even now I can't believe it,\" recalls her mother Mado Longo. \"I think I am dreaming that she has only gone to rest. She was my child but also my friend.\" We were sitting in the family's tiny sitting room. A small shrine had been erected to the memory of Therese - there was a memorial candle, some Rosary beads, a statuette of the Blessed Virgin, and a photograph of a serene-looking young woman in her 24th year. The Kapangalas are not natural rebels. Nor are they partisans of any political party. In a country where politics has long been contaminated by corruption and division, where human rights abuses are endemic, they represent the revolt of the reasonable. Therese belonged to a broad-based human rights movement that has succeeded in transcending ethnic divisions and challenging the deep-rooted culture of impunity. This is not by any means exclusively rooted in the Catholic Church but in recent years clergy and lay people have been at the forefront of attempts to push for democratic change. It began with church-mediated efforts in 2016 to achieve a peaceful transition from the rule of President Joseph Kabila, whose mandate expired in December that year. When they failed, it morphed into a mass protest movement. President Kabila has so far failed to step down, overstaying the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution. In a country where roughly half of the population is Catholic, the state tends to pay attention when the church intervenes in politics. The leader of the Catholic Church in DR Congo, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo, declared at the beginning of the year that it was \"time for truth to win out over systemic lying, for the mediocre to clear out and for peace and justice to reign in DR Congo\". Read more about the many crises in DR Congo: Ituri: 'My daughter was slashed with a machete' Kasai: 'The army threw people into the river' What 'Dr Love' says about DR Congo But when priests led public protests the government cracked down with shootings, beatings and arrests. After the bloodshed, Catholic lay groups called off the protests, saying they would wait to see if President Kabila was sincere about holding elections. Apparently unconvinced, they announced on 1 May that the truce was over and promised a fresh wave of demonstrations. \"The church will never shut up. No force can make it shiver,\" says Father Joseph Musubao, a relative of Therese Kapangala who was saying mass at the church of St Francis on the day she was shot. \"The government's behaviour, their way of doing things, their mode of governing is indescribable... it is bloody and without regrets.\" The state recently allowed a public meeting by the leading opposition party and has promised presidential elections by the end of the year. But there is continuing suspicion that elections will be delayed again or rigged. When I met the Information Minister Lambert Mende, I put it to him that the church was taking a moral leadership role because the government was seen as morally bankrupt. He replied by denouncing the activities of the Catholic groups. \"I don't know if it is because the government is bankrupt that the bishops are taking a moral role. But they don't have the role... If you want to play a political role please go for elections and tell people to give you a mandate.\" It is possible that elections will take place by the end of the year. But will they be free and fair? Is Mr Kabila really ready to hand over power? The promised return to the streets of Catholic-led protest groups would be a significant test of the government's true intentions. Another violent crackdown like that which led to the death of Therese Kapangala would not bode well for the hopes of peaceful change in Africa's second-largest country. - 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance - More than 4 million displaced - More than 7 million face severe food insecurity - Two million children at risk of starvation- 12% of cases worldwide (Source: UN)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4138, "answer_end": 5053, "text": "When I met the Information Minister Lambert Mende, I put it to him that the church was taking a moral leadership role because the government was seen as morally bankrupt. He replied by denouncing the activities of the Catholic groups. \"I don't know if it is because the government is bankrupt that the bishops are taking a moral role. But they don't have the role... If you want to play a political role please go for elections and tell people to give you a mandate.\" It is possible that elections will take place by the end of the year. But will they be free and fair? Is Mr Kabila really ready to hand over power? The promised return to the streets of Catholic-led protest groups would be a significant test of the government's true intentions. Another violent crackdown like that which led to the death of Therese Kapangala would not bode well for the hopes of peaceful change in Africa's second-largest country."}], "question": "Morally bankrupt?", "id": "1065_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nestle sells Crunch, Nerds and other US brands to Ferrero for $2.8bn", "date": "17 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nestle is selling its US sweets and chocolate business to Ferrero Group for 2.7bn Swiss francs ($2.8bn; PS2bn). The Swiss food giant said it was offloading brands such as Crunch, Nerds, Runts and Butterfinger to focus on other products. Italy's Ferrero, which makes Nutella spread, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher, will become the US's third-biggest confectionery maker. The deal is expected to go through by March this year. Ferrero said the brands would give it \"substantially greater scale\" and \"a broader offering of high-quality products\" for US customers. 'Australia's Crunchie' back in local hands The US confectionery market is the largest in the world, worth about $8bn a year, according to Ibis World. But Nestle lags behind the likes of Mars, Hershey and Lindt, and said its candy business made up just 3% of its US sales. The deal would allow it to \"invest and innovate\" in other areas where it saw future growth or where it was already a market leader, said Nestle's chief executive Mark Schneider in a statement. These include pet care, bottled water, coffee, frozen meals and infant nutrition, he added. Some analysts see the decision to get rid of the business, which also includes children's favourites like Laffy Taffy, Chewy Gobstopper and BabyRuth, as another step by Nestle to focus on healthier products. Since Mr Schneider took over last year, the Swiss business has bought companies that make vegetarian meals, vitamins and luxury coffee. However, Nestle has said it is still wholly committed to its international chocolate brands such as KitKat. Last year it said it was opening its first factory in Japan for quarter of a century on the back of demand for  'exotic' versions of the multi-fingered sweet.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 600, "answer_end": 1724, "text": "The US confectionery market is the largest in the world, worth about $8bn a year, according to Ibis World. But Nestle lags behind the likes of Mars, Hershey and Lindt, and said its candy business made up just 3% of its US sales. The deal would allow it to \"invest and innovate\" in other areas where it saw future growth or where it was already a market leader, said Nestle's chief executive Mark Schneider in a statement. These include pet care, bottled water, coffee, frozen meals and infant nutrition, he added. Some analysts see the decision to get rid of the business, which also includes children's favourites like Laffy Taffy, Chewy Gobstopper and BabyRuth, as another step by Nestle to focus on healthier products. Since Mr Schneider took over last year, the Swiss business has bought companies that make vegetarian meals, vitamins and luxury coffee. However, Nestle has said it is still wholly committed to its international chocolate brands such as KitKat. Last year it said it was opening its first factory in Japan for quarter of a century on the back of demand for  'exotic' versions of the multi-fingered sweet."}], "question": "Healthy steps?", "id": "1066_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Eurovision 2017: Why Ukraine and Russia are facing off", "date": "1 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Eurovision Song Contest, an annual pop extravaganza where each country sends an act to compete for others' votes, is never just about the music. Some would cite its unrivalled commitment to sequins - others, the fiercely biased voting. Until recent years, though, there was little about the competition that would give politicians sleepless nights. But now a fierce row between Russia and this year's hosts - Ukraine - has seen a warning letter from Eurovision's organisers land on the Ukrainian prime minister's desk. So what's the cause of the conflict, and how did it get this far? A record 43 countries from the European Broadcasting Area were due to don their finest spandex this year. But last month, Ukraine banned Russia's chosen artist, Julia Samoilova, from entering the country for three years. Why? Because in 2015 she made what it calls an illegal visit to sing in Crimea - which was annexed by Russia three years ago - entering via Russia rather than the Ukrainian mainland. Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since the annexation and subsequent fighting in east Ukraine, which Moscow is accused of stoking. Ukraine is hosting Eurovision because its singer, Jamala, won in Sweden last year. She took the crown with 1944, a song about Josef Stalin's mass deportation of Crimean Tatars during World War Two. Russia, who were favourites in the run-up to the event, limped home in third. Moscow is especially irked by the ban on Samoilova, 27, as she uses a wheelchair and the slogan of this year's Eurovision is \"Celebrate diversity\". Outrage is an understatement. A deputy foreign minister called the ban on Samoilova outrageous, cynical and inhumane. One MP is demanding that the contest be moved to another country, while a second warned that Russia would boycott every Eurovision to come unless organisers intervened to resolve the row. Russia's Channel One, which broadcasts Eurovision, said in a statement: \"Ukraine didn't even have the common sense to make use of this opportunity to look like a civilised country.\" It also refused an offer by Eurovision to have Samoilova join in the competition remotely, via satellite. \"We find the offer of remote participation odd and refuse it, for it is going absolutely against the very essence of the event,\" the official Russian broadcaster said. According to the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow, some suspect Moscow knew what would happen when it chose Julia Samoilova, knowing that she had travelled to Crimea. Eurovision organisers want the focus on the event, not the politics. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a group of public media outlets that produces Eurovision, is demanding that Kiev let Samoilova perform. Otherwise, it says, Ukraine faces the threat of exclusion from future contests. Ingrid Deltenre, head of the EBU, wrote to Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on 23 March to issue the warning. \"No previous host country has prevented an artist performing at the Eurovision Song Contest and the EBU would not like a precedent to be set in 2017,\"  she wrote in the letter leaked to media. \"We consider the current ban of the Russian singer as unacceptable. As a consequence the UAPBC [Ukraine's National Public Broadcasting Company] might be excluded from future events.\" \"We are increasingly frustrated, in fact angry, that this year's competition is being used as a tool in the ongoing confrontation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine,\" Ms Deltenre added. She said that if Kiev didn't lift its ban, \"it would certainly have a very big negative impact on Ukraine's international reputation as a modern, democratic European nation\". The Eurovision song contest will be held in Kiev on 13 May - and we can expect the same kitsch pop-fuelled love-in as usual. But whether Russia's act will take the stage is still unclear. Samoilova has said she is \"not upset\" by Ukraine's decision. The singer told Russia's state-controlled television she did not understand why Ukraine saw \"some kind of threat in a little girl like me\". \"I will keep going,\" she added. \"I somehow think that everything will change.\" - Born in April 1989 in Ukhta, Russia - Her song Flame is Burning was composed by Leonid Gutkin, who also produced Russia's 2013 and 2015 entries - Has been in a wheelchair since childhood, suffering from spinal muscular atrophy: a neuromuscular disorder causing muscle wastage - She was a 2013 finalist in Russia's X Factor competition and performed at the opening ceremony to the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 589, "answer_end": 1558, "text": "A record 43 countries from the European Broadcasting Area were due to don their finest spandex this year. But last month, Ukraine banned Russia's chosen artist, Julia Samoilova, from entering the country for three years. Why? Because in 2015 she made what it calls an illegal visit to sing in Crimea - which was annexed by Russia three years ago - entering via Russia rather than the Ukrainian mainland. Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since the annexation and subsequent fighting in east Ukraine, which Moscow is accused of stoking. Ukraine is hosting Eurovision because its singer, Jamala, won in Sweden last year. She took the crown with 1944, a song about Josef Stalin's mass deportation of Crimean Tatars during World War Two. Russia, who were favourites in the run-up to the event, limped home in third. Moscow is especially irked by the ban on Samoilova, 27, as she uses a wheelchair and the slogan of this year's Eurovision is \"Celebrate diversity\"."}], "question": "What's the problem?", "id": "1067_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1559, "answer_end": 2486, "text": "Outrage is an understatement. A deputy foreign minister called the ban on Samoilova outrageous, cynical and inhumane. One MP is demanding that the contest be moved to another country, while a second warned that Russia would boycott every Eurovision to come unless organisers intervened to resolve the row. Russia's Channel One, which broadcasts Eurovision, said in a statement: \"Ukraine didn't even have the common sense to make use of this opportunity to look like a civilised country.\" It also refused an offer by Eurovision to have Samoilova join in the competition remotely, via satellite. \"We find the offer of remote participation odd and refuse it, for it is going absolutely against the very essence of the event,\" the official Russian broadcaster said. According to the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow, some suspect Moscow knew what would happen when it chose Julia Samoilova, knowing that she had travelled to Crimea."}], "question": "So Russia is fuming...?", "id": "1067_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2487, "answer_end": 3644, "text": "Eurovision organisers want the focus on the event, not the politics. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a group of public media outlets that produces Eurovision, is demanding that Kiev let Samoilova perform. Otherwise, it says, Ukraine faces the threat of exclusion from future contests. Ingrid Deltenre, head of the EBU, wrote to Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on 23 March to issue the warning. \"No previous host country has prevented an artist performing at the Eurovision Song Contest and the EBU would not like a precedent to be set in 2017,\"  she wrote in the letter leaked to media. \"We consider the current ban of the Russian singer as unacceptable. As a consequence the UAPBC [Ukraine's National Public Broadcasting Company] might be excluded from future events.\" \"We are increasingly frustrated, in fact angry, that this year's competition is being used as a tool in the ongoing confrontation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine,\" Ms Deltenre added. She said that if Kiev didn't lift its ban, \"it would certainly have a very big negative impact on Ukraine's international reputation as a modern, democratic European nation\"."}], "question": "What was in that letter?", "id": "1067_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3645, "answer_end": 4112, "text": "The Eurovision song contest will be held in Kiev on 13 May - and we can expect the same kitsch pop-fuelled love-in as usual. But whether Russia's act will take the stage is still unclear. Samoilova has said she is \"not upset\" by Ukraine's decision. The singer told Russia's state-controlled television she did not understand why Ukraine saw \"some kind of threat in a little girl like me\". \"I will keep going,\" she added. \"I somehow think that everything will change.\""}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "1067_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Full-fibre broadband: What is it and how does it work?", "date": "30 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The government is planning to spend PS5bn on rolling out superfast full-fibre broadband to the most remote parts of the UK. But what is full-fibre broadband and how fast will it be? Chancellor Sajid Javid has said the PS5bn investment would get full-fibre broadband to the hardest-to-reach 20% of the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said full-fibre broadband is needed to improve the UK's infrastructure and productivity. He wants full rollout by 2025. That target is eight years ahead of the government's original goal of 2033, a date Mr Johnson described as \"laughably unambitious\". Last year, a government report estimated the cost of covering the UK with full-fibre broadband by the old deadline of 2033 would be about PS33bn. With more people using data-intensive streaming services, smart devices and video calls, we need more data. The average household used 240 gigabytes of data a month in 2018, up 26% on the previous year, telecoms industry regulator Ofcom said. It also said there could be several other benefits to consumers and businesses: - Creating jobs focused on infrastructure - Increasing companies' productivity - Reducing the need to commute by making remote working easier Faster connections make it quicker to download films, play online games or use streaming services. Broadband is a term for high-speed connections carrying internet data and other types of traffic. There are three main types of broadband connection that link the local telephone exchange to your house: - ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) uses copper cables to a street-level cabinet or junction box and on to the house - FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) uses a faster fibre optic cable to the cabinet, but then copper cable from there to the house - FTTP (fibre to the premises) uses a fibre optic cable to connect to households without using any copper cable Copper has been the backbone of the internet infrastructure, as it's used in the telephone network across the UK and goes into most homes. But it's old and slower than fibre optic cable, which is made from glass or plastic and uses pulses of light to transmit data. On the other hand, digging up and replacing copper with fibre optic cable to reach into people's homes is expensive and involves a lot of work. So far, only about 7% of UK properties actually have access to the fastest full-fibre connection. Currently, the UK government defines superfast broadband as having speeds greater than 30 megabits per second (Mbps). A megabit is the standard measurement of internet speed. Ultrafast is defined as a speed greater than 100Mbps. A connection using both fibre and copper (FTTC) can reach speeds of up to about 66Mbps. But a full-fibre connection (FTTP)  - with no copper - can offer much faster average speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbps) - that's 1,000Mbps. It could potentially offer speeds in terabits per second in future. (One terabit equals 1,000 gigabits.) There are other types of very fast connection as well. Virgin Media uses a different type of cable for the last section that comes into your house, which in theory can offer speeds of up to 10Gbps. There is also a service called G.fast, which uses a special pod to boost the speed of the standard copper cable connection. The availability of the fastest broadband is still very limited. In February, Virgin Media began a small trial of broadband in Cambridgeshire using fibre optic cable to give households speeds of 8Gbps (gigabits per second). Last year, another company, Hyperoptic, tested speeds of up to 10Gbps in a home in east London. At the moment, the UK ranks well behind some other European nations including Latvia, Lithuania and Spain, where roughly half of all homes have access to the fastest connections. One of the companies planning to launch the new faster 5G mobile services believes they will be so fast that many homes in the UK won't need a fixed broadband connection. Three UK told the BBC last year that there would be enough capacity on 5G to match the speeds of the fastest fibre cable connections. Ofcom suggests that in time 5G could offer speeds of 20Gbps. One advantage of 5G is that it uses a wireless link for the connection to your house, instead of cabling. This could be particularly useful in rural areas which have lagged behind in the provision of faster broadband. But some experts caution this may also be a disadvantage as the wireless signal would not be as stable as a fixed-line connection and could drop out at times.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 182, "answer_end": 735, "text": "Chancellor Sajid Javid has said the PS5bn investment would get full-fibre broadband to the hardest-to-reach 20% of the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said full-fibre broadband is needed to improve the UK's infrastructure and productivity. He wants full rollout by 2025. That target is eight years ahead of the government's original goal of 2033, a date Mr Johnson described as \"laughably unambitious\". Last year, a government report estimated the cost of covering the UK with full-fibre broadband by the old deadline of 2033 would be about PS33bn."}], "question": "What are the government's plans for full-fibre broadband?", "id": "1068_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 736, "answer_end": 1299, "text": "With more people using data-intensive streaming services, smart devices and video calls, we need more data. The average household used 240 gigabytes of data a month in 2018, up 26% on the previous year, telecoms industry regulator Ofcom said. It also said there could be several other benefits to consumers and businesses: - Creating jobs focused on infrastructure - Increasing companies' productivity - Reducing the need to commute by making remote working easier Faster connections make it quicker to download films, play online games or use streaming services."}], "question": "What difference could it make?", "id": "1068_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1300, "answer_end": 2371, "text": "Broadband is a term for high-speed connections carrying internet data and other types of traffic. There are three main types of broadband connection that link the local telephone exchange to your house: - ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) uses copper cables to a street-level cabinet or junction box and on to the house - FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) uses a faster fibre optic cable to the cabinet, but then copper cable from there to the house - FTTP (fibre to the premises) uses a fibre optic cable to connect to households without using any copper cable Copper has been the backbone of the internet infrastructure, as it's used in the telephone network across the UK and goes into most homes. But it's old and slower than fibre optic cable, which is made from glass or plastic and uses pulses of light to transmit data. On the other hand, digging up and replacing copper with fibre optic cable to reach into people's homes is expensive and involves a lot of work. So far, only about 7% of UK properties actually have access to the fastest full-fibre connection."}], "question": "What is full-fibre broadband?", "id": "1068_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2372, "answer_end": 3260, "text": "Currently, the UK government defines superfast broadband as having speeds greater than 30 megabits per second (Mbps). A megabit is the standard measurement of internet speed. Ultrafast is defined as a speed greater than 100Mbps. A connection using both fibre and copper (FTTC) can reach speeds of up to about 66Mbps. But a full-fibre connection (FTTP)  - with no copper - can offer much faster average speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbps) - that's 1,000Mbps. It could potentially offer speeds in terabits per second in future. (One terabit equals 1,000 gigabits.) There are other types of very fast connection as well. Virgin Media uses a different type of cable for the last section that comes into your house, which in theory can offer speeds of up to 10Gbps. There is also a service called G.fast, which uses a special pod to boost the speed of the standard copper cable connection."}], "question": "How fast is full-fibre?", "id": "1068_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3261, "answer_end": 3759, "text": "The availability of the fastest broadband is still very limited. In February, Virgin Media began a small trial of broadband in Cambridgeshire using fibre optic cable to give households speeds of 8Gbps (gigabits per second). Last year, another company, Hyperoptic, tested speeds of up to 10Gbps in a home in east London. At the moment, the UK ranks well behind some other European nations including Latvia, Lithuania and Spain, where roughly half of all homes have access to the fastest connections."}], "question": "Where can you get the fastest connections?", "id": "1068_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3760, "answer_end": 4502, "text": "One of the companies planning to launch the new faster 5G mobile services believes they will be so fast that many homes in the UK won't need a fixed broadband connection. Three UK told the BBC last year that there would be enough capacity on 5G to match the speeds of the fastest fibre cable connections. Ofcom suggests that in time 5G could offer speeds of 20Gbps. One advantage of 5G is that it uses a wireless link for the connection to your house, instead of cabling. This could be particularly useful in rural areas which have lagged behind in the provision of faster broadband. But some experts caution this may also be a disadvantage as the wireless signal would not be as stable as a fixed-line connection and could drop out at times."}], "question": "Could 5G mobile offer similar speeds?", "id": "1068_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump threatens to cut aid to Honduras over migrants", "date": "17 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has threatened to cut financial aid to Honduras over a large group of migrants heading towards the US border. In a Tweet posted on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the country's president was told funds would be cut \"immediately\" if the group was not stopped and returned. Honduras has a long history of poverty and corruption. It also has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The group of at least 1,500 migrants grew rapidly in size over the weekend. Mr Trump later also warned Honduras's neighbours, Guatemala and El Salvador, that their governments could face their funds being cut if they allowed the migrants to pass through their countries on their way north. About 160 people originally set off on Friday from San Pedro Sula, a notorious Honduran crime hotspot. They pushed across the border into Guatemala on Monday, despite a heavy police presence and government order attempting to block their route. Shortly after Mr Trump's tweet, it was reported that Bartolo Fuentes, one of the caravan's organisers and a former Honduran legislator, had been detained by Guatemalan authorities to be deported back to Honduras. This is the second time Mr Trump has threatened Honduras's aid over migrants, in April saying it was \"in play\" over another group. The US sent more than $175m (PS130m) to the country in 2016 and 2017, according to the US Agency for International Development. Officials in Mexico and the US have been monitoring the migrants, who have formed what is known as \"a caravan\", over the past few days, and issuing warnings about their rights to enter their countries. Last week, Vice President Mike Pence urged Central American countries to do more to prevent mass migration. \"Tell your people: don't put your families at risk by taking the dangerous journey north to attempt to enter the United States illegally,\" Mr Pence said. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Honduras foreign ministry urged its citizens against joining the caravan, dismissing it as a political ploy to \" to disrupt the governability, stability and peace of our countries\". Honduras, which has a population of about nine million, has endemic problems with gang violence, drug wars and corruption. According to the World Bank, more than 60% of the population lives in poverty, with one in five people living in extreme poverty. The country is led by President Juan Orlando Hernandez - who was re-elected in November 2017 in a contested vote which led to election violence and protests. Jari Dixon, a Honduran politician, Tweeted on Monday (in Spanish) that the caravan was not \"seeking the American dream\" but \"fleeing the Honduras nightmare\". Keilin Umana, a pregnant 21 year old in the caravan, told the Associated Press that she had left Honduras because she and her unborn child had been threatened with death at home. Another woman, 24-year-old Andrea Fernandez, who is travelling with three children under seven, told Reuters she could not find work and feared for her family's safety. \"We're going to drop in on Donald Trump. He has to take us in,\" she told the news agency. Earlier this year it was announced that thousands of migrants from Honduras are to lose their temporary protected status within the US by 2020. The group has told the media they are hoping to seek refuge in Mexico or the US. Mexico's migration institute said in a statement on Monday that march participants would have to qualify under immigration rules individually in order to pass through the country. \"The law does not provide for any permission to enter the country without meeting the requirements, and then go on to a third country,\" the government agency said. But the governor of Chiapas state, in southern Mexico, said he would \"respect human rights\". Governor Manuel Velasco tweeted [in Spanish] that seven hostels were being prepared to receive the migrants and help those in need of medical attention and assistance. US officials are also monitoring the group. On Sunday the US embassy in Honduras said it was \"seriously concerned\" about the caravan travelling north with \"false promises of entering the US\". Another large migrant caravan travelling through Mexico earlier this year largely broke up before it could reach the border.. There is a legal obligation to hear asylum claims from migrants who have arrived in the US if they say they fear violence in their home countries. Mr Trump's Attorney-General Jeff Sessions says the \"credible fear\" asylum rule has been exploited in the past, and announced in June that victims of domestic abuse and gang violence would no longer generally qualify under it. In recent weeks, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been accused of deliberately restricting access to ports of entry along the border. The \"Turn-back Policy\" is currently subject to a lawsuit from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which accuses immigration officials of unlawfully delaying access to the asylum process. The president has been vocal about wanting to reduce migration on the country's southern border, and has overseen a range of \"zero-tolerance\" measures tightening rules since he took office. Changes to the way detention rules were implemented saw thousands of migrant children detained and separated from their parents earlier this year, sparking national and international condemnation. Mr Trump backed down and signed an order that ended the separation policy in June, but hundreds of children are reported to be still separated from their families.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2090, "answer_end": 3240, "text": "Honduras, which has a population of about nine million, has endemic problems with gang violence, drug wars and corruption. According to the World Bank, more than 60% of the population lives in poverty, with one in five people living in extreme poverty. The country is led by President Juan Orlando Hernandez - who was re-elected in November 2017 in a contested vote which led to election violence and protests. Jari Dixon, a Honduran politician, Tweeted on Monday (in Spanish) that the caravan was not \"seeking the American dream\" but \"fleeing the Honduras nightmare\". Keilin Umana, a pregnant 21 year old in the caravan, told the Associated Press that she had left Honduras because she and her unborn child had been threatened with death at home. Another woman, 24-year-old Andrea Fernandez, who is travelling with three children under seven, told Reuters she could not find work and feared for her family's safety. \"We're going to drop in on Donald Trump. He has to take us in,\" she told the news agency. Earlier this year it was announced that thousands of migrants from Honduras are to lose their temporary protected status within the US by 2020."}], "question": "Why did they leave Honduras?", "id": "1069_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Politburo boy band? An alternative take on China's new leaders", "date": "25 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has unveiled its new generation of leaders. With President Xi Jinping cementing his already solid grip on power, the news was not lost on politically-aware online commentators in China and elsewhere, who gave it a somewhat different spin. \"This is as exciting as every time Apple unveils its latest iPhone. Wake me up when something actually happens,\" wrote Ju Wei from the capital, Beijing, in response to a post by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV News on Sina Weibo, the Chinese micro-blogging platform. \"Still the same faces. No changes there.\" Oh well. But it was a subject of interest for other Weibo commentators. Several threads about congress proceedings sprouted up on the site, where many Weibo users aired their views (and grievances) on their president's \"predictability\" and the apparent lack of a successor. Mandy Zhu Lu offered some Weibo wit and insight with this prediction: \"Chinese are pretty smart people. We can predict the future, especially when it comes to our politics. I'm sure we all foresaw who was going to be our next president. And I'm calling it here: Xi Jinping will be our leader for the next eternity - place your bets here if you think this will come true.\" Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng are now the seven most powerful men in China. But where were all the women? It was a subject of interest. \"Women hold up half the sky, just ask Mao Zedong. So why do I not see any Communist Party women among the guys,\" remarked Weibo user Chan JingFei. \"I think this line-up says a lot about China's view of women. Male chauvinism is sadly not out of place here,\" said another Weibo user. But there was one woman in the long line-up, as pointed out by the BBC's China Editor Carrie Gracie. Sun Chunlan is the only woman in China's number two decision-making body, the Politburo. While the issue of women being under-represented in Chinese politics was hotly debated, so were the ages of President Xi and his comrades. All in their 60s, they donned carefully-choreographed black suits and coloured ties. In fact their ages are all-important, because none of them is quite young enough to be a future leader -leaving many to speculate that President Xi plans to stay in power for some time beyond the expected decade. That didn't stop the inevitable boy band jokes. \"Here to promote their new hit album, Socialist Beats,\" joked one Weibo post. So the absence of a next generation leader inevitably triggered commentary about just how long President Xi intends to rule. \"No one loves our country more than Xi Jinping. That's why he won't share,\" said one netizen. \"Pity the United States couldn't follow Xi's example and adopt this rule to their presidents,\" said another. Over on Twitter, Beijing-based economist Christopher Balding posted a not-very-serious Twitter poll on Mr Xi's successor. With 268 votes (and counting), the odds may just be in favour of Mark Zuckerberg's new daughter, August. Shortly after the reveal, social media users noted the surge in shares of a very fortunately-named lift company. Huning Elevators, bearing the same name as the newly-promoted Wang Huning, immediately shot up following Wednesday's announcement. And then there was this peculiar Reddit thread. With an innovative use of facial recognition technology, Redditer everest4ever combined the faces of \"1014 Chinese officials in central government and high-level local government\" to create a new Chinese official, a man that represents \"The Average Face of Chinese Bureaucracy\". What a time to be alive.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1199, "answer_end": 1861, "text": "Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng are now the seven most powerful men in China. But where were all the women? It was a subject of interest. \"Women hold up half the sky, just ask Mao Zedong. So why do I not see any Communist Party women among the guys,\" remarked Weibo user Chan JingFei. \"I think this line-up says a lot about China's view of women. Male chauvinism is sadly not out of place here,\" said another Weibo user. But there was one woman in the long line-up, as pointed out by the BBC's China Editor Carrie Gracie. Sun Chunlan is the only woman in China's number two decision-making body, the Politburo."}], "question": "So where were all the women?", "id": "1070_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2425, "answer_end": 2979, "text": "So the absence of a next generation leader inevitably triggered commentary about just how long President Xi intends to rule. \"No one loves our country more than Xi Jinping. That's why he won't share,\" said one netizen. \"Pity the United States couldn't follow Xi's example and adopt this rule to their presidents,\" said another. Over on Twitter, Beijing-based economist Christopher Balding posted a not-very-serious Twitter poll on Mr Xi's successor. With 268 votes (and counting), the odds may just be in favour of Mark Zuckerberg's new daughter, August."}], "question": "The sharing president?", "id": "1070_1"}]}]}, {"title": "UN condemnation after 22 children killed in Yemen strike", "date": "24 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A senior UN official has condemned another deadly Saudi-led coalition air strike in Yemen, which has killed at least 22 children and four women. The victims were fleeing fighting in the al-Durayhimi district, south of the port city of Hudaydah, when their vehicle was hit on Thursday. A separate air strike the same day killed four children, according to the UN's humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock. It comes just weeks after a strike on a bus killed over 40 children. The Saudi-led coalition, which is backing Yemen's government in a war with the Houthi rebels, has yet to comment on the latest deaths. However, it responded to the news of the deadly bus attack in the northern province of Saada earlier this month by saying that its actions were \"legitimate\". It insists it never deliberately targets civilians, but human rights groups have accused it of bombing markets, schools, hospitals and residential areas. The first reports of the strike emerged in Houthi rebel media, which broadcast graphic footage of what it said were victims and aftermath of the strike late on Thursday. Mr Lowcock's statement on Friday confirmed that the victims had been fleeing violence around the rebel-held port city Hudaydah. He renewed calls for an impartial and independent investigation into air strikes. A report by Human Rights Watch the same day accused the Saudi-led coalition of failing to hold \"credible\" investigations into such incidents. The reported attack was condemned by Unicef, Save the Children and other international organisations. In June, Saudi-backed forces launched an operation to recapture Hudaydah, amid warnings from aid agencies of a humanitarian catastrophe. The port is the main entry point for aid for rebel-held areas of Yemen. Deadly air strikes in Yemen are not uncommon, but the strike on a bus of children on an outing on 9 August drew particularly strong condemnation. The bus was parked at a market when it was hit, killing dozens. Rights groups have since criticised the role of governments who provide arms to Saudi Arabia, after CNN reported that the bomb used in the attack was supplied by the US. The coalition against the rebels receives logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended UK ties with Saudi Arabia, which he described as a \"very, very important military ally\". Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when Houthi rebels seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. Almost 10,000 people - two-thirds of them civilians - have been killed and 55,000 others injured in the fighting, according to the United Nations. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition has also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have affected a million people.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 913, "answer_end": 1745, "text": "The first reports of the strike emerged in Houthi rebel media, which broadcast graphic footage of what it said were victims and aftermath of the strike late on Thursday. Mr Lowcock's statement on Friday confirmed that the victims had been fleeing violence around the rebel-held port city Hudaydah. He renewed calls for an impartial and independent investigation into air strikes. A report by Human Rights Watch the same day accused the Saudi-led coalition of failing to hold \"credible\" investigations into such incidents. The reported attack was condemned by Unicef, Save the Children and other international organisations. In June, Saudi-backed forces launched an operation to recapture Hudaydah, amid warnings from aid agencies of a humanitarian catastrophe. The port is the main entry point for aid for rebel-held areas of Yemen."}], "question": "What happened in Hudaydah?", "id": "1071_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1746, "answer_end": 2371, "text": "Deadly air strikes in Yemen are not uncommon, but the strike on a bus of children on an outing on 9 August drew particularly strong condemnation. The bus was parked at a market when it was hit, killing dozens. Rights groups have since criticised the role of governments who provide arms to Saudi Arabia, after CNN reported that the bomb used in the attack was supplied by the US. The coalition against the rebels receives logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has defended UK ties with Saudi Arabia, which he described as a \"very, very important military ally\"."}], "question": "What happened earlier this month?", "id": "1071_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2372, "answer_end": 3128, "text": "Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when Houthi rebels seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government. Almost 10,000 people - two-thirds of them civilians - have been killed and 55,000 others injured in the fighting, according to the United Nations. The fighting and a partial blockade by the coalition has also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world's largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have affected a million people."}], "question": "Why is there a war in Yemen?", "id": "1071_2"}]}]}, {"title": "French strikes: Does France's workforce really have it easy?", "date": "26 May 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At 35 hours, the French have the shortest legal working week in Europe. With it, they have a reputation in some quarters for an easy working life, staunchly defended by powerful labour unions. This week, there is widespread disruption across the country after France's largest union called a strike over planned reforms to the labour laws. Workers have blockaded power plants, petrol stations, and oil refineries. So why do the French go on strike more than any of their European partners? Is life for the workforce really so good? The 35-hour limit was introduced in 2000 and has come to be seen as sacrosanct by many on the French left. It is the lowest in Europe, shorter than the 40-hour limit in many countries including Spain, and far fewer than the 48-hour limit in the UK. France also mandates 11 consecutive hours of rest between each working day and one consecutive 35-hour period of rest per week, usually a weekend. So far, so good for the workers. But the average number of hours worked is higher than the statutory limit - 37.5 hours a week in 2014, more than the average 36.1 hours clocked up by the British and the 35.3 by the Germans. By the letter of the law, the French should be paid overtime rates or compensated in time off for every hour they work over 35, unlike the Brits and the Germans. And the French have a generous holiday allotment - an average 30 days a year of paid leave, compared with 28 in the UK, 25 in Norway and Denmark, and 20 in Germany. France's annual average wage in 2014 - $47,885 - compared favourably with Germany's - $48,479 - but was less than the UK's at $54,350. The controversial labour reforms that sparked the strikes would maintain the all-important 35-hour week, but they would allow companies to ask staff to work up to 46 hours a week, or 60 in exceptional circumstances. The worker would be compensated by working some shorter weeks so they averaged 35 hours a week over every three-month period. For some workers, the 11-hour break between shifts could be broken up under the new laws. The reforms would also make it easier for employers to make workers redundant, which the government hopes will encourage companies to take risks on hiring new staff. France's existing labour laws offer substantial protections to workers. Employers can be barred from making redundancies if the company or parent company is profitable. The reforms would allow companies whose revenues have fallen for four consecutive quarters to lay people off. Those laws are still substantially more friendly to workers than in other European countries. In the UK, profitable companies can make redundancies with relatively few conditions attached, as they can in Germany. Spain enforces a similar profitability condition but the employer only has to post losses for three quarters. So if employment conditions are good why is unemployment in France at 10.5%, compared with 5.4% in the UK and 4.8% in Germany? One reason the French are so often on strike comes down to the issue of \"insiders versus outsiders\", says Professor Iain Begg, a researcher from the London School of Economics (LSE). \"Those in jobs who already have various forms of labour protection are keen to preserve them, obviously,\" he says. \"But, to use a Richard Nixon term, there's a silent majority outside which would probably quite welcome a relaxation of the firm labour laws because they would have a better chance of getting a job.\" France has a \"longstanding view that the worker must be protected,\" says Prof Begg, \"but if you were the unemployed youth of North African origin in one of the Paris banlieues, you might think it's totally alien to what you expect. \"You don't get a job under any circumstances, so the idea that the jobs there are are so heavily protected is hardly appealing.\" Alisdair Gould, who is from the UK but has been living and working as a teacher in Paris for 12 years, and is on strike, says that conditions for workers in France are \"generally good ... preferable to the UK\" but will be \"diluted\" by the government's reforms. \"I'm particularly concerned about the part regarding the 'hiring and firing' of people,\" he says. \"It could mean that older people will be got rid of, even though they are experienced. Mr Gould said opinion was \"mixed\" and acknowledged that there was \"a lot of agreement with the reforms.\" \"I know that people are frustrated with the strikes, for example they are having problems getting fuel, but I am giving up a day's pay on a regular basis to protect people's employment rights.\" Workers' unions have pointed out that France's productivity is among the highest in Europe, and it is. It is significantly higher than the UK's and marginally higher than even Germany's. But the statistics are something of a red herring, says Prof Begg. Because France's employment rate is significantly lower than the UK's and Germany's, fewer working age people are employed. And it tends to be the less productive workers, for a variety of reasons, that are unemployed or underemployed, meaning that France has a greater proportion of more highly-productive workers. Which skews the figures. So France does, on paper at least, have some of the most worker-friendly labour laws in Europe, and some of the most powerful labour unions. But its unemployment rate is nearly twice that of the UK and more than double that of Germany. \"The hard fact is that Germany has a low unemployment rate and France has gone in the opposite direction,\" says Prof Begg. \"Is solidarity now being used as an argument for not effecting change which has to come at some point?\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1614, "answer_end": 2813, "text": "The controversial labour reforms that sparked the strikes would maintain the all-important 35-hour week, but they would allow companies to ask staff to work up to 46 hours a week, or 60 in exceptional circumstances. The worker would be compensated by working some shorter weeks so they averaged 35 hours a week over every three-month period. For some workers, the 11-hour break between shifts could be broken up under the new laws. The reforms would also make it easier for employers to make workers redundant, which the government hopes will encourage companies to take risks on hiring new staff. France's existing labour laws offer substantial protections to workers. Employers can be barred from making redundancies if the company or parent company is profitable. The reforms would allow companies whose revenues have fallen for four consecutive quarters to lay people off. Those laws are still substantially more friendly to workers than in other European countries. In the UK, profitable companies can make redundancies with relatively few conditions attached, as they can in Germany. Spain enforces a similar profitability condition but the employer only has to post losses for three quarters."}], "question": "What do they want to change?", "id": "1072_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Nafta: US-Canada trade talks going down to wire", "date": "31 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Talks between the US and Canada about amending the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) are heading into their final day with no deal in sight. US President Donald Trump set a Friday deadline for Canada to sign a new agreement with the US and Mexico. He has threatened to leave Canada on the sidelines since announcing a breakthrough with Mexico on Monday. However, he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have both said they are hopeful a deal is close. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is holding talks in Washington with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland aimed at reaching a new deal. Ms Freeland said on Friday morning that negotiators are \"not there yet\" on a deal that can be agreed upon by both parties, and that talks would continue later in the day. \"We're looking for a good deal, not just any deal,\" she said. \"And we'll only agree to a deal that is a good deal for Canada.\" Issues that have led to discord between the neighbouring countries include Canada's dairy trade rules, dispute-handling mechanisms and patent protections for medicines. Dairy in particular appeared to be a stumbling block in the negotiations on Friday, with US officials saying Canada had made no concessions on agriculture and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying he was standing firm on the issue. In off-the-record comments made to Bloomberg on Thursday and leaked to the Toronto Star, Mr Trump said that any deal with Canada would be \"totally on our terms\". \"Here's the problem. If I say no - the answer's no,\" he said according to the report. The president later acknowledged the remarks in a tweet, saying: \"At least Canada knows where I stand!\" Mr Trump has threatened to levy tariffs on car parts exported from Canada to the US if a deal is not reached. The White House wants to notify Congress on Friday that it intends to enter into a new trade agreement, to provide the necessary 90 days' notice that would allow the new Nafta deal to be signed by 1 December, the day Mexico's new left-wing president takes office. \"We are replacing Nafta with a beautiful, brand new US-Mexico trade deal,\" Mr Trump told supporters in Evansville, Indiana, on Thursday night. Turning to Canada, he said: \"I think it is going to happen and we really have developed a really good relationship. But they have to treat us fairly. They haven't treated us fairly.\" Mr Trump has expressed his distaste for multilateral trade agreements on many occasions. In a 2016 presidential debate with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, he described Nafta as \"the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere\" and a \"killer\" of US jobs. Once in office he said he wanted to renegotiate - not scrap - the accord, triggering the last year of talks. Mr Trump has also threatened to withdraw the US from the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying it treats his country unfairly. \"If they don't shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO,\" Mr Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg News. The WTO was established to provide rules for global trade and resolve disputes between countries. Mr Trump says the body too often rules against the US, although he concedes it has won some recent judgments. Mr Trump's warning about a possible US pull-out from the WTO highlights the conflict between his protectionist trade policies and the open trade system that the WTO oversees. The US has been embroiled in a tit-for-tat trade battle on several fronts in recent months. The one creating the most interest is with China, as the world's two largest economies wrangle for global influence. Mr Trump has introduced tariffs on a number of Chinese goods imported into the US. A third round of tariffs on $200bn (PS154bn) of Chinese goods could come as soon as next week, according to a Bloomberg report. Asked to confirm this during the Bloomberg interview, President Trump said that it was \"not totally wrong\". China has responded to US tariffs by imposing retaliatory taxes on the same value of US products and has filed complaints against the tariffs at the WTO. Mr Trump has also turned up the heat on the European Union, rejecting its offer to eliminate car tariffs if the United States does the same. The proposal was \"not good enough\", he told Bloomberg. \"Their consumer habits are to buy their cars, not to buy our cars.\" European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Friday that the EU would respond with tariffs of its own if Mr Trump imposed duties on foreign cars. Also during his election campaign, Mr Trump railed against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation trade deal that was a linchpin of President Barack Obama's Asia policy. Mr Trump said the deal was a \"potential disaster for our country\". One of his first acts as president was to withdraw the US from the TTP, although he has since said he might consider rejoining if the terms are \"substantially better\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1789, "answer_end": 2744, "text": "The White House wants to notify Congress on Friday that it intends to enter into a new trade agreement, to provide the necessary 90 days' notice that would allow the new Nafta deal to be signed by 1 December, the day Mexico's new left-wing president takes office. \"We are replacing Nafta with a beautiful, brand new US-Mexico trade deal,\" Mr Trump told supporters in Evansville, Indiana, on Thursday night. Turning to Canada, he said: \"I think it is going to happen and we really have developed a really good relationship. But they have to treat us fairly. They haven't treated us fairly.\" Mr Trump has expressed his distaste for multilateral trade agreements on many occasions. In a 2016 presidential debate with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, he described Nafta as \"the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere\" and a \"killer\" of US jobs. Once in office he said he wanted to renegotiate - not scrap - the accord, triggering the last year of talks."}], "question": "Why the rush?", "id": "1073_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2745, "answer_end": 3363, "text": "Mr Trump has also threatened to withdraw the US from the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying it treats his country unfairly. \"If they don't shape up, I would withdraw from the WTO,\" Mr Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg News. The WTO was established to provide rules for global trade and resolve disputes between countries. Mr Trump says the body too often rules against the US, although he concedes it has won some recent judgments. Mr Trump's warning about a possible US pull-out from the WTO highlights the conflict between his protectionist trade policies and the open trade system that the WTO oversees."}], "question": "What about other trade agreements?", "id": "1073_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3364, "answer_end": 4881, "text": "The US has been embroiled in a tit-for-tat trade battle on several fronts in recent months. The one creating the most interest is with China, as the world's two largest economies wrangle for global influence. Mr Trump has introduced tariffs on a number of Chinese goods imported into the US. A third round of tariffs on $200bn (PS154bn) of Chinese goods could come as soon as next week, according to a Bloomberg report. Asked to confirm this during the Bloomberg interview, President Trump said that it was \"not totally wrong\". China has responded to US tariffs by imposing retaliatory taxes on the same value of US products and has filed complaints against the tariffs at the WTO. Mr Trump has also turned up the heat on the European Union, rejecting its offer to eliminate car tariffs if the United States does the same. The proposal was \"not good enough\", he told Bloomberg. \"Their consumer habits are to buy their cars, not to buy our cars.\" European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Friday that the EU would respond with tariffs of its own if Mr Trump imposed duties on foreign cars. Also during his election campaign, Mr Trump railed against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation trade deal that was a linchpin of President Barack Obama's Asia policy. Mr Trump said the deal was a \"potential disaster for our country\". One of his first acts as president was to withdraw the US from the TTP, although he has since said he might consider rejoining if the terms are \"substantially better\"."}], "question": "Any other trade issues?", "id": "1073_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Cyber-attack: Europol says it was unprecedented in scale", "date": "13 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A cyber-attack that hit organisations worldwide including the UK's National Health Service was \"unprecedented\", Europe's police agency says. Europol also warned a \"complex international investigation\" was required \"to identify the culprits\". Ransomware encrypted data on at least 75,000 computers in 99 countries on Friday. Payments were demanded for access to be restored. European countries, including Russia, were among the worst hit. Although the spread of the malware - known as WannaCry and variants of that name - appears to have slowed, the threat is not yet over. Europol said its cyber-crime team, EC3, was working closely with affected countries to \"mitigate the threat and assist victims\". In the UK, a total of 48 National Health trusts were hit by Friday's cyber-attack, of which all but six are now back to normal, according to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd. The attack left hospitals and doctors unable to access patient data, and led to the cancellation of operations and medical appointments. Some reports say Russia has seen more infections than any other country. Banks, the state-owned railways and a mobile phone network were hit. Russia's interior ministry said 1,000 of its computers had been infected but the virus was swiftly dealt with and no sensitive data was compromised. In Germany, the federal railway operator said electronic boards had been disrupted; people tweeted photos of a ticket machine. France's carmaker Renault was forced to stop production at a number of sites. Other targets have included: - Large Spanish firms - such as telecoms giant Telefonica, and utilities Iberdrola and Gas Natural - Portugal Telecom, a university computer lab in Italy, a local authority in Sweden - The US delivery company FedEx - Schools in China, and hospitals in Indonesia and South Korea Coincidentally, finance ministers from the G7 group of leading industrial countries had been meeting on Friday to discuss the threat of cyber-attacks. They pledged to work more closely on spotting vulnerabilities and assessing security measures. Read more: 'I was the victim of a ransom attack' Who has been hit by the NHS cyber attack? Explaining the global ransomware outbreak A hack born in the USA? The malware spread quickly on Friday, with medical staff in the UK reportedly seeing computers go down \"one by one\". NHS staff shared screenshots of the WannaCry programme, which demanded a payment of $300 (PS230) in virtual currency Bitcoin to unlock the files for each computer. The infections seem to be deployed via a worm - a program that spreads by itself between computers. Most other malicious programs rely on humans to spread by tricking them into clicking on an attachment harbouring the attack code. By contrast, once WannaCry is inside an organisation it will hunt down vulnerable machines and infect them too. It is not clear who is behind the attack, but the tools used to carry it out are believed to have been developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to exploit a weakness found in Microsoft's Windows system. This exploit - known as EternalBlue - was stolen by a group of hackers known as The Shadow Brokers, who made it freely available in April, saying it was a \"protest\" about US President Donald Trump. A patch for the vulnerability was released by Microsoft in March, which would have automatically protected those computers with Windows Update enabled. Microsoft said on Friday it would roll out the update to users of older operating systems \"that no longer receive mainstream support\", such Windows XP (which the NHS still largely uses), Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003. The number of infections seems to be slowing after a \"kill switch\" appears to have been accidentally triggered by a UK-based cyber-security researcher tweeting as @MalwareTechBlog. But in a BBC interview, he warned that it was only a temporary fix.  \"It is very important that people patch their systems now because there will be another one coming and it will not be stoppable by us,\" he said. 'Accidental hero' - by Chris Foxx, technology reporter The security researcher known online as MalwareTech was analysing the code behind the malware on Friday night when he made his discovery. He first noticed that the malware was trying to contact an unusual web address but this address was not connected to a website, because nobody had registered it. So, every time the malware tried to contact the mysterious website, it failed - and then set about doing its damage. MalwareTech decided to spend PS8.50 ($11) and claim the web address.  By owning the web address, he could also access analytical data. But he later realised that registering the web address had also stopped the malware trying to spread itself. \"It was actually partly accidental,\" he told the BBC. Blogger halts ransomware 'by accident' Have you or your company been affected by the cyber-attack? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +447555 173285 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1011, "answer_end": 2059, "text": "Some reports say Russia has seen more infections than any other country. Banks, the state-owned railways and a mobile phone network were hit. Russia's interior ministry said 1,000 of its computers had been infected but the virus was swiftly dealt with and no sensitive data was compromised. In Germany, the federal railway operator said electronic boards had been disrupted; people tweeted photos of a ticket machine. France's carmaker Renault was forced to stop production at a number of sites. Other targets have included: - Large Spanish firms - such as telecoms giant Telefonica, and utilities Iberdrola and Gas Natural - Portugal Telecom, a university computer lab in Italy, a local authority in Sweden - The US delivery company FedEx - Schools in China, and hospitals in Indonesia and South Korea Coincidentally, finance ministers from the G7 group of leading industrial countries had been meeting on Friday to discuss the threat of cyber-attacks. They pledged to work more closely on spotting vulnerabilities and assessing security measures."}], "question": "Who else has been affected by the attack?", "id": "1074_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2217, "answer_end": 4020, "text": "The malware spread quickly on Friday, with medical staff in the UK reportedly seeing computers go down \"one by one\". NHS staff shared screenshots of the WannaCry programme, which demanded a payment of $300 (PS230) in virtual currency Bitcoin to unlock the files for each computer. The infections seem to be deployed via a worm - a program that spreads by itself between computers. Most other malicious programs rely on humans to spread by tricking them into clicking on an attachment harbouring the attack code. By contrast, once WannaCry is inside an organisation it will hunt down vulnerable machines and infect them too. It is not clear who is behind the attack, but the tools used to carry it out are believed to have been developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to exploit a weakness found in Microsoft's Windows system. This exploit - known as EternalBlue - was stolen by a group of hackers known as The Shadow Brokers, who made it freely available in April, saying it was a \"protest\" about US President Donald Trump. A patch for the vulnerability was released by Microsoft in March, which would have automatically protected those computers with Windows Update enabled. Microsoft said on Friday it would roll out the update to users of older operating systems \"that no longer receive mainstream support\", such Windows XP (which the NHS still largely uses), Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003. The number of infections seems to be slowing after a \"kill switch\" appears to have been accidentally triggered by a UK-based cyber-security researcher tweeting as @MalwareTechBlog. But in a BBC interview, he warned that it was only a temporary fix.  \"It is very important that people patch their systems now because there will be another one coming and it will not be stoppable by us,\" he said."}], "question": "How did it happen and who is behind it?", "id": "1074_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Italy populist government pact: Candidate for prime minister named", "date": "21 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Law professor Giuseppe Conte has been named as the choice of the Five Star Movement and League to lead the coalition government. The leaders of the two parties have been holding talks with President Sergio Mattarella over the approval of their coalition government. The Five Star's Luigi di Maio has said that Mr Mattarella had been informed that Mr Conte was the agreed candidate. The two populist parties issued their joint coalition plans last week. They both reject EU austerity and want to renegotiate Italy's debt, and their spending proposals put Italy on a collision course with the EU. The coalition pledges, agreed after days of talks between Mr Di Maio and the League's Matteo Salvini, include new \"flat tax\" rates and a guaranteed basic income for the poor. Their expensive economic plans could prompt a clash with the EU if they defy the previous government's agreements to reduce Italy's budget deficit. Over the weekend, Mr Salvini rejected a call by French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire for Italy to respect its EU budget commitments. \"We will do the opposite of what preceding governments have done. Am I wrong?\" he tweeted. On Monday, European Central Bank council member Ewald Nowotny said the proposed policy changes were creating \"nervousness\", adding: \"I hope that the practice will be a much wiser approach than what is here today from the newspapers.\" Both parties have called for a renegotiation of EU fiscal rules and Mr Salvini has in the past condemned the introduction of the euro as an error. By Katya Adler, BBC News Europe editor Brussels is watching Italy with horror: appalled by the very real prospect of having a Moscow-sympathising, passionately Eurosceptic government in the heart of the EU, hell-bent on flouting the bloc's budgetary, eurozone and migration regulations. The League and the Five Star Movement have distanced themselves from previous promises to hold a referendum on pulling Italy out of the euro, but the threat to do just that would remain as long as they governed Italy. Of course we're not there yet. The Italian president and parliament still need to give this government the green light. But the choice of a little-known, moderate academic as prime minister was clever, making this controversial political union - strongly supported by the Italian public - far harder for the establishment to reject. Mr Conte, 53, is a professor who teaches private law in Florence and Rome. He is not an MP and is a complete unknown in politics. He is seen as a compromise candidate who will come across as palatable to Italy at large, and hard for the president to turn down. However, he has strong ideas about how Italy should be run and is seen as close to Luigi Di Maio of Five Star. He has called for hundreds of \"useless laws\" to be abolished and believes that the ideologies of the 20th Century are out of date. Mr Conte was Five Star's preferred choice and was already the figure they wanted for another government role. The parties needed to reach an agreement on their prime ministerial candidate with Mr Mattarella before seeking approval from parliament. On Friday, 11 weeks after an inconclusive election result, the populist parties released their anti-austerity coalition manifesto. Here are some of the key points: - Guaranteed income: Poor families will get a EUR780 (PS682; $919) basic monthly income, provided recipients actively seek work - Mass deportations: An estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants in Italy must be deported \"as a priority\" - New tax rates: A \"flat tax\" will be introduced to reduce income tax rates to just two brackets, set at 15% and 20%, while families would receive a EUR3,000 annual tax deduction based on household income - Italy's debt: Revisions to the EU's Stability and Growth Pact, which sets a tough budget deficit limit of 3% of GDP, and a plan to reduce debt through \"internal demand\" instead of austerity - Pension reform: Setting the minimum monthly pension at EUR780, with a plan to abolish the current pension reform that raises the retirement age in phases - Relations with Russia: To work with the Kremlin on international issues such as the smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean and the continuing influence of violent Islamists", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2363, "answer_end": 3113, "text": "Mr Conte, 53, is a professor who teaches private law in Florence and Rome. He is not an MP and is a complete unknown in politics. He is seen as a compromise candidate who will come across as palatable to Italy at large, and hard for the president to turn down. However, he has strong ideas about how Italy should be run and is seen as close to Luigi Di Maio of Five Star. He has called for hundreds of \"useless laws\" to be abolished and believes that the ideologies of the 20th Century are out of date. Mr Conte was Five Star's preferred choice and was already the figure they wanted for another government role. The parties needed to reach an agreement on their prime ministerial candidate with Mr Mattarella before seeking approval from parliament."}], "question": "Who is Giuseppe Conte?", "id": "1075_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump wants to deport every single illegal immigrant - could he?", "date": "11 November 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to deport every illegal immigrant from the United States. The other Republican candidates say it can't be done - one called it a \"silly argument\". And the majority of US Republican voters disagree with Mr Trump: according to a 2015 survey by the Pew Research Center, 56% believe undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay if they meet certain criteria. So who's right? And what would happen if US authorities attempted to carry out Mr Trump's audacious plan? There are approximately 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the US. Rounding them up and deporting them would present a huge logistical and financial challenge to America's military, law enforcement, and border control agencies. Mr Trump hasn't set out a timeframe for his mass deportation strategy, but a 2015 study by the American Action Forum (AAF), a conservative think tank, estimates it would take about 20 years to find and deport that many people. Using good old-fashioned American school buses, 650 would have to run every month, without a seat to spare, for two decades. Plus continuous operations from a variety of law enforcement and other government bodies - with all the cost that entails. Based on an analysis for 5 million people, the Centre for American Progress estimates that a mass deportation from the US would cost an average of $10,070 (PS6,624) per person. For 11.3 million people, that's $114bn (PS75bn). And that would cover only the basic operational costs - apprehension, detention, legal processing, and deportation. According to the AAF, the total cost of a 20-year mass deportation programme would be somewhere between $420 and $620 billion. But we're not finished yet, there's still the impact on the economy. The AAF report, published earlier this year, estimates that undocumented immigrants made up 6.4% of the country's labour force - about 11 million workers - in 2014. It predicts that deporting all of those workers would shrink the US economy by nearly 6%, or $1.6 trillion, by 2035. That's not to mention the enormous potential for lawsuits and reparations claims filed against the government. This massive deportation programme would have to be done with the support - or at least tacit consent - of the American people, many of whom will have lived and worked with, befriended and loved undocumented immigrants. According to a 2013 study by Pew, illegal immigrant adults had been in the country for a median of 13 years at the time the study was carried out. Would ordinary Americans turn a blind eye while neighbours, colleagues and friends were rounded up and taken away? Or would it precipitate mass civil unrest? In 2010, Arizona introduced a law that allowed police to check the legal status of anyone they suspected of being an illegal immigrant, and 100,000 people hit the streets to protest. And then there is the thorny issue of how this would all look. In an age when nearly everyone has a video camera in their pocket, could soldiers really round people up - young and old, entire families - and force them on to buses and trains? Would the soldiers have machine guns and dogs? Could the average American stomach those images, with all their attendant historical echoes? The majority of US citizens - especially Hispanics, younger Americans and Democrats - support a path to either citizenship or permanent residency for undocumented immigrants. Under plans first put forward by President Obama in 2014, about five million undocumented immigrants would have been allowed to apply for work permits and eventually permanent residency. The programme would have shielded immigrants who have been in the US since 2010, have not been convicted of a serious crime and have ties to US citizens. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate to succeed Mr Obama, supported the plan and pledged to expand it. Mr Trump made it clear he was firmly against the idea. But Mr Obama's plan was rejected by Congress and then by the Supreme Court.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1230, "answer_end": 2160, "text": "Based on an analysis for 5 million people, the Centre for American Progress estimates that a mass deportation from the US would cost an average of $10,070 (PS6,624) per person. For 11.3 million people, that's $114bn (PS75bn). And that would cover only the basic operational costs - apprehension, detention, legal processing, and deportation. According to the AAF, the total cost of a 20-year mass deportation programme would be somewhere between $420 and $620 billion. But we're not finished yet, there's still the impact on the economy. The AAF report, published earlier this year, estimates that undocumented immigrants made up 6.4% of the country's labour force - about 11 million workers - in 2014. It predicts that deporting all of those workers would shrink the US economy by nearly 6%, or $1.6 trillion, by 2035. That's not to mention the enormous potential for lawsuits and reparations claims filed against the government."}], "question": "So how much is that?", "id": "1076_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2161, "answer_end": 3250, "text": "This massive deportation programme would have to be done with the support - or at least tacit consent - of the American people, many of whom will have lived and worked with, befriended and loved undocumented immigrants. According to a 2013 study by Pew, illegal immigrant adults had been in the country for a median of 13 years at the time the study was carried out. Would ordinary Americans turn a blind eye while neighbours, colleagues and friends were rounded up and taken away? Or would it precipitate mass civil unrest? In 2010, Arizona introduced a law that allowed police to check the legal status of anyone they suspected of being an illegal immigrant, and 100,000 people hit the streets to protest. And then there is the thorny issue of how this would all look. In an age when nearly everyone has a video camera in their pocket, could soldiers really round people up - young and old, entire families - and force them on to buses and trains? Would the soldiers have machine guns and dogs? Could the average American stomach those images, with all their attendant historical echoes?"}], "question": "And what about... society?", "id": "1076_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3251, "answer_end": 4005, "text": "The majority of US citizens - especially Hispanics, younger Americans and Democrats - support a path to either citizenship or permanent residency for undocumented immigrants. Under plans first put forward by President Obama in 2014, about five million undocumented immigrants would have been allowed to apply for work permits and eventually permanent residency. The programme would have shielded immigrants who have been in the US since 2010, have not been convicted of a serious crime and have ties to US citizens. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate to succeed Mr Obama, supported the plan and pledged to expand it. Mr Trump made it clear he was firmly against the idea. But Mr Obama's plan was rejected by Congress and then by the Supreme Court."}], "question": "Are there any other options?", "id": "1076_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Las Vegas shooting: Police search for gunman's motive", "date": "3 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police are working to establish the motive behind a mass shooting which left 59 people dead and another 527 injured at a Las Vegas concert. Gunman Stephen Paddock, 64, opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel towards an open-air music festival on Sunday evening. Police found 23 guns in his hotel room, as well as firearms and explosives at his Nevada home. But as yet, no clear reason for the killing has emerged. Investigators have found no link to international terrorism, despite a claim from so-called Islamic State (IS). Some investigators have suggested Paddock had a history of mental illness, but there is no confirmation of this. Paddock had no criminal record and was not known to police. In his latest comment on the shootings, President Donald Trump said he would be \"talking about gun laws as times goes by\". Speaking to reporters at the White House, he gave no further detail on the gun laws issue. Mr Trump described the gunman as a \"very, very sick individual\". Stephen Paddock, a former accountant with a big gambling habit, lived in a community of senior citizens in the small town of Mesquite, north-east of Las Vegas. He reportedly lived with a woman called Marilou Danley who was out of the country in Japan and did not appear to be involved in the shootings, police said. Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said that when police searched the property after the attack, they found 19 \"additional firearms, some explosives and several thousand rounds of ammo, along with some electronic devices we're evaluating at this point\". Officers also found ammonium nitrate in Paddock's car. David Famiglietti of the New Frontier Armory told the BBC that Paddock had purchased firearms at his store in North Las Vegas in the spring of this year, meeting all state and federal requirements, including an FBI background check. However, the shotgun and rifle Paddock bought would not have been \"capable of what we've seen and heard in the video without modification\", Mr Famiglietti said. The fast shooting rate audible in recordings of Sunday night's attack indicates that Paddock may have modified his guns with legal accessories to make them fire at speeds approaching those of automatic weapons. Despite the large cache of weapons found in the killer's home, his brother, Eric, is struggling to accept that he acted in this way. He said he was \"in shock, horrified, completely dumbfounded\". IS has claimed to be behind the attack, saying Paddock had converted to Islam some months ago. But the group provided no evidence for this and has made unsubstantiated claims in the past. The IS claim of responsibility for the Las Vegas attack is very unusual in that the perpetrator's profile does not fit that of supporters or \"soldiers\" that the group has claimed in the past, writes Mina al-Lami, who monitors jihadist groups for the BBC. The FBI said it had found \"no connection to an international terrorist organisation\". The final shows of the three-day Route 91 country music festival were in full swing when the gunman struck. According to police, Paddock had booked into the hotel four days earlier, on 28 September, reportedly using some of Ms Danley's identity documents. Sheriff Lombardo said there were 10 suitcases in the suite, which had two rooms. Thousands were enjoying a performance by top-billing singer Jason Aldean when the first of several bursts of automatic gunfire rang out - hundreds of shots, witnesses say. That was late on Sunday night - 22:08 local time (05:08 GMT on Monday). Hundreds of concert-goers scrambled for cover, flattening themselves against the ground, rushing for the exits or helping others to escape as Paddock sprayed the site from his high vantage point. It is thought he moved between two windows in his suite as he carried out the attack. \"One man had blood all over him and that's when I knew something was seriously wrong,\" Mike Thompson from London told the BBC. \"People were running and there was chaos.\" Many hotels on the Las Vegas strip close to the scene were placed on police lockdown and parts of Las Vegas Boulevard were shut. The authorities have yet to confirm the identities of any of those killed. But many have been identified by family members and in local media. They include a 29-year-old nurse who was shot in the back while he tried to save his wife, a Navy veteran who had just returned from a tour of Afghanistan, and an off-duty police officer who also coached youth football. Nevada has some of the least stringent gun laws in the United States. People are allowed to carry weapons and do not have to register themselves as gun owners. Background checks are done when people buy guns, but they are also allowed to sell them privately. Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a shooting six years ago, called for political leaders in Washington to introduce tougher gun laws following the Las Vegas attack. Her husband Mark Kelly read out a joint statement from the couple on the steps of the Capitol, saying thoughts and prayers from the White House were not enough to stop the next shooting. Did you witness the Las Vegas shooting? If you feel able to share your experience you can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 7555 173285 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 996, "answer_end": 2948, "text": "Stephen Paddock, a former accountant with a big gambling habit, lived in a community of senior citizens in the small town of Mesquite, north-east of Las Vegas. He reportedly lived with a woman called Marilou Danley who was out of the country in Japan and did not appear to be involved in the shootings, police said. Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said that when police searched the property after the attack, they found 19 \"additional firearms, some explosives and several thousand rounds of ammo, along with some electronic devices we're evaluating at this point\". Officers also found ammonium nitrate in Paddock's car. David Famiglietti of the New Frontier Armory told the BBC that Paddock had purchased firearms at his store in North Las Vegas in the spring of this year, meeting all state and federal requirements, including an FBI background check. However, the shotgun and rifle Paddock bought would not have been \"capable of what we've seen and heard in the video without modification\", Mr Famiglietti said. The fast shooting rate audible in recordings of Sunday night's attack indicates that Paddock may have modified his guns with legal accessories to make them fire at speeds approaching those of automatic weapons. Despite the large cache of weapons found in the killer's home, his brother, Eric, is struggling to accept that he acted in this way. He said he was \"in shock, horrified, completely dumbfounded\". IS has claimed to be behind the attack, saying Paddock had converted to Islam some months ago. But the group provided no evidence for this and has made unsubstantiated claims in the past. The IS claim of responsibility for the Las Vegas attack is very unusual in that the perpetrator's profile does not fit that of supporters or \"soldiers\" that the group has claimed in the past, writes Mina al-Lami, who monitors jihadist groups for the BBC. The FBI said it had found \"no connection to an international terrorist organisation\"."}], "question": "What do we know of the gunman?", "id": "1077_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2949, "answer_end": 4110, "text": "The final shows of the three-day Route 91 country music festival were in full swing when the gunman struck. According to police, Paddock had booked into the hotel four days earlier, on 28 September, reportedly using some of Ms Danley's identity documents. Sheriff Lombardo said there were 10 suitcases in the suite, which had two rooms. Thousands were enjoying a performance by top-billing singer Jason Aldean when the first of several bursts of automatic gunfire rang out - hundreds of shots, witnesses say. That was late on Sunday night - 22:08 local time (05:08 GMT on Monday). Hundreds of concert-goers scrambled for cover, flattening themselves against the ground, rushing for the exits or helping others to escape as Paddock sprayed the site from his high vantage point. It is thought he moved between two windows in his suite as he carried out the attack. \"One man had blood all over him and that's when I knew something was seriously wrong,\" Mike Thompson from London told the BBC. \"People were running and there was chaos.\" Many hotels on the Las Vegas strip close to the scene were placed on police lockdown and parts of Las Vegas Boulevard were shut."}], "question": "How did the attack unfold?", "id": "1077_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4111, "answer_end": 4473, "text": "The authorities have yet to confirm the identities of any of those killed. But many have been identified by family members and in local media. They include a 29-year-old nurse who was shot in the back while he tried to save his wife, a Navy veteran who had just returned from a tour of Afghanistan, and an off-duty police officer who also coached youth football."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "1077_2"}]}]}, {"title": "India parents investigated after Jain girl dies from 68-day fast", "date": "10 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Indian police are investigating the parents of a 13-year-old girl who died last week after undertaking a religious fast for 68 days. Police in southern Hyderabad city told BBC Hindi they want to know if Aradhana Samdariya was forced to fast. Her parents have insisted she voluntarily fasted as prescribed in Jainism, one of the world's most ancient religions. The case has sparked a debate about the practice of religious fasting in India. Reports said Aradhana lived for 68 days on boiled water. Two days after she called off her fast last week, she was dead. Experts believe it is possible for the human body to survive without food for up to two months. A police spokesperson said a case had been registered against the parents after a child rights organisation filed a complaint. \"The parents - Laxmi Chand and Manshi Samdariya - have been booked under culpable homicide [causing death by negligence] and Juvenile Justice Act [cruelty against minors],\" the spokesperson said. The parents, wealthy jewellers based in Hyderabad, have denied that they forced their daughter to fast. \"She asked permission for upvaas [fast that involves renouncing food]. We asked her to stop after 51 days but she would not give up. Her fast was voluntary. No one forced her,\" Mr Samdariya said. But social activists have rejected the family's claim. \"The entire nation should be ashamed that such a practice still exists. Her father's guru advised the family that if she fasted for 68 days, his business would be profitable,\" activist Achyut Rao told BBC Hindi. \"The girl was made to drink only water from sunrise to sunset. There was no salt or lemon or anything else.\" Should Jains be given the choice to die? Fasting fakir flummoxes physicians How long can someone survive without food? Mr Rao also criticised the family for taking out a funeral procession \"to hail their daughter as a child saint\". \"The shocking aspect is that the family is happy that she was the rare one to be taken away by God,\" he said. Prolonged fasting is popular among Jains, who are a minority religious group in India. Activists have often criticised another controversial practice called santhara, in which a Jain gives up food and water with the intention of preparing for death. The death of the teenager has once again put the spotlight on such practices. Many people have taken to Twitter to express their outrage. Fasting is not uncommon in other religions - Muslims go without food and water between sunrise and sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, Christians fast during Lent, Jews go without food and water during Yom Kippur and Hindus fast on various religious occasions. But none of these religions sanction fasting to starvation - and death. However, Jain leaders have defended prolonged fasts. \"Pregnant women or those who are unwell should not fast. But there is no bar on children fasting. But how much they should fast ought to depend on their own individual capacity,\" Maharasa Ravinder Muniji, a Jain monk in Hyderabad, told the Firstpost website.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 784, "answer_end": 3035, "text": "\"The parents - Laxmi Chand and Manshi Samdariya - have been booked under culpable homicide [causing death by negligence] and Juvenile Justice Act [cruelty against minors],\" the spokesperson said. The parents, wealthy jewellers based in Hyderabad, have denied that they forced their daughter to fast. \"She asked permission for upvaas [fast that involves renouncing food]. We asked her to stop after 51 days but she would not give up. Her fast was voluntary. No one forced her,\" Mr Samdariya said. But social activists have rejected the family's claim. \"The entire nation should be ashamed that such a practice still exists. Her father's guru advised the family that if she fasted for 68 days, his business would be profitable,\" activist Achyut Rao told BBC Hindi. \"The girl was made to drink only water from sunrise to sunset. There was no salt or lemon or anything else.\" Should Jains be given the choice to die? Fasting fakir flummoxes physicians How long can someone survive without food? Mr Rao also criticised the family for taking out a funeral procession \"to hail their daughter as a child saint\". \"The shocking aspect is that the family is happy that she was the rare one to be taken away by God,\" he said. Prolonged fasting is popular among Jains, who are a minority religious group in India. Activists have often criticised another controversial practice called santhara, in which a Jain gives up food and water with the intention of preparing for death. The death of the teenager has once again put the spotlight on such practices. Many people have taken to Twitter to express their outrage. Fasting is not uncommon in other religions - Muslims go without food and water between sunrise and sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, Christians fast during Lent, Jews go without food and water during Yom Kippur and Hindus fast on various religious occasions. But none of these religions sanction fasting to starvation - and death. However, Jain leaders have defended prolonged fasts. \"Pregnant women or those who are unwell should not fast. But there is no bar on children fasting. But how much they should fast ought to depend on their own individual capacity,\" Maharasa Ravinder Muniji, a Jain monk in Hyderabad, told the Firstpost website."}], "question": "Voluntary fast?", "id": "1078_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Turkey referendum: Trump congratulates Erdogan", "date": "18 April 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump has congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his victory in Sunday's referendum that gave him sweeping new powers. The US president's phone call contrasts with European concern that the result - 51.4% in favour of the changes - has exposed deep splits in Turkish society. Mr Erdogan has rejected criticism from international monitors who said he had been favoured by an \"unequal campaign\". The main opposition party is launching an appeal to invalidate the result. The changes - due to be introduced before presidential and parliamentary elections in November 2019 - will turn Turkey into a presidential republic similar to the US and France. This could enable President Erdogan to stay in power until 2029. His narrow victory was ruled valid by Turkey's electoral body, despite claims of irregularities by the opposition. On Monday, Turkey extended the state of emergency for three months. The measure, introduced after a failed coup last July, was set to expire in two days. The call from Donald Trump was pre-arranged and the focus was Syria - but the congratulations for President Erdogan's victory means the US president joins leaders from Qatar, Guinea, Djibouti and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas to voice the opinion, while those in Europe have been far more cautious. It will delight Erdogan supporters, who will see it as legitimising the president's victory. But it will dismay opponents, after Mr Erdogan's fiery tirades against the West and the damning verdict of international observers. It also exposes a split between the EU and US on Turkey: Mr Trump opting for realpolitik while Europe urges the unpredictable Turkish leader to reconcile a divided country. And it will reiterate similarities between Presidents Trump and Erdogan on issues like democratic norms and press freedom - though the Turkish president has of course dealt with them in a far more extreme way. Ultimately, President Trump was perhaps aiming to win favour in Ankara, given that the two sides have fundamental disagreements over Syria. Syria is one of the issues straining relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkey is irked by the policy started by the Obama administration of supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria who are fighting so-called Islamic State. Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as a terror group linked to Kurdish separatists waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Turkey - a key Nato ally - has established closer co-operation with Russia recently. The two sides are also at loggerheads over Fethullah Gulen. Turkey accuses the Pennsylvania-based cleric of orchestrating the failed coup and wants him extradited. Officially Washington insists any decision on returning him to Turkey from the US remains a judicial rather than a political one. Mr Trump's comments contrasted with a statement by the US state department which mentioned concerns by international observers and urged Turkey to respect the rights of its citizens - chiming with sentiment in European capitals. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the \"tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally\". The European Commission issued a similar call. Others expressed concern about the possibility of the return of capital punishment. The French president's office warned that any referendum on reviving the death penalty would \"obviously be a break with values and engagements\" that Turkey had accepted in joining the Council of Europe. The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, tweeted his own concerns. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz went further. He said the referendum result was a \"clear signal against the European Union\". The \"fiction\" of Turkey's bid to join the bloc must be ended, Mr Kurz said. Despite saying that the voting day was \"well administered\", the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe criticised the referendum campaign, and the Council of Europe said the vote \"did not live up\" its standards. The monitors also criticised a late change by electoral officials that allowed voting papers without official stamps to be counted. But the head of Turkey's electoral body, Sadi Guven, said the unstamped ballot papers had been produced by the High Electoral Board and were valid. He said a similar procedure had been used in past elections. But the Turkish Bar Association described the move as \"illegal\". And Austrian MP Alev Korun - one of the Council of Europe observers - said \"there is a suspicion that up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated\" - which would have changed the result. She offered no evidence. Mr Erdogan told supporters that Turkey did not \"see, hear or acknowledge the politically motivated reports\" of the monitors. The result, he said, ended the debate on changing the constitution and creating an executive presidency, adding that the process of implementing the reforms would now begin. Read more: Erdogan's rise to power He also said the country could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid. Additionally, Mr Erdogan said he would approve the death penalty if it was supported in a referendum or a bill was submitted to him through parliament. This would end Turkey's EU negotiations. - The president will have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms - The president will be able to directly appoint top public officials, including ministers and one or several vice-presidents - The job of prime minister will be scrapped - The president will have power to intervene in the judiciary, which Mr Erdogan has accused of being influenced by Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based preacher he blames for the failed coup in July - The president will decide whether or not to impose a state of emergency", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2062, "answer_end": 2825, "text": "Syria is one of the issues straining relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkey is irked by the policy started by the Obama administration of supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria who are fighting so-called Islamic State. Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as a terror group linked to Kurdish separatists waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Turkey - a key Nato ally - has established closer co-operation with Russia recently. The two sides are also at loggerheads over Fethullah Gulen. Turkey accuses the Pennsylvania-based cleric of orchestrating the failed coup and wants him extradited. Officially Washington insists any decision on returning him to Turkey from the US remains a judicial rather than a political one."}], "question": "What are the disagreements about?", "id": "1079_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2826, "answer_end": 3901, "text": "Mr Trump's comments contrasted with a statement by the US state department which mentioned concerns by international observers and urged Turkey to respect the rights of its citizens - chiming with sentiment in European capitals. German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the \"tight referendum result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is and that means a big responsibility for the Turkish leadership and for President Erdogan personally\". The European Commission issued a similar call. Others expressed concern about the possibility of the return of capital punishment. The French president's office warned that any referendum on reviving the death penalty would \"obviously be a break with values and engagements\" that Turkey had accepted in joining the Council of Europe. The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, tweeted his own concerns. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz went further. He said the referendum result was a \"clear signal against the European Union\". The \"fiction\" of Turkey's bid to join the bloc must be ended, Mr Kurz said."}], "question": "What have European leaders said?", "id": "1079_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3902, "answer_end": 4785, "text": "Despite saying that the voting day was \"well administered\", the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe criticised the referendum campaign, and the Council of Europe said the vote \"did not live up\" its standards. The monitors also criticised a late change by electoral officials that allowed voting papers without official stamps to be counted. But the head of Turkey's electoral body, Sadi Guven, said the unstamped ballot papers had been produced by the High Electoral Board and were valid. He said a similar procedure had been used in past elections. But the Turkish Bar Association described the move as \"illegal\". And Austrian MP Alev Korun - one of the Council of Europe observers - said \"there is a suspicion that up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated\" - which would have changed the result. She offered no evidence."}], "question": "Why are international monitors concerned?", "id": "1079_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4786, "answer_end": 5400, "text": "Mr Erdogan told supporters that Turkey did not \"see, hear or acknowledge the politically motivated reports\" of the monitors. The result, he said, ended the debate on changing the constitution and creating an executive presidency, adding that the process of implementing the reforms would now begin. Read more: Erdogan's rise to power He also said the country could hold a referendum on its long-stalled EU membership bid. Additionally, Mr Erdogan said he would approve the death penalty if it was supported in a referendum or a bill was submitted to him through parliament. This would end Turkey's EU negotiations."}], "question": "What did the president say about the result?", "id": "1079_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe vows to stay on despite party pressure", "date": "20 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Zimbabwe's embattled leader Robert Mugabe has vowed to stay in power for several weeks, despite mounting calls for him to stand down now. In a live TV address, Mr Mugabe said he would preside over the ruling party's congress in December. Zanu-PF earlier sacked him as party leader, and gave him less than 24 hours to resign as president or be impeached. His grip on power has weakened since the military intervened on Wednesday, in a row over who should succeed him. The crisis began when the 93-year-old president sacked his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, two weeks ago, angering army commanders who saw it as an attempt to position his wife as his successor. Crowds had gathered in Harare to watch the speech, with Mr Mugabe widely expected to resign. Instead though, flanked by military generals, he said \"the [ruling Zanu-PF] party congress is due in a few weeks and I will preside over its processes\". President Mugabe acknowledged criticism from Zanu-PF, the military and public, and stressed the need to return Zimbabwe to normality. \"Whatever the pros and cons of how they [the army] went about their operation, I, as commander-in-chief, do acknowledge their concerns,\" he said, in reference to the army's move last week to take over the state broadcaster. The BBC's Africa Editor, Fergal Keane, said his understanding of the situation was that Mr Mugabe had agreed to resign, but then changed his mind. By Andrew Harding, BBC Southern Africa correspondent In his stumbling, 20-minute address, Robert Mugabe made no mention of the deafening calls, from the public and from his own party, to resign as president. Instead, he declared that the military had done nothing wrong, by seizing power, and placing him under house arrest earlier in the week. The 93-year-old, reading from notes, and often losing his place, then implied he would remain Zimbabwe's leader at least until next month's Zanu-PF congress, ignoring the fact that earlier he was stripped of any official role within the party. He did acknowledge failings, and factionalism in the government and party but made no mention of his wife, Grace, who was expelled from the party. Quite where this leaves the political stalemate here is unclear. Zanu-PF has vowed to impeach Mr Mugabe if he doesn't resign by noon (10:00 GMT) on Monday. Mr Mugabe is clearly playing for time. But Zimbabwe's military leadership is now at odds with the newly purged governing party. Public frustration is growing. And a dangerously unpredictable standoff has now been prolonged. Earlier on Sunday, Mr Mnangagwa was named as Zanu-PF's new leader and candidate for the 2018 general elections. At the same party meeting, Mr Mugabe's 52-year-old wife, Grace, was expelled, alongside a number of other senior officials. It is not entirely clear how Robert Mugabe can preside over Zanu-PF's congress next month, following his dismissal as party leader. Party positions are officially decided at the congress and Emmerson Mnangagwa may officially take over leading the country then. Mr Mnangagwa, a former state security chief, is nicknamed \"the crocodile\" for his perceived shrewdness. He fled Zimbabwe after his sacking a fortnight ago, but has since reportedly returned. The head of the influential War Veterans Association, which used to back Mr Mugabe but now demands his resignation, told AFP they would call for further protests. \"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets,\" said Chris Mutsvangwa. Impeaching the president would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament, which is due to resume on Tuesday. The opposition MDC-T party has tried unsuccessfully to impeach Mr Mugabe in the past, but this time the ruling party - which has an overwhelming majority in both houses - is likely to go against him. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he was \"baffled\" by the president's address. \"He's playing a game. He has let the whole nation down,\" he told Reuters news agency. Mr Mugabe has been leader of Zimbabwe for 37 years, having led the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2525, "answer_end": 3212, "text": "Earlier on Sunday, Mr Mnangagwa was named as Zanu-PF's new leader and candidate for the 2018 general elections. At the same party meeting, Mr Mugabe's 52-year-old wife, Grace, was expelled, alongside a number of other senior officials. It is not entirely clear how Robert Mugabe can preside over Zanu-PF's congress next month, following his dismissal as party leader. Party positions are officially decided at the congress and Emmerson Mnangagwa may officially take over leading the country then. Mr Mnangagwa, a former state security chief, is nicknamed \"the crocodile\" for his perceived shrewdness. He fled Zimbabwe after his sacking a fortnight ago, but has since reportedly returned."}], "question": "Where does this leave Zimbabwe?", "id": "1080_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3213, "answer_end": 4155, "text": "The head of the influential War Veterans Association, which used to back Mr Mugabe but now demands his resignation, told AFP they would call for further protests. \"That speech has nothing to do with realities. We will go for impeachment and we are calling people back to the streets,\" said Chris Mutsvangwa. Impeaching the president would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Zimbabwe's parliament, which is due to resume on Tuesday. The opposition MDC-T party has tried unsuccessfully to impeach Mr Mugabe in the past, but this time the ruling party - which has an overwhelming majority in both houses - is likely to go against him. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he was \"baffled\" by the president's address. \"He's playing a game. He has let the whole nation down,\" he told Reuters news agency. Mr Mugabe has been leader of Zimbabwe for 37 years, having led the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1980."}], "question": "What's the reaction been?", "id": "1080_1"}]}]}, {"title": "An election about hair, swearing and dragon slaying", "date": "25 August 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mention the words hair, election and scandal to anyone and they might (wrongly) assume you were talking about business mogul Donald Trump and his US presidential bid. But the #hairgate scandal that unravelled at the weekend in fact centres around a famous novelist, the Canadian prime minister and his well-groomed Liberal opponent. It's one of several episodes in an eventful election campaign - with voting still two months away. Writer Margaret Atwood thrust the upcoming Canadian parliamentary elections into the international media spotlight after a satirical article she wrote about Prime Minister Stephen Harper's hair (yes, hair) appeared on the National Post website, then disappeared after several hours. It reappeared again with several lines missing, prompting the novelist to ask, \"Um, did I just get censored?\" The novelist tweeted about the mysterious disappearance of her article hours after it was first published on Friday, and soon #hairgate started to trend on Twitter. People mocked the amount of coverage it was getting, likening it to the media attention Donald Trump has been awarded in recent weeks. ...even Margaret Atwood found time to joke about it... A senior National Post vice-president later told The Star the article was taken down because fact-checking had not been completed and questions remained over whether it was \"aligned with the values of the National Post and its readers\". How did the flowing locks of politicians become an election issue anyway? It began in May - three months before the polls were even announced - when the Conservatives released a new video ad dubbed \"The Interview\" mocking the coiffure of Justin Trudeau, leader of Canada's Liberal Party. Four people sit in a conference room mulling over CVs of candidates for a job interview (presumably the post of prime minister), \"lets talk about Justin,\" one man says. \"I see he's enclosed his picture,\" a woman on the panel responds. They go on to question Mr Trudeau's credentials and attack his policies for being too lightweight, finally concluding he's \"just not ready\". The video ends with one panellist quipping, \"nice hair though\". Mr Trudeau's hairstyles have long been a subject of interest in the Canadian media, with thousands of words dedicated to his thick wavy locks. \"It's a tangential way of saying he's not serious enough, that it's all about his looks and his personality and there's not enough substance to his policies. He's a celebrity not a politician or a leader, that's what they are trying to get say,\" CBC News politics producer Chris Carter tells the BBC. In 2013, the Liberal leader decided to ditch the tousled and unkempt look for a shorter, cleaner cut, which observers in Canada interpreted as a bid for him to win the Liberal leadership contest (which he did). Stephen Harper's hairstyle has also been under scrutiny, with comedians noting with glee how it has \"remained unchangeable and quite consistent\", says Mr Carter. The article by Mrs Atwood that caused such a stir included the suggestion that it was Mr Harper with the hair problem and not his Liberal opponent. One of Stephen Harper's supporters hit the headlines last week when he verbally abused a group of journalists questioning the prime minister's knowledge about an ongoing expenses scandal that dates back to 2012. CBC reporter Hannah Thibedeau was confronted by an unnamed man who, using explicit language, told her she - and the rest of the media - was a \"lying piece of ...\" after she grilled him about the Mike Duffy case, a senator facing charges of bribery and fraud. The self-professed Conservative supporter went on to accuse the group of journalists of lying on their tax returns, saying it amounted to the same thing as the Duffy scandal. A Conservative spokesman later apologised, saying the man's behaviour was unacceptable, the channel reported. In what is probably a first for any election campaign, Canada has introduced the world to its (maybe) first dragon-slaying and alien-busting politician. Meet Wyatt Scott, an independent candidate standing in a district near Vancouver whose promotional video showcasing his extraordinary skills has received more than 1.2m views on YouTube. In it, Mr Scott can be seen flying a giant goose, landing on a dragon and laser-eyeballing what appears to be giant robot. It's not the only election campaign video to cause a ripple. In April, comedian Scott Vrooman published a satirical video calling the Senate a \"gilded chamber filled with corruption and sleazy back-scratching\". He claims to be standing for the upper house despite seats there being appointed not elected. Meanwhile, Darth Vader has entered the race. That's according to a campaign sign that appeared on a lawn in the town of Penetanguishene, Ontario, a week ago. A picture of the \"campaign sign\",  whose slogan reads \"Darth Vader. Together we can rule the galaxy\", quickly went viral on social media, prompting some Canadians to ask where they could purchase one. It turns out a man called Nic Gorissen created the signs after becoming frustrated by different parties pestering him to vote for them, the CTV Barrie news site reports. But it's not the first time the dark lord of Star Wars has appeared in election campaigns. Some 16 men named Darth Vader registered to vote in Ukraine's parliamentary polls last year. And finally, as if that wasn't enough excitement with just 55 days to go before the polls, there are rumours that the brother of Toronto's controversial former mayor, Rob Ford, may throw his hat into the ring for Conservative leadership if Stephen Harper fails in the election. \"Doug said if it's a minority government, Harper's going to step down. He wants to run for leadership,\" Rob Ford said of his brother, Doug, in an interview with Bloomberg news three days ago. The comments drew a strong response from the Twittersphere, with some comparing Ford's possible bid for Canadian prime minister to Donald Trump's US presidential campaign.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5347, "answer_end": 5988, "text": "And finally, as if that wasn't enough excitement with just 55 days to go before the polls, there are rumours that the brother of Toronto's controversial former mayor, Rob Ford, may throw his hat into the ring for Conservative leadership if Stephen Harper fails in the election. \"Doug said if it's a minority government, Harper's going to step down. He wants to run for leadership,\" Rob Ford said of his brother, Doug, in an interview with Bloomberg news three days ago. The comments drew a strong response from the Twittersphere, with some comparing Ford's possible bid for Canadian prime minister to Donald Trump's US presidential campaign."}], "question": "The return of (a) Ford?", "id": "1081_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump hails US military in 4th of July address", "date": "5 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has hailed the \"brave men and women\" of the US military during a speech at a controversial Independence Day event. \"We celebrate our history, our people, and the heroes who proudly defend our flag,\" he told a crowd at a rain-soaked Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The \"Salute to America\" event featured military flyovers and fireworks. Opponents accused Mr Trump of wasting money and politicising the holiday ahead of his re-election campaign. The Pentagon has not revealed the cost of the extravaganza, which many believe was inspired by Mr Trump's visit to a Bastille Day parade hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017. Some reports say the National Park Service diverted nearly $2.5m (PS2m) to cover the cost. Addressing a crowd that had braved torrential rain and high temperatures, Mr Trump paid homage to the military before introducing separate flyovers for each branch. He spoke about America's battle for independence and praised the \"extraordinary heritage\" of the country. \"Together we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told, the story of America,\" Mr Trump said at the event. Chants of \"USA, USA\" broke out sporadically as he spoke. \"It is the chronicle of brave citizens who never give up on the dream of a better and brighter future,\" he continued. \"As long as we never stop fighting for a better future... there will be nothing that America cannot do.\" But Mr Trump also had a historical error in his speech, when, referring to the year 1775, he said: \"Our army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do\". Critics were quick to point out that there were no airports in 1775 - the first powered flight is widely accredited to the Wright brothers in 1903. The error was attributed by some US media outlets to difficulty reading the teleprompter. The stage at the Lincoln Memorial was draped in flags and there were military vehicles on display nearby. Two 70-tonne Abrams tanks had to stay on a side road as they were too heavy for the memorial's surrounding areas. The event was open to the public free of charge, apart from a ticketed area for VIPs in front of the memorial. The musical playlist included the Star Wars theme, Hail to the Chief and God bless the USA. It went ahead largely without incident, although there were minor scuffles outside the White House earlier on Thursday after a flag-burning protest. Following Mr Trump's speech, many people headed to a scheduled concert on the lawn of the Capitol Building where a fireworks display went ahead despite the rainy conditions. By Harry Low, BBC News, Lincoln Memorial \"Who doesn't love America's birthday?\" Andrea Stanford [second from right] beams. The 58-year-old is one of the \"Women 4 Trump\" group who travelled for 15 hours from Florida with her friends. All of whom, she revealed, are wearing red, white and blue underwear. Why? \"Donald Trump is redefining the presidency and the commitment to freedom and liberty,\" she says. \"He's the first president who's kept his promises - economically and militarily,\" she added, referring to the recent meeting at the DMZ with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Alongside the reflecting pool, where rain drops have been crashing down all afternoon, people from states across this country have filed in. Utah, Indiana and Washington state are all represented, many of them wanting to catch a glimpse of the president. One African American man from Maryland wore a President Obama hat and said he simply wanted to celebrate the national holiday with his fellow Americans. Mr Trump was joined by a Pentagon delegation that was led by the highest-ranking US military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford. But the service chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps did not attend. The defence department said in a statement it had received 5,000 tickets from the White House. The White House also distributed VIP tickets to major donors and political appointees, amid reported concerns that empty seats might be visible. Mr Trump's re-election campaign sent out an email this week encouraging supporters to attend the event. But the Democratic National Committee has been given no tickets. Mr Trump said in a tweet ahead of the event that the expense \"will be very little compared to what it is worth\". Military flyovers alone cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour. Mr Trump's plans for a military display on Veterans Day in November last year were dropped after defence officials said it would cost about $92m - more than three times the original estimate. They see the event as an inappropriately partisan display and a misuse of public funds. US presidential contender Joe Biden and two other Democratic candidates marched instead in Iowa, which kicks off the nomination race in seven months' time. Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter: \"This is what authoritarians do: Donald Trump is taking $2.5 million away from our National Park Service to glorify himself with a spectacle of military tanks rolling through Washington.\" Protesters brought along an inflatable balloon depicting Mr Trump as a baby and were denied permission to use helium to make it airborne. Harry Truman was the last president to speak before a large crowd on the Washington Monument - in 1951.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 750, "answer_end": 2608, "text": "Addressing a crowd that had braved torrential rain and high temperatures, Mr Trump paid homage to the military before introducing separate flyovers for each branch. He spoke about America's battle for independence and praised the \"extraordinary heritage\" of the country. \"Together we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told, the story of America,\" Mr Trump said at the event. Chants of \"USA, USA\" broke out sporadically as he spoke. \"It is the chronicle of brave citizens who never give up on the dream of a better and brighter future,\" he continued. \"As long as we never stop fighting for a better future... there will be nothing that America cannot do.\" But Mr Trump also had a historical error in his speech, when, referring to the year 1775, he said: \"Our army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do\". Critics were quick to point out that there were no airports in 1775 - the first powered flight is widely accredited to the Wright brothers in 1903. The error was attributed by some US media outlets to difficulty reading the teleprompter. The stage at the Lincoln Memorial was draped in flags and there were military vehicles on display nearby. Two 70-tonne Abrams tanks had to stay on a side road as they were too heavy for the memorial's surrounding areas. The event was open to the public free of charge, apart from a ticketed area for VIPs in front of the memorial. The musical playlist included the Star Wars theme, Hail to the Chief and God bless the USA. It went ahead largely without incident, although there were minor scuffles outside the White House earlier on Thursday after a flag-burning protest. Following Mr Trump's speech, many people headed to a scheduled concert on the lawn of the Capitol Building where a fireworks display went ahead despite the rainy conditions."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "1082_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4254, "answer_end": 4626, "text": "Mr Trump said in a tweet ahead of the event that the expense \"will be very little compared to what it is worth\". Military flyovers alone cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour. Mr Trump's plans for a military display on Veterans Day in November last year were dropped after defence officials said it would cost about $92m - more than three times the original estimate."}], "question": "And the cost?", "id": "1082_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4627, "answer_end": 5341, "text": "They see the event as an inappropriately partisan display and a misuse of public funds. US presidential contender Joe Biden and two other Democratic candidates marched instead in Iowa, which kicks off the nomination race in seven months' time. Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter: \"This is what authoritarians do: Donald Trump is taking $2.5 million away from our National Park Service to glorify himself with a spectacle of military tanks rolling through Washington.\" Protesters brought along an inflatable balloon depicting Mr Trump as a baby and were denied permission to use helium to make it airborne. Harry Truman was the last president to speak before a large crowd on the Washington Monument - in 1951."}], "question": "What have opponents said?", "id": "1082_2"}]}]}, {"title": "New York helicopter crash: Pilot 'did not know where he was'", "date": "25 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The pilot of a helicopter who died when he crash-landed on top of a skyscraper in Manhattan, New York, this month \"did not know where he was\", a preliminary report has said. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said he asked to return to a heliport shortly after taking off amid bad weather. Tim McCormack, 58, was the only person on board when he crashed on 10 June. His helicopter burst into flames on hitting the 54-floor building. At the time, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said the incident brought back painful memories to New Yorkers, who \"have a level of PTSD from 9/11\". \"So as soon as you hear an aircraft hit a building, I think my mind goes where every New Yorker's mind goes,\" he said. An initial report by the NTSB said the pilot had originally departed from Bel-Aire Farms Heliport, in New York state, with another pilot-rated passenger at about 10:30 local time (15:30 GMT). He then briefly refuelled in Poughkeepsie, before flying to East 34th Street heliport in the city, where his passenger departed. The report says McCormack waited there in a lounge for about two hours, amid rainy and foggy weather conditions. He then reportedly told staff he saw a \"20-minute window to make it out\" towards his final destination of Linden, New Jersey, and he departed at about 13:30 local time. The report says about five to seven minutes after take-off, he then \"contacted Atlantic Aviation and made a request to return to the heliport\". After being advised to land, he then radioed to say he \"did not know where he was\". The NTSB said he flew erratically over the city's East River, changing course and altitude several times before making a dramatic turn and straying over Manhattan. He eventually struck the 54-storey AXA Equitable building at 787 Seventh Avenue - close to Times Square. Eyewitnesses at the scene described the building shaking with impact. There were no other casualties. The NTSB said all major components of the twin-engine Agusta A109E helicopter were found at the accident site, but \"small pieces of debris were recovered from the 50th floor and street level\". The helicopter, which was used for executive travel, had been inspected the month before, according to the report. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records show McCormack, who was a volunteer firefighter, had been certified in 2004 to fly helicopters and single-engine airplanes. At the time of his death, he was qualified to fly commercially and as an instructor and had accrued more than 2,800 flight hours. In the aftermath of the crash, McCormack's family described him as a \"caring and compassionate man who put others first over himself\". Their statement said they believed he had landed on the roof \"so that it didn't impact anyone else's life except his own\". The helicopter was registered to American Continental Properties, which McCormack had worked with for five years. In the aftermath of the accident, Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested the FAA should tighten regulations for aircraft flying close to Manhattan.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 717, "answer_end": 2226, "text": "An initial report by the NTSB said the pilot had originally departed from Bel-Aire Farms Heliport, in New York state, with another pilot-rated passenger at about 10:30 local time (15:30 GMT). He then briefly refuelled in Poughkeepsie, before flying to East 34th Street heliport in the city, where his passenger departed. The report says McCormack waited there in a lounge for about two hours, amid rainy and foggy weather conditions. He then reportedly told staff he saw a \"20-minute window to make it out\" towards his final destination of Linden, New Jersey, and he departed at about 13:30 local time. The report says about five to seven minutes after take-off, he then \"contacted Atlantic Aviation and made a request to return to the heliport\". After being advised to land, he then radioed to say he \"did not know where he was\". The NTSB said he flew erratically over the city's East River, changing course and altitude several times before making a dramatic turn and straying over Manhattan. He eventually struck the 54-storey AXA Equitable building at 787 Seventh Avenue - close to Times Square. Eyewitnesses at the scene described the building shaking with impact. There were no other casualties. The NTSB said all major components of the twin-engine Agusta A109E helicopter were found at the accident site, but \"small pieces of debris were recovered from the 50th floor and street level\". The helicopter, which was used for executive travel, had been inspected the month before, according to the report."}], "question": "How did the crash happen?", "id": "1083_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2227, "answer_end": 3038, "text": "Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records show McCormack, who was a volunteer firefighter, had been certified in 2004 to fly helicopters and single-engine airplanes. At the time of his death, he was qualified to fly commercially and as an instructor and had accrued more than 2,800 flight hours. In the aftermath of the crash, McCormack's family described him as a \"caring and compassionate man who put others first over himself\". Their statement said they believed he had landed on the roof \"so that it didn't impact anyone else's life except his own\". The helicopter was registered to American Continental Properties, which McCormack had worked with for five years. In the aftermath of the accident, Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested the FAA should tighten regulations for aircraft flying close to Manhattan."}], "question": "Who was the pilot?", "id": "1083_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Backlash against 'sore loser' Mitt Romney after he votes to convict Trump", "date": "6 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney is facing a backlash from Republicans angered by his decision to vote against Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. The failed 2012 presidential candidate made history on Wednesday as the first US senator to vote to remove a president from their own party. Republican figures, including Mr Trump himself, have slammed him as a \"sore loser\" and a secret Democrat. Mr Trump was acquitted in the Senate, despite Mr Romney's lone dissent vote. In a speech at the White House on Thursday, President Trump called his opponents, including Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, \"vicious and mean\". \"They took a phone call that was a totally appropriate call - I call it a perfect call, because it was - and they brought me to the final stages of impeachment,\" he said. \"But now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought a word would sound so good - it's called, 'total acquittal'.\" Influential figures in conservative media have called on Republican rebel Mr Romney to step down from the party. And earlier on Thursday morning, President Trump took a swipe at him when addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, criticising people who use their faith to justify \"wrong\" actions. But Mr Romney's colleagues in the Senate have been careful not to be too critical. Asked whether Mr Romney would be ostracised from his party, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters: \"We don't have any doghouses here. The most important vote is the next vote.\" Mr Romney spoke on the Senate floor ahead of his vote on Wednesday to say \"the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,\" and that what he \"did was wrong, grievously wrong\". He spoke of his Mormon faith and \"oath before God\" that demanded that he vote for conviction. After his vote to remove Mr Trump for abuse of power, President Trump tweeted a video that referred to Mr Romney as a \"Democrat secret asset\". \"Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election,\" he tweeted early Thursday morning. At the National Prayer Breakfast later on Thursday, a cross-party event held annually in Washington DC, Mr Trump appeared to take a swipe at Mr Romney saying: \"I don't like people that use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. \"Nor do I like people that say 'I pray for you' when they know that's not so.\" This has been interpreted as an attack on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has said she prays for Mr Trump and was sat four seats from him as he questioned the sincerity of her faith. Reacting to Mr Trump's prayer speech, Mrs Pelosi told reporters: \"You're impeached forever. You're never getting rid of that scar. \"And history will always record that you were impeached for undermining the security of our country, jeopardising the integrity of our elections and violating the Constitution of the United States.\" Mr Trump will make an address to the nation regarding his impeachment later on Thursday. Author Anne Coulter called Mr Romney a \"useful idiot\" for Democrats, adding that he is \"now finished in national politics\". \"Romney's speech proves he IS John McCain.  Fine, Republicans, do the cowardly thing, but please stop demanding that we admire your courage.\" Florida Senator Rick Scott tweeted that his colleague \"is wrong\". \"His decision to buy into [Democratic Congressman] Adam Schiff's partisan charade is disappointing. And he will ultimately be judged by the voters of Utah.\" Florida Republican Congressmen Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lee Zeldin of New York both called Mr Romney a \"sore loser\". \"Mitt Romney absolutely despises that Donald Trump was elected POTUS & he was not,\" tweeted Mr Zeldin. \"The sore loser mentality launched this sham impeachment & corruptly rigged & jammed it through the House. It looks like Schiff recruited himself a sore loser buddy on the GOP side to play along.\" Mr Romney's own former campaign spokesman, Rick Gorka, said his old boss was \"motivated by bitterness and jealousy\". Sam Nunberg, a former adviser to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, rhetorically asked if Mr Romney was \"making a last ditch effort to become\" the Democratic 2020 nominee. Radio host Mark Levin tweeted: \"He'll be seen for what he is: a petty, self-promoting, NeverTrumper who has contributed to the Radical Democrats' assault on the Constitution.\" Mr Trump's eldest son, Don Jr tweeted a vulgarity to refer to Mr Romney. \"He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he's joining them now. He's now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled\" from his party, Mr Trump Jr added. Mr Romney's own niece, Ronna McDaniel, who chairs the Republican National Committee, said in a statement: \"This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last.\" \"The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.\" Mr Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in December for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress He was accused of pressuring Ukraine to conduct two investigations for his own political gain and to the detriment of national security. Democrats say he dangled two bargaining chips - $400m of military aid to Ukraine that already been allocated by Congress, and a White House meeting with Ukraine's new leader. They said this political pressure on a vulnerable US ally amounts to an abuse of power. But after the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives brought the third impeachment in US history, the Senate voted to acquit. At the prayer breakfast, Mr Trump described his impeachment as a \"terrible ordeal\" perpetrated by \"very dishonest and corrupt people\" who \"put themselves ahead of our great country\". - HISTORY: Can an impeached president remain popular? - WHAT'S IMPEACHMENT? A political process to remove a president - CONTEXT: Why Ukraine matters to the US", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1482, "answer_end": 3075, "text": "Mr Romney spoke on the Senate floor ahead of his vote on Wednesday to say \"the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,\" and that what he \"did was wrong, grievously wrong\". He spoke of his Mormon faith and \"oath before God\" that demanded that he vote for conviction. After his vote to remove Mr Trump for abuse of power, President Trump tweeted a video that referred to Mr Romney as a \"Democrat secret asset\". \"Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election,\" he tweeted early Thursday morning. At the National Prayer Breakfast later on Thursday, a cross-party event held annually in Washington DC, Mr Trump appeared to take a swipe at Mr Romney saying: \"I don't like people that use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. \"Nor do I like people that say 'I pray for you' when they know that's not so.\" This has been interpreted as an attack on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has said she prays for Mr Trump and was sat four seats from him as he questioned the sincerity of her faith. Reacting to Mr Trump's prayer speech, Mrs Pelosi told reporters: \"You're impeached forever. You're never getting rid of that scar. \"And history will always record that you were impeached for undermining the security of our country, jeopardising the integrity of our elections and violating the Constitution of the United States.\" Mr Trump will make an address to the nation regarding his impeachment later on Thursday."}], "question": "What did Romney do to make headlines?", "id": "1084_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3076, "answer_end": 5015, "text": "Author Anne Coulter called Mr Romney a \"useful idiot\" for Democrats, adding that he is \"now finished in national politics\". \"Romney's speech proves he IS John McCain.  Fine, Republicans, do the cowardly thing, but please stop demanding that we admire your courage.\" Florida Senator Rick Scott tweeted that his colleague \"is wrong\". \"His decision to buy into [Democratic Congressman] Adam Schiff's partisan charade is disappointing. And he will ultimately be judged by the voters of Utah.\" Florida Republican Congressmen Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lee Zeldin of New York both called Mr Romney a \"sore loser\". \"Mitt Romney absolutely despises that Donald Trump was elected POTUS & he was not,\" tweeted Mr Zeldin. \"The sore loser mentality launched this sham impeachment & corruptly rigged & jammed it through the House. It looks like Schiff recruited himself a sore loser buddy on the GOP side to play along.\" Mr Romney's own former campaign spokesman, Rick Gorka, said his old boss was \"motivated by bitterness and jealousy\". Sam Nunberg, a former adviser to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, rhetorically asked if Mr Romney was \"making a last ditch effort to become\" the Democratic 2020 nominee. Radio host Mark Levin tweeted: \"He'll be seen for what he is: a petty, self-promoting, NeverTrumper who has contributed to the Radical Democrats' assault on the Constitution.\" Mr Trump's eldest son, Don Jr tweeted a vulgarity to refer to Mr Romney. \"He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he's joining them now. He's now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled\" from his party, Mr Trump Jr added. Mr Romney's own niece, Ronna McDaniel, who chairs the Republican National Committee, said in a statement: \"This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last.\" \"The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.\""}], "question": "What criticism has he faced?", "id": "1084_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5016, "answer_end": 5844, "text": "Mr Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in December for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress He was accused of pressuring Ukraine to conduct two investigations for his own political gain and to the detriment of national security. Democrats say he dangled two bargaining chips - $400m of military aid to Ukraine that already been allocated by Congress, and a White House meeting with Ukraine's new leader. They said this political pressure on a vulnerable US ally amounts to an abuse of power. But after the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives brought the third impeachment in US history, the Senate voted to acquit. At the prayer breakfast, Mr Trump described his impeachment as a \"terrible ordeal\" perpetrated by \"very dishonest and corrupt people\" who \"put themselves ahead of our great country\"."}], "question": "Why was Trump impeached?", "id": "1084_2"}]}]}, {"title": "YouTube's copyright claim system abused by extorters", "date": "14 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Google has removed a YouTube channel after it was found to be abusing copyright claims to extort money from users. Kenzo and ObbyRaidz, whose channels predominantly feature them playing Minecraft, reported receiving messages demanding money in exchange for dropping two claims against them. These messages threatened that refusal to pay would result in a third copyright \"strike\", which, according to Google, results in a YouTube channel being \"subject to termination\". The extorter's YouTube account has been deleted after the illegal activity was made public. Kenzo and ObbyRaidz both received messages demanding payment ranging from $75 to $400 (PS58 to PS309) be sent via Paypal or Bitcoin. Neither paid and British YouTuber Kenzo, who has 60,000 subscribers, took to social media to plead for help after one of his videos was taken down by the extorter's second fraudulent copyright strike, In its response to Kenzo's tweet, YouTube said both of the copyright claims against him had been \"obviously abusive\" and it had reinstated his video to its platform. \"This is an example of a fraudulent legal request, which we have zero tolerance for,\" it said in a statement. \"We [have] terminated [the extorter's] channel.\" Google, which owns YouTube, did not respond to a request for information regarding how YouTube intended to prevent such extortion attempts in the future. A successful \"copyright takedown notification\" results in a video being removed and the infringing YouTube channel receiving a copyright strike. To make such a claim, an individual must provide their contact information and a description of the copyright they say has been infringed by the video in question. The applicant must also accept possible legal consequences for \"false or bad faith\" allegations of copyright infringement. But US-based YouTuber ObbyRaidz has now called the system \"broken\", in a video posted to his YouTube channel. \"Anybody can do it,\" he said. \"They made it so easy to take somebody's channel down - they strike a few videos and your channel is terminated. \"The way I look at it, YouTube just put a Band-Aid on a much bigger issue,\" he said, referring to the deletion of the extorter's account. \"This is something that can affect more channels in the future and they need to fix this right now.\" YouTube has come under fire for its Content ID system, which automatically determines whether a video contains copyrighted material. This system was criticised in 2018 after it resulted in a YouTuber receiving a copyright infringement notice for including his own song in a video. A copyright takedown notification, in contrast, results from an application submitted to YouTube by an individual. These claims, however, do not necessarily lead to a takedown and a strike being placed on a channel. For example, an individual can choose to make a copyright claim that, if successful, keeps a video online but directs any ad revenue towards the original copyright holder. This type of copyright claim is becoming increasingly commonplace, with YouTuber MrBeast - who has more than 14.8 million subscribers - revealing that five of his most recent videos have all been demonetised under such claims.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1375, "answer_end": 2298, "text": "A successful \"copyright takedown notification\" results in a video being removed and the infringing YouTube channel receiving a copyright strike. To make such a claim, an individual must provide their contact information and a description of the copyright they say has been infringed by the video in question. The applicant must also accept possible legal consequences for \"false or bad faith\" allegations of copyright infringement. But US-based YouTuber ObbyRaidz has now called the system \"broken\", in a video posted to his YouTube channel. \"Anybody can do it,\" he said. \"They made it so easy to take somebody's channel down - they strike a few videos and your channel is terminated. \"The way I look at it, YouTube just put a Band-Aid on a much bigger issue,\" he said, referring to the deletion of the extorter's account. \"This is something that can affect more channels in the future and they need to fix this right now.\""}], "question": "How easy is it to make a copyright claim?", "id": "1085_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Harry and Meghan: What happens at Christmas with the royals?", "date": "13 December 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's fiancee, will spend Christmas with her future in-laws, it has been confirmed. Ms Markle will join the Royal Family at Sandringham, the Queen's private estate in Norfolk. But what can she expect when rubbing shoulders with the royals at Christmas time? In keeping with their German heritage, the Royal Family start their festive celebrations on Christmas Eve - and this also means that on Christmas Day, the focus is firmly on church and duty, namely the Queen's Speech. They meet on Christmas Eve in the White Drawing Room at Sandringham, the Queen's residence in Norfolk, to exchange presents and finish decorating their 20ft tree. There they enjoy a tea of scones, sandwiches and cakes before retiring to dress for a formal dinner. Celebrations continue until late and in the morning, and each royal wakes to a stocking of small gifts and fruit at the end of their beds. Royal historian Kate Williams told the BBC: \"It's quite set, it's quite formal. It's looked pretty much the same since the Queen's youth, since the 50s. \"You arrive when told to arrive... There are quite a lot of different dresses required - change for church, change for dinner.\" On Christmas morning, the royals head to a service at St Mary Magdalene Church in the village of Sandringham - all being well, everyone will make it, but last year the Queen missed out because of a heavy cold. After the service, they usually spend some time meeting well-wishers gathered outside the chapel, before returning to the estate for a traditional turkey lunch. Then, like millions up and down the country, the family settle down to watch television. We all know someone who appears to have everything, but the Queen has several palaces to her name. Luckily for her family, she is said to prefer practical gifts over anything extravagant. Last Christmas, the Duchess of Cambridge expressed her anxiety about what to buy her grandmother-in-law. \"I thought 'I'll make her something,'\" she said, \"which could have gone horribly wrong.\" \"But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney. \"I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table.\" It's very rare for a fiancee to spend Christmas with the Royal Family, Kate Williams points out. \"What that shows is firstly how serious Harry is about her... but also how determined she is to make her life in Britain now,\" she says. It'll certainly be a very different Christmas for Ms Markle, with a couple of unusual traditions in particular. Before gifts are given on Christmas Eve, they are placed on a white linen-covered trestle table, with cards marking exactly where each person's should go. And at the dinner, Ms Markle will be separated from Prince Harry when, sometime after 10pm, the Queen signals for the corgis to be led out and the ladies to adjourn, leaving the Duke of Edinburgh to serve port or brandy to the men. Finally, like the rest of the country Ms Markle will relax on Christmas afternoon by watching the Queen's Speech. Unlike the rest of the country, though, she'll be watching it with the Queen herself.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1644, "answer_end": 2167, "text": "We all know someone who appears to have everything, but the Queen has several palaces to her name. Luckily for her family, she is said to prefer practical gifts over anything extravagant. Last Christmas, the Duchess of Cambridge expressed her anxiety about what to buy her grandmother-in-law. \"I thought 'I'll make her something,'\" she said, \"which could have gone horribly wrong.\" \"But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney. \"I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table.\""}], "question": "What to get the Queen for Christmas?", "id": "1086_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2168, "answer_end": 2668, "text": "It's very rare for a fiancee to spend Christmas with the Royal Family, Kate Williams points out. \"What that shows is firstly how serious Harry is about her... but also how determined she is to make her life in Britain now,\" she says. It'll certainly be a very different Christmas for Ms Markle, with a couple of unusual traditions in particular. Before gifts are given on Christmas Eve, they are placed on a white linen-covered trestle table, with cards marking exactly where each person's should go."}], "question": "What should Meghan look out for?", "id": "1086_1"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Labour to change strategy with two weeks to go", "date": "28 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Labour Party is to re-shape its general election campaign strategy - particularly in Leave-voting areas - to try to turn around a stubborn Conservative opinion poll lead. Insiders told the BBC that in the first half of the election campaign, a key error was that the Liberal Democrat threat had been overestimated, while the willingness of Leave voters to switch from Labour to the Conservatives had been underestimated. In the last two weeks of the campaign, this will change. Labour's strategy so far has been - in part - to emphasise that the election is about more than Brexit and to get voters to focus on issues which would unite Labour voters in Leave and Remain areas. Labour's own polling suggests this has been a partial success - but there is a crucial flaw. In some Leave-supporting areas, the defining issues for voters have become the NHS and the cost of living, with Brexit further down the list of priorities. That should be good news for Labour - safer, \"home\" territory. But, despite this, the party is still seeing its vote drain away in the very places that it needs to retain to deprive Boris Johnson of an overall majority. So a new plan has been hatched and is about to be put in to effect. It is designed to appeal to those who voted for Brexit, and to those who have other concerns but just don't think Labour is on their side. In the next two weeks, if you live in a Leave area, you are likely to see a very different style of campaign. Labour will give a higher profile to shadow cabinet members who back a Leave deal rather than Remain. There will also be a tour of Leave areas by the party chairman Ian Lavery, who ideally would rather leave the EU with a deal than remain. The \"honest broker\" himself - Jeremy Corbyn - will be touring some Leave seats very soon too. And more activists are set to be moved to Leave areas. The message will be that Labour's Leave deal would offer voters a genuine choice - and that a new referendum will not be an attempt to remain in the EU by the back door. There will be an attempt to explain the deal Labour is seeking to negotiate - and that it would protect workers' rights. In other words, the party leadership is not opposing Brexit by opposing Boris Johnson's deal - it simply wants to find what it regards as a better one. That may be a tricky argument, compared with the simplicity of the Conservative message of getting Brexit \"done\". But it is felt that reassurance for Leave voters is necessary. There will also be an attempt to challenge the Conservative narrative that a trade deal with the EU can be done in a year. And there will be new initiatives around US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK next week, designed to highlight concerns around any post-Brexit trade deal with the US. Beyond Brexit, there will be a new emphasis on \"bread-and-butter issues\", which some strategists think have been underplayed to the party's political cost, from extending free bus fares to boosting police numbers. Labour's nationalisation programme will be sold, in part, as taking back control of key businesses from foreign ownership. And in both Leave and Remain areas, there will be a stronger push on the NHS and a new emphasis on how Labour would make most people better off. The party's line that 95% of people will not pay more in tax is under pressure. The new strategy has been prompted by Labour's own polling, and was devised before the release of a YouGov poll on Wednesday. This new poll suggested the Conservatives would get a 68-seat majority, if the election was held tomorrow. The YouGov poll, based on the views of 100,000 voters, applies national trends to individual constituencies - and predicts the Tories will pick up 44 seats from Labour, including in its traditional strongholds in the Midlands and North of England. But it comes with a big margin of error and does not reflect local issues that can have an impact on polling day. Another poll, by Savanta ComRes for the Daily Telegraph, suggests Labour is narrowing the gap on the Conservatives, with the Tories on 41%, down one point from the weekend, and Labour up two points at 34%, at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, who are on 13%. The Conservatives are hoping to capture longstanding Labour constituencies that voted heavily to Leave - even those outside the normal marginal range. The map shows that these are concentrated in the Midlands and parts of the north of England - seats like West Bromwich West, Bolsover, and Hyndburn. However, the Brexit Party has a similar goal. It describes Hartlepool as its number-one target. Given Labour's change in strategy, expect to see it made easier for people to \"calculate\" how they' would be better off as a result of a suite of policies, depending on their income and lifestyle, from a rise in National Living Wage, and a public sector pay increase to free childcare and, of course, compensation for women caught out by a rise in the pension age. During the first half of the campaign, it was felt in Labour circles that many individual policy announcements just were not joined-up or launched with sufficient impact. Canvassers - again, particularly in Leave areas - have been reporting that Mr Corbyn's leadership has come up time and again on the doorstep. But rather than hide him away, expect the party leader to be more prominent. The hope is that familiarity - and a different style to the prime minister - will breed the opposite of contempt. Labour was also behind at this stage in the 2017 campaign, then finally ran Theresa May close. But it is a greater challenge to keep a volatile coalition of Leave and Remain voters together just a matter of weeks before the current government intends to take the UK out of the EU - and when attitudes on both sides of the Brexit debate seem to be hardening. A senior Labour source who is sceptical of this approach said: \"The truth is the problem on the doorsteps I have been to - and this is reflected when you speak to our candidates - isn't Brexit. \"It's the leadership. This so-called change in strategy feels like an attempt to deflect from that elephant in the room.\" When asked the party's change of campaigning emphasis, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"This is news to me...I have not had any discussions on that.\" He added: \"Obviously what we want to do is to make sure that we keep on, as we have been doing over the past few weeks, narrowing that margin in the polls.\" - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words Between now and the election on 12 December, we want to help you understand the issues behind the headlines. Keep up to date with the big questions in our newsletter, Outside The Box. Sign up to our Outside The Box here (UK users only).", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 774, "answer_end": 1466, "text": "In some Leave-supporting areas, the defining issues for voters have become the NHS and the cost of living, with Brexit further down the list of priorities. That should be good news for Labour - safer, \"home\" territory. But, despite this, the party is still seeing its vote drain away in the very places that it needs to retain to deprive Boris Johnson of an overall majority. So a new plan has been hatched and is about to be put in to effect. It is designed to appeal to those who voted for Brexit, and to those who have other concerns but just don't think Labour is on their side. In the next two weeks, if you live in a Leave area, you are likely to see a very different style of campaign."}], "question": "Home territory?", "id": "1087_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3335, "answer_end": 4192, "text": "The new strategy has been prompted by Labour's own polling, and was devised before the release of a YouGov poll on Wednesday. This new poll suggested the Conservatives would get a 68-seat majority, if the election was held tomorrow. The YouGov poll, based on the views of 100,000 voters, applies national trends to individual constituencies - and predicts the Tories will pick up 44 seats from Labour, including in its traditional strongholds in the Midlands and North of England. But it comes with a big margin of error and does not reflect local issues that can have an impact on polling day. Another poll, by Savanta ComRes for the Daily Telegraph, suggests Labour is narrowing the gap on the Conservatives, with the Tories on 41%, down one point from the weekend, and Labour up two points at 34%, at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, who are on 13%."}], "question": "What do the polls say?", "id": "1087_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6132, "answer_end": 6889, "text": "When asked the party's change of campaigning emphasis, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"This is news to me...I have not had any discussions on that.\" He added: \"Obviously what we want to do is to make sure that we keep on, as we have been doing over the past few weeks, narrowing that margin in the polls.\" - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words Between now and the election on 12 December, we want to help you understand the issues behind the headlines. Keep up to date with the big questions in our newsletter, Outside The Box. Sign up to our Outside The Box here (UK users only)."}], "question": "What more have senior Labour figures said?", "id": "1087_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Venezuela crisis: Who is buying its oil now?", "date": "25 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The United States has imposed tough sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. Oil dominates Venezuela's economy, accounting for almost all of its export earnings. Its biggest customers have been the US, followed by India and China. But over the past decade, oil production has collapsed and the country is in a deep economic crisis. So what effect are the sanctions having and who is buying its oil now? The sanctions block US companies doing business with Venezuela's state oil company, the PDVSA, and freeze the company's assets in the United States. These measures do not cut off imports entirely, but they do require payments to be made into accounts that Venezuela's state oil company cannot access. Sanctions have also had an impact on access to the chemicals required to process the oil. Venezuela's heavy crude is almost solid when it comes out of the ground, so it cannot flow through pipelines. It needs chemicals, diluting agents such as naphtha, to turn into a lighter substance that can eventually be exported. Sanctions include a ban on US firms exporting these agents. Venezuela must import these, and in recent years they have come from the US, said Shannon O'Neil, senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. The Russian firm Rosneft is reportedly helping to fill this particular gap. Currently sitting off the Venezuelan coast are tankers holding in the region of 10 million barrels of oil, according to Kpler, which tracks commodities. They were originally destined for the United States, but are stranded as a result of the sanctions. Venezuela's government has been looking for new buyers for its oil and says it wants to double shipments to India. But although there has been a recent increase in exports to India, it is not a substantial one, says Samah Ahmed, a crude oil analyst at Kpler. Exports to China are also not encouraging and have in fact been dropping in line with a general decline in Venezuela's total production. Selling more oil to markets in Asia would increase transport costs, because ports in Venezuela are not well-equipped to load tankers for travelling long distances. Exports to India may be heavily discounted \"because of quality issues and to compete with Middle Eastern grades\", says Paola Rodriguez-Masiu, an analyst at Rystad Energy. But there is certainly a demand for heavy crude oil such as that found in Venezuela. There is a global shortage because of sanctions on Iranian oil, while lower levels of production in Canada, Mexico and Opec member countries has also had an impact. US importers will need to find new suppliers of heavy crude, which it uses to produce diesel and jet fuel. \"The Venezuelan crisis has made heavy crude more expensive for the US,\" says Ms Rodriguez-Masiu. But this will not help Venezuela, desperate to find new markets for its oil at a time of deepening economic and political crisis. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 458, "answer_end": 1388, "text": "The sanctions block US companies doing business with Venezuela's state oil company, the PDVSA, and freeze the company's assets in the United States. These measures do not cut off imports entirely, but they do require payments to be made into accounts that Venezuela's state oil company cannot access. Sanctions have also had an impact on access to the chemicals required to process the oil. Venezuela's heavy crude is almost solid when it comes out of the ground, so it cannot flow through pipelines. It needs chemicals, diluting agents such as naphtha, to turn into a lighter substance that can eventually be exported. Sanctions include a ban on US firms exporting these agents. Venezuela must import these, and in recent years they have come from the US, said Shannon O'Neil, senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. The Russian firm Rosneft is reportedly helping to fill this particular gap."}], "question": "What are the sanctions?", "id": "1088_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1389, "answer_end": 2956, "text": "Currently sitting off the Venezuelan coast are tankers holding in the region of 10 million barrels of oil, according to Kpler, which tracks commodities. They were originally destined for the United States, but are stranded as a result of the sanctions. Venezuela's government has been looking for new buyers for its oil and says it wants to double shipments to India. But although there has been a recent increase in exports to India, it is not a substantial one, says Samah Ahmed, a crude oil analyst at Kpler. Exports to China are also not encouraging and have in fact been dropping in line with a general decline in Venezuela's total production. Selling more oil to markets in Asia would increase transport costs, because ports in Venezuela are not well-equipped to load tankers for travelling long distances. Exports to India may be heavily discounted \"because of quality issues and to compete with Middle Eastern grades\", says Paola Rodriguez-Masiu, an analyst at Rystad Energy. But there is certainly a demand for heavy crude oil such as that found in Venezuela. There is a global shortage because of sanctions on Iranian oil, while lower levels of production in Canada, Mexico and Opec member countries has also had an impact. US importers will need to find new suppliers of heavy crude, which it uses to produce diesel and jet fuel. \"The Venezuelan crisis has made heavy crude more expensive for the US,\" says Ms Rodriguez-Masiu. But this will not help Venezuela, desperate to find new markets for its oil at a time of deepening economic and political crisis."}], "question": "Where is Venezuela's oil now going?", "id": "1088_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Manchester mosque sermon 'called for armed jihad', say scholars", "date": "16 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A sermon at the mosque where the Manchester bomber worshipped called for the support of armed jihadist fighters, according to two Muslim scholars. An imam at Didsbury Mosque in December 2016 was recorded praying for \"victory\" for \"our brothers and sisters right now in Aleppo and Syria and Iraq\". Scholars Usama Hasan and Shaykh Rehan said it referred to \"military jihad\". The imam, Mustafa Graf, says his sermon did not call for armed jihad and he has never preached radical Islam. The recording the BBC obtained is of Friday prayers at the mosque six months before Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb following an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in May 2017. Abedi and his family regularly attended the mosque and his father sometimes led the call to prayer. The family's whereabouts on the day of the sermon are unknown but the BBC has been told that Abedi bought a ticket for the concert 10 days later. The bomb killed 22 people and the attacker, as well as injuring hundreds of others. It is also understood at least five men who have attended Didsbury Mosque have either travelled to Syria or have been jailed for terrorism offences. Greater Manchester Police said they had the BBC's material and were reviewing it \"to establish if any criminal offences have been committed\". The sermon, which was at a time of bombing in the Syrian city of Aleppo, includes prayers for \"mujahideen\" fighting abroad - a term commonly used for Islamist guerrilla fighters. \"We ask Allah to grant them mujahideen - our brothers and sisters right now in Aleppo and Syria and Iraq - to grant them victory,\" Mr Graf is heard saying. Elsewhere it says: \"Lots of brothers stayed behind unfortunately. They love Islam and Muslims but they do nothing for the support of their brothers and sisters.\" Another passage says: \"Jihad for the sake of Allah is the source of pride and dignity for this nation.\" Mr Hasan, head of Islamic studies at Quilliam, a think tank that focuses on counter-extremism, said: \"From the context and the way these texts [the religious passages quoted within the sermon] are used they are clearly referring to military jihad, to armed jihad. \"I have known the Islamic discourse for pretty much 40 years, from being a child in this country and worldwide, and the mujahideen are the group fighting armed jihad.\" Mr Rehan said he was in no doubt about what the sermon meant. \"The jihad he's referring to here is actually being on the battlefield, there's no ifs and no buts in this.\" The sermon centres on the suffering in Syria and includes an appeal for donations. At one point Mr Graf is heard saying: \"The whole world, including Europe, America - what is the so-called civilised world - is watching what is happening in Aleppo and Syria. \"They know that Iran, Russia and the militias are killing humans in Syria and they do nothing. \"Well in fact they helped the Russians and the Iranians and others, the militias, to kill Muslims over there.\" The word \"jihad\" is widely used, though often inaccurately, by Western politicians and media. In Arabic, the word means \"effort\" or \"struggle\". In Islam, it could be an individual's internal struggle against baser instincts, the struggle to build a good Muslim society, or a war for the faith against unbelievers. Mr Rehan said: \"He's giving them the narrative of them against us. He is psychologically and practically brainwashing young people into either travelling or to do something to take action.\" Connections between the preacher and Salman Abedi have also been uncovered. The BBC has obtained footage of Abedi attending a demonstration in London against a secular Libyan general who was fighting against Islamist militia. The event was organised by the so-called 17th of February Forum protest group. Mr Graf is a leader of the group, although he was not present at the London demonstration. Mr Graf declined to be interviewed by the BBC but denied he had called for armed jihad or that he had ever preached Islamic extremism. The trustees of Didsbury Mosque also said the five men understood to have travelled to Syria or jailed for terrorism offences had not visited the mosque. In a statement it said Mr Graf's sermon was highlighting the plight of Syrians and his use of the words \"jihad\" and \"mujahideen\" had been misinterpreted. \"We do not tolerate or instigate any form of preaching that breaches both Islamic principles and the laws of England and Wales,\" it said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2962, "answer_end": 3275, "text": "The word \"jihad\" is widely used, though often inaccurately, by Western politicians and media. In Arabic, the word means \"effort\" or \"struggle\". In Islam, it could be an individual's internal struggle against baser instincts, the struggle to build a good Muslim society, or a war for the faith against unbelievers."}], "question": "What does jihad mean?", "id": "1089_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Donald Trump names Dan Coats national intelligence director", "date": "7 January 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President-elect Donald Trump has named Dan Coats as his national intelligence director. The Indiana ex-senator formerly served on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Mr Trump said Mr Coats would \"provide unwavering leadership... and spearhead my administration's ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm\". The appointment comes a day after an intelligence report accused Russia's president of ordering a campaign aimed at helping Mr Trump to victory. Mr Trump said in a statement that Mr Coats had \"clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community\". A statement from Mr Coats said: \"There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilise every tool at my disposal to make that happen.\" Mr Coats has been a vocal critic of Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea. He will need the Senate to confirm his appointment, replacing James Clapper. The position of director of national intelligence was created after the 11 September terrorist attacks to improve the US intelligence gathering agencies. The director is the president's principal adviser on matters on national intelligence, overseeing the National Intelligence Programme, which covers all projects related to the intelligence community. The post also oversees the US Intelligence Community, the grouping that combines the independent work of 16 agencies, including the CIA. Dan Coats entered Congress in 1981, representing Indiana in the House. He took Dan Quayle's place in the Senate in 1989 when Mr Quayle became President George HW Bush's vice-president. Mr Coats had earlier served in the US Army in the 1960s and left the Senate in 1998, becoming US ambassador to Germany in the early 2000s. After that he became a lobbyist for pharmaceutical, defence and energy companies, returning to the Senate in 2010. He did not seek re-election in 2016. During his time in the Senate he sat on the intelligence committee. Has not always been easy. In early 2016 he said: \"I am increasingly concerned by Donald Trump's statements and behaviour, and I have serious concerns about his ability to win the general election and provide presidential leadership.\" He was also damning about Mr Trump's lewd comments on women from 2005 that were leaked to the press during the election campaign. On 8 October, he wrote on Twitter that \"Donald Trump's vulgar comments are totally inappropriate and disgusting, and these words have no place in our society\". And back in December 2015, when Mr Trump announced his plans to prevent Muslims immigrating to the US, Mr Coats wrote: \"Once again, Donald Trump has chosen bombastic rhetoric over sound judgement.\" Generally, however, he supported his party's nominee once chosen, publicly criticising former candidate Ted Cruz for refusing to endorse Mr Trump. Mr Coats pressed President Barack Obama to punish Russia harshly for its annexation of Crimea. As a result, Mr Coats was among several lawmakers banned from travelling to Russia. The matter is key given the new intelligence report that says the Kremlin developed a \"clear preference\" for Mr Trump during the election. It said Russia's goals were to \"undermine public faith\" in the US democratic process and \"denigrate\" his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton. After being briefed on the findings, Mr Trump stopped short of accusing Russia of interfering, saying only that the election outcome was not affected. The answer may lie not with Mr Trump, but his running mate, vice-president-elect Mike Pence. Mr Pence was the governor of Indiana - Mr Coats's state. The two men know each other well - so well that Mr Coats was the senator who seconded Mr Pence's nomination for the Republican vice-presidential candidacy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 948, "answer_end": 1438, "text": "The position of director of national intelligence was created after the 11 September terrorist attacks to improve the US intelligence gathering agencies. The director is the president's principal adviser on matters on national intelligence, overseeing the National Intelligence Programme, which covers all projects related to the intelligence community. The post also oversees the US Intelligence Community, the grouping that combines the independent work of 16 agencies, including the CIA."}], "question": "What does the national intelligence director do?", "id": "1090_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1439, "answer_end": 1982, "text": "Dan Coats entered Congress in 1981, representing Indiana in the House. He took Dan Quayle's place in the Senate in 1989 when Mr Quayle became President George HW Bush's vice-president. Mr Coats had earlier served in the US Army in the 1960s and left the Senate in 1998, becoming US ambassador to Germany in the early 2000s. After that he became a lobbyist for pharmaceutical, defence and energy companies, returning to the Senate in 2010. He did not seek re-election in 2016. During his time in the Senate he sat on the intelligence committee."}], "question": "Who is Dan Coats?", "id": "1090_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1983, "answer_end": 2851, "text": "Has not always been easy. In early 2016 he said: \"I am increasingly concerned by Donald Trump's statements and behaviour, and I have serious concerns about his ability to win the general election and provide presidential leadership.\" He was also damning about Mr Trump's lewd comments on women from 2005 that were leaked to the press during the election campaign. On 8 October, he wrote on Twitter that \"Donald Trump's vulgar comments are totally inappropriate and disgusting, and these words have no place in our society\". And back in December 2015, when Mr Trump announced his plans to prevent Muslims immigrating to the US, Mr Coats wrote: \"Once again, Donald Trump has chosen bombastic rhetoric over sound judgement.\" Generally, however, he supported his party's nominee once chosen, publicly criticising former candidate Ted Cruz for refusing to endorse Mr Trump."}], "question": "What's his relationship with Mr Trump?", "id": "1090_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2852, "answer_end": 3460, "text": "Mr Coats pressed President Barack Obama to punish Russia harshly for its annexation of Crimea. As a result, Mr Coats was among several lawmakers banned from travelling to Russia. The matter is key given the new intelligence report that says the Kremlin developed a \"clear preference\" for Mr Trump during the election. It said Russia's goals were to \"undermine public faith\" in the US democratic process and \"denigrate\" his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton. After being briefed on the findings, Mr Trump stopped short of accusing Russia of interfering, saying only that the election outcome was not affected."}], "question": "What about Russia?", "id": "1090_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3461, "answer_end": 3766, "text": "The answer may lie not with Mr Trump, but his running mate, vice-president-elect Mike Pence. Mr Pence was the governor of Indiana - Mr Coats's state. The two men know each other well - so well that Mr Coats was the senator who seconded Mr Pence's nomination for the Republican vice-presidential candidacy."}], "question": "So why choose Mr Coats?", "id": "1090_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Is red meat back on the menu?", "date": "30 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A controversial study says cutting down on sausages, mince, steak and all other forms of red or processed meat is a waste of time for most people. The report - which disagrees with most major organisations on the planet - says the evidence is weak and any risk to people's health is small. Some experts have praised the \"rigorous\" assessment. But others say \"the public could be put at risk\" by such \"dangerously misguided\" research. Red meat includes beef, lamb, pork, veal and venison - chicken, duck and game birds do not count. Processed meat has been modified to either extend its shelf life or change the taste - and the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives. Pure mince does not count as processed, but bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, pates and ham all do. One of the main concerns has been around bowel cancer. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer created headlines around the world when it said processed meats do cause cancer. It also said red meats were \"probably carcinogenic\" but there was limited evidence. In the UK alone, it is thought processed meat leads to about 5,400 cases of bowel cancer every year. Links with heart health and type 2 diabetes have also been suggested. The scientific consensus is eating a lot is bad for your health. The researchers - led by Dalhousie University and McMaster University in Canada - reviewed the same evidence others have looked at before. The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest if 1,000 people cut out three portions of red or processed meat every week for: - a lifetime, there would be seven fewer deaths from cancer - 11 years, there would be four fewer deaths from heart disease And if every week for 11 years, 1,000 people cut out three portions of: - red meat, there would be six fewer cases of type 2 diabetes - processed meat, there would be 12 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes The risks reported are broadly similar to what has been suggested before - but the interpretation of what they mean is radically different. The researchers say: - the risks are not that big - the evidence is so weak, they could not be sure the risks were real \"The right choice for the majority of people, but not everyone, is to continue their meat consumption,\" one of the researchers, associate professor Bradley Johnston, told BBC News. \"We're not saying there is no risk, we're saying there is only low-certainty evidence of a very small reduction of cancer and other adverse health consequences of reducing red meat consumption.\" Statisticians have broadly supported the way the study has been conducted. Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, called it an \"extremely comprehensive piece of work\" . And Prof David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, said: \"This rigorous, even ruthless, review does not find good evidence of important health benefits from reducing meat consumption \"In fact, it does not find any good evidence at all.\" This study has, quite frankly, gone down like a lead balloon, with many in the field disagreeing with how the findings have been interpreted. Public Health England officials told BBC News they had no intention of reviewing their advice on limiting meat intake. Dr Marco Springmann, from the University of Oxford, said the \"dangerously misguided\" recommendations \"downplay the scientific evidence\". The World Cancer Research Fund's Dr Giota Mitrou said the \"public could be put at risk\" if they concluded they could eat meat to their heart's content, as \"this is not the case\". Prof Nita Forouhi, from the University of Cambridge, said: \"They stated that the magnitude of the link is small, is it?\" The study suggests there would be 12 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes as a result of 1,000 people cutting three servings of processed meat a week for a just over a decade. And she said: \"For a common condition such as type 2 diabetes, at a population and country level, that is not trivial.\" Welcome to the challenging and difficult world of nutrition research. As you can't lock people up for a lifetime and force-feed them to determine the health impact of different foods, you have to rely on imperfect research. There are two main types of scientific study in this field: - observational studies - randomised control trials In observational studies, you can follow huge numbers of people for decades, record how they behave and see what happens to their health. But teasing apart the role of one foodstuff out of all the things they eat and all the other things they do is a challenge. In a randomised trial, you set people different diets. But they don't stick to them forever and you need them to follow them for years before diseases such as cancer or a heart attack emerge. \"The scientific community needs to acknowledge that doing clinical trials of specific food interventions, unlike pharmaceutical products, and following people up over long periods till disease or death occurs are simply not feasible,\" said Prof Forouhi. We live in a world of imperfect data and it's not about to change. The weight of scientific opinion falls on the side of reducing red and processed meat consumption. This analysis and those that have gone before have highlighted similar risks and it is worth noting the report's authors point out: \"We're not saying there is no risk.\" But the question of whether reducing red meat is going to make a difference to any one individual is very difficult. For example, about six out of every 100 people in the UK develop bowel cancer at some point in their lives. If they all ate an extra 50g (1.7oz) of bacon a day, then the estimate is the figure would go up to seven in 100. But what no-one can tell you is whether you will be that one extra case. The NHS advises anyone who eats more than 90g of red or processed meat a day to cut down to 70g a day, on average. \"Globally, the evidence indicates that people who eat red and processed meat should limit their intake, Public Health England head of nutrition science, Prof Louis Levy said. \"While it can form part of healthy diet, eating too much can increase your risk of developing bowel cancer,\" Meat is only one aspect of diet - previous studies have suggested vegetables can have a big impact on health. And health is only one reason for assessing how much meat to eat. Diets that cut down on meat or eliminate it all together - from flexitarian to vegan - are becoming more popular. But the reasons involve health benefits, environmental concerns and animal welfare issues. Beef and lamb do tend to have relatively high greenhouse gas emissions, although farming practices around the world make a big difference. There have been attempts to reconcile all these things and come up with a \"planetary health diet\". And it recommends most protein should come from nuts and legumes (such as beans and lentils) instead of meat. Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 434, "answer_end": 807, "text": "Red meat includes beef, lamb, pork, veal and venison - chicken, duck and game birds do not count. Processed meat has been modified to either extend its shelf life or change the taste - and the main methods are smoking, curing, or adding salt or preservatives. Pure mince does not count as processed, but bacon, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, pates and ham all do."}], "question": "What counts as red or processed meat?", "id": "1091_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1340, "answer_end": 2583, "text": "The researchers - led by Dalhousie University and McMaster University in Canada - reviewed the same evidence others have looked at before. The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest if 1,000 people cut out three portions of red or processed meat every week for: - a lifetime, there would be seven fewer deaths from cancer - 11 years, there would be four fewer deaths from heart disease And if every week for 11 years, 1,000 people cut out three portions of: - red meat, there would be six fewer cases of type 2 diabetes - processed meat, there would be 12 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes The risks reported are broadly similar to what has been suggested before - but the interpretation of what they mean is radically different. The researchers say: - the risks are not that big - the evidence is so weak, they could not be sure the risks were real \"The right choice for the majority of people, but not everyone, is to continue their meat consumption,\" one of the researchers, associate professor Bradley Johnston, told BBC News. \"We're not saying there is no risk, we're saying there is only low-certainty evidence of a very small reduction of cancer and other adverse health consequences of reducing red meat consumption.\""}], "question": "What does the study say?", "id": "1091_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2584, "answer_end": 3044, "text": "Statisticians have broadly supported the way the study has been conducted. Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, called it an \"extremely comprehensive piece of work\" . And Prof David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, said: \"This rigorous, even ruthless, review does not find good evidence of important health benefits from reducing meat consumption \"In fact, it does not find any good evidence at all.\""}], "question": "How has the study been received?", "id": "1091_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3045, "answer_end": 4032, "text": "This study has, quite frankly, gone down like a lead balloon, with many in the field disagreeing with how the findings have been interpreted. Public Health England officials told BBC News they had no intention of reviewing their advice on limiting meat intake. Dr Marco Springmann, from the University of Oxford, said the \"dangerously misguided\" recommendations \"downplay the scientific evidence\". The World Cancer Research Fund's Dr Giota Mitrou said the \"public could be put at risk\" if they concluded they could eat meat to their heart's content, as \"this is not the case\". Prof Nita Forouhi, from the University of Cambridge, said: \"They stated that the magnitude of the link is small, is it?\" The study suggests there would be 12 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes as a result of 1,000 people cutting three servings of processed meat a week for a just over a decade. And she said: \"For a common condition such as type 2 diabetes, at a population and country level, that is not trivial.\""}], "question": "What about its conclusions?", "id": "1091_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4033, "answer_end": 5143, "text": "Welcome to the challenging and difficult world of nutrition research. As you can't lock people up for a lifetime and force-feed them to determine the health impact of different foods, you have to rely on imperfect research. There are two main types of scientific study in this field: - observational studies - randomised control trials In observational studies, you can follow huge numbers of people for decades, record how they behave and see what happens to their health. But teasing apart the role of one foodstuff out of all the things they eat and all the other things they do is a challenge. In a randomised trial, you set people different diets. But they don't stick to them forever and you need them to follow them for years before diseases such as cancer or a heart attack emerge. \"The scientific community needs to acknowledge that doing clinical trials of specific food interventions, unlike pharmaceutical products, and following people up over long periods till disease or death occurs are simply not feasible,\" said Prof Forouhi. We live in a world of imperfect data and it's not about to change."}], "question": "Why is the quality of the evidence so poor?", "id": "1091_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5144, "answer_end": 5823, "text": "The weight of scientific opinion falls on the side of reducing red and processed meat consumption. This analysis and those that have gone before have highlighted similar risks and it is worth noting the report's authors point out: \"We're not saying there is no risk.\" But the question of whether reducing red meat is going to make a difference to any one individual is very difficult. For example, about six out of every 100 people in the UK develop bowel cancer at some point in their lives. If they all ate an extra 50g (1.7oz) of bacon a day, then the estimate is the figure would go up to seven in 100. But what no-one can tell you is whether you will be that one extra case."}], "question": "How does anyone make sense of this?", "id": "1091_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5824, "answer_end": 6222, "text": "The NHS advises anyone who eats more than 90g of red or processed meat a day to cut down to 70g a day, on average. \"Globally, the evidence indicates that people who eat red and processed meat should limit their intake, Public Health England head of nutrition science, Prof Louis Levy said. \"While it can form part of healthy diet, eating too much can increase your risk of developing bowel cancer,\""}], "question": "How much red meat should people eat?", "id": "1091_6"}]}]}, {"title": "Saudi Arabia oil attacks: US to send troops to Saudi Arabia", "date": "21 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has announced plans to send forces to Saudi Arabia in the wake of attacks against the country's oil infrastructure. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper told reporters the deployment would be \"defensive in nature\". Total troop numbers have not yet been decided. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have said they were behind the attacks against two oil facilities last week. But the US and Saudi Arabia have both blamed Iran itself. On Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as \"highest level\", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund. \"I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint,\" he told reporters in the Oval Office. But on Saturday, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) struck a different tone and said the country would seek to \"destroy\" any aggressor. \"Be careful,\" Maj-Gen Hossein Salami said on state television. \"We are after punishment and we will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor.\" Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested assistance, Mr Esper said. He said the US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would \"accelerate the delivery of military equipment\" to both nations. Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford called the deployment \"moderate\" and said it would not number in the thousands. He gave no further details about the type of forces that would be sent. According to The New York Times, when reporters asked Mr Esper if military strikes on Iran were still being considered, the defence secretary responded: \"That's not where we are right now.\" Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply. On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still \"working to know exactly the launch point\", a spokesman said. The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran. Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the \"Yemeni people\". \"US is in denial if it thinks that Yemeni victims of 4.5 yrs of the worst war crimes wouldn't do all to strike back,\" Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes \"an act of war\". Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but \"we will not hesitate to defend ourselves\". Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September. The multiple drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil installations have exposed a major gap in its defences. Now the US, its strategic ally, has offered to help plug that gap. A US Navy destroyer is being stationed in the northern Gulf to intercept any missiles coming from that direction. The Pentagon has also announced a further deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia to help the country bolster its anti-missile defences. Further US defensive equipment is being sent to both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing tensions with their neighbour, Iran. But the basing of US forces in Saudi Arabia has been controversial in the past. Even though they were invited in by the Saudi King, their presence was used by Osama Bin Laden as a rallying call to jihadists to resist what he called a Crusader invasion of the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015. Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power. US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year. The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1149, "answer_end": 1772, "text": "Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested assistance, Mr Esper said. He said the US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would \"accelerate the delivery of military equipment\" to both nations. Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford called the deployment \"moderate\" and said it would not number in the thousands. He gave no further details about the type of forces that would be sent. According to The New York Times, when reporters asked Mr Esper if military strikes on Iran were still being considered, the defence secretary responded: \"That's not where we are right now.\""}], "question": "What did the Pentagon say?", "id": "1092_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1773, "answer_end": 2908, "text": "Strikes hit the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia a week ago, affecting the global oil supply. On Wednesday, the kingdom's defence ministry showed off what it said were the remains of drones and cruise missiles proving Iranian involvement. The country was still \"working to know exactly the launch point\", a spokesman said. The US has also said Iran was responsible. Senior officials have told US media outlets they had evidence the attacks originated in the south of Iran. Iran has repeatedly denied any role in the strikes, with President Hassan Rouhani calling the attacks a reciprocal act by the \"Yemeni people\". \"US is in denial if it thinks that Yemeni victims of 4.5 yrs of the worst war crimes wouldn't do all to strike back,\" Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the strikes \"an act of war\". Mr Zarif warned on Twitter that Iran had no desire for war but \"we will not hesitate to defend ourselves\". Meanwhile, the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, said it expects oil output to return to pre-attack levels by the end of September."}], "question": "What happened in Saudi Arabia?", "id": "1092_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3768, "answer_end": 4411, "text": "The Houthis have repeatedly launched rockets, missiles and drones at populated areas in Saudi Arabia. They are in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition which backs a president who the rebels had forced to flee when the Yemeni conflict escalated in March 2015. Iran is the regional rival of Saudi Arabia and an opponent of the US, which pulled out of a treaty aimed at limiting Tehran's nuclear programme after Mr Trump took power. US-Iran tensions have risen markedly this year. The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May. Tehran rejected the accusations in both cases."}], "question": "What's the background to all this?", "id": "1092_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Arkady Dvorkovich: Russian politician crowned world chess head", "date": "3 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The World Chess Federation (Fide) has a new king - Arkady Dvorkovich, the former deputy prime minister of Russia. Mr Dvorkovich outmanoeuvred his opponents in the three-way vote on Wednesday after a fiercely contested election. He is taking over from fellow Russian Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, ousted in July. Mr Dvorkovich was crowned after British chess grandmaster Nigel Short broke a lengthy stalemate by withdrawing his candidacy. The Russian candidate then defeated the only remaining candidate, current deputy president Georgios Makropoulos, by 103 votes to 78. He becomes the first new president since 1995. His predecessor, Mr Ilyumzhinov, was forced out over the summer amid allegations of facilitating transactions with the Syrian government - something which landed him with US sanctions, and briefly froze the federations's bank accounts. He denies any wrongdoing - but the affair cast a long shadow over the election, which was marred by accusations of corruption and political meddling. Arkady Dvorkovich has both political and chess credentials. Until May 2018, he served as Russian deputy prime minister and is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Chess Federation. More recently, he was one of the chief organisers of the Fifa World Cup. His main opponent was widely seen as Georgios Makropoulos, the Greek deputy president of Fide. Mr Makropoulos struggled to distance himself from former president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who he served under. England's Nigel Short is best known for an unsuccessful challenge against Russia's world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1993. He has vowed to stamp out corruption and is a long-time critic of Fide leadership - but in 2015, he angered women chess players when he suggested women were not suited to the game. Addressing the delegates, he complained of mismanagement and \"an open culture of bullying\", chess news site Chess.com reports. Mid-speech, he stopped the clock, dramatically announcing his resignation from the race and his support for Mr Dvorkovich. Mr Dvorkovich's candidacy was not without controversy - particularly given his high standing in Russian political circles. The Times newspaper reports that Russia has been manoeuvring behind the scenes to win votes for Mr Dvorkovich. Russia dismissed the claims as \"lies and inconsistencies\", and accused Mr Makropolous of being behind them. In a BBC interview in September, Mr Dvorkovich said the Kremlin had \"not been provided with any evidence\" that two Russian agents had carried out the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in southern England. The English Chess Federation felt that was the wrong play, and released a statement backing Mr Makropoulos, saying Mr Short's campaign had \"little traction\". Mr Short, however, was unmoved. He said the process had been \"rigged\", but expressed support for Mr Dvorkovich before the vote, arguing his views on the Skripals had nothing to do with his ability to root out corruption in chess. Mr Short, says the Financial Times, might be playing a long game. He was not likely to secure enough votes this time round, but could have run to boost his profile before the next election in 2022. The new president of Fide will get to decide who stages tournaments and how money is spent. But whoever wins, they're unlikely to be as colourful as Mr Ilyumzhinov, who once claimed on television to have met aliens on board a spaceship. In addition to his alleged dealings with the Syrian government, he was president of the Republic of Kalmykia, a small Buddhist region of Russia which lies on the shores of the Caspian Sea, for 17 years. A chequered past, you might say.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2027, "answer_end": 3164, "text": "Mr Dvorkovich's candidacy was not without controversy - particularly given his high standing in Russian political circles. The Times newspaper reports that Russia has been manoeuvring behind the scenes to win votes for Mr Dvorkovich. Russia dismissed the claims as \"lies and inconsistencies\", and accused Mr Makropolous of being behind them. In a BBC interview in September, Mr Dvorkovich said the Kremlin had \"not been provided with any evidence\" that two Russian agents had carried out the poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in southern England. The English Chess Federation felt that was the wrong play, and released a statement backing Mr Makropoulos, saying Mr Short's campaign had \"little traction\". Mr Short, however, was unmoved. He said the process had been \"rigged\", but expressed support for Mr Dvorkovich before the vote, arguing his views on the Skripals had nothing to do with his ability to root out corruption in chess. Mr Short, says the Financial Times, might be playing a long game. He was not likely to secure enough votes this time round, but could have run to boost his profile before the next election in 2022."}], "question": "A Russian pawn?", "id": "1093_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Should Canada's national anthem lyrics be gender-neutral?", "date": "6 June 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Canadian parliament is considering passing legislation that will make the English version of the national anthem gender-neutral. If the bill is adopted, the lyrics would change from \"in all thy sons command\" to \"in all of us command\". The initiative is backed by the Liberal government and will reach the Senate soon, having passed two readings in the House of Commons. The fight to change two words to O Canada has stirred a passionate debate. Who wants to change the lyrics? A similar idea to change the lyrics was rejected in 2010 by Conservatives, who held the majority in parliament. Longtime liberal MP Mauril Belanger started the initiative this time with Bill C-210, and many in Parliament view the bill as his legacy project. Mr Belanger is sick with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and uses a computer with a voice generator because he can no longer speak. The Ottawa Citizen reports that there has been a push by Liberals and New Democrats to move the bill for Mr Belanger's sake, while some Conservatives want more time to debate the bill because of the anthem's significance to Canadians. What's the case for a gender-neutral anthem? In May, Mr Belanger presented the case for his bill: \"On the eve of the 150th anniversary of our federation, it is important that one of our most recognised and appreciated national symbols reflect the progress made by our country in terms of gender equality.\" \"We are in 2016. The Canadian population will understand why we want to make the change,\" New Democrat MP Christine Moore said. \"It is not a big change, and there will not be a big difference in the national anthem, but the difference is significant for women all across Canada.\" Liberal MP Greg Fergus said it \"would be nice if [Canada] stops excluding women from the national anthem\", according to the Ottawa Citizen. Why stick with tradition? Some Conservative MPs have voted yes to the bill, but others want more time to debate the issue. \"It is tragic that this is being done in a fashion where Canadians are being shut out,\" Peter Van Loan, a Conservative MP, said in committee last week, the National Post reports. \"Their national anthem is being changed. They have been singing it for decades, millions of Canadians. It belongs to them, it is not a plaything of us.\" \"We are telling Canadians, 'Guess what, you don't have a say in your national anthem. It belongs to us as politicians ... for us to deliver our worldview to you and impose it upon you'.\" O Canada, originally composed with French lyrics, became the country's national anthem in 1980. The first English version included the lines \"Our home, our native land, True patriot love thou dost in us command\". But during World War 1 that phrase was changed to \"in all thy sons command\" in an effort to stir patriotic feelings. Other countries have changed their national anthem lyrics to make them more inclusive. In Austria, for example, a lyric about \"sons\" was changed to \"sons and daughters\" and a lyric about \"fraternal choirs\" was changed to \"jubilant choirs\". In Switzerland, a contest was held to replace the country's national anthem in 2015, but the government has not decided on a winner yet.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2481, "answer_end": 3187, "text": "O Canada, originally composed with French lyrics, became the country's national anthem in 1980. The first English version included the lines \"Our home, our native land, True patriot love thou dost in us command\". But during World War 1 that phrase was changed to \"in all thy sons command\" in an effort to stir patriotic feelings. Other countries have changed their national anthem lyrics to make them more inclusive. In Austria, for example, a lyric about \"sons\" was changed to \"sons and daughters\" and a lyric about \"fraternal choirs\" was changed to \"jubilant choirs\". In Switzerland, a contest was held to replace the country's national anthem in 2015, but the government has not decided on a winner yet."}], "question": "What's the history of the song?", "id": "1094_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Deadly storm Gloria batters Spain, then shifts to France", "date": "21 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Powerful storm Gloria has battered much of eastern Spain, with officials linking at least four deaths to it. The Balearic Islands and the region around Valencia were the worst-hit on Monday, with heavy flooding and strong winds causing havoc. More than 30 provinces in Spain were put on high alert. The storm later moved into southern France. One French forecaster was quoted by local media as saying the storm was the worst in the region since 1982. A man died in his home in the Spanish province of Avila after being hit by flying roof tiles, local officials said on Monday. A homeless woman froze to death near Valencia, a municipal official told Reuters news agency. One man was killed in a car accident on a snowbound road in the Asturias region, while another man was found dead outside his home in the town of Moixent with signs of hypothermia. Social media users in Spain have been publishing footage of flooded streets in Valencia and other cities and towns in Spain. Spanish forecasters on Monday reported winds of up to 115km/h (71mph), and huge waves on the Mediterranean coast. Alicante airport was forced to close, resulting in the cancellations of many flights. Storm Gloria has arrived in Pyrenees-Orientales, France's southernmost Mediterranean department, which has been placed on high alert. Dozens of extra police and firefighters have been deployed in the region. The A9 motorway on the French side of the border was closed as a precautionary measure. Gloria was the worst storm to have hit the region in the winter period since January 1982, Meteo France forecaster Olivier Proust told Franceinfo. Spain and France were also hit by heavy flooding in October last year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1177, "answer_end": 1690, "text": "Storm Gloria has arrived in Pyrenees-Orientales, France's southernmost Mediterranean department, which has been placed on high alert. Dozens of extra police and firefighters have been deployed in the region. The A9 motorway on the French side of the border was closed as a precautionary measure. Gloria was the worst storm to have hit the region in the winter period since January 1982, Meteo France forecaster Olivier Proust told Franceinfo. Spain and France were also hit by heavy flooding in October last year."}], "question": "What about France?", "id": "1095_0"}]}]}, {"title": "'Give HIV drugs to healthy gay men'", "date": "24 February 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Healthy gay men should be offered daily HIV drugs to prevent infections, say campaigners. A UK study, on 545 high-risk men, found one case of HIV could be stopped for every 13 men treated for a year. The research team says it would be similar to the pill for women and would not encourage risky sex. The findings have been described as a \"game changer\" and the NHS is considering how to adopt them. Antiretroviral drugs have transformed HIV treatment and patients have a near-normal life expectancy. Now there is a growing body of research showing the drugs can have a dramatic role in preventing new infections. Gay men face a high risk of contracting HIV. In London, one in eight gay men has HIV while the figure is one in 26 in the rest of the UK. In the first year of the study, 19 people developed HIV out of the 269 men who were not given the medicine. There were just two cases in the 276 patients given preventative drugs - a fall of 86%. The trial was altered as the early results were so promising, and all participants are now getting the drugs. Concerns had been raised that men given the drug would adopt riskier behaviours including stopping using condoms. But the scientists found no difference in levels of other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia. \"We certainly think the NHS should be considering making this available,\" said one of the researchers Dr Anthony Nardone from Public Health England. He added: \"I don't envisage all men taking PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] for all their lives, but in effect what we're doing is giving men an option to get through periods of very high risk in their lives.\" Fellow scientist Dr Mitzy Gafos, from University College London, said many gay men would not need the drugs as they were not having unprotected sex. Estimates suggest that between 5,000 and 15,000 men in the UK would be suitable. Dr Gafos added: \"There's very clearly a group of individuals who would benefit from the availability of this product. \"PrEP is having an important impact on removing the inevitability of HIV for many individuals and enhancing the sexual experience, reducing their fears and the concerns that they go through in relationships.\" The study has been presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, but the full data has not yet been published in a medical journal. Charlie Witzel, a 27-year-old Canadian living in London, took part in the trial. He said higher rates of HIV in the capital meant he felt he was at high risk \"just by being in London\". He told the BBC: \"Like a lot of gay men my age, sex has always been associated with HIV for me, that has presented various barriers with intimacy.\" Mr Witzel said the knowledge that the person most likely to infect you was a regular partner was a \"massive challenge\" in relationships. He thinks the drugs should be available \"like the contraceptive pill\" as people were \"quite good at evaluating their own risk and knowing when something is not relevant\" such as after entering a monogamous relationship. The cost of the medicines would come to PS360 per month per person. However, the National Aids Trust said they would pay for themselves because of the costs of treating HIV. Chief executive Deborah Gold said: \"If we can stop people getting HIV by giving them PrEP, we have an ethical duty to do so. \"Furthermore, over the course of their lifetime the treatment of those 19 men will cost the NHS nearly PS7m, so the financial argument is clear, as is the ethical one. \"PrEP needs to be available on the NHS as soon as possible for all those who need it.\" The Terrence Higgins Trust charity said condom use had already prevented tens of thousands of HIV infections since the 1980s, but argued PrEP would be a valuable extra weapon in the armoury. Its medical director Dr Michael Brady said: \"PrEP is, quite simply, a game-changer. \"It is not a vaccine and it won't be for everyone, but once approved, we expect it to significantly increase the momentum in our fight against the virus.\" The NHS is already considering how PrEP could be introduced. Prof Simon Barton, from NHS England, said: \"The findings of this study are very important and significantly add new data to existing international evidence. \"Several questions still need to be resolved about how the greatest benefit can be delivered to those at risk of infection and how the key elements in the study, such as follow-up testing and adherence support, can be commissioned to benefit individual and public health in real life settings.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1057, "answer_end": 2366, "text": "Concerns had been raised that men given the drug would adopt riskier behaviours including stopping using condoms. But the scientists found no difference in levels of other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia. \"We certainly think the NHS should be considering making this available,\" said one of the researchers Dr Anthony Nardone from Public Health England. He added: \"I don't envisage all men taking PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] for all their lives, but in effect what we're doing is giving men an option to get through periods of very high risk in their lives.\" Fellow scientist Dr Mitzy Gafos, from University College London, said many gay men would not need the drugs as they were not having unprotected sex. Estimates suggest that between 5,000 and 15,000 men in the UK would be suitable. Dr Gafos added: \"There's very clearly a group of individuals who would benefit from the availability of this product. \"PrEP is having an important impact on removing the inevitability of HIV for many individuals and enhancing the sexual experience, reducing their fears and the concerns that they go through in relationships.\" The study has been presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, but the full data has not yet been published in a medical journal."}], "question": "Risky sex?", "id": "1096_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Huawei: US official warns 'no safe level' of involvement with tech giant", "date": "29 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has warned that its intelligence sharing with other countries would have to be re-evaluated if those countries use Huawei to build their 5G networks. Senior US official Rob Strayer said any such role for the firm posed an \"unacceptable risk\" to security. It has been reported that the UK might allow the Chinese telecoms firm into the non-core parts of its 5G network. But opponents of the plan have raised concerns about Huawei's ties to the Chinese government. Last week, a leak from the UK's National Security Council indicated the government had decided to allow the Chinese telecoms firm to have a limited role in bringing 5G to the UK. The news provoked controversy, with reports several of Prime Minister Theresa May's senior cabinet ministers had warned against the move. The US expressed serious concerns at the time, since, along with Australia and New Zealand, it belives the Chinese firm is a security risk because of its ties to the state. Responding to Mr Strayer's intervention, Mrs May's official spokesman said: \"Our position has always been that where national security concerns arise in any foreign investment the government will assess the risks and consider what course of action to take.\" China's ambassador in London said Britain should resist pressure from other nations, and that the company had a \"good track record on security\". Mr Strayer, the deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications at the US State Department, said the US was letting other countries know that if they put \"unsecure and untrusted vendors\" into their 5G networks, \"in any place\" then it was \"going to have to consider the risk that produces to our information-sharing arrangements with them\". 5G is the next - and fifth - generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Strayer said: \"We think the stakes couldn't be higher with regard to 5G technology, because of all of the things we build out over the coming years on top of that tech. \"This is truly a monumental decision being made now... we think there's unacceptable risk in letting untrusted vendors provide that base infrastructure because they could disrupt any of those critical services. \"In addition we're concerned about the ability for a government that has the track record... that China has, to potentially have access to that massive increase in data, personal data in many cases, that could be used in nefarious ways.\" Mr Strayer earlier told journalists even allowing an \"untrustworthy\" operator into the \"edges\" of the network created risks of espionage or sabotage. He added: \"We should be concerned about all parts of the 5G network. No part of the 5G network should have parts or software coming from a vendor that could be under the control of an authoritarian government.\" It is understood telecoms operators who use Huawei equipment in their networks have been asked to attend a meeting with officials including Mr Strayer at the US Embassy in London on Tuesday. 5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. The world is going mobile and existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns, particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G is also much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average and experts say 5G - which is starting to be rolled out in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster. Huawei was started by a former People's Liberation Army officer in 1987. The company started out making equipment for phone networks and has grown rapidly to become a global leader. It is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and is owned by 80,000 of its 180,000 employees. More recently it has started making smartphones as well, and Huawei has now captured about 16% of the global market, making it the world's third-largest supplier after Samsung and Apple. The US points to its founder's military background and potential interference from the Chinese government to argue it represents a risk to national security. Australia and New Zealand have blocked telecoms companies from using Huawei equipment in 5G networks, citing security concerns. But the company is keen to portray itself as a firm with no ties to the Chinese government. It says it prioritises safety and security and that at least some of the hostility is because the firm poses a competitive threat.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3100, "answer_end": 3831, "text": "5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. The world is going mobile and existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns, particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G is also much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average and experts say 5G - which is starting to be rolled out in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster."}], "question": "Why do we need 5G?", "id": "1097_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3832, "answer_end": 4794, "text": "Huawei was started by a former People's Liberation Army officer in 1987. The company started out making equipment for phone networks and has grown rapidly to become a global leader. It is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and is owned by 80,000 of its 180,000 employees. More recently it has started making smartphones as well, and Huawei has now captured about 16% of the global market, making it the world's third-largest supplier after Samsung and Apple. The US points to its founder's military background and potential interference from the Chinese government to argue it represents a risk to national security. Australia and New Zealand have blocked telecoms companies from using Huawei equipment in 5G networks, citing security concerns. But the company is keen to portray itself as a firm with no ties to the Chinese government. It says it prioritises safety and security and that at least some of the hostility is because the firm poses a competitive threat."}], "question": "What is Huawei?", "id": "1097_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa back abortion rights campaign", "date": "27 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A group of nearly 140 musicians, including Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, have signed an open letter in support of abortion rights in the US. \"Sweeping bans on access to safe, legal abortion are stripping away our freedoms,\" they write. Some states have brought in stricter abortion laws recently. The letter is part of a campaign from reproductive health organisation Planned Parenthood. \"Every person deserves the right to control their body, their life, and their future,\" says Billie Eilish, one of the stars who has signed the letter. \"We cannot live freely and move fully in the world when our basic right to access the reproductive health care we need is under attack.\" The letter includes some of the biggest names in music including Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. Other musicians on the letter include The 1975, Bon Iver, John Legend and Troye Sivan. The letter is part of a campaign by organisation Planned Parenthood called Bans Off My Body. \"Freedom is at the foundation of music,\" the letter says. \"Through music we have the power to create, to be who we are as individuals, to speak and live our own truth. \"Access to sexual reproductive health care is about that same freedom. \"Because no-one is free unless they control their own body.\" Abortion is legal across the US, with some differences in each state. But in 2019, nearly 30 states have introduced abortion bans which are currently going through legal proceedings before they come into effect. For example in May, Alabama passed a bill to ban abortion in almost all cases, including rape or incest. Georgia passed a bill which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy - which sparked a backlash from actors and film studios including Disney and Netflix. A lot of Hollywood films and TV shows have been filmed in the state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Kristen Wiig pulled out of making a film in Georgia and Jason Bateman said: \"I will not work in Georgia, or any other state, that is so disgracefully at odds with women's rights\". A lot of the moves to ban or restrict abortion aren't going to actually come into effect any time soon because they intentionally go against the rules of the US constitution. For anti-abortion supporters, the aim is to keep challenging legal abortion so that the case goes right up to the top court in the US - the Supreme Court. That could meant they can then challenge the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which legalised abortion in all 50 states. Since Donald Trump became US President, he has chosen two of the nine judges in the US Supreme Court. Pro-choice campaigners are worried that this could sway the court towards an anti-abortion outcome. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1294, "answer_end": 2707, "text": "Abortion is legal across the US, with some differences in each state. But in 2019, nearly 30 states have introduced abortion bans which are currently going through legal proceedings before they come into effect. For example in May, Alabama passed a bill to ban abortion in almost all cases, including rape or incest. Georgia passed a bill which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy - which sparked a backlash from actors and film studios including Disney and Netflix. A lot of Hollywood films and TV shows have been filmed in the state, including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame. Kristen Wiig pulled out of making a film in Georgia and Jason Bateman said: \"I will not work in Georgia, or any other state, that is so disgracefully at odds with women's rights\". A lot of the moves to ban or restrict abortion aren't going to actually come into effect any time soon because they intentionally go against the rules of the US constitution. For anti-abortion supporters, the aim is to keep challenging legal abortion so that the case goes right up to the top court in the US - the Supreme Court. That could meant they can then challenge the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling, which legalised abortion in all 50 states. Since Donald Trump became US President, he has chosen two of the nine judges in the US Supreme Court. Pro-choice campaigners are worried that this could sway the court towards an anti-abortion outcome."}], "question": "What's going on with abortion rights in the US?", "id": "1098_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Charlie Gard: The story of his parents' legal fight", "date": "27 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The plight of Charlie Gard attracted worldwide attention as a result of the legal fight that pitched his desperate parents against the medical profession. But at the heart of it all is an 11-month-old baby who has spent his entire young life in a hospital bed. This is how his story unfolded. Charlie was born on 4 August 2016 with an exceptionally rare genetic condition called encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS). Although he appeared perfectly healthy when he was born, his health soon began to deteriorate. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said the moment Charlie was diagnosed, his prognosis was bleak. Charlie now has severe brain damage and cannot open his eyes or move his arms or legs. His condition also means he is unable to breathe unaided, which is why he needs to be on a ventilator. His heart, liver and kidneys are also affected, and his doctors say it is not clear if he feels pain. Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, from Bedfont in west London, wanted Charlie to have an experimental treatment called nucleoside bypass therapy (NBT). The treatment is not invasive and can be added to food. A hospital in the US agreed to offer Charlie the treatment, and Charlie's parents had raised PS1.3m in funds to take him there. No animal or human with Charlie's condition (RRM2B deficiency) has been treated with NBT, but the treatment has been previously offered to patients with a similar genetic disorder, TK2 deficiency. But TK2 affects just the muscles, whereas Charlie's condition also affects other organs and his brain. GOSH did apply for ethical permission to attempt nucleoside therapy on Charlie. However, by the time that decision was made Charlie's condition had greatly worsened and the view was his brain damage was too severe and irreversible for the treatment to help. After contacting other experts in the condition from medical centres across the world, doctors came to the conclusion that Charlie's life support should be switched off and he should be allowed to die with dignity. Charlie's parents disagreed with the hospital and did not want his life support to be withdrawn, so doctors applied to the High Court for judges to decide Charlie's future. In April, the High Court agreed with the GOSH doctors. Charlie's parents then appealed against the decision, but courts ruled the original decision should stand and it would be in Charlie's best interests to be allowed to die with dignity. The Supreme Court and the European Court both came to the same conclusion. Although Charlie's parents had seemingly exhausted all legal avenues, two prominent figures ensured Charlie's case became world news: Donald Trump and the Pope. Following the European Court ruling, the Pope said he was following the case \"with affection and sadness\". A statement released from the Vatican said the Pope \"expresses his closeness to his [Charlie's] parents\". \"For them he prays, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their own child to the end is not ignored,\" it said. The US president then offered his support, tweeting: \"If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so.\" After his tweet, the US doctor offering the therapy, Professor Michio Hirano from Columbia University Medical Center, was contacted by the president's team to see if there was anything more that could be done. On 6 July, the professor co-signed a letter with other medical experts which suggested unpublished data showed therapy could improve the 11-month-old's brain condition. They claimed that \"ideally\" the treatment would first be tested on mice but said that, in Charlie's case, there was no time for such a trial. It was this unpublished data that prompted GOSH to apply to the High Court for a fresh hearing \"in light of claims of new evidence\" relating to potential treatment for Charlie's condition. Under the initial High Court ruling, Charlie was not allowed to be transferred anywhere to be treated so it asked the court to examine the new evidence. During this time, Professor Hirano flew over from America to examine Charlie. Charlie's plight has proved to be very divisive. Some people felt Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity, while others have disagreed with the doctors, arguing Charlie's parents should be allowed to decide where he is treated. At one point the hospital said staff had received death threats and police had been called after other families, whose children were being treated at the hospital, had been harassed. Charlie's parents said they did not condone the abuse and had also faced \"nasty and hurtful remarks\". After examining Charlie, Professor Hirano said it was now too late to give Charlie the therapy. He came to the conclusion after seeing the results of a new MRI scan taken last week. The scan had shown there was no muscle at all in parts of his body. After hearing this, Charlie's parents decided to abandon the legal proceedings and ruled out taking him to the US. They believe he could have lived a normal life if he had been given treatment earlier, but said they now wanted to treasure the short time they had left with him. In its statement to the High Court on 24 July, the hospital said it was \"increasingly surprised and disappointed\" that Professor Hirano \"had not read Charlie's contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlie's brain imaging or read all of the second opinions about Charlie's condition\". GOSH said the professor had not taken the opportunity to see Charlie until last week, despite being offered the chance to do so by the hospital in January. Even though the professor gave written evidence at all of the court cases, the hospital said it only emerged last week that he had not read the judge's ruling following the first High Court hearing in April. The hospital added it was concerned to hear the professor state in the witness box at the High Court hearing on 13 July that he had a financial interest in some of the treatment he proposed prescribing for Charlie. Professor Hirano said in a statement on 25 July he had \"relinquished\" that financial interest. Charlie's life support will be withdrawn at a hospice but lawyers acting for Charlie's parents were in dispute with doctors over the detail of care plans. Chris Gard and Connie Yates had applied to the High Court to keep Charlie alive for \"a week or so\" - longer than originally planned. But a judge ruled that Charlie would be moved to a hospice to spend his final few hours before the ventilator that keeps him alive is switched off. - 3 March 2017: Mr Justice Francis starts to analyse the case at a hearing in the family division of the High Court in London - 11 April: He says doctors can stop providing life-support treatment - 3 May: Charlie's parents ask Court of Appeal judges to consider the case - 23 May: Three Court of Appeal judges analyse the case - 25 May: The Court of Appeal judges dismiss the couple's appeal - 8 June: Charlie's parents lose their fight in the Supreme Court - 20 June: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights start to analyse the case, after lawyers representing Charlie's parents make written submissions - 27 June: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights refuse to intervene - 3 July: The Pope and US President Donald Trump offer to intervene - 4 July: The Vatican's children's hospital in Rome, offers to take in Charlie - 7 July: Great Ormond Street Hospital applies for a fresh hearing at the High Court - 10 July: Charlie's parents return to the High Court and ask Mr Justice Francis to carry out a fresh analysis of the case. Mr Justice Francis says he will consider any new evidence. - 17 July - Dr Michio Hirano, the US neurologist, travels to London to examine Charlie - 21 July - Lawyer representing Great Ormond Street says Charlie's new scan makes for \"sad reading\" - 22 July - Great Ormond Street says doctors and nurses have been subjected to abuse and received threatening messages - 24 July - Charlie's parents say they will end their legal fight for his treatment and let him die - 27 July -  A judge rules that Charlie will be moved to a hospice to spend his final hours before the ventilator that keeps him alive is switched off.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 293, "answer_end": 929, "text": "Charlie was born on 4 August 2016 with an exceptionally rare genetic condition called encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS). Although he appeared perfectly healthy when he was born, his health soon began to deteriorate. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said the moment Charlie was diagnosed, his prognosis was bleak. Charlie now has severe brain damage and cannot open his eyes or move his arms or legs. His condition also means he is unable to breathe unaided, which is why he needs to be on a ventilator. His heart, liver and kidneys are also affected, and his doctors say it is not clear if he feels pain."}], "question": "Who is Charlie Gard?", "id": "1099_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 930, "answer_end": 1279, "text": "Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, from Bedfont in west London, wanted Charlie to have an experimental treatment called nucleoside bypass therapy (NBT). The treatment is not invasive and can be added to food. A hospital in the US agreed to offer Charlie the treatment, and Charlie's parents had raised PS1.3m in funds to take him there."}], "question": "Why did his parents want to go to the US?", "id": "1099_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1280, "answer_end": 2052, "text": "No animal or human with Charlie's condition (RRM2B deficiency) has been treated with NBT, but the treatment has been previously offered to patients with a similar genetic disorder, TK2 deficiency. But TK2 affects just the muscles, whereas Charlie's condition also affects other organs and his brain. GOSH did apply for ethical permission to attempt nucleoside therapy on Charlie. However, by the time that decision was made Charlie's condition had greatly worsened and the view was his brain damage was too severe and irreversible for the treatment to help. After contacting other experts in the condition from medical centres across the world, doctors came to the conclusion that Charlie's life support should be switched off and he should be allowed to die with dignity."}], "question": "Why did GOSH rule out the treatment?", "id": "1099_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2053, "answer_end": 2540, "text": "Charlie's parents disagreed with the hospital and did not want his life support to be withdrawn, so doctors applied to the High Court for judges to decide Charlie's future. In April, the High Court agreed with the GOSH doctors. Charlie's parents then appealed against the decision, but courts ruled the original decision should stand and it would be in Charlie's best interests to be allowed to die with dignity. The Supreme Court and the European Court both came to the same conclusion."}], "question": "What happened in the courts?", "id": "1099_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3728, "answer_end": 4147, "text": "It was this unpublished data that prompted GOSH to apply to the High Court for a fresh hearing \"in light of claims of new evidence\" relating to potential treatment for Charlie's condition. Under the initial High Court ruling, Charlie was not allowed to be transferred anywhere to be treated so it asked the court to examine the new evidence. During this time, Professor Hirano flew over from America to examine Charlie."}], "question": "Why did the case return to the courts?", "id": "1099_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4148, "answer_end": 4666, "text": "Charlie's plight has proved to be very divisive. Some people felt Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity, while others have disagreed with the doctors, arguing Charlie's parents should be allowed to decide where he is treated. At one point the hospital said staff had received death threats and police had been called after other families, whose children were being treated at the hospital, had been harassed. Charlie's parents said they did not condone the abuse and had also faced \"nasty and hurtful remarks\"."}], "question": "What has the public reaction been?", "id": "1099_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4667, "answer_end": 6157, "text": "After examining Charlie, Professor Hirano said it was now too late to give Charlie the therapy. He came to the conclusion after seeing the results of a new MRI scan taken last week. The scan had shown there was no muscle at all in parts of his body. After hearing this, Charlie's parents decided to abandon the legal proceedings and ruled out taking him to the US. They believe he could have lived a normal life if he had been given treatment earlier, but said they now wanted to treasure the short time they had left with him. In its statement to the High Court on 24 July, the hospital said it was \"increasingly surprised and disappointed\" that Professor Hirano \"had not read Charlie's contemporaneous medical records or viewed Charlie's brain imaging or read all of the second opinions about Charlie's condition\". GOSH said the professor had not taken the opportunity to see Charlie until last week, despite being offered the chance to do so by the hospital in January. Even though the professor gave written evidence at all of the court cases, the hospital said it only emerged last week that he had not read the judge's ruling following the first High Court hearing in April. The hospital added it was concerned to hear the professor state in the witness box at the High Court hearing on 13 July that he had a financial interest in some of the treatment he proposed prescribing for Charlie. Professor Hirano said in a statement on 25 July he had \"relinquished\" that financial interest."}], "question": "Why was the therapy eventually ruled out by the US doctor?", "id": "1099_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6158, "answer_end": 6593, "text": "Charlie's life support will be withdrawn at a hospice but lawyers acting for Charlie's parents were in dispute with doctors over the detail of care plans. Chris Gard and Connie Yates had applied to the High Court to keep Charlie alive for \"a week or so\" - longer than originally planned. But a judge ruled that Charlie would be moved to a hospice to spend his final few hours before the ventilator that keeps him alive is switched off."}], "question": "What happens to Charlie now?", "id": "1099_7"}]}]}, {"title": "EU deal: How does it affect UK's position outside the eurozone", "date": "20 February 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Within the deal struck by the prime minister in Brussels are some changes aimed specifically at the City of London and business. At the moment, the UK - along with several others including Poland and Sweden - is inside the EU but outside the Eurozone, those countries that have signed up for the single currency. But when new legislation is adopted across Europe, the UK isn't allowed to point to its non-Eurozone status and say that any new rules relating to business and finance shouldn't apply to Britain. Britain usually votes with the rest of the EU on new legislation but one example of when it was outvoted on a business-related measure was the cap on bankers' bonuses in 2013. Britain opposed the plan because it would apply primarily to London-based senior executives and could discourage them from working here. But that kind of scenario shouldn't be possible in future under the agreement struck on Friday. A binding undertaking has now been agreed by all 28 heads of state and government not to introduce any legislation which may discriminate against non-Eurozone countries. So all this means there is now a formal recognition that the EU has several currencies, not just the euro. That matters when it comes to new laws because the EU Commission can no longer draw up rules with the 19-country Eurozone mostly in mind. It is now legally obliged to include UK, Polish and Swedish concerns - as well as those of any other non-Eurozone member states - when it is drafting legislation. For the City of London, this matters. The European Central Bank will no longer be able to force payments in euros to be cleared (or formally processed) in a Eurozone member state. Nor can, for example, a German or Italian regulator try to coerce one of its banks to move parts of its business or even its senior management from London to Frankfurt or Milan. Beyond financial matters, there have been clear and formal commitments in the Brussels agreement to cutting red tape and encouraging growth and job creation for the entire EU. That's been an informal aspiration up to now. This means that the EU Commission must now ask itself whether a proposed new rule is necessary at all and whether it should be monitored by a local regulator rather than by the commission itself. Finally the Brussels agreement gives formal political weight to the EU developing closer international trade deals such as with Japan, India and the on-going talks with the US called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The government has said that British companies would benefit from much closer trade deals with giant emerging economies to reduce its dependence on its EU trade partners which currently account for up to half of UK exports. In terms of the business lobby groups and where they will stand on the forthcoming referendum on 23 June, the CBI says it will campaign to stay in. TheCityUK, which represents large banks, insurers and consultants in Britain, is in favour of EU membership, but won't be campaigning on the issue. The British Chambers of Commerce has said that it wouldn't campaign for either the \"remain\" or \"leave\" sides.  The Federation of Small Businesses will also remain neutral", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1854, "answer_end": 2737, "text": "Beyond financial matters, there have been clear and formal commitments in the Brussels agreement to cutting red tape and encouraging growth and job creation for the entire EU. That's been an informal aspiration up to now. This means that the EU Commission must now ask itself whether a proposed new rule is necessary at all and whether it should be monitored by a local regulator rather than by the commission itself. Finally the Brussels agreement gives formal political weight to the EU developing closer international trade deals such as with Japan, India and the on-going talks with the US called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The government has said that British companies would benefit from much closer trade deals with giant emerging economies to reduce its dependence on its EU trade partners which currently account for up to half of UK exports."}], "question": "What else matters to business?", "id": "1100_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Jean Charles de Menezes family loses European court fight", "date": "30 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The family of Jean Charles de Menezes has lost a human rights challenge over the decision not to charge any UK police officer for his fatal shooting. The Brazilian was killed at London's Stockwell Tube in 2005 by police who mistook him for a terror suspect. The decision that there was not enough evidence to prosecute anyone did not breach human rights laws, judges said. His family, who had argued that the bar for prosecution should be lower, said they were \"deeply disappointed\". Mr de Menezes, an electrician who was 27, was followed and shot in the head by police marksmen who mistook him for a suicide bomber. The incident came amid heightened tensions two weeks after the 7 July London bombings - in which four suicide bombers killed 52 people - and one day after attempted bombings on the London public transport network. Profile: Jean Charles de Menezes BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the ruling was \"the last opportunity for the family to hold the state accountable\". \"The government and the Met were both very quick to acknowledge that what happened was a catastrophic mistake, but this ruling means the end of the road for the family in terms of changing the law,\" he said. Mr de Menezes' family had challenged the test used by British prosecutors to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime. Known as the 51% test, it says that authorities should only prosecute if a conviction is more likely than not. Lawyers for Mr de Menezes' family claimed the threshold for evidence was too high, and was therefore incompatible with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights - which covers the right to life. However, judges ruled against them by 13 votes to four. British authorities had thoroughly investigated and concluded there was not sufficient evidence for a realistic chance of conviction of any one officer over the shooting, the court added. The family had also argued the officers should not have been allowed to say they had acted in self-defence. However the court in Strasburg backed the legal definition of self-defence in England and Wales - which says there must be an honest belief that the use of force was absolutely necessary. Mr de Menezes' cousin Patricia da Silva Armani, who was living with him at the time of his death, said the family would not give up the fight for justice. \"We had hoped that the ruling would give a glimmer of hope, not only to us, but to all other families who have been denied the right to justice after deaths at the hands of the police,\" she said. \"We find it unbelievable that our innocent cousin could be shot seven times in the head by the Metropolitan Police when he had done nothing wrong, and yet the police have not had to account for their actions. \"As we have always maintained, we feel that decisions about guilt and innocence should be made by juries, not by faceless bureaucrats and we are deeply saddened that we have been denied that opportunity yet again.\" In short, the article says the state must never arbitrarily take someone's life, and must also safeguard the lives of those in its care. It lists three scenarios where force at the hands of the state could be justified: - In defence of any person from unlawful violence - In order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained - In action lawfully taken for the purpose of quelling a riot or insurrection. It also requires the government to carry out a independent investigation into all deaths caused by the state. This investigation must be brought about by the state of its own accord, and include an element of public scrutiny. The European court judgment said the case was \"undoubtedly tragic\" and the frustration of Mr de Menezes' family at the absence of any individual prosecutions was understandable. However, the decision not to prosecute any individual officer was not due to any failings in the investigation \"or the state's tolerance of or collusion in unlawful acts\", the judgment said. It added: \"Rather, it was due to the fact that, following a thorough investigation, a prosecutor considered all the facts of the case and concluded that there was insufficient evidence against any individual officer to meet the threshold evidential test in respect of any criminal offence.\" The UK government said the Strasbourg court had handed down \"the right judgment\". \"The facts of this case are tragic, but the government considers that the court has upheld the important principle that individuals are only prosecuted where there is a realistic prospect of conviction,\" a spokesperson said. In a tragic case of mistaken identity, undercover police officers began following Mr de Menezes on 22 July 2005 because they thought he looked like Hussain Osman, a failed suicide bomber who was on the run. Mr de Menezes' flat shared a communal entrance with a property linked to Osman. The undercover police followed him into the station where he was pinned down and shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder by two officers trained in stopping suicide bombers. The CPS ruled out prosecuting officers in 2006, but they did charge the Met Police with breaching health and safety laws, leading to a PS175,000 fine. - 22 July 2005: Shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station - 17 July 2006: CPS says no officers will be prosecuted, but Met Police will be tried for breaching health and safety laws - 1 November 2007: Met Police found guilty of breaching health and safety laws and fined - 22 October 2008: Inquest under way - coroner rules out unlawful killing verdict a month later - 12 December 2008: Inquest jury returns open verdict - 16 November 2009: Met Police settles damages claim with family - 10 June 2015: De Menezes family take legal challenge to European Court of Human Rights - 30 March 2016: Family lose challenge over decision not to charge any police officer over the shooting", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2984, "answer_end": 3650, "text": "In short, the article says the state must never arbitrarily take someone's life, and must also safeguard the lives of those in its care. It lists three scenarios where force at the hands of the state could be justified: - In defence of any person from unlawful violence - In order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained - In action lawfully taken for the purpose of quelling a riot or insurrection. It also requires the government to carry out a independent investigation into all deaths caused by the state. This investigation must be brought about by the state of its own accord, and include an element of public scrutiny."}], "question": "What is Article 2?", "id": "1101_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Armenia protests: Soldiers join demonstrators as unrest continues", "date": "23 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Armenian soldiers have joined protests against the prime minister in the country's capital Yerevan. There have been days of protests against Serzh Sargsyan, who was recently appointed PM after being president for 10 years. The defence ministry warned soldiers who participated that they would be harshly punished. Monday's rallies followed the arrest of protest leader Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday. He has now been released. This is the 11th day of demonstrations against Mr Sargsyan, who held talks with Mr Pashinyan - an opposition MP - on Sunday before he was detained. Live footage from the protests in Yerevan has shown unarmed soldiers mixing with the demonstrators and waving the Armenian flag. The AFP news agency reports that those marching with protesters include army veterans who served in the war against Azerbaijan, which broke out at the end of the Soviet era. Local media report that nearly all the universities in Yerevan, and many schools, are on strike, with doctors also said to be marching. Tens of thousands have marched in the capital and other cities in recent days. Protesters say they will demonstrate until Mr Sargsyan steps down. In 2015, Armenians voted in a referendum to shift the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system, stripping powers from the president and giving them to the prime minister. The vote was marred by allegations of ballot rigging and claims Mr Sargsyan wanted to simply switch office after his presidency ended. The ex-president had formally stated he would \"not aspire\" for the prime minister position. But on Tuesday last week the country's parliament officially confirmed Mr Sargsyan in the post. Protesters had poured into the streets in the days beforehand to try to stop the parliament from passing the measure and clashed with police. On the day of the confirmation, Mr Pashinyan said the demonstrations constitute a \"non-violent velvet revolution\". On Sunday, Mr Pashinyan met Mr Sargsyan for televised talks, which swiftly collapsed. The opposition MP insisted the PM should quit and Mr Sargsyan accused him of \"blackmail\". Mr Pashinyan was arrested shortly afterwards. He previously served time in prison after supporting Mr Sargsyan's opponent in the 2008 presidential election, but was released after two years in a general amnesty. Mr Sargsyan served two consecutive terms as president of Armenia, starting in 2008 and ending on 9 April this year. His initial election in 2008 prompted deadly clashes between the state and opposition supporters. At least eight people died. Mr Sargsyan won a second five-year term in 2013. Several of his opponents dropped out of the race and one candidate was shot in a suspected assassination attempt. The opposition has previously criticised Mr Sargsyan's administration for its close ties to Russia.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1155, "answer_end": 1918, "text": "In 2015, Armenians voted in a referendum to shift the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system, stripping powers from the president and giving them to the prime minister. The vote was marred by allegations of ballot rigging and claims Mr Sargsyan wanted to simply switch office after his presidency ended. The ex-president had formally stated he would \"not aspire\" for the prime minister position. But on Tuesday last week the country's parliament officially confirmed Mr Sargsyan in the post. Protesters had poured into the streets in the days beforehand to try to stop the parliament from passing the measure and clashed with police. On the day of the confirmation, Mr Pashinyan said the demonstrations constitute a \"non-violent velvet revolution\"."}], "question": "Why are there protests?", "id": "1102_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1919, "answer_end": 2306, "text": "On Sunday, Mr Pashinyan met Mr Sargsyan for televised talks, which swiftly collapsed. The opposition MP insisted the PM should quit and Mr Sargsyan accused him of \"blackmail\". Mr Pashinyan was arrested shortly afterwards. He previously served time in prison after supporting Mr Sargsyan's opponent in the 2008 presidential election, but was released after two years in a general amnesty."}], "question": "What are the latest developments?", "id": "1102_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2307, "answer_end": 2811, "text": "Mr Sargsyan served two consecutive terms as president of Armenia, starting in 2008 and ending on 9 April this year. His initial election in 2008 prompted deadly clashes between the state and opposition supporters. At least eight people died. Mr Sargsyan won a second five-year term in 2013. Several of his opponents dropped out of the race and one candidate was shot in a suspected assassination attempt. The opposition has previously criticised Mr Sargsyan's administration for its close ties to Russia."}], "question": "Who is Serzh Sargsyan?", "id": "1102_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Sexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters'", "date": "12 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Africans have been outraged by a spate of gruesome rapes and murders of women in recent weeks - including that of a schoolgirl who reportedly had her head staved in, and a university student who was bludgeoned to death. The rapes and murders have led to street protests, the #AmINext campaign on Twitter, and an online petition signed by more than 500,000 to demand the reinstatement of the death penalty in a nation battling to curb high levels of crime. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised a series of measures to tackle the crisis - including making public a register of offenders, increasing the number of \"dedicated sexual offences courts\", and harsher sentences. Photographer Sarah Midgley, a 37-year-old mother of two who lives in the main city Johannesburg, is still recovering from the trauma of being raped almost a decade ago. She told BBC Africa Women's Affairs reporter Esther Akello Ogola about her ordeal. I was raped by my ex-boyfriend in 2010, just around the time the football World Cup was taking place in South Africa. My ex-boyfriend had been physically and emotionally abusing me for close to 18 months before I got the courage to leave. I had threatened to leave many times before but every time I tried, he would get more violent. He would kick, sometimes choke and bite me. He constantly threatened to rape my daughters and kill them in front of me if I dared to leave him. He even tasered me once. I did not share this with anyone because I was embarrassed and ashamed that I could not stand up for myself. I was also isolated from friends and family because coming right off a divorce, my self-esteem was not at its best and my ex-boyfriend convinced me that friends and family did not care about me. I also believed he would hurt my babies. When I did get the courage to leave, I did so secretly. However, 10 days later, he was standing at my door. To say I was shocked that he had found me would be an understatement. He said he was only there to ask for a favour for the last time. He claimed to have no money or means to get to his uncle's farm, which was around 25km (15.5 miles) from where I lived. He promised that he would walk out of my life completely, if I gave him a ride. I believed him. For many years after the rape, I blamed myself for having believed that he would let me go scot-free. - School pupil Janika Mallo, 14, is raped and dies after her head is apparently hit with a concrete block; no arrests have yet been made - First-year film and media studies student Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, is allegedly lured into a post office's mail room and raped and bludgeoned to death; a post office employee has been charged - First-year theology student Jesse Hess, 19, is found dead in her bed and her tied-up grandfather Chris Lategan, 85, in the toilet; no arrests have yet been made - Boxer Leighandre \"Baby Lee\" Jengels, 25, is shot dead in a car by her ex-boyfriend, a police officer; he later dies of wounds sustained in a car crash as he tries to flee - Show-jumper Meghan Cremer, 30, is found dead in a shallow grave allegedly with a rope around her neck; three people have been charged with murder - Body parts of sales coach Lynette Volschenk, 32, are allegedly found in refuse bags in an apartment block; a suspect has been arrested South Africa murder and sex offences rising A little later on the car ride, I realised his body language was off. He seemed on edge and I justified it with the fact that he was a heroin addict. (Unfortunately, I found out this a bit late into the relationship). I told him I would reach only as far as the farm's gate and then head back home. If I thought things did not seem quite right before, his next actions confirmed my fears. He said I would leave when he said I could leave - and immediately locked the car doors. Once we reached the farm, he ran to my side, opened my door and dragged me by my hair and as I fell out of the car, he kicked me on the head and I passed out. When I regained consciousness, I was in one of the farm's outside quarters and he was on top of me. A friend had also joined him and when my ex-boyfriend was done, he took over. I passed out again and when I regained consciousness, they had left and his uncle's farm cleaner was next to me. She had a bucket of water and was attempting to wipe me while trying to cover me with some of her clothes. I asked her to stop and call the police or an ambulance. An ambulance later arrived and took me to hospital. Unfortunately, the injuries I experienced were quite extensive and I had to have a hysterectomy. As this was happening, I found out that my perpetrator had been granted bail and had skipped town. For nine months, I had to live looking over my shoulder. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to eight years in jail. He died of prostate and bladder cancer in 2017, seven years into his jail term. I can honestly say that that was the first time I could breathe in seven years. I never pursued a case against his friend because I could not go through the trauma of another potential hearing. I used to have nightmares that my ex-boyfriend would come back and attack me and my children. I moved into my parents' home because I could not stay alone. When you are afraid of snakes, you are afraid of all snakes, even the ones that are not poisonous. Unfortunately, I am terrified of men. I try not to show it and remain assertive but I do not think men realise how intimidating they can be. I have been in therapy for years, some of it for childhood trauma (I was molested as a child), some for after the attack. The worst thing, as a rape survivor who is a mother of daughters, would be to have your children go through the pain you went through. I would be devastated if what happened to me happened to them. So I have taught my children that I will always be their safe space. They can always trust me, they have a voice and they should always use it and I will always believe them. I became obsessive about the safety of my children. I bought them phones and found myself constantly monitoring their movements and whenever I could, I would go with them wherever they went, even if they were just hanging out with their friends at the mall. Eventually, I suffered from exhaustion and had to get back to therapy to try and get over the obsessing. Personally, I do not feel enough is being done to protect women and children in South Africa. People do not see how grave the situation is for women and unfortunately some of those who excuse the attacks are women who say: \"What is done is done. People need to move on and remain positive.\" That is not the solution to women being raped and murdered. By BBC Reality Check team It can be difficult to make comparisons for sexual violence against women as countries record offences in different ways, and in some cases the data is missing or several years old. There is also likely to be under-reporting of sexual violence in many countries. There is data for murder rates for women and girls, although the most recent is from 2016. World Health Organization (WHO) figures show that South Africa had the fourth highest murder rate in the world that year. There were 12.5 violent deaths per 100,000 women in South Africa. Lesotho, Jamaica and Honduras were all higher. The global average of the 183 countries included was 2.6. A report in 2016 by a UN special rapporteur on violence against women in South Africa estimated that only one in nine rapes was reported to the police, and that this number was even lower if the woman was raped by a partner.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 6689, "answer_end": 7586, "text": "By BBC Reality Check team It can be difficult to make comparisons for sexual violence against women as countries record offences in different ways, and in some cases the data is missing or several years old. There is also likely to be under-reporting of sexual violence in many countries. There is data for murder rates for women and girls, although the most recent is from 2016. World Health Organization (WHO) figures show that South Africa had the fourth highest murder rate in the world that year. There were 12.5 violent deaths per 100,000 women in South Africa. Lesotho, Jamaica and Honduras were all higher. The global average of the 183 countries included was 2.6. A report in 2016 by a UN special rapporteur on violence against women in South Africa estimated that only one in nine rapes was reported to the police, and that this number was even lower if the woman was raped by a partner."}], "question": "How does South Africa compare internationally?", "id": "1103_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Dozens of migrants in caravan stuck at US-Mexico border", "date": "30 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Dozens of migrants travelling in a caravan to seek asylum in the US have been stopped at the border. US border officials told some 150 people, many travelling with children, that the Mexico-US border crossing near San Diego was already full. It was not immediately known whether the migrants from Central America would be allowed in later or turned back but the group appears to be staying put. President Donald Trump says the caravan is a threat to the safety of the US. The group has been a frequent target for the US president, who has argued in his tweets that it showed the need to tighten immigration laws. He has asked states bordering Mexico to send troops to shore up security until his proposed border wall is built. The US has a legal obligation to hear asylum claims but the majority of claimants from Central America lose their cases. The caravan set off for the US on 25 March in southern Mexico, near the Guatemala border and at one point numbered more than 1,000 people. The group travelled by bus, train and on foot during its 2,000-mile (3,200km) trek to the US border, with many saying they were fleeing persecution and violence in their home countries. One of the group's organisers, Alex Mensing, told the BBC that no-one in the group had been processed by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) at the San Ysidro crossing. Some of the members were allowed to cross a long bridge that led to US processing buildings but had to stop outside. In a statement, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said that \"we have reached capacity at the San Ysidro port of entry\". \"Those individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officers work to process those already within our facilities.\" A lawyer for the group was aghast that inspectors at the border were not ready for them. \"We can build a base in Iraq in under a week. We can't process 200 refugees. I don't believe it,\" Nicole Ramos told the Associated Press news agency. Despite the setback, the migrants, who mostly come from Honduras, decided to camp out overnight near the processing centre. \"We've been waiting so long that it doesn't really matter whether it's today, tomorrow or when they let us in,\" said Irineo Mujica, director of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, the campaign group that organised the caravan. Under US immigration law, inspectors have the power to quickly deport individuals who do not have the proper travel or visa documents at the time that they request entry or if the inspector believes that the person requesting entry has committed fraud or misrepresented the truth. However, if an individual expresses a fear of return to his or her home country, they will not be immediately deported but instead be detained until they undergo a \"credible fear interview\". The aim of the interview is for the asylum officer to try to establish if the asylum request is based on a fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership of a particular group. If the officer finds that the individual has a chance of proving fear of persecution, the applicant is referred to a judge. Ms Ramos said the caravan organisers were only sending people who they thought would pass the credible-fear interviews. At the scene: The BBC's James Cook The patience of the many children among the migrants' number was striking, although perhaps weariness was the real explanation. One little girl stood quietly as a woman fixed the child's hair for an interview at the border which could determine the direction of her life. A small boy in an oversized checked coat sucked his fingers and gazed around at the crowd as he sat on a man's shoulders. President Trump says these families are putting the United States in peril. The migrants insist they are fleeing danger, not bringing it with them. Read more from James Constructing a \"big, beautiful wall\" along the Mexican border was a signature campaign promise for Mr Trump, but so far the plan to erect a new physical barrier has been thwarted by lawmakers and appears to have stalled. A major government spending bill which he signed last month included $1.2bn for the border wall - far short of the $25bn the White House sought. And there were strings attached to the funding Congress did approve. Most of it can only be used to repair stretches of the border where there already is a wall, not to build new segments. Last month, the Pentagon confirmed Mr Trump had held \"initial\" talks with Defence Secretary James Mattis about using some of the Pentagon's budget for constructing a wall. But Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Jack Reed wrote to the defence secretary on Monday saying his department had \"no legal authority\" to use its funds for such a purpose. In December, US Border Patrol announced arrests at the southern border had fallen to their lowest level since 1971, apparently indicating that fewer people were attempting the crossing.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1173, "answer_end": 1935, "text": "One of the group's organisers, Alex Mensing, told the BBC that no-one in the group had been processed by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) at the San Ysidro crossing. Some of the members were allowed to cross a long bridge that led to US processing buildings but had to stop outside. In a statement, CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said that \"we have reached capacity at the San Ysidro port of entry\". \"Those individuals may need to wait in Mexico as CBP officers work to process those already within our facilities.\" A lawyer for the group was aghast that inspectors at the border were not ready for them. \"We can build a base in Iraq in under a week. We can't process 200 refugees. I don't believe it,\" Nicole Ramos told the Associated Press news agency."}], "question": "What happened at the crossing?", "id": "1104_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1936, "answer_end": 3208, "text": "Despite the setback, the migrants, who mostly come from Honduras, decided to camp out overnight near the processing centre. \"We've been waiting so long that it doesn't really matter whether it's today, tomorrow or when they let us in,\" said Irineo Mujica, director of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, the campaign group that organised the caravan. Under US immigration law, inspectors have the power to quickly deport individuals who do not have the proper travel or visa documents at the time that they request entry or if the inspector believes that the person requesting entry has committed fraud or misrepresented the truth. However, if an individual expresses a fear of return to his or her home country, they will not be immediately deported but instead be detained until they undergo a \"credible fear interview\". The aim of the interview is for the asylum officer to try to establish if the asylum request is based on a fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership of a particular group. If the officer finds that the individual has a chance of proving fear of persecution, the applicant is referred to a judge. Ms Ramos said the caravan organisers were only sending people who they thought would pass the credible-fear interviews."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "1104_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3807, "answer_end": 4894, "text": "Constructing a \"big, beautiful wall\" along the Mexican border was a signature campaign promise for Mr Trump, but so far the plan to erect a new physical barrier has been thwarted by lawmakers and appears to have stalled. A major government spending bill which he signed last month included $1.2bn for the border wall - far short of the $25bn the White House sought. And there were strings attached to the funding Congress did approve. Most of it can only be used to repair stretches of the border where there already is a wall, not to build new segments. Last month, the Pentagon confirmed Mr Trump had held \"initial\" talks with Defence Secretary James Mattis about using some of the Pentagon's budget for constructing a wall. But Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Jack Reed wrote to the defence secretary on Monday saying his department had \"no legal authority\" to use its funds for such a purpose. In December, US Border Patrol announced arrests at the southern border had fallen to their lowest level since 1971, apparently indicating that fewer people were attempting the crossing."}], "question": "When is Trump going to build his wall?", "id": "1104_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ecuador 'rejects unlimited election terms', blocking Correa return", "date": "5 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Ecuadoreans have voted to scrap unlimited presidential terms, a move which should stop leftist ex-leader Rafael Correa from returning to power. With almost all votes counted, 64.3% of voters backed a constitutional change which will prevent presidents from holding office for more than two terms. The question was one of seven being put to voters in a referendum. It was called by current President Lenin Moreno, once Mr Correa's deputy but now his staunch opponent. The questions also include a proposal to bar officials convicted of corruption from politics. Mr Correa split very publicly from Mr Moreno, who took office in May 2017 after winning an election as the candidate of Mr Correa's Alianza Pais (Country Alliance) party. The referendum was Mr Moreno's way to \"distance himself from his predecessor and consolidate his political process\", said Ecuadorean news and analysis portal GK. Voters also gave broad backing to measures to limit the mining of minerals in environmentally protected areas and to end the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors. Some of the measures will require approval by Congress. Mr Moreno, 64, was disabled in a 1998 armed robbery and is currently the only serving head of state using a wheelchair. He was Mr Correa's vice-president between 2007 and 2013. Yes - and a deeply personal one. Mr Moreno wants a decisive vote to mark an end to the Correa-era \"Citizens' Revolution\" and close the door to Mr Correa's candidacy in the 2021 election. \"Corruption sets in when you have only one government that thinks it will stay on forever,\" he said on the campaign trail this week, according to Reuters news agency. But Mr Correa has called his former ally a \"traitor\" and said he was \"trying to destroy everything that has to do with Correa\", the agency reports. Mr Correa, who in January 2018 returned from Belgium where he had been living to spearhead the \"No\" campaign, has called the referendum a \"coup d'etat\". He accuses \"the right\" of wanting to \"invent a crime against me to disable me\", said AFP news agency, referring to a referendum measure to bar those convicted of corruption from politics. Jorge Glas, vice-president to both Mr Correa and Mr Moreno, was sentenced to six years in jail in December 2017 for his involvement in a case of bribes paid by Brazilian firm Odebrecht. Mr Correa has not himself been convicted of any corruption. He has voluntarily agreed to testify in court on Monday as prosecutors investigate allegations of irregularities in oil sales to China and Thailand during his time in office.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1309, "answer_end": 2572, "text": "Yes - and a deeply personal one. Mr Moreno wants a decisive vote to mark an end to the Correa-era \"Citizens' Revolution\" and close the door to Mr Correa's candidacy in the 2021 election. \"Corruption sets in when you have only one government that thinks it will stay on forever,\" he said on the campaign trail this week, according to Reuters news agency. But Mr Correa has called his former ally a \"traitor\" and said he was \"trying to destroy everything that has to do with Correa\", the agency reports. Mr Correa, who in January 2018 returned from Belgium where he had been living to spearhead the \"No\" campaign, has called the referendum a \"coup d'etat\". He accuses \"the right\" of wanting to \"invent a crime against me to disable me\", said AFP news agency, referring to a referendum measure to bar those convicted of corruption from politics. Jorge Glas, vice-president to both Mr Correa and Mr Moreno, was sentenced to six years in jail in December 2017 for his involvement in a case of bribes paid by Brazilian firm Odebrecht. Mr Correa has not himself been convicted of any corruption. He has voluntarily agreed to testify in court on Monday as prosecutors investigate allegations of irregularities in oil sales to China and Thailand during his time in office."}], "question": "So this is a battle over Mr Correa's legacy?", "id": "1105_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Comma comeuppance: When rogue punctuation proves costly", "date": "17 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US dairy faces an overtime bill of about $10m (PS8m), after a group of truck drivers won a pay dispute that hinged on some punctuation. An appeal court sided with the drivers, saying the lack of a comma in the state of Maine's overtime laws made the regulations too ambiguous. The ruling has been branded \"profoundly nerdy\" by Quartz, while the Guardian says it \"will delight grammar nerds and Oxford comma enthusiasts anywhere\". Well, Maine's law says the following activities do not qualify for overtime pay: \"The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: (1) Agricultural produce; (2) Meat and fish products; and (3) Perishable foods.\" The drivers said the lack of a comma between \"shipment\" and \"or distribution\"  meant the legislation applied only to the single activity of \"packing\", rather than to \"packing\" and \"distribution\" as two separate activities. And because drivers distribute the goods, but do not pack them, they argued they were therefore eligible for overtime pay - backdated over several years. A district court had earlier ruled in favour of the dairy firm. But circuit judge David J Barron overturned that, writing: \"We conclude that the exemption's scope is actually not so clear in this regard. \"And because, under Maine law, ambiguities in the state's wage and hour laws must be construed liberally in order to accomplish their remedial purpose, we adopt the drivers' narrower reading of the exemption.\" Their employer, Oakhurst Dairy, is likely to appeal. But if it were to ultimately lose, it would not be the first business to fall foul of punctuation problems, spelling mistakes and typos. When US defence giant Lockheed Martin signed a deal to build Hercules military transport aircraft for an unnamed air force, it knew manufacturing would take several years. So the contract it drew up in 1999 stated that the price of the planes would increase over time, to account for inflation. Unfortunately the formula used to work out the price of the aircraft had a typo: a comma that was one decimal place out. A senior Lockheed executive at the time was quoted as saying: \"That comma cost Lockheed $70m.\" But before we feel too sorry for the firm, in the previous year it had reported total profits of about $1bn. In December 2005, stock market trading in a newly listed Japanese company was thrown into chaos by a broker's typing error. Shares in J-Com plunged after the broker at Mizuho Securities tried to sell 610,000 shares at 1 yen each. They had meant to sell one share for 610,000 yen. A fault at the Tokyo Stock Exchange meant the deal could not be reversed, costing Mizuho about 40bn yen (worth $333m or PS190m at the time). We're guessing the trader's bonus wasn't great that year. Officials at Companies House - the official UK register of businesses - led to the demise of a Welsh engineering firm after a spelling mistake. Records had been amended to show Taylor & Sons had been wound up in 2009. But the failing business was another firm called Taylor & Son - with \"Son\" in the singular. Taylor & Sons dated back to 1875 and more than 250 people lost their jobs when it went under. Former co-owner, Philip Davison-Sebry, claimed PS8.8m in damages over the mix-up. This week the BBC learned that Companies House had agreed a confidential settlement. Fancy flying business class from Toronto to Cyprus for $39? Well back in 2006 you had the chance to do just that after Alitalia listed that fare instead of the usual $3,900. In the time it took to correct the mistake, some 2,000 passengers took advantage of the bargain. And when the airline tried to cancel the tickets, the backlash was so big that it decided to save its reputation and honour the price as a goodwill gesture. The cost to the carrier was estimated at $7.7m. In the world of beer collecting, Allsopp's Arctic Ale gets the pulse racing. And when one collector put an unopened 155-year-old bottle of one of the planet's rarest beers on eBay in 2007 he was expecting a big payday. Unfortunately it was listed as \"Allsop's\" with just one \"p\" meaning it was not widely seen and received just two bids, closing at a winning price of $308. Two months later the winning bidder sold the beer on. Listed as \"Allsopp's\", he received more than 150 offers, and sold it for more than $500,000. Or so he thought. Sadly for him though, it later emerged that the winning bid had in fact come from a prankster. The owner reportedly decided to keep the bottle in a safety deposit box instead.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 432, "answer_end": 1691, "text": "Well, Maine's law says the following activities do not qualify for overtime pay: \"The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: (1) Agricultural produce; (2) Meat and fish products; and (3) Perishable foods.\" The drivers said the lack of a comma between \"shipment\" and \"or distribution\"  meant the legislation applied only to the single activity of \"packing\", rather than to \"packing\" and \"distribution\" as two separate activities. And because drivers distribute the goods, but do not pack them, they argued they were therefore eligible for overtime pay - backdated over several years. A district court had earlier ruled in favour of the dairy firm. But circuit judge David J Barron overturned that, writing: \"We conclude that the exemption's scope is actually not so clear in this regard. \"And because, under Maine law, ambiguities in the state's wage and hour laws must be construed liberally in order to accomplish their remedial purpose, we adopt the drivers' narrower reading of the exemption.\" Their employer, Oakhurst Dairy, is likely to appeal. But if it were to ultimately lose, it would not be the first business to fall foul of punctuation problems, spelling mistakes and typos."}], "question": "So how did it happen?", "id": "1106_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mail bombs: FBI investigators check Florida leads", "date": "26 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The FBI has searched a mail facility in Florida, as investigators try to find out who is behind a series of crude explosive packages targeting several prominent Democrats. Devices have been sent to eight high-profile people, including ex-President Barack Obama and actor Robert De Niro. US officials say some of the packages appear to have been sent from a postal centre in north-western Miami. The FBI has not yet released any details of their investigation. Similar packages have also been sent to former Vice-President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others. Security camera footage at the postal facility in Opa-locka, Miami, is being scrutinised. A bomb squad and canine unit had accompanied federal officials to the site, police from Miami-Dade County said. On Thursday evening, the Time Warner Center in New York was evacuated after reports of a suspicious package, but it was later declared a false alarm. The building is home to news network CNN, which received one of the devices by post the previous day. FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said thorough examinations of all the packages were under way at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, near Washington DC. Several of the packages appear to have contained pipe bombs, according to the FBI. CNN quotes investigators as saying they were functional but unstable, meaning they could be set off merely by handling. They have timers easily bought at retail outlets. But experts speaking to several US media outlets have cast doubt on their effectiveness after seeing X-ray images. Anthony May, a former government bomb expert, told NPR the packages contained only one set of batteries - not enough to trigger the explosive. Earlier, Mr Sweeney confirmed that white powder found inside the package sent to CNN \"did not present a biological threat\". New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill could not confirm whether all the devices were intended to explode, but he said officials \"are treating them as suspected explosive devices\". \"This has to be taken with the utmost seriousness,\" he said. \"As far as a hoax device? We're not treating it that way.\" Mr O'Neill added that authorities \"do not know at this time\" whether there were additional devices in the mail. On Thursday morning, the FBI said Mr Biden had received two suspect packages and a similar package was found at a New York restaurant owned by Mr De Niro. The series of bomb alerts began on Monday, when a suspected device was found in the post box of billionaire businessman George Soros, a major Democratic Party donor. Devices were sent to the following eight individuals, according to the FBI: - Mr Soros - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - Former President Barack Obama - Former Vice-President Joe Biden - Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN - Former Attorney General Eric Holder - California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters - Mr De Niro None of the devices went off. A suspected explosive device was found at a building in Manhattan early on Thursday, local time. It is home to Mr De Niro's production company and the Tribeca Grill restaurant. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the \"really quick-witted work of a security guard\" who alerted authorities. According to the Associated Press, the security guard was off work on Thursday and had seen an image in a news report of the packages others had received. That individual then recalled spotting something similar in the building's mailroom and immediately called authorities who removed the device at about 06:30 local time (10:30 GMT), AP reports. CNN's New York office was evacuated on Wednesday morning after the package addressed to Mr Brennan was found in its mailroom. Every person who has has been sent a package is known to be a critic of President Donald Trump. The attempted bombings also come just under two weeks before the mid-term elections, with US politics highly polarised. On Wednesday, President Trump responded to the unfolding news of the suspect packages by calling for more civility in public life, and urging politicians to stop treating their opponents as \"morally defective\". His critics called his remarks hypocritical, and former CIA Director John Brennan tweeted to him on Thursday: \"Stop blaming others. Look in the mirror. Your inflammatory rhetoric, insults, lies, & encouragement of physical violence are disgraceful.\" Mr Trump on Friday threw back the accusations in a tweet, complaining that his opponents criticised him \"at will\" and yet cried foul when he attacked them back. Conservatives say Democrats are to blame for the state of political discourse in the US. They say Democrats, including those who were targeted in the bomb scare, have encouraged \"angry mob\" behaviour.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1047, "answer_end": 2419, "text": "FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said thorough examinations of all the packages were under way at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, near Washington DC. Several of the packages appear to have contained pipe bombs, according to the FBI. CNN quotes investigators as saying they were functional but unstable, meaning they could be set off merely by handling. They have timers easily bought at retail outlets. But experts speaking to several US media outlets have cast doubt on their effectiveness after seeing X-ray images. Anthony May, a former government bomb expert, told NPR the packages contained only one set of batteries - not enough to trigger the explosive. Earlier, Mr Sweeney confirmed that white powder found inside the package sent to CNN \"did not present a biological threat\". New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill could not confirm whether all the devices were intended to explode, but he said officials \"are treating them as suspected explosive devices\". \"This has to be taken with the utmost seriousness,\" he said. \"As far as a hoax device? We're not treating it that way.\" Mr O'Neill added that authorities \"do not know at this time\" whether there were additional devices in the mail. On Thursday morning, the FBI said Mr Biden had received two suspect packages and a similar package was found at a New York restaurant owned by Mr De Niro."}], "question": "What was inside the packages?", "id": "1107_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2420, "answer_end": 2963, "text": "The series of bomb alerts began on Monday, when a suspected device was found in the post box of billionaire businessman George Soros, a major Democratic Party donor. Devices were sent to the following eight individuals, according to the FBI: - Mr Soros - Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - Former President Barack Obama - Former Vice-President Joe Biden - Former CIA Director John Brennan, care of CNN - Former Attorney General Eric Holder - California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters - Mr De Niro None of the devices went off."}], "question": "How did the bomb threat unfold?", "id": "1107_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2964, "answer_end": 3733, "text": "A suspected explosive device was found at a building in Manhattan early on Thursday, local time. It is home to Mr De Niro's production company and the Tribeca Grill restaurant. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the \"really quick-witted work of a security guard\" who alerted authorities. According to the Associated Press, the security guard was off work on Thursday and had seen an image in a news report of the packages others had received. That individual then recalled spotting something similar in the building's mailroom and immediately called authorities who removed the device at about 06:30 local time (10:30 GMT), AP reports. CNN's New York office was evacuated on Wednesday morning after the package addressed to Mr Brennan was found in its mailroom."}], "question": "What happened with De Niro?", "id": "1107_2"}]}]}, {"title": "International Women's Day: Why women can thrive in sci-fi", "date": "8 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Female characters are often given a raw deal in action films - simply fulfilling the role of love interest or assistant - but the flexible rules of the science fiction setting can empower and liberate female protagonists. Twenty years before Jurassic World's heroine, with impractical high heels, would inspire eye rolls around the world, Laura Dern's no-nonsense paleobotanist responded to moralising about the dangers of cloning dinosaurs in science fiction blockbuster Jurassic Park with two simple sentences: \"Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth.\" Beyond the joke of a utopian all-female society, a recent viral meme repurposed the memorable scene with a reference to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and its protagonist Rey, by suggesting that \"woman inherits the franchise\". May the force be with her. While the Star Wars expanded universe has a number of popular, female characters, the cultural impact of seeing a female Jedi's hero journey on the silver screen can not be overstated. \"For years we've been hearing that women couldn't front a sci-fi/action film,\" Jenna Busch, founder of Legion of Leia. \"The fallacious perception is that they just won't sell. But, now we have Katniss, Furiosa, and Rey to prove that attitude wrong. There is something about seeing the box office numbers that might be a step in the right direction.\" International Women's Day has been held on 8 March every year since 1913, and has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975. The UN says it's a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. The theme of this year's day is \"Planet 50-50 by 2030\" - aiming to achieve global equality in areas such as education and end all forms of discrimination. Five images that reveal how women are treated BBC Trending: Are Saudi women really that oppressed? In pictures: Women making technology work for them Why women can thrive in science-fiction What will be Michelle Obama's legacy? Science fiction literature has a long tradition of feminist exploration of the perils and potential of technology, the future, otherness, and the unknown. Reproductive politics were explored in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Survival in dystopian lands ruined by greed and environmental distress is addressed through the perspectives of female teenage protagonists by Octavia Butler in Parable of the Sower and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Gender and sexual politics are found throughout the works of Ursula K Le Guin. But finding complicated female heroes in film and television has often felt as impossible as finding food in a dystopian wasteland or as daunting as winning the aforementioned Hunger Games. They are there - some are even iconic. Take, for example, Nichelle Nichols' Lt Nyota Uhura - a groundbreaking vision of black womanhood on television in the 1960s series Star Trek. Or Terminator 2: Judgment Day's Sarah Connor, embodied by Linda Hamilton, with lioness ferocity and a radically muscular physique that challenged notions of female bodies and good motherhood. Perhaps more so than other genres, including fantasy, spy-fi, and superhero, science fiction provides unique space for provocative and revolutionary considerations of gender, bodies, power, reproduction, community, and heroism. Women enslaved as breeders in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) are given voice and agency. As our hero Furiosa (Charlize Theron, pictured above) collaborates with The Five Wives, and later with the matriarchal Vuvalini, their rejection of the toxic masculinity that has poisoned the world becomes a mediation on the hope of a new world built out of compassion. Compassion is also a trait exemplified by sci-fi heroine Katniss Everdeen. In The Hunger Games she also exists in a dystopian world destroyed by greed, but she sacrifices herself for her sister by volunteering as tribute. Later, she challenges systemic oppression with a defiance that inspires a revolution. While her stakes are personal, she gains understanding that her actions are to the benefit of the society as a whole as well. \"The interesting thing about Fury Road was that its female protagonist was a woman, not a girl, with many years of experience and skill,\" says Dr Lorna Jowett, who specialises in film studies at the University of Northampton. With young women like Rey and Katniss discovering their potential, it is both unusual and welcome to see a middle-aged heroine in the genre. That may be, Jowett suggests, because \"in film and TV there are still commercial and industrial conventions to follow to make a successful product, so there may be limits imposed on the creative imagination\" but, as she notes, Orphan Black is one of the most interesting female-centred science fiction series in recent years. \"It literally presents multiple versions of femininity without judging or ranking them,\" says Jowett. Orphan Black also looks at reproduction and motherhood - themes addressed in the Alien films as well as in The X-Files, through the character Dana Scully. But unlike Ripley or Scully, the sister clones have a community of women ranging from sibling to child to mother and grandmother. Orphan Black uses female support to stress that identity comes from both nature and nurture, and female community is the core of its narrative. Sometimes, though, women's narratives in sci-fi don't need to present a deeper philosophical message. Their very presence is the message. Perhaps like astronaut Mae Jemison, who was inspired to join Nasa by seeing Lt Uhura on television, a young girl will be inspired by these new female sci-fi heroines to become a hero of her own. Jennifer K. Stuller is a pop culture historian specialising in female heroes in modern mythology.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1348, "answer_end": 2092, "text": "International Women's Day has been held on 8 March every year since 1913, and has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975. The UN says it's a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. The theme of this year's day is \"Planet 50-50 by 2030\" - aiming to achieve global equality in areas such as education and end all forms of discrimination. Five images that reveal how women are treated BBC Trending: Are Saudi women really that oppressed? In pictures: Women making technology work for them Why women can thrive in science-fiction What will be Michelle Obama's legacy?"}], "question": "What is International Women's Day?", "id": "1108_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Primate speech: How some species are 'wired' for talk", "date": "9 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Our primate cousins have surprised and impressed scientists in recent years, with revelations about monkeys' tool-using abilities and chimps' development of complex sign language. But researchers are still probing the question: why are we humans the only apes that can talk? That puzzle has now led to an insight into how different non-human primates' brains are \"wired\" for vocal ability. A new study has compared different primate species' brains. It revealed that primates with wider \"vocal repertoires\" had more of their brain dedicated to controlling their vocal apparatus. That suggests that our own speaking skills may have evolved as our brains gradually rewired to control that apparatus, rather than purely because we're smarter than non-human apes. Humans and other primates have very similar vocal anatomy - in terms of their tongues and larynx. That's the physical machinery in the throat which allows us to turn air into sound. So, as lead researcher Dr Jacob Dunn from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge explained, it remains a mystery that only human primates can actually talk. \"That's likely due to differences in the brain,\" Dr Dunn told BBC News, \"but there haven't been comparative studies across species.\" That comparison is exactly what Dr Dunn and his colleague Prof Jeroen Smaers set out to do. They ranked 34 different primate species based on their vocal abilities - the number of distinct calls they are known to make in the wild. They then examined the brain of each species, using information from existing, preserved brains that had been kept for research. \"It turns out there's this signature within the brains of primates that relates directly to their vocal repertoire,\" said Dr Dunn. Bottom of his ranked list of primates was the proboscis monkey, with four known distinct calls. The apes - led by the bonobo - were at the top; bonobos make 38 distinct calls and it has been suggested that their use of vocalisations are a glimpse of the early evolution of language. These more vocally adept apes, the study revealed, had relatively large areas of the brain known as cortical association areas - essentially brain regions which receive sensory input and decide what to do with it. \"They're a kind of filter to control the decision-making process,\" explained Dr Dunn. Also, and perhaps most importantly, bonobos and the other more vocal apes - including chimpanzees - had much larger parts of the brain dedicated to control of the tongue. This suggests, the researchers say, that while our primate cousins may well be sufficiently smart to develop and understand complex ways of communicating, the voluntary control of their \"vocal apparatus\" - rather than their intelligence - is the limiting factor. Since we cannot study our extinct human ancestors, scientists all over the world still look to our closest primate cousins to fill the gaps in our knowledge about the evolution of something as complex and crucial to humanity as language. Understanding how the brain is wired in these different primate species and how that relates to vocal ability, could, suggested Dr Dunn, \"go some way to helping us understand how the complex voluntary control over vocal production may have evolved in humans,\" ultimately leading to our own ability to speak. But researchers studying the origins of speech and language still have questions. Prof Zanna Clay from Durham University is currently in Congo continuing her extensive study of bonobos. She told BBC News that this particular study was interesting, but cautioned that a much more basic understanding of how exactly primates themselves use and understand their vocalisations was needed before conclusions like these could be confirmed. \"We do not even really understand how the primates themselves classify their own vocal repertoires - this needs to come first before correlations are made,\" she said. \"We [also] know that many primates and other animals can escape the constraints of a relatively fixed vocal system by combining calls together in different ways to create different meanings. \"The extent to which call combinations might map on to [brain anatomy] would be a promising avenue to explore.\" Follow Victoria on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2739, "answer_end": 4216, "text": "Since we cannot study our extinct human ancestors, scientists all over the world still look to our closest primate cousins to fill the gaps in our knowledge about the evolution of something as complex and crucial to humanity as language. Understanding how the brain is wired in these different primate species and how that relates to vocal ability, could, suggested Dr Dunn, \"go some way to helping us understand how the complex voluntary control over vocal production may have evolved in humans,\" ultimately leading to our own ability to speak. But researchers studying the origins of speech and language still have questions. Prof Zanna Clay from Durham University is currently in Congo continuing her extensive study of bonobos. She told BBC News that this particular study was interesting, but cautioned that a much more basic understanding of how exactly primates themselves use and understand their vocalisations was needed before conclusions like these could be confirmed. \"We do not even really understand how the primates themselves classify their own vocal repertoires - this needs to come first before correlations are made,\" she said. \"We [also] know that many primates and other animals can escape the constraints of a relatively fixed vocal system by combining calls together in different ways to create different meanings. \"The extent to which call combinations might map on to [brain anatomy] would be a promising avenue to explore.\" Follow Victoria on Twitter."}], "question": "Why does this matter?", "id": "1109_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump impeachment: Did the whistleblower rules change?", "date": "4 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Claim: US President Donald Trump and other Republicans say the rules for complaints made by whistleblowers were changed shortly before an anonymous whistleblower raised concerns about the president's phone call with the leader of Ukraine. The US president is accused of pressuring Ukraine to dig up damaging information on his Democrat rival, Joe Biden. Verdict: The regulations governing whistleblower complaints have not changed. The wording of the form that whistleblowers use to raise concerns was already under review, and was changed after the whistleblower made the complaint about President Trump's phone call. President Trump is at the centre of an impeachment inquiry following the phone call he made to the Ukrainian president on 25 July. In August, an anonymous intelligence official expressed concern that Mr Trump had used his office to \"solicit interference from a foreign country\" in the 2020 presidential election. A rough transcript of the call revealed that Mr Trump had urged the Ukrainian leader to investigate former US Vice-President Joe Biden as well as Mr Biden's son. Mr Trump and his supporters allege that Mr Biden abused his power to get Ukraine to back away from a criminal investigation into a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, that employed his son, Hunter, on its board. The current Ukrainian prosecutor general and his predecessor have said no evidence has emerged of wrongdoing by the Bidens. President Trump has said that the whistleblower rules were changed just before the submission of the complaint about his phone call to Ukraine. Other Republicans have joined in, suggesting the rules were amended to allow the whistleblower to submit a complaint based on second-hand sources. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said: \"I want to know why they changed the rules about whistleblowers - the hearsay rule was changed just a short period of time before the complaint was filed.\" President Trump and others seem to be referring to a recent change to the wording of a form used for making whistleblower complaints. This did change as part of a review that was already going on before Mr Trump called the Ukrainian leader, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. This body deals with complaints made by whistleblowers working within the US intelligence services. However, the change was only made after the whistleblower made his complaint about the Ukraine phone call, and not before, according to the watchdog. The statement says the complaint was received on 12 August, using the same form that had been in use since 24 May 2018. It says three new forms have now been developed to remove language which the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community thought could be \"incorrectly read as suggesting whistleblowers must possess first-hand information to file a complaint\". The statement also says: \"By law, the complainant - or any individual in the intelligence community who wants to report information with respect to an urgent concern to the congressional intelligence committees - need not possess first-hand information in order to file a complaint.\" It also points out that with the complaint about the Ukraine call, the whistleblower checked the relevant boxes for having both first and second-hand knowledge of the incident. And legal analysts say any revision to the form could not change underlying US law governing such cases. The legislation makes clear that whistleblowers do not require first-hand information. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1429, "answer_end": 1915, "text": "President Trump has said that the whistleblower rules were changed just before the submission of the complaint about his phone call to Ukraine. Other Republicans have joined in, suggesting the rules were amended to allow the whistleblower to submit a complaint based on second-hand sources. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said: \"I want to know why they changed the rules about whistleblowers - the hearsay rule was changed just a short period of time before the complaint was filed.\""}], "question": "What's the complaint about whistleblower rules?", "id": "1110_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1916, "answer_end": 3524, "text": "President Trump and others seem to be referring to a recent change to the wording of a form used for making whistleblower complaints. This did change as part of a review that was already going on before Mr Trump called the Ukrainian leader, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. This body deals with complaints made by whistleblowers working within the US intelligence services. However, the change was only made after the whistleblower made his complaint about the Ukraine phone call, and not before, according to the watchdog. The statement says the complaint was received on 12 August, using the same form that had been in use since 24 May 2018. It says three new forms have now been developed to remove language which the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community thought could be \"incorrectly read as suggesting whistleblowers must possess first-hand information to file a complaint\". The statement also says: \"By law, the complainant - or any individual in the intelligence community who wants to report information with respect to an urgent concern to the congressional intelligence committees - need not possess first-hand information in order to file a complaint.\" It also points out that with the complaint about the Ukraine call, the whistleblower checked the relevant boxes for having both first and second-hand knowledge of the incident. And legal analysts say any revision to the form could not change underlying US law governing such cases. The legislation makes clear that whistleblowers do not require first-hand information."}], "question": "Were the rules changed?", "id": "1110_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US Navy orders 'operational pause' after collision", "date": "22 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US Navy has ordered a worldwide \"operational pause\" of its fleet after a destroyer collided with a tanker near Singapore, leaving 10 sailors missing. Five other sailors were injured in the crash involving the guided missile destroyer USS John S McCain. Officials are also conducting a \"comprehensive review\" of the Pacific fleet following Monday's incident. It was the fourth crash involving a US Navy ship in a year, and the second in the past two months. Navy Adm John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, said in a statement: \"This trend demands more forceful action. \"As such, I have directed an operational pause be taken in all of our fleets around the world.\" The pause, which will be staggered across the fleets, will last one to two days and could begin within a week, he later told reporters. The operational pause and review of the Pacific fleet - which the USS John S McCain belongs to - are in addition to a separate ongoing investigation into the latest incident. The USS John S McCain was sailing east of Singapore when the collision with the Liberian-flagged vessel occurred. It was reported before dawn at 05:24 local time on Monday (21:24 GMT on Sunday) and took place east of the Strait of Singapore, as the American vessel went for a routine port stop in Singapore. The destroyer sustained damage to her port side, which is the left-hand side of the vessel facing forward. 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 was injured and there were no oil spills. At 182m (600ft), the tanker is slightly longer than the 154m-long US destroyer. US military helicopters as well as the Singaporean and Malaysian navies and coast guards are conducting search and rescue operations. Malaysian Navy chief Admiral Kamarulzaman said a message had been sent to fishing vessels along the Johor and Pahang coasts to keep a look out. A Malaysian Navy spokesman later told a news conference: \"The waves are between 0.5m and 1.5m, so the sea is quite rough and can be very challenging if you don't have a life jacket.\" The US Navy said four of the injured sailors had non-life threatening injuries and were medically evacuated to a Singapore hospital. The fifth person did not require further medical attention. The US Navy 7th Fleet later issued a statement saying the USS John S McCain had arrived at Singapore's Changi naval base. The Alnic MC made its way to the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in Singapore. One crew member of the oil tanker told Reuters over the phone that the vessel sustained some damage to a valve. The ship was carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of oil from Taiwan to Singapore, the news agency reported. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said: \"There is no report of oil pollution and traffic in the Singapore Strait is unaffected.\" Two serious collisions with merchant vessels; some 17 crew members dead or missing; and two guided missile destroyers of the US Seventh Fleet out of action for months - good reason then for a thorough review. But are these unconnected episodes or part of a broader systemic failure? This is what the new review will have to find out. Analysts and former officers note the high tempo of operations. The US Navy - despite its size -  is just not large enough, they say, to do everything that is asked of it. Training inevitably suffers. And the dramatic growth in merchant shipping - the real measure of our globalised world - means the sea-lanes are now more crowded than ever. For years the US Navy has had no obvious peer competitor. And some fear that it may be losing its edge. US Senator John McCain tweeted that he and his wife were praying for the sailors. The vessel was named after his father and grandfather, both admirals in the Navy. \"I agree with Admiral Richardson that more forceful action is urgently needed to identify and correct the causes of the recent ship collisions,\" he added. US President Donald Trump has also put out a tweet about the accident. 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_start": 988, "answer_end": 1669, "text": "The USS John S McCain was sailing east of Singapore when the collision with the Liberian-flagged vessel occurred. It was reported before dawn at 05:24 local time on Monday (21:24 GMT on Sunday) and took place east of the Strait of Singapore, as the American vessel went for a routine port stop in Singapore. The destroyer sustained damage to her port side, which is the left-hand side of the vessel facing forward. 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 was injured and there were no oil spills. At 182m (600ft), the tanker is slightly longer than the 154m-long US destroyer."}], "question": "What do we know about the collision?", "id": "1111_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3655, "answer_end": 4044, "text": "US Senator John McCain tweeted that he and his wife were praying for the sailors. The vessel was named after his father and grandfather, both admirals in the Navy. \"I agree with Admiral Richardson that more forceful action is urgently needed to identify and correct the causes of the recent ship collisions,\" he added. US President Donald Trump has also put out a tweet about the accident."}], "question": "What's the response so far?", "id": "1111_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4045, "answer_end": 4729, "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."}], "question": "What happened in the previous collisions?", "id": "1111_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump declares national emergency over IT threats", "date": "16 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from \"foreign adversaries\". He signed an executive order which effectively bars US companies from using foreign telecoms believed to pose national security risks. The order does not name any company, but is believed to target Huawei. The Chinese tech giant said restricting its business in the US would only hurt American consumers and companies. Several countries, led by the US, have raised concerns in recent months that Huawei products could be used by China for surveillance, allegations the company has vehemently denied. The US has been pressuring allies to shun Huawei in their next generation 5G mobile networks. In a separate development, the US commerce department added Huawei to its \"entity list\", a move that bans the company from acquiring technology from US firms without government approval. The moves are likely to worsen tensions between the US and China, which had already escalated this week with tariff hikes in a trade war. Huawei has been at the epicentre of the US-China power struggle that has dominated global politics over the past year. According to a White House statement, Mr Trump's order aims to \"protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services\". It gives the secretary of commerce the power to \"prohibit transactions posing an unacceptable risk to the national security\", the statement adds. The move was instantly welcomed by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who called it \"a significant step toward securing America's networks\". The US had already restricted federal agencies from using Huawei products and has encouraged allies to shun them, while Australia and New Zealand have both blocked the use of Huawei gear in 5G networks. In April 2018 another Chinese tech company, ZTE, was barred from buying US parts after it was placed on the same \"entity list\". It resumed business after reaching a deal with the US in July. Huawei has said its work does not pose any threats and that it is independent from the Chinese government. \"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger,\" the company said in a statement. \"Instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment, and eventually harming the interests of US companies and consumers.\" The company also said \"unreasonable restrictions\" on Huawei raised \"other serious legal issues\". During a meeting in London on Tuesday, Huawei chairman Liang Hua said it was \"willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments\" as concerns over the security of its products used in mobile networks continued to grow. By declaring a national emergency President Trump can effectively bypass other branches of government and gains access to a raft of special powers. The Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan public policy institute, has compiled a list of more than 120 legal powers the president can use in such an event - they range from taking over farmland to calling up military reservists or seizing property with few or no restrictions. President Trump has now declared five national emergencies, including most recently over the southern US border. A rolling list of national emergencies compiled by the centre shows there are now 33 active national emergencies in the US. The oldest emergency still in place was signed by President Jimmy Carter in November 1979 as a response to the Iran hostage crisis. Others signed by Presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama also remain in effect. President Trump does not name or single out Huawei in his executive order but the intent is clear: keep the company out of the US. What is more - this comes against the backdrop of an escalating trade war - and will no doubt inflame tensions between the two countries. Huawei consistently says that if the US bans Huawei from its networks, they are the ones to lose out, not Huawei. That is true. Even without the US market, Huawei is likely to control 40-60% of the networks around the world, industry analysts say. But what may hurt Huawei more is the US decision to put them on the \"entity list\" - effectively banning American suppliers from selling to the firm. Huawei may not need the US market, but it certainly needs the key components that it gets from the US. President Trump has complained about China's trading practices since before taking office in 2017. The US more than doubled tariffs on $200bn (PS154.9bn) of Chinese goods on Friday and China retaliated with its own tariff hikes on US products. This escalated the situation which only recently seemed to be nearing a conclusion. However, stock markets steadied on Wednesday as hopes rose that the two countries might resume talks next month as Mr Trump said he expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Japan. China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also said that the two men \"maintain contact through various means\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1155, "answer_end": 2107, "text": "According to a White House statement, Mr Trump's order aims to \"protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services\". It gives the secretary of commerce the power to \"prohibit transactions posing an unacceptable risk to the national security\", the statement adds. The move was instantly welcomed by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who called it \"a significant step toward securing America's networks\". The US had already restricted federal agencies from using Huawei products and has encouraged allies to shun them, while Australia and New Zealand have both blocked the use of Huawei gear in 5G networks. In April 2018 another Chinese tech company, ZTE, was barred from buying US parts after it was placed on the same \"entity list\". It resumed business after reaching a deal with the US in July."}], "question": "What does the order say?", "id": "1112_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2108, "answer_end": 2869, "text": "Huawei has said its work does not pose any threats and that it is independent from the Chinese government. \"Restricting Huawei from doing business in the US will not make the US more secure or stronger,\" the company said in a statement. \"Instead, this will only serve to limit the US to inferior yet more expensive alternatives, leaving the US lagging behind in 5G deployment, and eventually harming the interests of US companies and consumers.\" The company also said \"unreasonable restrictions\" on Huawei raised \"other serious legal issues\". During a meeting in London on Tuesday, Huawei chairman Liang Hua said it was \"willing to sign no-spy agreements with governments\" as concerns over the security of its products used in mobile networks continued to grow."}], "question": "How has Huawei responded?", "id": "1112_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2870, "answer_end": 3765, "text": "By declaring a national emergency President Trump can effectively bypass other branches of government and gains access to a raft of special powers. The Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan public policy institute, has compiled a list of more than 120 legal powers the president can use in such an event - they range from taking over farmland to calling up military reservists or seizing property with few or no restrictions. President Trump has now declared five national emergencies, including most recently over the southern US border. A rolling list of national emergencies compiled by the centre shows there are now 33 active national emergencies in the US. The oldest emergency still in place was signed by President Jimmy Carter in November 1979 as a response to the Iran hostage crisis. Others signed by Presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama also remain in effect."}], "question": "What does the national emergency mean?", "id": "1112_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4535, "answer_end": 5184, "text": "President Trump has complained about China's trading practices since before taking office in 2017. The US more than doubled tariffs on $200bn (PS154.9bn) of Chinese goods on Friday and China retaliated with its own tariff hikes on US products. This escalated the situation which only recently seemed to be nearing a conclusion. However, stock markets steadied on Wednesday as hopes rose that the two countries might resume talks next month as Mr Trump said he expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Japan. China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also said that the two men \"maintain contact through various means\"."}], "question": "What about the trade war?", "id": "1112_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Cardinal McCarrick, prominent US Catholic, resigns over abuse claims", "date": "28 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a prominent US cardinal accused of sexually assaulting a teenager nearly 50 years ago. Theodore McCarrick, 88, a former Archbishop of Washington, must also carry out \"penance and prayer\" pending a canonical trial, the Vatican said. Last month US Church officials said the allegations were credible. Archbishop McCarrick has said he has \"no recollection\" of the alleged abuse. Further allegations have since emerged. Archbishop McCarrick was one of the most prominent US cardinals and is one of the most high-profile Catholic leaders to face abuse claims. In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis had accepted Theodore McCarrick's resignation from the cardinalate and had ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry. The statement also said he would be placed in seclusion \"for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial\". His resignation means the titles of Cardinal and \"your eminence\" are removed, America Magazine editor and Jesuit priest James Martin said on Twitter. Archbishop McCarrick's resignation from the cardinalate is the first since 1927, when Father Louis Billot resigned because of political tensions with the Holy See, according to the New York Times newspaper. It is also the first time that an order to carry out penance and prayer has been made before a Church trial takes place, according to Catholic University legal expert Kurt Martens, quoted by AP news agency. The Church is now \"running out of options if you want to impose a further penalty\" after a canonical trial, Mr Martens told the Washington Post. \"I would not be surprised if he gets dismissed from the clerical state,\" he said. The Pope appears to \"understand the gravity of the situation and further harm to the Catholic Church's status\", AP quoted Terence McKiernan from BishopsAccountability.org as saying. The Vatican's quick action stands in contrast to previous instances where cardinals have faced allegations that they carried out or covered up abuse. In 2013 Scottish Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh after being accused of sexual misconduct. However he remained in the college of cardinals until he died earlier this year. Cardinal Bernard Law stepped down as archbishop of Boston in 2002 after reports he had moved paedophile priests between parishes rather than addressing victims' claims. But he was then allowed to take a job at the Vatican, where he worked until 2011. He died in Rome last year. Archbishop McCarrick is alleged to have assaulted the teenager while working as a priest in New York in the early 1970s. The claims were made public in June by the current Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He said an independent forensic agency had investigated the allegations. A review board, including legal experts, psychologists, parents and a priest, then found the allegations \"credible and substantiated\". At the time, Mr Archbishop  McCarrick said in a statement that had \"no recollection of this reported abuse\" and believed in his innocence. Several more men have since said the cleric forced them to sleep with him at a beach house in New Jersey, while they studied for the priesthood as adult seminarians. One man has come forward saying he was assaulted while still a minor. Archbishop McCarrick has not commented on the more recent allegations. The alleged abuses may have taken place too long ago for criminal charges to be filed because of the statute of limitations. It has also since emerged that financial settlements were reached in at least two cases of alleged sexual misconduct with adults involving Archbishop McCarrick. They involved \"allegations of sexual misconduct with adults decades ago\", while he was working as a bishop in New Jersey, bishops in the state told US media. He became a priest in 1958 and later worked in New York and New Jersey before becoming Archbishop of Washington between 2001 and 2006. Despite having officially retired, he has continued to attend events abroad, including those focusing on human rights issues. He has been heavily involved in the response to allegations of abuse by Catholic priests in the US, local media reports say. In Washington he was also known for his focus on the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and had a reputation as someone who could work with powerful figures on all sides, US media report.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 600, "answer_end": 1108, "text": "In a statement, the Vatican said Pope Francis had accepted Theodore McCarrick's resignation from the cardinalate and had ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry. The statement also said he would be placed in seclusion \"for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial\". His resignation means the titles of Cardinal and \"your eminence\" are removed, America Magazine editor and Jesuit priest James Martin said on Twitter."}], "question": "What has the Vatican said?", "id": "1113_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1109, "answer_end": 2581, "text": "Archbishop McCarrick's resignation from the cardinalate is the first since 1927, when Father Louis Billot resigned because of political tensions with the Holy See, according to the New York Times newspaper. It is also the first time that an order to carry out penance and prayer has been made before a Church trial takes place, according to Catholic University legal expert Kurt Martens, quoted by AP news agency. The Church is now \"running out of options if you want to impose a further penalty\" after a canonical trial, Mr Martens told the Washington Post. \"I would not be surprised if he gets dismissed from the clerical state,\" he said. The Pope appears to \"understand the gravity of the situation and further harm to the Catholic Church's status\", AP quoted Terence McKiernan from BishopsAccountability.org as saying. The Vatican's quick action stands in contrast to previous instances where cardinals have faced allegations that they carried out or covered up abuse. In 2013 Scottish Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh after being accused of sexual misconduct. However he remained in the college of cardinals until he died earlier this year. Cardinal Bernard Law stepped down as archbishop of Boston in 2002 after reports he had moved paedophile priests between parishes rather than addressing victims' claims. But he was then allowed to take a job at the Vatican, where he worked until 2011. He died in Rome last year."}], "question": "How unusual is this?", "id": "1113_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2582, "answer_end": 3899, "text": "Archbishop McCarrick is alleged to have assaulted the teenager while working as a priest in New York in the early 1970s. The claims were made public in June by the current Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He said an independent forensic agency had investigated the allegations. A review board, including legal experts, psychologists, parents and a priest, then found the allegations \"credible and substantiated\". At the time, Mr Archbishop  McCarrick said in a statement that had \"no recollection of this reported abuse\" and believed in his innocence. Several more men have since said the cleric forced them to sleep with him at a beach house in New Jersey, while they studied for the priesthood as adult seminarians. One man has come forward saying he was assaulted while still a minor. Archbishop McCarrick has not commented on the more recent allegations. The alleged abuses may have taken place too long ago for criminal charges to be filed because of the statute of limitations. It has also since emerged that financial settlements were reached in at least two cases of alleged sexual misconduct with adults involving Archbishop McCarrick. They involved \"allegations of sexual misconduct with adults decades ago\", while he was working as a bishop in New Jersey, bishops in the state told US media."}], "question": "What are the allegations?", "id": "1113_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3900, "answer_end": 4509, "text": "He became a priest in 1958 and later worked in New York and New Jersey before becoming Archbishop of Washington between 2001 and 2006. Despite having officially retired, he has continued to attend events abroad, including those focusing on human rights issues. He has been heavily involved in the response to allegations of abuse by Catholic priests in the US, local media reports say. In Washington he was also known for his focus on the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and had a reputation as someone who could work with powerful figures on all sides, US media report."}], "question": "Who is Theodore McCarrick?", "id": "1113_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Rod Rosenstein: Russia inquiry chief set for Trump showdown", "date": "24 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Rod Rosenstein, the US deputy attorney general, is set for crunch talks with Donald Trump on Thursday, amid doubts over his future in the job. The two already spoke on Monday to discuss reports that Mr Rosenstein had talked last year about ousting the president and secretly taping him. Mr Rosenstein oversees the inquiry into alleged collusion by the Trump team with Russia during the 2016 election. The president said Thursday's meeting would be \"determining what's going on\". \"We want to have transparency, we want to have openness and I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time,\" he added, speaking in New York where he is attending the annual UN General Assembly. America's second most senior law official was summoned to the White House on Monday amid a report that he had verbally resigned to the president's chief of staff in the expectation that he was going to be fired. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said afterwards: \"At the request of the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. \"Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington DC.\" Monday's meeting between Chief of Staff John Kelly and Mr Rosenstein had been previously scheduled, US media later reported. If Mr Rosenstein did lose his job, another Department of Justice official, the solicitor general, would be in line to take over supervision of the Russia investigation. Mr Rosenstein assumed oversight of the inquiry after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself when it emerged he had been in contact with Russia's ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser. The furore around Mr Rosenstein's position comes as mid-term elections are looming on 6 November, when the president's party will try to keep control of the US Congress. Mr Rosenstein and Mr Trump are believed to have discussed Friday's report in the New York Times that the deputy attorney general had discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke a US constitutional clause that provides for the removal of a president if deemed unfit for office. According to the newspaper, Mr Rosenstein had also suggested surreptitiously recording the president in order to expose the chaos in the White House. He denied the claims, and a Department of Justice spokesperson told the BBC the secret recording remark was just a joke. The deputy attorney general was said to have made the comments after Mr Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC Washington If Rod Rosenstein goes, by resignation or firing, the future of Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation would be very much in doubt. Mr Rosenstein is the reason there is a special counsel investigation, and he has given Mr Mueller a wide mandate to pursue that inquiry wherever it may lead. It has resulted, for instance, in the successful prosecution of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and a plea deal from Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen - both for activities tangential to the Russia probe. A different person in charge might have nipped those moves in the bud. Whoever took over if Mr Rosenstein departed - at the moment, Solicitor General Noel Francisco - could decide to curtail the scope of the investigation or push for a speedy resolution. At the very least, Mr Francisco would assume the oversight duties knowing full well the president is watching very closely and has no hesitation going on the attack - even against members of his own administration - if he feels in any way slighted or wronged. As Mr Rosenstein will surely attest, it is an unenviable position. Mr Trump said over the weekend he had not made up his mind whether to fire the deputy attorney general in the wake of the New York Times report. \"We will make a determination,\" the Republican president told Fox News in the radio interview, which aired on Monday. \"It's certainly a very sad story. \"I haven't gotten all the facts, but certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place - If anything took place.\" Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and friend of Mr Trump, has urged him to not fire Mr Rosenstein, warning he would fall into a trap laid by his political enemies. Mr Trump has repeatedly referred to the special counsel's Russia investigation as a political witch hunt. Andrew McCabe, the former acting director of the FBI who was fired by Mr Trump in March, said on Monday that he was \"deeply concerned\" about rumours of Mr Rosenstein's departure as it would put the Russia investigation \"at risk\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 674, "answer_end": 1422, "text": "America's second most senior law official was summoned to the White House on Monday amid a report that he had verbally resigned to the president's chief of staff in the expectation that he was going to be fired. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said afterwards: \"At the request of the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. \"Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington DC.\" Monday's meeting between Chief of Staff John Kelly and Mr Rosenstein had been previously scheduled, US media later reported."}], "question": "What happened on Monday?", "id": "1114_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1423, "answer_end": 1993, "text": "If Mr Rosenstein did lose his job, another Department of Justice official, the solicitor general, would be in line to take over supervision of the Russia investigation. Mr Rosenstein assumed oversight of the inquiry after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself when it emerged he had been in contact with Russia's ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser. The furore around Mr Rosenstein's position comes as mid-term elections are looming on 6 November, when the president's party will try to keep control of the US Congress."}], "question": "What happens if Rosenstein leaves?", "id": "1114_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1994, "answer_end": 2666, "text": "Mr Rosenstein and Mr Trump are believed to have discussed Friday's report in the New York Times that the deputy attorney general had discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke a US constitutional clause that provides for the removal of a president if deemed unfit for office. According to the newspaper, Mr Rosenstein had also suggested surreptitiously recording the president in order to expose the chaos in the White House. He denied the claims, and a Department of Justice spokesperson told the BBC the secret recording remark was just a joke. The deputy attorney general was said to have made the comments after Mr Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017."}], "question": "What did the report on Rosenstein say?", "id": "1114_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3817, "answer_end": 4732, "text": "Mr Trump said over the weekend he had not made up his mind whether to fire the deputy attorney general in the wake of the New York Times report. \"We will make a determination,\" the Republican president told Fox News in the radio interview, which aired on Monday. \"It's certainly a very sad story. \"I haven't gotten all the facts, but certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place - If anything took place.\" Sean Hannity, a Fox News host and friend of Mr Trump, has urged him to not fire Mr Rosenstein, warning he would fall into a trap laid by his political enemies. Mr Trump has repeatedly referred to the special counsel's Russia investigation as a political witch hunt. Andrew McCabe, the former acting director of the FBI who was fired by Mr Trump in March, said on Monday that he was \"deeply concerned\" about rumours of Mr Rosenstein's departure as it would put the Russia investigation \"at risk\"."}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "1114_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Four things we learnt from this year's Detroit car show", "date": "16 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Car companies displayed the latest trucks and electric vehicles at the North American Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan this week. Here are some of the highlights - from futuristic concept cars to vehicles aimed at road-users today. The next crop of SUVs and trucks will come to market with prominent grills and ever narrower headlights, a look auto buffs said is designed to project power. The leaner, meaner headlights are also one of the most visible ways that new technology - in this case, LED lighting - is changing car design. The new lights are more powerful, allowing companies to shrink their size, while declining costs have freed companies to incorporate more varied designs. Tail lights carve out C-shapes on the Chevy Silverado truck. The Mercedes Benz fleet uses lighting details as signatures for each vehicle class. And BMW unveiled a new mini with a Union Jack on its tail-light. \"This is design. It's cool, customers will love it and it will help motivate customers to buy the car,\" says Nicolas Peter, a member of BMW's managing board. As reliability and features get more uniform, car companies are turning more to design and customization to distinguish their products and keep buyers interested, says Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader, an online car sales site. \"That's the next frontier.\" Guangzhou Automobile Group or GAC, one of the leading Chinese car companies, had floor space at the show for a fourth year. The company says it has its eye on the US market, where it plans to start selling toward the end of 2019. The firm had earlier set a 2017 target date. At this year's show, the company's unveiled a sci-fi inspired concept car, a two-seater with doors that opened like wings, virtual reality screens on the side windows and a fog lamp that could be detached for use as a flashlight. Breaking into the car market is an uphill battle for any new company, but analysts say futuristic concept cars are one way to catch the public's attention, even if they never become reality. \"Chinese automakers want to get our attention just like the next company,\" says Mr Moody of Autotrader.  \"The whole point of concept cars is that wow factor to get you in.\" Several companies have announced US expansions recently, news that has drawn extra attention amid the America First rhetoric of President Donald Trump and jockeying over trade agreements. BMW continued this trend, pledging to invest an additional $600m into its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant by 2021, and spend $200m on training and education. \"We are proud to call the United States our second home and to be responsible for more than 70,000 jobs in this great country,\" says Nicolas Peter, one of BMW's managing board members. Companies have long had plants in the US for efficiency reasons. But emphasizing those commitments may be more \"top of mind\" this year due to the political currents, said Mr Moody. Mike Helton, vice chairman of Nascar, said companies are also tapping into the sentiments of their customers, who want their purchases to support their communities. He said that focus is especially true of younger buyers, who have a reputation for aligning buying decisions with their values. \"There's a consciousness,\" he says, customers \"want to feel good about owning the product\". This year's show is heavy on nostalgia, especially from the established US and European carmakers. Chevy is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Silverado truck. In the US, Ford has revived the Ranger, which was already available in foreign markets. The company also drew on the 1968 movie Bullitt for its latest Mustang sports car. Mercedes-Benz also re-engineered its deluxe G-class SUV, introducing new suspension, steering and safety systems, while preserving the boxy look of the original 1979 off-road vehicle. The pricey wagon only represents about 1% of Mercedes' US business, but it says the classic design resonates with the public. \"The attention that we get with it is just unbelievable,\" says Dietmar Exler, president and chief executive of MB USA.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1320, "answer_end": 2188, "text": "Guangzhou Automobile Group or GAC, one of the leading Chinese car companies, had floor space at the show for a fourth year. The company says it has its eye on the US market, where it plans to start selling toward the end of 2019. The firm had earlier set a 2017 target date. At this year's show, the company's unveiled a sci-fi inspired concept car, a two-seater with doors that opened like wings, virtual reality screens on the side windows and a fog lamp that could be detached for use as a flashlight. Breaking into the car market is an uphill battle for any new company, but analysts say futuristic concept cars are one way to catch the public's attention, even if they never become reality. \"Chinese automakers want to get our attention just like the next company,\" says Mr Moody of Autotrader.  \"The whole point of concept cars is that wow factor to get you in.\""}], "question": "A Chinese future?", "id": "1115_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2189, "answer_end": 3287, "text": "Several companies have announced US expansions recently, news that has drawn extra attention amid the America First rhetoric of President Donald Trump and jockeying over trade agreements. BMW continued this trend, pledging to invest an additional $600m into its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant by 2021, and spend $200m on training and education. \"We are proud to call the United States our second home and to be responsible for more than 70,000 jobs in this great country,\" says Nicolas Peter, one of BMW's managing board members. Companies have long had plants in the US for efficiency reasons. But emphasizing those commitments may be more \"top of mind\" this year due to the political currents, said Mr Moody. Mike Helton, vice chairman of Nascar, said companies are also tapping into the sentiments of their customers, who want their purchases to support their communities. He said that focus is especially true of younger buyers, who have a reputation for aligning buying decisions with their values. \"There's a consciousness,\" he says, customers \"want to feel good about owning the product\"."}], "question": "Making America Great Again?", "id": "1115_1"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea: China's 'nightmare neighbour' does it again", "date": "3 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In the small Chinese city of Yanji, the ground was moving. This Korean-speaking region sits on the border with North Korea and soon local bloggers were posting images on social media of things shaking. What they could not have known was that this earthquake was man-made. Not far away, the government in Pyongyang was soon declaring the successful test of a hydrogen bomb - its most powerful to date. The timing was a clear slap in the face for Beijing. Just hours after the underground nuclear test, President Xi Jinping was due to make a speech as the head of state for the nation hosting the Brics summit, which would welcome delegates from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa to Xiamen. It is conceivable that North Korea did not necessarily choose the opening day of this major diplomatic gathering for its test but it certainly did not see the need to call it off for fear of offending China. And, what is more, these weapons test \"coincidences\" are now starting to mount up when it comes to Xi Jinping. In March, just before the Chinese leader was set to meet United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Beijing, North Korea announced the successful test of a new type of rocket engine. Then in May President Xi was preparing to open the One Belt One Road forum. The leaders of dozens of nations had come to the Chinese capital to discuss economic development and transport infrastructure around the Chinese leader's signature foreign policy initiative. Then, whoooooosh! Off goes another North Korean missile test to steal the limelight before the summit could even get going. That this could have happened again with the Brics summit is incredible. Xi Jinping - who is also the chair of the Central Military Commission in China - cannot be happy with this emerging pattern. The North Koreans, in turn, would be furious with the behaviour of their old Cold War allies. China has not only backed sanctions against them in the United Nations Security Council but, as the isolated regime's principal trading partner, it has also been the principal implementer of these sanctions, turning back coal shipments and the like. Yet most observers know that, if it really wanted to, Beijing could bring crippling economic pain to North Korea. Heading into winter, it could freeze oil and gas supplies. Then there are the banks. North Korea is thought to conduct an enormous amount of laundered business via Chinese financial institutions. Various front businesses have been set up to facilitate money and products to flow in and out of the country with the assistance of these bodies. The Chinese government cannot be unaware of this and they could pull the plug on it tomorrow if they wanted to. But they don't for one reason. The Chinese government does not like the regional instability that their neighbour's nuclear weapons testing programme brings, but Beijing fears something even more. They worry that total regime collapse in Pyongyang, leading to a unified Korean Peninsula dominated by the South, could lead to US troops on the border within marching distance of Yanji and they will put up with an awful lot from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as long as this does not happen. The Environment Ministry here has announced that it has now started \"emergency radiation testing\" along the frontier. The government's displeasure would be significant if Chinese territory has been contaminated. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's official response to this latest North Korean nuclear weapons test condemned it strongly but, with increasingly loud calls coming for this country to do more to pressure Kim Jong-un to give up intercontinental ballistic missile ambitions, there would be serious frustration within the upper echelons of the Chinese Communist Party as to what they can realistically do next. The North Korean leader has made his nuclear ambitions a hallmark of his administration to the extent that it is hard to see what type of offering or threat could alter this situation. That is, unless the US and China have come up with a secret agreement which would see American troops leave Korea in the event of unification... if that was in place it could change everything.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1203, "answer_end": 2135, "text": "Then in May President Xi was preparing to open the One Belt One Road forum. The leaders of dozens of nations had come to the Chinese capital to discuss economic development and transport infrastructure around the Chinese leader's signature foreign policy initiative. Then, whoooooosh! Off goes another North Korean missile test to steal the limelight before the summit could even get going. That this could have happened again with the Brics summit is incredible. Xi Jinping - who is also the chair of the Central Military Commission in China - cannot be happy with this emerging pattern. The North Koreans, in turn, would be furious with the behaviour of their old Cold War allies. China has not only backed sanctions against them in the United Nations Security Council but, as the isolated regime's principal trading partner, it has also been the principal implementer of these sanctions, turning back coal shipments and the like."}], "question": "Another coincidence?", "id": "1116_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire", "date": "10 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Israel says it has struck almost all of Iran's military infrastructure inside Syria in its biggest assault since the start of the civil war there. The strikes came after 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military positions in the occupied Golan Heights overnight. Syria's military said the Israeli \"aggression\" had killed three people. There was no immediate comment from Iran, whose deployment of troops to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad has alarmed Israel. Iran has repeatedly called for an end to the existence of the Jewish state. Russia, Germany and France called on both countries to exercise restraint, but the US said Iran bore \"full responsibility for the consequences of its reckless actions\" and that Israel had a right to defend itself. The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in south-western Syria, about 50km (30 miles) from the capital Damascus. Israel occupied most of the area in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that early on Thursday morning 20 rockets had been launched at its forward posts there by the Quds Force, the overseas operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. IDF spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said four rockets were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome aerial defence system, while 16 others fell short of their targets. No injuries or damage were reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, confirmed that rockets were fired towards the occupied Golan. But it said the attack came after Israeli forces bombarded Baath, a town in the demilitarised zone. A senior source in an Iranian-led military alliance that supports Syria's government also told AFP news agency that Israeli forces had fired first. Col Conricus said fighter jets had struck 70 military targets belonging to Iran inside Syria, causing significant damage. The targets included: - Intelligence sites associated with Iran and its proxies - A logistics headquarters belonging to the Quds Force - A military logistics compound in Kiswah, a town south of Damascus - An Iranian military compound north of Damascus - Quds Force munition storage warehouses at Damascus International Airport - Intelligence systems and posts associated with the Quds Force - Observation and military posts and munitions in the Golan demilitarised zone The IDF said it had also targeted Syrian military air defence systems after they fired at the fighter jets despite an Israeli \"warning\". Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman later told a conference in the town of Herzliya that the IDF had \"hit almost all of the Iranian infrastructure in Syria\". \"They must remember that if it rains here [in Israel], it will pour there,\" he said. \"I hope that we have finished this chapter and that everyone got the message.\" However, Syria's military declared it had \"thwarted a new Israeli act of aggression\" and that its air defences \"destroyed a large part\" of the missile barrage. Three people were killed by the missiles, a spokesman said. A radar station and an ammunition depot were also destroyed, and several air defence bases sustained damage, he added. The Syrian Observatory reported that at least 23 people were killed, including five Syrian soldiers and 18 other allied fighters. Russia, which is also supporting the Syrian military, said Israel fired 60 air-to-surface and 10 surface-to-surface missiles and that more than half were shot down. By Jonathan Marcus, defence correspondent, BBC News These events have tactical and strategic dimensions. In the short-term the Iranians are seeking \"pay back\" for an Israeli strike against one of their bases in Syria a little over a month ago. On Wednesday night, according to the Israeli military, Iran's Quds Force launched rockets against Israeli positions in the Golan Heights. But the scale of the attack was limited - a single multiple-barrel rocket launcher appears to have been used, which the Israelis say they subsequently destroyed. They then apparently hit every Iranian facility they know of in Syria to send a powerful message to Tehran. But neither Israel nor Iran appear to want an all-out war at this stage. Nonetheless their strategic rivalry is clear. Tehran is seeking to establish itself as a military player in Syria to open up another potential front against Israel. And Israel is equally determined to prevent this. Will there be a war between Israel and Iran? Israel's military had been anticipating an attack by Iranian forces after reportedly carrying out a number of strikes on their facilities in Syria in recent months. They included one on an airbase in April that killed seven Iranian troops. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that they are determined to stop what they consider Iranian \"military entrenchment\" in the country. Iran has deployed hundreds of troops, ostensibly as military advisers to the Syrian military. Thousands of militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran have also been battling rebel forces alongside Syrian soldiers. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Revolutionary Guards had moved advanced weapons to Syria, including surface-to-surface missiles and anti-aircraft batteries that would threaten Israeli fighter jets. Mr Netanyahu's lobbying against the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which US President Donald Trump abandoned on Tuesday, has raised tensions further with Tehran. Mr Lieberman stressed that while Israel had \"no interest in escalation\", it had to \"be prepared for any scenario\". \"We are facing a new reality where Iran is attacking Israel directly and trying to harm Israel's sovereignty and territories,\" he added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 757, "answer_end": 1788, "text": "The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in south-western Syria, about 50km (30 miles) from the capital Damascus. Israel occupied most of the area in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that early on Thursday morning 20 rockets had been launched at its forward posts there by the Quds Force, the overseas operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. IDF spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said four rockets were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome aerial defence system, while 16 others fell short of their targets. No injuries or damage were reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, confirmed that rockets were fired towards the occupied Golan. But it said the attack came after Israeli forces bombarded Baath, a town in the demilitarised zone. A senior source in an Iranian-led military alliance that supports Syria's government also told AFP news agency that Israeli forces had fired first."}], "question": "What happened in the Golan?", "id": "1117_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1789, "answer_end": 3480, "text": "Col Conricus said fighter jets had struck 70 military targets belonging to Iran inside Syria, causing significant damage. The targets included: - Intelligence sites associated with Iran and its proxies - A logistics headquarters belonging to the Quds Force - A military logistics compound in Kiswah, a town south of Damascus - An Iranian military compound north of Damascus - Quds Force munition storage warehouses at Damascus International Airport - Intelligence systems and posts associated with the Quds Force - Observation and military posts and munitions in the Golan demilitarised zone The IDF said it had also targeted Syrian military air defence systems after they fired at the fighter jets despite an Israeli \"warning\". Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman later told a conference in the town of Herzliya that the IDF had \"hit almost all of the Iranian infrastructure in Syria\". \"They must remember that if it rains here [in Israel], it will pour there,\" he said. \"I hope that we have finished this chapter and that everyone got the message.\" However, Syria's military declared it had \"thwarted a new Israeli act of aggression\" and that its air defences \"destroyed a large part\" of the missile barrage. Three people were killed by the missiles, a spokesman said. A radar station and an ammunition depot were also destroyed, and several air defence bases sustained damage, he added. The Syrian Observatory reported that at least 23 people were killed, including five Syrian soldiers and 18 other allied fighters. Russia, which is also supporting the Syrian military, said Israel fired 60 air-to-surface and 10 surface-to-surface missiles and that more than half were shot down."}], "question": "How did Israel respond to the rocket fire?", "id": "1117_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4466, "answer_end": 5736, "text": "Israel's military had been anticipating an attack by Iranian forces after reportedly carrying out a number of strikes on their facilities in Syria in recent months. They included one on an airbase in April that killed seven Iranian troops. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that they are determined to stop what they consider Iranian \"military entrenchment\" in the country. Iran has deployed hundreds of troops, ostensibly as military advisers to the Syrian military. Thousands of militiamen armed, trained and financed by Iran have also been battling rebel forces alongside Syrian soldiers. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Revolutionary Guards had moved advanced weapons to Syria, including surface-to-surface missiles and anti-aircraft batteries that would threaten Israeli fighter jets. Mr Netanyahu's lobbying against the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which US President Donald Trump abandoned on Tuesday, has raised tensions further with Tehran. Mr Lieberman stressed that while Israel had \"no interest in escalation\", it had to \"be prepared for any scenario\". \"We are facing a new reality where Iran is attacking Israel directly and trying to harm Israel's sovereignty and territories,\" he added."}], "question": "Why is Israel so worried about Iran's activities in Syria?", "id": "1117_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Chandrayaan-2: India launches second Moon mission", "date": "22 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India has successfully launched its second lunar mission a week after it halted the scheduled blast-off due to a technical snag. Chandrayaan-2 was launched at 14:43 local time (09:13 GMT) from the Sriharikota space station. India's space chief said his agency had \"bounced back with flying colours\" after the aborted first attempt. India hopes the $145m (PS116m) mission will be the first to land on the Moon's south pole. The spacecraft has entered the Earth's orbit, where it will stay for 23 days before it begins a series of manoeuvres that will take it into lunar orbit. If successful, India will become the fourth country to make a soft landing on the Moon's surface. Only the former Soviet Union, the US and China have been able to do so. The lift-off was broadcast live on TV and the space agency's official social media accounts. There was applause in the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) control room minutes after the launch, as the rocket took off towards the outer atmosphere. For the first time in India's space history, an interplanetary expedition is being led by two women - Muthaya Vanitha, the project director, and Ritu Karidhal, the mission director. It is the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency. \"It is the beginning of a historical journey of India towards the moon,\" said Isro chief K Sivan in a speech after the launch. He thanked and congratulated the nearly 1,000 scientists, engineers and other staff who had worked on the mission: \"It is my duty to salute all the people who have done the work.\" Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the mission for being \"fully indigenous\". The countdown on 15 July was stopped 56 minutes before launch after a \"technical snag was observed in [the] launch vehicle system\", according to Isro. Indian media have reported that a leak from a helium gas bottle in the cryogenic engine of the rocket was to blame. The fuel from the rocket was drained and the scientists resolved the glitch. India's first Moon mission - Chandrayaan-1, which launched in 2008 - resulted in the probe crash-landing on the lunar surface. But it carried out the first and most detailed search for water on the Moon using radars. Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) will try to land near the little-explored south pole of the Moon. The mission will focus on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things. India is using its most powerful rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), in this mission. It weighs 640 tonnes (almost 1.5 times the weight of a fully-loaded 747 jumbo jet) and, at 44 metres (144ft), is as high as a 14-storey building. The spacecraft used in the mission has three distinct parts: an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The orbiter, which weighs 2,379kg (5,244lb) and has a mission life of a year, will take images of the lunar surface. The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) weighs about half as much, and carries within its belly a 27kg Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. In its 14-day life, the rover (called Pragyan - wisdom in Sanskrit) can travel up to a half a kilometre from the lander and will send data and images back to Earth for analysis. The launch is only the beginning of a 384,000km (239,000-mile) journey - Isro is still hoping the lander will touch down on the Moon on 6 or 7 September as planned, despite the week-long delay of the launch. The journey of more than six weeks is a lot longer than the four days the Apollo 11 mission 50 years ago took to land humans on the lunar surface for the first time. In order to save fuel, India's space agency has chosen a circuitous route to take advantage of the Earth's gravity, which will help slingshot the satellite towards the Moon. India does not have a rocket powerful enough to hurl Chandrayaan-2 on a direct path. In comparison, the Saturn V rocket used by the Apollo programme remains the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. \"There will be 15 terrifying minutes for scientists once the lander is released and is hurled towards the south pole of the Moon,\" Dr Sivan said prior to the first launch attempt. He explained that those who had been controlling the spacecraft until then would have no role to play in those crucial moments. So, the actual landing would happen only if all the systems performed as they should. Otherwise, the lander could crash into the lunar surface. Earlier this year, Israel's first Moon mission crash-landed while attempting to touch down.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1982, "answer_end": 3252, "text": "India's first Moon mission - Chandrayaan-1, which launched in 2008 - resulted in the probe crash-landing on the lunar surface. But it carried out the first and most detailed search for water on the Moon using radars. Chandrayaan-2 (Moon vehicle 2) will try to land near the little-explored south pole of the Moon. The mission will focus on the lunar surface, searching for water and minerals and measuring moonquakes, among other things. India is using its most powerful rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III), in this mission. It weighs 640 tonnes (almost 1.5 times the weight of a fully-loaded 747 jumbo jet) and, at 44 metres (144ft), is as high as a 14-storey building. The spacecraft used in the mission has three distinct parts: an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The orbiter, which weighs 2,379kg (5,244lb) and has a mission life of a year, will take images of the lunar surface. The lander (named Vikram, after the founder of Isro) weighs about half as much, and carries within its belly a 27kg Moon rover with instruments to analyse the lunar soil. In its 14-day life, the rover (called Pragyan - wisdom in Sanskrit) can travel up to a half a kilometre from the lander and will send data and images back to Earth for analysis."}], "question": "What is this mission all about?", "id": "1118_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3253, "answer_end": 4550, "text": "The launch is only the beginning of a 384,000km (239,000-mile) journey - Isro is still hoping the lander will touch down on the Moon on 6 or 7 September as planned, despite the week-long delay of the launch. The journey of more than six weeks is a lot longer than the four days the Apollo 11 mission 50 years ago took to land humans on the lunar surface for the first time. In order to save fuel, India's space agency has chosen a circuitous route to take advantage of the Earth's gravity, which will help slingshot the satellite towards the Moon. India does not have a rocket powerful enough to hurl Chandrayaan-2 on a direct path. In comparison, the Saturn V rocket used by the Apollo programme remains the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. \"There will be 15 terrifying minutes for scientists once the lander is released and is hurled towards the south pole of the Moon,\" Dr Sivan said prior to the first launch attempt. He explained that those who had been controlling the spacecraft until then would have no role to play in those crucial moments. So, the actual landing would happen only if all the systems performed as they should. Otherwise, the lander could crash into the lunar surface. Earlier this year, Israel's first Moon mission crash-landed while attempting to touch down."}], "question": "How long is the journey to the Moon?", "id": "1118_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Theresa May bids to reassure business on Brexit 'cliff-edge'", "date": "21 November 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Theresa May has tried to reassure businesses fearing a sudden change in rules once the UK leaves the EU. Speaking at the CBI conference, Mrs May promised early agreement on the status of UK nationals in Europe and EU nationals in the UK. \"People don't want a cliff-edge; they want to know with some certainty how things are going to go,\" she said. Several business lobby groups have pushed for an interim deal to let them trade in the same way post-Brexit. Mrs May said she understood companies' concerns and was \"conscious that there will be issues that will need to be looked at\". \"That will be part of the work that we do in terms of the negotiation that we are undertaking with the European Union,\" she added. She also pledged to provide clarity on the government's plans where possible, but said there would not be \"a running commentary on every twist and turn\". Downing Street declined to say whether Mrs May's comments about avoiding a \"cliff-edge\" meant she was seeking a transitional deal to cover the period between the UK's departure from the EU and the start of a new trade deal. \"She was reflecting the views we have expressed already about how we secure the best deal for the UK and how we seek to provide certainty where we can to businesses and people across the UK of the steps moving forward,\" the PM's official spokeswoman said. In the wide-ranging speech, Mrs May also pledged to: - Invest PS2bn annually in research and development by 2020 - Launch an Industrial Strategy aimed at spreading economic growth across the UK - Examine how innovative firms can get long-term investment with a \"Patient Capital Review\" - Launch a small business research initiative looking at how more innovators can get their first break - Consult on plans to reform corporate governance, including executive pay and accountability to shareholders - Deliver the \"lowest corporation rate in the G20\" The prime minister also insisted she still favoured worker representation on company boards, dismissing suggestions that comments she made during the speech marked a watering-down of the idea. There have been widespread reports since the summer that Mrs May wanted to see workers on boards as part of a corporate governance shake-up, an idea that had caused unease among companies and, according to the Financial Times, disagreements in Cabinet. However, the prime minister told the CBI that there were \"other routes\" to providing worker representation on boards, including advisory councils or panels. \"It will be a question of finding the model that works,\" she said. Mrs May promised to shake-up governance as part of her Conservative Party leadership campaign in July, and repeated the promise at last month's party conference when she said she planned to have \"not just consumers represented on company boards, but workers as well\". And later, on Sky News, when asked if her conference speech marked a watering down of the idea, Mrs May said. \"No, what I've always said is that we want to look at ways in which we can improve corporate governance, looking at a number of areas, including workers' representation on boards. You can do that in a number of ways. \"We want to work with business on this and that's why we'll be consulting later this year on the various ways in which we can do it to find a model that works,\" she said. Did the PM arrive at the CBI conference with an olive branch or just another stick? A little bit of both. Business groups have been wary of Theresa May ever since her blistering attack on the massive pay differentials, tax avoidance and treatment of workers she identified in some corners of British business. Today, she offered a more conciliatory tone. As well as weakening her commitment to put workers on company boards, saying only their voice should be represented - she insisted her agenda was unequivocally pro-business. However, there was no escaping the big question as spelled out by the CBI's President, Paul Dreschler: \"What happens the day after we leave the EU? Government has a responsibility to keep uncertainty to a minimum. We understand, in negotiations, the need for discretion, we're not asking for a running commentary but we are looking for clarity and above all a plan.\" Business folk were pleased to hear her say, when questioned, that she understood their fears over a potential cliff edge of trading and regulatory uncertainty the day after Britain leaves the EU but weren't so pleased she declined to reassure them with details of her plan. If business leaders were hoping to be treated to the same fireside chat that seemed to comfort the boss of Nissan, they would have left disappointed. PS2bn of new money for research and development was welcomed and business leaders seemed to accept the essential premise of the grand bargain she is offering - the government invests to boost productivity and cut corporation tax in exchange for help in tackling the worst excesses of capitalism. 'Clear promise' However, trade unions said they were disappointed by Mrs May's remarks. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: \"Theresa May made a clear promise to have workers represented on company boards. The proposals in her speech do not deliver on this. \"This is not the way to show that you want to govern for ordinary working people.\" But CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said \"different approaches will work for different businesses\" on employee engagement. \"A starting point is firms being able to outline and explain what approach they are taking - whether that's employees on boards, employee committees, dedicated representatives, or other models that genuinely address the issue.\" What May did and didn't say at CBI What is the Autumn Statement? A difficult trick to pull off Views from UK business Financial upheaval ahead for families Mrs May also promised to boost productivity and cut corporation tax in exchange for help from businesses in tackling issues such as executive pay and shareholder accountability. \"Just as the government must open its mind to a new approach, so the business community must too,\" she said. The promises made by the prime minister include a \"patient capital review\" to help firms secure long-term investment. The review will be chaired by Sir Damon Buffini, the former head of private equity group Permira. Mrs May also said the government would review the support given to innovative firms through the tax system \"because my aim is not simply for the UK to have the lowest corporate tax rate in the G20, but also one that is profoundly pro-innovation.\" Corporation tax is already due to fall from its current 20% rate to 17% by 2020. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed the conference later in the day criticising the government's \"shambolic\"  approach to Brexit which he said was hampering business's ability to plan. He set out Labour's approach to working with business, which he said would be characterised by \"good intervention\". He said Labour's policies would involve \"some increase in corporation tax\" and said the suggestion that the UK should aim to reduce corporation tax to 15% or below was \"reckless short-term grandstanding.\" He called for more investment in housing, research and development and infrastructure, a higher minimum wage and measures to prevent undercutting of workers' pay and conditions.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1898, "answer_end": 3333, "text": "The prime minister also insisted she still favoured worker representation on company boards, dismissing suggestions that comments she made during the speech marked a watering-down of the idea. There have been widespread reports since the summer that Mrs May wanted to see workers on boards as part of a corporate governance shake-up, an idea that had caused unease among companies and, according to the Financial Times, disagreements in Cabinet. However, the prime minister told the CBI that there were \"other routes\" to providing worker representation on boards, including advisory councils or panels. \"It will be a question of finding the model that works,\" she said. Mrs May promised to shake-up governance as part of her Conservative Party leadership campaign in July, and repeated the promise at last month's party conference when she said she planned to have \"not just consumers represented on company boards, but workers as well\". And later, on Sky News, when asked if her conference speech marked a watering down of the idea, Mrs May said. \"No, what I've always said is that we want to look at ways in which we can improve corporate governance, looking at a number of areas, including workers' representation on boards. You can do that in a number of ways. \"We want to work with business on this and that's why we'll be consulting later this year on the various ways in which we can do it to find a model that works,\" she said."}], "question": "Workers on boards?", "id": "1119_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Where does Tory-DUP deal leave power-sharing talks?", "date": "26 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Northern Ireland will receive an extra PS1bn over the next two years as part of the deal that will see the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 MPs back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes. DUP leader Arlene Foster said the \"wide-ranging\" pact was \"good for Northern Ireland and the UK\" -  but where does it leave talks to restore power-sharing in Belfast? Arlene Foster made a point of finishing her comments outside Number 10 by announcing she was returning immediately to Stormont to try to re-establish the power sharing executive. Theresa May's deputy, Damian Green, also defended the financial largesse as an attempt to help Stormont politicians to overcome their differences. After her Westminster election success, the DUP leader is going nowhere. Her party argues that Sinn Fein should abandon its red line of refusing to share power with Mrs Foster until an inquiry into the controversial RHI heating scheme is over. According to this logic, republicans should not look Theresa May's gift horse in the mouth, but concentrate on resuming their ministerial duties and help to hand out the extra cash. Gerry Adams's initial response treats the DUP-Conservative deal like a \"curate's egg\" - that is \"good in parts\". The Sinn Fein president acknowledged that the extra cash would \"help to ease the enormous pressure\" on Northern Ireland's public services. - Health: A minimum of PS250m, with PS200m directed to health service transformation and PS50m towards mental health provision. It will also receive PS50m to \"address immediate pressures\" - Education: PS50m to \"address immediate pressures\" - Infrastructure: PS400m for projects including delivery the York Street Interchange, plus PS150m to provide ultra-fast broadband across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's capital budget is currently about PS1bn per year. - Deprivation: PS100m over five years targeted to deprived communities - VAT and Air Passenger Duty tax: Agreed to further consultation - Corporation tax: Agreed to work towards devolving the tax to Stormont - City deals and Enterprise Zones: Agreed to \"comprehensive and ambitious set\" of city deals and \"limited number\" of Enterprise Zones Read more analysis from BBC News NI Business Editor John Campbell But he added that \"the devil is in the detail\" - and attacked the agreement as providing a \"blank cheque for a Tory Brexit\". With the deadline for the Stormont talks on Thursday, there is not much time for the politicians to ponder their options. Sinn Fein will want to make more progress on their other objectives, like greater legal recognition for the Irish language. It is uncertain whether republicans will erase their red line, but the DUP-Tory deal has given them something to think about.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1118, "answer_end": 1369, "text": "Gerry Adams's initial response treats the DUP-Conservative deal like a \"curate's egg\" - that is \"good in parts\". The Sinn Fein president acknowledged that the extra cash would \"help to ease the enormous pressure\" on Northern Ireland's public services."}], "question": "Brexit blank cheque?", "id": "1120_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Secure exit? How will Brexit affect UK security?", "date": "30 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Will Britons be safer, more at risk, or see their security largely unchanged once the UK exits from the European Union? In the historic letter triggering Article 50 published on Wednesday, the Prime Minister Theresa May warned that failure to negotiate an agreement could damage security cooperation and the fight against crime and terrorism. The arguments over the security implications for the UK that circulated at the time of the June 2016 referendum are now being revived, but with rather more substance. The most serious and the most immediate security threat is that of a major terrorist attack, perhaps one even worse than the one in Westminster on 22 March. In police jargon, the nightmare scenario they have been rehearsing for years for is known as a \"Marauding Terrorist Firearms Attack\" (MTFA) - using machine guns to kill pedestrians in a crowded public place. Given this is still an objective for the so-called Islamic State - coupled with the presence of large numbers of jihadists across Europe, especially those returning from Syria and Iraq, and the proliferation of automatic weapons available in the criminal black market on the Continent - close cooperation between the UK and its European partners will continue to be key to stopping terrorist attacks in time. Intelligence officers from MI5, senior policemen and women from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, the prime minister's national security adviser and the National Security Secretariat have all been studying what effect, if any, Britain's departure will have on our security. So what are the arguments for and against? In the Brexit-triggering letter, the prime minister set out her fears of what could happen if the next two years of negotiations ended in failure and Britain exited the EU without a deal. \"In security terms, a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. We must therefore work hard to avoid that outcome.\" A recent study by the Rand Corporation concluded that \"both sides [the UK and EU] risk becoming weaker and less secure if Brexit talks provoke a 'zero-sum' approach to security and a 'messy divorce'\". The director general of Europol, the pan-EU police force headquartered in The Hague, has expressed grave concerns that Britain's departure will adversely affect the fight against organised crime, international terrorism and cybercrime. Rob Wainwright told the BBC: \"To help keep Britain safe from these threats, its law enforcement community has become dependent on the unique operational benefits offered by key EU instruments: over 3,000 cross-border investigations of organised crime and terrorism were initiated last year at Europol by UK agencies, a rate 25% up on the year before.\" There is, however, a subtle distinction between fighting \"ordinary\" crime and countering terrorism (CT). In fighting crime, the UK has benefited from both membership of the European Arrest Warrant and Europol. But counter-terrorism officials admit privately that neither are indispensable when it comes to sharing intelligence on terror suspects. This is often gathered by highly secretive intelligence agencies who are unwilling to share sensitive material, in real-time, with Europol. One pan-European mechanism Britain's CT community does value highly is the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). This provides a framework for the timely exchange of information on suspects believed to be at large in Europe, and at risk of slipping unnoticed across borders, something the 2015 Paris attack planners managed to do with ease. But shutting Britain out of this club would be counter-productive for the rest of Europe, so officers are confident it will be retained after Brexit. Scotland is another worry. If Brexit does result in Scotland voting for independence from London, then there will inevitably be huge implications for UK defence and security. The UK's Trident submarines, known as the \"continuous at sea deterrent\", are currently based in Scotland and would quite possibly have to be moved south of the border. Theresa May wrote in her letter that attention needed to be paid to \"the UK's unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland\". The border between north and south, which is currently open, would almost certainly be tightened. Ms May reminded everyone that the Republic of Ireland was the only EU member state with a land border with the UK, and that her government did not want a return to \"a hard border\" between the two countries. She also said nothing should be done to jeopardise the peace process in Northern Ireland. Then there is Russia. MI5's efforts to thwart espionage by Russian agents will continue post-Brexit, as will GCHQ's efforts to prevent cyber-espionage and hacking. But on the diplomatic front, there is no question that the EU's united stand towards Moscow on sanctions, Crimea and eastern Ukraine will be weakened by the departure of one of the strongest and most outspoken governments. It should be remembered though, that Nato is responsible for the military defence of Europe, not the EU, and Britain is not leaving Nato. One of the most emotive and persuasive arguments put forward by supporters of Brexit was that leaving the European Union would allow the UK to regain control of its borders, giving it back control over who it lets into the country. In the long term, the indications are there is some truth in this where EU citizens are concerned. But the mechanics are still being worked out and there are numerous exceptions and loopholes. It also ignores the fact there are an estimated 3,000 British citizens - at the minimum - whom the government is aware of having jihadist connections, contacts and sympathies. These are people who are already living here and who in most cases have been radicalised over the internet or by their peer group without even travelling to a battlefield like Syria. One person who has been right at the cutting edge of counter-terrorism for five years is Richard Walton. He was Commander of the Met Police's SO15 Counter Terrorism Command from 2011-16, and he has firm views on this issue. \"The UK could leave both the EU and Europol with little, if any, impact on its own national security or counter-terrorism capabilities,\" he wrote recently. Based on his own frontline experience, he believes that Britain's unique expertise in this area is much too valuable for EU countries not to keep lines open and two-way information flowing. This is partly due to the close cooperation enjoyed between the police and MI5, which evolved in the wake of the 2005 London bombings, a relationship which is not mirrored in most other EU countries. (Belgium, for example, has a long way to go to improve cooperation between its various agencies). Not surprisingly perhaps, Europol's Rob Wainwright disagrees with Mr Walton. He maintains that Europol, of which the UK is currently a member, is fast becoming indispensable. \"Recent Europol reforms and improved levels of trust in it by national agencies,\" he explained to the BBC, \"have witnessed a ten-fold increase in the sharing of terrorism data with Europol in the last two years (across Europe as a whole).\" But Mr Walton also argues that Britain's membership of the 5 Eyes intelligence sharing agreement gives it a special place in Europe. 5 Eyes is an extraordinarily close and trusting arrangement between the intelligence agencies of the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. As the only European nation in this \"club\", Britain's membership will endure beyond Brexit, while EU governments will want to continue to have access to any intelligence that affects them. In December 2016, six months after the referendum, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd was quoted as saying: \"The threats and challenges to UK national security have not fundamentally changed as a result of the decision to leave.\" This week, in the wake of the attack that killed four people in Westminster on 22 March, Richard Walton commented: \"Brexit will make no difference to Westminster or any subsequent counter-terror operation, proactive or reactive.\" Essentially, he says, it remains business as usual.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1618, "answer_end": 5230, "text": "In the Brexit-triggering letter, the prime minister set out her fears of what could happen if the next two years of negotiations ended in failure and Britain exited the EU without a deal. \"In security terms, a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. We must therefore work hard to avoid that outcome.\" A recent study by the Rand Corporation concluded that \"both sides [the UK and EU] risk becoming weaker and less secure if Brexit talks provoke a 'zero-sum' approach to security and a 'messy divorce'\". The director general of Europol, the pan-EU police force headquartered in The Hague, has expressed grave concerns that Britain's departure will adversely affect the fight against organised crime, international terrorism and cybercrime. Rob Wainwright told the BBC: \"To help keep Britain safe from these threats, its law enforcement community has become dependent on the unique operational benefits offered by key EU instruments: over 3,000 cross-border investigations of organised crime and terrorism were initiated last year at Europol by UK agencies, a rate 25% up on the year before.\" There is, however, a subtle distinction between fighting \"ordinary\" crime and countering terrorism (CT). In fighting crime, the UK has benefited from both membership of the European Arrest Warrant and Europol. But counter-terrorism officials admit privately that neither are indispensable when it comes to sharing intelligence on terror suspects. This is often gathered by highly secretive intelligence agencies who are unwilling to share sensitive material, in real-time, with Europol. One pan-European mechanism Britain's CT community does value highly is the Second Generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). This provides a framework for the timely exchange of information on suspects believed to be at large in Europe, and at risk of slipping unnoticed across borders, something the 2015 Paris attack planners managed to do with ease. But shutting Britain out of this club would be counter-productive for the rest of Europe, so officers are confident it will be retained after Brexit. Scotland is another worry. If Brexit does result in Scotland voting for independence from London, then there will inevitably be huge implications for UK defence and security. The UK's Trident submarines, known as the \"continuous at sea deterrent\", are currently based in Scotland and would quite possibly have to be moved south of the border. Theresa May wrote in her letter that attention needed to be paid to \"the UK's unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland\". The border between north and south, which is currently open, would almost certainly be tightened. Ms May reminded everyone that the Republic of Ireland was the only EU member state with a land border with the UK, and that her government did not want a return to \"a hard border\" between the two countries. She also said nothing should be done to jeopardise the peace process in Northern Ireland. Then there is Russia. MI5's efforts to thwart espionage by Russian agents will continue post-Brexit, as will GCHQ's efforts to prevent cyber-espionage and hacking. But on the diplomatic front, there is no question that the EU's united stand towards Moscow on sanctions, Crimea and eastern Ukraine will be weakened by the departure of one of the strongest and most outspoken governments. It should be remembered though, that Nato is responsible for the military defence of Europe, not the EU, and Britain is not leaving Nato."}], "question": "Less secure?", "id": "1121_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5231, "answer_end": 6014, "text": "One of the most emotive and persuasive arguments put forward by supporters of Brexit was that leaving the European Union would allow the UK to regain control of its borders, giving it back control over who it lets into the country. In the long term, the indications are there is some truth in this where EU citizens are concerned. But the mechanics are still being worked out and there are numerous exceptions and loopholes. It also ignores the fact there are an estimated 3,000 British citizens - at the minimum - whom the government is aware of having jihadist connections, contacts and sympathies. These are people who are already living here and who in most cases have been radicalised over the internet or by their peer group without even travelling to a battlefield like Syria."}], "question": "Safer off?", "id": "1121_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6015, "answer_end": 8270, "text": "One person who has been right at the cutting edge of counter-terrorism for five years is Richard Walton. He was Commander of the Met Police's SO15 Counter Terrorism Command from 2011-16, and he has firm views on this issue. \"The UK could leave both the EU and Europol with little, if any, impact on its own national security or counter-terrorism capabilities,\" he wrote recently. Based on his own frontline experience, he believes that Britain's unique expertise in this area is much too valuable for EU countries not to keep lines open and two-way information flowing. This is partly due to the close cooperation enjoyed between the police and MI5, which evolved in the wake of the 2005 London bombings, a relationship which is not mirrored in most other EU countries. (Belgium, for example, has a long way to go to improve cooperation between its various agencies). Not surprisingly perhaps, Europol's Rob Wainwright disagrees with Mr Walton. He maintains that Europol, of which the UK is currently a member, is fast becoming indispensable. \"Recent Europol reforms and improved levels of trust in it by national agencies,\" he explained to the BBC, \"have witnessed a ten-fold increase in the sharing of terrorism data with Europol in the last two years (across Europe as a whole).\" But Mr Walton also argues that Britain's membership of the 5 Eyes intelligence sharing agreement gives it a special place in Europe. 5 Eyes is an extraordinarily close and trusting arrangement between the intelligence agencies of the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. As the only European nation in this \"club\", Britain's membership will endure beyond Brexit, while EU governments will want to continue to have access to any intelligence that affects them. In December 2016, six months after the referendum, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd was quoted as saying: \"The threats and challenges to UK national security have not fundamentally changed as a result of the decision to leave.\" This week, in the wake of the attack that killed four people in Westminster on 22 March, Richard Walton commented: \"Brexit will make no difference to Westminster or any subsequent counter-terror operation, proactive or reactive.\" Essentially, he says, it remains business as usual."}], "question": "No change?", "id": "1121_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Coronavirus: Senior Chinese officials 'removed' as death toll hits 1,000", "date": "11 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China has \"removed\" several senior officials over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak - as the death toll passed 1,000. The party secretary for the Hubei Health Commission, and the head of the commission, are the most senior officials to be demoted so far. The deputy director of the local Red Cross was also removed for \"dereliction of duty\" over \"handling of donations\". Meanwhile the World Health Organization has named the virus Covid-19. The WHO is holding a two-day meeting in Geneva involving top medical, scientific and public health experts, aimed at speeding up the global response to the outbreak. There are now more than 42,200 confirmed cases across China. The number of deaths has overtaken that of the Sars epidemic in 2003. On Monday, some 103 died in Hubei province alone, a daily record, and the national death toll is now 1,016. But the number of new infections nationally was down almost 20% from the day before, from 3,062 to 2,478. Speaking to Reuters news agency, leading Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said the virus was hitting a peak in China this month and that the outbreak may be over by April. He said he was basing the forecast on mathematical modelling, recent events and government action. However, Zhong's previous forecast of an earlier peak turned out to be premature. According to state media, there have been hundreds of sackings, investigations and warnings across Hubei and other provinces during the outbreak. But removal from a certain role - while regarded as a censure - does not always mean the person will be sacked entirely, as it can also mean demotion. As well as being removed from their posts, officials can also be punished by the ruling Communist Party. For example, the deputy head of the government-run Red Cross charity, Zhang Qin, was given \"a serious intra-Party warning as well as a serious administrative demerit\", state media said. The two Hubei party officials will be replaced by a national figure - the deputy director of China's National Health Commission, Wang Hesheng. Earlier this month, the deputy head of the Wuhan bureau of statistics was removed, with similar sanctions for \"violating relevant regulations to distribute face masks\". In recent days, Chinese authorities have increasingly been criticised for their handling of the crisis. The death of a doctor whose early warnings were suppressed by authorities sparked widespread public anger. Beijing has sent a team from its highest anti-corruption agency to Hubei to investigate the treatment of Dr Li by police. But sources say at least 500 hospital staff had been infected in Wuhan by mid-January, according to the South China Morning Post. Doctors and nurses had been told not to make the extent of infections public, it reports. Analysis by BBC China correspondent, Stephen McDonell, Beijing Somebody was always going to be for the chop following the shambolic early handling of the coronavirus emergency. That early response cost precious weeks, slowing the response while millions of people left Wuhan before the transport blockade was in place. It was only a question of who would go - and when. With the local authorities facing a storm of public anger, the top two officials in Hubei's provincial health commission have been dismissed. Nobody expects it to end there. Possibly sensing that his own head was already on the block, the mayor of Wuhan, Zhou Xianwang, said the reason it took so long to warn the public about the virus was that he didn't have clearance from above. Clearance from above? That could mean permission from the provincial party secretary. It could also be interpreted that he was directing the blame all the way to Beijing. Now that can mean either China's top leaders are partly at fault; or the Communist Party's governance structures need to be overhauled; or the mayor is wrong - that is, he is the one who ultimately should carry the blame. People can decide which of these options is most likely to be acknowledged and acted upon. More than three-quarters of the deaths have been in Hubei's provincial capital, Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. The city of 11 million has been in lockdown for weeks. China has been sending large numbers of medical staff to the city. State news agency Xinhua shared images on Monday of doctors and nurses shaving their heads to prepare for wearing protective clothing. However, health officials have warned that medical facilities in rural areas across the country are inadequate. In Hong Kong, 23 households were evacuated from an estate on Monday night and taken into quarantine, after cases were detected there. The territory has had months of protests and chief executive Carrie Lam has called for \"social cohesion\" in the face of the health crisis. Two Japanese citizens who were evacuated on government-chartered flights from Wuhan in January have now tested positive. Both men had previously tested negative for the virus but later displayed symptoms, according to media reports. The Diamond Princess cruise ship remains quarantined in Japan's port of Yokohama, with 135 cases confirmed among the 3,700 passengers and crew. Thailand on Tuesday did not allow passengers from another cruise ship to disembark, despite no confirmed infections aboard. North Korea is reported to have sent hundreds of workers to patrol its borders with China. Road, rail and air links with China have already been cut. The country has not reported any infections but South Korean media say the virus has reached the secretive communist state. The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Frequent hand washing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, can help cut the risk of infection. Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease. SHOULD WE WORRY? Our health correspondent explains YOUR QUESTIONS: Can you get it more than once? WHAT YOU CAN DO: Do masks really help? UNDERSTANDING THE SPREAD: A visual guide to the outbreak LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN: A Wuhan diary ECONOMIC IMPACT: Why much of 'the world's factory' remains closed Have you been affected by any of the issues raised here? Please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4012, "answer_end": 4768, "text": "More than three-quarters of the deaths have been in Hubei's provincial capital, Wuhan, the centre of the outbreak. The city of 11 million has been in lockdown for weeks. China has been sending large numbers of medical staff to the city. State news agency Xinhua shared images on Monday of doctors and nurses shaving their heads to prepare for wearing protective clothing. However, health officials have warned that medical facilities in rural areas across the country are inadequate. In Hong Kong, 23 households were evacuated from an estate on Monday night and taken into quarantine, after cases were detected there. The territory has had months of protests and chief executive Carrie Lam has called for \"social cohesion\" in the face of the health crisis."}], "question": "What's the latest in China?", "id": "1122_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5544, "answer_end": 5977, "text": "The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Frequent hand washing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, can help cut the risk of infection. Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease."}], "question": "What are the symptoms of coronavirus and what can help stop its spread?", "id": "1122_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Nirav Modi: Billionaire's art auction raises $8m for tax collectors", "date": "26 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An art collection owned by Indian billionaire and fraud suspect Nirav Modi has fetched $8m (PS6m) at auction. Fifty-five pieces of art were sold in Mumbai to raise money that Mr Modi, 48, allegedly owes Indian tax authorities. The diamond trader is wanted for his alleged role in India's largest bank fraud, totalling some $2bn (PS1.5bn). Mr Modi, whose jewellery has been worn by celebrities such as of actress Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, was arrested in the UK last week. He is being detained in the UK and could face extradition. Indian authorities had hoped to recover $7.3m through the art sale but many of the pieces sold above their estimate. Auctioneers said the sale was the first of its kind, as Indian tax authorities usually auction property, gold and luxury items rather than art. An oil-canvas painting by Vasudeo S Gaitonde, one of India's most prominent abstract painters, sold for $3.7m. Punjab National Bank (PNB), India's second-largest state-run bank, says Mr Modi is one of the main suspects in a $2bn fraudulent scheme. Since Mr Modi fled India in early 2018, authorities have seized assets, including lavish properties and some 170 pieces of art. Mr Modi has denied wrongdoing. Police in London said he was arrested last Tuesday on the request of Indian authorities, who have asked for his extradition. He has been remanded in custody until 29 March. Mr Modi's case was thrust back into the limelight after The Telegraph newspaper found him living in a $10.5m London flat earlier this month. Within days, officials confirmed that UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid had certified India's extradition request, initially made last August. Mr Modi is one of India's richest men, worth an estimated $1.75bn, according to Forbes. He was born into a diamond trading dynasty, but only launched his own eponymous brand back in 2010. The brand grew quickly, and he soon had shops across India, as well as in New York, London and Hong Kong. His diamond-encrusted designs were worn by stars including Kate Winslet, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Naomi Watts, while the Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra-Jonas appeared in advertisements for the brand. The shops were raided and his assets frozen after the allegations emerged last year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1649, "answer_end": 2232, "text": "Mr Modi is one of India's richest men, worth an estimated $1.75bn, according to Forbes. He was born into a diamond trading dynasty, but only launched his own eponymous brand back in 2010. The brand grew quickly, and he soon had shops across India, as well as in New York, London and Hong Kong. His diamond-encrusted designs were worn by stars including Kate Winslet, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Naomi Watts, while the Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra-Jonas appeared in advertisements for the brand. The shops were raided and his assets frozen after the allegations emerged last year."}], "question": "Who is Nirav Modi?", "id": "1123_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Zimbabwe has a 'Minister of WhatsApp'", "date": "24 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A spoof government notice hit social media as soon as President Robert Mugabe announced he had set up a new ministry responsible for Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation. Zimbabweans reacted with customary humour to the letter, which faked the signature and letterhead of the newly appointed cyber minister - Patrick Chinamasa - and instructed all WhatsApp group members to register with the ministry by November. The letter was signed \"By The Cyber Powers Vested In Me\". But the jokes have since subsided, and Zimbabweans are now considering what the new ministry will mean for their civil liberties - especially freedom of speech. Zimbabwe's government has been uneasy about social media after pastor Evan Mawararire spearheaded the #ThisFlag movement last year. Using platforms like Twitter and Facebook it organised a stay-at-home demonstration, the biggest anti-government protest in a decade. President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson, George Charamba, says Mr Mugabe came up with the idea of a new ministry to deal with an \"emerging threat to the state... a threat founded on abuse and unlawful conduct\". Social media is possibly the primary platform Zimbabweans use to communicate and receive news. It is thriving despite restrictive laws governing freedom of expression. Over the last 16 years, internet usage in the country has grown from 0.3% penetration to 46%, data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) shows. Several TV stations and online publications, some operating from the diaspora, use the internet to disseminate news out of the reach of the government. When petrol stations ran out of fuel last month, there were dramatic scenes of long queues at supermarket as Zimbabweans stocked up, anticipating food shortages. Worried by these events, the government blamed social media messages for spreading panic. \"Social media was abused to create a sense of panic, thereby creating some sort of destabilising in the economy,\" says Mr Charamba. The new cyber security minister, Mr Chinamasa, agrees. He commented at the time, before his appointment, that \"the cause basically was social media\". \"It means it's a security issue,\" he adds. \"It is also a political agenda, a regime change agenda. We are going to look at what exactly happened with a view to take corrective measures in the security arena.\" But others say the government's stance is a threat to civil liberties. One communications rights group, the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute for Southern Africa (Misa), says this new scrutiny of social media goes against the spirit of the constitution and freedom of expression. \"These unfortunate threats have resulted in self-censorship by [individuals] when engaging on topical issues affecting the country,\" it said in a statement. It also criticises censorship of Zimbabwe's media, \"who have on occasion been chastised for incorporating citizen opinion as expressed online in their reportage\". Going a step further, Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the government's new cyber threat ministry is a means for government to spy on its people. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai also believes that the ministry has been created to curb free speech in time for the 2018 polls. \"Mugabe... will do whatever it takes to control and muzzle social media in order to suppress public discontent against his regime,\" he said. \"However the good news is that the regime has no capacity to suppress the use of social media.\" Many Zimbabweans have reacted wryly to the news of the creation of a cyber minister, referring to Mr Chinamasa as the \"Minister of WhatsApp\". Some say the ridicule shows a lack of understanding about the global threat of cyber crime. Others see a link between the government's scrutiny of online communication and the forthcoming elections. Zimbabwe already has several pieces of legislation which rights groups say curb freedom of expression. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights says that since 2010, it has assisted more than 100 people arrested under a law which makes it a jailable offence to \"insult the president\" and \"undermine his authority\". Ordinary people have been arrested and charged for calling the 93-year-old leader \"old\", \"a donkey\" and even for accusing him of ruining the country. The Zimbabwean government has said new legislation will not stifle freedom of expression and will protect the public from new threats such as revenge pornography and cyber attacks. Presidential spokesperson Mr Charamba says Zimbabwe will look closely at how other nations have dealt with the threat of cybercrime - including Russia, China, and South Korea \"who have faced similar challenges\". While several countries around the world have anti-cyber crime departments and agencies, Zimbabwe is among the first to create an entire ministry. Meanwhile on social media, ominous warnings have begun circulating. One is from a \"Mr Chaipa\", urging Zimbabweans only to share content on social media that they would be able to defend in court. Mr Chaipa said it was easy for the government to monitor online messages, and gave a list of online activities that could be classified as criminal offences. \"In the coming months a lot of people will be arrested and used as examples to deter people from 'abusing' social media towards the elections,\" he warns. \"Don't be made an example.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4681, "answer_end": 5363, "text": "While several countries around the world have anti-cyber crime departments and agencies, Zimbabwe is among the first to create an entire ministry. Meanwhile on social media, ominous warnings have begun circulating. One is from a \"Mr Chaipa\", urging Zimbabweans only to share content on social media that they would be able to defend in court. Mr Chaipa said it was easy for the government to monitor online messages, and gave a list of online activities that could be classified as criminal offences. \"In the coming months a lot of people will be arrested and used as examples to deter people from 'abusing' social media towards the elections,\" he warns. \"Don't be made an example.\""}], "question": "Arrests ahead?", "id": "1124_0"}]}]}, {"title": "German and Turkish officials vow to end spat", "date": "6 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Germany's foreign minister has held talks with his Turkish counterpart in a bid to \"overcome difficulties\" and improve relations between the nations. Sigmar Gabriel said \"open talks\" with Mevlut Cavusoglu were \"held in mutual respect\" despite their differences. Relations between the Nato allies and trade partners deteriorated after the failed coup in Turkey in 2016. The talks in Germany came a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met France's Emmanuel Macron. On Saturday Mr Gabriel, who hosted Mr Cavusoglu at his home in the central German city of Goslar, said the two had \"given ourselves the task to do everything to overcome the difficulties in German-Turkish relations\". The pair acknowledged their differences, including Germany's opposition to Turkey gaining membership of the European Union. Germany is also seeking the release of journalist Deniz Yucel, held in a Turkish jail without charge for 10 months. Mr Gabriel said after the talks that it was \"time to find more common ground in the future by remembering everything that binds us together\". Germany is Turkey's biggest export market and has the world's largest Turkish diaspora. Turkey's relations with its European partners have been frosty for some time, and with Germany in particular. Relations began to decline in March 2016 after President Erdogan filed a criminal complaint against a German TV comic over an obscene poem about the Turkish leader. But relations worsened after the failed coup in Turkey against Mr Erdogan in July 2016 in which more than 250 people died. The subsequent crackdown has seen some 50,000 people arrested and another 150,000 either suspended from their jobs or sacked. Turkey has since accused its European partners in Nato of harbouring coup plotters, prompting Germany and France to complain about the purge. In 2017 President Erdogan lashed out at Germany after the Berlin government refused to let some of his allies campaign for him there before a controversial referendum on increasing his powers. Mr Gabriel had at the time accused Mr Erdogan of an \"unprecedented\" act of interference in German sovereignty. A majority of Germany's ethnic Turkish voters backed Mr Erdogan in the April 2017 vote. When President Erdogan led the diplomatic offensive in Paris on Friday, it was clear that differences remained. President Macron told him it was time to drop the pretence that there could be any progress towards Turkey joining the European Union as things stood, detailing concerns over human rights since the failed coup. Mr Erdogan said that Turkey was tired of constantly imploring to join the EU and then lashed out at a journalist who asked about claims that the country sent arms to Syria. The journalist had asked him about a 2015 newspaper report that Turkish intelligence had sent the supplies. Mr Erdogan responded by accusing the journalist of talking like a member of the Gulenist movement, which he blames for the botched coup.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1163, "answer_end": 2220, "text": "Turkey's relations with its European partners have been frosty for some time, and with Germany in particular. Relations began to decline in March 2016 after President Erdogan filed a criminal complaint against a German TV comic over an obscene poem about the Turkish leader. But relations worsened after the failed coup in Turkey against Mr Erdogan in July 2016 in which more than 250 people died. The subsequent crackdown has seen some 50,000 people arrested and another 150,000 either suspended from their jobs or sacked. Turkey has since accused its European partners in Nato of harbouring coup plotters, prompting Germany and France to complain about the purge. In 2017 President Erdogan lashed out at Germany after the Berlin government refused to let some of his allies campaign for him there before a controversial referendum on increasing his powers. Mr Gabriel had at the time accused Mr Erdogan of an \"unprecedented\" act of interference in German sovereignty. A majority of Germany's ethnic Turkish voters backed Mr Erdogan in the April 2017 vote."}], "question": "What started the spat?", "id": "1125_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Pulwama attack: India will 'completely isolate' Pakistan", "date": "15 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "India has said it will ensure the \"complete isolation\" of Pakistan after a suicide bomber killed 46 paramilitary police in Indian-administered Kashmir. It claims to have \"incontrovertible evidence\" of its neighbour's involvement but has not provided it. Pakistan denies any role in the attack by militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which is based on its soil. Thursday's bombing of the convoy was the deadliest attack on Indian forces in the region for decades. Federal Minister Arun Jaitley said India would take \"all possible diplomatic steps\" to cut Pakistan off from the international community. But a Pakistani minister has asked India to reveal their evidence, and offered to help them investigate the attack. There has been an insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir since the late 1980s but violence has risen in recent years. In the wake of the attack, authorities have imposed a curfew in parts of Hindu-majority Jammu city after an angry mob vandalised cars in a largely Muslim neighbourhood. Both India and Pakistan claim all of Muslim-majority Kashmir but only control parts of it. India says that Pakistan has long given safe haven to Jaish-e-Mohammad militants and accused it of having a \"direct hand\" in Thursday's attack. It has called for global sanctions against the group and for its leader, Masood Azhar, to be listed as a terrorist by the UN security council. India has tried to do this several times in the past but was repeatedly blocked by China, an ally of Pakistan. Mr Jaitley set out India's determination to hold Pakistan to account when speaking to reporters after attending a security meeting early on Friday. He also confirmed that India would revoke Most Favoured Nation status from Pakistan, a special trading privilege granted in 1996. Pakistan said it was gravely concerned by the bombing but firmly rejected allegations that it was responsible. The country's Information Minister, Fawad Chaudry, asked India to show its evidence, and offered to help the investigation into the attack. \"This needs evidence,\" he told broadcaster CNN-News18. \"This needs an investigation.\" India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a speech that those behind the attack would pay a \"heavy price\", leading many analysts to expect further action from Delhi. But they say that the government's military options appear limited due to heavy snow across the region. After a 2016 attack on an Indian army base that killed 19 soldiers, Delhi said it carried out a campaign of \"surgical strikes\" in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, across the de facto border. But a BBC investigation found little evidence militants had been hit. The bomber used a vehicle packed with explosives to ram a convoy of 78 buses carrying Indian security forces on the heavily guarded Srinagar-Jammu highway about 20km (12 miles) from the capital, Srinagar. The bomber is reported to be Adil Dar, a high school dropout who left home in March 2018. He is believed to be between the ages of 19 and 21. Soon after the attack, Jaish-e-Mohammad released a video in which a young man identified as Dar spoke about what he described as atrocities against Kashmiri Muslims. He said he had joined the group in 2018 and was eventually \"assigned\" the task of carrying out the attack in Pulwama. He also said that by the time the video was released he would be in jannat (heaven). Dar is one of many young Kashmiri men who have been radicalised in recent years. On Thursday, main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said that the number of Kashmiri men joining militancy had risen from 88 in 2016 to 191 in 2018. India has been accused of using brutal tactics to put down protests in Kashmir - with thousands of people sustaining eye injuries from pellet guns used by security forces. by Arvind Chhabra, BBC News Punjabi \"I'm proud of my son. He has sacrificed himself for his family,\" says Darshan Singh, whose son, Kulwinder, died in the suicide attack in Kashmir. Mr Singh, who lives in Rauli village in Punjab, last saw Kulwinder on 10 February, before he returned to Kashmir at the end of his vacation. His son was 26 and planned to marry in November: \"We talked of only his wedding. We had finalised the caterers and the venue.\" \"It feels like my son is always with me,\" Mr Singh says, pointing to the jacket he is wearing. It belonged to Kulwinder and has his name embroidered on it. Darshan Singh says his son was like a friend to him and he had been waiting to see him come home with his bride.  \"I didn't know we would instead be waiting for his body.\" There have been at least 10 suicide attacks since 1989 but this is only the second to use a vehicle. Prior to Thursday's bombing, the deadliest attack on Indian security forces in Kashmir this century came in 2002, when militants killed at least 31 people at an army base in Kaluchak, near Jammu, most of them civilians and relatives of soldiers. The latest attack comes amid a spike in violence in Kashmir that came about after Indian forces killed a popular militant, 22-year-old Burhan Wani, in 2016. More than 500 people were killed in 2018 - including civilians, security forces and militants - the highest such toll in a decade. India and Pakistan have fought three wars and a limited conflict since independence from Britain in 1947 - all but one were over Kashmir. What is Jaish-e-Mohammad? Started by cleric Masood Azhar in 2000, the group has been blamed for attacks on Indian soil in the past, including one in 2001 on the parliament in Delhi which took India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Most recently, the group was blamed for attacking an Indian air force base in 2016 near the border in Punjab state. Seven Indian security personnel and six militants were killed. India, the UK, US and UN have all designated it a \"terrorist\" organisation and it has been banned in Pakistan since 2002. But Masood Azhar remains at large and is reportedly based in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province. India has demanded his extradition but Islamabad has refused, citing a lack of proof. He was arrested in Srinagar in 1999 but India released him as a part of a hostage exchange after an airliner was hijacked. Mr Gandhi and two former Indian chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir condemned the attack and expressed their condolences. The attack has also been widely condemned around the world, including by the US and the UN Secretary General. The White House called on Pakistan to \"end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2639, "answer_end": 3753, "text": "The bomber used a vehicle packed with explosives to ram a convoy of 78 buses carrying Indian security forces on the heavily guarded Srinagar-Jammu highway about 20km (12 miles) from the capital, Srinagar. The bomber is reported to be Adil Dar, a high school dropout who left home in March 2018. He is believed to be between the ages of 19 and 21. Soon after the attack, Jaish-e-Mohammad released a video in which a young man identified as Dar spoke about what he described as atrocities against Kashmiri Muslims. He said he had joined the group in 2018 and was eventually \"assigned\" the task of carrying out the attack in Pulwama. He also said that by the time the video was released he would be in jannat (heaven). Dar is one of many young Kashmiri men who have been radicalised in recent years. On Thursday, main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said that the number of Kashmiri men joining militancy had risen from 88 in 2016 to 191 in 2018. India has been accused of using brutal tactics to put down protests in Kashmir - with thousands of people sustaining eye injuries from pellet guns used by security forces."}], "question": "How did the attack unfold?", "id": "1126_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4532, "answer_end": 6149, "text": "There have been at least 10 suicide attacks since 1989 but this is only the second to use a vehicle. Prior to Thursday's bombing, the deadliest attack on Indian security forces in Kashmir this century came in 2002, when militants killed at least 31 people at an army base in Kaluchak, near Jammu, most of them civilians and relatives of soldiers. The latest attack comes amid a spike in violence in Kashmir that came about after Indian forces killed a popular militant, 22-year-old Burhan Wani, in 2016. More than 500 people were killed in 2018 - including civilians, security forces and militants - the highest such toll in a decade. India and Pakistan have fought three wars and a limited conflict since independence from Britain in 1947 - all but one were over Kashmir. What is Jaish-e-Mohammad? Started by cleric Masood Azhar in 2000, the group has been blamed for attacks on Indian soil in the past, including one in 2001 on the parliament in Delhi which took India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Most recently, the group was blamed for attacking an Indian air force base in 2016 near the border in Punjab state. Seven Indian security personnel and six militants were killed. India, the UK, US and UN have all designated it a \"terrorist\" organisation and it has been banned in Pakistan since 2002. But Masood Azhar remains at large and is reportedly based in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province. India has demanded his extradition but Islamabad has refused, citing a lack of proof. He was arrested in Srinagar in 1999 but India released him as a part of a hostage exchange after an airliner was hijacked."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "1126_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6150, "answer_end": 6521, "text": "Mr Gandhi and two former Indian chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir condemned the attack and expressed their condolences. The attack has also been widely condemned around the world, including by the US and the UN Secretary General. The White House called on Pakistan to \"end immediately the support and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil\"."}], "question": "How have others reacted?", "id": "1126_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Democrat Kamala Harris announces presidential run", "date": "21 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Democratic Senator Kamala Harris says she will run for president in the 2020 election, the eighth name to join the battle for the party's nomination. The California senator, who was elected in 2016, previously served as the state's attorney general. \"I love my country,\" she told ABC's Good Morning America, adding she would \"fight for the best of who we are\". The 54-year-old, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, is described as a rising star within the party. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, John Delaney and Julian Castro are among those who have also announced their intentions to run. \"The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I'm running for president of the United States,\" the senator said in a video posted on Twitter. The 2020 Democratic presidential primary will be the first time more than one woman competes for the party's nomination. The race is already thought to be record-breaking, with four women candidates running national campaigns. Securing the nomination would make Ms Harris the first African American or Indian American woman to be a major party nominee for the presidency. At her first campaign event on Monday, at an African American university in Washington, she accused President Trump of holding Americans hostage by prolonging the partial government shutdown. Kamala Harris is the kind of Democrat who could stick around and prevail in what is sure to be a gruelling nomination battle. She is from California, which is rich in both primary delegates and fundraising dollars. As a woman, and from an ethnic minority, she is well positioned to capitalise on her party's growing diversity. She has one of the most liberal voting records in the US Senate at a time when Democrats are leaning to the left, but she also has a background as a hard-nosed prosecutor. That background may end up a vulnerability as well, given that some progressives have criticised her for failing to support California criminal justice reform efforts and pointed to her prosecutorial record as being insufficiently sensitive to the rights of the accused. She will have to walk a fine line to tout her accomplishments while justifying her decisions. Ms Harris has only been on the national stage two years, and not every political neophyte can hold up under fire the way Mr Obama did in 2008. She will be tested in the coming months, but she starts the contest near the head of the pack. She served two terms as district attorney of San Francisco (2004-2011), before being elected as attorney general of California (2011-2017), the first woman of colour to do so. In 2017, the former prosecutor was sworn in as California's junior US senator. She is the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India and has pushed back against critics of \"identity politics\". \"It is used to try and shut us up,\" Ms Harris told a conference last summer. Her tough questioning of Justice Brett Kavanaugh about his views on abortion and the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election attracted attention from Democrats. But she has also faced criticism for saying she was not aware of allegations of sexual harassment against one of her aides, who resigned in 2016. Ms Harris plans to launch her campaign during a rally in Oakland, California, on Sunday. The senator deliberately picked Martin Luther King Jr Day, a national holiday, to make her announcement. \"The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational,\" she said. She added: \"So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I'm honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him.\" Some observers also saw in her announcement another historical parallel. Forty-seven years ago this week, Ms Chisholm, an African American New York congresswoman, became the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination. Some noted that Ms Harris picked the same campaign colours, red and yellow, and both candidates professed to be the \"candidate of the people\". The senator's staff told Buzzfeed her campaign logo was inspired by the Chisholm logo.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3390, "answer_end": 4222, "text": "The senator deliberately picked Martin Luther King Jr Day, a national holiday, to make her announcement. \"The thing about Dr King that always inspires me is that he was aspirational,\" she said. She added: \"So today, the day we celebrate Dr King, is a very special day for all of us as Americans and I'm honoured to be able to make my announcement on the day we commemorate him.\" Some observers also saw in her announcement another historical parallel. Forty-seven years ago this week, Ms Chisholm, an African American New York congresswoman, became the first woman to run for the Democratic nomination. Some noted that Ms Harris picked the same campaign colours, red and yellow, and both candidates professed to be the \"candidate of the people\". The senator's staff told Buzzfeed her campaign logo was inspired by the Chisholm logo."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "1127_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Joe Biden scrambles to tamp down Anita Hill controversy", "date": "26 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Top White House candidate Joe Biden has denied treating a woman badly when she accused a Supreme Court nominee of harassment before Congress in 1991. Anita Hill had testified against Clarence Thomas to a committee chaired by Mr Biden. His handling of her evidence has long been criticised. Speaking on ABC's the View on Friday, Mr Biden also said that he was \"sorry for the way she got treated\". Ms Hill on Thursday told the New York Times she would not endorse Mr Biden. The former US vice-president under Barack Obama tried to tamp down the controversy a day after formally launching his White House bid. Mr Biden has shot to the tip of a crowded field of 20 contenders who are vying to become the Democratic standard-bearer in next year's election against Republican President Donald Trump. Ms Hill said that Mr Biden had called her before announcing his presidential bid and expressed his \"regret for what she endured\" during the hearing. But she said that apology was not enough without \"real change\". \"I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, 'I'm sorry for what happened to you,'\" Ms Hill, a law professor, told the newspaper. She added that she could not support Mr Biden unless he showed \"real accountability\" for his handling of her testimony before Congress in 1991. During his Friday appearance on The View, Mr Biden - who raised a whopping $6.3m (PS4.8m) on the first day of his campaign - was asked about offering a personal apology to Ms Hill. \"I'm sorry for the way she got treated,\" Mr Biden responded. \"If you go back and look at what I said or didn't say, I don't think I treated her badly.\" In 1991, Ms Hill was called to testify at Mr Thomas' confirmation hearing after an FBI interview with her was leaked to the press. The hearing was conducted by an all-white, all-male panel, and several women apparently willing to corroborate Ms Hill's account were not called to testify by Mr Biden. Both Ms Hill and Justice Thomas are African-American. Mr Biden voted to send Justice Thomas' nomination out of the committee to the Senate floor, then voted against him in the full confirmation vote. Decades on, the event is considered a political embarrassment for Mr Biden, who remains a favourite to secure the Democratic nomination. Earlier this month, the former vice-president pledged to be \"more mindful\" about physical contact with women after seven women accused him of unwelcome physical contact. Mr Biden has also been reproached by the mother of an anti-racism protester who was killed during a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Susan Bro told the Daily Beast the presidential hopeful had not notified her that he planned to invoke Heather Heyer's death during his campaign launch video on Thursday. \"Most people do that sort of thing,\" she told the Daily Beast. \"They capitalise on whatever situation is handy. \"He didn't reach out to me, and didn't mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we don't endorse candidates.\" In a later interview with CNN, Ms Bro softened her tone, saying she was not particularly upset because \"the issue is about the hate, it's not about Heather\". Ms Bro added that she had told Mr Biden his video could have traumatised for some Charlottesville survivors. Mr Biden raised the issue of Charlottesville again while on The View, where he said President Trump's much-pilloried response to the violent protest in part inspired his decision to run. He accused Mr Trump of comparing \"neo-Nazis\" to \"genuinely decent Americans\". Days after the Unite the Right rally, Mr Trump provoked uproar for saying there \"were very fine people on both sides\" in Charlottesville. Although he also said neo-Nazis and white nationalists should be \"condemned totally\", it was not enough to contain the political fallout. The president revisited those remarks on Friday. \"If you look at what I said, you will see that question was answered perfectly, and I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E Lee, a great general,\" he told reporters outside the White House. The Charlottesville unrest began when a number of racist groups gathered to protest against plans to remove a statue of Lee, who commanded pro-slavery Confederacy forces during the American Civil War. Meanwhile, an unnamed Republican strategist told Politico that Mr Trump is concerned about Mr Biden's candidacy. According to the report, the source said Mr Trump asked his advisers last fall: \"How are we gonna beat Biden?\" When his aides predicted Mr Biden would not win the Democratic nomination, the president pressed: \"But what if he does?\" Speaking to reporters on Friday, however, Mr Trump projected confidence that he could beat Mr Biden \"easily\". Mr Trump, 72, also said he is being made to \"look very young\" next to the Democratic candidates, who range in age from 37 to Mr Biden's 76.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 794, "answer_end": 2416, "text": "Ms Hill said that Mr Biden had called her before announcing his presidential bid and expressed his \"regret for what she endured\" during the hearing. But she said that apology was not enough without \"real change\". \"I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, 'I'm sorry for what happened to you,'\" Ms Hill, a law professor, told the newspaper. She added that she could not support Mr Biden unless he showed \"real accountability\" for his handling of her testimony before Congress in 1991. During his Friday appearance on The View, Mr Biden - who raised a whopping $6.3m (PS4.8m) on the first day of his campaign - was asked about offering a personal apology to Ms Hill. \"I'm sorry for the way she got treated,\" Mr Biden responded. \"If you go back and look at what I said or didn't say, I don't think I treated her badly.\" In 1991, Ms Hill was called to testify at Mr Thomas' confirmation hearing after an FBI interview with her was leaked to the press. The hearing was conducted by an all-white, all-male panel, and several women apparently willing to corroborate Ms Hill's account were not called to testify by Mr Biden. Both Ms Hill and Justice Thomas are African-American. Mr Biden voted to send Justice Thomas' nomination out of the committee to the Senate floor, then voted against him in the full confirmation vote. Decades on, the event is considered a political embarrassment for Mr Biden, who remains a favourite to secure the Democratic nomination. Earlier this month, the former vice-president pledged to be \"more mindful\" about physical contact with women after seven women accused him of unwelcome physical contact."}], "question": "What's the Anita Hill row?", "id": "1128_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2417, "answer_end": 3252, "text": "Mr Biden has also been reproached by the mother of an anti-racism protester who was killed during a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017. Susan Bro told the Daily Beast the presidential hopeful had not notified her that he planned to invoke Heather Heyer's death during his campaign launch video on Thursday. \"Most people do that sort of thing,\" she told the Daily Beast. \"They capitalise on whatever situation is handy. \"He didn't reach out to me, and didn't mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we don't endorse candidates.\" In a later interview with CNN, Ms Bro softened her tone, saying she was not particularly upset because \"the issue is about the hate, it's not about Heather\". Ms Bro added that she had told Mr Biden his video could have traumatised for some Charlottesville survivors."}], "question": "What about Charlottesville?", "id": "1128_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Honda set to close Swindon car plant", "date": "18 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Honda is set to announce the closure of its Swindon car plant in 2022, with the loss of about 3,500 jobs. The Japanese company made 160,000 Honda Civics in Swindon last year, of which some 90% were sold to the UK, Europe and US. Honda has yet to make a formal announcement, and the Prime Minister's spokesman said Theresa May would not comment until an official confirmation. But local MP Justin Tomlinson said he had spoken to Honda, which confirmed it was consulting with \"all staff\". \"There is not expected to be any job losses, or changes in production until 2021,\" Mr Tomlinson said. The Unite union said the reports, if confirmed, would be a \"shattering body blow\". National officer Des Quinn said: \"The car industry in the UK over the last two decades has been the jewel in the crown for the manufacturing sector - and now it has been brought low by the chaotic Brexit uncertainty created by the rigid approach adopted by prime minister Theresa May.\" As well as having a \"grave\" impact on workers and their families, it \"will also affect thousands of jobs in the extensive supply chain across the country\", he said. A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said it was \"only right that we wait until the company has spoken with the workforce\" before commenting. The International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, also declined to comment directly until an official announcement. But he pointed out that car demand had fallen since new diesel emissions rules were introduced across Europe. \"That big drop in demand by consumers is bound to have a knock on effect with producers,\" he said. Martin Huggins, a Honda worker for 25 years said: \"We haven't heard anything at all- all we have seen is what is on our phones. \"The management have told us nothing at all. This will be a sad day for Swindon as a whole, not just the workers but all the subsidiary companies that go with it.\" In a tweet, Mr Tomlinson said: \"Honda are clear this is based on global trends and not Brexit, as all European market production will consolidate in Japan in 2021.\" The car industry has also been struggling with falling demand in China and a slowdown in diesel sales. Honda's Swindon plant produces both VTEC turbo petrol engines and diesel i-DTEC engines. But according to Sky, Brexit is understood to be one factor in the decision, with the carmaker concerned about the imposition of new tariffs after the UK leaves the EU. Rival Japanese carmaker Nissan also cited Brexit as one reason for cancelling plans to build its X-Trail SUV in Sunderland earlier this month. And Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover have expressed concern about the risk of a potential no-deal Brexit in recent months. Last week, Ford warned that a leaving the EU without a deal would be \"catastrophic\". The EU and Japan recently struck a trade deal which lowers tariffs on both parties' car exports to zero. James Atwood, deputy editor of Autocar magazine, said this could be a big factor behind Honda's decision. \"It allows Honda to produce their cars in Japan where most of their plants are and then ship them to the EU without having to pay the import tariffs they have been, which does reduce one of the reasons for needing a plant in the UK,\" he told BBC News. BBC business editor Simon Jack says the trade deal certainly \"means a dwindling rationale to base manufacturing inside the EU\". He said: \"Production at Swindon has been in decline for some time and is currently running at about half its capacity - another strike against it. But, having said that, Japanese companies are very long term investors. \"Sony and Panasonic moved their European headquarters to the EU. In each case, the rationale was slightly different. But many in Japan feel failure to provide Brexit certainty have loosened the ties that used to bind the two countries.\" Only last autumn, Honda said it was committed to UK-based production regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations. But last month, it said it would shut the Swindon factory for six days in April as part of its preparations for any disruption caused post-Brexit. The company said the move was to ensure it could adjust to \"all possible outcomes caused by logistics and border issues\". The firm said it would help in recovering lost production if shipments of parts were held up at borders. Last year, the senior vice-president of Honda Europe warned that if the UK left the EU without a deal, it would cost his company tens of millions of pounds. Ian Howells told the BBC that quitting the bloc without an agreement would affect the carmaker's competitiveness in Europe. Honda UK is situated on a former airfield spanning 370 acres to the north-east of Swindon. The carmaker bought the site in 1985 and established Honda of the UK Manufacturing to inspect vehicles pre-delivery. In 1989, the operations expanded to producing engines. Three years later, a car plant was added, which began producing the Honda Accord. Since then, the site has gone on to produce the Jazz, CR-V, Civic and Type R. A second Honda car plant opened in Swindon in 2001, raising production capacity to 250,000 a year. Correction 27 March 2019: an earlier version of this story said that 90% of Honda Civics made in Swindon last year were exported to the EU", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 589, "answer_end": 1882, "text": "The Unite union said the reports, if confirmed, would be a \"shattering body blow\". National officer Des Quinn said: \"The car industry in the UK over the last two decades has been the jewel in the crown for the manufacturing sector - and now it has been brought low by the chaotic Brexit uncertainty created by the rigid approach adopted by prime minister Theresa May.\" As well as having a \"grave\" impact on workers and their families, it \"will also affect thousands of jobs in the extensive supply chain across the country\", he said. A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said it was \"only right that we wait until the company has spoken with the workforce\" before commenting. The International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, also declined to comment directly until an official announcement. But he pointed out that car demand had fallen since new diesel emissions rules were introduced across Europe. \"That big drop in demand by consumers is bound to have a knock on effect with producers,\" he said. Martin Huggins, a Honda worker for 25 years said: \"We haven't heard anything at all- all we have seen is what is on our phones. \"The management have told us nothing at all. This will be a sad day for Swindon as a whole, not just the workers but all the subsidiary companies that go with it.\""}], "question": "What has been the reaction?", "id": "1129_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1883, "answer_end": 2755, "text": "In a tweet, Mr Tomlinson said: \"Honda are clear this is based on global trends and not Brexit, as all European market production will consolidate in Japan in 2021.\" The car industry has also been struggling with falling demand in China and a slowdown in diesel sales. Honda's Swindon plant produces both VTEC turbo petrol engines and diesel i-DTEC engines. But according to Sky, Brexit is understood to be one factor in the decision, with the carmaker concerned about the imposition of new tariffs after the UK leaves the EU. Rival Japanese carmaker Nissan also cited Brexit as one reason for cancelling plans to build its X-Trail SUV in Sunderland earlier this month. And Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover have expressed concern about the risk of a potential no-deal Brexit in recent months. Last week, Ford warned that a leaving the EU without a deal would be \"catastrophic\"."}], "question": "Is this about Brexit?", "id": "1129_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2756, "answer_end": 3802, "text": "The EU and Japan recently struck a trade deal which lowers tariffs on both parties' car exports to zero. James Atwood, deputy editor of Autocar magazine, said this could be a big factor behind Honda's decision. \"It allows Honda to produce their cars in Japan where most of their plants are and then ship them to the EU without having to pay the import tariffs they have been, which does reduce one of the reasons for needing a plant in the UK,\" he told BBC News. BBC business editor Simon Jack says the trade deal certainly \"means a dwindling rationale to base manufacturing inside the EU\". He said: \"Production at Swindon has been in decline for some time and is currently running at about half its capacity - another strike against it. But, having said that, Japanese companies are very long term investors. \"Sony and Panasonic moved their European headquarters to the EU. In each case, the rationale was slightly different. But many in Japan feel failure to provide Brexit certainty have loosened the ties that used to bind the two countries.\""}], "question": "Is a new EU-Japan trade deal to blame?", "id": "1129_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3803, "answer_end": 4576, "text": "Only last autumn, Honda said it was committed to UK-based production regardless of the outcome of Brexit negotiations. But last month, it said it would shut the Swindon factory for six days in April as part of its preparations for any disruption caused post-Brexit. The company said the move was to ensure it could adjust to \"all possible outcomes caused by logistics and border issues\". The firm said it would help in recovering lost production if shipments of parts were held up at borders. Last year, the senior vice-president of Honda Europe warned that if the UK left the EU without a deal, it would cost his company tens of millions of pounds. Ian Howells told the BBC that quitting the bloc without an agreement would affect the carmaker's competitiveness in Europe."}], "question": "Were there clues this was coming?", "id": "1129_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Tulsa shooting: The unanswered questions", "date": "23 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The shooting of an unarmed black man by police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has led to protests and demands by his family for justice. Terence Crutcher, 40, was shot dead next to his stalled car last Friday. Officers had encountered the car while on their way to another call-out. The incident was caught by two police cameras - one in a helicopter, the other inside a police car - and the officer in question has been charged with first-degree manslaughter. However, much of what happened remains unclear. Both sources of footage show armed police approaching Mr Crutcher next to his vehicle - he has his hands in the air, and places them on the side of the car. It is not clear whether Mr Crutcher drops his hands at any point - his family say he did not - and angles on both videos obscure him moments before he is shot by a stun gun then a gun. Police said soon after the shooting that he had ignored officers' commands, but a lawyer for the Crutcher family said witnesses were \"shocked and outraged that he actually was shot\" as he had been responding to the requests. A lawyer for Betty Shelby, the police officer who shot Mr Crutcher, also said he had ignored officers' commands. Scott Wood told the Tulsa World newspaper that Mr Crutcher had repeatedly reached into his pockets, despite being told not to. Shots were fired when he reached in through the window of the car, Mr Wood said. However, on Tuesday, Mr Crutcher's family held a press conference showing a magnified photo appearing to show blood on the driver's window, indicating it was not open. It is not clear if the window of the back seat was open or not. While Betty Shelby came across the stalled car while on an unrelated call, audio released by police shows a phone call was made by a member of the public about concerns someone was \"smoking something\". Mr Wood also said that Officer Shelby, thanks to training she had received, suspected Mr Crutcher was under the influence of PCP, a synthetic drug. On Tuesday, police confirmed to the Tulsa World that a vial of the drug was found in the car. \"Let us not be thrown a red herring and to say because something was found in the car that is justification to shoot him,\" Crutcher family lawyer Benjamin Crump said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 498, "answer_end": 1064, "text": "Both sources of footage show armed police approaching Mr Crutcher next to his vehicle - he has his hands in the air, and places them on the side of the car. It is not clear whether Mr Crutcher drops his hands at any point - his family say he did not - and angles on both videos obscure him moments before he is shot by a stun gun then a gun. Police said soon after the shooting that he had ignored officers' commands, but a lawyer for the Crutcher family said witnesses were \"shocked and outraged that he actually was shot\" as he had been responding to the requests."}], "question": "Did Mr Crutcher lower his hands?", "id": "1130_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1065, "answer_end": 1617, "text": "A lawyer for Betty Shelby, the police officer who shot Mr Crutcher, also said he had ignored officers' commands. Scott Wood told the Tulsa World newspaper that Mr Crutcher had repeatedly reached into his pockets, despite being told not to. Shots were fired when he reached in through the window of the car, Mr Wood said. However, on Tuesday, Mr Crutcher's family held a press conference showing a magnified photo appearing to show blood on the driver's window, indicating it was not open. It is not clear if the window of the back seat was open or not."}], "question": "Was the car window open?", "id": "1130_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1618, "answer_end": 2228, "text": "While Betty Shelby came across the stalled car while on an unrelated call, audio released by police shows a phone call was made by a member of the public about concerns someone was \"smoking something\". Mr Wood also said that Officer Shelby, thanks to training she had received, suspected Mr Crutcher was under the influence of PCP, a synthetic drug. On Tuesday, police confirmed to the Tulsa World that a vial of the drug was found in the car. \"Let us not be thrown a red herring and to say because something was found in the car that is justification to shoot him,\" Crutcher family lawyer Benjamin Crump said."}], "question": "Were there drugs involved?", "id": "1130_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Microblogging the Bo Xilai trial: Transparency or theatre?", "date": "23 August 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In a rare display of openness, a Chinese court issued almost real-time posts on social media during the trial of Bo Xilai, attracting immense public attention. The Jinan Intermediate People's Court set up an account on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, just days before the trial of the disgraced politician was due to begin. The event was widely expected to be a well-scripted show trial. But on Thursday, those following developments on Weibo were surprised to see the court disseminating detailed accounts of the lively exchanges between the judge, the prosecutor, the defence lawyer, witnesses and Mr Bo himself. The posts showed Mr Bo putting up a feisty defence, overturning his confessions and denying all corruption charges against him. This appeared to be an unusual attempt by the Chinese leadership to show its people that the trial is open and fair. The openness was, of course, very limited. Foreign media were not allowed to attend the trial and the information disclosed by the court was likely to have been heavily edited. But it was still an unprecedented display of transparency for a trial in China, and therefore drew massive attention from the Chinese public. As the day progressed, followers of the court's Weibo account increased from 40,000 to over 300,000. Some posts were retweeted tens of thousands of times. Many Chinese netizens hailed the court's posts as a sign of progress. \"The openness shown by the Bo Xilai trial at the Jinan court has exceeded public expectations,\" said Weibo user \"Sanyan Dadi\", whose verified account describes him as a Liaoning-based journalist. \"The real-time Weibo broadcast by the Jinan court is a historic progress. It would be better if it could be used in ordinary cases, too,\" said Tang Xiaohu, a Hunan-based lawyer. This seems to be exactly the kind of message Beijing intended to get across. \"The open trial and the real-time Weibo broadcasts reflected the transparency and openness of China's rule of law,\" said a commentary on the website of People's Daily, the Communist Party's most authoritative mouthpiece. But not everyone is so optimistic about what this means for rule of law in China. Zhang Zhi'an, a journalism professor at Sun Yet-sen University in Guangzhou, pointed out that the court's posts were selective and not genuinely real-time. \"By adopting this method of dissemination, [the authorities] have managed to balance openness with control,\" he said on his Weibo microblog. \"They have mounted a display of openness while keeping risks under control in a highly skilful manner,\" he wrote. Liu Wanqiang, a Guangxi-based journalist for the semi-official China News Service, said: \"The selective postings can only show selective openness and selective justice, and cannot be said to represent the truth.\" The court's Weibo posts might have been edited by the authorities before release, but judging from netizens' reactions, it is not clear if all potential risks have indeed been kept under control. Bo Xilai's defiance made great courtroom drama and won him some admiration among Weibo users. One user called his performance \"vigorous and spectacular\". After Mr Bo denied the charges and aggressively challenged the prosecution's evidence and witnesses, some were led to question the whole case against him. \"What a huge twist! It would be very hard to find him guilty now,\" said a Weibo post translated by the Tea Leaf Nation blog. In a sign that Beijing is not entirely comfortable with the consequences of its self-imposed openness, party paper Guangming Daily ran an article on its website warning Mr Bo not to take advantage of the legal rights honoured by the court. \"The court safeguards the defendant's legal rights in order to safeguard the paramount dignity of the law. But this cannot be used by criminals as an opportunity to wreak havoc, confuse right with wrong, whitewash themselves and show contempt for the law,\" said the article. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2793, "answer_end": 4137, "text": "The court's Weibo posts might have been edited by the authorities before release, but judging from netizens' reactions, it is not clear if all potential risks have indeed been kept under control. Bo Xilai's defiance made great courtroom drama and won him some admiration among Weibo users. One user called his performance \"vigorous and spectacular\". After Mr Bo denied the charges and aggressively challenged the prosecution's evidence and witnesses, some were led to question the whole case against him. \"What a huge twist! It would be very hard to find him guilty now,\" said a Weibo post translated by the Tea Leaf Nation blog. In a sign that Beijing is not entirely comfortable with the consequences of its self-imposed openness, party paper Guangming Daily ran an article on its website warning Mr Bo not to take advantage of the legal rights honoured by the court. \"The court safeguards the defendant's legal rights in order to safeguard the paramount dignity of the law. But this cannot be used by criminals as an opportunity to wreak havoc, confuse right with wrong, whitewash themselves and show contempt for the law,\" said the article. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook."}], "question": "Off the script?", "id": "1131_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Jong-nam: Malaysians stranded in North Korea return home", "date": "31 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nine Malaysians who were prevented from leaving North Korea have arrived home, after the two countries struck a deal to end a diplomatic row. The quarrel, over last month's killing of Kim Jong-nam in Kuala Lumpur, had resulted in both countries banning each other's citizens from leaving. Two North Koreans wanted for questioning are believed to have been allowed to leave Malaysia. Malaysia has also released Mr Kim's body to Pyongyang. North Korea is widely suspected to have orchestrated Mr Kim's murder. Mr Kim was the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The late Kim Jong-il's eldest son was passed over for the leadership and was living outside North Korea at the time of his death. The nine Malaysian nationals were met by their relatives and a large media contingent at Kuala Lumpur airport early on Friday. Those who have returned include the country's counsellor to North Korea, Mohd Nor Azrin Md Zain, embassy staff and their families. The counsellor said that when Pyongyang told them they could not leave North Korea, \"we were very concerned especially since we had committed no wrong\". But he added they were \"not particularly harassed\" by North Korean authorities. \"We were given the assurance that life could go on as normal,\" he said. They were flown home in a business jet plane piloted by members of the Malaysian air force. Following Mr Kim's killing on 13 February, North Korean officials demanded that his body be handed to them immediately without an autopsy. Pyongyang reacted angrily when Malaysia refused their requests. Malaysian authorities said they had the right to conduct an autopsy as he had been killed on Malaysian soil, and said they would only release the body to Mr Kim's family. This prompted a war of words where North Korea's ambassador Kang Chol accused Malaysia of colluding with \"hostile forces\", allegations which Kuala Lumpur dubbed as \"delusions, lies and half-truths\". Kang Chol was expelled and the Malaysian ambassador to North Korea was also recalled. Pyongyang then said it would ban all Malaysians in North Korea from leaving until the \"situation was resolved\", which Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak called an \"abhorrent act\" that effectively held his citizens hostage. Kuala Lumpur enacted a tit-for-tat exit ban on North Koreans. Malaysian officials have not hesitated in branding the return of their citizens as a triumph of diplomatic deal-making. On Friday morning Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told reporters: \"There can be no substitute for diplomacy, for level-headedness in dealing with such situations, and this has served Malaysia well in this instance.\" But the exact circumstances of how the deal was struck remain unclear. Correspondents say that Malaysia appears to have acceded to North Korea's wishes to get the Malaysians released. Mr Najib had said earlier that, after challenging negotiations, all North Koreans would be allowed to leave Malaysia - which probably includes those wanted by Malaysian police for questioning. Japanese news agency Kyodo said two men resembling two wanted North Koreans were seen on a Beijing-bound flight transporting Mr Kim's body on Friday. The men are thought to be Hyon Kwang Song, the second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Kim Uk Il, an employee of North Korea's state airline Air Koryo. The two men were previously reported to have been holed up in the embassy and refused to take part in investigations. Malaysian Insight quoted Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali as saying that authorities allowed two North Korean diplomats to leave \"to secure the safe release\" of the Malaysians. He did not name the diplomats. He told the news portal that they were not suspects in Mr Kim's murder and were only needed to \"assist in investigations\". Mr Kim's body was released to North Korea and flown to Beijing, where North Korean officials are expected to receive it. Malaysia had previously said they would not release the body until a request came from family members. On Thursday, Mr Najib said a formal request had been received from the family, but did not give further details. Mr Kim's own family previously lived in Macau but they are now thought to be in hiding. His son Kim Han-sol appeared in a  video earlier this month confirming he was with his mother and sister at an unspecified location. It was with barely disguised relief that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the deal with North Korea to release Kim Jong-nam's body, after what he described as \"sensitive\" negotiations posing many challenges. Dealing with a regime that, in Malaysia's view, was holding its citizens hostage and had carried out a lethal chemical weapons attack inside its main international gateway was a delicate task. Malaysia appears to have given North Korea what it wanted - the body and the North Korean suspects sought by the Malaysian police - in order to get its nine citizens back safely. To that end, North Korea has refused to recognise that the body was that of its supreme leader's half-brother, or to cooperate in clarifying the role of its agents in the attack. But by permitting a letter from an as-yet unnamed family member in North Korea to be forwarded to Malaysia, authorising the body's release, there is at least tacit acknowledgement from Pyongyang that the body is indeed Kim Jong-nam - something the Malaysian authorities say they have already confirmed through DNA samples obtained from his relatives outside North Korea. But with all the North Korean suspects in the attack now apparently out of Malaysia it is not clear how the investigation can move forward. The two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, who smeared the nerve agent on Kim Jong-nam's face are in custody facing murder charges, but we do not know how much they have been able to tell the Malaysians. Nor do we know how much the Malaysian authorities have learned about that nerve agent. They believe it is VX, a substance so dangerous it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction, but it is not clear how much they have consulted with allies, or shared their findings with the international organisations that monitor chemical and biological weapons.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1357, "answer_end": 2303, "text": "Following Mr Kim's killing on 13 February, North Korean officials demanded that his body be handed to them immediately without an autopsy. Pyongyang reacted angrily when Malaysia refused their requests. Malaysian authorities said they had the right to conduct an autopsy as he had been killed on Malaysian soil, and said they would only release the body to Mr Kim's family. This prompted a war of words where North Korea's ambassador Kang Chol accused Malaysia of colluding with \"hostile forces\", allegations which Kuala Lumpur dubbed as \"delusions, lies and half-truths\". Kang Chol was expelled and the Malaysian ambassador to North Korea was also recalled. Pyongyang then said it would ban all Malaysians in North Korea from leaving until the \"situation was resolved\", which Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak called an \"abhorrent act\" that effectively held his citizens hostage. Kuala Lumpur enacted a tit-for-tat exit ban on North Koreans."}], "question": "What was the spat about?", "id": "1132_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2304, "answer_end": 3803, "text": "Malaysian officials have not hesitated in branding the return of their citizens as a triumph of diplomatic deal-making. On Friday morning Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told reporters: \"There can be no substitute for diplomacy, for level-headedness in dealing with such situations, and this has served Malaysia well in this instance.\" But the exact circumstances of how the deal was struck remain unclear. Correspondents say that Malaysia appears to have acceded to North Korea's wishes to get the Malaysians released. Mr Najib had said earlier that, after challenging negotiations, all North Koreans would be allowed to leave Malaysia - which probably includes those wanted by Malaysian police for questioning. Japanese news agency Kyodo said two men resembling two wanted North Koreans were seen on a Beijing-bound flight transporting Mr Kim's body on Friday. The men are thought to be Hyon Kwang Song, the second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Kim Uk Il, an employee of North Korea's state airline Air Koryo. The two men were previously reported to have been holed up in the embassy and refused to take part in investigations. Malaysian Insight quoted Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali as saying that authorities allowed two North Korean diplomats to leave \"to secure the safe release\" of the Malaysians. He did not name the diplomats. He told the news portal that they were not suspects in Mr Kim's murder and were only needed to \"assist in investigations\"."}], "question": "How was it resolved?", "id": "1132_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3804, "answer_end": 4361, "text": "Mr Kim's body was released to North Korea and flown to Beijing, where North Korean officials are expected to receive it. Malaysia had previously said they would not release the body until a request came from family members. On Thursday, Mr Najib said a formal request had been received from the family, but did not give further details. Mr Kim's own family previously lived in Macau but they are now thought to be in hiding. His son Kim Han-sol appeared in a  video earlier this month confirming he was with his mother and sister at an unspecified location."}], "question": "What's happened to the body?", "id": "1132_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Has President Trump's trade war cost China three million jobs?", "date": "30 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Claim: President Trump says three million jobs have been lost in China as a consequence of the trade war with the United States. Verdict: While estimates for China's employment vary widely, they do not generally support Mr Trump's claim.  When asked, the White House directed us to a survey that gave a lower figure. Over the past year, the United States and China have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of one another's goods. Mr Trump accuses Beijing of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft. \"China has taken a very hard hit over the last number of months,\" he said at the recent G7 Summit. \"They've lost three million jobs, and it'd soon be much more than three million jobs.\" This is not the first time President Trump has boasted about the damage the trade war has inflicted on China. \"They've lost two and a half million jobs in a very short period of time,\" he said last week. First, let's look at where President Trump may have got his numbers from. The White House press office responded to our query with a link to an article published in July in the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based newspaper. This article quoted a report from a Chinese investment bank, China International Capital Corp (CICC), with an estimate of trade war-related job losses in the manufacturing sector of up to 1.9 million between July 2018 and May 2019. When pressed further, Mr Trump's spokesperson said the CICC survey had not included data after May, when there had been a significant increase in tariffs on goods from China. However, no explanation was offered as to where the figure of three million - or the 2.5 million a week earlier - had been sourced. The BBC also contacted the US Treasury Department, but has not yet received a response. There is no official Chinese data specifically on job losses as a result of the US-China trade war, but economic surveys carried out by two Chinese banks suggest a range of 1.2 to 1.9 million jobs were impacted by the trade war in the industrial sector. While the imposition of tariffs has had an impact on Chinese manufacturing, there are other reasons for job losses. \"It's possible to count job decline but the problem is - what's the cause?\", says Mary Lovely at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a US-based think tank. \"It's impossible to establish cause and effect,\" she says. Job losses in manufacturing have been part of a longer-term trend as China moves towards a more service-based economy with the creation of jobs in finance and technology, and this transition began even before the trade war started. So, losses in the industrial sector need to be balanced against gains elsewhere across the economy. China's manufacturing sector also faces pressure from countries in the region with cheaper labour costs. The Chinese government has also given a particular emphasis to increasing employment in urban areas. \"Urban services have absorbed much of the labour from closed factories. There is also reverse migration going from coastal provinces to their origin provinces like Anhui, Sichuan and Henan, where local industries are growing,\" says Dan Wang, China Economic Analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing. China's total labour force in 2018 was 788 million, according to the World Bank. So, job losses of two million in the manufacturing sector over the past year would represent just 0.25% of the total workforce. The country's overall unemployment for 2018 - according to official government statistics - was 3.8%, the lowest level since 2002. But President Trump's intervention comes at a time when the Chinese Communist Party leadership is paying closer attention to the jobs market - a key indication of the Party's performance. In July, the country's top decision-making body, Politburo, said it has placed employment as one of its top priorities. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1774, "answer_end": 3872, "text": "There is no official Chinese data specifically on job losses as a result of the US-China trade war, but economic surveys carried out by two Chinese banks suggest a range of 1.2 to 1.9 million jobs were impacted by the trade war in the industrial sector. While the imposition of tariffs has had an impact on Chinese manufacturing, there are other reasons for job losses. \"It's possible to count job decline but the problem is - what's the cause?\", says Mary Lovely at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a US-based think tank. \"It's impossible to establish cause and effect,\" she says. Job losses in manufacturing have been part of a longer-term trend as China moves towards a more service-based economy with the creation of jobs in finance and technology, and this transition began even before the trade war started. So, losses in the industrial sector need to be balanced against gains elsewhere across the economy. China's manufacturing sector also faces pressure from countries in the region with cheaper labour costs. The Chinese government has also given a particular emphasis to increasing employment in urban areas. \"Urban services have absorbed much of the labour from closed factories. There is also reverse migration going from coastal provinces to their origin provinces like Anhui, Sichuan and Henan, where local industries are growing,\" says Dan Wang, China Economic Analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing. China's total labour force in 2018 was 788 million, according to the World Bank. So, job losses of two million in the manufacturing sector over the past year would represent just 0.25% of the total workforce. The country's overall unemployment for 2018 - according to official government statistics - was 3.8%, the lowest level since 2002. But President Trump's intervention comes at a time when the Chinese Communist Party leadership is paying closer attention to the jobs market - a key indication of the Party's performance. In July, the country's top decision-making body, Politburo, said it has placed employment as one of its top priorities."}], "question": "What can we say about job losses in China?", "id": "1133_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Srinivas Gowda: 'India's Usain Bolt' says no to national trials", "date": "17 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Indian buffalo racer who is being compared to Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt has rejected an official offer inviting him to participate in national trials. Srinivas Gowda, 28, broke the record in Kambala, a sport where people sprint 142m through paddy fields with buffalo. He is said to have finished in 13.42 seconds, while Bolt holds the world 100m record of 9.58 seconds. News of his feat spread through local news and social media, prompting an offer from the sports minister. But Mr Gowda told BBC Hindi that he will not be able to go for the national sprint trials. \"I have injured my leg and my focus is on Kambala. I am used to running with buffalo in the paddy fields,\" he said. Mr Gowda ran the race in a village in the southern state of Karnataka earlier this month. But videos of the record-breaking race started to go viral only late last week, sparking a flurry of tweets and drawing the attention of sports officials and politicians. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted on Saturday, saying that they had arranged for Mr Gowda's train tickets so he could travel to the  centre run by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) where the trials would happen. Prof Gunapala Kadamba, founder-secretary of the Kambala Academy, said that this  was a \"great honour\" for Kambala but unfortunately Mr Gowda would not be immediately available for trials. \"The problem is that he has Kambala [races] on the next three Saturdays,\" Prof Kadamba said. \"That is a commitment that he cannot go back on under any circumstances. So we are not rejecting the offer. Maybe he can go for trials at a later stage.\" Several local newspapers and journalists compared Mr Gowda's performance to Bolt's world record time. But Prof Kadamba cautioned against this. \"They [Olympic event monitors] have more scientific methods and better electronic equipment to measure speed,\" he said. Experts have also said that the Bolt comparison is inaccurate as Mr Gowda's speed was generated by the buffalos he was running with. The animals are known to reach speeds of around 35mph (56 km/h), which is significantly faster than even Bolt's record-breaking feat. Mr Gowda, who earns his living as a construction worker, has been participating in Kambala for seven years. \"I got interested in it because I used to watch Kambala during my school days,\" he said. When asked about his win, he said he was excited and praised his teammates - the two buffalo he ran alongside - for doing so well. Kambala, which roughly translates to \"paddy-growing mud field\" in the local language Tulu, is a traditional sport originating from part of Karnataka's coast. Participants sprint through a field, which is normally either 132m or 142m, with two buffalo that are tethered together. In the past, past the sport has attracted strong criticism from international animal rights groups. In 2014, India's Supreme Court issued a ban on races with bulls, prompted primarily by campaigns against the practice of Jallikattu, a form of bull-fighting from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. Two years later, Karnataka's state court issued an interim order stopping all Kambala events. Prof Kadamba said that the organising body had responded to this, updating the sport in order to make it more humane. He said their current and former students - including Mr Gowda - are now taught how to deal with buffalo \"in a humane manner without unnecessarily hurting the animal\". In 2018, the state started allowing Kambala races to take part again, but issued several conditions - including a ban on the use of whips. But the practice is still under threat. International animal rights group Peta has a petition pending in the Supreme Court, arguing that Karnataka's reinstatement of Kambala was illegal.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2459, "answer_end": 3743, "text": "Kambala, which roughly translates to \"paddy-growing mud field\" in the local language Tulu, is a traditional sport originating from part of Karnataka's coast. Participants sprint through a field, which is normally either 132m or 142m, with two buffalo that are tethered together. In the past, past the sport has attracted strong criticism from international animal rights groups. In 2014, India's Supreme Court issued a ban on races with bulls, prompted primarily by campaigns against the practice of Jallikattu, a form of bull-fighting from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. Two years later, Karnataka's state court issued an interim order stopping all Kambala events. Prof Kadamba said that the organising body had responded to this, updating the sport in order to make it more humane. He said their current and former students - including Mr Gowda - are now taught how to deal with buffalo \"in a humane manner without unnecessarily hurting the animal\". In 2018, the state started allowing Kambala races to take part again, but issued several conditions - including a ban on the use of whips. But the practice is still under threat. International animal rights group Peta has a petition pending in the Supreme Court, arguing that Karnataka's reinstatement of Kambala was illegal."}], "question": "What is Kambala?", "id": "1134_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Green Party manifesto 2019: 12 key policies explained", "date": "19 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Green Party of England and Wales has launched its 2019 manifesto, called If Not Now, When? It sets out the polices the party aims to introduce should it win the election. The full document, sets out a \"Green New Deal\" - proposing measures from replacing fossil fuels to insulating houses and investing in cycle paths. Greenhouse gas emissions would be cut to zero, to tackle climate change. All major parties promise strong action on the climate, but the Greens are the most radical by far. The Conservatives passed a law obliging the UK to halt virtually all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Labour is aiming for earlier than 2050. The Liberal Democrats are even more ambitious, with a 2045 target. But the Greens say emissions must be eliminated by 2030. It would mean, within a decade, petrol and diesel vehicles being replaced. Gas heating boilers would be switched for, say, hydrogen. All homes would be well insulated and all emissions from industry avoided or captured in rocks. People would eat less meat, drive less in smaller cleaner cars and curb flying. The advisory Committee on Climate Change, which provides independent advice to government, says 2050 is the earliest credible date for achieving net zero emissions for most sectors of the economy. These targets would apply to the whole of the UK. Funding for the NHS would rise by PS6bn a year until 2030, with a further PS1bn per year for nursing higher education. The Green Party is earmarking PS6bn a year of the money raised from its tax policies to increase the NHS budget in England above existing plans. Labour has committed to a similar annual increase by 2023/24, but the Green policy would kick in immediately and run till 2030. But predicting what the NHS will need a decade from now is anyone's guess. The party wants a \"huge\" reduction in private sector involvement without saying quite how much will be retained (for example using private hospitals for routine surgery). There is a push for devolution of healthcare to local communities. But there can be wide variations in quality in different areas ,and removing national level scrutiny may not always be in the best interest of patients. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all run their own health services, but they will also benefit from any extra funding. Tackle climate change by transforming the economy The Green Party manifesto envisages a significant revolution in how the economy functions, spending over a trillion pounds during the five-year Parliament. The basic philosophy of spending tens of billions on decarbonisation is common to most of the parties standing for election, but the Greens argue that the low interest rates currently charged on government borrowing create \"an unparalleled opportunity for public investment\" to tackle the issue. A carbon tax will apply to all oil and gas extraction and to the use of petrol, diesel and aviation fuels. This will raise consumer prices, and frequent flyers will face a levy. Petrol and diesel cars will be phased out by 2030. The manifesto focuses on the new jobs in new clean and green industries, but clearly under these plans many jobs will be lost in currently existing carbon-intensive sectors - from manufacturing to automotive to aerospace. This will apply to the whole of the UK economy, although Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may have some freedom in how they implement the policies. Encourage farmers to adopt greener working practices, and reduce meat in our diet. The Greens want 50% of farms to be doing agro-forestry in a decade - that's growing vegetables or raising livestock between rows of trees. This would change the way the countryside looks, but the farmers' union say it's not impossible. The Greens insist the UK must reduce emissions of methane from cows and sheep, by phasing in a tax on meat and dairy products over 10 years. This will be controversial. But they say they'll use the revenue to help farmers transition to more sustainable farming methods. Much of this will apply to the whole of the UK. - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words - BREXIT: Where do the parties stand? Thousands of new homes for social rent every year. The Greens will give local councils the power to bring empty houses back into use and setting an affordable living rent for all tenants. It is an ambitious and radical vision for housing delivery that, they argue, puts quality of life first - thinking about local green space, access to cycle ways and pedestrian access to shops and transport. However, it sees the state taking a much more prominent role in the delivery and management of housing, particularly in the rental sector, a change of emphasis that will concern some house-builders and landlords. Housing policy and some elements of transport are devolved. No tuition fees for undergraduates and write-off debt for ex-students who paid a PS9,000-a-year fee. This is a big offer from the Greens to young people. The cost to cover a single undergraduate year group during their whole time at university costs about PS9bn. The cost of writing off existing debt for graduates who have paid fees of PS9,000 a year or more is estimated by economists at about PS33bn. Education is devolved so this will only apply in England. Scottish students already don't pay fees at Scottish universities. A Universal Basic Income for all adults, regardless of their income. The Greens say this would simplify the current system, replacing most existing benefits except housing benefit. They say this will free people from job insecurity and help those not reached by the current system. They say that no-one currently on benefits would be worse off under Green UBI, which would roll-out completely by 2025. There would be extra for families with children and pensioners would get PS178 - nearly PS10 more than the current state pension. It's expensive - the Greens have costed their proposal at PS86bn on top of current pension and benefit spending of PS256bn. It would be paid for by a tax on carbon emissions and other tax changes, such as removing the income tax personal allowance. Opponents say other welfare arrangements would more efficiently help those who need it most. This is likely to apply to the whole of the UK, although devolved nations may have some discretion in implementing it. Get 10 million homes to the top energy rating within 10 years. This is an ambitious goal. Your Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, is a measure of how energy-efficient your home is. Almost every building has one, and you can check your rating online. The average rating is D. Very few homes get the highest A rating, which is what the Green Party is aiming for. The Greens are particularly interested in fixing existing buildings. They call this plan \"a deep retrofitting\" which, along with better insulation in every home, will cost PS24.6bn. UK nations have control over their own housing policies so the Green Party would need to coordinate with the devolved administrations. Extend plastic bag tax to bottles, single-use plastics and micro-plastics. All major parties now have plans to curb plastic waste. The Greens want to extend the plastic bag tax to plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics - and to expand plastic bottle deposit schemes. They would ban the production of single-use plastics for use in packaging. But some experts fear that that apparently straightforward policies developed at a time of political stress can lead to the use of other materials which might be worse for the planet in different ways. For instance, glass bottles, for instance, don't typically harm wildlife, but they are much heavier than plastic, so they create higher carbon emissions when they are transported. At the moment these kinds of policies are decided separately by the UK government for England and by the devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Free personal care at home for people aged 65 and over. Older people who need a lot of help with tasks such as washing, dressing and medication would no longer have to pay for that help at home. Such a system has operated for 20 years in Scotland, where a weekly contribution of PS177 is also made to the cost of residential care. The Green Party manifesto doesn't mention residential care - this might explain their low estimate of the overall cost of free personal care. It says councils in England would get PS4.5bn a year to provide this support. Experts estimate the cost of free personal care in England in both settings would be PS6bn a year in 2020/21 rising to PS8bn by the end of the next decade. Also scrap HS2 and electrify the whole rail network. The Greens want the car to be increasingly seen as out-dated. Money for cycle routes would represent a massive increase on previous governments' spending. A rail network which runs solely off electricity is a noble promise, however, at present roughly two thirds of the UK's network is not electrified. And their wish for more train services hits a more basic problem: in a lot places there simply isn't any spare capacity. That takes us to one of their other grabby proposals: scrap HS2. The project hasn't been well-managed and will possibly cost more than PS100bn. But the scheme is in motion and has already cost more than PS7bn. Proponents say it's needed to free up capacity for more passengers and freight. The Greens' transport wish-list feels revolutionary, but some of it will be hard to achieve in a quick timeframe and without spending large sums of public money. Transport is partially devolved but overall policies on the UK's rail and road network are dealt with by the UK government. Replace it with a \"fair and proportional\" alternative. Analysis by Tom Barton, BBC political correspondent: The Greens tell us they want to reform the UK's \"disgustingly unfair\" first-past-the-post voting system. Under it, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency becomes MP, with no benefits from coming a close second. In 2017, the Green Party won more than 500,000 votes, but had just one MP elected. Voting reform is popular among smaller parties and is perhaps the only issue that unites the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party. However, the public has been asked what it thinks about one proposal - introducing the Alternative Vote system under which voters would rank candidates - at a referendum in 2011. And 67% voted against it. - To find out more read our simple guide to the Green Party Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 10595, "answer_end": 10694, "text": "Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS."}], "question": "What are the parties promising you?", "id": "1135_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Climate change: Low cost, low energy cooling system shows promise", "date": "26 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Researchers in the US have scaled up a new low-cost system that could provide efficient cooling for homes while using very little electricity. The team has developed a roof-top sized array, built from a highly reflective material made from glass and polymers. In tests, the system kept water around 10C cooler than the ambient air when exposed to midday sunlight in summer. The approach could also be scaled up to cool power stations and data centres. The system is based around what's termed a cooling meta-material, which is essentially an engineered film not found in nature. Last year, researchers at CU Boulder in the US published research on the extraordinary properties of the new film, which reflects back almost all incoming light from the Sun. But it also has another cooling trick that makes it quite special. If you use the film to cover water, it allows any heat in the liquid to escape into the air. So when the heat escapes and is not replaced because the material deflects away sunlight, temperatures drop rapidly. Now the scientists have improved the system and and built and tested a 13-sq-metre array of panels, that's small enough to fit on most rooftops. \"You could place these panels on the roof of a single-family home and satisfy its cooling requirements,\" said Dongliang Zhao, lead author of the study from CU Boulder's Department of Mechanical Engineering. The system has been tested outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. In experiments carried out in the summer of 2017, the reflective system kept a container of water some 12C cooler than the surrounding air in the warmest hours of the day. \"We can now apply these materials on building rooftops, and even build large-scale water cooling systems with significant advantages over the conventional air-conditioning systems, which require high amounts of electricity to function,\" said Associate Professor Gang Tan, another author of the study from the University of Wyoming. The key material is made with glass microspheres embedded into a polymer film, with a thin silver coating. At just 50 micrometres, it is slightly thicker than aluminium foil. Another big advantage of the material is that it can be manufactured on rolls, making it easier to apply on residential and commercial applications. The authors say that one of the most effective uses of the new material would be to cool thermoelectric power generating plants. These installations use large amounts of water and electricity to maintain the operating temperatures of their machinery. Using the new material could make them more efficient. In 2016 around 10% of the world's energy use went to power air conditioning. The International Energy Agency says that this rate is set to triple by 2050, with air conditioning (AC) consuming as much electricity as is used in China today. As well as all the CO2 that is produced as electricity is created to power these devices, AC units also contain potent greenhouse gases in the form of hydrofluorocarbons. HFCs were introduced to protect the ozone layer, because the previous generation of the cooling chemicals exacerbated the hole over Antarctica that had developed in the 1980s. While HFCs are less damaging, they have a large global warming potential. In 2016, countries agreed that they would be phased out over the course of the next 15-20 years. If this happens successfully it could have a significant impact on limiting future temperature rises. The new study has been published in the journal Joule.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1383, "answer_end": 1958, "text": "The system has been tested outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. In experiments carried out in the summer of 2017, the reflective system kept a container of water some 12C cooler than the surrounding air in the warmest hours of the day. \"We can now apply these materials on building rooftops, and even build large-scale water cooling systems with significant advantages over the conventional air-conditioning systems, which require high amounts of electricity to function,\" said Associate Professor Gang Tan, another author of the study from the University of Wyoming."}], "question": "How effective is this material?", "id": "1136_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2283, "answer_end": 2588, "text": "The authors say that one of the most effective uses of the new material would be to cool thermoelectric power generating plants. These installations use large amounts of water and electricity to maintain the operating temperatures of their machinery. Using the new material could make them more efficient."}], "question": "What is it likely to be used for?", "id": "1136_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2589, "answer_end": 3502, "text": "In 2016 around 10% of the world's energy use went to power air conditioning. The International Energy Agency says that this rate is set to triple by 2050, with air conditioning (AC) consuming as much electricity as is used in China today. As well as all the CO2 that is produced as electricity is created to power these devices, AC units also contain potent greenhouse gases in the form of hydrofluorocarbons. HFCs were introduced to protect the ozone layer, because the previous generation of the cooling chemicals exacerbated the hole over Antarctica that had developed in the 1980s. While HFCs are less damaging, they have a large global warming potential. In 2016, countries agreed that they would be phased out over the course of the next 15-20 years. If this happens successfully it could have a significant impact on limiting future temperature rises. The new study has been published in the journal Joule."}], "question": "How much cooling does the world need?", "id": "1136_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Weedkiller glyphosate a 'substantial' cancer factor", "date": "20 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A US jury has found that one of the world's most widely-used weedkillers was a \"substantial factor\" in causing a man's cancer. Pharmaceutical group Bayer had strongly rejected claims that its glyphosate-based Roundup product was carcinogenic. But the jury in San Francisco ruled unanimously that it contributed to causing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in California resident Edwin Hardeman. The next stage of the trial will consider Bayer's liability and damages. During this phase, which starts on Wednesday, Mr Hardeman's lawyers are expected to present evidence allegedly showing Bayer's efforts to influence scientists, regulators and the public about the safety of its products. In morning trading, Bayer's shares immediately plunged, dropping almost 12% to EUR61.62. The German company, which acquired Roundup as part of its $66bn takeover of US rival Monsanto, said it was disappointed with the jury's initial decision. \"We are confident the evidence in phase two will show that Monsanto's conduct has been appropriate and the company should not be liable for Mr. Hardeman's cancer,\" the company said. Bayer continues \"to believe firmly that science confirms that glyphosate-based herbicides do not cause cancer\". The case was only the second of some 11,200 Roundup lawsuits to go to trial in the US. Another California man was awarded $289m in August after a state court jury found Roundup caused his cancer, sending Bayer shares plunging at the time. That award was later reduced to $78m and is on appeal. Bayer has argued that decades of studies and regulatory assessments have shown the weed killer to be safe for human use. Mr Hardeman, 70, treated his property in Sonoma County, California, regularly with the herbicide from 1980 to 2012 and was eventually diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His lawyers Aimee Wagstaff and Jennifer Moore said in a joint statement their client was \"pleased\" with the decision. \"Now we can focus on the evidence that Monsanto has not taken a responsible, objective approach to the safety of Roundup,\" they added. \"Instead, it is clear from Monsanto's actions that it does not particularly care whether its product is in fact giving people cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about the issue.\" Another Roundup trial is scheduled to begin in California state court in Oakland on 28 March, involving a couple who claim Roundup caused their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Glyphosate was introduced by Monsanto in 1974, but its patent expired in 2000, and now the chemical is sold by various manufacturers. In the US, more than 750 products contain it. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organisation's cancer agency, concluded that glyphosate was \"probably carcinogenic to humans\". However, the US Environmental Protection Agency insists it is safe when used carefully. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also says glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans. In November 2017 EU countries voted to renew the licence of glyphosate despite campaigns against it. In California - where a judge had ruled that coffee must carry a cancer warning - the agriculture industry sued to prevent such a label for glyphosate, even though  the state lists it as a chemical known to cause cancer.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2489, "answer_end": 3350, "text": "Glyphosate was introduced by Monsanto in 1974, but its patent expired in 2000, and now the chemical is sold by various manufacturers. In the US, more than 750 products contain it. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organisation's cancer agency, concluded that glyphosate was \"probably carcinogenic to humans\". However, the US Environmental Protection Agency insists it is safe when used carefully. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also says glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans. In November 2017 EU countries voted to renew the licence of glyphosate despite campaigns against it. In California - where a judge had ruled that coffee must carry a cancer warning - the agriculture industry sued to prevent such a label for glyphosate, even though  the state lists it as a chemical known to cause cancer."}], "question": "What is glyphosate and is it dangerous?", "id": "1137_0"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Greens call for \u00a3100bn a year for climate action", "date": "6 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Green Party have launched their general election campaign with a call for PS100bn a year to be spent on tackling the climate \"emergency\". Co-leader Sian Berry said: \"Some things are even bigger than Brexit. This must be the climate election. The future won't get another chance.\" The party says it would fund the pledge by borrowing PS91.2bn a year, with an extra PS9bn from \"tax changes\". The party also set out plans to make Britain carbon neutral by 2030. The government has already committed to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, a move announced by former Prime Minister Theresa May before she left office earlier this year. At the Green Party for England and Wales election campaign launch in Bristol, Ms Berry said: \"Let's be honest about the situation we're in. We know these are dark times. It's easy to fear the future. \"The threat of Brexit hangs over our heads, the climate emergency rages from the Amazon to the Arctic, and our fragile democracy is under attack. \"But despite all this, Greens don't fear the future. \"We welcome the future. Because we know that we stand at the threshold of what could be the most exciting and prosperous period of British history.\" The Green Party supports another EU referendum and is in talks with the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru about forming a \"Remain alliance\" to stop Brexit. The deal would see candidates stand aside for each other to increase the chances of a Remain-supporting MP being elected. Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said the alliance hoped to target \"around 50 seats\", telling BBC Politics Live: \"The idea is to get the biggest Remain party bloc in the Parliament.\" He admitted some local Green Party branches were against the idea of standing aside for a Lib Dem or Plaid Cymru candidate. \"Some want to, some are not so keen,\" he said, but he hoped a deal would \"go through\" and would be announced \"quite soon\". Mr Bartley also defended the levels of borrowing needed to fulfil the Greens' pledges, saying the investment would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and \"pay for itself in the long run\". \"The climate emergency - if it comes to fruition - does not bear thinking about in terms of the cost of trillions to the economy,\" he told the Today programme. Elsewhere in the election campaign on Wednesday: - Boris Johnson is due to start the Conservative Party election campaign at a rally in the West Midlands and will say only his party can \"get Brexit done\" - In a speech in Telford, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said a Labour government should be judged on the \"real change\" it delivers and \"the concrete improvements it makes to the lives of millions\" - Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson launched her election \"battle bus\" in north London, pledging an extra PS11bn for mental health care if her party is in government By Tom Edgington, BBC Reality Check The Green Party is proposing to fund its key pledge by increasing government borrowing by PS91bn a year. The remaining PS9bn will come from tax changes, including an increase in corporation tax to 24%. This would represent a massive increase on current borrowing levels. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies believes government borrowing will be PS55bn this year. In terms of how PS100bn compares to other areas of UK government spending, it's about the same that's spent on education each year. Deputy leader Amelia Womack also set out the Green Party's plan to make the country carbon neutral by 2030. This will be done, Ms Womack said, by building 100,000 energy efficient homes each year, by \"revolutionising\" transport infrastructure, a roll-out of renewable energy and creating \"hundreds of thousands\" of \"low carbon jobs\" - including, for example, workers installing insulation in homes. \"This could be our last chance to elect a Parliament to keep us below dangerous warming,\" Ms Womack said. \"The climate doesn't care about promises. The environment doesn't care about pledges. \"What we need is action. And the Green Party has the single most ambitious and comprehensive plan to go carbon neutral by 2030 while delivering social justice across Britain.\" Labour has also set out some of its own environmental pledges, including a promise to cut UK carbon emissions by 10% through a home improvement programme. A Labour government would fund PS60bn of energy-saving upgrades, such as loft insulation, enhanced double glazing and new heating systems, by 2030. The Conservatives say they have \"a proper plan to continue reducing carbon emissions\" which will build on the \"400,000 low carbon jobs we've already created [while in government]\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2823, "answer_end": 3362, "text": "By Tom Edgington, BBC Reality Check The Green Party is proposing to fund its key pledge by increasing government borrowing by PS91bn a year. The remaining PS9bn will come from tax changes, including an increase in corporation tax to 24%. This would represent a massive increase on current borrowing levels. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies believes government borrowing will be PS55bn this year. In terms of how PS100bn compares to other areas of UK government spending, it's about the same that's spent on education each year."}], "question": "Reality Check: Where would the PS100bn come from?", "id": "1138_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iraq unrest: PM Abdul Mahdi to resign after bloodiest day in protests", "date": "29 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi is to submit his resignation, his office says, after more than 40 people were killed on the bloodiest day since anti-government protests began. Iraq's top Shia Muslim cleric condemned the use of force against protesters and called for a new government. About 400 people have been killed in protests since the start of October, and at least 15 died on Friday. Iraqis are demanding jobs, an end to corruption and better public services. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was \"deeply concerned over reports of the continued use of live ammunition against demonstrators\" and called for \"maximum restraint\". The statement said he would present his resignation to parliament so lawmakers could select a new government. It came after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for a new government. \"In response to this call, and in order to facilitate it as quickly as possible, I will present to parliament a demand [to accept] my resignation from the leadership of the current government,\" the statement signed by Mr Abdul Mahdi said. The statement did not say when his resignation would take place. On Sunday parliament will hold an emergency session to discuss the crisis. Earlier on Friday Ayatollah Sistani said the government appeared to have been \"unable to deal with the events of the past two months\". \"Parliament, from which the current government emerged, must reconsider its choices and do what's in the interest of Iraq,\" he said in remarks delivered by his representative during a televised sermon in the city of Karbala. The ayatollah said attacks on peaceful protesters were \"forbidden\" and also urged demonstrators to avoid violence and \"eject vandals\" from their midst. Mr Abdul Mahdi has offered his resignation before but the intervention by Ayatollah Sistani, the most influential man in the country, makes things different now, BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reports. What is happening in Iraq is part of a wave of unrest across the region, much of it driven by the anger of those under the age of 30 who are fed up with unemployment, unreliable public services and what they consider as corruption by the country's elite, our correspondent adds. Mr Abdul Mahdi had earlier ordered an investigation into Thursday's violence in Dhi Qar and Najaf provinces. Mr Abdul Mahdi took office just over a year ago, promising reforms that have not materialised. Young Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad for the first time at the beginning of October. After the first wave of protests - which began in October, lasted six days and saw 149 civilians killed - Mr Abdul Mahdi promised to reshuffle his cabinet and cut the salaries of high-ranking officials, and also announced schemes to reduce youth unemployment. But the protesters said their demands had not been met and returned to the streets in late October. The demonstrations escalated and spread across the country after security personnel responded with deadly force. At the end of October Mr Abdul Mahdi offered to resign if parties could agree a replacement. On Friday at least 15 people were killed in fresh clashes in the city of Nasiriya. Protesters have been celebrating Mr Abdul Mahdi's announcement. In Baghdad, a protester called Hejar told the BBC it was a win for the protesters, but there were more demands. \"It is our first demand. That will change something. Then our second demand is to shut down the parliament. We're hoping it's going to happen because our young guys are very strong and they have their words, we say that we're going to stay here,\" he said. Hejar said protesters would remain on the street despite the use of lethal force against them. \"It is hard for us, like it's hard for everyone to see how the security forces are dealing with us, how they're killing us by tear gas, live ammunition. And it's tearing us apart, but we are strong and we're going to stand still and demand what's right for us.\" Earlier on Friday large crowds attended funerals for those killed in the city of Najaf. The deputy governor of Najaf has resigned, following the governor who resigned on Thursday. Amnesty International's Middle East research director, Lynn Maalouf, accused security forces of \"appalling violence against largely peaceful protesters\". In the bloodshed on Thursday: - At least 25 people died in Nasiriya when security forces opened fire to clear bridges there. Protesters responded by torching a police station - Ten protesters died in the city of Najaf after security forces cracked down following the burning of Iran's consulate, and a curfew is in place - Another four protesters died in Baghdad as protesters tried to cross a bridge towards the so-called Green Zone that hosts the country's parliament Many of those taking part have expressed anger at Iran's influence over Iraq's internal affairs, which has steadily grown since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Protesters accuse Iran of complicity in what they see as Iraq's governance failure and corruption. They chanted \"Iran out of Iraq\" as Iran's mission in Najaf burned. The city is the seat of Iraq's Shia religious authority and the location of the revered Imam Ali shrine, where the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad is buried. It is the second attack on an Iranian consulate in Iraq this month after an office in the Shia holy city of Karbala was targeted three weeks ago.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 653, "answer_end": 2322, "text": "The statement said he would present his resignation to parliament so lawmakers could select a new government. It came after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for a new government. \"In response to this call, and in order to facilitate it as quickly as possible, I will present to parliament a demand [to accept] my resignation from the leadership of the current government,\" the statement signed by Mr Abdul Mahdi said. The statement did not say when his resignation would take place. On Sunday parliament will hold an emergency session to discuss the crisis. Earlier on Friday Ayatollah Sistani said the government appeared to have been \"unable to deal with the events of the past two months\". \"Parliament, from which the current government emerged, must reconsider its choices and do what's in the interest of Iraq,\" he said in remarks delivered by his representative during a televised sermon in the city of Karbala. The ayatollah said attacks on peaceful protesters were \"forbidden\" and also urged demonstrators to avoid violence and \"eject vandals\" from their midst. Mr Abdul Mahdi has offered his resignation before but the intervention by Ayatollah Sistani, the most influential man in the country, makes things different now, BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reports. What is happening in Iraq is part of a wave of unrest across the region, much of it driven by the anger of those under the age of 30 who are fed up with unemployment, unreliable public services and what they consider as corruption by the country's elite, our correspondent adds. Mr Abdul Mahdi had earlier ordered an investigation into Thursday's violence in Dhi Qar and Najaf provinces."}], "question": "Why is Abdul Mahdi resigning?", "id": "1139_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2323, "answer_end": 3075, "text": "Mr Abdul Mahdi took office just over a year ago, promising reforms that have not materialised. Young Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad for the first time at the beginning of October. After the first wave of protests - which began in October, lasted six days and saw 149 civilians killed - Mr Abdul Mahdi promised to reshuffle his cabinet and cut the salaries of high-ranking officials, and also announced schemes to reduce youth unemployment. But the protesters said their demands had not been met and returned to the streets in late October. The demonstrations escalated and spread across the country after security personnel responded with deadly force. At the end of October Mr Abdul Mahdi offered to resign if parties could agree a replacement."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "1139_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3076, "answer_end": 4127, "text": "On Friday at least 15 people were killed in fresh clashes in the city of Nasiriya. Protesters have been celebrating Mr Abdul Mahdi's announcement. In Baghdad, a protester called Hejar told the BBC it was a win for the protesters, but there were more demands. \"It is our first demand. That will change something. Then our second demand is to shut down the parliament. We're hoping it's going to happen because our young guys are very strong and they have their words, we say that we're going to stay here,\" he said. Hejar said protesters would remain on the street despite the use of lethal force against them. \"It is hard for us, like it's hard for everyone to see how the security forces are dealing with us, how they're killing us by tear gas, live ammunition. And it's tearing us apart, but we are strong and we're going to stand still and demand what's right for us.\" Earlier on Friday large crowds attended funerals for those killed in the city of Najaf. The deputy governor of Najaf has resigned, following the governor who resigned on Thursday."}], "question": "What's the latest?", "id": "1139_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4752, "answer_end": 5409, "text": "Many of those taking part have expressed anger at Iran's influence over Iraq's internal affairs, which has steadily grown since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Protesters accuse Iran of complicity in what they see as Iraq's governance failure and corruption. They chanted \"Iran out of Iraq\" as Iran's mission in Najaf burned. The city is the seat of Iraq's Shia religious authority and the location of the revered Imam Ali shrine, where the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad is buried. It is the second attack on an Iranian consulate in Iraq this month after an office in the Shia holy city of Karbala was targeted three weeks ago."}], "question": "Why did protesters target an Iranian consulate?", "id": "1139_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: EU negotiator says 'time's short' for reaching deal", "date": "6 December 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK will have to reach a Brexit deal by October 2018, according to the EU's chief negotiator for Brexit. Michel Barnier told reporters that \"time will be short\" for negotiations because the proposed deal needed to be ratified as part of the two year process set to be triggered in March. He said the UK could not \"cherry pick\" on issues such as the single market. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC she was aiming for a \"red, white and blue Brexit\" for the UK. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said a taskforce of 30 people had been set up to make sure the EU would \"be ready\" when Article 50 was called. \"Time will be short,\" he said. \"It is clear the period for actual negotiations will be shorter than two years. \"At the beginning, the two years included the time for the council to set guidelines and to authorise negotiations. At the end, the agreement must of course be approved by the Council and European Parliament. Finally the UK will have to approve the agreement - all within the two year period. \"All in all there will be less than 18 months to negotiate. That is short. Should the UK notify by the end of March as Prime Minister Theresa May said she would, it is safe to say negotiations could start a few weeks later and an Article 50 deal reached by October 2018.\" Mr Barnier, making his first public speech on the issue, was appointed to the post of chief Brexit negotiator on 1 October this year by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said he \"wanted an experienced politician for this difficult job\". The chief negotiator said he had spent time speaking to European member governments and said the Brexit negotiations had been informed by four main principles. These included the \"determination for unity\" and a pledge to not start negotiations before being officially notified by the UK of its desire to leave, via the triggering of Article 50. He also said: \"Being a member of EU comes with rights and benefits. Third countries (non members as the UK will be after Brexit) can never have the same rights and benefits since they are not subject to the same obligations. \"The single market and its four freedoms (which includes freedom of movement) are indivisible. Cherry picking is not an option.\" The BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas asked Mr Barnier if the UK \"paying in\" to stay in the single market was a possibility after Brexit Secretary David Davis said last week the government \"would consider it\". \"There is access to the single market, but this is accompanied by predetermined, very specific contribution to the EU budget,\" said the chief negotiator. \"That is one of the models that already exists and that is one of the closest models there is to the EU without being a member.\" But Mr Barnier added there were various options and until Article 50 had been called, there was little more he could say. \"It is up to the UK to tell us what they have in mind, then it is up to us at the 27 [member states] to say what we are prepared to conceive of.\" Mr Barnier said he \"didn't like to speculate very much\" on what the future relationship between the EU and the UK would be, but it was time to \"keep calm and negotiate\". \"The sooner, the better,\" he added. \"We all have a common interest in not prolonging the lack of certainty and we for our part need to concentrate on the European agenda on this new page that we will be writing in the history in the construction of the EU. \"There will be rebalancing but my conviction remains the same. Europe has to be the bedrock on which European citizens can lean in order to push ahead and construct the EU further for their safety, security, defence and prosperity.\" \"It is much better to show solidarity than to stand alone.\" Analysis - Damian Grammaticas, BBC Europe correspondent The EU appears to be signalling loud and clear what is on offer to the UK - and what isn't. This isn't the EU playing hardball. That's to misread the EU's cues. And it isn't new. EU leaders have reiterated the same principles ever since the UK referendum. From their point of view, their position is logical and consistent. EU leaders believe they have built the world's most integrated single market. They don't want to unpick parts of it for one nation that is leaving. Preserving their union is their priority. So, Michel Barnier made clear that the UK cannot expect better terms outside the EU than inside. UK talk of getting a special deal that privileges the car industry or the City of London may not to be acceptable to the EU. As for paying to get access to the Single Market, that's possible Mr Barnier hinted - if, like Norway, you accept the EU's rules. But 'cherry-picking' won't happen, he said. Importantly too, he indicated, a Brexit deal will cover the exit terms. The UK's future relationship with the EU will, in all likelihood, have to be settled later, once the UK is out of the EU and has the status of a third country. It's not about driving a hard bargain. The EU is signalling it has its rules and principles, and isn't offering to change them. Downing Street said it was sticking to its timetable despite the speech from Mr Barnier. The prime minister's official spokesman said: \"In terms of how long the negotiations actually take place, clearly that is a matter that will resolve itself as a result of the negotiations.\" He said that the position of the rest of the EU on the timetable was a \"matter for them\". But on the 18-month timetable, he said: \"It is the first I have heard of it.\" Mrs May said getting the right deal for British people would benefit the EU. Speaking to the BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar - before Mr Barnier's comments - on her two-day trip to Bahrain, Theresa May said: \"People talk about the sort of Brexit that there is going to be. Is it hard or soft? Is it grey or white? \"Actually we want a red, white and blue Brexit; that is the right Brexit for the UK, the right deal for the UK. I believe that a deal that is right for the UK will also be a deal that is right for the EU.\" On the issue of revealing more of those plans to Parliament, the prime minister said she still wanted \"to keep some cards close to my chest\". But Mrs May said regardless of the outcome of this week's Supreme Court case - on whether the government can trigger Article 50 alone or need parliamentary approval - she would \"deliver on the vote of the British people.\" Hilary Benn, chairman of the Brexit Select Committee and Labour MP, believes talk of an 18-month time limit will add extra pressure. He told BBC News: \"It means there is going to be a very short time from the triggering of Article 50 to negotiate the divorce arrangements and crucially what our new relationship with Europe is going to be once we have left, when it comes to trade and the single market. \"What I think he has said reinforces the argument that I have been making that we are going to need transitional arrangements [around the negotiations].\" Mr Barnier said a short term agreement \"could have some point\" in helping move towards a final deal. But Boris Johnson said 18 months is \"ample time\" for the UK to negotiate with the EU. Speaking as he arrived at a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said: \"With a fair wind and everybody acting in a positive and compromising mood, as I'm sure they will, we can get a great deal for the UK and for the rest of Europe\". When in charge of regional policy, Mr Barnier said he worked on a programme supporting Northern Ireland and the Good Friday agreement. When asked by The Irish Times whether he would dismiss the idea of a hard border being put in place post-Brexit, he would not commit either way. \"The UK decision to leave the EU will have consequences, in particular perhaps for what are the EU's external borders today,\" he said. \"All I can say at this moment in time is I am personally extremely aware of this particular topic. We will throughout these negotiations with the UK and of course with Ireland, do our utmost to uphold the success of the Good Friday Agreement and of course retain the dialogue there.\" A former EU commissioner, Mr Barnier led the EU's banking reforms and was dubbed \"the most dangerous man in Europe\" by some in the financial services industry. But after he championed capping bankers' bonuses, he won respect as a tough but even-handed negotiator. Mr Barnier has refused to take part in any pre-negotiations before Article 50 is triggered, but he did meet Brexit Secretary David Davis for coffee last month. Speaking in November in Brussels, he said: \"Don't ask me to tell you what will be at the end of the road, we haven't begun to walk yet.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 6077, "answer_end": 7451, "text": "On the issue of revealing more of those plans to Parliament, the prime minister said she still wanted \"to keep some cards close to my chest\". But Mrs May said regardless of the outcome of this week's Supreme Court case - on whether the government can trigger Article 50 alone or need parliamentary approval - she would \"deliver on the vote of the British people.\" Hilary Benn, chairman of the Brexit Select Committee and Labour MP, believes talk of an 18-month time limit will add extra pressure. He told BBC News: \"It means there is going to be a very short time from the triggering of Article 50 to negotiate the divorce arrangements and crucially what our new relationship with Europe is going to be once we have left, when it comes to trade and the single market. \"What I think he has said reinforces the argument that I have been making that we are going to need transitional arrangements [around the negotiations].\" Mr Barnier said a short term agreement \"could have some point\" in helping move towards a final deal. But Boris Johnson said 18 months is \"ample time\" for the UK to negotiate with the EU. Speaking as he arrived at a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, the Foreign Secretary said: \"With a fair wind and everybody acting in a positive and compromising mood, as I'm sure they will, we can get a great deal for the UK and for the rest of Europe\"."}], "question": "Case for transitional arrangements?", "id": "1140_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7452, "answer_end": 8711, "text": "When in charge of regional policy, Mr Barnier said he worked on a programme supporting Northern Ireland and the Good Friday agreement. When asked by The Irish Times whether he would dismiss the idea of a hard border being put in place post-Brexit, he would not commit either way. \"The UK decision to leave the EU will have consequences, in particular perhaps for what are the EU's external borders today,\" he said. \"All I can say at this moment in time is I am personally extremely aware of this particular topic. We will throughout these negotiations with the UK and of course with Ireland, do our utmost to uphold the success of the Good Friday Agreement and of course retain the dialogue there.\" A former EU commissioner, Mr Barnier led the EU's banking reforms and was dubbed \"the most dangerous man in Europe\" by some in the financial services industry. But after he championed capping bankers' bonuses, he won respect as a tough but even-handed negotiator. Mr Barnier has refused to take part in any pre-negotiations before Article 50 is triggered, but he did meet Brexit Secretary David Davis for coffee last month. Speaking in November in Brussels, he said: \"Don't ask me to tell you what will be at the end of the road, we haven't begun to walk yet.\""}], "question": "What about Northern Ireland?", "id": "1140_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Facebook blocks the Spinner's 'brainwashing' tech", "date": "17 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Facebook has issued a cease and desist notice to an Israeli firm that claims to be able to subconsciously alter people's behaviour. The Spinner charges a fee to \"subconsciously influence\" targets by exposing them to online posts \"disguised as editorial content\". But Facebook has objected to the start-up using its services to achieve this. And the tech giant has barred the firm and its chief from using Facebook or Instagram for any reason. In response, the Spinner's co-founder and chief operating officer Elliot Shefler told the BBC that it would continue to sell targeted online campaigns and refused to rule out using Facebook in the future. The Spinner claims to be able to \"brainwash\" loved ones to: - quit smoking - lose weight - propose marriage - initiate sex with their partners more often - consider having breast implants To do this, it shows dozens of articles about the issue to targets over a period of months via the internet, including in their social media feeds. Facebook's law firm Perkins Coie has sent a letter to Mr Shefler to complain. \"It appears that the Spinner uses fake accounts and fake Facebook Pages to 'strategically bombard' Facebook users with advertisements,\" it reads. \"These activities violate Facebook's terms and advertising policies. Facebook demands that you stop this activity immediately.\" The Californian firm told the BBC that it had already removed the Spinner's accounts. \"We have no tolerance for bad actors that try to circumvent our policies and create bad experiences for people on Facebook,\" a spokesman said. Mr Shefler pointed out that the Spinner had bought advertising slots on Facebook for more than a year, and each of its ads had been reviewed and approved. Facebook uses both humans and automated software to vet ads submitted via its self-service tools. But Mr Shefler added: \"The Spinner's ability to deliver content to targeted users is not dependent on any specific social account or page. It's a concept.\" The Spinner operates by sending a link to the target's phone. When opened, it places a small file known as a cookie on the target's device, which allows them to be identified and exposed to specially created articles and other media. The idea was originally pitched to the public via the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, but only raised PS192 of its PS47,800 target. Despite this, the firm decided to press on. But some have questioned whether its methods work. Rich Leigh, who works in public relations, put it to the test. He bought a campaign that supposedly encouraged women to want more sex. But instead of sending the link to a friend or loved one, he delivered the campaign to himself. A few months later, his Facebook feed began to show sponsored posts featuring articles with headlines such as 9 Ways To Initiate Sex. But he says he only saw only four or five examples. He also reported seeing ads from a campaign he did not purchase, encouraging him to stop riding motorcycles. Mr Shefler insists the service is legitimate. \"This is not a technical hack,\" he said. \"We use common tools. The hack is in the pricing. We buy the media for $5 per 1,000 impressions. We sell the media for $49 per 180 impressions. That's a high margin,\" he said. Mr Shefler did not refer the BBC to any customers who had previously bought campaigns. One critic said that while many people might find the Spinner's tactics objectionable, the tracking techniques commonly used by other advertising companies were arguably worse. \"By getting outraged at obvious stuff that the Spinner does, we tend to overlook its true significance,\" said Doc Searls, author of the The Intention Economy. \"It exemplifies the methods and purposes of the entire online surveillance economy, and the participation of most publishers in that same economy.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1974, "answer_end": 3791, "text": "The Spinner operates by sending a link to the target's phone. When opened, it places a small file known as a cookie on the target's device, which allows them to be identified and exposed to specially created articles and other media. The idea was originally pitched to the public via the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, but only raised PS192 of its PS47,800 target. Despite this, the firm decided to press on. But some have questioned whether its methods work. Rich Leigh, who works in public relations, put it to the test. He bought a campaign that supposedly encouraged women to want more sex. But instead of sending the link to a friend or loved one, he delivered the campaign to himself. A few months later, his Facebook feed began to show sponsored posts featuring articles with headlines such as 9 Ways To Initiate Sex. But he says he only saw only four or five examples. He also reported seeing ads from a campaign he did not purchase, encouraging him to stop riding motorcycles. Mr Shefler insists the service is legitimate. \"This is not a technical hack,\" he said. \"We use common tools. The hack is in the pricing. We buy the media for $5 per 1,000 impressions. We sell the media for $49 per 180 impressions. That's a high margin,\" he said. Mr Shefler did not refer the BBC to any customers who had previously bought campaigns. One critic said that while many people might find the Spinner's tactics objectionable, the tracking techniques commonly used by other advertising companies were arguably worse. \"By getting outraged at obvious stuff that the Spinner does, we tend to overlook its true significance,\" said Doc Searls, author of the The Intention Economy. \"It exemplifies the methods and purposes of the entire online surveillance economy, and the participation of most publishers in that same economy.\""}], "question": "Does it work?", "id": "1141_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Myanmar Rohingya: Suu Kyi accused of 'silence' in genocide trial", "date": "12 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Gambia has denounced Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's \"silence\" over alleged atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. The Muslim-majority African country has accused Myanmar of genocide in a case at the UN's top court. Lawyers said Ms Suu Kyi had ignored widespread allegations of mass murder, rape and forced deportation. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has defended her country, calling the case \"incomplete and incorrect\". In her closing remarks at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, she said the genocide case could \"undermine reconciliation\". Lawyers for The Gambia hit out at arguments from Ms Suu Kyi that a 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine state was a \"clearance operation\" targeting militants. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during the crackdown in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. There were widespread allegations of sexual violence and rape. \"Madame Agent, your silence says far more than your words,\" lawyer Philippe Sands said, referring to Ms Suu Kyi's position as Myanmar's agent in the case. \"The word 'rape' did not once pass the lips of the agent,\" he added. \"What is most striking is what Myanmar has not denied,\" said another lawyer for The Gambia, Paul Reichler, according to AFP news agency. The Gambia brought the case on behalf of dozens of other Muslim countries, calling on Myanmar to \"stop this genocide of its own people\". Ms Suu Kyi - once celebrated internationally as a champion of democracy - has been de facto leader of Myanmar since April 2016, before the alleged genocide began. She does not have control over the army, but has been accused by the UN investigator of \"complicity\" in the military clearances. Myanmar has always insisted it was tackling an extremist threat in Rakhine, and Ms Suu Kyi  has maintained that stance at the ICJ, describing the violence as an \"internal armed conflict\" triggered by Rohingya militant attacks on government security posts. Conceding that Myanmar's military might have used disproportionate force at times, she told the court that if soldiers had committed war crimes they would be prosecuted. In her closing remarks on Thursday, she said it was \"important to avoid any reignition of the 2016-17 internal armed conflict\". \"I pray that the decision you make with the wisdom and vision of justice will help us to create unity out of diversity,\" she told judges. \"Steps that generate suspicions, sow doubts or create resentments between communities who have just begin to build the fragile foundation of trust could undermine reconciliation.\" Hasina Begum, a 22-year-old refugee who travelled from Bangladesh to be in the court for the trial, told the BBC that she wanted justice. She says 10 members of her family were killed by Myanmar's military. \"We have come here with courage to say this: if your forces didn't do these acts, why would we have left the country and why have our relatives disappeared?\" \"We don't like to see her face, we don't support her. She is not supporting her people, she is supporting her military,\" she said. Supporters of Myanmar's leader have gathered outside the court during the three-day trial, holding signs saying: \"We stand with Aung San Suu Kyi.\" At the start of 2017, there were a million Rohingya in Myanmar, most living in Rakhine state. But Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, considers them illegal immigrants and denies them citizenship. The Rohingya have long complained of persecution, and in 2017 the military - the Tatmadaw - launched a massive military operation in Rakhine. According to The Gambia's submission to the ICJ, the clearances were \"intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole or in part\", via mass murder, rape and setting fire to their buildings \"often with inhabitants locked inside\". A UN fact-finding mission which investigated the allegations found such compelling evidence that it said the Burmese army must be investigated for genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine. In August, a report accused Myanmar soldiers of \"routinely and systematically employing rape, gang rape and other violent and forced sexual acts against women, girls, boys, men and transgender people\". In May, seven Myanmar soldiers jailed for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys were released early from prison. Myanmar says its military operations targeted Rohingya militants, and the military has previously cleared itself of wrongdoing. For now, The Gambia is just asking the court to impose \"provisional measures\" to protect the Rohingya in Myanmar and elsewhere from further threats or violence. These will be legally binding. To rule that Myanmar has committed genocide, the court will have to determine that the state acted \"with intent to destroy in whole or in part\" the Rohingya minority. Even then the ICJ has no way of enforcing the outcome - and neither Aung San Suu Kyi nor the generals would automatically be arrested and put on trial. But a guilty ruling could lead to sanctions, and would cause significant reputational and economic damage to Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since the military operations began. As of 30 September, there were 915,000 Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh. Almost 80% arrived between August and December 2017, and in March this year, Bangladesh said it would accept no more. In August, Bangladesh set up a voluntary return scheme - but not a single Rohingya person chose to go. Bangladesh plans to relocate 100,000 refugees to Bhasan Char, a small island in the Bay of Bengal, but some 39 aid agencies and human rights groups have opposed the idea. In September, the BBC's Jonathan Head reported that police barracks, government buildings and refugee relocation camps had been built on the sites of former Rohingya villages in Myanmar.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1424, "answer_end": 2587, "text": "Ms Suu Kyi - once celebrated internationally as a champion of democracy - has been de facto leader of Myanmar since April 2016, before the alleged genocide began. She does not have control over the army, but has been accused by the UN investigator of \"complicity\" in the military clearances. Myanmar has always insisted it was tackling an extremist threat in Rakhine, and Ms Suu Kyi  has maintained that stance at the ICJ, describing the violence as an \"internal armed conflict\" triggered by Rohingya militant attacks on government security posts. Conceding that Myanmar's military might have used disproportionate force at times, she told the court that if soldiers had committed war crimes they would be prosecuted. In her closing remarks on Thursday, she said it was \"important to avoid any reignition of the 2016-17 internal armed conflict\". \"I pray that the decision you make with the wisdom and vision of justice will help us to create unity out of diversity,\" she told judges. \"Steps that generate suspicions, sow doubts or create resentments between communities who have just begin to build the fragile foundation of trust could undermine reconciliation.\""}], "question": "How has Suu Kyi responded to the allegations?", "id": "1142_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3231, "answer_end": 4435, "text": "At the start of 2017, there were a million Rohingya in Myanmar, most living in Rakhine state. But Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, considers them illegal immigrants and denies them citizenship. The Rohingya have long complained of persecution, and in 2017 the military - the Tatmadaw - launched a massive military operation in Rakhine. According to The Gambia's submission to the ICJ, the clearances were \"intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole or in part\", via mass murder, rape and setting fire to their buildings \"often with inhabitants locked inside\". A UN fact-finding mission which investigated the allegations found such compelling evidence that it said the Burmese army must be investigated for genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine. In August, a report accused Myanmar soldiers of \"routinely and systematically employing rape, gang rape and other violent and forced sexual acts against women, girls, boys, men and transgender people\". In May, seven Myanmar soldiers jailed for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys were released early from prison. Myanmar says its military operations targeted Rohingya militants, and the military has previously cleared itself of wrongdoing."}], "question": "What is the background?", "id": "1142_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4436, "answer_end": 5064, "text": "For now, The Gambia is just asking the court to impose \"provisional measures\" to protect the Rohingya in Myanmar and elsewhere from further threats or violence. These will be legally binding. To rule that Myanmar has committed genocide, the court will have to determine that the state acted \"with intent to destroy in whole or in part\" the Rohingya minority. Even then the ICJ has no way of enforcing the outcome - and neither Aung San Suu Kyi nor the generals would automatically be arrested and put on trial. But a guilty ruling could lead to sanctions, and would cause significant reputational and economic damage to Myanmar."}], "question": "What is the likely outcome of this case?", "id": "1142_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5065, "answer_end": 5813, "text": "Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar since the military operations began. As of 30 September, there were 915,000 Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh. Almost 80% arrived between August and December 2017, and in March this year, Bangladesh said it would accept no more. In August, Bangladesh set up a voluntary return scheme - but not a single Rohingya person chose to go. Bangladesh plans to relocate 100,000 refugees to Bhasan Char, a small island in the Bay of Bengal, but some 39 aid agencies and human rights groups have opposed the idea. In September, the BBC's Jonathan Head reported that police barracks, government buildings and refugee relocation camps had been built on the sites of former Rohingya villages in Myanmar."}], "question": "What is the current situation for the Rohingya?", "id": "1142_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Alexei Navalny: 'I have never had an allergy'", "date": "29 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition figure, has questioned reports he suffered an acute allergic reaction after being taken ill in jail. \"I have never had an allergy. Not to food or pollen or anything else,\" he wrote in a blog post. The 43-year-old was taken to hospital with a swollen face, eye problems and rashes on his body. He was in jail for calling for unauthorised protests. His doctor suggested he might have been exposed to \"some toxic agent\". Mr Navalny has since been discharged from hospital and has returned to jail. In a statement in Russian posted on his blog and written from his cell, Mr Navalny said he had never had an allergic reaction in his life. He added that his wife suffers from allergies, meaning he knows what they look like. \"At night, I woke up with a hot and prickly face, ears and neck,\" he wrote. \"I felt like I'd had my face rubbed with glass wool.\" \"I had the thought, maybe I've been poisoned.\" Mr Navalny was sent to the hospital in the morning, where the doctors diagnosed him with \"contact dermatitis\". Mr Navalny wrote in his blog post that his lawyers and doctors were not given his diagnosis, and that a detailed report emerged about his diagnosis on Russian news agency Interfax that he himself had not been told. While he did not outright deny the possibility of an allergic reaction, Mr Navalny said police at his hospital room door were acting \"like they had something to hide\". He said he was sure the local police did not poison him, as \"they were shocked by the sight of me more than I was\". But he suggested the Russian authorities were \"stupid\" enough to do so. Mr Navalny's doctor Anastasia Vassilieva earlier told AFP news agency it was \"absurd to call it an allergy\". He \"needs to be under close medical supervision\", she said, and should be allowed to call his relatives. In a Facebook post, Ms Vassilieva had complained that she had been barred from visiting Mr Navalny. But based on what she saw of him through a door, she said he may have been injured by a \"chemical substance from a third person\". Before Mr Navalny was released from hospital, his medical team said they were able to gain access to him and had arranged for samples of his hair and T-shirt to be tested independently. Mr Navalny was jailed for 30 days last week after calling for unauthorised protests, which took place on Saturday. Nearly 1,400 people were detained during the demonstrations against the exclusion of opposition candidates from local elections. Alexei Navalny is Russia's most prominent opposition activist - and one of President Putin's most vocal critics. That's why news of a sudden illness makes headlines. Especially if it's a sudden illness contracted in a Moscow jail. There's been no confirmation that Mr Navalny was poisoned. But his doctors - and his supporters - are keen to know what sparked such sudden symptoms. He is no stranger to health scares. Two years ago Mr Navalny was the victim of an assault. He suffered a chemical burn in his right eye after someone threw green-coloured antiseptic in his face. He is a constant thorn in the Kremlin's side. The authorities know that, with President Putin's personal ratings falling, the charismatic anti-corruption activist has the ability to mobilise anti-Kremlin sentiment. But it's too early to conclude that his current state of health is connected to his political views or activities. Media reports said about 20 people, including journalists, were also detained after gathering outside the prison hospital on Sunday night where Mr Navalny was being treated. Russian media report that most of the activists detained over the weekend have now been released. However, about 150 were still in custody on Monday. They are facing judicial hearings and may be charged in connection with the unauthorised rally. The 43-year-old made his name in Russia as a grassroots anti-corruption campaigner. He led the country's biggest street protests against President Putin in 2011 and has repeatedly been jailed, usually for his involvement in unauthorised demonstrations. Mr Navalny suffered a serious chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye. He attempted to stand in last year's presidential race but was barred because of previous fraud convictions in a case he says was politically motivated. Thousands of Russians took to the streets last Saturday to demand fair elections. The demonstrations came after 30 opposition candidates were barred from standing in local races this September. Officials said the candidates had failed to collect enough valid signatures to stand, but opposition groups argued that the barring was politically motivated. Mr Navalny helped to organise the demonstrations. Officials said they had arrested nearly 1,400 people - making it one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years. Images from Saturday showed police in riot gear pushing crowds from the mayor's office in central Moscow. A number of protesters could be seen bleeding, while at least two members of the security forces reportedly received eye injuries from pepper spray. The Moscow's mayor office has given official approval for a further protest on 3 August, according to a report in the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 546, "answer_end": 2502, "text": "In a statement in Russian posted on his blog and written from his cell, Mr Navalny said he had never had an allergic reaction in his life. He added that his wife suffers from allergies, meaning he knows what they look like. \"At night, I woke up with a hot and prickly face, ears and neck,\" he wrote. \"I felt like I'd had my face rubbed with glass wool.\" \"I had the thought, maybe I've been poisoned.\" Mr Navalny was sent to the hospital in the morning, where the doctors diagnosed him with \"contact dermatitis\". Mr Navalny wrote in his blog post that his lawyers and doctors were not given his diagnosis, and that a detailed report emerged about his diagnosis on Russian news agency Interfax that he himself had not been told. While he did not outright deny the possibility of an allergic reaction, Mr Navalny said police at his hospital room door were acting \"like they had something to hide\". He said he was sure the local police did not poison him, as \"they were shocked by the sight of me more than I was\". But he suggested the Russian authorities were \"stupid\" enough to do so. Mr Navalny's doctor Anastasia Vassilieva earlier told AFP news agency it was \"absurd to call it an allergy\". He \"needs to be under close medical supervision\", she said, and should be allowed to call his relatives. In a Facebook post, Ms Vassilieva had complained that she had been barred from visiting Mr Navalny. But based on what she saw of him through a door, she said he may have been injured by a \"chemical substance from a third person\". Before Mr Navalny was released from hospital, his medical team said they were able to gain access to him and had arranged for samples of his hair and T-shirt to be tested independently. Mr Navalny was jailed for 30 days last week after calling for unauthorised protests, which took place on Saturday. Nearly 1,400 people were detained during the demonstrations against the exclusion of opposition candidates from local elections."}], "question": "What did Alexei Navalny say?", "id": "1143_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3829, "answer_end": 4347, "text": "The 43-year-old made his name in Russia as a grassroots anti-corruption campaigner. He led the country's biggest street protests against President Putin in 2011 and has repeatedly been jailed, usually for his involvement in unauthorised demonstrations. Mr Navalny suffered a serious chemical burn to his right eye in 2017 after he was assaulted with antiseptic dye. He attempted to stand in last year's presidential race but was barred because of previous fraud convictions in a case he says was politically motivated."}], "question": "Who is Alexei Navalny?", "id": "1143_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4348, "answer_end": 5272, "text": "Thousands of Russians took to the streets last Saturday to demand fair elections. The demonstrations came after 30 opposition candidates were barred from standing in local races this September. Officials said the candidates had failed to collect enough valid signatures to stand, but opposition groups argued that the barring was politically motivated. Mr Navalny helped to organise the demonstrations. Officials said they had arrested nearly 1,400 people - making it one of the biggest crackdowns in recent years. Images from Saturday showed police in riot gear pushing crowds from the mayor's office in central Moscow. A number of protesters could be seen bleeding, while at least two members of the security forces reportedly received eye injuries from pepper spray. The Moscow's mayor office has given official approval for a further protest on 3 August, according to a report in the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper."}], "question": "What happened during the protests?", "id": "1143_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong shark fin trade declines", "date": "7 March 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Near the heart of Hong Kong's luxury shopping district is Dried Seafood Street. The shop windows here are full of dried golden fins stripped of skin and bones, arranged by size and shape. Ones that are no bigger than a hand cost a few hundred dollars a kilogram. The biggest ones, worth thousands of dollars each, are locked behind glass cases and displayed as trophies. While the shops attract food lovers and tourists in equal measure, they are also drawing the ire of environmental groups. In Bangkok this week, delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)  will consider adding more shark species to its endangered species list. Currently the trade of three types of shark - the great white, basking and whale shark - is regulated under the convention. According to the World Wildlife Fund, appetite for the fins and other shark-related products has led to some shark species falling in numbers by 60-70%. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says that 181 species out of just over 1,000 known sharks and rays are now facing the threat of extinction. At the same time, there are also concerns over the finning of sharks, which environmental groups claim is a cruel and barbaric process. They say that fishermen catch the sharks, cut their fins, and toss the bodies back to sea where they usually end up dying. However, shark fin traders in Hong Kong deny these allegations and even allege that the claims are part of an anti-Chinese conspiracy. \"Sharks are not an endangered species and Europeans kill them for the meat,\" says the chairman of the Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association, Ho Siu Chai. \"So why are the Chinese not allowed to eat the fins? Western environmentalists are discriminating against the Chinese,\" he adds. Mr Ho says that the anti-shark fin campaigns are starting to hurt traders as he points to dozens of bags of processed shark fins that line the front of his shop. He says that a few years ago, the fins would have been sold immediately after they finished cleaning them. \"Now they're stockpiling in the shop. It's tough to sell them,\" he says, claiming that his sales dropped by 60% in 2012. And it is not just Mr Ho who has seen a decline in sales. Statistics from the Hong Kong government show that imports of raw and prepared shark's fin between 2006 and 2011 ranged from 9,400 to 10,300 metric tonnes a year. Much of the imports are consumed in Hong Kong or re-exported to mainland China. Conservation groups say that the Chinese territory accounts for half of the global trade. However, last year imports into the territory dropped by a third to 3,350 metric tonnes. At the same time, Chinese authorities are also clamping down on lavish banquets, which traditionally served the shark fin soup. \"That is hitting the shark fin industry hard,\" says Mr Ho. Meanwhile, the anti-shark fin campaigns have resulted in some five-star hotels in the Chinese territory removing shark's fin from the menu. Even flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific Airlines, has banned shark fin on cargo flights. According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, the practice of eating shark's fin can be traced back to the Ming dynasty. Chinese emperors were said to covet shark's fin because the elaborate preparation made it feel decadent. The delicacy is usually eaten in soup. It is cooked for hours until the fin separates into chewy strips. For most Chinese, eating shark's fin still remains a status symbol. While there have been calls for that to change, it is too early to say whether Chinese taste buds can be altered. The Banqueting House is one of the first restaurant chains to offer a shark fin-free menu. At a spring festival gathering in February, the Hong Kong Pui Ching Alumni Association ordered a 10-course meal but opted to replace the shark's fin soup with a chicken, fish belly and abalone soup. Most guests at the dinner supported the idea. \"Eating shark's fin feels luxurious but I think fining is a cruel process so I think it's good that we find alternatives,\" says 16-year-old Richard Loo. But the parent company of the Banqueting House, LH Group, says that the elderly Chinese still prefer to have shark's fin as part of the food offering on special occasions. It says that less than 5% of its customers chose the alternative menu last year. \"Young people want to conserve sharks but their families feel that shark's fin must be served at important events such as wedding banquets,\" says the executive director, Simon Wong. \"Otherwise the older generation think they will lose face to their guests.\" This attitude means that stopping the shark fin trade is likely to be a long and tedious process. After all, the Chinese still believe that the best way to display their wealth is on the dinner table.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3077, "answer_end": 4812, "text": "According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization, the practice of eating shark's fin can be traced back to the Ming dynasty. Chinese emperors were said to covet shark's fin because the elaborate preparation made it feel decadent. The delicacy is usually eaten in soup. It is cooked for hours until the fin separates into chewy strips. For most Chinese, eating shark's fin still remains a status symbol. While there have been calls for that to change, it is too early to say whether Chinese taste buds can be altered. The Banqueting House is one of the first restaurant chains to offer a shark fin-free menu. At a spring festival gathering in February, the Hong Kong Pui Ching Alumni Association ordered a 10-course meal but opted to replace the shark's fin soup with a chicken, fish belly and abalone soup. Most guests at the dinner supported the idea. \"Eating shark's fin feels luxurious but I think fining is a cruel process so I think it's good that we find alternatives,\" says 16-year-old Richard Loo. But the parent company of the Banqueting House, LH Group, says that the elderly Chinese still prefer to have shark's fin as part of the food offering on special occasions. It says that less than 5% of its customers chose the alternative menu last year. \"Young people want to conserve sharks but their families feel that shark's fin must be served at important events such as wedding banquets,\" says the executive director, Simon Wong. \"Otherwise the older generation think they will lose face to their guests.\" This attitude means that stopping the shark fin trade is likely to be a long and tedious process. After all, the Chinese still believe that the best way to display their wealth is on the dinner table."}], "question": "Losing appeal?", "id": "1144_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Sergei Skripal: Who is the former Russian intelligence officer?", "date": "29 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sergei Skripal is a retired Russian military intelligence colonel who was sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison, accused of spying for Britain. He was convicted, and later pardoned, for passing the identities of Russian secret agents in Europe to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Russia claimed MI6 had paid him $100,000 for the information, which he had been supplying since the 1990s. But he was one of four prisoners Moscow swapped for spies in the US in 2010. Col Skripal was later flown to the UK. He is now 66. He was found on 4 March slumped on a shopping centre bench in Salisbury, alongside his unconscious 33-year-old daughter Yulia Skripal. British experts say a military-grade nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to poison them. It is in a class of extremely dangerous secret toxins known as Novichok, they say. Col Skripal was well regarded during his career in Russia's military intelligence (GRU). A colleague called him \"the life and soul of the party\" and added: \"All his colleagues respected him. So when he was arrested for spying, it was a real shock.\" He was arrested near his home in 2004 and convicted two years later of \"high treason in the form of espionage\" by Moscow's military court. He was stripped of all his titles and awards. He was alleged by the Russian security service (FSB) to have been recruited by the British secret services in 1995 while serving in the army. He exchanged information classified as Russian state secrets with MI6 for money that was transferred to a Spanish bank account, the FSB claimed. The data on \"several dozen\" Russian undercover operatives, according to pro-Kremlin daily Izvestiya, was eventually used to put FSB agents under surveillance and then expel them from multiple European countries. Even after his retirement in 1999, the FSB claimed Col Skripal continued to pass on state secrets. Col Skripal pleaded guilty at his trial and allegedly confessed while co-operating with investigators, reports said at the time. Russian media gave a lot of air time to Col Skripal's trial and sentencing. They said 13 years was a light sentence considering the \"substantial damage\" he had caused to Russian intelligence services. The daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda said that in Soviet times he would have been shot. In July 2010, Col Skripal was pardoned by Russia's then-President Dmitry Medvedev. He was later released together with three other individuals serving time in Russian prisons in exchange for 10 Russian spies arrested by the FBI. Among those released by the US was Anna Chapman, who had previously lived in the UK and gained citizenship. Dubbed by the media as \"Russia's most glamorous secret agent\", she went on to present a weekly show on Russian TV. After a Cold War-style spy swap at Austria's Vienna airport, Col Skripal was given refuge in the UK, where he kept a low profile for eight years. His wife Liudmila died of cancer in 2012, a year after they had bought a semi-detached home in Salisbury. The Skripals had chosen the Wiltshire city because they believed it to be a good area with a low crime rate, family friends told the BBC. Two years ago, Col Skripal's older brother died in Russia, and last year, his 43-year-old son Alexander died while on holiday with his girlfriend in the Russian city of St Petersburg. He had been rushed to hospital with liver failure. Family members were suspicious at the time. But Alexander's aunt Viktoria says he had a longstanding alcohol problem. She says he took his father's spying conviction very badly and began drinking - a habit that wrecked his first marriage. Col Skripal's family strongly deny that he was an agent of MI6, insisting he was a patriot and that the case against him was fabricated. Col Skripal's mother lives in Yaroslavl, north-east of Moscow, with Viktoria and her family. Both Mrs Skripal and Alexander are buried in Salisbury. Yulia was visiting from Moscow. She had increased her visits to her father after her brother's death last July. Father and daughter had visited the two graves before they collapsed. Yulia lived with her parents and brother in Salisbury after 2010 for several years before returning to the Russian capital because she reportedly missed it. A talented linguist, Yulia studied English and geography at a Moscow university. She and her brother were able to travel freely between the UK and Russia, despite their exiled father's situation. Since settling in Salisbury after the spy swap in 2010, Col Skripal appeared to be leading a relaxed and quiet life although he reportedly went on frequent business trips, the BBC's World Affairs Correspondent Richard Galpin said. Col Skripal reportedly kept the company of British intelligence agents and was a member of Salisbury's Railway Social Club. Valery Morozov, another Russian exile living in the UK, said Col Skripal told him he had been doing business, \"working mainly in cyber-security\". Mr Morozov said: \"I understand he was working for some Russian groups.\" Col Skripal last called his mother, who is very ill, in mid-February. He reportedly sounded optimistic, though his family say that after the 2010 spy swap, he was always very vigilant because he believed the Russian special services could come after him at any time.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 852, "answer_end": 2305, "text": "Col Skripal was well regarded during his career in Russia's military intelligence (GRU). A colleague called him \"the life and soul of the party\" and added: \"All his colleagues respected him. So when he was arrested for spying, it was a real shock.\" He was arrested near his home in 2004 and convicted two years later of \"high treason in the form of espionage\" by Moscow's military court. He was stripped of all his titles and awards. He was alleged by the Russian security service (FSB) to have been recruited by the British secret services in 1995 while serving in the army. He exchanged information classified as Russian state secrets with MI6 for money that was transferred to a Spanish bank account, the FSB claimed. The data on \"several dozen\" Russian undercover operatives, according to pro-Kremlin daily Izvestiya, was eventually used to put FSB agents under surveillance and then expel them from multiple European countries. Even after his retirement in 1999, the FSB claimed Col Skripal continued to pass on state secrets. Col Skripal pleaded guilty at his trial and allegedly confessed while co-operating with investigators, reports said at the time. Russian media gave a lot of air time to Col Skripal's trial and sentencing. They said 13 years was a light sentence considering the \"substantial damage\" he had caused to Russian intelligence services. The daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda said that in Soviet times he would have been shot."}], "question": "What were the charges against him?", "id": "1145_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2306, "answer_end": 2757, "text": "In July 2010, Col Skripal was pardoned by Russia's then-President Dmitry Medvedev. He was later released together with three other individuals serving time in Russian prisons in exchange for 10 Russian spies arrested by the FBI. Among those released by the US was Anna Chapman, who had previously lived in the UK and gained citizenship. Dubbed by the media as \"Russia's most glamorous secret agent\", she went on to present a weekly show on Russian TV."}], "question": "What about the prisoner swap?", "id": "1145_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why are so many Rohingya migrants stranded at sea?", "date": "18 May 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Rohingyas - a distinct Muslim ethnic group who are effectively stateless - have been fleeing Myanmar for decades. But a combination of factors means many are now stranded in rickety boats off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia with dwindling supplies of food and water. Also on the boats are thousands of economic migrants from Bangladesh fleeing grinding poverty at home. While the Rohingyas say they are descendants of Arab traders who have been in the region for generations, Myanmar's governments say they are not a genuine ethnic group but are actually Bengali migrants. Successive Myanmar governments have been introducing policies to repress the Rohingya since the 1970s, according to Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (Brouk). They are denied basic services and their movements are severely restricted. The repression of the Rohingyas has gradually intensified since the process of reforms introduced by President Thein Sein in 2011, Brouk says. In June and October 2012 there were large scale attacks on Rohingyas in Rakhine State following the gang rape of a Buddhist woman. In addition, the government in March revoked temporary registration certificates issued to hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, meaning they can no longer vote. So inflammatory is the Rohingya issue that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for failing to raise it. In the past three years, more than 120,000 Rohingyas have boarded ships to flee abroad, according to the UN refugee agency. It says 25,000 migrants left Myanmar and Bangladesh in the first quarter of this year, about double the number over the same period last year. Between 40-60% of the 25,000 are thought to originate from Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. As many as 8,000 migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are believed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to be stranded at sea. The Thai government has recently begun to crack down on smugglers who have traditionally taken them to camps in southern Thailand and effectively held them ransom. As a result the smugglers are now reportedly abandoning them at sea. Not only are countries in the region unwilling to let them land, fishermen are being told not to help them. - Rohingyas are a distinct, Muslim ethnic group mainly living in Myanmar - Thought to be descended from Muslim traders who settled there more than 1,000 years ago - Also live in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan - In Myanmar, they are subjected to forced labour, have no land rights, and are heavily restricted - In Bangladesh many are also desperately poor, with no documents or job prospects Myanmar's unwanted people \"Extremely unwelcoming,\" says Chris Lewa of the Rohingya activist group Arakan Project. \"Unlike European countries - who at least make an effort to stop North African migrants from drowning in the Mediterranean - Myanmar's neighbours are reluctant to provide any assistance.\" - Thailand: Its navy says that it has given aid to migrant boats in its waters and has indicated it may allow refugee camps on its shores. But it is turning boats away and does not want permanent settlers. - Malaysia: This is the choice of destination for most Rohingya travellers because it is predominantly Muslim and short of unskilled labourers. But Malaysia has ordered its navy to repel them. - Bangladesh: Sometimes allows them to live in camps on its south-eastern border and sometimes sends them back to Myanmar. It is estimated there are currently about 200,000 Rohingyas living in refugee camps, many in squalid conditions. - Indonesia: Has made it clear they are not welcome, turning away boatloads of migrants. It has accepted those rescued by fishermen but has warned them not to rescue any more. A group of migrants who made it ashore in early May may be expelled, the government has warned. Most aid agencies and NGOs agree that countries in the region have a moral imperative - if not a legal requirement - to do this if the refugees are in their territorial waters. Legal experts point out that some countries may be unwilling to act because by doing so they are more likely to be exposed to the principle of non-refoulement, whereby refugees cannot be forcibly returned to places where their lives or freedoms may be threatened. \"Not until or unless the international community puts pressure on Myanmar to improve the lives of the Rohingya community,\" Chris Lewa argues, \"because ultimately it is only Burma who can solve the problem.\" Critics argue these countries have been quietly ignoring the plight of the Rohingyas for years and as a result now find themselves enveloped in a deepening humanitarian crisis. A series of meetings have now been called in the region to address the crisis, but Myanmar is refusing to attend them.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 389, "answer_end": 1744, "text": "While the Rohingyas say they are descendants of Arab traders who have been in the region for generations, Myanmar's governments say they are not a genuine ethnic group but are actually Bengali migrants. Successive Myanmar governments have been introducing policies to repress the Rohingya since the 1970s, according to Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (Brouk). They are denied basic services and their movements are severely restricted. The repression of the Rohingyas has gradually intensified since the process of reforms introduced by President Thein Sein in 2011, Brouk says. In June and October 2012 there were large scale attacks on Rohingyas in Rakhine State following the gang rape of a Buddhist woman. In addition, the government in March revoked temporary registration certificates issued to hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, meaning they can no longer vote. So inflammatory is the Rohingya issue that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for failing to raise it. In the past three years, more than 120,000 Rohingyas have boarded ships to flee abroad, according to the UN refugee agency. It says 25,000 migrants left Myanmar and Bangladesh in the first quarter of this year, about double the number over the same period last year. Between 40-60% of the 25,000 are thought to originate from Myanmar's western state of Rakhine."}], "question": "Why are the Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar?", "id": "1146_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1745, "answer_end": 2229, "text": "As many as 8,000 migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are believed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to be stranded at sea. The Thai government has recently begun to crack down on smugglers who have traditionally taken them to camps in southern Thailand and effectively held them ransom. As a result the smugglers are now reportedly abandoning them at sea. Not only are countries in the region unwilling to let them land, fishermen are being told not to help them."}], "question": "Why are they stranded at sea?", "id": "1146_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3837, "answer_end": 4277, "text": "Most aid agencies and NGOs agree that countries in the region have a moral imperative - if not a legal requirement - to do this if the refugees are in their territorial waters. Legal experts point out that some countries may be unwilling to act because by doing so they are more likely to be exposed to the principle of non-refoulement, whereby refugees cannot be forcibly returned to places where their lives or freedoms may be threatened."}], "question": "Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the refugees are fed and watered?", "id": "1146_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4278, "answer_end": 4780, "text": "\"Not until or unless the international community puts pressure on Myanmar to improve the lives of the Rohingya community,\" Chris Lewa argues, \"because ultimately it is only Burma who can solve the problem.\" Critics argue these countries have been quietly ignoring the plight of the Rohingyas for years and as a result now find themselves enveloped in a deepening humanitarian crisis. A series of meetings have now been called in the region to address the crisis, but Myanmar is refusing to attend them."}], "question": "Can the Rohingya problem be resolved?", "id": "1146_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Sridevi: India mourns Bollywood superstar dead at 54", "date": "26 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tributes have been pouring in for superstar Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, who has died aged 54. The actress, known simply as Sridevi, died of a heart attack on Saturday while at a family wedding in Dubai. Over five decades, she featured in almost 300 films, including classics Mr India, Chandni, ChaalBaaz and Sadma. She was considered one of the very few Indian female superstars capable of huge box office success without the support of a male hero. Top Bollywood figures, sporting giants and leading politicians reacted with shock, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was \"saddened\" by her death. Crowds gathered outside Sridevi's home in Mumbai as news emerged. A spokesperson for Sridevi's husband, who is the producer Boney Kapoor, told the Indian news agency Asian News International that her body would be flown from Dubai to Mumbai on Monday. - Actress Priyanka Chopra tweeted: \"I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi. A dark day. RIP\" - \"The world has lost a very talented person who left behind a huge legacy in film,\" said another big Bollywood name, Madhuri Dixit - Leading actor Akshay Kumar tweeted: \"A dream for many, had the good fortune of sharing screen space with her long ago and witnessed her continued grace over the years\" - Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar said: \"We all grew up watching her and suddenly to hear that she is no longer with us is hard to digest\" - Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said her death had left millions of fans heartbroken Sridevi worked in films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages. Her acting career began at the age of four and by 13 she was cast in the adult role of a complicated woman avenging her lover's death. Sridevi debuted as a lead actress in a Bollywood film in 1978, soon becoming one of India's biggest film stars. The actress decided to take a break from the film industry after the release of Judaai in 1997. She made a comeback in 2012, starring in English Vinglish. In 2013, the Indian government awarded her the Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian honour. The actress was in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew, Mohit Marwah. Her husband and daughter, Khushi, were with her when she passed away on Saturday, reports say. Her brother-in-law, Sanjay Kapoor, said it had happened at about 23:00 local time (19:00 GMT), according to news site The Indian Express. He did not provide any further details.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1503, "answer_end": 2086, "text": "Sridevi worked in films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages. Her acting career began at the age of four and by 13 she was cast in the adult role of a complicated woman avenging her lover's death. Sridevi debuted as a lead actress in a Bollywood film in 1978, soon becoming one of India's biggest film stars. The actress decided to take a break from the film industry after the release of Judaai in 1997. She made a comeback in 2012, starring in English Vinglish. In 2013, the Indian government awarded her the Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian honour."}], "question": "Why was she such a huge box office draw?", "id": "1147_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2087, "answer_end": 2454, "text": "The actress was in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew, Mohit Marwah. Her husband and daughter, Khushi, were with her when she passed away on Saturday, reports say. Her brother-in-law, Sanjay Kapoor, said it had happened at about 23:00 local time (19:00 GMT), according to news site The Indian Express. He did not provide any further details."}], "question": "How did she die?", "id": "1147_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Colombia referendum: Peace talks to be revived despite 'no' vote", "date": "3 October 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has vowed to continue working for peace despite the shock rejection of a deal with Farc rebels by 50.2% of voters. The Farc leader, known as Timochenko, said he was prepared to review and \"fix\" the agreement, after many in the \"no\" camp said it was too lenient. Talks between rebel leaders and government negotiators were due to take place in Cuba on Monday. The deal was signed last week after nearly four years of negotiations. It is not yet clear what can be done to save the deal. President Santos earlier said there was no \"Plan B\" for ending the conflict, which has killed about 260,000 people. \"I will not give up, I will keep seeking peace until the last minute of my term,\" he said in address after the results were announced. The chief peace negotiator for the government, Humberto de la Calle, offered to resign on Monday, saying he took \"full responsibility for any errors in the negotiation\". He was earlier ordered back to the Cuban capital of Havana to work with rebel leaders on modifying the deal. Former President Alvaro Uribe, who led the \"no\" campaign, is demanding prison sentences for rebel leaders found guilty of crimes and wants them banned from politics. Colombians were asked to endorse or reject the peace agreement in a popular vote. The \"yes\" campaign had the backing not just of President Santos but of a wide array of politicians both in Colombia and abroad. But there was also a vocal campaign for a \"no\" vote, led by Mr Uribe. Pre-election polls had indicated a strong victory for the 'yes' camp. But in a surprise result, 50.2% of voters rejected the agreement compared with 49.8% who voted for it. The difference was about 54,000 votes out of almost 13 million ballots. Turnout was low with fewer than 38% of voters casting their votes. Colombia was divided regionally with most of the outlying provinces voting in favour of the agreement and those nearer the capital and inland voting against it. In Choco, one of the provinces hardest hit by the conflict, 80% of voters backed the deal. The capital, Bogota, also voted \"yes\" with 56%. But in the eastern province of Casanare - where farmers and landowners have been extorted for years by the Farc - 71.1 % rejected the deal. Most of those who voted \"no\" said they thought the peace agreement was letting the rebels \"get away with murder\". Under the deal, special courts would have been created to try crimes committed during the conflict. Those who confessed to their crimes would have been given more lenient sentences. Many Colombians also balked at the government's plan to pay demobilised Farc rebels a monthly stipend and to offer those wanting to start a business financial help. \"No\" voters said this amounted to a reward for criminal behaviour while honest citizens were left to struggle financially. Many also said that they simply did not trust the rebels to keep their promise to lay down arms for good, pointing to previous failed peace talks when the rebels took advantage of a lull in fighting to regroup. Others were unhappy that under the agreement, the Farc would be guaranteed 10 seats in Congress. Read more about the deal's most contentious points President Santos said that the ceasefire between government forces and the Farc would remain in place. The Farc leader known as Timochenko says he is ready to review the peace deal. \"There are various ways to read (the referendum result) and we must analyze them to see what needs to be fixed,\" he said in a radio interview on Monday. Government negotiators are travelling to Cuba to consult Farc leaders on the next move. Following the vote Mr Uribe, the main opponent of the deal, insisted that he was not opposed to peace but that it needed \"corrections\". His demands include: - That those found guilty of crimes be barred from running for public office - That Farc leaders serve time in prison for crimes committed - That the Farc use their illicit gains to pay their victims compensation - That no changes be made to the Colombian constitution One of surprise, as even Mr Uribe had predicted that the \"yes\" vote would win. Some of those who had gathered to watch the result on giant screens expressed their disappointment. One woman in Medellin told Caracol radio: \"I never thought I could be this sad (...)  I think of my country, of the young people and my heart breaks into a thousand pieces.\" Farc leader Timochenko expressed his disappointment, and blamed the result on \"the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge\". Opponents of the agreement, however, took to the streets to celebrate. One Colombian woman told BBC Mundo that Colombians had not forgotten that the path of the Farc was \"paved with kidnappings, killings and drug trafficking\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1220, "answer_end": 1811, "text": "Colombians were asked to endorse or reject the peace agreement in a popular vote. The \"yes\" campaign had the backing not just of President Santos but of a wide array of politicians both in Colombia and abroad. But there was also a vocal campaign for a \"no\" vote, led by Mr Uribe. Pre-election polls had indicated a strong victory for the 'yes' camp. But in a surprise result, 50.2% of voters rejected the agreement compared with 49.8% who voted for it. The difference was about 54,000 votes out of almost 13 million ballots. Turnout was low with fewer than 38% of voters casting their votes."}], "question": "How did it happen?", "id": "1148_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1812, "answer_end": 2251, "text": "Colombia was divided regionally with most of the outlying provinces voting in favour of the agreement and those nearer the capital and inland voting against it. In Choco, one of the provinces hardest hit by the conflict, 80% of voters backed the deal. The capital, Bogota, also voted \"yes\" with 56%. But in the eastern province of Casanare - where farmers and landowners have been extorted for years by the Farc - 71.1 % rejected the deal."}], "question": "Who voted how?", "id": "1148_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3195, "answer_end": 3617, "text": "President Santos said that the ceasefire between government forces and the Farc would remain in place. The Farc leader known as Timochenko says he is ready to review the peace deal. \"There are various ways to read (the referendum result) and we must analyze them to see what needs to be fixed,\" he said in a radio interview on Monday. Government negotiators are travelling to Cuba to consult Farc leaders on the next move."}], "question": "What will happen next?", "id": "1148_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4044, "answer_end": 4762, "text": "One of surprise, as even Mr Uribe had predicted that the \"yes\" vote would win. Some of those who had gathered to watch the result on giant screens expressed their disappointment. One woman in Medellin told Caracol radio: \"I never thought I could be this sad (...)  I think of my country, of the young people and my heart breaks into a thousand pieces.\" Farc leader Timochenko expressed his disappointment, and blamed the result on \"the destructive power of those who sow hatred and revenge\". Opponents of the agreement, however, took to the streets to celebrate. One Colombian woman told BBC Mundo that Colombians had not forgotten that the path of the Farc was \"paved with kidnappings, killings and drug trafficking\"."}], "question": "What has been the reaction?", "id": "1148_3"}]}]}, {"title": "TSB boss Paul Pester to step down after IT fiasco", "date": "4 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "TSB chief Paul Pester is to step down after seven years in charge, in the wake of a major IT failure at the bank. In April this year, customers were left without access to online banking services for several weeks when an attempt to move data to a new computer system went wrong. The bank is still struggling to get its IT systems to work properly. On Monday, it apologised to customers who faced disruption to their online and mobile banking over the weekend. Following Mr Pester's departure, TSB chairman Richard Meddings will take on the role of executive chairman until a new chief executive is appointed. Mr Meddings said: \"Although there is more to do to achieve full stability for customers, the bank's IT systems and services are much improved since the IT migration. Paul and the Board have therefore agreed that this is the right time to appoint a new CEO for TSB.\" Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Committee, said she felt Mr Pester's decision was the correct one. \"Since the IT problems at TSB began, Paul Pester set the tone for TSB's complacent and misleading public communications,\" she said. \"In this light, it is right that he is stepping down, but the committee remains concerned about the continuing problems at TSB, including unacceptable delays in compensating customers who have been badly let down.\" Mr Pester walks away with a payout worth nearly PS1.7m, made up of PS1.2m severance pay and a \"historical\" bonus of around PS480,000 from before TSB's takeover by Sabadell in 2015. All other performance-related pay - including a bonus linked to the customer migration  - was frozen amid investigations into the IT fiasco. Analysis by Simon Jack, BBC business editor After April's IT meltdown at TSB, many people thought Paul Pester was a dead man walking. Although he toughed it out after that - he'd used all of his nine lives. Problems flared up briefly in August and more problems over the last 24 hours drove the final nail into the coffin. Some will feel that he was a victim of circumstances beyond his control. The new system was built, designed and tested on the watch of Sabadell, TSB's Spanish owners who were convinced the system was ready. However, IBM - who were drafted in to help with the crisis - said in a report that the system had not been tested sufficiently, and Mr Pester himself came across as complacent to many MPs. The IT debacle cost TSB PS176m and 26,000 customers closed their accounts (although 20,000 new accounts were opened offsetting some of the damage). The bank and Mr Pester's reputation took a heavy knock. Ultimately the buck stops with the chief executive and on Tuesday morning he paid the perhaps inevitable personal price. Read more from Simon Paul Pester joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2010 and was appointed to lead the launch of TSB and its separation from Lloyds in 2011. TSB was launched in 2013 and was floated off in 2014 before being bought by Spanish bank Sabadell in 2015. Part of the transfer involved migrating customer records from the Lloyds Banking Group platform to the Sabadell Proteo platform which started on 20 April 2018. That proved a disaster with many customers being locked out of their accounts and some customers being given access to the confidential records of others. The problems continued for many weeks and TSB came under fierce criticism for the IT failings. MPs on the Treasury Committee called on Mr Pester to resign. But he remained in his post, and said: \"I'm focused 100% on putting things right for our customers.\" In June, the Financial Conduct Authority launched a formal investigation into the meltdown. Its chief executive, Andrew Bailey, took the unusual step of making the probe public, \"given the level of public interest\". In July, TSB said the IT meltdown had cost PS176.4m and pushed it to a half-year loss. Being unable to get access to their TSB account at the height of the computer crisis earlier this year left many customers with big problems. Lorna McHale's marriage to Ben Connolly in May was hit as the couple had their wedding savings in a TSB account they couldn't access. She said she had to \"ring to grovel\" with suppliers for their wedding, including the DJ, the wedding car provider, and those doing her hair and make-up, all of which were small businesses. Their case was raised by MPs grilling TSB chiefs during a Treasury Committee hearing. The good news is that the wedding day went well despite the financial stress beforehand. In fact TSB called her the day before the big event to apologise and offer her PS100 compensation for all the distress the bank had caused. Lorna accepted the offer despite feeling it was a little low. She said: \"They told me they'd read my story on the BBC and so knew it was the day before my wedding. I felt they took advantage of my stressed situation to offer low compensation.\" She said she's now planning to switch banks. Are you a TSB customer who's experienced problems with your online account? Share your stories by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2713, "answer_end": 3826, "text": "Paul Pester joined Lloyds Banking Group in 2010 and was appointed to lead the launch of TSB and its separation from Lloyds in 2011. TSB was launched in 2013 and was floated off in 2014 before being bought by Spanish bank Sabadell in 2015. Part of the transfer involved migrating customer records from the Lloyds Banking Group platform to the Sabadell Proteo platform which started on 20 April 2018. That proved a disaster with many customers being locked out of their accounts and some customers being given access to the confidential records of others. The problems continued for many weeks and TSB came under fierce criticism for the IT failings. MPs on the Treasury Committee called on Mr Pester to resign. But he remained in his post, and said: \"I'm focused 100% on putting things right for our customers.\" In June, the Financial Conduct Authority launched a formal investigation into the meltdown. Its chief executive, Andrew Bailey, took the unusual step of making the probe public, \"given the level of public interest\". In July, TSB said the IT meltdown had cost PS176.4m and pushed it to a half-year loss."}], "question": "What went wrong?", "id": "1149_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Bangladesh's bitter election boycott", "date": "3 January 2014", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As Bangladesh elects a new parliament on Sunday against a backdrop of increasing political violence, BBC Bengali editor Sabir Mustafa looks at why the main opposition party is boycotting the polls. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says that it will not participate unless the vote is held under the auspices of a neutral government. As a result, 153 of the 300 seats have already been \"filled\" because there is only one candidate. Polling will take place in the remaining 147 seats but in the absence of the main opposition parties, voters will have little real choice. To outsiders, the argument over the use of a caretaker government may well seem a little arcane but parliamentary polls have been held in Bangladesh under neutral caretaker governments since 1991. The caretaker system was abolished in 2010 by the governing Awami League, which used its two-thirds majority in parliament to force through the changes. The government now remains in power and acts as \"caretaker\" once election schedules are declared. The BNP says this was done to enable the Awami League to rig the vote. There has been a flurry of activity by Western envoys in Dhaka to break the deadlock. A special envoy of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came to Dhaka last month with the aim of getting the two sides to talk to each other but the dialogue never got off the ground. The government has insisted that the BNP should take part in the polls within the existing constitutional framework. It says that the opposition should discuss any changes it wants after the vote. The BNP and its allies - including the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party - have been conducting a violent campaign of strikes and countrywide road and rail blockades. The protests have left more than 100 people dead in recent weeks. Scores of opposition supporters have died in police shootings and dozens of commuters have been burnt to death by protesters throwing petrol bombs at strike-defying buses. The economy has suffered massive losses as a result of the unrest. Many people fear the military might intervene if law and order breaks down and the economy is threatened with total meltdown. There are worries that the Awami League might impose a state of emergency after the elections to crush any opposition to the newly-elected government. So in many ways the elections are more likely to be a case of constitutional box-ticking than a genuine choice for the public. But the Awami League will nevertheless claim victory. While they may have acted constitutionally, it is arguable whether their actions are truly fostering democracy, especially when opinion polls suggest the BNP may win power if free and fair polls are held. Not only do the polls have little credibility, but the public may also feel cheated. The big question on the morning of 6 January will not be who won but rather, what will happen next? It is likely that India will press Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to engage in serious dialogue with the opposition to work out a new formula for election-time governments. These talks would pave the way for the next elections well before they are nominally due in 2019. But again the big question is how soon? Ideally, most people would like to see the next vote take place no later than six months from now. But the Awami League might have different ideas and stretch their period in power to a year or more. In that event, we can expect more violence and instability. The sense of tension has not in any way been alleviated by what may commentators have called the Jamaat factor. The party has been waging a relentless campaign over the past couple of years to implement its agenda, often attacking and killing police officers. All the top leaders of the Jamaat have been prosecuted for crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Four have been sentenced to death and one was hanged last month. Jamaat supporters feel that the Awami League, with Indian backing, is out to destroy them. The Awami League on the other hand fears that if the BNP returns to power, Jamaat leaders will exact revenge and abolish the war crimes tribunal and have its verdicts overturned. Awami League leaders are pressing for the BNP to delink itself from Jamaat and not take a position against the war crimes trials. What the BNP does in relation to its alliance with Jamaat will significantly influence any dialogue with the Awami League over elections in the weeks ahead.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2027, "answer_end": 3183, "text": "Many people fear the military might intervene if law and order breaks down and the economy is threatened with total meltdown. There are worries that the Awami League might impose a state of emergency after the elections to crush any opposition to the newly-elected government. So in many ways the elections are more likely to be a case of constitutional box-ticking than a genuine choice for the public. But the Awami League will nevertheless claim victory. While they may have acted constitutionally, it is arguable whether their actions are truly fostering democracy, especially when opinion polls suggest the BNP may win power if free and fair polls are held. Not only do the polls have little credibility, but the public may also feel cheated. The big question on the morning of 6 January will not be who won but rather, what will happen next? It is likely that India will press Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to engage in serious dialogue with the opposition to work out a new formula for election-time governments. These talks would pave the way for the next elections well before they are nominally due in 2019. But again the big question is how soon?"}], "question": "State of emergency?", "id": "1150_0"}]}]}, {"title": "US blacklists China organisations over Xinjiang 'Uighur abuse'", "date": "8 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has blacklisted 28 Chinese organisations for their alleged involvement in abuses against ethnic Uighurs in China's Xinjiang province. The organisations are now on the so-called Entity List, which bars them from buying products from US companies without approval from Washington. The 28 targets include both government agencies and technology companies specialising in surveillance equipment. China reacted angrily, dismissing the US allegations as groundless. \"There is no such thing as these so-called 'human rights issues' as claimed by the United States,\" said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. \"These accusations are nothing more than an excuse for the United States to deliberately interfere in China's internal affairs.\" It is not the first time the US has put Chinese groups under a trade ban. In May, the Trump administration added telecommunications giant Huawei to the Entity List because of security fears over its products. A Commerce Department filing said the organisations are \"implicated in human rights violations and abuses\". Rights groups say Beijing is severely persecuting the mostly Muslim Uighurs in detention camps. China calls these \"vocational training centres\" to combat extremism. The Commerce Department said in its decision on Monday that these 28 entities are implicated in \"China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups.\" Xinjiang province's Public Security Bureau is on the list, along with 19 other smaller government agencies. Hikvision, Dahua Technology and Megvii Technology are among eight commercial groups on the list, all of which specialise in facial-recognition technology. Hikvision is one of the largest surveillance equipment manufacturers in the world. The US and China are currently in the midst of a trade war, and have sent delegations to Washington for a meeting about the tensions later this week. By Karishma Vaswani, BBC Asia Business correspondent This move by the US will no doubt hurt China's technology ambitions, at least in the short term. The companies targeted are some of China's biggest tech stars in artificial intelligence - the industry China is staking its future on. But the processor chips used to train AI algorithms are currently dominated by American firms like Intel and Nvidia. Increasingly, though, US moves to restrict the American tech available to Chinese companies is prompting China Inc to accelerate its desire for self-sufficiency. For instance, after Huawei was placed on the US entity list earlier this year - which meant that companies like Google would need to get an export license from Washington before selling to it - the Chinese company said it would start developing its own operating software to embed on its phones. Chinese alternatives to other US technology are also being developed. As the US and China's trade war turns increasingly into a battle over technology, consumers will eventually have to choose between all-Chinese and all-American products. China has launched a massive security operation in Xinjiang, in its far west, in recent years. Human rights groups and the UN say China has rounded up and detained more than a million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in vast detention camps, where they are forced to renounce Islam, speak only in Mandarin Chinese and learn obedience to the communist government. China says those people are attending \"vocational training centres\" which are giving them jobs and helping them integrate into Chinese society, in the name of preventing terrorism. There have been increasingly vocal denunciations from the US and other countries about China's actions in Xinjiang. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that China \"demands its citizens worship government, not God\" in a press conference in the Vatican. And in July more than 20 countries at the UN Human Rights Council signed a joint letter criticising China's treatment of the Uighurs and other Muslims. Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims. They make up about 45% of the Xinjiang region's population; 40% are Han Chinese. China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan. Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese and Uighurs fear erosion of their culture. Xinjiang is officially designated an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1222, "answer_end": 1977, "text": "The Commerce Department said in its decision on Monday that these 28 entities are implicated in \"China's campaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention, and high-technology surveillance against Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other members of Muslim minority groups.\" Xinjiang province's Public Security Bureau is on the list, along with 19 other smaller government agencies. Hikvision, Dahua Technology and Megvii Technology are among eight commercial groups on the list, all of which specialise in facial-recognition technology. Hikvision is one of the largest surveillance equipment manufacturers in the world. The US and China are currently in the midst of a trade war, and have sent delegations to Washington for a meeting about the tensions later this week."}], "question": "Who has the US targeted?", "id": "1151_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3079, "answer_end": 4046, "text": "China has launched a massive security operation in Xinjiang, in its far west, in recent years. Human rights groups and the UN say China has rounded up and detained more than a million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in vast detention camps, where they are forced to renounce Islam, speak only in Mandarin Chinese and learn obedience to the communist government. China says those people are attending \"vocational training centres\" which are giving them jobs and helping them integrate into Chinese society, in the name of preventing terrorism. There have been increasingly vocal denunciations from the US and other countries about China's actions in Xinjiang. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that China \"demands its citizens worship government, not God\" in a press conference in the Vatican. And in July more than 20 countries at the UN Human Rights Council signed a joint letter criticising China's treatment of the Uighurs and other Muslims."}], "question": "What is the situation in Xinjiang?", "id": "1151_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4047, "answer_end": 4458, "text": "Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims. They make up about 45% of the Xinjiang region's population; 40% are Han Chinese. China re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East Turkestan. Since then, there has been large-scale immigration of Han Chinese and Uighurs fear erosion of their culture. Xinjiang is officially designated an autonomous region within China, like Tibet to its south."}], "question": "Who are the Uighurs?", "id": "1151_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ryan Zinke: US interior secretary to leave administration", "date": "15 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is leaving his post at the end of the year, President Donald Trump says, in the latest high profile departure from his administration. In a tweet, President Trump thanked Mr Zinke for his service, saying he had \"achieved much during his tenure\". He said he would appoint a new interior secretary next week. Mr Zinke, an ex-Navy Seal and a former Montana congressman, has been embroiled in allegations of ethics violations. They include a land deal in Montana involving Mr Zinke and the chairman of oilfield services Halliburton, Politico reported. The interior department oversees federal land, including national parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Mr Zinke has faced scrutiny over expensive trips in US Park Police helicopters and on private jets. Costly alterations at his department also came in for criticism, including reports that three sets of double doors in his office were being upgraded at a cost of nearly $139,000 (PS110,000). He later said he had negotiated the price down to $75,000. The New York Times has also published a guide to the investigations into Mr Zinke. According to the newspaper, he is facing scrutiny for blocking a Native American casino expansion after meetings with lobbyists opposing the plan, and for possible breaches of the Hatch Act - which stops federal employees from influencing elections by using their office. Mr Zinke has promoted oil drilling and coal mining, and worked to roll back environmental protections brought in under President Obama. Chuck Schumer, the Senate's most senior Democrat, was blunt in his condemnation. \"The swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him,\" he tweeted. Advocacy groups have accused Mr Zinke of being in hock to corporate polluters, and many welcomed his departure. Jamie Williams, president of conservation group the Wilderness Society, said he feared what he called the \"drill everywhere\" policy would continue. He said: \"Unfortunately, even with Secretary Zinke out, the interior department remains disturbingly biased in favour of special interests over the health of American communities and the public lands that they love.\" It is not clear if Mr Zinke resigned, or was fired. News of Mr Zinke's departure comes just a week after the announcement that Mr Trump's chief of staff, Gen John Kelly, is to leave the White House. On Friday, Mr Trump named his successor, on an acting basis, as Mick Mulvaney, who is currently director of the office of management and budget. However, video has emerged of Mr Mulvaney calling Mr Trump \"a terrible human being\" during the 2016 presidential campaign.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1392, "answer_end": 2624, "text": "Mr Zinke has promoted oil drilling and coal mining, and worked to roll back environmental protections brought in under President Obama. Chuck Schumer, the Senate's most senior Democrat, was blunt in his condemnation. \"The swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him,\" he tweeted. Advocacy groups have accused Mr Zinke of being in hock to corporate polluters, and many welcomed his departure. Jamie Williams, president of conservation group the Wilderness Society, said he feared what he called the \"drill everywhere\" policy would continue. He said: \"Unfortunately, even with Secretary Zinke out, the interior department remains disturbingly biased in favour of special interests over the health of American communities and the public lands that they love.\" It is not clear if Mr Zinke resigned, or was fired. News of Mr Zinke's departure comes just a week after the announcement that Mr Trump's chief of staff, Gen John Kelly, is to leave the White House. On Friday, Mr Trump named his successor, on an acting basis, as Mick Mulvaney, who is currently director of the office of management and budget. However, video has emerged of Mr Mulvaney calling Mr Trump \"a terrible human being\" during the 2016 presidential campaign."}], "question": "What's the reaction been?", "id": "1152_0"}]}]}, {"title": "YouTube 'broke child protection laws'", "date": "9 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "YouTube has been accused of violating child protection laws in the US, by a collection of 23 consumer, child safety and privacy advocacy groups. The coalition has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging that YouTube collects data from children aged under 13. It said YouTube was \"skirting the law and profiting off of children without parents' knowledge or consent\". In a statement, Google said: \"YouTube is not for children\". The group, which includes the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), argues that YouTube does not meet the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Websites run for children must inform parents if they collect personal data, and must seek parental permission before tracking data about children. \"Those are the basic requirements, and Google doesn't even try to meet them. Instead, their privacy policy says that YouTube isn't for children under 13, and that kids shouldn't use it,\" the CCFC said in a statement. The group alleges that YouTube collects location data and the browsing habits of its users - even if they are children - and uses it to target advertising. \"YouTube is one of the most popular kids' websites in the world, and they know it,\" the CCFC said. \"Many of YouTube's most successful channels feature nursery rhyme videos, cartoons, toy ads and other content designed to capture young children's attention. YouTube provides how-to guides for creators making videos for kids. \"Google knows kids are there, and they are not taking steps to protect their privacy.\" Google said the YouTube website is designed for people aged 13 and over, and people should be at least 13 years old to register an account. The company said it had not received the group's complaint, but said protecting children and families was a \"top priority\". \"We will read the complaint thoroughly and evaluate if there are things we can do to improve,\" it said in a statement. Google said its advertiser tools did not include the option to target adverts at under-13s. It also said it offered the YouTube Kids app \"specifically designed for children\". However, Google has been criticised for using algorithms to curate the app's content. Inappropriate videos have repeatedly appeared on YouTube Kids. On Saturday, BuzzFeed reported that YouTube was planning to release a human-curated version of the app. However, the company has not confirmed this.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 454, "answer_end": 1563, "text": "The group, which includes the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), argues that YouTube does not meet the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Websites run for children must inform parents if they collect personal data, and must seek parental permission before tracking data about children. \"Those are the basic requirements, and Google doesn't even try to meet them. Instead, their privacy policy says that YouTube isn't for children under 13, and that kids shouldn't use it,\" the CCFC said in a statement. The group alleges that YouTube collects location data and the browsing habits of its users - even if they are children - and uses it to target advertising. \"YouTube is one of the most popular kids' websites in the world, and they know it,\" the CCFC said. \"Many of YouTube's most successful channels feature nursery rhyme videos, cartoons, toy ads and other content designed to capture young children's attention. YouTube provides how-to guides for creators making videos for kids. \"Google knows kids are there, and they are not taking steps to protect their privacy.\""}], "question": "Why has the group complained?", "id": "1153_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1564, "answer_end": 2419, "text": "Google said the YouTube website is designed for people aged 13 and over, and people should be at least 13 years old to register an account. The company said it had not received the group's complaint, but said protecting children and families was a \"top priority\". \"We will read the complaint thoroughly and evaluate if there are things we can do to improve,\" it said in a statement. Google said its advertiser tools did not include the option to target adverts at under-13s. It also said it offered the YouTube Kids app \"specifically designed for children\". However, Google has been criticised for using algorithms to curate the app's content. Inappropriate videos have repeatedly appeared on YouTube Kids. On Saturday, BuzzFeed reported that YouTube was planning to release a human-curated version of the app. However, the company has not confirmed this."}], "question": "How has YouTube responded?", "id": "1153_1"}]}]}, {"title": "It's Disney's turn to launch a streaming service", "date": "12 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Can an almost century-old company learn from its glorious past and create itself a brave new future? Coming to a small screen near you... eventually. Disney has finally announced its long-anticipated streaming service, but it won't be available until November in North America - and in some markets, it will take much longer. That's due to several factors, but mostly because Disney is still in the process of clawing back the rights to its content, sold to other streaming platforms before it had platform aspirations of its own. It will take as long as four years before all of the deals have expired, the firm said. The delay could hobble Disney's chances to succeed in the streaming market, described by chief executive Bob Iger as his \"biggest priority\". When it does eventually launch, however, Disney+ will be a streaming juggernaut. The service will bundle together some of the firm's major franchises, including the work of Pixar, Marvel, National Geographic and Star Wars, for a monthly subscription price of $6.99, or $69.99 a year. And because the firm has had its chequebook out lately - spending $70bn on 20th Century Fox - Disney+ will also incorporate content from recently acquired companies, such as the first 30 seasons of The Simpsons. More widely, Disney also owns sports network ESPN, which now has more than 2 million paid digital subscribers, and India's Hotstar - which enjoys 300m subscribers in a market predicted to continue to grow extremely quickly. Disney is also a majority owner in Hulu, the US streaming service that has plans to expand globally soon, the firm said. These are all big moves that place Disney right at the heart of a crowded but increasingly lucrative streaming market - one where being distinct is vital. Netflix expects to spend $15bn on new content this year to achieve this aim. Apple, last month, launched its Apple TV+ service, with help of Oprah and friends who will be creating exclusive content. Disney's strategy to reassure its investors, it seems, is to state that obvious: its been doing this for a very long time indeed. The launch of Disney+ took place in a fitting location that has seen plenty of transformation over the past few decades: Sound Stage 2, on the firm's iconic, sprawling Los Angeles campus. Built in 1949, the studio was the space where the original Mary Poppins was filmed, as well as, decades later, Pirates of the Caribbean. Both heralded new technologies in filmmaking. But, Disney's illustrious past could end up being a hindrance. It sold 900m movie tickets last year, bringing in more than $7bn in box office revenue. It can't afford to lose the core of its business, and so it will keep its big name content off Disney+ until well after its traditional run-out in the cinema and home entertainment sales (as in, buying it on Blu-Ray, or downloading it). Disney+ subscribers will instead get additional content, mini-series based on characters in the new films, or behind the scenes footage. There will be straight-to-Disney+ films available when the service goes live, such as Christmas film Noelle, starring Anna Kendrick, and a remake of Lady and the Tramp. These films will be made with \"all the care\" of typical Disney movies, the company promised, but as with straight-to-video in years gone by, consumers will surely not see them as being in the same league. Higher hopes will be pinned on exclusive series made for Disney+, such as The Mandalorian, a the first live-action Star Wars TV series - which will be on the service from launch. This is an expensive endeavour for Disney. It doesn't expect Disney+ to turn a profit until 2023 at the earliest, and in the meantime it is losing out on revenue it was getting by selling on its content to other streaming providers - it was getting $150m from Netflix alone, according to reports. The company already has a streaming service in the UK called Disney Life. It has not announced whether this service will close when Disney+ arrives. At $6.99 a month, Disney is laying down a huge challenge to Apple, which hasn't yet told customers how much its service will cost when it too launches later this year. Above all, though, the unanswered question remains: just how many subscription services can the public take? A generation of delighted \"cord cutters\", who cancelled traditional TV subscriptions in favour of streaming, might soon start to wonder how much it might cost just to, you know, plug the cord back in.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3355, "answer_end": 4457, "text": "Higher hopes will be pinned on exclusive series made for Disney+, such as The Mandalorian, a the first live-action Star Wars TV series - which will be on the service from launch. This is an expensive endeavour for Disney. It doesn't expect Disney+ to turn a profit until 2023 at the earliest, and in the meantime it is losing out on revenue it was getting by selling on its content to other streaming providers - it was getting $150m from Netflix alone, according to reports. The company already has a streaming service in the UK called Disney Life. It has not announced whether this service will close when Disney+ arrives. At $6.99 a month, Disney is laying down a huge challenge to Apple, which hasn't yet told customers how much its service will cost when it too launches later this year. Above all, though, the unanswered question remains: just how many subscription services can the public take? A generation of delighted \"cord cutters\", who cancelled traditional TV subscriptions in favour of streaming, might soon start to wonder how much it might cost just to, you know, plug the cord back in."}], "question": "Over-subscribed?", "id": "1154_0"}]}]}, {"title": "What is in the Paris climate agreement?", "date": "31 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "What was agreed as part of the Paris climate deal? The deal unites all the world's nations in a single agreement on tackling climate change for the first time in history. Coming to a consensus among nearly 200 countries on the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions is regarded by many observers as an achievement in itself and has been hailed as \"historic\". The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 set emission cutting targets for a handful of developed countries, but the US pulled out and others failed to comply. However, scientists point out that the Paris accord must be stepped up if it is to have any chance of curbing dangerous climate change. Pledges thus far could see global temperatures rise by as much as 2.7C, but the agreement lays out a roadmap for speeding up progress. - To keep global temperatures \"well below\" 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and \"endeavour to limit\" them even more, to 1.5C - To limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100 - To review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge - For rich countries to help poorer nations by providing \"climate finance\" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy. The goal of preventing what scientists regard as dangerous and irreversible levels of climate change - judged to be reached at around 2C of warming above pre-industrial times - is central to the agreement. The world is already nearly halfway there at almost 1C and many countries argued for a tougher target of 1.5C - including leaders of low-lying countries that face unsustainable sea levels rises in a warming world. The desire for a more ambitious goal has been kept in the agreement - with the promise to \"endeavour to limit\" global temperatures even more, to 1.5C. Sign up for a weekly chat about climate change on Facebook Messenger It coincides with an opinion poll by YouGov for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) which said 70% of respondents supported greater action to tackle climate change. Dr Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, says the objective is \"remarkable\". \"It is a victory for the most vulnerable countries, the small islands, the least developed countries and all those with the most to lose, who came to Paris and said they didn't want sympathy, they wanted action.\" Meanwhile, for the first time, the accord lays out a longer-term plan for reaching a peak in greenhouse emissions \"as soon as possible\" and achieving a balance between output of man-made greenhouse gases and absorption - by forests or the oceans - \"by the second half of this century\". \"If agreed and implemented, this means bringing down greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero within a few decades. It is in line with the scientific evidence we presented,\" says John Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Some have described the deal as \"woolly\" because some of the targets were scaled down during the negotiations. \"The Paris Agreement is only one step on a long road, and there are parts of it that frustrate and disappoint me, but it is progress,\" says Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo. \"This deal alone won't dig us out the hole we're in, but it makes the sides less steep.\" Money has been a sticking point throughout the negotiations. Developing countries say they need financial and technological help to leapfrog fossil fuels and move straight to renewables. Currently they have been promised US $100bn (PS67bn) a year by 2020 - not as much as many countries would like. The agreement requires rich nations to maintain a $100bn a year funding pledge beyond 2020, and to use that figure as a \"floor\" for further support agreed by 2025. The deal says wealthy countries should continue to provide financial support for poor nations to cope with climate change and encourages other countries to join in on a voluntary basis. Dr Ilan Kelman of UCL, London, says the lack of time scales is \"worrying\". \"The starting point of $100bn per year is helpful, but remains under 8% of worldwide declared military spending each year.\" Only elements of the Paris pact will be legally binding. The national pledges by countries to cut emissions are voluntary, and arguments over when to revisit the pledges - with the aim of taking tougher action - have been a stumbling block in the talks. The pact promises to make an assessment of progress in 2018, with further reviews every five years. As analysts point out, Paris is only the beginning of a shift towards a low-carbon world, and there is much more to do. \"Paris is just the starting gun for the race towards a low-carbon future,\" says WWF-UK Chief Executive David Nussbaum. Prof John Shepherd of the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, says the agreement includes some welcome aspirations but few people realise how difficult it will be to achieve the goals. \"Since the only mechanism remains voluntary national caps on emissions, without even any guidance on how stringent those caps would need to be, it is hard to be optimistic that these goals are likely to be achieved.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1333, "answer_end": 3365, "text": "The goal of preventing what scientists regard as dangerous and irreversible levels of climate change - judged to be reached at around 2C of warming above pre-industrial times - is central to the agreement. The world is already nearly halfway there at almost 1C and many countries argued for a tougher target of 1.5C - including leaders of low-lying countries that face unsustainable sea levels rises in a warming world. The desire for a more ambitious goal has been kept in the agreement - with the promise to \"endeavour to limit\" global temperatures even more, to 1.5C. Sign up for a weekly chat about climate change on Facebook Messenger It coincides with an opinion poll by YouGov for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) which said 70% of respondents supported greater action to tackle climate change. Dr Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, says the objective is \"remarkable\". \"It is a victory for the most vulnerable countries, the small islands, the least developed countries and all those with the most to lose, who came to Paris and said they didn't want sympathy, they wanted action.\" Meanwhile, for the first time, the accord lays out a longer-term plan for reaching a peak in greenhouse emissions \"as soon as possible\" and achieving a balance between output of man-made greenhouse gases and absorption - by forests or the oceans - \"by the second half of this century\". \"If agreed and implemented, this means bringing down greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero within a few decades. It is in line with the scientific evidence we presented,\" says John Schellnhuber, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Some have described the deal as \"woolly\" because some of the targets were scaled down during the negotiations. \"The Paris Agreement is only one step on a long road, and there are parts of it that frustrate and disappoint me, but it is progress,\" says Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo. \"This deal alone won't dig us out the hole we're in, but it makes the sides less steep.\""}], "question": "What's in and what has been left out?", "id": "1155_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3366, "answer_end": 4213, "text": "Money has been a sticking point throughout the negotiations. Developing countries say they need financial and technological help to leapfrog fossil fuels and move straight to renewables. Currently they have been promised US $100bn (PS67bn) a year by 2020 - not as much as many countries would like. The agreement requires rich nations to maintain a $100bn a year funding pledge beyond 2020, and to use that figure as a \"floor\" for further support agreed by 2025. The deal says wealthy countries should continue to provide financial support for poor nations to cope with climate change and encourages other countries to join in on a voluntary basis. Dr Ilan Kelman of UCL, London, says the lack of time scales is \"worrying\". \"The starting point of $100bn per year is helpful, but remains under 8% of worldwide declared military spending each year.\""}], "question": "What about money?", "id": "1155_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4214, "answer_end": 5229, "text": "Only elements of the Paris pact will be legally binding. The national pledges by countries to cut emissions are voluntary, and arguments over when to revisit the pledges - with the aim of taking tougher action - have been a stumbling block in the talks. The pact promises to make an assessment of progress in 2018, with further reviews every five years. As analysts point out, Paris is only the beginning of a shift towards a low-carbon world, and there is much more to do. \"Paris is just the starting gun for the race towards a low-carbon future,\" says WWF-UK Chief Executive David Nussbaum. Prof John Shepherd of the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, says the agreement includes some welcome aspirations but few people realise how difficult it will be to achieve the goals. \"Since the only mechanism remains voluntary national caps on emissions, without even any guidance on how stringent those caps would need to be, it is hard to be optimistic that these goals are likely to be achieved.\""}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "1155_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Yang Hengjun: China holds Australian writer for 'criminal activity'", "date": "24 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China says it is investigating a Chinese-Australian writer for alleged \"involvement in criminal activities endangering China's national security\". Yang Hengjun's detention in China was earlier disclosed by Australia - days after he went missing. The 53-year-old former Chinese diplomat has been held since flying from New York to Guangzhou on Saturday. Australian authorities have urged China to handle the matter \"transparently and fairly\". Foreign Minister Marise Payne said embassy officials would meet their Chinese counterparts on Thursday to \"arrange consular access at the earliest possible opportunity\". Mr Yang was being held in \"residential surveillance\" in Beijing, Australian officials said. The term is often used when Chinese investigators hold a suspect at a secret location. The interrogation process is thought to often include torture - a practice China denies takes place. The Australian citizen had travelled to China with his wife, Chinese national Yuan Rui Juan, and young stepson. It is believed that Ms Yuan has been interviewed by Chinese officials in Beijing, after first travelling to Shanghai to leave her son with relatives. He has a sizeable following online and has sometimes written critically about China's Communist Party, but less so in recent times. He also authors spy novels. Mr Yang was briefly unreachable on a trip to China in 2011 - prompting fears he was missing - but later attributed the episode to a \"misunderstanding\". He currently lives in New York and is a visiting scholar at Columbia University, said his friend Feng Chongyi, an academic at University of Technology Sydney. Associate Prof Feng said that he had warned Mr Yang recently against travelling to China, but that Mr Yang had replied that he considered himself to be safe. Mr Yang had not responded to messages in recent days, his friend said. \"He is one of the most influential bloggers on political issues in China, where he's earned the nickname of 'Democracy Peddler' through talking about democracy and human rights,\" Associate Prof Feng told the BBC on Wednesday. Correspondents say Mr Yang's case follows a similar pattern to the cases of the two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were detained in China in recent weeks. In both cases, the foreign ministry initially said it had no knowledge of them being held, then confirmed they were in the hands of state security a few days later. Australia has previously expressed \"concern\" about the arrests of the Canadians. China has denied the detention of the two men is tied to Canada's arrest of a senior Huawei official, Meng Wanzhou, but many analysts believe it is a tit-for-tat action. Mr Yang's detention comes as Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne landed in Beijing for official talks on Thursday.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1154, "answer_end": 2079, "text": "He has a sizeable following online and has sometimes written critically about China's Communist Party, but less so in recent times. He also authors spy novels. Mr Yang was briefly unreachable on a trip to China in 2011 - prompting fears he was missing - but later attributed the episode to a \"misunderstanding\". He currently lives in New York and is a visiting scholar at Columbia University, said his friend Feng Chongyi, an academic at University of Technology Sydney. Associate Prof Feng said that he had warned Mr Yang recently against travelling to China, but that Mr Yang had replied that he considered himself to be safe. Mr Yang had not responded to messages in recent days, his friend said. \"He is one of the most influential bloggers on political issues in China, where he's earned the nickname of 'Democracy Peddler' through talking about democracy and human rights,\" Associate Prof Feng told the BBC on Wednesday."}], "question": "Who is Mr Yang?", "id": "1156_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2080, "answer_end": 2801, "text": "Correspondents say Mr Yang's case follows a similar pattern to the cases of the two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were detained in China in recent weeks. In both cases, the foreign ministry initially said it had no knowledge of them being held, then confirmed they were in the hands of state security a few days later. Australia has previously expressed \"concern\" about the arrests of the Canadians. China has denied the detention of the two men is tied to Canada's arrest of a senior Huawei official, Meng Wanzhou, but many analysts believe it is a tit-for-tat action. Mr Yang's detention comes as Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne landed in Beijing for official talks on Thursday."}], "question": "What is the background to this case?", "id": "1156_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Man arrested in fatal stabbing of Washington DC runner", "date": "20 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police have arrested a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a recently engaged woman who was running near her home in a trendy Washington DC neighbourhood. Wendy Karina Martinez, 35, was attacked on Tuesday night only one mile from the White House. She died after seeking help at a nearby takeaway restaurant. Anthony Crawford, 23, has been arrested and charged with murder, police said. A motive for the attack is still unclear. Friends describe Ms Martinez as \"brilliant and a hard worker\". \"Wendy should have been shopping for her wedding dress on Friday,\" said Kristina Moore, as she stood outside the restaurant where Ms Martinez sought help after the attack in the Logan Circle neighbourhood on Thursday. Anthony Crawford has been charged with first degree murder for what police believe was a random knife attack on Tuesday night around 20:00 (01:00GMT). The Georgetown University alumna was stabbed multiple times, including in the neck, and went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for help. Bystanders at the business, including a nurse, attempted to save her life. \"We don't have a motive,\" Police Chief Peter Newsham said on Thursday, adding that it does not appear that there was any attempt to rob Ms Martinez. Police say Mr Crawford has a criminal history, and they will be examining him for any mental health issues. Mr Crawford was arrested in a park on Wednesday night and was transported to hospital with an injury to his hand, according to police. Authorities said they received tips from the community after a surveillance image was released to help identify the suspect. \"This is one of those types of unsettling incidents that sometimes happen in large cities, but it seems like a singular incident,\" said Chief Newsham on Wednesday, when a manhunt was still under way. Friends say Ms Martinez enjoyed running across the nation's capitol, and became engaged to her boyfriend last Wednesday. Speaking after a police news conference outside the restaurant Ms Moore said: \"Wendy lived here. She lived two blocks from here. \"This was her home and she loved it. She felt safe.\" She added: \"There is a hole in our hearts that will never be replaced.\" Her mother, Cora Martinez, told the Washington Post that she was working in her dream job with a fast-growing start-up company. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Browser also mourned the loss on Thursday, saying: \"This is an outraged community. This is a woman who should be going to work today\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 707, "answer_end": 1783, "text": "Anthony Crawford has been charged with first degree murder for what police believe was a random knife attack on Tuesday night around 20:00 (01:00GMT). The Georgetown University alumna was stabbed multiple times, including in the neck, and went to a nearby Chinese restaurant for help. Bystanders at the business, including a nurse, attempted to save her life. \"We don't have a motive,\" Police Chief Peter Newsham said on Thursday, adding that it does not appear that there was any attempt to rob Ms Martinez. Police say Mr Crawford has a criminal history, and they will be examining him for any mental health issues. Mr Crawford was arrested in a park on Wednesday night and was transported to hospital with an injury to his hand, according to police. Authorities said they received tips from the community after a surveillance image was released to help identify the suspect. \"This is one of those types of unsettling incidents that sometimes happen in large cities, but it seems like a singular incident,\" said Chief Newsham on Wednesday, when a manhunt was still under way."}], "question": "What are the charges?", "id": "1157_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1784, "answer_end": 2448, "text": "Friends say Ms Martinez enjoyed running across the nation's capitol, and became engaged to her boyfriend last Wednesday. Speaking after a police news conference outside the restaurant Ms Moore said: \"Wendy lived here. She lived two blocks from here. \"This was her home and she loved it. She felt safe.\" She added: \"There is a hole in our hearts that will never be replaced.\" Her mother, Cora Martinez, told the Washington Post that she was working in her dream job with a fast-growing start-up company. Washington DC Mayor Muriel Browser also mourned the loss on Thursday, saying: \"This is an outraged community. This is a woman who should be going to work today\"."}], "question": "Who was the victim?", "id": "1157_1"}]}]}, {"title": "France to ban culling of unwanted male chicks by end of 2021", "date": "29 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "France has pledged to outlaw the practice of culling unwanted male chicks by the end of 2021, as part of animal welfare reforms. About seven billion male chicks - not wanted for meat or eggs - are killed around the world each year, usually in shredding machines or by gas. The government said new methods were emerging that would make it possible to test the sex of embryos inside the egg. But some campaigners said the reforms did not go far enough. French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announced the reforms at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday. \"From the end of 2021, nothing will be like it was before,\" he said. Mr Guillaume said he hoped a method would soon be developed that would allow the sex of a chick to be determined before it had hatched. Researchers have been working on the issue for years, but are yet to come up with a solution that works on an industrial scale. The 2021 ban will make France one of the first countries to outlaw the practice of culling male chicks. A court in Germany has ruled that the practice can continue on a temporary basis until an alternative can be found. France and Germany last year said they would work together to put an end to mass chick culling. Mr Guillaume also announced on Tuesday that the practice of castrating piglets without anaesthesia would be banned by the end of 2021. Castration is performed to prevent \"boar taint\" - a potent smell or taste that can occur in the meat of non-neutered pigs.  Several countries have already made the use of anaesthesia obligatory. The mass-killing of male chicks shortly after birth is common practice in food production around the world. For the billions of hens used in egg and poultry farming every year, a similar number of male chicks are killed shortly after birth. Male chicks are viewed in the industry as commercially useless, because they grow more slowly than hens so are deemed unsuitable for meat production. After sorting, the most common methods of killing involve asphyxiation by gassing or maceration in high-speed grinders. Last year, Switzerland outlawed maceration. Many animal rights activists welcomed the changes in France but said they did not go far enough. They are \"a step in the right direction, but still inadequate\", Anissa Putois of the campaigning group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) told AFP news agency. French animal protection group L214 said the measures were \"not ambitious\" and \"do not address the basic problems\". \"There is nothing on slaughter conditions, nor on how to exit from intensive animal farming,\" it said, according to AFP.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 451, "answer_end": 1539, "text": "French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume announced the reforms at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday. \"From the end of 2021, nothing will be like it was before,\" he said. Mr Guillaume said he hoped a method would soon be developed that would allow the sex of a chick to be determined before it had hatched. Researchers have been working on the issue for years, but are yet to come up with a solution that works on an industrial scale. The 2021 ban will make France one of the first countries to outlaw the practice of culling male chicks. A court in Germany has ruled that the practice can continue on a temporary basis until an alternative can be found. France and Germany last year said they would work together to put an end to mass chick culling. Mr Guillaume also announced on Tuesday that the practice of castrating piglets without anaesthesia would be banned by the end of 2021. Castration is performed to prevent \"boar taint\" - a potent smell or taste that can occur in the meat of non-neutered pigs.  Several countries have already made the use of anaesthesia obligatory."}], "question": "What are the changes in France?", "id": "1158_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1540, "answer_end": 2094, "text": "The mass-killing of male chicks shortly after birth is common practice in food production around the world. For the billions of hens used in egg and poultry farming every year, a similar number of male chicks are killed shortly after birth. Male chicks are viewed in the industry as commercially useless, because they grow more slowly than hens so are deemed unsuitable for meat production. After sorting, the most common methods of killing involve asphyxiation by gassing or maceration in high-speed grinders. Last year, Switzerland outlawed maceration."}], "question": "How widespread is male chick culling?", "id": "1158_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2095, "answer_end": 2604, "text": "Many animal rights activists welcomed the changes in France but said they did not go far enough. They are \"a step in the right direction, but still inadequate\", Anissa Putois of the campaigning group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) told AFP news agency. French animal protection group L214 said the measures were \"not ambitious\" and \"do not address the basic problems\". \"There is nothing on slaughter conditions, nor on how to exit from intensive animal farming,\" it said, according to AFP."}], "question": "What has the response been?", "id": "1158_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Tinned food - healthy enough?", "date": "30 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Retailers are warning that a no-deal Brexit could lead to temporary food shortages, and some people have begun stockpiling tins of food in preparation for just such a scenario. The government says food supplies will be secure whether we leave the EU with or without a deal. But what would happen if you did cut out fresh fruit and veg and ate only tinned goods? In 2017, BBC Radio Derby's Andy Twigge set himself a challenge of eating only canned food for a week. \"I did it for a laugh really. \"I love tinned potatoes and marrowfat peas, so I wondered what it would be like to live off tinned food for a while. I set myself a week. I thought it should be quite easy.\" He almost managed it, but quit on day seven. The thing that broke him? A Sunday roast. \"I stuck at it for six days. I even ate tinned Brussels sprouts! \"I did have a Fray Bentos pie, and that was very nice, but it did all become a bit of a chore. I was physically fine on it though. I didn't waste away or anything.\" He says he's not sure he would call what he did \"nutritional\". Because he was only doing the diet for a short period, Andy didn't check with a dietitian. But we have, and here's what they think. To be tinned, foods are sealed and preserved by pressure cooking them at a very high temperature. Like regular cooking, this destroys some of the nutrients. Canned foods are often thought to be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods because of this. But that's not always the case, say diet experts. Bridget Benelam is a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. She says: \"Generally speaking, there's a wide range of canned foods that you could eat - from fruit, veg, potatoes and pulses to fish and ready-made foods like soup, baked beans or chilli. \"And some of them are nutritionally better than others. Tinned oily fish like salmon, for example, is healthy. And beans and pulses, like chickpeas and lentils, are a good source of protein and fibre while being low in fat. \"Unfortunately, there's not a lot of data about nutrients in canned food versus fresh or frozen.\" She said the main nutrients that could be lost or diminished in the canning process were some of the water-soluble vitamins which cannot be stored by the body and are vital for healthy skin, blood vessels and bones, and the nervous system. Researchers have attempted to measure the loss, comparing fresh, frozen and canned fruit and veg. Findings suggest that although frozen foods lose fewer nutrients initially when they are packaged, when you get them home and eventually boil them, they can lose a similar amount to the tinned version. Likewise, although freshly picked, uncooked fruit and veg contain lots of nutrients, these will degrade over time, even when you store them in the fridge. Bridget says: \"With tinned foods, there may be some losses of nutrients like vitamin C and thiamine, which can be lost when cooking, but whether this would have an impact on health would depend on the diet overall. \"Nutritionally, it could be OK, as long as you get a good mix. My main concern would be the tedium. The texture could be quite dull. Food can get a bit mushed and squished when it is canned. You won't be able to have tinned salad, so you'd have to make sure you are getting the right variety of food.\" So, when it comes to picking, what are the pitfalls? Dietitian Frankie Phillips, from the British Dietetic Association, agrees that variety is the key. \"You'd be fine over a few days, but a tinned food diet might be quite limiting over a long period of time. You'd need to be quite careful about what cans you choose to eat.\" Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing. That means you could consume more than the recommended amounts and take on more calories than you need. \"This is where you might fall down in terms of nutrition,\" says Frankie. Fruit tinned in syrup will contain lots of sugar, for example, and vegetables in brine will be salty. But all fruit and veg canned in their own juice will count towards your 5-a-day. Frankie says: \"It should be quite easy to get most of your major food groups, such as protein, carbohydrates. Dairy might be a bit harder. \"One of the concerns I would have is around canned meats. They are generally quite salty because of the way they are preserved. \"Nutrition labels on cans will help guide you,\" says Frankie. The guidelines for adults are: - Total fat - High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g, Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g - Saturated fat - High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g, Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g - Sugars - High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g, Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g - Salt - High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium), Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium) There are some other practical considerations too, including food safety. Cans are made of steel, with a fine coating of tin or chromium oxide to protect them from rusting. For acidic foods like tomatoes, a thin coating or lacquer is needed on the inside of the can. When you open a can of food and you're not going to use all the food straightaway, empty the food into a bowl, or another container, and put it in the fridge, food safety experts advise. It's best not to store food in an opened tin can, or re-use empty cans to cook or store food. This is because when a can has been opened and the food is open to the air, the tin from the can might transfer more quickly to the can's contents. This advice doesn't apply to foods sold in cans that have resealable lids, such as golden syrup and cocoa, because these types of food don't react with the can. The US food safety regulator has some more advice: - Heed the sell-by date -  Check your pantry every few weeks and use canned goods you have had on hand for awhile. High-acid canned foods, such as tomatoes, pineapple and pickles, will store well for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid canned foods such as spaghetti, potatoes and beans, will store well for two to five years. - Beware damaged cans - If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food is probably safe to eat. A bulging lid, or a dented or leaking can is a sign of spoilage. When you open it, look for other signs, such as spurting liquid, an \"off\" odour or mould. Don't taste or use these canned foods. Throw them away immediately. - Is it normal to hear a \"hiss\" when you open it? - Some cans may hiss because they are vacuum-packed and the noise is a result of air pressure, which is perfectly normal. However, if a can hisses loudly or spurts forcefully when opened, it may be an indication that the food is spoiled and should be discarded. Some people worry that cans can contain harmful chemicals, including a substance called Bisohenol A (BPA). BPA is mainly used to make plastics, including containers that come into contact with food, but it's also used to make some protective coatings and linings for food and drinks cans. The UK's Food Standards Agency has examined BPA, and says that levels of the compound people would typically consume do not represent a risk to consumers. The European Food Safety Authority has also assessed the evidence and says dietary exposure to BPA is \"not a health concern for any age group\". The US National Toxicology Programme has been carrying out a long-term study into BPA, looking at the effects of exposure in rats before and after giving birth to see if there might be any link to diseases such as cancer. A final report is expected in the autumn of 2019. The history of canning is said to have begun with Napoleon. It's believed he offered 12,000 French francs to anyone who could find a way to prevent military food supplies from spoiling. Napoleon gave the prize in 1795 to Nicholas Appert, who invented the process of packing meat and poultry in glass bottles, corking them, and submerging them in boiling water. This military secret soon reached England where, in 1810, Peter Durand patented the use of metal containers for canning. Today, we still love canned food. According to consumer research group Kantar Worldpanel, people in the UK spent more than half a billion pounds on tinned food during the 12 weeks to 30 December 2018. Unsurprisingly, we tend to buy more canned products over winter than summer. A study of 2,000 adults carried out for the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association found the average adult has 16 cans of food in their cupboard and relies on tinned food for at least three meals a week. Baked beans were named as the most popular canned food to use in everyday cooking, followed by tinned tomatoes, soup, fish such as tuna and salmon and other vegetables such as sweetcorn.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1180, "answer_end": 2312, "text": "To be tinned, foods are sealed and preserved by pressure cooking them at a very high temperature. Like regular cooking, this destroys some of the nutrients. Canned foods are often thought to be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods because of this. But that's not always the case, say diet experts. Bridget Benelam is a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. She says: \"Generally speaking, there's a wide range of canned foods that you could eat - from fruit, veg, potatoes and pulses to fish and ready-made foods like soup, baked beans or chilli. \"And some of them are nutritionally better than others. Tinned oily fish like salmon, for example, is healthy. And beans and pulses, like chickpeas and lentils, are a good source of protein and fibre while being low in fat. \"Unfortunately, there's not a lot of data about nutrients in canned food versus fresh or frozen.\" She said the main nutrients that could be lost or diminished in the canning process were some of the water-soluble vitamins which cannot be stored by the body and are vital for healthy skin, blood vessels and bones, and the nervous system."}], "question": "Less nutritious?", "id": "1159_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4932, "answer_end": 6750, "text": "Cans are made of steel, with a fine coating of tin or chromium oxide to protect them from rusting. For acidic foods like tomatoes, a thin coating or lacquer is needed on the inside of the can. When you open a can of food and you're not going to use all the food straightaway, empty the food into a bowl, or another container, and put it in the fridge, food safety experts advise. It's best not to store food in an opened tin can, or re-use empty cans to cook or store food. This is because when a can has been opened and the food is open to the air, the tin from the can might transfer more quickly to the can's contents. This advice doesn't apply to foods sold in cans that have resealable lids, such as golden syrup and cocoa, because these types of food don't react with the can. The US food safety regulator has some more advice: - Heed the sell-by date -  Check your pantry every few weeks and use canned goods you have had on hand for awhile. High-acid canned foods, such as tomatoes, pineapple and pickles, will store well for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid canned foods such as spaghetti, potatoes and beans, will store well for two to five years. - Beware damaged cans - If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food is probably safe to eat. A bulging lid, or a dented or leaking can is a sign of spoilage. When you open it, look for other signs, such as spurting liquid, an \"off\" odour or mould. Don't taste or use these canned foods. Throw them away immediately. - Is it normal to hear a \"hiss\" when you open it? - Some cans may hiss because they are vacuum-packed and the noise is a result of air pressure, which is perfectly normal. However, if a can hisses loudly or spurts forcefully when opened, it may be an indication that the food is spoiled and should be discarded."}], "question": "Is it OK to keep leftovers in my fridge?", "id": "1159_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6751, "answer_end": 7610, "text": "Some people worry that cans can contain harmful chemicals, including a substance called Bisohenol A (BPA). BPA is mainly used to make plastics, including containers that come into contact with food, but it's also used to make some protective coatings and linings for food and drinks cans. The UK's Food Standards Agency has examined BPA, and says that levels of the compound people would typically consume do not represent a risk to consumers. The European Food Safety Authority has also assessed the evidence and says dietary exposure to BPA is \"not a health concern for any age group\". The US National Toxicology Programme has been carrying out a long-term study into BPA, looking at the effects of exposure in rats before and after giving birth to see if there might be any link to diseases such as cancer. A final report is expected in the autumn of 2019."}], "question": "What about the chemicals?", "id": "1159_2"}]}]}, {"title": "The human cost of insulin in America", "date": "14 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "This is the list of what Laura Marston has sacrificed to keep herself alive: Her car, her furniture, her apartment, her retirement fund, her dog. At 36 years old, she has already sold all of her possessions twice to afford the insulin her body needs every day. Insulin is not like other drugs. It's a natural hormone that controls our blood sugar levels - too high causes vision loss, confusion, nausea, and eventually, organ failure; too low leads to heart irregularities, mood swings, seizures, loss of consciousness. For most of us, our bodies produce insulin naturally. But for Type 1 (T1) diabetics like Ms Marston, insulin comes in clear glass vials, handed over the pharmacy counter each month - if they can afford it. One vial of the insulin Ms Marston uses now costs $275 (PS210) without health insurance. In 1923, the discoverers of insulin sold its patent for $1, hoping the low price would keep the essential treatment available to everyone who needed it. Now, retail prices in the US are around the $300 range for all insulins from the three major brands that control the market. Even accounting for inflation, that's a price increase of over 1,000%. Stories of Americans rationing insulin - and dying for it - have been making national headlines. The most famous case, perhaps, was 26-year-old Alec Smith, who died in 2017 less than a month after he aged out of his mother's health insurance plan. Despite working full-time making more than minimum wage, he could not afford to buy new insurance or pay the $1,000 a month for insulin without it. Ms Marston knows the feeling - like most of the diabetics I spoke to, she has experienced frightening lapses in coverage through no fault of her own. A few years ago, when the small law firm Ms Marston worked for abruptly closed, she found herself without an income and suddenly uninsured. \"I was spending $2,880 a month just to keep myself alive - that was more than I was making even working 50 hours a week,\" says Ms Marston. She was forced to leave her home in Richmond, Virginia, to find a new job in Washington DC to ensure she could pay for insulin. \"I sold everything, including my car, and had to give up my dog - he was eight and I had to give him away - and move to DC.\" There are any number of reasons why someone might still be uninsured in America - if they don't qualify for employer-sponsored insurance or lose their job like Ms Marston had, for example, or if they cannot afford to pay for a plan on their own. Ms Marston was diagnosed with T1 diabetes when she was 14. She laughs when recalling how the price of insulin in 1996 - $25 for one vial - was a shock to her. Two decades later, Ms Marston still uses the same formula of insulin - Eli Lilly's Humalog. Even the packaging is the same. \"Nothing about it has changed, except the price has gone up from $21 a vial to $275 a vial.\" It's the same story for Sanofi's Apidra and Novo Nordisk's Novolog. Most patients point the finger at the pharmaceutical companies, who in turn bring up problems with government regulations and insurance providers. At the heart of the issue is the complex mystery around who pays what for insulin in the US. There are five terms essential to this discussion - list price, net price, rebates, co-payments and deductibles. - List price  is set by a pharmaceutical company, and in many cases is what uninsured diabetics pay - Net price is the actual profit the company receives for a drug - Rebates are discounts on drugs negotiated for insurance companies - Co-payments are what an insured person pays for a prescription, out-of-pocket - Deductibles, which can be as high as $10,000, are what insurance policies say must be paid before the insurer picks up the rest Insurance companies enlist third-party negotiators, called pharmacy benefit managers, to fix discounts with drug manufacturers that in turn result in smaller co-payment prices for their users. Experts say part of the system's problem is a lack of transparency around how these rebates are negotiated and how much actually makes its way to patients. This system also means that insurers end up with different rates for each drug company, so a brand of insulin that has a minimal co-pay under one insurance could cost the full list price under another. Ms Marston has been tracking insulin list prices for years. By her calculations, for insulin alone, she'll need close to $7m to live until she's 70 if she pays out of pocket. \"It's led to a situation where I decided I couldn't have kids because I don't feel financially stable enough,\" Ms Marston says. But drug manufacturers argue that very few people ever face paying list price. Eli Lilly said in a statement to the BBC that 95% of people using Humalog in the US pay under $100 a month for their prescription, and that of the 600,000 using Humalog, \"about 1,600 people without insurance have not utilised the [assistance] benefits we offer\". Novo Nordisk and Sanofi detailed similar patient assistance programmes in their statements. And several diabetics I spoke to did say that these programmes helped them- if they qualified. But another advocate, Kristen Daniels, says she was faced with a $2,400 price tag for one month of insulin and because she was technically insured, she couldn't get assistance. \"I called my insurance, I called the manufacturer, and no one could help me because I hadn't reached my deductible,\" Ms Daniels says. Pharmaceutical companies have also emphasised that rising list prices did not result in commensurate profits. Eli Lilly's spokesman says their net price has actually gone down in the last five years; Sanofi's said their insulin profits are 25% lower in 2019 than 2012. According to a report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the University of Southern California Center for Health Policy and Economics, between 2007 and 2016, major brand insulin list prices have increased by 252%, while net prices saw less growth at 57%. And there are cheaper options in the US for some: WalMart insulin, for example, is a re-branded version of a Novo Nordisk formula which retails for around $25 per vial in most states. But the formula is older, less effective, and some, like Ms Marston, are allergic to it. This is another key issue in the debate around skyrocketing insulin prices. Each formula works differently for each individual. It takes many T1 patients years to feel comfortable managing their dosing with a particular brand. Several diabetics I spoke to say they have been forced to switch insulins by their insurance plans - even against the recommendation of their physicians - if they wanted to avoid paying the list price for their preferred brand. The ADA says this \"non-medical switching\" is more than an inconvenience - it's potentially dangerous, requiring constant monitoring on the patient's part and consultations with a physician. Serious or permanent complications like blindness or kidney disease can arise if a diabetic is put through too many extreme sugar highs and lows. In America, where insurance coverage goes hand-in-hand with employment and options are limited, many T1 diabetics make sacrifices in other parts of their lives to keep affording insulin - whether that's staying with a stressful job or switching insulin formulas at the behest of an insurer. The expression that comes up again and again in the US T1 community is: \"We're hostages\". T1International is a non-profit advocating for affordable, accessible diabetes care worldwide. Founder Elizabeth Rowley is an American who now lives in the UK. As a T1 diabetic herself, Ms Rowley has first-hand experience navigating both health systems. She describes the US system as \"convoluted\", with profits happening at all levels in between. \"People spend most of their life in fear of losing their insurance, of running out of insulin and the cost going up, or of having to stay in terrible jobs or relationships to ensure they keep their health insurance coverage,\" Ms Rowley tells me. \"That's the best case scenario. \"Worst case, folks are rationing insulin which has led to many reported deaths and excruciating complications. People are buying and sharing insulin from people online they have never met, having to choose between buying food, paying rent, or taking their medicine.\" Diabetics in the US pay on average over $210 each month for insulin, according to a T1International 2016 survey, compared to less than $50 in India or nothing at all in some European countries. \"In the UK, I walked into the pharmacy, and with my medical exemption card, picked up my essential medicines. While the NHS is still overpaying for insulin, the cost it pays is miniscule compared to what people in the US must pay.\" Ms Rowley acknowledges these other systems aren't perfect - but to her, they are still far better for patients. Lauren Hyre, 30, an Arizona-based advocate for T1International, knows first hand the fears of accessing insulin in the US system. She's struggled with it for two-thirds of her life. Her father passed away when she was nine and his company cut off the family's health insurance. Before Obamacare, diabetics could be denied insurance, and so Ms Hyre was without coverage for years. Living in Indiana, a state without expanded health assistance programmes, she also didn't qualify for any government help. For years, Ms Hyre depended upon expired vials of insulin from her doctor's office and making trips to Canada to buy it at an affordable cost. The first time she bought insulin at a Canadian pharmacy, her mother broke down in tears. There are dozens of similar stories across the southern border too. When 27-year-old Emily Mackey heard about a group of diabetics travelling to Tijuana, Mexico, to purchase cheaper insulin, she reached out on Instagram and joined in. Ms Mackey was already in California for work, and so her tram ride from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico, cost $5, round-trip. A six-month supply of insulin set her back $100, a lot lower than the $1,300 cost if purchased through her insurance. But her relief soon turned to aggravation. Even if she had flown from her home in Philadelphia, buying insulin across the border would have saved her money. \"I was angry that I had to go to Mexico in the first place to get a drug that keeps me alive. I live right next to a [US pharmacy], yet had to travel 3,000 miles to another country to get affordable insulin.\" According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are more than seven million diabetics in this country, and around 27% say that affording insulin has impacted their daily life. Dr William Cefalu, the ADA's chief scientific, medical and mission officer, says a lack of transparency is at the root of the issue. \"The system is dysfunctional. There are issues at each level, at each stakeholder in the insulin supply chain,\" he says. \"We can't point the finger at one particular entity.\" Fixing issues with high deductibles and ensuring any discounts negotiated with insurance companies actually filter down to patients is key, he says. Competition would be the best way to bring prices down, so why hasn't that happened yet? Unlike chemical drugs, which can be simply replicated, insulin is a biological material - made up of proteins synthesised through a cell line that's unique to each formula. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi's insulins are all slightly different in this way, and no \"generic\" or un-branded copy could be made without accessing these companies' patented materials and processes. But despite these fundamental differences, insulin has long been classified and regulated like a chemical drug. In December, the FDA announced that the agency would reclassify insulin as a \"biological product\" by 2020, in what the FDA commissioner called a \"watershed moment for insulin\". These so-called biologics will then have an easier pathway to approval than before, promoting the development of \"products that are biosimilar to, or interchangeable with\" existing insulin. Insulin isn't the only drug affected by the tangled web of regulations and closed-door industry dynamics, but it is one of the few with life-or-death consequences attached to its price tag. For Ms Marston, it's hard to see why insulin was ever treated like other medications. \"It's a natural hormone that everybody else's bodies make that ours don't,\" she says. \"There should be price caps on it just like everything else that's required for life: your water bill, your electric bill. Arguably those things are even less required than Humalog.\" As an increasingly vocal Congress continues to hold hearings on drug pricing, pharmaceutical companies are beginning to feel the pressure. Eli Lilly has announced it would be offering a new \"generic\" version of Humalog for half the cost. But the $137 price tag for this new generic is still steep - and significantly above what other countries pay for the same insulin. It's a move that may reduce what some pay at the pharmacy, but one that fails to address the systemic issues around insulin pricing. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, and Representative Jan Schakowsky, both Democrats, proposed a different solution in December. The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act would order the Department of Health and Human Services to create a new office focusing on manufacturing generic drugs \"in cases where the market has failed\" in order to \"jump-start\" competition. The bill is unlikely to pass but it signals a serious interest from some lawmakers to change the existing system. Another avenue is the Medicare for All proposal pushed by Senator Bernie Sanders and other 2020 candidates, which would provide free healthcare for all, funded by higher taxes. As the debate continues on Capitol Hill and in industry board rooms, Ms Marston says she wants to continue her own advocacy on behalf of those who have fallen through the insurance gaps. \"In an instant, they were faced with having to pay list prices and could not do that, and that is why they died. \"If even one person has to pay list price, that's not fair,\" Ms Marston says. \"It's really someone having a gun to your head and saying: Your money or your life.\" Photographs by Hannah Long-Higgins .", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 7403, "answer_end": 8833, "text": "T1International is a non-profit advocating for affordable, accessible diabetes care worldwide. Founder Elizabeth Rowley is an American who now lives in the UK. As a T1 diabetic herself, Ms Rowley has first-hand experience navigating both health systems. She describes the US system as \"convoluted\", with profits happening at all levels in between. \"People spend most of their life in fear of losing their insurance, of running out of insulin and the cost going up, or of having to stay in terrible jobs or relationships to ensure they keep their health insurance coverage,\" Ms Rowley tells me. \"That's the best case scenario. \"Worst case, folks are rationing insulin which has led to many reported deaths and excruciating complications. People are buying and sharing insulin from people online they have never met, having to choose between buying food, paying rent, or taking their medicine.\" Diabetics in the US pay on average over $210 each month for insulin, according to a T1International 2016 survey, compared to less than $50 in India or nothing at all in some European countries. \"In the UK, I walked into the pharmacy, and with my medical exemption card, picked up my essential medicines. While the NHS is still overpaying for insulin, the cost it pays is miniscule compared to what people in the US must pay.\" Ms Rowley acknowledges these other systems aren't perfect - but to her, they are still far better for patients."}], "question": "How does the UK compare?", "id": "1160_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 10412, "answer_end": 14224, "text": "According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are more than seven million diabetics in this country, and around 27% say that affording insulin has impacted their daily life. Dr William Cefalu, the ADA's chief scientific, medical and mission officer, says a lack of transparency is at the root of the issue. \"The system is dysfunctional. There are issues at each level, at each stakeholder in the insulin supply chain,\" he says. \"We can't point the finger at one particular entity.\" Fixing issues with high deductibles and ensuring any discounts negotiated with insurance companies actually filter down to patients is key, he says. Competition would be the best way to bring prices down, so why hasn't that happened yet? Unlike chemical drugs, which can be simply replicated, insulin is a biological material - made up of proteins synthesised through a cell line that's unique to each formula. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi's insulins are all slightly different in this way, and no \"generic\" or un-branded copy could be made without accessing these companies' patented materials and processes. But despite these fundamental differences, insulin has long been classified and regulated like a chemical drug. In December, the FDA announced that the agency would reclassify insulin as a \"biological product\" by 2020, in what the FDA commissioner called a \"watershed moment for insulin\". These so-called biologics will then have an easier pathway to approval than before, promoting the development of \"products that are biosimilar to, or interchangeable with\" existing insulin. Insulin isn't the only drug affected by the tangled web of regulations and closed-door industry dynamics, but it is one of the few with life-or-death consequences attached to its price tag. For Ms Marston, it's hard to see why insulin was ever treated like other medications. \"It's a natural hormone that everybody else's bodies make that ours don't,\" she says. \"There should be price caps on it just like everything else that's required for life: your water bill, your electric bill. Arguably those things are even less required than Humalog.\" As an increasingly vocal Congress continues to hold hearings on drug pricing, pharmaceutical companies are beginning to feel the pressure. Eli Lilly has announced it would be offering a new \"generic\" version of Humalog for half the cost. But the $137 price tag for this new generic is still steep - and significantly above what other countries pay for the same insulin. It's a move that may reduce what some pay at the pharmacy, but one that fails to address the systemic issues around insulin pricing. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, and Representative Jan Schakowsky, both Democrats, proposed a different solution in December. The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act would order the Department of Health and Human Services to create a new office focusing on manufacturing generic drugs \"in cases where the market has failed\" in order to \"jump-start\" competition. The bill is unlikely to pass but it signals a serious interest from some lawmakers to change the existing system. Another avenue is the Medicare for All proposal pushed by Senator Bernie Sanders and other 2020 candidates, which would provide free healthcare for all, funded by higher taxes. As the debate continues on Capitol Hill and in industry board rooms, Ms Marston says she wants to continue her own advocacy on behalf of those who have fallen through the insurance gaps. \"In an instant, they were faced with having to pay list prices and could not do that, and that is why they died. \"If even one person has to pay list price, that's not fair,\" Ms Marston says. \"It's really someone having a gun to your head and saying: Your money or your life.\" Photographs by Hannah Long-Higgins ."}], "question": "What are the solutions?", "id": "1160_1"}]}]}, {"title": "George Bush Senior dies at the age of 94", "date": "1 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Former US President George HW Bush has died at the age of 94 at home in Houston, Texas. Bush Sr served as the 41st US president between 1989 and 1993, his term defined by the end of the Cold War and the first Iraq war against Saddam Hussein. While his health had been failing in recent years, he still managed to make public appearances. The former president died at 22:10 local time on Friday (04:10 GMT Saturday), a family spokesperson said. In April, he was admitted to hospital with a blood infection but had since been discharged. Bush was also being treated for a form of Parkinson's disease. He died seven months after his wife, Barbara. \"Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died,\" his son George Bush Jr, who went on to serve as the 43rd US president, said in a statement. \"[He] was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.\" President Trump will be attending the funeral in Washington, the White House said, and Wednesday 5 December has been designated a day of national mourning. He has had difficult relations with the Bush family and did not attend Barbara Bush's funeral. But he is due to speak to George Bush Jr today. In one of dozens of tributes from former and current world leaders, Mr Trump praised Bush's \"essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family and country.\" The US flag has been lowered to half staff at the White House. Bush Sr's single presidential term in office was dominated by foreign policy - the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. He was instrumental in building the international military coalition that forced Iraq's Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. Bush became president after serving two terms as vice-president to Ronald Reagan, but he suffered the ignominy of becoming a single-term president - defeated by Bill Clinton in the 1992 election amid a weakening economy. His famous 1988 campaign promise - \"Read my lips. No new taxes\" - came back to haunt him when he felt compelled to reverse policy. Bush entered politics in 1964 after starting a Texan oil business and becoming a millionaire by the age of 40. During World War Two, he was an aviator before being shot down by the Japanese in September 1944 while on a bombing raid. Following his honourable discharge from the navy in 1945, Bush married then 18-year-old Barbara Pierce. Their marriage would last 73 years and they would have six children together. In later life, his character came under scrutiny when he was accused of groping a number of women at public events. A statement issued by his spokesman after a recent incident said he would never \"intentionally cause anyone distress\". New York Times: \"Some critics have said that Mr Hussein would not have been so bold as to invade Kuwait had Washington not shamelessly cultivated him over the years; others faulted Mr Bush for not pushing Mr Hussein all the way back to Baghdad and removing him from power. Such a course, Mr Bush said later, would have 'incurred incalculable human and political costs ... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq.' Which is exactly what his son, George W Bush, a less cautious man, set out to do 12 years later - with disastrous results.\" Fox News: \"Although occasionally criticized for his lack of eloquence - such as referring to a focus on the larger picture as 'the vision thing' - Bush's comments also could be endearingly frank. Referring to his dislike for a particular vegetable, he once said, 'I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.'\" - UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that \"in navigating a peaceful end to the Cold War he made the world a safer place for generations to come\" - Former UK PM John Major said he was \"privileged to have worked\" with George HW Bush - Queen Elizabeth said he was \"a great friend and ally\" of the United Kingdom - Bill Clinton said he and Hillary gave \"thanks for his great long life of service, love and friendship\", adding: \"I am grateful for every minute I spent with him and will always hold our friendship as one of my life's greatest gifts\" - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev hailed Bush's contribution to ending the Cold War and reducing nuclear weapons. Both men signed the first Start treaty in 1991, which led to big cuts in long-range nuclear weapons. \"He was a genuine partner,\" Mr Gorbachev said. While the White House said Wednesday would be a day of mourning, its statement did not make clear whether the funeral was to be held on the same day. Announcing Mr Trump's attendance, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckerbee Sanders released a statement saying: \"A state funeral is being arranged with all of the accompanying support and honours.\" It will take place at the National Cathedral in Washington. A lying in state in Washington is thought likely, followed by burial at the presidential library in Texas alongside Barbara Bush. The last state funeral for a former president was that of Gerald Ford, which began on 30 December 2006 with a lying in state and service at the US Capitol. Further services were held at the Washington National Cathedral on 2 January 2007 and the following day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his boyhood home. The US flag was flown at half mast on official buildings for 30 days.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1493, "answer_end": 2797, "text": "Bush Sr's single presidential term in office was dominated by foreign policy - the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. He was instrumental in building the international military coalition that forced Iraq's Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. Bush became president after serving two terms as vice-president to Ronald Reagan, but he suffered the ignominy of becoming a single-term president - defeated by Bill Clinton in the 1992 election amid a weakening economy. His famous 1988 campaign promise - \"Read my lips. No new taxes\" - came back to haunt him when he felt compelled to reverse policy. Bush entered politics in 1964 after starting a Texan oil business and becoming a millionaire by the age of 40. During World War Two, he was an aviator before being shot down by the Japanese in September 1944 while on a bombing raid. Following his honourable discharge from the navy in 1945, Bush married then 18-year-old Barbara Pierce. Their marriage would last 73 years and they would have six children together. In later life, his character came under scrutiny when he was accused of groping a number of women at public events. A statement issued by his spokesman after a recent incident said he would never \"intentionally cause anyone distress\"."}], "question": "Who was George HW Bush?", "id": "1161_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2798, "answer_end": 3816, "text": "New York Times: \"Some critics have said that Mr Hussein would not have been so bold as to invade Kuwait had Washington not shamelessly cultivated him over the years; others faulted Mr Bush for not pushing Mr Hussein all the way back to Baghdad and removing him from power. Such a course, Mr Bush said later, would have 'incurred incalculable human and political costs ... We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq.' Which is exactly what his son, George W Bush, a less cautious man, set out to do 12 years later - with disastrous results.\" Fox News: \"Although occasionally criticized for his lack of eloquence - such as referring to a focus on the larger picture as 'the vision thing' - Bush's comments also could be endearingly frank. Referring to his dislike for a particular vegetable, he once said, 'I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.'\""}], "question": "How has the US media reported his death?", "id": "1161_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4630, "answer_end": 5541, "text": "While the White House said Wednesday would be a day of mourning, its statement did not make clear whether the funeral was to be held on the same day. Announcing Mr Trump's attendance, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckerbee Sanders released a statement saying: \"A state funeral is being arranged with all of the accompanying support and honours.\" It will take place at the National Cathedral in Washington. A lying in state in Washington is thought likely, followed by burial at the presidential library in Texas alongside Barbara Bush. The last state funeral for a former president was that of Gerald Ford, which began on 30 December 2006 with a lying in state and service at the US Capitol. Further services were held at the Washington National Cathedral on 2 January 2007 and the following day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his boyhood home. The US flag was flown at half mast on official buildings for 30 days."}], "question": "When will the funeral take place?", "id": "1161_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Jane Philpott: Trudeau crisis grows as minister quits", "date": "5 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "One of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's top ministers has quit saying she has lost confidence in the government's handling of a corruption inquiry. Treasury Board President Jane Philpott said: \"I must abide by my core values, my ethical responsibilities, constitutional obligations.\" Mr Trudeau said he was disappointed by the resignation, but understood it. He has denied political meddling to shield engineering firm SNC-Lavalin from a bribery trial. Opposition Conservatives last week called on the Liberal PM to resign. A number of opinion polls indicate Mr Trudeau's popularity is slipping in the run-up to a general election scheduled for October. The cabinet minister announced her decision to step down on Monday, posting her resignation letter detailing her \"serious concerns\" with \"evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin\". \"There can be a cost to acting on one's principles, but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them,\" she said in a statement. Her letter said it had become \"untenable\" for her to continue to serve in the cabinet. \"It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our Attorney General should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases,\" she wrote. \"Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.\" The former family physician has held key portfolios in Mr Trudeau's cabinet - health, indigenous services and, until this week, treasury board president - since being elected in 2015. She will remain on as a Liberal member of Parliament. In a short statement, Mr Trudeau thanked Ms Philpott for \"her years of service and her dedication to Canadians\". And commenting on the growing political scandal at a rally in Toronto later, the prime minister said: \"Concerns of this nature must be taken seriously and I can ensure you that I am.\" Quebec-based SNC-Lavalin is one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies. The firm and two of its subsidiaries face fraud and corruption charges in connection with about C$48m ($36m; PS28m) in bribes it is alleged to have offered to Libyan officials between 2001-11. The firm has openly lobbied to be allowed to enter into a remediation agreement instead of going to trial, saying it has cleaned house and changed its ways. SNC-Lavalin says it would be unfair to penalise the company as a whole and its thousands of employees for the wrongdoing of former executives. The matter is proceeding to trial and the company says it will \"vigorously defend itself\" against the allegations. A conviction could result in a decade-long ban on bidding on Canadian federal contracts, which would be a major financial blow to the firm. This is the third high-profile resignation following accusations Mr Trudeau and some of his top aides tried to shield SNC-Lavalin from a corruption trial. Former attorney general and justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned suddenly from Cabinet in February. On 18 February, Mr Trudeau's top aide, Gerald Butts, announced he would quit, denying in a statement that he or anyone on his staff had done anything wrong but saying he had to leave so as not to be a distraction from the team's \"vital work\". He is expected to speak on Wednesday before the House of Commons Justice Committee, which is looking into the matter. Ms Wilson-Raybould has said she and her staff faced four months of a \"sustained\" and \"inappropriate effort\" late last year to push for a possible deferred prosecution agreement for SNC-Lavalin. That agreement would have allowed the firm to avoid a criminal trial and instead agree to alternative terms or conditions, like penalties or enhanced compliance measures. The Liberal government brought in the remediation agreement regime in 2018 as part of a massive budget bill following lobbying efforts by the company. Ms Wilson-Raybould says she resisted that pressure and believes she was shuffled out of the justice portfolio as a consequence. Mr Trudeau has maintained that any discussions he had with Ms Wilson-Raybould were lawful and appropriate and that his government was concerned that thousands of jobs were at stake if the company went to trial.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 650, "answer_end": 1741, "text": "The cabinet minister announced her decision to step down on Monday, posting her resignation letter detailing her \"serious concerns\" with \"evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin\". \"There can be a cost to acting on one's principles, but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them,\" she said in a statement. Her letter said it had become \"untenable\" for her to continue to serve in the cabinet. \"It is a fundamental doctrine of the rule of law that our Attorney General should not be subjected to political pressure or interference regarding the exercise of her prosecutorial discretion in criminal cases,\" she wrote. \"Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.\" The former family physician has held key portfolios in Mr Trudeau's cabinet - health, indigenous services and, until this week, treasury board president - since being elected in 2015. She will remain on as a Liberal member of Parliament."}], "question": "What did Jane Philpott say?", "id": "1162_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1742, "answer_end": 2038, "text": "In a short statement, Mr Trudeau thanked Ms Philpott for \"her years of service and her dedication to Canadians\". And commenting on the growing political scandal at a rally in Toronto later, the prime minister said: \"Concerns of this nature must be taken seriously and I can ensure you that I am.\""}], "question": "What about Mr Trudeau's response?", "id": "1162_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2039, "answer_end": 2881, "text": "Quebec-based SNC-Lavalin is one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies. The firm and two of its subsidiaries face fraud and corruption charges in connection with about C$48m ($36m; PS28m) in bribes it is alleged to have offered to Libyan officials between 2001-11. The firm has openly lobbied to be allowed to enter into a remediation agreement instead of going to trial, saying it has cleaned house and changed its ways. SNC-Lavalin says it would be unfair to penalise the company as a whole and its thousands of employees for the wrongdoing of former executives. The matter is proceeding to trial and the company says it will \"vigorously defend itself\" against the allegations. A conviction could result in a decade-long ban on bidding on Canadian federal contracts, which would be a major financial blow to the firm."}], "question": "What is the SNC-Lavalin affair?", "id": "1162_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2882, "answer_end": 3507, "text": "This is the third high-profile resignation following accusations Mr Trudeau and some of his top aides tried to shield SNC-Lavalin from a corruption trial. Former attorney general and justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned suddenly from Cabinet in February. On 18 February, Mr Trudeau's top aide, Gerald Butts, announced he would quit, denying in a statement that he or anyone on his staff had done anything wrong but saying he had to leave so as not to be a distraction from the team's \"vital work\". He is expected to speak on Wednesday before the House of Commons Justice Committee, which is looking into the matter."}], "question": "Who else has resigned?", "id": "1162_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3508, "answer_end": 4362, "text": "Ms Wilson-Raybould has said she and her staff faced four months of a \"sustained\" and \"inappropriate effort\" late last year to push for a possible deferred prosecution agreement for SNC-Lavalin. That agreement would have allowed the firm to avoid a criminal trial and instead agree to alternative terms or conditions, like penalties or enhanced compliance measures. The Liberal government brought in the remediation agreement regime in 2018 as part of a massive budget bill following lobbying efforts by the company. Ms Wilson-Raybould says she resisted that pressure and believes she was shuffled out of the justice portfolio as a consequence. Mr Trudeau has maintained that any discussions he had with Ms Wilson-Raybould were lawful and appropriate and that his government was concerned that thousands of jobs were at stake if the company went to trial."}], "question": "What are the political interference claims?", "id": "1162_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Theresa May kicks Brexit can down the road", "date": "8 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Another gathering in Downing Street has come and gone, imagined at one point to be a \"crunch meeting\" at which Cabinet colleagues might thrash out their differences on the destination of Brexit. In fact, it was nothing of the kind. The only crunching to be seen or heard was the gentle crump of the metaphorical tin can labelled \"Britain's future after Brexit\" being kicked, unopened, further down the road. Did we seriously expect anything else? Boris Johnson, and Brexiteers like him, believe that Brexit opens up a world of new opportunities. Former Remainers including Phillip Hammond, the chancellor, are believed to quietly fear it could usher in an era of national decline. There is no reconciling these views. So ministers on both sides, and colleagues in between, have chosen with lesser or greater enthusiasm to embrace the government's stated ambition to pursue the goal of \"frictionless trade\" with the EU, with few if any tariff or non-tariff barriers, while simultaneously shuffling off the obligations that go with membership of the EU customs union and single market. No matter that the chancellor is suspected by many in Whitehall and at Westminster to fear this is unachievable, and to secretly nurse the dream of an eventual rethink, or perhaps the hope that a Brexit transition might somehow go on and on. Never mind that some senior Brexiteers are known to be quietly enthusiastic about the possibility of Brexit negotiations ending with no-deal with the EU, and with Britain trading in future on World Trade Organisation rules, until agreements can be struck with nations around the world. For now, the goal of a future in which the UK both has its cake and eats it serves as the fulcrum upon which two opposing views can balance. When Amber Rudd told Brexiteers via the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the cabinet was \"more united than they think\", this was surely what she meant. Meanwhile, the paper published by HMRC officials last August set out practical means of managing cross-border trade, while leaving the tricky business of striking a trade deal with the EU, or failing to do so, to their political masters. The practical talk in cabinet, I'm told by one senior minister, encompassed the UK's future relationship with the EU on the point of alignment of trading rules and regulations. There's broad agreement among ministers that Britain should set its own rules and standards, and not automatically accept diktats from Brussels. Yet it is also recognised that trade with Europe requires compliance with the standards enshrined in those same rules. The distinction may seem rather Jesuitical to some. But to Brexit enthusiasts, and to 10 Downing Street, it is a matter of sovereignty and goes to the heart of Brexit as an idea. British and EU trading standards are perfectly aligned now, it's argued, and there's no intention on the British side to lower those standards, still less to go down the route to what Brussels calls \"social dumping\" and reduce workers' rights. Arguments over any divergence in regulations could go to some form of arbitration. \"The Treasury just wants to stay in or close to a customs union,\" said a minister, \"but they won't win that one\". And what about the European Commission? \"They just want to stay in control.\" So, the moment of decision awaits further down the road. Brexiteer ministers insist talk in Brussels that the UK cannot cherry pick, cannot enjoy free access to markets without accepting free movement of people and the jurisdiction of the European Court is merely a negotiating position. \"It's the starting position, not the end. Michel Barnier (the EU's chief negotiator) does not speak for the entire European Union...can you imagine the Netherlands wanting to put up barriers?\" Theresa May told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions: \"As I have said right from the very beginning, we will hear noises off and all sorts of things being said about positions, but what matters is the position that we take in the negotiations as we sit down to negotiate the best deal. \"We have shown that we can do that; we did it December and we will do it again.\" In other words, \"trust me\". But the pressure on Mrs May to mark out her own preferred destination keeps mounting - especially from Brexiteers who'd like her to tell Brussels to accept Britain's terms or live with no deal at all. The moment she does so the Cold War in her party between rival ministers and rival factions would likely warm up very quickly. There is also a more urgent problem: securing a Brexit transition at the European Council on 22 March. Without an agreement, Britain will suddenly be (forgive the mixed metaphor) looking down the barrel of a Brexit cliff-edge. Fears among business leaders would reach a new pitch, threatening investment and jobs. And the government would need to prepare itself, and warn the businesses it has been trying to reassure that a hard Brexit was at least a real possibility. Obstacles to a transition deal have not yet been resolved. They include the rights of EU migrants who arrive in Britain after the transition. There is still no clear or detailed answer to the problem of the border on the island of Ireland. Downing Street says trading regimes will remain aligned. Dublin is widely believed to want to push the UK to maintain a customs union. Any new, or old obstacle, could appear, or reappear. Who knows? Gibraltar? Ultimately, the mythical tin can marked \"Britain's future after Brexit\" must come home to roost (to mix another metaphor). In the Autumn, clear positions will be required on both the UK and EU side if there is to be a document - at the very least setting out \"heads of agreement\" on the future relationship. At that point Parliament will have its say. A \"meaningful vote\" is promised. On its outcome rests Brexit, Tory unity, Theresa May's future and conceivably that of the government. A cabinet minister observed recently that the prime minister seemed to be privately philosophical about the state of her premiership and her government: \"She said 'it goes with the territory'\" Perhaps, in another life, Mrs May commanded a bomb disposal unit.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 718, "answer_end": 1894, "text": "So ministers on both sides, and colleagues in between, have chosen with lesser or greater enthusiasm to embrace the government's stated ambition to pursue the goal of \"frictionless trade\" with the EU, with few if any tariff or non-tariff barriers, while simultaneously shuffling off the obligations that go with membership of the EU customs union and single market. No matter that the chancellor is suspected by many in Whitehall and at Westminster to fear this is unachievable, and to secretly nurse the dream of an eventual rethink, or perhaps the hope that a Brexit transition might somehow go on and on. Never mind that some senior Brexiteers are known to be quietly enthusiastic about the possibility of Brexit negotiations ending with no-deal with the EU, and with Britain trading in future on World Trade Organisation rules, until agreements can be struck with nations around the world. For now, the goal of a future in which the UK both has its cake and eats it serves as the fulcrum upon which two opposing views can balance. When Amber Rudd told Brexiteers via the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the cabinet was \"more united than they think\", this was surely what she meant."}], "question": "Secret dreams?", "id": "1163_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Amazon fires: Seven countries sign forest protection pact", "date": "6 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Seven South American countries have agreed measures to protect the Amazon river basin, amid global concern over massive fires in the world's largest tropical forest. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname signed a pact, setting up a disaster response network and satellite monitoring. At a summit in Colombia, they also agreed to work on reforestation. More than 80,000 fires have broken out in the Amazon rainforest this year. \"This meeting will live on as a co-ordination mechanism for the presidents that share this treasure - the Amazon,\" said Colombian Presiden Ivan Duque, who hosted the summit in the city of Leticia. Meanwhile, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra said: \"Goodwill alone is not enough anymore.\" The seven nations also agreed to put more efforts into education and increase the role of indigenous communities. The countries were represented in Leticia by presidents, vice-presidents and ministers. Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took part by videolink because he was preparing for surgery. The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming, and 60% of it is located in Brazil. The number of fires between January and August 2019 is double that of the same period last year, according to the country's National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). President Bolsonaro has drawn intense domestic and international criticism for failing to protect the region. Environmentalists say his policies have led to an increase in fires this year and that he has encouraged cattle farmers to clear vast swathes of the rainforest since his election last October. Bolivia has also seen fires rage across the forest near its borders with Brazil and Paraguay. Meanwhile, Brazil's leading meat export industry group and agricultural businesses have joined an environmental campaign calling for an end to deforestation in public lands in the Amazon and demanding government action. Several international retailers have said they are suspending purchases of Brazilian leather because of the links between cattle ranching and the fires devastating parts of the Amazon rainforest.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1047, "answer_end": 2144, "text": "The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming, and 60% of it is located in Brazil. The number of fires between January and August 2019 is double that of the same period last year, according to the country's National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). President Bolsonaro has drawn intense domestic and international criticism for failing to protect the region. Environmentalists say his policies have led to an increase in fires this year and that he has encouraged cattle farmers to clear vast swathes of the rainforest since his election last October. Bolivia has also seen fires rage across the forest near its borders with Brazil and Paraguay. Meanwhile, Brazil's leading meat export industry group and agricultural businesses have joined an environmental campaign calling for an end to deforestation in public lands in the Amazon and demanding government action. Several international retailers have said they are suspending purchases of Brazilian leather because of the links between cattle ranching and the fires devastating parts of the Amazon rainforest."}], "question": "What's the background to this?", "id": "1164_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Alice Johnson freed after Trump grants clemency plea", "date": "7 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A 63-year-old grandmother jailed in 1996 on a non-violent drug charge has been released from prison after she was granted clemency by President Trump. Alice Johnson ran towards an emotional reunion with her family after leaving the prison in Pickens County, Alabama. Her case was highlighted when Kim Kardashian West, who has lobbied for her release, met Mr Trump last week. The White House said Johnson had been a model prisoner and worked hard to rehabilitate herself. She was jailed alongside 15 others for taking part in a cocaine distribution ring, and convicted on charges of attempted possession of drugs and money-laundering in Tennessee. Analysis by Jessica Lussenhop, BBC News, Washington After four years and two presidential administrations, Alice Marie Johnson is finally going home. I first began communicating with Ms Johnson as she waited to hear whether or not she'd been approved under President Barack Obama's Clemency Initiative in 2014. She easily met all of the criteria, she had a spotless disciplinary record and even her own warden felt that she deserved to go home. But days before he left office, Mr Obama denied her as well as hundreds of others. She swore to me she would never put her family through this process again - the disappointment was too painful for her two daughters. Renewed hope came in the unlikely form of a reality TV superstar - Kim Kardashian West, whom Johnson began referring to as her \"war angel\". Today, the long battle is finally over, though it is more a testament to the arbitrariness of the clemency process than anything else. According to Ms Johnson's lawyer Brittany K Barnett, it was Kardashian West herself who called to deliver the news to Ms Johnson. \"Overwhelmed with emotion, Alice said it feels like she has been 'resurrected from the dead and she has her life back'.\" \"Ms Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades,\" the White House said in a statement. \"Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates.\" The statement added that the administration believed in being tough on crime but believed in giving a second chance to those who tried to better themselves in prison. Kardashian West joined what has been a long-running campaign for Johnson's freedom, spearheaded by the clemency foundation CAN-DO, friends and family. She was first alerted to the issue after spotting a video about the case on social media. Kardashian West visited the White House with her lawyer, Shawn Holley, and had also linked up with Mr Trump's son-in-law and presidential adviser, Jared Kushner, who has been lobbying for prison reform. In a tweet shortly after the White House announcement, Kardashian West described Alice Johnson's clemency as inspirational. By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington The presidential pardon power has few restrictions and scant oversight. The checks on it, such as they are, rely on norms and administrative practice without the binding force of law or constitutional strictures. Donald Trump appears to be realising that the pardon has been a tool underutilised by his predecessors, which has the potential to grab headlines and demonstrate presidential decisiveness. With a showman's flair for the dramatic, he has turned the pardon process into a media spectacle, entertaining suggestions from celebrities and politicians, and publicly musing about who might receive a presidential benediction next. Setting aside talk of self-pardons and the implications the more generous use of the power might have for the Russia probe, Mr Trump has - at the very least - once again rewritten how presidents ought to conduct themselves. This president clearly believes that just because something hasn't been done that way in the past, it doesn't mean he can't do it that way now. The US constitution allows the president the \"power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment\". A president can offer clemency, commutation or a full pardon, even if an individual has not been charged or convicted for federal crimes - but not at the state level. There are currently about 9,000 clemency petitions left over from the ramp up in applications that occurred under the Obama administration, and according to University of St Thomas law professor Mark Osler, the Trump administration has done little to clear the backlog. He adds that while he is happy for Ms Johnson and her family, there is an inherent unfairness in the way it was accomplished. \"We seem to have a dual process - one that starts with at the pardon attorney and one where people make a direct appeal to the president,\" he told the BBC. \"I hope he would look beyond celebrities at the hundreds and thousands of people who are more like Alice Johnson than like Scooter Libby.\" At the same time, Mr Osler says that applying for clemency through the US pardon attorney is a \"ridiculously bureaucratic\" process and that if Mr Trump is interested in making the process faster, that's a good thing. \"I think he should ditch the long process and formalise the short one,\" Mr Osler told the BBC. \"[It would be] far more than President Obama did in the first two years of his administration.\" The commutation of Alice Johnson's sentence is the seventh act of clemency President Trump has granted since coming into office - and the second following intervention by a celebrity. The others were: - Former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, 85, had been convicted of criminal contempt but was pardoned in August 2017 while awaiting sentencing - Sholom Rubashkin, owner of a kosher meat processing plant in Iowa, was convicted of fraud in 2009 and sentenced to 27 years in prison. His sentence was commuted in December 2017 - Former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier was convicted in 2016 of taking photos of classified areas inside a US submarine and was pardoned in March 2018 - Scooter Libby, chief of staff to former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, was convicted in 2007 of lying about leaks to the media. He was pardoned in April 2018 - Boxing's first black heavyweight champ Jack Johnson was convicted in 1913 of taking his white girlfriend across state lines. He was pardoned in May 2018 after his case was raised by actor Sylvester Stallone - Conservative writer Dinesh D'Souza was convicted in 2014 of violating campaign finance laws and sentenced to five years of probation. He was pardoned in May 2018", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1835, "answer_end": 2292, "text": "\"Ms Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades,\" the White House said in a statement. \"Despite receiving a life sentence, Alice worked hard to rehabilitate herself in prison, and act as a mentor to her fellow inmates.\" The statement added that the administration believed in being tough on crime but believed in giving a second chance to those who tried to better themselves in prison."}], "question": "What did the White House say?", "id": "1165_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2293, "answer_end": 2860, "text": "Kardashian West joined what has been a long-running campaign for Johnson's freedom, spearheaded by the clemency foundation CAN-DO, friends and family. She was first alerted to the issue after spotting a video about the case on social media. Kardashian West visited the White House with her lawyer, Shawn Holley, and had also linked up with Mr Trump's son-in-law and presidential adviser, Jared Kushner, who has been lobbying for prison reform. In a tweet shortly after the White House announcement, Kardashian West described Alice Johnson's clemency as inspirational."}], "question": "How did Kim Kardashian get involved?", "id": "1165_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3906, "answer_end": 5327, "text": "The US constitution allows the president the \"power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment\". A president can offer clemency, commutation or a full pardon, even if an individual has not been charged or convicted for federal crimes - but not at the state level. There are currently about 9,000 clemency petitions left over from the ramp up in applications that occurred under the Obama administration, and according to University of St Thomas law professor Mark Osler, the Trump administration has done little to clear the backlog. He adds that while he is happy for Ms Johnson and her family, there is an inherent unfairness in the way it was accomplished. \"We seem to have a dual process - one that starts with at the pardon attorney and one where people make a direct appeal to the president,\" he told the BBC. \"I hope he would look beyond celebrities at the hundreds and thousands of people who are more like Alice Johnson than like Scooter Libby.\" At the same time, Mr Osler says that applying for clemency through the US pardon attorney is a \"ridiculously bureaucratic\" process and that if Mr Trump is interested in making the process faster, that's a good thing. \"I think he should ditch the long process and formalise the short one,\" Mr Osler told the BBC. \"[It would be] far more than President Obama did in the first two years of his administration.\""}], "question": "How do you get a presidential pardon?", "id": "1165_2"}]}]}, {"title": "What is behind Pakistan's dramatic rise in executions?", "date": "16 December 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In December 2014 Pakistan lifted a seven-year moratorium on executions in response to a deadly Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar. Since then more than 300 people have been put to death, according to Amnesty International and the Justice Project Pakistan. The vast majority were not convicted of terror offences. What explains Pakistan's dramatic shift in death penalty policy? The issue of capital punishment sparks heated debates around the world. Although 99 nations have abolished the death penalty, 22 countries carried out executions in 2014. China and North Korea are believed to be among the world's top executioners. However, specific figures are difficult to obtain because they are concealed by the authorities. Amnesty International does collate figures from other countries, which show Iran and Saudi Arabia have carried out many of the world's executions in recent years. Iran had carried out at least 694 executions as of July 2015, Amnesty told the BBC, many more than the figure acknowledged by the authorities. As of 9 November Saudi Arabia had executed 151 people in 2015, Amnesty said. That compares with 90 in the whole of 2014. Pakistan has quickly caught up - it had executed 316 people by 16 December, the anniversary of the Peshawar massacre. Pakistan is believed to have the largest number of death row inmates in the world. The government said in October that 6,016 prisoners were awaiting execution - other estimates have put the figure at about 8,000. Many death row inmates have been in jail for more than a decade. Almost all are men, however there are some women - most notably the Christian Asia Bibi who was convicted of blasphemy in 2010. The mother-of-five was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed and sentenced to death, despite her insistence that the evidence against her had been fabricated. Some 27 crimes carry the death sentence in Pakistan, including terrorism, rape and adultery. Figures from the Justice Project Pakistan show most people facing execution have been convicted of a \"lethal offence\". However, in Pakistan's most populous province Punjab, for example, 226 prisoners were on death row for \"non-lethal offences\", the JPP told the BBC earlier this year. The latest case to attract global attention is that of Abdul Basit, a paraplegic who is on death row for murder. His execution has already been delayed twice over concerns that hanging him would be degrading and in breach of Pakistan's jail manual which does not set out how to put someone in a wheelchair to death. There are also concerns that up to 1,000 people convicted as juveniles are facing execution - something that is illegal under international law. But proving your age in Pakistan can be difficult, particularly in poor communities where many births are not registered. In June Aftab Bahadur was put to death, even though human rights campaigners said there was evidence which proved he was a minor when he was convicted of murder in 1992. They also said he had been tortured into giving a confession. And on 4 August Shafqat Hussain was executed, despite appeals from campaigners who said he was a minor when convicted. His execution was postponed four times before he was hanged. He was found guilty of killing and kidnapping a seven-year-old boy in 2004 - but his lawyers also maintained he was underage when the  boy was killed. The massacre of 132 children in Peshawar last December was the catalyst for the reintroduction of the death penalty. Amid public anger, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the moratorium would be lifted for terror convicts - before eventually resuming executions for all death penalty offences. No specific reason was given for the second decision. The move was condemned by the United Nations and human rights campaigners who warned it would do little to impede the Taliban. \"The government is touting executions as the way of tackling the country's law and order problems,\" said Maya Pastakia, a Pakistan campaigner for Amnesty International. \"But there is no compelling evidence that the death penalty will act as a particular deterrent over and above any other form of punishment. A suicide bomber won't be deterred by the death penalty.\" She believes lifting the moratorium was \"a lazy response\" to dealing with the huge numbers of people on death row. \"We have seen a conveyor belt of executions. People who were implicated in terrorism crime, as well as people convicted for straight-forward murder, manslaughter and kidnapping. \"The government seems entirely intransigent on this issue.\" The first series of hangings took place at Faisalabad jail in December - and are now almost an everyday occurrence across the country. Many prisoners have been put to death for terror offences, including three Baloch insurgents who hijacked a passenger plane in 1998. Others were found guilty of political killings, like Saulat Mirza - a former worker for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - who was convicted of murdering the head of Karachi's power utility service. But some cases have attracted attention over concerns about the legitimacy of their trials. Shafqat Hussain \"was at worst a common criminal\", according to his lawyer Sarah Belal, yet his case was processed by an anti-terrorism court. \"It goes to the heart of all the problems with the judicial system,\" she told the BBC. \"He belongs to a poor community. He was not a terrorist.\" Ms Belal says Shafqat Hussain was tortured for nine days before giving a confession, which he later withdrew. All other evidence against him was \"purely circumstantial\". She says there has never been a credible investigation into his age or the validity of his torture claims. BBC correspondents say the authorities did allow for last-minute investigations into his age but in the end said there was no evidence that he had been a minor at the time of his conviction and his appeals for mercy were turned down. Cases like this are not uncommon, according to Maya Pastakia. \"Trials are often characterised by lack of access to fair legal counsel,\" said Ms Pastakia. \"Often the accused in the initial stages will be given a state appointed lawyer who is often poorly trained and lacks competence. \"All judicial systems make mistakes and as long as the death penalty persists, innocent people will be executed. There is no going back.\" Interviews and additional research by Claire Brennan", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 382, "answer_end": 1271, "text": "The issue of capital punishment sparks heated debates around the world. Although 99 nations have abolished the death penalty, 22 countries carried out executions in 2014. China and North Korea are believed to be among the world's top executioners. However, specific figures are difficult to obtain because they are concealed by the authorities. Amnesty International does collate figures from other countries, which show Iran and Saudi Arabia have carried out many of the world's executions in recent years. Iran had carried out at least 694 executions as of July 2015, Amnesty told the BBC, many more than the figure acknowledged by the authorities. As of 9 November Saudi Arabia had executed 151 people in 2015, Amnesty said. That compares with 90 in the whole of 2014. Pakistan has quickly caught up - it had executed 316 people by 16 December, the anniversary of the Peshawar massacre."}], "question": "How does Pakistan compare with the rest of the world?", "id": "1166_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1272, "answer_end": 3364, "text": "Pakistan is believed to have the largest number of death row inmates in the world. The government said in October that 6,016 prisoners were awaiting execution - other estimates have put the figure at about 8,000. Many death row inmates have been in jail for more than a decade. Almost all are men, however there are some women - most notably the Christian Asia Bibi who was convicted of blasphemy in 2010. The mother-of-five was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed and sentenced to death, despite her insistence that the evidence against her had been fabricated. Some 27 crimes carry the death sentence in Pakistan, including terrorism, rape and adultery. Figures from the Justice Project Pakistan show most people facing execution have been convicted of a \"lethal offence\". However, in Pakistan's most populous province Punjab, for example, 226 prisoners were on death row for \"non-lethal offences\", the JPP told the BBC earlier this year. The latest case to attract global attention is that of Abdul Basit, a paraplegic who is on death row for murder. His execution has already been delayed twice over concerns that hanging him would be degrading and in breach of Pakistan's jail manual which does not set out how to put someone in a wheelchair to death. There are also concerns that up to 1,000 people convicted as juveniles are facing execution - something that is illegal under international law. But proving your age in Pakistan can be difficult, particularly in poor communities where many births are not registered. In June Aftab Bahadur was put to death, even though human rights campaigners said there was evidence which proved he was a minor when he was convicted of murder in 1992. They also said he had been tortured into giving a confession. And on 4 August Shafqat Hussain was executed, despite appeals from campaigners who said he was a minor when convicted. His execution was postponed four times before he was hanged. He was found guilty of killing and kidnapping a seven-year-old boy in 2004 - but his lawyers also maintained he was underage when the  boy was killed."}], "question": "Who is on death row in Pakistan?", "id": "1166_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3365, "answer_end": 4562, "text": "The massacre of 132 children in Peshawar last December was the catalyst for the reintroduction of the death penalty. Amid public anger, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the moratorium would be lifted for terror convicts - before eventually resuming executions for all death penalty offences. No specific reason was given for the second decision. The move was condemned by the United Nations and human rights campaigners who warned it would do little to impede the Taliban. \"The government is touting executions as the way of tackling the country's law and order problems,\" said Maya Pastakia, a Pakistan campaigner for Amnesty International. \"But there is no compelling evidence that the death penalty will act as a particular deterrent over and above any other form of punishment. A suicide bomber won't be deterred by the death penalty.\" She believes lifting the moratorium was \"a lazy response\" to dealing with the huge numbers of people on death row. \"We have seen a conveyor belt of executions. People who were implicated in terrorism crime, as well as people convicted for straight-forward murder, manslaughter and kidnapping. \"The government seems entirely intransigent on this issue.\""}], "question": "Why was the moratorium lifted?", "id": "1166_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Fire and Fury: Trump says book is 'fiction' and author a 'fraud'", "date": "6 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Donald Trump has rejected doubts over his mental health raised in a bombshell new book, describing the book as \"fiction\" and the author as a \"fraud\". His remarks followed an earlier rebuttal on Twitter, in which the president claimed he was a \"very stable genius\" who was \"like, very smart\". Michael Wolff's new book suggests that even the president's closest advisors question his fitness for office. The row has overshadowed key talks on the Republican party's 2018 agenda. Speaking to reporters after meeting with senior party members at Camp David on Saturday, the president disputed Mr Wolff's account, claiming it was a \"work of fiction\". Addressing the questions about his mental capacity, he said: \"I went to the best colleges, I had a situation where I was a very excellent student, came out and made billions and billions of dollars, became one of the top business people, went to television and for 10 years was a tremendous success, as you probably have heard.\" He disputed Mr Wolff's claim of a three-hour on the record interview between the two. \"It didn't exist, it's in his imagination,\" Mr Trump said, while acknowledging that he had been interviewed by the author at some point. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, paints a picture of the president as impatient, unable to grasp policy, and prone to rambling and repeating himself. The fallout from the book has loomed over the Camp David meeting - a gathering of key Republicans designed to thrash out legislative priorities for 2018. Mr Trump gave a press conference at the presidential retreat, flanked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Vice-President Mike Pence and other senior Republicans. The president, who has previously derided Camp David and opted instead to stay at his Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, told reporters that the retreat was a \"very special place\" with a \"feeling you don't have in many places\". While short on detail, the president said the gathered Republicans had \"a couple of incredible meetings\" and discussed \"security, infrastructure, the military, all types of military situations\". On North Korea, he said he hoped rare talks between North and South Korea will go \"beyond the Olympics,\" with the US joining the process at the \"appropriate time.\" He said the country would fight the scourge of drug addiction, and praised the success of countries that have treated the problem \"harshly\" - \"those are the ones that have much less difficulty,\" he added. He has previously praised the leader of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, over his drug policy. Mr Duterte has encouraged the extrajudicial executions of drug offenders by police and vigilantes. On immigration, he said he hoped to work with the Democrats on a resolution to Daca, the so-called Dreamers programme for immigrants who came to the US as undocumented children, and reiterated that Mexico would in some way pay for his border wall. Fire and Fury went on sale early on Friday, days ahead of its scheduled release, amid the president lawyers' attempts to block its publication. It has become an instant bestseller. The book describes a Trump team shocked by their own win on election night, White House staffers saying Mr Trump's \"mental powers were slipping\", and senior administration officials calling Mr Trump an \"idiot\". It has also sparked a public rift between Mr Trump and his former aide Steve Bannon, who is quoted as accusing Mr Trump's eldest son Donald Jr of \"treasonous\" behaviour in meeting a group of Russians. Mr Bannon and the author have both been the target of the president's ire over the past few days - the former cried when he lost his job last year, Mr Trump said; the latter had written a book \"full of lies\", he added. On Friday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told CNN that he had \"no reason to question\" Mr Trump's mental fitness. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News Washington Perceived slights, insults and questions about his intelligence. If Donald Trump's recent Twitter feed is any indication, these are the topics on the president's mind as he settles in for the night and when he rises in the morning. Given the daunting tasks facing the administration and Congress in the coming weeks, some of his allies and aides at Camp David may view the president's concerns as misdirected. That Mr Trump feels compelled to respond to criticism, however, should come as little surprise. This is particularly true when the topic is his intellect, the strength of which he frequently boasts. In Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff recounts tales by White House aides of a president with a short attention span, bouncing from issue to issue like a pinball. In recent interviews, the author has said the president's aggressive reaction to his book proves this point. It seems, however, that Mr Trump's counterattack is just getting started. More on this story", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1943, "answer_end": 2949, "text": "While short on detail, the president said the gathered Republicans had \"a couple of incredible meetings\" and discussed \"security, infrastructure, the military, all types of military situations\". On North Korea, he said he hoped rare talks between North and South Korea will go \"beyond the Olympics,\" with the US joining the process at the \"appropriate time.\" He said the country would fight the scourge of drug addiction, and praised the success of countries that have treated the problem \"harshly\" - \"those are the ones that have much less difficulty,\" he added. He has previously praised the leader of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, over his drug policy. Mr Duterte has encouraged the extrajudicial executions of drug offenders by police and vigilantes. On immigration, he said he hoped to work with the Democrats on a resolution to Daca, the so-called Dreamers programme for immigrants who came to the US as undocumented children, and reiterated that Mexico would in some way pay for his border wall."}], "question": "What's on the agenda?", "id": "1167_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: US special forces 'target IS chief'", "date": "27 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US military has conducted an operation in Syria against the fugitive leader of the Islamic State (IS) group, US media report. There has been no official confirmation of reports that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in the raid. He has been wrongly reported dead on several previous occasions. US President Donald Trump is due to make a \"major statement\" at 1300 GMT. Mr Trump earlier tweeted: \"Something very big has just happened!\" A villager in the village of Barisha in Idlib province, north-west Syria, described to the BBC a dramatic military operation late on Saturday night. He said helicopters had launched an assault that lasted 30 minutes, firing missiles at two houses and flattening one, before troops became active on the ground. The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, said on Sunday that a \"historic, successful operation\" had resulted from \"joint intelligence work\" with the US. Turkey has also said it co-ordinated with the US military ahead of the operation, describing it as \"a good day for the good guys\". The raid was carried out by US special operations forces after they received \"actionable intelligence\", Newsweek said, citing unnamed sources. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said helicopter gunfire had killed nine people near a village in the Syrian province of Idlib, where \"groups linked to the Islamic State group\" were present. This is not the first time the fugitive IS leader has been reported killed, but this weekend US officials have been speaking with confidence about a decisive operation to target him. Baghdadi - his adopted nom de guerre rather than his real name - has been a key jihadist leader in both Iraq and Syria since 2010. Before then, he was incarcerated in the US-run Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, where he formed alliances with other future IS operatives. As Syria collapsed into civil war and Iraq's government discriminated against its Sunni minority, Baghdadi galvanised the remnants of al-Qaeda into a fluid fighting force that took over Raqqa in Syria in 2013 and then Iraq's second city of Mosul the following year. His brutal and destructive self-proclaimed IS \"caliphate\" lasted five years and attracted thousands of jihadists from around the world. But in March 2019, it lost its last piece of territory at Baghuz in Syria. IS has since vowed to carry on fighting a \"war of attrition\" against its enemies. The IS leader has been described as the world's most wanted man. In October 2011, the US officially designated him a \"terrorist\" and offered a reward of $10m (PS5.8m at the time) for information leading to his capture or death. This was increased to $25m in 2017. Baghdadi has a reputation as a highly organised and ruthless battlefield tactician. He was born near Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, and his real name is Ibrahim Awad al-Badri. 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 former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the time he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained. He emerged in 2010 as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that merged with IS, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger with the al-Nusra Front in Syria. IS released a video of a man it said was Baghdadi earlier this year. Before this, he had not been seen since 2014, when he proclaimed from Mosul the creation of a \"caliphate\" across parts of Syria and Iraq.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2447, "answer_end": 3637, "text": "The IS leader has been described as the world's most wanted man. In October 2011, the US officially designated him a \"terrorist\" and offered a reward of $10m (PS5.8m at the time) for information leading to his capture or death. This was increased to $25m in 2017. Baghdadi has a reputation as a highly organised and ruthless battlefield tactician. He was born near Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971, and his real name is Ibrahim Awad al-Badri. 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 former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the time he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where many al-Qaeda commanders were detained. He emerged in 2010 as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of the groups that merged with IS, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger with the al-Nusra Front in Syria. IS released a video of a man it said was Baghdadi earlier this year. Before this, he had not been seen since 2014, when he proclaimed from Mosul the creation of a \"caliphate\" across parts of Syria and Iraq."}], "question": "Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi?", "id": "1168_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump breaks silence amid Alabama abortion ban row", "date": "19 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has outlined his \"strongly pro-life\" views on abortion amid controversy over strict new laws passed in several states. Mr Trump said he was against abortion except in cases of rape, incest or a \"serious health risk\" to the mother. His stance on what is a divisive election issue in the US emerged days after Alabama passed a law banning abortion in almost all cases. A pro-choice rally is planned later on Sunday in protest at the new measures. Supporters of Alabama's abortion ban say they expect the law to be blocked in court, but hope that the appeals process will bring it before the US Supreme Court. They want the highest court in the land - which now has a conservative majority - to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling making abortion a right across the US. Sixteen other states are also seeking to impose new restrictions on abortion. Mr Trump, whose position on abortion has shifted over the years, had been largely silent on the Alabama restrictions until Saturday, when he posted a series of tweets outlining his views. \"I am very strongly pro-life, with the three exceptions - rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother - the same position taken by Ronald Reagan\", he said. The president added that judicial measures, such as his appointment of conservative Supreme Court judges Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, had helped to make abortion laws in various states more restrictive. \"We have come very far in the last two years with 105 wonderful new federal judges (many more to come), two great new supreme court justices ... and a whole new and positive attitude about the right to life.\" Abortion is an issue which remains controversial in the US, with evangelical Christians in particular forming a nucleus of voters who want to restrict, or even outlaw, the procedure completely. Mr Trump has adjusted his stance over the years. In 1999, he said: \"I'm very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debating the subject. But you still - I just believe in choice.\" But in March 2016, he clarified that his position was \"pro-life with exceptions\". On Saturday he tweeted that Republicans must unite to \"win for life in 2020\". Senior Democrats have also suggested that the issue will be an important one in the 2020 presidential campaign. Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren responded to Alabama's abortion ban by saying: \"This ban is dangerous and exceptionally cruel - and the bill's authors want to use it to overturn Roe v Wade. \"I've lived in that America and let me tell you: We are not going back - not now, not ever. We will fight this. And we will win.\" Since the Supreme Court ruling on abortion in 1973, the number of abortion clinics has dropped in many US states, and in 2017, six states reportedly had just one abortion clinic in operation. Earlier this year the governors of Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio signed bills banning terminations if an embryonic heartbeat could be detected. According to the Guttmacher Institute - a group which campaigns for reproductive rights - none of these bans are yet in effect, but their introduction is part of a strategy to get the cases heard by the Supreme Court. But other states are taking measures to safeguard abortion rights. In January, New York signed into law a bill protecting the right to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks in certain cases.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2733, "answer_end": 3486, "text": "Since the Supreme Court ruling on abortion in 1973, the number of abortion clinics has dropped in many US states, and in 2017, six states reportedly had just one abortion clinic in operation. Earlier this year the governors of Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio signed bills banning terminations if an embryonic heartbeat could be detected. According to the Guttmacher Institute - a group which campaigns for reproductive rights - none of these bans are yet in effect, but their introduction is part of a strategy to get the cases heard by the Supreme Court. But other states are taking measures to safeguard abortion rights. In January, New York signed into law a bill protecting the right to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks in certain cases."}], "question": "How easy is it to access abortion in the US?", "id": "1169_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Facebook faces \u00a3500,000 fine from UK data watchdog", "date": "11 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK's data protection watchdog intends to fine Facebook PS500,000 for data breaches - the maximum allowed. The Information Commissioner's Office said Facebook had failed to ensure another company - Cambridge Analytica - had deleted users' data. The ICO will also bring a criminal action against Cambridge Analytica's defunct parent company SCL Elections. And it has raised concerns about political parties buying personal information from \"data brokers\". Specifically it named one company used by the Labour Party, Emma's Diary, which gives medical advice and free baby-themed products to parents. Facebook said it would respond to the report \"soon\". The ICO also said another company - Aggregate IQ - which worked with the Vote Leave campaign in the run up to the EU Referendum, must stop processing UK citizens' data. The fine is modest compared with previous sanctions on Facebook. In 2017 it was fined 110m euros (PS95m) by the European Commission, which in the same year punished Google for 2.42bn euros (PS2.1bn). But information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said companies also worried about reputational damage. The impact of behavioural advertising, when it came to elections, was \"significant\" and called for a code of practice to \"fix the system\", she said. Such a code would ensure that \"elections are fair and people understand how they are being micro-targeted\". The action comes 16 months after the ICO began its probe into political campaigners' use of personal data following concerns raised by whistleblower Christopher Wylie, among others. The ICO found Facebook had breached its own rules and failed to make sure Cambridge Analytica had deleted this personal data. While Cambridge Analytica insisted it had indeed wiped the data after Facebook's erasure request in December 2015, the ICO said it had seen evidence that copies of the data had been shared with others. \"This potentially brings into question the accuracy of the deletion certificates provided to Facebook,\" said an ICO spokesperson. The ICO has also written to the UK's 11 main political parties telling them to have their data protection practices inspected. It is concerned the parties may have bought lifestyle information about members of the public from data brokers, who might have not have obtained the necessary consent. Naming Emma's Diary, the ICO said it was concerned about how transparent the firm had been about its political activities. It said that the Labour Party had confirmed using the firm, but did not provide other details except that it intended to take some form of regulatory action. The service's owner Lifecycle Marketing told the BBC it did not agree with the ICO's initial findings. \"For over 25 years we have operated with integrity and within the spirit of data regulation,\" said a spokeswoman. \"As the ICO investigation continues we will freely cooperate... and cannot comment further at this stage.\" Looking wider, the ICO noted Facebook had been the biggest recipient of digital advertising by political parties and campaigns to date. Yet, it said, the US firm had neither done enough to explain to its members how they were being targeted as a consequence, nor given them enough control over how their sensitive personal data was used. As a result, it said, Facebook was guilty of a second breach of the Data Protection Act. Facebook has a chance to respond to the Commissioner's Notice of Intent, after which a final decision will be made. The tech firm's chief privacy officer issued a brief response. \"As we have said before, we should have done more to investigate claims about Cambridge Analytica and take action in 2015,\" said Erin Egan. \"We have been working closely with the ICO in their investigation of Cambridge Analytica, just as we have with authorities in the US and other countries. We're reviewing the report and will respond to the ICO soon.\" Cambridge Analytica, which claimed it could swing elections, and its parent SCL Elections, shut down in May. But the ICO said it was still taking legal steps to bring a criminal prosecution. The basis for this would be that SCL Elections had failed to properly respond to an earlier demand that it give a US academic a copy of any personal information it held on him along with an explanation as to its source and usage. Bearing in mind SCL Elections is now out of business, the ICO said it might consider taking action against the company's directors. The ICO said it had established that the Canadian data analytics firm AggregateIQ - AIQ - had access to UK voters' personal data provided by the Brexit referendum's Vote Leave campaign. It said it was now investigating whether this information had been transferred and accessed outside the UK and whether this amounted to a breach of the data protection act. The watchdog added that it continued to investigate to what degree AIQ and SCL Elections had shared UK personal data. And it said it had served an enforcement notice forbidding AIQ from continuing to make use of a list of UK citizens' email addresses and names that it still holds. Other action includes: - an investigation into allegations that Arron Banks' Eldon Insurance Services illegally shared customer data with the Leave.EU group he co-founded, and used the business' call centre staff to make calls on behalf of the campaign - claims the firm has previously denied - a probe into the collection and sharing of personal data by the official Remain campaign - Britain Stronger In Europe  - and a linked data broker - an audit of the University of Cambridge's Psychometrics Centre. The department carries out its own research into social media profiles. The ICO said it had been told of an alleged security breach involving one of the centre's apps and had additional concerns about its data protection efforts - a call for the government to introduce a code of practice limiting how personal information can be used by political campaigns before the next general election - efforts to ensure ex-staff from SCL Elections and Cambridge Analytica do not illegally use materials obtained from the business before its collapse The ICO said it expects the next stage of its investigation to be complete by the end of October.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2922, "answer_end": 3883, "text": "Looking wider, the ICO noted Facebook had been the biggest recipient of digital advertising by political parties and campaigns to date. Yet, it said, the US firm had neither done enough to explain to its members how they were being targeted as a consequence, nor given them enough control over how their sensitive personal data was used. As a result, it said, Facebook was guilty of a second breach of the Data Protection Act. Facebook has a chance to respond to the Commissioner's Notice of Intent, after which a final decision will be made. The tech firm's chief privacy officer issued a brief response. \"As we have said before, we should have done more to investigate claims about Cambridge Analytica and take action in 2015,\" said Erin Egan. \"We have been working closely with the ICO in their investigation of Cambridge Analytica, just as we have with authorities in the US and other countries. We're reviewing the report and will respond to the ICO soon.\""}], "question": "What else has Facebook been fined for here?", "id": "1170_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3884, "answer_end": 4436, "text": "Cambridge Analytica, which claimed it could swing elections, and its parent SCL Elections, shut down in May. But the ICO said it was still taking legal steps to bring a criminal prosecution. The basis for this would be that SCL Elections had failed to properly respond to an earlier demand that it give a US academic a copy of any personal information it held on him along with an explanation as to its source and usage. Bearing in mind SCL Elections is now out of business, the ICO said it might consider taking action against the company's directors."}], "question": "How will Cambridge Analytica be dealt with?", "id": "1170_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4437, "answer_end": 5077, "text": "The ICO said it had established that the Canadian data analytics firm AggregateIQ - AIQ - had access to UK voters' personal data provided by the Brexit referendum's Vote Leave campaign. It said it was now investigating whether this information had been transferred and accessed outside the UK and whether this amounted to a breach of the data protection act. The watchdog added that it continued to investigate to what degree AIQ and SCL Elections had shared UK personal data. And it said it had served an enforcement notice forbidding AIQ from continuing to make use of a list of UK citizens' email addresses and names that it still holds."}], "question": "How is AggregateIQ involved?", "id": "1170_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5078, "answer_end": 6223, "text": "Other action includes: - an investigation into allegations that Arron Banks' Eldon Insurance Services illegally shared customer data with the Leave.EU group he co-founded, and used the business' call centre staff to make calls on behalf of the campaign - claims the firm has previously denied - a probe into the collection and sharing of personal data by the official Remain campaign - Britain Stronger In Europe  - and a linked data broker - an audit of the University of Cambridge's Psychometrics Centre. The department carries out its own research into social media profiles. The ICO said it had been told of an alleged security breach involving one of the centre's apps and had additional concerns about its data protection efforts - a call for the government to introduce a code of practice limiting how personal information can be used by political campaigns before the next general election - efforts to ensure ex-staff from SCL Elections and Cambridge Analytica do not illegally use materials obtained from the business before its collapse The ICO said it expects the next stage of its investigation to be complete by the end of October."}], "question": "What else is the regulator doing?", "id": "1170_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Northern white rhino: New hopes for IVF rescue", "date": "7 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A new study raises hopes of saving one of the last animals of its kind. A victim of poaching, the northern white rhino population has been reduced to just two females, which are both unable to breed. DNA evidence shows the rhino is more closely related than previously thought to its southern white cousin. Creating rhino hybrids using IVF is likely to have a positive outcome, say scientists, although this option is considered a last resort. The white rhino split into two divided populations living in the north and south of Africa around one million years ago. But an extensive analysis of DNA from living rhinos and museum specimens shows the northern and southern populations mixed and bred at times after this date, perhaps as recently as 14,000 years ago. \"Despite the fact that they started to diverge one million years ago, we show that they have been exchanging genes during that period, possibly as recently as the last ice age, when the African savannah expanded and reconnected the two populations,\" lead researcher Dr Michael Bruford of Cardiff University told BBC News. \"So, if they have been exchanging genes recently, this may imply that they could do so now.\" Cross breeding using assisted reproductive technology could potentially act to rescue the northern white rhino from its current predicament, he said. The northern white rhino was once common throughout the north of the African continent, including Uganda, South Sudan, the DRC and Chad. Illegal hunting to meet demand for rhino horn caused a rapid decline in the wild, and the rhino sub-species was declared extinct on the wild in 2008. Earlier this year, Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died at the age of 45. Two females are left - his daughter and granddaughter, who live in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where they are guarded around the clock. However, both have health problems of their own and cannot breed naturally. The southern white rhino is found in southern Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Numbers dropped to a few hundred individuals around a century ago, but conservation efforts led to a recovery. About 20,000 exist in protected areas and private game reserves. The survival of the northern white rhino looks bleak, and relies on last-ditch hotly-debated conservation efforts, which involve IVF and cloning. A priceless store of frozen sperm from male northern white rhinos still exists, but conservationists are divided about how it should be used. In July, one team took eggs from female southern rhinos - which number around 20,000 in the wild - and fertilised them with frozen sperm from a male northern white rhino, to create hybrid embryos. The new study suggests this sort of approach might pay off, given that the two rhinos are closer genetically than once thought. \"We think it improves the chances,\" said Prof Bruford. \"It is difficult to predict what might happen if we cross the two subspecies but given the current options for the northern white rhino it becomes a more viable option, should other approaches fail.\" Other options include using frozen tissue from a wider pool of northern white rhinos to generate stem cells that have the capacity to develop into eggs and sperm. This would avoid diluting the gene pool, but is more challenging to achieve. The research, by scientists in the UK, South Africa, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and the US, is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2194, "answer_end": 3498, "text": "The survival of the northern white rhino looks bleak, and relies on last-ditch hotly-debated conservation efforts, which involve IVF and cloning. A priceless store of frozen sperm from male northern white rhinos still exists, but conservationists are divided about how it should be used. In July, one team took eggs from female southern rhinos - which number around 20,000 in the wild - and fertilised them with frozen sperm from a male northern white rhino, to create hybrid embryos. The new study suggests this sort of approach might pay off, given that the two rhinos are closer genetically than once thought. \"We think it improves the chances,\" said Prof Bruford. \"It is difficult to predict what might happen if we cross the two subspecies but given the current options for the northern white rhino it becomes a more viable option, should other approaches fail.\" Other options include using frozen tissue from a wider pool of northern white rhinos to generate stem cells that have the capacity to develop into eggs and sperm. This would avoid diluting the gene pool, but is more challenging to achieve. The research, by scientists in the UK, South Africa, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and the US, is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. Follow Helen on Twitter."}], "question": "What would it take to save the northern white rhino?", "id": "1171_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Measles: How a preventable disease returned from the past", "date": "5 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Measles is one of the world's most infectious illnesses but until recently cases had been declining. So what's led to recent outbreaks? Rockland County, in New York state, declared a state of emergency following a severe re-emergence of the preventable virus. It's far from an isolated case, with the US already on course this year to see the most measles cases since 2000, when the disease was officially eliminated. Other countries, such as Mexico, France and Madagascar, have seen similar outbreaks in communities with gaps in immunity. In most cases, measles is relatively minor but it can also lead to potentially life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, meningitis and brain inflammation. Although still far below historical levels, the disease has been on the rise for several years. Reported cases rose by 31% in 2017 on the year before, leading to about 110,000 deaths worldwide. According to Unicef, 98 countries reported an increase in measles cases in 2018, with almost three-quarters of these occurring in 10 countries. Successful vaccination programmes have ensured measles has become rare in many places. When a measles vaccine became widely used in the 1980s, cases fell significantly, eventually leading some countries to declare it had been eliminated. Before then, large epidemics of measles occurred every few years. For example, in 1967, the year before measles vaccine was introduced in England and Wales, there were almost half a million reported cases and 99 deaths. By 1998, this had fallen to an all-time low of 56 cases and no deaths. So what accounts for the alarming recent increases? A vaccination target of 95% creates \"herd immunity\" in a community, to prevent this highly infectious disease from spreading. All the measles outbreaks have taken hold in areas where there is not enough immunity but the reasons behind this differ from place to place. The high-profile anti-vaccination movement has become influential in parts of the US and Europe. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting vaccination, \"anti-vaxxers\" can believe vaccines are unnecessary or harmful. They sometimes embrace conspiracy theories around \"big pharma\" and are distrustful of government. In the UK, a scare over the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, following now discredited research, had a major impact for a time. In 2004, first-dose MMR coverage fell to 80% in England and 78% in Wales Two decades on, uptake has recovered, with over 90% of UK two-year-olds receiving the vaccine in 2017-18. But many adolescents and young adults not given the MMR as infants are now catching measles. We may also see future outbreaks of rubella - German measles - in this age group, a particular concern as they reach childbearing age. Usually a mild disease, rubella can be catastrophic if caught in the early stages of pregnancy, causing serious vision, hearing, heart and learning problems in the unborn baby. In other countries, reasons behind falling vaccination rates are very different. In Ukraine, for example, public trust in vaccination was severely shaken in 2008, following the death of a teenager after a measles vaccination, which, although unconnected, led the government to halt the vaccination campaign. By 2016, in a situation made worse by political unrest, health service corruption and vaccine shortages, Ukraine had one of the lowest uptakes of measles vaccine in the world, with only one in three of six-year-old children protected with two doses of vaccine. Although over 90% of six-year-olds are now protected, the reservoir of young people left unprotected has allowed measles to take hold. The country has become a hotspot for measles, with 54,000 cases in 2018, compared with about 5,000 in the previous year. Immunity levels have also fallen in countries where the health system has collapsed, such as Yemen, which is in the midst of civil war, and Venezuela, which tackling a serious economic crisis. This can have knock-on effects on other countries too, such as in Brazil, which has experienced mass migration from Venezuela. - Measles is a highly infectious virus spread in droplets from coughs, sneezes or direct contact - It can hang in the air or remain on surfaces for hours - Measles often starts with fever, feeling unwell, sore eyes and a cough followed by a rising fever and rash - At its mildest, measles makes children feel very miserable, with recovery in seven-10 days - but complications, including ear infections, seizures, diarrhoea, pneumonia and brain inflammation, are common - The disease is more severe in the very young, in adults and in people with immunity problems - Measles is still a major cause of child death in many low-income countries, although the measles vaccine is thought to have prevented more than 20 million deaths in 2000-17 Some countries are moving toward mandatory vaccination and many more have tightened up existing requirements. Italy and France have extended existing requirements with fines and restricted school attendance. And Germany is currently discussing making measles vaccine mandatory. In New York's Rockland County, unvaccinated children have been banned from public places for 30 days. But it is difficult to see how this could be effectively enforced and there is little evidence that mandatory vaccination is always the best approach. Those determined to not vaccinate will find a way round the system, for example by home-schooling or paying a fine. Meanwhile, parents on the fence about vaccination may become more resistant if they feel they are not being given a choice. A better solution may be the opportunity to have a conversation with a health professional to respond to their concerns. More like this Meanwhile, checking vaccination status on entry to nursery and then to school would act as a useful reminder to parents and reinforce their importance. As most under-immunisation results from difficulties accessing services, tailored immunisation services would also be helpful. For example, an innovative response to a measles outbreak in the London borough of Hackney was the \"spotty bus\" - a mobile immunisation unit that toured the neighbourhood, parking in school playgrounds and supermarket car parks, vaccinating almost 1,000 children whose parents simply needed easier access to immunisation services. It is not enough for health services to expect parents to come to them. Taking a proactive approach and offering these kinds of easily accessible vaccine programmes would help to prevent further outbreaks. Since the global fall in vaccination rates mainly stems from practical or logistical issues, it is often more important to have an everything in place for a successful vaccination programme. This means having enough vaccines to go around, via services that are well organised, easy to access and supported by government efforts to increase public trust in vaccination. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Helen Bedford is a professor of children's health at University College London. You can follow her on Twitter here. Edited by Eleanor Lawrie", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1042, "answer_end": 2949, "text": "Successful vaccination programmes have ensured measles has become rare in many places. When a measles vaccine became widely used in the 1980s, cases fell significantly, eventually leading some countries to declare it had been eliminated. Before then, large epidemics of measles occurred every few years. For example, in 1967, the year before measles vaccine was introduced in England and Wales, there were almost half a million reported cases and 99 deaths. By 1998, this had fallen to an all-time low of 56 cases and no deaths. So what accounts for the alarming recent increases? A vaccination target of 95% creates \"herd immunity\" in a community, to prevent this highly infectious disease from spreading. All the measles outbreaks have taken hold in areas where there is not enough immunity but the reasons behind this differ from place to place. The high-profile anti-vaccination movement has become influential in parts of the US and Europe. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting vaccination, \"anti-vaxxers\" can believe vaccines are unnecessary or harmful. They sometimes embrace conspiracy theories around \"big pharma\" and are distrustful of government. In the UK, a scare over the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, following now discredited research, had a major impact for a time. In 2004, first-dose MMR coverage fell to 80% in England and 78% in Wales Two decades on, uptake has recovered, with over 90% of UK two-year-olds receiving the vaccine in 2017-18. But many adolescents and young adults not given the MMR as infants are now catching measles. We may also see future outbreaks of rubella - German measles - in this age group, a particular concern as they reach childbearing age. Usually a mild disease, rubella can be catastrophic if caught in the early stages of pregnancy, causing serious vision, hearing, heart and learning problems in the unborn baby."}], "question": "What's happening to vaccinations?", "id": "1172_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4834, "answer_end": 6925, "text": "Some countries are moving toward mandatory vaccination and many more have tightened up existing requirements. Italy and France have extended existing requirements with fines and restricted school attendance. And Germany is currently discussing making measles vaccine mandatory. In New York's Rockland County, unvaccinated children have been banned from public places for 30 days. But it is difficult to see how this could be effectively enforced and there is little evidence that mandatory vaccination is always the best approach. Those determined to not vaccinate will find a way round the system, for example by home-schooling or paying a fine. Meanwhile, parents on the fence about vaccination may become more resistant if they feel they are not being given a choice. A better solution may be the opportunity to have a conversation with a health professional to respond to their concerns. More like this Meanwhile, checking vaccination status on entry to nursery and then to school would act as a useful reminder to parents and reinforce their importance. As most under-immunisation results from difficulties accessing services, tailored immunisation services would also be helpful. For example, an innovative response to a measles outbreak in the London borough of Hackney was the \"spotty bus\" - a mobile immunisation unit that toured the neighbourhood, parking in school playgrounds and supermarket car parks, vaccinating almost 1,000 children whose parents simply needed easier access to immunisation services. It is not enough for health services to expect parents to come to them. Taking a proactive approach and offering these kinds of easily accessible vaccine programmes would help to prevent further outbreaks. Since the global fall in vaccination rates mainly stems from practical or logistical issues, it is often more important to have an everything in place for a successful vaccination programme. This means having enough vaccines to go around, via services that are well organised, easy to access and supported by government efforts to increase public trust in vaccination."}], "question": "How are countries responding to these outbreaks?", "id": "1172_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Skateboarder wins hearts with apology note", "date": "8 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A construction boss in Illinois is trying to track down a skateboarder who anonymously left their \"grass-cutting money\" after accidentally damaging a truck. John Zelnio, 57, from Moline, was opening the post on Tuesday when he found an envelope containing $40 (PS30) and a note. \"I am sending you my grass cutting money for the insurance,\" read the note, apparently written by a young person who believed they had caused expensive damage to the truck. \"I will send more next week when I finish some more yards this weekend.\" Mr Zelnio said he could not actually find any damage but that the letter had \"touched my heart\". \"I set out to look at my truck to see what the damage was, I walked around it a few times and couldn't see any,\" he said. \"I was touched by the young person's story, so I tried to figure out who it was so we could get the money back to them.\" \"Mister I want to say I'm sorry my friends and I were running across the street where your truck was parked and my friend pushed me into your truck and I scratched your truck with my skateboard. \"I told my dad and we went back [but you] were already gone. My dad has seen the name on another truck for this company and I am sending you my grass cutting money for the insurance. \"My dad said his had a hundred dollar payment for things like this. I will send some more next week when I finish some more yards.\" Mr Zelnio said friends and family were pitching in to help the search by sharing the story on social media. \"I don't know if it's a young man or a young lady,\" he said. \"They said as soon as they mowed some more grass they'd bring the rest. \"It's such a good-hearted story in the mix of all the negative stories that are unfortunately happening at the moment. \"It's great to know there's some great hearts out there doing the right thing.\" Asked what he would say to the young person if they came forward, Mr Zelnio said he would tell them: \"I'm very proud of you, I'm proud of your parents for raising such a good kid, and you should keep up the good work,\" he said. \"And here's your money back.\" By Tom Gerken, UGC and Social News team", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 865, "answer_end": 1374, "text": "\"Mister I want to say I'm sorry my friends and I were running across the street where your truck was parked and my friend pushed me into your truck and I scratched your truck with my skateboard. \"I told my dad and we went back [but you] were already gone. My dad has seen the name on another truck for this company and I am sending you my grass cutting money for the insurance. \"My dad said his had a hundred dollar payment for things like this. I will send some more next week when I finish some more yards.\""}], "question": "What did the letter say?", "id": "1173_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Danish PM Frederiksen takes power and joins Nordic swing to left", "date": "27 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Mette Frederiksen, 41, has become Denmark's youngest leader, the third centre-left prime minister to take office in a Nordic country this year. She presented her minority government to Queen Margrethe II. Her Social Democrat party ousted the liberals after backing a tougher immigration policy. In Finland, the Social Democratic Party took office this month, while Sweden's Social Democrat leader returned to power in January. As she left Amalienborg Palace with her team of 19 ministers, Ms Frederiksen told well-wishers her team was hardworking and diligent and would serve the entire country. There was some surprise that only seven of the 20 government positions had gone to women. Although Denmark now has 70 women in the 179-member Folketing (parliament), commentators have pointed out that Denmark is the only Nordic country not to have had a parliament with a 40% share of women. A mother of two, she came to power with a traditional centre-left focus on stronger welfare policies but also a promise to be tough on immigration. Last year she announced plans to place a cap on \"non-Western\" immigration including refugees and family reunions, to be voted on every year in the Folketing. She also proposed sending asylum seekers to reception centres outside the EU, for example in North Africa, for their requests to be processed. Ms Frederiksen was first elected aged 24 and took over the reins of the Social Democrats after Denmark's first woman prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, lost power in 2015. Her father, Flemming Frederiksen, is himself a Social Democrat and said last month she had been active in politics since the age of six, seven or eight. \"I've never doubted that Mette could go all the way, if she wanted,\" he told Danish media. After 19 days of coalition talks she decided to rule with other left and centre-left parties in a minority government. All of them are now led by the centre-left except Norway, where a coalition led by Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg has been in power since 2013. Unlike Finland and Denmark, which have seen new left-run governments take power this month, Sweden has had a centre-left government in place over the past four years. And yet, Stefan Lofven's Social Democrat-led administration is not in a strong position. Elections last September left Sweden with 131 days of political stalemate and Mr Lofven had to make concessions to the Centre and Liberals to get back in power. In Finland, the Social Democrats won April elections, just ahead of the nationalist Finns Party. So Juha Sipila's centre-right government was ousted. Prime Minister Antti Rinne is leading a coalition with the Centre, Greens and two other parties. In Iceland, a left-green coalition took power in 2017, led by Katrin Jakobsdottir, even though her party came second in the election.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 888, "answer_end": 1876, "text": "A mother of two, she came to power with a traditional centre-left focus on stronger welfare policies but also a promise to be tough on immigration. Last year she announced plans to place a cap on \"non-Western\" immigration including refugees and family reunions, to be voted on every year in the Folketing. She also proposed sending asylum seekers to reception centres outside the EU, for example in North Africa, for their requests to be processed. Ms Frederiksen was first elected aged 24 and took over the reins of the Social Democrats after Denmark's first woman prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, lost power in 2015. Her father, Flemming Frederiksen, is himself a Social Democrat and said last month she had been active in politics since the age of six, seven or eight. \"I've never doubted that Mette could go all the way, if she wanted,\" he told Danish media. After 19 days of coalition talks she decided to rule with other left and centre-left parties in a minority government."}], "question": "Who is Mette Frederiksen?", "id": "1174_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1877, "answer_end": 2828, "text": "All of them are now led by the centre-left except Norway, where a coalition led by Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg has been in power since 2013. Unlike Finland and Denmark, which have seen new left-run governments take power this month, Sweden has had a centre-left government in place over the past four years. And yet, Stefan Lofven's Social Democrat-led administration is not in a strong position. Elections last September left Sweden with 131 days of political stalemate and Mr Lofven had to make concessions to the Centre and Liberals to get back in power. In Finland, the Social Democrats won April elections, just ahead of the nationalist Finns Party. So Juha Sipila's centre-right government was ousted. Prime Minister Antti Rinne is leading a coalition with the Centre, Greens and two other parties. In Iceland, a left-green coalition took power in 2017, led by Katrin Jakobsdottir, even though her party came second in the election."}], "question": "Have all the Nordic countries veered left?", "id": "1174_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Tory conference: Five things to look out for in Manchester", "date": "28 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Conservatives are gathering for the party's annual conference in Manchester. With Brexit still unresolved and a new(ish) prime minister in place, what are likely to be the big talking points of the week? He's always been one of the biggest draws of the Conservative conference, members roaring with laughter at his wordplay and jokes. But now it's Boris Johnson's turn for the big one - the leader's speech. Will the prime minister drop some policy announcements ahead of the general election that could take place this autumn? Or will the tone be one of less specific optimism? There's likely to be more focus than usual on his language, following recent disputes about his comments in Parliament. Another big question hangs over the speech, specifically when it will take place. It's scheduled to be the closing event on Wednesday - the final day. But, with the Supreme Court decision overruling the prorogation - suspension - of Parliament, Parliament will be sitting throughout the conference. Wednesday is also when prime minister's questions takes place. It's been reported that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will fill in for the PM in the Commons. Whatever happens, Mr Johnson will hope things go more smoothly than Theresa May's mishap-ridden speech of 2017. With disagreements about Brexit overwhelming politics, 21 MPs recently had he Conservative Party whip removed. But they still sit on the same Commons benches as their erstwhile colleagues and, mostly, would still call themselves Tories. So will the likes of Philip Hammond, Ken Clarke, Justine Greening and Rory Stewart (a contender in the summer's leadership race, lest we forget) turn up in Manchester? And, if they do, what kind of reception will they get? While events inside the hall at Conservative conferences are often managed, polite affairs, the opposite can be true outside the building. In recent years protesters have gathered in large numbers to address attendees in often ripe language. Brexit is impossible to get away from, really. But there will be focus on other issues. Home Secretary Priti Patel will attempt to galvanise the government's tough-on-crime message when she addresses the conference on Tuesday. Monday, meanwhile, will be more business-focused, with Chancellor Sajid Javid speaking and a discussion on the economy and the environment. Animal welfare policies, environmental plans including a proposed PS1bn fund to boost the electric motor industry and a pledge to plant one million new trees are on the agenda. Look out for more non-Brexit policies day by day as conference continues. Politicians these days are far fitter than they used to be - or at least they like to show they are. Security permitting, will Mr Johnson go for a run around Manchester? Will Michael Gove don his shorts and T-shirt and do the same? Even if they're not in lycra, ministers - at least those not forced to stay in London for Commons business - will be out and about doing photo opportunities. Schools, factories, farms and retirement homes: watch out.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1272, "answer_end": 1731, "text": "With disagreements about Brexit overwhelming politics, 21 MPs recently had he Conservative Party whip removed. But they still sit on the same Commons benches as their erstwhile colleagues and, mostly, would still call themselves Tories. So will the likes of Philip Hammond, Ken Clarke, Justine Greening and Rory Stewart (a contender in the summer's leadership race, lest we forget) turn up in Manchester? And, if they do, what kind of reception will they get?"}], "question": "2) What about 'the 21'?", "id": "1175_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1974, "answer_end": 2591, "text": "Brexit is impossible to get away from, really. But there will be focus on other issues. Home Secretary Priti Patel will attempt to galvanise the government's tough-on-crime message when she addresses the conference on Tuesday. Monday, meanwhile, will be more business-focused, with Chancellor Sajid Javid speaking and a discussion on the economy and the environment. Animal welfare policies, environmental plans including a proposed PS1bn fund to boost the electric motor industry and a pledge to plant one million new trees are on the agenda. Look out for more non-Brexit policies day by day as conference continues."}], "question": "4) Brexit...but what about other policies?", "id": "1175_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump lays out pathway to citizenship for immigrants", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has said he is open to a deal that would create a path for citizenship for undocumented young people brought to the US as children. Mr Trump said immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme could obtain citizenship after \"10 to 12 years\". His comments came as the White House said it would unveil a legislative plan on immigration on Monday. He told reporters the deal would be contingent on border wall funding. \"We're going to morph into it,\" the president told reporters on Wednesday during a meeting with his chief of staff John Kelly. \"It's going to happen, at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.\" Mr Trump plans to unveil the framework of an immigration deal that will include $25bn (PS17bn) for a wall between the US and Mexico and an additional $5bn for border security programmes. This includes measures to curb family sponsorship of immigrants and an end or change to the visa lottery programme. What is Trump's plan for Daca? Mr Trump cancelled the Obama-era programme in September and gave Congress a March deadline to come up with a new plan for the 700,000 undocumented young people registered under Daca. The president has so far rejected bipartisan proposals that have been presented to him. Most recently this led to a three-day government shutdown that ended on Monday when Democrats agreed to vote to fund the government until 8 February. On Wednesday, Mr Trump said he was optimistic that a deal on immigration would be reached that included keeping the so-called Dreamers in the country. He added that it was \"incentive\" for so-called Dreamers to work hard and \"do a great job\". Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington There's a quote from Mark Twain that if you don't like the weather in New England, just wait five minutes. The same could be said of Donald Trump's position on immigration. One day he'll accept - and take the heat for - any bipartisan deal Congress might strike. Later, he insists any agreement must include funding for his border wall and sweeping changes to legal immigration. During the shutdown, he painted Democratic efforts to get a Daca vote as support for \"unchecked illegal immigration\". On Wednesday, he expressed an openness to giving Daca recipients a path to citizenship - something many of his supporters deride as amnesty for lawbreakers. This could be part of some grand \"art of the deal\" presidential strategy, of which will only be revealed in hindsight. Or perhaps congressional parties should focus on people like chief of staff John Kelly, who stayed in Washington to negotiate while the president hob-nobs with the global elite in Davos. Either way, the clock is ticking toward another budget showdown. If the immigration impasse is to be surmounted, a solution needs to emerge quickly. Republican senator Lindsey Graham applauded the president's comments and called them a major breakthrough. \"President Trump's support for a pathway to citizenship will help us get strong border security measures as we work to modernize a broken immigration system,\" he said in a statement. \"With this strong statement by President Trump, I have never felt better about our chances of finding a solution on immigration.\" Mr Graham was one of a group of bipartisan senators who went to the White House with a proposal on immigration that ended in the president using a vulgar term to refer to Haiti and some African countries. Talks on immigration have started up once again and Mr Graham, along with a bipartisan group of three dozen senators, met Wednesday to work on possible immigration legislation. For any new immigration laws to be created, both the Senate and the House of Representatives would have to approve a bill. In Wednesday's conversation with reporters, Mr Trump also said he is prepared to be questioned under oath as part of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2833, "answer_end": 3959, "text": "Republican senator Lindsey Graham applauded the president's comments and called them a major breakthrough. \"President Trump's support for a pathway to citizenship will help us get strong border security measures as we work to modernize a broken immigration system,\" he said in a statement. \"With this strong statement by President Trump, I have never felt better about our chances of finding a solution on immigration.\" Mr Graham was one of a group of bipartisan senators who went to the White House with a proposal on immigration that ended in the president using a vulgar term to refer to Haiti and some African countries. Talks on immigration have started up once again and Mr Graham, along with a bipartisan group of three dozen senators, met Wednesday to work on possible immigration legislation. For any new immigration laws to be created, both the Senate and the House of Representatives would have to approve a bill. In Wednesday's conversation with reporters, Mr Trump also said he is prepared to be questioned under oath as part of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election."}], "question": "What's happening in Congress?", "id": "1176_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Najib 1MDB trial: Malaysia ex-PM faces court in global financial scandal", "date": "3 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak has gone on trial for his role in a financial scandal that has sent shockwaves around the world. He faces seven charges in the first of several criminal cases accusing him of pocketing $681m (PS522m) from the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Mr Najib pleaded not guilty to all the charges on Wednesday. The 1MDB fund was designed to boost Malaysia's economy through strategic investments. But instead it allegedly funded lavish lifestyles, a Hollywood film and a super-yacht. A group of supporters met Mr Najib as he arrived at the court in Kuala Lumpur. They stood and prayed with him before he entered the building to chants of \"Long live Najib\". Mr Najib's lawyers made a last-minute bid to delay proceedings but the judge ruled against them. In the prosecution's opening statement, Malaysia's Attorney-General Tommy Thomas said the \"near absolute power\" Mr Najib had wielded carried with it \"enormous responsibility\". \"The accused is not above the law,\" he added. While the former prime minister faces several criminal cases, Wednesday's trial is the first major trial in the scandal. Proceedings were originally set to begin on 12 February, but were delayed for related appeals to be heard. Malaysia's government has also filed criminal charges against Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs, accusing the investment bank of defrauding investors by raising money for 1MDB. The bank has denied all wrongdoing and said it would \"vigorously defend the charges\". Mr Najib is facing 42 charges in total, mostly linked to 1MDB. The first of several trials begins on Wednesday, centring on the allegations that 42m Malaysian ringgit ($10.3m; PS7.9m) was transferred from SRC International, a unit of 1MDB, into Mr Najib's personal bank accounts. The case involves three counts of money laundering, three of criminal breach of trust and one of abuse of power. Mr Najib has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The money involved in this particular trial is thought to be in addition to the $681m that allegedly ended up in his personal accounts. Mr Najib set up the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund in 2009, while he was prime minister, to aid the nation's economic development. In 2015, questions were raised around its activities after it missed payments owed to banks and bondholders. The US, one of the countries probing global money laundering, started an investigation saying $4.5bn had been diverted into private pockets. US prosecutors had previously said a person described as \"Malaysian Official 1\" had allegedly received $681m from 1MDB. That person was later confirmed to be Mr Najib. Prosecutors said the money had been used to fund a lavish lifestyle for the former PM and his wife Rosmah Mansor, who is also facing charges of corruption. Mr Najib was cleared of all wrongdoing by Malaysian authorities while he was prime minister. Nonetheless, the corruption allegations played a big part in his historic election defeat in 2018 - and the new government swiftly reopened investigations into 1MDB. Police said they had recovered luxury goods and cash from Mr Najib's properties, and he was arrested by anti-corruption authorities before being freed on bail. Another target of the investigation is Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho - known as Jho Low - who played a key role behind the scenes in 1MDB's dealings. He is accused of diverting money to himself and his associates, but has also consistently denied any wrongdoing. His location is unknown. His infamous $250m luxury super-yacht Equanimity, allegedly purchased with money taken from the fund, was confiscated by authorities in 2018. On Wednesday a court approved its sale for $126m to casino company Genting Malaysia, the Malaysian attorney general said, making it the largest amount of money the country has managed to recover from the 1MDB losses. At least six countries including Singapore and the US have launched money laundering and corruption investigations into 1MDB. Investment bank Goldman Sachs is one of the biggest players embroiled in the scandal. Malaysia's government has filed criminal charges against the bank, accusing it of helping to misappropriate money intended for the fund. Tim Leissner, who served as Goldman Sachs's South East Asia chairman, pleaded guilty to participating in bribery and money laundering schemes. Goldman Chief Executive David Solomon apologised to the Malaysian people for Leissner's role in the scandal, but said the bank had been deceived about the details of the deal. \"We believe these charges are misdirected, will vigorously defend them and look forward to the opportunity to present our case,\" the bank said in response to the charges.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1496, "answer_end": 2072, "text": "Mr Najib is facing 42 charges in total, mostly linked to 1MDB. The first of several trials begins on Wednesday, centring on the allegations that 42m Malaysian ringgit ($10.3m; PS7.9m) was transferred from SRC International, a unit of 1MDB, into Mr Najib's personal bank accounts. The case involves three counts of money laundering, three of criminal breach of trust and one of abuse of power. Mr Najib has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The money involved in this particular trial is thought to be in addition to the $681m that allegedly ended up in his personal accounts."}], "question": "What is this trial about?", "id": "1177_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2073, "answer_end": 3207, "text": "Mr Najib set up the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund in 2009, while he was prime minister, to aid the nation's economic development. In 2015, questions were raised around its activities after it missed payments owed to banks and bondholders. The US, one of the countries probing global money laundering, started an investigation saying $4.5bn had been diverted into private pockets. US prosecutors had previously said a person described as \"Malaysian Official 1\" had allegedly received $681m from 1MDB. That person was later confirmed to be Mr Najib. Prosecutors said the money had been used to fund a lavish lifestyle for the former PM and his wife Rosmah Mansor, who is also facing charges of corruption. Mr Najib was cleared of all wrongdoing by Malaysian authorities while he was prime minister. Nonetheless, the corruption allegations played a big part in his historic election defeat in 2018 - and the new government swiftly reopened investigations into 1MDB. Police said they had recovered luxury goods and cash from Mr Najib's properties, and he was arrested by anti-corruption authorities before being freed on bail."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "1177_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3208, "answer_end": 4698, "text": "Another target of the investigation is Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho - known as Jho Low - who played a key role behind the scenes in 1MDB's dealings. He is accused of diverting money to himself and his associates, but has also consistently denied any wrongdoing. His location is unknown. His infamous $250m luxury super-yacht Equanimity, allegedly purchased with money taken from the fund, was confiscated by authorities in 2018. On Wednesday a court approved its sale for $126m to casino company Genting Malaysia, the Malaysian attorney general said, making it the largest amount of money the country has managed to recover from the 1MDB losses. At least six countries including Singapore and the US have launched money laundering and corruption investigations into 1MDB. Investment bank Goldman Sachs is one of the biggest players embroiled in the scandal. Malaysia's government has filed criminal charges against the bank, accusing it of helping to misappropriate money intended for the fund. Tim Leissner, who served as Goldman Sachs's South East Asia chairman, pleaded guilty to participating in bribery and money laundering schemes. Goldman Chief Executive David Solomon apologised to the Malaysian people for Leissner's role in the scandal, but said the bank had been deceived about the details of the deal. \"We believe these charges are misdirected, will vigorously defend them and look forward to the opportunity to present our case,\" the bank said in response to the charges."}], "question": "Who else is involved?", "id": "1177_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Why did Pakistan admit to hosting the Afghan Taliban?", "date": "3 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Pakistani prime minister's adviser on foreign affairs has indicated in a talk at Washington's Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) that the leadership of Afghan Taliban is living in Pakistan. For many such a disclosure has been an open secret for years, but one which Pakistan's powerful military refrained from talking about. Viewpoint: Can talks with the Afghan Taliban succeed? Why are the Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan? Answering a question about the extent to which Pakistan could encourage or pressure the Taliban to negotiate peace with Kabul, Sartaj Aziz said: \"We have some influence on them because their leadership is in Pakistan, and they get some medical facilities, their families are here. So we can use those levers to pressurise them to say, 'come to the table'.\" He made clear in his CFR talk, however, that Pakistan could not negotiate with the Taliban on behalf of the Afghan government. \"It is for the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government to negotiate,\" he said. Stuck between IS and the Taliban The battle for the Taliban His comments are seen by analysts as the most candid admission ever by a Pakistani official that Afghan insurgents enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan. In the past, Pakistan has denied it had any influence over the Taliban, or that they had any havens on Pakistani soil except in the semi-autonomous tribal region on the border with Afghanistan. Mr Aziz's remarks come in the wake of a 20-month military operation in the area, which the Pakistani army says has cleared the country of all militant strongholds. Who are the Taliban? Taliban leader Mullah Omar 'dead' Mr Aziz was in Washington this week to lead his team in the sixth round of US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, which included exchanges over peace in Afghanistan and the role Pakistan could play in bringing the Taliban to the dialogue table. Since December, Pakistan has been a member of a quadrilateral co-ordination group which also includes Afghanistan, the US and China. During the past two months, the group has held four meetings to develop a roadmap for Afghan peace negotiations. During his talk at CFR, Mr Aziz indicated that a meeting between Taliban and the Afghan government may take place in the coming 10-15 days. Taliban admit Mullah Omar death silence Taliban name new political chief Pakistan's foreign office has taken a cautious view of the matter. On Thursday, a foreign office spokesman declined to offer any reaction to Mr Aziz's remarks, saying \"we do not make any comment on [political leaders' statements]. He [Mr Aziz] has said what he had to say\". But for most Pakistan-watchers around the world, his remarks do not come as a surprise. Pakistan has long been accused by international circles of protecting the Afghan Taliban so as to use them as a proxies in Afghanistan with an aim to curtail Indian influence in its western neighbourhood. This has caused a near-permanent state of mistrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the one hand, and between Pakistan and India on the other. While the two neighbours have been blaming Pakistan for using militancy as a tool of state policy, Islamabad has continued to deny this. This has caused disruptions in the Afghan peace talks, says Tahir Khan, a former BBC Pashto correspondent in Islamabad who covers Afghanistan. He recalls the episode in August 2015 when a sceptical Kabul establishment leaked the news of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar's death to media, casting aspersions over the effectiveness of Pakistan-brokered talks. The revelation, which was followed by reports that Mullah Omar had spent time in a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi, embarrassed Pakistan and caused rifts within the Taliban ranks, some of whom blamed the movement's current leadership of \"cunningly hiding\" the news for almost three years, allegedly at the behest of the Pakistani military. The Taliban hunters Mullah Omar: The myth and the movement There have been other instances to show that Taliban leaders have been operating out of Pakistan. A more prominent example is the 2013 assassination of a Haqqani Network leader, Nasiruddin Haqqani, in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. It was also widely known that the Taliban delegates who attended the first round of talks with Afghan officials in the Pakistani hill resort of Murree in July 2015 did not arrive from abroad, but travelled from destinations within Pakistan. Ismail Khan, the resident editor of Dawn newspaper in Peshawar, says Mr Aziz's remarks have only helped remove an anomaly in the Pakistani position. \"The factor of credible deniability is simply not there anymore, and Mr Aziz seems to have made this clear,\" he says. Though a democratic republic, Pakistan has for a better part of its life been a country where all issues central to foreign policy, defence and internal security have remained an exclusive domain of the military. The Taliban, and other militant networks operating in the region, fall within that domain. So Mr Aziz's remarks have raised questions about whether his views reflect those of the military. The media wing of the military, which many in Pakistan consider to have become extremely vocal since the recent army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, took over in November 2013, has been quiet so far. Ismail Khan of Dawn newspaper believes the military may not have any issues with Mr Aziz's remarks, given that he has only stated the obvious. Former BBC correspondent Tahir Khan thinks if the military has any reservations, we will soon see attempts by the political establishment to clarify Mr Aziz's remarks. Or there may be a deafening silence from the military, like when the news of Mullah Omar's death was revealed by the Afghan officials. Does the military still control Pakistan? The Afghan Taliban have not reacted to Mr Aziz's remarks yet. Tahir Khan believes the admission that their leadership is based in Pakistan may put moral pressure on the Taliban to abide by the dictates of the Pakistani establishment. This is because it endorses the view of Afghan insurgents opposed to the current Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, that he is a lackey of Pakistan. There are reports that several among the Taliban leadership ranks are not prepared to strike a deal with Kabul on Pakistani terms. If Mullah Mansoor continues on a divergent path to that of Pakistan, he will risk losing credibility both with Pakistan and his opponents.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1053, "answer_end": 1609, "text": "His comments are seen by analysts as the most candid admission ever by a Pakistani official that Afghan insurgents enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan. In the past, Pakistan has denied it had any influence over the Taliban, or that they had any havens on Pakistani soil except in the semi-autonomous tribal region on the border with Afghanistan. Mr Aziz's remarks come in the wake of a 20-month military operation in the area, which the Pakistani army says has cleared the country of all militant strongholds. Who are the Taliban? Taliban leader Mullah Omar 'dead'"}], "question": "How big a deal is that?", "id": "1178_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2307, "answer_end": 2668, "text": "Pakistan's foreign office has taken a cautious view of the matter. On Thursday, a foreign office spokesman declined to offer any reaction to Mr Aziz's remarks, saying \"we do not make any comment on [political leaders' statements]. He [Mr Aziz] has said what he had to say\". But for most Pakistan-watchers around the world, his remarks do not come as a surprise."}], "question": "What has been the response in Pakistan?", "id": "1178_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4669, "answer_end": 5752, "text": "Though a democratic republic, Pakistan has for a better part of its life been a country where all issues central to foreign policy, defence and internal security have remained an exclusive domain of the military. The Taliban, and other militant networks operating in the region, fall within that domain. So Mr Aziz's remarks have raised questions about whether his views reflect those of the military. The media wing of the military, which many in Pakistan consider to have become extremely vocal since the recent army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, took over in November 2013, has been quiet so far. Ismail Khan of Dawn newspaper believes the military may not have any issues with Mr Aziz's remarks, given that he has only stated the obvious. Former BBC correspondent Tahir Khan thinks if the military has any reservations, we will soon see attempts by the political establishment to clarify Mr Aziz's remarks. Or there may be a deafening silence from the military, like when the news of Mullah Omar's death was revealed by the Afghan officials. Does the military still control Pakistan?"}], "question": "How will Mr Aziz's remarks go down with the military?", "id": "1178_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5753, "answer_end": 6408, "text": "The Afghan Taliban have not reacted to Mr Aziz's remarks yet. Tahir Khan believes the admission that their leadership is based in Pakistan may put moral pressure on the Taliban to abide by the dictates of the Pakistani establishment. This is because it endorses the view of Afghan insurgents opposed to the current Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, that he is a lackey of Pakistan. There are reports that several among the Taliban leadership ranks are not prepared to strike a deal with Kabul on Pakistani terms. If Mullah Mansoor continues on a divergent path to that of Pakistan, he will risk losing credibility both with Pakistan and his opponents."}], "question": "How will the Taliban react?", "id": "1178_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Rio Paralympics 2016: Russian doping ban 'cynical', says PM", "date": "23 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russia has reacted with fury after a court upheld a ban on its athletes competing in next month's Paralympics. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the ban, levelled over allegations of doping, a \"cynical decision\". On Tuesday the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to ban all Russian competitors. The IPC made the decision after the McLaren report detailed a Russian state-sponsored doping programme. \"Banning our Paralympic athletes from Rio 2016 is a cynical decision motivated by a desire to remove strong rivals,\" Mr Medvedev said. Andrei Strokin, the Secretary General of the Russian Paralympic Committee, said that the mood of the athletes was low, \"because often for a disabled person it is the only chance of self-realisation and achieving something in life\". Roman Petushkov, a six-time Russian Paralympic champion, called the decision \"inhumane\" and a \"humiliation\". Long-jumper Vadim Alyoshkin said athletes were \"pawns in a big game we have nothing to do with\". But Karen Pickering, a four-time British Olympic athlete and four-time world champion, praised the decision. \"There is a real appetite right now amongst athletes that we don't want any former drug cheats in the Olympic Games,\" she said. Craig Spence from the IPC said the body had \"great sympathy\" with the Russian athletes but said the decision was prompted by evidence of a state-sponsored doping system. The Russian Paralympic Committee did not file any evidence contradicting the facts put forward by the IPC. The IPC's decision is in contrast to that of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which chose not to hand Russia a blanket ban from the Olympic Games. The IOC was widely criticised for ignoring the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) recommendation to ban Russia. Instead, each individual sporting federation was given the power to decide if Russian competitors were allowed to compete. A three-person IOC panel then had the final say. In the end, more than 270 Russian athletes were cleared to compete at the Olympics, with Russia winning 56 medals in total and finishing in fourth place in the medal table. Russia had been set to take 267 competitors across 18 sports to the Paralympics. The Cas statement added that it had not looked at the \"natural justice rights or personality rights\" of individual Russian athletes in making its decision. Russia's Paralympic team's lawyer, Alexei Karpenko, said they would try to file an appeal with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, but it would take between one and two years for the court to consider the case. \"So I'm afraid Russian Paralympians will not be going to the Games in any case,\" Mr Karpenko added. IPC president Sir Philip Craven, who has described Russia's anti-doping system as \"broken, corrupted and entirely compromised\", and claimed it put \"medals over morals\", said he was \"greatly encouraged\" by the Cas decision. He said it was \"not a day for celebration\", adding: \"We have enormous sympathy for the Russian athletes who will now miss out.\" \"It is a sad day for the Paralympic movement,\" said Craven. \"But we hope also a new beginning. We hope this decision acts as a catalyst for change in Russia and we can welcome the Russian Paralympic Committee back as a member safe in the knowledge that it is fulfilling its obligations to ensure fair competition for all.\" Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor, published a Wada independent report that found Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event. The Paralympics are going ahead as planned, but face major budget cuts as Rio's organising committee has not raised enough to fund the event because of Brazil's struggling economy and poor ticket sales. Cuts will affect venues, workforce and transport. Delayed travel grants will now be paid to athletes, but 10 countries may struggle to get teams to Rio.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3385, "answer_end": 3877, "text": "Richard McLaren, a Canadian law professor, published a Wada independent report that found Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event."}], "question": "Why was Russia banned?", "id": "1179_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why so many US 'mass shooting' arrests suddenly?", "date": "23 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In the last three weeks US authorities have arrested at least 28 people accused of threatening acts of mass violence. What's behind this surge and could they all be convicted? The threats ranged from posts on social media and video gaming sites to verbal comments to colleagues and friends. In at least two cases, suspects sent text messages to ex-partners. Hoards of weapons were also found in some cases. The FBI won't say what is behind the steep bump in apprehensions, some carried out by that agency, others by local police. It's not clear if it marks a growth in threats or simply a rise in awareness and tip-offs. But former FBI boss Andrew McCabe said on Friday there was undoubtedly a \"renewed awareness\" focused on the sort of threats that a few months ago might have been ignored by investigators mindful of the right to free speech as enshrined in the US Constitution. The first amendment offers broad protection of free speech, even if that speech is racist or of a violent nature. Prosecutions in the US are further complicated by the second amendment which safeguards the right to bear arms. So what can be done to stop a shooter before they strike? More than two dozen people are reported to have been arrested for making threats to carry out mass violence since the 3 August shooting in El Paso. Many of the alleged plots foiled by US law enforcement included plans to target specific minority groups. But without any federal penalties in place for acts of domestic terrorism - like those that exist for international terrorism - the charges varied - false threats, terrorist threats, illegal possession of weapons and disorderly conduct. It's unclear how these various cases will fare at trial. For charges asserting threats of violence, the threats must be highly specific, accompanied by evidence of imminent danger. \"The whole test is whether something is a clear or present danger,\" says Martin Stolar, a civil rights lawyer based in New York. You must be expressing a clear intention to commit a crime, he continued, and close to committing it. A case in Vermont shows how tricky it can be to prosecute. Jack Sawyer, 18, was arrested in 2018 after he threatened to cause mass casualties at his former high school. A friend had informed police, who searched his car and found a 31-page diary entitled Journal of an Active Shooter. The state's attorney charged Mr Sawyer with four felonies - two counts of attempted aggravated murder, and one count each of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, among the most serious charges in Vermont. But within months, all four felony charges were dropped. Mr Sawyer walked free in April 2018 and has now been adjudicated as a youthful offender for carrying a dangerous weapon. He will remain under state supervision until he turns 22. The court found that he had stated his intentions to commit harm but no action followed, says Vermont-based lawyer David Sleigh. \"Simply contemplating a crime is not a crime in Vermont.\" All states have laws that bar violent threats. Threats made by US mail or interstate commerce, for example, are considered criminal. But those threats generally must include the incitement or solicitation of specific violent acts to be considered criminal. \"You don't criticise someone for speaking, you criticise people for picking up a gun,\" says Mr Stolar. \"When speech crosses the line.\" Without a designated target, an immediate timeline, or clear preparations to commit assault, violent words may be protected speech. There must be \"action and imminent danger,\" Mr Sleigh says. \"As opposed to trying to criminalise evil or unpalatable thinking.\" In terms of free speech protections, the US is singular. \"In some countries, they've criminalised certain types of hate speech that are protected here,\" says Mary McCord, a former senior national security prosecutor, now legal director at Georgetown University's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. \"They have a tool available in those countries to prevent some of the type of speech that can be used to recruit new adherents to an ideology.\" What about other countries? In the UK, for example, an expression of hatred related to a victim's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal. In Canada, too, there are more restrictions on free speech than in the US. The federal criminal code includes multiple provisions barring hate speech, including those that impose criminal sanctions against anyone who willfully incites hatred in public against an identifiable group, including those distinguished by race, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability. Such sensitivities \"present barriers,\" Ms McCord says, \"to effectively combat the spread of violent ideologies.\" But in the US, she continues, \"we respect the first amendment.\" The implications of the first amendment are complicated by the second, which enshrines the right to gun ownership. In many of the recent arrests, suspects were found in possession of firearms and other weapons. But even where suspects were found with a hoard of firearms - like 18-year-old Justin Olsen, who was found with more than a dozen rifles and 10,000 rounds of ammunition - the cache of weapons uncovered were legally acquired, and do not provide grounds to prosecute. \"If a person's not prohibited for having a weapon, he could have a bunch of weapons, he could not be breaking any laws at all,\" says Ms McCord. She has drafted a proposal to criminalise the stockpiling of weapons for use in a domestic attack. \"That would enable the government to prove his intent,\" says Ms McCord, giving law enforcement an additional tool to thwart potential offenders before they act. Without standing law specifically addressing domestic terrorism, \"law enforcement has to find something to charge [suspects] with because there's nothing that directly applies. They're cobbling things together to charge.\" Ms McCord is among a growing number of those within the intelligence community calling for domestic terrorism to be classified as a federal crime, giving law enforcement expanded preventative powers - similar to those that apply to international terrorist groups. But some civil rights advocates and attorneys balk at giving the US government any more power. They argue that existing laws, when enforced, are sufficient. \"I think the rush to try to expand police authority into regulating rights of free speech or rights to gun ownership should be taken very, very carefully,\" Mr Sleigh says. Does the combination of the first and second amendment create a volatility that does not exist elsewhere, he asks. \"I suspect it does. But it's been part of our national project to embrace that liberty and freedom, knowing that it comes with risk.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3671, "answer_end": 4860, "text": "In terms of free speech protections, the US is singular. \"In some countries, they've criminalised certain types of hate speech that are protected here,\" says Mary McCord, a former senior national security prosecutor, now legal director at Georgetown University's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection. \"They have a tool available in those countries to prevent some of the type of speech that can be used to recruit new adherents to an ideology.\" What about other countries? In the UK, for example, an expression of hatred related to a victim's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal. In Canada, too, there are more restrictions on free speech than in the US. The federal criminal code includes multiple provisions barring hate speech, including those that impose criminal sanctions against anyone who willfully incites hatred in public against an identifiable group, including those distinguished by race, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability. Such sensitivities \"present barriers,\" Ms McCord says, \"to effectively combat the spread of violent ideologies.\" But in the US, she continues, \"we respect the first amendment.\""}], "question": "What happens in other countries?", "id": "1180_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4861, "answer_end": 6805, "text": "The implications of the first amendment are complicated by the second, which enshrines the right to gun ownership. In many of the recent arrests, suspects were found in possession of firearms and other weapons. But even where suspects were found with a hoard of firearms - like 18-year-old Justin Olsen, who was found with more than a dozen rifles and 10,000 rounds of ammunition - the cache of weapons uncovered were legally acquired, and do not provide grounds to prosecute. \"If a person's not prohibited for having a weapon, he could have a bunch of weapons, he could not be breaking any laws at all,\" says Ms McCord. She has drafted a proposal to criminalise the stockpiling of weapons for use in a domestic attack. \"That would enable the government to prove his intent,\" says Ms McCord, giving law enforcement an additional tool to thwart potential offenders before they act. Without standing law specifically addressing domestic terrorism, \"law enforcement has to find something to charge [suspects] with because there's nothing that directly applies. They're cobbling things together to charge.\" Ms McCord is among a growing number of those within the intelligence community calling for domestic terrorism to be classified as a federal crime, giving law enforcement expanded preventative powers - similar to those that apply to international terrorist groups. But some civil rights advocates and attorneys balk at giving the US government any more power. They argue that existing laws, when enforced, are sufficient. \"I think the rush to try to expand police authority into regulating rights of free speech or rights to gun ownership should be taken very, very carefully,\" Mr Sleigh says. Does the combination of the first and second amendment create a volatility that does not exist elsewhere, he asks. \"I suspect it does. But it's been part of our national project to embrace that liberty and freedom, knowing that it comes with risk.\""}], "question": "Is an arsenal legal?", "id": "1180_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Greece: Migrant camps 'on edge of catastrophe', EU watchdog says", "date": "1 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of people living in \"abysmal\" refugee camps on two Greek islands are \"on the edge of catastrophe\", Europe's human rights watchdog has said. Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke of an \"explosive situation\" on the Aegean islands, home to 36,000 asylum seekers. Hours later, Greece's parliament passed a bill to fast-track deportations. The prime minister said refugees would be protected but Greece's gates would not be thrown open to everyone. The left-wing opposition has criticised the law and some humanitarian groups, including United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, have warned it could restrict protection for asylum seekers. But centre-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the move would deter those not entitled to asylum, telling parliament: \"Enough is enough.\" Nearly one million migrants refugees, including many fleeing war in Syria, crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands in 2015. Turkey agreed a financial deal with the EU to curb the influx but is still hosting 3.6 million Syrians. In recent months the numbers have surged and all the camps on the Greek islands are filled beyond capacity. Ms Mijatovic visited reception facilities on the islands of Lesbos and Samos. Lesbos has a capacity of 2,840 but is currently housing 16,924 immigrants, many of them in the cramped Moria camp. In a scathing assessment, Ms Mijatovic said: \"The situation of migrants, including asylum seekers, in the Greek Aegean islands has dramatically worsened over the past 12 months. Urgent measures are needed to address the desperate conditions in which thousands of human beings are living.\" She described the camps as \"vastly overcrowded\" places where people \"queue for hours to get food and to go to bathrooms, when these are available\". The camp in Samos was so overcrowded, families were \"chipping away at rocks to make some space on steep hillsides\". \"This no longer has anything to do with the reception of asylum seekers,\" Ms Mijatovic said. \"This has become a struggle for survival.\" Ms Mijatovic said if the \"abysmal conditions\" were not improved urgently, there was a risk of \"further tragic events\". Last month, a woman was killed when a fire broke out in the centre of the Moria reception centre. Seven people died in September when a dinghy carrying migrants capsized between Turkey and the Greek island of Chios. The controversial asylum law, introduced by Greece's New Democracy government, aims to curb the rising number of migrants arriving on Greece's shores. The government said the new legislation would speed up and streamline the asylum process and the deportation of illegal migrants. Mr Mitsotakis, who took office in July, has taken a much tougher stance against migrants and asylum seekers than his left-wing predecessor, Alexis Tsipras. While Mr Tsipras condemned the bill, the prime minister told parliament the law sent a clear message that those who were not entitled to asylum would be sent back.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 822, "answer_end": 1351, "text": "Nearly one million migrants refugees, including many fleeing war in Syria, crossed from Turkey to the Greek islands in 2015. Turkey agreed a financial deal with the EU to curb the influx but is still hosting 3.6 million Syrians. In recent months the numbers have surged and all the camps on the Greek islands are filled beyond capacity. Ms Mijatovic visited reception facilities on the islands of Lesbos and Samos. Lesbos has a capacity of 2,840 but is currently housing 16,924 immigrants, many of them in the cramped Moria camp."}], "question": "Why have migrants returned to Greece?", "id": "1181_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1352, "answer_end": 2375, "text": "In a scathing assessment, Ms Mijatovic said: \"The situation of migrants, including asylum seekers, in the Greek Aegean islands has dramatically worsened over the past 12 months. Urgent measures are needed to address the desperate conditions in which thousands of human beings are living.\" She described the camps as \"vastly overcrowded\" places where people \"queue for hours to get food and to go to bathrooms, when these are available\". The camp in Samos was so overcrowded, families were \"chipping away at rocks to make some space on steep hillsides\". \"This no longer has anything to do with the reception of asylum seekers,\" Ms Mijatovic said. \"This has become a struggle for survival.\" Ms Mijatovic said if the \"abysmal conditions\" were not improved urgently, there was a risk of \"further tragic events\". Last month, a woman was killed when a fire broke out in the centre of the Moria reception centre. Seven people died in September when a dinghy carrying migrants capsized between Turkey and the Greek island of Chios."}], "question": "What did the commissioner say?", "id": "1181_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2376, "answer_end": 2976, "text": "The controversial asylum law, introduced by Greece's New Democracy government, aims to curb the rising number of migrants arriving on Greece's shores. The government said the new legislation would speed up and streamline the asylum process and the deportation of illegal migrants. Mr Mitsotakis, who took office in July, has taken a much tougher stance against migrants and asylum seekers than his left-wing predecessor, Alexis Tsipras. While Mr Tsipras condemned the bill, the prime minister told parliament the law sent a clear message that those who were not entitled to asylum would be sent back."}], "question": "What's the new asylum legislation?", "id": "1181_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Huawei: Tappy the robot and the rest of the US charges", "date": "29 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The US has filed two indictments against Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Among the 23 charges levelled against them are money laundering, bank fraud and stealing trade secrets. The latter is an intriguing tale of the alleged theft of a T-Mobile robot known as Tappy. The charges came as China and the US headed into scheduled high-level trade talks. Tensions are already high over the arrest of Ms Meng in Canada last month. She faces extradition to the US for allegedly evading sanctions on Iran. The indictments, by the US Department of Justice, have only been partially unsealed, but here's what we know so far: Under the first indictment, Huawei and Ms Meng are charged with misleading banks and the US government about their business in Iran. It is alleged that, from 2009-14, the two deliberately dodged sanctions against Iran by dealing through a company called Skycom. Ms Meng and other Huawei executives - including an unnamed \"founder\" - allegedly called Skycom a \"local partner.\" Prosecutors, however, say Skycom was owned by Huawei through a subsidiary company. Ms Meng is also accused of lying to banks about her relationship with Skycom. If found guilty of the charges against her, she faces up to 30 years in prison. Huawei would also be forced to pay financial penalties. In the second indictment, Huawei has been landed with 10 criminal charges including obstruction of justice and the attempted theft of trade secrets. Prosecutors say it deliberately tried to steal robot technology from network provider T-Mobile. The robot, known as Tappy, mimicked human fingers to test phone durability and was kept in a secure lab in Washington state. The technology behind it was a closely-guarded secret but T-Mobile allowed some phone manufacturers to use Tappy within the lab. In 2012, engineers at Huawei's US branch were given access to Tappy after the two companies entered into a supply agreement. For this access, Huawei had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Prosecutors allege that it violated this agreement. Citing emails and phone calls, it is claimed that Huawei engineers in the US were directed by executives in China to take photos and share notes of Tappy's specifications. In one instance, a Huawei engineer (referred to as AX) allegedly took the robot arm from T-Mobile's lab without permission. AX first denied stealing the arm but \"later claimed he found it in his bag\". According to the indictment, AX returned the arm but first emailed pictures and technical information to colleagues in China. After the incident, Huawei told T-Mobile that it had launched an internal investigation and found that the people involved had \"acted on their own\". Despite Huawei's attempts to distance itself, prosecutors say that - at the time of the report - Huawei's China branch launched a \"bonus programme to reward employees who stole confidential info from competitors\". If found guilty of the charges Huawei will be fined up to $5m (PS3.8m), or three times the value of the stolen trade secret - whichever is greater. T-Mobile has already taken Huawei to court over the incident. It tried to claim $500m in damages and settled in 2017 for $4.8m. A jury ruled that Huawei misappropriated trade secrets but had not done so wilfully or with malice. Unlike the new indictment, it was tried as a civil case - not a criminal one. T-Mobile told the BBC it had no comment to make over the new indictment. Several details of the investigation have been kept private, and it is not yet known what else is in the indictments. Under US law a judge will be assigned for each case. The judges will then set deadlines for the next legal steps. There is no set timeframe for a resolution and it can often take years for a dispute to make it to court. The matter may even be settled out of court. Following the indictment, the US sent Canada a formal request to extradite Ms Meng for violating US sanctions. Canada's Department of Justice now has 29 days to decide if an extradition hearing should take place. Ms Meng has denied the accusations against her. In a statement to the BBC, Huawei also denied any wrongdoing and said it was \"disappointed\" by the charges. The firm added that - after Ms Meng's arrest - it had tried meeting with the US Department of Justice to talk about the investigation. It claims this request \"was rejected without explanation\". China's foreign ministry has also weighed in on the indictments. It's accused the US of using \"state power to discredit and crack down on specific Chinese companies in an attempt to strangle the enterprises' legitimate and legal operations\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3462, "answer_end": 4649, "text": "Several details of the investigation have been kept private, and it is not yet known what else is in the indictments. Under US law a judge will be assigned for each case. The judges will then set deadlines for the next legal steps. There is no set timeframe for a resolution and it can often take years for a dispute to make it to court. The matter may even be settled out of court. Following the indictment, the US sent Canada a formal request to extradite Ms Meng for violating US sanctions. Canada's Department of Justice now has 29 days to decide if an extradition hearing should take place. Ms Meng has denied the accusations against her. In a statement to the BBC, Huawei also denied any wrongdoing and said it was \"disappointed\" by the charges. The firm added that - after Ms Meng's arrest - it had tried meeting with the US Department of Justice to talk about the investigation. It claims this request \"was rejected without explanation\". China's foreign ministry has also weighed in on the indictments. It's accused the US of using \"state power to discredit and crack down on specific Chinese companies in an attempt to strangle the enterprises' legitimate and legal operations\"."}], "question": "What happens now?", "id": "1182_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Barclays customers can now 'switch off' spending", "date": "11 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Barclays has become the first High Street bank to allow its customers to \"switch off\" certain types of spending on their debit cards. The idea is to help vulnerable customers, particularly problem gamblers, or those in serious debt. However, all account holders can now block their own spending in a number of categories, including supermarkets, restaurants, pubs and petrol stations. It follows pressure from charities and money experts such as Martin Lewis. Customers are not able to block specific retailers, but instead can decide which categories of spending are allowed. These are: - Groceries and supermarkets - Restaurants, takeaways, pubs and bars - Petrol stations - Gambling - including websites, betting shops and lottery tickets - Premium rate websites and phone lines, including TV voting, competitions and adult services Customers who want to select any of the categories above can do so via the Barclays app (see below). However, they will need to download the latest version of it. It is also possible to phone the bank, or go into a branch. For the moment, the tool only applies to spending on debit cards, although it should apply to credit cards at a later date. The idea was welcomed by Andy Gray, a former gambler from the West Midlands, who lost PS100,000 in a single year. \"It's brilliant. It should be used in school. And every parent should be aware of it,\" he told the BBC. Although he used cash from his business to gamble when it was available, he would use a debit card whenever it wasn't. \"When I was not at work and needed to bet, I would resort to online debit card payments.\" He said he would be using the app as soon as he could. While Barclays is the first major bank to operate this scheme, other online banks already offer similar blockers. The mobile bank Starling allows customers to block spending on gambling sites, or - unlike the Barclays tool - with specific retailers. Monzo, which introduced a similar tool in June, has reported a 70% decline in spending on gambling as a result. The idea has also been welcomed by some charities, as well as the Money Advice Trust. \"I believe it will make a real difference to people's lives and I hope the other banks will follow suit,\" said Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 460, "answer_end": 1182, "text": "Customers are not able to block specific retailers, but instead can decide which categories of spending are allowed. These are: - Groceries and supermarkets - Restaurants, takeaways, pubs and bars - Petrol stations - Gambling - including websites, betting shops and lottery tickets - Premium rate websites and phone lines, including TV voting, competitions and adult services Customers who want to select any of the categories above can do so via the Barclays app (see below). However, they will need to download the latest version of it. It is also possible to phone the bank, or go into a branch. For the moment, the tool only applies to spending on debit cards, although it should apply to credit cards at a later date."}], "question": "How does it work?", "id": "1183_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1183, "answer_end": 1664, "text": "The idea was welcomed by Andy Gray, a former gambler from the West Midlands, who lost PS100,000 in a single year. \"It's brilliant. It should be used in school. And every parent should be aware of it,\" he told the BBC. Although he used cash from his business to gamble when it was available, he would use a debit card whenever it wasn't. \"When I was not at work and needed to bet, I would resort to online debit card payments.\" He said he would be using the app as soon as he could."}], "question": "What do gamblers think?", "id": "1183_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1665, "answer_end": 2271, "text": "While Barclays is the first major bank to operate this scheme, other online banks already offer similar blockers. The mobile bank Starling allows customers to block spending on gambling sites, or - unlike the Barclays tool - with specific retailers. Monzo, which introduced a similar tool in June, has reported a 70% decline in spending on gambling as a result. The idea has also been welcomed by some charities, as well as the Money Advice Trust. \"I believe it will make a real difference to people's lives and I hope the other banks will follow suit,\" said Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert."}], "question": "Do other banks do the same thing?", "id": "1183_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Champions League: Two weddings and a football final", "date": "10 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Some Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool fans are finding themselves in a bit of a dilemma as huge personal occasions are due to clash with the Champions League final between the two clubs. Up until the final whistles at Anfield and the Johan Cruyff Arena this week, not many Reds and Spurs fans could have been certain of their teams being at the final in Madrid on Saturday 1 June. Neither club had the easiest ride through the early group stages of the competition, and both found themselves looking likely to go out in the knockout stages, so fans could be forgiven for making other plans for the date. Tottenham's manager Mauricio Pochettino is confident the final against Liverpool will be \"amazing\", but what are some fans willing to do to see it? For Liverpool fan Neil Patterson, it is his wedding day. Fiancee Hannah is both a fan of Liverpool and Rangers, so is less concerned about the clash, but Neil took to Twitter to air his concerns. Speaking of the Spurs match on Wednesday, Neil told the BBC: \"It was an amazing game, but I wanted Ajax to go through to the final. It would hurt less if we lost to Ajax.\" Neil believes this might be the only thing Liverpool win this season, which is why it is so important for him to watch. The Reds are in contention for the Premier League title, but are a point behind Manchester City going into Sunday's final round of matches. When Liverpool reached the Champions League semi-finals, Neil checked the date of the final. \"Usually they're in May, so I thought I'd be OK watching it before our wedding. I didn't realise it was in June,\" he said. Aware of the clash with his big day, he looked into installing a widescreen TV for the evening celebrations, but when Hannah found out, she said no. With the wedding ceremony at 3pm and dinner around 5pm, \"I thought everything would be done by 8pm,\" said Neil, without appreciating how much else was involved, like the cake-cutting, speeches and the first dance. Luckily there has been a compromise. \"I wore her down eventually. I had to get my sister involved.\" Hannah says it will be a momentous occasion - their wedding, that is - but appreciates there will be lots of football fans attending their celebrations. \"Both our families are from Liverpool. A couple of my mum's friends have already asked if there's going to be a large screen to watch,\" she said. The couple may compromise with a screen near the bar. Neil expects it will be a great atmosphere and Hannah admits she will probably be glued to the TV when the match is on. Mike Johnson, whose whole family support Spurs, is getting married in a venue on Dartmoor, Devon, on the day of the final, which means there will probably be almost no internet connection. Both Mike and his fiancee Emily, who have been together for more than four years, watched the match on Wednesday and had very different reactions. \"I was shocked and just sat in silence. I'd convinced myself that it would be best if Spurs were knocked out, because of our wedding day clash,\" Mike told the BBC. Emily, however, burst into tears. Mike at first thought she was a \"closet Ajax fan\", then realised she was worried nobody would want to attend their wedding. The couple have decided not to show the game, despite suggestions that they embrace the match and have ushers in Spurs kits. \"That idea was quickly shot down,\" said Mike, \"If I can claim that my brother, who's a season ticket holder, is happy to miss the game, then it'll be very difficult for our other guests to complain.\" Mike's mother, Bernadette, admitted she secretly did not want Spurs to win because of the wedding, However, it is \"far more important - a millions of times more - than a football match. Family comes first,\" she told the BBC. \"The people who love my son and his bride-to-be will hopefully put them first.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 751, "answer_end": 2530, "text": "For Liverpool fan Neil Patterson, it is his wedding day. Fiancee Hannah is both a fan of Liverpool and Rangers, so is less concerned about the clash, but Neil took to Twitter to air his concerns. Speaking of the Spurs match on Wednesday, Neil told the BBC: \"It was an amazing game, but I wanted Ajax to go through to the final. It would hurt less if we lost to Ajax.\" Neil believes this might be the only thing Liverpool win this season, which is why it is so important for him to watch. The Reds are in contention for the Premier League title, but are a point behind Manchester City going into Sunday's final round of matches. When Liverpool reached the Champions League semi-finals, Neil checked the date of the final. \"Usually they're in May, so I thought I'd be OK watching it before our wedding. I didn't realise it was in June,\" he said. Aware of the clash with his big day, he looked into installing a widescreen TV for the evening celebrations, but when Hannah found out, she said no. With the wedding ceremony at 3pm and dinner around 5pm, \"I thought everything would be done by 8pm,\" said Neil, without appreciating how much else was involved, like the cake-cutting, speeches and the first dance. Luckily there has been a compromise. \"I wore her down eventually. I had to get my sister involved.\" Hannah says it will be a momentous occasion - their wedding, that is - but appreciates there will be lots of football fans attending their celebrations. \"Both our families are from Liverpool. A couple of my mum's friends have already asked if there's going to be a large screen to watch,\" she said. The couple may compromise with a screen near the bar. Neil expects it will be a great atmosphere and Hannah admits she will probably be glued to the TV when the match is on."}], "question": "Big day, big screen?", "id": "1184_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Xinjiang cotton sparks concern over 'forced labour' claims", "date": "13 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Global retailers are facing scrutiny over cotton supplies sourced from Xinjiang, a Chinese region plagued by allegations of human rights abuses. China is one of the world's top cotton producers and most of its crop is grown in Xinjiang. Rights groups say Xinjiang's Uighur minority are being persecuted and recruited for forced labour. Many brands are thought to indirectly source cotton products from the Xinjiang region in China's far west. Japanese retailers Muji and Uniqlo attracted attention recently after a report highlighted the brands used the Xinjiang-origin of their cotton as a selling point in advertisements. H&M, Esprit and Adidas are among the firms said to be at the end of supply chains involving cotton products from Xinjiang, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. \"You can't be sure that you don't have coerced labour in your supply chain if you do cotton business in China,\" said Nathan Ruser, researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. \"Xinjiang labour and what is almost certainly coerced labour is very deeply entrenched into the supply chain that exists in Xinjiang.\" UN experts and human rights groups say China is holding more than a million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in vast detention camps. Rights groups also say people in camps are made to learn Mandarin Chinese, swear loyalty to President Xi Jinping, and criticise or renounce their faith. China says those people are attending \"vocational training centres\" which are giving them jobs and helping them integrate into Chinese society, in the name of preventing terrorism. The Xinjiang region is a key hub of Chinese cotton production. China produces about 22% of global cotton supplies, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Last year, 84% of Chinese cotton came from Xinjiang, the report said. That has raised concerns over whether forced labour has been used in the production of cotton from the region. Nury Turkel, chairman of the Uighur Human Rights Project in Washington, said the Uighurs were being \"detained and tormented\" and \"swept into a vast system of forced labor\" in Xinjiang. In testimony to US congress, he said it was becoming \"increasingly hard to ignore the fact\" that the goods manufactured in the region have \"a high likelihood\" of being produced with forced labour. Amy Lehr, director of CSIS Human Rights Initiative, said in many cases Western companies aren't buying directly from factories in Xinjiang. \"Rather, the products may go through several stages of transformation after leaving Xinjiang before they are sent to large Western brands,\" she said. Some, like Muji, are very open about sourcing material from Xinjiang. The Japanese retail chain launched a new Xinjiang Cotton collection earlier this year. One of its advertisements boasts \"soft and breathable\" men's shirts made from organic cotton \"delicately and wholly handpicked in Xinjiang\". Another Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo had also touted the Xinjiang region in an advertisement advertisment for men's shirts. In the fine print of the shirt description, the advert said the shirts were made from Xinjiang cotton, \"famous for its superb quality\". That reference was later removed from the advertisement \"given the complexity of this issue\", according to a spokesperson for Uniqlo. \"Uniqlo does not have any production partners located in the Xinjiang region. Moreover, Uniqlo production partners must commit to our strict company code of conduct. \"To the best of our knowledge, this means our cotton comes only from ethical sources,\" the spokesperson told the BBC. According to the Wall Street Journal report which focused on workers at a mill operated by Huafu Fashion in Aksu, Xinjiang, yarn made in the region was present in the supply chains of several international retailers including H&M, Esprit and Adidas. Many of the companies looked into the allegations, including those without clear links to the Huafu mill. In a statement to the BBC, Adidas said: \"While we do not have a contractual relationship with Huafu Fashion Co., or any direct leverage with this business entity or its subsidiary, we are currently investigating these claims.\" \"We advised our material suppliers to place no orders with Huafu until we have completed those investigations,\" the Adidas spokesperson said. Esprit, which also does not source cotton directly from Xinjiang, said it had made several inquiries earlier this year. \"We concluded that a very small amount of cotton from a Huafu factory in Xinjiang was used in a limited number of Esprit garments,\" the firm said in a statement. The company has instructed all suppliers to not source Huafu yarn from Aksu, the statement said. H&M said it does not have \"a direct or indirect business relationship\" with any garment manufacturer in the Xinjiang region. \"We have an indirect business relationship with Huafu's spinning unit in Shanyu, which is not located in the Xinjiang region, and according to our data, the vast majority of the yarn used for our garment manufacturing comes from this spinning unit,\" a spokesperson for H&M said. \"Since we have an indirect business relationship with the yarn supplier Huafu, we also asked for access to their spinning facilities in Aksu. Our investigations showed no evidence of forced labor.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1120, "answer_end": 1590, "text": "UN experts and human rights groups say China is holding more than a million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in vast detention camps. Rights groups also say people in camps are made to learn Mandarin Chinese, swear loyalty to President Xi Jinping, and criticise or renounce their faith. China says those people are attending \"vocational training centres\" which are giving them jobs and helping them integrate into Chinese society, in the name of preventing terrorism."}], "question": "What is happening in Xinjiang?", "id": "1185_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1591, "answer_end": 2352, "text": "The Xinjiang region is a key hub of Chinese cotton production. China produces about 22% of global cotton supplies, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Last year, 84% of Chinese cotton came from Xinjiang, the report said. That has raised concerns over whether forced labour has been used in the production of cotton from the region. Nury Turkel, chairman of the Uighur Human Rights Project in Washington, said the Uighurs were being \"detained and tormented\" and \"swept into a vast system of forced labor\" in Xinjiang. In testimony to US congress, he said it was becoming \"increasingly hard to ignore the fact\" that the goods manufactured in the region have \"a high likelihood\" of being produced with forced labour."}], "question": "What is produced in Xinjiang?", "id": "1185_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Why Greek mountain villagers have healthy hearts", "date": "26 May 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Scientists have pinpointed one reason why people living in isolated villages in Greece may enjoy long and healthy lives. They found a new genetic variant, common among villagers, which appears to protect the heart by lowering levels of \"bad\" fats and cholesterol. Despite a diet rich in animal fat, the people of Mylopotamos in northern Crete do not suffer from cardiovascular disease. And they really love their cheese. The isolated villages of Zoniana and Anogia are high up in the mountains on the island of Crete. Few people move in or out of the villages and the inhabitants are known for living well into old age. Heart problems, heart attacks and strokes - all types of cardiovascular disease - are rare, and that's despite a diet which includes plenty of lamb and local Cretan cheese. There is a cheese festival held every year in the villages, by the way. Well, this kind of diet would normally be a recipe for lots of health complications. That's because eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in the blood, and high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The villagers do get type 2 diabetes at the same rate as the general Greek population, but they don't seem to suffer from the usual consequences, such as diabetic kidney disease. That's exactly what researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute wanted to know. Was there something in the villagers' genetic make-up that protected their hearts against disease? Their research, published in Nature Communications, identified a new genetic variant which has heart-protecting qualities. It is associated with lower levels of \"bad\" natural fats and \"bad\" cholesterol - which are important for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The variant appears to be virtually unique to the population of the two mountain villages. Out of thousands of Europeans who have undergone genome sequencing, only one other person in Italy possesses this variant, the researchers said. To solve the puzzle, they sequenced the entire genome of 250 villagers. That means they took blood samples, extracted the DNA - the operating instructions for each one of us which determine how we look and who we are - and analysed a string of three billion letters which make up their human genome. Then they used the results to get a more detailed view of more than 3,000 villagers who had already been through genotyping (a shortcut to acquiring some genetic information). This discovery isn't a reason to go out and eat your weight in animal fat and cheese. That wouldn't be recommended at all - because the rest of us don't possess this genetic variant. But scientists say they can use their discovery to work out which genetic variants play a role in causing complex diseases. This can give clues as to why some people develop heart disease and some don't. In this study, using this isolated population, they found a genetic variant no-one had seen before - and it's linked to the most common cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease. But there's still much to find out. Scientists can't tell why the variant is present - it could be to do with how the villagers live their lives, the environment they live in or it could have been passed down the generations. Very. Other research teams are looking at different isolated populations, such as the Amish in the United States, the Inuit in northern Greenland and the Orkney Islanders, in Scotland, to see what else they can discover about the secrets to staying healthy.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 421, "answer_end": 864, "text": "The isolated villages of Zoniana and Anogia are high up in the mountains on the island of Crete. Few people move in or out of the villages and the inhabitants are known for living well into old age. Heart problems, heart attacks and strokes - all types of cardiovascular disease - are rare, and that's despite a diet which includes plenty of lamb and local Cretan cheese. There is a cheese festival held every year in the villages, by the way."}], "question": "What's special about these Greek villages?", "id": "1186_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 865, "answer_end": 1351, "text": "Well, this kind of diet would normally be a recipe for lots of health complications. That's because eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in the blood, and high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The villagers do get type 2 diabetes at the same rate as the general Greek population, but they don't seem to suffer from the usual consequences, such as diabetic kidney disease."}], "question": "Unhealthy, then?", "id": "1186_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1352, "answer_end": 2048, "text": "That's exactly what researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute wanted to know. Was there something in the villagers' genetic make-up that protected their hearts against disease? Their research, published in Nature Communications, identified a new genetic variant which has heart-protecting qualities. It is associated with lower levels of \"bad\" natural fats and \"bad\" cholesterol - which are important for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The variant appears to be virtually unique to the population of the two mountain villages. Out of thousands of Europeans who have undergone genome sequencing, only one other person in Italy possesses this variant, the researchers said."}], "question": "So what's different about their genes?", "id": "1186_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2049, "answer_end": 2524, "text": "To solve the puzzle, they sequenced the entire genome of 250 villagers. That means they took blood samples, extracted the DNA - the operating instructions for each one of us which determine how we look and who we are - and analysed a string of three billion letters which make up their human genome. Then they used the results to get a more detailed view of more than 3,000 villagers who had already been through genotyping (a shortcut to acquiring some genetic information)."}], "question": "How do they know?", "id": "1186_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2525, "answer_end": 3323, "text": "This discovery isn't a reason to go out and eat your weight in animal fat and cheese. That wouldn't be recommended at all - because the rest of us don't possess this genetic variant. But scientists say they can use their discovery to work out which genetic variants play a role in causing complex diseases. This can give clues as to why some people develop heart disease and some don't. In this study, using this isolated population, they found a genetic variant no-one had seen before - and it's linked to the most common cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease. But there's still much to find out. Scientists can't tell why the variant is present - it could be to do with how the villagers live their lives, the environment they live in or it could have been passed down the generations."}], "question": "What does this mean for me?", "id": "1186_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3324, "answer_end": 3581, "text": "Very. Other research teams are looking at different isolated populations, such as the Amish in the United States, the Inuit in northern Greenland and the Orkney Islanders, in Scotland, to see what else they can discover about the secrets to staying healthy."}], "question": "So isolated populations are useful?", "id": "1186_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria conflict: Civilians under siege", "date": "7 January 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Opposition activists in Syria have told the BBC that people are dying of starvation in the government-besieged town of Madaya, near Damascus. Reports say residents have resorted to eating grass in two Shia villages further north, Foua and Kefraya, which have been blockaded by rebel forces for even longer. The United Nations says all parties to the conflict in Syria have used siege warfare, in breach of international human rights and humanitarian laws. International law prohibits the starvation of civilians as a tactic of war. The World Food Programme and the International Red Cross describe conditions in some areas as \"extremely dire\". Here is what we know about the situation for trapped civilians after nearly five years of civil war. The UN believes that of the 4.5 million people living in what it terms \"hard-to-reach\" areas of Syria, nearly 400,000 are besieged. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on Syria, published in December 2015, notes  that \"parties to the conflict continued to entirely or heavily restrict access to besieged areas\". Freedom of movement for both people and goods is heavily restricted, leading to high prices for commodities brought in via irregular supply lines. The report details the paltry amount of aid that UN agencies were able to provide to those 400,000 people from September to November. \"In September, some 7,800 people were reached with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance in one besieged location. In October, 10,500 people in besieged locations were provided with food, health and basic relief assistance and some 16,700 people were provided with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. In November, 1,077 children received textbooks and 50 children were provided with winter clothes,\" it says. \"No other assistance reached the besieged areas in November.\" The organisation says only 10% of all requests for its convoys to hard-to-reach and besieged areas in Syria have been granted in the past year. 'Dire situation' in besieged villages According to the UN, those under siege include about 200,000 people in government-controlled areas of the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, which are besieged by Islamic State (IS) militants. In the eastern Ghouta, a rebel stronghold outside Damascus, about 176,500 people are besieged by Syrian government forces in various locations. In the suburb of Darayya and mountain town of Zabadani in Damascus Countryside province, about 4,000 and 500 people respectively remain besieged by government forces, the UN says. Madaya, just to the south of Zabadani, has been under siege since July. The UN says about 42,000 people are trapped there, some of whom fled Zabadani. In Foua and Kefraya, in Idlib province, some 12,500 people are estimated to be trapped by rebel groups and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front. The story of the Syrian conflict With great difficulty. Those civilians trapped inside areas under siege depend on black market supplies at inflated prices. The UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry on Syria found in July 2015 that people, particularly the vulnerable, had died of malnutrition and lack of access to medicines and electricity. \"Trapped without basic necessities and under constant fear of deadly snipers or bombardment, severe psychological trauma and desperation characterise the besieged communities,\" the inquiry found. The commission says that a father drowned in March 2015 when attempting to swim across the River Euphrates from a besieged area of Deir al-Zour to find food for his children. Snipers in the city have targeted and killed civilians seeking to escape, including children, it says, and in April 2015 a 13-year-old girl died of hunger there. A resident of Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, told the BBC on Thursday that two people had died of starvation in the town on one day in January alone. \"People here have started eating earth because there's nothing left to eat,\" he said. \"Grass and leaves have died because of the mounting snow.\" He described the lack of medical facilities for the sick and vulnerable as \"terrifying\". \"Citizens are dying. They're eating stuff off the ground. They're eating cats and dogs,\" an activist whose family is in Madaya told the BBC on Tuesday. Pawel Krzysiek, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the AFP news agency that people had begged him for baby milk when he travelled to Madaya in October (the last time aid reached the town). Mothers were so malnourished they were not producing milk, and there was no way to feed newborns and young babies, he was told. A local official in Madaya told the Associated Press that the cost of goods had recently soared, with wheat costing about $250 (PS170) for a kilogram and powdered milk more than $300. \"Sieges are... a business for those enforcing them and for the most well-connected trapped inside,\" the UN says. Government officials and soldiers, and their families, have been less affected by the siege of Deir al-Zour, it reports, as they receive basic supplies via the city's military airport. A local agreement covering the four besieged towns of Zabadani, Madaya, Foua and Kefraya led to the evacuation of more than 460 people, including some with serious injuries, on 28 December as part of a swap deal. They were evacuated by land and air through Turkey and Lebanon under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Who are the groups fighting Assad? When the deal covering the four towns was first announced in October, the UN's World Food Programme took food rations for 20,000 people to last for a month into besieged Madaya. Since then, the WFP - and other international agencies - have not been able to get access despite repeated requests to the opposition and the government. The WFP had thought it would be able to get monthly access to Madaya. On 7 January the UN said the Syrian government had agreed to allow food aid into Madaya, Foah and Kefraya and assistance would be delivered \"in the coming days\". Last month's UN Security Council resolution on Syria, which endorsed peace talks which are due to start in Geneva at the end of January, calls for immediate access for humanitarian relief to all areas. Syrian opposition groups are trying to make that, and other goodwill measures, a precondition for attending the conference. Madaya resident Abdel Wahab Ahmed told the BBC that he wanted people internationally to hold a \"day of anger\" for his town, adding: \"We want solidarity for one day to lift the siege.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2856, "answer_end": 5071, "text": "With great difficulty. Those civilians trapped inside areas under siege depend on black market supplies at inflated prices. The UN Human Rights Council's Commission of Inquiry on Syria found in July 2015 that people, particularly the vulnerable, had died of malnutrition and lack of access to medicines and electricity. \"Trapped without basic necessities and under constant fear of deadly snipers or bombardment, severe psychological trauma and desperation characterise the besieged communities,\" the inquiry found. The commission says that a father drowned in March 2015 when attempting to swim across the River Euphrates from a besieged area of Deir al-Zour to find food for his children. Snipers in the city have targeted and killed civilians seeking to escape, including children, it says, and in April 2015 a 13-year-old girl died of hunger there. A resident of Madaya, Abdel Wahab Ahmed, told the BBC on Thursday that two people had died of starvation in the town on one day in January alone. \"People here have started eating earth because there's nothing left to eat,\" he said. \"Grass and leaves have died because of the mounting snow.\" He described the lack of medical facilities for the sick and vulnerable as \"terrifying\". \"Citizens are dying. They're eating stuff off the ground. They're eating cats and dogs,\" an activist whose family is in Madaya told the BBC on Tuesday. Pawel Krzysiek, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the AFP news agency that people had begged him for baby milk when he travelled to Madaya in October (the last time aid reached the town). Mothers were so malnourished they were not producing milk, and there was no way to feed newborns and young babies, he was told. A local official in Madaya told the Associated Press that the cost of goods had recently soared, with wheat costing about $250 (PS170) for a kilogram and powdered milk more than $300. \"Sieges are... a business for those enforcing them and for the most well-connected trapped inside,\" the UN says. Government officials and soldiers, and their families, have been less affected by the siege of Deir al-Zour, it reports, as they receive basic supplies via the city's military airport."}], "question": "How are people feeding themselves and their families?", "id": "1187_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5072, "answer_end": 5447, "text": "A local agreement covering the four besieged towns of Zabadani, Madaya, Foua and Kefraya led to the evacuation of more than 460 people, including some with serious injuries, on 28 December as part of a swap deal. They were evacuated by land and air through Turkey and Lebanon under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Who are the groups fighting Assad?"}], "question": "Has anyone been evacuated?", "id": "1187_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5448, "answer_end": 6521, "text": "When the deal covering the four towns was first announced in October, the UN's World Food Programme took food rations for 20,000 people to last for a month into besieged Madaya. Since then, the WFP - and other international agencies - have not been able to get access despite repeated requests to the opposition and the government. The WFP had thought it would be able to get monthly access to Madaya. On 7 January the UN said the Syrian government had agreed to allow food aid into Madaya, Foah and Kefraya and assistance would be delivered \"in the coming days\". Last month's UN Security Council resolution on Syria, which endorsed peace talks which are due to start in Geneva at the end of January, calls for immediate access for humanitarian relief to all areas. Syrian opposition groups are trying to make that, and other goodwill measures, a precondition for attending the conference. Madaya resident Abdel Wahab Ahmed told the BBC that he wanted people internationally to hold a \"day of anger\" for his town, adding: \"We want solidarity for one day to lift the siege.\""}], "question": "What can be done to help?", "id": "1187_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Migrant crisis: What is the next route through Europe?", "date": "22 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "After Hungary sealed off its border with Serbia, thousands of migrants travelling through Europe have been faced with the challenge of finding a new route. And with other EU countries boosting border controls, the long journey to a new life in Germany - or another preferred destination - has become even more complicated. Meanwhile European governments are rushing to cope with the huge number of people on the move. Crowds found themselves blocked at Serbia's border with Hungary, after the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban completed a razor-wire fence to stem the influx. Large numbers have now crossed instead into Croatia, which is not in Europe's passport-free Schengen zone. The authorities there had initially said they were ready to receive the migrants or \"direct\" them to where they want to go. Later they said they were overwhelmed and would only move people on. Croatia has said it will \"force\" Hungary to accept migrants by sending groups to the two countries' common border. Meanwhile Hungary is rushing to erect a fence along this boundary, too. There are other options for alternative routes but none is straightforward, says Martijn Pluim of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Going east through Romania is an option in order to avoid Croatia, he says. But it is likely to lead people back into Hungary, which has also pledged to build a new fence on its Romanian border. Crossing into Bosnia is more difficult, and only a detour. Passing from Serbia into Croatia and then into Slovenia initially seemed to be the easiest option, due to the infrastructure and transport network available. But Slovenia has tightened security and on Friday a group of migrants trying to cross the border were met with pepper spray. So migrants could increasingly look to other options. Small numbers have begun travelling from Greece to Albania then Italy by boat, according to reports. But the journey across the sea - popular with Albanians crossing to Italy in the 1990s - is risky, with rough waters. More than 2,600 migrants, including three-year-old Alan Kurdi, have drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean since January this year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Thousands of migrants at Europe's southern frontier have sought to avoid the dangerous maritime route between Turkey and Greece, walking to the Turkish border town of Edirne, 10km (six miles) from the Greek border and 20km from Bulgaria. But Turkish security forces have tried to block their route and local officials in Edirne have warned that they will send anyone trying to cross the border illegally back to refugee camps in southern Turkey. There are also unconfirmed reports of Syrians detained in Odessa in southern Ukraine, according to Mr Pluim. They are believed to have taken a boat from Turkey across the Black Sea. At the continent's northern tip, small numbers of people are believed to have crossed from Russia into Norway. And there are reports of people walking along the Baltic coast to Finland, according to Elizabeth Collett, of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). \"This demonstrates the extreme lengths people are willing to go to,\" she added. Experts say the main assistance migrants ask for when they arrive at junctions in their journeys is information. \"They keep asking where can they go, where can they go for protection,\" said Melita Sunjic, spokeswoman for the UN's refugee agency UNHCR. Many are increasingly turning to smartphones and social networks such as Whatsapp and Facebook to share advice on routes. Getting a local Sim card or connecting to wireless internet allows the migrants to use GPS maps, search engines and booking sites. It is a changing dynamic that has apparently taken some observers by surprise. But it has also allowed well-connected migrants to avoid the services of people smugglers. \"The majority of people have used at one stage the service of a smuggler - from Turkey to a Greek island for instance,\" says Mr Pluim of the ICMPD. \"But for the most part of the trip they can do it on their own.\" The large number of people heading for the European Union is expected to continue, with refugees still fleeing conflicts in countries such as Syria and Afghanistan. But the political climate and the weather in the continent are more changeable. The UN children's charity, Unicef, has announced it is increasing help for women and children at reception centres in Serbia and Macedonia, amid fears people could become stranded. \"As winter is approaching fast, the immediate needs for protection and care of children and pregnant women require urgent action,\" it said in a statement. Whereas bad weather is likely to deter people from dangerous sea crossings, the number of migrants travelling by land is not expected to decrease. However, the people arriving at Europe's borders may differ. Many of those so far have come from educated and well-off backgrounds, Mr Pluim says, but more and more migrants are expected to come from poorer families. They will have fewer resources to spend on safe transport and shelter. \"People will arrive in a more destitute situation, but also when the weather isn't good,\" he says. And there are concerns that countries such as Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia may not be prepared enough to cope. 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_start": 418, "answer_end": 1826, "text": "Crowds found themselves blocked at Serbia's border with Hungary, after the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban completed a razor-wire fence to stem the influx. Large numbers have now crossed instead into Croatia, which is not in Europe's passport-free Schengen zone. The authorities there had initially said they were ready to receive the migrants or \"direct\" them to where they want to go. Later they said they were overwhelmed and would only move people on. Croatia has said it will \"force\" Hungary to accept migrants by sending groups to the two countries' common border. Meanwhile Hungary is rushing to erect a fence along this boundary, too. There are other options for alternative routes but none is straightforward, says Martijn Pluim of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). Going east through Romania is an option in order to avoid Croatia, he says. But it is likely to lead people back into Hungary, which has also pledged to build a new fence on its Romanian border. Crossing into Bosnia is more difficult, and only a detour. Passing from Serbia into Croatia and then into Slovenia initially seemed to be the easiest option, due to the infrastructure and transport network available. But Slovenia has tightened security and on Friday a group of migrants trying to cross the border were met with pepper spray. So migrants could increasingly look to other options."}], "question": "Where will they go?", "id": "1188_0"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea missile test: What's changed?", "date": "13 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On the morning of 12 February, North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test launch from Banghyon air base near the west coast of the country. Like all such launches, the test took place in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang's press release, issued a day later, indicated that the missile - the Pukguksong-2 - was of the same type as one test-fired from a submarine off the east coast in August 2016. Unlike North Korea's other long-range land-based missiles, the system tested on 12 February used solid fuel. Until now, the country's comparable land-based missile systems have been liquid-fuelled. Pyongyang also announced that the launch vehicle carrying the new missile is indigenously made and uses a continuous or \"caterpillar\" track, rather than wheels with tyres. Previously North Korea has imported and modified foreign-made trucks to transport and launch its missiles. A domestic manufacturing capability will negate the need to convince or fool foreign suppliers into selling these vehicles. Continuous track also suggests that North Korea's intention may be to take the missiles off-road, making it more difficult to detect imminent launches. Missiles using liquid fuel require greater preparation time than those using solid fuel. They also require a larger constellation of support vehicles to accompany each launch vehicle. Both of these considerations make it more likely that an enemy might detect the missile in time to conduct a pre-emptive strike. Solid fuel substantially reduces this vulnerability. North Korea will be able to roll these systems out of concealed storage and launch them with minimal preparation, drastically shrinking the time that an adversary would have to find and kill the missile. The capability thus represents a major step forward for North Korea. There are two ways to launch missiles from their supporting vehicle's canister. In \"hot\" launches, the missile's engines propel it upward out of the canister, while in \"cold\" launches, the missile is ejected from the canister using compressed gas before its engines ignite. A cold eject approach spares the launch vehicle from damage from the missile's ignition, making it possible to reload it and reuse. Kim Jong-un has hit the gas pedal on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. In the past 13 months he has conducted two nuclear tests and launched over 20 ballistic missiles, including from a submarine. The demonstration of a long-range, solid-fuelled, land-based system is a continuation of this disturbing trend and one of the first significant foreign policy challenges that US President Donald Trump will be forced to grapple with.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 422, "answer_end": 1174, "text": "Unlike North Korea's other long-range land-based missiles, the system tested on 12 February used solid fuel. Until now, the country's comparable land-based missile systems have been liquid-fuelled. Pyongyang also announced that the launch vehicle carrying the new missile is indigenously made and uses a continuous or \"caterpillar\" track, rather than wheels with tyres. Previously North Korea has imported and modified foreign-made trucks to transport and launch its missiles. A domestic manufacturing capability will negate the need to convince or fool foreign suppliers into selling these vehicles. Continuous track also suggests that North Korea's intention may be to take the missiles off-road, making it more difficult to detect imminent launches."}], "question": "What is different about this missile?", "id": "1189_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1814, "answer_end": 2219, "text": "There are two ways to launch missiles from their supporting vehicle's canister. In \"hot\" launches, the missile's engines propel it upward out of the canister, while in \"cold\" launches, the missile is ejected from the canister using compressed gas before its engines ignite. A cold eject approach spares the launch vehicle from damage from the missile's ignition, making it possible to reload it and reuse."}], "question": "What is a \"cold eject\" launch system?", "id": "1189_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2220, "answer_end": 2661, "text": "Kim Jong-un has hit the gas pedal on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. In the past 13 months he has conducted two nuclear tests and launched over 20 ballistic missiles, including from a submarine. The demonstration of a long-range, solid-fuelled, land-based system is a continuation of this disturbing trend and one of the first significant foreign policy challenges that US President Donald Trump will be forced to grapple with."}], "question": "What does this test tell us about the trajectory of North Korea's missile development?", "id": "1189_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Migration data: Why is it so hard to count people?", "date": "22 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) has downgraded the reliability of its own method for measuring migration, after discovering serious flaws in its methodology. So do we ever really know the scale of UK migration? The headline migration figure is the number of people arriving in the UK who are planning to stay for at least a year, minus the people who are leaving the UK and planning to be away for at least a year. The latest figures for net migration from the European Union estimate that in the year to the end of March, 59,000 more EU citizens came to the UK than left. That is the lowest figure since 2013. But that number is not the full story. It's not a spot-on accurate count. As of this week, it is merely an \"experimental\" statistic after the ONS concluded it has been systematically underestimating EU migrants and overestimating others. That means it is no longer one of the 850 trusted \"national statistics\" that drive decisions across the nation every day. This is of little surprise to experts who have repeatedly warned of shortcomings. In fact, the ONS itself has long said the core component of the system had been \"stretched beyond its purpose\". Every three months the ONS publishes a migration update. At the heart of this  is the International Passenger Survey (IPS). This enormous exercise was launched in 1961 to help the government understand the impact of travel and tourism on the economy - but over the years, it became, for political purposes, a proxy for finding out about who was coming and going, and estimating their long-term migration intentions. For 362 days a year, cheerful IPS staff bounce in front of travellers at 19 airports, 10 ports and the Channel Tunnel rail link. Their short, voluntary questionnaire records a little bit of the travellers' life story: where they are from, why they are in the UK and how long they might be staying. Just 800,000 people a year take part and the results are put through the statistical mixer to come up with an estimate for the number of people either arriving to live in the UK or leaving the UK for at least a year - the internationally-agreed definition of a long-term migrant. But the IPS does not cover all the ports, all of the time. Take Dover, for example. There are up to 51 ferry arrivals a day - but the IPS activity at the port is equivalent to capturing about a week's worth of that traffic across an entire year. The total nationwide sample is roughly equivalent to 1% of Heathrow's annual traffic. Within the sample, the number of known migrants is about 4,000. So they are an incredibly small group, within an already small sample, upon which statisticians are expected to give ministers some big answers. The ONS has never said the scheme is perfect. And to help explain the uncertainty it publishes figures that, in layman's terms, show how confident it is in the estimates. Here is how it works. In July 2018, for example, the ONS estimated net migration to be 282,000 a year. But there was a large margin of error. The ONS is 95% confident that the actual figure is within 47,000 either way. So net migration may have been as low as 235,000 or as high as 329,000. That is the statistical problem with surveys the world over. And two parliamentary committees in just over a year concluded that the IPS was next to useless, on its own, for what ministers expected it to do. And those statistical uncertainties matter most when they are taken as facts by politicians and policy-makers. Here is an example. In 2015, a sizeable gap between the number of international students arriving and leaving prompted accusations that a lot of students were illegally overstaying their visas. \"The fact is too many [students] are not returning home as soon as their visas run out,\" Theresa May - then home secretary - told that year's Conservative Party conference. \"I don't care what the university lobbyists say. The rules must be enforced. Students, yes; overstayers, no.\" It turned out there was no mass overstaying. The first-ever experimental deep dive into departure gate data (more on that in a moment) revealed the vast majority of students went home on time. The gap was all down to the limitations in the IPS. Those limitations led one parliamentary committee to later declare the statistics were so poor that ministries were \"formulating policy in the dark\". Major change is now under way. In 2018, the ONS said it had begun to use other data sources in its migration estimates, including Home Office administrative data, such as records of granted visas. It also used National Insurance numbers, which are a way of counting foreign nationals, but people do not cancel them when they leave the UK. Home Office records of granted visas are great for counting people from most of the world, but you do not currently need a visa if you are an EU national or a returning Briton. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) captures the nationality of people working in the UK. But it does not capture people in communal accommodation and does not cover short-term migration. And there have been claims that it has been undercounting migrants in specific sectors, such as hospitality. What about the UK census? It is the most definitive physical count of people we have - so reliable in fact, that the 2011 exercise added almost 350,000 to the net migration estimates for the previous decade. But it is a mammoth undertaking, costing close to PS500m. And it only happens once a decade, so it is not going to tell you much in an age of mass and rapid migration. A lot already have more sophisticated counts. No-one can enter or leave New Zealand until they have completed an entry or exit card. This system, which includes their own nationals, gives a pretty precise measure of who is where. The UK once had a similar system that was scrapped in 1998. Italy is among the nations that has a rolling population register. People are supposed to register with the local authority when they move to a new town. The big problem with a register? People forget to register in the first place or forget to remove themselves if they move on. - Passenger survey: interviewing people at borders, but sample sizes mean there is uncertainty about the results. Used in the UK and Malta. - Visas: the number of people applying for visas to a country, but this does not count those with visa-free travel, such as citizens of the EU. Used in New Zealand, Australia, Canada. - Register: making all new migrants to an area register with a municipal hall. But some people do not do it or simply forget to say when they move on. Used in most EU countries. - Census: almost all countries do this, but it is expensive, so done at long intervals. Denmark and Sweden try to resolve that problem by matching registers with other official sources, and it is this use of \"administrative data\" that is now seen as the holy grail of understanding migration. The UK's long-delayed electronic replacement for exit and entry checks is now operational and the prize for statisticians is to take this data and mash it up with new sources, such as those already being used in those two Scandinavian countries. The official plan in the UK is to come up with a \"fully transformed\" way of accurately counting people by 2023. In an ideal world, statisticians would link the movement of real people to tax records and information about their whereabouts from other sources, such as registrations with schools and doctors' surgeries. The progress reports from the ONS say the initial experiments have been promising, but not without limitations. Here is a good example. The ONS team ran an experiment to match workers' National Insurance numbers to information on the NHS's massive patient database, the theory being that the two sources taken together could give a more accurate measure of who was definitely in the UK. But lots of EU-born workers could not be found in NHS records. There is a simple reason for this: we know that these workers tend to arrive young, childless and almost certainly reasonably healthy. On average, Polish workers take more than 500 days to first pop up in the NHS system, so you cannot rely on hospital databases to tell us a great deal about their presence. So the ONS's aim is to use as many sources as possible. If the system can be made to work, the IPS would no longer be the primary source upon which so much policy is based. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1179, "answer_end": 4366, "text": "Every three months the ONS publishes a migration update. At the heart of this  is the International Passenger Survey (IPS). This enormous exercise was launched in 1961 to help the government understand the impact of travel and tourism on the economy - but over the years, it became, for political purposes, a proxy for finding out about who was coming and going, and estimating their long-term migration intentions. For 362 days a year, cheerful IPS staff bounce in front of travellers at 19 airports, 10 ports and the Channel Tunnel rail link. Their short, voluntary questionnaire records a little bit of the travellers' life story: where they are from, why they are in the UK and how long they might be staying. Just 800,000 people a year take part and the results are put through the statistical mixer to come up with an estimate for the number of people either arriving to live in the UK or leaving the UK for at least a year - the internationally-agreed definition of a long-term migrant. But the IPS does not cover all the ports, all of the time. Take Dover, for example. There are up to 51 ferry arrivals a day - but the IPS activity at the port is equivalent to capturing about a week's worth of that traffic across an entire year. The total nationwide sample is roughly equivalent to 1% of Heathrow's annual traffic. Within the sample, the number of known migrants is about 4,000. So they are an incredibly small group, within an already small sample, upon which statisticians are expected to give ministers some big answers. The ONS has never said the scheme is perfect. And to help explain the uncertainty it publishes figures that, in layman's terms, show how confident it is in the estimates. Here is how it works. In July 2018, for example, the ONS estimated net migration to be 282,000 a year. But there was a large margin of error. The ONS is 95% confident that the actual figure is within 47,000 either way. So net migration may have been as low as 235,000 or as high as 329,000. That is the statistical problem with surveys the world over. And two parliamentary committees in just over a year concluded that the IPS was next to useless, on its own, for what ministers expected it to do. And those statistical uncertainties matter most when they are taken as facts by politicians and policy-makers. Here is an example. In 2015, a sizeable gap between the number of international students arriving and leaving prompted accusations that a lot of students were illegally overstaying their visas. \"The fact is too many [students] are not returning home as soon as their visas run out,\" Theresa May - then home secretary - told that year's Conservative Party conference. \"I don't care what the university lobbyists say. The rules must be enforced. Students, yes; overstayers, no.\" It turned out there was no mass overstaying. The first-ever experimental deep dive into departure gate data (more on that in a moment) revealed the vast majority of students went home on time. The gap was all down to the limitations in the IPS. Those limitations led one parliamentary committee to later declare the statistics were so poor that ministries were \"formulating policy in the dark\"."}], "question": "How has it been counting migrants?", "id": "1190_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5550, "answer_end": 6119, "text": "A lot already have more sophisticated counts. No-one can enter or leave New Zealand until they have completed an entry or exit card. This system, which includes their own nationals, gives a pretty precise measure of who is where. The UK once had a similar system that was scrapped in 1998. Italy is among the nations that has a rolling population register. People are supposed to register with the local authority when they move to a new town. The big problem with a register? People forget to register in the first place or forget to remove themselves if they move on."}], "question": "What do other nations do ?", "id": "1190_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Aurora shooting: Five killed by sacked man at Illinois firm", "date": "16 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A man being fired from his job has shot dead five people and injured several police officers at his workplace in the US state of Illinois. The gunman was killed during an exchange of fire with police. The five victims have now been named. The shooting took place at a manufacturing firm in Aurora, a suburb about 40 miles (64km) west of Chicago. Police named the suspect as Gary Martin, 45, who had worked at the Henry Pratt company for 15 years. Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman said the suspect had armed himself and then attended a meeting at which he was being sacked. Police named the five as: - Russell Beyer from Yorkville, Illinois - Vicente Juarez from Oswego, Illinois - Clayton Parks of Elgin, Illinois, the human resources manager - Josh Pinkard from Oswego, the plant manager - Trevor Wehner, a 21-year-old student at Northern Illinois University and a human resources intern on his first day at Henry Pratt Three of the victims died in the room where the suspect's termination from his job was being announced, a fourth close by and the fifth on another floor. Mr Pinkard's family described him as \"a loving husband and father who deeply impacted the community\". In a Facebook post by a family friend, Mr Wehner was described as a \"big brother to many\". Gary Martin was a 15-year veteran of the Henry Pratt company The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported his family as saying he was \"stressed out\" at being made redundant by the company, which makes valves for large water pipes. Clerks at a local store told USA Today that Martin regularly came in for cigars and was a happy and engaging customer who appeared fine on the day of the shooting. Steve Spizewski, who lived near Martin, told the paper he considered him a friend who had consoled him when his mother died and that he was in \"shock\" at the reports. Ms Ziman said Martin had bought a gun in 2014 before authorities realised he had a conviction from 1994. She said police were investigating why he had not been forced to give it up. Police received a number of reports of an \"active shooter\" in an industrial park in Aurora at about 13:24 local time (19:24 GMT) on Friday. Officers were immediately confronted by the suspect, who was armed with a Smith & Wesson handgun, and two of them were shot and wounded. Three more officers were shot as they tried to rescue people from the building. None of the wounded officers are in a critical condition. Officers located the suspect in the large complex after about 90 minutes and he was shot dead. Chris Southwood of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police described the Aurora officers who attended and were shot as \"courageous\". \"[These] officers and their colleagues did not hesitate to literally put their lives on the line today to stop further bloodshed,\" Mr Southwood. John Probst, who works at Henry Pratt, told broadcaster ABC7 that he saw the attacker, whom he recognised as a colleague. He said the man was carrying a handgun equipped with a laser sight. \"One of the guys was up in the office [and] he said this person was shooting, and, he come running down and he was bleeding pretty bad... I heard more shots, and we just left the building,\" Mr Probst said. An employee at nearby Capitol Printing told ABC7 that they hid in a closet when the shooting began. Others in nearby buildings said they locked themselves in. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said: \"This is a scary, sad day for all Illinoisans and Americans.\" President Donald Trump posted a message on Twitter offering his condolences to the victims and their loved ones. The incident on Friday came a day after the first anniversary of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 574, "answer_end": 1268, "text": "Police named the five as: - Russell Beyer from Yorkville, Illinois - Vicente Juarez from Oswego, Illinois - Clayton Parks of Elgin, Illinois, the human resources manager - Josh Pinkard from Oswego, the plant manager - Trevor Wehner, a 21-year-old student at Northern Illinois University and a human resources intern on his first day at Henry Pratt Three of the victims died in the room where the suspect's termination from his job was being announced, a fourth close by and the fifth on another floor. Mr Pinkard's family described him as \"a loving husband and father who deeply impacted the community\". In a Facebook post by a family friend, Mr Wehner was described as a \"big brother to many\"."}], "question": "Who are the victims?", "id": "1191_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1269, "answer_end": 2008, "text": "Gary Martin was a 15-year veteran of the Henry Pratt company The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported his family as saying he was \"stressed out\" at being made redundant by the company, which makes valves for large water pipes. Clerks at a local store told USA Today that Martin regularly came in for cigars and was a happy and engaging customer who appeared fine on the day of the shooting. Steve Spizewski, who lived near Martin, told the paper he considered him a friend who had consoled him when his mother died and that he was in \"shock\" at the reports. Ms Ziman said Martin had bought a gun in 2014 before authorities realised he had a conviction from 1994. She said police were investigating why he had not been forced to give it up."}], "question": "Who is the suspect?", "id": "1191_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2009, "answer_end": 2795, "text": "Police received a number of reports of an \"active shooter\" in an industrial park in Aurora at about 13:24 local time (19:24 GMT) on Friday. Officers were immediately confronted by the suspect, who was armed with a Smith & Wesson handgun, and two of them were shot and wounded. Three more officers were shot as they tried to rescue people from the building. None of the wounded officers are in a critical condition. Officers located the suspect in the large complex after about 90 minutes and he was shot dead. Chris Southwood of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police described the Aurora officers who attended and were shot as \"courageous\". \"[These] officers and their colleagues did not hesitate to literally put their lives on the line today to stop further bloodshed,\" Mr Southwood."}], "question": "What happened at Henry Pratt?", "id": "1191_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2796, "answer_end": 3689, "text": "John Probst, who works at Henry Pratt, told broadcaster ABC7 that he saw the attacker, whom he recognised as a colleague. He said the man was carrying a handgun equipped with a laser sight. \"One of the guys was up in the office [and] he said this person was shooting, and, he come running down and he was bleeding pretty bad... I heard more shots, and we just left the building,\" Mr Probst said. An employee at nearby Capitol Printing told ABC7 that they hid in a closet when the shooting began. Others in nearby buildings said they locked themselves in. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth said: \"This is a scary, sad day for all Illinoisans and Americans.\" President Donald Trump posted a message on Twitter offering his condolences to the victims and their loved ones. The incident on Friday came a day after the first anniversary of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead."}], "question": "How did witnesses describe the scene?", "id": "1191_3"}]}]}, {"title": "UN condemns Nicaragua government 'repression and torture'", "date": "29 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The United Nations Human Rights Office has published a scathing report into alleged human rights violations committed in Nicaragua in the wake of a wave of anti-government protests. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured since April. \"Repression and retaliation against demonstrators continue as the world looks away,\" UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein said. The Nicaraguan government has rejected the report as \"biased\". The report covers the period from 18 April, when protests first kicked off against now suspended plans to change the social security system, to 18 August. But they soon turned into wider calls for the resignation of President Daniel Ortega. The UN report says that in the first phase of the crisis there was \"a repressive response to the protests by the police and pro-government armed elements\". \"During the second 'clean-up' stage, from mid-June to mid-July, police, pro-government armed elements, including those known as 'shock forces' (fuerzas de choque), and mobs (turbas) forcibly dismantled roadblocks and barricades.\" The UN Human Rights Office says that information it has obtained \"strongly indicates that these armed elements acted with the acquiescence of high-level state authorities and the national police, often in a joint and coordinated manner\". During the third and current stage of the crisis, government opponents have been \"persecuted and criminalised\", the report states. \"Civil servants, including teachers and doctors, have been sacked, and people seen to be critical of the government have been harassed, intimidated and even attacked. \"The authorities, including at the highest-level, have increasingly stigmatised and discredited protesters and human rights defenders, describing them as 'terrorists', 'coup-mongers' or 'plagues'.\" No, the report gives details of attacks on members of the governing Sandinista party, government officials and members of the security forces. It says that 22 police officers were killed between 19 April and 25 July out of a total of about 300 reported deaths. It also notes that \"the level of brutality in some of these episodes, including burning, amputations and desecration of corpses illustrates the serious degeneration of the crisis\". It also states that the roadblocks erected by protesters \"gave occasionally rise to criminal practices, such as kidnappings, harassment, robbery and collection of illegal tolls\". The report urges that an investigation into those abuses be carried out but states that they \"do not legitimise in any way a response by the state that is not in line with international human rights law\". The UN Human Rights Office says that it has received numerous accounts alleging acts of torture and ill-treatment of detainees carried out by police or prison authorities. It says that there are indications that some detainees were burned with Taser guns or cigarettes. Female detainees alleged that they were raped and that threats of sexual abuse were \"common\".  Male detainees reported being raped with rifles and other objects, the report says. It has strongly rejected the report and says that it has ignored the violence aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected government. The government statement denies there have been any documented cases of torture or sexual assault and states that all detentions were carried out in accordance with the law. The government also argues that the killings of the 22 police officers prove that the anti-government demonstrations had not been peaceful. The High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the Nicaraguan authorities to carry out investigations into the allegations. According to his office, the state authorities have so far failed to properly investigate protest-related deaths. Mr Hussein also urged the UN Human Rights Council to set up an international inquiry. The Nicaraguan government said that peace had been restored to the streets.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 450, "answer_end": 1810, "text": "The report covers the period from 18 April, when protests first kicked off against now suspended plans to change the social security system, to 18 August. But they soon turned into wider calls for the resignation of President Daniel Ortega. The UN report says that in the first phase of the crisis there was \"a repressive response to the protests by the police and pro-government armed elements\". \"During the second 'clean-up' stage, from mid-June to mid-July, police, pro-government armed elements, including those known as 'shock forces' (fuerzas de choque), and mobs (turbas) forcibly dismantled roadblocks and barricades.\" The UN Human Rights Office says that information it has obtained \"strongly indicates that these armed elements acted with the acquiescence of high-level state authorities and the national police, often in a joint and coordinated manner\". During the third and current stage of the crisis, government opponents have been \"persecuted and criminalised\", the report states. \"Civil servants, including teachers and doctors, have been sacked, and people seen to be critical of the government have been harassed, intimidated and even attacked. \"The authorities, including at the highest-level, have increasingly stigmatised and discredited protesters and human rights defenders, describing them as 'terrorists', 'coup-mongers' or 'plagues'.\""}], "question": "What does the report say?", "id": "1192_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1811, "answer_end": 2636, "text": "No, the report gives details of attacks on members of the governing Sandinista party, government officials and members of the security forces. It says that 22 police officers were killed between 19 April and 25 July out of a total of about 300 reported deaths. It also notes that \"the level of brutality in some of these episodes, including burning, amputations and desecration of corpses illustrates the serious degeneration of the crisis\". It also states that the roadblocks erected by protesters \"gave occasionally rise to criminal practices, such as kidnappings, harassment, robbery and collection of illegal tolls\". The report urges that an investigation into those abuses be carried out but states that they \"do not legitimise in any way a response by the state that is not in line with international human rights law\"."}], "question": "Was all the violence one-sided?", "id": "1192_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2637, "answer_end": 3085, "text": "The UN Human Rights Office says that it has received numerous accounts alleging acts of torture and ill-treatment of detainees carried out by police or prison authorities. It says that there are indications that some detainees were burned with Taser guns or cigarettes. Female detainees alleged that they were raped and that threats of sexual abuse were \"common\".  Male detainees reported being raped with rifles and other objects, the report says."}], "question": "What allegedly happened in detention?", "id": "1192_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3086, "answer_end": 3538, "text": "It has strongly rejected the report and says that it has ignored the violence aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected government. The government statement denies there have been any documented cases of torture or sexual assault and states that all detentions were carried out in accordance with the law. The government also argues that the killings of the 22 police officers prove that the anti-government demonstrations had not been peaceful."}], "question": "What does the Nicaraguan government say?", "id": "1192_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3539, "answer_end": 3944, "text": "The High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the Nicaraguan authorities to carry out investigations into the allegations. According to his office, the state authorities have so far failed to properly investigate protest-related deaths. Mr Hussein also urged the UN Human Rights Council to set up an international inquiry. The Nicaraguan government said that peace had been restored to the streets."}], "question": "What next?", "id": "1192_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Legal dilemma of granting child killers anonymity", "date": "18 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The High Court is to decide whether a ban on identifying the killers of Angela Wrightson should remain in place now that they have reached the age of 18. The two women were aged 13 and 14 when they tortured and murdered Angela Wrightson, 39, in her Hartlepool home in December 2014. She suffered more than 70 separate slash injuries and 54 blunt-force injuries in a seven-hour attack. Neither teenager was named at the time, because as juveniles they were granted anonymity by the court. So in what circumstances have child killers been granted anonymity? Children appearing in youth or crown courts in England and Wales, whether as a victim, witness or defendant - cannot be identified if they are under the age of 18, apart from in exceptional circumstances. The European Convention on Human Rights enshrines the right to privacy and a family life - so once they have served the sentence for their crimes they have the right to move on. Exceptional circumstances refers to a pressing social need where the public interest outweighs the interest of the child - this is rare and usually only happens in high profile cases. Emily Setty, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Surrey, thinks the public want children to be identified because such violent crimes challenge society's ideas of what it is to be a child, and to try to understand what went wrong. She said: \"In these very, very shocking cases, it's disturbing to think that children are capable of such crimes, so we like to say they were born evil so we can separate them from our own children.\" She argues that this was the case with Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who were named. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were 10 years old when they kidnapped, tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993. The trial judge lifted reporting restrictions, saying: \"The public interest overrode the interest of the defendants.\" He argued there was a need for an \"informed public debate\" on crimes committed by young children. In 2001, Venables and Thompson were granted new identities and life-long anonymity when they were released on licence. A court order banned anyone from revealing their new identities. James Bulger's father, Ralph Bulger, asked for information about Venables' new identity to be made public when he was jailed for possessing child abuse images. Mr Bulger lost that legal challenge and Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division of the High Court, said the order was designed to protect the \"uniquely notorious\" Venables from \"being put to death\". In 2014, a High Court judge lifted the restrictions on naming Will Cornick, a 16-year-old who murdered his teacher, Ann Maguire. Mr Justice Coulson said identification was in the public interest and would have \"a clear deterrent effect\". Outlining his decision, he said: \"Ill-informed commentators may scoff, but those of us involved in the criminal justice system know that deterrence will almost always be a factor in the naming of those involved in offences such as this. \"There are wider issues at stake, such as the safety of teachers, the possibility of American-style security measures in schools, and the dangers of 'internet loners' concocting violent fantasies on the internet. \"I consider that the debate on those issues will be informed by the identification of William Cornick as the killer.\" Frances Cook, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, was one of those who criticised naming Cornick. She said: \"The child will be notorious inside prison and will never be able to grow past the crime he committed. The crime is now his permanent identity. \"Public knowledge about the child also brings with it identification of his wider family, who in their way are also victims.\" Mary Bell was 11 years old when she was convicted of manslaughter after killing two small boys, aged three and four, in 1968. She was named during the trial but was given a new identity and anonymity when she was released in 1980 and the judge made it clear this would not set a precedent for any other cases, which are judged on an individual basis. In 2003, Bell was given a fresh identity to protect her daughter until she turned 18, and a High Court judge later granted life-long anonymity to both Bell and her daughter - after she discovered her mother's past years later when tabloid papers tracked them down. The new court order was granted in an attempt to protect Bell and her daughter from potential vigilantes. Social media further complicates reporting restrictions as many people are not aware of the law and it is much easier to find and share information. Actress Tina Malone was given a suspended prison sentence last March after she breached an injunction protecting the identity of James Bulger's killer Jon Venables. There is a global ban on publishing anything about the identity of Venables or his accomplice Robert Thompson, but Malone shared a Facebook message which was said to include an image and the new name of Venables, a court heard. Malone claimed she was not aware she had done anything wrong, even though she understood Venables had been given anonymity for his protection. Two months earlier Richard McKeag, 28, and Natalie Barker, 36, were given suspended sentences after admitting posting photos they claimed identified Venables. In 2016, a government-commissioned review said child criminals should be given life-long anonymity. Pippa Goodfellow of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice, said anonymity is an important part of the rehabilitation of children who offend - and naming them as adults, especially in the age of social media, \"makes it very difficult for them to put their past behind them\". She told the BBC: \"If a child who had turned their life around was identified upon reaching adulthood and labelled 'an offender', this could have disproportionately negative affects on their relationships, education and employment opportunities.\" Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, said it was a \"very complicated issue\" and although the media should \"recognise that there is a chance for young people to reform\", there should be some form of public enquiry, with all the necessary agencies involved, to decide on individual cases whether it is in the public interest for them to be named. He said: \"The public, and the family of victims, need to know they are getting anonymity for all the right reasons.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 5310, "answer_end": 6416, "text": "In 2016, a government-commissioned review said child criminals should be given life-long anonymity. Pippa Goodfellow of the Standing Committee for Youth Justice, said anonymity is an important part of the rehabilitation of children who offend - and naming them as adults, especially in the age of social media, \"makes it very difficult for them to put their past behind them\". She told the BBC: \"If a child who had turned their life around was identified upon reaching adulthood and labelled 'an offender', this could have disproportionately negative affects on their relationships, education and employment opportunities.\" Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, said it was a \"very complicated issue\" and although the media should \"recognise that there is a chance for young people to reform\", there should be some form of public enquiry, with all the necessary agencies involved, to decide on individual cases whether it is in the public interest for them to be named. He said: \"The public, and the family of victims, need to know they are getting anonymity for all the right reasons.\""}], "question": "Should child criminals get life-long anonymity?", "id": "1193_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why the merger of Essilor and Luxottica matters", "date": "16 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Since their impending merger was announced in January, there has been remarkably little comment about the huge proposed deal to combine Essilor and Luxottica. But there certainly should be. These are two of the biggest firms in the lucrative international business of making spectacles. France's Essilor is the world's number one manufacturer of lenses and contact lenses, while Italy's Luxottica is the leading frame manufacturer. It is not obvious that the merger is in the public interest, though the two firms certainly think it is. \"The parties' activities are highly complementary and the deal would generate significant synergies and innovation and would be beneficial to customers,\" says Essilor. But there seems to be growing disquiet in the industry. Gordon Ilett, of the Association of Optometrists, says: \"This now allows the [enlarged] group to control all aspects of supply of product - from manufacture to the end user. \"Those businesses who remain as their customers will be indirectly controlled by the terms and conditions imposed by them. \"Whether their UK market share, following this merger, is sufficient for examination by the competition authorities is open to debate, but the effect of it will be reduced choice for the consumer, and will most likely result in reduced quality products longer term,\" Mr Ilett adds. If the deal goes through later this year the new company, to be called EssilorLuxottica, will become a behemoth of the industry. It will sell not only lenses and frames around the world but will also be stocking its own optician's shops as well, such as Sunglass Hut, and LensCrafters in the US and Australia, both currently owned by Luxottica. One long-standing independent UK wholesaler, who asked to remain anonymous, says the merged firm would be so powerful it would probably squeeze out some competitors. \"If those two companies merged there would be a branded frame supplier offering you high-end branded frames, and also offering UK opticians a lens and glazing deal, to suit, so they will control almost everything [they offer] to both independent retailers in the High Street and even the chains,\" he argues. In his view this would amount, almost, to a stranglehold on the supply of high-end glasses, with some rivals giving up. \"I imagine it would knock out quite a few glazing houses in the UK, and it would probably knock out other fashion frame houses,\" he adds. Unless you know about the eyewear business, or take an interest in investing in big European companies (they both have stock market listings) the names of the two big firms will probably have passed you by. But if you have been inside an optician's shop you will certainly have heard of the brands they own and make. For instance, the leading varifocal lens brand, Varilux, is made by Essilor. Just a year ago, in presenting its 2015 financial results to investors, Essilor boasted that it was \"an undisputed leader with only 25% market share\" of the combined world market for prescription lenses, sunglasses lenses and lenses for reading glasses. When it comes to just the prescription lenses, it has a 41% share of the world market. For its part, Luxottica owns several of its own brand names such as Ray-Ban and Oakley, and it also makes, under licence, spectacle frames which carry high-fashion names such as Armani, Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Versace. In 2015 the Italian firm made almost 10% of the 954 million frames that were sold worldwide that year, and claims that about half a billion of its frames are currently perched on people's noses. The overall industry internationally is in fact quite fragmented with hundreds of other smaller manufacturers and related businesses such as glazing laboratories. Market research firm GFK describes the optical industry as \"a complex and extremely competitive market-space\". Even so, with the two firms having a combined turnover of more than 15bn euros (PS12.8bn), of which 3.5bn euros were in Europe, on the grounds of size alone the proposed merger easily meets the requirements of the European Commission for a formal review. These are: -  a combined worldwide turnover of all the merging firms of over 5bn euros - an EU-wide turnover for each of at least two of the firms of over 250m euros An inquiry would see if the merged firm threatened to be too dominant, thus reducing competition and leading to higher prices for the customers. A Luxottica spokesman told the BBC that the firm was confident that any scrutiny would not hinder the deal. \"The transaction is subject to mandatory submission to a number of anti-monopoly authorities including the European one, as is customary in transactions of this size and nature,\" he said. \"We are confident that the transaction does not raise anti-monopoly issues and will fully co-operate with the anti-monopoly authorities to obtain the required clearance,\" he added. The EU itself says it currently has no comment to make and it has not yet been formally notified of the merger deal under the requirements of its own rules. But the leading chain of opticians, Specsavers, views the impending deal with caution. \"Mergers are a continuing trend in optics, but this is a significant development which will result in huge supply chain and retail implications for the industry and consumers worldwide,\" the firm says. \"It is unlikely that the impact of the merger will be felt by consumers straight away but we will watch with great interest how the new organisation will arrange itself.\" If you have ever bought a pair of spectacles with anything other than the most basic frame and lenses, you may have gulped at the price, possibly coming to several hundred pounds. Of course, not all spectacles are expensive and not all of the sale price goes to the manufacturers. Opticians and the wholesalers that supply them are businesses that seek to make a profit. They also need to cover the costs of staff, equipment, shop and office space, stock and all that advertising. But for the manufacturers such as Essilor and Luxottica, it is a stonkingly profitable business. On worldwide sales of 6.7bn euros in 2015, Essilor made operating profits of 1.2bn euros. For the same year, Luxottica sold goods worth 8.8bn euros and made operating profits of 1.4bn euros. With cost-cutting at a merged business projected to save between 400m and 600m euros per year, profits could be boosted even further. Will customers benefit as well?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3867, "answer_end": 5526, "text": "Even so, with the two firms having a combined turnover of more than 15bn euros (PS12.8bn), of which 3.5bn euros were in Europe, on the grounds of size alone the proposed merger easily meets the requirements of the European Commission for a formal review. These are: -  a combined worldwide turnover of all the merging firms of over 5bn euros - an EU-wide turnover for each of at least two of the firms of over 250m euros An inquiry would see if the merged firm threatened to be too dominant, thus reducing competition and leading to higher prices for the customers. A Luxottica spokesman told the BBC that the firm was confident that any scrutiny would not hinder the deal. \"The transaction is subject to mandatory submission to a number of anti-monopoly authorities including the European one, as is customary in transactions of this size and nature,\" he said. \"We are confident that the transaction does not raise anti-monopoly issues and will fully co-operate with the anti-monopoly authorities to obtain the required clearance,\" he added. The EU itself says it currently has no comment to make and it has not yet been formally notified of the merger deal under the requirements of its own rules. But the leading chain of opticians, Specsavers, views the impending deal with caution. \"Mergers are a continuing trend in optics, but this is a significant development which will result in huge supply chain and retail implications for the industry and consumers worldwide,\" the firm says. \"It is unlikely that the impact of the merger will be felt by consumers straight away but we will watch with great interest how the new organisation will arrange itself.\""}], "question": "EU review?", "id": "1194_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Letter from Africa: Will age be a factor in Zimbabwe's poll?", "date": "28 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In our series of letters from Africa, Zimbabwean journalist-turned-barrister Brian Hungwe considers whether the age of the two main presidential candidates will sway voters in elections. The candidates to watch ahead of the July poll are the incumbent, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, 40. It's the first time in the 37 years since independence from colonial rule that Robert Mugabe's name will not be on the ballot paper. There is a general perception in Zimbabwe that wisdom comes with old age rather than education. By that logic, 94-year-old Robert Mugabe should have been the wisest. And yet, as he aged in power, the former president increasingly became a national liability. He had memory lapses, displayed unnecessary aggression and became progressively beholden to his divisive and much younger wife, Grace. Despite this, the stereotype that wisdom is linked to age may well influence the next presidential election. Elections in Zimbabwe are a source of joy for some, but often, they trigger old and painful memories. In the past decades, hundreds have been killed in pre-election violence, and as the economy began to bite, many fled abroad. There is however renewed hope in this post-Mugabe era. Three months from now Zimbabweans will be going to the polls. For many the choice will be between Mr Mnangagwa, the Zanu-PF leader who took power after Mr Mugabe's forced resignation in November, and Mr Chamisa, who succeeded veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai following his death in February aged 65. Other candidates include former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who formed the National People's Party after she was fired by then President Mugabe. Also in the running is  former Zanu-PF minister Ambrose Mutinhiri, who left the party in March to lead the pro-Mugabe splinter group, New Patriotic Front. The two main candidates, on whose shoulders the political destiny of the country could well lie for the next five years, are already on the campaign trail. So will Mr Chamisa's youth and inexperience work in Mr Mnangagwa's favour? Or could the president's long stint in government be his Achilles heel? There are 35 years between the two candidates. Mr Chamisa has turned 40 - the minimum age for a Zimbabwean president - just in time for the elections. Young MDC activists argue it is time for a \"generational consensus\" in Zimbabwe - meaning a youthful leader like Mr Chamisa. This, they claim, is in line with the global trend towards younger leaders, particularly in Europe, where France's Emmanuel Macron is 40 years old, while Austria's Sebastian Kurz is just 31. Mr Chamisa's supporters seem buoyed by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairwoman Justice Priscilla Chigumba's disclosure to a parliamentary committee that 60% of the 5.3 million people registered to vote are aged between 18 and 40. Because of this, Justice Chigumba said this year's election will be a vote of young people. Mr Mugabe, before he was toppled, was more than aware of this fact: he was already targeting the youth vote. However, Mr Chamisa's party has been a victim of internal ructions which threaten to split it, with party leaders questioning the manner in which he became leader. When Mr Tsvangirai fell ill, the MDC's national council appointed Mr Chamisa in his place, despite criticism from some members who wanted the party congress, the top decision-making body, to have the final say. Violence and threats of defections are some of the issues he might have to deal with ahead of the elections. But for now, it appears that Mr Chamisa has weathered the storm. Perhaps the issue of age will come to the fore if Mr Mnangagwa takes up Mr Chamisa's invitation to take part in a live, US-style election debate. I am reminded of 73-year-old US President Ronald Reagan's re-election bid in 1984. Age was a campaign issue, with Mr Reagan having already made history as the oldest US president when he first took the oath of office four years earlier aged 69. He was challenged for the presidency by 56-year-old Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. It was a Baltimore Sun journalist, Henry Trewhitt, who dared to ask Mr Reagan about his health and age. \"I will not make age an issue of this campaign,\" President Reagan quipped. \"I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience.\" It never became an issue again. But Mr Mnangagwa's opponent's \"youth and inexperience\" could be a campaign factor. Mr Chamisa has served as a minister before, in the government of national unity for five years. But Mr Mnangagwa has been in government for 37 years. And while he may not have youth - or the promise of an entirely fresh start - Mr Mnangagwa does have a clear message. His biggest focus is the economy. His mantra is that Zimbabwe is now \"open for business\", and there are calls to re-engage with the international community. Some say Zimbabwe could join the Commonwealth again after close to a decade-and-a-half outside. \"The spectacular sight of thousands calling for Mr Mugabe's resignation in his last days in power must have eaten deep into his conscience\" Mr Mnangagwa's plan, as many see it, is to turn the country into an economic miracle with massive investment inflows. It appears the international community, particularly the UK, US and Russia, have warmed to him. An election win this year would cement his legitimacy. President Mnangagwa is promising free and fair elections, and has never once doubted he is going to win. His critics say he could lose, as voters punish him for being a key figure in the Mugabe government. Whatever the result of the polls, the winner has an immense task.  The nation is fed up with corruption and incompetent leaders. The hangover after Mr Mugabe's exit remains. That more than $1.6bn (PS1bn) was taken out - or kept out - of the country by companies and individuals after years of economic stagnation speaks volumes about the previous government's laxity. One of the winning candidate's first jobs will be ceremonial: taking part in Heroes and Defence Day commemorations, remembering the battle against British colonial rule. Will youth win out with Mr Chamisa as president, inspecting the guard of honour and laying wreaths at the tomb of an unknown soldier, donning a colonial presidential grandmaster's medal and green military sash? Or could Mr Mnangagwa - who has been there before - return to lay the wreath and usher the country into a new economic era? More Letters from Africa: Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa and on Instagram at bbcafrica.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3660, "answer_end": 5043, "text": "Perhaps the issue of age will come to the fore if Mr Mnangagwa takes up Mr Chamisa's invitation to take part in a live, US-style election debate. I am reminded of 73-year-old US President Ronald Reagan's re-election bid in 1984. Age was a campaign issue, with Mr Reagan having already made history as the oldest US president when he first took the oath of office four years earlier aged 69. He was challenged for the presidency by 56-year-old Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. It was a Baltimore Sun journalist, Henry Trewhitt, who dared to ask Mr Reagan about his health and age. \"I will not make age an issue of this campaign,\" President Reagan quipped. \"I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience.\" It never became an issue again. But Mr Mnangagwa's opponent's \"youth and inexperience\" could be a campaign factor. Mr Chamisa has served as a minister before, in the government of national unity for five years. But Mr Mnangagwa has been in government for 37 years. And while he may not have youth - or the promise of an entirely fresh start - Mr Mnangagwa does have a clear message. His biggest focus is the economy. His mantra is that Zimbabwe is now \"open for business\", and there are calls to re-engage with the international community. Some say Zimbabwe could join the Commonwealth again after close to a decade-and-a-half outside."}], "question": "Young upstart?", "id": "1195_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ukraine-Russia sea clash: Trump cancels Putin talks", "date": "29 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has cancelled a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over a naval clash between Ukraine and Russia. On Sunday Russian border guards fired on three Ukrainian ships and seized their crews off the Crimean Peninsula. Mr Trump said he would not meet Mr Putin at a G20 summit in the coming days, \"based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned\". German Chancellor Angela Merkel blamed the crisis \"entirely\" on Russia. She said she would raise the issue with President Putin at the G20 meeting, which is due to be held in Argentina on Friday and Saturday. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged Nato to send ships to the area. He has implemented martial law across Ukraine's border regions for 30 days in response to the crisis. On Thursday he announced that Russians living in Ukraine would soon face restrictions on bank withdrawals, changing foreign currency and travelling abroad. The incident happened on Sunday, when two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug were sailing from Odessa to the port of Mariupol, in the Sea of Azov - which is shared between Russia and Ukraine. The vessels were stopped from entering the Kerch Strait and confronted by FSB border guards. After a lengthy standoff, during which the Ukrainian tug was rammed, the ships began turning back towards Odessa, the Ukrainian government says. The Russians opened fire, wounding at least three sailors, and seized the Ukrainian flotilla. The Kerch Strait separates Russia from Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine says Russia is deliberately blockading Mariupol and another Ukrainian port on the Sea of Azov, Berdyansk. The 24 captured Ukrainian sailors have now been given two months in pre-trial detention by a court in Crimea. Mr Trump tweeted that \"it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting\" with Mr Putin, adding that he was looking forward to a \"meaningful summit... as soon as this situation is resolved\". Also on Thursday, Ms Merkel accused Russia of restricting access to the Sea of Azov by building a bridge over the Kerch Strait. Speaking alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Berlin on Thursday, she said the latest crisis was \"entirely the doing of the Russian president\" and accused Moscow of violating a 2003 agreement guaranteeing free movement in the area. \"I want the Ukrainian soldiers released,\" she said. \"The Ukrainian side has asked us to act wisely. There is no military solution to these problems.\" Analysis by Jonathan Marcus, diplomatic and defence correspondent The call for Nato to deploy warships to the Sea of Azov raises a variety of diplomatic and practical problems. In strict legal terms, Russia and Ukraine share access to its waters under a 2003 treaty. This, though, specifically states that warships from third countries can only enter the sea or make port visits there with the express permission of the other party. Russia is hardly likely to give such permission. In practical terms, it could easily block the Kerch Strait as it did earlier this week, by placing a merchant vessel across the channel. Nato in any case might see such a visit as more likely to inflame tensions. It's more likely that Nato might seek to boost its naval deployments to the Black Sea, where its members - Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey -  are uneasy about Russia's more assertive behaviour. Indeed, the alliance says that its vessels have already spent some 120 days on patrol or exercises in the Black Sea this year, compared with 80 in 2017. Mr Putin called the sea clash \"a provocation\" organised by Ukraine's authorities \"in the run-up to the Ukrainian presidential election\". Mr Poroshenko has low popularity ratings. Recent polls suggest that only about 10% of the electorate plans to vote for him next year, with nearly 50% saying they would not vote for him under any circumstances, the Kyiv Post newspaper reported. Mr Putin added that Mr Poroshenko's decision to impose martial law after a mere \"border incident\" was extreme, because it was not even imposed during the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Russian state media report that Moscow has delivered a battalion of S-400 surface-to-air missiles to north Crimea, and also plans to build a new missile early-warning radar station there. Mr Putin insisted that Russia's military response was appropriate as the Ukrainians had \"trespassed\" into Russia's territorial waters. However, Ukrainian officials published a map on Wednesday, placing all three Ukrainian boats just outside Crimea's territorial waters at the time they were seized.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 956, "answer_end": 1802, "text": "The incident happened on Sunday, when two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug were sailing from Odessa to the port of Mariupol, in the Sea of Azov - which is shared between Russia and Ukraine. The vessels were stopped from entering the Kerch Strait and confronted by FSB border guards. After a lengthy standoff, during which the Ukrainian tug was rammed, the ships began turning back towards Odessa, the Ukrainian government says. The Russians opened fire, wounding at least three sailors, and seized the Ukrainian flotilla. The Kerch Strait separates Russia from Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine says Russia is deliberately blockading Mariupol and another Ukrainian port on the Sea of Azov, Berdyansk. The 24 captured Ukrainian sailors have now been given two months in pre-trial detention by a court in Crimea."}], "question": "What happened off Crimea?", "id": "1196_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1803, "answer_end": 2558, "text": "Mr Trump tweeted that \"it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting\" with Mr Putin, adding that he was looking forward to a \"meaningful summit... as soon as this situation is resolved\". Also on Thursday, Ms Merkel accused Russia of restricting access to the Sea of Azov by building a bridge over the Kerch Strait. Speaking alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Berlin on Thursday, she said the latest crisis was \"entirely the doing of the Russian president\" and accused Moscow of violating a 2003 agreement guaranteeing free movement in the area. \"I want the Ukrainian soldiers released,\" she said. \"The Ukrainian side has asked us to act wisely. There is no military solution to these problems.\""}], "question": "What did Mr Trump and Ms Merkel say?", "id": "1196_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3598, "answer_end": 4685, "text": "Mr Putin called the sea clash \"a provocation\" organised by Ukraine's authorities \"in the run-up to the Ukrainian presidential election\". Mr Poroshenko has low popularity ratings. Recent polls suggest that only about 10% of the electorate plans to vote for him next year, with nearly 50% saying they would not vote for him under any circumstances, the Kyiv Post newspaper reported. Mr Putin added that Mr Poroshenko's decision to impose martial law after a mere \"border incident\" was extreme, because it was not even imposed during the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Russian state media report that Moscow has delivered a battalion of S-400 surface-to-air missiles to north Crimea, and also plans to build a new missile early-warning radar station there. Mr Putin insisted that Russia's military response was appropriate as the Ukrainians had \"trespassed\" into Russia's territorial waters. However, Ukrainian officials published a map on Wednesday, placing all three Ukrainian boats just outside Crimea's territorial waters at the time they were seized."}], "question": "What is Russia's argument?", "id": "1196_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Stephen Hawking's warnings: What he predicted for the future", "date": "15 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Stephen Hawking's fame was founded on the research he did on general relativity and black holes. But he often stepped outside his own field of research, using his recognition to highlight what he saw as the great challenges and existential threats for humanity in coming decades. His pronouncements drove headlines in the media, which sometimes proved controversial. Hawking was clearly troubled that we were putting all our eggs in one basket - that basket being Earth. For decades, Hawking had been calling for humans to begin the process of permanently settling other planets. It made news headlines again and again. Hawking's rationale was that humankind would eventually fall victim to an extinction-level catastrophe - perhaps sooner rather than later. What worried him were so-called low-probability, high impact events - a large asteroid striking our planet is the classic example.  But Hawking perceived a host of other potential threats: artificial intelligence, climate change, GM viruses and nuclear war to name a few. In 2016, he told the BBC: \"Although the chance of a disaster to planet Earth in a given year may be quite low, it adds up over time, and becomes a near certainty in the next thousand or 10,000 years. He was confident that humans would spread out into the cosmos by that time (given the chance), but added: \"We will not establish self-sustaining colonies in space for at least the next hundred years, so we have to be very careful in this period.\" Here, Hawking's views dovetailed with those of entrepreneur Elon Musk, another science superstar whose cogitations attract widespread attention. In 2013, Musk told a conference: \"Either we spread Earth to other planets, or we risk going extinct. An extinction event is inevitable and we're increasingly doing ourselves in.\" In line with his thoughts on the matter, Hawking also attached his name to a project researching technologies for interstellar travel - the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. Hawking recognised the great opportunities that arose from advances in artificial intelligence, but also warned about the dangers. In 2014, he told the BBC that \"the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race\". Hawking said the primitive forms of artificial intelligence developed so far had already proved very useful; indeed, the tech he used to communicate incorporated a basic form of AI. But Hawking feared the consequences of advanced forms of machine intelligence that could match or surpass humans. Some academics thought the comments drew on outdated science fiction tropes. Others, such as Prof Bradley Love, from UCL, agreed there were risks: \"Clever AI will create tremendous wealth for society, but will leave many people without jobs,\" he told The Conversation. But he added: \"If we are going to worry about the future of humanity we should focus on the real challenges, such as climate change and weapons of mass destruction rather than fanciful killer AI robots.\" The Cambridge physicist regarded global warming as one of the biggest threats to life on the planet. Hawking was particularly fearful of a so-called tipping point, where global warming would become irreversible. He also expressed concern about America's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement. \"We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees, and raining sulphuric acid,\" he told BBC News. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also highlights the potential risk of hitting climate tipping points as temperatures increase - though it also emphasises the gaps in our knowledge. However, Hawking was in plentiful company in regarding global warming as one of the great challenges of centuries to come. There's a whole field of science, known as Seti (The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) dedicated to listening for signals from intelligent beings elsewhere in the Universe. But Hawking cautioned against trying to actively hail any alien civilisations that might be out there. In 2010, he told the Discovery Channel that aliens might simply raid Earth for resources and then move on. \"If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans,\" he said. \"We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet.\" At the time, Seth Shostak, from the Seti Institute in California, told the Guardian: \"This is an unwarranted fear. If they're interested in resources, they have ways of finding rocky planets that don't depend on whether we broadcast or not. They could have found us a billion years ago.\" But others saw the logic in Hawking's comments. Ian Stewart, a mathematician at Warwick University, commented: \"Lots of people think that because they would be so wise and knowledgeable, they would be peaceful. I don't think you can assume that.\" The media attention gave him an unprecedented platform. But some in the scientific community were occasionally less enthusiastic about the resulting headlines than the journalists who wrote them. Indeed, I've been asked in the past why the British media seemed to hang on Hawking's every word. Prof Sir Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal, said: \"He had robust common sense, and was ready to express forceful political opinions. \"However, a downside of his iconic status was that that his comments attracted exaggerated attention even on topics where he had no special expertise - for instance philosophy, or the dangers from aliens or from intelligent machines.\" But many would also argue that, beyond individual statements or headlines, Hawking had a unique ability to connect with the public. They would say that the \"hype\" this sometimes generated was an inevitable by-product of his household name status. Instead, we should focus on a greater good - his ability to bring science to the attention of people who might otherwise never have given it a second thought. It's testament to his success as a communicator that the mourning for this champion of rational thinking extends far beyond the scientific community. Follow Paul on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1976, "answer_end": 2994, "text": "Hawking recognised the great opportunities that arose from advances in artificial intelligence, but also warned about the dangers. In 2014, he told the BBC that \"the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race\". Hawking said the primitive forms of artificial intelligence developed so far had already proved very useful; indeed, the tech he used to communicate incorporated a basic form of AI. But Hawking feared the consequences of advanced forms of machine intelligence that could match or surpass humans. Some academics thought the comments drew on outdated science fiction tropes. Others, such as Prof Bradley Love, from UCL, agreed there were risks: \"Clever AI will create tremendous wealth for society, but will leave many people without jobs,\" he told The Conversation. But he added: \"If we are going to worry about the future of humanity we should focus on the real challenges, such as climate change and weapons of mass destruction rather than fanciful killer AI robots.\""}], "question": "Rise of the machines?", "id": "1197_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Afghanistan election: What's at stake in the parliament vote?", "date": "19 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Afghans are once again set to defy threats, insecurity and fears over electoral fraud as they prepare to vote in parliamentary elections on 20 October. The poll is long overdue. Bitter wrangling over electoral reform since the stalemate of the 2014 presidential poll has delayed it by three-and-a-half years. So what's at stake for Afghans and their fledgling democracy, four years since most Nato troops left the country? Most Afghans are desperate for a better life, jobs, education and an end to the war with the Taliban. For the country's foreign partners, seeing a flourishing democracy would be the return they're seeking after many years of investment, billions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost in more than a decade of fighting. This will be the third parliamentary election since the Taliban were removed in 2001. They should have been held when the current assembly's five-year term ended in 2015. But the standoff after the disputed 2014 presidential election changed all that, bringing the country to the brink of civil war. It needed the intervention by the Unites States to pave the way for the current government of national unity (with Ashraf Ghani as president and his main rival Abdullah Abdullah as chief executive officer, a prime ministerial post in all but name). Both parties agreed a comprehensive review of the electoral system. Saturday's poll will be a test of the reforms undertaken and the ability of the country's much-criticised election commission to organise free and fair elections. The poll is also seen as a test ahead of the all-important presidential elections due in April 2019. The election will also test the readiness of the Afghan army and police who have been struggling to combat a rise in attacks by the Taliban this year. It's also the first poll since Nato's combat mission ended in December 2014, placing security responsibility for the election primarily with Afghan forces. Nato's Resolute Support Mission has promised to provide backup, as and when requested. But with the Taliban openly active in as much as 70% of Afghanistan according to a BBC study published early this year, the security challenges are not being taken lightly. The Taliban have urged people to boycott what they call \"fake\" elections. And Islamic State militants in Afghanistan have followed suit. Since the poll was announced there have been several attacks on voter registration centres, the deadliest killing almost 60 people in Kabul in April and claimed by the Islamic State group. At least 10 candidates were killed in attacks around the country in the run-up to the vote. But Afghan officials have vowed to fully secure the elections and open most polling centres across the country. In previous polls as many as 10% of polling centres remained closed because of security concerns. This time about a third of the more than 7,000 centres will be shut. Security isn't the only issue threatening the vote. Past elections have been marred by corruption and fraud, with cases of ballot box stuffing, multiple voting and voter intimidation all documented. Ahead of the current elections, the problem of over-registration of voters in a handful of provinces has raised concerns with some observers. In five provinces, the number of registered voters was higher than that of the estimated eligible voting population, according to figures published on the election commission website. The anomaly appears to be in part due to the lack of a system that connects individuals to a physical address and a specific constituency, and the lack of a central database which collates everyone who has been registered. Following protests by several political groups, the election commission agreed to demands to use biometric verification machines at all polling booths. More than 20,000 of these hand-held devices are being distributed so voters' fingerprints and pictures can be taken, in an attempt to make sure no one votes twice. There are fears the process may disenfranchise some voters, because the election commission says it will only accept votes validated through the biometric system, so technical faults or missing devices my cause problems. More than 2,500 candidates are standing, meaning that on average there are at least 10 people contesting every seat in parliament. There is no party political system so candidates run as de-facto independents, although many are linked to political groups and factions, often based on ethnic loyalties. All this leads to a fractured political system, most visibly in Kabul where more than 800 candidates vie for 33 seats, leading to a very long ballot paper. Among candidates who have close ties with former warlords, powerbrokers or current parliament members, using patronage and family ties is common. Some of the most prominent include the sons of second deputy CEO Mohammad Mohaqiq, Hizb-e Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Vice President General Dostum. But for those who are hoping for change from the status quo of established politicians, there is a silver lining in the many campaign posters of young, educated candidates visible in Kabul and beyond, among them many former journalists, entrepreneurs and government employees. Securing women's rights has always been a declared priority for Afghanistan's foreign backers. That's reflected in the Afghan constitution which guarantees 68 seats - or 27% of the total - for women MPs, regardless of their vote share. And while this quota system has ensured that Afghan women participate in the legislative process, inequality and especially domestic violence remain huge problems. And parliament has remained dominated by conservatives. In 2016 President Ashraf Ghani introduced the first woman candidate ever to sit on the bench of the Afghan Supreme Court, but parliament did not back her. During 2018 the president sought parliament's approval for 11 ministers. The only one who failed to win the backing of MPs was a woman. The house also failed to pass legislation to defend women's basic rights, rejecting the law for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The bill was then passed by former President Karzai by decree in July 2009. Whether the 400 or so female candidates in the forthcoming election will secure a stronger voice for women remains to be seen. One indication might be if women secure more seats than allocated by the quota system. In the 2010 election, women candidates beat the quota by just a single seat. While in most countries initial results or exit polls come within 24 hours, in Afghanistan the process takes rather longer. That's in part due to logistical challenges like transporting the ballot boxes to Kabul from remote and insecure areas, and because of a multi-stage counting and verification process. There will be three rounds of announcements: initial, preliminary and final results. After voting ends, polling stations conduct a first vote count in the presence of observers. The initial results sheet is sent to Kabul in a secure bag and a copy is posted outside the polling centre. Further copies go to the candidate with the most votes, to the provincial complaints commission and another is placed inside the ballot box before it is sealed and transported back to the capital. Once the boxes have arrived at the Election Commission's main office, the votes are counted again. Preliminary results are expected 20 days after the election, on 10 November. That's followed by a lengthy period in which complaints can be made and addressed. Final results are due by 20 December.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2894, "answer_end": 4178, "text": "Security isn't the only issue threatening the vote. Past elections have been marred by corruption and fraud, with cases of ballot box stuffing, multiple voting and voter intimidation all documented. Ahead of the current elections, the problem of over-registration of voters in a handful of provinces has raised concerns with some observers. In five provinces, the number of registered voters was higher than that of the estimated eligible voting population, according to figures published on the election commission website. The anomaly appears to be in part due to the lack of a system that connects individuals to a physical address and a specific constituency, and the lack of a central database which collates everyone who has been registered. Following protests by several political groups, the election commission agreed to demands to use biometric verification machines at all polling booths. More than 20,000 of these hand-held devices are being distributed so voters' fingerprints and pictures can be taken, in an attempt to make sure no one votes twice. There are fears the process may disenfranchise some voters, because the election commission says it will only accept votes validated through the biometric system, so technical faults or missing devices my cause problems."}], "question": "So what about fraud?", "id": "1198_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4179, "answer_end": 5218, "text": "More than 2,500 candidates are standing, meaning that on average there are at least 10 people contesting every seat in parliament. There is no party political system so candidates run as de-facto independents, although many are linked to political groups and factions, often based on ethnic loyalties. All this leads to a fractured political system, most visibly in Kabul where more than 800 candidates vie for 33 seats, leading to a very long ballot paper. Among candidates who have close ties with former warlords, powerbrokers or current parliament members, using patronage and family ties is common. Some of the most prominent include the sons of second deputy CEO Mohammad Mohaqiq, Hizb-e Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Vice President General Dostum. But for those who are hoping for change from the status quo of established politicians, there is a silver lining in the many campaign posters of young, educated candidates visible in Kabul and beyond, among them many former journalists, entrepreneurs and government employees."}], "question": "Who's standing?", "id": "1198_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6472, "answer_end": 7559, "text": "While in most countries initial results or exit polls come within 24 hours, in Afghanistan the process takes rather longer. That's in part due to logistical challenges like transporting the ballot boxes to Kabul from remote and insecure areas, and because of a multi-stage counting and verification process. There will be three rounds of announcements: initial, preliminary and final results. After voting ends, polling stations conduct a first vote count in the presence of observers. The initial results sheet is sent to Kabul in a secure bag and a copy is posted outside the polling centre. Further copies go to the candidate with the most votes, to the provincial complaints commission and another is placed inside the ballot box before it is sealed and transported back to the capital. Once the boxes have arrived at the Election Commission's main office, the votes are counted again. Preliminary results are expected 20 days after the election, on 10 November. That's followed by a lengthy period in which complaints can be made and addressed. Final results are due by 20 December."}], "question": "What happens after the vote?", "id": "1198_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Rocket mystery: What weapon was Russia testing in Arctic?", "date": "12 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Five Russian nuclear engineers who died in a rocket engine explosion have been buried in Sarov, a closed town 373km (232 miles) east of Moscow, where nuclear warheads are made. The Russian state nuclear agency, Rosatom, said the experts had been testing a nuclear-powered engine. But it gave no further technical details. The test was on an offshore platform in the Arctic, at a naval test range. Russia has previously tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile, \"Burevestnik\". But officials did not specify the system involved in Thursday's disastrous test. The explosion was followed by a 40-minute radiation spike in Severodvinsk, a city 40km (25 miles) east of the Nyonoksa test range, by the White Sea. Severodvinsk officials said radiation in the city reached 2 microsieverts per hour, then fell back to the normal 0.11 microsieverts. Both levels are too small to cause radiation sickness. Three other engineers were injured in the blast, and are now in hospital, Rosatom said. Experts in Russia and the West say the test was most likely linked to the 9M730 Burevestnik, meaning \"petrel\", a type of seabird. President Vladimir Putin described the missile in a speech to the Russian parliament in March 2018. Nato has given it the designation SSC-X-9 Skyfall. Prof Mark Galeotti, a leading Russia analyst and researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), says nuclear propulsion poses huge technical challenges. \"There is speed versus the weight of the system, and the risk of a missile that spews radioactive exhaust wherever it goes,\" he told the BBC. \"These new systems have their origin in Soviet times - they've been taken off the shelves and given new investment.\" The Burevestnik's nuclear propulsion would, according to Mr Putin, give it \"unlimited\" range. But the Nyonoksa explosion could have involved a different weapon, equally capable of delivering a nuclear warhead: - a new long-range, anti-ship cruise missile called Zircon, which is hypersonic - it can fly at up to eight times the speed of sound, the Russian military says - a new long-range underwater drone, launched from a submarine, called Poseidon The five nuclear engineers who died were \"elite\" experts and \"heroes\" who knew the risks and had conducted previous tests in \"extraordinarily tough conditions\", senior Rosatom official Valentin Kostyukov said. He heads the Sarov nuclear centre - a secret Cold War-era facility responsible for Russia's hydrogen bomb arsenal. He named the five as: Alexei Vyushin (a designer and software specialist); Yevgeny Korotayev (senior electrical engineer); Vyacheslav Lipshev (head of the scientific testing team); Sergei Pichugin (testing engineer); Vladislav Yanovsky (deputy head of the scientific testing department). At the funeral, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said \"the best way to remember them is to continue our work on new types of weapon, which will be completed without fail\". Initially the defence ministry said the explosion on 8 August had involved a liquid-fuel rocket engine, and gave the death toll as two, without specifying the victims. Later, Rosatom said the test had involved a \"radio-isotope propellant source\" and had taken place on an offshore platform. The engineers had completed testing, but suddenly a fire broke out and the engine exploded, throwing the men into the sea, Rosatom said. Soon after the blast the Severodvinsk administration reported a 40-minute spike in radiation in the city, and news of that prompted locals to buy up stocks of iodine in the city's pharmacies. Iodine pills offer some protection from radioactive iodine - and there was a huge demand for them during the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Ahead of the test, the defence ministry imposed an exclusion zone in Dvina Bay - the waters north of the Nyonoksa test range. The zone will remain closed to civilian shipping until early September. A Norwegian Arctic news website, the Barents Observer, reported that a Russian specialised nuclear cargo ship, the Serebryanka, was inside the exclusion zone on 9 August. There is speculation that the ship was deployed to pick up any radioactive debris in the event of a failed test, and may be doing just that now. But the closed zone may also be a precaution against any escape of toxic rocket fuel into the water, where locals go fishing. Rusi's Mark Galeotti says \"there is a lot of scepticism about whether the Burevestnik will ever see the light of day\". He notes that another state-of-the-art Russian missile, the Bulava, \"had many years of failed tests\". The Zircon and Poseidon missiles are more advanced projects. The Poseidon underwater drone already exists in prototype. But Poseidon, like the Burevestnik, appears to be an \"apocalyptic\" weapon, Mr Galeotti says - impractical for anything short of all-out nuclear war. Russia's government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta last month described Burevestnik as \"a vengeance weapon\". That was also the phrase used by the Nazis to describe their V-rockets, fired at the UK late in World War Two. The newspaper said Burevestnik - capable of long-duration flight and avoiding air defences - would target any remaining vital infrastructure after Russia's intercontinental ballistic missiles had already struck enemy territory. With the recent collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the US will now focus more on \"developing the intermediate-range arsenal, something short of all-out war\", Mr Galeotti said. \"The Russian military also want that capability, because they are also worried about China,\" he added.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2135, "answer_end": 4311, "text": "The five nuclear engineers who died were \"elite\" experts and \"heroes\" who knew the risks and had conducted previous tests in \"extraordinarily tough conditions\", senior Rosatom official Valentin Kostyukov said. He heads the Sarov nuclear centre - a secret Cold War-era facility responsible for Russia's hydrogen bomb arsenal. He named the five as: Alexei Vyushin (a designer and software specialist); Yevgeny Korotayev (senior electrical engineer); Vyacheslav Lipshev (head of the scientific testing team); Sergei Pichugin (testing engineer); Vladislav Yanovsky (deputy head of the scientific testing department). At the funeral, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said \"the best way to remember them is to continue our work on new types of weapon, which will be completed without fail\". Initially the defence ministry said the explosion on 8 August had involved a liquid-fuel rocket engine, and gave the death toll as two, without specifying the victims. Later, Rosatom said the test had involved a \"radio-isotope propellant source\" and had taken place on an offshore platform. The engineers had completed testing, but suddenly a fire broke out and the engine exploded, throwing the men into the sea, Rosatom said. Soon after the blast the Severodvinsk administration reported a 40-minute spike in radiation in the city, and news of that prompted locals to buy up stocks of iodine in the city's pharmacies. Iodine pills offer some protection from radioactive iodine - and there was a huge demand for them during the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Ahead of the test, the defence ministry imposed an exclusion zone in Dvina Bay - the waters north of the Nyonoksa test range. The zone will remain closed to civilian shipping until early September. A Norwegian Arctic news website, the Barents Observer, reported that a Russian specialised nuclear cargo ship, the Serebryanka, was inside the exclusion zone on 9 August. There is speculation that the ship was deployed to pick up any radioactive debris in the event of a failed test, and may be doing just that now. But the closed zone may also be a precaution against any escape of toxic rocket fuel into the water, where locals go fishing."}], "question": "What is known about the explosion?", "id": "1199_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4312, "answer_end": 5555, "text": "Rusi's Mark Galeotti says \"there is a lot of scepticism about whether the Burevestnik will ever see the light of day\". He notes that another state-of-the-art Russian missile, the Bulava, \"had many years of failed tests\". The Zircon and Poseidon missiles are more advanced projects. The Poseidon underwater drone already exists in prototype. But Poseidon, like the Burevestnik, appears to be an \"apocalyptic\" weapon, Mr Galeotti says - impractical for anything short of all-out nuclear war. Russia's government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta last month described Burevestnik as \"a vengeance weapon\". That was also the phrase used by the Nazis to describe their V-rockets, fired at the UK late in World War Two. The newspaper said Burevestnik - capable of long-duration flight and avoiding air defences - would target any remaining vital infrastructure after Russia's intercontinental ballistic missiles had already struck enemy territory. With the recent collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the US will now focus more on \"developing the intermediate-range arsenal, something short of all-out war\", Mr Galeotti said. \"The Russian military also want that capability, because they are also worried about China,\" he added."}], "question": "Is the nuclear-powered missile a game-changer?", "id": "1199_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Met Gala: Cardi B, Elon Musk and all the bits you missed", "date": "8 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Met Gala is a chance to see celebs hiking up a load of steps while wearing the most extravagant outfits. This year's theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination - and the celebs didn't disappoint. Rihanna was hosting and turned up dressed as the Pope, wearing a Maison Margiela Artisanal Gown by John Galliano - while elsewhere Nicki Minaj and Cardi B also made waves. Newsbeat has picked out some highlights from the night, including an impromptu proposal from a hip hop heavyweight. There were some amazing outfits on display - whether it was Lena Waithe's rainbow flag-inspired veil or Katy Perry's angel wings, but we can't get enough of 'Pope Rihanna'. Especially this video of her showing off her outfit. Elsewhere though... Rapper 2 Chainz used his time on the red carpet to get down on one knee. He popped the question to Kesha Ward and she said \"yes\". The only thing is, according to Essence, they're already married. The rapper, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, reportedly has three children with Kesha. It's not clear if 2 Chainz was upgrading the ring or if they plan to renew their vows. The pair have been together for five years, but there is some confusion about if they are already married. According to magazine People, 2 Chainz previously proposed at the BET Awards but they never made it official. It's not the first time a celebrity has popped the question on the famous Met Gala steps. In 2004, future president Donald Trump proposed to future first lady Melania Trump. Is a 2 Chainz presidency on its way? Nicki Minaj and Cardi B were seen chatting at the Met Gala and people are loving it. Nicki even gave Cardi's baby bump a little rub, which one person compared to religious art. Their relationship is rumoured to have been rocky since working together on Nicki's track Motorsport. In an interview, Cardi said Nicki changed her verse from the one they recorded together. Nicki responded by saying she felt hurt, telling Beats 1: \"I remember when I first came in the game, if a female of that stature had done a feature with me on it, I would only be singing their praises and saying thank you.\" But hopefully after last night, these two have patched things up. Billionaire Elon Musk and Canadian artist Grimes are a couple. The pair stepped out on the red carpet together, with Grimes wearing a necklace that looked a lot like the Tesla logo. Though they've reportedly only been dating for a month, some people think they have a powerful future ahead. As well as doing a surprise performance at the Met Gala, Madonna also shared a time-lapse video of her getting ready. It's fair to say she's a multi-talented woman. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 755, "answer_end": 1552, "text": "Rapper 2 Chainz used his time on the red carpet to get down on one knee. He popped the question to Kesha Ward and she said \"yes\". The only thing is, according to Essence, they're already married. The rapper, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, reportedly has three children with Kesha. It's not clear if 2 Chainz was upgrading the ring or if they plan to renew their vows. The pair have been together for five years, but there is some confusion about if they are already married. According to magazine People, 2 Chainz previously proposed at the BET Awards but they never made it official. It's not the first time a celebrity has popped the question on the famous Met Gala steps. In 2004, future president Donald Trump proposed to future first lady Melania Trump. Is a 2 Chainz presidency on its way?"}], "question": "2 Chainz proposes to his... wife?", "id": "1200_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Australia passes foreign interference laws amid China tension", "date": "28 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia's parliament has passed a package of new laws aimed at preventing foreign interference in the country. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the crackdown last December. Although he denied it was aimed specifically at China, the move has added to diplomatic tensions with Beijing in recent months. The wide-ranging laws, approved in the Senate on Thursday, target foreign interference in politics and other domestic affairs, as well as espionage. Among key provisions, they will require lobbyists for foreign governments to identify themselves on a public register. In December, Mr Turnbull said the crackdown followed warnings by intelligence agencies that were \"necessarily classified\". \"Foreign powers are making unprecedented and increasingly sophisticated attempts to influence the political process, both here and abroad,\" he said at the time. He later acknowledged \"disturbing reports about Chinese influence\", an assertion that has been strongly denied by Beijing. Last week China's ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, reiterated his warning that a \"Cold War mentality\" was undermining relations. The government has described the laws as the most significant counter-espionage reforms in Australia since the 1970s. They were approved following months of review by a parliamentary national security committee. The laws criminalise covert, deceptive or threatening actions that are intended to interfere with democratic processes or provide intelligence to overseas governments. They are designed to include actions that may have fallen short of previous definitions of espionage. Industrial espionage - the theft of trade secrets - is among new criminal offences, while people who leak classified information will face tougher penalties. The government also plans to ban foreign political donations through a separate bill later this year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1122, "answer_end": 1863, "text": "The government has described the laws as the most significant counter-espionage reforms in Australia since the 1970s. They were approved following months of review by a parliamentary national security committee. The laws criminalise covert, deceptive or threatening actions that are intended to interfere with democratic processes or provide intelligence to overseas governments. They are designed to include actions that may have fallen short of previous definitions of espionage. Industrial espionage - the theft of trade secrets - is among new criminal offences, while people who leak classified information will face tougher penalties. The government also plans to ban foreign political donations through a separate bill later this year."}], "question": "What are the new laws?", "id": "1201_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why South Africans will pay 'sin tax' for fizzy drinks", "date": "5 March 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "South Africa has joined the battle against sugar, becoming the first African country to plan a tax on drinks loaded with the sweet stuff. That could hurt many here, for whom a supermarket trip is not complete without stocking up on their beloved garish fizzy liquid. But University of Johannesburg third-year students Nomzamo and Precious tell me they are not about to give up their sugary treats. \"I  buy fizzy drinks because I love the taste,\" says 21-year-old Nomzamo as she surveys her options in a packed supermarket fridge. \"It's also convenient and I don't have to worry about preparing something to drink if I have people coming over.\" Precious, whose hand seems to be drawn to the bright orange Fanta, says the extra tax planned for next year will not put her off. \"We'll still buy them when the prices increase - we might buy less though but I don't see us stopping,\" she says. \"I think as long as you don't overdo it, there is nothing wrong with any one type of food.\" At an average of less than $0.50c (PS0.36) for a 330ml can, sweetened drinks are affordable for the vast majority, and have become a regular feature of the weekly diet. And that is part of the problem. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan introduced the tax on everything from carbonated soft drinks to flavoured water in February's budget speech, partly as a way to tackle the country's bulging budget deficit, but also to deal with people's bulging waistlines. South Africa has not been spared as obesity levels have soared around the world in the past couple of decades. According to a 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, one in four South Africans are obese. A 2013 study by the Human Sciences Research Council in Johannesburg pointed the finger at sugar as being one of the possible culprits, saying that one in five South Africans consume an excessive amount of sugar. The average South African, according to the results from a survey of 25,000 people, now have 17 teaspoons of sugar a day. And although not the sole culprit, high sugar consumption has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which all put a strain on the publicly-funded health system. South Africa's sugar intake may not be as high as Mexico, 35 teaspoons a day, or the US, 40 teaspoons a day, but it is a cause for concern as the WHO recommends no more than 10 teaspoons be eaten in a day. Despite the aim for this new \"sin tax\", some are sceptical about whether it is the right way to tackle the problem. \"I think it should be up to each person to regulate their sugar intake. I personally know not to drink sweetened juice every day if I want to stay healthy,\" says Lindi, from the south of Johannesburg. \"The government shouldn't take away people's rights to choose. They should instead look at making healthy food cheaper and not punish people for their choice,\" her husband adds. That is a line of attack chosen by the opposition Democratic Alliance. Perhaps more significantly, drinks manufacturers are likely to mount a campaign against the tax. The Beverage Association of South Africa (BevSA) has questioned why the government is targeting just drinks rather than the entire processed food industry. It argues that one food item cannot be blamed for the country's obesity issues. But tax expert Kyle Mandy from the accounting firm PwC says that the lesson from Mexico - which has also gone down the sugar tax route - is that corporate opposition can be faced down. Average daily sugar intake by teaspoons - South Africa:  17 - Mexico: 35 - United States: 40 - Egypt 21 - UK 23 On the key question of whether the tax actually works, Mr Mandy says that in Mexico it \"has been relatively effective in reducing the consumption of sugary beverages\". Some argue that the tax could be a blow to poor South Africans who cannot afford better quality goods. But the tax expert says the health benefits need to be weighed against the costs. \"It does work, provided it is done well. South Africa will now need to determine the level at which they introduce the tax, it cannot be too low or too high,\" Mr Mandy says. He warns though that the country would need to adopt a comprehensive approach beyond just taxing sugary drinks. \"It needs to be a package of measures looking at educational campaigns about adopting a healthy lifestyle, access to healthy options for the average South African and regulations on better food labelling,\" he tells me. Policy makers will need to carefully navigate some tricky waters before the tax comes into effect in April 2017, one of which is to be sure that the tax will not affect the industry to such an extent that it needs to shed jobs. The South African Sugar Association says that one million people depend on the sugar industry for a living and it directly employs 79,000 people in the country. But it seems many agree in principle that the sugar tax is a good place to start to tackle some of the country's health problems. Water anyone?", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3587, "answer_end": 4977, "text": "On the key question of whether the tax actually works, Mr Mandy says that in Mexico it \"has been relatively effective in reducing the consumption of sugary beverages\". Some argue that the tax could be a blow to poor South Africans who cannot afford better quality goods. But the tax expert says the health benefits need to be weighed against the costs. \"It does work, provided it is done well. South Africa will now need to determine the level at which they introduce the tax, it cannot be too low or too high,\" Mr Mandy says. He warns though that the country would need to adopt a comprehensive approach beyond just taxing sugary drinks. \"It needs to be a package of measures looking at educational campaigns about adopting a healthy lifestyle, access to healthy options for the average South African and regulations on better food labelling,\" he tells me. Policy makers will need to carefully navigate some tricky waters before the tax comes into effect in April 2017, one of which is to be sure that the tax will not affect the industry to such an extent that it needs to shed jobs. The South African Sugar Association says that one million people depend on the sugar industry for a living and it directly employs 79,000 people in the country. But it seems many agree in principle that the sugar tax is a good place to start to tackle some of the country's health problems. Water anyone?"}], "question": "Does it work?", "id": "1202_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong protests: Police probe link of huge explosives haul", "date": "20 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hong Kong police are investigating whether a haul of explosives found there is linked to ongoing protests. The police said it was the biggest seizure of the explosive TATP they had ever made. Other weapons and protest leaflets were also found on Friday. The find came ahead of a weekend of mass protests by both pro- and anti- China demonstrators in Hong Kong. A 27-year-old man was arrested and was reportedly a member of a pro-independence group. Officers discovered the haul when they entered an industrial building in the Tsuen Wan district at about 22:30 local time (14:30 GMT) on Friday evening. They said they found 2kg (4.4lb) of the highly volatile TATP, as well as 10 petrol bombs, acidic substances, weapons including knives and metal rods, and gas masks and goggles, the South China Morning Post reported. The Post quoted Superintendent Alick McWhirter of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as saying: \"TATP is well known, unstable and dangerous. I think without a doubt this is the largest seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong.\" He said it was taking officers time to handle the TATP as it was in \"different stages of its manufacture\", creating a \"constant challenge\". TATP can be easily made from readily available materials and was used in such attacks as the 2005 London bombings and the 2015 Paris attacks. Also found in Tsuen Wan were banners and leaflets opposing the extradition bill and a T-shirt bearing the logo of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Front group. He has not been named officially. He is apparently still being questioned and has not yet been charged. The Hong Kong National Front said in a post distributed on the Telegram app that the man was a member of the group, but that the group knew nothing of the explosives. The BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell, in Hong Kong, said the arrest would be interpreted by some as a sign that the democracy movement includes those turning to more violent means. They were sparked by the proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who spoke out against the Chinese government. After weeks of regular mass protests the Hong Kong government suspended the bill, but this has not halted the demonstrations, which now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns that Hong Kong's freedoms are being eroded. Tens of thousands came out on to the streets last Sunday, leading to some violent clashes. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is part of China but run under a \"one country, two systems\" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a separate legal system, compared to mainland China. Pro-Beijing protesters are also planning to gather this weekend to show their support for the Hong Kong government and the police force.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 449, "answer_end": 1501, "text": "Officers discovered the haul when they entered an industrial building in the Tsuen Wan district at about 22:30 local time (14:30 GMT) on Friday evening. They said they found 2kg (4.4lb) of the highly volatile TATP, as well as 10 petrol bombs, acidic substances, weapons including knives and metal rods, and gas masks and goggles, the South China Morning Post reported. The Post quoted Superintendent Alick McWhirter of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as saying: \"TATP is well known, unstable and dangerous. I think without a doubt this is the largest seizure we have ever come across in Hong Kong.\" He said it was taking officers time to handle the TATP as it was in \"different stages of its manufacture\", creating a \"constant challenge\". TATP can be easily made from readily available materials and was used in such attacks as the 2005 London bombings and the 2015 Paris attacks. Also found in Tsuen Wan were banners and leaflets opposing the extradition bill and a T-shirt bearing the logo of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Front group."}], "question": "What was found in the raid?", "id": "1203_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1502, "answer_end": 1963, "text": "He has not been named officially. He is apparently still being questioned and has not yet been charged. The Hong Kong National Front said in a post distributed on the Telegram app that the man was a member of the group, but that the group knew nothing of the explosives. The BBC's China correspondent Stephen McDonell, in Hong Kong, said the arrest would be interpreted by some as a sign that the democracy movement includes those turning to more violent means."}], "question": "What do we know of the suspect?", "id": "1203_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1964, "answer_end": 2920, "text": "They were sparked by the proposed extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to China for trial. Critics said it would undermine Hong Kong's judicial independence and could be used to target those who spoke out against the Chinese government. After weeks of regular mass protests the Hong Kong government suspended the bill, but this has not halted the demonstrations, which now reflect broader demands for democratic reform and concerns that Hong Kong's freedoms are being eroded. Tens of thousands came out on to the streets last Sunday, leading to some violent clashes. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is part of China but run under a \"one country, two systems\" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a separate legal system, compared to mainland China. Pro-Beijing protesters are also planning to gather this weekend to show their support for the Hong Kong government and the police force."}], "question": "What are the protests about?", "id": "1203_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Putin vows to perfect mystery rocket after engine blast", "date": "22 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to press on with the development of a nuclear-powered rocket believed to have been at the centre of a deadly accident. Five engineers and two others died when a rocket engine exploded at a test range on the White Sea on 8 August. Defence experts think it was part of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. \"We will certainly be perfecting this weapon regardless of anything,\" Mr Putin told widows of the victims. The possession of \"such unique technologies\", he added, was \"in itself... a most significant and reliable guarantee for peace on the planet\". The Russian leader was speaking on Thursday at a ceremony at the Kremlin to present posthumous awards to the dead men's families. He did not specify what weapon had been involved, saying only that the \"technical ideas and solutions\" involved in the project were \"without an equivalent in the world\". Engineers had completed testing on an offshore platform at the Nyonoksa naval test range when a fire broke out and the engine exploded, throwing the men into the sea, according to Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom. In addition to the seven killed, six people were injured as a result of the blast, which saw radiation levels rise 16 times above normal in the nearest big city, Severodvinsk, 47km (29 miles) away from Nyonoksa. While the radiation levels were not high enough to cause radiation sickness, medical staff who treated casualties from the blast site were not warned of any nuclear contamination risk. The clean-up operation was shrouded in secrecy. Russia has only confirmed that a nuclear-powered engine was being tested at the time. There is also some speculation that it could have been an anti-ship missile or long-range underwater drone but experts in Russia and the West say the test was most likely linked to the new 9M730 Burevestnik missile, called \"Skyfall\" by Nato. President Putin has described the Burevestnik as having \"unlimited\" range. It is designed to act as a \"vengeance\" weapon, to be used after an initial nuclear strike.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 896, "answer_end": 1553, "text": "Engineers had completed testing on an offshore platform at the Nyonoksa naval test range when a fire broke out and the engine exploded, throwing the men into the sea, according to Russia's nuclear agency Rosatom. In addition to the seven killed, six people were injured as a result of the blast, which saw radiation levels rise 16 times above normal in the nearest big city, Severodvinsk, 47km (29 miles) away from Nyonoksa. While the radiation levels were not high enough to cause radiation sickness, medical staff who treated casualties from the blast site were not warned of any nuclear contamination risk. The clean-up operation was shrouded in secrecy."}], "question": "How serious was the accident in August?", "id": "1204_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1554, "answer_end": 2047, "text": "Russia has only confirmed that a nuclear-powered engine was being tested at the time. There is also some speculation that it could have been an anti-ship missile or long-range underwater drone but experts in Russia and the West say the test was most likely linked to the new 9M730 Burevestnik missile, called \"Skyfall\" by Nato. President Putin has described the Burevestnik as having \"unlimited\" range. It is designed to act as a \"vengeance\" weapon, to be used after an initial nuclear strike."}], "question": "What was being tested?", "id": "1204_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Healthy dog put down to be buried with owner in Virginia, US", "date": "23 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A dog owner in America had her healthy pet put down and cremated to be buried with her when she died, according to US reports. Emma, a shih tzu mix, was put down and cremated, despite efforts of an animal shelter to stop it happening. Workers at the shelter in Virginia reportedly spent two weeks trying to convince people close to the dead woman not to carry out her last wishes. But Emma was put to sleep in March this year. \"We did suggest they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions, because it's a dog we could easily find a home for and re-home,\" said Carrie Jones, the manager of Chesterfield Animal Services in Virginia, reports Associated Press. \"Ultimately, they came back in on 22 March and redeemed the dog.\" Emma was put down, cremated, put in an urn and given to the representative of the dead woman's estate for burial. In the UK, healthy pets can and do get put down by their owners, but only after a consultation process with a vet and if there is no better option for the animal. \"Almost all companion-animal vets in the UK have been asked to euthanise healthy pets,\" a spokesperson for the British Veterinary Association tells Radio 1 Newsbeat in a statement. \"Common reasons given to vets include the pet's behaviour, the owner's poor health, owners moving to accommodation that is unsuitable for their pet and legal enforcement reasons.\" They say ending an animal's life is always a \"complex decision\". \"When presented with such a scenario, vets will guide clients through a rational and ethical decision-making process to arrive at a decision that's in the animal's best interests, after carefully considering all available options and the circumstances of the pet and the owner.\" The RSPCA didn't want to comment. Virginia law rules that pets are considered personal property, which allows vets to put them down according to their owner's wishes. US laws vary from state to state, but some do allow pets to be buried with their human owners. In Virginia, the National Memorial Park Cemetary has a pet graveyard, Noah's Ark Pet Cemetary, next to its human burial sites. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 842, "answer_end": 1743, "text": "In the UK, healthy pets can and do get put down by their owners, but only after a consultation process with a vet and if there is no better option for the animal. \"Almost all companion-animal vets in the UK have been asked to euthanise healthy pets,\" a spokesperson for the British Veterinary Association tells Radio 1 Newsbeat in a statement. \"Common reasons given to vets include the pet's behaviour, the owner's poor health, owners moving to accommodation that is unsuitable for their pet and legal enforcement reasons.\" They say ending an animal's life is always a \"complex decision\". \"When presented with such a scenario, vets will guide clients through a rational and ethical decision-making process to arrive at a decision that's in the animal's best interests, after carefully considering all available options and the circumstances of the pet and the owner.\" The RSPCA didn't want to comment."}], "question": "What would happen in this country?", "id": "1205_0"}]}]}, {"title": "France protests: The voices of the 'gilets jaunes'", "date": "8 December 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "\"We are fed up of hearing promises from politicians. The French don't believe in them any more.\" Freddie Bouvier, a truck driver from Beauvais in northern France, is one of thousands of \"yellow vest\" protesters rallying against President Emmanuel Macron and his government. They first took to the streets to protests against a rising fuel tax - a move since abandoned by the government - but the scope has become far greater. At least four people have died and hundreds have been arrested in the worst unrest to hit France in decades. And further nationwide protests are being held on Saturday. \"Whether it's a suspension or a freeze of the fuel tax, it's all good news,\" Mr Bouvier tells the BBC. \"But these are just words. We want to see action quickly.\" The movement cuts across age, job and region. It includes members of the working and middle classes, all affected by the higher cost of living in France. President Macron was elected on a programme of economic reform, and there is widespread fury that his new policies have failed to deliver the promised change. Claude Rigolet tells the BBC his income has dropped by almost a fifth since 2000, and has stopped him from eating out or going on holiday in the summer. \"Everything is more expensive,\" the retiree from Reims says. \"Taxes are going up - housing, heating costs, cars. Everything is going up.\" Natacha Perchat agrees. The cleaner from Reims says that the fuel tax was \"the straw that broke the camel's back\". \"They [the government] are hitting the little people hard. My husband works for a transport company. We're not wealthy. We're already in the red at the beginning of the month,\" she says. \"Mid-month we have to use gift vouchers for our children to buy food. This can't go on. We don't live, we survive. It's a scandal.\" Delphine Notelet, 45, from Honfleur in Normandy told French magazine Marianne she earns EUR1200 a month after tax for her job caring for the elderly. After bills, that leaves her with EUR50 a week. She wants a better life for children, who can see the difficulties for themselves. \"Emmanuel Macron didn't want to listen to us?\" she says. \"We're proving to him that we are not puppets swallowed under an avalanche of taxes, but citizens.\" Despite the deaths of four people and injuries to hundreds more, the French people overwhelmingly support the protests - albeit with reservations. Hours before the government cancelled its proposed tax rise, a poll conducted for French newspaper Le Figaro showed 78% believed the yellow vests are fighting for France's general interest. However, nearly half of respondents - 47% - believe it is violent, and 59% admit they are worried by the movement. \"All demonstrations get a bit violent, \"Mr Bouvier says. \"But the troublemakers are the result of the way we have marginalised people. Today they live on benefits and trafficking, stealing. And this is how they express their anger at the system.\" Social media, and in particular Facebook, is at the core of the demonstrations. According to broadcaster BFM TV, three Facebook groups - La France en colere (Angry France), Gilet Jaune and Gilet jaune - had the most interaction on Wednesday, when the fuel tax rise was scrapped. Users from across France post memes, images and text expressing their anger and denouncing the government. While these pages have come to prominence in recent weeks, so-called \"angry groups\" have been appearing on Facebook since January this year. There are such groups for regions across the nation - spaces for people across the political and economic spectrum to share their local grievances. Their spread and popularity seem to have coincided with a change in Facebook's algorithm. According to Buzzfeed News, in January this year the site began to prioritise local networks and posts from family and friends - leading to an explosion in popularity for such regional groups. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced that 89,000 police officers will be on duty across France and armoured vehicles will be deployed in the capital. Popular tourists destinations like the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais complex and the Louvre and Orsay museums will also be closed in Paris. And while a few voices on Facebook questioned the need for further demonstrations now the tax had been scrapped, the overwhelming majority backed further action.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2233, "answer_end": 2931, "text": "Despite the deaths of four people and injuries to hundreds more, the French people overwhelmingly support the protests - albeit with reservations. Hours before the government cancelled its proposed tax rise, a poll conducted for French newspaper Le Figaro showed 78% believed the yellow vests are fighting for France's general interest. However, nearly half of respondents - 47% - believe it is violent, and 59% admit they are worried by the movement. \"All demonstrations get a bit violent, \"Mr Bouvier says. \"But the troublemakers are the result of the way we have marginalised people. Today they live on benefits and trafficking, stealing. And this is how they express their anger at the system.\""}], "question": "Do they still have popular support?", "id": "1206_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2932, "answer_end": 3889, "text": "Social media, and in particular Facebook, is at the core of the demonstrations. According to broadcaster BFM TV, three Facebook groups - La France en colere (Angry France), Gilet Jaune and Gilet jaune - had the most interaction on Wednesday, when the fuel tax rise was scrapped. Users from across France post memes, images and text expressing their anger and denouncing the government. While these pages have come to prominence in recent weeks, so-called \"angry groups\" have been appearing on Facebook since January this year. There are such groups for regions across the nation - spaces for people across the political and economic spectrum to share their local grievances. Their spread and popularity seem to have coincided with a change in Facebook's algorithm. According to Buzzfeed News, in January this year the site began to prioritise local networks and posts from family and friends - leading to an explosion in popularity for such regional groups."}], "question": "How is the movement spread?", "id": "1206_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3890, "answer_end": 4351, "text": "Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced that 89,000 police officers will be on duty across France and armoured vehicles will be deployed in the capital. Popular tourists destinations like the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais complex and the Louvre and Orsay museums will also be closed in Paris. And while a few voices on Facebook questioned the need for further demonstrations now the tax had been scrapped, the overwhelming majority backed further action."}], "question": "What will happen on Saturday?", "id": "1206_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Reality Check: Who should take statins?", "date": "1 August 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Should you be taking statins? Research from Harvard University suggests if current guidelines were strictly applied, \"almost all\" men over 60 and women over 75 would be doing so in order to help prevent heart attack and stroke. But the Royal College of GPs has raised the alarm saying this could lead to some older people being prescribed the drug unnecessarily. Its chairwoman, Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said: \"It is not clear that every 60-year-old man or 75-year-old woman is going to benefit from statin therapy.\" Statins are a group of drugs designed to lower harmful cholesterol in the blood. Having too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood can lead to a build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries. This so-called \"bad cholesterol\" can cause blockages and lead to heart disease and stroke. Statins are tablets taken once a day, and, once prescribed, will usually be taken for life. The NHS says a review of scientific studies suggests one in 50 people who takes statins for five years, will avoid a \"serious event\" like a heart attack. In contrast, only one in 10,000 people taking statins will experience a \"potentially dangerous\" side-effect. And they are cheap - a commonly prescribed statin, atorvastatin, taken daily costs about PS2 a month per person, according to a study in the medical journal, the Lancet. New guidelines for England published in 2014 recommended statins be prescribed to anyone with a one-in-10 chance or higher of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. A team of scientists at Harvard looked at how many of the population in England should therefore be eligible for the drug. The recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) significantly increased the number of people eligible for statins. Previous advice from the body, which provides national guidelines on health and care, said that only those with a higher than one-in-five chance of developing heart disease should be given them. The Harvard research, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found that the updated guidance meant almost all men over the age of 60, and almost all women over the age of 75, would be considered high risk and therefore be eligible to be given statins, regardless of whether they had any other risk factors. This is because age is one of the main factors when it comes to estimating risk of disease. The researchers estimated that, according to the guidelines, 11.8 million (37%) adults in England, aged 30-84, would be eligible for statin therapy. This would mean each GP treating almost 200 extra patients with statins. Of these, they found more than half were not already taking the drug. But the sample of the population the researchers used was taken from a survey from 2011, before the guidelines came into place. The researchers weren't looking at the uptake of the 2014 guidelines, but estimating what they meant for how many people would be eligible for the drug. The study acknowledges it is unlikely that all eligible adults will receive statins. But the guidelines recommend that someone falling into the high-risk category should be having \"an informed risk-benefit discussion\" with their doctor, the authors point out. A spokesman from the Royal College of GPs echoes this, saying that the NICE guidelines are, \"guidelines, not tramlines, and GPs will take these into account along with any other physical, psychological and social factors potentially affecting the patient's health - as well as patient choice.\" Many patients don't want to take statins, he adds, and some people who would be eligible under NICE guidelines won't visit their GP at all. There were 67 million individual prescriptions in 2015-16, according to the NHS, but the health service does not collect data on how many individuals received the medicine.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 518, "answer_end": 1341, "text": "Statins are a group of drugs designed to lower harmful cholesterol in the blood. Having too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood can lead to a build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries. This so-called \"bad cholesterol\" can cause blockages and lead to heart disease and stroke. Statins are tablets taken once a day, and, once prescribed, will usually be taken for life. The NHS says a review of scientific studies suggests one in 50 people who takes statins for five years, will avoid a \"serious event\" like a heart attack. In contrast, only one in 10,000 people taking statins will experience a \"potentially dangerous\" side-effect. And they are cheap - a commonly prescribed statin, atorvastatin, taken daily costs about PS2 a month per person, according to a study in the medical journal, the Lancet."}], "question": "What are statins?", "id": "1207_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1342, "answer_end": 2408, "text": "New guidelines for England published in 2014 recommended statins be prescribed to anyone with a one-in-10 chance or higher of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. A team of scientists at Harvard looked at how many of the population in England should therefore be eligible for the drug. The recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) significantly increased the number of people eligible for statins. Previous advice from the body, which provides national guidelines on health and care, said that only those with a higher than one-in-five chance of developing heart disease should be given them. The Harvard research, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found that the updated guidance meant almost all men over the age of 60, and almost all women over the age of 75, would be considered high risk and therefore be eligible to be given statins, regardless of whether they had any other risk factors. This is because age is one of the main factors when it comes to estimating risk of disease."}], "question": "What did the research say?", "id": "1207_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2409, "answer_end": 3848, "text": "The researchers estimated that, according to the guidelines, 11.8 million (37%) adults in England, aged 30-84, would be eligible for statin therapy. This would mean each GP treating almost 200 extra patients with statins. Of these, they found more than half were not already taking the drug. But the sample of the population the researchers used was taken from a survey from 2011, before the guidelines came into place. The researchers weren't looking at the uptake of the 2014 guidelines, but estimating what they meant for how many people would be eligible for the drug. The study acknowledges it is unlikely that all eligible adults will receive statins. But the guidelines recommend that someone falling into the high-risk category should be having \"an informed risk-benefit discussion\" with their doctor, the authors point out. A spokesman from the Royal College of GPs echoes this, saying that the NICE guidelines are, \"guidelines, not tramlines, and GPs will take these into account along with any other physical, psychological and social factors potentially affecting the patient's health - as well as patient choice.\" Many patients don't want to take statins, he adds, and some people who would be eligible under NICE guidelines won't visit their GP at all. There were 67 million individual prescriptions in 2015-16, according to the NHS, but the health service does not collect data on how many individuals received the medicine."}], "question": "How many people should be taking statins?", "id": "1207_2"}]}]}, {"title": "A sweet idea that created a $40m business", "date": "28 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to Tara Bosch, the founder and chief executive of low-sugar sweets business Smart Sweets. Tara Bosch describes herself as a former \"sugar addict\". \"I would be the person at the 7-11 every day, buying the penny candy,\" says the 25-year-old. \"But as I got older, I realised how much sugar was affecting my body image, my self-esteem, and just how I felt about myself.\" So four years ago, fed up with how unhappy and unhealthy she was feeling, Tara stopped eating sugar. She says that she very quickly felt much better, but missing her sweets she decided to have a go at making her own no-added sugar alternatives in her kitchen in Vancouver, Canada. Testing recipes in the summer of 2015, she described it as \"going on a quest\". Eventually she was so pleased with her results that she thought there might be a business opportunity. That autumn she decided to take a leap of faith, and put this to the test. Tara dropped out of the third year of an arts degree at the University of British Columbia, so she could get the product off the ground. Just 21 at the time, she had limited credit history, and her only asset was a six-year-old small Honda car. But armed with samples and confidence, she managed to secure 105,000 Canadian dollars of funding. Today, her Vancouver-based company, Smart Sweets, is on track to see its 2019 revenues exceed CA$50m ($40m; PS30m). Its range of products are market leaders in the fast-growing low-sugar sweets sector in both Canada and the US. \"This year we are helping people kick more than one billion grams of sugar,\" she says. To secure the initial investment Tara had to write an intensive business plan, with detailed two-year growth forecasting. And somewhat unnervingly, she had to take out life insurance. \"One of the terms of the parties involved was life insurance, and they had to be the beneficiary,\" she says. If you're looking to cut down on your sugar intake but have a sweet tooth, then sugar-free sweets can be better than the regular sweets, say dieticians. But they may still contain carbohydrates, and some can contain significant calories and be high in saturated or trans-fats. \"Keep in mind that just because a product is 'sugar free' it doesn't always mean that it's healthy,\" says the American Heart Association. Some studies also suggest that certain zero-calorie sweeteners may also stimulate appetite, which can be counterproductive for those trying to limit their calorie intake. With the funded secured, Tara searched on the internet for potential suppliers and manufacturers, and worked on finalising her recipes. \"It soon became a trial and error of taking every single iteration that didn't work, and applying a new hypothesis, and then testing it again.\" she says. Tara settled on using plant-based fibres, and the natural sweetener stevia, to mimic the taste and texture of traditional sugared sweets. Then to secure her first customers she used a mixture of emailing, telephoning, showing up in person, and, she says, \"Linkedin-ing\". The first retailer to sign up was Vancouver-based Choices Market, and Tara remembers that she was incredibly nervous ahead of the first meeting. \"I had called and emailed with persistence, until they finally said stop by,\" she says. \"And when I arrived out front, I was so nervous that I drove away. \"Then I drove back, had the meeting, and they became the first retailer to take a chance on Smart Sweets.\" A few other small Canadian chains followed shortly afterwards. \"Like I said, it's about persistence,\" she says. \"I would email and show up until a business would say yes to a conversation, and from there I leveraged the success.\" Tara secured her first American customers in 2018, and the US now accounts for 80% of Smart Sweets' sales. The manufacturing of the sweets also takes place in the US through contract suppliers. More The Boss features: US food entrepreneur and strategist Scott Semel says he is impressed by Tara's \"passion\". \"An annual revenue of CA$50m is very successful,\" says Mr Semel, who in 2016 sold his best-selling confectionary brand Bark Thins to US giant Hershey. \"Just getting to $5m isn't easy, and confectionary is dominated by a few big players. I think what's even more impressive about doing CA$50m in 2019 is the time frame in which she has achieved it. \"Tara has a great feel for the market... she thinks far ahead.\" Now with 47 employees, Tara plans to start exporting Smart Sweets outside of North America. She says that the success of the company has come through hard work and determination. \"For me growing up, I wasn't that smart or athletic,\" she says. \"I didn't really have any talents in particular, but I always had an innate sense of urgency, resourcefulness, and the ability to make something happen if I decided I wanted to make it happen. \"Smart Sweets was the first time I realised the power of those three things combined.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1967, "answer_end": 2552, "text": "If you're looking to cut down on your sugar intake but have a sweet tooth, then sugar-free sweets can be better than the regular sweets, say dieticians. But they may still contain carbohydrates, and some can contain significant calories and be high in saturated or trans-fats. \"Keep in mind that just because a product is 'sugar free' it doesn't always mean that it's healthy,\" says the American Heart Association. Some studies also suggest that certain zero-calorie sweeteners may also stimulate appetite, which can be counterproductive for those trying to limit their calorie intake."}], "question": "Sugar-free or not?", "id": "1208_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit talks: What does the DUP want?", "date": "17 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "On Wednesday, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) held up its end of the confidence-and-supply pact it shares with the Conservatives and helped the government rebuff a no-confidence vote. But just a day before, its 10 MPs voted against Theresa May's Brexit plan, which led to the biggest government defeat in modern times. How should we read the party's actions? Almost everything you need to know about the DUP and Brexit can be gauged from its name, with the emphasis on \"unionist\". In 2017, when Theresa May lost her majority after calling a snap general election, the DUP had its best ever Westminster election result, winning 10 seats in the House of Commons. Attention turned to the party in an unprecedented way and, as speculation mounted that it would do a deal with the Conservatives, DUP leader Arlene Foster pronounced that the \"union is our guiding star\" and would remain central to its actions. Nearly two years on, that commitment to the union remains resolute. The party has always opposed any suggestion of \"special status\" for Northern Ireland in the Brexit negotiations - arguing that any differences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain could threaten to break up the United Kingdom. It showed Theresa May it meant business last November, just days after she published her original Brexit plan that included the Irish border backstop. To the DUP, the backstop represented its worst fears come to life: regulatory differences meaning only NI would continue to follow some EU rules, no time limit and the ability to exit the backstop would need to be agreed jointly by the UK and EU. So, the DUP fired a warning shot at the government by abstaining on budget votes, telling Mrs May to \"keep her side of the bargain\". What followed were accusations that the DUP had broken the confidence-and-supply pact by not voting with the government. But the party said it remained intact, and that the government had bent the rules first, by signing up to a withdrawal agreement that went against the DUP's one self-proclaimed \"blood red\" line. It has proceeded to vote with the Tories on other matters, acutely aware that it would not be in the party's interests if the confidence-and-supply pact fell through. The DUP negotiated an extra PS1bn in spending for Northern Ireland through the deal, and not all of it has been released by the Treasury yet. Moreover, the last thing the DUP wants is a government led by Jeremy Corbyn. The DUP's most senior MPs, including its Westminster leader Nigel Dodds, have been consistently critical of the Labour leader, particularly for his past links with Sinn Fein and his stance on security issues. That's why the party voted with the government in Wednesday's no confidence vote, ensuring the Conservatives remain in Number 10. Just after the vote, Mr Dodds told MPs it illustrated the \"importance\" of the parties' pact. It's something he is likely to remind Mrs May of in the days and weeks ahead, as she seeks to rework her Brexit deal. It is pro-union (UK, not Europe), pro-Brexit and socially conservative. The party is the fifth largest in Parliament, but it wasn't always so popular. It started as a one-man-band, with Rev Ian Paisley, a fundamentalist Protestant preacher, at its helm. He founded the party in 1971 in opposition to what he saw as the increasingly liberal approach of the Ulster Unionists - the party of the political establishment since the state was founded in 1921. Unlike nationalists, who want to see the Irish border removed and rule from Westminster ended, unionists want the link with Britain preserved. For most of his political career, Ian Paisley saw the prospect of devolved power sharing with his political enemies as a Trojan Horse to Irish unity. But by 2005, his approach from saying no, which helped him make political gains, allowed the DUP to displace the ruling class of the Ulster Unionists as the party that could legitimately claim to speak for all of unionism. Power sharing with Sinn Fein followed in 2007 and, until recently, the DUP had a reputation for fiscal prudence and deft political strategising. On social issues the party is deeply conservative. It opposes same-sex marriage and is anti-abortion: abortion remains illegal in Northern Ireland, except in specific medical cases. Read a full profile of the DUP. But ultimately, what does the party want from Brexit? First of all, the DUP has said it still wants the UK to leave the EU with a deal - but it must be one that treats Northern Ireland no differently from the rest of the UK. After talks with Mrs May in Downing Street on Thursday, Mrs Foster said the prime minister had been in listening mode, adding that the DUP had made a \"clear ask\" in relation to its concerns about the Irish border backstop. \"She has a way through this: Address the backstop in a satisfactory way,\" added Mrs Foster's deputy, DUP MP Nigel Dodds. Ideally, the DUP would like to see the backstop removed from the withdrawal agreement completely. Given the soundings coming from the Irish government and the EU, as well as Mrs May's insistence that there won't be a deal at all without some form of a backstop, that first preference seems unlikely. The other option is to place some kind of time limit on the backstop, something the DUP has said it's open to. There have been suggestions in one newspaper that a backstop that lasts only until May 2022 could be enough to persuade the ardent unionists. Whether that's something the EU could move towards, and if the prime minister is capable of obtaining any concessions, is unclear. The backstop is a position of last resort, to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland in the event that the UK leaves the EU without securing an all-encompassing deal. At present, goods and services are traded between the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland with few restrictions. The UK and Ireland are currently part of the EU single market and customs union, so products do not need to be inspected for customs and standards. But, after Brexit, all that could change - the two parts of Ireland could be in different customs and regulatory regimes, which could mean products being checked at the border. Neither the UK government nor the EU want any hardening of the border. In December 2017 they both signed up to the need for a backstop that would maintain cross-border cooperation, support the all-island economy and protect the Good Friday peace agreement. An agreement on the backstop is important because the EU won't agree to a transitional period and substantive trade talks until it is in place. But the UK's current red lines, which include leaving the customs union and the single market, make that very difficult. The DUP argues the backstop would create a border down the Irish Sea, by placing checks on some goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. It believes any differences for Northern Ireland could threaten the integrity of the union. Read more here. Up until now, reassurances haven't worked at all. Just days ago, a senior DUP source told me unionists were \"too long in the tooth to fall for written assurances\", and described Mrs May as being guarded and difficult to talk to. Nevertheless, the party insists the issue of who leads the Tories is not a matter for the DUP. Theresa May now has to keep calm and carry on. She also has to be mindful of the fact that the DUP is not the only voice on Brexit in Northern Ireland, with a majority of parties and business groups actually urging support for the backstop. But as a prime minister who's referred to herself as a \"proud unionist\", the DUP will be keen to see her live up to that.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2993, "answer_end": 4320, "text": "It is pro-union (UK, not Europe), pro-Brexit and socially conservative. The party is the fifth largest in Parliament, but it wasn't always so popular. It started as a one-man-band, with Rev Ian Paisley, a fundamentalist Protestant preacher, at its helm. He founded the party in 1971 in opposition to what he saw as the increasingly liberal approach of the Ulster Unionists - the party of the political establishment since the state was founded in 1921. Unlike nationalists, who want to see the Irish border removed and rule from Westminster ended, unionists want the link with Britain preserved. For most of his political career, Ian Paisley saw the prospect of devolved power sharing with his political enemies as a Trojan Horse to Irish unity. But by 2005, his approach from saying no, which helped him make political gains, allowed the DUP to displace the ruling class of the Ulster Unionists as the party that could legitimately claim to speak for all of unionism. Power sharing with Sinn Fein followed in 2007 and, until recently, the DUP had a reputation for fiscal prudence and deft political strategising. On social issues the party is deeply conservative. It opposes same-sex marriage and is anti-abortion: abortion remains illegal in Northern Ireland, except in specific medical cases. Read a full profile of the DUP."}], "question": "What does the DUP stand for?", "id": "1209_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Cyclone Kenneth: Entire villages wiped out, says UN", "date": "27 April 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A powerful cyclone has \"entirely wiped out\" villages in Mozambique, according to a UN official. Gemma Connell, the head of the regional Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), said it looked from the air like areas had been \"run over by a bulldozer\". Cyclone Kenneth struck on Thursday with winds of 220km/h (140mph). It came barely a month after Cyclone Idai killed more than 900 people across three countries. In a video posted on Twitter after flying over the affected area, Ms Connell pledged to work with local authorities \"to get people the supplies they need\". \"The weather is still bad, it is still raining,\" she said. \"But thankfully the winds have died down.\" The BBC's Pumza Fihlani reports that damage to power lines in parts of northern Mozambique is making communication difficult. Almost 20,000 people have taken shelter in makeshift displacement centres, including schools and churches, our correspondent adds. A UN spokesman said a total of five people have now died, quoting Mozambique's government, according to reports. One person was earlier reported to have been killed when Cyclone Kenneth struck after being crushed by a falling tree. The storm also killed three people on the island nation of Comoros. UN weather experts say it is unprecedented for two cyclones of such intensity to hit Mozambique in the same season. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) also said that no previous records show a cyclone striking the region as far north as Kenneth. It said a fact-finding mission would examine the \"impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience\" to extreme weather. Amnesty International's secretary general Kumi Naidoo said the two storms were \"exactly what climate scientists warned would happen if we continue to warm our planet beyond its limits\". \"There is one inescapable and burning injustice we cannot stress enough,\" he said, adding: \"The people of Mozambique are paying the price for dangerous climate change when they have done next to nothing to cause this crisis.\" Kenneth made landfall on the northern province of Cabo Delgado on Thursday evening, with wind speeds equivalent to a category four hurricane. Winds eased on Friday, but France's meteorological agency said up to 800mm of rain was expected to land on Mozambique over the coming days - nearly double the 10-day accumulated rainfall that flooded the port city of Beira during Cyclone Idai. The UN's World Food Programme said it was working on an \"emergency preparedness plan\" with the Mozambican government and other humanitarian groups. \"The most difficult thing is transportation - we don't have helicopters yet,\" Capt Kleber Castro from a Brazilian rescue team said. \"We need a lot of support.\" Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said 30,000 people had been evacuated from affected areas. Cabo Delgado province is not as densely populated as the area hit by Cyclone Idai, and there is apparently more high ground there. But reports said many thousands of homes had been flattened by the winds, and the area has been hit by militant Islamist violence in recent months, which could complicate humanitarian operations. Thousands of people had already fled their homes to seek shelter from violence in camps for displaced people. Comoros is still reeling from damage caused by the cyclone, and in some southern areas of neighbouring Tanzania, authorities have ordered schools and businesses to close. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies shared images of the damage on social media. In a tweet, the group confirmed it had volunteers on the ground assisting communities. Despite Zimbabwe being further inland, officials there said they were also putting their disaster management agencies on alert. \"Drawing lessons from Cyclone Idai we cannot take chances any more,\" said Department of Civil Protection director Nathan Nkomo. Are you in the area?  What are conditions like at the moment?  Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms of use and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1248, "answer_end": 2056, "text": "UN weather experts say it is unprecedented for two cyclones of such intensity to hit Mozambique in the same season. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) also said that no previous records show a cyclone striking the region as far north as Kenneth. It said a fact-finding mission would examine the \"impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience\" to extreme weather. Amnesty International's secretary general Kumi Naidoo said the two storms were \"exactly what climate scientists warned would happen if we continue to warm our planet beyond its limits\". \"There is one inescapable and burning injustice we cannot stress enough,\" he said, adding: \"The people of Mozambique are paying the price for dangerous climate change when they have done next to nothing to cause this crisis.\""}], "question": "Is this unusual for the region?", "id": "1210_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2057, "answer_end": 2871, "text": "Kenneth made landfall on the northern province of Cabo Delgado on Thursday evening, with wind speeds equivalent to a category four hurricane. Winds eased on Friday, but France's meteorological agency said up to 800mm of rain was expected to land on Mozambique over the coming days - nearly double the 10-day accumulated rainfall that flooded the port city of Beira during Cyclone Idai. The UN's World Food Programme said it was working on an \"emergency preparedness plan\" with the Mozambican government and other humanitarian groups. \"The most difficult thing is transportation - we don't have helicopters yet,\" Capt Kleber Castro from a Brazilian rescue team said. \"We need a lot of support.\" Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said 30,000 people had been evacuated from affected areas."}], "question": "What was Kenneth's impact?", "id": "1210_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2872, "answer_end": 3308, "text": "Cabo Delgado province is not as densely populated as the area hit by Cyclone Idai, and there is apparently more high ground there. But reports said many thousands of homes had been flattened by the winds, and the area has been hit by militant Islamist violence in recent months, which could complicate humanitarian operations. Thousands of people had already fled their homes to seek shelter from violence in camps for displaced people."}], "question": "What is the affected area like?", "id": "1210_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3309, "answer_end": 3936, "text": "Comoros is still reeling from damage caused by the cyclone, and in some southern areas of neighbouring Tanzania, authorities have ordered schools and businesses to close. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies shared images of the damage on social media. In a tweet, the group confirmed it had volunteers on the ground assisting communities. Despite Zimbabwe being further inland, officials there said they were also putting their disaster management agencies on alert. \"Drawing lessons from Cyclone Idai we cannot take chances any more,\" said Department of Civil Protection director Nathan Nkomo."}], "question": "What about other countries in the region?", "id": "1210_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Johnson & Johnson faces trial over opioid crisis in Oklahoma", "date": "28 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Johnson & Johnson, one of the world's largest drug manufacturers, has gone on trial in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit by the US state of Oklahoma. Prosecutors accuse the firm of deceptively marketing painkillers and downplaying addiction risks, fuelling a so-called \"opioid epidemic\". Johnson & Johnson denies wrongdoing and says it marketed products responsibly. It is the first of 2,000 cases brought by state, local and tribal governments against pharmaceutical firms in the US. On average, 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2017, of the 70,200 people who died from an overdose, 68% involved a prescription or illegal opioid. In its court filing, Oklahoma alleged that Johnson & Johnson was the \"kingpin\" behind \"the worst man-made public health crisis in [the] state's history,\" growing and importing raw materials which other drug-makers used for their own products. In opening statements in the city of Norman on Tuesday, the state said that Johnson & Johnson along with Purdue Pharma - which produces the prescription painkiller OxyContin - and Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals had pushed doctors to prescribe more opioids in the 1990s by using misleading marketing. State lawyer Brad Beckworth said Johnson & Johnson did so by marketing opioids as \"safe and effective for everyday pain\" but downplayed addictive qualities and thus helped to create a drug oversupply. \"If you have an oversupply, people will die,\" he said. Mike Hunter, Oklahoma's attorney general, told the court that it was time to hold the companies \"responsible for their actions\". \"This is the worst man-made public health crisis in our state's history. To put it bluntly, this crisis is devastating Oklahoma,\" he said. For Johnson & Johnson, lawyer Larry Ottaway said the company's marketing statements were no different from those made by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2009 which said painkillers, when properly managed, rarely caused addictions. \"We're not mocking anyone, but facts are stubborn things,\" he said. The state argues that Johnson & Johnson created a public nuisance which will cost between $12.7bn (PS10.02bn) and $17.5bn (PS13.8bn) to remedy over the next 20 to 30 years. But the company argues that the public nuisance law does not apply in this instance. Johnson & Johnson - probably best known for its baby shampoo and baby powder - produces a fentanyl patch which can be prescribed for severe pain. Fentanyl belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics, which change how the body feels and responds to pain. It is also used as a recreational drug, often mixed with heroin and cocaine. Because of its high profit margin for traffickers, fentanyl has become a large part of America's opioid crisis. The latest legal case is the latest in a string against painkiller manufacturers over prescription drugs. Earlier this month, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to an $85m (PS67m) settlement with Oklahoma over a similar lawsuit which claimed its opioids had contributed to the deaths of thousands of people. Purdue Pharma also reached a $270m settlement with Oklahoma in a separate case. The wealthy Sackler family, which owns the firm, has been charged with fraudulently transferring money from the company to protect its funds from litigation.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 955, "answer_end": 2087, "text": "In opening statements in the city of Norman on Tuesday, the state said that Johnson & Johnson along with Purdue Pharma - which produces the prescription painkiller OxyContin - and Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals had pushed doctors to prescribe more opioids in the 1990s by using misleading marketing. State lawyer Brad Beckworth said Johnson & Johnson did so by marketing opioids as \"safe and effective for everyday pain\" but downplayed addictive qualities and thus helped to create a drug oversupply. \"If you have an oversupply, people will die,\" he said. Mike Hunter, Oklahoma's attorney general, told the court that it was time to hold the companies \"responsible for their actions\". \"This is the worst man-made public health crisis in our state's history. To put it bluntly, this crisis is devastating Oklahoma,\" he said. For Johnson & Johnson, lawyer Larry Ottaway said the company's marketing statements were no different from those made by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2009 which said painkillers, when properly managed, rarely caused addictions. \"We're not mocking anyone, but facts are stubborn things,\" he said."}], "question": "What happened in court?", "id": "1211_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2088, "answer_end": 3338, "text": "The state argues that Johnson & Johnson created a public nuisance which will cost between $12.7bn (PS10.02bn) and $17.5bn (PS13.8bn) to remedy over the next 20 to 30 years. But the company argues that the public nuisance law does not apply in this instance. Johnson & Johnson - probably best known for its baby shampoo and baby powder - produces a fentanyl patch which can be prescribed for severe pain. Fentanyl belongs to a class of drugs known as opioid analgesics, which change how the body feels and responds to pain. It is also used as a recreational drug, often mixed with heroin and cocaine. Because of its high profit margin for traffickers, fentanyl has become a large part of America's opioid crisis. The latest legal case is the latest in a string against painkiller manufacturers over prescription drugs. Earlier this month, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to an $85m (PS67m) settlement with Oklahoma over a similar lawsuit which claimed its opioids had contributed to the deaths of thousands of people. Purdue Pharma also reached a $270m settlement with Oklahoma in a separate case. The wealthy Sackler family, which owns the firm, has been charged with fraudulently transferring money from the company to protect its funds from litigation."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "1211_1"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea 'won't disarm if sanctions continue', minister says", "date": "29 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korea's foreign minister has warned that there is \"no way\" his country will disarm while the US continues to enforce sanctions. Ri Yong-ho told the UN General Assembly the sanctions were deepening North Korean mistrust of the US. Pyongyang has repeatedly appealed for UN and US sanctions to be lifted and has support from Russia and China. But the Trump Administration has said that sanctions should stay in place until North Korea denuclearises. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at a landmark summit in June, which saw Mr Kim pledge to work towards nuclear disarmament. Tangible progress since then though has been scant. He said the US was insisting on a \"denuclearisation first\" policy that \"increased the level of sanctions\". \"The recent deadlock is because the US relies on coercive measures which are lethal to trust-building,\" Mr Ri told the assembly. \"Without any trust in the US, there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances, there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first.\" \"The perception that sanctions can bring us on our knees is a pipe dream of the people who are ignorant about us,\" he added. An agreement reached there said North Korea would work towards denuclearisation but it did not include any timeline, details or mechanisms to verify the process. In August President Trump accused North Korea's ally China of undermining progress on denuclearisation because of its trade dispute with the US. However, earlier this month South Korean leader Moon Jae-in completed a high-profile, three-day visit to Pyongyang - the first by a Southern leader to the North's capital in a decade. Mr Moon said that he had been \"able to confirm Chairman Kim's firm commitment to complete denuclearisation\" and that he had also expressed his wish to meet Mr Trump again soon. Mr Kim has also promised to dismantle North Korea's main missile testing and launching site, and said he could decommission the main nuclear test site, if the US took some reciprocal action. Mr Trump meanwhile has said he expects to have a second summit with Mr Kim in the \"not too distant future\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 659, "answer_end": 1194, "text": "He said the US was insisting on a \"denuclearisation first\" policy that \"increased the level of sanctions\". \"The recent deadlock is because the US relies on coercive measures which are lethal to trust-building,\" Mr Ri told the assembly. \"Without any trust in the US, there will be no confidence in our national security and under such circumstances, there is no way we will unilaterally disarm ourselves first.\" \"The perception that sanctions can bring us on our knees is a pipe dream of the people who are ignorant about us,\" he added."}], "question": "What did Ri say?", "id": "1212_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1195, "answer_end": 2161, "text": "An agreement reached there said North Korea would work towards denuclearisation but it did not include any timeline, details or mechanisms to verify the process. In August President Trump accused North Korea's ally China of undermining progress on denuclearisation because of its trade dispute with the US. However, earlier this month South Korean leader Moon Jae-in completed a high-profile, three-day visit to Pyongyang - the first by a Southern leader to the North's capital in a decade. Mr Moon said that he had been \"able to confirm Chairman Kim's firm commitment to complete denuclearisation\" and that he had also expressed his wish to meet Mr Trump again soon. Mr Kim has also promised to dismantle North Korea's main missile testing and launching site, and said he could decommission the main nuclear test site, if the US took some reciprocal action. Mr Trump meanwhile has said he expects to have a second summit with Mr Kim in the \"not too distant future\"."}], "question": "What has happened since Singapore?", "id": "1212_1"}]}]}, {"title": "21 Savage: Atlanta rapper really from UK, say US immigration", "date": "4 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Atlanta rapper 21 Savage has been arrested by US immigration officials who say he is actually from the UK. The rapper, Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, came to the US in July 2005 aged 12 and failed to leave when his visa expired a year later, officials said. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman said he was in the country illegally and a convicted felon. In previous interviews, Abraham-Joseph has described a childhood in Atlanta. - In an interview with Fader magazine in 2016 he said he had first seen a gun at the age of eight - although the article did not specify where this incident had taken place. The 26-year-old is also quoted as saying he was expelled from school in Atlanta aged about 12 or 13 for taking a gun to class. The ICE spokesman said Abraham-Joseph was convicted of drugs charges in 2014 and arrested on Sunday in a \"targeted operation\". He clarified that when the rapper was first arrested, ICE was not aware of his immigration status. The UK Foreign Office told BBC News: \"Our staff are in contact with the lawyer of a British man following his detention in the USA.\" Abraham-Joseph's lawyer, Dina LaPolt said: \"We are working diligently to get Mr Abraham-Joseph out of detention while we work with authorities to clear up any misunderstanding.\" She said he was a \"role model\" due to his work on financial literacy programs with underprivileged youth. By Kameron Virk, BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat reporter in Atlanta Having just released a hugely popular album that's been praised for its introspection, storytelling, and maturity, 21 Savage is at the peak of his career. Atlanta is arguably the centre of hip-hop in the US and, by extension, the world. He's considered one of the city's greatest - and Atlanta through and through. The rapper is known in the city as a person who frequently donates to charitable causes. He launched his own campaign promoting financial literacy in children on the Ellen show. His raps have mostly painted pictures of a violent upbringing in Atlanta surrounded by drugs and guns, something which up until now nobody had questioned. But his arrest by ICE and links to the UK have definitely left people in the city confused. A fan in Atlanta told the BBC he was treating the details of Savage 21's case with scepticism: \"I find that very hard to believe that he moved from England on his own to Atlanta.\" \"He's an icon for here,\" said another fan in the state of Georgia's capital. \"He's making great music. We're losing someone big.\" There are 10.6 million undocumented immigrants in the US, according to the Center for Migration Studies. That represents 3.25% of the US population. Although President Donald Trump has blamed the southern border for illegal immigration, most actually arises because people overstay their visas (tourist or other temporary permits). More than 700,000 people who entered the US legally overstayed their expected departure date in 2018, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the same year, some 396,000 people were held in immigration detention, and some 256,000 people were deported by authorities. In December the rapper released his second album, I am > I was, which went to the top of the Billboard 200 albums charts. The same month he apologised for a lyric in one of his songs that mentioned \"Jewish money\". It followed a similar apology by NBA star LeBron James, who had shared 21 Savage's lyric on his Instagram account, where critics drew attention to it. LeBron James said he thought it had been a compliment. 21 Savage said he was \"sorry if I offended everybody\". The rapper, who has collaborated with the likes of Cardi B, Drake and Offset has enjoyed more success in the US than the UK, but is probably best known for the song Rockstar, in which he features with Post Malone. The song reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Top 40 and has been streamed on Spotify more than 1.4 billion times. It is also currently nominated for record of the year and best rap/sung performance at the Grammy Awards. His latest album peaked at 33 in the UK, whilst his only other UK Top 40 hit is with Cardi B, for the song Bartier Cardi. Fans expressed concerns over 21 Savage's situation on social media, while others were quick to make memes and poke fun at the revelation. But singer Demi Lovato was in hot water after she said in a now-deleted Tweet: \"So far 21 savage memes have been my favourite part of the Super Bowl.\" Other rappers called out Lovato's reaction as insensitive. American rapper Wale asked how a person's freedom could be funny, tweeting, \"I don't get the joke.\" He added that when Lovato was going through a rough time, people were supportive of her, not mocking. Offset, a member of the group Migos, also criticised the reaction, saying: \"All the memes and [expletive] ain't funny when somebody going through some.\" Lovato appeared to delete her Twitter account following the row, and in an Instagram story said people began attacking her over her own struggle with drug addiction. \"I wasn't making fun on anything having to do with deportation or even anything against him,\" she wrote. \"Sorry if I offended anyone. But it's no excuse to laugh at someone's addiction.\" Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren also faced condemnation from 21 Savage fans after mocking his situation with a reference to his single Bank Account, saying she had \"ICE agents ready to deport ya\". Rapper Cardi B hit back at the Fox Nation host, tweeting: \"Don't make me get my leash.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2498, "answer_end": 3109, "text": "There are 10.6 million undocumented immigrants in the US, according to the Center for Migration Studies. That represents 3.25% of the US population. Although President Donald Trump has blamed the southern border for illegal immigration, most actually arises because people overstay their visas (tourist or other temporary permits). More than 700,000 people who entered the US legally overstayed their expected departure date in 2018, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the same year, some 396,000 people were held in immigration detention, and some 256,000 people were deported by authorities."}], "question": "How many people overstay visas in the US?", "id": "1213_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4165, "answer_end": 5510, "text": "Fans expressed concerns over 21 Savage's situation on social media, while others were quick to make memes and poke fun at the revelation. But singer Demi Lovato was in hot water after she said in a now-deleted Tweet: \"So far 21 savage memes have been my favourite part of the Super Bowl.\" Other rappers called out Lovato's reaction as insensitive. American rapper Wale asked how a person's freedom could be funny, tweeting, \"I don't get the joke.\" He added that when Lovato was going through a rough time, people were supportive of her, not mocking. Offset, a member of the group Migos, also criticised the reaction, saying: \"All the memes and [expletive] ain't funny when somebody going through some.\" Lovato appeared to delete her Twitter account following the row, and in an Instagram story said people began attacking her over her own struggle with drug addiction. \"I wasn't making fun on anything having to do with deportation or even anything against him,\" she wrote. \"Sorry if I offended anyone. But it's no excuse to laugh at someone's addiction.\" Conservative commentator Tomi Lahren also faced condemnation from 21 Savage fans after mocking his situation with a reference to his single Bank Account, saying she had \"ICE agents ready to deport ya\". Rapper Cardi B hit back at the Fox Nation host, tweeting: \"Don't make me get my leash.\""}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "1213_1"}]}]}, {"title": "'Monster' London fatberg: The smell and other questions", "date": "14 September 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Sewer workers are tackling an enormous mass of congealed fat, wet wipes, nappies, oil and condoms in a London tunnel. It is thought it will take three weeks to clear the 250-metre long fatberg weighing 130 tonnes underneath Whitechapel. Thames Water says fatbergs form when people put things they shouldn't down sinks and toilets. Here are the answers to some of the things you have asked about them. \"Fatbergs, even ones the size of this, can appear incredibly quickly, due to a number of factors such as the change in temperature,\" said Alex Saunders, sewer network manager at Thames Water. \"They can also cause a number of problems within the network, and cause issues such as flooding. \"Thankfully, this one was found on a routine inspection of the sewers, and we got to work removing it before it caused any flooding.\" \"A fatberg smells like rotting meat mixed with the odour of a smelly toilet,\" said Mr Saunders. \"Yes it can. First the fatberg must be broken up by eight workers with high-pressure hoses. Then the pieces will go to a recycling plant in Stratford where it will be transformed into renewable energy.\" This video explains how it is done. \"It's difficult to say per fatberg as we don't know the final cost until after it's been removed,\" Mr Saunders said. \"However, we spend PS1m a month removing fatbergs from across our network.\" Thames Water said leftover cooking fat and oil should be allowed to cool before pouring it into a container. Margarine tubs, plastic pots and jam jars make handy containers, which you can then put in the bin, the company said. More advice can be found in the Thames Water bin it don't block it campaign.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 401, "answer_end": 823, "text": "\"Fatbergs, even ones the size of this, can appear incredibly quickly, due to a number of factors such as the change in temperature,\" said Alex Saunders, sewer network manager at Thames Water. \"They can also cause a number of problems within the network, and cause issues such as flooding. \"Thankfully, this one was found on a routine inspection of the sewers, and we got to work removing it before it caused any flooding.\""}], "question": "Why was the problem not spotted before it got to this size?", "id": "1214_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 824, "answer_end": 919, "text": "\"A fatberg smells like rotting meat mixed with the odour of a smelly toilet,\" said Mr Saunders."}], "question": "What does it smell like?", "id": "1214_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 920, "answer_end": 1158, "text": "\"Yes it can. First the fatberg must be broken up by eight workers with high-pressure hoses. Then the pieces will go to a recycling plant in Stratford where it will be transformed into renewable energy.\" This video explains how it is done."}], "question": "Can any of the fatberg be recycled?", "id": "1214_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1159, "answer_end": 1351, "text": "\"It's difficult to say per fatberg as we don't know the final cost until after it's been removed,\" Mr Saunders said. \"However, we spend PS1m a month removing fatbergs from across our network.\""}], "question": "How much does it cost to unblock?", "id": "1214_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1352, "answer_end": 1655, "text": "Thames Water said leftover cooking fat and oil should be allowed to cool before pouring it into a container. Margarine tubs, plastic pots and jam jars make handy containers, which you can then put in the bin, the company said. More advice can be found in the Thames Water bin it don't block it campaign."}], "question": "How should people dispose of fat/cooking oil to avoid this situation?", "id": "1214_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Politicians' taxes: Who's published what", "date": "11 April 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In the wake of the Panama Papers revelations, there have been calls for the UK's political leaders to publish details of their own tax affairs. Here's what has been released so far: The prime minister published a summary of his tax returns from 2009 to 2015 in an attempt to defuse a row over his personal finances. The document showed Mr Cameron's mother had given him a PS200,000 gift after his father's death, which could potentially avoid inheritance tax. Last year, the prime minister paid almost PS76,000 in tax on an income of more than PS200,000. Those earnings included almost PS47,000 from a share of rent paid on his family home in west London, vacated when the Camerons moved to Downing Street. Downing Street is providing no details about the PS72,000 the Mr Cameron received for selling \"other shares\" beyond his investment in his father's Blairmore Holdings fund or the PS40,000 he received in cash from his own stock-broking account. The following day, details of the chancellor's income were released on the government's website. It showed he had paid PS72,210 in tax in 2014-15 on a total taxable income of PS198,738. His income included PS33,562 in rental income on his London home and PS44,647 in dividend income from shares in his father's wallpaper company. He also received just PS3 in bank interest. Just after Mr Osborne, as Mr Cameron's Commons statement got under way, the Labour leader released his own tax return for 2014-15. It showed he had declared PS1,850 of taxable income on top of his parliamentary salary. Explaining the delay in releasing the document - he had promised it \"very soon\" two days earlier - Mr Corbyn's spokesman said he had had to ask HM Revenue & Customs for a copy. It also emerged Mr Corbyn had been fined PS100 for submitting the document after the deadline. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, published his return - showing earnings of PS61,575 and tax of PS14,253 - in January, during a row over Google's tax settlement. Scotland's first minister has published her tax return for 2014-15, promising to do so every year. She followed Scotland's other political leaders in releasing the information. Scottish Labour's Kezia Dugdale released her returns on Saturday, and was followed by Tory Ruth Davidson. SNP leader Ms Sturgeon and Willie Rennie, of the Lib Dems, then published their documents the following day. Leaders of Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats have revealed their tax details, with party chiefs in the Welsh Conservatives and Welsh Labour vowing to do the same. Plaid leader Leanne Wood became the first Welsh political leader to make her tax details public, on Sunday evening. The self-assessment tax calculation shows she paid PS9,043 income tax on taxable income of PS38,547. The London mayor released figures showing he has paid more than PS1m in tax in the past four years on his earnings from publishing and journalism, as well as his mayoral salary. In 2014-15, he recorded PS266,667 for his Daily Telegraph column and PS224,617 in book royalties, his accounts show. The two favourites to replace Mr Johnson in City Hall, Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan, published their details in February. Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg has predicted all MPs will be publishing their tax figures within two years, reflecting changes in the \"public mood\" over tax transparency. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has promised to publish his, Among those to have already done so are Labour's former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, who published a scanned copy of his tax return for 2014-15, and ex-minister Caroline Flint who released figures for her total income and expenditure. Downing Street said Mr Cameron thought it right for prime ministers, \"potential prime ministers\", chancellors and shadow chancellors to publish their tax details. But Mr Cameron said he did not think all MPs should be compelled to routinely publish similar information. Another Conservative MP, Charles Walker, said there was \"a new culture of bullying\" in the UK and warned of a situation where public figures could end up having to release a stream of personal information such as medical records. And UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he wouldn't be divulging any details, since most people regarded tax as a private matter. \"Neighbours would hate the thought that the people at Number 32 knew what their income was,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3182, "answer_end": 4430, "text": "Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg has predicted all MPs will be publishing their tax figures within two years, reflecting changes in the \"public mood\" over tax transparency. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has promised to publish his, Among those to have already done so are Labour's former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, who published a scanned copy of his tax return for 2014-15, and ex-minister Caroline Flint who released figures for her total income and expenditure. Downing Street said Mr Cameron thought it right for prime ministers, \"potential prime ministers\", chancellors and shadow chancellors to publish their tax details. But Mr Cameron said he did not think all MPs should be compelled to routinely publish similar information. Another Conservative MP, Charles Walker, said there was \"a new culture of bullying\" in the UK and warned of a situation where public figures could end up having to release a stream of personal information such as medical records. And UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he wouldn't be divulging any details, since most people regarded tax as a private matter. \"Neighbours would hate the thought that the people at Number 32 knew what their income was,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour programme."}], "question": "Any more?", "id": "1215_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Mexican government accuses Carolina Herrera of cultural appropriation", "date": "13 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Mexican government has accused designer Carolina Herrera of cultural appropriation in her latest range. The designer's website says the Resort 2020 collection \"takes on the playful and colourful mood of a Latin holiday\". But Mexico's culture secretary has written to the fashion house complaining about the use of patterns from indigenous communities. A spokesman for Ms Herrera, who was born in Venezuela, said the brand recognises Mexican artisans' work. The spokesman added this particular collection was inspired \"by the culture's rich colours and artisanal techniques\", according to AP news agency. In an unusual step, Mexico's culture secretary Alejandra Frausto sent a letter of complaint to both Ms Herrera, who gave up creative direction of the fashion house last year, and its new creative director Wes Gordon. According to Spanish language newspaper El Pais, Ms Frausto told the designers that some of the patterns used in the collection are unique to certain regions of Mexico and their indigenous peoples, and asked whether these communities would benefit in any way from the sale of the clothes. She then described the significance of some of the patterns, and asked the designers for a public explanation for how they came to use them. Ms Frausto gives the example of one long white dress with animal and floral prints on it, and says that its embroidery comes from the community of Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo. She also took issue with two black dresses embroidered with bright flowers, which is typical of artisans from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and another dress that is based on a sarape - a shawl or blanket - from Saltillo. \"In these embroideries is the history of the community itself, and each element has a personal, family and community meaning,\" Ms Frausto said. This intervention also comes just weeks after the Mexican government announced plans to allow indigenous groups to own the rights to their creations and \"cultural elements\", to prevent \"plagiarism of their traditional designs\". The Resort 2020 collection had already been attracting a lot of criticism, both in Mexico and among Mexicans abroad. One Twitter user noted that, as well as using embroidery \"taken directly from hard-working artisans in Mexico\", none of the models in the campaign were Latina. Another wrote that when a number of designers refused to dress US President Donald Trump's family, in protest against his comments about Mexicans during his presidential campaign, Ms Herrera had said it would be \"an honour\" to dress First Lady Melania Trump. \"Love for Mexico: Only when it's lucrative?\" the Twitter user added. The designer's own tweet about the collection was also immediately flooded with replies accusing her of plagiarism, and the hashtag #MexicoSinPlagios - \"Mexico without plagiarism\" - began to trend. But despite all of this, the collection still has its fair share of fans - including Mexican actor and singer Roger Gonzalez, who said the collection was \"beautiful\", and that it \"puts Mexico in the sights of the whole world\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 608, "answer_end": 2022, "text": "In an unusual step, Mexico's culture secretary Alejandra Frausto sent a letter of complaint to both Ms Herrera, who gave up creative direction of the fashion house last year, and its new creative director Wes Gordon. According to Spanish language newspaper El Pais, Ms Frausto told the designers that some of the patterns used in the collection are unique to certain regions of Mexico and their indigenous peoples, and asked whether these communities would benefit in any way from the sale of the clothes. She then described the significance of some of the patterns, and asked the designers for a public explanation for how they came to use them. Ms Frausto gives the example of one long white dress with animal and floral prints on it, and says that its embroidery comes from the community of Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo. She also took issue with two black dresses embroidered with bright flowers, which is typical of artisans from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and another dress that is based on a sarape - a shawl or blanket - from Saltillo. \"In these embroideries is the history of the community itself, and each element has a personal, family and community meaning,\" Ms Frausto said. This intervention also comes just weeks after the Mexican government announced plans to allow indigenous groups to own the rights to their creations and \"cultural elements\", to prevent \"plagiarism of their traditional designs\"."}], "question": "What does the letter say?", "id": "1216_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2023, "answer_end": 3052, "text": "The Resort 2020 collection had already been attracting a lot of criticism, both in Mexico and among Mexicans abroad. One Twitter user noted that, as well as using embroidery \"taken directly from hard-working artisans in Mexico\", none of the models in the campaign were Latina. Another wrote that when a number of designers refused to dress US President Donald Trump's family, in protest against his comments about Mexicans during his presidential campaign, Ms Herrera had said it would be \"an honour\" to dress First Lady Melania Trump. \"Love for Mexico: Only when it's lucrative?\" the Twitter user added. The designer's own tweet about the collection was also immediately flooded with replies accusing her of plagiarism, and the hashtag #MexicoSinPlagios - \"Mexico without plagiarism\" - began to trend. But despite all of this, the collection still has its fair share of fans - including Mexican actor and singer Roger Gonzalez, who said the collection was \"beautiful\", and that it \"puts Mexico in the sights of the whole world\"."}], "question": "How have others reacted?", "id": "1216_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Spain Andalusia: Far right strike landmark deal", "date": "9 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A coalition of rightwing parties will rule Spain's most populous region, Andalusia, for the first time in 36 years under a deal with the far right. The conservative Popular Party (PP) will rule along with the centre-right Citizens. Vox, an anti-immigrant party which won seats in Andalusia last year, will not be part of the new government, but has agreed to support the coalition. The defeat of the left in the southern region has rocked Spanish politics. Andalusia had been a bastion of the Socialist party (PSOE), which returned to national power last year as a fragile minority government after seven years of PP rule. Wednesday's deal between the PP and Vox came amid continuing indignation over Vox's policies, with nearly 100 feminist organisations signing a manifesto pledging opposition to the far right's stance on gender equality and violence against women. Actually, there were two deals: Citizens agreed to rule in tandem with the PP, and the PP agreed common ground with Vox in return for that party's votes in the regional parliament. In the election just over a month ago, the PP won 26 seats and Citizens 21 in the 109-seat legislature, where the absolute majority is 55 seats. Vox will now make up the voting numbers with their 12 seats. The PP's Juanma Moreno will lead the new government. The deal reached between Vox and the PP stipulates 37 goals, the first of which is job creation, then the fight against corruption, followed by respect for democracy. Andalusia has high unemployment and is the main arrival point in Spain for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Other areas of agreement include support for bullfighting and flamenco. The two parties advocate implementing existing laws on immigration but there is no mention of mass deportations, as advocated earlier by Vox. Nor is there any mention of repealing laws on violence against women and LGBT equality, which Vox was advocating only on Tuesday. Vox politicians have often spoken out against what they call \"extreme\" or \"militant\" feminism, and argue that domestic violence laws favour women. The president of Spain's federation of Progressive Women, Yolanda Besteiro, pledged its members would take \"not one step back\". \"Women's rights are non-negotiable,\" she said, promising a \"continuous mobilisation\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 869, "answer_end": 1659, "text": "Actually, there were two deals: Citizens agreed to rule in tandem with the PP, and the PP agreed common ground with Vox in return for that party's votes in the regional parliament. In the election just over a month ago, the PP won 26 seats and Citizens 21 in the 109-seat legislature, where the absolute majority is 55 seats. Vox will now make up the voting numbers with their 12 seats. The PP's Juanma Moreno will lead the new government. The deal reached between Vox and the PP stipulates 37 goals, the first of which is job creation, then the fight against corruption, followed by respect for democracy. Andalusia has high unemployment and is the main arrival point in Spain for migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Other areas of agreement include support for bullfighting and flamenco."}], "question": "What deal was reached?", "id": "1217_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1660, "answer_end": 2292, "text": "The two parties advocate implementing existing laws on immigration but there is no mention of mass deportations, as advocated earlier by Vox. Nor is there any mention of repealing laws on violence against women and LGBT equality, which Vox was advocating only on Tuesday. Vox politicians have often spoken out against what they call \"extreme\" or \"militant\" feminism, and argue that domestic violence laws favour women. The president of Spain's federation of Progressive Women, Yolanda Besteiro, pledged its members would take \"not one step back\". \"Women's rights are non-negotiable,\" she said, promising a \"continuous mobilisation\"."}], "question": "What was left out?", "id": "1217_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit: Is the EU stopping the UK having free ports?", "date": "5 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The claim: The UK does not have free ports because of its membership of the EU. Reality Check verdict: It is not true to say you can't have free ports or tax-free zones if you are a member state of the EU. There are more than 80 such zones across the Union. It would be easier to take advantage of potential benefits outside the EU. Boris Johnson told an audience in Belfast that the UK's membership of the EU prevented us from having free ports or tax-free zones. But there are more than 80 of them across the EU. While many of them are in newer member states in eastern and central Europe and were established before those countries joined the EU, there are also free ports in Bordeaux in France, for example, and in Bremerhaven in Germany. And, as this report from the House of Commons Library explains, until 2012 when the legislation that established them expired, there were free port areas in Liverpool, Southampton, the Port of Tilbury, the Port of Sheerness and at Prestwick Airport. It also says \"the Treasury currently has the power to designate free ports by Statutory Instrument\". There is still a free zone on the Isle of Man too, although it is of course not part of the UK or the European Union. Mr Johnson plans to set up six free ports and will launch pilot schemes as soon as possible after the UK leaves the EU. Free ports are small free-trade zones, sometimes called special economic zones, in which the normal tax and tariff rules of the country in which they are based do not apply. A US Congressional report in 2013 estimated that there were about 3,500 such zones in 135 countries worldwide. You can import and store goods, and then re-export them, without paying any taxes. You can also bring in raw materials to manufacture things without paying any tariffs. The advantages of doing that within the EU customs union are relatively small, because you still have to pay customs duties to export finished goods from a free port into the rest of the EU. But supporters of free ports argue that after Brexit they could be far more beneficial for the UK, if it were no longer tied to the EU rules on state aid and subsidies. There would also be greater benefits because the UK would no longer be in the EU single market, so more tariffs (taxes on imports) would be payable outside any free port. A report written in 2016 suggests a free port strategy could create tens of thousands of jobs in areas where they are most needed. The key question is how closely aligned to EU rules (including state aid rules) any future UK government will choose to be, because that will determine how beneficial a free port could be. Critics also warn that free ports can simply have the effect of moving investment from other parts of the country, and that they sometimes attract tax avoidance and other illegal schemes. In summary then, you can have free port areas and be part of the European Union, although there is more freedom to do so outside the EU. What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1332, "answer_end": 2316, "text": "Free ports are small free-trade zones, sometimes called special economic zones, in which the normal tax and tariff rules of the country in which they are based do not apply. A US Congressional report in 2013 estimated that there were about 3,500 such zones in 135 countries worldwide. You can import and store goods, and then re-export them, without paying any taxes. You can also bring in raw materials to manufacture things without paying any tariffs. The advantages of doing that within the EU customs union are relatively small, because you still have to pay customs duties to export finished goods from a free port into the rest of the EU. But supporters of free ports argue that after Brexit they could be far more beneficial for the UK, if it were no longer tied to the EU rules on state aid and subsidies. There would also be greater benefits because the UK would no longer be in the EU single market, so more tariffs (taxes on imports) would be payable outside any free port."}], "question": "What is a free port?", "id": "1218_0"}]}]}, {"title": "IS conflict: Manbij residents celebrate liberation", "date": "13 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Residents in the northern Syrian city of Manbij have been celebrating new freedoms after being liberated from the rule of so-called Islamic State. They have poured into the streets enjoying basic rights they had been denied for two years, including shaving off their beards and smoking. US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters fought 73 days to drive IS out of Manbij, close to the Turkish border. About 2,000 civilians being used as human shields were also freed. Reuters news agency spoke to a resident of Manbij who described a spot where people were beheaded. \"For anything or using the excuse that he did not believe [in God], they put him and cut his head off. \"It is all injustice,\" he said. \"I feel joy and [it is like a] dream I am dreaming. I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it. Things I saw no one saw,\" a woman said screaming and fainting, according to Reuters. Another woman thanked the fighters that had set them free: \"You are our children, you are our heroes, you are the blood of our hearts, you are our eyes. Go out, Daesh [Arabic name for IS]!\" - Women are forced to cover up; in one case, a woman in Mosul, Iraq, was challenged for not having her hands fully covered - The minimum punishment is flogging, which is applied for things like smoking a cigarette. Men caught smoking have had their fingers amputated, while a female dentist who treated men was publicly beheaded, the UN said in a report in 2014 - Men are not allowed to be clean-shaven - Prayer checks are carried out on the streets - Men are ordered to attend compulsory Sharia classes if their trousers are too long Inside 'Islamic State': A Raqqa diary Migrant crisis: Fleeing life under Islamic State in Syria Islamic State group: The full story The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia. They were backed in their campaign against IS by US-led air strikes on IS positions. The roads through Manbij had become crucial to the group's ability to move fighters, weapons and supplies in and out of Syria. Routes to Syria's embattled second city, Aleppo, and to the IS capital, Raqqa, pass through the town. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict from the UK, around 500 cars left Manbij carrying IS members and civilians. They were heading north-east towards Jarablus, a town under IS control on the Turkish border. The militias said their victory had cut off the IS militants' route to Europe. \"After the liberation of Manbij, IS members won't be able to freely travel to and from Europe anymore,\" said Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim. US officials have said that after Manbij, the coalition's intention is to move on Raqqa. Raqqa, estimated to have a population of between 250,000 and 500,000, has become the de facto capital of the \"caliphate\" whose creation was proclaimed by IS two years ago after it took control of large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. In addition to the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters supported by the US, IS militants are also  under pressure from Russian-backed Syrian government forces. Two days ago, Russian air strikes cut off the city's water supply.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1731, "answer_end": 3168, "text": "The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia. They were backed in their campaign against IS by US-led air strikes on IS positions. The roads through Manbij had become crucial to the group's ability to move fighters, weapons and supplies in and out of Syria. Routes to Syria's embattled second city, Aleppo, and to the IS capital, Raqqa, pass through the town. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict from the UK, around 500 cars left Manbij carrying IS members and civilians. They were heading north-east towards Jarablus, a town under IS control on the Turkish border. The militias said their victory had cut off the IS militants' route to Europe. \"After the liberation of Manbij, IS members won't be able to freely travel to and from Europe anymore,\" said Syrian Kurdish leader Salih Muslim. US officials have said that after Manbij, the coalition's intention is to move on Raqqa. Raqqa, estimated to have a population of between 250,000 and 500,000, has become the de facto capital of the \"caliphate\" whose creation was proclaimed by IS two years ago after it took control of large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. In addition to the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters supported by the US, IS militants are also  under pressure from Russian-backed Syrian government forces. Two days ago, Russian air strikes cut off the city's water supply."}], "question": "Move on Raqqa?", "id": "1219_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Democratic debate: How do Denmark and the US differ?", "date": "14 October 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has said we \"should look to countries like Denmark... and learn from what they have accomplished for their working people\". So how different are the US and Denmark? This isn't the first time Mr Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, has expressed admiration for Denmark's social model - he has previously said it \"provides extraordinary security and opportunity\". His rival in the race for the White House, Hillary Clinton, responded by saying she loved Denmark but \"we are the United States\". So what does that difference look like? Mr Sanders is glowing in his depiction of Denmark's healthcare system - \"universal, free of charge and high quality\". In the US there are still millions of people without health insurance. In 2012, it was 15.4 % of the population but that figure has now fallen to below 10% due to President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms. The Danish health care system is also more cost-effective, as Mr Sanders has noted. Figures provided by the World Bank for 2013 put the amount Denmark and the US spend on healthcare at at 10.6% and 17.1% of GDP respectively. American journalist Justin Cremer, who has lived in Denmark for five years, has two children, one born in the US and the second in Denmark. He says that while the US hospital provided a far more comfortable experience, he and his wife later faced \"the nightmare of working out what was covered by my insurance and what was covered by my wife's insurance\". And Mr Cremer points out that hospital care they had in the US was only available to them because \"we had decent jobs that provided insurance\". As an example of one of the \"myths\" around Denmark's social system that Danish journalist Kristoffer Kraen recalls encountering in the US, he gives the example of an academic who asked him whether it was true that whenever a woman in Denmark gives birth, a social worker is dispatched to cook and clean for her. Alas, not even Denmark's support for new parents is this extensive but nevertheless, its policy on parental leave is described by the EU as \"among the most generous and flexible\" in the union. Mothers in Denmark are entitled to four weeks of paid maternity leave before the expected date of birth and 14 weeks afterwards. Fathers are entitled to two weeks of leave within the first 14 weeks after the birth, with each parent entitled to 32 weeks of parental leave. In the US, only employers with 50 members of staff or more are required to offer 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Another facet of Denmark's politics sure to meet the approval of Mr Sanders is the high participation of women in politics. Helle Thorning Schmidt became Denmark's first female prime minister in 2011. The leaders of the other two parties in her coalition government were also women. Meanwhile, one study of representation of women in national legislatures carried out in 2013 put the US 95th out of 184 countries, 12 places behind Saudi Arabia. (The Danes came in at a respectable 13th place, of course). However, highlighting the US's lack of progress in this regard would be awkward for Mr Sanders, as his main rival for the nomination is making her second attempt to become the first female presidential candidate for either major party. In contrast to the adversarial nature of the US presidential system, with power alternating between one of only two big parties, Danish politics has a reputation for being more consensual. Voters in Denmark had at the last election no fewer than 10 parties to choose from, and it's not only in Danish TV dramas that smaller parties can end up with influence in government. Bernie Sanders has recognised that the relative size of the two countries is an important difference - and that does of course impact on their respective political systems. Denmark just has the one government, whereas any radical moves from a Sanders administration would have to make it past Congress and 50 powerful state governments. In any case, the Danish set-up seems to be more popular with voters - at the last election in June this year, Denmark had a turnout of 85.8%, well above the 58.2% of those eligible to vote who did so in the 2012 US presidential election. Or perhaps trudging to the polls is just part of that Danish sense of collective duty. One area that Mr Sanders hasn't highlighted in his praise of Denmark is its policy on immigration. \"If he wanted to move to Denmark, he might find it quite difficult,\" Mr Cremer points out. Even though the current presidential debate in the US has generated its own fair share of anti-foreigner rhetoric - with Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump pledging to deport illegal immigrants and Syrian refugees - the idea of newcomers \"becoming American\" is readily accepted in the US. By contrast, Mr Kraen says that Danes have had difficulty adapting to changes in their previously homogenous population and that some Danes \"can have trouble welcoming people that don't look like ourselves\". He says this has gone hand in hand with a questioning of the Danish model of social welfare more generally, with immigrants perceived by some as being \"more expensive\" in terms of welfare provision - even though their contribution to the economy in other ways has sometimes gone ignored.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 602, "answer_end": 1652, "text": "Mr Sanders is glowing in his depiction of Denmark's healthcare system - \"universal, free of charge and high quality\". In the US there are still millions of people without health insurance. In 2012, it was 15.4 % of the population but that figure has now fallen to below 10% due to President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms. The Danish health care system is also more cost-effective, as Mr Sanders has noted. Figures provided by the World Bank for 2013 put the amount Denmark and the US spend on healthcare at at 10.6% and 17.1% of GDP respectively. American journalist Justin Cremer, who has lived in Denmark for five years, has two children, one born in the US and the second in Denmark. He says that while the US hospital provided a far more comfortable experience, he and his wife later faced \"the nightmare of working out what was covered by my insurance and what was covered by my wife's insurance\". And Mr Cremer points out that hospital care they had in the US was only available to them because \"we had decent jobs that provided insurance\"."}], "question": "Who gets healthcare?", "id": "1220_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1653, "answer_end": 2536, "text": "As an example of one of the \"myths\" around Denmark's social system that Danish journalist Kristoffer Kraen recalls encountering in the US, he gives the example of an academic who asked him whether it was true that whenever a woman in Denmark gives birth, a social worker is dispatched to cook and clean for her. Alas, not even Denmark's support for new parents is this extensive but nevertheless, its policy on parental leave is described by the EU as \"among the most generous and flexible\" in the union. Mothers in Denmark are entitled to four weeks of paid maternity leave before the expected date of birth and 14 weeks afterwards. Fathers are entitled to two weeks of leave within the first 14 weeks after the birth, with each parent entitled to 32 weeks of parental leave. In the US, only employers with 50 members of staff or more are required to offer 12 weeks of unpaid leave."}], "question": "Free cooks for new mothers?", "id": "1220_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3278, "answer_end": 4312, "text": "In contrast to the adversarial nature of the US presidential system, with power alternating between one of only two big parties, Danish politics has a reputation for being more consensual. Voters in Denmark had at the last election no fewer than 10 parties to choose from, and it's not only in Danish TV dramas that smaller parties can end up with influence in government. Bernie Sanders has recognised that the relative size of the two countries is an important difference - and that does of course impact on their respective political systems. Denmark just has the one government, whereas any radical moves from a Sanders administration would have to make it past Congress and 50 powerful state governments. In any case, the Danish set-up seems to be more popular with voters - at the last election in June this year, Denmark had a turnout of 85.8%, well above the 58.2% of those eligible to vote who did so in the 2012 US presidential election. Or perhaps trudging to the polls is just part of that Danish sense of collective duty."}], "question": "Can't we all just get along?", "id": "1220_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Syria war: 'Russian strikes' target Idlib as offensive looms", "date": "8 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Russian war planes have launched fresh strikes on the Syrian province of Idlib, a monitor says, as talks in Tehran failed to stop an impending military offensive there. The raids targeted rebel-held positions in Idlib's south-west, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian forces, backed by Russia and Iran, are poised to attack the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. Turkey and others have warned of a pending humanitarian disaster. In the province itself, thousands of people staged street protests after Friday prayers calling for international protection. In footage circulating on social media, one protester in the town of Al-Dana said they were demanding that the UN \"stop the killing of Syrians\". The observatory said Russian jets hit positions of the jihadist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Ahrar al-Sham group on Friday. \"The aim was to destroy rebel fortifications,\" observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. HTS is designated by the UN as a terrorist group and has an estimated 10,000 fighters in Idlib. Earlier in the week, Russian jets were reported to have carried out about 30 strikes on rebel-held areas in western Idlib, the mountains of Latakia province, and the Sahl al-Ghab plain. Syrian army soldiers and allied militiamen are reportedly massing for what has been described as a phased offensive. HTS and rival rebel factions backed by neighbouring Turkey have said they will fight back. At a trilateral meeting between Russia, Iran and Turkey on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Turkey's calls for a truce in Idlib. Mr Putin said Russia would continue its fight against \"terrorists\" in Idlib province. Turkey - which has long backed some rebel groups - fears an all-out assault will trigger another major refugee crisis on its southern border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian and Iranian counterparts: \"We don't want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath.\" \"Any attack on Idlib would result in a catastrophe. Any fight against terrorists requires methods based on time and patience.\" However, Russia and Iran say jihadist groups in Idlib must be wiped out. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani argued that \"fighting terrorism in Idlib was an unavoidable part of the mission to restore peace and stability to Syria\". Meanwhile, Mr Putin said \"the legitimate Syrian government has a right and must eventually take control of its entire national territory\". The province is the last major stronghold of the rebel and jihadist groups which have been trying to overthrow Mr Assad for the past seven years. Idlib straddles major highways across Syria and if it is retaken by the government, would leave the rebels with just a few isolated pockets of territory across the country. The province is not controlled by a single group, but rather by a number of rival factions, including a jihadist alliance linked to al-Qaeda, and a rival National Liberation Front which is backed by Turkey. Up to 30,000 rebel and jihadist fighters are believed to be in Idlib. But the vast majority of its residents are civilians. The UN says the region is home to some 2.9 million people, including a million children. More than half of the civilians have already been displaced at least once from elsewhere in Syria and have nowhere left to go. The UN fears a large-scale offensive in Idlib will lead to a humanitarian disaster. Without a political solution in Syria, \"we will see this war reach new levels of horrors\", the UN special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said. On Thursday, the new US envoy for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said the anticipated conflict would be a \"reckless escalation\", and that \"there is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared.\" He did not give details of the evidence he was referring to. The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons. However, experts from the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have said government forces were behind an attack involving the nerve agent Sarin on a rebel-held town in southern Idlib in April 2017 that killed more than 80 people. The US state department warned on Monday that Washington would respond to any new chemical attacks by the Syrian government or its allies.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 720, "answer_end": 1436, "text": "The observatory said Russian jets hit positions of the jihadist alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Ahrar al-Sham group on Friday. \"The aim was to destroy rebel fortifications,\" observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. HTS is designated by the UN as a terrorist group and has an estimated 10,000 fighters in Idlib. Earlier in the week, Russian jets were reported to have carried out about 30 strikes on rebel-held areas in western Idlib, the mountains of Latakia province, and the Sahl al-Ghab plain. Syrian army soldiers and allied militiamen are reportedly massing for what has been described as a phased offensive. HTS and rival rebel factions backed by neighbouring Turkey have said they will fight back."}], "question": "What is the latest military action?", "id": "1221_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1437, "answer_end": 2425, "text": "At a trilateral meeting between Russia, Iran and Turkey on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Turkey's calls for a truce in Idlib. Mr Putin said Russia would continue its fight against \"terrorists\" in Idlib province. Turkey - which has long backed some rebel groups - fears an all-out assault will trigger another major refugee crisis on its southern border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian and Iranian counterparts: \"We don't want Idlib to turn into a bloodbath.\" \"Any attack on Idlib would result in a catastrophe. Any fight against terrorists requires methods based on time and patience.\" However, Russia and Iran say jihadist groups in Idlib must be wiped out. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani argued that \"fighting terrorism in Idlib was an unavoidable part of the mission to restore peace and stability to Syria\". Meanwhile, Mr Putin said \"the legitimate Syrian government has a right and must eventually take control of its entire national territory\"."}], "question": "What happened in the Tehran summit?", "id": "1221_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2426, "answer_end": 3291, "text": "The province is the last major stronghold of the rebel and jihadist groups which have been trying to overthrow Mr Assad for the past seven years. Idlib straddles major highways across Syria and if it is retaken by the government, would leave the rebels with just a few isolated pockets of territory across the country. The province is not controlled by a single group, but rather by a number of rival factions, including a jihadist alliance linked to al-Qaeda, and a rival National Liberation Front which is backed by Turkey. Up to 30,000 rebel and jihadist fighters are believed to be in Idlib. But the vast majority of its residents are civilians. The UN says the region is home to some 2.9 million people, including a million children. More than half of the civilians have already been displaced at least once from elsewhere in Syria and have nowhere left to go."}], "question": "Why is Idlib important?", "id": "1221_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3292, "answer_end": 3781, "text": "The UN fears a large-scale offensive in Idlib will lead to a humanitarian disaster. Without a political solution in Syria, \"we will see this war reach new levels of horrors\", the UN special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said. On Thursday, the new US envoy for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said the anticipated conflict would be a \"reckless escalation\", and that \"there is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared.\" He did not give details of the evidence he was referring to."}], "question": "What are the concerns?", "id": "1221_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3782, "answer_end": 4247, "text": "The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons. However, experts from the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have said government forces were behind an attack involving the nerve agent Sarin on a rebel-held town in southern Idlib in April 2017 that killed more than 80 people. The US state department warned on Monday that Washington would respond to any new chemical attacks by the Syrian government or its allies."}], "question": "What do we know of chemical weapons use?", "id": "1221_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Russia human rights: Chechnya court jails Memorial activist", "date": "18 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A court in Russia's Chechnya republic has sentenced a prominent rights activist to four years in jail for possessing illegal drugs. Oyub Titiev, who heads the regional branch of rights group Memorial, said the case was \"politically motivated\". Amnesty International said the court verdict was \"an affront\" to justice. In recent years, Memorial has investigated alleged abuse by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, torture and the persecution of gay men. Chechen authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations. Memorial is the last rights group to have a presence in the North Caucasus republic run by authoritarian leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Oyub Titiev's predecessor at Memorial, Natalia Estemirova, was abducted and killed in 2009. The court in the town of Shali, north-east of the capital Grozny, sentenced Titiev, aged 61, after the judge took nearly nine hours to read out her verdict. The courtroom was packed with reporters and diplomats, as well as relatives and neighbours of the activist. The judge said she had agreed with the demands of prosecutors, sentencing Titiev to four years in prison. The activist denied the charges, saying they were trumped up. Titiev was arrested in January 2018 after police stopped his car to check documents. The police said cannabis had been found in his car - he said the drugs had been planted. After the verdict, Titiev said the authorities \"fabricated the criminal case\". In a statement, Amnesty International said: \"The four-year prison sentence slapped on Oyub Titiev is an affront to human rights, reason, and justice. \"By pronouncing him guilty, despite all the evidence to the contrary, the court has demonstrated how deeply flawed the Russian justice system is. \"The court has revealed itself to be little more than a tool that the regional authorities have used to silence one of the last human rights defenders working in Chechnya. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, said: \"The conviction of Oyub Titiev is but the latest example of the hostile and dangerous environment in which human rights defenders operate in the Chechen Republic.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 742, "answer_end": 1112, "text": "The court in the town of Shali, north-east of the capital Grozny, sentenced Titiev, aged 61, after the judge took nearly nine hours to read out her verdict. The courtroom was packed with reporters and diplomats, as well as relatives and neighbours of the activist. The judge said she had agreed with the demands of prosecutors, sentencing Titiev to four years in prison."}], "question": "What did the court rule?", "id": "1222_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1113, "answer_end": 1427, "text": "The activist denied the charges, saying they were trumped up. Titiev was arrested in January 2018 after police stopped his car to check documents. The police said cannabis had been found in his car - he said the drugs had been planted. After the verdict, Titiev said the authorities \"fabricated the criminal case\"."}], "question": "How did Titiev react?", "id": "1222_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1428, "answer_end": 2135, "text": "In a statement, Amnesty International said: \"The four-year prison sentence slapped on Oyub Titiev is an affront to human rights, reason, and justice. \"By pronouncing him guilty, despite all the evidence to the contrary, the court has demonstrated how deeply flawed the Russian justice system is. \"The court has revealed itself to be little more than a tool that the regional authorities have used to silence one of the last human rights defenders working in Chechnya. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, said: \"The conviction of Oyub Titiev is but the latest example of the hostile and dangerous environment in which human rights defenders operate in the Chechen Republic.\""}], "question": "What about international reaction?", "id": "1222_2"}]}]}, {"title": "China's most expensive film pulled after opening weekend", "date": "17 July 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "China's big-budget fantasy epic Asura has been pulled from cinemas after a dismal opening weekend. The 750m yuan ($112m; PS85m) film reportedly made less than 50m yuan on its weekend debut. Asura's plot is based on Chinese mythology and featured leading actors and flashy special effects. Producers are reportedly planning to rework the movie and release it again at a later date. Unless the film achieves much greater success the second time round, Asura's $105m loss would make it one of the biggest flops in movie history. The elaborate fantasy film was backed by some of China's major movie companies: Alibaba Pictures, Zhenjian Film Studio and Ningxia Film Group Loosely based on Buddhist mythology, the movie tells the story of a shepherd protecting a mythical heavenly realm from attack. Before its release, the film was showered with praise by state media, with the China Daily calling it the \"most hotly anticipated blockbuster of China's competitive summer season\". During the three days it was showing in cinemas though, it received an abysmal rating on Chinese film review site Douban. Other top movie flops according to Box Office Mojo: - Mars Needs Moms (budget: $150m, total grosses $39m) - Stealth (budget: $135m, total grosses $77m) - The Alamo (budget: $107m, total grosses $26m) - The Adventures of Pluto Nash (budget: $100m, total grosses $7m) - Cutthroat Island (budget: $98m, total grosses $10m) With China overtaking the US as the world's biggest film market, the plan for Asura was to kick off a major fantasy franchise akin to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. In the run-up to its opening weekend, financer Ningxia said they \"wanted the film to raise confidence in our own culture and train more domestic talent\". Producers have reportedly suggested the poor box office showing was only part of the reason why the movie was pulled, and that Asura would be reworked and released again. While Chinese film productions have not typically had the same international reach as Hollywood films, there have been several China-Hollywood co-productions in recent years. One of the most high-profile was The Great Wall, which cost $150m, although it too disappointed at the box office.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1418, "answer_end": 2204, "text": "With China overtaking the US as the world's biggest film market, the plan for Asura was to kick off a major fantasy franchise akin to Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. In the run-up to its opening weekend, financer Ningxia said they \"wanted the film to raise confidence in our own culture and train more domestic talent\". Producers have reportedly suggested the poor box office showing was only part of the reason why the movie was pulled, and that Asura would be reworked and released again. While Chinese film productions have not typically had the same international reach as Hollywood films, there have been several China-Hollywood co-productions in recent years. One of the most high-profile was The Great Wall, which cost $150m, although it too disappointed at the box office."}], "question": "A fresh release?", "id": "1223_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Papua New Guinea polio outbreak declared", "date": "26 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An outbreak of polio has been confirmed in Papua New Guinea, 18 years after the country was declared free of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus was detected in a six-year-old boy in April. The same strain of the virus has now been detected in other healthy children in the same community, making it officially an outbreak. Polio has no cure and can lead to irreversible paralysis. It mainly affects children under the age of five, and can only be prevented by giving a child multiple vaccine doses. \"We are deeply concerned about this polio case in Papua New Guinea, and the fact that the virus is circulating,\" said Pascoe Kase, Papua New Guinea's heath secretary. \"Our immediate priority is to respond and prevent more children from being infected.\" The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at the end of last week that the same virus that was found in the six-year-old boy was also found in samples taken from two healthy children in the same community, the WHO said. This means the virus is circulating in the community, representing an outbreak, it added. Immediate steps to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease include large-scale immunisation campaigns and strengthening surveillance systems that help detect it early. Papua New Guinea has not had a case of wild poliovirus since 1996, and the country was certified as polio-free in 2000 along with the rest of the WHO Western Pacific Region. - Polio, or poliomyelitis, mainly affects children aged under five - It is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours - Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pains in the limbs - One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilised - Only three countries in the world have never stopped transmission of polio: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria Source: World Health Organization Only 61% of children in the area affected - Morobe province on the northern coast of the country - currently receive the recommended three doses of polio vaccine, the WHO says. Inadequate sanitation and hygiene were also issues, it added. Because of the region's isolation and the planned immunisation, the risk of the virus spreading to other countries is low, the WHO said. There were some 20 cases of polio globally in 2017, with these cases occurring in just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Smitha Mundasad, global health correspondent As recently as four decades ago, polio left 1,000 children paralysed every single day. The world has come a long way since then. Now, there are just a few countries where it is endemic and there have been just 15 cases so far this year. Zero seems tantalisingly close. The good news is that polio is one of the few diseases that we actually have the ability to get down to zero. That is partly because it only infects humans - this means animals can't act as hidden reservoirs. And there are relatively inexpensive and effective vaccines that can offer protection for many years. Add in good sanitation and we are well equipped to battle the disease. But global health experts say until it is completely eradicated, there remains a risk of polio spreading globally. And areas like Morobe province in Papua New Guinea are particularly vulnerable as low vaccination rates and weak public health systems provide the ideal breeding grounds for cases to re-emerge.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2558, "answer_end": 3562, "text": "Smitha Mundasad, global health correspondent As recently as four decades ago, polio left 1,000 children paralysed every single day. The world has come a long way since then. Now, there are just a few countries where it is endemic and there have been just 15 cases so far this year. Zero seems tantalisingly close. The good news is that polio is one of the few diseases that we actually have the ability to get down to zero. That is partly because it only infects humans - this means animals can't act as hidden reservoirs. And there are relatively inexpensive and effective vaccines that can offer protection for many years. Add in good sanitation and we are well equipped to battle the disease. But global health experts say until it is completely eradicated, there remains a risk of polio spreading globally. And areas like Morobe province in Papua New Guinea are particularly vulnerable as low vaccination rates and weak public health systems provide the ideal breeding grounds for cases to re-emerge."}], "question": "Will the world ever become polio-free?", "id": "1224_0"}]}]}, {"title": "East Germany 1989 - the march that KO'd communism", "date": "14 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Nobody had a mobile phone or social media to mobilise supporters back in 1989. But East Germans fed up with communism poured into the streets of Leipzig, despite extraordinary restrictions on their personal freedom. \"We didn't have a phone at home - we weren't allowed, and they would have been listening in any case,\" recalls Katrin Hattenhauer, one of the organisers of the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig, East Germany's second city. A candle-lit mass protest on 9 October became the turning point: a crowd of 70,000 thronged the city centre and for the first time dared to march past the feared headquarters of the Stasi secret police. \"We are the people!\" they chanted. \"Wir sind das Volk!\" About 6,000 armed police and plain-clothes Stasi were watching in the side-streets - but they held back, vastly outnumbered. The grip of communist propaganda on people's behaviour had been broken. But East and West Germans alike were astonished by the fall of the Berlin Wall just a month later. There was already widespread frustration and anger in East Germany - officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR) - and that mood escalated throughout 1989. Millions of East Germans secretly watched colourful, capitalist West German TV, even though that was illegal. They saw the West's luxuries and plentiful consumer goods, but had little chance of going there. Meanwhile the communist GDR was grey, regimented and plagued by shortages. Regime opponents were spied on and harassed by the Stasi, who often blocked people's study and career choices. Ailing 77-year-old communist leader Erich Honecker was resisting reforms, while neighbouring Poland and Hungary were both going through democratic transitions. Their \"big brother\" - the Soviet Union - was led by reformer Mikhail Gorbachev. His \"glasnost\" (openness) policy, encouraged by the West, allowed dissent and forced Soviet citizens to confront long-hidden communist crimes. \"Gorbi, Gorbi!\" became a popular slogan among East Germans hungry for Gorbachev-style reforms. In the summer of 1989 Hungary removed barbed wire on its border with capitalist Austria, creating an escape route for East Germans desperate to reach the West. Many East Germans traditionally went on holiday to Hungary, deprived of other opportunities for foreign travel. The exodus became a human flood; thousands also sought refuge in the West German embassy in Czechoslovakia, and families became separated. Mr Gorbachev visited East Berlin for the GDR's 40th anniversary on 7 October and urged Mr Honecker to launch reforms, saying \"life punishes those who come too late\". The GDR claimed to have freed \"the people\" from capitalist exploitation: building communism meant job security, cheap housing and collective welfare. For several years Pastor Christoph Wonneberger had led \"peace prayers\" every Monday at the Protestant Nikolaikirche - St Nicholas Church, which became a safe space for political dissidents. The 1980s were years of protest against the siting of nuclear missiles in Europe. The US missiles in Western Europe drew the biggest protests; but Mr Honecker also tolerated the small East German peace movement's opposition to Soviet nuclear missiles in the GDR. \"The Nikolaikirche was known in Leipzig as a free place. We knew the Stasi was in the church, but our activities couldn't be forbidden, because they were called peace prayers, not a protest,\" says Ms Hattenhauer, who was 20 at the time. \"Group solidarity was getting stronger and the summer of fleeing helped us a lot. Many people joined as they were desperate, having lost family members. So people were looking for a place to share their stories, to decide how life now should go on,\" she told the BBC. Leipzig's international fair on 4 September provided a rare opportunity for the anti-communist opposition: Western journalists were allowed into the city. Ms Hattenhauer and fellow dissidents changed their strategy for 4 September. \"We had to lead people out of the church, to become visible, to give the movement a face.\" They unfurled banners with the slogans \"freedom to assemble\" and \"for an open country with free people\". Immediately the Stasi snatched them away - but crucially the state's brutality was filmed by West German TV. Watching those pictures, East Germans \"could see that the government's lies about us were not true - we didn't look like counter-revolutionary criminals\", she said. Ex-dissident Uwe Schwabe told the BBC \"people were so fed up with the GDR, constantly living with lies and propaganda\". \"The reality was that Leipzig was in a terrible polluted state, the air was awful, it stank.\" He had long campaigned to clean up the GDR's environment. Leipzig's main pollution problem was nearby brown coal (lignite) mines. By October 1989 there were many diverse opposition groups and, according to ex-dissident Kathrin Mahler Walther, Pastor Wonneberger was a key coordinator. \"Many people decided they couldn't be free journalists or lawyers [in the GDR], so they studied theology to be free of the state, and there were critics among them,\" Mr Schwabe said. Yet activist priests were a small minority in Leipzig's Protestant Church - just six out of 50, Mr Schwabe said. And the Catholic Church shunned the activists. The fall of East Germany in 1989 August-September: Thousands of East Germans flee to the West across Hungary's border with Austria; others flee via Czechoslovakia 9 October: Unprecedented crowd of 70,000 demonstrates in central Leipzig demanding freedom 18 October: Communist leader Erich Honecker quits, replaced by Egon Krenz 7 November: Government and Politburo resign 9 November: Fall of the Berlin Wall 3 October 1990: German reunification Pastor Wonneberger, Ms Walther and other activists created a network in Leipzig, enabling the 9 October demonstration to have a huge impact. The publicity already created by the Monday demonstrations \"made the time ripe\", Ms Walther said. \"Everyone realised: 'Wow, something is really changing here.'\" But many protesters feared that the police would open fire, as the communist Chinese crackdown in Tiananmen Square was still a fresh memory. A senior GDR Politburo member, Egon Krenz, had praised that crackdown. So the crowd in Leipzig also chanted \"No violence!\" and activists urged fellow protesters to avoid giving the police any excuse to open fire. \"There were people of all ages in the streets, though a lot of older people tried to stop their children going,\" Mr Schwabe said. It emerged later the authorities had ordered Leipzig hospitals to prepare extra beds and blood supplies. That night, Ms Walther phoned Pastor Wonneberger from a hiding place in the city's Protestant Reformed Church and reported to him on the demonstration. He was in another church, also getting calls from other activists. Then he did a live interview by phone on West German TV news. \"Via West German TV we could speak to the GDR people,\" Ms Walther explained. Two more activists - Aram Radomski and Siegbert Schefke - had a TV camera, but needed a safe place to film the demonstration. Ms Walther put them in touch with the pastor, who let them climb up the Reformed Church's tower. \"I didn't dare film it at street level,\" Mr Schefke, an East Berlin dissident in 1989, told the BBC. \"Later I met the [West German] Spiegel reporter, Ulrich Schwarz, in a hotel and gave him my recording, which he took back that night.\" The peaceful uprising of 70,000 people was broadcast on West German TV the next day. The protest movement was unstoppable: a week later more than 100,000 thronged central Leipzig and protests soon spread across East Germany. \"I am 60 years old now. I was living behind barbed wire, but now I've spent longer in freedom than without it. I was walled in for 30 years,\" Mr Schefke said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2751, "answer_end": 4754, "text": "For several years Pastor Christoph Wonneberger had led \"peace prayers\" every Monday at the Protestant Nikolaikirche - St Nicholas Church, which became a safe space for political dissidents. The 1980s were years of protest against the siting of nuclear missiles in Europe. The US missiles in Western Europe drew the biggest protests; but Mr Honecker also tolerated the small East German peace movement's opposition to Soviet nuclear missiles in the GDR. \"The Nikolaikirche was known in Leipzig as a free place. We knew the Stasi was in the church, but our activities couldn't be forbidden, because they were called peace prayers, not a protest,\" says Ms Hattenhauer, who was 20 at the time. \"Group solidarity was getting stronger and the summer of fleeing helped us a lot. Many people joined as they were desperate, having lost family members. So people were looking for a place to share their stories, to decide how life now should go on,\" she told the BBC. Leipzig's international fair on 4 September provided a rare opportunity for the anti-communist opposition: Western journalists were allowed into the city. Ms Hattenhauer and fellow dissidents changed their strategy for 4 September. \"We had to lead people out of the church, to become visible, to give the movement a face.\" They unfurled banners with the slogans \"freedom to assemble\" and \"for an open country with free people\". Immediately the Stasi snatched them away - but crucially the state's brutality was filmed by West German TV. Watching those pictures, East Germans \"could see that the government's lies about us were not true - we didn't look like counter-revolutionary criminals\", she said. Ex-dissident Uwe Schwabe told the BBC \"people were so fed up with the GDR, constantly living with lies and propaganda\". \"The reality was that Leipzig was in a terrible polluted state, the air was awful, it stank.\" He had long campaigned to clean up the GDR's environment. Leipzig's main pollution problem was nearby brown coal (lignite) mines."}], "question": "Why was Leipzig key to the GDR's collapse?", "id": "1225_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4755, "answer_end": 5252, "text": "By October 1989 there were many diverse opposition groups and, according to ex-dissident Kathrin Mahler Walther, Pastor Wonneberger was a key coordinator. \"Many people decided they couldn't be free journalists or lawyers [in the GDR], so they studied theology to be free of the state, and there were critics among them,\" Mr Schwabe said. Yet activist priests were a small minority in Leipzig's Protestant Church - just six out of 50, Mr Schwabe said. And the Catholic Church shunned the activists."}], "question": "Why was 9 October a turning point in the protests?", "id": "1225_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Bolivia crisis: Interim leader appoints first US envoy in 11 years", "date": "27 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Bolivia's interim leader has appointed the country's first US ambassador in 11 years, after vowing to overturn many of ex-President Evo Morales' policies. The new ambassador, Walter Oscar Serrate Cuellar, used to be the country's representative to the UN. Mr Morales, a socialist who led Bolivia for almost 14 years and was its first indigenous president, resigned on 10 November and fled to Mexico. He stepped down after a disputed presidential election last month. The election result sparked weeks of protests, culminating in Mr Morales' resignation. He says he was the victim of a right-wing coup. Since he resigned, parts of the country have been crippled by violent protests. At least 29 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and protesters, Reuters reported. During Mr Morales' time in power, the country's relationship with the US was tense. In 2008, under former US President George W Bush, ambassadors from both countries were expelled during a diplomatic spat. Right-wing senator Jeanine Anez declared herself interim president shortly after Mr Morales' resignation, and was formally recognised by the US. Almost straightaway, she began reversing the socialist ex-leader's policies. She broke diplomatic ties with the socialist governments of Cuba and Venezuela, which were previously two of Bolivia's closest allies in the region. Ms Anez also formally recognised Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's president, rather than President Nicolas Maduro. All of Bolivia's ambassadors were dismissed, except for those to the Vatican and Peru. Mr Morales, who was the country's first leader from the indigenous community, declared victory in the 20 October election. But opposition groups said the results were rigged. The outcome was also called into question by the Organization of American States, a regional body, which had found \"clear manipulation\" and called for the result to be annulled. In response, Mr Morales agreed to hold fresh elections. But his main rival, Carlos Mesa - who came second in the vote - said Mr Morales should not stand in any new poll. The chief of the armed forces, Gen Williams Kaliman, then urged Mr Morales to step down in the interests of peace and stability. Mr Morales announced his resignation soon afterwards. He then went to Mexico, where he claimed political asylum. Both he and his former top minister Juan Ramon Quintana have now been accused of sedition and terrorism by Bolivia's interim government, which wants to put them under arrest. Interior Minister Arturo Murillo has accused Mr Morales of organising roadblocks to prevent food from entering Bolivian cities, and said he wanted to see the former president jailed for life. Mr Morales disputed the credibility of the allegations on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 993, "answer_end": 1591, "text": "Right-wing senator Jeanine Anez declared herself interim president shortly after Mr Morales' resignation, and was formally recognised by the US. Almost straightaway, she began reversing the socialist ex-leader's policies. She broke diplomatic ties with the socialist governments of Cuba and Venezuela, which were previously two of Bolivia's closest allies in the region. Ms Anez also formally recognised Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's president, rather than President Nicolas Maduro. All of Bolivia's ambassadors were dismissed, except for those to the Vatican and Peru."}], "question": "What's changing in Bolivia?", "id": "1226_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1592, "answer_end": 2790, "text": "Mr Morales, who was the country's first leader from the indigenous community, declared victory in the 20 October election. But opposition groups said the results were rigged. The outcome was also called into question by the Organization of American States, a regional body, which had found \"clear manipulation\" and called for the result to be annulled. In response, Mr Morales agreed to hold fresh elections. But his main rival, Carlos Mesa - who came second in the vote - said Mr Morales should not stand in any new poll. The chief of the armed forces, Gen Williams Kaliman, then urged Mr Morales to step down in the interests of peace and stability. Mr Morales announced his resignation soon afterwards. He then went to Mexico, where he claimed political asylum. Both he and his former top minister Juan Ramon Quintana have now been accused of sedition and terrorism by Bolivia's interim government, which wants to put them under arrest. Interior Minister Arturo Murillo has accused Mr Morales of organising roadblocks to prevent food from entering Bolivian cities, and said he wanted to see the former president jailed for life. Mr Morales disputed the credibility of the allegations on Twitter."}], "question": "What happened to Evo Morales?", "id": "1226_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Game of Thrones writers Benioff and Weiss leave Star Wars trilogy", "date": "29 October 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Game of Thrones writers David Benioff and DB Weiss have left the next Star Wars trilogy, which is due to launch in 2022. The news comes after the pair signed an exclusive deal with Netflix. \"There are only so many hours in the day, we could not do justice to both Star Wars and our Netflix projects,\" a statement given to Deadline read. They added that \"getting to talk about Star Wars\" with creator George Lucas had been \"the thrill of a lifetime\". They said: \"We love Star Wars. When George Lucas built it, he built us too.\" Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that they would be welcomed back in the future. \"David Benioff and Dan Weiss are incredible storytellers,\" she said. \"We hope to include them in the journey forward when they are able to step away from their busy schedule to focus on Star Wars.\" According to a Disney release schedule published in May, the trilogy is due to be the next set of Star Wars films, following this December's The Rise of Skywalker, the final chapter of the Skywalker family chronicles. The next films are scheduled for 2022, 2024 and 2026, and are set to usher in a new era for the famous franchise. Analysis by Lizo Mzimba, BBC entertainment correspondent Benioff and Weiss aren't the first film-makers to unexpectedly leave the Star Wars universe before getting to realise their vision of a galaxy far, far away. Josh Trank left a planned Boba Fett spin-off, Lego Movie makers Phil Lord and Chris Miller departed the Han Solo film, Colin Trevorrow left Star Wars Episode IX, and even Rogue One's Gareth Edwards found that someone else was brought in to oversee re-shoots. In most cases, it seems the original directors' visions eventually clashed with that of Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. That perhaps isn't the case with Benioff and Weiss. When their Netflix deal was announced, many wondered what might take priority and whether Netflix might have to wait until after the planned Star Wars trilogy to see the results of their $250m (PS195m) deal. The pair's departure isn't a huge body blow to Star Wars, though. The recent news that Marvel chief Kevin Feige will develop at least one Star Wars movie, and perhaps even take on a larger role, is good news for the franchise. One of his great strengths with Marvel has been taking directors with disparate visions and allowing them to make films that simultaneously reflect their differing talents and still make the movies feel part of the same cohesive universe. There was much fanfare when Benioff and Weiss were unveiled as the writers behind the new Star Wars movies last February. While Game of Thrones was a huge success, there was consternation from some fans over the final series, which aired earlier this year. A petition calling on HBO to redo season eight has been signed by more than 1.75 million disgruntled fans. The Change.org petition argues that Benioff and Weiss \"have proven themselves to be woefully incompetent\". The pair made a rare public appearance at the weekend at the Austin Film Festival, according to Metro, where they admitted that the experience working on Game of Thrones was like an \"expensive film school\". When asked why they didn't bring in more writers to the show, they replied: \"Because we didn't know better.\" Many have been wondering how duo would combine their work for Netflix with the Star Wars commitments. Speculation has also begun about who will replace them, with some on social media pointing out the lack of diversity behind the camera for Star Wars films to date. Meanwhile, fans have been treated to a new trailer for Disney Plus's Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian., which takes place after the fall of the Empire in 1983's The Return of the Jedi. Disney Plus will launch in the US on November 12, but no date has yet been announced for the UK. Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1147, "answer_end": 2467, "text": "Analysis by Lizo Mzimba, BBC entertainment correspondent Benioff and Weiss aren't the first film-makers to unexpectedly leave the Star Wars universe before getting to realise their vision of a galaxy far, far away. Josh Trank left a planned Boba Fett spin-off, Lego Movie makers Phil Lord and Chris Miller departed the Han Solo film, Colin Trevorrow left Star Wars Episode IX, and even Rogue One's Gareth Edwards found that someone else was brought in to oversee re-shoots. In most cases, it seems the original directors' visions eventually clashed with that of Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. That perhaps isn't the case with Benioff and Weiss. When their Netflix deal was announced, many wondered what might take priority and whether Netflix might have to wait until after the planned Star Wars trilogy to see the results of their $250m (PS195m) deal. The pair's departure isn't a huge body blow to Star Wars, though. The recent news that Marvel chief Kevin Feige will develop at least one Star Wars movie, and perhaps even take on a larger role, is good news for the franchise. One of his great strengths with Marvel has been taking directors with disparate visions and allowing them to make films that simultaneously reflect their differing talents and still make the movies feel part of the same cohesive universe."}], "question": "Kevin Feige to the rescue?", "id": "1227_0"}]}]}, {"title": "China Anbang crackdown: Who might be next?", "date": "27 February 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Airlines, football clubs, five-star hotels and film studios. China's biggest conglomerates have been snapping up businesses around the world, including some in fairly sexy sectors. Despite growing so big and borrowing so much, they were seen as untouchable because of their political connections. That was until the middle of last year when, after seemingly unrestrained growth, Beijing suddenly turned up the heat on some of those giants. And then last week, some real action. Beijing cracked down on one of those firms - taking control of insurance and financial giant Anbang, and prosecuting the firm's head. This, analysts suggest, could indicate more intervention is on the way. The move against Anbang was called a \"warning shot\" by the Economist Intelligence Unit. But it is just one of the businesses which became known as \"grey rhinos\" - large, visible problems in an economy which are often ignored, until they start moving fast and trampling everything in their wake. And next in Beijing's crosshairs, analysts predict, is likely to be HNA, which has been described as the biggest company you've probably never heard of. Investing an estimated $40bn (PS28.7bn) in the past three years, it differs from Anbang having primarily bought into \"real businesses\" rather than being built mainly around complex financial structures. It owns China's Hainan Airlines, airport services firm Swissport, airline caterer Gate Gourmet, holds a major stake in Deutsche Bank, has a 25% share in the Hilton hotel group, and owns Carlson Hotels, which runs the Radisson chain. While there's no suggestion it's in financial difficulties, expect Beijing to lean on HNA to get rid of \"most if not all of its financial sector holdings\", says Michael Hirson of analysts Eurasia Group. Earlier this month, HNA said it had reduced its stake in Deutsche Bank from 9.9% to 9.2%. While most of Anbang's investors were individuals putting cash into things such as insurance policies, HNA's backers are mainly institutions. On the one hand, this would mean its collapse would be far less politically sensitive. The common man or woman on the street rarely sheds tears when financial giants get their fingers burned. But Eurasia Group says we should not expect a too punitive approach from the government. \"Beijing is reluctant to impose major losses on bondholders, which would make it more expensive for many other Chinese corporates to obtain external financing,\" Mr Hirson said. Significant bankruptcies would also carry political risks. HNA hasn't commented. But speaking last year to the BBC, chief executive Adam Tan was sanguine about plans by Beijing to tighten restrictions on Chinese businesses spending money abroad. He predicted HNA would still get support from Chinese banks, and could count on international banks as well because of its large presence outside of China. It seems unlikely he will feel so secure today. Of all the Chinese firms facing a crackdown, Dalian Wanda has the highest profile overseas, partly because of the sort of investments it made. Run by Wang Jianlin, among the country's richest men, it grew into one of the country's most prominent property developers. And it invested overseas too, most noticeably in Hollywood - controlling the AMC cinema chain as well as Legendary Entertainment, co-producer of hit films such as Godzilla and The Dark Knight Rises. But Mr Wang, once considered a Beijing favourite, fell foul of the establishment, with lenders told to pull out their backing. And after the warnings came he was quick to offload businesses, including theme parks and hotels in one of China's biggest property deals as it focused on its core shopping mall and cinema businesses. A subsequent rejigging of the deal just added to the picture of chaos. Earlier it had pulled out of a $1bn bid for Dick Clark Productions - the owner of the Golden Globe TV and film awards - with China's clampdown on overseas investments blamed. Michael Hirson of Eurasia Group described the asset selling as \"aggressive moves\" to \"de-risk\". They were, he added, \"a painful decision for Wang but one that now looks very astute\". The other big player put on the watch list in mid-2017 was Fosun. It has investments in the English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers, leisure group Club Med, travel firm Thomas Cook and entertainments business Cirque de Soleil. And unlike the others, is still buying abroad. Just last week, it said it had completed a deal to become the majority shareholder in Lanvin, France's oldest surviving couture label. Though by its standards, the investment of about $120m is fairly small. Both Wanda and Fosun \"appear to be on more solid political ground\", according to Mr Hirson. The clampdown is very much aimed at the large conglomerates buying into a huge range of sectors. Most other firms are able to keep investing. But there has been a fall from the peak years of 2015 and 2016. The number of Chinese deals in the US and Europe fell by almost 25% in 2017 from the previous year, Dealogic said. And the rhetoric against Chinese investment in the US from the Trump administration - as seen in the collapse of some major deals - means this trend is likely to continue. Just this week, Germany said it would be watching closely after Geely snapped up nearly 10% of Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler. To recap from last week, Anbang firm was known for its aggressive international acquisitions, including New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. But Chinese authorities have been cracking down on the financial industry to guard against excessive borrowing and risk. The firm's head Wu Xiaohui, who was already detained by authorities last June, is to face prosecution for \"economic crimes\". Analysts at Eurasia Group described it as \"both a takedown and a bailout\". \"Beijing's approach reveals President Xi Jinping's approach to cracking down on conglomerates - punish wrong-doing by executives while sending a reassuring message to the markets,\" said Eurasia Group's Michael Hirson. China could have nationalised Anbang instead (as, for example, happened during the UK banking crisis in 2008 with Royal Bank of Scotland). Or it might have forced its sale to another company (continuing the UK analogy, look at how HBOS was sold to Lloyds Banking Group). Instead it put it under the stewardship of China's insurance regulator for one year. This, notes Mr Hirson was a \"relatively transparent and investor-friendly\" approach, allowing the regulators to sell-off Anbang assets and bring in funds while keeping it out of state ownership.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 684, "answer_end": 2910, "text": "The move against Anbang was called a \"warning shot\" by the Economist Intelligence Unit. But it is just one of the businesses which became known as \"grey rhinos\" - large, visible problems in an economy which are often ignored, until they start moving fast and trampling everything in their wake. And next in Beijing's crosshairs, analysts predict, is likely to be HNA, which has been described as the biggest company you've probably never heard of. Investing an estimated $40bn (PS28.7bn) in the past three years, it differs from Anbang having primarily bought into \"real businesses\" rather than being built mainly around complex financial structures. It owns China's Hainan Airlines, airport services firm Swissport, airline caterer Gate Gourmet, holds a major stake in Deutsche Bank, has a 25% share in the Hilton hotel group, and owns Carlson Hotels, which runs the Radisson chain. While there's no suggestion it's in financial difficulties, expect Beijing to lean on HNA to get rid of \"most if not all of its financial sector holdings\", says Michael Hirson of analysts Eurasia Group. Earlier this month, HNA said it had reduced its stake in Deutsche Bank from 9.9% to 9.2%. While most of Anbang's investors were individuals putting cash into things such as insurance policies, HNA's backers are mainly institutions. On the one hand, this would mean its collapse would be far less politically sensitive. The common man or woman on the street rarely sheds tears when financial giants get their fingers burned. But Eurasia Group says we should not expect a too punitive approach from the government. \"Beijing is reluctant to impose major losses on bondholders, which would make it more expensive for many other Chinese corporates to obtain external financing,\" Mr Hirson said. Significant bankruptcies would also carry political risks. HNA hasn't commented. But speaking last year to the BBC, chief executive Adam Tan was sanguine about plans by Beijing to tighten restrictions on Chinese businesses spending money abroad. He predicted HNA would still get support from Chinese banks, and could count on international banks as well because of its large presence outside of China. It seems unlikely he will feel so secure today."}], "question": "Who might be next?", "id": "1228_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2911, "answer_end": 4133, "text": "Of all the Chinese firms facing a crackdown, Dalian Wanda has the highest profile overseas, partly because of the sort of investments it made. Run by Wang Jianlin, among the country's richest men, it grew into one of the country's most prominent property developers. And it invested overseas too, most noticeably in Hollywood - controlling the AMC cinema chain as well as Legendary Entertainment, co-producer of hit films such as Godzilla and The Dark Knight Rises. But Mr Wang, once considered a Beijing favourite, fell foul of the establishment, with lenders told to pull out their backing. And after the warnings came he was quick to offload businesses, including theme parks and hotels in one of China's biggest property deals as it focused on its core shopping mall and cinema businesses. A subsequent rejigging of the deal just added to the picture of chaos. Earlier it had pulled out of a $1bn bid for Dick Clark Productions - the owner of the Golden Globe TV and film awards - with China's clampdown on overseas investments blamed. Michael Hirson of Eurasia Group described the asset selling as \"aggressive moves\" to \"de-risk\". They were, he added, \"a painful decision for Wang but one that now looks very astute\"."}], "question": "What about Dalian Wanda?", "id": "1228_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4134, "answer_end": 4712, "text": "The other big player put on the watch list in mid-2017 was Fosun. It has investments in the English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers, leisure group Club Med, travel firm Thomas Cook and entertainments business Cirque de Soleil. And unlike the others, is still buying abroad. Just last week, it said it had completed a deal to become the majority shareholder in Lanvin, France's oldest surviving couture label. Though by its standards, the investment of about $120m is fairly small. Both Wanda and Fosun \"appear to be on more solid political ground\", according to Mr Hirson."}], "question": "Who else is in the spotlight?", "id": "1228_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4713, "answer_end": 5329, "text": "The clampdown is very much aimed at the large conglomerates buying into a huge range of sectors. Most other firms are able to keep investing. But there has been a fall from the peak years of 2015 and 2016. The number of Chinese deals in the US and Europe fell by almost 25% in 2017 from the previous year, Dealogic said. And the rhetoric against Chinese investment in the US from the Trump administration - as seen in the collapse of some major deals - means this trend is likely to continue. Just this week, Germany said it would be watching closely after Geely snapped up nearly 10% of Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler."}], "question": "What does this mean for Chinese overseas investment?", "id": "1228_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5330, "answer_end": 6557, "text": "To recap from last week, Anbang firm was known for its aggressive international acquisitions, including New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. But Chinese authorities have been cracking down on the financial industry to guard against excessive borrowing and risk. The firm's head Wu Xiaohui, who was already detained by authorities last June, is to face prosecution for \"economic crimes\". Analysts at Eurasia Group described it as \"both a takedown and a bailout\". \"Beijing's approach reveals President Xi Jinping's approach to cracking down on conglomerates - punish wrong-doing by executives while sending a reassuring message to the markets,\" said Eurasia Group's Michael Hirson. China could have nationalised Anbang instead (as, for example, happened during the UK banking crisis in 2008 with Royal Bank of Scotland). Or it might have forced its sale to another company (continuing the UK analogy, look at how HBOS was sold to Lloyds Banking Group). Instead it put it under the stewardship of China's insurance regulator for one year. This, notes Mr Hirson was a \"relatively transparent and investor-friendly\" approach, allowing the regulators to sell-off Anbang assets and bring in funds while keeping it out of state ownership."}], "question": "Why was Anbang targeted?", "id": "1228_4"}]}]}, {"title": "General election 2019: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clash over Brexit in BBC debate", "date": "6 December 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over Brexit in the final head-to-head debate before the 12 December election. During the live debate, Mr Corbyn said Labour would bring Brexit \"to an end\" by negotiating a new deal and putting it back to the public in a referendum, alongside a Remain option. Mr Johnson said he had \"a wonderful deal\", and would use it to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January. Other topics covered included the NHS, security and Northern Ireland. Early on in the debate - hosted by Today presenter Nick Robinson - the Labour leader said he would negotiate a new withdrawal agreement with the EU within three months before putting it to a final say referendum - alongside Remain - within six months. The prime minister countered by saying he already had a withdrawal agreement in place, and would use it to leave the EU next month if he won a working majority in Parliament. But Nick Robinson challenged Mr Johnson, pointing out that while he had a withdrawal deal in place, he did not have a trade deal with the EU, and so could not rule out a no-deal exit in January 2021. Coming into the event, Labour and the Conservatives had spent the day arguing over how Mr Johnson's Brexit deal might affect Northern Ireland. Labour said a leaked document showed Mr Johnson's agreement would have a \"devastating\" impact on Northern Ireland. When the subject arose in the debate, Mr Corbyn said of his rival: \"He spoke at a DUP conference and said there would be no [trade] restrictions [after Brexit] whatsoever, we now know there are restrictions.\" But Mr Johnson was met with applause from the audience when he said he found it \"slightly curious\" to be lectured about the union by Mr Corbyn, referring to the Labour leader's past support for those who want to see a united Ireland. Like Brexit, the NHS has featured heavily in the campaign so far - and Friday's debate was no different. Faith, a student nurse in the audience, asked how each leader would deal with a shortage of NHS nurses. The Conservative leader said a government run by him would \"encourage nurses overseas to come\" to the UK \"by shortening the time for their visa applications\" and by reintroducing bursaries for training. Mr Corbyn described the NHS as at \"breaking point\", adding that, under a Labour government, \"PS40bn in total would go into the NHS in order to fund it properly\". The Labour leader also repeated one of his main attack lines of the campaign - that a Tory government would allow the NHS to form part of a future trade deal with the US. However, Mr Johnson described that claim as \"Bermuda Triangle stuff\". Responding to the performances of Mr Corbyn and Mr Johnson, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: \"That was utterly woeful. Two uninspiring men, both of them unsuited to be PM.\" Meanwhile, Amelia Womack, of the Green Party, told the BBC: \"I find it frustrating, as a younger woman, that we weren't discussing things that are relevant to my generation - whether that's house prices, rental prices, freedom of movement across Europe, or even zero-hour contracts.\" Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts said the debate felt like a \"shoddy end-of-term pantomime\", and said both men displayed a \"lack of honesty\". She added that, contrary to the claims of Mr Johnson, the \"chaos\" of Brexit \"is going to go on\", even if the UK leaves the EU next month. And the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: \"Tonight's debate was British politics at its worst. Two leaders offering nothing new, nothing different and neither being honest about the pain Brexit will cause our communities.\" The prime minister and Mr Corbyn were also asked about security - an issue that has risen to prominence since the London Bridge attack on 29 November. Both candidates were asked by an audience member if they would prioritise the safety of citizens over human rights. Mr Corbyn said the choice was \"not an either/or\". He added the UK could not have security \"on the cheap\", and so Labour would \"back the police up\" with an increase in officer numbers. When it came to his turn, Mr Johnson referred to the London Bridge attack, and said it was \"extraordinary and wrong\" that the attacker was given automatic early release from prison after an earlier terrorism conviction. In a campaign where both parties have sought to repeatedly talk about their key themes, tonight did not diverge radically from the script. Boris Johnson came under pressure on the issue of trust - and whether his Brexit plan would mean checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Jeremy Corbyn was once again pressed on his failure to pick a side on Brexit - and questioned on why Europe would offer Labour a new deal when so many frontbenchers back Remain. Both men landed punches. But none of them were critical. And given that polls suggest the Conservatives are ahead in the polls - that might suit Boris Johnson more than Jeremy Corbyn. Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4916, "answer_end": 5015, "text": "Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS."}], "question": "What are Johnson and Corbyn promising you?", "id": "1229_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran nuclear deal: Powers await Rouhani announcement", "date": "7 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Iran is due to announce plans to \"diminish its commitments\" to the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, state media report, one year after US President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement. It is unclear what steps Iran will take, but it says it does not intend to completely withdraw from the pact. The landmark deal is aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief. Tensions between Iran and the US have risen since Washington quit. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is to send a letter informing the remaining parties to the deal - the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia - of Iran's decision, its state news agency Irna said. Mr Rouhani is also due to deliver a speech, outlining the details. The landmark nuclear deal agreed by Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, UK, France, China and Russia - plus Germany (the P5+1) - was thrown into flux when President Trump announced the US withdrawal one year ago. Iran's economy was subsequently hit by reinstated US sanctions on its oil and financial sectors, which has pushed the value of its currency to record lows, quadrupled its annual inflation rate and driven away foreign investment. Despite this, Iran has upheld its commitments to the deal, according to inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the body charged with monitoring Iran's nuclear activity. European backers of the deal, who oppose reinstating sanctions, have been trying to find ways to salvage it. This includes the establishment of a special payments system to help international companies who want to continue trading with Iran to bypass sanctions. But they have also warned Iran that it must continue to comply with all aspects of the deal, especially the elements relating to nuclear activity. However, under the deal - known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - Iran stated that it would treat any reintroduction of sanctions \"as grounds to cease performing its commitments... in whole or in part\". Tensions between the US and Iran can be traced back to Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the pro-Western Shah and established a radical anti-US regime in its place. President Trump has taken a particularly hard line towards Iran since he took office in 2016. His administration wants to renegotiate the nuclear deal and widen its scope so that it also curbs Iran's ballistic missile programme and \"malign\" activities in the Middle East. The US has recently raised the pressure on Iran, with two significant moves in April: - It ended exemptions from sanctions for five of Iran's main customers still buying oil, including China, India and Turkey - It blacklisted Iran's elite Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, designating it a foreign terrorist group And earlier this week, National Security Adviser John Bolton said the US was deploying an aircraft carrier to the Middle East following a number of \"troubling and escalatory indications and warnings\" from Iran. In response to the US ending the sanctions waivers, Iran repeated threats to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for the world's oil exports. However, it has not done so before and experts see this move as unlikely.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 720, "answer_end": 2022, "text": "The landmark nuclear deal agreed by Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, UK, France, China and Russia - plus Germany (the P5+1) - was thrown into flux when President Trump announced the US withdrawal one year ago. Iran's economy was subsequently hit by reinstated US sanctions on its oil and financial sectors, which has pushed the value of its currency to record lows, quadrupled its annual inflation rate and driven away foreign investment. Despite this, Iran has upheld its commitments to the deal, according to inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the body charged with monitoring Iran's nuclear activity. European backers of the deal, who oppose reinstating sanctions, have been trying to find ways to salvage it. This includes the establishment of a special payments system to help international companies who want to continue trading with Iran to bypass sanctions. But they have also warned Iran that it must continue to comply with all aspects of the deal, especially the elements relating to nuclear activity. However, under the deal - known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - Iran stated that it would treat any reintroduction of sanctions \"as grounds to cease performing its commitments... in whole or in part\"."}], "question": "Why is the nuclear deal in crisis?", "id": "1230_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2023, "answer_end": 3239, "text": "Tensions between the US and Iran can be traced back to Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the pro-Western Shah and established a radical anti-US regime in its place. President Trump has taken a particularly hard line towards Iran since he took office in 2016. His administration wants to renegotiate the nuclear deal and widen its scope so that it also curbs Iran's ballistic missile programme and \"malign\" activities in the Middle East. The US has recently raised the pressure on Iran, with two significant moves in April: - It ended exemptions from sanctions for five of Iran's main customers still buying oil, including China, India and Turkey - It blacklisted Iran's elite Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, designating it a foreign terrorist group And earlier this week, National Security Adviser John Bolton said the US was deploying an aircraft carrier to the Middle East following a number of \"troubling and escalatory indications and warnings\" from Iran. In response to the US ending the sanctions waivers, Iran repeated threats to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for the world's oil exports. However, it has not done so before and experts see this move as unlikely."}], "question": "Why is there such hostility between the US and Iran?", "id": "1230_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Storm Ciara kills at least seven in Europe", "date": "11 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "At least seven people have died across Europe as Storm Ciara moves east, shutting down transport and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. High winds in Poland ripped the roof off a ski rental shop, killing a woman and her two daughters. Their father was injured. One man died after his boat capsized in southern Sweden. One other person on board remains missing. Two people were killed in their cars - one in Germany and one in Slovenia. A 58-year-old British man was killed on Sunday after a tree fell on his car. France's Mediterranean island of Corsica recorded winds of more than 220km/h (137mph) on Monday night, as heavy rains, powerful winds and flooding spread across the continent. Authorities there said the winds fuelled a fire in the north of the island. Corsican ports and flights remained disrupted on Tuesday. Wind speeds of up to 200km/h were also recorded in northern Italy. A woman of 71 was killed when she was hit by debris from a roof in Traona in the Lombardy region. Storm Ciara - also known as Storm Sabine in parts of Europe - has caused extensive damage. After first sweeping across Ireland and the UK on Sunday, the storm thrashed the north coast of mainland Europe. Transport shut down and schools were forced to close across Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Dutch authorities reported traffic jams of more than 720km (448 miles) across the country on Monday, and there was still some flight disruption on Tuesday after airlines cancelled hundreds of journeys. In Germany, a crane smashed into Frankfurt Cathedral, damaging parts of the roof. Hamburg's fish market remained flooded on Tuesday after a storm surge reportedly forced the tide 2.7 metres (9 feet) above the norm. High winds caused major problems across the continent. The Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden was closed for several hours on Monday while winds in the Czech Republic reached 180km/h (111mph). Police in the country said the storm was probably to blame for a car accident which killed a man. However, the powerful gusts did bring one unexpected benefit in Germany. Wind turbines there produced a record amount of electricity, reportedly equivalent to 44 nuclear power plants.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 998, "answer_end": 2210, "text": "Storm Ciara - also known as Storm Sabine in parts of Europe - has caused extensive damage. After first sweeping across Ireland and the UK on Sunday, the storm thrashed the north coast of mainland Europe. Transport shut down and schools were forced to close across Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Dutch authorities reported traffic jams of more than 720km (448 miles) across the country on Monday, and there was still some flight disruption on Tuesday after airlines cancelled hundreds of journeys. In Germany, a crane smashed into Frankfurt Cathedral, damaging parts of the roof. Hamburg's fish market remained flooded on Tuesday after a storm surge reportedly forced the tide 2.7 metres (9 feet) above the norm. High winds caused major problems across the continent. The Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden was closed for several hours on Monday while winds in the Czech Republic reached 180km/h (111mph). Police in the country said the storm was probably to blame for a car accident which killed a man. However, the powerful gusts did bring one unexpected benefit in Germany. Wind turbines there produced a record amount of electricity, reportedly equivalent to 44 nuclear power plants."}], "question": "Where was affected?", "id": "1231_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Brexit relationship: EU reveals clues ahead of talks with UK", "date": "17 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "They say an army marches on its stomach. The European Union does it with slides. The EU negotiating team is gearing up for talks with the UK about the post-Brexit relationship by holding a series of seminars for diplomats from the 27 member states. The presentations are being published online. Stuffed with jargon and seriously lacking in inspirational clipart, they provide important clues about how things might play out. Remember the Political Declaration? Known in Brussels as \"the PD\", it's the 26-page sketch of the future relationship agreed alongside the 600-page Withdrawal Agreement, which settled the terms of the UK's departure. The Political Declaration is often seen as a lesser document because it isn't legally binding, or as a sweetener to make the divorce terms more palatable. It's clear that the EU takes the document as gospel because it's quoted at length in the slides. At length. Like it's the law. EU officials are alert for signs that the UK might be softening on commitments made in the PD. It's also a handy tool for keeping EU member states in line. For example, some have asked for other things to be added, to be told it's now too late. So it's worth re-reading. One of the sessions for diplomats was about the centrepiece of the new relationship with the UK - the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This presentation was full of the EU's usual catch-phrases about this stuff: being out can't be as good as being in, there's no way to replicate membership of the single market without the free movement of people, etc etc. In the Theresa May era, this would read like a comprehensive rejection by Brussels of requests made by the UK. It doesn't feel that way, now that there's a new British government which is relaxed about a looser economic relationship and can live with some friction in its trade with the EU. But the EU thinks the UK still has to be reminded about what it can and can't get. And the message on financial services in the slides is unambiguous: \"not subject to negotiation.\" That's because both sides will use existing ways of monitoring each other's regulations rather than inventing new ones. Get used to another acronym - the LPF, or Level Playing Field. This is a series of measures to manage economic competition with the UK, which the EU says is necessary to reduce the risk of it being undercut by British firms that benefit from the new free trade agreement. The EU intends that the level playing field will cover taxation, labour relations and environmental policies, and government support for companies, known as \"state aid.\" The main tool will be a promise not to fall below current shared standards known as the non-regression clause. But the EU has introduced an extra concept via the slides - \"non-lowering\". At first this sounds the same as non-regression but it means that if one party raises standards then there's a possibility they may never be allowed to be lowered again. This goes beyond merely maintaining existing standards. And the EU wants the UK to stay in lock-step with European policies on the environment and state aid as they develop. It's described in the presentations to diplomats as an \"ambition to improve over time\", but in negotiating parlance is called \"dynamic alignment\". This is a massive no-no for the British government and will likely cause a big row. The EU negotiators think this will all have to be managed and they place great importance on an \"overarching governance framework\", part of which would be a joint committee of ministers and officials. According to the slides, one of its big tasks would be deciding how to apply new EU laws or initiatives that didn't exist when the deal was negotiated. Another would be working out what to do when one side or the other diverged from where things started. At the same time, the EU would develop its own tools to retaliate quickly if the UK did something deemed unacceptable. This is at the heart of the deal the EU agreed with Switzerland (but which hasn't been approved yet) and my hunch is it'll be at the heart of what's negotiated with the UK. And finally, who could forget what access the EU will get to UK waters to catch fish, and British access to the EU market to sell it, billed as the biggest flashpoint? The slides reiterate that a deal on trade is contingent on a deal on fish. What's not clear is how the two will be linked - either in the negotiation process or in the final agreements. The EU says it will look at \"socio-economic\" factors - the real-world effect on fishing communities. That might be surprising if you think this should be a purely technical, environmental matter, but it reflects the importance of the sector in the European psyche. Another key phrase is \"relative stability\". This is code for agreeing the broad outlines of how many fish can be caught over a long period of time, maybe decades. It means there might not be much to decide in annual fishing negotiations between the UK and the EU. There are more presentations and a lot of details still to come. They might seem dull but today's slides are tomorrow's big news stories.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1195, "answer_end": 2139, "text": "One of the sessions for diplomats was about the centrepiece of the new relationship with the UK - the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This presentation was full of the EU's usual catch-phrases about this stuff: being out can't be as good as being in, there's no way to replicate membership of the single market without the free movement of people, etc etc. In the Theresa May era, this would read like a comprehensive rejection by Brussels of requests made by the UK. It doesn't feel that way, now that there's a new British government which is relaxed about a looser economic relationship and can live with some friction in its trade with the EU. But the EU thinks the UK still has to be reminded about what it can and can't get. And the message on financial services in the slides is unambiguous: \"not subject to negotiation.\" That's because both sides will use existing ways of monitoring each other's regulations rather than inventing new ones."}], "question": "FTA, you say?", "id": "1232_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Israel election: Netanyahu and rival headed for deadlock", "date": "18 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Unofficial results in Israel's second election in five months suggest it is too close to call, Israeli media say. Incumbent PM Benjamin Netanyahu's party and that of his main challenger, Benny Gantz, are neck and neck with 32 seats each, the Kan public broadcaster says. A prime minister needs to command a 61-seat majority in parliament. The smaller Yisrael Beiteinu party appears to hold the balance of power. Official partial results are expected on Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has been in office for 10 years and is vying to win a record fifth term in office. The 69-year-old, who leads the right-wing Likud party, has pledged to annex Jewish settlements and a swathe of other territory in the occupied West Bank if he is returned to power. Palestinians, who seek a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with its capital in occupied East Jerusalem, have warned such a move will kill any hopes for peace. Mr Gantz, who leads the centrist Blue and White party, has not advocated any form of annexation though his position on the creation of a Palestinian state is unclear. Like Mr Netanyahu, he has ruled out ever dividing Jerusalem, which Israel considers its capital. On Wednesday morning, Yisrael Beiteinu's leader Avigdor Lieberman, reiterated that he would only support a government comprising both Likud and Blue and White. However, Blue and White has ruled out sitting with Mr Netanyahu in a coalition. Official results have been slow to be released, with only 30% of votes counted by 09:15 (06:15 GMT). They put Likud slightly ahead of Blue and White, with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party third and Yisrael Beiteinu fourth, but without indicating how this translates into seats in the Knesset (parliament). According to the Times of Israel, Kan is reporting unofficial results based on what it says is 96.9% of votes counted. It puts Likud and Blue and White both on 32 seats; the Israeli Arab Joint List second on 12 seats; Yisrael Beiteinu on nine; the ultra-Orthodox parties on 17 between them; the right-wing Yamina alliance on seven; Labour-Gesher on 6 and the centre-left Democratic Camp on 5. Based on these reported results, neither Mr Netanyahu nor Mr Gantz can form a majority coalition without support from Yisrael Beiteinu. Exit polls earlier presented a similar picture. Analysis by Tom Bateman, BBC Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem The prime minister is well short of being able to form a governing bloc of right-wing and religious parties that are prepared to sit with him. In fact the result leaves him in an even weaker position than he was after April's vote. It's almost impossible to predict the outcome, with frenetic horse trading on the way, even the chance of parties fragmenting or politicians shifting allegiances. But as it stands three broad themes seem among the possibilities: - A dominant new governing bloc of the two big rival parties: Likud with Blue and White. This only seems possible without Mr Netanyahu as Likud leader. Needless to say that's a deal breaker for him and so far at least, for his party - Mr Netanyahu's political rival Avigdor Lieberman miraculously changes his mind and agrees to join a right-wing and religious Netanyahu government - something his voters understood would never happen - A third election - which nobody here has an appetite for. In the meantime, Mr Netanyahu stays on, but watch this space. For a few weeks. There was a muted response at Likud's election night headquarters in Tel Aviv. Hundreds of chairs for party supporters remained empty, as activists were kept outside the hall and leaders digested the numbers. Likud's foreign affairs director noted that Israeli exit polls had got things wrong in the past. Last time, they underestimated the number of votes for Likud and also for some of the religious parties allied to Mr Netanyahu. \"There is no point starting to work out a coalition based on these numbers as they will change,\" Eli Hazan said. But Blue and White was \"cautiously optimistic\" that Israel would get new leadership, spokeswoman Melody Sucharewicz told the Times of Israel. The BBC's Tom Bateman says that if the projections are correct Mr Netanyahu has no simple route to government. In fact, the figures put him in an even weaker position than after April's election, when coalition talks collapsed, he adds. Mr Lieberman prevented Mr Netanyahu from forming a coalition after that vote because he refused to back down over a longstanding dispute with religious parties over exempting ultra-Orthodox young men from military service. Mr Gantz could have an even more complex job to form a government, because of differences between left-wing parties.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4120, "answer_end": 4696, "text": "The BBC's Tom Bateman says that if the projections are correct Mr Netanyahu has no simple route to government. In fact, the figures put him in an even weaker position than after April's election, when coalition talks collapsed, he adds. Mr Lieberman prevented Mr Netanyahu from forming a coalition after that vote because he refused to back down over a longstanding dispute with religious parties over exempting ultra-Orthodox young men from military service. Mr Gantz could have an even more complex job to form a government, because of differences between left-wing parties."}], "question": "What could happen next?", "id": "1233_0"}]}]}, {"title": "North Korea 'tests new high-tech weapon'", "date": "16 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised the successful test of a new \"high-tech\" tactical weapon, state-run media say. The KCNA news agency gave no details on the type of the weapon, saying only it had been developed over a long period. This is North Korea's first official report of a weapons test in a year. In a summit in June Mr Kim and US President Donald Trump agreed the Korean peninsula should denuclearise, but a detailed plan was never set out. North Korean state media have provided no details as to what kind of weapon this was, but it comes shortly after a report based on satellite imagery identified the extent of North's complex network of missile bases around the country. South Korea says it is in the process of analysing what the weapon is, but many have pointed out that the North made no commitment to halt any weapons development or shut down its missile bases. Responding to the inspection, a US State Department spokesman said the US \"remained confident that the promises made by President Trump and Chairman Kim will be fulfilled\". \"Kim Jong-un inspected the testing of a newly developed high-tech tactical weapon at the Academy of National Defence Science,\" the KCNA reported. \"The testing of the high-tech tactical weapon has been carried out successfully.\" The news agency added that Mr Kim expressed \"great satisfaction\" over the \"state-of-the-art\" weapon that \"builds impregnable defences of our country and strengthens the fighting power of our people's army\". Meanwhile, South Korea's unification ministry said it was Mr Kim's first known inspection of a testing site since he was present at the launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental missile in November 2017. The ministry said it believed this time Mr Kim was supervising the test of a traditional weapon because the term \"strategic weapon\" was not used by the KCNA. Yes and no. At the Singapore summit in June, both Mr Trump and Mr Kim agreed to work towards denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula. But the agreement did not include any timeline, details or mechanisms to verify the process. Both countries have also never agreed on the goalposts of \"denuclearisation\". Pyongyang has been clear from the start that it would not unilaterally disarm. But the US has also made it clear that there will be no sanctions relief until \"complete denuclearisation\". Talks appear to have stalled since then, and discussions aimed at setting up a second summit between both leaders failed to materialise. Last week Mr Kim's aide, Kim Yong-chol, was supposed to travel to New York and meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But the BBC understands that the meeting was cancelled after the State Department discovered that the North Koreans did not get on the plane as planned. However, the US still maintains that another summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump will take place early next year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1065, "answer_end": 1861, "text": "\"Kim Jong-un inspected the testing of a newly developed high-tech tactical weapon at the Academy of National Defence Science,\" the KCNA reported. \"The testing of the high-tech tactical weapon has been carried out successfully.\" The news agency added that Mr Kim expressed \"great satisfaction\" over the \"state-of-the-art\" weapon that \"builds impregnable defences of our country and strengthens the fighting power of our people's army\". Meanwhile, South Korea's unification ministry said it was Mr Kim's first known inspection of a testing site since he was present at the launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental missile in November 2017. The ministry said it believed this time Mr Kim was supervising the test of a traditional weapon because the term \"strategic weapon\" was not used by the KCNA."}], "question": "What did the North's media say?", "id": "1234_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1862, "answer_end": 2885, "text": "Yes and no. At the Singapore summit in June, both Mr Trump and Mr Kim agreed to work towards denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula. But the agreement did not include any timeline, details or mechanisms to verify the process. Both countries have also never agreed on the goalposts of \"denuclearisation\". Pyongyang has been clear from the start that it would not unilaterally disarm. But the US has also made it clear that there will be no sanctions relief until \"complete denuclearisation\". Talks appear to have stalled since then, and discussions aimed at setting up a second summit between both leaders failed to materialise. Last week Mr Kim's aide, Kim Yong-chol, was supposed to travel to New York and meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But the BBC understands that the meeting was cancelled after the State Department discovered that the North Koreans did not get on the plane as planned. However, the US still maintains that another summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump will take place early next year."}], "question": "Didn't North Korea say they would denuclearise?", "id": "1234_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Beyonce twins: Sir Carter and Rumi pictured for first time", "date": "14 July 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Beyonce has shared the first picture of herself with her twins to celebrate them turning one month old. The US singer also confirmed they are called Sir Carter and Rumi - which had been rumoured after she and husband Jay-Z filed a trademark for the names. The picture showed the 35-year-old mother-of-three and the twins draped in a purple floral sheet, while she wore a blue veil. It clocked up more than two million likes on Instagram in an hour. Beyonce wrote: \"Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today\", with a string of emojis of prayer hands and a woman, man, little girl and two babies. As well as the twins, Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z are also parents to five-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy. The style of the image, in which Beyonce stands in a garden barefoot in front of a floral archway, echoes the photoshoot she used to announce her pregnancy on the network. That post, in February, became the most-liked in the history of Instagram. Jay-Z's real name is of course Shawn Carter. Beyonce wrote that their babies' names are \"Sir Carter and Rumi\". So is Sir Carter actually Sir Carter Carter? Or does Rumi just have one name? Beyonce's mum Tina cleared things up a little, posting a message saying: \"hello Sir Carter and Rumi Carter\" and also confirmed their genders: \"Boy and girl what a blessing.\" Beyonce and Jay-Z aren't the first couple to choose some sort of grandiose honorific as a forename - Kim and Kanye have little Saint, Michael Jackson's eldest son is Prince, and Jackson's brother Jermaine named a son, er, Jermajesty. Rumi, meanwhile, is a popular Japanese girl's name but some people have suggested Rumi may be named after the 13th Century Persian poet. The world had been eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of the babies ever since American media reported the Lemonade singer had given birth last month. But neither she nor Jay-Z had confirmed any details of the twins until now. Her father Mathew Knowles had tweeted on 18 June, saying: \"They're here!\" and \"Happy birthday to the twins\" - but the timing of Beyonce's post suggest they were actually born on 13 June. It's no surprise that fans were quick to share their thoughts on the picture. BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo wrote on Twitter: \"Soooo extra and I LOVE it.\" But dad Lee Simpson reacted to the picture by tweeting: \"Our 1st photo was in Jessops with me in the background eating a packet of quavers.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 935, "answer_end": 1668, "text": "Jay-Z's real name is of course Shawn Carter. Beyonce wrote that their babies' names are \"Sir Carter and Rumi\". So is Sir Carter actually Sir Carter Carter? Or does Rumi just have one name? Beyonce's mum Tina cleared things up a little, posting a message saying: \"hello Sir Carter and Rumi Carter\" and also confirmed their genders: \"Boy and girl what a blessing.\" Beyonce and Jay-Z aren't the first couple to choose some sort of grandiose honorific as a forename - Kim and Kanye have little Saint, Michael Jackson's eldest son is Prince, and Jackson's brother Jermaine named a son, er, Jermajesty. Rumi, meanwhile, is a popular Japanese girl's name but some people have suggested Rumi may be named after the 13th Century Persian poet."}], "question": "What's in a name?", "id": "1235_0"}]}]}, {"title": "The mothers who regret having children", "date": "3 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Most parents will acknowledge that children are hard work, but are likely to say the rewards outweigh the challenges. To feel differently is almost unspeakable, but there are women who regret having children. Three women tell the Victoria Derbyshire programme what it is like to secretly wish they had not become mothers. \"If I could turn the clock back I would not have had children,\" says Rachel who is now in her 50s. She has three children - her youngest is 17 - and for most of this time she has been a single mother, which is when the reality hit her. \"There were times where I didn't feel mature enough to be responsible for somebody, this little person that needed me for their existence,\" she says. \"It just felt like an endless round of putting a bottle or food in their mouth for it to come out of the other end - and at what point was any of this going to be fun? \"I just felt like screaming that actually it's not all it's cracked up to be. If you're really maternal then that's great you've got everything you've wanted, but when you're not maternal all you've done is trap yourself.\" Rachel admits that she did not think hard enough about how having children would affect her life - had she realised, she wouldn't have had them. \"But I feel guilty for saying that, because I love my children dearly,\" she says. \"You feel like you've not been a good mum and it's a guilt you always carry, it never goes away and you wonder if they know. \"But life shouldn't be about giving up your life, your freedom, so they can have a life.\" This is tough for her to admit, because \"people assume that you're not a nice person\". Rachel is desperate for women who feel the same way not to be vilified. \"I felt so alone. I felt like there was something wrong with me. Had I been able to talk about it and somebody understood, I may have found it easier actually to cope with motherhood.\" Watch the full film here. \"I just saw the happy little family with the house and the garden, and children trotting off to school - the fairy tale,\" she says. Alison is adopted, and growing up she always dreamed of having a family of her own. It wasn't until she had her first son that she discovered she wasn't maternal. Desperate to get out of the house, and escape her new role, she went back to work after six months. \"I would take days off and leave him at the childminder so that I would have a day to myself,\" she says. \"It's not that I didn't want to spend time with him, but I didn't know what to do, I wasn't good at making up games.\" Not wanting their son to be an only child, Alison and her husband had another. Both boys are now at university. She admits that if she had known what she knows now, she would never have become a mother. \"Everybody else's needs and wants came first. The mantra for the last two decades has been 'if everybody else is happy then I'm happy,' which is a bit galling sometimes,\" she explains. \"I could have had a better career. I did the school run for 15 years, that is very limiting on a career.\" Alison is keen to stress how much she loves her children but admits that in hindsight she was too selfish to have them. \"I begrudged their intrusion on my time\". She says women don't talk about this for fear of being judged. \"They don't want to be seen as being selfish. The implication is if you didn't want children then you're a bad mother.\" It is impossible to know how many women feel this way because so few speak openly about it. But in a 2016 German survey by YouGov, 8% of 1,200 participants said they regretted becoming parents. In 2015 an Israeli sociologist Orna Donath published a study with women who all said they regretted having children. She described \"the wish to undo motherhood\" as an \"unexplored maternal experience\". Women who admit having regrets are adamant that this is different to post-natal depression. For Joy, who had her daughter 20 years ago, the realisation that she didn't want to be a mother came early. \"Everyone speaks of having this child handed to them, and this wild fabulous love that courses through them. I didn't get any of that. It just looked like a huge responsibility,\" she says. She struggles to look back on the early years of her daughter's life with any fondness. \"It was tough, it was a day-to-day grind of getting through. \"All mums I guess go through this, it's just that I wasn't finding anything I could say that I was thoroughly enjoying. It was bleak\". Joy believes she is missing the maternal nature that means other mothers enjoy their children. \"I wondered for a long while if [the other mums] were actually kidding that this was as wonderful as they would paint it or portray it, and actually one day they would come out and be honest with me,\" she says. \"I didn't seem to have a capacity to be that lovely kind, warm, cuddly sort of mum. \"I wanted to be back at work. I wanted to continue with my career, the business that I was building, and this was just a great big added extra.\" Growing up, Joy's daughter doubted her mother's love \"because I wasn't society's norm,\" says Joy. \"I do love her,\" she insists, \"but the bond isn't gooey\". Joy says if more women were open with how they felt there would be less pressure on women to become mothers. \"There are more of us than we ever speak about. \"What would be really great is if women could become deeply honest with themselves and if having kids and having a family is really important then go for it with all your heart. \"But if you have a sensation in you that says 'I'm really not getting this' then don't have any fear or shame about being able to stand up and say, 'I'm somebody that doesn't want to be a mum, I don't want kids'.\" All names have been changed. Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3368, "answer_end": 3854, "text": "It is impossible to know how many women feel this way because so few speak openly about it. But in a 2016 German survey by YouGov, 8% of 1,200 participants said they regretted becoming parents. In 2015 an Israeli sociologist Orna Donath published a study with women who all said they regretted having children. She described \"the wish to undo motherhood\" as an \"unexplored maternal experience\". Women who admit having regrets are adamant that this is different to post-natal depression."}], "question": "How common is this?", "id": "1236_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Belgium climate protests: Children skip school to demonstrate", "date": "31 January 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "For a fourth week, tens of thousands of children have skipped school in Belgium to join protests demanding tougher action against climate change. Ahead of the marches in Brussels, Liege and Leuven, dozens of children protested outside the home of Belgium's environment minister. New impetus came in an open letter from 3,450 Belgian scientists saying \"the activists are absolutely right\". Youth demonstrations have also taken place in Germany and Switzerland. More than 30,000 students and others turned out in three Belgian cities, slightly down on last week. The biggest number, according to police, was in the eastern city of Liege (Luik in Dutch) where 15,000 people marched to the city hall. Protesters clapped and chanted \"to arms\" and \"everyone together\", said local journalist Benjamin Hermann. Another 12,500 children turned out in Brussels and a further 3,500 in Leuven (Louvain in French). In Brussels primary and secondary schoolchildren were marching through the city centre from north to south, and they were joined by groups of grandparents. Isidore Vlassenroot, 12, at school in Ghent: \"I am marching because I believe we should make our voice heard as young people. It is very special to be part of such a huge crowd. We all have the same goal: a better planet. So many children wanting a better planet is something very unique. We have four ministers and no climate policy, which is very sad.\" Koen Vlassenroot, Isidore's father: \"This is a unique moment in Belgian history and I'm glad my son is part of it. We as parents have the moral duty to support them; they show the courage our generation lacked, and now stand up to protect their future and demand [politicians] act more responsibly. I agree that he is missing school, but being part of such a movement is very educational. I want my son to be conscious about challenges such as climate change.\" Luka De Wever, 17, sister of protest organiser Anuna De Wever: \"All over the country, people are gathering to march and get the attention of the politicians to change their policy. I am very proud of what my sister has done together with Kyra [Gantois, another protest organiser], Greta [Thunberg, Swedish climate-change protester] and many others. Either we act now or there will be no more time to. I believe we will be able to make a difference, not only in Belgium, but all over the world.\" Students have also been mobilising on Fridays in Germany and Switzerland, under the hashtag #FridaysForFuture At the weekend, tens of thousands of adult protesters marched in cities across France as well as Belgium with the aim of holding monthly events. But each country has different issues. Germany has committed itself to phasing out nuclear power by 2022, and at the weekend its coal commission recommended shutting down all coal-fired power stations by 2038. Belgium has ageing nuclear power stations at two sites near Antwerp and Liege and has increased its reliance on imported energy. In their open letter, the Belgian scientists said they wanted to provide facts, accusing opponents of disrupting the debate. Leading Flemish politician Bart De Wever reacted to last Thursday's march in Brussels which attracted 35,000 people, urging children \"not to believe in the apocalypse\" but to have \"confidence in the future and in the power of innovation\". The scientists said that technology to cut carbon dioxide emissions already existed but there was a need for political courage to take the necessary structural measures. The young activists want world leaders and corporate bosses to stick to the ambitious goals agreed in Paris in 2015. The school strikes were the brainchild of 16-year-old climate-change protester Greta Thunberg, who attracted widespread coverage for an appearance at the World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland last week. \"My message was that most emissions are caused by a few people, the very rich people, who are here in Davos,\" she told the BBC.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1057, "answer_end": 2367, "text": "Isidore Vlassenroot, 12, at school in Ghent: \"I am marching because I believe we should make our voice heard as young people. It is very special to be part of such a huge crowd. We all have the same goal: a better planet. So many children wanting a better planet is something very unique. We have four ministers and no climate policy, which is very sad.\" Koen Vlassenroot, Isidore's father: \"This is a unique moment in Belgian history and I'm glad my son is part of it. We as parents have the moral duty to support them; they show the courage our generation lacked, and now stand up to protect their future and demand [politicians] act more responsibly. I agree that he is missing school, but being part of such a movement is very educational. I want my son to be conscious about challenges such as climate change.\" Luka De Wever, 17, sister of protest organiser Anuna De Wever: \"All over the country, people are gathering to march and get the attention of the politicians to change their policy. I am very proud of what my sister has done together with Kyra [Gantois, another protest organiser], Greta [Thunberg, Swedish climate-change protester] and many others. Either we act now or there will be no more time to. I believe we will be able to make a difference, not only in Belgium, but all over the world.\""}], "question": "Why are young people marching in Belgium?", "id": "1237_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Immune discovery 'may treat all cancer'", "date": "20 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A newly-discovered part of our immune system could be harnessed to treat all cancers, say scientists. The Cardiff University team discovered a method of killing prostate, breast, lung and other cancers in lab tests. The findings, published in Nature Immunology, have not been tested in patients, but the researchers say they have \"enormous potential\". Experts said that although the work was still at an early stage, it was very exciting. Our immune system is our body's natural defence against infection, but it also attacks cancerous cells. The scientists were looking for \"unconventional\" and previously undiscovered ways the immune system naturally attacks tumours. What they found was a T-cell inside people's blood. This is an immune cell that can scan the body to assess whether there is a threat that needs to be eliminated. The difference is this one could attack a wide range of cancers. \"There's a chance here to treat every patient,\" researcher Prof Andrew Sewell told the BBC. He added: \"Previously nobody believed this could be possible. \"It raises the prospect of a 'one-size-fits-all' cancer treatment, a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population.\" T-cells have \"receptors\" on their surface that allow them to \"see\" at a chemical level. The Cardiff team discovered a T-cell and its receptor that could find and kill a wide range of cancerous cells in the lab including lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer cells. Crucially, it left normal tissues untouched. Exactly how it does this is still being explored. This particular T-cell receptor interacts with a molecule called MR1, which is on the surface of every cell in the human body. It is thought MR1 is flagging the distorted metabolism going on inside a cancerous cell to the immune system. \"We are the first to describe a T-cell that finds MR1 in cancer cells - that hasn't been done before, this is the first of its kind,\" research fellow Garry Dolton told the BBC. T-cell cancer therapies already exist and the development of cancer immunotherapy has been one of the most exciting advances in the field. The most famous example is CAR-T - a living drug made by genetically engineering a patient's T-cells to seek out and destroy cancer. CAR-T can have dramatic results that transform some patients from being terminally ill to being in complete remission. However, the approach is highly specific and works in only a limited number of cancers where there is a clear target to train the T-cells to spot. And it has struggled to have any success in \"solid cancers\" - those that form tumours rather than blood cancers such as leukaemia. The researchers say their T-cell receptor could lead to a \"universal\" cancer treatment. The idea is that a blood sample would be taken from a cancer patient. Their T-cells would be extracted and then genetically modified so they were reprogrammed to make the cancer-finding receptor. The upgraded cells would be grown in vast quantities in the laboratory and then put back into the patient. It is the same process used to make CAR-T therapies. However, the research has been tested only in animals and on cells in the laboratory, and more safety checks would be needed before human trials could start. Lucia Mori and Gennaro De Libero, from University of Basel in Switzerland, said the research had \"great potential\" but was at too early a stage to say it would work in all cancers. \"We are very excited about the immunological functions of this new T-cell population and the potential use of their TCRs in tumour cell therapy,\" they said. Daniel Davis, a professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, said: \"At the moment, this is very basic research and not close to actual medicines for patients. \"There is no question that it's a very exciting discovery, both for advancing our basic knowledge about the immune system and for the possibility of future new medicines.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 439, "answer_end": 1234, "text": "Our immune system is our body's natural defence against infection, but it also attacks cancerous cells. The scientists were looking for \"unconventional\" and previously undiscovered ways the immune system naturally attacks tumours. What they found was a T-cell inside people's blood. This is an immune cell that can scan the body to assess whether there is a threat that needs to be eliminated. The difference is this one could attack a wide range of cancers. \"There's a chance here to treat every patient,\" researcher Prof Andrew Sewell told the BBC. He added: \"Previously nobody believed this could be possible. \"It raises the prospect of a 'one-size-fits-all' cancer treatment, a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population.\""}], "question": "What have they found?", "id": "1238_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1235, "answer_end": 2056, "text": "T-cells have \"receptors\" on their surface that allow them to \"see\" at a chemical level. The Cardiff team discovered a T-cell and its receptor that could find and kill a wide range of cancerous cells in the lab including lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer cells. Crucially, it left normal tissues untouched. Exactly how it does this is still being explored. This particular T-cell receptor interacts with a molecule called MR1, which is on the surface of every cell in the human body. It is thought MR1 is flagging the distorted metabolism going on inside a cancerous cell to the immune system. \"We are the first to describe a T-cell that finds MR1 in cancer cells - that hasn't been done before, this is the first of its kind,\" research fellow Garry Dolton told the BBC."}], "question": "How does it work?", "id": "1238_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2057, "answer_end": 2813, "text": "T-cell cancer therapies already exist and the development of cancer immunotherapy has been one of the most exciting advances in the field. The most famous example is CAR-T - a living drug made by genetically engineering a patient's T-cells to seek out and destroy cancer. CAR-T can have dramatic results that transform some patients from being terminally ill to being in complete remission. However, the approach is highly specific and works in only a limited number of cancers where there is a clear target to train the T-cells to spot. And it has struggled to have any success in \"solid cancers\" - those that form tumours rather than blood cancers such as leukaemia. The researchers say their T-cell receptor could lead to a \"universal\" cancer treatment."}], "question": "Why is this significant?", "id": "1238_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2814, "answer_end": 3327, "text": "The idea is that a blood sample would be taken from a cancer patient. Their T-cells would be extracted and then genetically modified so they were reprogrammed to make the cancer-finding receptor. The upgraded cells would be grown in vast quantities in the laboratory and then put back into the patient. It is the same process used to make CAR-T therapies. However, the research has been tested only in animals and on cells in the laboratory, and more safety checks would be needed before human trials could start."}], "question": "So how would it work in practice?", "id": "1238_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3328, "answer_end": 4033, "text": "Lucia Mori and Gennaro De Libero, from University of Basel in Switzerland, said the research had \"great potential\" but was at too early a stage to say it would work in all cancers. \"We are very excited about the immunological functions of this new T-cell population and the potential use of their TCRs in tumour cell therapy,\" they said. Daniel Davis, a professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, said: \"At the moment, this is very basic research and not close to actual medicines for patients. \"There is no question that it's a very exciting discovery, both for advancing our basic knowledge about the immune system and for the possibility of future new medicines.\" Follow James on Twitter."}], "question": "What do the experts say?", "id": "1238_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Does China's government hack US companies to steal secrets?", "date": "23 September 2015", "paragraphs": [{"context": "This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his first official visit to the US. It takes place against a background of accusations flung by both the US and China over state-backed hacking. On Monday this week, a US national security adviser warned China that the hacking must stop and said it put an \"enormous strain\" on the relationship between the two nations. It has denied everything. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Xi said: \"The Chinese government does not engage in theft of commercial secrets in any form, nor does it encourage or support Chinese companies to engage in such practices in any way.\" He went on to say that cyber-theft of industrial secrets was a crime as were hack attacks against government networks. Both should be punished according to \"law and relevant international conventions\". The president's comments echo many others made by Chinese state spokespeople over the years who regularly dispute the accusations levelled at them. Not to Kevin Mandia, boss of security firm FireEye, who has spent 20 years helping the US government and its contractors clear up after data breaches and work out who did them. \"It's them and we know it's them,\" he said bluntly, when asked if China hacked Western firms. He based his conclusion on 20 years of investigations that have catalogued thousands of attacks - 226 in 2014 alone. Forensic analysis of these has, he said, led FireEye to conclude that the Chinese state is behind them. The company has evidence about net addresses, net domains, attack techniques, tools and character sets used in the attacks. It has built up a log of 15-20 separate telltale signs that identify each of the military groups in China behind the breaches and intrusions. And, he said, the attacks are not random. They are well-organised campaigns that go after specific industries seeking specific data. Mr Mandia acknowledges that without being in Beijing watching the hackers at work, pinning the attacks on the Chinese state is hard. But, he said, the weight of evidence very heavily suggests China is behind the attacks. That, or a separate power has managed to infiltrate the Chinese military and has been using it as a proxy for two decades. Perhaps because the language he used is very carefully chosen. He said the Chinese government does not engage in hacking. It could be argued that the military is separate from the government so the statement is, technically, true. Economics, said Mr Mandia. The financial benefits of doing business in China usually far outweigh the cost of your R&D team being spied on or all your legal papers being read. China is a massive market for many US firms. For instance, more smartphones are sold there than anywhere else and more than 50% of all the jets Boeing makes are operating in China. Kicking up a stink about hack attacks and data going astray could jeopardise this cash flow, said Mr Mandia. It might, he said. At the moment many Western nations lead the way in technical innovation making them a target for nations keen to catch up by stealing secrets. If that balance shifts, then the rate of attacks may slow or the targets may change. There is a small hope too that diplomacy might force a change. Cyber-attacks are due to be on the agenda when President Xi meets President Obama later this week. The two nations are ready to \"strengthen co-operation\" on the issue, Mr Xi said. It is interesting to note that some security firms, including FireEye, saw a decline in attacks emanating from China in the run-up to the state visit and summit.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 369, "answer_end": 978, "text": "It has denied everything. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr Xi said: \"The Chinese government does not engage in theft of commercial secrets in any form, nor does it encourage or support Chinese companies to engage in such practices in any way.\" He went on to say that cyber-theft of industrial secrets was a crime as were hack attacks against government networks. Both should be punished according to \"law and relevant international conventions\". The president's comments echo many others made by Chinese state spokespeople over the years who regularly dispute the accusations levelled at them."}], "question": "How has China responded to the accusations?", "id": "1239_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 979, "answer_end": 1249, "text": "Not to Kevin Mandia, boss of security firm FireEye, who has spent 20 years helping the US government and its contractors clear up after data breaches and work out who did them. \"It's them and we know it's them,\" he said bluntly, when asked if China hacked Western firms."}], "question": "Are China's denials credible?", "id": "1239_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1250, "answer_end": 2213, "text": "He based his conclusion on 20 years of investigations that have catalogued thousands of attacks - 226 in 2014 alone. Forensic analysis of these has, he said, led FireEye to conclude that the Chinese state is behind them. The company has evidence about net addresses, net domains, attack techniques, tools and character sets used in the attacks. It has built up a log of 15-20 separate telltale signs that identify each of the military groups in China behind the breaches and intrusions. And, he said, the attacks are not random. They are well-organised campaigns that go after specific industries seeking specific data. Mr Mandia acknowledges that without being in Beijing watching the hackers at work, pinning the attacks on the Chinese state is hard. But, he said, the weight of evidence very heavily suggests China is behind the attacks. That, or a separate power has managed to infiltrate the Chinese military and has been using it as a proxy for two decades."}], "question": "How can he be sure?", "id": "1239_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2214, "answer_end": 2444, "text": "Perhaps because the language he used is very carefully chosen. He said the Chinese government does not engage in hacking. It could be argued that the military is separate from the government so the statement is, technically, true."}], "question": "So how can Mr Xi deny that it happens?", "id": "1239_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2445, "answer_end": 2910, "text": "Economics, said Mr Mandia. The financial benefits of doing business in China usually far outweigh the cost of your R&D team being spied on or all your legal papers being read. China is a massive market for many US firms. For instance, more smartphones are sold there than anywhere else and more than 50% of all the jets Boeing makes are operating in China. Kicking up a stink about hack attacks and data going astray could jeopardise this cash flow, said Mr Mandia."}], "question": "Why does it continue if there is so much evidence?", "id": "1239_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2911, "answer_end": 3562, "text": "It might, he said. At the moment many Western nations lead the way in technical innovation making them a target for nations keen to catch up by stealing secrets. If that balance shifts, then the rate of attacks may slow or the targets may change. There is a small hope too that diplomacy might force a change. Cyber-attacks are due to be on the agenda when President Xi meets President Obama later this week. The two nations are ready to \"strengthen co-operation\" on the issue, Mr Xi said. It is interesting to note that some security firms, including FireEye, saw a decline in attacks emanating from China in the run-up to the state visit and summit."}], "question": "Will it ever stop?", "id": "1239_5"}]}]}, {"title": "Saudi king's son Mohammed bin Salman is new crown prince", "date": "21 June 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Saudi Arabia's king has appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince - replacing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as first in line to the throne. King Salman's decree also means Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, will become deputy prime minister while continuing as defence minister. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, has been removed from his role as head of domestic security, state media say. He has pledged allegiance to the new crown prince, his younger cousin. Saudi Arabia has typically been ruled by kings in their 70s or 80s. Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rapid ascent is seen by the younger generation as a sign that things are changing. Before his latest promotion, he was responsible for leading Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, overseeing the kingdom's energy policy and economic reform. He must have already ruffled a lot of feathers in a royal family that was used to being presided over by a succession of elderly men, the BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reports. His father King Salman is 81 and reportedly not in the best of health, our correspondent adds. Prince Mohammed bin Salman could, potentially, lead Saudi Arabia for decades, heralding a long period of internal stability. However, the new crown prince is close to US President Donald Trump, and could ratchet up pressure against Iran - which would raise tensions in the region. The rise of Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been meteoric. When I met him in Jeddah in 2013 he described himself as simply \"a lawyer\". Today he is a heartbeat away from ruling the most powerful country in the Arab world. Despite being the driving force behind Saudi Arabia's damaging and inconclusive military campaign in Yemen, he is largely popular at home, especially with younger Saudis. He has swept away many of the ineffective timeservers in government offices and replaced them with young, Western-educated technocrats. He has set out a possibly over-ambitious development plan, \"Vision 2030\", and announced plans to sell off part of the vast state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco. He has also forged ties with Washington and the Trump administration. But his biggest and most risky move may yet prove to be his bid to curb the power of the conservative religious establishment. Washington likes this move, but others closer to home do not. The founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz (known as Ibn Saud), had dozens of sons, and there are as many as 15,000 princes and princesses in the royal family. In 2006, a decree was passed setting up a committee responsible for electing the king and crown prince. The committee is made up of senior princes of the Al Saud royal family and is known as the Allegiance Council. Mohammed bin Salman's new promotion to crown prince was approved by 31 out of 34 members of the council. Analysts say those in power tend to appoint their sons to roles that will enhance their chances of being promoted - so when monarchs and crown princes change, sons can come into and out of favour. King Salman, a son of King Abdulaziz, acceded to the throne in January 2015 after the death of his half-brother Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. He launched his first major cabinet reshuffle a few months later, promoting Mohammed bin Nayef to crown prince and Mohammed bin Salman, who was relatively unknown at that time, to deputy crown prince. Experts say the second reshuffle has reduced uncertainty over the line of succession, and means the king has averted a potential power struggle between his son and his nephew. The decree promoting Mohammed bin Salman includes a clause preventing him from appointing one of his own sons as his heir. It is the most influential Arab country - and a key ally of Western powers including the US and the UK. The kingdom is also the world's second largest oil producer - and the Saudi royal family is thought to be one of the richest ruling families in the world. It is guardian of the two most holy sites in Islam, and regards itself as leader of the Sunni community worldwide. The kingdom is a key player in Sunni attempts to block Shia Iranian influence in the Middle East. It has launched air strikes on Yemen to fight Houthi rebels, who Saudi Arabia believes are backed by Iran. However, the campaign has been criticised for human rights violations - including the killing many civilians. Recently, Saudi Arabia also joined efforts to impose a blockade on Qatar. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef was the kingdom's security chief for many years and was known for his strong stance against jihadist militants. As deputy prime minister and interior minister, he headed up the counter-terrorism portfolio, and also had good relations with Saudi Arabia's Western allies. State media broadcast footage showing Mohammed bin Nayef meeting Mohammed bin Salman after the succession was announced. The former crown prince said \"I am content\" and \"I am going to rest now. May God help you\", while the new heir replied \"May God help you. I will never do without your advice\". Reaction to the appointment of the new crown prince was largely (and unsurprisingly) celebratory, although Saudi Arabia's regional rivals took the opportunity to criticise the kingdom. Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya TV ran blanket coverage and emphasised the positive effect the appointment had on the country's stock exchange.  Similar reports appeared in other friendly Arab states. But in Iran - Saudi Arabia's bitter rival - several news outlets described the appointment as a \"soft coup\". Similar language was used by the Pro-Qatari HuffPost Arabi, which called the appointment \"a coup in the royal palace\". Syrian state media's largely neutral report came with a considerable sting in the tail. Coverage ended with a reminder to viewers of a \"tyrannical regime\" which \"lacks the most basic democratic principles\" and \"supports terrorism\". Jihadists on social media celebrated the reshuffle, anticipating that the changes would pave the way for internal strife within the House of Saud and eventually bring about its downfall.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2308, "answer_end": 3622, "text": "The founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz (known as Ibn Saud), had dozens of sons, and there are as many as 15,000 princes and princesses in the royal family. In 2006, a decree was passed setting up a committee responsible for electing the king and crown prince. The committee is made up of senior princes of the Al Saud royal family and is known as the Allegiance Council. Mohammed bin Salman's new promotion to crown prince was approved by 31 out of 34 members of the council. Analysts say those in power tend to appoint their sons to roles that will enhance their chances of being promoted - so when monarchs and crown princes change, sons can come into and out of favour. King Salman, a son of King Abdulaziz, acceded to the throne in January 2015 after the death of his half-brother Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. He launched his first major cabinet reshuffle a few months later, promoting Mohammed bin Nayef to crown prince and Mohammed bin Salman, who was relatively unknown at that time, to deputy crown prince. Experts say the second reshuffle has reduced uncertainty over the line of succession, and means the king has averted a potential power struggle between his son and his nephew. The decree promoting Mohammed bin Salman includes a clause preventing him from appointing one of his own sons as his heir."}], "question": "How does Saudi Arabia's royal succession work?", "id": "1240_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3623, "answer_end": 4385, "text": "It is the most influential Arab country - and a key ally of Western powers including the US and the UK. The kingdom is also the world's second largest oil producer - and the Saudi royal family is thought to be one of the richest ruling families in the world. It is guardian of the two most holy sites in Islam, and regards itself as leader of the Sunni community worldwide. The kingdom is a key player in Sunni attempts to block Shia Iranian influence in the Middle East. It has launched air strikes on Yemen to fight Houthi rebels, who Saudi Arabia believes are backed by Iran. However, the campaign has been criticised for human rights violations - including the killing many civilians. Recently, Saudi Arabia also joined efforts to impose a blockade on Qatar."}], "question": "Why does Saudi Arabia matter?", "id": "1240_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4386, "answer_end": 4978, "text": "Prince Mohammed bin Nayef was the kingdom's security chief for many years and was known for his strong stance against jihadist militants. As deputy prime minister and interior minister, he headed up the counter-terrorism portfolio, and also had good relations with Saudi Arabia's Western allies. State media broadcast footage showing Mohammed bin Nayef meeting Mohammed bin Salman after the succession was announced. The former crown prince said \"I am content\" and \"I am going to rest now. May God help you\", while the new heir replied \"May God help you. I will never do without your advice\"."}], "question": "Who is Prince Mohammed bin Nayef?", "id": "1240_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Philippines: President Duterte's fierce rival becomes new drug czar", "date": "6 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Leni Robredo, an outspoken critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, has accepted his offer to lead the controversial campaign. Ms Robredo, the vice-president and Mr Duterte's political rival, said she would use her powers to stop the killing of innocent people and hold authorities to account. A presidential spokesperson said the appointment honoured a former pledge. But Ms Robredo's supporters warned she could be made a scapegoat. \"The president knows what my position is on the drug war,\" she told reporters on Wednesday. \"If he thinks that in my accepting this offer I will become silent, he is mistaken.\" After his election in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte launched a hard-line campaign against \"illegal drug personalities,\" claiming that the Philippines had become a \"narco-state\". The president called on members of the public to kill drug addicts and dealers, and said he would offer a bounty to police for killing suspected users and sellers of narcotics. Since the campaign began, at least 6,600 dealers or users have been killed, according to police, but some activists have put this figure closer to 27,000. Human rights groups allege that many of the killings amount to summary executions. Both the UN and the International Criminal Court are examining allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances. But Mr Duterte and his anti-narcotics campaign enjoy wide support from Filipinos. Ms Robredo will co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) alongside Aaron Aquino, head of the country's drug enforcement agency. In her cabinet-level position, she will have access to all documents and intelligence reports about the anti-drugs campaign. The role will give Ms Robredo  powers to shape government policy on illegal drugs, and its implementation by Filipino authorities, but the position can be revoked any time before 30 June 2022. Ms Robredo said she was sceptical about the president's motives, but wanted to seize the opportunity to \"fix the campaign against illegal drugs\". \"If I can save even one innocent life, my principles and heart tell me to try,\" she said. Ms Robredo was elected vice-president in 2016, and is seen as the main political rival of Mr Duterte. Last week she was challenged by the president to take on the \"drug czar\" role after she said his drugs policy \"obviously wasn't working\". Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told Reuters news agency that Ms Robredo would be welcome in Mr Duterte's cabinet. \"Her acceptance shows she is smarter than her colleagues in the opposition,\" said Mr Panelo. Filipino Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of a committee investigating allegations of wrongdoing by national authorities, told the BBC that he welcomed Ms Robredo's decision. \"If she hadn't [accepted the appointment] she would be accused of all talk and no walk,\" said Mr Gordon. Amnesty International, which has accused Mr Duterte of crimes against humanity in connection with the drug war, also praised her decision. \"It shows that global pressure is having an effect, and that the public mood in the Philippines is turning against the flawed approach of the so-called 'war on drugs',\" said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty's regional director for South East Asia. \"The crucial question is whether this appointment can lead to meaningful change. We have to ask whether she'll have power to hold police officers and other officials to account, let alone the unknown gunmen suspected of many more killings.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1460, "answer_end": 2408, "text": "Ms Robredo will co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) alongside Aaron Aquino, head of the country's drug enforcement agency. In her cabinet-level position, she will have access to all documents and intelligence reports about the anti-drugs campaign. The role will give Ms Robredo  powers to shape government policy on illegal drugs, and its implementation by Filipino authorities, but the position can be revoked any time before 30 June 2022. Ms Robredo said she was sceptical about the president's motives, but wanted to seize the opportunity to \"fix the campaign against illegal drugs\". \"If I can save even one innocent life, my principles and heart tell me to try,\" she said. Ms Robredo was elected vice-president in 2016, and is seen as the main political rival of Mr Duterte. Last week she was challenged by the president to take on the \"drug czar\" role after she said his drugs policy \"obviously wasn't working\"."}], "question": "What powers will Robredo have?", "id": "1241_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2409, "answer_end": 3525, "text": "Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told Reuters news agency that Ms Robredo would be welcome in Mr Duterte's cabinet. \"Her acceptance shows she is smarter than her colleagues in the opposition,\" said Mr Panelo. Filipino Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of a committee investigating allegations of wrongdoing by national authorities, told the BBC that he welcomed Ms Robredo's decision. \"If she hadn't [accepted the appointment] she would be accused of all talk and no walk,\" said Mr Gordon. Amnesty International, which has accused Mr Duterte of crimes against humanity in connection with the drug war, also praised her decision. \"It shows that global pressure is having an effect, and that the public mood in the Philippines is turning against the flawed approach of the so-called 'war on drugs',\" said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty's regional director for South East Asia. \"The crucial question is whether this appointment can lead to meaningful change. We have to ask whether she'll have power to hold police officers and other officials to account, let alone the unknown gunmen suspected of many more killings.\""}], "question": "What has been the reaction?", "id": "1241_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Get active by age three, new health guidelines urge Americans", "date": "12 November 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Americans as young as age three have been encouraged to engage in physical activity, according to new federal exercise guidelines. The guidelines, last updated in 2008, used to urge active play from age six. But the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found 80% of Americans are not active enough. America's lack of activity has resulted in $117bn (PS90bn) spent annually on healthcare and 10% of all premature deaths, the update states. Although most of the best practices for physical activity remain unchanged, the update emphasises that any activity is beneficial. The second edition of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans draws from new research in the last decade that has demonstrated additional health benefits from exercise, as well as more flexibility about how to exercise. In a statement, Dr Brett Giroir, assistant health secretary, said these new guidelines demonstrated that \"everyone can dramatically improve their health just by moving - anytime, anywhere and by any means\". One of the major changes from the 2008 guidelines is urging Americans to start young. While guidelines for exercise initially started from age six and up, the new report encourages children aged three to five to have active play sessions of about three hours daily. From the age of six, young people should take vigorous exercise at least three times a week. The previous guidelines recommended 10-minute intervals of aerobic activity totalling at least 150 minutes per week,  but experts now say any physical movement can count towards the 150-minute goal. Walking for a block at lunch or opting for stairs instead of the lift are examples of day-to-day activities that now count as physical activity. The update also confirms that physical activity can improve sleep, academic performance, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general physical function - and that some benefits can be felt immediately. \"A single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity will reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, improve sleep, reduce anxiety symptoms, and improve cognition on the day that it is performed,\" the report states. Risk for diseases like dementia, diabetes and cancers including breast, lung and stomach can also be reduced through physical activity. Exercise can also help manage multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and ADHD. The federal report found US adults spend over 50% of their waking hours engaging in low-intensity activities and less than 1% in vigorous activities. - Low-intensity activities are largely sedentary, but also includes standing in place - Light-intensity activities include walking at a slow pace, cooking or standing while scanning groceries - Moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, cleaning house or raking a yard - Vigorous-intensity activities include fast-pace walking, running, carrying heavy groceries, and other typical exercise activities As 30% of the US population engages in no moderate or vigorous physical activity, the new guidelines emphasise the fact that any increase in activity at all can result in \"substantial health gains\". Currently, only 26% of men, 19% of women and 20% of adolescents meet the recommendations, according to the Department of Health. And any improvements would also have an impact on the health economy. The 2018 report describes physical activity as a \"'best buy' for public health\". \"Even small increases in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, especially if made by the least physically active individuals, would appreciably reduce the nation's direct and indirect medical costs.\" Does your lifestyle meet these guidelines? Are there barriers to you meeting the recommendations? Tell us about your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1012, "answer_end": 2353, "text": "One of the major changes from the 2008 guidelines is urging Americans to start young. While guidelines for exercise initially started from age six and up, the new report encourages children aged three to five to have active play sessions of about three hours daily. From the age of six, young people should take vigorous exercise at least three times a week. The previous guidelines recommended 10-minute intervals of aerobic activity totalling at least 150 minutes per week,  but experts now say any physical movement can count towards the 150-minute goal. Walking for a block at lunch or opting for stairs instead of the lift are examples of day-to-day activities that now count as physical activity. The update also confirms that physical activity can improve sleep, academic performance, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general physical function - and that some benefits can be felt immediately. \"A single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity will reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, improve sleep, reduce anxiety symptoms, and improve cognition on the day that it is performed,\" the report states. Risk for diseases like dementia, diabetes and cancers including breast, lung and stomach can also be reduced through physical activity. Exercise can also help manage multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and ADHD."}], "question": "What has changed?", "id": "1242_0"}]}]}, {"title": "European elections 2019: How does voting work?", "date": "24 May 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "More than 400 million people are eligible to vote in this month's European Parliament elections, in one of the biggest democratic exercises in the world. So how do you hold a vote in 28 different countries under a whole host of different rules? In the last election in 2014, 168,818,151 people took part, with a turnout of just over 40%, and five million ballots were spoiled. That makes it bigger than the US presidential vote, though not even close to the size of India's election, which is the largest. This year's elections are taking place over four days with three voting systems, but it all comes together thanks to a set of common principles- and the willingness of member states to tweak their national election rules to suit. Here's how it all works. Voting takes place across three days, depending on where the election is being held. - 23 May: Netherlands, UK - 24 May: Ireland, Czech Republic (which has two-day voting also on 25 May) - 25 May: Latvia, Malta, Slovakia - 26 May: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Voting times vary from country to country, in line with local customs. And each country elects a different number of MEPs, roughly in line with their population - so France (74) and the UK (73) have more seats than Ireland (11) or Latvia (8). And for some, voting is compulsory so there's no escape - in Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Luxembourg. Counting is also done on a country-by-country basis - but the results are kept secret until all voting is finished. The results will be announced from 23:00 Brussels time (22:00 BST) on Sunday, 26 May, so that the announcement of results from the UK or other early voting countries cannot affect voters somewhere else. Every country is free to use its own system for voting, and there are plenty of differences. The voting age, for example, is set by national law. And there is some sort of postal or proxy system in place everywhere except Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia. Most countries elect their MEPs in one single big national constituency - so Germany has, for example, 96 German MEPs. But a handful - Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Poland, UK - have multiple constituencies. The most important common rule, however, is that countries must use a proportional system. This is different from the first-past-the-post system used by the UK in its national elections (the only EU country to do so). So the UK has to change its voting system to a more representative model for EU elections. In effect, there are three systems in use: Closed lists - Used by: UK (except Northern Ireland), Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary In a closed-list system, political parties make a list of their candidates in order from top to bottom preference. Voters then vote for the party they like - but they cannot vote for an individual person or affect the order of the people on the list. Depending on the results and the amount of seats available, seats are handed out to the people on the list in order of preference. So the top party list might get its top two or three people elected, the second-place may get one or two, and so on. The exact distribution method depends on the country. The UK uses something called the D'Hondt method to figure out how to allocate seats; a similar but slightly different system called the Sainte-Lague method is used in Germany and some other countries. The general principle, though, is that the party with the most votes should get the most seats - and who in the party gets those seats is decided by the party leadership. Preferential lists - Used by: Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark Preferential lists or \"open lists\" are very similar to the closed list system detailed above, except that voters can influence which individual person wins a seat by affecting the order of people on a list. Exactly how much influence the voter has on the order of candidates varies from country to country. Generally, voters pick a candidate to vote for and their vote counts for both the party and that individual person. If the candidate gets a significant number of votes, they may be elected ahead of higher-placed people on the list. Some countries give a few \"preference votes\", others just one; some countries allocate seats based on the number of votes; others only guarantee a seat if a candidate beats a certain target such as winning 5% or 10% of all votes. Single Transferable Vote (STV) - Used by: Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland Proponents of STV claim it is the most representative system, but it is only used by a handful of countries in European elections. On the ballot paper, voters vote for the candidate they like best by writing the number \"1\" in a box. They then vote for their second-favourite as number \"2\" and so on - for as many or as few people as they like with no restrictions. When it comes to counting the votes, organisers first figure out what the election \"quota\" is. If there are four seats and 100,000 people cast a vote, then the quota would be 100,000 divided by five, plus one - or 20,001. The reason for the maths is that only four people could possibly achieve this number of votes. Four times 20,001 is 80,004: there would be just 19,996 votes left - not enough to reach the quota. The formula works for any number of seats (just divide the total votes by the number of seats plus one), and any number of votes. So the votes are all counted, and if someone reaches the quota, they are elected. If they do not, the worst performer is eliminated - and all their votes are redistributed to the second-place preference on each ballot paper. When someone is elected, any extra votes they have that don't matter (because they already reached the quota) are likewise re-distributed. This is the transferable part of the single transferable vote. The idea is that every vote is counted towards someone, and that no vote is wasted on obvious winners or losers. It is, however, much more complicated to count. Some countries have an electoral threshold - where, by law, a party or a candidate needs to gain a certain percentage of the national vote to qualify for a seat. The idea is to prevent very small, fringe, or extremist parties from winning seats without meeting a minimum level of support - usually a small percentage. France, for example, is a single constituency with 74 seats - so, without a threshold, it would take just 1.4% of the vote to win a seat. But France has set its minimum threshold at 5%. The countries where thresholds apply for the 2019 elections are: - 5%: France, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia, Latvia and Hungary - 4%: Austria, Italy and Sweden - 3%: Greece - 1.8%: Cyprus", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 761, "answer_end": 1852, "text": "Voting takes place across three days, depending on where the election is being held. - 23 May: Netherlands, UK - 24 May: Ireland, Czech Republic (which has two-day voting also on 25 May) - 25 May: Latvia, Malta, Slovakia - 26 May: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Voting times vary from country to country, in line with local customs. And each country elects a different number of MEPs, roughly in line with their population - so France (74) and the UK (73) have more seats than Ireland (11) or Latvia (8). And for some, voting is compulsory so there's no escape - in Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Luxembourg. Counting is also done on a country-by-country basis - but the results are kept secret until all voting is finished. The results will be announced from 23:00 Brussels time (22:00 BST) on Sunday, 26 May, so that the announcement of results from the UK or other early voting countries cannot affect voters somewhere else."}], "question": "When is the vote?", "id": "1243_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1853, "answer_end": 6261, "text": "Every country is free to use its own system for voting, and there are plenty of differences. The voting age, for example, is set by national law. And there is some sort of postal or proxy system in place everywhere except Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia. Most countries elect their MEPs in one single big national constituency - so Germany has, for example, 96 German MEPs. But a handful - Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Poland, UK - have multiple constituencies. The most important common rule, however, is that countries must use a proportional system. This is different from the first-past-the-post system used by the UK in its national elections (the only EU country to do so). So the UK has to change its voting system to a more representative model for EU elections. In effect, there are three systems in use: Closed lists - Used by: UK (except Northern Ireland), Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary In a closed-list system, political parties make a list of their candidates in order from top to bottom preference. Voters then vote for the party they like - but they cannot vote for an individual person or affect the order of the people on the list. Depending on the results and the amount of seats available, seats are handed out to the people on the list in order of preference. So the top party list might get its top two or three people elected, the second-place may get one or two, and so on. The exact distribution method depends on the country. The UK uses something called the D'Hondt method to figure out how to allocate seats; a similar but slightly different system called the Sainte-Lague method is used in Germany and some other countries. The general principle, though, is that the party with the most votes should get the most seats - and who in the party gets those seats is decided by the party leadership. Preferential lists - Used by: Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark Preferential lists or \"open lists\" are very similar to the closed list system detailed above, except that voters can influence which individual person wins a seat by affecting the order of people on a list. Exactly how much influence the voter has on the order of candidates varies from country to country. Generally, voters pick a candidate to vote for and their vote counts for both the party and that individual person. If the candidate gets a significant number of votes, they may be elected ahead of higher-placed people on the list. Some countries give a few \"preference votes\", others just one; some countries allocate seats based on the number of votes; others only guarantee a seat if a candidate beats a certain target such as winning 5% or 10% of all votes. Single Transferable Vote (STV) - Used by: Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland Proponents of STV claim it is the most representative system, but it is only used by a handful of countries in European elections. On the ballot paper, voters vote for the candidate they like best by writing the number \"1\" in a box. They then vote for their second-favourite as number \"2\" and so on - for as many or as few people as they like with no restrictions. When it comes to counting the votes, organisers first figure out what the election \"quota\" is. If there are four seats and 100,000 people cast a vote, then the quota would be 100,000 divided by five, plus one - or 20,001. The reason for the maths is that only four people could possibly achieve this number of votes. Four times 20,001 is 80,004: there would be just 19,996 votes left - not enough to reach the quota. The formula works for any number of seats (just divide the total votes by the number of seats plus one), and any number of votes. So the votes are all counted, and if someone reaches the quota, they are elected. If they do not, the worst performer is eliminated - and all their votes are redistributed to the second-place preference on each ballot paper. When someone is elected, any extra votes they have that don't matter (because they already reached the quota) are likewise re-distributed. This is the transferable part of the single transferable vote. The idea is that every vote is counted towards someone, and that no vote is wasted on obvious winners or losers. It is, however, much more complicated to count."}], "question": "What system is used for voting?", "id": "1243_1"}]}]}, {"title": "China criticises Trump for not playing fair with Kim", "date": "25 May 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chinese media and social media users are accusing US President Donald Trump of not playing fair with North Korea. Papers in the country are slamming the US leader for pulling out of scheduled talks with North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un in Singapore on 12 June, and saying that his actions will lead to instability across the border. Social media users appear to be increasingly sympathising with the North Korean leader, saying that Kim Jong-un had been showing signs of sincerity towards denuclearisation and peace at the Korean peninsula. China is one of North Korea's closest allies. While many Chinese people have been nervous about Pyongyang's nuclear tests, Beijing's state media have been increasingly making efforts to quell such fears, for example by noting Mr Kim's two recent visits to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. National and regional papers in China today carry dramatic headlines about the cancelled meeting. The front page of the Shanghai Morning Post shows dramatic silhouettes of Mr Trump and Mr Kim, with the US leader shown seemingly walking away from Kim. National paper Reference News headlines with \"Trump suddenly announces the cancellation of the Trump-Kim summit\". On the same page, a separate article noted \"The US has cancelled its China invite to participating in military exercises\". The two countries were expected to take part in biennial RIMPAC drills, but the Pentagon announced it had \"disinvited\" China because of recent drills in the South China Sea. Foreign affairs paper Global Times stresses that North Korea had invited foreign journalists to see the demolition of North Korea's nuclear site in Punggye-ri on the same day in their headlines. It says that Trump's cancelled talks come as a \"heavy blow to the situation on the Peninsula\" and says the move \"will further enforce the outside world's view of the US government's arbitrariness\". Pro-Beijing Hong Kong paper Ta Kung Pao says \"the US is fully to blame for the Trump-Kim summit falling through\". \"All this was extremely untimely and went against the general trend of peace on the peninsula,\" it adds. Mr Trump's cancellation of the meeting has also ignited much anger amongst China's online community. On the popular Sina Weibo microblog, thousands of users reacted in horror to Mr Trump's letter to Mr Kim, which they read via a translated version in the national Global Times newspaper. \"He [Trump] really is the most unreliable president,\" one user said, and another added: \"The United States really is shameless.\" Others said they felt the US leader was \"sinister\" and that his rhetoric was \"disgusting\". Many comment on the specific tone of the letter. One user said it \"feels like a love letter\" and one added that his \"break up letter\" was \"textbook male chauvinism\". Some users saw humour in the apparent break-up of the two leaders. \"The gifts have been exchanged, the invitations have been made, the hotel has also been booked, and you're now telling me that the wedding won't go ahead?\" one asked. Chinese web users haven't always been so sympathetic of the North Korean leader. Netizens have coined many critical nicknames for the leader, including \"Kim the Fat\", despite the censors trying to stop such nicknames staying online. Media reports on North Korea have also been critical in recent years. Beijing condemned North Korea's earlier nuclear tests, and voiced its concerns about tremors being felt across the border. Fears appeared to reach a head in December, when official papers at Jilin province, on the border with North Korea, issued advice about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. However, following two \"successful talks\" between Mr Kim and China's Xi Jinping since March, Chinese media have lauded the new apparent sincerity shown by North Korea to improve bilateral relations. They also applauded the country for inviting Chinese journalists to see the demolition of the nuclear test site yesterday. Chinese social media users are now of the mind that the North has shown goodwill and that Mr Trump was unfair. \"North Korea has fulfilled its side of the agreement,\" one social media user says, and another comments that the demolition of the nuclear site shows that \"North Korea also hopes to have a good relationship with the world and wants its people to have a good life\". Some users are assessing how the decommissioning of the nuclear site and the cancellation of the Kim-Trump meeting will affect China. Some reflect on Mr Trump's previous career as a businessman, and ask whether the US leader is \"helping push down real estate prices in Dandong\", a Chinese city at the border. Many say they have hopes the meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Trump will still go ahead, but not for geopolitical reasons. One of the most popular Sina Weibo comments, receiving over 2,000 likes is from a user saying they are \"gutted\" that \"the first international hair style competition has been cancelled in Singapore!\" BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitterand Facebook.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3953, "answer_end": 5105, "text": "Chinese social media users are now of the mind that the North has shown goodwill and that Mr Trump was unfair. \"North Korea has fulfilled its side of the agreement,\" one social media user says, and another comments that the demolition of the nuclear site shows that \"North Korea also hopes to have a good relationship with the world and wants its people to have a good life\". Some users are assessing how the decommissioning of the nuclear site and the cancellation of the Kim-Trump meeting will affect China. Some reflect on Mr Trump's previous career as a businessman, and ask whether the US leader is \"helping push down real estate prices in Dandong\", a Chinese city at the border. Many say they have hopes the meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Trump will still go ahead, but not for geopolitical reasons. One of the most popular Sina Weibo comments, receiving over 2,000 likes is from a user saying they are \"gutted\" that \"the first international hair style competition has been cancelled in Singapore!\" BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitterand Facebook."}], "question": "What next?", "id": "1244_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Martin Luther King's Dream yet to become reality in US", "date": "28 August 2013", "paragraphs": [{"context": "In south-east Washington DC, in a bar on Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, two very impressive children are showing off their knowledge in a dazzling performance. The questions are rapid and their answers even snappier. They rattle off the names of presidents, the highest mountain and the deepest lake, but there is a persistent theme across the questions and answers: The date of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination, the date of Malcolm X's assassination, the date the first black man became the heavyweight champion of the world, the date of Alabama's violence in Selma and the bombing in Birmingham. Here in Anacostia, like other predominantly black areas, people don't want their kids to forget history or how hard the struggle for civil rights has been. The children are just the opening act - the main show is a documentary on the civil rights movement. It's just one event among many leading up to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where King made his I Have a Dream speech. But no-one in the bar thinks the battle has been won. No-one here doubts that racism is still a reality in the United States. \"Until you have lived the life that we lived as Afro Americans, it's hard to get over when it's constantly in your face,\" Liz Floyd tells me. \"Even the ones that think they've arrived - you can't arrive when it's constantly in your face, who you are not. \"Athletes make it, they think they've got it and then they find out they're just a black guy with a lot of money and as soon as you get in some problems and trouble everyone desecrates you.\" Davina Calahan has just come home after taking a master's degree in Massachusetts, where she says she experienced racism. \"Even with our own people of our own colour it exists,\" she says. \"They vote for Obama just 'cause he's black and one thing Dr King said - he said, 'I want my children to be judged by the content of their character not the colour of their skin'. \"So even our own people, we judge Obama 'cause he's black and voted for him because he's black, not because of the content of his character.\" King's dream may not have become reality, even with the election of a black president - perhaps it never will be complete. But it is certainly true that some elements of the African-American nightmare are over. Once, by law, black people were separate and unequal, segregated throughout public life. Today the river that runs through the US capital city can still feel like a sharp dividing line. On one side, the White House, Capitol Hill and an increasingly prosperous city where areas that were once ghettos are now gentrified, full of smart restaurants and bars. But over the river in south-east Washington, where more than 90% of the population is African American, it's a very different story. To many whites, it is a no-go area. I have lost count of the times I have been warned to stay away. Despite some determined efforts, improvements and a fierce resilience, it remains rundown and poor. The unemployment rate for whites in Washington DC is 3.5%. The official statistic of black unemployment here is 22%, although some say it is really much higher. In the US as a whole the figures are stark: average unemployment: 7.4%, black unemployment: 12.6%; median income: $50,502 (PS32,495), median black income: $33,460; national poverty rate: 15%; black poverty rate: 27.4%. And of 1.5 million Americans in jail, 38% are African American though black people only constitute about 13% of the US population. Some, of course, would say this is about economics, not race, and while the disparity has a lot to do with history and culture it is not the result of discrimination. They would get short shrift in this side of town. At Bread for the City, I watch grateful customers collect free cans of food - they are offered beans or corn, ham and fruit juice. I'm told this service is vital - food stamps run out at the end of every month and this service helps fill the gap. People here are often not destitute, just the working poor and retired on an inadequate pension. Evelyn Brown is 80 and attended the famous march 50 years ago. She used to be a nurse and has worked all her life but finds it hard to make ends meet. \"It seems like everything is going backwards, 'cause like I said I came up the ranks, the hard times, so therefore I can see what's going on now,\" she says. \"Really it is a struggle, it's a terrible struggle.\" Above one of the workers' desks here is a poster about Trayvon Martin. The acquittal of his killer, found not guilty of murder, shocked and disappointed many in this part of town. The introduction of laws in some states to require people to show ID before voting is seen as another attempt to disenfranchise blacks. The fact that the Supreme Court ruled these laws were not in breach of civil rights legislation, basically on the ground that times have changed, is seen as a grave disappointment. And while many whites might see Mr Obama's election as the final, triumphant chapter in the civil rights story, here it is sourly noted that he hasn't visited this part of the city just a few miles from where he lives. Judith Hawkins says not enough has changed since King marched. \"We can sit in the front of the bus and we don't have to go to the outside water fountains,\" she says. \"And people would say we've come a long way because Barack Obama is president. It's almost like he's the panacea, but I mean with the recession it's really real here.\" \"It's like, 'OK, you get a president, you get nothing else. You got him so you don't need to eat, you don't need education.' It's just almost worse, it almost made it worse because of the backlash.\" Many of those at the events to mark the march's 50th anniversary will not just be on the streets to mark past history, but to proclaim that King's struggle is far from over, his dream not a reality for many.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3706, "answer_end": 5126, "text": "At Bread for the City, I watch grateful customers collect free cans of food - they are offered beans or corn, ham and fruit juice. I'm told this service is vital - food stamps run out at the end of every month and this service helps fill the gap. People here are often not destitute, just the working poor and retired on an inadequate pension. Evelyn Brown is 80 and attended the famous march 50 years ago. She used to be a nurse and has worked all her life but finds it hard to make ends meet. \"It seems like everything is going backwards, 'cause like I said I came up the ranks, the hard times, so therefore I can see what's going on now,\" she says. \"Really it is a struggle, it's a terrible struggle.\" Above one of the workers' desks here is a poster about Trayvon Martin. The acquittal of his killer, found not guilty of murder, shocked and disappointed many in this part of town. The introduction of laws in some states to require people to show ID before voting is seen as another attempt to disenfranchise blacks. The fact that the Supreme Court ruled these laws were not in breach of civil rights legislation, basically on the ground that times have changed, is seen as a grave disappointment. And while many whites might see Mr Obama's election as the final, triumphant chapter in the civil rights story, here it is sourly noted that he hasn't visited this part of the city just a few miles from where he lives."}], "question": "Going backwards?", "id": "1245_0"}]}]}, {"title": "French mayor issues ban on 'excessive dog barking'", "date": "12 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The mayor of a town in northern France has issued a ban on excessive dog barking in a bid to curb canine noise pollution. From Monday, dog owners in Feuquieres face a EUR68 (PS60; $77) fine for \"prolonged or repeated barking\". Mayor Jean-Pierre Estienne says the ban is in response to dogs \"barking day and night\" and creating \"an unbearable situation\" in the village. The decree has been criticised by animal rights activists. \"The aim is not to ban dogs and we won't be fining people for the slightest hint of a yap,\" Mr Estienne told French newspaper Le Parisien (in French). \"The town has nothing against dogs but when you decide to have them, you educate them.\" Passed by the local council earlier this month, the decree forbids dogs from being left in enclosed areas without owners being nearby to stop \"prolonged or repeated barking\". Yappy dogs must also be kept inside if their behaviour \"disturbs the rest or relaxation\" of Feuquieres' 1,400 residents. Offenders (or more specifically, their owners) will receive a fine for each complaint made against them. The decree follows a petition by villagers against one particular resident. \"She has several dogs, some large,\" said Mr Estienne. \"We have made several attempts to establish a dialogue with her, to no avail.\" \"If I took this decision, it is because we found no other way out. I couldn't sit idly by,\" he said. The move has been condemned as \"completely barking\" by Stephane Lamart, president of the Association for the Defence of Animal Rights. \"You may as well stop church bells ringing on Sunday morning,\" Mr Lamart told Le Monde newspaper (in French). \"If dogs have mouths, it's so they can bark.\" Mr Lamart said he intended to launch an appeal with the local court. \"I've never seen a dog bark from morning to evening,\" he said. This is not the first time French authorities have tried to dampen doggy decibels. In 2012, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande in southwest France passed a ban on any excessive dog barking that disturbed \"public order\". Barking is a regular form of communication for most dog breeds, but loud and regular yapping is a common complaint by owners and their neighbours. Whilst noise levels vary, some barks can bite 100 dB - louder than factory machinery. An Australian golden retriever named Charlie holds the world record for the loudest bark, measuring 113.1 dB. Canine companions bark for many reasons: to get attention, to fend off perceived danger or express anxiety, to name a few. Jenna Kiddie, Canine Behaviour Manager at charity Dogs Trust, warns against using anti-bark collars and other aversive training methods. \"It is vital to investigate why and address the underlying motivation rather than just address the behaviour itself,\" says Ms Kiddie. \"Although it can be very frustrating, especially if you have neighbours to consider, telling your dog off might make them more anxious or confused, and could make the situation worse.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2007, "answer_end": 2928, "text": "Barking is a regular form of communication for most dog breeds, but loud and regular yapping is a common complaint by owners and their neighbours. Whilst noise levels vary, some barks can bite 100 dB - louder than factory machinery. An Australian golden retriever named Charlie holds the world record for the loudest bark, measuring 113.1 dB. Canine companions bark for many reasons: to get attention, to fend off perceived danger or express anxiety, to name a few. Jenna Kiddie, Canine Behaviour Manager at charity Dogs Trust, warns against using anti-bark collars and other aversive training methods. \"It is vital to investigate why and address the underlying motivation rather than just address the behaviour itself,\" says Ms Kiddie. \"Although it can be very frustrating, especially if you have neighbours to consider, telling your dog off might make them more anxious or confused, and could make the situation worse.\""}], "question": "Can you stop a dog from barking?", "id": "1246_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump says North Korea still 'extraordinary threat'", "date": "23 June 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has renewed sanctions on North Korea, citing an \"extraordinary threat\" from its nuclear weapons - just 10 days after saying there was no risk from Pyongyang. \"There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea,\" he tweeted on 13 June, a day after meeting the country's leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. The move came as the US and South Korea cancelled two more training exercises. The Pentagon said the goal was to support diplomatic negotiations. It follows the decision earlier this week to suspend a major joint military exercise between the US and South Korea that had been planned for August. President Trump promised to end the annual \"war games\" between the allies in an unexpected concession at his summit with Mr Kim, calling them \"provocative\" and \"expensive\". That came as a shock to many, as the US had previously argued that the drills were purely defensive and key to its military alliance with Seoul. It does sound that way, but the US has had a \"national emergency\" in place with regard to North Korea since 2008. Since then, presidents have routinely renewed that status - and the anti-Pyongyang sanctions that go with it. President Trump extended the national emergency on Friday due to \"the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea\". These \"continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States\", he said in a notice to Congress. Democrats say the latest White House language contradicts the president's earlier boasts about the success of the Singapore summit. In another tweet on 13 June, he said Americans could \"sleep well tonight!\". \"The report of President Trump's own administration completely undercuts his statements over the last few weeks,\" said the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer. \"We have to treat these negotiations far more seriously than just as a photo op,\" he added. \"Saying the North Korea problem is solved doesn't make it so.\" At the historic meeting in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a leader of North Korea, Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed a statement in which the US offered \"security guarantees\" to North Korea, and the North pledged to \"work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula\" - without defining what that meant. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that sanctions against North Korea will remain in place as negotiations continue over its nuclear arsenal. However North Korean state media has reported that Mr Trump agreed to \"lift sanctions\" as relations progress. The Pentagon announced on Friday that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had \"indefinitely suspended\" some joint military exercises with South Korea, following the president's commitment at the Singapore summit. The drills are held in South Korea with local forces and US soldiers stationed there. North Korea has furiously objected to the exercises for many years, branding them provocative and a rehearsal for invasion. China too has said they do not serve the cause of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Pentagon press secretary Dana White said the cancelled drills included Operation Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which was scheduled for August and set to involve more than 17,500 US service members, and two Korean Marine Exchange Programme training exercises scheduled for the next three months. It is not yet clear if major US drills slated for spring 2019 will also be suspended. The decision to end the military exercises has been widely criticised as a major concession to North Korea, while the joint declaration Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed at the end of the Singapore summit has been criticised as lacking in detail and concrete commitments from the North. After meeting Mr Kim in Singapore, Mr Trump told reporters: \"Under the circumstances, that we're negotiating... I think it's inappropriate to be having war games.\" Republican Senator John McCain has criticised the president's stance on the exercises, calling the suspensions a mistake. \"We must not impose upon ourselves the burden of providing so-called 'good faith' concessions as the price for continued dialogue,\" he said after the Singapore summit. This is not the first time that the US and South Korea have delayed joint exercises. Earlier in 2018, for example, they agreed to postpone drills during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, amid a thaw in inter-Korean relations.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 944, "answer_end": 2685, "text": "It does sound that way, but the US has had a \"national emergency\" in place with regard to North Korea since 2008. Since then, presidents have routinely renewed that status - and the anti-Pyongyang sanctions that go with it. President Trump extended the national emergency on Friday due to \"the existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea\". These \"continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States\", he said in a notice to Congress. Democrats say the latest White House language contradicts the president's earlier boasts about the success of the Singapore summit. In another tweet on 13 June, he said Americans could \"sleep well tonight!\". \"The report of President Trump's own administration completely undercuts his statements over the last few weeks,\" said the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer. \"We have to treat these negotiations far more seriously than just as a photo op,\" he added. \"Saying the North Korea problem is solved doesn't make it so.\" At the historic meeting in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a leader of North Korea, Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed a statement in which the US offered \"security guarantees\" to North Korea, and the North pledged to \"work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula\" - without defining what that meant. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that sanctions against North Korea will remain in place as negotiations continue over its nuclear arsenal. However North Korean state media has reported that Mr Trump agreed to \"lift sanctions\" as relations progress."}], "question": "Has Trump changed his tone on North Korea?", "id": "1247_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2686, "answer_end": 4534, "text": "The Pentagon announced on Friday that US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had \"indefinitely suspended\" some joint military exercises with South Korea, following the president's commitment at the Singapore summit. The drills are held in South Korea with local forces and US soldiers stationed there. North Korea has furiously objected to the exercises for many years, branding them provocative and a rehearsal for invasion. China too has said they do not serve the cause of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Pentagon press secretary Dana White said the cancelled drills included Operation Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which was scheduled for August and set to involve more than 17,500 US service members, and two Korean Marine Exchange Programme training exercises scheduled for the next three months. It is not yet clear if major US drills slated for spring 2019 will also be suspended. The decision to end the military exercises has been widely criticised as a major concession to North Korea, while the joint declaration Mr Trump and Mr Kim signed at the end of the Singapore summit has been criticised as lacking in detail and concrete commitments from the North. After meeting Mr Kim in Singapore, Mr Trump told reporters: \"Under the circumstances, that we're negotiating... I think it's inappropriate to be having war games.\" Republican Senator John McCain has criticised the president's stance on the exercises, calling the suspensions a mistake. \"We must not impose upon ourselves the burden of providing so-called 'good faith' concessions as the price for continued dialogue,\" he said after the Singapore summit. This is not the first time that the US and South Korea have delayed joint exercises. Earlier in 2018, for example, they agreed to postpone drills during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, amid a thaw in inter-Korean relations."}], "question": "Why do the training exercises matter?", "id": "1247_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Most hip and knee replacements 'last longer than thought'", "date": "15 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Eight out of 10 knee replacements and six out of 10 hip replacements last as long as 25 years, says a large study from the University of Bristol. This is much longer than believed, the researchers said, and the findings will help patients and surgeons decide when to carry out surgery. To date, there has been little data on the success of new hips and knees. But this Lancet research looked at 25 years' worth of operations, involving more than 500,000 people. Hip and knee replacements are two of the most common forms of surgery in the NHS, but doctors often struggle to answer questions from patients on how long the implants will last. Nearly 200,000 of the operations were performed in 2017 in England and Wales, with most carried out on people between 60 and 80 years old. Dr Jonathan Evans, orthopaedic registrar, lead study author and research fellow at Bristol Medical School, said: \"At best, the NHS has only been able to say how long replacements are designed to last, rather than referring to actual evidence from multiple patients' experiences of joint replacement surgery. \"Given the improvement in technology and techniques in the last 25 years, we expect that hip or knee replacements put in today may last even longer.\" As the ageing population grows, and life expectancy rises, this becomes even more important, Dr Evans added. Wendy Fryer, 80, had a hip replacement 17 years ago and it has completely changed her life. \"I was in agony beforehand, It was horrendous,\" she said. \"I used to cycle to work but had to stop. But the very next day after the operation, it was like magic, the pain had gone.\" She still plays table tennis and badminton regularly, and also enjoys cycling and walking. \"The worst thing you can do is become a couch potato,\" Wendy says. Hip replacements: 89% lasted 15 years, 70% lasted 20 years, 58% lasted 25 years Total knee replacements: 93% lasted 15 years, 90% lasted 20 years, 82% lasted 25 years Partial knee replacements: 77% lasted 15 years, 72% lasted 20 years, 70% lasted 25 years The researchers, writing in the Lancet, looked at reports from joint replacement registries in six countries which held at least 15 years of data - Australia, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. They did not look at data from the UK, because its record of patients does not go back far enough, but the research team said their findings mirrored results from smaller studies of UK patients. According to the study, when hip and knee replacements do fail it tends to be because of infection, wear and tear and, more rarely, because they have broken. This means patients require revision surgery which is more likely to fail. John Skinner, from the British Orthopaedic Association and a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said using more implants with better survival rates would mean fewer repeat surgeries in the future. \"This is great news. Orthopaedic surgeons are working to provide hip replacements that will last, as our population ages and lives longer.\" He said it was known that 95% of hip replacements lasted at least 10 years. NHS advice says they last at least 15 years. \"Initially patients had joint replacements at the very end of their arthritic journey, just before they lost the ability to walk and became wheelchair dependent. \"We are now so confident in hip replacement surgery that we can offer it to younger, more active patients, to relieve their pain and keep them active,\" Mr Skinner said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1779, "answer_end": 2671, "text": "Hip replacements: 89% lasted 15 years, 70% lasted 20 years, 58% lasted 25 years Total knee replacements: 93% lasted 15 years, 90% lasted 20 years, 82% lasted 25 years Partial knee replacements: 77% lasted 15 years, 72% lasted 20 years, 70% lasted 25 years The researchers, writing in the Lancet, looked at reports from joint replacement registries in six countries which held at least 15 years of data - Australia, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. They did not look at data from the UK, because its record of patients does not go back far enough, but the research team said their findings mirrored results from smaller studies of UK patients. According to the study, when hip and knee replacements do fail it tends to be because of infection, wear and tear and, more rarely, because they have broken. This means patients require revision surgery which is more likely to fail."}], "question": "How long do they last?", "id": "1248_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is the US 'tampon tax' so hated?", "date": "14 September 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill to end a sales tax on feminine hygiene products, a levy that has sparked worldwide debate. The so-called tampon tax is a sales tax on feminine hygiene products which are used to absorb menstrual blood. Necessities such as food and medicine are exempt from the tax, but some states do not include tampons and pads. Advocates have decried the tax as an unfair burden on women since tampons are not considered a luxury. The Democratic governor cited fiscal concerns over his decision to block the bipartisan bill. Tampon tax paid around the world \"Each of these bills creates a new tax break or expands an existing tax break,\" Mr Brown said in a statement. The governor also vetoed several similar bills, including one to end tax on nappies, arguing the measures would reduce state revenue by $300m (PS227m) in the coming year. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, who authored the bill, lambasted the veto, vowing to \"keep pushing until we get it done\". There is no \"tampon tax\" which specifically is pointed at feminine products, but many US states do not exempt the product from the regular state sales tax. The average statewide sales tax is 6.25%, but in some cases, can run as high as 10.25% like in Chicago, due to city and county surcharges. The tampon tax debate has gained momentum as a global movement in part due to a social media push to end the stigma surrounding menstruation through hashtag campaigns such as #HappyToBleed and #FreeTheTampons. In 2015, a London woman went viral after she ran the marathon without using feminine hygiene products to draw attention to the issue. 'Tampon tax': How much do women pay for periods? The same year, Republican Donald Trump stirred controversy after he referred to Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly as having had \"blood coming out of her wherever,\" prompting the hashtag #PeriodsAreNotAnInsult. President Barack Obama also underscored the issue when he said he had \"no idea\" why tampons were taxed as a luxury item in some states earlier this year. Just 13 of the 50 US states have no tax on feminine hygiene products. - Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania do not tax sanitary products - Oregon, Montana, Delaware, New Hampshire and Alaska have no sales tax at all - Illinois, New York and Connecticut were among the states that moved to abolish the tax this year In 2016 alone, 15 states introduced legislation or proposed debate to eliminate the tampon tax. Last month a Florida woman filed a class-action lawsuit against several state agencies and major retailers with the aim of repealing Florida's sales tax on tampons and reimbursing consumers with millions of dollars. American consumers spent $3.1bn (PS2.3bn) on tampons and other feminine hygiene products last year, according to market research firm Euromonitor. The average woman menstruates from the ages of 12 to 50 and tampons in the US cost roughly $7 (PS5.30) for a box of 36. New York officials estimate that by exempting feminine hygiene products from its sales tax, consumers save about $10m (PS7.5m) a year in purchasing tampons, pads and other similar products. Meanwhile, the California tax brings in upwards of $20m (PS15m) annually, according to Ms Garcia. Last July, Canada eliminated its national goods and services tax on menstrual products while several countries have cut the tax. Online petitions prompted countries such as Britain, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands to end the practice while French lawmakers voted to reduce its tax on sanitary products from 20% to 5.5% following protests last year. Australia also launched a campaign to end a 10% Goods and Services (GST) tax, but the country's states and territories decided to keep the tax on feminine products in 2015.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1291, "answer_end": 2051, "text": "The tampon tax debate has gained momentum as a global movement in part due to a social media push to end the stigma surrounding menstruation through hashtag campaigns such as #HappyToBleed and #FreeTheTampons. In 2015, a London woman went viral after she ran the marathon without using feminine hygiene products to draw attention to the issue. 'Tampon tax': How much do women pay for periods? The same year, Republican Donald Trump stirred controversy after he referred to Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly as having had \"blood coming out of her wherever,\" prompting the hashtag #PeriodsAreNotAnInsult. President Barack Obama also underscored the issue when he said he had \"no idea\" why tampons were taxed as a luxury item in some states earlier this year."}], "question": "Why has there been a backlash?", "id": "1249_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3262, "answer_end": 3786, "text": "Last July, Canada eliminated its national goods and services tax on menstrual products while several countries have cut the tax. Online petitions prompted countries such as Britain, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands to end the practice while French lawmakers voted to reduce its tax on sanitary products from 20% to 5.5% following protests last year. Australia also launched a campaign to end a 10% Goods and Services (GST) tax, but the country's states and territories decided to keep the tax on feminine products in 2015."}], "question": "Which countries have banned the tax?", "id": "1249_1"}]}]}, {"title": "The girl who was 'stolen' by a soldier", "date": "26 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "When she was only five years old, Isabelina Pinto was taken from her family by an Indonesian soldier. She was one of thousands of children taken to Indonesia during its brutal 30-year occupation of East Timor. Decades later she found her family and now works to reunite others. The BBC's Rebecca Henschke tells her story. She remembers clearly the day an Indonesian soldier visited her family in their village in Viqueque. It was a Sunday after church, the time of day when Christian soldiers tried to get close to the ordinary residents of Catholic-majority East Timor. \"The soldier said 'if we don't take this child, we can kill you all'. He wanted a daughter, he didn't have one,\" Isabelina recalls. It didn't take long for her to realise she was being taken away from home. \"I was crying and crying. When we got to the port he lost his patience and he plunged me into the sea. \"He pushed me under the water two times. The other soldiers said 'Why did you do that, you have made her faint?'\" \"So she will forget East Timor,\" came his reply. She didn't forget. Isabelina now makes it her life's work to find the \"lost children\" who have now grown up and to find the families they were taken from. It is estimated that around 4,000 children from East Timor were separated from their families between 1975 and 1999 by the Indonesian military, state, or religious organisations. \"They were removed without the genuine consent of their parents; some of them were well cared for, educated and loved. But many were abused or abandoned,\" says Galuh Wandita, director of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR). \"The military wanted to 'adopt' the children of the resistance as a way to punish, weaken and humiliate the enemy,\" she says. It's not clear exactly why such a practice was encouraged but the psychology of occupation may well play a role. Bringing home a child became almost a trophy, proof of the military's success in subjugating rebellious East Timor. In other cases, religious groups promised parents that they would be educated, but converted them to Islam. Some of the army figures who \"adopted\" Timorese children are still powerful figures in Indonesia. The BBC approached them for comment, but they declined. \"Those who took children acted out of varied motivations,\" says Helene Van Klinken, author of Making the Indonesians. \"Some wanted to educate and promote Indonesian culture and showcase its superiority,\" she points out. It did create an extraordinary generation and many of East Timor's \"lost children\" have grown up to make names for themselves in their own right. Alfredo Reinado was recruited by the military when he was 11 and taken back to Java in a wooden box that was nailed shut so he couldn't escape. He went on to stage an attempted coup in East Timor in 2008. Thomas Americo, who was the first boxer in Indonesia to compete against an international title holder, was also taken as a child. \"They picked out people who were good at sport,\" says Dr Klinken. \"I think they were hoping that they would become the military for East Timor, but they had problems with them because they trained them up and then they joined the resistance.\" The former head of the Indonesian military, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, adopted a number of children from East Timor and Papua. One of them was Hercules Rozario Marcal, who has become a notorious gang leader in Jakarta and is currently serving a jail sentence. The officer who took Isabelina had always wanted a daughter, but her memories are of sexual abuse. \"He did things from the very beginning on the boat that were not the things you do to a daughter,\" she said. \"The only thing he didn't do was rape me.\" Isabelina's family never stopped looking for her and a few years ago when her nephew went to study in Indonesia, he tracked her down. \"My oldest child ran in saying your relative is here, he looks so much like you! \"I went back into the bedroom to pray and I started crying. My son came in and said, 'why are you crying. You can stop now...your family is here!'\" Her work  has seen her reunite nearly 40 lost children with their families. She travels across the Indonesian archipelago trying to track them down using photos and bits of information she gleans from teams in East Timor. \"I know what it feels like to not see your family for 30 years. Missing your family for that long is incredibly painful. It's like you're living a lie.\" In 2008 a bilateral Commission of Truth and Friendship (CTF) recommended the establishment of a commission for the disappeared that would include looking for children who were separated due to the conflict. \"It's a delicate issue,\" says Jacinto Alves, one of the Timorese Commissioners. \"It's been eight years and not much has been achieved.\" The person now in charge of following up Indonesia's response to the recommendations is Wiranto, a former military general indicted by a United Nations panel for atrocities in East Timor. As army chief, he was implicated by the panel in the bloodshed in which nearly 1,000 people died. His office did not respond to the BBC's request for an interview. But the Indonesian government supports the reunions organised through AJAR. They help participants get passports and travel documents and paid for some flights home. The Timorese government welcomes the returning lost children with open arms and offers them dual citizenship, but Indonesia does not. Indonesia says they help facilitate reunions in the spirit of \"reconciliation\", but insists on calling them \"separated children\" and does not accept that they were taken by force. Many of the lost children no longer speak the local language, tetum, and many have converted to Islam. \"All of them have lived a very hard life...they have been tough all their lives and now they need to work hard again to build up trust and fit back into a family life. I feel sorry for them,\" says Isabelina. They often return too late to see their mother or father again. \"Other than time travel we cannot reach back to the past and fill the abducted children's long lonely nights...but there is an opportunity to right a wrong. But the remaining time is short,\" says Galuh Wandita. What kept Isabelina going all those years was something her father told her before she left. \"When you look at the sky and feel the warmth of the sun and at night, see the moonlight, your family will be seeing the same thing and you will know that they are missing you.\"", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1378, "answer_end": 3424, "text": "\"They were removed without the genuine consent of their parents; some of them were well cared for, educated and loved. But many were abused or abandoned,\" says Galuh Wandita, director of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR). \"The military wanted to 'adopt' the children of the resistance as a way to punish, weaken and humiliate the enemy,\" she says. It's not clear exactly why such a practice was encouraged but the psychology of occupation may well play a role. Bringing home a child became almost a trophy, proof of the military's success in subjugating rebellious East Timor. In other cases, religious groups promised parents that they would be educated, but converted them to Islam. Some of the army figures who \"adopted\" Timorese children are still powerful figures in Indonesia. The BBC approached them for comment, but they declined. \"Those who took children acted out of varied motivations,\" says Helene Van Klinken, author of Making the Indonesians. \"Some wanted to educate and promote Indonesian culture and showcase its superiority,\" she points out. It did create an extraordinary generation and many of East Timor's \"lost children\" have grown up to make names for themselves in their own right. Alfredo Reinado was recruited by the military when he was 11 and taken back to Java in a wooden box that was nailed shut so he couldn't escape. He went on to stage an attempted coup in East Timor in 2008. Thomas Americo, who was the first boxer in Indonesia to compete against an international title holder, was also taken as a child. \"They picked out people who were good at sport,\" says Dr Klinken. \"I think they were hoping that they would become the military for East Timor, but they had problems with them because they trained them up and then they joined the resistance.\" The former head of the Indonesian military, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, adopted a number of children from East Timor and Papua. One of them was Hercules Rozario Marcal, who has become a notorious gang leader in Jakarta and is currently serving a jail sentence."}], "question": "Why take the children?", "id": "1250_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Award for Canada woman handcuffed for not holding escalator", "date": "29 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with a woman who was handcuffed and fined for refusing to hold an escalator handrail in a public transit station. Bela Kosoian was arrested in 2009 and fined a total of C$420 ($316, PS244). She was acquitted of the infractions, and sued the transit authority, the city where the station was located, and the arresting officer for C69,000. Two lower courts rejected her lawsuit, but on Friday the Supreme Court awarded her C$20,000. Ms Kosian had been taking the down escalator into the Montmorency Metro station in the city of Laval, Quebec, which is part of Montreal's public transit system, when a police officer stopped her and told her to hold the handrail. Their exchange became heated when she refused, and refused to identify herself. The officer then searched her bag and handcuffed her, issuing her two tickets - a C$100 one for disobeying an illustrated sign instructing her to hold the handrail, and a C$320 one for obstructing the work of an inspector. In her subsequent lawsuit, Ms Kosian said she had experienced \"significant psychological stress and humiliation\" as a result of the arrest. But two courts rejected the suit, arguing she had been \"the author of her own misfortune\". She fought the case all the way to Canada's Supreme Court. The court ruled the officer had conducted an unlawful search based on a \"non-existent offence, namely disobeying the pictogram indicating that the handrail should be held\". It settled on C$20,000 damages to be split between the city, the transit authority and the officer. The amount had been proposed by a lower court judge, in a dissenting opinion, in one of the earlier court cases. \"In a free and democratic society, no one should accept - or expect to be subjected to - unjustified state intrusions. Interference with freedom of movement, just like invasion of privacy, must not be trivialized,\" the court wrote in its decision.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 470, "answer_end": 1292, "text": "Ms Kosian had been taking the down escalator into the Montmorency Metro station in the city of Laval, Quebec, which is part of Montreal's public transit system, when a police officer stopped her and told her to hold the handrail. Their exchange became heated when she refused, and refused to identify herself. The officer then searched her bag and handcuffed her, issuing her two tickets - a C$100 one for disobeying an illustrated sign instructing her to hold the handrail, and a C$320 one for obstructing the work of an inspector. In her subsequent lawsuit, Ms Kosian said she had experienced \"significant psychological stress and humiliation\" as a result of the arrest. But two courts rejected the suit, arguing she had been \"the author of her own misfortune\". She fought the case all the way to Canada's Supreme Court."}], "question": "What happened with the handrail?", "id": "1251_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1293, "answer_end": 1926, "text": "The court ruled the officer had conducted an unlawful search based on a \"non-existent offence, namely disobeying the pictogram indicating that the handrail should be held\". It settled on C$20,000 damages to be split between the city, the transit authority and the officer. The amount had been proposed by a lower court judge, in a dissenting opinion, in one of the earlier court cases. \"In a free and democratic society, no one should accept - or expect to be subjected to - unjustified state intrusions. Interference with freedom of movement, just like invasion of privacy, must not be trivialized,\" the court wrote in its decision."}], "question": "What did the Supreme Court say?", "id": "1251_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Gordon Sondland: Trump\u2019s man in Brussels in eye of the storm", "date": "10 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It has been a torrid introduction to diplomacy for the wealthy hotelier appointed US ambassador to the EU by Donald Trump. Gordon Sondland is now at the centre of the impeachment inquiry, which seeks to establish whether President Donald Trump tried to pressure Ukraine into discrediting his potential 2020 election rival, Joe Biden. Mr Sondland made headlines after suddenly changing his testimony to Congress and suggesting that a potentially impeachable offence had been committed by President Trump. He had been a little-known figure until that 5 November testimony. So how is he viewed in Brussels? Speaking anonymously, one EU Council diplomat said he had \"a way about him that can rub people the wrong way\" and another said he was \"not everyone's cup of tea\". Questions are being asked about Mr Sondland's admission that he was given a \"special assignment\" in Ukraine by President Trump, despite the fact that Ukraine is not in the EU. Mr Sondland offered a glimpse into his personal life in a \"getting to know you\" video, posted on YouTube by the US embassy in Brussels a year ago. He sits on the sofa with his wife of 25 years and chats about his family, his European immigrant roots, his love for flying as a trained pilot, and his extensive art collection. The video is a cosy, open portrait of a wealthy family looking forward to a life in Europe. He is the 20th US ambassador to the EU, in his first foreign posting, which is also his political debut. His background has echoes of the president who chose him: a multi-millionaire hotelier and businessman who set his sights on politics. He had originally backed a Trump rival in the 2016 presidential race - Jeb Bush. Back then, Mr Sondland said Donald Trump was out of touch with his personal beliefs \"on so many levels\". But, when Donald Trump was elected, Mr Sondland donated $1m (PS781,000) to his inaugural committee. Soon after that he was made ambassador to Brussels. His political patch extended to Ukraine, and he split much of his time between Brussels and Kyiv. Earlier this year he told a Ukrainian reporter: \"We are what are called the three amigos and the three amigos are [Energy] Secretary [Rick] Perry, Ambassador [Kurt] Volker and myself, and we've been tasked with sort of overseeing the US-Ukraine relationship, between our contacts at the highest levels of the US government and the highest levels of the Ukrainian government.\" This role has since been called into question by the previous US Ambassador to the EU, Anthony Gardner, who described it as \"extremely unusual\", since it had little to do directly with the European Union. Mr Sondland called it a \"special assignment\". And that Ukraine role has put him in the spotlight as a key witness in the impeachment investigation. On 5 November Mr Sondland abruptly changed his testimony to Congress, saying he now recalled telling a top adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky that nearly $400m in military aid to Kyiv would not be released unless the Ukraine government announced an investigation - that President Trump wanted - into the business dealings of Joe Biden's son, Hunter. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm. It was essentially a quid pro quo arrangement with Ukraine that Mr Sondland had previously denied. The testimony adds credibility to the central accusation that President Trump abused his power in office by pressuring the Ukrainian government to take action that would help his 2020 presidential campaign. President Trump denies this. Mr Sondland's sudden declaration has caused incredulity, and generated endless comic material on US prime-time TV networks. On the CBS Late Show, comedian Stephen Colbert commented: \"Why did Sondland decide to revise his statement to Congress? According to him, incriminating testimony from other witnesses 'refreshed my recollection about certain conversations' .. huh, you know that testimony I just heard? It really refreshed the old noodle.\" Mr Sondland's reputation in Brussels is mixed, according to ambassadors and senior EU officials I spoke to. Impressions range from outward dislike of his style to open admiration. They agreed to speak frankly, on condition of anonymity. One senior EU Council diplomat said \"he talks in high tones - he's got a manner and a way about him that can rub people the wrong way. \"He's certainly an expert in alienation. Most other ambassadors in this job know the way it ticks, have other ambassadors' mobile numbers, and are plugged into the way things work. He hasn't come from this world of diplomacy, doesn't know it and seems not to want to know it either. And we haven't seen that much of him here in Brussels.\" Another said they would \"try to be diplomatic\" - before making clear that they much preferred the previous ambassador. \"This one's not, well not everyone's cup of tea, as you say. Maybe a Lapsang Souchong.... it can leave a bitter taste.\" On the subject of tea, it's anecdotally reported that Ambassador Sondland uses a silent buzzer device during diplomatic meetings in Brussels to signal to his staff that he wants a cup of tea. One ambassadorial adviser who has spent decades in Brussels had kinder words. \"He's aggressive, he's combative, some people might say highfalutin. But he seems very open and you get where he's coming from. I know where he stands and respect that.\" The official on-the-record view offers a different take. Mina Andreeva is chief spokeswoman for the EU Commission, and said: \"We have always experienced him as a very professional counterpart, who has been helpful in continuing our transatlantic relations.\" Diplomacy at its most diplomatic. Ambassador Sondland and his team in Brussels were contacted for comment this week, but were unavailable. Reluctance to engage with reporters appears to be out of step with the ambassador's previous efforts to reach out to journalists. The chief Europe correspondent for Politico, Matthew Karnitschnig, tells a story which suggests that up until recently, Ambassador Sondland went out of his way to make a name for himself. \"Not too long ago, we did a profile of the US ambassador to Germany. As soon as that story ran, all of a sudden our phone at Politico was ringing and it was none other than Ambassador Sondland, wondering why we weren't paying more attention to him. So I think it's quite interesting. This drive to get Trump's attention may have gone a little too far here in engaging with Ukraine and trying to do Trump's bidding.\" The impeachment hearings into Donald Trump go public this week.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3523, "answer_end": 4918, "text": "Mr Sondland's sudden declaration has caused incredulity, and generated endless comic material on US prime-time TV networks. On the CBS Late Show, comedian Stephen Colbert commented: \"Why did Sondland decide to revise his statement to Congress? According to him, incriminating testimony from other witnesses 'refreshed my recollection about certain conversations' .. huh, you know that testimony I just heard? It really refreshed the old noodle.\" Mr Sondland's reputation in Brussels is mixed, according to ambassadors and senior EU officials I spoke to. Impressions range from outward dislike of his style to open admiration. They agreed to speak frankly, on condition of anonymity. One senior EU Council diplomat said \"he talks in high tones - he's got a manner and a way about him that can rub people the wrong way. \"He's certainly an expert in alienation. Most other ambassadors in this job know the way it ticks, have other ambassadors' mobile numbers, and are plugged into the way things work. He hasn't come from this world of diplomacy, doesn't know it and seems not to want to know it either. And we haven't seen that much of him here in Brussels.\" Another said they would \"try to be diplomatic\" - before making clear that they much preferred the previous ambassador. \"This one's not, well not everyone's cup of tea, as you say. Maybe a Lapsang Souchong.... it can leave a bitter taste.\""}], "question": "Abrasive or just plain-speaking?", "id": "1252_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Germany plans \u20ac54bn climate deal amid 500 protests", "date": "20 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government has agreed to set a price on carbon emissions in a bid to meet a 2030 climate target of cutting greenhouse gases by 55% on 1990 levels. The package, estimated to cost EUR54bn (PS48bn; $60bn) by 2023, was settled as climate change protesters took to the streets in 500 German towns and cities. Key to the deal is a price for CO2 emissions in transport and buildings. Taxes on long-distance rail are set to fall but on air travel they will rise. \"We are not living sustainably today\", Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters as hundreds of thousands of protesters demanded immediate action. The Fridays for Future movement immediately rejected the package announced by Europe's biggest economy as inadequate. The movement adopted the part-English hashtag \"Not my Klima paket\" (not my climate package), and claimed that 1.4 million protesters had taken to the streets across Germany. In the capital, Berlin, it said 270,000 people had turned out, with a further 70,000 in Hamburg and Cologne. Police figures were slightly lower. The aim is for carbon pricing to come into force gradually from 2021, with a CO2 price slapped on petrol and diesel as well as gas and heating oil. An initial three eurocents will be added to the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel, rising to between 9 and 15 cents by 2026. The system will be based on a trade in emissions certificates under the EU's emissions trading scheme. The current cost of a tonne of CO2 is EUR26.30 and the government plans to raise the price to EUR35 by 2025 with a cap of EUR60. The coalition parties' so-called climate cabinet was locked in talks for 19 hours before reaching a compromise. Long-distance commuters will be granted some relief from the CO2 tax and there will be incentives for residents who modernise heating systems with climate-friendlier models. There will be a ban on new oil-fuelled heating systems. There will be incentives for buying electric cars as well as photovoltaic panels and a higher target for energy from offshore wind turbines. VAT (sales tax) on rail tickets is set to fall from 19% to 7% on 1 January 2020 and operator Deutsche Bahn said it would waive any price increase. A further EUR1bn of annual investment is planned until 2030 to modernise and expand the rail network to cope with an expected increase in passengers. Germany is on course to miss its 2020 target of reducing 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, so it is now focusing on 2030 instead. The chancellor said the chances of reaching the 2030 target were better now than those of reaching the original 2020 target. Her party colleague, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said the ultimate goal was to be carbon neutral by 2050 and she said the new package was ambitious. But reaction in Germany to the package has been cool. Commentators were surprised that the price of a tonne of CO2 would not rise for several years. Fridays for Future, which is behind the global climate change protests in Germany and around the world, complained that the measures had nothing to with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and that German society had moved far beyond its government on climate change. \"This is no breakthrough today, this is a scandal,\" complained prominent climate activist Luisa Neubauer, drawing attention to the \"historic\" number of protesters in the centre of Berlin. The liberal FDP complained that the package lacked vision while left-wing Die Linke said it was a \"largely ineffective patchwork of measures\".", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1074, "answer_end": 2361, "text": "The aim is for carbon pricing to come into force gradually from 2021, with a CO2 price slapped on petrol and diesel as well as gas and heating oil. An initial three eurocents will be added to the cost of a litre of petrol and diesel, rising to between 9 and 15 cents by 2026. The system will be based on a trade in emissions certificates under the EU's emissions trading scheme. The current cost of a tonne of CO2 is EUR26.30 and the government plans to raise the price to EUR35 by 2025 with a cap of EUR60. The coalition parties' so-called climate cabinet was locked in talks for 19 hours before reaching a compromise. Long-distance commuters will be granted some relief from the CO2 tax and there will be incentives for residents who modernise heating systems with climate-friendlier models. There will be a ban on new oil-fuelled heating systems. There will be incentives for buying electric cars as well as photovoltaic panels and a higher target for energy from offshore wind turbines. VAT (sales tax) on rail tickets is set to fall from 19% to 7% on 1 January 2020 and operator Deutsche Bahn said it would waive any price increase. A further EUR1bn of annual investment is planned until 2030 to modernise and expand the rail network to cope with an expected increase in passengers."}], "question": "What is the plan?", "id": "1253_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2362, "answer_end": 3530, "text": "Germany is on course to miss its 2020 target of reducing 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, so it is now focusing on 2030 instead. The chancellor said the chances of reaching the 2030 target were better now than those of reaching the original 2020 target. Her party colleague, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said the ultimate goal was to be carbon neutral by 2050 and she said the new package was ambitious. But reaction in Germany to the package has been cool. Commentators were surprised that the price of a tonne of CO2 would not rise for several years. Fridays for Future, which is behind the global climate change protests in Germany and around the world, complained that the measures had nothing to with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and that German society had moved far beyond its government on climate change. \"This is no breakthrough today, this is a scandal,\" complained prominent climate activist Luisa Neubauer, drawing attention to the \"historic\" number of protesters in the centre of Berlin. The liberal FDP complained that the package lacked vision while left-wing Die Linke said it was a \"largely ineffective patchwork of measures\"."}], "question": "Why now?", "id": "1253_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Mueller report: US Congress given key findings from Attorney General Barr", "date": "24 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US congressional leaders have been given conclusions from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The long-awaited report was submitted on Friday to Attorney General William Barr, who pored over the document before handing a summary to Congress. The report is the culmination of two years of investigation by Mr Mueller. A justice department official has said it does not call for new charges. In the course of their investigation, Mr Mueller and his team have already charged 34 people - including six former Trump aides and a dozen Russians - as well as three companies. None of those charges directly related to the allegations of collusion between the campaign and Moscow - allegations that President Trump has always denied. Mr Mueller reportedly also examined another question: whether Mr Trump committed obstruction of justice in an effort to curtail an FBI investigation into connections between his campaign and Russians. It is not yet known how much of the report - if any - will be made available to the public. It is not clear how much information is being shared with Congress. Mr Barr, who was appointed by Mr Trump, told congressional leaders on Friday that he was \"committed to as much transparency as possible.\" The president has spent the weekend at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. He has been uncharacteristically silent on social media - posting no remarks on the report. The president has in the past repeatedly lashed out at the special counsel investigation, branding it a \"witch hunt\". Despite all the attention is has received since it was submitted on Friday, the special counsel's investigation is not the only probe that could threaten Mr Trump's presidency. About a dozen other investigations are being run independently of Mr Mueller's office. They include a federal investigation in New York that is looking into possible election-law violations by the Trump campaign and his businesses and possible misconduct by the Trump inaugural committee. Legally, the attorney general is under no obligation to release the report publicly, but during his confirmation hearings before senators Mr Barr vowed to release as much as he could. A number of senior Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Beto O'Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Julian Castro, have called for the full release of the report. The House of Representatives, newly controlled by the Democratic party following last year's mid-term elections, will also continue to investigate the Trump administration and could ask Mr Mueller to testify or instruct Mr Barr to provide relevant materials.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2038, "answer_end": 2688, "text": "Legally, the attorney general is under no obligation to release the report publicly, but during his confirmation hearings before senators Mr Barr vowed to release as much as he could. A number of senior Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Beto O'Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Julian Castro, have called for the full release of the report. The House of Representatives, newly controlled by the Democratic party following last year's mid-term elections, will also continue to investigate the Trump administration and could ask Mr Mueller to testify or instruct Mr Barr to provide relevant materials."}], "question": "What happens next with the Mueller report?", "id": "1254_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Scandal-hit club shuts amid groping claims", "date": "25 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Presidents Club says it is to close following allegations that hostesses were groped at its men-only annual charity dinner. It said remaining funds would be distributed to children's charities \"in an efficient manner\". There was widespread outrage following claims about the event by an undercover FT reporter, and charities said they would return past donations. It also led to the resignation of a Department for Education director. The only women at last Thursday's event at the Dorchester Hotel in central London, which was attended by senior figures in business and finance, were hired hostesses. Event compere David Walliams said he was \"appalled\" by the claims but had not witnessed anything. The comedian and author tweeted that he was there in a \"strictly professional capacity\" and not as a guest. David Meller, who helped to organise the dinner, quit his non-executive role on the Department for Education board following the reports. Education minister Nadhim Zahawi was also a guest, and the BBC understands he has been called to see the government's chief whip to explain his version of events. It is believed he will be reprimanded but not fired. A No 10 source said the prime minister was \"appalled\" by reports of the event, adding: \"This shows there is a long way to go to ensure all women are treated properly as equals.\" Former Channel 5 baseball show presenter Jonny Gould, who was the auctioneer at the dinner, also said he had not witnessed any of the alleged behaviour at the event or in previous years. \"If I had I would not have continued to work at the event,\" he said. The Dorchester said it was \"deeply concerned\" and was looking into the claims. Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital have said they will return previous donations from the organisers following the allegations. Madison Marriage, the Financial Times reporter who worked at the event, said she and \"numerous other hostesses\" were groped at the event. She said the 130 hostesses were told to wear skimpy black outfits with matching underwear and high heels and also that they could drink alcohol while working. They were asked to sign a five-page non-disclosure agreement about the event upon arrival at the hotel, Ms Marriage said, and were not warned they might be sexually harassed. She told BBC Newsnight she was groped \"several times\" and said: \"It's a hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly. \"This isn't, I suppose, a high-level groping, but one of the strangest things was you could be talking to a man and he'd suddenly start holding your hand.\" She said there were other women there \"who had absolutely no idea that was the kind of event it would be\". \"I had one woman tell me that she was shocked,\" she said. \"She was asked if she was a prostitute on the night.\" The men-only dinner has been held annually for more than 30 years and has raised PS20m for children's charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital. Back in 2014, it generated PS694,000 but cost PS673,000 to put on. In the most recent figures in 2016, its expenditure was PS597,790 and income was PS1,590,139. In 2015, the dinner cost PS685,406 and PS1,103,855 was generated. Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital have said they will return previous donations from the organisers of the dinner following the reports. Great Ormond Street said it was \"shocked\" and said it had received PS530,000 from the Presidents Club via three gifts between 2009 and 2016. \"The returning of a donation is unusual and we are aiming to return the monies in full at the earliest opportunity,\" a spokeswoman said. The Royal Academy of Music said the allegations were \"deeply disturbing\" and said it would refund a PS10,000 donation. The Charity Commission said it was investigating the claims \"as a matter of urgency\". Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons, education minister Anne Milton told MPs that Mr Meller had quit his role following the allegations. She said Mr Meller, founder of the Meller Educational Trust, was \"absolutely clear\" that stepping down was the \"right thing to do\". Ms Milton said allegations of this type of behaviour were \"completely unacceptable\" and that board members were required to follow a code of conduct. \"It is quite extraordinary to me that, in the 21st Century, allegations of this kind are still emerging,\" she said. \"Women have the right to feel safe wherever they work.\" Mr Meller has also resigned as a trustee of the Mayor's Fund for London. A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Zahawi had \"attended briefly and felt uncomfortable at what had begun to happen.\" Mr Zahawi told Newsnight: \"I didn't stay long enough to really comment on the occasion.\" Mr Zahawi later tweeted: \"I do unequivocally condemn this behaviour. The report is truly shocking. I will never attend a men only function ever.\" The minister for digital and the creative industries, Margot James, told Newsnight that the event represented \"the very worst form of sexism with a smile on its face\". But she stood by Mr Zahawi, who told her he had left the event after an hour and a half. She said: \"That indicates to me that he was shocked by the events, didn't like the culture, the atmosphere.\" But Labour's Sarah Jones said Mr Zahawi should resign if he did not report his concerns and had attended on previous occasions, while shadow education secretary Angela Rayner called for an investigation into his attendance. The Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had confidence in Mr Zahawi and he was not being referred for investigation. The Department for Education said Mr Meller and Mr Zahawi had both attended in a personal capacity. Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green was also among the guests. In a statement, the Presidents Club said: \"The organisers are appalled by the allegations of bad behaviour at the event asserted by the Financial Times reporters. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable. \"The allegations will be investigated fully and promptly and appropriate action taken.\" A further statement added: \"The trustees have decided that the Presidents Club will not host any further fundraising events. Remaining funds will be distributed in an efficient manner to children's charities and it will then be closed.\" A spokesman for the Artista agency, which recruited the hostesses, said: \"I was not aware of any claims of sexual harassment but the kind of behaviour alleged is completely unacceptable. \"I am checking with the staff and any complaints will be dealt with promptly and fairly.\" Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality and women's rights, said: \"Sexual harassment, but all in a good cause? This is completely outrageous and proves why we need sexual harassment by clients or customers to be covered by law. \"At the moment, these women are unable to hold their employer to account for putting them in that situation.\" Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: \"Dragging progress for women's rights back 50 years in the name of charity is deplorable. \"This demonstrates how entrenched sexual harassment is in the workplace and how far we still have to go.\" WPP, the world's biggest advertising agency, which had sponsored a table at the dinner, said it was withdrawing its future support. Boss Sir Martin Sorrell, who did not attend, told BBC Radio 4's Today his guests did not see such behaviour and said: \"We won't support the charity in future, which is regrettable because it is a charity that supports numerous children's charities and has done a lot of good work.\" Real estate investment business Frogmore said the guests at its table were \"unaware of any of the described events but in no way condone this behaviour\" and it will now end its association with the event. Part of the event included a charity auction, with one of the prizes being the chance to have tea with Bank of England governor Mark Carney. However, a Bank of England spokesman said it was not aware of the dinner and \"did not approve any prize\". He said it was understood a prize donated by the Bank to the Lord Mayor's Appeal charity auction had been re-gifted by the winner to the Presidents Club event. \"The unauthorised re-auctioning of the prize at the Presidents Club dinner was clearly against the spirit of the original donation,\" he said. \"The Bank has therefore made clear that it has been withdrawn.\" He said Mr Carney was \"deeply dismayed that such an event could take place\". The Lord Mayor's Appeal said the prize should not have been transferred without prior agreement and said the original bidder had been offered a refund. Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general, said: \"If even half of what's been written about this event is true, it is deplorable and confirms how far we have still to go to stamp out sexual harassment.\" Ann Francke, CMI chief executive, told the BBC: \"If you're a captain of industry in 2018, do you really want your shareholders, your customers, your employees to see you associated with things like this? \"And all of the people who attended should have thought about that before they walked through that door.\" Former investment fund manager, now chief executive of Money&Co, Nicola Horlick, told the BBC: \"For this to be happening in this day and age it is unbelievable. \"The world has to change, there has been too much of this going on.\" Downing Street said the prime minister was \"uncomfortable\" at the reports about the dinner and a spokesman added that it was \"an event she wouldn't be invited to\". Another auction prize included lunch with Boris Johnson, but Ms Milton said the foreign secretary knew nothing of his inclusion and in no way endorsed the event. Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities select committee, told the BBC the report gave \"cause for concern\" and brought into question whether laws in the area were strong enough. Jess Phillips MP, who chairs the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party, told the BBC it was \"totally unacceptable that women should be hired in as a herd to entertain a group of entitled rich men\". Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: \"This is brave reporting from the FT, exposing behaviour that is outrageous and unacceptable.\" Jo Swinson, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, has written to the head of the Charity Commission asking for an investigation into the \"serious and potentially criminal nature of the behaviour\" at the event. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson said the allegations were \"deeply disturbing\". Have you ever worked as a hostess at an event like this? Please  share your experiences with us by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1840, "answer_end": 2874, "text": "Madison Marriage, the Financial Times reporter who worked at the event, said she and \"numerous other hostesses\" were groped at the event. She said the 130 hostesses were told to wear skimpy black outfits with matching underwear and high heels and also that they could drink alcohol while working. They were asked to sign a five-page non-disclosure agreement about the event upon arrival at the hotel, Ms Marriage said, and were not warned they might be sexually harassed. She told BBC Newsnight she was groped \"several times\" and said: \"It's a hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly. \"This isn't, I suppose, a high-level groping, but one of the strangest things was you could be talking to a man and he'd suddenly start holding your hand.\" She said there were other women there \"who had absolutely no idea that was the kind of event it would be\". \"I had one woman tell me that she was shocked,\" she said. \"She was asked if she was a prostitute on the night.\""}], "question": "What happened at the charity dinner?", "id": "1255_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2875, "answer_end": 3293, "text": "The men-only dinner has been held annually for more than 30 years and has raised PS20m for children's charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital. Back in 2014, it generated PS694,000 but cost PS673,000 to put on. In the most recent figures in 2016, its expenditure was PS597,790 and income was PS1,590,139. In 2015, the dinner cost PS685,406 and PS1,103,855 was generated."}], "question": "What is the event?", "id": "1255_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3294, "answer_end": 3947, "text": "Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina London Children's Hospital have said they will return previous donations from the organisers of the dinner following the reports. Great Ormond Street said it was \"shocked\" and said it had received PS530,000 from the Presidents Club via three gifts between 2009 and 2016. \"The returning of a donation is unusual and we are aiming to return the monies in full at the earliest opportunity,\" a spokeswoman said. The Royal Academy of Music said the allegations were \"deeply disturbing\" and said it would refund a PS10,000 donation. The Charity Commission said it was investigating the claims \"as a matter of urgency\"."}], "question": "What have charities said?", "id": "1255_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3948, "answer_end": 5862, "text": "Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons, education minister Anne Milton told MPs that Mr Meller had quit his role following the allegations. She said Mr Meller, founder of the Meller Educational Trust, was \"absolutely clear\" that stepping down was the \"right thing to do\". Ms Milton said allegations of this type of behaviour were \"completely unacceptable\" and that board members were required to follow a code of conduct. \"It is quite extraordinary to me that, in the 21st Century, allegations of this kind are still emerging,\" she said. \"Women have the right to feel safe wherever they work.\" Mr Meller has also resigned as a trustee of the Mayor's Fund for London. A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Zahawi had \"attended briefly and felt uncomfortable at what had begun to happen.\" Mr Zahawi told Newsnight: \"I didn't stay long enough to really comment on the occasion.\" Mr Zahawi later tweeted: \"I do unequivocally condemn this behaviour. The report is truly shocking. I will never attend a men only function ever.\" The minister for digital and the creative industries, Margot James, told Newsnight that the event represented \"the very worst form of sexism with a smile on its face\". But she stood by Mr Zahawi, who told her he had left the event after an hour and a half. She said: \"That indicates to me that he was shocked by the events, didn't like the culture, the atmosphere.\" But Labour's Sarah Jones said Mr Zahawi should resign if he did not report his concerns and had attended on previous occasions, while shadow education secretary Angela Rayner called for an investigation into his attendance. The Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had confidence in Mr Zahawi and he was not being referred for investigation. The Department for Education said Mr Meller and Mr Zahawi had both attended in a personal capacity. Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green was also among the guests."}], "question": "What about those who attended?", "id": "1255_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5863, "answer_end": 6667, "text": "In a statement, the Presidents Club said: \"The organisers are appalled by the allegations of bad behaviour at the event asserted by the Financial Times reporters. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable. \"The allegations will be investigated fully and promptly and appropriate action taken.\" A further statement added: \"The trustees have decided that the Presidents Club will not host any further fundraising events. Remaining funds will be distributed in an efficient manner to children's charities and it will then be closed.\" A spokesman for the Artista agency, which recruited the hostesses, said: \"I was not aware of any claims of sexual harassment but the kind of behaviour alleged is completely unacceptable. \"I am checking with the staff and any complaints will be dealt with promptly and fairly.\""}], "question": "What do the organisers say?", "id": "1255_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 6668, "answer_end": 7338, "text": "Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for gender equality and women's rights, said: \"Sexual harassment, but all in a good cause? This is completely outrageous and proves why we need sexual harassment by clients or customers to be covered by law. \"At the moment, these women are unable to hold their employer to account for putting them in that situation.\" Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: \"Dragging progress for women's rights back 50 years in the name of charity is deplorable. \"This demonstrates how entrenched sexual harassment is in the workplace and how far we still have to go.\""}], "question": "What do rights groups say?", "id": "1255_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7339, "answer_end": 9540, "text": "WPP, the world's biggest advertising agency, which had sponsored a table at the dinner, said it was withdrawing its future support. Boss Sir Martin Sorrell, who did not attend, told BBC Radio 4's Today his guests did not see such behaviour and said: \"We won't support the charity in future, which is regrettable because it is a charity that supports numerous children's charities and has done a lot of good work.\" Real estate investment business Frogmore said the guests at its table were \"unaware of any of the described events but in no way condone this behaviour\" and it will now end its association with the event. Part of the event included a charity auction, with one of the prizes being the chance to have tea with Bank of England governor Mark Carney. However, a Bank of England spokesman said it was not aware of the dinner and \"did not approve any prize\". He said it was understood a prize donated by the Bank to the Lord Mayor's Appeal charity auction had been re-gifted by the winner to the Presidents Club event. \"The unauthorised re-auctioning of the prize at the Presidents Club dinner was clearly against the spirit of the original donation,\" he said. \"The Bank has therefore made clear that it has been withdrawn.\" He said Mr Carney was \"deeply dismayed that such an event could take place\". The Lord Mayor's Appeal said the prize should not have been transferred without prior agreement and said the original bidder had been offered a refund. Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general, said: \"If even half of what's been written about this event is true, it is deplorable and confirms how far we have still to go to stamp out sexual harassment.\" Ann Francke, CMI chief executive, told the BBC: \"If you're a captain of industry in 2018, do you really want your shareholders, your customers, your employees to see you associated with things like this? \"And all of the people who attended should have thought about that before they walked through that door.\" Former investment fund manager, now chief executive of Money&Co, Nicola Horlick, told the BBC: \"For this to be happening in this day and age it is unbelievable. \"The world has to change, there has been too much of this going on.\""}], "question": "How have businesses reacted?", "id": "1255_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 9541, "answer_end": 10694, "text": "Downing Street said the prime minister was \"uncomfortable\" at the reports about the dinner and a spokesman added that it was \"an event she wouldn't be invited to\". Another auction prize included lunch with Boris Johnson, but Ms Milton said the foreign secretary knew nothing of his inclusion and in no way endorsed the event. Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities select committee, told the BBC the report gave \"cause for concern\" and brought into question whether laws in the area were strong enough. Jess Phillips MP, who chairs the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party, told the BBC it was \"totally unacceptable that women should be hired in as a herd to entertain a group of entitled rich men\". Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: \"This is brave reporting from the FT, exposing behaviour that is outrageous and unacceptable.\" Jo Swinson, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, has written to the head of the Charity Commission asking for an investigation into the \"serious and potentially criminal nature of the behaviour\" at the event. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson said the allegations were \"deeply disturbing\"."}], "question": "What do politicians say?", "id": "1255_7"}]}]}, {"title": "New Zealand bans dolphin swimming: People are loving them 'too much'", "date": "29 August 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Tourists in New Zealand have been banned from swimming with bottlenose dolphins because of the impact it has on the animals. New research shows people have been \"loving the dolphins too much\". Interactions with the dolphins has had a \"significant impact\" on the population's resting and feeding, says the department of conservation. People had been able to swim with the bottlenose dolphins in the Bay of Islands, on New Zealand's north island. But with the number of dolphins frequently visiting the bay dropping by 66% since 1999 - and now only 19 returning frequently - tourists have been banned from swimming with them there. The research also shows that dolphins in the bay have a 75% calf mortality rate - which is the highest number of deaths in the world, in captivity or the wild. The new rules came into effect in July of this year. They ban swimming with the dolphins entirely and tour operators who have a license to take people out on the water can only do that in either the morning or the afternoon. This will allow the dolphins to have a block of time with no human interaction. There were already some restrictions to protect them, but the new research shows they didn't go far enough. Getting close to exotic animals abroad is tempting for tourists, but countries across the world are starting to put conservation first - ahead of commercial gain. Earlier this year it was confirmed that elephant rides at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple would come to an end in 2020. The 14 elephants who are forced to carry tourists will be transferred to a conservation and breeding centre early next year. In Hawaii, officials are planning to introduce new laws that ban swimming with spinner dolphins. They admitted, however, that restrictions wouldn't stop dolphins approaching swimmers or boats themselves, saying that they are \"very social animals\" - sometimes a little too social perhaps. In 2018 swimmers were banned from taking a dip on a beach in Brittany because a dolphin was harrassing humans. The dolphin was said to have often been sexually aroused and tried to stop people from getting out of the water and back onto the beach at Landevennec. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1203, "answer_end": 2158, "text": "Getting close to exotic animals abroad is tempting for tourists, but countries across the world are starting to put conservation first - ahead of commercial gain. Earlier this year it was confirmed that elephant rides at Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple would come to an end in 2020. The 14 elephants who are forced to carry tourists will be transferred to a conservation and breeding centre early next year. In Hawaii, officials are planning to introduce new laws that ban swimming with spinner dolphins. They admitted, however, that restrictions wouldn't stop dolphins approaching swimmers or boats themselves, saying that they are \"very social animals\" - sometimes a little too social perhaps. In 2018 swimmers were banned from taking a dip on a beach in Brittany because a dolphin was harrassing humans. The dolphin was said to have often been sexually aroused and tried to stop people from getting out of the water and back onto the beach at Landevennec."}], "question": "Is animal tourism over?", "id": "1256_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Homeless US student population 'highest in more than a decade'", "date": "4 February 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The number of homeless students in the US is the highest in more than a decade according to a new study. Most of the 1.5m homeless children stayed with other families or friends after losing their homes. But 7% lived in abandoned buildings or cars, the report by the National Centre for Homeless Education showed. Homelessness is often caused by job insecurity, unaffordable housing, domestic violence and recently the opioid crisis. Living without a fixed address has a serious impact on children's education and health. Less than a third of homeless students were able to read adequately, and they scored even lower in mathematics and science, the report showed. \"Homeless children are in crisis mode, and because they don't have the luxury of focusing on school, they often fall behind,\" Amanda Clifford, of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness (NYFH), told the BBC. The most recent data was recorded in 2017-18 and was more than double the nearly 680,000 homeless students reported in 2004-05, the director of National Centre for Homeless Education told the New York Times. The research measures the number of children in schools who report being homeless at some point during an academic year. As such, it does not show the total population of homeless young people in the US. Homelessness is a growing problem in the US, usually linked to the national housing crisis. Millions of people spend more than half their income on housing, and many report they cannot afford to buy a house. Increasing rents and a housing shortage has forced thousands of people in California to live in caravans or inadequate housing. A changing economy, with factories closing down or the rise of the insecure gig economy, also leaves parents unable to pay rent. The opioid crisis, in which almost two million people are addicted to prescription drugs, is also causing some families to break up or children to be removed from their homes. A disproportionate number of homeless youth are LGBT, according to University of California Williams Institute. Nearly seven in 10 said that family rejection was a major cause of becoming homeless, and abuse at home was another major reason. Most experts say the solution lies in providing more housing at affordable rates, as well as providing support to families who may be affected by trauma or addiction. \"Addressing the immediate needs of families is important - providing housing and the next month's rent. But beyond that, people need to be supported after their crisis has ended,\" Ms Clifford, of the NYFH, said. For example, that could include paying for car repairs, so a parent can ensure they can travel to work. Tracking how children are performing at school over a longer period of time is also important, Ms Clifford says, because the impact of homelessness can continue even if a child is in stable housing again.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1286, "answer_end": 2168, "text": "Homelessness is a growing problem in the US, usually linked to the national housing crisis. Millions of people spend more than half their income on housing, and many report they cannot afford to buy a house. Increasing rents and a housing shortage has forced thousands of people in California to live in caravans or inadequate housing. A changing economy, with factories closing down or the rise of the insecure gig economy, also leaves parents unable to pay rent. The opioid crisis, in which almost two million people are addicted to prescription drugs, is also causing some families to break up or children to be removed from their homes. A disproportionate number of homeless youth are LGBT, according to University of California Williams Institute. Nearly seven in 10 said that family rejection was a major cause of becoming homeless, and abuse at home was another major reason."}], "question": "Why is student homelessness increasing?", "id": "1257_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2169, "answer_end": 2856, "text": "Most experts say the solution lies in providing more housing at affordable rates, as well as providing support to families who may be affected by trauma or addiction. \"Addressing the immediate needs of families is important - providing housing and the next month's rent. But beyond that, people need to be supported after their crisis has ended,\" Ms Clifford, of the NYFH, said. For example, that could include paying for car repairs, so a parent can ensure they can travel to work. Tracking how children are performing at school over a longer period of time is also important, Ms Clifford says, because the impact of homelessness can continue even if a child is in stable housing again."}], "question": "What are the solutions?", "id": "1257_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump: I didn't get a thank you for McCain funeral", "date": "20 March 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "US President Donald Trump has attacked the late Senator John McCain, complaining that he \"didn't get a thank you\" for his state funeral. \"We sent him on the way, but I wasn't a fan of John McCain,\" the president said during a visit to an Ohio tank factory. Mr Trump has repeatedly assailed the late Arizona senator in recent days, reigniting a feud that dates back to before his presidency. The Vietnam War veteran died of brain cancer last August at the age of 81. During his visit on Wednesday to the tank factory in Lima, Ohio, the president renewed his assault on McCain. \"I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve,\" he told workers at the factory. \"I don't care about this, I didn't get a thank you. That's OK.\" Mr Trump approved the military flight of McCain's remains from Arizona to Washington, but it was Congress that accorded the late senator the honour of lying in state. The US president said McCain \"didn't get the job done for our great vets and the VA\" by refusing to repeal Obamacare and attacked him for \"a war in the Middle East\", in reference to the senator's support for the Iraq War. \"Not my kind of guy,\" the president said. \"But some people like him and I think that's great.\" The president revived his spat with McCain on Saturday by tweeting that the late senator had backed the so-called Steele dossier, an unverified 2016 document by a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, claiming ties between Mr Trump and the Kremlin. On Sunday, Mr Trump went after McCain again, saying the \"last in his class\" senator had sent \"the Fake Dossier to the FBI\". Asked by a reporter about his attacks while hosting the Brazilian president at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said: \"I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be.\" Mr Trump has regularly clashed with McCain going back to his presidential campaign. By Anthony Zurcher, BBC senior North America reporter Donald Trump is feuding with a dead man. It all began in 2015 when John McCain condemned then-candidate Trump's allegation that Mexico was sending rapists into the US. Mr Trump responded by questioning the Arizona senator's heroism as a prisoner during the Vietnam War. At the time there was a chorus of condemnation from across the Republican Party and predictions that the New York businessman's White House hopes were ruined. It didn't turn out that way, of course. Mr Trump not only won the White House, he has moulded the Republican Party in his own populist, pugilistic image. Now Mr Trump's outbursts against the late senator are met mostly with silence from within his own party. Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson stands out as one of the few to sharply rebuke the president's remarks. Mr Trump clearly believes leaning into this now one-sided fight benefits him politically. There are plenty of conservatives who never liked McCain, and they will love the president even more for not backing down. The feud helped launch Mr Trump's presidential bid, and it's a wave he will ride till the very end. Mr Trump's attacks this week on McCain have drawn sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum, with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson calling the remarks \"deplorable\". \"The country deserves better, the McCain family deserves better,\" Mr Isakson told the conservative Bulwark news site, arguing that when the president insults \"the most decorated senator in history... it just sets the worst tone possible\". His Republican colleague, Senator Lindsay Graham, called McCain \"an American hero\" and said Mr Trump's comments \"hurt him more than they hurt the legacy of Senator McCain\". The late senator's family have also assailed Mr Trump. His daughter, Meghan McCain, told ABC's daytime talk show The View that her father would find it \"hilarious that our president was so jealous of him that he was dominating the news cycle in death\". McCain's widow Cindy told the BBC in the months after her husband's funeral that she may never get over the president's attack on his status as a war hero.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 466, "answer_end": 1241, "text": "During his visit on Wednesday to the tank factory in Lima, Ohio, the president renewed his assault on McCain. \"I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve,\" he told workers at the factory. \"I don't care about this, I didn't get a thank you. That's OK.\" Mr Trump approved the military flight of McCain's remains from Arizona to Washington, but it was Congress that accorded the late senator the honour of lying in state. The US president said McCain \"didn't get the job done for our great vets and the VA\" by refusing to repeal Obamacare and attacked him for \"a war in the Middle East\", in reference to the senator's support for the Iraq War. \"Not my kind of guy,\" the president said. \"But some people like him and I think that's great.\""}], "question": "What did President Trump say?", "id": "1258_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1242, "answer_end": 1895, "text": "The president revived his spat with McCain on Saturday by tweeting that the late senator had backed the so-called Steele dossier, an unverified 2016 document by a former British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, claiming ties between Mr Trump and the Kremlin. On Sunday, Mr Trump went after McCain again, saying the \"last in his class\" senator had sent \"the Fake Dossier to the FBI\". Asked by a reporter about his attacks while hosting the Brazilian president at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said: \"I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be.\" Mr Trump has regularly clashed with McCain going back to his presidential campaign."}], "question": "What's the background?", "id": "1258_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3054, "answer_end": 4052, "text": "Mr Trump's attacks this week on McCain have drawn sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum, with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson calling the remarks \"deplorable\". \"The country deserves better, the McCain family deserves better,\" Mr Isakson told the conservative Bulwark news site, arguing that when the president insults \"the most decorated senator in history... it just sets the worst tone possible\". His Republican colleague, Senator Lindsay Graham, called McCain \"an American hero\" and said Mr Trump's comments \"hurt him more than they hurt the legacy of Senator McCain\". The late senator's family have also assailed Mr Trump. His daughter, Meghan McCain, told ABC's daytime talk show The View that her father would find it \"hilarious that our president was so jealous of him that he was dominating the news cycle in death\". McCain's widow Cindy told the BBC in the months after her husband's funeral that she may never get over the president's attack on his status as a war hero."}], "question": "What's the reaction?", "id": "1258_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Ars\u00e8ne Tchakarian: French Resistance fighter dies aged 101", "date": "6 August 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The last member of an immigrant group who fought the Nazis for the French Resistance has died aged 101. Arsene Tchakarian escaped a Nazi crackdown in which 22 of the group's fighters were shot by the German occupation forces in Paris in 1944. He was awarded France's highest honour. President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that Tchakarian, an ethnic Armenian, was \"a hero of the Resistance and tireless witness whose voice resonated strongly to the very end\". Tchakarian only became a French citizen in 1958. He was granted several medals for gallantry, including the prestigious Legion of Honour in 2012. Tchakarian carried out attacks alongside Jews and other immigrant guerrillas against the Nazis. His group was led by a fellow Armenian, Missak Manouchian, who was among those shot by firing squad in February 1944. Both Tchakarian and Manouchian were communists, like many of the partisans who resisted the Nazi occupation of Europe. The collaborationist French Vichy regime issued a \"red poster\" in February 1944 after the execution of Manouchian and his comrades, intended to convince the public that the fighters were just a foreign criminal gang. Tchakarian managed to flee to Bordeaux, where he remained active in the Resistance until France was liberated in August 1944. After the war Tchakarian said the guerrillas were \"not heroes\", but had \"resisted because we could do it: we didn't have families or jobs. \"And we resisted because we loved France. It had adopted us.\" In later life he campaigned to get the Ottoman Turkish massacres of Armenians during World War One recognised internationally as genocide. In 2014, the then French President, Francois Hollande, inaugurated a Missak Manouchian park in the Armenian capital Yerevan, with his Armenian counterpart at the time, Serzh Sargsyan.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 600, "answer_end": 1275, "text": "Tchakarian carried out attacks alongside Jews and other immigrant guerrillas against the Nazis. His group was led by a fellow Armenian, Missak Manouchian, who was among those shot by firing squad in February 1944. Both Tchakarian and Manouchian were communists, like many of the partisans who resisted the Nazi occupation of Europe. The collaborationist French Vichy regime issued a \"red poster\" in February 1944 after the execution of Manouchian and his comrades, intended to convince the public that the fighters were just a foreign criminal gang. Tchakarian managed to flee to Bordeaux, where he remained active in the Resistance until France was liberated in August 1944."}], "question": "How did he resist?", "id": "1259_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong stocks slide as violent protests continue", "date": "13 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Hong Kong stocks have fallen again as another day of anti-government protests cast a shadow over the city and rattled investors. The Hang Seng index lost 2.2%, outpacing falls across Asia, continuing a downward path since Monday. It comes amid more clashes between protesters and police, and the partial closure of the transport network. Unrest has gripped the Asian financial hub for nearly five months, knocking the economy and business confidence. This week has seen a marked escalation in violence with intense street battles, violent clashes at universities and flashmob lunchtime protests in the financial heart of Hong Kong. \"The situation in Hong Kong has taken a decidedly dark turn this week with the violence and economic disruption seemingly gathering pace,\" Oanda analyst Jeff Halley said. He said worries about intervention by Beijing have \"ratcheted materially higher\" keeping Asian markets \"cautious at best\". The protests have dealt a blow to the local economy and Hong Kong recently tipped into recession. Tourism and retail businesses have been among those hardest hit as travellers stay away. \"Social unrest, coupled with uncertainty from the US-China trade tensions, have dampened overall business sentiment in Hong Kong,\" IHS Markit analyst Maojun Ye said. At the Chinese University of Hong Kong police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as protesters started fires and threw petrol bombs. Fresh lunchtime protests in the financial district saw crowds gather to chant slogans. Some black-clad protesters also vandalised a branch of the mainland Bank of Communications. Hong Kong is part of China, but as a former British colony it has some autonomy and people have more rights. The protests started in June against plans to allow extradition to the mainland - which many feared would erode the city's freedoms. The bill was withdrawn in September but demonstrations continued and now call for full democracy and an inquiry into police behaviour. Clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent and in October the city banned all face masks.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1590, "answer_end": 2083, "text": "Hong Kong is part of China, but as a former British colony it has some autonomy and people have more rights. The protests started in June against plans to allow extradition to the mainland - which many feared would erode the city's freedoms. The bill was withdrawn in September but demonstrations continued and now call for full democracy and an inquiry into police behaviour. Clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent and in October the city banned all face masks."}], "question": "Why are there protests in Hong Kong?", "id": "1260_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Hong Kong PTSD level 'comparable to conflict zones', study finds", "date": "10 January 2020", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Around a third of adults in Hong Kong reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the often-violent pro-democracy protests, according to a new study. The number was six times higher than four years ago, the University of Hong Kong study found. Levels of depression are reportedly comparable to those in conflict zones. The study's authors urged officials to improve the city's mental health provision. Hong Kong's protests began last June, focusing on a controversial bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects to mainland China. The bill was later withdrawn, but demonstrations have since evolved into a broader movement demanding investigations into police brutality and democratic reform. The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, was based on surveys of more than 18,000 Hong Kong residents between 2009 and 2019. The increase in PTSD symptoms corresponds to around 2 million adults out of a city of 7.4 million. Around 11% of adults reported symptoms of depression, up from around 2% before the city's earlier 2014 Occupy protests. \"One in five adults now reports probable depression or suspected PTSD, which is comparable to those experiencing armed conflicts, large-scale disasters, or terrorist attacks,\" the study said. The use of social media to follow the unrest was likely exacerbating the chances of mental health deterioration, the writers added. The numbers could actually be conservative, the study noted, due to under-18s not being included. \"Hong Kong is under-resourced to deal with this excess mental health burden,\" said professor Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, who co-led the research.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 728, "answer_end": 1689, "text": "The research, published in The Lancet medical journal, was based on surveys of more than 18,000 Hong Kong residents between 2009 and 2019. The increase in PTSD symptoms corresponds to around 2 million adults out of a city of 7.4 million. Around 11% of adults reported symptoms of depression, up from around 2% before the city's earlier 2014 Occupy protests. \"One in five adults now reports probable depression or suspected PTSD, which is comparable to those experiencing armed conflicts, large-scale disasters, or terrorist attacks,\" the study said. The use of social media to follow the unrest was likely exacerbating the chances of mental health deterioration, the writers added. The numbers could actually be conservative, the study noted, due to under-18s not being included. \"Hong Kong is under-resourced to deal with this excess mental health burden,\" said professor Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, who co-led the research."}], "question": "What does the study say?", "id": "1261_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Could the royal baby boost the economy?", "date": "23 April 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Spring is here, the sun is shining and a royal baby has arrived making some of us (see photos) feel a bit happier. It seems overdue. Consumer confidence has been dented in recent years as wages have failed to keep pace with inflation - leading to what economists call a squeeze on real incomes. Lower spending has seen several well known retailers forced to close shops, or even close down altogether. Could the arrival of a baby encourage a loosening of the purse strings? Views are mixed. But one firm is so confident it will that it's willing to put a number on it. Independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance estimates the boy will add PS50m to the UK economy before he reaches his first birthday. Chief executive David Haigh says: \"The birth of the new prince is also a tremendous marketing opportunity for British producers and retailers of baby products who can reference the royal baby in their promotional campaigns.\" It's something upmarket baby and maternity products retailer JoJo Maman Bebe has observed to its benefit. Laura Tenison, the company's managing director, says: \"The Royal Family and any news about them are a massive boost. \"During HRH's pregnancy with Princess Charlotte she wore our (already named) Cream Princess coat - it sold out instantly. This pregnancy she wore it again.\" Following the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Mothercare said it saw an increase in sales of its Heritage new-born clothing collection. The collection features more traditional prints based on red, white and shades of blue.  A spokesperson for the chain says the collection has continued to be a best-seller. But while a royal baby may be good for sales of individual clothing items, Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, there's not a lot in it for the broader UK economy. \"Historically, a new royal baby tends not to have a material effect on the economy. And a major boost seems even more unlikely this time, bearing in mind how many households are strapped for cash,\" he says. Brand Finance has quite a list of items: souvenirs, memorabilia, commemorative coins, food and drink, and also by encouraging increased sales in child-related products such as pushchairs and infant clothing - as recorded by JoJo Maman Bebe. Mr Shaw admits that the new baby, plus the forthcoming wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will help keep the Royal Family in the spotlight and help boost their popularity. \"This flurry of royal activity should continue to encourage tourism into the UK. \"So flights into the country, restaurant spending and accommodation, whether by professional suppliers or by the local AirBnB brigade, could all get a boost,\" he adds. The latest birth is the third child for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and is only fifth in line to the throne. On top of this, it's less than a month until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot. Brand Finance's David Haigh said this will inevitably overshadow the royal baby's commercial impact. Its PS50m economic estimate for the latest birth is significantly smaller than the PS75m and PS100m respectively that it estimated for the  impact of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. \"The third royal birth is - understandably - attracting less attention than the first two, and is additionally somewhat overshadowed by the upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,\" he says. Ms Tenison says rather optimistically that it never fades: \"This [the royal Family] is the first topic of conversation in America, where we are currently opening JoJo stores. \"The effect lasts... in a discreet way it will always be there.\" Mr Haigh's consultancy has also assessed the Royal Family as the gift that keeps on giving. He says the UK economy can expect an overall uplift - mainly from the from the Royal Wedding - of more than PS1bn in 2018, but, he says, the Monarchy provides an economic contribution every year. Brand Finance estimated 2017's boost at close to PS1.8bn.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 474, "answer_end": 2030, "text": "Views are mixed. But one firm is so confident it will that it's willing to put a number on it. Independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy Brand Finance estimates the boy will add PS50m to the UK economy before he reaches his first birthday. Chief executive David Haigh says: \"The birth of the new prince is also a tremendous marketing opportunity for British producers and retailers of baby products who can reference the royal baby in their promotional campaigns.\" It's something upmarket baby and maternity products retailer JoJo Maman Bebe has observed to its benefit. Laura Tenison, the company's managing director, says: \"The Royal Family and any news about them are a massive boost. \"During HRH's pregnancy with Princess Charlotte she wore our (already named) Cream Princess coat - it sold out instantly. This pregnancy she wore it again.\" Following the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Mothercare said it saw an increase in sales of its Heritage new-born clothing collection. The collection features more traditional prints based on red, white and shades of blue.  A spokesperson for the chain says the collection has continued to be a best-seller. But while a royal baby may be good for sales of individual clothing items, Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec, there's not a lot in it for the broader UK economy. \"Historically, a new royal baby tends not to have a material effect on the economy. And a major boost seems even more unlikely this time, bearing in mind how many households are strapped for cash,\" he says."}], "question": "Will people spend more?", "id": "1262_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2031, "answer_end": 2705, "text": "Brand Finance has quite a list of items: souvenirs, memorabilia, commemorative coins, food and drink, and also by encouraging increased sales in child-related products such as pushchairs and infant clothing - as recorded by JoJo Maman Bebe. Mr Shaw admits that the new baby, plus the forthcoming wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will help keep the Royal Family in the spotlight and help boost their popularity. \"This flurry of royal activity should continue to encourage tourism into the UK. \"So flights into the country, restaurant spending and accommodation, whether by professional suppliers or by the local AirBnB brigade, could all get a boost,\" he adds."}], "question": "If they do spend, what will it be on?", "id": "1262_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3458, "answer_end": 4043, "text": "Ms Tenison says rather optimistically that it never fades: \"This [the royal Family] is the first topic of conversation in America, where we are currently opening JoJo stores. \"The effect lasts... in a discreet way it will always be there.\" Mr Haigh's consultancy has also assessed the Royal Family as the gift that keeps on giving. He says the UK economy can expect an overall uplift - mainly from the from the Royal Wedding - of more than PS1bn in 2018, but, he says, the Monarchy provides an economic contribution every year. Brand Finance estimated 2017's boost at close to PS1.8bn."}], "question": "How long does the effect last?", "id": "1262_2"}]}]}, {"title": "US 'considers de-listing' Chinese companies", "date": "27 September 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The White House is reportedly considering de-listing Chinese companies from US stock exchanges as part of a broader effort to curb US investment in China. The US is also said to be looking at limiting the ability of government pension funds to participate in Chinese markets. The discussion comes amid a tense trade stand-off between the two countries. US stock exchanges dropped on the news, which Bloomberg first reported. Shares in Chinese companies listed in the US, which include big names such as Alibaba and JD.com, also fell sharply after the reports. Alibaba fell 5% while JD.com dropped more than 6%. More than 150 Chinese companies are listed on the major US exchanges, As of February, they were worth a total of $1.2 trillion in market value, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Their presence has prompted debate in the US. Critics, such as US Senator Marco Rubio, have said US investors are at risk since Chinese law shields their financial statements from audit by US regulators. In June, a group of senators, including Mr Rubio, put forward a bill that would de-list Chinese firms if they do not make audits available to US regulators within three years. Any White House plan would have to be approved by US President Donald Trump. He has signed off on the discussion, but no action is imminent, Bloomberg said. US and Chinese officials are due to meet next month for another round of trade discussions. So far, that dispute - triggered by US complaints of Chinese protectionism - has shown little sign of resolution. The two sides have imposed tariffs on thousands of items worth hundreds of billions in annual trade. The US is due to impose another round of tariffs next month.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 611, "answer_end": 1726, "text": "More than 150 Chinese companies are listed on the major US exchanges, As of February, they were worth a total of $1.2 trillion in market value, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Their presence has prompted debate in the US. Critics, such as US Senator Marco Rubio, have said US investors are at risk since Chinese law shields their financial statements from audit by US regulators. In June, a group of senators, including Mr Rubio, put forward a bill that would de-list Chinese firms if they do not make audits available to US regulators within three years. Any White House plan would have to be approved by US President Donald Trump. He has signed off on the discussion, but no action is imminent, Bloomberg said. US and Chinese officials are due to meet next month for another round of trade discussions. So far, that dispute - triggered by US complaints of Chinese protectionism - has shown little sign of resolution. The two sides have imposed tariffs on thousands of items worth hundreds of billions in annual trade. The US is due to impose another round of tariffs next month."}], "question": "Investor risk?", "id": "1263_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Iran frees woman who took off headscarf - lawyer", "date": "29 January 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "An Iranian woman detained after defiantly taking off her headscarf and holding it on a stick in Tehran has been freed, a human rights lawyer says. The woman - whose name remains unknown - became the face of protests in the country in December, and images of her were widely shared on social media. Iranian officials have so far made no public comments on the issue. Meanwhile, images of another three women repeating the act have gone viral after appearing on social media. The three unidentified women were also protesting in the capital - one at what appeared to be the same spot as the woman pictured in December. Nasrin Sotoudeh said she had seen an official dossier that showed the woman had been released. \"The girl of the Enghelab Avenue has been released\", Mrs Sotoudeh, a former political prisoner, wrote in a post on her Facebook page (in Persian) on Sunday. She was referring to the avenue where the woman took off her headscarf - a punishable offence in Iran. The lawyer said she had gone to the prosecutor's office to follow up the woman's case and had learned of her release the previous day. \"I hope they don't fabricate a legal case to harm her for using her basic rights,\" Mrs Sotoudeh wrote. \"She has not done anything wrong to deserve prosecution.\" The woman is believed to be the 31-year-old mother of a toddler. The woman has been the subject of a social media campaign in Iran following the anti-establishment protests at the end of last year in which at least 20 people died. A hashtag in Persian asking about her whereabouts - and English-language equivalents #where_is_she and #WhereIsShe - have been used thousands of times on Twitter, as well as on other social media channels used in the country where dissent is often met with repression. The photograph of the woman was first widely used in connection to the White Wednesday campaign in which women in Iran wear white to protest against the country's strict dress code. Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, women have been forced to cover their hair according to Islamic law on modesty.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 617, "answer_end": 1332, "text": "Nasrin Sotoudeh said she had seen an official dossier that showed the woman had been released. \"The girl of the Enghelab Avenue has been released\", Mrs Sotoudeh, a former political prisoner, wrote in a post on her Facebook page (in Persian) on Sunday. She was referring to the avenue where the woman took off her headscarf - a punishable offence in Iran. The lawyer said she had gone to the prosecutor's office to follow up the woman's case and had learned of her release the previous day. \"I hope they don't fabricate a legal case to harm her for using her basic rights,\" Mrs Sotoudeh wrote. \"She has not done anything wrong to deserve prosecution.\" The woman is believed to be the 31-year-old mother of a toddler."}], "question": "What did the lawyer say about the protester?", "id": "1264_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1333, "answer_end": 2067, "text": "The woman has been the subject of a social media campaign in Iran following the anti-establishment protests at the end of last year in which at least 20 people died. A hashtag in Persian asking about her whereabouts - and English-language equivalents #where_is_she and #WhereIsShe - have been used thousands of times on Twitter, as well as on other social media channels used in the country where dissent is often met with repression. The photograph of the woman was first widely used in connection to the White Wednesday campaign in which women in Iran wear white to protest against the country's strict dress code. Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, women have been forced to cover their hair according to Islamic law on modesty."}], "question": "How have Iranians reacted?", "id": "1264_1"}]}]}, {"title": "US sending 5,200 troops to border with Mexico", "date": "30 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The Pentagon is sending over 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico as thousands of Central American migrants walk towards the US in a caravan. General Terrence O'Shaughnessy said Operation Faithful Patriot would focus on Texas, Arizona and California. President Donald Trump earlier said the \"invasion\" of migrants would find the US military waiting for them. He also told Fox News that \"tent cities\" would be built to house migrants seeking asylum in the US. \"If they apply for asylum, we're going to hold them until such time as their trial takes place. We're going to hold them, we're going to build tent cities, we're gonna build tents all over the place,\" he said in an interview on Monday. There are already 2,100 National Guard members at the border, sent after a previous request by Mr Trump in April. Both sides of the US political divide have been accused of using the migrants for electoral gain just a week before Americans go to the polls. In mid-term elections on 6 November, President Trump's Republican Party will seek to keep both houses of Congress out of Democratic hands. The migrants are still around 1,000 miles (1,600km) from the US border. Gen O'Shaughnessy said the troops would be deployed by the end of the week with weapons, helicopters, aeroplanes, barriers and miles of razor wire to support border patrol agents. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington After a week in which guns and bombs dominated the headlines, Donald Trump seeks to return the focus on the migrants making their way through Mexico toward the US border. Their numbers may be dipping thanks to an offer of Mexican asylum and the length of the journey, but the president is sounding the alarm. The deployment of 5,000 soldiers to the border will probably have little tangible impact, given that the migrants plan to file legal requests for asylum. The urgency is questionable as well, given that it could be months before they arrive at the border. What the announcement represents, however, is clear. The president seeks to paint the refugees as a national threat that he alone is willing to counter. At the moment immigration is not among the top concerns of American voters. The president, perhaps seeking political advantage, has eight days to change that. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Kevin McAleenan also addressed Monday's news conference. He told reporters the migrants were estimated to be several weeks away from reaching the US border. The figure of 5,200 military personnel is higher than the 800 troops it was initially predicted would be sent. The total military deployment means the number of troops at the south-western border will exceed the US troops currently in Syria and Iraq, the Wall Street Journal notes. Mr Trump tweeted on Monday: \"Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border. \"Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. \"This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!\" Many of the migrants say they plan to seek asylum in the US. There is a legal obligation under international law to hear asylum claims from migrants who have arrived in the US if they say they fear violence in their home countries. Those seeking asylum must be fleeing due to a serious fear of persecution in their home country. Under international law, these are considered refugees. If an asylum seeker enters the US illegally, they are still entitled to a hearing of their claim. Economic migrants are those seeking a better quality of life - and even if they are fleeing devastating poverty, they are not considered refugees and do not have the same protections. Mr Trump is not the first president to send troops to the border with Mexico. President Barack Obama sent some 1,200 National Guard soldiers to guard the boundary, while President George W Bush deployed about 6,000 troops to help Border Patrol in what was called Operation Jump Start. Both deployments lasted for about a year.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1345, "answer_end": 2270, "text": "Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington After a week in which guns and bombs dominated the headlines, Donald Trump seeks to return the focus on the migrants making their way through Mexico toward the US border. Their numbers may be dipping thanks to an offer of Mexican asylum and the length of the journey, but the president is sounding the alarm. The deployment of 5,000 soldiers to the border will probably have little tangible impact, given that the migrants plan to file legal requests for asylum. The urgency is questionable as well, given that it could be months before they arrive at the border. What the announcement represents, however, is clear. The president seeks to paint the refugees as a national threat that he alone is willing to counter. At the moment immigration is not among the top concerns of American voters. The president, perhaps seeking political advantage, has eight days to change that."}], "question": "Why the urgency?", "id": "1265_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Ana Kri\u00e9gel murder: What next for Irish youth justice?", "date": "6 November 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "It is a case that will haunt Ireland for years to come. Two teenage boys, known only as Boy A and Boy B, have been sentenced for murdering another child. That child was Ana Kriegel. A talented 14-year-old schoolgirl who, by all accounts, just wanted to have friends. She was found dead in May 2018, in an abandoned house in Dublin, where she had been taken by one of the boys. Her brutal killing shook Ireland to its core - because her killers were just 13 years of age. Now 15, after a six-week trial, in June they became the youngest people in Irish history to be convicted of murder. Boy A was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault and was sentenced at Dublin's Central Criminal Court to life for murder and aggravated sexual assault, with a review period after 12 years. Boy B was sentenced to 15 years detention, with a review after eight years. It is a case which is unprecedented. The age of both the perpetrators and victim sparked intense public outrage and debate. Ana was born in Russia in February 2004, and at the age of two was adopted by Irish woman Geraldine Kriegel and her French-born husband, Patric, who lived in Lucan, Dublin. Her mother has said it had been the happiest day of their lives when they were allowed to adopt her. She was a keen dancer and singer, practising for hours in her bedroom and often posting videos of her dancing on YouTube. She was, in many ways, a typical teenage girl who loved to listen to music and use her various social media accounts. At 5ft 8in (1.7m), she was tall and strong - a good swimmer and gymnast. But she also suffered horrific bullying and was targeted on social media in the months leading up to her death. Criminal defence barrister for the eastern circuit and Dublin, Irene Sands, says Ana's teenage killers \"weren't giving off stereotypical red flags\". She said aside from the obvious horrific details of the case - the case struck a chord with \"middle-class Ireland\". \"Most people felt that Ana could be their daughter, sister or classmate in school,\" she says. However, many people also felt the boys could have been their sons, brothers or next door neighbours, she feels. They could have been anyone. \"It was two boys from good homes and decent families, no concerning background, no gardai (Irish police) attention.\" It seemed, they weren't so-called \"typical troubled teens\", she says. \"One of the boys was the first remanded in custody in Ireland to ask for Lego,\" she adds. \"It reminds you of the fact that they were 13 - they're actually little boys - they're so young.\" Irish police have been praised for their approach to the investigation. \"The guards handled it particularly well,\" says Ms Sands. The Children Act 2001 is what sets the parameters within which police in Ireland have to operate when they deal with juvenile offenders. She says they went \"over and above to comply with the act in terms of how they interacted with the offenders\". \"It is self-evident that in terms of the evidence gathered - very little was deemed inadmissible,\" she said. \"That's the best evidence in terms of how good a job the gardai did. \"None of it was deemed inadmissible because of any wrongdoing by the guards, including their interviews.\" Ms Sands believes one of the major talking points to come out of the trial was not heard by the jury. It was revealed in court that Boy A had searched online for \"child porn\" and \"animal porn\" and had thousands of pornographic images on two mobile phones. The judge refused to allow the prosecution to include this evidence as he said it was \"highly prejudicial\". \"All this was inadmissible to the jury,\" says Ms Sands. \"But the accessibility of pornography to teenagers has become a huge issue\". The issue came up for discussion in the Dail (Irish parliament). The Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, has said the government would monitor a UK-plan to restrict access to pornography. In the UK, an age-check scheme designed to stop under-18s viewing pornographic websites was due to come into force but has since been dropped. Under Irish law, Boy A and B are entitled to anonymity. The Children Act prohibits identification of minors accused or convicted of a crime and the boys' identities will remain protected even after they turn 18. They will never be named. But what happens when enshrined law meets modern technology? Pictures and names of the boys have appeared on social media. In July, the Central Criminal Court ordered Facebook and Twitter to remove any photographs or any other material identifying the two boys. A journalist was fined EUR2,500 (PS2,156) after he named one of the boys during a live radio broadcast and the radio station was fined EUR10,000 (PS8,625). Regardless of court orders though, once a name or picture has been seen or heard is the damage done? Youth justice criminologist Prof Phil Scraton, from Queen's University Belfast, says social media must not inform any judicial decisions. \"Social media is there and we have to deal with it but we should never make any decisions around it.\" Ms Sands says while anonymity is an important principle, it is in practice, difficult. \"Ireland is a postage stamp and it's likely their local communities know who they were,\" she adds. \"They were at school one minute, then missing for two months,\" she adds. She says while the anonymity the act is serving to protect is, in theory, well intended there are \"practicalities\" that must be considered. \"When you have only one detention centre in Ireland and you have two juveniles arriving in it, the reality of protecting anonymity is difficult and unrealistic,\" she says. The case throws up important questions about age and responsibility. In the Republic of Ireland the age of criminal responsibility is 12 but a child over the age of 10 can be charged with more serious offences such as murder, manslaughter, rape and aggravated sexual assault. In Northern Ireland it is 10. The Youth Justice Review team says it should be raised to 12, with a view to considering raising it to 14. In England and Wales it is 10 and has been increased from eight to 12 in Scotland. Prof Scraton says he believes with such a low age of criminal responsibility, we are \"in danger of criminalising children early\". He has done extensive research on the marginalisation and criminalisation of children and young people. He worked on the James Bulger case, which was widely considered to have been a turning point for youth justice in the UK. Two-year-old James was killed in Merseyside by two 10-year-old boys in 1993. The European Court of Human Rights found his killers, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both tried in public in an adult court, did not get a fair trial. Arguably, Ana's murder has revived memories of that case in Irish society. Prof Scraton says there is a \"contradiction at the heart of this discussion\". That contradiction, he believes, is the age at which children are held to criminal account versus the age at which they are given rights in society. It's an age he believes, that both in the UK and Ireland, is too young. \"Childhood is a period of transition,\" he says. \"In a whole range of other areas of our lives we map that transition according to age and the age we usually agree on is 15 to 18. \"Then we agree - they can do things like get married, vote, drive and drink alcohol in public places. \"We make an exception in one case and that is the age of criminal responsibility. \"In this one area we are saying they have full adult capacity when they're much younger - a ridiculous contradiction.\" Prof Scraton says while children do not have what we would consider \"full adult capacity\" this does not, he says, mean we should not do anything. \"I think it's really important that we do intervene but intervene appropriately,\" he says. \"That is what happens for example in Scandinavian countries where there will be work done with that child to ensure they understand what they have done\". When he worked in Sweden and Norway \"as soon as it was found they were children there was a moratorium on reporting\", he says. In Scandinavia, the age of criminal responsibility is 15. But is the public mood out of step with what researchers like him think? Many people on social media have called for the boys to be locked up for life. After sentencing, Drogheda-based barrister Sarah Jane Judge told RTE the court was faced with the question: \"How do we vindicate the life of this little girl who was so violently killed while also accounting for the fact that they (her killers) are children themselves?\" The two 15-year-olds have been in detention since their convictions in July. As juveniles, they will go to Oberstown Children Detention Campus in north County Dublin. Section 96 of the Children Act sets out that any period of detention should be \"imposed only as a measure of last resort\". Ms Sands explains the focus will be on rehabilitation and ultimate reintegration into society much more so than it would be in an adult prison. \"The services provided in Oberstown are excellent. They have a view to equipping the children as best they can for when they come out and have to ultimately reintegrate,\" she said. \"There is a lot of victim impact work that is done - victim empathy and awareness. There is a lot of intervention work done.\" If the period of detention extends beyond the child turning 18, the Minister for Children and Youth Justice can authorise the transfer to a place of detention or prison. In terms of their release, that is a matter for governors and minister for justice but the review period is fixed by the court. In sentencing the boys, the judge told them: \"You have the opportunity for a second chance... something you so wrongfully and cruelly denied to Ana Kriegel.\" But he said sentences must be proportionate not only to the crime but to the offender. Children must be treated differently from adults, he said, and age was a substantial mitigating factor. Since her death, there has been a public outpouring of grief. Her parents told the court they had been \"broken\" since she was murdered. Her mother said they brought Ana to a safe place, a quiet country village, a leafy village, where the only sounds in the morning were the doves cooing. No-one, she said, could suspect the \"evil that lay in wait for her\". In sentencing the boys, the judge said Ana's murder had resulted in a \"life-long sentence\" for the Kriegels. Reacting to the length of sentence, Ana's father Patric said: \"For our part, we can only say that forever is not long enough.\" It is impossible for the Irish public to know what will happen to her killers, but Ana will never get the chance to grow up and fulfil her dreams. She will be forever 14.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 981, "answer_end": 1679, "text": "Ana was born in Russia in February 2004, and at the age of two was adopted by Irish woman Geraldine Kriegel and her French-born husband, Patric, who lived in Lucan, Dublin. Her mother has said it had been the happiest day of their lives when they were allowed to adopt her. She was a keen dancer and singer, practising for hours in her bedroom and often posting videos of her dancing on YouTube. She was, in many ways, a typical teenage girl who loved to listen to music and use her various social media accounts. At 5ft 8in (1.7m), she was tall and strong - a good swimmer and gymnast. But she also suffered horrific bullying and was targeted on social media in the months leading up to her death."}], "question": "Who was Ana Kriegel?", "id": "1266_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1680, "answer_end": 2555, "text": "Criminal defence barrister for the eastern circuit and Dublin, Irene Sands, says Ana's teenage killers \"weren't giving off stereotypical red flags\". She said aside from the obvious horrific details of the case - the case struck a chord with \"middle-class Ireland\". \"Most people felt that Ana could be their daughter, sister or classmate in school,\" she says. However, many people also felt the boys could have been their sons, brothers or next door neighbours, she feels. They could have been anyone. \"It was two boys from good homes and decent families, no concerning background, no gardai (Irish police) attention.\" It seemed, they weren't so-called \"typical troubled teens\", she says. \"One of the boys was the first remanded in custody in Ireland to ask for Lego,\" she adds. \"It reminds you of the fact that they were 13 - they're actually little boys - they're so young.\""}], "question": "What do we know about her killers?", "id": "1266_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2556, "answer_end": 3217, "text": "Irish police have been praised for their approach to the investigation. \"The guards handled it particularly well,\" says Ms Sands. The Children Act 2001 is what sets the parameters within which police in Ireland have to operate when they deal with juvenile offenders. She says they went \"over and above to comply with the act in terms of how they interacted with the offenders\". \"It is self-evident that in terms of the evidence gathered - very little was deemed inadmissible,\" she said. \"That's the best evidence in terms of how good a job the gardai did. \"None of it was deemed inadmissible because of any wrongdoing by the guards, including their interviews.\""}], "question": "How did police handle the case?", "id": "1266_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3218, "answer_end": 4056, "text": "Ms Sands believes one of the major talking points to come out of the trial was not heard by the jury. It was revealed in court that Boy A had searched online for \"child porn\" and \"animal porn\" and had thousands of pornographic images on two mobile phones. The judge refused to allow the prosecution to include this evidence as he said it was \"highly prejudicial\". \"All this was inadmissible to the jury,\" says Ms Sands. \"But the accessibility of pornography to teenagers has become a huge issue\". The issue came up for discussion in the Dail (Irish parliament). The Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, has said the government would monitor a UK-plan to restrict access to pornography. In the UK, an age-check scheme designed to stop under-18s viewing pornographic websites was due to come into force but has since been dropped."}], "question": "Did pornography play a role?", "id": "1266_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4057, "answer_end": 5624, "text": "Under Irish law, Boy A and B are entitled to anonymity. The Children Act prohibits identification of minors accused or convicted of a crime and the boys' identities will remain protected even after they turn 18. They will never be named. But what happens when enshrined law meets modern technology? Pictures and names of the boys have appeared on social media. In July, the Central Criminal Court ordered Facebook and Twitter to remove any photographs or any other material identifying the two boys. A journalist was fined EUR2,500 (PS2,156) after he named one of the boys during a live radio broadcast and the radio station was fined EUR10,000 (PS8,625). Regardless of court orders though, once a name or picture has been seen or heard is the damage done? Youth justice criminologist Prof Phil Scraton, from Queen's University Belfast, says social media must not inform any judicial decisions. \"Social media is there and we have to deal with it but we should never make any decisions around it.\" Ms Sands says while anonymity is an important principle, it is in practice, difficult. \"Ireland is a postage stamp and it's likely their local communities know who they were,\" she adds. \"They were at school one minute, then missing for two months,\" she adds. She says while the anonymity the act is serving to protect is, in theory, well intended there are \"practicalities\" that must be considered. \"When you have only one detention centre in Ireland and you have two juveniles arriving in it, the reality of protecting anonymity is difficult and unrealistic,\" she says."}], "question": "Can anonymity be guaranteed?", "id": "1266_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5625, "answer_end": 6782, "text": "The case throws up important questions about age and responsibility. In the Republic of Ireland the age of criminal responsibility is 12 but a child over the age of 10 can be charged with more serious offences such as murder, manslaughter, rape and aggravated sexual assault. In Northern Ireland it is 10. The Youth Justice Review team says it should be raised to 12, with a view to considering raising it to 14. In England and Wales it is 10 and has been increased from eight to 12 in Scotland. Prof Scraton says he believes with such a low age of criminal responsibility, we are \"in danger of criminalising children early\". He has done extensive research on the marginalisation and criminalisation of children and young people. He worked on the James Bulger case, which was widely considered to have been a turning point for youth justice in the UK. Two-year-old James was killed in Merseyside by two 10-year-old boys in 1993. The European Court of Human Rights found his killers, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both tried in public in an adult court, did not get a fair trial. Arguably, Ana's murder has revived memories of that case in Irish society."}], "question": "When can a child become a criminal?", "id": "1266_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 7564, "answer_end": 8562, "text": "Prof Scraton says while children do not have what we would consider \"full adult capacity\" this does not, he says, mean we should not do anything. \"I think it's really important that we do intervene but intervene appropriately,\" he says. \"That is what happens for example in Scandinavian countries where there will be work done with that child to ensure they understand what they have done\". When he worked in Sweden and Norway \"as soon as it was found they were children there was a moratorium on reporting\", he says. In Scandinavia, the age of criminal responsibility is 15. But is the public mood out of step with what researchers like him think? Many people on social media have called for the boys to be locked up for life. After sentencing, Drogheda-based barrister Sarah Jane Judge told RTE the court was faced with the question: \"How do we vindicate the life of this little girl who was so violently killed while also accounting for the fact that they (her killers) are children themselves?\""}], "question": "What should the boys' sentences be about?", "id": "1266_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 8563, "answer_end": 9950, "text": "The two 15-year-olds have been in detention since their convictions in July. As juveniles, they will go to Oberstown Children Detention Campus in north County Dublin. Section 96 of the Children Act sets out that any period of detention should be \"imposed only as a measure of last resort\". Ms Sands explains the focus will be on rehabilitation and ultimate reintegration into society much more so than it would be in an adult prison. \"The services provided in Oberstown are excellent. They have a view to equipping the children as best they can for when they come out and have to ultimately reintegrate,\" she said. \"There is a lot of victim impact work that is done - victim empathy and awareness. There is a lot of intervention work done.\" If the period of detention extends beyond the child turning 18, the Minister for Children and Youth Justice can authorise the transfer to a place of detention or prison. In terms of their release, that is a matter for governors and minister for justice but the review period is fixed by the court. In sentencing the boys, the judge told them: \"You have the opportunity for a second chance... something you so wrongfully and cruelly denied to Ana Kriegel.\" But he said sentences must be proportionate not only to the crime but to the offender. Children must be treated differently from adults, he said, and age was a substantial mitigating factor."}], "question": "What happens next?", "id": "1266_7"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 9951, "answer_end": 10714, "text": "Since her death, there has been a public outpouring of grief. Her parents told the court they had been \"broken\" since she was murdered. Her mother said they brought Ana to a safe place, a quiet country village, a leafy village, where the only sounds in the morning were the doves cooing. No-one, she said, could suspect the \"evil that lay in wait for her\". In sentencing the boys, the judge said Ana's murder had resulted in a \"life-long sentence\" for the Kriegels. Reacting to the length of sentence, Ana's father Patric said: \"For our part, we can only say that forever is not long enough.\" It is impossible for the Irish public to know what will happen to her killers, but Ana will never get the chance to grow up and fulfil her dreams. She will be forever 14."}], "question": "How will Ana Kriegel be remembered?", "id": "1266_8"}]}]}, {"title": "Why is Nigeria's President Buhari still in London?", "date": "23 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was beginning his latest visit to London more than a month ago, a new series of Big Brother Nigeria was getting under way. A former military ruler known for his no-nonsense style would appear to have little in common with a reality TV show where contestants engage in attention-seeking behaviour. But both subjects were soon generating headlines for the same reason - neither of them were in Nigeria. It turned out that Big Brother was actually being filmed in South Africa  - a decision that led Nigeria's information minister to launch an investigation. While the howls of protests from outraged Big Brother fans soon died down, the clamour over Nigeria's leader's extended medical stay in London is not going away. President Buhari's absence comes as Africa's most populous nation is gripped by its worst economic crisis in decades, and faces the threat of famine in north-east Nigeria, which has been devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency. And unlike Big Brother, there are no constant updates - in fact, President Buhari, 74, has not given a single interview since arriving in the UK. Instead, the Nigerian public is relying on pictures - posted on Twitter - of their leader meeting senior UK officials as proof that he still is alive. The latest statement issued by the government said there was \"no cause for worry\" about the president's health but his medical leave was being extended. Nigerians have now heard their leader's voice for the first time since he left for the UK after a telephone conversation with the governor of the northern state of Kano was played out loud at a prayer meeting. His month-long stay so far has angered some Nigerians after he promised to crack down on \"medical tourism\" by officials. Last June, President Buhari spent nearly two weeks in London receiving treatment for an ear infection. But the bigger issue this time is that officials have repeatedly refused to disclose his illness and are not saying when he will return to Nigeria. In a country where rumours are rife, the presidential statements have done little to dampen the speculation about the leader's health. Nigerians are acutely sensitive to leaders travelling abroad for medical reasons after President Umaru Yar'Adua died while in office in 2010. For months, the public was kept in the dark while he received treatment in Saudi Arabia. The period of uncertainty created deep political instability in the country. The current president's supporters say that is emphatically not the case this time. They point to the fact that President Buhari constitutionally handed over power to his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, as he has done on previous trips, rather than governing from afar. He did take one phone call while in London, however, from the US President Donald Trump - the first between the two leaders. \"There is no vacuum at the top,\" says political analyst Jibrin Ibrahim. \"President Buhari takes his constitutional role seriously, and has not personalised power, unlike other African leaders. \"My chief criticism is that his government has been acting like it has all the time in the world, when in fact urgent decisions needed to be made in regard to the economy.\" But, perhaps, one of the most striking things about President Buhari's absence has been the go-getting style of the acting leader. Yemi Osinbajo is preparing to launch an economic recovery plan. He also led a high-profile delegation to the Niger Delta to voice support for a government agreement with local militants groups that have seriously disrupted the region's oil production. But critics say that despite all his activity, the vice-president has no real authority. \"He cannot perform because ministers and other political appointments are not obliged to be loyal to him as he didn't appoint them,\" said Isuwa Dogo, a political analyst, and a member of the opposition party. \"President Buhari is a public figure and there is no need for him to hide behind his health issues. \"I want him to be back in the county. If there are successes, he will get the credit. If there are failures, he will get the blame.\" So, while Big Brother fans will know in April who has been crowned the series winner, for now, no-one seems to know when Nigeria's president will come back home.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 3047, "answer_end": 4295, "text": "\"My chief criticism is that his government has been acting like it has all the time in the world, when in fact urgent decisions needed to be made in regard to the economy.\" But, perhaps, one of the most striking things about President Buhari's absence has been the go-getting style of the acting leader. Yemi Osinbajo is preparing to launch an economic recovery plan. He also led a high-profile delegation to the Niger Delta to voice support for a government agreement with local militants groups that have seriously disrupted the region's oil production. But critics say that despite all his activity, the vice-president has no real authority. \"He cannot perform because ministers and other political appointments are not obliged to be loyal to him as he didn't appoint them,\" said Isuwa Dogo, a political analyst, and a member of the opposition party. \"President Buhari is a public figure and there is no need for him to hide behind his health issues. \"I want him to be back in the county. If there are successes, he will get the credit. If there are failures, he will get the blame.\" So, while Big Brother fans will know in April who has been crowned the series winner, for now, no-one seems to know when Nigeria's president will come back home."}], "question": "Lack of authority?", "id": "1267_0"}]}]}, {"title": "La David Johnson death: How did US soldiers come under attack in Niger?", "date": "23 October 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The latest controversy involving Donald Trump centres on the way he extended his condolences to the widow of a soldier killed in Niger. Myeshia Johnson accused the US president of struggling to remember her husband's name. Mr Trump denies this. Sgt La David Johnson was one of four US soldiers killed in Niger earlier this month. Here is what we know about their deaths. A joint patrol between US and Niger troops came under machine-gun and rocket fire on 4 October near Tongo Tongo in the Tillaberi region of south-western Niger. According to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Joseph Dunford, the soldiers did not seek additional help until an hour after the attack began. Minutes later a drone arrived. French aircraft came to provide assistance within an hour, followed by attack helicopters, with the Nigeriens also providing backup. Five soldiers from Niger and three from the US Army Special Forces were reported killed, while two other Americans were wounded. The French airlifted the injured to the capital city Niamey, before they were eventually flown to Germany for treatment and later home to the US. The bodies of those killed were taken away by a private contractor. While on the ground on such assignments, US personnel are usually equipped to fight back if attacked but they are not in Niger primarily to carry out offensive missions. It is highly unlikely that these troops were on a high-risk mission - otherwise they would have had a stronger deployment. Gen Dunford says the troops did not expect resistance on this patrol, as is the basis for joint patrols with local military forces. As a result they were only equipped with rifles and other small arms. During the fighting, he was separated from his colleagues. French, Nigerien and US forces remained in the area until Sgt Johnson's body was found two days later. So far, no group has claimed it. The area is near the border with Mali. Different extremist groups - including some linked to al-Qaeda, as well as the so-called Islamic State - operate on both sides of the border. Many of the attacks carried out here are not claimed by any group. Some local and regional media say the regional wing of IS, led by Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, is responsible. But unusually, there has been no chatter about it on IS-linked social media accounts. Jihadist groups often boast when they kill soldiers, so to have Westerners, and Americans in particular as their victims, would be considered a huge feat. Videos from jihadi groups sometimes feature videos of captured soldiers or corpses of those killed. There has been no such acknowledgement so far and it does not appear as if the attackers found Sgt Johnson's body. The attack happened a long way away from areas where Boko Haram militants are usually found, which is towards the south-east of Niger around Lake Chad. The US has 800 military personnel in Niger to support and train the local forces to improve counterterrorism efforts (and the US supports several other African countries in a similar manner). Last Thursday, Director of Joint Staff Lt-Gen Kenneth McKenzie insisted US troops were not taking part in or advising in Niger's direct combat missions. Some of the Americans are also involved in the construction of an air facility in the town of Agadez for transport and surveillance operations across the Sahel region. The plan is to share the intelligence gathered with the local partners, including Niger. That is what some American politicians and media are suggesting but back in June, in a letter to Congress, President Trump, indicated that there were 625 US troops in Niger at the time, conducting counterterrorism operations. Currently at 800, this tally is the largest in Africa outside Camp Lemonnier, the US base in Djibouti. This is the first time American soldiers have been killed in combat in Niger. With the increasing number of US military personnel getting involved in missions in Africa, it would not be far-fetched to suggest there will be other cases in the future. In May, a navy seal was killed in Somalia while accompanying local forces on a raid on al-Shabab militants. It is still unclear what the circumstances surrounding the attack were. US Africa Command (Africom) says it is investigating the case to establish the details of what led to the incident, what happened during the fighting and the aftermath, including how Sgt Johnson got separated from his colleagues, whether the forces conducting the evacuation conducted a headcount, and why it took so long to find Sgt Johnson's body. While the Americans insist the convoy was not on a special mission, including pursuing any high-value targets, some media reports quote Nigerien military officials as saying the troops had been responding to an attack on a nearby village by an armed group. These reports raise questions about whether the locals had been sympathetic to or even collaborating with the attackers, to allow the soldiers to be lured into the ambush. It is also unclear whether the US forces had enough intelligence on the threat they faced.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 371, "answer_end": 1193, "text": "A joint patrol between US and Niger troops came under machine-gun and rocket fire on 4 October near Tongo Tongo in the Tillaberi region of south-western Niger. According to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Joseph Dunford, the soldiers did not seek additional help until an hour after the attack began. Minutes later a drone arrived. French aircraft came to provide assistance within an hour, followed by attack helicopters, with the Nigeriens also providing backup. Five soldiers from Niger and three from the US Army Special Forces were reported killed, while two other Americans were wounded. The French airlifted the injured to the capital city Niamey, before they were eventually flown to Germany for treatment and later home to the US. The bodies of those killed were taken away by a private contractor."}], "question": "What happened?", "id": "1268_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1194, "answer_end": 1688, "text": "While on the ground on such assignments, US personnel are usually equipped to fight back if attacked but they are not in Niger primarily to carry out offensive missions. It is highly unlikely that these troops were on a high-risk mission - otherwise they would have had a stronger deployment. Gen Dunford says the troops did not expect resistance on this patrol, as is the basis for joint patrols with local military forces. As a result they were only equipped with rifles and other small arms."}], "question": "Why did the US soldiers struggle to fight off their attackers?", "id": "1268_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1689, "answer_end": 1850, "text": "During the fighting, he was separated from his colleagues. French, Nigerien and US forces remained in the area until Sgt Johnson's body was found two days later."}], "question": "What happened to Sgt La David Johnson?", "id": "1268_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1851, "answer_end": 2843, "text": "So far, no group has claimed it. The area is near the border with Mali. Different extremist groups - including some linked to al-Qaeda, as well as the so-called Islamic State - operate on both sides of the border. Many of the attacks carried out here are not claimed by any group. Some local and regional media say the regional wing of IS, led by Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, is responsible. But unusually, there has been no chatter about it on IS-linked social media accounts. Jihadist groups often boast when they kill soldiers, so to have Westerners, and Americans in particular as their victims, would be considered a huge feat. Videos from jihadi groups sometimes feature videos of captured soldiers or corpses of those killed. There has been no such acknowledgement so far and it does not appear as if the attackers found Sgt Johnson's body. The attack happened a long way away from areas where Boko Haram militants are usually found, which is towards the south-east of Niger around Lake Chad."}], "question": "Who carried out the attack?", "id": "1268_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2844, "answer_end": 3445, "text": "The US has 800 military personnel in Niger to support and train the local forces to improve counterterrorism efforts (and the US supports several other African countries in a similar manner). Last Thursday, Director of Joint Staff Lt-Gen Kenneth McKenzie insisted US troops were not taking part in or advising in Niger's direct combat missions. Some of the Americans are also involved in the construction of an air facility in the town of Agadez for transport and surveillance operations across the Sahel region. The plan is to share the intelligence gathered with the local partners, including Niger."}], "question": "What is the US doing in Niger?", "id": "1268_4"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3446, "answer_end": 3774, "text": "That is what some American politicians and media are suggesting but back in June, in a letter to Congress, President Trump, indicated that there were 625 US troops in Niger at the time, conducting counterterrorism operations. Currently at 800, this tally is the largest in Africa outside Camp Lemonnier, the US base in Djibouti."}], "question": "Is there a cover-up about the US presence in Niger?", "id": "1268_5"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3775, "answer_end": 4132, "text": "This is the first time American soldiers have been killed in combat in Niger. With the increasing number of US military personnel getting involved in missions in Africa, it would not be far-fetched to suggest there will be other cases in the future. In May, a navy seal was killed in Somalia while accompanying local forces on a raid on al-Shabab militants."}], "question": "Have other US servicemen been killed in the region recently?", "id": "1268_6"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4133, "answer_end": 5074, "text": "It is still unclear what the circumstances surrounding the attack were. US Africa Command (Africom) says it is investigating the case to establish the details of what led to the incident, what happened during the fighting and the aftermath, including how Sgt Johnson got separated from his colleagues, whether the forces conducting the evacuation conducted a headcount, and why it took so long to find Sgt Johnson's body. While the Americans insist the convoy was not on a special mission, including pursuing any high-value targets, some media reports quote Nigerien military officials as saying the troops had been responding to an attack on a nearby village by an armed group. These reports raise questions about whether the locals had been sympathetic to or even collaborating with the attackers, to allow the soldiers to be lured into the ambush. It is also unclear whether the US forces had enough intelligence on the threat they faced."}], "question": "What are the unanswered questions?", "id": "1268_7"}]}]}, {"title": "Mountain Day becomes Japan's newest public holiday", "date": "11 August 2016", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Japan is marking Mountain Day on Thursday, the latest addition to its extensive public holiday calendar. The extra day off - Japan now has 16 public holidays a year - became law in 2014 but is just taking effect. The campaign to have a Mountain Day was a longstanding cause for hiking and mountain-related groups, who wanted to celebrate Japan's terrain and its connection to the nation's geography and culture. Japan also likes to have something specific to celebrate on each public holiday, such as Greenery Day in May, Marine Day in July and Respect for the Aged Day in September, though most people treat them as just another day off. Because the kanji (Chinese characters used in written Japanese) for \"eight\", Ba , looks a bit like the sides of a mountain. Also \"11\" looks a bit like two trees, say some. Many municipalities had also already designated the date as one to celebrate mountains and, unusually, there were no other public holidays in August. Japan's dramatic landscapes is scattered with volcanoes, earthquakes and hot springs, caused by the smashing of tectonic plates. The country's many peaks are more than just geographical features. They also explain Japan's densely packed cities - squeezed into the flat land near the sea, and, observers say, the culture that has arisen there. Despite this extreme urbanisation, many Japanese people see themselves as more in touch with nature than people in many other developed nations. Not exactly. While hill-walking is popular, especially with senior citizens, an admittedly small survey by the Japan Weather Association found that nearly a third of those they asked had not even heard of the new holiday. Nearly 10% were thinking about a trip to the mountains though - not such a bad idea in the notorious heat of the cities in August. Those that do have been advised to go properly equipped and keep an eye on weather forecasts. Japan now has more official days off than any other member of the Group of Eight (G8) world powers. It also has a problem with people working excessive hours and not claiming all the leave they are owed, which has been blamed for weak consumer demand - and even for Japan's low birth rate. It is hoped public holidays encourage people to take longer vacations - you only need to take a few days off to join them with weekends to get a proper break - and spend money in the process. The Japan Times suggests the new holiday will be responsible for a possible extra 820bn yen ($8bn; PS6bn) in spending, including a jump in sales of camping gear. Any effect on the birth rate is less clear, though families are probably grateful for more time together.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 213, "answer_end": 638, "text": "The campaign to have a Mountain Day was a longstanding cause for hiking and mountain-related groups, who wanted to celebrate Japan's terrain and its connection to the nation's geography and culture. Japan also likes to have something specific to celebrate on each public holiday, such as Greenery Day in May, Marine Day in July and Respect for the Aged Day in September, though most people treat them as just another day off."}], "question": "Why mountains?", "id": "1269_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 639, "answer_end": 960, "text": "Because the kanji (Chinese characters used in written Japanese) for \"eight\", Ba , looks a bit like the sides of a mountain. Also \"11\" looks a bit like two trees, say some. Many municipalities had also already designated the date as one to celebrate mountains and, unusually, there were no other public holidays in August."}], "question": "Why that date?", "id": "1269_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 961, "answer_end": 1448, "text": "Japan's dramatic landscapes is scattered with volcanoes, earthquakes and hot springs, caused by the smashing of tectonic plates. The country's many peaks are more than just geographical features. They also explain Japan's densely packed cities - squeezed into the flat land near the sea, and, observers say, the culture that has arisen there. Despite this extreme urbanisation, many Japanese people see themselves as more in touch with nature than people in many other developed nations."}], "question": "What's so Japanese about it?", "id": "1269_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1449, "answer_end": 1895, "text": "Not exactly. While hill-walking is popular, especially with senior citizens, an admittedly small survey by the Japan Weather Association found that nearly a third of those they asked had not even heard of the new holiday. Nearly 10% were thinking about a trip to the mountains though - not such a bad idea in the notorious heat of the cities in August. Those that do have been advised to go properly equipped and keep an eye on weather forecasts."}], "question": "So everyone will be going hiking?", "id": "1269_3"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1896, "answer_end": 2645, "text": "Japan now has more official days off than any other member of the Group of Eight (G8) world powers. It also has a problem with people working excessive hours and not claiming all the leave they are owed, which has been blamed for weak consumer demand - and even for Japan's low birth rate. It is hoped public holidays encourage people to take longer vacations - you only need to take a few days off to join them with weekends to get a proper break - and spend money in the process. The Japan Times suggests the new holiday will be responsible for a possible extra 820bn yen ($8bn; PS6bn) in spending, including a jump in sales of camping gear. Any effect on the birth rate is less clear, though families are probably grateful for more time together."}], "question": "Why so many public holidays?", "id": "1269_4"}]}]}, {"title": "Teacher fired for asking Trump to 'remove illegal students' from school", "date": "5 June 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "A Texas school district has fired a high school teacher who tweeted to US President Donald Trump to ask for help reporting illegal immigrant students. Georgia Clark, an English teacher in Fort Worth, complained on 17 May about \"illegal students from Mexico\", adding: \"I need protection from recrimination\". She told school officials that she \"did not realise the tweets were public,\" school officials wrote in a report. Ms Clark was fired on Tuesday, but has 15 days to appeal the decision. The tweets, under her now-deleted @Rebecca1939 Twitter account, began about three weeks ago when she described the school district as \"loaded with illegal students from Mexico\", and suggested there should be someone at the school \"who should be actively investigating & removing illegals that are in the public school system\". \"Anything you can do to remove the illegals from Fort Worth would be greatly appreciated,\" she wrote in a separate tweet. Ms Clark added that she needed guarantees that her identity would stay anonymous after action was taken, writing: \"Texas will not protect whistle blowers. The Mexicans refuse to honour our flag.\" But in another tweet, she posted her two phone numbers, adding: \"Georgia Clark is my real name.\" On Tuesday night the Fort Worth Independent School Board of Trustees unanimously voted to terminate her contract after several immigrants and immigrant rights groups spoke to the committee to condemn her actions. During the meeting, 15 people spoke in support of her firing, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Ms Clark was not present at the meeting. Immigrant advocacy group United Fort Worth criticised Ms Clark as a teacher \"who wants to turn classrooms into deportation zones.\" In a statement after the vote, Superintendent Kent Scribner praised the board for their \"strong record of supporting students and their quest for success, college, career and community leadership\". \"Fort Worth serves 86,000 students, and it is our goal that we treat each one with dignity and respect, and based on the information that we have, we think this is the most responsible recommendation at this time.\" A Facebook group called Fort Worth Republican Women, defended the teacher and lashed out officials who they said were violating her constitutional right to free speech. \"The students were offended by a teacher asking the President, Donald J Trump, to enforce the law so she's disciplined?\" the group wrote. \"Would the same be true if another teacher supported illegal immigration?\" In 1982, the US Supreme Court ruled that public schools are required to teach children, regardless of their immigration status. Schools are prohibited from asking parents about immigration status or reporting family members to authorities.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 491, "answer_end": 1232, "text": "The tweets, under her now-deleted @Rebecca1939 Twitter account, began about three weeks ago when she described the school district as \"loaded with illegal students from Mexico\", and suggested there should be someone at the school \"who should be actively investigating & removing illegals that are in the public school system\". \"Anything you can do to remove the illegals from Fort Worth would be greatly appreciated,\" she wrote in a separate tweet. Ms Clark added that she needed guarantees that her identity would stay anonymous after action was taken, writing: \"Texas will not protect whistle blowers. The Mexicans refuse to honour our flag.\" But in another tweet, she posted her two phone numbers, adding: \"Georgia Clark is my real name.\""}], "question": "What exactly did she write?", "id": "1270_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1233, "answer_end": 2757, "text": "On Tuesday night the Fort Worth Independent School Board of Trustees unanimously voted to terminate her contract after several immigrants and immigrant rights groups spoke to the committee to condemn her actions. During the meeting, 15 people spoke in support of her firing, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Ms Clark was not present at the meeting. Immigrant advocacy group United Fort Worth criticised Ms Clark as a teacher \"who wants to turn classrooms into deportation zones.\" In a statement after the vote, Superintendent Kent Scribner praised the board for their \"strong record of supporting students and their quest for success, college, career and community leadership\". \"Fort Worth serves 86,000 students, and it is our goal that we treat each one with dignity and respect, and based on the information that we have, we think this is the most responsible recommendation at this time.\" A Facebook group called Fort Worth Republican Women, defended the teacher and lashed out officials who they said were violating her constitutional right to free speech. \"The students were offended by a teacher asking the President, Donald J Trump, to enforce the law so she's disciplined?\" the group wrote. \"Would the same be true if another teacher supported illegal immigration?\" In 1982, the US Supreme Court ruled that public schools are required to teach children, regardless of their immigration status. Schools are prohibited from asking parents about immigration status or reporting family members to authorities."}], "question": "What has reaction been?", "id": "1270_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Thousands protest against anti-Semitism in France", "date": "19 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Thousands of people have joined protests across France against a spate of anti-Semitic attacks. The demonstrators marched under the slogan \"That's Enough\" at the Place de la Republique in the capital Paris and other cities. Figures from across the political spectrum, including former Presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, joined too. Just hours earlier Jewish graves at a cemetery were desecrated. In a tweet last week, Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, first called on people to gather in Paris for a protest on Tuesday. The event was later organised with the endorsement of more than 50 political parties, unions and associations. No official number has been reported, but similar demonstrations were reported in 60 cities including Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes. \"I'm not sure that what's happened has surprised a lot of people,\" a protester in Paris, Frederic Aubert, said. \"I don't exactly know why they are angry at the Jews,\" said another, named Alain. In recent months, France has seen a series of high-profile anti-Semitic attacks. In the past week, vandals have defaced portraits of the late Holocaust survivor and French minister Simone Veil, scrawled the German word for \"Jews\" on a Parisian bakery and cut down a tree planted in memory of a Jewish youth tortured to death by an anti-Semitic gang. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited a Jewish cemetery in eastern France where nearly 100 graves were desecrated with Nazi symbols. \"Whoever did this is not worthy of the French republic and will be punished,\" Mr Macron said during the visit. In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the \"shocking\" attack, calling anti-Semitism \"a plague that endangers everyone, not just us.\" France has the biggest Jewish community in Europe, about 550,000 people. Statistics published last week showed a rise of 74% in the number of anti-Semitic attacks in France, from 311 in 2017 to 541 in 2018. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told L'Express magazine that the government was considering a change in law to tackle hate speech on social media. During the interview, Mr Philippe said anti-Semitism was \"deeply rooted in French society.\" Jewish groups have also been warning that a rising far right across Europe has been promoting anti-Semitism and hatred of other minorities. Crime data from Germany released last week revealed that anti-Semitic offences had increased by 10% over the past year - including a 60% rise in physical attacks. Attacks have been blamed on both the far right and Islamists. But a 28-country survey by the European Commission, published last month, revealed a gap in perceptions between those in and out of the Jewish community. According to the report, 89% of Jewish people said anti-Semitism had \"significantly increased\" over the last five years. Only 36% of non-Jews believed the same.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 995, "answer_end": 2229, "text": "In recent months, France has seen a series of high-profile anti-Semitic attacks. In the past week, vandals have defaced portraits of the late Holocaust survivor and French minister Simone Veil, scrawled the German word for \"Jews\" on a Parisian bakery and cut down a tree planted in memory of a Jewish youth tortured to death by an anti-Semitic gang. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited a Jewish cemetery in eastern France where nearly 100 graves were desecrated with Nazi symbols. \"Whoever did this is not worthy of the French republic and will be punished,\" Mr Macron said during the visit. In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the \"shocking\" attack, calling anti-Semitism \"a plague that endangers everyone, not just us.\" France has the biggest Jewish community in Europe, about 550,000 people. Statistics published last week showed a rise of 74% in the number of anti-Semitic attacks in France, from 311 in 2017 to 541 in 2018. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told L'Express magazine that the government was considering a change in law to tackle hate speech on social media. During the interview, Mr Philippe said anti-Semitism was \"deeply rooted in French society.\""}], "question": "Why are people protesting?", "id": "1271_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2230, "answer_end": 2909, "text": "Jewish groups have also been warning that a rising far right across Europe has been promoting anti-Semitism and hatred of other minorities. Crime data from Germany released last week revealed that anti-Semitic offences had increased by 10% over the past year - including a 60% rise in physical attacks. Attacks have been blamed on both the far right and Islamists. But a 28-country survey by the European Commission, published last month, revealed a gap in perceptions between those in and out of the Jewish community. According to the report, 89% of Jewish people said anti-Semitism had \"significantly increased\" over the last five years. Only 36% of non-Jews believed the same."}], "question": "Is this happening in other countries?", "id": "1271_1"}]}]}, {"title": "Brett Kavanaugh nomination: Trump challenges accuser", "date": "21 September 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "President Donald Trump has challenged the woman who has accused his Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, demanding she provide evidence. Mr Trump questioned why law enforcement was not called at the time of the alleged assault, in 1982, if it was \"as bad as she says\". The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh has been held up while the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford are assessed. Both have agreed to testify before a Senate committee. However, Prof Ford has set out conditions for her appearance which have yet to be agreed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. US media report that the panel has now offered to hold the hearing next Wednesday. This counteroffer reportedly requires Prof Ford to testify before Judge Kavanaugh, which goes against one of her conditions. The committee must approve the nomination before it passes to the full Senate for a vote. The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life. In a series of tweets, the president again delivered his full support for Judge Kavanaugh, saying he was a \"fine man, with an impeccable reputation\". He went on: \"I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!\" He added: \"Why didn't someone call the FBI 36 years ago?\" Mr Trump also attacked \"radical left wing politicians who don't want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay\". Following the president's controversial comments, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport began trending on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault. By Friday afternoon, the hashtag had over 122,000 tweets from both women and men. President Trump had also weighed in on the process on Thursday, telling Fox News: \"I don't think you can delay it any longer. They've delayed it a week already... they have to get on with it.\" The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Judge Kavanaugh had originally been scheduled for Thursday of this week. The details of the alleged assault during a gathering of teenagers at a house in Montgomery County, Maryland, were carried in the Washington Post last Sunday when Prof Ford decided to go public. She told the newspaper that she discussed the alleged assault in 2012 when she attended couples therapy with her husband. The psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California said she was being treated for what she said had been the long-term effects of the incident. She told a senior Democratic lawmaker of her allegation in a confidential letter this summer and only consented to be named after it was leaked. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the claim. Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America reporter Donald Trump, much to the reported surprise of some in the White House, had largely held his tongue about the twists in the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. That ended on Friday morning. With his nominee in peril - the level of danger seems to vary by the hour - the president has now jumped into the debate with both feet. His suggestion that \"loving\" parents would have reported an alleged sexual assault to the police and implication that the incident may or may not be \"as bad as she says\" are exactly the kind of inflammatory statement some Republicans feared the president would feel drawn to make. The president's comments will almost certainly help rally his base to Judge Kavanaugh's defence. It could also damage support for the nomination - already fairly low - among women and independents who could cast key votes in the upcoming mid-term elections. In the end, however, what matters most for Judge Kavanaugh's fate is how Mr Trump's involvement affects Republican support in the Senate. The confirmation process is already hopelessly politicised, as Republicans accuse Democrats of bad-faith delay tactics and Democrats renew their call for a wider hearing process. The only thing that seems clear is that the process will get nastier before it's all over. What does the committee say? Committee chairman Chuck Grassley had called for written testimony by this Friday from Prof Ford and scheduled a hearing on the matter for Monday. Her lawyer, Debra Katz, rejected this and in a phone call to the panel on Thursday spelled out her client's conditions for testifying. They include: - Prof Ford will not testify if Judge Kavanaugh is in the room - Judge Kavanaugh must testify first - There can be no appearance before next Thursday - Questions to be posed preferably by senators and not outside counsel - Mark Judge, who was said to have been a witness to the alleged assault, should be subpoenaed to appear - Agrees to a public hearing but wants limits on the media coverage There are problems with at least three of the requests. The Senate Judiciary Committee would have to change the Monday hearing. It is also not traditional for the accused to testify first and not have an opportunity for rebuttal. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said: \"Asking for that usual sequence to be reversed is very unusual.\" - Why is the US top court so important?? Neither is it traditional for any subpoenas to be issued for the nomination process. However, Ms Katz suggested there appeared to be room for negotiation when she sent a letter to the committee after the phone call, saying: \"The only issue I said was a deal breaker was that Dr Ford cannot appear at a hearing on Monday.\" Prof Ford, Judge Kavanaugh and his wife have all been receiving threats, as the case becomes increasingly contentious. Ms Katz said of her client: \"She's been receiving death threats which have been reported to the FBI and she and her family have been forced out of their home.\" Fox News said it had obtained emails showing graphic and violent threats to Ashley Kavanaugh, who married the judge in 2004. But supporters of both Judge Kavanaugh and Prof Ford have also been vocal. A group of friends and former colleagues of the judge held a press briefing on Friday behind the banner #IStandWithBrett. Maura Fitzgerald, a friend since high school, said: \"The allegation against Brett is inconsistent with everything that I have known about him as a person.\" Twelve of Prof Ford's family members have written an open letter, posted on Twitter, in which they call her \"highly ethical\", adding that \"her honesty is above reproach\". \"Chrissy is not someone who chooses to be in the spotlight,\" the letter said.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1046, "answer_end": 2238, "text": "In a series of tweets, the president again delivered his full support for Judge Kavanaugh, saying he was a \"fine man, with an impeccable reputation\". He went on: \"I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!\" He added: \"Why didn't someone call the FBI 36 years ago?\" Mr Trump also attacked \"radical left wing politicians who don't want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay\". Following the president's controversial comments, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport began trending on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault. By Friday afternoon, the hashtag had over 122,000 tweets from both women and men. President Trump had also weighed in on the process on Thursday, telling Fox News: \"I don't think you can delay it any longer. They've delayed it a week already... they have to get on with it.\" The Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Judge Kavanaugh had originally been scheduled for Thursday of this week."}], "question": "What has Mr Trump said?", "id": "1272_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2239, "answer_end": 2905, "text": "The details of the alleged assault during a gathering of teenagers at a house in Montgomery County, Maryland, were carried in the Washington Post last Sunday when Prof Ford decided to go public. She told the newspaper that she discussed the alleged assault in 2012 when she attended couples therapy with her husband. The psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California said she was being treated for what she said had been the long-term effects of the incident. She told a senior Democratic lawmaker of her allegation in a confidential letter this summer and only consented to be named after it was leaked. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the claim."}], "question": "What was Prof Ford's account?", "id": "1272_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4947, "answer_end": 5647, "text": "There are problems with at least three of the requests. The Senate Judiciary Committee would have to change the Monday hearing. It is also not traditional for the accused to testify first and not have an opportunity for rebuttal. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said: \"Asking for that usual sequence to be reversed is very unusual.\" - Why is the US top court so important?? Neither is it traditional for any subpoenas to be issued for the nomination process. However, Ms Katz suggested there appeared to be room for negotiation when she sent a letter to the committee after the phone call, saying: \"The only issue I said was a deal breaker was that Dr Ford cannot appear at a hearing on Monday.\""}], "question": "Will the conditions be accepted?", "id": "1272_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump Kim talks: What to make of the Hanoi summit collapse?", "date": "28 February 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ended without any deal or agreement. Washington insists though that dialogue with Pyongyang will continue and the collapse of the Hanoi summit is not a major disappointment. Here's a roundup of North Korea experts looking at the summit and what to make of its sudden end. Ankit Panda, senior editor, The Diplomat The \"no deal\" outcome could have been seen coming a mile away. Indeed, a serious reading of public North Korean statements since last year's Singapore summit would have revealed the core issue that resulted in a lack of agreement. The day after the Singapore summit, North Korean state media paraphrased Kim Jong-un as noting Pyongyang would take \"additional good-will measures\" if the US took \"genuine measures.\" By that date, North Korea had dismantled its nuclear testing site at Punggye-ri and announced a moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental-range ballistic missile tests. Weeks later, North Korea would also partially and reversibly dismantle a missile-engine test stand. When Mr Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a third summit in Pyongyang last September, they referenced North Korea's nuclear facilities at Yongbyon as an example of something the North would put on the table in exchange for \"corresponding measures\" from the US. Finally, on 1 January this year, Kim Jong-un made the same point in his New Year's address: corresponding measures would lead to progress in the US-North Korea diplomatic relationship. This phrase was misinterpreted to mean any range of US concessions, including a possibly a declaration to end the Korean War, when it really meant sanctions relief. Critically, the sequence matters to North Korea: the US would have to agree for sanctions relief up front for any further concessions on denuclearization to flow. In effect, Yongbyon will remain off the table until the US provides sanctions relief. Donald Trump confirmed this is precisely what caused the breakdown of talks at his press conference on the second day of the Hanoi summit. As long as Washington remains unwilling to take the first step on sanctions relief, this process will likely remain stuck. The longer it remains stuck, the more likely it is to collapse. Jenny Town, managing editor, 38 North It is surprising that they didn't come away with a preliminary deal, as they clearly had the outline for one going into the final round of pre-summit negotiations. The tone of the press conference was relatively positive, indicating that the administration still sees a way forward and intends to continue negotiations. That's encouraging for now, while also offering some relief to those who thought the US would accept a \"bad deal\". However, in the meantime, no concrete obligations have been placed on either side and I would suspect that offers of confidence building measures that we've seen coming from North Korea in the past - such as dismantling of the nuclear test site - are unlikely to continue. Of all the stakeholders in this process, the lack of movement on the US-North Korea agenda puts South Korea in a very awkward position, unable to secure the sanctions exemptions they were hoping for as part of this deal, which would facilitate the resumption of inter-Korean economic cooperation. Moreover, despite the president's stated will to continue negotiating with North Korea, in the current domestic political environment, there is a real risk of the momentum for this issue waning amidst a sea of competing interests. Andray Abrahamian, Stanford University Fundamentally, this summit was supposed to kick off a process through which the two countries were going to try to move to a more win-win relationship, rather than the zero-sum \"I win, you lose\" frame that has dominated US-North Korea relations since, well, forever. As such, you have to say that everybody lost. From Mr Trump's perspective it will be a loss he can weather, however. A \"bad deal\" in which he gave away a lot would inspire years of debate and pushback from US foreign-policy elites. With this, he's spun it as save-able through working-level talks and will head home and the news cycle will move on. This is the risk for North Korea. Momentum is hard to build between these two countries and there is every chance now that Donald Trump becomes distracted by politics in the US and this window of opportunity closes. Who knows who the next president will be and what he or she aspires to with North Korea? Oliver Hotham, managing editor, NK News That the North Koreans went into this agreement demanding \"all sanctions\" be lifted, as Trump said, suggests there is an increasing desperation on the part of Pyongyang for relief, and that they see any other kind of deal as essentially pointless - we'll have to see their response in the coming day. It is also a major embarrassment for the South Korean government, which had planned a major announcement on the \"Future of Korean peace and prosperity\" tomorrow and had hopes for a major expansion of cooperation with the North in the wake of this summit. China and Russia, too, will be very frustrated with this outcome. The mood in Pyongyang may be tempered, however, by Mr Trump's comments that he will not increase sanctions against the country, and that he would \"love\" to see them lifted in the near future. The message is that while no formal relief is going to happen anytime soon, the days of \"maximum pressure\" are long gone. Olivia Enos, policy analyst, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation President Trump made the right decision to walk away from a deal. North Korea's ask to remove all sanctions was untenable and also illegal. According to US and UN sanctions, sanctions cannot be removed until complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program takes place and the regime makes human rights improvements. The 80,000 to 120,000 North Korean people inside those prisons camps are being exploited by Kim Jong-un as free labour to fund and architect his nuclear and missile weapons program. Reports indicate that some may even have chemical and biological weapons tested on them. Failure to reach a deal in Hanoi demonstrates the need to craft a more comprehensive policy toward North Korea one that see human rights and denuclearization as interconnected. Future diplomacy, if it's even possible, should reflect the multifaceted nature of current US law.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2294, "answer_end": 3567, "text": "Jenny Town, managing editor, 38 North It is surprising that they didn't come away with a preliminary deal, as they clearly had the outline for one going into the final round of pre-summit negotiations. The tone of the press conference was relatively positive, indicating that the administration still sees a way forward and intends to continue negotiations. That's encouraging for now, while also offering some relief to those who thought the US would accept a \"bad deal\". However, in the meantime, no concrete obligations have been placed on either side and I would suspect that offers of confidence building measures that we've seen coming from North Korea in the past - such as dismantling of the nuclear test site - are unlikely to continue. Of all the stakeholders in this process, the lack of movement on the US-North Korea agenda puts South Korea in a very awkward position, unable to secure the sanctions exemptions they were hoping for as part of this deal, which would facilitate the resumption of inter-Korean economic cooperation. Moreover, despite the president's stated will to continue negotiating with North Korea, in the current domestic political environment, there is a real risk of the momentum for this issue waning amidst a sea of competing interests."}], "question": "Waning momentum in the US?", "id": "1273_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Why are menstrual cups becoming more popular?", "date": "4 October 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Periods are a part of life for much of the population, but talking about them openly can be difficult for some people. But now they're a topic of government debate, and \"period poverty\" initiatives keep making headlines. Conversations are opening up, and new products are on the market. In the UK, it's estimated that the period product market was worth PS265.8m ($350.4m) in 2017, according to retail researchers Mintel. Tampon, menstrual pad and panty liner purchases made up most of the spend. But consumers have been spending less, with sales dropping by PS5.7m since 2016. Hera Crossan, research analyst at Mintel, said that the drop was down to supermarkets cutting their prices to attract more shoppers, rather than people cutting down on what they are buying. According to the charity Bloody Good Period, the average lifetime spend on period products adds up to around PS4,800. While tampons and pads are popular options for managing periods, Instagram and Facebook users might have noticed more adverts for reusable products popping up on their feeds. Reusable period products can include tampon applicators, menstrual cups or cloth pads. Period-proof underwear typically has layers of cotton and waterproof material, so they can be worn instead of (or with) other period products. The number of Google searches for reusable products has increased in recent years, with the menstrual cup proving the most popular. The search engine uses a number out of 100 to represent interest in a search term. In 2013, the search \"menstrual cup\" had a popularity score of 21, but it has increased to 83 only five years later. Most searches came from Australia, while the United States had the most for reusable menstrual pads. Big retailers like Walmart in the US and Boots in the UK now stock menstrual cups, and some companies have reported that sales have been growing at double digit rates over the last 10 years. The impact of plastic pollution on the environment has recently been making headlines. In the UK, the government has announced that it would launch a consultation on plastic pollution, potentially increasing the plastic bag fee in England to 10p. Analysts have said that growing concern over the environment is one of the factors behind the increased interest in reusable period products. Many tampons and pads are often wrapped in plastic, and most discarded products end up in landfill. In 2017 the Marine Conservation Society also reported a large number of period products washed up on British beaches - including pads and single-use plastic applicators. As awareness of plastic pollution increases, plastic-free periods are being popularised on social media. Instagrammers and YouTubers are setting up channels to promote \"eco-friendly\" periods. It's also thought that women are turning to reusable products in order to save money. The tampon tax refers to the revenue earned by a government when VAT (or sales tax) is applied to the sale of period products. Tampons and other period products are currently classed as luxury or non-essential items by the European Commission, so they can be taxed in the UK. Period poverty campaigners like Amika George and Freedom4Girls have claimed that children from low-income families have been unable to afford menstrual products, and have missed school as a result. Australian federal and state governments agreed this October to remove their levy after its introduction in 2000. India also recently scrapped its 12% tax on period products following campaigning by activists, while Canada did the same in 2015. The European Commission is currently reviewing changes to VAT rules which would allow governments to scrap the minimum 5% rate on period products. In the meantime, the UK government has pledged to invest the money raised by the tax in projects that benefit women and girls. Some supermarket chains have also been covering the 5% tax as a goodwill gesture for customers ahead of it being abolished in the UK. Period products in Ireland were already zero-rated before the EU legislation was introduced. Illustration by Katie Horwich.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 287, "answer_end": 885, "text": "In the UK, it's estimated that the period product market was worth PS265.8m ($350.4m) in 2017, according to retail researchers Mintel. Tampon, menstrual pad and panty liner purchases made up most of the spend. But consumers have been spending less, with sales dropping by PS5.7m since 2016. Hera Crossan, research analyst at Mintel, said that the drop was down to supermarkets cutting their prices to attract more shoppers, rather than people cutting down on what they are buying. According to the charity Bloody Good Period, the average lifetime spend on period products adds up to around PS4,800."}], "question": "How much do women and girls spend on period products?", "id": "1274_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 886, "answer_end": 1913, "text": "While tampons and pads are popular options for managing periods, Instagram and Facebook users might have noticed more adverts for reusable products popping up on their feeds. Reusable period products can include tampon applicators, menstrual cups or cloth pads. Period-proof underwear typically has layers of cotton and waterproof material, so they can be worn instead of (or with) other period products. The number of Google searches for reusable products has increased in recent years, with the menstrual cup proving the most popular. The search engine uses a number out of 100 to represent interest in a search term. In 2013, the search \"menstrual cup\" had a popularity score of 21, but it has increased to 83 only five years later. Most searches came from Australia, while the United States had the most for reusable menstrual pads. Big retailers like Walmart in the US and Boots in the UK now stock menstrual cups, and some companies have reported that sales have been growing at double digit rates over the last 10 years."}], "question": "Are reusable products becoming more popular?", "id": "1274_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 1914, "answer_end": 2850, "text": "The impact of plastic pollution on the environment has recently been making headlines. In the UK, the government has announced that it would launch a consultation on plastic pollution, potentially increasing the plastic bag fee in England to 10p. Analysts have said that growing concern over the environment is one of the factors behind the increased interest in reusable period products. Many tampons and pads are often wrapped in plastic, and most discarded products end up in landfill. In 2017 the Marine Conservation Society also reported a large number of period products washed up on British beaches - including pads and single-use plastic applicators. As awareness of plastic pollution increases, plastic-free periods are being popularised on social media. Instagrammers and YouTubers are setting up channels to promote \"eco-friendly\" periods. It's also thought that women are turning to reusable products in order to save money."}], "question": "What's behind the change?", "id": "1274_2"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump diplomat row: Police urged to open investigation", "date": "8 July 2019", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Police have been urged to open a criminal investigation into the leak of diplomatic emails which described the Trump administration as \"inept\". Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told MPs he made the request in a letter to the Met Police. The government has already launched an internal inquiry, saying it \"utterly deplores\" the publication of the memos. US President Donald Trump renewed his attack on the UK ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch, whose comments were leaked. In a string of tweets about the UK, he said the US \"will no longer deal with him\", as well as making critical comments about Prime Minister Theresa May and her approach to Brexit. Mr Trump's comments come after No 10 said the prime minister had \"full faith\" in the UK ambassador in Washington following the leak. Emails from the UK's ambassador, leaked to the Mail on Sunday, said Mr Trump's White House was \"uniquely dysfunctional\" and \"divided\". The prime minister's spokesman said it was \"the job of ambassadors to provide honest and unvarnished opinions\" but Mrs May \"does not agree with the assessment\". He added: \"The leak is absolutely unacceptable and, as you would expect, contact has been made with the Trump administration setting out our view that we believe that it is unacceptable.\" Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan told the House of Commons police could be involved if evidence of wrongdoing over the breach of confidentiality was found. \"The most important focus is to establish who is responsible for this despicable leak,\" he said. Earlier, Trade Secretary Liam Fox told the BBC the leak was \"unprofessional, unethical and unpatriotic\", adding that whoever released the emails had \"maliciously\" undermined the defence and security relationship with the US. \"I hope if we can identify the individual, either the full force of internal discipline - or if necessary the law - will be brought to bear because this sort of behaviour has no place in public life,\" he said. But Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said Sir Kim had been \"betrayed\" and \"hung out to dry even though his only crime was to tell the truth\". She added:  \"He told the truth about Donald Trump and that was because it was his job.\" By James Robbins, BBC diplomatic correspondent Just imagine if every heavily encrypted report to Whitehall from all UK ambassadors overseas was instantly available on your mobile. The candour would cease immediately and they'd become ultra-bland and useless as a tool in policy-making. So, damage in this case is considerable. There will be a large number of potential suspects. Diplomatic telegrams are seen by scores, often hundreds of people - ministers and officials - across several departments. That is to ensure grown-up and private conversations can be had based on large amounts of source material. Of course, there is damage to relations between the UK and the Trump White House too. Mr Trump likes to dish out insults and criticism (remember his frequent belittling of Theresa May over Brexit, and his all out verbal attacks on the mayor of London) but he is pretty thin-skinned when the verbal arrows are aimed at him. The one person who is not under suspicion in London is Sir Kim himself. After all, as his current political master, Mr Hunt, has made clear, he was just doing his job. As the Foreign Office launched an investigation into the source of the leak to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Trump told reporters in New Jersey: \"We're not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well. \"So I can understand it and I can say things about him but I won't bother.\" In the emails, the UK ambassador to Washington said: \"We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.\" Sir Kim questioned whether this White House \"will ever look competent\" but also warned the US president should not be written off. Dating from 2017 to the present day, the leaked emails said rumours of \"infighting and chaos\" in the White House were mostly true and policy on sensitive issues such as Iran was \"incoherent, chaotic\". Although the Mueller investigation later found allegations of conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia were not proven, Sir Kim's emails said \"the worst cannot be ruled out\". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister and the UK leaves the EU by 31 October, \"people like\" Sir Kim would \"not be around\". Asked about speculation that he might take on the diplomatic role, Mr Farage said: \"I don't think I'm the right man for the job\", adding that he was \"not a diplomat\". However, he said he \"could be very useful\" when dealing with the US administration. Sir Kim is the British ambassador to the US, which means he represents the Queen and UK government interests in the US. Born in South Stanley, County Durham in 1954, he attended Durham University where he read zoology. During a 42-year diplomatic career, he has specialised in national security issues and European Union policy. In 2007, Sir Kim served in Brussels as UK permanent representative to the EU. He was the prime minister's national security adviser between 2012 and 2015, dealing with issues such as the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Russian annexation of Crimea, the nuclear threat from Iran and the collapse of government authority in Libya. He became ambassador to the US in January 2016, a year before Donald Trump's presidential inauguration.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 4825, "answer_end": 5605, "text": "Sir Kim is the British ambassador to the US, which means he represents the Queen and UK government interests in the US. Born in South Stanley, County Durham in 1954, he attended Durham University where he read zoology. During a 42-year diplomatic career, he has specialised in national security issues and European Union policy. In 2007, Sir Kim served in Brussels as UK permanent representative to the EU. He was the prime minister's national security adviser between 2012 and 2015, dealing with issues such as the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Russian annexation of Crimea, the nuclear threat from Iran and the collapse of government authority in Libya. He became ambassador to the US in January 2016, a year before Donald Trump's presidential inauguration."}], "question": "Who is Sir Kim Darroch?", "id": "1275_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Night-time loo trips 'linked to salt in diet'", "date": "26 March 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "People who wake at night with an urge to go to the loo may need to cut back on salt in their diets, doctors from Japan are suggesting. The problem - called nocturia - which mainly affects the over-60s, leads to disrupted sleep and can significantly affect people's lives. In a study of more than 300 volunteers, researchers found that reduced salt intake led people to urinate less. Advice to follow a sensible diet could help improve symptoms, UK doctors said. The researchers, from Nagasaki University, presented their findings at the European Society of Urology congress in London. They followed patients who had a high salt intake and sleeping problems for three months, after giving them advice to cut back on salt in their diet. On average, trips to the loo fell from more than twice a night to just one. This happened at night as well as during the day, and their quality of life also improved. Conversely, 98 people in the study ended up eating more salt than normal and found they went to the loo more often at night-time. Study author Dr Matsuo Tomohiro said larger studies were needed to confirm the link but the results could offer help for older people. \"This work holds out the possibility that a simply dietary modification might significantly improve the quality of life for many people,\" he said. Prof Marcus Drake, a nocturia expert from the University of Bristol, said the amount of salt people ate was not generally considered to be a cause of nocturia. Usually, doctors tended to focus on the volume of water patients drank before bedtime and on bladder and prostate problems (in men), he said. \"Here we have a useful study showing how we need to consider all influences to get the best chance of improving the symptom.\" The need to wake up at night to empty the bladder affects more than half of men and women over the age of 50. It is particularly common in elderly people, many of whom get up at least twice a night. When you start to need to make two or more trips to the bathroom at night, sleep is being disturbed - which can lead to stress, tiredness and irritability. Hormonal changes do happen as we age, making us produce more urine at night. Men's prostate glands also often start growing with age. An enlarged prostate can press on the tube that urine passes through before leaving the body, increasing the need to pass urine. But this isn't the whole story. Nocturia can be a sign of an underlying health problem, such as diabetes, heart problems or sleep-related conditions, such as sleep apnoea. Adults in the UK are recommended to eat no more than 6g of salt a day, equal to 2.4g of sodium. Children should eat less - only 2g of salt for ages one to three, rising to 5g for seven to 10-year-olds. After age 11, children can have up to 6g. Bread and breakfast cereals can contain more salt than you think. Bacon, ham, cheese, crisps and pasta sauces are also high in salt. When buying food, look at the figure for salt per 100g on the packaging. High salt content is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium) per 100g. These foods may be colour-coded red.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1742, "answer_end": 2096, "text": "The need to wake up at night to empty the bladder affects more than half of men and women over the age of 50. It is particularly common in elderly people, many of whom get up at least twice a night. When you start to need to make two or more trips to the bathroom at night, sleep is being disturbed - which can lead to stress, tiredness and irritability."}], "question": "To pee or not to pee?", "id": "1276_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2097, "answer_end": 2531, "text": "Hormonal changes do happen as we age, making us produce more urine at night. Men's prostate glands also often start growing with age. An enlarged prostate can press on the tube that urine passes through before leaving the body, increasing the need to pass urine. But this isn't the whole story. Nocturia can be a sign of an underlying health problem, such as diabetes, heart problems or sleep-related conditions, such as sleep apnoea."}], "question": "Is it just a side-effect of getting old?", "id": "1276_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2532, "answer_end": 2775, "text": "Adults in the UK are recommended to eat no more than 6g of salt a day, equal to 2.4g of sodium. Children should eat less - only 2g of salt for ages one to three, rising to 5g for seven to 10-year-olds. After age 11, children can have up to 6g."}], "question": "How much salt is too much?", "id": "1276_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 2776, "answer_end": 3083, "text": "Bread and breakfast cereals can contain more salt than you think. Bacon, ham, cheese, crisps and pasta sauces are also high in salt. When buying food, look at the figure for salt per 100g on the packaging. High salt content is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium) per 100g. These foods may be colour-coded red."}], "question": "Which foods are high in salt?", "id": "1276_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Trump steel tariffs: Trading partners threaten retaliation", "date": "2 March 2018", "paragraphs": [{"context": "The main trading partners of the US have reacted angrily after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Canada and the EU said they would bring forward their own countermeasures to the steep new tariffs. Mexico, China and Brazil have also said they are weighing up retaliatory steps. Mr Trump tweeted that the US had been \"decimated by unfair trade and bad policy\". He said steel imports would face a 25% tariff and aluminium 10%. However, critics argue that the tariffs would fail to protect American jobs and would ultimately put up prices for consumers. The news sent shares in Asia down on Friday, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 losing more than 2% by mid-morning. Shares in Japan's car-making giant Toyota were down more than 2% and Nippon Steel stocks down more than 4%. Toyota said the US decision would \"adversely impact automakers, the automotive supplier community and consumers\". On Friday, China urged the US to \"exercise restraint in using trade protection tools\". President Trump ordered an investigation into the industry last April under a clause of a 1962 law, which grants the White House authority to restrict imports in the face of a national security threat. The Commerce Department report found that imports were harming the domestic steel and aluminium industries, and could affect the defence industry, the Washington Post reported. The decision on imposing tariffs rests with the President and does not need Congressional approval. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the tariffs would put thousands of European jobs at risk. \"We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures,\" he said. \"The EU will react firmly and commensurately to defend our interests.\" In Canada, the largest supplier of steel and aluminium to the US, trade minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said any tariffs would be \"unacceptable\". Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada would take \"responsive measures\" if restrictions were imposed but did not give details. Richard Warren, head of policy at the UK Steel trade association, said the proposed hike would have a \"significant impact\" on the UK, as the US accounts for about 15%  of UK steel exports. In other reaction: - Brazil, also a large steel exporter to the US, threatened \"multilateral or bilateral\" action to protect its interests - Australia's trade minister Steven Ciobo said the imposition of such tariffs would distort trade \"and ultimately... lead to a loss of jobs\" - Germany's steel industry federation, WV Stahl, said the US measures violated the rules of the World Trade Organization and would have a major impact on Germany's steel market On Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: \"If all countries follow the example of the United States, this will undoubtedly result in a serious impact on the international trade order\", according to AFP news agency. Li Xinchuang, vice-secretary-general of the China Iron and Steel Association, said the impact on China would not be big, adding: \"Nothing can be done about Trump. We are already numb to him.\" Little Chinese steel directly reaches US ports, Reuters news agency notes, because of previous anti-dumping duties, designed to prevent countries from selling their products at prices deemed unfairly low. But US steel industry executives say Chinese steel is still widely shipped to the US through third countries. President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser, Liu He, met the Trump administration on Thursday for \"frank and constructive\" talks, a White House official said. In early European trade, London dipped 0.5%, Paris fell 1.1% and Frankfurt dropped 1.3%, according to AFP news agency. In South Korea, America's third largest source of steel, shares in steelmaking giant Posco were down more than 3.5%. The benchmark Kospi index was down close to 1.5%. In China, investors seemed less concerned about the new tariffs. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 1.7%, while the Shanghai Composite was down 0.7%. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index had lost 1% by midday trade, dragged down by losses in commodities. Stocks in mining giant BHP Billiton were down more than 1.5%. Mr Trump pledged to rebuild the US steel and aluminium industries which he said had suffered \"disgraceful\" treatment from other countries, in particular China, for decades. \"When our country can't make aluminium and steel... you almost don't have much of a country,\" he said. \"We need great steel makers, great aluminium makers for defence.\" Mr Trump's announcement was slightly delayed amid reports of disagreement among his aides. More than a dozen metals executives, including representatives from US Steel Corp and Arcelor Mittal, stood alongside him as he made the announcement. During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump said that foreign countries were \"dumping vast amounts of steel all over the United States, which essentially is killing our steelworkers and steel companies\". Since taking office he has said cheap imports from China are harming the viability of industry in the US. The US imports four times more steel than it exports and is reliant on steel from more than 100 nations. The US Department of Energy says the steel industry is recovering after a slump following the 2008 financial crisis. But it is an industry significantly weaker than it was at the turn of the millennium. In 2000 the US produced 112m tons of steel - a figure that had fallen to 86.5m tons in 2016. In 2000, 135,000 people were employed in the industry - a figure that fell to 83,600 in 2016.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2715, "answer_end": 3620, "text": "On Friday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: \"If all countries follow the example of the United States, this will undoubtedly result in a serious impact on the international trade order\", according to AFP news agency. Li Xinchuang, vice-secretary-general of the China Iron and Steel Association, said the impact on China would not be big, adding: \"Nothing can be done about Trump. We are already numb to him.\" Little Chinese steel directly reaches US ports, Reuters news agency notes, because of previous anti-dumping duties, designed to prevent countries from selling their products at prices deemed unfairly low. But US steel industry executives say Chinese steel is still widely shipped to the US through third countries. President Xi Jinping's top economic adviser, Liu He, met the Trump administration on Thursday for \"frank and constructive\" talks, a White House official said."}], "question": "How has China reacted?", "id": "1277_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3621, "answer_end": 4234, "text": "In early European trade, London dipped 0.5%, Paris fell 1.1% and Frankfurt dropped 1.3%, according to AFP news agency. In South Korea, America's third largest source of steel, shares in steelmaking giant Posco were down more than 3.5%. The benchmark Kospi index was down close to 1.5%. In China, investors seemed less concerned about the new tariffs. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 1.7%, while the Shanghai Composite was down 0.7%. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index had lost 1% by midday trade, dragged down by losses in commodities. Stocks in mining giant BHP Billiton were down more than 1.5%."}], "question": "How did other markets respond?", "id": "1277_1"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 4235, "answer_end": 5127, "text": "Mr Trump pledged to rebuild the US steel and aluminium industries which he said had suffered \"disgraceful\" treatment from other countries, in particular China, for decades. \"When our country can't make aluminium and steel... you almost don't have much of a country,\" he said. \"We need great steel makers, great aluminium makers for defence.\" Mr Trump's announcement was slightly delayed amid reports of disagreement among his aides. More than a dozen metals executives, including representatives from US Steel Corp and Arcelor Mittal, stood alongside him as he made the announcement. During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump said that foreign countries were \"dumping vast amounts of steel all over the United States, which essentially is killing our steelworkers and steel companies\". Since taking office he has said cheap imports from China are harming the viability of industry in the US."}], "question": "What did Trump say?", "id": "1277_2"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 5128, "answer_end": 5622, "text": "The US imports four times more steel than it exports and is reliant on steel from more than 100 nations. The US Department of Energy says the steel industry is recovering after a slump following the 2008 financial crisis. But it is an industry significantly weaker than it was at the turn of the millennium. In 2000 the US produced 112m tons of steel - a figure that had fallen to 86.5m tons in 2016. In 2000, 135,000 people were employed in the industry - a figure that fell to 83,600 in 2016."}], "question": "What shape is the US steel industry in?", "id": "1277_3"}]}]}, {"title": "Will Australia's dual citizenship saga continue?", "date": "2 November 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Australia's highest court made a long-awaited decision on Friday about seven politicians caught up in a dual citizenship saga, ruling five of them ineligible for office. But just four days later, an eighth politician, Senate President Stephen Parry, revealed that he could be a UK dual citizen by descent through his father. Mr Parry confirmed the status on Wednesday and said he would resign, arguing that the High Court of Australia had provided \"absolute clarity\" about constitutional rules on eligibility. For many observers, the revelation revived another question: could even more politicians face scrutiny? Under Australia's 116-year-old constitution, dual citizens are banned from running for federal office. Being unaware of a citizenship is not grounds for exemption, the court clarified on Friday, when it disqualified Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and others. The two senators who survived scrutiny, Matt Canavan and Nick Xenophon, were ruled to be eligible for separate reasons. But criticism of the politicians has intensified since the saga began in July, and some local commentators were scathing after Mr Parry's announcement: - \"It's not the cost, the annoyance of a by-election, the stupidity of people not knowing their own citizenship status or the uncertainty over who should be in Parliament. In the end, it's the arrogance of our MPs that really gets you. The sheer sense of entitlement that takes your breath away,\" wrote Judith Ireland in the Canberra Times. - \"It is possible there are other Parrys, and that they are too stupid, too cowardly or too calculating to come clean,\" said political commentator Niki Savva in The Australian. - \"How much more constitutional calamity can the Australian public take?\" headlined a piece by Matthew Doran for the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Parry had chosen \"to delay\" his revelation, although he did not say by how long. \"I'm disappointed that Senator Parry didn't make public this issue some time ago. Quite some time ago,\" Mr Turnbull said. He said it remained up to individual politicians to come forward if they believed their eligibility was in question. However, others such as Richard Di Natale, leader of the minor Greens party, have called for an official audit of sitting politicians' citizenships. \"There is a huge shadow right now hanging over the federal parliament. People are losing faith in our democracy,\" Mr Di Natale said. His call has received support, including from some government MPs and others. \"[Mr] Parry has proved just how pathetic our politicians can be, which only increases the possibility that there are more people in trouble who have not declared themselves,\" said Laura Tingle in the Australian Financial Review. However, Mr Turnbull and the main opposition Labor party continue to oppose an audit. Both have said any doubts should be resolved by the court on a case-by-case basis. Others have suggested changing the relevant constitutional section, arguing it does not reflect a nation where almost half the population was born overseas or had at least one parent born abroad. Amending the constitution would require a national referendum. Some commentators have said that Australians could find that unpalatable when other debates, such as one over indigenous recognition, remain unresolved and may also require a referendum.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 1815, "answer_end": 3378, "text": "Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Parry had chosen \"to delay\" his revelation, although he did not say by how long. \"I'm disappointed that Senator Parry didn't make public this issue some time ago. Quite some time ago,\" Mr Turnbull said. He said it remained up to individual politicians to come forward if they believed their eligibility was in question. However, others such as Richard Di Natale, leader of the minor Greens party, have called for an official audit of sitting politicians' citizenships. \"There is a huge shadow right now hanging over the federal parliament. People are losing faith in our democracy,\" Mr Di Natale said. His call has received support, including from some government MPs and others. \"[Mr] Parry has proved just how pathetic our politicians can be, which only increases the possibility that there are more people in trouble who have not declared themselves,\" said Laura Tingle in the Australian Financial Review. However, Mr Turnbull and the main opposition Labor party continue to oppose an audit. Both have said any doubts should be resolved by the court on a case-by-case basis. Others have suggested changing the relevant constitutional section, arguing it does not reflect a nation where almost half the population was born overseas or had at least one parent born abroad. Amending the constitution would require a national referendum. Some commentators have said that Australians could find that unpalatable when other debates, such as one over indigenous recognition, remain unresolved and may also require a referendum."}], "question": "Is there an answer?", "id": "1278_0"}]}]}, {"title": "Kim Jong-nam death: Two women to face murder charges", "date": "28 February 2017", "paragraphs": [{"context": "Two women implicated in the killing of the estranged brother of North Korea's leader will be charged with murder shortly, Malaysia's prosecutor says. Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali said the women - from Indonesia and Vietnam - would be formally charged and could face death if convicted. The women allegedly smeared a deadly chemical over Kim Jong-nam's face at a Malaysia airport earlier this month. They have said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank. \"They will be charged in court under Section 302 of the penal code,\" the attorney general said, which is a murder charge with a mandatory death sentence if found guilty. He said no decision had yet been taken on whether to charge a North Korean man, Ri Jong Chol, who is also being held over the killing. That \"depends on the outcome of the police investigation, which is still ongoing\", Mr Apandi was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. The two women - Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia - are among some 10 suspects identified by Malaysia as being involved in the killing. The other suspects include a senior official at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur and a staff member of the state airline. South Korea believes at least four suspects are North Korean spies. A high-level delegation from North Korea - led by the former ambassador to the UN - arrived in the Malaysian capital on Tuesday. They said they were seeking the retrieval of the body and the release of Ri Jong Chol, as well as the \"development of friendly relationships\" between North Korea and Malaysia. North Korea has not confirmed that the person killed on 13 February at Kuala Lumpur airport was Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of leader Kim Jong-un, saying only he was a North Korean travelling on a diplomatic passport. Kim Jong-nam, 42, was at a check-in desk for a flight to Macau, where he lives, when he was accosted. He was smeared with a very high amount of the toxic nerve agent VX and died in pain within 15-20 minutes, Malaysia's health minister said on Sunday. Little is known for definite about Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah except that they had left their homes in different parts of Asia and were trying to make a living in Malaysia. Malaysian police officials described Ms Huong, a 28-year-old from Vietnam, as an \"entertainment outlet employee\" while Ms Siti, 25 from Indonesia, was working in a hotel massage parlour. It is clear they lived precarious existences, reports the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes who has been researching the story. Ms Huong's Facebook page, in which she posted under the name Ruby Ruby, showed her posing in a number of selfies and glamour shots. There are rumours she once auditioned for Vietnam's version of Pop Idol. Her family said she left her home village in north Vietnam at 17 to study in the capital Hanoi, and had rarely returned home since. They said they were surprised to learn she was in Malaysia. Her stepmother told BBC Vietnamese that the family were fed up with all the attention they had received but were grateful for the support of their neighbours. \"They are sympathetic because they don't understand how a daughter of a family with high moral values like us could become like that,\" Nguyen Thi Vy, 54, said. Siti Aisyah was arrested for the killing along with her 26-year-old Malaysian boyfriend, who was later released on bail. She told the Indonesian embassy officials that she thought she was taking part in a reality TV show, and had been paid 400 Malaysian ringgit ($90; PS72) to smear what she thought was baby oil on to Mr Kim's face. Ms Siti was out partying with her friends the night before the killing. A friend, who spoke anonymously, said they had been celebrating her birthday, which had been the day before. Film footage purportedly from the evening shows her talking with friends about becoming an internet star. Ri Jong Chol, 47, is a North Korean who has lived in Malaysia for the last three years. He is in Malaysian detention. The Malaysian boyfriend of Siti Aisyah, Muhammad Farid Jalaluddin, was arrested but police said he would be released on bail. Hyon Kwang Song, 44, second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur is being sought by police. He is believed to be in the embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Kim Uk Il, 37, is a staff member of North Korea's state airline Air Koryo, and is also believed to still be in Malaysia. Ri Ju U, 30, a North Korean also known as \"James\", has been identified by the women as the man who recruited them. Ri Ji Hyon, 33, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. Hong Song Hac, 34, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. O Jong Gil, 55, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. Ri Jae Nam, 57, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang.", "qas": [{"answers": [{"answer_start": 2046, "answer_end": 3869, "text": "Little is known for definite about Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah except that they had left their homes in different parts of Asia and were trying to make a living in Malaysia. Malaysian police officials described Ms Huong, a 28-year-old from Vietnam, as an \"entertainment outlet employee\" while Ms Siti, 25 from Indonesia, was working in a hotel massage parlour. It is clear they lived precarious existences, reports the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes who has been researching the story. Ms Huong's Facebook page, in which she posted under the name Ruby Ruby, showed her posing in a number of selfies and glamour shots. There are rumours she once auditioned for Vietnam's version of Pop Idol. Her family said she left her home village in north Vietnam at 17 to study in the capital Hanoi, and had rarely returned home since. They said they were surprised to learn she was in Malaysia. Her stepmother told BBC Vietnamese that the family were fed up with all the attention they had received but were grateful for the support of their neighbours. \"They are sympathetic because they don't understand how a daughter of a family with high moral values like us could become like that,\" Nguyen Thi Vy, 54, said. Siti Aisyah was arrested for the killing along with her 26-year-old Malaysian boyfriend, who was later released on bail. She told the Indonesian embassy officials that she thought she was taking part in a reality TV show, and had been paid 400 Malaysian ringgit ($90; PS72) to smear what she thought was baby oil on to Mr Kim's face. Ms Siti was out partying with her friends the night before the killing. A friend, who spoke anonymously, said they had been celebrating her birthday, which had been the day before. Film footage purportedly from the evening shows her talking with friends about becoming an internet star."}], "question": "Who are Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah?", "id": "1279_0"}, {"answers": [{"answer_start": 3870, "answer_end": 4798, "text": "Ri Jong Chol, 47, is a North Korean who has lived in Malaysia for the last three years. He is in Malaysian detention. The Malaysian boyfriend of Siti Aisyah, Muhammad Farid Jalaluddin, was arrested but police said he would be released on bail. Hyon Kwang Song, 44, second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur is being sought by police. He is believed to be in the embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Kim Uk Il, 37, is a staff member of North Korea's state airline Air Koryo, and is also believed to still be in Malaysia. Ri Ju U, 30, a North Korean also known as \"James\", has been identified by the women as the man who recruited them. Ri Ji Hyon, 33, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. Hong Song Hac, 34, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. O Jong Gil, 55, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang. Ri Jae Nam, 57, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to Pyongyang."}], "question": "Who are the other suspects?", "id": "1279_1"}]}]}]}